History of Management Theory

Running Head: HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT THEORY History of Management Theory Troy Thompson 5409 Foxglove Drive, Bossier City, LA 71112 318-918-7413 [email  protected] com MSM 500 May 21, 2010 Class Instructor: Dr. David Bouvin Ellis University Introduction People and processes are the main elements under management purview, and it is interesting to learn how managerial philosophy pertaining to these two elements has evolved from the Industrial Revolution throughout the Progression Era and into the modern workplace. The purpose of this paper will focus on Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management, also known as the Taylor System, and Elton Mayo’s Human Relations business models and how they relate to this managerial evolution. Both Taylor and Mayo were iconic masterminds who lit the torch of innovative management for America to progress out from days of uncontrolled process variation and unethical human treatment towards a new beginning of quality management and human respect in the workplace. The primary sources examined are Chapter 1 of Frederick Taylor’s The Principles of Scientific Management, and The Encylopedia of the History of American Management, Elton Mayo. Both sources will guide this paper in the direction of modern day relevancy. The Taylor System Before the Taylor System, factories during the Industrial Revolution concentrated on meeting the demand agriculture commerce from both home and abroad (Montagna, 1981). The focus was not necessarily on quality or the treatment of human labor (Montagna, 1981). Instead, the environment reflected heavy-and-go forms of process flow combined with poorly supervised labor. With his engineering mind and passion for efficiency, Taylor responded to these inadequacies and began his efforts of applying mathematics and engineering principles to eliminate unnecessary effort in operations. The Taylor System gave birth to the following management practices: Incentive-Driven work performances, Time-Motion Studies, Centralized Management, Task Specialization, and Quality Control (Taylor, 1911). All these adoptions gave rise to a new management school of thought centered around a more productive work place, which Taylor considered to be â€Å"maximum prosperity† (Taylor, 1911). Taylor firmly believed in developing â€Å"captains of industry† rather than waiting on natural-born leaders to come along (Taylor, 1911). He also recognized a need for more involvement from the supervisors in the workplace to help eliminate what he referred to as soldiering, or, laxed employee output. He said, â€Å"The 30 percent to 100 percent increase in wages which the workmen are able to earn beyond what they receive under the old type of management, coupled with the daily intimate shoulder to shoulder contact with the management, entirely removes all cause for soldiering† (Taylor, 1911). As the turn of the twentieth century neared, the progressive landscape begged for more efficient business practices (The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, line 16). This was the optimal time for the principles by which operational capacity could be measured, analyzed, streamlined, and controlled to take hold. This system then became a cornerstone on beset of the Great Depression and followed by future management theorists from then on after. One criticism of Scientific Management is that it demanded top-performance in every worker and near perfect throughput on the production line, developing into a quasi authoritarian-style form of bureaucracy. Workers were afraid to out-produce one another on the basis of peer pressure (Taylor, 1911). Taylor’s system was based on good intention, but just lacked understanding of the human side to the workplace. This left room for the work of Elton Mayo to yield fruition. Elton Mayo (Human Relations) Elton Mayo became famous through the Western Electric Company research project. The initial purpose of the project was to find ways to improve worker productivity. He and his team looked at how lighting, rest breaks, room temperature, etc. ffected worker productivity (Mayo, 2006). Through his research, he found a distinct discovery knows as the â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†, which described an increase in output by workers who perceived that they are being watched and studied somehow (Mayo, 2006). Mayo viewed the Hawthorne Effect as a symptom of a bigger issue. He then diverted from his original hypothesis of physical factors to the examination the socio-political factors. What he found was that employees valued acceptance by their peers more than anything else (Mayo, 2006). Also unique about Mayo’s observations was the paradigm-burst that employees were not motivated primarily due to compensation, but were motivated primarily due to job satisfaction; this, of course, was a stark difference in Taylor’s theory that men were motivated best when they were given wages that were commensurate with their skill level. In support of Mayoism, as his principles later became known for, I applaud his principles of human relations that captured the essence of the Progressive Era in that they advanced employee respect in the workplace. Due to his influence, business leaders began to ask the question, what can be done to make our employees happier? New policies were adopted such as exit interviews, participative problem solving, and most novel of all – human relations (Mayo, 2006). Conclusion The essence of Taylor and Mayo’s legacies are of human ingenuity applied to enhance work settings, in terms of both people and processes. The best form of both elements can be seen in today’s business strategy of continuous process improvement, which is a group effort to optimize key processes in an organization. From Six Sigma, to Gantt Charts, to Brainstorming, to Exit Interviews, it is hard to imagine a work setting without the production techniques these two management gurus inspired. For example, the Air Force has embraced a culture of innovation called Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21). Through AFSO21, Airmen are encouraged to look at the way they do business and think of ways to make their areas more efficient, more safe, energy-saving, and effective. Many Fortune 500 companies have also incorporated continuous process improvement into their business mantra as a result of business management education guided by the wisdom of Taylor and Mayo. References American Society of Quality. < http://www. asq. org/learn-about-quality/history-of-quality/overview/industrial-revolution. html> Mayo, G. (2006). In Encyclopedia of the History of American Management. Montagna, J. (1981). The Industrial Revolution. Taylor, F. (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper Bros. , 1911: 5- 29. The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers. â€Å"The Progressive Era. † Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt, ed. by Allida Black, June Hopkins, et. al. (Hyde Park, New York: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, 2003).

Marketing Strategies Of Greenwich Pizza Essay

Greenwich re-invents itself more with a more dynamic â€Å"G† logo to attract more customers. This brand look is also an indication of how attuned the company is with the ever-changing times and evolving customer lifestyles. From its previous dark green and red color scheme, Greenwich stores were redesigned with a contemporary motif using the brighter and more dynamic colors of brilliant green and vivid rose. The new colors and graphics help create a livelier, more inviting ambience in Greenwich stores. In addition to this, the new corporate visual identity graphics exhibit the dynamism of the brand. This new look is also complemented by crunchier and tastier pizza products. With rich loads of toppings on crunchy pizza crust, Greenwich created an ideal balance between the customer’s expectations of product quality and taste and a pleasant dining experience. A whole new look, a whole new Greenwich! This is part of Greenwich’s continuing effort to reach out to pizza lovers all over the Philippines. POWERFUL ADVERTISING Greenwich aggressively harnesses tri-media to communicate all the benefits consumers can enjoy at Greenwich. This is augmented by the use of outdoor advertising materials and merchandising collaterals that help heighten public awareness of Greenwich offerings. All these complete effective campaigns and exciting promotions that inevitably translate to high sales performance. Greenwich focuses its marketing campaign on the yindie groups and the strategy has worked wonders. The term â€Å"yindie† has been around for a while now, although it did not become a buzz word like â€Å"yuppie. †It is defined in dictionaries as an informal term referring to a person who combines a lucrative career with non-mainstream tastes. From a pizza chain that was ranked five years ago somewhere in the bottom of the industry ladder with other small pizza stores, Greenwich has become the No. 1 pizza chain in the country, accounting for at least 60 percent of the P5-billion market. â€Å"Our market share is now bigger than those of the other two major pizza chains in the country, combined,† says Luis U. Velasco III, marketing director of Fresh N’ Famous Foods Inc. , maker of Greenwich pizza and a member-company of the Jollibee Foods group. Velascosaysthecampaignfocusingonthebarkadasstartedwhen,after conducting research five years ago, the company realized it was nowhere to be found in the pizza industry’s list of major players. It was lumped with the rest of small players, which were hardly making a dent in the pizza market. â€Å"We decided that we want our brand to be stronger in the minds of our consumers. We took a closer look at our products, identified our strongest offering, which is pizza, and studied its characteristics. We then looked for the type of market that we wanted to talk to,† Velasco recounts. â€Å"Pizza is a fun product, adventurous considering the many kinds of toppings one can put on it, less formal as you eat it with your bare hands whether sitting or standing and it is a type of food that people enjoy eating when shared,† he says. Given the characteristics of its main product offering, it was decided that Greenwich pizza and the yindies were a perfect match. Just like Greenwich pizza, the yindie market is casual, more adventurous, hip and fun, and interactive and inclusive. As Greenwich turned its focus on this segment of the market, the company decided to level up and redefine itself from being a fast-food to a fast-casual chain of restaurants. â€Å"Our roots are fast food and we are not abandoning it, we are only upgrading the customers’ experience in our restaurants,† Velasco says. To transform into a fast-casual restaurant, Greenwich did a makeover of all of its outlets, improved on its pizzas in terms of quality and the varieties of its offering, made its pastas (especially the lasagna) at par with the offerings of even some fine-dining restaurants in the metropolis, introduced other fun food like chicken wings, offered full meals and even breakfast meals in some outlets. â€Å"We upgraded our looks and our service to customers. Our offerings now are not the usual fast-food type of products anymore,† Velasco says. We have been known as the affordable pizza option, that is fine and we are keeping that. But we also want to be known for good taste, quality service and a part of the barkada. †

Economic Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic Globalization - Essay Example These terms, however, are not at all synonymous. A world economy with high levels of international trade and investment, would not necessarily make a globalized economy. It may remain a highly internationalized economy in which most companies trade from their countries in distinct national economies (Weiss, 1997 , see Hirst and Thompson, 1996: 185). The term 'global' could be meant to represent a new or different level of interaction. For example , Michael Mann's (1997) fruitful distinction of five different socio-spatial networks of social interaction in the contemporary world order: local, national, international, transnational, and global. Local and national networks refer to relationships formed within the nation-state , for example, regional support groups. Inter-national networks involve relations between nations and state networks. A multinational corportion would be a good example including more formal institutions for regulating economic and military affairs, such as the EU, the WTO, NATO, and the UN. (Weiss, 1997) Transnational networks carry within them the ability to operate without regard to national boundaries and without being affected by them. Thus, although typically understood as worldwide, transnational networks are not necessarily the same as 'global' ones , since they could also comprise of neighbouring economies . Global networks operate on a worldwide basis, these networks could range from political netowrks to economic networks.. The Red Cross, although Swiss in origin, appears to fit the bill. Most of the global organizations been prey to the 'national' differences. (Weiss, 1997 see Hu, 1992: 120) Globalization means the overlapping and diffusion of national economies to the point where the significance of national and international networks is reduced in relation to transnational and global networks. The notion of globalization thus conveys a 'widening' and 'deepening' of international ties to a degree that creates a qualitatively new (i.e. global) network of social interaction. There is therefore thetwin issue of globalization that needs to be addressed. Firstly, whether transnational and global networks are growing in importance relative to national and inter-national ones. Secondly, even if global networks have advanced very far - as in financial markets -the extent to which national and inter-national networks contribute to their continued operation and existence. (Mann,1997). "The real issue, then, is whether the kind of world economy in the making is a transnational one in which displacement of national and inter- n a t i o n a l networks of interaction is occurring, or one in which such networks (and thus the state) retain a pivotal, if changing, role. In sum, the power of the global idea (and, indeed, the purported weakness of state power) turns on whether or not 'national' and 'inter-national' networks of interaction are being both outweighed and displaced by 'transnational' networks." (Weiss, 1997) The use of the word 'globalization' could meant to claim that the nation-state is no longer an important entity. It is possible for a globalization tendency to

