The Epic of Gilgamesh - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 431 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Gilgamesh Essay Did you like this example? Antique history depict various accounts,some made on a fantasy and some reliant on reality. Old Mesopotamia has a great deal of stories and tragically parcel of these accounts revolve around a man named Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh, is about a current mans life story. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Epic of Gilgamesh" essay for you Create order All through the story, Gilgamesh fights with the possibility of his own mortality and decreases to believe that his life will achieve an end. Being 66% god, he considers himself to be a celestial taking after creature. In the long run in any case, Gilgamesh gets knowledge on his voyage to discover vast and awful that comprehends that his goal is unimaginable. His alarming perspective obliges him to recognize his most exceedingly horrendous fear that sooner or later he will keep running into death. The author presents Gilgamesh in the past, the high dividers of the city he constructed are as of now old. In the meantime, he proposes that the story is in Gilgameshs very own words, and that the unbelievable ruler himself recorded it. Gilgameshs story remembers authentic individuals and deeds, and in the meantime, Gilgameshs section through courage, sadness, and insight is a ceaseless, all inclusive procedure. The tale of Gilgamesh is both immortal and quick. In Gilgameshs youth, he was a ruler and was, for the most part, idolized by the inhabitants of the city of Uruk. At the present time, passing did not concern him. He lived just as he were resistant. Later in the epic, a persuasive man named Enkidu shows up in Uruk and helps put Gilgameshs ability into leveling. Together Enkidu and Gilgamesh set out on encounters and achieve various achievements; regardless, one cant ignore why Enkidu was put forth in any defense. Enkidu was sent to Gilgamesh since his ability was surpassing its cutoff points and Gilgamesh would not disregard women. Despite the fact that an outstanding ruler, Gilgamesh is at one point portrayed as an asking for ruler that ignores the wants of his subjects and ambushes women anyway he sees fit. In such way, does Gilgamesh quality relentlessness regardless? This more significant philosophical request must be tended to before one begins to fathom why everlasting status is a trouble for Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh may have made this request, which may have affected him to consider his own one of a kind benefit of being undying. These reflection sort out his fear that he would fail miserably basically like the all inclusive community he unfeelingly driven over. Toward the days end, the uncertainty of his moral quality may have driven his central goal for his substainable youth. The Epic of Gilgamesh - Free Essay Example Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 358 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Both the historical characters come within the realm of mythology and legend. Their fame is attributable to legend. Both men hold high places in the folk lore of many a centuries ago. Both are credited with stories of valor and heroism. Both these legendary figures possessed extraordinary physical powers gifted to them by the gods. Both the stories were initially written in the form of epic poems serenading their respective heroes. Gilgamesh was the Babylonian king of Uruk (modern day Iraq). The people of the city prayed to the sky god Anu to provide them relief from the tyranny of Gilgamesh. One might wonder at this strange situation. On the one hand those who were ruled by Gilgamesh prayed for succor from his oppressive and harsh rule. On the other hand he assumes the role of the hero of the story. Obviously there has to be a character transformation or else the change is for simply giving a twist to the story in order to create interest. This contradiction can be a subject for research which is outside the scope of this brief paper. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Epic of Gilgamesh" essay for you Create order The sky god provides relief in the form of a man named Enkidu who has phenomenal strength. He is to serve as a check on the desires of Gilgamesh. The two men have a bout and since no one emerges as a clear winner they become friends and travel together sharing many adventures. They slay wild beasts and soon their reputation reaches far and wide. Back in Uruk the two men kill the Bull of Heaven sent by Ishtar to destroy the city as Gilgamesh does not return her overtures for a courtship. The gods doom Enkidu to death. A brief quote from a book is reproduced below: Through the medium of a dream, Enkidu learns that he has been singled out for punishment. After Enkidus death Gilgamesh becomes disconsolate. He seeks the secret of immortality from the sage Utnapishtim. Gilgamesh however cannot retrieve the sea plant which has the properties of immortality as the plant is devoured by a serpent. He returns crest fallen to Uruk to live out his remaining life there.

