Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Maxine Tynes’ poem “Reach out and Touch” Essay

With Maxine Tynes’ poem Reach out and Touch, the title suggests that the poem literally is about a person reaching out and touching objects or people. Tynes suggests that the more mature generation should reach out and help others more often, and maybe touching someone’s heart should be all worth it. The first 6 lines of Tynes’ poem, describes how the curiosity of a child. Line number 6 â€Å"to see if it comes off† proves that the child’s intentions were purely curiosity. The use of â€Å"electric† in line 3 was a very descriptive and vivid word to describe the poet’s bouncing curls. The author used these specific worlds and quotes to tell us that we should learn the innocents of a child and reach out to learn about the people around you. Without the â€Å"reaching out and touching†(2 & 3) part, the child wouldn’t have known that the person’s curly hair was electrifying (great curls). From lines 7 to 11, the mother, fear of bothering the person sitting in front of them, slapped the child’s hands away. With line 9 â€Å"hush-up of your questions† the poet is trying to make an analogy, as if â€Å"slapping hands away† (8) is what adults usually do. They don’t want their children to meddle into other people’s business, and in order to do that, we must not reach out to others. â€Å"What if reaching out in turn could cause the children pain†, is usually what the parents are thinking about. But children are too naà ¯ve to think that way. In line 11 â€Å"why it doesn’t come off† proves this innocence. The remaining lines of the poem started out with poet’s attitude shifting towards sympathetic/empathetic, when they were playful and unaware of the characters to begin with. The shift starts on line 13 with the word â€Å"but..† which indicated the child was upset from not able to cure their curiosity or the poet was trying to suggest was that the child was upset from not letting their caring personality portray through. â€Å"..in the fear that mother love wraps you in† is when the poet uses personification to show us that though mother love helps us grow, reaching out amongst friends is also a good thing. The title Reach out and Touch has a meaning beyond the literal. It is about reaching out to those of need and touch their hearts. With such a short  poem, Maxine Tynes was able to effectively illustrate the importance of reaching out and touching lives of other people. Whether it is a lovable hug or just a word of friendly advice, this type of reaching out could be the key to a better world. The message the poet was trying to portray was to tell readers that socialize with an open-heart, and you will be amazed how someone’s actions can touch your heart. By using subtle words of play, for example words like â€Å"magic,† â€Å"warm,† and â€Å"okay,† Maxine Tynes was able to portray just that.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Essy and Nd

An essay is generally a short piece of writing written from an author's personal point of view, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet and a short story. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author.Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e. . Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population are counterexamples. In some countries (e. g. , the United States and Canada), essays have become a major part ot tormal education.Secondary students are taught structured essay tormats to improve their writing skills, and admission essays are often used by universities in electing applicants and, in the humanities and social sciences, as a way of assessing the performance of students during final exams. The concept of an â€Å"essay† has been extended to other mediums beyond writing. A film essay is a movie that often incorporates documentary film making styles and which focuses more on the evolution of a theme or an idea. A photographic essay is an attempt to cover a topic with a linked series of photographs; it may or may not have an accompanying text or caption

A REPORT ON CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND CHANGE LEADERSHIP Essay

There is a fundamental difference in the definitions of change management and change leadership. Change management is an embodiment of processes and mechanisms that are designed by an organization to effect transformation within the ranks of an organization. Another process that is often mistaken with change management is change leadership, although the two processes might have the same conation, change leadership involves planning and implementing processes, tools or mechanisms that are associated with large scale changes across an organization, it involves putting structures in place to make the institution process go faster, smarter and more efficiently. It should be noted however that with both processes, it is critical to keep things under control as there would be outflow of resources to ensure that the change is kept in perspective. From the above definitions, it is evident that when change management works efficiently, it tends to be associated with smaller structural changes in an organization while change in leadership is fundamentally different as it involves putting structures in place that have the potential to take things out of control; it also involves implementing big visions, empowering people and institutions by placing experienced and dedicated persons at the helm of affairs to minimize risk of failure. Due to the scope of events involved in change leadership, the business world often clamours for change management as change leadership involves bigger leaps, investments, entering windows of opportunity at a fast and challenging pace. It is important however to note that no matter the change effort implemented whether management or leadership, for change to be successful, it must begin with an individual or group of individuals or some group(s) who have to study the current state of the business, ref lect on the organization’s financial performance as well as its market position and initiate a process that requires cooperation from all individuals as without proper motivation, all change effort would be futile. When organizations begin, often much emphasis is placed on leadership and short on management. People responded quickly to change. Organizations could, and often did, roll out new programs promptly without challenges, however as organizations develop the dynamics are different — slower, costlier, stuck in red tape, less tangible, less experimental. That is because big organizations are complex and have to continually evolve to  remain relevant. When organizations are accosted by complexity, people get anxious hence the need for certainty and coordination — in the form of structures, policies, responsibilities, and rules — to push that fear away. We cannot change our fear of complexity rather there needs to be a paradigm shift from management to leadership. Organizations have to remain robust — even as they grow, they must ensure that innovation does not get crushed with the advent of globalization. When organizations have high competencies in management and leadership, they are able to meet challenges today and in the future as businesses should be forward looking. However, most organizations are usually lacking one or the other. When management exists without leadership, the company is often unable to change. However the management methodologies that helped successfully develop organizations a century ago are no longer sufficient. Achieving continuous growth in an ever-increasing, fast paced society requires a change. The key to survival is a good blend of change leadership and change management. Change Leadership The management methodologies that helped successfully develop enterprises throughout the 20th century are no longer sufficient. Driving results in a world of ever-increasing change requires a new kind of leadership. Management is about coping with complexity. Its practices and procedures are largely responses to one of the most significant developments of the twentieth century: the emergence of large organizations. Without good management, complex enterprises tend to become chaotic in ways that threaten their very existence. Good management brings a degree of order and consistency to key dimensions like the quality and profitability of products. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change. Part of the reason it has become so important in recent years is that the business world has become more competitive and more volatile. Faster technological change, greater international competition, the deregulation of markets, overcapacity in capital-intensive industries, an unstable oil cartel, raiders with junk bonds, and the changing demographics of the work-force are among the many factors that have contributed to this shift. We should not try to fight the natural tendency toward coordination and control rather we should embrace change. As a matter of fact, some people will argue against the benefits of consistency as rules they claim offer consistency and, so the theory goes, coherence throughout the organization, but there is a better way to do this than to insist on rigid rules.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Statment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Statment - Essay Example t in the investigation of physical bodies of the world, behaviors of atoms, planets and different theories generated by scholars, which can determine high potentiality to choose physics as a major subject. It is necessary to engage in research work weather for organizations or for educational institutes. Both can provide a promising career. Moreover, it can expand knowledge and assumptions of universe. There are other subjects of physics like Quantum Mechanics and String theory, which can provide enthralling experience to relate to the realities of the world as is of great source of value and influence. I have analytical skills, which are needed in physical studies, and I strongly feel that I have what it takes to enhance them and keep them up to date with changing trends and requirement of the course. Physics provides an in-depth empirical knowledge, which is of significant value as it provides manifestation of natural processes of the world. The nature of physical bodies acting on earth and the universe can be captured through research work as it consists of the ability to explore different areas of natural phenomenon. Most of the theories of physics can be applied practically as well which are fascinating. These also bring an element of unpredictability, which is intriguing and mysterious for me. Physics provides exploration of knowledge and it is necessary to instill tactics and techniques through which the innovative fields of physics and investigations, which are carried out by physicists, are kept at abreast on a daily basis. Through this procedure, an individual can be kept informed if there are any updates in the field. It also helps in increasing knowledge regarding forces of nature. Besides these, physics as a major can help find future prospects as a lecturer where strategic skills as a physician can be applied. Moreover, these programs can provide a platform if further studies are carried out in the same fields like a PhD Program or career in other

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Small and Medium Enterprises in the USA Case Study

