Minoan Civilization Overview

The island of Crete, which lies in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, has been heavily contested by differing civilizations over the past three-thousand years. But before first conquests for the island began, a civilization developed on the island to such an advanced degree that it would become Greek legend. These first civilized inhabitants of Crete have become known as the Minoans, named after King Minis. In the two-thousand years of the Minoan people, they rose from simple farmers to a great civilization that came to a tragic end. The island of Crete provides a unique environment that is well suited for unman civilization.Its location in the Mediterranean provides its inhabitants with a central location for trade and military operations between Greece, tally, Egypt, and the Middle East. The sea itself is rich in resources, the lands of the Cretan plains are fertile, and the southern coastal areas, with their massive cliffs, provided a natural barrier against invasion. The island 's climate is very mild, much like the coastal areas that surround the Mediterranean. Although the island has no major rivers and experiences long periods of dry weather, springs are overly abundant.These springs, which have decreased in umber, were a reliable source of fresh water for inhabitants of Crete. Another major advantage of living on the island was the large forests that used to cover the landscape. The first people of Crete came to the island during Neolithic times. These settlers may have brought crops and domesticated animals with them to Crete. It is unknown where these settlers originated from but archeological evidence suggests areas near Turkey or Syria. The first inhabitants spread quickly across the island, living in natural caves carved from the limestone rock that made up the island or in villages atop small hills.These Neolithic inhabitants developed many of the tools that other people living near the Mediterranean used, such as stone axes, obsidian and cheer b lades, sickles, bows and arrows, and stone maces. They also developed techniques for weaving wool into cloth using looms. As the Neolithic people of Crete began to move into villages on the plains and coastal areas by the middle Neolithic era, caves took on the role of burial sites for everyone from village leaders, to children, to the common resident.As the Neolithic age came to a close and the Bronze Age began, Crete experienced a period of turmoil that seems to indicate an invasion that triggered technological and cultural developments, such as bronze working, advancements in pottery and tombs. Evidence from Greek myths suggests that these invaders were refugees from lands in the north of the rising Egyptian Empire. It is possible that King Manner, the man who united Egypt, is the reason these people fled north into the sea. The period following invasion is thought of as the beginning of the Minoan Age, around BBC.During this period, the Minoan people began to form large cities w hich typically acted as independent city-states. Competition and inflict between these cities is not heavily evidenced, but it is known that during this Early Minoan age many immigrants from the mainland areas surrounding the Mediterranean came to Crete to seek refuge, much like the original invaders. This period lasted until approximately 2200 BC, after which the culture of the people of Crete shifted away from the independent nature of the city states to a more centralized society with power collecting in a few major cities that were spread across the island.During the Middle Minoan Age, kingdoms began to develop and the first Minoan palaces were constructed in cities such as Knossos and Patios. Minoans began to develop colonies on nearby islands, some of which are well recorded in Greek legends. These colonies may be a sign of over-population on the island of Crete, which was a consequence of the Minoan civilization's rapid decent down the slippery slope of farming.It is through these colonies that the Minoan culture would begin to show signs of influence as far away as mainland Greece and possibly Egypt In the later portions of the Middle Minoan Age, the Minoan civilization began to reach its peak. It is also at this point in time that seismic activity on and near Crete begins to show its tangentially dangerous nature to the Minoans. Several times during the Middle Minoan Age, palaces Were destroyed by the earthquakes or fire that may have been caused by earthquakes. It was around this period of destruction in BBC that the Greek's began to settle on Crete, but their presence was minimal at best.The Minoans would recover from these natural disasters and the civilization would continue to flourish until the Late Minoan Age, which began around 1550 BC. Around BBC, the volcanic island of There, only seventy miles north of Crete, exploded immediately following a series of earthquakes. The Minoan colonies on the island were buried under thick layers of volcanic rock and tsunamis caused major damage to coastal areas on the north of Crete and caused extensive crop damage on the eastern portion of the island due to ash. The inhabitants of Crete recovered, but the kingdoms were left in a weakened state.More earthquakes would strike the island potentially changing the landscape of the coastal areas. Some Minoan coastal cities on the eastern and northern parts of Crete lie below several feet of water, and in the Western parts of the island the coastal landscape actually appears to be much higher than it was in early Minoan times. The earthquakes may have also disrupted the supply of fresh water to Minoan cities. Wells, springs, and underground clay pipes all suffered damage due to the severe seismic activity. Knossos would grow to become the only major power on the island while other cities fell into decline.By BBC, the great city of Knossos, the last Minoan seat of power, was ravaged by war and conquered by the Greeks, ending the Minoan civiliz ation. During the nearly 2000 years of the Minoan civilization, their culture grew to influence other people in Greece, Egypt, and the Near East. There are several aspects of this culture and the most influential and historically important Of these are Minoan religion, architecture, gender's role in society, and crafts. The Minoan government was theocratic, with both the king and queen having prominent parts in religious and political affairs.The gods of the Minoan people, the most important of which were solar gods, would only communicate their will through the royal couple, who acted as the high priests and carried out religious ceremonies and political events. The kings and queens were also rated as divine beings following their deaths since they were considered to be the adopted children of the gods. It was also common for commoner and lower priests to experience a euphoric event by coming into contact with a sacred object such as a tree or a rock.Through these euphoric experien ces, they would simply see the face of their gods or see messages that were delivered in natural form by animals or plants. The architecture of early Minoan cities consisted of simple earth, mud bricks, stone, clay, and wooden buildings, with religious, political, or elite building being of generally higher laity. The home of a commoner was usually a small, rectangular room with a fire-pit in the center and a raised stone platform for sleeping in a corner. As time passed, these homes became larger and some had multiple rooms that could have acted as storage or private quarters.As for royal palaces, they Were typically constructed from stone and wood with the quality of workmanship varying from site to site. Whenever a palace was destroyed (typically by natural disaster) the new palace would be built directly atop the ruins of the destroyed structure. Dcord inside these complexes included culture of religious icons, murals, frescoes, and furniture that was designed to show the divine nature of royalty. These palaces also served as temples for the gods, which is evidenced by the close association between the king and queen and their patron gods.Almost all building would be covered in a limestone-based plaster and some would then be painted with a red compound. An aspect of Minoan culture that breaks the norm for other civilizations at the time is the importance of women in society. In almost all of the Minoan art work recovered from the ruins, women are shown in important political and religious roles. Many other cultures from this time period simply depict women as being responsible for raising children. This difference in views can probably be attributed to the significance of the female solar gods in Minoan society.It is also thought that the common Minoan woman shared equal social status as her male counterparts, which was quite different from other Mediterranean cultures, who placed most social importance on the men. When the Greeks wrote of the ancient civ ilization of Atlantis falling below the sea after a devastating earthquake, it is entirely possible that they were actually talking about the Minoans. The genealogy, complex social structure, and wondrous cities that the Minoans developed could easily be the source of inspiration for the tale of Atlantis, which was written 600 years after the collapse of the Minoan civilization on Crete.

Lawrence Joy Panged Jinn Jinn Shank Hannah Amanda

What are the various types of mallard? How do worms differ from viruses? D o Trojan horses carry viruses or worms? The various types of mallard are viruses, worms, Trojan horses, polymorphic threats, virus and worm hoaxes, back door or trap door, dentifrice's and distributed dentifrice's, and mail bomb. B. A virus must be executed such as opening an infected email attachment while a worm can be initiated with or without the user downloading or executing the e file. C. A Trojan horse carries neither a virus or worm. 2. Why does polymorphism cause greater concern than traditional mallard?Ho w does it affect detection? A polymorphic virus is a complicated computer virus that affects data types and functions. It is a selflessness virus designed to avoid detection by a scan near. Upon infection, the polymorphic virus duplicates itself by creating usable, alb tit slightly modified, copies of itself. Polymorphism, in computing terms, means that a single definition can be use d with varying amounts of data. In order for scanners to detect this type of virus fourscore programs must be written to combat and detect the polymorphic iris with novel variant configurations. Polymorphic virus might have a virus decryption n routine (AVID) and an encrypted virus program body (EVE). When an infected applicant launches, the AVID decrypts the encrypted virus body back to its original form so the virus can perform its intended function. Once executed, the virus is reentry De and added to another vulnerable host application. Because the virus body is not al tired, it provides a kind of complex signature that can be detected by sophisticated an diverts programs. 3. What is the most common violation of intellectual property? How does an org nation protect against it? What agencies fight it?The most common violation of intellectual property is theft, which is illegal taking of another's property. The value of information suffers when it is copies d and taken away without the owner's kn owledge. Within an organization, that prop retry can be physical, electronic, or intellectual. Physical theft is controlled relatively ease Electronic theft is a more complex problem; the evidence of crime is not read apparent. Physical theft can be controlled quite easily. A wide variety of mess urges can be used from simple locked doors to trained security personnel and the install action of alarm systems.Electronic theft, however, is a more complex problem to man GE and control. Organizations may not even know it has occurred. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPE), an organ of the United Nations, suggests laws t enforce Intellectual property rights worldwide. The convention of this organize action establishing on July 14, 1967 focuses on protecting the right of intellectual pro Perry. 4. How is technological obsolescence a threat to information security?

