A Brief History of the Country of Morocco

A Brief History of the Country of Morocco In the Classical Antiquity era, Morocco experienced waves of invaders included Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, and Byzantines, but with the arrival of Islam, Morocco developed independent states that kept powerful invaders at bay. Berber Dynasties In 702 the Berbers submitted to the armies of Islam and adopted Islam. The first Moroccan states formed during these years, but many were still ruled by outsiders, some of whom were part of the Umayyad Caliphate that controlled most of northern Africa c. 700 CE. In 1056, a Berber empire arose however, under the Almoravid Dynasty, and for the next five hundred years Morocco was governed by Berber dynasties:  the Almoravids (from 1056), Almohads (from 1174), Marinid (from 1296), and Wattasid (from 1465). It was during the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties that Morocco controlled much of North Africa, Spain, and Portugal. In 1238, the Almohad lost control of  the Muslim portion of Spain and Portugal, known then as al-Andalus. The Marinid dynasty attempted to regain it, but never succeeded. Revival of Moroccan Power In the mid-1500s, a powerful state again arose in Morocco, under the leadership of the Saadi dynasty that had taken over southern Morocco in the early 1500s. The Saadi defeated the Wattasid in 1554, and then succeeded in holding off incursions by both the Portuguese and Ottoman Empires. In 1603 a succession dispute led to a period of unrest that did not end until 1671 with the formation of the Awalite Dynasty, which still governs Morocco to this day. During the unrest, Portugal had again gained a foothold in Morocco but was again thrown out by the new leaders. European Colonization By the mid 1800s, at a time when the influence of the Ottoman Empire was in decline, France and Spain began taking a great interest in Morocco. The Algeciras Conference (1906) that followed the First Moroccan Crisis formalized Frances special interest in the region (opposed by Germany), and the Treaty of Fez (1912) made Morocco a French protectorate. Spain gained authority over Ifni (to the south) and Tà ©touan to the north. In the 1920s the Rif Berbers of Morocco, under the leadership of Muhammad Abd el-Krim, rebelled against French and Spanish authority. The short lived Rif republic was crushed by a joint French/Spanish task force in 1926. Independence In 1953 France deposed the nationalist leader and sultan Mohammed V ibn Yusuf, but both nationalist and religious groups called for his return.  France capitulated, and Mohammed V returned in 1955. On the second of March in 1956, French Morocco gained independence. Spanish Morocco, except for the two enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, gained independence in April of 1956. Mohammed V was succeeded by his son, Hasan II ibn Mohammed, upon his death in 1961. Morocco became a constitutional monarchy in 1977. When Hassan II died in 1999 he was succeeded by his thirty-five year old son, Mohammed VI ibn al-Hassan. Dispute over Western Sahara When Spain withdrew from the Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco claimed sovereignty in the north. The Spanish portions to the south, known as Western Sahara, were supposed to become independent, but Morocco occupied the region in the Green March. Initially, Morocco divided the territory with Mauritania, but when Mauritania withdrew in 1979, Morocco claimed the whole. The status of the territory is a deeply contentious issue, with many international bodies like the United Nations recognizing it as a non-self-governing territory called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Revised and Expanded by Angela Thompsell Sources: Clancy-Smith, Julia Anne, North Africa, Islam, and the Mediterranean world: from the Almoravids to the Algerian War. (2001). MINURSO Background, United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. (Accessed 18 June 2015).

