Alexander II Managing the Challenge of Modernizing Russia free essay sample

How successful did Alexander II manage the challenge of modernising Russia Since the nineteenth century it has been evident that Russia and much of Eastern Europe has struggled to keep up with the modernising western powers; a problem which has become apparent to Alexander II. They were socially, economically and politically behind in many aspects; industrialising was a huge problem due to problems with serfdom as well as poor infrastructure and transport links which made industrialising uneven across the whole of Russia. Economically, Russia was truggling with problems in agricultural production, expertise in Jobs and basic infrastructure such as transport links. In hindsight, his economical reforms proved to be the most successful. Most successful of his reforms includes the introduction of Reutern. He was extremely successful as he was able to borrow less money from other countries giving more independency; He also allowed infrastructure to improve through the construction of railways across the landscape of Russia. We will write a custom essay sample on Alexander II: Managing the Challenge of Modernizing Russia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is extremely significant as it meant more raw materials could be travelled making Russia more conomically stable and less reliable on other countries resources. Moreover, it encouraged more highly skilled and better qualified workers to move to Russia to design and created Jobs for those to build the railway in turn leading to faster industrialising and economic prosperity. Other reforms included a treasury being reformed as well as the abolition of tax farming. Reformation of the government and treasury is important as it meant the government was more efficient with its budgeting and therefore saved money reducing their debt and consequently boosting the Russian economy. However not all of Alexander reforms were successful. Most controversial was the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 which has both benefits and drawbacks. It created a more mobile workforce allowing serfs to travel and become better qualified as well as pay taxes so the government had more to spent in other sectors however its drawbacks must be considered; many peasants were unhappy at the newly introduced high levels of tax and poor incomes preventing them from leaving their ex-serf owners household. There were also other issues with Alexander II reforms to modernise Russia. While railways proved to be ighly useful they took long periods of times to build as well as large sums of money to construct them. There were also large amounts of anti-Semitism towards the Jews who were now able to trade creating a largely hostile environment and many sought this to be wrong. Despite this, Alexander II was significantly successful in modernising Russia as he was able to develop a stronger infrastructure with better transport links allowing Russia to make better use of its resources it had as opposed to lending from other countries. He also created many new Jobs in building the railway improving the economy. While the emancipation of the serfs was not his biggest success it was clear it was a huge step towards equality and freedom for the people within Russia. Socially it is evident that Alexander II was largely unsuccessful seen was the military changes he brought about. With the emancipation of the serfs, ex-serfs were no longer to be conscripted into war as had previously done which had created a large but weak army with little or no skills with weapons quickly leading to defeats for Russia. Military changes meant a more concise and better trained army was made which proved to be more effective In its war against turkey. The government also proved education to the military improving literacy rates among the poorer people who could not afford so. However, while a more efficient army with rankings for soldiers to aspire to it had many faults. Despite Russia defeating turkey this took a much longer period of time than had anticipated and the army was evidently still not particularly powerful after its defeats from both Japan and Germany. Little was done to improve the other social areas which so badly needed reform. In regards to Judicial and legal reforms all people were to be treated equally efore the court of law and criminal were to be heard by barrister and a Jury. This created a fairer system with less temptation to Judges being bribed as salaries went up. However there were still a number of problems; open courts to press and news gave revolutionaries chances to spread the words of their causes changing public opinion and encouraging the movement of radicals leading to more splinter groups of the nihilists. Censorship on the press was relaxed allowing many articles to be published without subject to contents checks giving more freedom to the writers owever this was soon revoked in the 1870s with the rapid expansion of critical writers towards the government with many showing discontent towards the tsar. Again, this encouraged radical voices to be heard and the spread of revolutionaries to increase giving way to more political opposition. Educational reform faced the same issues when they relaxed educational laws allowing all to attend some form of education. More radical thinkers expressed their attitude through public speaking and critical writing. Educational reform also showed an explosion in the radical ideas of women as they were allowed to attend education. It is therefore evident to see that Alexander II was largely unable to positively affect people socially due to his half attempts to change without changing the attitudes of the public. Moreover society was still largely unrepresentative as peasants population was disproportionate to the population of Russia. There were still a higher number of nobles representing the local government and the power of the Dumas and zemstrva was limited meaning that the peasants lives were largely unchanged. His inability to stick by his reforms and consequently reverse them the public angrier and more resentful than they had een before. Politically there were a number of challenges that Alexander II faced due to large amounts of opposition. Many were unhappy with reforms and the tsar and so small rebellion groups appeared with the first being known as the nihilists. This was largely made of younger generations many of whom were students who believed the whole governmental body failed and needed to be completely removed. Groups such as the nihilists slowly branched out with people differing in beliefs with some taking a more aggressive approach. Most notable of these groups was the peoples will who ere responsible with the attempted and successful murder of Alexander II which is Alexander II failed to repress the political opposition through the secret police as this led to more aggressive and violent protesters. Moreover trials that came about did little to repress the revolutionaries attempts as some such as the trial of the fifty or one hundred and ninety three allowed most to leave without consequence and very few were convicted and many revolutionaries were able to voice their opinion and spread the word such as Alexander Zheliabov who would also be involved in the ttempted murder of Alexander. It can therefore be said that politically Alexander II failed to modernise Russia as he failed to repress the revolutionaries threat and almost encouraged it with his inability to please the peasants and younger generation. Whilst Alexander II succeeded in his economical reforms to modernise Russia with an improved infrastructure and the introduction of Reutern he essentially failed politically to repress the revolutionaries action and was not hard enough on them allowing them to continue to spread the word but also socially as his nability to stick to his action and eventually reverse them made him look weak and unsettled the Russian population.

