Knowledge and Plato Essay

Plato is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy and has had an impact on nearly every philosopher from all time periods. Alongside his mentor Socrates and his student Aristotle, Plato created some of the most significant works in philosophy; ultimately building the framework for western philosophic education. The dialogues of his works are wide ranging, from focuses on life and reality beyond what we see and hear, and subjects as practical rules, laws, education and punishment. Historians believe that Plato was born between 427 and 429 BC in Athens, Greece. Born in to an aristocratic family, Plato was involved in politics from an early age; however, he did not stay on the traditional political path for long. In Plato’s work The Republic, his ideas were to transform and improve political life, as he knew there was no escaping it. As the result of an early failure, Plato came to the conclusion that political action would not stop violence and greed, which is what changed his philosophic approach. It is believed that Plato met his mentor, Socrates, in his youth and his education under Socrates shaped his ideas about the world. Socrates played a role in almost all of Plato’s works and was a robust influence in Plato’s life and ideas. Plato was a believer in the importance of ethics and true self-introspection. In many of his writings, he references the importance of self-reflection; â€Å"First and best victory is to conquer self, to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and objectionable. †1 Plato was also passionate about music and its importance in education. He stated, â€Å"I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning. † 2 Many of Plato’s later works were profoundly influenced by the idea of the soul and the concept of dualism, meaning the separation of the mind and the body. 3 He believed that the real reality is not what we see or what we hear but is something that subsists in a higher realm beyond our day to day life. Many of his ideas on the soul influence a multitude of religions today as he believed that a human’s soul is immortal and that the soul is separate from our physical being. In 387 BC Plato founded what is credited as the first European university, The Academy, in Athens, Greece. The Academy focused on subjects such as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. While at the Academy, Plato wrote many of his most significant works, including The Republic. 4 Plato spent his time at The Academy encouraging students to learn through discussion in order to become freethinkers. Plato even felt that his works and dialogues should be used more as supplementary aids and that no one should rely solely on what they read in a book or dialogue. Plato’s dialogues are used to this day to aid in the teaching of subjects ranging from philosophy to math. Plato’s out of the box thinking will continue to be thought provoking and influential for thousands of years to come. Many of his idealisms are still taking place in teachings and the living of every day life. His diverse subjects and desire for equality will continue to bring positive motivation to those study his works. Bibliography Cooper, John M. , and D. S. Hutchinson. Complete works. Indianapolis, Ind. : Hackett Pub. , 1997. Hunt, Lynn , Thomas Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, and Bonnie Smith. â€Å"From the Classical to the Hellenistic World. † In The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 114-115. Richard, Kraut. â€Å"Plato (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). † Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/plato/#PlaCenDoc (accessed September 23, 2013).

Poetry of Emily Dickinson

The poetry of Emily Dickinson is studied like the works of William Shakespeare, as timeless and perfect works of art, gracing the canon.   This paper will analyze in detail eight of Dickinson’s poems which have been classified as â€Å"time† poems.   The poems to be discussed are: â€Å" I like to see it lap the Miles – â€Å"; â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death – â€Å"; â€Å"The Heart asks Pleasure- first- â€Å"; â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling come†; â€Å"There’s a certain Slant of light†; I felt a Cleaving in my Mind†; â€Å"The first Day’s Night had come – â€Å"; and â€Å"Pain- expands the Time†.â€Å"I like to see it lap the Miles† is considered a time poem by many Dickinson scholars because it tracks the daily route of a train.   Its speaker, arguably the author, watches a train make its scheduled runs and stops through the mountains.   The train, an unlikely subject for Dickinson, who refers mostly to nature or the natural in her poems, seems to take on characteristics much like a horse.   The words â€Å"lap† and â€Å"lick† are two things a horse does; horses also have a â€Å"prodigious step† and come to rest at their â€Å"stable door†.The four quatrain stanza poem has no noticeable rhyme pattern.   The meter alternates between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter in the first two stanzas.   The third stanza breaks the pattern suddenly with two lines of iambic dimeter and three lines of iambic trimester.   This stanza is also odd in numbered lines.   There are five lines, where the rest of the poem has quatrain stanzas.   The last stanza has yet a different meter, consisting of two iambic trimeters for the first two lines.   The poem ends with two lines of iambic tetrameter.â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death –† is one of Dickinson’s best known and most studied poe ms, and arguably her most famous.   This time poem starts with life and crosses over into death or eternity.   The transition is easy and painless for both the poet and the reader because of the flow of rhythm.   It is seemingly very natural.   It is very melodic and has been acclaimed over and over again by scholars to be the most perfect poem ever written.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Because I could not stop for Death – † is not only a time poem, but a death poem as well.   It deals with the idea of the afterlife, something Emily Dickinson has been rumored to be obsessed with. The speaker is the poet, who speaks as a person crossing from life to death, who is travelling with possibly the Grim Reaper or the angel of death.   Despite the circumstance, her tone is hopeful and casual.There are 6 quatrain stanzas in this poem. It has an easy rhythm pattern throughout.The first stanza has the only rhymed pattern of ABCB; the remaining five stanzas are all ABCD.   The pattern is iambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter, every other line in the first three stanzas.  The fourth stanza switches the meter pattern temporarily to iambic trimeter, tetrameter, tetrameter, trimeter.   This switch is indicitave of a switch in tone in the poem.   The pattern is literally turned inside out.   Every other stanza in this poem has eight and then six syllables, alternating that pattern throughout the poem except for in this fourth stanza.   There are six, eight, eight, six, resembling a palindrome numerically.   This fourth stanza switches from the poet being in control of the action to nature around her reflecting the action, here the sun, passing her by.The last two stanzas continue with the previous pattern of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and trimeter.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Heart asks Pleasure  ­ – first –† is a two stanza poem.   Every line is iambic trimeter except for the fourth line in the first stanza, which is iambi c tetrameter.This time poem is a step by step process, including he words, â€Å"first† and the phrase â€Å"and then† for each step.   The requests of the heart seem to indicate a timeline of pain in a person’s life or the end of a person’s life or a time when a person is in great pain or when the heart is broken or suffering.The narrator of the poem seems to be the actual heart speaking in the third person.   The tone is somber and points to an ending of some kind, a long for release.   There is a build up of intensity as the poem progresses, making the ending more dramatic and final.  The poem â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling comes† traces the time after pain, but not prior to it.   The speaker is omnipotent, looking in from the outside, not connected with the piece.   The tone is quite formal, in agreement with the title.This poem consists of three stanzas of unequal length and meter.   The first and third stanzas have an AABB rhyme pattern. The middle stanza has an odd number of lines (five lines as opposed to the four lines of stanzas one and three), with no rhyme pattern.   The first stanza consists of four lines of iambic pentameter.   The second stanza has varying meters.   Lines one and five are iambic tetrameter; while lines two and four are iambic dimeter and the middle line is iambic trimeter, making an 84648 foot pattern for this stanza, again a palindrome in numbers similar to Dickinson’s previously analyzed poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death- â€Å".     It is in this middle stanza where once again with the differing meter that the most change in tone takes place as well.   Here is where there is a shift from writing about the natural or living to referencing to the non living, or non natural, such as â€Å"mechanical† and â€Å"stone†.   It is also here where Dickinson refers to the elements beyond human control, such as â€Å"Ground† and â€Å"Air†.The last quatrain begins with an odd seven meters, which is an uneven and unusual meter for a poem to have, but Dickinson does use the seven syllable line quite frequently.   Sometimes it is acceptable to have an occasional 7 meter line mixed in with iambic tetrameter, and it is usually taken as such, â€Å"given† an extra syllable per say, but not in this poem.The last two lines are iambic pentameter, in pattern with the first stanza.â€Å"There’s a certain Slant of light† traces a person’s enlightenment the moment it happens.   It is a short journey, there is no recall of a previous spiritual, mental, or physical journey, only the moment of enlightenment.   The narrator could be omnipotent, omniscient or first person, although there is no reference to first person in the poem.   It is however, written as though it was experienced firsthand.  This poem consists of four quatrain stanzas.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This rhyming poem has an ABCB rhyme pattern in all stanzas, which makes it sing-songy, or a hymnal poem in addition to being a time poem. The meter is trochaic.   In the first three stanzas, there are alternating patterns of seven and five syllables respectively.   The last stanza has eight and five syllables alternating.â€Å"I felt a Cleaving in my Mind† is interesting because the poem refers to the brain being split into two, and the actual poem itself is made up of two stanzas of equal length and meter, much as is a brain symmetrical and proportional and in sync when functioning properly.  The time sequence here is one that traces a person’s madness.   The narrator, the author herself, writes of a moment in time where she could not assemble the pieces or remember something, and therefore time was as disjointed as the task.There is an ABCB rhyme pattern in both stanzas.   The meter alternates every other line between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter throughout both stanza s.   The poem has a very pleasing, almost lighthearted rhythm to it, which is in stark contrast to the overall theme or message of the poem.   The tone almost mocks the moment.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The first Day’s Night had come – † traces a journey from a past experience to the beginning of a new moment and carries on to the future, recalling the life changing moment.   The climax is either the onset of madness or a blocking of a memory.   The narrator is the author.   She is present in the poem.The poem consists of five stanzas.   There is one rhyme pattern present in the poem, and that is in the first stanza.   The rhyme pattern is ABCB.   There is no noticeable rhyme pattern in other stanzas.   The meter in this poem is as follows for all five stanzas: two lines of iambic trimeter, one line of iambic tetrameter and one line of iambic trimeter.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Pain – expands the Time† is a short poem of two stanzas.   The time reference in this particular poem deals with something actually influencing time – pain.  There is unequal meter in the third line of each quatrain. The second stanza has a noticeable rhyme pattern of ABCB.

