Impact of Computer Technology Essay

Man is no longer living in the Age of the Machine, but in the Technological Revolution. He is no longer replaced by machines, but by micro chips built together to form what we call a computer. As a creation of man, it was made to add convenience to his life. However, in the current situation of rising people and industries, a computer became more than a gadget, it also became a necessity to his life and future. The name computer is actually given to a person. According to the website Computer Science Lab, these people are those who do nothing except do calculations for tables, charts and planetary grids. These group of people, predominantly a set of women, were then replaced by an electronic contraption. They complained that to compute on a daily basis was completely boring, and the found the need to completely change that. So inventors took around a century to create something that will take over their task. Since then, it has evolved to a portable gadget for a person’s utmost convenience. Computers today continue to update itself. Softwares and hardwares were made to accomplish simple computations to running complex businesses. In this day and age, computers and internet access can already be considered as part of man’s basic needs. Part of his survival is to remain in the competition, and the possibilities are high for his miserable failure if he doesn’t fight with a computer at hand. Since the recent rise of this Technological Era, changes have become evident. With this, the ethical, social and economic impact of computers are to be highlighted in this essay. These are the aspects of daily living man should never fail to consider. Because change is the only thing constant, there is a need to remind man of these changes, in case he missed it when it passed by. Ethical Impact With the rise of computers, along with it are ethical issues. To define, the website History of Computing noted that Computer Ethics is actually a branch of philosophy aimed to study the overall impact of computers in man’s life. It involves social rights, professional issues and legal issues, as it affects both an individual and an entire business. The primary issue this aspect of computer technology questions is how it shall be used. The outbreak of computers allowed individuals and businesses to do more actions than necessary. As mentioned by a website Research Center on Computing and Society, there was a void in the policies regarding computer technology. Moreover, these policies were merely to fill that void. Its importance lie on how man’s actions are guided by these policies. These failed to completely absolve the many ethical dilemmas related to it. For one thing, computers have become more than a tool. It has become a complete access pass to a person’s private life. With a click, a person’s life can be relayed in a screen like an ebook. It has become an avenue to hack another account, and in turn, another person’s life. Computers allowed a person’s privacy an issue of a public. Hacking, as mentioned by Ecommerce, also involves online theft in company websites and credit cards. These, so far, are the only evident cases of misusing computer technology. A silent agreement on what computer behavior should be like exists, but the concern is until when it is able to hinder seemingly criminal activities. It is further important to consider the ethical impacts of computer technology. Today, almost every individual across the globe is connected by a unit each. This expanse allows even a wider opportunity for hackers to simply connect to another unit and browse without its owner even knowing of the incident. More recently, connections are even at a greater speed. It is no longer questioning possibility. Ecommerce mentioned that the pace of which these computers are updated are too fast for ethical norms to catch up. Social Impact In the recent past, people who lived in little village migrated to the city to find jobs, According to Passion Computing, they left their lands to find better opportunities for them. It can be said that a population transferred to the city to grasp those opportunities. This brought about the break of family units and dependency on the trade industry. However, as earlier mentioned, with just a computer, they are connected to an even wider array of opportunities for them to experience. Also, computers have become the cause of today’s fast paced time line. Every thing had to be done immediately. Time became more precious in the production and progress of individuals and companies. Millersville University characterized this feature as temporality. The same article also mentioned that because of the existence of this technology, two people are able to work efficiently even if they work at different times from different places. Digital connections made working easier, but it can also withdraw people from reality. The changes are actually quite clear. Many can work from their homes and earn even more than those who traveled to test their fates. However, there is also the downfall effect on individuals and businesses. One of these was expressed in the aforementioned website. The article noted that computers gave rise to the alienation of certain individuals. Since connecting to other people, and other business transactions, can be made online, people tend to spend a better portion of their day in front of a computer. Moreover, there are a lot of jobs online that does not require one to have a specialization to earn as much as they can. This hinders a person from growing further with the knowledge he could have gained in school. In a way, computers limit a person from becoming the best he could be. Furthermore, computers are a means of access to a wide array of information. The article from Passion Computing wrote that family ties became vulnerable to divorce, and teenagers to suicide. The more information people are getting, the more likely are they to consider these as possibilities on how they should live their lives. Suggestive information can be more than tempting. Economic Impact According to Creative Computing, it is without that a doubt that computers will have a permanent mark on the changes the people will experience through time. All classes, genders and colors are affected by its advancement. Much like how older generations have been drastically changed by the Industrial Revolution, the generations of today are those who are most influenced by the Technological Revolution. However, the same article highlighted that the latter revolution have a greater effect on the poor. Although it was established that people received quite a number of benefits from this age of computers, one cannot neglect the fact that to have these benefits, they should be able to purchase one first. In the US is an ongoing campaign about promoting computer literacy to each individual. Unfortunately, one unit alone can be very costly. One must not fail to consider that the basic necessities of a person are given top priority. But, as earlier mentioned, in this era, to have a computer is practically a necessity as well. According to the website National Center for Policy Analysis, Economists are still uncertain about the relation of technological updates and the growth of the national economy. Robert Solow, an economist, mentioned in the article that computers are everywhere except in the statistics. Furthermore, in the year 1994, it was found through a study that computers have a very small overall impact. In more recent studies, on the other hand, it was found that computers had a strikingly greater contribution since that study. In comparison to other studies, a steady rise in economy can be observed along with the ascent of the computer age. Conclusion In conclusion, man is currently in the Technological Revolution, wherein his life is most likely driven by the advancements of computers. As such, man’s life has changed and his views about living were altered. There were ethical, social and economic changes since the birth of the computer age. Its impact on the life and survival of man is undeniably clear. However, since this is also the age when everything seemed to be at a faster pace, it would not have been unusual for one to have missed it. The lifestyle of a person changed drastically if compared to a counterpart in the industrial revolution. One of the sources mentioned above emphasized that the age of computers will have a lasting effect on the people who use it. Perhaps, the reason behind this claim is that the Technological Revolution is at a fairly young age, and that it might mark the beginning of a greater revolution one can only imagine. The possibilities must not be closed, as the changes will never stop from occurring. However, with these constant changes, policies and norms should be able to follow its flow. Otherwise, there would be a far greater dilemma to deliberate.

Intro to Rh Bill

Humans are naturally born governed with laws and that’s what we call the natural law. And as we, humans grow to become more intellectual, we generated our own laws and rules to govern our lives for better quality and discipline. But sometimes, there are laws or proponents that have gained different viewpoints among us as to its necessity, value, and morality. One of these is the Reproductive Health Bill. Almost over a decade has passed since the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines was for the first time proposed, now that the pursuance of the bill has gained its rebirth, still it has become a part of the national debate bringing about a wider division. The Reproductive Health Bill, popularly known as the RH Bill, is a Philippine bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. While there is general agreement about its provisions on maternal and child health, there is great debate on its key proposal that the Filipino taxpayer and the private sector will fund and undertake widespread distribution of family planning devices furthermore, 81% Filipinos are Catholics, the Catholic Church exerts a strong influence in public life. Its staunch of opposition to the bill has drawn the ire of non-Catholics and Catholics alike who support the bill, and they invoke the principle of separation of church and state to stop the church. Passage or non-passage of the bill has negative implications depending on the views.

Edward Albee’s presentation of Nick and his role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

In ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf’ by Edward Albee, a main character that is revealed in this play is Nick who plays an important role presented by Albee in different ways. The play which, ‘’shows malicious humiliation and love and tenderness and bitterness’’ is set on the campus of a small, New England university. Nick is presented in part as an on-stage audience for George and Martha to act out their verbal banter. Moreover the character of nick is used as a compare and contrast to George. The audience sees nick as an image of youthful pride, unblemished, athletic whose very life is dedicated to eliminating the imperfections in human genes, but is himself revealed as flawed in the play. The young couple Nick and Honey are presented as ‘’passive observers. They serve solely as the objects of manipulation’’. George and Martha simply use the younger, less experienced couple to manoeuvre for advantage in their own bitter struggle. This is further shown in act two by George when he states, ‘’I’ll tell you what game we’ll play. We’re done with humiliate the hosts†¦ how about a little game of get the guests?† George attempts to regain power which is an ongoing theme in the play by humiliating nick and honey. He uses what nick told him about honey’s hysterical pregnancy against them.Could Cold War Have Been Avoided? Secondly, Nick’s role as a compare and contrast to George is important as both of them possess certain traits that the other lacks and envies. While George is frustrated with his life and the illusions that Martha and he have made, Nick contrastingly is yet to rise in his conquest for power. Throughout the entire play, George and nick proceed through an ongoing verbal battle, competing for the position of high standing power. George attacks nick’s profession because he is afraid of artificially changing the way that people are supposed to turn out, ‘’ I've been drawing you out on this stuff, not because I'm interested in your terrible lifehood, but only because you represent a direct and pertinent threat to my lifehoood George openly admits that he's intimidated by Nick's youthful potential, and that he's seeking a way to undermine it. The audience see’s nick as an ideal man, coldly ambitious, good-looking and athletic who represents the idea of technological advancement. According to Martha he depicts, ‘’the perfect paragon of beauty and achievement’’. But as George and Martha ruthlessly involve them in their verbal battles, Albee reveals many flaws in nick in particular. It becomes revealed that the marriage of Nick and Honey is less than perfect and has serious problems. The appearance of a perfect marriage between Nick and Honey is shattered by Nick's admission that they got married because she was pregnant as stated by Nick, ‘’ I married her because she was pregnant. [†¦] It was a hysterical pregnancy. She blew up, and then she went down’’. Additionally Nick, the perfect model of a new faculty member, is rather easily seduced by Martha, â€Å"That’s right, lunkhead; answer the door†¦or are you too drunk to do that, too? Can’t get the latch up, either? Since nick failed to perform in the bedroom, he has lost all status in his relationship with Martha. This also makes one doubt the love in his marriage to honey. In who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee, nick is a very important character presented by Albee. Not only is he presented in part as an on-stage audience for George and Martha, he also exposes the falseness of â€Å"The American Dream’’ through his relationship with honey. As the perfect image of Nick and Honey crumbles, the final idealization of marriage and family also collapses. Edward Albee suggests that people in America are living in an illusion to which they hold on dearly to avoid facing the reality of a perfect marriage, children, wealth, success, education and religion, All of which compromise the American dream and hence Albee attacks and mocks this idea in the play which is revealed by the main characters to the audience.

