Violence in Video Games essays

Violence in Video Games essays For some time now many parents have attempted to blame their childrens games as the underlying cause behind their childs behavior problems. If anything, it is the parents responsibility to teach their kids right from wrong and the difference between fantasy and reality. In the last ten years, video games have become increasingly important in American culture. Despite the evidence that violence is a prevalent factor in the majority of newer games, many people feel that video violence doesnt have harmful side effects, and instead serves as a healthy outlet for aggression. However, determining the effects of violence in video games is becoming increasingly important among authority figures like parents and representatives of the American government (Violence and Video Games, Par. 1). Why is there so much violence and what is being done? The answer appears to be simple. Violence sells. According to Ken Wirt, assistant vice-president of NEC, "Violent games are the most popular because the people who spend the most money on games are boys ages 10-16" (Violence and Video Games, Par. 1). People enjoy the action in violent games. There has been a bill introduced to Congress to make it a federal crime to sell or rent violent video games to minors. However, the video game industry is not to concerned with the impending legislature. Doug Lowenstein, the President of the Interactive Digital Software Association (ISDA), the video game trade group, is not worried because he feels that the bill will not ...get anywhere (Video Game Makers Thumb Noses at Parents, Par 3). Do video games promote violent behavior? There actually is no conclusive evidence that video games cause violent behavior. Mike Snider, a writer for the USA Today magazine, once stated that If they can prove violent video games do real harm to children...the government in fact may have the right to regulate (Snider...

5 Cover Letter Mistakes That Will Cost You the Interview

5 Cover Letter Mistakes That Will Cost You the Interview To write a good cover letter is to walk a very fine line between confident salesmanship and not sounding like an arrogant shill. To avoid the common pitfalls, and make sure your great letter isn’t annoying the recruiters for your ideal jobs, eradicate any of the following gaffs from your letter before sending it out again. 1. An Abundance of†Bests† and â€Å"Perfects†Even if you believe it, try not to state that you’re the â€Å"best person for the job,† or even â€Å"a perfect fit.† You don’t need to sell yourself with superlatives. You need to sell yourself with your skills and experience. Come off confident, not cocky. Humble, but not too passive. Figure out what sorts of qualifications you have that make you quote-unquote perfect for the job, then highlight those. Show don’t tell!2. GenericsThe Objective is the thing of the past. Instead of saying what you want (which is the same as what every other candidate wants, by the way), say why you’re uniquely qualified to be an asset to their company and solve all their problems by filling all their needs for this position.3. Unnecessary ExplanationsYou may think it’s a good idea to explain why you left your last job. It isn’t. There’s probably not a way for you to accomplish what you want with this explanation without badmouthing your former employer (bad) or making yourself look bad (worse). Save it for the interview- and only if it comes up. Focus on the positive instead- your forward movement towards increasing your success.4. BuzzwordsYou may be a â€Å"team player.† You may even be â€Å"reliable† and â€Å"a hard worker,† or want to â€Å"maximize your potential.† But these words have become toxic from overuse. Find a new and fresh way to state your case. The recruiter will be both grateful and pleasantly surprised.5. JokesJust assume these aren’t gong to land on paper. They’ll probably have the opposite effect- as in: they won’t be funny. You might even offend someone or come off as unprofessional. Save your witticisms for the interview. Keep the cover letter clean, professional, and surgically precise.