CHILDREN WITH ADHD Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CHILDREN WITH ADHD - Term Paper Example sists in treating Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); it stimulates brain cells, and adjusts hyperactivity, helps in concentrating and modifies motor skills also. But these medications are usually adjusted for every child with trial and error and the precise medication and dosage is determined per child as per his bodily reactions towards it. Some of the side effects related with these medications are; anxiety, sleeping disorders, stomach aches etc. Certain dietary supplements are reported to have positive effects on an Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affected child. A child consuming healthy diets has an edge on combating the disease; this includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein diets. Where as a child with ADHD will have negative effects on his health if he is taking food additives and excessive sugar (AACAP, 2013). The most common drug prescribed for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is Ritalin, it is readily available and generally it is given to children six years and above, but in a special cases it can be prescribed for younger children. Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, and it reacts with the chemicals of brain and nerves which controls impulses. It is an addictive drug and it is not prescribed for pre-schoolers for a long period. Parents who are dealing with a child having Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have to be much more vigilant, not only on the child in question, but on his older siblings as well. Since Ritalin is the readily available drug for ADHD, its abuse is very common too. Adult siblings of ADHD affected kids often caught of abusing this drug, because it causes alertness, gives a boost of energy and attention which helps them in performing better in tests. However the longer intake of this drug can be extremely harmful, even fatal (CESAR, 2013). Virginia is the second largest state which prescribes Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD in children. It

Multinational Culture and Development of a Dominant Market Player Essay

Multinational Culture and Development of a Dominant Market Player - Essay Example Rather, the process is much more akin to a learning curve through which each and every organization/firm/company must contend. Due to this non-uniformity, each and every firm experiences different levels of success with their attempts to make the difficult transition from that of a successful firm to that of a fledgling multinational. However, it can be argued that if there were such a thing as a single determinant that expressly assured a degree of multinational success it would be those companies that retain a healthy and vibrant culture that pervades every sector of their company and product/service offerings (Lashinsky 2005, p. 80). Such a statement will, of course, be corroborated by this analysis; however, even cursory examinations of a litany of multinational corporations that have succeeded share this common denominator towards eventual success. Moreover, the degree to which Sony focuses its energies on innovation and product development/change will also be discussed. Finally , a thorough examination of the ways in which company culture serve as a type of feedback loop into the items that have previously been listed, compounding, reinforcing, and encouraging the firm to even higher exemplifications of business success will be discussed and analyzed.

Human Trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example This research paper will explore the issue of human trafficking, look at its causes, effects, how it can be prevented and analyze its magnitude in a few sample drawing countries. Despite the fact that human trafficking is one of the main issues facing the world currently, there is no reliable data that can be used to estimate the number of persons trafficked annually. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, a body that is responsible for monitoring trafficking for the United Nations, explains that estimating the exact size of the human trafficking is a difficult task because the act is committed underground, and it often go misidentified or not identified at all.2 In addition, victims of human trafficking are often afraid to report cases of abduction to the authority because of the regular stern threats they get from the traffickers. However, various controversial research studies estimate that at least 600,000 to 800,000 young children and women are trafficked per year across the world. These are scary figures, especially considering the fact that the figures do not account for the number of persons trafficked within their own countries. Majority of the human trafficking victims are duped into the vice by the false promises made regarding to job opportunities.3 This is very common especially in the developing countries or the so-called third world countries, where the level of poverty is extremely high. Sources indicate that a significant number of women who are trafficked from these countries are lured into this trade using false marriage as the bait. In the developed countries such as USA, most of the human trafficking cases are related to sexual purposes. According to a study that was conducted on this topic in the country, more than 40% of all the human trafficking investigations in the USA are related to sexual trafficking of a child and roughly 80% of such cases involve United States citizens.

How do we explain the development of intrastate or civil conflict Essay

How do we explain the development of intrastate or civil conflict - Essay Example Internal conflicts contribute to disruption of the existing infrastructure and depreciate economic development, which is highlighted in poor African countries with long recovery periods that adversely affect people’s economic, health and social wellbeing (Collier, 1998). The politics of a country may make unequal distribution of a country’s resources and wealth, and this ultimately leads to violent rebellions against the rich and those in power. Armed civil conflicts are mostly common in the economically underdeveloped nations with high prevalence of joblessness, oppression, and injustice. The After Effects of European Colonialism The Berlin conference laid up the strategies for dividing Africa necessitating the creation of haphazard artificial boundaries. The large expanse of the African continent became a challenge for colonial administrators who lacked the manpower and resources to effectively rule the land (Shah, 2010). They used the divide and rule policy, which fe rmented numerous and disastrous conflicts. The boundaries colonialists created in Africa served their own economic interests. Colonialism erased entire cultures, and they way of life of many communities, most colonies were given minimal education, and religion to suit the Europeans needs (Shah, 2010). The postcolonial period proved difficult for Africans as the majority had useless skills unequipped for rebuilding their continent, coupled with people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultures crammed up together in depraved conditions. These people lacked the capacity to accommodate each other and develop nationalism that is exhibited in other parts of the world (Shah, 2010). Majority of the leaders that assisted Europeans to govern were ambitious and corrupt and they ruthlessly exploited their fellow Africans for their own gain. After independence, these people ascended to powerful political positions and to safeguard their positions majority used single party leaderships to rule. Single party leadership oppressed many citizens creating civil wars that led to assassinations and coups. These regimes are responsible for a majority of the civil wars experienced in Africa (Shah, 2010). Colonialists who introduced new cash crops directed the national economic activities of most developing countries. The Africans lost their native crops, which were suited to their climates and embraced foreign cash crops to serve the western markets exposing them to food insecurities (Shah, 2010). The nationalization of commercial cash crop farming and mineral mining in some regions make these people dependent on limited economic activities exposing them to fluctuating world market, prices increasing civil war risks. Africa constitutes very many ethnic communities and sub tribes that previously coexisted peacefully. The scramble for Africa by Europeans divided the continent and changed the structural life of Africans. Most colonialist governments promoted Darwinism, which elevated some communities and oppressed others leading to fundamental inequalities that have persisted to the current times. The Rwandese genocide arose from the tribal hierarchy left by the Belgium after Rwanda gained independence. They had made Tutsis

Interview Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Interview - Article Example However, over the years, he had managed to shift from literature research into institution management for the last seven years. The policy maker was also quick to justify and defend stringent policies on use of smart phones by students in class rooms, punitive measures on plagiarism claims and his inclination towards the American degree system. On his defense of the policies on mobile phone usage in classroom, the academician noted that new technologies had transformed the minor sources of distractions into profound cause of alarm for tutors. The prevalence of mobile phone usage in classrooms furthermore amounted to disrespect of tutors in addition to negatively impacting on their teaching morale while every students is busy on their smart phones and tablets. Alternatively, Dr. Lawrence added that the new policy against phone usage was to be guided by disciplinary action. According to this interview, Dr. Lawrence stated that the disciplinary action on mobile phone usage would take two stages, the informal stage and the formal stage. The informal stage entailed warning of student caught using their gadgets in school. Failure to restrain form these offences, the students would be asked to meet the directors of Regent and Webster University for further questioning. These two steps were termed informal since no record of the i ncidences would be registered on students account. On the other hand, the formal stage entailed official disciplinary action by the disciplinary committee of the institution for students who failed to heed their subsequent warnings. Another key issue raised by Dr. Lawrence was the new policies on plagiarism offences. He noted that despite the harshness of the newly formulated policies on plagiarism, it was imperative that students appreciate that the policy aimed at promoting behavior change of students concerning their attitude towards research projects and individual efforts. The newly formulated policies provided the Regent’s students

Law Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law Ethical Issues - Essay Example The essay "Law Ethical Issues" talks about the aspect of moral conduct within the law enforcement and the courts. Some of the moral issues that are recurrent in these two areas are; corruption, brutality towards the prisoners, controversial killing through either wrong sentencing or shooting by a police officer, drugs conspiracy among the court officials, the law enforcers, and the criminals. In this case, the drugs disappear from the evidence custody. Moreover, there is an inadequate investigation of the case by the law enforcer, which leads to a wrong court judgment. It is clear that some of these morals issues referred to in these two areas are, as a result, of recklessness and indiscipline. Others are due to the dilemma and long term relationship. Some of the breaches are due to lack of skills or even pressure, which affects their reasoning capability. The only necessary measures to address corruption would be, to ensure there is a regular transfer of the officials. This process will give them no room to establish a relationship with local people. Enough time should be providing for the investigations. More than one department of law enforcement should be pulled in carrying out the study of a given case. Regular training of the officers and discipline drills should be carried out on prisoner handling. Clear guideline as to when the firearm is to be used should be appropriately described. Review of judgments delivered by the Court should also be carried out by the superiors to confirm that no law has been breached.

Effective Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effective Team - Essay Example Remember everything is easy to do; all that makes it difficult will be the wrong mindset the person doing the thing might have whiles doing the thing. Teams are very important tools in various aspects of life ranging from education sports and the world of business. One very important thing that makes a team powerful is the coming together of various complementary skills from different individuals with different perspectives and qualities. All knowledge and skills are not embedded in only an individual . It is therefore important all these individual skills and qualities are brought together to complement one another or in other words enrich each others value and potential in attaining a common goal for the common good of all. This however makes teams especially i n the business sector very necessary and more powerful than indicial efforts in the performance of certain duties . Although characteristics of teams might sound very rosy, one difficulty that comes with it is its formation or I should say the ability to form an effective team. There is however more difficulty when the right steps are not taken before these teams are formed and when this happens managing the teams after formation becomes very difficult. These things that need to be considered before a team is formed will be explained into details later in the essay. WHO IS AN INDIVIDUAL From the definition of a team given earlier on in the essay, it is very obvious that individuals form the basic core and elements of a team. It is however important we take a look at who actually an individual is. This will help us especially in bringing the right and compactable individuals together to form a team. An individual however refers to a person or any subject in a collection. In this case, this collection will be all humans. Each individual however has his or her own unique qualities and skills but not all qualities and skills. It is therefore if not impossible, very rare to find an individual who poses all knowledge in all fields. This however means individual efforts and actions made in solving certain problems or attaining certain goals are limited hence reducing the efficiency in outputs of individual efforts as compared to the outputs of the efforts of an effective and well established team. In order to make good use of these individual traits and skills, it is important we bring all these individuals together and transform them into a strong team which will achieve great goals and give out efficient performances in whatever area of work that might be concerned, especially in the area of business. The process of transforming individuals into teams must however bring a complete change and all conditions of preservation and stagnation on the parts of the individuals must be eliminated. This also means certain mindsets and practices

