The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 4. NATURE

I WAS HAVING A BAD WEEK. I knew that essentially nothing had changed. Okay, so Victoria had not given up, but had I ever dreamed for one moment that she had? Her reappearance had only confirmed what I'd already known. No reason for fresh panic. In theory. Not panicking was easier said than done. Graduation was only a few weeks away, but I wondered if it wasn't a little foolish to sit around, weak and tasty, waiting for the next disaster. It seemed too dangerous to be human – just begging for trouble. Someone like me shouldn't be human. Someone with my luck ought to be a little less helpless. But no one would listen to me. Carlisle had said, â€Å"There are seven of us, Bella. And with Alice on our side, I don't think Victoria's going to catch us off guard. I think it's important, for Charlie's sake, that we stick with the original plan.† Esme had said, â€Å"We'd never allow anything to happen to you, sweetheart. You know that. Please don't be anxious.† And then she'd kissed my forehead. Emmett had said, â€Å"I'm really glad Edward didn't kill you. Everything's so much more fun with you around.† Rosalie had glared at him. Alice had rolled her eyes and said, â€Å"I'm offended. You're not honestly worried about this, are you?† â€Å"If it's no big deal, then why did Edward drag me to Florida?† I'd demanded. â€Å"Haven't you noticed yet, Bella, that Edward is just the teeniest bit prone to overreaction?† Jasper had silently erased all the panic and tension in my body with his curious talent of controlling emotional atmospheres. I'd felt reassured, and let them talk me out of my desperate pleading. Of course, that calm had worn off as soon as Edward and I had walked out of the room. So the consensus was that I was just supposed to forget that a deranged vampire was stalking me, intent on my death. Go about my business. I did try. And surprisingly, there were other things almost as stressful to dwell on besides my status on the endangered species list. . . . Because Edward's response had been the most frustrating of them all. â€Å"That's between you and Carlisle,† he'd said. â€Å"Of course, you know that I'm willing to make it between you and me at any time that you wish. You know my condition.† And he had smiled angelically. Ugh. I did know his condition. Edward had promised that he would change me himself whenever I wanted . . . just as long as I was married to him first. Sometimes I wondered if he was only pretending that he couldn't read my mind. How else had he struck upon the one condition that I would have trouble accepting? The one condition that would slow me down. All in all, a very bad week. And today was the worst day in it. It was always a bad day when Edward was away. Alice had foreseen nothing out of the ordinary this weekend, and so I'd insisted that he take the opportunity to go hunting with his brothers. I knew how it bored him to hunt the easy, nearby prey. â€Å"Go have fun,† I'd told him. â€Å"Bag a few mountain lions for me.† I would never admit to him how hard it was for me when he was gone – how it brought back the abandonment nightmares. If he knew that, it would make him feel horrible and he would be afraid to ever leave me, even for the most necessary reasons. It had been like that in the beginning, when he'd first returned from Italy. His golden eyes had turned black and he'd suffered from his thirst more than it was already necessary that he suffer. So I put on a brave face and all but kicked him out the door whenever Emmett and Jasper wanted to go. I think he saw through me, though. A little. This morning there had been a note left on my pillow: I'll be back so soon you won't have time to miss me. Look after my heart – I've left it with you. So now I had a big empty Saturday with nothing but my morning shift at Newton's Olympic Outfitters to distract me. And, of course, the oh-so-comforting promise from Alice. â€Å"I'm staying close to home to hunt. I'll only be fifteen minutes away if you need me. I'll keep an eye out for trouble.† Translation: don't try anything funny just because Edward is gone. Alice was certainly just as capable of crippling my truck as Edward was. I tried to look on the bright side. After work, I had plans to help Angela with her announcements, so that would be a distraction. And Charlie was in an excellent mood due to Edward's absence, so I might as well enjoy that while it lasted. Alice would spend the night with me if I was pathetic enough to ask her to. And then tomorrow, Edward would be home. I would survive. Not wanting to be ridiculously early for work, I ate my breakfast slowly, one Cheerio at a time. Then, when I'd washed the dishes, I arranged the magnets on the fridge into a perfect line. Maybe I was developing obsessive-compulsive disorder. The last two magnets – round black utilitarian pieces that were my favorites because they could hold ten sheets of paper to the fridge without breaking a sweat – did not want to cooperate with my fixation. Their polarities were reversed; every time I tried to line the last one up, the other jumped out of place. For some reason – impending mania, perhaps – this really irritated me. Why couldn't they just play nice? Stupid with stubbornness, I kept shoving them together as if I was expecting them to suddenly give up. I could have flipped one over, but that felt like losing. Finally, exasperated at myself more than the magnets, I pulled them from the fridge and held them together with two hands. It took a little effort – they were strong enough to put up a fight – but I forced them to coexist side-by-side. â€Å"See,† I said out loud – talking to inanimate objects, never a good sign – â€Å"That's not so horrible, is it?† I stood there like an idiot for a second, not quite able to admit that I wasn't having any lasting effect against scientific principles. Then, with a sigh, I put the magnets back on the fridge, a foot apart. â€Å"There's no need to be so inflexible,† I muttered. It was still too early, but I decided I'd better get out of the house before the inanimate objects started talking back. When I got to Newton's, Mike was methodically dry mopping the aisles while his mom arranged a new counter display. I caught them in the middle of an argument, unaware that I had arrived. â€Å"But it's the only time that Tyler can go,† Mike complained. â€Å"You said after graduation -â€Å" â€Å"You're just going to have to wait,† Mrs. Newton snapped. â€Å"You and Tyler can think of something else to do. You are not going to Seattle until the police stop whatever it is that is going on there. I know Beth Crowley has told Tyler the same thing, so don't act like I'm the bad guy – oh, good morning, Bella,† she said when she caught sight of me, brightening her tone quickly. â€Å"You're early.† Karen Newton was the last person I'd think to ask for help in an outdoor sports equipment store. Her perfectly highlighted blond hair was always smoothed into an elegant twist on the back of her neck, her fingernails were polished by professionals, as were her toenails – visible through the strappy high heels that didn't resemble anything Newton's offered on the long row of hiking boots. â€Å"Light traffic,† I joked as I grabbed my hideous fluorescent orange vest out from under the counter. I was surprised that Mrs. Newton was as worked up about this Seattle thing as Charlie. I'd thought he was going to extremes. â€Å"Well, er . . .† Mrs. Newton hesitated for a moment, playing uncomfortably with a stack of flyers she was arranging by the register. I stopped with one arm in my vest. I knew that look. When I'd let the Newtons know that I wouldn't be working here this summer – abandoning them in their busiest season, in effect – they'd started training Katie Marshall to take my place. They couldn't really afford both of us on the payroll at the same time, so when it looked like a slow day . . . â€Å"I was going to call,† Mrs. Newton continued. â€Å"I don't think we're expecting a ton of business today. Mike and I can probably handle things. I'm sorry you got up and drove out. . . .† On a normal day, I would be ecstatic with this turn of events. Today . . . not so much. â€Å"Okay,† I sighed. My shoulders slumped. What was I going to do now? â€Å"That's not fair, Mom,† Mike said. â€Å"If Bella wants to work -â€Å" â€Å"No, it's okay, Mrs. Newton. Really, Mike. I've got finals to study for and stuff. . . .† I didn't want to be a source of familial discord when they were already arguing. â€Å"Thanks, Bella. Mike, you missed aisle four. Um, Bella, do you mind throwing these flyers in a Dumpster on the way out? I told the girl who left them here that I'd put them on the counter, but I really don't have the room.† â€Å"Sure, no problem.† I put my vest away, and then tucked the flyers under my arm and headed out into the misty rain. The Dumpster was around the side of Newton's, next to where we employees were supposed to park. I shuffled along, kicking pebbles petulantly on my way. I was about to fling the stack of bright yellow papers into the trash when the heading printed in bold across the top caught my eye. One word in particular seized my attention. I clutched the papers in both hands as I stared at the picture beneath the caption. A lump rose in my throat. SAVE THE OLYMPIC WOLF Under the words, there was a detailed drawing of a wolf in front of a fir tree, its head thrown back in the act of baying at the moon. It was a disconcerting picture; something about the wolf's plaintive posture made him look forlorn. Like he was howling in grief. And then I was running to my truck, the flyers still locked in my grip. Fifteen minutes – that's all I had. But it should be long enough. It was only fifteen minutes to La Push, and surely I would cross the boundary line a few minutes before I hit the town. My truck roared to life without any difficulty. Alice couldn't have seen me doing this, because I hadn't been planning it. A snap decision, that was the key! And as long as I moved fast enough, I should be able to capitalize on it. I'd thrown the damp flyers in my haste and they were scattered in a bright mess across the passenger seat – a hundred bolded captions, a hundred dark howling wolves outlined against the yellow background. I barreled down the wet highway, turning the windshield wipers on high and ignoring the groan of the ancient engine. Fifty-five was the most I could coax out of my truck, and I prayed it would be enough. I had no clue where the boundary line was, but I began to feel safer as I passed the first houses outside La Push. This must be beyond where Alice was allowed to follow. I'd call her when I got to Angela's this afternoon, I reasoned, so that she'd know I was fine. There was no reason for her to get worked up. She didn't need to be mad at me – Edward would be angry enough for two when he got back. My truck was positively wheezing by the time it grated to a stop in front of the familiar faded red house. The lump came back to my throat as I stared at the little place that had once been my refuge. It had been so long since I'd been here. Before I could cut the engine, Jacob was standing in the door, his face blank with shock. In the sudden silence when the truck-roar died, I heard him gasp. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Hey, Jake!† â€Å"Bella!† he yelled back, and the smile I'd been waiting for stretched across his face like the sun breaking free of the clouds. His teeth gleamed bright against his russet skin. â€Å"I can't believe it!† He ran to the truck and half-yanked me through the open door, and then we were both jumping up and down like kids. â€Å"How did you get here?† â€Å"I snuck out!† â€Å"Awesome!† â€Å"Hey, Bella!† Billy had rolled himself into the doorway to see what all the commotion was about. â€Å"Hey, Bil -!† Just then my air choked off – Jacob grabbed me up in a bear hug too tight to breathe and swung me around in a circle. â€Å"Wow, it's good to see you here!† â€Å"Can't . . . breathe,† I gasped. He laughed and put me down. â€Å"Welcome back, Bella,† he said, grinning. And the way he said the words made it sound like welcome home. We started walking, too keyed up to sit still in the house. Jacob was practically bouncing as he moved, and I had to remind him a few times that my legs weren't ten feet long. As we walked, I felt myself settling into another version of myself, the self I had been with Jacob. A little younger, a little less responsible. Someone who might, on occasion, do something really stupid for no good reason. Our exuberance lasted through the first few topics of conversation: how we were doing, what we were up to, how long I had, and what had brought me here. When I hesitantly told him about the wolf flyer, his bellowing laugh echoed back from the trees. But then, as we ambled past the back of the store and shoved through the thick scrub that ringed the far edge of First Beach, we got to the hard parts. All too soon we had to talk about the reasons behind our long separation, and I watched as the face of my friend hardened into the bitter mask that was already too familiar. â€Å"So what's the story, anyway?† Jacob asked me, kicking a piece of driftwood out of his way with too much force. It sailed over the sand and then clattered against the rocks. â€Å"I mean, since the last time we . . . well, before, you know . . .† He struggled for the words. He took a deep breath and tried again. â€Å"What I'm asking is . . . everything is just back to the way it was before he left? You forgave him for all of that?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"There was nothing to forgive.† I wanted to skip past this part, the betrayals, the accusations, but I knew that we had to talk it through before we'd be able to move on to anything else. Jacob's face puckered up like he'd just licked a lemon. â€Å"I wish Sam had taken a picture when he found you that night last September. It would be exhibit A.† â€Å"Nobody's on trial.† â€Å"Maybe somebody should be.† â€Å"Not even you would blame him for leaving, if you knew the reason why.† He glared at me for a few seconds. â€Å"Okay,† he challenged acidly. â€Å"Amaze me.† His hostility was wearing on me – chafing against the raw; it hurt to have him angry with me. It reminded me of the bleak afternoon, long ago, when – under orders from Sam – he'd told me we couldn't be friends. I took a second to compose myself. â€Å"Edward left me last fall because he didn't think I should be hanging out with vampires. He thought it would be healthier for me if he left.