Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The following piece of literature Essay Example For Students

The following piece of literature Essay The following piece of literature is a guide for the management of Ernest Naylor regarding the system created to model the current activities of the organisation. In addition to this, a prototype database was created that could form the basis of a full scale model to aid in the activities within the organisation which have been modeled in detail in the following report. Each stage in the modeling of the system includes a diagram for the ease of understanding of the processes involved and each diagram is accompanied by a small description summarising the activities described in the diagram. Rational Rose was used to model the system as it allows for a greater understanding of the system and is a simple method that can be easily followed to provide an in depth study of the system and its environment. Other possibilities to model the system included Structured Systems Analysis and Design. However it was felt that modeling the system using the Unified Modelling Language (UML) would be more beneficial due to its adaptability and understandability for the user. We will write a custom essay on The following piece of literature specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Criticism of methods used SSADM was very successful, any methodology that attempts this degree of coordination tends to grow large and unwieldy, partly due to the need for continual checking and cross-referencing between separate models. Object Modeling Techniques (OMT), class diagram notation was incorporated into UML almost unaltered. But, unlike UML, OMT is more than a language, or set of techniques and notations. Both the OMT and Structured System Analysis and Design (SSADM), consist of similar modeling components. They both support the same views of a system: the object, functional and dynamic models. The differences between them are the emphasis and style. In SSADM, the dominating view is the functional model whereas in the UML it is the object model. OMT organises the system around the real world objects, compared to the SSADM, which organises the system around procedures. Changes in requirements cause problems for SSADM because procedure based designs do not reflect change easily, this also causes problems with extendibility to the system, whereas the OMT can accommodate the change easier and extendibility can be implemented. In Object-Oriented Analysis (OOA) the users and developers of the system are brought together, uniting them with a common vocabulary drawn from the domain. In the object-orientated approach the system is designed with the context of real world objects in mind. Object Orientated Methods including UML have evolved to help developers exploit their expressive power (Coad and Yourdon 1991) . Some of the benefits are listed below: Use cases show the functionality of the system from the users perspective. They document the scope of the system and the developers understanding of what it is that the users require. The use cases diagram shown below has three aspects of the system: actors, use cases and the system boundary. Actors represent the roles that people take on when communicating with the particular use cases in the system. One actor can represent several people or job titles. In the diagram shown below, OrderClerk is an actor and the order material is the use case. Use cases can provide a step-by-step breakdown of the interaction between the user and the system for each particular use case. Class Diagram The class diagram is derived from the use case and is developed for each use case. We know from the use case diagram that the OrderClerk is the actor for the use case order material. The use case description tells us that the clerk is responsible for ordering materials. As you can see below, class names are always written in the singular, for example, for the class name customer, it can be seen below that it is written in singular although there are many number of customers. .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .postImageUrl , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:hover , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:visited , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:active { border:0!important; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:active , .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35 .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubf74a7adcacfe4126dd5336608cade35:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay on A Dolls HouseAttributes are part of the essential description of a class. Examples of these are: Name, CompanyName and etc, for the class surveyor. They are the common structure of what a member can know. This means, a member can know the name of the surveyor and the company name too. A class is sub-divided into three compartments: the top compartment contains the class name, the second contains the attribute names and the third contains operations. Operations are the action that is carried out by an object. An example of an operation for the class diagram customer is Add New. This allows new customers to be added to the system. Interaction Diagrams 1. Complete Estimate Sequence Diagram for Surveyor: A sequence diagram shows an interaction between objects, arranged in a time sequence. Its most common use is to represent the detailed object interaction that occurs for one use or one operation. It specifies the communication patterns between the roles in collaboration.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Zappos Case Study