Small and Medium Enterprises in the USA - Case Study Example In this chapter, all the problems and issues that are associated with a small scale business have been discussed, including their aims and objectives and how these businesses function on such a small scale. Their main sources of finance, as well as profit capabilities, have been discussed, as well as the ways by which these businesses tend to make money.  ASME functions on a very small level and the employees that are usually working in an SME are quite illiterate or do not have the desired level of qualification that is needed. Commonly, a small scale business can be functional in several ways. For instance, a small handicraft business would be regarded as an SME. This is because i) the number of profits generated by a business is quite low and not consistent and ii) the number of employees that are working in an SME is lower than 50, which is the actual limitation set by the European Commission. A ‘medium’ sized business is one which functions on a slightly larger sc ale as compared to a small business, and as described by the EU Commission, the number of employees in a medium scale business is more than 50 but less than 250. There are several issues that arose while this research was undertaken. Due to the lack of records that are unavailable, most of the research had to be undertaken on a purely qualitative level and very little quantitative data was found with which a proper extract an idea could be generated about small business. Furthermore, the types of businesses that are functioning on a small scale level are quite diverse. For instance, an online business is a small scale business, because the profits generated online are usually not as high as compared to a large scale business, and the numbers of employees in such a business are usually quite low. On the other hand, an agricultural business is also a small scale business, because the number of employees that are hired for agricultural purposes is not that high, and therefore their ill iteracy causes a huge hindrance in proper communication (Goodman, 2003).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another research issue that arose was the fact that a small business keeps very little records of their past dealings because of the lack of space or storage data. Therefore, most of the claims made by small businesses could not be verified and only after extensive research could it be found whether the word of a small scale business entrepreneur was true or not. This caused a problem because all data that had to be included in the research needed to be verified and validated, and it took a lot of effort and intellect in order to come up with the right results.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Abortion - Essay Example Pro-abortion activists would say that a child is the womb as not yet been born and so cannot be considered to be life. I would go along with this position but for the fact that it has been proven that a fetus displays human characteristics when it is only a few weeks old. Ultra scans are now so good that small finger movements can be made out when a fetus is smaller than your fingernail. The unborn child does not get a say in what his or her mother chooses to do. That’s right, even a one-week old fetus already has a defined gender. The second issue that is will bring up is how abortions are hurting the growth of our country. Over the last few decades, the birth rate in America has dropped below the level that the population needs to replace itself. Thankfully, the American population is not decreasing due to the mass influx of immigrants each year. However, due to the millions of abortions performed in this country each year, who will become the leaders of our society in 30, 40, 50 years time? How many future presidents, football stars, and musicians are being taken out of the future population by people who live in the present day? All these â€Å"missing† people would have taken up a significant part of the workforce once they reached adulthood. As a result, foreigners are going to take American jobs where no one else is available to do so. The last issue that I will touch upon is the serious medical risk posed to the mother of an aborted child. Cervical cancers are common as a result of abortion, and in the most extreme cases death can occur. Besides obvious physical harm, there are psychological risks too. These are often understated because many people do not fully comprehend them. Instances of sleep difficulties, alcohol and drug abuse, and the breakdown of relationships are only some of the psychological damage that an abortion can cause. The vast majority of women who elect to have an abortion do so without knowing

Friday, July 26, 2019

Small business and risks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Small business and risks - Research Paper Example The cafà © prepares hearty and delicious breakfasts and lunch and offers authentic homemade Mexican food. North Boulder Cafà © is known for providing old-fashioned comfort and its menu is traditional and well situated for the discerning customer in the region. The menu includes a specialized range of coffees, burgers and Mexican dishes that are prepared by qualified chefs with an in-depth level of experience. North Boulder Cafà © is a family owned entity that competes with the major giants in the breakfast and coffee industry including Starbucks and others. North Boulder Cafà © is classified as a small business. Due to that, it has major capital structure needs and other marketing concerns. This puts the business in a major risk. However, the firm managed to thrive through difficult times and periods. This includes the credit crunch and other circumstances and it seem to be doing fairly well. It controls a very strict niche and this niche remains faithful to the firm. The sales approach includes the use of local marketing channels and media. However, the threats posed by larger entities in the industry are serious. This puts the firm in a major risk of folding up. In spite of this, it is apparent that with the careful research into the business environment, identification of real risks and formulation of solutions, North Boulder Cafà © is likely to survive and beat all the competition it faces. The research will involve an empirical study of the elements and aspects of the business environment of North Boulder Cafà © to ascertain risks and identify how these risks can be contained and dealt with. This will involve various tools of data collection and analysis to conduct an empirical research into the organization and identify solutions to the main problems and issues in the firm. The problem with North Boulder Cafà © is that the management might want to consider getting the franchise of a larger brand like

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Global Warming Melts from View Now That Economys on Ice Essay

Global Warming Melts from View Now That Economys on Ice - Essay Example This article was big on words and figures and speech but lack the hard proof to substantiate its claims. The author started his article with the sentence â€Å" GIVEN that we, at least everybody with a government-guaranteed bank account, are all socialists now, everybody understands how cruelly incompetent capitalism is.† Most words used in this sentence have depreciatory ring to them and the object of the criticism is capitalism. The author, in this first sentence, created these antithetical ideas of socialism and capitalism and instantly attributing to the latter dire qualities. He referred to it as â€Å"cruel† and â€Å"incompetent† while at the same time calling Australians socialists, which is of course, a hyperbole because having some people own a government-guaranteed bank account, do not constitute a country into a socialist one. The idea is perhaps, to picture capitalism and the Australian people as poles apart creating a nemesis effect.

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

Enzymes - Research Paper Example They are encoded by the genetic material which is a map telling the catalysts how to form and function. Enzymes work by lowering the activation energy of the reaction, which means that the reaction can proceed much quicker. The enzyme-substrate complex is an important component in understanding how enzymes work. Enzymes bind to substrates in order to change the substrate and form a product. The enzyme and substrate are complementary to one another; therefore they usually can only bind with one enzyme. This is why the enzyme-substrate complex has been named as the â€Å"lock and key model†. In some cases, there is more than one substrate, which can bind to a particular enzyme. Competition of the substrate with the enzymes and chemical equilibrium is what keeps some biological systems in check, with producing some products more than others. In medical application, sometimes these enzyme levels need to be regulated. According to chemical principles, if you increase one amount of products in an equilibrium situation, the body will move so to remove this stress. In the case of medicines, they can be used to regulate these biochemical equilibriums, which can be thrown of as the result of diet, external factors, mutations, etc. Enzymes are a type of protein, meaning that they are created in the intercellular processes like every other kind of protein. DNA contains the original blueprint. Through the use of mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA, the protein is synthesized. Transcription is where the RNA copies the enzymatic genetic code and translation is where the tRNA and rRNA create the enzymatic protein from the translation of the mRNA. Enzymes come in many different configurations and can exist a numerous amount of conditions performing infinitely numerous diverse tasks in the body. For example, there are enzymes, which regulate protein synthesis such as helicase, DNA polymerase, etc. There are enzymes that regulate digestion, neurological functioning, etc. However, sometim es there are problems in enzymes, which cause them to not function appropriately either as a result of the way they were encoded or environmental factors. Errors in the encoding of DNA, deoxyribonucleic acids, can lead to mutations in key enzymes and defects in the enzymes. As a result, certain medical conditions and genetic mutations can lead to maladaptive processes in life. For example, Fibromyalgia is a medical condition in which a person experiences pain in the areas of joints, muscles and other tendons. This is due to a deficiency in an enzyme known as amylase, which is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. As a result of a lack of this enzyme, this leads to another host of physiological problems. Body aches and stiffness result in multiple muscle groups and places on the body, with the pain ranging from moderate to severe. The pain is not the result of tissue degradation, but rather has to deal with grinding and inflexibility, which leads to the pain. Other known sympt oms of Fibromyalgia are irritable bowl syndrome, depression, and lack of exercise, which can lead to problems with obesity and heart disease, as well as a ride range of other physiological conditions. Luckily, there are many techniques, which are used to treat this condition. The use of physical therapy as a way of strengthening the joints, muscles, and tendons is one of the most commonly used techniques for

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Human Resource Management (Strategic Perspectives) Essay

Human Resource Management (Strategic Perspectives) - Essay Example It is, therefore, imperative that call centre employees be exceedingly well-trained in order to ensure, not just the provision of quality service but that the call centre communicate a positive image of the corporation itself. Upon consideration of the importance of call centres, the decision to outsource appears quite monumental as, indeed, it is. Cost considerations, however, firmly establish it as a practical decision. Therefore, prior to outsourcing its call centre operations to India, ABC Incorporated need have a thorough understanding of HR outsourcing, its associate management models, be cognizant of the advantages and disadvantages of such a step and realise the cross-national and cross-cultural challenges which confront such a step in order to best manage them. This report will do just that. The report will commence with an overview of the definition of both outsourcing and HRO. Both these definitions are important for two reasons. In the first place, they give us a solid understanding of the advantages of outsourcing specified HR functions. In the second place, they give us an insight into the ways and means by which the disadvantages associate with HRO may best be managed and contained. Outsourcing: A New Definition for a Historic Phenomenon While popularly perceived of as a new phenomenon for which globalisation is held responsible, Domberger (2005) contends that outsourcing, as contracting, is a historical practice, solidly grounded in economic imperative and principle. As defined by Domberger (2005), outsourcing is best understood as a form of extra-contracting whereby, to reduce overall operational and manufacturing costs and maximise efficiency, firms and manufacturers have, traditionally and historically, contracting out specific steps in the work process. Referring to Adam Smith as the first to theorise this phenomenon, Domberger (2005) borrows the British economist's famous rural-urban example. Instead of rural areas embarking on activities which were not supported by heir environment, such as manufacturing, they focus on the agricultural activities supported by their environ; urban areas, instead of seeking to grow the raw material required for the manufacture of finished products, purchased the aforementioned from the rural areas. Rural and urban areas, thus, entered into an economically co-dependant and cooperative relationship, based on specialisation (Domberger, 2005). Specialisation, insofar as it involved the exploitation of labour tale nt and competencies from without the immediate geographic area, is the basis upon which outsourcing is founded. Domberger (2005) as may be deduced from the above, defines outsourcing as contracting based on specialisation and motivated by such economic imperatives as the exigencies of reducing cost and improving quality in order to remain competitive. Within the context of this definition, outsourcing is hardly a new phenomenon, but a

