Animal Studies and School Project Ideas

Animal Studies and School Project Ideas Animal projects and studies are important to understanding various biological processes in animals and even humans. Scientists study animals in order to learn ways to improve animal health for farm production, wildlife preservation, and human companionship. They also study animals to discover new methods to improve human health. Animal studies give us a better understanding of disease development and prevention, as well as standards for normal and abnormal behavior. The following animal project ideas introduce areas of animal studies that can be explored through experimentation. Since some science fairs may prohibit projects that involve animals, so be sure to get permission from your instructor before beginning any animal-based science project. Amphibian and Fish Project Ideas Does temperature affect tadpole growth?Do water pH levels affect tadpole growth?Does water temperature affect amphibian respiration?Does magnetism affect limb regeneration in newts?Does water temperature affect fish color?Does the size of a population of fish affect growth?Does music affect fish activity?Does the amount of light affect fish activity? Bird Project Ideas Which types of plants attract hummingbirds?What factors increase egg-laying in birds?Do different bird species prefer a particular color of bird seed?Do certain bird species prefer to eat in a group or alone?Do certain bird species prefer one type of habitat over another? Insect Project Ideas How does temperature affect the growth of butterflies? How does light affect ants?Do different colors attract or repel insects?How does pollution affect insects?How do insects adapt to pesticides?Do magnetic fields affect insects?Does soil acidity affect insects?Does color affect insect-eating habits?Does light or heat attract insects to lamps at night?Do insects behave differently in a larger population as opposed to a smaller population?What factors cause crickets to chirp more often?What substances do mosquitoes find attractive or repellent? Mammal Project Ideas Does light variation alter animal sleep habits?Do cats or dogs have better night vision?Does music affect an animals mood?Do bird sounds affect cat behavior?Which animal sense has the greatest effect on short-term memory?Does animal saliva have antimicrobial properties?Does colored water affect animal drinking habits? Animal Information and Resources For additional information about animals, see: 10 Fascinating Animal Facts: Discover several wondrous and fascinating facts about animalsTen Amazing Bioluminescent Organisms: Some organisms such as jellyfish have the ability to glow. The light emitted is due to a chemical reactionWhy Some Animals Play Dead: When faced with danger, some animals go into a catatonic state and appear to be dead to the world.Top 7 Bugs That Feed on Humans: There are a number of bugs that feed on humans. These bugs are resilient, gaining immunity to insecticides, and out for your blood.Common Animal Questions and Answers: Why do zebras have stripes? Why do some tigers have white coats? Find answers to these and other commonly asked questions about animals.The Worlds Fastest Animals: What are the fastest animals on the planet? These swift animals reach amazing speeds on land, in the air, and in the ocean. Science Experiments and Models Performing science experiments and constructing models are fun and exciting ways to learn about science. Try making a model of the lungs or a DNA model using candy. You can also discover how to extract DNA from a banana or get ideas on how to use plants in experiments.

The Difference Between Purines and Pyrimidines

The Difference Between Purines and Pyrimidines Purines and pyrimidines are two types of aromatic heterocyclic organic compounds. In other words, they are ring structures (aromatic) that contain nitrogen as well as carbon in the rings (heterocyclic). Both purines and pyrimidines are similar to the chemical structure of the organic molecule pyridine (C5H5N). Pyridine, in turn, is related to benzene (C6H6), except one of the carbon atoms is replaced by a nitrogen atom. Purines and pyrimidines are important molecules in organic chemistry and biochemistry because they are the basis for other molecules (e.g., caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, thiamine) and