Information and Communication in Next Life Essay

Information and Communication in Next Life - Essay Example This includes the use of the word of mouth to communicate, body languages, and other modes of communication that are not facilitated through the use of technology. It is important to explain that there are a number of issues that determine the manner in which an individual communicates and behaves. These issues include their perceptions regarding a particular concept, their attitudes towards a person that they are communicating with, and the skills of communication that these people possess (Stout, 2006, p. 53). The society that we live in has a variety of beliefs and expectations. One of the expectations is on the aspect of connection. This aspect of connection has the capability of influencing the manner the behaviors of people, regarding their beliefs in the next life. There are a variety of issues that are always expected in the next life, and these are important in determining the behavior and communication ability of people, hence playing a significant role in developing their communication skills. Reincarnation, a Hinduism belief, is one of the concepts that explain the expectations of people in the next life. This belief also plays an influential role in shaping the behavioral patterns of people who belief in it. Some of the issues explored under this concept is how to live moral life, and how communication helps people to live such kind of a life (Sout, 2006, p. 29). This soul thereafter passes through a series of life cycles, or sequence of bodies. At the sub-human level, the soul manages to pass through a series of complex bodies, until it reaches the human body, which is an exalted habitation. At this exalted level, Hinduism beliefs that the soul, as a human being, is responsible for its actions (Kagan, 2013, p. 34). Furthermore, the present condition of the life of an individual is a reflection of their past activities. This concept further denotes that the present thoughts, decisions, and acts of an individual would determine their next

USA in the 21st century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

USA in the 21st century - Essay Example Additionally, the development of nuclear weapons and the need to gain world wealth has necessitated many states to be more involved in war to show their might against other states. Many nations are struggling to survive in a world dominated by military power and technological development of nuclear weapons. Although, the nations claim existence of democracy and that international relations can be enhanced there are nations that advocate ruling the rest of the world through the wealth and military power. Any nation that tries to compete with the superpowers is attacked indirectly. Therefore, the 21st century world is likely to be dominated by wars in struggle for survival and supremacy. The 21st century is likely to be war prone because of the struggle for super powers among world nations. According to Mearshein, he came up with a number of assumptions that explain why the structure of international relations is made up of nations who have selfish gains for their own states rather than to the world as a whole1. As a result, the great power nations around the world seek for supremacy, maximum wealth, dominion over land and nuclear superiority. To gain their superpowers the great nations have embarked on â€Å"war, blackmail, bait and bleed, bloodletting, balancing and buck passing†2. Mearshein came up with a number of assumptions explaining paths nations pursue to become superpowers. The first reason is that the international relations is anarchic3. ... Even though states try to live in harmony, aggressiveness against another state can originate from nowhere leading to war. This therefore, has necessitated most states to stay alert and not to trust neighboring nations. Most nations strive for survival with diverse intentions in mind. The need for supremacy, wealth, military power and land has resulted to a number of cases of war. States that are continuing to grow in wealth than the superpowers are now involved in cold wars. States with nuclear weaponry mighty are also in disagreements with superpowers and wars may ensue any moment. The struggle is therefore, real with the super power nations wanting to remain superior, and other nations struggling to get to the level of super power nations. The 21st century is likely to be affected by war, because of the existence of fear in international politics. According to Tang, many states are faced with fear of the future5. Therefore, most states are striving for survival against the fear by leading in wars and being informed of what is happening in other states. States around the world are uncertain of the intentions of other nations. They do not know if they want to attack or if they are developing nuclear weapons. Thus, the uncertainty results to most states being alert and developing their military base, to ensure they are ready for any attacks that may take place. Moreover, most states have their own goals in ensuring they attain supremacy over other states. Nations only work together when they are faced with a common enemy. According to Tang, in international theory cooperation among nation state is practiced when the nations are facing a common enemy. Each state has its own personal gains when they advocate to be involved in war6. The

Critically review the practice of post-development monitoring in eia

Critically review the practice of post-development monitoring in eia Introduction Since the 1960s, there has been a growing concern in the environment and the unfavorable impact that society has on the global environment (United Nations, 1990). Over the years, there has been a steady introduction of environmental legislation, in an attempt to regulate impacts on the environment. However, other environmental management means have also been developed. These include environmental auditing, environmental accounting, environmental reporting, life-cycle assessment, environmental management systems, risk assessment and environmental impact assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has become a widely used means for making out the possible impacts of new developments (Glasson et al, 1999). It is proposed to provide decision-makers with an understanding of the possible environmental consequences of a proposed project and thereby facilitate the making of more environmentally sound decisions (Bailey and Hobbs 1990). EIA is now being used in many countries worldwide ( Glasson et al 1999). In the 1990s, a worldwide study on the usefulness of environmental assessment was carried out, which highlighted several areas were improvements needed to be made; areas such as scoping, evaluating significance, review of environmental statements and post-decision monitoring and auditing mostly termed as follow-up (Sadler 1996). Lack of follow-up is undeniably the weakest point in many systems and this is resulting to questions over whether EIA is being used effectively. Effective EIA should lessen the environmental impacts of developments; however, without follow-up being completed it is only the envisaged impacts on the environment and not the existent impacts that are regarded. Furthermore, the EIA process can be divided into two stages based around the approval for a development proposal: pre-decision and post-decision (Marshall, 2004). Follow-up, which includes post-decision monitoring and auditing, refers to actions that occurs all through the post-decision stages of the EIA p rocess to monitor, evaluate, manage and communicate the environmental results that in reality happen (Arts et al 2001). Current practice has focused on the pre-decision stages of the process, which means that little or no attention is paid to whether the actual impacts of the development match up to those that were predicted. There is much debate as to the effectiveness of EIA practice without follow-up; it has not been thoroughly required or properly implemented within current practice (United Nations, 1990). This review will first discuss the definition of follow-up, and then highlights the various types of follow-up. Following this, the role and value of follow-up in EIA is discussed; the basic principles are stated; legislative requirement for follow-up with reference to different countries is examined; an overview of required bodies for follow-up practice is also looked into and then an overview of the global perspective of follow-up practice is discussed. EIA Follow-up In its role as an environmental management means, EIA must put into practice processes for verifying the existence of predicted effects and controlling the damaging effects of those that in reality happen (United Nations, 1990). Thus, impact studies should take into consideration the need for and requirements of follow-up (Wood, 2003). EIA follow-up is important to the entire assessment process because it provides information about the outcomes of an activity and ensures that development and management requirements have been met (Arts et al., 2001). Guidance for good practice EIA follow-up, however, has not been efficient and has been addressed on very few occasions (Marshall, 2004). Follow-up has been used as a general term for various EIA activities including: monitoring; auditing; ex postevaluation; post-decision analysis; and post-decision management. While there is no single definition for follow-up, it is generally related to activities in the post-decision phase of a project (Arts et al, 2001). Follow-up includes the gathering of data, the arrangement and investigation of this data and the review of the acquired information about the impacts of a project that has been subject to EIA. It also involves decision-making on remedial procedures and communication of the results of this process (Wood, 2003). Thus, follow-up is comprised of four key activities; see figure 1 below for further illustration. Role and Value of EIA follow-up EIA is intended to provide decision makers with information concerning the environmental impacts of development on the environment. For this information to be reliable, it must be verified (Arts et al, 2001). Moreover, the responsible parties, that is the proponent or the competent bodies have a starting point for employing mitigation procedures and precautionary procedures for the negative impacts. The response acquired from follow-up programs is important for the improvement of EIA which currently can best be described as weak and not realized to its full potential (United Nations, 1990). Follow-up is an essential part of any EIA system in that follow-up ensures that EIA actually works to protect the environment and achieve its intended objectives (Marshall, 2004). The United Nations (1990), for example, observed that follow-up examinations are useful in making certain or assisting the execution of development activity in accordance with the terms put in place by the environmental assessment process. It involves monitoring project outcomes, evaluating results and integrating mitigation procedures from the initial process of the project. EIA should be applied as early as possible and follow-up, as a system of checks and balances, should commence as the assessment unfolds to generate data and ensure the results of assessment are integrated into the project design and management (Marshall, 2004). Furthermore, examination of environmental impacts serves as an indicator to practitioners on which impacts need mitigation. Hence, follow-up creates opportunity for practitioners to look back at the impacts foreseen and the mitigation procedures recommended to determine accuracy and effectiveness so that suitable action can be taken (Arts et al 2001). Follow-up, identified as environmental auditing and monitoring programs in some literature, is important to verify that the environmental predictions and assumptions are valid and to monitor the actual environmental performance of projects (Abaza, 2000). Follow-up ensures impacts are mitigated before breaching established criteria, to capture growing environmental impacts, and to guarantee that mitigation procedures are properly and timely implemented (United Nations, 1990). Hence, the follow-up process should naturally be integrated in every EIA and at all stages of the project life cycle; that is follow-up should analyze the entire cycle of a proposed project. In this way, EIA is a cyclical activity, with feedback and interaction between various steps being critical for improving EIA practice (Wood, 2003). Principles of EIA Follow-up EIA follow-up principles have been stated by various authors; however this review provides a summary of these various views. Follow-up principles are divided into Guiding Principles and Operating Principles as put forward by Morrison-Saunders et al (2007); see figure 2 below. Legislative Framework for Follow-up Monitoring The regulatory and institutional arrangements