La liberté de lhomme :: essays research papers

Comme nous l'avons vu en classe, la science et la foi sont divisà ©s profondà ©ment dans notre socià ©tà ©. Les scientifiques rejettent, de faà §on assez gà ©nà ©rale tout ce dont touche à   la foi. De leur part, les religieux s'en prennent aux scientifiques pour leurs tentatives de tout expliquer de manià ¨re rationnelle et scientifique. Dans cet article, Pierre Karli essaie de mettre au point les diffà ©rences fondamentales dans le dà ©bat entre la science et la foi, tout en essayant de rapprocher les deux. Il traà ®te d'abord de la science et de la foi de faà §on catà ©gorique, oà ¹ il indique ce dont nous apporte chacun ainsi que les "collusions" dont il voit entre la foi et le pouvoir politique et entre la science et le pouvoir politique. Il saute ensuite vers une discussion de l'à ªtre humain et la question de l'"instinct d'agression" pour finalement tomber sur une discussion du dà ©bat autour de la libertà © de l'homme. Les diffà ©rences entre la science et la foi ont à ©tà © dà ©battues pendant longtemps. Les scientifiques rejettent toute notion d'un Dieu crà ©ateur, puisqu'ils sont incapables de prouver de faà §on concrà ¨te son existence. Les religieux critiquent les scientifiques de toujours rationaliser et d'essayer de tout mesurer. Par exemple, comment peut-on mesurer l'amour? Les scientifiques peuvent-ils tout de mà ªme nier l'existence de cette force, cette à ©motion? De la part des religieux et croyants, le cas est de mà ªme pour Dieu. Karli dit qu'on ne peut pas comparer ces deux aspects par contre, puisqu'ils ne sont pas semblables. Le problà ¨me se retrouve que les religieux se servent d'une approche religieuse pour examiner la science. De l'inverse pour les scientifiques à   l'à ©gard de la religion. Mais ces deux champs ne peuvent pas à ªtre examinà ©s de la mà ªme manià ¨re. C'est ici que provient les affrontements entre les deux. La science se sert de raison pour pouvoir dà ©crire, mesurer et dà ©montrer. Les scientifiques essaient de tout mesurer, dà ©crire et dà ©montrer, mais arrivent à   un mur lorsqu'ils regardent des aspects mystiques ou religieux. La science, elle, nous permet une meilleure connaissance du monde et de notre relation avec celle-ci. De son cà ´tà ©, la foi est "l'adà ©sion à   une và ©rità © rà ©và ©là ©e, donnà ©e entià ¨re dà ¨s le dà ©part, et qui rà ©pond à   un besoin de transcendence, d'absolu." (Karli, p. 138) Elle nous dit ce qu'on doit faire dans la vie pour doter celle-ci d'un sens, d'une raison d'à ªtre. Mais pour Karli, ces deux ne sont pas mutuellement exclusifs comme nous le ferait croire les participants des deux champs. Karli, comme d'autres thà ©ologiens et religieux(Teilhard de Chardin, l'abbà © Laflamme1 entre autres) essaie de reconcilier la science et la religion. La libertà © de l'homme :: essays research papers Comme nous l'avons vu en classe, la science et la foi sont divisà ©s profondà ©ment dans notre socià ©tà ©. Les scientifiques rejettent, de faà §on assez gà ©nà ©rale tout ce dont touche à   la foi. De leur part, les religieux s'en prennent aux scientifiques pour leurs tentatives de tout expliquer de manià ¨re rationnelle et scientifique. Dans cet article, Pierre Karli essaie de mettre au point les diffà ©rences fondamentales dans le dà ©bat entre la science et la foi, tout en essayant de rapprocher les deux. Il traà ®te d'abord de la science et de la foi de faà §on catà ©gorique, oà ¹ il indique ce dont nous apporte chacun ainsi que les "collusions" dont il voit entre la foi et le pouvoir politique et entre la science et le pouvoir politique. Il saute ensuite vers une discussion de l'à ªtre humain et la question de l'"instinct d'agression" pour finalement tomber sur une discussion du dà ©bat autour de la libertà © de l'homme. Les diffà ©rences entre la science et la foi ont à ©tà © dà ©battues pendant longtemps. Les scientifiques rejettent toute notion d'un Dieu crà ©ateur, puisqu'ils sont incapables de prouver de faà §on concrà ¨te son existence. Les religieux critiquent les scientifiques de toujours rationaliser et d'essayer de tout mesurer. Par exemple, comment peut-on mesurer l'amour? Les scientifiques peuvent-ils tout de mà ªme nier l'existence de cette force, cette à ©motion? De la part des religieux et croyants, le cas est de mà ªme pour Dieu. Karli dit qu'on ne peut pas comparer ces deux aspects par contre, puisqu'ils ne sont pas semblables. Le problà ¨me se retrouve que les religieux se servent d'une approche religieuse pour examiner la science. De l'inverse pour les scientifiques à   l'à ©gard de la religion. Mais ces deux champs ne peuvent pas à ªtre examinà ©s de la mà ªme manià ¨re. C'est ici que provient les affrontements entre les deux. La science se sert de raison pour pouvoir dà ©crire, mesurer et dà ©montrer. Les scientifiques essaient de tout mesurer, dà ©crire et dà ©montrer, mais arrivent à   un mur lorsqu'ils regardent des aspects mystiques ou religieux. La science, elle, nous permet une meilleure connaissance du monde et de notre relation avec celle-ci. De son cà ´tà ©, la foi est "l'adà ©sion à   une và ©rità © rà ©và ©là ©e, donnà ©e entià ¨re dà ¨s le dà ©part, et qui rà ©pond à   un besoin de transcendence, d'absolu." (Karli, p. 138) Elle nous dit ce qu'on doit faire dans la vie pour doter celle-ci d'un sens, d'une raison d'à ªtre. Mais pour Karli, ces deux ne sont pas mutuellement exclusifs comme nous le ferait croire les participants des deux champs. Karli, comme d'autres thà ©ologiens et religieux(Teilhard de Chardin, l'abbà © Laflamme1 entre autres) essaie de reconcilier la science et la religion.

