The Importance of Staff Training During the Recession Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Staff Training During the Recession Essay Most industry experts agree that training and development of staff should not be compromised during the recession even though they may be dealing with cuts to budgets and other cost pressures. This is because a well-trained and skilled workforce will be instrumental in supporting organisations during the downturn as well as after economic recovery and growth resumes. Previous recessions and downturns have shown that cutting down on training and skills development for employees only results in a shortage of talented workers come the upturn. This can greatly affect an organisations competitiveness. In March, a report from the Boston Consulting Group and the European Association of People Management (EAPM) found that cutting back on training was a popular cost-cutting option but warned that it is the least effective in the longer term. Rudolf Thurner, co-author of the report and president of the EAPM, said: Companies should evaluate the strategies deployed by HR executives during the last recession. In this way, they can avoid making similar mistakes all over again. The shortage of skills in the UK workforce is already evident, according to other studies on the issue. A Randstad-commissioned survey published earlier this year found that almost three-quarters of firms in Britain feel that there is a lack of suitably qualified workers in the country. As a result, half of firms are not planning to cut down on their training budgets, regardless of wider financial conditions. Fred van der Tang, managing director of Randstad UK Professional Services, said: Many organisations believe they will still be short of key skills to cope with the recession. There will be an increased emphasis on the provision of training for those with the most potential to make sure that key performers are retained. He added: In such immensely difficult times, it is encouraging that many human resource heads say their boards want to ensure they do not make inappropriate cuts. Cutting back too heavily was a mistake made by many employers during previous downturns, leaving them poorly prepared for the upturn. A recent study by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) found that firms in the insurance and financial services sectors are concerned about the level of skills demonstrated by new recruits in the industry. The poll also discovered that many organisations believe that the UK is far behind other countries in workforce skills and must do more if it is to maintain its competitiveness  and emerge as a global leader. Daniel Pedley, public affairs manager for the CII, said: We would certainly advocate not cutting training in times like this. We believe that investing in training now, during a downturn, will help you come up in a better position when the recovery comes. If you invest now you are putting yourself in a much better position for later on down the track.

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay Renewable energy is the energy generated from natural resources such as biomass, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable, that is, naturally replenished(Wikipedia, 2010). Renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to energy supply portfolio, as they contribute to world energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases (IEA, 2007). Renewable energy is also considered by some to be a potentially significant contributor toward the economic development of rural areas, a means of reducing poverty through the creation of employment and improving the quality of lives (Mark et al, 2008). Renewable energy sources were very unpopular in the past decades because of their comparative cost disadvantage. With the exception of large hydropower, combustible biomass, and larger geothermal projects, the average cost of renewable energy are generally not competitive with the wholesale electricity and fossil fuel prices(IEA, 2007). However, this decade has witnessed a tremendous development in renewable energy sector. The rising oil prices, issue of global warming , carbon gas emission, terrorism and political instability in many oil producing countries in the middle east are the major forces driving this development. The International Energy Agency estimates that nearly 50% of global electricity supplies will need to come from renewable energy sources in order to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 50% by 2050 and minimise significant, irreversible climate change impacts (IEA, 2008). During the five- years period from the end of 2004 -2009, worldwide renewable energy grew at the rates of 10-60% for many technologies (REN21, 2010). In 2008 for the first time, more renewable energy than convectional power capacity was added in both European Union and United States, demonstrating a fundamental transition of the worlds energy markets towards renewable (Eric et al, 2009). Renewable energy sector is growing at a very amazing rate in UK. Between 2003 and 2009 there was 138 per cent increase in power generation from renewables in the UK, but faster rates of growth were recorded in Northern Ireland (702 per cent), East Midlands (268 per cent), North East (211 per cent), Scotland (188 per cent), South East (146 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (139 per cent) (DECC, 2010). Higher growth rate is expected in the next decade. This can be inferred from the fact that power generation from the UKs oil and gas and nuclear reactors have been on a long-term downward trend and tend towards the end of their life span (Keynote, 2008). As a result, UK government has devised a comprehensive approach to support the development of the renewable energy sector through the UK renewable energy strategy 2009. Renewable energy in UK is supported through a range of measures. The renewable obligation Order requires electricity suppliers to purchase a specified amount of the electricity they supply from renewable sources (Keynote, 2010). Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are obtained to demonstrate that renewable sources have been used. The climate change levy is a fossil-fuel tax from which exemptions can be obtained by using certain renewable technologies. Capital grants are available for research and development for a wide range of renewable energy projects. Grants are also available for the cultivation of energy crops. Obviously, these are good incentives to stimulate investments in renewable energy. However, investors need assurance that these incentives and subsidies will be available over a larger part of the product life cycle and not just trap-in-incentives. This will enable renewable energy companies to build a more stable and viable strategic plan to take best advantage of t he incentives. The favourable geographical location of UK in terms of its windy condition, long coastline and excellent infrastructural facilities contributes to the rapid growth of renewable energy. The amount of power generated in terms of renewable energy in UK grew each year between 2004 and 2008 (DECC, 2009).A total of 17,566 gigawatt hours (GWh) was generated in 2008 which is 76.2% more than the amount generated in 2004. Biomass produced most of the renewable electricity in 2008 (46.1%) of the total, followed by wind and wave power (40.4%) and hydropower (13.4%), see table 1. Renewable energy is expected to develop into a major sector, providing scope for business growth and a substantial source of employment (Keynote, 2010). UK Renewable Energy Strategy, (2009) estimated that 500, 000 jobs could be created in the market by 2020. Table 1 : Electricity Generated from UK Renewable Energy Sources (gigawatt hours), 2004-2008 Biomass 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Landfill 4,004 4,290 4,424 4,677 4,757 Co-firing with fossils fuels 1,022 2,533 2,528 1,956 1,613 Animal biomass 565 468 434 555 587 Plant biomass 362 382 363 409 568 Sewage-sludge digestion 440 470 456 496 564 Total biomass 6,393 8,143 8,204 8,092 8,090 Wind wave power Onshore 1,736 2,501 3,574 4,491 5,792 Offshore 199 403 651 783 1,305 Total wind wave power 1,935 2,904 4,225 5,274 7,097 Hydropower Small scale 283 444 478 534 568 Other hydro 1,353 1,542 1,969 1,912 1,794 Total hydropower 1,636 1,986 2,447 2,446 2,362 Solar photovoltaics 4 8 11 14 17 Total 9,968 13,040 14,887 15,826 17,566 Source :Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2009, Department of Energy and Climate Change Having presented the general overview of renewable energy industry , a critical environmental analysis of the industry will be examined using PEST analysis, SWOT analysis and Porters five model of competitive advantage. PEST ANALYSIS The environment in which an organisation operates is divided into macro and micro environments(Philip, 2000). The micro environment has a major and direct impact upon the organisation, and its strategic planning process while the macro environment comprises those conditions that have a broad, rather than direct, impact upon the organisation (Wendy,1997). Brannan (1992) identified the major potential macro environmental factors that could significantly impact on organisation performance and a possible framework for listing such factors is PEST-Politics, Economics, Sociology and Technological developments. POLITICAL FACTORS The long-term decline in UKs oil and gas fortunes has led to an increasing import of oil and gas (Keynote, 2010). This means UK will be competing in the world markets for its oil and gas requirements with emerging economies, such as China and India. These countries have different cultures and political structures to the UK, and it could be a challenge for the UK to maintain a good relationship with them. Political instability and terrorism in the middle east is also of concern on the security of global energy supply. Therefore, Energy supply could become a very political issues in the future. It is hopeful that renewable energy sector will gain enormous political support from the UK government as an alternative to heavy reliance on importation of oil and gas. This will create favourable atmosphere and opportunities for investment in renewable energy sector. The quest to solve the problem of global warming has great political impact on government policies towards renewable energy. There is co-operation among the western world to reduce global warming by reducing carbon gas emission . The UK Government takes a prominent role in mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing carbon gas emission. Several government initiatives and legislation have been put in place, notable among these are; The Climate Change Act 2008-a commitment to reduce the UKs greenhouse gas emissions to at least 80% below the 1990 levels by 2050, Energy Act 2008 and Renewable Obligation (Keynote,2010). Renewable Obligation requires electricity suppliers to supply a specific amount of electricity from renewable sources. This is a good initiative to develop renewable energy. According to Deloitte(2010), UK has nearly 30 different low carbon energy incentives in form of tax credits and subsidies. The argument here is the certainty of the availability of the incenti ves throughout the project life cycle. This is vital for long term strategic plans. Nonetheless, the political imperative to introduce regulatory and fiscal incentives will continue to create opportunities for investors (Deloitte, 2010). ECONOMIC FACTORS GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) There was an annual increase in the UKs GDP between 2005 and 2008, but a decline of 4.8% was seen in annual chain-linked GDP in 2009, NSW,2010 (cited in keynote, 2010). GDP forecast for the period from 2009 to 2013 are well below the growth experienced during the 2005 to 2008 period (when annual growth was between 3.4% and 5.7% at current prices) TIA,2009 (Cited in Keynote, 2010). Growth is forecast to fall steeply to -4.2% in 2009, followed by a slow recovery to 2.6% in 2013. By 2013, GDP annual growth will still not be as great as any year in the period from 2005 to 2008. It is likely that lower GDP will have a depressing effect on renewable energy demand. However, this notion has been proved otherwise by the year on year increase in UK demand for renewable energy (DECC, 2009). UK demand for renewable energy increased by 6.7% between 2006 and 2007 and by 12.9% between 2007 and 2008. It is expected that the demand for renewable energy will continue to increase over the years to 2020 as government has put in place several incentives to attract private investors in a bid to achieve the goals of UK renewable energy strategy by 2020. According to the secretary of state for energy and climate change (UK renewable energy strategy, 2009), UK government aims at reducing carbon emissions by expanding renewable energy to account for 15% of energy demand by 2020, reduce UKs of fossil fuels by around 10% by 2020. Through the implementation of this strategy, enough renewable energy will be in place by 2020 to supply the equivalent of nearly all 26 million homes in the UK with their current electricity needs and 4 million homes with their current heating needs. This radical approach will require a seven -fold increase in renewable energy in the 11 years from 2009 to 2020. The lead scenario of this proposed massive expansion is based on more than 30% of electricity needs to be generated from renewable (up from around 5.5% now), mostly from wind power, 12% of heat needs and 1 0% of transport needs from the current level of 2.6%. If the proposal is fully implemented and progressed as planned, it will create a huge investment opportunities for investors in the renewable energy sector. It will also promote innovation and catalyse infrastructural development in the renewable energy sector. If infrastructural and technological development are sustained over a period of time, it can bring economy of scale in terms of reduced energy cost. This