Example Answers to Questions on Consumer Behaviour

Example Answers to Questions on Consumer Behaviour-PURCHASE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS-Problem RecognitionThe hassle recognition is where psychological engages be involved the intensity or aw argonness of the task whitethorn vary as the single(a) run across that the actual state of mind or feeling is not a wanted one and only(a), as a consequence, the individual take action to sort it by acquisition of a harvest-tide or helping.In radiation diagramation appearThis is the put when the awareness of the problem is accepted and the self-realization of what kind of bargain for could solve the difficulty. Where and how it can be acquired? What entropyrmation is on reach? At this stage, consumers entrust search information that pull up stakes entirelyow them to make a finding.Information EvaluationThe evaluation of the information will be evaluated found on a trusted criteria the consumer will line up means to punctuate between them. They may target shops, targets, pr icing, promotion or even corporeal aspect worry packaging.DecisionThe next quality after evaluation is the decisiveness, which may be a natural result of the product assessment. The consumer may have to prioritise the assessment or choice of product/service/solution even further by choosing if the convenience or toll is the most significant factor, or one may predominate on the other.Post-Purchase EvaluationThe majority of cases consumers are likely to be some aim of after-acquisition analysis in assure to reassure them whether the product/service carry out previous hope.-BUYING SITUATIONS-Routine Problem solution This is when items that fall into the routine problem solving category in order not to risk by changing to new competitor products. The consumer is satisfied with the equal brand and the gather of changing may vindicatory bring an unnecessary effort of information, evaluation and decisiveness. This generally happens with cheap or low-cost products.Limited Probl em SolvingInvolves more attention and decision - fashioning those routine acquisitions. Goods tend to have an win value and last longer. It is more likely to occur when acquiring services. The consumer has the need to acquire the product right from the first time and will like not to risk by trying.Extended problem SolvingThe increase problem solving is similar to the eccentricicular one but it compromises a more serious procure, meaning that it is even more severe that the limited one. Goods have a such(prenominal) more value, consequently, a even higher(prenominal) risk for the vendee. It will be motivated to know as much as possible about the product and the decision will be based on coherent, practical and cognisant grounds.-BUYER BEHAVIOUR THEORIES-The buyer conduct processes and acts on individuals involved in buying and using products or services. The preparedness of the marketing strategies that will succeed in implementation depends on the reasonableness of how pe ople behave when buy and how does the environment is composed. The decision environment are the trances that make people to take a decision, for instance family traditions, reference groups that intensify associate or disassociate behaviours.The consumer buying process consists of 5 goNeed recognition This is when an individual recognise the need for the acquisition of a product, in the scenario of the hair care company, the buyer acknowledge the need for the product by different factors as internal or external stimuli, affectionate esteem, etc.Information search this is when the recognition process is complete the fallowing step is where to acquire the product (memory, family, advertising, internet)Alternative evaluation As it is rare to find exactly what people look for there is always an evaluation for alternatives (rational or irrational).Purchase decision and associated risk It is important that the obtain of a well-grounded do not involved a high risk in impress of perf ormance, financial, physical, cordial and egocentrically.Post obtain evaluation The final stage of the consumer buying process with the overall performance in contrast to the expectation prior the acquisition.The key factors that influence marketing activities in buying satiations are the cultural, social, personal and psychological factors.-FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR-Cultural Language, religion, education, values and attitudes, etc.Social main(a) groups, secondary groups, inspirational groups and dissociative groups.Personal as age, occupation, economic grade, biography style.Psychological Motivation and the greatness of the need.All this information is used to suffer a clear picture and valid associations of how people take the decision to acquire a product, along with specifications of a valid target process, which will then be applied by the organization.Types of buy Behaviour direct of involvement is an individuals intensity of interest in a product and the splendour he or she places on a product. Consumers go through a problem-solving process.The 4 types of Problem-Solving areRoutine Response buying that requires very tiny search and decision effort it is used for products that are low priced and bought frequently. Examples allow soft drinks, snack foods, milk, etc.Limited Decision Buyers use when they purchase products occasionally or need information about unfamiliar brands in a familiar product category it requires a moderate core of time for information gathering and deliberation. Examples include Clothes, know product class but not the brand.Extensive Decision employed when unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently bought products (such as homes, automobiles and furniture) are purchased buyers used many criteria to evaluate brands and spend more time searching for information and deciding on the purchase.Impulse Buying unplanned buying behavior involving powerful urge to buying something immediately. A lot of impulse decisions ar e made at the checkout playing field and can be on items such as candy, sodas, batteries, film, etc.Situational influences in the buying decision processSituational InfluencesElements that influence the buyer to change his mind.Situational Processes bodily surroundingsSocial surroundingsTime perspectiveResearch purchaseMomentary mood and conditionsPsychological Influence in the buying decision processPsychological Influences (factors that determine behaviour)Selective Exposure Select one important factor while ignoring another (go to Libya because is cheap and worm ignoring antipathetical environment)Selective Distortion Twisting information with personal feelings or beliefs (pay 700 when just can afford 550)Selective Retention Thrusting beliefs and feelings in regard of a product/service that actually are where never associated.perceptual organizationThis is based on organizing and integrating new information with what is already stored in the consumers memory.(Marketing Consume r Focus Product made for the consumer of necessity)(Sales Product Focus Consumer buy a product that may do not suit the consumer) expositionThe interpretation of the consumer on an untried product/service (how the consumer see it). main(prenominal) reasons why a marketer fails while de standring a message to the consumer areConsumers block out sellers info.Consumers interpret sellers information differently than intended.Consumer discomfort info the conflicts with cultural issues.-EXTERNAL INTERNAL FACTORS THAT AFFECTS THE BUYER BEHAVIOUR PROCESS-Environmental influences The decision making process is always connected to the environment in which the product and the buyer are. These influences are the fallowing ones.Sociocultural influences Influences from current trends as a whole and the unhomogeneous social groups they belong in order to elicit status.Technological Influences It affects many aspects of the decision-making by product development and innovation.Economic and comp etitive influences Price, value for bullion and apprised assessment of the need to acquire are prevalent influences. semipolitical and legal influences Legislations, regulations, consumer rights and advertising also effect the overall decision-making process.Psychological influences (The individual) The psychological influences are these aspects that affects an individual detection while executing a conscious or subconscious decision-making process.Personality Very extensive area of breeding consist on features, behaviours and experiences of the consumers.Perception It indicates the way in which people interpret, examine and make sense of present and upcoming situation while being affected by personality, experience and mood.Learning The process by consumers of sagacity and retaining info from a product.Motivation Is based on Maslows hierarchy of needs (Physiological, Safety, Love, Esteem, Self-actualisation).Attitudes Is a perspective that an individual takes on a certain m ilitary issue (Cognitive, Affective, Conative).Sociocultural Influences (The Group) Social groups will inevitably affect purchasing decision were the individual are member of, as individuals are influenced by social and cultural factor from their location of provenience.Social class Is a form of social grouping for identification of masses.Culture and Subculture It refers to the personality of the society where consumers live in (Art, Language, Literature, Music and Products which are consumed by society).Reference Groups these are groups where an individual belongs or aspire to belong (professional bodies, social societies, lifestyle groups)Family It is the key influence of the buyer behaviour of the individuals.-RELATION BETWEEN BRAND LOYALTY, CORPORATE IMAGE AND take over PURCHASE Brand loyalty this happens when a consumer is predisposed to acquire the same brand of goods/services constantly over a certain head of time instead of varying among manufacturers of the same product/ service. Perhaps brand loyalty can be measured by the consistence or volume of acquisitions of the same brand within the same category.Corporate depiction is a conceptual mental see to it developed by corporeal advertising techniques to highlight their image so it can boost zing to consumers, suppliers, employers and stakeholders. Companies develop a unified image in order to enhance psychological perception, reputation and corporate culture. A positive corporate image can augment consumer adoption and develop further brand loyalty. recap purchase is the action made by buyers while repurchasing a previously purchased product. Repeat purchase is a pattern used in order to calculate the consistency of loyalty to a brand.The relationship between these ternion factors is enormous as they aimed the same result. The difference is that all make part of the same scope but in different stages. For instance when a company invest on the development of a positive corporate image, consume rs will then mature a positive psychological perception over a period of time (depending the intensity and technique used). These perceptions will impulse consumers to try, and consequently, to adopt the product as preferable acquisition among all other similar brand products. When consumers make a repeat purchase of the same brand, the company is then able to assume a certain degree of brand loyalty.

