Advantages and disadvantages of E-business

Advantages and disadvantages of E-business Using Internet technology to provide improved customer service, make more efficient business processes, increase sales, and reduce wastage is called E-business. E-business uses the internet tools such as websites, online banking, and web based customer relationship. Advantages of E-Business: There are many benefits an organisation can get with having an E-Business solution for the business. Worldwide Presence: The major advantage of engaging business online, to have presence nationwide or worldwide. IBM uses the e-business term to provide services to the customer and was one of the first companies uses this term. Dell Inc. and Amazon are the other success stories using E-Business to flourish their business. Cost Effective Marketing and Promotions: using internet to market products is a very nominal method which guarantees the worldwide reach. Pay per click advertising is a effective technique which ensure the business only pay for the advertisement that actually viewed. Better Customer Service: E-Business has change the customer services image enormously. Number of customers can visit or the website at same time. Some website have online chat feature to help the customer to find out more about the product they are interested in. moreover orders can be placed online by processing payments securely over the internet and products can be shipped to the customer. In this case customers even do not have to leave the house. Disadvantages of E-Business: Even above mentioned advantages there are some disadvantages of the E-Business. Some of them are listed below. Sartorial limitation: the main disadvantage of E-Business is lack of growth in some sectors i.e. food. Consumer prefers to look the food products physically before buying. Costly maintenance: substantial recourses are required to setup online business which requires computer upgrade, personnel trainings and website upgrade. This can be a disadvantage for some organisation. Security concern: The security concerns also lead to privacy issue. There are many examples of contact lists and personal details were hacked or exposed due to weak E-Business system security. Virus threat. Physical products constrain. Perishable goods. Types of business organisation: There are two major types of the business. Private sector: Private firms are owned and run by private individual. There is further classification in private sector firms. Sole traders: A sole trader owns and runs a business. They contribute capital to start the enterprise, run it with or without employees, and earn the profits or stand the losses of the venture. Sole traders are found mainly in the retail trades (local newsagents), small scale service industries (plumbers), and small manufacturing and craft industries. Advantages: Easy to setup Can keep all the profits Make key decision. Flexibility Disadvantages: Unlimited liability Limited access to capital Pressure of being solely responsible. Partnership: Partnership is defined as the relation who subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit. A partnership is not a separate legal person distinct from its members; it is merely a relation between persons. Each partner (there must be at least two) is usually personally liable for all the debts of the firm. Advantages: Greater access to capital Shared responsibility Easy to setup. Disadvantages: Unlimited liabilities All partners liable for the debt of each other. Partnership dissolves on death of one partner. Potential of conflict. Limited companies: Limited companies are essential to be register at companies house. Company must issue a memorandum of association that includes nature of business and structure of the company. Limited companies also called Limited Liabilities Company. Shareholders have limited liabilities, if company winds up shareholders do not have to pay anything. Limited companies are further categorised in two types. Private limited company (LTD) A private limited company is one where the liability is limited to the value of the shares issued. This means that any debts are debts of the company, not of the owners. Company is owned by 1 to 50 shareholders and must have at least one director. Accounts have to prepare and submit to the companies house annually. Legally company can sue and can be sued. Public limited company (PLC) A Public limited company the one which can issue and trade their shares in the stock exchange for general public. Therefore ownership is open to anyone who wants to buy shares. There can be minimum two owners but no maximum numbers. Company must have at least two directors and a fully qualified company secretary. Public sector: Public sector businesses are owned by government. Government holds majority of the stakes in public sector industries. In last twenty years number of government owned firms reduced massively. Very few examples remain for instance: Royal mail, Royal Bank of Scotland. Aims of an organisation: An aim for any business organisation is a long term goal, something to be achieved over a significant period of time. These aims based upon a planned management strategy. For instance for a private company, aims might include To survive To achieve profitability by a certain time To increase profits To achieve technical excellence To improve quality of our products To be leader in the market To improve market share To enter global market. P 1.2: Stakeholders: Stakeholders are group of people who have an interest in a business organisation. There are a number of groups and individual who can be describe as stakeholders in any business. The Business Owners Managers Staff Customer Suppliers Community Government Figure above shows the possible stakeholder in a business activity. Some of the stakeholders are internal, some are external. Internal Stakeholders: Internal stakeholders are those who are members of the business organisation. For instance: Owners Manager Staff and employees External Stakeholders: External Stakeholders  are not a part of the firm and have an interest in the business. For instance: Customers Suppliers Community Government I will discuss the stakeholder in respect to my business later on in my business plan. P 1.3: Organisational Functions: Organisations arrange their resource recourses into different business functions. All organisations, whatever their business nature is have to manage the following business functions. Finance Human Resources Sales and Marketing Administration Research and Development. Each of the function needs to work tighter so the organisation can achieve their goals. Finance Function The financial section of the organisation will keep manual/electronic records of money received and paid out by the organisation. This information will then be used to produce various financial statements for tax purposes and to comply with legal requirements. The information will also be used to produce management accounts to enable senior managers to plan and review business strategy. The finance department or unit may also be responsible for administering employee expenses and salaries. For payment of wages the finance department will need to take into account statutory deductions such as tax, and employee contributions such as pension or loan repayments. Human Resources Function Human resources or Personnels main responsibility is the recruitment, selection, training and development of staff. This will involve developing staff to maximise their potential in a manner that furthers the organisations objectives.   