A Home that I Can Point To Essay -- Personal Narrative Moving Essays

A Home that I Can Point To We are moving once again. The new place is barely down the street, but we have to move again. This is the fifth time in six years that I have moved from one apartment to another. Im glad we are finally moving out of the old apartment, because the guy below us constantly banged on his ceiling when I walked from one room to another. Its been awhile since I have had a place to call home, a place I can grow fond of. I have hope that one day we will live in a house and not have to worry about cranky neighbors or stairs to climb before I reach my front door. As I read the short piece from Sandra Cisneross, The House On Mango Street, I began to appreciate everything that I had in life. The story is narrated through the thoughts and emotions of a young girl whose family lives in poverty and struggles to find a decent place to live. The message that Cisneros tries to convey to her readers is that those who have plenty in life must realize that there are people who struggle every day and work hard in order to survive, and they too have dreams and goals of one day living an adequate life. People who have such elaborate homes or even simple homes always want more, never understanding the value of what they have. Once I read the story, I came to terms with what life is like for those who hardly have means of getting water. I have gained more respect for those who struggle, but still make an effort to ameliorate their situation. From my experience, I can relate to her need for a solid ground, but when it comes to the difficulty of living in pove rty, I can only learn to be grateful for what I have. The oldest home that I can remember is an apartment my mother, stepfather, and I lived in. The building was ... ...the place I call home. As a child, one needs to make memories of their childhood and this girl loses that opportunity. In the girls case, she is unhappy with her home, and unappreciative of what her family provides for her. However, she is no different from any other person in society. We all desire more than what we can realistically acquire, and constantly expect better things in life. This is not a negative aspect of human nature; it is simply a mechanism to strive us to do better in life. I knew then I had to have a real house. A real house. One I could point to. This attitude shows the reader that she has used the torment she has endured as a means of reinforcement on striving for a greater future. I hope that someday, my Dad and I can find a place to settle down in, but it will probably be awhile. Like the little girl would say, I know how those things go.

Don’t Change the World Essay

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather.Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, â€Å"Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?†The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a â€Å"shoe† for himself.There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself – your heart; and not the world. The Travelers and the Plane Tree Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large plane tree nearby, they threw themselves on the ground to rest in its shade.Gazing up into the branches one man said to the other: â€Å"What a useless tree this is. It does not have fruit or nuts that we can eat and we cannot even use its wood for anything.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Don’t be so ungrateful,† rustled the tree in reply. â€Å"I am being extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot sun. And you call me a good-for-nothing!†All of God’s creations have a good purpose. Islam teaches us that we should never belittle Allah’s blessings.

Discipline by spanking your children is not Abuse Essay

In an ideal world, spanking would never be necessary. However, on rare occasions it may be necessary to smack your child’s bottom. I do not intend to either promote or discourage spanking, but rather to give parents correct instruction on using non-abusive spanking in discipline. Spanking is a much-debated topic. Most child psychologists do not recommend spanking as a discipline method for children. However, other psychologists and many parents will tell you that a spanking given with fairness, love and care is an effective discipline technique. A child’s parent’s best make the decision as to the usefulness of spanking. It is gravely unfortunate that, there are many children who are abused under the guise of spanking, and this essay is an attempt to inform parents in a way that would prevent abuse. Never spank any place other than the child’s clothed bottom and only with your open hand. Spanking should generally be carried out in private. The aim of the punishment is to teach the child that they have done wrong, not to humiliate him/her. Many people believe that while privacy is important, if in a public place, you should not hesitate to take your child to an area where diners or shoppers will not be bothered and carry out the promised discipline. Privacy is secondary to setting clear rules and your child’s understanding that discipline will be sure (and swift). Further, if you are disciplining in loving and fair manner, you should not be concerned about onlookers and what they might think. This is your child, your responsibility and a swat on the bottom, not a public debate. Give your children clear boundaries. Knowing exactly what they can and cannot do is the foundation of happy and successful children that are honest and respectful of their parents, other