A Case Study of Joint Venture Banks in Nepal Essay

Using the data set published by joint venture banks in their annual reports, and NRB in its supervision annual reports, this paper examines the financial health of joint venture banks in the CAMEL framework. The health check up conducted on the basis of publicly available financial data concludes that the health of joint venture banks is better than that of the other commercial banks. In addition, the perusal of indicators of different components of CAMEL indicates that the financial health of joint venture banks are not so strong to manage the possible large scale shocks to their balance sheet and their health is fair. THE HISTORY OF MODERN commercial banking industry dates back to 1937 A.D in which year Nepal Bank Ltd. was incorporated. Till 1984, financial sector was closed to private sector and foreign investors. HMG/Nepal started to liberalize the financial sector in the first half of the 1980s. But it speeded up this process only in early 1990s. Private sector rushed into the finance industries especially after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Most of the commercial banks came into operation during the decade of 1990s. Government of any countries highly monitors and controls the finance industry even in the liberalized market economy. Government does so due to its high gravity in the national economy, and to build up the confidence of private sector in its financial system. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) as an apex monetary authority of the country started to monitor and control the finance industry especially at the end of the 1990s by issuing the directives to the financial institutions (FIs). It initiated the offsite and onsite supervision of FIs to maintain their sound financial health and to build up  the confidence of private sector in the liberalized financial system and protect the interest of the investors. It has adopted the CAEL (capital adequacy, asset quality, earning and liquidity) system to check up the health of FIs. It has yet to use the CAMELS to evaluate the financial performance and check up the financial health. Independent outsiders also can not use all components of CAMELS to check up the financial health of FIs in Nepal due to the full disclosures of required financial information to outsiders. NRB dictated FIs to disclose the financial information in uniform way only in the fiscal year (FY) 2001/02. In this paper, attempt has been ma de to check up the financial health of joint venture banks in the framework of CAMEL. 1. Rationale of Regular Health Check up of Commercial Banks Not only the commercial banks but also any FIs require regular health check up to maintain the confidence of private sector in financial system of the country and protect the interest of depositors, lenders, shareholders and other stakeholders. The gravity of the importance of sound financial sector has increased tremendously after the international financial turmoil of the second half of the 1990s. International monetary authorities such as International Monetary Fund and international FI like the World Bank have underpinned the need of healthy financial sector to build up the confidence of private sector in the liber41 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies alized financial system. Therefore, they have directed their member countries to reform the financial sector and conduct the regular health check up of FIs through onsite and offsite supervision. International FIs like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are supporting the projects run in the vein of reforming process of the financial sector of different countries. For example, the World Bank is constantly providing the technical and financial support to reengineer NRB and restructure Nepal Bank Ltd. and Rastriya Banijya Bank (NRB 2005). Health of financial sector depends on the health of individual FIs. In addition, individual FI’s health counts on the myriad macro and micro factors. Among the macro factors, political stability and the real sector growth are vital. The financial health of FIs can not sustain without the political stability and sustainable real sector growth with sound health. However, the intensity of contagious effect of these macro variables may vary from one individual FI to another. Therefore, health of individual FI should be checked up regularly to know the intensity of such effect. Health of an individual FI is a function of multiple factors such as quality of its assets, liquidity position, capital base, management quality, market sensitivity and earnings. All these factors affect the different types of risk to an individual FI. Different types of risks: credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, market risk, off-balance sheet risk, foreign exchange risk, sovereign risk, technology, operational risk, insolvency risk, affect the health of an individual FI adversely if they are not managed in sustainable manner (Saunders and Cornett 2004). A number of factors such as quality of assets, financial market condition, foreign exchange market, composition of assets, financial health of its clients, profitability, capital adequacy, affect the degree of these risks. Financial health check-up of an individual institution should be made regularly to detect the adverse effect of these risks on its health. Micro-prudential indicators such as capital adequacy, asset quality, management soundness, earning and profitability, liquidity, sensitivity to market risk, and market based indicators like market price of financial instruments, credit ratings are used as indicators of the sound health of an individual FI (Evan and others 2000). These indicators are explained at length in the ensuing section of this paper. 2. Theoretical Prescription of CAMELS Framework The Basle Committee on Banking Supervision of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has recommended using capital adequacy, assets quality, management quality, earnings and liquidity (CAMEL) as criteria for assessing a FI in 1988 (ADB 2002). The sixth component, market risk (S) was added to CAMEL in 1997 (Gilbert, Meyer and Vaughan 2000). However, most of the developing countries are using CAMEL instead of CAMELS in the performance evaluation of the FIs. The central banks in some of the countries like Nepal, Kenya use CAEL instead of CAMELS. CAMELS framework is a common method for evaluating the soundness of FIs. This system was developed by regulatory authorities of the U.S banks. The Federal Reserve Bank, the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation all use this system (McNally 1996). Monetary authorities in the most of the countries are using this system to check up the health of an individual FI. In addition, International Monetary Fund also is using the aggregated indicators of individual FIs to assess the financial system 42 Health Check-up of Commercial Banks soundness of its member countries as part of its surveillance work (Hilbers, Krueger and Moretti 2000). 2.1 Capital Adequacy CAMELS framework system looks at six major aspects of an FI: capital adequacy, asset quality, management soundness, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity to market risk (Hilbers, Krueger and Moretti 2000). The first component, capital adequacy ultimately determines how well FIs can manage with shocks to their balance sheets. Thus, it tracks capital adequacy ratios that take into account the most important financial risks—foreign exchange, credit, and interest rate risks—by assigning risk weightings to the institution’s assets. For the purpose of capital adequacy measurement, bank capital is divided into Tier I and Tier II. Tier I capital is primary capital and Tier II capital is supplementary capital. In Nepalese context, Tier I (core/primary) capital includes paid-up capital, share premium, non-redeemable preference share, general reserve fund, accumulated profit, capital redemption reserve, capital adjustment fund, and other free reserve. Amount of the goodwill, fictitious assets, investment in the financial instruments issued by an organized organization in excess to the limit specified by NRB, and investment in the financial instruments issued by the organizations having the own financial interest is deducted from the sum of all elements of the primary capital to arrive at the core capital. Similarly, Tier II (supplementary) capital comprises of general loan loss provision, assets revaluation reserve, hybrid capital instruments, subordinated term loan, exchange equalization reserve, excess loan loss provision, and investment adjustment reserve. Thus, the total capital of commercial banks is the sum of core capital and supplementary capital (NRB 2005). Leverage ratio can be used to measure the capital adequacy of a bank. This is the ratio of bank’s book value of core capital to the book value of its assets. The higher ratio shows the higher level of capital adequacy. The U.S.A. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA) of 1991 has fixed the five target zones: i. 5 percent and above ii. 4 percent and above iii. under 4 percent, iv. under 3 percent, v. 2 percent and less, of leverage ratio. The leverage ratio falling in the first zone implies that bank is well capitalized. Similarly, the leverage falling in the second zone shows that bank is adequately capitalized. The leverage falling in the last three zones indicates that bank is inadequately capitalized and regulators should take prompt corrective action to bring the capital to the desirable level (Saunders and Cornett 2004). The leverage ratio stated in the foregoing discussion is simple capital to assets ratio. In other words, assets are not risk adjusted. The 1993 Basel Accord enforced the capital ratio to risk adjusted assets of commercial banks. According to this accord, core capital must equal to or exceed 4 percent of the risk weighted assets of the commercial banks. Similarly, the amount of the supplementary capital should not exceed the amount of the core capital and the total capital must equal or exceed 8 percent of risk weighted assets (Saunders and Cornett 2004). NRB initially fixed the core capital at the level of 4.5 percent of the risk weighted assets and total capital at the level of 9 percent of risk weighted assets of the commercial banks (NRB 2058). For the current FY2005/06, the mandatory levels of core capital and total capital are 6 percent and 12 percent of risk weighted assets of commercial banks. But NRB has strictly directed all commercial banks that the amount of the supplementary capital should not be in excess to the amount of the core capital (NRB 2005). 43 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies 2.2 Asset Quality Credit risk is one of the factors that affect the health of an individual FI. The extent of the credit risk depends on the quality of assets held by an individual FI. The quality of assets held by an FI depends on exposure to specific risks, trends in non-performing loans, and the health and profitability of bank borrowers—especially the corporate sector. We can use a number of measures to indicate the quality of assets held by FIs. ADB suggests these measures—loan concentration by industry, region, borrower and portfolio quality; related party policies and exposure on outstanding loan, approval process of loan, check and balance of loans; loan loss provision ratio; portfolio in arrear; loan loss ratio; and reserve ratio—of checking the quality of assets of an FI (ADB 2002). NRB uses composition of assets, nonperforming loan to total loan ratio, net nonperforming loan to total loan ratio as the indicators of the quality of assets of commercial banks (NRB 2005. NRB has directed the commercial banks in regards to the concentration of the loan. Any licensed FI can grant the fund base loan to a single borrower or borrowers related to the same business group up to the 25 percent of its primary capital. In the same vein, it can provide the non-fund base loan up to 50 percent of its core capital (NRB 2005). Similarly, it has directed FIs to classify the loans into performing loan and nonperforming loans. The loans that are not due and 3 months past due fall in the class of performing loans/performing assets and others do in the non-performing loans. Further, non-performing loans are classified into three groups: substandard, doubtful, and bad debt/ loss (for detail classification see NRB directive 2/061/62). Commercial banks have to make 1 percent provision for pass loan/performing loan, 25 percent for substandard loan, 50 percent for doubtful loan and 100 percent for bad loan (NRB 2005). Non-performing assets in the total assets of commercial banks was 22.77 percent in the FY 2003/04. But the percentage of non-performing assets of an individual commercial bank varies from 0.76 percent to 57.64 in the same fiscal year. But the normal international standard of the percentage of non-performing assets is 5-8 percent of the total assets. 