Does Cerumen have a risk for transmission of diseases? Essay

I learned in the A & P course that ear wax (or cerumen) is a waxy secretion by ceruminous gland (= modified sebaceous gland), mixed with sloughed epithelial cells, which inhibits the growth of certain bacteria due to its acidic pH. It also protects the skin of the external auditory canal by providing a waterproof layer, so, it’s something beneficial to us. Sure enough, there appear to be a number of articles written to support this – â€Å"Bactericidal activity of cerumen†, Chai & Chai (ref 1), â€Å"Bactericidal activity of wet cerumen†, Stone & Fulghun (ref 2), etc. (though this concept is refuted by a later study! (ref 3))On the other hand, I could find only very few articles that discuss the role that ear wax plays in disease transmission or as a portal of exist for pathogens. I started with an article by Kemp & Bankaitis (ref 4), in which it is stated that cerumen is not considered an infectious agent until it becomes contaminated with blood or mucus, and it can even be placed in the regular trash unless significant amount of blood or mucous is present. So, it appears the danger is not in cerumen itself but in blood/mucous contaminant. CDC lists Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever(VHF) as infectious diseases by bloodborne pathogens (ref 5). On the topic of cerumen itself transmitting bloodborne viruses, I could find only two articles, both by the same group of researchers, Beyindir, Kalcioglu et al. First article is on the study of possible transmission of Hepatitis B (ref 6), in which the authors conclude that cerumen can be a potential source of transmission and further investigation for horizontal, nosocomial, and occupational transmission is necessary. The second article is on Hepatitis C, and it concludes that cerumen has no risk, even in patients with high HCV RNA serum levels. I could not find any articles to confirm/deny cerumen as a source of transmission for HIV or VHF. I think our text book lists ear wax as a portal of exit for pathogens, because of more than minimal potential risk of contamination by blood, during treatment of otitis, removal of impacted ear wax etc. performed by otolaryngologists/audiologists on a regular basis. Referrences ———–1: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 1980 Oct;18(4): 638-412: The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 1984 Mar-Apr;93(2 Pt 1): 183-63: â€Å"Influence of human wet cerumen on the growth of common and pathogenic bacteria of the ear†, Campos, Betancor, et al., The Journal of laryngology and otology, 2000 Dec;114(12): 925-94: â€Å"Infection Control in Audiology†, http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/sgriff/infectioncontrol.pdf5: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Blood/blood.htm6: â€Å"Does cerumen have a risk for transmission of hepatitis B?†, The Laryngoscope, 2004 Mar;114(3): 577-807: â€Å"Detection of HCV-RNA in cerumen of chronically HCV-infected patients†, The Laryngoscope, 2005 Mar;115(3): 508-11

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 25~26

Chapter Twenty-five They Know Not What They Do When Rivera and Cavuto arrived at the Safeway, they found that the remaining Animals had crucified Clint on a stainless-steel chip rack and were shooting him with paint-ball guns. Lash unlocked the door to let them in. The Emperor and his men followed. Clint's screaming sent Bummer into a barking fit and the Emperor snatched him up and stuffed him headfirst into the pocket of his overcoat. â€Å"That really necessary?† Rivera asked, pointing to the paint-splattered martyr. â€Å"We think so,† Lash said. â€Å"He ratted us out.† Lash turned, sighted down the pass-through of register three, and fired a quick volley of electric-blue paintballs into the center of Clint's chest. â€Å"Did he call you again?† Rivera threw a thumb over his shoulder at the Emperor. The Emperor bowed. â€Å"You needed help, my son.† Lash nodded, considering that the Emperor might be right, then reeled and fired three quick shots into Clint's groin. â€Å"Just the same, motherfucker!† â€Å"Stop that!† Rivera said. He snatched the paintball gun out of Lash's hand. â€Å"It's cool. He's wearing a cup.† â€Å"And he's saved,† said Barry, who had been firing from register four. â€Å"Well, he is now,† Cavuto said. As he approached the paint-sodden Evangelical, he pulled a serrated-edge pocket knife from his back pocket and flicked it open. â€Å"And just so you know,† Cavuto added when his back was to them, â€Å"if I turn and there's a single paintball gun pointed in this direction, I will be forced to mistake it for a real weapon and unleash lead Disneyland on your pathetic asses.† Barry and Troy Lee immediately dropped their weapons onto the counter. â€Å"So, the Emperor tells us that you guys have been up to some shit. I thought we all agreed that we were going to keep it on the down-low until things calmed down.† Lash looked at his shoes. â€Å"We just had a little party in Vegas.† Rivera nodded. â€Å"And you kidnapped Tommy Flood?† Lash glared over Rivera's shoulder at the Emperor. â€Å"That was a secret. Really we were saving him from the daylight.† â€Å"So the redhead did turn him?† â€Å"Looked like it. He was unconscious at dawn. Just a little sunlight hit his leg when we were moving him and it started to smoke.† â€Å"So you geniuses did what?† â€Å"Well, we tied him to a bed at my apartment and left.† â€Å"You left?† â€Å"We had to work.† Cavuto had cut the zip ties that held Clint to the chip rack and helped him to the register, where he sat him down, careful not to get any paint on his sport coat. â€Å"Forgive them, they know not what they do,† Clint said, wincing as he touched his paint-spattered shoulder. â€Å"Because they're fucking idiots,† Cavuto said, handing him a roll of paper towels. Rivera ignored the scene at the register. â€Å"So you just left him there. So I'll find him there now, right?† â€Å"That was a couple of nights ago,† Lash said. â€Å"Go on.† Rivera looked at his watch. â€Å"Well, in the morning he was gone.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"It's awkward.† For variety, Lash looked at Barry's shoes. â€Å"Yeah, tying up your friends and torturing them can be that way,† Rivera said. â€Å"We didn't torture him. That was her.† â€Å"Her?† Rivera raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Blue. A hooker we rented in Vegas.† â€Å"Now we're talkin',† Cavuto said. â€Å"She came back with us. She wanted us to kidnap Tommy or his girlfriend.† â€Å"Why did she want that? To get their share of the art money?† â€Å"No, she had plenty of money. I think she wanted to be a vampire.† Rivera tried to hide his surprise. â€Å"And?† â€Å"When we went back to the apartment in the morning, Tommy was gone and Blue was dead.† â€Å"We had nothing to do with it,† Barry added. â€Å"But we didn't think you'd believe it,† Troy Lee said. Rivera felt a tension headache starting to throb in his temples. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. â€Å"So you found a dead woman in your apartment. And you didn't think that then might be a good time to call the police?† â€Å"Well, you know, dead hooker in your house – embarrassing,† Troy Lee said. â€Å"I think we've all been there. Can I get a high five – † Apparently, he couldn't, and was thus left hanging. â€Å"That's the weird thing,† Barry said. â€Å"When we went to move her body, it was gone. But the rug we wrapped her in was still there.† â€Å"Yeah, that's the weird thing,† Cavuto said, nudging his partner in the arm. â€Å"Heinous fuckery most foul,† said the Emperor. â€Å"Ya think?† said Cavuto. Bummer growled from his pocket sanctuary. â€Å"You guys are not helping,† Rivera said. Then to Lash again: â€Å"You have a description of this hooker?† Lash described Blue, glossing quickly over the fact that she was blue, and spending entirely too much time describing her breasts. â€Å"They were outstanding,† Barry said. â€Å"I kept them.† Rivera turned to Troy Lee, who seemed the most rational of these insane bastards. â€Å"Explain, please.† â€Å"We found silicone implants wrapped up in the rug where we had left Blue.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Rivera said. â€Å"Intact?† â€Å"Huh?† Troy inquired. â€Å"Were they all cut up?† â€Å"You think someone cut them out of her and took the body?† Troy asked. â€Å"No,† Rivera said. â€Å"So now you've lost three of your buddies?† â€Å"Yeah. Drew, Jeff, and Gustavo didn't show up tonight.† Rivera had Lash get the addresses of the missing Animals from the office and wrote them down in his notebook. â€Å"And you don't think that they might just be out partying?† â€Å"We called all the phones, checked their houses,† Lash said. â€Å"The door was hanging open at Drew's, and Jeff had left half a beer in the driveway, which he would never do. Besides, Jeff and Drew might flake, but Gustavo wouldn't. We even went to his cousin's house in Oakland looking for him.† â€Å"And he did not est en la biblioteca either,† said Barry, who, for some reason, believed that all Spanish-speaking people spent a lot of time in the library and had therefore checked there for the intrepid night porter. â€Å"No more bodies that you might have forgotten to mention?† â€Å"Nuh-uh,† Lash said. â€Å"Our money was gone, though. But we'd given it all to Blue anyway.† â€Å"I didn't,† Clint said. â€Å"Mutual funds, less ten percent for the church.† â€Å"You gave six hundred thousand dollars to a hooker?† Rivera almost slapped the kid. Almost. â€Å"Well† – Lash looked at Barry and Troy Lee, then, trying to suppress a grin – â€Å"yeah.† Rivera shook his head. â€Å"Keep the door locked and don't report this to anyone else.† â€Å"That's it?† Lash said. â€Å"You aren't going to arrest us or anything?† â€Å"For what?† Rivera flipped his notebook closed and tucked it into the inside pocket of his suit coat. â€Å"Uh, I don't know.† â€Å"Me either,† said Rivera. â€Å"Emperor, you stay inside tonight with these guys. Okay?† â€Å"As you wish, Inspector.† The Emperor scratched behind Lazarus's ears. â€Å"That okay?† Rivera said to Lash. Lash nodded. â€Å"Are we going to be safe?† he asked. Rivera stopped, looked around at the Animals and the Emperor and his dogs. â€Å"Nope,† he said. â€Å"Let's go, Nick.† He turned and walked out the door. The foghorn was lowing across the Bay as the detectives walked back to their car. Fort Mason, just across the street, was barely visible in the rolling cloud of gray mist. â€Å"You think the old vampire is hunting the Animals?† Cavuto asked. â€Å"Someone is,† Rivera said. â€Å"But I'm not sure it's him.† â€Å"You think it might be the redhead and the kid?† â€Å"Could be, but I don't think so. You know, even with the vampire, we always had an identifiable MO – broken neck and massive blood loss, on a victim who turned out to be terminally ill, right?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"So if he went after these kids, why no bodies?† â€Å"So it's Flood and the redhead. And they hide their bodies.† â€Å"I think it could be worse than that.† â€Å"Like worse in a way that we'll never be able to open the bookstore and may in fact end up doing time for taking the vampire's art collection?† â€Å"Like worse in that the hooker and the missing Animals aren't dead at all.† â€Å"How is that worse?† Then Cavuto realized how that was worse. They climbed into the car and stared at the windshield for a while without saying anything. Finally, after a full minute, Cavuto said, â€Å"We're fucked.† â€Å"Yep,† Rivera said. â€Å"The whole city is fucked.† â€Å"Yep.† Chapter Twenty-six Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Star-Crossed Lover and Tragic Fatale OMG! We are doomed by our forbidden love! We are like from different feuding families, from the wrong side of the tracks, he is like year of the Rabbit and I am a Leo, so we are even star-crossed, and it's a well-known fact that rabbits and lions have a strained relationship. OMFG! He's so hot! He rocks my stripy socks. If we had moors, I would so be off brooding upon one, my delicate jaw muscles clenched as I stared off into the mist, feeling my profound missing-ness for him. (I can't believe that San Francisco doesn't have a moor. Everywhere you go we have automated, coin-operated robotic bathrooms, or Frisbee golf courses, or some new stainless-steel epileptic razor-blade public-art thingy, you'd think the least they could do would be to install a decent moor – because there are a lot more people who like brooding than like Frisbee golf. I'm pretty sure moors can be used for other purposes, too, like hauntings and hiding bodies and family picnics and whatnot.) Thus I am for ced to do my brooding at Tulley's Coffee on Market Street. It took most of the day for us to move the Countess and the vampyre Flood to Jared's room. First we had to wrap them up in duct tape and garbage bags to protect them from the sun, then get them down the hill from the Bay Bridge in the garden cart, which was totally physically hard, and not like taking X and dancing or playing DDR all night, more like work. Then, when we were loading them into the minivan, these two cops come by. And they're all, â€Å"So, what are you doing with your piercings and your magenta-on-black hair, and what can we do to further repress your creativity? Bluster-blah-blah.† And Jared was all, â€Å"Nothing.† All wussy and guilty-sounding. He had the front end of the Countess at the time and he totally just dropped her headfirst on the floorboard of the van. So I was like, â€Å"Fucktard! The Countess is going to rip your nads off when she awakens!† (And she might, too, although when we unwrapped her she seemed unbruised.) And the cop was all, â€Å"Hold it right there, kid.† With his hand on his gun like I was going to go all Columbine on his ass or something. So I knew it was time for some strategy. So I stepped over to the cop, and I started whispering like I didn't want Jared to hear. And I'm all, â€Å"Officer, I'm really embarrassed to even be seen like this. I'm a Kappa Kappa Delta pledge and we're doing this hazing thing. I wouldn't be caught dead dressed like this, but it's like the most popular and powerful sorority on campus.† And the cop is all, â€Å"What about the guy? He's not in your sorority.† And I was all, â€Å"Shhhhhhh. God, you want to hurt her feelings? They made her shave her head like that and she's having a hard enough time with that and being totally flat-chested. Frankly, I don't think she's going to make it. Everyone knows that KKDs are pretty. Hello.† I batted my eyelashes and sort of pushed my basically invisible boobs together with my arms, as I have often seen done in music videos. And the cop was all, â€Å"Can I see your student ID?† And I was like, FUCK, because I didn't know which college would be most likely to have a sorority, so I went with my Berkeley student ID, because Berkeley is a well-known bastion of hippie behavior and higher learning in which a sorority girl would probably have to blow like a hundred football players just to keep her GPA up. And cops like football. So he was all, â€Å"Okay, but make sure there's plenty of airholes so your friends can breathe.† And I was all, â€Å"Sure thing. See ya later, cop.† So when we got the masters to Jared's house, his step-mom was all, â€Å"So, I see you have your little friend with you.† And Jared had to play chilly, so he was like, yeah, we have a school project. And stepmonster was so proto-orgasmic that Jared was with a girl that she didn't even say much when we dragged the bodies through the den. Jared was all, â€Å"They're for social studies. We're doing replicas of Egyptian mummies.† Despite the complete embarrassment for me as a fellow woman, I'm grateful that when fathers pick their trophy wives, they don't check resumes or SAT scores, because you couldn't get away with that shit with a woman of normal intelligence. But Jared's stepmonster was all, â€Å"Oh, how nice for you. Would you like some juice?† Fortunately she wasn't around in sixth grade when Jared and I actually did our mummy project. We got in trouble for charging three hundred dollars' worth of Ace bandages on my mom's Visa, and my sister Ronnie has never fully recovered the feeling in her feet (and has an anxiety attack whenever she's in an enclosed space). But there was no gangrene or amputations like the doctors threatened, and we got a B, so I don't see what all the noise and counseling was about. Anyway, after we unwrapped the Countess, I knew I had to go back and feed Chet, like I promised the disgusting huge cat guy, and since we had now shared a moment of intimacy, I felt obligated. So we shoved the vampyre Flood under Jared's bed, because Jared wanted to sit on the bed and play Xbox and it's a single bed. So, anyway, I caught the bus on Twenty-fourth Street, and got back to the SOMA with just enough time to feed Chet before the old naked vampyre awakened from his undead slumber. And I took Jared's dagger with me in my biohazard messenger bag, because I thought I would dispatch Elijah by decapitation as, like, an extra-credit thing for the Countess. Shut up. It wasn't like I went down in the basement in my nightgown to check on a blown fuse when the radio clearly had stated that there was a psycho killer on the loose and he was probably in the basement. I'm not stupid. I put on Jared's motocross boots and his leather jacket and spiked dog collar, and tied my hair back, so I was totally Thunderdome-ready. How hard could it be to feed the cat and cut the head off a sleeping old guy, anyway? It's not like they wake up. I mean, we bonked Flood's head on the steps going to Jared's room like eight times and he didn't even groan. So I would have been all good and totally in line to be Princess of Darkness or at least Assistant Manager of Darkness, except when I was going up the steps I heard the dryer open. And I was all, Uh-oh. Since when is sundown like at five-o'clock? What am I, nine years old that I should have sunset at five o'clock? Sunset shouldn't be until like eight or nine o'clock, right? Right? So, I'm like, WHOA. And I froze. And I stood there for like a half an hour, not moving at all, because I didn't buckle like the top buckles of Jared's motocross boots, to show my casual badassness, so it was like I was wearing fucking sleigh bells. (I know, I'm a tard.) So I couldn't move. Then, after about a year, I hear this car pull up outside and the doors open, and I'm thinking – Hello, Diversion, my old friend. And I ran out the security door and right into this tall blond ho. And she's dressed all couture and shit, like it's fashion week at church or something, except she's with three of the guys from the Hummer limo, and she's pale as albino monkey cum. And I don't mean in a good way either. I mean in a sort of â€Å"Hey, Myrtle Joe Cornfed, y'all let go your stepdaddy's penis and get over here and turn the channel to NASCAR† kind of way. I mean, she had no mascara on at all! Then she just picks me up by the arms and it hurt a lot, and I'm like kicking and thrashing and all, and she throws back her head and here come the fangs. And I'm all, â€Å"No way. They'll just let any-fucking-body into the coven.† And she's all, â€Å"Not you. Unless you know where my money is.† And I'm all, â€Å"Step off, skank.† And she goes to bite me, and something yanks her back off her feet and I go flying. Next thing, I'm looking up at the old vampyre in his yellow tracksuit, who is holding the blond ho by the hair, and the pale limo guys are like coming in on him. And Track-suit is all, â€Å"Against the rules, pet. You can't go willy-nilly turning everyone you meet. It attracts the wrong kind of attention.† And wham, he smacks her face on the hood of her Mercedes, leaving a face print on the paint, I swear on the crusty hippie grave of my mother. So I'm all, â€Å"Owned! Bee-yatch! Dog fucking owned you!† Doing a minor booty dance of ownage, perhaps, in retrospect, a bit prematurely. (I believe hip-hop to be the appropriate language for taunting, at least until I learn French.) So they all turn on me. And I'm all, â€Å"awkward.† So I started backing across the street. And crusty old vampyre bounces monkey cum's face off the hood of the Mercedes a couple of more times, then drops her and comes for me. The limo guys are all sort of standing by the car like they are waiting for instructions or something. Then one of them says, â€Å"Hey,† and starts coming my way, too. So I'm at the wall across the street, and I know I can't run, so I reach into my bag and pull Jared's dagger. And Tracksuit starts laughing – like really stoner laughing, pointing at my ensemble. And I was all, â€Å"Shut up, fuckface, this knife and boots totally go with fishnets.† Except for the Countess, I realize now that vampyres lose all fashion sense at death. But then I hear this really loud thumper coming from down the alley, like club music you can feel in your breastbone, and this totally race-pimped yellow Honda comes screaming out of the alley. Who knew you could even get a car down that alley. So the old vampyre has to jump back to avoid being run over and the limo guys jump back, and I was kind of hiding my head in my arms, but I hear, â€Å"Get in,† and it's the cool Manga-haired Asian guy who I'd seen outside the loft before. And I'm all, â€Å"What?† Because the music is really loud. And he's all, â€Å"Get in.† And I'm all, â€Å"What?† And by this time the old vampyre has jumped over the hood of the Honda and is about to grab me when there's this flash. Really more than a flash, because it stayed on. But there was this blinding light. And the music goes down and I hear, â€Å"Get in.† So I look into the light, and I'm like, â€Å"Grandma, is that you?† Okay, I didn't say that. I'm totally fucking with you. I looked into the light and saw the Manga-haired guy, wearing sunglasses, and he's waving for me to get in his car. And then I see that the old vampyre is charred like Wile E. Coyote after a bad rocket shoes test. And so are the limo guys, and they're smoking and limping away from the Honda, which is shining like a star or something. And Manga is all, â€Å"Now!† And I'm all, â€Å"Shut up, you're not the boss of me.† But I got in the Honda and we totally drifted around the corner, and when we're a block or two away Steve (that's his name, Steve) kills the ginormous floodlights in the backseat and I can sort of see again. And he's all, â€Å"High-intensity ultraviolet.† And I'm, â€Å"You, too.† And he's like, â€Å"What are you talking about?† I'm like, â€Å"I thought it was a compliment.† Then he smiled, like the cutest smile, although he was still driving muy intense and totally badass, and he goes, â€Å"No, that light back there was high-intensity ultraviolet. It burns them.† And I was all, â€Å"I knew that.† And he was like, â€Å"You know that those three guys were vampyres, too, right?† And I'm all, â€Å"Duh.† But I didn't know. So I'm like, â€Å"How did you know?† Then he takes off his shades and puts on these binocular robot-glasses things, like they wear in Siphon Assassin Six for Xbox, which I am against because it glorifies violence in the minds of adolescent boys and because it's totally impossible to get a decent head shot when your squad mates are bumping into you, which needs to be fixed in the next version if I'm going to be able to do the â€Å"gray spray† on the sentry tower glass. So Steve is all, â€Å"Yeah, they're infrared. You can see heat with them, and there was no heat coming off anyone back there but you.† And I'm like, â€Å"Who the fuck are you?† And he's like, â€Å"My name's Steve. I'm working on my biochem masters at S.F. State.† â€Å"Stop,† I said. â€Å"Please do not further endorken youself to me. You have great hair and a car that is most fly, and you have just saved me with your mad ninja driving skills, so do not sully your heroic hottie image in my mind by further reciting your nerdy scholastic agenda. Don't tell me what you're studying, Steve, tell me what's in your soul. What haunts you?† And he was like, â€Å"Dude, you need to cut back on the caffeine.† Which was fair, and I know that he was only saying it out of concern for my welfare and whatnot, because I think he knew even then that we were destined to be together, soul mates. So while he drives, Steve tells me that he was doing some experiments on some bodies for his master's thingy, and he found that the cells of the victims were regenerating when you added blood to them, and he thinks he can turn them back to normal human cells by using some gene therapy or something. And he's been talking to the Countess and Lord Flood about turning them back, but the Countess is all, â€Å"No way, hot Manga-haired science guy.† So I was all, â€Å"Why would she want to give up immortality and superpowers and whatnot?† And he was all, â€Å"I don't know.† And I was all, â€Å"We should discuss it over coffee.† And he was like, â€Å"I would love to do that, but I'm already late for work.† And I was like, â€Å"I thought you were a mad scientist.† And he was all, â€Å"I work at Stereo City.† And I was like, â€Å"Dude, you should get a job at Metreon selling the big-screens, because they have like the best test couches.† And he was like, â€Å"Okay.† Just like that, â€Å"Okay.† So he wanted to give me a ride home, so I would be safe, which is so sweet, but I needed double-soy Mochaccino to calm my nerves, so here I am at Tulley's, totally brooding. But before I got out of the car, I was like, â€Å"Steve, do you have a girlfriend?† And he was like, â€Å"No, I put a lot of time into my studies, and I sort of always have.† And I was like, â€Å"So would you be in the market for a Gaijin princess?† And he was like, â€Å"That's Japanese. I'm Chinese.† And I'm like, â€Å"Don't change the subject, Kung Pao, what I want to know is if you're ready to spend some up-close and personal time with ninety pounds of barbarian woman-flesh! Sorry, I don't know how much that is in kilos.† I don't know what came over me. I was just fizzing over with adrenaline and passion and whatnot, I guess. I usually don't throw myself at guys, but he was so mysterious and smart and hot. So he got this big grin and he was like, â€Å"My parents would freak out if they saw you.† And I was like, â€Å"You live at home?† And he was all, â€Å"Well, uh, yeah, uh, kinda, uh – â€Å" So I grabbed the pen out of his pocket and wrote my cell number on his arm while he stuttered, then when I put the pen back I kissed him sort of hard and totally passionately, which I could tell he liked a lot, so I pushed him away and slapped him so he wouldn't think I was a slut. But not very hard, so he wouldn't think I wasn't interested. And I was all, â€Å"Call me.† And he was all, â€Å"I will.† So I was like, â€Å"Do not fuck with your hair.† And he was all, â€Å"Okay.† And I was all, â€Å"Be careful.† And he was all, â€Å"I will. You, too.† And I was all, â€Å"Oh, yeah, thanks for the rescue and whatnot.† And he was all, â€Å"Sure. Thanks for the kiss.† And so I am his shameless White Devil Juliet and he is my sweet Ninja Romeo (unless Ninjas are also Japanese, in which case I will have to look some shit up for metaphors because the only thing Chinese I can think of right now is Dim Sum, and I believe it's disrespectful to refer to your soul mate in terms of finger food). Fucksocks! My cell. Jared. L8rz.

Case of Apple Suing Samsung in America-Free-Samples for Students

In the year 2012, the multinational telecommunication brand Apple had filed a case against Samsung for violated the provisions of Patent. It has been alleged by apple that Samsung has sold smart phones and Apple owned tablets and the patent of the same specifically. According to Apple, Samsung had not informed Apple while using their patents. It has also been alleged that apple had already in the patent war with another telecommunication brand Motorola regarding the patent and Samsung had breached the provision of patent while the war was going on (Lee, 2015). Apple had filed case against Samsung by alleging that the South Korea-based company had made infringement regarding three utility patents and four design patents. The Jury held Samsung liable in 2012 by observing that the company had willfully made a violence regarding the utility pattern that are solely owned by Apple and penalized the company. The main issue that has been cropped up in this case is whether Samsung has made any infringement regarding the patents that are owned by Apple or not. It has been alleged by the Apple that the lawsuit that has been filed against Samsung affected the market of Apple and the company had to face loss due to the same. Muellar (2015) that the company has taken many steps to strengthen its base on technical patents has stated it. It has been alleged by the company that the Galaxy Nexus set has infringed the patent of Apple and use the Android 4.0 software that has been particularly labeled with Apple. The main dispute is that if Google change the program code of Nexus model, the world will know the fact that an infringement has been made and that is the apple of discord between the two leading cell phone brands. The main allegation of Apple against Samsung is that the later has made a patent infringement against the former. The term patent infringement denotes an activity where a party uses the patent invention of another without informing the sole owner of the patent. Patent is a part of the Intellectual Property Act. In most of the cases, the alleged parties are infringing the patent provisions to gain illegal profits by commercial activities. It has been alleged by apple that Samsung has made an infringement regarding the ‘647 patent which helps to detect information in messages automatically. Further, ‘721 patent helps to unlock the home screen by the help of motion sensor. According to apple, Apple exclusively authorizes all these patents, Samsung has used these patents in their smart phones, and tablets and they did not inform Apple regarding the same (Shin et al., 2015). Certain products of Samsung such as Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 2 and so on. However, after a diehard process, Apple has able to obtain an order of injunction on the alleged models and obtain a compensation of $120 million against Samsung (Spulber, 2018). Lee, J. H. (2015).  U.S. Patent Application No. 29/430,414. Mueller, J. (2015). Remedies for Patent Infringement: Enhanced Damages and Willful Patent Infringement. Shin, H. S., Park, J. H., Yoo, H. G., & Ahn, S. (2015).  U.S. Patent Application No. 29/425,927. Spulber, D. F. (2018). Finding Reasonable Royalty Damages: A Contract Approach to Patent Infringement.

Understanding of health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Understanding of health - Essay Example As a result of the controversy surrounding the changes currently being proposed by the President of the United States, the issue of healthcare in America is particularly timely and relevant. Seeking to understand healthcare from an issue-based perspective and attempting a holistic analysis, this essay will compare and contrast the medical model of healthcare with the social model of health. Following this we will debate which model is the most important to health today giving examples as to why this might be. In the United States, health insurance coverage ensures that basic healthcare can be accessed by all. Individual comprehensive health insurance plans depend on an one’s age, employment status, residency, and race/ethnicity. Medicare is a federal government funded insurance program for disabled young adults, persons above the age of 65, and those with permanent disabilities who become eligible for Social Security. A racial difference in coverage among Medicare beneficiaries has also been found to influence difference in supplemental care. Most individuals rely on private healthcare plans for the coverage that they need and the Obama administration is seeking to implement a single payer government system of healthcare as part of his reform package as opposed to market-based reform. Decried by detractors as â€Å"socialism†, Obama’s plan proposes that the government become more actively involved in healthcare provision and argues that the reform will cost a total o f $1 trillion USD. Seeking to address the issues at stake, the following will provide a concise overview of theories of healthcare in America, as well as around the world, today (Smedley et al. 2003; Reuters, 2009). There are two important theoretical models of healthcare which will be discussed in this analysis. The first is the medical model of healthcare and it represents the

Methodology for a sociology class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Methodology for a sociology class - Essay Example Immediately we looked the Mission District which works with a large number of the Latino, Chicano, Central and South American immigrant population. We also looked at the Dolores Street Community Services Center. This center works to provide many homeless people with affordable housing and helps empower some of its low-income residents living in San Francisco. We met Marlon Mendieta, the Housing Program Director of Dolores Street Community Service Center. She gave us a short summary on her center. She explained to us the steps they are taking in order to help underprivileged people in their community. She also provided us with information on how they are trying to create a healthy community where everybody has equal rights regardless of income, immigration or health status. After we spoke with Mrs. Mendieta we went to the womens building where we interviewed Yeni Solis, the Reception Coordinator. She explained the centers mission statement to us and told us that their goal is to empower women and girls in the society by providing them with services and programs to become more self-sufficient. The last stop for our team was The Mission Cultural Center Latino where we met Christina who was originally from Argentina . She told us about her unique experience with the center. She has been taking dancing classes and she told us how she is happy about being more involved with community. All of these centers gave us a more defining picture on the immigrants life in an urban community and a centers role in helping them adjust to life in America. Our group chose to not just browse the internet but to go to these centers and interview the staff and the immigrants. We wanted to have a genuine experience and to see exactly how the immigrants are living and adjusting to life in the Unites

No selected topic yet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No selected topic yet - Essay Example Extreme heat waves is one of the many health effects of global warming. For instance in 2003, it claimed 70,000 lives in Europe alone. Bad air, allergy and asthma are part of the health issues. Global warming increases smog pollution some areas and intensify pollen allergies and asthma. Other issue associated with global warming are infectious diseases, food and waterborne infection outbreaks. Warming temperatures, irregular periods of deluges and droughts, as well as ecosystem disruptions have contributed to more extensive outbreaks of contagious diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, which at any point affects the economy of the country in one way or the other. Rising global temperatures speed up the melting of ice caps and glaciers and cause premature ice thaw on rivers and seas. This causes a rise in sea level, hence flooding is increased, which, affects living organisms dearly (Archer, 10). Global warming is a problem to be addressed seriously by all countries and governments in the world. Failure to put serious, practical measures to end the situation may result into long-term effects to both human beings, wildlife, and the environment at

What are the main issues which an organisation must consider when Essay

What are the main issues which an organisation must consider when implementing strategic change - Essay Example me main issues which organizations must consider in the strategic implementation process are focusing on the redesigning and restructuring of the organization. Another significant issue may be caused by the ambiguous flow of communication and the manner in which information is handled. Measuring competencies and planning resources is another challenge. Most firms have resorted to utilizing shared resources and competencies. This is especially true for mergers and acquisitions or even in situations when two departments or divisions may be merged. One more critical problem in the implementation stage may be created due to the inability to translate the aims developed in the strategic change stage. In order to take care of these issues, a maturity model has been developed which is associated with sustainability and have diverse elements of evaluation and resourcing, results, managing capability and capacity, strategy and policy and managing programs. The change management maturity matri x in this case defines various stages of strategic change implementation by classifying them as immature, early maturity period, defined, managed and optimization. The last state is the one which a firm needs to attain when it has optimum allocation of resources and garners optimum levels of revenue by implementing strategic change. Another core issue in handling strategic change is lack of effective leadership in the organization. It is important to have an effective leader who is able to deftly handle change management strategy and drive motivation and employee engagement. Organizations also face issues in strategic implementation while managing the employees. Major hurdles are faced because strategic change efforts are resisted by personnel. The role of non financial and financial...Scholars have focused on certain elements encompassing strategy. These are as follows: a) Depending on uncertain market conditions, strategies are revised and reformulated. b) Strategies demonstrate t he manner in which resources may be utilized to fulfill the desires of entrepreneurs c) They provide a direction to in developing the organization d) Strategies are aimed to make and develop long term prospects of success by gaining competitive edge over rival firms (Markiewicz, 2011). Implementation of strategic change is a very challenging task. Successful strategic change implementation leads to business success whereas failure in implementing strategic change may lead to catastrophic outcomes which may sometimes wipe out the business enterprise. Critical strategic change process happens when supervisors use symbolic resources and discourses in order to obliterate existing systems in meanings and find out new ones to try to set a direction to the strategy formulated and implemented (Buchanan & Dawson, 2007). In fact, a survey conducted in the year 2009, comprising of 190 staff and line managers confessed that strategic change implementation is critically significant in the strate gic implementation process. There are several hindrances in the strategic change implementation processes. Sometimes time management in formulating and implementing the new strategy may also lead to failure in the strategic change process.

Sports in Popular Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports in Popular Culture - Research Paper Example From warring tribes to states, humans have always been placed in a situation where we are forced to compete. Sports have been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the citizens of developed and developing countries, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. The creation of sports activities is merely a means of allowing individuals to externalize their need for competition. This paper focuses on the competition, the social impact, and the economic value that sports have on society. Competition is at the very core of humanity. This is visible at various levels of the individual life style. Capitalism as an economic structure identifies the fact that resources are finite, and individuals must compete to accumulate as much as possible. While history has shown that other ideas on how the economy should function exist, the market place of ideas crowned capitalism the king. Beyond the economic infrastructure is the educational system. Students strive to be at the top of their class which is indicative of how competition penetrated the educational system. Competition seems to creative an incentive to become perfect. In terms of sports, individuals who compete on sports teams strive to perfect their skills in attempts to be the league leaders. Fans recognize this and rally behind individuals and teams that perform close to perfection. Fans seem to disassociate their identities from their normative lives and self identify with the team that they represent. Whether because of their hometown loyalty or because of a player, fans involve themselves in the competition and immediate choose sides. The ability to exercise choice within the sports community allows individuals to capitalize on their innate compulsion for competition. At the heart of the comp etition between fans is the loyalty to a certain team. This makes the competitive nature more volatile. This is due to the fact that some teams are better than others and fans continue to jump bandwagons. While each individual possesses the innate compulsion to compete, they have an even harder drive to be a winner. In fact, this lies at the heart of the competitive spirit. Success has been psychologically attached to winning. The more successful a team, the better their fans feel. Individuals tend to make emotional investments into sporting events, whereby the outcome typically draws an emotional reaction from the fan. Beyond the competitive nature of sporting events lies the social component. While some individuals feel the obsessive need to be competitive, others attend events and watch games because it involves a social component. When attending stadium events with tens of thousands of other individuals in attendance it makes the actual experience more involved for the individua ls. These events typically involve drinking and cheering which makes a great time for the fans. As Jean Jacques Rousseau explains, â€Å"man is a social animal.† This means that individuals are inclined to involve themselves in activities that allow them to socialize with their peers. This means that sporting events provide the perfect context. While this does position individuals to collaborate with their peers in cheering for the team of their choice, this does not always turn out to be so

International Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International Finance - Essay Example However, there is no guarantee that it will limit the risks of foreign currency exchange. Therefore, losses or gains in the exchange of currency will impact on cash flows through reduced growth in global operations. Exchange rate movements as it causes changes in the value of the local currency of revenues subject to foreign currency. However, if parity in purchasing power is desecrated, risks of exchange rates will affect both multinational firms and other firm with no direct link to international trade activities. This is because some local firms which import capital goods encounter asset pricings affected by exposure to exchange rates in the global capital market (Sinclair, 2005). In that case, cost of goods and services will be subject to original cost of capital and this will have an impact on the cash flows. Firms involved with international trade may overlook the country’s imports and exports in a foreign currency. As a result, this will change the value in assesment to domestic currency’s value (Dechow et al, 1999). This then will affect the pricing of domestic goods and services rendering it subject to international market prices dertemination. Anticipated cash flows of firms can be affected by exchange rates movements as it leads to shift in stock prices and returns. In the case of domestic firms, change in value of currency has an impact on the firms ability to import capital goods. Rise in the value of currency will put the domestic firms at a better position to acquire inputs from international market (Beenhakker, 2001). However, low value of currency makes it difficult to acqure capital goods from foreign countries. In that case, the cash flows to the firms will be subject to the inputs of the firm. Adequate invest of inputs will amount to increased cash flows while decreased cash flow results from low inputs. Acquisition of modern technology is determined by the rate of cash flows of firms. However, exposure exchange rates movements

SWOT Analysis on Chase Bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SWOT Analysis on Chase Bank - Research Paper Example (Funding Universe, 2011) The merger in 2000 cemented the creation of one of the world’s biggest financial concerns. The company’s mission statement is (Company Statements and Slogans, 2011): "At JPMorgan Chase, we want to be the best financial services company in the world. Because of our great heritage and excellent platform, we believe this is within our reach." II. Strengths and Weaknesses One of the greatest strengths of the J. P. Morgan Chase banking line is the vast consumer base. J. P. Morgan Chase is the biggest bank in the United States. (Tully, 2009) The iterative mergers of banks to form this financial behemoth have meant that the infrastructure and access of the J. P. Morgan Chase enterprise is huge. The bank sports total assets of some $2 trillion while the total equity has been placed at $176 billion. (Forbes, 2011) Currently Forbes has declared J P. Morgan Chase as the world’s largest public company. (Forbes, 2011) These facts point to the bankâ₠¬â„¢s stability as a premier finance institution which ensures that it can deal with fiscal shocks in the short and long term. Currently, J. P. Morgan Chase sports branches as well as ATM facilities around the globe. Moreover, J. P. Morgan Chase is effectively present in over 60 countries globally. The number of employees is well over 200,000 globally. This ensures that the bank is connected to multiple markets. Problems in one market cannot force the bank into a corner as it has other outlets. One of the reasons that J. P. Morgan Chase fared better than the competition during the recent economic crunch was because it was present globally. Markets with internal consumption patterns helped J. P. Morgan through the worst. (J. P. Morgan Chase, 2011) On the downside, J. P. Morgan Chase has damaged its reputation over the years. A number of scandals have tarnished the bank’s reputation. In 2002 J. P. Morgan Chase had to pay the United States government some $80 million as fines fo r deceiving investors through biased market research. Similarly, the J. P. Morgan Chase hand in financing Enron caused heavy losses as well as $2 billion in compensation and legal settlements. (Market Watch, 2002) Another instance of consumer’s breach of trust occurred when J. P. Morgan Chase admitted to having overcharged military personnel’s mortgages. Families that had been overcharged and foreclosed were compensated through payments totalling $27 million in 2011. (Mui, 2011) These failures to protect the customers have been repeated over and over and may erode customer base in the longer run. J. P. Morgan Chase needs to review its policies constantly and should rely on consumer feedback extensively to judge the reputation and consequences of policies. Another weakness displayed by J. P. Morgan Chase has been their IT infrastructure. The system has proved to be inadequate to sustain business operations. The cancellation of an outsourcing agreement with IBM caused qu ite a stir. Employees were transferred to IBM’s payrolls which cause massive employee dissatisfaction. New consultants were hired to take the outsourcing bid forward but this caused additional expense and lost time. Productivity at J. P. Morgan Chase was seen to have decreased as well due to IT problems. (Kawamoto, 2004) This problem could be relieved by letting a large IT corporation such as IBM, Microsoft etc. deal

Personal Finance Essay Example for Free

Personal Finance Essay Personal finance addresses the way an individual or families earn, budget, save, and spend money gained from employment, loans, or gifts. As a college student, my personal finances are based upon money I have obtained, seasonal employment and parental support. In creating my budget, I had to realize that my income was not the same each month so I had to make sure I had enough money to pay for my gas, phone bill, and entertainment. Sometimes I would go over budget due to unexpected bills so I would ask for help from my parents. I use a debit card through my bank City National Bank. I chose this bank because my parents also bank there and it’s a small personal bank. It makes it easier if I need my mom to transfer money to my account in case of an emergency. I do not use checks only my debit card and occasional cash, the debit card pulls money out of my account somewhat like a check. I do check my account online, and my statement looks similar to the on in The Money 101 Student Workbook. The format is a little different, but the same kind of information is given. I do not keep a register much to my mother’s dismay. Every Christmas, she gives me a register to keep track of my spending but I fail to use it. I do track my spending through balance inquiries that I receive via the ATM, as well as online. If I wanted to change banks, I would choose a bank that would be in Marshall and has the small town feel to it. I would also want one that might offer interest on my account. I didn’t find any new information concerning debit cards, but I do prefer a debit card to a credit card because it takes money out of your account instead of possibly spending what you don’t have. You can also abuse a credit card and use it unnecessarily. I did check on annualcreditreport. com to see if I had a credit report, but I do not because I don’t have any accounts in my name. The best card deal I found was on chase. com because if I put my name on my parents account then I could also have their 8. 99% interest rate. There were lots of credit card offers that had 0% introductory rates, but since I have no credit, then the interest rate would rise dramatically. Some insurance policies that would be important for personal finance would be disability insurance, car insurance, and health insurance. Identity theft insurance would probably be a good insurance protection. The thing that stuck out to me when Mike Brady came and spoke was the concept of â€Å"full coverage† insurance for your car, he said that it’s only an interpretation and not something that is written down, he also stated that there is no such thing as â€Å"full coverage. I would probably put my savings in the savings account in my bank since I would have access to it. My retirement plan would be to match whatever my company is putting into my 401K and putting money into stock that I can draw from when I actually do retire. The test that we took in the back of the booklet was fairly easy after looking through this so many times I answered a credit card would be the one to hurt you the most when in fact it says the student loans would affect your credit score more. My parents educated me very well on a lot of these subjects especially budget and checking account, my mom has preached to me about having a budget for as long as I can remember. The thing I learned from this unit, just to point one out, was the savings and retirement planning I didn’t realize it was such a priority because at my age you really don’t think about those things but I’ve learned that I do need to start early.

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay Example for Free

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay Using the virtual organization of Kudler Fine Foods, evaluations will be made to determine market structure and competitiveness. Kudler Fine Foods current strategic plan for 2003, marketing overview, and market surveys will provide information to evaluate how Kudler competes in its market and where its strengths and weaknesses are located. Based on the evaluation of Kudler Fine Foods an applicable market structure will be determined and the structures effects on the organization and its long-term profitability. Recommendations will be made for Kudler Fine Foods while comparing real-world organizations. Kudler Fine Foods Located in the San Diego area, Kudler Fine Foods has three locations offering imported and domestic specialty foods. Founder, Kathy Kudler found the joy of gourmet cooking to be a business opportunity and opened the first store in 1998. The first year of business was profitable and paved way to the opening of two additional stores. Shopping the world for the finest of products allows Kudler Fine Foods to offer the finest of wines, foods, and related goods. It is Kudler Fine Food’s mission to provide these fine selections coupled with knowledgeable, experienced, and helpful staff to create a pleasing shopping experience (Virtual Organization Portal, 2007). Strategic Plan 2003 To provide Kudler Fine Foods mission while staying competitive, profitable, and delivering the goods known for, strategic plans are necessary. In 2003 a strategic plan was generated, within the plan traditional supermarkets were thought of as competition. Albertsons, Vons, and Ralphs advertised specialty foods similar to Kudler Fine Foods in the area of meat and produce. However, Kudler stays competitive by attracting specific customers cooking gourmet. While competitive stores offer similar food, they do not offer the same customer service, gourmet accessories, and foods Kudler offers. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offer similar product but aim to gain customers focused on healthy lifestyles not the gourmet experience. Foreign food stores are not a large competitor, they to do not focus on the gourmet experience. While foreign food stores may have particular ingredients, they lack the competitive advantage of selection, service, expertise, or tools Kudler Fine Foods provides. According to 2003s strategic Plan Kudler Fine Foods customers are less price conscious than competitors (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). There is no direct competition although there are competitors trying to gain Kudler’s customer base. The combination of services and goods Kudler Fine Foods offers sets it apart from competition. Kudler Fine Foods uses its differentiated goods, atmosphere, knowledgeable services, intimate customer loyalty, and expansion of goods and services to stay competitive within the market. Ultimately it is the gourmet experience that makes Kudler Fine Foods a competitive force in the market. Marketing Overview Experiencing significant growth, Kudler Fine Foods looks to increase the profitability and loyalty of consumers and expand services. Kudler is strategically increasing profitability and loyalty of its customers by increasing internal efficiency, enacting a frequent shopper program, and expanding the services offered. Using a frequent shopper program customer purchases shopping behaviors are tracked and refined so applicable products can be offered to valued customers. Frequent shoppers will be offered points for shopping to redeem rewards to maintain store loyalty. To expand services Kudler offers exclusive upscale events in the store and in the comfort of customers own homes, which increases word-of mouth marketing, customer loyalty, and social networking. In addition to expanding services and offering frequent shopper programs to increase revenue Kudler Fine Foods focuses on reducing costs by increasing efficiency. Using a large department store to benchmark, Kudler is engaging in developing employees through training programs and upgrading software systems. Costs are reduced by minimizing purchases while maintaining adequate amounts of stock. Using information retrieved form the frequent shopper program and the â€Å"dollar value and profit margin per transaction† orders are placed to best capture customers needs while tracking sales data for better forecasting, merchandise selection, and inventory management (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007, para.5). The store advertises the same sales and merchandise for the three stores and coordinates to maintain enough inventories within each store location to maintain a customer service level of 95% (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). Like other retail stores customer satisfaction is a prime marketing tool but so is the ever changing gourmet items offered in the stores. New items are introduced regularly into the store; Kathy looks to competitors for pricing strategies and product comparison to market the new goods. While Kathy looks to competitors her customer differs from other markets in the area, they look for a gourmet experience. Market Surveys Kudler Fine Foods conducted market surveys in 2010 and 2011to collect data from consumers. The surveys help to identify opportunity, measure success, and identify strengths and weaknesses within the organization. The 2010 survey indicated that there was not a good selection of products present in the store. This was an area of weakness and an opportunity to improve; the 2011 survey showed an increase of satisfaction in the selection of products presented in the store. Once a weakness, the surveys measure success in the increase of product selection from 2010 to 2011. Surveys identify store hours, atmosphere, merchandise satisfaction, and knowledgeable service representatives as Kudler Fine Foods strengths. Weaknesses include merchandise displays and in 2010 selection and overall store satisfaction. The marketing surveys show improvements from 2010 to 2011 in both strengths and weaknesses indicated by customers (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). Kudler Fine Foods Market Structure Kudler Fine Foods is a monopolistic competition market structure. Within a monopolistic competition market structure there come both positives and negatives effects for Kudler Fine Foods. Positives While there are many similar organizations Kudler Fine Foods goods and services are differentiated. Kudler Fine Foods offers physical product differentiation in the service offered. For example, customers look to Kudler Fine Foods for a gourmet experience that cannot be found elsewhere. Kudler Fine Foods overall performance creates an experience. This experience is different from competitors accounted for in the strategic plan. Another positive of a monopolistic competition is that they are price makers, because Kudler Fine Foods offers differentiated products and services they are able to set their own prices. Kathy uses competitors as a price guideline but sets her own prices. In a monopolistic competition market large profits are possible in the short run. Negatives Kathy easily entered the market and so will other individuals because there are no barriers to entry in the monopolistic competition market. The fewer barriers to entry in a market the more competition arises. The low barriers to entry in this market mean one must have an opportunity to differentiate; Kudler Fine Foods has this opportunity by offering different goods and services from its competitors. To stay actively competitive Kudler Fine Foods must engage in advertising to let customers know the difference between Kudler Fine Foods and their competitors. Advertisement costs time and money and can be difficult to make advertisements stand out against competitors. Long-term profitability As mentioned above in the short run profits are possible but because there are no barriers to entry many firms are attracted to the market, which increases in the long-run. As new firms enter the market Kudler Fine Foods products and services will become more elastic shifting the demand curve to the left, prices will be driven down reducing profits. In the long run these reduced profits will continue until Kudler Fine Foods reaches long run equilibrium, economic profit is impossible in the long run. Recommendations A personal recommendation for Kudler Fine Foods is to stay in the short run to continue making the most profits. They can do this by furthering product differentiation. For example, Kudler Fine Foods can look to competitors to make sure they are not selling the same products and offering the same services. Kathy already frequently introduces new products and should continue to do this. Staying innovative will also be beneficial, introducing online sells may help keep Kudler Fine Foods in the short run longer. Real-world comparisons In the real-world there are many monopolistic markets like that of Kudler Fine Foods. Taylors Market is an example, like Kudler Fine Foods they offer gourmet options. Taylors Market finds its competitive edge by offering specialty items, including an onsite butcher. Both Kudler Fine Foods and Taylors Market are one of many firms in a monopolistic competition market structure. They stay competitive by offering differentiated goods and services. While both firms start out inelastic in the short run, in the long run they become more elastic. Below is an example of how Taylors Market and Kudler Fine Foods monopolistic competition market structure compares and differs from other market structures.

Soviet Union and the United States

Soviet Union and the United States A. Plan of the Investigation â€Å"What were the significant differences in the internal dynamics of the Soviet Union and the United States during Cold War?† As one of the most enduring and intense disputed conflicts to mark history, the cold war presents the evidence underlined for the international relations of today. The complex internal factors coming from the ideological, economic and political differences between the United States and the Soviet Union are the main focus of my investigation. These differences were intensified as WWII ended as well as with the economic competition for world leadership. As this question is related more to analysis than to reports, the use of primary as well as secondary sources through speeches and interpretations via informative books will be employed. For the fulfilling nature of this question, I will analyze the differing dynamics between the two most powerful countries of the late 20th century. This investigation makes the developing relationship between these countries the focal point, thus supplying me with suitable research gear for the emergent essay. B.Summary of Evidence In the years that marked the Cold War, a new standard towards world leadership was formed. The intricate and vital aspect of the dispute between the US and the USSR in the concept of ideology begins with their cultural differences. The main difference in ideals lies with the manner in which the nation is administered. The conflict was vastly involved with the spectrum of mindset between the two regimes. Both peoples found no content in discussing matters where their ways were seemed as irrational. The United States held a government of democracy, where the people had the solemn right to vote for their leader.[1] They are able to vote for leaders they want who can rise from any political party. The opposite stood for the Soviet Union, their administration was led by one ruler, all powerful and undisputed. He was given the role of dictator, and the government was fully communist, hostility began to grow between them.[2] Men are chosen as leaders of the U.S. by democratic elections. Jos eph Stalin ruled until 1953 when he passed away, at which time Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin won a struggle against Stalins successor, Georgi Malenkov, and chief of secret police Lavrenti Beria.[3] Bulganin became the one with power, but Khrushchev, in power of the Communist Party, soon became the dominant figure, he received power as the new dictator of the USSR.[4] By 1964, the Soviet Union was beginning to be led by a society of strict conservatives.[5] Finally, as the last man to rule the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev is partially credited for ending the cold war.[6] The diverse governmental basis for these nations gave but disagreement to work with. These ideologies made the growing tension justified for both.[7] With the newfound race to economic leadership, the US and the USSR attempted to push the other from the major roles of the world. The economic dissimilarities arose from their fiscal processes.[8] The US has a system named capitalism. People in the United States can own properties and businesses; their circumstances were subject to their own legitimacy.[9] Under Communism, all industries and businesses were owned and administered by the nation.[10] The profit was to fit the necessities of the society and no the individual as it was in the US.[11] This difference tied into politics, whoever owned the public market and dominated the commercial and industrial origin of the world had a bigger chance at influencing with their ideals.[12] The United States needed to prevent socialism from spreading at any cost; having an economic advantage wa s the best strategy. The internal dynamics of the two nations differs in theory and in the belief that each rightfully had world supremacy. Their emergent relationship was based more on their respective political institutions and their needs than any other factor. Capitalism versus communism grew as a theme of conflict. Especially after WWII Stalin was determined to make USSR secure in the future from foreign attacks.[13] President Truman believed that Communists, apart from taking control over Eastern Europe, would try to extend their rule over Western Europe. The Truman Doctrine of 1947, commonly known as the cause of the Marshall Plan, claimed that the United States would grant aid only to non-Communist realms.[14] At this point, the nations had declared a stale cold war against each others interests. Believing in impartiality through the use of strength, Communism has created a mark of complete governmental control, which has risen in popularity worldwide for some time. [15] C.Evaluation of Sources The Cold War: The United States and the Soviet Union 1917-1991, composed by Ronald E. Powaski in 1998 consists of insightful chapters detailing discussions on the different possibilities that arose about the origins of the Cold War and clarifying the different paths taken during the cold war. The Cold War was written with the aim or purpose to answer the very scorching questions that to this day challenge many successful historians and researches: the true factors of conflict between the two countries in the cold war and the basis of its abrupt end. The advantages and values subsist in the capability of the author to combine the related educated opinions of many regarded expert historians into a mission statement for the conclusion on my topics calling. The source is valuable to my investigation because it delivers detailed background on what separated the interests of the two nations mentioned. Also, it contains formal information on alliances, plans of actions, globalization, and key points in Russias history that makes important ends meet for my research. This sources limitation lies in that its high concentration on American views gives nothing but clear point facts on Russia instead of its own analysis of the topic. In order to have a sense of completion, a factual version that supports itself on the view of Russia and its leader was needed. The Personality Cult and its Consequences: Special Report to the 20th congress of the communist party of the Soviet Union is a speech given on February 25, 1956 by Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev regarded as the secret speech due to the discretion at a closed session within the party congress. Its purpose perseveres to criticize Joseph Stalins regime in order to present a better and reformed version of the communist party. The speechs values to my investigation are objective of Khrushchevs words by intensifying the conflict between the real definitions of the meaning of communism, the renewal of the partys resolution and role worldwide. I will further know about the specific factors of communism that frustrated the United States to the point it did. The speech is limited in that although it represents the resurgence of communism, it acts mainly for the better ment of Khrushchevs political profile and for impair of former Soviet leaders which give the speech a biased tone and limitation. Furthermore, it also attempted to lead the party to a Leninist ideological overview which became an important shifting point from the old ways of the party. This attempts to change the focus of my research a bit and reallocates me into a completely new subject matter: the era of battle for power in Russia; in relation to the internal dynamics of the nation. D. Evaluation of Section B Both states sought to reiterate as leading roles in the common matters of the world. In essence, the two nations felt themselves in the pivotal responsibility of speaking out for their respective forms of government. As both powers emerged through the ranks of leadership, what came after WWII was the struggle for Europe. A new rivalry was developing not necessarily between their nations but with the nations regimes: Capitalism vs. Communism.[16] The United States felt the air of democracy threatened by the influence of the Soviet Union on various nations. In 1946 and 1947 the USSR conveyed Communist regimes to nations like Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland.[17] The United States responded by issuing the Truman Doctrine which encouraged anti-communist nations with economic aid. After the severe defeat Germany faced, the allies could not come to an agreement on the political and economic structure it should take. This division showed the ideological drift between the Soviet and We stern regimes. In order to prevent an economic ruin, the US came up with the Marshall Plan: an economic aid program meant to give the opportunity of reconstruction to Western European economies. Both the US and the USSR stood by to aid nations in need of economic revival with one condition: the rendition of their political structures. The battle for Europe continued as it also intensified in other parts of the world.[18] Within the internal dynamics of the ideological reach between both nations, there lay a continual need for political absolution. As in section B, their respective leaders focused superiority and intelligence in a war constituted by strategic diplomatic moves. As each nation attempted to become the stronger state, not only did they clash politically but there was also an economic race beginning between them. A mutual need for economic expansion gave way to a space race and nuclear arms race.[19] This rivalry again sustained itself on the grounds of dispersing the idea of international command. Key words spoken by Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev in his empowering speeches held still in the soviet declaration of international control and realized long awaited feelings of Russian merit. Strong words such as in his speech at the 20th congress of the communist party, which intensified Russian-American relations. After failed negotiations, during Kennedys presidency in the US, there were seve ral arms control agreements. The competition reflected in the distinct battle for international recognition with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Communist coalition of Warsaw Treaty Organization to counter against NATO. It was clear that US and USSR were more advance than any of the other nations in relation to their military power and resources, according to the stern damage others suffered. The dissimilarities between the leaders of these nations only worked to deepen the conflict, each straining to restrain the spread of the enemy structure. A competition for power stood before all else. The evidence which presented the differences in section B suggests that this was a war between world influences and character. The dispute which confounded most of the second half of the twentieth century in relation to economic and political differences suggested that these nations fought for more than recognition, they sought to be the infiltrator of other economies from which they hoped to benefit.[20] These differences make it clear that the main point of both nations was to have control over the international community: politically, and economically. The social sciences would back the belief that it was more of a struggle for the better advance militarization in hopes to force international command. E.Conclusion The cold war emerged as a product of the competitive, intricate technological and political reforms. The significant differences all lied in the political spectrum that surrounded each nation, along with their international aspirations which in turn is what afflicted one another. Beginning with their respective forms of government in an arising in political rivalry, the United States and the U.S.S.R attempted to dismantle each others economic influence on the international community. The significant differences ranged in all aspects of society, politics, and economics in the era. The main factor was in essence their respective political systems, which based itself as a ground for competition for international manipulation. Their drive for international command was also based on the level of military power displayed, in relation to the technological arms race that was developing. In all, the internal dynamics concerning the imminent disastrous differences between the worlds superpowe rs conceal in awe a mere exhibition of supremacy in the changing world. [1] William Dudley, The Cold War: Opposing Viewpoints(San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1992), p. 24 [2] Dudley, p. 41 [3] Abbot Gleason, Totalitarianism: the inner history of the Cold War(New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 215 [4] Gleason, p. 215 [5] James Warren, Cold War: the American crusade against world Communism, 1945-1991(New York: Lothrop, Lee Shepard Books, 1996), p.56 [6] Warren, p.68 [7] Ronald Powaski, The Cold War: the United States and the Soviet Union, 1917-1991(New York: Oxford Universiry Press, 1998), p. 315 [8] Gleason, p.133 [9] Dudley, p.87 [10] Thomas T. Hammond, Witnesses to the Origins of the Cold War(Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1982.), p. 255 [11] Warren, p.116 [12] Warren, p.223 [13] George Edward Stanley, America and the Cold War 1949-1966(Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac, 2005), p. 147 [14] Gleason, p.189 [15] Stanley, p.242 [16] Warren, p.119 [17] Dudley, p. 76 [18] Dudley, p. 54 [19] Powaski, , p. 209 [20] Dudley, p. 268

Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay

Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen in William Shakespeare's Macbeth I do agree with this judgement of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, but only in some aspects of the play by William Shakespeare. There are many arguments for this judgement; these will be discussed in this essay. In act one scene two Macbeth is portrayed as a heartless, merciless and brutal warrior. We get this impression of Macbeth from the report that is given to King Duncan by the captain; "For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, which smok'd with bloody execution" this quote explains how Macbeth is a brave warrior in the face of battle and is not scared of any man. Throughout this play Macbeth has a wild ambition for power. Macbeth craves the power so much he will kill for the title of the king. Killing the king in the time of William Shakespeare is regarded as the worst crime possible. Macbeths craving for power is surfaced after he meets three evil witches in Act one scene three; who prophesise he is to be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and to be king there after. "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter." After hearing this Macbeth is shocked to hear this news as being Thane of Cawdor is a huge title to his ears, let alone being King. As the witches quickly move away Macbeth is curious to know more and what these creatures are speaking of: "Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more" Macbeth wants their statements to be true and therefore tries to find out more information about what he could be in the future.... ... greedy temperaments cost them their lives, they both are never happy again because they committed the worst possible crime in Scotland, just to be king and queen for a short period of time. Therefore the description of Macbeth as a butcher is false. Butchers are heartless mean men who kill with no regret. Macbeth regrets his actions and therefore he suffers for the rest of his life. Lady Macbeth is even weaker than Macbeth in the final acts; she commits suicide whereas Macbeth faces his fate. Lady Macbeth makes out she is a strong figure and makes Macbeth look up to her with her harsh words and persuasive techniques, she is "fiend like" as she manages slyly to persuade Macbeth to commit the murder. Although Lady Macbeth does not kill Duncan she cannot handle the pressure like Macbeth and they are never happy again.

Seide :: essays research papers

„Seideâ€Å" von Alessandro Baricco Alessandro Baricco Geboren 1958 in Turin, studierte Philosophie und Musik. Er schrieb Musikkritiken und Essays à ¼ber Musik, bevor er mit seinen Roman „Seideâ€Å" (1997), „Land aus Glasâ€Å" (1998) und „Novecentoâ€Å" (1999) den großen Druchbruch erzielte. Mit seiner erfolgreichen Fernseh-Literatursendung „Pickwickâ€Å" und der Grà ¼ndung einer Kreatività ¤tsuniversità ¤t in Turin, der „Scuola Holdenâ€Å", ist Baricco endgà ¼ltig zum Kultautor avanciert. „Seideâ€Å", ist ein literarischer Bestseller, der in wunderschà ¶ner, poetischer Sprache eine leise Geschichte à ¼ber das Begehren erzà ¤hlt. Alessandro Baricco erzà ¤hlt in einer Parabel à ¼ber das Glà ¼ck und seine Unerreichbarkeit. Hauptperson des Buches ist Hervà © Joncour, der als Seidenhà ¤ndler arbeitet und ein ruhiger und ausgeglichener Mensch. Verheiratet ist er mit Hà ©là ¨ne, die als hà ¼bsche Frau mit einer wundervollen Stimme beschrieben wird. Obwohl Hervà © seine Frau liebt, sucht er doch nach Glà ¼ck und Leidenschaft, die er schließlich in Japan, verkà ¶rpert in einer mà ¤dchenhaften Frau, deren Augen nicht asiatisch geschnitten sind, findet. Dieser Frau begehrt er wie er noch keine andere Frau begehrt hat. Doch er sehnt sich nur nach ihr, weil sie fà ¼r ihn unerreichbar ist. Die Sehnsucht nach dieser Frau verfolgt ihn jahrelang, bis er endlich bemerkt, daß er das große Glà ¼ck und die Liebe bereits in seiner eigenen Frau gefunden, jedoch nie wahrgenommen hat. Doch erst als seine Frau stirbt, begreift er es. Um sich davor zu bewahren, unglà ¼cklich zu sein, verbringt er die Tage damit, seinen à ¼blichen Gewohnheiten nach zugehen. Doch manchmal ging er auch zu einem See hinunter, „... denn es schien ihm, als zeichne sich auf dem Wasser das unerklà ¤rliche, schwerelose Schauspiel dessen ab, was sein Leben gewesen war.â€Å" Nur zweimal in seinem Leben hat er sich so gefà ¼hlt. Beim ersten Mal, als ihm klar wurde, daß er die rà ¤tselhafte Frau, die er so sehr begehrte, nicht mehr wiedersehen wird und nach dem Tod seiner Frau, als er seine große Liebe verlor. Hervà © Joncour, ein Seidenhà ¤ndler, lebt mit seiner Frau Hà ©là ¨ne ein ruhiges Leben in Lavilledieu. Nur einmal im Jahr fà ¤hrt er durch die ganze Welt, um Larven von Seidenraupen einzukaufen. Và ¶llig unerwartet bricht eine Seuche unter den Seidenraupen in Afrika auf und Hervà © fà ¤hrt nach Japan, um seine Einkà ¤ufe zu erledigen. Dort begegnet er Hara Kei, einen reichen japanischen Aristokraten, mit den er fortan seine Geschà ¤fte fà ¼hrt und einer Frau, die sein Leben fà ¼r immer verà ¤ndern sollte. Er wechselt kein einziges Wort mit ihr und doch spà ¼rt der Gewissheit, sie wieder zu sehen. Ein Jahr spà ¤ter bricht Hervà © wieder auf, um nach Japan zu reisen.

The History and Theory of Magical Realism Essay -- Literature Essays L

The History and Theory of Magical Realism      Ã‚  Ã‚   Fantasy, Magical, Supernatural, Sublime, and Realism are all several genres of literature that may be familiar to many people. However, there may be one that is not as well-known as these: Magical Realism. Although Magical Realism is mostly common in the Latin American countries, one may wonder where and how Magical Realism got its start. On the other hand, one may simply wonder what some of the characteristics of Magical Realism are. By looking at the history and theory of Magical Realism as well as some of its characteristics and influences, these questions will be answered. Interestingly, the term "Magical Realism" was first used in 1925 by a German art critic, Franz Roh. In his essay, "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism," Roh used the term "Magical Realism" to actually characterize a style of painting instead of a style of literature (15). However, there are still at least two different viewpoints as to where and when Magical Realism truly had its start. In Angel Flores' essay, "Magical Realism in Spanish America," he claims that Magical Realism had its basis in the works of Franz Kafka. Furthermore, Flores thinks that the year 1935 was the year that Magical Realism had its beginning in Latin America because this was the year that Jorge Luis Borges' work, A Universal History of Infamy, appeared in Buenos Aires. After the appearance of Borges' works, several other writers began to follow his style, giving Magical Realism its rise in popularity in the years of 1940 to 1950 (Flores 113). In his essay "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature" Luis Leal disagrees with Flores' viewpoint. Leal does not think that Magical Realism had its growth during the 1940 to 195... ...Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 125-141. Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 109-116. "Garcia Marquez - Biography." 14 Jan. 2001 <http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_biography.html.>. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 119-123. "Magical Realism." 8 Jan. 2001 <http://www.iskl.edu.my/~Breen_O'Reilly/Chronicle2/page2.html>. Roh, Franz. "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 15-30.   

Walmart’s Key HR Functions Underperforming

Introduction The success of any organization depends on its strategic asset, the human capital. As pointed out by Lawler (1996), organization’s competitive advantage comes from its human capital. Efficient management of this resource can bring significant benefits to the company. It should be remembered that motivation is the epicenter of performance and an important factor ensuring the success of a company. Improving workplace productivity however remains a major challenge in most companies. In this regard, this study explores the human resource management approach at Wal-Mart. It identifies the ways in which two HR functions (employee motivation and employee performance practices) are underperforming. This includes a brief account of how the functions operate within the organization, how they are applied and what the outcomes for the business are given that they are underperforming. The paper evaluates why these particular functions are considered to be underperforming using Herzbergâ₠¬â„¢s motivator Hygiene Theory. Further the paper makes some recommendations for improvement of these HRM practices and the benefits to the company. What is human resource management? Human resource management encompasses all activities associated with management of the human capital and in ways towards achieving the corporate goal or objective. In any organization, the human resource department plays a crucial role. Not only are HR managers required to recruit and train employees, but they also have the obligation of motivating and engaging the workforce. Understanding what motivates the employee and ensuring good employee employment practices is key for talent retention and performance (Lockwood et al. 2010). Regardless of the economic environment, it is imperative for companies to create an engaged and motivated workforce. Underperformance in the workplace has recently been a major concern in Wal-Mart stores. According to a new research report by Wolfe research, an equities research firm, Wal-Mart has been underperforming over the past years. The firm lowered Wal-Mart from a â€Å"market perform† rating to an â€Å"underperform† rating (Covert, 20 14). Failure by Wal-Mart has been attributed to their poor employment practices especially low wages and lack of rewards. Whereas Wal-Mart may not be the only big store chain criticized for its poor employment practices and policies, it has come to the spotlight owing to its aggressive policies and low cost strategy which undermines the effort made by employees. Just last year, a lawsuit was filed against Wal-Mart by the international Labour Rights Fund for requiring overtime, denying minimum wage and punishing union activity (Covert 2012). This is clearly a violation of worker’s rights. Wal-Mart which was initially a corporate fortress seems to be headed to a downfall. Even its operations in the US indicate the possibility of a failure in the giant retailer. More recently, Wal-Mart warned its investors that its comparable store sales may be slightly negative after the third quarter. This is also evident in the huge layoff of 2300 workers at Sam’s club, one of its stores. The layoff was attributed to their poor performance. Whereas Wal-Mart still remains the corporate fortress in the retail sector due to its massive size, its underperformance in the US and emerging markets indicate the possibility of a failure in the near future. Walmart’s bad business practices Wal-Mart has on several accounts been criticized for poor wages. Why should employees suffer in one of the giant retail stores that make billions of profit annuallyWal-Mart is ranked among the best 100 corporations by Forbes magazine yet most of its employees take on average less than $250 a week. Full-time employees are paid between $6 and $7.50 an hour. A further a third of the employees who are part-time are limited to working up to 28 hours a week and are not eligible for benefits. Such pay scale places them and their families below the poverty line. The lack of rewards demotivates and discourages them from performing well. Perhaps Wal-Marts bad business practices are more evident with the Rana Plaza tragedy which led to the loss of over 1000 lives. The tragedy exposed some of the profound flaws in the industry. Rana Plaza produced private garments for some of the giant retailers including Wal-Mart. Evidence provided by the Bangladesh center for Worker Solidarity showed that Wal- Mart had been producing its garments in Ether Tex factory situated on the 5th floor of the building (Steven 2013). Some documents were found in the rubble detailing purchase orders for certain garments which were to be delivered to Wal-Mart. Further, at the time of the tragedy, Wal-Mart was already listed in Ether Tex’s website as one of the main customer. Although Wal-Mart denied knowledge of their operations at the factory building, it announced its plans to put in place new safety measures at some of their factories in Bangladesh. The corporate fortress, however, promised to stop production if urgent safety problems were uncovered at some of its factories. The company further assured the Bangladeshi government of their support and commitment towards improving workplace safety. But the company stopped short of committing to these improvements and distanced itself from the Rana Plaza tragedy. This is a clear example of bad business practice. Why these particular functions are considered to be underperforming Last year, Wal-Mart reported $11 billion in net income yet it has not been able to remedy some of its questionable workplace practices. Wal-Mart has been filed in over 5,000 lawsuits for poor employment practices such as inadequate health care, wage law violations, worker exploitation and their anti-union retailer stance. Wal-Mart anti-union stance can be seen in their recent threat to close one of its stores in Quebec after workers successfully unionized. Citing ‘economic reasons’; Wal-Mart announced their plans on shutting the store. However, this argument was rejected by Quebec’s labor relations and Wal-Mart’s firings found illegal. Further, the move to extend operations to overseas markets including setting up factories in emerging markets such as Bangladesh and China was driven by the desire to take advantage of cheap labour. For example, Wal-Mart pays much less its employees in China compared to those in the US and the UK. A further criticism has been the lack of employment benefits. Part-time employees are limited to working up to 28 hours a week and are not eligible for benefits. While, workers who are eligible for benefits pay way over the odds to get health insurance and other benefits. The company has often come under criticism for not providing employees with affordable access to health care and employees are overburdened. For example, in 1999, 36% of the total costs were paid by the employees. In 2001, there was a 42% rise in employee burden. The health of its employees has been deteriorating at a faster rate. According to the company’s internal memo discovered by New York Times, Wal-Mart workers were sicker compared to the national population. This begs the question: Why can’t such a giant corporation provide its workers medical retirement benefits given the huge profits that they makeThis question was once raised by one of Wal-Mart’s managers only to be fired by the CEO and reasons of disloyalty cit ed as the reason for being quitted. (Jordan 2008). As Michael Porter (1980) once pointed out that a company would rely on three basic competitive strategies to maintain their edge in the market: differentiation, cost leadership, and focus strategy. Wal-Mart has obviously taken the cost-leadership strategy by reducing the cost of recruitment, providing low pay, no rewards, requiring overtime, and cheap children labors. It currently faces a barrage of lawsuits for extensive violations of labour laws. Wal-Mart also faces law suits for extensive violations of state regulations that require time for breaks and meals. In some instances, minors are forced to work late for the performance appraising. Outcomes for business Wal-Mart may be headed for a downfall. Its customer service is already low and their low-cost strategy has led to many cut offs of employees. Since recession, Wal-Mart has been cutting down on their staff. Without enough manpower for their retail operations and with workers on site underpaid, its merchandize remains stacked on pallets in warehouses instead of the shelves where customers can reach them. What then is the value of offering lower prices if the products are not accessible to the customers? Further, the check-out lines are painfully long and there seems to be a decline in the overall customer shopping experience. Customer shopping experience has been deteriorating due to the longer checkout lines, disorganization and less staff help. Last year, the giant retailer was placed last among in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a six year in a row in which Wal-Mart has taken the last spot (Ungar 2013). Lessons must be learnt from the experience of the other low end retail ers. McDonald’s earnings have fallen significantly due to their poor terms of employment. Similarly, Wal-Mart needs to consider the potential upside of their aggressive policies. Despite the poor employment practices, Wal-Mart still remains among the leading retail giants. Its remains ahead of its competitors such as Target and JC penny. However, Wal-Mart faces a threat from Costco, its primary competitor. Costco has been experiencing a fairly healthy 8% growth in annual sales (Ungar 2013). In fact, a significant number of customers are moving to this retailer for their shopping experience. Could this be attributed to the good employment practices at CostcoUnlike Wal-Mart, employees at Costco get a decent living and are paid in excess of the minimum wage. Given the aggressive HR policies employed by Wal-Mart, it begs the question: what then is the role of HR managers in this companySince, as HR professionals, they are required to put in place strategies oriented towards the e mployees. To some point, however, employees seem to be encouraged to think of themselves as ‘servant leaders’. For example, employees are called â€Å"associates† showing that the company values their contribution. Such kinds of HR policies are employed in most of the best performing companies. These policies and practices serve to motivate employees to increase their performance and can aid in developing good corporate culture. However, employees may not feel appreciated if they are paid less than minimum wages and denied rewards and opportunities for professional growth. There seem to be no opportunities for enhancement and professional growth. Wal-Mart does very little training and developments of its human resources and as such, opportunities for enhancement of professions especially for women are limited. In fact, several claims have been filed against Wal-Mart for discriminating against women in terms of employment positions and the lack of opportunities fo r advancement. Improving employee motivation and employment practices at Wal-Mart As HR professionals continue to seek bright, talented and highly engaged workforce, motivational theories can provide insights on how Wal-Mart can improve employee motivation and engagement. Several motivational theories have been suggested including the Expectancy Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, Herzberg’s motivator Hygiene Theory, Goal Setting Theory, and Equity theory (Lockwood et al. 2010) Herzberg’s motivator Hygiene Theory is perhaps more applicable to the case of Wal-Mart. The theory suggests that two main factors must be met for employees to become satisfied with work. These are: the hygiene factors and motivator factors. The hygiene factors include meeting the basic needs such as adequate pay, comfortable working environment, effective supervision and good relationships with the core workers. On the other hand, motivation factors include advancement and professional growth, and rewards or opportunities for recognition (lockwood et al. 2010) W al-Mart needs to consider applying the two-factor theory of motivation if they are to improve on the performance of their employees. They need to revamp their policies, increase the salary of their employees, and the safety and security of the employees. Further, they need to consider motivators that are intrinsic to the job which include providing rewards for achievement and increasing their growth opportunities. Pundits, policymakers and activists outraged by the company’s low wages have been calling for protests. According to Robert Reich, a professor at U.C. Berkeley, Walmart’s net income is estimated at $17 billion meaning that they can easily afford to give its workers a small pay-rise (Atner 2013). The Chancellor professor of public policy has in fact urged shoppers to boycott Wal-Mart since they do not want to share even a little bit of their income with their employees (Atner 2013). Conclusion In today’s highly competitive marketplace, motivation of employees and employing the best employment practices is key to success. Underperformance in the workplace has recently been a major concern in Wal-Mart stores. Several lawsuits have been filed against Wal-Mart for violation of worker’s rights including low wages, lack of employment benefits, being required to work overtime and denied to participate in union activity. Bad employment practices are clearly evident in Wal-Mart. This has affects employee productivity as it demoralizes and demotivates them. Wal-Mart needs to consider applying the two-factor theory of motivation if they are to improve on the performance of their employees. Incentives are key to maintaining a motivated workforce and ensuring business success. Appraising and offering hardworking employee with incentives will motivate them to go the extra mile of putting the company first. Employee valuations need to be implemented and growth opportunities made plenty. HR managers at walmart need to understand the benefits of employee motivation and engagement. By sharing their profit, employees will feel appreciated and more passionate about their work. Ultimately, this will result in improved performance and greater customer satisfaction Reference Ciura, B., 2014. Is Wal-Mart’s empire about to failViewed on 29th March 2014. Available from http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/01/is-wal-marts-empire-about-to-fall.aspx Covert, B., 2014. Walmart’s labor practices backfire. Viewed on 29th March 2014. Available from http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/02/10/3271221/walmart-downgraded-understaffing/ Gusdorf, M.L. and Reed, S.M., 2009. The role of mission and values in strategic human resource management. Society for Human Resource Management. Jordan, T., 2014. The good, the bad and Wal-Mart. Workplacefairness Lockwood, N., Anderson, C., Fiester, M. and Samers, K., 2010. ‘Motivation in today’s workplace: the link to performance’. Research Quarterly. The Society for Human Resource Management Rasouli, R., 2013. ‘Modelling the impact of HRM practices on knowledge workers’ job satisfaction and intention to stay: re-examining the Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivationâ₠¬â„¢. World of Sciences Journal Steven, G., 2013. As firms line up on factories, Wal-Mart plans solo effort. Viewed on 29th March 2013. available from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/business/six-retailers-join-bangladesh-factory-pact.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Thomasson, E., 2014. Bangladesh factory inspections highlight safety risks as anniversary of Rana Plaza tragedy looms. Retail & Marketing. Ungar, R., 2013. Wal-Mart pays workers poorly and sinks while Costco pays workers well and sails-proof that you get what you pay for. {Viewed on 30th March 2014} available fromhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/04/17/walmart-pays-workers-poorly-and-sinks-while-costco-pays-workers-well-and-sails-proof-that-you-get-what-you-pay-for/