European Studies 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

European Studies 2 - Essay Example This paper attempts to explain why and in the process discusses the qualities and characteristics that make a good leader, based on the views of Machiavelli, which seem to do violence on the popular concept of leadership. According to Machiavelli, good intentions, strong moral convictions and even technical expertise do not guarantee success in the political and administrative arena (Dobel, 1998). â€Å"The man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.† A man from the common people may aspire for the highest post, and he can do alone or with the help of others. If he becomes a leader through his wealth rather than through popularity or force of arms, he is still said to have become a leader with the help of others. The reason is that the people will look not to him but to his wealth as the source of his power. The people’s attitude will be based not on the strength of his character or the wisdom of his acts but on the state of his finances. Machiavelli counts liberality and generosity as among the various qualities it is desirable to see in a leader, but â€Å"the reputation for liberality or generosity is better than the practice thereof.† In other words, one does not need to be liberal or generous throughout. The important thing is he acquires a reputation for these predilections without going overboard. The danger with a thoroughly liberal disposition, according to Machiavelli, is that this is likely to â€Å"consume his whole substance in things of this sort†¦ and be obliged, to maintain his reputation for liberality, to burden his subjects with extraordinary taxes and to resort to confiscations and all the other shifts whereby money is raised.† By consuming the means for practicing liberality and generosity, these dispositions lead to a reputation for the opposite. In general, leaders are better off if they are loved rather than feared by their constituents. Machiavelli,

Seeing Through the Illusions of the Sports Hero Essay

Seeing Through the Illusions of the Sports Hero - Essay Example The researcher states that many young children idolize professional athletes; that’s why they are easily influenced by these athletes whom they regard as their heroes. If, for instance, they see their hero athlete using steroids, they may think that using steroids is just okay. An athlete should really project an impeccable image to the society. However, parents should take the responsibility to teach their children and be their role models. Parents should be there for their children and guide them about which sports figures should be held in high esteem. But athletes, as public figures, should mind what they are showing to the public especially the athletes who are always followed by media. High profile athletes, by virtue of their celebrity, should act like paragons of virtue, even if they weren’t. According to the article â€Å"Seeing through the Illusions of the Sports Hero,† the author pointed out that these sports heroes are actually being just manipulated and most of them are not that perfect as role models. People like Martin Luther King Jr., who paid the ultimate cost for his devotion to justice with his life; Mother Theresa, who selflessly devoted herself to bring hope to others; and Muhammad Ali, who was willing to give up his title and risked being imprisoned for his religious objections to the Vietnam War. These are the people who should be considered as role models. The phrase â€Å"role model† should be a special title for people who exemplify the essence of civic responsibility.