2.3 Management Quality Sound management is key to bank performance but is difficult to measure. It is primarily a qualitative factor applicable to individual institutions. Several indicators, however, can jointly serve as an indicator of management soundness. Expenses ratio, earning per employee, cost per loan, average loan size and cost per unit of money lent can be used as a proxy of the management quality. ADB recommends cost per unit of money lent as a proxy of management quality. But this can not be used as an indicator of management quality in Nepal. Since the data on amount of the total loan mobilized during a particular FY is not available in published financial statements and annual reports. As stated earlier, NRB has skipped up this component of CAMELS in the performance evaluation of commercial banks (see NRB 2005). 2.4 Earning Performance Earning capacity or profitability keeps up the sound health of an FI. Chronically unprofitable FI risks insolvency on one hand and on the others, unusually high profitability can reflect excessive risk taking of an FI. There are different indicators of profitability. Return on assets, return on equity, interest-spread ratio, earning-spread ratio, gross margin, 44 Health Check-up of Commercial Banks operating profit margin and net profit margin are commonly used profitability indicators. NRB uses return on total assets as an indicator of profitability of a commercial bank. In addition, it uses the absolute measures such as interest income, net interest income, noninterest income, net non-interest income, non-operating income, net non-operating income and net profit, to evaluate the profitability of a commercial bank (NRB 2005). 2.5 Liquidity Liquidity risk threats the solvency of FIs. In the case of commercial banks, first type of liquidity risk arises when depositors of commercial banks seek to withdraw their money and the second type does when commitment holders want to exercise the commitments recorded off the balance sheet. Commercial banks have to borrow the additional funds or sell the assets at fire sale price to pay off the deposit liabilities. They become insolvent if sale price of the assets are not enough to meet the liability withdrawals. The second type of liquidity risk arises when demand for unexpected loans can not be met due to the lack of the funds. Commercial banks can raise the  funds by running down their cash assets, borrowing additional funds in the money markets and selling off other assets at distressed price. Both liability side liquidity risk (first type risk) and asset side liquidity risk (second type risk) affect the health of commercial banks adversely. But maintaining the high liquidity position to minimize such risks also adversely affects the profitability of FIs. Return on highly liquid assets is almost zero. Therefore, FIs should strike the tradeoff between liquidity position and profitability so that they could maintain their health sound. Commercial bank’s liquidity exposure can be measured by analyzing the sources and uses of liquidity. In this approach, total net liquidity is worked out by deducting the total of uses of liquidity from the total of sources of liquidity. Similarly, BIS maturity laddering model can be used to measure the liquidity of a commercial banks. In addition, different liquidity exposure ratios such as borrowed funds to total assets, core deposit to total assets, loans to deposits, and commitments to lend to total assets are used to measure the liquidity position of a commercial bank (Saunders and Cornett 2004). NRB uses total loan to total deposit ratio, cash and equivalents to total assets ratio, cash and equivalents to total deposit ratio, NRB balance to total deposit ratio to measure the liquidity position of commercial banks in the course of the performance evaluation of commercial banks (NRB 2005). 2.6 Sensitivity to Market Risk Commercial banks are increasingly involved in diversified operations such as lending and borrowing, transaction in foreign exchange, selling off assets pledged for securities and so on. All these are subject to market risk like interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk, and financial asset and commodity price risk. The health of an FI more sensitive to market risk is more hazardous than that of less sensitive. Foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk, equity price risk, and commodity price risk are the indicators of sensitivity to market risk. 3. Methodology At present, all together 17 commercial banks are in operation. Out of this, Rastriya Banijya Bank is fully owned by HMG/Nepal while in case of Nepal Bank Ltd, HMG/Nepal is the major shareholder. There are six joint venture banks in collaboration with the foreign investment partners and remaining are fully owned by Nepalese investors. For the purpose 45 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies of this study, the population has been defined in term of joint venture commercial banks. So the population of this study is six. For the purpose of this study, 3 banks—Nabil Bank Limited (Nabil), Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. (NSBI) and Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited (SCBN), were selected randomly (for sampling frame and sample refer to Appendix 1). This study is based on the historical data disclosed by annual reports of commercial banks. NRB has dictated the commercial banks to disclose the financial information in the prescribed format since the FY 2001/02. So, the comparison of financial performance of commercial banks each other is only possible only the FY 2000/01 onward.1 Most of the commercial banks have yet to hold the annual general meeting and publish their annual report for the FY 2004/05. So, it is not possible to include this FY in the study. Therefore, this study covers the last four consecutive fiscal years—from the FY 2000/01 through FY 2003/04. The analysis of this study is entirely based on the CAMELS framework. As stated in theoretical prescription, health check up of any FIs in this framework is concentrated in the six components: capital adequacy, asset quality, management quality, earning, liquidity and sensitivity to market. But in this study, the last component has been dropped due to the presence of much more complication. So, analysis of financial health of joint venture banks is carried out in the framework of CAMEL. Indicators of each component also have been used according to the financial data disclosed in annual reports of sampled joint venture banks. So, complicated indicators of each component of CAMEL framework of checking up the health of the banks have been skipped up in this study (for the indicators of each component refer to Appendix 2). 4. Analysis of Financial Health of Commercial Banks This section of this paper analyses the indicators of the financial health of sampled joint venture banks in the CAMEL framework. As stated in methodology, all indicators of the financial health of FIs have not be worked out and analyzed, only the indicators permitted by the publicly available comparable financial data have been used to analyze the financial health of the sampled banks. The ensuing section presents the analysis of different indicators of sound health of an FI in the context of joint venture banks in Nepal. 4.1 Capital Adequacy As stated earlier, leverage ratio, core capital ratio, total capital ratio and supplementary capital ratio are used as the indicators of capital adequacy of an FI. Leverage ratios of sampled banks, in general, show that joint venture banks are well capitalized and they are strong enough to mange the shock to balance sheet. Since the leverage ratios of sampled banks during the study periods are greater than 5 percent. Conventionally, leverage ratio of 5 percent or greater than 5 percent indicates that commercial banks are well capitalized. The indicators: TCR, CCR and SCR, of capital adequacy of joint venture banks also corroborate with the implication of leverage ratio. In general, all banks under study have met the capital adequacy ratio as directed by NRB. Only NSBI has not met the minimum capital requirement as directed by NRB in the FY 2000/01 and FY 2003/04. In these fiscal years, its TCR and CCR are lower than that of minimum ratio specified by NRB. Similarly, in the Financial information for the FY2000/01 were extracted from the annual reports of the sample banks. But this was not possible in Nabil Bank Ltd. Capital of commercial banks in Nepal is negative due to the heavy amount of negative capital of two public sector banks: Nepal Bank Ltd. and Rastriya Banijya Bank. Capital of these two banks is negative due to the heavy accumulated losses. Thus, the public sector banks have yet to meet the capital adequacy requirements as required by NRB. But private sector banks have, in general, met the capital adequacy requirement. The comparison between the capital fund to risk weighted assets ratio of each individual joint venture bank with the aggregate capital fund ratio of private sector commercial banks (IAR) implies that joint venture banks have stronger capital base than that of other private sector banks in general. In addition, average capital fund ratio of joint venture banks during the study period hovers around 14 percent. This is higher than the minimum ratio specified by NRB. This clearly implies that joint venture banks are complying with the directive of NRB on the requirement of the capital base of commercial banks. As stated in the foregoing analysis, banks under study are well capitalized and they are complying with the directive of NRB on capital adequacy ratio. But their capital base relative to the risk weighted assets is not so strong. According to the international rating convention, total capital should be greater than 19.5 percent of the total risk weighted assets of commercial banks in order to be a strong capital base. But none of the banks under study has the capital fund greater than 19.5 percent of the total risk weighted capital. As indicated by TCR, on the average, capital adequacy of joint venture banks is fair during the study period. Total capital adequacy ratio less than 15 and equal to 12 indicates that capital adequacy is fair and on the average this ratio falls within this range. 47 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies 4.2 Asset Quality It is obvious from the theoretical prescription that the health of commercial banks largely depends on the quality of assets held by them, and quality of the assets relies on the financial health of their borrowers. As stated earlier, many indicators can be used to measure the quality of assets held by commercial banks. But, here, only two simple indicators— non-performing asset ratio and loan loss reserve ratio—are used to measure the quality of assets being held by banks. The increasing trend of these ratios shows the deteriorating quality of commercial bank assets. In general, 5 percent to 10 percent of non-performing assets is considered as satisfactory level of quality of bank assets, Table 2: Indicators of Asset Quality of Sampled Banks

