The Renault Nissan Alliance Negotiations

Negotiations are part of our daily activities. In commerce, effective negotiations are the pillars of all successful businesses (Fowler 3). Companies who adopt effective negotiation strategies can be able to generate assessable business values for themselves and for their clients. Unlike in the past, negotiations have become very important to every business organization.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Renault Nissan Alliance Negotiations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has been brought about by deals becoming more complex, more professional buyers joining the marketplace, competitive behaviors in the market, and increase in internal negotiations within companies. Business experts classify negotiations into several types based on critical variables such as time, conflicts, and participants (Sparks 12). In this regard, this case study seeks to analyze the Renault-Nissan alliance negotiations. Throug h this, this paper will bring into light the negotiation strategies that enabled these companies to reach a winning coalition despite the mutual challenges that faced the two companies. Prior the year 1999, Renault and Nissan companies were faced with numerous fiscal challenges that threatened their future business successes. As such, Nissan was virtually insolvent in the year 1999. From the year 1990, the automobile company had progressively lost its money and market share. By the year 1998, its automobile production had decreased by 600, 000 units. On the other hand, Renault was slowly regaining its production and market share after a devastating loss of $ 680 million in the year 1996. Equally, before the alliance Renault was still trying to come into terms with their much-publicized alliance with Volvo that failed to materialize. In the year 1999, the two companies initiated approaches towards an alliance. Several meetings were later held to assess the prospects of their alliance s. Notably, the media and the business experts have applauded Renault’s approaches during the negotiations for their unique negotiation strategies. As such, the Renault negotiating team applied the six steps needed to reach the target and a winning coalition as described by Lax and Sebenius in their article A Guide To Complex Negotiations Published in the year 2012.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the Lax and Sebenius, a successful alliance can be achieved by identifying the right parties and grouping them into fronts, assessing inter-dependencies among fronts, determining whether and when to combine fronts, determining how much information to share and when, and being ready to learn and adapt to changing situations. In the year 1998, Renault’s executive Schweitzer wrote to Nissan’s executive informing him of his strategic plan to form an alliance with Nissan. Schweitzer’s initiatives were against the bankers and investors’ wishes. After identifying the barriers that existed between their companies, Schweitzer was determined to convince all the parties involved of the importance of their alliance. To carry out its initiatives, Renault had to get the approval from the government, their employees and the shareholders. The French government helped the company overcome most of its regulatory roles since they had power over board decisions. Equally, for successful negotiations Renault had to convince Nissan’s stakeholders, which included the Japanese government, labor unions, and investors. These investors were Fuji Bank, Fuyo, and Industrial Bank of Japan. Renault was able to convince these parties with the help of Japanese government officials from the ministries of business, international trade, finance, and fair trade.  By assessing the inter-dependencies among Nissans shareholders, Renault w as able to determine how they affect one another (Lax Sebenius 4). Through this, they were able to negotiate with the Government and the relevant ministries to convince the Nissan Corporation to accept their decision in forming an alliance with them. In the end, the company was able to gain the backing of the company’s shareholders. The effectiveness of the above negotiations depended on the way Renault sequenced their campaigns. Initially, Renault’s CEO sent a letter to Nissan’s CEO before meeting him. The letter was meant to inform the Nissan’s executive of his plans to form an alliance with the firm. Later on, Renault’s CEO arranged for a meeting with Nissan’s CEO. Soon after, though the French government the company was able to convince the Japanese Government in convincing the Japanese authorities. During the negotiation process, Renault ability to learn and adapt to the situations enabled them to reach to an agreement with Nissan. Ini tially, Renault plan was to convince Nissan to buy part of their stock. In return, Renault was going to buy part of Nissan’s stock.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Renault Nissan Alliance Negotiations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nissan were unable to buy Renault’s stock, as they were bankrupt by then. As a result, Renault never dropped their plan to form an alliance with Nissan. They proceeded and bought part of Nissan’s stock. Through this, their ability to adapt was illustrated. The two companies reached an agreement with the aim of enabling each company achieve its desired goals and overcome its fiscal challenges that were threatening the existence of the two companies. Renault had identified several benefits it were to gain from their union with Nissan. These benefits were meant to increase its global competitiveness, increase quality, increase sales, increase momentum as a revived firm, safeguard its market shares, internationalize the firm, and gain global reputation. Through the initiatives, Schweitzer was determined to reduce the company’s RD cycle from 36 months to 24 months. Similarly, unlike his predecessors Schweitzer wanted to shift the company’s focus from increasing the number of units produced and sold per year to increasing the quality of the cars produced and sold. Equally, before their alliance, Renault had no market share in the USA. In the same way, the company’s reputation in Asia and Europe was progressively deteriorating. To achieve these initiatives, Schweitzer noted that Renault needed to improve their products’ designs and qualities (Harford 540). With these variables considered, the company had no option but to unite with a key automaker. In the same period, Nissan was being faced with numerous fiscal challenges. Its sales were dropping drastically in the USA. As the drop in sales was being witnessed , the company’s debts increased with each passing year. To overcome these challenges and restore their financial glory, Nissan had to form an association with Renault. Their association with Renault could enable Nissan to protect their identity, return their profitability, improve their worldwide competitiveness, ensure their future survival, preserve jobs, and develop efficient answers to debt-ridden Nissan Diesel. Similarly, the two companies reached an agreement out of their executives’ ambition to develop an alliance, which could enable the companies to uphold their operational freedom. The basis of their alliances relied on their ability to form a joint equity venture that relied on their partners’ equities, capabilities, and willingness to cooperate (Donnelly David 430). In the same way, the two companies were willing to come up with a common platform that could enable them create considerable economies in the development of their products.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In general, the association of the two companies could enable the two firms to cut their cost of production, gain from the economies of scale, and boosts their bargaining power.  