Charles Lindbergh Essay -- essays research papers

The flight of Charles A. Lindbergh was actually three phases. The preflight that was step of obtaining the plane, the arrangements of sponsors, and making a list of land marks. Probably the most important phase out of all was the actual flight from New York to Paris, France. The final phase would consist of a man turning into a hero when he finally reaches Paris. The preflight arrangements for Charles A. Lindbergh’s flight began in early 1927. Charles A. Lindbergh presented his proposal to Knight, Bixby, and other St. Louis businesspersons whom were impressed with Lindbergh’s confidence and agreed to sponsor his flight. Lindbergh had setup a $15,000 budget and $2,000 of which was Lindberghs. A name, the Spirit of St. Louis, was established. Lindbergh was to choose the plane and decide on all other aspects of the proposed flight. According to Lindbergh, a single-engine plane, rather than a multiengine plane increased the chance of success. His theory was the less weight, the more fuel, the greater range. The experts would say that a solo flight across the Atlantic was simply suicide. The burden on the pilot was considered too great—he would have to stay awake for over thirty hours, enduring constant stresses. Immediately, Lindbergh began searching for the right plane at the right price. He contacted a number of aircraft compa nies. Some did not respond and some turned him down. Things were not looking good for Lindbergh. In early February 1927, the Ryan Airlines Corporation of San Diego, California, had responded within twenty-four hours of receiving Lindbergh’s telegram regarding a plane for his proposed transatlantic flight. Yes, they could produce a plane that could fly nonstop from New York to Paris. It would cost $6,000 not including the engine, and would take three months to build. The Ryan workers worked on the Spirit of St. Louis morning, noon, and night, seven days a week. Voluntary overtime became a normal operating procedure, and work on most other planes had nearly stopped. After meeting with the company’s president, they decided to modify an existing Ryan model by outfitting the plane with extra fuel tanks and increasing the wing area, thus would give the plane a maximum range of 4,000 miles, more than enough to reach Paris. In the picture to the right, it shows how the main fuel tank in the fro... ...nch flyers were able to get him released, but only after another American had been mistaken for him. Lindbergh’s helmet had somehow gotten on the other man’s head, and he was being dragged away by the crowd. Charles Lindbergh was insisting that something be done about his plane before he agreed to leave the field. He was shocked when he saw the Spirit of St. Louis. The crowds had ripped holes in the fuselage in order to take home souvenirs. What angered him even more was that the navigation log he had kept during his flight had been stolen. Lindbergh slept for the next ten hours. In the morning, Lindbergh and the ambassador stood on the balcony and greeted the jubilant crowd that had gathered in front of the embassy. Lindbergh had planned to fly back to the U.S. via Europe, Siberia, Alaska, and Canada, thus completing a trip around the world. However, he reluctantly gave in to pressure from the ambassador to accept President Calvin Coolidge’s invitation to retur n aboard the cruiser USS Memphis. The president presented him with the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor, and the post office issued an airmail stamp in his honor.

meditech surgical case Essay

Introduction Meditech is a leader in the endoscopic surgical instrument market. The company manufactures and market low cost endoscopy surgical equipment to hospitals and independent surgeons. The company’s distribution operation is arranged and managed from a central storage warehouse that ships its products to domestic and international affiliates. The organization have been experiencing a good customer service experience in the past, however, lately customers have expressed concerns with the time products are being delivered to them. Due to the nature of the industry, the delivery of surgical equipment on time is extremely important. The on time delivery of products to its customers has become the main problem for the firm. Currently, Meditech’s customers are waiting over six weeks for products to be delivered to them. This current practice is not acceptable and must be addressed by management immediately if Meditech wants to stay competitive and keep its current market share. Statement and Causes of the problem Meditech’s main problem is that a bullwhip effect was produced due to organizational and supply chain problems. The method used by Meditech to balance customer demands with planned production is not effectively serving  its purpose. The catalogue of products being offered by Meditech continues to grow and replacing current items, making obsolete old products that are in their catalogue and current customer orders. Poor customer demands forecasting, long assembly lead times, and changing products are the main reason why inventory levels are not enough to satisfy customer’s demands. While the assembly lines try to keep with demand and company’s resources are getting exhausted trying to launch a new product, the distributors then will increase their product demand, which causes a bottle neck effect as it moves up the supply chain process. As the initial demand slows down there are still backup of high demand of inventory being produced. This cycle would repeat again as new products are being released to the market. Due to these problems, Meditech supply chain and management has created a poor customer service. Another problem of Meditech is communication. There is not enough communication between main operations departments in the company; this is causing information to become distorted as it makes its way through the supply chain line. The lack of communication and information increases the firm’s lead to demand variation as orders or demand is being process through the supply chain systems and departments. In consequence, distributors are feeling the effect by long waiting periods of time, thus this also causes them to place larger orders in an effort to help them compensate the waiting time. Panic ordering by distributors is caused by lack of communication and in turn leads into the problem of the bullwhip effect. Meditech’s current distribution system is inefficient and obviously is causing an inflated demand of products. There is not enough information being shared among distributors and Meditech’s operations. Each distributor receives orders from different regional warehouse, which makes it hard to see the bullwhip effect. The organization’s forecasting system is also confronting serious problems. The current organization’s forecast system is determined by marketing and finance departments on an annual basis. The annual forecast is then broken down into monthly and weekly forecasts and is frequently adjusted by Central Planners according