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31

29 Safe in the Hands of Medicine â€Å"How are you feeling today?† Sebastian Curtis pulled the sheet down to Tuck's knees and lifted the pilot's hospital gown. Tucker flinched when the doctor touched the catheter. â€Å"Better,† Tuck said. â€Å"That thing is itching, though.† â€Å"It's healing.† The doctor palpated the lymph nodes in Tucker's crotch. His hands were cold and Tuck shivered at the touch. â€Å"The infection is subsiding. This happened to you in the plane crash?† â€Å"I fell back on some levers while I was trying to get a passenger out of the plane.† â€Å"The hooker?† The doctor didn't look up from his work. Tuck wanted to throw the sheets over his head and hide. Instead, he said, â€Å"I don't suppose it would make a difference if I said I didn't know she was a hooker.† Sebastian Curtis looked up and smiled; his eyes were light gray flecked with orange. With his gray hair and tropical tan, he could have been a re-tired general, Rommel maybe. â€Å"I'm not really concerned with what the woman was doing there. What does concern me is that you had been drinking. We can't have that here, Mr. Case. You may have to fly on a moment's notice, so you won't be able to drink or indulge in any other chemical diversions. I assume that won't pose a problem.† â€Å"No. None,† Tuck said, but he felt like he'd been hit with a bag of sand. He'd been craving a drink since he'd regained consciousness. â€Å"By the way, Doc, since we're going to be doing business together, maybe you should call me Tucker.† â€Å"Tucker it is,† Curtis said. â€Å"And you can call me Dr. Curtis.† He smiled again. â€Å"Swell. And your wife's name is?† â€Å"Mrs. Curtis.† â€Å"Of course.† The doctor finished his examination and pulled the sheet back up to Tuck's waist. â€Å"You should be on your feet in a few days. We'll move you to your bungalow this afternoon. I think you'll find everything you need there, but if you do need anything, please let us know.† A gin and tonic, Tuck thought. â€Å"I'd like to find out what happened to the guy who was piloting my boat.† â€Å"As I told you, the islanders found you and a few pieces of your boat.† There was a finality in his voice that made it clear that he didn't want to talk about Kimi or the boat. Tuck pressed on. Respect for authority had never been his long suit. â€Å"I guess I'll ask around when I get out of here. Maybe he washed up on a different part of the island. I remember being hung in a tree with him by an old cannibal.† Tuck saw a frown cross the doctor's face like a fleeting shadow, then the professional smile was back. â€Å"Mr. Case, there haven't been any cannibals in these islands for a hundred years. Besides, I will have to ask you to stay inside the compound while you are here. You'll have access to beaches and there's plenty of room to roam, but you won't be having any contact with the islanders.† â€Å"Why, I mean if they saved me?† â€Å"The Shark People have a very closed society. We try not to intrude on that any more than is necessary for us to do our work.† â€Å"The Shark People? Why the Shark People?† â€Å"I'll explain it all to you when you are feeling better. Right now you need to rest.† The doctor took a syringe from a metal drawer by the wall and filled it from a vial of clear fluid, then injected it into Tuck's IV. â€Å"When do you think you'll be ready to fly?† Tuck felt as if a veil of gauze had been thrown over his mind. Everything in the room went soft and fuzzy. â€Å"Not real soon if you keep giving me that stuff. Wow, what was that? Hey, you're a doctor. Do you think we taste like Spam?† He was going to ask another question, but somehow it didn't seem to matter anymore. The Sorcerer stormed into the Sky Priestess's bungalow, stripped off his lab coat, and threw it into the corner. He went to the open kitchen, ripped open the freezer, pulled out a frosty fifth of Absolut, and poured a triple shot into a water glass that froze and steamed like dry ice in the humidity. â€Å"Malink lied,† he said. Then he tossed back half the glass and grabbed his temples when the cold hit his brain. The Sky Priestess looked up from her magazine. â€Å"A little stressed, darling?† She was lying out on the lanai, naked except for a wide-brimmed straw hat, her white skin shining in the sun like pearl. The Sorcerer joined her and fell onto a chaise lounge, a hand still clamped on his temples. â€Å"Case says there was another man with him on the island. He said an old cannibal hung them in a tree.† â€Å"I heard him,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"He's delirious?† â€Å"I don't think so. I think Malink lied. That they found the boat pilot and didn't tell us.† She moved next to him on the chaise lounge and pried the glass of vodka out of his hand. â€Å"So send the ninjas on a search mission. You're paying them. They might as well do something.† â€Å"That's not an option and you know it.† â€Å"Well, then go yourself. Or call Malink on it. Tell him that you know there was another man and you want him brought here chop-chop.† â€Å"I think we're losing them, Beth. Malink wouldn't have dared lie to me a month ago. It's that dream. He dreams that Vincent is sending them a pilot, then you tell him it's not true, then a pilot washes up on the reef.† The Sky Priestess drained the glass of vodka and handed it back to him empty. â€Å"Yeah, nothing fucks up a good religion like the intervention of a real god.† â€Å"I wish you wouldn't talk that way.† â€Å"So what are you going to do, after you get a refill, I mean?† The Sorcerer looked up at her as if noticing her for the first time. â€Å"Beth, what are you doing out here? The Priestess of the Sky does not have a tan.† She reached under the chaise lounge and came up with a plastic bottle of lotion. â€Å"SPF 90. Relax, ‘Bastian, this stuff would keep me creamy white in a nuclear flare. You want to rub some on me?† She pushed her hat back on her head so he could see the predator seriousness in her eyes. â€Å"Beth, please. I'm on the cusp of a crisis here.† â€Å"It's not a crisis. It's obvious why the Shark People are getting restless.† â€Å"It is?† â€Å"No one has been chosen in over two months, ‘Bastian.† He shook his head. â€Å"Case isn't ready to fly.† â€Å"Well, get him ready.† 30 Fashion Statements Kimi sat under a coconut palm outside of the bachelors' house sulking. His flowered dress was gone and he wore a blue thu, the long saronglike loin-cloth worn by the Shark men. Gone too was his blond wig, his high heels, and his best friend, Roberto, who he had not seen since the cannibal tree. Now it looked as if he had no place to sleep. Sepie had thrown him out. Sepie came out of the bachelors' house wearing Kimi's floral dress and glared at him. She paused on the coral pathway. â€Å"I am not a monkey,† she said. Then she picked up a stone from the path and hurled it at him, barely missing his head. Kimi scuffled to the leeward side of the tree and peeked around. â€Å"I didn't say you were a monkey. I said that if you didn't shave your legs, you would soon look like a monkey.† A rock whizzed by his face so close he could feel the wind of it. She was getting more accurate with each throw. â€Å"You know nothing,† she said. â€Å"You are just a girl-man.† Kimi dug a stone from the sand at his feet and hurled it at her, but his heart wasn't in it and it missed her by five feet. In English he said, â€Å"You just a poxy oar with a big mouth.† He hoped this verbal missile hit closer to home. They were the last words of Malcolme, Kimi's pimp back in Ma-nila. In retrospect, Malcolme's mistake had been one of memory. He had forgotten that the overly made-up little girl standing in front of him with a machete was, in fact, a wiry young man with the anger of hundreds of beatings burning in his memory. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Kimi said to Malcolme, whose look of surprise remained fixed even as his head rolled into the corner of the hotel room, where a rat darted out and gently licked his shortened neck. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Sepie said in English, punctuating her statement with a thrown lump of coral. â€Å"I know,† Kimi said. â€Å"I'm sorry I say that.† He skulked off down the beach. Sepie stood outside the bachelors' house watching him, totally disarmed. No man had ever apologized to her before. Kimi hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Sometimes it takes a thick skin to trade beauty tips with a girlfriend. Sepie was naturally pretty, but she didn't understand fashion. Why bother to put on a pretty dress if you're going to have monkey legs and tufts of hair hanging out from under your arms making it look like bats hanging there? Bats. Kimi missed Roberto. The Shark men wouldn't talk to him, the women ignored him, except for Sepie, who was angry at him now, and even Tucker had been taken away to the other side of the island. Kimi was lonely. And as he walked down the beach, past the children playing with a trained frigate bird, past the men lounging in the shade of an empty boathouse, his loneliness turned to anger. He turned up the beach and took a path into the village to look for a weapon. It was time to go see the old cannibal. Outside each of the houses, near the cook sheds, stood an iron spike – a pick head that was driven into the ground and used to husk coconuts. Kimi stopped at one house and yanked on the spike, but it wouldn't budge. He moved between the houses, vacant now in the early morning, the women working in the taro field, the men lounging in various patches of shade. He peeked into a cook shed, and there, by the pot that held the crust of this morning's rice, he found a long chef's knife. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then bolted into the shed and snatched the knife, fitting it into his thu so that only the handle protruded at the small of his back. Ten minutes later he was hiding in a patch of giant ferns, watching the old cannibal roll coconut husk fibers into rope on his leathery old thighs. He sat with his back against a palm tree, his legs straight out in front of him, pulling the fibers that had been soaked and separated out of a basket and measuring by feel the right amount to add to the coil of cord that was building on the ground beside him. From time to time he stopped and took a drink from a jar of milky liquid that Kimi was sure was alcoholic tuba. Good, he was drunk. Kimi moved slowly around the house, staying in the undergrowth of ferns and elephant ears, careful not to kick up any of the coral gravel that rang like broken glass if you didn't place your feet carefully. Once he was behind the old man, he drew the knife from the small of his back and moved forward to kill that man who had eaten his friend. From the window of his new quarters Tucker Case watched the Japanese guards move through the compound carrying palm fronds and broken branches, detritus of the typhoon, which they piled in an open space at the side of the hangar to dry in the sun. They were dressed like a police SWAT team, in black coveralls with baseball caps and paratrooper boots, and if he squinted, they looked like giant worker ants cleaning out the nest. From time to time one of the guards would look toward his bungalow, then quickly turn away when he saw Tucker standing in the window in his pajamas. He had given up waving to them after the first hour of being ignored. He'd been in the one-room bungalow for four days now, but this was the first time he'd felt well enough to get up and move around, other than to use the bathroom, which to his surprise, had hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a shower stall made of galvanized metal. The walls were tightly woven grass between a sturdy frame of teak and mahogany logs; the floor was unfinished teak, sanded smooth and pink; and the furniture was wicker with brightly colored cushions. A ceiling fan spun languidly above a double bed that was draped with a canopy of mosquito netting. The windows looked out on the compound and hangar on one side and through a grove of palm trees to the ocean on the other. He could see sev-eral bungalows perched near the beach, a small dock, and the cinderblock hospital building, its tin roof arrayed with antennae, solar electric panels, and a massive satellite dish. Tuck backed away from the window and sat down on the wicker couch. A few minutes on his feet and he felt exhausted. He was twenty pounds lighter than when he had left Houston and there wasn't a six-inch patch of skin on his body that didn't have some kind of bandage on it. The doc had said that between the cuts on his arms, knees, and scalp, he had taken a hundred sutures. The first time he looked in the little mirror in his bathroom, he thought he was looking at a human version of the mangy feral dog he'd seen on Truk. His blue eyes lay like dull ice in sunken brown craters and his cheeks were drawn into his face like a mummified bog man's. His hair had been bleached white by the sun and stuck out in straw-dry tufts between pink patches where the doctor had shaved his scalp to stitch him up. He took small comfort in the fact that there were no women around to see him. No real women, anyway. The doctor's wife, who came several times a day to bring him food or to change his bandages, seemed robotic, like some Stepford/Barbie hybrid with the smooth sexless carriage of a mannequin and a personality pulled out of an Eisenhower-era soap commercial. She made the straight-laced cosmetic reps from his past seem like a tribe of pillbox ny mpho hose hunters. There was a tap on the door and Beth Curtis breezed in carrying a wooden serving tray with plates of pancakes and fresh fruit. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're up. Feeling better today?† She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of him and stepped back. Today she was in pleated khaki pants and a white blouse with puffed shoulders. Her hair was tied back with a big white bow at the back of her neck. She might have just walked out of a Stewart Granger safari movie. â€Å"Yes, better,† Tuck said, â€Å"But I wore myself out just walking to the window.† â€Å"Your body is still fighting off the infection. The doctor will be by soon to give you some antibiotics. For now you need to eat.† She sat on the chair across from him. Tuck cut a divot out of the stack of pancakes with a fork and speared it through a piece of papaya. After the first bite, he realized how hungry he really was and began wolfing down the pancakes. Beth Curtis smiled. â€Å"Have you had a chance to look over the manuals for the airplane?† Tuck nodded, his mouth still full. She'd left the operations manuals on his bed two days ago. He'd leafed through them enough to know that he could fly the thing. He swallowed and said, â€Å"I used to fly a Lear 25 for Mary Jean. This one is a little faster and has longer range, but basically it's the same. Shouldn't be a problem.† â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, sporting one of her plastic smiles. â€Å"When will you be able to fly?† Tucker put down his fork. â€Å"Mrs. Curtis, I don't mean to be rude, but what in the hell is going on around here?† â€Å"Regarding what, Mr. Case?† â€Å"Well, first, regarding the man I came to this island with. I was sick, but I wasn't hallucinating. We were strung up in a tree by an old native guy and cut down by a bunch of others. What happened to my friend?† She shifted in her chair, and the wicker crackled like snapping rat bones. â€Å"My husband told you what the islanders told us, Mr. Case. The natives live on the other side of the island. They have their own society, their own chief, their own laws. We try to take care of their medical needs and bring a few souls into the fold, but they are a private people. I'll ask them about your friend. If I find out anything, I'll let you know.† She stood and straightened the front of her slacks. â€Å"I'd appreciate that,† Tuck said. â€Å"I promised him I'd get him back to Yap and I owe him some money. The natives didn't find my backpack, did they? My money was in it.† She shook her head. â€Å"Just the clothes you had on. We burned them. Fortunately, you and Sebastian are about the same size. Now, if you'll ex-cuse me, Mr. Case, I have some work to do. Sebastian will be along in a bit with your medicine. I'm glad you're feeling better.† She turned and walked out the door into the blinding sunlight. Tucker stood and watched her walk across the compound. The Japanese guards stopped their work and leered at her. She spun on them and waited, her hands on her hips, until one by one they lost their courage and returned to their work, not embarrassed but afraid, as if meeting her direct gaze might turn them to frost. Tuck sat down to his half-eaten pancakes and shivered, thinking it must be the fever. A half hour later the doctor entered the bungalow. Tucker was spread out on the couch descending into a nap. They'd been doing this since they'd moved him to the bungalow, tag-teaming him, one showing up at least every hour to check on him, bring him food or medicine, change the sheets, take his temperature, help him to the bathroom, wipe his forehead. It looked like concerned care, but it felt like surveillance. Sebastian Curtis took a capped syringe from his coat pocket as he crossed the room. Tuck sighed. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You must be feeling like a pin cushion by now, Mr. Case. I need you to roll over.† Tuck rolled over and the doctor gave him the injection. â€Å"It's either this or the IV. We've got this infection on the run, but we don't want it to get a foothold again.† Tuck rubbed his bottom and sat up. Before he could say anything, the doctor stuck a digital thermometer in his mouth. â€Å"Beth tells me that you're worried about your friend, the one you say came to the island with you?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"I'll check into it, I promise you. In the meantime, if you're feeling up to it, Beth and I would like you to join us for dinner. Get to know each other a little. Let you know what's expected of you.† He pulled the thermometer out of Tuck's mouth and checked it but made no comment. â€Å"You up for dinner tonight?† â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good. We'll eat at seven. I'll have Beth bring you down some clothes. I'm sorry about the hand-me-downs, but it's the best we can do for now.† He started to leave. â€Å"Doc?† Sebastian turned. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You've been out here, what, thirty years?† The doctor stiffened. â€Å"Twenty-eight. Why?† â€Å"Well, Mrs. Curtis doesn't look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, Beth is quite a bit younger than I am. But we can talk about all that at dinner. You should probably rest now and let those antibiotics do their work. I need you healthy, Mr. Case. We have a round of golf to play.† â€Å"Golf?† â€Å"You do play, don't you?† Tuck took a second to catch up with the abrupt change of subject, then said, â€Å"You play golf here?† â€Å"I am a physician, Mr. Case. Even in the Pacific we have Wednesdays.† Then he smiled and left the bungalow. 31 Revenge: Sweet and Low in Calories Sarapul twisted the last of the fibers into his rope and drew his knife to trim the ragged end. It was a good knife, made in Germany, with a thin flexible blade that was perfect for filleting fish or cutting microthin slices from coconut stems to keep the tuba running. He'd had the knife for ten years and he kept it honed and polished on a piece of tanned pig hide. The blade flashed blue as he picked it up and he saw the face of vengeance re-flected in the metal. Without turning, he said, â€Å"The young ones are going to kill you.† Kimi stopped, his knife held ready to strike the old man in the neck. â€Å"You ate my friend.† Sarapul gripped his knife blade down so he might turn and slash at the same time. There was no quickness in his bones, though. The Filipino would kill him before he got halfway around. â€Å"Your friend is with the white Sorcerer and Vincent's bitch. Malink took him away.† â€Å"Not that one. Roberto. The bat.† â€Å"Bats are taboo. We don't eat bats on Alualu.† Kimi lowered his knife an inch. â€Å"You are not supposed to eat people either, but you do.† â€Å"Not people I know. Come over here where I can see you. I am old and my neck won't turn that far around.† Kimi walked a crescent around the tree and crouched at ready in front of the old man. Sarapul said, â€Å"You were going to kill me.† â€Å"If you ate Roberto.† â€Å"I like that. Nobody kills anybody anymore. Oh, the young ones are talking about killing you, but I think Malink will talk them out of it.† Kimi cleared his throat. â€Å"Were you going to eat me when they killed me?† â€Å"Someone brought that up at the drinking circle. I don't remember who.† â€Å"Then how do I know you did not eat Roberto?† â€Å"Look at me, little one. I am a hundred years old maybe. Sometimes I go to the beach to pee and the tides change before my water comes. How would I catch a bat?† Kimi sat down on the ground across from the old man and dropped his knife in the gravel. â€Å"Something happened to Roberto. He flew off.† â€Å"Maybe he found a girl bat,† Sarapul said. â€Å"Maybe he will come back. You want a drink?† The old cannibal offered his jar of tuba to Kimi, who leaned forward and snatched it before retreating out of knife range. Kimi took a sip and grimaced. â€Å"Why are they going to kill me?† â€Å"They say you are a girl-man and that you make Sepie forget her duties as mispel. And they don't like you. Don't worry, no one kills anyone anymore. It is just drunk talk.† Kimi hung his head. â€Å"Sepie sent me away from the bachelors' house. She is mad at me. I have nowhere to go.† Sarapul nodded in sympathy, but said nothing. He'd been exiled for so long that he'd gotten used to the alienation, but he remembered how he had felt when Malink had first banished him. â€Å"You speak our language pretty good,† Sarapul said. â€Å"My father was from Satawan. He was a great navigator. He taught me.† â€Å"You're a navigator?† In the old days the navigators stood above even the chiefs – and just below the gods. As a boy, Sarapul idolized the two navigators of Alualu. The long-dead dream of his boyhood surfaced and he remembered learning from them, watching them draw star charts in the sand and stand at the beach lecturing on tides and currents and winds. He had wanted to be a navigator, had begun the training, for in the rigid caste system of the Yapese islands it was the one way for a man to distin-guish himself. But one of the navigators had died of a fever and the other was killed in a fight before he could pass on his knowledge. The navigators and warriors were ghosts of the past. If this girl-man was a navigator, then the bachelors were piss ants to talk of killing him. Sarpul felt infused with an energy he hadn't felt in years. â€Å"I can show you something,† Sarapul said. He tried to climb to his feet and fell back into a crouch. Kimi took him by a bony arm and helped him up. â€Å"Come,† Sarapul said. The old man led Kimi down the path to the beach and stopped at the water's edge. He began to sing, his voice like dried palm leaves rattling in the wind. He waved his arms in arcs, then threw them wide to the sky so that his chest looked as if it might crack open like a rotten breadfruit. And the wind came up. He took handfuls of sand and cast them into the wind, then clapped his hands and resumed singing until the palms above them were waving in the wind. Then he stopped. â€Å"Now we wait,† he said. He pointed out to sea. â€Å"Watch there.† A column of fog rose off the ocean at the horizon and boiled black and silver into a huge thunderhead. Sarapul clapped his hands again and a lightning bolt ripped out of the cloud and across the sky like a jagged white fissure in blue glass. The thunderclap was instant, deafening, and crackled for a full ten seconds. Sarapul turned to Kimi, who was staring at the thunderhead with his mouth open. â€Å"Can you do that?† Kimi shook off his astonishment with a shiver. â€Å"No, I never learned that. My father said he could send the thunder, but I didn't see him do it.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"Ever eat a guy?† Kimi shook his head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Tastes like Spam,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I heard that.† â€Å"I can teach you to send the thunder. I don't know the stars, though.† â€Å"I know the stars,† Kimi said. â€Å"Go get your things,† Sarapul said.

