Case Study of the Credit Card Processing Industry Term Paper

Case Study of the Credit Card Processing Industry - Term Paper Example The credit card processing industry has been in the forefront in adopting new technology. Credit card processing is mainly done through electronic processing. The credit card associations and companies have laid down policies and procedures for credit card processing. The system of processing credit cards is very complex as it involves processing transactions hypothetically throughout the payment process system. Usual credit card transaction in involve the following participants: the customer, merchants, payment gateway, acquiring banks processor, credit card interchange, customer’s credit card issuer, and merchant acquiring bank. The settlement for the credit card interchange institutions is done electronically. The computerized transaction settlement systems are used to make payments to the credit card interchange institutions. Today, the main credit card interchanges include MasterCard and Visa .MasterCard and Visa have agents all over the world that persuade merchants to a ccept transactions using their cards. When a customer makes a purchase at the point of sale, the merchant forwards the transaction at the end of the day to the merchant’s bank. The merchant’s bank pays the merchant for the purchase after deducting a fixed fee before forwarding the purchase to MasterCard or Visa. After receiving the transaction money, MasterCard or Visa forwards the transaction charge to the credit card issuer. The credit card issuer then makes payment of a fixed fee to MasterCard or Visa. MasterCard or Visa then makes payment to the merchant bank. MasterCard or Visa collects fees for both the card issuer and the merchant bank. Then the issuer of the card charges the customer for the amount of purchases made. The card holder finally pays the bank a minimum amount at an interest or pays the whole amount. The credit card processing system uses point of sale electronic authorization, which has replaced the traditional paper work and telephone costs. The el ectronic data capture used in credit card transaction today has helped the banks to process and accept transactions much faster. The retail systems in the supermarkets and major hotels have been changed in order to fit the changing needs of using credit cards. The main advantage of using a credit card for the customer is that it is convenient. One disadvantage is that the customer is most likely to fall into a debt that will not be easy to get out of. The whole of the credit card processing system is based on trust. Today, the credit card processing industry has been marred with fraud. The credit card processors have come up with tools to help merchants to identify fraud. These tools are web based and used by merchants to avoid scam. Model relationships capture system for the transactions will affect the customer’s loyalty of using credit cards. The model relationship capture is used to determine risk of issuing a credit card in the future. The credit card scoring points will assess the future business opportunity. The economic crisis has hit the credit card industry so hard that many customers are opting not to use credit cards. Many credit card holders have submerged in the credit card debts and are opting to use debit cards instead of credit cards. Following these dwindling fortunes, the credit card processing industry has to improve their operations in order to maintain customers in the future .The

The Evaluating a Website for Credibility Assignment

The Evaluating a Website for Credibility - Assignment Example Similarly, students can use the web address http:/ http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/03/16/393336901/vaccination-gaps-helped-fuel-disneyland-measles-spread to quickly find this website. This website’s domain npr.org is essential and one of the best way to determine its credibility of the site. In addition, it helps researchers learn the source of this web site quickly. The article from the npr gives a detailed discussion of the outbreak and spread of measles. The prime objective of this website is to enlighten the general public of the importance of vaccination, which makes it informative. Through the statement, â€Å"...there is a protective effect called herd immunity that interrupts the spread of the virus to vulnerable people† the website is optimistic that citizens will heed to the advice and embrace vaccination. Additionally, the site successfully passes the information since it is easy to navigate. Simplicity and visibility of the words used give visitors easy time while reading the information. Further, the website has an attractive picture that is accompanied by a written description of the images. The website also loads instantaneously hence saves time for the visitors. Besides, the website owner collects visitor’s geolocation data through their services for offering relevant services. The organization reserves the right to use the visitor’s comments for the purpose of improving service though it does not share personally-identifying information with the third parties. Since it does not share personal information, the website has a great sense of security and privacy. Moreover, this website is credible, and Americans and worldwide visitors should trust its information. Carder (2013) says that a credible should have an author from a recognized institution. George Freylandov has written this web page, and he is associated with the National Public Radio organization. In addition,

Importance Of Strategic Planning For Food Service Business Marketing Essay

Importance Of Strategic Planning For Food Service Business Marketing Essay Strategic planning is important for the food service business, because it matches market opportunities with business strengths and provides direction to achieve set goals. A strategic plan is a roadmap for food service business; it defines the objectives for each critical area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹business development, including organization, management, marketing, sales, target customers, products, services and finances. This enables an organization to successfully draw a path and progress towards the set objectives. Function Each level of the food service business can benefit from a well-written strategic plan. A strategic plan should be established before the start of the company, used to as a flexible document during the first year in business and eventually be updated annually during the life of the operation. Although nearing the end of company, strategic plan helps the business, which includes information about the ownership transition benefit. Features The most important elements of the food service strategic plan includes a summary, mission statement, company vision, industries customer profiles, descriptions of all products and services, competitors information, organization and management structure, marketing strategy and key financial statements that include balance sheets, profit loss statement and cash flow statement. The strategic plan is easy to read and understand the companys operations. Most important is to be effective to be used as a measuring tool strategic plan throughout the year. Considerations In the creation of strategic plan, owners should collect information such as company mission statement last years vision, target customer base data, departmental budgets and financial documents that include a balance sheet, profit loss account and the cash flow statement. Key findings from the past year are very important to the partners, directors, officers or key employees who will be working on the companys strategic plan. Advantages Strategic plan gives owners peace of mind, knowing that the company is on the right path towards success. In difficult times, the realization that requires certain aspects of attention is priceless. Owners may be surprised that the communication be improved to find within the company. Company employees can benefit from a better understanding of their roles and the direction of the company. Invest the time in a strategic plan, and the company will be on the road to success. Importance of Mission Statement for Food Service Business (Restaurant) A mission statement is written in the best cooperation. The decision makers in society should sit down and talk about their thoughts and how they want to represent the company to the public. Ideas should be bandied about, considered and voted then. Once they thoroughly discuss, write and re-write the statement, they should make sure that it is something that people know to appreciate and buy customers. It should provide a statement that remains relevant no matter the difficulty of the enterprise, and can serve as an instrument to overcome the adversity rallying the troops. Mission Statement Our mission is to use superior product, service and management innovations to build a global foodservice company that serves value and quality-driven meals, demonstrates transparent integrity in the marketplace and has one of the best rates of return on invested capital in the foodservice arena Mission Statements role in Companys Success The above mission statement is firm articulation of the companys customers, employees and the world about the purpose of its existence. Obviously, our food service business exists to make money, to maximize profits and equity value, but our mission statement is more on the front than the bottom line. Our mission resonates with the public and tells them why it would be advantageous to do the business with our company. This mission statement represents the companys vision, as the company wants to be seen by our clients. Mission statements include a statement of purpose, a business statement, and an indication of the companys values. The indication of the purpose expressly the purpose of the company, in our case, a food service companys purpose is to provide the target market with quality food. Mission statement should inspire the staff. Thus, our mission brings a certain focus on the employee as the purpose of their work, crystallized, and they are able to see the value of their contribution. Customers are reassured when they are exposed to the mission, as they will be able to see that the company is on its purpose (value driven quality food). There are several things that our Mission Statement addresses, 1), who are our customers, 2) what are their needs and desires, 3) how I can meet those needs and wants, 4) What are the values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹that have built our company at present, 5) What values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹are our company want to have that there, 6), we are all constantly veering together with a single purpose or individual course. Importance of Vision Statement for Food Service Business (Restaurant) Vision Statement Companys well-trained staff, careful planning, targeted market segments, excellent menu, unique value proposition, product quality, hours of operation and accessibility will ensure that Company has a promising future. The management style is flexible, progressive and energetic. Enthusiasm of the management and associates will greatly stimulate the envisioned growth. Vision Statements role in Supporting Companys Mission An organization develops a vision statement and a comprehensive and inspiring mission statement, does not lose the opportunity to present themselves positively to existing and potential stakeholders. All organizations have customers, employees and managers, and most companies need creditors, suppliers and distributors. The vision and mission statements are effective vehicles for communicating with key internal and external stakeholders. The capital value of these statements as tools of strategic management is derived from its specification of the ultimate goals of a company. Entrepreneurial vision provides a context in which people can make decisions at all levels. A shared vision is like a compass and distant destination in the mountains. If you give a group of people a target point and then turn them loose in the mountains in order to reach this goal, they will probably find a way to get there. You may encounter obstacles and bad curves on the road, but with the general direction of the compass, a clear end goal and the belief that they work to a worthy goal, they will probably reach the target. Key objectives and Companys Success Key objectives Establish a financial culture of positive net profit from day one in operation. Successful development of the first two stores in thirty-six months. Achieving accumulated revenue for the first thirty-six months of Companys operations, through two operating stores of $5 million. Creating a Dining Icon in the marketplace through flawless execution of standards and companys core concepts at every level of each stores operations. Become a market leader in the fast casual segment nationwide USA. Key objectives and Companys Success Meeting breakeven point and achieving net profit from day one in operations will make sure that the company is on right track. This will also enable the company to meet its long-term growth funding requirements from within the company, thus eliminating the need for external funding. Operating the second store within first three years will ensure the companys growth. It will also increase the brand visibility which will help increase daily customer visits. Achieving five million dollars in revenue will make sure that the company has enough cash to fund its future growth plan and enable the company to use its internal resources for future funding requirements. Our companys initial two restaurants will provide live operational insight into key areas that affect customer service, product quality and profit performance, including: size of future restaurants; future equipment mix; optimum floor plan for the concept; optimum restaurant staff strength; optimum scheduling-to-peak-demand strategy; and menu-mix based on customer preferences reflected in sales reports. Information from the pilot will contribute to a successful roll-out of the restaurant throughout the country.