Methods of evaluations for Premarital programs of Thalassemia and SCD Essay

Methods of evaluations for Premarital programs of Thalassemia and SCD - Essay Example Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease are the most prevalent hemoglobinopathies. Both these conditions are inherited as autosomal recessive disorders. They share common features like premature destruction of red blood cells and elevated erythropoietin levels in the marrow and other sites to compensate for the loss of red cells and accumulation of the products of hemoglobin catabolism due to increased rate of red cell destruction (Aster, 2007). Thalassemias are a group of heterogeneous inherited disorders caused by genetic defects as a consequence of which decreased synthesis of either the alpha or beta chain of HbA occurs (Aster, 2007, pg.632). When deficient synthesis of beta chain occurs, it is known as beta-thalassemia and when alpha synthesis is affected, it is known as alpha-thalassemia. Sickle cell anemia is a type of disease characterized by production of defective hemoglobins because of which sickling of red cells occurs in certain conditions like deoxygenation (Aster, 2007, pg.628). The WHO has estimated that about 7% of the world population are carriers of inherited hemoglobin disorders and that there are about 3 to 4 hundred thousand babies being born each year with severe forms of these diseases (Weatherall, 2001). About 3% of the world population is carriers of a beta thalassemia mutation (Ghotbi & Tsukatani, 2002). Though globally, carriers of thalassemia are more than the carriers of sickle cell anemia, the number of affected births of sickle cell anemia is more than thalassemia due to higher frequency of sickle cell genes in certain areas (WHO Secretariat Report, 2006). These conditions are prevalent all over the world with the highest incidences noticed in tropical regions (Refer to tables-1 and 2). The gene for sickle cell anemia is distributed widely in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. In these regions, it has been estimated that the carrier frequencies range from 5% to

Importance of Transportation to a Firms Supply Chain Operations Assignment

Importance of Transportation to a Firms Supply Chain Operations - Assignment Example How do truckload operations differ from less-than-truckload operations?As learned, truckload operations (TL) differ from less-than-truckload operations (LTL) in terms of the range of shipments. For TL, they carry shipments that are noted to be greater than 10,000 pounds and where the exact weight requirements actually depend on the product. On the other hand, for LTL they carry shipments where the weight ranges from 150 to 10,000 pounds. As evident, TL operations are not feasible through manual operations due to the weight specifications. LTL, as the term implies, do not fill ta truck but these operations could carry shipments of diverse customers all at the same time. Finally, LTL shipments were noted to be routed through terminals, as contrasted with TL operations that require direct shipment to the consignees’ destinations from the shippers’ locations.13. What are freight forwarders? Â  How do they function? Â  What services do they perform?Freight forwarders were revealed to act as agents and consolidators of freight. Accordingly, freight forwarders function through facilitating the following operations: (1) consolidate shipments in behalf of small shippers; (2) purchase transportation in volume rates; and (3) charge shippers a rate that range between the volume and non-volume rates. As such, the services that freight forwarders perform are: (1) pick-up and delivery services; (2) handle both domestic and international shipments; (3) handle both surface and air shipments;