Analysis Of The Movie The Princess Bride - 1018 Words

As you wish High adventure and true love are two of the best things you could ever hope to find in a story, states Goldman, Author of The Princess Bride. In 1987 director Rod Reiner brought this classic tale to the big screen. The movie adaptation perfectly brings to life the ever-enduring love between the protagonists, Westley and Buttercup. Throughout the film the pair is faced with numerous trials and tribulations that could easily shake the bond between the lovers, yet they prevail. The Princess Bride is a classic tale of romance, one that acquired quite the cult following, but most watch for the quick quips or flashy sword fights; few bother to delve deeper into the film’s underlying message. This essay will explore how Goldman uses literary elements such as conflict, characterization, and mood to convey the somewhat clichà © theme of the work. This movie is easily one of the greatest examples of love conquering all obstacles. The films begins with a grandfather reading The Princess Bride to his sick grandson. Reiner utilizes the grandfather as a narrator throughout the movie. Scenes are often interrupted by the inquisitive grandson asking probing questions in shocked dismay, such as, â€Å"Is this a kissing book?† The use of an omniscient narrator allows for clarification for the audience without making the story seem unnatural. He is there to provide necessary background information as well as reassure viewers during moments of tension and conflict.Show MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of The Princess Bride And A Pair Of Tickets1744 Words   |  7 PagesTheir Quest to Find Themselves in the Face of Adversity: An Analysis of The Princess Bride, Divergent and â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† and How Vampirism and Quests make the stories what they are. Writing a story is difficult. In the stories The Princess Bride by William Goldman and â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† by Amy Tan, and the movie Divergent Directed by Neil Burger there are three very similar women who must find their path in life. In The Princess Bride, Buttercup has to find her way to being with Westly, herRead MoreEssay On Dead Poets Society1300 Words   |  6 Pages Generally speaking, we now will analyze our fourth movie clip entitled The Princess Bride. The Princess Bride (Contingency Model) In view of The Princess Bride, we return back to the Contingency Model formulated by Fred Fiedler. According to the Contingency Model, the validity of a leader revolves around the situation (Fidler’s Contingency Theory, 2013). As, we explored the vignette, we observe Roberts attempting to protect the princess from the devious Vazzini. 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Principles of International Marketing & Global Business-Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the implementation of the principles of International Marketing and Global Business on the business strategies and operations of Kawan Food Berhad. Answer: Introduction International Marketing is the procedure for modifying the strategies of the company to adapt the conditions in the other countries. It is the process of creating relationships through planning, executing and regulating the strategies of pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, products and services to create mutual exchange which satisfy individual and organizational necessities and goals (Kozak et al., 2015). These principles can be applied to Kawan Food Group which is the leading exporter and manufacturer of frozen food in Asia. It is headquartered in Shah Alam, Selangor. It is known for providing safe, authenticated and quality products at nominal prices to its customers. The reason behind its growth is that is committed to the values of excellence, creativity, consistency, development, and good citizenship (Kawan Food Berhad, 2013). Its vision and mission statements attribute to its goal of becoming a famous and reliable company in the food and beverage industry. It aims to expand its business internationally. So, in this report, the various aspects of international marketing would be implemented on Kawan Food Berhad. The various aspects of its business strategies such as its operations and strategies regarding global, social, cultural and economic environment and information and marketing research systems would also be analyzed and recommendations would be given to develop them further. Global economic environment Lessons learned The economic trends in the present scenario in the global market are the growth of ready to eat foods in the industry. The fast food industry is growing at very fast rate. With reference to the global environment, competition is the main factor (Sarathy Banalieva, 2014). It occurs when a company takes a global view of competition and aims at maximizing its profits by earning revenues in the foreign currencies. Thus, Kawan Food Berhad is facing a tough competition from its competitors Strauss Group, Burtons Biscuits and Popcorn Indiana. Also, with the increasing competition, it should develop its competencies in functional food, health food, food ingredients, halal food and convenience food (Ayupp Tudi, 2013). Recommendations The main recommendations to boost the growth of the company in the global economic environment are that the company should maintain strong competitive position in the global market. Growth is important for Kawan Food Berhad to ensure that it maintains a competitive position in the international food market. Also, the strategies and the approaches adopted by the company should be according to its size (Deloitte, 2017). So, Kawan Food Berhad, being a large organization should adopt the strategies so that it can accomplish its goal of expanding itself in the international food market. With the help of intensive strategies and marketing skills, the company can achieve greater sales in the international market (World Bank Group, 2016). Social cultural environment Lessons learned The food choices are based on type of cultures and societies in which citizens of a particular country live. Several factors such as media as a part of the routine life of the individuals also create a strong impact on their food choices. It also depends upon the type of lifestyle, job and education, hospitality and size of family. According to Omara et al, (2015) the cultures and traditions of the country are associated with special occasions involving food. The festive and special occasions are always concerned with food and it is often focused on the type of event such as marriages, births, shaving the crown etc. Recommendations As Kawan Food Berhad is globally renowned company in the frozen food industry, so it takes initiatives to promote the Malaysian food to the global level. It should manufacture the traditional food of Malaysia which reflects the three major unique ethnic food tastes; Malay, Chinese and Indian. In the recent scenario, through the social transformation of urbanization, the value of Malaysian traditional food has increased. So, it has given the company a chance to explore this opportunity to make the traditional Malaysian food popular in the international market. As the company is operating in Europe, North America and many parts of the world, it should promote the Malaysian food to those countries (Ahmeti, 2015). Global information systems market research Lessons learned According to Bohari, Hin Fuad (2013) the market research of Kawan Food Berhad using the PETLE analysis are as follows: Political Analysis: There are low trade restrictions on the global transactions of the organization and appropriate assistance is provided by the Malaysian Government to the company. Also, the company has signed various international trade agreements with various companies operating in the same industry in the global market. Economic Analysis: Due to its economies of scale, the company is incurring low costs on its production. Also, it has big market internationally. It invests on its research and development activities so that it can expand itself worldwide. Social Analysis: Due to different family life cycles, various families seek various types of foods. So, the company serves different food according to the tastes and preference of the customers. Also, the spending habit of the consumers is increasing due to raise in their incomes. Technological Analysis: The Company has been adopting the use of new technology in manufacturing its food. But simultaneously, there is an increase in the developmental costs due to which there is a decrease in the revenue. Legal Analysis: with the expansion of the business internationally, Kawan Food has to comply with the international trade agreements. Environmental analysis: With the dynamic changes in the global market, there might be too less suppliers of the raw materials required by the company. Also, there are possibilities of the company signing new trade agreements with different countries. Recommendations Malaysia is leader in the halal food. So, Kawan Food can remain competitive in the global market as halal food does not have serious market competition. The challenge in front of the company is that the product variations should meet the demands of the consumers. The companys failure to respond to this challenge can corrode its competitiveness of halal food enterprise as an international player. As per Rashid (2018) to meet the challenges posed by the rules and regulations, the company should adopt an advanced level of integration information mechanisms across the supply chain. It would help in governance and compliance and efficient internal and external communication systems. Segmentation, targeting positioning Lessons learned Segmentation, targeting and positioning comprise of three levels in the marketing strategy. Segmenting refers to determining the type of customers in the market while targeting refers to selecting the target customers and positioning refers to applying segmentation to customize the product for the selected segment and adoption of appropriate marketing strategies to market the product to that specific segment of consumers (Agarwal, Malhotra Bolton ,2010) In the context of Kawan Food, segmentation comprises of analyzing about what kind of customers exist with various necessities. Customers, especially the working couples can demand ready to eat and healthy food for themselves or for their children. So, the company can develop suitable products for the working youth particularly, couples. Targeting involves analyzing the number of manufacturers serving the target segment. Also, the company should assess the area and the possibilities of developing itself in the segment while Positioning involves applying the targeting principles upon the chosen segment (Danjuma, 2016). Recommendations Different types of variables can be used for segmentation by Kawan Food. The demographic variables pertain to income, gender, age, education and location. Another variable is behavior of the consumers for the product. Some consumers are loyal to their brands. They are not willing to change their choices in spite of the competitor company charging low price for the same product. Another type of consumers prefers benefits over the price and other features. They are specific about their choices and would not shift their choice easily. In targeting, the consumers can be targeted on the basis of advertising in magazines, past purchases and demographic variables. In order to apply the positioning principle, it is crucial to comprehend how the brand and competitors are observed by the customers (Boone Kurtz, 2014). Global market entry strategies: licensing, investment and strategic alliances Lessons learned According to Azuayi (2016) there are various entry modes for Kawan Food to enter into the foreign markets .These are divided into two mode viz. non-equity modes and equity modes. The former consists of export and contractual agreements and the latter includes wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Another strategy which is equally famous is licensing. The licensing firms operating internationally grant patent rights, copyrights and trademarks on processes and products. Franchising is another strategy of international market entry. It is a mechanism in which the franchisers pay royalties to the parent companies in exchange of trademarks being granted to them by the parent companies. Recommendations Kawan food should enter into the emerging market since they provide the most promising environment for conducting commercial activities. It should adopt a suitable mix of equity and non-equity modes for entering into the foreign markets (Russo Cesarani,2017). Brand product decision in global marketing Lessons learned Product is the most crucial component of the companys marketing strategy. Kawan Food is facing the challenge of formulating the appropriate product and brand strategies for its international market. The decisions relating to product must always address packaging issues such as aesthetics and labeling. Branding decisions are important for Kawan Food as it is an important component for the company to differentiate itself from its competitors. Kawan Food has to develop logos and innovative and creative packaging styles to provide pictorial representations of its brand (Iorait?, 2016). Recommendations Since product is the good, service or idea with its physical and incorporeal aspects which create value for the user or the buyer, it is the most important attribute in the marketing strategy. It forms the basis for creating goodwill of the company in the market. The company promises its customers about its products through its brand value. Thus product and branding decisions are crucial components of the marketing strategy of the company. Thus if Kawan Food aims to develop its market globally, it should develop its products to meet the international quality standards. Also, it should leverage its brand equity on a worldwide basis (Ghasham, Abdullah Ghani, 2016). Global marketing channels physical distribution Lessons learned As per An?elkovi?, Barac Radosavljevi? (2017) distribution channels are pathways through which the products flow from manufacturers to consumers. These include various intermediaries amongst the two such as wholesalers and retailers which direct the path of goods from producers to industrial or domestic consumers. For Kawan Food, who is expanding its business globally, the various global distribution channels include peer to peer selling which comprise of the use of internet and other related media to sell and distribute its products. The company can establish direct or indirect channels in the form of retail stores and wholesalers, agents and distributors to develop its brand image and sell its products (Yip, 1997). Recommendations The company can adopt global retailing methods such as establishment of departmental stores, specialty retailers, convenience stores, supermarkets, discount stores and warehouse clubs to sell and distribute its products internationally. The global retailing strategies should be according to the rules and regulations of the host country (Magnusson et al., 2013). The global retiling strategies include the following: Franchising: Franchising is referred to the payment of royalty to the parent company in exchange of granting of copy rights and patents to the franchisers. It includes adoption of appropriate strategies in the case when barriers of entry into the market are low. But at the same time, the market is culturally different in terms of customer behavior and retailing structures. Joint venture: The Company can adopt the strategy of joint venture with the company incorporated in the host country. It is advisable when the culture of the host country is different and the company is facing problems in entering into the markets. Chain acquisition: It enables the company to acquire the company operating in the host country. Utilization of the existing resources by the company to open its outlets in the host country: The Company utilizes its own resources or acquires one or more existing retail facilities to open its stores in the host country (Szopa P?ka?a, 2012). Global marketing communications decisions Lessons learned In order to survive in the international market, the management of Kawan Food has to take some important decisions regarding global market communications. So, the crucial element of international marketing communication decisions comprise of targeting the consumers for which the product is to manufactured and distributed. Since different markets are at different phases of development, the strategy for each of them should be appropriately designed and implemented (Percy, 2014). For example: the communication in a new market should be based on consumer education and awareness about the product. The communication in the existing market should be based on outperforming the competitors. There are four major parts of communication viz. its content, structure, source and format (Saenko et al., 2016). Recommendations The decisions regarding global marketing and communication are essential for Kawan Food for establishing itself in the global market. The decisions regarding the modes of advertising or market communications are important aspects in this. Various privacy laws and advertising regulations have an impact on the type of marketing communications in different markets internationally. Also, the effectives of various means of media in the host country also affect the type of communication mode used to advertise. For example, a new product in India can marketed in a better way through radio while the same product can effectively be marketed through television in U.S.A. (Shkurkin et al., 2016 Conclusion Hence, to conclude, it can be said that Kawan Food should select the appropriate strategy for its success in the international market. It should strengthen its capabilities and resources to expand it globally. Also, global communications play an important role in the success of the organization worldwide. The company can adopt various marketing strategies to penetrate into the market. The management should decide which methods of market entry should be appropriate for the company. These include franchising, licensing, chain acquisitions and joint ventures. The company should follow the suitable distribution channels to enter into the international market so that it is well accepted by the target consumers. References Agarwal, J., Malhotra, N.K. Bolton, R.N. (2010).A Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Approach to Global Market Segmentation: An Application Using Consumers Perceived Service Quality. Journal of International Marketing, 18(3), 1840. Ahmeti, F. (2015). Going Global: Global Marketing, Social and Cultural Environments in Transitional Economies. European Scientific Journal, 11(4), 322-334. An?elkovi?, A., Barac, N. Radosavljevi?, M. (2017).Analysis of Distribution Channels Successfulness The Case of The Retail Chains in the Republic of Serbia. Economic Themes, 55(4), 501-519. Ayupp, K. Tudin, R. (2013). Malaysian Food Processing Industry: Strategies for Growth. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(16), 172-180. Azuayi, R. (2016).Internationalization Strategies for Global Companies: A Case Study of Arla Foods, Denmark. Journal of Accounting Marketing, 5(4), 1-9. Bohari, A.M., Hin, C.W. Fuad, N. (2013). The competitiveness of halal food industry in Malaysia: A SWOT - ICT analysis. Malaysia Journal of Society and Space, 9(1),1-9. Boone, L.E. Kurtz, D.L. (2014). Contemporary Marketing, Update 2015. Cengage Learning. Danjuma, I.(2016).Strategic Marketing Approaches for Differentiating Nigerian Technological Universities. The International Journal of Business Management ,4(8),35-39. Deloitte (2017). Global Economic Outlook. Retrieved March 27th, 2018 from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/pl/Documents/Reports/pl_Global_Economic_Outlook_Q1_2017.pdf Ghasham, A.A.N , Abdullah, N.A.H.N. Ghani, N.H.A.(2016).The Impact of Global Market Environment on the Degree of Cooperation of International Strategic Alliances among Service Firms. International Review of Management and Marketing,6(2),192-198. Iorait?, M. (2016).Marketing Mix Theoretical Aspects. International Journal of Research , 4(6),25-37. Kawan Food Berhad (2013). Corporate Information .Retrieved March 23, 2018 from https://www.kawanfood.com/corporate-infomation-business.html Kozak, Y., Smyczek , S.,Shengelia, R., Gribincea , ?. , Lebedeva, S. , Voronova, E., Kozak, A., Lytovchenko, I.,Osipov, V., Piddubna, V., Kochevoy,M. Zakharchenko, O.(2015). International Marketing. Retrieved March 23, 2018 from https://dspace.oneu.edu.ua/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2845/1/International%20marketing.pdf Magnusson, P., Westjohn, S.A., Semenov, A.V., Randrianasolo, A.V. Zdravkovic, S.(2013).The Role of Cultural Intelligence in Marketing Adaptation and Export Performance. Journal of International Marketing, 21(4), 4461. Omara , S.R., Karimb , S.A., Bakar,A.Z.A. Omard,S.N.(2015). Safeguarding Malaysian Heritage Food (MHF): The Impact of Malaysian Food Culture and Tourists Food Culture Involvement on Intentional Loyalty. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences ,172(2015), 611 618. Percy, L.(2014).Strategic Integrated Marketing Communications. Routledge. Rashid, A.(2018). Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS). Retrieved March 27th, 2018 from https://www.eolss.net/sample-Chapters/C15/E1-47-14.pdf Russo ,M. Cesarani, M.(2017). Strategic Alliance Success Factors: A Literature Review on Alliance Lifecycle. International Journal of Business Administration,8(3),1-9. Saenko, N.R., Sozinova, A.A. , Karabulatova, I.R., Akhmetov, I.V. , Mamatelashvili, O.V. Pismennaya, E.E.(2016).Research in Action Integrated Marketing Communications as the Elements of Information and Virtualization Market Relations. International Review of Management and Marketing, 6(S1), 267-272. Sarathy, R. Banalieva, E.R. (2014).Economic Development and Marketing Strategies: A Comparative Lens. Organizations and Markets In Emerging Economies, 5(1), 49-74. Shkurkin, D.V., Mayatskaya, I.N. ,Nikonova, O.V. , Novikov, V.S., Vasilyeva, I.S. Karepova ,S.G.(2016). Formation and Development of the Integrated Marketing Communications in the Activities of Production and Trade Enterprises. International Review of Management and Marketing, 6(S1), 273-278. Szopa P. P?ka?a, W. (2012). Distribution Channels and their Roles in the Enterprise. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 6, 143-150. World Bank Group (2016). Global Economic Prospects JUNE 2016 Divergences and Risks. Retrieved March 27th, 2018 from https://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/842861463605615468/Global-Economic-Prospects-June-2016-Divergences-and-risks.pdf Yip, G.S. (1997).Patterns and Determinants of Global Marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 13, 153-164.

