Organizational Behavior in Law Firms

Organizational Behavior in Law Firms Introduction The current practice of organization, governance and compensation in law firms does not match that of other business firms. Managers apply managerial approach rather than coordinated team management. Lawyers want to preserve their autonomy, and they are professional skeptics. During their training, lawyers learn to be pessimistic.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior in Law Firms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also aim at spotting flaws. When it comes to employee compensation, lawyers do not trust the compensation committees. They insist on having a system that does not trust other people. Lack of trust leads to several negative consequences and these can be observed in several law firms. For example, teamwork initiatives rarely are implemented. A joint plan can be developed, but commitment to group decisions proves difficult. Discussion In the social Learning Theory, people in a workplace learn from their colleagues. Lawyers are different in that they believe that they possess all the knowledge, which they obtained from the school (Bandura, 2002). They, therefore, do not collaborate with each other. Lack of collaboration in a firm makes a firm not to succeed because they rarely make sacrifices. Instead, they aim at competing for their own good other than for the good of the organization. Many lawyers are reluctant to take up the role of a manager. Fear exists that the other lawyers may not treat them the way they deserve. Lawyers do not tolerate group leadership; hence limiting executive authority in law firms, decision-making is slow. In some instances, lawyers do not arrive at a conclusion in decision-making. Law firms form committees and everyone participates in decision-making. This is a form of democracy, but it slows down decision-making process. Cultural theories affect lawyers. These include theories that concentrate on cultural values, beliefs, a ttitudes, and experiences shared within an organization (Thompson, Ellis Wildavsky, 1990). Lawyers believe that they should not trust each other, and this has led to law firms having short-term orientations. Partners, therefore, fail to invest in the firm because they feel that eventually, they will not credit for that.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Surprisingly, most partners are people who have qualified academically. They have never had the joy of experiencing team success. Their focus is self-serving, selfish, and narcissistic. Therefore, law firm’s resources are squandered hence poorly used. Most law firms make little profits because clients do not get the best lawyers. Lawyers’ selfishness makes them have an approach that is shortsighted when it comes to decision making. Time and money investments rarely take place. Such investments would hav e led to immediate results that could lead to profitability. Lawyers are also skeptical about values, ideology, and principles. In a business, confidence comes when an individual can be depended upon because he can take action according to positive pragmatic principles. Such principles could include facts such as observing clients’ interests first. If lawyers served their clients in the best way possible, their personal interests would follow soon or later. Believing in these principles, however, does not automatically lead to commercial benefits. Partners can achieve commercial benefits if they adhere to these principles. This would lead to faster decision making. This would further lead to implementation of strategies leading to desirable teamwork results. Partners are able to give other partners authority to come up with ideas and decisions because they are confident that decisions can be made the right way by applying the same values, which they can apply if they were in such a situation. Law firms lack this ideological consistency. They have the principles but enforcing them becomes the problem. These firms want to adapt strategies and statement of mission and values. However, they do not state the level of penalty in case a person fails to comply. This results to ineffective implementation of strategies. Lawyers who apply common law traditions appear highly suspicious in overarching principles. They make decisions incrementally leaving open a possibility that the following case can be treated differently. A system should be put in place to coach and help partners who fail to comply with the firm’s standards. If the instruction fails to assist the associate with sensible and substantial time, such an associate should be asked to depart the firm. This system would be close to the system used when a partner does not meet financial targets, for example, billable hours.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Beh avior in Law Firms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Application of this process would ensure that a firm excels in client service, associate supervision, and collaboration. Most lawyers believe that tackling these issues would be suicidal, idealistic, unrealistic, and un-commercial. Such standards get preached to clients as the firm’s values. Most firms make a choice for principles, but do not take part in a ballot when it comes to implementing them. Lawyers have rules but do not have functional principles for failure of trusting the other partners. They fear that they may refuse to adhere to such principles. Situational leadership theory states that people possess different personality traits (Miner, 2007). Some people are passionate while others are not. Most lawyers lack passion, and this is the reason as to why they relate poorly with each other. Many researches show that lawyers are less intimate and social as compared to other p rofessionals. They prefer interactions that are role-to-role whether in the firm or outside the firm. They do not prefer personal interactions. This should not be mistaken that lawyers hate people. The point here is that they prefer job to investing in personal relationships with their clients, associates, and partners. It would be necessary to consider personal traits when choosing a leader or even a manager. Less passionate people are likely to be poor managers as compared to passionate people. This further makes most law firms unable to market themselves because they do not know how to consider interests of a customer because they lack personal feelings. That intimacy lacks in lawyers. The way lawyers react also affects productivity of their firms and the way the firm is managed. Lawyers take the word management to mean a detached, cold, and analytical approach when it comes to business dealings. Lawyers receive only a scorecard that they should achieve before the year ends. Ther e is no one to help them in achieving the set goals. They are also rarely rewarded for achieving the set goals. Lawyers need to be trained on personal relations, as this would help them a fantastic deal on managing law firms.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Herzberg’s Two Factory Theory, employees need to be rewarded if they perform well and corrective measures should be taken against those who fail to perform (Shipley Kiely, 1986). The management motivates lawyers rarely and this makes them loose morale. Methods of rewarding and punishing should be communicated clearly to the employees, so that they do not live in fear that they may fail to achieve the set goals by the end of the year. They hardly know what will happen in case they fail to achieve as per the expectations. It is true that this way helps in that everyone will work hard towards achieving the set goal. However, there is the lack of cohesion and morale. Many lawyers prefer this approach, but they fail to understand that it leads to limitation of strategies within an organization. This makes firms unstable especially now that partners keep on moving from one firm to another. It can be noted that some organizations have recognized this topic’s sig nificance. Some managing partners have realized the importance of treating people with empathy and warmth to build personal relationships. People ought to be dealt with as people and not as objects. Lawyers also require motivation, but many firms are yet to realize this importance of motivation. Motivation leads to employee satisfaction and personal development. Lawyers also apply peculiar ways when discussing an issue and when making decisions. They like contesting with each other. They, therefore, keep on arguing over small issue; hence slow decision-making. They like challenging each other’s ability. In a law firm, the lawyers will attack even a brilliant idea. Lawyers aim at identifying loopholes thus destroying, postponing or dismissing ideas regardless of the person who initiated them. An idea can be postponed for so many times and eventually the lawyers will not arrive at a comprehensive conclusion. The committee chairs in making decisions spend a lot of time. They alw ays have a lengthy memo before making a single decision. Another management strategy also exists where proposals remain ambiguous to avoid such attacks by the lawyers. Law firms hold on to half measures inclination with pitiable plans that ensure that there is a low probability of success. For lawyers, they will agree to make service teams for the clients, but if asked the meaning of such teams, they do not disclose. When asked their responsibilities, most of them will say that should be worked on later. Obligations of such team members also take ages before figuring them out. All these combined, with the use of committees to resolve issues, make everything disastrous. Some attorneys agree that their training does not include making decisions and not to have such closures. In their arguments, lawyers’ objectives do not appear logic, reasonable, fair, or consistency (Miner, 2007). Law profession rewards lawyers in terms of their persuasiveness, verbal agility, rhetoric, and po int scoring. This is what they bring in the firm at a time of significant discussions. Lawyers view risk in a strange way. In many other firms, decision-making happens for the last time. People do not have to keep on meeting in order to agree on something. The managers are entrusted with decision-making; hence no time wastage. In law firms, chances are not influential in discussions but likelihood. In other dealings, proceedings and groundbreaking thinking operate as crucial necessities for business breakthrough. Companies look forward to tactical inventiveness and thoughts which have not been implemented by others. Lawyers seem different because in case of a new idea, they will unanimously ask to be told of other firms doing the same leading to failure of an idea. They do not see the need for a change since they do not view this as a strategic advantage to the law firm. Conclusion Law firms lack competitive advantage because lawyers compete against each other and do not understand personal relationships. However, they do well financially. Law firms have discovered that hard work and cutting down costs, without caring how the associates will take it, helps them in achieving their goals. This, however, does not serve as the best approach to profitability. The issues discussed above need to be addressed by law firms if they want to deliver as per their vision statement. Issues such as expected behavior and common standards need to be addressed without fear. Law firms require Cultural Revolution for them to achieve their ambitions. Dysfunctional behavior should not be tolerated since it prevents proper functioning of an organization. Hope exists because what law firms practice does not present law, but common tendencies practiced by lawyers. Many other firms have been able to tackle issues to do with trust, culture, and behaviour of the partners. Law firms should not be exceptional. Repeated interactions lead to trust among individuals because of the long history they have had in the past. Some light ahead among the partners further increases the degree of trust. Over time, people learn to trust each other. Teamwork is necessary for achievement of set goals. Ambiguity should be avoided at all costs, and decisions should be made clear to all partners. Minimum standards ought to be agreed upon since firms have several lawyers. All the lawyers must be willing to adhere to these standards. Management of law firms requires that the managers pay attention to the management processes that ought to be applied. Lawyers must understand that legal issues are equally valuable as management issues. References Bandura, A. (2002). Social learning theory (Repr. ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice- Hall. Miner, J. B. (2007). Organizational behavior 4: from theory to practice. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. Shipley, D. D., Kiely, J. A. (1986). Industrial salesforce motivation and Herzbergs dual  factor theory. Stoke-on-Trent (College Rd., Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DE): North Staffordshire Polytechnic, Department of Management Studies. Thompson, M., Ellis, R., Wildavsky, A. B. (1990). Cultural theory. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.