Zero Tolerance and Public Shaming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Zero Tolerance and Public Shaming - Essay Example However, public shaming, especially for crimes by the powerful who are public office bearers such as Members of Parliament, can be very effective in reducing crime or any other related bad practice since they ought to be accountable to the members of the public which they will be representing. Statistics show that about 14 percent of the Australian economy is a shadow economy that involves multiple criminal offences meant to evade the payment of company tax, payroll tax as well as personal income tax and it stands to reason that zero tolerance, in this case, will condemn about 14 percent of the Australian population to the prison which would be counterproductive to the economy of the nation as a whole. At least less tough measures would be advocated in such crimes of this magnitude which aim to generate preventive measures to such kind of problems. Zero tolerance will create a population of rule following people who always fear prosecution instead of allowing them to think systematically as team players with regards to problem prevention. In cases of organized crime such as genocide, zero tolerance would only punish minnows while the big sharks can get off the hook with impunity. It can be noted that zero tolerance to crime either by the powerless or the powerful is not a very effective remedy that can totally put an end to criminal activities. To a certain extent, public naming and shaming are stigmatizing especially if it involves juveniles who are underage. By shaming these in the public, they would end up feeling alienated from their respective communities and would even behave as criminals as a result of the labeling perspective attached to them. With regards to public office holders, public but respectful naming and shaming can be effective in attempting to make these officials accountable to the people they serve. Powerful office bearers often employ the services of public relations experts to counter any negative story about their official conduct.

Work-life Balance In the Global Human Resource Management Coursework

Work-life Balance In the Global Human Resource Management - Coursework Example Employees could be ‘forced’ by the organisations to make maximal or even stressful physical and mental contributions as part of their work schedule, thereby negatively impacting the work-life balance. In certain cases, employees themselves could also push themselves with personal motives and also due to unstable work environments, disregarding their health. In the recent times, the need to maintain apt work-life balance is being strongly focused by the organisations and the employees themselves. Understanding how apt balance could not only optimize the employees’ personal side but also their work productivity, organisations are actualizing various initiatives in the work environment. Although, this introduction of various measures is widespread, when it comes to certain organisations in the non-Western or developing countries, there is a varied perspective. Due to specific cultural, economic and social factors, these differences occur. Thus, the focus of this report will be on how the changing nature of the workplace is having an effect on work-life balance in a global context, critically discussing and comparing, with two case studies, the range of work-life balance initiatives being followed in Western and non-Western countries, finally ending with recommendations. Work-life balance is a concept which refers to how employees with the support of organisations can aptly balance or prioritize their work aspects like their professional career, ambitions, financial statuses, etc., with their lifestyle style aspects like their family, friends, health, leisure, etc. Clark (2000, p. 751) defines work-life balance as â€Å"satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict.† Heathfield (2013) further expands on the above definition by stating, work-life balance has a concept â€Å"that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of their lives†, by

Army Aviation unit that was lost under Army Transformation Research Paper

Army Aviation unit that was lost under Army Transformation - Research Paper Example The U.S. Army goes as far as to state, â€Å"soldiers learn these values in detail during Basic Combat Training (BCT), from then on they live them every day in everything they do — whether they’re on the job or off† (Department of Defense, 2006). Since the formation of our country soldiers, brave men and women; have fought to protect our borders, our rights, our freedoms. There have been many changes, in the way they have fought; from horses and swords, to planes, and guns, but the operating force, the solider, and their values have remained the same. With advances in technology there has arisen a new threat to the soldier’s way of life, job security and possibly even necessity, and that is machine soldiers. Machines, acting in place of soldiers, now patrol our borders, and more recently steps have been made to make them airborne. In fact part of the 2004 Army transformation displaced an entire airborne fleet, the Comanche helicopter division, and entruste d the 6.9 million dollars that was used to fund speed up the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) development. This leaves many to question whether or not a machine can really exude the same values as a solider. After taking a deeper look at the reasons for the 2004 army transformation, the development and purpose of UAV’s and how it is affecting U.S. army units, we may rethink the funding the use of machines over soldiers. 2004 Army Transformation After the attacks in 9/11/2001 the U.S. army entered the first war in close to thirty years. By 2004 it was apparent that this war was going to last longer than expected, so the army began looking at a total transformation. Much of the equipment was in desperate need of advancement and the location and usage of army personnel needed to be altered. US Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker spoke before congress in December 2006 on the importance of this Army transformation. He said, "Following 9/11, our Army began its most significant reorganization since World War II to ensure that the formations of all components are fully manned, equipped, and trained† (Schoomaker, 2006). Of course one of the primary goals of this transformation was the advancement of technology use in our armed forces. As with most technological changes this brought about much debate, especially over the development of unmanned vehicles. The Development and Purpose of UAV’s One particular unmanned vehicle that was developed was the unmanned aerial vehicle, also known as UAV’s. A UAV is a remotely controlled aerial vehicle that is unmanned by human personal, or crew. These vehicles come in two categories and are used for a variety of purposes. In the past UAV’s were typically more or less drone’s, or remotely piloted aircraft. In this case the pilot, or soldier, would still be in a sense flying the plane and making the decisions but they would doing this from a more secured ground location. Recent advancements, however, have led to the use of autonomous control in the UAV’s. In this situation the aircraft is preset to a particular flight plan, and at times has a particular order to fulfill. In this situation one solider could monitor multiple aircrafts, eliminating many Army positions. This also leaves the job of decision making up to the aircraft, or computer, not to a solider who has been trained in the key value systems listed above. Currently

