Essay on Protecting Miles and Flora in The Turn of the Screw

Protecting Miles and Flora in The Turn of the Screw â€Å"I saw my service so strongly and simply. I was there to protect and defend the little creatures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The governess sees it as her duty to protect Miles and Flora. What do they need protection from and how does Henry James illustrate this in his novel â€Å"The Turn of the Screw†? Henry James’s ‘Turn of the Screw’ can be interpreted in many different ways. He constructed his novel in order to make allusions to sexual topics, (without stating anything explicitly) madness, ghosts and the Victorian society. In this essay I will be analysing each of the above in order to make a conclusion as to what I think the children need protecting from. As for the ghosts being present or not,†¦show more content†¦But either way I don’t believe the governess saw the ghosts based on two main factors; first being, her vague description of Miss Jessel, and secondly, the fact Mrs Grose never saw either of the ghosts. I think the children need protection from the governess and her imagination. The governess comes across to have an unbalanced behaviour which doesn’t go well with the children. I also think madness links into the fact the governess is hallucinating. I believe the hallucinations have lead the governess to get carried away, which slowly turned her insane and made her very over-protective towards the children. The more the governess hallucinates the more insane she is going to get, which is not going to protect the children in anyway as she would be trying to sort out her imagination. The governess is only a child herself, having to cope with two other children alone maybe a bit to much too handle, so having this other pressure (the hallucinations) to cope with might just leave her to break down mentally. In the turn of the screw, Henry James never identifies who is to blame for the chaos at Bly. The interpretation bought about by the Victorian society is that the master is to blame. By neglecting his responsibility to provide a stabilizing environment at Bly, he allowed everything to breakdown into chaos:Show MoreRelatedThe Turn of the Screw1300 Words   |  6 Pages Henry James novel The Turn of the Screw is twofold. In the first chapter, the story begins at a Christmas party where guests hear the governess tale of fright and fight. This story is referred to as â€Å"two turns† of the screw by an anonymous guest at the Christmas party because the reader asks if they want to hear a story about two children instead of only one (3). In the governess account, it tells about her duty as caretaker of two wealthy children, Flora and Miles, who live at Bly, a large estateRead More Downfall of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James1274 Words   |  6 PagesDownfall of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James In the governesss insane pseudo-reality and through her chilling behavior, she managed to bring downfall to Flora and Miles, the children of Bly. With compulsively obsessive actions, irrational assumptions, and demented hallucinations, the governess perceived ghosts bearing evil intentions were attempting to corrupt and destroy the children she had taken the role of care for. In reality, the governess herself brought tragedyRead MoreThe Nameless Governess in The Turn of the Screw: Hero or Villain?1181 Words   |  5 Pagesface value. Taken with no thought of deception and that ghosts are real and the Governess’ is attempting to protect Miles, not harm him. Also from a psychological or Freudian perspective indicating she was mentally disturbed and kills Miles. Whether the Governess was simply a confused youth, thrust into a position beyond her ability and is further saddled with the tasks of protecting her two charges with ghosts or a manipulative shrew who means noth ing but harm to those around her because her mentalRead More Archetype Myths in Turn of the Screw Essay1119 Words   |  5 PagesArchetype Myths in Turn of the Screw In one surface reading of Henry James’s Turn of the Screw, the governess appears to be a victim of circumstance. Some critics however, say that she is not without blame in the turn of events that characterizes the story. They claim that leading to her demise are certain character flaws, such as envy and pride. In categorizing her character as such, this novella resonates several themes found throughout literature. In Northrop Frye’s essay The ArchetypesRead MoreSexual Repression in Turn of the Screw Essay975 Words   |  4 Pages people took anything not specified in sexual connotations. Realizing this, the authors of the time used this to their advantage and laid a heavy underlying sexual atmosphere as a basis for their stories. Henry James does just that in his Turn of the Screw. Though never directly stating so, his main character suffers from sexual repression that came along with her position in the Victorian age and eventually acts upon it, while the ghos ts in the story then serve as protection for the childrenRead More A Nineteenth Century Ghost Story in The Turn of The Screw by Henry James5496 Words   |  22 PagesA Nineteenth Century Ghost Story in The Turn of The Screw by Henry James The Turn of The Screw is a classic Gothic ghost novella with a wicket twist set in a grand old house at Bly. The story is ambiguous; we never fully know whether the apparitions exist or not and we are left with many more questions than answers. The Governess is left in charge of two young children, Miles and Flora, of whom she later becomes obsessed with, describing them as angelic. She hasRead MoreEnn315-Turn of the Screw2040 Words   |  9 Pages‘The Turn of the Screw is essentially an ambivalent text. Its narrative prompts divergent, even opposite readings, but does not reconcile them. What happens remains irrevocably uncertain’ James uses the prologue to the novel to introduce the themes with in this Novella but more importantly he encourages the readers to be active in reading between the lines , and not to accept what is said at face value , James achieves this by surrounding Douglass with a group of people who are clearly andRead MoreEnn315-Turn of the Screw2028 Words   |  9 Pages‘The Turn of the Screw is essentially an ambivalent text. Its narrative prompts divergent, even opposite readings, but does not reconcile them. What happens remains irrevocably uncertain’ James uses the prologue to the novel to introduce the themes with in this Novella but more importantly he encourages the readers to be active in reading between the lines , and not to accept what is said at face value , James achieves this by surrounding Douglass with a group of people who are clearly and intentlyRead MoreAmbiguities In Henry Jamess The Turn Of The Screw1383 Words   |  6 PagesHenry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw is famous for presenting various ambiguities about people, ghost, and scenes that can be interpreted in multiple ways. These ambiguities have sparked discussion on the various interpretations for over a hundred years. James presents the events through the Governess’ ambiguous narration, which means that we can only infer what the experience felt like from the children’s perspective. The Governess’ inconclusive narration contributes to the possibility thatRead MoreA Psychological Point Of View The Appearance Of The Apparitions963 Words   |  4 Pagesworking for the aristocratic Master of Blye, looking after young Flora and Miles. In the time period that the story takes place a young woman, unmarried, without children, by the age of twenty is frowned upon and unnatural. Without even getting to know the children she considers them her own, â€Å"my little girl.† (James 15) She has consciously taken on the role of these children’s mother, with that comes the responsibility of protecting them and making sure that they no harm comes to them, â€Å"I was there

Criminology - 995 Words

Organized Crime By Rita Goforth July 22, 2013 CJA/384 Criminal Organizations Instructor Jack Tandy When I think about organized crime and its very definition I immediately think of is the Italian Mafia, which has been portrayed in various articles, news casts, and historical culture and let’s not forget the many movies that have been made. This alone does not define what organized crime group are though I’m sure at one time it was the primary indicator for organized crime. Yet today this is not true at all and it would take multiple text books and research to explain it all because these groups have expanded so much. As defined by (Jay S. Albanese) organized crime functions as a continuing enterprise that rationally works to†¦show more content†¦To say the least would be to say that these groups are not defined to any race or sexual orientation (Jay S. Albanese). Though these criminal groups are no longer made up of only a couple of different races, they tend to still keep the â€Å"mob† mentality, meaning they still handle things outside of the law in many ways as well. Often when a member of one of these groups is harmed by another person or member of another group it can start a war between the groups, or even cause that single person to be harmed or even killed. These groups do not take matters to the police but take matters in to their own hands and this is where the â€Å"mob mentality† comes in to play. These actions also take place within a group itself; for example, say one person is caught stealing money because he or she believes they are owed more by their â€Å"boss†. This person is likely to be killed for this act in order to make an example so that the chain of command and order stays intact, this is another way they use intimidation to control the outcome of any situation (Senator Estes Kefauver, 1961). Like I mentioned before with today’s technology it makes it possible for many organized crime groups to communicate with one another without ever knowing the name of the other person, this also allows them to be able to keep secure and not risk the threat of exposure.Show MoreRelatedCriminology1427 Words   |  6 Pages(Siegal, 2010) (McLaughlin amp; Muncie, 2005) Criminology 211 Essay This essay topic consists of two main components. The first requires you to demonstrate your knowledge of and a familiarity with the theory/perspective and the second requires you to demonstrate an understanding of its application (in either policy or practice) and the impact of its application. i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Briefly identify the main features and concepts of radical criminology. ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critically discuss theRead MoreCriminology And Sociology : Criminology1296 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of Criminology and Sociology: Criminology is concerned with examining the complex issues of crime and criminality to find its underlying causes. To do this criminology primarily aims to achieve answers as to why crime occurs; who is committing said crimes and how society as a whole will respond to crime with regards to policy changes and its place in the media (Australian Institute of Criminology: 2015). Sociology is the scientific study of human social interactions in a societal contextRead MoreFunctionalist Criminology And Positivist Criminology Essay1525 Words   |  7 Pagesrational act and liberty. This method was industrialized between the 18th and 19th Century, it was created in order to process the criminal justice system and make sure everyone was treated equally (Classical Criminology is connected with Cesare Bonesana , Marchese de Beccaria). Positivism Criminology Is a an theory that is established by the concept of scientific understanding of law-breaking and criminality of people ,the key perception is to assess how behaviour is stubborn. There are also two typesRead MoreCrime And Crime : Criminology And Criminology1211 Words   |  5 Pages Crime choice theory, often referred to as environmental criminology or ecological criminology, is a branch of criminology that was supposedly started by the classical school’s Cesare Beccaria. As with many theories, it has e volved with time, but the basics of it have stayed much the same throughout time. Crime choice theory can relate through other theories such as; routine activity theory, environmental criminology, situational crime prevention and crime prevention through environmental designRead MoreThe Role Of Criminology And The Future Of Criminology1583 Words   |  7 Pagesintegration important for the future of criminology due to the flourishment of crimes in society. Researchers have begun to study crime and the punishments associated with specific crimes that do not include trust crimes such as fraud, workplace theft or income tax invasion. However, they are studying an array of criminal behaviors that involve illicit and illegal behaviors in an effort to establish how important integrated theory will affect the future of criminology. First, integrated theory must connectRead MoreCriminology And The Modern School Of Criminology1549 Words   |  7 Pagescauses, control, management, and conse quences of criminal behavior in an individual or the community is called criminology. Social philosophers coined the term criminology in the 18th century as they examined crime and the concept of law. Criminology regards crime as a social behavior and covers the making and breaking of laws, as well as the punitive actions for breaking the law. Criminology encompasses the creation of a set of general and verified principles regarding the knowledge of the law, crimeRead MoreClassical Criminology And Modern Criminology1412 Words   |  6 PagesClassical criminology is â€Å"usually seen as the first ‘real’ criminology† (Tierney,2009), due to its emergence in the eighteenth century, heralded by scholars Jeremey Bentham and Cesare de Beccaria. It is centred on the ‘act’ rather than the ‘offender’, as well as the use of punishment as a deterrence. Yet whilst classical criminology has evolved slightly over time, it’s narrow minded f ocus on the ‘offence’ rather than the ‘offender’ can result in the overlooking of crucial details that may haveRead MoreCriminology Courses : Criminology Course906 Words   |  4 PagesI enrolled in the Introduction to Criminology course to help improve my understanding of criminology. We are about a month into the course and I have learned a great deal about criminology. Firstly, I had some preconceptions related to criminology that have changed. I developed these preconceptions towards criminology as I grew up through various forms of my interaction with media, family, and friends. Secondly, I have learned that statistics don’t represent crime realistically, which causes someRead MoreDisorganization Theory Of Criminology And Criminology Essay1789 Words   |  8 PagesDisorganization theory of criminology Name Institution Disorganization theory of criminology Borski, J., and Harold. (1995). Social disorganization theory: influence of society and environment to crime: New York: Lexington. The two researchers use data from the Lexington library to determine how the environment people live in can influence their behaviors. It means that the social organization theory focuses on the effect of society towards crime. When a society or the people in it do not holdRead MoreCriminology : Life Course Criminology1817 Words   |  8 PagesLIFE COURSE CRIMINOLOGY ESSAY- 2000 WORDS MAY 2nd 2017 Life-course criminology is the focus on changes in offending and problem behaviours over the course of a person’s lifetime, often with three descriptions; developmental criminology, age related criminology and life course criminology, this is because although there are variations of the same general ideas, there are subtle differences. Developmental and life course criminology have many similar characteristics, however, they do also differ