Recording, Analysing & Using HR Information Essay Example for Free

Recording, Analysing Using HR Information Essay This document will review the organisation’s approach to collecting, storing and using HR data. It will cover why the organisation needs to collect HR data, the different types of data that is collected and how it is beneficial to HR, different storing methods and their benefit and UK legislation relating to the recording, storage and access to HR data. HR data contains highly sensitive information such as salary, pension information, grievances, and basic personnel information (name, address, and telephone details). A fine can be enforced up to ? 500. 000 in an organisation is found to have breached data protection. Data Management: There are many different reasons why an organisation needs to collect HR data from ensuring legal requirements are meet, to provide relevant information in decision making and planning, health and safety, protection from claims, working time directive. If used correctly it can serve as a very useful management tool. Holding recruitment new starter paperwork that contains a national insurance number and passport picture is essential to proving someone is eligible to work in the UK, without proof of eligibility the organisation can face a fine. Inductions record when an employee has been through the necessary requirements to do their role such as a health and safety course, and manual handling. This can protect the organisation if a claim was to rise with regards to injury or illness. If an employee raises a grievance as they have reached an unacceptable level of sickness. We can use the data held on our systems with regard to absences to prove when they have been in work and for how long, if we keep meeting notes we can also prove how we evaluated the situation and the action that was taken which can be used if it went to a tribunal, or if HR was looking at process management. The Inland Revenue can request data at any point from mileage, expenses, salary, national insurance, therefore it is essential we keep records such as P60, payslips, expense reports so this data can be crossed checked and proof that we have paid an employee correctly. Data Storage: From the moment an application is received to the moment an employee receives their P45 an organisation holds data. We call this the ‘Life Cycle of and Employee. ’ There are two methods in which we store data: Manual Records: This can be filing cabinets and folders held within storage cupboards. His is kept mainly as a backup should electronic systems fail or where original documents must be retained as a legal requirement such as a maternity MATB1 form. The benefits of this are the data is easily accessible and will not be prone to any electrical power failures or computerised scams which corrupt data. However there is the risk of keys being lost or data being seen by unauthorised personnel if it is not put away correctly. To prevent such occurrence a clear desk policy could be implemented. Systems: This can be excel spreadsheets that hold reports and link to other systems such as SAP, which is where we hold employee information such as address, salary, pension, hours worked, absences. The benefits of this method means you do not have to search numerous files as the data is held in one place, which is useful if an employee data request is received. As a sustainable organisation it benefits the environment as we don’t use paper. Documents are easily maintained and can be moved to different servers or USB devices for storage.

Synthesis Method of Napthoyl-thiourea Derivatives

Synthesis Method of Napthoyl-thiourea Derivatives CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY This chapter explains briefly on the synthesis method of napthoyl-thiourea derivatives, experimental characterization techniques (CHNS, FTIR, UV-Vis, UV-F, 1H and 13C NMR, Single Crystal X-Ray Crystallography Analysis, XRD, TGA, SEM, CV), electrodeposition of napthoyl-thiourea derivatives on ITO substrate, electrical conductivity measurement, IV curve characteristic, performance of organic diode and theoretical calculation via Gaussion 09 software package functions. 3.1  Reagents, Chemicals and Solvent All chemicals used in this study were commercially available and used as received without any purification step taken. Chemicals namely 1-napthanoyl chloride (C10H7COCl), ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN), 2-aminopyridine (C5H6N2), 2-amino-5-chloro-pyridine (C5H5N2Cl) and 3-amino-4-methylpyridine (C6H8N2) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. In addition, 2-amino-5-picoline (C6H8N2) and 2-amino-3-picoline (C6H8N2) were supplied from Merck. Solvents such as methanol (CH3OH), dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) and dimethylsulphoxide were supplied by Merck. Other solvents used in this study namely chloroform (CHCl3), ethyl acetate (CH3COOCH2CH3) and hexane (C6H14) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Acetonitrile (C2H3N) and diethyl ether (C4H10O) were supplied by R M chemicals. Whilst, acetone (CH3COCH3) was obtained from Fisher scientific. 3.2  Instrumentation and Characterization Techniques The infrared (IR) spectra of the synthesized compounds were recorded on a Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectrophotometer, Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 in the range of 4000-400 cm-1 using potassium bromide (KBr) pellets. Electronic absorption spectra of the samples were recorded in the range of 200-400 nm using Shimadzu UV-Visible Spectrophotometer 1601 series in 1cm3 cuvette while the electronic emission spectra were recorded in the same range by using Shimadzu UV-Fluorescence Spectrophotometer. For Single X-Ray Crystallography, the diffraction data were collected at 296.15K. The structure was solved and refined by using Olex2 solution program and refinement package using Gauss-Newton Minimization. The 1H (400.11 MHz) and 13C (100.61 MHz) NMR spectra were recorded using Bruker Avance III 400 Spectrometer in CDCl3 as solvent and internal standard at room temperature in the range between ÃŽ ´H 0–15ppm and ÃŽ ´C 0–200ppm, respectively. Besides, CHNS-O Analyzer Flashea 1112 series was used to determine the experimental percentage of C, H, N and S elements of the synthesized compounds. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed using Perkin–Elmer TGA Analyzer from 0oC to 700oC at a heating rate of 10oC/min under nitrogen atmosphere. Analytical thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was carried out on precoated plate of TLC Silica Gel 60 F254 (Merck) and spots were visualized with ultraviolet light. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed using Rigaku MiniFlexll from 3à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ±-80à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ±. The technique cyclic voltammetry was performed using Electrochemical Impedence Spectroscopy (EIS) PGSTAT302 with three-electrode cell consisting of a polished Pt rod working electrode, Pt disc counter electrode and AgCl reference electrode. The solutions were ~10-3 M in electroactive material and 0.1 M supporting electrolyte, sulphuric acid. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) PGSTAT302 was used to coat the synthesized compounds on the ITO thin film by using electrochemistry method. EIS was used to study the oxidation and reduction state of the element of the synthesized compounds. The surface morphology of the final synthesised compounds in the form of powder and thin films were scanned by JSM 6360 Joel Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with accelerated voltage 20 kV and magnification from 2000Ãâ€" until 10000Ãâ€" The electrical conductivity of the thin film was measured in the dark conditions by using Four-Point Probe and LI-200 Pyranometer Sensor with LI-1400 Data Logg er while Keithley 4200 SCS Semiconductor Characterization System and Probe Station were used for efficiency determination and OLED parameters were evaluated from IV curve. The performance as Diode was performed by using D2 Power Supply GP-430D. Last but not least, the experimental result were proven by using ab initio quantum mechanical evaluation at the theoretical level of DFT B3LYP/6-31G (d,p). The physical parameters such as dipole moment, energy band gap (HOMO and LUMO) and Mulliken Charges Bond length were calculated using Natural Bond Orbital Theory at the same theoretical level. 3.3  General Research Design In this study, the methodology is divided into four parts. Firstly, this research started with the synthesis napthoyl substructure of thiourea derivative. Secondly, all the synthesized compounds were characterized by using elemental analysis, typical spectroscopic and analytical techniques and electrochemical analysis. Next, the synthesized compounds were deposited on the ITO substrate as a thin film by using electrochemical deposition method. The conductivity and performance of the synthesized compounds as OLED were evaluated. Lastly, the experimental data were compared with the theoretical calculation by using Gaussion 09 software package. Figure 3.1 shows the schematic diagram of the experimental flow chart. 3.4  Synthetic Approach The synthetic approach to obtain the compounds of interest is shown in Scheme 3.2. Thiourea derivatives (15) were prepared by using 1-naphthoyl chloride as starting material. The mixture of 1-napthhoyl chloride, an equimolar amount of ammonium thiocyanate and designated amines (3-methylpyridin-2-amine, 6-methylpyridin-3-amine, 5-methylpyridin-2-amine, pyridine-2-amine and 5-chloropyridin-2-amine) in acetone was put at reflux with constant stirring for around ca. 10 hours. After completion, the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature before it was then filtered. The off-white precipitate was removed and the filtrate was added to some ice blocks. The precipitate was crystallised from hot acetone to afford crystals of the title compounds (15). Scheme 3.2The general overview of the synthetic pathway applied in this study 3.5  Experimental Section 3.5.1  Synthesis of N-((3-methylpyridin-2-yl)carbamothioyl)-1-naphthamide (1) A solution of 1-napthanoyl chloride (1.5ml, 1mol) with the equimolar amount of ammonium thiocyanate (0.76g, 1mol) in ca. 50ml acetone in 100ml two-necked round-bottom flask. The reaction mixture was put at reflux with continuous stirring for ca. 5 hours. Then, a solution of 6-methylpyridin-3-amine (1.07g, 1mol) in ca. 50ml acetone was added to the reaction mixture and was put at reflux with continuous stirring for ca. 7 hours. The progress of the reaction was monitored with TLC (Hexane: DCM; 3:2). Once the reaction completed the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and filtered into a beaker containing some ice cubes. The resulting light brown precipitate obtained, recrystallized from hot acetone to afford the title compound (1). 3.5.2  Synthesis of N-((5-metylpyridin-2-yl)carbamothioyl)-1-naphtamide (2) The title compound 2, (2.33g, 96%) obtained as light yellow crystalline solid was prepared from 1-napthanoyl chloride (1.5ml, 1mol), ammonium thiocyanate (0.76g, 1mol) and 3-methylpyridin-2-amine (1.07g, 1mol) in the manner as describe above. 3.5.3  Synthesis of N-((3-metylpyridin-2-yl)carbamothioyl)-1-naphtamide (3) The title compound 3, (2.66g, 98%) obtained as light yellow crystalline solid was prepared from 1-napthanoyl chloride (1.5ml, 1mol), ammonium thiocyanate (0.76g, 1mol) and 5-methylpyridin-2-amine (1.07, 1mol) in the manner as describe above. 3.5.4  Synthesis of N-(pyridin-2-ylcarbamothioyl)-1-naphthamide(4) In a manner similar to that described above 3, the title compound 4, (0.88g, 45%) obtained as light yellow crystalline solid was prepared from 1-napthanoyl chloride (1.5ml, 1mol), ammonium thiocyanate (0.76g, 1mol) and pyridin-2-amine (0.94g, 1mol). 3.5.5  Synthesis of N-((5-chloropyridin-2-yl)carbamothioyl)-1-naphthamide(5) The title compound 5, (1.97g, 87%) obtained as light yellow crystalline solid was prepared from 1-napthanoyl chloride (3ml, 1mol), ammonium thiocyanate (0.76g, 9.95mmol) and 5-chloropyridin-2-amine (1.28, 1mol) in the manner as describe above. 3.6Electrodeposition of Naptoyl-Thiourea Derivatives on ITO substrate The ITO substrates were used as working electrode was firstly cleaned with distilled water, detergent and acetone by using ultrasonic cleaner. All the synthesized compounds (15) were deposited on the ITO substrates by electrochemistry method by using Electrochemical Impendance Spectroscopy (EIS) PGSTAT302. By using the GPES method software, cyclic voltammetry (staircase) method was set to be in normal procedure. The depositions of the compounds were done in a mixture of compound dissolved in 45ml acetonitrile (10-3 M) and 5ml sulphuric acid (10-3 M) which act as supporting electrolyte .The cyclic of the process were set in Table 3.1 below. Figure 3.1 represent the arrangement layers of ITO/napthoyl-thiourea thin film. While, scheme 3.3 shows the overall methodology for organic light emitting diode (OLED) formation and characterization. Table 3.1 Procedure set for electrodeposition process No of scan 5 Start potential (V) 0 First Vertex Potential (V) 0 Second Vertex Potential (V) 3 Step Potential (V) 0.01 Scan Rate (Vs-1) 0.05 Figure 3.1The arrangement layers of ITO/napthoyl-thiourea thin film (1a5a) 3.7  Electrical Conductivity Measurement Four point probe was used to determine the conductivity of the thin film. The sheet resistivity of the films was measured with complete four probing system that consists of the Jandel Universal Probe combined with a Jandel RM3 Test Unit (Figure 3.2). In this study, the electrical conductivity of thin film was measured in dark condition to see its tendency to be applied as organic diode. Four probes were aligned and lowered onto the sample. The two outer probes supplied a voltage difference that drives a current through the film while the two inner probes pick up a voltage difference. Figure 3.2Jandel Universal Probe and RM3 Test Unit The sheet resistances (resistivity) for the thin films are shown in Equation 3.1 below. The unit of sheet resistance is ohms per square (à ¯Ã‚ -/sq): Rs = 4.532 x V / I (Equation3.1) Where: Rs = sheet resistance 4.532 = correction factor V = voltage measured I = current applied The electrical conductivity can be determined which it is the reciprocal (inverse) of the electrical resistivity, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³ as shown in Equation 3.2. The unit of electrical conductivity is ohm-1 m-1 (à ¯Ã‚ --1 m-1) = Siemens m-1 (Sm-1). à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³ = 1 / Rs(Equation 3.2) Where, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³ = electrical conductivity Rs = sheet resistivity 3.8  IV Curve Characteristic The IV curves of the 1a5a were measured by using Keithley 4200 SCS Semiconductor Characterization System and Probe Station (Figure 3.3). In this study, ITO substrate act as hole collecting layer (anode) while napthoyl-thiourea derivatives act as hole and electron carriers. The coated ITO substrates were mask with low work function metal which is aluminuim which act as cathode. Figure 3.3Semiconductor Characterization System and Probe Station The I-V curve shows the relationship between the currents and voltages gradient associated with the different current terminal (anode and cathode) of the diode. The obtained curve displays the forward current, reverse current, knee voltage and breakdown voltage of the diode. 3.9  Performance as Diode The performances of 1a5a as organic diode were tested by using D2 Power Supply GP-430D (Figure 3.4) under dark condition with difference voltagesin the range 15V to 30V. Figure 3.4D2 Power Supply GP-430D