In case the two parties had failed to reach into an agreement it is eminent that they could have faced numerous challenges. For instance, there are higher chances that Nissan could have closed down their operation completely due to bankruptcy. Before their alliance, their sales were dropping drastically both in Asia and the USA. Similarly, at home Nissan was facing numerous operational challenges owing their inability to repay their debts. Therefore, if it could have failed to reach an agreement with Renault it could have been forced to shut its operations. If the company could have shut down its operation, more than 130 million people could have lost their jobs. Equally, the Japanese government could have lost huge revenue generated from the company.  Alternatively, if Renault could have failed to reac h a deal with Nissan it could not be enjoying the success and the market share they currently command in the international automobile market (Magee 123). Before their joint ventures, Renault’s profits were increasing progressively following Schweitzer’s appointment to head the firm. This implies that without their association with Nissan the company could have continued to increase their profits. However, the company could not have been able to improve their products’ designs. Equally, without the association the company could have been able to conquer the American Market, as before their alliance they had no sales in the USA.  In the same year the Renault-Nissan alliance was initiated, Daimler-Chrysler alliance was ongoing. After the two automobile firms were merged in the year 1998, their manufacturers agreed to combine their efforts. The alliance became the third largest automobile firm in the world. The rankings were based on their revenues and capitalizat ion. In the same year, the joint firmed sold 4 million units and generated $155.3 billion. However, in the year, 2000 the joint firm’s revenues dropped drastically. It is estimated that in the same year the company recorded a loss of $500 million. In the year 2001, the company losses increased forcing the company to cut more than 26000 jobs.  During the year 2009, after Daimler exited from Daimler-Chrysler alliance Fiat merged with Chrysler to form Fiat-Chrysler alliance. In the alliance, Fiat owns 53.5 % of the company. Before their alliance, the two companies’ executives noted that their union would increase on their returns. Fiat was to bring in more capital and technologies in the ailing company. These technologies would help the company to develop competitive and efficient cars. On the other hand, Chrysler have been designing and producing cars that have gained international appeal for the last few decades. With the two companies merging, several benefits were g oing to be realized. Among these benefits are decrease in the cost of production, increase gains from the economies of scale, and boosts in their bargaining power (Giessner Viki 78). It should be noted that the negotiations that led to the merger between Daimler and Chrysler failed while the merger between Chrysler and Fiat succeeded. In my opinion, the union between Daimler and Chrysler made business sense. However, I believe that the differences between the two companies’ organizational culture and management should be blamed for the failure of the alliance to realize their goals. For instance, Daimler’s officials were accused of running Chrysler USA operations in the same manner they run their affairs in Europe. The company failed to realize that the operation methodologies in the USA were different from the operating methodologies in Europe (Brown Nicole 45). Worldwide, Chrysler is reputable for their innovative products, while Daimler is reputable for its focuse d decision-making. Due to the differences in their organizational culture, the alliance between the two companies was not destined to last (Hurn Brian 32). After more than 10 years, the alliance between Renault and Nissan is considered successful. In the aftermath of the alliance, Ghosn assumed the leadership of Nissan Corporation. Prior the end of 2000, Nissan profits had increased. Increased in the company’s profits were witnessed until the year 2008 when the world experienced global recession. Between the years 1998 and 2008, the company managed to settle its all debt, which had before threatened their existence in the world market. Since the formation of the alliance, Nissan’s personal management has changed (Brown Nicole 46). Currently, the company evaluates its workers based on their performance. Through this, the company has been able to dismiss more than 14, 000 ineffective workers in the last decade. Through this initiative, he managed to cut the cost of ope ration by $9.48 billion in three years. From the above initiatives, the company has been able to reduce the number of its personnel while increasing its returns. Equally, through the alliance the company managed to increase its sales by 78% by generating $92 million between the years 2004 and 2007. In general, through the alliance Nissan managed to meet its objectives.  On the other hand, Renault’s revenues were inconsistent unlike Nissan’s revenues. For instance, the company experienced an increase in revenue up to the year 2000. In the year 2000, its revenues dropped up to the year 2004. During the year 2004, its revenues increased. Equally, after the alliance the company’s production increased. The alliance between the two companies led to developments in Renault’s defective parts ratio. Similarly, Renault managed to improve their production through its Nissan productions. During the year 2005, Schweitzer retired from Renault Corporation. Upon his re tirement, Ghosn took over as the president of the two companies. After Ghosn took over the leadership of the two firms, he set out some ambitious goals for Renault. In the end 2009, it was realized that his goals had failed to materialize by a huge margin. By the year 2010, the company had made a loss of $ 4.5 million. Based on the above analysis it is clear that Nissan benefitted greatly from the alliance. Generally, after the alliance Nissan with the help of Renault’s cash was able to settle its debts and increase its production. Though Renault recorded some improvements in its operation after associating with Nissan, it should be noted that its gains from the alliance are far less than what Nissan gained from the alliance (Deresky 43). For instance, currently Nissan controls approximately 8% of the global automobile market, while Renault controls approximately 4% of the global automobile market. Works Cited Brown, Orice and Nicole, Clowers. Troubled Asset Relief Program th e U.S. government role as shareholder in AIG, Citigroup, Chrysler, and General Motors and preliminary views on its investment management activities : testimony before the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, 2009. Print. Deresky, Helen. International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures : Text and Cases.. 7. ed. Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2011. Print. Donnelly, Tom, and David Morris. â€Å"Renault-Nissan: a marriage of necessity?.† European Business Review 17.5 (2005): 428-440. Print. Fowler, Alan. Negotiation: skills and strategies. London: Institute of Personnel Management, 2010. Print. Giessner, Steffen, and Tendayi Viki. â€Å"The Challenge of Merging: Merger Patterns, Premerger Status, and Merger Support.† Pers Soc Psychol Bull 32.3 (2006): 339 352. Print. Harford, Jarrad. â€Å"What drives merger waves?.† Journal of Financial Eco nomics 77.3 (2005): 529-560. Print. Hurn, Peter, and Brian J. â€Å"The influence of culture on international business negotiations.† Industrial and Commercial Training 39.7 (2007): 354-360. Print. Lax, David, and James Sebenius. â€Å"Deal Making 2.0: A Guide to Complex Negotiations.† Harvard Business Review 1.2 (2012): 1-6. Print. Magee, David. Turnaround: how Carlos Ghosn rescued Nissan. New York: HarperBusiness, 2003. Print. Sparks, Donald B.. The dynamics of effective negotiation. 2nd ed. Houston: Gulf Pub. Co. , 2011. Print. This case study on The Renault Nissan Alliance Negotiations was written and submitted by user Jeramiah Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