adul ts and themselves. Learn which behaviors deserve a spanking. This really can be boiled down to one thing, open disobedience. You must be fair with children. Spilling things, toddler tantrums, nose-picking, bed-wetting, arguing, even lying and stealing are normal childhood behaviors that, while they may require action on the part of the  parent to help a child mature, they are not spanking offenses. You must let toddlers, children, teens and young adults make mistakes and have normal childhood behavior that is age appropriate without making them miserable about it. Any spanking should be meant to get their attention and establish your authority. Never spank them hard enough that they are going to feel it later. Always spank the child only on the child’s clothed bottom and only with your open hand. Cool off first. If you are angry, do not attempt to give your child a spanking. Tell them you need to think about this for a while and let yourself cool off and then re-evaluate the situation. Do not hit your child with implements or objects. Using belts, switches, spoons, paddles or worse on your child will never build the kind of respect and love that a properly administered spanking will. Only use your open hand on the child’s clothed bottom. Know when to enforce discipline with spanking. Once children are old enough to understand â€Å"no,† they are old enough for a spanking. This could occur as early as approximately 18 months, but varies by child. Be mindful that the force and amount of spanks should be reduced (i.e. a quick pat on the bottom) for very small children but the framework should be similar. If properly used, once a child has reached the age of 6 or 7, spanking will hopefully never be necessary again. On the other hand, if you have never spanked and a child is already 9 or 10, it is probably too late to begin once the patterns of parenting have been so firmly established. Do not spank too frequently. Again, spanking should be reserved only due to open disobedience, and not used whenever one feels annoyed. If you do it all the time, it will lose any effectiveness that it might have and is just plain mean. Give them one warning. If you think that you were not clear the first time, you might have to clarify, but do not give warning after warning and expect any child to be compliant. They will always know that they can push and push and have their way once you give up. The child must clearly understand that there will be one warning and that’s it. If you do this, they will obey after one warning, if you give them ten warnings, they will probably never take you seriously. But please, you must take great care when disciplining your child, be fair, be clear and make sure that you understand what is going on; you should not turn back once you have declared â€Å"you’ve just earned yourself a spanking†. Earn the respect of your child by being fair; you must also convince your children that if they are openly disobedient, the discipline will be quick and certain. In this way, they will learn the clear boundaries and seek to not overstep them to earn your trust. Do the following once you have decided that you must spank your child. Tell them that they are going to be spanked. Take them to a neutral area. If in the home, it should be out of sight of the other children. If at a restaurant or store, please wait until you get home. Never spank in a public place. You never want to embarrass a child in front of siblings or other people any more than necessary for the moment. Once in the proper location, carefully explain why they are getting a spanking and precisely the behavior that got them in this inevitable situation. Once the decision is made, do not consider turning back unless you become genuinely convinced that you have misjudged the situation. Explain what is going to happen: [i.e. at age 3] â€Å"You are going to get four swats, and then we are going to talk about it for a minute, then it will be over.† If possible have the child lay across your lap with their bottom up. Deliver each swat with an open hand only on their clothed bottom and only hard enough that they feel mild discomfort. Sit them up at eye level, repeat the explanation, and have them agree that they will not repeat the behavior again. Ask them to apologize. Assure them that this is the end of the punishment (however, certain offenses or lack of remorse may require a time of quiet thought) and that you are not going to be angry with them about it. Tell them that you love them. When Does Discipline become Abuse? Vs. Discipline by Spanking does not constitute abuse? Discipline is one of the defining elements of parenting; whether used sparingly or liberally, it’s fundamental to the parent-child dynamic. Most Americans agreed with the necessity of sometimes spanking children, but proportions disagreeing increased 15 percentage point (94% overall) between 1986 (16%) and 2010 (31%). Growing proportions disagreed with spanking in each consecutive decade for all significant generational cohorts, with the greatest increase against spanking for Silent Generation (Menard 18).Through discipline, children are taught to become responsible, honest, kind, sharing people. By following their parents’ guidance, teachings and rules, they ideally grow up to be well-behaved and respectful  individuals. If you, however, punish your child instead of disciplining them, the end result will not be the same. Punishment is an act of anger and impulse. It happens when a parent takes things personally; the punishment is, in fact, retaliation for the