Economic Trade Blocs

Economic Trade Blocs There has been a considerable development in regional economic integration schemes designed to achieve various economic, social and political purposes. Most countries in the world are members of one or more trade blocs known as regional integration agreement/arrangement (RIA). There has been a worldwide trend towards forming new regional arrangements and strengthening the existing ones. Inspired by the European Economic Country (EEC), now more popularly known as the European Union (EU) several regional integration schemes have been formed by the developing countries, particularly in Latin America and Africa. One more regional integration, that comes close to the EU in its boldness or its potential implications for the world economy is NAFTA (Cherunilam, 2005). Barriers to Trade in Selected European Union NAFTA A trade barrier is a common term that explains any regime policy or instruction that confines international trade. It can take many shapes, including: import duties, import licenses, export licenses, import allowance, taxes, subsidies, non-tariff barriers to trade, local substance necessities. Most of the trade barriers work on the similar principle i.e. the obligation of some kind of cost on trade that lifts the price of the traded products. Other trade barriers comprise of differences in culture, traditions, society, laws, language and exchange. Following are the trade barriers for identified trading blocs like European Union NAFTA: Customs duties among member states. Obstacles to the free course of import and/or export of goods and services among the member nations. Industrial/commercial policies concerning different countries. Barriers on movement of capital and people within the block. Common farming policies, transfer policies, scientific standards, fitness and wellbeing rule. Boundary control between different countries. Different internal taxation systems. Legal structures for business. Controls on movement of capital between the member countries. Protectionist community procurement policies. Advantages Disadvantages of being a Member Advantages: Friendship, cooperation among member countries strengthens. General state of member countries increases. It gives freedom to travel between member countries by simplifying visa regulations. A single economic space is created for member countries where they use common currency. Safety improves for member country. Trade relations strengthen, commodity circulation grows and trade improves in general for the member country. Disadvantages: National traditions and distinctive traits are lost by the member countries. Deflationary propensity increases between the member countries. Loss of power by the member country. Over estimation of trade benefits (Advantages and Disadvantages, 2008). Membership Conditions for European Union If a country wants to join the EU, it must value the doctrine and ideals upon which the EU is established. According to the treaties, contender countries must value the principles set out in agreements of European Union earlier than they can join the EU. Agreements affirm that The Union is based on the ideology of liberation, democratic system, respect for human rights ideologies which are ordinary to the Member States. Following are some principles which are required to be achieved by the country which wants to become a member of the EU: Political Principle: Country should be stable in providing definite democracy, the decree of law, human rights and admiration for and safety of minorities. Financial Principle: The survival of a running market economy as well as the ability to deal with aggressive force and market forces inside the Union is necessary for the member country. Institutional Principle: The country should have the capability to take on the compulsions of association, which contain the goals of political, economic and economic union (Conditions of Membership, 2005). Conditions for Membership Achieving membership in NAFTA is not an easy task. Membership to NAFTA would require discussions for membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) which takes a great deal of time because many countries are standing in line for this membership. Member country needs to negotiate different deals with dozens of WTO member countries and G-7 countries (Entering NAFTA: the twists and turns of negotiations, 1995). Impact on the Bilateral or Multilateral Relations By joining the European Union and other trading blocs like NAFTA, United States will become the member of these Unions. These membership conditions for the selected regional trading blocs will help in determining the positive and negative impact on the bilateral or multilateral relations with the United States. These impacts are given as under: Positive Impacts: U.S will attain significant achievements in economic reform. EU and NAFTA will present a large and open market for the U.S. Member States of the trading blocs will be able to socialize freely all over the twenty-five countries. US exporters will enjoy lower tariff rates in their deal among the new Member states. The present system in which US exporters are confronted with a range of import rules will depart. US industry, investors and exporters will be benefited from these trade blocs in their deals with others (Bilateral agreements and fair trade practices, 2007). Negative Impacts: The bilateral investment agreements accomplished among new Member States and the US will require proper alteration in order to make certain that US investors enjoy similar investment surroundings. Existing import quotas maintained by the EU and NAFTA will require modifications to take in consideration trade flows between the new Member States and other countries. The present EU tariffs levels will also be applicable to new Member States like the U.S (Burghardt, 2004). Cost of Compliance and Non-Compliance In the EU Treaty, the basic underlying principle is the loyalty of the Member States to the community through quick compliance with its systems. This guideline states that Member States can take measures to ensure completion of the obligations arising out of this treaty. The countries can also assist in the fulfillment of the community tasks. Further, they shall desist from any actions which could put in danger the accomplishment of the objectives of this agreement. Broadly, this issue of compliance has many features: Legal, Political, Institutional, Economic. There can be a possibility that member states may fail to act in accordance with this agreement. The reason can be unwillingness and unawareness of the compulsions. The compliance costs are higher comparatively in those countries which have at least one subsidiary than with those which have no subsidiaries. The increase in the compliance costs can be seen when there is an increase in the member of subsidiaries in foreign country. For large corporations, total weighted cost of compliance is approximately 1.460.000 and for medium size companies it is 203.000. Impact of Trade Transactions There are potential gains for member non member countries and trade blocs from economic integration which are as follows: Trade Creation: Whenever trade barriers between countries are removed, industries in respective countries will concentrate on the most efficient use of resources and produce those goods that they are most efficient at producing. All participants will gain from this kind of trade practice. Trade Diversion: It occurs when trade is diverted from countries outside the trading area to the countries located inside it. Prices and Competition: The removal of trade barriers has both consumption and production effects for member and non member countries. Economies of Scale: Many industries, such as steel and automobiles, require large-scale production in order to obtain economies of scale in manufacturing. Formation of trading blocks enlarges the market so that the large scale production is justified. Dynamic Effects: The dynamic effect of integration is that it brings about a more efficient allocation of resources throughout the different trading blocks promoting the growth of some businesses and the decline of others, the development of new technology and products and the elimination of old processes. Restructuring: This process is creating a large scale restructuring of industries and firms, with the relocation of industry and many cross border mergers alliances. All the impacts of trade transactions show that this will be helpful for the expansion of project. These trading blocs will have a positive impact on expansion as these agreements will offer measures for protection. Under these measures, any product which is the subject of preferential treatment is imported into the territory of a contracting party in such a manner or in such quantities as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury in the importing country (Hill, 2005). Conclusion Based on this analysis the regional trading bloc which can be selected is European Union which is also known as the European Community and the European Common Market. This agreement eliminates tariffs, quotas and other barriers on intra community trade which is necessary for expanding a project. This trading bloc devises a common internal tariff on imports from the rest of the world and permits the free flow of factors of production within the community. It helps in harmonizing taxation monetary policies and social security policies between member and non member countries. It presents a common policy on agriculture, transport and competition in the industry (Cherunilam, 2005).

Sweden :: Countries

Sweden is a country of many wonders. It has an amazing literary culture. The scenery is literally to die for. Sweden is a land of many hills and natural beauties. It is the home to many wonderful sports. Once you visit Sweden once, some say it is hard to not come back and even harder to leave. It is just an amazing place to visit or live. Sweden has a fascinating history. The Vikings from Sweden traveled in boats and carried out surprise attacks on enemies (Lerner 21). The origin of today?s democracy in Sweden originated from the Vikings (22). By the end of the 1800?s Sweden was in great economic danger. With an unemployment rate of one point six, Sweden?s jobs were in short supply (40). In the elections of 1991, Carl Bidlt became Sweden?s prime Minister. He worked to curd Sweden?s economic problems, and it worked (41). Sweden was back to normal in no time. Sweden?s economy is great. By most standards of living Sweden ranks within the top ten countries (Lerner 54). Industrialization did not take hold until the early 1980?s (54). Sweden has a large array of crops, though only three percent of the country is part of the farming industry (56). Sweden?s industrial sector contains one fourth of it?s population (56). Swedish firma are among the world?s leaders in computer-assisted design and manufacture (56). Sweden has a lot of diverse people among the society. Most of the people in Sweden are in their thirties to forties. Only a few are ninety or above (Lerner 46).

