Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493)

The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493) How was the first voyage of Columbus to the New World undertaken, and what was its legacy? Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships: the Pinta, the Nià ±a, and the Santa Marà ­a. Although Columbus was in overall command, the Pinta was captained by Martà ­n Alonso Pinzà ³n and the Nià ±a by Vicente Yaà ±ez Pinzà ³n. First Landfall: San Salvador On October 12, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor aboard the Pinta, first sighted land. Columbus himself later claimed that he had seen a sort of light or aura before Triana did, allowing him to keep the reward he had promised to give to  whoever spotted land first. The land turned out to be a small island in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although he remarked in his journal that the natives referred to it as Guanahani. There is some debate over which island was Columbus’ first stop; most experts believe it to be San Salvador, Samana Cay, Plana Cays or Grand Turk Island. Second Landfall: Cuba Columbus had explored five islands in the modern-day Bahamas before he made it to Cuba. He reached Cuba on October 28, making landfall at Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. Thinking he had found China, he sent two men to investigate. They were Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, a converted Jew who spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic in addition to Spanish. Columbus had brought him as an interpreter. The two men failed in their mission to find the Emperor of China  but did visit a native Taà ­no village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they promptly picked up. Third Landfall: Hispaniola Leaving Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. The natives called it Haità ­, but Columbus renamed it La Espaà ±ola, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December 25, the Santa Marà ­a ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus himself took over as captain of the Nià ±a, as the Pinta had become separated from the other two ships. Negotiating with the local chieftain Guacanagari, Columbus arranged to leave 39 of his men behind in a small settlement, named La Navidad. Return to Spain On January 6, the Pinta arrived, and the ships were reunited: they set out for Spain on January 16. The ships arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, returning to Spain shortly after that. Historical Importance of Columbus First Voyage In retrospect, it is somewhat surprising that what is today considered one of the most important voyages in history was something of a failure at the time. Columbus had promised to find a new, quicker route to the lucrative Chinese trade markets and he failed miserably. Instead of holds full of Chinese silks and spices, he returned with some trinkets and a few bedraggled natives from Hispaniola. Some 10 more had perished on the voyage. Also, he had lost the largest of the three ships entrusted to him. Columbus actually considered the natives his greatest find. He thought that a new slave trade could make his discoveries lucrative. Columbus was hugely disappointed a few years later when Queen Isabela, after careful thought, decided not to open the New World to slave trading. Columbus never believed that he had found something new. He maintained, to his dying day, that the lands he discovered were indeed part of the known Far East. In spite of the failure of the first expedition to find spices or gold, a much larger second expedition was approved, perhaps in part due to Columbus’ skills as a salesman. Sources Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962 Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Mary Street Short Analysis

* The first stanza depicts the habitual routine of Skrzynecki’s family, as indicated by the use of the phrase â€Å"Each morning† in the third line. This helps evoke a clear sense of normal practice and routine in the lives of the Skrzynecki family. Additionally through the use of industrial imagery; â€Å"rusty bucket†, â€Å"bridge†, â€Å"factory† the audience can see a sense of comfort and connection to their humble surrounds. * The second stanza presents the strong connection that Peter’s parents share with their garden. But while Skrzynecki’s parents take fulfilment in nurturing and fostering the garden (Tended roses and camellias/ Like adopted children), Skrzynecki himself didn’t hold the same values as his parents (I’d ravage the backyard garden/ Like a hungry bird). This contrasting use of simile accurately depicts the sort of cultural background Skrzynecki feels he doesn’t belong to. * The third stanza discusses the connection to the 10 Mary Street address that his family holds. The use of personification in the first line; â€Å"The house stands† highlights the human value of the house and establishes a strong sense of belonging to the house. Additionally, the use of Cumulative listing lines in 13-17 helps to reinforce the family’s strong connection to their European heritage. The final stanza presents a contrasting view of belonging whereby Peter feels his family â€Å"became citizens of the soil/ That was feeding us† and indicates a sense of comfort and acceptance of the Australian way of life. The last 3 lines: â€Å"Inheritors of a key/ That’ll open no house/ When this one is pulled down. † Re-establishes what the house symbolised for them and the notion that the sort of connection 10 Mary Street h ad to their new lives in Australia will be a challenge to recreate. !0 Mary Street Short Analysis * The first stanza depicts the habitual routine of Skrzynecki’s family, as indicated by the use of the phrase â€Å"Each morning† in the third line. This helps evoke a clear sense of normal practice and routine in the lives of the Skrzynecki family. Additionally through the use of industrial imagery; â€Å"rusty bucket†, â€Å"bridge†, â€Å"factory† the audience can see a sense of comfort and connection to their humble surrounds. * The second stanza presents the strong connection that Peter’s parents share with their garden. But while Skrzynecki’s parents take fulfilment in nurturing and fostering the garden (Tended roses and camellias/ Like adopted children), Skrzynecki himself didn’t hold the same values as his parents (I’d ravage the backyard garden/ Like a hungry bird). This contrasting use of simile accurately depicts the sort of cultural background Skrzynecki feels he doesn’t belong to. * The third stanza discusses the connection to the 10 Mary Street address that his family holds. The use of personification in the first line; â€Å"The house stands† highlights the human value of the house and establishes a strong sense of belonging to the house. Additionally, the use of Cumulative listing lines in 13-17 helps to reinforce the family’s strong connection to their European heritage. The final stanza presents a contrasting view of belonging whereby Peter feels his family â€Å"became citizens of the soil/ That was feeding us† and indicates a sense of comfort and acceptance of the Australian way of life. The last 3 lines: â€Å"Inheritors of a key/ That’ll open no house/ When this one is pulled down. † Re-establishes what the house symbolised for them and the notion that the sort of connection 10 Mary Street h ad to their new lives in Australia will be a challenge to recreate.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

International HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

International HRM - Essay Example So, this paper will discuss how an MNC of American origin have to focus on HRM practices particularly transfer HRM practices, when it decides to open a subsidiary in India. As the American company wants to have a diverse workforce in its subsidiary, its HRM practices will be oriented in that direction. The methodology used in this report will be based on external sources, because of the fictional nature of the case, which could also act as limitations. But, after analyzing all the cultural aspects and the management style, it becomes clear that there is a positive case for opening a subsidiary and running it successfully, by adopting certain steps. In an organization, the workers only form the crucial ‘cog’ in the running of the organization. And, only if these crucial workers are recruited or staffed optimally through an effective staffing process and Human Resource Management, the organization can achieve optimum success. In the case of running an enterprise or organization, the staffing function is a continuous process, and so the leader or the manager particularly the Human Resource Manager should perform the staffing function at all times. It is necessary that the management must ensure a constant availability of sufficient number of efficient employees from managers, executives, technical persons to labourers, for the efficient functioning of the enterprise. Overall, the selected personnel should be physically, mentally, emotionally and temperamentally fit for the job. This can be achieved by adopting or by having an optimal staffing process. According to Koontz and O’Donnell, â€Å"The managerial fu nction of staffing involves managing the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure†. This optimal staffing process and the resultant optimal performance of the organization will differ according to the nature or the type of the

Saturday, February 1, 2020

General Questions About Strategic Planning & Marketing Term Paper

General Questions About Strategic Planning & Marketing - Term Paper Example All of these components are absolutely necessary for mission statements because they demonstrate a comprehensive review of why the organization exists and which customer needs it actually aims to address. This further relates to the formulation of organizational goals and objectives while encouraging employees to act in the required direction. Moreover, the components of a mission statement help in analyzing the progress of an organization, the overall efficiency of management and employees and the lifespan of the firm. Q2. Where do organizational missions originate? How do you explain the evolution of organizational missions as the organization grows and matures? What types of changes are likely to take place in the mission statement? Organizational mission statements are originated by the management team that decides the products and services for the organization along with the target market and long term business strategies. Hence it is more appropriate that the CEO or the partners themselves formulate the mission statement as they are the ones who exactly know the reasons behind the firm’s establishment. Although it is highly significant to have a concise and clear mission statement for an organization prior to the beginning of operations but on the other hand it should be noted that mission statements evolve over the period of time. This implies that managers and company heads are extensively required to update the organizational mission statement as the firm grows and matures. Mission statements are highly dynamic in nature since they are needed to be re-affirmed and re-examined over the time. Analysts also suggest maintaining annual check-in with respect to the mission statement (Reder, 2012). Organizations have been developing mission statements since last few decades. This is possibly because of the fact that it facilitates them in defining the core reasons for which the organization exists.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Waiting for the Barbarians Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.M. Coetzee