Human resources may also need to comply with legislation applicable to the country in which they are based. For example in the  UK  employers will need to maintain accurate personal records in a manner that is compliant with the UK Data Protection Act 1984. Human resources often adopt a welfare role which includes looking after employees whilst they are at work. They may also create policies that balance organisational needs with those of the employee. They will also interpret employee welfare legislation and ensure that the organisation is complying with the applicable legislation. Sales and Marketing Function The marketing department will research customer needs to develop strategy and product to satisfy that customer need. In its research, the marketing department will investigate the market they are aiming at; the type of consumer making up the market (age, background sex etc) and the preferences of the consumer within that market. The marketing department will then need to marry consumer preferences with producing a product that is profitable. Once the product has been designed by the production department marketing will then need to package, advertise, and promote the product. Sales are responsible for persuading the consumer to purchase the end product, manufactured through marketings research. The Sales Departments selling strategy could involve  mailshots, travelling sales representatives, telephone sales and devising the sales interview. Administration This involves dealing with all administrative tasks including mail handling, dealing with enquiries/complaints, catering, and computer services. They will also produce documents (eg  forms, stationary, and newsletters) for the organisation and maintain the organisations premises and equipment. This function although not always recognised is vital, as it is the glue that holds the organisation together. Without an administrative department, customer complaints would not be resolved, customer orders may not be processed, and the workforce may not have the tools they need to complete their tasks. Research and Development Function The aim of research and development is to improve existing products, create new and better products, improve production methods, and create effective processes. This will enable the organisation to reduce costs, increase profitability and remain ahead of the competition. As not all research will lead to new/improved products/processes companies will need to allocate a specific portion of their budget to research and development activities. P 2.1: E-Business impact on consumer: E-Business brings the merchandise information to the online consumers home wherever they are. The choice available through E-Business to the consumer is enormous. Usually visiting a store physically means trek around, looking for the item consumer wants. E-business made it easy for the consumer to access the stores online to find their relevant item. Online shoping websites like theonlineshoppingtown.co.uk illustrate how e-business provides the consumer vastly increased verity of products available 24/7, both physical goods as well as services such as finance and insurance. P 2.2: E-Business impact on Business: E-business has made a deep impact on society. People can now shop online in the privacy of their own homes without ever having to leave. This can force larger brick and mortar retailers to open an online division. In some cases, it can also force smaller businesses to shut their doors, or change to being completely online. It also changes the way people look at making purchases and spending money. E-business has changed the face of retail, services, and other things that make our economy work. Undoubtedly, it will continue to influence how companies sell and market their products, as well as how people choose to make purchases for many years to come. P 2.3: Market Research: Market research is the procedure of using a variety of methods to collect, analyzes, and report data about possible consumer groups. Market research is used as a marketing strategy. Formal market segmentation requires comprehensive market research. The market research will helps to identify  quantitative  and  qualitative  patterns in consumer groups.  Quantitative  consumer data  refers to numbers such as age,  income, and family size while qualitative data relies on characteristics such as  education, occupation, and personality.  There are several ways you can go about segmenting  a population to target a market. Some are more relevant to your business than others. The  following describes different aspects of market segmentation used for marketing research that will help you in identifying a niche and maximizing business marketing. Types of Market Research: Surveys are the most commonly used  and least expensive market research method available. They can be conducted online, in person, or by phone. Focus groups are a method by which companies gain feedback on products by asking questions in an interactive group setting. This method might also be used to gain feedback on  services,  concept, advertisement, ideas, or packaging. Technology: Apart from surveys and questioners there are few tools available on internet that are used to collect data of the consumers accessing specific business over the web. I tried to access the tools to collect current data of particular business but all of them where required to have a paid membership. I used Google web analyser to analyze website traffic. Another tool which can help finding information about the anchor text used by the linking sites is SEO Books Back Link Analyzer http://tools.seobook.com/backlink-analyser/). It Supplies multiple output data including backlink status, link text, page title, outbound links, links on page, IP address, link type and Google information. P 2.3: Market Research impact on E-Business: Today we are living in vibrant world where numbers of things are changing very rapidly. Therefore it has become very complex to predict anything. Business is also a part of this rapid changing world and it is very difficult to predict any next move of market or customers respectively. However, to achieve success in the business world, it is very significant for any business to have full information about the market progress and the customers behaviour. Therefore, business requires a solution which can help them to gather these facts and figures. A most effective solution for this problem resides in the form of market research, that provides a great possibility to identify the numerous trends in the market and customers need. Market research is a combination of few methods like surveys, analysis, trends, prediction. Adopting the effective market research method can help business to identify new market trends, their competitor activities, acceptability of their products in market, scope for new products, and reason behind failure of products. A large numbers of business organisation have made market research an essential part of the organisation. However, many others take the help of external agencies and advisors. Mode of doing market research may be whatever but one thing is clear that market research significantly help organisations in making right moves at the right time. By making market research an integral part of companies work structure, companies can easily avoid number of shocks coming from market and increase their success rate considerably. Therefore, in simple words we can say that by getting the help of market research, it is possible for any organisation to succeed in the business world. Chapter 2: Online Business Development: Introduction: Handyman online is a website which will provide wide range of repair and maintenance services around the home. This idea for the e business is not unique but in a way it is different from recent trend of customer services. The idea comes through my mind when I required some paint and patch work need to be done around the house. It was not a very large area so there was no need to hire professional contractors as a most people are fear of lengthy process and expensive labour. In search of the person who can carry out this small job I search in the local yellow pages, unfortunately I could not find any person. I browse the internet to search for the right person for the job. I narrowed down my search to 3 persons who carry out this kind of jobs in that area. When I called 2 of them refuse to come and visit the site due to lack of time and one of them promised to visit and never turned up. I have a degree in civil engineering in which I spent three years to learn about construction and its requirements before I