because they are key components of the nucleic acids dexoyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Pyrimidines A pyrimidine is an organic ring consisting of six atoms: 4 carbon atoms and 2 nitrogen atoms. The nitrogen atoms are placed in the 1 and 3 positions around the ring. Atoms or groups attached to this ring distinguish pyrimidines, which include cytosine, thymine, uracil, thiamine (vitamin B1), uric acid, and barbituates. Pyrimidines function in DNA and RNA, cell signaling, energy storage (as phosphates),  enzyme regulation, and to make protein and starch. Purines A purine contains a pyrimidine ring fused with an imidazole ring (a five-member ring with two non-adjacent nitrogen atoms). This two-ringed structure has nine atoms forming the ring: 5 carbon atoms and 4 nitrogen atoms. Different purines are distinguished by the atoms or functional groups attached to the rings. Purines are the most widely occurring heterocyclic molecules that contain nitrogen. They are abundant in meat, fish, beans, peas, and grains. Examples of purines include caffeine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, uric acid, theobromine, and the nitrogenous bases adenine and guanine. Purines serve much the same function as pyrimidines in organisms. They are part of DNA and RNA, cell signaling, energy storage, and enzyme regulation. The molecules are used to make starch and proteins. Bonding Between Purines and Pyrimidines While purines and pyrimidines include molecules that are active on their own (as in drugs and vitamins), they also form hydrogen bonds between each other to link the two strands of the DNA double helix and to form complementary molecules between DNA and RNA. In DNA, the purine adenine bonds to the pyrimidine thymine and the purine guanine bonds to the pyrimidine cytosine. In RNA, adenine bonds to uracil and guanine still bonds with cytosine. Approximately equal amounts of purines and pyrimidines are required to form either DNA or RNA. Its worth noting there are exceptions to the classic Watson-Crick base pairs. In both DNA and RNA, other configurations occur, most often involving methylated pyrimidines. These are called wobble pairings. Comparing and Contrasting Purines and Pyrimidines The purines and pyrimidines both consist of heterocyclic rings. Together, the two sets of compounds make up the nitrogenous bases. Yet, there are distinct differences between the molecules. Obviously, because purines consist of two rings rather than one, they have a higher molecular weight. The ring structure also affects the melting points and solubility  of the purified compounds. The human body synthesizes (anabolism) and breaks down (catabolism) the molecules differently. The end product of purine catabolism is uric acid, while the end products of pyrimidine catabolism are ammonia and carbon dioxide. The body does not make the two molecules in the same location, either. Purines are synthesized primarily in the liver, while a variety of tissues make pyrimidines. Here is a summary of the essential facts about purines and pyrimidines: Purine Pyrimidine Structure Double ring (one is a pyrimidine) Single ring Chemical Formula C5H4N4 C4H4N2 Nitrogenous Bases Adenine, guanine Cytosine, uracil, thymine Uses DNA, RNA, vitamins, drugs (e.g., barbituates), energy storage, protein and starch synthesis, cell signaling, enzyme regulation DNA, RNA, drugs (e.g., stimulants), energy storage, protein and starch synthesis, enzyme regulation, cell signaling Melting Point 214 C (417 F) 20 to 22 C (68 to 72 F) Molar Mass 120.115 gmol1 80.088 g mol1 Solubility (Water) 500 g/L Miscible Biosynthesis Liver Various tissues Catabolism Product Uric acid Ammonia and carbon dioxide Sources Carey, Francis A. (2008). Organic Chemistry (6th ed.). Mc Graw Hill. ISBN 0072828374.Guyton, Arthur C. (2006). Textbook of Medical Physiology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-7216-0240-0.Joule, John A.; Mills, Keith, eds. (2010). Heterocyclic Chemistry (5th ed.). Oxford: Wiley. ISBN 978-1-405-13300-5.Nelson, David L. and Michael M Cox (2008). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (5th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company. p. 272. ISBN 071677108X.Soukup, Garrett A. (2003). Nucleic Acids: General Properties. eLS. American Cancer Society. doi:10.1038/npg.els.0001335 ISBN 9780470015902.