Business Strategy Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Strategy Report - Essay Example Here the PESTEL and SWOT analysis as special tools enable the company to represent its strong sides and the fields for improvement and also assist in analyzing the opportunities that different factors give to it. Besides, when using the framework of Porter’s five forces, it assists the company to examine its current and potential rivals that may influence the business. While developing its new strategic vision, TESCO can use the Ansoff and Boston matrixes to identify its products and market share and also products and market growth strategy. The analysis of TESCO organizational design requires rethinking of its structure, systems, shared values and style of activities and also its employees and their abilities that would create the best opportunities for TESCO business growth and development. The McKinsey model will enable the company to identify the connections between such areas of the company. According to London Stock Exchange, the TESCO PLC Company, ISIN GB0008847096, represents FTSE sub-sector of Food Retailers and Wholesalers. Located in United Kingdom, it is one of the world’s largest retailers with the market capital in $15,214 million, revenue of 63557.00 million pounds and current total assets in 50164.00 million pounds (Company profile, 2014). Tesco currently operates in 13 countries, such as India, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Sovakia, China and others. No other supermarket chain with the basis in UK has operations abroad. While Tesco operates mainly in the UK, there are large format of hypermarkets located another countries. Founded in 1919, now it has grown to the sizes that give job to more than five hundred employees and serving millions of customers every day. The main competitors or TESCO are the J Sainsbury PLC, the UK chain of  supermarkets, a British-based but the

Distributive Justice (M4C) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Distributive Justice (M4C) - Essay Example However reasonable this might appear in the light of economic yardsticks, it will always remain a futile attempt in achieving medical ethics, if profit takes the center stage. Quality of healthcare may necessitate medical plans that require certain medical plans in the modern age. The sustainability of integrated health care plans designed in the modern era attracts a lot of complications that go far beyond cost issues (Frangenberg, 2011). Medical management will increasingly find it invaluable to rely on the provisions of medical ethics if the core responsibility of ensuring patients’ health is not to be compromised. Future medical systems will only veer off the controversy of inappropriate practices by conducting prior considerations of the underlying ethical issues before celebrating when it is too early. Distributive justice criteria is applied in the determination of where and how to allocate resources and is entirely guided by fairness principles (Maddox, 1998). Ach of the criteria must be thoroughly and critically dissected to determine implications on the basic ethics expected. It is therefore illogical to implement a blanket policy where the uninsured patients pay higher charges for the same procedure given to the insured. Maddox, P.J. (1998) â€Å"Administrative Ethics and the Allocation of Scarce Resources.† Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 3(3) Retrieved from:

Contract Law Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Law Problems - Essay Example ..any laws or regulations directed toward enforcing certain promises. In Australia contract law is primarily regulated by the 'common law', but increasingly statutes are supplementing the common law of contract - particularly in relation to consumer protection. â€Å" (Clarke, 2011). This law was formerly known in legal circles as the Trade Practices Act of 1974 but was officially renamed The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 on January 1, 2011 due to certain amendments that were made that â€Å"included a repeal of Part IVA (unconscionable conduct), Part V (Consumer Protection, including s 52), Part VA (Manufacturer's Liability) and Part VC (offences). The substance of the provisions that were contained in those parts is now contained in Schedule 2 of the Act which will be known as the 'Australian Consumer Law' and which, by virtue of enabling state and territory legislation, contains Australia's first nationally consistent consumer law. â€Å" (Clarke, 2011). One must keep in mi nd that a written contract is legally binding at the time of signing and cannot be altered nor revoked due to certain conditions that became present after the contract has been signed. By signing a contract, it becomes a legally binding promise on the side of both contracting parties to complete an agreed upon obligation. Australian law requires that a certain set of circumstances must be present at the time of the agreement for the written document to become a valid contract. These factors include â€Å" a compromising offer and acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, compliance with any legal formalities and that the parties have the legal capacity to contract. â€Å" (Clarke 2010). The contract that Watertankz entered into with Harry specifically detailed what he had to do as a client in order to make the document that contained their price quote into a legally binding contract. To be specific, their letter of communication clearly indicated that all Har ry had to do was â€Å"please sign the enclosed terms and conditions of sale document and mail it back to us together with a 10% deposit. The quote is valid until June 30 â€Å". I would then ask Harry to take note of the validity date of the quote that was sent to him, June 30. Under the agreement that was proposed and approved by the company signatories, his rights as their client and their obligation to fulfil the agreement is clearly spelled out. As long as Harry signs the document and gets the document and the check deposit in the mail before June 30, the contract is now legally binding. As such, there are now legal sanctions in place should either party decide to renege on their deal prior to the deadline (Government of South Australia, Contract Law, 2009). Just like any other company in the public service, the price of Watertankz supplies and other pertinent materials may see an increase in cost at any given moment. Which is exactly what happened in the case of Harry. The c ost of materials for Watertankz rose sharply on the first day of June, which would definitely cut into their profit margin or post a loss for their company earnings. So, it us understandable that they adjust their prices accordingly. However, the law of contracts clearly indicates that they cannot reject and formal contract bids that they closed within a specific time frame, regardless of the increase in costs for their own company. The law in effect, protects the

THE EARLY GUILTY PLEA DISCOUNT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE EARLY GUILTY PLEA DISCOUNT - Essay Example It also determines whether such discounts in any way create a penalty for offenders who plead not guilty thus exercising their right to trial. A sentencing discount refers to a particular reduction that is normally quantifiable and relating to a discrete factor and which the court apply after taking all other considerations of sentencing into account. They relate to post-offence conduct on offender’s part. An individual who has committed a criminal offense has some options in responding to accusations made against him or her. The rules of criminal procedure in a court of law allow an offender to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty and if the offender fails to enter any plea, the court enters a plea of not guilty on for the offender and then begins the trial (Howie, 2008). There has been heavy contest on the levels, aspects and the extent of discounting sentences for defendants who plead guilty. In the recent years, the Australia high court has also weighed in on the debate. It is a statutory requirement in Queensland that the court should take into account a guilty plea and if the court fails to reduce a sentence; it must state its reasons. However, if it reduces the sentence, it is not obliged to state what the definite reduction in sentence was. Actually, even without remorse, the court holds that there should be reduction in sentence. It has also been a requirement for a court to point out the way in which it is reducing a sentence, if it is reducing it as a following the plea. It may achieve a reduction by recommending an early parole. In determining sentence for the offence, a fact of unaccepted offer to plead guilty is relevant (Freiberg, 2006). Following the concern of the discrimination that two elemental notions in sentencing engendered, justices Callinan, Gaudron and Gummow had a joint judgment. They observed the

Service Encounter Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service Encounter Analysis - Essay Example Although I rather expected a sales person to descend upon me and attempt to make a sale, the fact of the matter was that I spent around 5-10 minutes browsing without anyone even asking if they could assist me. After such a time, I had a legitimate question concerning the specifications of a particular laptop. However, as I tried to make eye contact and get the attention of the section salesperson, I was all but ignored. Eventually I went to the salesperson and asked if they could assist me with a few questions I had. Rather than willingly offering their help, they seemed to begrudge the fact that they had to be troubled by a customer. Although to their credit they were able to answer my question in a knowledgeable way, they did not do so with the determination or desire that I would have expected from someone whose job it was to be in such a customer service oriented position. The physical location of the store was in central London. The dà ©cor and surroundings of the internal store itself were Spartan and geared more towards a utilitarian representation of the product to the customer rather than hoping to create an ambient store atmosphere. This â€Å"big box† feeling somewhat diminished from the customer service experience due to the fact that the customer feels that they are just another face in the crowd whose sole purpose is to come, buy, and leave. As a means of improving this particular service encounter, it is my belief that the situation could have greatly benefitted from hiring an individual who was both knowledgeable and interested in customer service. Although I was satisfied with the information I received, the way in which it was given was not willingly. As a means of bettering the level of customer care, the store might want to pay a closer attention to hiring better people and/or instilling a greater degree of customer care training in the future. Although the experience was less than stellar, the

Reflect on If I could be any historical figure within the time period, Research Paper - 1