Transformational Leadership Essay Essay Example

Transformational Leadership Essay Essay Example Transformational Leadership Essay Paper Transformational Leadership Essay Paper Transformational leading. as a construct. has been present and used with leaders all over the universe as far back as history records. This manner of leading has been cardinal to several leading techniques. research articles. and books for an drawn-out history. Transformational leading developed as a vocabulary term when it was foremost introduced by James MacGregor Burns in his book. Leadership ( Burns. 1978 ) . Burns compares the relationship between the leader and the followings with the footings transformational or transactional ( Burns. 1978 ) . Harmonizing to Burns. in a transformational leading relationship. the leader raises the motive of the followings and this consequences in animating and elating the relationship in order to carry through a common end ( Burns. 1978 ) . Burns compares the transformational leader with what he calls the transactional leader. The footings that are factual about a transactional leader are the opposite compared to transformational leaders in man y ways. Burns ( 1978 ) . points out that the biggest differences between the two types of leader features are the intent of the relationship between the leader and followings and the intent of the leaders function and petitions. Transformational leading consequences with both parties heightening their motivational focal point and desires to carry through common ends ; transactional leading. on the other manus. consequences in a dealing comprised of a petition or demand from the important power and ends when the dealing has been complete by the worker. Throughout the old ages. transformational leading has been revised and revamped with research. Pielstick lists seven major subjects that have been consistent in depicting the undertakings that transformational leaders attempt to carry through: â€Å"creating a shared vision. pass oning it. constructing relationships. developing a civilization. steering execution. exhibiting character. and accomplishing consequences ( Pielstick. 1998. p. 1 ) . Leaderships can travel from a dealing leading function to a transmutation leading function by being magnetic to followings in order to animate. run into the emotional demandsof the followings. or â€Å"they may intellectually excite employees† ( Bass. 1990. p. 21 ) . In their book Transformational Leaders ( 2007 ) . Bass and Riggio make the claim that an person does non hold to be at the top of a concern in order to be a transformational leader. These writers province that â€Å"leadership can happen at all degrees and by any individual† ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007. p. 2 ) and this is the nucleus to transformational leaders. Transformational leaders. lead others to carry through more than what was originally expected and typically beyond what was original idea possible ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007 ) . This is possible because the leader pays attending to the demands of persons. trains the people below them to go leaders themselves. and empowers each individual along the manner ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007 ) . As Antonakis combines the footings transformational and magnetic and uses the two footings interchangeably ( 2011 ) Bass and Riggio province that â€Å"charisma is merely portion of transformational leading ( 2007. p. 5 ) . Many research workers have debated whether transformational leaders must be leaders that produce positive alteration or whether leaders that produce alteration for destructive intents. for illustration Hitler. are besides considered transformational leaders. Bass and Riggio ( 2007 ) clear up that for the intents of their book a transformational leader is one that brings about alteration that is positive and completed for unselfish grounds. The MLQ. multifactor leading questionnaire. was foremost published by Dr. Bernard Bass and is considered the benchmark step of transformational leading. This MLQ step has been revised over the old ages and now comes in a short or long version ( MLQ International. 2008 ) . The constituents that comprise a transformational leader can be scored by utilizing the MLQ tool. Each of the inquiries from this tool refers to one of four constituents of transformational leading: Idealized influence. inspirational motive. rational stimulation. and individualised consideration ( Mindgarden ) . Idealized influence is evident when leaders are function theoretical accounts for their followings ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007 ) . Transformational leaders show features that align with inspirational motive by supplying significance and challenge that consequence in motivation and animating those around them ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007 ) . Transformational leaders stimulate the intelligence of their followings by â€Å"questioning premises. reframing jobs. and nearing old state of affairss in new ways ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007. p. 7 ) . The 4th constituent. single consideration. is represented by transformational leaders when they act as managers or wise mans to their followings by supplying the information and arrangement that is needed on an single degree ( Bass A ; Riggio. 2007 ) . DenHartog A ; Koopman convey up the point that â€Å"transformational leading can be viewed as a particular instance of transactional leading. in every bit much as both attacks are linked to the accomplishment of some end or nonsubjective ( DenHartog A ; Koopman. 2011. p. 176 ) . Den Hartog and Koopman ( 2011 ) . supply a tabular array. Table 9. 2 Trends in Leadership Theory and Research ( p. 168 ) that gives the historical position of leading theories with a brief description of each. The ‘trait’ attack was considered to hold a period of clip up to the late 1940’s and is characterized by the impression that â€Å"leaders are born† and â€Å"leadership is an unconditioned ability ( DenHartog A ; Koopman. 2011. p. 168 ) . This belief is that leading is a trait that you are either born with or without ; it can non be taught or developed in others. The ‘style’ attack has a day of the month scope from the late 1940’s to the late 1960â⠂¬â„¢s and demonstrates traits that emphasize â€Å"effectiveness has to make with how the leader behaves ( DenHartog A ; Koopman. 2011. p. 168 ) . From the 1960’s to the 1990’s the tendency was based on the eventuality attack ; â€Å"the effectivity of leading is affected by the situation/context ( DenHartog A ; Koopman. 2011. p. 168 ) . The last attack listed on the tabular array is the New Leadership attack which includes magnetic and transformational leading manners. New leading provinces that leaders â€Å"need vision and inspire trueness and emotional fond regard ( DenHartog A ; Koopman. 2011. p. 168 ) . During this last phase. new leading. leaders were now described as leaders as opposed to directors. This last phase is opposite to the first in that this leading trait is non something you are needfully born with. yet it can be something that is taught. William Brown and Douglas May wanted to research the effects of transformational leading preparation to find if traits that align with this leading manner can be taught and consequence in a positive result. In their research. The efficaciousness of transfo rmational leading preparation. one of the three major findings was that â€Å"an intensive twelvemonth long transformational leading development and preparation plan resulted in important additions in contingent wages and transformational leading behaviours among first-line supervisors† ( May A ; Brown. 2012 ) . John Antonakis combines the footings transformational leader and magnetic leader in chapter 8 of the book The Nature of Leadership ( 2011 ) . Throughout the chapter. Antonakis compares several different researchers’ positions and theories as they relate to these types of leading traits. Anonakis. nevertheless. brings a different challenge to the thought that transformational and magnetic leading traits are the existent causes that can convey approximately positive alteration in the people surrounded by the leaders that have these traits. He does non disregard the fact that these traits could convey about the alterations seen ; nevertheless. he calls for research workers to carry on longitudinal surveies which â€Å"establishes that transformational leaders have the ability to really transform persons and organizations† ( Day A ; Antonakis. 2011. p. 280 ) . He so challenges research workers to happen the â€Å"empirical evidence† necessary in order to do the dire ct connexion between specific transformational leading traits and positive additions ( Day A ; Antonakis. 2011. p. 280 ) . Not all research workers are roll uping information that reveals positive consequences stemming from transformational leaders in topographic point. Kotlyar and Karakowsky ( 2007 ) propose that transformational leading traits have a possible nexus to heightening dysfunctional squad struggle ( Kotlyar A ; Karakowsky. 2007 ) . Boerner and Eisenbeiss ( 2008 ) . research to happen the consequence of transformational leading manners on worker dependence and creativeness. Their research suggests that though many positive consequences are yielded when a leader has transformational leading traits. there are besides negative effects that follow. Initially the creativeness from workers will increase every bit good as the over dependence workers have on leaders with transformational leading traits ( Boerner A ; Eisenbeiss. 2008 ) . This dependence so leads to a diminution in worker creativeness harmonizing to their research ( Boerner A ; Eisnbeiss. 2008 ) . In decision. transformational leading traits and manners are critical facets that are a portion of successful leaders. Further research is needed in this field in order to give this country the cogency needed to show a strong instance. Further research is besides needed to set up any connexions between transformational leading qualities and any possible negative results over drawn-out periods of clip. MentionsBass. B. M. ( 1990 ) . From transactional to transformational leading: Learning to portion the vision. Organizational Dynamics. Elsevier Science Publishing. Inc. 18 ( 3 ) . 19-31 Bass. B. M. A ; Riggio. R. E. ( 2007 ) . Transformational leading ( 2nd erectile dysfunction ) . Taylor A ; Francis. Boerner. S. A ; Eisenbiess. S. A. ( 2011 ) . A double-edged blade: Transformational leading and single creativeness. British Journal of Management. 24 ( 1 ) 54-68 Burns. J. M. ( 1978 ) . Leadership. New York. Harper A ; Row. Onursal Arkan. Day. D. V. and Antonakis. J. ( 2011 ) . The nature of leading: Chapter 8 transformational and magnetic leading. ( 2nd ed. ) Sage Publications. Inc Den Hartog. D. and Koopman. P. ( 2011 ) . Leadership in organisations. Handbook of Industrial. Work A ; Organizational Psychology. 2. Kotlyar. I. . A ; Karakowsky. L. ( 2007 ) . Falling over ourselves to follow the leader. Journal of Leadership A ; Organizational Studies. 14 ( 1 ) 38-49 May. D. A ; Brown. W. ( 2012 ) . The efficaciousness of transformational leading preparation. Journal of Management Development. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 31 ( 6 ) 520-536 Mindgarden. Transformational leading. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mindgarden. com/translead. htm MLQ International ( 2008 ) . Melbourne. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mlq. com. au/index. asp Pielstick. C. D. ( 1998 ) . The transforming leader: A meta-ethnographic analysis. Community College Review. 26 ( 3 ) . 15-34

