Civil Action Movie Tort Analysis

Background A Civil Action entails a major class action suit brought forth by several families against major conglomerates (including W. R. Grace chemical company and Beatrice Foods) that were alleged to have negligently damaged the environment of a small town to the extent that its practices led to the spread of leukemia. Jan, a personal injury attorney, decides to represent a woman that claims that her child and other neighbors of a small town in Massachusetts have been diagnosed with leukemia.The lawyer finds evidence that there were some factors that could have led to the contamination of the town's water supply by the conglomerates’ factory. In the course of the lawsuit Jan gets other attorneys in his Boston law firm to assist him. Jan spends lavishly for experts, but the length of the discovery process and opposing counsels’ maneuvers stretch all his assets to the limit. Jan concentrates his efforts against the parent company (Grace) since they had personal testimo ny of a former employee of Grace who had witnessed dumping.The case against Beatrice Foods was dismissed and would then lead the firm to accept settlement from Grace for $8 million. Jan later files for bankruptcy, and the firm is dismantled. Jan then submits the case to the EPA after it concludes, in a report, that both companies had contaminated the wells from sludge removed from the site. Ultimately, due to the lawsuits brought forward by the EPA, Grace and Beatrice Foods are eventually forced to pay for one of the largest chemical clean ups in the history of the United States which cost about $64 million.Brief Analysis for Cause-in-Fact The issue that arises in this plot is whether the conglomerates are negligent for the contamination of the water supplies of the town, and if their negligence contributed to the injuries (leukemia) of the multiple plaintiffs. After finding that there has been a breach of duty, one must consider if the defendant’s conduct was the cause-in-fa ct of the injuries.An actor’s conduct is the cause-in-fact of someone’s injury where if we can say that â€Å"but for† the actor’s conduct the injury would not have occurred. In other words, the dominant â€Å"but for† test asks: â€Å"if we could go back in time and remove the actor’s conduct, would that have prevented the injury? † In Hill v. Edmonds, the court found that where two causes of negligence combine to produce a single injury, each individual is liable for the entire result even though its act alone may not have caused the result.In that case, the conduct of the truck driver was a ‘‘but for’’ cause of Hill’s injuries. If Bragoli (D) would not have left his truck in the middle of the road, Edmonds (D) probably would not have hit the truck. The minority test was molded in the Anderson case, where it was held that where several causes concur to bring about an injury and any one alone would ha ve been sufficient to cause the injury, it is sufficient if D’s conduct was a â€Å"substantial factor. The court in that case concluded that it would be unfair to deny the plaintiff liability, simply because the plaintiff cannot show that ‘‘but for’’ the negligent conduct of one defendant, the injury to the plaintiff would not have resulted. In this instant case, the conglomerates were likely negligent since they failed to provide a duty of reasonable care in managing the factory in the town, causing detrimental damage to the environment and the town’s water supply.The question of whether the conglomerates were liable to the families lies on the causation of the leukemia, and whether it can be shown that the water supply contamination was a direct cause-in-fact of the leukemia. Jan was unable to promptly show this causal connection, and his cases against the other two entities involved were dismissed before settling with Grace. It was diffic ult for Jan to pinpoint the conglomerate’s negligence as a cause-in-fact for the plaintiffs’ leukemia.In fact, in the deposition the defendant’s council articulated that there may have been a wide range of other reasons for the plaintiffs’ cases of leukemia. Everything from family history, food consumption and lifestyles were addressed as possible alternatives. The major difficulty in Jan’s case against the conglomerates lies on causation. The water contamination may have been caused by all the entities involved in the factory near the town’s river. First, it must be shown that the dumped chemicals, especially the industrial TCE, had gotten into the wells.In Anderson, the court reasoned that if a fire set by the Railway’s (D) negligence unites with a fire of an independent origin, there is joint and several liability, even though either fire would have independently destroyed the property. Likewise, even if the wells could have been c ontaminated by either defendant, the Anderson test will provide that where a plaintiff is injured by the negligent conduct of more than one tortfeasor, each is independently liable if they are each a substantial factor in bringing about the plaintiff’s injury.Grace and Beatrice Foods were both substantial factors to the water contamination. Their negligent management of the factory was evident by the former employee’s testimony that they had dumped materials unto the river. Hence, Grace and the others’ negligence could have all contributed to the ensuing injuries. The problem here lies in whether the water contamination was the cause-in-fact of the leukemia and second, if it had, whether the pollutants killed the leukemia patients.As shown in the movie, the EPA would ultimately prevail in forcing the conglomerates to pay for damages. It may be assumed then that further expert testimony and findings uncovered that the water contamination was indeed a cause-in-fac t of the leukemia. If , however, it were not for the EPA’s extensive resources, Grace and Beatrice Foods may have been able to escape liability on the lack of evidence showing that the water contamination was the cause-in-fact of the widespread leukemia.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 11