Stalin free essay sample

Lenin seemed close to death and there was a political struggle Trotsky seemed to hold the most power due to his close friendship with Lenin before his strokes but an opposition had begun to emerge The opposition for Trotsky not only held Stalin but also 2 other politicians: Lev Kamenev and G. E. Zinoviev (a leading Bolshevik who had been Lenins closest aide during the revolution) Together, the 3 formed troika a group attacked Trotsky during party meetings, rawing on his writings/speeches from his last years as Menshevik as a means of attacking him for disloyalty Kamenev supported Stalin after Lenin died, when Stalin retained his post as General Secretary There was a division: The Rightists and the Leftists. The rightists wanted to continue with Lenins New Economic Policy which allowed considerable economic freedom for peasants whilst Kamenev and the Leftists wanted to push the country more towards state control over economic life In 1924, the Leftists seemed to have control over the central committee By the following year Kamenev had realised that Stalin was betraying them as he was moving towards an alliance with Bukharin How likely do you think Lev Kamenev would have been to get into power in 1924? Ђ Lev Kamenev wouldnt have been likely to get into power to a large extent in 1924 because firstly, he wasnt as highly important as Joseph Stalin was since Stalin was General Secretary as was more of a key fgure whilst Kamenev and Zinoviev rather ssisted Stalin in his rise to power. We will write a custom essay sample on Stalin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moreover, Kamenev has a different ideology in terms of policy and beliefs since there was a division and he was a Leftist which means he wanted to push the country towards state control over economic life whilst Stalin sided with the Rightists and supported the NEP against the Left Opposition. Also, Kamenev trusted Stalin and was wrong to do so as Stalin betrayed him since he was moving towards an alliance with another soviet politician Nikolai Bukharin whom he later on ousted also. Stalin By brightgir119

Biography of Ashoka the Great, Indias Mauryan Emperor

Biography of Ashoka the Great, India's Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BCE) was the emperor of Indias Maurya Dynasty from 268 to 232 BCE and is remembered for his remarkable conversion to nonviolence and his merciful reign. In 265 BCE after witnessing the devastation of his own attack on the Kalinga region, he converted from being a brutal conqueror of a vast empire to a benevolent emperor who successfully ruled according to nonviolent principles. His edicts encouraged the protection of animals, mercy for criminals, and tolerance of other religions. Fast Facts: Ashoka the Great Known For: Ashoka was the ruler of Indias Mauryan Empire; after an epiphany, he became a promoter of Buddhist non-violence.Born: 304 BCE in Pataliputra, Mauryan EmpireParents: Bindusara and DharmaDied: 232 BCE in Pataliputra, Mauryan EmpireSpouse(s): Devi, Kaurwaki confirmed; many others allegedChildren: Mahinda, Kunala, Tivala, JalaukaNotable Quote: Dharma is good. And what is Dharma? It is having few faults and many goods deeds, mercy, charity, truthfulness, and purity. Early Life In 304 BCE, the second emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, Bindusara, welcomed a son named Ashoka Bindusara Maurya into the world. The boys mother Dharma was only a commoner. She had several older children- half-brothers of Ashoka- so Ashoka seemed unlikely to ever ascend the throne. Ashoka grew up to be a bold, troublesome, and cruel young man who was always extremely fond of hunting. According to legend, he killed a lion using only a wooden stick. His older half-brothers feared Ashoka  and convinced his father to post him as a general to distant frontiers of the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka proved to be a competent general, putting down a rebellion in the Punjabi city of Taxshila. Aware that his brothers viewed him as a rival for the throne, Ashoka went into exile for two years in the neighboring country of Kalinga. While he was there, he fell in love with and later married a commoner, a fisher-woman named Kaurwaki. Introduction to Buddhism Bindusara recalled his son to Maurya to help quell an uprising in Ujjain, the former capital of the Avanti Kingdom. Ashoka succeeded but was injured in the fighting. Buddhist monks tended to the wounded prince in secret so that his eldest brother, the heir-apparent Susima, would not learn of Ashokas injuries. At this time, Ashoka officially converted to Buddhism and began embracing its principles, though they were in direct conflict with his life as a general. He met and fell in love with a woman from Vidisha called Devi who also attended to his injuries during this period. The couple later married. When Bindusara died in 275 BCE, a two-year war for the throne erupted between Ashoka and his half-brothers. The Vedic sources vary on how many of Ashokas brothers died- one says that he killed them all while another states that he killed several of them. In either case, Ashoka prevailed and became the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. Imperial Rule For the first eight years of his reign, Ashoka waged near-constant war on surrounding regions. He had inherited a sizable empire, but he expanded it to include most of the Indian subcontinent, as well as the area from the current-day borders of Iran and Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh and Burma border in the east. Only the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka  and the kingdom of Kalinga on the northeast coast of India remained out of his reach. In 265 BCE, Ashoka attacked Kalinga. Although it was the homeland of his second wife Kaurwaki and the king of Kalinga had sheltered Ashoka before his ascent to the throne, the Mauryan emperor gathered the largest invasion force in Indian history and launched his assault. Kalinga fought back bravely, but in the end it was defeated and all of its cities were sacked. Ashoka had led the invasion in person, and he went out into the capital city of Kalinga the morning after his victory to survey the damage. The ruined houses and bloodied corpses of nearly 150,000 slain civilians and soldiers sickened the emperor, and he experienced a religious epiphany. Although he had considered himself more or less a Buddhist prior to that day, the carnage at Kalinga led Ashoka to devote himself completely to Buddhism, and he vowed to practice ahimsa, or nonviolence,  from that day forward. Edicts Had Ashoka simply vowed to himself that he would live according to Buddhist principles, later ages would likely not remember his name. However, he published his intentions for the whole empire to read. Ashoka wrote out a series of edicts, explaining his policies and aspirations for the empire and urging others to follow his enlightened example. The Edicts of King Ashoka were carved onto pillars of stone 40 to 50 feet high and set up all around the edges of the Mauryan Empire as well as in the heart of Ashokas realm. Dozens of these pillars can still be found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. In his edicts, Ashoka vowed to care for his people like a father and promised neighboring people that they need not fear him- that he would use only persuasion, not violence, to win people over. Ashoka noted that he had made available shade and fruit trees for the people as well as medical care for all people and animals. His concern for living things also appeared in a ban on live sacrifices and sport hunting as well as a request for respect for all other creatures, including servants. Ashoka urged his people to follow a vegetarian diet  and banned the practice of burning forests or agricultural wastes that might harbor wild animals. A long list of animals appeared on his protected species list, including bulls, wild ducks, squirrels, deer, porcupines, and pigeons. Ashoka also ruled with incredible accessibility. He noted that I consider it best to meet with people personally. To that end, he went on frequent tours around his empire. He also advertised that he would stop whatever he was doing if a matter of imperial business needed attention, even if he was having dinner or sleeping. In addition, Ashoka was very concerned with judicial matters. His attitude toward convicted criminals was quite merciful. He banned punishments such as torture, removing peoples eyes, and the death penalty, and he urged pardons for the elderly, those with families to support, and those who were doing charitable work. Finally, although Ashoka urged his people to practice Buddhist values, he fostered an atmosphere of respect for all religions. Within his empire, people followed not only the relatively new Buddhist faith but also Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Greek polytheism, and many other belief systems. Ashoka served as an example of tolerance for his subjects, and his religious affairs officers encouraged the practice of any religion. Death Ashoka the Great ruled as a just and merciful king from his epiphany in 265 until his death at the age of 72 in 232 BCE. His body was given a royal cremation ceremony. Legacy We do not know the names of most of Ashokas wives and children, however, his twin children by his first wife, a boy called Mahindra and a girl named Sanghamitra, were instrumental in converting Sri Lanka to Buddhism. After Ashokas death, the Mauryan Empire continued to exist for 50 years before going into a gradual decline. The last Mauryan emperor was Brhadrata, who was assassinated in 185 BCE by one of his generals, Pusyamitra Sunga. Although his family did not rule for long after he was gone, Ashokas principles and his examples lived on through the Vedas and his edicts, which can still be seen on pillars today. Sources Lahiri, Nayanjot.  Ashoka in Ancient India. Harvard University Press, 2015.Trainor, Kevin.  Buddhism: the Illustrated Guide. Duncan Baird, 2004.

