The Clash of Secular Thought and Religion - 1647 Words

There has been a clash between secular thought and religion since its formation of societies in the classical age. Both have made an equal effect on the culture of each empire by influencing people to change their belief on the world. Major religions have made interactions, which affected some of their ideas for what they have become now. The major religions during the classical age are Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Daoism, and Zoroastrianism. These religions also have similarities and differences between each other in which it has involved them to what theyve become. The major empires that have affected are Persia, India, China, Greece, and Rome. These empires culture has influenced by religion to the†¦show more content†¦These three are very similar, but theyre also different from each other because they have this idea to live a better life after death and to do so they must do something good to meet their goal. Zoroastrianism is also slightly similar to these three, but they have this idea that humans are free to do good or bad, but they should choose the good side. Buddhisms idea is to avoid suffering and try to get out of the rebirth cycle into enlightenment. Hinduism is similar to Buddhism, but different because they have a caste system where it is difficult to get out of if they are living in a lower caste. Jainism is also similar to Buddhism because they have this idea of rebirth, but they also want to avoid bad Karma throughout their lives. Daoism is more devoted to their energies to reflection and introspection to understand natural principles of the world. This also indicates that they want to bring harmony to the society omit. Every religion is different from each other which make them unique for what they believe in. During the classical age, a man named Zarathustra founded the religion Zoroastrianism, which caused the Persian Empire to go through a change. Persian religion centered on the cults by natural ele ments and geographic features. Persia was also the center of trade which also meant cross-culture occurred. This meant that they would exchange ideas, culture, and religion throughout the trading route which was the Silk Road that extended from Indian to Egypt.Show MoreRelatedSecular Morality and Religious Morality Inadvertently Influenced One Another 954 Words   |  4 PagesEven in matters of outwardly secular morality, religion plays such a hegemonic role that, in many instances, secular morality is inadvertently influenced by religious morality. It could even be said that religious morality is greatly influenced by secular morals and not the other way around. While it would be difficult to assess the genealogy of morality it would be safe to say that morality has a very strong connection with religious morality. Moreover, to evade the almost omnipresent influenceRead MoreIs A Condition For Democratization?2134 Words   |  9 Pageslikely to clash religiously and politically : on one shore of the world, political institutions are conceived in terms of divine authority; on the other they are not. Today, the United States is the only country to have no government involvement in religion. The United States nevertheless has an isolated example of state support for religion on inscriptions on U.S. currency in which it says â€Å"in God we trust.† In spite of the progress that the United States has made as a modern secular democracy overRead MorePolitics, Religion, And The War Of Ideas951 Words   |  4 PagesPatterson writes concerning â€Å"Democracy, Religion, and the War of Ideas.† He explains that â€Å"it is a â€Å"war† because apostasy and blasphemy laws are on the books of many Muslim-majority countries and people of non-Muslim faith are routinely prosecuted by the state or persecuted (either officially or unofficially).† As a result, this is a war within the Islamic world itself the problems are social, legal and polit ical. Furthermore, the people of Non-Muslims religions do not have a voice and their humanRead MoreA Complex Relationship Between Jews And Christians926 Words   |  4 Pagesthat they are both ancient religions, much of the Jewish and Christian laws have had to be revitalized to fit the changing times. Much like the Pope of the Catholic religion, in the Jewish faith the Pharisees have been the effective leaders in such decisions. There is a forever binding relationship of the two faiths in that Jesus cannot be fully understood without the benefit of knowledge of the Jewish premise (Koch, 2011). Therefore, an understanding of the two religions is of the utmost importanceRead MoreThe Impact of Puritans on the Development of America and Its Influence on Modern Society1141 Words   |  5 Pagesbe under their control. The Puritans decided that they needed to break free from the Church of England and find a place where they could practice their religion without persecution or interfere nce. The new world in the American colonies provided a great opportunity for the Puritans to branch out and form their own communities with their own religion and government. During this time there were two prominent figures in the growth of the Puritans movement in America, Jonathon Winthrop and Roger WilliamRead MoreThe Immigration Crisis Of Europe2115 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"Islam is not a religion but a ‘totalitarian ideology,’† and would like to close Muslim schools, cease the building of new mosques, and close the borders of Amsterdam off to primarily Muslim countries. Though it is true that racism only worsens the relationship between the Dutch and Muslims, claiming racism is the sole issue fails to look further into the tension that exists. This tension between both parties goes far deeper than racism. By analyzing the origins of Dutch thought and secularism throughRead MoreRaza Aslan is Defending his Faith in the Book, No God but God1177 Words   |à ‚  5 Pagesup with a cautionary that, like the reformations of the past, this may be a terrific event, one that has already begun to engulf the world. Truly this book is meant for the west. Its main goal was to satisfy western beliefs who have grasped the clash of civilizations thesis. Aslan who regarded the United States occupation of Iraq as â€Å"liberation, provided a much additional implication and cultivated read of Islam than the additional dictatorial Islamists representing Shia or Sunni dogma. He’sRead MoreThe Separation Of The Churches Of Eastern Orthodox And The Roman Catholic936 Words   |  4 Pagesabout, and what may have caused the spilt to happen. So what actually led to the split? Between the two churches there were several disputes that had to do with theological and political differences. For example, the â€Å"Investiture Conflict, a clash that started between Pope Gregory VII (1073-85) and Emperor Henry IV (1084-1105) over the investment of bishops with the symbols of their office.† Who held what office and ruled over whom, was the major dispute. The Roman Catholic pope claimed heRead MoreThe Theory Of Belief And Its Effect On Human Psychology1450 Words   |  6 Pagesfaith based belief is thought to be a complicated development originating in the brain along with other cognitive processes. Certain areas of the brain involving semantic processing and imagery are activated by religious belief as well as networks involving implicit and explicit theory of mind mechanisms related to intent and emotion. These processes are important when considering the evolution of the human brain and in the combination of the se mechanisms, religious thought is expected to have developedRead MoreEssay about Islam and Democracy2214 Words   |  9 Pagesdefine both of them. Islam means the submission to the will of only one God (Allah) and his command and to accept the God’s sovereignty, while you are free to choose or to refuse as the Quranic verses explained the freedom of religion, â€Å"there is to be no compulsion in religion. Surly the right direction has been made clear and distinct from error†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..† (Quran, II: 256) The term democracy originally is a Greek word which was created from demos â€Å"people† and kratos â€Å"rule†. Abraham Lincoln defined the

Corruption And Corruption Of The Public Sector - 1530 Words