Facilities Engineering Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Facilities Engineering - Coursework Example Here are the CPR results obtained for oil and gas exploration: Figure 1: CPR results of Gas and Oil extracted from Gazelle Well Major products extracted out of the oilfield at Gazelle are liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oils, lubricating oils, paraffin wax, sulfur. Question: Prepare flow schemes showing the architecture of the layout and of the main components used from the wellhead to the point of export for all option. The architectural layout of the Gazelle offshore oilfield is shown below with all the processing units and their respective processing cycles. This is a very large operating unit with extensively large piping layout with fluid streams running along. Crude oil is first passed through an oil production unit which provides the pre-processed oil to the oil storage tank from where it is delivered to the processing plant through a piping system. Here is the detailed flow diagram of all the processes taking place along their sequential flows: Figure 2: Flow Diagram of Gazelle Oilfield with components used in Oil Production Gazelle oilfield is a field that requires extensive production as well as operational refurbishments but even then it is above working above case base oil producing offshore refineries. This oil production unit involves a number of operating units that work extensively for long hours to provide quality product in economical rates with least water cuts. Following is an exhaustive list of components that work as a part of oil refinery at Gazelle(Snow, 2010, Gordon, 2012). De-salter unit is just provided at the inlet of crude oil and is responsible for washing away all the salt from crude oil. Distillator: Crude oil from de-salter is then passed through the distillatory unit which distills the crude oil into fractions. Second stage of distillation is also incorporated just after this by making use vacuum distillation unit which is responsible for the distillation of the left over components of crude oil which were not fractioned by simple distillatory. Hydrotreater: all fractions of the crude oil are then hydrogenated according to their requirements and this process is performed for removing sulfur contents from the oil fractions. Catalytic Reformer: it is used to reform the low grade oil fractions into high grade products like converting gasoline to a higher degree of octane level. While reforming the oil fractions excess amount of hydrogen is produced as a by-product of the process. Fluid Catalytic Cracker: this catalytic cracker is specialized in converting only liquid oil fractions to higher grade of oil. The process of converting gasoline to hi-octane is processed there. Hydrocracker: hydrocracker then takes the oil fractions and hydrogenizes them in order to upgrade the fractions. Visbreaking: the oil fractions that are needed to be degraded to lower order fractions are then passed through visbreaking unit Coking unit: this unit is specialized in carbonizing the heavy oil components of the fractions in order to produce gasoline. This helps in converting maximum oil fractions into consumable products. Alkylation: this unit is specialized in converting low grade molecules to higher ones and hence improving the quality of gasoline. Dimerization: the process of dimerization is performed in order to hydrogenate the gasoline products. Isomerization unit: This unit is specia

Fanon's Fact of Blackness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fanon's Fact of Blackness - Essay Example The black man has been given two frames of reference within which he has placed himself, these are: his metaphysics and his customs. The black man does not know the moment that his inferiority appears, it is part of him. The black man has an overbearing burden of being always conscious of his body. This reaction is almost automatic as noted in the text. Several laboratories have for years tried to produce a serum for â€Å"degenerification†; â€Å"with all the earnestness in the world, laboratories have sterilized their test tubes, checked their scales, and embarked on researches that might make it possible for the miserable Negro to whiten himself and thus to throw off the burden of that corporel malediction† (Fanon 111). When he passes and hears â€Å"Look, a Negro!† he is a bit disturbed but only manages a forced smile to hide his humiliation. He hears â€Å"Look, a Negro!† again; he becomes angry but does not show it. When he hears it again, he no long er can hide his indignation and all his efforts to laugh himself to tears are fruitless since he cannot do so. His anger wells up inside him more (Fanon 112). The black man can not continue laughing because he has learnt from legends, stories, history and historicity that, this is the reality. In the train, no one wants to sit near him. They sit two or three spaces away from him. When he moves towards the other person, the other moves away and â€Å"disappears.† The white man feels â€Å"nausea† when he is in the proximity of the black man. Since the black man feels responsibility for his body, race and ancestors, he subjects himself to an objective examination, this is when he discovers his â€Å"blackness† and ethnic characteristic; he is weighed down by what he discovered and among them are cannibalism, fetichism, intellectual deficiency and above all; â€Å"Sho good eatin’† (Fanon 112). Having been completely â€Å"dislocated† and unable to cope with the white man, he forces himself to move away from his own presence and turns himself into an object. Having rejected his conscience and emotions from being seered with a hot rod, he accepts his fate as it comes since he wants to be a man and nothing else. This helps him to be at peace with himself by accepting himself for who he is; â€Å"I was the grandson of slaves in exactly the same way in which president Lebrun was the grandson of tax-paying, hard-working peasants. In the main, the panic soon vanished† (Fanon 113). Everyone pretends to be friendly while pointing out the fact that they are not racist, nor do they approve of color segregation. The black man has noticed with great discomfort that they always mention his color when they say that they shall not treat him differently because of his color, or that it is not because of his color that the black man is less intelligent than the white folks! When they find fault in the black man, they always try to h ide behind the phrase â€Å"it is not because you are black.† In reality, it is the only reason. It is not surprising that the black man is utterly misunderstood because when he shivers with cold, the white boy thinks that the black man is â€Å"quivering with rage† (114). In this racist society, the black man experiences his being through others. Despite his efforts to forget and forgive the hostility of the white man, and to live in peace and harmony with the other, his â€Å"message† is flung back to him (115). He then decides to fight back with

Drivers For Internationalization In Aerospace Management Essay

