A case study Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd Essay

A case study Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd - Essay Example The present revenue is $13.9 billion and the net income is $2.000 billion. Labour force is one of the main input for Teva and the current number of employees is 35,089. Comparing the cost structure for innovative and generic cost structure for the year 2005, the net sale was cent percent for the both but the gross profit was lower   for the generic with respect to the innovative. However, the rate of growth of total sales was higher for generic than the innovative. There was a positive correlation between gross profit and R&d expenses, SG & A expenses (Bank of America Securities). The revenue was gradually increasing til 2005 in U.S., Western Europe and rest of the world (Medical and healthcare marketplace guide). The annual sale of Teva is highest comparing with its all competitors. Teva has sold a large proportion of their total production in U.S.(Medical and healthcare marketplace guide). In number of employees and market capitals, Teva was maintaining the leading position. Comp aring the strategic position with its competitors, we can say that there were considerable differences in case of total market share in U.S., growth in U.S., number of products in U.S. and also the FDA approvals (Medical and healthcare marketplace guide) in 2005. Teva maintained the leading position in all these strategic position as well as in the case of profitability. Revenue growth and net income growth is incomparably higher than its competitors are. In 2005, Teva made a deal with highest value worth $ 7,367 million.  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Walt Disney Theme Parks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Walt Disney Theme Parks - Case Study Example Over the years, the company has not only grown to great heights in achieving major market share in the entertainment industry but it has also defined the American entertainment culture. The financial stability of the theme park division have served as a critical counterweight to the volatility to the media and studio entertainment divisions (Thomas, 29). The aim of this paper is to analyze how a successful 'old economy' company has adapted to changing technologies and has used the internet to further expand its business. Although the company is now a diversified one that encompasses almost all aspects of the entertainment business (film production and distribution, cable television, publishing) as well as merchandise retailing, I will focus on its main division in which it has developed a niche market, that is theme parks. This paper is divided into two parts: 1) Part I will discuss the company's business strategy in the theme parks division and will undertake a SWOT analysis for the division and 2) part II will discuss the internet business strategy for theme parks in detail, including those for customer segmentation, acquisition, integration with overall marketing strategy, technical infrastructure and handling of data acquisition, management and use as well as social and regulatory issues. When the concept of Disneyland was thoug... Over the years, it has taken the shape of carnivals and amusement parks, offering joy rides, games, inexpensive food and even vacation stay. The Disneyland was initially an extension of the already established Disney brand but now the brand has become synonymous to the theme parks. Disneylands now house restaurants and hotels and are major tourist destinations, complete with campsites, deluxe villas and even a cruise line. Disney earned revenues of $25.4bn in 2000 from its various business - film production (Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood, Miramax, Merchant-Ivory), film distribution (Walt Disney Theatrical Productions Buena Vista International), video/ DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment), theme parks (Caifornia Disneyland, California Adventure, Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Vacation Club, Hong Kong Disneyland), television networks (ABC with 10 stations and 3,400 affiliates, ESPN, Walt Disney, Buena Vista, Touchstone, radio (ABC Network, with 21 stations and 21,000 affliliates), cable television (ESPN network, Disney chcannel, The History Channel, Toon Disney), magazines (Discover, Disney Adventure, FamilyFun, FamilyPC and ESPN The Magazine Media Networks), children's books and a number of licensees and 728 Disney stores selling merchandises. The Internet business of Disney includes GO Network (which wound up after the dot com bust), disney.com, espn.com, abcnews.com, family.com, abc.com, The Disney Catalog (Wasko, 2001). Yet, the business that comes to mind the most when one thinks of Walt Disney Company is its theme parks. The Disney parks have become the most visited vacation spots in the world.