TV Family essays

TV Family essays The show I watched was "Malcolm In the Middle", and the family is portrayed as a bunch of people who hate each other but somehow manage to put up with each other. They are constantly bickering and trying to pull one over one another. But despite all this there is some form of love there. Gender is portrayed as males in the family being somewhat mentally challenged, and females are portrayed as angry and argumentative. Each member experiences the family differently Hal the father seems like he is going to have a nervous breakdown all the time. He works and always tries to be the mediator between the boys and his wife. Really just wanting to be a good guy and wanting the most for his kids. The mother, whose name I can not remember, is always arguing and angry all the time. She doesnt care what people think about her and has that if they do not like me then tough attitude. Though she is always angry she is only that way because she cares about her boys. Francis the oldest boy no longer lives with the family but shows up now and again. He is incredibly stupid but is always trying to dethrone whatever authority is around him. Reese is the same in the respect that he is an idiot. He also has a problem with authority and is always trying to be the alphamale of the boys that stay at home. Malcom is the middle child he is supposedly reallly smart but always ends up doing somethinng incredibly stupid and gets in trouble for it. Dewey is the youngest boy that actually does stuff, the actual youmgest is just kind of there. He is very manipulative in getting his way and never seems to get in trouble. In my opinion the show is not an accurate representation of actual family. It takes the norm of what family is and blows it completely out of proportion. ...

A Culturally Defined Nation

There is nothing to define the country more than culture. Culture is a unified power to integrate people, economics and politics. For people, this is attribution. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, 'culture of the people exists in the soul and soul of people' culture has established a set of traditional morals that will eventually be inherited throughout humanity. It becomes a part of life, even the most diverse people can return. Cultural nationalism defines the state by sharing culture. Nationwide membership qualifications are completely voluntary (they can not get cultures at once), they are not genetic (If you grew up in other cultures, the members' children are seen as foreigners It will be done). China's nationalism is an example of cultural nationalism. Because there are a few ethnic minorities in China. (Chinese nationalists include Taiwanese nationalists who claim to reject mainland Chinese government but have mainland China) Cultural conservatives will help protect the country 's heritage, or a common culture that is not defined at the border. Shared culture may be as different as Western culture or Chinese culture. In the United States, the term cultural conservatism may imply a conservative position in cultural warfare. Even in the face of major changes, cultural conservatives still keep traditional thinking. They firmly believe in traditional values ​​and traditional politics and often have a sense of nationalism Cultural nationalism is a type of nationalism where the state is defined by a common culture. It is an intermediate position between national nationalism and civil nationalism. Therefore, it will focus on the national identity formed by cultural tradition rather than the concept of common ancestors and races. Cultural nationalism does not tend to appear in the independence movement, but rather has a place in a wider nationalist ideology. Therefore, the position of the moderate faction of Flanders, Hinduism nationalism may be cult ural nationalism, and these movements include forms of national nationalism and ethnic mysticism. The fact that European and American media are focusing on Western nationalism generally reflects the influence of defining the identity of citizens as existing demographic and political systems as rapidly changing demographic data . In contrast, the minorities and religious organizations have weakened the competitiveness over the universe in Chinese culture due to the one-party system and the government's control over the media. China's nationalism is determined by the relationship between China and other countries, especially the past 150 years of historical experience.

The Effect of Body Language on Oneself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Effect of Body Language on Oneself - Essay Example According to the report  nonverbal communication in the simplest of terms can be defined as the process of sending a message without the use of words. It involves the use of expression of the face, the gestures we make, the postures we take, the tone of our voices and the emotions attached to it, the kind of grooming we do, the clothing we dress in, and so on.   It is important to note that the nonverbal cues one employs at times contains a message that is direct while at times the message is hidden, but all in all, these cues end up influencing the outcome of the verbal communication that we are making. It is possible to be saying one thing while our body language could be saying exactly the opposite of what we are saying.This paper declares that  it is a fact that cannot be disputed that our body language says a lot about ourselves. As human beings, we are interested in what the other persons’ body language says about them because it will basically determine how we are going to interact with them in both the short and the long run. While our nonverbal affect other peoples; how we judge them, and the outcome of the judgment, it is imperative to note that as humans, we are very much influenced by our own nonverbal especially the power dynamics aspect.  Human beings have this inbuilt tendency to display their accomplishment; that is, pride. We all express pride in one way or another.  

