HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HR - Essay Example The manager has to prove himself as a powerful leader not by means of his autocracy but by building trust in his employees. Rothwell and Kazanas (2003) inform that the managers of HR department have to take the responsibility of establishing goals for the department and its purposes. Manager is also responsible for structuring the department according to its needs. Staffing, issuance of orders, deciding on differences, inter-departmental and outside the department communication, planning for department budgets and politics, all can be regarded as the roles of the manager of HR department and design a path towards development of the department (Rothwell and Kazanas, 2003). The advantages that can be found because of manager’s performance at HR department are many in number. Manager is responsible for communication within the department and outside the department; it means that the information from inside and outside should be gathered in order to take the right decisions. This factor is wholly advantageous as the employees are allowed to communicate with the manager and deliver their thoughts regarding a decision. The final decision stays with the manager; it means that the manager can collect information from various sources but should be decisive in order to come to a conclusion regarding a problem (Woods and Thomas, 1994). A manager has many responsibilities to bear and the tasks should be divided among his employees but leadership should be with him so that the performed tasks of the employees can be evaluated. As a manager is required to do lengthy and painstaking tasks, therefore, there should be consciousness behind any taken decisions and the manager should decide according to the needs of a situation. Sometimes, it is disadvantageous to give so many responsibilities to a manager as all the tasks cannot be justified fully because of over burdening of the manager. There should be a team

Poetry Comparison Compare Blakes London and Wordsworths Composed upon Westminster Bridge Essay Example for Free

Poetry Comparison Compare Blakes London and Wordsworths Composed upon Westminster Bridge Essay The two poems London and Composed upon Westminster Bride, offer differing views on the city of London. Blake presents London as lifeless, dismal and monotonous, whereas Wordsworths London is very different. He feels it as beautiful, magnificent and exciting. Blakes poem consists of four different stanzas all of equal length. This gives a sense of order and regularity. This demonstrates that the people of London live a controlled life, which has no variety. Blake uses repetition, which gives a sense of anguish, And mark in every face I meet, Marks of weakness, Marks of woe. This stresses the tedious pace of life. Blake also shows that the people of London are trapped in themselves, In every voice, in every man, the mind forged manacles I hear. This demonstrates that the people of London cannot express themselves as they are trapped in their own minds. Blakes London shows the poets anger towards some members of the community. Blake blackens the city by painting images of child labour, how the chimney sweepers cry; every blackening church appals. This shows that the church is a hypocrite as they are using chimneysweepers themselves. Blake also dislikes the rich aristocrats by describing how the hapless sigh, runs in blood down the palace walls. This emphasises that the poor work very hard and fight pointless battles while the rich reap the rewards and benefits. In stanza four Blake paints a disgusting picture of prostitution, the youthful harlots curse, blasts the newborn infants ear, this tells the reader that prostitution leads to disease and plagues, many unwanted. Married men spilt up with their wives. Prostitutes have children, so the cycle continues for years. Blake combines ideas of marriage and hearse, this to show that the life cycle for people in London is death and suffering. Also Blake horrifies the reader by using different sounds to describe the feelings of people who live in London. He describes moans and cries to show the reader the depression of the people in London. The city of London is full of sorrow for every man and every infant every cry of every man, in every infants cry of fear. Also it is very negative and everyone feels depressed harlots curse soldiers sigh. Blake intensifies this gloomy atmosphere further, by using iambic meter in his poem. The use of iambic meter and an (ABAB) rhyming scheme for example streetflowmeetwoe, illerates to the reader how monotonous everyday life in London is, I wandered though each chartered street. The fact that Blake is wandering through London suggests that the city is boring and has no aims or direction. The reader can work out that Blake is blaming his apathy on the city itself and perhaps it is Londons fault that the population has marks of woe. Blakes poem is clearly written about life in the slums of London, while Wordsworth, in his sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge focuses on a more general way on the majesty and splendour of London. Wordsworth was a nature lover who normally didnt like the cities but in the early morning he sees something wonderful and glorious about London. Wordsworth realises that this moment is only temporary never did the sun more beautifully steep in his first splendour, valley, rock or hill. It was pollution less city bright and splendid. Nothing evil dark or dismal like Blakes London. This city now doth like a garment wear, it demonstrates that it is an out of this world experience. He personifies the city, bringing it to life, in order to show how this is a transient moment. Wordsworth also respects the city for its beautiful buildings, unlike Blake who sees it as a city of degraded humanity noting the harlots curse. Wordsworth sees many beautiful towers, domes, theatres and temples open into the fields and to the skys. This shows the stillness and emptiness. This is a laying affect to show that man made objects can be as good as nature, unlike Blake who sees misery. Wordsworth uses a very calm and tranquil tone to describe London. This poem is written in the firm pentrarchian sonnet, with iambic pentameter utilises an (ABBA, ABBA, CDCD) rhyme scheme unlike Blakes continuous (ABAB) rhyme scheme. This creates an unhurried pace with a peaceful mood lacking the intensity of Blakes poem. It also provides a slow pace to take in the beauty of London in the early morning. Wordsworths surprise at the beauty of London is seen when he directly addresses Dear God! Using an exclamation mark, Wordsworth address God twice to stress his personal reaction to Londons beauty-he wants the reader to see the awe of London, the exclamation mark stresses the shocked pleasure by his reaction. The mighty heart demonstrates that the people are the heart of the city-sees London as alive and living part of city working together. Wordsworth values people, as they are the centre point of London. Wordsworth tries to tell the reader that the Thames is working in harmony with the rest of the city. However, although the imagery of London Blake creates through its depressed state and every cry of every man. In my opinion I prefer Wordsworths poem Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, because he uses personification and makes the city feel beautiful. He states how dull of soul anyone would be if they didnt admire the beauty of London in the early morning. The way Wordsworth describes the cities buildings has a positive effect on the poem and this is why I prefer Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.

Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith Essay -- essays research p

Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are two of the character is in the book Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are unhappy with their lives. Although, Clarissa and Septimus are both unhappy the basis for their unhappiness stems from different reasons and/or events that have happened in their lives. But the both fear the can not feel as others feel. Clarissa Dalloway, a middle aged upper class woman, is unhappy because of choices she has made in her life she also fears that she can not feel things as others do. Septimus Smith, a World War I veteran, is unhappy because of effects of the war. Septimus worries that when Evan’s died he did not feel anything. Clarissa Dalloway wanted to be a part of the upper class English society. That is the reason she married Richard Dalloway. Throughout the novel Clarissa looks back on her experiences with Peter Walsh. She wonders if she made the correct choice in marrying Richard and rejecting Peter. Clarissa point out in †¦. That one of the reason she didn’t marry Peter is because he would ask her to feel too much. Richard does not ask her to feel things as Peter would. Clarissa didn’t love Richard when she married him but has learned to love him. Although she believes she made the right decision in marrying Richard, she still wonders how things would have been if she married Peter instead. Clarissa has a low self-confidence in her appearance ...