Importing a Foreign Product in Bangladesh

INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY BANGLADESH [pic] NAME OF THE COURSE: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING SUBJECT CODE: MKT 401 NAME OF THE INSTRUCTOR: ABUL KHAIR JYOTE SECTION: 01 NAME OF THE GROUP: MUSTANG DATE OF SUBMISSION: 01/11/2012 NAME OF THE GROUP MEMBER NAME: ID: E-MAIL: NUMBER: ANAN ASHEQ AREFEEN 1020644 [email  protected] com 01719154064 MD. RIAZ SHOAIB 0910383 [email  protected] om 01673390837 FAHIM MUNTAQIM 0921111 [email  protected]@yahoo. com 01915483658 FAHAD HOSSAIN 0921338 [email  protected] com 01677676794 TAWSIF BIN MAKSUD 0910374 [email  protected] com 01671070843 White appliance is a foreign company and it’s trying to get in Bangladeshi market. In Bangladesh the average monthly income is about 500 dollar a month which is 35000 in Taka.So the income scale is medium. According to our survey we figured out that microwave oven is used by the people whose income scale is about 70000-80000 or higher in the month. If we consider the social class, we found the people from t he higher and higher middle class are using the microwave oven and the rest of the people are comfortable with the gas stove. In Bangladesh, the market of microwave oven is not that good enough. Our company cannot sustain in this limited amount of market. The company actually wants a huge market to do business.In this case, we got only one option and that s to expand the usage of microwave oven in the country and to do so we need to target a new segment. We can’t just work on only two classes. Rather we need to concentrate on the middle class and upcoming middle class people. To expand our market, we targeted the middle class and upcoming middle class families and to do so, we need to promote our product as a permanent need. For example, if we think of a house appliance, we always think about a tv, refrigerator, furniture etc. So we need to work in such a way that we can point that microwave oven is a must in a home appliance.We have gone thru most of the middle class familie s recently to get their opinion and found that they can actually afford to buy a micro wave oven. The cost of a microwave oven is about 7000-10000taka but the problem is the usage cost. They say microwave oven consumes lot of electricity and it creates a huge electricity bills which sometime get beyond affordability. Even most people believe the oven make food tastes bad. Many of them don’t know how to use the microwave oven; even many of them misinterpret the microwave oven that it is a source of cooking food.Yes of course microwave oven is a cooking product but it is not suitable for our Bangladeshi food habit. We cannot cook our food in microwave as it is made on European context. It is very good for ready made food. Since, Bangladeshi people are not habituated in ready made foods; we can promote the oven as a source of freshen up the food by heating it. So the factor that mostly will create problem interfering in Bangladeshi market is: 01. Huge amount of electricity consu mption 02. People misinterpret the product 03. People think oven make food taste badThe most important and common problem is the electricity consumption. Microwave really takes a huge quantity of electricity to operate. To sort out this problem we are concentrating on manufacturing as special kind of oven named the electric convection oven. In this oven it has a special device or an adaptor which make the oven consume less energy and heat the food like the typical microwave ovens. A table is given below Appliance |Temperature |Time |Energy |Cost | |Electric Oven |350 |1 hour |2. 0 kWh |11. 2 | |Electric Convection Oven |325 |1 hour |1. 39 kWh |5. 00 | |We’ve made a compare between the regular oven and our special oven and figured out in average people can actually save 6 taka in every one hour. People may be getting interested on our product because we have made it cost effective. We need to promote our product in a way so that people should realize that microwave oven is not a product to cook, rather it helps people to get the food fresh by heating it. People have misconception about the microwave oven that it makes food taste bad. We need to reduce such perception and imply that there is nothing to do with the tastes.It just heat up the food to make it fresh. Such promotion may get a huge response because nowadays people are getting busy day by day. Even in many families, both husband wife is doing job and therefore they don’t have much time for cooking. Even if we look at the bachelors, they still don’t get any time to cook. Microwave oven is the best solution to cope up with their busy days. In the segment of busy people they would get a relief of cooking several times a day. All they need to do is to cook food once a day and get fresh food all day by heating with microwave oven.We can also promote the product by giving a recipe based on microwave cooking as a bonus. In fact we will also provide them with special bowls suitable for mic rowaves. We can also provide a facility of membership card to a particular shopping mall where they can buy their necessary groceries in a minimum discount. In this way, people may get interest of buying our product. We can also make the microwave open which can be operated by the remote control. It will be easy for the users to operate it. The advantage of microwave oven is it makes the food fresh.Maximum people faced such problems in cooking and that is when food is been cooked in the afternoon, we prefer to have that in dinner too. So the food that was cooked in the afternoon need to heat up on the gas stove which makes the food dry. So to regain the previous taste, more spices and water should be given and again re cook the food which is very bothering and also it kills time too. In this case, microwave oven just heat up the food to make it fresh and it do not dry up the food which is an advantage.Tagline: Though we are manufacturing and marketing the product in Bangladesh for t he genuine people, I’ve considered THREE taglines â€Å"WHITES; FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, WITH THE PEOPLE† â€Å"LEMONY FRESH 24HR† â€Å"HEAT IT, FRESH IT† Thing we need to think is that how will we actually enter the market after targeting our customer. We first thought about making a permanent factory to get the market permanently but we cannot do that for many circumstances. The Bangladeshi infrastructure is not suitable for our company. Moreover in Bangladesh, political turmoil, labor strike and most important problem load shedding is the daily situation.Our company cannot sustain with these problem. In this situation we are planning to get involve to a domestic company in Bangladesh in joint venture. We are interested of making a joint venture with Walton. Walton doesn’t manufacture micro ovens. So it might be a good opportunity for them to make a new segment of product in their company and we have the advantage of using their infrastruc ture. More over we can make a deal with them such as we will make the factory jointly by spreading 50/50 and our company will provide all the necessary machineries. Walton will maintain and hire the labor to manufacture our product.Walton and whites works in a joint venture and so we can use their distribution channel. In the contract of joint venture we will offer them 70/30 profit and bargain the profit margin up to 40%. Then we will also bargain about the selling of our manufacturing product. We will try to convince them allow us to sell our product on the other Asian countries by exporting. Such as if 100 micro ovens are manufactured in the industry of joint venture, 50 micro ovens will be sold in the Bangladeshi market and there would be a 50/50 profit share on the first fifty ovens.Then they must allow us to sell the other 50 micro ovens to other Asian countries by exporting thru Walton and we would give them 20% profit or may bargain up to 30% for the last 50 products. Accord ing to the contract Walton will maintain the labor cost and we have the right to employ our own expert representatives to watch out the both the internal and external situation. Our company wills not toler any trade union inside the venture premises. Government officers are not allowed as deputation. Yearly audit should be done by the renowned auditors.Finally Walton cannot terminate this joint venture within 10yrs. It would be good for both of us because Walton got a new segment of their product line, and they can make some extra profit from the product and our benefit is our market is been diversifying. In fact the best advantage we got in this joint venture is reducing the labor cost as the labor cost in Bangladesh is very cheap. The factory overhead cost is very cheap. People here actually want to do overtime job in a certain payment where in the western countries people don’t want to do job more than 8 hr.In our point of view, they should take the offer because by workin g with us, they might get many resourceful information, technologies, can train skilled workforce to develop their industry. The government might verify this thing and to develop their domestic industries they might be very co operative with us. For example we don’t need to give duty fee in the port, more over we might get a facility to export our product from the Bangladeshi port on behalf the Walton in a half tax rate. The disadvantage of this joint venture is the leak of technology and information.If the country’s national level business policy frequently changes, it may affect our company profit. The most important issue is the corruption. If the corruption can’t be controlled, law and order situation is not good in the country and lack of good governance may create a huge problem in this joint venture. Working in Bangladesh as a joint venture it saves a lot of money because it has less responsibility such as labor cost and maintains, political turmoil, load shedding etc. The home country would take care of these. The process we are saving a huge budget is called the economy of scale as it utilize the money very efficient way.Establishing a factory in Bangladeshi premises would cost lot of money. We believe our company is working not only for the highest income category or group but for the every level of people. We are highly dedicated on fulfilling the customer need. We don’t work just for a profit. Considering the people’s need and the income status, we offer a facility of buying our product in an installment. People can buy our product in 3 month Period installment. It might be a chance of encouraging people to buy our product. To inform the people about our product, we choose to make commercial advertisement in various public channels.Nowadays cooking program in TV channels has gained a good reputation. In this case, what we can do is to sponsor a cooking program or we can arrange such program in TV channels based on the recipe which is related on microwave cooking. For some reason, if the budget gets tight, we will request some of those cooking programs to use our microwave and influence indirectly the audience to buy our product. We can also promote our product by giving the opportunity of demo using in the retail stores in the country. We also can arrange a flash mob in the busiest locality to get the product in the peoples mind.We can also sponsor many inter country sports to spread the name of our product. In the last step we will also try a pilot operation on marketing our product in the Bangladesh defenses especially in the Army. The name of this pilot operation is called â€Å"THE VETERAN†. In the hill tracks or in the borders our soldiers face a lot of problem on getting fresh food. They often complained about it. They can’t get fresh food just because in those areas they are in the call of duty for the nation. They are not authorized to leave their position or to return their barracks for the sake of the country’s safety.Yes there are cooking facilities in the barrack but there is certain time of three days meal. If a person misses that time, he or she will not be allowed to get the meal. So in this case, they have to cook it for their own. Now the soldiers in the duty cannot often return in time. In this case, they don’t need to cook again rather all they need to do is to heat up the meal. So to sort out such problem, we might influence them to use our product in 20% discount rate. This discount is named as the veteran rate. We are not actually just doing business but we also took the oath of serving our nation.

