Use of Technology to curb crimes in sri Lanka

Use of Technology to curb crimes in sri Lanka INTRODUCTION Crime rates Sri Lanka is continued to grow like a social melanoma since 1944. New methods are required in order to take decisions regarding a crime. In such an occasion, the court of law takes assistance of criminology. Main components of the criminology are zoology, chemistry, physics, computer science, statistics, and mathematics. The capital punishment is not reopened with human rights point of view. Unfortunately nowadays we observe that the crimes are so common occurrence in our country. Criminals search for numerous ways in order to commit crimes with the use of advance of the technology. All crime searching mechanisms of our country should be modified with the modern high technology methods in order to curb crimes. Not only the policies of a country, but also techniques which we use to prevent crimes contribute to the increase of the crime rates. 2 Being a democratic country, we do not practice capital punishment regarding offenders. The rate of crimes could be reduced certain extent utilizing the new technology. More over poverty contributes to increase the crime rate of our country. 3. Most of crimes are not reported or not recorded, not followed through, or not able to be proved.   Every crime violates the law, while every violation of the law does not count as a crime. As an example:  breaches of contact  are ranked as offence under the civil law, but it is not considered as a crime. AIM 4. The aim of this paper is to examine the use of technology to curb crimes and to maintain the law and order in Sri Lanka. HISTORY 5. The idea of crime came from legendary or mythology. Some religious communities consider crime as a sin. Good religious preachings had pointed out the consequences of committing crimes in historical books. Searching criminals and punishing them is a judiciary process in order to minimize the crime rate of a country or a society. Further the Department of Police has responsibility to submit offenders to the courts. The father of the criminology is considered as professor Edmond Lokard. He made a famous saying that every touch makes substances. 6. Sri Lanka practiced a court system for criminals in the history called Raja Sabha and it was an evidence based methodology which had been used to identify the criminals. Presently Sri Lanka use modern technology to detect crimes to a certain extent.    REASONS FOR CRIMES 7. Basically crimes in our country are taken place because of following reasons. Some of these reasons could be controlled with using modern technology for a certain extent. Those reasons are as follows: a. Poverty of the country. b. Morale values. c. Education of the citizens. d. Religious motivation. e. Social problems. f. Public perception. g. Gun culture. h. Drugs usage/drugs trafficking/illicit drugs. i. Degrading minorities. PRESENT PROCEDURE ON CRIMES IN SRI LANKA 8. Crime can be classified into categories as follows: a. Crimes against property. b. Crimes against Public order. c. Crimes in form of violent. 9. Mainly police handle crimes. When there is requirement of using technology, the police make use the police officers who are well trained on criminal investigation. these officers are called Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO). Once after recover any crime, the police produced relevant suspect or suspects in front of the courts. If not, the police carry out investigation on the order of the court. 10. Magistrates court or a High Court is having primary jurisdiction in the cases of crimes. The respective legal domains are provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure. REQUIREMENT OF TECHNOLOGY IN CRIMES DETECTION 11. Ordinary people commit crimes normally. Legal personals and police personal who are trained in handling crimes may also commit crimes. Then the detection of crimes is difficult. 12. Presently the advance technologies are used for crimes. Therefore, detection of crimes is not easy task like the ancient era. 13. Sri Lanka being a third world country the techniques used for crime prevention is in an infant age. Sri Lankan Crime statistics shows that most of crimes are pending on investigation giving us some idea about the investigation system of our country. Most of occasions technological failure paved way for the pending investigations. As examples following statistics relevant to the grave crimes indicate that we are to go for new technology: Ser no Year Total no of grave crimes Pending on investigation 1. 2010 27024 15959 2. 2009 57182 28448 3. 2008 60693 29800 4. 2007 56215 27009 5. 2006 60932 28650 (Source: Web Site Department of Police, Sri Lanka) 14. Since we faced 30 years war in recent past, most of people are trained on handling weapons. Some weapons may be remained in underground. There may be so many explosives and weapons which have not been detected by security forces. Though it is not imminent but some time later on, there is a tendency to increase crimes in account of these hidden items. .15. There were instances where some people tried to print money with common use of computer technology. With the available internet facilities, some people try to get knowledge for crimes. Some people may maintain contacts with foreign terrorists groups and criminals using intent facilities and other public communication systems. 16. General use of mobile phone also may be contributed for organized crimes. It is provided connectivity among criminals or criminal organizations. With commercial aim any one is permitted to get mobile connection without revealing so many personal particulars. Some body may use this easiness of mobile connectivity to achieve criminal objectives. Intelligence sources are bound with the existing law to do their operation freely. But when we are using modern technology to reveal these it is very much speed as well as efficient and effective. 17. .During the last three decades of war in Sri Lanka, when military forces achieved some gains in north, the consequences were in Colombo. Colombo is the economic hub of Sri Lanka. Any terrorists or any criminal can make grave losses to the economy of Sri Lanka if he or she targets on economic vulnerable places in Colombo. Some time it was revealed that LTTE carders used national identity card with a Muslim name. With using those identity cards they managed to come to Colombo. 18. Banks and other financial institution in our country give chance for anyone to open bank account in their banks. Minimum attention is given to the circulation of money in the account. Criminals can operate somewhere but handler of the criminals may be in somewhere. Even in the Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulles case: it was revealed that the criminal had another identity card with a Tamil name which he had use to open a bank account to facilitate his expenses. 19. Our security forces ways of searching people and questioning people are not yet improved. It requires modification with new technology. Old searching methods of people are not suit for the present requirements. As an example: the Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulles case, the police arrested a Tamil girl for questioning about the handler and the suicide bomber and she committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule whilst in custody. In this instance, police found that the capsule had been hidden inside her vagina to avoid detection. 20. There were some abnormal cases where father raped his daughter or grandfather raped her innocent granddaughter. Since society is so much cruel there should be effective way to identify those offenders removing there voluble curtain like father or grandfather. TECHNOLOGY IN PRESENT FOR DETECTION OF CRIMES 21. Present technology to detect crimes can be considered as a guide for Sri Lanka crime prevention technology. During last humanitarian war period, the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and the CID of the Sri Lanka Police, were able to detect many sophisticated communication equipment of the LTTE and have arrested many LTTE cadres operating in Colombo with using modern technology. This paved the way for Colombo to be relatively free of incidents. 22. Any criminal from center part of the country may rape an innocent girl in south or north. He may escape without giving any evidence. But since DNA technology is used it is easy to find the suspect. But there is a problem with the cost of DNA research. 23. To judge the time of a murder, researches are conducted on skulk of a human body or else any other parts. It is sometimes help to identify criminals. 24. As technology continues to develop, the accuracy of information is increased. In August 2000 the accuracy of GPS signals was within 2 meters. We can use this technology for crime prevention. 25. Our preventive measures involve an increase in standard domestic intelligence. Understanding of terrorist functions increases the ability to prevent terror attacks effectively. 