Drivers For Internationalization In Aerospace Management Essay The papers in this portfolio are all related to the strategic decisions that corporate organizations make in order to expand their share of the ever-growing global market, while ensuring that their competitors are not able to replicate their formula for success. Three of the papers discuss specific companies-Tesco, Rolls-Royce, Carrefour and Wal-Mart-thus giving the impression of a mini case study on how these global players strategize their way into market domination and superior firm performance. The third and final paper is a general discussion on George Yips model on internationalization drivers as these are applied in the civil aerospace engine manufacturing and the global grocery retailing industries. Students, scholars and practitioners alike will benefit from the lessons and analyses made in these papers because they show a thoughtful and realistic look into the workings of different corporate organizations while utilizing different business concepts. At the end of the day, this portfolio is designed to show the students ability to comprehend and analyze practical business dilemmas in light of existing theory. Drivers for internationalization George Yip proposed his model of the drivers for the growth of international strategy among corporate organizations. He introduced four main categories of drivers that were key in determining the extent of globalization within a particular industry. These are: Market globalization drivers Cost globalization drivers Government globalization drivers Competitive globalization drivers A company that exhibits less of these drivers is characterized as being local in nature, and conversely a company with a higher number of the drivers are becoming more global both in outlook and in operation. These drivers are not stand-alone, however, because they in fact influence on another in a cycle that determines a corporate organizations readiness to join the ranks of global companies. Stated otherwise, these internationalization drivers are governed by four different factors: technology, social and demographic considerations, politics and legislation, and economic and political considerations. All in all, should a company wish to transform its operations from that of a local industry to an international one, it should pay attention to the different factors that can make or break its ability to participate actively in the global market. While there are of course other factors that may influence a companys eventual success in going global, Yips model gives us a simplified and practical view of what it would take for a company to launch itself into the global playing field and claim its share of global consumers. Different industries and different corporate organizations vary greatly in their capacity for globalization, especially because the nature of the products/services they offer as well as the consumers who avail of them are vastly distinct from one another. Let us compare the global grocery retailing industry and the civil aerospace engine manufacturing industry as an example. We can compare the two in this manner: Global grocery retailing industry Civil aerospace engine manufacturing industry Market driver High Low Cost driver High High Government High Low Competitive High High Countries that have the most advantageous combination of as many drivers as possible are preferred by global companies, as a market for their products/services, as a home base or both. As we can see from the table above, the global retail industry actually has better potential for pushing a global strategy. This is evidenced by the relatively recent entry of new global grocery retailing brands such as Wal-Mart into previously untapped markets like China. Because of the high tendency for globalization, other retail companies are also beginning to look in to the possibility of expanding their business overseas in order to benefit from a bigger customer base. Carrefour, Wal-Mart and the Chinese market The entry of big international players in the Chinese local market in recent years has shown that China is the new gold rush for global companies looking to expand their share of the market. The global grocery retailing industry is just one of the many business sectors that have come to China to make the most out of the millions of consumers who will avail of their products and services. The bid to make China the next biggest market for the global retail industry started in 1992 when the country opened up its retail industry to foreign investors like Carrefour and Wal-Mart. Carrefour entered the market three years later by opening a partnership with a Chinese management consulting firm, creating an entity called Jia Chuang. While other companies treated the Chinese market as one big bloc of consumers, Carrefour looked considered it to be composed of many smaller markets. It opted to create regional offices which were in charge of the expansion programs for different areas of the country, instead of having a centralized national operations network. Carrefour continues to carry out its expansion strategy by depending on local distributors, who supervise the delivery of their products straight to the stores from the regional centres. The company believes that flexibility is a priority consideration especially when operating in a relatively new market. The cost of development is lower because Carrefour is able to build its network store by store while keeping issues about uniformity of service and quality control in check. As for Wal-Mart, they see the challenges of the Chinese retail market differently. Unlike Carrefour, Wal-Mart is putting its investments on a centralized distribution system that is headquartered in Kengzian. The new centre boasts of a 40,000 square meter facility that has been created to handle simultaneous deliveries with up to 70 bays. But like Carrefour, Wal-Mart has also entered the Chinese domestic market by partnering with a local firm, a Taiwanese retail firm named Trust-Mart. Wal-Marts emphasis on back-end operations is almost the exact opposite of Carrefours customer-first strategy, although the latter seems to be on the upper hand in terms of actual market share and profitability. However, at some point Carrefour will also need to pay attention to its back-end to maximize the strong dynamics among its stores. Its current strategy is working well for Chinas market environment but new developments will have to be introduced in the future. No global retailer has yet launched an all-out expansion into China without creating a joint venture with a local company, which is a strategy that enables them to ease slowly but surely into the market instead of going in without a clue as to how the market actually works from the inside. However, it would be more disadvantageous for a global company not to try breaking into the Chinese business scene. The market is rich with millions and millions of consumers who are only too willing to try new the products and services that have suddenly become available to them