come into the IT field. As per my pervious knowledge in the specific area I visited the (do it yourself) DIY stores like Homebase and BQ. I browsed for my required material and the actual work didnt take not more then 3 hour to finish. This draws my attention to the market potential and lack of required skilled staff in this area. People like me spend enormous amount of time over the internet to search person to carry out such a small tasks like assembling a cupboard, hang out a curtain or change the lock. In my case I was very disappointed about the response of the persons to carry out my required work. In my opinion there is a lot of potential in this market which I will discuss later in my report. Mission Statement: Mission is to reach and provide the customer high standard handyman services in quick and efficient way and creates employment opportunities. Goals: Create over 20% of business from repeat customers. Generate  steady revenue per year by the end of year two. Develop the business into full-time employment within 12 months. P 3.1: The Market research: Handyman Onlines target market has been divided into two segments: home owners and property managers. There are 1,340 potential customers in the property manager segment.  This group is growing at a 4% annual growth rate. There are 25,190 potential customers in the home owner segment. This  group has a 5% annual growth rate. Competition Handyman online will receive competition from several sources. The most well-known competitors are detailed below: Handymen Fix-It-Up: This is a one man company that is specialized in electrical problems and plumbing. Painting and patios are not serviced. When speaking with the customers regarding their experience with this company their expression was mixed. Handymend.com: This is a handyman company that employs three different workers as handymen. This is a large company (for handymen) with a far less intimate customer experience. If a customer used this service on four different occasions, they are likely to receive four different people on the service calls. Contractors (General) Raj Contractors: This is a full-service general contractor. The organization is large with 17 employees. This company does a mixture of commercial and residential work. This company has an eight hour minimum contract. MF Contractors: This is a small sized contractor of five employees. They concentrate on residential jobs and have a smaller minimum of four hour projects. P 3.2: Market Analysis Summary Handyman online has identified two different market segments, home owners and property managers. As I discussed earlier, like in my case the most important segments as they are the customers who often have small repairs. These repairs are too small for to hire a contractor and complicated enough for the owner to perform themselves. Customers often call the service provider who they are familiar with, regardless of the suitability. For this reason, word of mouth referrals will be very important. Possible customers normally ask neighbours or friends and any other property managers for advice on handyman service providers. Handyman online will take advantage of word of mouth marketing by providing exceptional services to keep customers satisfied. Excellent service will result in new and repeat business. Market research outcomes: As I discussed earlier, I divided the potential market into two distinct customer groups: Home owners The value of the homes ranges generally between  £160,00  £655,00. 48% of home owners try to make small repairs themselves; they often start the repair and later realize that they do not have the appropriate skills to complete the repair. The remaining 52% do not attempt to repair it, they call a professional person to perform the repair. 62% have owned their home for more than two years. 73% of the customers wait until several small problems accumulate before they call a handyman for repair. This behaviour can be explained by not wanting to incur a large upfront charge just to have someone fix one thing. Property managers: Typically do not have their own in-house repair man in an effort to reduce overhead expenses. The range of monthly rental costs of their units is  £350- £675. Market Analysis Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Potential Customers Growth CAGR Home owners 5% 24,090 25,295 26,560 27,888 29,282 5.00% Property managers 4% 1,234 1,283 1,334 1,387 1,442 3.97% Total 25,324 26,578 27,894 29,275 30,724 P 3.3: Company: Handyman online will be formed as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) by myself. i will be the sole employee and owner of the company and I will hire the staff time to time according to the nature of the job. The company will incur certain start-up costs, primarily tools, detailed in the Start-up Summary section. Start-up requirements: Handyman online will incur start-up costs related to start of the business. The following table details the start-up costs as well as indicated the needed capital for initial operations. Stan will be using his personal tools for jobs but will need to purchase the following additional equipment/tools: Assorted plumbing tools including: slip wrenches, snakes, teflon tape, and assorted caps, nuts, and bolts. Electrical tools including: electrical gauge meters, wire cutters, various wires and wire caps, and soldering iron. Painting material including: paint brushes, paint roller, pneumatic paint sprayer, air compressor, sand papers, spackle tools and masking tape. Pressure washer. Various general tools. Assorted power tools (drill, saw, sander, Dremel). Assorted nails, bolts, screws, and fixtures. Laptop with portable printer for mobile invoice printing and submission. Mobile phone. Start-up Expenses Legal  £800 Accountant  £600 Brochures  £250 Insurance  £250 website registration  £25 Website hosting  £75 webpage development  £500 Total Start-up Expenses  £2,500 P 3.4: Details of cost: Start-up Assets Cash Required  £20,500 Other Current Assets  £0 Long-term Assets  £8,000 Total Assets  £28,500 Total Requirements  £31,000 Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund  £2,500 Start-up Assets to Fund  £28,500 Total Funding Required  £31,000 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up  £8,000 Cash Requirements from Start-up  £20,500 Additional Cash Raised  £0 Cash Balance on Starting Date  £20,500 Total Assets  £28,500 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing  £0 Long-term Liabilities  £31,000 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills)  £0 Other Current Liabilities (interest-free)  £0 Total Liabilities  £31,000 Capital Planned Investment Investor 1  £0 Other  £0 Additional Investment Requirement  £0 Total Planned Investment  £0 Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) - £2,500 Total Capital - £2,500 Total Capital and Liabilities  £28,500 Total Funding  £31,000 Loan required  £31,000 P 4.1: Company Services Handyman online will provide repair and maintenance for home owners and property managers. All type of services will be provided from just  £40 per hour plus parts. Handyman online will give every customer at least one hour of work at their property. All work is handyman work, for larger nature of jobs that require a contractor; Handyman online will search an experienced service provider free for the customer. By providing only handyman services, handyman online will always attempt to repair the problem first, replacement is only an option if the item cannot be repaired. This differs from a contractor philosophy which is generally to replace everything first. Repairing items is far less expensive for the consumer. Handyman online will offer a one year guarantee for all of their repair and maintenance work, The goal is to not have any unsatisfied customers. Offered services include: Minor plumbing Leaky faucets, repair/replace fixtures, sprinkler repair, minor drain problems, garbage disposal install, install ice maker lines. Minor electrical Ceiling fan repair and install, electrical plugs and switches, vanity lights, motion lights, cable and phone line installation. Fence