Zappos Case Study Company Background Zappos is an online shoes and apparel company with its head quarters situated at Henderson, Nevada, USA; it is barely twelve years old; Nick Swinmurn founded it in 1999. Swinmurn got the idea to invest in the company after he searched for his favorite brown pair of shoes in vain; he pondered over the idea and he saw an opportunity in the market to invest in the sector.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Zappos Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the same year that he had missed his favorite pair of shoes, Swinmurn approached Tony Hsieh and  Alfred Lin, and they jointly started an online footwear shop that they named as â€Å"ShoeSite to Zappos†. One year down the line, the company merged with Venture Frogs, which added an additional capital to the growing capital base of the company and jointly they adopted the name Zappos. According to the company’s audited financial statem ent of 2009, the company was worth $1.2 billion in 2009. To venture and adopt better online selling skills, the company sold some of its shares to Amazon.com in 2008; currently the company’s chief execute officer and chief finance officer are Tony Hsieh and Chris Nielsen respectively (Zappos Official Website, 2011). This paper analyzes Zappos management structure. Organizational structure The company has a formal structure where there are two main players, the chief executive office and the chief finance officer. They are the people that are mandated with the task of condensation and pioneering different issues in the company. The managers have the role of making various decisions on different issues in the company. The idea to target the international market has been seen as an unusual approach to the company’s selling and business approach. The highly unusual corporate philosophy formed the foundation for the company’s business model, notably its profit sharin g operator agreement. The model is such that, when the company wishes to expand, instead of seeking out franchisees, it carries out a search for highly motivated and responsible operators, who are usually among the existing employees of the company. The top management has numerous meeting with other line managers in the efforts to disburse information and receive feedbacks from the people on the ground. They do not stay in the office and wait for work to be done but they are actively involved in day-to-day running to the organization (Smith Mazin, 2004). Values/ethics Zappos realizes that its success is dependent on the loyalty that they get from their customers, one of the ways of ensuring that they get customers attention and loyalty to the company eventually develop.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management emphasizes on the need to have high moral values and always aim at selling commodities whose value is high and unquestionable. The company’s products, which include shoes, handbags, accessories and apparels, are sourced from reputable companies like   Nike,  Ugg boots, and  Steve Madden  heels; currently the company has over 5000 brands of products that it has to monitor for quality. Shoes account for 80% of the company’s sales. When we talk of an ethical business, it means that the business is conducted in a way that it goes in line with the generally accepted morals in the society. Some of the ethical matters that the company looks into include compliance with international laws of trade, being responsible and committed to its business and having an integrity lead team (Zappos Official Website, 2011). Corporate social responsibilities are actions that a company commits its self to do, not for its income generation but projects that benefit the society. The responsibilities that the company has engaged in inclu de; building of medical centers and hospitals, building schools, scholarships to students and charity work (Andrew Matten, 2004). Zappos leadership plays an important role in strategy development in the organization; the leaders are ready to answer and manage fears that the employees have, they are from the top most to the supervisors. To develop freelance culture, Zappos has ten core values, which all employees must adhere to, they are Deliver WOW Through Service: this is through offering high quality service that can be relied upon. Embrace and Drive Change: the company understands that change is inevitable in modern changing business environments, thus it prepares its team for change when needed to better its service delivery. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness: the services offered should be quality and appealing to customers. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded: the company aims at improving its processes through its highly experienced employees, they are motivated to be adventurous and creative to have better ways of doing business. Pursue Growth and Learning: the company aims at offering its employees a career through the company Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication: the company has an effective communication strategy that offers information from customers, employees and management Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit: the company aims at developing orchestrate teams Do More With Less Being Passionate and Determined Being Humble (Zappos Official Website, 2011) Decision-making Decisions are the driving force in the organization; managers at different levels are mandated with the task of making decisions within their jurisdictions. For example, Zappos has a strong marketing team, when they want to change the strategy and the approach to marketing. Then the company’s head of marketing is the reference point. The quality of decision that managers make give their organization direction and focus. The growth and competitive ness of an organization is influenced by the quality as well as acceptability of decisions made by managers at all levels (Wheelen Hunger, 1999). There is a well cut hierarchy of power distribution in the company; those decisions that require the approval of higher managers are affected only after they have been vetted. When making decisions, it is the organizational culture of Zappos to consult junior and senior employees so that they can develop effective and acceptable decisions. The management-decision making approach adopted by the company can be referred to as scientific decision making approach, this is where to make good decision managers must undergo three main stages they are; defining the problem, data collection and choosing the best alternative. Always a good manager considers the urgency of the decision before making one (Bridge Dodds, 1975).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Zappos Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human resources management/employees relations The company respects it employees and have made policies aimed at getting employees loyalty; it has over 1500 employees getting direct returns from the company. The rate of compensation is high and there is respect of their view. When the company sis recruiting, applicants are subjected to robust interviewing program that is of two stages, professional aptitude and personality tests, this is aimed at getting the right people who are willing to adopt the culture of the company that encourages innovation and invention of better way of doing work. After an applicant has been successful, the company offers six-month probation where it learns the applicant further. After the success, then an employee is employed under permanent and pensionable bases; the company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Some of the benefits that the internal customers enjoy are free medical care and lunches, free vending-machin es, fully equipped-free library and a nap room; the policies set by the management aims at having an orchestrate team through performance reward scheme (Zappos Official Website, 2011). The human resource department is given the mandate of ensuring that adequate employees are available at all times. It has the mandate of planning, deploying, employing, training, retaining, and dismissal of employees. When the department is undertaking this duty, it looks into quantitative and qualitative aspects. Qualitative means the right number of employees and qualitative means employees with right skills (Renckly Renckly, 2003). Communication Zappos has an effective internal and external communication system: the system allows for feedback from different stakeholders like the employees, shareholders and customers. Internal business communication is vital for success in all businesses; it facilitates understanding and innovation in a company. Success in this context means, being able to accompli sh a particular task or to achieve a specific objective. Good business communications in relationships with either fellow staffs or customers is needed in order to prosper. Business success can be measured in terms of the practicability of business relationships that is directly proportional to the quality of communication (Guffer Almonte, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing strategy One of the strongest departments in the company is the marketing department: the company adopts a Communication marketing strategy (MARCOM): a marketing strategy that incorporates different marketing strategies to have one strategy that can effectively fight their competitors (Reid Plank, 2004). The system operates as follows: Zappos develops various advertisement programs and use of mass media to market for a company’s product. The method has a strong point in that it gets access to a large population making it relatively cheap method of advertising. The method faces a problem of choosing the right approach that will cover all ages, culture and beliefs that the media is able to access at a go. The Medias used include television, Radios and online internet Medias as if you tube (Anctil, 2008). Since Zappos products are personal in nature, the company has adopted a personalized marketing approach. Traditionally, sales were aimed at creating awareness of exi stence of a product in the market. However, functions of sales have increased to develop a company-customer relationship. Customer loyalty and building a strong brand name are the advanced objectives of sales. Zappos has a number of direct marketing sales: under this approach, the customer and the sales man develop strong relations, which can result to a high customer loyalty. Zappos has adopted an online marketing strategy and the use of social networks. Such networks include Face-book and twitter. Certain information is given as updates in the social networks and users can get their queries solved over them. This aims at creating a human face with the market where they can interact with the company easily (Peter, 2006). Supply chain management To manage the large stock of variety, the company need to have a robust and effective supply chain managements system. To have the effective supply chain management, the company has embarked on supplier relations, where it has maintained goo d relations with its suppliers in a move to ensure quality supply at an affordable cost. Zappos has a strong procurement; having a good supply chain management makes the company have adequate stock always. There are adequate supplies at an appropriate price and the time when the company requires the supply. The well-developed supply chain management has given the company a competitive advantage. Zappos supply chain management team has quality, quantitative, price and logistic objectives. Conflict management and change management The company is structured in a way that there are micro teams that are mandated with taking certain roles: when conflict occurs in the teams, team leaders are mandated with the role of solving the conflicts. They should hold a neutral ground and listen to two sides of a conflict before making judgement. Incases the conflict are as a result of policy, the management has the role of enforcing the policy and in case the conflict is with the national or internat ional laws, the company legal department intervenes. The company has undergone changes effectively: its Leaders are mandated with the task of pioneering a business to its desired objectives. In transitional period the leaders is the one who guides subordinates to the desired path. They jointly make rules and policies to be followed in attaining the goals. Zappos freelance culture embraces change. Observations, comments, and conclusions The success of Zappos in national and international markets has been facilitated by its visionary managers; they make timely decisions and ensure that business processes are effectively managed. The expansion strategy that the company enacts benefits its operations and aims at improving the sales of the company. Managers are not the sole source of information but they delegate power and consult junior employees before making a decision; this has created innovation and invention of better processes in the company. The nature of the business calls for a strong supply chain and marketing strategy, which the company has effectively enacted. The business world is changing; the company should not be contented by its increasing sales and lose its aggressiveness. It can use the experience and intellectualism in its employees to start a manufacturing plant instead of depending on other companies to supply readymade products; such a strategy is likely to increase the company’s sales further. Secondly, the company has strong brand name thus, it can venture into franchising business and use brand extension strategy to increase its sales. References Anctil, E. (2008). Marketing and Advertising the Intangible. ASHE Higher Education Report, 34(2), 31-47. Andrew C., Matten, D. (2004). Business Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University press : Oxford. Bridge, J., Dodds., J.(1975). Managerial decision making. London: Taylor Francis. Guffer, M. E., Almonte, R. (2009). Essentials of Business Communication. New York: Cengage Learning. Peter D. (2 006). Marketing Management and Strategy. London: Post Telecom Press. Reid, A., Plank, E.(2004). Fundamentals of Business Marketing Research. New York: Best Business Books. Renckly, B., Renckly, R. (2003). Human Resources. New York: Barrons Educational Series. Smith, S., Mazin, R. (2004). The HR answer book: an indispensable guide for managers and human resources professionals. New York: Amacom Div American Mgmt Assn. Wheelen, L., Hunger, J.(1999). Strategic Management and Business Policy: Entering 21st Century Global Society. Massachusetts: Addison Wesley. Zappos Official Website. (2011). Zappos.com. Retrieved from https://www.zappos.com/

