Epic Hero Essay Essay Example

Epic Hero Essay Essay Moral Courage EMMA WALSKY PRE-AP CHALLENGE ENGLISH 9 MRS. PEARSON 2 MARCH 2013 â€Å"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare. † (Mark Twain) Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings, Odysseus from The Iliad and The Odyssey, and Katniss from The Hunger Games all demonstrate jarring courage throughout their journey to heroism. As Aragorn leads the Fellowship, they come across many obstacles and interferences. He is required to battle off Urak-hai, Orcs, and Nazgul and protect his comrades, all while continuing his quest to Mount Doom. Aragorn is a very loyal and intrepid leader whom is brought to heroism through his magnificent courage. Odysseus makes a very long journey in order to return home to Ithaca. He is forced to make tremendous sacrifices, survive the wrath of Skylla and Kharybdis, and take the form of an intelligent beggar. Odysseus is brought to his heroic means through his gallant courage and distinctive endurance. Katniss battles for days in order to win victory for her district. She protects fellow members, cunningly kills off enemies, and endures major physical and intellectual damage. Katniss’ stunning dedication and over powering courage lead her to great heroism. Heroes of epic orchestration, such as Aragorn from The Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. We will write a custom essay sample on Epic Hero Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Epic Hero Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Epic Hero Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Tolkien, Odysseus from The Iliad and The Odyssey, by Homer, and Katniss from The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, establish themselves as superior epic heroes through their intelligent utilization of the twenty-five epic hero steps, along with their astounding courage, bravery, and endurance which ultimately transforms them into three epic heroes that will never be forgotten. As an epic hero the first hero journey step, The Call to Adventure, acts as one of most important steps, as it begins ones strenuous expedition towards victory and triumph. Odysseus, The Great Glory of the Achaians, was under oath to protect the marriage of Helen and Menelaus. After Helen was taken by Paris to the city of Troy, the Greeks demanded war upon the Trojans. Odysseus was asked by King Agamemnon and King Menelaus to endure war and bring his fleet of ships and soldiers. This marked the start of Odysseus’ lengthy journey to capture Helen, and defeat Troy. Odysseus proudly led the Walsky 2 Cephallenians, with twelve ships, who were settled in Ithaca, Neriton, Crocyleia, Aigilips, Zacynthos, and Samos. He was forced to leave his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telelmachus, for what soon became 20 years. Odysseus’ tremendous sacrifice to his country and his family along with his outstanding courage to bring home victory prove his title of an epic hero. Katniss, The Girl Who Was on Fire, begins her journey in the square of District 12. As the reaping begins, Katniss separates from her sister, Primrose, and waits for Effie Trinket to announce which two children of the Seam will act as tribute. Effie reaches her hand deep into the ball and pulls out a slip of paper. As she crosses back to the podium, she smoothes the slip of paper and reads out the name in a clear voice, Primrose Everdeen. As a â€Å"strangled cry comes out of her throat and her muscles begin to move again,† Katniss screams out â€Å"Prim! † (Collins 22). Katniss makes way for the stage and pulls Prim behind her with one sweep of her arm as she gasps â€Å"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute! † (Collins 22). Katniss protects her sister from the dangers of the battle as she unexpectedly volunteers to take her place as tribute. With this, she displays shocking courage and wholesome bravery. Katniss’ great deed is one of many that prove she is a respectable epic hero. Katniss and Odysseus both embark on hearty journeys that force them to make important sacrifices, portray a leader figure, and act courageous in battle, which ultimately prove themselves as epic heroes. Each epic hero heftily utilizes the third hero journey step, The Wise and Helpful Guide and the Magic Tailsman, to assist and guide them in their path to success and glory. Aragorn, The Great Strider, along with the rest of the Fellowship, is led from the shire to Mount Doom by Gandalf the Grey, later Gandalf the White. Gandalf is a wizard, and is also known as the head of the Istari after the fall of Saruman. Gandalf leads and protects the Fellowship through Brandywine, The Old Forest, Chetwood, Bree, Weathertop, Trollshaws, and Rivendell until the final reach of Mount Doom. Aragorn is loyal to Walsky 3 Gandalf’s decisions and respects his strategies and tactics. He allows Gandalf to lead the Fellowship and trusts his knowledge and intelligence. Aragorn’s ability to respect, along with his distinctive loyalty and dedication towards others distinguishes him as an epic hero. Katniss is mentored by Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, and won for District 12 at the age of 16. Haymitch first appears to Katniss as drunk and staggering as he dives off the stage at the reaping, and once again as he vomits on the expensive floor of the train headed to the Capitol. After a small fight between the two and Peeta, Haymitch begins to formulate a plan as he is interested in ones who can put up a fight. He tells them to train and learn new things, to avoid practicing skills they excel in. Haymitch successfully trains Katniss, as she comes out with a very high training score. Katniss respects Haymitch, although she is aware of his drinking problem, and obeys his rules and consequences. Katniss’ capability to learn and regard others methods prove her as a true epic hero. Aragorn and Katniss are capable of respecting others and distinguishing loyalty towards their mentors, ultimately giving them the title of epic hero. An epic hero would be nowhere without the sixth hero journey step, Hero Partners, to lead, guide, and build each other up throughout the course of their journey. To Aragorn, the members of the Fellowship act as his hero partners. Frodo Baggins, Wise by Experience, Samwise Gamgee, The Salt of the Earth, Merry Brandybuck, Meriadoc the Magnificent, Pippin Took, The Hunchback, Legolas, The Green Leaf, Gimli, The Fire, Boromir, The War Jewel, Faramir, The Jeweled Hunter, and Gandalf, The Elf of the Staff, are all comrades of Aragorn. Each member of the Fellowship has a different type of relationship with Aragorn, whether it is family oriented or merely acquaintances. Aragorn utilizes the skills and abilities of each individual Fellowship member to bring them to victory and triumph. His healthy relationship with each Fellowship member allows them to relate to each other and create a Walsky 4 stronger bond, which is very important in the ultimate win. Aragorn’s healthy bonds and strong relationship with his hero partners differentiates him as an epic hero. One of Odysseus’ hero partners is Diomedes, King of Argos. Diomedes is asked by Nestor to go on a night raid to the Trojan camp to kill guards and destroy their supplies. Diomedes is â€Å"willing to visit the enemy camp. But if one more could go with, that means more courage and more comfort† (The Iliad. 10. 119). Agamemnon orders Diomedes to choose a comrade, anyone he likes, as he knows the force of two will be stronger than one. Diomedes â€Å"could not think of anyone but Odysseus, the best man of all, ready heart and high temper in every enterprise† (The Iliad. 10. 120). Diomedes, along with many other Achaians, trusts and respects Odysseus as a fighter and as a genuine and loyal man. Athena, the Grey Eyed Goddess, is also a hero partner of Odysseus. As Odysseus enters the Phaiakians city, Athena â€Å"poured a sea fog around him as he went† so â€Å"that no jeering sailor should halt the man or challenge him for his luck† (The Odyssey. . 