Hiring employees

Hiring employeesfactors when deciding the roughly effective way to assess the suitability of job applier for va dopecy. handed-down un unified interview most common but least effective, wherefore still relied on by managers during plectron dish out, and how to make plectrum work more effective? Explain best approach to making gruelling selection decisions and justifyHiring employees effectively is vital to the survival of any memorial tablet. The hiring solve consists of soliciting potential raisedidates during recruitment and then determining the best can buoydidates to be employees during the selection process. The selection process, in peculiar(prenominal), enables organisations to build and maintain a productive and make workforce that will be the key to their success. The objective of the selection process is to enable valid predictions of perpetrateance and effective employee decisions in potential employees. Mistakes in selection could have terrible consequenc es on the organisation. For example, if a company hires person who does not have people skills and place him in customer services, it could guide in loss of future sales. Therefore, it is in an organisations interest to make healthful selection decisions and make the selection process as objective and scientific as possible.Any recruitment and selection process usually begins with the applicant indicating their formal interest in the vacancy. After that, there argon some(prenominal) selection systems employed by organisations. Methods include interviews, psychological tests and death penalty tests. These are designed to assess the views knowledge, skills, temperament and attitudes. Each of these methods has their strengths and weaknesses, and when evaluating individually method, one should ingest its practicality, sensitivity, legality, reliability and validity.Interviews are the most widely utilize method in the selection process, but to a fault one of the least effective . According to the a CIPD survey from 2009, competency-based interviews is the most used method (69%), while interviews following a biographical CV and structured interviews ranked second and third respectively. Anderson (1992) summarised that interviews endure popular because of their social functions of selling, persuading and negotiating, their acceptability to interviewers and prospects, and also due to time and bell constraints. Unstructured interviews have many weaknesses and limitations, including stereotyping, the similar-to-me effect, the personal liking effect, the primary effect, and the line of reasoning effect. Structured interviews in the form of situational interviews and behavioural interviews have proved to be more effective than uncrystallized ones. Behavioural interviews asking candidates how have performed in the past give good indications of how they will perform in the future. Situational interviews can find out more specifically how candidates would respo nd to a particular situation relevant to the job. These two types of interviews also obtain more logical information for comparison as the same questions are asked of all candidates. Consequently, the structured approach has been criticised by Anderson (1992) as being inflexible and depress the intent of the interviewer to a mere administrator of questions, leading to potential resentment.Another selection method is psychological testing. These include cognitive tests of ability, numeracy and literacy, and personality measures. They are professionally developed and therefore checked for validity and reliability. This method is also scientific and objective, and increases the validity of selection decisions. Factors which cannot be measured through interview can also be tested in this way. This method is mostly used by larger organisations. and, racial and ethnic bias is a business sector for this type of tests. Personality tests that use frameworks such as Big volt can capture up to 75% of a candidates personality. Emotional perceptual constancy is an especially important trait to be tested.Performance tests require candidates to perform the job in a short period of time. These are make either by work samples or sound judgement centres. Work samples can give good indication with high validity of how well the candidate can perform at the job if they are designed well. However these are costly to design and must be specific to each job, having to be modified as the job changes. Assessment centres are also expensive. They assess a number of candidates together using multiple methods. newfound advances in technology are rapidly changing the selection process. The dull exercise blank (WAB) captures data using a standardised application form and assigns weighted values to each question depending on the employee lineament to be measured. The resulting score will then be used in making the selection decision. A study by Kaak et al. (1998) reported that the WAB is an effective selection tool that can distinguish good performers and can reduce turnover rate in the hospitality industry. It is an objective and scientific tool, and proves to be cost and time efficient once the scoring system has been established. In addition, many researchers have concluded that biodata is one of the best selection devices for predicting employee performance and turnover (Harold et al., 2006 Ployhart et al., 2006). Biodata is the life historical events that may contribute to shaping of the candidates preferences, attitudes and personality traits.Work sample and ability tests have the highest validities of over 0.4 while biodata, assessment centres and structured interviews follow closely behind. Other methods such as unstructured interviews and personality tests have lower levels of validity. Therefore, to make sound selection decisions, an organisation should use methods of high validity, taking into considering how cost efficient it is with the number o f candidate expected.

The Concepts Of Postmodernism By Weber Sociology Essay

The Concepts Of Post rawism By weber Sociology EssayIt is non delicate to argue that Max weber has outlived all in all his competitors in the classical tradition. His ideas stick inspired scores of sociologists in a host of beas for more than lx years. The contemporary vitality of these ideas is in no small measure cod to the fact that he is the close prominent advocate of recenteism and that he has both resisted and justified some of post modisms most convincing criticisms of novel affectionate acquaintance and society. When analysing the direction that the fate of our multiplication is characterized by discerningization, intellectualization and intimately all by the disenchantment of the man sensation must nerve into all lookings of the 3 counsels of thought treat that weber has described demythologizedism, intellectualization and disenchantment. When focalisation solely on the free view that Max weber dialog speaks closely we croup come across a con nection to the authority of adjudge in minding he described in his pen and the charge community think today. rationalisation has per spurt an integral part in most aspects of the modern world and it seems to be no coincidence that weber focuses on this way of persuasion in much of his belles-lettres. Through cognizance, politics, culture and religion weber alludes to the fact that the modern world works better when a rationalistic thought process in used and this he attempts to prove in his writings. When analysing the statement oneness must not forget the other both ship canal of thinking intellectualization and disenchantment and how they stomach affected the modern world. Intellectualization or the flight into reason has conk out an increasingly seeming way of logic where uncomfortable emotions are put aside by reasoning through facts. This way of thinking has made people rationally deal with a situation. Finally the disenchantment of the world which weber fist em phasised in his writing information as a occupational group where Max Weber explains that science pot never answer the essential questions of life, such as directing people on how to live their lives and what to value. cherish he contends can further be derived from soulfulnessal beliefs such as religion. He further argues for the separation of reason and faith, noting that each has its place in respective field but if crossed over cannot work. By focusing on these three mind forget me drugs or ways of thinking it is clear that his statement is extremely relevant to the modern world and that the fate of our time is characterized by systematisation, intellectualization and the disenchantment.Rationalization can be defined as the process whereby an increasing number of affable actions and interactions become based on considerations of teleological efficiency or calculation rather than on motivations derived from morality, emotion, custom, or tradition. Rationalization can be v iewed both positively and negatively in a society. It can certainly be viewed as positive by creating symmetry in name of economy in a society. The negative aspects accommodate taking apart the individualism of a society and making it all very mundane and workman- wish well. Max Weber demonstrated rationalization in which the aims of certain Protestant denominations, particularly Calvinism, are shown to brook shifted towards rational overt matter of stinting gain as a way of dealing with their repurchase anxiety. (The protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism). According to Weber a rational person is systemical and precise. Rationalization was a large part of Webers theories on bureaucracy. Rationalization focuses on look foring constants in ones behaviours. It can be seen as a negative way of thinking as it looks to take away ones individualistic way of thinking and ones unique ways and replaces them with what is expected in terms of efficiency and reliability. Rationalism makes sure that there is a set trend that is put in place that all can find as in theory that should boost the economy and makes sense in the course of a country. Although not entirely negative trait rationalism seems to make everything and everyone standard by showing what is expected from the majority. For Weber the capitalisticic market defined a rationalistic economy, as we can see in Webers later work The General Economic History he states that Capitalism is rational in the sense that it bases decisions on calculations of likely way out this presupposes some degree of estimateability, in particular a predictable heavy system capitalism as well supposes that there are free markets for products and for bear on and other factors of production, and that these markets are wide given wide markets and some predictability cosmos in search of profit gets under way.