Life After Death Essays - Ontology, Philosophy Of Mind, Monism

Life After Death An undeniable statement by all, philosophers or not, is that our earthly life will one day cease to exist and every living individual will one day meet their death. A simple definition of death would be the complete annihilation of one self, where the life or awakeness one would feel in their brief life would be no more. Basically, the opposite to life. However, even the definition of death may be open to argument by many. Some may believe that death is not the end of life or not the opposite of life. Some may believe that we do live on through the passing on of our genes or through stories being told about you after the process of death. Some may believe that we are reincarnated after our soul leaves the body. Some may believe that the soul is an eternal entity and never stops living. All of these are however open to argument. There is not even factual proof that a soul even exists so how would it be possible for such an entity to hold so much value in this argument. The three main theories that will be discussed in this essay will stem from the Materialism perspective, the Idealism perspective and the Dualism perspective. The materialists' beliefs are opposed to the idea that there is a life after death and the other theories support the idea of a life after death. I shall also discuss in this essay the possibilities of reincarnation and if it possible to have more than one life. Some religions will also be briefly looked at in this regard. Another commodity that will be looked at will be evidence to support the idea of life after death and the value of this evidence. I shall then conclude by summing up the theories and discussing the theory closest to my opinion in relation to this subject. First-century Sadducees claimed that man is wholly material, having no spirit, so at death he simply ceases to exist. Modern materialists and Humanists likewise say we evolved by natural forces from animals, so like the animals, we simply cease to exist at death. Materialists believe that a human is nothing more than a living physical creature and once gone is gone. Every action is a result of a chain of events and that over time science has found more and more answers and eventually, science will also be able to answer the controversy surrounding life after death. Just as there is no more to a dress sewn from a few yards of cotton, there is no more to a person than a brain attached to a body with a nervous system. Gilbert Ryle argues that the soul should not be considered as something that is separate to the mind or body. Any talk of a soul was talk about the way in which a person acted and integrated with others and the world. It was not something that was separate or distinct. When one says that ?he bought me a left shoe and a right shoe' he would not say ?he bought me a left shoe, a right shoe and a pair of shoes'. This is what Ryle would call the dogma of the ghost in the machine. He said: ?When two terms belong to the same category, it is proper to construct conjunctive propositions embodying them? Hard materialists have solid beliefs that there a living creature is just like a chemical. If there is nothing that can be seen, it does not exist. The consciousness of a man in nothing more than just mere brain activity and once the body dies, so does the brain. However, opposed to this there are soft materialists. Soft materialists although believe in the mainstream argument that materialists believe, they are less harsh in thinking that all characteristics are not physical ones. Consciousness is more than just a brain process although the mind and body are related and do not act independently of each other. The common factor between hard materialists and soft materialists is that when the body dies, so does the mind. In short, as the soul cannot be seen or scientifically proven, materialists do not believe in the existence of it. As the body

Strawberry Spring Essays

Strawberry Spring Essays Strawberry Spring Essay Strawberry Spring Essay I had no idea what I was afraid of, just because I didnt know what happened after that luscious fog came last night. It doesnt mean that something bad is in the boot of my car.  As I sat wondering I could hear my wife in the next room crying, I thought it would be better to leave her alone and sleep on the couch.  7:00 a.m., with my alarm blaring I decided to get up. My body was aching from sleeping awkwardly on the couch. I stretched and felt my muscles tighten. Suddenly I remembered what I was afraid of all yesterday, the boot of my car. I was ready for work at 8:00 a.m. I kissed my wife on the cheek like nothing had happened. I walked out of the door and unlocked my car but before I got in I decided to look in the boot. I got a feeling of nausea like I knew what was in that boot but I suppose I do know what is in there. Slowly I turned the lock, it made a click noise then I pulled it open. Straight away the smell of rotten flesh hit me, before my eyes was a green head I could see the bones in her neck. I vomited on the pavement, closed the boot and went to work as usual. Weaving in and out of objects the fog swerved like a tiger around its prey. I wound down my window and smelt the sweet sea salt smell of the fog. I turned right towards New Sharon Teachers college. That was all I could remember.   That night Jessica Perkins was killed. She was a lonely girl with few friends, she was walking to the Grinder when it happened.  