Jwellery Industry in India Free Essays

string(28) " from parents to daughters\." THE JEWEL INDUSTRY OF INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GITANJALI INTRODUCTION INDIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY India is a leading player in the global gems and jewellery market. The gems and jewellery industry occupies an important position in the Indian economy. It is a leading foreign exchange earner, as well as one of the fastest growing industries in the country. We will write a custom essay sample on Jwellery Industry in India or any similar topic only for you Order Now The two major segments of the sector in India are gold jewellery and diamonds. Gold jewellery forms around 80 per cent of the Indian jewellery market, with the balance comprising fabricated studded jewellery that includes diamond studded as well as gemstone studded jewellery. The Indian gems and jewellery industry is competitive in the world market due to its low cost of production and the availability of skilled labour. In addition, the industry has set up a worldwide distribution network, of more than 3,000offices for the promotion and marketing of Indian diamonds. The sector is expected to register a compound annual growth of (CAGR) of 13% during 2011-13, according to a report â€Å"Indian Gems and Jwellery Market Forecast 2013†. (By research firm RNCOS). MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCE MODEL FOR JEWELLERY INDUSTRY INTER- FIRM RIVALRY- HIGH There are two types of rivalry. 1) Inside India (2) Outside India. †¢Large presence of unorganized sector. 0. 2 Million Gold jewellers and over 8,000 Diamond jewellers †¢International rivals Such as, China †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. Russia. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS – MEDIUM In jewellery industry the suppliers are S. A. , UAE, Australia, US, Congo, Botswana, Russia, DTC. †¢Few Alternatives of cutting polishing. †¢Skilled labour †¢Bargaining power of India is enhanced because India is largest consumer of gold jewellery. BARGAING POWER OF BUYERS- LOW Divided in two types 1. Domestic buyers . Foreign buyers †¢As investment (Demand increase) †¢Bargaining power of Indian exporter is high because Majority of the world’s rough diamond production is cut and polished in India THREAT OF SUBSITUTES- LOW Substitutes are Real assets, Stock market, ; Bank deposits ; Mutual fund investment and other types of jewellery like imitation Jewellery, bagasra jewellery, stone jewellery etc. †¢Second preferred investment behind bank deposits †¢Status and standard of living increase so demand is increasing at High rate BARRIERS TO ENTRY- LOW TO MEDIUM * Low capital requirement Government subsidy * EXIM policy ; government’s rules ; regulations are high * Skilled manpower is essential * Advanced technology required. GIT ANJALI | | | | | Vision To emerge as a jeweller of choice, in terms of quality, style and surpass all levels of customer satisfaction. Mission To assimilate the expertise of trained personnel and state-of the art machinery, so as to nothing, but the best. Values Are Integrity, Solidarity, Credibility and Perfection. The Gitanjali Group which was established in 1966, and is one of the earliest diamond houses in India. By 1968, it was accorded a ‘Sight† by the Diamond Trading Company Ltd. London and Gitanjali became one of the first Sight holders in India. It has received over 50 National and Council awards from the Ministry of Commerce for outstanding exports. It is one of the leading diamond exporting companies in India. Presently, Gitanjali Group has highly modernized diamond cutting and polishing facilities in India. The group strengthens its core business of loose diamonds with international association. Internationally, business patterns of the diamond industry. The Group has positioned itself to manufacture and promote diamonds as well as studded jewellery right up to the retail level. Gitanjali Group one of the leading integrated diamond ; Jewellery manufactures ; Retailers in India with turnover of Rs 3467 Cores. The Company has strong brands such as: * ASMI Asmi was launched in 2002 by the Diamond Trading Corporation. All the years the brand has been endorsed by various actresses such as Kajol, Parizad Zorabian ; Mandira Bedi. All these women epitomize the different strengths that an Asmi woman is identified with fire – spirited, goal oriented ; with an inner fire. NAKSHATRA Nakshatra is one of India’s most reputed diamond jewellery brands, achieving an iconic status within three years of its launch in 2000. Today, it is a leading diamond jewellery brand, patronized by women of fashion in almost all segments of society. * SANGINI Sangini is a high profile brand launched by the Diamond Trading Company, and Spectrum Jewellery , a joint venture between the Gitanjali Group and Sanghavi Exports, promotes the brand in India. * DIYA DIYA is the distilled essence of the Gitanjali Group’s four-decade long engagement with jewellery. It is the first B2B diamond jewellery brand for manufacturers and the trade. It offers exquisite designs, selected after a rigorous India-wide survey of 6,300 women – some of which are already acknowledged classics. * BEZEL Bezel is a watch store from the stable of the Gitanjali group products includes watches and writing instruments. Brand mix will include GLL brands ; brands from outside. * WORLD OF SILVER It has been conceptualized for offering silver gifts in various product categories like Home decor, Office Utility, Bar Sets, Table ware, Devotional Collections and Artefacts. It range of International Brands , Greggio from Italy and Frazer ; Haws from UK, offering best of the brand value and perceived value   while making gifting a lifestyle statement. It caters to the high end, up market ; value conscious niche cliental. * GILI Gili’s brand identity is to ‘Embrace the Gili way of easy elegance’. The Brand characteristics are Stylish, Contemporary, Extrovert, Enthusiastic and Self-made. And its Design concept is easy to wear, highly contemporary and trendy designs * D’DAMAS D’damas India Jewellery is a joint venture between Gitanjali Group and Dubai-based Damas based in  Mumbai. It has a presence in 159 towns and cities across  India. It main area of business is manufacturing and marketing of gold, diamond, silver, platinum branded jewellery’s in  India. It has six sub brands – Lamhe, Glitterati, Vivaaha, DER, Solitaire and Saumya. It is also only international brand in  India. D’Damas India also used as manufacturing base and will export jewelleries to markets like Saudi Arabia, Japan, US and Europe markets. * MAYA GOLD MAYA is the brand from the Gitanjali Gold Collection specifically aimed at the Indian wedding market and similar festivities and traditional occasions for gift-giving, especially from parents to daughters. You read "Jwellery Industry in India" in category "Papers" Lucera, Calgaro, Rivaaz, Kashvi, Stefan Hafner, Ezee Diamonds, Aakanksha, Rosato, Shuddhi, Parineeta, Sagaee and Menz are some other brands which sell its products in India through its vast network of 1,250 outlets including outlets in host stores. In fact, five of the top six brands in the Indian market are owned or managed by Gitanjali. These brands manifest the significance of the group in the Indian Jewellery retailing market. Additionally, the Company operates 143 retail Jewellery stores located across the United States through the acquisitions of Samuel Jewellers and Roger Jewellers. Activities undertaken by Gitanjali:- * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local International Markets) * Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery OBJECTIVES * The main objective of this term paper is to understand the value chain and its strategic distribution presence of GITANJALI in India. * To conduct a market survey in order to know the 1) Consumer perception about jewellery. 2) Brand awareness of various brands in jewellery market. 3) Parameters which the consumer considers while buying jewellery. * To critically examine the company and the environment by conducting the SWOT and PORTER’S 5 FORCE ANALYSIS. * To analyze and evaluate the financial performance of GITANJALI over the years. To highlight the CSR initiatives and the CORPORATE GOVERNANCE taken up by GITANJALI to uplift the society. * To study about the aggressive retail strategy and its growing focus on International and Domestic Reatail. SWOT ANALYSIS OF GITANJALI STRENGHTS †¢Large integrated diamond jewellery player and having an international presence. †¢Pioneers of branded jewellery in India. †¢Strong marketing distribution network. Str ong retail presence in India and in U. S. 112 distributors and 1246 outlets in India and 143 outlets in U. S. Strong brand equity and broad product range Such as, Gili, Asmi, Nakshatra, Sangini, D’damas, Vivaaha, Maya, Giantti, Desire, Samuels etc. †¢Visionary leadership (Acquiring Nakshatra, Samuels, Rogers etc. ) †¢Expanding manufacturing capabilities in Mumbai and at special economic zone in Surat to address increasing demand. †¢Net Worth is 3,460. 37 million Rs. So we can say that it is financially very strong company. †¢Sight holder status with DTC through a promoter group company. †¢Highly skilled, qualified and motivated employee. WEAKNESSES †¢There may be conflicts of interest between them and certain of their Promoter group companies. As the major raw material requirements need to be imported, companies normally stock huge quantities of inventory resulting high inventory carrying costs. †¢Technology is less improved compared to Chin a and Thailand’s company. OPPORTUNITIES †¢New markets in Europe Latin America. †¢Growing demand in South Asian Far East countries. †¢Industry moving from a phase of consolidation. †¢Expansion possibilities in lifestyle and luxury products in India like watches, leather goods, Platinum jewellery because increasing disposable income of people. THREATS †¢International Competition:-China, Sri Lanka and Thailand’s entry in small diamond jewellery. †¢Increase in the price of Gold Diamonds. †¢Other local competitors. According to the data 97% jewellery sales are by family jewellers. †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. Russia. VALUE CHAIN OF GITANJALI * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local International Markets) Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery DISTRIBUTION AND RETAIL STRATEGY OF GITANJALI GITANJALI RETAIL BUSINESS * Gitanjali has strong retail presence in the world’s largest markets for jewellery. Retail business is a major Contributor in Gitanjali’s revenue. Gitanjali has over 2000 plus retail outlet across India and in the process of expansion in tier II and III cities to cater to new segment of the custom er. * USA is a largest jewellery consuming country and 45% of worldwide diamond jewellery sales are made in the United States. In FY 2007-08, Gitanjali made a strategic acquisition in USA, including Samuels and Rogers, and now has about 137 stores in Centre and across USA, being expanded to 200 stores in the near future. * Samuels and Rogers of Gitanjali are the 8th largest branded jewellery retail chain in US. * Gitanjali’s integrated supply chain business model has given an advantage to survive and post profit despite of US recession. * Gitanjali retail business has spread through all channels and in all geographies, across all the market segments * Net Profit has gone up because of shift in market from wholesale to retail. | | * | RETAIL EXPANSION STRATEGY IN INDIA * The Changing Socio – economic factors in India created a clear opportunity in Lifestyle and Luxury markets in India. These changes in retail environment have created opportunity for establishment of modern retail formats. Keeping this in view Gitanjali has embarked on an aggressive domestic retail expansion plan. * Gitanjaliâ₠¬â„¢s strategy is to increase the market share of various brands and its positioning in the market. Strategy is to generate demand for branded diamond jewellery in the future. Flagship product brands of the company are able to convert themselves into retail brands. * The group has introduced many promising brands to its bouquet. The new collection includes World of Solitaire, World of Silver, ME Solitaire, Maya, Gitanjali Menz, Maya Bridal, Bezel and many more. | * Gitanjali notable innovation has been its dramatic breakthrough from the confines of traditional distribution of jewellery and launching of mass distribution through variety of channels. By passing the old world of neighborhoods proprietary jewellery stores, it brought its new world branded jewellery into the world of super stores and department stores, dedicated jewellery marts and chain stores supported by international certifications of scientifically tested purity and authenticity. * Gitanjali is even marketing its br anded jewellery directly by mail order catalogue Gitanjali placed its jewellery brands right into the context of the new consumer’s shopping environment of new and global branded personal goods and accessories. Gitanjali supported its brand with high-visibility positional branding in both mass and local up-market media. With this multi – tiered mobilization of formats, Gitanjali is well placed to advance and realize its vision of global leadership. GITANJALI FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE The Company is making conscientious efforts in addressing the large market opportunities that exist in the Diamond Segment both in India and abroad. India, China, Israel and Belgium are the leading players in the diamond cutting and polishing industry. India accounts for 60% of the global polished diamonds in value terms, 80% in caratage and 90% in pieces. TURNOVERS PROFITS During the end of the financial year March 31, 2009 the sales and other income increased from 26,549. 08 Million to Rs. 26,940. 64 Million. The net profit before tax stood at Rs. 1,307. 20 million as against Rs. 1,486. 75 million in the previous year. The net profit after tax stood at Rs. 1,267. 69 million as against Rs. 1,381. 55 million in the previous year. FINANCIAL REVIEW Gitanjali Gems consolidated results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2009 include business and operations of the various subsidiaries/joint ventures. The company has achieved overall sales growth for the year ended March 31, 2009 of about 5% compared to last year. The gross revenue from diamond segment has decreased by 10% whereas the gross revenue from jewellery segment has substantially increased by 24% and thus the ratio of diamond and jewellery in the sales mix accordingly has improved more favourably towards jewellery from 55:45 last year to 47:53 for the year ended March 31, 2009. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2010| * | * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by 60% to 1,098 cr. in FY10| * | * EBIDTA gone up by 44% to 102 cr. in FY10| * | * Operating Profit registered a growth of 51%, stood at 91 cr. | * | * PAT of FY10 stood at 41 cr. registering an increase of 39%| * | * Gems and Jewellery Sales volume grown to 1812 cr. reported a growth of 63%| NINE MONTHS FY10 vs. NINE MON THS  FY09 * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by  43%  to  Rs. 2703 cr. as compared to  Rs. 892 cr. in nine months period FY09 * EBIDTA gone up by  37%  to  Rs. 307 cr. from  Rs. 223 cr. in nine months period FY09 * PAT of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 139 cr. as compared to Rs 120 cr. in nine months period FY09 registering an increase of  16% * Operating Profit of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 283 cr. as compared to  Rs 201 cr. in nine months period FY09, registering an increase of  41% GITANJALI CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY (CSR) INITIATIVES AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HUMAN RESOURCES The Company believes investing in people through creating an environment where people are valued as individuals and are given equal opportunities for achieving professional and personal goals. The Company’s focus on development of Special Economic Zones includes huge employment opportunities and the Company already initiated through setting up training centre in SEZ Hyderabad which has a capacity to train more than 1,500 workers in diamond and jewellery manufacturing. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Company’s philosophy of Corporate Governance is based on preserving core values and ethical business conduct, commitment to maximize shareholder alue on a continuous basis while looking after the welfare of all the stakeholders which is primary responsibility of the Board of Directors, Management and employees. The Compliance of clause 49 of the listing agreement has undoubtedly raised the standard of Corporate Governance in India. However, regulatory directives and enforcement wil l not be sufficient to create a best in class transparent organisation. The corporate governance philosophy is based on the following principles: * Satisfy the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law. Be transparent and maintain a high degree of disclosure levels. * Continuously innovate and adapt the Corporate Governance * Practices so as to meet new demands and tap new opportunities. * Comply with the laws in all the countries in which we operate. * Management is the trustee of the shareholders’ capital and not the owner. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The CSR initiative under the name Sambhav brings together the different social programs that Gitanjali has been associated with over the years. These are programs in the fields of education, health, providing employment to PWDs. It focuses on integrating all of them and other different initiatives like Saksham, Saakshar, Sujyot and Sneh. The focus will be both on strengthening the existing programs as well as developing new ones too. It further aims to take this CSR initiative to new heights and is in the process of channelizing all their strengths and efforts to form a strong CSR team within the company to encourage and promote a wide range of social welfare activities internally or in partnering with other NGOs and government bodies. SOME ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY GITANJALI Rose day celebration for cancer patients | Gitanjali Gems Limited supported Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA)   in its celebration of  The rose day  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a  day to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. CPAA reaches out to cancer patients through medicines, counselling, research and rehabilitation. | | * Special rakhies by special children Gitanjali gems continues to support to ADAPT (spastic society) by orga nizing a sale booth of their products at Gitanjali gems Marol office  on 11th Aug 2011,  on the eve of Rakshabandhan. We repeated the achievements of last year by motivating and appreciating the efforts of these specially abled children by having sale of products close to  Rs 10000/-. The staff was extremely enthusiastic and extended their support through 100% participation. * Presentation on ‘Diabetes awareness and healthy life style’ Today Diabetes is one of the fastest growing lifestyle disease, with Indians   being the largest population affected by it. A presentation on diabetes awareness and healthy life style was organized on 25th July 2011 at  Transmission house ,Marol , for the benefit of the employees . It indicated the causes , symptoms ,prevention and cure for diabetes. A full house attendance showed the concern most of us have about this booming disease. | * Lecture on ‘The damaging effects of tobacco’ at Gemplus| | | As a part of SAMBHAV , CSR initiative ,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Damaging Effects of Tobacco† were highlighted at a presentation made under the Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) program of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) for the staff and workers of   Gem plus ,Gitanjali Gems, Mumbai   on 11th June 2011 by Miss. Tejal Rajgor. Tobacco leads to heart and blood vessel disease, heart attack, chest pain, sudden cardiac death, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (Gangrene of legs) plus it is also   responsible for cancer of various parts of the body like mouth, throat, lungs, stomach, kidney, bladder etc. Gitanjali Gem’s staff members felt that there was an urgent need for more prohibition of tobacco usage and this won’t happen until there is a public outcry, so meetings like these are designed to generate awareness in the hope of making the come community forward to request change. How to cite Jwellery Industry in India, Papers

