Customer and Zara Essay

First of all, Inditex tries to tackle cannibalization by differentiating the brands mainly through the product, target markets (customer groups and countries), store presentation and retail image. And in 2008, the percentage of the growth in sales compared to 2007 is 9%, it means that Zara has been successful by meeting the ‘risk of cannibalization’. Compare with the other competitors, Inditex has some advantages. For example, the first one is the repeat visits. An average high-street store in Spain expects customers to visit 3 times a year, but that figure will be up to 17 times for Zara. And Zara can offer considerably more products than similar companies. It launches about 30,000 model items .annually compared with 10,000 items for its key competitors. Zara is also good at the speed. The company can design a new product and have finished goods in its stores in four to five weeks; it can modify existing items in as little as two weeks. In my opinion, the key point of them is making more repeat visits. For achieve this purpose, ZARA uses two methods- Shortening the product life cycle, â€Å"More model and less quantity.† Shortening the product life cycle means greater success in meeting consumer preferences. If a design doesn’t sell well within a week it is withdrawn from shops, further orders are cancelled and a new design is pursued. No design stays on the shop floor for more than four weeks, which encourages Zara fans to make repeat visits. As you know, we can usually find that there are only two or three pieces of each model in Zara’s shops. And they won’t replenish when its sold out. Like the limited release of stamp increase its value. It has increased more fans of Zara by this way. The most important is that Zara has the ability to recognize and assimilate the continuous changes in fashion, rapidly designing new models that respond to customer needs and wants. Zara uses its flexible business model to adapt to changes occurring during a season, reacting to them by bringing new products to the stores in a short time. For Zara the keys to global competitiveness are the time factor and the ability to adapt the offer precisely and quickly to the customer desires. I think this is the reason why Zara can be successful by meeting the â€Å"risk of cannibalization†.

Best Rich Picture Book

Designing touch screen voting systems: a rich picture exercise. Name: Course: Instructor: Pavel Gokin HF 770 Prototyping Chauncey Wilson Collecting the data. My primary source of data was the Internet in general and the ACM digital library in particular. The papers and articles found there provided information about the design and use of voting systems, as well as the entities influencing or influenced, directly or indirectly, by the system. Some of the stakeholder concerns came from my personal experience and educated guessing.This is, of course, not how I would collect the data for this rich picture if I were doing it as a â€Å"real† project. Ideally, the insights would come from contextual interviews of the stakeholders as outlined in Monk and Howard’s article (Monk & Howard, 1998, p. 22). Thus the concerns addressed by the design would be real user concerns (albeit reported rather than observed) rather than what I, the designer, think the concerns were. Touch scree n voting systems (VS) share most of the same stakeholders with all types of voting machines.The exceptions here are the stakeholders that come into play due to the electronic nature of the data collection. For example, the Secretary of State office, where voting system vendors have to escrow the source code of their systems (Dill et al. , nd, 2. 3). However, some design issues and stakeholder concerns are unique to touch screen VS. Let’s look at the stakeholders and their concerns, expressed in their own words. Primary / core stakeholders. 1. The voter. This one is obvious. However, it may be useful to break this stakeholder into sub-stakeholders. Here’s why. Voting systems must be usable by all citizens 18 years of age or older.This includes not only â€Å"normal† voters, but also the elderly, disabled, uneducated, poor, and minorities (Bederson, 2003, p. 145). Each group has additional concerns on top of the ones it shares with all of the voters. a. Concerns c ommon to all voters, in their own words, include: i. â€Å"Will I be able to figure this thing out quickly? † ii. â€Å"Will my vote be properly recorded and counted? How will I know? † iii. â€Å"Will my vote be kept anonymous? † b. Disabled: i. â€Å"Will I be able to see the screen? Will I be able to use the system without seeing anything? † (low/no vision) ii. â€Å"Will I be able to reach the controls? † (stature, wheelchair) iii. Will I be able to indicate my selection properly? † (motor) c. Elderly. In addition to having physical disabilities, the elderly are particularly distrustful of technology. They often need written proof of important transactions (i. e. paper social security checks). i. â€Å"Will I get a paper receipt or some written confirmation of my vote? † ii. â€Å"Will I have enough time to do everything comfortably? † d. Low literacy users: i. â€Å"Will I be able to understand the instructions/choices? â €  e. The poor and racial/ethnic minorities: i. â€Å"I can do this much better in Spanish! † ii. â€Å"Will they even count my ballot? †1 2. Poll workers.Poll workers are the people who deploy and manage the systems. Their concern stems from the fact that they have minimal training on the system and, therefore, may not be able to troubleshoot problems or answer questions (Bederson, 2003, p. 145): â€Å"†¦ because poor and ethnic and racial minorities were more likely to cast their ballots on outdated systems, their votes were among the least likely to be counted† (Bederson, 2003, p. 145). 1 a. â€Å"Oh no! Election night is tomorrow and we only got these things this morning! How will I ever learn how to use it, let alone help someone if they have a problem? † 3. The VS’s UI designer.This role may physically reside inside the system vendor’s organization (and influenced by it), but it also has its own concerns. a. â€Å"How can I de sign the interface so that it meets the requirements least expensively and do so without working nights and weekends to meet the deadline? † The problem here is three-fold: (i) requirements may stress functionality required to pass certification rather than assure a usable product (FEC’s fault); (ii) the pressure to cut costs may mean that some of the users’ needs will be sacrificed; (iii) personal time pressure means that the designer may not have enough time to come up with the best solution. . The VS’s programmer. a. â€Å"How can I program this thing so that it meets the requirements and what shortcuts can I take so that I get it all done while only working nights and weekends to meet the deadline? † The programmer’s problems are similar to those of the designer: too little time to care about the user experience. Secondary stakeholders. 5. The management team of the VS vendor. Their concern is, among others: a. â€Å"We need to design a system that will pass qualification by the ITA. † b. â€Å"How can we design, manufacture and sell the system most profitably? † c. Who has the deepest pockets to pay for our state of the art system? † 6. State and local authorities who purchase the system. According to Bederson et al. â€Å"state or county purchasers are usually more concerned about cost than usability† (Bederson, 2003, p. 145): a. â€Å"Who’s got the cheapest NASED-certified system? † Note that this concern is in conflict with the VS vendor’s need to charge as much as possible for the systems. 7. The Federal Election Committee (FEC) creates voting system standards (VSS): a. â€Å"We need a system that’s secure, reliable, and accessible. † 8.The Independent Testing Authority (accredited by the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED)) qualifies VS for use in elections (Coggins, 2004, p. 35): a. â€Å"Does this system meet the qualificatio n requirements? † 9. Electees. To quote/paraphrase Al Gore: a. â€Å"We need a complete and accurate count! † 10. The Media. Would they ever love to dig up some â€Å"dirt† on a system that a disabled veteran could not use and was thus disenfranchised! a. â€Å"Are there systems out there that are not secure or accessible? † 11. Political Analysts. They too like to talk about chads. a. Will the new systems again threaten our Democracy? † The Rich Picture. The diagram on the following page places (a) all the stakeholders, (b) their concerns, and (c) their relationships to one another. The relationships are defined by the information or material goods they exchange. The voter stakeholder is â€Å"exploded† into its subgroups. Direct stakeholders appear in the shaded area. Will I be able to figure the system out quickly so I can help the voters? Will I understand the instructions / choices? The Voter Can I figure this out quickly? I can do this m uch better in Spanish!Instructions / help Poll Worker Requests for assistance Low Literacy Voter Voter Will I be able to use this thing at all? Poor and Racial/Ethnic Minority Will I get a receipt? Sala ry Need the cheapest certified system we can get. Need to cut costs and charge more. Votin g Syste m s Disabled Voter Elderly Voter er Us inp ut (? ) I don’t have time for UCD! I want a complete and accurate vote count! State / Local voting authority (VS Purchaser) t un co te Vo l resu Vote ts System design Salary Paym ent VS Designer System VS Vendor ec code I wish I had more time! Salar s sp y Qu m aliVote results Sy ste fic o ati Electee VS Programmer n# Is poor design causing disenfranchisement among the voters? Media We want â€Å"dirt† on badly designed voting systems! Political Media Analyst We need universal standards for secure and accessble systems V S Qu alificat Repor ion t NASED VS n Sta da s rd ITA Vote res u lts Note: Primary / core stakeholders appear in the light gray shaded area FEC Discussion. Obtaining concerns. Since I didn’t interview the stakeholders, many of the concerns are based on my assumptions about the stakeholders. Therefore, those concerns may not be real.For the same reason I can only guess the exact language to use in the concerns thought bubbles. An interesting alternate strategy could have been to omit unverified concerns. In this case the resulting rich picture would point to information gaps requiring more research. Which concerns to include. Even if all concerns are identified we must keep in mind that some affect the system about which we’re trying to make a rich picture while others don’t. In general, identifying concerns that have an impact on the design of the touch screen voting system was difficult.This was especially true for indirect stakeholders. In addition, choosing concerns that seem to have an impact on the system being designed and ignoring the others may have caused me to o mit an important concern that may have a significant impact on the system. Direct vs. indirect stakeholders. Where to draw the line? The way I dealt with this problem was to classify as direct stakeholders all entities that physically interact with the system or whose decisions have a direct impact on a particular voting system. A possible alternate approach.In their paper, Monk and Howard illustrate two approaches to indicating process flows between stakeholders in a rich picture: illustrating the flow of data and the flow of influence. While I chose to illustrate the flow of data or information, the influence flow approach could have provided some interesting insights as well. I could have placed the system itself in the center of the diagram and represented the ways in which the different stakeholders influenced the system using process arrows. These influences, combined with concerns, could then be used to create system requirements. Bibliography. Bederson, B. B. , Lee, B. Sherm an, R. M. , Herrnson, P. , Niemi, R. G. (April, 2003). Electronic Voting System Usability Issues. CHI 2003, April 5–10, 2003, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Dill, D. L. , Mercuri, R. , Neumann, P. G. , & Wallach, D. S. (nd). Frequently Asked Questions about DRE Voting Systems. Retrieved on February 14, 2006 from: http://www. verifiedvoting. org/article. php? id=5018. Coggins, C. (November, 2004). Independent Testing of Voting Systems. Communications of the ACM, October, 2004, 47(10), pp. 34-38. Monk, A. , & Howard, S. (March-April, 1998). The rich picture: A tool for reasoning about work context. Interactions, pp. 21-30.