Her head was missing and on the back of her white blouse was the message in her won blood Jacks Back!.This time I woke up in my own bed I glanced over to see the clock on the bedside table it was 7:30 a.m., not to late. I dressed then went to make breakfast downstairs. I saw my wife looking at old photo albums  It was so perfect, my wife said almost like she was watching me through the back of her head,  What was? I replied,  We were, you had a brilliant job that you enjoyed and we were going to try to have a baby,   We still can, and were still perfect babe, I was getting a bit edgy now,  Where have you been the previous nights?  Nowhere I was just out with the lads, I lied  Where you with another women? she questioned  No, I wasnt. Ive got to go to work, I ran out of house before she could say anything else.  This time I didnt dare look in my boot but I knew another head was in there even before I was greeted by the smell of stale rotten flesh. The fog drifted into every nook and cranny of everything if anything got in its way it would swerve around then smoother it into the night. My headlights stabbed into the darkness yet still the fog pranced and jeered at me as if nothing could stop it. That fragrant sweet smell of the fog was to me like a succulent roast turkey was to a tramp on Christmas night.  Lucy Palmer was viciously murdered as she walked to her dormitory from her boyfriend read the main story of the newspaper. The headline was Jacks back!  Knock knock . knock knock. It woke me up from the couch, I looked at the time it read 12:30 p.m. in a mad rush I put on my work clothes, which were laying beside the couch, before I realised that it was a Sunday and I didnt need to go to work. My wife obviously wasnt in so  I had to answer the door myself. I opened the front door to see a policeman looking back at me,  Good afternoon sir, I am here investigating a series of murders, your neighbour told me that your car. Its my wifes, then a moment of evil but brilliance struck me I could accuse my wife of the murders then leave New England to get away from Strawberry Spring and hopefully the police.  Yes anyway, the car left yesterday at 10:20 p.m. and came back at 11:10, the murder was committed at around 10:50 just enough time for you to get back,  No I was in the living room watching Friends at ten thirty till eleven oclock waiting for my wife to come home, Im sure my neighbour saw my TV through the window, my wife was asleep at 10 oclock but I had left the TV on by accident. So your wife wasnt in? the policeman questioned  No just like she hasnt been the night before and the one before that, I tried to sound hurt it wasnt very good but he was buying it.  Also last night I found, I gulped I found a humans head in my wifes car boot, its just out here Ill show you,.  After I escaped from the policemans questioning I got a rent-a-car and drove to an airport, I knew that the police were after me because they must of got DNA readings off my victims. So Ive got a plane ticket to Japan I just hope Ill get through customs.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION - Essay Example ture is an element in shaping these factors as well as the underlying attitudes about various issues such as work, success, wealth, authority, equity and so on. Language differences: One of the major causes of miscommunication is the use of language. This can happen even if two people speak the same language, because of differences in usage. Frequently, people from different cultures speak different languages. In these cases, communication occurs through a process of translation. Unfortunately, translation often fails to convey the spirit of the communication. In some cases, it changes the meaning altogether, and in others it has unintended connotations. A couple of examples cited by Ekwulugo (94) illustrate the impact of language differences and how they can make communications go haywire. The first concerns General Motors’ popular automobile brand Chevy Nova, a name that is well known and popular in many countries of the world, and associated with an efficient and prestigious car. In Spanish, this name means â€Å"Does not go†, which grossly misrepresents the message that the company wants to convey. Perception: Different people perceive things differently. One of the reasons for this difference in perception is the way people have been conditioned. Perception is the way people process information. Raw data that comes to a person is converted to information because of such processing. Different words and symbols acquire different meanings in different cultures. For example, making a circle with the thumb and index finger means â€Å"okay† in America, signifies money in Japan, and is the equivalent of showing the soles of one’s feet in Thailand. Torn and shabby clothes are a sign of poverty to Indians, while in parts of Europe they signify freedom. It is clear that when an American is trying to say Okay, a person from Thailand will understand it as an offensive gesture (Pickton & Broderick 53) Values and beliefs: Values and beliefs also affect communication