The role of the Directors and ASIC-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Disucss about the Compnay's Insovency and also the role of the Directors and ASIC. Answer: Introduction: Legal definition of insolvency states that company is considered insolvent, when total of the liabilities of the company exceeds the total of the assets of the company. According to section 95A of the Corporation Act 2001, person or organization is solvent if it is possible for that person to pay all the debts at the time when they become due and payable, and person or organization is insolvent if they are not solvent (Corporation Act, 2001). This paper contains detailed discussion on companys insolvency, and also the role of the directors and ASIC in insolvency process. In this statistics related to insolvency of the Australian companies is stated and observance in this context. Subsequently, this paper states the conclusion. Discussion: As stated above, insolvency is the situation when organization is not able to pay its debts and assets of the organization are not enough to pay its liabilities. This can be understood through case law Bell Group Ltd (in liquidation) v Westpac Banking Corporation Others. In this case, court held that primary method for determining the solvency of the organization is the determination of the companys asset and liabilities. Following are some important aspects of insolvency: Signs which reflect companys insolvency: ASIC issues regulatory guide 217 in 2010, which named as Duty to Prevent Insolvent Trading: Guide for Directors. As per this guide following are some signs of the company insolvency which must be determined by the directors of the company at former stage: Company incurred loss in trading, and also face issues related to cash flow. It becomes difficult for the organization to sell their stock or raising funds. With the current financier, organization is negotiating the new limit. Legal actions against the company are commenced by the creditors and other stakeholders of the company. Reasonable measures considered by Board of directors: Directors of the company are under obligation to ensure that reasonable measures have been taken if any above stated sign reflect the insolvency. Some of these measures are stated below: Any further debt must not be incurred by the directors of the company unless any chances of restructuring and refinancing of the business occurred, and funding in the form of the equity is available for recapitalizing the business operations. Directors of the company must appoint voluntary liquidators and administrators. Directors are under obligation to ensure that interest of the creditors and other stakeholders of the company are protected in case company become insolvent or there is any risk related to insolvency. Directors must not engage in any trading with outsiders, if company becomes insolvent or there is any risk related to insolvency. Directors liability in case of insolvency: Various duties are imposed on directors in case company becomes insolvent, such as duty to prevent any trading in the company when company becomes insolvent. This duty is imposed by Section 588G of the corporation Act 2001. As per this section, directors of the company are under obligation to prevent the insolvent trading, and this section is applicable on the directors of the company and on those also who were only acting as the director of the company but in actual they are not appointed as director of the company. This can be understood through case law Hawkins v Bank of China. In this case, Court stated that the list of deemed debts and specified the situation when they occurred. Section 588G further stated that duty is imposed on director of the company from preventing the company to incurred further debt in case: Organization is insolvent at that time when debt is incurred. There is risk of insolvency on organization, if organization incurred that debt or series of debts which includes that debt also. Sufficient grounds are present which reflect the insolvency of the company in case debt is incurred by the company. This can be understood through case law Kenna Brown Pty Ltd v Kenna. In this case Court stated that objective assessment must be conducted by the directors for determining the insolvency. Contravention under this section is divided into two categories that are: In case directors of the company fail to compile section 588G which means director, fails to prevent the debt incurred by the company in that situation also when sufficient grounds are present and reflect that there is risk of insolvency, then such directors are liable under civil provision. Directors of the company held liable under criminal provisions if director fails to prevent the company from incurring debt because of any dishonest reason, and sufficient grounds are present which clearly reflect that company is already insolvent or becomes insolvent (Corporation Act, 2001). In case a director of the company fails to compile with Section 588G then following are the consequences of such failure (AICD, n.d.): Compensation order can be passed by the Court, and this order states that director is held liable towards the company at personal level to pay the compensation, and amount of compensation is the amount of loss suffered by the company (Section 588J and 1317H). Section 1317G states that pecuniary order can be passed by the Court and such order includes the amount up to $200000. This can be understood through case law ASIC v Plymin (No 1). Disqualification order under section 206 of the Act can be passed by the Court, and as per this order director of the company is disqualified to manage the company. If director of the company is held liable under criminal provisions then Court can order fine up to 2,000 penalty units or imprisonment for five years (Corporation Act, 2001). Alternative ways: In case reasonable grounds are present which reflects the risk of insolvency then directors can choose different ways and some of these ways are stated below: Professional advice can be sought by the directors of the company. Invitation can be send to the secured creditors of the company for the purpose of appointing receiver. It is the duty of director to cease the trading, and prevent the company in incurring further debt. Administrator can be appointed by the board under section 436A of the Act (Corporation Act, 2001). Difference between voluntary and involuntary intervention: Voluntary intervention is the method through which company can goes under reorganization. As per this method, external administrator is appointed by the directors and secured creditors of the company. Administrator appointed under this method is known as voluntary administrator. Voluntary administrator conduct investigation related to the affairs of the company and after this investigation he/she will send report to the creditors. This report states the clear views of the administrator on matter whether creditors choose deed of the company arrangement, liquidation, and returned the company to the directors. Voluntary administrator was appointed by the director when directors have sufficient ground to believe that there was risk of insolvency or company was already insolvent. Involuntary intervention is the method under which charge holder, liquidator, or provisional liquidator appoints the administrator. The main difference between two methods is stated below: Under voluntary administrator directors of the company are allowed to exercise similar control, but in involuntary method there is no control exercised by the directors of the company. Voluntary administration provides option to the company to restructure their business, but involuntary administration is considered as the level when there is no hope of business restructuring (Quilan, 2005). Other option: Members winding up is the option available to the company in case company does not want to choose the creditors winding up option. As per this option, special resolution is passed by the members of the company for the purpose of appointing the liquidator (ASIC, n.d.). Section 495 of the Act states that, company appointed liquidator by passing special resolution in the general meeting. Liquidator is appointed for winding up all the operations and affairs of the company and to discharge all the liabilities of the company. Section 495 of the Act further states that if any vacancy occurred in the office of the liquidator because of the death, resignation, and any other matter then members reappoint the liquidator in the general meeting for the purpose of filling the vacancy. For this section general meeting is held by the contributory or in case there are two or more liquidators then by those liquidators (Corporation Act, 2001). Insolvency Statistics in Australia: ASIC issued statistics of the last quarter of the 2016/17, and it states the increased % of the companies which opt for external administration and that increase is up to 28%. Results also show number of States in which liquidation % is increased such as in Western Australia up to 127.9%, Victoria up to 34.7% and New South Wales up to 13.1%, , and on national level it increased up to 25%. Percentage related to those companies under which administrator are appointed by the directors of the company is increase up to 35.9%, but in Victoria this rate is goes up to 57.8%, Queensland up to 28.6% and New South Wales up to 14.4% (ASIC, n.d.). Insolvency issue: In Australia, insolvency law does not considered long term gains of the companies, and it also fails in considering the assets, goodwill, competitiveness, and reasons of premature closure and liquidation. Law related to insolvency does not state any provisions which provide emphasis on restructuring of the business and any other method through which company return to profitability and protect the interest of creditors. There are many other countries in which focus is shifted on restructuring of business and not on the liquidation. There are some recommendations which can be included in the insolvency law of Australia: Law must focus on the long term plannings while decided liquidation. Protection of employees and workers at the time of liquidation of the company. Provisions which provide various options through which funds for restructuring the business can be raised (ASIC, n.d.). ASIC ROLE: Company can deregistered by ASIC, if sufficient grounds are present which state that trading is ceased by the company and fees and penalties are overdue, and these sufficient grounds are stated below: If company fails to pay its annual fee within the time period of 12 months from the date on which fee becomes due. Compliance notice is issued to the company, and company fails to submit the response of that notice and also the related documents within 18 months. Processing related to winding up is initiated and no liquidator is appointed (ASIC, n.d.). Observation: Various legislations and case laws clear the picture that provisions of corporate act 2001 related to insolvency mainly give emphasis on companys liquidation. These provisions do not consider the restructuring of the business or any other measures through which liquidation can be avoided. imposed on companies which put extra pressure on companies and also reduce the ability of company to discharge the debts of the creditor. In Ascot Community Sports Club Incorporated (in liquidation), court stated that liquidator has right to claim their cost from the company, and company was liable to pay the cost. Court further stated if liquidator incurred any other cost then also company was liable to pay it. Conclusion: After considering the above facts it is clear that directors play very important role in insolvency procedure, and it is completely in the hands of directors to ensure the interest of the creditors and other stakeholders of the company. In this paper all the issues and their measures related to insolvency are discussed and these issues and measures are supported by the legislations and case laws References: AICD. Insolvent trading. Available at: https://aicd.companydirectors.com.au/~/media/cd2/resources/director-resources/director-tools/pdf/05446-6-3-duties-directors_insolvent-trading_a4-web.ashx. Accessed on 21st August 2017. Ascot Community Sports Club Incorporated (in liquidation) [2014] QSC 258. ASIC v Plymin (No 1) (2003) 175 FLR 124; 21 ACLC 700; 46, ACSR 126; [2003] VSC 123 at 777 (ACLC). ASIC, ( 2010). Duty to prevent insolvent trading: Guide for directors. Available at: https://download.asic.gov.au/media/1241384/rg217-29july2010.pdf. Accessed on 21st August 2017. ASIC. ASIC initiated deregistration of company. Available at: https://www.asic.gov.au/for-business/closing-your-company/deregistration/asic-initiated-deregistration-of-company/#ReasonsforDereg. Accessed on 21st August 2017. ASIC. Corporate insolvencies: June quarter 2017. Available at: https://download.asic.gov.au/media/4410590/201706-june-qtr-2017-summary-analysis.pdf. Accessed on 21st August 2017. ASIC. Types of Insolvency. Available at: https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/insolvency/types-of-insolvency/. Accessed on 21st August 2017. Bell Group Ltd (in liq) v Westpac Banking Corporation Ors [No 9] [2008] WASC 239 (Bell). Corporation Act 2001- Section 1317G. Corporation Act 2001- Section 1317H. Corporation Act 2001- Section 206. Corporation Act 2001- Section 436A. Corporation Act 2001- Section 495. Corporation Act 2001- Section 588G. Corporation Act 2001- Section 588J. Corporation Act 2001- Section 95. Gupta, N. Insolvency laws in Australia. Available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook45p/InsolvencyLaws. Accessed on 21st August 2017. Hawkins v Bank of China (1992) 26 NSWLR 562; 10 ACLC, 588; 7 ACSR 349 at 572 (NSWLR). Kenna Brown Pty Ltd v Kenna (1999) 17 ACLC 1,183; 32, ACSR 432; [1999] NSWSC 533 [CL s 588G 1994]. Long v. Home Health Services, 43 Wn. App. 729, 734 (1986). Quinlan, M. (2005). Formal Reorganization in Australia. Available at: https://www.allens.com.au/pubs/pdf/insol/pap15mar05.pdf. Accessed on 21st August 2017.