thanks to the opening up of the market. Care must be made in making these new foreign financial investments work in order to ensure that the companies will see good returns on their investments. Companies must not be deluded by the promise of a huge new market and fall behind their usual standards for doing business. Tescos core strategies and VMO Tesco is one of the leaders in the global retailing industry. The company started in the United Kingdom in the late 1920s and has since grown to be one of the most robust and successful supermarket companies in the world today. Tescos core strategy is founded on their desire to attract and maintain customers who will become their lifetime partners. The company espouses the belief that their corporate success is dependent on their ability to meet the demands of people-both the people who work for them and the people who shop with them. Tescos two-pronged approach misses out on no opportunity to improve not only their service and products, but also their international relationship with their staff. This is reflective of the current thinking among corporate organizations today that a companys human capital is more than just another factor of production-they are in fact the backbone of a company and they make it possible for the corporate strategies to be carried out effectively. Paauwe and Boselie (2002) point out that the emergence of such a breed of HR management has been brought about by the fact that human capital is now seen as a source of competitive advantage. As for Tescos commitment to their customers, the company is firmly rooted in the belief that going the extra mile to satisfy their shoppers needs and requirements will go a long way towards ensuring their loyalty to Tesco. Loyalty is key to maintaining and expanding Tescos share in the retail market. If Tesco can give a customer superior service, then there are higher chances that that customer will keep shopping only at Tesco. But before Tesco can be first to meet their customers needs, they embark on a focused and in-depth study of their shoppers in order to anticipate what they require. Tesco employs what they call the Every Little Bit Helps strategy to ensure that they know exactly what their shoppers and their employees want. Tesco has designed five core business purposes: Be a successful international retailer Grow the core UK business Be equally strong in the food and non-food sectors Develop competitive retailing services Put the community at the core of all business activities. The Every Little Bit Helps strategy is Tescos way of translating these core objectives into actual strategies to help the company achieve its organizational goals. Without the concurrence of both strategy and purpose to guide a corporate organization, especially a global one like Tesco, there will be little chance for the company to have a clear direction of where it wants to go and how to go there. The core strategy and core purposes of Tesco are a way for the company to articulate what it wants to achieve within a given timeframe, as well as crafting the necessary steps to accomplish the goals that it had set for itself. As for Tesco, the company is imbued with the lesson that no organization will progress without considering the needs of its customers and its employees, so their approach is always to seek what is best for both in order to make the company number one. Strategic alliances and Rolls-Royce No man is an island-and even in businesses, this clichà © rings true today. Some organizations, particularly small-scale ones or those that have only just started doing business, may be better off finding their own niche in todays complex market, but there may come a time when they will have to form significant partnerships with other businesses in order to flourish and achieve sustained growth. The current state of the global business landscape today has forced organizations to come up with more creative ways of surviving and keeping ahead of their competitors. Some of the more important aspects that most companies today are focusing on to improve their overall performance are enhancing their brand identity, connecting with customers and attracting competent and highly-skilled workers (Isidro, 2000). Moreover, todays corporate managers are also facing a highly competitive environment that is increasingly complex, globally cantered, and technologically uncertain where there is a critical need for dynamic, flexible, and proactive responses (Miles, Preece, and Baetz, 1999). It is no longer enough to emphasize on creating and opportunities on their own, because independence also has its drawbacks. As a result of the various pressures that companies are facing, there is now an increased tendency among them to favour forging strategic partnerships and alliances as a viable business option. Elmut and Kathawala (2001) are also of the opinion that strategic alliances among corporate organizations are one of the most recent trends in the business community that have made it possible for companies to stay afloat despite serious drawbacks and difficulties. In the case of Rolls-Royce, the company has entered into almost 30 separate partnerships with different firms all over the world to help expand its share of the global market and build on its knowledge and technology base. Of the four reasons that Elmut and Kathawala (2001) outlined for the emergence of strategic alliances, it appears that there are two primary reasons for why Rolls-Royce has chosen to partner with different firms. For one thing, the company stands to gain from such partnership in terms of entering new markets with which it is unfamiliar. Brokering a deal with local corporations allows Rolls-Royce to expand its market while at the same time benefiting from the expertise of an old-timer in the market. Secondly, Rolls-Royce is also into strategic partnerships in order to obtain new technology and best quality at the cheapest cost. The company has four business divisions, all of which need intense research and development funding. Instead of going through their own R and D cycle, Rolls-Royce can share their knowledge and technology with their strategic partners at a much lower cost, thus ensuring that each division is well-maintained but is not draining the companys resources for continuous R and D. While Rolls-Royce can actually provide the funding for its own R and D, it is more cost-efficient for the company to trade information with its partners and make the product or service immediately available in the market. It must be noted, however, that it is not just Rolls-Royce who stands to reap all the wonderful benefits from the strategic alliance. Their partners also take advantage of the Rolls-Royce brand name and the companys existing network of contacts, suppliers and customers, giving the other partner a fair competitive advantage over its competitors in the local market. Strategic alliances are all about creating good working relationships with other companies in the industry and pooling together resources for the mutual benefit of the partners.