Global Strategy and Local Needs in the Luxury Car Market Essay

1 Introduction Since the 1980’s researchers have been trying to understand what globalization is and how competitive advantage can be gained out of it. This study will look at this movement with a critical eye and reflect whether or not it is sometimes better to give local needs priority in management decisions. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether the â€Å"Global strategy, but local needs† assumption leads to success. The objective is to provide scientific evidence for this strategy, analyse different organizations’ strategies and provide a possible recommendation for the best practice. Globalization is a driver of luxury 1 but it is not the best solution to apply this approach in all strategic decisions. This paper will not only look at this strategic approach in general, but will try to focus in specific on the luxury car market. The luxury segment is a fascinating subject for scientific research, because it still provides possibilities for relatively fundamental research within its niche. 2 Although there is considerable literature about specific brands, there is a lack of systematic and scholarly work that â€Å"analyses the luxury car phenomenon itself. † 3 The importance of this segment has also been emphasized in Sergio Marchionne’s recent speech to the shareholders (appendix 7. 2). The CEO of the Fiat S. p. a and of the Chrysler Group LLC underlined that his strategy for the future of the Group is located in the premium4 car production. 5 The motivation of this paper therefore is to analyse the challenge Maserati will have to address and to arrive to some practicable conclusions. 1 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 12. 2 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 6. 3 Cf. Berger 2001, p. 160. 4. Expression intentionally quoted to illustrate a later explained statement 5 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012b. Definition and terminology 1. 1 2 Methodology The findings of this project are derived from primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. The tertiary source was mainly the catalogue of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt. Another important part of the data collection contributed the Internet. Most data has been found with the search engine google. com and scholar. google. com and the homepages of the relative brands mentioned in the project. The biggest part of the project’s information was taken out of secondary sources such as textbooks, newspapers and specific literature. Finally, the annual reports of 2011 of selected brands have been consulted. 2 Definition and terminology 2. 1 Strategy â€Å"†¦ Strategy in corporate practice is an integrated concept with the objective of ensuring long-term survival in active interaction with the competition †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 6 In today’s everyday changing business environment all companies are forced to reassess their strategies, their structures and their processes regularly. But the answers to every strategic and organizational challenge is varying among industries. 7 Therefore first a summary of different general strategic alternatives will be presented. Afterwards a detailed analysis of the characteristic strategy in the luxury car market will be developed. 2. 2 Global or Local Strategy In this chapter both terms global and local strategy should be defined. Moreover the strategic challenge of a business to decide between both strategies should be analysed. 6 Cf. Kotler/Berger/Bickhoff 2010, p. 12. 7 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 17. Definition and terminology 3 Businesses have been international since ancient times and at its beginnings international business had simply the form of exporting and importing. Any business that carries out some of its activities across national boundaries can be defined as an international business. 8 In the 70s and 80s keywords as standardization, rationalization and centralization marked the new tendency towards globalization. 9 Globalization is a term that emerged in the 1980s/90s10 and that has become a buzzword in the 1990s. 11 Originally globalization was only an economic phenomenon that described the integration and merger of national economies, and the development of communication and production of knowledge, transportation and migration. 12 Today the extent to which the organization’s activities are spread across geographical regions has become a major consideration in the implementation of an organizations strategy. 13 A global strategy is the tendency of a company to a consistent strategy and adaptation to local circumstances become redundant. Global organizations gain competitive advantage overcoming national and continental boundaries. Therefore it was a widely held belief that there was the risk that the globalization would overrun all regional and national differences. 14 Though today we have evidence that there is no â€Å"global village† and that regional and national differences cannot be so easily neglected. On the contrary the majority of the apparently global organizations use local differences to gain competitive advantage. 15 Therefore numerous literature and research on the counter-rotating trend to globalization, the so-called localization, can be found. Localization in general means the adaptation to or consideration of local market conditions. Most of the research concluded that the two apparently contrary concepts do not mutually exclude but depend on one another: â€Å"Globalization can mean the reinforcement of 8 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 255. 9 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 36. 10 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 11 Cf. Rohm 2010, p. 4. 12 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 13 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 254. 14 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 10 15 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 58. 4 Definition and terminology or go together with localism as in ‘Think globally, act locally’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  16 . Numerous literatures even deduce a new concept called â€Å"Glocalization. † Glocal strategies are strategies that provide evidence to global and local players, to respond advantageous and purposeful to globalization. They should assist global players to localize their activities where worthwhile and show ways and means to local players to make use of the global area respectively – in both cases without abandoning their global or local character. 17 2. 3 Bartlett’s and Ghoshal’s model According to Bartlett and Ghoshal there are three traditional strategic directions a company can follow. Tab. 1: The three strategic directions 18 Multinational Global International Strong local presence Cost reduction through Usage of knowledge and through respect of national centralized but worldwide competences of the HQ needs oriented activities through worldwide diffusion and adaptation 2. 4 The multinational organization The multinational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal is the archetype of the organization. At the beginning of the 1900th century this was the most diffused organizational model. As shown in figure 1 in the multinational organizational model the HQ is at the centre with many decentralized, interdependent and autonomous branches surrounding it. The specific needs of the local markets are encouraged and therefore they are able to react to local needs. Historically this organizational model was the one of many European companies that expanded into foreign countries. Several of these companies originally where family owned companies. Processes were based on personal relationship and 16 Cf. Pieterse 1995, p. 49 zitiert nach Lohmeier 2008,p. 53. 17 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 64. 18 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 32. 5 Definition and terminology informal contacts rather than formal structures and systems. Therefore only elementary financial control was necessary. 19 Branch Decentralized federation: Many key assets, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized Branch Branch HQ Branch Personal control: Informal HQ – subsidiary relationship, simple financial control Branch Multinational mentality: Management considers overseas operations as portfolio of interdependant business. Branch Figure 1: Multinational organization 20 2. 4. 1 The international organization This organizational model has similarities to the multinational organization. However as shown in figure 2 the branches are more dependent on the transfer of information and knowledge from the HQ. The objective of this kind of organization is to transfer knowledge and competences in aspects such as technology or marketing to underdeveloped foreign branches. The national branches can adapt products or strategies, while the HQ determines innovation and processes. In comparison to the multinational organization model there is more systematization and control. According to Bartlett and Ghoshal the international organization model had its breakthrough in the post-war period. The international organizational model is the model for the typical American Management culture of empowerment and delegation. 19 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 73. 20 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 74. 6 Definition and terminology Branch Branch Coordinated federation: Many assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized but controlled by HQ Branch Branch HQ International mentality: Management considers overseas operations as appendix to a central domestic corporation Branch Administrative control: formal management planningand control systems allow higher HQ-subsidiary linkage. Branch Figure 2: International organization 21 2. 4. 2 The global organization Global companies develop their products and strategies considering only one equal worldwide market. Product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. 22 As shown in figure 3 the most important characteristics of the classical global organization have HQs that are a centralized hub that severely controls the branches and a management-mentality that views the world as one economic entity. The main feature is the centralization of assets, resources and competences. The function of branches is reduced to sales and services. In some cases financial competitive advantage is gained outsourcing the production sites abroad. Compared to the multinational and international organizations the branches in global organizations have less power to develop or modify new products and strategies. Managers in global organization, especially those located in HQ, often are more concentrated on the global market and consider the market to be equal worldwide. They have no comprehension of the local needs because there is no exchange of information between HQ and the national branches. 23 21 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p 77. 22 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 31. 23 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75 f. 7 Definition and terminology Internationalization pioneers like Henry Ford build up their production plant according to this model and the Japanese started their offensive in the 70s and 80s with this model. 24 Normally global organizations first where very successful in their home market and used this success then to expand internationally. 25 Branch Branch Centralized hub: Most of the strategic assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions centralized Branch HQ. Branch Operational control: Tight control of decisions, resources and information through HQ Branch Global mentality: Management considers overseas operations as channels for the supply to a unified global market Branch Figure 3: Global organization 26 2. 4. 3 The transnational strategy Bartlett and Ghoshal claim that the traditional directions do note lead to adequate results anymore. Global and international organizations look out for a centralized answer to a worldwide market opportunity. Multinational companies search local solutions. Therefore Bartlett and Ghoshal developed the assumption for a new approach to solve the challenge of increased competitive and changing environment: The transnational strategy. 27 Companies nowadays can only survive in the competitive environment if they succeed in developing simultaneously worldwide competitiveness, multinational 24 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75. 25 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 31. 26 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 77. 27 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33 and p. 90. Definition and terminology 8 flexibility and global learning capabilities. These are the main elements of the transnational model. 28. The transnational model is a symbiosis or rather compromise of the other three traditional strategic directions. It combines both kind of competitive advantages: Because the affiliations are seen as strategic partners they can better respond to local needs and global synergies can be positive side effects. In the transnational model local markets are respected, and the proximity to the market is mainly an instrument to react more flexibly on a global scale. 29 The distinction between multinational and transnational companies is the amount to which the HQs are directly involved in the management of the branches. While a transnational company often has a strategic centre that manages to a high degree all the global operations a multinational company does not coordinate directly its foreign activities but rather considers the branches as interdependent business. The transnational organization acknowledges that there are certain resources and competences such as finance or research and development that are better centralized in the HQ while other resources are more advantageous to be decentralized in the markets to spread the competences on a global level. 30 2. 5 The Luxury Concept and Definition. The concept of luxury is known since ancient times. Lucullus, a roman senator who was famous in the ancient Rome for his marvellous evening events and his love for beauty, delicacies and sensorial pleasures, can be considered inventor of the luxury concept. 31 Chevalier and Mazzalovo provide a definition as follows: A luxury brand is selective and exclusive and provides an additional creative and emotional value for the consumer. It is a brand that is giving the desirable attribute of being scarce, sophisticated and in good taste. It also has a slightly understated and aristocratic attribute. 32 28 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33. 29 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84 30 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84. 31 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 2. 32 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. viii Definition and terminology 9 According to Kapferer and Bastien a luxury brand can be defined by six criteria:33 †¢ An extremely hedonistic experience or product †¢ The price is exceedingly higher compared to the functional value †¢ Tied to a tradition, exclusive expertise and culture ascribed to the brand †¢ Accessible only through controlled and restrained distribution †¢ Obtainable with tailored supplementary services. †¢ Indicating a social representation, making the holder or beneficiary feel special and privileged 2. 6 Luxury versus premium car market The concept of luxury is represented in numerous sectors of activities 34. In this study we will look into more details of the specifics of the automobiles luxury sector. According to Chevalier and Mazzalovo luxury automobiles are â€Å"those cars that consumer perceive as being very special and different from the others. †35 It is necessary to differentiate between the concept of luxury and the concept of premium. The term luxury vehicle suggests a vehicle with a higher quality equipment, better performance, particularly precise construction, comfort, higher design, technologically innovative, and features that transfer an image, brand, status or prestige. Often the image is strongly related to the country of origin of the product. Premium products are upper-range branded products with an increased price without the emotional characteristics like hedonism or myth. „Upper premium brands remain comparative, whereas luxury is superlative. â€Å"36 Suitable examples for this difference can be found in the car industry. While an Audi A6 or A8 are super-premium cars because of the excellent usage value they provide, an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini are luxury cars because of their rarity and the prestige of the name. 37 33 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 47. 34 Sectors of activities of luxury: Ready-to-wear cloth, jewelry and watches, perfumes and cosmetics, fashion accessories, wines and spirits, automobiles, hotels, tourism and private banking. 