Compare and contrast the work of illustrators Aubrey Beardsley and Essay

Compare and contrast the work of illustrators Aubrey Beardsley and Edward Gorey - Essay Example He began the art of illustrating in 1892 in Paris where Parisian fashion influenced his style of illustrations. This paper outlines the comparison and contrast between Edward Gorey and Aubrey Beardsley in their works as illustrators. Comparisons Both artists represented the high caliber of creativity and artistic brilliance. Edward on his side is the most imaginative artist of all time in America while Aubrey on the other side was an indispensable artist because he influenced his age and gave huge knowledge throughout Europe and America. Illustrators Gorey and Beardsley were both identified with artwork that had similar form in expressing skills and techniques though in different ways. Their work clearly expresses the value of illustrations in artistic work and shows how they should be correctly executed. They clearly bring out the understanding of each illustration including the shape and form that ensures the genre is understood in the present and future. Both were best known illus trators with detailed illustrations and stories. There works have inspired many people. They both used ink in their drawings and writing. Aubrey in drawing his images used ink, the large dark areas had contrasted with the large blank areas while other areas did not contrast at all. Gorey’s signature pen and ink as illustrated in his work and the use of strange and horrible words made him to be considered as America’s most imaginative and strange artist of all time. They played with both text and pictures i.e. Gorey was best known for his fantastic drawings especially the use of children such as (The Gashlycrumb Tinies, (1963), Alice in wonderland) and amusing, odd/unpredictable stories. Beardsley on the other hand wrote a book, â€Å"Under the Hill† an incomplete erotic tale and many other short stories plus several letters. Most of his work though are illustrated. Some of his famous illustrations include The Stomach Dance, 1894, The Peacock Skirt, 1894, Der Pud erquast, 1893, Masquerade among many others. Beardsley and Gorey’s artistic works were based on the same subject. They both dealt on; costume and fashion, collections, book illustrations, botanicals, education, world culture and others. Their artistic style was also the same and include; photography, fine and vintage. This kind creativity promoted their work and also made them memorable to date. Both created works with different degrees of realism, employing imagery, forms and motifs from flora and fauna. Their work was rated as the most innovative and progressive which attracted many international critics. Gorey's most books are of humor and cartoon sections of most bookstores, although a book such as The Object Lesson earned serious respect in the society, it was full of animation and humor. Contrasts: Gorey's books/work were popular with kids but he never associated them with kids it is believed that he had no fondness for them. Maybe it is because he was never married and he specifically confessed to have less interest in romance as indicated in the book The Strange Case of Edward Gorey. During interviews, he never discussed anything about romance. At one point during an interview he said â€Å"I'm neither one thing nor the other particulars. I am fortunate in that I am apparently reasonably undersexed or something  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I've never said that I was gay and I've never said that I wasn't

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Abstract : . Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. The philosophical views from one of the greatest German philosophers to ever live continue to interest and influence scholarly opinions all around the world. Immanuel Kant was one of those brilliant thinkers or philosophers that were able to give valuable insight that surround many different ethical values of morality. Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. Just because one person may will a certain thing does not mean that the majority of people will follow suit. For example a key element of Kant’s theory is the concept of intentions or intent. To him the actual outcome or the consequences of a particular action doesn’t matter at all, it’s the intentional aspects he is concerned with. Imagine that you are a serial killer just walking down the street and you see a defenseless elderly woman walking in front of you. It’s no one else around and it’s very dark on the streets. You also have a knife to ensure a silent job and a very easy kill. Now let’s say you decide not to kill this elderly woman and spare her life, but not because you are worried about acting immorally but you did not want to risk her screaming and alerting anyone else that she was being attacked. In the end u decided not to act on your will then according to Kant you have not acted ethically. That’s where I find flaw in his analysis and theory. So our actions according to Kant’s philosophy doesn’t make us a better person because when you acted or (chose not to act), you weren’t considering action in terms of its morality. You actually abandoned the ideas of moral choice, and merely acted out of a sense of self preservation. However if you did chose not to kill the elderly woman because you suddenly realized that it was wrong to do so, then you would have acted morally according to Kant’s theory on Categorical Imperative. Can the Categorical Imperative even accurate enough and practical to be applied into a personal real life ethical dilemma? I do not believe that it could. My interpretation of Kant’s theory was the he thought that if everyone just used reason when trying to figure out their ethical duties, then everyone would come up with the same rules to follow. This may be true but I would say that it is very unlikely that humans will ever be unbiased enough to do this, and the Categorical Imperative fails to take into account the complexity of human beings and their relationships to one another. The formula that Kant used was the concepts surrounding universal law. By this universal law formula he was able to capture the concept that a maxim will work for everyone who it is applied too. The next formula Kant used was the end in itself which occurs when people try to use maxims, (rules that suit themselves) this formulation states that we must not treat others as if they do not have their own life, and respect their acts regardless of ethical belief. It may be my duty to give a small contribution of my earnings to charity, church, or to the homeless indeed, but a homeless man cannot demand that I do so for him because I am not a means to his end, and he has to respect that concept. The key thing to keep in mind here is that you can’t use people just as a means to an end because people are ends in themselves. For example you couldn’t kill a baby Hitler just because that will save a thousand Jews, according to Kantain perspectives. With the baby Hitler example the maxim would be â€Å"killing babies that will commit genocide when they grow up†. On the contrary what if that was a moral rule; like you must kill any babies that will grow up and commit genocide. If the maxim could function as a rule, then actions based on it will be morally right. These maxims also serve as a way to better understand the rigidly parameters that surround ethical issues. Now as I said earlier on I have a foot-hole in both aspects of this topic. I have done things to receive rewards especially when beautiful women are around. And I have also just given a pure stranger a ride home in the rain after seeing them struggle with groceries. And I never told a soul it was just a mere act of kindness and the ethical thing to do as far as good will goes. That is what makes Kant’s theory in my eyes as secondary to my individuality. I do not agree with him on some aspects of his analysis and some I can relate too. We all are presented with these scenarios and many of us as typical human beings tend to neglect the infrastructure behind morality of ethical issues. I would say that ethical theory must have examples attached to them; otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good ethical theory. These theories can never be applied practically if one could not imagine using them in different circumstances. The Categorical Imperative does sort of show any rational thinking person both how to tell the difference between right and wrong, and the moral necessity to choose to act in accordance with what’s right. Personally I fall right in between when it comes to this as I said I have done a little of both sides, being superior( acting out of principles), and I have acted to gain reward but not as much as I have been considered superior. I try my best to act accordingly with morality, and being a dedicated Christian this isn’t that hard. My main source of morality stems from the Bible. I use the Bibles principles as a guideline to how to act morally. I believe that this is the only true source of ethical acts, and that there is no man made doctrines or philosophies that can properly address this complex issue. As long as I understood Gods Laws and follow a righteous path, morality or acting morally comes like second nature. So to sum it all up about Kant’s perspectives I believe he was a little more concerned with a person’s intentions than a consequentialist with utilitarian views, but Kant did feel that if you didn’t act according to the Categorical Imperative you could be accused of acting unethically. It was clear that Kant like me was not content with the popular moral philosophy of his day. According to Kant, when we act upon a maxim that can’t be universalized or (willed by everyone else) we are contradicting ourselves. Meaning that without a will that everyone else views as objective then any action taken can potentially contradict one’s self. To further understand Kant’s philosophy I will walk you through a series of scenarios that I have experienced in my life. I can recall several occasions where the categorical Imperative aspect of Kant’s philosophy has shed light on my ethical or morally based actions. One afternoon I was riding down the street and I noticed a few guys struggling with groceries trying to get back to their school. I could have kept going and actually I did, but I decided to turn around and offer them a ride to their destination. Now according to Kant’s good will I acted on a matter of principle, and not to gain reward. There was nothing I expected to gain from my actions. Now if I had asked them for gas money or maybe some sort of payment for the ride then at that point I become inferior according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative. There was another instance when I acted morally and ethically in Kant’s eyes and that was the time I acknowledged an older woman attempting to put air in her tire at Kroger grocery store. Actually at the time I was in need of air for my tire too and the clerk had turned on the machine but before I got there to it she came and was experiencing trouble getting the air in her tire. I politely offered her assistance and she was very grateful and she insisted that I take five dollars for my actions. Now I in fact was not expecting to get paid for this, but she insisted that I take it. I made it very clear that I felt that this was a universal duty of mine to assist at a time when my assistance was clearly needed. She was older and having trouble with the air pump so I felt an obligation to assist her so I did so. Now did I act morally according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the good will? Was I superior or inferior? Yes I acted morally because Kant was not concerned with outcome or consequences he only focused on the intent of that particular action. Kant also emphasizes the absolute necessity of separating genuine morality from all empirical considerations. I find Kants formula to be a valuable tool but it neglects to define moral law as God-given.