to market trends. Meditech has realized that leads to forecasting problems when they try to introduce new  products. The organization realizes that they are unable to effectively predict demand for new products, which causes large demand fluctuations and backorders. Decision Criteria & Alternative solutions + Recommended Solution, Implementation and Justification Meditech can try few alternatives process to reduce demand variation and the possibility of panic ordering. The company should improve how customer ordering is processed, they should more effectively share demand information, and increase lead times on new products. The forecast methods needs to be upgraded to reflect current needs, the company should also introduce vendor managed inventory and an e-commerce web site to share information with its customers. All of these functions should be centralized and shared among all of the supply chain channels that are involved. With improvements in forecasting it would be much cheaper and more efficient with the introduction of new products to stock finished goods inventory based on projected forecasts. By pushing is anticipating the fluctuations in demands that may be caused with the introduction of a new product. Meditech will now have products available exactly when the customer needs them, and will no longer be forced into back order. A push strategy will also allow Meditech to be more confident in their inventory policies and should allow them to lower their current inventory policy to a level that is more economical and feasible. Q1) Meditech’s problem in introducing new products. In manufacturing ALL products. Meditech introduces 1 new product per month on an average. Most of the new products are only upgrades of old products. This considerably reduces the life-cycle of the products. Majority of Meditech customers are Material Managers whose primary focus is on cost and delivery schedules but not on innovative product features. Though no major problems arise  products int  from assembly line perspective, signs of cognitive dissonance may arise in customers. No attempt is made by Meditech to understand the Demand Dynamics along the product lifecycle. Qualitative factors that have been identified as critical success drivers for a new product launch are time-to-market relative to competition or product diffusion. But Meditech does not launch new products relative to competition and by constantly pushing new innovations into the market it does not allow its products to diffuse effectively into the market. Every new product launch requires a lead time of around 5-19 weeks (excluding design phase lead time) which is very high. With every product launch, pushing the product into the market becomes the primary consideration of the sales force thereby neglecting customer service for older products. These constant launches have led to: †¢Ã‚  Supply side shortages †¢Ã‚  Delayed deliveries (6 weeks) †¢Ã‚  Low customer service †¢Ã‚  Low customer satisfaction †¢Ã‚  Inaccurate forecasts †¢Ã‚  High FG inventory levels The product portfolio of Meditech comprises about 200 separate end-products and the number is increasing. These wide ranges of products make Meditech rely heavily on suppliers wherein the lead time is 2-16 weeks. So practising JIT, which would be very effective for Meditech, becomes impossible in this case. Meditech organizational structure has a long scalar chain. Information dissemination becomes difficult here if there are too many products in the portfolio. Q2) Cause of the problems, systematically and organizationally ISHIKAWA FISH-BONE DIAGRAM WAS USED TO DISSECT THE CAUSE AND EFFECT Q3) Why is customer service manager the first person to recognize the major issues? The scalar chain from Customer Service Manager to the Customer Service Representative is only of two steps. The representatives work in direct contact with dealers and affiliates and are often in direct contact with hospital personnel i.e. their consumers. A general rule of thumb is â€Å"If you want the best feedback, ask your consumers†. This network would have proved effective for feedback-information flow. Mr. Dan Franklin himself held many meetings with hospital material managers. This brought forth the level of dissatisfaction amongst his customers, Meditech’s poor service levels and improper delivery schedules. Q4) How would you fix these problems? The foremost thing we would do is implement an ERP System costing around $100,000. This would help in better data storage & warehousing, analysis and forecasting. We would reduce the frequency of new product launches. We would prefer a leaner product portfolio. We would lay emphasis on better forecasts with a shorter horizon of 1-2 months. We would maintain a safety stock so as to provide a service level of 95%. We would work to reduce the assembly cycle time from the current level of 2 weeks. We would look for new and better supplier relations to reduce the supplier lead time from the current level of 2-16 weeks. References 1. (Bass 1969, Krishnan 2000) 2. (Porter 1985, Kailash and Lilien 1986)

What Makes an Act Sexually Perverse

UWI Maurice Layne 620008086LecturerSimeon Mohansingh. CoursePhilosophy of sex and Love. | What makes an act sexually perverse? | | In a recent discussion, the subject of perversion was raised; the question was asked what makes an individual a pervert, or what kinds of acts could be considered perverted? The answers received were numerous to say the least. My first response was paedophilia which I still hold firm to; what follows are a few of the other answers; Bestiality; Homosexuality; Necrophilia; Oral sex (which was hotly debated); and Sexual sado-masochism.The list could continue but let us use this list and ask the question in another way; what makes these acts sexually perverse? What do we mean when we say something is sexually perverse? Is it divergence from what is sexually natural or a departing from what is considered standard morality? If so, what is natural? Who defines morality? The question of sexual perversion is of no little importance, for a start the question raises a number of interesting philosophical issues. Moreover, the issue is not solely of academic interest.Many have been, and many still are, stigmatised by the label ‘sexual pervert'. For them the issue of whether their actions justify this epithet may have a profound effect on their lives. Our purposes here are to simply attempt an answer to the question. We should note, at the start, that the notion of sexual perversion is not a simple descriptive concept. To call someone a pervert is not like calling them a Doctor or a Teacher. It is to denigrate their moral status in some way. Sexual perversion, therefore, is a concept, part of whose content is to carry a negative moral evaluation.The Oxford Dictionaries defines the verb pervert as to alter (something) from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended; or to lead (someone) away from what is considered right, natural, or acceptable; and it defines the noun pervert as a person whose sexual behaviour is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable. (â€Å"pervert†. Oxford Dictionaries. 