child’s poor choice. In contrast, discipline is centered on helping the child, with the goal of correcting their choices and actions. A parent who disciplines is trying to teach their child right from wrong, helping them learn life skills. Ultimately, punishment hurts a child whereas discipline helps a child. The urge to punish comes from within when you feel hurt by a child’s behavior — you’re looking to strike back and inflict this same pain, often overreacting to the situation. For example, in the heat of the moment, Mom or Dad might lash out — even raising a hand to a child instead of taking a deep breath and assessing the situation objectively. The challenge parent’s face is to detach themselves from the situation and control their anger and impulses before responding or reacting to the child. By controlling this anger and emotion, a parent can stop themselves from making the situation worse. And this is important, as punishment — which can lead to abuse â⠂¬â€ is usually both unreasonable and much more physical than discipline. Here’s why it’s so important to resist the urge to react in anger. Most abusive parents never plan on hurting their children, but they impulsively react and strike out of anger, punishing them with physical revenge instead of teaching them right from wrong. Once trapped in this mindset of punishment, it is difficult for parents to think rationally or even compassionately about their child’s actions. And in an instant, on impulse, lives can change dramatically. A loving parent can be convicted of child abuse and land themselves in prison simply because they impulsively did something violent to their child. If you choose to listen to your impulses, you lose your self-control and ability to think clearly. For example, a parent grabs their child by the hand. The parent is upset and twists the tiny arm. Being a â€Å"good parent† they take their child to the hospital to have it looked at. They find a greenstick fracture. The x-ray clearly shows how the arm bone was twisted. This is a red flag for hospital employees who know this is a sympto m of child abuse. In a whirlwind, Child Protective Services is called in, the children may be removed from the home,  the guilty parent can be arrested and even go to jail. One of the biggest problems with an adult punishing a child is that the two are not equals. When calm and rational, no one would argue that children are the same as adults. They are not the same size, nor strength; they have less knowledge and fewer life experiences. Furthermore, when parents punish their child out of anger, they teach kids that it’s okay to treat those who are weaker, smaller, and younger with less respect. The parent is modeling a bullying type of behavior which is obviously not a positive way to interact with others. My father was verbally and physically abusive so I understand on a personal level the negative impact impulsive, erratic behavior can have on a child. To justify their actions parents may say, â€Å"This is what happened to me when I was growing up.† While that might explain why you’re more likely to parent this way, it doesn’t excuse the behavior. So, instead of coming home and taking out your frustrations on your children, resist the urge to overreact and lash out at them. Replacing punishment with discipline, In order to function in our society, adults must have a certain amount of self-control, impulse-control and anger management. I’m suggesting these skills be developed in our homes. Again, it’s a matter of respecting our kids as people. Consider the dozens of interactions you have with others on a daily basis. Surely at one point or another someone has said something that you disagreed with or they’ve done something that annoyed you. Did you react by lashing out or hitting the other person? Is there another situation where we, as adults, would act so recklessly even if we were upset? In place of punishment, let’s look at some effective discipline techniques. When establishing discipline in your household, communicating your expectations and guidelines with your children is the first step. Initially, help your kids understand why these rules and expectations are important to you. Then, explain to them what will happen if these expectations are not met — what the consequence will be. By explaining to your kids the reasoning behind the consequences, you’ll be helping them learn from their poor choices. It’s important that a child understands their parents and believes there is logic to their actions. Otherwise, not only is it impossible for the child to meet these goals, but if they break the rules, they have no way of predicting what the reaction will be. However, if  everyone is upfront about what will happen, then your child will be more accepting of the consequences and parents are less likely to overreact. Works Cited Brodie, Kay L., and Barbara Hoffert. â€Å"The Case Against Spanking: How To Discipline Your Child Without Hitting/Lots Of Love And A Spanking!: A Common Sense Discipline Plan For Children From Birth To Age Twelve–That Works.† Library Journal 122.9 (1997): 95. Literary Reference Center. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. Menard, Lauren A. â€Å"Should Discipline Hurt? Shifting American Spanking Beliefs And Implications For School Corporal Punishment Policies.† Online Submission (2012): ERIC. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. Ramsburg, Dawn, and Urbana, IL. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. The Debate Over Spanking. ERIC Digest. n.p.: 1997. ERIC. Web. 26 Sept.2014.