Palliative Care in Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Palliative Care in Cancer - Essay Example Palliative health care services for children in the UK are both organized and delivered differently than adult palliative care in oncology (Price, McNeilly, & McFarlane, 2005). Palliative care will usually begin initially at the diagnosis of an incurable disease and continue throughout one’s life (Shaw, 2011). Palliative care will usually involve a multidisciplinary team approach and coordinators will manage and assist with symptoms and pain management along with the other aspects of medical care along with other basic needs such as financing, transportation, medical equipment, respite services for caregivers, counseling and of course easy transition to hospice services should this become necessary. Frequently palliative care is understood or thought to limit opinions available to families and patients rather than helping them to utilize the optimum clinical knowledge and tools available. Rationale 'Oncology Nurses' Personal Understandings about Palliative Care' The rationale for a literature review in palliative care in oncology is heavily supported by the number of new cases expected to be reported yearly; in 2009 alone 1,479,350 cases were expected in the United States (Mahon, and McAuley, 2010, p142). The ultimate goals of cancer treatment fall directly in line for those in palliative care; minimizing effects and alleviating the burdens of this disease. Advances in oncology treatment now means people are living longer with the disease and longer life spans with the disease previously often meant a reduced quality of life; living with the burden of pain, mental anguish and disabilities. Palliative care is now understood to be very distinct from that of hospice care and should be available to patients independent of the prognosis and diagnosis. Cancer patients live with significant burdens and because complex decisions are usual for cancer patients palliative care should be available commonly and routinely to cancer patients. It has become the standard of care for patients with cancer and serious illnesses. Though deficits remain with oncology there are two trends that heavily influence the oncologist’s nurse’s perceptions about palliative care. Many oncology nurses find it difficult to distinguish between palliative care and hospice care and oncology nurses have the unusual opportunity for being trendsetters in oncology palliative care because of the fact that each cancer patient is a good candidate for palliative care. Analysis of Available Literature on Palliative Care in Oncology 'Oncology Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Roles and Professional Attributes in Palliative Care' Few research studies have explored the perspectives of nursing roles in palliative care (Pavlish & Ceronsky, 2009). Most research is focused on gaining insights about end of life care. Nursing support in palliative care was found to have six dimensions; connecting, valuing, empowering, doing for, assisting in finding meaning, and ensuring the preservation of the patient’s integrity. Nursing responsibilities in the same study were described as providing comfort, responding during the death scene, enhancing personal growth, reacting to anger, enhancing the quality of life during dying, responding to colleagues and responding and interacting with the family in a supportive and professional manner. It was discovered that many nurses felt the most important aspect in palliative ca

McDonaldization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

McDonaldization - Essay Example One of the fundamental concepts of McDonaldization is spatial expansion, otherwise known as globalization. From its beginnings as a fairly limited phenomenon, McDonaldization has begun to pervade every aspect of our existence, and even though it does not fit the model of globalization outlined by theorists, it is most definitely a global process. McDonalds restaurants themselves can be found all over the world, and many other countries have introduced their own variants of the fast food restaurant, including France, India, and Lebanon. More importantly, the qualities of the McDonalds brand as outlined above are being adopted by institutions and systems throughout the world that are unrelated to the fast food industry. The globalization of these concepts can be attributed to a number of factors, the most obvious being the profit motive. The growing world-wide fascination with American culture, together with changes occurring in American society, and the lack of an alternative to McDonaldization, are also important factors. There is little to stand in the way of the globalization of either the McDonalds franchise or the McDonalds culture. One of the biggest impediments is that many developing countries either have little to offer McDonaldized systems, or simply lack the funds needed to implement such changes. Local culture is also an important factor, in that McDonaldization is unlikely to be capable of changing an entire culture, and also that McDonaldized systems will likely have to adapt somewhat to the customs of local cultures. In addition to cultural factors, there are environmental concerns. McDonaldized systems often have associated health or environmental risks and many groups of people are opposed to such systems on these grounds. Safety on the Sidewalks Jane Jacobs' essay entitled The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety discusses how a community of people in any given area contributes to the safety of that area by activities they may or may not carry out on the streets. Jacobs argues that a street or area is not intrinsically safe or dangerous because its location, but because of the attitudes and habits of the people who live there. According to Jacobs, the public peace of city streets is kept not by police or other authorities, but by "an intricatenetwork of voluntary controls and standards among the people themselves, and enforced by the people themselves". In places where such a network does not exist, the keeping of order is left to the police, and such places are not safe because citizens are not policing themselves. Jacobs cites three main qualities a street must have in order to be safe. First, there should be a "clear demarcation between what is public space and what is private space" This means, for example, that private business between individuals is not carried out on the street or in stores, and that private homes are not left open for the public to enter. Second, there should be "eyes upon the street", that is, the buildings of the street must be oriented so that their windows face the street. Lastly, the sidewalks should be continuously inhabited, both to increase the number of people on the street watching the

Competitive Set Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Coach case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coach case - Essay Example This model focused on providing indirect sales to other third parties thus increasing the number of sales of products and thus increasing its brand awareness in the market. These two strategies enabled Coach Company to attain its two primary strategic objectives which were to increase the global distribution of its products and to also improve the store sales productivity. Therefore, through these two strategies, the company has been able to attain competitive advantage over its major rivals, however, it was not certain whether the firm could match some of its prime rivals such as Dolce and Gabbana, and Versace. Coach Company has the principal strength of adequately competing with its competitors on its highly unique and superior luxury goods. Besides the company’s products has an innovative styling that has played a huge role in attracting new customers. Comparatively, Coach Company products are available at major outlets and sold at price less than 50% or more than its chief competitors in the luxury industry. In addition, the company has delivered extra services to the customers such as customer care to cater for their queries whenever they occur. As a result, the company has experienced increased customer satisfaction and loyalty from its customers. Equally important, Coach engaged in strategic associations with other major company such as Movado thereby broadening their market segment. This concept of outsourcing has not only enabled them to cut their maintenance costs but to lower their manufacturing costs as well. This has therefore increased their competitive advantages in the luxury industry. The companies has also various internal weaknesses which should be managed appropriately. For instance, the luxury industry is characterized by rampant change in the fashion trends. This has thus led the factory outlet stores to outperform the retail price stores. Therefore, the company’s products and brand are diluted due to the

Refocusing Sales Efforts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Refocusing Sales Efforts - Essay Example The more time that they can dedicate to that end, the more business we will generate. It would benefit the company if the sales staff limited their efforts to sales only. We are a small company by design. This allows us to be more flexible and responsive to our customers and the economy. But just because we are small in numbers does not mean we need to be small in revenue. The individual accounts that we have make up a large percentage of the total number, but they are only a small fraction of the sales volume. Though our business accounts usually require discounting to get their business, our greatest source of revenue is the few large corporate accounts that we serve. I suggest we make a move away from actively seeking new individual accounts and concentrate on acquiring new corporate accounts. With business accounts, we can service more revenue with fewer people and with the sales staff dedicated to pursuing new customers, we would have the time to cultivate these more lucrative accounts. The poor economic conditions in the area make it difficult to make a profit. However, these conditions will be temporary and the downturn will end in time. We should use this slow period to go out and meet potential customers and be ready to pick them up as clients when the economy turns around.

