Asian Art Museum Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Asian Art Museum Report - Essay Example Only one of the bent trees has a single fruit with some two men standing at the trunk (Zhang, Sternberg, and Rayner 14). I personally chose the piece of art due to the artistic abilities of the painter especially considering the fact that he could paint a quality piece of art depicting an Asian religious aspect. The artist carefully and creatively chooses colors that resonate well with the culture and environment of the practice by Asian monks. Their color choice consists of red, white, blue, and green to create clarity and contrast that leads the viewers to understand what the image is all about and the implications of the image on the viewers. The artist also strikes a religious code in the viewers through their choice of the subject matter where they show religious men dressed in specific regalia of a definite color (Zhang, Sternberg, and Rayner 16). Besides the use of distinct colors, the artist has used a circular shape as outlining the edges of the painting. Circular shapes normally depict peace and tranquility. In addition to the use of shapes, another crucial aspect about composition plays out especially at the foreground and the middle ground where the artist keenly locates the men and other natural elements like trees at specific and adjacent positions to show the interdependence and functionality of all the elements depicted in the piece of art. This helps the viewers to figure out the significance of the natural environment to the sustainability of humanity (Zhang, Sternberg, and Rayner 22). All these attracted my attention and I believe they are a sure eye catcher for any prospective individual looking for Asian pieces of art. This is because throughout the painting, the artist has tried to maintain a smooth texture to indicate the nobble course for which the men are involved. I am particularly interested in the artist’s creativity in telling the story about the Chinese animal

Human factors in technology Essay Example for Free

Human factors in technology Essay Man is the only being who has utilized technology, to the point that it also caused technology to change rapidly through time. Technology has been one of the most influential concepts in the lives of every human being throughout history. It was so influential that it had become one of the major deciding factors in the direction of history. Technological innovations had evolved from the simple to the very complex. From the simple stone cutting tools that prehistoric man had, to the contemporary blades that virtually do not need any resharpening at all. There had also been evolution from the very crude computing technique such as the finger counting, to the very complex supercomputers. In terms of transportation, from the very simple mode of walking and running, man had innovated transportation technology by inventing and innovating cars, planes, ships, etc. Technology had not only affected transportation and computing, but also the social and psychological scene as well. Companies whose general trade is information and technology are the ones whose organizational structure is very much affected by the technological changes. Most of the companies are either computer manufacturers or technological research companies. Apple Inc. , formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. is an American-based multinational corporation which has its focus on technical manufacturing and designing of electronics and software programs for variations of consumers all around the world. It headquarters can be found in Cupertino, California (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). This company basically focuses on the development and support of several electronic gadgets for the market. This same company currently has its eyes focused on the innovation of already existing technologies, as well as the formation of a new breed of technology for the market. Some of its world-famous creations are the iPod, iPhone and the AppleTV. Aside from these electronic equipment and gadgets, the Apple, Inc. is also into the creation of new and better software programs. In the past, it had focused on creating and developing operating systems (OS), and specific application programs. Today, Apple, Inc. is now setting the path before it releases its newest operating system, the Mac OS X â€Å"Leopard†. Apple is very much into expanding its frontiers by exploring new ways of marketing and product presentation (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). It is now into the trend of having an online store where its products, whether hardware or software, can be bought by just a click of the mouse. The company is well-known for their very user-friendly hardware as well as software. Their iPod series, as well as their iPhone, Macintosh series of personal computers and peripherals, iLife software suite, and the Mac OS are just some of their best-known software and hardware products. Also, the company is a major supplier of prosumer software products for specialized purposes such as the audio and film industry (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). The mentioned things about Apple, Inc. , set up a background for the contemporary company. Technology has an implicit message, and that is to put everything into a very objective perspective, where everything could and should not be subject to an individual’s / group’s personal judgments or beliefs. By virtue of technology, man was able to do things such as measurement and judgment without having biases. With the use of technology, organizations can track their development without having doubts if the people who assessed them were biased about the evaluation process. But this strength is also its weak point. Being very objective would mean that the assessment would be very strict, and it would be guided by certain sets of quantified measurements such as numbers and / or a set of quantified codes. These standards for judgment and assessment can be used to evaluate employees’ activities, company sales and company economic standing. Having these strict standards would mean an easier, more efficient and more economic way of assessing the company. With these, companies such as the Apple could rely on machines about their company’s survival. Machines, which are products of modern technology, could be programmed to assess particular aspects of the company and suggest possible options about how to make the company even more productive. This may sound farfetched, but it could be a good way of looking at the possibility of how machines could help organizations in optimizing their parts. Business oriented companies such as the Apple is currently facing the possibilities of having less human members, and more help from the technology they are developing. These companies, with the help of modern technology, could be able to assess their employees using certain standards that can be input to a computer for further assessment. This way, there would be less processing time, less need for human HRD team members, less specialists in the field of assessing people, more possible members for the pool of computer and technology specialists (which could also mean more capital would be invested on the specialty of the company), and less expenses on the part of the company. Looking at the advantages posed by this method, it would be good to conclude that this could boost company income, thus uplift the lives of its employees in an economic and political sense. On the other hand, this method could also pose a very detrimental effect to the company as a whole, both in the macro and micro perspectives. One disadvantage of this method would be that without the subjective judgments of humans on human resources, it would be possible to miss important and potentially able applicants. Also, it would be possible that the programmed machines would not be able to look the implicit factors such as family background and the personality types of the applicants. Another is the fact that hardcore statistics, which programmed machines use, does not claim that the results are products of the interplay of all possible factors, instead it can only present results with the extraneous factors (which may possibly matter) omitted. References: Apple. com (2007).Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://www. asia. apple. com/. Apple, Inc. (2007). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Apple_Computer. History of Apple (2007). ). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Inc.. Mesa, A. (2007). Apple History Timeline. The Apple Museum. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://applemuseum. bott. org/sections/history. html.

Which EU institution is the most powerful? Essay -- Economics

Which EU institution is the most powerful? The European Union (EU) is currently made up of 25 countries, known as Member States, which together form the largest voluntary and peaceful block of countries in the world. Many people mistakenly view the European Union as a single body whilst in fact; the EU consists of a number of different institutions that together carry out activities on behalf of the Member States. There are many institutions but the main five being the Commission, the Council of Ministers (also called the Council of the European Union), the European Council and the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. In this essay I am going to focus on these institutions and discuss which is to be considered more powerful. I will firstly look at each one individually and how it is organised then analyse its powers and responsibilities before comparing them and drawing up my conclusions. However I would like to note that there are many different interpretations and parameters of ‘powerful’ which make it difficult to answer the question. The EU was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty. It comprises what are known as three ‘pillars’. Firstly the EC; secondly, inter-governmental co-operation (i.e. between national governments) in foreign and security policy and the third pillar being inter-governmental co-operation in justice and home affairs. In the second and third pillars policy decisions are made by unanimous cooperation between members and cannot be enforced. Therefore for the most part, the governing institutions of the EC pillar have limited input in these pillars. The European Commission does much of the day-to-day work in the European Union and is the driving force in the Union's institutional system. Their main responsibility is to initiate and implement new programs, and they form a permanent executive that supervise the work of the EU, much in the way that a national cabinet operates. This power is displayed in article 211 of the Treaty Establishing the European Community, which states that, the Commission: 'Shall formulate recommendations or deliver opinions on matters dealt with in this treaty, if it expressly so provides or if the commission considers it necessary.' The Commission is made up of a President and the College of Commissioners (the political arm), and the Direc... ...------------------------------------- [1] The Presidency of the Council is the driving force in the legislative and political decision-making process, organising and chairing all meetings and working out compromises to resolve any difficulties. The Presidency rotates among the Member States every six months and is used as a mechanism through which Member States can advance specific priorities. The UK will next hold the Presidency in the second half of 2005. [2] The European Council's far reaching and dramatic decisions have helped propel their meetings into the public spotlight where they have become the focal point for media coverage of the EU, which increases their power [3] During the political, economic and institutional weakening of the European Community (EC) in the 1960s and 1970s the ECJ persisted and struggled on to create an extensive and powerful mass of case law that continued the process for deeper integration. The outcome of this was extremely positive. The work of the ECJ developed not just a new legal order but also assisted in the EC's resurgence during the 1980s. (Dinan 2000: p301)