2010) Since sexual perversion is a morally negative concept, it might be thought that one could define it simply as a ‘morally wrong sexual act'.In a similar way, one might attempt a definition of ‘murder’ as a morally wrong human killing. This, however, will not do. The simple reason is that there are many morally wrong sexual acts of a very ‘straight’ kind which, all can agree, are not perversions. For example, an ordinary sexual act may be done by one of the partners in a way that is unkind, deceitful, inconsiderate or cruel, and so morally wrong. Rape and adultery may be examples of this. One would not, on this account, want to call such acts perversions. Though there are some persons who do view rape as a perversion. ) One of the things that makes it hard to get a grip on the concept of perversion (its intension) is that there is strong d isagreement even over its extension. People disagree, for example, over whether homosexuality and masturbation are perversions. Still, let us start with a look at the extension of the concept. Genital sexual activity is of many kinds. The following is a list of categories; these are not necessarily exclusive; no doubt they are not exhaustive either.I give the acts in what seems (to me) to be roughly decreasing in order of ‘naturalness’ (in traditional terms). Heterosexual intercourse in the missionary position (straight sex). Heterosexual intercourse in other positions. Oral sex (cunnilingus, fellatio). Masturbation. Homosexuality. Group sex. Anal sex (buggery, sodomy), heterosexual or homosexual. Voyeurism. Exhibitionism. Frotteurism. Sexual sadism and/or masochism. Paedophilia. Fetishism. Transvestism. Zoophilia (bestiality). Urophilia Necrophilia. Coprophilia.We can be safe in saying that it is highly unlikely that any two people would produce exactly the same orderi ng, my assumption is that there would be general agreement on the rough ordering, at least as to whether something was near the top, middle or end. Where perversion begins on the list is much more contentious, however. Sexual conservatives often draw the line after the first instance. More ‘open minded’ people might draw the line after say group sex. The items listed after group sex may get in on nearly everyone’s list.So what should count as a perversion, and why? Let us start with what is perhaps the best known account of perversion in the contemporary philosophical literature, that of Nagel. I start with it, not because it is close to the truth (I think that it is a long way from this), but because it illustrates clearly a central shortcoming that will keep recurring. â€Å"Nagel proposes that sexual interactions in which each person responds with sexual arousal to noticing the sexual arousal of the other person exhibit the psychology that is natural to human sexuality.In such an encounter, each person becomes aware of himself or herself and the other person as both the subject and the object of their joint sexual experiences. Perverted sexual encounters or events would be those in which this mutual recognition of arousal is absent, and in which a person remains fully a subject of the sexual experience or fully an object. Perversion, then, is a departure from or a truncation of a psychologically â€Å"complete† pattern of arousal and consciousness. † (Soble and Power 2008, 13) It is difficult to do full justice to Nagel’s account in a few words.But for present purposes, let’s hope the following will suffice. According to Nagel, a sexual act is not perverted when it involves two (or maybe more) people; each is sexually aroused by [the other]; each is sexually aroused by [the other's being sexually aroused]; each is sexually aroused by [the other's being sexually aroused by the other's being sexually aroused]; a nd maybe so on ad infinitum. Any other sexual act is perverted. Now, one problem with Nagel's account is that it draws the line in a very strange place.Homosexuality, sadomasochism and paedophilia may all be non-perverted if done in the right way; whilst masturbation, rape and even straight sex of a very bored kind – e. g. , by a prostitute, or an uptown wife who during the act of coitus is thinking of travelling to Manhattan for ‘black Friday’ as perverted. Granted, any division is going to be contentious, but this classification is just too counter-intuitive: no one (unless in the grip of Nagel’s account) would divide things up in this way?The more important failing of Nagel's account is that if this is what sexual perversion is, there is absolutely no reason why perversion should be a morally loaded concept. There is nothing in itself immoral about being aroused by someone who is not them self aroused. Maybe it is more exciting, more complete, or fulfil ling, if they are; but it is hardly wrong if they are not. A more plausible and, in fact, more common account of perversion is that perverted acts are those that are unnatural. This is not a bad start, but it does not get us very far until we have said what ‘natural’ is to be taken to mean here.For the notion of naturalness is a very slippery one indeed. What, then, is the natural in this context? â€Å"Natural sexual acts, to provide merely a broad definition, are those acts that either flow naturally from human sexual nature, or at least do not frustrate or counteract sexual tendencies that flow naturally from human sexual desire. † (Soble and Power 2008, 11) An obvious suggestion is that what is natural is what happens in nature. But such a suggestion would rob the notion of perversion of all content. People are, after all, part of nature. Hence, nothing they do is unnatural in this sense.A fortiori there would be no perversions. It makes a bit more sense to s uppose that the natural is what happens in non human nature. This would draw the line in a very odd place, however. It makes paedophilia, masturbation, homosexuality, and bestiality (or at least intercourse with a different species) natural, while at the same time making straight sex unnatural. Given that then one might want to redefine what straight sex equates to in non human animals. Another suggestion as to what ‘unnatural’ means here is simply unusual (abnormal) in the statistical sense. Goldman 1977) It should be noted that the frequencies of various sexual practices like, homosexuality and paedophilia vary from society to society. Hence, perversion, on this account, becomes a socially relative concept. With ‘natural’ interpreted in this way, the definition of perversion has two major problems. Perversion does not seem to be linked to statistics in the way it requires. If bestiality became very common, for example, it would not cease to be a perversio n. There would just be more perverts around.More importantly, there is no reason why something that is unusual statistically should be morally bad; merely consider heroism, having an IQ of 200 or higher or being able to make love for 3. 