Crisis Of Governance In Pakistan Politics Essay

Crisis Of Governance In Pakistan Politics Essay The concept of governance is as old as human civilization. The word governance has its origin in Greek and it means to steer. In simple words the governance is the process of decision making and the process by which it is implemented (or not implemented). Good governance means that the affairs of the state are managed honestly, with every system in place, where merit is never ignored, rules are meticulously followed and where everyone is equal before law. This could only be achieved if public institutions are strong, independent and responsive to the sentiments of the public. Governance is generally conceived as the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to improve the quality of life of the people. Governance is a continuous process where divergent opinions and desires are satisfied through compromise and tolerance in a spirit of cooperative action for the mutual benefit of the masses. The basic objective of good governance is to improve the quality of life of people, to ensure that their needs are met equitably. Politics is about the creation and distribution of power among organizations, tribes, communities or society at large. Governance is the mechanism, which controls the relationship between the two extremes the governed and the governors. The political process lies at the core of governance and this can be said to be efficient only if elections are free and fair, the elected are accountable, whereas authority is divided between the legislature, the bureaucracy and the judiciary with decentralization of power. 1.2 Why did I select this topic? Although there are a number of studies on the subject, yet they are generalized in nature and only a few researches have been made relevant to Pakistan. Therefore, emphasis of thesis would be on crisis of governance in Pakistan with special reference to the alien perception (to me, a misperception) of as a failed state because of its bad or misgovernance and its legal aspects. It will include the current situation, its causes and effects, its socio-economic and strategic aspect, the plight of common man and the causality between bad governance and incapacities of the state apparatus responsible for public service delivery and criminal justice system, as well as prospects of course of correction through reforms and institution building. For the preparation of this paper, numbers of research articles, journals and books written by national and international researchers and authors, and different case laws of the apex courts have been consulted. The concept of governance and crisis of governance have been discussed at length in these write-ups. Since the concept of governance in Pakistan has very recently gained focus, there are a few studies on this subject, available in public libraries. Some of the significant studies are briefly reviewed here. The Crisis of Governance and Human Development in South Asia  [2]  explains some of the main crisis of governance in South Asia, its causes and suggests ways to eradicate them. Panandiker has explained the main problems faced by the South Asian countries specially India and Pakistan relating to governance system  [3]  . Ehsan Niaz has discussed cultural aspect of the country right from 1947 and its affects upon governance. He has also explained the role of civil soci ety, politicians and bureaucracy to solve the problems of governance  [4]  . Jan Mohammad Dawood has explained the role and function of superior judiciary in the politics of Pakistan  [5]  . These views will be discussed with special reference to Pakistan. 1.3 Hypothesis/Research Question? Root cause of the crisis of governance in Pakistan is the failure on the part of our successive governments who did not focus their attention on institutional development. Instead, they weakened, corrupted and politicized the existing institutions to an extent that they have become almost non-functional. Research Questions What are the root causes of crisis of governance in Pakistan? What is good Governance and absence of it in Pakistan? Is the state willing to restrict itself to the sovereign functions and to restructure and reform the institutions of governance? What are the controls over Governance? How governance can be improved in Pakistan? 1.4 Scheme of the thesis The research has been divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 is introductory which explains the whole paper with its national and international context, its importance and objects etc. Chapter 2 explains how Pakistan has been facing governance problems right from its beginning. These problems were due to many reasons such as incompetent civil bureaucracy, frequent military interventions, incompetent politicians, lack of accountability system, and non independent judiciary. All these problems have not allowed to flourish Pakistan to become a developed state irrespective of that it has been blessed with both human and natural resources. Chapter 3 deals with the consequences of bad governance and problem of governance. Chapter 4 deals with the role of civil society, judiciary, media and other state building institutions. Chapter 5 deals with the conclusion and recommendations to improve the good governance. Pakistan has faced governance problem right from its very beginning. While most of the comparable countries of Asia which have prospered, started from a comparable low initial level of socio-economic conditions, but have over the period of several decades, created much more sound and stable social conditions. Even India has managed to come out of the classic image of low performance and governance ills, while Pakistan deteriorates on a continuing basis, despite claims of good performance and success. 1.5 Statement of the Problem Problems of governance have been endemic in our country ever since the unfortunate death of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, only a year after the creation of Pakistan. Problems of governance seem to emanate from the unholy alliance between the then so-called political elite and the bureaucrats involved in politics. 4 This state of affairs has adversely affected the quality of life of over 180 million people of this country, making their life and liberty miserable. This situation warrants an in-depth study of the causes and their effects on lives and liberties of our people to establish objective face of current crisis of governance and the prospects of reforms and institutions building. 1.6 INTRODUCTION TO GOOD GOVERNANCE Recently the terms governance and good governance are being increasingly used in modern literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly making their aid and loans depending on the condition that such reforms should be made that ensure good governance. Following paragraphs will try to explain, as simply as possible, what governance and good governance means. 1.7 Governance Meanings of governance: The World Bank defines governance as; The exercise of political authority and the use of institutional resources to manage societys problems and affairs. 6 An alternate definition suggests that governance is; The use of institutions, structures of authority and even collaboration to allocate resources and coordinate or control activity in society or the economy. English-speakers sometimes erroneously confuse the term governance with the term government. 6 David Bigman oxford publication ed:2011 The exercise of political authority and the use of institutional resources, p.1 5 According to the UNDPs Regional Project on Local Governance for Latin America: Governance has been defined as the rules of the political system to solve conflicts between actors and adopt decision (legality). It has also been used to describe the proper functioning of institutions and theft acceptance by the public (legitimacy), and it has been used to invoke the efficacy of government and the achievement of consensus by democratic means (participation). The concept of governance is not new, it is as old as human civilization. Simply put governance means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance7. Since governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made by the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision. Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other actors may include influential landlords, associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, finance institutions, political parties and the military etc. The situation in urban areas is much more complex. 7. Khan, Hamid Carvan publication ed: March 4th 2004 Constitutional and Political History of Pakistan, p.1 6 At the national level, in addition to the above actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc., may play a role in decision-making or in influencing the decision-making process. All actors other than government and the military are grouped together as part of the civil society. In some countries in addition to the civil society, organized crime syndicates also influence decision-making, particularly in urban areas and at the national level. . Similarly formal government structures are one means by which decisions are arrived at and implemented. At the national level, informal decision-making structures, such as kitchen cabinets or informal advisors may exist. In urban areas, organized crime syndicates such as the Land Mafia may influence decision-making. In some rural areas locally powerful families may make or influence decision-making. Such, informal decision- making is often the result of corrupt practices or leads to corrupt practices. 8 1.8 Good Governance Good governance has eight major characteristics. It is participatory consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective, efficient, equitable, inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. 9 8 http://www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp accessed on 23rd October 2012 9 Ibid. 7 1.8.1 Participation is key cornerstone of good governance Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision-making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand. 10 1.8.2 Rule of Law Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance. In continental European legal thinking, rule of law is associated with a Rechtsstaat. According to Anglo-American thinking, hallmarks of adherence to the rule of law commonly include a clear separation of powers, legal certainty the principle of legitimate expectation and equality of all before the law.11 10. G.W.Chaudhary Oxford publications Ed:2007 Constitutional Development in Pakistan, p.180 11. Sir Henry Wheeler, Report of the Government of India Secretariat Committee, ( Delhi: Government of India Press, 1937), p.1 8 Some authors, as J. Shklar, claims that the phrase the Rule of Law has become meaningless due to ideological abuse and general over-use. Samuel Rutherford was one of the first modem authors to give the principle theoretical foundations in Lex, Rex (1644), and later Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws (1748). Rule of law is opposed by authoritarian and totalitarian states. The explicit policy of those governments, as evidenced in the Night and Fog decrees of Nazi Germany, is that the government possesses the inherent authority to act purely on its own volition and without being subject to any checks or limitations. Dictatorships generally establish secret police forces, which are not accountable to established laws, which can suppress threats to state authority. 12 Critiques on rule of law The rule of law, i.e., the application of the body of law to the government, does not restrict the government in any way since any desired government privilege can be made by the government into a legal provision. The rule of law should be seen as a bureaucratic hope for the government to jump through, rather than as a material restriction on government power. This criticism is though mostly relevant where the principle of the separation of powers is not respected (i.e., where the legislative power and the executive power the government-are held by the same body). When the government is not also the legislative body, the principle of the rule of law may hold. Another critique is that the principle of legal equality can be easily subverted since many laws affect different people in different ways. 12. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.10 9 A law giving the legislators a raise, for example, affects the legislators in a different way than it affects the rest of the public. But since such laws are not necessarily made in accordance with the rule of law, it remains unclear if this criticism is really aimed at the principle of the rule of law itself rather than to actual legislatures. Marxist theory analyzed the capitalist state as an instrument of oppression of the people at the hands of the bourgeoisie, which set the laws to suit it. Following this, some critical theorists analyze the rule of law as a judicial fiction which aims at disguising the reality of violence and, in Marxist terminology class struggle. This theory presumes that the bourgeoisie holds the power to set the laws13. The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben argues that the state of exception is at the core of the concept of sovereignty, and not the rule of law as liberal thinkers have it. While the sovereign claims to follow the rule of law, any protection the people have, however fundamental, can be thrown away once the government finds it convenient to do so.14 1.8.3 Transparency Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media. 13. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.18 14. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.10 10 1.8.4 Responsiveness Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. 1.8.5 Consensus oriented society There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community15. 1.8.6 Equity and Inclusiveness A societys well-being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being. 1.8.7 Effective and efficient administration Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. 16 15. Syed Mujawar Hussain Shah, Pub: West view Press, Ed: 1995 Religion and Politics in Pakistan, p.68 16. Ibid 11 1.8.8 Accountability Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only public institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law17. Now it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality. 1.9 Good governance: an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal. Major donors and international financial institutions, like the IMF or World Bank, are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that those reforms ensuring good governance are undertaken13. 1.10 What does Good Governance Ensures? Governance ensures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account, and the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. 17. Dr. Rafique Ahmad, Pub: Asia Publishing House, 1964 Pakistan: Political History, p.102 12 It also makes certain, the participation by both men and women, participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. Participation also means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand, other factors that good governance guarantees are full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities, independent judiciary, an impartial and incorruptible police force. 1.11 International Pledges: Through United Nations Convention against corruption in its resolution 55/61, the General Assembly recognized that an effective international legal instrument against corruption, independent of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime was desirable. The text of the Convention was negotiated during seven sessions held between 21 January 2002 and 1 October 2003. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly on 31 October 2003, and Pakistan is signatory of it. 18 18. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CAC/ accessed on 26th October 2012 13 CHAPTER 2 PROBLEMS OF GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN Pakistan inherited a well functioning structure of judiciary, civil service and military but a relatively weak legislative oversight at the time of its independence. Over time the domination of civil service and military in the affairs of the state disrupted the evolution of the democratic political processes and further weakened the legislative organ of the state. The judicial arm, with a few exceptions, clump along to purify the dominant role of the military and the civil service. 2.1 Constitutional Aspects Criterion of governance, as provided in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 is incorporated in the following articles. Article 4 of the constitution guarantees rule of law in Pakistan and it makes Government duty bound to deal with the rights of the individuals in accordance with law, it is to be noted that the article uses the word in accordance with law not in accordance with the law which means the framer of the Constitution wished to give this rule of law clause a wider scope rather than to be limited to some specified laws. Articles 8 to 28 provided in the Constitution are not only rights provided to the citizen but auto-limitations in these rights also provide guiding principles to the Government to go for Good Governance remaining within the auto limits of these Fundamental Rights. For instance in Benazir Bhutto vs. Federation of Pakistan19 it was held that the Constitution has provided auto-limitations, or in-built restraints, on the exercise of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed the Constitution. 19. PLD 1988 SC 416 14 Such auto-limitations or inbuilt restraints not only provide protection to the rights themselves, but also further the interest of social solidarity, sought to be achieved by the makers of the Constitution. Articles 78 to 88, and Articles 118 to 127 and Articles 160 to 171 provides practical procedure for the Financial Governance of the Government both at the Federal and Provincial level, the exact follow-up of the procedure results in Good Financial Governance. 2.2 Kinds of governance in Pakistan. Governance by Federal Government The Constitution provides Articles 90 to 100 for the Federal Governance for Federal Government. Governance by Provincial Government The Constitution provides Articles 129 to 140 for the Provincial Governance for Provincial Government. III- Governance by Local Government The Constitution provides Articles 140/A for the Local Body Governance for Local Government. 2.3 Conflict of Governance and their Constitutional Solutions: The conflict of governance and their solution are dealt in Articles 141 to 144, and article 143 especially deals with Federal, Provincial and District governance Article 152/A, and articles 153 to 159 also provide means to resolve conflict of governance. Here the council of common interest is worth mentioning. It also provides a plane to resolve conflict of Governance amount Federal and Provincial Governments. 15 The Council of Common Interest is a vital constitutional body. Its main object is to care for the common interest of all the provinces. It is the best tool available to resolve the differences, problems and disputes between the Provinces and the Federation. It regulates the policies in relation to the matters in Part II of the Federal Legislative list. The limits of the Council of Common Interest can be understood by the following Case Law. Shamsuddin Qurashi Vs. Finance Member, Railway Board20 It was held that functions of the Council of Common Interests is to formulate and regulate policies with regard to the matters relating to the affairs of the Federation. It has nothing to do with power of the Parliament to legislate or the executive authority of the Federal Government to deal with the employees of the Federal Government. 2.4 The Quran as a Guide line for Good Governance read with Article 227 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973: O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Qist (justice), as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts {of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. [4/135] And O my people! Give measure and weight in Qist (justice) and reduce not the things that are due to the people, and do not commit mischief in the land causing corruption. [Prophet Shoaib (PBUH) to the people of Madyan 11:85] 20. 1980 PLC (C.S) 207 16 2.5 Civil Bureaucracy and Governance Civil Service in Pakistan is a permanent institution and has to be above party politics. Bureaucracy as a whole remains unchanged with the change of political governments barring transfers with the Ministries / Departments. The history of bureaucracy is not up to the mark, the years in which an elected civilian executive exercised control over bureaucracy. Later on the civilian bureaucracy more or less dominated at all levels of governance. After that the military bureaucracy assumed more or less direct command of all policy making. Then there were years when nobody was really in charge. In terms of performance, the period between 1947 to 1969 was probably the best. Pakistan overcame severe initial challenges and embarked upon an impressive modernization program. The Ayubs regime was better in terms of the countrys economic conditions but bureaucracy take over the key positions of the country which mostly proved to be corrupt and they adversely affected the governance of the country2 1. During the Zia era, bureaucracy was little comfortable with him and a marginal recovery of the conditions of service brought some stabilization in civil service. Bureaucracy was in line with government but it totally failed to provide justice, fair play and merit to the people of Pakistan. In both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif era bureaucracy was fully involved in politics and merit was totally ignored, Corruption was at its peak. As mostly bureaucrats were incompetent so they failed to deliver good governance in the country. During post 1999 era, bureaucracy was the worst hit segment of state apparatus. Musharraf in pursuit of perpetuation of his illegitimate rule tried to bulldoze anything and everything that he thought may hinder his adventure for power. 21. Panandiker, Sudha publishers Ed: 2009 Problems of Governance in South Asia, p 212-213 17 By introducing PCO judges in superior judiciary, he involved his military in routine administrative matters ranging from collection of electricity bills to managing state owned public enterprises. He introduced the Devolution of Power Plan 2000, doing away with the centuries old time-tested administrative service, without realizing its adverse consequences. Placing the civil bureaucracy subordinate to a local government representative namely Nazim of the district was an attempt to put the cart before the horse, which did not work22. 2.6 Frequent Military Interventions From the ancient centers of civilizations in China, Egypt, India and Persia to the classical Hellenic and Roman empires, feudal domains, medieval aristocracies and more recent enlightened despotisms of Europe, it was the sword that dominated the spirit18. It shows that whenever military interfered in the civil government, it has destroyed the whole system of governance the same holds truth for Pakistan. Military has interfered the country many times, much to the destruction of whole democratic system and governance. It has never allowed the state building institutions to flourish so that they could help to maintain good governance in the country. Had military not frequently intervened in the internal administration of the country, we would have a fully developed system of administration in the country and we would have not faced the governance problem. Once the military acquainted itself with the taste of political power, the entire fabric of the constitutional development came crashing down. 23 22. Ilhan Niaz, Karachi: Oxford University Press, Ed: 2010, The Culture of Power and Governance of Pakistan p138-141 23 Ibid 18 Due to clash of legitimacy and prudence, Pakistan has been trapped in a cycle of instability with the military and civilian political leadership destabilizing each other24. The age old Doctrine of necessity has paved the way for military for martial laws. The history of these doctrines can be traced in following cases. Dosso Vs. Federation of Pakistan25, In Dossos case (1958), the Pakistan Supreme Court used jurist Hans Kelsens theory that a revolution can be justified when the basic norm underlying a Constitution disappears and a new system is put in its place. Molvi Tamiz-ud-din Khan Case26, in Molvi Tamizuddin Khan case, the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Munir backed Governor General Ghulam Mohammads action to dissolve the first Constitutional Assembly. This judgement of the Supreme Court is always strongly criticized by all democratic parties of Pakistan and is referred to as a root-cause of unstable democracy in Pakistan. Nusrat Bhutto Vs. Chief of Army staff and Federation of Pakistan27 On November 10, 1977 the Supreme Court unanimously validated the imposition of the martial law, under the doctrine of necessity. The law of necessity recognized and upheld by Pakistans highest judicial body, has proved an honorable protection for military adventure in civil government. 24. Shahrukh Rafi Khan, Fozia Sadik Khan and Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Initiating Devolution for Service Delivery in Pakistan: Ignoring the Power Structure (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2007), 4 25. PLD 1958 SC 533 26. PLD 1955 F.C 24 27. PLD 1977 SC 657 19 2.7 End of Doctrine of Necessity in Pakistan a good sign for governance in Pakistan In PCO Judges case on July 31, 2009, the full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, decided once and for all that the doctrine of necessity is absolutely inapplicable in Pakistan and such precedent can never be cited in

