In the past thirty years or so, which approach has proven more Essay

In the past thirty years or so, which approach has proven more successful for development neoliberalism or neostatism - Essay Example State interventions in markets once developed must be maintained at a bare minimum because according to the philosophy, the state cannot possibly own enough information to doubt market signals and because powerful groups with vested interests will eventually bias and distort state interventions especially in democracies for their personal benefit (Jessop 2007). The neo-statist model seeks to explain the role of the state in the growth of and industrialization process, directly and explicitly. Many of the neo-statist models position the state as having an overarching impact on the social and economic system that fundamentally impacts upon the economic development, through economic factors play one of the key parts. To determine whether neo-liberalism is has been more successful than neo-statist over the past 30 years or so, it is crucial to first investigate their impacts in several parts of the world where they were applied. To begin, lets starts by examining the impact of neo-libera lism on the distribution and production of some basic commodities in Mexico. Mexico is mainly an interesting country in which to scrutinize neo-liberalism, for many reasons (Snyder 2001). First, the present neoliberal reforms in Mexico are not its first experiment with such policies. It is 19th century incursion which concentrated wealth into the hands of few individuals, created such misery and poverty among workers and peasants that it led to the Mexican revolution. Due to the revolution, the country adopted social policies that were aimed at safeguarding the interests of the workers and peasants which included the naturalization of water, land and mineral rights and enacted policies that sought after to enhance industrialization by safeguarding national industries from foreign competition. Second, the present enactment of neoliberal policies symbolize a deep of policies enshrined by the Mexican revolution, this history and vivid spin make Mexico an attractive milieu within which to evaluate neo-liberalism. The World Bank and IMF have used many neoliberal actions and policies tried in Mexico across developing countries. Mexico’s experiment with neoliberal policies holds a vital example not only for budding countries but also for urban ones also. The neoliberal conversion for Mexico has been deep. The Mexican state has been forced to unlock its markets, leave its social programs and privatize most of its state run industries and community land. While this process has been beneficial to some people, it has also proven to be costly to others. Rural small holders have been amid the losers in general as the uprisings, ensuing insurgence and difficulties attest. While small holders were given individual titles to the parcel they worked on state administered community lands, neoliberal policies also eliminated subsidies and credit that made the smallholders productive. Facing increasingly unstable livelihoods many people left the country side to look for wor k in burgeoning cities. The number of undocumented workers increased tremendously due to this migration. While the United States benefited hugely from this cheap labor, migrant worker have become remittances have become Mexico’s second largest source of foreign revenue. Neoliberal policies have also had a profound effect on Mexico’

Rome and Han china Essay Example for Free

Rome and Han china Essay 1. Roman Republic: The period from 507 to 31 B. C. E. , during which Rome was largely governed by the aristocratic Roman Senate. 2. Roman Senate: A council whose members were the heads of wealthy, landowning families. Originally an advisory body to the early kings, in the era of the Roman Republic the Senate effectively governed the Roman state and the growing empire. Under Senate leadership, Rome conquered an empire of unprecedented extent in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In the first century B. C. E.  quarrels among powerful and ambitious senators and failure to address social and economic problems led to civil wars and the emergence of the rule of the emperors. 3. Augustus: (63 B. C. E. -14 c. e. ) Honorific name of Octavian, founder of the Roman Principate, the military dictatorship that replaced the failing rule of the Roman Senate. After defeating all rivals, between 31 B. C. E. and 14 C. E. he laid the groundwork for several centuries of stability and prosperity in the Roman Empire. 4. Roman Principate: A term used to characterize Roman government in the first three centuries C. E. , based on the ambiguous title princeps (first citizen) adopted by Augustus to conceal his military dictatorship. 5. pax romana: Literally, Roman peace, it connoted the stability and prosperity that Roman rule brought to the lands of the Roman Empire in the first two centuries C. E. The movement of people and trade goods along Roman roads and safe seas allowed for the spread of cultural practices, technologies, and religious ideas. 6. Romanization: The process by which the Latin language and Roman culture became dominant in the western provinces of the Roman Empire. The Roman government did not actively seek to Romanize the subject peoples, but indigenous peoples in the provinces often chose to Romanize because of the political and economic advantages that it brought, as well as the allure of Roman success. 7. Jesus: (ca. 5 B. C. E. -34 C. E. ) A Jew from Galilee in northern Israel who sought to reform Jewish beliefs and practices. He was executed as a revolutionary by the Romans. Hailed as the Messiah and son of God by his followers, he became the central figure in Christianity, a belief system that developed in the centuries after his death. 8. aqueduct: A conduit, either elevated or under ground, using gravity to carry water from a source to a location-usually a city-that needed it. The Romans built many aqueducts in a period of substantial urbanization. 9. third-century crisis of the Roman Empire: Historians term for the political, military, and economic turmoil that beset the Roman Empire during much of the third century C. E. : frequent changes of ruler, civil wars, barbarian invasions, decline of urban centers, and near-destruction of long-distance commerce and the monetary economy. After 284 C. E. Diocletian restored order by making fundamental changes. 10. Nero: debauched Roman emperor (stepson of the emperor Claudius) who for centuries was blamed for the great fire of Rome in 64 CE. 11. Cicero: was an orator and statesman of Rome and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist—was executed after criticizing Marc Anthony and the other two members of the Second Triumverate. 12. Tacitus: Roman historian—greatest works: The Annals (in which he blames Nero for the 64 CE fire in Rome) and The Histories 10. Constantine: (285-337 C. E. ) Roman emperor (r. 312-337). After reuniting the Roman Empire, he moved the capital to Constantinople and made Christianity a favored religion. 11. Qin: A people and state in the Wei Valley of eastern China that conquered rival states and created the first Chinese empire (221-206 B. C. E. ). The Qin ruler, Shi Huangdi, standardized many features of Chinese society and ruthlessly marshalled subjects for military and construction projects, engendering hostility that led to the fall of his dynasty shortly after his death. The Qin framework was largely taken over by the succeeding Han Empire. 12. Shi Huangdi: Founder of the short-lived Qin dynasty and creator of the Chinese Empire (r. 221-210 B. C. E. ). He is remembered for his ruthless conquests of rival states, standardization of practices, and forcible organization of labor for military and engineering tasks. His tomb, with its army of life-size terracotta soldiers, has been partially excavated. I. Romes Creation of a Mediterranean Empire, 753 B. C. E. -330 C. E. A. Geography and resources 1. Italy and Sicily are at a crossroads of the Mediterranean and serve as a link between Africa and Europe. Rome is at a crossroads of the Italian peninsula. 2. Italys natural resources included navigable rivers, forests, iron, a mild climate, and enough arable land to support a large population of farmers whose surplus product and labor could be exploited by the Roman state. B. A republic of farmers 1. Rome was inhabited at least as early as 1000 B . C. E. According to legend it was ruled by seven kings between 753 B. C. E. and 507 B. C. E. Kingship was eliminated in 507 B. C. E. when representatives of the senatorial class of large landholders overthrew the last king and established a republic. 2. The centers of political power were the two consuls and the Senate. In practice, the Senate made laws and governed. 3. The Roman family consisted of several generations living under the absolute authority of the oldest living male, the paterfamilias. 4. Society was hierarchical. Families and individuals were tied together by patron/client relationships that institutionalized inequality and gave both sides of the relationship reason to cooperate and to support the status quo. 5. Roman women had relatively more freedom than Greek women, but their legal status was still that of a child, subordinate to the paterfamilias or her own or her husbands family. Eventually procedures evolved which made it possible for some women to become independent after the death of their fathers. 6. Romans worshiped a large number of supernatural spirits as well as major gods such as Jupiter and Mars. Proper performance of ritual ensured that the gods continued to favor the Roman state. C. Expansion in Italy and the Mediterranean 1. Rome began to expand, at first slowly and then very rapidly in the third and second centuries B. C. E. until it became a huge Mediterranean empire. Possible explanations for this expansion include greed, aggressiveness, the need for consuls to prove themselves as military commanders during their one year in office, and a constant fear of being attacked. 2. During the first stage of expansion, Rome conquered the rest of Italy (by 290 B. C. E. ). Rome won the support of the people of Italy by granting them Roman citizenship. As citizens, these people then had to provide soldiers for the military. 3. In the next stages of expansion, Rome first defeated Carthage to gain control over the western Mediterranean and Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain (264-202 B. C. E. ). Next, between 200 and 30 B. C. E. Rome defeated the Hellenistic kingdoms to take over the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean. Between 59 and 51 B. C. E. , Gains Julius Caesar conquered the Celts of Gaul. 4. The Romans used local elite groups to administer and tax the various provinces of their rapidly expanding and far-flung empire. A Roman governor, who served a single one- year term in office, supervised the local administrators. This system was inadequate and prone to corruption. D. The failure of the republic 1. As Rome expanded, the social and economic bases of the Roman republic in Italy were undermined by change. While men from independent farming families were forced to devote their time to military service, large landowners bought up their land to create great estates called latifundia. This meant both a decline in Romes source of soldiers and a decline in food production, as latifundia owners preferred to grow cash crops like grapes rather than staple crops such as wheat. 2. Since slave labor was cheap in an expanding empire, Italian peasants, driven off the land and not employed by the latifundia, drifted into the cities where they formed a fractious unemployed underclass. 3. As the independent farming family that had been the traditional source of soldiers disappeared, Roman commanders built their armies from men from the underclass who tended to give their loyalty, not to the Roman state, but to their commander. This led to generals taking control of politics, to civil wars, and finally to the end of the republican system of government. 4. Julius Caesars grandnephew Octavian (also known as Augustus) took power in 31 B. C. E. , reorganized the Roman government, and ruled as a military dictator. After Augustus died, several members of his family succeeded him. However, the position of emperor was not necessarily hereditary: in the end, armies chose emperors. E. An urban empire 1. About 80 percent of the 50 to 60 million people of the Roman Empire were rural farmers, but the empire was administered through and for a network of cities and towns. In this sense, it was an urban empire. Rome had about a million residents, other large cities (Alexandria, Antioch, Carthage) several hundred thousand each, while many Roman towns had populations of several thousand. 2. In Rome, the upper classes lived in elegant, well-built, well-appointed houses; many aristocrats also owned country villas. The poor lived in dark, dank, fire-prone wooden tenements in squalid slums built in the low-lying parts of the city. 3. Provincial towns imitated Rome both in urban planning and in urban administration. The local elite, who served the interests of Rome, dominated town councils. The local elite also served their communities by using their wealth to construct amenities such as aqueducts) baths, theatres, gardens, temples, and other public works and entertainment projects. 4. Rural life in the Roman empire involved lots of hard work and very little entertainment. Rural people had little contact with representatives of the government. By the early centuries C. E. absentee landlords who lived in the cities owned most rural land, while the land was worked by tenant fanners supervised by hired foremen. 5. Manufacture and trade flourished under the pax romana. Grain had to be imported to feed the huge city of Rome. Rome and the Italian towns (and later, provincial centers) exported glass, metalwork, pottery, and other manufactures to the provinces. Romans also imported Chinese silk and Indian and Arabian spices. 6. One of the effects of the Roman Empire was Romanization. In the western part of the Empire, the Latin language, Roman clothing, and the Roman lifestyle were adopted by local people. As time passed, Roman emperors gradually extended Roman citizenship to all free male adult inhabitants of the empire. F. The rise of Christianity 1. Jesus lived in a society marked by resentment against Roman rule, which had inspired the belief that a Messiah would arise to liberate the Jews. When Jesus sought to reform Jewish religious practices, the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem turned him over to the Roman governor for execution. 2. After the execution, Jesus disciples continued to spread his teachings; they also spread their belief that Jesus had been resurrected. At this point, the target of their proselytizing was their fellow Jews. 3. The target of proselytizing changed from Jews to non-Jews in the 40s-70s C. E. First Paul of Tarsus, an Anatolian Jew, discovered that non-Jews (gentiles) were much more receptive to the teachings of Jesus than Jews were. Second, a Jewish revolt in Judaea (66 C. E. ) and the subsequent Roman reconquest destroyed the original Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem. 4. Christianity grew slowly for two centuries, developing a hierarchy of priests and bishops, hammering out a commonly accepted theological doctrine, and resisting the persecution of Roman officials. By the late third century, Christians were a sizeable minority in the Roman Empire. 5. The expansion of Christianity in the Roman empire came at a time when Romans were increasingly dissatisfied with their traditional religion. This dissatisfaction inspired Romans to become interested in a variety of mystery cults and universal creeds that had their origins in the eastern Mediterranean. G. Technology and transformation 1. The Romans were expert military and civil engineers. Among their accomplishments were: bridge-building, ballistic weapons, elevated and underground aqueducts, the use of arches and domes, and the invention of concrete. 2. Following Augustus death, the army was organized primarily for defense. The Rhine-Danube frontier was protected by a string efforts; long walls protected the frontiers of North Africa and Britain. On the eastern frontier, the Romans fought for centuries against the Parthians. Neither side made any significant gains. 3. The state system constructed by Augustus worked well until what historians call Romes third-century crisis. The symptoms of this crisis were frequent change of rulers; raids by German tribesmen from across the Rhine-Danube frontier; and the rise of regional power when Rome seemed unable to guarantee security. 4. Romes economy was undermined by the high cost of defense, debasement of the currency and consequent inflation, a disruption of trade, reversion to a barter economy, disappearance of the municipal aristocracy of the provincial cities, and a movement of population out of the cities and back into the rural areas. 5. The emperor Diocletian (r, 284-305) saved the Roman state by instituting a series of reforms that included price controls and regulations that required certain people to stay in their professions and to train a son to succeed them. Some side effects of these reforms include a flourishing black market and a growing feeling of resentment against the government. 6. Constantine (r. 306-37) converted to Christianity in 337 and patronized the Christian church, thus contributing to the rise of Christianity as the official religion of the empire. Constantine also transferred the capital of the empire from Rome to the eastern city of Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. II. The Origins of Imperial China, 221 B. C. E. -220 C. E. (We covered very little of this information) A. Resources and population 1. China is a large region marked by significant ecological, topographical, biological, and climatic diversity. 2. The two most important resources that supported the imperial Chinese state were agricultural production and labor. Agricultural production in China was intensive and was taxed by the government. The most productive agricultural region was the Yangzi Valley, which began to be linked to the centers of political power (Changan and Luoyang) by canals. 3. Both the Qin and the Han governments exploited the labor power of rural China by demanding that peasant families supply men for labor and for service in the military. A periodic census and regularly updated records of land and households enabled officials to collect the proper amount of taxes, labor service, and military service. 4. Throughout antiquity, the Han Chinese people expanded at the expense of other ethnic groups. Han expanded into areas that were suitable for settled agriculture. They did not expand into areas that were suitable only for nomadic economies. B. Hierarchy, obedience, and belief 1. The family was the basic unity of society. The family was conceived of as an unbroken chain of generations including the ancestors as well as the current generations. Ancestors were thought to take an active interest in the affairs of the current generation, and they were routinely consulted, appeased, and venerated. 2. The teachings of Confucius were a fundamental source of values for family, social, and political organization. Confucius regarded hierarchy as natural and placed absolute authority in the hands of the father. Family members were thought of as part of the group, not as individuals. Confucius also believed that people would properly fulfill their roles if they were correctly instructed and imitated good role models. 3. According to the ideals of the upper classes, women were to cook, take care of household chores, respect their parents-in-law, and obey their husbands. Lower-class women may have been less constrained. Marriages were arranged, and a new wife had to prove herself to her husband and to her mother-in-law through hard work, obedience, devotion, and by bearing sons. 4. Chinese believed in a number of nature spirits to whom they sacrificed. Unusual natural phenomena were regarded as ill omens. The landscape was thought to channel the flow of evil and good power, and experts in fengshui (geomancy) were employed to identify the most fortunate location and orientation for buildings and graves. C. The first Chinese empire 1. After the Warring States Period (480-221 B. C. E. ), the state of Qin united China. Factors that enabled Qin to accomplish reunification may include: the ability and ruthlessness of the Qin ruler, Shi Huangdi and his prime minister, Li Si; Qins location in the Wei valley with its predominantly rural population of independent farming households; and Qins experience in mobilizing manpower for irrigation and flood-control projects, which had strengthened the central government. 2. Upon uniting China, the Qin established a strong centralized state on the Legalist model. Shi Huangdi and Li Si suppressed Confucianism, eliminated rival centers of authority, abolished primogeniture and slavery, and constructed a rural economy of free land-owning/tax-paying farmers. They standardized weights and measures, knit the empire together with roads and defended it with a long wall. 3. The oppressive nature of the Qin regime and its exorbitant demands for taxes and labor led to a number of popular rebellions that overthrew the dynasty after the death of Shi Huangdi in210 B. C. E. D. The long reign of the Han (206 B. c. s. -220 C. E. ) 1. Liu Bang, a peasant who defeated all other contestants for control of China, established the Han dynasty. The Han established a political system that drew on both Confucian philosophy and Legalist techniques. 2. After a period of consolidation, the Han went through a period of territorial expansion under Emperor Wu (r. 140-87 B. C. E. ). During the Western Han period (202 B. c. E. -8 C. E. ) the capital was at Changan. During the Eastern Han (23-22 C. E. ) the capital was at Luoyang. 3. Changan was an easily defended walled city with easy access to good arable land. The population in 2 C. E. was 246,000. Other cities and towns imitated the urban planning of Changan. 4. The elite ofChangan lived in lived in elegant multistoried houses arranged on broad, well-planned boulevards. They dressed in fine silks, were connoisseurs of art and literature, and indulged in numerous entertainments. The common people lived in closely packed houses in largely unplanned, winding alleys. 5. The emperor was supreme in the state and in society. He was regarded as the Son of Heaven, the link between heaven and the human world. Emperors were the source of law. But anything that went seriously wrong could be interpreted to mean that the emperor was guilty of misrule and that he was losing the Mandate of Heaven. Emperors lived in seclusion, surrounded by a royal retinue that included wives, family, servants, courtiers, and officials. 6. The central government was run by two chief officials and included a number of functionally specialized ministers. Local officials collected taxes, drafted men for corvee labor and military service, and settled local disputes. Most people had no contact with the central government. 7. Local officials were supplied by a class of moderately wealthy, educated local landowners that historians refer to as the gentry. The gentry adopted Confucianism as their ideology and pursued careers in the civil service. E. Technology and trade 1. In the field of metallurgy, China advanced from bronze to iron by about 500 B. C. E. Rather than make wrought-iron goods (as the Romans did), Chinese ironworkers melted the iron and used molds to make harder and more durable cast-iron and steel tools and weapons. 2. Other technological innovations of the Han period include the crossbow, cavalry, the watermill, and the horse collar. New transportation and communications technology included a road system, courier systems for carrying government communications, and canals. 3. The Han period also saw significant growth in the size and number of urban areas. Somewhere from 10 to 30 percent of the population of Han China lived in towns. 4. Long-distance commerce was a significant part of the Han economy. The most important export was silk, and the most important export route was the Silk Road through Central Asia. The Chinese government sought to control this route by sending armies and colonists to Central Asia. F. Decline of the Han Empire 1. The Han Empires major security problem was the nomadic tribes on its northern border. Nomadic groups were usually small, but during the Han, the Chinese faced a confederacy of nomads called the Xiongnu. China attempted to deal with the Xiongnu threat by strengthening its defenses (particularly its cavalry) and by making more compliant nomads into tributaries. 2. The Han Empire was undermined by a number of factors. First, the expense of defending the northern borders was a tremendous financial burden. Second, nobles and merchants built up large landholdings at the expense of the small farmers. These large landholders were able to resist taxation and became independent of government control. Third, the system of military conscription broke down and the central government had to rely on mercenaries whose loyalty was questionable. 3. These factors compounded by factionalism at court, official corruption, peasant uprisings, and nomadic attacks led to the fall of the dynasty in 220 C. E. China entered a period of political fragmentation that lasted until the late sixth century. III. Imperial Parallels A. Similarities Between the Roman and Han Empires 1. The Han and Roman Empires were similar in respect to their family structure and values, their patterns of land tenure, taxation, and administration, and in their empire building and its consequences for the identity of the conquered areas. 2. Both empires faced common problems in terms of defense, and found their domestic economies undermined by their military expenditures. 3. Both empires were overrun by new peoples who were then deeply influenced by the imperial cultures of Rome and of China. B. Differences Between the Roman and Han Empires 1. In China, the imperial model was revived and the territory of the Han empire re-unified. The former Roman empire was never again reconstituted. 2. Historians have tried to explain this difference by pointing to differences between China and the Roman world in respect to the concept of the individual, the greater degree of social mobility in Rome than in Han China, and the different political ideologies and religions of the two empires. Conclusion A. The Qin and the Han were able to unify China and build an empire rapidly because the basis had already been set in the Zhou and Warring States Periods; Rome constructed its empire slowly and without precedents to draw upon. B. The Han and the Roman empires maintained and administered large territories and populations by virtue of their ability to organize large professional armies and professional bureaucracies. C. Both empires provided long periods of peace and prosperity, but they were undermined by the high cost of defense and by the heavy tax burden, which this put on their people. D. The Han dynasty constructed a political system that would be revived and modified by subsequent dynasties; the Roman empire was never restored.