Hey, Morgead!† the voice was shouting even as the door went slamming and crashing open, sticking every few inches because it was old and warped and didn't fit the frame anymore. Jez had jerked around at the first noise. The connection between her and Morgead was disrupted, although she could feel faint echoes of the silver thread, like a guitar string vibrating after it was strummed. â€Å"Hey, Morgead-â€Å" â€Å"Hey, you still asleep-?† Several laughing, raucous people were crowding into the room. But the yelling stopped abruptly as they caught sight of Jez. There was a gasp, and then silence. Jez stood up to face them. She couldn't afford to feel tired anymore; every muscle was lightly tensed, every sense alert She knew the danger she was in. Just like Morgead, they were the flotsam and jetsam of the San Francisco streets. The orphans, the ones who lived with indifferent relatives, the ones nobody in the Night World really wanted. The forgotten ones. Her gang. They were out of school and ready to rumble. Jez had always thought, from the day she and Morgead began picking these kids up, that the Night World was making a mistake in treating them like garbage. They might be young; they might not have families, but they had power. Every one of them had the strength to be a formidable opponent. And right now they were looking at her like a group of wolves looking at dinner. If they all decided to go for her at once, she would be in trouble. Somebody would end up getting killed. She faced them squarely, outwardly calm, as a quiet voice finally broke the silence. â€Å"It's really you, Jez.† And then another voice, from beside Jez. â€Å"Yeah, she came back,† Morgead said carelessly. â€Å"She joined the gang again.† Jez shot him the briefest of sideways glances. She hadn't expected him to help. He returned the look with an unreadable expression. â€Å". . . she came back?† somebody said blankly. Jez felt a twinge of amused sympathy. â€Å"That's right,† she said, keeping her face grave. â€Å"I had to go away for a while, and I can't tell you where, but now I'm back. I just fought my way back in-and I beat Morgead for the leadership.† She figured she might as well get it all over with at once. She had no idea how they were going to react to the idea of her as leader. There was another long moment of silence, and then a whoop. A sound that resembled a war cry. At the same instant there was a violent rush toward Jez-four people all throwing themselves at her. For a heartbeat she stood frozen, ready to fend off a four-fold attack. Then arms wrapped around her waist. â€Å"Jez! I missed you!† Someone slapped her on the back almost hard enough to knock her down. â€Å"You bad girl! You beat him again?† People were trying to hug her and punch her and pat her all at once. Jez had to struggle not to show she was overwhelmed. She hadn't expected this of them. â€Å"It's good to see you guys again,† she said. Her voice was very slightly unsteady. And it was the truth. Raven Mandril said, â€Å"You scared us when you disappeared, you know.† Raven was the tall, willowy one with the marble-pale skin. Her black hair was short in back and long in front, falling over one eye and obscuring it. The other eye, midnight blue, gleamed at Jez. Jez allowed herself to gleam back, just a bit. She had always liked Raven, who was the most mature of the group. â€Å"Sorry, girl.† â€Å"I wasn't scared.† That was Thistle, still hugging Jez's waist. Thistle Galena was the delicate one who had stopped her aging when she reached ten. She was as old as the others, but tiny and almost weightless. She had feathery blond hair, amethyst eyes, and little glistening white teeth. Her specialty was playing the lost child and then attacking any humans who tried to help her. â€Å"You're never scared,† Jez told her, squeezing back. â€Å"She means she knew you were all right, wherever you were. I did, too,† Pierce Holt said. Pierce was the slender, cold boy, the one with the aristocratic face and the artist's hands. He had dark blond hair and deep-set eyes and he seemed to carry his own windchill factor with him. But just now he was looking at Jez with cool approval. â€Å"I'm glad somebody thought so,† Jez said, with a glance at Morgead, who just looked condescending. â€Å"Yeah, well, some people were going crazy. They thought you were dead,† Valerian Stillman put in, following Jez's look. Val was the big, heroic one, with deep russet hair, gray-flecked eyes, and the build of a linebacker. He was usually either laughing or yelling with impatience. â€Å"Morgead had us scouring the streets for you from Daly City to the Golden Gate Bridge-â€Å" â€Å"Because I was hoping a few of you would fall off,† Morgead said without emotion. â€Å"But I had no such luck. Now shut up, Val. We don't have time for all this class-reunion stuff. We've got something important to do.† Thistle's face lit up as she stepped back from Jez. â€Å"You mean a hunt?† â€Å"He means the Wild Power,† Raven said. Her one visible eye was fixed on Jez. â€Å"He's told you already, hasn't he?† â€Å"I didn't need to tell her,† Morgead said. â€Å"She already knew. She came back because Hunter Red-fern wants to make a deal with us. The Wild Power for a place with him after the millennium.† He got a reaction-the one Jez knew he expected. Thistle squeaked with pleasure, Raven laughed huskily, Pierce gave one of his cold smiles, and Val roared. â€Å"He knows we've got the real thing! He doesn't wanna mess with us!† he shouted. â€Å"That's right, Val; I'm sure he's quaking in his boots,† Morgead said. He glanced at Jez and rolled his eyes. Jez couldn't help but grin. This really was like old times: she and Morgead trading secret looks about Val. There was a strange warmth sweeping through her-not the scary tingling heat she'd experienced with Morgead alone, but something simpler. A feeling of being with people who liked her and knew her. A feeling of belonging. She never felt that at her human school. She'd seen things that would drive her human classmates insane even to imagine. None of them had any idea of what the real world was like-or what Jez was like, for that matter. But now she was surrounded by people who understood her. And it felt so good that it was alarming. She hadn't expected this, that she would slip back into the gang like a hand in a glove. Or that something inside her would look around and sigh and say, â€Å"We're home.† Because I am not home, she told herself sternly. These are not my people. They don't really know me, either†¦. But they don't have to, the little sigh returned. You don't ever need to tell them you're human. There's no reason for them to find out. Jez shoved the thought away, scrunched down hard on the sighing part of her mind. And hoped it would stay scrunched. She tried to focus on what the others were saying. Thistle was talking to Morgead, showing all her small teeth as she smiled. â€Å"So if you've got the terms settled, does that mean we get to do it now? We get to pick the little girl up?† â€Å"Today? Yeah, I guess we could.† Morgead looked at Jez. â€Å"We know her name and everything. It's Iona Skelton, and she's living just a couple buildings down from where the fire was. Thistle made friends with her earlier this week.† Jez was startled, although she kept her expression relaxed. She hadn't expected things to move this fast. But it might all work out for the best, she realized, her mind turning over possibilities quickly. If she could snatch the kid and take her back to Hugh, this whole masquerade could be over by tomorrow. She might even live through it. â€Å"Don't get too excited,† she warned Thistle, combing some bits of grass out of the smaller girl's silk-floss hair. â€Å"Hunter wants the Wild Power alive and unharmed. He's got plans for her.† â€Å"Plus, before we take her, we've got to test her,† Morgead said. Jez controlled an urge to swallow, went on combing Thistle's hair with her fingers. â€Å"What do you mean, test her?† Td think that would be obvious. We can't take the chance of sending Hunter a dud. We have to make sure she is the Wild Power.† Jez raised an eyebrow. â€Å"I thought you were sure,† she said, but of course she knew Morgead was right. She herself would have insisted Hugh find a way to test the little girl before doing anything else with her. The problem was that Morgead's testing was likely to be †¦ unpleasant. â€Å"I'm sure, but I still want to test her!† Morgead snapped. â€Å"Do you have a problem with that?† â€Å"Only if it's dangerous. For us, I mean. After all, she's got some kind of power beyond imagining, right?† â€Å"And she's in elementary school. I hardly think she's gonna be able to take on six vampires.† The others were looking back and forth between Morgead and Jez like fans at a tennis match. â€Å"It's just as if she never left,† Raven said dryly, and Val bellowed laughter while Thistle giggled. â€Å"They always sound so-married,† Pierce observed, with just a tinge of spite to his cold voice. Jez glared at them, aware that Morgead was doing the same. â€Å"I wouldn't marry him if every other guy on earth was dead,† she informed Pierce. â€Å"If it were a choice between her and a human, I'd pick the human,† Morgead put in nastily. Everyone laughed at that. Even Jez. The sun glittered on the water at the Marina. On Jez's left was a wide strip of green grass, where people were flying huge and colorful kites, complicated ones with dozens of rainbow tails. On the sidewalk people were Rollerblading and jogging and walking dogs. Everybody was wearing summer clothing; everybody was happy. It was different on the other side of the street. Everything changed over there. A line of pinky-brown concrete stood like a wall to mark the difference. There was a high school and then rows of a housing project, all the buildings identically square, flat, and ugly. And on the next street beyond them, there was nobody walking at all. Jez let Morgead take the lead on his motorcycle as he headed for those buildings. She always found this place depressing. He pulled into a narrow alley beside a store with a dilapidated sign proclaiming â€Å"Shellfish De Lish.† Val roared in after him, then Jez, then Raven with Thistle riding pillion behind her, and finally Pierce. They all turned off their motors. â€Å"That's where she lives now; across the street,† Morgead said. â€Å"She and her mom are staying with her aunt. Nobody plays in the playground; it's too dangerous. But Thistle might be able to get her to come down the stairs.† â€Å"Of course I can,† Thistle said calmly. She showed her pointed teeth in a grin. â€Å"Then we can grab her and be gone before her mom even notices,† Morgead said. â€Å"We can take her back to my place and do the test where it's private.† Jez breathed once to calm the knot in her stomach. â€Å"Ill grab her,† she said. At least that way she might be able to whisper something comforting to the kid. â€Å"Thistle, you try to get her right out to the sidewalk. Everybody else, stay behind me-if she sees a bunch of motorcycles, she'll probably freak. But be ready to gun it when I pull out and grab her. The noise should help cover up any screams. Raven, you pick up Thistle as soon as I get the kid, and we all go straight back to Morgead's.† Everyone was nodding, looking pleased with the plan-except Morgead. â€Å"I think we should knock her out when we grab her. That way there won't be any screams. Not to mention any blue fire when she figures out she's being kidnapped-â€Å" â€Å"I already said how we're going to do it,† Jez cut in flatly. â€Å"I don't want her knocked out, and I don't think she'll be able to hurt us. Now, everybody get ready. Off you go, Thistle.† As Thistle skipped across the street, Morgead let out a sharp breath. His jaw was tight. â€Å"You never could take advice, Jez.† â€Å"And you never could take orders.† She could see him starting to sizzle, but only out of the corner of her eye. Most of her attention was focused on the housing building. It was such a desolate place. No graffiti-but no grass, either. A couple of dispirited trees in front. And that playground with a blue metal slide and a few motorcycles-on-springs to ride †¦ all looking new and untouched. â€Å"Imagine growing up in a place like this,† she said. Pierce laughed oddly. â€Å"You sound as if you feel sorry for her.† Jez glanced back. There was no sympathy in his deep-set dark eyes-and none in Raven's midnight blue or Val's hazel ones, either. Funny, she didn't remember them being that heartless-but of course she hadn't been sensitive to the issue back in the old days. She would never have stopped to wonder about what they felt for human children. â€Å"It's because it's a kid,† Morgead said brusquely. â€Å"It's hard on any kid growing up in a place like this.† Jez glanced at him, surprised. She saw in his emerald green eyes what she'd missed in the others; a kind of bleak pity. Then he shrugged, and the expression was gone. Partly to change the subject, and partly because she was curious, she said, â€Å"Morgead? Do you know the prophecy with the line about the blind Maiden's vision?† â€Å"What, this one?† He quoted: â€Å"Four to stand between the light and the shadow. Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision; Four less one and darkness triumphs.† â€Å"Yeah. What do you think â€Å"born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision' means?† He looked impatient. â€Å"Well, the Maiden has to be Aradia, right?† â€Å"Who's that?† Val interrupted, his linebacker body quivering with interest. Morgead gave Jez one of his humoring-Val looks. â€Å"The Maiden of the Witches,† he said. â€Å"You know, the blind girl? The Maiden part of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone group that rules all the witches? She's only one of the most important people in the Night World-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, yeah. I remember.† Val settled back. â€Å"I agree,† Jez said. â€Å"The blind Maiden has to be Aradia. But what does the ‘year of her vision' mean? How old is this kid we're snatching?† â€Å"About eight, I think.† â€Å"Did Aradia have some special vision eight years ago?† Morgead was staring across the street, now, his eyebrows together. â€Å"How should I know? She's been having visions since she went blind, right? Which means, like, seventeen years' worth of 'em. Who's supposed to tell which one the poem means?† â€Å"What you mean is that you haven't even tried to figure it out,† Jez said acidly. He threw her an evil glance. â€Å"You're so smart; you do it.† Jez said nothing, but she made up her mind to do just that. For some reason, the poem bothered her. Aradia was eighteen now, and had been having visions since she lost her sight at the age of one. Some particular vision must have been special. Otherwise, why would it be included in the prophecy? It had to be important. And part of Jez's mind was worried about it. Just then she saw movement across the street. A brown metal door was opening and two small figures were coming out. One with feathery blond hair, the other with tiny dark braids. They were hand in hand. Something twisted inside Jez. Just stay calm, stay calm, she told herself. It's no good to think about grabbing her and making a run for the East Bay. They'll just follow you; track you down. Stay cool and you'll be able to get the kid free later. Yeah, after Morgead does his little â€Å"test.† But she stayed cool and didn't move, breathing slowly and evenly as Thistle led the other girl down the stairs. When they reached the sidewalk, Jez pressed the starter button. She didn't say â€Å"Now!† She didn't need to. She just peeled out, knowing the others would follow like a flock of well-trained ducklings. She heard their engines roar to life, sensed them behind her in tight formation, and she headed straight for the sidewalk. The Wild Power kid wasn't dumb. When she saw Jez's motorcycle coming at her, she tried to run. Her mistake was that she tried to save Thistle, too. She tried to pull the little blond girl with her, but Thistle was suddenly strong, grabbing the chain-link fence with a small hand like steel, holding them both in place. Jez swooped in and caught her target neatly around the waist. She swooped the child onto the saddle facing her, felt the small body thud against her, felt hands clutch at her automatically for balance. Then she whipped past a parked car, twisted the throttle to get a surge of speed, and flew out of there. Behind her, she knew Raven was snagging Thistle and the others were all following. There wasn't a scream or even a sound from the housing project. They were roaring down Taylor Street. They were passing the high school. They were making it away clean. â€Å"Hang on to me or you'll fall off and get hurt!† Jez yelled to the child in front of her, making a turn so fast that her knee almost scraped the ground. She wanted to stay far enough ahead of the others that she could talk. â€Å"Take me back home!† The kid yelled it, but not hysterically. She hadn't shrieked even once. Jez looked down at her. And found herself staring into deep, velvety brown eyes. Solemn eyes. They looked reproachful and unhappy-but not afraid. Jez was startled. She'd expected crying, terror, anger. But she had the feeling that this kid wouldn't even be yelling if it hadn't been the only way to be heard. Maybe I should have been more worried about what she'll do to us. Maybe she can call blue fire down to kill people. Otherwise, how can she be so composed when she's just been kidnapped? But those brown eyes-they weren't the eyes of somebody about to attack. They were-Jez didn't know what they were. But they wrenched her heart. â€Å"Look-Iona, right? That's your name?† The kid nodded. â€Å"Look, Iona, I know this seems weird and scary- having somebody just grab you off the street. And I can't explain everything now. But I promise you, you're not going to get hurt. Nothing's going to hurt you-okay?† â€Å"I want to go home.† Oh, kid, so do I, Jez thought suddenly. She had to blink hard. Tm going to take you home-or at least someplace safe,† she added, as honesty unexpectedly kicked in. There was something about the kid that made her not want to lie. â€Å"But first we've got to go to a friend of mine's house. But, look, no matter how strange all this seems, I want you to remember something. I won't let you get hurt. Okay? Can you believe that?† â€Å"My mom is going to be scared.† Jez took a deep breath and headed onto the freeway. â€Å"I promise I won't let you get hurt,† she said again. And that was all she could say. She felt like a centaur, some creature that was half person and half steel horse, carrying off a human kid at sixty miles an hour. It was pointless to try to make conversation on the freeway, and Iona didn't speak again until they were roaring up to Morgead's building. Then she said simply, â€Å"I don't want to go in there.† â€Å"It's not a bad place,† Jez said, braking front and back. â€Å"We're going up on the roof. There's a little garden there.† A tiny flicker of interest showed in the solemn brown eyes. Four other bikes pulled in beside Jez. â€Å"Yeeehaw! We got her!† Val yelled, pulling off his helmet. â€Å"Yeah, and we'd better take her upstairs before somebody sees us,† Raven said, tossing her dark hair so it fell over one eye again. Thistle was climbing off the back of Raven's motorcycle. Jez felt the small body in front of her stiffen. Thistle looked at Iona and smiled her sharp-toothed smile. Iona just looked back. She didn't say a word, but after a minute Thistle flushed and turned away. â€Å"So now we're going to test her, right? It's time to test her, isn't it, Morgead?† Jez had never heard Thistle's voice so shrill-so disturbed. She glanced down at the child in front of her, but Morgead was speaking. â€Å"Yeah, it's time to test her,† he said, sounding unexpectedly tired for somebody who'd just pulled off such a triumph. Who'd just caught a Wild Power that was going to make his career. â€Å"Let's get it over with.†