Personal exercise plan For a football player Essay

A defender playing football has to have different requirements, these are as follows: Reaction time- a defender needs a good reaction time because when he receive s he ball he has to immediately take control and find a team player to which he can safely pass to. Flexibility- a defender needs good flexibility so he can reach out as far as possible to take the ball off an opponent. Muscular endurance- a defender needs good muscular endurance because he has to be playing for 90 minutes and cant let his muscles get tiered quickly. Muscular power- a defender needs good muscular strength so when he is one on one with an opponent and they collide he is not fallen of his feet. Speed- a defender needs to have a lot of speed so he can out run opponents and clear the ball out of his area. Agility- a defender needs good agility so when he is running in front of a opponent he can quickly move direction to have more positions to pass the ball to. Coordination- a defender needs good coordination because he has to be able to run and control the ball smoothly. Balance- a defender needs good balance so he is always on his feet when running and performing skills. Why it is important to have a warm up and warm down: Warm up A warm up is a period of gentle exercises preparing the body for a physical activity to follow. A warm up is important because it prepares your cardio vascular system for exercise, increases heart rate/ body temperature and it warms up your muscles. A warm up also loosens joints, prevents injuries [E. g. prevent you pulling a muscle because If u don’t warm up your muscles and you start a phsical activity you can pull a muscle very easly . A warm is done in 3 steps, these steps are a follow: 1. Pulse raiser- it prepares your cardio vascular system for exercise, increases heart rate/ body temperature and it warms up your muscles. 2. Stretching, which loosens joints, prevents injuries [pulling a muscle] 3. Skills, which gets you physiologically prepared Warm down A warm down is a period of light exercise at the end of a training session to insure a successful recovery will take place. A warm down is important because it allows the body to recover and it prevents your muscles from aching that hard. It also shortens recovery time and. It also removes carbon dioxide and lactic acid from your muscles. My circuit My circuit will consist of eight stations working different parts of the body. Each station will be carried out for 50 seconds and then will be followed by a 40 second rest period which will decrease by 5 seconds each week , this reason being I will be more fitter and I would not rest as much. Also by doing this it will be more challenging. I will carry out this circuit once a week for six weeks. My circuit will mainly concentrate on the arm and leg muscles because they are mainly needed for a defender in football. They also need good pectorals because of their power they need to be stronger than the striker. So if they are coming to you running fast and you try to take the ball of them and they are more stronger, then the impact will go on you then you would fall down and they would score. My circuit will begin with a warm up [as in any other sport]. There will be 3 stages to my warm up this reason being when your working on a circuit a lot muscles are being used to prevent injury I will have to do warm up thoroughly. 1. The First stage is to get my heart beat going. This is called a pulse raiser. The pulse raiser I have chosen is to jog for 7 minutes. This will increase my body temperature and get the heart supplying oxygen quickly to all the body parts being used [e. g. muscles]. 2. The Second stage is stretching your muscles after have been warmed up by the pulse raiser. I will hold each stretch for no longer or shorter than 8 seconds. I will do various different stretches as if you look below I will explain all of them in order:My circuit will have 8 stations. I have designed this circuit so that each station will be working on different muscles. The circuit is designed like this so that 1 muscle is no working to hard again and again other wise if it were you would not be putting your best ability in the stations . These are the stations in order: 1. Star jumps: This station works on the legs. The muscles being worked are the hamstring, quadriceps and gastrocnemius which is important for a defender in football because he has to keep moving and defending without his legs getting tiered because he game is 90 minutes and he has to last the whole of a the 90 minute period. 2. Press-ups: This station works on the arms. This includes the bicep, triceps and the pectorals being worked, which is important for a defender because he needs strong arms to help increase speed and to maintain a good balanced position while playing in the game. 3. Sit-ups: This station works on the abdominal which is important for a defender in football because he needs to be able to move side to side as quick as possible so he can doge players while trying to clear the ball. Squats: This station works on the legs, which include all the muscles on the leg that are hamstring, quadriceps and gastrocnemius. This is important for a defender in football because he has stay standing on his feet and keep moving to defend his goal for 90 minutes non stop so he needs strong legs to help him. 5. Pull-ups: This station works on the arms, which include the bicep and trip being worked. This is important for a defender because he needs strong arms to help increase speed and to maintain a good balanced position while playing in the game. 6. Squat thrusts: This station works on the abdominal which is important for a defender in football because he needs to be able to move side ways to make sure the opponent does not get close enough to get the ball from him. 7. Shuttle runs: This station works on arms and legs. The muscles being worked are the bicep, triceps, hamstring, quadriceps and gastrocnemius. Which are the most important for a defender in football. This is because the football depends on them a lot so they must be strong enough to help the player last a whole 90 minute game while he is running, kicking the ball and is always on his feet. My circuit will end with a warm down, which is really important because I have to remove all the lactic acid and carbon dioxide from my body. It also will lower down the heartbeat and reduce the blood tempreture. My warm down witch I have chosen will be o walk for 7 minutes. This will give me enough time to recover. Principles of training S. P. O. R. T Specific Progression Overload Reversibility Tedium Specific: The training I have designed is specific to football. Progression: I will progress my body to build something up. I will train, recover and then train more. Overload: I will make muscles work harder. The training must be raided to a higher level then normal. To do this I will look at Reversibility: is not achieved in circuit training if the above are adhered to Tedium: is overcome in circuit training by ensuring the sequence of exercises are organised to avoid, as far as possible, two consecutive stations stress in the same muscle groups. Due to the variety of exercises providing a balance loading on different body parts.

Of Mice and Men Character Analysis Essay

Write a study of the character of Crooks, showing how Steinbeck uses him to tell us more about the other characters, and about the social and economical context of the book? This novel takes place in the 1930’s, it was a time of great depression, there was racial prejudice towards coloured people and there were very few job opportunities making it hard for people to have a good standard of living. Steinbeck wrote this novel to show us the daunting and alarming conditions for workers at this time; he chose each character to represent a different type of person. For example, one of the characters Crooks represents coloured people. When reading the story of mice and man we learn that Crooks is a kind and considerate man â€Å"You told me to warm up tar for the mule’s foot. I got it warm† this tells us that Crooks is generous man and is always willing to help. â€Å"I can do it if you want Mr Slim† when Crooks is speaking to Slim, he is deferential towards Slim and treats him like a superior by calling him Mr Slim. Although Crooks is a kind man he is not treated fairly and adequate all due racial prejudice â€Å"they let the nigger come in that night† first of all he is not even called by his proper name instead they use racial discrimination to point him out as he is called intimidating and awful words such as nigger and stable buck. He does not bunk with the others workers because the other workers are racist towards him and all due to his colour Crooks has to live in a stable buck where all the other animals live as he is not treated as an equal, â€Å"had his bunk in the harness-room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn† this tells us that Crooks is treated inappropriately as he has to live in appalling conditions. We also get the impression that Crooks is isolated from the other workers making him feel lonely and deserted â€Å"Crooks said darkly: guys don’t come into a coloured man’s room very much† this tells us that Crooks has no true friends, this is not because he is a atrocious man, it is because of racial prejudice. Another reason why Crooks is lonely is that he segregates himself from the white workers as he’s the only black worker on the ranch. We learn that Crooks is well educated as he has books in his room â€Å"And he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a maules copy of the California civil code for 1905.† This also tells us that although there is racial prejudice, Crooks knows his rights. We get the impression that Crooks is realistic and scornful and once dreams of owning his own farm â€Å"You’re nuts. Crooks was scornful. I see hundreds of men come by on the roads an’ on the ranches with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing on their heads.† This tells us that Crooks is like any ordinary man, he also has dreams to own a farm one day. â€Å"†¦If you†¦guys would want a hand to work for nothing – just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. This suggests that Crooks is desperate to get out of this ranch and he is hoping he will one day own that farm. â€Å"Well, jus’ forget it, said Crooks. ‘I didn’t mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn’t want to go no place like that† Crooks now realises there is no way he will ever get out of the ranch and own a farm so he tries to convince himself he never wanted a farm in the first place. â€Å"The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head; a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eye patient.† This tells us that Crooks has to be patient when living with the workers as he knows he is below the other workers because he is a coloured man and if Crooks was to make a slight move out of line there will be problems and fights will break out. When Crooks is talking to Candy, Crooks has to treat him well otherwise trouble will break out, â€Å"you can come in if you want† Although Crooks does not want Candy to come in he has to treat the other workers with respect â€Å"Candy seemed embarrassed. I do know. Course, if ya want me to† We get the impression that Candy feels embarrassed to go into a coloured mans room. â€Å"I was born right here in California. My old man had a chicken ranch, bout ten acres. The white kids come to play at our place† this tells us that in Crooks past life, there was nor always racial discrimination and he was once treated as an equal and as he got older there was more racial prejudice. Most of the other workers treat Crooks with no respect except for Slim who treats Crooks like an equal and in return Crooks treats him like a superior . â€Å"Huh? Oh’ Hello Crooks. What’s ‘a matter?† First of all, this tells us that Slims treats Crooks with respect by calling him by his proper name, we also get the impression that Slims shows consideration to Crooks by asking him â€Å"What’s ‘a matter?† Slim is the only worker that respects Crooks for who he actually is. â€Å"Well, he ain’t doin’ no harm. I give him one of my pups.† This shows that Slim is kind and friendly towards everyone and not just Crooks. The majority of the workers at the ranch treat Crooks will no respect and show no consideration â€Å"where the hell is that God damn nigger?† the first impression I get is that the workers do not treat Crooks reasonably, as they do not call him by his name, they call him racial words such as nigger and stable buck. When the workers get angry all anger is taken out on Crooks, this tells us that Crooks is not treated like a human being all due to racial prejudice. â€Å"Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.† This shows us that not only a small amount of workers are racist towards Crooks, the majority of the workers are. â€Å"Smitty says he woulda killed the nigger† this tells us that the workers not only hate him but they want to kill him, this gives us the impression on the amount of racial discrimination. Even Curley’s wife who is not a worker at the ranch is racist towards Crooks â€Å"Listen, Nigger, she said. You no what I can do to you if you open your trap† Crooks is treat badly by the majority of workers on the ranch due to racial discrimination Crooks has to treat them well â€Å"Yes ma’am† Although Crooks knows his rights, he has very few of them and he always has to show respect towards the other worker The other characters show no respect towards Crooks as they are racist, unfair and cruel towards him, the majority of the workers do not even call Crooks by his name and call him racial words such as ‘nigger’ â€Å"where the hell is that God damn nigger?† The only character who shows any sign of respect towards Crooks is Slim, Slim treats him like an equal â€Å"Hello Crooks. What’s ‘a matter?† Although in the time this novel was set there was racial discrimination Slim was not racist towards Crooks because he was a fair and respectable man. In return Crooks treats Slim like a superior â€Å"I can do it if you want, Mr Slim† We get the impression that Lennie does not even no who Crooks is as he has a very immature behaviour and a childish mind