Leadership in Tata Group

Leadership in Tata Group Introduction: Leadership is integrated part of our life. According to corporate chief and former US presidential candidate Ross Perot, the principles of leadership are timeless because, in a rapidly changing world, human nature remains a constant. We all experience leadership in our life from early childhood in our families, through friendships, social, recreational and sports activities, school and higher education, to politics and government, and, of course, in our work, we all recognize leadership in other people and often in ourselves. In government, global corporations and small businesses alike, the leadership role is becoming more demanding, more open to scrutiny and more difficult [Roger Gill]. The development of leadership theory also parallels the development of organizational theory. The bureaucratic form of organization is characterized by laissez-faire leadership whereby so-called leaders tend to avoid taking a stand, ignore problems, not follow up, and refrain from intervening or transactional leadership, in which leaders practise management by exception, focusing only on deviations from what is required, and contingent reward, rewarding people (either materially or psychologically) for achieving what is required. The emergence of the post-bureaucratic form of organization in the late nineteenth century reflects the development of the concept of transformational leadership. Theory Approaches to Leadership: Number of Leadership theories and approaches has been evolved on the basis of Style, Trait, Behavioural, Transformational, Situational and Charisma. Many researchers made efforts linking some of the theories across these leadership approaches. But each model has its own pros, cons, assumptions and limitations. Latest researches are conducted on Situational Transformational leadership styles. Leadership gurus presented new models as variations to the already existing models. Max Weber, MacGregor, Bernard Bass, Warren Bennis Nanus are few important researchers in the area of transformational leadership. Understanding the difference between transactional and transformational leadership is vital in getting the whole concept of transformational leadership theory. In general, a relationship between two people is based on the level of exchange they have. Exchange need not be money or material; it can be anything. The more exchange they have the more stronger the relation. Managers expects more productivity from employee in order to give good rewards. In this way, if something is done to anyone based on the return then that relation is called as Transactional type. In business, leaders announces rewards in turn to the productivity. These relations are all about requirements, conditions and rewards. In life, at one point of time, things happen without expectation from other side. Say, moms dedicated service to her kid. Mom doesnt expect anything from the child and the service she provides in raising the child is  unconditional, dedicated, committed. Mom plays a major role in shaping up the kids future life. This type of relation is called as Transformational. Leaders do exist in this world with these behaviours. Transformational Leaders wo rk toward a common goal with followers; put followers in front and develop them; take followers to next level; inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results. Leadership Approach in TATA Group: TATA Group founded in 1868, is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in the Mumbai, India. The Group has 500,000 employees spread over six continents (more than 80 countries). TATA Group current market capitalization is worth $80bn and is the largest private corporate group in India. TATA Group is biggest employer in UK, employing more than 50,000 people. TATA Group has interests in communications, IT, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Its chairman, Ratan Tata is one of Indias and the worlds most influential person right now. The Tata Group is known for its good business ethics and corporate governance. TATA Groups leadership development programme aims at grooming the managers of today into the leaders of tomorrow. The leadership development programme conceived by JRD Tata, the late chairman of TATA group in 1950s. The idea behind the leadership programme known as Tata Administrative Services (TAS) was to select and groom young managers, provide them opportunity for professional growth, and make them leaders of tomorrow. This is TATAs in-house programme and has goal is to provide training to high performers, act as a cradle of change and develop the leadership qualities. Most of the TATA Group companies are traditionally led by these groomed leaders. The Group leadership style has been quite consistent from its existence since 1868. The Group has incorporated some more leadership changes which are essential in current century to drive towards more competitive. In terms of leadership style, TATA Group has adopted a team-led culture. With Ratan as a leader, the management style of the entire TATA Group has changed; trust became a huge facet and theme of the group. Ratan Tata has put a complete organisational restructuring when he took over by taking a more matrix-style approach building teams. These changes would have obviously transformed a lot in the business, senior managers would have had to be on their toes and flexibility and adaptability became essential qualities to have. The leadership changed from a centralised, command centre to a much more distributed form with employees and all managers enjoying greater responsibility and knowledge about the Group, which would have in turn; motivated them to work harder and as a group. From distinctive leadership models available such as the McGregor Theory X and Y; where a theory X manager believes workers dislike work, are not creative and avoid all responsibility while a theory Y manager believes that workers get as much enjoyment from work as they can derive with leisure, accept responsibility and are creative; it can be seen from this, that Ratan wanted all his managers to be modelled as closely to Theory Y and he himself could be called a Theory Y manager. He encouraged managers to be innovative and share all their ideas, consulting actively with them and giving them more responsibility and importantly encouraged team-working. Five Factor Model (Big Five): Emotional Stability: Ratan Tata has very low anxiety within him and has great sense of security with his future leadership. Extraversion: Even being a bachelor Ratan Tata is very sociable. He has produced very positive affect on future leadership of TATA Group. Openness: He believes in originality and versatility. By making  £1200/- car he has shown his great interest with and innovation seeking personality. Agreeableness: Within his management team Ratan Tata is well trusted and very friendly. Conscientiousness: He is very dutifulness. He spent most of his life working for TATA Group without any self-interest. He is very well organised as well. Style (Behaviour) Theory in TATA Group: As per style theory, there are three types of leadership models are evident in leadership. These are as follows. Autocratic Democratic Laissez-faire Ratan Tata is a leader who engages more democratic style of leadership approach. However at previous occasion has used other two kind of style as well. He is more democratic because he always encourages his group leadership to be creating good communication and participation. Future leadership are well informed about future strategy and they are very well engaged in decision making process. Most of the group long-term and short-term strategies are formulated by the lower rank of the leadership. They are treated as stake holders. Until now TATA Group has got leadership within them. Ratan Tata has occasionally shown some form of autocratic style of leadership. Sometimes when needed especially when quick