Capitalism and Religion in the Works and Lives of Franklin and Equiano Essay

Capitalism and religion are two subjects which appear frequently in both â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin† and â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,† because these were important parts of the lives of these two men. Both men were able to be players in the capitalist market while still following a spiritual doctrine because each man chose which was more important to him-capitalist goals or Christian morals. For each man, the one which was less important submitted to the one which was more valuable to him. Both men take part in capitalism and religion, but Franklin places capitalism first and Equiano places religion first. Each man made life choices according to this hierarchy of importance, sacrificing parts of the less important in order to pursue and excel in the one they held dearer. Franklin, a hard-working and frugal businessman who many have said embodies the capitalist spirit, made his religious choices around his identity as a capitalist, while the extent of Equiano’s participation and success in the capitalist market was determined by his faith. Both spiritual, both capitalist businessmen, Franklin and Equiano brought together these two seemingly opposed components of their lives by blending the two and taking aspects from each to use in their participation in the other, but always letting the one they considered more important to trump the other in situations where a choice between capitalism and religion had to be made. As Benjamin Franklin explained in his autobiography, he â€Å"never doubted†¦the existence of the Deity† (62), and he described several occasions when he asked God for assistance in times of need, so it is clear he was spiritual. Franklin wished to be morally upright, but he disliked organized religion and found that in each religious sect, the religious beliefs he held were â€Å"mix’d with other articles, which, without any tendency to inspire, promote, or conform morality, serv’d principally to divide us† (62). For this reason, Franklin did not attend church regularly or abide by any one religion, although he agreed with bits and pieces of many different faiths. But he considered himself a moral man, and wished to achieve the same thing encouraged in Christian teachings: â€Å"moral perfection† (63). For this reason, Franklin decided to create his own list of virtues to abide by. Rather than abandoning faith altogether because he could not find a church which was in line with his way of thinking, Franklin created his own personal religion-â€Å"The Art of Virtue.† Present in Franklin’s list of 13 virtues are several which are in accordance with Christianity-temperance, sincerity, justice, chastity, humility-but some key elements of the Christian religion have been removed from the doctrine by which he lives his life. Unlike Christianity, Franklin’s commandments make no mention of monetary accumulation. In many religions, it is stipulated that one who is wealthy cannot reach heaven. In the Bible, Jesus tells his disciples that â€Å"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God† (Matthew 10:24). Because this does not serve Franklin’s interest in capitalist success, Franklin omitted from his virtues any mention of greed or accruement of wealth, instead including virtues which he thought were more important, and which served his capitalist aspirations more suitably. Several of his virtues are also non-Christian but clearly in the spirit of capitalism-resolution, frugality, and industry are not tenets of the Christian religion, but were essential in Franklin’s mind for success in the free market and therefore essential in the dogma he followed. By creating and following his own list of virtues, Franklin was able to pick and choose the best from both Christianity and capitalism. However, Franklin’s religious inclinations were formed by, and altered to fit, his capitalist aspirations, and his virtues were created in order to best serve his goals in the capitalist market. Franklin reconciled capitalism and religion by extracting from Christianity the beliefs which were most conducive towards capitalism, then adding morals of his own which were driven directly towards capitalist success. Therefore, he was able to participate in both, following a self-made religion that served the goals of capitalism. Olaudah Equiano, on the other hand, considered himself a Christian above all other labels. To him, religion was the most important aspect of his life, and he was willing to sacrifice everything else before he would compromise his religious beliefs. Equiano’s first introduction to the capitalist system came when he arrived at the port in Bridge Town, Barbados, and was placed in a yard with other slaves to be sold as a commodity. But Equiano did not participate actively in the capitalist system as a person (rather than an article of trade) until much later, when he bought and sold tumblers and other small objects during his trips at sea to earn enough money to purchase his freedom from his master. If it had not been necessary for Equiano to acquire his freedom, it is possible Equiano would never have entered the business arena. Equiano was not interested in having more money than what was required to survive because being greedy was contrary to his religious beliefs, and from the moment of his conversion to Christianity, Equiano’s faith guided his every decision. Unlike Franklin, Equiano did not cherish the spirit of capitalism. To him, money meant freedom, and later, the choice to go where he wanted and not be tethered to one ship or master, but Equiano did not equate money with happiness and instead looked to religion for solace in an unfamiliar world. Capitalism and Christianity were not at odds for Equiano because he never did anything non-Christian in order to achieve success in the capitalist world. When people owed Equiano money for goods delivered but not paid for, Equiano did not act out in revenge towards his debtors. He did what he could within the bounds of the law, and when that did not amount to anything, Equiano forgave the debts and simply continued on, because of his moral outlook on life. Equiano recounted countless times the cruelties black men, both slaves and free men, endured at the hands of white men, such as â€Å"giving [Equiano] however but very indifferent payment† (95) after taking goods from him. He can do nothing about these injustices, and instead trusts that God will give them their punishment in the afterlife. Too often also, to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless females†¦ Is not this one common and crying sin enough to bring down God’s judgment on the islands? He tells us the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? (80) Equiano relies on faith to dole out appropriate rewards and consequences after death and so is able to endure and observe many injustices without acting in anger or violence towards his oppressors. Rather than being a cutthroat businessman, Equiano worked honestly, earning money to live but never valuing material possessions over his religious morality. Equiano was a Christian who happened to be living within a capitalist world, but the most important part of his life, his faith, was never on the line because of capitalism-Christianity always came first. There are only two examples in Equiano’s autobiography of him doing something that goes against his religious beliefs. The first comes in Chapter 5, when Equiano swore that he would spend a day in London â€Å"in rambling and sport† (70). Shortly afterwards, Equiano felt terrible about saying something rashly and without thinking, and he asked God for forgiveness: he â€Å"acknowledged [his] transgression to God, and poured out [his] soul before Him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest supplications [Equiano] besaught him not to abandon [him] in [his] distress† (70). Equiano immediately attempted to apologize to God for his wrong actions, and felt extremely guilty for having committed what appeared to be a small sin. The second occasion, in chapter 8, is very similar. Equiano cursed, â€Å"Damn the vessel’s bottom out,† (112) but immediately afterwards his conscience â€Å"smote† him for swearing, and he experienced guilt for his seemingly petty misdeed. These two examples show how strictly Equiano followed his religious teachings-he considered the act of swearing to be a large affront to God, and feared for his salvation because of his small sins. To him, straying from Christian morals at any time in any part of his life was unacceptable, and this governed his actions as a player in the capitalist market as well as in every other arena of his life. Equiano’s success as a businessman was not as great as it could have been if Equiano had been a more competitive salesperson and truly valued success in the capitalist market, but he chose to sacrifice this monetary success in order to follow his religious morals more strictly. His priorities determined his actions-as a capitalist Christian, rather than a Christian capitalist, Equiano made choices that put his faith first, and instead of striving for wealth and success, endeavored towards the redemption of his soul and eternal happiness. The actions Equiano took during his life were trivial to him as a devout Christian, because he believed that he would spend the rest of eternity in Heaven as reward for his morality while on earth. For Equiano, capitalism was just a system in the world of man, and money was not worth risking his eternal well-being over. Both Benjamin Franklin and Olaudah Equiano were successful businessmen who lived their lives according to religious principles-Franklin by his made-to-fit capitalist-influenced list of virtues, and Equiano by the teachings of Christianity and the Bible. But Franklin was a bigger financial and public success, because his achievement as a capitalist was most important to him. Franklin laid out a list of virtues for himself in order to pave the way for the most possible financial success and public acclaim-his â€Å"religion† served the spirit of capitalism. Equiano was only a mediocre financial success because he was not oriented towards the accumulation of wealth. Instead, he chose to achieve on the religious front. Equiano’s actions within the capitalist framework were mere details in the larger picture of his life as a good Christian. Both men were passionate-Franklin about capitalism and Equiano about his Christian faith-and both sacrificed other parts of their lives in order to keep intact their number one priority. Franklin was religious in the way that most promoted capitalist success, and Equiano was a capitalist businessperson only in the ways that were aligned with his religious beliefs. They reconciled capitalism and religion by choosing one over the other and allowing the lesser to function on a smaller scale and only within the framework of the more important.

Diet Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diet Program - Research Paper Example The body burns both fats and carbohydrates, therefore, if carbohydrates are reduced or eliminated the body will start burning fat. On this diet, the amount of food consumed is limitless. The restriction is on the type of food: no refined sugar; milk; white rice; pasta/white flour; and white potato. All the foods rich in fats are allowed to be eaten: meat; eggs; cheese/spread; red meat, fish (including shellfish); fowl; one may cook with butter; use mayo; and olive oil. This is diet of almost pure protein and fats. This diet is divided into four stages; phase one, two, there, and four. The first phase, phase one, lasts two weeks, the dieter eats only proteins and fats. three cups of loosely packed salad, or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables per day. For phases two, three, and four, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables are added gradually, and limitedly. The objective of this is more fats and protein. Dieters must keep checking their weight and decrease their carbohydrate intake if they begin to gain weight. This is a diet that also requires the dieter to take vitamins supplements (WebMD). Obviously this is not a practical diet. A diet with an intake of more protein than carbohydrates ; and is going to last a lifetime, can never be healthy. Exerciser seems to be the only good thing that this diet promotes. The diet is a life sentence; and the dieter can never touch the restricted food again; who wants to be held hostage to a diet for life? Robert H. Nickel, MD, director of the general clinical research center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, tells WebMD: "Our worries over the Atkins diet go way past the question of whether it is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off. We worry that the diet promotes heart disease ... We have concerns over whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease,

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Research Paper

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - Research Paper Example d respectable man in the society through starting a business, thus he combines forces with his friends as joint venture partners to start on liquor store (Hansberry, 500). Walter, in his dreams has come to believe that no man can gain dignity, pride and respect out of being employed by others. Therefore, he wants to work his way out through ensuring that he stands for himself and creates his own wealth, so that he may gain respect amongst the people in the society (Loos, 39). Therefore, his dream almost saved his life, because it at least did show him that all he needed to do was to work for himself by starting a business, which was the platform through which he could amass wealth, and thus gain self respect, pride and dignity (Morrin, 51). In this respect, if he had succeeded in this business, then the dream would have become a major factor that would have saved his life and that of his family. It is this dream that makes him feel dissatisfied with his life as a chauffeur for a white man, which he feels is a job that has less opportunity for advancement, but more demeaning and embarrassing, since out of this job, he can barely provide for his family (Hansberry, 546). This feeling of dissatisfaction makes him nasty and rude to everyone, but his family is the most affected, because he quarrels with almost everybody, whether his sister, wife or mother. However, his dream of becoming wealthy through business does not come to pass, and Walter becomes even more frustrated, with nothing to show off to his family or to the society. He trusted his friend Harris against the warning of everybody, and he insisted on starting a liquor store when everyone in his family was against it (Loos, 47). This is the point at which his dream now destroys his life, after Harris runs away with the money, and the dream forces him to sink even lower than he was in his life, willing to bow down to Mr. Lindner, the white man from whom he had earlier refused to receive money as payment for