Free Essays on Terrorism And Its Effect Upon The Economy

Terrorist attacks have many effects upon the nation that is attacked; the attack can have effects on the economy, as well as the well being of the citizens. Terrorism has been an extreme influence upon aspects of a nation’s well being since the dawn of the economy. Terrorism is a social issue where in which a organization uses force to meet demands from a source of power. Terrorism can effect the media as well as the sociological, the physiological, the physical, the ecological, and the legal aspects of a nation. The sociological effect a terrorist attack can have on a nation is massive, perhaps greater then the obvious physical effect. Terrorist attacks against our nation in recent memory have had serious effects on the economy forcing it to slow down. Recently, involving the terrorist attack on September 11th 2001, stocks and profits fell so low that some economists felt that our nation would experience recession. â€Å"Forecasters, for the most part, are predicting a mild recession with recovery starting next spring†¦ consumer confidence, suggest that the recession could be much deeper than is being forecast.† (Campbell, Bruce. â€Å"What Paul Martin Should Do†.www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/35.html). Companies, businesses, and corporations also experience slow profits during periods after terrorist attacks. These economic problems also slow inflationary pressure that also puts other strains on regular living in a market economy system. In recent aftermath of a terrorist attack people’s lifestyles also change. â€Å"Terrorist friendly† areas such as airports, and large buildings increase security drastically to insure safety. Other places such as stadiums also increase security during sporting and other events held inside the stadium. Society also attempts to prevent acts against terrorism by creating many anti-programs and organizations. The programs and organizations vary in methods of prevention, howeve... Free Essays on Terrorism And Its Effect Upon The Economy Free Essays on Terrorism And Its Effect Upon The Economy Terrorist attacks have many effects upon the nation that is attacked; the attack can have effects on the economy, as well as the well being of the citizens. Terrorism has been an extreme influence upon aspects of a nation’s well being since the dawn of the economy. Terrorism is a social issue where in which a organization uses force to meet demands from a source of power. Terrorism can effect the media as well as the sociological, the physiological, the physical, the ecological, and the legal aspects of a nation. The sociological effect a terrorist attack can have on a nation is massive, perhaps greater then the obvious physical effect. Terrorist attacks against our nation in recent memory have had serious effects on the economy forcing it to slow down. Recently, involving the terrorist attack on September 11th 2001, stocks and profits fell so low that some economists felt that our nation would experience recession. â€Å"Forecasters, for the most part, are predicting a mild recession with recovery starting next spring†¦ consumer confidence, suggest that the recession could be much deeper than is being forecast.† (Campbell, Bruce. â€Å"What Paul Martin Should Do†.www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/35.html). Companies, businesses, and corporations also experience slow profits during periods after terrorist attacks. These economic problems also slow inflationary pressure that also puts other strains on regular living in a market economy system. In recent aftermath of a terrorist attack people’s lifestyles also change. â€Å"Terrorist friendly† areas such as airports, and large buildings increase security drastically to insure safety. Other places such as stadiums also increase security during sporting and other events held inside the stadium. Society also attempts to prevent acts against terrorism by creating many anti-programs and organizations. The programs and organizations vary in methods of prevention, howeve...

The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India

The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India Ethics, as the distinction between right and wrong, is a subject that several individuals tend to ignore. The course of actions that people and organizations take can be supported by very many reasons.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in most situations, the desire to gain wealth or power can influence individuals or organizations to do very unethical things. The catastrophe that took place in 1984 at the pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, is a case in which the governments of the United States and India violated several ethical practices that eventually led to the world’s worst industrial disaster. The Bhopal disaster happened on December 3, 1984 in which about forty tons of vaporous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxic chemicals from the factory were released into the atmosphere and resulted in the death and in juries of several residents of the nearby town. Although estimates vary on the extent of damage caused to the residents, Eckerman estimates that â€Å"over 500,000 persons were exposed to the gases; between 3,000 and 10,000 people died within the first weeks; and between 100,000 and 200,000 may have permanent injuries† (2005, p.9). The disaster raised serious ethical questions concerning the business practices of the American multinational company, the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and its Indian subsidiary, the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), which owned significant amount of shares in the plant. What the incident made painfully clear appertains to the moral conventions that the governments of the host and the parent country failed to adhere to (Cragg, 2005, p.11). The UCIL plant was established in 1969 as part of the local government’s Green Revolution initiative efforts aimed at realizing self-sufficiency in the production of crops. The use of pesticide increa sed in India in the 1960s and it was regarded as an essential factor in increasing its agricultural productivity. Consequently, the decision to produce pesticides locally, instead of importing them, was based on the above considerations. However, the government of India sanctioned the UCIL to set up the plant in Bhopal despite the fact that the country lacked adequate technology to maintain the production of such lethal chemicals. In a bid to spur economic growth, the Indian government ignored the safety and health considerations that were to be adhered to before establishing such a manufacturing plant.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The American international corporation, UCC, opted to establish the plant in India so as to gain a competitive advantage in the market. This is because as an emerging country in economic development, India provided low-cost labor, easier connectio n with consumers in other countries, and reduced costs of transacting business. Once UCC established the plant in India, it had little incentive to reduce environmental and human risks associated with pesticide production (Cassels, 1993). More so, this problem was compounded by the negligence of the Indian government to institute stringent regulations that can guard this malpractice. The Indian government was only looking for economic gains, not the other risks that were involved. On the other hand, as an American Company, the United States government failed to enact stringent checks and balances that could monitor the operations of UCC internationally. Its unethical practice was mainly motivated by the urge to establish stronger relations with the Indian sub-continent, while neglecting the fact that human life is more important than the so-called ‘good relations’ are. The Bhopal disaster has several unethical contributing factors that both the governments of the United States and India consistently ignored even after they were made aware of them. Prior to the hazardous gas leak, the plant stored MIC (methyl isocyanate) in large containers and filled them above the recommended levels, little maintenance was done to the plant to ensure its efficiency, several safety systems were not functioning properly, and some safety devices were switched off periodically to save money (Weir, 1987). Aware of these breaches to good industrial practices, the Indian government disregarded calls for putting these actions in check. Worse still, several slums mushroomed near the Bhopal facility, and the residents disregarded repeated warnings by the local media to vacate the place because of the danger that they were exposed to in case of an emergency. Interestingly, the local officials of the government failed to endorse the reports dismissing them as sensational. In addition, the residents failed to act to these reports because the government had failed to educate t hem on the risks that they were exposed to. Ironically, the American multinational corporation, UCC, spurred by the desire to gain a competitive advantage, attempted to hide its deplorable safety and maintenance records, non-existent catastrophe plans, and other malpractices in the Bhopal facility. Prior to the incident, the work conditions at the plant were in a bad state. Instead of providing the employees with good working conditions, UCC implemented a number of cost-cutting strategies that affected the employees and their conditions of working.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These strategies for reducing expenses resulted in reduced quality control and loose adherence to regulations of safety of the employees. For example, replacing old pipes was forbidden, no training was given to the employees, and they were compelled to use En glish instruction booklets although they did not understand the language fully. These unethical practices made several of the skilled employees to look for opportunities in other places. Although the employees made numerous complaints through their union, no one heeded to their cries and some of them were even fired or fined. In all these, the government of India supported the factory because it feared that some of its citizens could lose their jobs and eventually its tax collection could reduce. However, a catastrophe, which was being brewed by these unethical practices, was looming. Investigations after the Bhopal tragedy have revealed a number of equipment and safety violations. During the 1998 civil court cases in India, it was revealed that contrary to the UCC factories in the U.S., the factories in India lacked major preparations for tackling emergencies and there was no attempt by the management to institute such measures. For example, there was no notification given to local authorities about the amounts or the hazards of the substances that were being used and produced at the Bhopal facility. Other investigations revealed that the MIC unit had malfunctioned four years prior to the incident, there was limited number of manual back up systems, steam boiler used for cleaning the pipes was not working, and carbon steel that is prone to corrosion was used at the plant. The MIC plant was built according to the instructions that were given by the Indian government. More so, the authorities neglected several previous warnings and accidents that were pointing to an impending disaster. For example, in 1976, two trade unions raised alarms about the level of pollution in the factory and in early 1982, a MIC leak affected eighteen employees. Instead of enforcing stringent rules to curb this, the Indian government still relaxed its rules concerning the unethical practices of UCC within its territory. This makes the Indian government to be indirectly responsible for the catastrophe that affected the lives of many people in the area. It is astonishing to note that in spite of the serious health problems and deaths that took place due to the disaster, the governments of the U.S. and India have not established efficient systems for caring for and compensating the people affected. Instead of pushing for quick compensation of the victims, the two governments are accusing one another of responsibility. In some instances, UCC has failed to compensate the victims saying that the company is not under the jurisdiction of the Indian laws. As much as some progress is being made to compensate the victims adequately, this process could have been more efficient if the two governments had instituted better systems for tackling such emergencies. This negligence by the two governments seems to be supporting UCC’s unethical practices.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In conclusion, the governments of the United States and India, through neglecting some essential ethical business practices, are indirectly responsible for the occurrence of the Bhopal disaster. Instead of instituting adequate checks and balances to monitor the operations of UCC internationally, the U.S. government forfeited this significant role. On the other hand, aware of the various contributing factors that were pointing to an imminent disaster, the Indian government failed to institute appropriate measures that could have prevented the disaster from taking place. Reference List Cassels, J. (1993). The Uncertain Promise Of Law: Lessons From Bhopal. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press. Cragg, W. (2005). Ethics codes, corporations and the challenge of globalization.  Cheltenham: Elgar. Eckerman, I. (2005). The Bhopal saga: causes and consequences of the worlds largest  industrial disaster. Hyderabad: Universities Press. Weir, D. (1987). The Bhopal Syndrome: Pesticides, Envir onment, And Health. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Ancient Nepal, ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 700