Biology †Characteristics of Life and Principles

Biology - Characteristics of Life and Principles What is biology? Simply put, it is the study of life, in all of its grandeur. Biology concerns all life forms, from the very small algae to the very large elephant. But how do we know if something is living? For example,  is a virus alive or dead? To answer these questions, biologists have created a set of criteria called the characteristics of life.   The Characteristics of Life Living things include both the visible world of animals, plants, and fungi as well as the invisible world of bacteria and viruses. On a basic level, we can say that life is ordered. Organisms have an enormously complex organization. Were all familiar with the intricate systems of the basic unit of life, the cell. Life can work. No, this doesnt mean all animals are qualified for a job. It means that living creatures can take in energy from the environment. This energy, in the form of food, is transformed to maintain metabolic processes and for survival. Life grows and develops. This means more than just replicating or getting larger in size. Living organisms also have the ability to rebuild and repair themselves when injured. Life can reproduce. Have you ever seen dirt reproduce? I dont think so. Life can only come from other living creatures. Life can respond. Think about the last time you accidentally stubbed your toe. Almost instantly, you flinched back in pain. Life is characterized by this response to stimuli. Finally, life can adapt and respond to the demands placed on it by the environment. There are three basic types of adaptations that can occur in higher organisms. Reversible changes occur as a response to changes in the environment. Lets say you live near sea level and you travel to a mountainous area. You may begin to experience difficulty breathing and an increase in heart rate as a result of the change in altitude. These symptoms go away when you go back down to sea level.Somatic changes occur as a result of prolonged changes in the environment. Using the previous example, if you were to stay in the mountainous area for a long time, you would notice that your heart rate would begin to slow down and you would begin to breath normally. Somatic changes are also reversible.The final type of adaptation is called genotypic (caused by genetic mutation). These changes take place within the genetic makeup of the organism and are not reversible. An example would be the development of resistance to pesticides by insects and spiders. In summary, life is organized, works, grows, reproduces, responds to stimuli and adapts. These characteristics form the basis of the study of biology. Basic Principles of Biology The foundation of biology as it exists today is based on five basic principles. They are the cell theory, gene theory, evolution, homeostasis, and laws of thermodynamics. Cell Theory: all living organisms are composed of cells. The cell is the basic unit of life.Gene Theory: traits are inherited through gene transmission. Genes are located on chromosomes and consist of DNA.Evolution: any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations. These changes may be small or large, noticeable or not so noticeable.Homeostasis: ability to maintain a constant internal environment in response to environmental changes.Thermodynamics: energy is constant and energy transformation is not completely efficient. Subdiciplines of BiologyThe field of biology is very broad in scope and can be divided into several disciplines. In the most general sense, these disciplines are categorized based on the type of organism studied. For example,  zoology deals with animal studies, botany deals with plant studies, and microbiology is the study of microorganisms. These fields of study can be broken down further into several specialized sub-disciplines. Some of which include anatomy, cell biology, genetics, and physiology.