Gap Inc. in 2010: Is the Turnaround Strategy Working? Essay

Executive Summary Gap Inc. is facing the problem of decreasing sales in the family clothing store industry. Included in this paper is a detailed analysis of the family clothing store industry. This external analysis has showed that the industry is extremely competitive and difficult to make a profit due to low profit margins. The internal analysis of the company shows that although sales have decreased, Gap’s financial performance strengthens every year. Their profitability, leverage, and liquidity ratios have improved steadily every year which helps the company maintain a somewhat strong business situation. There are several possible alternatives for Gap Inc. to help increase sales and market share including maintain status quo, create new product lines and segment their target markets, and expand company operated stores in foreign markets which is the suggested course of action. Problem Statement The problem facing Gap Inc. is their decreasing sales and market share in the family clothing store industry due to the decreasing popularity of their clothing. Background and History Gap Inc. has several brands including The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Piperlime. Gap Inc. was founded in 1969 by Doris and Don Fisher. They started out selling clothing that targeted teenagers in San Francisco and expanded their clothing line to include active wear in 1970. The company went public in 1976. Gap Inc.’s clothing was popular in the 1990s and as their clothes were becoming popular and sales were increasing rapidly, so was their debt due to expansion. As their long-term debt increased, the quality of their clothing decreased. By 2000, their clothing style was not popular. The company had a few CEOs including Millar Drexler who was fired due to decreasing sales, Paul Pressler who resigned due to the company’s weak performance and he was replaced by Glen Murphy. Pressler’s turnaround strategy for Gap included reducing long-term debt. Murphy’s turnaround strategy was to expand business internationally and improve on the style and design of the clothing. PESTE Analysis Political Forces * Foreign governments; can cause delays or stall shipments by imposing new rules. * Better labour standards in foreign countries could cause an increase in textile prices. * The World Trade Organization. Another Multi-Fiber Arrangement could be imposed in the future. Economical Forces * Recession – consumers more cautious of prices * Interest rates will affect a store’s ability to afford loans for expansions * Exchange rates will affect costs to those companies that are importing textiles from foreign countries. Social Forces * Consumer’s tastes change frequently in the fashion industry. * Aging population – as the baby boomers age, their fashion needs will be different. * Obesity rates rising, demand for plus size clothing rising * Sweat shops/poor working conditions for employees of suppliers in foreign countries can cause bad publicity Technological Factors * The internet is becoming a popular way to sell merchandise. * New software and advancements in IT make it easier and more efficient for companies to track inventory and make the ordering process easier. Environmental Factors * People are more environmentally conscious and want to ensure companies are committed to green practices and are being socially responsible. * Clothing manufacturers can be creating a large amount of pollution due to their operations, especially if running a large plant. Porter’s Five Forces Threat of Rivalry Gap Inc.’s competition includes Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Ross Stores, and several small local companies. The threat of rivalry is high due to: * Several competitors; thousands of small local and regional retailers. * No cost to buyers to switch brands. * Low profit margins; estimated to be only 3.4% in 2008. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is moderate to high due to: * Several possible new entrants, especially those operating specialty clothing stores. These include stores such as Reitmans who target women or H&M and Zara that target young adults. * Product differentiation and brand loyalty will make it more difficult to enter. Threat from Substitutes The threat from substitutes is high due to: * Several good substitutes are available such as: * Make your own clothes * Shop at specialty clothing stores * Buy second hand from flea markets, yard sales, or second hand stores * Department stores/big box retailers such as Sears or Wal-Mart. * No cost to buyers to switching to a substitute. * Prices are comparable or cheaper for substitutes and maintain quality Supplier Bargaining Power Supplier bargaining power is slightly higher than normal due to: * Limited supplies, potential for shortages * Products are differentiated in quality and style, however, could easily be duplicated by another supplier. * No cost to buyers to switch suppliers; however, may not be possible if there are shortages. Buyers Bargaining Power Buyers bargaining power are fairly high due to: * Low cost to switch suppliers * Products are differentiated in quality in style, however, could be easily duplicated. This increases buyers bargaining power. * Buyers are price sensitive – low profit margins and most of their purchases rely on third party suppliers from foreign countries. Overall, the family clothing store industry is not a very attractive industry. With all competitive forces being moderate to high, it would be very difficult for a new entrant to make a decent profit. Factors Driving Change * Entry of foreign companies * Regulatory influences and government policy changes. Regulations for importing textiles from foreign markets could cause an increase in prices for family clothing stores. * Changing social issues – increasing obesity rates * Changes in lifestyle – people becoming health conscious which affects their clothing needs. These factors driving change have the potential to decrease the demand for the family clothing store industry. As demand decreases, competition will become more intense. The combined impact of these factors could lead to lower industry profitability, especially if the companies cannot turnover inventory. Key Success Factors * Location * Brand loyalty * Keeping current with fashion trends These key success factors will determine how successful the companies in the family clothing industry are. Location is important because customers want to shop close to home. Companies must build brand loyalty to keep their customers coming back. Most importantly, if the company is not staying current with fashion trends, their customers will shop at a store that is offering the latest fashions.