File Sharing Survey :: File Sharing Illegality Essays

File Sharing Survey With a coke in one hand and the computer mouse in the other, Jack Napster is busy downloading Mp3's from Limewire with his super fast college Ethernet connection. Jack Napster lives for his music and consequently makes use of file sharing programs in order to keep up with current musical trends. He can access all the new hit songs and even some underground artists that his friends have recommended to him. Jack feels that file sharing is an ethical practice even though it is deemed illegal by the law. He feels that the downloading of music does not hurt the music industry; on the contrary it actually helps promote smaller artists. Most important, he knows that mp3's are free, and what college student does not like the word free? College campuses all across the nation are full of Jack Napster's. On October 8th, 2002, a letter was sent out to over 2,300 colleges and universities across the nation by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) informing them of the legal issues about on-campus file sharing programs. The letter seeks the support of the colleges’ to help fight against file sharing and outlines a set of policies for the schools to adopt (MTV.com). In light of these recent incidents, I choose to delve into this controversial issue by creating a survey to give to college students at James Madison University (JMU). The purpose of my survey was to determine the ethical beliefs of the Jack Napster’s at James Madison University in response to file sharing programs. The survey was administered to both female and male students as well as students of every undergraduate level. The demographics are as follows; eight males and seventeen females were surveyed for a total of twenty five completed questionnaires. The survey was distributed in my hall in my dorm, the laundry room, in my friend’s dorm, at a theater rehearsal, and at a super bowl gathering. The survey was administered from January 24th through January 27th, 2003. I feel that this variety of settings, ages, and gender provide for a more balanced survey. Going into the survey, I was sure that everyone on campus used file-sharing programs, but to my surprise only 18 of the students actually did.