Profile of Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford organisation Lab Report

Profile of Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford organisation - Lab Report Example The organisation culture of FMC has also been a heritage for the company, which would be evaluated in the report. Finally the framework of FMC for motivating the employees would be scrutinised so as to understand the human resource management initiatives of the company. FMC has always believed in one theme when it comes to human resource, i.e. ‘One Team, One Plan, and One Goal’ (Ford Motor Company, 2013). It has always tried to deliver solutions which will affect not only the business but the lives of people. It is the motto of the company to support and develop its human resources that design, develop, and sell the best vehicles in the world. Company Overview FMC is one of the most famous automobile manufacturers in the world. The company is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford. FMC was the most sold automobile brand across the world before World War II. The large scale car manufacturing concept was introduced by Ford Motors in 1914 (Ford Motors Company, 2011). Ford has been a stable company all throughout its journey, though the company was also a victim of the global financial crisis which engulfed many stable leading companies of America, but Ford managed to save itself from bankruptcy. It recorded an operating profit of $ 8.8 billion in 2011, or $ 1.51 per share earnings. This revenue figure states that there has been an increase of $463 million in 2011 from 2010. The net income amounted to $20,213 in 2011, which is much higher than the net income of 2010, $6,561 million. The company is also into financing of vehicles, insurance and leasing (Bloomberg, 2012). Profile of Henry Ford ‘Entrepreneurs are not born, rather they become through the experiences of their lives’, has been stated by Professor Albert Shapiro of Ohio State University (National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education, n. d.). This saying is appropriate for Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born on the 30th of July 1863. He is well-known around the world, of course for FMC, but apart from this, he is also known for developing the system of mass production with the help of assembly line. Henry Ford discovered the creed called Fordism, which preached mass production of inexpensive products by offering high wages to workers (Seligman, n. d.). He had intense commitment towards reducing the cost of production and offering automobiles to Americans, which they can easily afford to buy. It was the vision of no one other than Henry Ford, to offer unprecedented mobility to the people which changed the lives of millions around the world. He is not only remembered for the automobiles that his company produced, but also for improving the standard of living of people through his inventions such as Ford Model T, or Qadricycle, and the assembly line approach (Ford Motor Company, 2012). Henry Ford introduced better automobiles after Qadricycle, and in order to publicise them, he drove his own race cars. The first c ar that FMC sold was in 1903, and it was a Model A car which was sold to a dentist at a price of $850. However, Henry Ford became one of the richest men in the world, mainly because of Model T cars. Even during 1914, he paid $5 per day wage to his workers. Henry Ford had a view that if the

Nursing - Aplication of Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing - Aplication of Theory - Essay Example However, the delivery of their services is in a detached manner, in which they have minimal physical and social contact with the patient. The nurse however is deeply involved at all stages with the patient, and has a stellar role to play throughout the recovery process, even after discharge. The nobility of the profession, already exemplified by Florence Nightingale, has been firmly established. The tremendous developments in science, education, medical techniques and information technology during the last and the present century have brought forth new concepts, Ideologies and roles for nursing as well as other professionals. An important aspect during this period has been the identification, conceptualization and practical application of numerous nursing theories’ which have established themselves as hallmarks for the nursing profession. A nursing theory has been defined as the body of knowledge that is used to support nursing practice with most of the presently recognized tw enty theories’ generated in the last 20 years, with new concepts being identified and added continuously(Web). Nursing theories have been pictorially visualized as a tree whose trunk is represented by Florence Nightingale’s whose significant contribution to the reduction of mortality in soldiers’ during the war in Turkey and efforts to bring about an association of nursing with spirituality, devotion and knowledge revolutionized the way nurses were looked at in society as well as the manner in which they operated (Tourville, 2003). Based on the strong foundations laid down by Nightingale, numerous nursing professionals have contributed to the development of this virtual tree whose roots have been described as the four meta-paradigms defined as person, environment, health and nursing (Tourville, 2003). Each subsequent contribution to the knowledge on nursing theories’ has been attributed to individual nursing practitioners’ who made a significant im pact on the subsequent school of thought in the profession. Jean Watson, who came up with the idea of her ‘carative theory’ in the latter part of the twentieth century has held great appeal in the subsequent years. Watson was influenced by philosophy and thoughts of eminent psychologists and personalities such as Carl Rogers, Yalom, Chardin, Sartre and Kirkland (Tourville, 2003). In addition she had vast experience in the nursing profession in multinational and multicultural environments. Watson relegated the scientific and medical aspects of healing to an altogether different aspect which she labeled as ‘Trim’ and stressed upon ‘caring’ for the patient as the most important aspect. She appealed for the nurses’ to treat themselves with gentleness and dignity while establishing a deep, caring relationship with the patient. She felt that the caring attitude of nurses’ as been buried under the technical aspects of healthcare. Unless and interpersonal relationship is established between the patient and the nurse, it is difficult to justify one’ duty as a nurse. The crux of her ‘carative factors focuses on unselfish concern for every human being, instillation of faith and hope in the sufferer, cultivation of sensitivity towards self as well as others, developing a helping attitude to strengthen trust, encouraging the patient to express freely, decision making through a problem solving

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

Marketing plan - Essay Example However, at later stages more specialized trainings will be given to employees. For staffing purpose, the job descriptions will be developed and the ads will be given on the website and in the printed media. Proper interviews and tests will be conducted to hire the staff. Vigor will be a created as a partnership among the three partners. The Partnership Agreement will be assigned by the three partners and they will have unlimited liability which means that in the case of the dissolution of the company, the personal assets of the partners can be also claimed by the creditors. No corporate taxes will be imposed and each partner will be liable to pay his personal tax at the rate of tax applicable to him individually. In future, if the company expands and we plan to establish more branches of Spa, then we may plan to convert our legal structure into a limited partnership or corporation. At Vigor, strong contacts will be established with health care providers. In collaboration with the health insurance companies, Vigor will offer insured services to its customers. Most of the people coming to Spas and taking massage therapies are unaware that when a physician prescribes massage therapy then it is usually paid by insurance. If insurance will not cover the expense of clients, the difference will be charged from the client. To handle insurance coverage, management software will be purchased. Vigor will also maintain a list of acceptable insurance companies and their clients will be handled. To ensure quality services, high quality products of good brands will be used. While servicing the customers their needs and wants will be understood. Moreover, a regular customer feedback will be also taken to ensure high service