Indonesian Economy: Asia Pulp and Paper

Indonesian Economy Asia Pulp and Paper A short strategy analysis of APP mission , vision and strategy Indonesian Economy Asia Pulp and Paper A short strategy analysis of APP mission , vision and strategy Summary Introduction2 I. company overview3 II. APP’s financials, environment issues and mattel4 1. APP’s financials 2. Environment issues 3. Mattel III. The challenges and recomanded strategy7 1. The challeges 2. Recommandations IV. APP, a company to watch9 Conclusion10 References Introduction Corporate governance refers to the control of the firm, its ownership structure, and the disclosure quality. It was widely discussed in relation to the Asian crisis in 1997-98, because poor firm performance was assumed to be related to bad corporate governance . In particular, the East Asian economic model was said to reveal a â€Å"crony capitalism†, with the presence of numerous family-controlled groups, a high ownership concentration, a weak public governance, and poor monitoring of bank loans . The group Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) expanded impressively in the 1990s and became the largest pulp and paper producer in Asia outside Japan, and one of the top ten producers in the world. It attracted investors from all over the world in a context of â€Å"Asian miracle†, and because the giant pulp mills built in Indonesia were assumed to produce at the lowest cost in the world . Surprisingly, the group announced a debt standstill on $13 billion in 2001, the largest default for a private group in an emerging country At the same time, it was revealed that the industrial capacities had expanded at a much faster pace than the forest plantations, thus representing a high risk that operations would not be sustainable. Available studies showed the apparent lack of rationality in the decisions of the group, and the critical situation it faces from both financial and wood supply points of view. However, another explanation would be more convincing, which is based on the very rational behaviour of the ultimate owners of the group. This rationality being related to their ability: to increase their control of the decisions and accounts compared to their direct financial investments, to finance the expansion mainly with debts in order to reduce their own risks and to maximize their short-term profits, ,to benefit from a lax public governance context and a free access to natural forests for supplying fiber to the pulp mills. APP's trajectory has not been clean of obstacles , so with the tools provided by the theory strategy and organizational management we ‘re going to try to find the  «Ã‚  good  » way to manage that company . This is important because APP's default has attracted much attention so far, and the resolution of the case will impact on the willingness of foreigners to invest back in Indonesia. I. Company overview Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) has its roots in 1972, when the company Tjiwi Kimia was founded by Eka Tjipta Widjaja as a small caustic soda manufacturer. In 1978, Tjiwi Kimia commenced paper production of 12,000 tons/year. In December 1976, Indah Kiat was formed as a joint venture between CV Berkat (an Indonesian company), Chung Hwa Pulp Corporation and Yuen Foong Yu Paper Manufacturing Company Ltd. from Taiwan. In April 1979 Indah Kiat Tangerang mill’s Paper Machine 1 and 2 started with a production of 100 tons/day of wood free paper. By March 1984 Indah Kiat Perawang mill’s Pulp Machine 1 started producing bleached hardwood kraft pulp with an initial capacity of 250 tons/day. In May 1986 Sinar Mas Group acquired 67% of Indah Kiat’s total shares. Chung Hwa and Yuen Foong Yu had 23% and 10% shares respectively. In 1987 the first cast coating machine installed at Tjiwi Kimia, and in April 1990 Tjiwi Kimia was listed on the Jakarta and Surabaya Stock Exchange. In 1991 Tjiwi Kimia’s PM 9 started operation with an annual capacity of 207,000 tons. The following year Indah Kiat acquired PT Sinar Dunia Makmur, a manufacturer of industrial paper located in Serang with a 2. roduction capacity of 900 tons/day. jiwi Kimia commissioned the Carbonless Paper Plant in March 1993, an experiment The company Pindo Deli under control of APP in Feb. 1994, and by 1997 its paper machine #8 and #9 would both have begin operation with production capacity of 240,000 tons per year. In 1998, paper machine #11 started tissue production in Pindo Deli with annual production capacity of 400,000 tons started to operate. APP-China began investing in China in 1992, with an emp hasis on the Yangtze and Pearl River Deltas. APP-China's pulp and paper mills now include Ningbo Zhonghua, Goldeast Paper, Ningbo Asia, Gold Huasheng, Gold Hongye, and Hainan Jinhai Pulp and Paper. APP-China was registered in Singapore in October 1994. APP-China employs over 37,000 people and created 5,000 new jobs in 2009 II. APP’S Financials, Environment issues and Mattel 1. APP’s financials Growth of the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia mainly came from leverage, which drove returns on equity ever higher. International financial institutions had played a