Research proposal 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research proposal 2 - Essay Example ch are more integrated to the local markets and carry the full responsibility for all marketing and research activities (Birnick and Cormack, 2010; Brandmeier, Hain, and Rupp, 2011; Al-Khazali, Darrat and Saad, 2006:1265). This paper develops a proposal for investigating of the main reasons for this shift in market entry strategies and what multinational companies expect from such shifts, as well as possible future shifts in market entry strategies. This will be done with a core focus on multinational pharmaceutical companies in the Gulf countries. The market entry modes of a firm in a foreign market have a significant role in determining whether such a company would be successful or not in such markets. Meyer, Estrin, Bhaumik and Peng (2009:62) classify the entry modes into three classes: acquisition, Greenfield and joint ventures. While joint venture enables integration of selected local resources hence facilitating a host partner business model, Greenfield projects and acquisitions often facilitate full ownership of the business (pp. 63). The key basis on what entry mode to be chosen is often based on the trade-off between control and risk. While on one hand, using a host partner minimizes risks of doing business due the lower cost of doing business and utilization of already existing local resources, such method also minimizes control lowering the ability of a multinational firm to make effective decisions or have access to important information (Arnold, 2003). There have been a number of studies which have evaluated the market entry modes in various emerging countries, with most focusing on Asian markets such as China and India (Johnson and Tellis, 2008; Mitra & Golder, 2002). Few have focused on market entry modes into the Gulf Countries (Birnick and Cormack, 2010; Brandmeier, Hain, and Rupp, 2011). The core challenges that have to be faced in setting shop within the Gulf countries has mainly been the regulation where foreign equity participation is

Early Learning Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Learning Center - Essay Example The expected early learning center will offer a cutting edge kids care alongside the preschool requirements for the working parents. This will be a privately owned and family operated kids’ learning center for the young ones aged between 3 and 6 years old (Craig 2009, p. 43). The director of the institution is dedicated to serving every child and family with a deep and specialized concern. He must be dedicated to offering a staff of encouraged teachers who realize the personal growth transitions and skills of every child and will direct them at attaining their full potential. Behrman (2006) stated that the fact that there were many children at their hands of their nannies, implies that setting up an educational center will ensure that the idea fills this gap. Most parents in the past have wanted their children to start learning as early as two years but have not had a chance to do so. ELC, therefore, will be taken as a perfect project to support their children’s safety andlearning, while at the same time keeping them time to address their own issues without much care on how their kids will be in the future (Casper & Theilheimer, 2009). However, although the ELC idea came at the right time, still other sector competitors may be a threat to the succ esses and growth of the company. A number of competitors that ELC need to be careful with are institutions offering advanced childcare from age of 6 to 9 like the Edgewood childcare center, schools with childcare facilities. Currently, with the computer age, there are so many child programs presented that may prevent parents from taking their children to ELC and instead introduce them to such Internet child programs. Early Learning Center ensuresthat there is a significant difference in the lives of the young kids by working to offer distinction in early care and training. It also guarantees

An introduction to the Discount House in Nigeria

An introduction to the Discount House in Nigeria In selecting an industry, the Discount House, a sub sector of the Nigerian financial sector was selected because they are peculiar in their own special way in that they offer unique financial services which put them in almost the same pedestal as the regular banks in Nigeria but they are not banks. They could also be referred to as specialised banks. In carrying out an analysis of its competitiveness, the PESTLE model was used to analyse how the Discount House sub sector is affected by environmental factors while the Porters Five Forces was used to analyse the various threats and challenges that beset the Discount House sub sector. Discount houses are specialised financial Institutions created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to assist its management of liquidity in the economy (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). They are composite but specialised financial services solution provider (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009) whose primary function is to provide safe and secured short-term investment opportunities within the banking system. (Express Discount Limited, 2009). The Structure Of The Nigerian Financial System The Nigerian financial system is made up of two sub sectors; the formal and the informal sub sectors. The formal sub sector comprises of the regulatory bodies, money market, capital market, foreign exchange markets, insurance companies, brokerage firms, deposit money banks (DMBs), development finance and other financial institutions. As at the end of March 2010, there were 24 deposit money banks(DMBs), 5discount houses(DHs), 941 microfinance banks(MFBs), 107 finance companies(FCs), 101 primary mortgage institutions(PMIs), 13 pension fund administrators(PFAs), 5 pension fund custodians(PFCs), 1 stock exchange, 1 commodity exchange, 1621 bureau-de-change operators(BDCs), 690 securities brokerage firms, 5 development finance institutions(DFIs) and 73 insurance companies. The informal