Reading notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading notes - Essay Example From around 1932, the military always received awards depending on the number of killings in battle. A military group stands to oppose this mode of awarding and recognition, arguing that it completely disregards the aspect of honor and respect to the military. The country faces a financial crisis that has averted her economy for the worse. The bailout outcomes have caused Americans to suffer under the hands of the government. From this we can see the Afghan Goatherds in place, which defines that people do not always get what they want. Such events may bring about the subject of moral dilemma: In this Plato’s perception is to overlook prejudgment and focus on the right virtues. Utilitarianism is explained in the argument of overall happiness. Utilitarianism is defined through two objections. One which argues whether it is right to take a harmful action in the interest of another action and the argument which sees the benefits of the chosen action. Libertarianism is used to question whether we own ourselves and our decisions or whether we are subject to a superior figure that controls us. Thus, it creates a minimal state of the two sides. Three policies fall under this minimal state; number of moral legislation, paternalisms and wealth. Also, the concept of â€Å"Free-Market† spans out indicatively on the issue of economic inequality. Take for instance Michael Jordan’s money being taxed. The extra taxation is explained as an intention to help other people with the money collected. However, from a libertarian perspective, choice of voluntary action gets violated. There is the question of morals and markets. In this, people may get hired for a particular task but end up doing two or more tasks that may have not featured in the agreement. Putting into consideration the libertarian and utilitarian reasoning, high effectiveness could be observed in a case of a volunteer army as compared to any other. Still under this scenario, surrogacy features

Information Needs for the AIS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Needs for the AIS - Case Study Example However, changes in the technology of production in a company may necessarily not need be preceded by a change managing of information systems concerning accounting management. Importantly any firm seeking to undertake a change in accounting management systems has to evaluate critically evaluate and settle on an alternative that best solves the problems at hand (Allahyari & Ramazani, 2011). The reason is that the management accounting systems (MAS) conditions depend on the degree to which the causes of change are known to the organization as well as their indicators. Therefore, any hurried change in accounting management in response to technological changes in the manufacturing department could have a serious security risk to an extent of comprising the integrity and security of any data involved in the accounting management 2. The second misinformation is that new information technology guarantees improved accounting management in a company. While IT is a critical tool in accounting management in many firms purchasing and installation of systems and personnel to implement, IT strategies might not be enough to a company. This is because, the integrity of the systems and process depend on those operating the systems and the value that these systems have to the organization in question (De Marco et al., 2012). For instance, there is a high dependency on the ethics and personal responsibility in ensuring effective use of IT systems, a factor that has to be considered in rolling out such systems. For a firm to benefit fully from IT facilities and services in accounting there has to be effective IT governance, proper information system strategies, vision, IT strategic alignment to the strategic vision and mission of the organization (De Marco et al., 2012). 3. Cybercrimes and cyber-attacks are commons resources that only require government intervention to solve. The increasing cases of cyber-attacks in accounting departments and have led industry players to call

BRAND MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BRAND MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH - Essay Example Brand name and image of the company is so important and its implications are so far reaching that it cannot be ignored. It explains the fact that why managers today put so much emphasis on positioning and branding the organization. This paper aims at studying the effectiveness of the brand â€Å" UGG† with special reference to the three major criteria brand value, brand image and brand positioning. Brand is a connection between brand owner and the customer. So this paper aims to analyze the effectiveness of brand from the perspective of both. The strengths and weaknesses of the brand will also be analyzed. UGG  ® The history of UGG  ® registered trade mark of Australia began in 1978, when Brian Smith, a young surfer, introduced his sheep skin boots in California and became popular among surfers. It was acquired by Decker’s outdoor corporation in 1995. In the next couple of years product line grew to include two boots, four slippers, and a few casuals. It was only in 1998 that UGG  ® came in the list of the world’s finest footwear. UGG  ® was positioned as the high end luxury product and brand and a matching appropriate marketing and distribution strategy was adopted. This high end product, symbol of luxury and comfort, soon started expanding beyond Australia and beaches of California. In 2003 it was named brand of the year in footwear news. The brand promise of UGG  ® is accessible luxury. Their products fit into the everyday life of the customers. Their products are fashionable, comfortable and yet attainable and that explains their philosophy. The target customers are those people who value luxury, comfort and highest quality footwear. The quality is ensured by using the highest quality of leather, suede and world’s finest sheepskin. Their mission statement is â€Å"UGG  ® Australia markets the premier brand in luxury and comfort.† UGG has their concept stores in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Apart from that they have their own authorized retailers and authorized online retailers almost all over the world (UGG, 2011). Brand Value Today’s world is flooded with brands. We have witnessed the branding of almost everything around us including people. Even places, institutes, events, literally everything is branded. The list also includes intangible products such as cyber brands. Building brands is not enough because it not only raises expectation and demands from the customers but the brand has to live up to the promise (Parameswaran, 2006). Same is true for UGG brand that now represent the sheep skin boots in over 100 countries. Ugg has been the generic name for sheepskin boots in rural Australia and New Zealand since 1920’s. In this globalized world where businesses and consumers are separated, brands act as an important communication tool. A brand is an aura that surrounds any product or service and creates the differentiation criteria for the customer from the competi tors by communicating the benefits of the products and services. UGG represents luxurious and quality sheep skin shoes etc. Brand communication which emphasizes on the holistic nature and brand value takes into account all the communication channels and the audiences. In this model CEO is the ultimate brand manager, who also defines the long term strategic direction of the brand. It is the job of the brand manager to ensure the closest match between customer expectations and the band promise. It is the unique balance and the

Employment Law In UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment Law In UK - Essay Example The research paper â€Å"title† highlights the employment law as an integral part of the legal statutes that runs a country. The interest of employees is a vital issue that should not be left in the hands of the employers. It is for this reason that many countries have implemented laws that protect the interests of the employees as compared to theory independent or self-employed counterparts. In UK, several statutes have been realized all in an aim to represent the interests of the employees actively and conclusively. Employee protection statutes are a significant item in UK law. Over time, there has been radical criticism about the constituents of these statutes and the definition that they give about who is an employee. Apparently, it has been said that independent workers who are sometimes referred to as self-employed people should be subjected to the protection and general provisions that are stated in employee protection statutes. This has however been subjected to a diff erent school of thought that argues the indifference between workers working under a contractual agreement and those that are independent or rather self employed. Self-employed workers are in no manner offered any form of protection under the provisions of employment law. The issue about who â€Å"self employed† an â€Å"employed† was contentious and it could not be clearly pointed out the differences that stands between the two. (Rose 2003, p.512). A test table that has been used to differentiate ideally between these two categories of workforce in UK was devised by the courts systems and assumed the shown model: Table 1: Tests differentiating employed &self employed Test Factors Control – defines the person who holds control over task, including the mode, timing and means of performing a task Obligated to obey orders, discretion made supervisory mode of working or hours of work. Integration - this shows the integration of work to the business There should exis t a grievance/disciplinary procedure to be followed which should be included in occupational benefit schemes. Economic Reality – Financial risk involved Method of payment to be used, investing in own business, tax and national insurance payment methods, and coverage of holiday/sick pay Mutuality of Obligation: evidence showing formal subordination to contract terms This includes the duration of engagement, terms of engagement, right to refuse work, custom in the trade. Based on Burchell et al (1999, p.11) According to the table, the courts attempted to identify the dependency level of the person to the employer. This was deemed important in identifying the individuals that were reliable for the provisions that are as stated in the employment law statutes. However, the degree at which the factors in question are considered was

Because current policies aimed at limiting drug abuse do not work, we Essay

Because current policies aimed at limiting drug abuse do not work, we should legalize drugs and instead teach people to use them responsibly - Essay Example It has been suggested, and in some cases demonstrated, that legalizing or at least decriminalizing less harmful drugs, such as marijuana, can help to reduce the violence, significantly decrease the numbers of people incarcerated for drug use, allow more individuals to remain a contributing member of society and free up funds and manpower to combat against more harmful substances. It was believed by the economists that such a discussion would bring out the obvious factors that will lead to the legalization, regulation and taxation on marijuana, bringing out the benefits of each side and, at the least, justifies the reasons for maintaining the prohibition against the substance. This group of economists was also joined by Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman who argued that there is no logical basis for the prohibition against marijuana. (Friedman, 2005) The vast majority (85%) of America’s teenagers report that marijuana is easy to get every year, indicating that the sales have not been reduced by the laws and enforcement endeavors, leading many government officials to begin wondering whether we are simply throwing away billions of tax dollars to no effect. Over half of the prisoners in jail are there for drug ‘crimes.’ This causes overcrowding which results in the early release of dangerous, violent criminals. This creates more of a public safety problem than does drug use. It is illogical from a societal view and inhumane to individuals who are marked as a criminal for life for activity that causes no harm to others. Those who are addicted receive little or no therapeutic help in prison. Instead of imprisoning people that need help, rehabilitation programs are a much more effective method to treat the problem but a rehabilitation system will not succeed if drugs continue to be illegal.   Drug abusers will hardly seek help from the same government that tosses

The Benefits and Disadvantages of Online Shopping Essay Example for Free

The Benefits and Disadvantages of Online Shopping Essay Many people enjoy the convenience of shopping online. You can buy everything you need without having to leave the comfort of home. Most grocery and retail stores have created Web sites that feature their products for sale. But when is online shopping a good deal, and when should it be avoided? Here are some of the benefits of online shopping: Parents of small children may find online shopping appealing. The kids can feel free to run around the house and create havoc without the worry of annoying fellow customers. Even if your children are well behaved it can still be time consuming getting everyone ready to go to the store. Keeping children out of the store, and even your spouse, in some cases may prove to be money saving as well. You wont have everyone begging you to buy extra grocery items not on your list. Online shopping can sometimes fetch you a great buy. Some stores will advertise specials which can only be obtained by shopping online. For more expensive items like electronics you can typically expect to find online discounts of $50 or more compared to the price in store. Sometimes you may be able to find coupon codes which can be used at  an online store to get a percent off the total amount of purchase. You can shop online on your own time. Most stores are not open 24 hours a day/7 days a week, meaning that if you want to shop in their stores, you will have to shop within a limited time frame. However if you decide to skip the visit to the store and shop online you can shop any time of day that you wish. Another benefit of online shopping applies to gifts for people out of state. You can buy gifts online and have them shipped straight to the recipient. By doing this you save the headache of having to wrap, pack, and ship the gifts out yourself. In some cases, stores will wrap the gift for you as well as include a special message. Sometimes stores will advertise free shipping offers which would make buying gifts online for out of state families and friends even more beneficial. Taking advantage of these offers means that you wont have to pay to have the item shipped. By avoiding shipping the item yourself, and taking advantage of free shipping offers, you can save money on the purchase of packing supplies. Shopping onlin e makes it easier to find unique and one of a kind gifts that you will not find in your local department stores. There are many online store websites dedicated to that special item you are looking for. Websites such as Ebay allow you to bid for or purchase products that are hard to find. Sites like Ebay can also help you to find great deals. Ebay users can bid on items of interest or use the buy it now option. By bidding on items on sites like Ebay you may be able to purchase your desired item at a discounted price. Some sellers on Ebay will even combine shipping or offer free shipping of your products, saving you even more. You may be able to purchase items online that are not available or are sold out in stores. If a product you want is not stocked on the store shelves, there is a chance that you will be able to purchase it online. Now that you know of the many benefits of online shopping, we will discuss the disadvantages of online shopping: Buying groceries online may save you time, but it can prove costly. By shopping online you can miss out on great deals that can be obtained with coupons . Grocery stores that allow you to order online will typically charge you a pick up or delivery fee for shopping online as well. You may also find that you have to spend a minimum amount of money in order to have your groceries delivered. One online grocery store that I know of will not deliver unless you order at $150 worth of groceries. Another disadvantage of online grocery shopping is that you  will be unable to pick out the produce or meat products yourself, which can lead to disappointment. Shopping online can also add on extra cost to your product by having to pay for shipping. If you are buying a product for yourself or as a gift to local friends and family, it may prove to be wiser to make the purchase in store instead to avoid extra cost. When shopping online you have to wait to receive your products, whereas shopping in store means you can get your product right away. If the product is an item you are dying to have and cannot be found online for a significantly cheaper pri ce, then you may want to make your purchase in store instead. You wont be able to compare products in person. Sure many online store websites have a feature which allows customer to rate products which may prove to be helpful. However what works for one person doesnt necessarily work for another. Some people who fill out online reviews for products can be deceitful as well to trick customers into purchasing or not purchasing a product. When it comes to comparing products, such as cameras and televisions, its always best to make comparisons in the store. If the store is running a good deal then you can make your purchase in store since you are already there. Returning or exchanging items bought online can be more difficult than making a return or exchange of products youve purchased in a store. Some stores will allow you to make returns and exchanges of products youve bought online through their website, though others may not. Stores that only do business online will require you to repack and ship the item back to them to receive a refund or exchange. Some online stores may not reimburse you the cost of shipping meaning you will have to spend money out of your own pocket just to make the return. Always read the return policies of the online stores website to know what to expect. When shopping online for a product you should do a price comparison between several online stores to find the best deal. Always make sure to print out a copy of your receipt and/or write down the confirmation number for your purchase. You can also keep a copy of your e-mail receipt for a quick reference. Always read an online stores shipping and return policies to better understand how they work. Search online for codes which can save you money on shipping, fetch you free gifts with purchase, or can discount the price of a product. Always be careful when sharing your credit card information online. Secure websites should display a lock symbol at the bottom of the page. Do any research that  you can for online stores that are not well known. Shopping online can either cost you extra money or save you money. Make sure to do your homework when considering shopping online to find the best deals.