Defining Disabilities in Modern World

Table of Contents Introduction Definition Models of Disability and their Implications Conclusion References Introduction Human beings experience different challenges when interacting with their environment especially when they have personal obstacles. A past report by the U. S. Census Bureau categorized about 19% of the American population as having some degree of either physical or intellectual disability (Smart, 2001). Defining disability has not been easy due to the various opinions related to the understanding of the concept.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Defining Disabilities in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Disability has been defined in general terms as any impairment or a problem in normal body structure that may hinder the normal functioning of the body (Orto Power, 2007). Some of the impairments identified include that of hearing, sight, cognitive, emotional and motor challen ges. These categories of impairments are further divided into sub-categories. Impairments affecting sight include blurred vision, color blindness, and blindness. World health Organization defines disability as a general term referring to impairments, limitation in the performance of activities, and restrictions when it comes to participating and interacting with the environment (Orto Power, 2007). The paper discusses the various categories of disability and why it is important to define and categorize disabilities. Definition Disability has become a concern all over the world following the increasing awareness by the people. Definition of this concept has undergone significant transformation from the perspective of people with disabilities (PWDs) and the society at large. Disability has significant impact on the society due to the relationships that exists between the individual and the surrounding (Smart, 2001). Efforts to reduce ambiguity in the definition of disability have been made especially by western social-scientific researchers. Models from religious, medical, and social arenas/perspectives have been developed to help in the categorization of disability. The greatest challenge faced by people with disabilities is that impact of attempts to compartmentalize their capabilities (Orto Power, 2007). Human beings are characterized by a natural desire to explain the unexplainable even if it is unpleasant. The need to define and categorize disabilities is therefore understandable. Most studies have recommended the detachment of the definition of a disability from the human experience. Disability has been known to affect every race, class of people, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and even across generations. This is due to the fact that it can at any time either accidently or due to infections of eyes, ears, or the nervous system (Tremain, 2008). Models of Disability and their Implications Researchers interested in understanding disability have used differ ent models in the categorization of people with disability. Categorization is necessary for the investigators since they are able to separately analyze different cases of disability which has been to affect a large section of the society.Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The first is the deficit model which constitutes the people with physical or intellectual impairment (Smart, 2001). Deafness, blindness, paralysis or terminal illness fall in this category and differentiates them from the â€Å"normal† people. This model has been known to create a segregated/isolated society on the basis of capability. This contradicts efforts to create an integrated society despite the human diversity (Tremain, 2008). The second is the medical model of disability which also uses impairments and other deficits in an individual. However, it emphasizes the understanding of the cause, treatme nt, and cure of the disability (Smart, 2001). The model proposes ways of dealing with a given disability, normally in three major phases of illness, treatment, and recovery. This model can be seen as taking positive measures to help the victims attain the normalcy the will enable them function in a manner perceived to be normal. However, this approach may not work well with those with chronic or terminal illness. The model discriminates against those who are terminally disabled by implying that they cannot enjoy what those perceived to be healthy enjoy. The religious models of categorizing disability are the third model and it relates impairment with spiritual deficiency in the person. The perception by the advocates of this model is that the disability is a consequence of sin or a deliberate supernatural act that seeks to pass a lesson to the individual (Orto Power, 2007). They strive to offer a religious account of every disability as well as recommend ways of addressing the â₠¬Å"problem†. Just like the medical model, the religious models do not go well with those with chronic illness since they just need a way of balancing their condition and facing life more positively. The two models utterly condemn this group of PWD by implying that their situations cannot be addressed otherwise. The fourth is the social model of disability which tries to explain the various impairments. The proponents perceive disability to be a consequence of â€Å"natural† occurrence. Disability is seen as a construct of an oppressive society with an historical background (Smart, 2001). People with disabilities have in the recent past raised their concerns about the stigmatization from the society leading to isolation and discrimination. This model, on the other hand, has been praised for challenging the trivialization of representations of PWDs by providing crucial historical backgrounds of disabilities.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Defi ning Disabilities in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The paper has explored in detail the definition of the complex concept of disability in the modern world. Various working definitions of disability as used by researchers have been highlighted. The conventional definition used by the World Health Organization has also been given. The paper has also discussed the four major models used to categorize disabilities. The importance of each has been given. It can be concluded that the definition and categorization of disability faces great opposition, especially from the disabled and other activists and efforts to reach a mutual understanding of perceiving disability should be made. References Orto, E. A. Power, P. W. (2007). The impact of disability: psychological and social. Springer Publishing Co. Smart, J. (2001). Disability, society, and the individual (2nd ed). Aspen Publishers Tremain, S. P. (2008). Unders tanding disability: post-modernity and models of disability (3rd  ed). London: Continuum This term paper on Defining Disabilities in Modern World was written and submitted by user Clarissa Harrison to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The needs of people and the needs of the environment

The needs of people and the needs of the environment The central question that these readings pose is how the needs of people can be reconciled with the needs of the environment. Although, human beings are a part of this environment, we have an enormous amount of influence on nature.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The needs of people and the needs of the environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In many cases, this influence is not beneficial. This is why the authors of these articles urge readers to think about long-term effects of human activities on the planet. More importantly, people have to understand that their welfare is dependent on sustainable environment. Therefore, its protection has to be one of their top priorities. These are the main ideas that have to be discussed and critiqued. One of the concepts that appealed to me is the anthropocene. Generally, it is used to refer to the epoch in which the footprint of human race has become very clear and massi ve. Overall, this term appears to be quite appropriate because human beings did change the surface of the planet within the last three centuries, especially since the time of Industrial Revolution. The main problem is that people’s environmental impact adversely affected many species, water, and air. People often have an anthropo-centric view of the planet, and it is difficult for them to acknowledge that their survival may depend on the bio-physical environment. In my opinion, educators have to change people’s views on this problem, because the protection of environment greatly depends on individual effort. Furthermore, these articles show that the adoption of eco-friendly technologies is not a luxury, but a necessity for every country. Thus, governments should adopt different policies on this problem.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Yet, there is another issue that has been raised by the authors. They refer to the so-called mass extinction events. It is believed that in the past these events were caused by unavoidable factors such as climate change. The key issue is that human activities can be the cause of a mass-extinction event, but many people may not realize it. Certainly, it is possible to argue some of these concerns can be exaggerated, but there are some signs or markers of such events, for instance, the increasing rate of species extinction or the deterioration of coral reefs. Furthermore, one can mention such problems as soil erosion, overfishing, industrial wastes, and so forth. Unless these problems are not addressed, humankind can trigger a true mass-extinction event. This is why many researchers advocate the idea of biodiversity. One of the most important tasks is to promote the variations in ecosystem because in this way ecosystems can be made more sustainable. If people continue to turn a blind eye to the pos sibility of such an event, its probability will dramatically increase. This is why I agree with various authors who try to raise people’s awareness about different environmental problems. Some of the ideas discussed in these articles have been familiar to me. Nevertheless, these readings have prompted me to take a broader look at the role of human beings. On the whole, these articles call for a change in the mindset. They urge people to acknowledge that economic, social and political sustainability is impossible if the needs of the environment will be overlooked. Certainly, it is necessary to cope with specific environmental problems such as water pollution. Yet, at first, people have to see that they are a part of nature, rather than their masters.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The needs of people and the needs of the environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Many organizations develop strategic plans Assignment

Many organizations develop strategic plans - Assignment Example Since then, this system has been effectively utilized for the purpose of translating an organization’s active business strategies along with its broad mission. In addition, the balanced scorecard has also been used in a few of the most critical drivers that drives the future performance of an organization i.e. business processes, capabilities along with resources. These aspects have been fruitful in ascertaining a greater set of outcomes such as meeting the interests of the consumers along with the development and prosperity of organizations. All these facets of balanced scorecard can prove to be beneficial as it authenticates that the numerous private, public along with not-for-profit organizations have accepted and utilized this particular method. It has also been regarded as a part of their overall strategic management approach. Based on this factor, the authenticity along with the wide applicability of the balanced scorecard in relation to the execution of strategy can be determined. It has also been studied that this particular tool is utilized in order to reduce a lot of operational barriers in a highly professional manner (Claude, 2008). In addition, it has also been learnt that the balanced scorecard can be utilized in a very strategic manner as well. ... Over the years, balanced scorecard has provided great aid to numerous organizations along with suppliers for designing and implementing various strategies. All these factors combined together have been responsible for overcoming the vision barrier to a very large extent. In this regard, Kaplan was able to define the increasing rate of barriers that seem to put the operational capacities of various organizations at stake. In this similar regard, he has also explained that through sustained organizational efforts along with optimum utilization of this particular scorecard, a large number of organizational barriers could be averted. In a different context, Norton, Kaplan and others have delivered weightage on the fact that in order to achieve all round success in an organization, the scorecard needs to be utilized in a tricky manner. They explained that in order to create organizational success, clarity in the communication strategy is needed to be maintained at all levels. This results in the formation of effective strategies as well (Claude, 2008; Niven, 2010). Section 2: A. Critique of the Division’s Use of the Balanced Scorecard The balanced scorecard highlighted upon the most important aspects such as increase undergraduate student retention and engagement, develop students as ethical leaders and agents of positive change among others. All these aspect combined together have proved the authenticity of the balanced scorecard. Other aspects such as increased retention and graduation rates for targeted populations and decreased violations of community standards among others validate the division’s use of the Balanced Scorecard.

Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family - Essay Example ther hand, says the definition of what a family is depends on who is going to provide the definition, a social scientist, the State, a conservative society, or a libertarian society. Anthropologists define family by a cultures biological and marital kinship rules and patterns of reciprocal obligations. Different cultures have different definitions of biological and marital kin, and the obligations kin have to one another. Some cultures use the father’s biological line, or the mother’s or both. Kinship obligations, too, end at different levels for different cultures. As examples, Diem says that brothers, sisters and cousins are distinct in the American culture but not so in African societies. From the point of view of structure-functionalists, families are defined by the needs of the greater society. The definition of family changes when society’s needs change. Examples include those when greater society needs rapid population growth such as after a time of war when procreation is emphasized, as against a period of over population when childless couples are supported. For institutionalists, a family is the "traditional," biological, procreati ve and child-rearing structure. For interactionists, the definition is based on the assumption of family-related role behaviours. For economists, the family is a production and consumption unit, thus defining a household slave in an African or Arabian household or the indentured servant in an early-American household as part of the family. Further, according to Diem, the State’s definition of family follows the structure-functionalist approach, where the State’s needs dictate how the authoritative and legal definition of family shall be formulated. In a Conservative Free Society, as envisioned by Nisbet (1953), where the role of social institutions such as church, economy and educational system, are enhanced and those of the State reduced, the social institutions define family. Church may not recognise an unmarried

Compare and contrast binet and simons approach to measuring Essay

Compare and contrast binet and simons approach to measuring intelligence with that of sternberg - Essay Example In 1905, Binet and Simon devised one of the first tests of measuring intelligence in French children. The test was carried out in order to detect French children that were likely to face difficulties in their studies so that these children could receive special education. Binet and Simon developed tests that assessed each child’s intelligence. As a result of these tests, Binet and Simon discovered that tests of memory, practical skills, puzzle solving skills and vocabulary tests were better at predicting the level of intelligence in school children than the simple sensory tests that was previously used (Binet & Simon, 1916). In the approach employed by Binet and Simon to measuring intelligence in children, children were instructed to perform certain tasks; such as defining abstract terms, defining common words, spotting the differences between two objects, recognising objects in pictures, repeating spoken digits and following simple commands and gestures. Sternberg on his own part proposed an alternative, cognitive-components approach to measuring intelligence (1977); he posited that the level of intelligence of an individual could be measured in terms of a data-analysis component that constitutes some form of multifaceted analysis such as deductive reasoning and logical inference. He used this data and statistical analysis technique to disintegrate mental task performance into its fundamental constituents. Binet and Simon invented what is generally known as the Binet-Simon scale, which encompassed a series of tasks that they thought typically represented the intellectual competencies of the children at different ages. They tested their measurement on a sample of fifty children that were divided into five age groups; each group comprised ten children believed to be averagely intelligent. The main aim of the Binet-Simon scale was to compare the mental abilities of some children to those of their

Natural and Shale Gas Monetization

Natural and Shale Gas Monetization According to the US Central Intelligence, Russia has the highest proven reserves of Natural gas in the world, being this approximately 24.2% of them. Followed by Iran, Qatar and United States (Central Intelligence Agency, 2016) It is good to mention that United States has bigger reserves in comparison to earlier years, because of the Shale Gas Boom, which is not included in the other countries reserves. Table 1: 4 first World Natural Gas Producers Rank Country (Cu m) Date Total World 197,200,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 1 Russia 47,800,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est 2 Iran 34,020,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est 3 Qatar 24,530,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 4 United States 10,440,000,000,000 1 January 2016 est. 1.1. Natural Gas Resources Very small quantities of Soviet gas had been exported to Poland since the late 1940s, the idea of large-scale imports of Soviet gas into Western Europe seemed to some both unworkable and unwise. The focus of Soviet natural gas production was moving from the Volga/Urals, North Caucasus and Ukraine, to Siberia, which would require additional transportation amounting to several thousand kilometers. (Stern, 2001) The transport problem was resolved by the Siberian gas development of the 1970s and 80s based on the super-giant fields discovered at Medvezhe, Urengoy and Yamburg. With multiple strings of largediameter pipeline being built from Siberia to the Ukraine, it required only a relatively short extension for one or two pipelines to reach Europe (map 2). Between 1970 and 1980 deliveries of Soviet gas to Western Europe increased from 3.4 Bcm to 26 Bcm. By 1990 gas exports had risen to 109 Bcm and Western Europe, with 63 Bcm of imports, was the largest customer for Soviet gas. (Stern, 2001) Figure 1: Old and New Pipelines In the context of increasing demand and declining supply, the importance of Russia as a partner in European gas becomes abundantly clear. The opportunity for a much closer natural gas partnership between Russia and Europe is based on firm foundations (Stern, 2001): Russia has huge discovered resources of gas available for development. Russia has gas reserves of 48 trillion cubic metres (TCM) according to the Russian A+B+C1 classification. Gazprom estimates that it has 28 TCM of reserves in fields in production or being prepared for development, compared with an international estimate of 18.5 TCM of proven and probable reserves in those same fields. Whichever estimate is chosen, it is clear that Russian reserves overwhelm all other gas reserves available to Europe with the exception of Middle East countries. Russian gas production of over 600 Bcm of gas in 2003 is projected to increase to 730 Bcm by 2020 (Stern, 2001). Over the past 35 years, pipeline infrastructure has been established for delivery of very substantial volumes of gas from Russia to Europe (Stern, 2001). As far as Russian exports to Europe are concerned, compared with the position in 1973 when just four countries were supplied with less than 7 Bcm of gas, thirty years later nearly 140 Bcm was exported to nineteen countries (Stern, 2001). Russian gas exports to Europe passing through Ukraine from where a number of pipelines travel west, delivering gas to central and northern Europe. Some lines travel south through Moldova to south eastern Europe and Turkey; others pass through Hungary delivering to the Balkan countries. In 1999, the Yamal pipeline began transporting gas through Belarus and Poland to Germany, providing an alternative to the routes through Ukraine. There is also a pipeline which passes via St Petersburg taking gas into Finland. Another major pipeline takes Russian gas across the Black Sea to Turkey; the Blue Stream pipeline which started transporting gas in 2002 set a new record by laying pipeline in water depths exceeding 2000 meters (Stern, 2001). The next major pipeline bringing additional Russian gas to Europe is expected to be the North European Pipeline (NEP) running from Vyborg in north west Russia via the Baltic Sea to Germany and potentially on to the UK. The possibility of the North European pipeline being able to deliver gas to Sweden and Denmark is also under consideration (Stern, 2001). Figure 2: New Pipelines from Russia On May 2 1, 2014 the media reported that China and the RF reached a 30-ycar gas deal worth about $400 billion. Some sources said the deal had been in the making for about a decade. On Nov. 10, 2014 China and the RF signed a second gas deal in which the RF would supply China with 30 Bern of natural gas via the western route over 30 years. This would require construction of the pipeline Power Sibcria-2. Gazprom signed the 30-ycar contract with Chinas National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (Reineberg, 2017). The two combined natural gas deals between Russia and China would amount to about 68 Bern which is considerably more than the 45 Bcm the RF provides Germany each year. The gas deals would make China Russias most important customer, second only to Germany (Reineberg, 2017). Figure 3: New Pipelines to China In December 2014 the South Stream pipeline project to supply gas to the south eastern part of Europe was argued in yet another sign of the weakening and decreasing of Russias energy collaboration with Europe EU. The diagram above is available from Gazprom and displays what the scheme would have seen like once completed (Ashton, 2015). This project was intended to reduce risk involved in transporting gas to the Europe by evading Ukraine, much as Gazproms northern gas pipeline to Germany has done. But a flagging political condition means the European units no longer focusing only supply risk and is also focusing on transportation risk. To mitigate the risk of supply, Europes goal is to reduce volume of Russiass supplies (Ashton, 2015). Figure 4: New Pipelines to EU 1.2. Natural Gas Reserves In 2015 Russia`s natural gas reserves (ABC1) amount to 50.2 tcm, which is one percent more than in 2014. The largest gas fields are located in Western Siberia oil and gas bearing province. The growth in gas reserves was provided by gas fields in the Yamal Peninsula Bovanenkovo, Kharasaveyskoye, Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye, Eastern Siberia Kovyktinskoye, Russian Far East Chayandinskoye and on the Arctic Shelf Shtokman, Kruzenshternskoye. In European Russia the central gas reserves are concerted in Astrakhan field and Orenburg areas. In the following graph we can see the reserves and their defined amount . Figure 5: Russia`s largest natural gas fields: reserves About 80% of Russia`s NG natural gas production is developed in the Nadym-Pur-Taz region, Yamalo-Nenets AO. In 2014, three gas fields Zapolyarnoye, Urengoy, Yamburg accounted for more than 40% of country`s gas production. In 2012, gas production was started at the Bovanenkovo field (Yamal Peninsula), and it accounted 42.8 bcm in 2014. It is expected that to 2020 Bovanenkovo will be the largest gas producing field in Russia. Positive production dynamics also featured on Yurkharovskoye field and Beregovoye field (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). Table 2: Major producing gas fields in Russia Major producing gas fields, (bcm) 2013 2014 Zapolyarnoye 117,5 97,9 Urengoy 90,6 85,5 Yamburg 75,3 62,8 Bovanenkovo 22,8 42,8 Yurkharovskoye 38,4 39,0 Yuzhno-Russkoye 25,1 25,0 Lunskoye 16,4 16,6 Orenburg 16,9 16,3 Beregovoye 10,8 11,2 Astrakhan 11,7 11,1 Medvezhye 12,2 10,4 In 2015, Russia`s natural gas and associated petroleum gas production amounted to 633.4 bcm, which is 0.9% less than in 2014. The decrease was caused by significant reduction of natural gas consumption in Russia. In 2010-2015, the gas supply to the domestic market decreased by 24.8 bcm, or by 5.3%. In 2015, Russia`s natural gas exports increased by 7.1% year on year to 200 bcm. Natural gas imports of the major importers of Russian gas remained relatively stable. A significant decrease was recorded in supplies to the Ukraine. (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). Figure 6: Natural gas in Russia: production, consumption and exports (2011-2015) In 2015, 79.2% of natural gas production in Russia was provided by Yamalo-Nenets, AO, which is 1.1 pp lower than in 2014. In 2010-2014, YNAO share in Russia`s gas production was 80-83%. In 2015 to 2014 gas production significantly increased in Krasnoyarsk region and Sakha. The largest drop was observed in YNAO (-2%, or -11.6 bcm). Table 3: Russias natural gas production by region Region 2015, bcm Yamalo-Nenets 501 Khanty-Mansi 33 Sakhalin 28 Orenburg 20 Krasnoyarsk 11 Others 41 1.3. Natural Gas Consumption and Production In 2014, the production of electricity and heat energy provided 48.3% of Russia`s natural gas consumption, which is 3.5 pp less than in 2013. Gas consumption decreased by 6.4% in these two sectors, by 2,2% in industry and increased by 0.1% in residential sector (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 7: Russia`s natural gas consumption by sector, 2014, mtce Russia`s LNG Liquid Natural Gas exports and production is developed in a single plant on Sakhalin Island, with a capacity of 9.6 mtpa. LNG is exported by sea to the Asia-Pacific countries, mainly to Japan. There are LNG Liquid Natural Gas plants projects in Russia. The plant on the Yamal Peninsula is under construction, with an installed capacity of 16.5 mtpa, start at 2017-2018. It is also planned to implement projects in Vladivostok and the Baltic Sea and Sakhalin Island (Rosneft). In 2015, Russias share in the global LNG market was 4% (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 8: LNG production and exports in Russia (2009-2015), bcm Russia`s CNG consumption is 450 mcm, or about one percent of the world total. The natural gas consumption in transport is a priority of Russia`s gas industry development. State subsidies for regions are aimed to stimulate the growth of CNG consumption. Gazprom plays the main role in development of the Russian NGV market. Other participants are Rosneft and Novatek (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016).. Figure 9: CNG consumption in road transport, 2008-2015, bcm 1.4. Natural Gas Industry The current Russian gas industry is tightly related to the Soviet gas industry structure as it evolved in the 1970s and 1980s. It was characterized by exploitation of huge deposits and long distances between production sites and consumption centers, which required construction of a comprehensive trunk pipeline network. These characteristics lent themselves to economies of scale and in line with Soviet thinking a unified industry structure intended to minimize costs of extraction and transportation of natural gas. In the centrally planned economy gas was prioritized in electricity and heat production, thereby making more oil available for highly profitable export. The regulated domestic price of natural gas was very low. Natural gas was distributed according to priorities in the centrally planned economy. Consumption of various users power stations, industrial burners and cooking in vast apartment complexes were usually not measured but estimated according to technical standards o f energy needs. The prioritization of natural gas in electricity and heat generation is clearly evident in the consumption structure today; use of gas in the power sector amounts to 40 percent of total gas consumption in Russia (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). In the 1970s and 1980s extraction and transportation of gas were organized within the Soviet Ministry of the Gas Industry. Then in 1989 a new entity, Gazprom, was established. It got control of the entire Soviet unified gas supply system and was also given a regulatory role. This type of agency was something new an entity outside the ministry structure although it was state owned. When the economic reforms in Russia started for real in 1992, an important element was the creation of new industry organizations. Notably this happened in the oil industry where several new companies were formed and subsequently privatized. In the gas sector the situation was different. The top management of Gazprom maintained that the technical characteristics of the gas industry required a centralized organizational structure. These arguments won over reformers who argued that a split-up of the production side was desirable. In 1992, Gazprom was transformed into a jointstock company, which was subsequently partly privatized. The state, even if it had a minority stake of some 40 percent, retained key control, but generally the company became independent. The new company obtained ownership of all the major physical assets of the Russian gas industry for free. In addition, the functions of the new company were extended to include roles which had earlier been covered by bodies outside the industry: investment and output targets, which had previously been decided by central planning organs, now became part of the internal processes in Gazprom. Distribution to final consumers, which used to be the remit of a separate structure, now became a business activity of Gazprom. Gas exports, which earlier were managed by a special foreign trade organization outside the gas industry, now became part of the activities of the company. In the end, the gas industry became more centralized and monopolized than it had been in the Soviet system. Gazprom did not only get new privileges, it also inherited old obligations. It was expected to continue to supply gas domestically at very low prices, but in exchange the company was allowed to keep a considerable share of the export revenues. Thus a situation emerged were domestic supplies became almost a secondary activity compared to exports, where the big money was earned. Domestic supplies were, however, in volume terms about four times higher than exports to Europe. This arrangement can only be understood in the context of the serious economic crisis and restructuring taking place in the 1990s. Maintaining stable gas supplies was of paramount importance for social stability, and low gas and electricity prices were important instruments to ensure this goal. Gas continued to be distributed like in the centrally planned economy: consumers had to obtain permission to take gas in certain volumes, and new consumers could not freely choose energy sources. Gas was, more than other fuel s, a subsidized commodity and was de facto rationed (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). 