How to Learn From Your Mistakes: Making Sophomore Year Better

Transitions can be difficult to manage, and starting high school is no exception. There are new friendships to be made, new extracurriculars to juggle, and of course not a small amount of school work to add in the mix as well. Many students have a hard time hitting their stride during ninth grade. The good news is that there is still plenty of time to get yourself back on the right track if you had a tough time during ninth grade. In fact, ninth grade should be thought of as a time to test the waters, and if your tests weren’t successful at least now you have some information to work with as you move forward. It is possible to recover gracefully after a less than stellar ninth grade year. To learn how you can right your wrongs and move forward, don’t miss our top four tips. It’s easy to get caught up in academia and to think of your grades as a measure of your overall success, but you need to keep in mind that grades are simply a very small indicator of your academic success in one single class. They aren’t a measurement of your personal worth or of your overall intelligence. Your grades show how well you performed under very specific conditions in a very specific line of study. In fact, it’s healthier to think of grades as a measurement of how well you played the grading game in each class. Some teachers weigh class participation more heavily than others. Others assign all weekly homework on a Monday and expect it to arrive by 8am on Friday, or else you get a zero. Some teachers even allow you to grade yourself. Whatever the grading process is, you need to learn it in order to participate actively. This year, be sure to review the grading criteria for each class you’re taking, then prioritize your work in each class according to these criteria. You’ve got to play the game if you want to come out with a winning grade. Even so, remember that grades aren’t the end all and be all. Your GPA is only a tiny piece of who you are and there are many, many more important factors such what kind of friend you are and how you treat people you don’t know. In the big picture, grades take a back seat. It’s one thing to accept that grades aren’t as important as other people might make them out to be, but it’s another thing to capitalize on the resources around you to improve your grades as much as is within your power. Just because grades don’t define your worth, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do everything possible to improve them. Start with communication. Reaching out to teachers, guidance counselors, and mentors will go a long way. If you don’t understand a particular concept or point made in class, ask for clarification. If you need extra help, find out where you can get some. If you completely bombed an assignment or test, ask if it’s possible to complete some extra credit. Your teachers want to see you succeed academically, and they are often willing to give you some extra help to get you there. You need to be the one to reach out and ask for it, though. No one will know that you’re struggling if you don’t ask for help. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Another piece of the puzzle is your personal responsibility. There is a lot going on when you start high school, and many students make mistakes along the way. Think back on ninth grade with a self-critical eye. Where did things go wrong? What choices did you make or not make that had an impact on your year? Consider specific aspects of your freshman year to really focus your thinking. Did you prioritize your classwork and give it the time and attention it deserved? Did you choose smart extracurriculars that were engaging and personally relevant? Did you hang out with friends who bring out the best in you and support you when you struggle? These are all personal choices that you need to take responsibility for. If you can identify areas in which you made mistakes, you’re more likely to be able to make better choices in the future. In ninth grade, you were trying out all sorts of different activities. Maybe you took on too many. Maybe you took on ones that you later discovered weren’t very interesting to you. This year, think more carefully about which you choose to continue. There is absolutely no penalty for dropping an extracurricular after ninth grade. During 10th grade, try to focus on about three extracurriculars that you’re truly passionate about. Ideally, one will be some kind of service project or volunteer work. The others should represent your interests and career ambitions. If you stretch yourself too thin, you won’t be able to excel in any single area. Focusing in on just a few extracurriculars that are truly interesting to you will give you the time and energy to really commit yourself fully. If you struggled in ninth grade, don’t worry. You are just like thousands of other students across the country, and in fact, your timing is perfect. Ninth grade is the time to explore options. If you haven’t hit your stride yet, you still have three years of high school left to find it, and colleges are likely to overlook a stumbling point in ninth grade if you can establish an upward grade trend and improve on your choices and performance from there. For more personalized guidance to get you headed in the right direction, consider the benefits of the Near Peer Mentorship Program , which provides access to practical advice on topics from college admissions to career aspirations, all from successful college students.

The case of triage after a disaster Research Paper

The case of triage after a disaster - Research Paper Example He also needs critical care and should be the second person to attend to avoid losing too much blood. Jason should be assessed for injuries on internal organs as the lacerations on the chest are quite deep (Lee, 2010). Mr. Campbell is suffering from high blood pressure and needs urgent attention as he has already began experiencing respiratory distress and chest pain. Owing to his medical history of cardiac disease, it may turn out to be fatal in a short while. He should be the third person to attend to. It is important to help him restore his normal blood pressure. Jane needs further medical evaluation to determine her mental and physiological state. Her condition requires nursing diagnosis as it is not clear what she is suffering from but it is evident that she has a problem. She should the fourth patient to attend to. Blake is suffering from relatively mild conditions. He suffered a fractured leg that has already been stabilised. Painkillers can be administered to him to relief hi s discomfort. He will be the fifth person to attend to if there is no other acute case that will emerge as he can wait longer but not too long to cause him a lot of suffering (Koenig et al. 2006). Physical assessment on Janet will begin with neurological evaluation considering factors such as changes in the consciousness level of the patient, anxiety, lethargy, confusion and incomprehension. It is also necessary to seek for the patient’s neurological health history to determine if she had previous experiences of anaesthesia and sensory disturbance among others. The intensity of these neurological aspects will be used to determine if there are functional disorders or indications of a medical problem. These assessments will help to understand if she is traumatised as a result of the disaster and the thought of ‘near death’ situation. If her condition is as a result of shock, she will be out of danger and it will be easy to resuscitate her. The somatic,

Facilities Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facilities Management - Essay Example The article reveals that the main problem with the initiative is the con that, it will take long for investors to see the benefit from their investments. The problem is evident in facilities such as schools and city halls, where the return on investment may take a long time and investors are not convinced as to whether it is a worthwhile investment. In the case of the commercial sector, the problem is more apparent due to the fact that, it is difficult to predict business growth, and whether the duration of the eco-friendly building will match the time-line of the business. An example of this factor is municipal buildings; since they are used through generations, it is difficult to establish whether the buildings will be able to last the duration of the generations. It has resulted in the investors being skeptical about the plan. (Taylor, ‘Building a Better Future’) As a result, short terms measures have been suggested such as creating small projects that facilitate the reduction of carbon emission, and ensure a short-term return on investment. Such factors have led to individual’s missing out on financial opportunities. The intervention of the government has led helped in aiding the investment hurdles and promoting the development of more concrete programs that will provide a better return on investment. ... Such is the importance of getting investors and businesses in general to alter their business models, to those that will emphasize the development of energy efficient firms and save money both in the short and the long-term. The article is an educative piece of literature on the importance of establishing energy efficient businesses. It is evident how firms are using much energy at the moment, hence spending more money than they should in their daily operations. Based on the article’s information, it is clear that businesses should seek ways of reducing energy use, and this eventually will lead to a reduced cost of production. In conclusion, we learn, the fact that firms use more energy in production has resulted in the high prices of commodities in the market (Taylor, ‘Building a Better Future’). With use of energy conserving measures in organizations, it will reduce the production costs and in turn, reduce the price of commodities in the market. Based on that, e nergy conserving factors will serve to influence the internal and external factors of a business. It implies that energy conserving will be the catalyst for the reduction in the cost factors on a country’s scale. Energy conserving can be considered as the solution to making life in the US much cheaper. An Online Solution The article highlights the challenges encountered by real estate and facility managers, in handling asset related data. Several core processes are usually involved in facility management hence it is important to establish situations where data exchange occurs. This will help facility managers come up with tools that will ensure efficient and

Open Source vs. proprietary solutions. A horror story about IT Essay

Open Source vs. proprietary solutions. A horror story about IT implementation gone bad. Ethical problems with a new Information Technology - Essay Example This software has a calendar, password, notification for coming period and ovulation, it is multi user and it uses multiple languages. One is supposed to feed necessary data in it, for instance when she had sex, took pills, when the period started and when it ended. Long gone are the days when one had to literally mark a calendar which is not as portable as your phone, thus keeping track of your physiological changes was a hectic task. Christians believe that life starts at conception; therefore an abortion is a murderous act that is actually punishable by God. Health complications do result in prescribed abortion so as to save a life, but the leading cause of abortion in the society today is unwanted pregnancy. However, unwanted pregnancies do occur due to unruly sexual habits or ignorance on your body’s state. My day app enables ladies to keep track of their periods and ovulation, this therefore enables them to be responsible in their sexual behavior and it could be used as a family planning strategy for married people. However, the good will of this app’s inventor has been compromised. It is factual that teenagers tend to be more experimental than theoretical. Girls at teenage can use this software to hide their immoral sexual habits. They might become lose and careless since they are assured of not getting pregnant. Therefore, the society will have a difficult time to cope with these teenagers than the situation initially was; since many teenagers were scared of getting pregnant at a tender age, now that the risk is predictable controlling their sexual behavior is a difficult task that parents of this era should learn to leave