35 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. x. 36 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 43f. ; Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 37 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 10 Strategic examples One historic management error that underlines the difference between luxury and premium is the Jaguar case. When Ford acquired Jaguar in 1989 they invested a lot in technology and training of the Jaguar employees. Thanks to common platforms with Ford they tried to sell small Jaguars. But this strategy seriously damaged the image of Jaguar and loosing the feeling of exclusivity they lost the luxury status. 38 3 Strategic examples In this chapter the before described theoretic information should be put together into a strategic framework. The strategic examples that will be considered are the most successful competitors of Maserati in terms unit sales: Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and BMW (figure 4). The first step was to obtain an overview of the structure of these companies and to identify their dependencies among each other and with other organizations (appendix 7. 3). The second step was to identify certain characteristics of these organizations and to put them into a framework developed to identify their degree of globalization or localization (appendix 7. 4). Based on this information a picture of their strategic directions has been deduced (appendix 7. 5). Bentley 2,57% Audi 6,56% Maserati 1,81% Jaguar 3,06% Maserati Market 2012 Aston Martin 1,74% Ferrari 1,26% Lexus 0,09% Porsche 48,43% BMW 12,23% Mercedes-Benz 22,25% Figure 4 The Maserati market in Germany in 2012 (market shares) 38 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 51. 39 Management Services Helwig Smitt GmbH, Hofgeismar. 39 Strategic examples 3. 1 11 Daimler AG Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. 40 Today the Daimler Group integrates different car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach. Cooperating with various organizations worldwide it has converted from a mainly domestically oriented exporting company to a globally operating one. The company is now well established not only in Europe but also in Brazil and Argentina and has established joint ventures also in China. 41 However for the Daimler Group â€Å"the cultural inertia has been difficult to overcome, and global pretensions and traditional German attachments form a contradictory and unstable mix. †42 Therefore it is difficult to classify the group to Bartlett and Ghoshals model. The Daimler AG is rather a combination between the multinational and the global organization. Mercedes-Benz being historically strongly connected to its German roots has a centralized HQ, but at the same time its business units have been made self-responsible profit centres and procurement of materials is globally coordinated for each group of materials. Furthermore this has been intensified through local settlement of direct production, more consultancies and engineering in the branches, and also some development tasks located outside Germany. 43. Daimler is relocating its production sites into emerging markets, as for example the recently opened site in Hungary. This trend can be underlined by its decreasing production figures in Europe. They are currently reducing their production in Sindelfingen. 44 3. 2 BMW AG The BMW group may be the most German focused of the three companies. It is globalized in its objectives rather than in its activities. 45 Approximately 60% of the production of BMW is still located in Germany (figure 5). However BMW is one of 40 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 4. 41 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 84. 42 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 85 43 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 84f. 44 Cf. Berens 2012, p. 17 45 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 86. 12 Strategic examples the most respected brands in the world. The explanations for BMW’s success are a strong brand character, a stable, family shareholding and a very German business philosophy. 46 It can be deduced that having local roots increases the perceived value of BMW. Producing nearly all its automobiles in Germany customers perceive BMW as an authentic product of German culture. BMW follows the same strategy of keeping the Mini production in England. 47 South Africa, 3,06% China, 5,65% Austria, 5,91% CKD, 2,16% UK, 11,23% US, 15,88% Germany, 56,11% Figure 5: Vehicle production of the BMW Group in the world in 2011 48 Therefore BMW can be classified an international organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal’s model. BMW’s key competences are centralized but many other competences are decentralized. Thus BMW efficaciously implements the strategy of local assembling and local purchasing in countries with high customs duties on imports such as Russia, Thailand or India. However, under the terms of the distinction between luxury and premium products, the cars assembled in Thailand would not longer be defined as luxury products. They do serve to initiate customers into the brand, who then should develop the desire to purchase a ‘real’ BMW ‘made in Germany’. 49 BMW’s Management Meeting Place is a good example for the acquisition of knowledge in the HQ and then transferring it to the branches. First this discussion platform has been started in Germany and then it was transferred to locations abroad. The fact that this strategy works, and that behind BMW probably stands a 46 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 67. 47 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 48 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 28. 49 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 13 Strategic examples strong team is underlined by the fact that BMW has been rewarded being â€Å"The World’s Most Attractive Employer† by a study conduced lately. In fact the employee attrition ratio at BMW has decreased continuously in the last 3 years (figure 6). 5,85 percentage of workforce 6,00 4,59 5,00 4,00 2,74 2,66 2,16 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011. Figure 6: Employee attrition ratio at BMW AG 3. 3 50 Volkswagen AG The Volkswagen Group maybe is the most advanced example of a conglomerate of successful car manufacturers. Among all the subsidiary brands the most significant ones are Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Porsche AG, but there are also Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat and Skoda (appendix 7. 3). In fact Porsche owns 32,5% of the Volkswagen Group shares. Succeeding in managing a portfolio of so dissimilar organizations under one umbrella certainly makes the Volkswagen Group to a transnational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal. The cooperation in-between the brands of the Volkswagen Group are very well developed. One successful example of this approach is the common hybrid drive used in the Porsche Panamera, Cayenne and VW Touareg 51 . In addition the Volkswagen group has only little external cooperation mainly in the area of researching. The key competences remain inside the group. Becoming an integrated automotive industry is part of the group’s â€Å"Strategy 2018†. However, every single brand has its specific targets. Volkswagen’s target is to 50 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 39. 51 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 67. The Maserati case 14 become the global market leader by 201852. This underlines the global factor. On the other side Porsche’s target is to become â€Å"the leader of exclusive sports cars manufacturers†53. Audi finally has the target to become the â€Å"premium brand that delights customers worldwide† 54 . Therefore the group’s values and capabilities remain inside the group and with a broad portfolio of interdependent and specialized brands completely different target groups can be addressed. The Volkswagen Group leads the global tendencies of the considered companies. But the core strategic functions (e. g. R&D and design) remain mainly German. However the Volkswagen Group also recognizes the importance of knowing the local sources and therefore has implemented the C3-Sourcing program. Becoming technical, organizational and social laboratories foreign branches contribute to the integration of the whole group’s worldwide activities. Hence some Audi models that have the same platform as Volkswagen models are now produced in Volkswagen factories in China. This local adaptation is the key of success for Audi’s sales in China, where the top members of the communist party cannot own a car unless it is made in China, but at the same time it forces the brand to give up their luxury strategy and replace it with a premium one. 4 The Maserati case 4. 1 Introduction to Maserati The Italian sports cars producer with the trident on the logo has been founded as Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati on December 1st 1914 in Bologna. Maserati was originally founded as a family business, but in 1937 it was sold to the Orsi family. In 1968 it was sold to Citroen and finally became part of the Fiat Group in 1993. 55 Thanks to his big sister Ferrari, Maserati has been reconstructed and from 2006 stands alone now in the structure of the Fiat S. p. a. (see figure 7). Today Maserati’s headquarter is based in Modena and it has two production sites in the north of Italy. Furthermore Maserati is divided in regions (Europe, Asia Pacific, 52 Cf. Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 233. 53 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 14. 54 Cf. Audi AG 2012, p . 131. 55 Cf. Wikipedia 2012a. 15 The Maserati case. America and Middle East) with national branches in each separate country (e. g. France, Germany, United Kingdom). Maserati is currently becoming more and more significant for the rest of the Fiat Group. The first strategic milestone of the so-called â€Å"2010-2014 plan† was the integration of the Chrysler Group in June 2011. Figure 8 shows the increase of 30% of the workforce through this merger, mainly in North America. * including 58,5% Chrysler Group LLC Maserati (100%) Fiat Group Automobiles* (100%) AUTOMOBILES Fiat S. p. a. Ferrari (90%) Fiat Powertrain (100%) Magneti Marelli (100%). COMPONENTS & PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Teksid (84,8%) Comau (100%) Figure 7: Structure of the Fiat S. p. a. Workforce 80 62,583 63,214 60 40 2011 2010 60,336 44,668 24,616 23,596 20 56 39,498 5,579 0 5,838 Italy Europe (excl. Italy) NAFTA Mercosur 4,894 other regions Figure 8: Increase of the workforce in the Fiat Group through the integration of Chrysler in 2011 56 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2011, p. 11. 57 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 30. 57 The Maserati case 16 The second milestone was the plan presented in February 2011 in which â‚ ¬ 500 million were invested for the relaunch a production site58. In this new pIant two new models will be produced: The new Maserati Quattroporte by the end of 2012 and the Maserati Ghibli in the second half of the year 2013. 59 Thereby Maserati plans to increase its sales: While in 2011 Maserati sold 6,159 vehicles worldwide, in 2013 20,000 units are planed and by 2015 a growth up until to 50,000 vehicles per year is projected. 60 The Maserati S. p. a. can be classified as a global organization. They concentrate their decision and strategy making in the HQ in Italy and product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. The function of the branches is reduced to the implementation and realization of sales, services and marketing activities. The reason is linked to the strong connection with the domestic country and the patriarchal organizational culture that has developed over the years. One cultural example for this approach is that usually in the branches employees refer to the HQ as â€Å"the factory†. And while until today Maserati’s production sites are located just in the domestic market, by the use of a common platform and production site with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the United States for the new SUV model, Maserati will enter also in the global environment. 4. 2 Maserati’s strength 4. 2. 1 The cooperation with the Fiat Group Being part of the Fiat Group is strength and weakness at the same time for Maserati. Through the cooperation with the other brands of the group, Maserati can benefit from economies of scale and scope. E. g. particular engines for Maserati are developed and produced in the production site of Ferrari. Another example is the collaboration with Jeep that will allow the new Maserati Levante to share the expertise of Jeep in building SUVs. 61 Moreover the fact that the production of this new Model will be relocated to the United States will finally transform Maserati from a purely domestic manufacturer to a global player. 58 Officine Automobilitische Grugliasco. 59 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 34. 60 Cf. Wehner 2012. 61 Cf. Baedecker 2012. The Maserati case 17 4. 2. 2 The luxury image Maserati as a brand itself and the Maserati products are stereotypes of luxury. Maserati is like none of its competitors a unique iconic and superlative brand that stands for an extravagant Italian lifestyle and sportiness. It profits from its long-time racing experience and expertise in building extremely performing engines. Additionally some parts are tailor made and its products are positioned in an upmarket pricing class that does not correlate with the functional value they provide. Moreover until today the units sold are rather restricted and therefore it is still a rarity to see a Maserati on the road. Thus possessing a Maserati is to a high degree socially representative and makes the owner feel special and privileged. Maserati is a myth and continuous to benefit from this legend. 4. 2. 3 Driving performance Another very strong characteristic of Maserati is its driving performance. Driving a Maserati is an overwhelming driving experience from the very first moment you switch on the engine. The expertise in building extremely performing engines is definitely a strength that should not be underestimated. „Hearing a Maserati’s V-8 engine scream on the way to its 7200-rpm redline is an experience gear heads will cherish. â€Å"62 4. 2. 4 The people that work for Maserati The people that work for Maserati are fundamental assets. A mixture of experienced and long-established employees on the one side and on the other side young, motivated and talented staff are the most important ingredient for the team that is able to face the current challenges. Maserati’s employees identify with the brand to a high level and therefore live for the brand. E. g. in the HQs in Modena are hanging poster with the slogan â€Å"I am Maserati†. 62 Cf. Floraday 2011. The Maserati case 4. 3 18 Maserati’s weaknesses 4. 3. 1 The image of the Fiat Group As mentioned above, being connected to mass-market brands like Fiat and Chrylser could affect Maserati’s luxury status. This is primarily related to the image of Fiat’s quality standards. The fact that some components are commonly introduced in both, Maserati and Fiat, could severely damage Maserati’s reputation. 4. 3. 2 Progress and technology Except for its engines, Maserati is not using the most advanced technology in his cars until now. Competition from other car manufacturers is very strong in this context (e. g. Porsche or BMW). Therefore this is a threat especially in those markets where technology and innovation are very important factors in the consumer buying behaviour process (e. g. Russia or Germany). Moreover while other manufacturers have already developed new propulsive forces e. g. the new Daimler electric fleet63, Maserati continued only the evolution of traditional fuel and diesel engines. As the petrol price rises also this threat is increasing. And depending on the trend of the environmental regulations in Europe and in the rest of the world, this lack of development could become an increasing challenge for the next future of Maserati. 4. 3. 3 Dealer network Another threat is the necessity to improve and expand the dealer network. There is a clear need to increase the distribution capillarity by appointing additional dealers. Moreover, there is also a need to transform the existing dealers bringing them to focus their activities and organizations on the brand. Dedicated sales, after-sales and marketing forces will be key to this transformation. E. g. most of the Maserati dealers sell also Ferraris and should adapt their staff with personnel dedicated exclusively towards Maserati. 63 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 41. The Maserati case 4. 4 19 Maserati’s opportunities 4. 4. 1 Industrial opportunities With its current models range (Quattroporte, Gran Cabrio and Gran Turismo) Maserati is represented in the core segments.