repair Metal and wood fence repair and install, electric dog fences, gate and latch install. Window, wall and door repairs Small hole repair, door installation, window maintenance and repair. Decks and patios Deck repair and maintenance, chemical cleaning, pressure washing, wood replacement, handrail installation. Painting Interior and exterior (short of an entire exterior of a house). Weather proofing Weather stripping, caulking. Flooring Carpet and hard wood repair Company Ownership: I am the founder and owner of Handyman online. The company will remain a one-man operation for the foreseeable future. P 4.2: Market Analysis Summary Handyman online has identified two different market segments, home owners and property managers. As I discussed earlier, like in my case the most important segments as they are the customers who often have small repairs. These repairs are too small for to hire a contractor and complicated enough for the owner to perform themselves. Customers often call the service provider who they are familiar with, regardless of the suitability. For this reason, word of mouth referrals will be very important. Possible customers normally ask neighbours or friends and any other property managers for advice on handyman service providers. Handyman online will take advantage of word of mouth marketing by providing exceptional services to keep customers satisfied. Excellent service will result in new and repeat business. Marketing strategy: Website Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy will employ two distinct mechanisms: Search engine submission: This will be most useful to people who are unfamiliar with handyman online but are looking for a local handyman. There will also be searches from customers who may know about handyman online but are seeking additional information. URL on all printed material: For every printed piece of material that we offers, the sites Web address will be listed, encouraging a visit to the site. Website Development Requirements The site will be developed by me because I have an experience to develop a website. I will seek help from a friend to develop some aspect of the website. The value of the development will not increase more then  £600, it will not have to be listed as a payout of 1099 income for tax purposes. P 4.3: Sales Forecast The sales forecast has been developed in a conventional way to increase the possibility of achieving the sales goals. The forecast sales breaks down is based on the activities that Handyman online will perform. Required parts to replacing the faulty ones will be invoiced separately, there consumables such as nails, caulk, and etc., that will be used will be included in the  £40 hourly fee. These consumables are captured in the direct costs of goods as a percentage of the overall service charge. The different services have different percentages assigned to each type of service. Handyman online will perform a wide range of jobs, that will be billed at the same hourly rate. The competition typically bills out electrical work at a higher rate, and painting at a lower rate. Company has chosen a single hourly rate to encourage customers to use the services for more then one repair on the same visit. Sales Forecast Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Sales Plumbing  £4,250  £12,500  £16,550 Electrical  £3,698  £10,875  £14,399 Fences  £782  £2,875  £3,807 Windows  £1,360  £4,000  £5,296 Decks  £945  £4,500  £5,958 Paint  £2,508  £7,375  £9,765 Weather proofing  £1,403  £4,125  £5,462 Parts  £850  £2,500  £3,310 Floors  £1,615  £4,750  £6,289 Total Sales  £17,410  £53,500  £70,834 Direct Cost of Sales Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Plumbing  £298  £875  £1,159 Electrical  £185  £544  £720 Fences  £23  £86  £114 Windows  £109  £320  £424 Decks  £38  £180  £238 Paint  £226  £664  £879 We

Main Features Of British Conservatism

Main Features Of British Conservatism The ideology of conservatism is seen as one of the most important structural components of modern political ideologies. However, there are great difficulties in determining its substantive content. The term conservative comes from the Latin conserve to maintain, protect. However, its ideological and political importance can be hardly identified, which is associated with a number of circumstances. Firstly, in the process of development an inversion of historical values of liberalism and conservatism has occurred. Thus, many fundamental principles of classical liberalism the demand for freedom of the market and limiting government intervention are now seen as conservative. At the same time the idea of a strong central governing power of the state, launched earlier by traditionalist conservatives, now became an essential component of a liberal mind. Secondly, there is the internal heterogeneity of the political ideology of conservatism, which includes various aspects, but is gathered by one common feature the justification and stabilization of established social structures. Bearers of the ideology of conservatism are the social groups, strata and classes who are interested in preserving the traditional social order, or in its recovery. There are two ideological formations in the structure of conservatism. One focuses on the sustainability of the social structure in its unaltered form, the other one addresses the opposing political forces and trends. In this context, conservatism is both political ideology justifying the existing order, and appeal to the lost. Different directions and forms of conservatism exhibit common features. These include: recognition of the existence of universal moral and religious order and the imperfection of human nature, belief in the innate inequality of men and the limited possibilities of the human mind, the conviction of the need for a rigid social and class hierarchy and preferences of established social structures and institut ions. British conservatism is perceived by many people as a British national trait, inseparable from everything English. Conservatism, which got here its highest expression and perfection, is a traditional political ideology of the British. It is with the English Parliament originated the famous distinction between right and left, and many other political definitions (Clarke 1996). British conservatism, which understands that human nature is not perfect enough for perfect political institutions, is implemented in the following fundamental approaches: Preference of gradual changes to the radical. Preference of specific and nearby to the distant and utopian. Mentality of conservatism is the mentality of traditionalism. Conservatism is characterized by a certain conception of man, society, state, and history. Conservative thinking may be regarded as an ideology of right-wing forces in society, expressing their desire to preserve the existing social organization. But not this aspect is important. It is important that the proletariat has nothing to lose but their chains, right and conservative members of society have much to preserve, develop and grow. Conservatism can be considered independently of the material and economic interests as an ideology consisting of certain basic principles and concepts of human, state, society and history. For example, the answer to the question What makes the freedom of each person and the real political freedom in society and state? inevitably leads us to understanding of the better role of conservative unchanging institutions like the state, family, law, religion, against the backdrop of progressive attempt to rebuild and destroy for extreme individualistic self. Traditional conservatism is associated with the names of E. Burke (1729-1797), J. de Maistre (1753-1821) and Louis de Bonald (1754-1840). In the 20th century, the main forerunner of this trend was R. Kirk, who published in 1953 book The Conservative Mind. Homeland of conservatism as a political ideology, which was a specific reaction to the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, was England. In 1790 E. Burke published a book Reflections on the Revolution in France. Louis de Bonald and J. de