central role in supplying the finances for APP. Its assets totaled US$17. billion, of which shareholders had financed 25 per cent (the most important shareholders being the Widjaja family, and the American fund managers, Franklin Templeton Investments and Capital Group), bondholders 38 per cent and banks 20 per cent. Over 300 international financial institutions, including many leading financial institutions (e. g. , investment banks in the U. S. , The Neth erlands, Switzerland and Germany) and export credit agencies were among those heavily involved in providing and guaranteeing this finance over the 10 years prior to 2001. Among the private financial institutions were Barclays Bank, NatWest, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, Capital Group, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro and Bank of China. The use of financial â€Å"mark-up† practices – that is, the artificial inflation of the cost of an investment project – had allowed some pulp and paper products to secure much larger amounts of financing for their projects than they actually needed. In fact, financial institutions queued up to invest in the Indonesian pulp and paper companies because they perceived that they had a competitive advantage due to their access to cheap raw material resources. The situation turned difficult for APP in April 2001 when it announced that it had failed to include a US$220 million loss on two currency swap contracts in its financial statements, quickly followed by an official announcement that earlier financial statements for 1997 to 1999 â€Å"should not be relied upon†. A confidential 2,000-page report from KPMG released in July 2001 listed questionable transactions and accounting entries made in 1999 and 2000 by APP’s four Indonesian entities, and noted $1. 6 billion in provisions for doubtful debts, reclassification of receivables as well as a $672 million in derivative losses from various APP units. Other transactions, including $457 million in guarantees for non-APP companies, brought the total amount in the â€Å"questionable† category to $4. 41 billion. 2. Environment issues APP-China invested over 300 million RMB in environmental conservation facilities and activities in 2009 alone, and had invested over 5 billion RMB in environmental protection by 2009. APP-China inn 2009 also achieved 100% treatment of its solid waste from its six major pulp and paper mills. APP-China was honored in 2009 with the â€Å"Award of Contribution to Low Carbon Business (Multinational Corporation)† at the first meeting of the Low Carbon Forum hosted by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultatative Committee (CPPCC) and the China Association for Science and Technology. APP-China also received the â€Å"Green China Campaign-2009 Scientific Development of Forest Plantation Special Award† by the China Green Foundation and the State Bureau of Forestry, Center for Economic Development Research. Further, APP-China received the â€Å"2009 Scientific Forest Plantation Development Award† by the China Green Times. In November 2007, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) decided to rescind the rights of APP to use their logo, following pressure from other FSC Stakeholders, and a new policy approach by FSC Board of Directors. A investigation published in March 2008 by an environmental coalition called Eyes on the Forest showed evidence of a new road built by APP, heading through the Kampar peninsula, one of the world's largest contiguous tropical peat swamp forests, with more carbon per hectare than any other ecosystem on Earth. The investigation found tracks on the new road of the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger, whose wild population has been reduced to less than 500 individuals. APP claimed that it was building this state-of-the-art, paved highway for the benefit of the local communities, though satellite imagery shows that the road does not go anywhere near the two settlements. 3. Mattel On June 8, 2011, Greenpeace launched â€Å"Barbie, It's Over†, an international campaign criticising Mattel's use of Asia Pulp & Paper's products in its packaging, particularly in its line of Barbie products. Within two days of the campaign's start, Mattel ordered its packaging suppliers to stop buying from Asia Pulp & Paper pending an investigation into Greenpeace's deforestation allegations, and further ordered its suppliers to report on how they source materials. Asia Pulp ; Paper welcomed Mattel's response, believing that Mattel's investigation would conclude that its â€Å"packaging materials are more than 95% recycled paper sourced from around the world. † On October 5, 2011, Greenpeace announced that Mattel stated that it would no longer purchase pulp and paper products from Asia Pulp ; Paper due to the effects that its logging practices had on the Sumatran tiger population III. Challenges and recommanded strategy 1. The challenges The Strategy Group has identified many significant challenges facing the ndustry, including: * loss of demand for its products due to the consequences of the global financial crisis in late 2008 and early 2009 * increased consumer and business use