include the legal requirements and administrative framework for conducting EIA follow-up. In different countries around the world, there are different legislative requirements for follow-up practice; see figure 3 below. Practices vary from voluntary commitments for monitoring and reporting on EIA outcomes through to specific command and control approaches, some of which provide for specialist independent follow-up review bodies. Generally systems with a long history of EIA tend to be more advanced in their requirements for follow-up (Morrison-Saunders et al 2007). Country Status Legislative Requirement United Kingdom Developed Discretionary Australia Developed Discretionary Canada Developed Mandatory Netherlands Developed Mandatory New Zealand Developed Mandatory California Developed Mandatory Egypt Developing Non Existent Turkey Developing Non Existent Tunisia Developing Non Existent Required Bodies for Follow-up Monitoring EIA follow-up can take many forms, ranging from proponent-driven self-regulation to requirements put in place by EIA regulators or initiatives motivated by community involvement (Arts et al, 2001). Monitoring and evaluation may be conducted by proponents and regulators alike depending on the level of application. Continuing management decisions may be made by both proponents e.g., responding to unforeseen impacts and EIA regulators e.g., reviewing consent conditions and management requirements. Also, both proponents and EIA regulators may engage in communication programs. Some follow-up programs go far beyond mere communication to specifically include stakeholder participation in the monitoring, evaluation and management proceedings (Marshall, 2004). According to Morrison-Saunders et al (2007), there are three major groups of stakeholders involved in EIA follow-up whether as initiator, conductor or participant. Follow-up programs driven by proponents i.e. the first party follow-up, may also include voluntary, self-regulatory or industry-led initiatives such as environmental management systems. Follow-up carried out by regulators, the second party follow-up, typically focuses on making sure that proponents conform to EIA approval conditions as well as learning from experience to improve EIA processes in the future. Follow-up activities carried out or initiated by the community i.e. third party follow-up may range from formal committees or agencies (NGOs) established to manage or conduct follow-up activities through to independent action by community members concerned about environmental impacts. Global Perspective of EIA Follow-up Practice EIA is far from perfect; based on various reviews; it is widely believed that follow-up practice is the weakest area in the EIA process globally. As Sadler (1996) found out in his review of the effectiveness of various EIA systems globally, that there was a poor performance of follow-up activities. Also, Wood (2003) carried out a review on EIA systems in developed countries like UK, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, USA, Netherlands and South Africa and found out that follow-up practices are not widespread. As in the developed world, follow-up monitoring has been a missing step in EIA in developing countries. For example, George (2000b) identified the lack of attention and commitment to follow up as a serious shortcoming in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. Despite the widely recognized importance of EIA, follow-up has not been satisfactorily implemented in EIA practice (Austin, 2000) and has yet to be recognized as an essential part of the EIA process (Marshall, 2004). The extent to which follow-up monitoring is required by the EIA processvaries greatly between countries, although mandatory requirements appear to be the exception rather than the rule. The EU Directive 97/11/EC as amended, does not specifically require follow-up monitoring (Wood, 2003), and this is reflected by a similar lack of legislative provision in most Member States. In Canada, EIA is enforced by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; although there has been some measure of progress achieved in EIA, there are also several shortcomings. Follow-up processes have been hampered by weaknesses in laws (CEAA, 2004). Also, developers may be legally required to carry out follow-up monitoring under other legislation if specified in, for example, planning consent con ditions, emission consents or legal agreements as in the case of UK. But these methods are limited and do not represent a systematic approach to monitoring (Glasson, 1994). Follow-up monitoring has been poorly implemented also in Sri Lanka with the problem of inadequate staff, space allocation, funds, and equipment (Morrison-Saunders et al, 2007). In the United States, NEPA does not provide detailed information on the subject of follow-up monitoring; it states that monitoring and enforcement program shall be implemented where applicable for any mitigation. The emphasis in EIA has all too frequently been on the pre-decision stages and on preparation of the EIS, using EIA purely to achieve development consent rather than as a tool for sound environmental management and protection. As Sadler (1996) states, the inconsistency of EIA is that very little attention is paid to the environmental effects which actually result from the development. There is very little emphasis on follow-up, on comparing what was predicted with what really happened, and on feeding the results of such exercises back into the EIA process. Without follow-up and feedback, EIA remains as a none-moving, infrequent routine rather than becoming an active and recurring process (Glasson, 1994). This lack of mandatory follow-up requirement, combined with a lack of enforcement, means that, from the developers point of view, it really does not matter if predictions are inaccurate. Conclusion If the performance of EIA in accurately predicting impacts and enabling sound environmental protection and management is to improve, lessons must be learnt from past experience and applied to future developments. Follow-up provides a means of achieving this and delivering numerous benefits. Despite this, follow-up monitoring is rarely carried out in practice. Having assessed follow-up practices in both developed and developing countries, it is evident that the existence of a legislative framework is not sufficient to make the system effective. Although some countries legislative requirements are mandatory yet problems arise due to