† Jacob did a double take. He had to scramble for a minute. Whatever he'd been planning to say, it clearly no longer applied. I was glad he didn't know the catalyst behind Edward's decision. I could only imagine what he'd think if he knew Jasper had tried to kill me. â€Å"He came back, though, didn't he?† Jacob muttered. â€Å"Too bad he can't stick to a decision.† â€Å"If you remember, I went and got him.† Jacob stared at me for a moment, and then he backed off. His face relaxed, and his voice was calmer when he spoke. â€Å"That's true. So I never did get the story. What happened?† I hesitated, biting my lip. â€Å"Is it a secret?† His voice took on a taunting edge. â€Å"Are you not allowed to tell me?† â€Å"No,† I snapped. â€Å"It's just a really long story.† Jacob smiled, arrogant, and turned to walk up the beach, expecting me to follow. It was no fun being with Jacob if he was going to act like this. I trailed behind him automatically, not sure if I shouldn't turn around and leave. I was going to have to face Alice, though, when I got home. . . . I supposed I wasn't in any rush. Jacob walked to a huge, familiar piece of driftwood – an entire tree, roots and all, bleached white and beached deep in the sand; it was our tree, in a way. Jacob sat down on the natural bench, and patted the space next to him. â€Å"I don't mind long stories. Is there any action?† I rolled my eyes as I sat next to him. â€Å"There's some action,† I allowed. â€Å"It wouldn't be real horror without action.† â€Å"Horror!† I scoffed. â€Å"Can you listen, or will you be interrupting me with rude comments about my friends? â€Å" He pretended to lock his lips and then threw the invisible key over his shoulder. I tried not to smile, and failed. â€Å"I'll have to start with the stuff you were already there for,† I decided, working to organize the stories in my head before I began. Jacob raised his hand. â€Å"Go ahead.† â€Å"That's good,† he said. â€Å"I didn't understand much that was going on at the time.† â€Å"Yeah, well, it gets complicated, so pay attention. You know how Alice sees things?† I took his scowl – the wolves weren't thrilled that the legends of vampires possessing supernatural gifts were true – for a yes, and proceeded with the account of my race through Italy to rescue Edward. I kept it as succinct as possible – leaving out anything that wasn't essential. I tried to read Jacob's reactions, but his face was enigmatic as I explained how Alice had seen Edward plan to kill himself when he'd heard that I was dead. Sometimes Jacob seemed so deep in thought, I wasn't sure if he was listening. He only interrupted one time. â€Å"The fortune-telling bloodsucker can't see us?† he echoed, his face both fierce and gleeful. â€Å"Seriously? That's excellent!† I clenched my teeth together, and we sat in silence, his face expectant as he waited for me to continue. I glared at him until he realized his mistake. â€Å"Oops!† he said. â€Å"Sorry.† He locked his lips again. His response was easier to read when I got to the part about the Volturi. His teeth clenched together, goose bumps rose on his arms, and his nostrils flared. I didn't go into specifics, I just told him that Edward had talked us out of trouble, without revealing the promise we'd had to make, or the visit we were anticipating. Jacob didn't need to have my nightmares. â€Å"Now you know the whole story,† I concluded. â€Å"So it's your turn to talk. What happened while I was with my mom this weekend?† I knew Jacob would give me more details than Edward had. He wasn't afraid of scaring me. Jacob leaned forward, instantly animated. â€Å"So Embry and Quil and I were running patrol on Saturday night, just routine stuff, when out of nowhere – bam!† He threw his arms out, impersonating an explosion. â€Å"There it is – a fresh trail, not fifteen minutes old. Sam wanted us to wait for him, but I didn't know you were gone, and I didn't know if your bloodsuckers were keeping an eye on you or not. So we took off after her at full speed, but she'd crossed the treaty line before we caught up. We spread out along the line, hoping she'd cross back over. It was frustrating, let me tell you.† He wagged his head and his hair – growing out from the short crop he'd adopted when he'd joined the pack – flopped into his eyes. â€Å"We ended up too far south. The Cullens chased her back to our side just a few miles north of us. Would have been the perfect ambush if we'd known where to wait.† He shook his head, grimacing now. â€Å"That's when it got dicey. Sam and the others caught up to her before we did, but she was dancing right along the line, and the whole coven was right there on the other side. The big one, what's-his-name -â€Å" â€Å"Emmett.† â€Å"Yeah, him. He made a lunge for her, but that redhead is fast! He flew right behind her and almost rammed into Paul. So, Paul . . . well, you know Paul.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Lost his focus. Can't say that I blame him – the big bloodsucker was right on top of him. He sprang – hey, don't give me that look. The vampire was on our land.† I tried to compose my face so that he would go on. My nails were digging into my palms with the stress of the story, even though I knew it had turned out fine. â€Å"Anyway, Paul missed, and the big one got back on his side. But by then the, er, well the, uh, blonde . . .† Jacob's expression was a comical mix of disgust and unwilling admiration as he tried to come up with a word to describe Edward's sister. â€Å"Rosalie.† â€Å"Whatever. She got real territorial, so Sam and I fell back to get Paul's flanks. Then their leader and the other blond male -â€Å" â€Å"Carlisle and Jasper.† He gave me an exasperated look. â€Å"You know I don't really care. Anyway, so Carlisle spoke to Sam, trying to calm things down. Then it was weird, because everyone got really calm really fast. It was that other one you told me about, messing with our heads. But even though we knew what he was doing, we couldn't not be calm.† â€Å"Yeah, I know how it feels.† â€Å"Really annoying, that's how it feels. Only you can't be annoyed until afterwards.† He shook his head angrily. â€Å"So Sam and the head vamp agreed that Victoria was the priority, and we started after her again. Carlisle gave us the line, so that we could follow the scent properly, but then she hit the cliffs just north of Makah country, right where the line hugs the coast for a few miles. She took off into the water again. The big one and the calm one wanted permission to cross the line to go after her, but of course we said no.† â€Å"Good. I mean, you were being stupid, but I'm glad. Emmett's never cautious enough. He could have gotten hurt.† Jacob snorted. â€Å"So did your vampire tell you we attacked for no reason and his totally innocent coven -â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted. â€Å"Edward told me the same story, just without quite as many details.† â€Å"Huh,† Jacob said under his breath, and he bent over to pick up a rock from among the millions of pebbles at our feet. With a casual flick, he sent it flying a good hundred meters out into the bay. â€Å"Well, she'll be back, I guess. We'll get another shot at her.† I shuddered; of course she would be back. Would Edward really tell me next time? I wasn't sure. I'd have to keep an eye on Alice, to look for the signs that the pattern was about to repeat. . . . Jacob didn't seem to notice my reaction. He was staring across the waves with a thoughtful expression on his face, his broad lips pursed. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† I asked after a long, quiet time. â€Å"I'm thinking about what you told me. About when the fortune-teller saw you cliff jumping and thought you'd committed suicide, and how it all got out of control. . . . Do you realize that if you had just waited for me like you were supposed to, then the bl – Alice wouldn't have been able to see you jump? Nothing would have changed. We'd probably be in my garage right now, like any other Saturday. There wouldn't be any vampires in Forks, and you and me . . .† He trailed off, deep in thought. It was disconcerting the way he said this, like it would be a good thing to have no vampires in Forks. My heart thumped unevenly at the emptiness of the picture he painted. â€Å"Edward would have come back anyway.† â€Å"Are you sure about that?† he asked, belligerent again as soon as I spoke Edward's name. â€Å"Being apart . . . It didn't work out so well for either of us.† He started to say something, something angry from his expression, but he stopped himself, took a breath, and began again. â€Å"Did you know Sam is mad at you?† â€Å"Me?† It took me a second. â€Å"Oh. I see. He thinks they would have stayed away if I wasn't here.† â€Å"No. That's not it.† â€Å"What's his problem then?† Jacob leaned down to scoop up another rock. He turned it over and over in his fingers; his eyes were riveted on the black stone while he spoke in a low voice. â€Å"When Sam saw . . . how you were in the beginning, when Billy told them how Charlie worried when you didn't get better, and then when you started jumping off cliffs . . .† I made a face. No one was ever going to let me forget that. Jacob's eyes flashed up to mine. â€Å"He thought you were the one person in the world with as much reason to hate the Cullens as he does. Sam feels sort of . . . betrayed that you would just let them back into your life like they never hurt you.† I didn't believe for a second that Sam was the only one who felt that way. And the acid in my voice now was for both of them. â€Å"You can tell Sam to go right to -â€Å" â€Å"Look at that,† Jacob interrupted me, pointing to an eagle in the act of plummeting down toward the ocean from an incredible height. It checked itself at the last minute, only its talons breaking the surface of the waves, just for an instant. Then it flapped away, its wings straining against the load of the huge fish it had snagged. â€Å"You see it everywhere,† Jacob said, his voice suddenly distant. â€Å"Nature taking its course – hunter and prey, the endless cycle of life and death.† I didn't understand the point of the nature lecture; I guessed that he was just trying to change the subject. But then he looked down at me with dark humor in his eyes. â€Å"And yet, you don't see the fish trying to plant a kiss on the eagle. You never see that.† He grinned a mocking grin. I grinned back tightly, though the acid taste was still in my mouth. â€Å"Maybe the fish was trying,† I suggested. â€Å"It's hard to tell what a fish is thinking. Eagles are good-looking birds, you know.† â€Å"Is that what it comes down to?† His voice was abruptly sharper. â€Å"Good looks?† â€Å"Don't be stupid, Jacob.† â€Å"Is it the money, then?† he persisted. â€Å"That's nice,† I muttered, getting up from the tree. â€Å"I'm flattered that you think so much of me.† I turned my back on him and paced away. â€Å"Aw, don't get mad.† He was right behind me; he caught my wrist and spun me around. â€Å"I'm serious! I'm trying to understand here, and I'm coming up blank.† His eyebrows pushed together angrily, and his eyes were black in their deep shadow. â€Å"I love him. Not because he's beautiful or because he's rich!† I spat the word at Jacob. â€Å"I'd much rather he weren't either one. It would even out the gap between us just a little bit – because he'd still be the most loving and unselfish and brilliant and decent person I've ever met. Of course I love him. How hard is that to understand?† â€Å"It's impossible to understand.† â€Å"Please enlighten me, then, Jacob.† I let the sarcasm flow thick. â€Å"What is a valid reason for someone to love someone else? Since apparently I'm doing it wrong.† â€Å"I think the best place to start would be to look within your own species. That usually works.† â€Å"Well, that just sucks!† I snapped. â€Å"I guess I'm stuck with Mike Newton after all.† Jacob flinched back and bit his lip. I could see that my words had hurt him, but I was too mad to feel bad about that yet. He dropped my wrist and folded his arms across his chest, turning from me to glare toward the ocean. â€Å"I'm human,† he muttered, his voice almost inaudible. â€Å"You're not as human as Mike,† I continued ruthlessly. â€Å"Do you still think that's the most important consideration?† â€Å"It's not the same thing.† Jacob didn't look away from the gray waves. â€Å"I didn't choose this.† I laughed once in disbelief. â€Å"Do you think Edward did? He didn't know what was happening to him any more than you did. He didn't exactly sign up for this.† Jacob was shaking his head back and forth with a small, quick movement. â€Å"You know, Jacob, you're awfully self-righteous – considering that you're a werewolf and all.† â€Å"It's not the same,† Jacob repeated, glowering at me. â€Å"I don't see why not. You could be a bit more understanding about the Cullens. You have no idea how truly good they are – to the core, Jacob.† He frowned more deeply. â€Å"They shouldn't exist. Their existence goes against nature.† I stared at him for a long moment with one eyebrow raised incredulously. It was a while before he noticed. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Speaking of unnatural . . . ,† I hinted. â€Å"Bella,† he said, his voice slow and different. Aged. I realized that he sounded suddenly older than me – like a parent or a teacher. â€Å"What I am was born in me. It's a part of who I am, who my family is, who we all are as a tribe – it's the reason why we're still here. â€Å"Besides that† – he looked down at me, his black eyes unreadable – â€Å"I am stillhuman.† He picked up my hand and pressed it to his fever-warm chest. Through his t-shirt, I could feel the steady beating of his heart under my palm. â€Å"Normal humans can't throw motorcycles around the way you can.† He smiled a faint, half-smile. â€Å"Normal humans run away from monsters, Bella. And I never claimed to be normal. Just human.† Staying angry with Jacob was too much work. I started to smile as I pulled my hand away from his chest. â€Å"You look plenty human to me,† I allowed. â€Å"At the moment.† â€Å"I feel human.† He stared past me, his face far away. His lower lip trembled, and he bit down on it hard. â€Å"Oh, Jake,† I whispered, reaching for his hand. This was why I was here. This was why I would take whatever reception waited for me when I got back. Because, underneath all the anger and the sarcasm, Jacob was in pain. Right now, it was very clear in his eyes. I didn't know how to help him, but I knew I had to try. It was more than that I owed him. It was because his pain hurt me, too. Jacob had become a part of me, and there was no changing that now.

Biblical Principles And Fiscal Policy

Biblical principles that deal with Fiscal and Monetary policy clearly spell out the expectations of a believer: the love of money is the root of all evils’. Give that which belongs to Caesar unto him, and that which belongs to God unto Him. This teaches the principle of equity, avoidance of greed and exercise of dependence on God and not such material possessions in pursuit of human goals. This therefore becomes the guiding principles for designing a viable fiscal and monetary policy.In this situation, all appropriate quarters working for the good of the organization are duly taken care of. Besides, such units need also make themselves accountable to the Audit or similar unit: In this vein, the accountability is sustained for the good of the colony. WORTHY PLAN The plan is also structured in such a way that the less privileged is also catered for: such people include the severely handicapped, orphans, the aged.The influence of Biblical principles, in these situations, ensures the policy promotes unity and harmony in the organization/nation. This way, there is reduced incidence of strife, attack on the rich in the society, embezzlement of public funds. It affords the right opportunity to contribute to the installation and maintenance of social amenities. With the weapon of the policy, taxation is not exempted nor evaded. It also provides for the provision of social amenities for the populace, and dilapidated ones are marked accordingly for repairs.Award of such contracts are heavily based on merit and not of favoritism or nepotism. Contractors for such projects are credible people saddled with the responsibility of carrying out such projects with the right materials, durable and long-lasting. All these are aimed at equitable distribution of resources among competent organizations and individuals. GIVING: LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING A 10% of accruable income is also given as tithe to God, as a means of replenishing his household and promoting missionary acti vities.Biblical principles are clear on the question on when and how to spend money; it emphasizes respect for government and so taxes must be paid at the right time, and all promises must be met. Besides, it also emphasizes the importance of giving a portion of accruable profits to God in the form of tithes and offering; this is one spiritual principle based on the ‘Sowing and reaping’. Sowing implies giving to the work of God; this is how every good Christian sees their gains and is also influenced by such in planning fiscal policies.Even certain entrepreneurs understand this principle so much that they provide certain share of money for socio-cultural and religious activities. Some don’t just give; they sponsor crusades, trips, scholarships, salaries and projects. Why do they do this? They understand its implication. What you sow is what you reap; they sow seeds into these organizations and they reap bountiful returns in kind and cash. This is one tested princ iple that company leaders and investment tycoons can attest to: it works excellently.In essence, the role of Biblical principles is such that it promotes accountability, integrity and equity; wealth is not restricted to a particular group of people; everyone is encouraged to engage in fruitful ventures. This is not far from the equality/justice perspective of a Christian, as he sees monetary policy as an avenue to show love and glorify God. In doing this, he understands the importance of equitable distribution of resources in such a way that the concomitant challenges of inequality and fraud are reduced or eliminated.