Case study reflection 2 pages per case 8 total Essay

Case study reflection 2 pages per case 8 total - Essay Example tudy of metformin-associated lactic acidosis-MALA, in which the interactions of drug that is, orlistat in the long run and cimetidine in the short run, may have triggered the woman’s condition (British Medical Association, 1988, pp56-87). The case involves a 59-year-old woman having had diabetes type 2 for 14 years, presented a history of 3 months of unclear abdominal pain and 4-5 daily loose movements of bowel. Her condition had worsened for over 4 days before her admission to the hospital. On the admission day, she exhibited signs of weakness, dizziness, and blurred vision. In addition, her husband had observed inaudible speech and an abridged level of consciousness (Ehrman, 2009, pp234-345). When the diagnosis of metformin-associated lactic acidosis with cardiovascular collapse and acute prerenal renal failure was made, it was discovered that she needed She required a vigorous rehydration, infusion of sodium bicarbonate, support of inotropic, and the therapy of renal replacement. Empirically, all cultures of blood, urine, and feces were sterile. Three years later she was dialysis independent and the stability of became real having a creatinine of 250 ÃŽ ¼mol/l. The study aims at answering the question of what initiates MALA in patients who previously had normal renal functions. Though the approach of handling this condition is unknown, the available options have been supportive and usually focus stopping the drug, correcting the acidosis and treating the coexisting conditions which in most instances are renal impairment. The therapy of renal impairment eliminates lactate and metformin from the blood. Metformin is absorbed comparatively rapidly in the intestines, and is not metabolized. And 90% of the drug is removed through glomerular filtration and secretions in the tubules. It has a half-life of 1.5-5 hours (Dong, 2006, pp34-45). When compared with phenformin, it yields a negligible increase in producing lactate, which seems to be past the extra hepatic

Alternative economic models Essay Example for Free

Alternative economic models Essay 1. If two alternative economic models are offered, other things equal, we would 2. Time-series forecasting models: 3. Consumer expenditure plans is an example of a forecasting method. Which of the general categories best described this example? 4. An example of a time series data set is one for which the: 5. For studying demand relationships for a proposed new product that no one has ever used before, what would be the best method to use? 6. Which of the following barometric indicators would be the most helpful for forecasting future sales for an industry? 7. If Ben Bernanke, Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, begins to tighten monetary policy by raising US interest rates next year, what is the likely impact on the value of the dollar? 8. An appreciation of the U.S. dollar has what impact on Harley-Davidson (HD), a U.S. manufacturer of motorcycles? 9. The purchasing power parity hypothesis implies that an increase in inflation in one country relative to another will over a long period of time 10. In an open economy with few capital restrictions and substantial import-export trade, a rise in interest rates and a decline in the producer price index of inflation will 11. An increase in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar relative to a trading partner can result from 12. The optimal currency area involves a trade-off of reducing transaction costs but the inability to use changes in exchange rates to help ailing regions. If the US, Canada, and Mexico had one single currency (the Peso-Dollar) we would tend to see all of the following EXCEPT: 13. Using demand and supply curves for the Japanese yen based on the $/ ¥ price for yen, an increase in US INFLATION RATES would 14. The isoquants for inputs that are perfect complements for one another consist of a series of: 15. The combinations of inputs costing a constant C dollars is called: 16. In a production process, an excessive amount of the variable input relative to the fixed input is being used to produce the desired output. This statement is true for: 17. If the marginal product of labor is 100 and the price of labor is 10, while the marginal product of capital is 200 and the price of capital is $30, then what should the firm? 18. The isoquants for inputs that are perfect  substitutes for one another consist of a series of: 19. Marginal factor cost is defined as the amount that an additional unit of the variable input adds to ____. 20. What method of inventory valuation should be used for economic decision-making problems? 21. The existence of diseconomies of scale (size) for the firm is hypothesized to result from: 22. ____ are defined as costs which are incurred regardless of the alternative action chosen in a decision-making problem. 23. The cost function is: 24. For a short-run cost function which of the following statements is (are) not true? 25. According to the theory of cost, specialization in the use of variable resources in the short-run results initially in:

Environmental Education Essay Example for Free

Environmental Education Essay Environmental education and play in Swedish and Australian early childhood curriculum. Environmental education and play are two important facets of both Swedish and Australian early childhood curriculum. Sandberg and Arlemalm-Hagser (2011) provide us with an overview of the Swedish curriculum, the current landscape of environmental education and the place of play in environment curriculum. An Australian perspective is demonstrated by Edwards and Cutter-Mackenzie who examines domestic responses to environment curriculum in early childhood settings and the importance of play in this context. A synthesis of both accounts provides us with an overview of environmental education across the two nations and the way in which place of play in the curriculum. Sandberg and Arlemalm-Hagser (2011) argue that Swedish early childhood education is influenced by sociocultural theory with a child-centred focus. Values of Swedish society are transmitted through the curriculum with sustainable development featured. Children are stakeholders because they are citizens and future leaders. Learning for sustainable development is implemented via the Pedagogical Programme for the Preschool which was adopted in 1987 which aims to promote environmental awareness. A key difference between the Swedish and Australian stances on environmental education is that Swedish curriculum explicitly refers to the concept as â€Å"learning for sustainable development† while the Australian documents use terminology such as â€Å"environmental education. † Sweden makes it clear that the purpose of environmental education is to equip children with tools and dispositions to address sustainability as adults. The Australian perspective may appear to have more emphasis on biodiversity and appreciation of outdoor environments, however Edwards and Cutter-Mackenzie point out that sustainability is dealt with through one indicator of the EYLF’s Learning Outcome Two which states: † (children) develop an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments and the interdependence of living things† (DEEWR, 2009, p. 29). For both Sweden and Australia, play permeates early childhood curriculum and is the basis for learning and development. Play can advance problem solving skills, and provide opportunities to practice creative instincts (Sandberg Arlemalm-Hagser, 2011). With regards to environmental education, both articles point out that many opportunities for environmental education take place during play activities in the outdoor. For Sandberg and Arlemalm-Hagser (2011), the principle of pleasure creates a joyful learning environment where the children are actively engaged. Similarly, Edwards and Cutter-Mackenzie highlight the uniquely Australian environment can be used to engage children with nature. For Edwards and Cutter-Mackenzie, play and environment education in Australia are two key features of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations , 2009). The EYLF presents play as a pedagogical tool for connecting learning and environment involves children’s learning spaces. Play in the outdoors is highlighted and educators are encouraged to use the Australian learning environment to offer children groundwork for lifelong environmental education. Also, play develops social skills. Through play, friend making and social interactions take place. â€Å"Children become conscious of themselves through others† (Sandberg Arlemalm-Hagser, 20011, p45) and play promotes awareness of society as children grow to see themselves in relation to others, and as part of a group. Edwards and Cutter Mackenzie suggest that social skills can be developed through play as children begin to take moral standpoints. This dynamic relationship building and social experimentation can, as Mead (1995, in Sandberg Arlemalm-Hagser, 2011) suggests, lay the fundamental groundwork integral for a child’s development. In conclusion, both Swedish and Australian early childhood curriculum approaches environmental education in similar ways. While there are differences in terminology and focus, a key aspect of successful early childhood education is a consideration of context and making curriculum relevant. This accounts for the contrast in environmental education approaches. Play is seen as significant across both nations and creates a pleasurable learning experience that children can actively engage and learn in. In the future, it is likely that a global trend to environmentalise early childhood curriculum will develop as educators see a growing need to develop sustainable thinkers for the future. References: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, Being Becoming. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. Edwards, S. and Cutter-Mackenzie, A. , (2011). Environmentalising early childhood education curriculum through pedagogies of play. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood; v. 36 n. 1 p. 51-59; Retrieved from http://search. informit. com. au/fullText;dn=185912;res=AEIPT ISSN: 1836-9391. Mead, H. G. (1995). Mind, Self and Society. From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Lund: Argos. (Cited in Sandberg Arlemalm Hagser, et. al. ) Sandberg, A. and Arlemalm-Hagser, E. , (2011). The Swedish National Curriculum : play and learning with fundamental values in focus. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood; v. 36 n. 1 p. 44-50; March 2011. Retrieved from http://search. informit. com. au/fullText;dn=185911;res=AEIPT ISSN: 1836-9391. Tysan Allen: 43053157 ECH120.

Decentralized And Strategic Business Unit Of Nestle Management Essay

Decentralized And Strategic Business Unit Of Nestle Management Essay Based in Switzerland, Nestle operates in 86 countries across the globe. The company has products that cross more borders than a professional diplomat, including Nescafe coffee, Purina and Friskies pet food, Kit Kat candy, Buitoni pastas and its flagship chocolate. Although there are many exceptions, food tends to be inherently local, both because of its perishable nature and because of the regional nature of many food preferences. For Nestle, success has meant finding the right balance between localization and globalization. Packaging has played a key role in this successful balancing act, which is why Nestle is Food Drug Packagings 2004 Food/Beverage Packager of the Year. Nestle can earn greater return from its distinctive competencies, like unique strengths that allow a company to achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness. By applying those competencies, and the products they produce, to foreign markets where indigenous competitors lack similar competencies and products, Nestle can realize enormous returns. Furthermore, Nestle can take advantage of location economies. Location economies arise from performing a value creation activity in the optimal location for that activity, anywhere in the world. The optimal location for a value creating activity lowers the costs of value creation therefore helping the company achieve a low-cost position. 4.1 International strategy Nestlà © is a global organization. Their competitive strategies are associated mainly with foreign direct investment in dairy and other food businesses. Nestlà © aims to balance sales between low risk but low growth countries of the developed world and high risk and potentially high growth markets of Africa and Latin America. Nestlà © recognizes the profitability possibilities in these high-risk countries, but pledges not to take unnecessary risks for the sake of growth. This process of hedging keeps growth steady and shareholders happy. When operating in a developed market, Nestlà © strives to grow and gain economies of scale through foreign direct investment in big companies. Recently, Nestlà © licensed the LC1 brand to Mà ¼ller (a large German dairy producer) in Germany and Austria. In the developing markets, Nestlà © grows by manipulating ingredients or processing technology for local conditions, and employ the appropriate brand. For example, in many European countries most chilled dairy products contain sometimes two to three times the fat content of American Nestlà © products and are released under the Sveltesse brand name. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestlà © involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestlà © entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Colas worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. European and American food markets are seen by Nestlà © to be flat and fiercely competitive. Therefore, Nestlà © is setting its sights on new markets and new business for growth. 4.1.1 Asia market Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestlà ©s strong cash flow and comfortable debt-equity ratio leave it with ample muscle for takeovers. Recently, Nestlà © acquired Indofood, Indonesias largest noodle producer. Their focus will be primarily on expanding sales in the Indonesian market, and in time will look to export Indonesian food products to other countries. Nestlà © has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestlà © produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Nestlà ©s overall strategic postures make sense because the company has developed a consistent strategic direction and vision. The company has determined its strategic direction in advance and then implemented it on a global scale. Knowing that innovation and quality were key determinants, Nestle transferred these distinctive competencies to foreign markets. 4.2 Decentralized and Strategic Business Unit Nestle is a decentralized organization where responsibility for operating decisions is delegated to local units, which have a high degree of autonomy concerning pricing, distribution, marketing, etc. Nestle is one of the worlds largest food company and has successfully grown and increased its market share since its foundation in 1866. This already indicates that Nestlà ©s overall strategic posture makes sense given the markets and countries Nestle participates in. Nestle is organized into seven different worldwide strategic business units (SBUs). These have responsibility for high-level strategic decisions and engage in overall strategic business development, including acquisitions and market entry strategy. Parallel to this structure, there is a regional organization that divides the world into five major geographical zones, such as Europe, North America, etc. The regional organizations are responsible for developing regional strategies and assist in the overall strategy development process. However, neither SBU nor regional managers get involved in local operating decisions. http://articles.castelarhost.com/nestle_competitive_strategy.htm 4.3 Challenges As a global company, Nestle faces many challenges. They are varied in nature, spanning social, environmental and economic issues, and range from local to global in scale. Some of the challenges as below: 4.3.1 The double burden of malnutrition While nutrition has largely improved worldwide over the past 50 years, new nutrition-related problems have emerged, ranging from under-nutrition in developing countries through to increasing rates of obesity in both developing and developed countries. Both contribute to increasing rates of chronic disease around the world.18 4.3.2 The global water crisis In recent years, water has been increasingly recognized as equal to climate change as a pressing environmental issue. With approximately two-thirds of all water being withdrawn by agriculture, the future of agriculture and food security is at stake if we are not able to solve the world water crisis. We have adopted rigorous standards to reduce water consumption at our plants and facilities, and help farmers to become better stewards of water, support water resource awareness and education programmes, and participates in global dialogue with leading experts and policymakers.19 4.3.3 Renewable energy In addition to operational efficiency improvements and energy-saving equipment, we continue to explore the industrial feasibility of switching to more renewable energy sources to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. A number of projects have come on-stream in 2009 which will increase our overall proportion of energy derived from renewable resources, including a landfill gas project in Ohio, USA that recovers methane, the generation of energy from spent coffee grounds at a factory in Colombia and solar panels on the roof of our Purina factory in Denver.20 4.3.4 Sustainable palm oil We share the concern about the serious environmental threat to rainforests and peat fields caused by palm oil plantations, and participate in multi-stakeholder solutions to this complex problem. We only buy processed palm oil and processed oil mixes, we do not use crude palm oil and we have no direct link with plantations. We have also undertaken an in-depth review of our supply chain and committed to using only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) by 2015. Nestle recently joined the Round table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and has repeatedly spoken out against the production of palm oil for a bio-fuel.21 4.3.5 Child labour in the agricultural sector As a founding participant in the International Cocoa Initiative, set up specifically to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, Nestle and other industry players are improving access to education and addressing all forms of exploitation of children, forced labour and its causes.22 http://www2.nestle.com/CSV/CreatingSharedValueAtNestle/Challenges/Pages/Challenges.aspx

Parents for Public Schools Essay -- essays research papers

Parents for Public Schools   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, the push for more accountability of student performance changed how assessment will be measured and judged in public schools. Not only will students be assessed through test scores, but also through attendance, school work, and observations. Parents hold the schools responsible for the advancement of their students’ knowledge. Different tests are given to measure their intelligence level which is either used to compare one student to another or measure their performance based on a pre-existing body of knowledge. The scores from the tests help the schools determine the advancement of a student from grade to grade, additional educational help, and graduation. Accountability needs to apply to everyone, including the administrators, teachers, and students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schools are put under the pressure of meeting standards that maintain the students’ current level of intelligence. When placed in a classroom of varying levels of knowledge the teacher must teach at a level that all students can understand. The government and higher administration hold the schools responsible for the advancement of a student’s intelligence, while the teachers hold the students responsible for their performance. Yet, the state and district also hold the students responsible for their grades, courses, school work, test scores, and attendance. Therefore, a student is held accountable for their education from all aspects.... Parents for Public Schools Essay -- essays research papers Parents for Public Schools   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, the push for more accountability of student performance changed how assessment will be measured and judged in public schools. Not only will students be assessed through test scores, but also through attendance, school work, and observations. Parents hold the schools responsible for the advancement of their students’ knowledge. Different tests are given to measure their intelligence level which is either used to compare one student to another or measure their performance based on a pre-existing body of knowledge. The scores from the tests help the schools determine the advancement of a student from grade to grade, additional educational help, and graduation. Accountability needs to apply to everyone, including the administrators, teachers, and students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schools are put under the pressure of meeting standards that maintain the students’ current level of intelligence. When placed in a classroom of varying levels of knowledge the teacher must teach at a level that all students can understand. The government and higher administration hold the schools responsible for the advancement of a student’s intelligence, while the teachers hold the students responsible for their performance. Yet, the state and district also hold the students responsible for their grades, courses, school work, test scores, and attendance. Therefore, a student is held accountable for their education from all aspects....

Essay --

The world we live in today is full of an exceptional variety of animals. The time it took to conclude to the various sorts of species seen today has been throughout a period of millions of years. The vast majority of these animals are accredited to evolutionary advancements. When the environment changes, organisms have become accustomed to changing to fit their environment, to ensure their species does not die off. These physical changes have resulted in different phyla, ranging from basic structures, like sponges to advance systems, like that of an octopus. Porifera is the most simplistic phylum under the kingdom Animalia. The sponges have no tissue layers, but instead an interior and exterior layer with a gelatinous middle layer that separates the two. They are the only phylum with asymmetrical symmetry. Throughout the advancing phyla it will be shown this trait is lost. Porifera lacks a proper digestive system, but a canal system allows the sponges to filter feed. Along the inside of a sponge, flagella pump water through the sponge’s body. This process brings in oxygen and other small organisms and then flows out the top of the sponge, the osculum, removing waste by diffusion. Sponges lack a circulatory system, as does many of the first couple of phyla. A coinciding factor could be their small size. A nervous system is also missing, but very basic nerve cells within the pores sense the water currents. Gas exchange occurs through these pores. Reproduction in sponges can be asexual by budding, gammation, or fragmentation. Some s ponges can also have sexual reproduction occur as an egg gets released and fertilized in the open water by free floating sperm. After this stage they cling onto rock and begin their sessile, basic, life.... ...d female reproductive organs. An egg becomes fertilized when they rub clitellum. Earthworms play an important part in the environment. They break down organic matter and dig tunnels under the soil that help increase water and oxygen flow. Throughout the various phyla discussed evolutionary advancements are relevant. Starting from the basic, simplistic life forms of a sponge, up to the intelligence of an octopus and advance organ systems of Annelida the changes have only improved. Some species changed and evolved because as populations grow, they spread out farther and different conditions begin to affect their life. Why some species haven’t changed is because their body plan and system works for the environment they inhabit. Evolution has helped animals spread out all over the world and adapt to various conditions, seen in the habitats Aschelminthes can prosper in.