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Increasing Role of Islam in Terrorism Essay

The Increasing Role of Islam in Terrorism - Essay Example The psychological state of suicide bombers before they perform the final stage of their mission and what are the benefits promised by Islam that encouraged the Muslim youth to do such horrible and destructive sacrifices. This paper also analyzes the true intentions of terrorist and why Islam is spreading like wildfire in the four corners of the globe. Finally, the paper will make an assessment of the global situation and the threats imposed by Islamic fundamentalism that are waiting to devour the innocent peace loving men, women and children of the western world. The religion of Islam is the fastest growing religion throughout the world, with over 1.5 billion Muslims throughout the world at present. The meaning of Islam is peace and forsaking ones pleasure for the pleasure of God. Many practitioners of Islam are peaceful and tolerant of other religions and beliefs. While there have been conflicts between Muslims and followers of other faiths throughout the centuries since the Islamic religion developed over 1,400 years ago. However, the rise of violent acts by Islamic extremists in the 20th and early 21st centuries, such as the attacks of 9/11, have made world leaders take notice of the growing threat and realize that it continues to grow. We cannot label all Muslims as dangerous and extremist, but the amount of followers willing to hurt and kill others and themselves in the name of Allah, in order to further their cause have increased dramatically throughout the years. This research paper will explore what has happened within the Islamic co mmunity to turn Islam from a peaceful and accepting religion to one that is synonymous with brutality, death and terrorism. Today is probably not the first time you are going to read that Islam is a religion of peace and it does not permit Muslims to kill innocent and defenseless people. Its practically everywhere, type the words in your internet browser and you will find hundreds of articles authored by Arabs and supporters claiming Islam is innocent and not to be blame for the chain of ruthless and barbaric terrorism attacks around the world. Some of them even have the nerve to point their fingers to the west accusing the Americans of making false connection between Islam and Terrorism. It is true that we cannot label Muslims as terrorist and we do believe that majority of them are god fearing and peace loving people. However, the reality that the teachings of Islam encourages fundamentalist to brutally slaughter innocent people, men, women, and children are absolutely not anyone's idea of a peaceful religion and somebody or something must be responsible for it. The increasing role of Islam in terrorism is not entirely surprising considering the fact those Islamic extremists are using the doctrines of Islam to justify their killings. Furthermore, If we are going to consult some of the teachings of Islam or shall we say the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) through the articles written by their scholars, we will come across some terrifying verses in the Qur'an1 that undeniably encourages violence. Since it is the source of inspiration by Islamic extremist, the study of Islamic teaching is vital in learning the truth behind the persistent and increasing propagation of terrorism against western countries and unbelievers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A Case Study as a Research Method Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

A as a Research Method - Case Study Example Case studies are usually held about some social issues or entities which are â€Å"†¦intricately connected to political, social, historical, and personal issues, providing wide-ranging possibilities for questions and adding complexity† It follows the same pattern as any other critical study, yet there are a few important steps that one has to take care of while designing and conducting one. These include the following: 1. Determination of the research question is the first and the foremost demand of any research endeavor. In this step, the researcher can focus on the complexity of the subject within consideration and tries to seek answers to a few questions starting with ‘how’ and ‘why’. 2. The second step is to determine the type of case-study. Whether it be intrinsic due to researcher’s personal interest, or instrumental for more than mere surface knowledge about the issue, or collective because of the consideration of a group of similar cases, or exploratory, or explanatory, or descriptive. 3. After the determination of the type of research type, the next is to select the data collection tools which are to ensure validity and reliability of the data. Cross-examination and within-examination are important tools in this regard. 4. To organize the huge amount of data to be gathered via different sources, the researcher needs to plan a â€Å"databases to assist with categorizing, sorting, storing, and retrieving data for analysis†. 5. Field study and notes are the most important in this regard as they and to the exemplariness of the issue.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Applied Thermodynamics Design Project Research Paper

Applied Thermodynamics Design Project - Research Paper Example saturated) at a given temperature,as well as partial pressure of air, it is greater than the saturation of water vapour, then the water will evaporate only from its surface (Benabed, 2012 ) Usually, there is more evaporation on occupied swimming pools as compared occupied swimming pools. This difference is related to the occupant number, the activities on the surrounding environment and also the water conditions as well as the ambient air in the swimming pool hall. ASHRAE recommends the use of a correlation factor which ranges from 0.5 for residential pools to a value of 1.0 for the public pools. They also provide carrier evaporation rate equation for predicting the rates of evaporation of occupied pools. For improving efficiency, of the pools environment, these evaporation rates need to be kept at a low level at the same time maintaining a thermal comfort for the swimmers inside the water and also the pool hall space.This role is played by the air conditioning equipment. This study however aims at analysing the various parameters of thedesign of a swimming pool. The pool is an Olympic size and is located in residential location with activity Factor = 0.5. Considering these data, the other parameters such as the power load on the air conditioner, evaporation rate,etc. will be analysed (Sartori,2000) In order to clearly elaborate the energy movements in a swimming pool, we consider the figurebelow. The figure describes the flow of energy in the indoor swimming pool. It also shows the transfer modes that might occur in such a system. Air conditioning systems in indoor swimming pools are usually designed for theprovision of suitable thermal comfort conditions for users in the space pool hall. The indoor temperatures are kept at approximately 30 degcelcious (Mancic, 2014) The main factors contributing to energy loses of an indoor space pool hallinclude: Convection at the pool surface Qconv, evaporation at the pool’s surface QEvap, radiation from surface of

Friday, November 15, 2019

South Africa: Federal or Unitary?

South Africa: Federal or Unitary? Abgenia Rivoningo Hlophe South African Governing System Introduction The governing system of a country is a crucial component in understanding the manner in which the political sphere functions. This essay will examine the federal and unitary system of government and relate it one to South Africa. In this respect, this essay will focus on the key features of the systems. Notably, this essay aims to prove that the governing system of South Africa, despite having come to existence in 1909 with a constitution that was unitary (Welsh, 1994:243), is federal. However, an inclusion of the unitary system is mandatory for the sake of comparison. Federal and Unitary systems definitions and affirmative argument. Andrew Heywood defines the federal system of governance as a system where power is decentralized, meaning that the central and peripheral levels of government are sovereign (2013:381). He further emphasizes the statement that power is decentralized in a federal state by expanding on the concept of decentralization, reviewing its strengths, as the ability to encourage participation, responsiveness, legitimacy and liberty (Heywood, 2013:383). Adding to this assertion, Kenneth Newton credits the federal system for having many strengths that will make a country successful if it is utilized. He describes the federal system as a way to separate power and encourage consensus within the government (2010:60).Another advantage that he outlines is that the federal system provides the government with an opportunity to address the different needs of people irrespective of geographical location (2010:61). To contrast the federal system, Heywood speaks of the unitary system of government. In this system, power is centralized and there is only sovereignty of power in one authority (2013:385). Additionally, he draws attention to the fact that there are instances where power can be decentralized, which is when there are devolved assemblies (2013:386). Furthermore, the unitary system’s centralization of power has the advantage of having national unity, encouraging uniformity, equality and progress (Heywood, 2013:386). Also adapted from Newton’s dissertation, are the strengths of the unitary system. He writes that unitary systems having central government increases accountability and promotes more organized decision making and fairness (2010:112). With an understanding of the respective systems of government, it places one at an advantage to grasp how a country resembles a particular system, when looking at the key features of the system which follow. Key features associated with South Africa’s governing system. As priory stated, South Africa is a federal system. A federal system has certain characteristics and features which aid in the understanding of what it means for a country to be federal. The features are prescribed as the existence of a written constitution, two relatively autonomous levels of government, a constitutional arbiter and linking institutions (Heywood, 2013:384). Each of these features will be investigated and referred back to the South African context. Firstly, the existence of a written constitution. This is perhaps the most important feature. In any federal system, the constitution must be a formal written document that outlines how government works, the role of each section of government as well as the legislative framework. South Africa has a written constitution which is regarded as the ‘supreme law of the Republic† (South African constitution, 1996:08). Any law that that exists in South Africa must be justified in accordance with the constitution, otherwise it does not have any validity. The presence of a written constitution is vital to the classification of South Africa as a federal system, the constitution forms the foundation of the argument being presented. There are three levels of government namely the national, provincial and local government. Of these levels of government, two levels are â€Å"relatively autonomous† (Heywood, 2013:384). That means that the national and state government each have a certain range of power. In the constitution of South Africa it is clearly stipulated that the spheres of government are distinctive, interdependent, interrelated (South African constitution, 1996:40). It may appear to present a complexity to the initial definition, however when closely reviewed, the constitution says that the spheres are merely interdependent not that they don’t hold separate reins of power. In fact there is further evidence in the constitution to prove the decentralization of power, it states that the different spheres of government have legislative authority (South African Constitution, 1996:44). Indeed, the national and provincial level of government have power, they are only obligated to remain within the borders of the constitution. Also, the fact that all levels of government have a right to be represented in parliament through the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, shows that there is autonomous power because the procedure to get a law passed, is the same for both national and provincial government. Not only the abovementioned but the fact that each province has a legislature where there is a structure separate from national government and has the power to pass bills that affect the province without having to attain permission from national level. Of course, the bill would have to be constitutional but the fact that it can be implemented by provincial authority shows the decentralization (South African Constitution, 1996:82). Since South Africa places great emphasis on the Head of State, the laws implemented at national level, which are constitutional, are of the greatest authority. Even with that understanding, there are matters which the Head of State cann ot check such as the dispute between two provinces, or to suppress a rebellion or establish a productive impose (Molteno, 1896:40). Comparatively, critics might present the structure of the world’s largest economy and oldest federal system, the United States of America (USA) to dispute the claim made about South Africa being solely federal, on the basis that it does not have separate branches but rather it has levels of government that are interdependent. While that might appear plausible, John McCormick writes about how the USA is a unique federal system because of its set up but even so, there is â€Å"shared power, checked and balanced with one another† (2009:48). Another feature of a federal system is exposed, specifically, the presence of a constitutional arbiter. Heywood tells us that this is the formal undertaking of the constitution which is implemented by the Supreme Court and hereby has the authority to arbiter in the event of a dispute between the national and the provincial government (2013:384). Nowhere is this better outlined than in the South African constitution, the courts are independent and are accountable only to the constitution and the law, no entity can interfere with the courts (1996:84). Although the courts, whether being the high court or a magistrate’s court in a particular province, rule according to national legislation, it should not be mistaken as being under the national government. It complies with the constitution particularly, not with a certain level of government, therefore the provincial government cannot have its own laws in the magistrate’s court. Thereby adhering to its main characteristic of being a federal feature. Another interesting feature of a federal system, is the linking of institutions. An assertion by Heywood will be implored upon to understand this feature. He explains this as an effort to garner cooperation and understanding between the national and provincial government because these are the autonomous levels and the local government adheres to the provincial rule (2013:384). This is done through bicameralism, which in the South African context would be the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Kenneth Newton raises an awareness of a weak and strong bicameralism, which means that one house is stronger than the other (2010: 113). Keeping this in mind, the South African parliament is made up of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces and they both participate in the legislative proceedings, however, there are some issues such as war and peace treaties, army and navy, currency and taxation (Molteno, 1896:118) which are left to national government, where the National Council of Provinces may not vote upon. From that we can say that South Africa has linking of institutions with a â€Å"weak bicameralism† system because the National Assembly is stronger than the National Council of Provinces. While the evidence seems to correlate with the claim that South Africa is a federal system, supporters of unitary systems many present the argument, that South Africa is unitary because the National government has a lot of power vested in it and there is a parliament. However this naysayer’s argument can be countered by David Welsh’s information that when South Africa began to function as a republic in 1909, there was a unitary system in place and the key players of the Inkhata freedom party who proposed federalist policy were attempting to strip the central government of power, which granted the constitution we have today, was a successful attempt (1994:243). This has been mentioned because it explains why South Africa has a parliament. Bearing in mind that South Africa used to be a British colony and as it is a widely recognized fact that, Britain is where the concept of a parliament started. This does not suggest that South Africa is unitary but rather there are remn ants of colonization which proved to be effective and were not eradicated. Conclusion This essay has defined as well examined the key features of a federal system without isolating the unitary system, and further related the features to South Africa. Based on the evidence of the presence of a written constitution, two autonomous levels of government, constitutional arbiter and linking of institution as well as decentralized power in the South African political sphere, it is with concrete knowledge that the initial stance, that South Africa has a federal system of government is found to be correct. Regardless of the presence of a parliament. South Africa evidently has decentralization of power and thus shows all the attributes of a federal system. Bibliography Heywood, A. 2013. Politics. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. McCormick, J. 2009. Comparative Politics in Transition. Indianalopis: Cengage learning. Molteno, P. 1896. A federal South Africa. London: Sampson Law and Marston. Newton, K Van Deth, J. 2010. Foundations of Comparative Politics. South Hampton: Cambridge University Press. South African Government. (1996). South African Government. 9108-96. [Online] Available from www.gov.za/documents/constitution/9108-96.pdf . [Accessed: 03 March 2014]. Welsh, D. 1994. Evaluating federal systems. Cape Town: Jutaco.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Disney Vs French Government :: Disney France Business