A Little About Me

Livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes. Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc).A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims. The folk narratives, i. e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case of legends, an explanation of the origins of things.Fables are a bout animals and these teach moral lessons. Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are â€Å"histories† of varied groups that consider themselves â€Å"nations. † The epics come in various names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community.These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered â€Å"treasures† and/or repositories of wisdom in their communities. Examples of these epics are the Lam-ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Ma iden of the Buhong Sky from Tuwaang–Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol (T'boli).

Charless Law Definition in Chemistry

Charles's Law Definition in Chemistry Charless law is a gas law that states gases expand when heated. The law is also known as the law of volumes. The law takes its name from French scientist and inventor Jacques Charles, who formulated it in the 1780s. Charless Law  Definition Charless Law is an ideal gas law where at constant pressure, the volume of an ideal gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. The simplest statement of the law is: V/T k where V is volume, T is absolute temperature, and k is a constantVi/Ti Vf/TfwhereVi initial pressureTi initial temperatureVf final pressureTf final temperature Charless Law and Absolute Zero If the law is taken to its natural conclusion, it appears the volume of a gas approaches zero and its temperature nears absolute zero. Gay-Lussac explained this could only be true if the gas continued to behave as an ideal gas, which it was not. Like other ideal gas laws, Charless law works best when applied to gases under normal conditions.

The Masks of Robert Browning Essays

The Masks of Robert Browning Essays The Masks of Robert Browning Paper The Masks of Robert Browning Paper The Victorian era was a time known for Its family values. Robert Browning broke the mold of the Victorian writers by turning to dramatic monologue. Readers at the time could not appreciate his technique. Today some of his poems can be linked with authors such as Stephen King or Dean Kenton. Do his writings give us an insight into a hidden mad man? No. Robert Browning brought his characters to life and awakened the very real possibilities of the common man having a dark side. His use of persona and dramatic dialogue can be seen In Porphyrys Lover, and My Last Duchess. These works show his use of a mask and give insights Into the true Victorian era. Even though the entire era of the Victorians was a mask to give the impression that family values were their main concern, Robert Browning revealed the hidden chaos of his generation, the anger of the lower class against the upper class and the rise In news media coverage of tragedies.. The Victorian era of family values was a mask to hide the social conditions which Included orphanages, extreme poverty and call conflict. The mid-Victorian period was dominated by a double tankard which insisted on a rigid public respectability while condoning widespread sexual immorality by men. This hypocrisy led to extensive protests culminating in a series of highly publicized scandals in the asses and ass which marked the triumph of dogmatic puritanical morality (Fisher 14-19). Robert Browning focuses on the hypocrisy of men in My Last Duchess. Victorian men treated women as possessions which were disposabl e. Men felt as if it were their duty to control women (45-46). In this work Browning displays how the men of wealth and power treated women. The poem was based on true events of Alfonse II, Duke of Ferreira in Italy, whose first wife, Lucrative, was rumored to have been poisoned after three years of marriage. Browning portrays the bad qualities of the Duchess as being easily pleased, modest and courteous to those who served her. This description was a perfect depiction of what was considered the female duty during the Victorian age. Robert Browning focuses on the chaos between the upper and lower classes In his poem Porphyrys Lover, an example of Borrowings Interest In criminal psychology and violence. The deader learns that the speaker is a man who alone in a cottage, he waits for his beloved Porphyry to enter. Evidently, her absence had been the result of her attendance at a gay feast, one of the vainer ties this suggests the upper class (lines 24-27). The speaker is in a substantially lower class than his lover. The idea of her sneaking away to be with her lover implies the unacceptable of the affair. In a Literary Correctly of the poem, Gayety Devil suggests, The plot revolves around a socially mismatched love affair; upper class girl falls in love with boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The boy has his revenge on society by murdering its representative: the girl. Another view of this poem is the religious connotation at the closing, and yet God has not said a word which necessitates the idea that the speaker has escaped punishment (60). Porphyrys Lover was printed with Johannes Gorilla In Meditation, under the heading Madhouse Cells suggesting that the two poems are related. Eleven drowning tendency to use analytical Taluses In Nils poetry to relate to current events, Johannes Gorilla , was the founder of the Reformation sects of antinomian, a belief labeled heretical by the orthodox because it taught hat those among the elect (that is, those predestined for salvation, according to so me forms of Calvinist and Wesleyan) could not sin regardless of the apparent evil of their acts (Dickinson). The belief in predestination was strong during the Victorian era. Browning thought a man who believed in predestination and a man who killed the woman he loved were both insane (Carson 397-398). Using masks or different persona Browning could speak out with greater originality and boldness than would ever have been possible in his own person. His writings were ahead of their time in action and thought. He delved into the history and assumed characters to represent current events. Through these characters he revealed the dark and evil acts of mankind. Readers often relate the mental states of the speaker in his poetry to his own state of mind; nothing could be further from the truth. The reader must look into the time in which these poems were written to get a complete analysis of them. The nineteenth century brought the printing of newspapers which were filled with stories of violence from the wars and in society. Just as the media of today seems to only portray the dark side of mankind, Browning centered his writings to he demands of the public. Human beings seem to be fascinated with the twisted minds of seemingly normal people. Browning reaches that part inside people that is drawn to look at a car wreck, silently hoping to see blood. This need for the grotesque dwells inside of man; Browning had the audacity to reveal that hunger to the world. Robert Browning avoided sharing himself inside his writings to escape criticism. He developed the technique of the dramatic monologue which reveals hidden characteristics of the speaker. His experience in writing plays may have influenced this technique. He had the ability to get inside the mind of a schizophrenic killer and hypocritical monks. During this era the reader must remember the developments of scientific research and the psychological studies by Freud. This was a time of intense developments and deep thought. Society demanded more knowledge. Robert Browning could be considered a genius of the human mind because of his uncanny understanding of the workings of the mentally challenged. Browsing writings can be seen as a type of transference of persona instead of a mask. He is not hiding behind his characters, he is inside them.

All About the Word About! - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

All About the Word About! - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog All About the Word About! One of the most common problems our customers have is how to use the word about correctly. This is particularly tricky because about is a common word and can be used in several contexts. Well run through a few of these uses here. About: On the Subject Of As a preposition, the word about can be used to link nouns and verbs, such as when using about to mean concerning or on the subject of: We spoke about her neighbors awful choice of house paint. However, a common mistake here is using about with discussed. This is incorrect; even though we speak about something, the term discuss doesnt require a preposition. As such, if we were to use discussed in the sentence above, it would simply be: We discussed her neighbors awful choice of house paint. About: To Affect The word about can also be used to mean to affect, as in: There is nothing we can do about our neighbors house. Its staying lime green. About: Around We can also use it to mean distributed around an area: In my town, there are several horribly painted houses about. Or on ones person: She concealed the blue paint about her as she crept up on the house in the dead of night. About: Approximately or Nearly It can also be used to mean approximately, as in: After repainting her neighbors house, she was caught by the cops. They say shell get about 10 months in jail for criminal damage. Furthermore, it can mean nearly: In her mugshot, she was about the same height as Jackson Pollock. About: Movement We can even use the word about to mean movement: As the cops drove up, she was still flinging blue paint about wildly. These are just some of the ways in which about can be used, so dont forget to check a dictionary if youre unsure whether you should be using this term in any particular example.

Operation management within maintenance operation in Maersk Oil Qatar Essay

Operation management within maintenance operation in Maersk Oil Qatar - Essay Example The intention of this study is an operations management as a segment of business that focuses on the production of goods and services. It focus is to make sure that business operations are efficient in that it uses as little resources as possible and effective in terms of meeting customer requirements and expectations. It focuses on managing the process that transfers inputs (in the forms of materials, labor and energy) into outputs (in the form of goods and services). Major operations management and problem solving techniques pertaining to the oil and gas industry include: estimating, organizing, modeling, planning and controlling resources and schedules with the aim of optimizing project performance and quality. Due to intense competitiveness, companies need to look for differentiating elements in the products and services they offer. After the business and service strategies have been identified, the management of productive and logistic operations plays a crucial role in the deve lopment of products and services to be supplied. Once the requirements of various clients have been identified, the operations management is applied to assess, define, schedule and monitor the resources and capacities needed to provide the solutions they want. Operations management is needed so as to make sure the efficiency and effectiveness of the flows of materials from the supplier, through the productive and distribution systems, to the customer, along with the related information flows.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Case Study Example Apart from advising the franchisees about how to promote the outlets in their respective areas and the local market, McFadden can take other steps to encourage the franchisees to promote their outlets like he can provide additional funds for promotions and also can provide some incentives and rewards for those franchisees who perform better in promoting the outlets in the local market. McFadden should analyse the franchisability properly before making any decision. Determining franchisability means to asses that whether the business is worth franchisable that means the entrepreneur must determine that whether the business is profitable or not, whether the business model can be easily copied by the competitor, does the business model can be easily adopted by the competitors, is the business model has any unique feather which is different from the others etc (Shakespeare, 1995, p.90). As the competitors are able to copy the business model of McFadden therefore it is clear that the franchisability was not properly analysed as a result the competitor can imitate it. To control the situation, first of all Just Cuts should restructure the business model in such a way which will be difficult to copy. In response to the imitators, Just Cuts can bring innovation in its services in terms of enhanced quality and customer satisfaction. Some of these things have already been d one by the management of Just Cuts. Apart from this, Just cuts should change their policies regarding the services it offers so that the competitors cannot always imitate the policies. Just Cuts can also go for branding its products so that the customers can distinguish the services from those of the imitators. Good branding will also reduce the anxiety of the franchisees regarding the low cost service providers because branded services always finds its place in the market. Deciding on the franchising fee is an important aspect of franchising. Some franchisees require less funds

How does the preliminary ruling procedure for the European Court of Essay

How does the preliminary ruling procedure for the European Court of Justice work - Essay Example It also ensures that the provisions laid down by the community institution are carried to the letter. Article 220 ‘Treaty of Rome† states that, the â€Å"court must ensure that, in the interpretation and application of the treaty, the law is upheld† The second role played by the court is hearing references from the national courts and gives preliminary rulings to show the scope and application of the law.2 The methodology of interpretation of laws by the ECJ is not specific. Some of the methods used include, teleological, historical and literal approaches. Teleological method of interpreting the law i.e. employed by the ECJ among other courts to interpret legislative provisions in light of purpose that these provisions seek to achieve1 another method used, albeit with hostility is the historical method. Its use is limited to the lengthy and complex process that is involved in the adoption of EU legal rights. Again, considerable changes will occur during the negotia tion period as well as the cropping of anomalies when the court relies on only one document in the midst of diverse legal traditions that inform the enactment of the of EU laws. Another methodology is the literal interpretation of the law as it appears. Moens and Trone Sate that when the provisions of the law are clear, the court will take the normal meaning of the words used.3 The procedures The preliminary ruling procedure involves a decision made by the ECJ when interpreting union law. This decision is usually made at the request of a high court in a member state of the European Union. Preliminary rulings are so called because the referring national court is the one that passes the verdict. The role of the ECG therefore is to provide guidance and clear understanding of what the law says.4 Article 267 gives the ECJ mandate to hear preliminary rules concerning the interpretation of treaties and the interpretation and validity of acts of institutions agencies of the union, offices e tc. Jurisdiction of the court The ECJ gives the single absolute clear and unambiguous interpretation of the law, and it cuts across all states. (I) Jurisdiction of the ECJ Article 267 TFEU states that a reference may be made with the regard to the interpretations of other the treaty and acts of the union. However, reference on validity can only be made on the acts of the institutions of the union. Purpose of Article 267 of TFEU Formerly under article 177of the treaty of Rome, article 267 of the treaty of the of the functioning of the European union states that national courts, during proceedings, can question the ECJ on interpretation of the relevant parts of TFEU, secondary legislation or even constitutionality of relevant secondary legislation.5 The ECJ is very cautious not to impose a given view on how its ruling will be applied in the national proceedings. Discretion to refer All rulings made by the ECJ clarify the scope and meaning of the bunion laws. Article 234 binds the cour t to accept all questions presented by member states. The court advises only on the interpretation and does not make decisions on the questions posed.6It is only a court or a tribunal that can make a referral to the ECJ. The ECJ has a generally harsh attitude toward referrals and only accepts them when there are ‘real and substantial doubts’ and the court feels that and inconsistent application of law if the ECJ does not intervene. However, according to Lord Denning MR (1982), the ECJ does not have the jurisdiction to ‘

Compare and Contrast the development of slavery in the US to the Essay

Compare and Contrast the development of slavery in the US to the development - Essay Example According to Nellis (20), slavery in Latin America was characterized as being less cruel and harsh as contrasted to the slavery in the United States and especially in the Southern America. This contrast was mainly due to the influence that the Catholic Church had in the Latin America where it advocated for slaves to possess rights such as seeking relief in the event a master is cruel, having marriage rights and being allowed to purchase freedom to work in their own plantations of sugar or other products. The Spanish and Portuguese colonists were also largely viewed as being less affected by prejudice associated with race as when compared to the United States (Finkelman, 34) and this is one of the main issues that stood out as a contrast. Furthermore, it was believed that the Latin American slavery was less affected by pressures associated with the capitalist economy that was competitive and dominant in the United States lave owners to demand a lot in plantation workings. In many circumstances it was viewed that the Latin American slavery was also harsher and cruel to some extent. This was mainly due to the inability of the courts and the Catholic Church to be able to offer the much required protection to the Latin American slaves as contrasted with American slaves that did not depend on the church for protection. In Latin America there were also many incidences where slaves were tied down and flogged for about ten consecutive days when they failed to deliver the amount of tasks expected of them in the plantations (Digital History, 1). Franklin and Alfred, (20) suggest that when observed from a different view slavery in Latin America seemed even more harsh than slavery in the United States. Latin American Slaves were forcefully required to wear Iron masks when working in the plantations so as not to tamper with products such as sugarcane and tobacco or to engage in alcoholism this incidence was not reported among American slaves. United States

Persepolis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Persepolis - Research Paper Example The story, in addition, gives her life in Vienna while attending her high school, as well as her return to Iran not forgetting her marriage and divorce. Satrapi describes the period, â€Å"From homey, 'round the dinner table chats to political demonstrations, from torture in Iranian prisons to the gentle touch of a loving parent† (Satrapi 31). Persepolis city is characterized by riot, and although she wants to be in the riots, the father denies her. The riots instigate her feelings and behavior towards life making her develop a habit of reading articles especially a local Charles Dickens. Through the article, she learns of many children who are forced into child labour at an early age. This is a revelation, which makes her feel embarrassed with her father driving a Cadillac. When a person dies in a riot, which turns out to be cancer people walk out in protests honoring him as a king. These are occurrences, which profoundly affects Satrapi’s life developing a defiant att itude towards the government led by Shah. Various events affect Satrapi’s life from the tender age until the time she becomes an adult. To start with is the fact that she is not happy with misdeeds committed by the people in power a fact that changes her attitude towards men. She gets influenced to be a revolutionary like Che Guevara in order to save people against atrocities they undergo. In this instance, she is not happy with her life and especially the Iranian police who commit several wrong things against people. In addition, this influences him to read revolutionary books, which could help her achieve the dream. This was because, "Greek culture had the good fortune to find successors who established a heritage and took care of it continuously, while neighboring civilizations fell victim to the ravages of time and to the victory of either Christianity or Islam" (Burkert 124). The happenings further influence Satrapi’s life to the point of tearing Shah’s pic ture from her book, as she links him to the misfortunes and problems they face. This scene transcends the celebration of a new government that brought new hope. Although her mother lectures her on the benefit of forgiving especially to the government, which had caused many atrocities to them, she is unregretful of tearing Shah’s picture and wish more worse things could happen to Shah. This gets depicted because; she apologies on her harsh actions but remains bitter for the many lives and destructions. Furthermore, after the fall of Shah’s throne, political prisoners are released which include family friends Mohsen Shakiba and Siamak Jari. They narrate ordeals they underwent in prisons to the family that increases the negative attitude Satrapi had towards the government (Mousavi 73). She is also not happy with her father for not having heroic stories. In addition, he is proud to be related to her uncle Anoosh who fought during the communist revolution. This portrays Sat rapi as a character who likes associating with heroes and heroin, as opposed to her father who has no story of imprisonment or engaging in a fight. On the other hand, â€Å"Marjane's parents are successful, forward-thinking people. They live in the twentieth century, they have televisions and fine cars, they read politics† (Satrabi 19) Establishment of the Islamic republic remained also a momentous event, which influenced her life. The formation of the new party made an exit of many people and

Compare and Contrast the development of slavery in the US to the Essay

Compare and Contrast the development of slavery in the US to the development - Essay Example According to Nellis (20), slavery in Latin America was characterized as being less cruel and harsh as contrasted to the slavery in the United States and especially in the Southern America. This contrast was mainly due to the influence that the Catholic Church had in the Latin America where it advocated for slaves to possess rights such as seeking relief in the event a master is cruel, having marriage rights and being allowed to purchase freedom to work in their own plantations of sugar or other products. The Spanish and Portuguese colonists were also largely viewed as being less affected by prejudice associated with race as when compared to the United States (Finkelman, 34) and this is one of the main issues that stood out as a contrast. Furthermore, it was believed that the Latin American slavery was less affected by pressures associated with the capitalist economy that was competitive and dominant in the United States lave owners to demand a lot in plantation workings. In many circumstances it was viewed that the Latin American slavery was also harsher and cruel to some extent. This was mainly due to the inability of the courts and the Catholic Church to be able to offer the much required protection to the Latin American slaves as contrasted with American slaves that did not depend on the church for protection. In Latin America there were also many incidences where slaves were tied down and flogged for about ten consecutive days when they failed to deliver the amount of tasks expected of them in the plantations (Digital History, 1). Franklin and Alfred, (20) suggest that when observed from a different view slavery in Latin America seemed even more harsh than slavery in the United States. Latin American Slaves were forcefully required to wear Iron masks when working in the plantations so as not to tamper with products such as sugarcane and tobacco or to engage in alcoholism this incidence was not reported among American slaves. United States

International Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

International Business - Research Paper Example A group of traders was found to be changing the price of the foreign currency by a considerable amount in the least regulated markets of the country. This activity created a disaster in the market by raising the value of the local currency in the global market. The other suspicious matter that was observed during the course was that the major global banks were being benefited in their investment schemes. The Attorney General of the United States, Eric H. Holder Jr. ordered for a strict investigation regarding the matter in order to find out the best possible strategy to resolve the problems that have arrived due to the trading of the currency. The team that was assigned for the investigation of the case focused on the records of the currency trading and the reaction of the market concerning the increase in the currency rate (Protess et al., 2013). The currency rate is a vital determinant of the international business. The value of the currency in the international business can be enumerated by the facts that the international currency reduces the transaction costs and assists in overcoming the barriers of the international business. In the context of the aforesaid event, it has been found that the major banks were involved in the violation of the currency in the US market. This led to a rise in the currency value and affected the international business strategy of the country. The article reveals that the US Dollar has gone through a decline as a consequence of the drop in the growth of the industrial sector and manufacturing process of the country. The demand for the US Dollar in the international market and the lack of gains in the stock prices led the national economy to a downfall and at times this kind of situation leads to financial crisis. It has been ascertained that the Japanese currency Yen was heading forward in the global market and transcending the US Dollar to a great fall in the value. As per the

“Inevitable vs. Amendable” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Inevitable vs. Amendable† Essay The film â€Å"Inequality for All† tries to explain; what is the current status of the distribution of wealth and that of income equality? Why this is happening and if this is a problem. Yes, as stated in the film, social inequality is inevitable. But, there is without a doubt a problem with United States distribution of wealth. One of the facts that really opened my eyes was the fact that the 400 richest Americans, together hold more wealth than the poorest 150 million Americans have together. This said, it is scary to think about how obscure was the knowledge we had on the one percent with given how much economic influence they have. The minimum wages vs. growth of productivity graph is one that I found very interesting. Why is â€Å"just† in today’s society to be part a more productive workforce that gets paid less than the workforce we had a few decades ago? The line graph for productivity growth is rising every year, meaning that more work is being done. On the other hand, the minimum wages growth rates were rising but after a while they seem to have plateau and they have been like this for about 30 years. Advances in globalization and technology are also inevitable because it is simple economics that a product shall be produced in the cheapest way possible. Yes, technology does create jobs but as we see in the film companies like Amazon are also opting to operate with high tech machinery instead of the traditional assembly line. Women going to work, general workforce working for longer hours and borrowing money from the financial sectors are coping mechanisms that the middle class used to keep up with their good lifestyles, but in my opinion these are more like defense mechanisms in order to survive in the concrete jungle with the same wages they had 30 years ago. One other comparison that I liked was how the widening inequality leads to a deficiency cycle and when the wealth is equally distributed economic stability is transfused from sector to sector creating a domino effect leading to a virtuous cycle.