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Business Strategy - Essay Example Wal-Mart is known to be slow in internationalization. It has been flopped in Germany already. Its endeavour into India is full of strategic risks. 2. Wal-Mart has entered into India with a 50-50 partnership with Bhartia, a legendry retail brand. This has minimized Wal-Mart’s own business freedom. 3. Government policies in India have not allowed Wal-Mart to use its brand name and logos. It is a mere back-end supporter, not a retailing brand there. Thus, Wal-Mart is facing a great and risky business challenge in India. It has to be careful enough not to deviate from cultural regulations and norms as it is already facing reservations from patriotic political parties and local retailers being only foreign. Any more deviation might repeat what happened in Germany. To be successful, Wal-Mart has to merge into the national culture so as not to present the image of an alien to the Indian clientele. Introduction Wal-Mart is a U.S based Multinational Corporation, which operates chains o f warehouse stores and discount departmental stores in the U.S and 15 other countries. The company is listed on the NYSE, and is reported to be the world’s largest public corporation by revenue (Forbes Global 2000 as cited in Hayden et al, 2002). Wal-Mart has 8500 stores in 15 countries and has been mostly successful in its venture into the global market. Once asked if Wal-Mart was trying to take over the world, the reply from one of the senior heads from Wal-Mart, with a smile on his face was, â€Å"I don't think so, and all we want to do is grow†. This has been evident from the aggressive growth and expansion strategy adopted by Wal-Mart both within and outside the U.S. It has been expanding with massive momentum, with the strategy of â€Å"Always Low Prices Always† and has taken over the retail industry in many countries. However, it has stumbled in its smooth expansion in countries like Germany, where Wal-Mart became a text book case of â€Å"how not to ent er a foreign market† (Peng, 2009). The success of Wal-Mart in its home country, and a variety of other markets like Argentina, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico do not seem to have translated into the German market and therefore, Wal-Mart’s expansion plans must be carefully evaluated before giving them a green signal. Wal-Mart knows that venture into India will not be an easy feat because of the market dynamics. Analysis of Wal-Mart Business Strategies To understand Wal-Mart’s position in international business, an analysis of its internationalization, entry and corporate strategies is must. This analysis is as follows: Firm Motivations for Internationalization Internationalization has always been a risky move. Wal-Mart’s failure in Germany or its initial struggle in Mexico clearly indicates that expansion abroad should be carefully evaluated to see whether going abroad is warranted. Source: Global strategy by Mike Peng Wal-Mart falls in cell 3 and may be termed as slow as it internationalizes. The company is still in exploring locations in U.S. In 2010, it opened about 600 international stores, while only about 150 in U.S. However, its pace of internalization is slower than some of its competitors, like Carrefour in France, or Metro in Germany. According to John B. Menzer, Wal-Mart India’

See instructions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

See instructions - Research Paper Example In licensing this technology to foreign firms, the licensing firm stands a chance to lose the technology to the competitor (Wuhan University of technology, Para. 2). This is in the form of the competitor developing the technology beyond the level that it was originally. Proprietary technology is known to give an edge to the owner by denying competitors of the benefits it has to offer. Proprietary technologies owners use them as a source of revenue by controlling the market prices of their products, as well as those of their competitors (Economides & Katsamakas, 2006, Para. 1058). In such cases, the technology is used as a benchmark for market prices, and licensing it would, therefore, be a demerit to the owner. At the same time, licensing would be a good opportunity for the owners to up their performance by increasing the level of competition. With competition, they can provide better products and services to consumers (Business Wire, Para. 3). The advantage is, therefore, not lost in any way. Instead, it throws the competitors off balance due to the possibility that the technology owners may have better deals. Licensing proprietary technology is an outright loss of competitive advantage to the owners as a result of creating an alternative source of technology to consumers. This is because; licensing makes the technology open source. According to studies, proprietary technology tends to dominate the market while open source is always a runners up thus it should be avoided at all cost (Economides & Katsamakas, 2006, p. 1059). Economides, N., & Katsamakas, E. (2006). Two-Sided Competition of Proprietary vs. Open Source Technology Platforms and the Implications for the Software Industry.  Management Science,  52(7),

The Great Mandela Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Great Mandela - Research Paper Example Mandela belonged to Tembu clan of Xhosa tribe and was loved by many people not only from his clan but also the entire country and globally (Rakoczy 164). Nelson Mandela is a renowned South African freedom fighter who greatly contributed to ending apartheid in South Africa and he also addressed and fought for human rights worldwide. Since 1940s, Mandela remained a strong member of African National Congress (ANC) and he led the movements against the ruling government because they were fed up with the racial discrimination in South Africa. Together with other ANC members, they strongly opposed the minority white rule which was characterized by racial discriminations whereby, individuals were divided based on their racial background because the government itself encouraged racism. His actions made him spend nearly three decades in prison and when he was released in 1990, Mandela participated in the elimination of apartheid in South Africa enabling him to become the country’s first black president in 1994. After finishing his first term in 1999, Mandela retired from active politics and remained committed to promoting peace and social justice in his country and worldwide until his death in 2013. This paper discusses the life of Mandela until his death and it also identifies some of his actions for social justice issues. Mandela was the first in his family to undergo through a formal education and he successfully finished his primary studies at a local missionary school and in 1939, he joined the elite University of Fort Hare, the only open institution to blacks in South Africa. However, in the following year, he and others were sent home for engaging in a boycott against university policies (Rakoczy 165). Mandela escaped to Johannesburg after realizing that his guardian had arranged a marriage for him (Guiloineau 129). He first started working as a watchman but later as a law clerk and the same time pursuing his Bachelor of Arts

The use of children in the Cambodian genocide Essay

The use of children in the Cambodian genocide - Essay Example The farms today are known as the 'killing fields' as so many died through over work, hunger or slaughter. Amongst the victims were the children who were taken away from their families and made to live in communal groups where the only family they were to consider was that of the Khmer Rouge. This essay sets out to show the lives these children led The Khmer Rouge wanted to eradicate anyone suspected of "involvement in free-market activities" including professionals, almost everyone with an education and who had connections to government and those who lived in the cities. The regime did not want the risk of anybody having the consciousness to rebel against their movement. The country was predominantly Buddhist and its monks were disrobed, half of them were killed and the rest forced to work in the harsh agricultural labor camps and Christianity was also abolished. They also believed that parents were corrupted by capitalism and felt that children should be separated from their families in order to ensure that they were swathed in socialist ideology. Children were taught methods of torture and were instrumental to the leadership of the communist dictatorship. The regime saw that children could be molded and indoctrinated to their political ideology; they were able to condition the children to believe that they were not the enemy and in doing so developed a community of children who were not able to identify with any other than the Khmer Rouge. The intention was to destroy the family values that were part of their culture and irradiate the trust that is held within family and community networks. Community and family members were expected and given incentives to spy on each other and this shattered networks and dissolved any trust through imbedding deeply rooted fear [1]. The young minds of children were easier to manipulate and the regime were able to brainwash children to such an extent that they would report back to the regime if their own parents were being antagonistic, the regime taught them to believe that they were their family and that their own kin were their enemies. Slogans such as 'I'm not killing my mother -I'm killing my enemy' were planted into their minds [2]. A propaganda song entitled, "We Children Love Angkar boundlessly," compared pre-revolutionary children to orphans abandoned by "the enemy", their parents, an excerpt from the song follows: [1] Colletta, N. J., & Cullen, M. L. (2000). The nexus between violent conflict, social capital and social cohesion: Case studies from Cambodia and Rwanda [electronic version]. [2] Martin, M. A. (1994). Cambodia: A shattered society. Berkeley, California: University of California Press Before the revolution, children were poor and lived lives of misery, Living like animals, suffering as orphans. The enemy abandoned all thought of us Now the glorious revolution supports us all [3]. The book the 'Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields' contains 29 essays from children who suffered at the hands of the regime. The children speak about their astonishing and painful experiences at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, how their families were torn apart to assist the social engineering plan of the regime, how

Special occasions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Special occasions - Essay Example For Muslims, there is a one-month of fasting being tediously observed during Ramadan to manifest the Prophet Muhammad’s historic acknowledgement of receiving the Quran from the angel Gabriel. These are special occasions that have been repeatedly and religiously observed for centuries. Further, there are special occasions that are deemed extraordinary only to the individual, the family and closest friends. One’s immersion to the world is celebrated annually through diverse means. Birthday celebrations for children are particularly a joyful occasion to cherish. Apart from the lavish preparations for food, party favors, mascots and invitations for guests, birthday celebrations are filled with loved ones and friends sharing precious moments and preserved through gifts, mementos and photographs that are kept to revere in the future. Another set of special occasions shared with family and friends are school affairs such as commencement exercises or graduations from one academic level to another, school prom, or being accepted in a prestigious university for higher education. What do all these occasions have in common that make them special? The most important element, of course, is me and the people who I share these events with. People tend to associate something special when activities are done out of the normal routine of daily endeavors. They only come once in a defined time period. The anticipation for the next event makes them extraordinary. Likewise, loved ones and friends exert quality time, money and effort to engage in intricate and elaborate preparations just to make one happy during these events. We acknowledge and realize that during these special occasions, we receive a blessing, a grace, a benefit, a lesson, a form of positive reward. During birthdays, aside from gifts, good food, and the company of loved ones, we get

American History Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American History Paper - Essay Example After years, American became an imperial power of an isolationist foreign policy while in years; the government and corruption were replaced with a reformer’s progressive government. Due to significant impacts of both policies, the achievement of social and politics of the progressive government had some reaching effects than the American empire buildings. Before 1890, America somehow uninvolved in foreign affairs, but by 1902, it became an imperial power. Through motivation of new desire for new markets, and the image of strong navy, it was only a matter of time before America played a major role on the world stage. The war with Spain was the first major imperial action. When the war ended, the United States annexed Puerto Rico and the Philippines so as to Christianize and civilize them, leading to the start of Benevolent Assimilation policy. Therefore, Cuba received its independence with some limitations that intended to ensure that the United States had a practical control of the nation. In 1901, President McKinley was assassinated while Teddy Roosevelt as a progressive reformer was given the Vice-Presidency to end his political career and thereafter made to be the president. The reformers strengthen the people through referendum, initiative, direct primary elections and the direct senator’s election. Women’s political power increased and thus gained the right to vote by 1920. Teddy Roosevelt’s deal finally protected the consumer’s needs through acts like drug act and pure food, while giving the government power over the corporations that previous led the government. Most of the progressive accomplishments have evolved further from their initial conception. The progressiveness of the domestic policies has had a huge impact on the United States Development. These policies made huge gains in rights of women, consumer protection, labor reform, conservation, fiscal reform and projects of public works. The current set of government’s framework was