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) Research Paper

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) - Research Paper Example This technique has made it possible for people that do have a specific genetic condition to avoid passing it on to their off spring (Ashcroft, 2013, p. 218). It is important to make a distinction between pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and preimplantation genetic screening. The diagnosis procedure refers specifically to the situation whereby one or both of the genetic parents of a child in question actually has one or more numerous types of serious genetic abnormalities. If this is the case, the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis procedure can be performed on a particular embryo to determine if it also carries that specific genetic abnormality as well. Pre-implantation genetic screening, on the other hand, is a procedure that is performed when embryos from genetic parents are thought to be normal from a chromosomal perspective, but the genetic parents are screened for aneuploidy (Ashcroft, 2013). The purpose of the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis procedure is, to a large degree, to ensure that only unaffected embryos end up being transferred to the uterus for implantation. This is a viable alternative to the current diagnostic procedures that are typically run after naturally conception has occurred. Examples of this include amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. These tests are often followed by difficult decisions having to be made if abnormal results are achieved, such as deciding to terminate the pregnancy. This issue is quite important today as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis remains the only option that is currently available for parents who are genetically predisposed to certain serious genetic diseases to avoid giving birth to a child that will have the same disease. This must take place prior to the embryo being transferred, or lasting psychological and emotional harm may occur (Dayal, 2010). The

Monday, July 22, 2019

Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong Essay Example for Free

Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong Essay Everyone in Hong Kong should have heard of the mainland parallel-goods traders who discriminated by the local citizens. The MTR Corporation’s new policy setting limit to the weight of the luggage and the demonstration against the traders held by the local citizens are some of the evidences showing the discrimination against the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong (Lee Lo, 2012). Actually, the mainland Chinese settling in Hong Kong faces lots of barriers in different aspects. According to the United Nation, the living standard of a people will be degraded by the social, political, environmental, cultural and economic barriers (The United Nation, 1976). This essay will discuss the barriers occurred, the response by different stakeholders and the Hong Kong government’s role in this issue. The reason why the mainland Chinese migrates to Hong Kong may help understand the issue. In 1962, the Hong Kong government adopted the Touch Base Policy, which allowed the mainland Chinese arriving the city area to settle in Hong Kong. Since there was starvation in China at that time, thousands of people who were strong and young migrated to Hong Kong by swimming and climbing the hill. They devoted themselves to work for the factories and increased the productivity of light industry (The Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, 2001). Due to the booming economy of Hong Kong and the introduction of the Basic Law in 1997, many mainland Chinese came and gave birth to their children to enjoy the right of abode in Hong Kong (Ming Pao, 2011). Therefore, the two main purposes for the mainland Chinese to settle in Hong Kong are working and enjoying the welfare. The social barriers faced by people are defined by the lack of help from the society, the exclusion from the welfare and the disconnection from the social network (The United Nation, 1976). As mentioned above, the mainland Chinese settle in Hong Kong to enjoy the benefit provided by the government. However, the one who does not have the right of abode cannot enjoy the welfare. The most familiar case is the difference in the fee of medical service. The charge of the service of accident and emergency for the local citizen is $100 per attendance while that of people with no right of abode charges $570 per attendance which is five times to the local one (Hospital Authority, 2007). This shows that the mainland Chinese staying in Hong Kong less than 7 years cannot enjoy the medical services at the lowest cost. Even the mainland Chinese with the right of abode cannot fully enjoy the welfare of the society. Consider the free education provided to the children with the right of abode, it is obvious that the mainland children in Hong Kong may have difficulties in learning using English and Cantonese which are not their mother tongue (Caritas Hong Kong- Tsuen Wan Community Centre, 1998). There is no extra resource to help the migrated children to adapt to the learning environment which is different from that of mainland China. Beyond the social barriers are the economic barriers, which are known as the lack of participation in production, trading and consumption (The United Nation, 1976). Another purpose of settling in Hong Kong is to get the employment opportunity as stated above. However, it is difficult for the mainland Chinese to find a job in Hong Kong. According to the report conducted by the Hong Kong government, the employment rate of the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong was 45.7%, lower than the overall employment rate in Hong Kong (60.3%) in 2006 (Hong Kong Government, 2007). This can be caused by their small social network and low education level of the migrated mainland Chinese. Moreover, there are not many types of work they can choose. 82% of the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong was having works with low-technique in 2006 (Hong Kong Government, 2007). As the mainland Chinese are of low education level with few techniques for work, most of them work as sales assistants but not technician. This implies that the mainland Chinese has a relative low chance to earn high profit in Hong Kong. Actually, the income rate of the mainland Chinese are much lower than that of the local citizens. The median of income of the mainland Chinese is around $6000 while that of the local citizens is $10000 (Hong Kong Government, 2007). Having a low income set them into living problem as they may have difficulty in buying necessity, paying utilities expense and paying for the meal. Getting low income not only leads to the difficulty in buy food and stuff, but also leads to the residential problem. The environmental barriers mean the poor living condition of the residents and the negative atmosphere of the environment (The United Nation, 1976). According to the report of Society for Community Organization in 2009, the median of monthly rent of bed space apartment is $1265 and that of suite is $2300 (Society for Community Organization, 2009). If the mainland Chinese chooses to rent a bed space apartment or a suite, they will spend a large part of their income to live in an area with poor condition. They can also choose to rent the public housing or purchase their private house, but this will cost them more which they may not afford. Moreover, the characteristic of the district they lived may create negative emotion to the mainland Chinese. If you are living in a city that was degraded by many people, you will probably become sad all days. Actually, when the mainland Chinese rent the public housing in Hong Kong, they may often be allocated to the Western part of New Territory, as it is the new developed town with more space. The problem faced by the mainland Chinese when they are settling will create sad emotion which will be accumulated. This leads to the high rate of unemployment, suicide and family violence and also leads to the name of ‘city of sadness’ for Tin Shui Wai (Chang, 2007). Fung is an example described in the program of the New Magazine. She is a mainland woman settled in Hong Kong for 10 years with no husband and she find it hard to live in Tin Shui Wai as there are many cases similar to hers (New Magazine, 2007). It is obvious that the mainland Chinese may face both physical and mental barriers raised by the environment. In concord with the environmental barriers, the mainland Chinese may face cultural barriers. It is about the loss of the acceptance of their cultures and behaviors from the society (The United Nation, 1976). While you are walking on the street, you may have the experience that the Chinese near you are not saying the same language compared to yours or do not familiar with Cantonese. Actually, many migrated mainland Chinese has their only accent or dialect. From the data of the Population Census 2011, 5.3% of the resident in Hong Kong spoke Putonghua or other Chinese dialect (Hong Kong Government, 2012). This leads to the obstruction for them to communicate with the local citizens. Moreover, the habits of the mainland Chinese are different from that of the local people. For example, there are many cases of corruption in the mainland and the residents there usually bribe the government officers or the manager of the company to enjoy services earlier than others or obtain other benefits. When the mainland Chinese settles in Hong Kong, they cannot change this practice which is not accepted here immediately. Therefore, they will be discriminated by the local citizens when they want to jump the queue by giving extra money (Ming Pao, 2012). Obviously, such behaviors may create discrimination against the mainland Chinese and they may find it hard to communicate with the local citizens. Above the previous four kinds of barriers is the political barrier. Political barriers occur when people are excluded in the procedure of establishing policies as no one can represent them to fight for their right (The United Nation, 1976). In the case of migrated Chinese, they only have the permanent right of abode and so the voting right in Legislative Council and District Council when they live in Hong Kong for more than 7 years (Hong Kong Government, 1997). Therefore, if they only live for less than 7 years, they cannot exercise their voting right to vote for the councilor who is willing to strive for their interests. Some may argue that there are still some councilors, who consider the right of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong, however; as there are too few councilors representing them, it is likely that the councilors cannot align the decision making in the council to the rights of the mainland Chinese. From the above, we find different barriers faced by the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong with different nature. Whether they should be included in the Hong Kong society has come to a controversial issue between the groups that advocate and the groups that oppose. ‘Citizens should tolerate the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong as they are only of different values with us.’ the former chief executive Donald Tsang said (RTHK, 2012). This is one of the points that support their inclusion in Hong Kong. As the mainland Chinese was adapted to their habits in China, they cannot change their mind step right after they settled in Hong Kong. It is rude to repel them just because their behaviors are different from us. Moreover, Hong Kong is an international city consisted of people come from different cities or countries. It is the common practice for the Hong Kong citizens to treat people with different race in the same way to encourage cultural diversification. If we only give respect to the white but detest the mainland Chinese, an image that Hong Kong is not a city that can include all kinds of groups may be created. This may probably damage the reputation and discredit the name of travellers’ paradise of Hong Kong. One of the possible outcomes is the decrease in amount of travellers and investment in Hong Kong and this will lead to the decrease in social benefits as well. Furthermore, exclusion of them in Hong Kong will create negative emotions to the society. When there are people blaming the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong, it will usually create ‘war’ between local Chinese and mainland Chinese. We can easily find posters and articles posted by them to insult each other on the Internet. People supporting each side will also organize campaigns that dishonor another side and this will aggravate conflict in the society (Ming Pao, 2011). Another negative impact raised by the exclusion is the deadly tragedy of mainland Chinese. When the mainland Chinese cannot settle down properly and are scorned by the Hong Kong people, sadness will accumulate. As there are not enough resources for the assistance or counseling to the mainland Chinese, they may try to solve the problem by themselves. The solutions usually include improper behaviors like committing suicide. This kind of negative news does cast a shadow on the society. On the other hand, there are groups that oppose the inclusion of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong. Firstly, they state that the mainland Chinese should respect the unique culture of Hong Kong. For example, some of the citizens think that the main language used by Hong Kong people should be Cantonese. Also, they may think that there are some hidden rules which are sometimes broken by the mainland should be kept up, such as queuing, talking softly in public area, and no eating on the train. If many mainland Chinese enters or settles in Hong Kong, they may influence the original culture of Hong Kong and make the society worse as they image. Secondly, Hong Kong is already very crowded that there should not be more people settle down. According to the world record, Mongkok is the most crowded place in the world and its average population density is 130 thousands. The public transports and facilities in Hong Kong are also fully used by the local citizens. If more mainland Chinese settle down here, a lot of place in Hong Kong will become more packed and this will create extra demand of the provision of public transportation. Thirdly, the mainland Chinese will use up the limited resources which originally belong to the local citizens. For instance, the medical services provided for the pregnant woman are limited, as there are limited doctors and bed in the public hospitals. Although the charges of the public medical services for the mainland Chinese are much higher, the mainland Chinese is still willing to give birth in order to enjoy higher service quality and evade the punishment under the one-child policy. Under this circumstance, the doctors will become more stressful and not enough public medical services will be provided to the local women. Some says that, the foreign migrants settled in Hong Kong may also use up the limited resources; however, the population of the China is very large compared to other countries (Li Lok, 2012). If we advocate the inclusion of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong, large amount of the mainland will rush to Hong Kong for varied reasons and the situation will be completely different compared to the case of the foreign migrants. We could find different points of view in the society which have already listed above and it is the government responsibility to balance between the opinions of the citizens for or against the inclusion of mainland Chinese. The most important thing needed to redeem the reputation of Hong Kong is to help the mainland Chinese overcomes their barriers faced in Hong Kong. To deal with the economic barriers, the government should help the mainland Chinese to find jobs with higher income by promoting their competitiveness. To begin with, the government can allocate more resources to the community centers for them to organize language and practical skill workshops which can enrich the abilities of the mainland Chinese so that they can attract the local employers. In addition, the government can take the initiative opening up more positions for the mainland Chinese to apply so that the private firms will follow and this will create job opportunity for them. To solve the social barriers, the government can appoint the school to create a better learning environment for the mainland children by adopting small class teaching of the English lesson or making tutorial class for them. This relies on the extra resources given by the government to help the children enjoy the education more effectively. To deal with the cultural barriers the mainland Chinese faced, the government should force them to abolish their bad customs. Specifically, the government should produce more advertisements about the moral standard of Hong Kong citizens which can be broadcast on TV and radio so that the migrated mainland Chinese will be influenced and follow our practices. Not only the mainland Chinese should be educated, but also the local residents should be inculcated about the equality of people with different cultures. As the economist said, good institutions always align self-interest with the social interest (Cowen Tabarrok, 2011). It is known that globalization encourages the movement of people from their countries of origin to another places. It will become more common that the mainland Chinese settles in Hong Kong as the relationship between Hong Kong and Chinese become closer. Therefore, it is for the social interest that local citizens should accept the existence of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong so that the conflicts in the society will be alleviated. To fulfill this social interest, institutions to the public should be introduced. The government should first strengthen the citizenship education about inclusion of mainland Chinese for the primary and secondary school students as they are the pillar of the society. Then, the government should produce more TV programs and large campaigns to change the whole atmosphere of the society. Actually, there are some programs on the TV promoting equally treatment to the mainland Chinese like ‘Southern and northern’, one of the episode of the program in RTHK talking about the difficulties faced by the migrated Chinese woman in Hong Kong (RTHK, 2011). As citizens in Hong Kong, we must be aware of the existence of mainland Chinese. There are increasing potential that the China will overtake Hong Kong to become a city with high CGDP. There is also globalization encouraging the inflow of mainland Chinese. Inclusion of mainland Chinese is a must in the 21st century and we should confront to the problem existed to alleviate the conflicts in the society. It is found that there are economic, political, social, cultural and environmental barriers faced by the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong. There are also increasing discussion on whether we should advocate the inclusion of them. When it comes to the benefits of the public, the government should act as the lubricant between groups with different opinions and create a harmonious atmosphere. In the coming future, it is possible that there is no discrimination against the mainland Chinese and they may become part of the Hong Kong. Reference: Caritas Hong Kong- Tsuen Wan Community Centre. (1998). The research on the view of the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong by the local citizens. Hong Kong: Tsuen Wan Community Centre. Chang, D. (2007, 12 14). Tin Shui Wai: City of Sadness. Asia Sentinel. Cowen,T., Tabarrok, A. (2011). Modern principle of Economics. Worth Publishers. Hong Kong Government. (1997). The Basic Law. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Government. Hong Kong Government. (2007). The recent employment state of the mainland Chinese in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Government. Hong Kong Government. (2012, 9 7). Usual Residents Aged 5 and Over by Duration of Residence in Hong Kong, Sex, Nationality and Usual Language, 2011. Retrieved from Population Census 2011: http://www.census2011.gov.hk/en/main-table/F118.html Hospital Authority. (2007). Fees and Charges. Retrieved from Hospital Authority website: http://www.ha.org.hk/visitor/ha_visitor_index.asp?Content_ID=10045Lang=ENGDimension=100Parent_ID=10044Ver=HTML Lee,A., Lo, C. (20 12, 10 6). MTRs new weight limit aimed at mainland traders. South China Morning Post. Li,C., Lok, A. (2012, 2 3). Hong Kong demonstration against mainland Chinese. Epoch Times. Ming Pao. (2011, 5 5). Little cost but large benefit for the mainland woman to give birth in Hong Kong. Ming Pao. Ming Pao. (2011, 10 23). Pregnant women demonstrate against the mainland children born in Hong Kong. Ming Pao. Ming Pao. (2012, 1 19). the local citiznes and mainland Chinese argue in the public hospital. Ming Pao. New Magazine. (2007). Home in Tin Shui Wai. RTHK. (2011). Southern and Northern. RTHK. (2012, 2 9). The confidence to the Hong Kong citizens of the tolerance to the mainland Chinese. RTHK. Society for Community Organization. (2009). Research on rental problem of bedspace apartment and suite. Hong Kong: Society for Community Organization. The Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding. (2001). History of Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region. Retrieved from The Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding website: http://www.sacu.org/hongkong.html The United Nation. (1976, 5-6). United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). Retrieved 11 2012, from the United Nations website: http://www.un.org/Conferences/habitat/