Three Review Exercises in Subject-Verb Agreement

Three Review Exercises in Subject-Verb Agreement These three review exercises will give you practice in applying the rules of subject-verb agreement. After you have completed each exercise, compare your responses with the answers. Agreement Exercise A For each pair of sentences below, write out the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Keep to the present tense, and be guided by our four tips for agreement and our three special cases.1. Do you know how to play bocce? The game (do) not require any special athletic abilities.2. There is a new bocce league at the recreational center. There (be) several teams in the league.3. I have a new set of bocce balls. My friend (have) a new pallino ball.4. Bocce is a game for people of all ages. I (be) going to show you how to play.5. The players take turns rolling a ball down the court. Each of the players [take] one ball and aims for the pallino.6. We try to get our balls as close to the pallino as possible. Rick often (try) to bounce his ball off the side of the court.7. Nobody enjoys playing bocce more than I do. Everybody who plays bocce (enjoy) the game.8. There are four players on each team. There (be) a tournament at the end of the season.9. The winners of the tournament carry home a trophy. Everyone (carry) home good memories.10. I am ready to play a game now. You and your friends (be) welcome to join us. Agreement Exercise B For each pair of sentences below, write out the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Keep to the present tense, and be guided by our four tips for agreement and our three special cases.1. Both candidates oppose increased defense spending. Neither of the two candidates (oppose) the war in Iraq.2. Not one of these cell phones belongs to me. One of the phones (belong) to Merdine.3. Most students take all of their classes in the morning. Nobody (take) classes after 2:00.4. One of my hobbies is collecting shopping bags. My hobbies (be) unusual.5. Gus and Merdine want a trial separation. Neither one (want) to move out of the apartment.6. Neither of the players admits that he made an error. Both players (admit) that somebody made a mistake.7. Both the manager and her assistant have been fired. Neither the manager nor her assistant (have) been notified.8. Where is your little brother? Several pages from my journal (be) missing.9. Professor Legree often goes for long walks in the rain. Th e lights in his house (go) on at midnight. 10. The students in the back of the room play poker during breaks. The student who sits next to the refreshments (play) solitaire. Agreement Exercise C In the following paragraph, identify the six errors in subject-verb agreement. According to legend, Santa Claus is a fat old man who visits every house on our planet in about eight hours on one of the coldest nights of the year. Santa, as everybody knows, stop for a glass of milk and a cookie at each house along the route. He prefer to work unnoticed, so he wears a luminous red suit and travels with a pack of bell-jangling reindeer. For reasons that most people does not understand, this jolly old man enters each house not by the front door but through the chimney (whether you has a chimney or not). He customarily gives generously to children in wealthy families, and he usually remind poorer children that its the thought that counts. Santa Claus is one of the earliest beliefs that parents try to instill in their children. After this absurdity, its a wonder that any child ever believe in anything again. Answers to Exercise A (1) does; (2) are; (3) has; (4) am; (5) takes; (6) tries; (7) enjoys; (8) is; (9) carries; (10) are. Answers to Exercise B (1) oppose; (2) belongs; (3) takes; (4) are; (5) wants; (7) has; (8) are; (9) go; (10) plays. Answers to Exercise C (1) Change stop for a glass to stops  for a glass; (2) change prefer to work to prefers  to work; (3) change people does not understand to people  do  not understand; (4) change you has a chimney to you  have  a chimney; (5) change remind poorer children to reminds  poorer children; (6) change child ever believe to child ever  believes.

Reflective Journal Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflective Journal Assignment - Essay Example The success of this stage in growth leads to the virtue of hope which often goes a long way in determining how a person would view the world and/or tackle real life crises and problems that are ever existent. Being of a middle age compared to the other of our siblings, I was never accorded the utmost care that the others had and this I believed strengthened my resolve greatly. I become more independent and assertive and this enabled me too to recognize my abilities and skills. Taking part in groups, organizing class events at schools, sorting out fellow children quarrels and disagreements enabled me to recognize my special talent in counseling at a tender age. Ages 10-20, regarded by most scholars as the age bracket that makes or breaks an individual were rather hectic for me. This is where self actualization occurs when one starts to learn the roles he would want to play as an adult. At an adolescent age, I got to learn a lot about myself and the surrounding. This is the age where I got to re-examine my identity and who I really was both in our family and to the society at large. This period came to pass with a lot of challenges that defined who I became. I decided to set myself on a career path and developed a greater sense of fidelity and tolerance. My later advanced ages presented to me the worst times I ever had. Before making any considerations on the need and motives, I decided to have a partner in my early 20’s. As described in the eight stages of development by Erikson, this is the period in the lifespan of an individual when one yeans for intimacy and a certain level of commitment. I got married at a comparatively younger age and this came with its share of problems. I had a marital relationship that that took turns at every face of difficulty and disagreements. This stage gave me a lot of insight into the issues that couples face on a daily basis and opened me up more to the counseling profession. At the