Impact of Transnational Corporations Essay

A transnational corporation (TNC) is a firm that has the power to coordinate and control operations in more than one country, even if it does not own them. There has been a movement of industrial activity from Developed Countries (DCs) to Less Developed Countries, due to the lower production costs in LDCs, allowing TNCs to maximize profits. Less Developed Countries can be further categorized into two different types, namely Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) such as China and India, and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). TNCs have the ability to take advantage of geographical differences and to switch and re-switch its resources and operations between locations at an international, or even a global, scale. Thus, it is undeniable that TNCs have great economic, social and environmental impacts on the host country. However, whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks depends on the level of the development of the country. TNCs bring about more economic and social benefits to NIEs but cause more environmental and socio-economic harm to LDCs, where there is a lack of legislative powers to protect workers and the environment from exploitation. TNCs provide economic stimulus and create employment in host countries through the multiplier effect and theory of cumulative causation. The injection of capital widens the economic base of the host country. TNCs often help LDCs climb the ladder of economic development. When the host country receives new investment, the economy is able to develop, increasing demand for labour. Increased personal income not only increases standard of living and quality, but it generates higher purchasing power for consumer goods which can lead to the growth and development of service industries as well. TNCs invest in China due to its labour ‘controllability’, competitiveness and the cheap labour of about US$0.60 per hour for long working hours of about 12 hours. Only one-third of the corporations in China are state-owned enterprises, showing the huge amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by TNCs in China, which has benefitted them positively as investments of TNCs have helped to lift more than 200 million Chinese out of poverty due to the opportunities for growth. The large scale investments in  the research and development industries also lead to a lateral technology transfer to the local population. Tetra Pak, a Swedish packaging firm, used to send an â€Å"army† of Swedes around the world to open and manage its factories. But now it is encouraging more local executives to step up into important roles and build up talent and experience in local â€Å"clusters†. Thus, there is training and skill acquisition for the locals, leading to technology tra nsfer. As such, TNCs bring about economic and socio-economic benefits for the host countries. However, the above scenario may just be a wishful thinking. Highly skilled managerial positions are often still dominated by expatriates, leaving only menial jobs for the locals, which are low-paying yet labour intensive. Also, many manufacturing plants are capital incentive so few jobs are provided in reality. Even if they do employ locals, they only employ low grade cheap labour. TNCs often ignore human rights too, exploiting labour. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated too. One 1981 study of an electronics firm in Asia employing 85 percent women showed that after one year of work, 80 percent of women suffered from chronic conjunctivitis, and the women who assemble microchips often lose their sight after four years. Similarly in China, the working conditions of the cheap migrant labour is poor as many are cooped up in rooms of high temperatures like those involved in the casting to iron to produce small metal parts. In addition, the lack of intervention of and enforcement of policies by the government of China will result in more harms than benefits for the country. These harsh conditions will definitely outweigh the economic benefits brought about by TNCs to the host countries, and thus TNCs does not necessarily improve the standard of living and quality of life for citizens in the host countries despite the increase in salary. TNCs can also cause significant environmental damage to host countries where environmental laws are not enforced. In order to attract TNCs to invest in their countries, there would be a reverse auction among host countries, where they try to be less restrictive on TNCs’ operations. Environmental laws are often relaxed despite being present, resulting in over-extraction of natural resources in the host country. In China, there is urban-bias to economic development and a large portion of the land use for farms is being taken over to build factories and  facilities. Another example would be in Nigeria, Africa’s leading oil producer. Deforestation, the clearing of land to produce oil and gas for Shell had greatly reduced the local forests used to supply foodstuffs and fuels in Nigeria. Furthermore, Shell uses gas flaring, a practice which burns gas that cannot be collected, leading to huge air pollution. Before 2008, legislation to eliminate this practice is non-existent. There were also 4000 recorded oil spills since 1960, which exemplifies the little regard for the environment. These negative environmental impacts are also worsened as Nigeria has an oil-based economy, and the large oil TNCs such as Shell had considerable power and influence in this politically unstable country. Therefore, it can be seen that TNCs like Shell bring much environmental damage to host countries, which lack governmental support in terms of negotiating with TNCs for FDI to be tied together with environmental protection practices. TNCs can help to generate wealth and provide jobs for the host country, as the injection of FDI is an economic stimulus for economic development. However, TNCs may still bring more harm to LDCs which do not have the political clout to establish firm legislative frameworks to protect their workers and environment from exploitation. On the other hand, more advanced economies such as NIEs are more adept in the negotiation process with TNCs and thus bring about maximum benefits for the country. Hence, whether the benefits of TNCs operating in Less Developed Countries outweigh the negative impacts depends on the level of development of the host country.

Significance of Troy in Iliad and Uruk in Gilgamesh Research Paper

Significance of Troy in Iliad and Uruk in Gilgamesh - Research Paper Example Homer’s Iliad is fundamental to any study of Troy and the Trojans... the Iliad’s importance for the purpose of the book is twofold. First, it is the earliest surviving literary representation of the Trojans... Secondly, the Iliad had a continuing influence right through to the end of the ancient world. (Erskine, 48) ...nor were the trench and the high wall above it, to/ keep the Trojans in check longer. They had built it to protect/ their ships and had dug the trench all round it that it might/ safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had/ taken, but they had not offered hecatombs to the gods. It had/ been built without the consent of the immortals, and therefore it/ did not last. (Book XII) Troy was built by the sea and was protected by a trench and a fortified wall. This shows the military strength of Troy and it also explicit its ability to attack the enemy from behind its walls. The high walls of the fortress gave an opportunity to assess the strength of the approaching enemy and an easy way to attack it. Moreover, the trench also served as an important defense mechanism to keep the enemy out of the city. Though the military might of Troy seemed invincible, yet it fell because the gods were perhaps not happy with the people. As it was built without paying homage to the gods or the ‘immortals’; therefore, it was bound to be destroyed. It points towards an important religious factor in Iliad that cities can retain life only with the approval of gods. â€Å"The lofty towers of wide-extended troy† (36, Book II) could not be saved from burning down to ashes even with all its military strength.This was not the case long before, when â€Å"None stands so dear to Jove as sacred Troy† (68, Book IV). Troy was a city that was self-sufficient in crops and agriculture.

Summarise and critically review the RationalEmotive model of Essay

Summarise and critically review the RationalEmotive model of psychological therapy - Essay Example This therapy helps the patients to recognize the difference between the two negative emotions. The Rational-Emotive Behavioural Therapy was proposed by Albert Ellis in 1955. Albert Ellis belonged to the psychoanalysis branch of psychology, but after noticing that the traditional techniques of helping individuals resolve their negative emotions took too long he developed a significant approach in solving their problems. He named it REBT (Rational-Emotive Behavioural Therapy). This technique can be differentiated from the other psychoanalysis methods due to its unique philosophy that an individual has the power to change and influence their beliefs and philosophy in order to gain mastery over themselves. Using their own thoughts patients following the REBT can radically change their mental health and break loose of traumatic situations. (Mulhauser, 2008) REBT employs the ABC Framework. The "A" stands for the Activating event. The activation event includes the actual event and more importantly the individual's immediate interpretation of it. The same event may trigger different emotions in different people. Some people may react to a death in the family by accepting the event whereas others may retreat into a protective shell avoiding the truth. The "B" stands for Beliefs. The beliefs of an individual are moulded by his experiences and related to their capacity of comprehending the event. Whether one takes a Rational Approach to the event or an Irrational Approach to analyzing the event relies solely on the individual's own beliefs. The last stage recognized in the framework is the Consequences. In the last stage of the framework a person actually reaches an opinion. In this stage he builds either a Healthy Negative Emotion or an Unhealthy Negative Emotion. Keeping the framework in mind a summarized version of events leading to the Consequences is discussed. A negative event occurs (stage A). The person can either have a Rational Approach to analyse the event which would lead to a Healthy Negative Emotion which is not a cause for concern. On the other hand he may take an Irrational Approach to analyse the event which would lead to an Unhealthy Negative Emotion. The main therapeutic technique relies on helping the individual realize that everything, even his emotions and beliefs are under his control. (REBTN, 2006) THE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO REBT The basic technique applied by psychoanalysts using the REBT technique is the moulding of the client's absolutist philosophies. The main aim is to modify dysfunctional emotions and to help the client recognize the beliefs and attitudes which bring the unwanted states and to change them into positive emotions. The most unique element of this therapeutic technique is that therapy can still take place even after sessions have ended with psychiatrists as this approach helps individuals deal with themselves and accept themselves and their problems. (PsychNet) APPRAISALS OF REBT As mentioned earlier one of the positive aspect of REBT is that it is an effective way of helping out the client even after the sessions are over. Since it bestows the client with self belief he can not only handle the present problem but can face any future challenge as well. It provides an individual with the self control he requires to manage his everyday life and problems. Another reason stated by clients using REBT is that it