the limited scope of legal measures and administrative support (Mitchell, 1997). Other weaknesses reside in the procedures for the design and implementation of follow-up and control mechanisms; also, the attention has largely focused on the pre-decision stages of impact assessment with follow-up monitoring receiving less attention (Arts et al., 2001). Wloda rczyk (2000) notes that understanding among practitioners of what EIA follow-up is and what it entails has not been made clear. Some have interpreted follow-up strictly as the application of mitigation measures suggested in the EIA report. The result is that prediction accuracy is not being confirmed nor is the effectiveness of improvement measures being determined. Finally, there is a need to overcome the various setbacks associated with follow-up practices; as (Marshall, 2004) states that EIA follow-up is a feedback mechanism to reflect the pitfall or success of projects. Countries around the world need to improve on the image of follow-up monitoring to highlight its benefits; the possibility of developing mandatory requirements or a central guidance for EIA follow-up needs further exploration; continuous follow-up monitoring needs to be undertaken, and the results publicized and circulated to EIA practitioners. An opportunity to improve EIA practice and procedures is being missed with every development for which an EIS is submitted with no follow-up analysis carried out (Glasson, 1994). Reference Abaza, H (2000) Strengthening Future Environmental Assessment Practice: An International Perspective, in Lee, N and George, C (Eds) Environmental Assessment in Developing and Transitional Countries, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons. Ahmad, B and Wood, C. M (2002) Environmental Impact Assessment in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia, Environmental Impact Assessment Review,Volume 22, pp. 213-234. Arts, J., Caldwell, P., and Morrison-Saunders, A (2001) Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-up: Good Practice and Future Directions Findings from a Workshop at IAIA 2000 Conference, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal,Volume 19(3), pp. 175-185. Bailey, J.M and Hobbs, V (1990) A Proposed Framework and Database for EIA Auditing, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 31, pp. 163-72. Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (2004) Strengthening Environmental Assessment in Canada: Amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Available at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/013/001/0003/index_e.htm, Accessed on Friday January 29th, 2010. George, C (2000b) Environmental Impact Prediction and Evaluation, in Lee, N and George, C (Eds.)Environmental Assessment in Developing and Transitional Countries, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons. Glasson, J (1994) Life after the Decision: The Importance of Monitoring in EA, Built Environment, 20, pp. 309-320. Glasson, J., Therivel, R., and Chadwick, A (1999) Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment, UCL Press. Marshall, R (2004) Can Industry Benefit from Participation in EIA-follow up? The Scottish Power Experience, in Morrison-Saunders, A and Arts, J (Eds), Assessing Impact: Handbook of EIA and SEA Follow-up, Earthscan James James, London, Chapter 6. Mitchell, B (1997) Resource and Environmental Management, Waterloo, Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Morrison-Saunders, A., Marshall, R and Arts, J (2007) EIA Follow-Up International Best Practice Principles, International Association for Impact Assessment, Special Publication Series No. 6, Fargo, USA. Sadler, B (1996) Environmental Assessment in a Changing World: Evaluating Practice to Improve Performance, Final Report, International Study of the Effectiveness of Environment Assessment, Ottawa, Canadian Environmental Agency. United Nations (1990) Post-project Analysis in Environmental Impact Assessment, Report Prepared by the Task Force on Environmental Impact Assessment Auditing with Canada as Lead Country, New York. Wlodarczyk, T. L (2000) Improving Monitoring and Follow up in Canadian Environmental Assessments, Paper Presented at the IAIA Conference June 2000, Hong Kong. Wood, C (2003) Environmental Impact Assessment, A Comparative Review, Second Edition Prentice Hall, Harlow.

Crash Course :: Essays Papers

Crash Course Ever since I was young, I have had a fascination with bikes and motorcycles. I enjoyed reading and learning about them. As an adolescent riding my bike was a sort of nirvana for me. Interestingly enough, I was never very skilled at the art of bicycle riding. True, I did find it interesting and exciting, among other things, but I just wasn't any good at it. I would be willing to venture that the number of accidents I had on my bike would rival the totals of some race riders, although I was never that daring. Consequently, I walked away (most of the time) from those accidents with quite a few scars and just as many stories. My first accident happened not long after my maiden voyage. In fact it happened on my maiden voyage. I lived in a small, Leave it to Beaver type town (with more dirt and more hoodlums), all the kids on the street were skilled bike riders, and "riding bikes" was the most frequent use of playtime. At nine or ten years old, I was suffering from distinct feelings of inferiority because there were kindergartners on my block who could ride their bikes when I hadn't yet learned. To this day I haven't been able to decide what kept me from learning for so long. Being the only kid on the block who has to ride with training wheels is not a distinction most ten-year-olds would want to call their own. And I was no different. I hated feeling like a baby. In the summer of my tenth year I decided that I would put an end to this feeling of inferiority once and for all. I had it all planned out. While I was spending a week at my grandparents house, I would teach myself to ride a two-wheeler. I would go away a chump and come back a champ: the ultimate "Rags to Riches" story, at least that is what it would be to my ten-year-old mind. I got to work on my mission as soon as I arrived. I went to my grandparents shed behind their house and opened it, stepping into the sun-baked shed and smelling the familiar warm musty odor that I had expected. Then I saw it: the old copper finish sparkling where some rays of sunshine snuck in the door to help me find it. It was old, most likely older than I was.