One of the primary aims of copyright is to ensure society is rich with Essay

One of the primary aims of copyright is to ensure society is rich with creative works. Without copyright creators would not create new works. Discuss - Essay Example Pirating copyrighted products is an inexpensive venture since pirates only need a computer, internet access, and power to run the computer (Waldfogel 2012, p. 44). In addition, available digital technology boosts the ability to produce excellent copies. Worldwide losses due to infringement of copyrights are estimated to be $4.2 billion per year. To put it into perspective, in 2005, motion picture industry and the software industry reported losses estimated at $ 18.2 and $34 billion respectively. Today, digital piracy is the primary issue of concern, which calls for a thorough understanding of its driving forces. It is worth noting that a majority of today’s issues relating to digital piracy relate to the evolution of computing era (Cronan & Al-Rafee 2006, p.238). However, advancements in technology are also vital in the protection of copyrighted products as well as digital rights management. On the other hand, pirates have strived to make use of technology to â€Å"hack† or â€Å"crack† protected contents. The only option left for copyright owners includes finding strong legal protection against copyright infringement. The legal system has agreed that technological advancements have the potential to circumvent the legal system, and leave a poor intellectual property framework (Matsuura 2009, p. 25). The ability to store data in a binary format is the cause of digital piracy (Fenwick & Locks 2010, p. 18). From this point, this paper will look into forms of digital piracy (media and software piracy), their incidences and motivating factors. It would also be crucial to look into some of the technologies applied in fighting digital piracy. Other than technologies, the paper will also touch on copyright laws and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To date, the media industry has suffered heavy losses due to increased rates of digital piracy. Information generated through digital media is easy to represent

Catholic form of Christianity Essay Example for Free

Catholic form of Christianity Essay The Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity as said to differ on many fundamental issues. Most individuals, in attempting to distinguish between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, immediately just cite that the differences are in the Pope or Purgatory or even sometimes the filioque. Historically, however, the differences are far more numerous and quite profound. The first fundamental difference between these two religions is on the issue of the fall of man. Roman Catholicism teaches that all humanity is liable for their original sin and that all men are born with â€Å"original sin†. The implications of Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden in the Roman Catholic Faith are that man is born with original sin and nothing more, unlike the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox, who believe that when Adam sinned against God, he introduced death into the world. The fall of Adam or the fall of man in the view of the Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity signifies the mortality of man and that death highlights the passions in man such as anger, hate, lust and greed which are borne out of the realization of death. Roman Catholicism ignores the Orthodox conception of man as slave to death and instead believes that man’s passions are manipulated by the devil. Another fundamental difference between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism is on the issue regarding the interpretations of canons. In the Roman Catholic faith, canons are rules or guides for governing The Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church also continually evolves these canons by introducing new ones or revising them to suit the needs of the changing times and cultures. The Eastern Orthodox does not regard these canons as laws, which regulate human relationships or secure human rights. The Orthodoxy views canons as the means of forging the new man or new creature through obedience. Canons are trainings in virtue that are meant to produce holiness. While the Roman Catholic Church, as previously mentioned, currently updates the canons and discards the old ones, the Eastern Orthodox Church Orthodoxy never discards the old ones because of their belief that those cannons were also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Arguably, the most important fundamental difference between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic forms of Christianity is in the manner of knowing the existence of God. The Eastern Orthodox faith believes that man’s knowledge of God is intrinsic in his nature. Man is born with the knowledge of God because it is inherent in human nature and that is how man knows that God truly exists. This belief also holds that man’s knowledge of God is fixed in nature and man cannot know anything more about the truths of God unless God chooses to reveal this to man. This belief is contrary to the Roman Catholic belief that God’s existence is constantly known, felt and verified by an examination of the other things that God has created in this world. Human reason, as the Roman Catholic Church believes, is capable of knowing and proving the existence of God. Man is capable of beholding the essence of God with his intellect and with the assistance of grace. The Eastern Orthodox Church therefore believes that God’s existence is already known to man by his nature while the Roman Catholic Church establishes the existence of God through man’s use of reason. These Three (3) fundamental differences, fall of man, canons and proof of God’s existence, differentiate what seem to be similar if not identical branches of Christianity. But as many have said, it really does not matter how you worship and revere God in so much as you follow the truths in life such as charity, love, peace and respect for all of mankind.

Sparrow Hawk Red :: Ben Mikaelson essays research papers

This book is about a boy named Ricky, he is a Mexican who lives in Southern Arizona. He only lives with his dad because his mother was killed in a car accident. Ricky and his dad have a bi-plane that they fly to relieve stress and forget about the death of Ricky’s mom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day when Ricky and his dad just got done landing, there were some DEA agents waiting for them at their ranch. Ricky’s dad used to work in the DEA and they were back to ask him to help them steal and plane from the Cartel mansion in Mexico. The plane is supposed to have some sort of navigational system that only the DEA are supposed to have. Ricky isn’t supposed to know any of this but he listens secretly in another room. When he is listening he also finds out that his mother was actually murdered by the Cartel instead of a car accident.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Ricky finds out that his dad doesn’t want to go and steal the plane from the Cartel, it ticks him off and he decides to do it himself. So Ricky secretly runs away one day instead of going to school and goes to Mexico.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day when Ricky is on his way to a village in Mexico that is near the Cartel mansion, he buys a burrito on the street and some boys see how much money he has. He runs away from them for awhile but ends up being cornered. They beat the living crap out of him and take all his money and his shoes. After Ricky wakes up from the beatings, there is a girl sitting across the alley from him. She tells him where the Cartel mansion is located, and she takes him to a restaurant and they eat food out of garbage cans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the ending, Ricky goes in the Mansion’s gate as a taco runner, and steals the plane.