5 hours without a break. In the context of the definition of perversion, Donald Levy takes an unnatural act to be one that denies someone a basic human good, such as life, health, control of mind or body, or the capacity to know or love (without providing some other basic human good in compensation). (Velasquez 2010, 454) This account at least has the advantage that it becomes clear why perversion is morally wrong.Its failings are rather different. According to this, virtually nothing that is traditionally counted as perversion is a perversion. None of homosexuality, buggery, sadomasochism would seem to fall into this category. Moreover, those sexual acts that involve the individual alone (masturbation, fetishism, transvestism, bestiality and necroph ilia) would not seem to require the actor to deny anyone including him or herself anything. We noted a certain amount of flexibility as to what one might classify as a perversion, but this flexibility hardly extends to ruling out paradigm cases wholesale.It would seem that for Levy Paedophilia and Rape would be the only activities that could or would count as sexual perversion. Another suggestion, as to what ‘natural' means in the context of perversion is this. It is often said that biological processes have some well-defined goal or function. What is natural is using the process for that function; what is unnatural is using it for something else. That this suggestion is on the right lines is supported by the following considerations. We speak of things other than sexual acts as being perverted.For example, we speak of someone perverting the course of justice. In such a case, it is clear that what this amounts to is the person using the judicial process for something other tha n its proper end. Thus, perversion in general is using something for other than its proper end as a matter of fact, as stated earlier this is how the Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb ‘to pervert' and sexual perversion, in particular, is using sex for something other than its proper end. Were doing well so far right? But what exactly is the proper end of sex?A common view, most strongly represented in traditional Catholic pronouncements, has it that the function of sex is reproduction. â€Å"Based upon a comparison of the sexuality of humans and the sexuality of lower animals (mammals, in particular), Aquinas concludes that what is natural in human sexuality is the impulse to engage in heterosexual coitus. Heterosexual coitus is the mechanism designed by the Christian God to insure the preservation of animal species, including humans, and hence engaging in this activity is the primary natural expression of human sexual nature.Further, this God designed each of the pa rts of the human body to carry out specific functions, and on Aquinas’s view God designed the male penis to implant sperm into the female’s vagina for the purpose of effecting procreation. It follows, for Aquinas that depositing the sperm elsewhere than inside a human female’s vagina is unnatural: it is a violation of God’s design, contrary to the nature of things as established by God. For this reason alone, on Aquinas’s view, such activities are immoral, a grave offense to the sagacious plan of the Almighty. (Soble and Power 2008, 12) Reproduction here is interpreted as conception. Therefore, any sexual act that cannot result in conception is a perversion which clearly draws the line very high up on the list. † If this view is right, the orthodox Catholic Church has drawn the correct conclusions concerning masturbation and homosexuality; contraception, too, makes sex perverted. But the definition also makes many sorts of straight sex perver ted: sex for an infertile male known to be infertile; sex for a woman after menopause or a hysterectomy; sex during the so called ‘safe period' of a woman’s menstrual cycle.It would appear that orthodox Catholic thinking has not been consistent in these areas, since it does not condemn such acts; though some of the church fathers such as Augustine did in a roundabout way. â€Å"Sexual intercourse with lower animals (bestiality), sexual activity with members of one’s own sex (homosexuality), and masturbation, for Aquinas, are unnatural sexual acts and are immoral exactly for that reason. If they are committed intentionally, according to one’s will, they deliberately disrupt the natural order of the world as created by God and which God commanded to be respected†¦In none of these activities is there any possibility of procreation, and the sexual and other organs are used, or misused, for purposes other than that for which they were designed. Although A quinas does not say so explicitly, but only hints in this direction, it follows from his philosophy of sexuality that fellatio, even when engaged in by heterosexuals, is also perverted and morally wrong. At least in those cases in which orgasm occurs by means of this act, the sperm is not being placed where it should be placed and procreation is therefore not possible.If the penis entering the vagina is the paradigmatic natural act, then any other combination of anatomical connections will be unnatural and hence immoral; for example, the penis, mouth, or fingers entering the anus. Note that Aquinas’s criterion of the natural that the sexual act must be procreative in form, and hence must involve a penis inserted into a vagina, makes no mention of human psychology. Aquinas’s line of thought yields an anatomical criterion of natural and perverted sex that refers only to bodily organs and what they might accomplish physiologically and to where they are, or are not, put in relation to each other. (Soble and Power 2008, 12-13) If this is the case what is the rationale for the clitoris being positioned the way it is? At any rate, any account of perversion according to which straight sex between a loving couple at the tender age of 60 years, who have been happily married for over 40 years, is a perversion, in my humble opinion must be wrong. It is plausible to suppose that what makes this account of perversion wrong is its identification of reproduction with conception. There is, after all, a lot more to reproduction than conception. In particular, there is gestation, birth, the rearing and education of children, and so on.And sex may have important biological functions in these areas too. To begin with, a secure family is usually reckoned to be important in the upbringing of children. And one factor making for a secure family is a happy and fulfilling sexual life between the adult partners. Hence, a function of sex could be for two people each to give the other pleasure. In this case, only those forms of sexual activity that involve just one person could be perverted. More generally, a stable and functioning society is necessary for the reproduction of people. An important role of sex might be to help people to live together and cooperate.And who knows what sexual practices might serve that end? Without a lot more socio-biological research, it is highly unlikely near an impossibility to say what constitutes a perversion on this account probably very little.