Why I Chose to Study Engineering

Why I Chose to Study Engineering The significant contribution of engineers to the local and global communities is what has inspired me to study engineering. There are many disciplines of engineering though I have chosen to study architectural engineering. In this essay, I will reflect on my choice of study and explore the skills and contributions of architectural engineering. I will discuss what factors have inspired and motivated my choice of study, the roles of an architectural engineer, the attributes required to be a successful engineer, how they serve society and the obstacles that will be faced in the industry. I did not choose architectural engineering at random, there are some aspects that inspired and motivated my choice. I have always known I wanted to pursue a career in engineering, as I enjoy mathematics and physics, but I was unsure of which field. My personal interests have had a large impact on my choice of study. I love to design and create, take on new challenges, solve problems and give back to my community. Originally, I intended to study mining engineering and participated in a week of work experience at a mine. After that week, I believed that it was not for me. I had heard of architectural engineering and thought I would check it out. I researched everything I could about it and knew that it was the field I wanted to do. Architectural engineers give so much to the community through the structures they assist in designing. I hope to be able to help create systems that will assist our society. There were times when I was doubtful as engineering is a male-dominate field and the only course available is in Melbourne. However, my parents have pushed me to pursue my dream. They are my motivation, I do not want to let them down. I aspire to make them proud. Architectural engineers apply engineering principles and technology to the design, construction and planning of buildings. They are responsible for taking a design from an architect and developing the details of the buildings structural and environmental systems. The systems of a building include: structural integrity, heating/air conditioning systems, ventilating systems, plumbing, fire protection and electrical systems [1]. As shown in [2] architectural engineering incorporates elements of several other engineering disciplines including mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and others. Some architectural engineers may focus on specific areas, such as a structures capability to endure the stress of natural disasters. While others may concentrate on improving air quality, energy efficiency and minimising environmental impact. They work in teams with architects and engineers who a specialist in other fields [1]. As to be able to design and construct a stable and safe building, they need to be able to communicate, work together and solve problems. The attributes of a successful engineering can be listed in to three categories set by Engineers Australia. These three categories are: knowledge and skill base; engineering application ability; and professional and personal attributes [3]. The first two categories are based on having an understanding and application of engineering, mathematics and physics. The last category includes many of the key attributes required to be a successful architectural engineer. The ability to communicate with others and work in a team environment are two of the main key attributes. An engineer needs to be able to communicate well, both orally and in writing, to not just other engineers but also other specialist. In the industry, there will be times when engineers must work with others that may not have the same level of knowledge, so they must convey technical ideas in non-technical language understood by the audience [3]. Architectural engineers need to be creative, inquisitive, analytical and detai l-oriented [1]. This will enhance their problem-solving skills and lead to further ideas and developments that will serve society. Architectural engineering has a large impact on the systems that support societys standard of living [4]. Engineers are continuously aiming to improve and develop concepts that will greatly benefit society through the use of science and technology. Architectural engineers create building systems based on what is requested from society [4]. They have developed buildings that can withstand the stress of a natural disaster. They strive to create safe and convenient places for people to work and live. The designs developed by architectural engineers do not just benefit society with the final structure but also during the planning and construction phases. The different stages of a project require people from different professions, initiating many job opportunities for people within the communities. When architectural engineers have a project, they aim to create a safe and functional building suited for the consumers but this doesnt come without many obstacles. In the work force, there will be obstacles and challenges. There are many factors that could impact a project including: environmental impact, budgeting, resources and work environment. There are major concerns from society about the environmental impact of projects, thus engineers are trying to minimise our impact [5]. Budgets are a foremost factor in the creation and construction of a building as it is what gives architectural engineers a guideline, though sometimes it is considered a constraint. The budget allowed also impacts the availability of resources and materials. Architectural engineers can only create a building with what is available as it is unprofessional to start a project and realise that there is a limited amount of the building materials. The final factor, workplace environment as seen in [6] is the most critical factor in maintaining the productivity rate and satisfaction levels of a workplace and employees. The main aspect that has inspired me to study architectural engineering is the large contribution it has on improving and developing societys standard of living. In this essay, I have reflected, discussed and explored the aspects that have inspired and motivated my choice of study, the responsibilities and role of an architectural engineer, the attributes required to become an accredited engineer, the impact that they have on society and the challenges that will be faced in the workplace. References [1] Architectural Engineering Overview, Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. Accessed on: Mar. 10, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/archeng/archeng.pdf [2]C. Ozansoy, Class Lecture, Topic: Chapter 1 What is Engineering? NEF1103, College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Vic., Feb., 27, 2017. [3] D. Dowling, R. Hadgraft, A. Carew, T. McCarthy, D. Hargreaves and C. Ballie, What is Engineering? in Engineering Your Future: An Australasian Guide, 3rd ed. Milton: John Wiley Sons, 2016, ch.1, pp. 24-27. [4] University of Michigan (2013, Aug. 2). 2013 James R. Mellor Lecture William Banholzer [Video file]. Accessed on: Mar. 19, 2017. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XY4mMZNGl4 [5]D. Dowling, R. Hadgraft, A. Carew, T. McCarthy, D. Hargreaves and C. Ballie, Sustainable Engineering, in Engineering Your Future: An Australasian Guide, 3rd ed. Milton: John Wiley Sons, 2016, ch.3, p. 119. [6]E. Ajala, The Influence of Workplace Environment on Workers Welfare, Performance and Productivity, The African Symposium: An online journal of the African Educational Research Network, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 141, 2012.