The Interrelation Between Tourism And Terrorism Tourism Essay

The Interrelation Between Tourism And Terrorism Tourism Essay Given that tourism is very fragile to terrorism, and that it has come to dominate or perhaps displace, economy of most courtiers, it is imperative to take a closer look at the interrelation between tourism terrorism to lessen the negative impacts. As indicated in the introduction, the first approach to the studies into relationship between tourism and security incidents focus on diverse but interrelated topics ranging from the nature of such relationship (including types, causes, targets, motives and so forth) to the impact of terrorism on the tourism demands. The overarching objective of this chapter is to review studies with such approach which emerged in the beginning of the 1990s. The chapter begins with a general discussion and overview of the direct and indirect importance of tourism to the national and global economies and proceeds to discuss the susceptibility of tourism industry to rampant crisis. Those terrorism concepts which relates to tourism industry are briefly reviewed. As contribution to literature, a time series analysis approach with yearly aggregated data is presented to show how and to what extent terrorists have targeted tourism since 1968. The rational and motives behind terrorists attack on tourism destination is a crucial area which seeks logically examine relationship between terrorism and tourism. The next section devoted to these significant discussions. Then it would turn to next area of studies or the impact of terrorism as a tourism crisis on the tourism industry. For this purpose the extant research on the impact of terrorism on the tourism industry in several countries will be reviewed. It also considers various determinants of ter rorism acts on the tourism industry. Last but not least, it explores the theories and components of image and perception management. It is also imperative to clarify the definitions of a few repeatedly used terms that there is potential for confusion among them. This chapter also attempt to offer definition and develop empirically derived concept. Importance Despite recent crisis, tourism represent, one of the fastest growing sectors in the world economy. In 1960 the whole tourist arrivals were around 70 million while it rocketed to some 700 million in 2003. According to World Travel and Tourism Council, out of overall world exports, tourism industry is account for 12.2% and provides 8.3% of total jobs (WTTC, 2007: 6). These figures represent direct economic impact of the industry while the indirect impacts estimated to be much larger. The indirect impacts are enormous. For instance; it plays an important role in the development of new cities, societies and provides them with necessary infrastructure and superstructure. What is more, tourism helps the protection of environment by stimulating the creation of national parks for wild life as well as the conservation and preservation of beaches and marine life as a part of tourist products. From cultural point of view, it offers more opportunities for the restoration of old monuments. It als o encourages small industries, souvenirs, handmade art and craft; it improves the standard of living in many societies. Moreover, the tourist spending in the tourist establishment (hotels, restaurants, and transportation) doesnt go totally to them. These establishments need to purchase goods and services from other sectors with local economy (services of builders, accountants, food, and beverage suppliers). Bale (1998) argues that tourism makes much contribution to employment by differentiating between its impact on direct and indirect employments. The contribution of tourism and travel to both industrialized and developing countries is now so great that any downturns in the level of activity in the industry are a cause of concern. The repercussions extend beyond activities directly associated with tourism, notably airlines, hotels and catering, to sectors that supply intermediate or final goods that are purchased by firms and employees in the industry, so that all sectors of the economy are affected to a greater or lesser extent. Adam Blake and M. Thea Sinclair, Tourism Crisis Management: adjusting to a temporary downturn,Sixth Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis, 2002, p. 1. Tourism is important not only to developed nations but to many less developed ones, whose chief resources often come from their visitor attractions. Since no other substitute major natural resources, such as oil or heavy industry is available in such countries, they are heavily reliant on international tourism to generate national income. Although the lack of the necessary infrastructure and communication facilities are often proved to be an obstacle to attract a considerable number of tourists, some less developed countries demonstrated considerable success in attraction of tourists (Harrison 2001). In recent years, tourism has been focus of attentions for its potential to help à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½to the reduction of poverty. UNWTO statistics reveals the growing strength of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½tourism industry for developing countries. International tourism receipts for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½developing countries accounted for a record number of 203 billion US dollar in 1995. According to the UNW TO, tourism is one of the major export sectors of poor countries and a leading source of foreign exchange in 46 of the 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs). (UNWTO 2007: p 38) Terrorism background and definition Terrorism phenomena across the world is traceable to centuries ago when Jewish patriots, begun to challenge the Roman sovereignty in holy lands (Poland, 1988). In our times it dates back to the latter half of the twentieth century when terrorist attacks came to occupy a central place to in news headlines and it was in 1960s and 1970s that grabbed the attention of the people from all over the world. It was for the first time in world history that so few people managed to put into trouble so many peoples in a quick and effective manner (Sacks, 2004). The attacks against the US on 11th September 2001, and the post-9/11 attacks, including the bombings in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Mombasa, Madrid, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, London, India and other places are prime examples to this. The terrorism attacks have been of importance to tourism industry as the tourism destination turn out to a prime target of terrorist attacks. Despite the omnipresence of terrorism attacks in the world today, there has been little consensus among scholars of terrorism studies over the concept. There are several reasons why terrorism is difficult to define (Cronin 2002). Firstly, labelling an action as terrorism or a group as terrorist is hardly free from ideological or political partiality (Moxon-Browne, 1994). In addition, most definitions are very flawed. Over time particularly when they come to power, the terrorism groups may recognized as a legitimate government. A prime example is Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress in South Africa. Another source of ambiguity in the definition lay in differing perception of what terrorism as it means different things to different governments and different scholars. To better define the terrorism it is important to set apart terrorism from crime-related acts. Tarlow (2001) lists the differences between acts of crimes and terrorism. He argued that dealing with criminal acts requires well trained police forces while terrorism is more war like in nature which can not cope with police actions alone. Rather it needs cooperation between all stakeholders in question. In addition, the goals of terrorist are destruction through victimization and seek publicity and mass economic destructions with added bonus of loss of life. Table 1.1 Key Difference between Acts of Tourism Crime and Terrorism Crime Terrorism Goal Usually economic or social gain To gain publicity and sometimes sympathy for a cause. Usual type of victim Person may be known to the perpetrator or selected because he/she may yield economic gain Killing is random and appears to be more in line with a stochastic model. Numbers may or may not be important Defenses in use Often reactive, reports taken Some pro-active devices such as radar detectors Political ideology Usually none Robin Hood model Publicity Usually local and rarely makes the international news Almost always is broadcast around the world Most common forms in tourism industry are: Crimes of distraction Robbery Sexual Assault Domestic terrorism International terrorism Bombings Potential for bio-chemical warfare Statistical accuracy Often very low, in many cases the travel and tourism industry does everything possible to hide the information Almost impossible to hide. Numbers are reported with great accuracy and repeated often Length of negative effects on the local tourism industry In most cases, it is short term In most cases, it is long term unless replaced by new positive image Source: Tarlow (2001: 134-135) Since the extent to which terrorism challenges governments and threatens civilian populations differs considerably, it is possible to constitute a typology based on which we can compare different types of terrorism. One approach is to differentiate between domestic restricted to the borders of one country and international consist of the citizens of more than one country terrorism. However, this distinction is proved to be perplexing in practice as most terrorist groups have links to abroad. (Chalk 1996) A more elaborate typology categorizes groups in terms of their primary motivations. Based upon such criteria, Peters (2002) classified terrorists into two broad categories: the practical terrorist and the apocalyp ­tic terrorist. The demand of practical terrorists is restricted to recreation of a state and society without destruction of the whole society, what its followers have in mind is to eradicate what they see as a political evil. A prime example of such terrorism is anti-abo rtion terrorists in United State. Apocalyptic terrorists are very different. Their ultimate goal is to destroy completely the current worlds and build up a new order from the outset. Table 1.2 summarizes the main feature of each approach. Table 1.2 Differences between Practical and Apocalyptic Terrorists Practical Terrorist Apocalyptic Terrorist Mental state Hopes to change a policy through violence Victim of self-rage and anger Time frame for success This world oriented Next world oriented Attitude toward religion Tends toward secularization Tends toward religious mystical experiences Suicide Rarely suicidal, not a key goal Highly suicidal; suicide is a means to a greater end Goal Recreation of state or policy Annihilation of the state, or people Willingness to use WMDs Limited use of chemical Biological or nuclear Value of human life Low Nonexistent Source: Peters (2002) p.86 Regardless of these ambiguities, it is imperative to offer a working definition. For the purposes of this research, the terrorism defined as the calculated threat or use of violence designed to create an overwhelming fear in a larger target population, perpetuated by individuals, sub-national groups, or state actors to attain political, social, or economic objectives. (Alexander, 2002) take the original article http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/8/4/7/pages98470/p98470-3.php (GETTING IT RIGHT: Understanding Effective Counter-Terrorism Strategies) The records of terrorism attacks on tourism targets Tourism and terrorism has always been inevitably interwoven. Over the last 30 years tourist industry have been key targets for terrorists attacks. The terrorists believed that they have been very successful in accomplishing their goals through terrorism attacks to tourism destinations. As international terrorism augmented by September 11, 2001 attacks on US targets by al Qaida, its inevitable effects on tourism became the subject of serious concern (Sabasteanski, 2005). Paraskevas and Arendells (2007) list of pos-9/11 truism destinations and tourist targets attacked by terrorists up to September 2006 include more than 18 incidents. As such, Mitroff (2005) is right to state that it is no longer a question of if terrorists will strike but rather a question of when, how and how prepared the destination is to deal with them. The records of terrorist incident on the tourism industry between 01/01/1968 and 07/20/2007 indicate that tourists have been target of 261 out of 33817 terrorist acc idents. (Figure 1) This accidents account for 676 tourists loss of lives and 1875 injury (Figure 2 and 3). Figure1.1 International Terrorism, 1968-2007, Number of Incidents Source: US Department of State (various years) and RAND series Figure1.2 International Terrorism, 1968-2007, Number of Deaths Source: US Department of State (various years) and RAND series Figure1.3 International Terrorism, 1968-2007, Number of Injuries Source: US Department of State (various years) and RAND series The targeted list of terrorist attacks varies. The 1960s and 1970s was the time of plane hijackings. Consequently, the terrorist targeted the tourism destination initially through plane hijackings in the time. In the 1960s, hijackings were often from the U.S. to Cuba with no intention to harm pas ­sengers. However, in the 1970s, the purpose of terrorists actions was the loss of life plus damage to the property. Thus we witnessed the more severe actions from them. During the 1970s, the Munich Olympic Games became the focus of one of the most notorious terrorist attacks and set a new standard for terrorism at major world events. In the consequent years, the targeted list encompassed a variety of sites including, airlines, cruise ships, buses, restaurants and cafes, events and festivals, or sporting or cultural institutions, wherever people get together for leisure or any other purpose. In the beginning of 90s, a significant number of terrorists incidents occurred at tourist destinati ons, while in the recent years we witnessed a shift in the targets of terrorism accidents (Mansfeld and Pizam, 2006). (Figure 4) Figure1.4 International Terrorism, 1968-2007, Incidents by Targets, Compare Tourists to other Targets Source: US Department of State (various years) and RAND series Terrorists motives Tourism scholars argued that understanding terrorist motive may shed light on the relationship between terrorism and tourism (Sonmez, 1997). As such they have sought to explain the motive behind the terrorist activities regarding the tourism destination. To date, there is no consensus among scholars on their explanation of terrorist objectives, however almost all agree that terrorists have much to gain by targeting tourists. In their influential work on terrorism and tourism Sonmez, Apostolopoulos, and Tarlow (1999: 85) noted that tourism destinations offer a cost-effective instrument to deliver a broader message of ideological/political opposition. They placed the terrorists objective in two main groups: strategic objectives and ideological objectives. With respect to strategic objectives, they maintained that terrorists tend to accomplish some goals that can be found only in tourism destinations. These goals include mass casualties, mass publicity and great economic damage. As discussed earlier, tourism is lucrative business interconnected with several other industries; thus an attack on the tourism industry would affect considerably a number of secondary industries as well. What is more, tourism officials have often avoided