Maistre are considered to be original classics of feudal aristocratic conservatism. E. Burke, son of modest Irish lawyer, is characterized by ambivalence and inconsistency of the feudal-aristocratic and bourgeois system components of his political views. Precisely because of inconsistencies and discrepancies, many of Burkes ideas can be interpreted very widely and in different contexts, and find support of the wider social groups (Coxall & Robins 2003). Political ideology of the British conservatism includes many of the categories developed by these thinkers. One of the most important in it is the concept of natural aristocracy, which includes, according to Burke, not only the nobles, but also rich businessmen, educated people, lawyers, scientists and artists. Wealth on the grounds of reason and policy deserves a privileged position in society. Otherwise, recurrence of the revolution is possible. One of the main features of the British conservatism is the concept of traditionalism. In contrast to the ideas of the Enlightenment, tradition is opposed to reason and put over it, because it means the subordination of action under the natural course of things and the age-old wisdom. Traditionalism is the basis of understanding the change, update, reform, which should not violate the natural course of things. At the same time two main types of reforms are distinguished: reforms aimed at restoring the traditional rights and principles, and preventive reforms aimed at preventing revolution. At the same time there is seen the difference between change and reform. Changes alter the essence of the object; the reform doesnt affect it and is forced as a tool that must be applied. Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald, rejecting the republic, any reform and contrasting it to tradition and prestige, saw the path to salvation in strengthening the political role of religion. The core of the po litical ideas of de Maistre was the idea of equilibrium, understood as the creation of the strategic balance in the political and spiritual life based on a theocratic approach. De Bonald, without giving priority to either secular or religious authorities, launched the idea of an alliance of religious and political society (Clarke 1996). In general, the political idea of traditionalism includes organic conception of society, according to which it has been originally there, like organic nature, and does not arise as a result of social evolution: the interpretation of the participation of the individual as presenting no intrinsic value, but entirely dependent on the support of the conservative order; the idea of elitism and antidemocratism, according to which inequality among people is an axiom of politics, because equality is the enemy of freedom (Burke), freedom for the highborn and propertied; rejection of the idea of progress and contrasting it to the ideas of the historical cycle (Mitternih). In the 20th century, R. Kirk, developing the principles of traditionalism, wrote that in the revolutionary era people were fascinated by novelty, but then they got tired of it and wanted the old principles back. History is interpreted as a cyclical process. Therefore, at a certain turn the conservative order comes back again. Conservatives seek to ensure a broad national consensus, appealing to the traditional views and prejudices, authority and religion. Social and economic problems they rarely transfer into a religious-ethical plane. Thus, in the 80ies, R. Kirk has emphasized the following principles of traditionalist conservatism: the belief in the order of a higher level than the human ability to adapt, and the belief that the economy goes into politics, politics into ethics, and ethics into religious concepts. Another basic feature of the British conservatism lies in understanding that individual is foolish. The crowd is stupid, when acting without thinking, but the human race is always wise, and when it has enough time, he is always doing the right thing. The experience of many generations is embodied in the mores, customs and traditions. So, we must take care of this heritage: instead of getting rid of all old prejudices, we must consider them. It is dangerous to allow people to live and act with the support of just own stock of mind, because this stock of the individual is small, it is better to turn to a universal bank of knowledge accumulated for centuries by many peoples. The older the existing institution is, the more respect it deserves, as it has passed the hardest test the test of time, and absorbed the wisdom of the ancestors (Coxall & Robins 2003). Confrontation between parliamentary factions gives the necessary guarantee to preservation of the state system of Britain. Party unities, regardless of what goals they pursue in their work, are an integral part of a free state. British people by Burkes mouth gave the classic definition of a political party a group of people united by a particular, shared by everyone principles for national interests. But not only inter-party contradictions define the development of the state. Rivalry between different branches of government, each of which wished to expand its influence but is forced to reckon with other similar encroachments, provides a dynamic equilibrium for the state, and the inviolability of the rights and privileges for citizens. This balance of opposing aspirations lies at the basis of the English political system. Although the three highest state authority in Britain are of different nature the monarchy (the Crown), aristocratic (the Lords) and democratic (House of Commons) together despite their differences, are harmoniously integrated. English conservatism also recognizes divergence of interests between different social strata, in particular, stressing that income inequality is the most effective incentive to work, without which the existence of civilization is impossible. According to the conservative views the problem of poverty can be solved only gradually, with the development of production. Conservatism believes the contradictions are an inherent element of social life and art of politics is to achieve such an optimal combination of strengths and weaknesses, where even weaknesses would serve to the benefit of society. Conservatism of Great Britain denies the possibility of the existence of political organization, same suitable for all ages and nations (Clarke 1996). Institutions of each state are the result of long historical development and adaptation to national circumstances, traditions and customs of the country. Every age has its own customs, and policies are determined by them. During the conflict of Britain with its American colonies, the Conservatives called on to carry out in each of the parts of the empire management according to the nature and circumstances of local people. They believed that the government was something purely practical, designed to benefit of people rather than to ensure compliance with the schemes of politicians. Among the most serious crimes of Lord Hastings and the entire administration of the East India Company conservatives attributed assault on centuries-old way of life of local people. If you manage the inhabitants of another country, you must do it according to their norms and principles, rather than forcing them to adapt other peoples ideas. Together with the respect for the historically formed institutions British conservatism does not reject the possibility of reforming them. Life goes on, and in the new circumstances the old institutions may lose their original significance and become a hindrance to the normal functioning of the public body. In this case, even the most advanced age does not justify their preservation in old form (Coxall & Robins 2003). However, any transformation, according to conservatives, must be partial and purely pragmatic. Reform is never a change of the essence or the common device of the subject. It is nothing more than a pill directed specifically against harassing malady. In other words, here the dominant principle for conservatism is also continuity and respect for the existing realities.