“3 idiots” Reaction Paper Essay

Phunsuk Wangdu. This was a main character played by Aamir Khan in the movie 3 idiots, a famous Indian movie directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The story was basically about three engineering students who faced everyday life challenges together for their whole stay in college. They stayed in one room causing them to treat each other like a real family. Unfortunately, their institution was ruled by a heartless genius man who always believed in the thought that life is a race, one must compete to survive and also, he never cared about his students dying out of pressure through committing suicide. This ruler was a total perfectionist and had very high standards on everything, he wants everything to be under his control. While everyone was terrified following his authority, Phunsuk Wangdu dared to be different, well, he stayed as who he really was. His perspective in life was completely different from that of their institution’s director. He was a very simple student and a total definite genius who applied the things he studied in the real world. And as the years went by, he showed that undeniably impossible things could possibly happen. His character had enlightened me so much and watching the whole movie for more than 2 hours gave me goosebumps. Putting your whole trust in God, sharing,helping and inspiring others, doing your best at all times and bringing positivity to everything – things we need to survive and enjoy life. He once said that putting your trust to God won’t be the solution to your problem but it will give you enough courage to face it. These are very simple lessons to keep in mind yet the most important ones to keep our life meaningful. Now i want myself to be like him in my own simple ways and prove people that happiness is the key to success. To sum it up, we’ll have everything we need and want if we have God. And as he commonly said, ALL IS WELL. 3 Idiots Reaction Paper Essay INTRODUCTION The movie â€Å"3 Idiots† is an Indian film about the life of three engineering students who went to study at one of the best colleges in India, the Imperial College of Engineering. Coming from different walks of life, the three â€Å"idiots†, Farhan Qureshi, Raju Rastogi , and Rancchoddas â€Å"Rancho† Shyamaldas Chanchad, will become best of friends. But the movie will circle on how the wisdom and ideals of Rancho will influence the life of his two friends and other characters in the story. At first, Rancho’s giftedness seemed entertaining to his friends and classmates. But his free spirit and wit will irritate his lecturers including the college director, Professor Viru Sahastrabudhhe (ViruS). Standing by their new beliefs as inspired by Rancho, the three friends will face obstacles that will test their loyalty and determination. Valuable lessons can be learned from the characters portrayed in this film, even from the antagonists. The movie all throughout illustrated how the elder people of India (in the story) make themselves prisoner to the expectations and high regard of others. They pass on this burden to their children who had to sacrifice their passions, happiness, and future. The movie also seemed to point out how important open and honest communication is within the family. Communication is so important that failing to be understood or to understand may lead to serious heartbreaks and depression among family members. I have also observed that verbal wit is entertaining. But in the long run, our actions are what will win the respect and the hearts of people. BODY Farhan Qureshi is studying engineering to pursue his father’s wishes. But his one real passion though is wildlife photography. As said by his father to Rancho during a confrontation, they have invested all their money in Farhan’s studies. They didn’t buy a car or an extra air conditioner (only Farhan’s room had AC) because they prioritized Farhan’s study needs. Coming from a struggling middle class family, Farhan is pressured to finish engineering to compensate the sacrifice of his family. But in the course of the story, Farhan adopts the outlook of Rancho to pursue one’s true passion. He gathers the courage to take a stand and convinces his father to believe in his dream of becoming a photographer. Farhan demonstrates the lesson of courage to believe in your passion and follow your happiness, and not just to live for the approval of others, as seen in the words of his father when they argued over his career change, â€Å"The world will laugh. They will say that you reached the final year and quit.† But in the end of their quarrel, the final response of Farhan’s father demonstrated and taught us humility, open-mindedness, the willingness to understand, and the untiring love of a parent. Raju Rastogi comes from a poor family. Raju’s father is a retired post master who had become a paralytic. His mother is a retired school teacher. Most of their income went to his father’s medication. The scene in Raju’s house depicted a poverty stricken family with a paralytic father who â€Å"lay on a small bed†, a coughing mother, a sofa with springs coming out, a dripping roof, and â€Å"a sister waiting to get married† (because they had no dowry to give for her marriage). Raju was always afraid and so relied on lucky charms for a less scary future. Later, Raju will face a possible expulsion from college which can only be revoked if he witnessed for Mr. ViruS, the college director, for the expulsion of his friend, Rancho. Not wanting to betray his friend nor face his parents’ heartbreak with his getting expelled, Raju attempts suicide and ends up in a comma. But with the constant care and support of his mother and friends, Raju recovers and gains new-found confidence as influenced in him by Rancho. With this, he will impress corporate agents in one job interview and get hired. In the story, Raju gets a chance to cheat to pass a difficult exam but re fuses to, and chooses to make it with â€Å"his own ability†. Raju’s character demonstrated valuing genuine friendships, courageous honesty, and earning your way fairly. And there was Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad, or Rancho, who came to ICE for the pure passion of learning. He was introduced as a gifted student with a practical mind, a noble character, and an outlook that didn’t agree with the school system and the family traditions in the story. Rancho didn’t bother to compete for grades or adopt to the college’s dog-eat-dog system. Professor ViruS despised Rancho and how Rancho outwitted him in most of their arguments. Professor ViruS thought that grades and the favor of his teachers didn’t bother Rancho because he was a rich man’s son. If he doesn’t graduate on time, he could afford to come back the following year. Rancho, Raju and Farhan will become best of friends. In the movie, we see how the attitudes and outlook of Raju and Farhan are reformed by Rancho’s friendship and by the excellence he exhibited in his studies andprojects. Rancho would also later win the respect of Professor ViruS. This is after the professor experiences for himself Rancho’s nobility and witness Rancho’s gift with machines when his daughter would give birth in a table-tennis room. This incident will change the way the director perceived Rancho. Despite the hurdles Rancho faced at ICE, he earns the engineering degree and graduates as the top student. He then vanishes, to be sought after by his friends 10 years later. As they searched for Rancho, they are surprised to discover Rancho’s true identity. Rancho is really the son, not of a rich man, but of a rich man’s gardener. Since childhood, Rancho already displayed so much desire to learn. Because his father’s boss wanted a good reputation for his son—the real Rancchoddas Chanchad—the rich man proposed to send Rancho to school to earn an engineering degree using his son’s name. Finally finding Rancho, his friends learn his real name, Phunsukh Wangdu, now a renowned scientist who is sought all over the world. We learn a lot from Rancho’s free spirit. He refused to imprison himself in competition and expectation. He was excellent but his purpose is not for recognition or just to impress others. He lived the desires of his heart, which are machines and great friendships. His mantra, â€Å"All is well. All is well†, reminds us that we cannot control situations, but we can control our attitude and perspective. Rancho also talks a lot. He does a lot of explaining and convincing to his friends. But he backed up his words with weightier deeds of love, kindness, and sacrifice. And I think that is what the writer intended to convey—that his deeds more than his words are what really won the people around him. In real life, I believe that the qualities of Rancho—nobility and excellence without conceit—are attainable through passion combined with faith in God. Going back to Professor Viru Sahastrabudhhe (ViruS), director of ICE, he is the â€Å"adversary† of Rancho and the one who sets the â€Å"compete or die† system at ICE. By excellence he meant being ahead of everyone else. He despised Rancho who opposed these beliefs, However, Rancho alwa ys outsmarted him. In the story, Professor ViruS is the figurative â€Å"murderer†. His extreme conviction to always push oneself to the limit provoked three suicide incidents in the story—that of Raju, of another student named Joy, and of his own son (as a backstory). At first, Mr. ViruS thought his son’s death was just an accident. Later, he will learn that his son committed suicide because he wanted to quit engineering and become a writer instead. After learning this, and after Rancho performs the emergency birth delivery of Prof. ViruS’ daughter (as mentioned earlier), Prof. ViruS outlook changes as well as his perception of Rancho. Here, we learn that the best way to a man’s heart is through â€Å"junior† (or daughter). Also, we are reminded again of the importance of communication. Prof. ViruS didn’t know that his son detested engineering so much that he preferred to commit suicide. One character who shared and followed after Prof. ViruS’ morals is Chatur Ramalingam, who was known in ICE as â€Å"Silencer†. He was called as such because he drank pills that would make him pass gas. He would take these pills nearing the exams so when he passes gas, the unpleasant odor would distract his roommates from studying well. He thought this would give him a better chance of topping the exams. Chatur was also excellent. In fact, he was second in score rank to Rancho. But Chatur was always miserable, because like Prof. ViruS, getting ahead of everyone was his ultimate goal. Chatur reminds me of the story of a frog who wanted to be the highest â€Å"jumper† in his pack so he cut the hind legs of the other frogs. From Chatur’s bad example, we are reminded of a good lesson that says, the only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Towards the end of the story, Chatur, along with Raju and Farhan, finds Rancho 10 years later. Thinking that Rancho became a primary school teacher, Chatur mocks Rancho’s work and salary. Another good lesson here is to not be quick to speak, judge, or boast as Chatur did who belittled Rancho just before finding out who Rancho had actually become. Rancho, who is actually the renowned scientist, Phunsukh Wangdu, and who had 400 patents to his name, is the same man he’s looking for to woo and get to sign a multi-million dollar deal with his company. CONCLUSION Overall, 3idiots is a truly engaging film. The story is brilliant and the lessons to be learned are immense. We see the importance of extending a little understanding and consideration and the danger of holding it back. A little understanding could mean a lifetime of happiness; and depriving it could lead to serious depressions, miseries, and even death. I believe that the life stories of the characters in this movie are very relatable—peer pressure, poverty, and family’s expectations. But the story is also very liberating— don’t be a prisoner of expectations and competitions. Be free to live your dream!