111). She cares about Odysseus’ safety and does everything she can to get him out of harm’s way. Athena knows Odysseus is a caring, genuine man whom deserves protection from danger. Odysseus’ bold relationships with his army and the gods and goddesses, and his strong bonds with generosity associate with the neces sary deeds of an epic hero. The intelligent and genuine utilizations of hero partners by Aragorn and Odysseus prove their title as epic hero. The seventeenth hero journey step, The Hero’s Return, is one of the most important steps because it marks the hero’s victorious journey home. Odysseus had a very long expedition back to his home land of Ithaca. Odysseus and his men sail to the island of Cicones where they slaughter soldiers and kill livestock. After leaving Cicones, they sail to the Island of the Lotus Eaters, where many of his men eat the lotus plant and are intrigued to stay. They then sail to the Island of the Cyclopes and are trapped in Polyphemus’ cave. They brutally drive a pole into his eye ball and escape by hanging under Walsky 5 the sheep he lets out to graze. After leaving the Cyclopes Island, Odysseus and his men sail to Aeolia, where he receives a gift of stormy winds to return home to Ithaca. The men open the bag and are directed to Aeaea, where they are given food and drinks from Circe. They sail to the Land of the Dead, where Teiresias tells them how to fend of the Sirens, Scylla, and Kharybdis. They sail through sirens but 6 of his men are taken by Skylla. As they reach Lord Helios’ island, Odysseus notifies his men not to slaughter and eat the cattle. They do so anyway and they are killed, leaving Odysseus alone. After many days he washes up upon Ogygia, Calypso’s island. He is oused there for seven years, and then lands on the island of Phaeacia, where he is the guest of honor at a banquet in the Phaeacian King’s palace. The king orders his men to give Odysseus a ship and then he sails off to home. He safely arrives in Ithaca, and has completed his journey home. Odysseus has many difficult encounters, near dea th experiences, and challenging tasks he must complete in order to return home. His outstanding level of endurance, strength and perseverance allows him to complete this miraculous journey and hold the title of en epic hero. Katniss endures many physically harmful situations in her quest to victory. Katniss protects fellow district members, hunts for food, kills off enemies, and builds shelters. As Claudis reinforms Katniss and Peeta that â€Å"the earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rulebook has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed,† she strings her bow and points the arrow right towards Peeta’s heart (Collins 342). As Peeta drops his knife, Katniss lowers her bow and steps back with shame. The two decide to, on the count of three, feed themselves a handful of poisonous berries so that neither of them would feel the pain of killing the other. Just as they lift their hands to their lips Claudis yells for them to stop and is â€Å"pleased to present the victors of the 74th Hunger Games† (Collins 345). A hovercraft materializes overhead and two ladders drop for Katniss and Peeta. As she places a foot on the first rung Walsky 6 of the ladder, she is home. As she steps aboard the plane safety and security fill the air. Katniss endured very harsh conditions, poor consistency, and emotional swings while in battle. Her astounding dedication and devotion for the victory of her district, led her home with triumph. Odysseus and Katniss return home through their astonishing endurance, dedication and courage, ultimately proving themselves as epic heroes. The twenty fifth hero journey step, Final Victory, is the most important as it labels the victory and win of a strenuous expedition, completed by an epic hero. Aragorn leads the Fellowship to triumph through his excellent leadership skills, combat abilities, and intelligent methods. The Battle of the Hornburg began Aragorn’s final victory. He revealed himself to Sauron as the heir of Isildur, in order to distract Saurons attention from Frodo, who was approaching Mordor. Aragorn defended the city with the Dead Men of Dunharrow, who owed allegiance to the King of Gondor. They defeated Saurons allies, and sailed to Minas Tirith. They arrived at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and with the help of the southern forces the armies of Gondor and Rohan rallied and defeated Saurons army. Aragorn then led his armies to the Gates of Mordor, to distract Sauron. Sauron attacked with overwhelming force but at that moment the Ring was destroyed by Frodo and Sauron and his forces were defeated. Aragorn was crowned King of Elessar and as the heir of Isildur, bore the shards of Narsil. He demands â€Å"this day doesn’t belong to one man but to all† and vows to â€Å"rebuild this world that they may share in the days of peace† (LOTR:RK). He is loyal to his country and even after acquiring glory and fame through his crown, he still believes the most important thing he can do as King is distinguish the world with peace and tolerance. As Aragorn is walking out of his coronation with his wife, Arwen, he encounters the hobbits as they bow towards his glory. Aragorn claims they â€Å"bow to no one† as he, along with the rest of the crowd, bow towards their tremendous accomplishment (LOTR:RK). Aragorn beholds genuine loyalty and Walsky 7 respect towards his fellow men and acts as a great role model to future epic heroes. His wholesome courage and bold leadership led the Fellowship to a final victory and prove he is worthy of being an epic hero. Odysseus battles many obstacles in order to share his identity with his family. As Odysseus arrives on Ithaca Athena covers him in a mist which allows him to reach his home without being harmed. Odysseus reveals himself to Telemachus, although it takes some time as he appears god-like. Then Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and ventures to his home with Eumaeus. A fight broke out between Odysseus and Antinoos, a troublesome suitor, and he was summoned by Penelope as she was perceptive about the â€Å"beggar. † He tells her all he knows about Odysseus’ whereabouts and is then sent away. As he is receiving a cleanse from Eur’ykleia, the nurse, she notices his scar directly above his knee from hunting wild boar. Odysseus grabs her throat as he braces her up against the wall and informs her he will kill her if she tells others his true identity. Penelope believes Odysseus is not returning and decides to have a bow and arrow contest, to see which suitor possesses the skills of Odysseus. One must string a bow and shoot the arrow through a line of twelve axes. None of the suitors complete the task, so Odysseus proposes that he try and Penelope insists that he be given a chance. Odysseus swiftly completes the task, and strings a second arrow through the throat of Antinoos. He reveals himself as Odysseus, and the suitors then realize they have been locked in the room by Eumaeas and Philoetius. A raging battle begins and within no time all of the suitors are killed. Penelope, who slept through the entire fight, was called down to the scene. She didn’t believe it was Odysseus, and thought a god was playing a trick on her. She then orders Eur’ykleia to move her bridal bed and Odysseus immediately flares up. He explains that the bed is immovable, how it is built from the trunk of an olive tree around which the house had been constructed. Hearing him recount these details, she knows that this man Walsky 8 must be her husband. He is reunited with his wife and his son, and becomes part of a family once again. Odysseus cleansed his home with the blood of the suitors and their families were pacified by Athena. After twenty long years, he is finally home. Odysseus’ unimaginable perseverance and outstanding courage are what lead him home to a final victory and prove that he is an epic hero. Aragorn and Odysseus both utilize their withstanding endurance and bravery to complete their final victory and return â€Å"home. † An epic hero is a brave, noble and courageous character, whom is admired for their great achievements. Aragorn, Odysseus and Katniss are all classified as epic heroes through their outstanding courage throughout their journey to heroism. Heroes of epic orchestration, such as Aragorn from The Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Odysseus from The Iliad and The Odyssey, by Homer, and Katniss from The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, establish themselves as superior epic heroes through their intelligent utilization of the twenty-five epic hero steps, along with their astounding courage, bravery, and endurance which ultimately transforms them into three epic heroes that will never be forgotten. Aragorn, Odysseus and Katniss will forever be remembered as stunning epic heroes. One’s moral courage determines one’s future. Walsky 9 Work Cited Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. W. H. D. Rouse. New York: NAL Penguin Inc. , 1938. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 1998 Tolkein, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Dir. Peter Jackson. New Line Cinema, 2001, 2002, 2003. Twain, Mark. The Quote Garden, 1998. http://www. quotegarden. com/courage. html

Navajo Code Talkers

Navajo Code Talkers In United States history, the story of Native Americans is predominantly tragic. Settlers took their land, misunderstood their customs, and killed them in the thousands. Then, during World War II, the U.S. government needed the Navajos help. And though they had suffered greatly from this same government, Navajos proudly answered the call to duty. Communication is essential during any war and World War II was no different. From battalion to battalion or ship to ship - everyone must stay in contact to know when and where to attack or when to fall back. If the enemy were to hear these tactical conversations, not only would the element of surprise be lost, but the enemy could also reposition and get the upper hand. Codes (encryptions) were essential to protect these conversations. Unfortunately, though codes were often used, they were also frequently broken. In 1942, a man named Philip Johnston thought of a code he thought unbreakable by the enemy. A code based on the Navajo language. Philip Johnstons Idea The son of a Protestant missionary, Philip Johnston spent much of his childhood on the Navajo reservation. He grew up with Navajo children, learning their language and their customs. As an adult, Johnston became an engineer for the city of Los Angeles but also spent a considerable amount of his time lecturing about the Navajos. Then one day, Johnston was reading the newspaper when he noticed a story about an armored division in Louisiana that was attempting to come up with a way to code military communications using Native American personnel. This story sparked an idea. The next day, Johnston headed to Camp Elliot (near San Diego) and presented his idea for a code to Lt. Col. James E. Jones, the Area Signal Officer. Lt. Col. Jones was skeptical. Previous attempts at similar codes failed because Native Americans had no words in their language for military terms. There was no need for Navajos to add a word in their language for tank or machine gun just as there is no reason in English to have different terms for your mothers brother and your fathers brother - as some languages do - theyre just both called uncle. And often, when new inventions are created, other languages just absorb the same word. For example, in German a radio is called Radio and a computer is Computer. Thus, Lt. Col. Jones was concerned that if they used any Native American languages as codes, the word for machine gun would become the English word machine gun - making the code easily decipherable. However, Johnston had another idea. Instead of adding the direct term machine gun to the Navajo language, they would designate a word or two already in the Navajo language for the military term. For example, the term for machine gun became rapid-fire gun, the term for battleship became whale, and the term for fighter plane became hummingbird. Lt. Col. Jones recommended a demonstration for Major General Clayton B. Vogel. The demonstration was a success and Major General Vogel sent a letter to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps recommending that they enlist 200 Navajos for this assignment. In response to the request, they were only given permission to begin a pilot project with 30 Navajos. Getting the Program Started Recruiters visited the Navajo reservation and selected the first 30 code talkers (one dropped out, so 29 started the program). Many of these young Navajos had never been off the reservation, making their transition to military life even more difficult. Yet they persevered. They worked night and day helping to create the code and to learn it. Once the code was created, the Navajo recruits were tested and re-tested. There could be no mistakes in any of the translations. One mistranslated word could lead to the death of thousands. Once the first 29 were trained, two remained behind to become instructors for future Navajo code talkers and the other 27 were sent to Guadalcanal to be the first to use the new code in combat. Having not gotten to participate in the creation of the code because he was a civilian, Johnston volunteered to enlist if he could participate in the program. His offer was accepted and Johnston took over the training aspect of the program. The program proved successful and soon the U.S. Marine Corps authorized unlimited recruiting for the Navajo code talkers program. The entire Navajo nation consisted of 50,000 people and by the end of the war 420 Navajo men worked as code talkers. The Code The initial code consisted of translations for 211 English words most frequently used in military conversations. Included in the list were terms for officers, terms for airplanes, terms for months, and an extensive general vocabulary. Also included were Navajo equivalents for the English alphabet so that the code talkers could spell out names or specific places. However, cryptographer Captain Stilwell suggested that the code be expanded. While monitoring several transmissions, he noticed that since so many words had to be spelled out, the repetition of the Navajo equivalents for each letter could possibly offer the Japanese an opportunity to decipher the code. Upon Captain Silwells suggestion, an additional 200 words and additional Navajo equivalents for the 12 most often used letters (A, D, E, I, H, L, N, O, R, S, T, U) were added. The code, now complete, consisted of 411 terms. On the battlefield, the code was never written down, it was always spoken. In training, they had been repeatedly drilled with all 411 terms. The Navajo code talkers had to be able to send and receive the code as fast as possible. There was no time for hesitation. Trained and now fluent in the code, the Navajo code talkers were ready for battle. On the Battlefield Unfortunately, when the Navajo code was first introduced, military leaders in the field were skeptical. Many of the first recruits had to prove the codes worth. However, with just a few examples, most commanders were grateful for the speed and accuracy in which messages could be communicated. From 1942 until 1945, Navajo code talkers participated in numerous battles in the Pacific, including Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Peleliu, and Tarawa. They not only worked in communications but also as regular soldiers, facing the same horrors of war as other soldiers. However, Navajo code talkers met additional problems in the field. Too often, their own soldiers mistook them for Japanese soldiers. Many were nearly shot because of this. The danger and frequency of misidentification caused some commanders to order a bodyguard for each Navajo code talker. For three years, wherever the Marines landed, the Japanese got an earful of strange gurgling noises interspersed with other sounds resembling the call of a Tibetan monk and the sound of a hot water bottle being emptied.Huddled over their radio sets in bobbing assault barges, in foxholes on the beach, in slit trenches, deep in the jungle, the Navajo Marines transmitted and received messages, orders, vital information. The Japanese ground their teeth and committed hari-kari.* The Navajo code talkers played a large role in the Allied success in the Pacific. The Navajos had created a code the enemy was unable to decipher. * Excerpt from the September 18, 1945 issues of the San Diego Union as quoted in Doris A. Paul, The Navajo Code Talkers (Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., 1973) 99. Bibliography Bixler, Margaret T. Winds of Freedom: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. Darien, CT: Two Bytes Publishing Company, 1992.Kawano, Kenji. Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing Company, 1990.Paul, Doris A. The Navajo Code Talkers. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., 1973.

Law - Restitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Law - Restitution - Essay Example ges now recognize that there is an important subject called restitution and that in general terms, it concerns the removal of benefits that would otherwise unjustly enrich the defendant. It is not difficult to imagine that jurisprudence surrounding the much more limited principle of free acceptance is even narrower. To aspire for universality or even, less ambitiously, coherence, would be a futile exercise. The only discernible trend is, as Hedley somewhat cynically puts it, â€Å"the willingness to make quite spectacular changes in the law when the judge’s moral feelings are sufficiently outraged.†2 What this paper will attempt to do is to present a comparative overview of free acceptance, and to some extent, unjust enrichment, as it is applied in common law jurisdictions. By way of providing some form of context, it will also explore how the common law countries perceive these two principles, as opposed to civil law countries. The jury is still out on the question of what the future holds for these two intertwined doctrines, dependent as it largely is on the vagaries of the legal system and the constantly-shifting winds of judicial discernment and discretion. To quote Birks, â€Å"a free acceptance occurs where a recipient knows that a benefit is being offered to him non-gratuitiously and where he, having the opportunity to reject, elects to accept.†3 It is an alternative to incontrovertible benefit that cannot be disputed by the defendants, as in benefits that have accrued due to a clear and unmistakeable meeting of the minds. Birks proceeds from Goff and Jones4 who first propounded the idea of subjectively-determined benefit. The most famous example of free acceptance is of a window cleaner who cleaned the windows of a homeowner, the homeowner being fully aware that the window cleaner believed that he was performing the service for valuable consideration and yet doing nothing to stop the cleaner from cleaning the windows. Per the argument of Goff and Jones

Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture Essay

Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture - Essay Example The Poles believe that only older people have the experience and knowledge to be managers. In addition, it is also more difficult to earn the trust of Poles compared to Americans who are more sociable and trusting. Poles are also more formal in their communication than Americans are while they also expect to have a clear distinction between families and work (Cullen, 2011). In the latter case, they view extra hours at work as being intrusive on their family life. Finally, Polish managers will most likely utilize negative feedback and criticism, instead of giving positive feedback, as a means of motivation. Apply Hofstede’s and the 7d cultural dimension models to explain the cultural differences noted in the case Clearly, the first main difference in Poland is that they possess a power distance society that is higher than in the US. This explains the basis of evaluations or promotions on trustworthiness, while also explaining why they do not like work and seem to accept inequal ity, which, in turn, drives general distrust (Cullen, 2011). The second big difference is that Poland, compared to the US, is a country with high uncertainty avoidance. This helps to explain the reason why Poles value age and seniority. For instance, seniority is used to promote workers, thus reducing uncertainty. Using the 7d model, the first big difference is the neutral dimension. Poland scores highly to provide an explanation for their formal nature. In neutral cultures, people work without revealing feelings or thoughts, while also being under more control. The achievement dimension also varies with lower scores for Poland, explaining why they prefer seniority, as well as their preference for titles (Cullen, 2011). Finally, the difference is critical with regards to internal control with Poland scoring one hundred. This shows their decreased tolerance for volatility and their increased drive to control the environment. Analyze institutional explanations for how the Polish worke rs react to U.S. management style In this case, the most significant explanation involves institutional effects that communism left on Poles and the manner in which it affected its workers. For example, the former communist regimes in Poland saw a dependence on affiliations and connections for success, rather than performance (Cullen, 2011), explaining why they desire to be managers without qualifications. In addition, communist societies oversaw a system that had little or no institutional structures that were meant to guarantee exchange (Cullen, 2011). Therefore, Poles are less trusting of others, preferring to rely on personal affiliations. This low level of trust is also a good explanation for the reason why Poles do not favour teamwork. All new workers in Poland are considered as competition, which makes it difficult to build trust that is, in turn, essential for team building. Finally, the effects of the former communist regime also explain why there is little positive feedbac k between managers and workers. This could also explain their preference for public statements on salaries, which is meant to give them an idea of their status and standing (Cullen, 2011). Recommend the types of cultural adaptations to the U.S. expatriate managers regarding their management styles Working in Poland, expatriate US managers should have more respected for older workers and managers, while also