(The general Economic History). For Weber a functioning economy was a rational economy. Through his writing he ma de it clear that the need for entrepreneurial thinking was needless and that everyone had a responsibility to think rationally which in his view was thinking intelligently. Max Weber had a host of General presuppositions for the existence of modern day capitalism such as rational capital accounting. This involves the appropriation of all physical means of production as the property of independent private enterp mounts. Freedom of the market, in the sense of the absence of irrational limits on trading in the market. Rational technology, to permit the required calculability. This implies mechanization. Calculable law, the reliableness of calculable adjudication and administration. Free (not slave or serf) labour, people legally in the position to, and economicalally compelled to, sell their labour on the market without prohibition and commercialization of economic life general use of commercial instruments to submit share rights in enterprise and also in property ownership. hom o labour is treated like a commodity according to Weber. A negative aspect one can find in the thoughts of Webers capitalist thinking is that because the persons labour is a commodity that should be distanced from the persons life the person loses all sense of individuality and makes the human almost robotic and just a clog in the machine that is the economy of a country. Rationality pervade like a drug from peoples everyday rational lifestyle to the economic sphere in terms of production. People became more orderly and rational as in their eyes it seemed to pay. Rationality had become an integral aspect of their everyday life and therefore was passed on to the working world. slightly people are lead to believe that Max Weber is the real don of sociology and the sociology of religion. His conceptions, analyses and constructs have a universal significance in the history of science. A great deal that we understand near religion can be accounted for by Webers rationalistic view on r eligion and how it related to the economy. In one of Webers famous books The protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism he compares phantasmal belief to both cognitive and economic rationalisation. Weber declares that Weber argued that certain Protestant ideas, particularly John Calvins understanding of predestination that distasteful people cannot know directly whether they are part of Gods elect to whom the deck of salvation is offered, favoured rational pursuit of economic gain and worldly activities. attendant insecurity on the part of Protestants, and their fear of eternal damnation, led them to seek signs indicating Gods direction for their lives and affirmation of their correct behaviour. By saying that Max Weber is indicating that hard work and success were what was required to be favoured by g-d. This resulted in the public being encouraged and determined to accumulate wealth. According to Weber, one of the universal tendencies that Christians had historically fought aga inst was the desire to profit. After defining the spirit of capitalism, Weber argued that there were many a(prenominal) reasons to look for the origins of modern capitalism in the religious ideas of the reformation. The inherent logic of those doctrines and the advice based upon them, both directly and indirectly, encouraged supply and self-denial in the pursuit of economic gain. Weber quoted historical writings of Benjamin Franklin such as Remember that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle, one half of that day, though he spends but sixpence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides. Remember, that money is the prolific, generating constitution. Money can render money, and its subject can beget more, and so on. Five shillings off is six, turned again is seven and three pence, and so on, till it becomes a snow pounds. The more there is of it, the more it produces every turning, so that the profits rise quicker and quicker. He that kills a breeding sow destroys all her offspring to the thousandth generation. He that murders a crown destroys all that it might have produced, even scores of pounds. This quote encapsulates Webers obsession with spreading his rationalistic way of thinking to increase profit and streng thusly the economy. In the West Weber found a radio link between religion and economic rationalism which broadened into all spheres of life. Much modern thinking can be accounted for by Webers views on religious rationalization and the further implications that resulted in people putt the need to make money ahead of religion itself. Weber theorized that payoff of religious ideas in the west unintentionally brought just about the emergence of economic rationality.When viewing the theories of Weber and how they relate to how the modern world is run, in terms of religion it is important to also focus on aspects such as culture, society and politics when seeing how they have been shaped by ideas of rationalization. within social life a large degree of rationalization has become clearly apparent. Bureaucracy has become run of the mill in the way in which countries are governed, companies are run and the way people social structure their personal lives. A bureaucracy can be defined as a well-defined division of administrative labour among persons and offices, a effect system with consistent patterns of recruitment and stable linear careers, a hierarchy among offices, such that the authority and status are differentially distributed among actors. A great orderliness has been set in place in recent times due to bureaucracy with a clear leader and many to fare off that person. When looking at Webers view of bureaucracy it is important to link it to the way in which modern society is structured. Weber wrote that seven principals concerning the running of a bureauc racy that have become synonymous with the organizational structure. Some of these principals included that official business is conducted on a continuous basis, officials do not own the resources necessary for the performance of their assigned functions but are accountable for their use of these resources and official and private business and income are stringently separated. Webers understanding of legal science is consistent with his methodological contention that rules only make sense in the context of a given form of life. Politics however is far less rationalisable than the economy which whitethorn be why there is such upheaval with the running of a establishment in recent times. We must still regard the political and social aspects of a society rationalised in some way which in no small part in due to the work of Weber.We can also take cognition into account when looking at spheres moulded by rationalism in the modern world. Cognition if the scientific term for process of th ought. .Weber argued that the method of science, whether its subject matter be things or men, always proceeds by abstraction and generalization. According to Weber, differences between the natural sciences and the social sciences arise from differences in the cognitive intentions of the researcher, not from the alleged unsuitability of scientific and broad methods to the subject matter of human action. Weber believed that What distinguishes the natural and a social science is not an inherent difference in methods of investigation, but rather the differing interests and aims of the scientist. both(prenominal) types of science involve abstraction. The richness of the world of facts, both in nature and in history, is such that a total explanation in both realm is doomed to fail. What Weber meant by that is no science can be fully explained in words. Such an explanation would not stick to in giving fully explaining the given science or scientific related realm. HE believed that even in physics it was impossible to predict future events. This is Weber rationalistic way of thinking in its purest form. He is only recognizing what is fact and giving no room to the possible. He does not enjoy variable change rather likes what he knows. He is not recognizing the explanations of science as that is his understanding of the situation by rationalizing it. This way of thinking is still very apparent in modern times. Weber was essentially at odds with those who argued for a morality based on science. In this respect he would be opposed to those psychoanalysts today who select they have a scientific warranty to counsel adjustment or self-actualization, as the case may be, to their patients. This rational way of thinking through science has certainly been carried on to modern times as we have become characterized by our lack of thinking outside the box as we have to rely on the scientists to do the thinking for us.When focusing on how the world is affected by the gradual d isenchantment that has been in effect for many decades, one would have to focus on Webers writing Science as a Vocation where Weber offers an analysis of what it means to engage in science, or intellectual activity, as a profession. In doing so, he makes the claim that the modern world is one that is disenchanted. A disenchanted world has goodish implications in the political realm, in the form of both an increased vastness of politics, and an increased difficulty in fulfilling the obligations which accompany this importance. This is just one of the many facets that add to how we are affected by the disenchantment. Weber notes that the average modern person is no more (indeed, even less) aware of and knowledgeable about the conditions of life under which they live than the average uncivilized person. A unwarranted knows incomparably more about his tools than the rider of a streetcar does about the physics and technology which enable her or his movement. This potentially is the ro ot of the modern worlds disenchantment. By creating an intellectual environment in which anything can in rationale be explained by scientific analysis and/or calculation, intellectual rationalization (as Weber calls it) has removed the possibility of metaphysical, spiritual essentially non-scientific explanations of the world and its features. And this, Weber writes, means that the world is disenchanted. Weber essentially eliminates the need for individualism and imaginative thinking by his claims that everything can be explained by science. Webers claim regarding the disenchantment of the world has consequences in many areas of human activity. One area in which intellectualizations consequences are particularly important is the realm of the political. Disenchantment contributes to confusion or loss of values in the political realm, and in doing so increases the ram on politics to somehow fill the gap leftfield by disenchantment. Disenchantment becomes particularly important p rior to intellectualization the solutions to problems now intercommunicate by scientific analysis and calculation were drawn from metaphysical realms like religion. In discussing the relation between religion and science, Weber notes the following that science today is irreligious no one will doubt in his innermost being, even if he will not admit it to himself. It seems then that intellectualization, by replacing non-scientific means with scientific means of answering our questions, has left us with a challenging void. Scientific analysis and calculation may answer more precisely a great many of our questions about the world we live in, but since it cannot answer our most significant questions, it leaves us spiritually unfulfilled and devoid of the faith by which we were once consoled.In conclusion when analysing the Max Weber statement and dissecting it into the three processes of thinking, rationalization, intellectualisation and disenchantment the modern world is clearly affect ed by all three. These ways of thinking lead to a process of actions that clearly affect most aspects of the modern world such as politics, culture, science and religion.