Amazon Business Practices Essay

Abstract This paper provides strategic research for Amazon.com, starting with the vision and mission statements and an external assessment of the competitive forces using the Porter Five Forces model. Also included in this research is an evaluation of the intensive strategies used by Amazon in the areas of market penetration, market and product development. Additionally, a SWOT Analysis is provided with the recommended five-year corporate strategy. Strategic Research Project for Amazon.com Amazon. com, an internet merchandise selling giant founded by Jeff Bezos, opened its virtual doors to its online store in July 1995. The company was incorporated in 1994 in the state of Washington and reincorporated in 1996 in Delaware. The Company’s principal corporate offices are located in Seattle, Washington. Amazon.com completed its initial public offering in May 1997, and its common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol AMZN. (Amazon.comFAQ) Mission and Vision Statement The mission/vision statement of the company is very simple and direct â€Å"Our vision is to be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.† However it still manages to meet many of the characteristics of an effective mission/vision statement; (1)Customers, it intends to the most customer centric company on earth. (2)Product or services; It is broad and no specific about any particular service or product. (3)Markets; Amazon intends to build a place where people can find anything they want to buy  online. (4)It is very brief. The entire statement and vision is summed up in 2 sentences. Overall the company is accomplishing their mission and realizing their vision. Amazon is a global company and their name has become associated with online buying. â€Å"Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon.com) serves consumers through its retail Websites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. The Company’s four customer sets include consumers, sellers, enterprises and content creators. It also manufactures and sells Kindle devices. It offers programs, which enable sellers to sell their products on its Websites and their own branded Websites and to fulfill orders through it.† (Amazon.comINC, 2012) Competitive Analysis The industry that Amazon competes in is very competitive and changes quickly. An external assessment of the competitive forces using the Porter Five Forces model looks at; rivalry among the competitors, potential new competitors, potential substitute products and bargaining power for suppliers and consumers. (David, 2009). 1.Competitors; Amazon has branched in the world of tablets and is competing with Apple and Google, â€Å"the Kindle† is a direct competitor to Ipad. In the publishing and book world only Barnes and Noble is even comparable and Amazon is far more successful. In other areas Amazon is out performing its competitors like Walmart, Netflix also. (Amazon.comINC,2012)(Amazon’s Competitive Advantage, Growth Opportunities Make It A Buy, 2012) 2.New competitors; there are always new companies emerging in the internet retail business however Amazon has remained a giant and very profitable. (Amazon’s Competitive Advantage, Growth Opportunities Make It A Buy, 2012) 3.Potential Substitute products; innovation is the name of the game in the internet so Amazon always has the threat of â€Å"the next best thing† but they continue to be innovative as with their entry into the tablet world. 4.Bargaining power with Suppliers and consumers; Amazon is a relatively inexpensive way for suppliers to offer their product as well as a convenient one stop shop for consumers. Intensive Strategies Market penetration, market and product development are commonly referred to as intensive strategies. They require intense efforts if a firm intends to improve its competitive edge with its products. (David, 2009). A market penetration strategy attempts to increase the market share of current  products. Amazon has a healthy balance sheet and is positioned to benefit from the continued shift in commerce from offline to online. Retail bankruptcies could continue to shift sales online. (Forbes.com 2012) A market development strategy involves introducing current products into new geographic areas. Amazon is experiencing growth in its international sales and is leveraged to two of the fastest growing platforms on the Internet, online search, and the Chinese e-Commerce market. A product development strategy seeks to increase sales by improving or changing present products. Amazon introduces Amazon Prime, a membership site for loyal customers that offers faster shipping of products and through a deal with Marshall Cavendish, one of the world’s leading book publishers and classroom digital solutions providers, Amazon has acquired over 450 titles of its US Children’s trade books business, a move that will allow expansion into picture books, chapter books and Young Adult novels. SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, which provides information to analyze and evaluate the organizations strengths and weaknesses, is presented for Amazon.com. This is widely used as a strategy formulation technique and to help in identifying the most beneficial targets and strategies to pursue. Strengths: Brand recognition, an industry leader in online sales. Customers’ satisfaction, very loyal; Diversified, large variety of products, profitable business model, offered in different geographical markets. Weaknesses: Free shipping and all delivery is outsourced. Multiple competitors, Consumer demand can trigger losses in revenue. International markets and currency, time to deliver versus a local bookstore Opportunities: Expanding geographical markets, advances in technology, new products (â€Å"the kindle†), increased suppliers. Threats: Competitors, the e-commerce field evolves rapidly and is highly competitive, companies such as EBay, Wal-Mart, Google and Yahoo. Lack of inventory to meet demand, no control over suppliers and delivery services, weakened economies foreign and domestic. Conclusion Despite all of the constant competitors that Amazon faces for its current and future market share it continues to make a profit. With of constant  evolution current business practices and continued innovation of new ones, Amazon should maintain its lead on its nearest competitors. I believe further expansion into international markets as well as more collaboration with other firms such as Microsoft to insure that its new innovations and products are main-stream, will continue to be profitable. References Amazon’s Competitive Advantage, Growth Opportunities Make It A Buy, (2012, 20 Jul) Seeking Alpha.com Retrieved from: http://seekingalpha.com/article/735201-amazon-s-competitive-advantage-growth-opportunities-make-it-a-buy Amazon FAQs, Amazon.com Retrieved from: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97664&p=irol-faq#14296 Amazon.com INC, (2012, 04 Dec) New York Times Online Retrieved from: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/amazon_inc/index.html AMAZON.COM INC (NASDAQ: AMZN) Buy/Hold/Sell Analysis, Forbes.com Retrieved from: http://finapps.forbes.com/finapps/BuyHoldSellAnalysis.do?tkr=AMZN David, F. R. Strategic management concepts (12th ed.), 2009 Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Johnson, Mark W (2010, 12 April) Amazon’s Smart Innovation Strategy, Bloomberg Businessweek Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2010/id20100412_520351.htm Order It Online, And†¦ Voilà  , (2012, 3 December) Wall Street Journal Online Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324712504578133602774225678.html?KEYWORDS=amazoncom#articleTabs%3Dvideo SWOT Analysis of Amazon, (2010, 9 September) MBA Lectures Retrieved from: http://mba-lectures.com/marketing/swot-analysis-marketing/1157/swot-analysis-of-amazon-com.html

Great Awakening Essay

The Great Awakening, which found its beginnings in 1740, was the first event to effectively influence all of the British colonies. In recent years religion had become complacent, and many people were going to church, but not really benefitting from the teachings. Going through the motions and acting like they were gaining something out of it was the main thought of the time. During this time, strong minded evangelists emerged and began preaching with fire-and-brimstone on their tongues; declaring the only way to find salvation was through conversion. This spirited revival became what is known as the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening empowered people to begin thinking on their own, making their own decisions, which brought them closer in relationship with God. The Great Awakening is believed to be one of the reasons the colonists lost favor with the British Empire, and gave rise to the beginnings of the American Revolution. The Great Awakening The Great Awakening had its beginnings in the American colony of New Jersey. Frelinghuysen and Gilbert Tennent are recognized as the first to organize the Awakening. Frelinghuysen, a Dutch pastor raised in the Dutch reformed churches, began teaching the necessity of deep transformation in the 1720’s. Tennent followed his father when he continued organizing the â€Å"log colleges† where many young evangelists received their start in ministry. The works of these two men caused the spark, which ignited the great rivals of the 18th century. In 1734, the Great Awakening continued to spread into the Massachusetts, where a young preacher named Jonathan Edwards pursued it with a passion. Edwards became a well-known pastor, and through his intense sermons the Holy Spirit caused the conversion of many of his followers and non-followers. Another well-known preacher was a young man named George Whitefield. He arrived in the colonies in 1738, and by 1739 began his powerful preaching. Between 1739 and 1741 he began his most noteworthy and powerful ministry in the Americas. He had a voice that reached thousands, and his sermons led many to rise from their seats weeping and convulsing. Many achievements owe its foundation to the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening made it possible for young men to pursue their life’s quest in the ministry of God. It allowed people to think on their own and make decisions based on their own reasoning causing people to remember the exact time and  date they were converted. Another major outcome of the Great Awakening was its profound effect on education. Many well-known universities, Princeton and Dartmouth for example, came into being through the works of the great evangelists. In the wake of all the good the Great Awakening accomplished, many controversies arose too. Many of the clergy condemned many ministers who were considered unconverted, and this included people of the congregation as well. Many of their differences caused denominations to split, especially when the new age evangelists collided with the old age. The Great Awakening continued to thrive until the onset of the revolution. Baptist and the First Great Awakening During the Great Awakening the Baptists arrived late, partly because of the New England establishment of churches they belonged to. The two main figures responsible for the Baptist accepting the Great Awakening was Shubal Stearns and Daniel Marshall. In 1755, the Stearns and Marshall families traveled to the Colony of North Carolina and established the Sandy Creek Baptist Church, which became the mother for some forty additional churches in the region. In 1755, all were