Many of us have heard of the â€Å"dysfunctional relationship† characterized by the twists and the turns of emotion and the outrageous behavior of two self-destructive individuals. However, we never envision ourselves in that situation, playing either the stereotyped role of the crazy woman or man, both blinded by love or another passionate emotion. However, in Waiting for the Barbarians, J.M. Coetzee creates an eye-brow rising, head-tilting relationship between the old and pedophilic magistrate and the damaged barbarian girl. The transformative relationship between the two individuals is based on torture, guilt, atonement, and power. Didactically, through their relationship, Coetzee intends for the reader to understand the effect of moral idleness and also to see himself reflected in the idea of the true barbarian. Quickly into the novel, torture can be discerned as an important theme which shapes the transformative relationship between the magistrate and the barbarian girl. The magistrate views himself as â€Å"a responsible official in the service of the Empire† who carries out his routine duties in a remote tranquil town, just â€Å"waiting to retire† (8). His remarkably quiet and content lifestyle is disrupted as a result of Colonel Joll’s arrival and quickly after nonsensical imprisonment and torture commence. Initially, by abstaining from the investigation and torture the magistrate perceives himself as the opposite of the evidently villainous man with â€Å"discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes† (1). Without directly causing the bruises and subsequent scars, the magistrate is still a participant in the torture by his association with the Empire. He is aware and even states that many of the prisoners, like the fisherman, are innoc... ...inistration’s desire to preserve its ideals of what is good and evil by creating a nonexistent enemy and a war. If the soldiers under Colonel Joll â€Å"could never catch them [barbarians],† were they even there to begin with? Creating problems with no valid foundation is equivalently as injurious as waiting for an evil deed to occur and waiting for others to solve the issue. Coetzee uses the odd relationship between the magistrate and the barbarian girl as penance to intellectually display the effects of guilt due to moral idleness. If empires, governments, and administrations are committing wrongful acts, as a citizen and most importantly, as a human, one should react and voice his opinions, instead of crouching in fear or helping when the damage has already been done. The novel makes us question whether we will be a another facilitator of the bystander effect.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Trader Joe’s No average Joe Essay

Trader Joe’s is an American privately held chain of grocery stores founded by Joe Coulombe. Trader Joe’s have been successful business for long time with their unique innovative strategy of selling natural and organic food products with only one brand of an item for low price. Their unique culture of relaxed beach environment and helpful knowledgeable employees makes their customer to stay loyal to the brand. Eighty percent of Trader Joe’s has in-house products that differentiate them from competitors and hard to imitate. Trader Joe’s target young educated people who want to eat healthy for low prices. They can really expand their business by investing in marketing, social media, loyalty- card program and building parking garages and gain bigger broader market segment in food industry. This also will help them competitive advantage over their competitors as they will have solid brand image and be successful over the long term. SWOT Analysis The strengths of Trader Joe’s are selling organic & fresh grocery at low prices, introducing new products to their stores frequently and offering friendly customer service. Trader Joe’s sell natural and organic food at cheaper price than its competitors. They buy in bulk one item rather than buying lot of similar items, which gives them competitive advantage over other supermarkets. Trader Joe’s introduce 10-15 new products every week and had special season items and; thus customers liked trying new items and were getting best product for as much time as stores had the products for. Trader Joe’s employees were knowledgeable, helpful and happy, which made them communicate much better with customers and build a long lasting relationship. This aided in Trader Joe’s customers becoming loyal to the company. The weaknesses of Trader Joe’s are lack in social media, low advertisement, and targeting small market segment. Firstly, Trader Joe’s didn’t have any interaction with media about the company. In addition, they were not utilizing the free social media tool and were not communicating  with their fans on Facebook or Twitter. They didn’t much advertise about the company which is a weakness because this would hurt the sales they can get by advertising since they were selling natural and organic products for low prices. Lastly they targeted only smaller crowd which would also affect that revenue instead of targeting broader segment of people. Since more people are graduating and becoming educated, Trader Joe’s can target them to get higher market share and by marketing they can convey their goal to these educated people. Moreover, they have opportunity to offer baby related products as lot of people buy baby products when they are at grocery shops. Threat to Trader Joe’s are that their secretive private label goods can be identified by competitors and can imitate. Other treat is that the company can loose it’s charm when they grow because they are no more special to customers. Porter’s Five Forces The threat of new entrance is medium because Trader Joe’s is not a supermarket company, so capital requirement is manageable. Getting good quality food for cheaper price is hard to deliver but it is not impossible. However, brand name is difficult to built that Trader Joe’s has done after so many years. The bargaining power of suppliers is low as Trader Joe’s purchase very large quantities of each item in their store, which make the suppliers to give them lowest price. Moreover, suppliers wanted secrecy from Trader Joe’s not disclosing the low price as the to other competitor store suppliers were selling for high prices. If the price of an item increases for suppliers, they can pass that on retailers in food industry. The bargaining power of Buyers is high as customers have lot of other grocery stores option to goto if they thought prices at Trader Joe’s were high. However, in Trader Joe’s case they were offering natural, healthy and organic food items far cheaper than their competitors. So customers were  loyal to Trader Joe’s. The threat of substitute in food industry is medium because people can eat outside more often rather than cooking at home. Moreover, other brand of an item might be more likable by the customers over Trader Joe’s brand. The intensity of competition is high as Whole Food and Kroger are trying imitate what Trader Joe’s are doing, and since they already have brand name achieved, it is not hard to get their prices down by negotiating with suppliers and making their own brand name organic food. In conclusion, the food and grocery industry is attractive since more companies are going towards natural and organic food. With right marketing techniques , good customer service and quality products, it would be good investment in this industry. Environmental Scan Trader Joe’s demographics are college students, health conscious, out-of-work professors, and most important educated customers. Socio-Cultural environment shows that society is gearing towards more natural and organic food and becoming health conscious. More people are having homemade food from savings perspective. Political environment show that FTC has tighten regulation to keep competitive environment. Also, due to Obama Care there is some savings for people that makes grocery products more affordable. Technological environment shows that there is more Point of Sales systems available with electronic shelf labels and scanner. In addition, self-checkout registers and advertising through mobile apps are getting more common. Economic environment factor shows that during economic downturn, in which i people tend to shop more at grocery stores. The gas prices has been low which gives disposable income to try new items at grocery stores. In conclusion, environment analysis suggest that people in the current  economy are getting extra income that they can spend on food that are natural, organic and healthy for them. With competitive market, the trend is moving towards healthy and low price options. From the SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and Environment Analysis, I recommend Trader Joe’s to increase marketing and advertising their brand much more, create more parking space or redesigning outside of current stores, and giving customers incentives to keep them returning to Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s should start using social media tools and use mobile applications to reach out to their fans and show they care about them. This requires less capital investment and offer great way to reach fans and building new customers. Trader Joe’s should make great shopping experience by making their parking lot bigger. They can built parking garages or decks to accommodate lot of customers increasing revenue of the company. Trader Joe’s should give customers incentives through loyalty-card program, and offer coupons on their website and mobile apps that can be added to customers loyalty cards to be easily redeemed. This will motivate customers to come back to their stores and buy more products, thus increasing the company sales and profit.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Evolution of the Corporation Essays - 830 Words

