Kurt Vonnegut A Hybrid Of Science Fiction And Satire

Leanne Arata English 11 Mrs. Wheeler 5/8/2016 Kurt Vonnegut The idea of making a work that does not fit into a single category of work is how Kurt Vonnegut has become such a phenomenon. Kurt Vonnegut has a hybrid writing style which allows him to critique human nature and this is evident in his work. A hybrid writer is someone who makes something by combining two different genres to create something new. Vonnegut’s work is a hybrid of science fiction and satire. Satire is an author’s way of saying he/she feels that something is subpar, Vonnegut does just this in most of his works, such as Slaughterhouse Five, and Harrison Bergeron. â€Å"Any analysis Kurt Vonnegut’s work runs the risk of being too heavy-handed and ponderous to do justice to writing that has self-consciously chosen the path of the lightweight, the naive, and the comical.† (Rigney). This is true because people tend to be judgmental of the fact that Vonnegut uses satire while talking about war. People are not realizing that war is not a lways something that comes from great honor, war is horrible and people need to start realizing this and stop glorifying it according to Vonnegut. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis. He was the youngest of his sister and brother. Vonnegut’s father was an architect and his mother was the daughter of a very wealthy family. The Vonneguts were respected members of the community and Vonnegut s early childhood was extremely privileged. Vonnegut went to

The Hero With A Thousand Faces - 2252 Words

When I look at mythology during the past and present I can find a lot of similarities in the base components of these stories. Joseph John Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecture. I am instructed by a lot of his thoughts when thinking about myth stories. As Dr. Joseph Campbell pointed out in his theory of the monomyth, all the myths that have withstood the test of time for thousands of years are based on a similar foundation. This foundation is explored in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces where he describes the theory in this quote â€Å"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.† With the theory of a monomyth summarized in these lines I will apply its idea in my comparison and contrast the stories of Greek mythological hero Heracles to the modern day super hero Superman. This paper will then talks about whether both characters have influenced societal norms on the perception of heroes and the many attributes they possess. At the end I conclude that they have influenced our modern day ideal of heroism and what people usually expect a hero to be like. Before analyzing the background stories of our two characters we must explain what exactly we believe a hero is. A hero is a person, typically a man, who is admiredShow MoreRelatedThe Hero With A Thousand Faces1540 Words   |  7 PagesCampbell â€Å"The Hero With A Thousand Faces† and The Movie â€Å"Alien† A hero is â€Å"a man (or occasionally a woman) of superhuman strength, courage, or ability, favored by the gods.† Based on this quote, found on â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary Online,† one can assume that the hero would be a man based on the terms that are used. People often associate a man as being the almighty power in a situation. They are referred to as the hero. One does not often find a movie about superheroes with the hero being a womanRead MoreThe Hero With A Thousand Faces796 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1949, Joseph Campbell published his book â€Å"The Hero with a Thousand Faces.† It details his theory of the â€Å"monomyth,† a theory that illustrates how many heroic mythological stories have similar outlines and archetypes. During his discussion of the second chapter of the monomyth, Campbell says that the monomyth can â€Å"serve as a general pattern for men and women† in their everyday lives (121). In many circumstances, comparisons can be made between normal situations throughout life and the monomythRead MoreHero With A Thousand Faces1555 Words   |  7 PagesAnyone can be a hero, no matter where they come from, they could be your neighbor or be in the next town over, in another state or even in another country. Luis Gonzalez, born and raised in a small farm in Jalisco Mexico was eighteen years old when his own personal hero journey began. A â€Å"Heroes Journey† is a seventeen stage itinerary divided into three segments listed in order; Departure, Initiation and Return. These stages consist of what the hero in the story will do in their journey accordingRead MoreThe Hero With A Thousand Faces1284 Words   |  6 Pages Analysis of Beowulf In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, first published in 1949, esteemed American mythologist Joseph Campbell outlines the fundamental structure every archetypal hero follows during his or her journey in the world of mythologies. Campbell coined the term â€Å"monomyth to describe the stories that follow this structure. The monomythic cycle, commonly referred to as The Hero s Journey, is divided into three primary sections known as the Departure, Fulfillment, and ReturnRead MoreThe Hero With A Thousand Faces1524 Words   |  7 PagesRevised Draft A hero is â€Å"a man (or occasionally a woman) of superhuman strength, courage, or ability, favored by the gods.† Based on this quote, found on â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary Online,† one can assume that the hero would be a man based on the terms that are used. People often associate a man as being the almighty power in a situation. They are referred to as the hero. One does not often find a movie about superheroes with the hero being a woman. Gender should not define who is the betterRead MoreThe Hero With A Thousand Faces1328 Words   |  6 PagesCooper Clarke English 4 – Period 2 Mr. McQueary 8/22/14 The Hero with a Thousand Faces Prologue – The Monomyth Myth and Dream Myths are universal and transcendent through time; many ancient myths are seen recreated in modern times. The author uses Oedipus as a way of comparing myth to psychology. Dreams have also played a major role in civilization; the people who could interpret dreams can understand and create myths. â€Å"Dream is the personalized myth† (19). Tragedy and Comedy People have alwaysRead MoreThe Hero with One Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell1447 Words   |  6 Pagesyoung innocent character who embarks on a journey and becomes a hero, known as The Hero’s Journey; a series of steps that all heroes follow. This journey not only shows the main character becoming a hero but also shows the hero move along a path similar to that of adolescence, the path between childhood and maturity. The Hero’s Journey was created by a man by the name of Joseph Campbell. He wrote a book called The Hero with One Thousand Faces, a novel containing a variety of stories that follow the stepsRead MoreThe Cultural Values And The Archetypal Patterns Of The Novel Hero With A Thousand Faces 1331 Words   |  6 Pageson a pedestal, unlike their deception during the Late Middle Ages after the advent of chivalry and courtly love. On that note, Sir Gawain and Beowulf both reflect the cultural values and the archetypal patterns found in Joseph Campbell’ s Hero with a Thousand Faces which are expressed throughout their communities. Even though some of the values such as valor and loyalty carried over from one time period to another, the two cultures experienced a paradigm shift from the way fighting was conducted allRead MoreTo What Extent Did the Book Hero with a Thousand Faces Influence the Sci-Fi Fantasy Film Genre, Specifically George Lucas’s Star Wars Trilogy?4143 Words   |  17 PagesIntroduction A hero goes forth from his familiar life into a world of the supernatural; difficulties are encountered which the hero conquers; and he returns home to celebrate with his friends. You may think you know what sci-fi/fantasy movie I’m talking about. But what I was actually describing is the book Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Because when it comes down to it, almost all sci-fi and fantasy movies follow the same basic pattern, the â€Å"Monomyth† described in Campbell’s bookRead MoreThe Hobbit, Or There And Back Again Essay1423 Words   |  6 Pagesor final battle followed by their return. Amongst the greatest and most authoritative pieces of literature written in the 20th century is Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Both the ideals and concepts within The Hero with a Thousand Faces are being used, and have been used, in the art of storytelling for thousands of years. The specific concepts Joseph Campbell lays out within the text is a dissection of the many common themes which the vast majority of stories, the heroic tale

Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management Free Essays

Some financial advisors are needlessly struggling with behavioral finance because they lack a systematic way to apply it to their client relationships. In my 2006 book, Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management, I outline a method of applying behavioral finance to private clients in a way that I now refer to as â€Å"bottom-up. † This means that for financial advisors to diagnose and treat behavioral biases, he or she must first test for all behavioral biases in a client, and then determine which ones a client has before being able to use bias information to create a customized investment plan. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my book I describe the most common behavioral biases an advisor is likely to encounter, explain how to diagnose these biases, show how to identify behavioral investor types, and finally show how to plot this information on a chart to create the client’s â€Å"best practical allocation. † But some advisors may find this bottom-up approach too time-consuming or complex. So, I created a simpler, more efficient approach to bias identification that is â€Å"top-down,† a shortcut if you will, that can make bias identification much easier. I call it Behavioral Alpha, and the core of this process is four behavioral investor types. Over the next four articles, we will learn the four behavioral investor types and how to deal with each of these types of investors. For readers to understand behavioral investor types, they need to get a fundamental understanding of the 20 behavioral biases I outline in my book. In this article, we will review these biases that are encountered with actual clients, with a description of the bias and a classification of whether the bias is cognitive or emotional. Behavioral biases fall into two broad categories, cognitive and emotional, with both varieties yielding irrational judgments. A cognitive bias can be technically defined as a basic statistical, information processing, or memory error common to all human beings. They also can be thought of as â€Å"blind spots† or distortions in the human mind. Cognitive biases do not result from emotional or intellectual predisposition toward a certain judgments, but rather from subconscious mental procedures for processing information. On the opposite side of the spectrum from illogical or distorted reasoning we have emotional biases. Although emotion is a difficult word to describe and has no single universally accepted definition, an emotion is a mental state that arises spontaneously, rather than through conscious effort. Emotions are physical expressions, often involuntary, related to feelings, perceptions or beliefs about elements, objects or relations between them, in reality or in the imagination. Emotions can be undesired to the individual feeling them; he or she might wish to control their emotions but often cannot. Investors can be presented with emotionally based investment decisions, and may make suboptimal decisions by having emotions affect these decisions. Often, because emotional biases originate from impulse or intuition rather than conscious calculations they are difficult to correct. Emotional biases include endowment, loss aversion, and self-control. We will investigate both cognitive and emotional biases in the next section. The distinction between cognitive and emotional is an important one, because advisors will want to advise their clients differently based on which types of biases are being acted out. In the next four articles, we will use the biases described here a lot, so I encourage readers to get to know the biases presented here in concept. We will apply them to client situations in subsequent articles. How to cite Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management, Essay examples