Gravimetric Determination of Phosphorus in Fertilizer Samples Essay

I. Abstract The purpose of this experiment is to determinethe Phophorus content of fertilizer samples using Gravimetric Analysis. It involves dissolution of the fertilizer sample, precipitation and heating and cooling of the sample. Pooled standard deviations of the two data sets for % Pwet, %Pdry, %P2O5 wet and %P2O5 dry were 5.1448, 5.1472, 11.8436 and 11.8504 respectvely. During the experiment a data rejection for %P and %P2O5 was concluded at approximately 20% and 47%. Determination of the Phosphorus content in fertilizer is vital in quality assurance and in the choosing of a fertilizer grade important for agriculture. II. Introduction Plants require essential nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium or Sulfur to grow. However, most soils lack these macronutrients thus a decrease in food production. In connection with this, the use of fertilizers containing these macronutrients has been part of the agricultural tradition. Fertilizers have in its labels a set of numbers, known as the fertilizer grade that always appear in the form N-P-K, indicates the proportions of essential nutrients present (ie 10-10-10 which means 10% Nitrogen, 10% Phosphate in the form of P2O5, 10% Potassium in the form of K2O). Different organizations worldwide like Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) in the United States, conduct different tests to assess the accuracy and consistency of the nutrient content with regards to that of the product label and also to ensure quality assurance as part of consumer rights. Analysis of fertilizer can be conducted using Gravimetric Analysis. In Gravimetric Analysis, the product with known composition is resulted from the conversion of the analyte to a soluble precipitate that can be easily filtered and is free from impurities by subjecting it to heat. This product of known composition will then be weighed and the percentage of the analyte in the sample can be determined. In this experiment, the analyte, Phosphorus in the fertilizer will be precipitated as Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Hexahydrate, MgNH4PO4 ( 6H2O: 5H2O + HPO42- + NH4+ + Mg2+ + OH- ( MgNH4PO4 ( 6H2O (s) (1) The purpose of this experiment is to determine the percentage of Phosphorus (P) and Diphosphorus (P2O5) in the fertilizer sample by the means of Gravimetric Analysis. III. Data and Results In this experiment, the wet (as received) and dry weights of the fertilizer sample, obtained from the previous experiment of moisture determination of the same fertilizer sample were used. Weights were divided into two data sets, Data Set 1 having four (4) trials and Data Set 2 having three (3) trials. The dried sample from the previous experiment from which moisture was determined, was dissolved and is converted into a sparingly soluble precipitate, MgNH4PO4 ( 6H2O which is then filtered and weighed. The filter paper used was weighed to easily determine the weight of the precipitate. The precipitate was then dried and weighed. IV. Discussion This experiment aims to determine the percentage of P and P2O5 in fertilizer sample using Gravimetry. The fertilizer sample from the previous experiment of Moisture Determination was utilized in this experiment. The dried fertilizer sample was dissolved with 40 mL distilled water and was then filtered to obtain a clear filtrate. In Gravimetry, it is important to use a precipitating agent that if not specific, should be selective and would give out a precipitate containing the analyte. This precipitating agent should also give out a precipitate that is easily filtered and washed from impurities, unreactive with the elements present in the atmosphere, of low solubility to lessen the loss of analyte during filtration and washing, and with known composition after drying or heating. In this case, 45 mL of 10% MgSO4 ( 7H2O was added to the filtrate, with 150 mL 2M NH3 as the precipitating agent to obtain the desired precipitate MgNH4PO4 ( 6H2O which contains the analyte P. See Equation 1. While other precipitating agent like NH4Cl can be used, NH3 was used otherwise to ensure that the desired precipitate would be form. The presence of Cl- ions will more likely to attract Mg2+ thus producing MgCl2 precipitates, which do not contain the analyte in this experiment which is P. It should be noted that NH3 is added slowly with continuous stirring to the solution to ensure the growth of the precipitate, resulting to a precipitate that is easier to filter and be freed of impurities. This technique is related to the von Weirman’s ratio wherein the particle size of a precipitate is inversely proportional to the value of Relative Superaturation given by: Relative Supersaturation = [pic] Where: Q= concentration of reactants before precipitation S= solubility of the precipitate Precipitates are either formed by nucleation, or by particle growth. In nucleation, particles join together to form a large mass, usually a result of supersaturation in solutions. It consists of huge amount of precipitate, however, is composed of small particles that are hard to filter. In this experiment, what is desired is particle growth that yields a precipitate of large size but of smaller number. This is possible by further precipitation wherein particles adhere to the surface of initially nucleated particles. The supersaturation state of the solution is eased during constant stirring upon addition of the precipitating agent, thus promoting particle growth rather nucleation. With respect to the von Weirman’s ratio, the higher the value of the ratio, the higher the possibility of getting smaller particles, thereby promoting nucleation, contrary to a lower value of the ratio which promotes particle growth that will yield larger precipitates that is important in this experi ment. After the addition of the precipitating agent with constant stirring, the mixture was allowed to stand at room temperature for 15 mins. It is important to let the mixture stand, without any agitation or external forces acting on it to let digestion to occur. Digestion is necessary to allow reprecipitation, wherein particles will adhere to the initially small precipitates, and to expel water molecules thus lessening the surface area available for adsorption which causes impurities to obtain larger particles with greater purity and easier filterability. After 15 mins, the mixture was filtered using the preweighed filter paper. The filter paper that was preweighed was kept in the dessicator until further use to keep the moisture from adhering to the filter paper. Preweighing the filter paper was helpful for easy determination of the weigth of the precipitate. During filtration, precipitate was washed with distilled water in small portions of 5mL twice. For each washing, the distilled water was poured into the beaker where precipitation occured to accumulate the remaining precipitates that adhered to the sides of the beaker. After washing with distilled water, two 10mL portions of 95% ethanol were used for second washing. The use of 95% ethanol, becaue of its volatility thus will dry the precipitate faster, will ensure that no more water is trapped in the pores between the precipitates, minimal solubility loss and particles of small size will not loosen up and pass through the pores of the filter paper. Smaller portions of the wash liquid were used to ensure that the precipitate will still be intact and nosignificant loss in the amount of the precipitate due to the overflowing of washes liquid. The filter paper containing the precipitate was then heated inside the oven set a t 110˚C for 1 hour and was cooled in a dessicator for 15 min. After this, the weight of the precipitate was determined by subtracting the value of the preweighed filter paper with the weight of the filter paper including the precipitate. Even though Gravimetry is considered as one of the efficient and less expensive ways of determining a fertilizer component, this technique is still not fool proof and errors due to determinate and indeterminate factors may lead to an erroneous result. One of these errors is the fast addition of the precipitating agent and low impact of agitation that leads to the production of larger amount of small particles that may pass through the filter paper thus having lesser amount of precipitate, and a lower value for the P or P2O5 content in the sample. On the other hand, since while the mixture stands in room temperature without any coverings, contaminants like dust particles may be included in the mixture, contributing weight to the precipitate, giving a higher yield. This high yield will give a P or P2O5 content of the sample higher than its actual value. It can be observed from Table 3 that the range of % P and % P2O5 lies between approximately 6% to 13% and 15% to 30% respectively with 20% and 47% suspicious values since it is almost double of the values in range. By performing the Q test, the values were confirmed to be accpetable with regards to the actual value and values in the population, or rejected. Table 4.1 and 4.2 shows the values that were rejected and accepted for each data set. Notice that the 20% and 47% for % P and % P2O5 respectively, both belonging to Data Set 1 were rejected with 95% confidence level, meaning that the Qexp exceeded the value of the Qtabulated. Of all the trials in both Data Set 1 and 2, the group with values similar to that of the rejected values were the ones who obtained the greatest amount of precipitate. See Table 2. This rejection or errounous error in the data can be attributed to the determinate and indeterminate errors in the experiment. One more error that could be the reason for this rejection is the personal error in terms of the reading of the analytical balance. Also, because of this rejection in data, aside from the fact that Data Set 2 has lower number of population, Data Set 2 parameters for Measure of Precision are closer to each other, with the dried samples having greater values than that of the wet sample. Iti s because dried sample are purer than that of the wet sample containing still moisture and other interfering agent to getting the actual % P and % P2O5. V. Summary and Conclusions In this experiment, it was determined that the fertilizer sample has % P range of 6% to 13% with % P2O5 from 15% to 30%. However, the usual types of fertilizers with phosphates contain a minimum of 42.5 % water soluble phosphate and 46% total phosphate by weight, as in the case of Triple Superphosphate or 85 % water soluble and 20% available in Superphosphate. It should be noted that the theoretical values will vary depending on the type of fertilizer used in the experiment. Despite the data rejection that occurred, overall, it can be said that the experiment is a success since the objectives of the experiment such as performing gravimetric analysis in the determination of phosphorus content and to know the principle in separation by precipitation were achieved. Yet, it is recommended that there would be a specific manner of putting the precipitating agent, like addition dropwise or certain amounts per second or stirring so as to ensure the proper formation of crystals needed by the experiment. It should also be observed that upon digestion, or letting the mixture stand without agitation, the mixture should be covered to avoid impurities present in the atmosphere. VI. References Chapter 3: Gravimetry. California State University, Dominguez Hills. < http://www.csudh.edu/oliver/che230/textbook/ch03.htm> Accessed 17 January 2013. Fischer, R.B. and Peters, D.G. Quantitative Chemical Analysis 3rd ed. 1968; pp42-43;49 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. AGP – Fertilizer Specifications. http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/core-themes/theme/spi/plantnutrition/fertspecs/en/. Accessed 04 January 2013. Rehm, G. et al. Understanding Phosphorus Fertilizers: Phophorus in the Agricultural Environment. University of Minnesota: Extension. 2010. < http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6288.html> Accessed 17 January 2013. Skoog, D. et al. Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry 6th ed. Saunder College Publishing. 1992; pp72-80