and informed decisions have to be taken, but he is never too commanding in his nature, being a man of few words and being more of a man of action, this is evident from the manner he aggressively pushes for bold international deals, such as during the global acquisitions of business powe rhouses such as Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley Tea. One of his senior leadership team member, Muthuraman( Executive Director) refers him Ratan was the chief architect of the Corus deal. I was worried about the magnitude and the amount of money. But he instilled confidence. In daily routine matters and in developing the leadership, Ratan Tata also uses facets of the Laissez-Faire model such as the delegation of important duties and decision-making, he also does not in any way interfere with any managers functioning, he might make a broad strategic assessment but he does not interfere in operational issues and details, this shows that he has complete trust and faith in his managers and believes in their ability, this quote from Gopalakrishnan, an executive director of the company, shows how much value Ratan Tata places on his trust, this can be highly motivating for managers and workers alike, I remember what Ratan told us at a meeting. He said that he will continue to trust all his managers, but once they lose that trust, he will go after them. I think that is a very fair deal. Max Webers Leadership Model in TATA Group: Looking at Max Webers Transactional and Transformational Leadership models, where a leader is classed in three forms which are Bureaucratic, Charismatic and Traditional, where a bureaucratic leader is one who is always bound by the set rule and does not want to go beyond them; a Traditional leader is one who does and follows everything from a long past or history and always loyally obeys these traditions; a Charismatic leader is one who uses his own laurels or abilities to inspire and is one who can be described as radically opposed to administrative rules and legal principles. From these models, Ratan Tata falls into the Charismatic form because he is one who leads by example, coming up with highly innovative ideas such as  £1200 (Rs. One Lakh) car the Nano, budget hotels or low-end watches, he brought radical change to the Tata Group as a whole, changing it from its Traditional mindset to new more flexible and adaptive cultural mindset. Bennis Nanus Transformational Leadership Model in TATA Group: We can see from Bennis and Nanuss Transformational Leadership model that the transformational leaders groom their followers into self-empowered leaders and their main focus is to articulate vision and values clearly so the newly self-empowered leaders know where to go. Their traits include logical thinking, persistence, empowerment and self-control. Benniss and Nanus has evolved the model which emphasis on the four Is of Transformational leadership, which are Idealised Influence (being a role model) Inspirational Motivation (creating a team spirit, motivating and provide a challenge) Intellectual Stimulation (innovation and creativity) Individual Consideration (mentoring and providing support for followers) Ratan Tata, Chairman of the TATA Group has been proved a true transformational leader. We can see all Is built-in in Ratan Tata. He is the leader with great vision hence he knows right approach to groom future leadership. He has implemented the team spirit in whole group at every level. He empowers all his managers and executives and has complete faith in them, he is extremely innovative and is credited for much of the Groups new products, he places a great deal of importance to his RD department and he definitely cares deeply about the welfare of all his employees and managers. During the Mumbais terrorist attack in Taj Hotel, he took front line in leading at the time of crises. In his vision statement he articulated One hundred years from now, I expect TATA Group to be much bigger, of course, than it is now. More importantly, I hope the Group comes to be regarded as being the best in India. Best in the Manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver and best in our valu e system and ethics. Having said that, I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India, that we become a global group, operating in many countries, as Indian business conglomerate that is at home in the world, carrying the same set of trust as we do today. As a leader of a global business group, Ratan Tata knows the fierce competition experienced by his business empire. He makes all effort to make his business competitive at global level. Through transformational leadership process TATA Group has made their processes and technology up to date. Once Ratan Tata said to his managers in his vision speech A company or business which remains static is a business that will die; a company that constantly changes and accepts that there are better ways to do things than the way they are done today, is a company that will survive in the global market that we face. From this statement we can infer that he knows the importance of developing a good leadership within group to take TATA Group to new heights. Ratan Tata involves strategy in leadership. He is a deep thinker and a brilliant strategist as is described by one of his Executive Directors, Alan Rosling, He is a deep thinker and extremely strategic. He is always 2-3 steps ahead. Ratan Tata is a man of strong integrity, ethics and valued principles. He cultivated the same across the TATA Group companies. One of his companies CEO said Tata has shown that there is no other way he will do business other than do it ethically. He believes in strong value based leadership approach in doing business. Ratan Tata has led the TATA Group to transforming from local business group to become a global leader. Conclusions: Ratan Tata of the Tata Group is a more kind of transformational leader. He made Tata Group as global brand. He has provided inspiration to leaders within his own company. In Tata Group leaders are engaged in decision making at every level. Ratan Tata has successfully lead and motivated its CEO/MD of the group companies to be ambitious. He has always adopted a ethical approach in group business. Appendix: Reference List Roger Gill, Theory and Practice of Leadership, Sage Publication, 2006 http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/ John P. Kotter, A Force For Change: How Leadership Differs From Management (New York: The Free Press, 1990). OTool, James.  Leadership from A to Z: A Guide for the Appropriately Ambitious, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.   Visionary Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your Organization (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series): Burt Nanus Tata Steel Group Annual Reports (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10) Sometimes referred to as the chairmens chairman, JRD adopted a management by consensus style: When a number of persons are involved I am definitely a consensus man, he once said, adding: but that does not mean that I do not disagree or that I do not express my views. Basically it is a question of having to deal with individual men heading different enterprises. You have to adapt yourself to their ways and deal accordingly and draw out the best in each man. If I have any merit it is getting on with individuals according to their ways and characteristics. In fifty years I have dealt with a hundred top directors and I have got on with all of them. At times it involves suppressing yourself. It is painful but necessary. To be a leader you have got to lead human beings with affection. Be that as it may, Tata spotted talent easily. And once he was confident that a manager would perform, he gave him (alas, no women) a long rope. If they wanted to be on their own, like Sumant Moolgaokar, he left them to it. If they occasionally wanted a shoulder to cry on, like Darbari Seth, JRD was there.