Education History :: essays research papers fc

What factors in society ended sectarianism in schools, and made them secular? Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America as the Protestant Reformation. Most of the Europeans who came to America were Protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia settled in the middle colonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The Reformation was centered upon efforts to capture the minds of men, therefore great emphasis was placed on the written word. Obviously schools were needed to promote the growth of each denomination. Luther’s doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the Scriptures. While the schools that the colonists established in the 17th century in the New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, each reflected a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing, which was stimulated by whipping. The first "basic textbook", the New England Primer, was America’s own contribution to education(Pulliam, Van Patten 86). Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. The child learning the letter a, for example, also learned that "In Adam’s fall, We sinned all." As in Europe, then, schools in the colonies were strongly influenced by religion. This was particularly true of schools in the New England area, which had been settled by Puritans and other English religious dissenters. The school in colonial New England was not a pleasant place either, physically or psychologically. Great emphasis was placed on the shortness of life and the torments of hell. Like the Protestants of the Reformation, who established vernacular elementary schools in Germany in the 16th century, the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government-supported universal education in the colonies. In 1647, Puritan Massachusetts passed a law requiring that every child be taught to read. [It being the chief object of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the scriptures,†¦it is therefore ordered, that every township†¦after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders,†¦shall†¦appoint one within their town to teach all children as shall resort him to read and write. It is further ordered, that where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families†¦they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university. Education History :: essays research papers fc What factors in society ended sectarianism in schools, and made them secular? Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America as the Protestant Reformation. Most of the Europeans who came to America were Protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia settled in the middle colonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The Reformation was centered upon efforts to capture the minds of men, therefore great emphasis was placed on the written word. Obviously schools were needed to promote the growth of each denomination. Luther’s doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the Scriptures. While the schools that the colonists established in the 17th century in the New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, each reflected a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing, which was stimulated by whipping. The first "basic textbook", the New England Primer, was America’s own contribution to education(Pulliam, Van Patten 86). Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. The child learning the letter a, for example, also learned that "In Adam’s fall, We sinned all." As in Europe, then, schools in the colonies were strongly influenced by religion. This was particularly true of schools in the New England area, which had been settled by Puritans and other English religious dissenters. The school in colonial New England was not a pleasant place either, physically or psychologically. Great emphasis was placed on the shortness of life and the torments of hell. Like the Protestants of the Reformation, who established vernacular elementary schools in Germany in the 16th century, the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government-supported universal education in the colonies. In 1647, Puritan Massachusetts passed a law requiring that every child be taught to read. [It being the chief object of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the scriptures,†¦it is therefore ordered, that every township†¦after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders,†¦shall†¦appoint one within their town to teach all children as shall resort him to read and write. It is further ordered, that where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families†¦they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university.