Fascinating Facts About the January Birthstone Gorgeous Garnet

Fascinating Facts About the January Birthstone Gorgeous Garnet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips January babies and the people who love them, get ready to learn about one of the oldest and diverse birthstones around: the garnet. This January birthstone has more than 20 different varieties, has been found on every continent, and has a history dating back thousands of years. Read on to learn everything you need to know about garnets, from the rainbow of colors they come in, to what they signify, and fun facts about this gemstone. What Color Are Garnets? What is the January birthstone color? The most common and well-known color for garnets is a dark red. Under some dim lighting conditions, the garnet stone is such a dark color it can look almost black. However, in well-lit areas, the deep red color of the garnet will become clear as the stone sparkles in the light. Red garnets are the most common, but garnets can be found in a wide range of colors including oranges, purplish and pinkish reds, yellows, blues, and greens. Green garnets, known as either demantoid or tsavorite garnets depending on their composition, are a particularly rare and valuable form of the gem. Blue garnets, also very rare, have the ability to alter the appearance of their color. In natural light, they appear blue-green, but this changes to purple under artificial lighting. A green garnet set in a necklace. What Do Garnets Signify? Garnets symbolize friendship and trust, and they are a great gift to give to someone who has been a loyal friend. Additionally, garnets also symbolize a separated love and hope for a quick return. The reason for this comes from a Greek myth where the god Hades gave the goddess Persephone a pomegranate when she left him to ensure her quick return. Garnets are often associated with pomegranates because the name garnet comes from the Greek phrase â€Å"pomum granatum† which means pomegranate seed. And it’s true, small garnets do resemble the dark red seeds of a pomegranate! In addition to being the birthstone for January, garnets are the gemstone traditionally given on 2nd wedding anniversaries, and they are also the state mineral of Connecticut and the state gemstone of New York. The star garnet, a rare variety which appears to have a star shape in the center when cut, is the state gemstone of Idaho. Where Are Garnets Found? Garnets are one of the most widespread gems, and they have been found in many regions around the world, including Russia, the Czech Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, India, Thailand, the USA, and Brazil. Today, the highest-quality garnets are found in East Africa, particularly Tanzania and Kenya. In the 1990s, a deposit of rare blue garnets was discovered in Madagascar. To date, this is the only place on Earth where blue garnets have been found. Wouldn't that be a great January birthstone gift! During the 19th and 20th centuries, green garnets were thought to exist almost exclusively in Russia’s Ural mountains, but since the 1970s deposits have been found in Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, and, to a smaller extent, Pakistan and Antarctica. Garnets are often found near the Earth’s surface, usually within pebbles in riverbeds or deposited on beaches. They can be found within metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rocks, although metamorphic deposits are the most common and where nearly all red garnets are found. A deposit of garnets that have yet to be cut and polished. A Brief History of Garnets For thousands of years, people across the world have admired and coveted garnets, whether because they believed the stones had special powers or just for their beauty. Some of the oldest garnets have been found in Egyptian tombs, as part of necklaces created over 5,000 years ago to decorate the bodies of pharaohs. In ancient Roman times, garnets were highly prized and frequently used to decorate sword hilts and gold jewelry. During this time, garnets became a widely-traded gem and the most popular gemstone in the ancient Roman world. In the Middle Ages, garnets were a favored gemstone of both clergy and the nobility. A large deposit of garnets discovered in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), helped garnets become more popular and spread throughout Europe. Garnets reached their highest peak of popularity in the late 1800s when they were one of the most fashionable gemstones to purchase and wear. The rare and valuable green demantoid garnets were prized by Russian czars, and the famed Russian jeweler Gustav Fabergà © (known for his jeweled eggs) often used them in his work. During the Victorian Era, jewelry with melanite garnets, garnets with an opaque black color, were especially popular in Europe. Garnets are now a popular gemstone throughout the world, prized for their rich hues and rainbow of colors. In addition to being used as a gemstone, garnets’ high abrasiveness makes them useful for industrial purposes, such as sandblasting and water filtration. In fact, the majority of garnets harvested today are used for industrial purposes. Only the highest-quality stones are used for jewelry and other decorative uses. An antique brooch featuring a garnet in the center. Using Garnets in Jewelry Looking to buy a January birthstone for a lucky someone? Garnets can be cut to almost any size and shape, so they are used in many types of jewelry, including rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. They are often set in gold to highlight the deep red color most commonly found in garnets. The cost of a garnet will vary widely depending on its size, cut, color, and clarity, but garnets are less expensive than many other gemstones because of their abundance. You can often find garnet jewelry for less than $100, making it a great gift. Red garnets are the most common and least expensive variety of the gemstone, while blue and green garnets are the most expensive. Garnets have a high hardness and refractive index, which means they are both brilliant and difficult to damage. This makes them durable and eye-catching stones to use in jewelry. A garnet bracelet that shows off the dark color of the stones. Interesting Facts About the January Birthstone Because garnets and diamonds form under similar conditions, the two stones are often found together. In fact, there have even been some instances of diamonds being found inside garnets. In the Bible, it’s said that Noah used a garnet lantern to help navigate his ark in the night. Many early travelers carried a garnet with them as the stone was thought to help protect the owner from evil and provide light during the night. Garnets were also believed to bring victory in battle. Crusaders often carried jewelry or ornaments that contained garnets to protect them as they fought. Also, when they fought against the British in 1892, the Hunza people of what is now Pakistan used garnet bullets in battle because they thought they were more deadly than lead bullets. In the Middle Ages, garnets were purported to have numerous healing powers, and they were believed to reduce fever, bleeding, and inflammation. Keeping one by you while you slept was also believed to ward off nightmares.

Information Technology Management transformation Research Paper

Information Technology Management transformation - Research Paper Example This scenario has challenged Alcan’s senior management team to offer greater priority in the field of IT by deciding to create a position of Vice president in the company. This has, therefore, provided me an opportunity to join the Alcan Company as the CIO of the Corporate Information Technologies. As an engineer and IT consultant, I have trained and gained experience, for about forty years, in the Company hence giving me a better position to coordinate the company. According to my 2006 analysis on Alcan Company, I realized that it used IT management model which had a number of strength. For instance, it created and sold a variety of products such bauxite, sheet ingot, smelter grade alumina, wire ingot, beverage can sheet, extrusion billet, aluminum recycling services, automobile iron, flexible and specialist packaging, and fabricated products such as cable and wire. The model was also vertically integrated just like other key players found in its sector. It owed seven alumina refineries and specialist alumina plants, eight mines and deposits, 26 aluminum smelters, 17 laminated product plants, a transport network such as port and rail facilities, 12 electric power plants, 180 packaging material plants, and 49 engineered product plants. Alcan’s IT management model also had five groups with corresponding responsibilities. The first group dealt with development of corporate application which included fourteen resources divided among Paris, Montreal, Zurich, and Singen. The second group dealt with architecture and consisted of 3 resources with highly technical skills that corresponded to those of shared infrastructure and planning groups. The third group was responsible of finding solutions to information system. It was made up of sixty resources distributed among 5 different cities: Paris, Warmley, Issoire, Voreppe, and Neuf Brisach. The