Role of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls Essay -- essays research p

Consider the role of the Inspector in â€Å"An Inspector Calls†? And what we learn about Priestley’s view on society through the character and his effect on others. The traditional Englishmen’s home is his castle goes out the window, just so that inspector Goole can solve a mystery. A mystery, that by his line of questioning, he already knows the answer to. An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 by John Boynton Priestley, just as the Second World War was ending and Britain was looking forward to life without war. The play is set in 1912, when Britain still had its Empire and was a wealthy country before the First World War – it was also the year that the Titanic sunk. Class structure was very strict and some people were willing to risk everything to enter a higher class. Strikes over poor working conditions in factories were common and only rich men who owned property were allowed to vote. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on 13 September 1894, his father was a schoolmaster and his mother died later that year. In later life Priestley took a job as a very junior clerk at the local wool company. When the First World War broke out, he enrolled in the infantry, served in France and encountered a near death experience in Germany. On leaving the army, Priestley finally accepted a place at Cambridge University to read modern history and political science. He wrote many successful novels and plays before and after the Second World War. J B Priestley was a socialist, he believed that everyone should be equal and share everything between each other. In â€Å"An Inspector Calls† all of the characters are led to believe that they are all partly responsible for the suicide of a young working class woman. †An Inspector Calls† is a ... .... Only the younger generation have learned anything from the incident, this is that you should not make the same mistake that previous people have made. The older generation have learned nothing â€Å"we’ve been had† says Mr Birling, proving that the older generation think that is quite funny and that it must have been someone having a joke. Conclusion The inspector represents J.B.Priestley and the socialist idea. Priestley hopes we have learned about socialism and that what can happen in a chain of events theory. Priestley hopes that we have learned that everyone should be equal and share their possessions. he also wanted us to learn from our mistakes. I have learned about socialism and about life in 1912. my views haven’t really changed because I didn’t know about socialism before. my view is that the play is a decent play, but not one that I would go and see. Role of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls Essay -- essays research p Consider the role of the Inspector in â€Å"An Inspector Calls†? And what we learn about Priestley’s view on society through the character and his effect on others. The traditional Englishmen’s home is his castle goes out the window, just so that inspector Goole can solve a mystery. A mystery, that by his line of questioning, he already knows the answer to. An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 by John Boynton Priestley, just as the Second World War was ending and Britain was looking forward to life without war. The play is set in 1912, when Britain still had its Empire and was a wealthy country before the First World War – it was also the year that the Titanic sunk. Class structure was very strict and some people were willing to risk everything to enter a higher class. Strikes over poor working conditions in factories were common and only rich men who owned property were allowed to vote. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on 13 September 1894, his father was a schoolmaster and his mother died later that year. In later life Priestley took a job as a very junior clerk at the local wool company. When the First World War broke out, he enrolled in the infantry, served in France and encountered a near death experience in Germany. On leaving the army, Priestley finally accepted a place at Cambridge University to read modern history and political science. He wrote many successful novels and plays before and after the Second World War. J B Priestley was a socialist, he believed that everyone should be equal and share everything between each other. In â€Å"An Inspector Calls† all of the characters are led to believe that they are all partly responsible for the suicide of a young working class woman. †An Inspector Calls† is a ... .... Only the younger generation have learned anything from the incident, this is that you should not make the same mistake that previous people have made. The older generation have learned nothing â€Å"we’ve been had† says Mr Birling, proving that the older generation think that is quite funny and that it must have been someone having a joke. Conclusion The inspector represents J.B.Priestley and the socialist idea. Priestley hopes we have learned about socialism and that what can happen in a chain of events theory. Priestley hopes that we have learned that everyone should be equal and share their possessions. he also wanted us to learn from our mistakes. I have learned about socialism and about life in 1912. my views haven’t really changed because I didn’t know about socialism before. my view is that the play is a decent play, but not one that I would go and see.