committed to the enthusiastically religion of the Separate Baptist, or Go-spellers, with its emotional preaching and religious experience. The Marshalls laid the ground work in ministry, especially when it came to the Native Americans. Following Daniel Marshall’s ordination, many Baptists refused to participate in their ideals because they believed that women were allowed to assemble and conduct public prayer meetings when men were present. In 1770, a woman by the name of Margret Meuse Clay was among many Baptists arrested and put on trial for unlicensed preaching. While the men were whipped for their guilt, Margret was pardoned when an unknown man paid her fine. Another Baptist group emerging from the Great Awakening was the Regular Baptist. They originated in Charleston, SC, and they were among the social elite. They believed in orderly worship and educated ministry. Both groups believed in experiencing conversion, but their views differed on acceptance. The Separate Baptist believed in enthusiastic outburst, while the Regular Baptist believed this to be confusing, and God disapproved on confusion. The Baptist continued to grow and expand out West where they participated in many revivals growing churches out of mass conversions. Fathers of the Great Awakening Theodorus Frelinghuysen The Great Awakening introduced many evangelists to the scene but it was Theodorus Frelinghuysen, who is credited with starting the Great Awakening. He grabbed the reins and ran, assuming the lead role in the middle colonies. Frelinghuysen was born in 1691 and was the son of a Dutch reformed pastor. He is credited with beginning new congregations in the American colony of New Jersey, and by the mid-1700s, his congregation grew to be the second largest next to the Presbyterian Church. He was a firm believer in institutionalizing school systems, largely for the illiterate and the frontier families. He was an early advocate of reform within the church, and when he delivered his first sermon in America, he upset a few of his parishioners and a petition was signed seeking his removal from the church. Frelinghuysen stood up to the charges and defeated them. He continued to inspire the religious awakening within the church causing the Great Awakening to explode. Frelinghuysen preached on the basis of emotional experience and a conversion of personal faith. It is not known when Frelinghuysen passed away, but as for the Great Awakening, he is credited for being the instrument of faith that led other reformers in establishing themselves as great evangelists. George Tennent Born in Ireland in 1703, George Tennent was a key leader in the development of the Great Awakening. He preached on religious conversion based on personal experiences. Tennent, after receiving advice from Frelinghuysen on how conversion saves the soul, made evangelism the centerpiece of his ministry. In the 1730s, he continued his father’s work with the â€Å"Log College,† and by doing this, secured many young men into devoting their lives to the work of ministry. In 1735, Tennent met and began traveling with George Whitefield, and they set off on a preaching tour of New England. By the end of 1739, Tennent and Whitefield parted ways but Tennent continued his one-man crusade preaching throughout New Jersey and Maryland. By the 1740s, Tennent acquired the reputation as being a powerful preacher. Whitefield contacted Tennent again in the late 1740s, and asked him to preach in front of his congregation. This time Tennent was a seasoned  minister and atop on his career, so he gladly accepted, and for three months straight he delivered intense sermons, placing so much fear in the minds of the congregation, especially when he spoke of the eternal damnation. Tennent was often ridiculed by church officials, and he gladly responded to them by comparing them to Scribes and Pharisees of the New Testament. Tennent died in 1764, as pastor of the 2nd Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards was one of the most influential evangelists of the early colonial times, his fiery sermons of the 1730s and 1740; still have remarkable influence on the evangelist of today. Edwards was born into a deeply religious family in the year 1703, and his family background is one of great importance. His grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, was a stern fire-and-brimstone type evangelist. In 1677, Stoddard founded a congregation that was eager to listen to his words and moved the church into a different direction. He extended the scope regarding infant baptism, and began allowing anyone to partake in the Lord’s Supper regardless of their faith. Solomon Stoddard had a great influence on his grandson that would last his entire life. Edwards, in his essay â€Å"Personal Narrative,† traced his religious background to when he was nine or ten years old. During this time, he became very concerned with the soul’s salvation. This concern allowed him to seek solitude where he prayed and meditated and sought the company of other boys who had the same likeness he had. In 1716, at the age of thirteen, his interest, for religion grew, and he was accepted to the Collegiate College of Connecticut. His classes were very challenging, but in 1720 he graduated. The following years were very troubling for Edwards, and he began keeping a diary of his everyday life. In 1723, he made a notation describing his feeling toward his walk with God. He felt he was not living as a born-again Christian, and decided to rededicate his life to God. In 1729, Solomon Stoddard passed away, and Edwards inherited his congregation, but the church had strong ties with Stoddard, and Edwards found himself in a spiritually declining church. He decided to redirect the spiritual interest of the