Natural vs Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Polymer

Natural vs Synthetic Fiber Reinforced PolymerConcrete technology as a branch discipline of technology requires increase in the degree of specialization and con loyalation of the persona solid in the cementum matrix form confused materials. It requires knowledge of the concepts related to the interaction in the midst of the subroutine and adhesive cement, mortar or matrix cover that bend the harvest-feastion and constitution of the product. The scientists and engineers bind been actively exploring to find the materials that will be apply as replacement of conventional materials that can provide a feature best new design and innovation to enhance the material.The discipline of grapheme technology is in the line with the growth of knowledge of the material. succeeding(a) the uplifted demand and innovation in applying fictional character, the fictitious character technology has get outd several(a) kinds of fibers effectiveness for commercialization. Participation fiber musical accompaniment in cover, mortar and cement adhesive tap to improve the engineering properties of many establish materials such(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as fracture bulwark, bending strength and guard to fatigue, impact, thermal wound or chipping. Consolidation of materials in the form of cement mortar or cover has become an attraction as a building material beca commit of goods and services it is inexpensive, has the resilience and has a compressive strength and stiffness sufficient for restructuring. However, the disadvantages argon find on fragile nature, tensile strength and impact of the weak as well as receptive to moisture movement. Hence, beef up by fibers that adjudge heighten capabilities offer a suitable alternative, practical and economical to bastinado the lack of features of conventional cover or mortar.Elements of a fiber is a continuous filament in the form of an express term tabloid or spreadsheet form. Fibers can generally be categorise into three types man-made fibers, inbred fibers and mineral fibers. Synthetic fibers argon man-made fibers. It is human footd chemicals such as petrochemicals and synthetic substance fibers derived mostly from nylon, polyster, aerylic polymer and polyacrylonitrile fibers utilise to make fiberglass. There is besides a bundle of fibers that make the polymer chain is as strong as aramid and chain bond length as dyneema.While natural fiber derived from natural sources, from industrial plants and animals. Plant fibers ar cellulose and lignin-based stacks such as cotton, jute, coir, fossil oil palm bunches, flax and so on. It can be obtained from seeds (cotton, kapok), leaf (pineapple, banana), leather plant (jute, kenaf, rattan, hemp), fruit (coconut, palm) and straw (rice, wheat, barley, grass). Next, animal fibers derived from protein particles like silk and wool. For mineral fibers, it derived from the earths crust and it happens naturally. It is b ased on asbestos fibers (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite), ceramic fibers (glass wool, quartz, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide) and fiber-metal ( brand, aluminum).However, both of natural and synthetic fiber strengthened cover look at their own challenges and weakness. Nothing is being done without deficiencies. Synthetic fiber however has more(prenominal) than challenges than natural fiber be name of its mathematical product. succeeding(a) development of natural and synthetic fiber reinforced polymer concrete will make us want to investigate more more or less them.OBJECTIVESTo know about polymer concrete and why fiber being reinforced in it.To outline the characteristics of natural and synthetic fiber reinforced polymer concrete.To describe the challenges in environs while using both entangled materials in construction.To describe the future development in both involved materials. habitualations REVIEWPOLYMER CONCRETE AND ITS CHA RACTERISTICSPolymer concrete is a composite material in which the ligature consists entirely of a synthetic organic polymer. It is variously cognize as synthetic resin concrete, simply resin concrete or plastic resin concrete. Because the use of a polymer instead of Portland cement represents a substantial increase in cost, polymers should be utilize only in applications in which the high schooler(prenominal) cost can be justified by superior properties, gloomy labor cost or low cipher requirements during processing and handling. It is therefore important that architects and engineers dumbfound some knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of polymer concrete materials in order to select the most appropriate and economic product for a specific application.Polymer concrete consists of a mineral filler such as an aggregate and a polymer binder which whitethorn be a thermoplastic, however more frequently, it is a thermo mountain polymer. When sand is utilise as a filler, the composite is referred to as a polymer mortar. Other fillers accommodate chalk, gravel, limestone, small stone, condensed silica fume (silica flour, silica dust), quartz, clay, granite, expanded glass, and metallic fillers. Generally, any dry, non- disembowelent, solid material can be used as a filler.To produce polymer concrete, a monomer or a pre-polymer which mean a product resulting from the partial tone polymerization of a monomer, a hardener (cross-linking agent) and a catalyst ar combine with the filler. Other ingredients added to the flick include plasticizers and fire retardants. Sometimes, silane coupling agents be used to increase the bond strength between the polymer matrix and the filler. To achieve the effective potential of polymer concrete products for certain applications, various fiber reinforcements atomic number 18 used. These include glass fiber, glass fiber-based mats, cloths and metal fiber. Setting times and times for development of maximum stren gth can be readily varied from a few minutes to several hours by adjusting the temperature and the catalyst system. The amount of polymer binder used is generally small and is usually determined by the surface of the filler. Normally the polymer content will range from 5 to 15 per centum of the total weight, but if the filler is fine, up to 30 percent whitethorn be required.Polymer concrete composites have generally unattackable rampart to flak by chemicals and other corrosive agents, good resistance to abrasion, have rattling low water system sorption properties and good marked freeze-thaw stability. Also, the greater strength of polymer concrete in comparison to that of Portland cement concrete permits the use of up to 50 percent less material. This puts polymer concrete on a competitive dry land with cement concrete in certain special applications. The chemical resistance and physical properties are generally determined by the nature of the polymer binder to a greater ex tent than by the type and the amount of filler. In turn, the properties of the matrix polymer are highly dependent on time and the temperature to which it is exposed.The viscoelastic properties of the polymer binder give rise to high creep values. This is a promoter in the restricted use of polymer concrete in structural applications. Its overrefinement response is highly variable depending on formulation the elastic moduli may range from 20 to about 50 GPa, the tensile failure distort being usually 1 percent. Shrinkage strains vary with the polymer used. For example, high for polyester and low for epoxy-based binder. It must be taken into account in an application.A full variety of monomers and pre-polymers are used to produce polymer concrete. The polymers most frequently used are based on four types of monomers or pre-polymer systems methyl methacrylate (MMA), polyester pre-polymer-styrene, epoxide pre-polymer hardener (cross-linking monomer) and furfuryl alcohol. bow 1 Ge neral Characteristics And Applications of Polymer Concrete ProductsPoly (methylmethacrylate)General CharacteristicsLow tendency to absorb water. As a result, high freeze-thaw resistance low rate of shrinkage during and after setting. Outdoor durability and good chemical resistance.Typical Applications utilize in the diligence of faade plates, stair units and sanitary products for curbstones.PolyesterGeneral Characteristics skilful adhesion to other materials, relatively strong, good chemical and freeze-thaw resistance but have high-setting and post-setting.Typical ApplicationsBecause of lower cost, widely used in panels for public and commercial pipes, buildings, floor tiles, stairs, various precast and cast-in applications in construction works. epoxy resinGeneral CharacteristicsStrong adhesion to most building materials, low shrinkage, good creep and fatigue resistance, superior chemical resistance and low water sorption.Typical ApplicationsEpoxy polymer products are relatively costly. They are mainly used in special applications including use in mortar for industrial flooring, skid-resistant overlays in highways, epoxy plaster for exterior walls and resurfacing of deteriorated structures. furane-based polymerGeneral CharacteristicsComposite materials with high resistance to chemicals which most acidic or basic aqueous media, strong resistance to polar organic liquids such as ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated commingles.Typical ApplicationsFuran polymer mortars and grouts are used for brick such as carbon brick and red shale brick, floors and linings that are resistant to chemicals, elevated temperatures and thermal shocks.Source Blaga, A. and Beaudoin, J.J., (1985). Polymer Concrete. Canadian Building allow published November 1985.THE CHARACTERISTICS OF vulcanized fiber AND TOUGHNESS CONCEPTCharacteristics of fiber in use to hardened concrete Fibers should be significantly stiffer than the matrix which has a higher modulus of elasticity t han the matrix.Fiber content by volume must be adequate.There must be a good fiber-matrix bond.Fiber length must be sufficient.Fibers must have a high chance ratio. Means that they must be long relative to their diameter.Toughness is delimitate as the area under a load-deflection (or stress-strain) curve. Adding fibers to concrete greatly increases the toughness of the material. That is, fiber-reinforced concrete is able to sustain load at deflections or strains oftentimes greater than those at which cracking first appears in the matrix.NATURAL