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Analysis fo the Dairy Industry in Pakistan

Analysis fo the Dairy Industry in Pakistan Introduction The prospering dairy industry of the country seems an embryonic market for branded dairy products, especially in the urban areas, where branded and packed milk, curd and butter are rapidly capturing the market. In fact, the consternation of adulteration, germs, decades-old style of improper handling of dairy products, particularly loose milk and curd by milkmen and shopkeepers, are impelling a large number of consumers in the country to bid adieu to the traditional milkman. Consumer preferences have changed in the favor of packaged dairy products, which ensure better hygiene and good value for money. In Pakistan when we talk about adulteration in loose milk. These kinds of fears and health hazards relating to loose dairy items are steadily changing the mindset of the consumers. Seeing this change and an enormous untapped potential of growth in packaged dairy products in the country in future, several local and multinational companies have introduced their branded dairy items in the r ecent past. In Pakistan, when someone talks about branded milk and curd, the name of Haleeb and Nestle comes to the mind of the people as they have emerged as two strong market leaders, who have swiftly captured the unexplored business of packed milk, curd, butter, margarine, etc. The emergence of these two brand leaders in the country has also encouraged several others to introduce branded dairy products. At present over a dozen companies are actively marketing branded dairy items in the country and among them the most famous are CDL Foods Limited, Bhaipheru; Idara-e-Kissan, Pattoki; Kabirwala Dairy; Lahore Milk Plant, Lahore; Millac Food (Pvt) Ltd., Lahore; Monnoo Dairies, Bhowana; Nestle Milkpak Ltd., Sheikhupura; Noon Pakistan Ltd., Bhalwal; Pakistan Milk Food Manufacturers, Jhang; Prime Dairies, Manga; Royal Dairy Products, Karachi; Ravi Dairies, Jaranwala and Unilever Pakistan Ltd., Sheikhupura, Bhaipheru, Karachi. Besides marketing milk and curd most of the companies are sell ing dairy products with innovation such as yogurt (natural and flavored), sweetened milk, UHT and pasteurised cream, butter, ghee, cheese and ice cream. In Pakistan Nestle is a great success story for establishing the largest milk collection network and setting new trends in dairy sector. On the one hand, it has proved a regular source of income for farmers through an assured and growing income resulting from the sale of their milk, and on the other, it has enabled Nestle to collect better quality milk in the quantities it needs. The basic unit of Nestle milkmans milk collection system is the Village Milk Collection Centre where farmers deliver milk, morning and evening. A trained milk collection agent who tests and records every supply for quality and fat content collects the milk. Over three thousand such centres operate throughout Punjab. This milk is then transported to the nearest sub-centres for mechanical chilling and then to the main centres where it is consolidated and chil led further, before being transported in specially designed insulated tankers to the factories in Sheikhupura and Kabirwala. According to background, dairy is one of the growing segment of livestock sub-sector and important component of Pakistans economy. Pakistan is the fifth largest producer of milk in the world. The per capita availability of milk at present is 185 litres, which is the highest among the South Asian countries. Milk production in Pakistan has seen a constant increase during the last two decades. The production has increased from 8.918 million metric tons in 1981 to 27.031 million metric tons in 2001-02. Milk production for the year 2002-03 is estimated at 27.811 million metric tons. Investment Prospects: There is a large and untapped potential in the dairy industry. With a population of 160 million, a significant demand for dairy products exists in Pakistan. There is a need for establishing modern milk processing and packaging facilities based on advanced technolog y to convert abundantly available raw milk into high value added dairy products. In addition, with improved conditions for milk pasteurisation, availability of chilled distribution facilities and consumer preference for the low cost pasteurised milk, the sector provides unique opportunity for investment in establishing pasteurised milk production plants. There is also great scope for establishing related industries in the form of an efficient milk collection system and refrigeration transportation facilities. The sector offers opportunity to foreign investor for establishing a joint venture for the production of dairy products, particularly dried milk and infant formula milk for which great demand exists in the neighboring countries like Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The dairy industrys main ingredient is milk, which is processed at the dairy plants to produce variety of dairy products. The average daily production of milk in Pakistan is estimated at approximately 95 million litres. Punjab is the leading province in milk production with a share of around 80%. Out of the total production of 95 million litres of milk per day, about 55% is consumed at source in the countryside while the remaining 45% is traded in urban centres. Most of the traded milk is marketed un-processed and currently only about 2.5 to 3 per cent of the traded milk is processed by the dairy industry in Pakistan. Processed liquid milk in the form of Pasteurized or Ultra Heat Treated (UHT) milk is the main dairy product in Pakistan while other products include Dry Powdered Milk, Cream, Butter, Butter Oil, Yogurt, Cheese and ice cream. Presently, about 13 units in the organised sector are engaged in the production of various dairy products. Majority of the dairy plants are located in the vicinity of Lahore, which serves as the hub of this industry Milk Processing Out of the 28 million tons of milk produced in Pakistan, only 2.5 to 3 per cent reaches the dairy plants for processing into variety of dairy products. Pakistans dairy industry produces Ultra Heat Treated (UHT) Milk, Pasteurized Milk, Dry Milk Powder, and Condensed milk. Other major milk products produced by the dairy industry include butter, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, cream and some butter oil. Approximately half of the 0.3 million tons of milk available to the industry is processed into UHT milk, 40 percent into powdered milk, and the remaining 10 percent into pasteurised milk, yogurt, cheese and butter etc. Dairy plants in Pakistan Of the 38 major dairy plants established in the country with a capital investment of Rs. 2.392 billion and having a daily rated capacity of 2,180,000 litres, only 13 plants are currently in operation. The rated milk processing capacity of the 13 plants in operation is estimated at a little over one million litres per day. In addition, two dairy farms of the Pakistan military operating on non-commercial basis have raised Pakistans daily production of processed milk, yogurt and butter. The reasons for failure of large number of dairy plants are several and may differ from plant to plant. The most common reasons include an over estimation of demand for processed milk, too rapid investment in UHT technology, lack of consumer education, high price of UHT processed milk, non development of sustainable milk collection system, lack of trained manpower and insufficient operational funds. For the same reasons, the capacity utilisation of dairy plants in operation is around 40 per cent. The low capacity utilisation prevents most UHT milk processing plants from recovering much more than their variable costs. Next to the raw material i.e. raw milk cost available to the plants for Rs. 14 per litre on average, packaging is the most important cost element. Expensive packaging forms part of UHT technology. Despite immense potentials the dairy sector in Pakistan has been victim of criminal neglect by the successive governments in the country. Even at its present lowest-in-the-world yield per milk cattle, Pakistan is surplus in milk production; but due to lack of proper planning, collection and distribution facilities, a major portion of the total production is consumed, per force, by the producers in the far-flung areas. As against this we are importing 25000 tonnes of powder milk annually to meet the demand of the urban areas at a cost of above 300 million dollar. Pakistan ranks 7th among milk producing countries, with an estimated 21 billion liters of milk produced annually. A lthough this level of milk production is more than adequate on a per capita basis for todays population, lack of processing and poor distribution system in a long hot weather (milk has a shelf life of only four hours under moderate temperatures) keeps it from reaching consumers in areas that are either deficient in milk production, particularly the urban centres, or those that are difficult to access. The milk yield per cow in the neighbouring country is about 3000 liters per lactation period as against 1000 liters in Pakistan. In Western Europe the average exceeds 5000 liters, in USA 9000 and Israel exceeds 7000 liters per lactation period. After extensive research Indian Livestock Ministry has introduced a programme to gradually replace buffaloes with cows, which give more milk, by educating their farmers through their well-established cooperatives and successfully carried out the replacement programme during the last decade or so. During this period India has almost doubled its m ilk production from 38 to 72 billion liters and now ranks at No. 2 after USA with 74-billion liters in milk production. Despite feeding its huge population, India is exporting huge quantity of powder and processed and packed milk. To increase its yield of milk, India has made full use of Israeli expertise who have been trained by the US. Through artificial insemination India had developed a new breed of cows which yield 3000 liter per lactation period instead of previous record of 1200 liters. Pakistans tremendous potential to increase its milk production has so far remained unexplored due to the inactivity of the government and the related bodies which were created with much of fanfare. This neglect appears criminal in view of the fact that milk production despite its lowest yield, is even today far ahead of the major cash crops such as wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane Conclusion There is huge demand of both powdered and packed milk in the neighbouring countries of Iran, UAE, Saudia Arabia beside Malaysia, and Philippine which Pakistan can successfully harness to its advantage if due attention is paid to this sector. By copying Indian plan, Pakistan can also develop a new breed of cows within a period of about 4/5 years and thereby increase its production by over 100 per cent. Pakistan can become a big exporter of dry and processed milk provided due attention is paid to this sector. Presently in Pakistan only