Bullfighting & history

Since civilisation, humans entertain themselves in typical and traditional ways. Bullfighting is one of them and a part of Hispanic culture. Bullfighting is a national sport and spectacle of Spain. It is called the corrida de toros in Spanish; the bullfight takes place in a large outdoor arena known as the plaza de toros. The object is for one of the bullfighters (toreros) the matador to kill a wild bull, or toro, with a sword. At best, the term â€Å"bullfighting† is a misnomer, a confused, maimed, psychologically tormented, and physically debilitated bull. Supporters justify the act by calling it a tradition.Opponents maintain that no matter what its history, bullfighting is the torture, mutilation, and slaughter of animals for entertainment. Bullfighting can be traced back to ancient days. They were popular spectacles in ancient Rome, but it was in the Iberian Peninsula that these contests were fully developed by the Moors from North Africa who overran Andalucia in AD 711. Bullfighting developed into a ritualistic occasion observed in connection with feast days, on which the conquering Moors, mounted on highly trained horses, confronted and killed the bulls.The Minoans of Bronze Age Crete practiced bull leaping as part of religious ritual, and later Greek and Romans also had rites that involved the slaughter of bulls. The Moors, who fought bulls from their horses and killed them with javelins, probably introduced the sport to Spain (c. 11th cent. ). Originally the central figure in the Spanish bullfight was the mounted torero; Francisco Romero is generally credited with being the first (c. 1726) to fight on foot. Bullfighting is also popular in the Latin American countries of Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and in S France.The Portuguese practice a style of fighting from horseback in which the bull is not killed in the ring. Critics contend that bullfighting is an inhumane spectacle of animal torture; aficionados respond that it is a c omplex ritual central to Spanish culture. In Spain the bullfight is called the Fiesta National (The national Sport). There are few places in Spain where a bull-ring can not be found within a short drive. It is the most common thing associated with Spain, and rightly so for its origins date back to 711AD when the first bullfight (corrida) took place in honour of the crowning of King Alfons VIII.Every week, all over Spain, many thousands of Spaniards flock to the nearest bullring, but not all Spaniards agree with the sport, or like it. It is reported that each year, within Spain, 24,000 bulls are killed in front of an audience of 30 million people. The bullfighting season runs from March to October. Felipe V prohibited the nobles from practicing the sport as he felt it was a bad example for the public's education. From then on the commoners took on the sport, facing the bulls unarmed, dodging and taunting the bull then eventually placing small spears into the bull, the origin of the b anderillas of today’s bullfights.Around 1724 the sport was transformed from horseback to foot. The bullfight is literally a dance with death. The bullfighter has to carefully examine and study the movements and strengths of the bull. One wrong move and he will end up gored or seriously injured. It is certain though that at the end of the show, the bull will die, yes, it is literally a show. The bullfighter has to demonstrate his skills to the audience in a dramatic and enthusiastic way. If he makes a good job of it and gets a good round of applause at the end, he could be bestowed the ultimate honour by being presented with one of the bull's ears or its tail.If he has been really good he may even be carried round the arena. One variation of the traditional bullfight is bull running where bulls are released into the streets and masses of participants do their best to avoid them and stay alive. Pamplona is the best place to see this. One of the oldest bullrings in Spain is loca ted in the hilltop village of Ronda in Andalucia, southern Spain. It is the venue for one of the most spectacular corridas of the year. In early September the ring hosts a week-end of bullfights in celebration of Pedro Romero, the Saturday corrida being staged in Goyesc costume for which tickets are very hard to obtain.The bullring in Ronda is open to the public, with a small admission charge. The bullring also houses an interesting museum dedicated to the sport. A modern bullfight consists of three stylized parts (tercios). When the bull enters the ring, toreros wave capes to prod it to charge; then the picadors administer pic (lance) thrusts, which tire the animal and cause him to lower his head; in the second part, the banderilleros come out and, while on the run, plant banderillas on the withers of the bull; these often spur him into making livelier charges.In the final segment the matador, almost always a man, although some women have entered the sport in recent decades, amid c ontroversy, holds the muleta, a small cloth cape, in one hand, and a sword in the other. Feet Square on the ground and head hung low; the matador must then approach the bull from the front and kill him by thrusting his sword between the shoulder blades and into the heart. A matador's performance requires great skill and courage and successful matadors reap immense awards in money and adulation. Fighting bulls are bred and selected for spirit and strength.One of the biggest supporters of bullfighting is the tourist industry. Travel agents and bullfight promoters portray the fight as a festive and fair competition. What they do not reveal is that the bull never has a chance to defend himself, much less to survive. The bulls are intentionally debilitated with sandbags dropped on their backs. (1) One of Spain’s bullfighting critics, Joaquin Vidal of El Pais, wrote of drugged bulls at one bullfight, â€Å"There was nothing in the arena to fight. The bulls were mostly moribund.