FIBER strengthen POLYMER CONCRETE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICSPotential use of natural fiber reinforced concrete in the application of natural fibers has long attracted the attention of researchers. sundry(a) researches has been conducted in many countries for a variety of mechanised properties, physical accomplishment and durability of materials reinforced by natural fibers. Natural fibers are categorized as organic waste from plants such as fiber coconut, sisal, bagasse, jute, timber dust and so on.Natural fiber reinforced concrete is basically a special concrete where it contains fibers with a small diameter, independently and haphazardly distributed in the cement matrix. Uniform distribution in the cement matrix, alter to an increase in the tensile and resistance to cracking, impact and improved the ductileness values for the good aspects of energy absorption. Although many types of fibers were used as reinforce material in concrete, the use of natural fibers had long been in population and there is a lot of evidence of the usage of these fibers in the fib of civilization. Nature has given human the fiber reinforced material in the form of wood, bamboo and other plants. The use of straw in mud bricks and one dollar bill hair in the mortar has the potential of natural fibers.Only in the late 1960s and early 1970s, research began to study the potential use of various types of natural fibers as reinforcement material in the slab concrete and cement-based composite materials. Natural fiber reinforced cement or concrete products that use fibers such as coir, sisal, sugar bagasse, bamboo and so on have been produced and tested in more than 40 countries. For economic reasons in ontogenesis countries where natural fibers is so much available, it is demanding for construction industry players to enhance the advantage of these resources in an effective and economical as to introduce composite materials for residential use and others.Basic needs use of natural fibers as reinforcement material in concrete matrix is tensile strength and high elastic modulus, the bond between the matrix and fiber, good chemical composition, horse barn geometry and good durability.SYNTHETIC FIBER reinforce POLYMER CONCRETE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICSSynthetic fibers are man-made fibers resulting from research and development in the petrochemical and textile industries. There are 2 different physical fiber forms mon ofilament fibers, and fibers produced from fibrillated tape. Currently there are two different synthetic fiber volumes used in application, videlicet low-volume percentage (0.1 to 0.3% by volume) and high-volume percentage (0.4 to 0.8% by volume). Most synthetic fiber applications are at the 0.1% by volume level. At this level, the strength of the concrete is considered unaffected and crack control characteristics are sought. Fiber types that have been well-tried in concrete matrices include acrylic, aramid, carbon, nylon, polyester, polyethylene and polypropylene.The characteristics is depend on the types of synthetics used to reinforced with polymer concrete. Different fiber has different properties. Adding carbon fiber decrease the unit weight of polymer concrete. Carbon fiber provides much higher compressive strength, furrow strength and ductility of polymer concrete. PVC and polypropylene fibers did not significantly persuade the compressive strength and gave the lowest p ulse velocities and modulus.NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER CONCRETE CHALLENGESThe challenges of polymer concrete are the monomers of polymer can be volatile, combustible and toxic. Initiators, which are used as catalysts, are combustible and harmful to human skin. The promoters and accelerators are besides dangerous.Natural fibers are emerging as lightweight, low cost, and more environmentally rather than synthetic fibers in composites. This is because natural fiber production has lower environmental impacts compared to synthetic fiber production.natural fiber composites have higher fiber content for equivalent performance, reducing more polluting base polymer content.the light-weight natural fiber composites improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in the use phase of the component, especially in auto applications.end of manners incineration of natural fibers results in recovered energy and carbon credits.A compound reinforced with natural fibers is not only l ow density, low-cost, and abrasion resistant, it also offers an absence of toxicity and better dimensional stability.Polyester raw material releases high amounts of carbon dioxide. This rapidly increases global warming, which is why polyester and other synthetic fabrics are widely discouraged. The other reason is that some synthetic fabrics come from non-renewable resources such as oil. Eventually rise of these synthetic fibers usage have been create environmental problems such as dumping and recycling. In addition, glass fiber can cause acute irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Mainly concerns have been raised for long term disease such as malignant neoplastic disease and lung scarring. Moreover, when released, glass fiber does not decompose and hence again it results in environmental pollutions, as well as, threaten animal life and nature along.Therefore, one of the solutions is using natural fibers instead of synthetic fibers in create composites materials as t hey are renewable. Also the consumption of renewable resources would provide absolute image for sustainability of green environment. Natural fibers are less harmful to the environment and the society because they are derived from plants and animals which are more eco-friendly. Products which manufactured from natural fabric eventually dissolves into the earth. Plant and animal based fabrics are a part of the evolutionary process of life. They return to the earth to return once more to life.Synthetic fibers are more harmful to the environment because they are enhanced with chemicals. Polyester and nylon fabrics are made from a substance which creates nitrous oxide. Materials that are labeled petrochemical, flame retardants, nylon, acetate and non-wrinkle are all chemically treated. Chemicals which used for the manufacture of synthetic fabrics is harmful and can enter into the water supply and cause health problems. Also workers who are continuously exposed to dangerous chemicals are at risk for developing auto-immune diseases and disease of the lung. Products made from petrochemicals take geezerhood to break down, creating a constant need for landfills. Synthetic products that are given into the ocean are a threat to marine life. The threat to aquatic animals will eventually precipitate a food shortage.Although, synthetic fibers may offer softer fabrics and more durable materials, the long term effect on the environment far outweigh any advantages. The high cost of gasolene along with global awareness of how natural fibers improve overall timber of life will help motivate manufacturers to find more modern ways to utilize natural fibers.NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER CONCRETE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTSynthetic Although not investigated extensively, the use of two or more fiber types in the same concrete mix is considered promising. The decision to mix two fibers may be based on the properties that they may individually provide or simply based on economics. Considerable improvement in the load deflection response was observed mixing steel with polypropylene fibers. In a more late(a) study, steel micro-fibers (25 microns in diameter and 3 mm long) and carbon micro-fibers (18 microns in diameter and 6 mm long) both in mono- and loan-blend- forms were investigated. In the mono-form, steel fiber provided better strengthening than the carbon fiber and carbon fiber provided better toughening than the steel fiber. Interestingly, in the hybrid form (in combination), they both bear their individual capacities to strengthen and toughen. It appears possible, therefore, that by properly controlling fiber properties and cartel them in appropriate proportions, one can actually tailor-make hybrid fiber composites for specifically designed applications.Natural Environmental awareness and depletion of the oil color resources are among vital factors that motivate a number of researchers to explore the potential of reusing natural fiber a s an alternative composite material in industries such as packaging, automotive and building constructions. However, their applications are still restrict due to several factors like moisture absorption, poor wettability and large spread in mechanical properties. Among the main challenges on natural fibers reinforced matrices composite is their inclination to entangle and form fibers agglomerates during processing due to fiber-fiber interaction. So, the research on natural fiber is being done by mercerization manipulation on mechanical properties enhancement of natural fiber reinforced composite or so-called bio composite. It specifically discussed on mercerization parameters, and natural fiber reinforced composite mechanical properties enhancement. It was found that the most parameters used in mercerization treatment were pedestal concentration, fiber soaking temperature and fiber soaking duration. Although similar types of reinforced fiber are used, it could give different val ues in its final composite mechanical properties due to different parameter setting during a mercerization treatment process. Therefore, there is a significant need to conduct further work focusing on main effect and interaction effect of mercerization parameters setting toward enhancement of natural fiber reinforce composite mechanical properties.decisivenessIn conclusion, natural fiber reinforced polymer concrete has more environmentally characteristics than the synthetic one. But, in the context of advantages, synthetic fiber reinforced polymer concrete has more than natural. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. Because of several characteristics of natural fibers such as moisture absorption, poor wettability and large scattering in mechanical properties, thus it makes reinforcement with polymer concrete a bit less advantageous. Future works will be needed to improve the properties of both natural and synthetic fiber reinforced polymer concrete included with environment impacts.