Ancient Nepal, ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 700 Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people were living in the Himalayan region in the distant past, although their culture and artifacts are only slowly being explored. Written references to this region appeared only by the first millennium B.C. During that period, political or social groupings in Nepal became known in north India. The Mahabharata and other legendary Indian histories mention the Kiratas (see Glossary), who still inhabited eastern Nepal in 1991. Some legendary sources from the Kathmandu Valley also describe the Kiratas as early rulers there, taking over from earlier ​Gopals or Abhiras, both of whom may have been cowherding tribes. These sources agree that an original population, probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity, lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago, inhabiting small settlements with a relatively low degree of political centralization. Monumental changes occurred when groups of tribes calling themselves the Arya migrated into northwest India between 2000 B.C. and 1500 B.C. By the first millennium B.C., their culture had spread throughout northern India. Their many small kingdoms were constantly at war amid the dynamic religious and cultural environment of early Hinduism. By 500 B.C., a cosmopolitan society was growing around urban sites linked by trade routes that stretched throughout South Asia and beyond. On the edges of the Gangetic Plain, in the Tarai Region, smaller kingdoms or confederations of tribes grew up, responding to dangers from larger kingdoms and opportunities for trade. It is probable that slow and steady migration of Khasa (see Glossary) peoples speaking Indo-Aryan languages were occurring in western Nepal during this period; this movement of peoples would continue, in fact, until modern times and expand to include the eastern Tarai as well. One of the early confederations of the Tarai was the Sakya clan, whose seat apparently was Kapilavastu, near Nepals present-day border with India. Their most renowned son was Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 563-483 B.C.), a prince who rejected the world to search for the meaning of existence and became known as the Buddha, or the Enlightened One. The earliest stories of his life recount his wanderings in the area stretching from the Tarai to Banaras on the Ganges River and into modern Bihar State in India, where he found enlightenment at Gaya still the site of one of the greatest Buddhist shrines. After his death and cremation, his ashes were distributed among some of the major kingdoms and confederations and were enshrined under mounds of earth or stone called stupas. Certainly, his religion was known at a very early date in Nepal through the Buddhas ministry and the activities of his disciples. continues... Glossary KhasaA term applied to the peoples and languages in the western parts of Nepal, closely related to the cultures of northern India. KirataA Tibeto-Burman ethnic group inhabiting eastern Nepal since before the Licchavi Dynasty, just prior to and during the early years of the Christian era. The political struggles and urbanization of north India culminated in the great Mauryan Empire, which at its height under Ashoka (reigned 268-31 B.C.) covered almost all of South Asia and stretched into Afghanistan in the west. There is no proof that Nepal was ever included in the empire, although records of Ashoka are located at Lumbini, the Buddhas birthplace, in the Tarai. But the empire had important cultural and political consequences for Nepal. First, Ashoka himself embraced Buddhism, and during his time the religion must have become established in the Kathmandu Valley and throughout much of Nepal. Ashoka was known as a great builder of stupas, and his archaic style is preserved in four mounds on the outskirts of Patan (now often referred to as Lalitpur), which were locally called Ashok stupas, and possibly in the Svayambhunath (or Swayambhunath) stupa. Second, along with religion came an entire cultural style centered on the king as the upholder of dharma, or the cosmic law of the universe. This political concept of the king as the righteous center of the political system had a powerful impact on all later South Asian governments and continued to play a major role in modern Nepal. The Mauryan Empire declined after the second century B.C., and north India entered a period of political disunity. The extended urban and commercial systems expanded to include much of Inner Asia, however, and close contacts were maintained with European merchants. Nepal was apparently a distant part of this commercial network because even Ptolemy and other Greek writers of the second century knew of the Kiratas as a people who lived near China. North India was united by the Gupta emperors again in the fourth century. Their capital was the old Mauryan center of Pataliputra (present-day Patna in Bihar State), during what Indian writers often describe as a golden age of artistic and cultural creativity. The greatest conqueror of this dynasty was Samudragupta (reigned ca. 353-73), who claimed that the lord of Nepal paid him taxes and tribute and obeyed his commands. It still is impossible to tell who this lord may have been, what area he ruled, and if he was really a subordinate of the Guptas. Some of the earliest examples of Nepalese art show that the culture of north India during Gupta times exercised a decisive influence on Nepali language, religion, and artistic expression. Next: The Early Kingdom of the Licchavis, 400-750The River System In the late fifth century, rulers calling themselves Licchavis began to record details on politics, society, and economy in Nepal. The Licchavis were known from early Buddhist legends as a ruling family during the Buddhas time in India, and the founder of the Gupta Dynasty claimed that he had married a Licchavi princess. Perhaps some members of this Licchavi family married members of a local royal family in the Kathmandu Valley, or perhaps the illustrious history of the name prompted early Nepalese notables to identify themselves with it. In any case, the Licchavis of Nepal were a strictly local dynasty based in the Kathmandu Valley and oversaw the growth of the first truly Nepalese state. The earliest known Licchavi record, an inscription of Manadeva I, dates from 464, and mentions three preceding rulers, suggesting that the dynasty began in the late fourth century. The last Licchavi inscription was in A.D. 733. All of the Licchavi records are deeds reporting donations to religious foundations, predominantly Hindu temples. The language of the inscriptions is Sanskrit, the language of the court in north India, and the script is closely related to official Gupta scripts. There is little doubt that India exerted a powerful cultural influence, especially through the area called Mithila, the northern part of present-day Bihar State. Politically, however, India again was divided for most of the Licchavi period. To the north, Tibet grew into an expansive military power through the seventh century, declining only by 843. Some early historians, such as the French scholar Sylvain LÃ ©vi, thought that Nepal may have become subordinate to Tibet for some time, but more recent Nepalese historians, including Dilli Raman Regmi, deny this interpretation. In any case, from the seventh century onward a recurring pattern of foreign relations emerged for rulers in Nepal: more intensive cultural contacts with the south, potential political threats from both India and Tibet, and continuing trade contacts in both directions. The Licchavi political system closely resembled that of northern India. At the top was the great king (maharaja), who in theory exercised absolute power but in reality interfered little in the social lives of his subjects. Their behavior was regulated in accordance with dharma through their own village and caste councils. The king was aided by royal officers led by a prime minister, who also served as a military commander. As the preserver of righteous moral order, the king had no set limit for his domain, whose borders were determined only by the power of his army and statecraftan ideology that supported almost unceasing warfare throughout South Asia. In Nepals case, the geographic realities of the hills limited the Licchavi kingdom to the Kathmandu Valley and neighboring valleys and to the more symbolic submission of less hierarchical societies to the east and west. Within the Licchavi system, there was ample room for powerful notables (samanta) to keep their own private armies, ru n their own landholdings, and influence the court. There was thus a variety of forces struggling for power. During the seventh century, a family is known as the Abhira Guptas accumulated enough influence to take over the government. The prime minister, Amsuvarman, assumed the throne between approximately 605 and 641, after which the Licchavis regained power. The later history of Nepal offers similar examples, but behind these struggles was growing a long tradition of kingship. The economy of the Kathmandu Valley already was based on agriculture during the Licchavi period. Artworks and place-names mentioned in inscriptions show that settlements had filled the entire valley and moved east toward Banepa, west toward Tisting, and northwest toward present-day Gorkha. Peasants lived in villages (grama) that were administratively grouped into larger units (dranga). They grew rice and other grains as staples on lands owned by the royal family, other major families, Buddhist monastic orders (sangha), or groups of Brahmans (agrahara). Land taxes due in theory to the king were often allocated to religious or charitable foundations, and additional labor dues (vishti) were required from the peasantry in order to keep up irrigation works, roads, and shrines. The village head (usually known as pradhan, meaning a leader in family or society) and leading families handled most local administrative issues, forming the village assembly of leaders (panchalika or grama pancha). This ancient history of localized decision making served as a model for late twentieth-century development efforts. The River System of Nepal One of the most striking features of present-day Kathmandu Valley is its vibrant urbanism, notably at Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon (also called Bhaktapur), which apparently goes back to ancient times. During the Licchavi period, however, the settlement pattern seems to have been much more diffuse and sparse. In the present-day city of Kathmandu, there existed two early villagesKoligrama (Village of the Kolis, or Yambu in Newari), and Dakshinakoligrama (South Koli Village, or Yangala in Newari)that grew up around the valleys main trade route. Bhadgaon was simply a small village then called Khoprn (Khoprngrama in Sanskrit) along the same trade route. The site of Patan was known as Yala (Village of the Sacrificial Post, or Yupagrama in Sanskrit). In view of the four archaic stupas on its outskirts and its very old tradition of Buddhism, Patan probably can claim to be the oldest true center in the nation. Licchavi palaces or public buildings, however, have not survived. The truly impor tant public sites in those days were religious foundations, including the original stupas at Svayambhunath, Bodhnath, and Chabahil, as well as the shrine of Shiva at Deopatan, and the shrine of Vishnu at Hadigaon. There was a close relationship between the Licchavi settlements and trade. The Kolis of present-day Kathmandu and the Vrijis of present-day Hadigaon were known even in the Buddhas time as commercial and political confederations in north India. By the time of the Licchavi kingdom, trade had long been intimately connected with the spread of Buddhism and religious pilgrimage. One of the main contributions of Nepal during this period was the transmission of Buddhist culture to Tibet and all of central Asia, through merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries. In return, Nepal gained money from customs duties and goods that helped to support the Licchavi state, as well as the artistic heritage that made the valley famous. Data as of September 1991 Next: The River System of Nepal Nepals Climate | Chronology | Historical Setting Nepal can be divided into three major river systems from east to west: the Kosi River, the Narayani River (Indias Gandak River), and the Karnali River. All ultimately become major tributaries of the Ganges River in northern India. After plunging through deep gorges, these rivers deposit their heavy sediments and debris on the plains, thereby nurturing them and renewing their alluvial soil fertility. Once they reach the Tarai Region, they often overflow their banks onto wide floodplains during the summer monsoon season, periodically shifting their courses. Besides providing fertile alluvial soil, the backbone of the agrarian economy, these rivers present great possibilities for hydroelectric and irrigation development. India managed to exploit this resource by building massive dams on the Kosi and Narayani rivers inside the Nepal border, known, respectively, as the Kosi and Gandak projects. None of these river systems, however, support any significant commercial navigation facility. R ather, the deep gorges formed by the rivers represent immense obstacles to establishing the broad transport and communication networks needed to develop an integrated national economy. As a result, the economy in Nepal has remained fragmented. Because Nepals rivers have not been harnessed for transportation, most settlements in the Hill and Mountain regions remain isolated from each other. As of 1991, trails remained the primary transportation routes in the hills. The eastern part of the country is drained by the Kosi River, which has seven tributaries. It is locally known as the Sapt Kosi, which means seven Kosi rivers (Tamur, Likhu Khola, Dudh, Sun, Indrawati, Tama, and Arun). The principal tributary is the Arun, which rises about 150 kilometers inside the Tibetan Plateau. The Narayani River drains the central part of Nepal and also has seven major tributaries (Daraudi, Seti, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi, and Trisuli). The Kali, which flows between the Dhaulagiri Himal and the Annapurna Himal (Himal is the Nepali variation of the Sanskrit word Himalaya), is the main river of this drainage system. The river system draining the western part of Nepal is the Karnali. Its three immediate tributaries are the Bheri, Seti, and Karnali rivers, the latter being the major one. The Maha Kali, which also is known as the Kali and which flows along the Nepal-India border on the west side, and the Rapti River also are considered tributaries of the Karnali. Data as of September 1991 Nepals Climate | Chronology | Historical Setting

Target Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Social policy - Assignment Example The paper focuses on two policies that have the potential of solving problems created by welfare systems for single mothers with creation of sustainable employment opportunities and reduction of out of wedlock births being areas of concern. The number of children being raised by single mothers has continued to increase over the years with data indicating the ratio of children living in families headed by women at all-time high (Fang and Keane 2). Introduction of welfare programs for single mothers is informed by existing challenges they go through in being the only parent in the family. These mothers have to deal with increased demand for attention from their children, despite the fact that most of the mothers work in low paying jobs with few or no benefits (Deily 135). Apart from low income that is not sufficient to support the families, single mothers also have to work longer shifts to meet family needs. This implies that they have less time to take care of the children yet they cannot afford to employ a capable substitute housekeepers and caregivers (Albelda 200). Due to the continued rise in the number of single mother, there has been increased scrutiny of programs seeking to support single women with children. The program has been accused of not only improving the economic position of these women but also ensure they remain dependent on welfare. There is now a split in opinion over the best approach to tackle the situation especially when assessing the importance of welfare programs to economic stability of such families against the need to enable these women through polices that will make them economically independent in future. As a result of the arguments on the effectiveness of assistance to single mothers, there has been increased argument in support of polices that would empower women through job creation as opposed to focusing on welfare (Garfinkel and McLanahan). Due to the inherent challenges within

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Advertising - Assignment Example From the modest beginning, today it has grown into a consumer product giant with 400 brands. Their product portfolio includes those related to personal care, home care, food, hygiene, nutrition, health and beauty. These are used in more than 190 countries around the world, with dual headquarters in UK and Netherlands. Driven by strong and futuristic principles, the company registered a turnover of  £44.3 billion in 2010, the net profit being  £4.6 billion. It has 12 power brands that drive annual sales of more than  £1 billion. Unilever is a workplace for around 170,000 employees. The company’s success is hugely attributable to its belief in maintaining high standards of corporate behavior, be it at the consumer, stakeholder or community participation levels (Unilever, 2011). The sustenance of a brand in consumer product sector is dependent on its promotion, which is again largely shouldered by advertising. This is because of the competition in the industry and the need to reach out even to the remote population, in order to tap some extra space in the market pie. The pull effect caused by advertising in the consumer product range far exceeds that resulting from other methods of promotion, mainly because of its reachability, influence on consumer preferences and buying decision (Lamb & Dunne, 2010). Unilever also abides by this mode of promotion, due to the widespread nature of its operations and multiplicity of products. It sees advertising as a medium to explain the benefits of Unilever’s products, while actively engaging the consumers in improving not only the company’s products, but their own lives. The advertising and promotional expenses of the company amounted to 5.6 billion euros in 2010 (Unilever, 2011). Ad Age Digital reports that this advertising budget of Unilever is ranked second highest investment by various

Your pick of this week's news week 11 Assignment

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The meaning of love in The necklace and The lady with the dog Essay

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Your pick of this week's news week 11 Assignment

Your pick of this week's news week 11 - Assignment Example However, the author gives us sufficient evidence to believe so. In a news conference organized by the FBI, an envoy from Poland, Caria Tomczykowska says, â€Å"Their financial value is modest, perhaps $12,000 each, but they are priceless emotionally†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ . A ceremony of restoration will also be held on June 16 and will be presided over by U.S. and Polish officials. The paintings are set to arrive at the museum on 17 April, 2014. The reportage is true. The author has provided enough evidence to prove the validity of the issue at hand. For instance, the events that have been laid down to commemorate the return of the paintings to the museum show that the reportage has nothing but facts. It is also worth noting that during a press conference on April 11, 2014 at the Philip Burton Federal Buildings, the paintings were presented for all to see. The author has a photograph of one of Weynerowska’s paintings known as â€Å"Umbrellas†. This article is hard news. The author does not give his opinions, but rather concentrates on the life of Weynerowska and how she became an artist. The information highlighted by the author is profound. This is a great article. Even though the author talks about the events that led to FBI locating the missing paintings, he also tells as of the events that are to come next. The author also gives us a sneak peak of Weynerowska’s life and how she became an artist. Egelko, Bob. FBI finds ‘priceless’ Polish art in Bay Area storage facility. Apr. 12, 2014. Web. Apr. 14, 2014.