Reflect on If I could be any historical figure within the time period, who would I be and why - Research Paper Example Whereas many of the founding fathers were ultimately against slavery, there were several that either did not discuss the issue in any level of depth or did not see it as a vital issue to the strength and continued growth/prosperity of the nation. Interestingly, many of the pro-and anti-slavery statements that were made by the founding fathers varied little throughout their lives. What is meant by this is that individuals such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison retained strong proslavery sentiments and wrote prolifically about the benefits that the institution of slavery had to offer. By the same token, individuals such as James Madison held anti-slavery views throughout his entire life. However, a third group necessarily exists within this seemingly obvious dichotomy. Individuals such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington initially held proslavery views; however, as they began to integrate with the American experience and formulate a more nuanced and philosophical understandi ng of the concepts of democracy, self determinism, and freedom of choice, their views concerning slavery began to shift. Whereas it is impossible to trace all of the founding fathers that had an epiphany with regards to slavery, this particular analysis will focus upon Benjamin Franklin and the way in which his political leanings began to shift later in his life with regards to the issue of slavery. In seeking to promote such an understanding of realization, the following analysis will focus specifically on primary that Benjamin Franklin was himself responsible for writing. Like many of the founding fathers, Franklin himself owned slaves in the earlier part of his life. However, as a result of his metropolitan nature and incessant travels, not to mention his polymath tendencies towards reading and writing on topics as broad and diverse as economics, philosophy, and ethics, Franklin came to understand that the practice of slavery was in and of itself abhorrent. As such, he soon relea sed the few slaves that he did possess. However, merely releasing the slaves that he was responsible for was not enough for Franklin. Rather, due to the fact that he saw slavery as such a morbid and horrific societal ill, he began to advocate abolition at a time when abolitionists were far from being in the vote. One of the most famous means through which Franklin was able to affect this was by signing and sending a petition to the first Congress in February 1790. Among other things, the petition requested time devoted towards â€Å"devising means removing the inconsistency from the character of the American people and promoting mercy and justice towards this distressed race† (Basker 221). However, before the reader begins to assume that Benjamin Franklin was a champion of human rights throughout his entire life, it must be added that beyond merely owning up to seven slaves in the earlier years, Franklin also worked for the Pennsylvania Gazette and was responsible for the pri nting and publication of information concerning wanted ads for the sale of slaves as well as rewards for the capture and return of runaway slaves (Franklin 7). Obviously, this information in and of itself must have touched upon the conscience of Benjamin Franklin as a means of promoting him towards a level of abolitionism later years. However, the fact remains that Benjamin Franklin can convincingly be labeled as both a tacit advocate of slavery as well as an abolitionist

The Adventist Church National City Concert Report Research Paper

The Adventist Church National City Concert Report - Research Paper Example The concert was governed by a program, which, in my view, presented the event as become the most interesting. There were various items on the program, but were all characterized by intercessions of songs and plays. In particular, a story was told before a song followed. In my view, this aspect of intercession was meant to address audience boredom; hence, making the concert to be particularly interesting.Perhaps, one of the unique aspects of the concert was that its program featured a Midsummer night’s dream, which was recited production by F.Mendelssohn, which was based on the Shakespearean play. In this regard, there might also have been no interesting bit of the concert other than the music brought with it the history live on stage. The concert was attended by many people across various groups, including the interested locals and the tourists. The Midsummer night Dream featured Grossmont Symphony Orchestra, as well as the women of the Grossmont Master Chorale. Randal Tweed w as the music director, but also featured Darron Devillez, Bonin Zackary, Albert Bolina, Andra Nagby, Denise MaMillan, as some main actors, actress and soprano team. These are the figures the figures that are argued as the Most-attend-when-playing. Another interesting bit in the concert presentation is the fact that customs were highly highlighted. The presentation was that which took the audience to the life in the medieval societies, documenting the differences in the customs in the current world and the gone days.

Nursing Research Summary and Ethical Considerations Essay

Nursing Research Summary and Ethical Considerations - Essay Example The birth of a child is a very important event in the life of a woman (CY Chan, Wong, Lam, Wong, & Kwok, 2014). The nature of birth a woman undergoes is also important since it also defines her perception of childbirth long after the child was born. Thus, this study was undertaken to establish the perception of postpartum women on what entails the best nursing qualities for nurses attending to pregnant women after birth. The study applied a qualitative research methodology, consisting of analysis of interviews undertaken on 15 postpartum women who had given birth to healthy infants in a  Ã‚   hospital in Hong Kong (CY Chan, Wong, Lam, Wong, & Kwok, 2014). The results of the analysis were extrapolated to give five basic nursing qualities desired by women after giving birth. The experience that a woman gets during and after giving birth can make or break her will to continue siring more children. Thus, if a woman experience during giving birth is positively satisfactory, then the woman is prepared for future siring of children (CY Chan, Wong, Lam, Wong, & Kwok, 2014). However, if a woman gets a negative experience after giving birth, her will to continue siring more children is broken. The significance of this study to nursing is that; childbirth is a very phenomenal event in the life of a woman and giving her a satisfactory experience is very important for the nursing profession. Thus, the study is significant to the nursing profession, since it establishes the qualities that the nurses attending to women during giving birth should have, and prepares the nursing profession for satisfactory attending to pregnant women after giving birth (CY Chan, Wong, Lam, Wong, & Kwok, 2014). The purpose of the study was to establish the best qualities that nurses attending to women during and after giving birth should possess. The objective of the study was to establish the best qualities of obstetric nurses that can lead to satisfactory attending of postpartum women. The phenomenon of this study is that the role of the obstetric nurses is important in defining the satisfactory levels of women during and after giving birth (CY Chan, Wong, Lam, Wong, & Kwok, 2014).     

Environment degradation Essay Example for Free

Environment degradation Essay This is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources for instance water, soil and even air. In environmental degradation, the ecosystem is destroyed and wildlife undergoes extinction. There are many forms of environmental degradation that are of negative impact to agriculture. For instance, when habitats are destroyed, biodiversity is lost and natural resources are depleted. The environment is most affected as organisms which give it life are no more (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). The earthworms that enrich soil fertility are killed by soil pollution. This means that if earthworms are all eliminated, the soil will not be fertile. The degradation of the environment can occur naturally, or through human processes which includes different kinds of pollution. Areas of concern in the same concept are loss of rain forests, air pollutions and the ozone depletion. The marine environment is also affected. These kinds of pollutions are known to occur all over the world and the blame is on the people themselves for the activities they carry out. This has poisoned the planet’s oceans and even the remote areas. Major disasters like oil spills have ruined the local environment. All these hazards can be curbed by individuals by stopping the constant pollution of the environment. To some extents, different organizations have been formed to help rehabilitate locations that have been affected. One way to do this is urban agriculture. With urban agriculture, the environment can be conserved since the wastes from industries can be converted to be fertilizers in the farms around the cities. Statistical facts It is estimated that 50% of the world’s populations live in cities (UNFPA, 2007). In the cities, most populations settle there for various reasons such as studies and seeking for employment. As economic pressures mount, the urban population engages in urban agriculture as labor is available with large population in urban centers. The growing of crops and rearing of animals in the urban areas has become common. About 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world wide and this has contributed to the feeding urban residents (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). It is definite that with food production or rather the general production of farm outputs, the city residents can get a plenty supply of food in their respective areas of residence. With large populations in the cities and with plenty food products from urban agriculture, there will not be any instance of food deficiency. Urban residents with low income spend between 40 percent and 60 percent of their income on food every year (RUAF, n. d). The only remedy to this is that these low income residents can start practicing urban agriculture to supplement the expenditures on food. If they participate in urban agriculture, they will be able to save up to 60% of their incomes at the end of each year (Neondo, 2003). The money they would have spent on buying food can be saved and used to develop other areas of the economy. This means a lot of to the growth of the economy of the particular country. It is expected that by 2015, about 26 cities in the world will have a population of 10 million or even more (FAO, n. d). To be able to manage these populations, countries are obliged to concentrate in urban agriculture because they have little choices left. It is therefore encouraged for urban dwellers to practice heavily on urban agriculture, with an objective of keeping the country away from food shortage come 2015(FAO, n. d). 2. The spectrum of urban agriculture and the function of relevant organizations Urban agriculture has some aspects that distinguish it from rural agriculture. One of them is the fact that it is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. It is evident that urban agriculture is embedded in the urban ecosystem of which it interacts with. Such linkages involve using urban residents as laborers and the use of typical urban resources for instance organic waste as compost and urban waste water for irrigation. In urban agriculture, there is a direct link with urban consumers and direct positive and negative impacts on urban ecology (Amin, 2002). Urban agriculture is also characterized by being part of the urban food system and competing for urban land with other urban functions. It is also influenced by other urban policies and plans. Some of the organizations that influence urban agriculture both directly and indirectly are Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA), and the Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF Foundation)

Impact of the Nigerian Business Environment on Shell

Impact of the Nigerian Business Environment on Shell ABSTRACT Since the advent of crude oil production half a century ago in Nigeria, other parts of the productive economy such as agriculture and manufacturing have been neglected by the government and also the countrys poor and shambolic infrastructure has made doing business too costly for investors. There is a major exodus of Manufacturing companies from Nigeria presently as the rising cost of running their business is eating deeply into their profits for example Michelin, closed its operations in Nigeria two years ago citing the high cost of production, while chocolate maker, Cadbury has found it cheaper to move production to neighbouring country (like Ghana) and re-import its goods. Cheaper imports from China have closed a high percentage of factories in Nigerias once-thriving textile industry. Investors who bought equipment with foreign exchange component said they now need more naira to pay for their loans. They linked what is happening to their investment now to the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) or pre-SFEM days when importers suddenly had huge accumulated debts resulting from the adjustment of the exchange rate, over dependant on foreign goods, and high level of corrupt within the system. The micro and macro economic factors impacting on the running costs of manufacturing and production companies doing business in Nigeria makes it difficult for continued business activities in Nigeria by expatriate companies unless they are really making profit or they have a business that do not depend largely on the infrastructural amenities in Nigeria or can build a mini city that generates and produces its own power and other resources necessary to run its business such as Royal Dutch Shell. This report looks at the impact of the Nigerian business environment on Shell Plc and analysed the risks involved with macro-environmental factors. The report also analysed the strengths and weakness of shell Plc and strategies employed to take advantage of its strengths and opportunities in dealing with the various challenges they face. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 NIGERIA The Federal Republic of Nigeria comprises thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The three largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba (see appendix, fig 1). Nigeria has a population of almost 148 million and is the most populous African country and the 9th most populated country in the world. It has about 400 Languages (Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo Etc) and its official Language Is English but its Lingua Franca in the North Is Hausa, Yoruba in the West, Ibo in the East and Pidgin English in the South. The Nigerian currency is Naira and Kobo (see appendix, fig 2). Nigeria has a dual economy with a modern segment dependent on oil earnings, overlaid by a traditional agricultural and trading economy. At independence in 1960, agriculture accounted for well over half of GDP, and was the main source of export earnings and public revenue. The oil sector, which emerged in the 1960s and was firmly established during the 1970s now making Nigeria the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and 8th largest exporter is now of overwhelming importance to the point of over-dependence: it provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. Competition between ethnic and regional groups for power and access to the countrys oil wealth has been at the root of politics in Nigeria. The per capita income of Nigeria is $2,300 as at 2008 base on the reports from the World Fact book. Nigeria is governed by a democratic government but not politically stable because Nigeria is a country of extremes. Great wealth and great poverty sit cheek by jowl, and tensions between different communities can boil over into civil strife especially in the delta region. While a few parts of the country remain problematic, the vast majority is as warm and welcoming to visitors as anywhere. The country have an image problem as corruption seems to be the order of the day, also email scams (419) has become known as a lot of innocent yet greedy people have been a prey to this scam. Conducting business in Nigeria is characterized with so many factors and this report will critically analyze the business environmental factors, degree of risk involved and the advantages of operating in such an environment (Nigeria). 1.1 ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC The Royal Dutch Shell Plc is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies founded by Alfred Donovan, was formed in February 1907 with the amalgamation of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company (legal name in Dutch, N.V. Koninklijke, Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij) and the Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd of the United Kingdom, a move largely driven by the need to compete globally with the then predominant US petroleum company, John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil in the ratio of 60:40. Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) is engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, transportation and marketing of natural gas and electricity, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals. The company also has interests in renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar; and hydrogen. The company has extensive operations in more than 140 countries around the world. Its headquartered is in The Hague, the Netherlands and employs more than 300,000 people across the globe. The company recorded revenues of $318,845 million during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 3.9% over 2005. The operating profit of the company was $45,777 million during fiscal year 2006, an increase of 0.3% over 2005. The net profit was $26,311 million in fiscal year 2006, an increase of 0.2% over 2005. The current supplies earnings for year 2008 were $31.4 billion compared to $27.6 billion for year 2007 with an increase of 13.7%. 1.2 Management The Non executive chairman of Shell is Jorma Ollila, former Chairman and CEO of Nokia, he was appointed on the 1 June 2006. Ollila is the first Shell Chairman to be neither Dutch nor British. Other non-executive directors include Maarten van den Bergh, Wim Kok, Nina Henderson, Lord Kerr, Adelbert van Roxe, and Christine Morin-Postel. Jeroen van der Veer is the present CEO of Shell. 1.3 Shell Plc in Nigeria Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) started onshore operations in Nigeria since 1958 as part of a consortium led by NNPC (The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) with 55 percent and including Shell (30 percent), Elf (10 percent) and Agip (5 percent). SPDCs operations concentrate in the Niger Delta and offshore shallows nearby, where it holds oil mining leases covering an area of 31,000 km2. There, it has installed more than 6,000 km of pipelines and flow lines, 87 flow stations, eight gas plants and more than 1,000 producing wells. In 1997, SPDC produced 899,000 barrels per day from this system (about 40 percent of Nigerias OPEC crude oil quota). The SPDC workforce stands at more than 10,000 people of whom 4,500 are employees; the remainder work for contractors and of total workers, 98 percent are Nigerians (see appendix, fig 3 for Niger delta oil field in Nigeria). Shell also has three other companies which are NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas) a gas company to produce Liquefied Natural gas and natural gas liquids for export. Shell is in joint venture with Nigeria with a 25.6% interest in NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas) together with NNPC (49%) while SNEPCO (Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company) and SNG (Shell Nigeria Gas) are both 100% owned by Shell. SNEPCO comprise Shell Plc, Total, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron Corporation. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 SHELL PLC AND OIL INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA 2.1 Oil and Gas The Oil and Gas Industry has played a major role globally. It has always been a central global player in international development and geopolitics and because of the critical importance of hydrocarbon based energy as the engine of rapid industrial growth in modern economy, either capitalist or communist. Due to the intrinsic dependence of this centurys growth model on access to ever-greater reserves, the industry has had to deal with increasing complexity in its relations with developing countries and environments. This in turn has led to increased cost of operations to match the growth models demands (Meadows et al, 1972; Nordhaus, 1973). WCED (1987) agreed that since 1970s, continued hydrocarbon-based Growth model is only justifiable if profits are ploughed into technological advances that would ensure a timely and less painful transition to alternative energy. 2.2 Challenges Faced By Shell Plc in Nigeria Since Shell started producing Oil in Nigeria, it has faced a lot of challenges in dealing with the government, micro and macro economics factors in Nigeria and most especially the communities, as Shell production led to oil spillage, gas leakage and so many more. It has affected the soil and water which is the main source of earnings for people in the Niger delta, as the agriculture and fishing has almost become impossible which is source of living for the people. This has raised a lot of community clashes with Shell so much so that their operations in Nigeria has been globally criticised and has also affected the image of company. In 1995, the company faced two major challenges; firstly, the Greenpeace occupied its Brent Spar platform in the North Sea to prevent its being decommissioned by sinking. Secondly, the Nigerian government executed Ogoni human rights activists: Ken Saro Wiwa, the head of the MOSOP (Movement for the survival of Ogoni people) a campaigning organization representing the ogoni people in their struggle for ethnic and environmental rights and eight others, this problem led to boycotts, public outcry and violence against the company. The crises arose soon after Shell began to review its societal relations, and further catalyzed internal support for transformation. Unfortunately, they occurred at a moment when the company was casting about for ways to avoid exactly such crises, leading Shell officials to heed those who internally promoted a new approach. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 ANALYSIS OF NIGERIAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS For management of Shell Plc to apply effective Strategy that will work at international level and which will also reflect the Companys Vision, Mission, and Objectives, they need to understand the international business environment (both internal and external environment) of the host country (Niger delta, Nigeria). A good international strategic planner must recognise all relevant factors within the environment before pushing it through the process of analysing, decisions making and actions taking. Putting the relevant factors into consideration and testing them will help to create sustainable competitive advantages over other competitors. After critical analysis of the international business environment by the team of strategic planners for Shell Plc regarding Nigeria Oil Industry, decision needs to be taken to determine the mode of operation that should be employed by the company in order to compete effectively and efficiently within the oil industry of the host country. Decisions are of no use unless they have been implemented (acted on and monitored); Shell Plc needs competent strategists that will utilize the available resources effectively to bring the intended operations and strategies to reality. Shell Plc has been in Oil business since 1886 and operates around the world. The company has been able to maintain good name (goodwill), good customers loyalty, and strong customer database. The company construct meaningful strategic planning for Nigeria business environment before/after operating in the country, while the strategy is monitored and reviewed quarterly to reflect the companys true vision, mission, and objectives. 3.1 SWOT ANALYSIS The Strengths of Royal Dutch in Nigeria includes SPDC (Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria) is the Oldest Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria. It was the first company to begin the production of Oil and Gas in Nigeria as a result, the company was able to monopolise the Oil Sector in Nigeria for a long period and established herself as a for-runner with a higher percentage than any competitors in the market. SPDC has a long standing name as one of the biggest Oil and Gas Company in the world as such it has the necessary equipment and money to invest in exploration of oil in Nigeria. Shell has been in business for over a century and they came to Nigeria with wealth of experience, technology, innovation and machinery. Shell operates autonomy of Shell Companies in a decentralized structure allowing Shell Offices in different countries to deal with the regulations, culture and behaviour of the communities in the best suitable way to meet their needs and concern. The Weaknesses of Shell Plc in Nigeria are: Shell faces the challenges that most companies encountered when they come into other countries as they have to learn the new rules, regulations and behaviours of the country and this can be a weakness from the start. Shell was not prepared for the challenge of dealing with the expense of ameliorating socio-environmental concerns which escalated and caused a lot of criticism internally and damaged the image of the company globally. The Opportunities of Shell Plc in Nigeria are: Nigeria was a virgin ground and shell Plc had the opportunity of being the first oil and gas to start production of oil and since then more and more oil fields were been discovered in Nigeria which has led to continuous production and increased production and business for the company. Shell had the opportunity for developing new business ideas as Nigeria gave them the licence to do that which led to joint venture between Shell Plc and Nigerian government, then the discovery of Natural gas led to LNG (another Joint venture) with Nigerian government and other opportunities opened up and shell now has SNEPCO and SNG, wholly owned. Also, Shell has the financial background to go into deep water exploration that led to new discoveries and new business expansion. The Threats of operating in Nigeria are: Fear of persistent interruption in their operations or damages to their properties and machineries by the militants in the delta region from which they conduct the drilling. Oil Gas extraction will someday reach a limit point but technical improvements in seismic exploration and extraction efficiencies have ensured continuing growth in reserves at the resource frontier. Growth of alternative sources of energy particularly renewable such as biomass and solar might changed their modus operandi. Continuing criticism on their image globally will increase costs spend on company and brand image. The new oil reform bill that would allow the Nigeria to retake acreage that has not yet been explored by their owners. Fear of new players into the oil sector from China and Brazil that will break its dominance in Nigerian oil and gas sector. It may be the target for other competitors. 