Rentier state theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rentier state theory - Essay Example Monopolies- overreliance on external rent always comes at a cost. The fact that these parties involved may have in abundance the resources they engage in this kind of rent acquisition in itself may lead to adverse influence on the business behavior. This may lead to monopolization of the market since these resources are highly valued. The aspect of monopoly sets in when a nation enters a trade pact with your nation thus wanting to dictate the terms of trade. They may opt to be the only supplier of the resource thus monopolizing the economy. Trading restrictions- since the states involved are rich in certain highly valuable resources, they may decide to impose the terms of trade and even putting up some restriction measures to ensure they remain dominant. They restrict a party involved from engaging commercially with other nations. Solicitation of aids- States involved in rentierism may engage in a mutually benefiting way. They may engage in giving aids in order to get some political influence in that particular region or over the nation. This is majorly common with the United States who subsidizes project of other nations in exchange for influence. This may impact the business behavior by influencing its

Graduate Accounting Capstone - Accounting and Audit Enforcement Research Paper

Graduate Accounting Capstone - Accounting and Audit Enforcement - Research Paper Example It provides high level of care to the patients for recovery from conditions like stroke, orthopaedic and neurological disorders, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary conditions. HealthSouth Corporation was found to be involved in corporate accounting scandal. The Founder, who was also the Chairman and CEO of the company, was accused of influencing the employees to manipulate the figures in the financial statement and exaggerate the earnings for meeting the expectations of the stockholders. He was the first executive to be caught in the Sarbanes Oxley Act for manipulating the financial returns of the company (Will, Handelman, & Brotherton, 2012). Richard M. Scrushy was accused of conspiracy, money laundering charges, securities fraud and charges of overstating the company’s earnings by approximately $ 3 billion (Forbes, 2013). The federal investigators stated that the company intentionally overstated the earnings in the financial statement for meeting the est imates of the analysts. At the same time the company had to make efforts to hide the accounting fraud attempt from auditors. Now, the question that was raised was whether the auditors failed in finding the fraud activity or they overlooked the company’s fraud. SOX Regulations in Public Healthcare Organizations There are strict regulations imposed by the SOX Act on the public companies (Greene, 2009). It includes: Creation of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for overseeing the entire process of accounting of the organizations. Limitation in the types of services that will be provided by the accounting firms to the public companies (clients). Increase in the disclosure requirements for the public companies. Requirement of top executives in the public companies who will take the responsibility of all the contents in the financial statements. Requirement of excellent analysts for disclosing the probable conflicts of interest. Added rigorous punishments for various misdee ds and frauds. These provisions have been imposed to public companies for controlling the regulations of corporate governance and business ethics. This will prohibit them from violating the GAAP rules and manipulating the financial statements of the companies for their own benefit. SOX Regulations in For-Profit and Not-For-Profit Healthcare Organizations There has been increase in the scrutiny for both for-profit as well as not-for-profit organizations by the regulators, donors, bondholders and the rest of the external stakeholders. It is because there have been an increased suspicion among the investors and other external stakeholders about the proper maintenance of corporate governance and business ethics in the healthcare organizations. It has been found that for Not-For-Profit companies including the hospitals as well as other different healthcare organizations, there have not been very strict disclosure requirements as mandated in case of the public For-Profit organizations. Th is is a problem faced by the bondholders, investors and other stakeholders who want to judge the quality of corporate governance and management in these Not-For-Profit organiz