Do the benefits of midwife-assisted delivery outweigh the Research Paper

Do the benefits of midwife-assisted delivery outweigh the disadvantages - Research Paper Example For this reason, childbirth has been considered as a serious health condition that needs clinical or medical intervention. Since the 20th century, the number of women who give birth from home has significantly declined. Although there are some parts in the U.S. that legally consider midwife-assisted delivery to have some benefits over the health condition of pregnant women during the child delivery, some states in the U.S. including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming do not legally allow the practice of midwife-assisted delivery not unless the midwife has been certified as Nurse Midwife (Mana). Approximately 50% to 80% of the childbirth today takes place within the hospital settings. (Wagner) Despite the fact that majority of childbirth is done within the clinical areas, the number of minor to life-threatening childbirth complications remains high not only in caesarean surgeries but also in normal spontaneous delivery. Aside from the fact that hospital births can cause a significant increase in the number of infant deaths, hospital births also contributes to the significant increase in the number of mothers who died due to maternal hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, or infection. For this study, whether or not the benefits of midwife-assisted delivery outweigh the disadvantages will be thoroughly discussed. Approximately 87.3% of child delivery that has occurred in the hospitals was personally attended by the midwives (Declercq). Between the years 1975 to 1988, the number of total births that was attended by the midwives has increased from 0.9% up to 3.4% respectively (Advance Report of Final Natality Statistics, 1988). Since the U.S. Department of Health has tried to minimize maternal and infant mortality rate, some states in the country prohibit lay midwives to assist in child delivery especially when assisting childbirth from home. Since then, the

Historians Can't Speculate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Historians Can't Speculate - Essay Example Yet when the historical records of an event such as American slavery tend to be biased towards the view of it as just another type of economic enterprise, there is clear value in what might be termed memory or the an attempt to explore what actually occurred using the human imagination as a spur rather than 'actual' historical records. Beloved is a prime example of such an attempt. Historians are concerned with events which can be assigned to specific time-space locations, events which are (or were) in principle observable or perceivable, whereas imaginary writers . . . are concerned with both these kinds of events and imagined, hypothetical, or invented ones. It is interesting to note that White's definition provides for an area of coincidence between the work of the historian and the work of the imaginary writer (such as Morrison, who is a novelist) by suggesting that novelists deal with historical events as well as historians, although they may also include the fictional elements that the historian supposedly does not. As White suggests, it was after the Enlightenment and the French Revolution that history and literature started to part company. By the early 1800's "it became conventional, at least among historians, to identify truth with fact and to regard fiction as the opposite of the truth" (White, p.123) (emphasis added). This might seem almost childishly simplistic to many scholars today, but it can be related to the supposed triumph of the 'rational', often in the form of Science, over the irrational. The word science means "to know" (from the Latin scio, to know) and the only thing that can be "known" is a fact. Fiction was thus "a hindrance to the understanding of reality rather than as a way of apprehending it"(White, p.123). History was thus placed within a hierarchy that placed it indelibly above, and thus superior, to that of mere fiction. Many historians of this era did not seem to consider the fact that the histories which they were writing depended a lot upon which facts were being considered, and that this just as much choice and imagination went into writing them as in fiction. History dealt with facts, and thus the truth, while fiction dealt with non-facts, and thus lies. It was only during the Twentieth Century that history and fiction started their long journey back towards one another. In the Nineteenth Century historians did not realize that which seems self-evident today: "facts do not speak for themselves, but that the historian speaks for them, speaks on their behalf, and fashions the fragments of the past into a whole whose whole integrity is - in its representation - a purely discursive one" (White, p.125). It is this "fashioning" which makes history resemble the process a fictional writer goes through when she is creating a world of characters. The historian takes a historical event, for example, the Fall of the Bastille, and gives meaning to it by creating a kaleidoscope through which the event can be seen. The fact that the Bastille fell cannot be disputed; what that falling means can be. Both history and fiction deal with meaning, and thus can be regarded as different techniques with the same end in mind.  Ã‚  

