Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Delian League Essay Example for Free

The Delian League Essay Explain the methods used by the Athenians to transform the Delian League into the Athenian Empire. (25 marks) There is certainty no evidence to suggest that the Athenians had any long-term plans, in the years 479-470 BC, to change the Delian League into an empire, although from the beginning the potential to develop into an imperial power were there. Because from the beginning, Athens had considerable power as she was the permanent hegemon. The most important aspects involving the transformation of League into empire was the changing relationships between Athens and her allies, Pericles? mperial policy, Athens selsh self interest in gaining more power by using the Leagu   power and establishing laws onto her allies such as the Coinage Degree and the Chalcis Degree. These aspects had portrayed Athens? gradual alteration of the Delian League into an imperial power. Originally the Delian League was formed as an alliance of free and equal states. At there were only two types of members of the League; those contributing ships (larger states) and those contributing money. But over time when Persian threat were no longer in sight, allied states started to leave the League. Athens then force the allies back into the League as tribute paying subject allies. This caused these states to pay tribute with nothing in return and lost their autonomy. The event with Naxos, as they were the ? rst to leave, was a warning to other ally states of the consequences of breaking the oath of the alliance. Additionally, the use of the League? s power to reduce the state Thasos to subject status because of a personal quarrel with Athens, indicated a change in the nature of the League. And by 446-445 BC, there is no longer any doubt or pretence about Athens? imperial position. Although in the beginning, the Athenians did not aim for an empire, these events did however, depicts the starting point of the transformation of League into an imperial power. Furthermore, the boost of the deteriorating relationship between Athens and her allies can be seen between 450-446, when Athens launched a system of cleruchies, which were settlements of Athenian citizens on con? scated land of subject allied states. The establishments of cleruchies had cause much resentment from other Greek states towards Athens. According to Plutarch, this system had relieve â€Å"the city of a large number of idlers and agitators and raise the standards of the poorest classes†, but at the same time it implanted amongst the allies â€Å"a healthy fear of rebellion†. It also allowed Athens to gain more numbers of hoplites, as only Athenian men with money can become a hoplite soldier. This had increased the military force in Athens and had strengthened Athens? old on her empire, as they were located at strategic points in the Aegean. The worsening relationship between Athens? and her allies in the League is due to Athens? sel? sh self interest in developing her imperial power, and this had allow Athens to gradually grow into an empire. This sel? sh self interest can be seen after the Peace of Callias. At the aim of the League was, according to Thucydides, ? to compensate themselves for their losses by ravaging the territory of the King of Persia? but in 449 BC Persian lost the battle against Cimon in Cyprus and signed a peace treaty called   Peace of Callias. Although this meant that the League? s aim had been fullled, the Athenians argued that the Persians would strike again if the Greeks appeared weak. This argument from Athens had an underlying aim, that was so the Greeks states would not leave the League, or else Athens would lose its? power as hegemon and to continue to pay tribute to the League, or in a more accurate sense, to Athens. Athens? gradual sense of alteration of League to empire is also seen in Pericles? imperial policy. The end of the war with Persia and the 5 year truce with Sparta confronted Pericles with a major problem. Thousands of soldiers and sailors, previously away on summer campaigns and supported by League funds, were now unemployed. He used the Temples on the Acropolis that had been in ruins since the second Persian invasion as a way to deal with all the unemployments. However this required funds. Pericles then called on a Panhellenic conference of all Greek states of the mainland and the Aegean to discuss the rebuilding of all temples destroyed by the Persians and the security of the Aegean sea as an underlying intention to get support for the rebuilding of Athens? temples and for the recognition of the Athenian navy as protector of the Aegean. This excuse used by Pericles was to force the allies to continue their contributions in order to further his policies of carrying out a building program, developing democracy, and maintaining Athenian forces over a wide area. Plutarch records how Pericles? enemies, denounced his actions as â€Å"barefooted tyranny†. Pericles replied that â€Å"the Athenians were not obliged to give an account of how the allies? money was spent†, and as long as Athens provided the services paid for, she could use the surplus any way she wished. Therefore, the tribute from allies was not used for the Delian League, but to be used for Athens? interest in building up their city. By passing out laws, it had restricted Athens? allies of their freedom by obliging to Athens? rule. This is seen when Athens had passed out a Coinage Decree in 450-446 BC, enforcing uniformity of coinage, weights and measures among the members of the League. This measures had made trade much easier to handle, it was a further example of the allies? loss of freedom. Furthermore, the Chalcis Decree, issued after the Euboean cities revolted, required the inhabitants to take an oath â€Å"not to revolt against the Athenian demos† and â€Å"to be obedient to the Athenian demos†, which revealed no doubt that the original members of the League were now very much subjects of an imperial