Writing with Technology Essay -- Writing Technology Education Writer E

Writing with Technology The task was seemingly straightforward; create a piece of writing without using a single form of technology. I didn’t think this would be much of a problem. I figured I could hand-write something instead of typing it or using a word processor and that would meet the requirements of the project. However, according to Dennis Baron in his essay From Pencils to Pixels the pencil is, in fact, a form of technology. Evidently, it was invented â€Å"by joiners, woodworkers specializing in making furniture, to scribe measurements for wood† (Tribble/Trubek, 42). Adding further to my obstacles, paper, being a created object, was not an option as well. This was turning out to be harder than I thought. After I pondered and thought through a myriad of options, I found it to be increasingly difficult to revert back to what felt like caveman days when writings were scratched on a stone wall using very sharp rocks. When I had thought it through to what I thought was the fullest extent, I began preparing for this project trying to use the same premise as the very basics of the typewriter; to imprint letters on a surface and make them visible with the use of a substance that stands out visually from the surface. Unfortunately, this premise did not work for me as it had for Mark Twain, â€Å"one of the first Americans to buy what was, in 1874, a new-fangled novelty: a typewriter† (500). Easy it was for him to use such a technology, but how difficult it was for me! I initially tried to create a writing technology without using technology by thinking of ideas that were detailed, complex, and difficult. My original idea, I found, turned out to be much more complicated than I had anticipated. I recruited my boyfriend and we wen... ...s impossible to complete without using any form of technology at all. Although I enjoyed the discovery process and the creation of my writing technology, I can’t help but wonder how inconvenient it would have been for Thoreau to spend his time in the woods crushing berries and writing with a stick. Works Cited Baron, Dennis. â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology.† Writing Material: From Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn Tribble, Anne Trubek. Addison Wesley Longman. New York. 2003. Ong, Walter. â€Å"Writing is a Technology That Restructures Thought.† Writing Material: From Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn Tribble, Anne Trubek. Addison Wesley Longman. New York. 2003. Twain, Mark. â€Å"The First Writing-Machines.† Writing Material: From Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn Tribble, Anne Trubek. Addison Wesley Longman. New York. 2003.