Hi: Strategic Management Essay

1. Company background and purpose a. General background of the company The HSBC Group is regarded as one of the largest financial and banking corporation in the global market. The Group has around 10,000 offices in 83 nations and territories in Asia-Pacific Refion, Europe, United States of America, the Middle East and Africa and the serves over 130 million customers with assets of US$ 2,354 billion as of December 2007. The Hong Kong ad Shanghai Banking Corporation Group was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe, and is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. Its international network comprises over 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa (‘Who is HSBC?’ 2006). Through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services, including personal financial services, commercial banking corporate, investment banking and markets, private banking, and other activities (‘Who is HSBC?’ 2006). b. Clear purposes of the case HSBC emphasizes the importance of building shareholders’ value, and believes in the values and talents of its own employees, which are employed and spread all over the world. HSBC wishes to stay ahead in a very competitive global financial market, and by maintaining a great brand name, an established customer base, good and loyal employees, tight control over operating costs and constant adjustment of business strategy to cater to customers’ needs, it maintains its success in its leadership position in Hong Kong’s highly competitive banking industry. With this success, this paper studies the strategic management of HSBC. 2. Industry and general environment a. General information on industry environment (Five-forces The state of competition in an industry depends on five basic competitive forces. With this, Porter’s 5-Forces Model is useful for understanding the context of the  industry, in which the firm operates (Porter, 1998). Rivalry In HSBC, this is caused by several factors, such as the presence of a larger number of firms that compete for the same customers and resources; low switching costs for a consumer can switch from one product to another; strategic stakes are high when a company is losing market position; a diversity of rivals with different histories, cultures, and philosophies; and industry shakeout. Similarly, HSBC also faces this factor since they have a lot of competitors in the banking and financial industry. In order to gain an advantage the company has to do some competitive moves. Threat of Substitutes Substitute products refer to products in other industries (Porter, 1998). The threat to HSBC is the emergence of competent rivals that provides the needs of the target market. In accordance to the threat of substitutes in HSBC, HSBC completely manages this factor to attain business success. HSBC, in its commitment to customers in the banking and financial industry, demonstrates value and return on investment. Buyer Power This refers to the impact that customers have on a producing industry. In HSBC’s customers, buyer power is strong, such that this could provide HSBC’s rivals with a strong and efficient business. In HSBC environment, the buyer power is the impact that customers have on a producing industry. As there are still only a few banking and financial industry who can compare to what the company has managed to achieve, the bargaining power of buyers is not as great compared to the following epoch, and, coupled with the industry being a key supplying group for the buyers, which in this case, are large companies and several high end individual customers, the bargaining power of buyers have notably not budged. Supplier Power The power of suppliers over HSBC is also strong, as it also contributes to the decline of the business of the company. Due to the increase of prices in the market, prices of raw materials also increases, thus, give additional  costs for the company. In this regard, some of HSBC’s suppliers of banking and financial industry components can possibly control their business operation. Barriers or Threat to Entry The economies of scale play a significant role in the cost of produce the product and service. Companies in the banking and financial industry have competitive fixed costs and spend relatively large on plant and equipment. Moreover, competitors in the industry are not likely to cut their price to defend their market position. In an industry experiencing fast market growth, patents, proprietary knowledge, and brand reputation are also considered as barriers for companies entering the industry. b. Any opportunities & threats? Opportunities – Sustainability reporting requirement by government to companies thus increasing opportunity of banking institutions. -Growth by increasing market share through mergers and acquisitions within the industry. -Develop new products and services which link to changing people’s needs and services -Incorporate new technologies in production to stay ahead of the competition Threats The following are the threats of the company: -Economy – due to Expensive borrowing -Expansion, Mergers and Acquisitions of HSBC may lead to failure -Competition – other major companies entering the market could affect their revenue -Rules and Regulations of different countries 3. Internal activities a. What are primary & support activities within the firm? In HSBC, their strategic management can be analysed through the management program that they implement in the latter part of 2003, which is the Managing for Growth programme. Managing Program is a strategic plan that provides the company with a blueprint for growth and development from 2003 to 2008 (‘Strategy’  2006). This strategy builds on the company’s strengths and addresses the areas where further improvement is considered both desirable and attainable. HSBC’s core values are integral to its strategy, in communicating them to their clients and other stakeholders comprise an emphasis on long-term, high productivity through teamwork, ethical client relationships, an ambitious and confident sense of excellence, being international in its image, prudence, creativity and customer-oriented marketing HSBC, 2008). In addition, there are various elements in attaining HSBC objectives, and these involve accelerating the growth rate of revenue, enhancing brand strategy further, developing productivity, and maintaining the industry’s prudent risk management and strong financial advantage. Developing the skills of their employees is also given emphasis to ensure that all employees understand how they can contribute to the successful achievement of HSBC’s objectives (‘Strategy’ 2006). b. Any strengths and weaknesses? Strengths: – ensure corporate responsibility and business ethics therefore customer confidence is high -Highly experienced management and staff available in the market -Growth by increasing market share through diversification of products that supports sustainable development -Able to promote several products and services that meet the needs of the customers Weaknesses -Barriers to expansion due to environmental regulations by governments -Licensing problems -Highly competitive market -Raising money from banks rather than shareholders. Banking and financial products and services have become an important industry player by investing in diversified products and services, 4. Competitive Environment a. How do the firms compete/take competitive actions/responses? The company is experiencing different problems with competitors and its standing in the industry is down. But given the proper use of their strategic management they have, the company are able to stay in the competitive market. The company has competitive advantage over banking and financial  industries. One of the aspects of strategic management of HSBC is its brand name. The competitors i The company is known as one of the established baking and financial industry in the global market. People easily recognise the company and the different products and services that they provide. They can easily think about the company when banking and financial matters are mentioned. Another strategic approach of the company is its image with the clients. The company is known as a banking industry that provides excellent service to the clients. This can be proven by the frequency of visit clients do to the company’s branches and other marketing venues. Moreover, strategic management of the company is its increasing venue of marketing their products and their services. The company is taking steps to ensure that their products and services can reach more people at more locations, hence company engaged in having more branches at different places. The company also made use of the internet and created a website that more people in the world can use to transact with the company. Lastly, a strategic