3.2 PEST ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENT If organisation is able to know that only one thing that constant in this world is change, it would be able to make plan for emergent situations by understanding its business environment. It is very important for any organisation that intends to operate in Nigeria business environment to conduct environmental analysis before and after starting a business. In fact, continuous process should be applied to all aspects of planning because Nigeria business environment is not predictable despite its attractiveness. The companys strategic planners must be able to identify its marketing environment that is made up of the following: The internal environment is the staff (or internal customers- hired contractors), office technology, finance, wages etc. The microenvironment is the organisational external customers, suppliers, distributors, other competitors etc. Company with strong internal forces can still set up strategies to dictate the mode of its operations. The macro-environment cannot be control but company can set up strategies that will help in adapting to the business environment, which is known as PEST FACTORS- Political Factors (and Legal), Economic Factors, Socio-cultural Factors, and Technological Factors (see appendix, fig 4). 3.2.1 POLITICAL/ LEGAL FACTORS political/legal factors influences the environmental regulations which participants in the oil industry must comply with. As with many factors in the general environment, changes that benefit one industry may damage others. For example, on the political front, government legislation can affect oil production by increasing the leasing charges on oilfield and then charge taxes per barrel produced. In a broader view, the following constitutes the numerous political and legal issues to be considered in any business environment: Political stability Risk of military invasion Legal framework for air pollution Intellectual property protection Industrial safety regulations Anti-trust laws Pricing regulation Taxation and incentives Wages legislation Hours work per week Mandatory employee benefits RISK ASSESSMENT ON POLITICAL/LEGAL FACTORS Nigerian political/legal history was characterised by military intervention, civil war, ethnic sentiments, and marginalisation. The country has a bad record in democratic set up and abuse of human right practices. The high level of corruption and political instability did not allow the rule of law to reflect in the society and also, the problem of instability in government policy due to lack of continuity in governance. Shell Plc assessed Nigerian business environment and capitalised on the corruption practices of the people. The company involvement in the execution of environmental activist (Ken Saro-wiwa) and eight Ogoni people that protested against the company reckless operations on their farm lands (in Niger Delta) cannot be dismissed. The political/legal factors do not possess any risk to Shell Plc if it knows is way. It is not necessary also for the company to follow all the legislations laid down for the Oil Industry. Legislations on industrial safety, air pollution control, wages, maximum hours work, mandatory employee benefits etc were not observed by the company. 3.2.2 ECONOMIC FACTORS the economy has an impact in all industries, from suppliers of raw materials to manufacturers of finished goods and services as well as all organisation in the service, wholesale, retail, government and non-profit sectors of economies. Key economic indicators include the following: Interest rates Unemployment rate Type of economic system in countries of operation Government intervention in the free market Comparative advantages of host country Exchange rates and stability of host country currency Efficiency of financial markets Workforce and labour cost Business cycle stage (e.g. prosperity, recession and recovery) RISK ASSESSMENT ON ECONOMIC FACTORS Nigeria operates mixed economy system which helps Shell Plc to manipulate the system because of government intervention in the economy. The interest rate does not pose any threat to Shell Plc because it did not take loans from any Nigerian banks. The companys bankers (the foreign banks) finance and support all their financial activities which favour Shell Plc because of devaluation in Nigerian currency. The major economic risk assessment to Shell Plc operating in Nigeria is increase in unemployment rate (especially in Niger Delta) due to exploitation of crude oil in that area that leads to job lost. The effect of this action has turned thousand of youths into militant groups that kidnapped foreign workers employed the company in exchange for money while some stole extracted oil from Shell. Despite the problem encountered from the militants, the company still operate in Nigeria because of prosperity attached to Oil Industry in Nigeria. 3.2.3 SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS -socio-cultural forces influence the values, believes, and lifestyles of a society. Examples include a higher percentage of women in civil service and more men engineering related jobs, holidaymaker, dual-income families, night out orientation, increases in the number of temporary workers, greater concern for healthy diets and physical fitness, greater interest in the environment, and postponement of having children. Some of these factors affect Oil Industry in Nigeria. RISK ASSESSMENT ON SOCIAL-CULTURAL FACTORS The risks that associate with Social-Cultural factors are many especial to the indigene of Niger Delta where eighty percent of the population are illiterate and have strong believed in their local tradition. Most of the indigene want to work for Shell Plc as a security officer or domestic assistant but their level of literacy does not matched the companys requirement. Shell Plc has employed some of the indigene on temporary basis and gives them opportunity to integrate within the system. The company give out scholarship to the indigene of Niger Delta to increase their level of literacy and give them sound orientations that meet the companys standard in order to tackle some of the problems associated with these factors. 3.2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS development in technology leads to new products and services and improve how they are produced and delivered to the customers. Innovations can create entire new industries and alter boundaries of existing industries. Issues to be considered in technological analysis include the following: Recent technological development Technologys impact on product offering Impact on cost of production Impact on value chain structure Rate of technological diffusion RISK ASSESSMENT ON TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS The only major risk on technological factors is problem of electricity power supply which can hinder technological advancement. This problem has been taken care for by using Power Generator to support the power system but add to the cost of production. There are no standard infrastructural facilities in place when Shell Plc moved to Nigeria but the government is now committed to modern technological development. Shell Plc imports most of its equipment with foreign expertise that operate it and then arranged with the expertise to train home workers. This process improves technological adoption and diffusion which also reduce the cost of production in long run. The company have used different methods to attract young talented graduates (in all disciplines but priority to engineering students) and trained them to become an expert. The number of Macro- environmental factors is virtually unlimited. In practice, the oil producers must prioritise and monitor those factors that influence the industry. It may be difficult to forecast future trends of any international business environment base on the macro-environmental factors with an accurate level of acceptability because of its complexity. 3.3 STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY SHELL PLC FOR DEALING WITH CHALLENGES Shell Plc used corporate alliance strategy to shed off threats from competitors and to maintain its dominant position. The company operates joint venture with Nigerian government (NNPC) and also in partnership with Total, Chevron Corporation, and Exxon Mobil Corporation to form Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). The company was also in partnership with Globacom (a Nigerian telecommunication company) to create employment impact that will enhance the companys operations (Shell Plc) in Nigeria. Their strategy involved helping communities to leverage income and improve their quality of life in conventional ways, such as creating jobs and assisting to defray costs of social overheads such as roads, schools and hospitals. The company set up a committee that look into complain by the farmer(s). The committee assessed complains and compensate appropriate to their loss. The company also support the government initiative on amnesty by giving support to militants that submit their gun(s). The company want to support training or education of militants that surrendered their ammunition for to better life (see appendix, fig 6 for the images of militants surrendered their guns). The company is using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to build its image locally and globally to show more concern on corporate governance and sustainable development. The CSR campaign by Shell Plc is to accelerate developmental and employment-generating opportunities across the Nation but especial Niger delta. Two special partnerships have been entered into by the company with USAID (United States Agency for International Development)- a 5 year worth $20 million agreement to develop Nigerian capacity in agriculture, health and business enterprise; and with Africare- a 3 year worth $4.5 million partnership that focus on reducing deaths from malaria. Security strategy was used to crush the militants through cooperation between Shell and State Security Forces but proved ultimately counterproductive as youth militancy increased and the security deteriorated across the wider Delta. The militants target (kidnap) the foreign workers and key officers in Shell Plc in exchange for money (compensation) which nearly put an end to Shell operations in that region (see appendix, fig 5 for images of workers kidnapped). The company outlined a new approach of CSR and community engagement which aimed to build a security-development nexus in partnership with local people. This approach has worked well for the company but now it has led to uncivil tensions along gendered and ethnic lines which undermine the prospect of a long term solution. 3.4 NIGERIAN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE- Porters Diamond Model SWOT analysis was used to determine the advantages, the level of attractiveness and risk involved in Nigerian business environment in line with the macro environmental factors for Shell Plc to operate in Nigeria (especially in Oil Gas Sector). Despite the problems and criticism encountered by Shell Plc, the company still operate and increase investment in Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector, and also extend partnership across the sector because of Nigerian comparative advantage. The Nigerian business environment possesses most of the qualities and characteristics that determine national competitive advantage as stated by Michael Porter in his theory (see appendix, fig 7 for porters diamond model). He identifies four sets of conditions that are essential in determining country competitive advantage: Factor conditions- human, knowledge, physical, technological and capital resources. Demand conditions- quality and quantity of home demand, demand that internationalised the domestic market will stimulate innovation faster in the domestic market. Related and supporting industries- availability of aid to trade (banking, insurance, transportation, warehouse and telecommunication). Firm strategy, structure and rivalry- local rivals and strategy that works with business environment. There are two other factors that can play an important role for any company to fully enjoy competitive advantage of any nation: chance (war, politics, financial movement and serendipity) and government (government policies, subsidies, training/education, and effective capital market). We have discussed most of these factors in our SWOT analysis and PEST analysis on Shell Plc. CHAPTER FOUR CONCLUSION What is Shell Plc comparative advantage in economic reform, competitiveness and economic governance when viewed in the light of activities initiated by other bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, and the Government of Nigeria? Shell Plcs broad comparative advantages are in government institutional strengthening and promoting private sector-led growth. Shell Plc has the most impact when it targets its activities in these areas at operational levels, where they can have sustainable effects, rather than at broad consensus-building (except in public awareness activities). In a vast bureaucratic environment like Nigerias, support must be highly selective, focusing on agencies and institutions in key leverage positions. These activities will complement the comparative advantages of other donors (who are operating at different sector but in partnership with Shell plc like Globacom and USAID). Globacom will continue to focus on telecommunication, and its technical and operational activities in the technology area can coordinate with Shell Plc. The USAIDs comparative advantage is in developing and implementing programs that actually address agriculture, health and business development. Shell Plcs CSR campaigns and partnership with international body (like Africare and USAID) will go a long way to redeem the image of the company internationally and also help to maximise their competitive advantage over others (like BP- British Petroleum). Their support to Nigerian government amnesty to educate and employ militants that surrendered their guns will reduce the number of youth that join militant group to survive. It is very important to be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of any organisation when using SWOT analysis; it is of most important to identify the organisational current strengths and weaknesses then future chances. The macro environmental factors need to be mirrored with the organisational competitive advantage. Continuing evaluation of organisation strategy will help to check how effective they are in practice and then helps to inform of future environmental challenges. References Best, M. (1990) the New Competition: Institutions of Industrial Restructuring. Harvard University Press, Cambridge Dabbs and Bateson (1998), corporate impact of addressing social issues in projects of the developing world, Pro-Natural. Lima, Peru Davis, J (1998), a Commitment to Sustainable Development, WBCSD, London. Elkington, J (1998) Contributing to Society, a personal view. In Shell International, Ltd. Profits and Principles: does there have to be a choice? London. pp. 46-47. Environmental Resources Management (ERM), 1996, Camisea: Increasing Social Capital. London, May Faulds, E, F. Morrison and A. Wilkinson Shell, UK (1998) Engineering in a Show Me Frynas, Jedzrej George Oil in Nigeria: conflict and Litigation between Oil Companies and Village Communities Hamburg Lit 2000 Hastings, M, Corporate Incentives and environmental decision making: A case study and workshop report Centre for Global Studies, September 1999 Marketing Teacher (2008), Analysing the Environment- Five Forces Analysis retrieved on 08, December 2009 www.marketingteacher.com The World Fact Book (2009), Country with top per capita income retrieved on 03, December 2009 Wade, B.N