Choosing the Right Cell Phone Essay

Consumer Reports assert â€Å"cell phones are evolving to allow faster texting, Web surfing, GPS navigation, and social networking while keeping up with their day job—voice calling† (Consumer Reports, n.d.). When walking out the door this morning the average person picked up three things; a wallet or purse, their car keys, and their cell phone. The cell phone, though often taken for granted has become a form of life support to many. Before just rushing out to purchase the latest and greatest here is what consumers should know before purchasing their next cell phone. Take the time to prepare and review before going out to purchase a phone. Many often take the word of a salesman they do not even know to decide what is best for them or let a commercial convince them of what device and service they should choose. Picking the wrong cell phone and plan can cost a large amount of money. Everyone has probably made a purchase, and then gotten their next bill to find they were totally surprised. To begin the search for the perfect cell phone one should start with what type of phone he or she is looking for. Would a non-flip (candy bar style phone) or a traditional flip phone (clam shell) better suite their needs? Flip phones had been the choice for most throughout the years but candy bar phones are making a come back with touch screens such as Droids and iPhones. If the phone will be spending a lot of time in ones purse or pocket, one may want to consider a flip phone to avoid unnecessarily scratching the screen and random dialing. If one is looking for a PDA and fully functional QWERTY keypad then a candy bar phone would be the best choice. One should also decide if he or she prefers a touch screen, a standard keyboard, or a QWERTY keyboard when making the decision on they style of phone that is best for them. After deciding the style of phone next one should consider what technology they need in a phone. Do they need text, Internet, e-mail, GPS navigation, walkie-talkie, apps, international service, or just voice calling? There are so many options and possibilities that can make one feel overwhelmed during this process. This can be avoided by doing the proper research ahead of time. The fast pace of today makes email on the go a necessity for most. If needing e-mail one should not pick a phone that is not Internet ready, and may want to consider a full QWERTY keyboard for faster composing of e-mails. Another feature available is walkie-talkie if this is something that was of interest; he or she would want to make sure that is a feature the phone offers. The majority of phones can call out internationally, but if one needs to use the phone abroad he or she would want to check to make sure the phone is world compatible. If voice calling is all one needs it does not make much sense to buy a phone with all the extra bells and whistles. If apps are needed, one might choose an Android or an iPhone because these phones offer the largest selection of apps available. In figure 1.A, based on the latest and greatest technology out today, here is a list of the top three mobile phones. All three of these phones have full access to the Android Market, and are the same in price with a qualified upgrade or new customer pricing. Now that one has decided on the style of phone and what features are needed he or she will make one of the most important decisions in this process. Before deciding on a specific phone one must choose a network. In the past it was easier to choose a network/provider because only one company generally covered a certain area. Providers now have nation-wide networks, and the major companies Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon cover almost all areas; making this decision a challenging one. When choosing the right service one should take advantage of the 30-day trial offers that most providers offer to new customers. With taking advantage of the trial one can use the phone in areas he or she would normally be in to make sure service is sufficient. This gives them the ability to make sure it will work in their home, office and see if there are any dead spots in their area. This will allow them to determine if this service provider will be beneficial for their needs before being held to a two and with some providers a three-year commitment. The 30-day trial also pertains to equipment, so if one is not happy with the phone he or she can take it back and try a different model. Say if they thought they could access Facebook, then during the trial realized the phone they have did not support web; it could be exchanged. Perhaps if camera was a big factor on deciding their phone, but when they take pictures they come out fuzzy and not clear; the 30-day trial gives them the freedom to change their mind. Once all these decisions have been made one must then choose his or her calling plan. When choosing a phone plan there are many factors to consider. How many minutes are very important. Chicago Tribune states â€Å"to figure how much talk time you will need, count the minutes you spend on your current phone in a typical month, then add 25 percent to 50 percent as a buffer to avoid hefty overage fees† (Choosing the right cell, 2007). Cell phone providers offer additional services for a set monthly cost. Without the correct information and consideration of what he or she may be using the phone for one could pay a per use fee for additional features he or she failed to have added. If text messaging is something that maybe used, it is far more cost effective to pay $15 per month; rather than $.20 per single text. With data there is also a pay per use charge of $.03 per kilobyte or a monthly data package ranging from $15 to $30. A data package is something that will be needed if one wants to use email, social networking, picture services, apps, and GPS navigation from the phone. Figure 2.A is a chart of some of the main things people are doing on their mobile phones. If the consumer plans to be using any of these features he or she would want to make sure they have the correct plan and features to avoid high bills.

Little Red Riding Hood Essay

The story of Little Red Riding Hood has been around for years. Throughout the years this story has been told many different ways. The story began as a folk tale that European mothers and nurses told to young children. The fable soon came to the attention of Charles Perrault (1628-1703). He was a French attorney who turned into a poet, writer, and anthologist. He published one version of the story in a 1697 collection of fairy tales, which is a book that became a French juvenile classic. The story was soon revised by the Grimm brothers which is the version known today. The moral of Little Red Riding Hood is to show that children should obey their mothers when they tell them about walking through dangerous areas and to beware of seemingly friendly strangers. Little Red Riding Hood starts with the setting of a small cottage in the middle of a thick forest which is the home of a humble girl name Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her mother said, â€Å"Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don’t ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm. Her mother plainly told her to follow the path to her grandmother’s house and never to stop; that way she can be safe. She disobeyed her mother by not staying on the path which will cause her to eventually meet the wolf, who is popular for playing the villain in most fables. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth†¦ In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree a strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood’s heart thump. † When she felt that someone was spying on her or when she heard strange noises, she should turn back or kept going on the path. The author made her get off the path several times by causing distractions such as butterflies which is a good because is shows no matter how great temptation is one should follow a mother’s orders. When she gained the knowledge that she disobeyed her mother, she said, â€Å"I must find the path and run away from here! † She gets back on the path and runs into the seemingly nice wolf. The wolf seems nice because of the pleasant conversation he had started with her. He asked, â€Å"Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods? † â€Å"I’m taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path,† said Little Riding Hood. Not only did Little Red Riding Hood talk to a complete stranger, but she told him where she is going. That leads towards her grandmother getting eaten by the wolf. When the grandmother is eaten it gives off a shocking surprise to the audience to point where they cannot wait to hear the rest. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, a famous dialogue follows: â€Å"What great arms you have, grandma! The better to embrace you, my child. ‘What great legs you have! The better to run with, my child. What great ears! The better to hear with. What great eyes! The better to see with. What great teeth! The better to eat you with. † At this particular point in the story is where the story gets extremely interesting and grabs the audience’s full attention. The wolf eats Little Red Riding Hood and falls asleep. In Perrault version this was the end of the story. He was severely criticized for choosing a gruesome ending, but the Grimm Brothers added their ending to the story. A hunter came along and killed the wolf. Then the hunter sliced open the wolf’s stomach and freed the grandmother along with her granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood. The Grimm Brother’s ending made the story have more justice, but was just as gruesome, if not more. In the end Little Red Riding Hood did disobey her mother, but she later learned her lesson even though it was in a unfortunate manner. The story is short and simple, but most importantly it teaches children about listening and talking to strangers. It can be told to any age group but read by elementary kids and up. The authors were very creative and imaginative. The fairy tale of Little Red Riding will continue to be told for generations to come.

The Central Tension In `Volpone Involves A Conflict Between Moral And Immoral Behaviour Essays

The Central Tension In `Volpone Involves A Conflict Between Moral And Immoral Behaviour Essays The Central Tension In `Volpone Involves A Conflict Between Moral And Immoral Behaviour Paper The Central Tension In `Volpone Involves A Conflict Between Moral And Immoral Behaviour Paper Essay Topic: Play The play `Volpone; written by Ben Jonson in 1606 centres itself around a conflict between moral purpose. The play itself contains so many un-likable characters that it is difficult at first to see how everyone can receive their just desserts as befitting of Jacobean drama. Does this play however have a final moral direction? At the end of the play; all concerned are judged by one means or another. However the punishments arguably do not fit the crimes and so therefore can we say that the play has a moral purpose? The play itself begins with Volpone seemingly unable to simply enjoy his wealth and prosperity. He and his servant Mosca have a plan already formed to increase Volpones wealth by pretending that he is dying in order to draw forth various prospective heirs. Who in their avaricious aspirations will bring Volpone gifts. `Now, now my clients / Begin their visitation! Vulture, kite, / Raven, and gor crow, all my birds of prey. (Volpone, Act I, Sc 2, ln 87-89, Norton 7th Edition.) Immediately we have a scene which should be quite settled, yet it is not. Each of the `harpies {Volpone, Act I Sc 2 ln 122) refers to one of Volpones potential heirs. They are like birds of prey waiting to swoop on the corpse. (Peck And Coyle, Practical Criticism, pp 185.) Throughout the first Act we are introduced to all four scavengers. Voltore, the vulture; Corbaccio, the raven; Corvino, the crow and Lady Politic Would-Be, the kite. It takes us until Act II to meet anyone who possesses any morality whatsoever. This we have in the form of the unfortunate Celia. She is wife to the jealous Corvino who compares himself to `the Pantalone di Bisognosi (Volpone Act II sc 3 ln 7.) This was a man `in perpetual fear of being cuckolded (Norton 7th Edition footnote pp1332.) However `Did eer man haste so for his horns? (Volpone, Act III Sc 7 Ln 4 Norton 7th Edition) In his greed Corvino attempts to force his own wife to have intercourse with Volpone in order that he will then become his heir. This goes beyond simple immorality. It shows the mental state of the main characters and their ideology that everything (including those they are supposed to love) is there for them to possess. Jonson shows us the way in which avarice has begun to consume the lives of the main characters thus `emphasizing that the plays stance on greed is a didactic one, intended to teach the audience what greeds real consequences are. (sparknotes.com/drama/volpone/themes.html) However, let us consider the fourth act trial. This is where morality meets immorality in court over Volpones attempted rape of Celia; (only prevented by Corbaccios son Bonario who is disinherited by his father.) The trial `starts with justice and concludes with a perversion of it. (The Double Plot In Volpone, Barish, Modern Philology.) Here immorality triumphs; albeit not for very long as we see in the final act; yet the message conveyed to the audience is that it is possible for these characters evade punishment for their despicable actions. Why is it then that Jonson has another trial sequence in Act V in which to finally punish the immoral and reward the virtuous? What moral purpose does it serve to see Celia and Bonario punished while the `animalia (sparknotes.com/drama/volpone/themes.html) of fox, fly, vulture, raven, crow and kite are free to continue with their own avaricious purposes? We must remember that it is not the greed of Corbaccio, Corvino and Voltore that bring about their own downfall; it is that of Mosca and the stupidity of Volpone that construct this. It is Moscas greed and lust for power that leads to the downfall of all as he becomes Volpones heir and when pronouncing Volpone dead, becomes the lord and master. It is in his greed that he will not relinquish his power. To a certain extent; has he not earned this power? Mosca `the parasite (Volpone Act V Sc 12 Ln 107 Norton 7th Edition); has been the most cunning of all and played on the sinful nature of the wealthy to feed his own designs for prosperity. He is willing however, to share with Volpone; it is this transaction that forces Mosca to attempt to seize control of all Volpones wealth as oppose to the half which he desires. In order to answer the question does the play Volpone have a moral purpose ; we need to consider the conclusion. All punishment is distributed at the very end of the play. Mosca is deemed to be `the chiefest minister, if not plotter, / In all these lewd impostures; and now, lastly, / Have with your impudence abused the court, / And habit of a gentleman of Venice, / Being of no birth or blood: / For which our sentence is, first, thou be whipped; / Then live perpetual prisoner in our galleys. (Volpone Act V Sc 12 Ln 108 114 Norton 7th Edition.) His greatest crime appears to be that he has impersonated a gentleman when he is not one. `Moscas sentence is most severe because of his class (Norton 7th Edition footnote no.6 pp1392) Volpone is not punished in the same way as he is a gentleman. However he is led away to the prisons of Venice until he is `sick and lame indeed (Volpone At V Sc12 Ln 124.) However if we take a look at the footnotes in the Norton Anthology we are told that `the dungeons of Venice were reputed to be the most horrible in Europe, neither Mosca or Volpone is long for this world. (Norton 7th Edition footnote no. 8 pp 1392.) Our two main characters have virtually been sentenced to death for their crimes. Consider their fates against those of Corbaccio and Corvino. Corbaccio attempts to disinherit his son in his greed for Volpones wealth, destroys his family, nearly has his son sent to prison with Celia. Corbaccios punishment is to surrender his wealth to his son and live in a monastery. Corvino, who agreed to the very near rape of his own wife, is sent to the pillory and his wife is returned to her father. A reasonably light punishment for the most immoral man of them all. On the surface the play does have a moral purpose in the sense that all immoral characters are punished and the moral characters are rewarded. As we are told at the end of the play `Mischiefs feed / Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed. (Volpone Act V Sc 12 Ln 150 151 Norton 7th Edition.) Is it not true that apart from his attempted rape of Celia, he has really only acted on the greed of others; immorality that was already present. Yet Volpone is virtually sentenced to death whilst Corvino the man who would have allowed his wife to be raped by this man simply has to spend a little time in the pillory. Celia herself who has been through the biggest trial of all receives her freedom as her compensation. Her dowry money is trebled when she is returned to her father yet she would not be the one to use it. Bonario by comparison receives the entirety of his fathers wealth. This is of course, a mere reflection on social ideology of the period. Women would have been second rate citizens without question. However it does illustrate that although the moral purpose in Volpone is apparent in the traditional way that the play ends ie the moral prosper, the immoral do not; it is done to a questionable extent. The punishments given out undermine true morality, certainly biblical morality a sin is a sin in any guise and the conventional morality we have now. There may have been a moral purpose to the play; yet there is no moral relevance to today.