Bribery and corruption in the public sector, is endemic and unavoidable in all societies 1 The supportive reasons of unavoidable bribery and corruption Bribery and corruption in the public sector have been investigated by government for many years, while such hidden bribery and corruption are the behaviour that members working in the public sector indiscriminately take actions. Bribery and corruption are due to members’ heart swell and unsound personality so as to break the public welfare nature (Tackett, 2010). The situation of bribery and corruption is severe and penetrated with different public sectors such as state administration and judiciary (Cepiku, 2004). Furthermore, its effect even gradually covers medical and educational areas. The reasons why its effect can influence the public sector are that economic, political and thoughtful factors (Anderson and Tverdova, 2003). It is understood that economic factor stimulates the corruption and bribery, because individuals tend to obtain the benefits. They will take full advantage of their own powers to obtain similar benefits. With the social development, more people involve economic activities, and their different responsibilities may cause non-standard and opaque bribery and corruption. Political factor may be another important reason attributing to the situation of bribery and corruption. Absolute power may lead to absolute corruption (Overbeck and Park, 2001). Most of bribery and corruption are due to lessShow MoreRelatedCorruption in the Public Sector and Service Delivery2588 Words   |  11 Pages CORRUPTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND SERVICE DELIVERY A Paper presentation at the ROUNDTABLE ON REVIEW OF GOVERNANCE INDEX AND SECURITY IN NIGERIA Held in THE NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE, NIGERIA 22ND MAY, 2013 Protocol Introduction The Public Sector in Nigeria is charged with the responsibility of providing goods and services, otherwise referred to as â€Å"public goods† in economics, to the public vis-à  -vis the mandate of the ruling government and its administrativeRead MoreA Brief Note On Bribery And Corruption Of The Public Sector1462 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis on bribery and corruption in the public sector Introduction There is one statement that â€Å"Bribery and corruption in the public sector, is endemic and unavoidable in all societies†. This essay will make critical analysis of this statement, targeting the public sector. Especially taking the example of US and UK regulatory framework, it will make clear understanding of this statement. Through current academic literature by comparing, contrasting and critiquing views, this essay will developRead MoreHow Corruption Affects The Public And Private Sectors Of Our World1306 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Corruption is a multidimensional phenomenon with numerous causes and effects in the public and private sectors of our world. This dark trend has no boundaries, it is found in every country ranging from the economic leaders down to the least developed nations. The official definition given for corruption by Transparency International is â€Å"the abuse of entrusted power for private gain† (TI). 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Grand corruption represents a very dangerous social phenomenon plaguing Nigeria since the colonial era, which legal and institutional efforts to combat it over the years have taken many forms. However, the persistence of grand corruption in Nigeria arguably infringes on the realisation of certainRead MoreCorruption Is The Biggest Among The Challenges Essay1163 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION Corruption is the biggest among the challenges in Nigeria. It is clear to every citizen of Nigeria that the level of corruption in the country is high. Corruption, an ethical and moral problem which varies from place to place, time to time, culture to culture and with the level of economic development; is a global phenomenon that affects developed, developing and underdeveloped nations of the world. It is a major societal problem in the 21st century (Aluko, 2008). 1.1 What is Corruption? CorruptionRead MoreCombating Rampant Corruption Of Italy943 Words   |  4 PagesChamber of Deputies passed Anti-Corruption Law 190 for the purpose of combatting rampant corruption in Italy. The law established the Commissione Nazionale per la Valutazione, la Trasparenza e l’Integrità   delle Amministrazioni Pubbliche as the anti-corruption authority in Italy. The law and authority go hand in hand. Purpose This national anticorruption authority (CIVIT) was tasked with implementing and overseeing standards on public officials to prevent corruption. The authority was also constructedRead MoreEthics and Accountability in Public Service1697 Words   |  7 PagesEthics, Integrity and Accountability in Public Sector: Practice and Lessons Learned in Latvia Aleksejs Loskutovs, Director Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau Latvia 28 September 2006 (10 min.) The public sector in Latvia has undergone many important changes over the past decade. In mid 1990s Latvian government started a major public administration reform. This reform was one of the cornerstones on Latvia’s way to the European Union, which we joined in May 2004. Latvia made a great effortRead MoreThe Global Issue Of South Africa1516 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' Engagement Summary The Global Issue in South Africa Corruption has overrun all aspects of South African culture since the early 1900’s. The government, the police force, and all of the citizens commit acts of corruption on an everyday basis in order to secure contracts, grants, and in order to earn more money. From a business standpoint, as government contracts are given to certain businesses with connections, many other legitimate businesses are driven out of the market, often leading to lessRead MoreThe Role Of Power For Private Gain As Defined By The United. Nations Development Programme1610 Words   |  7 PagesBackground: Corruption is the use of entrusted power for private gain as defined by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2008). This research studies the effects and consequences of corruption in the Nigeria health care system. Like other sectors in Nigeria, the health sector is not immune from corruption and this is because of the high demand for health care services which has enormously created opportunity for individuals in health care delivery to manipulate the system to their

Marriott at Myanmar free essay sample

This report is prepared to be the first document evaluating Myanmar’s attractiveness for consideration of establishing Marriott Hotels and Resorts in this country. The best location for the hotel is chosen to be the city called Yangon since it offers a wide variety of activities for travelers with different interests. Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts will be attracted to upscale visitors who wish to stay in a luxury, five-star hotel with exceptional service quality, while enjoying the beauty of the country. The target groups of customers are not limited only to local high income Burmese, but also foreign visitors who come on a business or vacation purposes in Myanmar. Myanmar is a resource-rich country with a lot of unseen and attractive destinations. If developed properly, the country has a high potential for growth in the tourism industry in the future. However, due to the high level of risks of its cultural, economical and political systems, this country is considered not attractive enough to operate the luxury brand hospitality business under Marriott name. Strained relationship with the U. S government and the European Union also makes it more difficult for an international brand like Marriott to establish a new business in this country. II. Overview Summary Information A. Key information regarding demographics of the target country The Union of Myanmar, previously called Burma, occupies the largest geographical area in the mainland Southeast Asia. From North to South, three parallel chains of mountain ranges divide the country into three river systems and create various topographic regions. It shares national borders with several countries: China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. The country achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. The population of Myanmar, approximately 54 million people, is highly diverse. There are eight major ethnic groups, which can be subdivided into 135 ethnic minorities. The official language is Burmese; however, several native languages are also spoken. English is usually spoken, particularly by the educated urban elites, and is the secondary language learnt in government schools. Eighty percent of Burmese population is Buddhist, prevalent in Theravada sect. The military government has officially relocated the capital of the country from Yangon to Naypyidaw in March 2006. III. Business History A. History of the company Marriott International, Inc. is a leading worldwide operator and franchisor of a range of value and luxury hotels and related lodging facilities. Nowadays, Marriott International has about 3,150 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Its operations are grouped into five business segments, which are full-service lodging, select service lodging, extended-stay lodging, timeshare, and synthetic fuel. Marriott International was formed in 1993 when Marriott Corporation split into two companies: Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. B. Products/services offered and their unique advantage in the target markets The Marriott has become one of the world’s leading hospitality business operators from its excellent quality, service, and value. Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, its brand name has continuously led the company to the consistent growth in Marriott properties in many countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Each Marriott hotel differentiates itself with exceptional amenities, individualized attention to guests, and careful reflection of local surroundings. As the business expands worldwide, Marriott brand gains a high level of brand loyalty from its guests. This large customer base will help facilitate the business when the brand enters to new-oversea markets. IV. Business Activity A. Industry structure, competition in the country and current economy of the target country Even though the number of travelers visiting Myanmar is very low, tourism is considered the country’s major source for foreign exchange. Burmese government has been trying to promote their tourism industry to outsiders. They launched the campaign of ‘Visit Myanmar Year’ in 1996. After that, according to the Statistics from Ministry of Hotels Tourism, the number of tourist arrivals has been increased. However, this increasing number could not retain on a continuous basis due to the country’s uncertainty and instability in many areas that made people feel uncomfortable visiting Myanmar. Myanmar’s economy is currently mixed and primarily based on agricultural activities, including livestock, fisheries, and forestry. This sector accounts for 50 percent of the country’s overall GDP. The country also possesses several kinds of valuable natural resources, including intensely fertile soil, offshore oil, and gas deposit. It is also the world’s largest exporter of teak and precious stones such as jade, pearls, rubies, and sapphires. Since late 1988, Myanmar moved toward more market-oriented economy. It changed its centrally planned economy to be more liberalized, both in domestic and international trade. The role of private sector was promoted, and foreign direct investment was welcomed. Despite such efforts, Myanmar is still considered the poorest country among the Southeast Asian nations. Although tourist industry has a high potential for growth in the future, it still remains underdeveloped. This is because mismanagement from the military government’s control, ineffective and inefficient policies, poor infrastructures, together with the country’s bad international image have drawn the whole country to the state of underdevelopment. Moreover, since the late 1990s, Myanmar’s economy has worsened due to economic sanctions from many countries such as the European Union, Canada, and the U. S. Foreign investments usually come from China, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. V. Market Research A. Market conditions in target country 1. Existing demand There are several reasons why Myanmar should be a good place in consideration for new investment opportunity. The country has vast and virtually untapped natural resources. To this day, Myanmar remains one of the most mysterious and undiscovered destinations in the world. The country seems appealing to many tourists around the world due to its unseen attractions with regard to cultures, history, and natural beauty. There has been an increasing demand from outside the country, especially from those travelers who wish to discover this resource-rich country. Myanmar is viewed as a good destination for people who want to have an exotic adventure, beach vacation, and mountain experience. In addition, advocates supporting Burmese tourist claim that it is the only method to help Burmese poor citizen to have a better standard of living and avoid isolating the country from the rest of the world. Another important issue needed to be pointed out is the message from the leader of Myanmar’s opposition National League of Democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi has in the past asked foreign tourists not to visit the country, as this helps increase the military junta’s power. This is one of the reasons why some people do not want to visit the country. 2. Competition After the Burmese government opened the country to promote several industries, tourism started to develop in Myanmar. Nowadays, there are approximately 500 hotels and guesthouses throughout the country. In Yangon alone, there are only six luxury hotels and approximately 20 moderate and economy hotels. Among those luxury hotels, none of them is operated under the recognized global hotel-chain companies. Most of the hotels are run by local Burmese people or businessmen from neighboring countries such as China, Singapore and Thailand. Therefore, competition in Myanmar’s tourism industry has not reached the intense level yet. VI. Potential Difficulties or Restriction A. Entry requirement The Government of Myanmar posts some restrictions on foreign investors wishing to do business in the country. In order to establish and operate under contractual agreement or partnership, foreign entity must submit all proposals to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and get approved under the Foreign Investment Law (FIL). Foreign investors can set up their business either in the form of a wholly-owned subsidiary or a joint venture with any partners: an individual, private company, a cooperative society or a state-owned enterprise. In all joint ventures, the minimum equity required from the foreign party is 35 percent. Moreover, the minimum amount of capital requirement to be eligible under the Foreign Investment Law is set to be US $500,000 for an industry, but US$300,000 for a service organization. Tourism industry is one of many sectors allowed under the Foreign Investment Law. Rather than the initial investment requirement, Myanmar also has commercial tax of ten percent levied on service of operation of hotels. B. Intellectual property issues Intellectual property is one important issue that prevents many oversea businesses from entering to Myanmar. The country has a negative outlook on its control with regard to this matter. Myanmar is considered having poor, maybe poorest, intellectual property right laws by the outside world. Marriott brand could be jeopardized since Myanmar’s legislation alone may not be able to protect the ownership of the company’s trademark. In the past, there was an evident showing that some local businesses were registered by using the existing international trademarks or trade name, and that prevented the original owners to register their own names and run the business in this country. VII. Cultural Issues A. Religion and its role in the society Since most Burmese people are Buddhist of Theravada stream, Buddhism has greatly influenced the standards of etiquette in the country. Their core religious belief is karma, the concept that good fathers good and bad fathers bad. This core belief has reflected in almost every aspect in everyday life; however, it does not play a significant role in doing business in this country. With basic knowledge of Burmese culture and custom, foreigners would find it easy to live with the local people. B. Special cultural issues For employer and employee relationship, Burmese employees are hardworking and loyal to their bosses. In return, an employer is expected to give help when in times of need. Such help can be the advice given for personal problems or loan granted in a financial crisis. As in all Asian countries, Myanmar respect people older than them. Therefore, in order to avoid friction in workplace, subordinates should be working under an older supervisor. Friendship, trust, and honesty are valued in a business relationship. Favors received, such as introducing a potential client or supplying a reference, must be repaid at a future time. For the first time in a business meeting, details of the project may not be discussed. Instead, the meeting may be spent evaluating each other’s personality and business strengths and weaknesses. In general, Myanmar business people find it easier to