26. If suspect persons any cell of body excluding blood is remained as evidence, genetic code is to be tested. It may be his strait of hair, any small cell of the body. In case of a rape, criminals can be detected with following: a. Trees and soil of the place where the rape was taken place. b. Some patches taken place when trying to escape. c. Any strings of hair of the offender, d. Sperm of the offender. e. Suspected persons cloths. f. Any small injuries during the rape. 27. Observation of the Place of Crime. Following new technology are used in a place of crime. a. Use camera for surveillance. b. Storing data with a computer. c. Photographing using sensible camera. d. Storing of evidence with using computer. 28. Touching Evidence. Touching evidence is very much important in criminology. Basic consideration is paved for substance of physical components. Fingerprints are very much important evidence. New technology can be used for identifying fingerprints, recording fingerprints, scanning the small evidence materials, deciding time of a crime, where normal eye cannot identify the small substance. Touching evidence are used for following fields of crimes: a. Vehicle accident b. smuggling 29. Weapons and Explosives Weapons and explosives are used for crimes. There are so many types of explosives which are in used. Explosives can be a one chemical or compound. It may be a solid or liquid. Now explosives detectors are used. Since the new mine detectors are most effective they can be used for detection purposes. PROBLEMS 30. With considering nature of the crimes, tendency of the criminals, there is a higher requirement to use the modern technology. Following problems are identified in order to use the technology in reducing crimes and maintaining law and order of the country. Those difficulties are as follows: a. Since a considerable time Sri Lankan police service has using communications equipments to communicate with each police station. But when we consider the security, speed, efficiency it is too behind with the requirements. b. There is a vaccum of capable police personals to be used in crime detection purposes and technology handling. c. Morden fire arms are used by criminals d. In competitive world explosives are introduced with so many forms. e. Research on DNA is very much expensive. But it will help to identify criminals. Lack of researchers to do DNA tests is another problem. f. there is a lack of laboratory facilities with modern technology to detect crimes. g. Preventing crime is easy rather than searching after committed a crime and it is saving voluble properties in the form of man power or material. h. Drugs trafficking is a major issue. i. There are some places where crimes are repeating. Police dominance of the area is not enough to control the crimes. Sometimes there is a specific time which crimes are repeating. j. As per the common practice of law of our country, which trial a case in a court not suitable for some cases. As an example a real criminal may be escape from the punishment if a talent lawyer talks on behalf of him. He has to spend a great deal of money to get advices and service of the lawyer. And same manner an innocent man may be convicted for a crime if he is not taking assistance from a good layer. k. Our countrys judiciary system is functioning well. But in criminal cases pending on trial cases are very much high since the criminal cases are to be proved beyond the reasonable doubt. It requires some modification. In modern technology computers can be feed with intelligence and our penal code as well as other laws which help to take the decisions. Then the judgment could be taken without delay. l. Normal tendency of an offender is to do the offence habitually. When we consider about the data of a local police station this is a common tendency. Normally inquiries are recorded in a book. For minor offences are neglected for first or second times. Then someone may compel to do the crimes. Because the police have to search in so many books some offenders past behavior may be hidden. If a police station got a data source which can available immediately police can go for a study of any offenders history. As a result even a minor offences are repeated, the offender is to be punished to avoid crimes. When we consider about few criminals it is common truth that they have initially done small offences and later on crimes. m. Vehicles are being used by so many types of people. Criminals are also using vehicles. Criminals may commit a crime in a far away distance, and come back in few minutes using vehicles. Then tracking the criminals using search dogs is much difficult. n. Emergency telephone numbers which were published by the Department of Police are commonly use by the general public. That will help Police personals to locate the place of crimes and take actions without delay. For example 119 and 118 numbers are commonly used. But most of times these numbers are engaged with some conversations. o. Sudden provocations are making so many crimes in our country. When we consider about crimes history of our country it is so much clear. We can use modern technology to enhance the patient ability of such selected group of people with using computer games. p. Punishment may be helped to reduce crimes to some extent. But if we are going for a major reduction of the crimes in Sri Lanka following crimes generating areas are to be addressed giving reasonable solutions with using modern technology. q. In some occasions fingerprints are being used to identify the criminals. The fingerprint system had been used by prehistoric people. 31. There are numbers of poisons which are used in Sri Lanka for making crimes in the form of murder, committing suicide, homicide, culpable homicides. There is a new tendency in Sri Lanka for abortions with using illicit means. When in such a case researches on the victims body is to be carried out. New technology is used for those researchers. There is a scarcity of laboratory facilities with modern technology for these purposes. SUMMERY 32. Considerable number of reason is contributing to increase crimes in Sri Lanka. Controlling crimes is a need of hour in the country. In the process of controlling the crimes, Sri Lanka may face some barriers. Reconciling those barriers is required to reduce the crimes. Reducing crimes will help to maintain the peace and order of the country. RECOMMENDATIONS 33 It is recommended that: a. Every police station is to be provided with LAN and WAN system to impart information quickly. b. In order to reduce pending investigations of crime, police personals should be provided training on special equipments which are used for crime detection. c. Selected police personals should be provided with training on special arms which small in size. d. All police personals to be trained to identify various explosives. New equipment to identify explosives is proposed to import. e. Studies on DNA to expose crime can be expanding under the guidance of the government of Sri Lanka. f. In order to detect crimes there is a requirement to enhance laboratory facilities. g. Most of financial institution, government money lending institutions, and even some large scale business places are advised to fit camera and associate security systems with using computers to identify criminals. h. House can be secured with fixing small electronic alert equipment which is not expensive. i. Vehicles can be fixed with special remote sensible alert system. Costs of this equipment are very less but must be produced in larger scale. h. Media and other new technical ways and means can be utilized to educate people. Even in films may also be subjected to give the message to general public. i. With good intelligence combine with technology, will reduce drugs trafficking rate. On the other hand it will help to minimize other crime pertaining to robbery. j. New technology to detect crimes with using satellite, radar system or any other technology means of detection methods. k. National identity card which we are using can be produced by some body. In order to enhance security system of national identity card some magnetic sensitive identity(bar coded) card can be introduced. Though it is expensive at the beginning it will be reduced the large scale property damages and the cost of the detection of crimes. l. New technologies for detection of communication in the form of telephone, mobile phone and internet means of communication to be introduced for crime detection personals. m. By using technology the detection process to be accelerated to suit with future requirements n. We need new technology as well as specialized knowledge on computer and internet. o. Media got so many responsibilities to prevention of crimes. But some instance media also contribute to produce criminals. Media in terms of government and private sector is to be used for preventing crimes.