Religious Freedom Research Paper Example

Religious Freedom Research Paper Example Religious Freedom Paper Religious Freedom Paper Essay Topic: Religion Most people living in the United States assume that their first amendment rights, more specifically freedom of religion, are inherent; and they are. Religion has a long history; the first recorded religion was in Mesopotamia around 5000 BCE (Britannica). With more and more countries becoming modernized and recognizing peoples individual rights, however, how many still deny freedom of religion? Is separating church and state an indispensable element in protecting a citizens freedom of religion, or could some laws attaining to religion be beneficial in protecting religious freedom? This essays function is to answer the above questions and give a further understanding to religious freedom around the world. One of the main reasons why pilgrims decided to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to a new world in 1620 was to escape the religious persecution in England (Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick). A lot may argue that this is why religious freedom (and for the most part today, tolerance) is so evident in our country. On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, look at Saudi Arabia. The country formed, in part, due to a holy war, has a monarchial government, and adopted the Islamic holy text, The Koran, as its constitution (BBC). It also prohibits any religion except for a conservative version of Sunni Islam (US Department of State). It wouldnt be accurate, however, to assume that every countrys current-day religious tolerance depends on its foundation. Take Cuba for example: the country was founded by the Spanish, who formed it into a Catholic nation. When Fidel Castro took over power, he made Cuba a totally atheistic nation (NCRonline). The point Im making here is that although some countries with religious tolerance are founded on such beliefs, some are not and gravitate towards a different belief than what was originally intended. The ancient Persians, more specifically Cyrus the Great, founded the first religious freedom law in the 6th century BC. However, you have to understand that freedom of religion, religious tolerance, and freedom of worship are all different and have all varied to some degree in the past. Most countries today allow the freedom of religion, and extremely tolerant countries like the United States or Canada allow the freedom to assemble and worship. On the other hand, you have countries like Sudan. Sudan allows limited tolerance of other religions, but has declared Islam as its national religion and requires all laws be inspired by it. Even to a more extreme, you have China, more specifically the Peoples Republic of China, which allows very limited freedom of religion and expressively disallows the gathering in groups to worship (however, one must understand that because Chinas two main religions, Confucianism and Daoism, dont have gods, its difficult for Westerners to understand this religious intolerance) (US Department of State). Like I stated before, and as many Americans know, the first amendment to the Constitution declares separation of church and state; it expressively declares that no law shall infringe upon or discriminate against any religion. One must ask himself, then, why is every piece of currency in the US engraved with the phrase In God We Trust, or why does the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States include the phrase Under God? These two cases, although controversial, bring up an interesting point. Because this essay is an evaluation essay as apposed to a persuasive work, I will not discuss or imply my positions on these phrases; rather, we must realize that the basis for these phrases foster a more interesting idea: is total separation of church and state in the best interest of the common citizen? In a 100% atheistic government, there would be no law favoring a religion, but at the same time, there would be none protecting the establishment or worship of another (a law protecting this would actually be reversed discrimination, therefore discrimination in itself). In the United States, its illegal to discriminate against an individual because of their religious preferences. Every government has some form of religious law, whether it is favoring a certain religion (like Islam in Saudi Arabia), attempting to separate itself from religion while protecting an individuals rights (like Canada), or acclaiming itself as atheistic (Cuba under Castro). While there has always been religious intolerance in the world, the most recent extreme form is modern day terrorism. For this paper, lets examine the most recent and notable terrorist attacks: 9/11. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Islamic suicide terrorists boarded four commercial jet airlines, flew two of them into the World Trade Centers, one into the Pentagon in Washington, and attempted to fly one in the direction of Washington D. C. Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the deadly attacks, declared a holy war against the United States. In summary, the radical Sunni Islamic sect Al-Qaeda opposes the United States position on separation of church and state and declares that You are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind: You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms Absolute Authority to the Lord and your Creator, (The Guardian) as stated in Bin Ladens Letter to America. There will always be religious differences in this world, and it cannot be expected that all countries will be as tolerant as the United States is when it comes to a plethora of religions. Is it the United States job to help spread a belief of religious tolerance in this world? How should we go about doing it if so? If not, do we only take a defensive stance toward another terrorist attack like 9/11? Our only option is to sit back and see how the War Against Terror plays out and how other extremist groups respond. Im just glad I live in a country where I get to believe what I want, think what I want, wear what I want, and be myself. In conclusion, there are many different religions in this world, and every country takes its own approach in tolerance. In the United States, we have laws pertaining to the separation of church and state along with laws restricting discrimination due to religion. Terrorism is more prominent than ever, and 9/11 enacted a War Against Terror that still rages on today. Maybe one day, the world will see eye-to-eye on religious tolerance, but until then, lets be glad that we live in a country where we get to worship whatever we want.

Commonly Confused Homophones Fir and Fur

Commonly Confused Homophones Fir and Fur The words fir and fur  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. The noun fir refers to an evergreen tree with needle-shaped leaves. The noun fur refers to the soft, hairy coat of an animal or to a garment made of fur. Examples In an area where spruce and fir mingle with quaking aspen, in a cool shady well-watered place, I discover a blue columbine, rarest and loveliest of mountain flowers. (Edward Abbey)The longing for the silences of the Cascades, the smell of fir boughs at night, the touch of the chinook as it blew over the ridges -   these longings were almost irresistible in the oppressiveness of my New York City rooming house. (William O. Douglas)The main target of the fur trade initially was the beaver, whose soft fur was hammered and compressed to make felt hats for the European gentry. (Miron Heinselman)In winter, to keep out the pervasive Low Countries chill, men and women alike donned elegant fur-lined dressing gowns that were worn over all the other clothing at home and at the place of work. (Mike Dash) Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of _____ trees and wild honeysuckle.(b) Beavers need a thick _____ coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter. Answers to Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of  fir  trees and wild honeysuckle. (b) Beavers need a thick  fur  coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter.

Globalism - Good and Bad Characteristics Research Paper

Globalism - Good and Bad Characteristics - Research Paper Example Globalism is considered to be against, the American ideology and that they resent the policy and instead propagate consideration of the individual countries as separate entities. In some extreme references, the term globalism can be referred to as one world or world citizen or global citizen. With regard to this, my paper seeks to understand and report the socio-economic impacts of the globalism in the world and how it catalyzes coherency in culture. Third world countries have been alienated from the mainstream economic and social development in the international arena. Without the consideration of the global as a unit, the developing world has an uphill task to march and be commensurate to the ever dynamic and changing world. This is with regard to the policies that exist within the nations necessitating bilateral trade and other policies including extradition policies (Steger, 195). Globalism advocates for the equal consideration of nations and this is expected to spur rapid econom ic and avoidance of exploitation of the countries in the all important bilateral trade that takes place between countries. The extent of globalism has been manifested several instances, for example, the incorporation and engagement of the E-commerce in the international trade allows for the swift dissemination and transfer of information (Ambrose, Stephen, and Douglas, 99). In the same breadth, it is possible to at a glance have a comparative analysis of the goods prices and other services such that there is a standardized market rate for the products in the entire world. The Positive effects of Globalism Globalism also views the world as a single unit and that the individual countries are interdependent in developing the different specific economies of the individual countries. The fact that countries engage in a free economic zone that is deliberately established comes with different arrays of advantages and goodies. The different countries have a greater pool with which they can draw the new and contemporary technologies. Technology is in a state of improvement day by day, without the transfer of this knowledge in the most opportune time possible the extent o knowledge dissemination faces reasonable hurdles and this greatly impairs rapid development (Winant, 244). The problem of knowledge and technological dissemination is resolved forthwith through globalism. Globalism has also enabled the different countries to have diverse and a wide spectrum of goods and services. The a availability of the various products in the several markets around the world not only solve the problem of acute scarcity but also helps in stabilizing the prices worldwide and in the most cost effective prices (Powell, 202). The need for globalism has also resolved the problem of communication, communication has been made easier than before and the whole world can be looked as being flat and that people can access information and move closer to one another than ever before (Steger, 234) . Communication is one of the most important tools in the contemporary society and no one can imagine of that the world can be a single unit. In this sense, we realize the role of the globalism in trying to harmonize and bring about consistency in the worlds way of perception. The Negative Effect of Globalism Globalism in as much as it brings the a plethora of positive values to the whole world and defines the world as a common unit that can be considered one, it also come

Letter to Law Client Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter to Law Client - Personal Statement Example Incorporating does have other benefits as well, including many tax benefits. For instance, some sole proprietors are required to pay the federal tax rate and a self-employment tax, meaning you are being taxed twice; corporations are never allowed to do this. In response to your questions regarding Bubba, there are a few causes for concern here, but a few issues that may still keep you in the clear. First, Bubba is not a regular employee; as you stated, he came down to help out with some extra work. Second, you did not tell Bubba to do this; you gave him different directions. If Bubba is willing to admit to this, then you may safe and the responsibility may fall on him. However, the medical bills are truly an issue-if one person injures another person it is generally required that the person that caused the injury pay for the medical bills of the other. Next, these individuals were clearly blocking the entrance to your place of business, which is very close to trespassing. It sounds like they were still on public property, however, and the actions of Bubba are still an issue-had he asked them and they refused, calling the police would have been a better alternative. Still, the situation does not mean you necessarily have to go bankrupt or lose everything, or even lose the business itself. If these individuals have health insurance, they may only be asking for their deductibles to be paid. Therefore, this may amount to only a few thousand dollars. Also, it depends on the extent of their injuries. If any type of surgery is involved, this will certainly be expensive. However, if it is just a few bruises and broken bones we are concerned about, the issue should not cost as much. If Bubba is not willing to take the blame on his own, because he was there on your accord, the liability very well could fall onto the restaurant, and again, some kind of payment will probably be expected. There are a few things that you can do in this issue in order to prepare yourself. First, I would suggest incorporating as quickly as possible to protect all of your personal assets. This way, only the business, and not everything else, is at risk in this case. Second, I suggest talking to Bubba and seeing how far he is willing to go to assist you with the situation. Third, it may be wise to talk to the people or their attorney, and find out what kinds of medical issues and bills are being considered. It may be easier and less costly to simply settle with the people and pay for their deductibles rather than going to court and possibly spending much more money. Also, if this is done, it is very unlikely that these individuals will have any reason to take the business away. Therefore, my suggestion is to reach out to start the incorporation process, and then to reach out to these individuals to see what can be done to resolve this issue. Taking these steps will probably save you from losing your business, or losing anything else at the expense of Bubba. Thank you and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need

Strategic Business Planning portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Business Planning portfolio - Essay Example The assignment comes in two portfolios labeled portfolio A and portfolio B by the writer. Whereas the portfolio A generally touches on the strengths and limitations of the plan and the degree to which it meets the needs of its target audience, the portfolio B critically evaluate the financial content of the plan, in particular: evaluate the extent to which the financial content meets the needs of potential investors. The writer find the assignment extremely important because as much as it serves as guiding tool for the organizations involved, it could also sharpen the writer’s skills and knowledge in building and assessing business plans for future needs. The company under scrutiny is Vusion Inc. Summary of Vusion Inc’s Business Plan Writing a business plan is an integral part of the administration of businesses, corporate bodies, organizations and companies (Bawuah, 2004). To a larger extent, getting the rubrics right is like an examination paper to a student. Though n ot an academic document, in order that writers of business plans achieve the desired aim for generally writing a business plan, there are certain criteria that need to be met. When summed, a workable business plan should have the capacity to tell a potential investor every good thing about a company and why the company is viable for investment. According to the Centre for Business Planning (2011), â€Å"Vusion is developing a chemical analyzer and Sensor Cartridge, based upon the Electronic Tongue TM technology, which can instantly analyze complex chemical solutions†. The central intention of the organization to pursue its current business plan sterns from the fact that the organization has realized that â€Å"many liquid processing industries do not have the technology available for real-time measurement of product quality† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011), To this end, the organization wishes to take advantage of the situation by introducing an analyzer and Senso r Cartridge that â€Å"will enable economical, real-time analysis of many complex chemical solutions, instantly identifying the presence and quantity of multiple chemicals within a mixture† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011). The core marketing and distribution strategy held by the organization is to merge with existing companies who are in related trade and who have already established themselves as giants â€Å"process control original equipment manufacturers (OEM) that supply instrumentation to fine chemical manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnological companies.† The company’s initial capital for its venture is $1,500,000, which is hoped to $8m in the following year and $12m in the third year. With all these investment, â€Å"Vusion projects $57 million in revenue with $11 million in net income by Year 6† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011). Portfolio A This portfolio is limited to evaluating all aspects of the business plan except the financial aspect. The organization in question for this portfolio is Vusion Inc. To achieve a well organized and coherent evaluation, the writer is conducting the evaluation under specific themes, created out of Blechman’