Financial Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis - Term Paper Example In the case of Competition Bikes Inc., they have been using traditional costing methods and have recently given ABC a try. The following is the data for the overhead costs of six items: From the figure above, we see the difference in production costs due to the cost allocation method. Under the traditional approach, the manufacturing overheads were overpriced for the Titanium model at $239,020 whereas the actual costs is $188,415. Consequently, the total manufacturing cost is also affected. Using the ABC approach would reduce the manufacturing cost of Titanium products, hence, helping the company get better margins. Similarly, for the Carbon DL model, the manufacturing overhead is underpriced at $232,380 whereas using ABC, we found it to be $282,985. Therefore, the product cost is less than the actual cost incurred. Hence, based on the above findings, we can conclude that Activity Based Costing method is the right approach for cost allocation as it allocates costs to individual activ ities making cost identification better. Moreover, it also helps in making operational improvements as with ABC, we have a clear idea of the cost centers. Evaluation of Cost-Volume-Profit Cost-volume-profit analysis also sometimes termed as breakeven analysis is the point at which revenues equal costs (both fixed and variable costs), i.e. a point of no loss or no gain. The analysis assumes that costs and revenue behave in a linearly and both fixed and variable costs have been accurately assigned. It also assumes that all units produced are sold and in the case of more than one type of product, the sales mix remains constant. Cost-Volume-Profit amalysis is the analysis that provides a company a rough understanding of the number of units they can produce to earn a particular amount of profit while incurring certain cost. One of the tools of Cost-Volume-Proft is Breakeven Analysis, which describes the units are which revenue equal cost. Bascially, this means that if Competition Bikes c an sell more than 1415 units of the Titanium model and 786 units of CarbonLite, they would be able to earn profit. Breakeven analysis describes the volume above which a company can earn profits while incurring the same amount of costs. The following figure provides the calculations for the Breakeven Analysis of Competition Bikes Inc. for their plant in San Diego with Titanium model of 900 units and CarbonLite model with 500 units. From the figure above, we can see that if Competition Bikes Inc. sells a total of 2201 units of Titanium and CarbonLite models combined, they would be able to breakeven and if they sell more than 2201 units, they can earn profit. It is also necessary to find the individual breakeven points of both the models. Competition Bikes need to sell 1415 units of Titanium model and 786 units of CarbonLite to be at the point where they suffer no loss and no gain. If we analyze the breakeven point in terms of sales dollars, we know that for Titanium, $1,273,500 are th e breakeven figures whereas for CarbonLite they are $1,175,070 as it is expensive than the Titanium model that is why lesser units and more sales dollars result in the breakeven of CarbonLite. An increase in fixed costs results in increasing both the breakeven units and sales dollars. If the fixed costs of Competition Bikes Inc. increases by an additional $50,000 and the cost of direct materials increase by 10%, then the following breakeven calculations would result: As we can see

Theories and Methods in Media Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theories and Methods in Media Studies - Essay Example With this underlying root, Mark Zuckerberg along with his roommates back in college found the social networking Company and named it Facebook, Inc. in 2004. Students of the Harvard University and some of the American universities were at first restricted from using the online social networking service. Later, with a mounting demand from students and the public, the social medium of communication and network named Facebook spread all over the world (Miller, 2011). Facebook has gained such massive popularity mainly because it brings together people from different countries, territories, learning institutions, races, gender, and religion on a common platform. The underlying theories of social media, social networking, virtual mode of communication, and digital marketing highlight the fundamental purpose and implications of Facebook. The social networking site allows the users to create, exchange and share ideas, data, and information via online and virtual communication platforms. The s ocial network leverage advantage of the advancements of technology together with its anticipated benefits via the World Wide Web or internet. Due to various benefits that have resulted from use of Facebook and other social networking services, the people, organizations, and community groups increasingly consume products and services of social media. The social media of networking has allowed the people to remain in touch with their friends irrespective of the distance that sets them apart. The formation of communities by the people who share similar thoughts, opinions, profession or likings have helped the users to remain together and connected on a continuous basis. The social media and the networking services are being used worldwide and widely accepted by the people in different communities. For this reasons, the social media and networking sites could also be used to form public opinions in case of social issues. Apart from the people and the communities, the business houses and several organizations have also started to accept the networking services of social media like Facebook and Twitter among others to take advantages of the virtual platform and digital marketing opportunities. The social media and other virtual platforms for networking have been proven more advantageous relative to the conventional electronic and the print media. The worth of communication, the extent to which the information can reach users, the immediacy of the communication achieved by the online medium of communication helps to attain an improved performance of networking. These advantages of digital communication with the help of internet-based services using various applications are useful for marketing of products and services by the companies. The information of the product and service could be spread to a wide range of target customers in order to complete the marketing activities at optimal cost. The shift in the trend of marketing and selling of products of the companies in various sectors of the industry have been largely due to the changes in the way of communication of the society and the inclination of communication and information exchange through the online social media. The uses of social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. by the companies on an increasing scale are being observed to tap the potential opportunities in the changing market scenario (Ryan, 2011). The applications of the social

Marketing Study on Apple Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Marketing Study on Apple Company - Assignment Example The computer industry incorporates a broad range of products, from mp3 players / iPods and printers to â€Å"personal computers and powerful servers† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103). Businesses have difficulty working in the computer industry, specifically because of the active environment of technology. In accordance to Moore’s law, the â€Å"numbers of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every 18 months† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103), and costs will be decreased. This indicates that even the leading companies are required to stay very active and updated, as the industry is persistently changing and redefining its parameters. Apple Inc. has lately made headlines by penetrating into the cell phone market with its launch of the Apple iPhone. Apple as well has an extensive range of computer products together with personal computers, â€Å"computer accessories, servers, networking solutions, and software packages† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103). Presently having a market share of 58 percent among the cell phone market, and staying on a profitable 5 percent of the personal computer market, Apple has constantly maintains its name within the industry by keeping an eye for aesthetics as well as inventiveness, together with ‘easy to use’, pioneering products. Apple has most successfully developed the competitive strategies that let businesses in this industry to stay lucrative. Apple is renowned for its distinguished as well as innovative products, and dependable customer base. This joined with the halo effect from iPhone sales is likely to boost general market share and enhanced position Apple to remove market share from its rivals. In addition, Apple presents the maximum percentage of its sales to Research and Development, which better positions itself to have the benefit of primary mover benefit with the introduction of latest products. Apple has the maximum gross profit margin among its rivals because of its higher costs, and is only in charge for letting Apple to stay afloat within the personal computer market by a meager 4 percent market share. On the other hand, â€Å"Apple’s spare no expense philosophy in producing high quality differentiated goods drastically reduces its ability to translate a larger portion of gross prof it into net profit† (Cruikshank, 2005, p. 72). Apple has the utmost operating expense ratio in addition to the lowest net profit margin with its rivals. If Apple is capable of cutting down on operating cost and make use of a few of the standard policies used by Dell, they will be capable of converting additional profits into earnings per share Apple has many internal strong pints that make it a triumphant as well as competitive business. Apple has a dominant foothold within the personal computer marketplace by being different with its pioneering approach and user-friendliness. Its operating system is created domestically, keeping it free from

Organisation Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organisation Behaviour - Essay Example It has an international division, the Joint Commission International (JCI), which works with health care organizations in over 80 countries worldwide since 1994 (Joint Commission Resources Inc., 2009). These include hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, clinical laboratories, care continuum services, medical transport organizations, and primary care services, as well as certification for disease or condition specific care (Joint Commission Website, 2011). Being accredited and certified by the Joint Commission is recognized as a symbol of the highest quality that reflects on a health care organization’s commitment to meeting the most discriminating performance standards. The Joint Commission’s mission is to â€Å"continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations† (Joint Commission website, 2011). The Jo int Commission provides the premium standards that health care institutions must comply with to ensure that patients are provided the utmost quality of care they deserve. Upon successfully passing the accreditation requirements, the health care organization earns the symbol of quality that reflects the organization’s commitment to excellence – the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval. ... It has been established to seek patient safety solutions (Joint Commission Resources, Inc., 2009). Metaphorical Analysis of Joint Commission Morgan (1997a) has conceptualized a way to analyse organizations with metaphors. This concept is aligned with the theories of Lakoff & Johnson (1980) as they explain: In all aspects of life ... we define our reality in terms of metaphors and then proceed to act on the basis of the metaphors. We draw inferences, set goals, make commitments, and execute plans, all on the basis of how we in part structure our experience, consciously and unconsciously, by means of metaphor (p. 158). The metaphors Morgan has chosen are machines, organisms, brains, cultures, political systems, psychic prisons, flux and transformation and instruments of domination. According to him, multiple perspectives are produced when organizations are analysed using more than one metaphor since a single metaphor will not be able to provide a holistic picture of the organization. F or this essay, the writer has selected machines and organisms to analyse the organization of the Joint Commission. The functions of the organization are very much likened to a machine’s in terms of â€Å"input- output† of performance and the standards used to measure its efficiency. The organism is also chosen to analyse the Joint Commission, being an organization dedicated to the respect and preservation of life. Morgan has used the metaphor of machines to describe organizations that are designed to achieve specific purposes using a standardized method. The metaphor of organisms is used by Morgan to describe organizations as living organisms that strive to adapt and survive in an environment that constantly

Foreign Monetary System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foreign Monetary System - Essay Example There were also huge direct foreign investments in China during the 1990s (Zi et al, 2009). With the increased trade amongst the East Asian countries and huge direct foreign investments from countries like USA, it presented a great future ahead for China. However this was not the case, as it created â€Å"cyclic overheating†. After the revised Bretton Woods System, China’s exchange rate was pegged to the US dollar and creating an artificially low rate. These countries benefitted from this as China attracted foreign investment in their country with huge profit initiatives due to cheap labor and the finished products were exported to US. In retrospect, China used its export earnings and invested it in T-bonds in US, bringing down their interest rates, thus increasing investments in their own country. However, this made China totally dependent on the foreign investments and had no control over its money supply. This lead to the revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) in 2005 which meant the currency was no longer pegged with US dollar but was market determined by a basket of currencies. This managed floating exchange rate system was the important change in the Monetary System of China. This move was important as the old Yuan-Dollar peg, resulted in over investments within the country and over evaluation of the Yuan. Hence, this move was made to cool down the cyclic overheating in the country (Wu, 2006). This cool down of the cyclic overheating in China had started before the revaluation of RMB. According to the study, this cool down was not achieving the full anticipated affects. With the anticipation of the revaluation in 2005, the money supply in the country grew from 2004 to 2005 by 14%, which resulted in an increase in the loans by 11%. The strong relationship between the loans and the real estate sector, led to an inflation of asset prices and land rents. As China relies on investments and exports to run its economy, it will take considerably more time to cool down the over investments and rectify the imbalances created by it. All the affects in the China’s Economy, whether they are large foreign exchange reserves, increased money supply, overheating of investments or asset price inflation are all focusing on its exchange rate. Thus the exchange rate system of China plays an integral part in its macroeconomic policies and management (Wu, 2006). In the recent years, China has had to face another challenge. Due to the efforts of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), the capital inflow started to decrease. However, due to the slowed global growth rate PBC has managed and adjusted the policies so that the growth rate of China does not fall at an alarming rate. The challenge here is that over the recent years, PBC and the policymakers have become adept at trying to slow down capital inflow, but are rather inexperienced when it comes to slowing down capital outflow. One way to create a more balanced inflow and outflo w is to decrease the cash reserves required for the Commercial Banks to keep. This was done in the first place to reduce the surplus liquidity formed by capital inflows. In this case, for the PBC to reverse the reduced growth it has to inject liquidity into the economy. As mentioned above, a way out currently adopted by China is the cut in the Required Reserve Ratio. This is a loose