Othello: the Abnormal Behaviors and Happenings Essay -- Othello essays

Othello: the Abnormal Behaviors and Happenings  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The audience finds in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello a curious collection of abnormal behaviors and happenings. In this paper let us examine in detail the abnormalities.    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack defends the Moor as one who is not necessarily the victim of a psychological deficiency, as some critics maintain:    What should be noticed in particular is that, essentially, Shakespeare invented Iago; set him down in his dramatis personae with the single epithet â€Å"a villain†; and devoted most of the play’s lines and scenes to showing in detail the cunning, malignancy, and cruelty of his nature, including the cowardice of his murder of his wife. It seems to me therefore impossible to believe, as some recent critics would have us do, that the root causes of Othello’s ruin are to be sought in some profound moral or psychological deficiency peculiar to him. (137)    A more obvious example of the irregular appears in the conduct of Iago. The abnormal behavior of the ancient is partly rooted in his misogynism. In â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello† Valerie Wayne implicates Iago in sexism. He is one who is almost incapable of any other perspective on women than a sexist one:    Iago’s worry that he cannot do what Desdemona asks implies that his dispraise of women was candid and easily produced, while the praise requires labour and inspiration from a source beyond himself. His insufficiency is more surprising because elsewhere in the play Iago appears as a master rhetorician, but as Bloch explains, ‘the misogynistic writer uses rhetoric as a means of renouncing it, and... ...normal psychology. (89-90)    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes. New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1970.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Wayne, Valerie. â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello.† The Matter of Difference: Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed Valerie Wayne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.   

Global Business Cultural Analysis: Singapore Essay

Abstract This research paper will conduct a comprehensive Global Business Cultural Analysis of the nation of Singapore. The paper will point out the complexities of the relationship the US should consider before deciding to conduct business in Singapore. The analysis will explore the major elements and dimensions of Singapore’s culture, how these elements and dimensions are integrated by locals conducting business in the nation of Singapore, how these factors compare with US culture and business, and address implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in Singapore. History and Geography Singapore, or the Republic of Singapore, was founded in 1819 as a British trading colony. It is located on the major sea route between India and China. Singapore is known today as one of the most prosperous countries and boasts the world’s busiest port. It is clean and orderly, and since becoming an independent country, Singapore is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Because of such positive characteristics, multinational countries seek to do business in Singapore. Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Singapore is a parliamentary democracy and gained its independence in 1965. It is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, and multi-religious society consisting of four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. Under the leadership of Lee Kwan Yew as prime minister, Singapore has developed into one of the cleanest, safest, and most economically prosperous cities in Asia. Si ngapore is the world’s fourth leading financial center, and its port is one of the five busiest ports in the world (De Prato, 2013). In order to understand the development of Singapore, we must first take a look into Singapore’s history. During the 16th and 19th century, the Malay Archipelago was taken over by the European colonial powers. The Dutch  controlled most of the ports in the region and established a monopoly over trade within the Archipelago region. At this time, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the British colony. During his reign, the trade route between China and British India passed through Archipelago. Raffles hoped to challenge the Dutch restrictions on trade by opening a new port. Once he received the funding, Raffles found an island that possessed a natural deep harbor, fresh water supplies and timber for upcoming ships. The island was named â€Å"the Lion City.† According to legend, when the Prince of Palembang, Sang Nila Tama, landed on the island, he saw an animal that was probably a tiger, but he mistook it for a lion, and so he named the island, Singa Pura, or â€Å"Lion City† (Singapore Country Report, 2003). Raffles rallied together with Temenggong Abdur Rahman, who headed a small Malay settlement, signed a treaty giving them rights to establish a tradi ng port. After the treaty was signed, modern day Singapore was established. The people of Singapore made up around 1000 in population and, due to migration from Malaya and other parts of Asia, population grew to 100,000. Raffles was prohibited from collecting port duties during the beginning operations of the port because the port was a free port. This news spread quickly and by 1825, trade volume increased. A second treaty was signed by John Crawford in 1823, giving the British access to much of the land and subjecting the island to British law. Under this law, Singapore had to take into account Malay customs, traditions, and religion. In 1826, the British settlements of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore were combined to form the Colony of the Straights Settlement (Business Source Complete, 2012). In the years between the 19th and the 20th centuries, the British established protectorates over the Malay sultanates on the peninsula. Large scale rubber and tin production as well as a system of public administration were developed during the British rule. The British had much control until World War II. After the war, territories of peninsular Malaysia joined together to form the Federation of Malaya in 1948. In 1963, the British colonies of Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah joined the federation, which was renamed Malaysia (Business Source Complete, 2012). After becoming independent, Singapore faced many dangers: the threat of an attack by the Indonesian military and forcible re-integration into the Malaysia Federation on unfavorable terms. Singapore’s survival was in question. Unemployment,  housing, education and the lack of resources and land were also pressing problems. Singapore then joined the United Nations and the Commonwealth. Sinnathamby Rajaratnam was prime minister and he helped with developing diplomatic relations with other countries. The service and manufacturing sector grew. Singapore also attracted big oil companies like Shell and Esso. Education became a major focal point and English was adopted as the language of instruction. The government also emphasized training to develop a more suitable workforce. What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in Singapore? Communication Culture represents the historical experience of a people, is embedded in their institutions, and shapes their attitudes and expectations about the world (Zakaria, 2012). First, let’s begin with communication. Singapore has four major spoken languages: Malay, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil, and English. English is the most common language spoken which is very important in terms of conducting international business. Most of the schools in Singapore teach English as the first language. These two factors create a favorable advantage to doing business in Singapore. With Singapore’s port being one of the busiest in the world, English teaching and English speaking has proven to be a positive factor in conducting business. A business partner, with good English speaking background has very little difficulty in communicating with locals. Another positive factor besides Singapore’s multilingual background is its multi-ethnic blend. Ethnic Chinese people speak both Mandarin and Eng lish. This enables them to have access to the Chinese market. And it’s easier for importers, exporters and investors to do business with ease. Ethnic Indonesian speaking people provides better access to the market in India. Singapore may be a small country but its diverse culture help to create a country that is able to thrive in a very competitive market. When considering doing business with them, note a few characteristics that are important aspects of completing business successfully. Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal. Singaporeans rely on facial expressions, tones of voice, and posture when interacting with a business partner. And they really trust these non-verbal messages. Singaporeans rather say â€Å"I will try† or â€Å"I will see what I can  do† rather than say â€Å"no.† This is what they call saving face and maintaining harmony. They believe in silence. One should pause before responding to show actual thought has taken into consideration before answering. Greetings are based on age and ethnic origin also. Younger Singaporeans shake hands with everyone while older Singaporeans are more reserve. In Ethnic Chinese, men and women shake hands but it i s custom for the woman to extend her hand first. In Ethnic Malay, men shake hands with men but not with women. Muslim men do not touch women in public. It is more appropriate to use the â€Å"salaam† bowing of the head greeting Religion Most modern states have policies for the management of religion (Lin, 2012). For those with diverse religious communities, such as Singapore, the question of how to ensure the peaceful coexistence of various religions becomes an important challenge for the governments concerned. (Lin, 2012). In an effort to maintain social stability and political power, the government introduced various measures, such as the White Paper on Maintenance of Religious Harmony (January 1989) and the White Paper on Shared Values (Ping, 2012). The major religious denominations in Singapore are Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. The origin of Christianity trace back to 1965 after Singapore gained its independence. English was the official language of Singapore, churches could easily communicate the gospel. Local laypeople and ministers became involved in establishing churches, Christian ministries and missionary schools. Missionary schools were established to produce the next generation of leaders. The National Council of churches was the first organization established to represent Christians. The Singapore Industrial Mission was established in 1966 to help promote the vision and the building of a viable human and mature community; to help the community to become a participant and creative community organized for the interest of all; and, to foster new social values that would help in cultivating inter-racial community understanding and solidarity (Goh, 2010). Today, Christianity still exists in Singapore with majority of the members being of Protestant denomination and the rest Catholic. Christianity is viewed as one of affluence, progressive value and an international flair. Buddhism originated in India when SiddhÄ rtha Gautama or Buddha went into meditation for 49 days and upon awakening, he had  complete insight into the cause of suffering and he knew the steps necessary to eliminate it. The Four Noble Truths became his teaching. They are: 1) there is suffering (dukkha), 2)there is a cause or origin of suffering (samudaya), 3) there is an end of suffering (nirodha), and 4) there is a path out of suffering (magga) which is the Noble Eightfold Path, (Ong and Chang, 2012). Buddha’s teaching are not just ethical guidelines but offer a grand insight into nature of reality. Buddhism, which was regarded as a newfound â€Å"religion†, became prevalent in the writings of travelers as well as philosophers and it was soon established as an academic discipline within various universities and colleges towards the close of the century, (Aljunied, (2005). Islam is a religion of peace, love, harmony, and tranquility for all human race (Tahir, 2012). The Almighty Allah revealed in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book, guidance of humankind. The main focus of all the teachings of prophets is on the creation of a virtuous being, (p. 120). In order to become a muslin, faith in all the prophets or a revealed book is nec essary. The first prophet was Hazrat Adams and Hazrat Muhammad is the last prophet revealed by the Almighty Allah. After World War II and Singapore gaining its independence, Muslims became a minority due to the separation. Muslims were deprived of many social advantages and prestige they were once accustomed to. Racist feelings began to form among the people. Muslims formed the Dar Al-Arqam society in an effort to confront the effects of the Christian missionaries who were trying to convert individual faiths. The Dar Al-Arqam was formed with the objective of having a place where the new Muslim converts could get together and develop the fraternal, religious and social relationships among themselves. Official Hinduism is dominated by Agamic, Shaivite precepts and practiced by the elite in Singapore, (Sebastian, 2008). Sinha has argued that a large number of Hindu reformist organizations have established a presence in Singapore since the 1970s and that many of the adherents of these organizations refer to themselves as Hindus but â€Å"redefine the category in doing so by assigning new meaning to it†, (Sebastian, 2008, p.75) They are considered a minority but make their presence known by holding public festivals, establishing temples, and locals have established what they call, Little I ndia. Today, there are many temples dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses. The Hindu Endowments Board and The Hindu Advisory Board are set up by the government  in order to monitor Hindu affairs. Values and Attitude, Ethics Singapore’s culture is based on Shared Values and Confucian Ethics. Asian cultures are distinguished by a set of values that include obedience to authority, intense allegiance to groups, and a submergence of individual identity. It is the state’s attempt to unite its people through the vision of a â€Å"shared fate.† The ideal of a shared fate is expressed by the state developing institutional and conceptual contexts in which different communities can foster ties and shared practices while preserving religious and cultural differences (Tan, 2012). Because of multiracialism in Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong created a vision of â€Å"Our Shared Values,† which are intended to be shared by all Singaporeans, regardless of ethnicity, religion, and other differences. The Shared Values consist of the following five broad principles: * nation before community and society before self * family as the basic unit of society * community support and respect for the individual * consensus, not conflict * racial and religious harmony Confucian is based on the same theory. Confucianism upholds the cardinal belief that every individual possesses the right to human dignity and equality (Tan, 2012). Education In 1997, National Education (NE) was added to the curriculum to strengthen the messages of moral and citizenship education, particularly those to do with young Singaporeans’ attitudes to the country. National Education takes the form of school activities distributed throughout the school year. Its messages are also incorporated in school subjects wherever appropriate, and comprise the following: Singapore is our homeland; this is where we belong; we must preserve racial and religious harmony; we must uphold meritocracy and incorruptibility; no one owes Singapore a living; we must ourselves defend Singapore; and we have confidence in our future, (Han, 2007; MOE, 2004a) How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in Singapore? Combating Corruption Understanding corruption is imperative for legal scholarship, both as an intellectual subject and because corruption impedes the operation of law in much of the world and inflicts damage