Challenges of International Apparel Brands in Penetrating China Essay

Challenges of International Apparel Brands in Penetrating China - Essay Example This paper further emphasises on the study of Chinese culture and its impact on the consumers’ preferences. China as a growing economy is seen as the prospect for the foreign brands to explore the country. China is said to be the land of opportunity and to analyse its true nature the paper has focused on the implication of Chinese culture and what international brands requires to be a part of the Chinese business market. Why china is an important market? How can china help international brands to extend their market share? These questions have also been the point of discussion in the paper. It can also be seen that China though offers opportunity, but for any foreign brand to expand into China would require a research on the Chinese consumers behaviour. Consumer research based on the behavioural pattern can make the international brands understand the market in a better way to implement the right strategy. A thorough research based on the analysis of data collection and other methods can play a significant role in understanding the true nature of consumer behaviour in context to the Chinese culture (Hoyer & Macinnis, 2009, p. 40). Methodology Research methodology can be defined as the process of analysing, collecting and devising the required information. Methodology is an important procedure for any company wanting to market its product in a new territory (Burns & Bush, 2007, p. 6-7). Market research methodology involves the explanation of the problem and the process to find the desired solution. The cause of problem and the research methodology plan are directly proportional to each other. The research methodology has also helped in determining the objective of paper which is to analyse the Chinese market and the consumer... The paper operates mainly based on research questions which can be stated as follows: Why China is an important market? How can China help international brands to extend their market share? It can also be seen that China though offers opportunity, but for any foreign brand to expand into China would require a research on the Chinese consumers behaviour. Consumer research based on the behavioural pattern can make the international brands understand the market in a better way to implement the right strategy. A thorough research based on the analysis of data collection and other methods can play a significant role in understanding the true nature of consumer behaviour in context to the Chinese culture. Chinese economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Since, the advent of economic liberalisation in the early 1980’s the country has seen unprecedented growth. This feature of the country has made it the hotspot for the foreign brands willing to expand their busin ess and extend their market share. Chinese culture in comparison to other cultures is different and this makes the road to success multifaceted for the global brands. Chinese consumers have strong liking for foreign brands as they hardly distinguish them as different brands but rather treat each brand as an international brand and use it to maintain their status symbol. The Chinese consumers’ behaviour has always been a subject of discussion. The case is the same in context to the international clothing brands expanding in China.

TEXT AND TRADITION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TEXT AND TRADITION - Essay Example Instantly, Socrates objects Euthypro’s assertion by pointing to existence of various Gods implying that there are diverse methods of pleasing them, which brings a logical incongruity since one action can be presented as indecorous and pious instantaneously; â€Å"But I will amend the definition so far as to say that what all the gods hate is impious, and what they love pious or holy; and what some of them love and others hate is both or neither†. Euthyphro further modifies this explanation by indicating that something is pious only if it causes solidly affirmative response in all existing Gods and improper if it causes a negative response in all the Gods. In reply, Socrates articulates the "Euthyphro`s dilemma": an act that is pious in nature is dear to Gods, and the act is pious because it is dear to Gods. From the discussion, the duo concluded that the quality of a phenomenon or subject is primary to someone’s attitude or assessment of the object. It is accurate that piety is an ambition to justice, but it is not precise. Additionally, it is accurate that piety is an indulgence to Gods but it is also not meticulous. Finally, piety as forfeiting and praying is also correct but its exactness cannot be ascertained. The aforementioned definitions of pity are accurate but not outrightly since the philosopher defines only some aspects of an idea rather than the whole idea. Consequently, the prominence is placed on an imperfect unity as the principle of generating parts. The accord is shaped with the help of these parts mishmash. Hence, when piety is rationally comprehended, it becomes ostensible that the perception is too comprehensive, and all the descriptions are correct but not adequate for the elucidation such a multifaceted concept. One of the typical tragedies of primeval times that influenced the progress of the genre is â€Å"Oedipus Tyrannus." The chief subject of inexorability of destiny is probed and viewed by Sophocles from diverse viewpoints. The hero,

Challenges of International Apparel Brands in Penetrating China Essay

Challenges of International Apparel Brands in Penetrating China - Essay Example This paper further emphasises on the study of Chinese culture and its impact on the consumers’ preferences. China as a growing economy is seen as the prospect for the foreign brands to explore the country. China is said to be the land of opportunity and to analyse its true nature the paper has focused on the implication of Chinese culture and what international brands requires to be a part of the Chinese business market. Why china is an important market? How can china help international brands to extend their market share? These questions have also been the point of discussion in the paper. It can also be seen that China though offers opportunity, but for any foreign brand to expand into China would require a research on the Chinese consumers behaviour. Consumer research based on the behavioural pattern can make the international brands understand the market in a better way to implement the right strategy. A thorough research based on the analysis of data collection and other methods can play a significant role in understanding the true nature of consumer behaviour in context to the Chinese culture (Hoyer & Macinnis, 2009, p. 40). Methodology Research methodology can be defined as the process of analysing, collecting and devising the required information. Methodology is an important procedure for any company wanting to market its product in a new territory (Burns & Bush, 2007, p. 6-7). Market research methodology involves the explanation of the problem and the process to find the desired solution. The cause of problem and the research methodology plan are directly proportional to each other. The research methodology has also helped in determining the objective of paper which is to analyse the Chinese market and the consumer... The paper operates mainly based on research questions which can be stated as follows: Why China is an important market? How can China help international brands to extend their market share? It can also be seen that China though offers opportunity, but for any foreign brand to expand into China would require a research on the Chinese consumers behaviour. Consumer research based on the behavioural pattern can make the international brands understand the market in a better way to implement the right strategy. A thorough research based on the analysis of data collection and other methods can play a significant role in understanding the true nature of consumer behaviour in context to the Chinese culture. Chinese economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Since, the advent of economic liberalisation in the early 1980’s the country has seen unprecedented growth. This feature of the country has made it the hotspot for the foreign brands willing to expand their busin ess and extend their market share. Chinese culture in comparison to other cultures is different and this makes the road to success multifaceted for the global brands. Chinese consumers have strong liking for foreign brands as they hardly distinguish them as different brands but rather treat each brand as an international brand and use it to maintain their status symbol. The Chinese consumers’ behaviour has always been a subject of discussion. The case is the same in context to the international clothing brands expanding in China.

Whats wrong with school teacher play student, learns to lie and cheat Essay

Whats wrong with school teacher play student, learns to lie and cheat - Essay Example Glanz realized that the students found the classes boring, lied and manipulated their teachers, and they did not work hard to get good grades. She realized that the students did not learn much in the classrooms as they were demotivated and turned off by the fact that they had little responsibility and power over their education. They expected the teachers to do everything for them and assumed that their role was to sit down and listen. They thought that the teachers were bores and their role was to distribute the information required for the students to pass tests. Glanz was saddened by the fact that teachers did not realize the communication gap that existed between them and their students. She learned that political corruption had made some students believe that there was no need to put in effort as it had little value. Students had a low opinion over honesty and this attitude encouraged many of them to cheat in their exams and feel no remorse about their actions. As Glanz returned to her former school, she decided to demand more from the students by making sure that they were responsible for their education. She did not accept their excuses easily and ensured that they put in effort in every aspect of their education (Banas 658). Students find many classes boring, put in little effort to pass their exams, use excuses to refrain from doing homework and other tasks, and manipulate teachers to complete their tasks. I think that this has been the trend for many students but there are an exceptional few who work hard to get good grades. In my opinion, many classes are boring and the teachers are sometimes bores. This is because the students do not play an active role in class. They are expected to sit in class quietly as the teachers give instruction. Therefore, the students feel detached from the learning process. I agree with Glanz as she concludes that students are demotivated because they have little responsibilities and

Editing Within Digital Filmmaking Essay Example for Free

Editing Within Digital Filmmaking Essay Lori Landay elucidates that in the present age of digital transformations, communications and storytelling, the saying of McLuhan that the medium is the message can be further said that the media is the mix. Digital forms of narrative are not only characterized by their mixed, hybrid forms and content, but by their recombinations. It is used to draw the spectator into the mix in many different ways. It is through the mixing of the different degrees of non-linearity and interactivity that digital narratives are able to form different kinds of digital spectatorship. She looks at three films and states that in different yet interconnected ways, these ways can tend to divert the spectator from the traditional ways of finding meaning to one’s narrative. Different modes are able to elicit different ways of storytelling and fresh ways of looking, thereby, editing scenes in the process. Source 2: Tsai, Tabitha and Czarnecki, Kelly . Digital filmmaking for the 21st century. Library Journal, 2/1/2008. Machinima Goes Mainstream. Article Retrieved June 9, 2008 http://journal. media-culture. org. au/0104/trans. php Machinima is a filmmaking genre that is used in order to shape video for the 21st century. It is a new term that is coined from the words machine and cinema and is a genre of filmmaking that was originally conceived by gamers in the 1990s. During the past years, machinima has gone more mainstream and creativity has been maximized to the limits. Machinima is filmmaking that is done within a real-time, 3-D kind of environment. Basically, machinima uses real-world filmmaking techniques within an interactive virtual environment where characters and events are controlled by humans, scripts, or artificial intelligence. The video games are the ones that provide the settings, props, costumes, and characters which are needed to be able to tell an original story. Filmmakers are able to capture actual footage as MTV Central and video games like Sims 2 have in-game recording options which help the filmmakers to capture footage. For this to be accessed, there is a need for a screen capture software program in order to import game environments where there are no built-in machinima tools. Remixing audio and video content is also among the newer gadgets available among budding machinimists. Source 3: Theodosakis, Nikos. How Digital Filmmaking Develops Higher-Order Thinking Skills. Article Retrieved June 9, 2008 at: http://www. vste. org/publications/journal/attach/vj_1602/vj_1602_08. pdf This article posits that in the classroom, the process of filmmaking entails that students must be able to imagine what they will need in order to come up with a movie. They need to develop a strategy that involves managerial skills such as planning, production and editing where they will start gathering a logical series of events. The author logical lays out what is entailed in the planning stage emphasizing that feature films are rarely shot in a sequential order in order to save time, money and effort. As part of editing, the scenes are grouped according to location or actors or even according to equipment availability. Analytical skills must also be present to a large measure so that during the editing process, one can see multiple takes of the same shots and multiple shots of the same scene and then decide which information best illustrates the message being set forth (Theodosakis). The author wants to point out that the goal of filmmaking in the classroom must be executed so that students will be able to experience these skills in preparation for the future use in their own worlds beyond the classroom.

Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM)

Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Organizations worldwide are continuously trying to develop new and innovative ways to enhance their competitiveness. Bacallan (2000) suggests that some of these organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers, and to mitigate the environmental impact of their production and service activities. Green supply chain management as a form of environmental improvement is an operational initiative that many organizations are adopting to address such environmental issues. Currently, the green concept is a critical issue for companies, but when the majority of businesses are cost focused, the idea of implementing and moving toward green practices is often seen as a costly strategy. Bowen et al. (2001) state that organizations will adopt green supply chain management practices if they identify that this will result in specific financial and operational benefits. According to Routroy (2009), Greening the manufacturing supply chain may result in one or more benefits, in terms of cost reduction, operational efficiency improvement, flexibility improvement, sales enhancement, customer value enhancement, and societal image improvement. Green supply chain management is also to enhance firms environmental performance through inter-organizational collaboration with business partners and increase efficiency by cost saving programs and proactive risk management practices (Hervani et al., 2005; Rao and Holt, 2005; Zhu and Sarkis, 2007). We will review the literature about Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) concept and then we will see how it is translated within the supply chains. Then, the common purpose of this research will be to identify the link between GSCM and overall firm performance. We decided, based on the literature and on a specific framework (Rao Holt, 2005) applied in Asia, to tackle the concept of green supply chain management in Western Europe by including environmental initiatives in: (1) Inbound logistics; (2) Production or the internal supply chain; (3) Outbound logistics, including reverse logistics. Nowadays, how organisations are implementing GSCM and what are the impacts on their business? At the end of this research we will identify the best practices, and the way they are they measured. Moreover, we will see in what extent an effective Green Supply Chain Management could be a driver for innovation and business performance in manufacturing firms? Finally, we will see if Green Supply Chain Management lead to profitability and competitiveness. Our study will consider manufacturing companies in Western Europe. II Literature review Definition Green supply chain management Several studies have considered the concept of ecological sustainability as a framework for studying management practices in both operational and strategic contexts (Sarkis and Rasheed, 1995; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; King and Lenox, 2001). As part of this effort, other studies have examined the greening of supply chains within various contexts including in product design (Allenby, 1993; Gupta, 1995), process design (Porter and Van der Linde, 1995a; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996), manufacturing practices (Winsemius and Guntram, 1992), purchasing (Handfield et al., 2002) and a broad mixture of these elements (Bowen et al., 2001a). It is not surprising that GSCM finds its definition in supply chain management. Adding the green component to supply chain management involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management to the natural environment. Motivated by an environmentally-conscious mindset, it can also stem from a competitiveness motive within organizations. In this paper GSCM is defined as: Green Supply Chain Management GSCM = Green Purchasing + Green Manufacturing/Materials Management + Green Distribution=Marketing + Reverse Logistics Figure 1 shows this GSCM equation graphically, where reverse logistics closes the loop of a typical forward supply chain and includes reuse, remanufacturing, and/or recycling of materials into new materials or other products with value in the marketplace. The idea is to eliminate or minimize waste (energy, emissions, chemical/hazardous, solid wastes). This figure is representative of a single organizations internal supply chain, its major operational elements and the linkage to external organizations. A number of environmentally conscious practices are evident throughout the supply chain ranging from green design (marketing and engineering), green procurement practices (e.g. certifying suppliers, purchasing environmentally sound materials/products), total quality environmental management (internal performance measurement, pollution prevention), environmentally friendly packaging and transportation, to the various product end-of-life practices defined by the Res of reduction, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling. Expanding this figure, a number of organizational relationships could be found at various stages of thismodel, including customers and their chains, as well as suppliers and their chains, forming webs of relationships. Figure 1. GSCM graph The development of industrial ecosystems would be greatly supported by GSCM practices. Korhonen and Niutanen (2003) in their study of material and energy flows in the local forest industry in Finland suggested these flows were comparable to other economic and industrial systems. In the last two decades, the product-based systems perspective and the geographically defined local-regional industrial ecosystem have Porter (1991) argues the pressure to innovate from an environmental perspective comes from regulatory pressure, as firms respond in creative and dynamic ways to environmental regulation by introducing innovations improving environmental outcomes. Other studies concluded environmental innovation is the result of market pressures causing firms to become more efficient. Porter and Van der Linde (1995a, b) concluded firms respond to competitive conditions and regulatory pressure by developing strategies to maximize resource productivity, enabling them to simultaneously improve their industrial and environmental performance. Furthering this issue, Greffen and Rothenberg (2000) suggest suppliers can be an important source of enhanced competency for radical environmental innovation, which, in relation to an integrated technological system, demands capabilities beyond those likely to exist within a single company. The added competency brought by the supply chain partners is important. Other external pressures do exist and include environmental compliance, liability, issues of business continuity, the call for benchmarking to national, international, or industry standards, customer attitudes toward product take-back, and even pressures from inter-organizational information technology/data management systems. The innovation of GSCM/Performance Measurement is necessary for a number of reasons in response to external pressures. For example, business performance measurement, for purposes of external reporting, is fundamentally driven by the creation, maximization and defence of economic rents or surplus. These surpluses or rents in business come from distinctive capabilities such as brands and reputation, strategic assets, innovations, and the distinctive structure of relationships firms enjoy both internally with their employees and/or externally with their customers and suppliers. External reporting is also necessary to maintain organizational legitimacy with respect to environmental issues (Harvey and Schaefer, 2001). Sustainability. One of the major definitions of sustainability and certainly most well known is that of the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.8): development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This short definition includes the interest of understanding the environmental impact of economic activity in both developing and industrialized economies (Erlich and Erlich, 1991); ensuring worldwide food safety (Lal et al., 2002); ensuring that vital human needs are met (Savitz and Weber, 2006); and assuring the protection of non-renewable resources (Whiteman and Cooper, 2000). Unfortunately, the societal aspect of sustainability is complicated for firms to apply and provides little explanation regarding how organizations might recognize future versus present needs, determine the technologies and resources necessary to meet those needs, and understand how to balance organizational responsibilities to numerous stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, society and the natural environment (Hart, 1995; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainability has been also investigated in the fields of management, operations, and engineering. Within the management literature, most of the current conceptualizations of organizational sustainability have focused on ecological sustainability (the natural environment), with little recognition of social and economic responsibilities (Jennings and Zandbergen, 1995; Shrivastava, 1995a; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainable refers to the triple bottom line, for economic, social and environmental. An approach to competitive advantage. A particular organization has competitive advantage when it achieves a higher return on investment than its competitors, or it is able to do so (Grant, 1996). Therefore, in order to have competitive advantage organizations must have the ability to obtain higher profit margins than other companies in the industry. Organizations with competitive advantage, however, might show not the highest profit rate. For example, competitive organizations might prefer, for one or another reason, to sell their products and services at a lower price than the maximum price it could mark. Two major types of competitive advantage can be enjoyed by organizations (Porter, 1985): cost advantage, which is the result of supplying similar products and/or services to low prices; and differentiation advantage, which comes from offering differentiated products and/or services to customers, who, in turn, are ready to pay an additional price which overcomes the additional differentiation costs. While the cost advantage position implies to have the lowest costs in the industry, differentiation advantage refers to offering something unique which is valued by customers. Competitive advantage can derive from one or more factors or sources. Firstly, literature on strategic management suggests the following major sources of cost advantage (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996): scale economies, learning economies, production capacity management, product design, cost of inputs, process technology, and management efficiency. Secondly, sources of differentiation advantage include tangible and intangible aspects which are significantly valued by potential customers as to be ready to pay an additional price for them (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996); tangible aspects refer to observable characteristics of the products and services, their performance, and complementary products and services; intangible aspects, in turn, include social, emotional, psychological and aesthetic considerations which are present in any choice of products and services. Recently, a major theoretical framework has been developed in strategic management literature which seems to be particularly appropriate for identifying the characteristics that a particular resource or capability must show in order to be a major source of competitive advantage. This theoretical framework is the resource based view of the firm theory. Performance Corporate performance measurement and its field application continues to grow. The diversity and level of performance measures are linked to the goal of the company or the individual strategic business units features. For instance, when measuring performance, organizations have to think about existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a competitive and strategic level. Other measures are more operationally focused, but may inevitably be linked to strategic level measures and issues. This is the case of customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover). GSCM implementation Where to begin? Viable environmental sustainability programs require meaningful action across a broad range of processes. Some of the most impactful areas include: Production planning: The most valuable members of a supply chain are able to provide accurate forecasts and deliver reliably so as to help reduce over purchasing, over-production and waste Manufacturing: The adoption of techniques such as lean process improvement should result in less over processing as well as reduced energy intensive storage and waste Distribution: Network redesign. Smart routing, backhauling, fill optimization and mode switching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  all are likely to result in fewer freight miles Green design: The electronics and related high-tech industries practice collaboration as a means of optimizing the green aspects of their components and end-products; proactive and/or influential members of a supply chain can promote/pursue similar collaboration/ innovation Packaging: The greenest firms seek to minimize the environmental impact of packaging, not only by using less, but also by evaluating the energy, waste, recovery and other life cycle impacts of their packaging choices Recycled content: Companies score green points by maximizing their use. of these materials as well as by using materials in products that are in turn easily recyclable Warehousing: Challenge existing assumptions in light of higher energy costs and the need to reduce carbon footprints Green energy: More green points are available by using green or renewable energy sources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  although this can be difficult in regulated energy markets (and a factor in future location decisions) IT: Videoconferencing and remote servicing can reduce business travel; Energy Star rated PCs along with optimized power consumption settings can significantly pare energy costs Server farms: Energy efficient servers arrayed according to state-of-the-art cooling practices can generate enormous energy savings Ridesharing/telecommuting: A growing number of companies are working with municipalities to better optimize public transportation to their facilities. More companies are also enabling more workdays at home as well as providing incentives for carpooling Estates: Investments in building air tightness, insulation and energy efficient heating, cooling, lighting, plant and equipment can significantly reduce carbon footprints Green procurement: It is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by paying more attention to your own procurement. Supplier carbon footprint, ISO certifications, procurement distance have to be part of the selection criterias. Conceptual framework Greening the inbound function It is argued that greening the supply chain has numerous benefits to an organization, ranging from cost reduction, to integrating suppliers in a participative decision-making process that promotes environmental innovation (Bowen et al., 2001; Hall, 1993; Rao, 2002). Critical parts of the inbound function are the purchasing and supply field. Green purchasing strategies are adopted by organizations in response to the increasing global concerns of environmental sustainability. The Green purchasing should be able address reduction of waste produced, material substitution through environmental sourcing of raw materials, and waste minimization of hazardous materials. (Rao Holt, 2005) The involvement and support of suppliers is crucial to achieving such goals. (Vachon and Klassen, 2006). Furthermore, organizations are managing more and more their suppliers environmental performance to ensure that the materials and equipments supplied by them are environmentally-friendly in nature and are produced using environmentally-friendly processes. Min and Galle (1997) explore green purchasing to determine the key factors affecting a buying firms choice of suppliers, the key barriers and the obstacles to green purchasing initiatives. They also investigated the impact of green purchasing on a corporations environmental goals. Below listed subjects to get information on the green inbound phase of a supply chain: (1) Guiding suppliers to set up their own environmental programs; (2) bringing together suppliers in the same industry to share their know-how and problems; (3) informing suppliers about the benefits of cleaner production and technologies; (4) urging/pressuring suppliers to take environmental actions; and (5) choice of suppliers by environmental criteria. Greening the production phase or the internal supply chain In this phase, there are a number of concepts that can be explored, such as cleaner production, design for environment, remanufacturing and lean production. Hong, He-Boong, Jungbae Roh, (2009) highlight through their research that strategic green management needs the combination of integrated product development (IPD) and supply chain coordination (SCC) for desired business outcomes. Thanks to a survey on 580 manufacturing plants in the US, adopting cleaner production techniques, Florida and Davison (2001) showed that green corporations are innovative in their environmental practices, and these strategies emerge from a real commitment towards reducing waste and pollution. Lean production/manufacturing is also an important consideration in reducing the environmental impact of the production phase. In their research King and Lenox (2001), concludes that lean production is complementary to improvements in environmental performance and it often lowers the marginal cost of pollution reduction thus enhancing competitiveness. In addition, Rothenberg et al. (2001) identify that lean plants aim to minimize waste and buffers, leading not only to reduce buffers in environmental technology and management, but also in an overall approach to manufacturing that minimizes waste products. (1) Environment-friendly raw materials; (2) substitution of environmentally questionable materials; (3) taking environmental criteria into consideration; (4) environmental design considerations; (5) optimization of process to reduce solid waste and emissions; (6) use of cleaner technology processes to make savings in energy, water, and waste; (7) internal recycling of materials within the production phase; and (8) incorporating environmental total quality management principles such as worker empowerment. Greening the outbound function On the outbound side of the green supply chain, green logistics comprises all links from the manufacturer to