about 22 per cent of milk production is processed, about 57.5 per cent is supplied to urban areas in raw form in most unhygenic conditions causing real health hazards. Rest is consumed by the farmers, mostly per force, specially in the far-flung areas for lack of proper facilities to take it to deficient areas. About 75 per cent of the total production of raw milk is produced in Punjab, 14 per cent in Sindh 10 per cent in NWFP and only 1 per cent in Balo chistan. In Punjab we have more buffalos than cowl in about 60-40 ratio, in Sindh it is 50-50, in NWFP dead 20 per cent buffalos and 80 per cent cows. In Balochistan there are mostly cows. Unlike other progressive countries where sale of raw milk is disallowed by law and processing is mandatory due to milk being one of the two major carriers of diseases (water being the other), Pakistan continues to allow 97-5 per cent milk to be distributed through the traditional gawala system. To the bacteria of tuberculosis and hepatitis that naturally occurs in milk, the gawala adds many more varieties through the addition of contaminated water for its dilution. The contractors, who collect milk in bulk from villages in Punjab through the dodhis the middlemen, and sell it to the urban consumers, go a step further. They add unhygenically produced ice slabs, caustic soda and sometimes formaline to the milk they collect to prevent it from going bad due to intense heat in summers. The UHT process, although expensive, has proven to be a success in Pakistan as it increases milks shelf life to 12 weeks. On the other hand, the pasteurization process inspite of its low procession cost, had not made much of a headway due to the short shelf life of its product and its dependence on old chain from production to consumption. Taking advantage of this cost factor, some milk marketers have begun marketing loose milk in urban areas which they claim to be pasteurized. The UHT process add heavily to the cost of milk as it requires huge investment to set up the plant, production of packing material and above all the collection cost of the milk making it beyond the purchasing power of poor and even lower middle class. Pasteurization process is much cheaper comparatively as the process is much simple and packing material much cheaper. Small pasteurization plants can play an important role to meet the milk demand of cities and towns provided there is a strong and efficient organization to ensu re that all necessary precautions are taken and hygienic requirements for pasteurization process are met before supplying milk to the ultimate consumers. Village cooperatives in India have efficiently handled this problem and about 80 per cent of the milk requirement of urban areas are met through pasteurized milk at an average selling rate of Rs. 15 a liter as against Rs. 24 per liter in case UHT processed and packed milk. Nestle Milk Pak. Ltd., a joint venture with the reputed multinational Nestle of Switzerland operating in over 80 countries around the globe, has done the poineer work in the field of milk collection UHT processing on most modern and state of art machines and quality packing. Nestle has almost the monopoly of UHT processed milk in Pakistan. It is a household name in our affluent families. Poor and lower middle class cannot afford the price and for them it is still a luxury which they can enjoy only once a while. The price of Rs. 28 per cent for Nestle UHT processe d and packed milk appears high, but if you consider the cost of infrastructure manpower and middle men involved in the whole process the selling price is justified. Nestle is concentrating only in Punjab and has developed a remarkable set up to collect milk from areas stretching about 80,000 KMs, and keeping the collected milk chilled in the most hygenic conditions until it reaches the processing factory which may take 8 to 12 hours. They have set up over 2500 milk collection centers from where it is transported to the 520 chilling centres within less than 3/4 hours. Chilled milk is then transferred to the two factories at Sheikhupura near Lahore and Kabirwala near Multan in special trucks with freezing arrangements. It sounds unbelievable but it is a fact that all this organizational structure for collection of milk has been set up by a Swiss expert who arrived in Pakistan only seven years back. To meet J. Moser Head of Milk collection department of Nestle at one of Milk chilling c entre at Mandi Bhauddin was one of most exciting experience of my life. By any standard. J. Moser is an authority on milk production and milk cattle. He can talk for hours on various breed of cattle around the world, their milk yield, how they increased the yield and their future plants, domestic consumption of milk, pattern of consumption and capacity to export milk and milk products to deficient countries. In order to keep his knowledge up-to-date he frequently goes on tour of different countries. He has worked in Sri Lanka, frequently instead India since posted in Pakistan in 1993. In this region he is most impressed by the work done by India to increase their milk production, manage its collection and distribution to its ultimate consumers at an affordable cost. The cooperative societies in Indian rural areas have played a very significant role in developing the dairy sector in India. Hundreds of thousand milk collection centers have been set up to supply milk in bulk to thousan d of pasteurization plants under required unhygienic conditions in the outskirts of almost every city to ensure supply of good milk in abundance. Through artificial insemination programme going on for over a decade with the help of Israel and United States they have developed a special breed of cows with yield of over 3000 liter of Milk per lactation period as against 1000 about 12/13 years back. Mr. Moser told this correspondent that he developed his milk collection and chilling centres on the pattern of Indian cooperatives. A business organization, whatsoever bigger size it may have cannot meet the national requirements. We are concentrating only on the central parts of Punjab which is densely populated and where more milk is available. For other areas in Punjab, Sindh, N.W.F.P. and Balochistan no such arrangement exists. This huge task cannot be done without the financial assistance, help and cooperation of the government. With proper planning and financial support of the governm ent Pakistan Milk production can be doubled in 10 years time and country can become a big exporter of milk and milk products, Mr. Moser said disclosing that by giving shorts of seaman imported from Europe we have successfully carried out artificial insemination programme in Pakistan on experimental basis. Our experiment proved successful as some of the cows conceived and nurtured through this system are giving 18 liter milk a day instead of normal 10 liters. The work has to be done at a large scale for which Nestle is not equipped, he added. It is imperatives, therefore, that the issues of increase in its production, and distribution are tackled on progressive line. The federal government may appoint a task force to study the various aspect of the disarray sector, identify the factors which has hampered growth sofar and recommend measures to develop this sector properly to harness its tremendous potential for the betterment of national economy. Inclusion of a person like, J. Moser i n the proposed task force can be a real help. With the every passing day, dairy products are becoming costlier because live stock farming has not scientifically grown with the increase in population and also it did not match with the pace of urbanization. Recently, milk prices in Karachi increased without any reason. In a short time of two years, milk prices have gone up from Rs 20 per liter to Rs 25, showing a 25 percent increase. Moreover, meat prices have also risen to about 25 percent in the last six months. In such a situation, the only way to control prices is to develop the dairy industry on scientific lines, which will not only provide meat and milk in abundant quantities to the domestic consumers but extra quantities can also be exported. In spite of having a large population of LIVESTOCK, the country is spending some $40 million annually on the import of formula milk only, which is the highest amount spent by any country in the world on this particular commodity. Pollution affecting the Pakistani Dairy industry Seventeen units, including three run by multinational companies, are engaged in the manufacture of dairy products in Pakistan, but environmental pollution, as well as an inadequate supply chain, is hampering the growth of the dairy industry. Noise pollution is one of the factors. Pakistan exports meat to Saudi Arabia but is yet to export dairy products to it, although that is a possibility, said Ibad-ur-Rehman, an executive of Cleaner Production Programme, a private-sector company based in Karachi that offers environmental solution packages to the industry in the backdrop of rising local and international competition. The growth necessitates consistent and adequate supply of raw material, and this is possible in contract production. This is being done by at least one multinational company. Balochistan and Tharparkar district in Sindh, which have a sizeable livestock population, are some of the ideal locations for dairy farming, besides Punjab, he said. Milk, by and large, is the main ingredient of almost all dairy products. Average daily production of milk in Pakistan is about 130 million litres. Most of the traded milk is marketed unprocessed, and hardly two percent of the traded milk is processed by the dairy industry in Pakistan. Processed liquid milk in the form of pasteurised milk or ultra-heat-treated (UHT) milk is the main dairy product in Pakistan. Other products include dry powdered milk, cream, butter, butter oil, yoghurt, cheese and ice cream. The milk-manufacturing process includes pasteurization, homogenization, UHT treatment and packing. Through little additional work, cream is also produced during the pasteurization cycle. Pasteurized cream is churned to make butter. In order to obtain butter oil, butter is heated to 90C degrees in ghee-melters and then liquefied. The milk powder-making process primarily involves evaporation and drying. The main steps around which whole ice cream manufacturing process revo lves are pasteurization, homogenization, freezing and packing. But CPP findings show that the major environmental problem of the dairy industry is wastewater, while solid waste, soil pollution and noise pollution are potential aspects of environmental pollution. Wastewater generation at a dairy industry is characterized by very large volumes of discharge besides the pollution loading from various dairy processes. Estimates show that the proportion of the waste discharge at a typical dairy industry per unit of processed milk ranges from 12:1 to 24:1. This is a very high figure considering the typical ratio of 3:1 in cleaner factories in the developed countries. In modern plants this ratio gets as low as 1:1