Managing Change and Innovation in Public Service Organizations

Question: Describe about the Managing change and innovation in public service organizations. Answer: Introduction Organizational development is a procedure of continuous diagnosis and action planning with the aim of transferring knowledge and skills to organizations. This is mainly done to improve the problem solving capacity that in turn manages future changes. The study of successful organizational change and performance is termed organization development. Organization development was introduced in the year 1930 from the human relation studies (Cummings Worley, 2014). The organization development is a body of knowledge and practice that develops the performance in an organization by raising the position among the various systems within the overall system. The organization development wants the practitioners to be aware about the values that guide their practice (Burke Noumair, 2015). The organizational climate has a huge impact on the organizational development. The attitudes and the mood of the employees determine the organizational climate. The motivation and the productivity of the employees are considerably affected by the organizational climate. Another important aspect of the organizational development is organizational culture that deals with the values as well as the behavior of the workers. In order to bring development to the organization, it is important for the organization to become family-oriented and supportive (Schneider et al., 2013). The organization development is the most important tool to help to manage and plan the growth of the organization. The organization development helps to identify the areas of the organization where change is required. When a firm is involved in the organization development, it helps to examine the work procedures that will bring efficiency and accuracy. The organization development helps to put quality control measures in place. The organization development also leads to the innovation of the product. It helps to analyze every element of the product development. The organization development is a policy change that leads to the development of the organization. The organization development leads to the complete change in the organization (Henderson Boje, 2015). The efforts of the organization development mainly focus on the elevation of an organization to a higher level. The organization development is a dynamic procedure that recognizes the changes in the organizational objectives. The approaches of the organization development results in an active involvement in the ongoing activities of the organization. The change management of the organization development typically comprises of the group as well as the individuals that includes the executives and the employees. The organization development is more often a practical measure to adapt to the industry changes. The organization development is all about being strategic and vigorous when it comes to the placement of the various elements of the organization. The organizational development helps to manage change in the organization. The managing of the organizational change is the procedure of planning and implementing the changes in the organization. The change in the organization is mainly done to minimize the resistance of the employees as well as the cost to the organization. In order to remain competitive, it is very important for the companies to undergo changes. The organization development helps to place emphasis on humanistic values and objectives. The organization development is important for the individuals as it helps them to deal with a complex set of needs that is important in their life. It helps to increase the level of trust as well as helps in building the mutual emotional support among the organizational members. The organization development leads to meet certain goals in the organization because organization development is a means and not an end in itself. The organization development program helps to identify the problems in an organization. The development of the correct structure of the organization helps to support the business plan. The business plan helps to lead to the improvement in the practical responsibility as well as the performance of the business (Burnes Cooke, 2012). Managing change in an organization leads to the prevailing of those systems that refers to the planned program activities during the course of an organization development program. The organization development involves understanding of the culture of the company. This in turn helps to identify the opportunities and the strengths of the organization. It also helps to minimize the weakness of the organization (Carnall By, 2014). The organization development is concerned with the managing of the planned change. The organization development involves the planning that helps to diagnose and solve the organizational issues. The organization is oriented to improve the effectiveness of the organization. The organizational development is quite different from that of the change management. However, both the organization development and the change management help in the effective implementation of the planned change (Marshak Bushe, 2013). The organization development is concerned with the managing change in such a way that knowledge and abilities are transferred to build the capability of the organization to achieve goals and solve problems (Bushe Marshak, 2014). Conclusion It can be concluded that the procedure of the organization development is commenced when there is a need, gap, or disappointment within the business, either at the upper management level or within the employee body. The organization development process involves the organization in its entirety, with confirmed support from upper management. The organization development mainly puts importance on the data innate in the organization-worker relationship. References Brown, K., Osborne, S. P. (2012).Managing change and innovation in public service organizations. Routledge. Burke, W. W., Noumair, D. A. (2015).Organization development: A process of learning and changing. FT Press. Burnes, B., Cooke, B. (2012). Review article: The past, present and future of organization development: Taking the long view.Human Relations,65(11), 1395-1429. Bushe, G. R., Marshak, R. J. (2014). Dialogic organization development. The NTL handbook of organization development and change, 193-211. Carnall, C., By, R. T. (2014).Managing Change in Organizations 6th edn. Pearson Higher Ed. Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Henderson, T., Boje, D. M. (2015).Organizational Development and Change Theory: Managing Fractal Organizing Processes(Vol. 11). Routledge. Marshak, R. J., Bushe, G. R. (2013). An introduction to advances in dialogic organization development.OD Practitioner,45(1), 1-4. Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M. G., Macey, W. H. (2013). Organizational climate and culture.Annual review of psychology,64, 361-388.

Pricing and Distribution Strategy Blizzard from Dairy Queen

How to Discipline Without Stress, Punishment, or Rewards

How to Discipline Without Stress, Punishment, or Rewards Young people today come to school with a different orientation than past generations. Traditional student disciplining approaches are no longer successful for far too many young people. For example, a parent related the following to us after a discussion of how society and youth have changed in recent generations: The other day, my teenage daughter was eating in a rather slovenly manner, and I lightly tapped her on the wrist saying, Dont eat that way.My daughter replied, Dont abuse me.The mother had grown up in the 1960s and volunteered the point that her generation tested authority but most were really afraid to step out of bounds. She related that her daughter was a good child and added, But the kids today not only disrespect authority, they have no fear of it. And, because of rights for young children- which we should have- its hard to instill that fear without others claiming abuse. So, how can we discipline students, so we as teachers can do our jobs and teach these young children who refuse to learn? In many cases, we resort to punishment as a strategy for motivation. For example, students who are assigned detention and who fail to show are punished with more detention. But in my questioning about the use of detention in hundreds of workshops around the country, teachers rarely suggest detention is actually effective in changing behavior. Why Detention is an Ineffective Form of Punishment When students are not afraid, punishment loses its effectiveness. Go ahead and give the student more detention that he simply wont show up to. This negative, coercive discipline and punishment approach is based on the belief that it is necessary to cause suffering to teach. Its like you need to hurt in order to instruct. The fact of the matter, however, is that people learn better when they feel better, not when they feel worse. Remember, if punishment were effective in reducing inappropriate behavior, then there would be NO discipline problems in schools. The irony of punishment is that the more you use it to control your students behaviors, the less real influence you have over them. This is because coercion breeds resentment. In addition, if students behave because they are forced to behave, the teacher has not really succeeded. Students should behave because they want to- not because they have to in order to avoid punishment. People are not changed by other people. People can be coerced into temporary compliance. But internal motivation- where people want to change- is more lasting and effective. Coercion, as in punishment, is not a lasting change agent. Once the punishment is over, the student feels free and clear. The way to influence people toward internal rather than external motivation is through positive, non-coercive interaction. Heres how... How to Motivate Students to Learn Without Using Punishments or Rewards Great teachers understand that they are in the relationship business. Many students- especially those in low socio-economic areas- put forth little effort if they have negative feelings about their teachers. Superior teachers establish good relationships AND have high expectations. Great teachers communicate and discipline in positive ways. They let their students know what they want them to do, rather than by telling students what NOT to do. Great teachers inspire rather than coerce. They aim at promoting responsibility rather than obedience. They know that OBEDIENCE DOES NOT CREATE DESIRE. Great teachers identify the reason that a lesson is being taught and then share it with their students. These teachers inspire their students through curiosity, challenge, and relevancy. Great teachers improve skills that prompt students to WANT to behave responsibly and WANT to put effort into their learning. Great teachers have an open mindset. They REFLECT so that if a lesson needs improvement they look to themselves to change BEFORE they expect their students to change. Great teachers know education is about motivation. Unfortunately, todays educational establishment still has a 20th-century mindset that focuses on EXTERNAL APPROACHES to increase motivation. An example of the fallacy of this approach is the defunct self-esteem movement that used external approaches such as stickers and praise in attempts to make people happy and feel good. What was overlooked was the simple universal truth that people develop positive self-talk and self-esteem through the successes of THEIR OWN EFFORTS.

Financing and Structuring Health care Research Paper

Financing and Structuring Health care - Research Paper Example how the patents will pay for the healthcare extended to them, what they will pay for the healthcare services consumed by them, and the range of options and innovations that could be facilitated to the ailing in the sphere of healthcare payments (Walshe, 2006, p. 34). In that context, a thorough understanding of the American healthcare system will be partial, if it is devoid of an understanding of the related financing mechanisms. Health insurance, health coverage, or healthcare coverage is the term used in the United States of America to refer to any program that helps the patients pay for the healthcare services and products used by them during the course of their treatment. Considering the fact that USA is a land of diversity, there exist varied types of health insurance types to suit the needs and aspirations of diverse types of individuals and groups. For what is health insurance but a risk coverage mechanism to assure that individuals and their families have access to quality and timely healthcare. The three main types of health insurance prevalent in the United States of America are individual health insurance, group health insurance and state sponsored health insurance (Green & Rowell, 2010). Individual health insurance covers the healthcare needs of the primary policy holder and one’s family (Green & Rowell, 2010). As the policy holder is required is required to pay for such type of insurance, it happens to be the costliest type of health insurance. Some of the benefits offered by the individual health insurance policies are personalized healthcare, tax exemptions, and a smooth continuation of the insurance plan, as long as the premiums are paid without default (Green & Rowell, 2010). Group health insurance happens to be the most preferred type of insurance. It is also known as the employer sponsored health insurance. In group health insurance, an individual and one’s family accrues the insurance benefits by the virtue of one’s employment (Green &

Ford and Toyota Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ford and Toyota - Case Study Example B. Toyota management recognizes that employees must sense that effort will pay off in terms of performance, that it is highly correlated with performance and that higher effort will yield better performance. Toyota management changed job design and introduced new reward system for its production department (Toyota 2007). The stronger the perceived correlation, the stronger the motivation (Armstrong 2001). If the employee has adequate ability and the job is designed well, then performance is solely dependent on the level of motivation. In order to improve performance, Assuming ability and job design were in order, high motivation became a necessary and sufficient condition for high performance. Armstrong (2001) underlines that if employees know their ability is high and the design of their job is "top notch," then high performance is perceived as indeed possible and perceived to depend on their efforts. The aim of this change was to create an environment where employees perceive that they have and can easily acquire knowledge and new skills to perform. C. The strategies implemented by the management helped Toyota to reduce resistance to change and create skillful workforce able to cope with the new changes and deliver quality articles. It helped employees build their self-confidence and showed employees that their skills, abilities, and traits were compatible with job requirements. In order for employees to exert high effort, they saw a good reason for it and knew that there were benefits to it. The new policies allowed employees to sense that performance pays off and yielded a desired positive outcome (Toyota 2007) Ford A. Similar to Toyota, Ford is subjected to new environmental regulations and new standards. Ford also introduced hydrogen-powered car but the main problems faced by the company were skills shortage and lack of knowledge in this sphere. Ford management expected that much ability and skill improvement would come from self-initiated activities. Employees did not have to wait for formal training programs to be offered by the company (Ford 2007). According to Campbell (1997) if formal training is not offered, employees must be given ample time to engage in self-development activities. Employees who get into routines of continually engaging in activities designed to improve ability are more likely to sense that they are keeping pace with the ever-increasing demands made of workers in today's constantly changing technological and economic environments. They are likely to have more confidence that they are keeping current in their knowledge and skills. B. In order to solve this problem, Ford introduced on-job training programs for engineers and production workers. When workers were not engaged in actual production, they practiced their skills with simulations if such opportunities were made available. Good simulations were developed for almost any type of job, factory labor, office, managerial, and so forth. These strategies are important because well-designed practice which provides workers with rapid, accurate feedback on how they are doing and on what they need to do to correct deficiencies can lead to high levels of proficiency as exercises are repeated over and over again (Campbell 1997). Apprenticeships and understudy training programs allowed workers to observe the performance of an expert and "try out" the