will improve the competitive strength of renewable energy. UNEMPLOYMENT Another important economic variable is unemployment. UK unemployment rose from 860,000 in 2005 to 910,000 in 2008, before suffering a huge rise of 68.1% to reach 1.5million in 2009 (Keynote, 2010). The drastic rise in unemployment rate was as a direct consequence of economic meltdown. The 5-year period from 2009 to 2013 is forecast to experience unemployment levels well above any annual figure in the preceding period (2005 -2009),unemployment is forecast to rise from 1.5million in 2009 to 2.16 million in 2010, after which it will decline to 1.86 million in 2013 TIA, 2009 (Cited in keynote, 2010). The implication of this is that with fewer people at work, it is to be expected that energy consumption in the workplace will decline. There will, however, be an increase in domestic energy consumption if a large number of people are at home during cold weather. INFLATION A stable inflation rate over time is essential for a more realistic strategic plans, whereas, in a situation of fluctuating inflation it may be difficult for organisations to have stable plans as adjustment will have to be made from time to time. UK inflation increased from 2.8% to 4.3% between 2005 and 2007, it fell to 4% in 2008 and a deflation of 0.5% set in 2009 (Keynote, 2010). From the economic point of view, a slightly rising inflation over time tends to favour investment as higher returns will be accrued to factors of production. Energy prices increased generally between 2005 and 2009 (Keynote, 2010). This can be partially attributed to increase in inflation rate over the same period. However, a well stable inflation over time can lead to economic stagnation, which can impact negatively on renewable energy market demand. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Renewable energy is often considered as the solution to the worlds climate change and wider environmental concerns (Deloitte,2010). The success of renewable energy as an environmentally friendly and alternative energy source is always questioned by its scope and sustainability. The issue of sustainability is rising and corporate social responsibility is becoming an increasing concern for all companies. Therefore, there is more pressure on renewable energy companies to deliver an effective sustainability agenda (Deloitte, 2010). Renewable energy can involve large infrastructure, its construction and operation has both environmental and social consequences. These include questions regarding the carbon benefits of bio-fuels and argument that they are contributing to rising food prices, fears over the impact of wind farms and tidal barrages on local biodiversity, as well as the social impact of large hydro projects which can involve relocation of villages (Deloitte, 2010). As renewable e nergy continues to become a larger part of the energy equation, there will be increasing focus on its sustainability credentials. The strategic implication of this for a renewable energy companies is that they should undertake thorough environmental and social assessments embedding sustainability into their overall corporate strategy and supply chain in order to preserve their own and the industrys reputation (Deloitte, 2010). It can be inferred that increased sustainability and social responsibilities will lead to increased renewable energy cost . A survey by electric utility week (2010), found that the single most energy related problem facing consumers today is high cost of various forms of energy. Another social factor militating the development of renewable energy project is the difficulties in obtaining planning permission (Michael, 2008). The reason for this is local NIMBY (Not-in-my backyard) opposition. But, this has been borne out of a fear of change and a lack of appreciation of the benefits that renewable energy can play in local communities. This constraint can be eliminated by encouraging local communities to co-invest in small scale renewable energy projects (Deloitte, 2010). This approach will assist in alleviating rural poverty and at the same time raise awareness on the benefits of renewable energy. POPULATION The population of a region, its distribution, composition, growth and trend over time is an important environmental factor that could play a key role in designing an effective corporate strategies over a relatively long period of time .Understanding population dynamics of the market in which corporate organizations operate promotes recruitment policies, gives better understanding of demand for the products and proper segmentation of the market. In 2009, the UK resident population was 61.8 million, which grew by 0.7% compared with previous figures of 61.38million in 2008 and by 2.6% compared with 60.24million in 2005 (NSW,2010). The UK population is projected to grow by 0.7% per annum between 2009 and 2013, rising from 61.8 million to 63.7 million (GAD,2009).This strong population growth and forecast is a favourable factor for the current and future prospects for the renewable energy industry. A favourable population growth can lead to increase demand for renewable energy, as a result companies can expand their market share which will impact positively on the organizations bottom line (profit motive). However, a growing population could also a challenge for the industry to continue to provide a good service as it aims to reduce carbon emissions(Keynote, 2010). TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS The growing demand for renewable energy of all kinds is generating a need for people with appropriate skills. Companies need to consider how to build up, manage and retain their human capital, particularly where projects may face an uncertain development period (Deloitte, 2010). Already, there have been reports of shortages of turbine blades, restricting wind-farm development (Keynote, 2008). Renewable energy in UK is a world-class industry and with government commitment to realise the sectors full potentials, it is essential that its skill base grows to support its expansion. Key players in the oil and gas industry are also stakeholders in the development of renewable energy sector. These companies employ the latest technology, possess well- trained engineers and other personnel. Some of these skills can be readily transferred to renewable energy sector (Deloitte, 2010 ). Technological developments in the global renewable energy world is also important. For instance, China is already the largest and fastest renewable energy economy in the word, their focus is not just domestic but international, and their impact will be felt everywhere (Deloitte, 2010). COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE Organizations do not exist in isolation but operate in a dynamic, turbulent and constantly changing world with many forces in place. Among the significant environmental variables are those relating to the nature of competition in particular market as these will determine current profitability and the scope