â⠂¬ (2)A study conducted by scientists at Spain’s Salamanca University found that 20 percent of the bulls used for fighting are drugged before they step into the ring. In the sampling of 200 bulls, one in five had been given anti-inflammatory drugs, which mask injuries that could sap the animal’s strength. One common practice is to â€Å"shave† the bulls’ horns by sawing off a few inches. (3) Bulls’ horns, like cats’ whiskers, help the animals navigate, so a sudden change impairs their coordination. Shaving is illegal, so a veterinarian sometimes inspects the horns after a fight.But in 1997, the Confederation of Bullfighting Professionals, including Spain’s 230 matadors, went on strike in opposition to these veterinary inspections. The bulls aren’t the only victims of the arena. The horses used in bullfights are blindfolded so that they don’t become frightened of the charging bull. They are often gored. At the Barcelona Olympics, The Philadelphia Daily News reported, â€Å"One time last night, the bull charged the horse, knocked off the rider, knocked over the horse and got his horn tangled up in all the padding.The frightened horse, still blindfolded, kicked furiously as it lay on its side. The bull pushed and pulled, shoved and yanked, unable to free itself from the horse’s padding. † (4) American author Ernest Hemingway, famous for romanticizing the bullfight ritual, once described the scenes of horses being gored: â€Å"I have seen these, call them disembowelling, that is the worst word when, due to their timing, they were very funny. This is the sort of thing you should not admit, but it is because such things have not been admitted that the bullfight has never been explained.Selective breeding has enabled ranchers to create a bull who will die in a manner most satisfying to the public. Mexican bullfighting also includes â€Å"novella,† or baby bullfights. The bulls that are used are all less than 3 years old. (5) The Portuguese bullfights that are legal in many U. S. states involve people’s teasing and attacking the bull. Eight men, known as â€Å"grabbers† line up in front of the bulls to grab the bull’s horns, piling on top of the animals and tackling them until they fall to the ground. (6) In Portuguese bullfights in many countries, the bulls are still stabbed with banderillas and have their horns shaved. (7)Although tormenting and abuse is part of the show, killing must be done outside the arena. In Colombia, there is an annual festival in which solitary bulls are tormented by thousands of people who think they are testing their â€Å"bravery† (aided by a festive atmosphere and large quantities of alcohol). â€Å"If nobody gets killed, it’s boring,† laments Carlos Perez, head of the committee that organized the contest in 1996. But even Colombian bullfighter Luis Cuadrado admits, â€Å"It’s just one bull against a thousand. morons.†Cuadrado prefers to sit on the ground until the bull is close enough to stab with a lance, after which Cuadrado promptly scurries away to safety. These festivals last four or five days, with at least 35 victimized bulls each day. Pope St. Pius V decreed that bullfights are â€Å"altogether foreign to piety and charity. † He wished that â€Å"these cruel and disgraceful exhibitions of devils and not of men be abolished† and he forbade attendance at them under pain of excommunication. 8) Even supporters cannot deny that the practice is barbaric.The Mexican author Eduardo del Rio glorified the maiming of bulls, candidly described bullfighting as â€Å"a stumbling block for the humanization of man. † Lyn Sherwood, publisher of a pro-bullfighting magazine, proudly declared, â€Å"I have no moral problem promoting something I consider morally unjustifiable. † Most forms of the practice are illegal in the United States because of its inherent cruelty. But tourists, especially from the U. S. , keep bullfighting in business. . According to a 2002 survey by InterGallup S. A. , 69 percent of Spaniards show no interest in bullfights, up from 30 percent in the ’90s. (9)At the same time, more young Hispanic people are protesting the crude ritual. In 1995, Madrid was besieged with 5,000 Spanish demonstrators calling for an end to the practice. Many anti-bullfighting groups have sprung up worldwide, including the Spanish Alternativa para la Liberacion Animal, the Mexican Pena Antitaurina Mexicana, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Tijuana and Mexico City. Spain’s Green Party has been working with the country’s Association for the Defence of Animal Rights (ADDA) to have bullfighting banned.In 1993, a petition drive by the coalition garnered more than 1 million signatures.References: 1) Phil Davison, â€Å"Matadors on Horns of a Dilemma,† The Independent , 12 Feb. 1994.2) Reuters, â€Å"One-Fifth of Spain’s Fighting Bulls Drugged? † 28 Nov. 2000.3) Al Goodman, â€Å"Machismo vs. Money: Whose Bull Is Gored? â€Å" The New York Times, 9 Mar. 1997,p E6.4) Bill Lyon, â€Å"A Slaughter That Is Really a Slaughter,† The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 Jul. 1992, p. C1.5) Tony Hendra, â€Å"Man and Bull,† Harper’s Magazine, Nov. 1996, Vol. 293, No. 1758, p. 69.