Aerodynamics and propulsion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aerodynamics and propulsion - Research Paper Example Lift is a force generally associated with an object moving inside the fluid, with the direction being either vertical or in some cases, perpendicular to the direction of motion. A classic example of where lift is used is the wings of an aircraft. As the aircraft moves horizontally, the shape of the wings create a pressure gradient beneath its top and bottom surface, hence creating a vertically upwards force (Munson, Young and Okiishi). When an object moves through a fluid, it mostly experiences a force due to the pressure forces acting on the body. If the forces are acting on opposite ends of different magnitudes, they tend to create a net pressure force. For a symmetric object moving in a fluid, with its line of symmetry being parallel to the direction of motion of the fluid, no lift would be generated because the forces would cancel each other. Hence, to create a lift force, a symmetric object must have its line of symmetry at an angle to the direction of motion, or be non-symmetri c. Non-symmetric objects may also move at an angle inside the fluid, and this angel is called the angle of attack (Munson, Young and Okiishi). In the case of an aerofoil which is depicted below, it can be seen that the section of the top surface over which air is flowing is greater than the area of the bottom surface. To ensure that conservation of mass is not violated, the speed of the air at the top is increased so that the total horizontal displacement of the air at the top and bottom are the same (Abhinav). ... The lift coefficient is a key factor for objects that create lift. It depends on shape, the fluid properties and the surface roughness. A general expression for this coefficient is given as: Where Re is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces; Fr is the Froude number, the ration between inertia forces and gravitational forces; Ma is the speed of the fluid relative to the speed of sound in that fluid; and is a measure of surface roughness (Munson, Young and Okiishi). In other words, the fluid’s temperature, density, speed, viscosity, as well as the shape of the object, surface roughness and angle of attack, amongst other things, have a say in the determination of the lift forces. b) Describe how atmospheric parameters (temperature, pressure, density) affect the generation of lift and drag as an aircraft gains altitude? As discussed previously, the fluid’s temperature, density, speed, viscosity, as well as the shape of the object, surface roughness and angle of att ack, amongst other things, have a say in the determination of the lift forces. Let us now discuss the effects of a few these parameters on the lift force and lift coefficient. Coming back to the case of the aircraft: as the aircraft moves at a higher altitude, where the air is thinner and less dense because of the gravitational effects forcing the mass of air to move downwards, the lift force, which is directly proportional to the density of the fluid, decreases with the decrease in density. Another factor is temperature. At higher elevations, the temperature of the air is lower, which creates an increase in density, the lift force is likely to