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The Islamic Wills Essay Example for Free

The Islamic Wills Essay This article is a very brief overview of the traditional Sunni Islamic law pertaining to the Islamic will. The aim of this article is to arouse awareness amongst Muslims particularly those living in the West regarding this important aspect of Islamic law. It should be stressed that when writing a will one should consult an Islamic scholar/legal expert to ensure that the will complies with Islamic law as well as the law of the country of residence. When a Muslim dies there are four duties which need to be performed. These are: 1.payment of funeral expenses 2.payment of his/her debts 3.execution his/her will 4.distribution of the remaining estate amongst the heirs according to Sharia The Islamic will is called al-wasiyya. a will is a transaction which comes into operation after the testator’s death. The will is executed after payment of funeral expenses and any outstanding debts. The one who makes a will (wasiyya) is called a testator (al-musi). the one on whose behalf a will is made is generally referred to as a legatee (al-musa lahu). Technically speaking the term testatee is perhaps a more accurate translation of al-musa lahu. The importance of the Islamic will The importance of the Islamic will (wasiyya) is clear from the following two hadith: It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequest not to let two nights pass without writing a will about it. (Sahih al-Bukhari) A man may do good deeds for seventy years but if he acts unjustly when he leaves his last testament, the wickedness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Fire. If, (on the other hand), a man acts wickedly for seventy years but is just in his last will and testament, the goodness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Garden. (Ahmad and Ibn Majah) the will gives the testator an opportunity to help someone (e.g. a relative need such as an orphaned grandchild or a Christian widow) who is not entitled to inherit from him. The will can be used to clarify the nature of joint accounts, those living in commensality, appointment of guardian for one’s children and so on. In countries where the intestate succession law is different from Islamic law it becomes absolutely necessary to write a will. The Will (Al-wasiyya) The Islamic will includes both bequests and legacies, instructions and admonishments, and assignments of rights. no specific wording is necessary for making a will. In Islamic law the will (wasiyya) can be oral or written, and the intention of the testator must be clear that the wasiyya is to be executed after his death. any expression which signifies the intention of the testator is sufficient for the purpose of constituting a bequest. there should be two witnesses to the declaration of the wasiyya. A written wasiyya where there are no witnesses to an oral declaration is valid if it written in the known handwriting/signature of the testator according to Maliki and Hanbali fiqh. the wasiyya is executed after payment of debts and funeral expenses. the majority view is that debts to Allah (SWT) such as zakh, obligatory expiation etc. should be paid whether mentioned in the will or not. However, there is difference of opinion on this matter amongst the Muslim jurists. The Testator (Al-musi) every adult Muslim with reasoning ability has the legal capacity to make a will. An adult for this purpose is someone who has reached puberty. Evidence of puberty is menstruation in girls and night pollution (wet dreams) in boys. In the absence of evidence, puberty is presumed at the completion of the age of fifteen years. The Maliki and Hanbali fiqh also consider the will of a discerning (tamyiz) child as valid. Under English Law you must be at least 18 years of age to make a valid will (similarly in most of the United States of America) unless you are a military personnel in which case you may make a valid will at the age of 17. the testator must have the legal capacity to dispose of whatever he bequests in his will. When making a will the testator must be of sane mind, he must not be under any compulsion and he must understand the nature and effect of his testamentary act. The testator must of course own whatever he bequests. the testator has the right to revoke his will by a subsequent will, actually or by implication. In traditional Sunni Islamic law the power of the testator is limited in two ways: 1.firstly, he cannot bequest more than 1/3 of his net estate unless the other heirs consent to the bequest or there are no legal heirs at all or the only legal heir is the spouse who gets his/her legal share and the residue can be bequeathed. Narrated Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (RA): I was stricken by an ailment that led me to the verge of death. The Prophet came to pay me a visit. I said, O Allahs Apostle! I have much property and no heir except my single daughter. Shall I give two-thirds of my property in charity? He said, No. I said, Half of it? He said, No. I said, One-third of it? He said, You may do so, though one-third is also too much, for it is better for you to leave your offspring wealthy than to leave them poor, asking others for help (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahah Muslim, Muwatta, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.) 1.secondly, the testator cannot make a bequest in favour of a legal heir under traditional Sunni Muslim law. However, some Islamic countries do allow a bequest in favour of a legal heir providing the bequest does not exceed the bequeathable one-third. Legal heir in this context is one who is a legal heir at the time of death of the testator. Narrated Abu Hurayrah (RA): Allah’s Prophet (SAWS) said, Allah has appointed for everyone who has a right what is due to him, and no bequest must be made to an heir. (Abu Dawud). Similar hadith narrated by Abu Umamah (RA) and reported by Ibn Majah, Ahmad and others. The Legatee (Al-musa lahu) generally speaking, for a bequest to be valid, a legatee must be in existence at the time of death of the testator except in the case of a general and continuing legatee such as the poor, orphans etc. the legatee must be capable of owning the bequest. any bequest made in favour of any legal heir already entitled to a share is invalid under traditional Sunni Muslim law unless consented to by other legal heirs. an acknowledgement of debt in favour of a legal heir is valid. acceptance or rejection of a bequest by the legatee is only relevant after the death of the testator and not before. generally speaking once a legatee has accepted or rejected a bequest he cannot change his mind subsequently. if the legatee dies without accepting or rejecting the bequest, the bequest becomes part of the legatee’s estate according to the Hanafi fiqh because non-rejection is regarded as acceptance. According to the other three main Sunni madhahib, the right to accept or reject the bequest passes onto the heirs of the legatee. there is difference of opinion as to the time at which ownership of a bequest is transferred from the testator (or his heirs) to the legatee. According to the Hanafi and Shafii fiqh the transfer of ownership is at the time of death of the testator, according to the Maliki and Hanbali fiqh the transfer of ownership is at the time of accepting the bequest. all the Sunni madhahib agree that if the legatee dies before the testator, the bequest is invalid since a bequest can only be accepted after the death of the testator. if there is uncertainty as to whether or not the legatee survived the testator, such as a missing legatee, the bequest is invalid because the legatee must be alive at the time of death of the testator for the will to be valid. if the testator and legatee die together, such as in an air crash, and it is not certain who died first, the bequest is invalid according to the Hanafi, Maliki and Shafii fiqh. But according to the Hanbali fiqh, the bequest devolves upon the legatee’s heirs who may accept or reject it. Executor of the will (Al-wasi Al- mukhtar) the executor (al-wasi) of the will is the manager of the estate appointed by the testator. the executor has to carry out the wishes of the testator according to Islamic law, to watch the interests of the children and of the estate. The authority of the executor should be specified. Hanafi and Maliki fiqh state that the executor should be trustworthy and truthful; the Shafii fiqh state that the executor must be just. the Hanafi fiqh considers the appointment of a non-Muslim executor to be valid. the testator may appoint more than one executor, male or female. the testator should state if each executor can act independently of the other executor(s). if one starts acting as an executor, one will be regarded as having accepted the appointment, both in Islamic and in English law. Dr. Abid Hussain