The most fundamental requirement for a rational, efficient agreement is he ability of the parties involved to determine their interest in the negotiation in question. How successful were Disney and the French government in: a) Identifying their underlying interests? The interests of each side were quite different. In fact, those of Disney were mainly financial interests, whereas those of the French governments were political and economic. The other distinction highlighted is that the French interests were linked together, whereas those of Disney were different interest without links in between. Disney's interests were clearly defined. But they have a strategy that put forward another side for the future park: Barcelona. Disney was more attracted by the French proposal but put the two in competition. Then they hope that the French government will make some concessions. For that they make Barcelona more attractive than it really was. They wanted: ïÆ'Ëœ favourable land purchase terms : a direct investment basis (no licensing) ïÆ'Ëœ a financial scheme that will reduce their initial capital investment ïÆ'Ëœ to increase as much as possible the Disney's share of upside potential ïÆ'Ëœ the French government to make concessions on tax ïÆ'Ëœ the government to finance the improvement of the transportation infrastructures in the area Their interests were well underlined. Indeed, concerning the investment question, the French site was really favourable as it is situated in the "villes nouvelles", which went only through one authority called EPA (Etablissements Public d'Amà ©nagement). This element is crucial for the duration of the negotiation. In fact, the more intermediaries there are, the longer the negotiation will be. The other major advantage of the French project is that the French government is not reluctant to expropriate the land needed for the park. Disney could have seen a positive point in the negotiation when the French prime minister signed the initial letter of understanding between the two parts. Indeed, the fact that the Prime Minister himself signed the letter implies how important the project was for the French government. Then Disney knew they were in strength position, and that they could obtain concessions from the French government. On the other side, the French government had various interests. It put clearly in advance that their major interest was the employment and the revenues created by the project. But there are other interests: ïÆ'Ëœ the development of Paris's eastern suburbs ïÆ'Ëœ the creation of 60 000 jobs, that will decrease unemployment ïÆ'Ëœ the impact on the construction industry, which went through a bad period ïÆ'Ëœ creation of revenue for French suppliers during the construction and operational phases