Current government priorities Essay Example for Free

Current government priorities Essay How far does the budget reflect current government priorities? Governments view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidise it Ronald Reagan In my coursework I shall be discovering what the annual government budget is, what it is spent on and why, correlating this with current priorities. I shall be investigating to what extent does the governments expenditure reflect on these current government priorities i. e. the amount spent on defence, the education sector and social protection. I shall be mostly using secondary research, through using websites and maybe books. I will compare spending from previous budgets to the current one and find out where changes, if any, have been made. Through figuring out where the money is spent, I can discover what the main priorities are but not neglecting the fact that some sectors are larger and undoubtedly require money being spent, e.g. Healthcare and public order safety. Government expenditure is vital for the efficient running of the economy. The need for much of the government expenditure arises from the facts that some goods will not be provided at all by a free market economy (public goods) and that others will be under-provided (merit goods). It is spending on these goods that accounts for a large proportion of government spending (health, education, police and defence, among others). Some government expenditure is aimed at providing a safety net for the less well off in society and ensuring that they are able to survive in the event that they lose their jobs or have insufficient income. The department that deals with the allocation of most of this money is the Department of Social Security. Other government expenditure is aimed at various areas that may be considered important in a developed economy providing a transport infrastructure, supporting the work of local government and servicing any debts that may have been accumulated in the past. Fiscal policy refers to government policy that attempts to influence the direction of the economy through changes in government spending or taxes. Fiscal policy can be contrasted with the other main type of economic policy, monetary policy which attempts to stabilize the economy by controlling interest rates and the supply of money. The government in power needs to ensure that the budget expenditure is divided correctly and proportionately to the areas that require it most. This depends on the government priorities. The two main instruments of fiscal policy are government spending and taxation. Changes in the level and composition of taxation and government spending can impact on the following variables in the economy: On aggregate demand and the level of economic activity; the pattern of resource allocation and the distribution of income. Fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and taxation to manage the economy. The main changes in fiscal policy happen once a year in the Budget. It is in the Budget that the Chancellor sets the levels of taxation and government expenditure for the next fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from 6th April one year until 5th April the following year. This is why the budget is usually in March. The changes in it come generally into effect in the following month. Fiscal policy is based on the theories of British economist John Maynard Keynes. Also known as Keynesian economics, this theory basically states that governments can influence macroeconomic productivity levels by increasing or decreasing tax levels and public spending. This influence, in turn, curbs inflation (generally considered to be healthy when at a level between 2-3%), increases employment and maintains a healthy value of money. Unfortunately, the effects of any fiscal policy are not the same on everyone. Depending on the political orientations and goals of the policymakers, a tax cut could affect only the middle class, which is typically the largest economic group. In times of economic decline and rising taxation, it is this same group that may have to pay more taxes than the wealthier upper class. Similarly, when a government decides to adjust its spending; its policy may affect only a specific group of people. A decision to build a new bridge, for example, will give work and more income to hundreds of construction workers. A decision to spend money on building a new space shuttle, on the other hand, benefits only a small, specialized pool of experts, which would not do much to increase aggregate employment levels. Graph to show inflation rates in the UK compared with the United States and Canada. Monetary Policy involves changes in the base rate of interest to influence the rate of growth of aggregate demand, the money supply and ultimately price inflation. Monetarist economists believe that monetary policy is a more powerful weapon than fiscal policy in controlling inflation. Monetary policy also involves changes in the value of the exchange rate since fluctuations in the currency also impact on macroeconomic activity (incomes, output and prices). Basically, it is the process by which the government/ bank controls the supply of money, or trading in foreign exchange markets. Monetary policy is generally referred to as either being an expansionary policy, or a contractionary policy, where an expansionary policy increases the total supply of money in the economy, and a contractionary policy decreases the total money supply. Expansionary policy is traditionally used to combat unemployment in a recession by lowering interest rates, while contractionary policy has the goal of raising interest rates to combat inflation or calming an overheated economy. The government receives its money from many different areas, the graph on the next page shows exactly where from and how much: As from the chart we can see that the largest proportion of governments income is due to income tax that at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½157bn it is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½63bn more than the 2nd largest. Tax comes in many forms, as shown by the chart and when totaled up it is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½587bn, this breaks down to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9,650 for every man, woman and child in the UK per year. What is the money used for and spent on? Well the money that the government has gathered from its many different forms of tax is spent entirely on the public. The pie chart below clearly represents what these different sectors are and how much money is actually spent on them. As we can see social protection is predominantly the largest sector that government spending is allocated with a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½57bn lead on the second largest, health, at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½104bn. From this chart it can be easy to assume that the areas with the largest spending would be those that are the largest priorities. That can be accepted to a certain extent to where you look deeper within that and take into account that some sectors are larger than others and therefore require more money to keep them running, i.e. social protection. Now I shall look at the different sectors and analyze each one, looking at the governments main aims and objectives and comparing whether the money they are spending on each one is reflecting that; for example if in public order and safety the government wanted to initiate huge crackdown on underage drinkers and vandalism then surely the money spent in that area would be increased dramatically. I shall compare what was spent on those sectors in the year 2006 and compare that with the budget released in 2007. Taking into account inflation, which from 2006 to 2007 was 3% I can work out whether spending, has increased by a lot, remained the same or dropped. To begin with I shall look at the area of social protection, which is the largest of all spending. Social protection consists of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing peoples exposure to risks, enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption or loss of income. In 2006 the government spent à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½151bn on social protection whereas in 2007 they spent à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½161bn, which even after taking into account inflation this is still a dramatic increase. This could by due to the fact that unemployment has risen from 2006 2007 and with employment and training being an area of social protection, more money is being spent to try and bring the figures down again. The next sector that I shall look at is the environment. Protecting the environment is a major concern for todays government; well it has been for many years but even more so now. As Britains industry continues to expand and destroy most of our beloved countryside and pollute our skies, pressure groups and environmentalists increase the strain on the government to protect and instigate new legislation to help reduce the effects of the unstoppable industry. In attempts to keep these groups happy the government invests more money every year to meet their demands. Examples of these include the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½800m environmental transformation fund and funding for cleaner ways to produce energy such as wind farms and nuclear power. There has been an increase of expenditure for housing and environment from 2006 2007 of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4bn, which concludes the fact that it is an ever-increasing issue. This research indicates that current government spending in the environment does directly reflect the fact that is a main priority. In the past 3 years it has shown that the government has increased its spending by around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4bn per annum on the environment. If compared with other sections of spending, the environment ranks lower in comparison with others, such as social protection. This could signify that the environment is not classed as such a high priority; although relating to my earlier point of stating that the some areas are larger and therefore require more money suggests that it is not less of a priority. However, it could also be due to the fact that the government believes that protection of the population and the healthcare too are more of a priority than preserving the environment. So it can be looked at in both ways. I myself believe that the government thinks the environment is less of a priority and therefore less money should be invested there. Healthcare in Britain is different to that in most other countries in the way that we have adopted a system called the National Health Service. The NHS is paid for through our taxes and so therefore offers healthcare for everyone in the UK and securing the provision of comprehensive, high quality care for all those who need it, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live or their age. The aims set out by the Department of Health are to: * Supporting activity at national level to protect, promote and improve the nations health; * Securing responsive social care and child protection for those who lack the support they need. The key objectives for pursuing these aims are to: * To reduce the incidence of avoidable illness, disease and injury in the population. * To treat people with illness, disease or injury quickly, effectively and on the basis of need alone. * To enable people, who are unable to perform essential activities of daily living, including those with chronic illness, disability or terminal illness, to live as full and normal lives as possible. * To maximise the social development of children within stable family settings. These aims and objectives are generic to most years of the NHS but as research and new technologies develop the spending must increase to match demands of the population. In 2002 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that by 2008 there would be the largest ever increase in health spending at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40bn. This is a huge enlargement of the budget spending and obviously shows that health is a main priority if the government is willing to increase its spending by this much. It has been released that every year there shall be an increase of around 4% on health spending. Although the government is injecting a large section of the budget into health care it is not dramatically increasing it every year and sacrificing other sectors money to pour more into healthcare. The government is slowly increasing the amount spent in health and all the time, every year introducing new legislations and targets to make the NHS a more efficient and improved service for everyone within the UK. We are determined to maintain our disciplined approach, determined not to make the old British mistakes of paying ourselves too much today at the cost of higher interest rates and fewer jobs tomorrow Gordon Brown This quote suggests that by not putting too much money into a single sector it reduces the chances of having an economic backlash in the future. I agree with this and believe that by making smaller steps and gradually increasing expenditure it improves the economy at a much greater scale in the long run and prevents unwanted repercussions that may damage the economy. By pushing more money into the sectors it could cause the desired effect to become counter-productive and hinder more than help. Some people believe that the budget is only increasing in the health sector by such amounts because the ongoing criticisms have driven the government to improve its image and please the people to keep the current party in power. Fostering high standards of education is the Governments greatest responsibility. In England this responsibility lies with the Departments for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). About 93 per cent of children are educated in state-run primary and secondary schools; the remainder go to independent schools that rely on privately-paid tuition fees. Through these central government organisations, the provision of education in the UK includes monitoring and improving standards in schools, colleges and universities; ensuring that everyone no matter what disability or special need they may have is included and has access to high quality education; promoting work experience for young people and vocational training for employees; and encouraging lifelong learning. Through the British Council, the Government actively promotes education in the UK to countries all over the world. Other major organisations help to guide and make welcome some 275,000 overseas students who currently enjoy the advantages of living and studying in the UK. Before June 2007 schools were the responsibility of the former Department for Education and Skills. Education is gradually becoming increasingly more important within the UK as greater than ever numbers of young graduates roam the job market relegating others without degrees into a league of themselves. To employers education is the main thing they look at on CVs, dismissing experience and background for the simple number on the piece of paper. So education is a main priority for the government to try and make Britains children as well qualified as they can be, pushing the economy further up the ladder and improving things for all. So education for the government has became a huge priority and this can be shown by the recent announcement to raise the school minimum leaving age to 18; offering college courses and apprenticeships and also A-Levels to every child. Implementing this new legislation would obviously require a huge increase in the budget allocated for education, which would either mean another increased tax, which has happened for the past 11 years while Gordon Brown had been Chancellor, or sacrificing other areas of spending to improve education. Making these decisions requires undoubtedly many months of thinking and consultation before arriving at a suitable judgment. In the 2007 budget report, the government announced that investment in education and skills would rise to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90bn by 2010/2011. In a clearer spectrum, there is a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4bn increase from 2006 to 2007 then a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5bn increase from 2007 to 2008 and therefore proves that the government is gradually increasing the percentage increase spent on education annually. In evaluation it can be said that although there isnt a dramatic increase in the spending on the education sector, there are other factors that affect the efficiency of it too. For example money may not be being spent efficiently in the employment and the social protection areas, which are having a direct effect on the education, this can easily be mistaken as problems within the education spending rather than stepping back and realising that it could be issues somewhere else. Increasing the funding in education and training programs could significantly reduce unemployment levels (a major concern for the government) and increase the productivity per worker. In the UK the productivity per worker is substantially lower than other countries such as the US and Germany by as far as 30% in 2002. I believe that education is a major priority for the current government as competition from other countries towers above Britain and with the productivity per worker as low as it is, surely suggests that something within the education sector must be improved to raise our working standards. As the investment in education carries on rising at such rates it must be taken for granted it is becoming an even greater priority, especially with other countries almost mocking us with their efficiency. In 2007 we missed 24 of our 57 targets set by the government in education which raised awareness of the problem widely and brought it to the forefront of priorities. I believe in Britain we need better qualifications to lower unemployment and bring our workforce into the productivity ranges we need to compete with other countries or otherwise our place in the worlds economy will gradually being to fall. In comparison with previous years spending the 2007 budget does not seem to have any major, out of place differences with previous years and generally it appears every sector has just risen with the same annual percentage. However it is within these sectors where the money expenditure has changed. Implementing new legislations and programs, eliminating ineffective ideas and changing the dynamics of how each area is run is where the change in money being spent has taken place. This is a pie chart to represent the budget was spent in 2006: In 2007: In conclusion the amount spent on each sector does reflect the amount to which it is a priority but many other factors must be taken into account when judging that. Some areas such as social protection are such a far larger sector than that of industry, agriculture, employment and training and therefore will ultimately require more money to keep it running smoothly and keep the economic balance. Other areas may be of greater importance and priority such as education, but by spending ridiculous amounts of money on it will be counter-productive and cause many long term problems so despite the fact it is more of a priority, by spending less money on it does not reflect that. By reviewing past years budgets and comparing them with more recent ones it is possible to find where greater amounts of spending has occurred and what sectors are gradually having a greater percentage increase in their spending annually. Another reason why spending doesnt reflect current government priorities is because although spending may not increase that much, time and effort to reorganise and implement new legislation to improve an area could equally suggest that it is a priority but money would not solve it, just improving the efficiency would. Sometimes spending money on one area will directly affect another positively anyway such as improving education will also improve employment and training. As a general rule the governments role is to keep inflation low, keep unemployment low, balance in international trade and maintain a flourishing and prospering economy. The government has been investing large amounts of money into training schemes and other projects that have ultimately led to the unemployment rate falling to 5.2% in February 2008. The claimant count was 793,500 in February 2008, down 2,800 over the previous month and down 126,500 over the year. This is the lowest figure since June 1975. The claimant count has now fallen for 17 consecutive months. This shows that the investments into training and education has led to the fall in unemployment which proves my theory that spending in other sectors subsequently helps others. One could just quite plainly say that the government spending does not reflect current government priorities or otherwise if it did then there would be a perfect economy because the money spent would be used to its full potential in exactly the right places, doing exactly the right thing; lowering unemployment, improving healthcare, lowering inflation etc. I believe that the difference in the previous budget and the current one describes the extent to which the budget reflects current government priorities better than the looking at the budget itself as the current priorities will determine how much spending will increase in each sector and those with the larger increases (after taking into account inflation) show that they are more of a priority than those with little or no increase. Generally, the government invests the money into areas which is sees to be crucial for the future, so dependent on the priorities, the budget is spent taking into account these and areas of needed development; so if it isnt spent directly reflecting government priorities, it has taken these into account and spent it most wisely considering areas that need improvement but are not always priorities. Bibliography http://tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/fiscalpolicy/public_spending.htm http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/economy/policy/tools/government/ http://tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/fiscalpolicy/public_spending.htm http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/economy/policy/tools/government/gexpex.htm http://budget2007.treasury.gov.uk/page_09.htm http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_07/bud_bud07_index.cfm http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_index.cfm http://budget2006.treasury.gov.uk/page_09.html http://www.adb.org/SocialProtection/default.asp http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Documents/UK_Economy/Fiscal_Policy/ukecon_fisc_policy99.cfm http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780198776222/carlin_chap05.pdf http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm http://www.ntd.co.uk/idsbookshop/details.asp?id=844 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/bank/business/external/policy/expl.htm http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page7489.asp

Essay --

Taylor Siegel December 11, 2013 â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world† is an inspirational quote said by Nelson Mandela. Unfortunately, many kids are being deprived of a proper education. Too many kids are dropping out of school to help their parents earn money to support their families economic needs. Essentially, something must be done to help these children get a better education. Too many kids are dropping out of school and something must be done to stop them. The general dropout rate is 2.2% and the New York dropout rate is 2.7% and that is too much. 40 percent of children who are suffering from poverty are not prepared for primary schools. Primary school is very important because it prepares kids for later life. Kids who do not attend primary schools fall behind and have a lot of trouble catching up to the other students. Sometimes parents aren’t making enough money to pay for transportation or the parents get divorced and the parent in charge isn’t working so one of the kids has to help support the family. Kids from low income...