Methodology And Benefits Of Ecotel Hotels Tourism Essay

Methodology And Benefits Of Ecotel Hotels Tourism Essay ECOTEL ®? ECOTEL ® is an environmental certification that enables hotels to be truly green, socially responsible, and sustainable over the long term by involving the entire value chain of owners, architects, operators, employees, suppliers and hotel guests. What is the ECOTEL ® Methodology? The ECOTEL ® methodology evaluates a hotels systems, processes and practices for environment friendliness through a stringent assessment of its range, scope and results across five crucial parameters, known as The Five Globes. These are: Environment Commitment, Solid Waste Management, Energy Management, Water Management, and Employee Education and Community Involvement. To be certified as an ECOTEL, a hotel must score the minimum qualifying percentage on each of the globes. What are the benefits for ECOTEL ® Hotels? †¢ Lower operating costs, greater profits through a focused effort on reducing waste generation and increasing operational efficiencies. †¢ Enhanced visibility for members through the ECOTEL ® website who also gain access to the reservation engine and other marketing features. †¢ Publicly recognized branding for hotels that may have/not have partnered with international chains. †¢ Value for money, as the cost of certification is comparatively lower than others to enable hotels to truly benefit from the transfer of knowledge. HISTORY of ECOTEL ECOTEL ® was developed by HVS in association with the Rocky Mountain Institute, USA with the help of engineering and hospitality experts. Conceptualized in 1994 by HVS the worlds leading consulting and services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries ECOTEL was a pioneering program specific to hospitalityWhy should you choose to be an ECOTEL ®? Rigorous standards used for the certification methodology that are regularly updated to keep current with scientific advances and international thinking. Specific to hospitality as ECOTEL ® is managed by HVS, a global consulting giant in hospitality. Recognition of hotelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ specific green operations with hotels demonstrating substantial such evidence encouraged to seek certification, instead of just those who could build in the features. Broader in scope than other certifications as it enables a hotel to function responsibly while positively impacting the local community. Handholding throughout certification period, as clients are updated and assisted to improve their performance through consultation, training and identification of operational areas where they can improve efficiencies and cut back consumption. Spans the positioning spectrum, recognizing high levels of environment commitment and environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ friendly operations in hotels irrespective of size, positioning, or profile. How to be an ECOTEL ®? Hotels seeking the ECOTEL ® Certification are assessed for their environmental readiness through a property walkthrough, which entails inspection of different departments and random interviews with hotel staff. As per their status, they are either awarded the specific certification or enabled through a customized blueprint to achieve a specific level. In case of the later, the hotel is finally audited after the intervention and awarded the certification The Five Globes The methodology for the ECOTEL Certification is centered upon the idea of the Five Globes or five areas of certification, which together encompass the processes, systems and practices that ensure an environmentally responsible hotel operation. An audit is undertaken in each of these globes based on an audit checklist. The audit checklist for each of the globes is very well researched and based on scientific and technological advances and international charters and treaties specific to saving the environment. Environment Commitment A hotel demonstrates its environmental commitment through wide ranging programs and best practices that minimise its impact on the environment throughout its value chain while lowering overall business costs. Solid Waste Management For the hospitality industry, the waste created by daily operations is an ongoing challenge. In addition to incurring the costs of waste disposal, hotels need to also allocate valuable back-of-the house space for waste to be stored and sorted. For hotels, a good waste management strategy results in greater operational efficiencies, keeping waste out of the landfill, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Management Energy is among the fastest-growing cost items for the lodging industry worldwide. In India, it approximates 8-15% of a hotels gross revenue. While design and operating system-improvements provide the framework for conservation of resources, large energy savings and thereby economic efficiency results through the switch to low-cost, easy-to-implement alternatives and a regular maintenance schedule. Water Management The rampant overusing and wasting of water along with global warming has led to a water-scarcity challenge that has serious implications for the global community and economy. A good water management strategy includes conservation of water through Efficient technology and programs, recycling through measures like grey water treatment, as well as earth-friendly practices like ground water recharge and rainwater harvesting. Employee Education and Community Involvement Motivating employees to understand the need for a change to environment-friendly practices, believing in them, and adapting them is a necessity for environmental initiatives to be both successful and sustainable. A well-thought out and well-executed education and training effort enables this. ECOTEL hotels also raise eco-consciousness in the community through either awareness campaigns or practices that can be built into the community, thus truly facilitating a change for a better environment. The graphic on the right shows the ECOTEL logo represented by the Earth in the centre, surrounded by the five globes or areas of ECOTEL Certification. Together, these five globes encompass the processes, systems, and practices of environmentally responsible hotel operations. Thus, the image conveys that ECOTEL through its five globes is a Certification that cares for the WORLD. Certification Details The certification is valid for a period of one year only, after which members must reapply. It is applicable to hotels irrespective of a member hotels country of origin since it is designed specifically for recognizing environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ friendly systems, operations, and practices in hospitality. The Process The Process for Certification is typically undertaken in three steps, which are: D:Z-ArenaSIMSR AssignmentsPOMECOTELFlowChart.gif Step One: Property Assessment: In an effort to understand the current standards observed by the hotel, an in-depth assessment of the property is conducted covering all the relevant areas of focus. The inspection includes: Interviews with the management and staff to comprehend the propertys commitment to environment. Physical inspection of the subject property including back-of-the-house areas to evaluate the systems employed for undertaking environment friendly operations. Collating data on consumption of various resources such as electricity, water, diesel, and chemicals among others to assess the processes for environment friendly operations. Interviews with the staff to assess their knowledge, attitude, and training levels to carry out environment friendly operations. This stage of the certification process culminates in generation of a Property Assessment Report that details the propertys baseline status as regards achieving minimum standards considered essential for an ECOTEL. Step Two: Roadmap for Certification:- If the hotel wishes to certify itself as an ECOTEL, our team prepares a detailed blueprint for the certification in conjunction with the hotels management team. This Roadmap for Certification includes mutually decided targets, technology, and training workshops that will enable the hotel to become an ECOTEL. The process is estimated to take upto 5-6 months and will include training initiatives, inclusion of best practices as part of the hotels standard operating procedures and the necessary capital infusion where required. Phase Three: Audit: A final audit of the property shall then be conducted and a certification awarded on its successful completion. Rating System: The hotel is rated on the parameters defined in our checklists covering the five globes. Our methodology rates every standard on a Likert scale, assigning weights to them based on their contribution. The checklists have a predefined minimum standard, Primary Criteria, which every participating hotel has to clear before being certified as an ECOTEL.