the end users and includes products, processes, packaging, transport, and disposal (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Rao, (2003) and Sarkis, (1999) argue on the fact that green marketing, environment-friendly packaging, and environment-friendly distribution, are all initiatives that might improve the environmental performance of an organization and its supply chain. Reverse logistics and waste exchange and ore generally management of wastes in the outbound function can lead to cost savings and enhanced competitiveness (Rao, 2003). In order to address these environmental impacts of packaging, many countries now have programs and legislation that aims to minimize the amount of packaging that enters the waste stream, such as the Packaging Directive in the EU. The distribution, for the whole supply chain is a huge stake for green management. In fact the distribution results of a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness firm strategy. For this reason is difficult to handle As part of outbound logistics, green marketing has an important part to play in the link between environmental innovation and competitive advantage (Menon and Menon, 1997). Encouraging suppliers to take back packaging is a form of reverse logistics that can be an important consideration in greening the outbound function, with a study by Dorn (1996) identifying an increase in market share amongst companies that implemented an environmentally-friendly packaging scheme. The product design step is more and more integrated within green supply chain issues because 80% of the environmental burden and cost of a product is fixed during this phase (Carbone, Moatti, 2008). Strategic variables to take in account for an empirical study; (1) Environment-friendly waste management; (2) environmental improvement of packaging; (3) taking back packaging; (4) eco-labeling; (5) recovery of companys end-of-life products; (6) providing consumers with information on environmental friendly products and/or production methods; and (7) use of environmentally-friendly transportation. Competitiveness Economic performance Bacallan (2000) suggests that organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). However, an interesting point to notice is that, as long as the market does not seek environmental value-drivers in the products and services it purchases, environmental issues are not necessarily considered by organizations and consumers. (Rao Holt, 2005) Fortunately, over the last few years there has been a growth in environmental awareness of consumers in general. Clearly a growing number of corporations are developing company-wide environmental programs and green products sourced from markets around the world. Therefore, environmental issues are becoming a source of competitiveness. All these efforts aim to improve environmental performance, enhance corporate image, reduce costs, reduce risks of non-compliance and improve marketing advantage. Nevertheless, some organizations are still looking upon green initiatives as involving trade-offs between environmental performance and economic performance. The financial performance of firms is affected by environmental performance in a variety of ways. When waste, both hazardous and non-hazardous, is minimized as part of environmental management, it results in better utilization of natural resources, improved efficiency, higher productivity and reduces operating costs (Rao Holt, 2005). Nowadays and in the future, a good green player could expect to increase its brand image and its market share and then improve its profitability against company without enough green concern while saving costs by innovative processes. To investigate the link between green supply chain management and economic performance we could refers to those key aspects: (1) New market opportunities; (2) product price increase; (3) profit margin;(4) sales; and (5) market share. And competitiveness: (1) Improved efficiency; (2) quality improvement; (3) productivity improvement; and (4) cost savings. Methodology To validate our research, an empirical, survey-based research approach will be taken. Based on the empirical studies through the literature, and a meaningful framework used in the relevant research of Rao Holt in 2005 applied on Asian companies. We choose to follow a common technique to validate the framework presented in the preceding section, a linear SEM (Stochastic Expectation Maximization) approach is used (JÃÆ' ¶reskog and SÃÆ' ¶rbom, 1993) to validate the causal relationships between the different latent constructs of: greening the inbound function; greening production; greening the outbound function; competitiveness and; economic performance. The questionnaire will be distributed to the supply chain managers and/or environmental management representative (EMR) or the chief executive of manufacturing organizations in Western Europe. In order to have both MNCs and SMEs ( Responses will be collected on a four-point and five-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. The four-point scale served to force the respondents to check either on the negative side or on the positive side. The choice not to focus only on the leading edge ISO14001 accredited organizations (running environmental management) allow us to broader our research and then make a comparison between those without formal environmental management accreditation, and best players accredited. In terms of financial performance, this strategy will be interesting for identifying benefits and again do comparisons. Expected results. As this type of research was already done in South-Est Asia, our results will allow us to compare our findings and trend with those in South-Est Asia. We expect a response of 10%, therefore we will send to a consequent sample to get sufficient and tangible return. We will probably be able to confirm that greening the supply chain also has potential to lead to competitiveness and economic performance. As the current environmental concern in Europe is high, including governmental and customers pressures these research findings would probably show that firms that are greening their supply chains not only achieve substantial cost savings, but also enhance either sales, market share or exploit new market opportunities. The cost aspect will be important to assess as it is directly connected to the overall performance. The main limitation of this research will be probably the small sample of organizations, but the lack of empirical research in Europe will be also one of the main strengths of this paper. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to all organizations in this region or around the world. Finally, future research should empirically test the relationships suggested in this paper in different countries, to enable comparative studies. For further research, a larger sample will allow detailed cross-sectoral comparisons and establish international patterns regarding benefits from GSCM. Performance Measurement for Green Supply chain management: Context In supply chains with multiple actors, (vendors manufacturers, distributors and retailers) whether regionally or globally dispersed, it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain, by the way performance measurement is really challenging. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement. The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, differences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational performance measurement. (Hervani, A. Helms, M. Sarkis, J., 2005) Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption of GSCM/PM. The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the development of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements. Supply chain management Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end-user or customer. It is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the various channels and finally delivery to the customer. A companys supply chain structure consists of external suppliers, internal functions of the company, and external distributors, as well as customers (commercial or end-user). Firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously. The management and coordination is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones. The successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment. Performance management and measurement Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business units characteristics. For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Overall, these difficulties in developing standards for performance measurement are traced to the various measurement taxonomies. Example taxonomic considerations include: management level to measure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" strategic, tactical, or operational; tangible versus intangible measures; variations in collection and reporting; an organizations location along the supply chain or functional differentiation within organizations (e.g. accounting, versus marketing or operations). Similar to the performance measurement used, the performance measurement system may be unique to each individual organization, or unit within an organization, reflecting its fundamental purpose and its environment. Several studies have investigated the universal principles of performance measurement (Adams et al., 1995; Gunasekaran et al., 2001; Sink and Tuttle, 1990). These studies arrived at a number of conclus Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Organizations worldwide are continuously trying to develop new and innovative ways to enhance their competitiveness. Bacallan (2000) suggests that some of these organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers, and to mitigate the environmental impact of their production and service activities. Green supply chain management as a form of environmental improvement is an operational initiative that many organizations are adopting to address such environmental issues. Currently, the green concept is a critical issue for companies, but when the majority of businesses are cost focused, the idea of implementing and moving toward green practices is often seen as a costly strategy. Bowen et al. (2001) state that organizations will adopt green supply chain management practices if they identify that this will result in specific financial and operational benefits. According to Routroy (2009), Greening the manufacturing supply chain may result in one or more benefits, in terms of cost reduction, operational efficiency improvement, flexibility improvement, sales enhancement, customer value enhancement, and societal image improvement. Green supply chain management is also to enhance firms environmental performance through inter-organizational collaboration with business partners and increase efficiency by cost saving programs and proactive risk management practices (Hervani et al., 2005; Rao and Holt, 2005; Zhu and Sarkis, 2007). We will review the literature about Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) concept and then we will see how it is translated within the supply chains. Then, the common purpose of this research will be to identify the link between GSCM and overall firm performance. We decided, based on the literature and on a specific framework (Rao Holt, 2005) applied in Asia, to tackle the concept of green supply chain management in Western Europe by including environmental initiatives in: (1) Inbound logistics; (2) Production or the internal supply chain; (3) Outbound logistics, including reverse logistics. Nowadays, how organisations are implementing GSCM and what are the impacts on their business? At the end of this research we will identify the best practices, and the way they are they measured. Moreover, we will see in what extent an effective Green Supply Chain Management could be a driver for innovation and business performance in manufacturing firms? Finally, we will see if Green Supply Chain Management lead to profitability and competitiveness. Our study will consider manufacturing companies in Western Europe. II Literature review Definition Green supply chain management Several studies have considered the concept of ecological sustainability as a framework for studying management practices in both operational and strategic contexts (Sarkis and Rasheed, 1995; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; King and Lenox, 2001). As part of this effort, other studies have examined the greening of supply chains within various contexts including in product design (Allenby, 1993; Gupta, 1995), process design (Porter and Van der Linde, 1995a; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996), manufacturing practices (Winsemius and Guntram, 1992), purchasing (Handfield et al., 2002) and a broad mixture of these elements (Bowen et al., 2001a). It is not surprising that GSCM finds its definition in supply chain management. Adding the green component to supply chain management involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management to the natural environment. Motivated by an environmentally-conscious mindset, it can also stem from a competitiveness motive within organizations. In this paper GSCM is defined as: Green Supply Chain Management GSCM = Green Purchasing + Green Manufacturing/Materials Management + Green Distribution=Marketing + Reverse Logistics Figure 1 shows this GSCM equation graphically, where reverse logistics closes the loop of a typical forward supply chain and includes reuse, remanufacturing, and/or recycling of materials into new materials or other products with value in the marketplace. The idea is to eliminate or minimize waste (energy, emissions, chemical/hazardous, solid wastes). This figure is representative of a single organizations internal supply chain, its major operational elements and the linkage to external organizations. A number of environmentally conscious practices are evident throughout the supply chain ranging from green design (marketing and engineering), green procurement practices (e.g. certifying suppliers, purchasing environmentally sound materials/products), total quality environmental management (internal performance measurement, pollution prevention), environmentally friendly packaging and transportation, to the various product end-of-life practices defined by the Res of reduction, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling. Expanding this figure, a number of organizational relationships could be found at various stages of thismodel, including customers and their chains, as well as suppliers and their chains, forming webs of relationships. Figure 1. GSCM graph The development of industrial ecosystems would be greatly supported by GSCM practices. Korhonen and Niutanen (2003) in their study of material and energy flows in the local forest industry in Finland suggested these flows were comparable to other economic and industrial systems. In the last two decades, the product-based systems perspective and the geographically defined local-regional industrial ecosystem have Porter (1991) argues the pressure to innovate from an environmental perspective comes from regulatory pressure, as firms respond in creative and dynamic ways to environmental regulation by introducing innovations improving environmental outcomes. Other studies concluded environmental innovation is the result of market pressures causing firms to become more efficient. Porter and Van der Linde (1995a, b) concluded firms respond to competitive conditions and regulatory pressure by developing strategies to maximize resource productivity, enabling them to simultaneously improve their industrial and environmental performance. Furthering this issue, Greffen and Rothenberg (2000) suggest suppliers can be an important source of enhanced competency for radical environmental innovation, which, in relation to an integrated technological system, demands capabilities beyond those likely to exist within a single company. The added competency brought by the supply chain partners is important. Other external pressures do exist and include environmental compliance, liability, issues of business continuity, the call for benchmarking to national, international, or industry standards, customer attitudes toward product take-back, and even pressures from inter-organizational information technology/data management systems. The innovation of GSCM/Performance Measurement is necessary for a number of reasons in response to external pressures. For example, business performance measurement, for purposes of external reporting, is fundamentally driven by the creation, maximization and defence of economic rents or surplus. These surpluses or rents in business come from distinctive capabilities such as brands and reputation, strategic assets, innovations, and the distinctive structure of relationships firms enjoy both internally with their employees and/or externally with their customers and suppliers. External reporting is also necessary to maintain organizational legitimacy with respect to environmental issues (Harvey and Schaefer, 2001). Sustainability. One of the major definitions of sustainability and certainly most well known is that of the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.8): development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This short definition includes the interest of understanding the environmental impact of economic activity in both developing and industrialized economies (Erlich and Erlich, 1991); ensuring worldwide food safety (Lal et al., 2002); ensuring that vital human needs are met (Savitz and Weber, 2006); and assuring the protection of non-renewable resources (Whiteman and Cooper, 2000). Unfortunately, the societal aspect of sustainability is complicated for firms to apply and provides little explanation regarding how organizations might recognize future versus present needs, determine the technologies and resources necessary to meet those needs, and understand how to balance organizational responsibilities to numerous stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, society and the natural environment (Hart, 1995; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainability has been also investigated in the fields of management, operations, and engineering. Within the management literature, most of the current conceptualizations of organizational sustainability have focused on ecological sustainability (the natural environment), with little recognition of social and economic responsibilities (Jennings and Zandbergen, 1995; Shrivastava, 1995a; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainable refers to the triple bottom line, for economic, social and environmental. An approach to competitive advantage. A particular organization has competitive advantage when it achieves a higher return on investment than its competitors, or it is