Retail Analyst Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Retail Analyst - Essay Example e use of spreadsheet program, Microsoft excel, statistical software and similar programs that will help him have a big picture of how the business is going. Obviously, the retail analyst also should have strong mathematical and analytical skills because it is his duty to figure out the meanings of charts and numbers and how that information affects the success of the business. Communication skill is also essential so he can be able to make lay people understand the concepts analyzed from the data. A certification may suffice for employment but some might require a license. The job is quite enormous but to one who is inclined to the task, it is quite simple and might even be fulfilling especially that a retail analyst can be compensated from $30,000-70,000 per year. With the descriptions mentioned above, retail analysis can be said to fall under applied science, specifically in applied mathematics. Science is applied in the job by observing how a business flows especially when it comes to what sells fastest and what is stocked for a long time. Once the best-sellers or the problems are identified, solutions should be strategically planned and analyzed. Retail analyst seems to be a job that might interest me because I believe I have the mathematical and analytical skills so I just might consider pursuing such a

Cross-Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Cross-Cultural Management - Essay Example However, it has also brought in certain major challenges for these organisations to succeed in the global arena. There are various determinants for international business that restrict the organisational capabilities to avail opportunities internationally. One of the major determinants that many experts have considered is the cross-cultural aspects of the international business. Cultural differences are often very difficult to observe and measure while failure to understand the culture may have intensified effects on the business organisation that can reduce the business performance (Ghemawat & Reiche, 2011). The poor understanding of cross culture has a radical influence on the business process as well as on the management as it may increase the propensity towards committing business blunders. Notably, the success or the failure of business greatly relies on the performance of human resources within organisations. Consequently, the limitation of certain understandings such language, business etiquette, norms and values by the human resources in an organisation at international level has often collapsed many business organisations (The Culturosity Group, LLC, 2004) Overview of the Airbus Consortium Airbus is a subsidiary company of Netherlands based European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) with its headquarter located in Toulouse, France and the ingenuity of major European countries including France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom is combined to create a giant company to compete with other major companies such as Boeing of the United States. The consortium is a key manufacturer of military airlifters as well as commercial jetliners, continuously involved since previous 40 years (Airbus S.A.S., 2012). Airbus operates globally and creates value for its widespread customers and shareholders. The company employs more than 55,000 personnel from in excess of 100 nationalities around the world. The company’s operations greatly rely on industr ial cooperation as well as on partnership with world’s a few of the major companies. The company has more than 1500 suppliers spread over 30 countries. Its success is attributed to a mix of ideas, vision and knowledge such as a combination of diverse cultures in its work process. The company with its global presence and expanding business operations has now become an international family (Airbus S. A. S., 2012). Source: (Observatory of Sustainability in Aviation, 2012) Cross-Cultural Issues Faced By the Airbus Consortium Airbus consortium is a multi-national company which has workforce from all around the world. However, the company has always been cautious and has respected diversity and business ethics within the organisation. The company continuously strives to seek opportunities in order to reap the benefits provided by culturally diverse workforce committed towards accomplishing the organisational goals. The company with its multi-culture team ensures that it is efficien t to understand the various needs of its diverse customers, stakeholders and

What does work mean Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What does work mean - Essay Example Scientifically, work is related to change of energy to come up with finished good for consumption or for visible results (Loutfi, 2001, p. 87). According to scholars of physical science, work can only be done when force is applied to an object. There are different categories of work, which include Full time in which an individual is found to be in working place actively carrying out daily chores for about thirty-eight hours for every seven days (Batsleer, & Davies, 2010 p. 52). A full-time worker enjoys right to leave every year during which he is supposed to receive regular monthly payment.Furthermore, the full-time worker should be granted sick and individual excuse from the job. Additionally, full-time work enjoys right to work in a good environment and early information in event of any changes at the workplace (Lederman, &Teresi, 1993, p. 62). Part-time workers are found working for few hours a day but they have the specific time to attend job.Moreover, casual workers attend job at regular hours and they do not have to work every day. Their pay is not fixed and they do not enjoy the benefit of work protection and increment of payment (Friedman, 2005, p. 77).On the other hand, Contract workers are employees who make some agreement with business organizations or individuals to do some job for the organization setting particular remunerations.Basing our discussion on studies carried out about work, scholars have observed that people engage in work so as to earn their living.

Effects of Divorce on Children Essay Example for Free

Effects of Divorce on Children Essay A divorce is a law that ends all the legal relationship of married couple, except those that are written in the decree of divorce. Parenting arrangement, spousal support, financial obligations, payments of debts, division of property, and support of the children are the things that can be included in the divorce decree. (Divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A court of law should certify a divorce because legalities are needed to dissolve a marriage. The court decides on certain matters that can lead to years of hearing, as well as to a stressful and expensive experience. (Divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies show that 27 percent of Americans have been divorced and the term â€Å"till death do us part† is becoming less likely. 43 percent of first marriages also end up in separation within 15 years. Second marriages also have lesser chnace of survival than first marriages. It was also found out that couples who married early are less likely to survive the marriage than those who married at older age. (Divorce Doesn’t Last)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years, it has always been a debate of whether or not the parents should work out the relationship for the sake of the children. A lot of people stand by the fact that when a relationship starts to fall, there’s no other way but down. But is it really worth it to stay in a married life for the sake of the children? Or is it better to part ways instead of staying in a troubled relationship? According to Michael Cochrane, a lawyer specializzing in family laws, there are two reactions which the children fall into when it comes to the divorce of their paraents. The first one are the super-good children who believes that by showing a good behavior, their parents will finally be together again as a reward for them being good. The other one is the exact opposite, those that tries to get the attention of their parents by acting negatively. (Are Your Kids At Risk?)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When divorce enter into the married life, it will never be a question of whether the children will be hurt, but a question of how badly they will be hurt. (Are Your Kids At Risk)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced couples are often affected by the conflicts that the separation brings. Their physical, moral, spiritual, and social growths are affected by this vicious phenomenon that seems to be the trend among married couples nowadays. Their value formation and moral identity suffers the most and their fear of the future starts to develop. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fear, sadness, anger, confusion, worry, yearning, feeling of rejection, depression, conflicting loyalties, low self confidence, loneliness, high anxiety, and increased suicidal instincts are immediately felt by children upon the breakup of their parents. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies also show that if divorce occurs when the children are between 12 to 15 years old, their tendency is to react by attempting to speed up their growth, or to avoid growing up. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A national survey among 20,000 adolescents found out that those children with divorced parents did worse than those who came from an intact family when it comes to the sense of personal control, happiness, friendship, and trust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boys are are also more likely to show or feel depression than girls. Substance abuse dependence, earlier involvement in sexual activities, depression and hostile behavior are more likely to follow after a divorce. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce) Childrens of divorced parents also suffer from neglect or abuse. Child abuse is related to violent crime and deliquency, and divorce is germane in the background of an abused child. Mothers and fathers who are divorced tend to remarry but it can only worsen the problem because the step-parent usually continue abusing the children. The rate of sexual abuse among daughters and step-fathers are also very high, compared with biological abuse of fathers who are in intact families. Two professors from McMasters University in Canada, Professors Martin Daly and Margo Wilson, report that young children are more likely to be killed at the hands of step-parents. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents can experience varied effects. From short-term to long term, and from mild to severe. Although not all children of divorced parents experience difficulties, a lot of children are still negatively affected by the feeling of rejection. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over a million American children suffer their parent’s divorce every year. Furthermore, children with divorced parents experienced the separation even before they reach their 18th birthday. The effects of divorce can also be a lifetime experience for the children involved. It can last from the day their parents separated, to their adulthood. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to recent findings, children lose their contact with their fathers and are often not close with their mothers, and have difficulties adjusting with their step families. It was also found out that boys have a harder time in emotionally adjusting than girls. Studies also showed that 20-25 percent of children with divorced parents suffer more damage compared with the 10 percent from intact families. (We’re Successful and Hurt)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents suffer a great deal when it comes to their emotions. Emotional difficulties are experience by these children. Divorce leads a child in being self-destructive, therefore contributing to his poor image. Children of divorce develops very low self-esteem, anxiety, grief, and depression which can lead to an early loss of virginity, less desire to be a parent, and higher divorce rate when they enter marriage. This is now becoming a vicious cycle. Children of divorce also tend to be engage in divorce later in their adult life. Divorce also reduces the capacity of a child to be productive because of the lack of will to work. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Younger children, especially those below 5 years old, are more susceptible to emotional conflicts that occur when their parents separated. They are often associated with problems of younger children such as bedwetting. On the other hand, older children often try to look for love away from home therefore withdrawing themselves from home life. A study by Judith Wallerstein says that when divorce occurs on the parents of the children between six to eight, a huge segment of children experinece severe sadness and a constant need for encouragement in their everyday work. Anxieties for them are very high when it comes to personal commitment when they are older, especially when they enter into a maried life. Other studies suggest that college students with divorce parents have low self-confidence and low self-esteem. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Divorce can lead to increase rates of suicides and suicidal tendencies, increased risks for problems regarding health, and increased burdens when it comes to the emotional, psychiatric, and behavioral factor. The psychological stability of a lot of children can be chaotic when parents part ways. Suicide is very high on children with divorced parents. More often, these children feel alone and neglected and the only way to escape their depression is by killing themselves. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents are also having problems when it comes to their social role in the society. They tend to isolate themselves from other people because of the feeling of hopelessness.   They are very much concerned about the betrayal of the one they love when it comes to their romantic relationship because they fear that what happened to their parents can also happen to them. They worry about being hurt or abandoned by their partner in life. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The parent’s divorce has a very high impact on the learning capacity and educational performance of the children as well as with their capacity to be an achiever. Educational difficulties are also experience by children who have divorced parents. They often show a slow learning capacity, and they perform poorly compared with other children. They also tend to repeat a grade level and drop out rates among these children are also very high. Divorce hinders learning by distracting the children’s way of thinking. This is because children tend to think more of the problem of their parents than that of their schooling. Because of its neghative effect on a happy home life, divorce can weaken a child’s capacity to learn. According to a study by the Kent State University in Ohio, children with divorced parents often have difficulty when it comes to studying compared with those that have a two-parent family. Cognitive scores are low for young children and math scores are badly performed to those children who do not have a father. On the other hand, there is an increase in the verbal capabilities of daughters when they are with their fathers. And even the most deterrent work on math and readin skills cannot eliminate the low performance at school among children with divorced parents. Furthermore, these children also have difficulties in relating with their peers and teachers. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health problems are also experienced by children of divorced parents. The separation of the parents can also cause harmful physical health effects, and even worst, the length of a child’s life. A study shows that children whose parents parted ways before they reach their 21st birthday, can actually shortened the life sapn of those children by an average of four years. There is also a higher mortality rates for those children who have divorced parents than those who do not have. Another study also states that the mortality rates actually increases when the divorce occurs when a child does not yet reach his fourth birthday. Included in the health effects of of divorce during childhood are the larger increase in the rates of injury and higher asthmatic tendencies. Another study suggests that the negative effects of divorce on health did not subside even when a divorced parent remarried. Even Swedish researchers found that the differences in hospitalization rates and health risks are evident after they control for the social and family background. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Negative eveidences of divorce is indeed observable nowadays. And such indication of the negativity of divorce should be reason enough for the Americans to speak out and voice their views regarding this issue, or else, we will continue to experinec social putrefy.   Policymakers should never forget to always look at both sides of divorce and never forget to consider the welfare of the children because they are the primary victims of this social issue. Marriage education should be expanded as to help the couples to save their marriage. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The family is indeed the basic unit of the society. It is where children first gain confidence and it is their very first school. The parents are their first teachers and their siblings are their first friends. The importance of a family is indeed very significant in contributing to the ddevlopment of the society. Intact families are more likely to develop productive citizens than those with parents who are separated. Although it is safe to conclude that intact families tend to develop good better children, it doesn’t mean that children of divorced parents cannot produce productive citizens. The growth of a child depends on the upbringing of a parent, divorced, or not. How the parents handle the issue of divorce is the most imporatnt factor when it comes to the betterment of the children. In conclusion, it is trenchant to say that divorce is really rampant nowadays, but people should always keep in mind that the children are the parents’ responsibility. It is up to them to let their children feel loved no matter what the marital situation is. Respect and understanding should also be observed in order to ensure a child’s bright future. Parents should also never understimate the importance of communication with their children because it is the only way to know what they feel. Parents should explain to their children the reason why the marriage did not work out. They should help their children realize how important they are for both parents even if they parted ways. They should also make them understand that instead of using the divorce as a way to destroy one’s life, why not take it as a challenge and find better ways to improve their life even without their parents being together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through the institutions of our society, we must teach the people that a home, with parents never fails to show love and respect for each other is the best environment to raise happy and healthy children, and that the family is the most important institution to develop the children’s social, emotional and physical well being.       Works Cited:       (Are Your Kids At Risk?) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.divorcemag.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?template=articlestate=CAarticle=children/kidsatrisk       (A Kid’s Guide to Divorce) Retrived on June 16, 2006 from http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/divorce.html       (Divorce). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce (Divorce). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.utahbar.org/bars/slcbar/html/divorce.html (Divorce Doesn’t Last). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from   www.gallup.com/content/print.aspx?ci=11161    (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.josh.org/notes/file/Internet8-Divorce.pdf#search=divorce (We’re Successful, and Hurt) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.americanvalues.org/html/c-we_re_successful_and_hurt.shtml