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a deeply conservative country in the Middle East rooted in Islamic laws and traditions that degrade women in the society. The laws have roots in both the traditions and Islam. And to a large extent, the country has suffered slow growth as only half of its economy is productive.It is evident that when women are empowered there will be a tremendous growth in the economy, and as such, gender parity should be perceived as a moral obligation which will stimulate economic stability and give women a chance out of social bondage.WHY THE LAWS SHOULD BE CHANGEDThere is a great need for the country to adjust its laws to accommodate all the citizens, both male and female. The kind of discrimination and social degradation women face is the worst ever. Women are forced to obtain permission from men, including from their sons to be able to travel, get jobs and enroll for higher education. Even after the progress which had been made during the colonial period, the country has found i tself back to its original position,at work places, the education sectors and leadership. For the women, discrimination has become the norm. During job applications and recruitments, they don't get the same opportunities as men (Vogelstein, 2018). With the men's narrow conservative perception, women are even denied promotions, others dismissed. Thus, this has led to constant disputes with their male colleagues. The result being slow progress in their personal development stemming adverse realities for them. This perspective doesn't regard women as having the necessary skills and abilities for pursuing leadership roles although there are economic reformations, there are still numerous challenges.The academic leadership roles of women has been crippled by organizational and administrative challenges they face in their work environment (Alsubh, 2018). Women are barred from taking superior positions due to lack of their training and education. This coupled with inadequate financial allocation and patriarchal mindset has affected women leadership, which directly impacts on the institutional achievement. Other challenges hindering their capabilities are caused by uncooperative behavior of their subordinates, excess workload with very long working hours due to absence of positional power.Most women trying to break away from the societal norms and expectations find themselves in very tight schedules(Alsubh, 2018). They are expected to take charge of their families. This translates to less time attending to work, in severe cases a promotion may lead to separation from her family.Some opt to drop their jobs altogether. With constrains in time, they are barely able to get enough experience. Most cannot withstand the pressure and end up with low self-confidence, thereby unable to adapt to the dynamics of work environment. This significantly bars implementation of the strategic leadership technique. More than often, over the years, the workplace has always been considered to be a masculine domain(Alsubh, 2018). Men are perceived to be more productive than women, which has created conflicts among women and fellow workers or even their bosses. Women are made to appear unfit and even within the right qualifications they still find it hard convincing their seniors. Sadly, most loose the opportunities. Women empowerment is therefore suppressed.CONCLUSIONSaudi Arabia having developed its laws from Islamic laws and traditions, is a highly patriarchal society where women are utterly discouraged from formal jobs in the public sphere. For the better part of history, this has been the story over and over again. The government has finally come to terms with the fact that it cannot develop without the input from women, thus it's in the process of creating a friendlier environment for the women, although amidst challenges. Women are also citizens who need equal opportunities just like men, Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Middle East which is well known among many foreign countries for its oil production. Saudi Arabia is known as the land covered by immense deserts and insignificant amount of rainfall. The country is rich with oil and natural gas resources. At the time of its independence, Saudi Arabia was relatively poor country because at that time its oil resources were not discovered. In 1950’s, Saudi Arabia’s economy improved because of its proper utilization of oil. Saudi Arabia is the largest country occupying the Arabian Peninsula, with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. Saudi Arabia is surrounded by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman and Yemen. The Kingdom is often termed as â€Å"The Land of the Two Holy Mosques† in reference to the two holy cities, Mecca and Medina. The foundation of The Kingdom was established by Abdul Aziz bin Saud in 1902, when he was successful in taking control of his ancestral home, the city of Riyadh. In 1932, The Kingdom was declared and recognized as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The present form of government in Saudi Arabia is Monarchy with Council of Ministers and Consultative Council (Adams, 2003). The estimated population of Saudi Arabia is 27. 6 million. Its size is about 2,150,000 square km. The religion followed in Saudi Arabia is Islam, which is also its birth place. The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic, which is used by most of the population. English is the second language which is used in government, trade sector, the media, and among non Arab emigrants. The social atmosphere in Saudi Arabia is extremely conservative. The country holds firm establishment of the meaning and significance of Islamic religious law. Cultural arrangement must correspond to assiduously clear principles and values of ethics. Men and women are not allowed to be present at community organized functions together and are separated in working organizations and firms. The majority Saudis are native Arab. Some are of assorted ethnic origin and are descendants of Turks, Iranians, Indonesians, Indians, Africans, and others. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indonesians emigrants are also residing in Saudi Arabia. Natural Resources of Saudi Arabia The natural resources of Saudi Arabia mainly comprise of petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper, zinc. Other mineral resources include Phosphate High-grade silica sand, feldspar and nepheline syenite, kaolin, basalt and scoria, gypsum and anhydrite, quartz, limestone and dolomite, marble, decorative limestone, granite, gabbro and others (Arjomand, 2003). Saudi Arabia’s Relation with United States of America Saudi Arabia’s exceptional and distinctive position in the Arab and Islamic world, its assets of the world’s biggest oil resources and its location make its alliance significant to the United States. In 1933, ambassadorial relations were instituted between the two countries and also Standard Oil of California was signed. The U. S. embassy was initiated in Jeddah in 1944. In 1984, the embassy repositioned to Riyadh. The former embassy in Jeddah was converted into U. S. consulate. The United States and Saudi Arabia share mutual interests on issues of regional defense and safety, oil trade and sustainable expansion and progress. Close discussions and conference between U. S. and Saudi Arabia have been increased on global, economic and advancement concerns such as Middle East issues and communal welfare and benefits in the Middle East. The constant accessibility to resources of oil from Saudi Arabia continues to be imperative to the affluence of the United States. Saudi Arabia is the primary leader in field of oil trade for the United States, supplying more than one million barrels of oil per day. The U. S. is Saudi Arabia’s chief dealing collaborator and Saudi Arabia is the main U. S. export promoter in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and U. S. also maintain longstanding security associations. However, the first difference of opinion between the two countries occurred when U. S. ecognized Israel as a separate sovereign independent state in 1948. The Saudi government refused to recognize the country of Israel. In 1953, a U. S. military training mission was founded in Dhahran. The aim of this group was to offer training and encouragement in the usage of weapons and other safety measure assistance to the Saudi military. Many military aircrafts, air defense weapons, armored vehicles, etc have been sold to Saudi A rabia’s military by the United States. The Saudi’s authority showed concern in Israel-US relations that became cordial in 1970s and 1980s when U. S. sold military arms and weapons to Israel but didn’t sell arms to Saudi Arabia. The reason why U. S. stopped its supply of arms to Saudi Arabia on basis that Saudi Arabia will use them against Israel. These divergent interests had an unfavorable affect on US-Saudi relations, indicating that United States had no concern to protect Saudi Arabia. However in 1990, the Iraq conflict made Saudi Arabia guaranteed them of their significance and worth to the United States of America. Saddam Hussein had attacked Kuwait. Saddam Hussein also had the intentions to attack Saudi Arabia. Because of this, United States of America was promised proliferation of oil control (Ayoob, 1999). United States of America