taking tough steps to stop terrorism because such measures often result in frightening the potential customers. As such the tourism destinations have seen as an easy target for terrorism attacks. Tourism destinations also are visited by a regular flow of new people, thus terrorists are hardly suspected. In other words, terrorists can easily disguise their identity in the tourism destinations. Tourism industry is also a sensitive area to media especially when nationals of other countries are engaged it will rec eive massive coverage from international media and at the same time it bypass their governments censorship. (Weimann and Winn 1994: 143) The ideological objectives are more complex ones encompassing clashing values, cultures, or socioeconomic levels. Such motives push the terrorists to target the tourists for their symbolic value as proxy of larger group or apparently their governments. In his discussion of terrorism in Egypt, Aziz (1995) put into question a widely accepted notion that Islam is simply against foreign tourists. According to Aziz, tourists differs from and locals by many cultural and social gaps. Following Richters he argue that since travel styles can be representative of ideological values, class behavior, and political culture of tourists and their countries, tourists may be targeted because of their tourism styles which may dem ­onstrate conspicuous consumption (i.e., demonstration of money or credit cards; flashy photography equipment; expensive clothes, jewelry, and luggage). The clash of cultures and values between locals and travelers can also account for motives. Certain tourist behaviors (i. e., consumption of pork and alcohol; gambling; Western dress; codes of behavior incongruent with Islamic tradition) oppose to Islamic cultural values-are also suggested as a possible explanation for the Egyptians frus ­tration (Aziz 1995). Wahab (1996) stated that sometimes terrorism specifically targets tourism because it is seen as a movement of visitors representing a form of neo-colonialism or a threat to well-established societal norms, traditions, value-systems, and religious convictions. The impact of terrorist attack to tourism industry The impact of terrorism on a states economy may be enormous, leading to unemployment, homelessness, deflation, crime and other economic and social ills (Laurance, 2003:2) Previous studies based on the accumulate evidence throughout the world shows that the impact of terrorists attacks on tourism industry, destination, the local community, the tourists are in the most cases negative and resulted in decline in tourism demands. Such incidents paralysed or severely impacted the local tourism industry as result of trip cancellation and the inclination of passengers of booking to safer alternative destinations. These events have resulted in major drops in tourism demand, for example we witnessed the loss of more than a million arrivals from the United States to Europe in 1986 down 23% from 1985 because of December 1985 Palestinian terrorists attacks in airports in Rome and Vienna and the 1986 hijacking of TWA flight. (Brady and Widdows, 1988: 8; Hurley, 1988; Conant et al, 1988) The following is copied from: Effects of News Shock on Inbound Tourist Demand Volatility in Korea http://jtr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/44/4/457.pdf Blake and Sinclair (2003) explored the effects of the September 11 terrorist attack in the United States using a computable general equilibrium model. In their study, they reported the percentage decreases in the number of visits during September 2001 compared to the previous 12 months were 34% for domestic and 23% for international travel. Baron analysed monthly tourism figures to measure the effect of terrorism on tourism in Israel, Spain, Egypt and turkey. For instance, the analysis indicated that ongoing terrorism cost Israel approximately 332000 visitors from North America between Spring of 1985 to the end of 1987, at a cost of around 54 million U.S. Dollars (). Others have also reported reductions in tourist arrival and receipts in the periods following terrorist action in, for example, Israel (Pizam 1999), Egypt (Wahab, 1996) and Northern Ireland (Pizam, l999; Wall, 1996). In addition to quantifying the reduction in the number of visitors to destinations affected by terrorism, studies have also assessed the duration of this impact. Using newspaper reports of terrorism world-wide between 1985 and 1998 Pizam and Smith (2000), found that 79% of media reported terrorist incidents were associated with a significant decline in tourism, and that the effect lasted between one and six months. Enders and Sandler (1991) estimated that an average terrorist incident in Spain in the period between 1970 and 1988 resulted in a decrease of approximately 140,000 visitors. However, the decline did not start until three months after the incident, and took around two years for visitor numbers to stabilize at a le just below that prior to the incident. A somewhat longer delay was observed tourism to Greece and Italy, where it was between six and nine months after terrorist attack before tourism figures started to decrease (Enders et al., 1992). Pizam and Smith (2000) argue that observed time delays in the deterrent effect of terrorist action might be because travelers would u sually forfeit the costs of the travel if they were to cancel at short notice. In addition to the effects of terrorism on tourism over time, research has also examined whether the deterrent effect is limited just to the country targeted by the terrorists or whether it extends to other destinations. Enders et al., (1992) identified a generalized deterrent effect of terrorism in certain European countries on tourism throughout Continental Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. They also identified that terrorism in France did not specifically impact French tourism, but that it did contribute to lost revenues for continental Europe as a whole, suggesting that the deterrence was generalized to the whole continent. However, it is not clear why there was not any reduction in visitors to France. Similarly, Richter and Waugh (1936) state that tourism to Switzerland was adversely affected by terrorism in France, Italy and Austria. The determinants of terrorist attacks to tourism industry The scholars identified diverse variables determining the impacts of terrorism on the tourism industry and the ability of countries to recover quickly. However they failed to offer any integrated empirical or theoretical frameworks for the casual relationship between these variables. Still, almost all studies refer to tourism demand drop as a proxy for tourism industry suffering. Santana (1997) developed a model, which bring together the psychological and demographic factors that tend to influence the attitude to international travel (or destination image) referred to as deterrence (or drop in demand) in the light of threat from terrorism. He identified the psychological factors as Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS), Experience Seeking (ES), attitude to international travel (AIT), risk perception of political hazards and risk perception of physical hazards. The socialization factors of age, gender and travel experience are included in the model as well. Figure1.3 casual relationship among determinants of terrorists attacks to tourism industry TAS Gender ES Deterrence Age AIT Political Hazards Travel Experience Physical Hazards Source: Santana (1997), p. 457 To find out which certain acts of terrorism has more determining impact on tourism demand than others, Pizam and Smith (2000) identified a variety of characteristics of terrorism activities including frequencies, locations, severity and motives. They also took into account destination image and mass media as two important intervening which suppose to impact the tourism demand over the security incidents. Elsewhere Pizam (1997) have maintained that the impact of terrorism attacks on tourism industry varys by its severity of the event and the frequency of occurrence. He noted that: acts resulting in mass destruction of life and property followed by loss of life and bodily harm have the strongest effect on tourism demand. . . . Acts resulting in loss of property only have the lowest effect on tourism demand. . . . All else being equal, acts occurring more frequently will have a more intense, widespread and lengthy effect on tourism demand than those occurring less frequently (Pizam, 1997: 11). Tarlow(2006) argues that in the last decades there does not seem to be a rela ­tionship between a locales base population size and the act of terrorism. As such, ter ­rorism has targeted both rural and urban settings (Mansfeld and Pizam, 2006:17). Discussing on risk evaluation, Walker and Page, (2003) has demonstrated the interrelationship between severity and frequency of incident on a graph. As they indicated there is a direct correlation between frequency of problems and its severity. As such the minor incidents happens more frequent than the severe ones like terrorism. Figure 1.4 The Tourist Health and Safety Continuum: Severity and Frequency of Incidents Source: Walker and Page, 2003, page 222 Image and Perception management Terrorism attacks on tourism destination have not always left an enduring impact on the tourism industry. Yet, the comparative evidence show that soon after the event receives the international coverage, the information it conveys will be result in negative image among potential tourists and this in turn lead to cancelation their travel and /or choosing to book a more secure place. (Mansfeld and Pizam, 2005) Therefore, the host countries tend to take necessary measures to lessen the negative images by conveying correct, impartial and market oriented messages. Lepp and Gibson (2003) referred to four key authorities responsible for disseminating such information à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Security and risk information issued and communicated by governmental agencies in the generating markets (in the form of travel advisories); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The global and local mass media; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Governmental tourism organizations in the affected receiving destination; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The travel industry in the generating markets (Lepp and Gibson, 2003). Since discussing on all aspects of the topic will be beyond of the scope of the research I only explore the destination image and the role of media. 4.6.1 The Concept of Image (Tourism Events thesis) pp 57 An image is a concept that is hard to understand. It has both vague and shifting meanings and used in a variety of contexts and disciplines, thereby creating different meanings. The definition for tourist destination image that is most commonly cited is that by Crompton (1979, in Jenkins, 1999): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that a person has of a destination. (p. 18) Many authors have also defined tourism image of a destination as the mental portrayal of a destination (Alhemoud Armstrong, 1996; Kotler, et al., 1993, in Erfurt et al., 2003). The image of a destination is a crucial factor in a tourists destination choice process (Jenkins, 1999) and according to Mercer (1971, in Mossberg, 2000) the initial image formation stage is the most important phase in the buying process when selection a destination. Only the destinations the individual is aware of will be considered in the destination selection process and this awareness implies an image of the destination (Mossberg, 2000). Furthermore, according to Fakey and Crompton (1991) only destinations with positive images can be expected to prosper, while those with less favourable images may never achieve their fullest tourism potential. Destination image To make decision on where to go or choosing the one destination over another by potential travellers has long been of great significant to academics and tourist stakeholders. The existing literature suggested that destination choices are influenced and conditioned by both internal (such as images, perceptions, motives, attitudes, and beliefs) and external factors (i.e., time, destination attributes, perceived costs of tourism product, buyer characteristics, and benefits sought). Image among other factors received more attentions as a deciding factor in choosing on destination. Thus the scholars employed the concept of destination image to describe this determining factor. Bojanic (1991: p) defined country destination image as the impressions that a person or persons hold about a country in which they do not reside. Similarly Crompton Crompton (1979: 18, in Jenkins, 1999) noted: destination image is the sum of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a person has of a destination. Due to its importance, destination image has come to consider as a dependent variable in the consequent studies and the scholars attempted to identify the determinants that define, modify, and strengthen this construct. For instance, Hall and OSullivan (1996) identified three basic elements creating a destination image (a) Returning tourists via verbal reporting, (b) the role of Media in making image and (c) Overall policies of the host government. The scholars are on consensus that the destinations with strong, positive images are more likely to be considered and chosen in the destination selection process. In contrast, they argue that the perceptions held by visitors about potential crisis in the tourist destination have significant influences upon the tourism demand. However, there exist little if any, clearly defined conceptual base for destination image studies, especially the ones investigating causality between destination image and negative events. Seddighi and his colleagues (2000) developed a framework for the examination of perceived impact of political instability on tourism. As illustrated in figure 1.5 a synthesis of information flow which comes from the above mentioned elements of destination image creation (i.e., word of mouth, media, and government policies) is account for the perceptions of potential travellers. This information is in turn manipulated by Prospective Holidaymakers and Tourism Generating Region through a process of the determination of the perceptual pattern/image for a particular tourism destination. The destination choice therefore is reliant on the extent to which the perceptual patterns of holidaymakers towards the destination are positive or negative. Figure 1.5 Perceived impact of political instability on tourism Source: Seddighi et al., (2000 ), p.182 Since the tourists do not spare time to check the reality behind the received images, these images become highly biased and distorted. Due to frequent hostilities that have originated from the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israels high-risk tourism image has prevailed. The struggle to reverse this image has been extremely frustrating, involving simultaneous confrontation between government agencies, tourism operators, and the media. Media Almost no researches disagree on that intensive mass media coverage of security incidents results in the drop of tourists arrivals in affected destinations (Mansfeld and Pizam, 2006:17). They widely accepted that it is the media that give the event more or less significance by different interpretation. Therefore in many cases the news media tends to distort the actual security situation and to exaggerate the risk involved in traveling to affected destinations. In addition, the media reports often is not merely limited to exact report of what happened but also act as an advisor by interpreting the risk involved i