able to do so (Grant, 1996). Therefore, in order to have competitive advantage organizations must have the ability to obtain higher profit margins than other companies in the industry. Organizations with competitive advantage, however, might show not the highest profit rate. For example, competitive organizations might prefer, for one or another reason, to sell their products and services at a lower price than the maximum price it could mark. Two major types of competitive advantage can be enjoyed by organizations (Porter, 1985): cost advantage, which is the result of supplying similar products and/or services to low prices; and differentiation advantage, which comes from offering differentiated products and/or services to customers, who, in turn, are ready to pay an additional price which overcomes the additional differentiation costs. While the cost advantage position implies to have the lowest costs in the industry, differentiation advantage refers to offering something unique which is valued by customers. Competitive advantage can derive from one or more factors or sources. Firstly, literature on strategic management suggests the following major sources of cost advantage (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996): scale economies, learning economies, production capacity management, product design, cost of inputs, process technology, and management efficiency. Secondly, sources of differentiation advantage include tangible and intangible aspects which are significantly valued by potential customers as to be ready to pay an additional price for them (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996); tangible aspects refer to observable characteristics of the products and services, their performance, and complementary products and services; intangible aspects, in turn, include social, emotional, psychological and aesthetic considerations which are present in any choice of products and services. Recently, a major theoretical framework has been developed in strategic management literature which seems to be particularly appropriate for identifying the characteristics that a particular resource or capability must show in order to be a major source of competitive advantage. This theoretical framework is the resource based view of the firm theory. Performance Corporate performance measurement and its field application continues to grow. The diversity and level of performance measures are linked to the goal of the company or the individual strategic business units features. For instance, when measuring performance, organizations have to think about existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a competitive and strategic level. Other measures are more operationally focused, but may inevitably be linked to strategic level measures and issues. This is the case of customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover). GSCM implementation Where to begin? Viable environmental sustainability programs require meaningful action across a broad range of processes. Some of the most impactful areas include: Production planning: The most valuable members of a supply chain are able to provide accurate forecasts and deliver reliably so as to help reduce over purchasing, over-production and waste Manufacturing: The adoption of techniques such as lean process improvement should result in less over processing as well as reduced energy intensive storage and waste Distribution: Network redesign. Smart routing, backhauling, fill optimization and mode switching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  all are likely to result in fewer freight miles Green design: The electronics and related high-tech industries practice collaboration as a means of optimizing the green aspects of their components and end-products; proactive and/or influential members of a supply chain can promote/pursue similar collaboration/ innovation Packaging: The greenest firms seek to minimize the environmental impact of packaging, not only by using less, but also by evaluating the energy, waste, recovery and other life cycle impacts of their packaging choices Recycled content: Companies score green points by maximizing their use. of these materials as well as by using materials in products that are in turn easily recyclable Warehousing: Challenge existing assumptions in light of higher energy costs and the need to reduce carbon footprints Green energy: More green points are available by using green or renewable energy sources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  although this can be difficult in regulated energy markets (and a factor in future location decisions) IT: Videoconferencing and remote servicing can reduce business travel; Energy Star rated PCs along with optimized power consumption settings can significantly pare energy costs Server farms: Energy efficient servers arrayed according to state-of-the-art cooling practices can generate enormous energy savings Ridesharing/telecommuting: A growing number of companies are working with municipalities to better optimize public transportation to their facilities. More companies are also enabling more workdays at home as well as providing incentives for carpooling Estates: Investments in building air tightness, insulation and energy efficient heating, cooling, lighting, plant and equipment can significantly reduce carbon footprints Green procurement: It is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by paying more attention to your own procurement. Supplier carbon footprint, ISO certifications, procurement distance have to be part of the selection criterias. Conceptual framework Greening the inbound function It is argued that greening the supply chain has numerous benefits to an organization, ranging from cost reduction, to integrating suppliers in a participative decision-making process that promotes environmental innovation (Bowen et al., 2001; Hall, 1993; Rao, 2002). Critical parts of the inbound function are the purchasing and supply field. Green purchasing strategies are adopted by organizations in response to the increasing global concerns of environmental sustainability. The Green purchasing should be able address reduction of waste produced, material substitution through environmental sourcing of raw materials, and waste minimization of hazardous materials. (Rao Holt, 2005) The involvement and support of suppliers is crucial to achieving such goals. (Vachon and Klassen, 2006). Furthermore, organizations are managing more and more their suppliers environmental performance to ensure that the materials and equipments supplied by them are environmentally-friendly in nature and are produced using environmentally-friendly processes. Min and Galle (1997) explore green purchasing to determine the key factors affecting a buying firms choice of suppliers, the key barriers and the obstacles to green purchasing initiatives. They also investigated the impact of green purchasing on a corporations environmental goals. Below listed subjects to get information on the green inbound phase of a supply chain: (1) Guiding suppliers to set up their own environmental programs; (2) bringing together suppliers in the same industry to share their know-how and problems; (3) informing suppliers about the benefits of cleaner production and technologies; (4) urging/pressuring suppliers to take environmental actions; and (5) choice of suppliers by environmental criteria. Greening the production phase or the internal supply chain In this phase, there are a number of concepts that can be explored, such as cleaner production, design for environment, remanufacturing and lean production. Hong, He-Boong, Jungbae Roh, (2009) highlight through their research that strategic green management needs the combination of integrated product development (IPD) and supply chain coordination (SCC) for desired business outcomes. Thanks to a survey on 580 manufacturing plants in the US, adopting cleaner production techniques, Florida and Davison (2001) showed that green corporations are innovative in their environmental practices, and these strategies emerge from a real commitment towards reducing waste and pollution. Lean production/manufacturing is also an important consideration in reducing the environmental impact of the production phase. In their research King and Lenox (2001), concludes that lean production is complementary to improvements in environmental performance and it often lowers the marginal cost of pollution reduction thus enhancing competitiveness. In addition, Rothenberg et al. (2001) identify that lean plants aim to minimize waste and buffers, leading not only to reduce buffers in environmental technology and management, but also in an overall approach to manufacturing that minimizes waste products. (1) Environment-friendly raw materials; (2) substitution of environmentally questionable materials; (3) taking environmental criteria into consideration; (4) environmental design considerations; (5) optimization of process to reduce solid waste and emissions; (6) use of cleaner technology processes to make savings in energy, water, and waste; (7) internal recycling of materials within the production phase; and (8) incorporating environmental total quality management principles such as worker empowerment. Greening the outbound function On the outbound side of the green supply chain, green logistics comprises all links from the manufacturer to the end users and includes products, processes, packaging, transport, and disposal (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Rao, (2003) and Sarkis, (1999) argue on the fact that green marketing, environment-friendly packaging, and environment-friendly distribution, are all initiatives that might improve the environmental performance of an organization and its supply chain. Reverse logistics and waste exchange and ore generally management of wastes in the outbound function can lead to cost savings and enhanced competitiveness (Rao, 2003). In order to address these environmental impacts of packaging, many countries now have programs and legislation that aims to minimize the amount of packaging that enters the waste stream, such as the Packaging Directive in the EU. The distribution, for the whole supply chain is a huge stake for green management. In fact the distribution results of a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness firm strategy. For this reason is difficult to handle As part of outbound logistics, green marketing has an important part to play in the link between environmental innovation and competitive advantage (Menon and Menon, 1997). Encouraging suppliers to take back packaging is a form of reverse logistics that can be an important consideration in greening the outbound function, with a study by Dorn (1996) identifying an increase in market share amongst companies that implemented an environmentally-friendly packaging scheme. The product design step is more and more integrated within green supply chain issues because 80% of the environmental burden and cost of a product is fixed during this phase (Carbone, Moatti, 2008). Strategic variables to take in account for an empirical study; (1) Environment-friendly waste management; (2) environmental improvement of packaging; (3) taking back packaging; (4) eco-labeling; (5) recovery of companys end-of-life products; (6) providing consumers with information on environmental friendly products and/or production methods; and (7) use of environmentally-friendly transportation. Competitiveness Economic performance Bacallan (2000) suggests that organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). However, an interesting point to notice is that, as long as the market does not seek environmental value-drivers in the products and services it purchases, environmental issues are not necessarily considered by organizations and consumers. (Rao Holt, 2005) Fortunately, over the last few years there has been a growth in environmental awareness of consumers in general. Clearly a growing number of corporations are developing company-wide environmental programs and green products sourced from markets around the world. Therefore, environmental issues are becoming a source of competitiveness. All these efforts aim to improve environmental performance, enhance corporate image, reduce costs, reduce risks of non-compliance and improve marketing advantage. Nevertheless, some organizations are still looking upon green initiatives as involving trade-offs between environmental performance and economic performance. The financial performance of firms is affected by environmental performance in a variety of ways. When waste, both hazardous and non-hazardous, is minimized as part of environmental management, it results in better utilization of natural resources, improved efficiency, higher productivity and reduces operating costs (Rao Holt, 2005). Nowadays and in the future, a good green player could expect to increase its brand image and its market share and then improve its profitability against company without enough green concern while saving costs by innovative processes. To investigate the link between green supply chain management and economic performance we could refers to those key aspects: (1) New market opportunities; (2) product price increase; (3) profit margin;(4) sales; and (5) market share. And competitiveness: (1) Improved efficiency; (2) quality improvement; (3) productivity improvement; and (4) cost savings. Methodology To validate our research, an empirical, survey-based research approach will be taken. Based on the empirical studies through the literature, and a meaningful framework used in the relevant research of Rao Holt in 2005 applied on Asian companies. We choose to follow a common technique to validate the framework presented in the preceding section, a linear SEM (Stochastic Expectation Maximization) approach is used (JÃÆ' ¶reskog and SÃÆ' ¶rbom, 1993) to validate the causal relationships between the different latent constructs of: greening the inbound function; greening production; greening the outbound function; competitiveness and; economic performance. The questionnaire will be distributed to the supply chain managers and/or environmental management representative (EMR) or the chief executive of manufacturing organizations in Western Europe. In order to have both MNCs and SMEs ( Responses will be collected on a four-point and five-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. The four-point scale served to force the respondents to check either on the negative side or on the positive side. The choice not to focus only on the leading edge ISO14001 accredited organizations (running environmental management) allow us to broader our research and then make a comparison between those without formal environmental management accreditation, and best players accredited. In terms of financial performance, this strategy will be interesting for identifying benefits and again do comparisons. Expected results. As this type of research was already done in South-Est Asia, our results will allow us to compare our findings and trend with those in South-Est Asia. We expect a response of 10%, therefore we will send to a consequent sample to get sufficient and tangible return. We will probably be able to confirm that greening the supply chain also has potential to lead to competitiveness and economic performance. As the current environmental concern in Europe is high, including governmental and customers pressures these research findings would probably show that firms that are greening their supply chains not only achieve substantial cost savings, but also enhance either sales, market share or exploit new market opportunities. The cost aspect will be important to assess as it is directly connected to the overall performance. The main limitation of this research will be probably the small sample of organizations, but the lack of empirical research in Europe will be also one of the main strengths of this paper. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to all organizations in this region or around the world. Finally, future research should empirically test the relationships suggested in this paper in different countries, to enable comparative studies. For further research, a larger sample will allow detailed cross-sectoral comparisons and establish international patterns regarding benefits from GSCM. Performance Measurement for Green Supply chain management: Context In supply chains with multiple actors, (vendors manufacturers, distributors and retailers) whether regionally or globally dispersed, it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain, by the way performance measurement is really challenging. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement. The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, differences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational performance measurement. (Hervani, A. Helms, M. Sarkis, J., 2005) Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption of GSCM/PM. The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the development of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements. Supply chain management Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end-user or customer. It is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the various channels and finally delivery to the customer. A companys supply chain structure consists of external suppliers, internal functions of the company, and external distributors, as well as customers (commercial or end-user). Firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously. The management and coordination is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones. The successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment. Performance management and measurement Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business units characteristics. For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Overall, these difficulties in developing standards for performance measurement are traced to the various measurement taxonomies. Example taxonomic considerations include: management level to measure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" strategic, tactical, or operational; tangible versus intangible measures; variations in collection and reporting; an organizations location along the supply chain or functional differentiation within organizations (e.g. accounting, versus marketing or operations). Similar to the performance measurement used, the performance measurement system may be unique to each individual organization, or unit within an organization, reflecting its fundamental purpose and its environment. Several studies have investigated the universal principles of performance measurement (Adams et al., 1995; Gunasekaran et al., 2001; Sink and Tuttle, 1990). These studies arrived at a number of conclus