for manoeuvring within that market (Wendy,1997). These environmental variables were identified by Porter through his five forces model of competitive structure, Porter, 1980 (cited in Wendy, 1997). These environmental variables include; threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products or services and rivalry among existing competitors. The current competitive position of any organization will be the net force of these five aggregated (Porter, 1980). This model will be used to analyse the competitive structure of the renewable energy industry in UK. RIVALRY BETWEEN COMPETITORS UK energy industry is dominated by many multinational energy companies. Notable among are ; AMEC Plc, BP Plc, Centrica plc, EDF Plc, E.ON Climate and Renewables UK Operations Ltd, Renewable Energy System Ltd, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, RWE Power Plc, Scottish Power Ltd, Scottish and Southern Energy Plc, AES Solar, Bio-energy Technology Ltd, among others (Keynote, 2010). These companies have very strong financial strength, employ latest technology and possess first class manpower. Their recent interests and investments in various renewable technologies in UK is making the competition tougher than before. For instance, in 2008, BP Plc invested $1.4b in its alternative energy business and Centrica Plc announced that its proposed 250MW offshore wind farm off the Lincolnshire coast had received official consent (Keynote, 2010). This trend is expected to continue because of the global interest in reducing global warming and carbon emission through low carbon energy sources. The implication of this is that competition between rival will grow more intense. Moreover, renewable energy is a fast growing sector of the energy industry in UK. The renewable energy sector is expected to experienced a spontaneous and sustained growth over the next two decades because of the government supports to develop the sector. As the sector grows spontaneously over time, competition among competitors tends to be more intense. It is hopeful that increased competition will lead to overall industry efficiency and consequently reduced energy cost. THREATS OF NEW ENTRANTS Availability of different incentives in terms of tax credit and subsidies will definitely woo potential investors to invest in UK renewable energy sector. The existing companies in the UK renewable energy sector are mostly multinationals with robust balance sheet, highly innovative and technologically advanced. Their size and efficient technology give them economic of scale advantage in the area of production, marketing and distribution of renewable energy over the incoming companies. The effect of this is reduced energy cost per unit that can be favourably transferred to consumers. The greatest concern about the future of renewable energy is the acceptability of its higher cost compare to other traditional energy sources to consumers. However, injection of huge capital at start-up by new companies, with right management team and dedicated staff could neutralise the retaliation power of the existing competitor. This could as well serve as threats to the existing companies. THREATS OF SUBSTITUTES In recent years, renewable energy sector has received tremendous supports for its increase share of total energy supply not only from the UK government but also from EU and the world at large. This is attributed to its positive effects on climate change. However, much have not been said about the comparative cost of renewable energy with other convectional energy sources. A study carried out by the BP Power for Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE, 2010) revealed that renewable energy sources are generally more expensive than convectional energy sources. The studies attributed the higher cost of renewable energy to immaturity of the technology and limited opportunity to take advantage of cost savings through economy of scale. Convectional energy sources are good substitutes to renewable energy and constitute a serious threat to its growth and development . However, it is hopeful that with the global trend towards renewable energy, the sector will experience a technological revolution an d take advantage of economy of scale from increased market opportunities. THE POWER OF BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS The bargaining power of suppliers is relatively high. This is driven by the small number of renewable energy suppliers and relatively lack of information and product choice for buyers. SWOT ANALYSIS This is a model for assessing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that face an organization . Strengths and weaknesses define the internal context of the organization, while opportunities and threats examine the external environment (Philip, 2000). STRENGHTS One of the greatest environmental problems facing the world today is global warming. Global warming is caused by carbon gas emission from the convectional fossil fuels . The focus of the western world is to reduce carbon emission to as low as possible. The fundamental approach to this is the development of global alternative energy sources with low carbon emission, of which renewable energy is viable and feasible option. UK is playing a leading role at reducing global carbon emission. A comprehensive approach towards achieving these goals, UK Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 was presented to the house of parliament in July, 2009. The strategy contains various incentives to attract private investors and proposed huge government capital investment in different areas of renewable sector. Renewable energy already benefits  £485 million a year through the Renewable Obligation and plans are on ground to offer further subsidies (e.g. reductions in transmission charges) through amendments to the electricity bills (RAE, 2010). Also, recent legislation in the UK and EU provides a framework for more commitment to the development of renewable energy. Furthermore, UK is blessed with many suitable locations for the development of various forms of renewable energy. As at 2009, a total of 1,648 sites generated electricity from different renewable sources; 939 (57%) were in England , 436 (26.4%) were in Scotland, 143 (8.7%) were in Wales and 130(7.9%) were in Northern Ireland (DECC, 2010). The location advantage couple with UK government and EU supports is a strong impetus that could drive a revolutionary development in the renewable energy sector. Also, the long- term decline in the UKs offshore oil and gas industry adds strength for an increase in renewable energy. OPPORTUNITIES UK has a stable political structure characterised by high technological and infrastructural development. Thus, the economy is capable of developing extensive expertise in a wide range of renewable technologies, including design, research, manufacture and installation (Keynote, 2009). The availability of world class facilities and manpower in various UK universities can be harnessed to channel research