Organizational Structure and Competitive Advantage

Organizational Structure and Competitive Advantage In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, organizations are constantly seeking ways to gain and sustain effectiveness. Though there is no single thing that makes an organization successful no secret ingredient some concepts do universally apply. One fundamental is to create a right organizational structure for success by ensuring alignment in organization dynamic relative to core purposes, strategy, and culture. Organisational structure refers to the way tasks are divided up, how the work flows, how this flow is coordinated and the forces and mechanisms that allow this coordination to occur. It creates the framework within which organizations operate. It is the skeleton and later on becomes the engine of the business. Therefore an organization with a structure which does not fit into economic and business environment, differentiated from its core purposes cannot exist for a long time. The aim of this paper is to review an organizational structure as a competitive advantage. The objectives will be the guiding tour to achieve the goal: Review existing organizational structures and their respective Analyse relationship between organizational structure and strategy Define which organizational structure is relatively better for exporting companies As a case study, organizational structure of Hansa Flex was researched, and subject in question was applied to it to compare organizational theory in real business life. The paper starts formulating a unified theoretical framework by explaining what the organization is, and describing relationship within an organization. Then it defines common types of organizational structure, talks about their function principles, afterwards investigates organizational effectiveness and relationship between organizational structure and strategy. To describe how a company can gain a competitive advantage relying on this relationship, and to compare theoretical framework with real business life, at the end, organizational structure of Hansa Flex was studied and conclusion about comparison is described. Some have described organizational structure as a formal configuration of roles and procedures, the prescribed framework of the organization. Others have described structure as the patterned regularities and processes of interaction. Structure is important in organizations because it reduces ambiguity and clarifies tasks, expectations and goal. Bartol, Martin, Tein and Matthews (2001, p. 267) define organizational structure as the formal pattern of interactions and coordination that managers design to link the tasks of individuals and groups to achieve organizational goals. Different sources give different contingencies which define organizational structure. These contingencies change through the time due to economic and business environment, technology, innovation as well as designs of organizational structures. The elements that were main criteria for selecting organizational structure 20 years ago are not reliable nowadays. Contingencies like size of organization, role clarity, specialization and control, for example, have been replaced by speed, flexibility, integration and innovation (Ashkenas et al., 1995, p. 7). Methodology Before carrying out the research, it is reasonable to analyse particular method for a given study. There are two main points that the research process of the paper goes through, as the research is done to enlighten development of organizational structures and review organizational structures as a competitive advantage: Defining the resource for analysis of theoretical framework Applying the theory on particular case study (Hansa-Flex) Starting a new research paper is like starting a new project you have an idea of what you want to do, but are not sure how to start. Many writers, like many project planners and managers, find that outlining is frequently the most effective way to start writing (Keene, 1987, p. 2). So having this idea in mind, we started to draw a step-by-step methodology of the research. Following are the stages that paper went through. Formulating the research aim (Initiation). This is the first stage of our research process, and the purpose of this stage is for us to decide what we are writing about, therefore after this stage it is possible to know which are the other stages that are needed for the fulfilment of the paper. As it was mentioned, the aim of the paper is to review organizational structure as a competitive advantage. We want to analyse perspectives of modern organizational structures and see whether there is one best structure that exporting companies can use. Developing the objectives. Once the research aim is determined, the next stage of our research is to develop the objectives: Review existing organizational structures and their respective Analyse relationship between organizational structure and strategy Define which organizational structure is relatively better for exporting companies These objectives will keep the research study going on towards the aim of the paper. Resource selection. Having followed all the previous stages then is the next stage; determine how and where to collect the data that is crucial to draw inferences and conclusions for the study. Primary Data Secondary data Collection Purpose For the problem at hand For other problems Collection process Very involved Rapid easy Collection cost High Relatively low Collection Time Long Short Table 1. A Comparison of Primary and Secondary data Source. Malhotra (1996, p. 117) According to a source comparison table of Malhotra (1996, p. 117), due to absence of research budget and short time, secondary data was chosen to be relative as source. It was decided to use, for this area of study, the following sources: Books Records Journals Newspapers Internet articles Academic Papers Published censuses or other statistical data Company Hansa-Flex (interviews with representatives) Unfortunately, there were some difficulties using all the sources above. Since the research took place in Bremen, small town in North Germany, it was not easy to find physical books, journals or newspapers in English. Therefore, to help this situation, electronic versions of some of the books were downloaded from the Hochschule Bremens internet network. Also, not being able to have an interview with Hansa-Flexs representative had negative impact on the case study part of the research. Literature Review. After collecting necessary data, this stage is an integral part of the research methodology, because it makes important contribution to all the next stages of the methodology. This stage helps to understand the subject area as well as the research aim precisely and clearly. Although the secondary sources created a framework for the study, censuses and annual reports published by Hansa-Flex did not help a lot to analyse the organizational structure of the company and evaluate it as a competitive advantage. The company presentation of Hansa-Flex given at the Hochschule Bremen by the companys Development Manager was used to fill this lack. Interpretation. After collecting and analyzing the data, and also subsequent to the clarifying of the questionable points, the next stage for the study will be interpretation in which the raw data, clean of mistakes, will be applied to the research aim. In this case it will be related to the case study, which is organizational structure of Hansa-Flex. Results and formal write of conclusions reached. The last stage is writing the report, in which all the previous stages come together as one research study and with the principle of enlighten the reader what all the research is about and all the results achieved drawn from what all the previous stages have done. It will also help to finally come with the result, whether the research aim was achieved or not. Organization and organizational structure. Definitions As it was mentioned before, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between organizational structure and strategy, and describe organizational structure as a competitive advantage. However, the goal of this chapter, as a starting point, is to introduce some common view about an organization and organizational structure. What is an Organization? Organizations all over the world share the same characteristics; they are social entities that are goal-directed, are designed as deliberately structured and coordinated activity systems and are linked to the external environment. Not all organizations are the same, some are large, multinational corporations, others are small, family owned business, some manufacture products, others provide services. One key element of an organization is that indeed the organization will exist when people interact with one another to perform essential functions that will help the achievement of goals. One organization cannot exist without the interaction with customers, suppliers, competitors, and some other elements of the external environment like the government etc (Daft, 2007, p.10-11). Definitions of organizational structure Having defined the organization, it is next sensible to define organizational structure. The Morris describes organizational structure as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the framework around, and the systems that support, the work being done in an organization. Walton (1986) notes structure as the basis for organizing, to include hierarchical levels and spans of responsibility, roles and positions, and mechanisms for integration and problem solving. The similar definition is given in the Dictionary-Organizational Behavior (2003) as: the established pattern of relationships among the components of parts of a company; the way that a company is set-up; the formally defined framework of an organizations task and authority relationship. (p.2) The organizational structure is reflected in the organization chart (Daft, 2007, p. 190). It is the visual representation of the whole organization and its processes. The organization chart enables to see employees going about their duties, performing different tasks, and working in different locations. The organization chart is very useful in the understanding how a company works. In general, it refers to the way that an organization arranges people and their jobs so that the work can be done and its goals can be achieved. If the size of a work organization is not big and communication can be made face to face, formal structure may be not necessary, but in a large-scale organization the messengers have to be passed about the delegation of various tasks. Then, structure is established that distribute responsibilities for various functions. It is these decisions that determine the organizational structure. Organizational structure and effectiveness Having a common view about what an organization is, and saying that organizational structure refers to the way that an organization arranges people and their jobs, it is time to think about the impact of the structure on organizational effectiveness. Organizational structure and organizational effectiveness are interrelated, because organizational structure impacts organizational effectiveness based on organization creativity. Woodman explains that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in general, adaptive organizational forms (e.g. matrix, networks, collateral or parallel structures) increase the odds for creativity. Bureaucratic, mechanistic, or rigid structures decrease the probability of organizational creativity. (Morris, 1995, p.64) Peguin (2003) comments that organizational effectiveness and its relation to structure are determined by a fit between information processing requirements so people have either too little or too much irrelevant information (para. 3). Andrews (1995) supports his idea and notes without clearly defined roles and responsibilities of getting information, any organization structure becomes dysfunctional. (p. 1) In analyzing the difficulties of realizing the organizational effectiveness, on the one hand, Bedeian (1986) says, Although effectiveness is a central theme in the study of organizations, it remains one of the most frequently cited yet least understood concepts in organization theory. (p. 186). He continues to argue that failing to consider organizations goals, characteristics, and constituents lead to fault assumptions of performance. (p. 190). He also believes that the relationship and consequences between organizational design and structure choice. Organizations are incredibly complex. They are molded by increasingly fluid and disorderly environmental forces that constantly threaten their rationally ordered structures and stated goals. (p. 198) On the other hand, he emphasizes the possible result of wrong structure choice. Declining organizations face many problems. One of the most serious of these is the lack of flexibility at time when adaptiveness and agility are especially needed. Among the attributes most commonly affected are an organization leadership, innovative processes, work-force composition, and relationships with interest groups. (p. 197). Relation between organizational structure and strategy This chapter is divided in two parts, while first part describes how organizational structure and strategy are related via environmental conditions; second part explains how to build proper organizational structure that supports strategy and defines the authority for each manager. Nearly always, development of corporate strategy begins by analyzing the industry in which it operates and environmental conditions. Then having industry and competitive analyses, through research and benchmarking the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, executives set out to carve a distinctive strategic position where they can outperform their rivals by building a competitive advantage. To obtain such advantage, a company chooses a structure, which is supposed to group people due to their duties, tasks and responsibilities as well as hierarchy of decision making (Mouborgne, et al., 2009). Developing an organizational structure that supports the strategy is not easy, because of uncertainty in the global economys rapidly changing and dynamic competitive environments. When a structures elements, such as reporting relationships, procedures, etc., are properly aligned with one another the structure facilitates effective use of the strategy (Hitt, et al., 2009, p. 309). Choosing the most appropriate organizational structure that supports the strategy does not ensure an organization from future mismatches. As previous chapters describes organizations has to change and adopt to innovation and changing environment, and just as organizations strategy needs to change with changing external environment, so must a structure change for proper strategy implementation. In other hand companys strategic options are bounded by the environment. In other words, structure shapes strategy (Mouborgne, et al., 2009). So organizational structure and strategy are like two different sides of the same coin. In structure strategy relationship, organizations must be wide awake in their efforts to verify that the structure calls for work to be completed remains consistent with implementation requirement of chosen strategy. There is no perfect or ideal organizational structure that lasts forever. The strategy must be supported by the structure that provides the stability needed to use current competitive advantage as well as flexibility required to develop future advantages. Therefore, properly matching organizational structure and strategy can create competitive advantage (Hitt, et al., 2009). Characteristics of organizational