1.5. Natural Gas Pricing Starting rather early in the 1990s, gas prices were in fact increased but from a very low level. By 1996 the average official gas price was around 250 roubles per 1000 m3 (corresponding roughly to 45 USD). But with a deep economic crisis most of Gazproms customers were not able to pay the increasing bills. Many turned to surrogates for payment: goods, shares in enterprises and various services. Others did not pay at all. Gazprom reported that in 1998 their domestic consumers paid for 28.5 percent of the gas deliveries only. According to OECD , only 16 percent of these deliveries were paid in cash. This was the nadir of Gazprom. Then the situation improved: After the economic crisis in 1998 and subsequent rouble devaluation, both Russian exports and the general economy picked up. Gazprom was now allowed to take tougher measures against non-paying customers, and cash payment was widely enforced in the state sector. The companys take-over of local distribution organizations also helped increasing the share of paying customers. By 2000, 62 percent of the delivered gas was paid for, see OECD, and by 2004 Gazprom reported that 98 percent of the domestic deliveries were paid in cash, see OECD (2004). This development also reflects that gas prices had been allowed to fall in real terms: by 2000 gas prices were 62 percent below the 1996 level, see OECD (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015). In the transition from the centrally planned economy to a market oriented system, Gazprom had been given production infrastructure and pipelines that had been built and financed by the Soviet state (see discussion above). Thus Gazprom had very low capital costs and the company could therefore handle losses in the domestic market as long as it kept the export income. But as years went by the need for renewal of the pipeline network as well as investment in production capacity grew. Gazprom therefore started paying more attention to the domestic market, first by devising schemes for payment when cash was lacking, and then, as the general economic crisis subsided in the early 2000s, to argue for domestic price increases: prices should cover operating costs and also allow for accumulation of investment funds. Gazproms argumentation was helped by Russias negotiations to become a WTO member: the Russian government committed to reduce subsidies to domestic customers and raise gas prices to USD 37-42 per 1000 m3 by 2006, and further to USD 49- 57 by 2010, see OECD. Despite the decision to increase the price of gas from 2000, by the end of 2003 the regulated average gas price for industry customers was still low: it corresponded to USD 24 per 1000 m3, see OECD. A plan for raising the regulated gas price to European netback parity European price minus the extra transportation costs and duties on export was authorized by the Russian government in May 2007,); this plan addressed both the concerns of the WTO and Gazproms request. The government foresaw a stepwise increase whereby the domestic price for industry would reach European netback parity by 2011. In 2007, experts considered the plan as feasible even though the price for industrial consumers corresponded to USD 44 per 1000 m3 -the netback price would have been USD 145 per 1000 m3. However, the international oil price increases in the following years implied that the target gas price was steadily increasing because the export gas price was linked to oil. In 2013, the netback price would have been USD 230 per 1000 m3, see Henderson and Pirani, a price level that would have had a detrimental impact on most Russian consumers. In the end the government therefore postponed the netback goal, first to 2014 and later to 2018 (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. By 2013 the regulated price had reached USD 105 per 1000 m3, see IEA. Still, according to Gazprom this was not enough to cover investments needed to sustain production in the long run. Gazprom continued to argue that a European netback price should be the goal in order to secure the viability of the gas industry as well as enhance economic efficiency: undervalued prices negatively affect the domestic economy, because there is no favorable environment for promoting gas- and energy-savings as well as for developing high-tech industries. For some years the governments policy was more or less in line with Gazproms wishes: in 2010 the government decided to increase gas prices by 15 percent annually until 2015 (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. There was, however, growing concerns that higher domestic gas prices would weaken the competitive position of the manufacturing industry and hamper economic growth. These concerns were enhanced by the significant fall in gas prices in the United States because of the shale gas revolution.3 In the end the policy was adjusted: in the fall of 2013 the government decided to freeze gas prices until, then index the price to inflation, and after 2016 let gas prices grow slowly, see Table 1. According to this plan, gas prices to industry users may on average increase by 3.2 percent annually between 2016 and 2030,. This is supposed to result in a domestic industry gas price slightly above 70 percent of the netback price by 2030. For households, the plan is to increase prices at a rate slightly higher than the one for industry 3.5 percent (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. Table 4: s Gas price development plan. Annual growth rates 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030 2016-30 Industry price 4.4 2.9 2.1 3.2 Household price 4.5 3.5 2.6 3.5 To sum up, after the establishment of Gazprom in 1989 the gas industry first became more centralized and monopolized than it had been in the Soviet system. Since 1990, prices of gas have increased considerably but they are still far below the netback price. Whereas Gazprom for years has been pushing for a higher price, the most recent plan for domestic Russian gas prices indicates only a moderate increase in prices (Aune, Golombek, Moe, Rosendahld, 2015).. 1.6. Natural Gas Monetization Techniques The foundations of Russias gas export business were laid during the Cold War. The trade was able to develop despite political opposition partly because West European governments believed gas could be a force for peace and partnership and prosperity. The other main reason has been the excellent track record of first Soviet, and then Russian, gas deliveries to Europe over the past 35 years. With the passing of the Cold War and the increasing need for Europe to develop strong relationships with its energy suppliers, the European Commission proposed an energy dialogue with Russia. In 2001 (Stern, 2001): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The EU imported 21% of its net oil imports (equal to 16% of consumption) and 41% of gas imports (equal to 19% of consumption); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 53% of Russias oil exports and 36% of its gas exports were delivered to the EU, and 45% of Russias exports to the EU were energy products. Within the framework of the dialogue, the EU has agreed to recognize certain Russian gas projects as energy infrastructure projects of common interest, specifically: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the North European gas pipeline for which the EU has agreed to co-finance a feasibility study; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Yamal pipeline; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Shtokman gas field; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the Druzhba-Adria oil pipeline link. In 2015, the gas price in the major markets fell by 30-40% compared to the previous year. The causes for the falling gas prices were decreasing oil prices, warm winters in the USA and Europe and fierce competition inside the industry with other gas producers, as well as competition with producers of other energy resources, such as coal and renewable ones (Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, September 2016). In Green Line we can see the price of Russia comparing in Marron with the price of US. Figure 10: The World Prices of Natural Gas (2005-2015) $/1000 Cubic meters Among the prices from the natural gas in Russia we have the cost for the last 4 months in United states dollars per MBTU (Indexmundi, 2017) Table 5: Prices of the Last 4 Months in Dollars per MBTU Month Price Exchange Rate oct. 2016 4,01 1,26 % nov. 2016 4,54 13,22 % dic. 2016 5,16 13,66 % ene. 2017 5,14 -0,39 % 1.7. Impact of Natural Gas in Russia Economy According to the following graph, Russia got for 2013 73 Billon of Dollars, which is 14% of its total income; the other products are oil and derivatives of oil. Figure 11: Russia gross export sales 2013 (Billon of US Dollars) Russia is a major exporter of crude oil, and natural gas. Sales of these fuels accounted for 68% of Russias total export revenues in 2013, based on data from Russias Federal Customs Service. Russia received almost 4 times as much income from exports crude oil exports and natural gas as petroleum products (Metelitsa, 2014).. Europe, including Turkey, receives all exports of NG natural gas. Asia, particularly China receives substantial volumes of liquefied natural gas or LNG from Russia. Lately, Russia finalized a 30 year, for about $400 billion to supply China with natural gas from fields in Siberia, which later will increase Russian export incomes. North America imports some Russian petroleum products, particularly oils that are unfinished, used in refineries. Although Russia exports less crude oil and less natural gas than it consumes locally, domestic sales of crude oil and natural gas are lower in value than exports because of the vertical integration of the NG and oil industry and also the subsidized domestic prices (Metelitsa, 2014). Almost all Russian oil firms are vertically integrated, owning oil fields and refineries that process crude oil, giving them power in making decisions and regulating price. That is why, these firms can sell crude oil directly to their own refineries at very low prices. Domestic natural gas prices are subsidized too, forcing Russian companies to use export revenue to fund investment in new infrastructure and projects. The energy agency estimates that Russian domestic sales of natural gas and crude oil were nearly about $20 billion in 2013 (Metelitsa, 2014). Although revenue from local sales of crude oil and natural gas in the year 2003 was significantly low than revenue from exports. (Metelitsa, 2014). Oil and natural gas activities make up a large portion of Russias federal budget. According to the Ministry of Finance, 50% of Russias federal budget revenue in 2013 came from mineral extraction taxes and export customs duties on oil and natural gas (Metelitsa, 2014).. 1.8. Future of Natural Gas in Russia and its global impact Gas demand across Europe increased highly over the past 30 years, most of it used for power generation shaped by environmental and commercial advantages enjoyed by gas à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is the key to continued growth over the next several decades. Imports of gas will be needed increasingly as Europes indigenous supply declines and Russia is in a very good position to expand its market share due to its resource endowment, established infrastructure and markets, and track record as a secure supplier (Stern, 2001). These advantages have been recognised and reinforced politically by an energy partnership between the EU and Russia which recognizes Russias growing role as a source of energy and its contribution particularly in terms of gas and oil supplies. In summary, the Russian contribution to European energy balances both oil and gas is substantial