Leadership Is About Leading Followers Management Essay

Leadership Is About Leading Followers Management Essay According to Williams, C McWilliams, A, leadership is about leading followers to achieve organization or company goals. The purpose of this essay is to define the differences between transformational leadership and transactional leadership. The former facilitates a redefinition of a peoples mission and vision, a renewal of their commitment and the restructuring of their systems for goal accomplishment (Leithwood, cited in Cashin et al. 2000, pp. 1). While the latter occur when the give and take exchange happens. Transformational leadership usually called as a charismatic leadership. It is the most studied guide of leadership (Bass 1985, 1990; Bass Avolio 1993, 1994; Gastil 1994; Lowe et al.1996; Pawar Eastman 1997; Shamir et al. 1998; Yammorino et al.1997; Yukl 1994), while transactional leadership called as an authoritative leadership, serves to articulate and establish positions held by the leader. This leadership is the least supportive of intentional change (McWhinney 1997, pp. 194). The differences between both of them are the process and the behavior. The process of transformational leadership which is a leadership focusing on team building and strategies where all employees and leaders have a strong bond to make decisions to reach the target. For example: the McDonalds manager obligation is to make strategy how to provide less time to serve the chickens. While the process of transactional leadership is about making sure everything goes as desire and about the reward and the punishme nt. The rewards are given such as honor, wage, etc. While, the punishment is well understood by everyone. The example of transactional leadership is job for McDonalds employees is to sell as many chickens as possible. According to Bass (1985), transactional leadership behaviors which are the leadership aiming at monitoring and controlling employees through rational or economic means. While transformational leadership behaviors are a variety of field studies demonstrating that are positively related to employees satisfaction, self-reported effort, and job performances. Transformational / charismatic leadership usually make a better performance than transactional / authoritative leadership. It will produce a greater satisfaction and make less role conflict.   In addition, Ashkanasy Tse (2000) and Bass (2002) said that, emotions are playing an important rule in the leaderships process. Transformational leadership is very sensitive to the emotions of the followers. This sensitiveness could lead the followers to a good result if the leaders have a positive thought. Example: if the leaders of the groups have a very high self-motivation, the followers can reach beyond what they expected because they can trust their leaders, otherwise if leaders without positive thought, the leaders will not get the employees trust. While in the transactional leadership, it does not seem to be as sensitive as the transformational leadership. In this leadership, the leaders are not supporting the employees and cause the negative effects that make frustrations, sadness and regret to the employees because not getting what they want or expect. So, transformational leadership is more related to the positive effects while transactional leadership is more related to the negative effects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Everyone personality is different, so do the leaders. Which will provide different impact to the followers. Bass (1985) identified eight dimensions of leadership behaviors. The first transformational behavior is an idealized influence, refers to leaders who have a very high personal regard and who engender loyalty from followers. The second transformational leadership behavior is an inspirational motivation, refers to leaders with a strong vision for the future based on values and ideals. The third transformational leadership dimension is an intellectual stimulation, which refers to leaders who challenge organizational norms. Individual consideration is the fourth transformational leadership dimension, refers to a leader behavior aiming at recognizing the unique growth and development the needs of followers. The fifth is contingent reward, refers to leadership behaviors focused on exchange of resources. The next one is management by exception-active, refers to monitoring performance and taking corrective action as necessary. In the management by exception-passive, the leaders are taking a passive approach. Finally, Bass (1985) included Laissez-Faire under the transactional leadership label.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     An example of Malaysians business which have transformational leadership is Air Asia. The owner of Air Asia is Tony Fernandes who was born on 30th  April 1964, this organization is bought by him from DRB-Hicom. He studied in London, United Kingdom majoring in Finance in 1976 and graduated in 1987. Before he joined Warner Music International London in 1989 and had been promoted four times in twelve years (approximately promoted every three years), he worked in Virgin group majoring in communications. In 1992, he was transferred to Malaysia back to his hometown. And at the age of 28, he received the title of the youngest person in recording music industrys history to head Warner Music Malaysia. Unfortunately, he leave his promising career in music industry which he had earned the position as a vice president, ASEAN region because he was going to build a low price airline based on almost the same business models as in USA (Southwest Airlines) and E urope (Ryanair easyJet). Setia Mahkota Selangor is the title which he got in 1999 and given by his Royal Highness King of Malaysia Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. In this airline organization he lead, the first priority is the employees, it can be said that this is showing the organizations loyalty. Because of this organizations trustworthiness, the employees give a good service to the customers to show the respect to the organization. This transformational leadership behavior is included into an idealized influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though transformational leadership is more recommended than transactional leadership as it is said above, it does not mean that transactional leadership is not important. Because the function of transactional leadership is to motivate employees to do beyond than they could expect. So both of the leadership is needed in every organization. The organization should balance their leadership between the transformational and transactional leadership. (916 words)

Irwin Shaws The Girls in Their Summer Dresses Essay -- Girls Summer D

Irwin Shaw's The Girls in Their Summer Dresses In The Girls in Their Summer Dresses, it is necessary to explore the personal differences that cause problems in the relationship of the couple. The details of the story will lead to a conclusion that for Michael the relationship could just be a mere convenience or an affection solely generated by his physical wanting of Frances, so with the way she looks and appreciates the girls of New York. Frances calling the Stevensons shows her attitude which is passivity and lack of idealism to confront the relationship with his husband. She is going to call the Stevensons because, she and her husband have nothing more to discuss about. Michael?s way of looking on women as mere bodies could suggest a kind of degradation?which is to define a woman only as an erotic or sexual figure. There is an irony in the relationship of the couple which is the bloodless horror from the truth expressed that somehow the things are not, and never have been, what they used to pretend about themselves. It is clear in the details with Frances that she had an initial feeling of insignificance and she wanted to be loved and acknowledged by her husband. The sentence, ?I?d do any damn thing for you? points to a certain desire to be recognized as a good wife because of some degree of sensitivity that a man is needed in the family as the head and without him everything is nothing. The ?desire to please her husband? could also be attributed to lib...