Movie Titanic Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titanic - Movie Review Example He wrote: "In the wake of the Titanicmania, several critics took on these broader questions. Frank Rich observed in the New York Times that Titanic "was destined to be truer to 1997 than 1912, no matter how faithfully the director, James Cameron, reproduced every last brandy sniffer of the White Star Line." One of the primary accurate accounts that the movie faithfully acknowledged off from the RMS Titanic was the date setting that the movie took place of. In the movie it was noted that the first launching of the supposed extravagant ship was in April 14, 1912 - the exact date of the launch of the TMS Titanic recorded in history. The gigantic putrid ship under the ocean was shown when group of treasure hunters explored the location of the sunken ship. The 2000 feet deep sunken ship being shown throughout the movie was actually the real footage of the Titanic that James Cameron have taken in 1995, before the production began (Berardinelli 1997). From the start, the acknowledgement of the real Titanic was implied by Cameron for primarily depicting the real one rather than the production's improvised version of it. This is apparently a sign of respect for the accuracy of the image of the ship, and also a point of accuracy regarding its image. Social Setting. Titanic represents the transition of the social condition during the real RMS Titanic's period by splitting its body in two when it was then persistently sinking, upon the film's depiction. The period then was apparently dealing on a scheme of the boundaries between the upper-class and the lower-class, and the period did really exist in social history. The status was visible upon the characterization of the main leads of the movie through Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo Di Carpio, and Rose Dewitt Bukater played by Kate Winslet. Although struggling in status, Rose belongs to the upper-class, while Jack belongs to the lower-class, both aboard in the remarkable ship though in different decks, denoting their statuses. Another historically accurate in sociological ground of the movie is the stereotypical setting during the period that hindered intimate connections between the rich and the poor, such as the sort of "forbidden love" case between Jack and Rose. Marriage of the rich families somehow became a trend then to secure one another's social status or wealth in society. The fictional character Rose had been dealing was a factual social pressure during that era when she was being forced by her socially-threatened mother to be married to the character that Billy Zane being portrayed, Caledon Hockley, the rich fiance of Rose. Upon prior meeting with Jack, Rose was already reluctant to be wed with Caledon, but she was being strained by conditioning of her mother to marry him to keep their status in the Alta society - many similar cases had been cited in the history at the period (Chumo 1999). Characters. The two lead characters are well known to be fictitious, which Cameron honestly claimed as to be. However, some real significant characters recorded from the history were given to life in the film, and fairly built up with characterizations that were based on their immediate descriptions from history as well - of what they were famous of. They were depicted upon the fictional scenes

Consumer behaviour regarding luxury product consumption

Consumer behaviour regarding luxury product consumption From guilt-free fair-trade products and free-range eggs, to cruelty-free shampoo and chemical-free paint, a revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies. And this is happening not at the margins of society but at its heart, in the shopping centers and homes of ordinary people (Lewis and Potter, 2010). Mainstreaming of ethical concerns around consumption is on the rise and companies are extending their fair-trade range over more products, in a bid to catch the ethical consumer. But is this phenomenon also apparent in luxury product consumption? The discussion in this paper is aimed towards analyzing the role of ethics in the luxury industry where consumption, to much extent, is based on hedonistic values. It is also quite uncertain whether luxury brands actually target ethical consumers. The role of ethics in luxury product consumption is complex and thus requires an intricate analysis. This paper will initially discuss about ethical consumerism as a whole. Comparing and contrasting various research studies and surveys; it will present the current global trends in consumer behaviour. Moving into the luxury sector, it will analyze the values and motivations behind luxury product consumption and examine if sustainable development can co-exist with luxury products. Finally, it will highlight some of the steps big luxury groups such as BVLGARI, LVMH and Versace are taking to integrate ethics into consumption by working on issues such as animal welfare, child labour, education and environmental protection. The question arises whether these measures motivate consumer behaviour de facto. This paper will demonstrate that consumer motivations behind luxury purchases are hedonism and social recognition, rather than ethical values. Purchase of a product that concerns a certain ethical issue such as human rights, animal welfare, child labour or environment protection can be termed as ethical consumption (Doane, 2001). In general, ethical consumption is reflected when a consumer feels responsible towards society and expresses these feelings by means of his or her purchase behaviour (De Pelsmacker, Driesen and Rayp 2005). Consumers can translate their ethical concerns by either buying products that contribute towards ethical concerns or by boycotting products that are unethically produced. Ethical consumers are therefore aware of the consequences of production, consumption and disposal, and expect companies, producing the products they buy, to conform to ethical standards. Recent studies indicate that consumers increasingly care about ethics while purchasing regular household goods and are willing to pay a premium for socially acceptable products (Auger, Burke, Devinney and Louviere, 2003). For example, they prefer to buy fair-trade coffee, organic foods, products free from child labour and legally logged wood. The Edelman Goodpurpose consumer survey (2010) shows that 86% of global consumers believe that business needs to place at least equal weight on societys interests as on businesss interests. According to the survey, emerging markets have taken the lead consumers in Brazil, India, China and Mexico have outpaced their peers in the west in purchasing and promoting brands that support good causes. Hence, there is cultural variation in behavioural intentions, but the group of consumers most interested in socially responsible products is growing across the world. The Edelman study also suggests that after 4Ps Product, Price, Placement and Promotion, Purpose is the 5th P of marketing. In order to retain their customer base, marketers need to understand and act on the social issues that matter to their customers and are a best fit to their business. Whilst a lot is indicated about increasing socially conscious consumer attitude, it does not reflect in actual consumer behaviour. Research indicates that a consumer attitude towards making ethical purchases is more positive than behaviour (De Pelsmacker, Driesen and Rayp 2005). For example, Cotte and Trudel (2010) demonstrate that 44% consumers indicated an intention to change their buying behaviour to consume ethical products, however only 18% actually did. General ethical attitude or even surveys intent on measuring consumption ethics are almost completely unrelated to actual behaviour since there is pressure to answer in a socially desirable way (Auger and Devinney, 2007). So consumer purchasing behaviours are not nearly as high as these attitudes would predict (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001) and consumers will buy responsible products only if quality, performance and prices are equal (Deloitte, 2008). This ubiquitous attitude behaviour gap is due to various factors. It may be the consumers perception of having to compromise on attributes such as convenience and quality of the product they value (Roberts, 1996) or could be the lack of knowledge about the firms ethical behaviour. Consumers are more aware of a firms unethical behaviour and rather have little knowledge about its ethical initiatives (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001). Another reason is widespread consumer scepticism and cynicism (Roberts, 1996). Marketers who try to oversell their firms offering as better on socially conscious dimensions, risk being accused of what is now called green washing (Cotte and Trudel, 2009). Hence, the most important factors affecting buying decision are still price, quality, convenience, and brand. Therefore, there is clearly a lack of conclusive and empirical evidence that consumers will pay more for socially responsible products (McWilliam and Siegal, 2000), but at least there seems to be a constant effort by both consumers and companies to be ethically conscious in consumption and production respectively. There is a trend towards more consumer activism with respect to the social behaviours of organizations, especially large and well-known multinational corporations (Auger, Burke, Devinney and Louviere, 2003). Despite the ethical markets strong growth, consumers have blasted Nestlà ©, Coca-Cola, Cadbury, McDonalds and Tesco for failing to do enough to champion ethical values, according to new market research (Britton, 2010). But traces of such efforts can rarely be found in the luxury sector. It is observed that for higher priced products, only those consumers, who have a strong favourable attitude towards charity, are ready to pay the premium (Anderson and Cunningham, 1972) . In order to verify this behaviour, it is important to explore the motivations behind luxury purchases. Analyzing consumers perception of luxury products, a survey conducted by Synovate (2009) demonstrates, 35% people feel that luxury is everything over and above what is needed and 17% associate luxury as a lifestyle. Whether consumers define luxury as a feel of cashmere on their skin, the joy of time to spend as per their wish or the pleasure of showing off their success, actually depends on where they live. For example, in developing countries like India and Brazil, luxury is about flashing your wealth with big designer logos, its away of life. Whereas in countries like France, where people are certainly hedonistic, and enjoy the small pleasures like a good smell, or the softness of a scarf, and of course cooking and eating, luxury is about making them feel good and not about flaunting a brand. Luxury purchases are motivated by hedonistic values associated with instant gratification (Szmigin, Carrigan and OLoughlin, 2007). These values stimulate a consumer to purchase a $3500 Louis V uitton bag whose function is the same as a handbag at $250. Essentially, at the core of luxury consumption are three key motivations: indulgence, exclusivity and status. Danziger (2004) highlights two reasons behind buyer behaviour to solve problems and to make them feel good. She classifies consumer purchases into 4 categories Utilitarian, indulgences, lifestyle luxuries and aspirational luxuries, each motivated by different values (represented at the ends of each axis in fig.1). Utilitarian purchases include items such as blenders, food processors and microwaves, which essentially focus on practicality. Indulgences represent lifes little luxuries that provide emotional satisfaction and which consumers can buy without guilt. Cosmetics, entertainment products, games and costume jewellery are appropriate examples. Lifestyle luxuries are luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW), designer clothes (Armani, Ralph Lauren), Watches (Rolex). They are extravagant and provide material satisfaction, along with the prestige and image conferred by the brand. And finally there are aspirational luxuries that have no practical need and are purchased largely for the pure joy of owning them. Theses include Art, antiques, vintage collectibles, yachts, fine jewellery, etc. Consumers buy these items to make a statement about them in society, express their values, interests and passions. Fig1: Consumer purchase categories and motivations behind each Having discussed that a consumer buys anything to satisfy a concrete need, in purchasing luxury items, the act of consuming, rather than the product itself, satisfies this need (Danzigner, 2004). In fact, tracking the roots of luxury product consumption and marketing, we find it to be based on sheer unethical values (Sylvester, ND). Back in the 1840s in Manchester England (The worlds richest city then), the cotton mill owners were at the top of the social ladder and usually showed off their wealth at dinner parties where they served wine instead of beer and the wealthier class served champagne. For the most affluent class this was a problem as champagne was no longer exclusive. As a solution, the French marketers, keeping the product unchanged, created a much more expensive drink called vintage champagne. The rich mill owners were flocked to it. Hence, within a few years, the world was buying more bottles at higher prices. The anecdote above is a good example that shows how the concept of luxury is based on un-ethical selling and consumption, of which marketers are well aware. This view is supported in the 21st century as marketing strategist, Sergio Zyman (2000), provides in his book, the end of marketing Marketing is how to sell more things to more people more often for more money. In fact, French marketers are the leaders in marketing luxury brands and even the puritan roots and guilt dont prevent them from behaving in unashamedly elitist ways and producing items that no ordinary person will ever be able to afford. Marketers are concentrating their efforts on selling things that people dont need, but want. Different values that motivate consumers to make a low value purchase as compared to a luxury purchase. Empirical evidence suggests that materialism is negatively correlated with consumer behaviour, i.e. unethical behaviour is associated with greater amounts of materialism (Barrett, 1992 cited in Muncy and Eastman, 1998). The more materialistic consumers might be willing to bend ethical rules to gain possessions and when faced with an ethical choice, the acquisition of the goods may begin to take primacy over ethical values (Muncy and Eastman, 1998). Thus, the factors that may cause a person to be more materialistic may also cause him or her to be less ethical. In fact, marketers may have self-interest in encouraging materialism. Even if we consider that some people do behave ethically while purchasing luxury products, their decisions are not necessarily dependent on ethical values. People, while shopping in public, like to be seen as altruistic and thus are more likely to choose green products, that maybe expensive and low quality but benefit the environment (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010; Telegraph, 2010). So their purchases are often motivated by status, especially when these products cost more relative to non-green products. The Toyota Prius is a prime example of a self-promoting mobile billboard for environmentalist beliefs. A compact hybrid Sedan with moderate features and performance, considered a Green product due to high fuel efficiency. In a survey, 40% of hybrid owners indicated that they bought a green car as an alternative to a traditional luxury car such as a BMW (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010). Yet, the top five reasons why the Prius was so successful and environmental conservation was last on the list (Maynard, 2007). The number 1 reason was, that it made a statement about the consumer, a statement that the owner cares about the environment. So consumers are willing to spend on ethical products but at the cost of earning a public status or reputation. In the privacy of ones home, luxury and comfort is still the winner (Griskevicius, Tybur and Van den Bergh, 2010). Having discussed that hedonism and materialism as motivators of luxury purchases, it is evident that sustainability and luxury are quite incompatible terms. To drive a Rolls Royce, a Bentley or a Mercedes S Class would radiate a message that the owner couldnt care less about gas overconsumption and the warming of the atmosphere (Kapferer, 2010). Luxury is about excellence: more than any other, luxury brands guarantee zero risk. Now there are more and more pressures from lobbies and animal defense groups to forbid testing skin care products on animals. But without testing, the brand cannot ensure that its product is harmless for consumers. If all fashion luxury brands adopt a minimalist look, they would lose all capacity to differentiate and thus lose their integrity. Elliott and Freeman (2001 cited in Belk, Devinney and Eckhardt, 2005) found relatively high price elasticity of demand for products made under bad labour conditions but low price elasticity for products made under good conditions, implying that companies can potentially lose from having their products identified as being made under bad conditions but have little to gain from marketing their products as being made under good conditions. Modern revelations of how Prada and Dolce Gabbana bags were being stitched by clandestine Chinese workers in workshops-costing a mere à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20 to produce, have signaled the need of ethical behaviour in manufacturing, in order to retain customers. Luxury brands are advancing fast to meet the demands of sustainable development. Some brands are actually working on philanthropic endeavors, but their motive is not quite clear. For example, since 2009, BVLGARI has raised more than 6 million Euros to support Save the Childrens quality education programs and are hosting several special events to support quality education for the worlds neediest children (Bvlgari, 2010). LVMH has been auditing its carbon imprint since 2004 and has taken as a managerial motto the four words: renew, recycle, reduce, and review (Kapferer, 2010). The same holds  true for Tiffany. Dior (LVMH) gets their handbags made in Italy (excellent leather suppliers and their know-how that produces less CO2 than if it was made in China) and the leather comes from bio farms. Versace has an Art Unites initiative where the brand makes one-of-a-kind handbags out of each work of art drawn by a child. The bags are sold for about $250 through its global boutiques and all p roceeds go to childrens foundation or other charities. Having analyzed the extent to which consumers value ethics in the luxury sector, as well as explored the same issue from the perspective of the luxury companies, one can conclude that that people care more about ethics if the people around them can recognize them for doing so. There is a big attitude behaviour gap that demonstrates that consumers still make important purchase decisions on the basis of price, quality and durability of product rather than ethics. Thus, the intentions of both consumers and producers are to some extent unethical in its roots and motivated by further recognition to be doing whats right rather than for the outcome and effect of those ethical decisions on the people that they are benefitting. What is evident is that firms have realized that need of ethical conduct to retain its customers if not gain more.