Eating Disorders in Online Communities :: Communication Computers Papers

The Internet has an infinite amount of resources to occupy its users, and certainly two of the most frequently used applications are that of the chat room and message boards. Chat rooms perfectly exemplify the concept of an online community, where real-time communication happens between users everywhere in the world. Whereas message boards allow for the posting of journals and stories that can later be responded to by others that connect to that website. These virtual interfaces provide the backdrop for a whole new dimension of social interaction. The people who populate this particular form of online community, of course, deserve extensive examination. Many individuals, for instance, seek to communicate their problems and self-destructive tendencies. Significant niches of these people specifically correspond about eating disorders. The motivations and purposes for which they devote their time and energies certainly provide for an interesting case study. When examining the many dementias of chat rooms and message boards, it becomes imperative to consider the individuals who most frequently take advantage of these platforms to discuss eating disorders. These people, obviously, feel the need to communicate on some level with others. What they wish to communicate about, however, literally covers every dementia of the disorder. The wide and limitless variety of chat rooms and message boards on this subject caters to a vast span of related topics; individuals who have eating disorders, are seeking out information, and wish to help others all have a distinct space for discussion. The eating disorder chat participants come into contact with various worldviews and lifestyles that are typical of a diverse web community. Although I know that a countless number of people take advantage of this communication form everyday, it still remains a question as to why eating disorder victims choose to participate. The eating disorder victims who frequent chat rooms and message boards must do so for a massive span of reasons. Logically, I would assume that these people choose this method of communication because they prefer it instead of other alternatives. Perhaps they dislike talking with people about their problem face-to-face. After all, it cannot be ignored that the nature of chat rooms and message boards eliminates the physical connectedness requirement of communication. It is probable that embarrassment, shame, and countless other emotions play significant roles in the victim's decision.