Music Censorship Essay -- Censoring Censorship Music Lyrics Essays

Music Censorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, in the 1990's, citizens in our society are being bombarded with obscene material from every direction. From the hate lyrics of Gun's 'N Roses to the satanic lyrics of Montley Crue and Marilyn Manson to the sexually explicit graphical content of today's movies, the issue is how much society is going to permit and where we, as a society, should we draw the line. The freedom of speech has always been considered a right, but that doesn't mean that you can shout, "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. The real question is whether such material is harmful or dangerous to our society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are asking whether or not we should censor offensive material. They believe that some material is too obscene for society to hear or see. The advocates of censorship get riled up because the movie rating council doesn't give a move an R-rating for having the occasional f-word. One rap group, 2 Live Crew, has already had one of their albums banned because in one song they used explicit references to male genitals and 87 references to oral sex. They used the word "bitch" more than 100 times and the f-word more than 200 times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although most people agree that we are being overwhelmed with offensive material, there is no consensus on how to deal with the problem. There are three possible solutions. The first is the possibility of government censorship, which would include laws and penalties for breaking these laws. The second solution is self-imposed censorship by individuals and corporations. The third solution is total free speech with no censorship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first possible solution is government censorship. In the past government legal actions have been taken to control offensive messages. For example, in 1988, the Ku Klux Klan wanted to appear on a Kansas City, Missouri public access cable channel. The city council decided that it would be better to shut the public access cable channel down instead of letting the KKK air their show. Later, under the pressure of being sued, the city council reversed their decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critics of this sort of action agree that these offensive messages do exist, but legal action is not the way to deal with them. They believe that no individual acts the way the messages portray just because the messages exist. Another belief is that legal actions will intimidate creative people because it mak... ...ce Clay, considered offensive by some, shouldn't be censored from those who find him humorous   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom of speech is an important part of any democratic country. While some people may find Rush Limbaugh's portrayal of President Clinton offensive, his show should not be censored. This is the price that we pay to live freely in a democratic society. Censorship does not have to be the solution. You always have the right to change the channel or put down a book. You have control over what you hear, see, or read. You are not forced to see or hear the offensive speech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Opponents of the "first amendment view" believe that "just saying no" is not enough. For example, children most likely will not say no. This is why these people believe that the government should at least have the right to censor what children see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some people believe that censorship is the answer, others do not. I believe that this issue will be left up to the courts to decide. I fear that the media may become a swamp of regulations with no more entertainment value whatsoever, and I hope that this never happens. I think that the first amendment is a great right and that we should never abridge it.

What Is a Good Human Life and How Should It Be Lived? Essay -- Philoso

What is a good human life and how should it be lived? Introduction The ancient philosophers had put much emphasis on the constitution of the human life and the manner in which it should be lived. From Aristotle to Plato and Socrates, all these philosophers had different views concerning the manner in which people should live with themselves and with each other. The aim of this paper is to explore the views of these three philosophers and then analyze where they compare and contrast with each other. The Human Life According to the Plato Republic Through the Republic, Plato sought to relate the life of an individual to that of the society as a whole. According to him, people show similar characteristics, act in the same deeds, and exemplify the same virtues that a state does. This analogy implies that each individual is a complex whole but made up of several parts that are distinct and that have unique roles. According to Plato, the everyday life of a human being amply manifests this analogical fact. This comes out in situations where an individual is faced with a variety of choices in life. During such times, the said individual is likely to feel contrary impulses, simultaneously pulling toward different directions. The reason behind this is because there exist distinct elements, which are different from those of humans. The physical body of a human being was equated by Plato to buildings, land and other physical materials of a city. However, a human being has three souls, which correspond to the three classes of citizens who lived in the state. These souls play an important role in the successful actions of the individual as a whole. These souls include the rational soul, the spirited soul and the appetitive soul. The ration... ...em to agree that the surest way of living a good life for humans is through the possession of the reasoning will. Living a good life involves utilizing one’s unique capability of reasoning. Works Cited Abbot, E. (2009). Literature of the doctrine of a future life: or, A catalogue of works relating to the nature, origin, and destiny of the soul. The titles classified, and arranged chronologically, with notes, and indexes of authors and subjects. Michigan: The University of Michigan. Cooper, J. G. (2007). The life of Socrates: collected from the Memorabilia of Xenophon and th e Dialogues of Plato, and illustrated farther by Aristotle, Diodorus Siculus, ... and others. ... By John Gilbert Cooper, Jun. Esq. London: Oxford University Press. Witt, R. G. (3003). In the Footsteps of the Ancients: The Origins of Humanism from Lovato to Bruni. Boston: BRILL.

General Motors Corp vs. Ford Corp

Ford Corp. General motors (MM) and Ford are two of the leading manufacturing companies of trucks that I know of. In saying, both have their strengths and differences in areas such as quality of parts, driver comfort, fuel economy, and engine selection. When these companies put together their trucks, it is taken into great detail for these two companies to make their product better than their competitor. GM designs more detail and reliable trucks than ford can produce.For instance, Ford only offers three engine options that they will put in their trucks. They have a 4. 2 Liter IV, a 4. 6 Liter Triton IV, and their biggest engine in light duty trucks is the 5. 4 Liter Triton IV. Although these engines produce decent horsepower and torque, GM has six engine options with higher ratings. The first three engine selections GM has are the 4. 3 Liter IV, 4. 8 Liter IV, and 5. 3 Liter. They also have two other selections offered are the 5. 3 Liter IV and their biggest engine in light duty truc ks the Vortex 6. 0 Liter IV.Both engines offer the best technology known as the active fuel management system, which shuts off four of the eight cylinders when power is not needed. Last but not least, GM also has a 6. 2 Liter IV which is limited to certain trucks or packages. Not many trucks get very good fuel mileage. Ford is one manufacturer that offers fuel efficient motors, but their bigger engines tend to drink a little too much gas. For example, their smallest engine gets 16 MPEG in the city and 21 MPEG on the highway. Their largest engine in a light duty truck gets 14 MPEG in the city and 18 MPEG on the highway.On the other hand, GSM' smallest engine averages 17 MPEG in the city and 1 MPEG on the highway, and with a much bigger engine and higher power output than the Ford 5. 4 liter, averages 15 MPEG in the city and 19 MPEG on the highway. Trucks are not the easiest vehicles to drive or operate, which is why driver comfort is a need to a great truck. Ford and GM offer a numbe r of conveniences to consumers' and making the drivers experience more enjoyable and relaxing. Some options offered by Ford are back up sensors, side mirrors with turn lights inside, heated seats, adjustable pedals, and controls on the steering wheel.GM offers their consumers heated side mirrors with turn signals inside the mirror and an auto dim eater, and park assisting with LED lights which allow you to see, as well as hear how close the rear of the vehicle is to any object. GM also offers dual memory and heated seats, adjustable pedals, rain sense wipers which turn on automatically, remote start, a cargo management system which allows consumers to attach toolboxes and equipment to rails installed of in the bed, and On Star turn by turn navigation, two different dashboards, side impact air bags, and the standard stability system.No one wants to hear the noise of the road or the vehicle. This is why both Ford and GM have used higher quality materials with sound deadening treatment in their newer model trucks. This helps eliminate road and wind noise as well as the possibility of future squeaking or rattling. Creating more gaps within the design of the truck will also eliminate such sounds. The more interior accessories available on a truck the more people are interested in the trucks. Climate controls which allow both to have different temperatures, adjustable pedals, heated windshield dashboards, side impact air bags, and the standard stability system.In reference to all of the great options that both companies provide, I have and will always be a reheard GM believer. I have credibility to talk about both being as how I have been a mechanic on both for several years. In the facts provided GM provides so much more in driver comfort which alone should be enough to convince a person in choosing GM. In conclusion, both GM and Ford manufacture great trucks. Giving consumers a number of options of available perpetration and interior options make the two different . The key to having the best truck isn't to offer Just a number of available options but, to offer them all with reliability trucks.