towards developing a first class renewable energy technologies that will promote overall industry efficiency in the sector. The impact of research and technology in the development of a sustainable renewable energy economy cannot be overemphasised. It will drive the industry into maturity from which economy of scale can be achieved. Also, renewable energy sector opens opportunities for many multinational oil and gas companies to increase their stake or as new entrants. These companies have appropriate skills mix and technology. Development in renewable energy sector can also open opport unity for companies to enter foreign markets. THREATS Large energy companies review the whole global energy market to identify the best returns for their investment. Some of these companies have decided to curtail investment in renewable energy in certain regions and technologies, as more interesting opportunities (not necessarily in renewable energy ) lie outside UK (keynote, 2009). Also the proposed plans to replace the UKs ageing nuclear power stations with new nuclear power stations pose a serious threat to the future of renewable energy. They have very low carbon emissions and represent perfect substitute to renewable energy in this respect. WEAKNESSESS The development of large scale renewable energy and the necessary infrastructures require substantial amount of capital which is difficult to come by. Investors are finding it very difficult to obtain the much needed fund from the banks because of the recession. Also, it has been established by research that, in the short run, renewable energy are more expensive than the convectional energy sources . The business implication of this is that profitability will be affected in the short run. Energy supply has little product differentiation and consumers will only go for the cheapest energy source. Thus, new renewable energy companies may be forced to apply price penetration policy to gain enough market share from which they can enjoy economy of scale. Shortage of equipment, for instance in wind farm power sector also hinders development of renewable energy (Keynote, 2010). CONCLUSION This analysis has shown that renewable energy is a growing sector of the energy industry in UK with many potentials to develop into a major energy sector. Many forces are responsible for the growth of renewable energy industry. These include; the global and EU commitments to reduce carbon gas emission from the convectional fossil fuel and gas, UK government supports in terms of incentives and subsidies, location advantage of UK, long term decline in UKs oil and gas output and various government legislations. In addition to this, renewable energy if fully developed provides a permanent energy source unlike other convectional sources with limited supply life span. However, the greatest challenges facing the development of renewable energy sector are uncertainty of supply as most renewable sources are affected by natural conditions that are difficult to control, and high cost of renewable energy. Studies have shown that renewable energy sources are more expensive than other convectional energy sources(Lucintel, 2010, IEA, 2007 RAE, 2010). The reasons given for this are both technical and economic. The technical aspect of the cost has to do with the level of technology while economic relates to cost savings through economy of scale. According to Reuters (2009), the high cost of renewable energy sources relative to convectional energy sources is a short term technical and economic bottleneck, which will be eliminated as the sector grows in scope, expand its market share and tends towards maturity. Al Gore (2009) claimed that as time progresses, renewable energy cost generally gets cheaper, while fossil fuel generally gets more expensive. It is expected that the UK 11 years (2009-2020) strategic plans for developing the renewable energy industry as analysed by UK renewable energy strategy 2009, will drive the industry into maturity through innovation and high technology. The continuous increase in demand and market share by the renewable energy over the years is an indication that in the very near future, the sector can achieve reduced energy cost per unit through economy of scale. Thus, the sector will be able to compete favourably in terms of cost with other sources of energy. It is therefore, evident that there are potential and viable business opportunities for investors in renewable energy sector of the UK economy.

The wife of martin guerre :: essays research papers

â€Å"†¦how can I deny the truth?† Although Bertrande is well-intentioned, her actions bring misery to everyone. Discuss. The notion of Bertrande de Rols in The Wife of Martin Guerre as having good intentions suggests not only that she was mindful of her own feelings in her pursuit of the truth, but also of the feelings of others. However, Bertrande’s intentions were to cleanse her soul and absolve herself from sin by indicting the impostor, Arnaud du Tilh. Yet, she undertakes this task considering the despair it would inflict upon the mesnie. These actions also are detrimental to Bertrande in causing her perhaps the most anguish and grief of all. Bertrande intends to uphold the status quo, yet she has due knowledge that pathway to the greater good will be harmful to her and the Mesnie. Bertrande’s intentions are to free her soul from the binds of the sin she committed by being the wife of Arnaud du Tilh. Bertrande’s loyalty to Martin shapes her response to being ‘imposed upon, deceived, betrayed into adultery’ and as she came to the inescapable conclusion that Arnaud was indeed an impostor, her first thoughts were to ‘rid herself of him’ and dissolve her guilt. As the epiphany occurs, the ‘spindle’ drops to the floor, unravelling the truth ‘finally, coldly, inescapably.’ This is immediately followed by the repetition of ‘I’ in Bertrande’s inner thoughts, Lewis using this pronoun to suggest the action Bertrande would take part in to condemn Arnaud du Tilh would be primarily based on her own personal escape from his treachery. Bertrande’s intentions are fundamentally to promote self preservation and to put her mind at ease. Nevertheless, Bertrande knows these self-centred intentions, when put into action, will ultimately be reflected by the displeasure and distress of her children and the Mesnie. ‘I am destroying the happiness of my family. And why? †¦ to free myself from the deceit which was consuming and killing me.’ Bertrande’s strong desire to free herself from the cunning of Arnaud du Tilh inevitably brought considerations of the Mesnie and her children to mind. ‘Her affection for her kindred rose about her in a wall implacable as stone’ as she was ‘condemned to solitude’ knowing the hurt her accusations against Arnaud inflicted upon the mesnie. Furthermore, the drawn out process of the trial brought ‘heart-breaking uncertainty,’ with Lewis clearly indicating through this use of language Bertrande’s awareness of the affect of her actions upon others.