The Socioeconomic Background of Kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Socioeconomic Background of Kuwait - Essay Example Kuwait's official language is Arabic, but English is widely spoken. The Kuwaiti Dinnar (KD) is the official currency, and it is further divided into 1,000 Fils. The average exchange rate is 0.3KD:$1.00US. Kuwait is an Islamic country. Most of her citizens worship in mosques around the country and follow the principles of Islam which also provides a legal foundation for the country. Kuwait adopted a democratic constitution in 1962 that guarantees freedom of liberty, speech, press, and worship. Kuwait is governed by an emir of the al-Sabah dynasty and a fifty-member National Assembly. The National Assembly holds much of the power and has played a critical role in the political, economic and social development of Kuwait. Much of Kuwait's importance derives from its geographical location as the gateway to the Arabian peninsula. Linking the desert and the ocean, its strategic position has led to Kuwait's development as a significant trading center. At the beginning of the 1700s, immigrants from Saudi Arabia came to the area that is now Kuwait. They settled in small villages and at that time only a few thousand people lived there. They took advantage of Kuwait's strategic location and began trading goods. In 1756, the leader of the al-Sabah family became the first Emir of Kuwait, and his ancestors have ruled continuously to the present day; the current Emir is sheik Sabah al-Sabah, the thirteenth in the line. Kuwait continued to grow as a commercial center in part because of political turmoil and war between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. This caused a number of trading families to relocate, and these families played anbig role in the commercial development of Kuwait (Alsabah 1980). England's East India Company also fled the instability in Basra, Iraq and set up a new headquarters in Kuwait to act as a terminal and staging area for goods from east India to England. In 1875, the Suez Canal opened, and the East India Company left Kuwait, but by then, the country had grown and developed. The economy had also diversified somewhat. Pearl diving, fishing, and sea transportation became the foundation of the Kuwait economy. Small family-run businesses carried out these activities without large amounts of working capital; income on a per capital basis was low. The most important industry was pearling which was the economic base of Kuwait and the entire Arabian Gulf. Pearls were exchanged for primary products and consumer goods from India and Bahrain. Pearling employed the most people and also contributed the most to the economy. For example in 1920, 25% of the population was employed in pearling (Al-Fraih, 1993). The industry declined in the 1930s when Japanese pearls overtook the world market. Kuwait's strategic location was also conducive to seafaring and trade. Kuwaiti vessels plied the entire Indian Ocean carrying passengers and cargo among Iraq, India, and the east coast of India. One of the principle commodities was date; they were loaded in Basra Iraq and traded throughout the Arabian Gulf and India. Of course to carry out this trade and collect pearls, the Kuwaitis became excellent boat builders. Indeed, Kuwait became the boat-building hub for the entire Gulf. Woods for construction was imported from the coast of Africa and south Asia. Fishing -- another related activity -

Company overview and market analysis for Audi

Company overview and market analysis for Audi Audi, this Germany brand was found by August Horch in 1899. Since this motor company established, Audi has been designing and manufacturing Audi cars in innovation and future conception. Today, Audi has became one of the three German super automobile manufacturers which producing the full range models, from economical, sport, luxury and sport utility vehicle. In the latest Audi annual report, the total revenue has reached to 29.8 billion euros with profits 1.35 billion euros by the end of 2009. What is more, Audis sales have increased significantly from 653,000 to 1,003,000 between 2000 and 2008, especially in the Middle East market and Chinese market. For example, Chinese government has agreed to purchase Audi car for officials in long term. Furthermore, Audi just launched the new supermini A1, the four door coupe A7 and the new generation flagship A8. In this essay, argument will be made that this German producer how to remain competitiveness under this changing environment. Audi C ompany and Audis P.E.S.T.E.L analysis will be covered by this German strong brand. A8 Revolution To compete against with the other two German brands Mercedes and BMW in the upscale markets, Audi has introduced the flagship model A8 in 1994. With the first vehicle using aluminum space frame technology and luxurious equipment, A8 gained considerable market share in the global executive luxury car field. The second generation of A8 launched in the end of 2002, Audis engineers met the development trend of automobile, taking a brand new A8 with new engine technology and longer wheelbase to customers. The successful sales of Audi A8 did not discontinue, Audi aims to be the number one in selling luxury car with introducing the third generation A8 in 2010. Audi has been designing and producing A8 for 16 years, the experience for making luxury car is a great treasure in this German automaker. P.E.S.T.E.L. Analysis Political Since the last century, Germany is famous for making cars, such as, Mercedes, Audi and BMW; Porsche and Volkswagen. German government also encourages these motor producers showing the Germany made car to the customers from all over the world. Audi set the headquarters in Ingolstadt and have a strong human resource with over 60,000 staff from different nationality. With the Audis global strategy implementation, this German auto manufacturer has established several large plants in different countries. Hungary and China are good examples. Economic In 2008, the global economy recession spread over the world. Fortunately, the global economy is being recovery from the end of 2009, even though some countries are still facing credit crunch, such as Ireland; but most governments from different countries had confidence to making peoples life better. For example, in Germany, government spent billions supporting and encouraging German families to purchase; in UK, government also gave benefits, which means people get extra ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 from the current car with more than 10 year life time when exchanging a new car in a dealer. According to the Audi statistics, sales of new car have increased sharply from 2009 to 2010 in the European and North American markets. What is more, Middle East and China are still the large demand group; For example, Audi has delivered 108,000 cars to China in the first three months, compared with the total sells 705,000 cars at the same period. Social Audi is a large car manufacturer in the world, the social impact is inevitable, this German giant owns over 60,000 staff in the world, and which means Audi support more than 60,000 families every year. In this aspect, Audi has been improving the workshop condition to satisfy employees, and Audi also offer successes of creating exceptional cars when employees join the group. Manufacturing perfect cars needs large quantity qualified material, Audi have established several partnership with suppliers. Due to the economy recession, consumers are willing to choose the fuel efficiency car instead of buying the big engine SUV; Audi remained the price for customer, but added more technology into the car. Technological Technology development is the key feature of Audi Company; Audi is best known of its permanent four wheel drive system, called QUATTRO. Today, Quattro is widely used in most Audi model, and offering drivers more safety and pleasure in any situations. In China, the heavy snow spread over the southern part at the winter of 2008, compared with Audis successful performance on snowy road, the competitor Mercedes realized it is the right time to fit the four wheel drive system into saloon and sport car. In comfort aspect, Audi introduced air adapted suspension; this equipment could adjust suspension in order to achieve best performance on different road condition. In 2010, the new Audi A8 is equipped with the 8 speed transmission which offers the soft and quick acceleration in order to achieve fuel efficiency. Audi also cooperated with Italian super car Lamborghini to achieve sport value. For example, the S8 and RS model are equipped with Lamborghinis engine and transmission system. Environmental Audi paid more attention in corporate social responsibility .It is inevitable for Audi not polluting the environment, because it is a manufacturer. Audi promises to minimize the environmental impacts. In these 20 years, Audi spent billions in researching the efficiency engine; the new generation engine means more horsepower but little emissions. For example, the new TDI diesel engine has already meet the future European 5 emission standard. Furthermore, Audi announced car emissions will be cut further 20% by 2012. That is how this German maker leads the environmental car market. Legal Germany government set a group of legislation in order to protect road users safety and environment. Crash standard and European car emission limits are good examples. 4. A8: The upscale target market Audis flagship A8 L W12 takes driving to a whole new level of luxury. This is true, even though car makers and customers are paying more attention in fuel efficiency car markets on todays environmental condition, but every famous brand is still proud of their flagship, like Birkin handbag of Hermes. Flying used to be a pleasurable experience for most businessmen, especially for the fist class ticket. Cars can not fly, but Audis engineer made the dream become true. The new generation A8 providing exceptional and efficient luxury transport for passengers. A8 means technology, comfort and luxury, especially from Germany. Audis most important features, aluminium body depends on Audi Space Frame, permanent four-wheel drive Quattro and air adaptive suspension. Since the first A8 was produced in 1994, A8 has firmly established Audi name in the luxury car market. According to the research, over half of luxury cars are produced by the German super three, almost 300,000 luxury cars delivered to customers worldwide each year; in addition, around 70% of these luxury saloon are sold to outside west Europe, especially for North American market and Middle East. The luxury car market was not influenced by the economic recession; the demand for luxury cars has increased for many years, especially for the new arrivals. Audi gained highly reputation from A8s loyalty customers in these years from all over the world, due to the changing group of luxury car buyers, the percentage of 30 to 40 years olds buyers increased sharply in this ten years. Audi are also willing to these potential buyers. Changing Ages is an important factor for luxury car segmentation; emotional factor could also influence customers decision. For example, luxury car is a symbol for peoples status orientation; what is more, the luxury car always understands the fashion, trend and design. Audi A8 is the best choice for the experienced loyalty buyers and potential group customers. Overall, this new generation flagship will take more market share to Audi in the luxury market. Recommendations The 21st century is also a technology era; Audi should continue spending billions and billions in innovation in order to achieve the mass markets. Secondly, climate change is a key issue in todays world; Audi should pay more attention to social responsibility. Cutting emissions and materials recycling are good examples. Thirdly, due to the large increase demands from Asian market, Audi should enlarge its volume to satisfy this potential region, especially for the tier 2 and tier 3 cities of these countries. At last, the advertisement campaign is more and more important for car companies, Audi should design different type visual advertisement for marketing. In my personal experience, sitting in a silver Audi car with bright red from dashboard, just illustrate the meaning of an Audi car: machine with blood. Conclusions With 100 years experiences constructing motor machines, Audi became one of the most famous car manufacturer brands in the world. Audi car is illustrated by design, safety, comfort and sport. What is more, this German automaker giant achieved large market share and highly reputation from the whole world; Audi also established the products portfolio in order to meet different customers needs. For example, A4 and A6 are popular in the European market; the sales of large SUV Q7 and luxury A8 achieved considerable performance in the North American market. Furthermore, due to the scarce of resources and climate change, Audi realized it is important to decrease the environmental impacts during the operation. Like the new generation of Audis flagship A8, taking Audi to a new level of luxury; Audi company will take transportation into a new milestone.