Market Oriented Development Strategy for Niger Delta

Market Oriented Development Strategy for Niger Delta ADOPT MARKET-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT. PURPOSE: To provide you with advice on policy strategy for market-oriented development for Niger Delta development and a recommended course of action. BACKGROUND: Conflicts in Niger Delta have generated domestic and international concerns. For more than 20 years, Niger Delta has experienced recurring conflicts often followed by violence which have been inspired, largely, by broad range of economic factors (for example, increased sense of marginalization, exploitation and injustice by the Niger Delta people, and increased poverty and inequality), political factors (for example, long-lasting corruption, mismanagement of allocated resources, and insensitivity of government to the needs and concerns of the Niger Delta people), environmental factors (for example, land degradation and other environmental disasters) and socio-cultural factors (for example, poor value orientation, particularly amongst the youth). Conflicts in Niger Delta have revealed a paradox in the economic development of the region. Niger Delta has remained the driving force of Nigerias oil and gas wealth, having the second highest recognized oil reserves in Africa and being the eight largest oil exporter in the world. Despite the abundance of natural resources, particularly oil and gas, in Niger Delta, and the huge amount of financial resource allocations from the federal government to, and financial investments by oil companies and donor agencies in, the region, Niger Delta has continued to produce disappointing economic development results. There has been a complete disconnection between the level of socio-economic developments in Niger Delta and the amount of financial resources that government, donor agencies, and oil companies operating in Niger Delta have invested in the region. These huge financial resources do not reflect in the living standards of the Niger Delta people; hence they have had insignificant impact on economic development in the region. The paradox in the economic development of Niger Delta has stimulated difficult development challenges, most especially as the conflicts between communities and oil companies, and government, as well as amongst communities, over resource allocations continue to manifest. Though the past governments have adopted many intervention programmes, through various government agencies, which have, indeed, helped to stabilize security situation in the region and created opportunity for economic development engagements, however, the fundamental causes of conflicts have not been tackled. The fundamental causes of conflicts reside in chronic poverty and inequality in Niger Delta. These are still largely deep-rooted in the regions checkered history of marginalization and deprivation, and are connected very much with the continuing forms of instability in the region. ISSUES: The key issue is the paradox in the economic development of Niger Delta. Development results in Niger Delta have been disappointing, despite the abundance of natural resources in the region, and huge amount of financial resources that government, oil companies and donor agencies have invested in the region (See Attachment A in the Appendix). Another issue is the continued difficult development challenges in Niger Delta, for example, administrative oversight, deteriorating socio-economic infrastructures, increasing poverty, inequality and unemployment, declining value orientation amongst young people, and long-lasting conflicts, despite governments interventions. These development challenges have continued to undermine intervention programmes by various government agencies. As a result, the fundamental causes of conflicts in Niger Delta have remained unsolved. These issues have revealed the imperative for a market-oriented economic development strategy. This is particularly important now that the security situation in the region has been stabilized to a large extent. The premise is that for the economic challenges in Niger Delta to be solved, development strategy needs to capture what the Niger Delta people perceive to be their interests, concerns and needs. The precept is that the federal government should focus on providing co-dependent elements of market-oriented development, for example, creating enabling environment for private sector participation in infrastructure development, while the private sector and donor agencies should assist the government in building the capacities of the Niger Delta people and strengthening the policymaking environment. ANALYSIS: Conflicts in Niger Delta have, historically, been framed on resource allocations. In all the conflicts, government has always been blamed for not returning to Niger Delta the proceeds that are derived from the sale of resources produced in the region. In recent years, as part of governments intervention programme to develop the region, government has set up agencies, for example, the Niger Delta Development Commission (in 2000), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (in 2009), the Presidential Amnesty Programme (in 2009), and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (in 2012). Through these agencies government has channelled funds for the development of the region. Available data shows that between 2010 and 2014, federal government has allocated about NGN7.4 trillion to Niger Delta. This amount came from different sources, for example, statutory oil revenue allocation, federal allocations to Niger Delta states, budgetary allocations to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme, and Ecological Fund, Pipeline Security Contracts for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, allocations from the Millennium Development Goals, financial contributions from international oil companies, and financial support from development donors (See Attachments A B). What these mean is that the fundamental problem with the development of Niger Delta is not lack of agencies to implement development plans, or allocation of funds to the region, but managing the funds allocated to the region. The processes for managing the funds allocated to Niger Delta have been deficient in transparency and accountability. The issues with the management of funds allocated to the region speak volumes about the poor governance structures and processes of various development plans. Findings from the reports published by the National Bureau of Statistics and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative between 2010 and 2013 have shown that there is presence of overlap and duplication of projects amongst agencies that are involved in Niger Delta development. The overlap and duplication are as a result of absence of a coherent development plan that is shared by the agencies. This has created inefficiency in project delivery, as resources are unevenly distributed. For example, while many projects are abandoned for lack of funds, other projects are duplicated. Other findings from studies done on states and local governments in the Niger Delta region have shown that there is lack of community engagement in the design and implementation of development programmes, as well as in budgeting processes for infrastructure projects. Many development projects do not include the preferences of the communities; hence the projects are often not tailored to the needs of the people. OPTIONS: There are three options to consider: Option A: Adopt a coherent market-oriented economic development strategy for Niger Delta development. Option B: Review the effectiveness of all the existing development plans that have been developed by various government agencies involved in Niger Delta development, and integrate the relevant initiatives into the strategy in option A. Option C: Recommend to Mr President to mandate all the relevant government agencies involved in Niger Delta development to collaborate and consolidate efforts towards developing the strategy in option A. RATIONALES: The current development plans for Niger Delta do not work for the vast majority of the poor people in the region because of the reasons (and more) stated in the analysis above. Therefore, the region needs a coherent market-oriented economic development strategy that will focus largely on tackling the fundamental issues poverty and inequality. Niger Delta development requires market-based systems that benefit the people, include the people in policy/decision making processes, have efficient governance structures and processes for managing funds allocated to the region, and can be sustained. The proposed strategy is not a new plan, rather an operational instrument, with a unified governance framework that is shared by all agencies involved in Niger Delta development, for implementing the existing development plans. To support Option A, the following cases are made: Case 1: Market systems must be beneficial to the poor: This makes the case that the market systems must be all-inclusive; well-organized; represent the interests of the poor; and sustainable in order to work for the poor. Case 2: Markets are integral part of peoples livelihood: The underlying principle here is that poor people rely largely on the market systems for their means of livelihood. Thus, peoples lives can be improved significantly through functional and sustainable market systems. Case 3: Social inclusion is essential for reducing poverty and closing inequality gap: This presents the case that the key to reducing poverty and closing inequality gap facing Niger Delta is enhancing the opportunities for people to participate in policy/decision making processes. Case 4: Access to the market systems: The guiding principle here is that access to the market systems creates an economic virtuous circle, where peoples standard of living is improved, productivity is enhanced, incomes are increased, food security is strengthened, and hunger and poverty are reduced. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The activities that will be carried out in respect of Options A and B will be funded from the budgetary allocations of the government agencies that will be involved in the processes. There is enough scope within their budgets to undertake the activities. Option C has no financial implications. RECOMMENDATIONS: The Honourable Minister is graciously invited to: Agree to adopt the strategy proposed in this brief to ensure consolidation of the gains from the stabilized security situation in, and development of, Niger Delta. Note that the proposed strategy is not a new plan, but an operational instrument, with a unified governance framework, for implementing the existing development plans. Agree to direct for a review of all the existing development plans developed for Niger Delta development. Agree to recommend to Mr President to direct all the relevant agencies involved in Niger Delta development to collaborate and consolidate efforts towards developing the proposed strategy.