approach of HSBC is the wide range of business venture they are engaging in. The company is currently engaging not only in banking and financial aspects but in other relevant industry 5. Strategic intent and mission/vision a. Purposes of the firm Based on the given case, the strategic intent of HSBC is to become the number one choice of the customers for the banking and financial services needs. The company’ products and services have been made to provide more convenience for customers. b. What goals to be achieved? The goal of the company is to provide quality banking and financial products to their target market while providing values to their employees, management and shareholders. Their goal is to reach more customers all over the globe through their online transactions and website. c. Any formal mission/vision statement? The company’s mission statement is to be one of the globe’s great specialist banking groups that is driven by commitment with their values and philosophies. The company envision to lead in the global market and deliver  an excellent client experience based on their outstanding sales, services and solutions. In addition, the company aims on achieving superior, long-term and ethically based return for their shareholders and building highly motivated high performance teams and creating challenging, rewarding and convenient environment for their employees. 6. Strategy formulation a. Ask the following questions: i. Business-level strategy In terms of business-level strategy, it is said that HSBC is keen on expanding their business portfolio to small and medium-sized enterprises which they considered as an essential market segment to HSBC groups. In addition, their business level strategy is to provide value to internal stakeholders of the company such as employees and shareholders. ii. Corporate level strategy HSBC Holdings complied with the entire applicable code provisions of the host country regulations on their corporate governments. In terms of corporate level strategy, the management see to it that they adhere to their corporate responsibility to the community and that they are able to adhere to their corporate governance policies. iii. Cooperative strategy In terms of cooperative approach, it can be said that the entire management have a good relation with shareholders and their customers. They also cooperate with government institutions to ensure that they always adhere to the needs and demands of their clients. iv. Others i.e. acquisition, joint venture etc To expand their business portfolio, HSBC attempts to acquire various industries in different country. Merging and acquisition to existing industries in a specific nation is the approach use by the company to enter the foreign market. In addition, merging and acquisition enables the company to expand their groups and provide more diversified financial products and services. 7. Strategy implementation a. How does the firm implement the chosen strategies? The firm implements their chosen strategies by using an intensive strategic planning. In addition, the firm also implements their chose strategies  through their management team and leaders. Accordingly, the presence effective and efficient leadership in today’s organization imposes a great responsibility to the organization’s team and management networks as leadership implies the overall capacity of the organization’s performance like for instance, in terms of operations and research development. b. How effective? Based on the given analysis, it can be said that the implementation of the business approach of HSBC has been effective because of its strong competitive advantage and position in the marketplace today. The use of strategic planning helps them to monitor their strategic implementation. c. Evaluation of action plans/tactics (key actions) The action plan of the company has been able to lead them in having competitive advantage in the global market. With this information, the company must continue to find innovative strategic programs and relate effectively to other companies in the global market. The company must efficiently and effectively create a good relationship with their customers and shareholders, to continually operate. HSBC must continually conceptualize and implement strategic management approach to be able to set trends in the banking industry. Aside from developing marketing strategies, the company must focus on building employee and customer relationships, in accordance to strategic marketing concepts, for it is essential to determine and focus on the needs of the customers, as customers are the reason for being alive in the business and marketing industry. 8. Summary a. Key current situations The current situation of the banking industry can be considered to be impacted by the growing issues in the global market, such as the sub-prime crisis. The global presence of an organisation, in this case, the HSBC Bank, has been due to the strategic management and business approaches of the company. It is important to note that with globalisation and with the current rate of advancement in technology, there is an increasingly bigger chance of getting the entire firm’s marketing message through to the target  markets with the utilisation effective strategic management. As discussed, the wise use of a strategic management as well as information technology could either attract or lose existing and potential customers. The strategic marketing and management approach of the firm, therefore, need to be consistent with what was preset as marketing objective of the firm and in an industry as provision where innovations are an edge, this is very vital. b. Future of the firm It can be said that the global market provides opportunities for the baking industries to develop relationships with their stakeholders it has been found that the number of competitive moves increased as issues and problems in the global market arise. It becomes more important to manage relationships as competition increases through the use of e-commerce. It can be stated that the most effective strategy for HSBC can use in the future is a collaborative one with their channel partners. In addition, another future strategy of the company is to use integrated marketing communication to reach more clients in the global market. Reference David, F.R. (1999). â€Å"Strategic Management, Concepts and Cases,† 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall, Inc. David, F.R. (2001). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. 8th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc: Upper Saddle River, NJ Drejer, A. (2002). Strategic Management and Core Competencies: Theory and Application. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Elkin, P. (1998). Mastering Business Planning and Strategy: The Power of Strategic Thinking. Knod, E. & Schonberger, R. (2001). Operations Management: Meeting Customers’ Demands. 7th Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Neumann, E. & Sumser, R. 2002, Marketing Communications: A Vital Element of Achieving Change. The Public Manager, 31 (4), 9+. Proctor, T 2000, Strategic Marketing: Case Questions 1. What is the firm’s competitive strategy? 1. In accordance with the case study to the business approach and strategies of HSBC it can be said that the company has been able to continue to grow and expand their business in the global market. It can be said that HSBC has been able to use various strategies which enable them to sustain their competitive position in the global market. Based on the conducted reviewed in the previous section, it can be said that HSBC strategy includes differentiation approach and innovative approach. 2. The company has been able to have a sustainable focus on their core business values ensuring that their goals, objectives and mission are achieved. In addition, the company has been able to sustain good relationship with its target market and all other stakeholders and the company focuses itself on satisfying the costumers by providing them quality products and services in the online. The ability of the management to manage their financial resources and limit their expenses to sustain their needs f or expansion has also been considered as one of the capabilities that sustain their competitive advantage. The strategies used by the HSBC include Intensive strategy, which aims to competently position and promote their products and services in the global market. The industry has also utilized the Integration strategy and forward integration in order to promote and closely manipulate where all the HSBC products and services are being sold. To improve financial performance, the company sees to it that they utilise all their resources in a manner that  will be beneficial to enhance the performance of the company. 