Impulsiveness in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

Impulsiveness in Romeo & Juliet "Wisely and slow: they stumble that run fast"(Pg 91, Line 97) those words spoken by Friar Laurence. Words we must listen too. Impulsiveness leads to downfall, and therefore people must strike a balance between being impulsive, and being pragmatic. Time and time again Shakespeare showed us how impulsiveness leads to tragedy. First off, Capulet was a prudent, well-balanced person most of the time. When Paris told Capulet that he wanted to marry Juliet, Capulet said "Let two more summers wither in their pride/Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride"(Pg 27, Lines 10-11) because he wanted to look out for Juliet and wanted to make sure she was ready. Though he did tell him to "woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart;/My will to her consent is but a part" because he was still not passing up this opportunity for his daughter. Capulet was also practical when Tybalt spotted Romeo during the Capulet feast, Tybalt wanted to do the impulsive thing and kill Romeo, but Capulet thought for a second about the consequences. Tybalt said "I'll not endure him" and Capulet told him emphatically "he shall be endur'd"(pg. 57, Lines 77 & 78). In this scene Capulet prevented a huge Montegue and Capulet confrontation by thinking first and not doing the impulsive suggested by Tybalt. Through thinking these actions through, problems were prevented. However, Capulet was at times, a very rash person, and that lead to much of the misfortune in this play. Hours after Romeo killed Tybalt, Capulet acted on haste in Act III, Scene 4 and told Paris "I will make a desperate tender/Of my child's love: I think she will be rul'd/In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not....And bid her, mark you on me, on Wednesday next-" and then continued to sound delirious saying "Wednesday is too soon;/ O' Thursday let it be:...She shall be married to this noble earl" and at this point Capulet has become selfish and impulsive. His daughter does not love Paris, but Capulet is not thinking because Tybalt had just died. When Juliet refused to marry Paris, Capulet exploded, and didn't think at all by telling Juliet, "get thee to

Analysis of “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” & “Nature”

Longfellow’s Eloquent Approach to Death: Analysis of Death in Two Poems Death is an uneasy topic to talk about and causes nearly everyone to have negative feelings for it. Although it is inevitable and also an important part of life, people try to avoid the topic altogether because it gives them discomfort. Because it is such an important subject, one must break the awkward silence and address the topic. Longfellow makes death seem like a natural thing which must come to all living things through his rich comparisons to nature and ordinary life.In â€Å"The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls† he compares the continuous rising and falling of tides to a nameless traveler, and in his poem, â€Å"Nature† he compares nature and humans as the relationship between a strict mother and her child. In Longfellow's poem, â€Å"The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls† he fluently articulates the differences between tides and a nameless traveler. Symbolically, the tides represent the co ntinuous cycle of life and the traveler just represents every single human being in the world.The emphasis on â€Å"The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls† at the end of each stanza shows that no matter what happens in an individual's life, life in general and the tides are just going to go on without a single care about the world (5). Additionally, Longfellow gives the traveler no descriptive identity and only labels him as â€Å"The Traveler† (4). Because of the word choice, it further shows how unimportant a single person is in the grand scheme of things. Furthermore, there is a distinctive contrasting detail throughout the poem.In many places, Longfellow incorporates light and dark settings into the poem. For example, when darkness settles, the â€Å"sea in the darkness†¦ Efface the footprints in the sands† (7-9). The footprints that were in the sand were left by the traveler, and by effectively removing them, it clearly shows that the travelers presence is for ever forgotten at the beach. Additionally because â€Å"[the traveler] nevermore returns†¦ to the shore†, it is impossible for him to retrace his journey and imprint his footsteps once again.In essence, the traveler is dead and the tide continues on its duty with disregard for the travelers absence. In contrast, Longfellow makes the connection between life and light. For example, after the tide erases the travelers footsteps, â€Å"The morning breaks;the steed in their stalls Stamp and neigh as the hostler calls† (11-12). Because it is morning again, life ensues and the daily activities of another nameless human being starts the cycle all over again since day and night alternate.Basically, Longfellow uses the seemingly peaceful comparison between the tide and traveler to emphasize that death is inevitable and that one must accept it because the world will not stop rotating just because of a death of a human. The second poem is called â€Å"Nature† and it in volves the role play of death and life as a strict mother and her child. The poem’s comparison sheds light on the harsh reality that all humans will inevitably meet their end someday. Symbolically, the mother represents mother nature and the child is any type of living thing.The poem starts off by stating the mother is trying to get her child to go to sleep with a certain degree of difficulty. The child is â€Å"half willing, half reluctant to be led† and is unwilling to â€Å"leave his broken playthings on the floor† (3-4). From these two lines of the poem, it is evident that the child is conflicted because it is unsure whether to stay with his materialistic comforts or to be led by his mother to go to sleep which is a strange experience to him. This can be compared to how humans view death as a strange and unknown thing.Being human, it is understandable that they are hesitant to even consider the possibility of death. Additionally, Longfellow describes the chi ld's playthings as â€Å"broken† which brings out the fact that they are old and damaged, which can be compared to someone who is on the verge of death (4). From this, the conclusion can be drawn that the child is unsure whether to follow his mother into an unknown world or to stay with what has given him comfort throughout his life. In addition, Longfellow also states that this new experience may not give the child as much pleasure as his materialistic things.Realistically, Longfellow is trying to emphasize that death is a very controversial topic and it is natural for humans to be weary and worried about it. In the third stanza, Longfellow states that nature deals with the worried feelings towards death by taking away â€Å"our playthings one by one, and by the hand Leads us to rest so gently† (10-11). From these two lines, Longfellow states that in order for humans to be convinced to take the risk of leaving their materialistic comforts, mother nature must gradually take them away.Because humans lose what they love so gradually, they â€Å"go Scarce knowing if (they) wish to go or stay† in bed (11-12). By doing this, mother nature effectively decreases the amount of animosity and tension between humans and death by allowing humans to enjoy themselves while they still can. However, all good things must come to an end and eventually, the older the human, the weaker he gets. With the added weakness and lack of things he can do, since mother nature has taken them away, death may seem as a beneficial solution in comparison to one's current life.Through this poem, Longfellow, with the use of personification, successfully changes societies outlook on death from a scary, sudden process into one that is gradual and has a touch of motherly tenderness. Being a renowned writer, Longfellow has the ability to craft his words to best capture the meaning of his idea. In this case, he gives the reader another outlook on a very scary topic, death. Throug h the use of his highly descriptive comparisons between nature and ordinary life, he is able to make death seem like a natural stage of human life and that humans should not think about it so much because mother nature will take care of it.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 7