sub sector includes self-help groups, financial cooperatives and credit associations. It is imperative to know that there is a weak relationship between the informal sub sector and the formal sub sector (financial stability report, 2010) Discount House Sub Sector Overview: Discount Houses in Nigeria were first established in 1993. They were licensed to commence operations with just three discount houses as players. Their number later increased to five and their foundation can be linked to Great Britain, which is generally regarded as the origin of discount houses. These institutions evolved to provide a link between the banks and the Bank of England by serving as a channel for the interchange of banks funds as well as providing access to the Bank of England as a lender of last resort (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, ) and in like manner discount houses in Nigeria are to act as intermediaries or mediators between the Central Bank of Nigeria and other licensed banks in Nigeria in Open Market Operations transactions (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). There are five discount houses in Nigeria wholly owned by consortiums of banks and other financial institutions as allowed in the Discount House guidelines 2004 by the Central Bank of Nigeria. However the maximum allowable equity holding for any investor in a discount house is 40% (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004).These Discount Houses are named as follows: Associated Discount House Limited (ADHL), Consolidated Discount Limited (CDL), Express Discount House Limited (EDL), First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) and Kakawa Discount House Limited (KDHL).They fall under a common umbrella referred to as Nigerian Discount Market Association. They are presently not listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Discount House sub sector is highly monitored, guided and regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria requiring of them their daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports showing the state of their affairs. Their daily operational activities include the injection and the withdrawal of funds by the Central bank of Nigeria from the money market through them (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010) of which they must invest 60% of their deposit liabilities in government securities at any point in time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). By this a balance is maintained in the economy thereby guarding liquidity. Apart from this function, the discount houses also facilitate the issuance and sale of short term government securities, provide discount/re-discount facilities for treasury bills, government securities and other eligible financial instruments, accept short-term investments on an intermediary basis from banks and wholesale investors and lastly provide short term financial accommodation to banks (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). The Discount House Sub-Sector Environment: The discount house sector is greatly influenced and controlled by environmental forces; global and domestic. The global economic environment shows that the global economic crisis appeared to have eased off in the latter part of 2009 but general optimism is being replaced with pessimism of a double dip recession, as fears grow that governments and policy makers around the world might be forced (due to pressure or mistakes) to remove monetary and fiscal props, too soon. So even though developed economies are gradually beginning to come out of the general recession, the situation is still delicate (First Securities Discount House, 2009). In emerging market economies, growth has been robust but inflationary pressures are strong and on the rise. The negative impact of the political crises in the oil-producing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on oil prices and the disruptions and destructions associated with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have added to uncertainty about the sustainability of global economic recovery and growth%( Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). This has great implications on the discount houses with Nigeria being a developing and emerging economy and the effect of the global crises is strongly felt with a probability of increases in the international interest rate. The domestic economic environment is being characterised by a fluctuating inflation rate which has significant impact on interest and lending rates. It has been a herculean task trying to bring down the inflation rate to a single digit as proposed and rather the rate rose from 11.1% as at March, 2011 to 12.8% in April, 2011(Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2011). This inflationary rise still has a tendency to heighten further as a result of the general increase in global and food prices. The operating economic environment is full of challenges as there are array of issues. In March 2011, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank increased MPR from 6.5% to 7.5% maintaining interest rate corridor of +/-2% around the MPR. By this, the Standing Lending Facility Rate (rate at which CBN lends to Banks and Discount Houses as bank of last resort) became 9.5% and has remained so. On the other hand, the Standing Deposit Rate (rate at which Banks and Discount Houses place excess funds with the Central Bank of Nigeria) remained at 4 %. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had a projection of an increase by 7.43% in the first quarter of the year 2011, giving a generally good outlook to the Nigerian economy. This projection arose as a result of the expectation for a perk up in the oil sector and also the increasing emphasis on the development and improvement of the other sectors in the economy (Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). Finally on the political scene, the year 2011 being an election year for Nigeria, there are a lot uncertainties associated with the electoral process and the election results and this could affect the discount house sub sector and the Nigerian economy as a whole and it is projected that the effect of these uncertainties will result in higher exchange rate risks with lower reserves and high spending-currency devaluation possible and that Inflation will remain over 10% with implications for demand, input costs and projects(Resource and Trust Company Limited, 2011). Competitiveness In The Discount House Sub- Sector The discount house sub sector is just a small sector in a large financial sector with just a few players who are almost of equal standing; hence, there is strong competition among the services providers which have led to innovation, efficiency and the upgrade of competitive advantage by the players. The provision of specialised personalised services allowable within the scope of the discount house guidelines. Example is the personal pension plan developed by Consolidated Discount Limited which was created as a way of preparing clients to be less vulnerable to loss of earning capacity after retirement (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). Also Associated Discount House Limited in conjunction with the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria organized an awareness seminar on 12 February, 2009 to enkindle the interest of retail investors both local, international and in the diasporas in Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009). Opportunities In The Discount House Sub- Sector Without gainsaying, there are opportunities in Discount Houses businesses (if not many) which gives them an edge over banks and other specialised banks. As earlier inferred, discount houses are allowed to offer certain unique financial services which puts them almost in the same stand as banks and even much more but they cannot be referred to as banks and one of the reasons is because there is minimum paid up capital imposed on the regular banks which amounts to N25,000,000,000.00(Twenty five billion naira) only at any point in time. For the discount houses sub sector, the minimum paid up capital shall be N1,000,000,000.00(One billion naira) only or as may be prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria from time to time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008). There is a revised Guideline for year 2008 which also relaxes the ownership of Discount Houses to now include non-financial institutions and individuals. This revision provides the opportunity for Discount Houses to grow their capital base to enable them to explore new areas of business and boost their profitability (Kakawa Discount House, 2009). Discount Houses have sizable support from the Central Bank of Nigeria as they often have the privilege of being able to gain access to cheap funds by using the government securities in their custody to borrow. Discount Houses are tightly regulated therefore there can be little room for carrying out activities outside their stipulated guidelines. Discount Houses are proactive in monitoring and managing money market trends to the benefit of their clients. Unlike other deposit taking institutions, the financial assets acquired by Discount Houses are of the finest quality with little or no credit risk (Express Discount House Limited, 2009). Threats To The Discount House Sub- Sector Naturally the discount house sub sector is faced with its own threats and challenges as from inception, discount houses operated in an environment that could termed as unusual or abnormal. There was a distress situation in the banking sector which was at its peak and most banks patronized discount houses in order to ensure the safety of their funds, but with the return of orderliness and calm, discount houses patronage by banks reduced. Rather, the interbank and foreign exchange markets seem to have provided more attractive trading options for the banks, to the detriment of the discount houses. Licensing of additional discount houses to make the total number of discount houses 5 proved to be a challenge as it had an adverse effect on the total turnover of the discount house sub sector, following the initial boom from the year of operations of 1993 where total asset stood at N9,600,000,000.00(Nine billion, six hundred million naira) only which dropped significantly to N3,400,000,000.00(Three billion, four hundred million naira) only in 1995 following the entrance of a new entrant into the market. With these happenings, licensing of new discount houses might still impact on the sub-sector further negatively. Their narrow scope of operations has also proven to be a major challenge for the Discount House sub sector being a specialised bank is inhibiting a lot of opportunities for expansion (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, 2010). Finally, from the inception, discount houses had the exclusive right to conduct Open Market Operations transactions (OMO). Open Market Operations (OMO) is an indirect monetary policy technique that is used to control the level of money supply. It involves the sale/purchases of money market instruments in the open