A Critical Analysis Of “The Send Off” By Wilfred Owen Essay

This essay intends to examine the poem â€Å"The Send Off† by Wilfred Owen. Owen wrote this poem while he was stationed at Ripon army camp. He was based there after being a patient at the Craiglockhart War Hospital, this is where he met Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon. Owen was at Ripon between March and June, 1918 and died in action on the fourth of November 1918. â€Å"The Send Off† is a poem about some troops that have just come from a sending off ceremony before departing by train, presumably to the frontlines of World war One. The poem has many themes running through it. Some of these are death, strangers, flowers, secretiveness and healing. The poem opens with a very claustrophobic first line – â€Å"down the close, darkening lanes they sang their way† The words ‘down’, ‘close’ and ‘darkening’ provide the reader with a feeling of doom, claustrophobia and fear of uncertainty. The image of going ‘down’ provides the reader with the images of death, darkness, being buried, walking the trenches and going to hell. This opening line also provides a rather prophetic image of people being sent to concentration camps, by train, in World War Two. Further enhanced by ‘siding shed’. From the phrase â€Å"they sang their way2 there is an opposed feeling of happiness to the claustrophobia. However, the singing changes from happiness when the poem is read again and the other themes are considered. Flowers are the next prominent theme displayed in this poem. They appear in line four, stanza one and line fifteen, stanza three. â€Å"Their breasts were stuck all white with wreath and spray As men’s are, dead.† The flowers are described as white and in wreath form, the reader may imagine in this line that white lilies are associated with funerals. The language in this line gives the impression that the troops are covered in white flowers  and that the flowers are ‘stuck’ to their ‘breasts’ as in a coffin. This is further enhanced by the abrupt end to this line ‘dead’. The impression is that the soldiers are predresseed for their own funerals. â€Å"Nor there if they yet mock what women meant Who gave them flowers.† In this line the poet is asking if the women, who gave the troops the flowers, realise that the flowers are symbolising the reality of the horrors and the almost certain death that these troops are going to face in the frontline. The theme of funerals is picked up again in stanza two – â€Å"Dull porters watched them, and a casual tramp Stood staring hard,† The strangers, the porters, tramp, guard and women are all watching the troops, covered in flowers march from their army camp to the train station. The troops, in deliberately, are predressed for their funeral and there are no apparent cheers or voices in the poem as they depart, they are leaving silently, secretly and this leaves the reader feeling that it is a funeral convoy passing by and that the troops are experiencing foreboding of doom and may well be resigned to their fate on the frontlines. â€Å"They sang their way dimly gay† further shows that the troops are resigned to their fate and are singing their way to almost certain death.. interestingly, there is a large amount of secretiveness throughout this poem. It is first apparent in stanza three – â€Å"So secretly, like wrongs hushed-up, they went.† This line makes the reader question why the troops are departing so secretly, then in line thirteen the phrase – â€Å"We never heard to which front these were sent.† Shows that the troops and general public were not aware of where the troops would go to fight, or what the true nature of the realities would be when they got to their destination and that the public were not made aware of these realities and truths, in fact it was concealed from them. The secretiveness is also mentioned in stanza two, lines nine and ten – â€Å"Then unmoved, signals nodded, and a lamp Winked to the guard.† Here the theme of secretiveness is displayed through the imagery of the signals nodded and a lamp winked, the reader feels conspiratorial messages conveyed through Morse code. In the last stanza the secretiveness theme appears again, but this time, it is linked with the return of the soldiers. This stanza implies that only a few of these soldiers are likely to survive the war and return to their homes. However, they will ‘creep back’ implies that the soldiers may not wish to return as heroes and may need to heal themselves both mentally and physically. In conclusion â€Å"The Send Off† by Wilfred Owen starts off as a poem about a sending off ceremony towards the end of the war but in fact goes on much deeper to discuss the differences between what people at home perceive the war to be and the actual realities that the soldiers face at the frontlines. The last stanza hints at healing, and suggests that those few soldiers who do return may wish to do so silently, and not as heroes, and may not wish to discuss the realities and horrors that they have experienced. Thus, the  title is rather ambiguous.

Human Rights Law amp; Business Essay

Human Rights Law amp; Business Essay Human Rights Law Business Essay Essay Writing and Samples The following free essay sample is posted here with the hope to give you some ideas on essay writing. You may also take a look at academic tips on research paper topic ideas, term paper format, narrative essay writing and management coursework writing in our blog. Human Rights Law BusinessIt has become evident in recent years that human rights violations occur not only from states, but also from various other actors such as transnational corporations (TNCs) (Habegger Roland 2). TNCs play an important role in global economy and can use their economic capability to achieve political objectives (Habegger Roland 2). Consequently, some TNCs may misuse their influence to the extent of violating human rights in various forms (Habegger Roland 2). To avoid this, there have been various efforts, such as United Nations conventions, by the international community to make TNCs and other businesses promote and protect human rights. To evaluate the effective enforceability of those conventions, it is essential to focus on the human rights issues that the conventions look after, and their strengths and weaknesses of in doing so. The number of initiatives and standards that are meant for corporate social responsibility has increased over the years (Report 4). They include international instruments such as treaties and declarations; nationally based standards such as constitutional provisions and national laws; certification schemes such as the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP); and voluntary initiatives that are adopted by businesses on a voluntary basis (Report 4). However, most of these initiatives except for some national standards are non-binding on companies, as they do not have any legal authority to regulate companies (Report 9). Moreover, nationally based standards may not often control the extraterritorial acts of TNCs (Business Human Rights 8). International laws can regulate corporations with regards to human rights issues in two ways, namely indirect and direct (Beyond Voluntarism 1). In contrast to various laws pertaining to companies, such as personal jury law, criminal law, company law and consumer law, International human rights law provides a universal benchmark to objectively measure the behaviour of companies (Beyond Voluntarism 3). Indirect form requires states to observe that companies respect human rights and that failure to do so result in legal consequences, whereas direct form imposes direct obligations on companies (Beyond Voluntarism 3). Accordingly, various conventions, which are listed below, serve in observing the compliance of TNCs with human rights issues.International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of RacialDiscrimination (ICERD 1965) (Beyond Voluntarism 22) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR1966) (Beyond Voluntarism 22) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR 1966) (Beyond Voluntarism 22)Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination againstWomen (CEDAW 1979) (Beyond Voluntarism 22)Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading (Beyond Voluntarism 22) (Beyond Voluntarism 22)Treatment or Punishment (CAT 1984) (Beyond Voluntarism 22)Convention on the Rig hts of the Child (CRC 989) (Beyond Voluntarism 22)International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All MigrantWorkers and Members of Their Families (ICPRMW 1990) (Beyond Voluntarism 22) Apart from these, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has formed many treaties to cover various rights for workers, especially concerning health and safety issues, prohibitions on forced and child labour, and the right to organize unions (Beyond Voluntarism 22). These conventions help in regulating companies with respect to various aspects of the human rights, such as non-discrimination; womens rights; life, liberty and physical integrity of the person; civic freedoms; employees rights; child labour; slavery, forced and bonded labour; economic, social and cultural rights; and voluntarism and market forces(Beyond Voluntarism 7-34). Conventions require states to regulate and adjudicate corporate activities with regard to rights capable of abuse by private parties (Background Pa per 2). However, these conventions do not often direct obligations to corporations. Instead, they focus on measures to be taken by states to control any corporate abuses with respect to human rights (Background Paper 2). Nevertheless, conventions related to most recently adopted treaties such as ICRMW and ICRPD specifically mention businesses in this regard (Background Paper 3).Different treaty bodies related to respective conventions focus more on certain types of companies and businesses than others that states need to formulate regulations to protect against abuse with respect to human rights by those companies (Background Paper 3). To be precise, states need to take necessary steps to regulate the acts of logging and property development companies in the context of resource exploitation in the lands of indigenous people (Background Paper 3). Also, focus on healthcare does not pertain only to private healthcare providers but also includes pharmaceutical and manufacturing companie s that perform activities, which may threaten food and water resources (Background Paper 3). However, they need to have adequate and appropriate focus on other sectors and companies as well (Background Paper 3).Also, conventions require that states need to have various measures to effectively regulate and adjudicate corporate activities (Background Paper 3). The measures may range from legislative measures, to prohibit abuse and proscribe certain behaviour to administrative and judicial mechanisms to effectively investigate all complaints of human rights violations by companies (Background Paper 3). However, implementation of conventions guidelines depends on states own discretion (Background Paper 3). Also, states have to provide with appropriate remedial measures in case of human rights violations (Background Paper 3). However, there is no clarity in conventions whether regulation and adjudication should direct at respective corporate entity itself or natural persons acting on beh alf of that company (Background Paper 4). Moreover, there is no clear distinction in this regard between state and non-sate owned companies (Background Paper 4). Though some treaty bodies such as CESCR mentioned about state-owned facilities, it is not clear whether these facilities are similar to state-owned corporations (Background Paper 4).Territorial factor is crucial in regulating transnational corporations, as the convention do not directly control except for requiring respective states to do so. In view of this, states may control the activities of companies outside the states national territories through a legislation called prescriptive extraterritorial jurisdiction (Background Paper 5). However, such control needs to consider various aspects such as the nationality of offenders and/or victims, territory where the company has violated human rights, and non-intervention of other states internal affairs (Background Paper 4). From the above discussion, there are certain weakne sses for conventions that prevent them from being effectively enforceable. Conventions are mostly non-binding on companies. The system only works when the potential violators of human rights prefer it to work. Also, states can follow the guidelines of those conventions on their own discretion. In the current state, conventions do not give adequate reference to all sectors and/or companies. Moreover, there is no clarity on the roles of the states in dealing with the acts of state-owned and non-state owned companies. As conventions do not directly influence and/or regulate transnational corporations, states cannot effectively regulate and adjudicate the acts of companies outside states national territories for various reasons such as trans-border limitations. Also, states may be reluctant in enforcing the spirit of conventions states when there is connivance between a state and a TNC in which the state may benefit from the failure to enforce human rights obligations (Deva 26). States may ignore human rights obligations to attract foreign investments (Deva 26). Also, some developing states may not have adequate legal and/or economic capability to enforce HR obligations (Deva 26). Furthermore, differences in legal systems among states may be another problem (Deva 26). Above all, there are no clear sanctions that are enforceable by any convention when a transnational corporation violates human rights (Deva 10). There are several examples to explain the ineffectiveness of conventions in enforcing human rights obligations. To start with, Malaysia became a signor to the UNs CRC in 1995 (qtd. in Shirali 1). After five years, the Malaysian government started to contravene the convention with the flow of foreign investments into the country (Shirali 1). Transnational companies like Nike and Reebok were allowed to exploit Malaysias children, making them work for long hours, often twelve hours a day, with scheduled bathroom breaks (Shirali 1). This is in absolute contras t with Section 1 of Article 19 of the convention that reads: State Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment, or exploitation (qtd. in Shirali 1). Thus, the above mentioned act was a clear violation of the convention. However, neither the Malaysian government nor respective transnational companies had to face economic or any other kind of sanctions (Shirali 1). It explains that the indirect approach of conventions, in which states are required to regulate transnational companies and other businesses at their own discretion, is not effective in protecting human rights. In another example of human rights violation, Banco Santander Central Hispano (SCH) is Spanish bank, which is the largest private bank in Latin America and the Caribbean (Banco Santander 1). SCH is accused as a co-responsible entity in relation to the displacement of 1.4 million local people most of who are rubber producers, nut collectors and fishermen (Banco Santander 1). Nearly 5,000 families will become landless due to the lack of any plans for their resettlement or compensation (Banco Santander 1). Also, the construction will impact the drinking water in that region, increasing the malaria cases simultaneously (Banco Santander 1). In spite of its intensive corporate responsibility drive, SCH has failed to achieve compliance with weak international laws that regulate the actions of an international bank (Banco Santander 1). The United Nations ICESCR andILO's169 Convention lack the necessary enforceability to address the grievances of respective indigenous people (Banco Santander 1). To address the issues of ineffectiveness of conventions UN has proposed some norms to protect human rights from potential violations of TNCs. Accordingly, TNCs need to be compliant with the norms and submit to monitoring by the UN and other entities on their application of the Norms (Braaten 6). Though the mechanism seems like encouraging a direct approach by making TNCs directly responsible with human rights obligations, it still lacks clarity on how to implement the mechanism and the judicial validity of it (Braaten 7). To conclude, conventions are helpful in providing guideline to states on protecting and promoting human rights with regard to transnational corporations and other businesses. However, the lack of a direct approach and other related mechanisms to treat companies as directly responsible entities makes these conventions not so effective in protecting human rights.