Rape in Romanesque Art Essay -- Art

The Rape of Ganymede capital in San Madeleine in Và ©zelay is a depiction of the story of the rape or abduction of Ganymede. On its front face the capital features an eagle holding the young shepherd boy, Ganymede, in its mouth. Ganymede is being held upside down helplessly with a look of terror on his face. On the left are two adults holding their heads and staring helplessly at the eagle taking the boy. On the right side is a demon looking out at the viewer sticking its tongue out in happiness, as if to taunt us. In the eagle’s talons is a dog, which looks like a hyena, baring its teeth. The capital depicts a story from Aeniad, where Jupiter becomes infatuated with the handsome shepherd boy, Ganymede, and according to his version of the story, sends an eagle down to abduct the boy. Ganymede then serves as Jupiter’s cupbearer, and this evokes jealousy from Juno, thus incurring her wrath which is supposedly one of the factors that begins the Trojan War. Virgil’s version of the story is similar, but includes the visual element of the barking dog and the guardians on the side, unable to aid the boy. Both story versions come from Antiquity. As I began analyzing this capital, it took me a while to get a grasp on what was going on. There is a lot of content crammed into a small space on this capital. All the figures are oversized and in extremely close proximity to one another. I noticed the caricature-like portrayal of the figures. This seems to be the case in all the capitals at Và ©zelay. I was particularly interested in the facial expressions. The face of Ganymede is filled with dear and confusion as he hangs upside down. The dog looks frightening and angry, but it is unclear to me if he is sided with Jupiter’s eagle or if he is... ... Meaning on a Capital Representing the Fall of Man.† Tradito 55 (2000): 105-123. Forsyth, Ilene H. â€Å"The Ganymede Capital at Và ©zelay.† Gesta 15, No. 1/2. Essays in Honor of Sumner McKnight Crosby. (1976): 241-246. Kolve, V. A. â€Å"Ganymede/Son of Getron: Medieval Monasticism and the Drama of Same-Sex Desire.† Speculum 73, No. 4 (1998): 1014-1067. Mills, Robert. â€Å"Gender, Sodomy, Friendship, and the Medieval Anchorhold.† Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures 36, No. 1 (2010): 1-27. Quinn, Patricia A. Better Than the Sons of Kings: Boys and Monks in the Early Middle Ages. (New York, 1988) Van Buren, Anne H. Review of Ganymed: Studien zur Typologie, Ikonographie und Ikonologie by Gerda Kempter. Speculum 57, No. 3 (1982): 624-625. Wolfthal, Diane. â€Å" ‘A Hue and a Cry’: Medieval Rape Imagery and Its Transformation.† The Art Bulletin 75, No. 1 (1993): 39-64.