deal with Asians than Westerners. C. Business cultural issues In recent years, both China and India have attempted to strengthen ties with the Burmese government for economic benefits. This situation indicates that relationship with the military government could help smooth out the process or get the deals more easily. Personal relationship is considered one of the key components that could determine the success of the business. Foreign business will be more likely to succeed if the foreign entity can tie with a local partner, ultimately the Burmese government. According to Asian Journal of Political Science, â€Å"all post-colonial Myanmar governments and the business community benefited from their clientelistic networks. Without the help of government officials, many business firms would have gone under quickly; at the same time, without the assistance of business people, it would have been hard for most post-colonial Myanmar governments to keep themselves in power. It is very clear that government-business relations cannot simply be reduced to a zero-sum game. Certain interactions between the military government and the business community were mutually empowering†. Corruption is systemic at all levels of the Government and society. From Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, â€Å"It is considered by economists and businesspersons to be one of the most serious barriers to investment and doing business in the country. A Byzantine and capricious regulatory environment fostered corruption. † VIII. Service Operation A. Location of service facilities The best location that Marriott Hotels and Resorts could be is in the city called Yangon. Yangon, previously known as Rangoon, is one of the most popular areas for foreign visitors and is considered the gateway to Myanmar. It is the largest and former capital of the country. Even though the city is no longer the capital, Yangon continues to be the most important commercial center of Myanmar. This relatively simple city is attractive in its own particular way. Yangon has earned the name ‘the Garden City of the East’ since it is green and cool with lush of tropical trees, shady parks, and beautiful lakes. The city offers a wide variety of activities for visitors such as diving, cultures, and ecotourism. Therefore, this city has a potential to attract a lot of travelers with different interests. B. Service modification necessary to adapt to local environment Since one of Marriott’s strength lies in its careful reflection of local surroundings, Marriott Hotels and Resorts built in Yangon should hold the same principle. Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts should combine the city’s natural beauty of its history, culture and scenery while offering the unique luxury standards. Destination hotels and resorts type might be an appropriate alternative for Marriott in Yangon. The destination resort should be located in the Yangon area with noteworthy natural features, plus an urban setting. IX. Personnel Strategies A. Employment restriction Myanmar has active labor force of about 20 million. They are fairly trained manpower and skilled labor with relatively low cost comparing to other neighboring countries. There is only 23 percent of the overall population working in the service industry; however, these Burmese people are considered hospitable due to the fact that they are generally honest and kind. However, due to the country’s poor infrastructure, Burmese people are not provided with good education. Their skills might not be good enough to fit in Marriott’s high standards of hospitality service. Therefore, it seems necessary for Marriott to provide training sessions to improve their hospitality skills. B. Expatriate issues Since Marriott ties the brand image with its superb service quality, it is vital that Yangon Marriott Hotels and Resorts are equipped with talented management team. Marriott International Inc. might need to import managers from oversea to run the Myanmar operations in order to ensure that Marriott’s core business practice is followed everywhere. This issue brings about big challenge since it will not be easy to find the talented people who will be willing to work in a country with high uncertainty and instability in many aspects on a voluntary basis. Marriott International Inc. might need to provide them with high enough incentives to encourage them to accept this assignment. Nevertheless, under the Foreign Investment Law, Myanmar allows the employment of foreign experts and technicians. Required manpower can be recruited through Township Labor Offices. X. Risks A. Government stability The most important risk exposed in Myanmar deals with its political issue. For the past 40 years, Myanmar has been ruled by the military government or junta, in which the power is centered. The State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, maintains strict authoritarian rule over the people of Myanmar. The country has a reputation abroad for brutally crushing political dissent, as in the case of house arrests of Aung San Suu Kyi. According to the information from the articles Foreign relations of Burma and Military of Burma, â€Å"Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the countrys election of 1990; however, the military which has controlled Myanmar (Burma) for decades refused to transition the country to civilian democratic rule. For her part, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the last decade under house arrest for her political efforts. In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while still under house arrest. † This case brings about the global awareness and concern on the country’s political abuse and human right violation. B. Legal risk The country also completely lacks of regulatory and legal transparency. â€Å"All existing regulations, including those covering foreign investments, are subject to change with no advance or written notice at the whim of the regime’s ruling general. Myanmar does not accept International Court of Justice. C. Economic risk Myanmar’s economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalance. The country’s money currency is called Kyat, which is not stable at all. Volatility happens on a weekly basis. The Kyat is not convertible. This severe situation includes rising inflation, fiscal deficits, and multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese Kyat. A major banking crisis in 2003 also contributed a large negative impact on the overall disrupted economy. XI. Potential Benefits A. Market potential As already mentioned, Myanmar is one of resourceful countries that have high potential for future growth in tourism industry. The country offers all traditional delights of Asia in one country. If developed properly, the country’s tourism can become one of the world’s famous tourist destinations. Seeing this opportunity, Marriott brand can expand globally throughout the Asian Pacific region. Now Marriott brand has its hotel chains in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam in this Asia Pacific region. B. Incentive from local government Myanmar’s Foreign Investment Law provides a lot of incentives to foreign investors in the form of tariff and taxes. The business will be granted a tax exemption for three consecutive years beginning the first year of operation. The country also provides the relief from income tax on profit reinvested within one year. Myanmar guarantees that the business permitted under FIL will be protected from being nationalized during the granted period. C. Relationship to the United States However, according to Bureau of Democracy Human Right and Labor, â€Å"the US and Burmese relation has been worsened after the 1988 military coup and violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstration. Subsequent repression, including the brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors in September 2007, further strained the relationship. † â€Å"In addition, since May 1997, the U. S. Government has prohibited new investment by U. S. persons or entities. A number of U. S. companies exited the Burma market even prior to the imposition of sanctions due to a worsening business climate and mounting criticism from human rights groups, consumers, and shareholders. The United States has also imposed countermeasures on Burma due to its inadequate measures to eliminate money laundering. † As a result of the above fact, it seems inappropriate for Marriott to enter Myanmar at this moment. Since Marriott is a U. S. based company, the company could run into a big conflict with the U. S. government, which could have a seriously negative impact on its hotel operations around the world.