The Underworld, Logos, and the Poetic Imagination Essay -- Essays Pape

The Underworld, Logos, and the Poetic Imagination I In the Odyssey of Homer, Odysseus travels to the underworld and meets the soul of Achilles, who bitterly comments on existence after death: O shining Odysseus, never try to console me for dying. I would rather follow the plow as thrall to another man, one with no land allotted him and not much to live on, than be a king over all the perished dead.[1] The ancient Greek interpretation of death, as expressed by Homer, portrays the Underworld as a horrible place, terrifying in its monotony and lack of meaning; and Death is something to be feared and avoided as long as possible. Poetry's representation of death has changed dramatically since Homer, especially in the hands of more modern poets like Rilke and Gregory Orr, who, in their handling of the Orpheus and Alcestis myths, treat death as desirable, even more fulfilling than life. In the earlier Greek versions of the Orpheus myth, Eurydice reacts with despair when she loses her only chance to return to the realm of the living. In the modern poetry of Rilke and Orr, however, Eurydice does not want to leave the Underworld. Indeed, returning to life is a painful and dreadful experience for her. She responds to the possibility of life with the same hesitation and fear that the Homeric heroes felt toward death. What has not changed, however, from Homer to the twentieth century is that we do not know what happens after death, and we still use poetry as a means of addressing the uncertainty of death. Poetry is our way of immortalizing and idealizing the dead, and, consequently, the poet acts as the bridge between the living and the dead. II The Iliad begins with the invocation of the Muse, or the poet en... ... her back,/ to hurt her into memory." Gregory Orr, Betrayals/Hades, Eurydice, Orpheus, in City of Salt, (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995), ll. 10-15, p. 34. [8] Martin Heidegger, "Being and Time," Basic Writings, Edited by David Farrell Krell (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1993), 78. [9] When Heidegger speaks of the Logos with a capital "L," he is speaking of some sort of higher, transcendent truth. When he speaks of logos with a lower-case "l," he simply means "word." [10] Heidegger, "On the Essence of Truth," Basic Writings, Edited by David Farrell Krell (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1977), 125. [11] Heidegger, Early Greek Thinkers, Translated by David Farrell Krell and Frank A. Capuzzi (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1975), 73. [12] Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus, I, 2, ll. 1-5, p. 229.

Impure Puritans in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Impure Puritans in The Scarlet Letter In a world where society is disorganized, unhappy, and chaotic, it can be extremely difficult to provide an honest, and just law system. As a result, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, people use their religion (Puritan), as judge, jury, and executioner. For some people, it can be very troublesome to live a normal life when you are surrounded by biased and chauvinistic men and women. In this story, Hester Prynne is a victim of her religion, and her fellow townsfolk. Throughout the book, Hawthorne writes about the townspeople and how they act and behave towards each other, Hester, and life in general. The novel starts with Hester walking towards the town scaffold to be seen for public display, because she committed the crime of adultery. A lane was forthwith opened through the crowd of spectators. Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an irregular procession of stern- browed men and unkindly visaged women, Hester Pyrnne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment. A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding little of the matter in hand except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, turning their heads continually to stare into her face, and at the wink-ing baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast. P. 52, 53 As this is happening, all the people see is the crime that Hester committed, not the person behind it. They do not take into consideration, that the crime itself, is not as evil as they make it out to be. Hawthorne describes it as enjoyable to the spectators, by showing the children watch her and laugh as she makes her way to the scaffold. It's as though the people of the Puritan religion are heartless, ruthless, cold blooded, and that what is going on, is considered fun. Aside from forcing Hester to stand on the scaffold, they make her knit an "A" onto her chest. The "A" symbolizes adultery. The plan was for people to look upon this symbol, pity her, and make Hester feel deprived of humanity. Instead of knitting a simple "A", Hester designs a very complex and elaborate one. The reaction from the people shows how evil some of

Patrick Combs Self-Help Guide for Needful College Freshmen

If there is a recipe for self-help books, two of the necessary ingredients are an endorsement from a â€Å"name† self-help or motivation guru/author and trotting out the old Teddy Roosevelt â€Å"man in the arena† mantra. Combs has both: Tom Peters’ kudus on the cover and The Roughrider on page 28. What’s missing is a touch of truth and reality. Nowhere does Mr. Combs describe his own success (perhaps â€Å"I knew I’d never be happy until I got a self-help book published!†) or many student’s real world (perhaps a chapter on majoring in the success of your dysfunctional family, lack of money for traffic fines, broken or stolen personal property, drugged-out roommate and boy/girl friend issues). Instead, Mr. Combs supplies his readers with 154 pages detailing and expanding on a single maxim: figure out what you want to do it life, and do it. Major in Success has some major flaws as well as some great advice. Nonetheless there is a great deal to be gathered from Major in Success, but probably not in the manner Mr. Combs planned. Some great lessons can be learned from understanding not just what is in the book, but what it is that makes the book successful, despite its shortcomings. There are several flaws in Mr. Combs’ advice. First and foremost, the text is replete with anecdotal â€Å"evidence† and devoid of meaningful, quantifiable facts and statistics, and those used are rather disingenuous. In the chapter â€Å"Never Mind the Grades† he cites â€Å"a recent study by the College Review Board† indicating GPA is below ten other factors considered by employers (47).   He uses this â€Å"fact† to buttress his argument to â€Å"never mind the grades†. He fails to mention that in a very competitive job market when ALL of the applicants have those first ten factors, it will likely be factor 11—GPA—that makes the difference. The second glaring discrepancy relates not only to grades but also his contradictory attitude towards the significance of grades. His theory â€Å"college is for developing your talents to learn and do, so that you can learn and do anything you like† (20) begs the question â€Å"then how is that measured?† Most people, including employers, will use grades as the yardstick for learning ability. Mr. Combs fails to address the significance of a student’s â€Å"focus† or major in college. He claims if time spent on â€Å"extracurricular activities is having a negative impact on your grades, don’t panic† (50). He advises telling the prospective employer to the effect â€Å"sure my grades were mediocre, but various club memberships and internships were my priority.† Ask yourself if you would like to say that on a job interview, or â€Å"I managed to knock down a 3.7 GPA with a major in math and a minor in history while working 25 hours a week to help pay tuition and board†? Throughout the text Mr. Combs offers a â€Å"follow your inner voice, go for happiness, not money† philosophy. Goals change, life events come unexpected and being prepared to shift gears quickly is a key asset. A student may regret having used his college time to develop his knowledge and skills in an area of particular interest only to be caught short later when his interest, income needs, or location changes. The â€Å"follow your passion regardless of income† theory works well for those without monetary needs, retirees, and even second or third career adults capable of turning a hobby into a profitable business. However, the practicality of the theory may come into question years later, when either a more fundamental education (liberal arts) gives flexibility or a mainstream â€Å"certificate† program (nursing, teaching) provides job security. There are no less than three very good reasons to read this book. Mr. Combs has filled the margins with hundreds of â€Å"hot tips† and quotations. Included are a large number of references to other texts and sources. He also provides an excellent chapter entitled â€Å"Classes Worth Their Weight in Gold†, detailing almost a dozen courses with universal value. A concentration on these classes will do wonders for marketplace flexibility. The chapter â€Å"Really Get Into It† provides a detailed list of seventeen items designed to turn interest into expertise. There are less obvious lessons to be learned from Major in Success that are arguably just as important as the ideas expressed in the text. Mr. Combs has a â€Å"Special Thanks† page listing probably a hundred or more persons who assisted him. Success is usually a team sport, and the value of associating with mentors and goal-oriented people is invaluable. The book is very well organized; the Table of Contents lists three major sections divided into twenty-nine succinct chapters. If there is ever a life lesson to be learned, particularly for a college student, it is the value of organization. Additionally the text is filled with lists. Making lists is essential for planning, organizing, and tracking in college and throughout life, for anyone.   Finally, the format of the text is very effective, with graphics, margin notes, and lists in a unique and â€Å"out of the box† manner. Individuality cannot be overemphasized. Today there is no typical college student, and whether the reader is an eighteen-year-old freshman or an older adult returning for a second career they will find something in Major for Success applicable to their specific situation. Works Cited Combs, Patrick. Major in Success. California: Ten Speed Press, 1998.

Great Gatsby and Hamlet comparision Essay

Throughout both books GG and H, there are several discrepancies between appearances vs. reality. It appears that everyone is full of deception and ulterior motives. Tom, Daisy and Gatsby all appear innocent and happy from an outsider’s perspective but when given a closer look the imperfections shine bright†¦. Hamlet is based aroundcharacters that play their roles behind the veil of duplicity. Everything appears to be true and accurate, but in reality it’s vice-versa. Three of the main characters that hid behind the mask are Hamlet, King Claudius, and Polonius. From behind this mask, their appearance is genuine and sincere, whereas in reality, they’re plagued with lies. They often appear to be only one way whilst they really are something entirely different. By viewing the controversies going on in Denmark, it is justifiable to state that there is truly something rotten in the state of Denmark. BP#1 Polonius and Tom -P appears loyal; reality sly and selfish. P appears to care about his family when in reality he is only concerned of how his kid’s actions reflect back on him. Right before Laertes leave for France P â€Å"Neither a borrower nor a lender be: For loan oft loses both itself and friend; And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.†This is typically fatherly advice, but later it is realized that P doesn’t trust L when he sends someone to spy on him. P actions may seem genuine but later they prove no more than P worried about his son’s reflection upon himself. -Like P, T appears to be a loyal man especially to his family, when in reality he is extremely disloyal to D. â€Å"Tom’s got some woman in NY†. Tom is not happy w his marriage as he feels the need to cheat. At the dinner table, D quickly brings up how she has a bruised finger and is in pain â€Å"That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great big hulking-â€Å". T has told D not to call him â€Å"hulking†, her defiance to her husband shows how unhappy she is w their marriage. Both P and T appear to be loyal from an outsider’s perspective but in reality they both portray selflessness and carelessness towards their families. BP#2 Claudius and Daisy -Claudius appears innocent, upset about his brother’s death and concerned for Hamlets well being. Claudius in reality is multi-faced and his ambition is to aquire the crown by killing his brother and marries his sister in law.  Claudius fears that H is going to discover what he has done and come after him. He investigates H madness by saying he is worries about H. â€Å"Whose whisper o’er the world’s diameter, as levels as the cannon to his blank transports his poisoned shot, may miss our name and hit the woundless air. Oh come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay†. D appears innocent and happy w her life; reality is she is married T because of status and is therefore unhappy. Even though she is unhappy w her marriage it is clear that status means a lot to her, especially when she is with Gatsby and he is showing her all his expensive items â€Å"It makes me sad because I have never seen such nice shirts before†. Daisy also says â€Å"Of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality† it was practical for her to marry T but this quote also suggests that T bought her. Both C and D married to achieve a higher status and for the betterment of themselves. They both achieved higher status and by doing this prove that they married out of greed than love. BP#3 Gatsby and Hamlet G appears rich, well educated (G believes that a man’s education is what categorizes the lower class from the upper class) and innocent; reality became rich through illegal means; bootlegging, is not educated and desperately wants D. â€Å"I’ll tell you Gods truth†¦I am the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west† as a result his family background is an ex. Of the false appearance G portrays. He mourns so deeply regarding the death of his father and his mother’s remarriage with his uncle that he appears insane, yet in reality he takes the advantage of his insanity to avenge his father’s wrongful killing. Another reason is, his love for Ophelia. He is deeply hurt due to the ignorance of Ophelia that he uses it to advantage, by showing hate towards her, in order to make others think that his madness is due to his rejected love. He uses his madness to manipulate and deceive the other characters, while in reality he is carrying out his master plan. He plays his role extremely well by showing his madness that he is able to convince Polonius that it’s all due to his rejected love, Ophelia. â€Å"He knew me not at first; he said I as a fishmonger: he is far gone, far gone: and truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; very near this.† –P is reporting to C that H is insane Both H and G are tragic heroes. Hamlets flaw being his procrastination and Gatsby’s flaw is his belief that you can  relive the past. Both characters are blinded by the thing they want most and the obsession with it fuels their actions causing both characters to take it so far that they end up hurting themselves and others around them in their recklessness.

Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election

In 1951 Winston Churchill's Conservative party, won the general election, and this would be the start of 13 years of Conservative rule spanning three prime ministers. This rule was ended in 1964 by Harold Wilson’s reunited Labour party. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour victory.Whilst in power the Conservative government made many mistakes, a key example of a Conservative mistake would be the 1957 Suez crisis in Egypt, when its leader (Nasser) wanted to nationalise the Suez Canal, an important trade route from Northern Africa and Middle East for France and Great Britain, which would force any ships using it to pay large taxes. This led to Sir Anthony Eden having to take military action to secure the canal, and stop the nationalisation.However he could not just invade the Suez Canal, so instead he hatched up a plan with France and Israel secretly. This plan involved Israel invading parts of egypt and France and Great Britain acting as peace keepe rs, securing the Canal for themselves. The plan went off militarily perfect and the Canal was secured. However, Great Britain did this without the consent of the US and UN.The US, perhaps seeing this as Imperialism, threaten to halt economic aid unless Eden was to withdraw his troops from Egypt, of which GB was reliant on, so reluctantly Eden was forced to remove his troops. Meaning a failure to stop the nationalisation of the Suez canal and leading Great Britain isolated on the world scale, and Anglo-American relations at a low. It was now clear that GB was no longer a dominant power in the world, and could not do much without the support of the Americans and would have to stop its Imperialism.However it is likely that the crisis would have had a much less domestic impact, as the labour opposition were unable to capitalize on this Conservative failure without looking unpatriotic and Harold Macmillan was quickly able to mend Anglo-American relations in his time in power, leaving lit tle lasting effect. This realisation of the UK losing its world power status, however was accepted by Harold Macmillan, who is quoted saying â€Å"The dinosaur was the largest beast, but it was inefficient and therefore disappeared. The bee is efficient, but it is too small to have much influence.The British Empire was a dinosaur and didn't last. Britain's most useful role is somewhere between bee and dinosaur. ’’ This meant that Macmillan saw that Great Britain had to strike up a role powerful enough to have an influence, but know when to let things go and when to not get involved, it would no longer have to play the role of world policeman like it did in times of empire. This was a success of the Conservative government in acknowledging this and Macmillan viewed it as a defeat, but one from which the country could learn from like Dunkirk in 1940.Britain did learn from this, as it reduced its defence budget (which was 10% of its GDP), one significantly higher than ot her similar european countries and pushed towards decolonisation of its empire. Another key mistake of the Conservative government was its abuse of the economy, resulting in stop go economics which is expanding economy with low interest rates and rising consumer spending meaning the economy overheats with wages and imports exceeding productivity and exports meaning the economy has to go through a ‘’stop’’ phase or need for slowing down or deflation through higher interest rates and spending cuts.This lead to investors being unsure on what the economy would do, and therefore did not invest as much as other more stable economies and therefore Britain economic growth being much lower than countries like Japan, Germany and France that had only years before been devastated by World War II.This stop-go economics was caused by the government not being able to decide on a budget, and them being too often used as short term measures to buy votes in general election s, for example before elections the conservative government would reduce taxes and after they won the election, would be forced to raise them again and policy lagging behind events. This in the end led to the failure of the government to develop policies that encouraged consistently performing economies, resulting in ‘’Stagflation’’ meaning the economy felt both the impacts of industrial decline and inflation.This would have led to the people feeling worse off, and when it comes to elections, its not foreign policy that wins, its whether the government has made them richer or poorer than counts, and if it has made them poorer, it is unlikely that they will vote for that party again. Macmillian’s plan to improve the economy was to get Great Britain into the European Economic Community, or EEC, which would later become the European Union.This would make it easier to trade with Europe, increasing exports, something that was in deficit as at the time Br itain had a balance of payments issue, exporting much less than imported. This could have worked, but Macmillian failed to get entry into the EEC because France’s President De Gaulle vetoed against GB’s entry, because he felt that it would be an awkward member, and that it already had strong ties to America and the Commonwealth, and did not want them getting involved in his EEC.However it is also argued that De Gaulle vetoed against GB because he was still spiteful of the jokes made to him by British and American Generals during World War II and the occupation of France by the Nazis. In the end, this failure to gain entry, meant that Macmillians one stop pill for curing the economy was scraped and GBs balance of payments issue was not resolved. This was criticized a lot by the labour opposition, and faith in Macmillian was decreasing both in his party and the public, meaning it was likely this lead to increased numbers of labour voters.The 60s were a much more liberal decade than the 50s and a lot of the people we starting to get more left wing in their political views. Events such as the Ally Pally Potheads Rally and emergence of Hippy culture and the cultural revolution showcased this shift in beliefs. The Labour party were able to take advantage of this shifting in the spectrum, by having Roy Jenkins promise to make society much more ‘’Civil’’ by removing the death penalty, legalizing abortion and homosexuality over the age of 21 and reducing media censorship.This would have gained a lot of the younger voters and showed that the Labour Party was able to keep up with this revolution in the British culture, unlike the Conservative Party which was unable to fully understand why scandals such as the Profumo Affair and Vassal Spy Scandal were so interesting to the media and general public, leaving the conservatives looking out of touch and out dated. The Labour party was also much stronger in 1964 than it was in previouse lections. Harold Wilson was a much stronger leader than Gaitskell, and a more skilled campaigner. The split between the party of Bevanites and the Gaitskellites ,which once meant that Labour had many conflicts in ideology and therefore policies in earlier elections which caused weakness post atlee, was reduced giving the Labour party clearer directions for the future and more direct policies to vote on.This meant that the Labour party had a much better chance for winning the election than previous ones, regardless of the conservative mistakes. In conclusion, It could be argued that ‘’thirteen years of conservative misrule’’ was a factor in the Labour victory, especially since the conservatives failed at optimising the economy and dealing the the balance of payments issue and inflation, which lead the people to feel worse off, and it is how well off the people feel under a government that decides elections.But the labour party were not able to capitalize on other failures such as the Suez Crisis meaning the victory cannot all be blamed on the conservative misrule as the labour party were a much stronger and more focused opposition that was adapting to the times much better than the Conservatives this election, winning them the majority of the younger voters and therefore the election.