Commentary for a Piece of Original Writing Essay

For my first piece of original writing I intend to create a piece primarily written for entertainment however, I also want to portray an interest into historical and political persuasions. I aim to write this piece for an audience of teenagers to young adult who are aged from around fifteen to twenty-five and are male, I also wish to identify with those interested in political thrillers within this age range. The genre of which shall be a short fiction story consisting chiefly of narrative and written in the third person. I picture this piece as being one of a collection of short stories concerned with the political-thriller fiction sub-genre. Despite being a fiction text I aim to tie in real world non-fiction. I was inspired to write a story of this nature after watching Luc Besson’s ‘The Professional’, alongside reading material from Robert Harris, such as ‘Archangel’, ‘Fatherland’ and ‘Enigma’. I had previous experience reading this genre and being a big fan of Robert Ludlum I wanted to emulate the thrill I experienced from his work, in my own. To gain a firmer understanding of the style I would be pursuing I began to view examples of historical references from encyclopedias and journals and I also read books of historical sub-genre. This is my final draft of this piece and I have made various alterations from the previous drafts to enhance it. In general the changes were simple things such as correcting spelling and punctuation, slightly more significant was the rewording of concluding paragraphs to make it tidier and read or flow better. The most salient modification was trimming the use of figurative language; its use brings visual framework to the piece however overdoing it resulted in an awkward read. The changes I have made were a result of feedback I had attained from my friends, family and potential audiences who read my first drafts and gave me their honest opinions regarding it. I consider the changes I have made prior to completion have certainly improved the final draft of this piece; however, if I were to revise it once again I could continue to make improvements. This piece has been constructed to exploit the expectations of the reader by diverging from the conventions of traditional story telling; beginning, middle and end, respectively. By challenging this system I hope I have created an original piece that intrigues the reader. throughout the piece I have tried to maintain an atmosphere of consternation and to do so I have used many different grammatical and lexical techniques, for instance the use of certain semantic fields that are common with post cold war Russia such as ‘KGB’, ‘Prospekts’ and ‘Klashnikov AK-47’. I have also written using the semantic field of dirt and creating a feeling for the attitudes of the time. Again it can be shown here by ‘smog’, ‘sodden’ and ‘orifice’. Together these images conjure up the feeling of treacherousness and uneasiness. These words also relate to the sociolect of my political thriller enthusiasts that would have come across such words in the past. This gives them a sense of appreciation and common territory. I have chosen certain words to optimize the effect of connotation, exempli gratia I use the word ‘smog’ in place of fog or haze this is because smog has a polluted feeling, again reiterating the industrial power of Russia and the unwelcome feeling of wartime. This is complemented with the word ‘lingered’ – as opposed to ‘stayed’ – as an adverb to describe the smog. Not only have I used the emotive effects of connotation but combined with the use of figurative ornaments such as metaphors and similes; e.g. â€Å"like a sodden quilt†, and alliteration; e.g. â€Å"bald bloated body†, I have drawn a picture of â€Å"waking Moscow† through the lexis. To add some humour and variety into the piece I have played around with the pragmatics of certain situations, one of which is when Vladimir and Nikolai are talking, â€Å"he and I went back as far as Cuba and we had no secrets.† what I have tried to imply is the possibility of Vladimir being homosexual, which Nikolai picks up on and questions in the conversation. At the end of the piece I switch writing from third person into first person; â€Å"I can hear,† and â€Å"their souls†, this is so I can comment objectively on the events that had revealed themselves and stimulate the reader to resolve the story according to their own reading of it. The story is presented through narrative prose, using paragraphs to separate the text into more meaningful and accessible sections. Adjacency pairs determine the order of dialogue to replicate that of spoken text. Upon commencing this piece of writing it was my ambition to amuse and beguile an audience of comparable cultural elation to myself. The desire to write such a piece fired me with zeal and left my feeling rather ebullient. I feel I have successfully completed what I set out to do and by recording the response of my target audience to my final piece the consensus was that this was true.