Power distance

Power distance So you want to do business abroad and actually make a profit? Dont forget to ask yourself this: What do I know about the culture? To explain the biggest differences between cultures in this essay we are going to use a method developed by Geert Hofstede (geert-hofstede.com) using his four dimensions; Power distance, masculinity/ femininity, individualism/ collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. With this we will explain the difference between the Dutch culture and the cultures of India and Italy when doing business. Power Distance What Is Power Distance? Power distance measures how much the less powerful members of institutions and organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. In cultures with low power distance, people expect and accept power relations that are more consultative or democratic. In cultures with high power distance, the less powerful accept power relations that are autocratic or paternalistic. Power Distance In India And The Netherlands With a population of over 1 billion it is hard to describe life in India because the Indian people have many different religious, regional, cultural, social, and educational variations in structural and functional patterns of family life, making it hard to generalize. However because the majority of Indians are Hindu, we will primarily focus on the Hindu way of life. India has a high power distance; it scores a 77 on the index. While the Netherlands only scores a 38 with around 16 million people. India is a very interesting country to look at because they have ‘used the caste system ¹ for a long time. With that, they automatically create a massive distance between the highest members of the caste: Brahmins (priests) and the lowest members of the caste the pariah (outcasts, â€Å"untouchables†) there are a total of 5 levels in the caste system and each of the people in a lower caste listen to members of the caste above their own. This makes equality, like in the Netherlands, impossible. This because the social position of a person is determined by heredity, for example if you are born a pariah you will never be a Brahmin and you are expected to life your life in the caste, making it your social group as well. Although the system was officially abolished it continues to play a crucial role in Indian society. Family Life A Joint Family is an extended family arrangement prevalent among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of many generations living under the same roof. All the male members are blood relatives and all the women are mothers, wives, unmarried daughters, or widowed relatives. However in the last couple of years the people in the urban areas of India seem to have been shifting more towards a nuclear family household (consisting of 2 parents and children) School/ Education In India higher educations are more like the western European way of teaching, so the power distance is not extremely large in the schools, Teachers are however expected to lecture the students. It has been like this since India was a British colony and it keeps improving towards the level of equality which we are experiencing in Holland right now. However, in India the respect for most of the teachers is higher than the respect students in Holland show towards the teachers. Work/ Business As said before the Indian culture prefers a high power distance, in business there will be a large structural difference between the boss of a company and an employee, splitting them by so many layers that they will rarely or never actually talk to each other. And if they do it would be very formal. Also its necessary to avoid forum like situations where you as a manager ask the ‘lower ranking employees for feedback or advice because this will be seen as weak leadership. Opposed to Holland where we consider it a good thing when managers come to us for our opinions. The State The state consists of many layers in India though it is somewhat similar to the political system in the UK. In India, a persons time is valued based on power. A high-power individual must never be kept waiting. In India, a high-power individual can and will demonstrate their power by keeping a lower power individual waiting. In the Netherlands this is just not acceptable. Power Distance In Italy And The Netherlands Italy scores a 50 on the power distance index of Hofstede which puts it somewhere in the middle worldwide. According to Hofstedes dimensions Italy looks a lot like Germany in. Italy was the pinnacle of European development in the early days (Roman Empire). Italians still seem to expect a lot of differences in power between people. They would say the boss in a company should act like he/she is the boss. Family Life The Italian family is important. Grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins are often invited to share family celebrations and Sunday dinners. The family members do not usually live near each other. When children grow up, they usually live in the house until they marry. Sometimes the children would move in to help their parents. The father is always the head of the family. Friends of the family are also a very big part of Italian society. School/ Education In Italy the schools are even more similar to Holland, you are allowed to question the teachers as long as you do it with the proper amount of respect. The teachers will however have a lecture prepared. Work/ Business Power distance in Italian companies is not extremely really high because a lot of the businesses there are family businesses, nonetheless communication at the office is formal and subordinates are rarely allowed to call their superiors by their first name. The boss of the company is really the boss and he/she should be treated with a lot of respect. Good manners and courtesy are prized qualities in Italy. When doing business in Italy ensure your conduct is always polished. There are etiquettes and protocols for many social and business situations; however, it is important to remember that Italians rate considerateness above behavioral formulas. When you are meeting and departing, always shake hands. This is valid for both individuals and groups. When you do business in Italy, you dress to impress. It is no coincidence that Versace, Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana are all Italian fashion houses. Italians like to make an impression with their clothes. What you wear speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. The State Italians are often cynical about persons in positions of authority. Italians love to ridicule authority and people in positions of power. Breaking petty rules is a source of amusement for many Italians. Individualism And Collectivism What Is Individualism And Collectivism? In relation to Hofstedes cultural dimension study, Individual/ Collectivism will be determined. The meaning of individualism expresses exactly a nation, which do care for him/ herself and his/ her direct family. The word â€Å"I† is a very important factor in this form of life, which is completely different in a form of collectivism. This attitude to life shows that these people care about their whole in-group which includes family, friends, uncles, aunts and grandparents. The word â€Å"we† has obviously a higher meaning to them. Hofstedes charts visualize that countries with high power distance (PDI) belong to the collectivists and countries with low power distance belong to the individualists. According to Hofstede individualism countries have the tendency to be a rich. Countries in a collectivism country have most likely the opposite tendency. Individualism And Collectivism In India And The Netherlands A comparison between India and The Netherlands gives a good impression and shows the differences between those two countries. First of all it is important to have a look at Hofstedes charts. India scores, according to Hofstedes, power distance (PDI) as its highest points for cultures, with a ranking of 77 compared with a world average of 56.5. This fact shows a clearly result of a collectivism country, which India is. It makes itself felt in terms of friendships, which were chosen by their parents, not having conflicts, by being indirect or sharing the income if someone has a good job for example. It absolutely represents the loyalty of the in-group members. As a counter-example The Netherlands will be represented. In opposite to India, Holland scores its highest points in the category individuality (IDV), which is 80 points and ties Canada as the fourth highest worldwide IDV ranking. Some examples to clarify the culture are being very direct, let the children choose friends whoever they want or spend their money however they think it will be right. These facts enunciates that Holland doesnt have this in-group attitude like India but rather the absolutely priority to their immediate family. At school children from India see the teacher as a higher person, whatever the teacher says is right without to question it, which shows that they are depending on their teacher. Furthermore it is normal to focus on a social network, where the synonym â€Å"we† more important than â€Å"I†. Dutch children are joining a completely different way of getting taught in school. It is more important to learn how to develop their own abilities, to be independent and learn how to discuss problems. They also expect the teacher to know everything with every detail. The next part relates to work and business in India. Since they have in-groups it is not normal to work with people who are not part of their in-group. It is very common that the children from India start to work in their fathers, or uncles business. Otherwise they wont find another job because in a collectivist country they are so depended on their in-group. Dutch people raise their children to work at a place wherever and whatever they like. Its more important for them to let them pick up their own experience and realize their dreams. This is the logical way of thinking for individual countries. In addition it promotes the economy to have people who are independent. The final aspect is about the states in individualism/ collectivism countries. Since India is a part of collectivists it is to say that there are more differences between poor people and rich people. Further the human rights are lower than those ones from individualist countries. In contrast The Netherlands which belongs to the individualists are more equal regarding the differences between poor and rich people. It is very important to have the same human rights like every single person in the country. Equality has different meaning for those two mentioned countries. Individualism And Collectivism In Italy And The Netherlands The comparison between Italy and The Netherlands will show the differences between those countries. It is important to take a closer look at Hofstedes charts. It shows Italys highest score, which is about 71 points â€Å"Individualism† and shows the similarity between Holland and Italy. Italy is an individualist country, like The Netherlands, but its Power distance (PDI) is also high. Family life is important for Italians, not just the immediate family, but also uncles, aunts and grandparents play a big role in the childrens life, which shows the differences to comparing to Holland. Sons from Italy leave their parents house in their 20s which is pretty much same like in The Netherlands. Furthermore children are supposed to tell the truth, even if it hurts. This is a typical attribute of individualist thinking countries, which Dutch and Italian people are. They also get raised as independent children with personal opinion because this could useful for a successful life. In those two mentioned country the school and education is pretty much the same. Pupils or students have to be independent, competitive and they are supposed to determine their own goals. It is very common to discuss issues in the class without being silent, so they can develop their skills. Work and business is also a similar matter between Italy and The Netherlands. They are highly educated business people and make business with foreign countries. Employees and employers are committed to contracts which show the human rights, but there is law that people can get laid off, or they could quit the job. The last aspect is about the state and in this point those two countries are also pretty much similar. Human rights are very high, education is important and everyone has his privacy. In conclusion individualist countries appreciate the individual interests and do not deal with collectivism.   Masculinity And Femininity In India and The Netherlands Hofstedes dimension masculinity pertains to societies in which gender roles are clearly distinct. That means, men has to be assertive, competitive and have to air toughness while women stand for nurturance. They are responsible for the household and the children. High earnings and status symbols present a certain social standing for the man. One gets the recognition deserved while doing a good job and is allowed to reach a higher level in his job. In feminine societies these gender roles overlap. Both, men and women are suppose to be modest (both, men and women have the same rights but also the same duties) both parts focus on their relationship and they are also more concerned to the quality of life. With a ranking at 56, the masculinity of India is with the world average just slightly lower at 51. A high rank means that the country is a masculine country. The lower it is, the lower is the masculinity and goes more to femininity. You also can see that India is a masculine country on different examples in Family Life The man is the head of the family. He is the one, who makes the decisions. Who says what to do. Children are obedient towards their parents. Younger children have to listen to the older children. The man is more dominant than the woman. The woman takes care of the household and the children. Whereas women are going to shop for food, household and clothes, the men are looking for cars, a house or things and objectives, which are standing for status. Even when the trend goes more femininity, step by step, traditions like a marriage portion are still common, in rural areas. The woman has to give money which depends of the family earning to marry the man. However, not always the woman (wife) has to do what the husband says. India consists of a lot traditions and one of them is, that the wife has to follow the instructions of the mother of her husband for the first few years. Even when both genders are equal, rightly, the woman is still undervalued. It is not rare that the girls get less or qualitative less food than the boys because the boys have to get strong for hard work, which a girl is not able to do. That is the reason why girls get more jobs like home helpers and get married early. In comparing to the Netherlands which occupy a score of 14 points rank 72, this country is very feminine. Men and woman are modest and focus on their relationship. Both shop for food and both discuss which car to buy. They do not have one dominant â€Å"leader† of the family both act non- dominant. School/ Education Indias school-systems are free for the grades from one till five. However, more boys go to school than girls. Girls are going to marry early, so they let them work and send the boys to school. An example what makes it visible is, that 48% of the Indians over fifteen cannot read and write. 