Trying To Avoid Gay Stereotypes :: Top 10 Gay Stereotypes

My name is Rob Geis, and I’m a male college student who happens to be gay. Now, I’m not an â€Å"oh-my-God!† gay, nor am I an â€Å"honey, that blouse is all wrong† gay, but for some reason that image gets stuck in people’s minds when I tell them that I am gay. In many ways, coming out was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I‘m free to do whatever I want under the banner of homosexuality: I can wear skimpy, too-tight clothing that doesn’t suit me, put on makeup, act effeminate and cutesy, or cry at the drop of a hat, without society so much as batting an eye. It’s a real pain. The gay stereotype is that we’re all promiscuous, shallow individuals who act extremely feminine and obsess over fashion. The problem is that there are more young gays who don’t fit the stereotype than those who do. In his 2005 Time cover story titled â€Å"The Battle Over Gay Teens,† John Cloud quotes one-time Young Gay America Magazine editor-in-chief Michael Glatze as saying, â€Å"Today so many kids who are gay, they don't like Cher. They aren't part of the whole subculture. †¦I don't think the gay movement understands the extent to which the next generation just wants to be normal kids.† There seems to be a constant pressure to â€Å"act gay† from others in the gay and straight communities. Look at the news media, which constantly focuses on extreme examples like gays marching down the street with pink lip gloss and Prada bags, shouting gay pride. Look at shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy which similarly depict the fluff and flutter of the brightly colored, empty-headed peacock that is the gay male. These portrayals make people expect that sort of behavior from gay men, almost demand it. From other gays, my speech is now open to unwarranted sexual innuendo. I can’t notice a cool pair of sunglasses a guy wears without â€Å"Ooh? So you think he’s cute?† popping up. I wasn’t looking; I just thought the sunglasses were cool†¦ that’s not so unusual, right? It’s the automatic assumption that everything I do is based on my sexuality that’s frustrating. The smallest flick of the wrist speaks volumes about how much of a homosexual I really am. But why cling to the stereotype if you’re gay? Is it so that members of the gay community, who went through their own ordeals and have experienced the same feelings, will recognize you and say, â€Å"You’re like us† and â€Å"Welcome†? Trying To Avoid Gay Stereotypes :: Top 10 Gay Stereotypes My name is Rob Geis, and I’m a male college student who happens to be gay. Now, I’m not an â€Å"oh-my-God!† gay, nor am I an â€Å"honey, that blouse is all wrong† gay, but for some reason that image gets stuck in people’s minds when I tell them that I am gay. In many ways, coming out was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I‘m free to do whatever I want under the banner of homosexuality: I can wear skimpy, too-tight clothing that doesn’t suit me, put on makeup, act effeminate and cutesy, or cry at the drop of a hat, without society so much as batting an eye. It’s a real pain. The gay stereotype is that we’re all promiscuous, shallow individuals who act extremely feminine and obsess over fashion. The problem is that there are more young gays who don’t fit the stereotype than those who do. In his 2005 Time cover story titled â€Å"The Battle Over Gay Teens,† John Cloud quotes one-time Young Gay America Magazine editor-in-chief Michael Glatze as saying, â€Å"Today so many kids who are gay, they don't like Cher. They aren't part of the whole subculture. †¦I don't think the gay movement understands the extent to which the next generation just wants to be normal kids.† There seems to be a constant pressure to â€Å"act gay† from others in the gay and straight communities. Look at the news media, which constantly focuses on extreme examples like gays marching down the street with pink lip gloss and Prada bags, shouting gay pride. Look at shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy which similarly depict the fluff and flutter of the brightly colored, empty-headed peacock that is the gay male. These portrayals make people expect that sort of behavior from gay men, almost demand it. From other gays, my speech is now open to unwarranted sexual innuendo. I can’t notice a cool pair of sunglasses a guy wears without â€Å"Ooh? So you think he’s cute?† popping up. I wasn’t looking; I just thought the sunglasses were cool†¦ that’s not so unusual, right? It’s the automatic assumption that everything I do is based on my sexuality that’s frustrating. The smallest flick of the wrist speaks volumes about how much of a homosexual I really am. But why cling to the stereotype if you’re gay? Is it so that members of the gay community, who went through their own ordeals and have experienced the same feelings, will recognize you and say, â€Å"You’re like us† and â€Å"Welcome†?

The Importance of Interpersonal Communications in a Friendship Essay

I don’t know where I would be without my best friend. The person who keeps me sane when my family is driving me crazy, or the person who will stay up with me all night to support me when I have a last minute paper due in a class; I don’t know where I would be without that support. I found this support in my best friend, my sister from another father, Regina. Regina is an eccentric, overbearing, lover of all things natural type of girl. She lives life to the fullest and never backs down from a challenge. She is funny, full of whit and sharper than a tack fresh out of the box. Although it hasn’t always been a smooth road for us we still remain friends to this day. Regina and I were neighbors for several years and in that time our friendship strengthened and didn’t seem like anything could break it. It was in our getting older and need for exploration that slowly initiated the fissure in our friendship. We began not seeing eye-to-eye on subjects that we used to agree on when we first met. I would find myself looking for companionship in other friends instead of relying on her for support; and that was wearing thin. It was in our return home that we really started to waiver and greatly changed our relationship to something that I could not recognize. When I began to comprehend the faults within our relationship, I knew it was time to act. Focusing on the Struggle Spectrum by the National Communication Association, I noticed that we were repeatedly climbing the struggle ladder and falling off the edge only to repeat it again. My younger, less educated version of myself would never have seen the problems but now, after years of college and my Interpersonal Communications class, I could see what needed to be done. I b... ...has changed me for the better and I now know that Regina is ready to complete this journey with me. â€Å"The friends that listen to us are the ones we move toward, and we want to sit in their radius† (Karl Meninger). I am greatly pleased with the outcome of this challenge and look forward to what comes next. The profound meaning of my friendship with Regina and what we’ve been through over the past 11 years constantly reminds me that of all the moments we’ve shared, arguments we’ve had, and time spent apart. I appreciate that nothing—absolutely nothing is more uplifting and inspiring than enduring the challenges of life with someone who knows you like the back of your hand. â€Å"It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends, Henri Nouwen. Works Cited Beebe S., Beebe S., Redmond M. (2011, 2008, 2005) Allyn & Bacon by Pearson Education, Inc.

Bloodlines Chapter Five

AND ON THAT NOTE, Rose left me so she could tell the others goodbye. Her words left me chilled. For half a second, I wanted to demand a reassessment of this mission. I wanted to insist that they send no less than a dozen guardians here with Jill, in the event her attackers came back. Soon, I dismissed that thought. One of the key parts of this plan working was simply not attracting attention. So long as her whereabouts were secret, Jill was safer if she blended in. A squadron of guardians would hardly be discreet and could attract notice from the larger Moroi community. We were doing the right thing. So long as no one knew we were here, all would be well. Surely if I told myself that often enough, it would become true. Yet why Rose's ominous statement? Why Eddie's presence? Had this mission really been bumped from â€Å"inconvenient† to â€Å"life-threatening†? Knowing how close Jill and Rose were, I kind of expected their goodbye to be more tearful. Instead, it was Adrian whom Jill had the most difficulty leaving. She flung herself at him in a giant hug, fingers clinging to his shirt. The young Moroi girl had remained quiet for most of the visit, simply watching the rest of us in that curious, nervous way of hers. The most I'd heard her talk was when Lee had tried to draw her out earlier. Her goodbye display seemed to surprise Adrian too, though the snarky look he'd worn on his face softened into something like affection as he awkwardly patted her shoulder. â€Å"There, there, Jailbait. I'll see you again soon.† â€Å"I wish you were coming with us,† she said in a small voice. He crooked her a grin. â€Å"No, you don't. Maybe the rest of them can get away with playing back-to-school, but I'd be thrown out on my first day. At least here, I won't corrupt anyone†¦ unless it's Clarence and his liquor cabinet.† â€Å"I'll be in touch,† promised Jill. His smile twitched, and he gave her a knowing look that was both amused and rueful. â€Å"So will I.† This small moment between them was odd. With his flippant, arrogant nature and her sweet shyness, they seemed like an unlikely pair of friends. Yet there was obvious affection between them. It didn't seem romantic but had a definite intensity I couldn't quite understand. I remembered the conversation I'd overheard between Abe and Adrian, where Abe had said it was imperative Adrian stay near Jill. Something told me there was a connection between that and what I was witnessing now, but I didn't have enough information to put it all together. I filed this mystery away for later. I was sad to leave Rose but glad that our departure meant parting ways with Abe and Keith. Abe left with his typically cryptic remarks and a knowing look for me that I didn't appreciate. I dropped Keith off at his place before going on to Amberwood, and he told me he'd keep me updated. Honestly, I wondered what exactly he had to update me on, since I was doing most of the work around here. As far as I could tell, he really had nothing to do except lounge around in his downtown apartment. Still, it was worth it to be rid of him. I never thought I'd be so happy to drive off with a vampire and a dhampir. Jill still seemed troubled during the car ride to the school. Eddie, sensing this, tried to soothe her. He peered back at her from the passenger seat. â€Å"We'll see Adrian soon.† â€Å"I know,† she said with a sigh. â€Å"And nothing else bad is going to happen. You're safe. They can't find you here.† â€Å"I know that too,† she said. â€Å"How bad was it?† I asked. â€Å"The attack, I mean. No one's getting into details.† Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eddie glance back at Jill again. â€Å"Bad enough,† he said grimly. â€Å"But everyone's okay now; that's what matters.† Neither of them said any more, and I quickly picked up on the hint that no more details would be forthcoming. They acted as though the attack had been no big deal, that it was done and over with, but they were being too evasive. Something had happened that I didn't know about – that the Alchemists likely didn't know about – something that they were working to keep secret. My guess was that it had to do with Adrian being here. He had mentioned an â€Å"obvious reason† for coming to Palm Springs, and then Abe had hinted at some ulterior motive that Adrian himself didn't know about. It was all kind of annoying, seeing as I was risking my life here. How did they expect me to adequately do my job if they insisted on making this a tangle of secrets? Alchemists dealt in secrets, and despite my rocky past, I was still Alchemist enough to resent being denied answers. Fortunately, I was also Alchemist enough to hunt those answers down myself. Of course, I knew grilling Jill and Eddie right away wasn't going to get me anywhere. I needed to play it friendly and get them to relax around me. They might not harbor the secret belief that humans were creatures of darkness, but that didn't mean they trusted me yet. I didn't blame them. After all, I certainly didn't trust them either. It was well into evening when we arrived at Amberwood. Keith and I had scoped out the school earlier, but Eddie and Jill took it in with wide eyes. Whereas Clarence's home had seemed old-fashioned, the school was bright and modern, consisting of stucco buildings that were so typical of California and southwest architecture. Palm trees skirted along lush green lawns. In the fading light, students were still strolling, in pairs and groups, along the many walking paths that wove throughout the grounds. We'd picked up fast food along the way, but the late hour meant Jill and I had to split from Eddie. At eighteen, with a car and â€Å"parental permission,† I had a lot of freedom to come and go, but I had to answer to curfew just like everyone else when night came. Eddie was uneasy about leaving Jill, particularly when he realized how far away from her he'd be. Amberwood Prep's sprawling grounds were divided into three campuses: East, West, and Central. East Campus housed the girls' dorm while West contained the boys'. Central, the largest of the three, was where the administrative, academic, and recreational facilities were. The campuses were about a mile apart from each other and served by a shuttle bus that ran throughout the day, though walking was always an option for those who could stand the heat. Eddie had to have known he couldn't stay in the girls' dorm, though I suspected that if he had his way, he would have slept at the foot of Jill's bed like a loyal dog. Watching the two of them was kind of amazing. I'd never observed a guardian-Moroi pairing before. When I'd been with Rose and Dimitri, they'd been simply trying to keep themselves alive – plus, they were both dhampirs. Now, I was finally able to see the system in action and understood why dhampirs trained so hard. You'd have to, to remain that vigilant. Even in the most mundane moments, Eddie always watched our surroundings. Nothing escaped his notice. â€Å"How good is the security system here?† he demanded when we stepped inside the girls' dorm. He'd insisted on seeing it before going to his own. The lobby was quiet at this hour, and only a couple of students wandered through with boxes and suitcases as they finished last-minute move-ins. They gave us curious looks as they passed, and I had to quell the knot of anxiety rising in me. Considering everything else going on for me, high school social life shouldn't scare me – but it did. The Alchemists didn't cover that in their lessons. â€Å"Security's good enough,† I said, keeping my voice low as I turned back to Eddie. â€Å"They aren't worried about vampire assassins, but they certainly want their students safe. I know there are security guards that patrol the grounds at night.† Eddie eyed the dorm matron, a stout, gray-haired woman who supervised the lobby from her desk. â€Å"Do you think she has any kind of combat training? Do you think she could subdue an intruder?† â€Å"I bet she could wrestle down a guy sneaking into a girl's room,† joked Jill. She rested a hand on his arm, making him jump. â€Å"Relax. This place is safe.† In some ways, Eddie's concern was comforting and made me feel secure. At the same time, I couldn't help but think again about why he was so watchful. He'd been there for the attack that no one would tell me about. He knew the threats because he'd seen them firsthand. If he was this on edge, even now, then how much danger were we still in? The Alchemists had led me to believe that once we were hidden here at Amberwood, all would be well and it would just become a waiting game. I'd had that very conversation with Rose and tried to convince her of the same. Eddie's attitude was concerning. The dorm room I shared with Jill was small by my standards. I'd always had my own room growing up and never had to worry about sharing space or closets. During my time in St. Petersburg, I'd even had my own apartment. Still, o ur one window had a sweeping view of the dorm's back courtyard. Everything inside the room was airy and bright, with maple-finished furniture that looked new: beds, desks, and dressers. I had no experience with dorm rooms – but I could only assume by Jill's reaction that we'd gotten a good one. She swore that the room was larger than the one she'd had at her Moroi school, St. Vladimir's Academy, and was quite happy. I half-wondered if she thought our room was big simply because we had so little to put in it. Neither of us had been able to do much packing with such swift departures. The furniture gave everything a warm, golden feel, but without personal decorations or other touches, the room could've come straight from a catalog. The dorm matron, Mrs. Weathers, had been astonished when she saw us and our minimal luggage. The girls I'd observed moving in earlier had arrived with cars packed to bursting. I hoped we didn't look suspicious. Jill paused to stare out the window as we got ready for bed. â€Å"It's so dry here,† she murmured, more to herself than me. â€Å"They keep the lawn green, but it's so strange not to feel the moisture in the air.† She glanced over at me sheepishly. â€Å"I'm a water user.† â€Å"I know,† I said, not sure what else to add. She was referring to the magical abilities all Moroi possessed. Each Moroi specialized in one of the elements, either the physical four – earth, air, water, and fire – or the more intangible and psychic element of spirit. Hardly anyone wielded that last one, though I'd heard Adrian was one of the few. If Jill couldn't access her magic easily, I wasn't going to be disappointed. Magic was one of those things, like the blood drinking, that served as a slap-in-the-face reminder that these people I was laughing and eating with were not human. If I wasn't still exhausted from the drive with Keith, I probably would've lain awake agonizing over the fact that I was sleeping close to a vampire. When I'd first met Rose, I hadn't even been able to stay in the same room with her. Our hectic escape together had changed that a little, and by the end, I'd been able to let my guard down. Now, some of that old fear came back in the darkness. Vampire, vampire. Sternly, I told myself it was just Jill. I had nothing to worry about. Eventually, fatigue triumphed fear, and I slept. When morning came, I couldn't help looking in the mirror to make sure I had no bite marks or other sign of vampire harm. When I'd finished, I immediately felt foolish. With the difficulty Jill was currently having waking up, it made no sense to imagine her sneaking up on me in the night. As it was, I had a hard time getting her out the door in time for orientation. She was groggy, with bloodshot eyes, and kept complaining about a headache. I guessed I didn't have to worry about nighttime attacks from my roommate. Nonetheless, she managed to get up and around. We left our dorm and found Eddie, gathering with other new students near a fountain on Central Campus. Most of the crowd appeared to be freshmen like Jill. Only a few were the same age as me and Eddie, and I was surprised to see him easily chatting with those around him. With how vigilant he'd been the day before, I would've expected him to be more on guard, less capable of normal social interaction – but he fit right in. As we walked up, however, I caught him glance around stealthily at his surroundings. He might be playing a student, like me – but he was still a dhampir. He was just telling us about how he hadn't met his roommate yet when a smiling guy with bright blue eyes and reddish hair strode up to them. â€Å"Hey there,† he said. Up close, I could see a smattering of freckles. â€Å"Are you Eddie Melrose?† â€Å"Yes, I'm – † Eddie had spun around with that guardian efficiency, ready to take on this potential threat. When he saw the newcomer, Eddie went perfectly still. His eyes widened slightly, and whatever he'd been about to say faded away. â€Å"I'm Micah Vallence. I'm your roommate – also your orientation leader.† He nodded toward the other mingling students and grinned. â€Å"But I wanted to come say hi first since I just got here this morning. My mom pushed our vacation to the limits.† Eddie was still staring at Micah as though he'd seen a ghost. I studied Micah too, wondering what I was missing. He seemed normal to me. Whatever was going on, Jill was also out of the loop because she was regarding Micah with a perfectly ordinary expression too, no alarm or surprise. â€Å"Nice to meet you,† said Eddie at last. â€Å"These are my, uh, sisters – Jill and Sydney.† Micah smiled at each of us in turn. He had a manner about him that made me feel easy, and I could see why he'd been drafted as an orientation leader. I wondered why Eddie was reacting so strangely. â€Å"What grades are you in?† he asked us. â€Å"Senior,† I said. Remembering the cover story, I added, â€Å"Eddie and I are twins.† â€Å"I'm a freshman,† said Jill. Looking over our â€Å"family,† I noticed that Eddie and I could probably pass for siblings pretty easily. Our coloring was similar, and of course, there was the fact that we both looked human. While a human wouldn't necessarily look at Jill and say â€Å"vampire!† she still possessed certain features that marked her as unusual. Her build and paleness were definite contrasts to me and Eddie. If Micah noticed the lack of family resemblance, he didn't let on. â€Å"Nervous about starting high school?† he asked Jill. She shook her head and smiled back. â€Å"I'm ready for the challenge.† â€Å"Well, if you need anything, let me know,† he said. â€Å"For now, I've gotta get this party started. Talk to you guys later.† From the way his attention focused solely on her, it was obvious that the â€Å"if you need anything† was directed at Jill, and her blush showed that she knew too. She smiled, holding his gaze a moment, and then looked away shyly. I would've found it cute, if not for the alarming prospect it presented. Jill was in a school full of humans. It was absolutely out of the question for her to date one, and guys like Micah couldn't be encouraged. Eddie didn't appear to care about the comment, but it seemed to be more because he was still troubled about Micah in general. Micah called our group to attention and began the orientation. The first part of it was simply a tour of the grounds. We followed him around, in and out of air conditioning, as he showed us the important buildings. He explained the shuttle system, and we rode it up to West Campus, which was almost a mirror of East. Boys and girls were allowed in each other's dorms, with limitations, and he explained those rules as well, which caused some grumbling. Recalling the formidable Mrs. Weathers, I felt sorry for any boy that tried to break her dorm rules. Both dorms had their own cafeterias, where any student was welcome to eat, and our orientation group had lunch while we were still on West Campus. Micah joined my â€Å"siblings† and me, going out of his way to talk to each of us. Eddie responded politely, nodding and asking questions, but his eyes still looked vaguely haunted. Jill was shy at first, but once Micah starting joking around with her, she eventually warmed up to him. How funny, I thought, that it was easier for Eddie and Jill to adapt to this situation than it was for me. They were in a strange environment, with a different race, but were still among familiar things, like cafeterias and lockers. They slipped right into the roles and procedures with no difficulty. Meanwhile, despite having traveled and lived all over the world, I felt out of place in what was for everyone else an ordinary setting. Regardless, it didn't take me long to figure out how the school ran. Alchemists were trained to observe and adapt, and even though school was foreign to me, I quickly picked up on the routine. I wasn't afraid to talk to people either – I was used to striking up conversations with strangers and explaining my way out of situations. One thing, however, I knew I would have to work on. â€Å"I heard her family might be moving to Anchorage.