Compensation Consultants Essay

Compensation consultants are now becoming a popular tool to assist company in managing their compensation program and corporate governance strategies. However, there are both pros and cons in using compensation consultants. On one hand, there are some clear benefits; firstly, compensation consultants can provide expert knowledge, for example, insight and advice on trends in executive compensation, an assessment of executive compensation relative to executive performance; and insight and advice on the level and mix of pay and benefits (Conyon, 2007). Although, compensation consultants are viewed as external third parties providing solutions of optimal efficient managerial compensation contracts to align the benefits of both the employee and employer in the most fair and unbiased way. They have the ability to help the firm maximize shareholder’s value by designing compensation schemes that more closely align the interests of managers with shareholders since they can bring breadth and depth of experienced from handling similar problems and benchmarking comparable (peer group) firms especially when there is high information asymmetry between different parties. Other benefits include cost reduction in recruiting/rewarding process and efficient allocation of resources by taking the tasks away from human resource, compensation committee and shareholders who may not have the knowledge and experience in determining senior executive pay package. On the other hand, there are some drawbacks in hiring compensation consultants. Firstly, compensation consultants face potential conflicts of interest that can lead to higher recommended levels of CEO pay, including the desires to cross-sell services and to secure repeat business. Evidence shows that US CEOs receive about 18% more total compensation, and Canadian CEOs receive about 33% more, when their executive compensation consultant also provides other services to the firm (Murphy & Sandino, 2010). They are more likely to help executives by pushing for higher compensations in hope of being rewarded with more consultants services with the company as such firms that hire compensation consultants are more likely to have higher CEO compensation levels than those that have not hired a consultant (Voulgaris, et al. 2010) (Goh & Gupta, 2010). However, contrary to the study of Murphy & Sandino 2010, some scholars found that the potential conflict of interest between the firm and consultant is not a primary driver of excessive CEO pay. Their explanation is that opposing incentives to maintain consultants’ credibility or safeguards put in place by compensation committees limit actions taken with regard to cross-selling incentives (Cadman, et al. , 2010). Secondly, consultant fees can be substantial; thus, the company should weigh the costs/benefits to determine whether hiring a consultant is appropriate. Thus, in my view, compensation consultants may not be part of agency problems but rather a solution to the problem of designing an optimal executive pay contract that aligns the interests of both the employee and employer if the firm can strengthen and promote transparency in its hiring process to maximize shareholder’s values.