American Revolution and Social Change

The American Revolution in the latter half of the eighteenth century was a time of great social change (United States, 2007). As a matter of fact, this social change was global in nature, seeing as the international parties involved in the Revolution for some reason or the other, took the American Revolution as a model for social change in the future (American Revolution, 2007). During the period referred to as the American Revolution, the Thirteen Colonies that were to become the United States of America, managed to gain independence from the British Empire.The Colonies had to rebel against the British Empire in order to gain independence, of course. Thus, they entered into the American Revolutionary War, which is also called the American War of Independence. This war, like all other wars, led to massive social change to boot. Lives were lost, and the birthing of new ideas occurred with respect to how societies must conduct themselves. Happening between 1775 and 1783, the war culmin ated in the famed American Declaration of Independence in the year 1776. Victory for the Colonies was actually achieved on the battlefield in the year 1781 (American Revolution).France had played a vital role in helping the new nation of Americans with finances as well as munitions. France also helped the Colonies to organize a coalition against the British Empire. The Americans were rebelling against the royalty or upper crust at the time (American Revolution). Naturally, they were desirous of social change, enough to fight over it. Theirs was a struggle to achieve a kind of an equalizing democracy. The American revolutionaries tried to change through bloodshed their government. They did not appreciate the laws and regulations of the British Empire.Rather, society in their opinion had to conduct itself outside most of the laws.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 2 and regulations of the British.By eradicating monarchy and the establishment of republics in the end, the Ameri can revolutions had changed the society drastically. Hence, John Franklin Jameson (1968) has written: â€Å"The stream of revolution, once started, could not be contained within narrow banks, but spread abroad upon the land.†Also according to Jameson, the social change brought about via the American Revolution concerned many areas of American life, including business, slavery, the ownership of land, the intellectual as well as religious life, and the interactions between the members of different socioeconomic groups. In a way, the Revolution was Karl Marx’s dream come true, seeing as the lower socioeconomic groups were no longer able to tolerate the ruling class and had decided to overpower the ruling class for good.What is more, the society of the Americans after the Revolution had no longer to apply the principles of the British Empire in their lives. They had no longer to be influenced by the British religion, for example, nor by the political ideologies of the Brit ish. By changing the government of the land, the Americans had in fact changed the social order, including the norms and principles to live by. The idea of American democracy was brought out in the open for the first time.The republican ideology was introduced with its emphasis on liberty, equality, individual rights, and struggle against corruption. Not only did this ideology change the lives of the American people for good, but it also entered the European mind that had for centuries seen only imperialism in practice (American Revolution). The idea that a society could revolt against the monarchy was taken seriously, worldwide. Hence, the impact of the social change brought about by the Revolution became global. As a matter of fact, the eradication of the social control of the BritishAMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 3Was seen in various countries around the world after the American War of Independence. The British Empire that had established colonies in many parts of th e world was asked to leave, very often by force, thanks to the American Revolution that had done the same successfully by showing the world that it was possible for nations to achieve prosperity for themselves without the social control of the British.Moreover, it was possible for nations that had previously been ruled by the British to formulate their own laws, such as the social control of corruption, without the supervision of the British. Today, the word ‘democracy’ is heard day after day on international television. Moreover, every nation is required to include the democratic model of government into its political practices, even if it is difficult to include this model for some reason. Even the United Kingdom believes in democracy today, despite the survival of the British Empire.Regardless of whether democracy has a hold over a certain government’s practices or not, however, the American Revolution has shown the world – like other revolutions in his tory – that it is possible for common people to rebel against governments, when in fact, their voices have been totally ignored. ‘Enough is enough’ is the impetus to social change that a revolution implies. In other words, the common people are expected to be patient for only a limited amount of time before they get ready to impose social change on the entire society.Not everybody in the Colonies would have agreed with the idea of the American Revolution. There are always people in society that resist change, and particularly resist the kind of change that is brought on through violence. Countless people hate wars, even if certain wars are fought for human rights. Regardless of such people’s reactions to a revolution, however, the American.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 4 Revolution became a reality.Besides, the social change that it implied took into consideration all corners of society, including the people that had resisted change and war. Before the American Revolution, man was held as superior to another man. The British Empire was superior to the Colonies. The American Revolution changed that also by helping the slaves realize that they were equal to their masters in essence. After all, if the people of the Colonies could, as a whole, fight against the monarchy, the slaves too could eventually achieve their freedom. The idea of equality imposed through the Revolution was groundbreaking for the slaves.Eventually, they were able to become legally emancipated, when the United States abolished slavery for good. A vast number of slaves at the time of the American Revolution were Africans. Although they had achieved freedom in the United States, their children and grandchildren were to continue struggling against the racism that they felt was prevalent in society, long after the American Revolution. In point of fact, Africans experienced that the whites had a low opinion of them, and did not offer them the kinds of oppor tunities they deserved.Because of their ancestors’ experience through the American Revolution, however, the Africans were able to use the model of the American Revolution to continue struggling against the alleged superiority of man over another man. The struggle against racism has continued. Even today, Africans in America try to fight racism in one way or another. The Civil War has passed. And yet, the social change that the absolute end of racism would bring about is awaited. Already, it is a known fact in America thatAMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 5The African Americans are equal to the white Americans in essence, despite the fact that the latter had owned the Africans during another period of time. Yet another kind of social change brought about by the American Revolution was the change in the role of women. Before the American Revolution, women had contributed to the operation of agricultural farms and small businesses. However, they had seldom acquired ind ependent economic status.When the War of Independence started, the role of the women changed in that they were expected to take complete charge of businesses and farms in the absence of men. Furthermore, the republican ideas called for discussions on women’s rights, roles in society, as well as education. Eventually, women, too, were to achieve an equal role in society with men. Today, discrimination against women is against the law in America. This kind of social change is particularly helpful for society as a whole, given that women may now contribute equally with men to the economic growth of America.Some of the states of America, after the Revolution, changed their property and inheritance laws to allow women to inherit shares of estates and to exercise a certain level of control over property following marriage. Women no longer had to suffer after the deaths of the men in their lives. They could support themselves through inheritance. All the same, according to the Encyc lopedia Britannica, â€Å"the Revolution itself had only very gradual and diffused effects on women's ultimate status.Such changes as took place amounted to a fuller recognition of the importance of women as mothers of republican citizens rather than making them into independent citizens of equal political and civil status with men† (United States).AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 6Once again, because the American Revolution introduced into the minds of all Americans the idea of equality between men, the issue of women’s rights erupted long after the American Revolution as well.Although the immediate effects on the status of women were seen to be little, the long term social change brought about by the American Revolution in terms of the role of women in society, is massive. Man could rise against a monarchy during the Revolution. In the case of the women of America, this idea meant that they no longer had to consider themselves subjected to men. As a matter of fact, the issue of women’s rights, like democracy, is discussed globally today. The American Revolution has, at least, some part to play in the social change that this issue implies for women around the world.Apparently, the people of America were satisfied with the social change brought about through the Revolution. If not, another revolution could have begun to introduce new norms and forms of social control. ‘Enough is enough’ remains the impetus to revolutions. But in the case of America, ‘so far so good’ appears to be the way the social changes have been perceived. In other words, the social changes brought about by the American Revolution have been seen as positive.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 7References1. â€Å"American Revolution. † (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Revolution. (26 March 2007).2. Jameson, John Franklin. (1968). American Revolution Considered as a Social Moveme nt. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.3. â€Å"United States. † (2007). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-77713. (26 March 2007).