Emotional Intelligence Essay

Emotional Intelligence Essay An individual experiences varied emotions. Happiness, fear, anger, affection, shame, disgust, surprise, lust, sadness, elation, love, frustration, anxiety, failure, achievement, etc. are just e few emotions that affect our day to day activity. Satisfaction with the presentation of good work, exhilaration on achieving an accolade, the pride in helping a colleague, anger with not being recognized, frustration with the procrastination of recommendations suggested, anxiety about meeting deadlines are just a few emotions an individual feels at work. The human brain is programmed to respond to such emotions. This is when an individuals emotional intelligence comes into play, which helps them acknowledge their emotional instinct and guides them in acting in a rational manner (Management Checklists, 2002). The phrase emotional intelligence was coined by Yale psychologist Peter Salovey and the University of New Hampshires John Mayer in 1990 to describe qualities like understanding ones own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others and directing emotions in order to enhance life (Gibbs, 1995). They distinguished it from IQ, which determined whether people would be successful in school. The concept of emotional intelligence gained popularity through Daniel Golemans books on the topic. It focused on an array of non-cognitive abilities of people that help in adapting to the various aspects of life. Goleman stated that human competencies played a bigger role in determining success in life and workplace rather than cognitive intelligence. However, Mayer, Salovey and Goleman were not the first to recognise the significance of emotional intelligence because years before managers, educators, and other professionals, these attributes were more generic and colloquially termed as people skills ( Ruderman et al, 2001). According to Daniel Goleman (1998), Emotional Intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. Emotional intelligence describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence. On the other hand, Dr. Dalip Singh (2003) provides an Indian perspective to emotional intelligence that states it as the ability of an individual to appropriately and successfully respond to a vast variety of emotional inputs being elicited from inner self and immediate environment. Emotional intelligence constitutes three psychological dimensions such as emotional competency, emotional maturity and emotional sensitivity, which motivate an individual to recognize truthfully, interpret honestly and handle tactfully the dynamics of human behaviour. Conceptualisation of Emotional Intelligence Anybody can become angry that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way that is not within everybodys power and is not easy. -Aristotle Figure 1: Conceptualisation of Emotional Intelligence (Salovey Mayer, 1990) Appraisal and Expression of Emotion Regulation of Emotion Utilisation of Emotion Self Other Verbal Nonverbal Nonverbal Perception Empathy In Self In Others Flexible Planning Motivation Redirected Attention Creative Thinking Emotional Intelligence There are varied studies based on emotional intelligence. Although, these studies are diverse, they are rooted more or less to a similar concept. Figure 1 demonstrates an outline of the basic concept of emotional intelligence, as described by Peter Salovey and John Mayer in their article Emotional Intelligence (1990). Framework of Emotional Intelligence Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind -The Bhagvad Gita A Western Perspective: Figure 2: Components of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence Self Awareness Self Management Social Competence Relationship Management Emotional Self-Awareness Accurate Self-Assessment Self-Confidence Emotional Self-Control Transparency Adaptability Achievement Initiative Conscientious Empathy Organisational Awareness Service Orientation Developing Others Inspirational Leadership Change Catalyst Influence Conflict Management Teamwork and Collaboration Self-Awareness concerns knowing ones internal states, preferences, resources, and intuitions. The There are various frameworks on emotional intelligence. However, given below is a summary of Daniel Golemans framework, referred from his book The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace (2001) and the Emotional Competence Inventory: Technical Manual (Wolff, 2005). Daniel Goleman in association with the Hay Group identified eighteen components of emotional intelligence that were grouped into four clusters. The four clusters are namely Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. Self-Awareness: Self-Awareness is knowing what one feels and how it reflects on performance. The cluster contains three competencies. Emotional Awareness: It is important to identify and recognise ones own feelings and know how they affect ones performance. Self-Awareness is key to realizing ones own strengths and weaknesses. Accurate Self-Assessment: Is knowing ones strengths and limits. It is important for individuals to be aware of their abilities and limitations, seek out feedback and learn from their mistakes, and know where they need to improve and when to work with others who have complementary strengths Self-Confidence: It is a strong sense of ones self-worth and capabilities. Self-confidence is a positive trait that plays a large role in personal and professional success. Self-Management: Self-management refers to managing ones internal states, impulses, and resources. The Self-Management cluster contains six competencies: Emotional Self-Control: This involves keeping disruptive emotions and impulses in check. It is the absence of distress and disruptive feelings. Signs of this competence include being unfazed in stressful situations or dealing with a hostile person without lashing out in return. Employees who possess such virtues try to merge personal goals with organisational goal. Transparency: Is about maintaining integrity and acting congruently with ones values. Transparent individuals are forthright about their own mistakes and confront others about their lapses Adaptability: Flexibility in handling change is known as adaptability. This is one of the most important components presently. An individual needs to be open to new information and can let go of old assumptions and so adapt how they operate. This is very important for innovation and growth. Achievement: It is the drive in an individual, which strives to improve or meet standards of excellence. Optimism is a key ingredient of achievement because it can determine ones reaction to unfavourable events or circumstances; those with high achievement are proactive and persistent, have an optimistic attitude toward setbacks, and operate from hope of success. Initiative: It is the readiness to act on opportunities. It involves taking anticipatory action to avoid problems before they happen or taking advantage of opportunities before they are visible to anyone else. Individuals who lack Initiative are reactive rather than proactive, lacking the farsightedness that can make the critical difference between a wise decision and a poor one. Conscientious: It includes being careful, self-disciplined, and scrupulous in attending to responsibilities It also involves persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks Social Awareness: Social awareness refers to how people handle relationships and awareness of others feelings, needs, and concerns. The Social Awareness cluster contains three competencies: Empathy: Empathy is sensing others feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns. Empathetic individual sense others emotions through facial expressions and non-verbal modes. This sensitivity to others is critical for superior job performance whenever the focus is on interactions with people. Organizational Awareness: It involves reading a groups emotional currents and power relationships. It is vital to the behind-the-scenes networking and coalition building that allows individuals to wield influence, no matter what their professional role. Service Orientation: Service orientation is about anticipating, recognizing, and meeting customers needs. This empathetic strategy talks about a long-term perspective that involves trading off immediate gains in order to preserve customer relationships. Relationship Management: Relationship management concerns the skill or adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others. It includes social skills. The Relationship Management cluster contains six competencies. Developing Others: This component involves sensing others development needs and bolstering their abilities. It is a talent of not just of excellent coaches and mentors, but also outstanding leaders. It is not only crucial for front-line managers but also vital for leadership at top levels. Inspirational Leadership: This component is about inspiring and guiding individuals and groups. It draws on a range of personal skills to inspire others, in order to achieve common goals. Outstanding leadership integrates emotional realities and install them with meaning and resonance Change Catalyst: Initiating or managing change is known as change catalyst. Employees must be able to recognize the need for change, remove barriers, challenge the status quo, and enlist others in pursuit of new initiatives. Influence: Influence is wielding effective tactics for persuasion. The influence can be in forms of persuasion strategies, impression management, dramatic arguments or actions, and appeals to reason. Employees must sense others reactions and alter their own responses such that it diverts interaction in the best direction. Conflict Management: Conflict management is all about negotiating and resolving disagreements. Listening and empathizing are crucial to this skill. Difficult situations need to be dealt with diplomacy, encouraging debate and open discussion, and thus coordinate a symbiotic situation. Teamwork Collaboration: It is about working with others toward shared goals. It involves creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals. Teamwork itself depends on the collective EI of its member. An Indian Perspective: Figure 3: Component of Emotional Intelligence by Dr. Dalip Singh Emotional Intelligence Emotional Competency Emotional Maturity Emotional Sensitivity Tackling Emotional Upsets High Self Esteem Tactful Response to Emotional Stimuli Handling Egoism Self Awareness Developing Others Delaying Gratification Adaptability and Flexibility Understanding the Threshold of Emotional Arousal Empathy Improving Interpersonal Relationships Communicability of Emotions In his book Emotional Intelligence at Work (2006), Dr Dalip Singh provides an Indian framework of emotional intelligence. He states that emotional intelligence is constituted of 3 psychological dimensions- emotional competency, emotional maturity and emotional sensitivity. Emotional Competency: It is the capacity of an individual to tactfully respond to emotional stimuli, have high self-esteem, tackle emotional upsets, manage ego, and therefore be able to enjoy emotions, relate to others; have emotional self-control and thus succeed as an individual. Tackling emotional upsets: Frustration, inferiority complexes, stress, exhaustion, fear, anger, sadness, conflicts, etc. poses as hindrances. By managing and channelizing these emotions in a positive manner, is being emotionally competent. High Self-Esteem: Having high self-esteem can help deal with criticism and challenges. Optimism is one such way of boosting self esteem. This helps perceive challenges and criticism as learning opportunities and increases confidence, which results in individual growth and improvement. Tactful Response to Emotional Stimuli: This means being creative and practical towards emotions, which are caused because of the self, and the external environment. An emotionally intelligent employee will try to manipulate the ongoing environment to his/her advantage by reacting appropriately. Handling Egoism: All emotional conduct is bound by self-interest. By being egoistic, one may have problems in interpersonal relationships. Taking initiative to sort out an issue based on ego is a sign of emotional competence. Emotional Maturity: The ability of an individual to evaluate emotions of self and others, develop others, delay gratification of immediate psychological satisfaction; and be adaptable and flexible. Self-Awareness: It involves recognition of emotions and identifying them as strengths and weaknesses. This enables an individual to help identify emotions in others as well, thus improving effectiveness of interpersonal relationships. Developing Others: By recognising the ability of other individuals, one may involve other peers in projects, etc. and thus produce an enhanced level of activity. Delaying Gratification: By exhibiting patience and learning to control emotions, one can delay gratification. This helps in judging how to handle the situation more effectively without being rash. Adaptability and Flexibility: Knowing when and how to make decisions are essential emotional skills. Adapting to the situation in accordance is extremely important. It is also very important to be flexible during various situations Emotional Sensitivity: Sensitivity is ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment. Emotional sensitivity constitutes understanding the threshold of emotional arousal, managing the immediate environment and creating a comfortable environment within a group. Understanding the Threshold of Emotion Arousal: It is important to understand the relationship between feelings and action. One must understand the cause behind the emotion. Empathy: Empathy is the ability to sense the feelings of others. It helps share and accept another persons feelings. By having empathy one can distinguish between own personal judgements and reactions and the emotions of others. Improving Interpersonal Relations: By developing interpersonal relations, a positive environment is created. To build such an ambience one must inculcate trust, confidence and reliance. This leads to success in a workplace. Communicability of Emotions: It is important to communicate emotions. It is vital to communicate emotions with confidence and self-respect. Negative emotions can convey pessimism, bitterness suspicion and inferiority therefore, it is important to communicate emotions positively. A Spiritual Perspective of Emotional Intelligence from the Bhagvad Gita Emotions are reflective of a societys weakness and strengths and can be disruptive and interfering when displayed at a wrong time. However, when expressed constructively it can play a role in organisational effectiveness. The ancient sacred teachings of the Bhagvad Gita can enlighten an employee to identify, interpret and apply emotions in their personal and professional life. Hinduism advocates that a man should first seek wisdom and thereafter pursue material ambition. In order to achieve self-realisation, one must have perfect emotional self-control. The Indian scriptures state that our senses are like wild