The Meteor as a Symbol in the Scarlet Letter

The Meteor that Dimmesdale sees in Chapter 12 of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is an important symbol. As the minister watches the night sky, together with Hester and Pearl, a meteor appears that traces out an „Aâ€Å". While most of the people think that the „Aâ€Å" stands for „Angelâ€Å" and is showing that Governor Winthrop is gone and it marks his the entry to heaven, which will be proofed later on, but Dimmesdale, on the other hand, interprets it differently. Him hiding his sins and „cover his heart with his handâ€Å", the „Aâ€Å" reminds him of Hester‘s Scarlet Letter. He thinks, it is a sign for him to wear the mark of shame too, so as Hester does. Seeing that God is trying to show his sins to the public, what he does not want, even through he is dying of that. The minister only will find peace by telling and confessing his sin and accepting it finally, to what he is not able to do until the end of the book. This symbol shows us that there is more than one way to interpret things, like the Puritan way, who think of messages from God, typical warnings and bad things that will happen to them affecting their community. Dimmesdale only thinks about himself and the issue he has, he only interprets the meteor his way and no other, the symbol helped pushing him forward to finally built up the courage, he so badly needs to confess in front of the townspeople.

Thorn Queen Chapter Four

We left as soon as etiquette said we could. I tried using Shaya's argument about eccentric queens doing whatever they wanted, but it didn't work on her. She said if we didn't stay a certain amount of time, I'd appear intimidated by Maiwenn. So, we stuck around a bit longer than I liked before finally making formal farewells to the others. Kiyo was preoccupied with a group of well-wishers, but he looked up at my departure and smiled. He mouthed the word soon. My group rode back in a subdued mood. The urgency was gone, and I think my glum attitude threw a cloud over everyone. Seeing Maiwenn and Kiyo had bothered me more than I liked to admit, and Dorian†¦well, that was another story. For now, I wanted nothing more than to cross over to my own world, throw on pajamas, and watch mindless TV. Possibly while eating ice cream. And as our journey continued, ice cream sounded more and more appealing once we crossed back into the Thorn Land. The sun was sinking, but heat still radiated off the sand and rocks. It wouldn't dissipate for another couple hours, and even at midnight, the temperature probably wouldn't drop below seventy. I'd changed back to my shorts and sunglasses before leaving Maiwenn's, so again, the heat didn't bother me as much as it did the others. Dorian had claimed my sundress would catch on as a fashion trend; I wondered if shorts would as well. â€Å"There's a village ahead,† murmured Rurik. I snapped out of my daydreams and followed his gesture. Sure enough, a small cluster of buildings darkened the horizon. Like my castle, it was something more suited to a medieval British landscape than the desert. Considering how infrequently I visited my kingdom, this was the first settlement I'd seen outside of the castle. It unnerved me a little, my discomfort growing when I saw that our road went straight through the town. Damned twisting Otherworld. This village hadn't been here on our earlier trip. And for that reason, I knew better than to suggest we go around it. With the way this world worked, a slight deviation could toss us into the Rowan Land or add hours onto our trip. Steeling myself, I tightened my grip on the reins, deciding that this place looked small and wouldn't take long to clear. When we entered its outskirts, though, I discovered something that made me lose my resolve. The road was lined with people. It was like everyone in the town had come out to see us pass through. They stood along the sides, staring at my party and again looking like extras from some medieval movie. Except, it must have been a low-budget movie. The people's clothes were ragged and dirty, their faces gaunt. Everyone seemed too skinny, even the children and babies held in parental arms. My unease grew as we rode deeper into the heart of the village. I hated crowds and having eyes upon me. There was something discomfiting about this particular group. Their expressions were either completely blank or†¦well, terrified. Everything was dead silent. â€Å"What are they scared of?† I whispered to Rurik. He gave me an amused glance. â€Å"You, of course.† â€Å"Me?† I squeaked. Glancing at my attire, I tried to imagine how out of place I looked here. Was my foreignness that frightening? â€Å"You're their queen. Everyone knows how you slaughtered Aeson-and that isn't a particularly heartwarming tale. Likewise, Storm King's legacy of terror lives on after all these years. You've inherited it.† â€Å"So, what, they see me as some kind of tyrant?† He shrugged. â€Å"You're their queen,† he repeated, as though that explained everything. I'd never wanted to be queen. I certainly didn't want to be seen as some kind of despot queen either. I didn't want these eyes upon me, these eyes that all seemed to be filled with apathy, judgment, and a kind of weary defeat. I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached what looked to be the halfway point. All of a sudden, a man stepped in front of us, bringing us to a halt. He was an older gentry, tall and gray-haired. He was skinny and clothed only a little better than the rest, though there was an air of dignity and authority that made him stand out. When he saw he had our attention, he swept me a bow so low, his face nearly touched the dusty road. â€Å"To Eugenie, great queen of the Thorn Land, I offer the most humble greetings of your servant, Davros.† At least, that's what I think he said. He was bent so low that his words came out muffled. I glanced uneasily at the others in my group, unsure what to do. They all remained silent and looked at me expectantly. Oh, sure. They were full of advice back at Maiwenn's, but when it came to peasants groveling in the road? That was apparently all me. â€Å"Please, um, stand up,† I managed at last. â€Å"Um, Davros.† He rose, clasping his hands in front of him, looking totally overwhelmed that I'd used his name. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty. I am the mayor of this village. Words cannot express what an honor it is to have you among us.† Considering what Rurik had just told me about my reputation here, I wasn't entirely sure I believed Davros' words. I forced a smile. â€Å"Thanks. We're just passing through on our way back to the castle.† Davros spread his hands wide. â€Å"I hope, then, that you'll consider resting and taking a brief refreshment in my home.