Business Ethics is Not an Option Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Ethics is Not an Option - Essay Example Analysis leads to the conclusion that observance of business ethics is not optional. Every business venture aims at flourishing in the modern marketplace. There are several methods of achieving including the application of marketing strategies for sales increase, manufacturing and production concepts for cost-effectiveness and organizational management for over-all company harmony. However, the concept of an ethically-run business as necessary for the company to succeed is becoming more and more recognized. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a by word for many business professionals. Although it is generally observing ethics and morals in business dealings, CSR is thought to comprise of activities such as supporting charities is CSR, funding anti-crime and poverty programs, exceeding legal or regulatory obligations in areas of business operation such as health and safety and consumer rights, managing the supply chain to ensure that suppliers respect human rights is CSR and taking measures to ensure that products do not harm the environment. (Kotler and Nancy 2004, p. 3) Our concern is not so much in defining CSR but in determining whether the observance of business ethics is optional or not. This paper will argue that business ethics is necessary and beneficial for the business firm. ... Increased Job Performance Quality The reason why a field in business called Human Resources Management (HRM) exists is that it was long recognized that there is a need to ensure that employee issues are properly addressed. One of the secrets of successful business companies is that they were able to derive extra commitment from all employees resulting to unprecedented quality and responsiveness in products and services along with heroic frugality, incredible levels of integration and collaboration within and without the organizations, and especially to pull off continuous, brilliant, and cheap innovation. According to the only way one can "manage" high level human output is to set the conditions for everyone doing their best: including support of the core competencies of people, their ability to self-organize, their ability to change and grow. A company can achieve this if it fosters trust and build organizational cultures in which freedom and personal initiative can cohabit with cooperation, caring and a highly integrated harmony. Only thru a sincere observance of business ethics can the company assure that its employees do not stage rallies, release negative public statements regarding the company, resign and reveal company trade secrets. Being ethical also helps in attracting excellent and skilled professionals to work for the company. The Industrial Society for the UK (in Price 2002) reports that "82% of UK professionals claimed that they would not work for an organisation whose values they did not believe in" and that "among smaller businesses, the survey showed that 62% of owner managers were influenced by their employees to be more socially active." Consumer Preference Observing moral and ethical values in the conduct of business does not

Occupational stress in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Occupational stress in Nursing - Essay Example It is important to note that nursing is one of the crucial subjects of the occupational stress studies. A large number of studies have been conducted to understand and bring to knowledge the reasons resulting in the causation of stress and the factors that can help lower the possibility of presence of these stress inducers. The present paper considers the contribution of some recently published papers to the growing body of knowledge on the subject of stress at work place. The paper examines the complex issue of stress from different important facets and presents a constructive criticism of the research done on the topic in view. We shall focus our attention to the recently published important scientific studies that have contributed to the understanding of occupational stress in nursing. Our objective is to analyze the studies as per their level of relevance and objectivity of application to the subject. One such important study was performed by Stordeur and experts (2001). They worked to characterize the presence of stress based on the severity of its induction. Thus, the severity of stress induction has been ranked as the amount of workload, disharmony with other colleagues (nurses, physicians), lack of completeness in knowledge and thus possible blurring of the tasks required to be performed or goal expected to be achieved. A ranking was also given to the head nurse who is responsible to closely monitor the performance of the staff members to locate the spot of deficiency in service provision and thereby plan and implement corrective measures for better and more competent performance. However, in additio n to the identification of the sources of stress inducers, it is also important to distinguish between the factors that are probably responsible to results in emotional exhaustion and job disengagement. It should be noted that this important feature was not included in the studies and research performed by Stondeur and his colleagues. Demerouti (2000) made an address to this feature in his article. The published paper adds to the knowledge the facts not presented by Stordeur' in his article on occupational stress. Sirkka Billeter-Koponen Hfa (2005) and colleagues in a qualitative interview studied about nurses' experiences of long-term stress, burnout, and patient-nurse relations. The objective behind this study was to obtain an in-depth knowledge about the mechanism of long-lasting stress and burnout induction in the nurses. The focus of research was held on professionalism and patient-nurse relations. In order to analyze the open interviews, the Grounded Theory methodology was used. The participants selected for the study were 10 nurses belonging to the age group of 36 to 61 years. The nurses were holding their professional status in different care

Mendel and Darwin are the Fathers of Molecular Biology Coursework

Mendel and Darwin are the Fathers of Molecular Biology - Coursework Example In this experiment, Mendel only used only the color of flowers to study inherence. Mendel attempted a second study using the pea seeds. He wanted to decipher the inheritance of seed shape. He crossed the seeds had smooth coats with wrinkled seeds. The result of this cross was that all plants had smooth seeds. Mendel then self-crossed the smooth-seeded plants. The progeny of these fertilization showed that many plants had smooth seeds and only a few wrinkle-seeded. Mendel tried a third experiment. In this case, he used pea plants, which differed in two characteristics. The two traits of comparison were color and shape of the seeds. The pure breeds were smooth, yellow seeds and wrinkled green seeds. After the first cross, Gregor observed that, that all the plants were round in shape and yellow in color. When he self-fertilized these offspring, Mendel the plants from this cross were different. The seeds were, round-yellow, wrinkled-yellow, round green, and wrinkled green. This surprised Mendel. He later concluded that there were ’factors’ responsible for transfer of traits from one generation to another. He went ahead to reveal that the some of the traits did not appear in the first generation. However, the masked traits reappeared in the subsequent generations. Gregor coined his first principle based on the observations of monohybrid crosses. This was the principle of segregation. This principle meant that, there was division of what initially were two factors during the gamete formation process. Using results from a cross of two contrasting traits, Mendel came up with the principle of Independent Assortment. This principle alludes to independent inheritance of alleles. Although Mendel did not provide the word gene at that time, he proposed that there were factors passed from generation to the other. Figure 1 below is an illustration of the principle of segregation. P represents the parental generation. They are purple and white in color. In the fir st generation, their offspring are all purple in color. However, the cross of these individual off springs results to reappearance of white flowered plants. This indicates that the white trait did not get lost. Figure 2 shows laws of independent assortment, the parental traits are round yellow and wrinkled-green. Their offspring demonstrate a variety of characteristics. Nine out of sixteen are round yellow, three are round green, three yellow wrinkled and only one wrinkled green. Figure 1. Illustrates the Principle of segregation Figure 2 indicates the law of independent assortment Charles Darwin is famous for the evolutionary theory. In his book, ‘The Origin of Species’ he proposes the theory of natural selection. Darwin believed that all organisms evolved from previous ones. The theory holds that, organism develop adaptive mechanism to fit well to their immediate environment. Darwin used breeding experiment to understand variation. In his selective experiments, he not iced that there was accumulation of variation in some organism, which enabled them to survive better to the environment than the ones that did not accumulate variation. With each successive breeding, Darwin discovered that there was a new group of organism, which had acquired strong characteristic. Darwin concluded that nature caused the accumulation of good traits in organisms that allowed them to fit well to environment. This clearly implies that nature

What Role do Women play in the Novel catch 22 by Joseph Heller Essay

What Role do Women play in the Novel catch 22 by Joseph Heller - Essay Example As the same event is often described by different viewpoints, repetition in the novel is an understood phenomenon. However, with the repetition, the writer also allows the reader to understand the characters in a better way. The novel moves ahead with stories at a very fast pace all the time presenting interesting insights into how the characters react to given situations. Just like differing and opposing characters, the situations described in the novel are shared between amusing absurdities and freighting reality. One of those frightful realities is the depiction of women since it is not exactly a flattering image which is given to the reader. Even though the characters played by women are in a minority, they are not exactly powerful and as a matter of fact they are little more than objects for Yossarian and his buddies. As secondary characters in the story, the women influence plot lines and sometimes are a cause for distress to the cast of male characters but they seldom influence the overall feeling of hopelessness and despair present in the novel. Of the female characters, three stand out as prime examples of the situation described above i.e. Nately’s whore, Dreedle’s assistant and Luciana, not because they play significant parts in the storyline of the hero but because they help in bringing about a better understanding of the characters of the men involved in the story. Throughout the novel, women such as General Dreedles assistant, Natelys whore, Luciana etc., give insight on the men who interact with them. Women also figure in secondary roles such as sex workers and rape victims since the times of prolonged war and the devastating effects of World War II certainly reduced the means by which women could make a living and the crimes of war were certainly increased. Morality appears to be a luxury that none of the characters could afford to have. The prostitutes in the story are little more