â€Å"Get out,† I said immediately. Yasmine and Vincent, finishing their breakfast at my table, looked up in surprise. Niphon gestured toward them. â€Å"I was invited in. I didn't think it'd be a problem.† Angel and human looked distinctly uncomfortable, and I could guess what had happened. Niphon had turned up, and they'd let him inside, not knowing about our animosity. They'd probably figured he was a partner in evil which, in the most technical of ways, he was. Vincent hastily stood up and took his empty plate to the sink. Yasmine followed. â€Å"Well,† said Vincent. â€Å"We should probably get going.† â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Yasmine, grabbing her coat. Fools rushed in where angels feared to tread, apparently. â€Å"Great seeing you guys.† They left so fast that they might as well have teleported out. I fixed my attention back on Niphon. â€Å"Get out,† I repeated. He leaned back against my couch, draping his arms over the back of it. â€Å"Letha, Letha – â€Å" â€Å"And stop calling me that.† â€Å"Whatever you like. And don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon. I just wanted to give you a Tawny update.† Oh God. Tawny. Please, please let her have scored last night, I silently begged. Her attitude at the bar hadn't really inspired confidence, but maybe me leaving with Jude had set a good example. â€Å"She hasn't taken a victim yet.† Damn. â€Å"Alright, thanks,† I said, pointing at the door. â€Å"You can leave now. And next time, it's really okay if you call to give me an update. Preferably when you're in the taxi that's taking you to the airport so I don't ever have to fucking see you again.† He rose from the couch, giving me a wounded look. â€Å"Fine, fine. But there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.† â€Å"There is nothing at all I want to talk to you about.† I was on the verge of growling. â€Å"Oh, I'm not so sure about that.† His hand rested on the doorknob, but he showed no intention of actually leaving. â€Å"I think you'll be very interested. It's about your love life.† â€Å"No! We are not talking about this.† â€Å"Le – Georgina, I just want to help you,† he whined. â€Å"I think it's terrible that you two can't fully express your love.† â€Å"We. Are. Fine. And don't lean against the door. I don't want your hair to leave an oil stain.† Niphon straightened up and ran a solicitous hand over the back of his head. â€Å"Look, I get why you don't want to sleep with him. It's admirable. You want to protect his lifespan, not wipe him out, etc., etc. But what if that wasn't an issue? What if I made it so that you could have sex without the dire side effects?† â€Å"Right. And you'd do that out of the kindness of your heart.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged and spread his hands wide. â€Å"There's always a price.† â€Å"It's not worth it. Not worth Seth selling his soul.† â€Å"I could sweeten the deal. Give him a longer lifespan†¦longer youth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. I swear to God, if you don't leave now, I'm calling Jerome.† That was a bluff, seeing as Jerome was out of town. â€Å"Like I said, just trying to help,† Niphon said. â€Å"Yeah, like you helped me?† I asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. Suddenly, the mocking, teasing look vanished. Niphon's face grew hard. Angry. Scary. â€Å"I did help you, Little Letha. You were no one. No one at all. Some poor fisherman's daughter in a shit, backwoods town. Some whore in a shit, backwoods town. You fucked up your life, and I fixed it for you. I made you who you are. Erased your problems. Saved your husband. Gave you eternal life and beauty. If anything, you owe me.† â€Å"It wasn't worth it,† I said, in a voice that matched his dark expression. â€Å"It wasn't worth it.† â€Å"Wasn't it? Would you have rather watched your husband commit suicide? Would you rather have died an outcast and disgraced?† I didn't answer. I thought about the desperate look on my husband's face when he'd found out that I'd cheated on him. Even after all these centuries, that expression still haunted me. He'd been driven to such despair that he'd been on the verge of taking his own life. In selling my soul and becoming a succubus, I'd struck a bargain with Hell that made him and everyone else I knew forget me. My husband had lived and gone on with his life, forgetting I'd ever existed. Had it been worth it? Observing my silence, Niphon's face turned taunting once more. He opened the door. â€Å"Good-bye, Georgina. Let me know if you change your mind.† He left, and I stared at the door for a long time before finally forcing my feet to start moving. The Seth soul-selling offer held no temptation for me whatsoever. That didn't trouble me. But his other words†¦the reminders of my past†¦ I sighed. I didn't want to deal with that, not with everything else going on in my life right now. And speaking of which†¦with two hours left until work, I decided to bite the bullet and again try to get more information about my dreams. From Dante. His store looked as bleak as the last time I'd visited, but this time, he actually had a customer. She was a young woman, college-aged maybe, with layered brown hair and a gray sweatshirt. Seeing her, I started to step back outside, but he waved me in. â€Å"No, no, it's okay. You can wait here.† Dante glanced at the girl. Both of them sat at the shabby, velvet-covered table. â€Å"You don't mind, do you?† She barely spared me a glance. â€Å"No! No! Hurry, go on. I want to hear more about the man.† Dante produced a dazzling grin that seemed a bit fake to me but which I suspected was actually very effective on her. Taking a step closer, I realized he was reading her Tarot cards. Several already lay on the table. He flipped another over. â€Å"Ah, the Hierophant.† His voice held a mysterious, knowing note. â€Å"What's that mean?† she squealed. â€Å"You don't know? You don't know anything about these?† She shook her head. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Well, the Hierophant is a great love card. It represents a romantic man, someone good-looking and charming who loves giving gifts and doing small gestures. You know the kind.† â€Å"I don't, actually,† she said wistfully. â€Å"All my boyfriends have been jerks.† â€Å"Well, that's going to change,† he promised. I knew quite a bit about Tarot cards, actually. The Hierophant represented tradition, wisdom, and organized religion. He wasn't exactly a romantic figure, particularly considering he was usually depicted as a priest. â€Å"Why is he dressed so weird?† asked the girl. â€Å"He looks like he's in robes.† â€Å"It's not weird,† Dante said. â€Å"It's opulent. Remember, the Tarot is an ancient system. A guy dressed like this represented the height of fashion back in the old days. You know, a real designer label kind of guy.† I caught Dante's gaze and rolled my eyes. He maintained his poker face and flipped the next card. â€Å"Things are looking good,† he declared. â€Å"The Tower.† The Tower was pretty much the worst card in the deck. â€Å"This shows you guys have a promising future.† â€Å"Why is it on fire?† she asked. â€Å"And why are people falling out of the windows?† â€Å"It's all symbolic,† he said hastily. â€Å"And although things look really good for when you meet this guy, it means you have to be cautious and read the signs around you.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† she said. â€Å"I hope I can.† Dante gathered up the cards and stacked them neatly. â€Å"Well, I can help if you want. I could give you a package set of readings at a discount. That way, you'll have a guide as you go along. You'll be prepared for when you meet him.† I sincerely doubted she was ever going to meet this mythical guy. â€Å"How much?† she asked hesitantly. â€Å"Hmm, let's see.† Dante turned speculative. â€Å"Well, they're normally fifty dollars. Usually, I give a five-dollar discount for packages†¦but, hell. I really want to see this work. I'm a romantic myself, you know? It's a stretch, but I'll do a set of six for forty dollars each. You can buy them now and then come in whenever you want to claim them.† The girl deliberated, and I wanted to yell at her that it was a scam. But I needed Dante's advice and didn't want to get on his bad side. Not that I was necessarily on his good side right now. â€Å"I don't want to pressure you,† he told her gently. â€Å"So, please. Don't feel obligated. Just do whatever your heart tells you to do. I mean, if the cards have told us anything, it's that you have to protect your heart now as you enter this important stage of your life.† That sold her. â€Å"Okay. I'll do it.† I watched in disbelief as the two of them walked to his register. She handed over two-hundred-forty dollars – plus tax – and he gave her a Tarot punch card, not unlike what you'd get at a coffee or sandwich shop. â€Å"You should be ashamed of yourself,† I told him when she was gone. â€Å"Succubus. Nice to see you too.† â€Å"That wasn't a romance reading.† â€Å"Nope,† he agreed, coming over to stand beside me. â€Å"It actually suggested she'd soon be having a sex change and joining a suicide cult.† â€Å"But you told her it was about love.† â€Å"She's twenty years old. Love's all they want to hear about at that age.† â€Å"You're going to Hell.† â€Å"I could have told you that. In fact, I did tell you that last time, didn't I? Now. What can I do for you? You change your mind about the sex?† â€Å"No. Of course not.† He looked offended. â€Å"Of course not? What's with the attitude? I'm not that unappealing.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. He looked like he still hadn't shaved in a couple days, and there was something very sexy about that and the way his indigo T-shirt fit him. I hadn't realized before what nice ab muscles he had. Probably the lack of business around here gave him lots of time to work out. â€Å"But that's not why I'm here. And honestly, if this behavior is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm thinking your soul isn't going to be worth my time anyway.† He threw his hands in the air. â€Å"She comes and insults me, then expects help. So what is it you want? Your dishwasher finally break?† â€Å"No, but I had the dream again. And there was more.† I recapped it, and he listened, face unreadable. â€Å"You sure you don't want a new dishwasher?† he asked dubiously. â€Å"No!† â€Å"What about kids?† â€Å"What about them?† â€Å"You want them?† I fell silent, and despite his lopsided smile, I could see Dante scrutinizing me. He might be a con artist, but he was smart. The best ones always are. People like him make their living reading people and exploiting little things – like that girl's longing for romance. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"You know that. I can't have them.† â€Å"I didn't ask that, succubus. I asked if you wanted them.† I averted my eyes, studying the crystal ball. With the way the sunlight hit it, I suspected it was actually plastic. â€Å"Sure. I did even when I was mortal. If I could have kids now, I would.† He nodded, and for the first time, I got the impression he might almost be taking me seriously. Almost. â€Å"And let me guess. You woke up without energy.† â€Å"Yes, and I'd gotten a victim the night before. Just like last time.† His face turned speculative. â€Å"Interesting. It only happens when you're charged up.† â€Å"What do you think it means?† â€Å"Dunno. Might not mean anything.† â€Å"It has to! I'm losing energy for no reason at all.† â€Å"You're stressed,† he argued. â€Å"And you're, like, one of the most uptight people I've ever met – immortal or otherwise. You've spent centuries wishing you could get knocked up. You have this celibate boyfriend thing going on. And you work for that demon, right? The one who looks like Matthew Broderick?† â€Å"John Cusack,† I corrected. â€Å"He looks like John Cusack.† â€Å"Whatever. That's enough to tax anybody. Your dreams are manifestations of the woes in your life, coming out of your subconscious in vivid, energy-sucking ways.† â€Å"You are so unhelpful. Your dream expertise is a scam – like everything else.† â€Å"Nah. Not everything I do is a scam. I know dreams. I know spells. And I know what could help you.† â€Å"What?† He pointed to the counter. â€Å"You and me. Up there. Naked. Horizontal.† I groaned. â€Å"Wow, you really weren't lying. You are a romantic.† â€Å"A pragmatist. And an opportunist.† â€Å"A sleazy guy, treating me like a cheap whore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fuck, I haven't been laid in months, and now this succubus shows up wanting my help. You'd try to bargain for sex too.† I eyed him warily. â€Å"Is that what this is about? I have to sleep with you to get help?† Dante shoved his hands in his pockets. â€Å"Nope. You'd be more fun if you were willing, I think. Besides, I have no other help to give.† Disappointed, I made motions to leave. â€Å"Okay. Thanks. Sort of.† â€Å"You know what else might help?† he called after me. â€Å"If it involves sex – â€Å" â€Å"A vacation. At the very least, a massage. Basic stress reliever things.† Those were actually reasonable things, and I was pleasantly surprised to see his mind wasn't always in the gutter. â€Å"They can help,† I told him. â€Å"But I doubt a massage will fix the problems in my life.† â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not. But if you want a free one†¦a naked free one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I left. I'd already felt like my romance with Seth was some infinite loop tape reel. The rest of my life apparently was too. Have the same dream, go to Dante, get no help, go to work, and ruminate. Because that's exactly how my day was unfolding, just like before. I went through the motions of paperwork and customer service at Emerald City, all the while consumed by images of the little girl in the dream and the sweet fantasy of having a daughter. My heart ached to see her again, to see that smile. Everything at my job seemed so shallow and meaningless compared with her. When work ended, I brought Maddie back to my apartment to make good on my promise to get her a date. â€Å"You're going to sell me?† she exclaimed when I told her the plan. â€Å"It's an auction,† I said. â€Å"For a children's charity. You don't hate kids, do you?† â€Å"Well, no, but – â€Å" â€Å"Then this'll be great. Here, try this on.† I tossed her a BCBG shopping bag. She eyed it warily. â€Å"Isn't that a place for teenagers?† â€Å"It's a place for anybody with style,† I assured her. She opened the bag and pulled out the knee-length dress I'd picked up for her the other day. It was silk chiffon with a dark pink geometric print. The empire waist had a slightly gathered top, and the V-neck had a bow that tied underneath it. Fluttery cap sleeves finished it off. â€Å"I can't wear this,† she said immediately. â€Å"Why? Because it'll look good?† She shot me a glare. â€Å"There's hardly anything there.† â€Å"What? There's plenty.† I owned lots of dresses that had â€Å"hardly anything there.† This was elegant and tasteful. Amish country compared to some of my clothing. â€Å"Try it on, and we'll see.† She did, reluctantly, and I could have crowed with delight when she stepped out of my bathroom. I'd totally nailed the size. It fit perfectly. â€Å"There isn't an extra inch here,† she fretted, pulling at the fabric around the waist. â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Doesn't it make me look fat?† â€Å"It makes you look great. If it were spandex or something, there might be a problem, but this is light and drapey.† â€Å"The neckline's awfully low – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† I snapped. â€Å"And let's finish the rest of you.