Aaliyah – original writing on the life of the singer

â€Å"I don't think about my success. I'm happy that the work I've done in the past has been very successful. All I can do is leave it in God's hands and hope my fans feel where I'm coming from. I took the time to give my all.† – Aaliyah Haughton. As I sit listening to the infectious, sensuous harmonies of Aaliyah's smooth R & B, I wonder why it had to happen. Why did someone so young with such amazing talent, strength and the potential to carry on rising higher and higher, have to be taken from us? The lyrics swirl around in my head, saying more about the real Aaliyah than any media report could ever attempt. Her tragically shortened life followed the message from within one of her most famous songs, â€Å"If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.† Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16th, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. Her Grandmother would tell stories of how she was special straight out of the womb; born with a full head of hair. Aaliyah lived in Brooklyn for five years until, together with her parents and older brother, she was moved to Detroit where they could be closer to family. Her devoted mother gave up her teaching job to care for Rashad and Aaliyah full time. Aaliyah was introduced to music at a very young age; her mother would play Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and other such legends while she worked around the house. It wasn't long before Aaliyah was joining in, having learnt all the words off by heart. She was just six years old when her talent for singing was recognized by her mother. Before she even started school, the services of a voice coach had been secured for her. Aaliyah spent most of her pre-teen years between singing in school plays and auditioning for various small television projects. At the tender age of only eight or nine she was charming people all around Michigan with her sweet, angelic voice, belting out songs during weddings. Aaliyah sang the very songs she listened to at home, while people sat in awe, eagerly anticipating the time her voice would mature to its full potential. Her first downfall came when she was just eleven years of age. Aaliyah landed a spot on the nationally syndicated talent show, Star Search. She chose to sing ‘My Funny Valentine†, a soul classic that she had often heard her mother singing, ‘That was my Mommy's song and I wanted to be like my Mommy' she said, remembering the experience during an interview. The high hopes she and her family had for victory where shattered when Aaliyah lost, and was ripped apart just as any other child would have been. However, without any falls no lessons could be learnt. With lots of encouragement from her mother, Aaliyah began to understand a prospect of great importance, one that would guide her through not only her musical career, but every aspect of her life. Never give up. It was only a matter of months before the bright, upcoming star was on the rise again. At the time her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was married to Gladys Knight. Some people slated Aaliyah for this, claiming she only got onto the music scene because she knew the right people, but without her outstanding talent, none of her future success would have been possible. Hankerson took his niece to perform with Gladys Knight for five nights at Bally's Las Vegas Casino. Here, the two would duet on Believe In Yourself and Aaliyah would sing solos. Remembering she was still only eleven at the time, she was nervous and hardly moved on the first night. Her aunt helped her, teaching Aaliyah how to work a crowd and loosen them up. Two years later came the meeting that would set Aaliyah's career on fire. Barry Hankerson introduced his niece to R. Kelly, a performer he was managing at the time. Kelly fell in love with her beautiful voice, going on to become her mentor. He ended up writing and producing all the tracks on her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. And it wasn't – not many people can boast a completed album at just thirteen years of age. The process of selling the album began but, once again, expectations of Aaliyah were not fulfilled. Many record companies passed on the album – a setback very hard to take at such a vulnerable age. Her confidence was dented but her strength was not; Aaliyah was prepared to give things another go. Hankerson created his own label, Blackground Records especially for his niece. There was no way he was going to give up on her; she was far too special to let go. In 1994 the album was released, catching the world's attention. Her first single, Back And Forth reached number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, dethroning her mentor. Other singles followed including At Your Best (You Are Love), Down With The Clique, and the adulterated title track. Her sound was new and fresh to the music world, her unique mystique captivating listeners. The artist herself liked to describe her music as ‘street but sweet'. With the success of her debut album Aaliyah's spirits soared. She had kept information about her age (she was just fifteen at the time) concealed, as she wanted her triumphs to be based solely on her talent. She did not seek any advantages because she was, ‘really good for someone so young'. Unfortunately her decision to withhold such facts was taken in the wrong way. Vicious rumors arose, slowing down album sales and threatening to thwart a prosperous career. The provocative nature of Age Ain't Nothing But A Number combined with a little bit of media imagination and the mystery of her age sparked a frenzy of stories about a relationship between Aaliyah and twenty-five-year-old R. Kelly. Tales of marriage and even pregnancy were spread. All were denied. The storm settled and three years passed, leaving many wondering what Aaliyah's next project would be. She teased fans with numerous guest appearances, singing songs from soundtracks and building them up for the time she would truly return, stronger then ever. Aaliyah left R. Kelly behind to prove, more to herself than to anyone else, that she had grown as an artist and could make it without him. Perhaps the rumors that had at one point looked like they could destroy her had in fact been a Godsend. Would Aaliyah have made this choice if tales of something more than a good friendship and working partnership between the two hadn't sprung up? Whatever her reasons, the change was for the best. She teamed up with the then unknown Missy Elliot and Timbaland and, between the three, a new sound was created, once again irresistible to fans. They blended rough Hip-Hop beats with Aaliyah's silky, laid-back vocals, the voice of an angel. The result was a sassy, sexy, sophomore album, One In A Million. The album went double platinum, putting her among the superstars of the music industry and silencing critics in their questions as to whether or not she had been just a ‘one hit wonder.' The first single from the album, If Your Girl Only Knew, went straight to number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, followed by four other singles including the number one radio play title track. Aaliyah never let the fame go to her head. Between all her musical commitments she still found time for her family, friends and schoolwork. In June 1997 Miss Haughton graduated from the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing arts, just one A-grade away from a perfect grade score. She had always set her sights so high and her determination paid off. She worked hard through hard times as well as the good, and brought her dreams to life. She truly was one in a million. It was time for Aaliyah to turn her attention to Hollywood. She began by sticking to her music, recording Journey To The Past for the Anastasia soundtrack and then the contagious, Grammy nominated, number one hit song, Are You That Somebody, from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. With that track, she really got a taste for the mainstream and took a hiatus from the music world to team up with Joanne Baron, an acting coach. With Baron's help, Aaliyah's talent for acting was revealed and, by 1999, she was flying to Vancouver to shoot her debut film, Romeo Must Die. She starred alongside Jet Li in the adrenalin-stoked/Hip-Hop action flick, in which she was the executive producer of the soundtrack. From this came Try Again, the song that followed the story of her life. The lyrics came straight from her heart, from the lessons she had learnt. These qualities took the single all the way, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the first single ever to do so based on Airplay a lone. Romeo Must Die sparked rave reviews and her acting skills were soon sought throughout Hollywood. Her next film was the novel-based Queen Of The Damned. Baron recalls the memory of Aaliyah during the audition process, ‘She put her heart, her time, her love and her life into it. She just ripped it out.' It was her second starring role in just her second motion picture, displaying to the world she was more than just a crossover singer/actress. So much more. The release of the completed film was fervently awaited. Little did anyone know that Aaliyah wouldn't be there to witness its success. Whilst shooting Queen Of The Damned, Aaliyah simultaneously recorded her third, self-titled album. She was not put off or daunted by her doubled workload, choosing instead to put her all into both projects, as she had always done. Aaliyah was well aware of her presence, or lack of it, in the music world; it had been five years since the release of One In A Million. She released the dark, feisty, first single, We Need A Resolution, warming fans up, preparing them for what was to come. Aaliyah was released on July 17, debuted at number two in the charts and, in it's first week alone, sold over 200,000 copies. Blackground Records planned to release Rock The Boat and More Than A Woman as back-to-back singles; they were getting heavy rotational airplay and already an awesome response from listeners. It seemed nothing could stop her. It was August the 25th, 2001. Aaliyah had just finished shooting the island themed video for Rock The Boat in The Bahamas. Another video completed; another accomplishment. The set was laid-back and, together with the film crew and dancers, Aaliyah was enjoying herself, chatting, laughing and winding down. Her work done, Aaliyah decided to head home a day early, anxious to be with her beloved family before heading back to promote the album. Her parents and brother had always been there for her and it had been a while since she had managed to get back to them. The arrangements were made; she would leave that day along with eight others. The small Cessna 402 departed from the Marsh Harbour airport, bound for Opa-locka, Florida. It had been airborne for only a short while when, suddenly, it crashed. Six of the eight were killed instantly. Aaliyah was among them. Nobody knows just what it was that made the plane crash that day. Nobody could understand why it had to happen. Why Aaliyah, why someone so talented, so determined, so beautiful? There were so many questions and so few answers. At just twenty-two years of age Aaliyah, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a star, was gone. Disbelief, anger and, most of all, a great sense of sorrow and grief spread with the news. She had lived her life like an angel, fallen from the heavens. Through her life she rose and fell and now she had risen for the final time. We can only hope that, when the time came, she knew how much she was loved. Aaliyah will never be forgotten. Through her music and her memory, she will live on. The album in the CD player draws to a close. It is an album that she never saw released, an album that wouldn't even have been put together if she was still with us; a tribute to Aaliyah, I Care For You. Visions of her float by with the music and songs take on a whole new meaning now she's gone. When Miss You is played, instead of thinking of the singer's lost love, we think of ours, Aaliyah. Every note she sang was a part of her and with every song we understand more about her. She was a star in every sense of the word and I believe she continues to be so even now; still a star, shining brightly down on us. There is no doubt in my mind that this angel lived up to the true meaning of her name, ‘The highest, most exalted one.' The best. Aaliyah.