Leadership Practical Booth

Question: Determine how the practice of OB must be redesigned and realigned in multiethnic/multicultural contexts to ensure cultural appropriateness and to achieve organisational effectiveness. Answer: Leadership is booth of the practical skill as well as the research area about the capability of an organization or an individual for guiding as well as leading other teams, individuals or the entire organizations (Bass, 2015). On the other hand, the simple term, Diversity actually refers to the difference variety among people in a particular company (Pieterse, Van Knippenberg Van Dierendonck, 2013). However, both of the two terms have a significant as well as a crucial relationship between them in terms of the organizational culture (Bass Avolio, 2013). Australia is such a country which has the most culturally diverse workforces all over the world. Nevertheless, the cultural differentiations often result into some conflicts those are caused by the ineffectiveness interaction as well as the enhancing ethical and moral degradation at the organizational workplaces continue to the consequences of developing concern (Northouse, 2015). In addition, the labour power may force the employme nt relationship improvement and call for the different types of leaderships as the workforces become more multigenerational as well as diverse (Daft, 2014). Therefore, this particular study is mainly aimed to identify as well as analyze critically and discuss the challenges incorporated in communication that a leader would expect for encountering in relation to the cultural diversity of several organizations in Australia. Therefore, this study also focuses on the critical discussion of how the leaders can resolve the ethical consequences in relation to the cultural diversity in several companies in Australia. At last, this study also aims to discuss synthesis as well as identify an optimal mix of the leadership styles that can be associated with the way of managing the cultural diversity in the organizational workplaces. Moreover, these should be flexible sufficiently as well as capable to be adopted appropriately in the organizations in Australia. Communication Challenges in Australian Organizations Every leader has to face several challenges or problems as it is not easy always for working through the others for getting the outcomes that a leader require (Avolio and Yammarino, 2013). Managing the poor performance inside the workplace of an organization always is one of the most difficult challenges for a leader for facing but then again, so is managing the poor outcomes (Dubrin, 2015). The communication involves the message transmission from a sender to the receiver. Communication is the key factor for the leaders in order to create effectiveness in an organization as well as survival of an organization. In other words, communication is the most effective as well as significant key for getting success by a leader in an organization (Frohlich Oppenheimer, 2015). In a small business the effective leadership needs knowing how for communicating with all of organizational elements, incorporating the leaders. The Leaders of an organization should have the knowledge regarding the proper communication style that is appropriate for the leadership. They must be capable of adapting based on the group they are interacting with at the time (Chhokar, Brodbeck, House, 2013). The skills of effective communication are an important as well as a significant aspect of the portfolio of the experience as well as skills of any leader (Ubben, Hughes Norris, 2015). However, in reality the problem is that many of the leaders do not have the knowledge as well as the proper concept of the effective communication with the help of which they can create an excellent communication system with the employee for making an exclusive and significant coordination in the workplace (Hargreaves Fink, 2012). Australia has the most diverse workplaces in the organizations located in that country. Therefore, the organizations in Australia are always aware of as well as concerned about the issues or the challenges faced by t he leaders. In order to mitigate the challenges faced by the leaders while making communication within the workplaces of the organizations, it is required to identify as well as discuss what are the significant issues or challenges those must be eliminated in order to bring a clear and well-structured diversity within the organisational workplace (Chemers, 2014). Leaders are unable for exchanging the details important to the regular activities or the operations of the leaders and make a network of communication for carrying new data of product. Therefore, the communication challenges as well as the issues faced by the leaders in the workplaces of the Australian organizations mainly prevent effective leadership (Tannenbaum, Weschler Massarik, 2013). Therefore, ultimately, the important operations of the organization are hampered due to the inactiveness of the leaders in terms of their ineffective communication with their subordinates as the leaders have the supreme authority or they should have the potential to manage a huge number of employees who are working under his instructions. Therefore, the challenges should be identified properly (Rice, 2013). There are several important challenges those must be identified, discussed as well as analyzed in order to overcome the issues. Potential to recognize the employee Achievements Identification It has often been seen that the many leaders are unsuccessful to recognize the achievements or the potential to achieve a certain milestone in an organizational workplace (Kang, 2015). It is a very crucial problem that can be identified as the result of the poor communication capability of a particular leader. Discussion and Analysis As per the statistics provided in the figure given above, it can be said that it is the most effective as well as the most crucial challenge for the leaders. It has often been seen that most of the leaders do not have the capability of recognizing the achievements and potential (Barak, 2013). This kind of problem mainly occurred due the lack in the willingness of the leaders to communicate with the employees. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the leaders to segregate tasks among employees as per their capabilities (Harvey Allard, 2015). Thus, a hectic situation is created within the organization due to which productivity is hampered. Potential to provide clear directions Identification Not giving clear as well as proper direction to the employees or the subordinates by the leaders in order to some certain tasks is another very critical challenge for the leader (Schaeffer Mattis, 2012). In other words, it is a significant challenge that can be identified as the result of the poor communication capability of a particular leader (Chrobot-Mason Aramovich, 2013). Discussion and Analysis As per the given statistics, it has been proven that the not giving clear direction is a crucial challenge for the leader (Canas Sondak, 2013). The leaders of an organization must have the potential to provide the right direction, exact as well as an understandable direction or procedure through which employees can be able to implement certain important tasks for the organization (Kato Kodama, 2016). However, it must be said that this sort of problem generally happens due to the inability to communicate with the employees. Time to meet with employees Identification It can often be noticed that the employees do not get the chance to make a face to face conversation regarding certain operation with their leaders as they have very less time to communicate with the employees (Durrani, Rajagopal, 2016). Therefore, no time to meet the employees can be identified as a significant communication problem for the leaders. Discussion and Analysis the leaders should keep time for their subordinates as well as the employees, who are working under them so that they can effectively communicate regarding the job, productivity and many other things (Suedekum, Wolf Blien, 2014). However, in reality many of the leaders are failed to do so. Therefore, it is a huge communication challenge that must be overcome (Pieterse et al. 2013). Communicating with the Subordinates Identification Refusing to talk with the subordinates is a very crucial communication challenge that carries negative point for the leaders (Bass, 