† I did her makeup and arranged her hair down for a change. It shone like black silk when brushed out, and I thought it was a shame she wore it in a haphazard ponytail so often. Besides, everyone knows that in the movies, shy girls always become beautiful by letting down their hair and taking off their glasses. Maddie already wore contacts, but the principle was still sound. I finally finished her off with half-heeled shoes I'd bought to match the dress. Higher ones would have looked better, but even I knew when not to press my luck. Satisfied with the results, we headed out to the auction. â€Å"You're like my fairy godmother,† she muttered as we walked into the hotel the event was being held at. â€Å"But I'm still a pumpkin.† I elbowed her. â€Å"How did you get so negative? You should start some angstful emo rock band to compete with Doug's.† â€Å"Oh, yeah. That'd go over – hey, is that Seth?† We were cutting across the open room the auction would take place in, heading toward the volunteers' area. Lots of people had gathered, filling most of the round tables facing the stage. I followed her gesture to where Seth sat at one of the few tables that wasn't already full. Seeing us notice him, he held up his hand in greeting. â€Å"He wanted to come support you,† I told her. Actually, Seth had been appalled at me strong-arming Maddie into this and had attended mainly out of a perverse fascination at what he thought might end in disaster. But Maddie, not knowing his motives, was pleasantly surprised. She smiled, and I nearly swooned. â€Å"That,† I said. â€Å"That right there is what you need to do.† The smile dropped. â€Å"That what?† Hugh practically skipped over when he saw us. â€Å"I knew you didn't hate kids. I knew you'd cave and come help – â€Å" â€Å"Not me,† I said. â€Å"Maddie.† I rested a hand on her shoulder. Hugh's face turned perfectly blank. â€Å"Oh?† Just then, a tall brunette in a black satin evening dress strolled over. The â€Å"fucking fox,† presumably. She extended her hand. â€Å"Hello, I'm Deanna, the coordinator. You must be Hugh's friend?† â€Å"Georgina,† I said, shaking. â€Å"But Maddie here is your volunteer. She's a journalist for an important women's magazine.† Deanna's eyes lit up. â€Å"Ah! We love celebrities. Let me take down your information.† She led Maddie away. As soon as they were gone, Hugh turned on me. â€Å"What the hell? I wanted Georgina, and you give me Georgy Girl.† â€Å"You are such an asshole. That's a horrible thing to say.† He shrugged, eyes on Maddie. â€Å"I call 'em like I see 'em. She's huge.† My eyes were on Maddie too. She actually looked quite slim in the dress, but Hugh was one of those guys who liked bony types – so long as their chests were big enough. â€Å"You're the reason women have such horrible self-esteem issues. You tear them apart. Women, I mean. Not the issues.† â€Å"Look, I'm sure she's not all bad,† he said. â€Å"She probably gives good head.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Flatterer. Why do you say that?† â€Å"Fat girls always do. They have to. Only way they can get men.† I punched him in the arm. Hard. â€Å"Ow! Fuck, that hurt.† â€Å"You're a jerk,† I told him. â€Å"Maddie's beautiful.† â€Å"She's okay,† he said, rubbing his injured arm. â€Å"And I can't exactly have just okay tonight – not with that liability already on deck.† He pointed over to where some of the other volunteers waited. Immediately, I found what he referred to. It was easy because Tawny towered over the other women by about a foot. â€Å"Holy Christ,† I said. â€Å"How did that happen?† He threw up his hands, looking miserable. â€Å"She latched on to the idea when you mentioned it at the bar.† â€Å"I didn't even think she heard me,† I said apologetically. Hugh waved me toward the crowd. â€Å"Too late now. Go have a seat, Brutus, so this disaster can get under way. You've ruined the night. I don't know why you hate kids so much.† I gave him a parting glare and went off to find Seth. The vampires had joined him since I'd come in. â€Å"You guys here to get a date or a victim?† I asked. â€Å"Neither,† said Peter. â€Å"We're here to see the Tawny Show.† I sighed. â€Å"This is supposed to be a charity event, and people are treating it like a freak show. Hugh already accused me of ruining it by bringing Maddie.† Seth looked surprised. â€Å"Why? She looks great.† I pointed her out to Peter and Cody, who also concurred about her cuteness. â€Å"She'll be fine,† said Cody. â€Å"Tawny's going to be the one to watch. I haven't really been able to see what she's wearing. I hope it's up to her usual standards.† â€Å"Maybe her Secret Santa will get her some nicer clothes,† said Peter. He glanced at me. â€Å"You bought for yours yet?† â€Å"Huh?† Right. Carter. I'd completely forgotten. Buying something for that cynical angel hadn't exactly been at the top of my priority list. â€Å"I, um, have some ideas. Still thinking about it.† â€Å"What about a Christmas tree? You got one of those?† â€Å"Um, haven't done that either.† â€Å"I didn't know you wanted a Christmas tree,† said Seth. â€Å"Do you need help picking one out?† â€Å"Well, I don – â€Å" The auction started, cutting me off. The auctioneer, Nick, was a young guy in his early thirties who probably had a second job doing minor modeling contracts that would never actually get him out of Seattle. He smiled non-stop and did a good job flirting with the women and making guy-jokes to the men. Bids flew fast and furious, and it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. â€Å"Next up,† said the auctioneer, reading from a card, â€Å"is Tawny Johnson.† â€Å"Johnson?† asked Cody. â€Å"Kind of boring.† â€Å"She made up both her names,† I said. Succubi often did. â€Å"She probably didn't have any mental energy left after choosing the first one.† â€Å"Ouch,† said Seth. â€Å"Who's being mean now?† â€Å"You haven't met her,† I warned. Tawny pranced up, wearing seven-inch high-heeled shoes that appeared to be made out of stainless steel. They looked like medieval torture devices but matched her super-tight, silver lam? ¦ hot pants and jacket. â€Å"She didn't disappoint,† said Cody, studying the outfit. Unsurprisingly, she stumbled the last couple of steps, and Nick reached out to steady her. â€Å"Careful there,† he said, flashing his brilliant white teeth. â€Å"Men are supposed to fall all over you.† It took her a moment to get the joke, and then she burst into small, high-pitched giggles. The noise grated on my nerves, but Nick seemed quite pleased to have someone appreciate his jokes. â€Å"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Tawny,† he said. â€Å"It says here you're currently unemployed. Does that mean you're out looking for something right now?† â€Å"Well, Nick, I'm out looking for someone right now – if you know what I mean.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. â€Å"That was kind of funny,† Peter noted. â€Å"No, it wasn't.† Nick apparently agreed with Peter. He threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Careful there, guys†¦we got a dangerous one on our hands. Tell me, Tawny, what is it you're looking for in a man?† She pursed her red-lacquered lips in deep thought. â€Å"I'm looking for heart, Nick. Heart and soul. Those are the most important things.† There was a collective â€Å"aww† from the audience. Beside me, Peter said, â€Å"Okay, the soul thing really was funny. Only to us, of course, but still.† Tawny then winked at the crowd. â€Å"But stamina and a big checkbook can make up for that sometimes.† Nick waited for the audience's laughter to fade. â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty – oh my God.† Tawny had taken off her jacket, revealing a zebra-print bandeau top underneath. ‘Top' was a dubious term at best, though. When wrapped around her enormous bust, it looked more like a rubber band and really only served to cover her nipples. Bids exploded from the audience, much to the astonishment of my friends and me. More surprising still was when Nick the auctioneer actually joined in. â€Å"Folks, I know this is a bit unusual†¦but, well, I just can't help myself. Three-hundred dollars.† â€Å"Three-fifty!† â€Å"Four-hundred!† In the end, Nick was the one who ended up winning her, paying a startling five-fifty. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† said Peter. I would have made a joke about his comment if I wasn't so shocked. When I finally found my voice, it was to say, â€Å"Well†¦this is a good thing, right? That guy looks like he'd sleep with her right now.† â€Å"And,† added Cody, â€Å"it was all for the kids.† Slowly, my astonishment faded into relief. This was an unexpected twist to the evening. The Tawny problem was fixed. Apparently, all we'd needed to do was essentially run an ad for her. She'd sleep with him, and Niphon would get off my back. One less thing for me to worry about – which was good, because I certainly had plenty of other things. Like Maddie. It was her turn next. She walked out, face grim and set for battle. She looked both terrified and terrifying. In spite of that hard countenance, I still saw a few interested faces in the audience. â€Å"Smile, smile,† I muttered to no one in particular. â€Å"Maddie Sato,† said Nick cheerily. â€Å"You write magazine articles. Anything I'd know?† â€Å"Probably not,† she said, still wearing that grimace. â€Å"Not unless you read feminist publications.† â€Å"Feminist,† he said, clearly amused. â€Å"Next you'll be telling us you hate men.† She gave him a blank look. â€Å"I only hate stupid men who don't actually understand what ‘feminist' means.† He laughed. â€Å"You run into a lot of men like that?† â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Even as we speak, Nick.† â€Å"Oh no she didn't,† said Peter. I groaned. It took Nick a full ten seconds to realize he had just been insulted. Then, for the first time that night, he stopped smiling. Turning to the crowd, he said flatly, â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty.† Silence met him. The interested faces no longer looked so interested. I swallowed a scream. No, this couldn't be happening. I'd promised her a date. This would destroy her. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a voice in the back of the room. â€Å"Fifty.† Relieved, I craned my head and looked. The guy who had bid was about fifty years old and looked exactly like this pedophile I'd once seen on a news special. â€Å"Fifty,† said Nick. â€Å"Do I hear seventy-five?† Silence. I turned to Seth. â€Å"Do something!† I hissed. He flinched. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Going once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I elbowed him, and his hand shot up. â€Å"Seventy-five.† There was a collective â€Å"ooh' in the room. Apparently no one, including Maddie, had expected a bidding war for the belligerent man-hater. Her eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"One hundred,† said the pedophile look-alike. Then, either to end this quickly or because he felt sorry for Maddie, Seth said, â€Å"Three hundred.† More sounds of astonishment followed. The other bidder couldn't compete; he must have spent all his money on bail. â€Å"Sold to the gentleman in the Welcome Back, Kotter T-shirt.† â€Å"Nice,† said Cody, as Maddie exited the stage. I reached out and squeezed Seth's hand. â€Å"Thank you.† He gave me his half-smile. â€Å"Anything for the kids.† Nick flipped to his next card. â€Å"And now we have†¦Georgina Kincaid.† My head shot up. Across the room, I saw Hugh's smirking face. â€Å"Oh no he didn't,† I said through gritted teeth. Nick, puzzled, glanced toward where the other auctionees were. â€Å"Georgina Kincaid?† â€Å"No avoiding it,† Peter told me. â€Å"Might as well go up there. Otherwise people'll think you hate kids.† â€Å"That joke is getting old,† I hissed. Vowing to slap Hugh later, I reluctantly rose from my chair. Upon seeing me, Nick turned on the supernova smile. â€Å"Ah, there she is. Fashionably late.† On the subject of fashion, I wished I'd worn something as nice as Maddie's dress. I might have just gotten tricked into this thing, but now I wished I could do it right. I still looked good; my normal sense of aesthetics would allow for nothing less. I had on a black skirt and a purple cashmere sweater, my hair in a ponytail. In tiny increments – too slow and small for anyone to notice – I tightened the sweater around my figure and made the neckline bigger. I put a saunter into my hips and pulled out my ponytail tie, shaking out my hair. It had worked for Maddie and countless nerdy movie girls. It would work for me because I suddenly had a serious issue at stake here. There was no way on God's green earth that I was going for less than Tawny. â€Å"Georgina,† said Nick, helping me onto the stage. â€Å"My notes say you prefer Georgie.† Yeah, Hugh was definitely getting slapped. â€Å"And that you run a bookstore.† If I'd taken a victim recently and had succubus glamour on me, I wouldn't have to do a single thing except stand there. I wouldn't even have to smile. Now I'd have to work a little. Quickly, I assessed this crowd. The kinds of guys who came to events like this tended to be white-collar professionals with disposable income. Some would be here simply because philanthropy was trendy and good for the image, and this was a stylish way to do it. Others, while perhaps not desperate, were nonetheless intellects and introverts who found this a good opportunity to meet women. These men all wanted smart, competent women – women who were also pretty, of course. And wit†¦wit always went over well. I gave Nick, then the audience, a heart-stopping smile. â€Å"That's right. I organize events, bring in money, make sure everything looks good, and whip people into shape.† â€Å"Sounds like a lot of work,† he said. â€Å"Or,† I said, â€Å"an excellent first date.† There was no cymbal crash, but my punch line elicited the laughs I'd hoped for. â€Å"You have some high expectations,† said Nick. â€Å"Well, I think everyone should. Why settle? If a guy meets my expectations, I'll meet his. And in the end, it's all about sense of humor and a conversation that won't put me to sleep.† I realized I sounded vaguely like a Miss America contestant, but maybe there wasn't much difference. I could see from the intrigue in the audience that I'd made a good impression. â€Å"This one's a keeper,† said Nick. â€Å"Let's start at fifty for Georgie.† I got my fifty and then some. Bids flew around the room. At one point, I glanced at Seth. Our eyes met, and I could tell by his expression that he was on the verge of bidding. I shook my head. He was the only one I wanted to go out with in this room, but I didn't want to taint Maddie's win. I wanted her to feel special. Besides, I also didn't want Seth to blow that much money. I went for seventeen-hundred dollars. â€Å"I can't believe that,† Maddie whispered to me afterward. â€Å"I think you're the highest one so far. The guy looked cute too.† He had. Late thirties. Armani suit. Harmless. Nobody I planned on establishing anything meaningful with, but he'd do for a casual date. Maybe an energy fix if I decided to use this body. â€Å"You brought in some money yourself,† I teased. Her eyes found Seth, sitting across the room, and studied him speculatively. â€Å"Seth probably did it because he felt sorry for me.† â€Å"Of course not,† I said quickly. She still looked skeptical. â€Å"Well, it doesn't matter. I'd rather drink coffee and talk shop with him than go out with some sleazy guy. That other bidder reminded me of this sex offender I saw on TV once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When the auction wound down, I exchanged contact info with my buyer for a future date. Hugh attached himself to Deanna and stayed as far away from me as possible. No worries. I'd have plenty of time to deal with him later. Tawny, fortunately, also stayed away from me and clung to Nick's arm. I watched them like a proud parent. Tonight was going to be a great night.