62, 3% of women and 34, 5% of men are illiterates. The education is also more masculine because the pupils or students try to make them visible in class and compete openly with each other. Job choices are strongly guided by perceived career opportunities. The best student is the norm; failing in school would be a disaster. The atmosphere of ego boosting is exiting, the best one wins. Indian children try to learn jobs where they can make money. The Netherlands have more students which present the average. Failing in school is not the end of the world and they learn jobs, basic on their talent and what they like. They underrate their own performance, they do not want to appear too eager and it is okay when the teacher is also just a â€Å"human† and do not know everything. Work/ Business Most of the time, even when it changes in the big cities and step by step also all over the country, the men are working and earn the money for their families. One fourth of the population lives under the poverty line. They live for the work whereas in the Netherlands the people work to live. That means that money and status are not so important like the leisure time. The Indians work in a competitive atmosphere, the higher the position, the better is the money and their status. Only the best are successful in the hard business. The State The state is a performance society. You will be paid for that what you accomplish. The more you can the higher is the earning. The higher the earning is the higher is your status in society. In the Netherlands it is quite different, the community is more important. The solidarity is higher; people help more each other and also the weaker ones. India focuses a lot to the growth in economy, more than in the Netherlands. Masculinity And Femininity In Italy And The Netherlands Italy counts over 60 points and stands on rank 52 in the index from Hofstede but only for the European countries. Italy is also a masculine society but not so high like India. Italy is less masculine but more feminine than India but not so feminine like the Netherlands. Family Life Women expect men to get the leadership in family life and earn the money for the family. Gender roles are also clearly distinct here. The woman is responsible for the family and especially for the household and the man is making career. Children suppose to be obedient, whereas the boys should be tough and the girls more emotional. Most of the time the father is dominant but it is not unusual when there are non-dominant partners in a relationship. Family is very important and children are their future. Parents try to give their children the best perspective and are always around them; often the â€Å"bambinis† sit on the table till late in the evening. The parents take very care of the children and control them also a lot what they are doing. It is normal, that fights are sometimes loud and the Italians also like to make jokes and do not care when the neighbor or strangers hear it whereas love is not shown to the outside. Often a fight between a man and woman sound hard for a n on-Italian but that is their mentality and normally after five minutes all is forgotten. Men are often seen like machos but it is unusual that parents have a divorce. School/ Education The teachers are authority persons to the students but the communication is still friendly and the teachers also make jokes. It is very important that the Italian students pass school with high grades. Often they learn till late in the evening and the parents still control them to repeat the homework and if they understand well. The education is more masculine than in the Netherlands, failing in school or not passing a test is a disaster whereas the Dutch students are more comfortable and they just need to pass, independent from the grade. According to this fact, teachers in the Netherlands, take more attention to weaker students and try to push them by giving them attention, than openly praise the good students. The students are decent in their CVs, whereas in Italy, they sell themselves in interviews to show they are the best. The Netherlands are a permissive society in which the environment should be preserved as small is beautiful. Furthermore the government depends on a coalition between different parties and women are more often elected than in Italy and India. Work/ Business Usually the woman take care of the family and the men is going to work. However women also work, but the earnings of the men are most of the time higher and the high positions are often occupied by the men. Money is important, men like to show their status with cars for example but leisure time and spending time with their families is also important. You cannot really define if it is more masculine or more feminine. It is more feminine than in India but still more masculine than in the Netherlands. The State The community is important, Italy has solidarity. They care about the weak people in the population and aid also a lot of financially help to poor countries. The country is a community and they represent it to the outside. Uncertainty Avoidance What Is Uncertainty Avoidance? The term uncertainty avoidance denotes how members of a culture deal with unknown or ambiguous situations. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance try to avoid such uncertainties. Members of other cultures maybe experience equal situations as uncertain or chaotic as well, but respond more relaxed and unstressed. Each country has got own rituals and values how they deal with punctuality, formalities and religious affairs. Cultures with a high certainty avoidance index (UAI) are more prepared to evade risks than cultures with a low UAI. The higher the score of the UAI is, the higher the need of people to have laws and regulations which give them a guideline and a feeling of private and public security. High uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized as â€Å"What is different is dangerous.† However, the weakest uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized on the contrary as â€Å"What is different is curious.† In Italy the uncertainty avoidance and individualism/ collectivism are the highest scores, adequate the four dimensions of Geert Hofstede with a value of 75 on the index. It is clear to see that Italy has one of the highest scores at all. On the other hand there are the Netherlands with a relative low UAI amount of 53 which is almost the mean of 39 countries. Uncertainty Avoidance Italy And Netherlands Family Life Because of the high score Italy has achieved, one can see that the family life seems to be as more stressful as in the Netherlands. In the early stages Italian children learn the difference between dirty and clean and between safe and dangerous. They make more experiences with law and rules and know soon what they are allowed to do and what not. Italian mothers and nannies would never allow to see their children in dirt or danger. It is common that family has a very great significance in Italy. In contrast to Italian families Dutch families are quite different. They are more relaxed about that and let their children make experiences on their own. Dutch dont care about their health as the Italian do. Example: Dutch people dont ask for a doctor or a medical certification if they are ill. Often they are already satisfied with the view of a nurse. Religion plays a pretty important role in the Italian family life. 90% of all Italian inhabitants are Roman Catholic. This huge number shows one that they have great Christianity. Religion gives them some sort of security, confidence and for several people a guideline. Health and keeping good are also important things Italian care about. Unlike Italy Holland is not that religious. Nearly half of all Dutch people are atheists. School / Education In Italy there is high uncertainty avoidance. In such countries it is pretty important for the students to believe in that a teacher knows almost everything. The students want to know right answers in detail and the teachers are supposed to have all the answers. In the Netherlands it is quite different. Teachers are rather considered as advisers. The students just want to have good conversation and discussion with the teacher and they dont have problems if a teacher says â€Å"I dont know†. Italians are almost the same as the German and favored a structured and detailed assignments. Work / Business In work life one can see that Italian employees and managers look for long-term employment. In contrast to Italy the Dutch people are short-term orientated and more flexible. If they are dissatisfied with their job they have no problem with looking for another job. Besides the Italian employees and managers favor a well structured and organized work process that they would not confronted with any problems. Many Italian prefer to do business they already know. Example: Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with the person on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call. The State One reason why Italy is scared of the unknown is because it is a very old cultural country that has survived many economical changes, wars and political upheavals. These facts might have bred in Italians a greater anxiety of the unknown. In Italy a mass of laws and rules are the result of uncertainty avoidance. It gives a feeling of security and also it can be seen as a guideline. In Holland there are not that much laws and rules. They think that laws and rules should be established just in case of necessity. Furthermore they believe that many problems can be solved without any laws. The Netherlands have just a few laws and rules to avoid the uncertainty, although the government and the regulation system is very well developed. If there is a law that is not working, the Dutch government would change or withdraw it easily and quickly. The fact that Italy has so many laws and regulations is that many people are not interested in politics. In contrast the Dutch people are very intereste d in politics, because there not many laws, so they are not overloaded by them. For example, Dutch people ask, why there is a change in ordinance. Uncertainty Avoidance India And Netherlands Family life Based on Hofstedes scale Indias UAI is the lowest of the three countries we have to compare. India scores a 40 on the index. This value makes clear that the inhabitants have the least fear of the uncertain. But its quite hard to generalize, because there are many variations in the different patterns of life. One reason for this fact may be that a large part of the inhabitants grow up under the poverty line. Indian are born in the caste system which forms their guideline, therefore they have another way of feeling of losing a job. Mostly they live with a large amount of family members in one house. Their religion, beliefs and rituals are important attempts to avoid uncertainty in the present and in the oncoming life. Approximately 80% of all Indian inhabitants are Hindu. But in Holland it is very different. In Holland religion is not that import as in India or in Italy because there are almost 45% atheists. School / Education Indians who live under the poverty line probably dont fear to have no school education because the most of them grow up without education at all. But for middle class parents it is important that their children get an academic achievement, because its a direct step to achieve prestige and a better status. Another point is that the dutch pupils dont mind what credits they get. They are just interested in whether they passed or not. Work / Business In countries like India people only work hard if there is a need for it, but they also love to relax. So time is not an ever-present concern for them. Furthermore they live day to day, so one can see that they are very similar to the Dutch because they are both short-term orientated. Day to day can also mean that they fight to survive day after day. The State Indian politics are nearly the same as the British. Since its a bicameral system there are multiple parties. A big difference between the British and Indian system is that in India there are political parties that address, only certain groups in the caste system. And with that they create a certain kind of certainty for the people in the caste. Conclusion After our detailed investigation, about how the four dimensions of Hofstede affect the different countries, we can give some marketing and general advices for doing business in India, Italy and the Netherlands. In contrast to The Netherlands, India and Italy are both masculine countries. For example someone wants to publish a new product especially for woman like a magazine. In the Netherlands it wouldnt be difficult to bring such product on the market because its a feminine society. Nobody would have a problem with the content mentioned in the magazine. In India or Italy it might be more problematic. In India the men would object against magazines like this because the society is directed to males being the higher authority. The men have a big influence on decisions being made. The society status is very important for the family. In The Netherlands it doesnt matter who makes the decisions mainly its good for the family. Generally you have to invest a lot of time and effort in order to build up serious and long-term business relationships in Italy but even more in India. Therefore you (as a business man from abroad) should never try to talk about business straight from the beginning. But rather focus on building a relationship, in most cultures on the world people need to trust each other first before they can do business with each other. Work on that relationship and you will have a good business partner who will always prefer you over the loud screaming cheaper company. In the end, the failure to communicate on the intercultural market will result in the failure of your business as an international company. Always take cultural differences into account. Sources Cultural and Organizations – Software of the Mind http://www.globalvolunteers.org/italy/italy_people1.asp http://www.geert-hofstede.com http://www.wikipedia.org/ clearlycultural.com http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/italy.htm Uncertainty avoidance table Caste System india Hofstedes Dimensions for each country

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Growing Up: The most Meaningful Lesson :: Virtue Upbringing Virtues Paper

Growing Up: The most Meaningful Lesson As I was growing up, I was constantly taught how I should treat others as well as how I should present myself. It was difficult for me to comprehend the importance of these concepts, but I always knew that obtaining these types of qualities was going to lead to pleasing my parents. It was later on in my life that I understood that these aspects were known as virtues. Virtues are valuable qualities of life to which everyone should aspire in order to live a more rewarding and joyful life. It is important to achieve as many virtues as possible while growing up, because having virtues is the core essence of peace and satisfaction. Throughout the process of maturing, every person must choose the virtues that he or she desires to represent his or her life. According to a book titled Friends of God: Human Virtues, by JoseMaria Escriva, there is not one virtue that is more important or superior than the rest. This is proven when she states, â€Å"It is not a matter of practicing one or even a number of virtues. We have to acquire and to practice all of them. Each individual virtue is interwoven with the others and thus our effort to be sincere will also make us upright, cheerful, prudent and composed† (Escriva 76). All virtues play an important role in a person’s life, and all virtues have certain benefits for achieving them. As one gets older, and advances in life, he or she will come to realize that virtues are the roadmaps to a more righteous life. The absolute control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions is the virtue of self-control. Although the greatest outcomes come from achieving this virtue, self-control is very hard to achieve due to the fact that it must be achieved completely upon one’s own w ill, and that it takes a lot of practice and time. There are many temptations and luxuries of life that limit our powers on having absolute self-control over our bodies and minds. One of the greatest examples of this virtue is Siddhartha. Throughout his childhood and into his teenage years, Siddhartha had a strong grasp over his mind and soul. He meditated and had a great desire for knowledge and wisdom. He knew how to fast for great periods of time and practiced self-discipline so frequently, that it became effortless to act accordingly.