2015). Discussion and Analysis Such communication problem is simply obtained due to the lack in willingness to talk to the employees as a result of the leadership aggressiveness which is totally incorrect (Bass Avolio, 2013). Thus, the relationship between the leaders and the employees become worse and as a result of which a problematic situation arises in the workplace (Northouse, 2015). On the other hand, due to such problem the productivity is hampered as a whole. The leaders must be concerned regarding such communication challenge so that a good relation can be maintained (Daft, 2014). Telephonic Conversation Identification Some leaders often refuse to talk over the phone as they dislike making a telephonic conversation. Therefore, it can also be identified as an important communication challenge for the leaders (Avolio Yammarino, 2013). Discussion and Analysis some leaders simply have a fear to talk over the phone as they do not have the potential to make a proper telephonic conversation. Telephonic conversation is very difficult and many things have to be followed by the leaders or any other employees in order to make a proper conversation over the phone (Dubrin, 2015). Due to such problem, the organization can face several difficulties in terms of their business as the leaders always have to talk to the important clients of the organization in order to make certain essential contracts and deals (Frohlich Oppenheimer, 2015). The data in the above drawn figure presents that huge number of leaders are not involving in the critical moments through their effective communication that can help the employees see them as trustworthy (Chhokar et al. 2013). The effective leaders should have the knowledge that the healthy communication needs the connection potential with the feedback, meaning interaction, clear direction and inclusion as the nerve centre of the organization (Ubben et al. 2015). Addressing Issues Related to Culturally Diverse Workforces in Australian Organisations The term, Cultural Diversity is a group of diverse individuals from the distinct societies or the cultures. In workplace of organization, cultural diversity not only involves how people can perceive them but also how they can perceive other people. These kinds of perceptions can affect their interactions (Hargreaves Fink, 2012). Human Resource Professional and specially the leaders of a particular organization require for dealing effectively with issues like change, adaptability as well as communication for a wide assortment of the employees for effectively functioning as a company. Maintaining cultural diversity in the workplace is very much essential in order to run a successful business of an organization (Chemers, 2014). The heterogeneous groups can deliver a better critical analysis as well as the solutions, thus a leader must run as well as structure a company in such a manner that can promote the diversity in the workplace (Tannenbaum, Weschler Massarik, 2013). There are few ways through which the mentioned issues of cultural diversity can be resolved by the effective leaders in the Australian organizational workplaces. These are as follows: Recognition the leaders of the organizations must have the capability of recognizing the fact that the people have differences, it can be cultural, generational or physical and the leader cannot pretend that these challenges have been broken down. Instead, the leaders o that particular organization should celebrate the differentiations among the employees or the subordinates who are working under the leaders as well as motivate and encourage them for letting their individualities show (Rice, 2013). For a instance, the leaders should not make any hesitation for asking someone from the another culture regarding the etiquette practices of their cultures (Marshall, 2013). The knowledge of the employees could prove very useful to those particular businesses. The leaders should not pigeonhole their employees. The worth of a particular employee generally comes from more than the age or the ethnicity of the employee. Fairness It is the most significant as well as the most effective way through which the leaders can be able to create a well-structured diversity within the organizations. Acting uniformly as well as acting fairly is totally different and the only one enables a leader for dealing successfully the diversity in the workplace of his or her organization (Kang, 2015). The employees should not be fool by thinking that the particular employee is demonstrating a respecting diversity as well as a fair diversity by treating everyone exactly the same. Instead of that, the leaders should treat every people in a fair manner as well as respect the differences or the cultural differences among the employees that make them who they are. For an instance, the leaders should not make a schedule of a mandatory meeting that falls on a religious holiday of Australia (Barak, 2013). It can demonstrate an insensitivity of the leaders of an organization and can breed resentment as well as can also foster fee lings of being left out in any worker that are unable for attending the religious function (Harvey Allard, 2015). Employee Assessments As a leader or a manager of a particular business organization, that leader or the manager conduct already assessments and reviews as well (Schaeffer Mattis, 2012). the leaders must also examine the attitudes of the employees while preparing these kinds of assessments or reviews, specifically how the employees can work with other employees in that particular organization (Chrobot-Mason Aramovich, 2013). If the leader or the manager can make an observation that an employee only delegate jobs to the people of a particular race or if a worker in that organization discounts the ideas or the concepts of people above or below a certain age, it is thus the leaders responsibility for addressing the consequences. The leaders should recognize the issues among the employees as well as brig them up while making the assessment of the performance of the employees who are working under the instruction of the leader (Canas Sondak, 2013). Encourage interaction the leaders can maintain the diversity in the workplace effectively by encouraging interaction among the employees who working in the organization as the leaders subordinates (Kato Kodama, 2016). While the leaders can recognize the issues those are related to the diversity or the cultural diversity in the workplace, therefore, the leaders should make a thorough discussion regarding those issues with the employees in a very non-confrontational way (Durrani Rajagopal, 2016). For an instance, the leaders should encourage and motivate employees for working with other of different generations as well as different backgrounds. With the help of the initiation of this sort of interactions can motivate the employees for learning more regarding the goals, talents as well as styles of communication of their own as well as those of their co-workers (Suedekum et al. 2014). Appropriate Leadership Models or Styles Managing cultural diversity in the organizational workplace is a very crucial as well as critical concern all the organization in Australia as this country has been recognized as one of the growing countries in terms of enhancing diversity in the workplace all over the world (Pieterse et al. 2013). Therefore, as mentioned and discussed in the earlier section, the leaders can play a significant role in the order to maintain a huge cultural diversity within the organizational workplaces. In order to manage the cultural diversity in the organizational workplace, the leaders should follow some specific strategies or procedures (Bass Avolio, 2013). However, the leadership styles can be very much effective for the leaders in order to manage the cultural diversity (Northouse, 2015). There are several different and significant styles of leadership with the help of which the leaders can be able to maintain a culturally diverse workplace in a particular organization so that the employee relat ion, relation between the leaders and the employees as well as the productivity as a whole cannot be hampered. These leadership styles are as follows, Laissez-Faire Leadership Style the leaders who follow this particular leadership style lacks direct employees supervision as well as fails for providing feedback in a regular basis under the supervision of that particular leader. This particular style of leadership mainly hinders the production of the supervision that is employee needing (Daft, 2014). Thus, this kind of leadership style produces no supervision or leadership efforts from the leaders that can result in the increasing costs, lack of control as well as poor production. Therefore, it can easily be said that this particular style of leadership is not appropriate for managing cultural diversity within the organizational workplace (Avolio Yammarino, 2013). Autocratic Leadership Style this particular style o leadership permits managers for making decisions alone without the input of others. The leaders as well as the managers possess total authority as well as impose their will on the workers. No one can challenges the decisions of the leaders who follow this leadership style (Dubrin, 2015). Any developing countries like Australia who are democratic would not follow this particular style o leadership as this autocratic leadership style cannot be effective for the maintenance of the cultural diversity within the organizational workplace. Participative Leadership Style this particular style of leadership mainly values the input of the peers as well as the team members, but the responsibility of implementing the final and ultimate decision rests with this kind of leaders. This leadership boosts the morale of employee as the employees can contribute to the process of decision making through which diversity can be maintained within the organization (Frohlich Oppenheimer, 2015). While an organization requires for making changes in order to maintain diversity within the company, this style of leadership helps the employees to easily accept changes as they play a significant role in the process. Thus, this kind of leadership style can be very much effective for an organization to manage diversity within the company. Transactional Leadership Style - the managers or the leaders who are using the style of transactional leadership receive some particular tasks for providing as well as performing punishments or rewards towards the team members on the basis of the results of the performance of the employees (Ubben et al. 2015). The team members as well as the managers or the leaders can set the goals of predetermination together and workers agree for following the direction as well as the leadership of the leader or the manager for accomplishing those particular objectives or goals (Hargreaves Fink, 2012). The leaders can possess the power for reviewing the outcomes as well as correcting or training employees while the team members are failed for meeting the objectives (Chemers, 2014). Employees receive several rewards like the bonuses or the incentives while they accomplish their organizational objectives. Therefore, by analyzing the functionality of this particular style of leadership, t can also b e stated that the transactional leadership style can be able to manage the cultural diversity within the organization. Transformational Leadership Style this particular style of leadership is mainly depended on the high levels of the interaction or communication from the leaders in the higher management for meeting the goals. The leaders can have the potential motivating and encouraging employees as well as enhancing efficiency as well as the productivity through the high visibility and communication. This transformational leadership style needs the management involvement for meeting objectives (Rice, 2013). The leaders who follow the transformational leadership style focus on the big image within a company as well as delegate smaller tasks to the team for accomplishing objectives (Marshall, 2013). Therefore, all of the features of this particular leadership style can be very effective to create a well-diverse workplace in an Australian organization. Conclusion From the entire discussion made based on the effective leadership as well as the cultural diversity, a conclusion can be drawn that the leaders can play a significant role in the maintenance of the cultural diversity in the organizational workplace. Thus, the leaders in organizations should have to follow those leadership styles those are very much effective in order to manage the diversity among the employees in the organizational workplace. Australia is that country, where all of the organizations have diverse work culture. However, it must be said that without proper effectiveness of the leaders, it would not be possible for the Australian organizations to maintain a world popular diversity in their workplaces. On the other hand, it must be said that the leaders of the organizations must be able to make an effective communication capability so that they could be able to make a smooth and a good relation with the employees. However, the leaders of the Australian organizations have that capability to mitigate all the barriers of communication. Therefore, they have become successful in order to build diverse organizational workplaces. However, the leaders should always remember these concerns so that such kind of problems due to the communication gap or the problems of cultural diversity could not be taken place further in future. References Avolio, B.J. Yammarino, F.J. eds., (2013).Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Emerald Group Publishing. Barak, M. E. M. (2013).Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Bass, B. M. (2015).Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press; Collier Macmillan. Bass, B. M., Avolio, B. J. (2013).Full range leadership development: Manual for the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire(pp. 43-44). Palo Alto, CA: Mind Garden. Canas, K., Sondak, H. (2013).Opportunities and challenges of workplace diversity. Pearson Higher Ed. Chemers, M. (2014).An integrative theory of leadership. Psychology Press. Chhokar, J. S., Brodbeck, F. C., House, R. J. (Eds.). (2013).Culture and leadership across the world: The GLOBE book of in-depth studies of 25 societies. Routledge. Chrobot-Mason, D., Aramovich, N. P. (2013). The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity.Group Organization Management,38(6), 659-689. Daft, R. (2014).The leadership experience. Cengage Learning. Dubrin, A. (2015).Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Nelson Education. Durrani, A. S., Rajagopal, L. (2016). Restaurant human resource managers attitudes towards workplace diversity, perceptions and definition of ethical hiring.International Journal of Hospitality Management,53, 145-151. Frohlich, N., Oppenheimer, J. A. (2015).Political leadership and collective goods. Princeton University Press. Hargreaves, A., Fink, D. (2012).Sustainable leadership(Vol. 6). John Wiley Sons. Harvey, C. P., Allard, M. (2015).Understanding and managing diversity. Pearson. Kang, J. (2015). Effectiveness of the KLD Social Ratings as a Measure of Workforce Diversity and Corporate GovernanceReactions to diversity in recruitment advertisingAre differences black and white? Executive compensation as an agency problemThe predictive validity of multiple-item versus single-item measures of the same constructsDoes stakeholder orientation matter? The relationship between stakeholder management models and firm financial performanceWomen corporate directors: Current research and future .... Kato, T., Kodama, N. (2016).Corporate Social Responsibility and Gender Diversity in the Workplace: Evidence from Japan. Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). Marshall, S. (2013). Evaluating the strategic and leadership challenges of MOOCs.Journal of Online Learning and Teaching,9(2), 216. Northouse, P. G. (2015).Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Pieterse, A. N., Van Knippenberg, D., Van Dierendonck, D. (2013). Cultural diversity and team performance: The role of team member goal orientation.Academy of Management Journal,56(3), 782-804. Rice, A. K. (Ed.). (2013).Learning for leadership: Interpersonal and intergroup relations. Routledge. Schaeffer, C. B., Mattis, J. S. (2012). Diversity, religiosity, and spirituality in the workplace.Journal of management, spirituality religion,9(4), 317-333. Suedekum, J., Wolf, K., Blien, U. (2014). Cultural diversity and local labour markets.Regional Studies,48(1), 173-191. Tannenbaum, R., Weschler, I., Massarik, F. (2013).Leadership and organization. Routledge. Ubben, G. C., Hughes, L. W., Norris, C. J. (2015).The principal: Creative leadership for excellence in schools. Pearson.