Outline from may 31- june 12, 1864 :: essays research papers fc

May 31 - June 12, 1864 In the overland campaign of 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant with the Army of the Potomac battled General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia for six weeks across central Virginia. At the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna and Totopotomoy Creek, Lee repeatedly stalled, but failed to stop, Grant's southward progress toward Richmond. The next logical military objective for Grant was the crossroads styled by locals Old Cold Harbor. May 31, 1864 After sparring along the Totopotomoy northeast of Richmond, Grant ordered Major General Philip Sheridan's cavalry to move south and capture the crossroads at Old Cold Harbor. Arriving near the intersection, the Union force ran into Major General Fitzhugh Lee's Confederate horsemen. A sharp contest ensued, soon joined by Confederate infantry under Brigadier General Thomas Clingman of Major General Robert Hoke's division. After a short battle, Union cavalry drove the Confederates beyond the crossroads. The Rebels then started digging new positions a half-mile to the southwest. June 1, 1864 Lee wished to retake Old Cold Harbor and sent Major General Joseph Kershaw's division to join Hoke in a morning assault. The effort was short and uncoordinated. Hoke failed to press the attack and Sheridan's troopers, armed with Spencer repeating carbines, easily repulsed the assault. Grant, encouraged by this success, ordered up reinforcements and planned his own attack for later the same day. If the Union frontal assault broke through the Confederate defenses, it would place the Union army between Lee and Richmond. After a hot and dusty night march, Major General Horatio Wright's VI Corps arrived and relieved Sheridan's cavalry, but Grant had to delay the attack Major General William Smith's XVIII Corps, Army of the James, marching in the wrong direction under out-of-date orders, had to retrace its route and arrived late in the afternoon. The Union attack finally began at 5 p.m. Finding a fifty yard gap between Hoke's and Kershaw's divisions, Wright's veterans poured through, capturing part of the Confederate lines. A southern counterattack however, sealed off the break and ended the day's fighting. Confederate infantry strengthened their lines that night and waited for the battle to begin next morning. June 2, 1864 Disappointed by the failed attack Grant planned another advance for 5 a.m. on June 2. He ordered Major General Winfield Hancock's II Corps to march to the left of the VI Corps. Exhausted by a brutal night march over narrow, dusty roads, the II Corps did not arrive until 6:30 a. Outline from may 31- june 12, 1864 :: essays research papers fc May 31 - June 12, 1864 In the overland campaign of 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant with the Army of the Potomac battled General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia for six weeks across central Virginia. At the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna and Totopotomoy Creek, Lee repeatedly stalled, but failed to stop, Grant's southward progress toward Richmond. The next logical military objective for Grant was the crossroads styled by locals Old Cold Harbor. May 31, 1864 After sparring along the Totopotomoy northeast of Richmond, Grant ordered Major General Philip Sheridan's cavalry to move south and capture the crossroads at Old Cold Harbor. Arriving near the intersection, the Union force ran into Major General Fitzhugh Lee's Confederate horsemen. A sharp contest ensued, soon joined by Confederate infantry under Brigadier General Thomas Clingman of Major General Robert Hoke's division. After a short battle, Union cavalry drove the Confederates beyond the crossroads. The Rebels then started digging new positions a half-mile to the southwest. June 1, 1864 Lee wished to retake Old Cold Harbor and sent Major General Joseph Kershaw's division to join Hoke in a morning assault. The effort was short and uncoordinated. Hoke failed to press the attack and Sheridan's troopers, armed with Spencer repeating carbines, easily repulsed the assault. Grant, encouraged by this success, ordered up reinforcements and planned his own attack for later the same day. If the Union frontal assault broke through the Confederate defenses, it would place the Union army between Lee and Richmond. After a hot and dusty night march, Major General Horatio Wright's VI Corps arrived and relieved Sheridan's cavalry, but Grant had to delay the attack Major General William Smith's XVIII Corps, Army of the James, marching in the wrong direction under out-of-date orders, had to retrace its route and arrived late in the afternoon. The Union attack finally began at 5 p.m. Finding a fifty yard gap between Hoke's and Kershaw's divisions, Wright's veterans poured through, capturing part of the Confederate lines. A southern counterattack however, sealed off the break and ended the day's fighting. Confederate infantry strengthened their lines that night and waited for the battle to begin next morning. June 2, 1864 Disappointed by the failed attack Grant planned another advance for 5 a.m. on June 2. He ordered Major General Winfield Hancock's II Corps to march to the left of the VI Corps. Exhausted by a brutal night march over narrow, dusty roads, the II Corps did not arrive until 6:30 a.

The Low-cost Orange Flying Machine: The Case of easyJet Essay

The colour orange is increasingly becoming synonymous with the firm easyJet as it has become one of the world’s most profitable low-cost airlines (Alamdari and Fagan, 2005). This paper examines the basis of their success and argues firstly, that easyJet from its inception essentially adopted and stayed with the original low-cost model that was pioneered by Southwest airlines in the USA. Moreover, this is a model that has served them well, resulting in sustained business performance and growth over a decade. However, our second point is that with this growth, and increased competition, there are signs of the need for a change. Accordingly, in what follows, we examine in turn: the historical origins of easyJet, emphasizing its values and the influence of the Southwest airlines model; the essential features of its business model; and some indication of its business performance over time. Historical Origins: Personality, Values and the Southwest Way EasyJet was conceived in 1995, with its first flight occurring in November of that year. There are numerous descriptions of the early start-up days, but one of the most vivid is surely the following (Calder 2006: 113): The entrance to the average airline’s headquarters is an impressive affair, intended to impress visitors. But the HQ of Britain’s most successful low-cost airline is far from average. For a while, the modest foyer of easyland – the huddle of temporary buildings from which one of Europe’s leading airlines is run – was adorned by a tent. It was a small, two-person job, strung from the roof†¦ Take one shipping millionaire, two Boeing 737s normally used for British Airways flights and several dozen gallons of orange paint, and you have a revolution in the skies. But industry watchers like myself were slow to realise the scale of the upheaval signified by the first flight of easyJet. The picture conveyed above stands in marked contrast to the subsequent growth and current performance of easyJet. Indeed as we were preparing the first draft of this paper easyJet announced that pre-tax profits were up by 55 percent to a record  £129 million in the year to September 2006. Turnover was up 21 percent, passenger numbers by 11.5 percent (to 33 million), the share price hit an all time high, and 52 new Airbus jets were to be ordered (Financial Times 2006). The contents of Figure 1 below lists some of the key milestones in the evolution of easyJet. Much of the early discussion of easyJet pivoted around its founder, Stelios Hajin Ioaanou (‘Stelios’). His personality, background, ‘entrepreneurial approach’ (Rae 2001) and ‘managerial style’ were all much discussed: the ‘no frills’ working environment (e.g. no private offices) and the ‘orange culture’ (i.e. ‘being up for it’; ‘passionate’ and ‘shar’p) were held to be important legacies following his stepping down as Chairman in 2002. In what was initially seen as very much a ‘personality-driven’ organization it is important to emphasise the place and role of Southwest airlines in influencing the personality of the Chairman. As one study stated: ‘It was not until he flew on Southwest airlines that Stelios felt he had found the right concept for a European airline. Stelios intensively researched Southwest, meeting with founder and CEO Herb Kellacher and buying 250 copies of Nuts – a book documenting Southwest’s success – for distribution to potential employees and customers. (Sull 1999: 22) Southwest airlines is very much an organization in which a high level of ‘selective perception’ is apparent among observers and emulators; you can see what you want to see in it (Pate and Beaumont 2006) To easyJet the key message received, accepted and followed faithfully, was to adopt and stick to the original low-cost model pioneered by Southwest. The Basic Low-Cost Business Model The key features of this model are outlined below in Figure 2 below. Product Features 1. Fares/ network Low, simple and unrestricted fares, high frequencies, point to point, no interlining 2. Distribution Travel agents and call centres (today internet sales), ticketless 3. Inflight Single class, high density seating, no meals or free alcoholic drinks, snacks and light beverages for purchase, no seat assignment Operating Features 1. Fleet Single type, Boeing 737, high utilisation, 11-12 hours per day 2. Airport Secondary or uncongested, 20—30 minute turnarounds 3. Sector length Short, average 400 nautical miles 4. Staff Competitive wages, profit sharing, high productivity (Source: Alamdari and Fagan 2005: 378) Figure 2: The original Southwest Airlines low-cost business model Indeed, if anything easyJet appears to have achieved further leverage along the ‘no frills’ dimension of this basic model: travel agents were completely avoided (direct sales only) and passengers had to pay even for soft drinks and snacks (Sull 1999, 23). Such features of the easyJet low-cost model were held to be acceptable, or indeed attractive, to ‘people who pay for travel from their own pockets’ (Sull 1999:23). Specifically easyJet targeted three cost-conscious and price-sensitive customer segments: (1) the traveller visiting relatives; (2) leisure travellers working brief trips; and (3) entrepreneurs and managers from small firms. At this stage we need briefly to comment on staff conditions (competitive wages, profit sharing, high productivity) in Figure 2. First, in a general sense, it is remarkable how little human resources and staffing matters figure in discussions of the easyJet strategy (Sull 1999; Jones, 2005); they are essentially conspicuous in their absence. Secondly, if one turns to more specific matters there are grounds to question the reality of the staffing approach in Figure 2. For example, on the competitive salary front, it has been estimated that pilots at easyJet earn around 25% less than pilots working for traditional carriers (Jones 2005: 151). This differential was a considerable source of tension and difficulty when easyJet took over the airline GO in August, 2002, with calls for strike action occurring at the time (Jones 2005:91). In the latter part of this paper we turn to look at these sorts of human resources and employment related matters in more detail. The Basic Business Model and the Bottom Line Earlier we made reference to the impressive performance figures of easyJet for the year to September 2006. This has not been an isolated success story. For example, easyJet pre-tax profit figures rose from  £5.9 million in 1998 to  £40 million in 2001, and now to the current all time high of  £129 million. At least one major study has attributed this success to easyJet sticking very closely to the original features of the low-cost model outlined in Figure 2. In essence this research (Alamdari and Fagan 2005), which involved 10 low-cost carriers in Europe and the USA, reported that, firstly, easyJet adhered very closely (74% compatible) to the original model, a figure only exceeded by that for Ryanair (85%) (Alamdari and Fagan 2005: 388). Moreover their second key result was that the closer one adhered to this model, the higher was profitability. The success of easyJet (and Ryanair) in this regard has been noted in other studies. For instance, the McKinsey Quarterly (2005) reported that easyJet and Ryanair account for about 50 percent of seat capacity in Europe’s low-cost market, with between 2004 and 2006 only easyJet (8.9%) and Ryanair (29.4%) having positive average operation margins. Although both easyJet and Ryanair are always hailed as the two financial success stories of the European low-cost sector, with both adhering most closely to the original low-cost model (Figure 2), it is important to recognise important differences between them. For example, easyJet’s unit costs are reported to be double those of Ryanair, with the former break-even point (76% of capacity) being higher than that of Ryanair (63%) (McKinsey Quarterly 2005). Other differences between the two, which have been noted, are that easyJet has more head –to-head competition with the conventional carriers because it uses more established airports than Ryanair (Jones 2005: 211). Much of the bottom line success of easyJet has been attributed to its yield management system which seeks to extract the maximum revenue per flight (Jones 2005: 212). It is these sorts of sentiments which underpin their micro-type targets. For example, the aim is to grow the current profit per seat figure of some  £2.50 to  £5 by the end of 2008. Are there Signs of Changes in easyJet’s Business Strategy? Current profits are good and the emphasis on yield measurement and tough targets will still remain. This said, there are signs of some actual or proposed changes in the business model. These have arisen because of the rise of new low-cost competition, changes in the conventional carriers (limited frills), and external pressures such as oil price rise. The changes are designed to address some concerns of existing customer segments and to attract new customers. For example, in April 2003 easyJet launched a dedicated website for business travel arrangements which allows corporate customers to access monthly management information so that they can track travel spend. In June 2005 it introduced easyJet lounges, which passengers had to pay for, but which were viewed as attractive to business travellers. Figures released in The Times (11th November, 2006) suggest that they have been relatively successful in capturing the business market: Stansted and Luton (easyJet’s London bases) have the highest proportion of frequent flyers among major airports at over 50 percent as compared to 39 percent of passengers at Heathrow. Measures have also been taken in recent years to address customer concerns regarding the lack of clarity of the full fare until the last stage of booking, through an upgraded software system. A key question remains; can easyJet consistently capture the business traveller sector, with their considerable expectations of ‘added extras’ while remaining true to their winning formula of cost leadership? Only time will tell. References Alamdari, F. and Fagan, S. (2005) Impact of the adherence to the original low-cost model on profitability of low-cost airlines, Transport Reviews 25, 3: 377-392. Calder, S. (2006) No Frills. London: Virgin Books. Financial Times (2006) 15th November, p24. Jones, L. (2005) easyJet, the Story of Britain’s Biggest Low-Cost Airline. London: Aurum. McKinsey Quarterly (2005) August edition. Pate, J. and Beaumont, P. (2006) The European low-cost airline industry: the interplay of business strategy and human resources, European Management Journal 24, 5: 322-329. Rae, D. (2001) easyJet: a case of entrepreneurial management, Strategic Change 10, 6: 325-336. Sull, D. (1999) easyJet’s $500 Million Gamble, European Management Journal 17, 1: 20-38. The Times (2006), 11th and 15th November. View as multi-pages

Systematic and Common Chemical Names

Systematic and Common Chemical Names There are many ways to name a chemical. Here is a look at the difference between different types of chemical names, including systematic names, common names, vernacular names and CAS numbers. Systematic or IUPAC Name The systematic name  also called the IUPAC name is the preferred way to name a chemical because each systematic name identifies exactly one chemical. The systematic name is determined by guidelines set forth by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Common Name A common name is defined by the IUPAC as a name that unambiguously defines a chemical, yet does not follow the current systematic naming convention. An example of a common name is acetone, which has the systematic name 2-propanone. Vernacular Name A vernacular name is a name used in a lab, trade or industry that does not unambiguously describe a single chemical. For example, copper sulfate is a vernacular name which may refer to copper(I) sulfate or copper(II) sulfate. Archaic Name An archaic name is an older name for a chemical that predates the modern naming conventions. Its helpful to know archaic names of chemicals because older texts may refer to chemicals by these names. Some chemicals are sold under archaic names or may be found in storage labeled with the older names. An example of this is muriatic acid, which is the archaic name for hydrochloric acid and is one of the names under which hydrochloric acid is sold. CAS Number A CAS number is an unambiguous identifier assigned to a chemical by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), a part of the American Chemical Society. CAS numbers are assigned sequentially, so you cant tell anything about the chemical by its number. Each CAS number consists of three strings of numbers that are separated by hyphens. The first number contains up to six digits, the second number is two digits, and the third number is a single digit. Other Chemical Identifiers Although the chemical names and CAS Number are the most common way to describe a chemical, there are other chemical identifiers you may encounter. Examples include numbers assigned by PubChem, ChemSpider, UNII, EC number, KEGG, ChEBI, ChEMBL, RTES number and the ATC code. Example of Chemical Names Putting it all together, here are the names for CuSO4 ·5H2O: Systematic (IUPAC) Name: copper(II) sulfate pentahydrateCommon Names: copper(II) sulfate, copper(II) sulfate, cupric sulfate, cupric sulfateVernacular Name: copper sulfate, copper sulfateArchaic Name: blue vitriol, bluestone, copper vitriolCAS Number: 7758-99-8

Humanities Nuclear War by Kahns On Thermonuclear War and Kubricks Dr. Strangelove

Humanities Nuclear War by Kahns On Thermonuclear War and Kubricks Dr. Strangelove Nuclear war is the issue that has been discussed for a long period of time by a number of writers and researchers. It is not always easy to give a clear definition whether nuclear war is a pure negative or a pure positive aspect in human life, this is why it is always interesting to offer new ideas and introduce some captivating perspectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Humanities: Nuclear War by Kahn’s On Thermonuclear War and Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper, the two works by different people will be analyzed in this paper to comprehend how nuclear war may influence the society. Herman Khan was an American futurist who promoted a lot the nuclear strategy that was spread in the United States of America. His On Thermonuclear is one of the most powerful books where the author makes an attempt to describe and evaluate the nature of nuclear war and its importance . Another powerful work is created by Stanley Kubrick; it is the movie Dr. Strangelove where the idea of nuclear war is perfectly satirized from a variety of perspectives. These two authors even cooperated to introduce one powerful and effective idea, still, their standpoints seem to be rather different as the movie introduces the nuclear war as something absurd, and the book aims at describing the war as something inevitable and not as dangerous as many people usually think. On Thermonuclear is the story about nuclear war and its possible effects on the society and the existing balance of power. In this book, the author underlines the fact that nuclear war is something that people could be ready for; still, when the time to experience the effects of the war comes, it turns out to be that people are not actually ready for such danger. Of course, society may recuperate after the war is over, however, it is so difficult to predict the outcomes and be sure about the true nature of war. The most powerful issue in the book is probably author’s argument that this type of war may be unwinnable for people still possible. Though the book does not aim to promote the war, a number of critics accept such message as a kind of threat to society and social inability to control the events. The author wants to prove that people’s possibilities are great indeed, however, they are not always powerful to gain the desired control. In his turn, Dr. Strangelove introduces another point of view where he admits that nuclear war is of accidental character and is considered to be a type of failure of deterrence. In spite of the possibility to explain that nuclear war does not have any positive outcomes and characteristic, this character tries to justify the creation of nuclear weapon and the necessity for the countries to have it in the arsenal. In comparison to Khan, Dr. Strangelove understands that it is not always possible to control nuclear war, that the results will b e dramatic for people, and that society should take more care of the conditions under which weapons are created and stored.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In general, the positions of both authors are clear enough: it is not right to promote the idea of nuclear war, still, the activities of government in different countries seem to be that terrible truth that bother many people. There are no people who want to develop nuclear war, and each country tries to take the position with the help of which its citizens will be in safe; however, if someone makes a decision to start such kind of war, the vast majority of countries will be ready to use their nuclear weapon even without knowing how to use it properly. It is a comic as well as tragic situation that proves one thing: human possibilities are amazing, still, more control is required to benefit from these possibi lities and knowledge.

Assign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assign - Assignment Example The attitudes of the younger generations toward and relationship with the old in Qatar are quite varied and are affected by various factors. The factors that affect the young people’s attitudes toward the old are not reserved to the state of Qatar but commonly apply to other parts of the world as well. Some of these factors include racial/ethnic/cultural, religious, and educational background (Hagestad 515). In Qatar, the transition to old age is characterised by retirement, poor health, advanced chronological age, death of spouse as well as mental and physical weakening. Some of the attitudes that youth have toward the aged are negative as the latter are associated with unproductiveness, forgetfulness, intellectual rigidness and other stereotypical notions leading to discrimination and prejudice against them (Sijuwade 1). No wonder many youths in Qatar prefer not to work with the aged. On the other hand, some people associate old age with wisdom, blessedness and respect. As a matter of fact, attitudes may change over time. In 50 years time, the current young population will be aged and newer generations in existence. The population of the aged in the state will probably be greater than it is now, the literacy level higher than it is today. There is a high likelihood that the aged population will be viewed in positive light then considering various

E-Commerce in Developing Countries Research Paper

E-Commerce in Developing Countries - Research Paper Example Different sectors including transportation, industries, technology, and entertainment greatly depend on internet applications. Various studies indicate that internet provides extensive employment opportunities to large number of people. Furthermore, internet has become the largest database in the universe. The most fascinating feature of the internet is that it acts as a platform for online trade or E-commerce. Today, many of the multinational corporations generate notable percent of their sales revenues through online business. II. Issues for developing countries a. Info-structure It seems that information structures used to build a website often become a constraint to E-commerce growth in developing countries. Sequences, hierarchies, and webs are the major information structures deployed to develop a website; and structures like hierarchies and webs are best ways to build and manage information databases effectively (Fresh Thinking Business, n.d). However, database management using such models requires in depth knowledge and greater efficiency. Obviously, developing countries may not have much fund to spend on infra-structure development as they need to address a series of other operational fund requirements. Moreover, those counties may lack adequate expertise to promote information structure development and this situation would adversely affect their internet usage practices. Experts reflect that many of the developing countries are still unaware of the necessity of structure development as they do not consider internet as a major contributor to their overall economic development. b. Legal and financial framework Evidences suggest that a nation’s legal and financial framework can have a greater impact on its E-commerce practices. Some developing countries believe that unrestricted internet access may negatively affect their national security and hence they ban some specific websites. To illustrate, China banned the social networking site facebook rec ently to maintain social peace and harmony. However, this move has affected the country’s E-commerce sector to a great extent since facebook was an important channel of business promotion in China. Nowadays, more countries are planning to ban some highly trafficked websites in order to avoid threats to national security. Such practices are more likely to impede online business growth since many of those websites provide people with a common platform to share their views and opinions regarding a particular product or service. As we mentioned earlier, developing countries with an unstable financial background cannot raise sufficient funds to foster IT development, which is essential to intensify E-commerce growth. c. Human resource Undoubtedly, human resource plays a pivotal role in determining E-commerce growth in developing countries. Although online business sector needs less number of employees as compared to traditional business settings, potential workforce is necessary f or E-commerce promotion. It seems that developing countries like India and China are blessed with potential human capital resources and hence they can employ skilled people and thereby generate huge revenues from online sales. In contrast, some other countries do not have adequate human resources and hence those countries employ the available workforce on industrial sectors. Obviously, this situation would impede the growth of E-commerce sector. It is also noted that

Law HW week 4 TL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law HW week 4 TL - Essay Example were â€Å"reasonably necessary† to achieve the City’s intended public use and (2) that the takings were for â€Å"reasonably foreseeable needs.†Ã‚   Milo’s Crossing is an economically depressed neighborhood. The awareness of the depressed economic condition and the evidence collaborating this concern constitutes that it is â€Å"reasonably necessary† to have a redevelopment plan to help improve the economic condition. Under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, the redevelopment plans are qualified as permissible â€Å"public use† due to the benefits enjoyed from the economic growth. It is ruled that use of eminent domain for economic development will not violate public use clauses of the state and federal constitutions if the economic project creates new jobs, increases tax revenue and revitalizes a depressed urban area. The seizure of the properties promises 3,169 new jobs and $1.2 million tax revenues per year thus making the taking of the land valid and constitutional. The decision of the interpretation of â€Å"public use† has also been interpreted by the Supreme Court as â€Å"public purpose† in the case of Midkiff (467 U.S. 229) and other cases involving eminent