Social Environment And Its Effect On Ones Life Essay -- essays researc

Social Environment and Its Effect On One's Life Social environment is influenced by one's power and wealth. This, in turn, determines success or failure in peoples' lives. If one were born with a "silver spoon" in his mouth, he would easily be able to attend a fancy school no matter how intelligent he is or have any luxury he wants just because of power and wealth. On the flip side, if one were born to a poor family in a bad neighborhood infested with violence and drugs, he would have a much smaller chance of succeeding in life, more especially, going to an upper-class school. It is hard for many poor to go to college because of such high tuition costs. Scholarships are available; but, even though one shows financial need, one still has to have a high grade point average and test scores. Even if one has a good mind, trying to study in a gang-ridden neighborhood with constant gunfire isn't easy. With both parents working two jobs, there isn't any parental guidance. Whereas, the affluent, even if busy or working, have the means to insure that their children are supervised and well taken care of. The rich also have the luxury of affording special tutors to help their children while other children are on their own. For example, there are three students, one from a clean, upper-class community, another from a small, middle-class suburb and the other from a graffiti-ridden slum. A... Social Environment And Its Effect On Ones Life Essay -- essays researc Social Environment and Its Effect On One's Life Social environment is influenced by one's power and wealth. This, in turn, determines success or failure in peoples' lives. If one were born with a "silver spoon" in his mouth, he would easily be able to attend a fancy school no matter how intelligent he is or have any luxury he wants just because of power and wealth. On the flip side, if one were born to a poor family in a bad neighborhood infested with violence and drugs, he would have a much smaller chance of succeeding in life, more especially, going to an upper-class school. It is hard for many poor to go to college because of such high tuition costs. Scholarships are available; but, even though one shows financial need, one still has to have a high grade point average and test scores. Even if one has a good mind, trying to study in a gang-ridden neighborhood with constant gunfire isn't easy. With both parents working two jobs, there isn't any parental guidance. Whereas, the affluent, even if busy or working, have the means to insure that their children are supervised and well taken care of. The rich also have the luxury of affording special tutors to help their children while other children are on their own. For example, there are three students, one from a clean, upper-class community, another from a small, middle-class suburb and the other from a graffiti-ridden slum. A...