The Meaning of La Nuit in French S

The Meaning of La Nuit in French S La nuit, meaning night or dark(ness), is pronounced nwee. It is a frequently used French  intransitive noun that most often describes that part of the day when its dark, but its quite common, too, to hear it used figuratively, as a symbol of something dark or fearsome. Expressions Given that night is an unavoidable fact of our lives every single day, its natural that la nuit is used in so many idiomatic expressions. Here are a few: Bonne nuit.  - Good night.Il fait nuit. - Its dark.Passer une bonne nuit - to have a good nights sleepUne nuit blanche /  une nuit dinsomnie - a sleepless nightUne nuit bleue - a night of terror / a night of bomb attacksUne nuità ©e - an overnight stayLa nuit porte conseil. - Lets sleep on it.La nuit tous les chats sont gris. (proverb) - All cats are grey in the dark.La nuit tombe.  - Its getting dark.Rentrer avant la nuit  - return before dark / nightfall la nuit tombante, la tombà ©e de la nuit  - at dusk,  at nightfallSe perdre dans la nuit des temps  - to be lost in the mists of timeCest le jour et la nuit  !  - Its like night and day!Une nuit à ©toilà ©e  - a starry nightFaire sa nuit  - sleep through the nightLa nuit de noces  - the wedding nightToute la nuit  - all night longToutes les nuits - every nightLa nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre  - night of New Years EvePayer sa nuit  - to pay for the nightAnimaux  de nuit  - noc turnal animalsPharmacie de nuit - all-night pharmacy, 24-hour pharmacyTravailler de nuit - to work the night shift, to work nights Parts of the Day (le Jour) Lets make the tour of one 24-hour period, beginning in the middle of the night, when  il fait nuit noire,  its pitch-black. Chaque jour (every day) as the sun starts to come up, the day begins to go  through the following stages:   laube (f) - the dawnle matin - the morningla matinà ©e - all morning, the morningla journà ©e - all day long, the day, the daytimele midi - noon, 12 p.m.laprà ¨s-midi (m) - the afternoonle crà ©puscule - dusk, nightfallle soir - the evening, nightla soirà ©e - all evening, eveningla veille  de - the eve ofla nuit - the nightle minuit - midnight, 12 a.m.le lendemain - the next day

Anth week 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anth week 3 - Essay Example route as that of the contemporary monkey and apes but instead remained in such islands as Madagascar thus acquiring a new ecological niche of which they adapted to accordingly. As concerns the new world monkeys, they mainly come from such groups as marmosets, Cebidae, Atelidae, and Pithecidae. Another classification of the monkey clades are the Catarrhines that consist of the old world monkey and the apes. The old world monkeys in this case include the Colobinae and Cocopithecinae. During the period of evolution, the primates had to make certain adjustments in order to adapt to such factors that enhance their vision, hand use, locomotion, intelligence, the need to care for their young ones in a social manner. Humans fundamentally use evidence to understand the history of evolution. The evidence in question may be biological or historical in nature where in biology the evidence may include genetics and living organisms. On the other hand, historical evidence consists of paleontology, geology, and paleoanthropology. Since the focus of this paper is paleoanthropology, it is necessary to make use of appropriate geological evidence like fossils to unearth the evolutionary history of the primates. Nevertheless, geological preservation processes have simplified the whole procedure of studying the fossil components of the old primates. Although many scholars agree that the world is old, the history and age of the earth is significant in working out the process and history of evolution using fossils. This is because the old earth has a strong connection to the biological evolution. There are of techniques that paleoanthropologists use to date the fossils that they recover through geological means . These methods include Radiocarbon dating, U-Series, Radio-potassium, Uranium-Lead dating, Argon-Argon dating, and the Reference Geo-chronological Timescale. Actually, the history of paleoanthropology is quite vast ranging from the Neanderthal skullcap that paleoanthropologists

Internet Privacy and Consumer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Privacy and Consumer - Essay Example Apart from this, with the growth of online technology, companies can now monitor every move of a consumer once the consumer is on the website. Though internet privacy is a major concern to many consumers today, data collection is considered a benefit by online companies. Many consumers are concerned that their personal information is accessed and monitored by different companies. According a poll released by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 72 percent are concerned that their online behaviors were being tracked and profiled by companies, while 82 percent of consumers are concerned about their credit card numbers being stolen online. A vast majority of consumer want to have control over what information is being monitored by Internet companies and want to have more control on their private information. of information is being monitored. Many companies argue that using data-monitoring and data tracking software is useful in building better products for the consumers. "The definition of the Internet as fully public rather than semiprivate is an important distinction to make since legal opinion tends to be built on the reasonable expectations that individuals have about how their information will be handled" (Cronin 4). Internet privacy is a big concern these days though consumers have had issues with privacy long bef