3. Based on the given case, it can be said that the two resources and capabilities of HSBC includes their flexibility and innovation strategy. It can be said that the ability of the company to expand their business is through their ‘flexibility and innovation’ which enable HSBC to counter the risks of erosion and losing of their competitive advantage. In order to cope with the various influences and effects of market environment changes, and to sustain their competitive advantage, the management of HSBC has been able to improve and expand its organisation so as to conduct business operations and activities on a global sc ale which include the expansion of HSBC through the online presence of the brand in different parts of the world. Herein, the management of the company has been able to improve their organization structure its organisational structure to achieve their organisational objectives. In addition, the improved organisational structure is done in order to initiate speedy and flexible measures in managing their internationally diverse employees. 4. The management of HSBC has also been able to focus on their research and development department and to initiate innovative strategies designed to provide a competitive advantage and edge in the marketplace. As business gravitates towards a global scale, entrepreneurs find themselves faced with the challenge of producing new and better products at reduced cost and market price. Daft (2003) pointed out that in managing a global environment, managers of HSBC must be characterised by the ability to bring about change through innovation and creativity. Further according to Daft, a revolutionised manager sees change, rather than stability, as the nature of things (2003). Innovation as a ground for doing business in the 21st century will be the consistent tugging force that the organisation must either strive to adopt or suffer the consequences of being left behind by competitors. In addition diversification approach is also considered by HSBC to ensure having sustainable competitive advantage. Part of the diversification is to generate new coffee products that would meet the needs of the consumers in various parts of the world 2. What is the Strategic intent of the company? 1. HSBC strategic intent is to provide more options for their clients  by partnering with other international and local banking and financial industries. The company also diversified their offerings to different products, services, categories and other physical assets. Furthermore, based on the given case, the company’s strategic intent is to sustain their competitive advantage by compelling what the needs and demands of their target market and expanding their business portfolio in the global market. The company’s strategic intent is to do their business in a slow but sure manner by becoming innovative in what they are offering for the customers. 2. Another strategic intent of HSBC based in case is its goal to be recognised and respected as a global banking and financial institution and brand and to dominate the global market through their high quality product and service offerings. As discussed in the case study, the strategic management of HSBC have been focusing on how the products would gain interest from their target market and how they can be able to generate sales with their products. This is HSBC’s stronghold where it continues to yield strong sales revenue by leveraging off its excellent branches in different locations. strong brand name and excellent reputation among customers. HSBC has also been continuing to create affiliate websites to expand their business market among various consumers. 3. Another strategic intent is with regards to the achievement of their mission and vision by giving priority and values to their shareholders and customers. Based in the case, HSBC is committed to their mission of being the number one choice of the customers in their banking and financial needs. With custsomers increasingly willing to switch banking companies because of the wide variety of choice available, it is of paramount importance that the company would stick to their strategic intent and used effective approach o promote excellent marketing strategies. Its importance as possibly a bank interface could also be exploited by the industry. Since the homepage is the first thing that the users saw upon entering the website, it also was the most critical aspect on the site, where the customer should get an idea of what the site is an about and where to go within the site. All the graphic elements noticeable in most all of the reviewed websites apparently serve a purpose–to solidify the direct relationship between the customer and the brand and to make use of the visual attraction vital to clients’ decisions.

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Case Study Example Conversely, the Seven-S Model was chosen as it considers broader external measures of company efficiency. While a variety of diagnostic models could be applied to the Boeing situation, these specific models provide a strong contrast in that one focuses more heavily on human resource elements and the other focuses on external and structural aspects. In examining the Boeing situation, it’s clear that both situations must be considered in considering the organizational framework. 2. When examining the Boeing situation the Six-Box model encapsulates a number of important elements in the company’s structural framework. In these regards, it’s noted that the six elements of the model includes, â€Å"the organization’s strategy, structure, rewards, internal relationships, helpful mechanisms, and leadership (‘Organizational Diagnostic Models’ 2009).† While the majority of the challenges within the Boeing structural framework are larger organizational issues, it’s clear the human resource issues reflected in this diagnostic model are also essential elements. One of the major cultural issues at Boeing was identified as the merger with McDonnell Douglas. The aspect of the six-box models concerned with internal relationships, helpful mechanisms, and leadership are all diagnostic means of considering the cultural challenges that were presented by this merger. In these regards, the internal aspects of the six-box model con sider both the cultural changes brought on by the merger of these companies with previously disparate visions, but also considers the leadership challenges that emerged as company president Harry Stonecipher assumed the CEO position at Boeing. While the six-box model largely diagnoses the internal aspects of the Boeing corporation, it’s clear that the primary areas of concern are larger structural elements. In these regards, it’s necessary to consider the Seven-S Model. This model indicates that the major areas of concern are,

Concert Attendance Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Concert Attendance Report - Assignment Example Classical at the Freight brought some of the best classical musicians of the Bay Area. I spent the hour listening to outstanding chamber music in an atmosphere that was quite friendly and informal. The musicians were seated on the stage in a semi-circle carrying different musical instruments. The bands musical instruments included violin and cello. One man played both English horn and oboe simultaneously. Wooden paneling rising vertically from the floor to the Freight & Salvage Coffee House board made the background and created a very sophisticated and peaceful environment. Peter Lemberg is SFCO principal oboist. He came to the Freight with this friskily plangent musical program for the English horn and strings. Together with All-Stars of SFCO, Peter performed the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Jean Francaix. One of the songs performed by the band was â€Å"Quatuor (1971): 1. Allegro vivace by David Juritz, Rebecca Knight†. There was a lot of variety in the music. The structure of the music was soft and smooth and had a good flow. The purpose of the music was to create an atmosphere of comfort and light joy. The tempo of the song was allegro. The volume was reasonably loud to make it audible to the entire audience. The song had a soft and smooth rhythm and the melody was sweet. The first thing that came to my mind to hear such sweet melody was Tom & Jerry Cartoons. We often hear such music played in the background in the mouse and cat chase. The song belongs to the era few decades ago, but its sweet melody and energy makes it relevant to t he audience even today. I was very excited at the concert because it had occurred more as a surprise to me since I had not planned to go there originally. I listened to the music very attentively because my friends had praised this band a lot. I wanted to know why were they such big fans of the band. I enjoyed the concert because I witnessed the perfection and extreme talent of the