† â€Å"Oh, well, that's really nice, but-â€Å" Shaya cleared her throat loudly. I glanced over at her. She gave me a pointed look that gave no question to what she wanted me to do. Grimacing, I glanced back down at poor, groveling Davros. Damn. I wanted nothing more than to get out of the Otherworld right now. I didn't want to stop for teatime. My expression must have looked scary because Davros blanched and lowered his head meekly. I sighed. â€Å"We'd love to.† Mayor or not, Davros didn't have a very big house. Only Shaya, Rurik, and I joined him inside, while the rest of my party milled around outdoors. From the village, Davros had invited a few other important officials, as well as his wife and two grown sons. We sat at a round oak table while his wife served us red wine and something that reminded me of baklava. I sipped only a little of the wine, not wanting to risk dehydration in this weather. I wasn't much better at making conversation here than at Maiwenn's, but fortunately, there was no need for me to do anything. Davros and his associates kept the talking going, most of the conversation centering on how glad they were that I had come by, what an honor it was to meet me, how they hoped I'd call on them if I needed anything, et cetera, et cetera. Which was why it was a bit shocking when Davros' wife suddenly asked, â€Å"But if you would, your majesty, please tell us what it is we've done to displease you. We'll do anything at all to make amends and gain your favor once more. Anything.† I almost choked on the honey cake. â€Å"What do you mean†¦displease me?† The villagers exchanged glances. â€Å"Well†¦,† said Davros at last. â€Å"There must be something. You've placed a blight on the land, stripping us of our water and food. Surely we've done something to warrant your most righteous displeasure.† â€Å"You need only let us know what it is,† piped in someone else. â€Å"We will do anything you require to lift this curse from us.† This was the most astonishing thing to happen to me all day-which was saying something. I looked at Shaya and Rurik for help, having no clue how to respond to this. For a moment, I thought they would once again make me fend for myself, until Shaya finally spoke. â€Å"The residents had built their lives around the shape of the land when Aeson ruled it, when it was the Alder Land. When it transformed itself to you, their old ways no longer worked. Their crops don't grow in this weather. The wells have run dry.† I stared at her in shock. Never, never had this occurred to me-but then, it wasn't like I'd spent a whole lot of time thinking about the Thorn Land. Most of my energy had been spent on figuring out how to avoid it. Studying Shaya, I wondered how long she'd known about this. I somehow doubted there was much that went on around here that she didn't know about. From the looks of Rurik's averted gaze, it appeared as though he'd known about this problem as well. Both knew how upset I got when forced to deal with any sort of queenly issues. So both had spared me the details while these people suffered. I turned back to Davros. â€Å"It's not a curse†¦it's, I don't know, it's just the way the land is. The way I wanted it to be.† Astonished looks met me, and I could only imagine what a freak I sounded like. When Aeson had ruled, this land had been green and lush, filled with forests and fertile farmland. Who in their right mind would turn it into a desert? Davros confirmed as much. â€Å"But this land†¦this land is impossible to survive in,† he said. â€Å"Not where I come from,† I told him. â€Å"This is like the land I grew up in. People live and flourish there.† People also had modern ways of bringing in water and shopping for whatever other stuff they might need. And that wasn't even taking air-conditioning into account. â€Å"How?† he asked. I didn't know how to readily answer. I didn't really understand the intimate details of my world's infrastructure. I turned a faucet and water came out. I went to the grocery store and bought milk and Pop-Tarts. Desperately, I racked my brain and tried to pull out elementary school lessons about Arizona's history. â€Å"Irrigation,† I said lamely. â€Å"Squash, I think. And, um, corn.† Had the natives grown corn? Or was I getting confused by stereotypes? Shit. I was so ignorant. The only thing I felt confident of was that Pop-Tarts were not cultivated natively in Arizona. The looks the others gave me told me I wasn't helping this situation any. I glanced at Shaya and Rurik, but this time, no help came. The full weight of what I'd done started to sink in. Maybe I hadn't wanted this land. Maybe I hadn't intentionally turned it into a mirror of wild Tucson. The point was: it was done. The Thorn Land was as it was, and taking in these ragged and starving people, I realized it was all my fault. Only, I had no clue how to fix it. I was too much a product of modern innovation. There was nothing I could do. Scratch that. There was one thing I could do. I abruptly stood from the table, catching everyone by surprise. As custom dictated, they all hastily scrambled and rose as well. Without explaining myself, I headed outside, back out into the village. Behind me, I could hear Davros babbling something, apparently thinking they'd again caused offense. They probably thought I was about to send lightning bolts from the sky. As it was, that might not have been a bad idea-if I actually had that power. These people could certainly use rain. But one rainstorm wouldn't fix things, and I could hardly do it day after day. Instead, I walked out to the middle of the street and came to a halt. My guards straightened up, awaiting my orders, and other residents stopped to see what was happening. Those from Davros' gathering soon poured out of the house and joined everyone else. I closed my eyes, opening myself to the world around me. I smelled the clean, fresh scent of the desert and the faint, faint breeze blowing through it. The setting sun warmed my skin. Then, I pushed deeper, reaching out to that which the magic within me instinctively bonded to. I felt the minuscule water vapor in the air, but that wasn't what I wanted. I had to go further. I sent my magical senses into the ground, seeking water throughout the village. None. I remembered what Shaya had said about wells drying up, which meant the surface wasn't going to yield anything. That meant I'd have to go deeper still. There. Back in the direction we'd entered town, I felt a hit. I opened my eyes and strode toward it, the water calling to me. I was vaguely aware of a crowd following me, but I paid them no attention. Only the water was my goal. When I reached the spot, I found that it was just on the town's outer edge. A mesquite tree grew nearby, which should have been a tip-off. They had deep feelers that penetrated the earth in search of moisture. I too sent my power into the ground, trying to summon the water up. There was a lot of dirt between me and it, and I realized it wouldn't do these people any good in the long term to just suck it to the surface right now. I turned around and found Davros right behind me, face anxious. I pointed to the ground. â€Å"You guys need to dig here. Right now. There's water here.