U.S Economy Cause and Effect Essay Example for Free

U.S Economy Cause and Effect Essay As America is going through economical disfunctions, Â  it is apparent that many people fear for losing their job because in such a depression it would make it impossible to be well off comfortably due to the demand of money needed for all the basic essentials especially in Orange County. Orange County happens the be one of the more expensive areas in the state and it is crucial to always have a steady income as life here is not cheap but well worth it. Many Americans are in search for work and are struggling to make a living. As the job hunting goes on, many job opportunities are overseen to due to programs such unemployment. The percentage of unemployment has sky rocketed over the past few years leaving it up to us, tax payers with job to pay for such needs. Unemployment is not fair for all, most people would say. There are a percentage of people who truly have no other choice of surviving unless they depend on this crucial unemployment program. Although unemployment is crucial for some, it is not necessary for a portion of the people due to the simple fact that they are not trying hard enough to seek new job opportunities. Instead they a letting opportunities slide right past them every single day they are not looking for work. Many people depend on unemployment alone, because most people would prefer to get paid for doing nothing while they have the chance too. Many people take advantage of this privilege and only it do they follow. A huge downfall due to unemployment for us people with a steady income and a consistent employment is the fact that we have to pay for the unemployed. Hardworking people work to support themselves also end up paying taxes which a percentage of that goes to the unemployed. By increasing our taxes the government collects money all around. This dramatically decreases the standard of living for us citizens. Although unemployment has its pros and is a huge opportunity for people in struggles or going through loss of unemployment. It also puts a major dependability on hard working citizens who are forced to pay high taxes which a certain percentage are collected to pay for the unemployed. Many people abuse unemployment for as long as they can and only pretend to seek work but instead just prefer to do nothing but make something which not only is unfair but also not right. Unemployment not only affects certain individuals but it also puts a decrease on the standard of living here in the United states which affects everybody around us.

M&S Case Study Essay Example for Free

MS Case Study Essay Introduction As stated by Andrew (2001), the Porter’s generic strategies framework assist the business to evaluate a competitive atmosphere. The five Porters force mainly deal with entry threat, power of buyers and suppliers, substitute’s threat, and competitive rivalry. The threat of entry According to Porter (1980), entry freedom into a new market is normally considered an indication of the extent of company’s competitiveness. Porter further states that the larger the barriers to entry, the less the threat of new companies moving into the market. Marks and Spencer individually can keep prices low strategically to minimize possible entrants into the market. This is called entry deterring pricing that establishes a barrier to other competitors. As stated by Anthony (1999), these barriers are unique characteristics of an industry that defines it. The barriers decrease the pace at which new firms enter the industry thus maintaining low profits levels for other companies. The power of buyers For Marks and Spencer to root to its customers, it has to emphasis on grassroots acquisition of customers so as to offer an enlarged bargaining power to them. Consumers can improve their bargaining power suppose the services or products of an organization are not affordable or are of low quality. The consumers an also have strong bargaining power suppose they purchase standard, undifferentiated goods from suppliers. The buyers will be weak if producers can over own retailing if the producers are not standardized and the buyer cannot switch to another product (Johnson and Scholes, 2002). The company has tried to minimize such cases for high competitive advantage. The company has also to find new delivery methods that will improve customer satisfaction. Power of suppliers According to Porters (1980), a supplier can have influence suppose the company works within a limited market and there is a degree of substitutability. As asserted by Grant (2005), there are some factors that determine the power of the company to attain all the needed account to meet the relevant profits. There are credible onwards integration threats by suppliers, supplier’s concentration, cost of switching suppliers, and its powerfulness to boycott low quality products (Anthony, 1999). The company has to maintain a chain of suppliers for its products to beat the competition. Threat of Substitutes Porter (1980) describes the threat of substitution as the identification of substitute products that can perform the same function as the product in question. Marks and Spencer experiences some threats from the products of other companies. To an economist, intimidation of competitors take place supposes the product demand is affected by change in price of the competitors. Marks and Spencer’s products demand have been adversely affected by the strategic change in prices of other companies (Coyne, 1996). The new fashions available and the changing dressing mode are creating high competition between Marks and Spencer and other competitive companies. Rivalry Marks and Spencer faces high competition because various companies have emerged producing high quality products at affordable prices. This high concentration shows that the company has many competitors and majority has an important market share. To counter competition, Marks and Spencer has managed to lower prices so as to gain a temporary advantage. It has also strived to improve their product features and qualities during the manufacture (Grant, 2005). References Andrew, H., 2001. Understanding Potters five force analyses in the industries: view in the global world. Macmillan publishers. pp.22-27. Anthony, W., 1999. Strategic comparison of business to consumers’ relationships. Macmillan publishers. Coyne, K., 1996. Bringing obedience to policy. The McKinsey Quarterly. No.4. Grant, R., 2005. Modern policy investigation. The Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford (U.K.). Johnson Scholes, 2002. Strategic Management. 6th ed. Exploring Corporate Strategy Text Cases.