Impact Of Zakat In Society Theology Religion Essay

Impact Of Zakat In Society Theology Religion Essay The socket has been introduced in pre-colonial Malaysia .Before the British colonial Malaysia, the village in the country, as in other parts of the world developed through land settlement or colonization. One of the popular methods was the collective Pondok system, which was particularly common in the Muda Region of Kedah. By this system, a group of settlers would gather around and a person who is well -versed in Islamic Knowledge or who had already established himself as a religious teacher .After the they found a suitable place , they will build their Pondok (huts) around a Madras; a religious center for worship as well as teaching. In the case where the group has been established, they would invite a religious teacher from elsewhere to set up a Madras among them .This religious teacher was also the Imam of the community, in the sense that he led five prayers daily in the mosque or madsarah. The group of peasant will be going out to open land around the clusters of their Pondok, leaving their children to the teacher for religious education at day time. For those wives who are unable to work with their spouse in the land also will obtained religious instruction from the teacher. The peasants will receive religious at least one or twice a week and longer on Friday because it was a day of rest. They will spend more time in the mosque than the field. As an appreciation for the service provided by the teacher, the peasants usually will collectively clear a piece of land and cultivate if for the teacher. Slowly, as the land become more productive and the production level of each peasant family exceeds the nisab of 480 Gantang  [1]  for each harvesting; the peasant family would pay skate at their 10 % of the gross yield of the paddy. According to Afifudin, those early days all the skate form a specific group in the Pondok system would go to the teacher. If a group of 50 sacked paying peasants would contribute a minimum of 2400 Gantang each year .As time goes by, the wealth of the teacher can be accumulated. The teacher can use the socket for the expansion of Madras. During the colonial period in Malaysia especially Kelantan, Zakat was administered by imam, who is the local religious leader managed the Zakat collection and supervised by the division of inherited party. In order to finance the intensified activities, the state required imams to surrender part of the Zakat they collected at the village level. However, this method is only partially successful due to the British regime replaced Grahmans, the Islamic administration .The Grahman took charge of civil administration, he divested the imams of their civil function .which were transfer to the headman (ketua kampong). According to secret institution in Malaysia .During British Colonial Period, The segregation between religions, custom and temporal matters took place during this period. All Islamic and Malay customs related matters were administered by a special body known as Majlis Agama Islam Negeri (MAIN). Other than that, the rest came under the purview of the British civil and criminal law system (Matters associated with socket were administered by MAIN. Accordingly, in Zakat Satu Tinjauan, Kelantan was the first state to establish the body which later became a model to other Malay States. Under this model, the Imam (spiritual leader) has been empowered to govern skate related matters and a portion of Zakat collection would be delivered to the state government as a financial resource for Islamic affairs. That was how the administration of soaked developed until today which remain under the supervision of State Islamic Councils. After the independence of Malaysia, New Economic Policy has been introduced. The Zakat fund is use for investment purpose .In the early 1970s ,the minister of National and Rural Development, Encik Ghaffae Baba, who was also the chairman of Mara ,urged all the state Religious Councils to invested substantial portion of their money (mostly derived from the collection of Zakat) in Amanah Saham Mara .The objective is to eliminate the income gap between the ethnic group in Malaysia, especially the Muslim and Chinese. DEFINATION AND CONCEPT In the Islamic world, Muslims are required to give compulsory charity with determined purpose and established rules. This compulsory charity is known as Zakat. Zakat is one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam; it stands as the third pillar of Islam, just after Salat, the daily ritual prayer. Allah has mentioned Zakat about twenty times in the Holy Quran combined with Salat.   Basically, Zakat, or Zakat al-Mal, means obligatory alms or alms upon wealth. Alms is a gift of money, clothes or food, it is equivalent to charity and is a type of donation. Moreover, Zakat is literally means to be clear, to grow, to increase. It comes from the root letter za, kaf, ya which consists of few meanings, which are to be clean, to pay the obligatory charity, to be pure innocent, to be better in purity and to praise oneself, to justify. All of these have been included in the Quran and explain all of these things. In addition, Zakat can be defined as the transferring ownership of an amount of material wealth specified by the Lawgiver to a poor Muslim who is neither Hashimi nor their client, without material benefit returning to the giver in any way, for the sake of Allah Most High. [Tumurtashi, Tanwir al-Absar] Hashimi in here means those from the family of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Besides, the term Zakat and sadaqah are often used interchangeably in the Quran and Sunnah, where sadaqah also means charity. However, Zakat refers to obligatory charity and sadaqah refers to voluntary charity. Zakat can be categorized into two types; there are Zakat-ul-Maal (Zakat on the wealth) and Zakat-ul-Fitr (Zakat on the individual). It is recommended to every Muslim to pay sadaqah after paid the two types of Zakat. Other than that, Allah has prescribed Zakat as a duty to Allah, upon every wealthy individual. Every Muslim also has nisab, which is a designated minimal amount of wealth for the full cycle of a lunar year must, as a matter of worship, satisfy the duty of Zakat-Charity. This charity is to cleanse or purify the individuals wealth. Unlike charity, Zakat can only give to Muslim; it is not valid to give Zakat to a non-Muslim. THE OBJECTIVE OF ZAKAT The primary objective of Zakat is to elevate the spirit of human being above the material acquisition. Consequently, Islam does not view the Zakat payer as a mere of sore of funds, but as a person who always needs purification and cleansing, both spiritually and materially .The prophet (p) summaries this purpose in the ayat ,sadaqa from heir wealth by which you might purify and cleanse them. Zakat, when paid out of submission to the command of Allah, is a mean of purifying the soul of a Muslim from greed and miserliness. The vices of selfishness and greed must be controlled in order for human beings to elevate their spirits, to succeed in their social relations in his life, and gain admittance to paradise .Allah Almighty says, Truly man is niggardly! (17:100) and But people are prone to selfish greed.)Zakat is a purifier that trains Muslims to give and spend selflessly .It liberates their souls from the love of wealth and slavery to materials gains and acquisitions. On top of that, Zakat is a mean of training Muslims on virtues of generosity as much as it is a means of purification from greed .Being paid in repetitive pattern year after year, regular Zakat as well as Zakat al-fitr train Muslims to give and spend for charitable purpose. The Quran describes believers as the righteous who have the virtue of spending for good reasons. The very second sura of the Quran begins, Alif .Lam .Mim.That is the Book with no doubt .In it is guidance for the god-fearing: those who believe in Unseen and establish the prayer and give of what we have provided for them.This exhortation is reiterated many times in the Quran ,such as Those who give away their wealth by night and by day ,secretly and openly ,: Those who give in times of both ease and hardship and The steadfast ,the truthful ,the obedient ,the givers ,and those who seek forgiveness before dawn. Also, once a person is trained to spend on public interests and to give to his brethren out of his own wealth, he is most likely to be freed from any urge to transgress on other peoples wealth and possessions. Besides that, Zakat trains people to acquire divine characteristic. If man purified of miserliness and greed and becomes accustomed to the habit of giving and spending, his soul is elevated above low human trait of covetousness, Truly man is niggardly! (17:100) and aspire to the height of Divine perfection, since one of the characteristic of Allah is absolute and unlimited mercy, powers, theoretical and practical .Allah obliges Zakat in order to perfect human souls in graciousness to other people ,as the prophet says, Train yourselves to attributes of Allah. This encouragement to spend through Zakat and voluntary charity resulted with time, you in the emergence of charitable trusts all over Muslim world, trusts devoted not only to helping the poor and needy but to all causes for human beings as well as animals. In addition, Zakat is to shows expression of thankfulness to Allah .Gratitude and thankfulness are among the best characteristics of human beings. Zakat is an expression of thankfulness to Allah for the bounties .He gives on us .Allah, says al-Ghazali, and has gives on human spiritual and materials bounties. Prayers and other acts of physical worship express gratitude for the blessing of creation, while Zakat and other acts of donator worship express gratitude for the material blessings of Allah .The concept that Zakat is thanks Allah for His bounties is s widespread and deeply rooted in the consciousness of Muslims that it is common to say that one must give Zakat in thanks for the grace of sight, hearing, health, knowledge, etc. Also, Zakat stimulates personality growth in those who pay it .Through helping others overcome their financial difficulties, Zakat payers are enriched by feelings of self-worth and fulfillment. Zakat also helps offer the payers self to others and grow through helping them and gives the payer a noble sense of victory over his base desires and material drives-over his owns shaytan. Last but not least, Zakat is to purify wealth. This is because Zakat is a right to the poor, not paying it means keeping something that belongs to others intermingled worth ones wealth and this brings Allahs wrath on the whole wealth. The Prophet (p) says, If you pay Zakat on your wealth, you have taken away its evil. IMPACT OF ZAKAT IN SOCIETY Undeniable, the concept of Zakat is the cornerstone in Islamic finance and economic system. Zakat is a compulsory charity that every Muslim must pay and to help the poor people. This has causes Zakat play an important role in the society, especially the Muslims society. Below are several impacts brought by Zakat system? The Zakat system helps to make sure the societys wealth circulation is in a fair and clean condition. Due to the wealth people must pay Zakat to the poor, the wealth will not become too rich whereas the poor will not become poorer. Definitely, there are some restrictions in order to choose the Zakat recipients, the restrictions can make sure those who receive the Zakat is with a reasonable and acceptable reason. In this case, Zakat has becomes the duty of wealth people, just like a compulsory charity must done by wealth people. But, the percentage of Zakat paid is depends on the wealth of an individual, it is not a system that forces people to pay a certain amount, but is require Muslims to pay their minimum amount according to their wealth which is affordable. Zakat also allows an individual to purify and grow his wealth. Man is naturally greedy and always want more and more to fulfil their unlimited utility. Zakat, with the obligatory charity, require Muslims to do charity. This process might make the people to think of others and come out from the race of personal interests. It has help to cleanse the selfishness of an individual where someone may extend his financial in order to help more poor people and those in need. The Holy Quran also has mentioned that And whose is saved from his own avarice such are they who are successful. With more and more individual with this personality can maintain the peacefulness of the society and becomes the role model for the next generation. Besides, Zakat system has helped to reduce the poverty problem in many countries. The main reason for poverty in any society is the concentration of wealth is limited to a very few people in a particular country. The introduction of Zakat system is actually for the purpose of this root cause of poverty. If everyone will need to pay Zakat, no poor or the unfortunate would have to involve in the begging. As the wealth is distributes to the poor, the poor will have the ability to continue struggling for their lives. In addition, Islam has prohibited the poor or needy from stretching hand before others. In the economic perspective, Zakat has also help to increase the production volume. When the Zakat has distributed to the poor and people in need, they would spend the money to satisfy their personal needs or basic needs, which then results in the increase of production volume. A rich individual however, will not need to spend too much money in order to fulfil their needs in life. Even the one wants to spend much, it will not more than a group of poorer spending money for basic needs. Moreover, the increase in production volume will led to the rise of several economic activities. In order to support the increased production, the economy would generate more jobs and more working opportunities which causes the unemployment level tends to reduce with the growth of economy in overall. The rise of job opportunities will then generates more demand of goods and services and more space for additional investment. And, finally, the growth cycle will lead to a balanced economic growth. Other than that, the Zakat system also will increase the overall savings of people, although with the concept of discouraging of over storage of money for an individual. Consequently, the income level of a society also has increased. All of these economic activities will led to the decrease in probability of economic recession. As the Zakat system is used to balance the wealth between the rich and poor, the chance of recession can be reduced. The impact brought by Zakat towards economic has improved the living standard of society, the inequality and poverty problem reduced and helped to decrease the crime rate and any other social evil that would harm the society. This is how the Zakat system makes a difference towards the society. TYPES OF ZAKAT Zakat is divided into several types: Zakat of Income Zakat of Savings Zakat of