The Evolution of the Corporation The Evolution of the Corporation In a capitalist society where the growth and power of corporations are ever evolving it is critical to determine the effects and consequences this evolution brings upon the business world. The Stockholder Theory maintains that managers should act merely as agents to the stockholder and only serve their interests-the maximization of profits (45). Milton Friedmans argument being, they are the owners of the business, and hence they should be entitled to all profits (45). Although this simple profit-motive concept may achieve the desired result, and address all of the interests of the stakeholders it lacks compassion that is so prevalent, and in my opinion superior,†¦show more content†¦If law is the publics agency for translating morality into explicit social guidelines and practices it clearly illustrates the lack of morality imposed upon society as a result of the Stockholders Theory. According to John Stuart Mill most persons, and perhaps all, have a basic moral sensitivity to the needs of their fellow human beings (17). This was so prominently displayed when Southeast Asia was devastated by the recent Tsunami disaster that touched the hearts of both the public and corporate society. Hundreds of millions of dollars were donated by the corporate sector to provide those misfortunate people with aid. No doubt some of those corporations were displaying true social responsibility while others were merely acting the part in order to simulate this appearance. This, in my opinion, is the underlying difference in the two theories I am presently critiquing. Clearly Freemans Stakeholder theory is superior in this regard. With such massive profits accumulated by large corporations those that decide to bear social responsibility can significantly improve society as a whole. Immanual Kant proposes that persons should be treated as ends and never purely as means to the ends of others (22). Kantian ethics nicely distinguishes the difference between FriedmansShow MoreRelatedMultinational Corporations; There Definition and Evolution1034 Words   |  5 PagesA Multinational Corporation has been described as one that has production facilities or other fixed assets in at least one foreign country and makes its major management decisions in a global context. In marketing, production, research and development, and labor relations, its decisions must be made in terms of host-country customs and traditions. In finance, many of its problems have no domestic counterpart-the payment of dividends in another currency, for example, or the need to shelter workingRead MoreThe State Of The Public Corporation : Not So Much An Eclipse As An Evolution2039 Words   |  9 Pagesof the Public Corporation: Not So Much an Eclipse as an Evolution† In this article, the author, Conrad S. 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