Opportunity Assessment Essay Example for Free

Opportunity Assessment Essay Explain the purpose and value of a business plan to a new or existing business. There is a whole host of reasons to justify the preparation of a business plan, not just for business start-up enterprises, but as a model of good practice for established organizations. First, the process of producing a business plan acts as a very efficient method of focusing the ideas of entrepreneurs in terms of defining their objectives and assessing their own abilities to organize and run the business. A business plan also acts as a means of testing the viability of the business proposal before actually committing its proposers to any substantial expenditure or investment. As there are relatively few entrepreneurs who have the resources to be totally self-financing, most are faced at some point in time with the need to raise external finance. The possession of a business plan is crucial to the business’ future; an appointment with the financier or bank manager who is a potential investor or source of loan to discuss a proposal is a bit like an audition in a Hollywood film – if they blow their lines, they blow their chances, or at least, they reduce their prospects of getting the part they want. Written business plans are essential to guide bankers, lenders or investors in understanding and monitoring the financial strength of the business entity. So the most important thing is to prepare the plan thoroughly and to present it in a professional and competent manner. The elements of a business plan is primarily for the benefit of the lending institution and should not be confused with the strategic or detailed operating plans the business may use for internal management purposes. The kind of business plan any banker, lender or investor looks for should provide broad-based financial and organizational information. It should be made available upon submission of the initial credit request and updated periodically thereafter. Financial statements, together with management’s analysis of financial performance, for the past three-year period are especially essential. In addition, the banker, lender or investor will want to see financial performance projections for the coming two or three years. Define the term `micro business` and outline the contribution micro business make to the Australian economy. The term micro business tends to better describe the smallest niche within the small business world. A micro business is, in general, fewer than ten people and includes some unique needs to that space. It typically requires less than US$15,000 in start-up capital, which means that it does not have access to the commercial banking sector because initial loan needs are usually less than US$15,000. In most micro-enterprises, the owner is the sole operator and worker. The capital needs of micro-businesses are too small to be of interest to formal financial markets, yet too large to be covered by the personal means of business starters particularly if they come out of precarious situations. In more cases than not, micro business owners mix personal expenses with business expenses, clouding the company’s functional cost relationships and making ratio analysis very difficult. Typical micro business operators only keep cash records during the year. They present a shoe-box of records to their accountants at year end. They only use their accountant to generate a tax return and set of accounts, which might be received six months after the year end. Market niches tend to be defined geographically. Typically, competitive businesses turn over very rapidly, with frequent new entrants to the market, many ownership changes, and a high percentage of bankruptcies and liquidations. Micro business is a key niche to keep in mind in today’s economy and a field that is quickly starting to gain enterprise attention. The economic significance of micro-businesses to the economy of Australia as well as to the global economy is highly acknowledged. This is for the reason that the involvement that micro-businesses create for both employment and the income it produces. Micro-businesses put in $20,193 million to the Australian industry’s GNP and provide work for more than 1/3 of micro-business workers (Khosrowpour 525). Briefly explain the role market research plays in the evaluation of a business opportunity. An entrepreneur must make a commitment to pursuing a business opportunity long before the outcome of that decision is known. How can he know whether the opportunities he is pursuing have a perfect fit with the marketplace, need to be expedited on a rush basis, and are the right decisions to go ahead with? Market research is the answer. Market research is the compilation and examination of any trustworthy information that improves managerial decisions. An entrepreneur needs to do market research to identify and assess an opportunity. Intuition, personal expertise, and passion can take businessmen only so far. Both traditional and nontraditional marketing research can be used to assess opportunity. Research is vital in strategic evaluation if new ideas for diversifying the business are evaluated or tested out. A company entering a new market with a new product is unlikely to know much about that market, and is going to be dependent on good information for decision making for developing sales of the new product and services. The research is likely to reduce the uncertainty about pursuing the diversification opportunity, and to help managers to plan, based on known and defined customer needs. In all practical terms, the application of market research to identify problems and opportunities and to evaluate programs of activity is as important as in other areas of marketing communications. It is the methodical and objective recognition, compilation, study and distribution of information for the intention of supporting business decision-making activities connected to the detection and resolution of business troubles and prospects. Certainly market research plays an important role in business decision making, but ultimate success in markets is determined by many other factors, not least the commitment of the team, the size and mix of marketing budget, and the ability to react to unforeseen problems. Briefly describe the process by which the total cost price of a product or service is established. Pricing, as a process, can simply be defined as setting or adjusting a price charged to a customer in exchange for a good or service. The need for correct pricing decisions has become even more important as global competition has become more intense. Organizations that have been successful in making profitable pricing decisions have been able to raise prices successfully or reduce prices without competitive retaliation. Pricing policy cannot be established in a vacuum. The selling price of the product or service should be consistent with the entrepreneur’s marketing goals, the image he or she is attempting to project, and the perceptions and expectations of the target market. Also, the pricing decision must be viewed as in interactive process in that there is a strong need for cross-functional interaction. It should be clear that effective pricing decisions involve considerations of many factors, and no single model will fit all pricing decisions. While all pricing decisions cannot be made strictly on the general model to be presented in the next paragraph, it does break pricing strategy into a set of manageable stages that are integrated into the overall marketing strategy. Given a product or service designed for a specific target market, the pricing process begins with a clear statement of the pricing objectives. These objectives guide the pricing strategy and should be designed to support the overall marketing strategy. The evaluation of the relationship of product or service to pricing with respect to the distinctiveness, perishability and stage of the life cycle a product/service is in all affect pricing. In addition, marketers need to consider what value the product/service has for customers and how price will influence product/service positioning. The other components of the marketing mix need to be also examined in relation to the pricing component, in order to arrive at a total price. Although the main basis should be the product or service cost, marketers should combine various criteria in setting prices rather than considering only the costs. What is the difference between a projected Profit and Loss Statement and a Projected Cash Flow? Why do you need both? There are several distinctions between projected cash flow and projected profit and loss statement. Although both are only estimates, one difference is that the projected cash flow statement will record budgeted cash receipts from customers, while the projected income statement will show forecast revenue for the period. Further, the projected cash flow statement will record budgeted cash payments to suppliers, while the projected income statement will show forecast of sales, which will reflect opening inventory, plus purchases, less closing inventory. Furthermore, the projected cash flow statement shows the budgeted cash payments for the expenses such as wages, electricity and rates while the projected income statement will record the expenditure expected to be consumed in the period, reflecting any accounts or prepayments. Lastly, the projected cash flow will reflect the cost of purchasing a non-current asset at the expected date of purchase and the proceeds at the date of sale, while the projected income statement will record a depreciation charge for the consumption of the asset and a profit or loss on disposal. The business needs both of these projected statements because they are important tools of financial analysis. Projected cash flow statement, for instance, is a point of comparison for actual cash flow statement so that the firm can find out the variation and take necessary remedial measures. It also helps in overcoming the problem of meeting deficit cash or investment of surplus cash because projected cash flow is usually prepared on the basis of the past year’s experience. Using the cash flow forecast enhances the business’ versatility and allows it to adjust its planning horizon as the business grows. A projected income statement is likewise an invaluable tool. It will help the business estimate its approximate income and expenses in the short term, from months to a few years. It will give a gauge to judge the financial progress of the company. Outline the legal avenues available to an individual to protect intellectual property. Even though it is an intangible term for a theoretical concept, intellectual property is nevertheless completely well-known to practically everybody. While the underpinnings of material property rights are clear, those of intellectual property rights appear clouded. Intellectual property rights have seen perceptible, indeed substantial extensions in the last decade alone. Copyrights, service marks, trademarks and patents are all types of intellectual property, and are avenues for individuals in the United States to protect their intellectual property. The examination of intellectual property law is significant since intellectual property is captivating an escalating implication worldwide. Copyright and trademarks are directly related to the Web, patents less so except if the thing being patented is a new type of technology that affects how the Web is actually used. Trademarks and service marks are used to protect logos, unique elements, phrases, services and official names that have sufficient distinctive character by which the government recognizes the concept as being unique and wholly owned by the individual. At common law, the individual who utilized a symbol or mark to classify a company or manufactured good was sheltered in the employment of the trademark. Service marks protect services rather than products, which is its main difference with trademark, in where the later protects products. Copyright protects everything that goes into a website or in print. It provides the inventor of a work the right to the restricted utilization of that said work for a certain time. Copyright infringement is all too common, often resulting in lawsuits in which individuals receive handsome compensation for having their work ripped off. A patent is a government endowment that bestows an inventor the private right to produce, utilize and put up for sale the invention for a time of twenty years since the time of filing a request for a patent. If a firm produces, utilize and put up for sale a patented blueprint, produce or procedure without the consent of the owner of the patent, it is obligated with the tort of patent infringement. What are the main advantages of operating your business as a company rather than as a sole trader or partnership? Are there any disadvantages? The primary advantage of operating the business as a corporation is protection against liability. The corporation can protect one’s personal assets in the event of a judgment against the business. This is because the corporation’s assets (cash, real estate, securities, accounts payable, etc. ) do not include one’s personal property and assets such as car, house, bank account, and other personal property. One’s personal property is considered separate from the property and assets of the corporation. A second advantage over sole proprietorship or partnership is organization and efficiency. No matter what form the business takes, keeping one’s personal and business finances and assets separate is crucial to the survival of the business. If one’s business and personal finances are intertwined, it will prove difficult and eventually impossible to sort them out to the satisfaction of say, banks and other financial institutions where one may be applying for business loans. A third advantage is savings. There are myriad instances where, as a corporation, one may be able to save on business costs – savings that might otherwise be unavailable to one as a sole proprietor or partnership business. For instance, business equipment amortization IRS allowance and schedules are generally more favorable for corporations than for individuals and partners. Also, financial institutions tend t give more favorable credit and lending rates to corporations as opposed to individuals and partners. The primary disadvantages, on the other hand, are the record-keeping that is required and the fact that corporations are subject to double taxation – the corporation pays taxes on its profits, and if one receives some of those profits as dividends, he/she will be taxed, too. Moreover, the business has to maintain minimal corporate formalities that will take some time and effort, including government regulation of the creation of the corporation, issuance of stock and operations of the organization. The lack of management skills is the cause of 92% of business failure. Does a successful business operator have to be expert or competent in all facets of business management? Long ago in business literature, experts have researched the role of the entrepreneur in firm failure. Managerial deficiencies, inexperience, and inefficiency are consistent themes in the literature explaining business failure. Researchers found that many firm characteristics – particularly decision-based ones – were directly related to the entrepreneurial characteristics. These included lack of insight, inflexibility, and emphasis on technical skills. Additionally, managerial deficiencies and the financial shortcomings of the entrepreneur also contributed to failure. Other researchers have further found support for the case that lack of management expertise along with financial matters was the most common causes of business failure. Some of these researchers pointed to poor management skills as the most frequently identified common theme in business failure. The significance that is placed on management deficiencies as a cause has therefore warranted a closer examination of the specific areas where these deficiencies are greatest. Although this is the case, it is often unfeasible for a business operator to be an expert on all facets of business management. This is the role of consultants; experts that business owners hire too assist in the facilitation of business management processes. The business operator may not possess the expert comprehension of the specialist (such as technology specialist) but it is the business operator who is familiar with the worth and the prospect of expert knowledge. Thus the management expert has specialized knowledge and the business operator has knowledge breadth and it is through the organization that the two kinds of knowledge are united to create wealth. The proven formula for success involves leveraging limited human and financial resources. For example, most business operators lack at least one critical management function, such as a controller or a sales manager. An outside accounting firm, a part-time employee, a channel partner, or a retired person could perform these functions. You have been approached by a person who has identified a business opportunity and who needs some assistance to evaluate it. Outline the advice you would give to such a person? An opportunity is not just an idea. A business opportunity must grow an idea with the potential to develop with the enterprise that has a reasonable chance to succeed. This means that all of the pieces of the puzzle must come together, and in the right order. There should first be the evaluation of external and internal factors that may influence the potential of the business opportunity. External analysis should consider both the general environment, and big picture, and the industry setting in which the venture might do business. Identifying potential affecters in the external environment is definitely worth the effort, but business concepts make sense only if they fit well with the internal potentials of the business. In other words, the entrepreneur’s understanding of potential business opportunities should be combined with insights into what the entrepreneur is able to do. With respect to the chosen sector/industry, learners need to know how to perform a systematic search for new business opportunities as well as how to analyze and evaluate them. There are many different tools identifying opportunities to determine ideas that are worthy of further development, like Drucker’s Seven Sources of Innovative Opportunity, Boston Consulting Group Matrix, GE Planning Grid, 7-S Model and Competitive Strength vs. Market Attractiveness Model. Assessment can be more ‘real world’ if the task of evaluation relates to an idea, plan or proposal with which an individual can identify personally. Determining whether an opportunity is possibly right for a company is not the same as deciding to enter a business, nor is evaluating an opportunity the same as evaluating a business plan. Grabbing a business opportunity is appropriate only after it has been determined that the opportunity itself is both valid and right for the company and the company has a business strategy and plan to which it is prepared to commit. Once a business has become established, it requires sound management systems to operate efficiently. Describe the system you would put in place to operate and control a small business. If the strategic objectives of the business are to be successfully implemented, then first, it is critical to identify the systems that will need to be in place in order to achieve them. The key management systems will typically be those that actively contribute towards the primary goals or profitability of the business. This includes the production functions that manufacture goods for sale and the sales and marketing that sell those goods to the customers. This is all about having the right resources in place to achieve the desired objectives of the business. Without these key systems in place, the strategic development of the business will not work, which is precisely why they must be right before anything can be started. The second stage is to ensure that the support systems are in place. These are the functions that enable the key systems to operate smoothly, such as the purchasing, stores, administration and distribution functions, not forgetting the management systems to organize and coordinate these. The third stage is to ensure that adequate monitoring and control systems are in place both to monitor the expansion of old or the implementation of new systems, and to monitor the efficacy of the whole strategic process and its component parts. In order to implement both the key systems and support systems, it will be necessary to produce an action plan which identifies the critical dates by which each one of these systems must be in place. The action plan should be regarded as a means to an end, as opposed to something that, once set, cannot be changed. Although it sets the guidelines and targets for the process, it must be flexible enough to account for, and respond to, any factors that are beyond the control of the process. The planning procedures must be, like the workings of each of the systems, subject to the same planning and review cycle if they are to function efficiently.

Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy Essay

Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy Essay Individuals transfer their thoughts and ideas to each other via language. The speakers of a language have a common basic vocabulary, and share the knowledge of meaning of several words, in their mental lexicon. The meaning of an expression cannot be understood as the definitions found in a dictionary entry; consequently, linguists suggest alternative ways of defining meaning. K. Nelson (1985) proposed that meaning has three counterparts relating to: reference, denotation and sense. A reference is the association between an expression and the object it refers to (the referent). Expressions referring to a particular object or entity in the world are described as referring expressions J.I Saeed (2003). Therefore, girl is a referent in: That girl seems nice, which is a referring expression. Objects in the world Reference, partly depends on the sense of expressions. Sense shows a relationship between the expression and the object in the world, in relation to a mental representation. J.I Saeed (2003) describes a mental representation as a complex and abstract element relating an idea to the object in the world (the concept). The relationship between sense, the expression and the referent was outlined by C.K. Ogden and I.A Richards when they presented the first semiotic triangle in: The Meaning of Meaning (1923). In the meaning triangle an expression is thought to provide access to an underlying concept, which in turn refers to an object in the world (referent). This clarifies the existence of a relationship between a word, a sense and its referent. Denotes A distinction between reference and sense is made in: On Sense and Reference, G. Frege (1892), revealing their close correlation whilst it is also suggesting that the sense of a sign may change without altering the referent. In order to describe how expressions referring to the same object may differ in sense, Frege presents the expressions morning star and evening star. Both refer to the same object regardless of their different senses. (Morning star= Venus at dawn whilst Evening star= Venus at dusk). Frege describes the reference as the expression having an actual object corresponding to it and the sense of this expression as the concept of the expression. An expression is said to expand its ability to denote because it is associated to an object, in the speakers mind. Hence, reference and denotation are closely related. Referring is the action taken by the speaker in picking out objects in the world while denoting is a property possessed by the expression. A denotation is a constant relationship in a language which is independent of word use; it is not altered by time, unlike reference. Two major theories also clarify the terms reference and denotation, both theories highlight the relationship between a linguistic expression and a referent. The Denotational Theory describes a direct relationship between expressions and objects. The Representational Theory, on the other hand, states that the relationship between the words and objects in the world is mediated by our mental model. To conclude, language is seen as a means of recognizing objects in the world. Reference cannot be the sole idea of the theory of meaning but our semantic knowledge suggests that sense, reference and denotation are vital for our understanding. Speakers of the same language understand each other because they share a basic vocabulary whilst also making sense of what a particular expression is denoting and referring to. 4. Outline the main features of Prototype Theory and show how it differs from the classical view of concepts as necessary and sufficient conditions. Give examples to support your answer. Through the years, philosophers, scientists and linguists have thought about how language ties a word to a particular concept, whilst raising arguments about what makes a concept and what is the definition of meaning. One of the most remarkable theories presented in the 1970s was that of Eleanor Rosch and her colleagues. This theory is based on the idea of prototypes, viewing concepts as constructed with the intention of creating a more typical member of a category, but eventually deviating into a less typical and hazier idea. For example in the  Ã¢â‚¬ ºcolour Ã‚  concept; red is a more central representative, as opposed to fuchsia. E. Rosch and her co-workers sustained their theory by analysing trends seen in the evidence they obtained during their experiments; speakers settled for the more typical members of a category of concepts. This demonstrates how categories are structured; some members of a concept may be more prototypical than others, lacking a certain sense of boundary. So, if speakers are asked for an example of  Ã¢â‚¬ ºfruit Ã‚ , they are expected to come up with more obvious examples, such as apples, rather than plums. This happens since the more outlined ideas, are the first that come to the speakers mind, because the speaker is more used to these ideas, and feels they are the safer and more accurate. Categories are mostly based upon the speakers knowledge and experience of the real world. These categories are learned ideas, they are personal ideas (personal construct) and so they are biased. As a result the lexicon (and conceptual categories) will differ according to the individuals social background and culture. The Prototype Theory is sometimes described as a non-classical theory because, may contrast the principles of the classical view. The classical theory suggested that an object could be correctly referred to by a word only if it has the correct qualifications with regards to characteristics that signify the meaning of the expression or the word. For example, any type of bird is a bird only if it has feathers, has wings, flies etc. If the bird does not have wings, then the label bird in inadequate and does not apply to the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºbird Ã‚ . Central Concept Considering, the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºCat Ã‚ ; the first idea that comes to a speakers mind would be a small, meowing, four-legged, furry animal, with a tail. Merging out into the fuzzier members of this category, would give not only big cats like leopards, lions and tigers, but also Sphinx (furless cats) and Manx (tail less cats). If the classical theory was applicable to this category, a Sphinx would never be considered a cat because it is furless, a Manx wouldnt be considered a cat either because it has no tail, and even tigers, leopards and lions, they would be declined in the cat category for the reason that they do not meow, they roar. In spite of the fact that the classical theory was taken for granted as correct for a long period of time, the breakthrough brought about by the works of E. Rosch brought linguists, philosophers and scientists alike to a understand the complexity of the meaning of a concept, and how it does not only depend on the entity it is tied to but also to the individual way by which it is perceived, a true milestone in cognitive language. To what extent would you expect people who speak different languages to display fundamental differences in the way they think and perceive the world? Support your answer with examples from one particular domain, such as that of colour terms or number words. The question of whether thought differs by culture, due to language differences in cultures has been puzzling philosophers for a long period of time. Does the representation in human thought involve a linguistic element or does it comprise mental images, independent of language? No stable conclusion has ever been taken regarding this situation but philosophers and linguists alike have aimed their studies and observations towards finding a clearer explanation. The Universalist point of view suggests that thought is autonomous from language, whilst the Realist view suggests that language mirrors culture (relativism) and it influences the manner by which we think (determinism). The latter view suggests that cultural differences result in different ways of thinking. Humbolt (19th century philosopher) implies that; languages project different perspectives on the world. Two of the most prominent relativist theorists were Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. E. Sapir proposed that language made part of culture, and therefore is a factor that effects how a speaker thinks: We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. (Sapir, 1929). Whorf further suggested that culture not only ties itself to language but is also related to the way thought is created, paying attention to how grammar may create alternative lines of thought (Whorf, 1956). Speakers of different languages are expected to think differently, this is not only due to their cultural differences but also due to their different language and linguistic abilities. By no means does a simpler language make the speaker simple-minded, but not having words to describe a concept, may contrast that more complex language in terms of expressivity. For example, how can a person think that Christmas comes in December, without the words Christmas and December in his mental lexicon? The analysis for the further understanding of how language and thought relate can be done by analysing two speakers of different languages and comparing the way an object is perceived with regard to the vocabulary present within the language of each speaker. Taking the core concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºcolour Ã‚  and assuming that everyone has the same mental capacity to perceive concepts; if a language (L1) fails to provide a word for the colour yellow; language does indeed effect perception, only if speakers of L1 will be unable to perceive the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºyellow Ã‚ . Berlin and Kay (1969) studied this relation between thought, culture and language by tackling the core concept of colours; comparing languages whilst questioning whether there is a pattern for the understanding of core concepts to all cultures. For example: Dani (New Guinea) has two terms for describing colour, Tamil (India) has six terms for colour whilst Lebanese Arabic and English each have up to eleven terms. E. Rosch revised the Berlin and Kay theory by comparing speakers of Dani (having only a black/white system) and English speakers. Rosch studied whether speakers of Dani could still observe different colours and differentiate between them. Results of this stu dy showed that regardless of their linguistic contrasts; Dani and English speakers showed the same trends in colour understanding helping Rosch to conclude that colour concepts are universal. Language and thought may be related since certain concepts cannot be thought of unless the thinker or speaker has a language. Therefore, language and culture are seen to go hand in hand with thought.