Teaching ESL students to write in English

ESL students come from very different countries, from all walks of life. Some of them have been in America for a while already; others are fairly new to the country and its habits and culture. It’s important to acknowledge the fact they differ not only from â€Å"the† American but also from their classmates. Discussions in the group may run into a dead end street since not every student is used to speak his mind. Familiar topic When teaching them to write in English you might want to start with a topic they are very familiar with and that is not hard to write down. Topics like ‘what did you do this weekend?’, ‘describe the celebration of a birthday’ or ‘what did you watch on TV lately?’ are simple and don’t ask too much of the student in regard of composition. Tell your students to never ever first do their piece of writing in their own language and then ‘translate’ it into English. Emphasize they should think in English and therefore write in English. Once they get tangled up in translating from their native language into English, they are sliding down at top speed. Be positive When you give feedback it is best to keep that positive. Search for the good things in the piece to give your student some self-confidence. Then you can point out some faults but never sum up all of them. Concentrate on the major few; you can deal with the others at another time. One step at the time does the job. You want your students to come back to your next session, right? Also keep in mind your student might be in awe of you. You are the authority he has to listen to. That’s the way he was raised. This difference in culture does not have to be an obstacle. You gently point out your criticism; when you ask whether he has understood, use so-called open questions. A simple: do you see what I mean? can be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ without you knowing whether he really understood. In many cultures is it not done to say ‘no’, especially to someone higher in hierarchy. A question like: please sum up what I just told you, will force the student into actually giving you an answer that tells you something. Keep it simple There are many more tips and tricks to teach ESL students to write a good piece, a cover letter or an essay in English. As a teacher you have to keep it simple and build from there, and you need to have a lot of patience. Your ESL students may not understand the simplest rules and may not be used to the American way of communicating. But once they have taken their first hurdles it is a rewarding experience for both you and the ESL students you teach.

A Guide to Solstices and Equinoxes

A Guide to Solstices and Equinoxes Solstices and equinoxes are interesting terms that show up each year on our calendars. They are related to astronomy and the motions of our planet. Most people think of them as the start of a season. Thats true as far as a date on a calendar is concerned, but they dont necessarily predict climate or weather. The terms solstice and equinox are related to specific positions of the Suns in the sky throughout the year. Of course, the Sun doesnt move through our sky. But, it appears to move because Earth is turning on its axis, like a merry-go-round. People on a merry-go-round see people appear to move around them, but its really the ride thats moving. Its the same with Earth. As the planet spins around, people see the Sun appear to rise in the east and set in the west.  The Moon, planets,  and stars all appear to do the same thing, for the same reason.   Precessional movement of Earths pole. Earth turns on its axis once a day (shown by the white arrows). The axis is indicated by the red lines coming out the top and bottom poles. The white line is the imaginary line the pole traces out as Earth wobbles on its axis. NASA Earth Observatory adaptation How Are Solstices and Equinoxes Determined? Watch the sunrise and sunset each day (and remember never to look directly AT our hot, bright Sun), and notice its rise and set points change throughout the year. Notice also that the Suns position in the sky at noon is farther north at some times of year and more southerly at other times. The sunrise, sunset, and zenith points slide slowly to the north from December 21-22 to June 20-21 each year. Then, they appear to pause before starting the slow daily slide toward the south, from June 20-21st (the northernmost point) to December 21-22 (the southernmost point). Those stopping points are called the solstices (from the Latin  sol,  which means sun, and sistere,  which means stand still). These terms stem back to a time when early observers had no knowledge of Earths motions in space but did notice that the Sun appeared to stand still at its northernmost and southernmost points, before resuming its apparent motion south and north (respectively). Solstices Summer solstice is the longest day of the year for each hemisphere. For northern hemisphere observers, the June solstice (the 20th or 21st), marks the beginning of summer. In the southern hemisphere, thats the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter. Six months later, on December 21st or 22nd, winter begins with the shortest day of the year for northern hemisphere people. Its the start of summer and the longest day of the year for people south of the equator. This is why such solstices are now called the December and June solstices, rather than winter or summer solstices. It recognizes that the seasons for each hemisphere correspond to north or south location.   The Greek astronomer Hipparchus was the first to discover and chart the equinoxes. Getty Images   Equinoxes Equinoxes are also connected to this slow change of apparent solar position. The term equinox comes from two Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). The Sun rises and sets exactly due east and due west on the equinoxes, and day and night are of equal length. In the northern hemisphere, the March equinox marks the first day of spring, while its the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere. The September equinox is the first day of fall in the north and the first day of spring in the south.   So, the solstices and equinoxes are important calendar points that come to us from the apparent position of the Sun in our sky. They are also intimately connected to the seasons but are not the sole reason why we have seasons. The reasons for the seasons  are linked to Earths tilt and its position as it orbits the Sun.   Observing the Solstices and Equinoxes Charting the moments of solstice and equinox is a year-long observation project. Take a moment each day to observe the sky; notice sunrise or sunset and mark where those occur along your horizon. After a few weeks, its very easy to note a  very distinct shift of the positions north or south. Check out the appearance points of sunrise and sunset against the printed calendar and see how close they come to matching. Its a great long-term science activity for anyone to do, and has been the subject of more than a few science fair projects!   While the original ideas about solstices and equinoxes hark back to a time in human history when sky observers had no way of knowing about our planets motions in space, they still mark important dates that give people clues about the change of seasons. Today, ancient astronomical markers such as Stonehenge remind us that people have been looking to the sky, and measuring its motions, since the dawn of human history.

Financial Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Concepts - Essay Example n to compensate for the underlying risk involved .This rate of return (Ke) is defined as the sum of risk free rate of return (Rf) and risk premium (Rm- Rf) multiplied by beta (KPMG, 2005).Thus beta is useful in calculating the rate of return of a risky asset and thus very applicable in investment decisions. 2.2. Variance- It is a standard statistical measure of the dispersion of a set of data points around their mean value. In finance, the variance of the market return is the expected squared deviation from the expected return (Myers, 2000). Variance is useful in measuring portfolio risk in the sense that it measures the volatility from average value. This helps the investors in risk assessment while purchasing stocks or bonds (Investopedia, 2010). 2.3. Duration: It is defined as the average number of years to an asset’s discounted cash flows (Myers,2000).It denotes how much sensitive is the price of a fixed income investment to a change in interest rates. The bigger the duration, the greater the reward for bond prices. Thus this is applicable in investment decisions. 2.4. Return on Assets (ROA): It is defined as the ratio of net income to total assets (Myers, 2000). It indicates how efficiently a company is using its total assets to generate its earnings. It is an indicator of a company’s efficiency and profitability. 2.5: Return on Equity (ROE): It is defined as the ratio of net income to shareholder’s equity(Myers,2000). It an indicator of the profitability of a company. It shows how profitable a company is making use of the money invested by the shareholders 2.6. Cost of Capital- Each firm expects a minimum rate of return on its investments as earnings for attracting new capital and to maintain its current value. This rate of return is called cost of capital (KPMG, 2005). The opportunity cost of investment in funds is reflected in cost of capital and hence it is a very important parameter for any company (Civil Aviation Authority, 2001). The two