† We were at orientation lunch, and a couple of freshmen girls sitting near me were discussing a friend of theirs who hadn't shown up today. The other girl's eyes widened. â€Å"Seriously? I would die if I had to move there.† â€Å"I don't know,† I mused, moving my food around my plate. â€Å"With all the sun and UV rays here, it seems like Anchorage might actually provide a longer life span. You don't need as much sunblock, so it's a more economical choice as well.† I'd thought my comment was helpful, but when I looked up, I was met with gaping stares. It was obvious from the looks the girls were giving me that I probably couldn't have picked a weirder comment. â€Å"I guess I shouldn't say everything that comes to mind,† I murmured to Eddie. I was used to being direct in social situations, but it occurred to me that simply saying â€Å"Yeah, totally!† would've probably been the correct response. I'd had few friends my own age and was out of practice. Eddie grinned at me. â€Å"I don't know, sis. You're pretty entertaining as you are. Keep it up.† After lunch, our group returned to Central Campus, where we parted ways to meet with academic advisors and plan our class schedules. When I sat down with my advisor, a cheery young woman named Molly, I wasn't surprised to see that the Alchemists had sent along academic records from a fictitious school in South Dakota. They were even fairly consistent with what I had studied in my homeschooling. â€Å"Your grades and tests have placed you in our most advanced math and English classes,† Molly said. â€Å"If you do well in them, you can receive college credit.† Too bad there's no chance I'll get to go to college, I thought with a sigh. She flipped through a few pages in my file. â€Å"Now, I don't see any records of foreign language here. It's an Amberwood requirement that everyone learn at least one language.† Oops. The Alchemists had messed up there in faking my records. I'd actually studied a number of languages. My father had made sure I had lessons from an early age, since an Alchemist never knew where he or she might end up. Scanning Amberwood's list of offered languages, I hesitated and wondered if I should lie. Then I decided I really didn't want to sit through conjugations and tenses I'd already learned. â€Å"I already know all of these,† I told Molly. Molly regarded me skeptically. â€Å"All of these? There are five languages here.† I nodded and added helpfully, â€Å"But I only studied Japanese for two years. So I suppose I could learn more.† Molly still didn't seem to buy this. â€Å"Would you be willing to take proficiency tests?† And so, I ended up spending the rest of my afternoon laboring over foreign languages. It wasn't how I wanted to spend my day, but I supposed it would pay off later – the tests were a breeze. When I finally finished all five languages three hours later, Molly hurried me out to get fitted for my uniform. Most of the other new students had long gone through already, and she was concerned that I might have already missed the woman doing the fittings. I moved as fast as I could without running down the halls and nearly bumped into two girls rounding a corner. â€Å"Oh!† I exclaimed, feeling like an idiot. â€Å"I'm sorry – I'm late for my fitting – â€Å" One of them laughed good-naturedly. She was dark-skinned with an athletic build and wavy black hair. â€Å"Don't worry about it,† she said. â€Å"We just walked past the room. She's still there.† The other girl had blond hair a shade lighter than mine that she wore in a high ponytail. Both of them had the easy assurance of those who knew their way around this world. These weren't new students. â€Å"Mrs. Delaney always takes longer than she thinks she will with the fittings,† the blond girl said knowingly. â€Å"Every year, it's – † Her jaw dropped, her words freezing up for a few moments. â€Å"Where†¦ where did you get that?† I had no clue what she meant, but the other girl soon noticed and leaned closer to me. â€Å"That's amazing! Is that what they're doing this year?† â€Å"Your tattoo,† explained the blonde. I must have still looked clueless. â€Å"Where'd you get it?† â€Å"Oh. That.† My fingers absentmindedly touched my cheek. â€Å"In, um, South Dakota. Where I'm from.† Both girls looked disappointed. â€Å"I guess that's why I've never seen it,† said the dark-haired girl. â€Å"I thought Nevermore was doing something new.† â€Å"Nevermore?† I asked. The girls exchanged silent glances, and some message passed between them. â€Å"You're new, right? What's your name?† asked the blond girl. â€Å"I'm Julia. This is Kristin.† â€Å"Sydney,† I said, still mystified. Julia was smiling again. â€Å"Have lunch with us at East tomorrow, okay? We'll explain everything.† â€Å"Everything about what?† I asked. â€Å"It's a long story. Just get to Delaney for now,† added Kristin, starting to move away. â€Å"She'll stay late, but not forever.† When they were gone, I continued on my way – much more slowly – wondering what that had been about. Had I just made friends? I really wasn't sure how one went about it in a school like this, but that whole exchange had seemed pretty weird. Mrs. Delaney was just packing up when I arrived. â€Å"What size do you wear, dear?† she asked, catching sight of me in the doorway. â€Å"Two.† A number of articles were produced: skirts, pants, blouses, and sweaters. I doubted the sweaters would see much wear, unless a freak apocalyptic blizzard hit Palm Springs. Amberwood wasn't particularly fussy about which ensemble students wore, as long as it came from the approved pool of fashion. The colors were burgundy, dark gray, and white, which I actually thought looked kind of nice together. Watching me button a white blouse, Mrs. Delaney tsked, â€Å"I think you need a size four.† I froze mid-button. â€Å"I wear a two.† â€Å"Oh, yes, you can fit into them, but look at the arms and the skirt length. I think you'll be more comfortable in a four. Try these.† She handed over a new stack and then laughed. â€Å"Don't look so mortified, girl! A four's nothing. You're still a twig.† She patted her ample stomach. â€Å"We could fit three of you into my clothes!† Despite my many protests, I was still sent away with the size-four clothing. I rode back to my dorm, dejected, and found Jill lying on her bed and reading. She sat up at my arrival. â€Å"Hey, I wondered what had happened to you.† â€Å"Got delayed,† I said with a sigh. â€Å"Are you feeling better?† â€Å"Yeah. A lot.† Jill watched as I put away the uniforms. â€Å"They're pretty terrible, right? We didn't have uniforms at St. Vladimir's. It's going to be so boring wearing the same thing every day.† I didn't want to tell her that as an Alchemist, I might have worn an outfit like this anyway. â€Å"What size did you get?† I asked, to change the subject. I was kind of a glutton for punishment. â€Å"Two.† A twinge of annoyance shot through me as I hung my uniforms in the closet beside hers. I felt huge by comparison. How were all those Moroi so skinny? Genetics? Low-carb blood diet? Maybe it was just because they were all so tall. All I knew was that whenever I spent time around them, I felt frumpy and awkward and wanted to eat less. When I finished unpacking, Jill and I compared schedules. Not surprisingly, considering the difference in grades, we had almost nothing in common. The only thing we shared was a multi-grade PE class. All students were required to take it every semester, since fitness was considered part of a wellrounded student's experience. Maybe I could lose a few pounds and get back into my normal size. Jill smiled and handed my schedule back. â€Å"Eddie went and demanded to be in our PE class since it's pretty much the only one we could share. It conflicts with his Spanish class, though, and they wouldn't let him. I don't think he can handle going the whole school day without seeing that I'm alive. Oh, and Micah's with us in PE.† I'd stalked off to my bed, still irritated about the uniforms. Jill's words caught my attention. â€Å"Hey, do you know why Eddie seemed weirded out around Micah?† Jill shook her head. â€Å"No, I didn't get a chance to ask, but I noticed it too – especially at first. Later – while you were testing – and we were waiting for uniforms, Eddie seemed to chill out. A little. Every once in a while, I'd see him giving Micah a strange look, though.† â€Å"You don't think he thinks Micah's dangerous, do you?† Jill shrugged. â€Å"He didn't seem dangerous to me, but I'm no guardian. If Eddie did think he was some kind of threat, it seems like he'd be acting differently. More aggressive. He mostly seems nervous around Micah. Almost – but not quite – afraid. And that's weirdest of all because guardians never look scared. Not that Eddie's technically a guardian. But you know what I mean.† â€Å"I do,† I said, smiling despite my grumpy intentions. That cute, rambling nature cheered me up a little. â€Å"What do you mean Eddie's technically not a guardian? Isn't he assigned to protect you here?† â€Å"Yeah, he is,† said Jill, toying with one of her light brown curls. â€Å"But†¦ well, it's kind of weird. He got in some trouble with the guardians for helping Rose and for, um, killing a guy.† â€Å"He killed a Moroi that attacked Vasilisa, right?† It had come up at my interrogation. â€Å"Yeah,† said Jill, lost in her own memories. â€Å"It was self-defense – well, and defense of Lissa, but everyone was shocked at him killing a Moroi. Guardians aren't supposed to do that, but then, you know, Moroi aren't supposed to attack each other either. Anyway, he was put on suspension. No one knew what to do with him. When I got†¦ attacked, Eddie helped protect me. Later, Lissa said it was stupid to keep him off duty when he could be helpful and that considering Moroi were behind this attack too, she said everyone was going to have to get used to the idea of Moroi being the enemy. Hans – the guardian in charge at Court – finally agreed and sent Eddie here with me, but I think officially, Eddie's not restored yet. It's weird.† Jill had delivered the whole speech without pausing and now stopped to catch a breath. â€Å"Well, I'm sure it'll be sorted out,† I said, trying to be reassuring. â€Å"And it seems like he'll get points for keeping a princess alive.† Jill looked at me sharply. â€Å"I'm no princess.† I frowned and tried to remember the complexities of Moroi law. â€Å"The prince or princess is the oldest member of a family. Since Vasilisa's queen, the title rolls over to you, right?† â€Å"On paper,† said Jill, looking away. Her tone was hard to read, an odd mixture of what seemed like bitterness and sorrow. â€Å"I'm not a princess, not really. I'm just someone who happens to be related to the queen.† Jill's mother had briefly been mistress to Eric Dragomir, Vasilisa's father, and had kept Jill's existence a secret for years. It had only come out recently, and I'd played a big role in helping Rose track Jill down. With all the fallout in my own life, as well as the emphasis on Jill's safety, I hadn't spent much time wondering how she had adapted to her new status. That had to be a serious lifestyle change. â€Å"I'm sure there's more to it than that,† I said gently. I wondered if I was going to be spending a lot of time playing therapist to Jill during this assignment. The prospect of actually comforting a vampire still seemed so strange to me. â€Å"I mean, you're obviously important. Everyone's gone to a lot of trouble to keep you safe here.† â€Å"But is it for me?† asked Jill. â€Å"Or is it to help Lissa keep the throne? She's hardly spoken to me since she found out we were sisters.† This conversation was steering into uncomfortable waters, into interpersonal matters that I didn't really know how to deal with. I couldn't imagine being in either Vasilisa or Jill's place. The only thing I felt certain of was that it couldn't be easy for any of them. â€Å"I'm sure she cares about you,† I said, though not really sure at all. â€Å"But it's probably strange for her – especially with all the other changes in her life too. Give it time. Focus on the important things first – staying here and staying alive.† â€Å"You're right,† said Jill. She lay back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. â€Å"I'm nervous about tomorrow, about being around everyone, in classes all day. What if they notice? What if someone finds out the truth about me?† â€Å"You did fine at orientation,† I assured her. â€Å"Just don't show your fangs. And besides, I'm pretty good at convincing people they didn't see what they think they saw.† The grateful expression on her face reminded me uncomfortably of Zoe. They were so alike in many ways, shy and uncertain – yet intensely fierce and desperately wanting to prove themselves. I'd tried to protect Zoe – and only failed in her eyes. Now, being here for Jill made me feel conflicted. In some ways, I could make up for what I hadn't been able to do for Zoe. Yet even as I thought that, some inner voice kept saying, Jill is not your sister. She's a vampire. This is business. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney. I'm glad you're here.† She smiled, and the guilt only twisted further inside me. â€Å"You know, I'm kind of jealous of Adrian. He thinks it's so boring at Clarence's, but he doesn't have to worry about meeting new people or getting used to a new school. He just gets to hang out, watch TV, play pool with Lee, sleep in†¦ it sounds amazing.† She sighed. â€Å"I suppose,† I said, a little surprised at the detail. â€Å"How do you know all that? Have you†¦ have you talked to him since we left?† Even as I said that, the idea seemed unlikely. I'd been with her most of the day. The smile dropped from her face. â€Å"Oh no. I mean, I just figure that's what's going on. He mentioned some of it earlier, that's all. Sorry. I'm being melodramatic and rambling. Thanks for listening to me†¦ it really does make me feel better.† I smiled tightly and said nothing. I still couldn't get over the fact that I was starting to feel so warmly toward a vampire. First Rose, now Jill? It didn't matter how likable she was. I had to keep our relationship professional so that no Alchemist could accuse me of getting attached. Keith's words echoed in my head: vamp lover†¦ That's ridiculous, I thought. There was nothing wrong with being nice to those in my care. It was normal, a far cry from â€Å"getting too close† to them. Right? Pushing my worries aside, I concentrated on finishing unpacking and thinking about our new life here. I sincerely hoped tomorrow would go as smoothly as I'd assured Jill it would. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Environmental protection and the social responsibility of firms: perspectives from law, economics, and business Essay