Managing Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Construction - Essay Example 2005). Account also needs to be taken of changes in the quality of labor. Educational achievement is the usual delegation for quality. In construction, this alternative is least dependable, since many skills are acquired from experience and workshop training. The service is the amount of the finances that is made use of in production due to repairs. Reports have shown that there is dwindling productivity in the construction industry across UK. The industry has had downfalls that are associated with many contributing factors. Among the factors that affect productivity as discussed in this paper are employing skilled labor from abroad, increasing overtime for local skilled labor, rapid training of new local workers, and the use of more capital-intensive methods of construction (A 2000). Risk is characterized as the introduction to loss/gain, or the likelihood of event of loss/gain reproduced by its particular size. Activities are said to be sure if the likelihood of their event is 100% or completely unverifiable if the likelihood of event is 0%. In the middle of these extremes, the doubt shifts generally. Chance additionally could be characterized as a normal for a circumstance, movement, or occasion in which various conclusions are conceivable, the specific one that will happen is indeterminate, and no less than one of the potential outcomes is undesirable (M.A. 2000). Risk can further be characterized as the vicinity of potential or real requirements that could hinder productivity, bringing about complete disappointment either throughout development or at time of utilization. Risk can be simply illustrated as; Employing skilled work force from abroad has assorted inconvenient consequences to the productivity of the construction industry and the countrys budgetary standpoint on the loose. The expenses are connected with decreasing the profitability and

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Literature review - Essay Example This is where ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) comes into the picture. ERP in the form of software applications will integrate all the departments and thereby will integrate the internal and the external management information across the organization. By integrating the information and then making it available to the needed departments, ERP will optimize the various organizational processes. With ERP producing optimal benefits, it is being implemented in organizations in various sectors. However, the implementation process will not be a smooth flowing affair, as various risk factors could impede it. When ERP is implemented, apt change management practice has to be initiated. However, various risk factors could arise during this change management process, thus turning out be a major impediment for ERP implementation. In addition, when the employees are trained and equipped to handle ERP, another set of risk factors will arise. Then, there could risk factors related to the software c ustomization according to the organizational processes. ... Singla and Goyal (2006) adds to this perspective by stating, how ERP can upgrade an organization’s ability to generate timely, relevant and accurate information needed for the various organizational processes throughout the enterprise and its supply chain. ERP made its appearance in the 1990’s, when Information Technology (IT) and its applications made its presence in various spheres of human life, particularly in business organizations. It was also during that period, many firms around the world started shifting their IT strategy from â€Å"developing information systems in-house to purchasing application software such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.† (Hong and Kim 2002). Sumner (2000) adds additional perspective by stating how organizations are initiating various projects by using ERP packages like SAP, Peoplesoft and Oracle, and how these projects often represent the single largest investment in an information systems (IS) project in the histori es of these companies. (Sumner 2000). Organizations are making such large investments in ERP because of the benefits that will be returned by it. Singla and Goyal (2006) lists out various benefits of ERP, which include shortening of the production cycles, accuracy accentuation regarding the demand for materials management, etc. While Singla and Goyal (2006) provided benefits of ERP’s implementation in the manufacturing side, Iskanius (2009) gives a list of benefits across various departments, which includes â€Å"cost reduction, productivity and quality improvement, customer service improvement, better resource management, improved decision-making and planning, and organizational empowerment†. Because

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Edgar Allan Poe was evil genius for his time and a great literary forerunner of today. He created the mind set for current writers such as Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Robin Cook by creating the horror story. Poe invites the reader to enter the mind of the narrator by using our senses as a way to provoke terror, suspense, and awe. His writing was influenced by many tragic losses in his life, and this would explain why Poe was a writer of such morbid short stories and poems. Poes experiences in life definitely influenced the remarkable literary work he produced. In his early life he had to deal with the death of both his parents, a difficult experience, but Poe accepted it as time went on. Later on in his life Poes stepfather disowned him. Young Edgars life was changed due to abandonment, alcoholism, and depression. In 1832 Poe moved in with his aunt and his 11 year old cousin in Baltimore. Poe then married his younger cousin in 1836. However, Poe did not know that he would suffer yet another terrible loss, the loss of his love, his wife. Poes ability to write literature was the window for him to express his feelings. All of Poes tragic losses affected the way he wrote. Poe used his life experiences to make his writing a lot more interesting. Poes writing is remarkably interesting. The poem The Raven showed how Poe erected a crazed state of mind, as the poem shows how the loss or a loved one drove a person crazy. This poem was possibly created for his wife that he had lost. While reading the poem it seems as if the stresses of the life of Poe, and his thoughts and feelings were all put into this poem. Throughout Poes life, many factors have contributed and influenced his writing style. He lived a difficult life, because he was raised in a dysfunctional household. But the final product of Poes mind is printed in his short stories and poems. Poes stories all have similar motifs and composition that would suggest suppressed emotions from life experiences are being discharged through his writings. The most prominent feature of Poes writing is his obsession with death. Poes writing does more than entertain the reader. It can be an insight into the dark and somber world of Edgar Allan Poe. One does not understand the meaning of Poe if one reads at the superficial level. One has to read into Poe, and understand the hardships of his life and how he maintained them that way. He knew that death was an inevitable part of life, it is the price of life, but he tried to fight it as if it was an unnatural part of life. He was an extremely intriguing man from all viewpoints, and he was and is, the dark side of all of us. It is difficult not to link Poes fictional stories with his real life. Evidence shows that Poe had a heart condition during his later years in life. Could The Tell Tale Heart be his own fear of the disease? Who knows? Could Poe have been expressing his fears that his alcoholic rages may cause him to hurt the ones he loved most in his tale The Black Cat? Finally, was the Pit and the Pendulum an allegory of his life? Did he find himself caught between the pendulum of financial adversity and the pit of degradation of death? Poe made the reader feel as if the reader were there, in the story, struggling with the same terrors of the characters. All his famous mystery thriller works give the reader a sense of nervousness, a sense of fear, and a sense of evil, by making our five senses awaken by reading every word. Critics say that Poe did not merely imitate the Gothic tales, but he also enriched them by preserving a central action while adding philosophical speculations and lore that deepened the impressions of the tales. As a result of the traumas he endured, Poe was unafraid of taking his readers for a walk on the dark side, where lines between life and death were sometimes blurred. His ability to tap into humankinds deepest fears and his consistency in portraying such intriguing and captivating themes is what has kept the work of Poe timeless. In short, Edgar Allan Poe has created many great stories for us. He liked to illustrate the dissolution of an individuals mind and body, as he had suffered it himself for quite a long time. He thought death is unavoidable, because he experienced keenly deaths all around him and its threat on his own life. He was obsessed by the loss of love of ideal women, for he had the same experience in life. Now, we can understand why Poe had a tendency of choosing such themes. Poe is an author of the inner world and his writings are his psychological autobiography to some extent. In this respect, Poe pioneered a new field in literature. He is the first one who focused on mans mental and spiritual activities, and his writings have deep influence on many of later writers. WORKS CITED Poe, Edgar Allan. Introductory Notes and Editors preface by Phillip van Doren Stern. In Selected Tales and Poems. The Viking Portal Library, Penguin Books, 1993. Moore, R. The Tell-Tale Heart: Discussion. 2002.Online. Internet. 11 November 2002. Available WWW: http://www.allpoe.com Murphy, Sally. Poes Poetry. 2002.Online. Internet. 12 November 2002. Available WWW: http://www.allpoe.com Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe His Life and Legacy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992. Peters, James. Edgar Allan Poe. April 1, 2002.http://www.island-of-freedom.com/POE.HTM Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: A Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991. Death of Edgar Allan Poe. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1998

Ethical Issues In The Human Genome Project

Ethical Issues In The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project was the largest international scientific research conducted in the field of Biology. This research project began in 1990 with a mission of discovering all the genes in human DNA and determining the sequences of chemical base pairs which make up the DNA of human. The Human Genome Project was coordinated by the Department of Energy and National Institute of Health, in the USA. The research involved thousands of scientists, biologists, chemists, engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians and human participants from around the world. The researchers plotted several types of biological maps that enabled many other researchers to improve their knowledge and to use them in proceeding with their researches. According to web definitions, a genome is The set of genes that are carried by an individual. A chromosome is a genetic structure that contains cells that contain thousands of genes. The human genome is stored in 23 chromosome pairs. Gene sequencing is a process that determines the sequence of DNA of an organisms genome. The genome that was sequenced for the first time was a virus and was done in 1977. Scientists have discovered that there are over 3 billion DNA base pairs in a haploid human genome. One of the aims of the human genome project was to plot maps that are capable of providing a way for the researchers to locate specific genes in a chromosome. The primary aim of the Human Genome Project was to identify and map all the DNA pairs. There are many applications of Genome research, namely, Bio Technology, Bio Medical Research, Molecular Medicine, DNA Forensics, Agriculture, Livestock Breeding and bio-processing. The outcome of the Human Genome Project enables improved diagnosis of disease, Rational Drug design, creation of customized drugs and Gene therapy. These are several benefits of the HGP in the context of Molecular Medicine and Bio Medical Research. The maps created by the HGP have enabled researchers to unveil many genetic conditions such as inherited colon cancer, Breast cancer and Alzheimers disease. The HGP ( in the filed of DNA forensic) will enable to identify suspects by identifying DNA found in crime scenes, identify parents, and other relationships, and to identify DNA precisely in any context. Furthermore, it enables creation of nutritious products and Biopesticides as benefits to the field of Agriculture and Bi oprocessing. Plants and animals that are more immune to diseases could be created by understanding plant and animal genomes. Moreover, it will enable to reduce cost of agriculture and to provide customers with more nutritious and quality products. The benefits for Bioarchaelogy, Human Evolution and Anthropology are the ability to study the evolution of humans by understanding the genomics, ability to study migration of different populations and to discover the relationships between the archaebacteria, eukaryotes and prokaryotes. On the contrary to the above mentioned benefits, the Human Genome project and its applications have encountered significant social, ethical and legal issues. The main issue is allowing access to gathered genetic information. If the information is accessible by anyone, it could be misused. For example an employer can access this information, and use it in making decisions when they hire people. There may be people who are having genetic disorders, yet physically fit and capable of working. Nevertheless, the employers can decide not to hire them considering the possibility of developing a medical disorder. Decisions are made based on the employees personal genetic information. This could be unfair to a certain group of people with genetic disorders. Making decision based on the genetic information of the employees is unlawful under section 202 of the Genetic Information Non Discrimination Act of 2008. According to Section 202, Employer Practices, it is unlawful for an employer not to h ire or to discharge or to discriminate any employee based on their genetic information. If the data is accessed by Insurance companies, they could use it to earn profits. The person who is willing to insure himself will have to pay a premium depending on the severity of the disease he has. For example, a cancer patients premium will be higher that the premium of a normal person. The ethical issue is discrimination based on the genetic information. It is a known fact that discrimination is used to discourage people in many places such as schools, workplaces, universities, and even in public. There are many instances in which people had to leave workplaces, and children faced many problems in schools due to embarrassment which was a consequence of discrimination. Race and ethnicity discrimination was the most prominent form of discrimination. It has deviated into genetic discrimination since the genetic information is now available. This may cause embarrassment to people with certain genetic disorders, discourage them and even lose their confidence which could let them do wn. To regulate this situation, many governments have set laws and legislations that describe the penalties of discrimination. One such legislation is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Section 702 of the act States (A) In General For purposes of this section, a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, may not adjust premium of contribution amounts for the group covered under such plan on the basis of genetic discrimination. It further discusses the penalties for the insurers and employers who use discrimination as a form of gaining profit. Another way of misusing the gathered information is using it do discriminate minority ethnic groups or communities. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Human genome states, No one shall be subjected to discrimination based on genetic characteristics that is intended to infringe or has the effect of infringing human rights, fundamental freedom and human dignity. Therefore even though a persons genetic information is revealed, he has the right to live without being a victim of discrimination. Nevertheless, the existence of the genetic information may lead to several social issues such as racial discrimination. Currently, most people in European countries are victims of racial criticism. The human genome project requires quite a large number of genes to be gathered and stored and then to be tested. The genetic differences between groups of people can be emphasized. This may have a psychological impact due to the differences between genetics. One of the greatest achievements of the Human Genome Project was the genetic map which is capable of facilitating researchers to pin point specific genes in a chromosome. This enables to discover a significant amount of disorders in the human body and doctors to quickly identify the disorders within their patients. Several decades ago, people were not allowed to be aware of the diseases and only the scientists were allowed to discover them and find treatments. The society has revolutionized, and people live more sophisticated lives, therefore, awareness of such diseases is at a higher level. Many people argue that patients have a right to be aware of their illnesses; on the other hand, this has a negative impact on the patients mentality. Even if a genetic disorder is discovered, it takes some time to discover the treatments. For instance, cancer was discovered, several decades ago, however proper treatments with no side effects have not been found yet. Similarly, when a genetic diso rder is diagnosed, it can create frustration and anxiety. This frustration and anxiety will remain within the patients mind until the treatments are discovered and the patient is treated. This may take a short time period or may take a couple of years. It is a well known fact that a person can live longer and happier as long as he is not aware of his illnesses. Another drawback is that people might be discouraged and refuse to live their normal lives due to frustration. Awareness of the genetic disorders can ultimately result in a group of people who are mentally ill which would become a severe social issue. Applying new genetics to unborn children is another area which may cause ethical and social implications. The discoveries of the Human Genome Project have enabled the scientists and doctors to replace cells in unborn children. This implies that parents can have custom-made babies, with the desired features. A possible dilemma is issues related to In-Vitro-Fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization is the process of fertilizing egg cells by male cells (spermatocyte) outside the womb. Since genetic information is available, genes with all good features could be selected and high grade embryos could be created. The concept of Designer Baby is introduced with this technology. Theses embryos could be sold at different prices which may cause in every human having a price and it will depend on the race, intelligence level, eye, or hair color and immunity to diseases. Prices of these designer babies will depend on the quality of the baby. Social issues may arise among people who are able to affor d for a high quality designer baby and people who are not capable of owning one. Another possible social issue is the competition among the designer babies when they grow older. Every parent would want their baby to be a high quality designer baby. The rate of child kidnaps and murders could rise as a result of the designer baby concept. As stated in the previous paragraphs, one of the main objectives of the Human Genome project was to map the DNA sequence. This enables the doctors to modify the embryos and create humans who can live longer, more intelligent and more immune to various diseases. In addition to the issues raised by having designer babies, creation of super human with fewer defects have raised religious issues. It contradicts with the religious beliefs on God of many people. Creation of super human has raised controversial issues among the scientists who are involved in research based on creating humans and spiritual and religious leaders. This is because many religions believe that the creator of humans is God. They believe that the superiority of human is decided by god. The argument brought by them is that only god has the power to create a living creature and humans are not creators, but only creations. They also believe that humans shall never become powerful than God. Moreover, they strongly belie ve that these scientific researches and developments have disappointed God, and the harsh punishments should be given to scientists who are engaged in such research. This religious issue could grow into a serious social issue where people might start attacking the scientists. Previous researches have shown that most people are against modifying embryos to create better quality humans. Furthermore, it is evident that people who are against the creation of super human are mostly religious and spiritual leaders and people who strongly believe in God. Forensic Investigation is another area which is benefitted by the Human Genome Project. Nevertheless, it can be the origin of many social and ethical issues. The DNA gathered by the HGP is stored in a database known as the National DNA databank: CODIS. The goal of storing this information is to use it for forensic investigation, in criminology. Investigations involving DNA is considered to be more accurate. The Combined DNA Index System has become a powerful tool to reduce violent crime as it combines DNA technologies with computers. Two indexes are used in CODIS, namely, The Convicted Offender Index and The Forensic Index. These indexes are generated using the biological evidences gathered from the crime scene. DNA profiles are then created using Short Tandem Repeat analysis. Different software is utilized in CODIS to search for the indexes for matching DNA profiles. According to the sources, the databank contains more than five million DNA profiles. DNA is tested to identify crimin als, but when the tests are done, used DNA records should be destroyed. Proper Disposal of the DNA information is vital or else the persons entire genetic information would be available. This again could be used to discriminate people or to accuse innocent people for crimes which they have not committed. Another distressing issue is the violation of privacy of the owners of the genetic information. Genetic information is considered as private and confidential information of a person and privacy implies that a person has the right to decide the extent of disclosing his or her genetic information. Privacy is violated due to not having proper means of disposing the used samples. Accusing innocent people or arresting them is another negative aspect of storing DNA in a databank. This technology matches DNA profiles of crimes with victims and therefore, it can match a person who has been in the crime scene earlier. This way, innocent people could be accused and arrested, hence discriminat ed and cornered by the society. Another alarming issue is populating criminal databases with DNA samples of people belonging to ethnic minorities. This is mainly done with an intention of discrimination and discouraging people. This is due to not gathering and storing genetic information in an unbiased manner such that it would not be unfair for a group of people. For example, a controversial problem occurred in a European country, for storing DNA samples in a biased manner such that the criminal databases were mostly populated with innocent people belonging to ethnic minorities. Consequently, innocent people were arrested and questioned. Gene Testing is yet another area which may cause social issues. In gene testing, DNA sample are taken and stored in databases, and sometimes used to compare with other peoples DNA samples. Once a DNA test is done, the company issues a copy to the owner of the DNA and results are kept in hard copy files as well as databases. These hard copy files could be accessed by any one and refer to the genetic information and test results of some one. The database can also be hacked and the genetic information can be revealed. It is a known fact that no database is hundred percent secure even if it is an offline database. Therefore security is a main issue in genetic testing. Some of this DNA samples are compared with other samples during tests, and mostly done without the consent of the owner of the DNA sample. Privacy is the main issue of having a massive databank with DNA information of millions of people. DNA can provide information about people including their probability of having certain diseases, sexual orientation or certain behaviors. Gaining access to this information would violate the privacy of another. Police, forensic science service and researchers can access this information without the consent of the people. This violates the privacy of the people. One can use this information unethically, against another to discriminate or to harm someone emotionally. Celebrities would be the first to lose their privacy as many people are keen on gathering information about them. This information could be published and could be the origin of many other issues in their personal lives. The probability for genetic discrimination by the government, schools, employers and insurance companies may increase. Invading someone elses privacy is illegal according to many privacy laws and legislations set by many governments. According to the Privacy Law of the United States of America, privacy is the expectation that confidential personal information disclosed in a private place wil l not be disclosed to third parties, when that disclosure would cause embarrassments or emotional distress to a person of reasonable sensitivities. Furthermore, it discusses the penalties of invading other peoples privacy. Article four of universal Declaration of the Human Genome and Human Rights states that The human genome in its natural state shall not give rise to financial gains. In most countries it is believed that DNA, when removed from a person, is not considered to be in its natural form, hence it is used to gain financial benefits. For instance, in the US, innovations are encouraged by allowing gene patenting. Though using genomes to gain profits is against the Universal declaration of Human Rights many companies tend to use this to gain profits. But many people are against gene patenting for various reasons including their strong beliefs which says that human gene sequences should never be patented. It is also believed that human genome is an inherent part of every person. Gene patenting is prohibited in some parts of the world and there has been evidence of situations in which legal bodies have denied to grant patents. Another area of the Human Genome Project which will cause several ethical, legal and social issues is genetic Testing, Screening and Counseling. As a result of identifying new genes, tests that can determine the level of risk for a particular genetic disease are developed. This will enable people to know whether there is a potential of developing a disease or a genetic disorder which could be passed on to their children. This will have a negative impact on the society. Also it could change the whole life of a person. For example, a person could be mentally letdown if he gets to know that he has a high possibility of developing a rare disease which could not be cured. If this information is revealed, and accessed by an employer this person might not be granted a job. Similarly, if the person wants to get an insurance coverage for himself, he might be required to pay a higher premium to the insurers depending on his disease. Genetic engineering involves manipulation of genes. The map created as a result of the Human Genome Project provides information that will enable to diagnose and treat many diseases. The map can also help in determining the genetic foundation of physical and psychological behavior. As a result, it is possible to alter the behaviors with the involvement of genetics. Two areas of genetic engineering is somatic cell manipulation which alters body cells and germline manipulation which alters reproductive cells. The use of Somatic cell manipulation is ethically accepted as it limits the changes that can be done to an individual. Since it alters only the body cells, the risks are not inherited by the descendants. In contrast, the germline cell manipulation raises ethical issues since the manipulations of reproductive cells can extend the risks across the generations. Genetic engineering done on humans may cause health issues. For example, genes of one person could be enhanced to increase a persons height further than his natural height. But this may cause stress to other parts of the body such as the heart. As a result, the person might be left physically ill. Another key ethical issue of the Human Genome Project is the use of genetic screening. According to web definitions genetic screening is The process of testing individuals in a population for certain hereditary defects. Mandatory genetic screening for adults raises many ethical issues related to privacy and personal liberty. Furthermore, Genetic screening of infants, young infants and other vulnerable groups who cannot grant their consent is unethical. For example, in most cases, infants are screened without the consent of parents. Screening is done based on an assumption that parents are willing to know about the probable diseases that might develop in their children. There is evidence of situations where genetic screening has been used as a form of discrimination. For example, in insuring patients who are willing to obtain a health insurance, there are required to pay extra amounts. In addition to the applications discussed earlier, Agriculture and livestock breeding are two other applications of the genome research. As opposed to the above applications, these areas do not use humans for testing. Yet it may give rise to many health issues which might convert into social issues with time. These applications entails of developing bio engineered food and animals, also known as genetic engineering. This process is similar to genetic engineering done on humans. Though many researchers explain the positive aspect of bio engineered food, many health issues and other side effects night arise by consuming modified food. Many companies tend to create genetically modified food regardless of the consumers health. Regular consumption of genetically modified food may severely damage the health of people; as a consequence, people of a country may not be able to involve in the development process of the country. Furthermore, companies would refuse to hire people and as a result , the country can be populated with unhealthy and unemployed people. Though the mission of The Human Genome Project was accomplished, it is evident that the potential and current applications of the Human Genome Research have caused many issues. Ethical and social issues included issues concerning the privacy of the people, discrimination, unauthorized access to the gathered information and security issues and many other related issues. Issues related to the informed consent and legal issues were also caused by the applications of the genome research. The concepts of super human and designer baby were two controversial concepts that caused religious and social issues. Furthermore, other applications in the field of agriculture and genetic engineered food could cause health issues in the society. In my opinion, the Human Genome project and its current and potential applications have a significant amount of social, ethical, religious and legal issues which would directly affect many peoples lives.

Examining The Corporate Culture And Values Of McDonalds Corporation

Examining The Corporate Culture And Values Of McDonalds Corporation Introduction McDonalds corporation is the worlds most recognised and largest provider of foodservice serving millions of customers daily around the world and operates more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries. It was initiated in 1940 with a restaurant opened by brothers Mac and Dick Donalds in California. After since its incorporation in 1955, McDonalds has sold more than 100 billion hamburgers. McDonalds team of experienced managers, high ranking operating system, global infrastructure and one of the well recognized brand names in the world. It is the biggest fast food retailer capturing the whole world. It has initiated Hamburger University where the assistant managers and the mangers are trained. McDonalds corporate culture is based on shared value system and maintains standardised quality process to ensure same quality and reduction in lead time. McDonalds has the vision to be the best employer in each community in the world. The restaurants are run either by franchise, or as c orporate itself. This paper attempts to define the organisational structure and shortcomings in its operations. The operational structure is the system of the operation of an organisation i.e. the values, beliefs and policies. There are some shortcomings which poise as a thread to achieve its goal and work effectively. The organisational problems of McDonalds have been disturbing the activities to be carried out by the organisation effectively. The policy of McDonalds is to promote an working environments which is free from unlawful discriminations. The study will include the causes underlying the problem and the alternatives available to the organisation along with the recommendation for the future. www.bized.com,mcdonalds/mcindex, Retrieved from : Business source complete database Corporate culture and values of McDonalds Corporation McDonalds corporate strategy is to do the right things and provide the best to the customers and community they serve, and the employees of the organisation. McDonalds has a strong corporate culture and supportive about the global youth employment. In McDonalds every procedure has a very particular rules and regulations of how it should be carried out. It tries to provide best support to its employees. It is dedicated to provide the customers unique level of quality, cleanliness, value and service. They are in the believe that well trained team will serve the best by working together and , so they are committed with people and encourages team building and team work. McDonalds sets out all aspects of business with integrity and honesty. They believe in celebrating the achievement and are strived for new higher goals and its accomplishments. They are highly committed to customers expectation and satisfaction. They are directed to convert awareness into action. The Goal of McDonalds is to have people within the organisation to work to better performance and living to reach their full potential. They have performance based rewards for the employees which provide a platform for the workers to deliver the best to the day to day activities. They believe in balance of work as higher burden of time and work pressure will deteriorate the performance of the employees. They have proper and specific roles and responsibly mentioned for each employees of the workforce. McDonalds have systematic Nick Hopkings,www.docstoc.com, organisational structure of McDonalds(2006) Retrieved from: improving customer focus through organisational structure rules to follow and are inclined towards good health. The following are experienced in the organisation:- Fast customer service. Free from error occurrence. Decision making is simple. Facilities are well maintained. The premises of the restaurants are clean. Well built teams and effective team work with specified work. Standards are based on value, quality and cleanliness. Full control on the every link of the supply chain Food safety is the important consideration of the company Performance based rewards and better scope for promotions on the basis of performance. Organisational problems and causes underlying the problems: McDonalds has also some organisational problems which led it to criticism in its operations. Organisational problems provide a thread to operate smoothly in its activities and poise a difficulty in maintaining quality and performances. The following are the organisational problems and the underlying causes www.mcdonalds.com/us, our story , our values ,Retrieved from : Business source complete database McDonalds is blamed for excessive packaging waste. The main cause of this is due to unplanned packaging design and in accurate way of handling it. Centralised authority is maintained in McDonalds. All the decisions are made by the higher level management and the lower level and crew members have to follow it which created a bridge of gap among various level of management. Strict procedure and employees must focus on how things to be carried out which discouraged many employees as they were unable to communicate their feedback and difficulties. The team lacks motivation to the performance due to strict rules and no feedback process. The team lacks ability as they are allowed to work under fixed guidelines as skills and capabilities all differs. McDonalds is often blamed for obesity and high in calories food. Horizontal division of labour as each task of the employees is specified and the more compliance on the final product which creates boredom among the employees which will lead to decrease in performance. Interiors and the look should be changed as it has been quite a long they have not uninitiated any new look. www.bized.com,mcdonalds/mcindex, Retrieved from : Business source complete database Alternatives and recommendations for the problems arising in the organisation Vertical decision making should be facilitate in the organization which will encourage communication among the various levels in the organisation Decentralised organisational structure should be maintained so that the lower level management should be able to communicate and express their ideas freely. The crew members will feel their importance to the organisation and will play a vital role in improving the performance. The organisation should follow work hard and play hard culture. This will lead to more employee participation through more involvement and decrement in risk taking. Increase in delegation of responsibility to subordinates must be initiated which will encourage higher performance by the employees Negative attention should be stopped to attract i.e. no hormones , no chemicals etc Should be more focused into customer care Should not be associated with globalisation and corporate greed Make the interiors more attractive by introducing more attractive uniforms for employees, new themes etc. Better and improvements in community relations should be started. Each restaurants should be allowed to adapt to its own local area which will encourage better selling and attractions from the locality Take more risk by adding new food items in the menu Rotation of employees works tasks so that they get trained in various sections like finance and accounting. Should try to go organic and provide more healthy food i.e. less in calories etc Conclusion McDonalds has strong corporate values and the industry where it is operating is highly competitive. To maintain the customer value and satisfaction it must improve on the products they are offering. McDonalds should initiate with new product line or new items in the menu so customers are not bored with same items and also maintain the quality of the products it has been serving. The interiors and design should be given a new look to attract new generation and new customers also the old customers feel the speciality about it.

Fate :: essays research papers

FATE (Explain the line, “Fate will unwind as it must.';)in Beowulf   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The line, “Fate will unwind as it must,'; (284) not only shows that the people believed they had no control of their destiny, but it is also relevant that Paganism was a significant part of their every day life. There are many illustrations throughout the poem Beowulf, that portray the importance of fate to the people. Often, the word fate was used as a way of showing the outcome of what has already come about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fate was a way of saying that the people’s destiny was already chosen, that they had no control, but everything would turn out as it should. For example, “But fate, that night, intended Grendel to gnaw the broken bones of his last human supper,'; (309-310). This is a way of foreshadowing the fate, or destiny, or Grendel’s life. During the Last Battle, Beowulf replies “I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins,'; (637-639). He acted as though everything that he has gone through so far in his life, was in the hands of fate, and would continue to be until his time was over. Whatever came out of this battle, was meant to be and there was nothing that was going to change it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fate is related to the Pagan religion. Paganism was the religion that was most often used during the time of Beowulf. It is referred to every time fate is mentioned, because they didn’t believe in one God and thought that fate had control over them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fate was also used as saying the outcome of something that had already come about. For example, on line 46, Hrothgar mourns over the fate of his companions, “Hrothgar, their lord, sat joyless in Herot, a mighty prince mourning the fate of his lost friends and companions.'; Here it is used as a way of saying their lives had already ended.

The Army and Environmental Compliance Essay example -- Environmental I

The Army and Environmental Compliance Since the inception of National environmental awareness and protection policies in the 1970’s, the Army has had to adjust how it conducts training. The development of Army environmental compliance programs, policies and strategies enable the Army to fulfill federal and state requirements governing the use of natural resources, while balancing the need for essential training to maintain combat readiness and relevance. As a direct result of positive environmental stewardship, inclusion of environmental compliance enables the Army to provide continuity of operations while protecting the environment. United States Environmental Policy The modern day involvement of the United States Army’s responsible environmental stewardship began over 40 years ago and continues unabated today. The catalyst was the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), signed into law in 1970, which established national policy for the protection of the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011), the Council of Environmental Quality was created to ensure federal and state agencies assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions through scientific analysis and that decisions made include public involvement. Thus, the NEPA process provides the public with information about the Army’s decisions and a mechanism to become informed and involved in actions that impact their environment, health and quality of life. Department of the Army regulation 200-1, Environmental Protection and Enhancement (2007), requires â€Å"the Secretary of the Army to serve as trustee for the natural and cultural resources managed by the Army†. This designation also includes responsibility... ..., Vol. 65, No. 81, April 26, 2000 (p. 24595). Retrieved from http://www. archives.gov/ federal-register/executive-orders/2000.html Office of the Assistance Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment. (2004). The Army Strategy for the Environment. Washington, D.C. Retrieved May 12, 2012, from http://www.asaie.army.mil/Public/ESOH/doc/ArmyEnvStrategy.pdf U.S. Army Environmental Command. (2011). About us. Retrieved May 12, 2012, from http://aec.army.mil/usaec/aboutus.html U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). National Environmental Policy Act. Retrieved May 12, 2012, from http://www.epa.gov/compliance/basics/nepa.html#federalrole U.S. Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Committees (2008). Military Training Compliance with Environmental Laws. Retrieved May 19, 2012, from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08407.pdf

Molieres Tartuffe - The Character of Tartuffe :: Tartuffe Essays

The Character of Tartuffe      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moliere's neoclassic comedy, Tartuffe, is a prime example of his expertise in the comedic technique. The plot is one that keeps the reader or viewer interested and aware. It begins with Madame Pernell visiting her son's house and reprimanding all of them but their boarder, Tartuffe. She believes Tartuffe is a man of astounding character. The members of the house, however, disagree and say that Tartuffe is deceitful and a fraud. After Madam Pernell leaves, Dorine and Cleante, the maid and the brother-in-law of the main character, Orgon, discuss Tartuffe and both agree that he has captivated Orgon. Damis, Orgon's son, wonders whether his father will allow Mariane, Orgon's daughter, to marry Valere, who she is in love with, because Damis is in love with Valere's sister.    Orgon comes and tells Mariane that he wants her to marry Tartuffe instead of Valere because he wants to ally Tartuffe to his house. She is so shocked that she does not say anything. Cleante tries to tell Orgon about Tartuffe's misleading personality, but Orgon does not want to hear it. Valere finds out about this proposed marriage, and Dorine promises to help Mariane and Cleante expose Tartuffe for the hypocrite he is. Meanwhile, Damis has a plan to hide in a closet to try to expose Tartuffe's hypocrisy. He hears Tartuffe profess love to Elmire, Orgon's wife, and suggests that they become lovers. Damis comes from the closet and threatens to tell Orgon what he has said. Damis then tells Orgon, and Orgon is so blind to the truth, that he believes his own son is evil and disinherits him. Later, when Orgon and Tartuffe are alone, Orgon tells Tartuffe of his plans to make him his sole inheritor and his son-in-law. After this, Cleante tries to talk to Orgon about Tartuffe and he confronts Tartuffe in front of Orgon. Tartuffe just dodges the questions, though, and leaves as soon as possible. Elmire then convinces Orgon to hide and find out for himself about Tartuffe, so he does so. Tartuffe comes to see Elmire and once again professes his love. Orgon hears it all, comes from the closet, and bans Tartuffe from his house. Orgon, however, has already signed over his house to Tartuffe and Tartuffe threatens him with this. Orgon is afraid because he has given Tartuffe some secret papers that could ruin his position in the court.

Intermolecular Forces Essay

Intermolecular forces exist between independent particles, such as atoms, ions, or molecules. They can be forces of either attraction or repulsion. The amount of charge, how it is distributed, and the length of time that a charge distribution exists can affect the strength of intermolecular forces. And despite having variable force strengths, all intermolecular forces are considered weak compared to chemical bonds, or intramolecular forces. Chemical bonds are not only stronger; they are also more permanent. The energy costs involved in breaking chemical bonds are much higher than ones needed to overcome intermolecular forces. There are five types of intermolecular forces: ion-ion forces, ion-dipole forces, ion-induced dipole/dipole-induced dipole forces, dipole-dipole forces, and London dispersion forces. Generally, we expect ion-ion forces to be the strongest, followed by ion-dipole, dipole-dipole, and then London dispersion forces. Of course, many exceptions to this hierarchy of strength exist. In order to properly differentiate between these forces, it is important to know what must be present in order for each interaction to occur. Ion-ion forces only involve ions in mixtures of substances. Ion-ion forces can be either attractive (cation-anion) or repulsive (cation-cation/anion-anion) and the strength varies depending on charge and size. Ion-dipole forces occur in mixtures between ions and polar molecules. The anions gravitate toward positive regions of dipoles while the cations gravitate toward negative regions. With dipoles, the strength of the forces depends upon the polarity of the molecule (or charge magnitude) and how compact the molecule is. If a molecule is more compact, there is better access to the center of charge and stronger attraction to its neighbors. Induced dipoles occur when nonpolar molecules come in the vicinity of polar or charged particles and become polar themselves. As an ion or dipole moves closer to the nonpolar molecule, a shift occurs in its electrons, throwing off its nonpolar symmetry and making it polar. Depending on what produces this change, it will have either attractive ion-induced dipole or dipole-induced dipole forces. These may occur in pure substances or mixtures. Dipole-dipole forces may occur between the polar molecules of a pure substance, or between two different polar molecules. The positive regions of one dipole will attract the negative regions of another and vice versa. The dipoles tend to align in a way that increases the number of attractions and reduces the number of repulsions. The strength of the force can vary with polarity: the more polar the molecules are, the more strongly they interact with each other. Hydrogen bonding is considered a special case of dipole-dipole interaction. While dipole-dipole forces are generally considered to be fairly weak, hydrogen bonding is unusually strong, especially in water. This particular type of bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom is involved in an extremely polar covalent bond, such as H-N, H-O, or H-F, and is attracted to the lone pair of a highly electronegative atom (either F, N, or O) on a separate molecule. These may also occur in pure substances. The weakest of the intermolecular forces are the London dispersion forces. These forces occur between atoms or molecules of nonpolar substances and are present in both pure substances and mixtures. A way to predict the types of intermolecular forces present is by looking at the chemical formula, specifically whether the interacting species are polar or nonpolar. Ion-dipole forces occur between ions and polar molecules. Dipole-dipole forces (including hydrogen bonding) only occur between polar molecules. Induced dipoles occur between polar and nonpolar molecules. If there were only nonpolar molecules, they would be London dispersion forces (but keep in mind that these forces also exist in every other kind of interaction). In the case of ion-ion forces, polarity does not matter in identifying forces, as it only involves ions and would be fairly obvious. Knowing what we do about intermolecular forces and their relative strengths, we can make a few assumptions about which forces would be present in different phases under standard conditions. Being that solids are the most difficult to break apart, we would assume that the strongest intermolecular forces (ion-ion, hydrogen bonding) would be found within them. Liquids have a greater ability to flow because the intermolecular forces are weaker than in the solid phase, so we would assume that these would involve ion-dipole and induced dipole forces. We would also assume that the weakest intermolecular forces correspond to the gas phase, meaning dipole-dipole and London dispersion forces. Intermolecular forces influence physical properties of each phase: gas, liquid, and solid. They can cause real gases to deviate from ideal gas behavior. They can also govern the motion of molecules; molecules in gases move constantly and randomly, they slide past each other freely in liquids, and vibrate in fixed positions in solids. The heats required to melt a solid (heat of fusion) and to vaporize a liquid (heat of vaporization) change depending on the strengths of the intermolecular forces. In liquids, water will form beads upon contact with waxed surfaces (e. . car hoods) because of the imbalance of how intermolecular forces act upon surface molecules and the symmetrical distribution of forces experienced by interior molecules. So, the stronger the intermolecular forces, the larger the surface tension. Capillary action is another example of the effect of the imbalance of intermolecular forces. If the intermolecular interactions between the particles of a liquid and a solid are stronger than the intermolecular forces acting between the liquid’s own particles, the liquid near the walls of the solid will rise. Other properties of liquids that can be affected by intermolecular forces are boiling point and critical temperature and pressure. In crystalline solids, the stronger the forces are, the more rigid the crystal is. This is because the stronger intermolecular forces in the solid fix the particles in place. Overall, understanding intermolecular forces is essential to understand gas, liquid, and solid phases, as well as the phase changes between them.