The aztec empire essays

The aztec empire essays The Aztec Empire was a great empire until it was conquered by people from foreign lands. I believe that the main reason that Aztecs were conquered so easily was because they filled their own heads with fear. Fear ran throughout the minds of all the Aztecs which led to their downfall. The Aztecs had great fear of the new people that had traveled to their land all the way from Spain. The Aztecs believed Cortez himself was a god coming back to claim their land. There greatest fear was that Cortez would take Montezumas ruling power away. The Aztecs were simple people who built empire throughout the lands of Mexico. The Aztecs were people of dark skin. They were laborers, they liked to work hard and produce lots and lots of agricultural food, who were very much so self dependent. They planted their own crops and produced food for the whole village. The Aztecs were greatly devoted to their gods. They had a certain god to praise for everything. They prayed and made sacrifices every year to the god of the crops so that they could have enough crops to feed the people. They would pray to the rain god whenever they needed rain to fall. The empire of the Aztecs spread all throughout Mexico. They were the dominant group covering almost all of Mexico. The Aztecs would make sacrifices to their gods for things like good crops, safety of the village, rain, a well hunt etc. The Aztecs were such simple people and that is what led them to be conquered so quickly and easily. The Aztecs got word that new people had arrived to their land. The people were like no other kind of people that they had ever seen before. The new people that had come to their land were so different that it began to spread fearful thoughts throughout the little villages of the Aztecs. The new people were Cortez and his men who had come from Spain in order to find treasures and other goods to send back to his king back home. The Aztecs described this ne ...

An Analysis of Mark Sloukas Argument on the Lack of Humanities in American Education

An Analysis of Mark Slouka's Argument on the Lack of Humanities in American Education In â€Å"Dehumanized: When Math and Science Rule the School†, Mark Slouka addresses the lack of humanities in American education curriculum, in contrast to the overwhelming focus on math and science. For the educational system, this translates as an imbalanced approach to teaching students how to think creatively and authentically. â€Å"†¦the problem today is disequilibrium. Why is every Crisis in American Education cast as an economic threat and never a civic one?† (37) While Slouka certainly uses many rhetorical techniques throughout his article to criticize the focus on math and science in American education, this might be the most striking one. Why an education recovery automatically equals to an economy recovery? Why doesn’t the public see a progress in education as a progress in the student’s ability to think more creatively or to analyze problems more critically? Slouka suggests that we pay less attention on educational crisis as a ‘civic threat’ because: â€Å"we don’t have the language for it. Our focus is on the usual economic indicators. There are no corresponding â€Å"civic indicators,† no generally agreed-upon warning signs of political vulnerability, even though the inability of more than two thirds of our college graduates to read a text and draw rational inferences could be seen as the political equivalent of runaway inflation or soaring unemployment.† (37) As Slouka stated, economic crises are quantifiable, while civic crises are usually not and therefore, there is an underwhelming focus on humanities in the education system. By ‘civic indicators’, Slouka refers to the signs that help pointing out troubling issues that could impose disastrous consequences on the human values of the citizens in the country. In Slouka’s sense, civic indicators could also refer to the degree of democracy in the economy. Slouka argues that â€Å"Political freedom, whatever the market evangelists may tell us, is not an automatic by-product of a growing economy† (36) Through this claim, Slouka is trying to convey to us that a developed economy does not automatically result in high level of political liberation. Thus, in order to solve this issue, the politicians should place more importance on humanities in education and let the ‘human’ aspects of the students grow along with their quantitative skills that could potentially drive economic output. Humanities can help us achieve this middle-ground and enhance as well as liberate the student’s political standpoint because humanities, unlike math and science, teach us â€Å"not what to do but how to be.† (37) But aren’t there not enough warning signs of civic crisis out there, not enough to motivate the politicians and the governmental board of education to start gearing the country’s education system towards humanities? Several times in Dehumanized, Slouka points out concerning issues due to the lack of humanities in schools. He mentions Brent Staples, from New York Times, who claims that â€Å"the American education system is failing â€Å"to produce the fluent writers required by the new economy.† (34) The Education Commission of the States published a report saying that â€Å"state and local leaders are realizing that the arts and culture are vital to economic development† and several states have even â€Å"developed initiatives that address the connections between economic growth and the arts and the culture†. (36) Moreover, the embarrassingly low voter turnout in the recent years can also serve as a strong ‘civic indicator’ of the diminishing knowledge or focus the younger generations placed on the policies and programs that are adopted by the government. Too many members of society are ignorant to the significance of their involvement in the political arena. The lack of knowledge stems from the lack of information received in the educational process. It is in the area of the humanities that the individual gains an appreciation and understanding for their role as a citizen in a democracy. Even with all these reasons, the politicians still decided to turn a blind-eye on the importance of the humanities and continued on their quest to produce economically-beneficial worker-bees. American politicians are obsessed with maintaining America’s position as the world economic leader. Thus, they would not stop pushing the education curriculum towards math and science, because they are the subjects that have the most obvious potential in growing the economy. â€Å"Ah, Singapore. You’ll hear a good deal about Singapore if you listen to the chorus of concern over American education. If only we could be more like Singapore. If only our education system could be as efficient as Singapore’s.† (35) Slouka is annoyed by America’s unreasonable attitude in comparing its own education system to that of Singapore. Singapore’s education system is well-known for its heavy focus on math and science, in which Slouka views as â€Å"obsessive, exclusionary, altogether unhealthy.† (38) He uses a slightly mocking tone in the quoted paragraph above to imply that American should be focusing on improving its own in what he believes, broken – education system instead of trying to get ahead of the others. Slouka is convinced that the reason that the American education system overlooks the crucial role of humanities in developing the nation is not because of the shortage of civic indicators. However, even with plenty civic indicators, politicians are still much more attracted to quantifiable measures and the false pride that comes with America triumphing over another country’s economy. One would hope that the appreciation of the humanities and the corresponding civic indicators becomes a reality for more people. â€Å"The humanities, in short, are a superb delivery mechanism for what we might call democratic values. There is no better than I am aware of.† (37) Slouka believes that those who can grasp the concept and comprehend the condition of the nation by paying attention to the civic indicators and the humanities are people who are beginning to realize and truly understand the world around them. If American people are to ever fulfill their dreams of a true democracy, then it is imperative to break away from the hypnotic grip this capitalist system has upon us.