The Necessity of Autonomy (Free Will) in Society Essay -- Autonomy Fre

The Necessity of Autonomy (Free Will) in Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.† John Stuart Mill explicitly describes the necessity of autonomy or free will in society to insure the happiness of all. From this perspective one can recognize that autonomy should not only be unconditionally allowed, but also as an aspect of man that was developed along with the ability to reason. In accordance with the natural evolution of man as a rationale being, to limit one’s autonomy would be to deny the very ability that has allowed man’s development to occur. Although the topic of autonomy is prevalent in the field of psychology, the ramifications of limits to, spread throughout all aspects of society as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been criticisms to the necessity of autonomy from the beginning of philosophical thought. However, it can be recognized that these criticisms are often developed with a limited viewpoint. One such critic, B.F. Skinner who stressed the influence of the environment over the individual, argued against autonomy from that particular view. Skinner stated, â€Å"It is clear now that we must take into account what the environment does to an organism not only before but after it responds. Behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences.† Althou...

Costco Ethics Essay

Costco wholesale follows a very strict code of ethics, which are strongly enforced with their compliance program. Costco’s ultimate mission is to provide their members with quality goods and services at the lowest price possible. In order for Costco to achieve their mission, they must abide by their simple code of ethics which consist of, obeying the law, taking care of their members, taking care of their employees, and respecting their suppliers. Upon success of these four codes, they have the ability to reward their shareholders, which is their ultimate goal. In order for Costco to implement their code of ethics, they must follow an austere compliance program. Costco must first appoint or retain a Chief Compliance Officer who directly reports to the Nominating and Governance Committee of Costco’s Board of directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee is made up of several independent directors whom have the responsibility to develop ideas, and give recommendations to the board corporate governance guidelines. In order for the Chief Compliance Officer to understand the whole process, and compliance program itself, he or she must retain their position for at least three years. Within these three years, he or she must report to the Governance Committee at least twice a year in regards to compliances issues, and the relay of information between the financial reporting department and the financial planning department. Also the Chief Compliance Officer must report to the independent accounting firm or law firm at least once a year. The Chief Compliance Officer’s initial duty is to coordinate and oversee the following areas: to improve Costco’s already set compliance program, revising the Code of Ethics to make it easily understood for their employees, spreading the compliance and ethical standards to officers and employees, improving the employee training program, to look for and address unethical behavior, enhancing the â€Å"whistle blower† program for anonymous accusations, to check on senior executives to ensure their participation in the ethics and compliance program, and lastly to ultimately oversee internal investigations involving financial fraud. To guarantee that information is properly shared between the internal departments responsible for Costco’s equity compensation program there is written procedures to be followed. The departments that are mainly responsible for following this procedure are the financial reporting department, and the financial planning department. These departments are mandated to meet for at least three years for quarterly meetings attended with the Chief Compliance Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller and the supervisors of both departments.

Dormitory Towns

Aims Our aim was to find out whether Pittston is a commuter settlement; meaning if residents use it to commute to work, using it as a base, getting resources from outside town. This is possible by looking at the buildings and amenities. Also using field sketches and photos to back up our information and collect data.Pittston Pittston is a village and civil parish within the Lawlessly Vale district of Packinghouse, It is located at the foot of the Chillier Hills, about seven lies east of Lawlessly It directly adjoins the village of Ivanhoe, and the two villages share a number of their facilities. Method Financial Summary Use this section to give a brief summary of your financial, highlighting important points. This is also the perfect place for a few charts that demonstrate key financial information.To add a chart, on the Insert tab, click Chart. The chart will automatically coordinate with the look of your report. Need some help choosing a chart type? No problem. To show values acros s categories, such as to compare the revenues of efferent business units, try a column or bar chart. To show values over time, such as for revenue or profit trends, try a line chart. To compare two sets of related values, such as to compare executive salaries relative to number of years with the company, try a scatter chart.And when you're ready to customize the look of your chart, just click in the chart and then check out the icons you see on the right for everything from style and layout to managing data. Financial Statements Statement of Financial Position Liabilities Ownership Equity Statement of Comprehensive Income (Profits and Losses) Income Expenses Profits Statement of Changes in Equity Well, it wouldn't be an annual report without a lot of numbers, right? This section is the place for all those financial tables.To get started with a table that looks just like the sample here, on the Insert tab, click Tables, then choose Quick Tables. Description Revenue Earnings Statement of Cash Flows Operating investing If Nan icing Notes to Financial Statements Accounts When you have a document that shows a lot of numbers, it's a good idea to have a little text that explains the numbers. You can do that here. Debt Of course, we would all prefer to just have profits. But if you've got any debt, this is the place to make notes about it.