Business Zakat of KWSP/LTAT Zakat of Share Zakat of Livestock Zakat of Gold and Silver Zakat of Crops Zakat of Income Extra payment received by an individual from their employer or individual itself in the form of physical energy or physically or professional employment for specific day, month and yearly also been required to pay Zakat. Employment income includes: The annual salary Other allowances Unpaid wages Other remuneration such as bonuses, etc. Method of Calculation First Method Using gross income (without deduction) 2.5% on gross income per year. Example: Total gross income per year: RM 25,000.00 Amount of Zakat (2.5%): RM 625.00 Monthly Payment: RM 625.00 /12 = RM 52.08 Second Method Using the net income (Income year less allowable expenses per year) x 2.5% Expenses allowed deduction (per year): -:- Self: RM 8,000.00 Wife: RM 5,000.00 Children: RM 1,000.00 KWSP: 11% from gross income workers Parents Contribution: RM (amount given) per month x 12 months Contributions to organizations that pay the Zakat (for example: Lembaga Tabung Haji, Takaful) Zakat of Savings Contribution of workers and employers to KWSP People Provident Fund , Soldiers Provident Fund (LTAT) are also required to pay Zakat as the concept is similar to savings but the different is savings of KWSP and LTAT could not be withdraws anytime where never they like and it is subject the rules. Fixed Deposit Fixed deposit of RM 100,000 was kept for a year without the excluded (assumed nisab charity at that RM 9430.00) Then charity is required to produce are: RM 100,000 x 2.5% = RM 2.500 Regular Deposit Method of Calculation (Duration haul is January 5, 1999 until February 7, 2000) (Assuming nisab of charity at that RM 3,323.50) So Zakat are: (Balances with lower interest bank refused WITH) X 2.5% (RM 9,115.00 RM 115.00) x 2.5% = RM 225.00 Zakat of Business Zakat been given out by Sole Prop irate, Partnership, Cooperative Society, Societies and Organization which had reached one year and the time limit. Method of Calculations [(Current Assets Current Liability) + Coordination x Percentage of Muslims Share x ZAKAT ABILITY (2.5 %)]. Zakat of KWSP Contributions of employees and employers into the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Army (LTAT),or the like imposed zakat as conceptually the same as saving money, but with the difference amount of savings, LTAT and so on shall not be issued at anytime because and subject to regulations that is fixed. Method of calculation First Method 2.5% of the contribution that issued once money issued. Second Method 2.5% of contribution every employee is based on the annual statement Zakat of Shares Zakat which is given out for investment which has reached its time limit and minimum value. Methed of Calculation 2.5 % the value of lowest share share which is own for one year minus for shared borrowed. If the lowest value is not determined, use the value beginning early in the year or in the year or whichever is the lowest. For shareholders which must be owned by investors. Muslims in the long term to gain control a company or firm so his payment for Zakat will be based on the calculations that it will not affect the importance of other Muslims to get hold of the company. If any of the owners shares has not reached one year, but the whole property being changed for a number of time for one year from shares to cash and vice versa, so use the lowest value with the mixture of money and shares, shares with basic to count Zakat multiply 2.5 %. Zakat of Livestock Livestock Zakat is property Zakat that required to be taken out in perfect the conditions. Domestic animal that obliged to pay Zakat is among them such as goat, cattle, camel, sheep, and buffalo. Prophet S.A.W said From Muaz Ibnu Jabal, had said, RasulullahS.A.W was sending me to Yaman and ask me to collect zakat from each of 30 cows, 1 lamb musinnah (1 female cattle aged up to 3 years ) and every 30 cows, tabi or tabiah ( 1 male or female cattle aged up to 2 years). The livestock that we would like to give a Zakat must be perfect and no defects such as missing the foot or hand and so on. COWS/BUFFALOES Quantities Zakat Amount / Sex 30-39 tail 1 tail, age 1 year / male 40-59 tail 1 tail, age 2 year / female 60-69 tail 2 tail, age 1 year / male 70-79 tail 1 tail, age 1 year / male and 2 tail, age 2 year / male 80-89 tail 2 tail, age 2 year / female 90-99 tail 3 tail, age 1 year / male 100-109 tail 1 tail, age 2 year / female and 2 tail, age 1 year / male 110-119 tail 2 tail, age 2 year / female and 1 tail, age 1 year / male 120 tail above tail, age 2 year / female and 3 tail, age 1 year / male GOATS Quantities Zakat Amount / Sex 40-120 tail 1 tail, age 2 year / male or female 121-200 tail 2 tail, age 2 year / male or female 201-399 tail 3 tail, age 2 year / male or female Subsequent additions : Every of 100 tail plus plus 1 tail, age 2 year / male or female SHEEP Quantities Zakat Amount / Sex 40-120 tail 1 tail, age 1 year/ male @ female 121-200 tail 2 tail , age 1 year / male @ female 201-399 tail 3 tail, age 1 year/ male @ female Subsequent additions : every 100 tail Increased by 1 tail, age 1 year / male @ female. Zakat of Silver and Gold Gold and silver is a mineral that is required to charity. This is because these metals are very useful as it uses an exchange value of all things. As for other jewelry than gold and silver like diamond, pearl, silk, copper, are not obligatory Zakat on it. Nisab Zakat gold used = 200gram Gold Zakat Nisab unused = 85gram Zakat of Crops Zakat for basic food after it has reached the stage of satisfaction for the state which is 363 gantang / 1300 kg like paddy, wheat, cereals and so on. Method of Calculation First Method Cereals and fruits which used by people energy, animals and machines will use a lot of expenditure and so that the Zakat is 10 % or 1/10 Second Method Cereals and fruits depend on rain water, so Zakat is 5 % or 1/20 Third Method Cereals and fruits depends both as above method, so Zakat is 7.5 % ZAKAT PAYMENT When Does Zakat Become Obligation Only the wealth of Muslims is imposing to Zakat, it is not required from non-Muslim. First, this is because Zakat is one of the Pillar of Islam; it cant expect any disbeliever to pay it. Second, Islam is one of religion which is prohibiting any action that enforce others accept Islam as ones religion. In additional, if people just adapt them to Islam they should not be asked any past due of Zakat (the period of disbelief). According to the Shariah, Zakat is an obligatory for any Muslim who is: Mature Only major subject to the Zakat, qualify as a Zakat payer. Due to the lack of legal capacity, minor are not under a fard obligation to perform acts of ibadah. They are exempt from paying Zakat by using reason they deficiency of legal capacity. Sane As a Zakat payer, he should be sane. Before a child reaches mature, he considers as insane. He is exempt from the payment of Zakat during that period and liability of Zakat is start calculate when he get back his sanity. For another example, although the person was sane at the time of maturity but after that he becomes insanity. This person also exempts Zakat for the period his insanity. The liability of Zakat is calculated from the date of recovery of sanity. On the other hand, if the person only insanity of a part of the year, then his liability for Zakat of that year is calculated, no exempt. Free Owns the minimum (nizab) As a Zakat payer, he must meet all these four conditions. If one condition is not met, he doesnt have an obligation for the payment of Zakat. Besides, even a child, an orphan, or a mentally retarded person is exempt from Zakat payment but they are required to pay on their behalf. Last, if a person died without pay the Zakat was due, Zakat will take from the estate of a deceased person. ZAKAT DISTRIBUTION Categories Where Zakat Can Be Spent Zakat is only paid to an individual who is really needed and deserve. In the Quran, Allah (swt) says that: Zakat is for the poor and the needy and those who are in charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be reconciled; and to free those bondages, and to help those burned by debt, and for expenditure in the way of Allah, and for the wayfarer. This is an obligation from Allah. Allah is All- Knowing, All- Wise. (9:60) According to this, Zakat only can pay under eight categories. There are: The poor and the needy The main objective of Zakat is to reduce or mitigate poverty and destitution in social. The way to achieve it is taken from the rich and rendered to the poor. Actually, people who are poor and need is different. People whose are categories as poor when they are in need but due to modesty and self-respect, they are not begging from others. People who are in need and they are submitted in begging from others are classified as people who are needy. A person has become poor and needy mostly is because they are shortage in their income, they cannot fulfil the essential needs, and they are totally poverty. Besides, poor and need also includes those are physical disability, old age, or accidental circumstances. According to Al-Qaradawi, full- time students can be in needy situation when they are continuing their education. Workers in Zakat administration A person who collects and distributes Zakat is the third category of Zakat recipients. Based on Al- Qaradawi, Zakat collection and administration is the function of an organized body paid employees. Workers can receive Zakat as a compensation for their works regardless they are poor or not. Besides, this compensation must compete with the market value of their labour. Those whose hearts are being reconciled Five types of people involved in this category, there are: An individual who is close to become Muslim or whose clans may become Muslim. An individual who may do evil or harm to Muslim. Giving a Zakat to those people will prohibit them to do it. An individual who has just become Muslim, Zakat will help them to be engaged with Islam An individual who has a positive influence on Muslim. A Muslim who is expected to defend their Muslim land against attract from other. This happens especially when they are living on the boarder of a Muslim country. Muslim whose influence is needed in the process of collecting Zakat in order to convince individuals whose will not pay their Zakat. This action can avoid having fought between government and whose reject in Zakat payment. According to some jurists, such as Hanafis and Malikis, this category is not exist since the death of the Prophet but Al-Qaradawi and Mawdudi disagree with it, they state that Zakat recipients in this category have not stopped, but the payment only can make by the Islamic state, not by individual Zakat payers. Emancipation of slaves Contracted salves can use Zakat to pay his master in order to gain his freedom. Allah orders Muslims must show respect and give to give slaves who wish his contract is freeing. Besides, Allah also orders master to help his own slaves become freedom if they demand it. Allah says, If any slaves you own desire to make a contract to free themselves, write it for them if you know of good in them some of the wealth Allah has given you. Those burned in debt. According to the Hanafi School, a person is included in this category when he does not have enough wealth to serve his debt. The debts arise from consumer expenditure; it includes medical bills, building a house for personal residence, and marriage. Besides, victims those hit by natural disasters or accident and force them must borrow from other in order to continue their basic life also includes in this category. Zakat also consider as a high quality insurance against the financial effect from natural disasters or accidents. Before applying the Zakat, four conditions must be met, they are: The debtor must be in need of financial facilitating. A person who can cover his debt with his own wealth can not apply from Zakat. Besides, people who do not have sufficient wealth but they still can serve his debt with the income is eligible for Zakat. This condition shows Zakat is not only for a debtor who is totally destitute. Zakat may pay with difference depend on the level amount of debt against the available wealth of the debtor. The debt must come from Islamically lawful activity, for example borrowing in order to support the family. Loans are used for activities those are prohibited by Islam cannot be paid by Zakat. These activities include consumptions of alcoholic beverages and over-spending on lawful items. The main reason Zakat cannot be used to pay in these activities is to stop other to do this sin activities. The debt must be due immediately. Different scholar has a different idea of this condition. Some scholars approve that if the debt is due after one year, the debtor cannot get Zakat to pay it. Some disapprove of this; they argue that Zakat can give help to debtors regardless of the due date of the loans. One can be confirming is obligations owed to God are excluded in this category. The debt should by reason of other human beings. For example, obligation to Allah is excluded in this category. Obligation to Allah can be due Zakat and compensation for breaking a certain condition in Shariah. Expenditure in the way of Allah. After concluding the views of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii, and Hanbali, three points are agreed with them. There are: Jihad considers a part of this category. The fighter who fighting for the sake of Allah is lawful to receive Zakat. However the equipment and arms to fight is not agreed with some scholar. Public works such as building school, mosques, highways and roads, and irrigation canals is not qualified to receive Zakat. Four schools say that this public works have other funds to pay it such as fay and kharaj. Wayfarer Majority jurists believe that someone who just desire and just start travelling isnt classified in this category. This is because term Ibn as-sabil is meant someone on the road and a person who starts and desire travelling is still staying at home. Besides, a person considers as travellers will cut off his financial means at home. That means no income for him when he is travelling. A person who is desire for travel hasnt cut off his financial means yet. The wayfarer is one of a category can receive Zakat because of several reasons which are encouraged by the Quran: Travelling for purpose work and opportunity. Travelling can seek more knowledge and ponder on the signs of Allah in the world and on His animal and human communities. Travel can for the purpose of jihad in the Way of Allah Travel because of to attend the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah. Categories Who Can Not Receive Zakat According to Yusuf al-Qardawi (1999), there are several categories of people who is cannot receive Zakat. These categories are: The rich people Zakat has purposed to reduce poverty and destitution in social. In order to achieve it, Zakat will be taken from the rich and rendered to the poor. If Zakat is given to the rich, th