Iran-Iraq War Essay Example for Free

Iran-Iraq War Essay The Iran-Iraq War is considered as one of the longest and most violent battles in history. This eight-year long armed conflict was actually the result of many events. The rivalry between Iran and Iraq can be traced from the seventh century. It was a rivalry grounded on the antagonism between Persians and Arabs, just as it was based on the conflict between Sunni Muslims and Shi’a Muslims. These ethnic and religious divisions were further intensified by territorial disputes, which would continue until the 20th Century. In addition, politics played a role in initiating the war itself. The rivalry existed many years ago, but the war was aggravated by the changes in governance in both countries. The Iran-Iraq War was a violent combat between the aforementioned nations from September 1980 until August 1988. The conflict was only stopped with the intervention of the United Nations. The battle proved to be a long and tedious one, as the tension between the countries extended for years. There were also countless casualties as a result of the disastrous occurrence. When the war ended, neither nation could truly be declared the victor. Both Iran and Iraq did not succeed in gaining new territories or political advantages. It is important to note that Iraq was the nation responsible for starting the war. However, the aggression of Saddam Hussein was not the main cause of the war’s occurrence. In fact, there is no single cause to be blamed for the war. The origins of the Iran-Iraq War are deeply rooted in ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts which date back from the seventh century; it was exacerbated in the modern era due to ambitions of dominance. This term paper aims to discuss the reasons behind the Iran-Iraq War on two accounts: the dispute over the Shatt al-Arab river and the political tension caused by the Islamic Revolution and the rise of Ba’ath regime. The Iran-Iraq War occurred because of various reasons. The conflict between the two nations involved was characterized by other conflicts. The tension that had long persisted between Iran and Iraq were caused by differences in religious beliefs and political positions, as well as disagreements on the borders (Iran Chamber Society [ICS], 2009). The problem between the countries was fueled by the problems between the following opposing parties: Sunnis and Shia Muslims, Arabs and Persians, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Saddam Hussein (Ehteshami Hinnebusch, 1997). Moreover, both Iran and Iraq sought to gain supremacy in the region (Brown, 2008). The Iranian-Iraq War which started in September 1980 was a testament to the extended conflict regarding the boundaries of their territories and their share in the Shatt al-Arab river (Hunseler, 1984). The war was also a result of the struggle of both parties to become the most dominant and influential in the region. However, it is important to point out that there is a significant difference between the 1980 war and the conflicts prior to it. The early conflicts between Iran and Iraq were settled with the interference of European countries which only meddled to safeguard their respective interests. As for the 1980 war, both sides fought to preserve their own interests. No external power intervened with that war. Two main reasons why the conflict became prolonged are the mutual disputes over territory (especially the Shatt al-Arab) and the involvement of both sides in the domestic problems of the other (Hunseler, 1984). The Beginning of the Persian-Arab Conflict The origins of the conflict between Iran and Iraq started many centuries before both nations were established. It is important for one to be familiar with the history of the conflict why the 1980 war began in the first place. According to Hunseler (1984), the Iran-Iraq tension had its roots in the seventh century with the Arab-Persian conflict. It was this centuries old rift which ignited the battle over the Shatt al-Arab. Persia stood out from the others because despite being under the control of the Arabs, it retained its national identity (Hunseler, 1984). In AD 636, the Sassanids of Persia lost to the armies of Arab General Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas at the Battle of Qadisiya. Meanwhile, the Persian Empire became dissolved in AD 642 due to the Battle of Nihawand. While they held on to their state’s culture and territorial honor, the Persian population embraced Islam in the aftermath of the collapse of the Persian Empire. The Arabs and the people they conquered viewed Islam and Arabism as a union. However, despite being under the influence of Islam, the culture of Persia cannot be restrained (Hunseler, 1984). An important thing to consider in understanding the history of Persia and its political and social existence is what Hunseler (1984) called the â€Å"juxtaposition of Persia and Islam† (p. 8). The principle was said to have been derived from the notion of the state based on Zoroastrianism. According to the Zoroastrian notion of a state, it must have the following: â€Å"a secularly-legitimized kingship, the survival of the Persian language and the proud awareness of a distinct Persian history† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 8). After two centuries, the Sunni-Arab Abbasid caliphate had become interested in the Persian literature (Hunseler, 1984). In time, the Persian families which belonged to the caliphate of the Abbasids began to assume control by grabbing power repeatedly. From AD 954 until 1055, the Buyid dynasty possessed enough authority to manipulate politics in the western portion of Persia and Iraq. In addition, they also had the power to strictly limit the function of the caliphs of Abbasid to religion only. This was the reason why the legacy left by the Buyids in Iraq was considered as the conflict between Persianism and Arabism (Hunseler, 1984). In the 17th century, the Safavids in Persia declared Shi’ism as the state religion (Hunseler, 1984). The Safavids exerted influence on Persia for 15 long years; they stayed in the state from 1623 to 1638 (Hiro, 1991). The declaration was seen as Persia’s attempt to establish its boundaries and separate itself from Arab nations while keeping the matters under the influence of Islam. Shi’ism became a crucial part of Islamic history, as it was the first to present a rift in the unified world of Islam. This was because Shi’ism founded itself in a separate state. The kings of the Safavids considered themselves as mainly secular leaders; they assigned the religious functions to the theologians. In turn, the Shi’a ministers did not want to give up their posts which were assigned to them under the Safavid rule. Most especially during the time of the Qajar leaders, the clergy were given money and land. The awarding of such gifts allowed them to be financially independent from the king; it also gave them the opportunity to exert political influence. Meanwhile, no such similar progress had occurred in the Sunni Arab states (Hunseler, 1984). The Sunni-Shi’a Problem The existing Persian-Arab conflict had taken a complicated turn with the addition of yet another conflict: the Sunni-Shi’a problem (Hunseler, 1984). The problem was not exactly about tension between the differing branches of Islam. Instead, there was antagonism due to the amount of influence that a particular religion has on the development of political power in the state. The conflict continues at present day, as there are still areas wherein the Arab communities consist of both Sunni and Shi’a factions (Hunseler, 1984). Those who head the Shi’a clergy in Arab countries such as Iraq and Bahrain found difficulty in assuming certain social positions (Hunseler, 1984). In Persia, the Shi’a clergy had no problems exerting influence in society because Shi’ism was revered with national significance. In addition, Shi’a leaders faced with two issues regarding loyalty. First, they encouraged the spread of Shi’ism in states whose population were not exclusively Shi’a. Therefore, they became involved in the centuries-old conflict between the Shi’a and Sunni. Second, they were victims of the suspicions of Arab rulers who thought they were submitting to the influence of non-Arabs (Persians). They were often seen by their Arab counterparts as promoting non-Arab causes. This situation caused the Arab Shi’as to be constantly detached from their political leaders. The separation was also caused by doubt on secular leadership, as well as Shi’a millennialism (Hunseler, 1984). The Persian-Arab conflict and the attempts of both sides to become more dominant and influential than the other in the Middle East became evident in areas where the Sunni and Shi’a groups, and the Arabs and Persians, fought against each other (Hunseler, 1984). Even though the Persians and Arabs in the Arabian peninsula had the Persian-Arab Gulf to set them apart in terms of geography, the conflict eventually made itself apparent on the boundaries on land. This was the primary reason why the conflict persisted for many years; both sides incessantly tried to acquire the territories of the other and the quest for a mutual border dragged on (Hunseler, 1984). The Origin of the Conflict over the Shatt al-Arab The conflict between Iran and Iraq over the Shatt al-Arab river originated in the 17th century and began as the rift between the Ottoman Empire and Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The sultan of Turkey, Murad IV, captured Baghdad in 1638 and the initial resolution regarding the boundaries with Persia was drafted a year later. The Kurds and the Armenians occupied the north while the Arabs dominated the south. The boundary fell on areas wherein the tribes did not consider either the Persians or Turks as their masters. As a result, the border settlement was drafted with consideration to the tribes and the names of the places. The agreement also took in consideration the intention of both parties to unite the tribes of Istanbul or Esfahan. The Kurdish-Armenian boundary caused many conflicts after it was established, but order was always restored in reference to the 1639 resolution. Unfortunately, the 1639 agreement proved lacking in setting the boundaries in the Shatt al-Arab region. On one hand, Persians believed the river itself was a natural border. On the other hand, the Turks upheld the claim that the river belonged to the Ottoman Empire. According to the Turkish point of view, the Arab tribes which occupy both sides of the river are considered a single entity from Arabistan. Arabistan is part of the Ottoman Empire. Hence, the Shatt al-Arab was to be considered as under the possession of the Ottoman Empire (Hunseler, 1984). In the 19th Century, boundary problems continued. In 1823, a boundary problem surrounding the Muhammarah surfaced and Persians settled in the city (Hunseler, 1984). Both Russia and Great Britain extended their assistance on the matter. On May 15, 1843, a boundary committee was formed and gathered in Erzerum, a city in Turkey. The committee consisted of representatives from Turkey, Persia, Russia and Britain. A treaty was created on May 31, 1847, and contained three major guidelines. First, Muhammarah and its harbor, as well as Khidhr Island, were awarded to Persia. Meanwhile, Turkey was granted admission to Zuhab and Sulaymaniyah. Second, the committee was designated â€Å"in situ† to delineate the specific course of the boundary (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Lastly, the Ottoman Empire was given the entire Shatt al-Arab extending to the marker on the east, except for the territories mentioned above (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty of 1847 was rather ambiguous, and its inherent vagueness proved to be its biggest flaw (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty did not address the question of which nation had the responsibility over the eastern shore. While the Shatt al-Arab was placed under Turkish jurisdiction, the specifications of the border were not indicated. Turkey wanted to resolve the issue over the treaty’s vague statements regarding Arabistan/ Khuzistan. As a result, Russia and Great Britain included an â€Å"explanatory note† to assert that the problem raised by Turkey was not compromised by the treaty’s lack of clarity (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Turkey declined to approve the treaty until Persia acknowledged the note as part of the treaty (Hunseler, 1984). Mirza Muhammad Ali Khan acknowledged the note and signed the treaty as a delegate of the Persia. After the Persian administration discovered the inclusion of the added note, it nullified the treaty and failed to approve it. They argued that the Persian representative had no power to sign the document (Hunseler, 1984). To address the issue, the boundary committee inspected the Turkish-Persian border from 1850 until 1852 (Hunseler, 1984). Unfortunately, the commission was not able to do its job properly because of the opposing claims of Turkish and Persian commissioners. Persia maintained that they were given the entire expanse found east of the Shatt al-Arab, while Turkey opposed the claim. The committee was unable to provide a definite proposition to solve the problem. While the committee continued its efforts in the northern area of the Shatt al-Arab, the determination of the boundaries of the river’s region was postponed indefinitely (Hunseler, 1984). Persia was relentless in its efforts to claim territories and continued to bring up its border issues in the succeeding years. Persia sought Russia and Britain to mediate on the border problem (Hunseler, 1984). Persia wanted to share control of the Shatt al-Arab with Turkey; the state also wanted to discuss the rights with regards to the harbor. Unfortunately, Britain and Russia were not in agreeable terms since the mid-19th Century. Hence, both nations were not prepared to mediate in behalf of the Shatt al-Arab tension. On August 31, 1907, the Anglo-Russian convention had an agreement. This agreement divided Persia into three separate zones. In the northern part of Persia, Russia maintained a sphere of influence. In the southern area, Britain had its own sphere. Meanwhile, the middle area was considered as neutral ground. It was not until after this division was established that the Anglo-Russian concern for the Turkish-Persian border was revived (Hunseler, 1984). Russia became once again involved with Persian-Turkish affairs because it was specifically interested with the province of Azerbaijan in Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The interest was the result of strategic and economic factors in relation to Turkey. On the contrary, Britain was different from Russia because its interests were not limited to Persia alone. Britain was also focused on the Turkish territory of the Shatt al-Arab because it played a crucial part in British interests in the Gulf area. In July 1911, an Anglo-Turkish mediation in attempt to come up with a resolution that would define the territorial claims and rights in the Arab-Persian Gulf region began. On July 29, 1913, the resolution was signed by Turkey and Britain. The agreement included the decisions regarding the status of Arab sheikdoms. The resolution also included the agreements about the Shatt al-Arab and its significance to the increasing British authority in Arabistan and Iraq. The resolution proved to be beneficial for Turkey, but only because Britain acted on it for its own advantage. Meanwhile, Russia was outraged by the Anglo-Turkish agreement and initially renounced it. Britain caught Russia by surprise by awarding the Shatt al-Arab in its entirety to Turkey. Russia had its own interests to protect in Shatt al-Arab and the Gulf area, and the agreement served as a hindrance to the Russian cause. However, Britain gave Russia the guarantee that it would offer assistance in the latter’s interest in the northern section of the Turkish-Persian border. After Britain gave its guarantee, Russia acknowledged the Anglo-Turkish agreement (Hunseler, 1984). On December 21, 1911, Persian Foreign Minister and Turkish representatives from Tehran gathered in Istanbul to create a boundary commission to resolve the Turkish-Persian border problem (Hunseler, 1984). The commission began to meet in March 1912; by August, the commission had convened a total of 18 times. In the beginning, the efforts of the commission