Law of International Trade Essay

Introduction Coffee Beans that were bought in Sao Paulo, Brazil are to be transported to a depot based in Durham, England. The total weight of the Coffee Beans to be shipped is 1500 tonnes. At first, this may seem to be an ordinary shipment on the surface. However, when putting into perspective the amount of legalities to be fulfilled and the massive quantity of beans involved, the daunting nature of the task becomes evident. Every country has its own set of peculiar trade laws. These laws become more complex and stringent when it comes to International trade. However, while trading across boundaries, the local domestic law needs to be respected at any cost. An International trade law is a combination of the law of the land and international laws governing the transactions of goods or services across borders (Cornell, 2005). Multilateral treaties are also signed between countries to resolve disputes and effectively enforce mutually consented terms and conditions. This is done to standardize the entire process and prevent conflicts. For instance, the Convention on contracts for the International Sales of Goods  (CISG) is one such international trade agreement put forth by the UN to govern International trade operations. The different modes of transportation available for transportation need to be considered, keeping in mind a host of factors. This includes ensuring the safe transit of the beans at each and every point, right from the spot of purchase to the destination depot. Efforts also need to be made to make the process as economical as possible. The reduction in transportation charges would translate to higher levels of profit. The sharing of the costs involved in shipping the beans should be properly worked out and the decisions should be incorporated into the agreement. The point at which the seller’s liability ends also needs to be appropriately documented.   It is usually indicated by the INCO terms. Although economy in transportation is essential, it should not come at the cost of invaluable time. The goods also need to be transported within a reasonable timeframe. The laws regulating trade in the departure as well as destination points need to be properly interpreted, in order to avoid confusion at a later point of time. This calls for relevant paperwork which would certify the legitimacy of the whole process. To start with, the whole process needs to be broken down into different steps. The purchase of coffee beans can either be from a manufacturer or a wholesaler. Relevant proof of purchase provided should be provided by the seller, after receiving the agreed price. Other export licences should be purchased, in order to ship them to the depot in Durham. Then, the purchased beans are moved to a warehouse. Since the purchased goods are quite voluminous and bulky, transporting the goods through best the most cost-effective solution. However, the goods from the seller’s premises have to be transported to a warehouse. A warehouse is usually an empty storage with adequate facilities for moving goods. It is used by manufacturers, businesses, importers, wholesalers, exporters and customs agency to intermediately store goods. The seller would have to notify the buyer about the estimated time of arrival. The seller would also have to provide necessary proof documents of each stage involved in the carriage of the goods. A host of expenses are usually incurred during the carriage of goods from one country to another. This includes expenses incurred in Warehouse storage and labour, export packing, loading charges, inland freight, terminal charges, forwarder’s fee, vessel loading charges, charges upon arrival, ocean/ air freight, excise duty, taxes, customs and charges upon delivery at the destination. While carrying out International trade, the main concern is the surety of obtaining payments within an acceptable period of time. This concern is addressed by the concept of Documentary Credits. Documentary Credit is a system by which the buyer instructs his bank to pay the seller. On the basis of customer trust, the bank transfers the funds to the seller’s bank account on the behalf of the buyer. However, adequate documents in support of the concerned transaction will have sent from the ship to the seller’s bank. After verifying these documents, they are sent to the buyer’s bank for further processing (Fraud Aid, 2005). In this arrangement, the bank becomes the primary obligator, thereby promoting healthy International trade by eliminating doubts and concerns about payment. The written instruction given by the buyer to his bank is also commonly known as letter of credit (L/C). The International Chamber of Commerce has defined some internationally recognised trading terms. These terms are otherwise referred to as INCO terms 2000. These trading terms are commonly used during the overseas transportation of goods. They are used to indicate whether it is the seller or buyer that has to produce the required documents essential for carrying out trade on a global scale. The INCO terms should be followed by the named place mentioned in the contract (International Business Institute, 2000). The named place in this case is Durham, England. These terms are capable of designating the liabilities as well as rights of each party involved. Incoterms 2000 ‘Ex Works’ refers to type of delivery where the entire cost and risk of transporting the goods from seller’s premises to the final destination is borne by the buyer. This model is highly beneficial to the seller, since there is no risk involved. The seller does not even have to take up the responsibility of loading the goods from his premises, as the only obligation will be to make goods available. The relevant invoice and testimonials mentioned in the contract will also have to be provided by the seller. The short term for Ex Works is EXW. ‘Free Alongside Ship’ transfers the risk and cost of transportation when the seller transports the goods to the quay, alongside the ship. The abbreviation for Free Alongside Ship is FAS. In ‘Free Carrier’, the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the goods ends for the seller when the goods are handed over to the Carrier’s custody at a mutually agreed location. This location is referred to as the named point. In Free On Board, the seller bears the liability until the goods are put on board the ship at the Port of shipment. The port of shipment is mentioned in the contract. From this point, the risk transfers to the Buyer. This is commonly known as FOB. In Cost & Freight (CFR), the seller ships the goods to the named Port of destination mentioned in the contract, by paying the freight charges. The buyer then takes up complete responsibility when the goods pass over the ship’s rail at the Port. The conditions of Cost Insurance & Freight are similar to the previous one. However, the Seller has to take the additional responsibility of paying the insurance premium on the buyer’s behalf. This is denoted by CIF. The seller has to also incur expenses in insuring all the risks until the named destination, in the case of Carriage & Insurance Paid (CIP). When the seller bears the freight charges of the goods until they reach the mutually agreed location, it is mentioned as Carriage Paid (APT). As soon as the goods reach the first carrier, it becomes a liability of the buyer. In Delivery at Frontier (DAB), the seller bears the charges and liabilities until the goods enter the Frontier.   When the goods reach the Customs process, it risk transfers to the buyer. Delivered Duty Paid (ADP) is most favorable to the buyer, since the seller will bear all charges incurred in delivering the goods to the buyer. Delivered Duty Unpaid is similar to ADP, with the exception of import duty and other official import charges that are borne by the buyer. In Delivered Ex Ship (DES), the responsibility and cost of transferring the goods passes from the seller to the buyer when the ship carrying the goods reaches the destination port. It will be the buyer’s responsibility to discharge the goods.   Delivered Ex Quay (DEQ) is of two types; Duty Paid and Duty on Buyers Account. The seller has the obligation to deliver the goods in the quay of the destination port. Either the buyer or the sealer takes up the responsibility of the paying the duty, according to the initial agreement. Farther considerations Many factors have to be considered when it comes to structuring a carriage contract agreement. There are three forms of carriage; common carriage, contract carriage and private carriage. Common carriage is a type of carrier service catering to the general public to perform common transportation services. These services have to be authorized by various government regulatory agencies. The tariffs that are charged for the service lawfully demanded locations are held by these agencies. Contract carriage involves transportation services to an unlimited number of posts. These agencies also have to get necessary authorization from the same agencies. Relevant contracts consisting of details about the minimum rates and charges are filed at different granting agencies and. Copies of this contract are also retained at the facilities of the shippers as well as the carriers.  Private carriage offers transportation services to business enterprises.   This service is for meant for manufacturers and distributors that transport their goods in their private vehicles driven by their own employees. It is also commonly known as shipper-carrier. The ‘distinct needs’ provision takes care of distinguishing the different carriage types. It is very essential to distinguish between a normal contract and a carriage contract; failure to accomplish this could result in several liability issues on both sides. This distinct needs provision helps to distinguish a carriage contract from a regular one. This provision incorporates certain unique terms and conditions including specific requirements of a shipper and the obligations that need to be satisfied by the contract carrier. Some of the commonly mention distinct needs in a carriage contract agreement are price adjustment clauses, terms of credit, incidental transportation charges, cargo transfer charges and specific delivery schedules. However, the shipper should truly comprise these unique services if they are mentioned. A certain degree of reasonableness should be allowed while dealing with carriage contracts. First of all, one has to understand various shipping term in order to comprehend the shipping rules better. ‘Carrier’ is a term used to refer to the person who signs the contract of carriage with a shipper. It is usually the owner or charterer who hires a ship to carry their cargo, passengers or other goods. ‘Shipper’ refers to the person who pays money to the carrier to transport his goods (Arnold, 2003). Hence, the term ‘shipper’ may either refer to the buyer or the seller of the beans, depending upon the INCO term in use. Carrier is the company or agency which undertakes to ship the beans from Brazil to England. The Contract of carriage will apply to agreements mentioned in the bill of lading or any similar document that concerns the carriage of goods by sea.   The term ‘goods’ is used to refer to wares, merchandise and other articles. However, live animals are not included in the goods category. Goods such as brandy and gun powder were classified as dangerous goods. The validity period of the Contract of carriage starts from the time of goods being loaded until they are unloaded from the ship. Hague & Hague Visby Rules Hague rules were framed by the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading and Protocol of Signature. It came into effect on 25 August 1924 in Brussels. It was an effort to constitute a minimum mandatory liability for carriers, since most of them were evading the liability due to loss or damage of cargo. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development   (OECD), this was a move by the International community to fabricate a fair system for the shipper as well as the carrier. Even today, these rules act as the foundation for framing marine trading laws for a majority of the nations around the world. According to Hague Rules, the carrier will be liable to bear the cost of damaged or lost goods only if the shipper is able to prove that the shipper’s lack or absence of diligence. However, the carrier would not be held liable if the ship was unseaworthy. The carrier will also lose the liability to compensate for the goods, when the damage is caused by a natural calamity termed as ‘Act of God’ or a fire accident which is caused to due to any reason other than a fault in the carrier vessel. The carrier will also not be liable for damages caused due to the act of terrorists, war or and other anti-social elements like pirates. The carrier would not be responsible for a delay in the delivery of goods, if the delay was caused due to an emergency situation like lockouts, quarantine operations or public strikes. The shipper would not be able to claim damages from the carrier, even in the event of neglect of the duty by the employees of the ship.    