The Top 10 Secrets of All Nurses

The Top 10 Secrets of All Nurses Everybody job has secrets, but the club of nursing is one with a shared language and camaraderie more intense than most professions. Here are 10 things nurses never tell their patients. 1. They’re poopedTheir feet are aching. They’ve been on rotating shifts with high stress and very little sleep. They probably haven’t had a regular sleep routine since adolescence. And they never seem to go home! No matter how tired you are, a nurse is probably more fatigued.2. Handing out pills is not so simpleBy the time your morning meds get to your bedside, you may think it’s just a matter of downing the contents of that little plastic cup. But the nurse who prepared them also prepared meds for dozens of other patients. And for each one, had to double-check the name and purpose of each drug, plus any contraindications and special dosages, and then acquire each drug (sometimes from the pharmacy, sometimes requiring calls to your physician). So be patient and grateful nex t time you chug those pills.3. They don’t just blindly follow rulesSometimes a nurse, because of experience and expertise, might bend a directive ever-so-slightly if he or she is sure it isn’t in your best interest. Remember, nurses spend a whole lot more time with patients than doctors typically do. And they’ve seen everything before.4. They get sickThough they’ll never show it, they spend all of their time around your germs and are just as susceptible, if not more so, given their schedules! No nurse will put a patient in danger when contagious, but plenty of nurses do their jobs when they aren’t feeling 100%. They’ll care for you even when they neglect themselves!5. They have families who need them, tooYour nurse could have a sick kid at home or a sick family member in the hospital the next town over. They’ll give you 100% because it’s their job to care for you, even when they go home and care for someone else- and probably w ish they could be doing that full time instead.6. They see you as a personYou’re not just a case file to a nurse. Often you might remind them so much of someone in their lives- a parent, child, or friend. Even if you or your case don’t perfectly resemble their favorite uncle Joe, they’ll often be struck by some personal connection or will identify with some aspect of you or your treatment.7. They fight for youYou’ll never know it, because it isn’t very nurse-like to boast of such things, but nurses are constantly going to bat for their patients. If they disagree with a doctor or they want to make you more comfortable, they’ll do everything they can to set things right.8. They don’t want to lose youWhen things go scary and the crash cart rolls out, nurses are terrified. They may not show it- in fact, they operate like elite officers to move efficiently and perfectly through the life-saving steps they’ve been trained to take. But inside, they’re panicking, and utterly relieved when you pull through. Nurses never want to lose a patient. Never.9. They take their work homeEver heard a nurse promise to pray for you or your loved one? That’s not an empty threat. When they’re home and off the clock, chances are they think of you from time to time and wonder how you’re doing. If they’re worried enough, they’ll probably call a colleague to inquire.10. They very likely have had a rough dayIf your nurse seems distracted, it’s not that he or she doesn’t know what’s going on with you or that you’re getting sub-par care. Nurses deal with many, many patients at a time–and due to the nature of the job, many of those patients are very sick. Your nurse might have even lost a patient that day. Yes, nursing is their job, but they’re human, too, and helping sick people day in and day out can take its toll. Have empathy, and know your nurse is d oing the best she/he can.About all other things, it’s safe to say, nurses are an open book.

Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essays

Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essays Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essay Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essay Hungarian Kay Track and One World under business Drabber Lovely hula hands by Hungarian Kay and One World Under business by Drabber, I find both articles very interesting and inter-related because it displays a connection in the micro- and macro sociology. Lovely hula hands can be analyzed from the micro sociology because it is concerned with daily human interaction such as social status, social role and social interrelations that take place in the central place of the article. The author does not generalize and abstract social trend but describes the real situation. One world under business concentrates more of the evolution of social structure related to macro sociology; his article contains not only sociological critiques but the product of the sociological imagination and levels of theoretical abstractions and also his contribution to the modern sociology today. I found both articles interesting because they have a unique relationship almost similar to an extent of again who has the power? Who has the Authority? Brings about impacts socially, economically, politically as well as culturally, and both articles face the same argument of authority and power. Lovely Hula Hands describes the modern life of the Hawaii from the Native Hawaiian point of view. Haunt Kay Track explores the cultural modification and exploitation of Hawaiian Culture including their language, dress and dance forms have been marketed as products for mass consumption of tourists (88). We know clearly that exploitation occurs when aspects of subculture, such as belief, ritual and social customs, are marketed without the cultural groups permission. And in todays world many racial ethnic groups like e. G Native America, Latino etc have experienced cultural exploitation and this is true today. We see people trapped in two worlds (culture) of which one is ours and the other one is forced upon us without any consent. And for this fact Native Hawaiian are trapped in this sort of two worlds one due to tourism which gave rise to high living costs in Hawaii and ruined the traditional indigenous life-style. Hawaiian cannot live as they lived in pre-tourism period, but also they cannot meet new life standards. Haunt Kay talks about how Hawaiian fill up the unemployment lines, and if they want to survive they either enter the military, work in the tourist industry, or leave Hawaii not by choice but out of economic necessity. It is absolutely horrendous that the people of Hawaii working in the tourist industry make a yearly salary of $10,000 to $25,000 which is barely enough for them to live in their own homeland it is sad but true. Looking at the figure that is the low income wage here in the United States, low income individuals still get some kind of help from the government in the united states which helps a little but for the case of the Hawaiian it is different. Why do we think we have so many crime, suicides rates, poverty etc because we are business indeed that we use resources even if it does not belong to us to profit from it. It can be either exploiting ones culture or fighting with other countries so that we can get their resources egg oil. It amazes me what is happening to sacred culture today, we all see ourselves living in this westernizes civilization I ask this question: Do people even care about history? About tradition? About the land we live on? Clearly not for us economy, and cultural impact. Instead of solving one problem we create another. Again rich, power and authority plays a role. To some of us culture is what defines us s individuals our beliefs, traditions are what keeps us at ease, prospers us, we learn to depend on ourselves and Mother Nature. Lets assume that Hawaii was not taken over by industrialization would they manage to survive? Yes they would, for many years they lived that way depending on their resources they have, united as one community and helping each other. Tracks compares the culture exploitation with prostitution, she emphasizes the femininity of Hawaiian culture are like agencies to the pimps, which makes a prostitute to sell her beauty. The native culture was banned from 1990 and its revival in sass as closely connected to tourist exotic language, costumes and dances turned to the lure for tourists. Track declares that communication of hula dancers were made smutty and salacious rather than powerfully erotic as they once were and today the word aloha that meaner the familial love to people and land now becomes almost meaningless because it is often used and has lost its uniqueness and value. Most culture see the exploitation and those are the once are easily taken advantage off, most off which the high chair have the say and the low chair have to suffer for it. Drubbers One World under Business describes how democratic ideals are used to spread capitalism across the world, which he calls corporate. He says how in a robust democracy, there is a firewall between government and business. The firewall ensures that people rather than business control the government and make the rules (Drabber, 429). However, in our democracy, governments interest lies in protecting profits, while corporations use the language of social responsibility to mask their undemocratic actions. While corporat e elites are part of that exclusive club that we envy. Corporations do it in reverse by using democratic language instead of profit-maximizing language to mask undemocratic behavior. Also, countries with very low GAP have no choice but to trade their political power for economic growth and as Friedman said, your political choices Get reduced to Pepsi and Coke (Drabber, 433). We have less political power and corporations have more political power and in order for us to accept that, we hold onto having economic power or democracy (which we do not really have) and corporations claim to show social accountability. This allows corporation to define their own rules, such as aging free trade interchangeable with deregulation, which does not help poorer countries grow, but makes them weaker. Also, these large corporations become huge moneymaking monopolies, Just as the mainstream products we have within our country. Surprisingly in todays democratic society, we rest on the ideal of individualism and freedom. We are supposed to have the freedom to vote, freedom to buy (as consumers), and freedom to choose, all of which are own personal, individual choices with no influence by or reliance on others, that is where the major contradiction in our society lies. Although we think we are individualistic and have freedom, but we do not realize that we are extremely dependent on others for our livelihoods and that only have freedom from traditional and formal institutional structures, but not other freedoms, such as psychological freedom, social and under lets us be indifferent to the suffering that our type of society causes others and ourselves and as a result we feel less accountable to it. Drabber discuss the contradictions of individualism and the bi-polar nature of freedom through publicity and corporate, respectively, and how it affects us socially, politically and economically. Furthermore, Just as consumers, corporations through free market and individualistic ideas do not feel accountable to the people that they depend on their workers and the peripheral countries they rely on for raw materials (also, additional workers and consumers). Drabber described this as uncoupling, which is when the corporation removes itself from the interest of the nation or citizens of a nation. They claim equal loyalty to all nations, once again cushioning it in democratic language. Also, it forces developing nations to be entrapped further in the corporation world and transfer their political power into power as a consumer, exulting in governments who are not able to be accountable to their own people because they are restricted by corporations and global financial market institutions (MIFF, WTFO, etc. . Through the abuses of the poorer people in these developing countries, the powers we have in our own countries are undermined. Although corporations would like for us to believe that we have an economic democracy or economic choices, we do not because we cannot regulate our own economic system that basically tells us what we want. As Drabber says, Real democracy is one person, one vote. One dollar, one vote, is the logic of the market, but it is opposite of the equal representation of all citizens that democracy is about. As a sovereign principle, one dollar, one vote, is inherently undemocratic, and it ensures a growing gap between rich and poor because it gives the rich far more political representation ( 439). These rich corporations have a lot more money than most of us and in result have a lot more political and social say in our market democracy. (Rich, Power and authority) also, in this market democracy, those who do not have any money have no a say at all. Countries look at our society as The Free World because the lack the economies and capital to buy all the stuff we have (the ability to choose products). In our society, with the poor and now even the middle- class, it is becoming more difficult to buy the necessities we need, even though we can see the things we would like to have through advertising. More and more, people have to choose between food, shelter, medication, health insurance and other needs. Still, corporations do not care as long as the consumers buy their products and consumers still try to buy it, even if they do not have the money for it (get loans, credit cards, etc. ). In the end, corporations get their money and often more money Han the products were actually worth. As we see that these articles supplement each other because they describe the same phenomena; Globalization, Lovely Hula hands shows impact of globalization on a person or group of people(Hawaiian) meanwhile one world under business describes the influence of globalization into the whole society. Both articles have an outstanding or rather interesting facts which I would agree that these facts take place everyday in our day to day society. Having said this they share an outstanding sociological significance because they concern to the different branches of sociology.

Careers in law are open to all and the legal profession is sufficiently diverse. Discuss.