sent out more than 400,000 troops to the area to prevent aggression and hostility by Hussein and drove him back to Iraq. The United States mission was an instant success, due to support of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was used as an initiation pad for both land and air troops to be sent into Iraq. The military arms and weapons were sold to Saudi Arabia were used during the operation. Distinctively, the four high tech advanced AWACS aircrafts loaned by Jimmy Carter to Saudi Arabia. After the end of the operation, the Saudi government intended to buy 20 million dollar worth U. S. military equipment but the request was denied. This denial of request resulted in resentment about being treated unequal ally. According to Thomas L. Friedman editorial column of August 12, 1990, the U. S intentions of providing protection to Saudi Arabia was not because of their cordial relations but because of economic benefits. The United States did not send the troops to the Saudi to defend and maintain autonomous egalitarian principles. The form of government in Saudi Arabia is monarchy which is a feudal regime. The American policy is not to make a better and safe place for feudalism. The main ambition of U. S is to secure its economy which is harbored by the Saudi’s oil reserve. Saudi Arabia and United States relations tensed after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in which total of 15 suicide bombers had Saudi nationality. Saudi Arabia condemned the 11th September attack by calling it an action against humanity. However, when U. S. waged war against Iraq the United States had to vacate its army stationed in Saudi Arabia in August 2003 (Bloomfield, 2004). . The Current State of Saudi Arabia The current form of government in Saudi Arabia is monarchy with Council of Ministers and Consultative Council. Sharia, the holy law of Islam, is the basis of all the legislative and officially authorized system, which is inferred according to the firm Hanbali rite by the educated and scholarly religious elders. Saudi Arabia is defined as an independent Arab, Islamic state whose foundation is the Quran and Sunna of the Holy Prophet. The standard of the administration are affirmed to be righteousness, fair, dealing, parity fairness, equal opportunity and consultation in accordance with the Sharia. The responsibility and obligation of the government is to shield Islam, human rights and offer public services and protection to all citizens in accordance to the Sharia. The leader is in command of the government and religious administrator of Saudi Arabia is the King. Saudi Arabia has no independent legislature and no political groups. The Consultative Council has no legislative rights but it has the authority to assemble and call ministers for inquiry and to submit proposal and advice to the king (Bosworth, 2004). Saudi’s Support for Palestine The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a staunch supporter of Palestine since the era of King Abdul Aziz Saud. This permanent long term support was first acknowledged in 1935, at the conference on the Palestinian issue. The Saudi government has assisted the Palestine in all its different stages because the Kingdom firmly considers that these supporting efforts are part of Islamic duty and obligation. The Saudi government has played a principal and idiosyncratic role in supporting the Palestine issue and strengthening the Palestinians to achieve their objective and ambition to found an independent sovereign Islamic state. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accepted all declarations of global organizations with regard to the issue of Palestine. It involved in various conferences on this issue since Madrid conference. It exerts maximum in getting in touch with the West, welcoming nations and the U. S. government to force and compel Israel for considering international declarations that call for complete Israeli removal from all the occupied Arab regions. The Saudi government has assisted Palestinian issues at financially levels as well. The Kingdom presented financial assistance to the Palestinians in the Al Khartoum Arab summit in 1967. At various summits, the Saudi government has offered financial assistance to Palestinians. Additionally, the Kingdom organized Saudi Development Fund for a Palestinian Development Program that looks after the health, education and housing divisions in the Palestinian territories. The Saudi financial assistance to the Palestinians is the major share between all other Arab contributors. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemned the cultural and ethnic segregation wall that Israel is building on Palestinian regions. The Kingdom protested to the International Court of Justice in Hague. The Court in Hague called upon Israel to discard this illegal wall. The UN General Assembly also passed a declaration in this regard calling upon Israel to remove the illegal war. Saudi Israel Relations Saudi Arabia’s relations with Israel are not cordial. When Israel emerged as a separate independent state in 1948, the Saudi government refused to acknowledge it. A licensed affiliate of the Arab League, Saudi Arabia fully supports the idea that Israel must vacate from Arab regions which were occupied forcefully in June 1967. Saudi Arabia with authorization supports the peaceful resolution of the Arab Israeli clash but does not accept the Camp David Accord, stating that it will violate Palestinians rights. Saudi Arabia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and is active in economic embargo of Israel (Brent, 2006). Saudi’s Role in Terrorism Saudi Arabia is plays significant role in the movement of against terrorism, proving assistance in armed forces, ambassadorial and economical grounds. Saudi Arabia also discontinued acknowledging Taliban in mid November 2001. The Bush government eulogize Saudi encouragement and backing for the campaign on terrorism. The Saudis have cracked down hard on local Islamic extremist groups which were responsible for a series of terrorist bombings in 2005 and 2006. The government also announced amnesty for terrorists who surrendered their arms. Many of these former terrorists were sent to Islamic schools in which their Islamic extremist ideology was moderated. Many Islamic scholars of Saudi religious seminaries have openly condemned the use of terrorism as being against the principles of Islam. However despite extensive efforts to crack down on domestic terrorist groups, Saudi Arabia has been known to provide arms, training and support to Palestinian and other radical Islamic groups. The country has cracked down hard on local Islamic fundamentalists who have endangered the royal family but Saudi Arabia also has been accused of funding groups in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Iraq. Saudi Arabia was a key supporter of the Taliban before the US invasion of Afghanistan (Brown, 1999). It has provided financial assistance to Hamas, a violent Islamic radical group responsible for numerous acts of terrorism inside Israel. Saudi Arabia Tour of the World Paper: Saudi Arabia This profile on Saudi Arabia is intended to provide important information on a number of relative subjects that will help you consider establishing a business or considering investing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula and occupies about 2, 149,690 square kilometers. It is the 13th largest country compared to the world and is slightly more than one-fifth the size of the United States.It is bounded to the west by the Red Sea, to the north by Iraq, Jordon, and Kuwait, to the east by the Arabian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, and to the south by Omen and Yemen. Most of the country is desert, so its climate is harsh, dry and with great temperature extremes. Its capital is Riyadh and has 13th other provinces, which are presided over by governors. Based on the World Fact book, the Kingdom has a population of 26,534,504 people and that includes 5,576,076 expatr iates. Saudi Arabia is a stable Monarchy.The head of state is King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, whose official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He was preceded to the throne after the death of King Fahad in 2005. The King, who is the Prime Minister and a council of Ministers form the executive and legislative branches of the government. They are responsible for the policies and guiding the development of Saudi. The council of Ministers is supported by the â€Å"Shura,† which is 150 distinguished men as the members that are appointed by the King.The Kingdom’s legal system and laws are based on â€Å"sharia† Islamic principles. The laws and regulations applicable to all businesses are propagated by the Royal Decrees (online. â€Å"Middle East: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). Saudi Arabia has grown to be amongst the wealthiest nations of the world since the discovery of oil. The kingdom has the largest oil reserves in the world outside the United States and the Soviet Union. It possesses about one-fifth of the worlds petroleum reserves, is the largest exporter of petroleum and the petroleum sector accounts for about 80% of the Kingdoms udget revenues, 45% of the GDP and 90% of the export profits. Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization in 2005, and is optimistic about the private sector growing to help it expand its economy (online. â€Å"2012 Index of Economic Freedom. â€Å"). Saudi Arabia purchasing power parity GDP is about $676. 7 billion in 2011 and it is 24th in the world. The official exchange rate GDP is $560. 3 billion. The real growth rate GDP is 6. 5% and GDP per capita is $24,000. The GDP compositions by sector are 2. 1% for agriculture, 67. 6% for industry and 30. 4% in services in 2011(online. Middle East: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). Even though Saudi Arabia’s economy is trying to diversity, it is almost dependent on the products produced from oil. Saudi Arabia is one of the founding member’s of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (online. â€Å"2012 Index of Economic Freedom. â€Å"). The Kingdom’s exports make up 30% of the organization yearly total exports. The diversification efforts are focusing on telecommunications and petrochemical sectors. In the oil and service sectors 6 million foreign workers play important roles in the economy of the Kingdom.But Saudi’s own people are unemployed. The officials are working hard to reduce unemployment by increasing spending on education and job training. The government is also establishing six â€Å" economic cities† in different regions of the country to promote foreign investment and plans to spend $373 billion between 2010-2014 on infrastructure projects and social development to move forward Saudi Arabia’s economic expansion (online. â€Å"Middle East: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). With the agriculture sector contributing 2. 1% to the country’s GDP, there are not a lot of product s.Saudi’s products consists of wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus, chickens, eggs and milk. The 67% GDP of the industries are from crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrials gases, cement and construction. The industrial production rate in 7. 7% in 2011 (online. â€Å"Middle East: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). Saudi Arabia’s exports contribute to 350. 7 billion to the economy during 2011. 90% of the commodities are petroleum and petroleum products. The Kingdom’s main export countries are Japan at 14. 3%, China at 13. %, United States at 13%, South Korea at 8. 8%, India at 8. 3% and Singapore at 4. 5% since the 2010 census. Saudi’s import system spends $106. 5 billion since 2011. The main import commodities are machinery and equipment, foodstuff, chemicals, motor vehicles, and textiles. Their import partners are United States at 12. 4%, China at 11. 1%, Germany at 7. 1%, Japan at 6. 9%, France at 6. 1%, Indi a at 4. 7% and South Korea at 42% since 2010 census (online. â€Å"Middle East: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). The United States is the Kingdom’s largest trading partner and is the number 1 source of FDI.Saudi Arabia is among the top 20 recipients of the FDI in the world and is the 15th largest trading partners with the United States Saudi Arabia has a stable and profitable banking system and it is regulated by the Saudi Arabia Monetary Fund (SAMA). The banks follow Islamic law, by keeping out interest payments. No bank has ever failed in the Kingdom. The banking industry is the safest in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia received a Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment rating of 2 in 2011. The banking sector is composed of 13 Saudi owned banks and 8 foreign banks.The National Commercial Banks is the country’s largest bank, which is controlled by the government and follows Islamic laws. As well as commercial banks, there are 5 government credit establishments to help the priv ate and corporate financing requirements. The currency is Riyals, so 1 U. S. dollar equals 3. 75 Riyals. The Saudi stock exchange is the largest in the Arab world (online. â€Å"Country Profile: Saudi Arabia. â€Å"). In Saudi Arabia, Arabic is the official language but English is spoken in business settings and schools. The religion is 100% Muslim.Islam is practiced by all Saudis and controls their political, legal, economic, and person lives. The Quan and the action of the Prophet are used as basic principles for Muslims. Muslims pray at least 5 times a day, at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. The holy day for Muslims is Friday and everything is closed and most business have Thursday off also making the weekend Thursday and Friday. During Muslim holy month Ramaden, all Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and are only allowed to work 6 hours a day. Expatriates are not required to fast but they must eat, drink, chew gum or smoke in public.Family and or tribe are the most impo rtant and the basis of their social life. Saudis take their responsibilities and pride in their family seriously. Families tend to be large and extended family is close. Businessmen tend to hire family and friends because trust is the greatest importance. The Kingdom’s etiquette is quite unique. Men shake hands when greeting one another but they will shake and kiss a close friend when meeting. Men and women do not greet each other public. When Saudis meet they take their time and talk about general things. Gift giving is not the norm just like in other countries.If you are invited to a Saudis house bring something small to say thank you, flowers are only given from a women her hostess. Never bring alcohol unless you are positive they partake and gifts are never opened when received. Take off your shoes, arrive on time and accept Arabian coffee even if you don’t drink coffee. If the meal is on the floor, sit cross-legged or on one knee, eat only with your right hand sin ce the left is considered unclean, try a little bit of everything served and meals are served family style. Saudis socialize in restaurants and hotels when meeting foreigners they do not know well.Generally entertainment is separate for men and women if both sexes are included. Always greet the elder first to show respect, dress conservatively and arrive on time (online. â€Å"Saudi Arabia†). Saudi Arabia’s economic freedom score is 62. 5, making it 74th freest in the 2012 index. Forming a business has become less time consuming, and the licensing necessities have become simpler. With no minimum capital required, starting a business takes only three procedures and five days. There is no government minimum wage, but wage increases have improved the production (online. â€Å"2012 Index of Economic Freedom. ). The 1st step in starting a business in Saudi Arabia is to find a Saudi sponsor to enter the country. The sponsor acts as the middleman and arranges appointments wi th the right individuals in the business world. Saudis prefer to work with people they know and trust and will spend a lot of time getting to know you. Most Saudis will judge you on your appearance so dress and present yourself well. Most Saudis wear long white thobes. You will be expected to wear a suite. Businesswomen should make certain that their collarbones and knees are covered and that their clothes are not form fitting.Make sure appointments are several weeks to one month in advance, try to schedule in the morning, arrive on time, although it is accepted to keep a foreigner waiting, and it is not uncommon to have the meeting cancelled once you have arrived. Meetings are never private until a relationship of trust is acquired. That means you will expect interruptions and make sure you do not bring the topic back to the original discussion until the new person has left. Business meetings never start with talking about business first, there will be inquires about health and fam ily.Never ask about a Saudis wife. Decisions are made slowly and do not rush the process. Saudis are great negotiators and the highest-ranking person makes the decisions (online. â€Å"Saudi Arabia†). Women rights and sponsorship are two main issues in Saudi Arabia that are seen as disadvantages with doing business in Saudi. Women are treated differently in the Kingdom compared with the United States and Europe. Saudi women and foreign women are not allowed to drive a car, sit in the front seat of the car and have to be covered from head to toe basically.They have to travel with a male at all times. The male is usually the husband, father or brother or whomever makes the important decisions on behave of the woman. There are no current women in office for the government. The most influential women today in Saudi Arabia believe that the Kingdom will never progress with the real and full participation of women. Sponsorship of foreign labor has reportedly had a few problems with the way they have been treated. The system is no longer conventional to the life in the 21st century and fails to provide foreign workers with basic human rights.Today foreign worker want a new system that integrates a comprehensive and flexible legal framework for employer and employee (online. Alnowaiser, Dr. Khalid. ). In the end doing business in Saudi Arabia has positive and negative situations. The good out shines the bad. The best businesses to get into right now would be involved with power generation, telecommunication, natural gas exploration and petrochemical sectors. As long as you see patients as a virtue and are willing to make deals, doing business in Saudi Arabia is the right place to start or branch out your company.