Personality Traits-PSY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personality Traits-PSY - Essay Example One of the most highly used personality tests is the Myers Briggs personality assessment. For the online Myers Briggs survey, the Internet site classified me as ENFJ: extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. Extraversion is a trait by which a person is naturally outgoing and is able to derive energy from being around people. Activities that extraverts like to commonly engage in deal with large groups of people such as parties, events, etc. Intuitive and feeling are traits that go together. Intuitive properties mean that a person relies on gut instincts and basic reactions when making decisions more so than hard facts and planning. In relation, those that display the feeling trait on the Myers Briggs survey are more expressive when it comes to their emotions. As a result, those that are extroverted and feeling are often vocal in expressing emotions. The judgmental category deals with how information is organized. People who express this personality trait often have what is consid ered the â€Å"Type A† personality in that everything tends to stay organized as well as organization through the use of lists, to do lists, etc. I think that the survey was able to describe me exactly perfectly. When asking the questions, there was no middle ground in picking an answer, which I think helps eliminate other variables, which would confound for the â€Å"gray† area in between personality traits.

Vinatex and Arvind Mills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Vinatex and Arvind Mills - Essay Example The model is divided into two steps, where in the first phase, the group of successful industry players are plotted for ten important trading countries. At the second stage, the historical competition of certain industries is reviewed, towards exposing the dynamic processes involved in the creation of competitive advantage (Rugman and D'Cruz, 1993). The review entails the historical analysis of the industry and the industry players. SWOT analysis is a structured planning model used during the evaluation of the environment of a business – both internal and external (Hill and Westbrook 1997). The areas reviewed include the internal strengths of the entity and the internal weaknesses of the entity. The other two aspects reviewed are the external surroundings of the entity, particularly, the opportunities available to the business and the threats that face it (Hill and Westbrook 1997). Vinatex Textile Company is a textile company based at Vietnam, and it is one of the largest comp anies in the country. It covers 50 joint stock corporations and 40 joint venture corporations in its productive sector – mainly in the manufacture of textiles. ... The company manufactures different fabrics, and is the fourth-largest manufacturer and exporter of denim. The company runs a mega-art and a value retail chain, all of which stock the brands of the company. Porter’s Diamond Model of Vinatex Textile Company The factor conditions of Vinatex Textile Company include the wide employee base of more than 120,000, which is about 5% of the total employee count for the entire industry. Factor conditions also comprise of diverse company’s production sector, across the 50 joint stock and the 40 joint venture corporations (Do 2008). The diversity of its production sectors enables the company to increase and expand its production to different product lines. The factor conditions in favour of the success of the company include its diverse sectors, including fashion design, fashion magazine, universities, vocational schools, supermarkets, and real estate. These different sectors improve the company’s competitiveness locally and i nternationally. Examples of the competency areas created from the different sectors include that the company uses the fashion magazine to market its fabrics and other product lines. In addition, it uses the university and the vocational training centres to develop the talent required to recruit high-potential talents, which can increase its productivity (Do, 2008). The company uses its supermarket outlet to market its products and fabrics, which enable it to offset the threat of its competitors. The demand conditions are favourable for Vinatex, as Vietnam’s full membership into the world trade organization (WTO), in 2007, opened the production of the company and the country in general, to the world. Following the acquisition of the membership, all restrictions on the trade of textiles were

Kevin Carter pulitzer prize winning image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kevin Carter pulitzer prize winning image - Essay Example ide area of the land which has the lighter colors, is the Black child on his four limbs with his head to the ground, seemingly being supported by his right hand. Just a few inches behind him is a vulture on its feet, positioned in a way that makes it appear that it is imitating the child’s raised shoulders. The sizes of the two images are not greatly different and this makes the balance in the photo. The child, being near the photographer, appears to be bigger than the bird but one might just assume the difference in their sizes. Nevertheless, their size and color make the two as the dominant figures. The two focal images have dark hues which contrast their environment. Coincidentally, the child has a white necklace and bracelet that is comparable to the color of the vulture’s feet and beak. The feathers of the bird and the skin of the child are smooth, in contrast to the rough texture of the ground with the dry soil, pebbles and stones scattered around and the dried gr asses. Such elements of photography, aside from the sensitive social issue, make the photograph a real

Econometric Regression Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econometric Regression Analysis - Assignment Example The productivity differed from almost wholly effectual to almost entirely unproductive. Outputs regarded consisted of patient days for three age groups. The two techniques generated similar measurements of efficiencies with a single exclusion. The findings from the translog model would generate a standardizing consequence for economies of scale. Therefore, it means that they are general and consistent returns. The DEA exemplar was capable of recognizing cases of both rising and lowering returns. The lowering was discovered for hospitals with augmented quantities of elderly patients. States with a past of civil disagreement or extensive pervasiveness on HIV/AIDS were less effective than other states. Performance was raised with health spending per capita. The researcher is mainly interested in a substantial research of applied numerical and econometric review. This review should use zonal methodology and demographic exchanges, alongside information gathered from collective three-dimen sional departments of observation. This information is normally influenced by a range of measurement issues, ending in three-dimensional reliance and three-dimensional heterogeneity. Nevertheless, a majority of the scientific work did not succeed in considering this crucial aspect of econometrics. In this article, the researchers have tackled the problem of the level to which three-dimensional impacts in practical regression review. An overview of the official technical issues is provided and associated with the literature in three-dimensional econometrics.

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world and our life - Essay Example This has made social media have a great impact on the business world and our individual life. Within the corporate world, social media is gaining popularity where it is being used in regular operations of many companies; this is mainly because it provides a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the world of the mouth, where people are connected on a global scale. Corporate messages on social media channels to reach new customers are conveyed, this is done through broadcast of positive feedback regarding the corporate message and its products. With this message, social media ensure that customers are retained hence building a positive customer loyalty. Additionally, dissatisfied customers are also reached directly within their own social media environment where the company embarks on finding better and more innovative ways of improving the product or service that they offer in the market outside (Bakardjieva and Gaden, 2011). Social media are relatively low-cost channels, which a company can use to market and advertise its products to millions of consumers. A good example is using Facebook a company just need to create a page within it where people shall need to like the page and have information which the company intends them to get in their computers, tablets or even phone. This has seen companies have million likes, which means more people are embracing this platform making the company enjoy cheap advertising platform. Social media also acts as a customer relation management too, mainly for companies which are selling products and services. Brand networking has become a way to capitalize on social trends, which is also a rich marketing tool. A company can maximize its return on marketing dollars by reaching out to potential customers via social media than making reliance on the high cost televised advertisement. Social media also allows a company to listen to a competitor message. Alternatively, this makes the listening company have strategies and

Kevin Carter pulitzer prize winning image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kevin Carter pulitzer prize winning image - Essay Example ide area of the land which has the lighter colors, is the Black child on his four limbs with his head to the ground, seemingly being supported by his right hand. Just a few inches behind him is a vulture on its feet, positioned in a way that makes it appear that it is imitating the child’s raised shoulders. The sizes of the two images are not greatly different and this makes the balance in the photo. The child, being near the photographer, appears to be bigger than the bird but one might just assume the difference in their sizes. Nevertheless, their size and color make the two as the dominant figures. The two focal images have dark hues which contrast their environment. Coincidentally, the child has a white necklace and bracelet that is comparable to the color of the vulture’s feet and beak. The feathers of the bird and the skin of the child are smooth, in contrast to the rough texture of the ground with the dry soil, pebbles and stones scattered around and the dried gr asses. Such elements of photography, aside from the sensitive social issue, make the photograph a real

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world and our life - Essay Example This has made social media have a great impact on the business world and our individual life. Within the corporate world, social media is gaining popularity where it is being used in regular operations of many companies; this is mainly because it provides a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the world of the mouth, where people are connected on a global scale. Corporate messages on social media channels to reach new customers are conveyed, this is done through broadcast of positive feedback regarding the corporate message and its products. With this message, social media ensure that customers are retained hence building a positive customer loyalty. Additionally, dissatisfied customers are also reached directly within their own social media environment where the company embarks on finding better and more innovative ways of improving the product or service that they offer in the market outside (Bakardjieva and Gaden, 2011). Social media are relatively low-cost channels, which a company can use to market and advertise its products to millions of consumers. A good example is using Facebook a company just need to create a page within it where people shall need to like the page and have information which the company intends them to get in their computers, tablets or even phone. This has seen companies have million likes, which means more people are embracing this platform making the company enjoy cheap advertising platform. Social media also acts as a customer relation management too, mainly for companies which are selling products and services. Brand networking has become a way to capitalize on social trends, which is also a rich marketing tool. A company can maximize its return on marketing dollars by reaching out to potential customers via social media than making reliance on the high cost televised advertisement. Social media also allows a company to listen to a competitor message. Alternatively, this makes the listening company have strategies and