market; these instruments being Nigerian treasury bills (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010). With the Central Bank of Nigeria opening up the window to banks as well, the discount house sub sector lost the sole right of Open market Operations. Conclusion In spite of all the challenges and threats faced by the Discount House sub sector, the Discount Houses are still are very vital part of Nigeria as an emerging economy and just the existing players in the market are not enough to keep a balanced financial sector and the economy as a whole. In the light of the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria as the major regulator keeps on revisiting and revising the guidelines of the Discount House sub sector, there is hope yet still for growth, expansion, innovation and maximum output which should encourage new players to participate. Part 2 Strategy Overview Strategy is a plan or blueprint of what an organisation intends to achieve and how to go about it. Artto, Kujala, Dietrich and Martinsuo (2008) define strategy as a firms goal to attain a desired position in its competitive external environment. This is in line with Kenneth Andrew (1987) school of thought that views strategy from the corporate angle where he views corporate strategy as the nature of decisions a company takes which reveals its short and long term goals, how it plans to go about achieving these goals and how its outcome will affect all stakeholders and community at large. There is a popular belief that an organization that fails to plan or strategise, plans to fail and Goold (1996) goes on further to share his own view when he says that matured businesses can easily become staid and resistant to change. Usually this behaviour leads them to a decline and the only way it can regain its position is through strategy or change in strategy. This resolve usually involve the p ursuit, accomplishment, and maintenance of competitive advantage in its industry (Varadarajan and Clark cited in Morgana and Strong, 2003). Whittington (2001:10) summarises it all when he says strategy is all about thinking better and thinking differently and claims that a good strategy means doing something different from every other person. But there are pitfalls to strategy as Mintzberg (1994) puts forward the question; is a climate conducive to strategic planning necessarily one conducive to effective strategic thinking and acting? He claims that there are underlying issues which affects the ability of plans to make head way and emphasizes that these issues are neither technical nor analytical but rather human (Abel and Hammond cited in Mintzberg, 1994). But Smith and Reese (1999) argue that as long as there is a fit or alignment between operational elements and business then there should be no pitfalls where he defines fit as the degree to which operational elements match the business strategy. Alternative Approaches to Strategy: Similarities and Differences There are various approaches to strategy but Whittington (2000) classifies strategy into four approaches: the Classical, Evolutionary, Processualist and Systemic. He further analyses each approach as follows: The classical approach sees strategy as a process of rational deliberation, calculation and analysis, intended to achieve long-term benefit and that good planning is what it takes to master internal and external environments. The Evolutionary approach analyses strategy from the point of view that rational long term planning is often irrelevant and that strategies that turn out to be successful only turn out so because it was inevitable. The Processualist approach sees long term planning as basically pointless, but they are not so doubtful or cynical about the fate of businesses that do not take full advantage of environmental opportunities as they do not their see inability or failure to think up and strategise is going to lead to any serious competitive disadvantage. Finally the Systemic approach to strategy sees organizations strategic planning as basically being influenced and controlled by the social system in which they operate. Meaning the demographic setting of the organizations environment needs to be taken into consideration when strategizing. In analyzing the similarities and differences of these approaches, their style or processes and their end result is paramount. In comparing the classical and evolutionary approaches to strategy, Whittington (2001:2) posits profit maximization as the natural outcome of strategy-making. This he made in reference from the point of view of their end result which is profit or return on capital. These approaches associate profitability with strategy and believe the higher the level of strategy employed, the higher and better the profit generated. This view is shared by (Friedman and Baumol cited in Vining and Meredith, 2000) where they argue that the only appropriate goal or strategy in any organisation is to maximize profit and that any other goal is considered inappropriate. As much the classical and evolutionary approaches are similar in terms of profit maximization being their goal; they differ in style and processes. The classical approach adopts a style of rational planning (Whittington, 2000:11) whereas the evolutionary approach lacks confidence in rational planning where they argue that no matter the level or intensity of strategy, the outcome is usually driven by market dictates and how well a manager is able to perform and that investing in long term strategies can be counter productive (Whittington, 2000: 19). In this instance, the