MedNet †Analysis and Strategic alternatives Essay

We are presented with a case where Heather Yates, vice president for business development at MedNet.com, a website delivering health information free to consumers, was losing one of their biggest advertiser ‘Windham Pharmaceuticals’. She along with the leadership team were on the task of convincing Mahria Baker, Windham’s CMO to continue advertising with them instead of investing their advertisement dollars on ‘Marvel’ which was essentially a large search engine with a huge audience. Mednet is also facing tough competition from several other websites providing expert information on therapeutic treatments and condition specific diseases like cholesterol. About MedNet: MedNet is an American corporation which provides health information services. The website was created with a mission of providing reliable and trustworthy medical information to consumer audience for free and to make profits through advertising from pharmaceutical companies. Two important aspects to be always monitored by MedNet to be on top of the things are it’s Visitors and Advertisers. What does an advertiser want? Sales, leads, brand awareness? What are the best metrics for measuring these? The advertisers here are pharmaceutical companies who buy onscreen advertising space from websites. Though branding in the form of promoting company’s logo, slogan, and their product’s name along with its features is paramount to any company, it is the ‘numbers’ in terms of Sales revenue that matters the most. The possible measuring metrics is the Banner advertising charging advertisers on a cost per thousand impressions (CPM) basis where an impression means that one visitor actually saw an online advertisement. The second is Click through rate (CTR) method which counts each time a potential buyer clicks the advertisement seeking more product information. CPM accounts more for the brand awareness whereas the click through accounts more for the Sales revenue generated in general, however, the winning metrics greatly depends on the industry one is catering to. What specific consumer behaviors determine whether or not a business model produces the results an advertiser wants? MedNet is greatly financed by  advertising, selling online magazines and sponsorships. It has a business model that’s very much centered on advertising. MedNet is a go-to resource for basic health and diagnostic information. However, competitors like cholesterol.com and others emerged that offered tailored and condition-specific health recommendations to each visitor’s specifications for such chronic diseases. Though MedNet was known to post the most up to date and reliable health information which helped them enforce trusted relationships with their audience, it was important that they ensure that the customer returns back to them each time. Based on the CTR and the CPM, the advertisers can precisely analyze the consumer’s preferences and purchasing patterns. What is the best argument Yates can make to justify charging Windham for impressions in stead of click – throughs? Does she have acceptable alternatives? MedNet charges for cost per thousand impressions to Windham Pharmaceuticals while Marvel, the search engine is doing it for free. Yates, the VP, rightly argues that though the impression might not be an accurate measure of a sale of the product but it does have an assuring and positive impact about the advertiser on the consumer. It instills a belief of goodness of a product making it highly likely that the consumer buys it at a later point of time. She laid emphasis on the ‘trusted’ relationship which however, is not quantifiable. I think, the best argument she puts across is along the lines of the targeted audience. According to reports, more consumers seek health information than finance or health information online. ‘Health’ comes first and a diligent consumer would want to access only reliable diagnostic information which is guaranteed via MedNet which is an established well known website for its health information services. Thus, audience looking at the Windham’s ad through MedNet is more likely to buy the product. The alternative approach to this is as follows: 1) MedNet could charge Windham for click throughs only. However, this is NOT acceptable given the small audience that MedNet captures. It is less likely for this limited audience to actually go click an advertisement. This would affect their sales revenue. 2) Windham can wait to see the results of the Vesselia (prescription medication) coupons that were redeemable at the pharmacy. This way, Windham could know if MedNet was more promising and profitable than Marvel. What value to the customer does a general interest  site contribute that a niche site can’t? General interest sites like MedNet faced tough competition from the specialized niche sites like cholesterol. However, the following are a few aspects that give the general sites an edge over the niche ones. 1) They provide a wide source of information on different medical conditions. This way, they are running a business that attracts a larger audience. They are providing real value to these customers. 2) General interest sites are more ‘well known’ to the unprofessional and less sophisticated consumer base. They might not be aware of the niche sites. Thus, general interest sites provide a larger coverage of the general audience. 3) Because general sites cater to larger audience who are their regular visitors, they can afford to provide cheap services to their advertisers thus making their scheme much more attractive than the niche sites. 4) The niche sites providing Tailored recommendations were running a huge risk of providing the full diagnosed information violating the state and federal govt. regulations thus in turn, risking their customer’s integrity. What steps can MedNet take to address emerging competitive threats? MedNet is facing a tough competition from potential competitors like Marvel, Cholesterol etc. The major underlying issue being the limited visitor traffic. Most of the traffic gets diverted to Marvel. 1. In order to increase their popularity and generate more returning traffic, they can do the following: Retain the same content but add more value by using social media to create community groups to encourage group discussions, create forums and blogs that helps people learn from reviews and feedbacks. These community tools will make the site more interactive and encourage visitors to return to the site. MedNet is in the business of advertising where it is promoting its advertisers. But ‘self-advertising’ is important too. Promote and Publicize self, using conventional means of advertising like prints on paper like newspapers, Yellow pages and magazines. They should target advertisers of more common ailments like high blood pressure, allergies and depression/anxiety. Thus, in order to increase the value provided to Windham, MedNet needs to focus on the volume  of the consumer traffic and make sure these consumers return. 2. Target employer websites and private online health portals, which give employees a secure gateway through which they can access their personal health information, and insurance claims. This will help diversify revenues and maintaining existing consumers. Alongside, it would help in branding through Corporate Word of Mouth. Though there will be initial setup and marketing costs, but this will pay off in the long run. MedNet should also discuss with the employers to provide pharmaceutical ads in addition to these services they offer to the employees. 3. MedNet can broaden their pool of advertisers that currently focus only on pharmaceutical companies to others like professional high profile clinics, pharmacies, health insurance companies etc. There is a tough competition among these smaller advertisers because they are large in number and thus would need advertising to promote self-more than ever. So these are potential customers to MedNet. Thus above are a few alternative approaches that MedNet can take to have an edge over it’s competitors. References: About WebMD. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD. The official WebMD site to understand the look and feel of a health information service website. Retrieved from http://symptoms.webmd.com/default.htm#conditionView.