Relationship Between Service Quality and Client Satisfaction

Relationship Between Service Quality and Client Satisfaction Clients: Satisfaction with the Service and Organizational Justice Researchers consider that the service quality theory is based on the literature of client satisfaction and product quality (Brady Cronin, 2001). Liljander and Strandvik (1995) observed that client satisfaction is determined by the overall perception of the service quality. This overall picture about service quality of the organization is reached easily if a client regularly uses service of the organization (Liljander Strandvik, 1995). Lagace, Dahlstrom, and Gassenheimer (1991) found that by including â€Å"ethics† as component of the quality of the relationship between pharmaceutical buyers and sellers, ethical behavior led to higher levels of relationship quality and ethical behavior has been positively associated with client satisfaction (Lagace, et.al., 1991). Also, the research conducted in bank sector by Emari, Iranzadeh and Bakhshayesh (2011) found a significant relationship between perceived quality and client satisfaction, and testing Gronroos three dimensions model – which consists from technical, functional and image, the research revealed that general perceptions of the service quality is influenced by the technical quality, in other words it is influenced by outcomes what one receives (Straiter, 2005). According to above mentioned, service quality evaluated by the client can be considered as related to their satisfaction level. Similarly, when considering the service quality gap between employees and clients, we assume that, service quality gap decreases the level of client satisfaction with the organization. We want to reveal the service quality gap relationship with client satisfaction with intellectual disability care centers: H2a: Higher is the gap in service quality evaluation lower is the relatives’ satisfaction with the organization (fig I). The relationship between service quality and client satisfaction has been reported to be different in terms of strength between industries as well as between contexts (Ame, 2005, 2009; Sureshchandar et.al. 2002). Accordingly, researchers consider that some factors must be responsible in influencing this relationship. These include, but not limited to, the type of industry studied, nature of service, income levels of client, management culture, client social culture, gender, etc, (Ame, 2005). The various empirical findings on studies about service quality and client satisfaction have suggested that relationships on these variables may be moderated by some factors. Client perceived justice is one of the popular factors among researches in the field of service. Liao (2007) confirmed client perceived justice mediation effects on client satisfaction and service recovery performance. Also the study conducted to determine the influence of emotions on justice for client satisfaction conducted by Ellyawati, Purwanto and Dharmmesta (2012) found that clients’ perceived justice impacts on clients’ satisfaction. According to the one of the Justice theories Equity Theory, the inequality can be observed when person perceives that he/she is putting more and is getting less value, and satisfaction much depends on how one perceives the justice, injustice can lead to dissatisfaction and anger (Adams, 1965). Clients’ perceptions of the input and output, and their perception about the fair distribution of resources, information etc. is expected to have a moderator role for their satisfaction. Accordingly we expect that organizational justic e perceived by the relatives of PIDs can moderate the relationship of service quality gap and relatives’ satisfaction with the center: H2b: Relatives perception of organizational justice moderates relationship between service quality gap and relatives satisfaction with the organization (fig I). We discussed the problems of ethic in service quality from the side of the employees and from the side of the client (relatives). However, the situation is getting more complex and critical especially when considering the primary goal of the organization oriented on mental health care: to increase the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities (PIDs). We review this aspect in the next section. PIDs: Quality of Life and Service Quality Evaluation The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Quality of Life (QoL) as â€Å"individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns† (The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment WHOQOL, 1997, p. 1). We can say that QoL exists when one perceives that lives with dignity, feels that dreams and ideas are respected, and is an active handler and responsible of own life (Tamarit, 2002). QoL as usually includes subjective evaluations of positive and negative aspects of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment 1998). Generally it includes health perceptions at physical and mental level and their relations—including conditions, social support, etc. (Kindig, Booske Remington, 2010). Organizations that provide services to people with intellectual disabilities (PIDs) also contribute to developing their QoL (FEAPS, 2010), and are designed to care the QoL of individuals with intellectual disabilities (Martinez-Tur, Peirà ³, Moliner, Potocnik, 2010). These organizations are the basic sources of QoL for people with intellectual disabilities (Moliner, Gracia, Lorente, Martinez-Tur, 2013). Since QoL of PIDs is directly derived from service quality that is provided for them, we suppose that it can be affected by the ethical challenges in services; service provided from professionals includes dilemma: to whom it must be ethical – to PIDs or to relatives? As we mentioned above service quality perceived by relatives and service provided by employees is related to challenges since they have different standards about how service should be provided. Usually for the mental healthcare service organizations a relevant source of information is the relative of the PIDs; QoL of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities can be evaluated from professionals/employees or from relatives. Since information which comes from external subject is more objective it is more relevant to use family member as the main evaluators to assess QoL of PIDs (Moliner, et. al., 2013). When there is a gap in service quality and QoL is evaluated by the relatives we argue that it can have influence on th e level of QoL of PID. Therefore in order to improve quality for future development in mental care related services the assessment of QoL is an important tool (Moliner, et. al., 2013). Our next hypothesis aims to find out this relationship among gap and QoL: H3a: Higher is the gap in service quality evaluation lower is the quality of life of PIDs’ perceived by their relatives (fig I). Any attempt to judge the service quality provided by mental healthcare services would be less complete not considering the experiences of people who use the product and receiving the service. By finding out what service users think, important information can be obtained which can have impact on other factors (National Institute for Health Clinical Excellence, 2012). National Institute for health and care excellence (NICE) claims that past years are characterized with more initiatives highlighting the importance of considering the service user’s experience about the service quality. E.g. Lord Darzi’s report on High Quality Care for All (2008) focuses on the importance of the entire service user experience to ensure that they are in a safe and well-managed environment (Darzi, 2008). To understand how center is operating to deliver high service quality to direct users (PIDs) it is important to understand what users think about their care and treatment. Our last hypothesis stresses on the effect of PIDs perceived service quality that can moderate the service quality gap effect on their QoL: H3b: PIDs’ service quality evaluation moderates the relationship between service quality gap and PIDs’ quality of life perceived by their relatives (fig I). With the almost universal increase the involvement and support for mental healthcare services more concerns are about the responsibility of the agencies and professionals who provide such assistance (Roth, Fonagy, Parry, 1996), the QoL of people with intellectual disabilities becomes a very important question nowadays. Specifically, social, educational and health services are focusing on providing services to people with intellectual disabilities, and establishing this subject as a specific goal of the organizational in order to find new ways of developing a QoL in the future (Schalock Verdugo, 2007). These questions and hypothesis give opportunities to orient organizations’ activities in order to improve the service quality, mental health, satisfaction and QoL at the centers for intellectual disabilities.

Free Euthanasia Essays: Assisted Suicide :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Assisted Suicide To sanction the taking of innocent human life is to contradict a primary purpose of law in an ordered society. A law or court decision allowing assisted suicide would demean the lives of vulnerable patients and expose them to exploitation by those who feel they are better off dead. Such a policy would corrupt the medical profession, whose ethical code calls on physicians to serve life and never to kill. The voiceless or marginalized in our society -- the poor, the frail elderly, racial minorities, millions of people who lack health insurance -- would be the first to feel pressure to die. What about competent, terminally ill people who say they really want assisted suicide? Suicidal wishes among the terminally ill are no less due to treatable depression than the same wishes among the able-bodied. When their pain, depression and other problems are addressed, there is generally no more talk of suicide. If we respond to a death wish in one group of people with counseling and suicide prevention, and respond to the same wish in another group by offering them lethal drugs, we have made our own tragic choice as a society that some people's lives are objectively not worth protecting. How does cost enter into this issue? In an era of cost control and managed care, patients with lingering illnesses may be branded an economic liability, and decisions to encourage death can be driven by cost. As Acting U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger warned in urging the Supreme Court to uphold laws against assisted suicide: "The least costly treatment for any illness is lethal medication." Why are people with disabilities worried about assisted suicide? Â  Many people with disabilities have long experience with prejudicial attitudes on the part of able-bodied people, including physicians, who say they would "rather be dead than disabled." Such prejudices could easily lead families, physicians and society to encourage death for people who are depressed and emotionally vulnerable as they adjust to life with a serious illness or disability. To speak here of a "free choice" for suicide is a dangerously misguided abstraction. What is the view of the medical profession? The American Medical Association holds that "physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer." The AMA, along with the American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Association and dozens of other medical groups, has urged the Supreme Court to uphold laws against assisted suicide, arguing that the power to assist in taking patients' lives is "a power that most health care professionals do not want and could not control.

Religious Beliefs in Aeschylus Oresteia, Homer’s Iliad, and Sophocles’

Religious Beliefs in Aeschylus' Oresteia, Homer’s Iliad, and Sophocles’ Electra The final and definitive defeat of the Persian army at the battle of Plataea represented the end of an age-long threat to Athens. But the victory was also a miracle, as all the odds were against the Athenians at the onset of the war. While Pericles took charge of Athens after the war and started the advance of democracy, religion also thrived. The rebuilding of the Acropolis and the construction of the Parthenon and its great statue of Athene under Pericles' rule signified the height of religious belief among Athenians. However, the shift in power from the aristocrats to the common men in the new democracy, and the Peloponnesian War and Great Plague that followed the shift, all contributed to a general decline in religious belief. Only a few decades after reaching its peak, it reached an all-time low. This change in attitude among Athenians can be observed by comparing the works of two tragedians, Aeschylus and Sophocles, whose plays were performed in each of these two periods. But e ven with this dramatic shift, it is clear that Athenians remained believers throughout these periods, because religion was, and always has been, a huge part of their culture. The religious view of Athenians before the Peloponnesian War can be best demonstrated by the portrayal of interaction between men and Gods in Aeschylus’ work, The Eumenides. From the first scene, when â€Å"The doors of the temple open and show Orestes surrounded by the sleeping Furies, Apollo and Hermes beside him† (Aeschylus, 137), one can see that in Aeschylus’ eyes, Gods and Goddesses are not something distant and unreachable, but instead, they are â€Å"real† figures who will at times stand by our s... ...ardless of how "good" or "bad" they were, and despite constant worship the Gods did not intervene. Having witnessed such horrors, it is understandable that people of those times, such as Sophocles, would have taken a step back and wondered if the Gods were actually there. Having gone through a period as such, it is only natural for even the most faithful to doubt a little, which was evident from the absence of interaction between Gods and men in Sophocles’ work, Electra. However, it is clear as had been previously pointed out, that while belief in the literal truth of the myths was suppressed, the Gods did live on in the hearts of the Athenians. Works Cited Aeschylus. â€Å"Aeschylus I / Oresteia†. The University of Chicago Press, 1983: 131 – 171. Homer. â€Å"The Iliad†. Penguin Books, 1998: 128 - 143 Sophocles. â€Å"Electra†. Oxford University Press, 2001: 50 – 111