Love Over the Centuries in Writing Essay -- Poetry Poets Writing Love

Love Over the Centuries in Writing Compare the different ways and forms in which poets have written about love over the centuries? Love is a universal theme throughout literature from past to modern day. Love has evolved over the centuries, in the way people feel it and show it and so has the way poets have written about love. Over centuries history has changed the values of love and what it is from the French Revolution to the First World War. Always love is an important theme in society therefore in literature. Creating poems of the time to reflect the period when it was written. In the 17th century, poets portrayed love to be sexual and the women would not be sexually active until marriage, because the 17th century was a time of strict religion. Men would idealise their love for a women but women would want be virgins and this is portrayed in the poem ‘To His Coy Mistress’. This love is called courtly love and was very traditional in the 17th century. In the first stanza Andrew Marvell describes the love in the poem in first person. This makes the poem personal and is important to show how intimate the love is with using the second person pronoun "we" can illustrate connection or bond between him and her, this can express that a woman is not just a sexual object but a partner in life. The whole poem is a speech to get the women into bed. Andrew Marvell uses biblical references to illustrate to how love to his mistress goes on for eternity. Andrew Marvell describes by using the mention of the Jews in the poem. The religious aspect to the poem is a way to show love in 17th century. The love is over exaggerated in the first stanza, and the reader in the 21st century would find this humorous but in ... ...o convey how love feels and have individualised poems, and how love can be expressed. In conclusion to this essay, poems have evolved with how society has changed the poems I have analysed can show this themselves. These poems show society as it was when they were wrote however some of the poems can relate to the modern day society in which we live in today. Love poems from centuries ago can relate to people now, the reason for this is that love is an emotion that will never die and it is felt by everyone. The poem ‘First Love’ can be read by anyone today and people can relate to their own first love; love can also be rejected by anyone. Females are still being victims of prejudice even though as a society we are against sexism, this is a reason why ‘A Women to her Lover’ can be related to by any women today wanting to be an equal in life and love.

Essay --

With energy demand projected to almost double in the Asia and Pacific region by 2030, there is a necessity for innovative ways to generate power while at the same time reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Secretary-General made sustainable energy one of the five key priorities which include developing sustainability guidelines and criteria for bioenergy production and use; mapping landscapes to determine bioenergy potential in developing countries; and promoting investment in bioenergy. United Nations reiterated that universal access to energy, improved efficiency and enhanced deployment of renewable sources are achievable, and the is leading a â€Å"Sustainable Energy for All† initiative led by the Secretary-General to make them achievable. (UN Foundation,2013) Vital trends relevant to biomass energy project development are the power infrastructure and the project finance market. (Minnich, 2010) The first deals with emerging economies, particularly in Asia-Pacific nations such as the Philippines, are continually challenged by inadequate power supply to meet demands. The problem is exaggerated in nations where rural electricity is limited by geographical barriers or political challenges. Hence, many nations have established models for independent power producers that promote smaller, private owned power plant developments while guaranteeing connectivity to the national power grid. These applications, typically limited in size, from 1 to 50 MW approximately, create many opportunities for small power producers. In regions where agriculture is the major industry or in countries with national bio-fuel policies, the availability of biomass fuel sources and the promise of independent power producer policy may... ...- East Asia Pacific mentioned â€Å"Cross region and collaboration is very important in order to share lessons in the successful implementation of SEF. It is important for IFC and FIs to share experiences on implementing and financing these projects for this is important way to improve how we do business. Each country or bank is unique yet fundamental procedures such as understanding the clients’ needs, knowing the market are matched with how we could address it by keeping open mind and being adoptable†. Permata Bank formed the BPI - Permata Bank Knowledge Exchange in May 2012 as a platform for IFC, Permata and BPI to engage in knowledge sharing. The results of the exchange will become the benchmark in project financing renewable energy in the region the replication of the SEF model, originated from Russia, Europe and China, and adopt it for South East Asian nations.

Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince and The Discourses Essays -- Machiave

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Niccolà ² Machiavelli thoroughly discusses the importance of religion in the formation and maintenance of political authority in his famous works, The Prince and The Discourses. In his writing on religion, he states that religion is beneficiary in the formation of political authority and political leaders must support and endorse religion in order to maintain power. However, Machiavelli also critiques corrupt religious institutions that become involved in politics and in turn, cause corruption in the citizenry and divisions among the state. In the following essay, I will examine Machiavelli’s analysis of religion and discuss the relationship between religion and politics in Machiavelli’s thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to establish from the very beginning of the essay what Machiavelli’s politics are and how he arrives at his beliefs in order to understand his views on religion in politics. Machiavelli is a realist thinker whose main arguments are about maintaining political authority over a state by using historical evidence, especially Roman, in order to support his theories. His main writings are an illustration of realpolitik, a government policy that emphasizes retaining power by using any means necessary including war and deceit. â€Å"Niccolà ² Machiavelli †¦ emphasized a political calculus based on interest, prudence, power, and expediency above all other considerations.† (Kegley pp 36) Therefore, one must remember when reading Machiavelli that he is attempting to use religion as an instrument to maintain political power rather than a mechanism for achieving ideals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Machiavelli’s view on religion stems from his famous argument of whether it is better to be feared or loved as a leader of a state. Machiavelli feels that it is safer to be feared than loved, but a great leader would hope to be both even though it is rather difficult. His reasoning behind this is that he feels the nature of man is to be fickle and greedy and man will turn against the political leaders in difficult times despite his loyalty during prosperous times. Machiavelli writes, â€Å"†¦that prince who bases his power entirely on their words, finding himself stripped of other preparations, comes to ruin; for friendships that are acquired by a price and not by greatness and nobility of character are purchased but are not owned, and at proper time cannot be spent.† (The Prince Chapte... ... control religion. While the government must stay secular without the influence of religious organizations, it must appear to be quite the opposite in the view of the citizenry. Religious organizations must be used to keep the people pious in order to instill the fear of God rather then a fear of the state for the leader to avoid being despised, in turn causing him to be both feared and loved. Unusual laws and organizations are introduced easier into the city when they are based on religion and morals and often times only divine authority would instill them. Religious institutions must be kept from getting too large and must be kept from gaining political power or else they will turn corrupt and cause divisions among the people as in the case of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy since religious organizations are neither powerful enough to defend the state nor are they willing to submit their power to those who can. Works Cited Kegley, Charles W., and Eugene R. Wittkopf. World Politics Trend and Transformation. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2006. Machiavelli, Niccolo. â€Å"The Prince and The Discourses† McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 1 edition (August 1, 1950)

Breaking Binaries in The Odyssey: An Exploration The New Woman in The Penelopiad Essay