on well-being, governance, and quality of life (Nichols, 2012, p.145). Corruption inflicts substantial damage to a nation. It weakens the government and causes poor decision making. It also affects the composition of the decision maker. Corruption causes economic fragility, it degrades the connection between the government and the people, and it degrades the quality of life. The Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index was developed by Johann Lambsdorff, and is used by specialist in order to find out how much corruption there is within a country. According to the index, Singapore scored 9.3 which means Singapore effectively is among those countries with the least amount of perceived corruption in the world (Nichols, 2012, p.151). Gender discrimination and job related outcomes When considering doing business in Singapore, expect to encounter female business partners. Female Singaporean business owners have at least 10 years schooling, while 35 percent held first or postgraduate degrees, 15 percent had professional or polytechnic qualifications and 50 percent had completed second;–level education (Ramon, Valerie, 1999). The five major factors which best motivate Singaporean female business owners in particular are: (1) the perceived presence of a business opportunity; (2) the desire to put their knowledge and skills into use; (3) the need for freedom and flexibility; (4) the desire to achieve personal growth and recognition; and (5) the need to make more money for financial independence (Ramon, Valerie, 1999; see also Teo, 1996). Although the Singaporean women choose to become members of the working population, society still expects the role of traditional women in the household to be played, particularly as wife and mother. The working women still f ace the conflict of work and family and despite the number of rising educational level and attainments, Singapore’s female managers are still fewer in number when compared to males. From a Confucian Perspective Singapore’s state vision, Shared Values, resemble Confucian values. How do they differ? Confucian does not recognize civil and political rights. Confucian upholds the idea that every individual possesses the right to human dignity and equality. For Confucians, social relationships are characterized by social positions, or roles, and social positions are defined in terms of obligations, (Nuyen, (2008). Confucian core teaching is the ethical idea of a noble person, the virtue of humanity, and the process of self-cultivation. Confucian values are group identity, duty consciousness, personal discipline, consensus formation, the priority of collective interests, and emphasis on education and pragmatism (Tan, 2012, p. 462). These values recognize cultural differences. From a Confucian perspective, shared values should not be regarded as a religion in the sense of being a faith system. Shared values should remain nonreligious. Many of Singaporeans religious teaching are compatible to Confucian. How do both of the above items compare with US culture and business? Communication Communication is one of the most important factors when considering doing business with Singapore. Due to the fact that English is the most common language spoken in Singapore, this has made conducting business with the United States easier. Understanding other factors will aid communicating with business partners. Communication differences can be found between the two countries. Singapore is a high-context country while the United States is considered a low-context country. In high-text, both the sender and the speaker are involved in the context and each are expected to interpret the conversation with ease. In low-text, what must be said, will be said. As I mentioned earlier, in Singapore, non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal. Singaporeans rely on facial expressions, tones of voice, and posture to understand someone who is conducting a business transaction. And they really trust these non-verbal messages. Americans prefer comparatively little touching and relatively large personal space. Singapore is a collective society and the United States is a highly individualistic society. Therefore, Singaporeans belong to in groups and rely on loyalty to between one another. In the United States, Americans look after themselves and their families. Communication between Singapore may be different but with interpretation and knowledge, a prosperous business relationship can be formed. Religion The major religion in the United States is Christianity. Singapore is very diverse. There are four major religions in Singapore, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Americans are becoming more tolerable of one another beliefs. Religion should not be a problem when doing business in Singapore because the United States is more tolerable of different religious beliefs. And with Singapore and the United States both identifying the freedom of religion, mutual respect should be given to any religious background. It is good practice to become familiar with religious backgrounds in order to conduct business more effectively. Ethics Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between individuals are loose; everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivism pertains to societies in which people are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups from birth that continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (Hofstede 1980). Based on these theories, we assume that compared with individualist cultures, managers in collectivist cultures are relatively less likely to follow social norms such as honesty, integrity, and law obedience. When there is a conflict of interest between corporate insiders (the in-group) and outside investors (the out-group), managers may prefer corporate insider interests, resulting in higher agency costs in collectivist cultures (Zhang, X., Liang, X., & Sun, H., 2013). Values and Attitudes, Ethics When it comes to values and attitudes of Singaporeans and Americans, we must remember Singaporeans are group oriented and Americans are concerned with making a living for themselves. Singaporeans respect higher authority where Americans live by the saying, â€Å"liberty and justice for all.† Singapore’s first Shared Value principle is, â€Å"nation before community and society before self.† This is opposite of the American value system. American shared values consist of Americans working, talking about their achievements, and  earning monetary rewards. Education It is mandatory to attend school in the United States. It is mandatory for primary age students to attend school in Singapore. If the child does not attend school, it is a criminal offense. Both the United States and Singapore have primary, secondary, high school and education beyond graduation. Today, the United States government provides sponsorship for Singaporeans to attend schools in the United States. These students attend the most prestigious schools such as, Harvard, Cornell, and Stanford. Singaporeans are noticed for their high achievement in math and science. The United States government offer scholarships to outstanding Singapore students. The number of Singaporeans studying in the United States reflects that Singapore and the United States relationship could not be any better. Hofstede’s Analysis Using Hofstede’s cross cultural analysis model is one way to understand the difference in culture between Singapore and the United States. From 1967 to 1973 Geert Hofstede applied the subset of cultural dimensions to the field of business management, segregating them into independent areas to be further divided in order to get a more precise understanding, Satterlee, 2009, p. 56). He analyzed a data base of employee values from IBM which covered more than 70 countries. Hofstede included Power Distance Index, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance Index, and Long-Term Orientation. Singapore scored higher in Power Distance Index. This means that members of organizations rely on their higher ups for authority rather than making decisions for themselves. Relationships are unequal between people. The United States scored higher in Individualism. Singapore is a collective society. The