Main Reason Behind Trade Union Decline Commerce Essay

Main Reason Behind passel colligation Decline Commerce EssayTrade Union decline is instantly common across the world. However, in the first half of the last light speed couplings were at the zenith of their power, and were al nigh synonymous with occupation relations in most of the industrialised nations. They were perhaps the that vehicle for employee voice through embodied negociate and industrial action in those times (Freeman and Medoff, 1984). Since the early 1950s, the centre movement started seeing a downf any in the United States (Blanchflower and Bryson,2008). time the effect was much pronounced and early in the USA, the cause soon caught up in the UK and European nations. By the 1980s, the effects started to show dramatic all in ally on core rank and density figures in UK. Countries like Australia (Waddoups, 2001), Japan, India, and china (Kuruvilla et al.,2002) constitute too seen a southward trend in rank and file since the 1990s. Even in a country li ke Germany where the inwardness rank and file has not declined sizeably, a variety of factors suggest that concretion power has been declining (Katz, 2005). In the UK, as per the WERS2004 data, aggregate membership density vicious from everyplace 50% in the recent mid-s flushties to around 30% by 2000. The bit of work orchestrates with aggregate members present fell from 73% in 1984 to 54% by 1998. The proportion of workplaces where portion outs Unions ar recognised by employers fell from 53% in 1990 to 45% in 1998. The number of employees whose hold is determined by incarnate bargaining fell from around 70% in the late 1970s to 27% in 2004 (Bryson and Forth, 2010). But why is membership so cardinal? Unions derive power by controlling the supply of labour through union organisation and thus union membership is an indicator (or alternatively a prerequisite) of shed light on out union power (Blyton Turnbull, 2004 p138). The other headspring of union regulate is t heir voice inwardly the political arena and the ability to hamper businesses through industrial action. All of these feature taken a knockout since the 1980s owing to multiple influences arguably leading to membership decline. The kitchen start out of this essay is to examine the critical agreements for this decline through the workers lens mostly in the UK, with support from similar trends in other explodes of the world. It is this instant beyond dispute that union membership and density discombobulate move beyond imagination causing much(prenominal) agony to unionists, only, what needs to be explored is whether the perception of unions in the eyes of the worker has indeed diminished. Hence diminish Worth, Increasing Woes mogul live with been an apt title for this essay. The CBIs Director of occupation Affairs had once quoted collective bargaining no longer presents itself as the only or even the most obvious method of treatment relations at work fewer employees and employers feel the need for union mediation in their dealings (Gilbert 1993 252 as cited by Claydon in Beardwell,1996 p144) Millward et al, (2000) be in possession of also concluded that union membership decline was the result of a withering of ardor on the part of workers ( cited in Charlwood, 2003) So, one efficacy be tempted to agree that workers no longer see value in membership but there is not one single basis which commode be attributed to this precipitous fall in union membership. A myriad of factors like the political landscape of the times along with the sub judice reforms, some macro and micro-economic issues, and the socio-demographic changes look at to be considered. In fact, some researchers have looked internal to hint that unions are the architects of their own fall (Dunn, 2009). In society to understand the causations for decrease in union membership, it might be circumspect to ask , why do workers touch base a union?Why or Why Not Unions? The main motive for employees to conglutination a union comes from a plura contestation stare where they feel they have different interests from managers (Bacon in Redman Wilkinson, 2006). Waddington and Whitstone(1997), provide the top two reasons as to why employees continue to join unions first, to get support if there was any trouble and second, to improve their pay and conditions. Guest Dewe, advocate a relationship between job dissatisfaction and leave aloneingness to enrol (1988) Ratified to some degree by Charlwood,(2002). The rational choice surmise explains that workers are inclined to join a union if the benefits they receive hand the personify of joining (Guest and Dewe,1988). The sociological point of thought process provided is that, an various(prenominal)s social context, agnatic occupation and pattern of social interaction are likely to influence the desire to be a union member (Guest and Dewe,1988 Visser, 2000). thitherfore, people do come with a pre-conceived be lief whether to join or not join a union which might get subsequently modified establish on their experience and political inclination(Charlwood, 2002). Hyman was quoted on BBC News, (2004), being a union member has ceased to be the social norm, and a forward-looking generation has swel lead up who not only are not pot unionists, but whose parents have never been in unions either. John Monks (2001), former General depository of the TUC, also confessed, there is a general assumption among non-union workers that unions are for soft collar workers with problems, not white collar workers with opportunities (Blyton and Turnbull,2004 p141). These socio-psychological contexts are to be borne in mind before we look at the other reasons which might have influenced workers attitudes and thereby union membership.Thatcherism 10 Downing Street is considered to be the place where it all began where the future of purpose relations in the UK was rewritten by the button-down government under Mrs Thatcher in 1979. The impact of the iron ladys legislative reforms on trade unions and membership is an all time favourite with most writers. The elision of unions from any role in national policy making, encouraging worry to assume slap-uper control within the workplace (Waddington, as cited in Edwards 2003 p216) were restrain hits on the source of the Unions power. At the peak of union membership and density in 1979, virtually 40 per cent of all trade unionists (23% of all workers) were covered by a closed shop (Dunn and Gennard, 1984). So in 1980, when closed shop agreements were almost made illegal, coverage fell to 8% and in 1990 to 2 %.(Millward et al., 2000 as in Blyton and Turnbull 2004). The 1982 Employment Act, also delivered a severe blow to the Unions which had its desired repercussions (Taylor, 2000). In fact, the WERS98 data indicates that only a minority of members (46%) believe that unions can make a dispute to what it is like to work here( Cully et all,1999 , p213) Blyton and Turnbull suggest the reason behind this cynical view might be the impact of the rule that weakened both individual and collective employment rights (2004). Hence government legislation combining with employer policies can be seen as a synergistic project to create a potent gradualist route to union exclusion (Smith and Morton 1993 100 as cited in Beardwell 1996 p156). But this might not hold true in hindsight today, since the buttoned-ups have lost power for over 15 years and yet the trend has not reversed or even rectified even subsequently some of the future governments have taken a liberal view of the unions with the statutory support for unions reinstated in 1999. In his book charting the addition and lead of the TUC, Robert Taylor (2000) indicates that the union leadinghip was well aware of the ever-changing times much before the Thatcher government came into power and that the termites of ineffective leadership had already hollowed the unions from with in so when the winds blew hard after the winter of discontent the structure retributive fell apart as a natural process.Union De-recognition Managements attitudes towards unions and their maturation indifference to union recognition has also been considered to be an additive to union decline (Disney et al., 1995). Ackers and Payne are of the view that, businesses are increasingly turning unconnected to unions (1998). Edwards, mentions a unitary view where unions are looked upon as external morbid elements causing disturbance to management (2003). Encouraged by the changing legislations, management in the private sector did not miss the opportunity to sideline unions. term they did not really work towards de-recognition, they carefully eliminated collective bargaining rights alter pay conditions from unions in newer and private sectors (Beaumont and Harris, 1995). This has been a key determinant in membership decline as mentioned by Bryson and Forth, (2010). Thus, Charlwood, (2 003) agrees any withering of enthusiasm for unions on the part of the workforce was a response to the assertion of managerial prerogatives. Undoubtedly, the presence of a union is the least required for an employee to join a union. Green (1990), for example, found that ( using data from the general household position) 30% of female part-time workers were Union members, but where a union was open to join, the membership rose to almost 60%. The 1998 British Social Attitudes survey shows 40% of non union employees expressed a willingness to join a union if they had one. If all these people join a union then membership will increase by 3.2 million, this is consistent with similar studies in northwards America (cited in Charlwood, 2003).Rise of HRM When the news of alternative practices in non nonionic companies like IBM and HP travelled the Atlantic in the early 80s, it unnatural management practices here in the UK and Europe as well. It has been suggested by Lucio and Weston(1992, as cited in Blyton Turnbull,1992) that unions were unable to focus on the emerging issues concerning employment much(prenominal) as health and safety, equal opportunities, worker participation and others and continued to mull on the narrow areas of pay and conditions and as they neglected to tie the new issues back into collective bargaining , the legislative framework surrounding these issues leftfield(p) management the task of unifying these rights within Employment relations as HRM. In a study of an IBM plant in the UK by Dickson et al(1988), employees determine with the individualistic ethos of the company and deemed no requirement for a Union, since the company provided them with practised pay and conditions, fair performance management systems and incentives, opportunities for growth and development, job surety and grievance mechanisms, and a positive ER climate which might have been the functions of a union (cited in Redman and Wilkinson,2006). The ascend of newer p ractices of voice representation and direct employee participation have added to the agony of traditional IR practitioners. These HRM strategies are perceive by trade unionists as an encroachment into their territory (Blyton and Turnbull, 1992) However, empirical indicate does not support this view in totality. The first general decision from WERS98 is that HRM practices are strongly associated with a recognised union presence (Cully et all 1999). Guest (2001), mentions in the 1998IPD survey among union members 26% employees felt they were to a biger extent fairly treated because they were union members only about 3 percent felt that they were treated less fairly. This means about 69% were oblivious about unions a similar trend showed in non union members where almost 70% thought union membership made no difference. It also showed that workers are much likely to put credence to a union at work where they felt management did not have great HRM practices (Storey, 2001).Workforce Composition In the 1950s union membership was largely concentrated among the 3M workers male, manual and manufacturing (Visser, 2000). Between 1999 and 2009, the pedigree of union members became more feminized, older, educated, henpecked by workers in non-manual jobs and those running(a) in the public sector (Bryson and Forth, 2010). many an(prenominal) researchers (Brown et al., 1997 Millward et al., 1992, Bryson and Gomez, 2005, Towers, 1989) have argued that the changing composition of the workforce, like the shift in employment from manufacturing to services and the growing labor market participation of women and part- time workers have been important contributory factors to lesser propensity to unionisation . However, this is just a symptom, not a diagnosis of the problem. As Kelly(1990) pointed out there is no reason why a decline in manufacturing or growth of female employment should automatically signal a decline in union membership( as cited in Blyton and Turnbull, 2004 p142). A point worth considering is that with the rise in real wages, workers had no stipulation to join unions, while the rampant unemployment of the times provided employers with wider choices and hence an opportunity to resist unionisation. The increase in free-riding and never- membership have also posed a setback to unions as mentioned by Bryson and Forth(2010). at that place are currently almost three million free-riders among the eight-spot million covered employees in Britain. This increasing trend is causing more problems for trade unions since they are representing such workers in collective bargaining without receiving anything in return in terms of membership dues. By 2006-8, half of all employees were never- members (Bryson and Forth,2010). This might be attributed to a rise in individualism among workers as opposed to a collective approach in the past or it might be an indication of failure to organise on part of the Unions.Failure to Organise Undoubtedly, the perc eption of union power has diminished over the years leading to the waning of appetite to join unions. One of the elementary causes might be that Unions could not organise themselves well in the changing years to retain their agenda or increase their agenda. Whether pressurised by legislation or de-recognition by management, unions have accepted concessions in collective bargaining in recent years, which has led to further erosion of their perceived powers. Trade unions were initially slow to meet the neo-liberal challenge posed by the Conservative government, with the consequence that its impact was amplified. Until 1987, the majority of unions openly opposed the legislation and hoped for the option of a Labour Government that would repeal the legislations (Taylor, 2000 Edward 2003). Millward et al, (2000) and Machin (2000) believe the key reason for union decline is their failure to organise workers and gain recognition for collective bargaining in new firms and workplaces. The p oor organisation of the union leaders and stewards has also led to a loss of faith in members and left no choice for workers but to renounce their collective rights and give in to the devils bargain in lieu for a more individualistic employment contract. Geary, (2006) found that only 24 percent of non union employees in enrol companies were ever asked to join the union and the remaining 76% were never even approached. In difficult times as these, this lackadaisical approach has cost unions a lot more than what they could anticipate.Union Response and Future Trends Unions of late have embarked on a series of reforms to policy, structure and activity to poke up their act (Williams, 1997 Wright ACAS, 2011). In spite of the decline in membership, Unions electrostatic have many areas of opportunity. As Hyman (1997) has indicated, workers have a broad range of potential and competing interests, (as cited by Heery, 2003) and Unions as representatives have the choice both in terms of pi cking the interests and the methods. Some studies suggest that HRM initiatives introduced over the past 20 years have had little impact on workers perceptions of them and us ( Kelly and Kelly 1991 drive and Turner 1999) So unions will benefit if they were to take a more proactive approach rather than reactive to HRM practices. Guest (in Storey, 2001) mentions that WERS98 offered a list of golf club conventional items like pay, payment systems, grievances handling, health and safety and training. There was no negotiation with union representatives over any of these nine issues in half the workplaces where unions were recognised. On a average unions negotiated on only 1.1 of the nine issues while non-union reps negotiated over 0.9 issues. Hence, the picture that emerges is one of limited industrial action. There are almost half of all organisations and a majority in the private sectors where there is neither a union presence nor great HR practices this could be an opportunity for uni ons. the other ray of hope for unions is that, the pct of employees in British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) who say the workplace union is doing its job well has been rising since 1997 both among union and non-members (as seen in common fig tree 1. Bryson and Forth, 2010). There is thus some support for the notion that unions have re-oriented themselves in recent years.Fig. 1 Percent age agreeing union doing its job well, 1983-2008 (Note Employees working 10+ hours in unionised workplaces.) Source British Social Attitudes Survey.In conclusion, it cannot be denied that the perceived power of unions has been severely affected and this could have led to workers not seeing value in their membership. The reason why workers might have been indifferent to unions are manifold but the key reason that emerges is the inability of the unions to organise and sell their benefits to their customers. The legislation, alternative management practices, undoubtedly assisted the workers feelings and so the statement given cannot be the main reason for trade union decline. But if we take the BSA in fig 1. above, this notion is easily giving way to some expectations from unions. While the image and brand of trade unions has been severely affected and the damage is considered beyond repair by many, as Purcell (1993) said, this is the end of institution IR, but there are areas where unions can make a difference only if they organise themselves well and there are pockets of opportunity if they are willing to look beyond traditional IR practices. But can they reverse the trend? Do they have the will or skill to do it ? Only time can tell.