Underepresentation of Women in Positons of Authority.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction The focus of this chapter is to review critically and synthesize relevant knowledge about how and when specific levels of instruments and/ or policy interventions work to empower women and thereby increase gender equality, as stated by the World Bank (2001). Decision-making procedures should be changed to make room for female influences, styles and characteristics as well as in implementation. Participation of women in decision-making processes should the corner stone of Zimbabwe’s ethos as a democratic nation. Zimbabwe should take an active role in promoting gender balance in decision-making.It is important to have balanced participation of women and men at all levels of decision making. Gender equality is central to human development and to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as to the enhancement of development effectiveness, (UNDP, 2011). MDGs attach great importance to gender equality and women's empowerment in all facets of life. Gender mainstreaming is one of the strategies that the UN utilises to promote the integration of gender perspectives into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes (UNDP, 2011).Gender equity is giving boys and girls, women and men equal opportunities in the utilisation of personal capabilities to realize full human rights (UNDP, 2011). There are many studies that have been done by scholars across the world to find association between women empowerment and socio- economic performance. There is empirical evidence that the promotion of gender equity leads to better economic performance of the concerned societies.One such study was done by Stephan Klasen who said that gender gaps undermined â€Å"the ability of women to be effective agents of economic process. Societies with greater female employment opportunities are less prone to corruption and poor governance†, (Klasen, 2006:151). 2. 2 Overview of globa l efforts on gender equality Despite efforts made to ensure that female representation is achieved at all levels of governance, women are still underrepresented in many government and non-government organizations, particularly in positions of power and leadership.According to Campbell (2003:7-8), women’s current position is the result of the historical fact that Zimbabwe’s transition from white colonial rule did not dismantle the structures of patriarchy or oppression, which happen to serve the current regime just as well. 2. 3 Historical Background of Gender Equality According to a UN report of 1997, gender equality, also known as sex equality or sexual equality, is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.This goal includes making women’s rights equal to men's and also making men’s rights equal to women's. 1972-1980s Although the first United Nations Conference on the Human Env ironment in Stockholm, 1972 saw the establishment of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), officially linked the physical environment and society in its title, in the 1960s and 1970s social issues were still largely disconnected from environmental policies and programs.When the World Conservation Strategy living resource conservation for sustainable development the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was launched in 1980, the focus of that document on social-environmental linkages still was presented in a gender-neutral way. 1985The Third United Nations Women’s Conference in Nairobi in 1985, however, was among the first international forum that made explicit the linkages between sustainable development and women’s involvement and empowerment as well as gender equality and equity. In the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies, the environment was included as an area of concern for women. During the Nairobi conference in 1985, UNEP hosted a special Session on Women and the Environment, and UNEP’s Senior Women Advisors Group (SWAG) was established to advice the organization on bringing a gender perspective in its environmental program. 990s In the run-up to the World Summit of 2002, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCED, held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, the UN Secretariat for UNCED, UNEP and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) as well as NGOs such as WEDO and World Wildlife Fund, undertook a number of advocacy activities that reflected the conclusions reached at the 1985 Nairobi Non-governmental Organization-Forum workshops, that stated: â€Å"The growth of women’s power and the sustainability of development are ecologically tied. Environmental Liaison Centre (ELC, 1985). They underlined that women not only bear the highest costs of environmental problems, but as managers of primary resources, also have the greatest potential for contributing to the solution of the crisis. The advocacy activities during the UNCED process resulted in a reasonably Agenda 21, not only including more than 145 references to the specific roles and positions of women in environment and sustainable development, but also a separate Chapter 24 entitled ‘Global action for women towards sustainable development’.This chapter acknowledges the need for a broad participation of women as major group at all governmental levels and in all UN agencies related activities in sustainable development, as well as the need for the integration of a gender perspective on sustainable development planning and implementation. The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995) identified environment as one of twelve critical areas for women.Section K of the Beijing Platform for Action, on women and the environment, asserted that â€Å"women have an essential role to play in the development of sus tainable and ecologically sound consumption and production patterns and approaches to natural resource management† (paragraph 246). 2000s Five years later, at the Millennium Summit in New York, world leaders promised in the Millennium Declaration â€Å"to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is truly sustainable†.This vision was reflected in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including MDG 1, eradicate extreme poverty, MDG 3 promote gender equality and empower women, and MDG 7 ensure environmental sustainability. However, until now, in governmental reporting on MDG 7 environmental linkages to gender equality are neglected. As input for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, women as major group prepared two documents (ECOSOC/UN, 2001 and 2002), in which progress on the implementation of Agenda 21 from a gender perspective was reviewed.It was concluded th at at international, national and local levels important steps had been taken, but that these were rather scattered and that most were of an ad hoc character. The review showed that there has been no real integration of gender issues into global environment and sustainable development policies and activities, let alone a thorough mainstreaming of gender concerns into these areas. Instead of real implementation, more commitments were made.Principle 20 of the Johannesburg Declaration of the World Summit on sustainable Development (2002) reads: â€Å"We are committed to ensure that women’s empowerment and emancipation, and gender equality are integrated in all activities encompassed within Agenda 21, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. † Among the 153 paragraphs of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) 30 refer to gender aspects.These deal with: benefits of sustainable development to women; the elimination of violence an d discrimination; access to health services; access to land and other resources (particularly in Africa); the enhancement of the role of women in resources management; education for all; participation of women; gender mainstreaming; and gender specific information and data. Major advocacy efforts resulted in a decision by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 11th session in 2003 to make gender a cross-cutting issue in all its upcoming work up until 2015.In a global context in which gender inequality proves to be one of the most pervasive forms of inequality (UNDP, 2005), the international community during the 10-year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action, recommitted itself to the global goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women. One of the areas of disparity between males and females is related to the difference in their employment status which is manifested by occupational segregation, gender-based wage gaps, and women’s disproportionate represent ation in informal employment, unpaid work and higher unemployment rates (UNFPA, 2005).As women in developing countries have low status in the community, the activities they perform tend to be valued less; and women’s low status is also perpetuated through the low value placed on their activities (March et al. , 1999). According to the millennium indicators data base of the United Nations, cited in the UNFPA (2005), the percentage of parliamentary seats held by women in 2005 was 16% at world level, 21% in developed countries, and 14% in developing countries.This low representation of women in national parliaments could be due to type of electoral systems in different countries, women’s social and economic status, socio-cultural traditions and beliefs about women’s place in the family and society, and women’s double burden of work and family responsibilities (UNFPA, 2005). Beijing Platform for Action (1995) called on governments to take measures to ensure w omen’s equal access to and full participation in, power structures and decision-making.The outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000) reiterated the need to increase the representation of women. The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) affirmed the need to include women in decision-making with regard to issues of peace and security. In 2006 the 50th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women adopted the agreed-upon conclusions on the equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes, (UN/DAW, 2007).Other important commitments related to women’s political participation in Africa include: Article 4 (l) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Dakar Platform for Action (1994); the African Plan of Action to Accelerate the Implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action for the Advancement of Women (1999); the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003); and the African Union’s Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004).In Zimbabwe gender disparities characterise all aspects of development with Zimbabwe ranked at â€Å"130 in the global gender-related development index according to the (Human Development Report, 2007/2008), reflecting the generally low status of women with respect to access, control and ownership of economic resources and positions in decision-making processes†.This is despite the promulgation of various laws, ratification and accession to regional and international declarations, conventions and protocols earmarked for creating an enabling environment for the accomplishment of justice and equality between men and women. The status of women in Zimbabwe has been noticeably affected by the economic problems facing the country as well as the persistence of discriminatory practices.The country has introduced â€Å"policy and legal measures to promote gender equ ality including the National Gender Policy and specific domestic violence legislation†, (UN, 2010); but in Zimbabwe women trail behind men on measures of economic empowerment â€Å"such as labour force participation, wage equality and representation in senior positions†, (World Economic Forum, 2010:318). A key barrier to gender equality is the discrimination stemming from the â€Å"dual system of law, where customary laws continue to disadvantage women, particularly in the family†, (Thabethe, 2011:8).Zimbabwe adopted â€Å"women in power† and â€Å"decision-making† as two of its priority areas under the Beijing Declaration (1995). The report by UNFPA (2010) notes that â€Å"the achievements made by Zimbabwe in terms of promoting gender equality at national level such as the appointment of the first female Vice-president in 2005, the drafting and launching of the National Gender Policy in 2004 and the enacting of progressive legislation such the Dom estic Violence Act and the Sexual Discrimination Act were landmark decisions.Labour laws have also been amended to reflect gender equality priorities. 2. 4 The Zimbabwe National Gender Policy (2004) According to the Republic of Zimbabwe, (2004), the vision of this policy is to have a â€Å"society in Zimbabwe where there is economic, political, religious and social equality and equity among women and men in all spheres of life and at all levels†. It was said that it anchored on the protection and respect of the rights of the individual.The Zimbabwe government went further highlighting that â€Å"the policy’s goals is to eliminate all negative economic, social and political policies, cultural and religious practices that impede equality and equity of the sexes; to mainstream gender in all aspect of the development process and to ensure sustainable equity, equality and empowerment of women and men in Zimbabwe in all spheres of life†, (Republic of Zimbabwe, 2004).I n 1997, together with other SADC governments, Zimbabwe signed the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development together with its Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children sets out to enhance equal participation of women and men in national development. Based on these national, regional and international instruments, the National Gender Policy will facilitate the designing and implementation of policies that redress gender imbalances in all spheres and levels of life as part of fulfilling its commitments.The National Gender Policy recognises the fact that women constitute more than 52 per cent of the population of Zimbabwe. It is therefore important that their representation and participation in the development process should be commensurate with this numerical reality. 2. 4. 2 Policy principles The Zimbabwe government (2004) indicated that based on the â€Å"national ethos of democracy, unity, equity, development and self-sufficiency, sets out to enhance equal participation of women and men in national development†.The policy was said to be in line with the need for economic growth, sustainable development, social justice and recognition and respect of human rights. However it is critical to recognise that gender discrimination has its basis in cultural values, beliefs and practices. In this regard, the National Gender Policy is premised on the following principles: †¢ A recognition that issues of development, human development in particular are concerned with equity, equality, participation, association, social justice and human rights. Gender discrimination is a serious impediment to development that affects the whole country and thus needs to be eliminated through appropriate individual and collective strategies. †¢ The prevalence and demonstration of political will and commitment to foster growth and enhance equity is a prerequisite to ensure the successful implementation of the National Gender Policy. †¢ A participatory approach that entails broad consultation and involvement of both women and men in all spheres of development guarantees success of the transformation of society to promote democracy, equality and equity between women and men. All Government policies must acknowledge women and men as equal and important human resources for development. This equality and equity of women and men is anchored on the protection and respect of the rights of the individual. 2. 