† He stared at me, mouth agape. A moment later, he snapped out of it and turned to those nearest him. â€Å"You heard the queen! Fetch shovels immediately. And find anyone who can work with the earth.† Earth magic. A smart idea. Gentry didn't have bulldozers or drills, but they did have people who could throw around huge piles of dirt, which was pretty sweet for this kind of thing. Dorian-who was probably the strongest earth user in the Otherworld-could cause earthquakes and level buildings. In minutes, a group had assembled. I tried to take a shovel and help, but that nearly caused Shaya and Davros to have a heart attack. Queens didn't do that kind of work. Instead, I stepped back, watching as the other villagers used magic and manual labor to dig where I'd indicated. When the hole grew too deep for shovels, the village's two earth-magic users took over. Even combined, they were nowhere near Dorian in strength, but they definitely sped the process along, kicking up towers of dirt along the sides. Finally, I heard a great cheer. Everyone else and I crowded to the hole's sides, peering down. It was deep in the ground, but muddy water was slowly filling up the bottom. I looked at Davros. â€Å"Can you guys turn this into a well?† I certainly hoped so because I sure as hell had no idea how to do it. I imagined it involved stones and a bucket, but maybe that was just my naà ¯ve fairy-tale images. His head bobbed eagerly. â€Å"Yes, yes, your majesty. Thank you, your majesty.† After that, it was nearly impossible to leave. I was regarded as a miracle worker. I was no longer the tyrant queen. I was their savior, the generous and wonderful monarch who had brought life to their land. I declined their pleas to stay and celebrate but told them I'd be back with other ways to save their town. Admittedly, I had no idea what that would entail, but mentioning such a minor detail would have seriously brought down everyone's mood. When we were finally mounted up and able to head out, I suddenly felt a tug on my shoe. Surprised, I looked down and saw a middle-aged man gazing up at me. A similarly aged woman stood close beside him. â€Å"How dare you touch the queen!† gasped Davros. From his face, it looked like he was seriously afraid I might level the town. I waved him off. â€Å"It's okay.† The man who'd pulled my leg regarded me pleadingly. â€Å"Please, your majesty. My wife and I have a boon to ask of you!† â€Å"That's a favor or a request,† said Rurik helpfully. â€Å"I know what a boon is,† I snapped. I looked back down at the couple, unwilling to make any promises yet. â€Å"What is it?† The man put his arm around the woman. â€Å"We've heard that you're both a great warrior and a great magic user.† â€Å"And clearly kind and compassionate,† added his wife. â€Å"And?† I asked. â€Å"And very beautiful and-â€Å" â€Å"No,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I mean, what's your boon?† â€Å"Our daughter has been taken,† the woman said, eyes filling with tears. â€Å"We beg you to help us get her back.† â€Å"Whoa. That might be a little beyond my reach,† I told them. â€Å"When you say taken, do you mean, like, kidnapped?† They both nodded, and I was swept by a strange sense of deja vu. I'd first stumbled into this Otherworldly mess when I'd been hired in the human world to also find a missing girl. The girl had turned out to be Jasmine, though I'd had no clue at the time that she was half-gentry, let alone my sister. Was my life destined to be filled with missing girls? Davros stepped forward, looking upset and embarrassed. â€Å"Your majesty, please ignore them for troubling you with something so meaningless. Their daughter was not taken by anyone. She ran off to Highmore with her lover from a neighboring village.† I glanced at Shaya and Rurik. â€Å"What's Highmore?† â€Å"Really?† asked Rurik dryly. â€Å"I thought you already knew everything.† I glared at him. â€Å"It's a city,† said Shaya. â€Å"The largest in this kingdom.† â€Å"Wait, what? I have cities?† I asked, feeling my eyes go wide. The distraught couple interrupted my new revelation. â€Å"Davros is wrong,† the woman said. â€Å"Our daughter did not run off. She was taken by the bandits who live in the passes.† â€Å"Everyone knows they're there,† added the man. He eyed Davros. â€Å"Them and their beasts. Even you won't deny their existence. They've been there for years, and she isn't the first girl to disappear.† I turned to Davros. â€Å"Is that true?† He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. â€Å"Well, yes, your majesty, but such brigands are nothing you need to concern yourself about, just as King Aeson did not.† â€Å"Wait. Aeson knew there were bandits going after you guys and didn't do anything?† â€Å"Such petty concerns were beneath him,† said Davros. To my astonishment, he seemed to believe that. â€Å"I don't know,† I said slowly. â€Å"If a monarch doesn't take care of that kind of thing, I'm not really sure what they're supposed to do.† Truthfully, I didn't want to deal with this any more than I wanted any other Thorn Land responsibilities. But the mention of Aeson had stirred my blood. Aeson had been a self-serving asshole, and it pissed me off that he would have left these people to fend for themselves. The only thing I wanted less than to be a ruler was to be a ruler like him. Furthermore, the same fury that Jasmine's abduction had stirred in me flared up. Maybe it was my own experience with always being chased down by aggressive men, but I hated the thought of any girl facing rape or abduction. It didn't matter that these were gentry girls and not humans. The principle was the same. Brigands and thieves taking advantage of young girls, of preying on those weaker, had to be stopped. â€Å"I'll send people to take care of these bandits,† I said finally. Behind me, Rurik made a strange sound. â€Å"But I can't make any guarantees about your daughter.† The couple's faces lit up, and they fell to the ground in gratitude. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty!† the woman cried. Her husband chimed in. â€Å"Truly you are generous and magnanimous and-â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, okay, there's no need for that,† I said hastily. â€Å"Or to kneel. You're going to get all dirty.† We had just started to ride away when Shaya leaned toward me. â€Å"You've made a lot of promises today.† I thought about it. She was right. I'd promised to help them get food, rebuild their infrastructure, and rid themselves of those who preyed upon them. â€Å"Yeah. I guess I did.† She gave me a bemused look. â€Å"And how are you going to accomplish all of this?† I glanced around us, noting that the faces watching us leave town were no longer blank and afraid. They were grateful and adoring. I sighed. â€Å"That,† I told her, â€Å"is an excellent question.†

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