structures After the impact of organizational structure on organizational effectiveness and strategy was described, based on the literature review of the definition and characteristics of organizational structure above, this part explores the types of organizational structure. There are different approaches to design the organizations activity. In the other word, that is different types of organizational structure. Common types of organizational structure Numerous international scholars are working on identifying the types of organizational structure. Thus, various literatures identify several dominant organizational structure types from different perspective. According to traditional organizational type of bureaucratic and other new forms, dominant organizational structure types include functional structure, divisional structure and matrix structure. The descriptions below are summarized and supported by reference to current literature. Functional structure. It refers to a set of people who work together and perform the same types of tasks or hold similar positions in an organization (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13). Organizations that grow too complex to be administered through a simple structure usually adopt the functional structure as a means of coping with the increased demands of differentiation (Hatch, 1997, p.183). As Raymond mentions also a functional organization is best suited as a producer of standardized goods and services at large volume and low cost. Coordination and specialization of tasks are centralized in a functional structure, which makes producing a limited amount of products or services efficient and predictable. Moreover, efficiencies can further be realized as functional organizations integrate their activities vertically so that products are sold and distributed quickly and at low cost. Divisional structure. It refers to an organizational structure that is divided along some criteria, and most commonly it is geographic location, but there can also be product, functional, or strategic divisions. (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13) Matrix structure. It refers to simultaneously groups people in two ways: by the function of which they are a member and by the product team on which they are currently working. (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13) According to Hatchs organization theory, the matrix structure was developed with the intention of providing the best of both the functional and multi-divisional alternatives. The sad truth is all these structures have their disadvantages parallel to their advantages. If one of the structures did not have any disadvantage, it would be automatically accepted without any need to consider the pros. Pros and Cons of each structure Which structure effects efficiency most and works best for an organization can be quite complicated because of the nature of different organizations themselves. Every way of designing an organization has pros and cons. However, this section describes some general advantages and disadvantages of each organizational structure. This will help us to analyze the case study in the next chapter and see whether a company can use its structure as an advantage. Functional structure. In the functional structure, as it was recently described, the employees are allocated in departments based on their skills and what they do. Common functional departments are purchasing, accounting, manufacturing, sales and marketing, human resources. Each department acts as its own entity and they are focused on activity performance rather than final result. It leads to centralization of specialized personnel, equipment and facilities, and results high development of skills, however, this major benefit can be a major pain for the communication with other departments. In manufacturing companies, for example, weak communication within departments may affect the quality of final product. It also does not allow for flexibility because of the centralization. Divisional structure. As Rao (2003) mentions, the main benefit this structure provides arise from, appositely from functional structure, from the fact that this type of structure tends to be more result oriented than activity oriented. Each division in this structure contains all the necessary resources and functions within it. The employees of each division know about the specific needs of the division, and are involved actively to achieve the goal. This structure creates an atmosphere of individual commitment and motivation. Divisional structure has its own disadvantages. As it is decentralized, it results duplication of facilities, equipment, and personnel usually leads to more costly processing. Although the employees are aware of specific needs of the division, they might not know organizations overall needs. As functional structure divisional structure also may lead to a weak communication between divisions. The lack of cooperation reduces improvement of techniques. Matrix structure. This type of structure tries to get the benefits of functional structure and of divisional structure, reducing their disadvantages. One of the benefits is resources can be used from all over the organization. Another benefit, as Rainey (2009) underlines, is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the advantage of the ability to share or shift personnel or other resources rapidly across product lines. However, it is not easy to implement this structure because of the dual authority. Having two bosses may sometimes confuse the employees. But this fact can also have a positive impact, as two managers share responsibilities. Matrix structure requires heavy investment in coordination. Because such structure often produce high level of stress and conflict that must be resolved. It is important to remember that each managerial decision has its pros and cons. When designing an organizational structure management should take necessary actions to decrease the disadvantages of the chosen structure. Nowadays, many companies are based on mix of these structures. Whatever structure is chosen, management has to make sure that it supports organizations strategy and can be used as competitive advantage. Case study. Hansa-Flex As previous chapters suggest, when establishing an organizational structure a company has to make sure the structure supports companys strategy and fits into its culture. Having done this, a company can create sustainable resource for a competitive advantage. This chapter describes how Hansa-Flex, supplier of hydraulic hose, applies the theory of organizational structure to its business to achieve a competitive advantage over its rivals. Hansa-Flex. Company overview Since it was initiated in 1962 in the garage of the companys founder Joachim Armerding, Hansa-Flex Hydraulics has been Europes leading privately owned supplier of hydraulic hose, couplings, fittings, adapters and hydraulic accessories. Hansa-Flex offers replacement of spare parts due to customers require even at short notice. This can be done very efficiently as Hansa-Flex holds over 82,000 different parts permanently in its stock. With the expertise of committed workforce and focus on service Hansa-Flex provides fast, qualified help in any situation. Hansa-Flex equips more than 300,000 customers in various industries with hydraulic and metal hoses and components. Until now, it has more than 350 branch offices in 33 countries worldwide operations, has an annual turnover of 165 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ in year 2009 (Hansa-Flex Annual Report 2009). Furthermore, Hansa-Flex has a customer service fleet of 225 vehicles worldwide, of which 100 are in Germany on the road (Hansa-Flex Annual report 2009). The staff and training service in the fleet take FLEXXPRESS Services throughout the world around the clock repairs and install replacement parts. For instants, defective hydraulic hoses to forklifts and related fittings are replaced in the automobile production. In a word, the motto of Hansa-Flex is thinking globally acting locally, which means being positioned in Bremen with a worldwide network of branch offices. All of these branch offices guarantee great availability of their products throughout of world. For instants, by May 2010, the facility in Geisenfeld keeps about 150 branches in southern Germany (Hydraulikpresse 2010). In October 2010, Hansa-Flex opened their Operation Centre for the Asian market in Shanghai, China. This Operation Centre provides training program in training center and central warehouse as well as manufacturing and administrative space. Therefore, Hansa-Flex is well standing in Asian Market to take advantage of future developments. This is one of the last but not least successes for Hansa-Flex. Strategy of Hansa-Flex Hansa-Flex is also very well founded through all over world. Generally, in the process of globalization the competition between the companies is more disastrous. More customer attraction and more market share are the main targets of companies. In other words, the company needs the appropriate strategy for the organizational structure in different environment conditions, especially an international company. Well-designed structure provides effective outcome. This is the reason why Hansa-Flex has developed very fast in its founding in Germany and in Europe. Hansa-Flex believes that The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Aristotle). It considers that it is more than just the number of its branches; more than the sum of its products and services. To be considered as a whole, Hansa-Flex has to include the totality of the experience and skills of every employee. Based on this point view Hansa-Flex sets a very important and interesting Strategy for the Company. It has opened the training center for their employees and potential employees early in 2001 when Hansa-Flex merely focused on local. Besides that, as a glocal  [1]  company, Hansa-Flex sees customer proximity as part of its responsibility for ensuring smooth processes in hydraulics. To sustain the proximity the company has chosen strategy of growth through diversification acquisition, subsidiary, partnership. This strategy makes sure Hansa-Flex is maintaining international growth while at the same time enlarging their product range. Figure 1. Number of branches Source. Hansa-Flex Annual Report 2003 According to the researches which are made by the majority of international scholars we find this growth strategy highly appropriate reflexed the following theory. The strategy must be supported by the structure that provides the stability to current competitive advantage as well as flexibility required to develop future advantages (Hitt, et al., 2009). In briefly, Hansa-Flex has a deeply understanding about how could organizational structure and strategy be related via environmental conditions and how to build proper organizational structure that supports their strategy to grow the market share and enter a new market. Hansa-Flex never stops changing and always thinks forward such as their catchword Think globally act locally. Organizational structure of Hansa-Flex Interesting point here is how the company controls such a large network of branches. How is the company organized to provide a strong communication between departments, and basically between warehouses to keep customers satisfied? This section answers this question by analyzing organizational structure of Hansa-Flex, and finds out whether or not the company uses it as a competitive advantage in the market. Obviously, as many other starter companies, Hansa-Flex was founded based on simple structure. Later on, as we see on figure 1, it starts opening branches in different regions of Germany, and so created functional structure. Starting from 1992, Hansa-Flex goes international. Being international and offering products in different countries is always a big deal and requires a lot of research. Nowadays, Hansa-Flex has established a mix of functional and divisional structures and customized it by its strategy and culture. The structured is divisioned by geographic location to push the company toward being bounderless organization. Basically it has centralized functional areas, such as purchasing, quality management, warehousing, human resources, marketing; and decentralized sales and local marketing. Most significant advantage of centralized purchasing is that it speeds up the purchasing cycle. Thanks to centralized purchasing Hansa-Flex can complete this process very fast, sometimes even within one day. It is because purchasing data is stored and accessible via the internet. The company can access the necessary order information and place an order much more quickly. It also saves a lot of time on conducting the correlation between supplier and Hansa-Flex. This way the company can easily forecast how it could suffer if the supplier goes bankrupt unexpectedly. This is easier to be done, because the company does not need to collect all the purchasing data from different branches. Another advantage is centralized purchasing makes it easy for everyone who needs to track the information even across multiple branches and corporate divisions. For Hansa-Flex this means insurance of customer proximity, and results on less time waste between branches and subsidiaries on tracking down the data. Thus, centralized warehouse again gives an advantage to Hansa-Flex to satisfy its customers faster than competitors. Having centralized HR, first of all Hansa-Flex ensures to have most qualified applicants for work. Because centralized HR decision making promotes a more equitable treatment of employees, and is political abuse. Therefore, HR experts review and rank job candidates very carefully and transparent. Using the advantage of purchasing power centralized marketing continue to create even better brand image among customers. The company also needs a local marketing on destination point. Because local employee knows local market better than foreigners employees. Therefore, central marketing transfer knowledge to local marketing to continue the whole process of marketing. Following the same logic Hansa-Flex has divisional sale force that is in charge of sales in specific regions. This gives the company flexibility to react and adapt to local environment changes. Conclusion Due to the globalization the concept of competitive advantage of a product or service has recently changed. It is not easy to sustain this sort of advantage, because of high competition and growing number of follower companies. Therefore, companies like Hansa-Flex use their organizational structure as a competitive advantage. As most of economic writers and managers say, there is no one ideal organizational structure. Each structure has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is also true that, due to its mission, organizational culture, and history, two companies in the same market can apply the same one structure, but still get totally different outcome. In our fast changing world, sticking into one classic structure is not enough. Establishing a structure needs a lot of creativity, knowledge, experience, and customization of the structure to the companys indicators. Following this logic Hansa-Flex designed a customized mix structure of functional and divisional structures. It efficiently uses advantages of both structures, reduces disadvantages. Therefore, having structure that supports strategy, Hansa-Flex can easily achieve its goals towards its mission. The model which Hansa-Flex constructs may not be applied in other companies; however, it provides a practical experience concerning the organizational structure, which is considered as the crucial factor for organizational effectiveness.