Americans are more concerned about individuals or themselves. Singapore scored in the mi ddle in the Masculinity Index but tends to lean more to the feminine side. This shows a modest, humble, and softer aspect of culture. The Uncertainty Avoidance Index is the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society. Singapore scored low. Singaporeans abide by the rules due to high PDI. Singapore has many fines. The Americans operate on the idea of freedom of expression and do not require a lot of rules and strict laws. The last dimension is  Long-Term Orientation. Long-term orientation refers to long-term versus short-term orientation toward the future, (Boonghee, Donthu, and Lenartowicz, 2013, p. 194). Singapore scored in the middle of this Index also. Singapore is showing an immense economic success. Singaporeans are showing a way to do things. The United States has seen signs of economic growth in Singapore and, by using Geert Hofstede’s five dimensions to further understand the country, business relations are sure to continue in the future. What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in that region? Singapore and the United States are close strategic partners. Singapore is the United States’ 15th largest trading partner and 11th largest export market. United States investment in Singapore is over $116 billion and Singapore has $22 billion of foreign direct investment in th United States. Job creation and economic development in Singapore due to American companies using Singapore as a regional base for doing business. U.S. Trade with Singapore and ASEAN Singapore sees in the United States an economic partner and security ally that offers the most present value, hence motivating it to forge a free trade agreement as well as foster a military strategic partnership (Page, 2007). Economic conditions, an urgent demand for security, and fear of diplomatic isolation, are factors that lead to the United States and Singapore to put into effect the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA). There were other extenuating circumstances that also drove the United States and Singapore to sign the FTA, most notably their common frustration with the stalled multilateral trade liberalization during the WTO’s first decade; the sluggish progress in the regional economic integration within the respective free trade region of ASEAN and the Free Trade Area for the Americas; the inability of the 21 APEC members to come to binding terms as to the way the ambitious Bogor agenda can forge Pacific Basin economic integration; Singaporeâ€℠¢s desire to spur ASEAN cohorts to move faster with market opening; the US desire to bind the right of preferential access to the world’s largest market to Washington’s global security agenda;  and finally, ASEAN’s inability to keep political risk low to discourage capital flight (Page, 2007). The agreement was signed by the President of the United States, George Bush and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, May 2003 in Washington, DC. Both the United States and Singapore benefit from the signing of the FTA. With a population of 287.7 million and a per capita income of US$36,273, the United States can provide a strong economic stimulus which is badly needed during these times of sluggish regional growth and uncertainties (Tongzon, 2003). U.S. littoral combat ships (LCS) in Singapore In early 2012, US flexible basing in the region inched forward when the United States requested concurrence from Singapore to deploy up to four littoral combat ships (LCS) to Singapore by 2016 (Dalpino, 2012). The primary missions of the (LCS) are antisubmarine warfare, mine countermeasures and surface warfare against small boats. The Singapore military agreed to allow the naval ships to deploy in Singapore. The United States and Singapore navy will work together to finalize the process. Previously, Singapore had agreed to deploy two ships. Agreeing to deploy a total of four ships will strengthen U.S. engagement in the region. This is another strong in implication that the U.S. wants to conduct business in Singapore. U.S. Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) Analysis Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) refers to an investment made to acquire lasting interest in enterprises operating outside of the economy of the investor. The investor’s purpose is to gain an effective voice in the management of the enterprise (Journal of US-China Public Administration). While no standard percentage of ownership exists, most nations consider the threshold to be within the range of 10 to 25 percent. The US Department of Commerce’s FDI ownership is 10% (Satterlee, 119). Most companies seek out foreign investments as a way to gain a better return for their money. So, the company is looking to expand in global markets but what about the local economy? Do local firms benefit from FDI? Spillover effects and linkages play a key role in this determination. Spillover effects relate to increased productivity benefits of local firms and technology diffusion from multinational enterprise (MNEs) to the domestic economy. Up until the 70’s, attitudes toward MNEs were hostile. Governments have since changed their policies pertaining to investors entering the local markets due to the potentially positive impact of FDI. Governments attempt to attract FDI expecting to increase the productivity of local firms. Intangible assets, such as knowledge and technology are â€Å"spilled over† to local firms. It is believed that local firms benefit from superior knowledge of product or process technologies or markets without occurring a cost that exhausts the whole gain from the improvement (Asian Social Science, p.68). In addition, the Asian Social Science journal explains how MNEs set up direct linkages to suppliers when entering through FDI (Stephan, (2013). Linkages are non-equity relationships with suppliers or customers and are a crucial channel for knowledge diffusion. When MNEs enter the host country, local firms do not have knowledge about technical innovation or it may be too costly for them. This leads to locals feeling a sense of uncertainty, which is an example of knowledge confusion. Another example refers to the movement of labor. MNEs may provide more training for their employees and invest in staff development than local firms. This builds more human capital. The spillover occurs when these MNE employees move to other local firms and transfer their gained knowledge to loc al firms, increasing the local’s productivity. Another example of the spillover effect on locals refers to increased competition. When MNEs enter the market, local firms are forced to become more efficient. Local firms have to update their technology or use it more efficiently in order to become more competitive. This could yield productivity gains and also increase the speed of adoption of new technology. Increased competition can also lead to productivity losses for local firms. This article gives an example of how a study of 4000 Venezuelan companies that the productivity of wholly domestically owned firms decreases when FDI increases. The presence of MNEs lead to a loss of market share and referred to this loss as the â€Å"market stealing effect† of MNEs. The presence of MNEs may lead to crowding out of local firms. SWOT Analysis Strengths ? Singapore is the fifth least corrupt country in the world. ? Strikes and labor protests will remain rare, if not absent, for the foreseeable future. Weaknesses ? The government censors the media and limits the distribution of foreign publications. Opportunities ? Owing to the lack of progress at the WTO, the government has committed the country to sign 18 bilateral free trade agreements with 24 trading partners. ? Singapore has one of the best business operating environments in Asia. Threats ? The city-state has previously been identified as a target by Islamist militants from neighboring Indonesia and elsewhere, (Singapore Defence & Security Report, 2013). Conclusion As stated earlier, Singapore is known today as one of the most prosperous countries and boasts the world’s busiest port. It is clean and orderly, and since becoming an independent country, Singapore is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. It is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, and multi-religious society consisting of four major languages and four major religions. These factors aid in having successful business relation. By identifying cultural similarities and differences, Americans can benefit from the structure of the Singaporean family values. Americans are known for making money instead of building relationships and establishing strong social bonds. There is opportunity for economic growth within the Singaporean region. The United States has already recognized the prosperity within the region and has built on that knowledge. The United States and Singapore will continue to develop a better relationship in the future and form a solid base for amicable relations b etween the two countries. References Aljunied, S. (2005). Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles’ Discourse on the Malay World: A Revisionist Perspective. SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 20(1), 1-22. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&d b=bth&AN=17381757&site=ehost-live&scope=site Dalpino, C. (2012). US-southeast Asia relations: Conflict in the east; Opportunity in the west. Comparative Connections, 14(1), 57-67,152-153. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1030087243?accountid=12085 De Prato, Giuditta; Simon, Jean-Paul. (2013) Singapore, an Industrial Cluster and a Global IT Hub. Communications & Strategies. 89 (First Quarter 2013): 125-136. Boonghee, Y., Donthu, N., & Lenartowicz, T. (2011). Measuring Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Cultural Values at the Individual Level: Development and Validation of CVSCALE. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23(3/4), 193-210. doi:10.1080/08961530.2011.578059http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=62668126&site=ehost-live&scope=site FDI Contributes to Output Growth in the U.S. Economy. (2011). Journal of US-China Public Administration, 8(1), 104-109. http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy163.nclive.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=58738936&site=ehost-live Han, C. (2007). History education and ‘Asian’ values for an ‘Asian’ democracy: The case of Singapore. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=25728526&site=ehost-live&scope=site Nichols, P. (2012). The Psychic Cost of Violating Corruption. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 45(1), 145-210. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/jotl/manage/wp-content/uploads/Nichols_CR5.pdf Nuyen, A. (2008). Ecological education: What resources are there in Confucian ethics?. Environmental Education Research, 14(2), 187-197. doi:10.1080/13504620801932590 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&d b=a9h&AN=31519142&site=ehost-live&scope=site Ong, W., Chang, P. (2012). Business Ethics and Buddhism. Review of Business Research, 12(4), 139-149. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=84358993&site=ehost-live&scope=site Pang, E. (2007). Embedding security into free trade: The case of the United States-Singapore free trade agreement. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 29(1), 1-32. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205240058?accountid=12085 Ramin, C. M., & Valerie, P. G. (1999). Female business owners in Singapore and elsewhere: A review of studies. Journal of Small Business Management, 37(2), 96-105. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/221003775?accountid=12085 Satterlee, B.C., (2009) Cross border commerce, Culture (pp.1-177) Roanoke, VA: Synergistics Inc. Sebastian, R., & Parameswaran, A. (2008). Hare Krishnas in Singapore: Agency, State, and Hinduism. (Cover story). Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 23(1), 63-85. doi: 10.1355/sj23-1c http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=33063696&site=ehost-live&scope=site Singapore: Country Conditions: Background. (2003). Political Risk Yearbook: Singapore Country Report, 59. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=10272527&site=ehost-live&scope=site Singapore Defence & Security Report. (2013). Singapore Defense & Security Report, (2), 3-75. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=87379364&site=ehost-live&scope=site Stephan, G. (2013). Do Local Firms Benefit from Foreign Direct Investment? An Analysis of Spillover Effects in Developing Countries. Asian Social Science, 9(4), 67-76. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=87058564&site=ehost-live&scope=site Tahir, A. (2012). Islam’s Concept of Jihad (A Philological Analysis). Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 4(5), 119-127. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=83574864&site=ehost-live&scope=site Tan, C. (2012). ‘Our Shared Values’ in Singapore: A Confucian Perspective. Educational Theory, 62(4), 449-463. doi:10.1111/j.1741-5446.2012.00456.x http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=77873291&site=ehost-live&scope=site Teo, S.K. (1996). Work-Home Role Conflict in Female Owners of Small Business: An Exploratory Study,† Journal of Small Business Management 28, 30-39. Tongzon, J. L. (2003). U.S.-Singapore free trade agreement: Implications for ASEAN. ASEAN Economic Bulletin, 20(2), 174-178. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219628565?accountid=12085 Zakaria, F. (2002). Asian Values. Foreign Policy, (133), 38-39. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/822409129?accountid=12085 Zhang, X., Liang, X., & Sun, H. (2013). Individualism-collectivism, private benefits of control, and earnings management: A cross-culture comparison. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(4), 655-664. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1711-5

William Somerset Maugham’s ‘the Lotus Eater’

Q: Sketch the character of Thomas Wilson. Is the name ‘lotos-eater’ appropriate to him? Ans. William Somerset Maugham’s compelling short story ‘The Lotus Eater’ paints his curious meeting with Thomas Wilson, the pivotal character of the story. A retired English bank manager, Wilson, who made the Italian island Capri his own abode, had a good deal of rumour going about him. No believer of all the tittle-tattle that went about him on the island and elsewhere, the author met him personally to discover his real character. When the author met him for the first time, Wilson, a middle-aged fellow, had already spent fifteen years on the island. As Wilson himself revealed to the author, he fell in love with Capri at first sight. Capri was an island of superb sights and sounds so much so that Wilson would enjoy them heartily until the last day of his life. After his retirement, he lived on an annuity that was to last for only twenty-five years, and he wished to live these years to his heart’s content. He was a man who would live in the present caring little about the future. To Wilson, he had justifiable reason to live after his own heart, since he had none on earth to worry about. He loved nature, music and books, which alone could feed the thoughts of a lonely man like him. He preferred leisure to work, for he believed that people worked only to obtain leisure. Small wonder, after the expiry of his annuity, Wilson fell on worst days and lost the will-power to carry his life any further. With no hopes to live for, Wilson once made an attempt to commit suicide. Though he survived the mortal attempt, he was no longer in his right mind. Then one fateful morning, he was found lying on the mountainside with his eyes closed for ever. The author recalled Wilson saying that he had come to the island on a moonlit night. Hence, he assumed that Wilson had breathed his last while feasting his eyes on a breath-taking sight in the moonlight. It is noteworthy that the title of the story ‘The Lotus Eater’ is remarkably appropriate to the character of Wilson. The lotus eaters in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ were the mariners of Ulysses who forgot their friends and homes after consuming the ‘lotos’ plant on Lotus-land. Having consumed the plant, the mariners broke into a memorable chorus. The chorus worded the anguish that came with toil, as also the joy that they had in that blissful life of leisure and inaction.