us history :: essays research papers

The Declaration of Independence contains words all Americans take for granted: â€Å"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The founders of the country that would become the United States had to put these words into a written declaration because those ruling them at the time did not recognize those rights. Democracy as we know it today was just beginning to take shape prior to the American Revolutionary War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often, the events are presented to students in overly simplistic ways: the colonists simply got mad because they had no parliamentary procedures for influencing the laws that governed them, a concept explained as â€Å"taxation without representation.† England imposed more and more taxes on the colonists, and they had no way to stop the King from doing this to them, so they rebelled. However, the idea that they should have the right to overthrow a government that denied them what we now think of as basic rights was a relatively new one, and not one embraced by all political leaders in Europe at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These ideas began with discoveries in science that revealed that our physical world was governed by predictable rules, by cause and effect (Mills, 1996). At the time, science was viewed as a branch of philosophy, and scientific thinking was gradually applied to philosophy, leading to a new school of thought that came to be known as â€Å"The Enlightenment.† (The Economist, 1999) The idea of democracy wasn’t new. Ancient   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rights page 2 Greece had been ruled by a modified form of democracy that gave the right to vote to the upper echelons of male citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The development of modern democracy also had roots in developing economic practice. John Locke, one of prominent thinkers in the Enlightenment movement, put great emphasis on the right to own property. Systems of law that were respected by members of many different countries were necessary so commerce could develop. Without laws regarding ownership and property, those engaging in trade could not be certain that transaction agreements would be honored (The Economist, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In reports of the events leading up to the American Revolution, the King of England is often depicted as a dictator who pronounced law as he saw fit based on his absolute power. However, the notion of a monarch with absolute power was not the standard for most of European history.

‘Of Mice and Men’ †novel and film comparison Essay

This is a comparison between Steinbeck’s original novel Of Mice and Men and the 1992 film version. I will be comparing the two beginnings, the presentation of Curley’s wife, and the treatment of a powerful scene. Of Mice and Men is one of those classic stories about friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and broken dreams. The 1992 film was directed by Gary Sinise, who also played the part of George Milton. This film was in fact the first film he had ever directed and I believe it to be very successful. The film follows the overall content of the novel, however, there are some key differences: The introduction to the film has two complete differences, the presentation of Curley’s wife, and also the treatment of a powerful scene, which will be focused on the ending. In the beginning of the Novel, it is set in Soledad. Steinbeck creates a very tranquil opening and gives the impression that it hasn’t been disrupted by human interference. ‘’On the sand bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them’’. However, even before the reader is introduced to the two protagonists, Steinbeck includes that this peaceful, animal inhabited area is frequently interrupted my humans. ‘’a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.’’ This quote shows that this has been a place humans have to for a long time. The use of the word’s ‘beaten hard’ is associated with a path which has been walked on for many years. This tells the reader that however peaceful the area may be, it has always been trespassed by humans. The animals react in fear due to the sound of footsteps mentioned again. This also suggests that the animals are not used to humans entering their little world and thus they hide away. ‘’The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover. A stilted heron labored up into the air and pounded down river. For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.’’ The description of George and Lennie’s entrance indicates that George appears to be in change. ‘’They had walked single file down the path, and even in the open, one stayed behind the other.’’ This shows the reader that there isn’t a close bond of friendship, but more of a leader and a follower, i.e. George being the leader, and Lennie the follower. The description of George and Lennie gives the reader a sense of their characters immediately. ‘’The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.’’ This shows the reader that George is a man of intelligence and means business. Lennie’s description on the other hand is described as someone who is quite the opposite. ‘’Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.’’ Lennie is described physically with a great use of animal imagery. This adds to the fact that Lennie does lack intelligence. In his description he indicates that Lennie is also someone in need of guidance and cannot think on his own accords which could conclude why George is with him. The beginning of the film is very different compared to the novel. It isn’t shown as peaceful at all. In fact the music used gives a great feeling of intensity and panic. When the piano is included with the rhythm of the violin, it adds a sense of hopelessness. There are notes played on a higher scale of the piano which insist a sense of innocence, however, nothing is suggesting happiness. The opening scene begins on a train with George sitting alone looking very strong in the darkness of the carriage. Although the train is very dark, beams of light shine through from gaps in the wooden walls. The scene is then changed to a much brighter atmosphere with a young woman running in a field in Weed – George and Lennie’s home town. However, music is still very fast and tense which prepares the audience again that this is a sad story. George and Lennie are being chased by men with guns on horseback. It is clear to the audience that George is in charge just by seeing that he is leading the way and telling Lennie what to do. We then see George and Lennie escape, sneaking onto the train and we hear the first convocation between George and Lennie which again indicates that George is in charge as he merely tells him to ‘’shh’’ and ‘’Go to sleep’’. Lennie responds with simple use of the English language which again shows the audience that he has some kind of disability. It’s quite ironic really because Lennie is in a very big character although he cries and depends on George for the majority of things. The incident in Weed is not running in a chronologically compared to the novel as we are introduced to the incident before we actually meet the characters. At the very beginning when we first see George, it is as if the incident in Weed is his memory and he is pondering on it as him and Lennie travel to their destination on the farm in Soledad. In the novel, the readers are introduced to the incident in Weed later on in the novel when George and Slim have a conversation on the Ranch. In the film, the audience is introduced to the Ranch with very country-like music which is fairly happy and uplifting compared to the musical piece the audience are introduced to at the very beginning. In the novel, Curley’s Wife is first mentioned through a conversation with George and Candy. Candy makes it seem like Curley’s Wife is a bit of a flirt before the reader is even introduced to her by saying that even though she is married she’s ‘got the eye’. However, although she isn’t exactly happy being with Curley, she just wants some attention. When the reader is introduced to her she is described wearing very a rather lot of makeup. ‘’She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.’’ Curley’s Wife wears a lot of red. Red is seen as the most intense colours and is very noticeable. The fact that she wears a lot of red indicates that she wants to be noticed. ‘’She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.’’ As she lives on a farm, she is not really dressed appropriately for the wife of a rancher. However, Curley ignores Curley’s Wife so it is of no surprise that she is wearing things to attract the other men on the farm. Her body language insists that she is very provocative as if she is tempting the men to go after her. ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.’ Lennie is very much attracted to her although George and the other men are not. This kind of suggests that Lennie will have something to with her although not in a sense of sexual nature, but similar to the same incidence in Weed where Lennie was accused of attempting rape towards the girl running away when he was only caught up in stroking her dress that he would not let go. In section four of the novel, there is a part where Curley’s Wife enters looking for Curley although in the film this was left out. Perhaps to ensure that Curley’s Wife was wanted to be seen by Gary Sinise as someone who needed sympathy from the audience. During this part of the novel, Curley’s Wife describes her relationship with Curley. ‘’Sure I gotta husban’. You all seen him. Swell guy, aint he? Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guts he don’t like, and he don’t like nobody. Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley’s gonna lead with his left twice and then bring in the ol’ right cross?’’ This creates a lot of sympathy towards Curley’s Wife as she is obviously rejected by Curley to the point where she isn’t even properly included. The fact that as the reader, we don’t even know her name also suggests that she is unimportant towards Curley and the other characters. Crooks quickly turns on Curley’s Wife insisting that she leaves, however, she has a lot of power over him considering she’s white and back then, black people were simply just slaves and were resented by a lot of people. Knowing that, Crooks backs down almost to a point where he is leaning against the wall. ‘’Listen Nigger/ You know what I can do to you if you open your trap? †¦ Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’’ This is practically the only time that Curley’s Wife has some kind of power over someone, and because he is treated no better than an animal as he lives next to the barn where all the animals are and not even in a properly built home, more of a shed, suggests that Curley’s Wife only really has power, or a chance to step in on her own accords is towards Crooks. Section five is where Curley’s Wife initially dies due to her trust, and lack of self control in Lennie. Steinbeck has been implying that Curley’s Wife was just really an innocent young woman and all the makeup was just an act for attention. ‘’the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.’’ Again the amount of makeup she had on makes her look as if she were still alive ‘’Now her roughed cheeks and her reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly.’’ In the film, the audience are introduced to her again like in the novel looking for Curley. She is dressed in a pink floral dress unlike in the novel where she is wearing mostly red. However she is wearing red lipstick although her eyes are not heavily made up but it is noticeable that she is wearing eye makeup. It is clear that she is not wearing heels because the sounds of her foot steps are quite bold. Compared to the book she is a lot less provocative but the way she speaks to the men on the farm is very flirtatious and her body language is very suggestive, for example she pushes her chest forward and places her hands on her hips which could insinuate her wanting more than just somebody to talk to, although we know she just wants somebody to talk to. When Curley’s Wife leaves, George’s immediate response is towards Lennie is for him to stay away from her due to the incident in Weed. There are three added scenes featured in the film. These were most likely included to show the audience how Curley’s Wife has no sympathy or consideration from the other men at the barn and how Curley himself treats his wife with little consideration. The barn scene, being the first added scene is where we see George taking a tired out horse back to the barn where he also encounters Curley’s Wife. The way she talks to George is very flirtatious and almost as if she is leading him on, however she then goes on about how she wants somebody to talk to her because Curley himself doesn‘t give her any attention and is undoubtedly trying to better himself compared to the other men, thus why he picks on Lennie, who is a lot taller than him and certainly much more stronger. The second added scene is The Speed Ball Scene where we see Curley punching away at the speed ball. This could have been added to enhance the audiences awareness that he is constantly aggressive and obsessed with fighting. Curley’s Wife is sat levelled above Curley with no body around and is clearly very lonely and extremely bored. With all the men working on the farm in the background, and Curley, although not working himself, is still not giving his wife a second thought. This is a clear indication that Curley’s Wife is isolated on the ranch and I think it emphasises the description given about her dead body in section 5 of the novel where underneath all of the makeup and desperate attempts for some attention, she was merely just a sweet, innocent and lonely girl. The final added scene in the film is The Broken Record Scene. She is wearing no makeup and obviously had been crying and is completely on her own. She vents about what had happened – Curley got aggressive and smashed all of her four records therefore not being able to play them which reminds the audience of Curley‘s violent nature. The reaction is pitiful and it is obvious that nobody taking any consideration for her. Curley’s Wife then runs off saying that if she ran away no one would miss her etc which could be suggesting her death. All of the added scenes help to enhance the audience’s awareness from the beginning of the film that Curley’s Wife should be seen in a very sympathetic perspective and this is not clear in the novel until Steinbeck’s description of her dead body. A very good example of a powerful scene would be the very ending of both the novel and the film. In the novel, Steinbeck sets the scene for the ending which takes place in Salinas River. He describes the surroundings beautifully and authentically just like in the beginning of the novel which creates a very peaceful image for the reader. ‘’The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun.’’ Nevertheless, the peaceful scene is spoiled even before the arrival of Lennie as Steinbeck creates an image that suggests death and readies the reader for what is about to unfold. ‘’A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.’’ As Lennie arrives he begins to have two hallucinations which are not shown in the film. The first hallucination is of his Aunt Clara and through the conversation brought about by Lennie’s imagination, his greatest fears are revealed. George’s reaction to what Lennie has done and the fact that Lennie has no real understanding of the seriousness of what he has done, which enhances his guilt feeling because he knows that he has disappointed George. The conversation then leads on to Aunt Clara making him feel even more guilty because George has done so much for Lennie and all he does is give him grief when George could do so much more without him. Lennie’s second hallucination is of a rabbit. This is could be a symbol of Lennie’s childlike nature and how the only real bad thing he can think of is how George will not allow him to look after the rabbits and the fact that he will now leave him. The conversation with the rabbit could also show how Lennie is very naà ¯ve and is convinced George will not leave him or get mad. The novel and the film are very similar as far as the conversation between George and Lennie are concerned. In the novel, it is prolonged to gradually build up tension for the reader when they realise that George is going to shoot Lennie. When he finally does, it is clear that this has traumatised George and is a very dreadful thing for George to undergo. ‘’George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes.’’ George is comforted by Slim and is taken for a drink. However, the reader is reminded of the ignorance by society as they are blinded by what George has just had to go through, which ends the novel. Then ending of the film is very sad. Lennie is found and comforted by George’s voice and soon by ‘The American Dream’ which is referred to several times throughout the film. The audience are unaware of what is about to happen as when George finally shoots Lennie it is very sudden. The music, played at the beginning of the film is again brought back, which is very touching and adds for a great effect to what has just occurred. Instead of the hallucinations Lennie’s fears are brought into the convocation between him and George and are much shorter than in the novel. In the novel, it begins and ends at the Salinas River where as in the film it begins and ends with George sat on the train. Just like at the beginning, there are flash backs, but this time of George and Lennie together. This indicates that George has spent the majority of his time with Lennie and they had a very brotherly relationship. The flash backs could imply George being deeply upset due to t he fact he has killed his best friend.

Disillusionment in the Stranger

In Albert Camus' The Stranger the Meursault is clearly disillusioned of life and two examples of this disillusionment occurred in the instances of his mother's death and an offer to be transferred to another work environment. The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus portrays how Meursault is disillusioned about things that seem to be the most normal basic human concepts of understanding such as his mothers death. With his mother's death, he seemed indifferent at the loss of her life in every way possible. He was so uninterested in her funeral that he remarked the following: â€Å"†¦I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night† (Camus 3). His mother appeared to slow him down. As if he felt he had better things to do. He claimed he never went to visit her in the nursing home because she enjoyed it too much. Nonetheless, he admitted, that the visit â€Å"took up my Sunday — not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling† (Camus 5). This shows the true lack of care in his mothers death. To further define his insensitivity, Meursault shed not even one tear in this part of the novel; moreover, he expressed no form of sorrow whatsoever.Secondly, Meursault's attitude and reaction toward an offer to be relocated to a Parisian location was a monumental indicator of his insensitivity. One would expect him to accept or decline the offer graciously and respectfully. Meursault proved, again, to be unpredictable when he states, in regard to his then current life in Paris: â€Å"†¦ it was all the same to me† (Camus 41). Caught off-guard by his response, Meursault's boss asked yet another question: was Meursault interested in a change of life? Unmoved, Meursault further retorted that one life was as good as another, and, furthermore, he wasn't unhappy with his current life in any way.Meursault's boss screamed at him, crying that Meursault never gave him a straight answer and had no ambition; his boss sad both of which were â€Å"disastrous† qualities in business (Camus 41). Both scenarios are synonymous in that they are prime examples of Meursault's stolidity and relentless un-appreciation of life. In both cases he was unexpressive, unmoved in either direction: happiness or sorrow. The funeral director and Meursault's boss were indeed taken aback at Meursault's attitude. Neither, however, was successful in swaying Meursault and drawing him away from his uncaring way of thinking.

Bonds and Trustees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bonds and Trustees - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the legal structure of a trust agreement to provide that the rights of the bondholders are vested in the trustee through the trust agreement which confers upon the trustee rights to â€Å"represent the holder in dealing with the issuer and to enforce action on their collective behalf†. By virtue of the trust agreement, subject to the provisions of the deed, the trustee shall represent the bondholder and the bondholder shall not be allowed to represent him/herself unless there is a breach of the agreement, which will render it unenforceable. Thus, the provision in the conditions of trust, which states, â€Å"no bondholder may take enforcement action against the issuer following a default unless the trustee, having become obliged to act thereon, has failed to do so† is valid. As held in case of Highberry Ltd v Colt Telecom Group Plc (No.2) a no-action clause is valid. Under Chapter 29 Part 1 of the Trustee Act 2000, the trustee has the duty to â€Å"exercise such care and skill as is reasonable in the circumstances, having regard in particular- (a) to any special knowledge or experience that he has or holds himself out as having, and (b) if he acts as trustee in the course of a business or profession, to any special knowledge or experience that it is reasonable to expect of a person acting in the course of that kind of business or profession.† The degree of care in transacting business for and on behalf of the bondholders binds the trustee to deliver what is in the best interest of the bondholder. The same rules apply as in the case of negligence. Therefore, where the trustee is faced with a situation where it becomes obliged to act, the failure thereof to act accordingly would constitute a statutory breach as well as of the agreement.