of digital communications, resulting in a slowing of the growth in consumption of paper-based communication, including newspapers * increased competition from cheaper imports, often using fibre from unsustainable sources, resulting in an uneven international pl aying field * projected shortages in available wood-based fibre to provide feedstock for existing pulp and paper facilities, especially due to limits on timber plantation establishment * escalating costs of key industry inputs, especially electricity, and limitations on the ability of the industry to capitalise on its innate energy generation capability * level of investment has been low—those mills lacking investment are facing closure while others which have continued or increased investment have become automated and more efficient * he growth of China, India and other emerging economies such as Indonesia, which is significantly altering the traditional supply and demand dynamics for paper products * the low level of R;D by Australia’s pulp and paper companies affecting the level of innovation and international competitiveness they can achieve * government and community responses to climate change, affecting all industries in Asia, including the pulp and paper indust ry 2. Recommandations Recommendations can be grouped into four major themes: innovation, investment, sustainability and productivity. The first recommendation is fundamental to the entire strategy and stretches across all four themes. It deals with the government’s commitment to the long-term viability of the pulp and paper industry in Asia and its workers. Asian Government( China, Japan, Singapour,indnesia) make a clear public statement supporting the value and long-term viability of the Asian pulp and paper industry, recognising the industry’s commitment to good environmental outcomes and its key role in the provision of economic and social opportunities for thousands of Asian, many in vulnerable regional communities. Innovation A Pulp and Paper Industry Innovation Council shloud be established and appropriately funded to build a culture of innovation in the industry. The Innovation Council will recognise Asian’s competitive strengths in fibre production, product innovation and renewable energy, and focus on long-term issues facing the industry. Investment The asian Government establish a plantation investment model that delivers the re-establishment and expansion of timber plantations to underpin existing processing industries or led to the creation of new processing industries in asia . Sustainability The Australian Government work with industry to support internationally recognised forest certification schemes (including the Indonesian Forestry Standard, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and the Forest Stewardship Council’s certification scheme) that provide for legal and sustainable forest management which ensures transparency, accountability and global and local consistency of application. Productivity Noting the significant price increases associated with the exercise of generator market power in the National Electricity Market, the Ministerial Council on Energy should accelerate efforts to improve competition in the wholesale electricity market, including by increasing penalties and developing rule changes to limit the exercise of generator market power. The Asian Government should support workforce planning and development initiatives that underpin future economic opportunities for the pulp and paper industry and its workforce. IV. APP, a compa ny to watch APP is a company more in the news than not, and for some good reasons; it has a well known plan to be the Number 1 pulp and paper company in the world; it operates in one of the â€Å"hottest† regions, Indonesia, when it comes to the NGOs focus on deforestation and climate change; it has a strategy of organic growth that includes the installation of the biggest and very best and in pulp and paper technology: and a strategy of acquisitive growth that will probably put it firmly in the RISI headline news stakes even more regularly next year. With its bold mission to be the number 1, APP is going to have yet another tough year in 2011 as it comes under even closer scrutiny regarding its forestry and plantation operations in Indonesia. Indeed 2010 saw a ramping up of NGO activity aimed against the company, particularly from Greenpeace, in which it published a series of reports highlighting alleged environmental transgressions, as well as naming some of the major brands around the world that were buying the company's products. APP in return commissioned a series of independent reports, including one by former Greenpeace founder Dr Patrick Moore, refuting the allegations. But perhaps the real reason this company is one of our Five to Watch for next year is its seemingly unstoppable progress, with new expansions in both pulp and paper too numerous to mention, including the start up of the world's biggest fine paper machine located on Hainan Island, China. One of the main areas of interest is where all the fine paper that APP is producing is going to go as duties have now been imposed in both the US and Europe