Social obligation of business

There were arguments that obligation of business is to maximize long term profit for shareholders In a sustainable way, while others call them to Involve more to social responses. Each judgment has its own reasons which this research sought to analyze. Based on that, certain social obligations of business will be addressed with evidences, showing their necessary of being more responsible to social outcomes. Key words: corporate social obligation, shareholders, corporate profit, social responslblllty Introduction There has been a long debate on the role of business in society.Some people agreed with argument of: â€Å"The social obligation of business is to sustainably maximize long-term profits for shareholders. Nothing more. Nothing less† . However, others judge: â€Å"Business has a key role to play in combating issue like climate change, since the traditional response of many environmentalists and governments (namely, to encourage behavioral and attitudinal change amongst the general population) Is not enough in itself to ultimately produce desired environmental outcomes† .Different Judgments have their own reasons based on appropriate grounds. My view Is that business should ensure long term profit and stable operation while promote applying CSR practices into their daily operation for better performance. Companies today are confronting intense pressures to address social concerns and it is undeniable that socially Irresponsible businesses may lose their competitive advantage . Corporate Social Responslblllty (CSR) Definition Since 1920s, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) started to be discussed.However, due to the Great Depression economics and World War II, business leaders did not discuss about it seriously until the 1950s. The definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) varies between businesses and possibly changes at certain time points, depending on their visions and goals. There are so many definition for CSR . However, the most general definition for it is that â€Å"CSR is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society† . Appllcatlon CSR now a day has been a popular term in different businesses.However, it seems corporations pay more attentions to these activities than those of small and medium size, who usually blame that they do not have time and money to follow these luxury' practices. In all effort, the UN Global Compact guideline on ISO 260000 had been developed to help enterprises of all sizes to globally approach and practice CSR strategies. CSR application is not required by law, while business profits and social obligations are always difficult choices for management, CSR strategies are most of time considered for implementation, as the business trend is to contribute good thing and more responsible to society.We will analyze each situation in the next paragraphs, to understand better on why sometimes it is hard making decision. Corporate Social Responsible OR corporate profit? It is argued that social obligation or social responsibility was defined as the obligation of business to meet its economic and legal responsibilities and no more . This viewpoint is based on the notion that business organizations were set up with aims to provide goods and services to society, and enterprise were operated primary on profit motive.Many scholars agreed upon this point of view, including Milton Friedman (1970), as mentioned in his article in the New York Times Magazine . This belief has been maintained for many years not only by Friedman but also other usiness executives and scholars. It is true that the primary social obligation/social responsibility of a business is to bring benefits to its owners and shareholders who invest a significant amount of money there. Consequently, fulfilling the economic responsibility is the initial obligation of a business, it should also obey the laws and regulations of the so ciety while running its operations.Social matters are not the concern of business people, these problems should be resolved by the unfettered workings of the free market system (Friedman, 1970). In cases where corporate profit nd social benefit aligned, CSR might not be considered and therefore irrelevant. Or in other cases where corporate profits and social welfares are opposite, then the profit will be taken into consideration, as business management will always want to prioritize shareholder's interest.

Mentos Diet Soda Chemical Volcano

Mentos Diet Soda Chemical Volcano Chemical volcanoes are classic projects for science fairs and chemistry demonstrations. The ​Mentos and diet soda volcano is similar to the baking soda volcano, except the eruption is really powerful, capable of producing jets of soda several feet high. Its messy, so you might want to do this project outdoors or in a bathroom. Its also non-toxic, so kids can do this project. This simple  chemical volcano takes a few minutes to set up and erupts for a few seconds What You Need Roll of Mentos candies2-liter bottle of  diet sodaIndex cardTest tube or sheet of paperA mop for cleanup Makingthe Mentos and Soda Erupt First, gather your supplies. You can substitute another candy for the Mentos, such as MMs or Skittles, but ideally, you want candies that stack into a neat column with minimal space between them, have a chalky consistency, and barely fit through the mouth of a 2-liter bottle.Similarly, you could substitute normal soda for diet soda. The project will work just as well, but the resulting eruption will be sticky. Whatever you use, the beverage has to be carbonated!First, you need to stack the candies. The easiest way to do this is to stack them in a test tube narrow enough to form a single column. Otherwise, you can roll a sheet of paper into a tube just barely wide enough for a stack of candies.Place an index card over the opening of the test tube or end of the paper tube to hold the candies in the container. Invert the test tube.Open your full 2-liter bottle of diet soda. The eruption happens very quickly, so set things up: you want the open bottle/index card/roll of candies so that a s soon as you remove the index card, the candies will drop smoothly into the bottle. When youre ready, do it! You can repeat the eruption with the same bottle and another stack of candies. Have fun! How the Mentos and Diet Soda Experiment Works The Diet Coke and Mentos geyser is the result of a physical process rather than a chemical reaction. Theres a lot of carbon dioxide dissolves in the soda, which gives it its fizz. When you drop a Mentos into the soda, tiny bumps on the candy surface give the carbon dioxide molecules a nucleation site or place to stick. As more and more carbon dioxide molecules accumulate, bubbles form. Mentos candies are heavy enough they sink, so they interact with carbon dioxide all the way to the bottom of the container. The bubbles expand as they rise. The partially dissolved candy is sticky enough to trap the gas, forming a foam. Because theres so much pressure, it all happens very quickly. The narrow opening of a soda bottle funnels the foam to make a geyser. If you use a nozzle that makes the opening at the top of the bottle even smaller, the jet of liquid will go even higher. You can also experiment using regular Coke (as opposed to the diet versions) or tonic water (which glows blue under a black light).