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Liberal democracy Essay

As a citizen of a democratic country, we depend too much in our newspapers, magazines, tabloids and all kinds of media for information, mainly because almost everything is shown in it, we don’t even know whether it is true or not, but because this is our flow of society we believe in it. But isn’t it invading our privacy? And our right to live in security? This is journalism the science of ruining or building lives. But primarily its purpose is to expose certain events, critical issues and mainly the lives of people, their private lives that they don’t want other people to know, the exaggerated tales and the gradual destruction of ones life. It is like showing your cards in a poker game without you knowing it, people taking advantage of it and using it against you. Look at the Valerie Plame scandal. After her career has been ruined by exposing her identity as a CIA agent, saying that she have leaked some information as an intelligence officer and making herself a public icon by showing herself in the front page of vanity fair other magazines and newspapers, professional journalists just took off the scene after the case have been dismissed instead of clearing their mistakes. Another example is the paparazzi, they make celebrity lives really difficult and even drive some of them to their deaths because of the stories that they fabricate, the pictures that they took, the private stories and pictures that shouldn’t be known by the public which creates an even more stress and pressure on them. Just like what happen to Princess Diana, who died because of a car accident in Paris, France due to the never ending chase of the paparazzi. In the war between US and Iraq, the progress of the US was certain, the US was reluctant to stop the attacks though the Iraq parliament appealed for a month long cease of attack, what do the media do?! They ignored all the press releases of Iraq and launched a â€Å"shock and Awe† campaign to expose and insult the Iraq parliament, making the situation worse. As what Lt. Col. Oliver North said that the media won’t make them (military troops) safe in the war that has been going on in Iraq, and he also said that it has become a weapon which attacks Iraq that supports the media’s claim that our democracy has attained its limits. Freedom in every little way has also its limitations, though we have equal rights and some believe that it’s the journalist right to do his job, I do also believe that freedom, our liberal rights meets its limits when we are actually hurting somebody because of our so called freedom of expression. Journalism, for the sake of its name creates not only destruction of lives but also of believes and relationship. Little by little, journalism is slowly ignoring our freedom of privacy, it cares for nothing except a good story, an interesting story that may destroy a life, it cares for no one, it exposes everything without even thinking the results of such act and mainly some of stories are exaggerated to give it a more interesting twist. Privacy is an experience that people should have the luxury of using, it is not a piece of data that we can tell everybody whenever we want to, we live in a democratic country, with democratic rights and equal opportunity, we must let everybody have their own piece of security as we do, who would want to live in a world where everything is exposed and there is nothing that you can keep to your self? I wouldn’t and I think no one would want that because if so, why would the government create liberal policy? Why do we want to have security? Journalism is really powerful, it can manipulate us in every way that it wants, it can even made us believe the things that they say; which may and may not be absolutely true, it also create a world of doubts, where we no longer know whether this piece of information is reliable or not, is it true or is it just a fraud? The word fair is not in its vocabulary and even respect. Exposing everything that creates interest to them and to the people, every thing will be exposed with or without consent, launching stories that shouldn’t be known by the public that may cause trouble not only to them but also to the innocent people around. Like when they publicize the American Iraqi war, when they follow people around etc. Isn’t this a clear violation of liberal rights? We must be skeptic of everything that we are told, because we are critical beings, we have our brain enlarged and neurons to use in such cases, we have our own set of opinion, let us become non-conformist and stop the inevitable exploitation of journalism in destroying our liberal rights. What’s the use of liberal democracy if we would allow this journalism to uncover every little piece of information about us? Journalism is like a disease seeping in every hole in our liberal rights, it is a cancer, a malignant one that we can’t seem to fight easily, but it is possible, I’m not saying that journalism only has disadvantages, we know that everything has two sides yet as we weigh their cons and pros we should know that it is slowly killing our democratic rights as a person and as citizen of this country. Let us prove that we value our freedom more than the interesting stories that this journalist made, let us have a world where there is security and freedom to have a private life that every one of us should deserve. Cure the disease that slowly deteriorates the country and make it a place where there will be no lives that are ruined due to exaggerated stories and expose that the media and journalists made. This is a free country, yet freedom in order to remain real should be handed down not only to those who can afford it but to everybody in this nation and in every nation around the world. Journalism should limit their scope and make our lives easier. Stop the exploitation and the lies, journalism must be honest and it should respect our liberal rights so as to avoid misunderstanding and destruction. Works cited: Connors, Michael. Howard’s Australia: The Democratic Paradox. 19 April 2006. August 21 2007. < http://www. newmatilda. com/home/articledetail. asp? ArticleID=1510> Leiby, Richard. Valerie Plame, the Spy Who Got Shoved Out Into the Cold . Saturday, October 29, 2005; Page C01. Aug. 20 2007: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/28/AR2005102801172.html

Friday, November 8, 2019

Fall Back On Fitness Essays - Physical Exercise, Self Care, Holiday

Fall Back On Fitness Essays - Physical Exercise, Self Care, Holiday Fall Back On Fitness Fall Back On Fitness As we head into the cooler autumn months, we undoubtedly expect that the upcoming holiday seasons surrounding Thanksgiving, Halloween, and (yes, already) Christmas will lead to our spending more and more time indulging and less and less time keeping ourselves healthy and fit. This doesnt have to be the case. We are not bears, and regardless of what one may think, we do not need to store up extra fat so that we may hibernate for the winter! Awareness of the potential pitfalls of the holiday season can prevent the pounds from sneaking up on you. Treat yourself to an early gift by purchasing a journal in which you can keep a daily record of your eating, exercise and stress behaviours. Keep an eye on your journal entries so that youll notice your less than healthy behaviours and make changes before you get overwhelmed. One suggestion is to weigh yourself once a week during the holiday season. One study of weight loss over a 50-week period found that some study participants gained 500 percent more weight per week during holiday weeks as compared to non-holiday weeks. But the good news: Participants who consistently monitored and recorded their own behaviours were able to lose weight during the holidays. (Published in Health Psychology, July 1998.) The next suggestion is to remember that your body needs movement more than ever during the holiday season. Exercise releases tension, expends the calories of those holiday goodies, increases your energy levels so you can shop til you drop, elevates your mood so you can combat holiday-related depression and be the life of the party, and gives you the gift of time for yourself. Here are some great ways to fit exercise into the busy fall season: Exercise first thing in the morning before you begin your busy day. Try to plan holiday activities around family and friends, instead of around food. Tell family and friends to bring walking shoes and comfortable clothes to your celebration. Then take a 30-minute walk together. You can do it in shifts so someone's always basting the turkey! Get into a routine now, before the holidays strike! Those who have previously developed a solid exercise habit will make the time to exercise even when they feel like they are too busy to find the time.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Stress Management and Work Performance in the UK (HR)

