Catherine the Great Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Catherine the Great - Research Paper Example khail, Peter I, known as Peter the Great, who nearly transformed the backward country into a major power by the early eighteenth century – he succeeded in reforming both the army and administration, created the Russian navy, encouraged trade and secular education, as well as introduced Western technology (Hatt 12). The Church had been deprived of its privileges and was largely subordinated to the state; while the power of the Russian nobles – boyars – was also curbed (Hatt 12; Williams 343-345). Following the victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War, Russia expanded into the northwest, conquering the Neva valley, along with the other Baltic provinces of Sweden, like Ingria, Estonia, Livonia, Vyborg, and part of Karelia; the fort, whose construction had begun in a desolate area of marshland nearby the mouth of the Neva River in 1703, some nine years later became the capital city of the Russian empire under the name St Petersburg (Williams 345; Hatt 12). Peter the Great died before he could name his successor – some six years after the death of his son Peter, by his second marriage – so the son of Tsarevich Alexis, and Peter the Great’s grandson, became the emperor of Russia as Peter II (Williams 346). During his short reign dominated by two powerful magnates’ factions – the Menshikov and Dolgoruky factions – Russia played a rather passive role abroad (Williams 346). Peter II died before he could marry Dolgoruky’s daughter , Catherine, and was succeeded by the niece of Peter the Great, Anna Ivanovna (Williams 346). Under Empress Anna, Russia was ruled by her favorite, Birone; at home, this period was characterized by a decreased Crown control over the nobility, while abroad Russia gained control over Poland in the war of the Polish succession, as well as over Azov in the Russian – Turkish war of 1735-9 (Williams 25). One year after her death, i.e. in 1741, a palace coup carried out by the guards of the Preobrazhenskii regiment overthrew

What is the good life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is the good life - Essay Example Money is the means to purchase; it is true that the availability of money makes life better and a lot more comfortable. However, the availability of money is not tantamount to the attainment of a good life. A good life is characterized by happiness, money guarantees the availability of resources but it does not guarantee happiness in a home and satisfaction. Money enslaves people, turns friend into enemies, compels people to steal and engage in dishonest act. Money is therefore more related to evil than happiness and satisfaction. In the non-fictional story, Zeitoun, a character, Abdulrahman Zeitoun is introduced; he is a Muslim who moves from Syria to settle in the United States of America (Dave 12). While in America, he meets a Muslim convert, one Kathy who he later marries and together they have two children and a family business. Life for the young family is good enough. They have a family business which is capable of catering for their financial needs, they have children they are generally comfortable. Things change with time as hurricane Katrina strikes, the family is forced to separate as zeitoun chooses to remain and cater for the family business, he uses a second hand canoe to rescue the stranded tenants and provides shelter to abandoned dogs. He happily does this and shows affection to very strange people, he gains satisfaction from the smiles he receives from those he helps. Things change suddenly for him after he is arrested and the society within which he had lived and made a life for himself suddenly turns against him. The 9/11 incident takes place and situation worsen for Zeitoun who is of Arabic descent (Dave 22). The society is overly discriminated and Zeitoun is treated worse than a human is, he is denied basic needs that other American citizens in the same cells are granted. Good life is therefore a satisfactory life, satisfaction comes from setting personal goals and achieving them. Money is overly

Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Strategy - Assignment Example A company may adopt either a mechanistic or an organic approach while executing its business or any other role that it plays in the society. A mechanistic approach is characterized by high levels of bureaucracy and complex strategies of executing duties, which are carried out in a more formal way. On the other hand, an organic organization has lower degree of bureaucracy, is relatively centralized and show limited level of formality while executing its strategies (Herman, 1991, pp306). b) Alfred D. Chandler’s reading is a business classic. Explain why structure follows strategy. Does firm structure continually evolve? If yes, how does this take place? Give an example to illustrate. (7 marks) Any organization that ventures in any business must come up with strategies to achieve the best fit in the ever-competitive environment. In this case, the company has to decide on which strategy to adopt among other issues. It is indispensable to appreciate the fact that a company has to s trategize on which structure to adopt. In this case, strategy comes before structure. Most organizations evolve in order to acclimatize themselves to changes in the business environment. Furthermore, growing competition often forces a company to re-strategize and come up with better ideas to help it to operate profitably. This is the basis of evolution. In fact, a company may have to diversify its operations and provide new product that it were not producing initially (Herman, 1991, pp309). Furthermore, a company may come up with new departments to help it in tackling the numerous issues related to success. This is the basis of structural evolution in an organization. For example, Google Inc. has experienced an evolving organizational structure. Initially, it did not have representatives in other regions of its operations. However, it has had to introduce branches in such places in order to take care of its interests. Branches like Google South America, Google SE Asia, and Google Ea st Africa among others exemplify this. c) Bartlett and Ghoshal (1995) argue the benefits of transnational organizations. What is a transnational organization? Provide an example of a transnational organization, justifying your selection. (5 marks) A transnational organization as used by Bartlett and Ghoshal (1995) is a phrase used to illustrate an organization that carries out its activities in a global perspective and does not rely in any way with the differences that may exist in countries that it operates. Such an organization in most instances seeks to achieve the balance of providing globally efficient services, responsive to all its customers irrespective of their nationalities, and carries out worldwide development. Microsoft Inc. exemplifies this. The corporation is American-based, but it is obviously clear that it seeks to provide goods and services serving the global market (Segal-Horn & Faulkner 1999, pp 116). d) What do critical views and current findings tell us about t he link between strategy and structure? (3 marks) The current findings and views postulate a clear perspective that strategy and structure are intertwined facets in which one cannot operate in the absence of then other. It is essential to note that, strategies formulated by any organization are drawn from the status of the existing business environment. This will then be used to come up with the best structure that counters the weakness and takes advantage of the strengths at its disposal. The development of such a competitive advantage positions the company at a situation where it can capitalize its strategic options, which are often determined by the environment. a) Briefly explain the planning perspective and the incrementalism

Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contract law - Essay Example Lastly, an advice will be given to the aggrieved parties, in this case Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro, based on the available legal redress mechanisms. Analysis of whether Lord Melbray v the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro was a legally binding agreement The separate agreements, between Lord Melbray and the Backstreet Boyos for entertainment appearance on one hand, and that with the Basil’s Bistro for provision of lunches on the other hand, can be classified as legal contracts. This is because; a contract refers to an agreement that is entered by two individuals or parties voluntarily, with an objective to create a legal obligation for the performance of the agreement1. Lord Melbray approached the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro for provision of their respective services during the wedding of his daughter, and the two parties willingly and voluntarily agreed to provide their services. Therefore, the first fundamental requirement for a legally binding agreement was met, since mutual consent acted as the basis of all the parties entering into the contract in question. A case in point is the case Balfour v Balfour 2 KB 571[1919]1, the husband, Mr. Balfour promised to be sending his wife $30 every month after the started living apart, but later rescinded the decision and asked that they separate. The wife sued for the continuous payment of the promised monthly payment, but the court held that since it was a voluntary move by the husband, in a domestic issue, the continued payment was unenforceable, since there was not any intention to make a legally binding agreement1. This step is followed by the evaluation of whether the necessary elements of a legally binding contract were present in the agreement made. For a contract to be considered legally binding; there requires being two basic elements, namely offer, acceptance, and consideration2. The provisions of the law of contract requires that the parties involved must agree on the contractual terms, through a meeting of the minds, without any party giving a diversionary view regarding the contractual terms, which would amount to a counter offer2. A case in example is the Smith v Hughes LR 6 QB 597 [1871], where the ruling held that should the conduct of an individual be that he is acting in a way that a reasonable will would believe that he was assenting to the terms proposed by the other party, then, the man would be bound as though he had intended to fulfill the agreement2. In the case Lord Melbray v the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro, the parties involved agreed on the terms of the service, where Lord Melbray was to pay both the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro for provision of their respective services, while the parties agreed to these terms, without varying the terms of the agreement. In this case, Lord Melbray made an offer, while the Backstreet Boyos and Basil’s Bistro accepted the offer as given. Consideration is yet another necessary element for an agreement to qualify as a legally binding agreement3. A consideration refers to something of value that the party making a promise, the promissor, should give to the promisee, in