Hence, this enabled the carrier to get away with liabilities arising as a result of errors made by the people working on board such as mariners and the carrier’s working staff, if the carrier was in a position to prove that the ship was seaworthy and adequately and appropriately manned (Admiralty Law Guide, 2006). Since this provision lets carriers to get away scot-free, it has posed a serious conflict in balancing liabilities between the carrier and shipper. Transportation of goods involves two main types of contracts. They are Carriage Contract Agreement and Bill of Lading Contract. Carriage Contract Agreements are usually signed when long shipments are involved. It serves as a continuing contract that stands for the safe delivery of goods to promised destination. It usually covers multiple shipments that are necessary to carry out a long shipment process. The complete shipment process may involve other modes of transportation such as ground and air shipment.   However, carriage contract can not serve as a receipt of merchandise. The Bill of Lading is issued by the carrier as a proof of receiving the goods and serves as receipt of merchandise. A Bill of Lading is an agreement for a single shipment process which may be a part of a long process. In the practical sense, it is a list of expenditures incurred towards loading goods into a vessel. It is governed by all the terms and conditions mentioned in the Carriage Contract. It also acts as certificate that verifies the authenticity of the loaded goods. Further, it indicates whether the received goods were in good condition or not. Depending upon condition of the goods and packaging, the Bill of Lading is classified as Clean or Foul Bill of Lading. It also is further proof of the existence of a Carriage Contract (Wikipedia, 2006). However, the Bill of lading and Carriage Contract are completely different entities and they serve different purposes. Hence, the Bill of Lading can not be used as a Contract Carriage and vice versa. There are three types of bill of lading; straight bill of lading, order bill of lading and bearer bill of lading. In straight bill of lading, the consignee can claim damages from the consigner when the goods are not delivered on time due to defaulting or negligence of the consigner. This bill of lading is non-negotiable. In order bill of lading, the consignee can obtain delivery of goods if the consignee provides a bill and evidence showing the consigner’s interest to transfer. This bill of lading is negotiable. In bearer bill of lading, any person holding the bill of landing is entitled to receive the goods. When the consigner does not mention the consignee’s name, it becomes a bearer bill and can be negotiated. Goods that are issued with a negotiable bill of lading can be received only if the original documents are presented at the time of delivery. However, the speeding of trade and transit operations has given way to the issue of non-negotiable documents for goods, which enables the consigner to receive the goods by just presenting the non-negotiable bill of lading (Forwarder Law, 2005). Some of the standard obligations that have to be fulfilled by the consigner include providing the carrier with consignee’s name and address and destination of the carriage. The nature, weight, volume and the quantity of the goods to be shipped are also to be clearly stated. Even the packing and wrapping style, number of packages and any other details needed to identify the goods need to be provided by the consigner. The consignor would be held be responsible for any damages, in the event of false or insufficient details being provided. According to Article 283 of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (CGSA) (1924), the Bill of Lading can be issued either in the name of a particular person or the bearer.   It usually consists of the following details, 1) Date of issuing the bill. 2) Venue where the bill was signed and brought to effect. 3) Place of departure and destination. 4) Names and addresses of the consignor, consignee, carrier and the carriage commission agent. 5) The value and identification details of the shipped items. 6) Date of shipping. 7) Freight and other expenses with an indication of whether they are payable by the consignor or the consignee. 8) The conditions pertaining to the loading and unloading, type of transport means required to be used for carriage, the route to be followed, a determination of the responsibility and any other special conditions which may be included in a carriage contract. In addition to the bill of lading, the carrier also issues a non-negotiable receipt called waybill which proves to be useful in a situation when the goods arrive before the transaction documents. It is also issued when the consignee and the consigner is the same person (Evans, 2001). This option can be chosen when the consigner decides to reduce paperwork. A ship’s delivery order is another document that undertakes to carry goods by sea. The provisions for this document are provided by the CGSA (1992). However, this document can neither substitute a waybill nor a bill of lading. According to Article 284 of the CGSA (1924), the carrier would be required to issue a bill of lading to the consigner. Alternatively, the carrier can also give a receipt mentioning the details of the goods carried and date of consignment to the consigner. The consigner would be required to deliver the goods to be shipped at the carrier’s premises. The consigner should also produce relevant document deemed necessary for shipping. The consigner will be held responsible for any liability arising as a result of inaccurate or incomplete information in the documents provided. According to Article 288 of the CGSA (1924), Since the carrier possesses the right to examine the packaged goods and the standard of packing before the carriage, the damage of goods arising due to improper packaging is not entirely borne by the consigner; the liability is shared with the carrier. According to Article 289 of the same Act, the initial examination of the goods would require the presence of the consigner, if opening of packaging is involved. If the consigner is absent during the inspection process, the examination would progress and examination costs would be levied from the consigner. If the carrier finds the goods to be unsuitable for transit, the consigner would be informed about the same. Such goods would be shipped by the carrier only if the consigner bears the liability of damage of goods and the consigner’s consent about the same is incorporated into the Bill of Lading. Cargo Insurance compensates the shipper with losses caused due to fire, loss of cargo and damage. However, losses that can be recovered from the carrier will not be compensated by Insurance Company. It is also popularly known as Marine insurance. It is further classified into Inland and Ocean Marine Insurance. Inland Marine Insurance is issued for goods that are transported without the involving any form sea transport and Ocean Marine Insurance is meant for goods that are shipped through waterways. The three pillars of Marine Insurance are insurable interest, utmost good faith, and indemnity (Export 911). Marine Insurance is not mandatory, unless it is mentioned so in the agreement. The proof of Insurance is provided by the Insurance policy duly signed by the authority of the Insurance Company.   Generally, the insurance would cover the loss or damage of coffee beans under normal circumstances. However, the insurance would become void when the shipper tries to or succeeds in causing intentional damage. When the loss of coffee beans is meagre or caused as a result of improper packaging, the insurance would not cover the loss. According to Article 292 of the CGSA (1924), the carrier is obliged to travel in the mutually agreed upon route mentioned in the agreement. However, the carrier is expected to take the shortest route if a route is not mentioned in the agreement. However, the carrier can change course if any unavoidable situation arises and the carrier would not be held liable for any loss caused to the consigner due to the late delivery of goods, provided a genuine reason is established. The goods being transported by the carrier should be properly safeguarded. The costs incurred in achieving this objective, such as repackaging charges are solely borne by the carrier. However, this does not imply taking additional care of the goods being transported. For instance, when animals are being shipped, the carrier will not be responsible for maintaining the health of the animal by providing food and water. The same condition will stand good while transporting plants as well. However, the carrier would have to take up such responsibilities, if such conditions governing the well-being of plants and animal are incorporated in the agreement Generally, the carrier will have the obligation to discharge the goods from the ship and bear the charges incurred towards it. In the event of the agreement not requiring the delivery of the shipped item to the consignee’s facility, then the consignee would have to receive the same on a particular date fixed by the carrier. If the consignee fails to do so, then s/he would have to bear the charges incurred by the carrier for storing the shipped item. However, the consignee has the right to examine the contents before acknowledging the receipt and refuse the same, if the carrier is not co-operating. The next protocol towards the emancipation of the shippers came in the form of the Brussels protocol in 1968. It was responsible for infusing an important clause called the ‘container clause’. It enabled shippers to claim the compensation for each container specified in the Bill of Lading (Admiralty Law, 2005). As a result, this liability system came to be known as the Hague-Visby Rules. An additional protocol was added in 1979 to enhance and revise the rules. However, neither of two supplementary protocols of the Hague rules was able to effectively modify the basic liability provisions. Hamburg Rules The Hamburg rules were enforced at the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea held in Hamburg on 30 March 1978. The chief objective was to enforce a system that would share the liabilities and obligations between shipper and carrier in fairer manner. However, it was only able to mildly move the liabilities to the carrier.   In addition to the terms carrier, shipper, goods and ship, a term called ‘Actual carrier’ is defined by the Hamburg rules. It refers to a person or an agency to which the carrier hands over the complete or partial responsibility of carrying the goods. The time period for claiming the liabilities caused by the carrier is also specified by the Hamburg rules. The shipper can sue the carrier for any liabilities with a two year time period from the date of delivery of the goods. This period can be extended by issuing appropriate legal declarations. However, this time period gets reduced to 90 days, in the case of a second claim after the verdict is reached for the first claim. First of all, a written complaint has to be instituted to the carrier within the next working day, in the case of apparent damage or loss. However, in the case of damage or loss not being evident, the shipper would have to file a written complaint to the carrier within 15 days of receiving the goods. In order to be in a position to claim damages due to delay, the carrier would have to give a compliant to the shipper within 60 days of the delivery. The complaint can be sent to the carrier in writing or via telegraph. Adequate facilities will also have provided by both parties to inspect and clarify these claims. If the shipper fails to satisfy any of the aforementioned conditions, he or she will not be able to claim damages from the carrier. The Hamburg rules also specify the limits for liability compensation. The compensation for the liabilities arising as a result of damage or loss can not exceed an amount more than 2.5 units of account per kilogram or 835 units of account per package. This unit is quantified by the International Monetary Fund as a result of a Special Drawing Right. If the shipper’s State is a member of the International Monetary Fund, then the units would be changed into the State’s currency on the judgment day. If the shipper’s State is not a member of the International Monetary Fund, the units would be converted according to the State’s local laws. The liabilities for delay in the delivery of goods should not be more than the total freight payable; it can be up to two and a half times the freight payable for the goods that are delayed, under the contract of carriage. Arbitrations & Disputes The arbitration of these claims and general disputes would normally take place in a venue of the claimer’s preference. However, the place should be with in accordance to the stipulations mentioned. It should not be a place outside the State where the defendant’s business or residence is located. It can also take place in a State where the contract was signed or at the place of loading or unloading the goods. Judicial action may also be taken against the carrier in the same places mentioned above. It is better to insure the coffee beans before they are to be shipped onboard a vessel, due to the risks involved in transportation. Since the carriers have only restricted limitations, it does make sense to obtain insurance. Most carriers shipping from Sao Paulo to Durham, for instance ‘Xiameter’ (2006) follows Carriage and Insurance Paid (CIP) delivery. Therefore, it is better to ship the coffee beans through a reputed carrier, in order to minimise risks and complete the shipping within a desired period of time. 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