Stress Management and Work Performance in the UK (HR) What is the objective of the investigation? In this study, the researcher was interested in investigating the relationship between stress management and workplace performance in the United Kingdom. This research was motivated by the recent reports that there has been an increasing concern by human resource managements over the need to manage stress among employees.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Stress Management and Work Performance in the UK (HR) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Various organizations within the United Kingdom have set aside some resources to help fight workplace stress as one of the ways of improving performance. These organizations have been keen to ensure that their employees have as minimal levels of stress as can be possible (Harrington 2001, p. 79). This motivated the researcher to launch an investigation if there was a relationship between stress management and work performance among em ployees. The research was based within the country among employees of varying ages, races and academic levels. The goal of the study is to establish the relationship between stress management and work performance and the best approach to manage stress to meet organizational goals. The following are some of the specific goals that the researcher had when commencing this research. To determine the primary and secondary causes of stress. To evaluate the impact of stress management on employee performance at the workplace. To determine the best methods of stress management. This way, the researcher would be able to determine if it is worth committing a lot of resources and time in managing stress in the workplace. It stress management have a direct positive impact on workplace performance then it is important that organization gives it enough focus in order for them to improve efficiency. How have I gone about the study? As was explained in the methodology of this dissertation, the re searcher used both the primary and secondary sources of data. As Brotherton (2003, p. 118) says, a researcher cannot claim to conduct a research from scratch given the massive studies conducted in various fields in the contemporary world. As such, any piece of research will always be an advancement of already existing pieces of research. This makes secondary sources of data very important. The researcher used these secondary sources of data to help develop a base for this research. Unlike data gathered from primary sources, secondary sources of data proved to be very important because it is an already processed data. The researcher was able to gather the theoretical perspective of this research from the secondary data.Advertising Looking for assessment on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The primary data played an equally important role. As Boss (2002, p. 78) says, a research cannot be considered to be com plete until the researcher can come up with his or her own empirical analysis that would confirm or reject what the secondary sources of data says. It is the primary data that will authenticate the research, otherwise such a research may just be considered as a critique of literatures. For this reason, the researcher went to the ground and gathered data from the sampled respondents. The data was gathered using questionnaires which were developed by the researcher after developing research proposal. The questions used were both open ended and closed ended. While open ended questions gave the respondents freedom to give their answers based on their wider knowledge of the question, closed ended questions were relatively easy to code during the analysis process. The researcher used SPSS in analyzing the data (Maxwell Steele 2008, p. 366). This enabled the research to generate regression and correlation of various variables in the research. This enabled the researcher to reject the null hypotheses that were developed. Why did I follow this particular route? This research used quantitative research in arriving at the findings. Quantitative research is a kind of study that utilizes figures to arrive at certain conclusions (Huczynski Buchanan 2007, p. 56). In this regard, the research took the form of a survey, whereby the researcher identified the sample and posted questionnaires to them. In this research, there was need to compare the relationship between variables in order to establish cause and effect. The researcher was interested in knowing how different factors (independent variables) stress management (dependent variables), and how this would then affect workplace performance. This demanded for a method that would be objective and able statistically to generalize the findings. Quantitative method was found to be the most appropriate method to use in this research.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Stress Management and Work Perfo rmance in the UK (HR) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Quantitative research involves systematic empirical study of a phenomenon by use of statistical tools (McClurg 1999, p. 25). Its main objective is always to employ mathematical theories and models in developing its generalization (Freund Carmeli 2003, p. 710). Therefore, quantitative method would help in this research. It would enable the researcher test the hypotheses put forth for validity and allow the use of a sample as a representation of the entire population. It would help the researcher to use the data to compare the performance of specific employees in their workplaces, and the way they manage their stress and how the management helps them in managing their stress. The quantitative method would also help in knowing if there is any relationship between the performance of the employees at workplace and stress management. Although qualitative methods was traditionally used in soci al science and would be appropriate in this research, it is not able to give empirical support for research hypothesis. Qualitative methods explain why a given pattern of events has taken place the way they have (Buick Thomas 2001, p. 308). On the other hand, quantitative methods explains what and when of a phenomena. Ethnographic research and phenomenology as approaches of qualitative research would have been appropriate. Ethnography would help in investigation of culture at the workplace that may increase chances of stress among employees (Denzin Lincoln2011). Phenomenology would have helped investigate realities that should be addressed by the management in order to successfully manage stress at the workplace. Due to these reasons qualitative method was not employed in the research and the researcher opted for quantitative research. What principles govern my choices? As mentioned above, the researcher wanted an approach that would enable empirical analysis of data. This would h elp in validation of the secondary data that was reviewed in chapter two of this research. The decision to collect data from across the races, sexes, ages, levels of and education was to help determine the social groups that are at greater risk of getting affected from stress.Advertising Looking for assessment on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This would enable policy makers within various organizations in the United Kingdom to know how to approach each group when it comes to stress management (Lazarus 1966, p. 78). This decision was also based on the fact that there is need to be all inclusive because in the current society prohibit any form of discrimination on whatsoever basis. What assumptions have I made and what were my justifications? In every research, there is need to develop some assumptions in order to make a research process a reality. Assumptions are always very important when dealing with social sciences. As Belanger (2011, p. 89) says, in pure sciences, it is possible for the researcher to manipulate organisms in the research to fit into the desired condition. However, this is not possible when dealing with social sciences. This is because in social sciences, the subject of the researcher is a human being. It is almost impossible to manipulate human being when conducting a research. For this reason, it is i mportant to make some assumptions. In this research, it was assumed that stress is the major cause of poor employee performance at the workplace What results did I obtain? From this research, the result did confirm the fact that stress management has a direct positive impact on performance at workplace. It was confirmed that the best way of managing stress in the workplace is by identifying the source. When the source of this stress is identified, it becomes possible to address it by eliminating the source. This is a sure way of ensuring that all the negative symptoms of stress to not affect the effectiveness of the employees in the workplace. It was also confirmed in this research that lack of stress management among employees in some institution in the United Kingdom has negatively affected the performance of such institutions in various fronts. Will this research solve the problem? The research has revealed a lot of facts about stress management. From this research, it has come o ut clearly that for the management to be in a position to succeed in their undertaking, they must fight stress among their employees. This research has given a number of ways through which stress can be managed at workplace for firms within this country. Are the analyses sound? The validity of the analysis done in this research has been confirmed. The decision to use quantitative analysis was partly motivated by the need to have a method that can be verified empirically. This makes the results obtained in this research valid. They can be used by policy makers within the scope defined in this research. List of References Belanger, C 2011, Our World: United Kingdom, Cengage, New York. Boss, P 2002, Family stress management: A contextual approach, Sage, Thousand Oaks. Brotherton, B 2003, International Hospitality Industry: Structure, Characteristics and Issues, Butterworth-Heinemann, New York. Buick, I Thomas, M 2001, Why do middle managers in hotels burn out? International Journal of Contemporary Management, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 304-309. Freund, A Carmeli, A 2003, ‘An Empirical Assessment: reconstruct model for five universal forms of work commitment’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 18 no. 7, pp. 708-725. Harrington, J. M 2001. â€Å"Health effects of shift work and extended hours of work.† Occupational and Environmental Medicine, vol. 58, no. 1, p. 68-72. Huczynski, A Buchanan, D 2007, Organizational Behavior: an introductory text, Prentice Hall, Harlow. Lazarus, R 1966, Psychological Stress and the Coping Process, McGraw-Hill, New York. Maxwell, G Steele, G 2008, ‘Organizational commitment: a study of managers in hotels’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 15 no. 7, pp. 362-369. McClurg, N 1999, Organizational commitment in the temporary-help service industry’, Journal of Applied Management Studies, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 5-26.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Bitcoins vs Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bitcoins vs Money - Essay Example Bitcoin system is entirely dependent on internet platforms, which are readily available across the globe because of the technological advancement (Rotman 1). Using Bitcoin, the average income earners can easily transact beyond border transactions without incurring extra costs in physically moving to those places. This essay examines the use of Bitcoin and money as applied in the current system. Kudlow Larry downplays the rise in use of digital currency. He cites the rapid fluctuations in prices by hundreds of dollars in the space as a key challenge that emanates from digital currency use. He outlines an example of an individual who buys an item for $500 but after the retailer processes payment, the digital currency falls to $100 in value. He resolves that both sellers and buyers make associated losses because bitcoin is not a reliable medium of exchange with dependable store of value (Kudlow 1). On the contrary, money has a store of value. Its value does not fluctuate as rapidly and frequently as in the case of digital currency. Because Bitcoin has no store of value, economists prefer the money system to digital currency. Digital money use has no border restrictions. Making cross-border transactions is easier and simpler than in the case of money. Money system is more reliable and regular fluctuations in prices do not affect it. Digital currency use will therefore not pose a significant effect on money use. The reason for this is that money system posses superior features like security and reliability that the digital currency system lacks. There are viewpoint that the rising use of digital currency like bitcoin transactions will not pose a significant impact countries’ economic progress. According to Gaulio, bitcoin transactions are easily traceable to their initiators hence American government, for instance, will fully advocate its use. In a state controlled digital economy, the taxation units will