Should the authorities control what is show in TV Essay

Should the authorities control what is show in TV - Essay Example They would say that the authorities were put in place by the majority of the population so this gives them the right to ban something they may deem offensive. This essay will present both sides of the argument and will debate the pros and cons of each. Those who argue against censorship of television would say that the state has no right to interfere with the lives of its citizens. The state regulates television programming based on commissions that it has set up in order to look into this issue. The state has a role to protect its citizens from harmful programming that may offend a significant amount of viewers. Where people disagree with state censorship of television is that one particular thing may be censored but not another. What are the guidelines and boundaries that are used to determine whether something is suitable or not for television? Who is in charge of deciding what to censor and what not to censor? Opponents of television censorship would say that they are educated en ough to make their own decisions about what is appropriate for them and their families. It should be the role of the state to provide as much television programming as possible and then the individual viewer can decide if something is okay or not. Basically, this comes down to first amendment rights—a citizen has the freedom of speech to choose what he may or may not do.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 25

Philosophy - Essay Example , the nature of reality is a weave of material and immaterial realm in a spectrum of paradox that is meaningful not only because of its pragmatic value, but also because of its significance and worth in our quest for truth and meaning. The nature of human knowledge is the basis or source of human knowledge which deals with the questions what do you know? How do you know? And how do you know that you know? Being such, the nature of human knowledge is a blend between rationalism, which asserts that knowledge is gained by relying on reason alone as it provides us with clear and distinct ideas. While, empiricism affirms that knowledge is attained through experience (Velasquez 353). This blend attests to the notion that the nature of human knowledge is such that it necessitates the use of both reason and experience. This is necessary as both reason and experience provide the solid basis with which persons avers what they claim they know. Science is one of the tools that allow human beings to understand the rudiments of physical nature. At the same time, it affords us a means with which something real can be ascertained. However, as science tries in providing frameworks with which physical nature is known and is understood, what cannot be underscored is the fact that science is hounded by the bias and leanings of its players. As such, putting into question the concepts and frameworks of science itself since it is claimed that new beliefs or new systems are made to fit existing scientific paradigms (Velasquez 454). In this regard, the question pertinent to the limits of science points not on what physical nature holds but on the limits of the human players of science. What is the good life?  This question has haunted philosophers since the ancient period. Looking at it from the perspective of Ethics, the good life may be reached by reflecting on one’s own personal moral standards or the moral standards of the society where one belongs. However, as one reflects on

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Study - Essay Example The company reviewed it’s its operations in the 2006 when SABMiller had just completed a three-year turnaround plan, establishing a platform for future growth. From that report it can be noted that in North America the company had made progress as it had continued to grow while giving better prices to the customers than its competitors in that market. SABMiller had heavily invested in that market which enabled it succeeds in price cutting without passing on the costs. It had a three year investment strategy which has enabled to remain strong despite tough conditions. From the foregoing, it can be deduced that SABMiller’s strategy in the North American market is heavy investment which in turn enables it lower prices hence driving out competitors (Hal, 2002). In relation to Europe SAB’s strategy was to increase its share and to expand its capacity. This was to be achieved through introduction of new brands and new packaging methods. This strategy has enabled it to increase its share, volume and expand its capacity in various European markets. SAB’s strategy in most of the countries has been to acquire an initial local stronghold firm to enable it advance into other markets which it had not penetrated before. It has achieved this by acquiring other brewing businesses in most cases to focus on brand portfolio which gives it a better market position, increases sales and to enjoy economies of scale in production and distribution. It seems that SABMiller has shifted its focus to developing countries having already established a substantial presence in the developed countries. It realised that its ability to succeed in developing countries has proved to be of advantage. This was noted in the company’s report of 2006. This strategy has to an increase in consumption of soft drinks by consumers in South Africa which in turn has led to increased sales ( Donald , 2008). To meet the demands of changing consumption patterns, SAB has introduc ed new sales and distribution systems and enhanced the flexibility of its production facilities. It has licensed more agents has brought more outlets into the mainstream. This means they can now operate more professionally and it can deliver to them direct - which in turn raises the performance of the business. The stakeholders expect that SAB’s businesses in Africa will continue to grow being helped by broader distribution and a clearer segmentation of SAB’s brands. The stakeholders also see plenty of opportunity to keep improving efficiency in these relatively underdeveloped countries and see the outlook for Africa as a whole to be encouraging. Possible strategic options open to SAB First of all, SAB can penetrate the market with its current products. This can be through heavy advertising or using any other strategy enable existing and potential customers get knowledge of its existing products. With this option, SAB needs to come up with a strategy to enable it incre ase sales to its current customers by convincing them without change of its original products. SAB can also gain competitors customers by improving the quality of its beer compared to that of its competitors. Since it is cheaper to retain current customers than acquire new ones, hence in this option SAB needs to improve its relationship with its current custo