Astro Monopoly Essay

Watching television has become a basic necessity among the people from all walks of life in today’s affluent society. In globalize era by today, the amount of satellite television provider has increase vigorously in the world. But Astro is still the one and only satellite television provider available in our country, Malaysia. (Wikipedia)The definition of Astro is an acronym for All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator. Astro is Malaysia’s leading integrated cross-media group with operations in 4 key businesses: Pay TV, Radio, Content and Digital. It also transmits digital satellite television and radio to household in Malaysia and Brunei. (Astro)They launched in 1996, and today they have 50% penetration of TV homes in Malaysia, making it a key pay TV operator in Southeast Asia. Astro has also appreciated customer input and feedback and they can continuously strive to provide quality service and products to customers. (Astro)The People’s Choice, Astro was also awarded the â€Å"Brand of the Year† award at Malaysia’s Putra Brand Awards 2012. This award is in recognition of Astro’s efforts to exemplify innovation, quality, and strong corporate social responsibilities. Now Astro has nearly increased in a base of 3.1 million. Therefore, it is fairly obvious that viewer in our country has no chance to choose the other satellite television provider. (Lim)What is the reason that makes Astro able to monopolize Malaysian’s satellite television industry? This is due to the reason that they are the only company that get the permission and license to broadcast by the government of Malaysia. To further illustrate this point, they have the ability to set the price of their service because they are the price maker in the industry. As they are the price maker, sometimes the customers are not satisfied about the high price they set with the limited choice of package to choose from. In some package that subscribers purchased, there are always some channels that they are not interested in but are made to pay for it. (Times)According to the recent article published in ‘New Straits Times’ in 2011 in George Town, The Consumers Association of Penang has questioned the monopoly enjoyed by Astro and wants the government to explain why the pay television operator had been given an exclusive licence for 20 years. (Times)CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the monopoly enjoyed by Astro had snuffed out the chances of other satellite channel operators from entering the market and providing better service to consumers. He said in other countries, viewers had several operators offering programmes at lower rates than Astro. He also said the combination of channels in the family package offered by Astro was too rigid and few channels were likely to be of interest to any particular demography of society. He said the government should encourage new pay-TV operators and allow TV accessories to be sold in the free market like in other countries. Meanwhile, in an immediate response, an Astro public relations department spokesperson said the company would refer CAP’s concern to its management for further deliberation. (Lim) (Astro)Another point that related to Astro’s monopoly is the barriers to entry. It is very hard to stop Astro’s monopoly in the satellite television industry. Many new firms fail to enter the industry as the investment is too high for them. The new firm would need to pay for their own satellite which costly for them. Even if there is a firm that has sufficient capital for their investment, they still failed to enter the industry due to the directive of government. As a conclusion, Astro is still remaining customer’s top choice nowadays. It is because no other satellite television provider can substitute Astro. The people around the country have also accepted Astro as part and parcel in their lives. For my experience with Astro, my family have subscribed to Astro since I am six. Astro brought many advantage that as I can watch many variety of show and it also help to reduce my boredom. But now, we are using Astro B.yond PVR. It is convenient as it is a personal video recorder. We can record the videos that we want to watch while we are away. However, Astro have satisfied customer’s needs and wants to prolong the lifespan of the company. It is very difficult to stop Astro’s monopoly in the satellite television industry as it is the only satellite television in our country and no other firms can substitute it so far.

Human resource management Essay

1. How can human resource management contribute to a company’s success? Human resource can contribute to a company’s success in that, it helps the organization motivate people ensuring that their goals are met and satisfied, individual’s goals or needs could vary from money, self-realization, learning, developing and more so growing as an individual. 2. Imagine that a small manufacturing company decides to invest in a materials resource planning (MRP) system. This is a computerized information system that improves efficiency by automating such work as planning needs for resources, ordering materials, and scheduling work on the shop floor. The company hopes that with the new MRP system, it can grow by quickly and efficiently processing small orders for a variety of products. Which of the human resource functions are likely to be affected by this change? How can human resource management help the organization carry out this change successfully? The human resource functions likely to be affected by almost all nine functions of Human resources. The design of work would need to be considered in a new light than it was before the change in systems. The human resource management job would change itself as it’d become automated, Recruitment, selection, hiring as well as training would require some modifications. Performance management would need to be reevaluated because of the changes from the new system. Human resource management can help the organization carry out the change successfully by using its knowledge of individual’s behavior as well as performance management tools so as to help the organization to manage the process in a productive manner. 3. What skills are important for success in human resource management? Which of these skills are already strengths of yours? Which would you like to develop? The skills important for Human resource management are as follows: * Organizational * Business Ethics * Communication * Multitasking * Dedication * Decision making skills * Leadership skills * Technical skills All of these skills are strengths of mine; however, I need to improve on my leadership skills as well as my technical skills to keep me updated on new techniques. 3. Traditionally, human resource management practices were developed and administered by the company’s human resource department. Line managers are now playing a major role in developing and implementing HRM practices. Why do you think non-HR managers are becoming more involved? Line managers are becoming involved in the development and implementations of human resource management practices because the information from line managers is needed to determine policies and practices that would be used to reinforce the day to day needs of the organization 5. If you were to start a business, which aspects of human resource management would you want to entrust to specialists? Why? If I were to start a business, the aspects of human resource management which I would entrust to specialists are Administrative services and transactions, which would take care of hiring employees and answering questions. I chose this aspect because, with the knowledge of my business, the human resource specialist will be in a better position to find the qualified applicants. 6. Why do all managers and supervisors need knowledge and skills related to human resource management? All managers and supervisors need knowledge and skills related to human resource management because; some of their responsibilities are usually closely related with the functions of human resource managers, such as interviewing candidates, providing training, analyzing employees work. Taking a close look at their jobs, managers and supervisors are sometimes the face of the company to their employees. 7. Federal law requires that employers not discriminate on the basis of a person’s race, sex, national origin, or age over 40. Is this also an ethical requirement? A competitive requirement? Explain. In my opinion, it is not an ethical requirement because ethics simply refers to the principles of knowing what is right and what is wrong. Further, organizations have to adhere to laws and regulations which are put in place. It is not a competitive requirement either because; most people would rather work for a company who they can trust. If the company is operating on an unethical manner, its might be detriment to the company and if they operate in an ethical manner, then the company would benefit from that. 8. When a restaurant employee slipped on spilled soup and fell, requiring the evening off to recover, the owner realized that workplace safety was an issue to which she had not devoted much time. A friend warned the owner that if she started creating a lot of safety rules and procedures, she would lose her focus on customers and might jeopardize the future of the restaurant. The safety problem is beginning to feel like an ethical dilemma. Suggest some ways the restaurant owner might address this dilemma. What aspects of human resource management are involved? The restaurant owner may address this dilemma by acquiring some knowledge on the values of safety training as safety is important for workers as well as the customers. If the owner views the safety training as an addition to value to the restaurant, the owner may be able to get over any fears and worries associated with this dilemma. The area of human resource management that could be involved would be the training and development function. 9. Does a career in human resource management, based on this chapter’s description, appeal to you? Why or why not? No, a career in human resource management does not appeal to me, this is because, I have career aspirations which does not fall under any aspects of Human resource management.