The Vietnam War as History Essay Example for Free

The Vietnam War as History Essay You can kill ten of our men for every one we kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win. Such were the words of Ho Chi Minh referring to France and America in their wars in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese revolutionary, who later became Prime Minister (1946–1955) and President (1946–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He led the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War until his death. Six years later, the war ended with a North Vietnamese victory, and Vietnamese unification followed. The former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honor. The Vietnam War, or the 2nd Indochina Wars, was the longest military conflict in United States history. Furthermore, according to Richard M. Nixon (1985), â€Å"No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. † In Elizabeth Jane Errington’s book entitled, The Vietnam War as History, it probes the events in Southeast Asia in the thirty years after 1945 through the lenses of history. It is a compilation of the most current academic interpretations on the origins and effects of the Vietnam War. The contributors hypothesize and discuss diverse aspects of the Vietnam conflicts and clear away numerous fallacies and myths which still surround the war. They seek to understand how and why events in Southeast Asia came about as they did, and the impact they brought about both regionally and globally. The book sheds light on the lessons learned from the war. It is, of course, expected for people and nations to achieve knowledge of certain things from past experiences, especially when it is an agonizing one. In this case, however, there are at least two problems. First, there is no accord on what should be learned. The people are still divided in their beliefs as to the meaning and significance of the war—many years after it was considered over. Secondly, in attempting to comprehend something out of the recent past, Americans on both sides of the debate have badly misused or misinterpreted history itself. What indeed did we learn out of this conflict—this bloodshed and waste not only of resources but also civilian lives? To most people, there should not be â€Å"Vietnams† anymore. The United States government can do whatever they want to aid nearby countries or even those halfway-around the globe but cannot fight the war for them. An example is America’s aid in militarization and modernization (otherwise known as Americanization) of the South American drug-war. Most believe that when the government sends the guns, it will not take long before it sends the sons. Every time, the United States government tries to help a certain country it raises a specter of another Vietnam that will ensue. On the other hand, conservatives believe that Vietnam was a noble cause—and it could have been won. In subsequent conflicts involving Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia, they believed that the fundamental error in the Vietnam conflict is not the fact that the United States government interfered; rather it was the failure of the latter to win the seemingly endless Vietnam guerilla war. Reading this book will give us a better understanding of the Vietnam conflict—what caused it to happen and its repercussions to other Asian countries and ultimately the whole world. This book also sheds some light on what has been learned from Vietnam, suggest why these les ¬sons lack validity, and then specify some ways we might learn more valuably from a recent, painful incident Reference Errington, E. J. (1990). The Vietnam War as History. New York. Praeger Publishers.

Narrowcasting Is A Term Media Essay

Narrowcasting Is A Term Media Essay Narrowcasting is a term which means it spreading information or signal to a particular audience. It usually used by radio or television. In old time people use broadcasting to disseminate information to general public but now narrowcasting is more preferable because it can narrow media messages at specific segments of the public. Narrowcasting, in other word which is called niche marketing, through proprietary equipment and encryption it become easier to reach target audiences. The examples of narrowcasting are cable television, satellite radio and internet. We have chosen Astro as the example of narrowcasting in Malaysia. All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator also called as Astro is a Malaysia direct broadcast satellite (DBS) Pay TV service. Astro service was launched on 1 June 1996. It owned and operated by Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad, a leading integrated consumer media entertainment group in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Astro is used to transmit satellite television and radio to the households in Malaysia and Brunei. Astro has provided 156 TV channels, including 68 Astro-created and branded channels and 22 HD channels. Household with Direct-To-Home satellite TV, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and Over-The-Top platforms (OTT) can enjoy this service. Pay TV as mentioned just now is a kind of linear broadcast channel which only available for customer who paying an additional subscription fee. People are allowed to select particular channels and watch it on their television for a fee. Astro has become media preference for advertisers due to the media message can be spread out more a ccurately to target audiences. Discussion Astro subscribers can access to hundreds of channels worldwide through Astro channel. Astro channel has the ability to receive and send broadcast signals using satellite technology, this increases the possibilities of gaining access to channels from other countries like HBO, ESPN, CNN and so on, audience will not restricted to the channels on cable network and they can expose to more worldwide information. For example, during football match and Olympic season, Astro will open a lot of sport channels like Astro Super Sport, Astro Super Sport 2 and 3, Astro Arena and so on. Astro subscribers can enjoy the different live matches with high-quality audio and picture. They able to know the updated live score of the team they supported. Besides watching on the television screen, Astro subscribers also able to watch live football matches through smartphone, tablet or computer through Astro On-The Go web. For those viewers who cant watch the program on time, this is good news for them, they c an watch the live matches through their smartphone or tablet. Advertising on narrowcasting is effective, marketing experts are often interested in narrowcast media as a commercial advertising tool, since access to such content implies exposure to a specific and clearly defined prospective consumer audience. Advertisers can better target by identifying particular demographics viewing such programs their markets. For example if the energy drink company Red Bull wanted to target 18-25 year old action sport athletes, they can purchase commercial time on sports channel of Astro like ABOS, thus making their message more valuable by marketing to a concentrated audience. In this advanced digital era, most of the people having at least one smart technology device in their living lifestyle. Smart mobile devices have become the most basic device that people using every day. To bring a non-stop entertainment for Astro valued customers, Astro has introduced a new service for them which is Astro-On-The- Go. Astro-On-The-Go provides an application for Android devices, Astro customers just need to install this application from Android market, and so they can enjoy by watching Astro channels at anywhere or anytime. There are four main features of this innovative service. It provides 19 Astro channels for subscribers. When you feel boring at somewhere else, Astro-On-The-Go can bring a lot of entertainment for you. You will be able to watch latest news, educational and entertainment programs to pass the time. Secondly subscribers are may catch out the programs they missed. Astro-On-The-Go has given a chance for them to choose the program from their TV subscript ion package. Third, Pay per View service is available for subscribers to select TV program from a library on anytime. Lastly, subscribers are able to watch live events regardless of where they are. They are never missing out any live sport, live concert or others live events by using Astro-On-The-Go service. In addition, Astro-On-The-Go has bringing advantages for advertisers. Because of smart mobile device could be one of the device that people attached the most in daily life, advertisers can spread out their messages to target audiences easier and more effectively. There are number of gain of Astro channel however, miss are also there. The only miss of Astro is weather distraction. Due to the reason of Astro channel works on digital signals, weather is playing a very important factor for its operation. When bad weather is happening, it could interrupt the signal of receiving Astro channel. Viewers will loss the connection and thus they are going to miss out their TV programs. Satellite dish are located at outdoors, it becomes susceptible to malfunction as a result of weather conditions like snow, very strong winds and lightning. Medium (Astro) Audience Message Message ` Audience Medium (Astro) Feedback There is a relationship between Astro channel, message and its audience. Astro disseminate the message or information to the audience through different channels. For example, Astro channels consist of different categories like entertainment channel, news channel, knowledge channel, HD channel, music channel, sports channel, premium channel, kids channel and radio channel. Through these different types of channels, audience can receive the latest information of entertainment, news, music, sports. For example, for news, audiences are able to know the latest news or information through CNN or BBC which are worldwide. Audiences are able to know the latest news from other country instead of only the news of their own country. For entertainment, audience can get to watch the latest Hong Kong drama through Astro On Demand. Besides for those audience who love to watch English movies can watch their favourite English movies through HBO. All the Astro subscribers are active audience. Active audience is the one that who actively engages with the text, they do not simply accept every media message. They will question what they see and develop their own interpretation of a media product based on their life experiences, education, family and cultural influences. Audience become gatekeepers and decides on what they want to know. For example, Astro subscribers will choose the channel they are interest and pay for it. Besides that, audience can look for further sources of information from their friends, families, through internet, books, and so on instead of only depends on the information sources from television. They can also stop consuming particular media content by simply switch the television off. This will prevent channel hopping. Audience and Astro are having two-way communication. The audiences will also giving feedback to the medium which is Astro. For example, Astro subscribers can make a complaint through Astro hotline if there is any problem faces. This feedback is useful for Astro to improve their services in the future. In addition, the act of Astro subscribers vote for their favourite candidates in Astro Talent Quest singing competition through mobile phone short message service (SMS) shows that they are having two-way communication. This can help to improve the interaction between Astro and its audience.