on fine paper coming in from China. Duties are also now being talked about in Brazil and India as anti-dumping fears in those countries come to the fore. Another major development on the horizon is APP's aggressive acquisition strategy abroad through its subsidiary Paper Excellence based in Holland which has already seen it buy up four pulp mills, two in France and two in Canada. Could we see APP making an acquisition of a major European or US pulp or paper company in 2011? Conclusion APP’s trajectory since the early 1990s has been very impressive for several reasons. Focusing at first on Indonesia to develop a pulp and paper empire in order to become one of the top ten producers in the world, the group achieved its objective owing to very lax attitudes on the part of investors both from Indonesia and abroad. The context of the early and mid 1990s, with the so-called ‘Asian miracle’ and the Indonesian government’s official policy of pushing industries with a clear export-oriented stance, and the availability of huge forest areas for conversion, permitted the extraordinarily fast expansion of APP’s capacity. This expansion has been mainly based on debts, either through bond issuance or bank loans. In conclusion, Asia Pulp & Paper seems to illustrate the theories saying that the divergence between ownership and control through pyramid structures corresponds to poor corporate governance and leads to lower firm performance. References â€Å"Why a ‘Green' Logo May Mean Little,† Wall Street Journal, 30 Oct 2007 * New APP Logging Road Threatens One of World’s Biggest Carbon-Storing Forests, Tigers; Eyes on the Forest, March 2008 * Logging Road Threatens Rare Peat Dome, Tigers * People's Daily Online – Forestry authorities charges Singaporean paper giant with illegal logging * Asia Times Online  :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam * a b FSC rules in upheaval after green groups level accusations at APP | printweek. com | Latest Print Industry News, Jobs, Features, Product Reviews, Used Printing and Packaging Machinery * FT. com / Home UK / UK – The usefulness of scholarships and tigers * Ethical Corporation: Archive – APP decision a â€Å"landmark† for China’s environmentalists * http://www. rainforest-alliance. rg/forestry/documents/app. pdf * wikipedia * APP ‘ s Annual report 2010 , from www. freereport. com * http://www. ppimagazine. com/ppiissue/ ————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. Sumatran Tiger incident  : During late July 2011 Greenpeace revealed images and footage on their website that showed a critically endangered Sumatran tiger. This tiger had become trapped by an animal snare at the edge of an APP concession, and had been there for at least seven days, without food or water. Attempts to tranquilise and rescue the tiger failed due to its poor condition of health. APP denied any responsibility, despite reports to the contrary.

To What Extent Does Personality Predict Employee Performance Essay

To What Extent Does Personality Predict Employee Performance - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the identification of the potentials of employees to respond to the demands of their role can be characterized as one of the most critical challenges for managers in modern organizations. Moreover, it has been proved that employee performance can be depended on various factors; securing high employee performance can be a difficult task even for highly experienced HR managers. The literature developed in regard to this subject verifies the intervention of personality in the prediction of employee performance. However, the terms of involvement of personality in the prediction of employee performance are not standardized, being influenced by the organizational environment and the psychological characteristics of individuals, as analyzed below. In any case, the value of personality as a means for predicting the performance of individuals in the workplace cannot be doubted. In fact, the research developed in this field proved that personali ty is a strong indicator of an individual’s behavior in all aspects of his daily life, no matter his economic or social status. In regard to the above, the following issue should be also explored: is the prediction of employee performance using personality fully accurate or not and how the relevant risks can be limited? Personality, as a concept, refers to various aspects of human behavior. In practice, it has been proved that the personality characteristics, or else traits, of individuals, are likely to be incorporated into five, major, categories. The relevant model of personality is known as the ‘Five Factor model’. The categories of the particular model are presented in the paper. Different explanations have been given in the literature in regard to the involvement of personality in employee performance. The Big Five model, as presented above, can be used for measuring employee performance, both in regard to specific individuals and in regard to groups. In th e last case, the personality characteristics/ traits of each group’s individuals would be ‘gathered and evaluated as a total for identifying the group’s performance’.