power. In conclusion, Athens? gradual transformation of the Delian League into the Athenian Empire can be seen in the deterioration of her relationship with her allies due to her arrogant actions on bene? ting her own interests, Pericles? imperial policy which further his policies of carrying out a building program, developing democracy, and maintaining Athenian forces over a wide area, but also the establishing of laws onto her allies such as the Coinage Degree and the Chalcis Degree. There is no evidence to say that the Athenians had any long-term plan in turning the League into an Empire, but according to Thucydides, Athens had â€Å"three very powerful motives security, honour and self-interest†, which were the reasons why the Athenians took control of an empire. These events and actions by Athens had led the Delian League, which was once an alliance of free and equal states, into a tyrannical imperial power known as the Athenian Empire.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

Independence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. Ibsen shows us a very realistic play that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seem to have it all. While in reality their life together is simply empty until Nora stands up for herself and starts to build her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora Helmer was a fragile character that relied on her husband for her own identity. This dependence has kept her from having her own personality in so many different ways. Throughout the story Nora portrays the perfect housewife who stays at home to take care of her family and please her husband. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, only hoping to please them. Nora’s upbringing was so easy that she only needed to make a cute noise and someone would come running over to serve her. It’s no wonder that when she got married that Torvald followed the same routine. Ibsen even states that, â€Å"she was merely a doll, a plaything, passed from papa’s hands onto Torvald’s† (1610). I believe that these actions made her look extremely infantile, showing that she had no thoughts of her v... Henrik Isben's A Doll's House Essay -- A Doll's House Essays Independence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. Ibsen shows us a very realistic play that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seem to have it all. While in reality their life together is simply empty until Nora stands up for herself and starts to build her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora Helmer was a fragile character that relied on her husband for her own identity. This dependence has kept her from having her own personality in so many different ways. Throughout the story Nora portrays the perfect housewife who stays at home to take care of her family and please her husband. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, only hoping to please them. Nora’s upbringing was so easy that she only needed to make a cute noise and someone would come running over to serve her. It’s no wonder that when she got married that Torvald followed the same routine. Ibsen even states that, â€Å"she was merely a doll, a plaything, passed from papa’s hands onto Torvald’s† (1610). I believe that these actions made her look extremely infantile, showing that she had no thoughts of her v...

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Psychological Testing

Psychological testing – is a field characterized by the use of samples of behavior in order to assess psychological construct(s), such as cognitive and emotional functioning, about a given individual. The technical term for the science behind psychological testing is psychometrics. By samples of behavior, one means observations of an individual performing tasks that have usually been prescribed beforehand, which often means scores on a test. These responses are often compiled into statistical tables that allow the evaluator to compare the behavior of the individual being tested to the responses of a norm group. 2 Angry Men Manuel Paniagua Correa 12 Angry Men The communication process depicted on the movie was certainly effective. The 12 jurors’ decision involved the life of a young man. Even when the communication barriers sometimes froze the process of communication, the persistence of one of the jurors, juror 8, was key in keeping the men involved in the decision proc ess. Juror 8 was unlike the other jurors, he had the ability to keep the men engaged in the discussion that lead to the conclusion of the movie.Even though it was not easy, the main objective of providing a fair and unanimous decision was accomplished at the end of the film. During the jury decision process, communication barriers were present. All of the members that were involved in the jury had different backgrounds and culture. Many of the juries expressed anger, frustration and stubbornness regarding their respective positions. These jurors frequently interrupted one another and proved to be very disrespectful within the group.Communication barriers where present when they did not pay attention to each other. These barriers were evident when the jurors were centered only on their personal opinions and not willing to listen to their peers. Formal communication started when juror number 8 stated his disagreement and concern for the boy’s future. When juror #8 started expre ssing he’s uncertainty with the boy being guilty, he encouraged the other jurors or team members to critically think before passing judgment.The movie offered many instances where non-verbal communication expressed the group’s dissatisfaction with the current discussion. At certain times, during the process, the jurors coughed implying disapproval. They often times played simulated board games in order to keep themselves occupied while a team member speaking. Facial gestures was also evident, this expressed the member’s frustration and disapproval of the information that was being communicated. There were communication..

Monday, January 6, 2020

Fast Food (Quick Service Restaurants) Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1705 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Did you like this example? The fast-food industry has been in perennial boom since the last two decades. Much of this boom can be attributed to internationalization by fast food joints who have sustained their growth despite political, regulatory, environmental and health issues. This paper examines the internationalisation of the industry over 2002-2007 to argue opportunities and limitations that confront the industry. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Fast Food (Quick Service Restaurants) Industry" essay for you Create order In context of this paper a fast food market is taken to be a serviced sale of food or drinks for immediate consumption on or off the premises. The market is seen to be comprised of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), Takeaways, Mobile vending and Leisure site based sales. Since the quick service restaurants account for 67.4 % of the market for the scope of this paper this part of the industry has been focussed upon (Datamonitor, 2007a). The paper discusses the internationalisation of fast food majors and the issues that have come with such trans-national agendas. The discussion provides a basis to posit opportunities and limitations for the industry. This is provided under a sectionalised scheme of key aspects that have been considered in extant literature as crucial variables defining globalisation. The paper closes by providing a synthesis of ongoing growth through internationalisation for the industry and a perspective on the future that beckons. The Fast Food (QSRs) Industry: A Snapshot As the fast food industry has beefed up to a massive 102.6 billion in revenues of which more than two thirds is accounted for by the QSRs and with predicted growth rates of around 5% it seems a lucrative meal in the making for the industry and the giants in particular. The giants list usually comprises McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, Wendys and Burger King. McDonalds is clearly far above the rest accounting for nearly 20 billion in sales while the rest together muster nearly two thirds of this figure. Yum Brands! a company headquartered in the US is effectively the second major player as it operates, licences and franchises some of the leading brands including Pizza Hut across the globe (Louisville, 2005; Datamonitor, 2007a,b,c). An overview of the upstream downstream system that refers to the industry is provided as an appendix to this paper. This is an approximation that attempts to provide a broad sketch of the industry value system. Opportunities and Limitations Globalisation and Customisation As far as the product portfolio goes- in the last few years a move to healthier offerings has seen the western markets warm up to the idea of lsquo;healthy fast food once again (Case, 2007). However, as consumer tastes remain fickle the recent success of some products that are again configured around the traditional juicy and unhealthy burgerthe QSRs face a continuous challenge to reshape their offerings to strive for the most lucrative combination of attributes on the menu. In a trans-national context this becomes difficult as it entails a further complexity of customisation to specific markets tastes while keeping the core competency that stems from product design aspects and identity attributes (Baden-fuller and Stopford,1991; Mintzberg, 1983 ; Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1987,1989). The limitations and opportunities in this case lie along a continuum that is also mapped by risk and product innovation. While customising to local tastes may work at eroding the identity of the core products in a balance it can help provide for effectively extending the core competencies to inform customisation in a unique way. For instance, the lsquo;rice burger of McDonalds introducing regional flavours like lsquo;curry in product variants and also using sauces to be aligned with the local tastes of say more spices- while the basic architecture of the sandwich, packaging, service and ambience is used to keep it an experience unique to the fast food label (McDonalds, 2005; Anzola, 2007; Cullen et al, 2008). Interdependencies In the case of a global fast food firm the aforesaid local global dichotomy can be extended to the idea of interdependencies. Spread out units across the globe have to be independent and flexible enough to tackle the localised business realties while at the same time, have to harness the competency and resource base that defines the globally successful parent firm. This balance or synergy to adapt and extend symbiotically is a crucial factor for success (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1987, 1989; Yip, 1989). In the fast food industry interdependencies are a challenge due to the sheer number of outlets that comprise the global network of franchisee units (McDonald-s 2003; Burger King, 2005;Yum Brands Inc., 2006). Though it is the country headquarters that is the conduit for delivering such interdependencies- the variation in the nature of local markets makes handling of each franchisee a balancing act. For instance KFC faced a politically motivated agitation in Bangalore-Indi a, while the rest of the country remained passive about KFC-s business (Business Line-Hindu, 2003; KFC, 2003). Such issues call for a multi level interdependency goal that is rather complex to realise and a limitation given the configuration of the fast food-QSR business. Furthermore, as the fast food giants move overseas the concept already exists in some shape or form and the QSRs try to lsquo;buy out or lsquo;out run the other fast food operators like street vendors. Cross subsidizing has been used effectively and so have acquisitions (Kokko,1996; Watson 1997). While financial muscle given the size skewness and also arguable increasing concentration in the global industry gives big players the opportunity to be aggressive in international market this has to be delivered carefully. The anti Multi National Corporation (MNC) perceptions frequently come to serve political interests, regulatory concerns and public sentiments if such moves are too overt (Business Line, 2 003; Beaulier and Caplan, 2007) Configuration -Coordination Dichotomy Michael Porter (1986) introduced the Coordination-Configuration framework to emphasise the demands that globalisation brings with it in terms of spread versus the proportional effort at coordination to realise synergies. The important addition is that there is a suggestion for looking at the lsquo;value chain (Porter, 1980) in terms of where in the global context do the activities stem from (configuration) and how do they link up (coordination). The fast food industry in contrast to some other industries has less of a gamble on resource cost differences across countries. In contemporary times it is even more so as localised resource linkages have become an important aspect guiding physical resourcing at least (Rangan, 2000; Rugman and Collinson, 2006). The nature of product and manufacturing in the industry can easily take advantage of localised inputs and lsquo;successfully flexible product architecture (e.g. the rice burger mentioned before!). However, while this oppor tunity beckons, the limitations arise in terms of deals struck with local stake holders for instance the farmers. The rent appropriation in lieu of inputs in the value chain is frequently much contested and often levy has to be given to local public and political concerns for instance, fast food giants are seen as taking control of farming (Kostova and Zaheer, 1999; Netto, 2007) Other issues In addition to the discussion from a theoretically embedded point of view a reiteration of some specific issues is merited. Health concerns related poor publicity has hit the industry hard and growth has been sustained primarily through expansion. The lsquo;West specifically the Americas comprise for more than half of the revenues of the all the big players and health concerns here are particularly limiting in one sense. However, they are also an impetus that has seen aggressive moves in other parts of the World e.g. south-east Asia. Again, ethical issues come to the fore as in loading the lsquo;fat of the west on lsquo;east (Schlosser, 2001; Cullen et al, 2008). Regulatory aspects are vary of the fast food giants growth and market control strategies like acquisitions because this has an significant impact on the perceptions in the masses -through allowing what is usually seen as an attempt to control farming in agrarian economies, and is politically detrimental for gove rnments if they turn a blind eye to it (Netto, 2007). Fair trade issues also run in the value appropriation stream. This is as an opportunity for the MNCs to show their concern and is very much a strategy adopted by fast food giants to improve their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) profile (Kaplinsky, 2000). This could help moderate the impact of adverse aspects like health issues that have particularly been a cause of concern in traditional markets like the US. Such activities are a clear lsquo;re-buy in for estranged customers in traditional markets- of course in combination with an attempt to address other concerns like healthy eating. Conclusions There are some generic factors that beckon organisations with moorings in the West to go trans-national and are common across industries. For instance, rising disposable incomes and the arrival of the middle class in third world countries, mass markets, saturation or other issues in the home market, and cheaper labour -to name a few and aft contextualised in literature (e.g. Laurent, 1983; Watson, 2000; Tschoegl, 2007). However, these need to be seen in terms of specificities of the industry to hand for making sense of limitations and opportunities that can provide a basis for shaping the strategic direction for the industry (Porter, 1986; Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1987). In reflecting on central conceptual framework that affect internationalisation this paper has attempted to distil a perspective on opportunities and limitations for the fast food industry-focussing on the QSR business. Rangan (2000) in his article on myths related to globalisation provides some useful cu es to synthesise the discussion in this paper. For instance, as discussed-the tendency to approach regulatory and governmental concerns without due importance is likely to generate bad publicity and poor local alliancing- positing multinational QSRs as exploitative entities. Furthermore, given the nature of the lsquo;food based product architecture in agrarian economies of the third world such a perception is to some extent difficult to control for. However, any concessions here and otherwise say channelled through the fair trade mandate might be a selling point in the developed world where health issues have impacted adversely on consumer perceptions of fast food. While the traditional image of being unhealthy is likely to be a limitation, innovative attempts at a balance between traditional offering and healthier products are bearing fruit as is the customisation of products to suite local palettes across the globe.