In the Homeric Epic, women are cast into one of two dichotomous roles: that of the wise and faithful or that of the foolish and disloyal. However in Atwood’s The Penelopiad these roles are deconstructed such that they become fluid as opposed to concrete—such that the women do not wholly occupy one role or the other but rather move on a balance beam between the two, sometimes leaning nearer to one lateral or the other but never resting on the end points of either side. In the unfettered world of The Penelopiad, woman are granted the voices that they are denied in The Odyssey; they are free to weave their own epic stories of cunning, captivity, danger, victory, and failure. The Penelopiad therefore gives rise to a â€Å"new† woman who is not bound by Homeric conventions that confine reader to a singular understanding of The Odyssey and its characters; rather Atwood unveils a myriad of possibilities, explanations, and motivations behind the events of The Odyssey as they are imagined by Homer. Our minds are opened to realities and potentials either unconsidered, or considered but immediately abandoned for lack of emphasis, by the readers. We are made to ponder what seem to be obscurities and minor inconsistencies in The Odyssey that upon deeper exploration and analysis serve to completely revolutionize the conventional reading of The Odyssey in terms of the female characters. Atwood accomplishes this impressive feat by exploring the â€Å"dark alleyways† that lead us to alternate, but plausible, conclusions as evidenced by the expressions of the muted cast of The Odyssey—Penelope and the twelve hanged maids. The Odyssey presents Penelope as being wholly wise. She is the appropriate counterpart for the wise and cunning Odysseus. She is revered by the other characters for her wisdom. She is not made to appear foolish because one cannot be both wise and unwise in a dichotomy. In The Penelopiad she exhibits an even more fierce display of her wisdom, but also admits her foolishness and poor decisions. For example, she tells us that she knew Odysseus was still alive because he had not yet appeared to her in a dream, and admits that she had recognized Odysseus upon his arrival but placed the bow to be sure. She tells also that she had asked the prettiest and most faithful of her maids to entice the suitors and learn of their plots by any means necessary. Yet she fails to consider what Odysseus would think after returning home and hearing, or worse observing, the behavior of the maids. Moreover, when she knows that he has returned she sets her mind to proving her wisdom and faith by telling â€Å"the beggar† of her woes she had suffered in his absence and of the shroud. She also pranks him by setting Eurycleia to wash his feet knowing that she would recognize the scar and laughing to herself at how they tried to cover it up, and she tests him with the bow. But not once did she consider her maids. Nor did she think that she to tell Eurycleia of her activities with the maids knowing how faithful she was to Odysseus and how he would trust her judgment. Nor did she consider the possibility of their being raped or seduced when she set them upon the suitors to be her spies. Such folly and unwise decisions conflict with the Penelope we come to know in The Odyssey, but all is revealed in The Penelopiad. Coral Howells notes, in her piece â€Å"Five Ways of Looking at The Penelopiad,† that, â€Å"Penelope’s is not the only voice here; her tale is frequently interrupted by the voices of her twelve hanged maids, those nameless slave girls who have nothing to say in The Odyssey† (Howells 5-6). Similar to Penelope’s plight in The Odyssey, the maids are cast in a dichotomous role—that of the whore and disloyal servant. They are painted as scandalous, ungrateful, spiteful woman who abuse the household of their master Odysseus with their disrespect for the queen and her son, as well as their interactions with the suitors. Eurycleia is all too willing to, â€Å"report in full on the women†¦who are disloyal†¦who are guiltless† (Homer 406). And despite Odysseus dismissal, she was in fact later called upon to expose the disloyal servants for the whores that they were, according to The Odyssey that is. The possibilities are opened in The Penelopiad. For example, the women are condemned in the Odyssey for having sexual relations with the suitors. This behavior is attributed to their role as whores and unfaithful servitude without any consideration of other possibilities or circumstances. In The Penelopiad, they maids speak of being, â€Å"dirty girls† by occupation. They say, â€Å"If our owners or the sons of our owners or a visiting nobleman or the sons of a visiting nobleman wanted to sleep with us, we could not refuse. It did us no good to weep, it did us no good to say we were in pain† (Atwood 13-14). In a later chapter Penelope remarks, â€Å"It is not unusual for guests in a large household or palace to sleep with the maids†¦but it was irregular for servants to be used in this way without the permission of the master of the house†¦However there was no master of the house. So the suitors helped themselves to the maids in the same way they helped themselves to the sheep† (Atwood 116). Therefore, their behavior should have been considered in the same way that Penelope’s was: dutiful and loyal to their master. Penelope tells the reader that giving visitors to pick of their servant girls was a part of good hospitality—a very important convention in the Homeric epic—and the master of the house happily obliges them in their choice (Atwood 116). Considering this, by sleeping with the suitors, the girls were continuing in the same behavior that would have been promoted and even expected if Odysseus were home. Despite this reality the maids are placed in the category of the whore, therefore their actions must be presented as indicative of their role. The dichotomous classifications of women in The Odyssey would not allow them to be both promiscuous and faithful. They are limited to obscurity, being minor characters, â€Å"neglected to the margins of the narrative;† they serve no other purpose than to fulfill their role in the epic convention and suffer what most readers of The Odyssey would consider a much deserved fate (Howells 6). However in The Penelopiad the maids become the majority, holding the voice of commendation or condemnation, a voice previously denied to them in the epic. Mihoko Suzuki finds that Atwood uses parody and burlesque to expose the Odyssey’s unfair representation of women and their lack of complexity due to the placed upon them by the epic. She argues that Atwood uses her modern examining of the Penelope and her maids to, â€Å"allow agency, intelligence, and voice to female protagonists who may not be equivocally amiable.† (Suzuki 270). She goes on to argue that that, â€Å"through their debunking, light-hearted burlesque Atwood makes a more serious point; the maids function as a tragic chorus, commenting on the actions of the hero, Odysseus (and in a later chorus, Penelope)† (Suzuki 272). Atwood allows the women to occupy identities other than that of the dichotomous prudent and honorable wife and foolish dishonorable harlot. Howells argues that Atwood’s project in The Penelopiad, â€Å"Atwood’s project is to retell The Odyssey as herstory† (Howells 8). And in doing so, Atwood addresses many of the unanswered questions in The Odyssey by allowing. In her re-envisioning of The Odyssey she takes the poem out of the context of the Homeric Epic to speak plainly and bluntly about the true events of The Odyssey, or at least some quite plausible possibilities. Shannon Collins notes that The Odyssey is, â€Å"A recitation of a blind poet, who recounts the stories told by a famous liar and adventurer, the poem contains narrative nested within narrative† (Collins 57). Likewise, Howell mentions that, â€Å"It seems that Atwood is using Penelope to tell another story within it: the story of the hanged maids† (Howells 6). The stories have in common therefore that they are both metafictional, true to Homeric epic convention, however as Collins says, â€Å"In the Greek epics, women do not star in their own tales so much as play supporting roles in the adventures of others† (Collins 57). Therefore, casting Penelope as the narrator is essential to Atwood’s formation of the ‘new’ woman we find in The Penelopiad. We find in Homers interpretation that the women are described only by other characters but not given the opportunity to speak about themselves. This can have a profound effect on the facts of the story—on what is deemed important therefore which facts are told and untold—and also on how those facts are communicated. The values, beliefs, frustrations, and insights of a person or group often influence not only the tone and mood of the story—that is to say what is impressed upon the reader—but also the details of the major events as well. For example, Homer paints Odyssus as a cunning, brave, and well deserving hero with amazing exploits while Penelope paints him as a boastful, short-legged, tricky liar with amazing stories. Collins argues therefore that, â€Å"each of the women characters also has a story to tell, though their versions may be different from the official one. Our own stories are by necessity different than the stories told about us by others. The story- tellers may claim to tell an objective truth, but who can know the truths of our own individual stories† (Collins 57)? Although Atwood explains that, â€Å"Writing The Penelopiad allowed me not only to revisit an ancient and powerful tale, but to explore a few dark alleyways in the story that have always intrigued me,† she ultimately leaves the reader in the same predicament as the Odyssey; true to the epic, we are left with many questions (Atwood 58). Who’s telling the truth about the shroud, the suitors, and the slaughter: Penelope or the maids? Was it Eurycleia who perpetrated the slaughter of the maids on her own accord out of jealousy? If Penelope was so wise and indeed recognized Odysseus as she says, why didn’t she tell him the ‘spies’ at the same time she told him about the shroud? Unlike Homer however, she also opens our minds to new possibilities—perhaps Odysseus’ exploits were over-exaggerated fables adaptations of the truth in which battles with Cyclops were merely bar fights and goddesses were merely high-priced whores. Atwood’s widely imaginative, but strongly conceivable, answers to the unanswered questions of The Odyssey are some of the reasons I and many other readers fall so deeply in love with The Penelopiad. The means by which she develops these new possibilities give voices, first-hand interaction, and real humanity to the women of the Odyssey. They become real people—real women with real emotions, desires, grievances, and pain—as opposed to the simple manifestation of the roles that they play in The Odyssey: the faithful wife, the disloyal servant. Of course they serve a specific purpose to the plot and themes of The Penelopiad ad they do in Homer, they are not locked into being the muted puzzle pieces that they are in Homer. Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"The Myth Series and Me.† Publishers Weekly 252.47 (2005): 58. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. . In this brief articles, referenced quite frequently in literary criticism and examination of The Penelopiad, Atwood divulges her motivations behind the creation of the The Penelopiad and her thoughts about the re-telling of classic myths. Particularly, she admits that one of her intentions in The Penelopiad is to respond to, or provide answers to, some of the mysteries of The Odyssey. Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad. New York: Canongate, 2005. Print. Collins, Shannon C. â€Å"Setting the Stories Straight: A Reading of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Carson-Newman Studies 11.No. 1 (2006): 57-66. Library.cn.edu/. Carson-Newman College. Web. Collins comments on the art of storytelling as depicted in The Odyssey and The Penelopiad. She evaluates the stories told by Penelope, Odyseus (in the Odyssey which are commented upon, or rather revised by Penelope in The Penelopiad), and the maids. Her arguments provide support for the voices of the women of The Penelopiad existing only outside the confines of the Homeric Epic as women, namely the maids, are not given the opportunity to weave their own stories in The Odyssey but are endowed with voices in The Penelopiad to do just that—to tell give an â€Å"herstorical† account of The Odyssey. Mihoko, Suzuki. â€Å"Rewriting the Odyssey in the Twenty-First Century: Mary Zimmerman’s Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Approaches to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. By Kostas Myrsiades. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. 239-54. Analyzing Atwood’s works from a feminist perspective, Suzuki offers valuable insight to the critical nature of The Penelopiad. Particularly interesting are her comments on the voices of the women in The Penelopiad that we do not hear in the Homer’s The Odyssey.