What Is a 401k Everything You Need to Know

What Is a 401k Everything You Need to Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you have the option of setting up a 401k plan? Does your employer offer a 401k matching benefit? Are you confused about what these words even mean? Don't worry! We'll explain everything you need to know about these accounts, but, first, what is a 401k, exactly? A 401k is a retirement savings account sponsored by an employer and designed by the government to give you tax benefits on your savings. Your money quietly grows until the time you can withdraw it in your late 50s. This guide will explain exactly what a 401k does, what you can and can't do with it, how to put money in it, and how it can set you up for a financially secure retirement. For anyone new to the world of 401k plans, let’s start with a quick review of terms. Saving for Retirement Terms: A Glossary Here are some terms you’ll see throughout the guide and a brief working definition of each: 401k: an employer-sponsored retirement account that allows your money to grow over time. Your company has to offer it, and it chooses the rules. Traditional 401k: this is the most common 401k account. You contribute money before it is taxed. Then, you pay taxes on your money when you withdraw after age 59 1/2 (or 55 if you've retired). Roth 401k: this is a newer 401k account where you contribute money that’s already been taxed. You don’t have to pay taxes later when you withdraw. IRA: this stands for Individual Retirement Account. An IRA doesn’t have to be employer-sponsored. You can transfer your 401k money into an IRA in the event you lose your job or your company goes under. Brokerage account: another option for investing your money independently. A brokerage account doesn’t offer the same tax benefits as a 401k or IRA, but your stock options are unlimited. Employer matching: many employers will match all or some of your yearly contributions to your 401k. Free money! While Roth 401k’s are gaining in popularity, most of us will still be offered a traditional 401k through our company. Therefore, we'll start by going more into detail about traditional accounts to answer our million dollar question: what is a 401k plan? Employer matching is the best. With both you and your company contributing to your nest egg, it can grow quite large over time. What Is a 401k? A 401k is an employer-sponsored retirement savings account. Not all employers offer 401ks, but those who do determine how it works. For instance, the employer chooses the various funds that make up your 401k portfolio. Since your employer has to offer it, you can't set up a solo 401k on your own. If you decide to open a 401k account, you’ll typically contribute money to it automatically each month or year. If so inclined, your company may match your contributions anywhere from 25% to 100% (some companies even go beyond 100% for the highest paid employees). Some 401k companies start by matching a small percentage of your contribution and increase this percentage the longer you work for them. There are lots of ways you can save money for retirement, including establishing an IRA or brokerage account or collecting bills in an old coffee jar. What are the advantages of putting money into a 401k as compared to these other methods? What Are the Advantages of a 401k? There are several advantages to a 401k, as well as a few limitations. Let’s start with the benefits. #1: Tax Benefits 401k plans allow your money to grow untaxed. Traditional 401ks let you contribute pre-taxed money. When you eventually withdraw the money, that’s when you’ll pay taxes on it. Roth 401k plans have you contribute already taxed money. When you take it out, you don’t have to pay any taxes on it. IRA and Roth IRA accounts also have tax advantages, but they often set restrictive limits on how much money you can contribute per year. Some only allow you to put in $5,500 a year, while 401k plans, as you'll read below, allow you to put up to $18,000, or even more if you're including an employer match. In a brokerage account that you can set up independently of an employer, your money would be taxed twice. In a 401k (traditional or Roth), your money is only ever taxed once. This tax set-up is a big benefit of 401k accounts. #2: Annual Compound Growth The second advantage of putting your money into a 401k as opposed to say, a coffee jar, is that it allows your money to grow over time. Thanks to the power of compounding interest, you could see your money grow significantly over decades. If you contribute $5,000 per year when you’re 25 and your money grows at a 5% annual rate, for example, then you would have an additional $30,000 more than you would if you started contributing ten years later. You’ll see significantly more money the earlier you start saving. You could bury your savings in your backyard, but the only thing your money would grow is mold. #3: Employer Matching Some, but not all, employers will match a percentage of your annual contributions. Employer match is essentially free money! Unless you really can’t afford it, you should strive to get the full employer match you can per year to make the most of this offer. #4: High Contribution Limits As mentioned above, 401k plans also have higher contribution limits than some independent retirement accounts. Some IRAs only let you put about $5,500 a year, while 401k limits are set at about $18,000, depending on the year. That limit doesn’t include any matching contributions made by your employer, so you could actually put a lot more per year into your 401k. We’ll get into the exact numbers below. All in all, 401ks are appealing because they offer significant tax advantages for your retirement savings, allow your money to grow over time, and they may involve significant contributions from your employer. That being said, there are some 401k limits that you should know about. Below are the three main limitations. What Are the Limitations of a 401k? Since your company offers the 401k plan, it also sets up certain rules and regulations. For instance, your employer chooses the stock options that make up the 401k. While you might have unlimited options with a brokerage account, you may only have a few with your 401k. This can actually be an advantage for some people, who would rather take a more hands-off approach to how their money gets invested. Secondly, some employers put in place a â€Å"forfeit law.† If you get laid off and have less than a certain amount of money in your 401k, then you don’t get that money back. Your company will set this amount and the details of any forfeit law. Make sure to ask whether or not your company has one. Finally, some companies also require you to work with them for a minimum number of years before you’re fully â€Å"vested† and can retain their matching contributions. If you leave or lose your job before that time, you can still keep your own savings, but any employer match contributions will disappear. Now that you know the advantages and limitations of a 401k, what do you have to do to set one up? Do you choose your investments, or does the company decide for you? Continuing with the nest egg metaphor, do you have to build the basket where your savings eggs will grow? What Steps Should You Take to Set Up Your 401k Plan? The first step in establishing your 401k plan is signing up with your employer. Typically, your employer or an HR professional should go over the steps with you when you get hired. If you chose not to sign up when you first started working at the company, you can still speak to your employer about how to sign up now. As you fill out the requisite paperwork, you’ll decide how much money you want to contribute. You can increase or decrease this amount if your circumstances change, but you won’t be able to withdraw money once you’ve deposited it (before retirement age) without a penalty. Once you’ve opened your account, you can take an active investing approach or put the 401k on autopilot. As mentioned above, your employer will choose the stock options, and you can choose how your money gets distributed among them. The majority of people, though, simply go with a â€Å"target-date† fund. With a target-date fund, you set the date you might retire, say, 2050, and the 401k does the rest. You won’t have to design your portfolio; instead, the account itself will adjust how your assets are allocated over time. If you do decide to take a more active approach, a good rule of thumb to follow is to have a diversified portfolio that can ride out the ups and downs in the market. With a diversified portfolio, you can help make sure that your savings will grow over time. While the amount of money you can afford to contribute to your 401k varies by individual, there are certain limits in place. Read on for the 401k contribution limits in 2016. How Much Money Can You Contribute to Your 401k? There are 401 k limits that determine how much money you can contribute to your account per year. These 401k contribution limits fluctuate a bit over time along with inflation. As of 2016, people under 50 could put in up to $18,000 per year. People over 50 could put in $24,000. The additional $6,000 is considered a â€Å"catch up† contribution for those who didn’t max out their limits in earlier years. Any company matching doesn’t count toward this 401k limit. The maximum combined contribution (yours plus your company match) can go up to $53,000. A good rule of thumb is to invest about 10% of your annual income, if possible. If you have employer matching, then you should also strive to get the biggest match contributions you can. Besides 401k limits, there are also rules about when you can take money out of your 401k. Read on to learn when you can make a 401k withdrawal. If you withdraw your money early to buy a four-day Bonnaroo ticket, you’ll pay a steep penalty. Better to let it sit until you retire. When Can You Get Your Money Out of a 401k? You can take money out of your traditional 401k starting when you’re 59 1/2 (regardless of whether you've retired or not) OR if you retire at age 55 or higher. If you try 401k withdrawal before that time, then you’ll incur a hefty 10% penalty fee. So far, everything discussed applies mainly to traditional 401k accounts. They let you contribute pre-taxed money and have penalties for withdrawing money before you reach a certain age. There is one other kind of 401k with different rules and regulations called a Roth 401k. Read on to learn more about a Roth 401k and how it differs from the traditional 401k accounts that most employers offer. The main difference between a traditional 401k and a Roth 401k has to do with when you pay the tax man. What Is a Roth 401k? In addition to a traditional 401k, some companies also offer a Roth 401k. A Roth 401k has a few differences from a traditional 401k. The most important difference is that a Roth 401k has you contribute money after it’s been taxed. When you withdraw money from the account later, you won’t have to pay taxes on it. The second difference has to do with 401k withdrawal rules. A Roth 401k plan lets you take out your money at any time without penalty after you’ve held the account for five years. You won’t have to pay a 10% penalty as you would on a traditional plan for Roth 401k withdrawal before a certain age or retirement. If your employer offers both traditional and Roth 401k options, which one should you choose? Traditional 401k vs. Roth 401k: Which One’s Better? If your employer offers both a traditional 401 k and a Roth 401k, then you have to decide which one to choose or, alternatively, whether to set up both types. Essentially, you want to figure out which type of 401k will help you save the largest amount of money in the long run. There are also some psychological factors that come into play. #1: Do You Want to Be Taxed Now or Later? As you read above, a traditional 401k taxes your money later while a Roth 401k taxes your money now. If you’re young, not making a lot of money, and not currently getting taxed highly, then a Roth 401k might be the preferable option. While you won’t be putting as much money into the account initially, you will be able to leave your money for many years to grow. If you’re older, make a high paycheck, and are in a high tax bracket, then you might want to go with a traditional 401k. That way, your money will be taxed when you retire and are in presumably a lower tax bracket than you are presently. Both traditional and 401k plans have great tax benefits. You should just need to decide which would benefit you more. #2: How Is Your Financial Self-Control? Beside figuring out the tax situation, there’s a self-control factor to think about. If you need all the money in your traditional 401k, then you’ll want to set aside other savings to pay the eventual large tax bill. Will you be able to set aside money to pay taxes later, or at least plan around the large chunk of your savings that will get taken away by taxes when you retire? On the flip side, if you open up a Roth 401k, will you have the self-control not to withdraw any of your savings after the five-year mark when you can withdraw penalty-free? Besides weighing the tax benefits, you should ask yourself these questions to figure out which option is better. Finally, you might not decide not to choose between them at all and instead opt for both types of accounts. Should You Choose Both a Traditional and Roth 401k? Some financial advisors suggest going with both a traditional 401k and a Roth 401k if you have the option. You don’t actually have to choose one or the other, but instead, can split your savings between the two. Going with both is similar to diversifying your stock portfolio to reduce risk. We can’t know what tax laws will come into play in the future, so choosing both a traditional and Roth 401k is a way to hedge your bets. Now that you know the ins and outs of both traditional 401ks and Roth 401ks, let’s go over the essential points that you need to remember about saving for retirement. What Is a 401k? Just the Essentials These are the key points you need to remember about a 401 k plan: A 401k is a retirement savings account that some employers offer. You can contribute a certain amount per year, and your employee might match your contributions (free money!) In a traditional 401k, your money is taxed when you withdraw, not now. In a Roth 401k, your money is taxed now, not when you withdraw. 401k tax policies are superior to those of brokerage accounts, where your money is taxed twice. Your money will grow over time thanks to the power of compounding interest. Start early to have the most amount of money saved for retirement! Now that you have a better understanding of what HR is talking about during new employee orientation, how should you proceed? Should you join in on the 401k fun? With a 401k, you can predict the future, at least the financial part. Should You Contribute to a 401k? Magic 8 ball says, â€Å"Most likely!† Unless you can’t cover your living needs, there’s no reason not to set aside some money for Future You. She’ll really appreciate it. Of course, your employer has to offer a 401k plan. If your company doesn't offer 401k benefits, then you can't set up a solo 401k. You could instead save money for retirement in an IRA, Roth IRA, or brokerage account. If you do have the option of a 401k, a good rule of thumb is to invest as much money as you can, perhaps about 10% of your income. If possible, try to max out any employer matching benefits so you get the most money you can from your employer toward your retirement savings. Start early to maximize the power of compounding growth. 401k accounts offer a simple, hands-off approach to saving for retirement. With just a little paperwork and rearranging of your daily expenses, you can save for retirement and reap huge financial benefits in your golden years.