church, and found himself criticizing his grandfather, which led to his removal. By the 1730s, Edwards career was in full swing. He found his calling through the gospels, and he set off devoting himself to awakening  North Hampton to its true spiritual origin. Edwards delivered such powerful sermons such as â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,† which emotionally impaired the congregation, raising them from their seats and crying hysterically. In a sermon describing eternal damnation, many people contemplated suicide rather than facing their own sin. Within a few years, the results of his devotion would permanently change America’s religious history. Edwards began hearing about the teachings of George Whitefield, and in 1740 invited him to North Hampton. When Whitefield met Edwards, he described him as weak in the body but spiritually sound. Edwards did not believe Whitefield would be accepted, but during his first sermon, which described the town’s feelings, the entire congregation wept including Edwards. Following Whitefield’s departure, Edwards saw a profound change in the town’s attitude and wrote Whitefield telling him of this transformation. Edwards saw intense conversions from people, who used to struggle with the Spirit of God, but through their faith found peace with God. In 1751, Edwards took a position in Stockdale as a missionary to the Mohawk Indian Tribe. Though he was met with numerous attacks, he succeeded in his duties, and the Indian School stabilized under his leadership. During the final years of the 1740s, Edwards began focusing on the doctrine of original sin, which his views caused great discernment with fellow New England clergymen. In his book, â€Å"Freedom of the Will,† he commented on the evil men do, but they also do good. Edward’s views on sin were greatly expressed when he compared a man’s sinful heart with removing a candle from a lighted room. Jonathan Edwards died on March 22, 1758, following a vaccination for small pox. He last words were, â€Å"Trust in God, and Ye need not fear†(Gura). George Whitefield George Whitefield was a charismatic preacher, who began touring the American colonies in 1740. His sermons attracted huge crowds, leaving no space for people to sit down. He was the founder of the emotional revival tradition that changed the course of the religious history in the United States. George Whitefield was born in Gloucester, England in the year 1714, and by the time he graduated college he was ordained a deacon with the Church of England. He was closely associated with John and Charles Wesley and became very passionate of their missions in the colony of Georgia, but when the  Wesley’s left the colonies, Whitefield vowed nothing was going to keep him from doing God’s work in the colonies, so he left England on the first of several trips to the American colonies. After a year-long absence, he returned to England and was ordained a priest, which would give him more prestige when he returned to Georgia. Trouble began for Whitefield when the Bishop of England, Edmund Gibson, began criticizing him for his beliefs in Divine Guidance and his judgment of others. Whitefield responded to these charges by denouncing the Anglican Clerics as lazy and pleasure-seeking. Following the attacks by Gibson, Whitefield traveled back to the colonies and began his most successful evangelical tour. He traveled up and down the east coast, and everywhere he went large crowds followed, and his reputation as a God sent messenger preceded him. In 1740, one of his biggest followers, Jonathan Edwards, wrote him a letter inviting him to North Hampton to speak to its citizens. Whitefield’s sermons were so passionate the townspeople began weeping in their seats. Following his departure, Edwards saw a dramatic change occur within his congregation and wrote a letter to Whitefield telling him of the transformation. Between the years of 1739 and 1741, Whitefield’s sermons began a powerful movement known as the Great Awakening, and several denominations cooperated with his teachings, except for his own Anglican colleagues. During this time, he began publishing several journals attacking those closest to him. In 1741, he attacked Wesley by publishing a journal criticizing the Arminianism manifest in John Wesley’s sermon â€Å"Free Grace.† Even though he criticized John Wesley, they maintained a close friendship. Whitefield continued in his revival, and thousands came from the British Isles and American colonies to hear his fiery sermons. He was a supporter of many charitable causes, and in 1740, he established an orphanage in Savannah, GA and a school for African-Americans; in doing this he hoped to awaken all of Christendom to a great and sweeping Christian revival. George Whitefield died of heart failure following an open-air sermon on September 30, 1770. Conclusion The First Great Awakening did more than just cause people to fall into the church aisles or prompt them to coming forward to an alter call. It filled evangelicalism with a strong social and missionary impulse. It brought an end to the Puritan conception of society as a beneficial union of  ecclesiastical and public life. The leaders called for purity in the churches, even if it meant destroying the close union of church and state. The Great Awakening brought increase in church membership, and created a more democratic spirit within the townships and communities. It took on various humanitarian duties as well. It helped in the development of numerous colleges such as, Princeton and Dartmouth Universities. It preserved the relationship between the American colonies and the Native Americans. The Great Awakening will be one of the biggest turning points in American history, and be felt for generations to come.