This essay will begin by summarising the history of the position of women in society, move to look to the challenges that face women and employers and finally, summarise steps that can be taken in an effort to eliminate such restraints. Women have fought a long battle against subordination. As late as the twentieth century, in England and Wales, women remained legally subordinate to men. In other cultures, this position remains in practice today. In England and Wales, coverture referred to the rights of women being subsumed by those of her husband through common law marriage. This legal doctrine left women without an identity and gave her husband control of her, her property and the custody of her children. Marital rape was not outlawed until R v R came before the House of Lords in 1992. Society saw women merely as objects of their husbands. It was not acceptable for women to study medicine or law or to engage in politics. Liberal ideals were quashed by the belief that women were irrational, temperamentally unfit to deal with such subjects and their place was in the home being a subservient wife and maternal parent. During the war effort, in particular, women proved that they were capable of holding down important r oles within the workforce and society more generally, and were seen as rational and intelligent in their thinking as their male counterparts. Women were granted suffrage in 1928 through the Equal Franchise Act and have since broken down the barriers into almost all professions. Despite, in theory, women having the ability to do everything a man can do, challenges remain that make it difficult to suggest that men and women are truly equal. Both society and the legal profession now support women embarking on careers within the industry. By 2008-9, 60% of all new admissions to the Roll were women and 52% of those called to the Bar in the same year were women. The Bar society indicated that in 2009, 34% of barristers were women. These figures demonstrate that women now make up over a third of all barristers, however, barristers are usually well educated and often from high socioeconomic standing, so this figure does not fully represent whether the legal profession is diverse for the average woman. Statistical evidence also proves that women still struggle to be appointed to the highest positions within the legal profession. Few women are promoted to Queen’s Counsel and the first woman to sit within the House of Lords was only appointed to this position in 2003. Women are traditionally paid lower than men. The Equal Pay Act 1970 has attempted to solve the disparity between the male and female pay gap, however, it is not uncommon for a case of this nature to arise. Recently, an employee sued her employer, Lewis Silkin, on the grounds that she was being paid lower than a male counterpart. Arguments suggest that due to the more emotional, sensitive and maternalistic nature of women in comparison to men, often women opt to specialise in different areas of law, such as family or personal injury law rather than male dominated specialisms, such as corporate or banking law. Family and personal injury law are also often less high-profile and do not hinge on lucrative deals so the specialisms are often not as well paid. To dismiss a woman for falling pregnant and wanting maternity leave is unfair dismissal. Pregnancy does, however, play an important role in this debate. Most employers would assume that a young woman will take a break to have a baby in the future and the fact that having a child is traditionally less disruptive to the work life of a man, it makes the male counterpart a cheaper and safer option in the long-term. A break in work is seen as disruptive and employers need to fill that position during the maternity leave, effectively causing the employer to pay twice for the same job to be completed. In a time when employers are facing tough economic times, having reliable staff that do not have to be replaced for extended durations appears, on face value, to be commercially viable option. Furthermore, there is a concern for the employer that childcare issues may cause disruption and lost working hours when the employee does return. Legal professionals who are self-employed, such as barris ters, can find the transition far more difficult in terms of covering their living costs and retaining clients during maternity leave and the stress of a new baby when they later return to work. In 2004, the Bar Council published policies that cover the issues of maternity, paternity and flexible working hours in an attempt to balance family life and legal practice. To actively reflect this aim, the policy has increased the time a barrister’s seat may be open rent free with Chamber’s expenses from three months to one year. In Heard and another v Sinclair Roche and Temperley (a firm) and others, it was ruled that the firm had unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of family status and combined with unlawful sex discrimination, constituted unfair treatment. This claim arose when the firm failed to promote or progress the individual. The firm had a total of 36 partners and only 6 were women. This case suggested that women are also less likely to be appointed to managerial positions, particularly if the dominating power is male. Other arguments suggest that women are more emotional than men and office politics are more present. Webley suggests that women struggle to progress in the profession for a variety of reasons including masculine office culture, the pressure of working long hours and high billing targets and dissatisfaction with commodification’s effect on work quality. In terms of the legal profession, lawyers represent the legal position of their client and to do so, must relate well and truly understand the situation of their client. If all lawyers were men, one could question whether women in society could ever be adequately represented by the legal profession. There is an argument to say that there is as much a place for women in the profession as men, as women solve problems in a different way, can be more compassionate and can balance an all-male work environment. Parliament has made attempts to allow greater access to the legal profession to minority groups by enacting legislation such as the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. The main purpose of this enactment was to reform the legal profession after the findings of the Benson Commission in the 1970s. To the judiciary, in particular, important changes were made to appointments and pensions and significant changes were implemented towards the organisation and regulation of the legal profession. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 later recommended that an independent body should be created to deal with the appointment of judges, which came after criticism from the Law Society regarding the old system. Such legislative and societal support towards the accessibility and diversity of the legal profession should instil a hopefulness into affected women that the profession is moving in the right direction. There have been several attempts by the profession itself to promote and encourage accessibility and diversity. The PRIME initiative saw 23 UK and Irish law firms come together to form a ground-breaking initiative to increase social mobility through a wide ranging work experience scheme. Whilst this initiative focused more on socioeconomic status rather than gender, the results suggest that real opportunities within the legal profession have been offered to those who are otherwise unlikely to have been given the opportunity. In conclusion, the legal profession is not yet sufficiently diverse. Both historical and contemporary statistics prove a bias towards men due to the maternalistic nature of women. Statistics demonstrate a trend that the profession is moving in the right direction in terms of equality, diversity and accessibility for women, however, the battle for truly equal treatment, rights and pay for both genders is an ongoing issue within the legal profession, as it is in society generally. Historically, women were refrained from having an identity and practicing within the legal profession because they were considered irrational and incapable. Whilst that perception has clearly disappeared, which is a positive shift, women still face challenges due to the physiological differences between men and women. These differences will never change and unless there is a shift in the mentality of employers’, these are likely to be challenges that remain for the duration. One could argue that the ba ttle between equality and diversity within the legal profession and commercial viability for business owners will never truly resolve. Bibliography Deborah, L. ‘Title of the article’ [2001] Women and the Legal Profession 156 Fredman, S. ‘Discrimination Law’ (New York, United States: Oxford University Press Inc, 2001) Leighton, P. ‘Discrimination and the Law’ (Camp Road, London: Short Run Press, 2004) Macdonald, L. ‘Equality, Diversity and Discrimination’ (Camp Road, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2004) McColgan, A. ‘Discrimination Law’ (North, America: Hart Publishing Co, 2nd edn., 2005). Roach Anleu, S. ‘Law and Social Change’ (City Road, London: Sage Publication Limited, 2000) Sargeant, M. ‘Discrimination Law’ (Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2004) Sommerland, H., Webley, D., Duff, L., Muzio, D., Tomlinson, J. ‘Diversity in the Legal Profession in England and Wales: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Individual Choices’ Suddards, H. ‘Sex and Race Discrimination’ (Camp Road, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2nd edn., 2002) Webley, L., Duff, L. ‘Women Solicitors as a Barometer for Problems within the Legal Profession: Time to Put Values before Profits?’ (2007) 34 Journal of Law and Society 374 Wilkins, D. ‘Rollin’ on the River: Race, Elite Schools, and the Equality Paradox’ (2000) 25 Law and Social Inquiry 527 Cases Heard and another v Sinclair Roche and Temperley (a firm) and others [2004] All ER (D) 432 (Jul) R v R [1992] 1 A.C. 599 Legislation Constitutional Reform Act 2005 Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 Equal Franchise Act 1928 Equal Pay Act 1970 Careers in law are open to all and the legal profession is sufficiently diverse. Discuss. This essay will begin by summarising the history of the position of women in society, move to look to the challenges that face women and employers and finally, summarise steps that can be taken in an effort to eliminate such restraints. Women have fought a long battle against subordination. As late as the twentieth century, in England and Wales, women remained legally subordinate to men. In other cultures, this position remains in practice today. In England and Wales, coverture referred to the rights of women being subsumed by those of her husband through common law marriage. This legal doctrine left women without an identity and gave her husband control of her, her property and the custody of her children. Marital rape was not outlawed until R v R came before the House of Lords in 1992. Society saw women merely as objects of their husbands. It was not acceptable for women to study medicine or law or to engage in politics. Liberal ideals were quashed by the belief that women were irrational, temperamentally unfit to deal with such subjects and their place was in the home being a subservient wife and maternal parent. During the war effort, in particular, women proved that they were capable of holding down important r oles within the workforce and society more generally, and were seen as rational and intelligent in their thinking as their male counterparts. Women were granted suffrage in 1928 through the Equal Franchise Act and have since broken down the barriers into almost all professions. Despite, in theory, women having the ability to do everything a man can do, challenges remain that make it difficult to suggest that men and women are truly equal. Both society and the legal profession now support women embarking on careers within the industry. By 2008-9, 60% of all new admissions to the Roll were women and 52% of those called to the Bar in the same year were women. The Bar society indicated that in 2009, 34% of barristers were women. These figures demonstrate that women now make up over a third of all barristers, however, barristers are usually well educated and often from high socioeconomic standing, so this figure does not fully represent whether the legal profession is diverse for the average woman. Statistical evidence also proves that women still struggle to be appointed to the highest positions within the legal profession. Few women are promoted to Queen’s Counsel and the first woman to sit within the House of Lords was only appointed to this position in 2003. Women are traditionally paid lower than men. The Equal Pay Act 1970 has attempted to solve the disparity between the male and female pay gap, however, it is not uncommon for a case of this nature to arise. Recently, an employee sued her employer, Lewis Silkin, on the grounds that she was being paid lower than a male counterpart. Arguments suggest that due to the more emotional, sensitive and maternalistic nature of women in comparison to men, often women opt to specialise in different areas of law, such as family or personal injury law rather than male dominated specialisms, such as corporate or banking law. Family and personal injury law are also often less high-profile and do not hinge on lucrative deals so the specialisms are often not as well paid. To dismiss a woman for falling pregnant and wanting maternity leave is unfair dismissal. Pregnancy does, however, play an important role in this debate. Most employers would assume that a young woman will take a break to have a baby in the future and the fact that having a child is traditionally less disruptive to the work life of a man, it makes the male counterpart a cheaper and safer option in the long-term. A break in work is seen as disruptive and employers need to fill that position during the maternity leave, effectively causing the employer to pay twice for the same job to be completed. In a time when employers are facing tough economic times, having reliable staff that do not have to be replaced for extended durations appears, on face value, to be commercially viable option. Furthermore, there is a concern for the employer that childcare issues may cause disruption and lost working hours when the employee does return. Legal professionals who are self-employed, such as barris ters, can find the transition far more difficult in terms of covering their living costs and retaining clients during maternity leave and the stress of a new baby when they later return to work. In 2004, the Bar Council published policies that cover the issues of maternity, paternity and flexible working hours in an attempt to balance family life and legal practice. To actively reflect this aim, the policy has increased the time a barrister’s seat may be open rent free with Chamber’s expenses from three months to one year. In Heard and another v Sinclair Roche and Temperley (a firm) and others, it was ruled that the firm had unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of family status and combined with unlawful sex discrimination, constituted unfair treatment. This claim arose when the firm failed to promote or progress the individual. The firm had a total of 36 partners and only 6 were women. This case suggested that women are also less likely to be appointed to managerial positions, particularly if the dominating power is male. Other arguments suggest that women are more emotional than men and office politics are more present. Webley suggests that women struggle to progress in the profession for a variety of reasons including masculine office culture, the pressure of working long hours and high billing targets and dissatisfaction with commodification’s effect on work quality. In terms of the legal profession, lawyers represent the legal position of their client and to do so, must relate well and truly understand the situation of their client. If all lawyers were men, one could question whether women in society could ever be adequately represented by the legal profession. There is an argument to say that there is as much a place for women in the profession as men, as women solve problems in a different way, can be more compassionate and can balance an all-male work environment. Parliament has made attempts to allow greater access to the legal profession to minority groups by enacting legislation such as the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. The main purpose of this enactment was to reform the legal profession after the findings of the Benson Commission in the 1970s. To the judiciary, in particular, important changes were made to appointments and pensions and significant changes were implemented towards the organisation and regulation of the legal profession. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 later recommended that an independent body should be created to deal with the appointment of judges, which came after criticism from the Law Society regarding the old system. Such legislative and societal support towards the accessibility and diversity of the legal profession should instil a hopefulness into affected women that the profession is moving in the right direction. There have been several attempts by the profession itself to promote and encourage accessibility and diversity. The PRIME initiative saw 23 UK and Irish law firms come together to form a ground-breaking initiative to increase social mobility through a wide ranging work experience scheme. Whilst this initiative focused more on socioeconomic status rather than gender, the results suggest that real opportunities within the legal profession have been offered to those who are otherwise unlikely to have been given the opportunity. In conclusion, the legal profession is not yet sufficiently diverse. Both historical and contemporary statistics prove a bias towards men due to the maternalistic nature of women. Statistics demonstrate a trend that the profession is moving in the right direction in terms of equality, diversity and accessibility for women, however, the battle for truly equal treatment, rights and pay for both genders is an ongoing issue within the legal profession, as it is in society generally. Historically, women were refrained from having an identity and practicing within the legal profession because they were considered irrational and incapable. Whilst that perception has clearly disappeared, which is a positive shift, women still face challenges due to the physiological differences between men and women. These differences will never change and unless there is a shift in the mentality of employers’, these are likely to be challenges that remain for the duration. One could argue that the ba ttle between equality and diversity within the legal profession and commercial viability for business owners will never truly resolve. Bibliography Deborah, L. ‘Title of the article’ [2001] Women and the Legal Profession 156 Fredman, S. ‘Discrimination Law’ (New York, United States: Oxford University Press Inc, 2001) Leighton, P. ‘Discrimination and the Law’ (Camp Road, London: Short Run Press, 2004) Macdonald, L. ‘Equality, Diversity and Discrimination’ (Camp Road, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2004) McColgan, A. ‘Discrimination Law’ (North, America: Hart Publishing Co, 2nd edn., 2005). Roach Anleu, S. ‘Law and Social Change’ (City Road, London: Sage Publication Limited, 2000) Sargeant, M. ‘Discrimination Law’ (Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2004) Sommerland, H., Webley, D., Duff, L., Muzio, D., Tomlinson, J. ‘Diversity in the Legal Profession in England and Wales: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Individual Choices’ Suddards, H. ‘Sex and Race Discrimination’ (Camp Road, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2nd edn., 2002) Webley, L., Duff, L. ‘Women Solicitors as a Barometer for Problems within the Legal Profession: Time to Put Values before Profits?’ (2007) 34 Journal of Law and Society 374 Wilkins, D. ‘Rollin’ on the River: Race, Elite Schools, and the Equality Paradox’ (2000) 25 Law and Social Inquiry 527 Cases Heard and another v Sinclair Roche and Temperley (a firm) and others [2004] All ER (D) 432 (Jul) R v R [1992] 1 A.C. 599 Legislation Constitutional Reform Act 2005 Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 Equal Franchise Act 1928 Equal Pay Act 1970

Entrepeneurship report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepeneurship report - Essay Example Forecasting in the context of business is taken to be an integral part of the planning function which is organised by business groups and is based on statistical analysis. (Arsham, 1994). Further the new product or service can be presented to the market by letting the consumers slowly adapt to it. The company can encourage the consumers to purchase products at basic levels in the first stage. Through the Freemium model the customers would feel better interested in moving over to more modified models for the product or service. (Anderson & Levine, n.d.). Again the new product or service must aim at reducing the use of materials and energy involved in the production process. The above condition would help in the protection of the natural environment. (Resourcities, n.d.). Observation made shows that United Kingdom offers a growing market for ‘sport and fitness’ products and services. The region offers a host of opportunities pertaining to the stated field reflecting the gr owth of several fitness centres and clubs promoting health and fitness services. This huge opportunity of the growth of health centres reflects that the people in United Kingdom are becoming increasingly health conscious. (British Council, 2004). The fitness industry in United Kingdom must be susceptible to dynamics of the external environment promoting innovation and other social impacts like growth of old customers who desire to spend a large amount of time in fitness and leisure activities. (National Guidance Research Forum, 2004). Literature Review In the literature review section the paper endeavours to focus on several concepts pertaining to the concept of entrepreneurship. Further the paper also tries to analyse the practical situation in respect to the theoretical concepts presented above. Literature review also focuses on the workings of the sports and fitness industry in particular to understand the entrepreneurship opportunity in the sector. The concept of entrepreneurshi p is being continually developed in relation to meeting certain stated objectives. Tiryaki (n.d.) observes to this end that entrepreneurship is developed in any sector focused on some specific issues. Firstly the entrepreneur endeavours to understand the operation of the marketing network in the region in relation to the stated sector. In the second phase entrepreneur seeks to relate the social and profit goals in relation to the level of entrepreneurship activities taken. In light of the above discussion, Tiryaki (n.d.) attempts to conduct a review of three essential theories pertaining to entrepreneurship activities. Firstly entrepreneurship theory devised by Marshall reflects a transparent external environment from where the entrepreneur can derive all types of needed information. This theory also states that the amount of profit generated from entrepreneurship activity does not exceed the benchmark of normal returns and moreover the entrepreneurship process is also compared to a normal process of production activities. However again the analysis rendered by Schumpeter in this direction is also studied which is found to render a more practical framework. Tiryaki (n.d.) states that though Schumpeter’s theory on entrepreneurship presents a more practical framework of the marketing system yet it relates all types of innovation activity

The Unorthodox Owner Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Unorthodox Owner - Case Study Example The structure is completely wrong. It defies normal marketing standards. The prior standard indicates the employees with higher revenues will get higher commissions than employees with lower revenues. The new commission pool pays people who do not actually sell or complete Second, the confused employees did not know how to correctly respond to the new unorthodox marketing strategy. It is wrong to confuse the employees. The confused employees do not know the intricacies of the equality distributed commission pool. Third, Wilkinson did not indicate the responsibilities of the new chief operating officer. Consequently, the new COO does not know what he should do in the new job. Consequently, the COO may not be implementing what the owner, Wilkinson intents because of the miscommunication. Finally, Wilkinson wanted the commission pool to be evenly divided among the sales people, both top sellers and lackluster performing sales persons (Zoratti 19). It is wrong to distribute the commission equally among all the sales persons. The implementation will indicate that employees with low revenues will receive the same amount of commission as the sales persons generating ten times the amount generated by the low revenue-generating (Burton 26). For example, the sales person generating the $ 1,000,000 top selling sales persons will receive the same $ 10,000 commission as the sales person generating $ 1,000 sales for the same month (Ross & Lemkin 4). To generate the required net profits, the company must produce the profit-generating responsive revenues (Boone 14). In addition to the bonuses, Wilkinson increased the commission from 5 percent to 7.5 percent (Hartline 270). The compensation plan influences sales performance (Dougherty 1). Mr. Wilkinson should not implement the unorthodox commission and bonus scheme without fully explaining the details of the new scheme. Mr. Wilkinson’s spending more time giving a

International business law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International business law - Coursework Example In relation to international business law, law of contract serves as an important element for ensuring fair international trade and transactions. Law of contract is an essential element that aid in protecting the interest of parties involved in an agreement. In this regard, ‘Offer’, ‘Agreement’, ‘Acceptance’, ‘Consideration’ and ‘Intention to create legal relations’ are ascertained to be important element related to law of contract. Correspondingly, this paper intends to discuss about the concept consideration and critically evaluates the two statements regarding consideration (Jenks, 2012). Definition and Explanation of Consideration In relation to the law of contract, the term consideration is understood as a very important element which is required while making a contract. In its simple meaning, the doctrine of consideration is regarded as the principle way of deciding whether an agreement that has resulted from the exchange of offer and acceptance should be legally enforceable. The doctrine of consideration may include a promise for the performance of a particular act and may also consist of statements to refrain from the performance of certain tasks or acts that someone has the legal authority to do. The doctrine of consideration is looked as detriment for the party performing his part of agreement and benefit for the other party. The doctrine of consideration on the other hand, can also be understood as the mode of connection which brings together different parties under a single contract (Jenks, 2012; Wilshart, 2012; Taylor & Taylor, 2007). (a) Consideration Must Be Sufficient but Does Not Have to Be Adequate The above statement i.e. consideration must be sufficient but does not have to be adequate lays broad importance in the overall context of law of contract. It is essential that consideration must be sufficient. This means that what is being put forwarded in the agreement by the parties entering into it must be something which can be recognized as legally capable of constituting consideration. This aspect provides the maximum amount of weightage because consideration is the root to establishment of long term and short term business relationship. Also, the consideration gives birth to the establishment of contract between multiple parties. As consideration is an essential part of a contract, it derives primary importance in the overall context of law and when the contract gets breached in any case it also accounts for punishment. Taking this aspect into concern, it can be stated that the consideration must be sufficient. Therefore, before the establishment of any contract, the primary importance needs to be delivered in making a consideration sufficient. In addition, consideration plays a very important role for the formation of business in the international landscape as well. This factor lays primary importance because in order to form international business chann els, there are various factors that are needed to be taken into concern and consideration between the parties in a contract being the most important (Charman, 2013; Goode & Goode, 2011). If a consideration is sufficient then it will also lead to start up of a contract in an ideal manner. It will lead to proper functioning of a contract in a legalized form. All these aspects combined will lead