Background of Chrysler Group LLC Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Background of Chrysler Group LLC - Term Paper Example Formed in 2009, the group has been able to develop very many makes of vehicles that have been a major hit in the automotive industry (Breer, 2009. 34). These cars include the jeep, Fiat, the Dodge. However, among all the vehicles produced by the company, Chrysler is the most reputable. The Chrysler from its initial years back was at a competitive level with other decent makes of cars from rival companies. The companies include General Motors known for its elegant Cadillac that has been able to survive market limitations and still performing well. The other rival company was Ford Motor Company (Rall, 2011). At that time, the company was known for its car, the Lincoln. Ever since the beginning of the competition, the companies have worked hard to outdo each other in the market. However, Chrysler has always managed to come up on top. Witnessed from the 2009 season when the economy was trending down, the car was able to sustain its sales levels while Ford and General Motors decreased the ir performance at a 4.5 and 3 percent margin. On November 4, 2009, the Chrysler group set out a road map or rather a plan that would ensure that the Chrysler increased its sales in the industry by a possible triple. The company had planned to achieve a break-even result for the Chrysler by the end of the financial year 2010. The company had also decided to attain a $1 billion net profit for the Chrysler. The company decided to do this by diversification of its markets. The plan has been on the right track. This is from the results from the financial year ending 2011. The general net income of the company was 212 million dollars for the third quarter of the year. Of the total amount that the company makes in a specified amount of time, the Chrysler contributes up to 65% of the income. Thus, from their financial report produced around January of 2012 showed that the Chrysler made 138 million dollars in sales (Walter, 2011). Further scrutiny of the reports shows that the company had 56 million dollars in net loss by the end of the financial period.

The impact of family planning methods

The impact of family planning methods 1 Contents BACKGROUND LITERATURE ON THE TOPIC STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM OBJECTIVES SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design Population of the study Sampling Design Tools for data collection Nature of tools Sources of data Data analysis LIMITATION OF THE STUDY WORK PLAN LIKELY OUTCOME Reference INTRODUCTION The high fertility rate leading to the rapid growth of country’s population is a major hindrance towards the development of a nation. Keeping this in mind, India was the first country to launch a well-defined family planning (FP) programme in 1951 with the major objective to balance the population with resources available. India’s current demographic phase is characterized by high fertility and moderate mortality rates. As a result, the country’s population is growing rapidly with about 18 million people being added to it annually, to give a 2.1 per cent increase per annum. Despite a 40-year old Family Planning Programme, India’s 1991 census has shown a population increase of 160 million during the 1981- 91 decade. The gap between expressed favorable attitude towards the small family norm and knowledge and practice of family planning amongst Indian couples is intriguing. Family Planning basically, refers to the practices that help individuals or couples to avoid unwanted births, bring about wanted births, regulate the intervals between pregnancies, control the time at which births occurs in relation to the age of parents and determines the number of children in the family. Under the programme, various training programs have been conducted to train health care providers. Several health workers, both male and female became multipurpose workers responsible for providing a set of basic family planning, maternal and child health (MCH), and public health services. A community oriented service-network was developed to expand family planning and MCH services. In 1977 conscious shift was made in the policy to include voluntary family planning along with the other health care services under the umbrella of ‘Family Welfare’ and various centers have been set up in rural (primary health centers, community health centers etc.) as well as in urban areas (postpartum centers, urban family welfare centers, dispensaries and hospitals). Ser vices administered through the programme have been broadened to include immunization, pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care, and preventive and curative health care.   The range of contraceptive products delivered through the programme also widened. The various contraceptive methods are categorized as barrier, chemical, natural or surgical (Weeks 2002). Surgical method includes sterilization (vasectomy and tubectomy) which is a permanent and irreversible method of birth control. Induced abortion is the post–conception method of family planning and is performed if there is a need to terminate an unwanted pregnancy because of failed contraception. Despite of many temporary methods, the emphasis was put on sterilization of male or female. Although sterilization is a safe and most effective technique it cannot serve the needs of all couples in the different stages of the reproductive life-cycle. Thus, a large proportion of couples remained unserved because of non-availability of proper contraceptive technology. So, the new approach emphasized the target-free promotion of contraceptive use among eligible couples, providing the couples a choice of contraceptive methods and encouraged them towards adequate spacing of births (at least three years birth interval). The National Population Policy (2000) has set the task of addressing unmet need for contraception as its immediate objective. Attitudes towards fertility regulation, knowledge of birth-control methods, access to the means of fertility regulation and communication between husband and wife about desired family size are essential for effective family planning (Dabral and Malik 2004). Various factors governs the acceptance of contraception e.g., religion (NFHS 1998-99, 2002), number of sons in family (Bhasin and Nag 2002), and education of husband and wife (Bhasin and Nag 2002), etc. Besides, spousal communication also increases the likelihood of contraceptive use (Kamal 1999; Ghosh 2001). Sterilization is usually accepted when the couple is sure that they have completed their family size and gender preference (Bhasin and Nag 2002). Although the family welfare programme has made an important contribution towards improving the health of mothers and children, there are some major impediments. Even though a huge infrastructure has been established through out the country to deliver an integrated package of health and family welfare services, the quality and outreach services need improvement. According to Santhya (2003), the contraceptive prevalence rate in Meghalya is just 4.7 (2.8 for sterilization and 1.9 for other temporary methods), which is lowest in the whole India. This drew the attention towards the need to carry out a study in Meghalaya. So, the present study was conducted with an objective to study the extent of awareness of women with regard to family planning, i.e. birth control measures and awareness level regarding the Government schemes on family planning among the Khasi women of East Khasi Hills, Meghalya. BACKGROUND Family Planning is a program or practice to regulate the number and spacing of children in a family through the practice of contraception or other methods of birth control. Since the world and also India is facing with the problem of overpopulation. Government as well as non government agencies is taking major step to overcome this problem. In India the use of contraceptive methods increased from 13 per cent in 1971 to 56 per cent in 2005/06, and fertility declined from about 6 births per woman in the 1960s and 1970s to about 2.7 births in 2004. This decline of more than 3 births per woman represents about 85 per cent of the decline required to reach replacement fertility: 2.1 births per woman. As per the latest official data, the total number of family planning acceptors in India decreased by 5.1 % between 2011-12 and 2012-13. The data revealed that condom is the most preferred method of family planning while sterilizations the least adopted means. The number of couples adopting var ious methods for family planning, including spacing methods was found to be 30.2 million, with 13.9 million preferring condoms to any other means. The total Family Planning Acceptors in India have increased over the years but in recent years especially after 2007-08 the number of accepters has shown a gradual decreasing trend. The contraceptive prevalence rate for currently married women is the lowest at 24 percent in Meghalaya among all the states in India. The national average is 56 percent. The rise in contraceptive use and the pace of fertility decline, however, has not been uniform throughout the country. There are disparities in contraceptive use and fertility between the poor and the rich, and between the educated and the uneducated. While the country has also made tremendous progress in terms of economic growth, these disparities in contraceptive use and fertility have important implications for the future of the country. The purpose of this study is to review the current st atus of the family planning programme in East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, to assess the factors responsible for these inequalities. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Over population is widely regarded as a major social and economic global problem since it is directly connected with the economic growth of the country and therefore welfare of the person and her/his family. Over population is an enormous issue and is important indicator of lack of human welfare in developing countries like India. Over population refers to the condition where the population growth of a country has overcome the economic growth of a country .It is also an indicator of poverty especially in the rural as well as urban area (i.e., more mouth to feed in). This trend has grave consequences for countries like India and many other developing countries, where population growth has been quite high and where employment generation falls far short of the rate of the population growth. It also engenders the issue of inequality and social justice. Due to this reason the government through the department of Family Welfare is implementing the National Family Welfare Programme by encou raging the production and utilization of contraceptives all over the country. In the North East State of India including Meghalaya, women enjoy greater visibility and mobility than women of other communities in the country. This is often cited to portray a picture of equity between men and women in the region. Education has been the main catalyst in bringing about far-reaching changes in the status of women and to a great extent education of women in the region has been fairly non-discriminatory. Despite the fact still many people has a large and big family and are not aware of the various method of family planning or even if they are aware of it they are not access to it. This may be due to any social stigma or cultural factors, against their faith or maybe against their husband wish to practice it. The literature review shows that there is large difference between the knowledge and practice of family planning and that it differs from one society to the other. The decision taken is mainly of a male dominated whereby the husband or a man takes a decision and there is less communication between the spouses regarding this matter. But there was no study to compare and analyze the practice of family planning only among young adult who are in the most productive age of reproduction. Therefore the main aim is to study the various factors on the usage of family planning methods and the usage of different family planning methods by the targeted study population. OBJECTIVES To learn about the respondents’ knowledge about Family Planning method To study the perception of married young adults towards Family Planning To know about the utilization of family planning services among married young adults. To learn about the misconception that the respondent has about family planning. To know about the reasons for not practicing family planning among the respondents. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY With Meghalaya having recorded one of the highest decadal growth and fertility rates in the country as per the latest census, the state government has emphasized on the urgent need to reduce the population in the state to ensure sustainable economic growth and development.The government is making efforts to stabilize the population of the country at a level consistent with the national  economy, said the Health Minister of the Government of Meghalaya. As per details from Census 2011, Meghalaya has a population of 29.67 Lakhs, an increase from figure of 23.19 Lakhs in 2001 census. Total population of Meghalaya as per 2011 census is 2,966,889 of which male and female are 1,491,832 and 1,475,057 respectively. In 2001, total population was 2,318,822 in which males were 1,176,087 while females were 1,142,735.The total population growth in this decade was 27.95 percent while in previous decade it was 29.94 percent. The population of Meghalaya forms 0.25 percent of India in 2011. In 2001, the figure was 0.23 percent. In spite of the low density and population of Meghalaya, it is worth noticing that, the state has a rapid population growth rate, and has the third fastest growing population in India, according to the Meghalaya Census 2011. Therefore, based on this idea, the purpose of this study is to know about the life situation of married young adults their knowledge, attitude and practice also their access and utilization of various methods of family planning. Furthermore, such type of research has never been conducted before in this particular area. Therefore, it is thought to be useful to conduct this study in this area where like everywhere else, over population seemed to be a major problem that affect both the mother and the infant. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research design The design to be adopted in this particular research is a mixture of explanatory, descriptive and research as the researcher will describe as accurately as possible the characteristics of married young adults and perception towards family planning and also to explain the causes and effect relationship between various factors that leads to the non utilization of family planning. Population of the study Any married young couples who come to Ganesh Das Hospital for maternal care at the period of data collection. Sampling Design The research will be carried out through a purposive random sampling as the sample will be selected based on judgement as to who can provide the best information to achieve the objective of the study. Tools for data collection Data collection will be conducted through structured interview method. This method will provide uniform information, which assures the comparability of data. Structured interviewing requires fewer interviewing skills than does unstructured interviewing Nature of tools Structured interview will be the tools used for data collection to ensure that all respondents are asked exactly the same set of questions in the same sequence and it is better for quantitative analysis. Sources of data Sources of data will be primary as well as secondary data as the researcher can obtain data through interview and also use census data to obtain information on the utilization of family planning in Meghalaya. Data analysis Data will be analyzed using Statistical test as per the requirement.This process will include editing, coding, classification and tabulation of collected data. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Some sample may not respond to the researcher due to some ethical issues. Over population due to high birth rate may not likely seen as a problem to everyone. Since family planning is a wide concept, the researcher may not be able to cover all its respective area. WORK PLAN LIKELY OUTCOME This study is expected to describe the family planning knowledge, to identify the attitude towards family planning, highlight the factors and causes that hinder married young adult to practice family planning and to know about the rate of family planning utilization. Moreover, the study will also tell the strategies adopted by the married young adult in handling family size. Finally, the study would serve as a reference for the other like-minded individuals who would like to conduct a similar study in the future or who are interested in this field. .

Welsh Poetry Comparison and Analysis Essay examples -- Owen Sheers Dyl

Welsh Poetry Comparison and Analysis This essay will consider two poems, both written by Welsh authors. The first poem to be discussed will be Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. Following this, the emphasis will progress to Owen Sheers' poem, When You Died, where ongoing comparisons between the two poems will be made. The content of this essay will discuss the themes and ideas present in both poems, and the devices and techniques used to illustrate them. One of the distinct similarities between the two is that both are themed heavily on the topic of death. Bearing this in mind, the atmosphere, mood and tone of each poem will be discussed with both comparisons and differences made. In addition, the different sets of structures used will be analysed and the effects resulting from the employment of these structures. Dylan Thomas' poem is in the form of a villanelle. This can be inferred from the rigid structure of nineteen lines and the rhyming scheme, which utilises only two rhymes throughout the entirety of the poem. The strict rhyming scheme gives the poem a strong rhythm and a determined, inflexible pace, and as a result, the poem exudes a sense of insuperability in the face of death. The repetitiveness of the rhyming lends an imploring tone to the poem and as such represents Thomas' genuine intent - to advocate (to his father) the subjugation of death, as confirmed by the theme of the poem. Throughout the poem, "night" is used as a metaphor for death. This comparison is apt to the extent that both are regarded with fear and apprehension, feelings also associated with darkness, which is also used, as a metaphor for death. The "night", however, is referred to as being a "good nig... ...ivid recollections of the past he possesses, which perhaps provide him with an opportunity to escape from the traumas of reality. The significance of the egg could possibly a subtle portent of hope after death, even new life. The positive note that the poem ends on consolidates this idea. This concept ties in with the one used in Thomas' poem where, as mentioned earlier, he refers to death as being "good", thus indicating the benevolence of death, a release from suffering. Hence the moral of Sheers' poem, although relatively elusive and ambiguous in comparison with the moral of Thomas' poem, is that there is hope after death. The moral of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, is much more apparent, the theme displayed in the title (metaphorically) and throughout. Thomas' poem therefore urges us to fight against death, a message pertinent to everyone.

Competition in Energy Drinks Essay

Porter’s five-forces model reveals that the overall alternative beverage industry attractiveness is high. Some beverage companies, such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have mastered the art of brand building in the alternative beverage market and have been rewarded with rapid growth rates. The rising population of health conscious consumers is increasingly leaning towards alternative beverages that are believed to offer greater health benefits. The strongest competitive force, or most important to strategy formulation, is the threat of entry of new competitors. Competitive pressure from rival sellers is high in the alternative beverage industry. The number of brands competing in sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverage segments of the alternative beverage industry continue to grow each year. Both large and small vendors are launching new products and fighting for minimal retail shelf space. More and more consumers are moving away from traditional soft drinks to healthier alternative drinks. Demand is expected to grow worldwide as consumer purchasing power increases. Another strong competitive force is buyer bargaining power. Convenience stores and grocery stores have substantial leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers due to the large quantity of their purchase. Newer brands are very vulnerable to buyer power because of limited space on store shelves. Top brands like Red Bull are almost always guaranteed space. This competitive force does not affect Coca-Cola or PepsiCo as much due to the variety of beverages the stores want to offer to the customer. As a result of this certain appeal, the two companies’ alternative beverage brands can almost always be found shelf space in grocery/convenience stores. Distributors, like restaurants, have less ability to negotiate for deep pricing discounts because of quantity limitations. The weakest competitive force is the bargaining power and leverage of suppliers. Most of the raw materials desirable to manufacture alternative beverages are basic merchandise such as flavor, color, packaging, etc. The suppliers of these commodities have no bargaining power over the pricing due to which the suppliers in the industry are relatively weak. Raw materials for these drinks are basic commodities which are easily available to every producer and have low cost which makes no difference for any supplier. Low switching costs limit supplier bargaining power by enabling industry members to change suppliers if any one supplier attempts to raise prices by more than the cost of switching.

Surf Up at Patagonia Essay Example

Surf Up at Patagonia Essay Example Surf Up at Patagonia Essay Surf Up at Patagonia Essay Surf’s Up at Patagonia. Question 1) Patagonia stresses the importance of hiring employees with passion- a passion for anything, not just sports. Why do they place such importance on passion? Why would they think that someone with a passion for something unrelated to sports (i. e. cooking) might be an excellent employee for their company? Answer. HRM department of any firm would desire the best employees while recruiting. It is because money and most importantly time is used up in training them. So the main objectives would be to hire very efficient and loyal employees. Efficient and motivated workers would also mean Labor Turnover at its minimum. Through these techniques a firm can save up huge chunk of money which can be invested elsewhere. Patagonia uses a very modern technique for recruiting its employees. A passion for anything would mean that employees would also have passion to do their job. Patagonia sells sports equipments and obviously sports resemble passion. As Patagonia is ‘a firm with passion,’ they also want their employees to be passionate towards anything. So that they can understand the importance of passion on work. This passion will lead to higher efficiency and well motivated workforce. Sincerity towards work will automatically increase and there will be lower labor turnover and absenteeism rate. Highly motivated workforce would also mean greater customer relationship and production of high quality goods. From these it can e derived that Patagonia is the ultimate gainer. Question 2) What effect do Patagonia’s practices of providing child-care and donating to environmental groups have upon employee productivity and retention? Why? Answer . Patagonia has this amazing child care facility which is ‘onsite daycare. Single parent employee’s children can stay at their sight. This will make the employees more secured about their children while at work. Thus, this will create a homely atmosphere for the working parents and will help them to concentrate more on work rather than worrying about their children. More concentration would mean more efficient workforce and high dedication t owards work. If the firm is more ethically responsible then the employees will feel proud to work at the firm. Patagonia shares a vast corporate social responsibility. Moreover, the employees can also choose where to donate money and where not. Sense of achievement will work upon the employees while selecting donating groups. The employees will also feel ethically responsible. This proudness for the firm will lead them to be more devoted towards their managers and Patagonia. And this devotion will obviously be reflected on their work, they will me more efficient and careful. By both ways the employees at Patagonia will become more efficient and thus there will be minimum wastage of resources and maximized profit for Patagonia. Question 3) Can you see possible abuses of a flextime program? What does a company do to prevent such abuses before they occur? Answer. Flextime is a facility a firm provides to its employees. Employees can choose their desired holidays and also working hours. It’s a key to help employees with the fixed universal working hours. Flextime is designed, especially in Patagonia, so that an employee can proactively maintain work-life balance. Now, there are also some fallbacks of flextime hours which can stated as follows: Efficiency of work may decrease due to reluctance to work during business hours. Employees may take the job too easily and might later face a haphazard situation, for example, time management. And this is how quality of work may decrease. The situation mentioned earlier may also spoil the business environment. Employees may work whenever they want to and code of conduct can be disobeyed. Employees may lie to the managers to enjoy facilities. By seeing an employee taking a time off may also tempt other employees also to take a break. In this way key employees might not be near hand when required urgently. t may also result in an decreased concentration towards work and spirit of teamwork as employees and working hours het divided. To prevent these types of lags a company may take the following measures: Hiring strong management group can stop mismanagement amongst workers. Check and survey back ground and other information on employees to see who actually needs flextime and to avoid miss use of facility. Measured flextime should be permitted to each employee and t here should be a rule that how many workers can take some time off at a particular period. Providing facilities like onsite child care may reduce the usage of flextime.

The Ever Changing Nature of Swiss Neutrality essays

The Ever Changing Nature of Swiss Neutrality essays Switzerland defines neutrality as "...non-participation in an armed conflict between other states" (Confederazione Svizzera). This modern concept must have taking time to develop. This paper will investigate how and why Switzerland has grown into the neutral power that it is today. It argues that Switzerland's original isolationist stance of neutrality has changed into active peace mediation. It will first show this historical background of Switzerland and how the old Swiss Confederacy taught the fledgling nation to be neutral. It will go on to show the different processes of neutrality during the World Wars and the Cold War. Lastly it will examine the processes of modern Swiss neutrality and how the role of nation has changed into the country seen today. Switzerland had been under foreign control for hundreds of years during the Holy Roman Empire. Switzerland was divided into subsections called cantons. Cantons were established after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Cantons were separate sovereign mini-states that were part of the Swiss Confederacy. If another canton was attacked by a foreign invasion, the other cantons were meant to come to its aid. The cantons had agreed that they were big enough as a confederacy of allies to defend their own lands but would not be big enough to help the much larger surrounding countries of the Holy Roman Empire with their wars and so, the confederacy was, for the first time, established as a neutral. The Holy Roman Empire fell 150 years later and France had begun to emerge as the new hegemon. The Swiss were free from Italian and Holy Roman rule for less than a year in 1798 when it was taken over by France. The Swiss spoke French and should therefore be placed into the new, "one and divisible ally of France" Helvetic Empire. France claimed that it was "liberating" the Swiss people from their feudal government system Illi. The French ...

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health care marketing - Essay Example In addition to that, consumers’ needs, their preferences, and behaviors toward breast cancer need to be observed and studied in detail in order develop such programs of treatment for breast cancer that would appeal to the consumers the most in terms of cost, convenience, and quality of service. In a vast majority of cases, patients tend to seek medical help only when the cancer has developed to a dangerous extent. Very few patients target the disease in its very initial stages because of lack of awareness of the gravity of the issue. This imparts the need to not only conduct a lot of research to gain information from the consumers related to the aforementioned aspects, but also develop programs directed at creating awareness among them about the pains, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer. Target Market The target market of breast cancer is women in a vast majority of cases, though some men particularly with a condition called as gynecomastia in which the brea st enlarges are also vulnerable to breast cancer. Participants in the movements related to breast cancer as well as the target audience of the advertisers of products and services related to breast cancer have typically been white middle-aged women that are well-educated and belong to the middle class (King, 2006, p. 110-111). Although it is a deadly disease, yet at least 2.5 million patients of breast cancer have survived the disease in the US as a result of early detection methods and cutting-edge treatments that have been made available to the patients today (phillymag.com, 2012). For the marketing of products and services about breast cancer, unique marketing strategies have been used. Some marketing has blurred the distinction between events and advertisements e.g. guerrilla marketing and flash mobs. Campaigns of advertisement run on the social media websites like Facebook have motivated the target audiences to make use of double entendres and sexual innuendo in the status upda tes so that the readers can be reminded of breast cancer. In the year 2009, women were asked in the campaign to post their brassieres’ color whereas in the year 2010, women are asked to post the location of their purses in the campaign as a result of which, some women posted such statements as â€Å"I like it on the floor† (Kingston, 2010). Such campaigns have acquired a lot of criticism for trying to sexualize the disease. Market Segmentation Since the middle-aged women are the most vulnerable to breast cancer while the population of men with breast cancer is very small, the target consumers of the services of the Women’s Clinic would primarily be women, though the clinic would also render the services for men who suffer from breast cancer. In fact, there is a lot of need to educate people in general and men in particular about the risk factors that increase their vulnerability to breast cancer because the disease is normally associated with women alone. People do not even know about gynecomastia, while knowing about breast cancer in men is a step next to that. In fact, creating awareness among the masses about the risk factors and the need to take medical help in time is one of the factors that provides Women’s Clinic with a competitive advantage. Understanding the fact

Managing & Leading People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing & Leading People - Essay Example The study has picked up the business environment in the South-Eastern Europe and has selected Mobiltel as the pivot for analyzing HR management policies and practices. Mobiltel stands to be one of the largest and most reliable Mobile Phone Service providers in Bulgaria, whose origins could be traced to the year 1994. Eventually, it was in September 1995 that Mobiltel was launched commercially in Bulgaria and since then the company has managed to assure a noticeable success and sustenance, while braving the diverse economic, political and organizational crisis and situations that came its way. The suitable, relevant and ever-evolving HRM practices at Mobiltel certainly played a central role in making it a business leader that enjoys the coveted honour of being amongst the top 10 Bulgarian companies. The raw material of the study is the HR management principles and practices adopted by Mobiltel, with an eye on the circumstances under which this was done. The conclusions of the study ar e based on the information gathered through a structured questionnaire and the secondary information culled out through the company sources and independent research. There is no denying the fact that East European corporations and especially the corporations of South-East European origin do face many challenges emanating from local and global circumstances, which do press on their ability to assure sustainability and market leadership. One simply cannot touch on the issue of South-East European business environment, without alluding to the political environment in the region that certainly has a direct impact on the available human resources and their management. The creation of new countries, courtesy the breaking of the erstwhile Eastern Block, the ongoing social fragmentation on the ethnic lines, the inability of the political authorities to