horses, the body its chariot and the mind its reins. Intellect is the driver. The Atman is the Lord of the chariot. If the senses are not kept under proper control, they will throw this chariot into a deep abyss. He/she who keeps the reins firm and drives this chariot intelligently by controlling the horses (senses) will reach the destination (Moksha or the Abode of Eternal Bliss) safely. The Gita states that renunciation should be a goal of an individual, but renunciation does not imply on shrugging off any duties to society. It further states that work that gives peace and joy is right and which brings depression and restlessness in wrong. An individual with high emotional intelligence can judge right from wrong. Present day life makes it convenient for people to suppress and avoid emotions but it is important to connect with these emotions, but if emotions are strangers to people, they will not enjoy a rich and satisfying life. Connecting to emotions brings a state wholeness to mind and body and this state is known as emotionally competent. In order to achieve harmony at a workplace and elsewhere, the Bhagvad Gita identifies the following areas on: how to succeed how to resolve conflicts jealousy- its origin and fallout standing for righteousness (dharma) believing in the path of action (karma) tackling emotional upsets effectively How to succeed: The concept of emotional intelligence and its role in success has been explained in the Gita. It states that there are two paths to success in life- knowledge and desire. Knowledge is the rational mind while desire is the emotional mind. Knowledge helps distinguish between fact and fantasy. Desire is the cause of bondage and the mind must control the desire for objects of pleasure under control. The rational mind faces the object and this is known as the objective mind (Manas in Sanskrit). Modern day psychologists term it as IQ. Desire on the other hand is an emotional response to the immediate environment and drives a person to satisfy the desire. With desire comes attachment, with which comes passion, with which comes desire again. When desire is not fulfilled, it induces anger. Anger causes loss of memory and loss of memory, which causes loss of wisdom n brings ruin. Therefore, one must not desire for world pleasures and suppress their desires. The inner mind is called the subject ive mind (Buddhi in Sanskrit) and modern day termed as EQ. In fact, it hints that IQ superior than EQ, contrary to modern philosophy. However, this may be interpreted by saying that certain emotions lead us to depression, anger, jealousy and the wrong path, which should be suppressed, while contrasting emotions lead us to harmony and self-esteem and should be encouraged. Emotions therefore need to be harnessed and directed so that the mind and therefore the individual finds peace. In such an individual, the objective (IQ) and the subjective mind (EQ) are in unison and the mind is disciplined. Nevertheless, recent research shows that EQ plays a more dominant role in attaining success than IQ. The Gita also defines emotions based on the concept of the 3 moods (Gunas), which are Unactivity (Sattwa- perfect purity), Activity (Rajas- dusky colour) and Inactivity (Tamas- foul darkness). The mind is in Sattwa, it is purified from all Rajas and Tamas and the individual experiences inner peace and happiness. These moods are in different proportions in individuals and reflect different personalities. For e.g. an employee with heavy Tamas (low EI) will be detrimental for the organisation and therefore should learn to be emotional sensitive in recognising the ongoing environment, which will help discard wrong impulses and attain righteous behaviour. How to resolve conflict: The background of the Bhagvad Gita is flooded with conflict. Arjuna has to fight his kinsmen for justice. This brings a feeling of grave depression, dejection and fear to Arjuna and he begins to tremble with anxiety. In such an emotionally charged setting, his emotions and his concepts of duty confuse him and he decides to quit. He turns to Lord Krishna who tells him that disgrace would fall upon him if he ran away from the battlefield. Krishna motivates Arjuna to get up and fight and made him realise his inner strengths and competences so that he could walk the righteous path. Arjuna then acted emotionally intelligent by fighting the war inspite of his emotional bonding with his enemies. He was firm with conviction and displayed emotional maturity. He proved that being emotional does not indicate weakness. In the same way, employees can re-energise themselves when they are de-motivated because of conflict. The Gita epitomises the mental conflicts and dilemmas of individuals with a p urpose and their resolution that leads to affirmative action. Everyday, employees of an organisation face emotional and mental conflict in their workplace. The Gita offers a message for practical living one of philosophical sublimation and mental transcendence. Jealousy- Its origin and fallout: Jealousy is an omnipresent emotion that condemns rationality and encourages feeling of aggression, dejection and inferiority. Negative emotions like jealousy also help re-energises a de-motivated mind. The Mahabharata has an array of instances of jealousy. Dronacharya favoured Arjuna over the other Pandavas and Kauravas because of his perseverance and skill at archery. This made Duryodhana jealous and ill feelings for the Pandavas grew in his heart. Duryodhana fell victim to this jealousy and laid out evil plots for the Pandavas which eventually led to the Mahabharat. The story highlights that emotions jealous brings about emotions like hate, revenge, fear, anger, apprehension, shock, depression on one hand and dedication, concentration and motivation on the other. Jealous brings about feelings of inferiority and ego in employees and if not handled in time, may manifest into aggression, hate and revenge. Secret hatred turns into bitterness, says the Gita. Jealousy develops when individuals feel they are criticised unfairly. Emotional competence negates the impact of jealousy, emotional maturity does not allow negativity to develop and emotional sensitivity helps understand the threshold of the emotion and appropriate response to it. Nonetheless, jealousy can be harness to facilitate healthy competition and personal growth. Employees must practice to create positive relations with each other. This will also help become ethical. Peacefulness and selflessness build a mature and tranquil personality. Stand for righteousness (Dharma): Dharma is a system of morality, duty, charity, etc. Human beings are expected to follow Dharma till their last breath. The infamous game of dice in the Mahabharata, where the Kauravas disrobed and insulted Draupadi in front of a full assembly, after she was lost to them in a game of dice, tells us a tale on Dharma. It is observed that powerful characters of the Mahabharata- Bhishma, Dhornacharya and Vidura failed to protect their Dharma in the event of adversity. They stayed silent as the Kauravas committed atrocities on Draupadi. The argument of Bhishma being bound to the throne and Dhronacharya and Vidura duties toward King Dhritarashtra is weak. The ill treatment of Draupadi, is symbolic of the insecurities of women in todays society and the silence of Bhishma, Vidura and Dhronacharya shows the inability of individuals to manage their emotions and stand up for righteousness. In todays world, it is not common to see straightforward employees keep silent about irregularities and misconduct in a business. They succumb to such situations and fail to stand up for a righteous cause. By following the righteous path, one will display emotional sensitivity toward social evils and emotional maturity in standing up to them. This would be an emotionally intelligent response. Believing in the path of action (Karma): Karma is the belief in which, a persons fate is determined according to his deeds. Karma states that as you sow, so do you reap. The Bhagvad Gita preaches Karma Yoga (duties towards nations, organizations, family, etc). Karma in modern management can be interpreted as doing the right thing at the right time. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, , Your only duty is to act (right to work) and not to hanker after the fruits (or the results) thereof. Neither the purpose of your actions nor the work should bind and blind you. To work is to worship with total non-attachment and selfless attitude. Krishna also tells him, Action is better than inaction. Without action, no one can survive. Respond in such a way that it does not bind but frees one from ignorance. Do all work as worship to God. Do everything to the best of your ability; suited to your ongoing environment. An emotional intelligent employee would interpret his emotions and follow the path of action. Excessive emotions like lust, greed and jealousy are bad karma. A manager who learns appropriate emotions is emotionally intelligent. Every action produces an emotional effect. Emotion is a motivating factor. Karma affects individuals and their external environment. An employee with good karma increases productivity at workplace and satisfaction of personal life. Being habituated to good karma an individual will strengthen the ability too cope with a situation. To be emotionally competent one must follow the path that is emotionally, spiritually and practically beneficial to humanity. Tackling emotional upsets effectively: Emotional upheaval affects productivity, effectiveness and self-image in both personal and professional life. When in exile, Draupadi is upset about the misconduct inflicted on her by the Kauravas and opens her heart to Lord Krishna. In response, she is told to be patient, optimistic and focused towards her aim, in order to enjoy the fruits in the future. It is important for employees to delay instant gratification of reacting to situations and respond when the environment is favourable. The Gita also sermonizes on dealing with stress. Stress is the cause of built up emotions and the apparent inability to meet challenges. The Bhagvad Gita says that stress is born when goals are made without keeping in mind capability and capacity, thinking that one is solely responsible for achieving the goal and by perceiving that without the result life would not be worth living. It says that great intelligence is needed to achieve a goal. Knowing ones inner-self will help eliminate selfish and egocentric existence and respond appropriate to situations. Pent up emotions must be expressed in a healthy environment. It is very important to express emotions. Good and bad experiences are important in order to understand life. With contrasting emotions like joy and sorrow, revenge and forgiveness, friendship and enmity one needs to strike a balance in expressing them. By learning to do so, the Gita indirectly directs individuals to be emotional intelligent. Emotions can be so overwhelming that it may take over human cognition and incognition. This is detrimental. The Bhagvad Gita thus guides employees to manage these emotions. If only we would confess Our Sins, Our Fears, Our Disagreements, Our Delusions, Our Weaknesses, etc., we could be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Such a situation maybe described as being emotionally intelligent in modern times. Emotional Intelligence Test There are various test to measure emotional intelligence. Given below are a few that are more popularly used: EI Measure Type Theoretical Framework EI Dimensions and Scale Mayer-Salovey- Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) Self-report questionnaire referenced against expert and consensus opinion Salovey Mayer (1990, 1997) Perception, appraisal, and expression of emotion Emotional facilitation of thinking Understanding and analysing emotional information Regulation and management of emotion Emotional Competence Inventory, Version 2 (ECI-2) Self-report questionnaire Goleman, (1995, 1998) Boyatzis, Goleman, Rhee (1999) Self-awareness Self-management Social awareness Social skills Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) Self-report questionnaire Bar-On (1997) Intrapersonal Interpersonal Adaptation Stress management General mood Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) Self-report questionnaire Dulewicz Higgs (1999, 2000) Self-awareness Emotional resilience Motivation Interpersonal sensitivity Influence Intuitiveness Conscientiousness Figure 4: Measures of Emotional Intelligence and Characteristics (McEnrue Groves, 2006) Emotional Intelligence in an Organisation A study conducted by TalentSmart in 2009, shows the link between emotional intelligence and job performance. The studied showed that: Emotional Intelligence alone explains 58% of a leaders job performance. 90% of top performers are high in emotional intelligence. Just 20% of low performers are high in emotional intelligence Various other studies highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in an organisation. Employees who have higher levels of emotional intelligence are associated with better performance. Research conducted by the Centre for Creative Leadership shows that emotionally intelligent employees have the following traits: Participative Management: It is important to build relationship skills in organizations and encourage value interdependency within and between groups. Participative management has the largest number of meaningful correlations with measures of emotional intelligence. Employees who are good listeners and consult others for their input before implementing change are likely to be assessed as good co-operators. They are able to find pleasure in life, able to foster relationships, control impulses, and understand their own emotions and the emotions of others. Putting People at Ease: Emotionally intelligent employees make others relaxed and comfortable in their presence. Putting people at ease is related to impulse control, which is the ability to delay gratification. Being able to behaviourally put people at ease has to do with controlling ones own impulses and emotions. Putting people at ease is related to happiness, suggesting that an individuals temperament is related to how comfortable people are around them. Self-Awareness: Emotionally intelligent employees have an accurate understanding of their strengths and weaknesses are thus are self-aware individuals. Self-awareness is related to impulse control and stress tolerance. An emotional outburst is not a characteristic of self-awareness. Others may draw conclusions about self-awareness from how one deals with difficult and challenging situations. Anxiousness interprets lack in self-awareness. Balance between Personal Life and Work: Emotionally intelligent employees know how to prioritise activities in their personal and professional life such that neither is neglected. Such employees reflect social responsibility, impulse control, and empathy. They give the impression that they are balanced, able to contribute to a group, control their impulses, and understand the emotions of others. Straightforwardness and Composure: Emotionally intelligent