Gay Marriage A Subject of Controversy essays

Gay Marriage A Subject of Controversy essays The subject of gay marriage is one that has sparked much controversy in recent months. Gay activists have been arguing for some time that they have a constitutional right to have their union recognized by the letter of the law. Conservative representatives however and religious leaders oppose any legislation that would afford gay couples the right to recognition of their marriage by law. Part of this opposition stems from deep seated religious beliefs that marriage is a sacred institution and should be protected as such from the government. Some have gone as far as arguing that the purpose of marriage is to bear children, and since gay couples can't do this they shouldn't marry. This controversy is explored in Many people have vocalized their support of legalizing gay marriage. An equal number of people or more oppose gay marriage. Supporters of same sex unions argue that a ban on gay marriage violates their constitutional right to equality. There is evidence indicating that many support the right of gay couples to wed regardless of the situation. For example, recently a poll revealed that Arizonans oppose an amendment to the constitution that would ban gay marriage (Kiefer, 2004: 1). The poll observed 600 respondents, 51% of which were against having a ban on gay marriages (Kiefer, 2004: 1). The poll also revealed however that a great deal of people were still unsure of their opinion on the topic of gay marriage, and could likely be swayed one way or another. Similar polls have been conducted in many states, as the topic of gay marriage has fueled a great Those that oppose legalizing a gay union would argue that marriage is a sacred institution and therefore should be protected and regulated by the law. According to Arizona House Speaker Jake Flake, "Most of the people that I surround myself with agree with me that marriage is a sacred institution and it should be entered...

William Hazlitt on Style - Classic British Essays

William Hazlitt on Style - Classic British Essays A master of invective and irony, essayist William Hazlitt was one of the great prose stylists of the 19th century. In On Familiar Style (originally published in the London Magazine and reprinted in Table Talk, 1822), Hazlitt explains his preference for plain words and popular modes of construction. On Familiar Style (excerpts) by William Hazlitt (1778-1830) It is not easy to write a familiar style. Many people mistake a familiar for a vulgar style, and suppose that to write without affectation is to write at random. On the contrary, there is nothing that requires more precision, and, if I may so say, purity of expression, than the style I am speaking of. It utterly rejects not only all unmeaning pomp, but all low, cant phrases, and loose, unconnected, slipshod allusions. It is not to take the first word that offers, but the best word in common use; it is not to throw words together in any combinations we please, but to follow and avail ourselves of the true idiom of the language. To write a genuine familiar or truly English style, is to write as any one would speak in common conversation who had a thorough command and choice of words, or who could discourse with ease, force, and perspicuity, setting aside all pedantic and oratorical flourishes. Or, to give another illustration, to write naturally is the same thing in regard to common co nversation as to read naturally is in regard to common speech. . . It is easy to affect a pompous style, to use a word twice as big as the thing you want to express: it is not so easy to pitch upon the very word that exactly fits it. Out of eight or ten words equally common, equally intelligible, with nearly equal pretensions, it is a matter of some nicety and discrimination to pick out the very one, the preferableness of which is scarcely perceptible, but decisive. . . . The proper force of words lies not in the words themselves, but in their application. A word may be a fine-sounding word, of an unusual length, and very imposing from its learning and novelty, and yet in the connection in which it is introduced may be quite pointless and irrelevant. It is not pomp or pretension, but the adaptation of the expression to the idea, that clinches a writers meaning:as it is not the size or glossiness of the materials, but their being fitted each to its place, that gives strength to the arch; or as the pegs and nails are as necessary to the support of the building as the larger timber, and more so than the mere showy, unsubstantial ornaments. I hate anything that occupies more space than it is worth. I hate to see a load of band-boxes go along the street, and I hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them. A person who does not deliberately dispose of all his thoughts alike in cumbrous draperies and flimsy disguises, may strike out twenty vari eties of familiar every-day language, each coming somewhat nearer to the feeling he wants to convey, and at last not hit upon that particular and only one which may be said to be identical with the exact impression in his mind. . . . It is as easy to write a gaudy style without ideas, as it is to spread a pallet of showy colours, or to smear in a flaunting transparency. What do you read,Words, words, words.What is the matter?Nothing, it might be answered. The florid style is the reverse of the familiar. The last is employed as an unvarnished medium to convey ideas; the first is resorted to as a spangled veil to conceal the want of them. When there is nothing to be set down but words, it costs little to have them fine. Look through the dictionary and cull out a florilegium, rival the tulippomania. Rouge high enough, and never mind the natural complexion. The vulgar, who are not in the secret, will admire the look of preternatural health and vigour; and the fashionable, who regard only appearances, will be delighted with the imposition. Keep to your sounding generalities, your tinkling phrases, and all will be well. Swell out an unmeaning truism to a perfect tympany of style. A thought, a distinction is the rock on which all this brittle cargo of verbiage splits at once. Such writers have merely verbal imaginations, that retain nothing but words. Or their puny thoughts have dragon-wings, all green and gold. They soar far above the vulgar failing of the Sermo humi obrepenstheir most ordinary speech is never short of an hyperbole, splendid, imposing, vague, incomprehensible, magniloquent, a cento of sounding common-places. If some of us, whose ambition is more lowly, pry a little too narrowly into nooks and corners to pick up a number of unconsidered trifles, they never once direct their eyes or lift their hands to seize on any but the most gorgeous, tarnished, thread-bare, patchwork set of phrases, the left-off finery of poetic extravagance, transmitted down through successive generations of barren pretenders . . .. (1822) The full text of On Familiar Style appears in Selected Writings, by William Hazlitt (Oxford University Press, 1999). Also by William Hazlitt: On the Feeling of Immortality in YouthOn Going a Journey

Architecture year 2 essay. Management, practice and law Essay

Architecture year 2 . Management, practice and law - Essay Example All the above features will be explained under â€Å"architecture and me†. Additionally, one’s position on sustainability and the potential value of one’s practice will be presented under â€Å"architecture and the world†. The second section of the paper will investigate the proposition for a building. The unrealised, virtual subject will be critically analysed on the basis of energy consumption, pollution, and density issues, in order to assess the quality of the proposition. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine the kind of architect one wants to become, including appraising the principles of business management and law one would adopt to underscore one’s professional practice. Further, one’s position that would characterize future work with respect to sustainable architectural design will be explained. Secondly, Nakheel Tower, an unbuilt sky-scraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates will be critically analysed in relation to urban density, environmental pollution One of the prime objectives in project delivery is sustainable construction which â€Å"minimizes impacts on the environment, generates minimal waste during the construction process and produces energy efficient, low maintenance buildings† (Elmualim, Czwakiel, Valle, Ludlow & Shah 2009: 94) with an emphasis on ecology and green designing of buildings. A complex and diverse concept encompassing a wide range of disciplines, sustainable development is defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Garland, Hadfield, Howarth and Middleton 2009: 1144). Due to a fragmentation of interests in the building processes, ambiguity regarding the definition of sustainable buildings and absence of easily recognizable business cases, there can be difficulty faced in creating sustainable buildings. For these reasons, the United Kingdom government has formulated relevant policies for