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Importance of Tea and Coffee in the Emergence of a Globalized Essay

The Importance of Tea and Coffee in the Emergence of a Globalized World - Essay Example We haven't had any tea for a week... The bottom is out of the Universe.†1 It is quite evident what Kipling feels due to that lack of tea. The bottom is out of the universe, meaning he can’t find any balance in the universe. Nothing to make him steady on his feet. This is the importance of tea. Coffee drinkers feel the same as well, although there exists quite a rivalry among the two groups. The bottom line is the same. People cannot survive without their tea or coffee. From necessity, these drinks have now taken a more important place in our lives. At work, we get tea breaks that help us refresh ourselves, when we want to socialize, we usually â€Å"catch up for coffee† and so on.2 Coffee and tea have taken such an important role in our lives today that businessmen could only think of profiting out of this. Look at the success of coffee chains like Starbucks, Costa, Barista and so on and one can understand just exactly how important this drink is to us. Let us vis it how these drinks came to be a part of the global economy. History of Tea Tea was said to be discovered in China almost 5,000 years ago. Legend says that in 2732 B.C., Emperor Shen Nung was exposed to tea when wild leaves leaves from a tree blew into his pot of boiling water. He was intrigued by the pleasant aroma of the brew and curiously drank some.3 It is said that the Emperor felt a warm feeling pass through his body as he drank the brew and said that he felt â€Å"as if the liquid was investigating every part of his body.† 4 The Emperor Shen Nung decided to name the brew "ch'a", the Chinese character meaning â€Å"to check or investigate†. In 200 B.C., a Han Dynasty Emperor decided that tea would be referred to by writing a special character that illustrated wooden branches, grass, and a man between the two. This written character was also pronounced "ch'a". It symbolized the balance that tea brought in human life.5 The 4th to 8th century saw a great growth spur t for tea. It was now used for more than medicinal purposes and began to be enjoyed even recreationally for pleasure and refreshment. There were more and more tea plantations across the country and all that dealt in the crop ended up rich! Upto the mid-17th century though, all tea was green. When this tea was fermented, people realized that the resultant black tea could hold the aroma longer and was stronger than the mild green teas. This also meant that they could export these teas as they would not lose their aromas and flavor on the journey. Thus, with the advent of foreign trade, black tea was discovered and was a huge success. Role of Tea in Globalization From the start, tea spread from China to different countries such as Tibet, Japan, Russia and Europe. In all these countries, tea has its own space in medicine, culture and status. In Tibet, tea was used as a currency. In Japan, a special Tea Ceremony was created. It is now a very integral part of Japanese lifestyle. Tea is se rved with every meal and served while greeting guests. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian Railway was constructed to help transport tea. In Europe, tea is treated as a status symbol. Tea based traditions such as â€Å"Afternoon Tea† and â€Å"High Tea† were also said to be created in Europe. While one is more of a light refreshment, the second is an entire meal. Until 1678, tea trade was dominated by the Dutch. But post that, the British began to import tea on a commercial basis and that created a completely new