Corporate Responsibility Strategy Development For Maruti Suzuki Management Essay

Corporate Responsibility Strategy Development For Maruti Suzuki Management Essay The report is on Corporate Responsibility practice currently in Maruti Suzuki India Limited, review of their performance and recommending a strategy which delivers positive value with a sustainable competitive advantage. Maruti Suzuki India Limited is major concerns are the labour issues caused by the contract, young and restless and the environmental impact. With the awareness of environmental aspect, customers are shifting towards eco-friendly products and valuing product which are doing so. Regulation and global competition on becoming more environmental friendly organisation is pushing companies to do more on reducing consumption and waste. The corporate responsibility issues in value chain across the three category Environmental , Social and Economic is analysed and is tabulated with the prioritised impacts. Then the current performance highlights of the MSIL in the Environmental , Social and Economic from their annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The short comes and areas of improvement are discussed. With the issues and the present performance of corporate responsibility, a better responsible vision is created. A corporate responsibility strategy is developed to gain value. Introduction Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL, formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited) is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan. Maruti Suzuki claims to be the leader of the Indian car market for over two and a half decades. The company has two manufacturing facilities located at Gurgaon and Manesar, India. Both the facilities have a combined capability to produce over a 1.5 million vehicles annually. The company plans to expand its manufacturing capacity to 1.75 million by 2013. Maruti Suzuki contributes 45 % of total industry sales in India. Maruti Suzuki is the only Indian Company to have crossed the 10 million sales mark since its inception since 1983. In 2011-12, the company sold over 1.13 million vehicles including 127,379 units of exports. (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). The Company employs over 9000 people (as on 31st March, 2012). Maruti Suzukis sales and service network is one of the largest among car manufacturers in India. The Company has been rated first in customer satisfaction in the JD Power survey for 12 consecutive years (Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012). Figure Maruti Vision and Core Values F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworksvision-banner-bottom.jpg Source: (Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012) Maruti Suzuki has gained several awards for organisation performance and products. Maruti is be the leader in the automobile industry in India and doing their best to improve in their performance. Figure Certifications Source : (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012) Maruti has a strong presence of its network and availability across India. With a 1100 sales network in 801 cities and 2958 service station in 1408 cities. Figure Maruti Domestic Presence F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworksmap.jpg Source: (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012) The Maruti started exporting since 1987, as of 2011 the total units exported was 863,380. Europe has the highest share with 55 % followed by Asia 17 % , Africa 16 % and Latin America 10 % . Recently they have started exporting to Oceania. Maruti has expanded into Insurance , Finance , Used Care Sale and Fleet management keeping closely aligned with the core business. Maruti also has a Joint venture with its 19 suppliers who are considered to be vital among the 290 suppliers. Maruti Insurance Maruti Finance Maruti TrueValue N2N Fleet Management While working to enhance shareholder wealth, Maruti Suzuki will regularly engage with all stakeholders to assess their needs and through its products, services, conduct and management initiatives, promote their sustained growth and well-being (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). There has been issues in the management do to the joint venture agreement between Suzuki and Government of India , until recently Government of India has sold its complete share to Indian financial institution. Due to the management changes and pose of job loses dude to the change there has been lot of unresolved issue with the work force. Since its first operations in 1983 there has been strikes , go slow protest by the labours. There have been many occurrence in the years 1984,1997,2000,2001,2002,2011 and 2012. The recent incident at Manaser shock the whole industry, leaving one dead and 100 injured when more than 500 workers broke the office and set it on fire. The reason of this from the labour side is that the contract works get only half the salary of the permanent employees also claim harsh working conditions. Discriminatory comments to a low-caste worker by the supervisors. The management disagreed to the cast discrimination. Corporate responsibility issues across value chain Clean, lean and safe cars are not only societally desirable but they also have the potential to create a competitive advantage for the industry, insofar as they meet these consumer expectations, are affordable and address needs which are applicable to, and have to be addressed by, the global community as a whole (European Commission, 2006). Environment Issues Environment issue is mainly in the Manufacturing of vehicles, inbound component and part manufacturing and Logistics. Electricity is consumed in both inbound and operations and their back up power supply is powered by fossil fuel both leading to Greenhouse gas. There are waste such as Hazardous waste from the production, shredded metals and residue from raw materials, Oil and lubrication from operation and service, package materials and water waste. Logistics is a major operation as the manufactured vehicles has to be delivered across the country and also to the harbour for exporting. With the just in time model the is an increases in the inbound logistic (India transport portal, 2010). The Fossil fuel is used for combustion and this leads to Greenhouse gas potential increasing the carbon foot print. Figure shows the important environment issues across the value chain. Figure Environmental issues across the value chain F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkcsrSlide1.JPG Social Issues The recent incident in Manesar says more on the social issues which are involved with the workforce management. Even with the industry saying Maruti is best in wage payment they have workforce issue due to the contract workers, young and restless workers (Malini Bureau, 2012). Figure shows the key social impacts across the value chain, in social all the issues are taken as important as failing to respond to it will damage the reputation and decrees the brand value. Figure Social issues across the value chain F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkcsrSlide2.JPG Economic Issues Economic issues concerns over the policies and the good practices in doing the business. The regulation which has to be obeyed in doing the action, this issue should not trigger companys image as corrupt and spoiled. Figure show the key economic issues across the value chain. Figure Economic issues across the value chain F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkcsrSlide3.JPG Review of Corporate Responsibility Corporate responsibility practices of an organisation relies on the transparency of the practices as presented in corporate reporting and strategy documentation. Maruti Suzuki has well prepared and clear information on corporate responsibility which is published in their website and annual corporate responsibility report which are aligned to Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworksbanner-1.jpg Maruti Suzukis focus has been on growing together with its business partners. The Company is aware that in Giving support to its business partners on issues of sustainability, it will Get back in return manifold. This will naturally translate into an opportunity for Maruti Suzuki and all its partners to Grow together sustainably (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). Transparency The corporate responsibility report generally tends to have its good deeds more on it and this is why there may be a lack in transparency. This report should be prepared as per the international Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. Based on environmental and social impact performance, Maruti Suzuki India Limited has received an overall Scientific Rating of 6.3, which is 26% higher than the average for all Company Ratings. Transparency related to environmental performance is 7.6 and Transparency related to social performance is 6.1 the full index is in the Appendix A (GoodGuide, 2012). Corporate responsibility report can be made more reliable when there is a check and reliability check by external authority . Having more indicators to compare and asses the position of the company within the industry. Environment performance Maruti has significantly brought down CO2 emission per vehicle in car manufacturing. At the Gurgaon Plant, CO2 per vehicle in 2010-11 came down by 15% compared to the previous year while in Manesar facility, CO2 emission reduced by 13% during the year. Maruti uses Natural Gas for power generation, which further limits CO2 emission. The use of waste fuel of turbines to generate steam and compressed air also helped bring down CO2 emission per vehicle. Maruti has registered its first Clean Development Project with the UN Framework for Climate Change (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). In a significant initiative, a part of the hazardous waste generated at the plants is supplied to the cement industry where it is utilized for co-processing. The hazardous waste being sent includes paint sludge, phosphate sludge and ETP sludge. In all, 6,447 tons of such waste was sent for recycle/use in the cement industry in 2010-11, the first year of this initiative. The present landfills are also being emptied out, enabling efficient use of land within the facilities (Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012). The 42% of the total water requirement was met through recycled and reused water in 2010-11. Figure Environmental performance in 2011 Gurgaon plant Manesar plant F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworks15co2.jpg Reduction in CO2 emissions F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworks13co2.jpg Reduction in CO2 emissions F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworks5wa.jpg Less water used In manufacturing F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworks16wa.jpg Less water used In manufacturing F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkstree.jpg 25,000 Tree Planted F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworksled.jpg LED lights for street lighting and meeting rooms F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworksindex.jpg 6,447 tons of waste recycle/re used F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkslo.jpg 76% of suppliers within 100 kms of radius Source : (Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012) Environmental performance can be increased by reducing the logistic in supply chain and transporting the finished product. Recycling of the cars after its life cycle, Maruti Suzuki has to do much in their environmental aspect when it is compared with the Global terms. Social performance Maruti Suzuki spends Rs 15.2 crore on social responsibility projects in 2010-11, an increase of 34.5 per cent over the previous year. Employee volunteers remained the driving force behind the Companys social programs. They contributed about 2792 volunteer hours, at 24 volunteering centres. Road Safety is Maruti Suzukis (Q,N,C,F)* flagship national program for the society. The Company and its partners promote Road Safety by imparting driving training, awareness and advocacy (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). The number of Maruti Driving Schools, set up and managed by its dealer partners, doubled to 166 during 2010-11. The Company also imparts driving training through Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), set up in partnership with state governments. These IDTRs trained 70,000 people during 2010-11. While working to enhance shareholder wealth, Maruti Suzuki will regularly engage with all stakeholders to assess their needs and through its products, services, conduct and management initiatives, promote their sustained growth and well-being (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). The Company works closely with communities in four villages at Manesar. It runs education support centres, a computer literacy centres and vocational training programs including driving training, besides upgrading school infrastructure in these villages. Figure Social initiatives Maruti Suzuki is one of the best paid companies, with the economic and drops in sales figure it has been put in tough times. There have been rising issue with the management and labour in the past and in July 2011 the works broke the office in Manesar plant and set it on fire with took a life of a senior executive and left hundreds injured. This issue are due to the lack of management attention , having contact workers , young and restless workers. The loss in lockout of Manesar plant was more than 1 billion rupees (India CSR, 2012). Economic Performance Maruti Suzuki strongly believes in sustained business growth and works towards the well being of its direct stakeholders. It makes far-reaching investment decisions taking into consideration unmet customer needs, market growth potential, upcoming regulations and long term sustainability of the Maruti and its various stakeholders (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012). Maruti Suzuki is investing over Rs. 60,000 million in new manufacturing facilities, expansion of RD infrastructure and vehicle stockyards. Maruti registered its highest ever sales of 1,271,005 vehicles in domestic and export markets in 2010-11.Companys sales in the domestic market crossed the one million vehicle milestone for the first time in with the sale of 1,132,739 units, a growth of 30.1% over the previous year. Figure Economic performance ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS ACHIEVEMENTS 2009-10 ACHIEVEMENTS 2010-11 CHANGE Domestic Sales (nos.) 870,790 1,132,739 30.1% Export Sales (nos.) 147,575 138,266 -6.3% Total Sales (nos.) 1,018,365 1,271,005 24.8% Net Sales (Rs. mn) 289,585 361,282 24.75% Profit After Tax (Rs. mn) 24,976 22,886 -8.3% Reserves and Surplus (Rs. mn) 116,906 137,230 17.3% Market share (A+B+C)* 44.6% 44.9% 0.3 % Contribution to national exchequer (Rs. mn) 51,442 71,343 38.6% Expenditure on RD (Rs. mn) 1,733 4,163 140.2% Expenditure on CSR (Rs. mn) 113 152 34.5% Source : (Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012) Developing Better Vision With rapid economic growth and investment in new capacities, skill development is critical for the country and the manufacturing sector. While this requires a concerted effort at the national level, Maruti Suzuki is doing its bit in this area as part of its CSR program. With learning from the past Maruti has an issue which impact social dimension which in turn affects the economic dimension. With the growing awareness of environment, failing to act will bring in issues in long term. Stage 1 Maruti has its value since its launch and is said to be Indias Pride , on environmental impact the have to improve their indicators. Environmental and social performance can be only improved if the people who are involved are willing to bring in the process. They have ISO 14001:2004 Environment Management System Certificate for Gurgaon and Manesar Plants, Figure bring in the Human resource factor in the ISO 14001 in the stages will help in effective engagement of people. Figure Sustainability through human resource factors F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCoursework14001.jpg Source : (Bonnie Su-chun, 2001) Stage 2 Redesigning process, product and business to gain value, one of the causes for manesar Plants incident was the lack of ownership and executive decision. With the past experience the should be new process in place to avoid such fatal risk. Creating new ways for improving efficiency, adding more value for the customers will be achieved only with the interest of the stakeholders. Innovation in more energy efficient cars , Stage 3 and 4 are with the innovation and expansions of business aligning to its core business. This can be new venture dealing with the cars after their life cycle, this could bring in more value and reduce the waste. To have an effective execution of the vision there should be an integrated and systematic in the five critical areas. Figure Vision Vision Developing Corporate Responsibility Strategy The Corporate responsibility strategy could be implemented in 3 years addition along the way. Corporate Responsibility Drivers Stakeholders including consumers, investors, and employees pay increasing attention to the social and environmental footprints of business and corporate-responsibility (Bhattacharya, et al., 2011). The drivers for the corporate responsibility are Growing concern of the environment. Social wellbeing of the workers. Customers preference of products which are efficient and environmental friendly To improve the brand value Key Issues Objectives Improving workforce management by collaborating with the associations and satisfy the genuine needs of labours. Improving executive task ownership and responsibility through having a structure. Improving community through local hiring, working with NGOs to run education and health camps. Educating good driving habits through Road Safety Initiatives and Maruti Driving Schools. Compiling with governing body and organization for environmental impact assessments, social impact assessments and internal management systems. Research and development on bring out more efficient vehicles. Targets and Key Performance Indicators Training 3,00,000 people on Safe driving. Opening 50 more Maruti Driving Schools. Reducing CO2, electricity and water consumption by 3 % per vehicle in both the manufacturing plants. Improve workforce welfare, avoid strikes. To have 75% of suppliers with ISO 14001 certification. Reducing packaging material by 5 % and using bio degradable packaging material. Reducing employee injury rate by 10 %. Governance Stakeholder Engagement Maruti has a well-structured organization with good communication channel to perform. Figure Corporate governance structure F:MBAModulesSem 2NBS-M019 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYCourseworkcorprategor.jpg Source : (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012) To have an effective Corporate Responsibility there should be good engagement across all levels with the understanding about it. The Board of directors who look into the whole CR function and discuss with the committees for prioritising the issues and key activities. These committees are different for economic, social and environment they are responsible for the distributing the roles and responsibility to the staffs , achieving targets and reporting to the Board of directors. Control and audit looks into the performance of staffs, changes in the global stage and benchmarking. Figure Governance, Accountability and Reporting Structure Remuneration of executive and employees for achieving their targets will motivate them to carry on the good work. The Stakeholder engagement can be improved by does the activities in Figure Stakeholder engagement activities Figure Stakeholder engagement activities Stakeholder Activity Shareholders and Investors Annual General Meeting Investor Meets Suppliers Product Meeting Joint Venture HR Meeting Dealers Balanced Score Card Dealer conference Zone Meeting Social Meetings with Community NGOs meeting Environment Regulatory Authorities Community Feedback Management Systems The process of managing the sustainability should be headed by the Board of directors having the knowledge of the prioritise issues and key activities. Management communities get in the views and concerns from various elements, they then asses the importance and benefit of performing the action on it. The also look in for possible risk which will affect them. These are taken into account in the planning stage itself. Environmental , social and economic impacts should be open to scrutiny by government agency , independent regulatory bodies and other firm in order to have a transparency and increasing the confidence of the reliability in the performance figures. The risk management activity is reviewed by the Audit Committee through a management subcommittee, namely the Executive Risk Management Committee. It reviews risk management activities on a regular basis, in addition to scanning for emerging risks. Economic Social Executive Risk Management Committee Board Of Directors Assessment by Authorities and outside firms Environmental Stakeholder Concerns, Business Impacts, Risks And Opportunities Management Committee Adapted : (Maruthi Suzuki, 2012) Risk Risk is caused both from internally driven and externally driven. Figure Maruti Risk Economic Risks Environmental Risks Systematic financial failure Labour Strike Competitor Economy slowdown Carbon Positioning Flood and Land Slides Plastic waste Earthquake Land and water use management Geopolitical Risks Societal Risks Government Changes New policies and regulations Water supply crises Power supply crises Fire and Safety Reputation Technological Risks Failure of IT system Cyber attack and Data privacy Conclusion Maruti corporate responsibility is performing good at the moment when compared to its competitor in the domestic region. The major issue in the social are the labour unrest. With the improved vision the company will bring in more value. The process is improved with implying human resources factors and managing the at all levels. Transparency is gained by allowing the external firms and authorities to scrutiny. The new corporate responsibility strategy is aligned to the existing activities and issue. Stretching the environmental performance figures will gain brand value and compete with the international industry level . Bibliography Bhattacharya, C., Danie, l. K. Sankar, S., 2011. What really drives value in corporate responsibility?. [Online] Available at: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/What_really_drives_value_in_corporate_responsibility_2895 [Accessed 11 12 2012]. Bonnie, F. D. Su-chun, H., 2001. Achieving sustainability through attention to human resource. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 22(12), pp. 1539 1552. European Commission, 2006. A Competitive Automotive Regulatory System for the 21st century, Belgium: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. GoodGuide, 2012. Maruti Suzuki India Limited GoodGuide Ratings. [Online] Available at: http://companies.goodguide.com/l/121398/Maruti-Suzuki-India-Limited [Accessed 11 12 2012]. India CSR, 2012. Lockout in Marutis Manesar Unit Costing Rs 90 crore Per Day: Assocham. [Online] Available at: http://www.indiacsr.in/en/?p=7334 [Accessed 10 12 2012]. India transport portal, 2010. A peek into Marutis supply chain management. [Online] Available at: http://indiatransportportal.com/2010/12/a-peek-into-maruti%E2%80%99s-supply-chain-management/ [Accessed 09 12 2012]. Malini, G. Bureau, E., 2012. Four reasons behind Maruti Suzukis Manesar problems. [Online] Available at: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-07-22/news/32777541_1_maruti-suzuki-s-manesar-maruti-s-manesar-shinzo-nakanishi [Accessed 09 12 2012]. Maruthi Suzuki, 2012. Awards. [Online] Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/sustainabilityreport/certifications.html [Accessed 10 12 2012]. Maruthi Suzuki, 2012. Maruthi Suzuki Sustainability Report 10-11, Gurgaon : Maruti Suzuki India Limited . Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/about-us.aspx [Accessed 11 12 2012]. Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012. Annual Report 2011-12, New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India Limited. Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012. Environmental Performance. [Online] Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/sustainabilityreport/environmental.html [Accessed 10 12 2012]. Maruti Suzuki India Limited, 2012. Sustainability approach. [Online] Available at: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/sustainabilityreport/sustainability-approach.html [Accessed 10 12 2012].