Dome in persian architecture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Dome in persian architecture - Term Paper Example Although it may seem logical to conclude that since all kinds of Persian architecture arose from one guiding concept, they may have similar characteristics. However, the historical background of a specific architectural style may also be considered worthy of notice. It would be very interesting to note how Persian architecture may be subdivided into types of architecture according to its history and style. Persia, or Iran, as it is known today, possesses an architectural style that has a history of thousand years. It started from about 5000 B. C. and persisted up to the present (Pope 1965). The materials used were almost the same: heavy clays, bricks, stones and wood. The building technique used somewhat dictates the major forms of the structures (Pope 1965). In its earlier years, Iranians used a building technique that involves compression of pis'-molded mud as solidly as possible and allowing it to dry (Pope 1965; Mehraby n.d.). These resulted to large, well-defined masses that had broad surfaces which are suitable for ornamentation. This kind of architecture had matured while facing certain factors such as the climate, the availability of materials, the religious purposes, and the dominant cultures in the periphery of the structure. While these factors played decisive roles in the architectural development, the Iranian landscapes, on the other hand, provided inspiration (Mehraby n.d.). It can be clearly seen that the domes we adore were patterned after the huge, snow-capped mountains of Persia. And the Persian concept of beauty (which is associated with light and clarity) added up to the grandeur of the domes' architectural design. Beauty was an attribute of the divine (Mehraby n.d.), for ancient Persians, and this may justify the usage of domes for religious purposes. Statement of the Problem The current study would like to know the architectural differences of two specific domes in Persia: The Firuzabad domes and Sarvistan domes. The following were the main questions that this study would like to answer using the existing literature: 1. What are the differences between the Firuzabad domes and Sarvistan domes' 2. On what aspect of Persian culture or architectural history may we account the differences' 3. What, if there is, the more dominating architectural style based on the comparison made' The course of the study will be centered on concepts and topics related to the questions above. Objectives This paper focuses on the differences of the domes constructed in Persia, particularly their architectural aspects. The paper will provide a deeper analysis of two specific domes that were famous both in Persia and also worldwide. Thus, the following were the objectives of the study: 1. Provide an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the differences between Persian domes while taking into account the history of the architectural style used. 2. Compare two specific Persian domes and delve into the weaknesses and strengths of these famous domes. 3. Give a conclusion while integrating the knowledge gained from the literature and relating it to personal experiences and thoughts. These objectives were the guiding element of the study and the researcher hopes to stick to it. Scope and Limitation The study will be tackling

E-Logistics Assignment2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

E-Logistics Assignment2 - Essay Example This role of SCM in organizational functioning continues to evolve, with the incorporation of advanced technologies and other innovations. These innovations optimize the SCM, thereby reaching the product and services to the clients aptly, thereby improving the efficiencies of the organizations. It will be applicable for all organization and that includes even the fictional ones like VF Brands global supply chain strategy. From the early times, VF brands has maximally used a mix of in-house manufacturing and as part of SCM, traditional arms-length sourcing arrangements. However, with certain problems arising in these sections, and importantly with many opportunities in the anvil, the company wants to try a third approach. Through this, Third approach, VF wants to build a closer cooperation and partnerships with its supplier base. Thus, the main purpose of this 'third way' approach is to create and actualize a relationship with its suppliers, which combines accomplishment of its goals, even while maintaining flexibility in sourcing. So, this paper will analyze this case of VF Design, focusing on the challenges of the ' Third-way Supply chain strategy, and then advising Chris Fraser on supply chain strategy. ... It largely deals with procurement and sales issues in an organization. Effective supply chain is a major requirement in all firms in order to remain relevant and competitive in the current market. Supply chain management can be defined as the process of finding raw materials for production of goods and services, manufacturing of the goods, transfer of the manufactured products to the customers including the middle-men and continued flow of communication among the parties involved. â€Å"Supply Chain Management is the designing and management of the process that will ensure that the Supply Chain will be effectively carried out across organizational boundaries so as to meet the requirements of the end customer.† (supplychainmanagement.in).This is applicable to VF Brands as well, as it has a current sustaining supply chain, but wants to develop a even more stronger and effective one. Supply chain management covers the flow of information, goods and finances between the organizati on and the supplier. All these flows are bidirectional that is, the flow can be from an organization to a supplier as well as a v to the organization. Figure 1.0 category of flows in supply chain management. A supply chain cannot be fully effective if there is no communication between the organization and the supplier. This communication can be in form of orders, feedback from customer, inquiry, announcement of new offers by the supplier, etc. Communication is a vital tool to maintain good business and client. A customer’s feedback can give a manufacturer new idea on improvement of a particular product, a customer can learn about a new product from the manufacturer via this critical mode. Business can not be complete without