Responsible businessIntroductionResponsible business concerns itself with allowing and ensuring the application of social and moral principles in business decision making. Through the definitions, the following principles of responsible business can be drawn: Business for profit: When people engage in business, they are expecting to receive profit. The first principle of responsible business lies in the fact that it is just and in fact expected to make profit and for such profits to increase as more experience is gained in business. As such in the pursuit for responsible business, profits should not be left behind or side stepped, strategies employed by business managers, and even mechanisms used in the business need to be directed towards generating profits. The reward for doing business properly lies in the excess returns received from investments on the business. Business ethics: the business operates within the concept of society, plays a part in accentuating the lives of the community. Responsible business calls for businesses to be subjected to a code of conduct. Businessmen are not exempted from being moral even as they pursue the profit. As ethics apply to all areas of life, so the same applies in business. Business needs to be done in as much honesty as is possible. If the business environment is to improve then behavior in business also needs to change and improve. Professional ethics: a responsible business is run under corporate codes. As a business continues to change and the environment within which it operates transforms, it is only responsible for such codes to continually change. Therefore, a business is defined as responsible not just within the code of business ethics but also when it operates through the professional code of ethics governing it. While ethics are general in business, professional ethics are specific and designed for that particular business. Business almost seems to operate under no particular ethics, rules and responsibilities. In many cases business persons are only concerned with the monetary value and nothing else. Responsible business on the other hand adheres to a code of conduct, set forth not just by law and moral values but also by the profession and industry within which the business operates, (Sanford 2011). Scholars agree that businesses can no longer operate as independent entities, existing separately by society. They need to uphold and be held responsible by the society. They exist as part of and in partnership with society and can therefore not ignore the societal responsibilities. Drivers of responsible businessThe natural/ ecological environmentResponsibility to the environment consists of the concern for the interaction between human beings and the natural environment as it exists. The responsibility of businesses to the environment developed as a separate factor in responsible business from the 1960’s. At the time, pictures taken from space showed vulnerability in the existence of earth and its ecosystem. Environmentalists began lobbying that animals, plants and the general ecosystem in itself had value in and of itself. As such demands on various businesses to treat these entities responsible began. The general notion of responsibility to the environment is that if businesses continue exploiting and fail to be responsible towards the environment, it will be completely destroyed and in the process the human race will also be destroyed. In the year 2009, the summit on sustainable development, brought focus to the fact that in another 50 years more than 10 billion people will be existing in the world. This is in addition to the problems currently facing the existence of earth such as rescinding existence of energy, excess carbon and a declining ozone layer (Smith 2010). The summit concluded that there is need for a green revolution to improve the status of the environment. The industrial world, at least a large percentage has failed to uphold its own responsibility towards ensuring a change in the strategies about the use of natural resources, and also the technology used to make use and exploit the natural environment. Sustainable development as responsible businessToday’s businesses are expected and in fact it is demanded of them that sustainability becomes a part of their strategy. The government and even the clients coming to business are looking for more and more evidence that the business is acting responsibly in the environment. According to smith (2010), Customers want to live in a pollution free environment, so businesses whether manufacturing or even service providing have to change the way they operate. In order to maintain a clean environment, businesses require operating with technologies that are clean and also sources of clean energy such as solar rather than coal and oil. Sustainability can be simply defined the ability of the environment to replenish itself and remain healthy for the next generations. Surprisingly by opting to use more environmentally friendly and energy efficient technologies, businesses are able to save on their overhead costs. Recycling: this refers to the ability to re-use raw materials over and over again. The advantage of recycling is that it cuts the amount of raw materials required for products and as such allows the environment to replenish itself. Normally businesses produce a lot of waste some which is very difficult to manage such as plastics. Recycling encourages the businesses to come up with processes that make use of their waste. Newton (2005) states that The concern is mainly for ever filling landfill, and therefore responsible businesses calls for either new and better ways to deposit the wastes or better yet new ways to make use of the waste. Landfills are responsible for methane production which is responsible for climate changes and damage to the ozone layer. In many western countries, recycling is not just a business responsibility but in fact a law that could attract stiff penalties. Competitive advantage: in the past, businesses have made use of Ricardo’s principle which simply encourages cost cutting measures such as cheaper raw materials, labor and even investment of capital. The cost effectiveness produces greater profits for the business. However, Gibson (2005) indicates that recent research and benchmarking with large companies such as Coca Cola and General Motors shows sustainability provides greater advantage. Organizations committed to taking advantage of best practices are also gaining a larger market share. New opportunities for product differentiation: product differentiation offers a chance for businesses to excel beyond their competitors even in the same industry. A product based on sustainability is not only considered a product of high quality but also one that is environmentally friendly and therefore more responsible even for the consumer. The market is gradually shifting from traditional products towards more energy efficient, fuel saving and alternative energy products. Testimony of this lies in the recent increase of interest and growth of the market share for products such as solar panels and energy saving bulbs. Zott (2014) shows that Responsible business in this era therefore translates to product differentiation through: †¢Use of raw materials that have been proven to have less damage to the environment †¢Companies that are setting benchmarks in terms of going beyond what is environmentally compliant. †¢Less and less wastage from the business and more recycling of the same. †¢Reduced emission of toxic wastes from the business. As many environmentalists have shown nature in itself shows the best system of sustainability. Plants for example prosper in sunlight and with sufficient moisture. They are consumed by animals and insects. Through this consumption, the animals produce waste which in turn is used to ensure fertile soils on which more plants are grown. In this same way, human beings and especially businesses are tasked with the responsibility of being eco-friendly that is use, produce, consume and transform waste into something else through recycling. Role of the government in responsible businessThe World Bank report in 2003 on sustainability emphasized the need for more structured and responsible governments to ensure sustainability. The governments are tasked with the responsibility of creating better policies and institutions through which businesses small and large alike can be held responsible. In the past, weak governments and poorly maintained social institutions have turned out to be quite costly to nature and the environment. Weak governance has brought about income inequality, political unrests and environmental disasters, (Hay et al 2005). Governments provide the legal framework through which businesses can be held responsible. Constitutions and laws of a country are often used as the back drop to determine the concern and interest of the government in securing its own environment for example. The legal framework provides laws within which every business should operate. The legal frameworks set forth by each country have been changing constantly, becoming more focused to immediate and more tragic causes of environmental degradation. Through the legal framework for example, majority of the mines and timber yards have been closed and shut down for causing damage to the environment. Governments also put in focus environmental conservation so that the activity is not just being carried out haphazardly. They provide a platform for integrating environmental concerns and responsibility into the economic and social development of the country. Through environmental policies also, there is conservation of critical natural resources. Businesses endangering such resources can face severe penalties through these policies. Governments often partner with businesses to ensure sanctuary of forests, animals that are going extinct among others. Businesses often ignore the importance of contributing to the community within which they operate. The governments of such countries ensure that majority of the profits generated from the business go back to the community. The foremost principle for all governments is increased economic growth, poverty eradication and bridging the social class gap. All businesses operating within the country need to uphold this principle. . In addition, according to Moon (2001), the government ensures that even as businesses operate they do not meddle with the rights of the nation’s citizens. The government gives power and strength to citizens who may feel powerless to fight the businesses and especially the large entities. This is not to mean that the government only has responsibility to consumers, it also ensures that businesses operate in an environment which allows them to flourish and therefore generate profits. ConclusionIt is now obvious that companies that are socially responsible and businesses that adhere to a particular code of doing business have better reputations and therefore a larger market share. The bulk of responsibility lies in the business owners ensuring that they have developed moral responsibility as the back bone on which their decision making is based. Managers and employees then have the duty of protecting the welfare of their consumers and other stakeholders which include the communities they operate within. While the main concern for business is an increase in the profit margin, those that have shown an inclination towards more responsible business strategies have attracted not just a large number of consumers but also investors. People are more interested in ensuring the growth and success of a responsible business especially with more and more of the media focusing on errors and embarrassment news featuring businesses that have failed in their responsibility. Businesses are held up to societal standards and failure to uphold them is frowned upon. Whereas there was a time when businesses could attempt to cut corners in their responsibility, today this is not an option. The government and even citizens are aware that companies and businesses operate with certain expectations and values. Employees and other stakeholders require business to be conducted responsibly. Failure to do so encourages massive labor turnouts as employees seek more sustainable businesses. Responsible business therefore cuts into all corners of conducting business from governing the contracts with clients, to those with suppliers and even the community upholding the business. Responsible business is not just a mirage of expected rules and regulations. Indeed it operates within a justice system through which governments obtain and have the power of demanding responsible business. Responsible business is part and parcel of strategic management. Each decision in the business must reflect the true responsibility and code of ethics of the business. In some cases this may require special attention being paid to particular areas of responsibility. Today, companies are going far and beyond what is expected of them in running business because they understand the importance of taking responsibility to ensure their survival. References Gibson, K. (2007).  Ethics and business: an introduction. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Hay, B. L., Stavins, R. N., & Vietor, R. H. K. (2005).  Environmental protection and the social responsibility of firms: perspectives from law, economics, and business. Washington, DC, Resources for the Future Newton, L. H. (2005).  Business ethics and the natural environment. Malden, MA, Blackwell.Sanford, C. (2011).  The responsible business reimagining sustainability and success. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Smith, N. C. (2010).  Global challenges in responsible business. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Zott, L. M. (2014).  The environment. Detroit, Greenhaven Press Source document