How We Could Have Prevented Pearl Harbor essays

How We Could Have Prevented Pearl Harbor essays On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese air force relentlessly. On that horrible day over 2400 Americans died because of that attack, and even more were injured. This cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor angered the U.S.A. and immediately brought us into the war. The U.S.A. would be determined to bring down the axis powers all over the earth. This was the start of World War II. But could the attack on Pearl Harbor been prevented and stopped before any real damage was done? There were many factors that played a great part in the destruction of Pearl Harbor that could have been prevented with a simple order. Little or no precautions were made in case there was an attack. Even though the U.S.A. was expecting an attack on Pearl Harbor. Simple negotiations were turned down by the U.S.A., which enraged the Japanese government. Also safety precautions were not used because of lack of funds. This essay is about how the U.S.A. with a few simple common sense decisions, prec autionary measures, and no expenses spared, could of saved 2400 lives and the devastation of many more (Slackman, 107-108). Before that dreaded day on December 7th, 1941 the allied forces were already fighting the axis powers. The U.S.A. refused to get involved in the war. But sent pilots, supplies, and equipment to the allied forces so that they could keep up with the axis forces that were much powerful and stronger. The axis could easily destroy the allied powers without the aid of the U.S.A. economy. The axis powers didn't like this at all. Many countries on the axis side tried to agree with the U.S.A. government to stop supplying the other countries if the U.S.A. wasn't in the war. The U.S.A. denied their compromises and continued to support allied troops. This angered the Japanese extremely, and the U.S.A. knew it. The Japanese were going to take out a naval base that was the only major threat to the Japanese, Pearl Harbor. Both sides knew that it w...

Moot Skeleton Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moot Skeleton Argument - Essay Example The respondent argued that there were significant investment risks due to the financial crisis of 2007 thus limiting investment opportunities. In the second trust was an investment portfolio held in trust by the Barclays Bank for Betty Twix and her mother, Christie. The initial fund was $20,000 that the trustee invested in potato markets. The current value of the investment is $22,000. Betty contested the return on investment arguing that the trustee could have invested in wine markets. According to Betty, the trustee took into account non-financial considerations in choosing not to make such a decision. In such an argument, Betty knew that her grandparents were opposed to alcohol consumption. This was especially important because the bank manager was aware that her grandfather was a man of abstinence. With these arguments, Betty held that the breach resulted to a loss of $1,000. The trustee (respondent) argued that the wine market looked as profitable as the potato market at the tim e of taking that investment decision. The trustee learnt later that the wine markets were performing better than the potatoes market. More importantly, the trustee pointed out a clause that stated that â€Å"the trustee shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever that may occur with respect to the portfolio investment hereby settled unless such a loss or damage shall be cause by trustees own fraud†. In response, Betty Twix argued that the clause was invalid since it was widely drafted and thus could not exclude liability for breach of duties of care or the duty to not to take into account non-financial considerations. In the first instance ruling, Judge McIntyre ruled that the Barclays Bank breached its fist duty of no to have regard to non-financial considerations. Barclays was ordered to pay $1,000 to compensate the loss to the second trust. Skeleton Argument on Behalf of the Defendant (Betty Twix) For trustees to act within the law, they should act within their c lient’s power to invest and select appropriate investments. Before making investment decisions, trustees usually take into account various risk implications. The trustee has the following duties:1 Duty to administer Trust by its terms Duty of skill and care Duty to give notices Duty to account Duty to communicate and furnish information Duty not to neglect Duty of loyalty Duty to avoid conflict of interest Duty of confidentiality The general operating principle in most cases requires the following: i. If governing instrument indicates the need for an action, the trustee may take it f it is fair to the beneficiary, or ii. If an action is lawful, the trustee may take it if the instrument fails to offer sufficient specificity With these facts, it s clear that the Barclays Bank was duty bound to diversify the trust investments on behalf of the beneficiaries. However, the trustee is not a guarantor of the principle and income of the trust but must act in accordance with fiduciary responsibilities. The Barclays Bank did not demonstrate sufficient faithfulness in the performance of its duties, particularly in selecting the potato market over the wine market. The trustee bears personal liability because it took into consideration nonfinancial factors in making such an investment decision.2 Furthermore, the bank acted in mistrust and failed to take into consideration

I'll cook for you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I'll cook for you - Essay Example You will also need time and money to look for the best advertising agency to suit your business needs (Grow and Altstiel, 2006). Since you have a career in nutrition and perhaps you do not have sufficient knowledge about advertising or marketing, then you need to hire an advertising agent. The second thing that you need in your business is to grow it. It is just a start-up, so you need to devote all resources to make it grow. At this initial stages there could be some constraints of money; hiring an advertising agent will drain your money instead of using them to grow your business since it is just a start-up. However, it may also be necessary to hire an advertising agency once the business grows because you will need to establish the business first before you can get enough money to hire skilled in-house advertising or marketing team. On the other hand, in-house advertising agency requires online advertising and marketing resources because it is the best way to communicate with potential customers at the start-up stage in which you will be busy handling your food service operations. Furthermore, if you are familiar with the advertising and marketing, then you may handle the advertising work in-house but you will need to sacrifice some time out of your food service operations and deal with advertising services. As small as the business is currently, you will need to devote a lot of time to your business in order to make it grow. There are also various advantages and disadvantages of in-house advertising and hiring an advertising agency. One of the advantages of an advertising agency is that it brings advertising and marketing expertise and specialized knowledge into the business. Agencies have resources to provide advertising knowhow that your small business does not have. Another advantage of an advertising agency is that it saves time for the business. While you