evolutionary approach can be compared with the Processualist approach to strategy in that they also do not believe in rational planning. This view is shared by Peppard 1995, who argues that in a claim to gaining competitive advantage, management develop strategies with seemingly superiority above others which is just a way of them being seen to be doing something and not necessarily hope to achieve anything by their strategies. By this claim, peppard tries to show that rational planning is just an act which is not necessarily relevant to the overall performance of the organisation but it is something that is done for the corporate image. His view is supported by Cyert and March ( cited in Whittington 2000:22) who argue that firms can plan in such a way that major strategy sessions could be cut off and yet still deliver just enough to keep everyone satisfied. Although the processualist approach is similar to the evolutionary approach in terms of processes and style, that where all their similarity ends because in terms of outcome. The Processualist approach can be compared with the systemic approach of strategy whose school of thought sees not only profit maximization but other outcomes as a an end result of strategy (Whittington 2000: 21 27). Werther Jr and Chandler (2005) argue that firms are continuously appraised in terms of both the financial and social benefits that result from their corporate actions or strategies. The systemic approach proposes that firms differ according to the social and economic systems in which they are embedded (Whittington, 2000:27) thereby viewing strategy as being guided and controlled by the environmental forces in which they operate. In the same spirit, the processualist advice against striving after unattainable ideal of rational fluid action, but to accept and work with the world as it is (Whittington, 2000:21). Finally, the systemic approach can be compared with the classical approach in that they both believe in rational planning and do retain faith in the capacity of organizations to plan forward and to act effectively within their environment'(Whittington 2000:26). This view is shared by Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, (2010) when they opined that strategy is a high-order choice that has profound implications on competitive outcomesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. and strategy should contain provisions against a range of environmental contingencies, whether they take place or not and Stallwood (1996) maintains that strategy is necessary but insists that whatever strategy is used must be appropriate and simple enough for it to become adopted by an organization without necessarily having to change after its initial usage. Conclusion Strategy can be seen as a means of avoiding [perhaps] costly and damaging warfare (University of Leicester, 2009:90) and it is quite clear that all the approaches of strategy have their own benefits even though they are similar and also dissimilar in their own unique ways. Therefore which ever method adopted should be seen to add to an organizations performance and must be duly analysed and deliberated on ensuring it is in alignment with the organizations goals and objectives before adoption.

Africa :: essays research papers fc

When I was first assigned this research paper on Voodoo, the first thing I thought of was Voodoo dolls, zombies, and evil magic. I think Voodoo is an evil religion which sacrifices humans as well as animals to demonic gods. I think it has been around for thousands of years, but is little left today. I believe that Voodoo is nothing but evil and the work of the devil. Voodoo originated in Western Africa by the Yoruba tribe. The Yoruba religion has about four hundred lesser gods called Orisa. This is not the actual Voodoo religion as we know it today, but plays an important role in it. Voodoo believes that the Grand Master or God rules over all things, but pays no attention to human affairs. This is why they believe in lower spirits or Loa to whom they worship and make sacrifices to(Belgum 14-28). When the slave trade started, people of the Yoruba tribe were captured and brought over as slaves. when the slaves arrived, they were baptized into the Catholic religion. The slaves continue d to practice their native religion in secret which over time was mixed with Catholicism to create the Voodoo that we know today (Introduction 1). Over sixty-million people still continue to practice Voodoo worldwide (Vodun 1). The main center of Voodoo in the United States is New Orleans (3). About fifteen percent of New Orleans practices (Voodoo 1). The Voodoo religion contacts the spiritual worked Quite frequently. They believe that spirits help people in all that they do (Belgum 30-1). The Voodoo religion believes that true communion comes only through possession of the body by a Loa or spirit. Possession is very common during rituals for it is how the Loa give instructions to or help the people. They believe they get possessed for certain reasons. Such things as protection, cures from illness, or even to give warning to an individual or to the whole community of worshipers (Possession 1). When a person gets possessed, they show struggle moving and jumping around like crazy peop le. Then all of a sudden they go blank and motionless. They then come out of that trance a totally different person. While a person is possessed all bodily functions and gestures take the form of the Loa which possesses the body. While the Loa possesses the body it will often smoke, drink alcohol, and eat.