seemed futile due to Persia’s disapproval of a specific â€Å"note explicative† of April 26, 1847 (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). However, Russia exerted influence and Tehran was forced to agree on the note on August 15, 1912. The early progress of the Turkish-Persian commission was accompanied by statements already found in the Four-Power Protocol of Constantinople dated on November 17, 1913. With regards to the area of the Shatt al-Arab, the definition of the border was determined in conformity with the Second Treaty of Erzerum of 1847. According to the treaty, the Shatt al-Arab is considered as a Turkish territory excluding the limitations concerning Abadan and Muhammarah. By November 1913, two-thirds of the border assignment was completed. The task of settling the complete boundary was given to a Four-Power Delimitation Commission. This commission had to define the border based on what was 1869’s â€Å"carte identique† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). The commission started working in 1914. Unfortunately, the First World War broke out. The emergence of the war hindered Persia and Turkey from acknowledging the border (Hunseler, 1984). The Aftermath of World War I: The Iranian-Iraq Disagreement on the Shatt al-Arab The conflict and rivalry between Iran and Iraq officially started after the First World War (Hunseler, 1984). The outcome of the war significantly altered the issue over the borders concerning the Shatt al-Arab. Hunseler (1984) explained: â€Å"The British mandate of Iraq, which had come about in Mesopotamia, entered into the Turkish boundary claims against Iran, although it also impinged upon British navigational privileges on the Shatt al-Arab† (p. 14). The aftermath of the Great War also allowed Iran to experience a dramatic political transformation. In 1921, Muhammad Reza Khan came into power. Under his reign, Iran became resistant to the established agreements regarding the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). It was also in 1921 when Khaz’al, the Sheik of Muhammarah, lost. Khaz’al was a known supporter of the British cause. With his defeat, Iran was granted the opportunity to fervently defend its own interests on the Shatt al-Arab conflict. Due to the new found empowerment of Iran, Britain was suddenly placed in a position wherein it should implement its rules without putting its Iranian interests in jeopardy (Hunseler, 1984). Meanwhile, Iraq asserted its control over the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). Due to the claim, Iran declined to recognize the state of Iraq. In 1929, Iran did give diplomatic recognition to Iraq, but only because it sought to gain the attention of Britain. Iran hoped that by acknowledging Iraq as a state, Britain would be sympathetic towards the Iranian cause. Britain was still interested in Iran because of economic reasons; the former is involved with the latter through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Moreover, Britain was still interested with the Shatt al-Arab issue. This was because it could provide the British complete access to the refineries located in Abadan. On August 11, 1929, the Iranian and Iraqi governments had interchanged several notes. This exchange gave way to the establishment of a temporary arrangement to manage the relations between the two states involved. The arrangement included settlements on trade and navigation. However, the negotiations failed because Iraq and Britain refused to recognize the jurisdiction of Iran on the half of the river (Hunseler, 1984). When Britain decided to remove its authority on Iraq and break away from their alliance in 1930, it imposed the right of the British navy to pass through the Shatt al-Arab anytime, regardless if it was wartime or peacetime (Hunseler, 1984). However, Iran had no intention in being involved in a peaceful settlement. The Iranian government also declined to accept the legitimacy of the border. On March 25, 1924, Iran announced its non-acceptance of determination of the boundary as stated in the Constantinople Protocol. The Iranian government also refused to recognize similar settlements created on September 20 and December 2 in 1931. The situation worsened when Iran sent four gunboats to pass through Shatt al-Arab and proceed until Muhammarah. Due to this incident, problems regarding the pilot and the flags of the ships were added to the already intense conflict (Hunseler, 1984). The boundary issue as well as the flag and pilot inquiries which remained unanswered increased the tension surrounding the conflict (Hunseler, 1984). On November 29, 1934, the Iranian government was forced to seek assistance from the League of Nations in an effort to address the problem. Unfortunately, the League of Nations and the representatives it sent failed to bring any positive change in the current situation. The only thing which provided temporary resolution to the problem was the Middle East pact of 1935, which Iran had introduced with the help of Turkey. The pact presented an opportunity wherein all points of disagreement could be settled. On July 4, 1937, a treaty on the Iranian-Iraqi border was agreed upon in Tehran. The treaty upheld the conditions indicated in the 1913/14 Protocols of Constantinople. According to the treaty, the Iran-Iraq border would remain along the east bank of the Shatt al-Arab. There were specific considerations made for Abadan and Muhammarah. Iran was also awarded an anchorage zone in Abadan which was four miles long. In addition, the treaty rendered the river as open territory, as it allowed access to naval ships of Iran and Iraq and traders of all countries. A transit fee was imposed, but this would be utilized for purposes of maintenance as well as the development of the shipping lanes in the river. In another decision, both sides agreed to accept the protocol within two years after the agreement had been reached (Hunseler, 1984). The adoption of the covenant was not implemented (Hunseler, 1984). On December 8, 1938, the commission in charge of the Iranian-Iraqi boundary started working on the confluence of the Shatt al-Arab and the Khayeen. The efforts of the commission were stalled by opposing translations of the treaty and the definite determination of the border. The Iranian government submitted suggestions regarding the balance of power between Iran and Iraq with regards to supervising and safeguarding the Shatt al-Arab shipping lanes. Meanwhile, the Iraqi administration saw this move as a threat to the sovereignty of the Iraqis on the river (Hunseler, 1984). In the 1950s, Iran and Iraq had another opportunity to resolve their issues regarding the Shatt al-Arab border (Hunseler, 1984). In 1955, both countries, along with Britain, Pakistan and Turkey agreed upon the Baghdad Pact (Karsh, 2002). This pact was initiated by the West and was established to strengthen defense and security in the region. In October 1957, King Faisal of Iraq paid a state visit to Iran (Hunseler, 1984). In this encounter, both nations reached an agreement regarding the Shatt al-Arab problem. Iran and Iraq agreed on two points. First, there will be a commission to be based in Baghdad which is assigned to work out the details of the joint supervision of the Shatt al-Arab. Second, a Swedish adjudicator will be in charge of delineating the border; this arbitrator is to be situated in Tehran and must work with the joint commission. Once again, an agreement between Iran and Iraq was hindered by yet another occurrence. On July 14, 1958, a revolution broke out in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The change in Iraqi governance eventually disrupted the recently resumed development of Iranian-Iraqi ties (Hunseler, 1984). Also, the political change once again awakened the border conflict on the Shatt al-Arab and the land borders. Four short months after General Abd al-Karim took control, the revolutionary administration of Iraq declared that they would extend their claim on the river to 12 miles. On November 28, 1959, Iranian Shah Reza Pahlevi revived their request to have the border line of the river drawn along the middle. He justified his demand on grounds of Iraq’s clear violation of the 1937 treaty. He also argued that because they were already in the 20th Century, a river which served as a boundary such as Shatt al’Arab cannot be attached to the absolute sovereignty of either nation. General Qasim addressed the demand of the shah with another demand. Iraq sought to regain the anchorage zone awarded to Iran in the 1937 treaty. Despite their counter demand, Qasim still wanted to resolve the dispute through peaceful means. Iraq was willing to withdraw their claim of the anchorage zone if Iran would acknowledge the Iraq’s demands on the river and the treaty of 1937. The peaceful settlement was not reached. On December 10, 1959, Abbas Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aram declined Iraq’s offer. Nine days later, General Qasim reasserted Iraq’s legal right to the anchorage zone without insisting on its return. He also appealed for Iran to value the early treaties. General Qasim suggested that they could address the problem with the help of the United Nations. However, Iran provoked Iraq again when the local newspaper Ettelaat stated that â€Å"the existence of Iraq was in any event a historical misunderstanding and the whole of Iraq a Persian province† (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). An armed struggle between Iran and Iraq was quelled before the further tension could develop. On March 5, 1959, Iran became involved with the United States in a defense settlement (Hunseler, 1984). Soon after, Iran felt coerced by Russia. Iran had reasons to be concerned. It was threatened by Soviet influence and the possible circulation of further revolutionary ideals. Meanwhile, Iraq was also concerned with the threat of the United Arab Republic, a state established in 1958 as a result of the merger between Syria and Egypt. Abd al-Karim Qasim was frightened that Syria might provide assistance to Iraqi Nasserites if and when a war with Iran occurs. Hence, there was no real war between both parties at that time. The tension manifested itself through a media war between Iran and Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). In 1967, Britain declared its wishes to pull out from the Gulf area. Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed the desire of the British administration to remove its military troops located ‘east of Suez’ (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). With this announcement, Iran wanted to replace British forces with their own troops on the moment of the latter’s departure (Hunseler, 1984). The 1967 blockage of the Suez Canal was a welcome development, as it prevented Soviet activity in the Gulf region. In terms of security concerns, Iran wanted to unify and lead the Arab countries in the region. The supposed partnership had the goal of preventing the spread of Soviet control and power of revolutionary nations and factions, such as South Yemen and Iraq. The Arab countries in the Gulf were cautious in dealing with Iran. While they were hesitant to collaborate with Iran which was associated with Israel, they did not want to create a rift among the states (Hunseler, 1984). Iran continued to strongly pursue its ambition of becoming an unshakeable force in the Gulf region (Hunseler, 1984). In 1969, it condemned the 1937 treaty. The shah knew that if Iran wanted to govern and manipulate the shipping lanes in the Gulf, it must have exclusive control of the river. This move would also liberate the Iranian ports on Abadan and Khorramshahr from Iraqi jurisdiction. On one instance, an Iranian vessel sailed despite the absence of an Iraqi pilot. It departed from the Khorramshahr port with the assistance of Iranian patrol vessels and successfully arrived at the Persian-Arab Gulf. Iraq was aware of the violation, but it did not wage a war against Iran due to the weakness of the military (Hunseler, 1984). After 1972, the shah became more determined to cripple Iraq. After the completion of the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, the Shah approached American President Richard Nixon to ask for assistance in the Kurdish cause in Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). This action was done with the objective of weakening the Iraqi army through an attack on its internal disputes. In August 1972, another uprising emerged in Kurdistan. The Iraqi administration and Kurdish chief Mullah Mustafa Barzani met in March 1970 and agreed on the autonomy of Kurdistan beginning in 1974. However, the agreement was threatened by the support of Iran and the United States for Barzani. Because of this, the Kurdish insurgents continued to hold on to their weapons and proceed with the civil war. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces benefited from the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, for it allowed for a steady supply of ammunition from Russia. The weapons were instrumental in guaranteeing the military success of Iraq. Nevertheless, the malfunctioning of the army’s weapons and the failure of the Soviet Union to provide more ammunition endangered the progress Iraq had in its fight against the Kurds. In the early part of March 1975, the Iraqi government was prompted to consider Iran’s proposition that it would refrain from supporting the Kurds if the former would approve the latter’s suggestion to resolve the border issue by placing the border line along the thalweg (Hunseler, 1984). On June 13, 1975, Iran and Iraq agreed on yet another treaty in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty consisted of four crucial agreements. First, the boundaries will be definitely marked based on the Constantinople Protocol of 1913 and the 1914 proposal created by the committee regarding the establishment of the boundary. Second, the river boundaries would be situated in the middle, or the thalweg. According to Willet (2004), the thalweg was the â€Å"central deepest part of the river† (p. 7). Third, there are two things to be rebuilt: the mutual trust between both nations as well as the security of the land boundaries they shared. Also, the invasion on both sides will be stopped. Lastly, the problem will be settled upon with the acknowledgement of the aforementioned points. When Iraq signed the treaty, the country accepted the thalweg agreement for the first time. After five years, it became evident that the said recognition was merely the result of coercion from Iran’s side. The acceptance of Iraq was also caused by the failure of the Soviet Union to provide weapons. Nonetheless, the compromise made regarding the Shatt al-Arab paved the way for the Kurdish civil war to stop. Meanwhile, the relevance of the river in terms of Iranian strategy was relatively reduced. This was because Iran transferred its navy from Khorramshahr to the Bandar Abbas port in August 1978 (Hunseler, 1984). The Iran-Iraq War from a Political Perspective The dispute over the borders and boundaries of the river of Shatt al-Arab was instrumental in the emergence of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980. While the territorial conflicts played a crucial role in causing the war, the political conditions in both countries must also be considered as initiators. The transition in the governments helped influence the leaders on how to deal with the Shatt al-Arab issue. In Iran, there was a dramatic shift in leadership as the Shah was removed from power through a revolution led by a radical Muslim. In Iraq, several coups have altered governance while the rise of the Ba’ath Socialist Party to power resulted in the domination of Saddam Hussein. Both countries longed to dominate the other and emerge as the most powerful in the region (Jacoby, 2008). The Iranian-Iraqi situation under the Rule of the Shah In the 1970s, the tension between Iran and Iraq was heightened (Karsh, 2002). This was because of the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, became aggressive and tried to present Iran as the dominant force in the Persian Gulf. The Shah had been governing the Iran for decades. However, he was temporarily overthrown from power. In 1953, the head of the Iranian Parliament started a coup to remove the Shah (Willett, 2004). The coup succeeded and Pahlavi vacated the Iranian leadership for a brief time. However, the United States