The Ant of the Self Essay -- essays research papers

The Ant of the egoMost seventh graders know the principle that oil and body of water mountt mix. No matter how much the solution is shaken or stirred, the water will settle to the bottom and the oil will trick out above to the surface. These attributes describing water and oil directly describe the relationship amid Spurgeon and beam of light, the two main characters in ZZ Packers The Ant of the Self. Spurgeon, the water and intelligent boy of Ray Bivens Jr., finds himself elevator carrying the burden of supporting his self-centered, inappreciative father, the oil, on his shoulders. absent-minded to his sons needs as well as new(prenominal)s in the story, Ray tramples over the true meaning of an intimate relationship and worsens or even crumbles his existing ones. When thinking about a father and son relationship, one would imagine love, respect, and support, however, in terms of Spurgeon and Rays relationship, it seat be described as a business transaction. Spurgeon supp orts his father passim the story although he knows his fathers misleading ways. On the other hand, Spurgeon does not get any recognition from his father for being there. For example, at the beginning of the story, Spurgeon bails his father out of jail with his money he pull in from debate. Instead of thanking him and showing his appreciation, Ray says, Opportunities. Youve got to invest your money if you want opportunities (72). Ray already thinks about fast ways of making money and during the car ride,...

Overcoming Communication Barriers between Genders Essay -- Gender Diffe

Roles of men and women Of the legion(predicate) changes which choose taken place in American society since public War II, one of the greatest has been in the roles of men and women. Members of both genders fetch lived multiple roles in the past, but these were generally established ones, such as men being the wage earners and women the caregivers. chat followed largely defined ethnical and societal norms. Usually, nuances in speech and in body language could pronto be interpreted. As Archie Bunker nostalgically sang in boob tubes "All in the Family," "... and you knew who you were then girls were girls and men were men."Many of the roles down remained the same, but now they frequently are carried out by members of either gender. Women have careers in engineering or sports a growing consequence of men have full-time care of home, children, and the disabled. Both men and women have a variety of jobs in the workplace and positions in the hierarchy of management. Communication between the genders has become more prevalent and pervasive in society, as norms have changed. When one adds the mobility of the American population and the differences among the cultures they represent, both the importance and difficulty of effective communicating increases. Now medical and sociological researchers are go aid, even across cultural lines, in gender communication. Communication differences fewer Americans evanesce with as more different types of individuals of both genders as U.S. legions chaplains and chaplain assistants as they interact with each new(prenominal), and provide religious support to soldiers, family members, and other civilians worldwide. Their roles and orientation to people often give them special insights in communication. The chase observations, however, may also be helpful to both men and women. custody are widely observed to come quickly to the point they aspiration to make, while women tend to use more detail in track u p to the point. In communicating with women, men may become yearning as they search for the point, or lose interest. If they interrupt, women can be spoil or offended.In talking with men, therefore, women can use two techniques to communicate more effectively. First, begin with the point, or "bottom line," if possible. Second, omit unnecessary detail.On the other hand, men can refrai... ...relate nonsense words, men used only the left sides of their brains but after the majority of women processed the information on the left sides of their brains. They used the right side to relate additional examples. index this difference have any bearing on the fact that women as a group usually include more detail in their speech?Conclusion Knowledge may continue to expand many enigmas of speech and behavior may be solved. But good communication between individuals can continue to be based on the commandment underlying all the examples described above. This precept, shared by the g reat religions of the world, is humanity caring for each other.BIBLIOGRAPHY Glass, Lillian, "How to Communicate Better with the Opposite Sex," Bottom border/Personal, August 15, 1996. _____, "Perspectives on Literacy, Gender, and Change," British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 16, Issue 4, December 1995.Richardson, Susan, "S/HE Brains," Discover Magazine, June 1995.Margaret Robertson served as a program analyst in the Directorate of Combat Developments at the Chaplain School until her retirement in manifest 1997.Army Chaplaincy

Alzheimers Disease and Downs Syndrome Essay -- Downs Syndrome Triso

Alzheimer and Downs SyndromeDown?s Syndrome, Trisomy 21, or Mongolism is oneness of the most common causes of mental retardation. The majority of Down?s Syndrome patients hold up a moderate retardation although it can range from mild to severe. Trisomy 21 occurs in about 1 in 800 live births. This incidence increases markedly as the age of the mother increases over 35. The prevalence in children natural to young mothers is 1 in 1000, while it increases to almost 1 in 40 in children born to mothers over 40. Most individuals with Down?s Syndrome have characteristic features such as upward slanted eyes, loose flattened face, short neck, and a prominent tongue. Muscle coordination is often impair in these individuals, resulting in uncoordinated posture and balance. Congenital heart distemper is found in forty percent of these individuals, along with a get on twenty fold increase in the risk of kidney malformation, thyroid ab blueprintities, diabetes, leukemia. neurological retarda tion and impaired immune systems render these individuals more susceptible to contagious disease and disease. In the early l900s, Downs Syndrome patients rarely lived to reach the age of twenty, as they save had a life expectancy of about 10 years. With the advances of modern health care, most individuals, excluding those with irreparable heart damage, live to reach adulthood. Although it is still shorter than normal adults, their life expectancy has increased to about fifty-five. The disorder was initially expound as Mongolism by British physician John Langdon Down. numerous theories for the etiology of this condition surfaced, including racial regression, endocrine gland dysfunction, and uterine exhaustion. It was non until the 1930s that Adrian Bleyer hypothesized tha... ...e of ALZ-50 reactive neurons and the formation of senile plaques. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 1992, 109 593-598. Raghavan, R. detecting of Lewy Bodies in Trisomy 21. Can. J. Neurol. Sci., 199 3, 2048-51. Goodison. Neuronal and Glial Gene Expression in Neocortex of Down?s Syndrome and Alzheimer Disease. Journal of Neurol. and Exp. Neurol., 1993, 52 (3) 192-198. Hyman, B. T. Down Syndrome and Alzheimer disease. Prog. Clin. Biol. Res., 1992, 379 123-42. Silverman W. Alzheimer neuropathology in mentally retarded. Acta Neuropathol. Berl., 1993, 85(3)260-6. Beyreuther, K. Regulation and expression of the Alzheimer?s Beta amyloid protein in Down?s Syndrome. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1993, 695 91-102. Murata, T. In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy try on premature aging in Down?s Syndrome. Biol. Psychiatry, 1993, 34(5) 290-7.

Sonic Drive-In Restaurant Essay -- Business Analysis

The fast- feed industry is changing everyday. thither are new products macrocosm introduced in the market and new slogans being created. The companies in the fast- fodder industry will do their best to make the greater burger, and to make bigger and better fries. Founded in 1953, sonic has become the largest cheat chain in the nation. Sonic was founded by Troy Smith, Jr. in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His dream was to own his own business. Sonic Drive-In keeps the 1950s existent through its chain of drive-in eating houses, each complete with speaker-based ordering systems and carhop servers - just about on roller skates. Sonics top foes are McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys. McDonalds is the leading competitor in the fast-food industry. McDonalds has the most restaurants with 12,380 locations and has over 364,000 employees. Burger King has 11,350 outlets in 57 countries and territories worldwide. About 75% is located in the United States. Wendys is the terzetto largest quic k-service hamburger restaurant chain in the world, with more than 6,600 restaurants in sum America and international markets. In Exhibit 1, this states the Porters Five Forces Model of disceptation of The Restaurant Industry. Threat of new entrants Because the profit margins are so small, salute is low and anyone can enter into the quick-service restaurant business. Bargaining Power of Buyers The matter Restaurant Association showed that three out of ten customers agreed that food that was prepared at a restaurant or a fast-food restaurant were an important factor in their everyday lives. The survey also express that three out of five customers plan to eat on the premise of quick-service restaurants and seven out of ten said that plan to eat portable or delivery. (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, pg. 367)Customers buy when they feel it is necessary giving them the upper dig on the industry. Bargaining power of suppliers In the quick- service restaurant, the suppliers vary. The y really do not rely distributors as large restaurants do. Threat of new substitutes The restaurant industry is segmented into many parts full service restaurants ($ great hundred billion) quick- service restaurants ($110 billion) away-from-home managed institutions, examples food services for schools and hospitals ($21 billion) and other food industries ($106 billion). (Marshall Jones, 1999). Rivalry among competi... ...que product differentiation but find ways to fasten cost to stay ahead. There is not a perfect final result in the industry. No one can predict the economic because it is ever changing. Sonics specialty menu has allowed the chain to differentiate. Through its increased marketing efforts, Sonic will gain brand recognition and increase its customer base. whole caboodle Cited Hitt, Michael A Hokisson, Robert E. Ireland, RD. Strategic Management. 6th Ed., Masson, Ohio Souht. Wester 2005. Burger King. Burger King Corporation. http//www.bk.com/ Answer.Com. Burger King Corporation. http//www.answers .com/burger%20 McDonalds. McDonalds Corporation. http//www.McDonalds.com/ Answer.Com.McDonalds Corporation. http//www.answers.com/topic/mcdonalds-s Marshall Jones& Co. Restaurants. http//marshalljones.com/new_page_30.htm Restaurant Business. Sonic Says Payment stable Boosted Gains. http//www.restaurantbiz.com/restaurantbusiness/headlines/articles_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000853253 Wendys Restaurant. Wendys International. http//www.wendys.com/ Yahoo Yahoo. Yahoo Finance. http//finance.yahoo.com/?u

The Coup de Grace :: essays papers

The Coup de GraceThe short film, The Coup de Grace is a realistic war movie that illustrates the casualties of war. This film does not glorifies war, instead it get togethers a very realistic view of its aftermath. One of the many artistic techniques pulmonary tuberculosis in this movie is the illusion of action which is achieved by the quick political campaign of the camera. For example, the Captain at the beginning of his search is stationary and facing anterior for a long while. As he is facing forward, the background is in motion giving a sense of action. This means that the world close to him is moving on and time does not stop for no one. in the long run he moves aimlessly for a long time. This shows that to try to find soul in such a situation is not an easy problem to do. He choose to do it alone even though he could have gather some soldiers to help him make the task double-quick if not easier. Perhaps he was afraid of the outcome and how he would grip it emotio nally thus losing his bearing in front of his men. As he is searching, he is very gentle and careful went he turns the death bodies or so to make a positive identification of his assistant. He is giving the bodies the outermost respect even thought they are dead. The captain finally finds his wound best friend. He reacted in an angry and conf white plagued way. The wounded serjeant had regressed to an earlier stage of development to deal with the immense pain of his wound. Seen his friend like this made the captain remember an earlier happy time went the sergeant was free of pain and injuries. The flashback is another artistic technique use in the film. The two friends are conversating and reminiscing their childhood. It is important to notice how yellow discolour the grass is in this scene compared to lather. The sergeants older bother, the major(ip) disturbs their happy conversation. The artistic technique use to do this is shown with an immediate solarise spot. The s ergeant gets up and renders a salute, but the captain does not salutes showing disrespect toward the major. The major expresses his jealously and gives him his assignment adding that if the captain wished, he could give it to someone else of lesser rank.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman -- Charlotte Perkins

The Yellow paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte Perkins Gilmans, The Yellow Wallpaper is a partial autobiography. It was written shortly after the author suffered a nervous breakdown. This twaddle was written to help save people from being driven crazy. Appropriately, this short story is about a mentally huffy woman and her husbands attempts to help her get well. He does so by convincing her that solitude and constant bed rest is the best way to be cured _or_ healed her problem. She is not allowed to write or do anything that would require thinking. The woman is curtail to a room where she slowly begins to go insane. Atrocious yellow paper covers this room and it aids in her insanity. The woman is paternity the story to pull up her insane thoughts against her husbands will. The Yellow Wallpaper begins with the storyteller talking about her illness. She informs the proofreader that her husband, John, is a physician and he believes she is not still sick. This may pull the reader to believe that she really is not sick also. She even says herself I am glad my case is not serious It is revealed soon that she is writing this story to us, the readers, in secret. She feels comfortable writing on the paper and it relieves her. In the story she says, I would not say it to a living soul, of course, simply this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind. This gives the reader and the narrator a very strong connection. For the reader is the only one to tell apart her deepest thoughts. Throughout the entire story, John controls his wife in a sweet but dominant way. According to him, he knows what is best for her. There is even a time where ... ...pressing herself and her story of insanity. The Yellow Wallpaper presents readers with story of a womans insanity. It tells how women were disregarded at times and treated like frail children at others. Ultimately, Jane realized that she held control ov er her own life. It was her responsibility to relieve her reach and tell her story. This is a story of seclusion and escape. The Yellow Wallpaper, being highly autobiographical for Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was written shortly after her own nervous breakdown. The story is part reality for her and part fiction focusing on the interposition that Dr. S. Weir Mitchell enforced upon her which was rest, seclusion, and absolutely no writing, which is what she loved the most. Her story is a stepping-stone in helping to understand depression, liberating women, and expression.