The Impact Of Cultural Dimensions On The Emerging...

Every organization has a culture that focuses on social integration, motivation and commitment to help accomplish goals and innovation while increasing productivity and competitive advantage. The complex nature of organizations forces one to analyze the internal behaviors that are perceived as the norms in the environment, thus creating a culture that is embraced whether intentionally or unintentionally by the people of the organization. To add, interacting across cultures and within international organizations can be challenging due to the complexities of multicultural situations. Hence, this dissertation will discuss the impact of cultural dimensions on the emerging leadership development and operation of an international joint venture with Russia. Russia is a country that is culture and historically filled with dramatic turning points. The country has made significant strides both economically and politically to attract business opportunities such as a joint venture; however, the country’s policies could potential affect growth. Furthermore, initiating a joint venture with another oil company within the country may prove to challenging if there is no clear understanding of culture. This essay will discuss the research results from the consultant’s perspective on Russia, as well as the impact of cultural dimensions on the emerging leadership development and operation of the joint venture in Russia. Case background Alpha Oil and Gas (AOG) is an 18-month oldShow MoreRelatedCulture of Ikea2147 Words   |  9 Pagesin 26 countries, visited by over 108 million people yearly and worldwide sales of about $5.4 billion in 1994. IKEA s success in the retail industry can be attributed to its vast experience in the retail market, product differentiation, and cost leadership. 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