5 Women in Zimbabwe Women’s status in Zimbabwe has been significantly affected by the economic problems facing the country as well as the persistence of discriminatory practices. The country has introduced policy and legal measures to promote gender equality including National Gender Policy and specific domestic violence legislation, (UN, 2010).Although Zimbabwe has achieved gender parity in primary school education, there remains a gender gap in secondary and tertiary education enrolments. Further, wom en trail behind men on measures of economic empowerment, such as â€Å"labour force participation, wage equality and representation in senior positions†, (World Economic Forum, 2010:318). A key barrier to gender equality is the discrimination stemming from the â€Å"dual system of law, where customary laws continue to disadvantage women, particularly in the family†, (Thabethe, 2011:8). . 6 Laws, Policies and Frameworks to Ensure Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls, (UN/ZIMBABWE, 2012). The frameworks will contribute to progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, specifically MDG 3: promote gender equality and empower women. To address this challenge, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCT) will support key governance institutions in policy and legislative formulation and implementation.Support will, therefore, be rendered to Government to put in place laws and policies that increase the participation of wom en in decision-making bodies and positions in both the private and public sectors. Moreover, the UN will support measures to ensure that the percentage of the national budget allocated to women and girls’ programs is increased (UN/Zimbabwe, 2012). The UN will work towards ensuring ratification, domestication, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of laws and policies that promote gender equality, human rights, and women and girls empowerment.Efforts will be made to mainstream gender into all Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) outcomes using a cross sectoral approach. An estimated amount of USD 20 million will be sourced from the UNCT and development partners for this outcome (UN/Zimbabwe, 2012). In Zimbabwe, gender disparities characterise all aspects of development, with Zimbabwe ranked at 130 in the global gender related development index according to the Human Development Report 2007/2008, reflecting the generally low status of women with respect to access, control and ownership of economic resources and positions in decision-making processes.This is despite the promulgation of various laws and the signature, ratification and accession to several regional and international declarations, conventions and protocols aimed at creating an enabling environment for the attainment of equity and equality between men and women. 2. 7 Structures that enhances subordination of Women in Politics The traditional female/male roles are deeply ingrained and glorified in all Zimbabwean languages, in education, the mass media, and advertising.The society’s perception of women is for the most part negative with the best women as mothers, and their capabilities and capacities going virtually unnoticed (Obura, 1991). Such sex stereotypes and social prejudices are inappropriate in the present society where female/male roles and male-headed families are no longer the norm. According to the United Nations (2000), sex stereo-types a re among the most firmly entrenched obstacles to the elimination of discrimination, and are largely responsible for the denigration of the role and potential of women in society. The subordinate osition of women in the society seems to legitimize their exclusion from participation in political and decision making processes. Many stories depict women as disloyal, disagreeable, untrustworthy, and even gullible (Kabira and Nzioki, 1995:57). Even today women continue to be left out of official records and when recognised, they are addressed as those who need welfare assistance rather than actors in the historical process. The heavy under-representation of women in political life and most decision making processes in Zimbabwe needs to be closely investigated.Karl (1995:185) explores some of the factors affecting women’s political participation worldwide. Among the factors she cites include: household status; work related rights (maternity leave, job security, provision of child-ca re); employment and remuneration; double burden of work; education and literacy; access to financial resources; legal rights; traditions, cultural attitudes and religion; socialization and self-reliance; violence against women; the mass media; health; ability to control fertility.Cooper and Davidson (1982:44) sought to study the problems that women in leadership positions generally face. They found that women face stress from both the work, home and social environments. In addition, women have to acquire male leadership and managerial skills (for example, being aggressive, assertive, confident), as well as multiple demands in running a career and a family. Other sources of stress include difficult working relationships with male bosses and colleagues, sexual harassment, limited opportunities for promotion and career development.The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) (2003) notes that gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To e nsure this fairness, measures must often be available to compensate for historical and political disadvantages that prevent women from otherwise operating on a levelled playing field with men. Equity leads to equality. Gender equality implies that women and men enjoy the same status.Gender equality means that women and men have equal opportunities for realizing their full human rights and potential to contribute to political, economic, social and cultural development, and to benefit from results thereof. Gender equality includes both quantitative and qualitative aspects. 2. 8 Enhancing Women’s Participation in Political Power Structures and Decision-Making A survey carried out among national parliaments in the world by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (1997) revealed that women make up less than 5 per cent of world’s heads of state, heads of major corporations, and top positions in international organizations.Five years down the line, the IPU has established that women ar e not just behind in political and managerial equity, they are a long way behind. Politics is everyone’s business and affects the lives of each of us. The more women are associated in numbers in political decision making process in governments, the more they can change the modalities and outcomes of policies. 2. 9 Discriminatory Family Code There is no legal discrimination against women and girls with respect to inheritance rights.In 1997, the Administration of Estates Act was amended to make the surviving spouse and the children of a deceased person as his or her major beneficiaries, as opposed to their heir who was mainly the eldest son. The Act provides that the â€Å"matrimonial home, whatever the system of tenure under which it was held and wherever it may be situated, remains with the surviving spouse. This includes household goods and effects†, (United Nations, 1996:60). The Act applies to all marriages, civil and customary, (United Nations Committee, 2010:12).D espite these laws, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions reports that â€Å"women are still denied their inheritance rights in practice due to discriminatory attitudes, women’s’ lack of awareness of their rights or women’s’ lack of resources to claim their rights†, (Bird et al, 2004:168). The Chronic Poverty Research Centre reports that only â€Å"37. 31 % of widows inherited majority of assets after their spouses in 2005/2006†, (Chronic Poverty Research Centre, 2011:20). Women’s position in the family can also be gleaned from their participation in household decision making.Data from the 1999 Demographic Health Survey provides a snapshot of gender equality in household decision making in Zimbabwe. For large household purchases, 42% of married women reported that â€Å"decisions were made jointly with their husbands, 36% reported that decisions were made solely by their husbands and 16% reported decision were made solely by them selves†, (Demographic Health Survey Zimbabwe, 1999). Furthermore, discriminatory attitudes and practices of authorities place further barriers in women’s access to justice.For instance, according to the US Department of State, authorities generally consider domestic violence to be a private matter, (United State Department, 2009). With respect to prosecutions of marital rape, the government reports that the prosecution of marital rape requires the consent of the Attorney General which may discourage women from reporting. Further, entrenched institutional and societal attitudes that deny marital rape as a form of violence against women also prevent women from seeking justice, (United Nations, 2010:13-14).Female genital mutilation is not widespread in Zimbabwe, but is practised by the Remba ethnic group, which represents a small proportion of the population. Within this group, mutilation is combined with infibulations, which involves closing the outer lips of the vulva, ( US Department of State 2002. Limitations on women’s reproductive rights also infringes upon women’s physical integrity in Zimbabwe. Abortion in Zimbabwe is permitted to save a woman’s life or health, in the event of rape or incest or due to foetal impairment. It is not permitted on request or on social or economic grounds, (United Nations Population Division, 2007).The 2006 Demographic and Health Survey found that overall 60% of married women use contraception and 58 % use modern methods of contraception, (Demographic Health Survey, 2006). 2. 9. 1 Son Bias Gender disaggregated data on rates of infant mortality and early childhood nutrition are not available for Zimbabwe. With respect to access to education, the World Economic Forum reports that Zimbabwe has reached gender parity in primary school enrolments which indicates that there is no preferential treatment of sons with respect to primary school education.However, a gender gap persists in secondary and tert iary education enrolments, suggesting that â€Å"the education of sons continues to be more highly valued than the education of daughters†, (World Economic Forum, 2010:318). Further, the government reported that â€Å"women and girls carry the primary burden of care in the context of HIV which suggests that daughter in Zimbabwe may experience greater time poverty compared to sons†, (United Nations 2010:48). Gender inequality is embedded in the patriarchal, social, religious and cultural stereotypes in Zimbabwean life.UNFPA (2008) indicated that â€Å"the continued presence of long standing cultural and traditional practices that discriminate against women have constrained the progress of achieving gender equality†. Gender inequality hurts the interest not only of women but also of men through societal connections. It often stems from social structures that institutionalise conceptions of gender differences. Cultural stereotypes are ingrained in â€Å"both men a nd women and these stereotypes are possible explanation for gender inequality† (Rhoads et al, 1996:130).McFadden (2004:42) proposes that women have been traditionally viewed as â€Å"being caring and nurturing and are designated to occupations which require such skills†. While these skills are culturally valued they were typically associated with domesticity so occupations requiring these same skills are not economically valued. Men have â€Å"traditionally been viewed as the breadwinners so jobs held by men have been historically economically valued† (McFadden, 2004:42).However, these practices and public attitudes towards the advancement of women and gender equality have not changed at the same pace as policy and institutional frameworks. Mtintso (1999:37) observes and describes the under-representation and discrimination against women as an â€Å"anathema to democracy†. She argues that â€Å"socialisation of women right from childhood directs them away from activities of power. Women tend to be less ambitious and internalises society’s expectation that they are not suited to policy making positions†. (Mtintso, 1999:37).Cooper et al (1994:92) supports Mtintso’s argument when he mentions that â€Å"it starts from the family level where the traditionally designated leader is a man†. The same principle is â€Å"still dominant in our society† (Cooper et al, 1994:92). Leary et al (1994:216) reiterates that â€Å"women have the will but are discriminated against by men in authority who refuse to promote them and by legislation which limit their opportunities†. Because of this ideology, very few women made it in politics. McFadden (1994†142) paints patriarchy as a â€Å"huge setback for women in Zimbabwe, as the society is patriarchal in nature†.Morley (2005:112) alludes to the fact that â€Å"this societal norm leaves out women from the corridors of power and men are left to address issues that mostly affect women such as exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, and violence†. Watson (2009:87-93) affirms that â€Å"the under-representation of women remains a big concern in decision making processes and will continue to seriously undermine the realization of equitability in womanhood†. Mtintso (1999:40) argues that â€Å"patriarchal attitudes have become so entrenched that they are literally taken as natural†.She further maintains that â€Å"the government decision bodies are so patriarchal and power is so obvious, women are in danger of being swallowed by its culture, ethos, values and priorities. † This point was supported by Cooper et al (1994) when they argue that â€Å"women fear moving against the mainstream and in that way find themselves compromising and promoting the very patriarchal agenda†. According to Campbell (2003:285), the patriarchal model of the liberation struggle was â€Å"the basis upon which the Afri can government was couched and had been entrenched into law†.Cheater and Gaidzanwa (1996:197) postulate that â€Å"tradition was employed in the first decade of Zimbabwe’s independence to spread the general message of women’s re-subordination†. Black women were considered as â€Å"chattels of black men† (Zuidberg, McFaddens and Chigudu, 2004; 112). Culture prevents women from participating in decision-making processes and the distinction is critical to make in light of the gender differences rooted in the culture and history of Zimbabwe where women have been marginalised in decision-making positions.Cooper et al (1994:100) argued that â€Å"cultural barriers seem to be difficult to remove since they are subtly enforced by both men and women, they are seen as immutable, but one should bear in mind that culture is dynamic, it needs programmes to advocate for popular participation of women in politics from high schools and influence the school curricu la in this line†. Cheater and Gaidzanwa (1996:189-200) perceive traditional roles of men and women as â€Å"still in place due to gender stereotype†.Women still find it challenging to stand and compete with men in the political arena. Cheater et al (1996:189-200) noted the idea of a woman â€Å"to stand to compete with men as unacceptable behaviour, an unheard of kind of a scenario†. 2. 10 Conclusion Given the above scenarios, there is need to scrutinize the conditions under which women are subjected to involvement, participation, and inclusion in key decision-making processes in Zimbabwe and specifically it’s Cabinet.This is because, despite the significant advances made in the policy and legislative reforms arena, the position of women in decision-making positions in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe remains relatively low and is extraordinarily under-representative of women in the highest structures of governance. Gender equality has dominated international debat e on development issues with many intervention mechanisms being invented but to no avail. This demonstrates a gap between policy formulation and the causes of the challenge they are intended to address. Herein lays the core of the problem i. e. the gap between policy and actual implementation.