Independence and Failure in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Independence and Failure in Macbeth   Peasants of the early sixteenth century be often pictured carrying a bundle of limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events in Macbeth. Macbeth is one and only(a) of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The thanes ar united by the exponent, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries the bundle by the egest of his brow. They carry the bundle for fires on cold nights, or wars, and to build homes, or castles, to protect them from the elements, or invaders. If the limbs are tied improperly, one limb may slip to the side and cause the peasant, or nation, to stumble or fall. If the limb slides completely out, the rest of the limbs may follow because the bundle is loose. Marriage is point of viewardized a triangle. Each spouse makes up one of the leaning sides, and married couple the lower side. The three together are very strong, but to stand they all must be united. The longer a marriage is h eld the longer the bottom stretches, and the more dependent each person becomes on the other. If one side tries to stand on its own then the second provide fall on the first as it tries to stand. This metaphor also magnificently exemplifies the catastrophe that occurs in Macbeth as both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to separate. Macbeth is a eighteenth century play written by William Shakespeare. Using these cardinal metaphors, the breakdown in the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and between the king and the thanes and how they perfectly parallel each other because each is caused by Macbeths get out to be independent.   According to Websters dictionary, the archaic definition of independence is competence (1148). To be independent is not to be subject to control by others (Gove 1148). This operator that independence is to be in control of ones decisions and to feel they are veracious decisions. Macbeth, on the other hand, feels independence is to not be subor dinate to others homogeneous the king.   To be independent, one must be strong. Inner strength, not corporeal strength, is needed. Inner strength is only accomplished by having a elevated self-esteem. Macbeth does not and must use others to reach for independence. Macbeth needs this strength It Macbeth hurls a universe against a man, and if the universe that strikes is more impressive than the man who is stricken, as great as his size and gaunt as his soul may be he will fall.

The Experimental Film, Fallen Angels Essay -- Movie Film Essays

The Experimental Film, Fallen AngelsThis experimental film makes use of a variety of camera shots to create a unique report that is at times funny, at times violent, and at times sad. It follows a humanity and a woman who are trade partners he is a ten-strike man and she tells him the target. They are attracted to each other, but he does not sine qua non to start a relationship for fear it will destroy their worry relationship. He finds another girl and in the completion decides to end the business relationship because his partner can not get over him. He does, however, agree to one more job, where he ends up getting killed by his target. There is also a parallel story of a schoolboyish man who earns money by annoying people and his relationship with his pay back and the girl he likes. He helps this girl look for the woman her mate is cheating on her with and then the girl goes back to her boyfriend. In the end he meets the girl whose partner died and they ride off into the sunset on his motorcycle. Although there are two separate storylines that converge in the end, the story seems like its prett...

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Steinbecks Themes of Strength and Sacrifice

Themes of Strength and Sacrifice in The Grapes of Wrath,   In Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrath, Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon graphic tout ensembley portray the themes of toilsome point and sacrifice.  They are universal characters, the people who make up the fabric of society in every nation.  Through them we understand the remove for unity and we feel the desperation of the billions of laborers who struggle every day fair(a) to survive.             Throughout the story Ma is a model of the strength of the benignant spirit.  For example, Steinbeck says of her, if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be g ane.  She is the foundation upon which the expect of the family stands.  Just as when a angiotensin converting enzyme driblet of dye is dropped into a glass of water and disperses throughout, her strength permeates to the rest of the family, infusing them with her mightiness.  Also, when the Wilsons car breaks down and Pa proposes splitting up effective for a short time until the car is repaired she threatens him with a jack handle.  She knows that all they have in the world is each another(prenominal) and without each other to hold on to they have nothing.  There is a saying wholeness finds entertain in numbers however in this case comfort is replaced with survival.  In addition, near the end of the book, when the boxcars have flooded and it seems all confide has been lost Ma leads the family to higher ground.  Despite the despair she feels she overcomes it to do what mustiness be done to in certain(predicate) that they survive to live another day.  Her strength gives her the power rise above adve... ...s of people they exploit.  They are in occurrence lower than those they consider subordinate. 1.      Your thesis statement ap pears at the beginning of your paper.  thesis statements generally come at the end of the introductory dissever.  2.      Be sure to cite your quotes with the name of the author and the page number on which the particular quote can be found.  Blah (Steinbeck 13). 3.      You have good consequence paragraph.  You combine the strength of the characters and apply it to the world today. 4.      Overall, you have a strong paper, just be sure to support your writing with quotes from the novel.  You have one good quote but a quote to support the paragraph on Rose of Sharon would have strengthened your paper.   

John Locke and Terrorism :: Philosophy of Terrorism Essays

In 1689, A Letter Concerning Toleration, written by John Locke during his self-imposed exile to his friend Philip von Limborch, was published without the authors knowledge. The Letter bear on religious intolerance. It essentially made the case for religious toleration on the basis of philosophical principles. Locke was concerned with the pronounces toleration of those not subscribing to the orthodox organized religion of the day and, by putting a high value on the preservation of negative liberty, he proposed the toleration of a wide rank of religious beliefs. His expression was at odds with the existing view of the State which, at that time tolerated one, and only one, orthodox belief. barely Lockes Letter is not simply applicable to just the 17th Century. The strength and reasonableness of his arguments mean value that, even today, they are convincing. I intend to show that The Letter hobo reasonably be interpreted to reveal how at least ii of Lockes tether arguments can ap ply to the religious fundamentalists who attacked the Twin Towers on phratry 11th 2001. The perpetrators of that violent incident probably believed the Quran supported the view that, to die whilst killing infidels would punish the wrongdoers and also ensure entry to paradise. But James Rachel in his essay, Ethics and the Bible, has a differing view Islamic fundamentalists excerpt the Quran to justify Holy War against the West, but what does the Quran very say? Mohammed Atta, who led the September 11th attack on the macrocosm Trade Centre, left behind four pages of instructions to his men, which included 21 quotations from the Quran. Most of the quotations were exhortations to patience, promises of eternal life, and the like. As for justifying the attack itself, here are the three most belligerent passages And the only thing they Lord, for knock over our sins and excesses and make our feet potent and give us victory over the infidels. Strike above the neck, and strike at all the ir extremities. Oh Lord, pour your patience upon us and make our feet steadfast and give us victory over the infidels. He also added It is remarkable that this was the scoop out the terrorist could do a Christian would have no trouble producing ofttimes more warlike passages from the Old Testament ThinkIssue One, p. 95 Radical Moslems would be well advised to pause and reflect upon their fundamentalist views which, besides cosmos irrational, are reductio ad absurdum.

The Story Behind the Nazi Gold :: World War II History

The Story stern the Nazi GoldNazi Gold Hard currency looted from treasuries of countries occupied by the Axis powers during World War II. Ingots consisting of opulent limpid down from the teeth of murder victims and weddings bands and jewelry. About two thirds of an estimated $660 million ($7.8 cardinal in todays dollars) in stolen Nazi halcyon passed through Switzerland during the war. And like some(prenominal) sharp businessmen with hot honourables, the Swiss disposed of much of their money quickly - through Portugal mainly, but also to Sweden, Spain, and other central banks (Hirsh 48). in all likelihood no more that $140 million cadaver unaccounted for, and a good portion of that was probably sold onward as well. But what remains of the known Nazi hoard (none of which has been returned to the Jewish community) is charge no more than about $65 million according to the Brussels-based Tripartite Gold Commission, define up after World War II to return stolen luxurious t o national treasuries. Recently the Clinton administration created a commission to search for every Nazi funds that might conduct ended up in U.S. Federal Reserve vaults. We have to be willing not and to focus the spotlight on Switzerland, says Under Secretary of Commerce Stuart Eizenstat. We have to be willing to follow the trail of assets into our own treasury (qtd. in Hirsh 47). This trail though, suggests that there is no huge stash of Nazi sumptuous in Switzerland. The loot has scattered worldwide through numerous transactions and is probably irretrievable. Also, because so many banks were involved, the amount of gold left in Switzerland is probably negligible, contrary to what investigators have until now presumed. At this point the price or returning the Nazi Gold to its rightful owners is not worth the trouble and inconvenience it would create.Documents released in recent months have made it pop off that Swiss banks traded in looted Nazi-gold, and that Swiss businesses made a chance selling arms to the Nazis. In a historical report publish around May 9,1997, it was said that there was no register that the Swiss or other neutral countries knew that gold from the central banks had been smelted together with gold fillings, wedding bands, and other jewelry stolen from Holocaust victims (Sanger). But, Eizenstat found incontrovertible evidence that Swiss bankers knew they were trading in gold that Germany had looted from the treasuries of states it occupied, and also a handwritten ledger sheet from the Reichsbank showed a deposit of 29,996 grams of dental gold into a Swiss account (A harsh.