The Importance of Technology Education in Schools Essay -- Teaching Ed

The Importance of Technology Education in Schools The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future. By increasing computer usage by students, installing classroom Internet access and providing instructional classes dedicated to software and hardware education, schools have tried to provide an up-to-date education for students. This is all very important, but is it enough? I feel that perhaps this just isn’t going to cut it for the twenty-first century. Michael Eisenberg and Doug Johnson pose the question in the ERIC Digest, â€Å"Can the student who operates a computer well enough to play a game, send e-mail, or surf the Web be considered computer literate?† [1] I believe the answer is yes and no, it depends on whom you are comparing them to. If you are comparing these kids with many adults, then yes they are; however, if you are comparing them to the next younger generation of children that are learning to do these things before they even learn to read, then the answer is a large resounding NO. Schools need to incorporate technology education into all areas of curriculum. Students need to be able to understand not only the how-to of computers, but they need to understand when to use it, where to use it, and why it should be used. Many students only have a basic working knowledge of computer... ... 5. 5. Network systems and data communications analysts 6. 6. Desktop publishers 7. 7. Database administrators 8. 8. Personal and home care aides 9. 9. Computer systems analysts 10. 10. Medical assistants3 Locally, the high schools have begun to understand this growing need and have issued laptops to all students in the freshman classes. This is just a first step. The teachers must now make good use of these new tools and help the students understand the how, when, where, and why of their gifts. It will be awhile before education can afford to catch up to societies needs, but if we recognize the need now, changes can be made to ensure that our next generation will be prepared for the future. A future were bugs are very different from insects, surfing requires no water and viruses have nothing to do with infection.

Essay example --

James 1:17- â€Å"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.† How would a person feel if someone took his or her life? Unborn babies have no say in this decision. They cannot choose life or death. It is understand that the mother has a choice to abort her baby, but the child cannot do anything about his or her life being taken away. Eighteen days after conception the baby has a heartbeat. Taking his or her life would essentially be murder. Abortion is wrong and should be abruptly halted not only in the United States but, throughout the whole world for several reasons. One reason why women should not have an abortion is related to human values. Women need to think about their unborn babies who are the one that is not responsible for this situation. The unborn baby should have the privilege to live and grow a normal life, and grow into a normal person. When you think about it the baby does not know why he or she is here. It is not necessary to kill a life; there are multiple oth...

Tacit Knowing and Education :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Tacit Knowing and Education How is tacit knowing or tacit knowledge utilized in the classroom? This has been my question since discovering the term coined by Michael Polanyi and reading the excerpt of The Tacit Dimension. I have reflected on my experiences in a second grade classroom and observations of students being able to or not being able to refer to the tacit dimension in the classroom. In rethinking through Polanyi's assertion that "we can know more than we can tell", I will review ways in which students (children and adults) use intuition and other forms of tacit knowing in the classroom. I will also speak to the detrimental effects of particular school reforms such as the No Child Left Behind Act, which diminish the student's ability to use tacit knowledge in the classroom. What is tacit knowing/knowledge? It is something that is "implied or indicated but not actually expressed." It is what we already know by way of previous experience, or, habituation that has become second nature. This is not a far-fetched idea. If we go back to Plato's Republic, even he believed that humans have the capability to know the right thing to do because we were born with that information already in our minds. A life of study was a way to reflect on this knowledge and use it for the good of all. Children respond to material in the classroom using tacit knowledge. All we learn in some way relies on us connecting it somehow to something we already know. Tacit knowledge requires a synthesis of previous experience into the inner workings of the mind and memory. Certainly, other educational theorists saw the importance of this in the classroom. Some ways children use tacit knowledge is in the different interactions between other children and to adults, crying in the classroom to signify pain, confusion, and anger, etc. John Dewey's Experience and Education speaks specifically to this concept. "Every experience is a moving force." I equate "tacit knowing" to having previous experiences. Regardless of our being conscious of the importance of an event, our mind holds on to that experience and becomes a knowledge that we can utilize in the future. Can tacit knowing be utilized in the classroom? It is my opinion that it is becoming increasingly more difficult, particularly in public schools that must adhere to the strict testing of children for the sake of compliance to the No Child Left Behind Act, to rely on previous knowledge to help students learn in the classroom.