Social Stratification - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1163 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/09/15 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Q1A. The question of the inevitability of social stratification is one of the fundamental bases of the theories of Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore. Davis and Moore (1945) argue that as long as there is division of labor in the society, and that there are variability in the roles with varying degrees of importance, stratification will occur. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Social Stratification" essay for you Create order There is a significant difference in the wages of CEO’s and a minimum wage earner because according to the theory, there is a functional necessity of providing different rewards for different positions in the society in accordance to an individual’s abilities. Because not everyone is qualified for specific positions or roles set by the society, there is a need to fill them by making sure that the right people are motivated enough to find ways by which they can fill these certain positions. The theory established by Davis and Moore shows that social stratification, aside from being inevitable, is highly functional in nature. Stratification is an instrument that the society utilizes to attract the right people for the right roles set by the society. The situation regarding the increasing wage gap between the CEO and the minimum wage earners can be explained by the functional needs to get the right people motivated to do to right job through stratification. Q1B. There is empirical evidence showing that women earn significantly less than men. Davis and Moore would probably look at this situation emphasizing that gender is a central aspect in the social stratification. It is functional in a sense that men are physically more competent than women, and therefore giving them more incentives to perform these positions would result to the improvement of productivity. Society has set different roles for different genders and usually, the roles that are assigned to women are those that would allow them in work inside the house taking care of children for instance. Though this may also be considered as a full time job, there is no monetary equivalence to this kind of occupation. In contrast to this, men are expected to earn the income for their family to continue subsistence. The main function of inequality is due to the very fact that not all roles in the society have the same extent of difficulty. Because there is a societal notion that the responsibility assigned to men and women are not the same, social stratification according to gender exists, hence the difference in wage rates. Q2A Melvin Tulmin made a response to the theory created by Davis and Moore. He claims that there are several loopholes that the functional theories of Davis and Moore were not able to address, such defining the term â€Å"functionally important†. The situation involving the wage gap between the CEO and the minimum wage earner can be explained by Tulmin’s criticism to the theories of the previous sociologists. For Tulmin, the system of social stratification does not function as the motivating force to attract the right people to the right positions but to force the acceptance of ideologies that govern the society. The increasing gap between the earnings of the CEO and the minimum wage earners can be explained by the fact that there is indeed an existing barrier between the two types of people mentioned above. This would lead the society to accept the ideology that the former is indeed superior as compared to the latter. Social stratification systems functions to maintain the status quo in the society. Because of the existing social stratification, a large segment of the society are not even given the opportunity to undergo the training so the selective function of social stratification systems as argued by Davis and Moore is defeated. Q2B In the points of criticism of Tulmin out against the functional theory of Davis and Moore, it was highlighted that systems of social stratification has the function to regulate the discovery of the full potential of talents available in the society. In this case, we can say that the women are not given enough opportunities as compared to their male counterparts because of the limited resources that are provided to them, which would lead the society to accept the ideology that women are certainly inferior to men. Social stratification systems serve as a tool to distribute positive self images of individual in the certain category concerned. The wage gap between male and female could be explained by Tulmin’s thesis that â€Å"Social stratification systems function to provide the elite with the political power necessary to procure acceptance and dominance of an ideology which rationalizes the status quo, whatever it may be, as logical, natural and morally right. (Tulmin, 1953) This means that there is a prevailing status quo that has to be preserved in order for the society to function according to preference of the dominant stratum, which in this case is the male. Q3A Karl Marx is one of the most influential political thinkers of the nineteenth century, who claimed that exploitation is an inherent characteristic of the capitalist system. If he were to look at the situation involving the CEO and the minimum wage earners, he would probably conclude that this phenomenon is brought about b y the capitalist society prevailing the United States. He would associate the CEO to the â€Å"bourgeoisie,† the class who own the means of production, while the minimum wage earners are the â€Å"proletariat† the group of individuals who sell their labor but do not possess the means of production. In a capitalist system, profit is earned by paying the workers less than the full value of their output. The identity of each social class is a function of their contribution to the means of production. In each social class, there exists an ideology and consciousness among the members of the society that is shaped by the material conditions and their relationship to the means of production. Using Karl Marx’s theory, we can conclude that this situation is an effect of the capitalist system. Q3B The difference in the wage earned by male and female represents a power relation between the genders favoring the former. Women are oppressed in the society due to the notion of private property which then leads to economic inequality, and ultimately social relations between the two genders. The capitalist system prevails in a patriarchal society. According to a socialist Azizah Al-Hibri, capitalism is an advanced form of patriarchy. Roberts, 1998) In this Marxist-Feminist point of view, we can conclude that the significant difference between the wages of men and women is a tool for the patriarchal society to stay in power, since social classes is ultimately defined by its material conditions. Gender inequality exists because it serves the interest of the capital or the ruling class. Reference List Rhonda F. Levine, ed. (1998) Social Class and Stratification: Classical Stat ements and Theoretical Debates. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Roberts, Carey. (1998) Karl Marx and the Gender Wage Gap. Retrieved June 21, 2008 from iFeminist. com. Available online at: