Investigation of Restaurant Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Investigation of Restaurant Finance - Essay Example The restaurant has to offer high quality dishes as per cuisine menu because they are tested and people have gained trust to them. In this restaurant, range of products will be offered including, POSTRES and DESSERTS, ALA KARTA dishes, PLANTAINS and FRIED TANGS, HOT and cold salads, SANDWICHES’, BEVERAGES among other acceptable dishes as per cuisine menu. Having decided on what type of the restaurant is needed, the remaining part is getting the funds from most effective sources that will facilitate in any way possible to the success of the restaurant. Personal saving – in this, someone needs to think of the idea in quite reasonable time and develop an account of saving towards the venture. The magnitude of saving depends mostly on the size of restaurant one want to start and one will save proportionately towards the venture approximated cost. This type of funding is most convenient because one is assured that the fund is there. One may also save with the intention of getting more finance from a financial institution that offer loans on the basis of saving in the account. One of the challenges of this form of financing is that it may take centuries before one accumulates enough funds to start off the venture. Bank loan- the second option available as a source of fund is acquiring loan at the bank. With bank loans, one can be able to acquire enough capital to start off at age. It also gives one ample time to repay the loan as per agreement. The challenge of this form of finance is that limited to the policy of the bank and in one case or another one may qualify under the policies, one may not be granted the funds. Some limiting factors in this form of finance are needed for a guarantor, the need for collaterals that can be taken to repay the loans and also one may be required to have saved with bank some amount and for a specific time. If one does not meet these entire requirements, automatically one disqualify from getting the

Analysis of front cover of best Essay Example for Free

Analysis of front cover of best Essay Best is published by ACP-NatMag and falls into the category of womans lifestyle magazine. Best has to compete with some other major magazines such as Reveal and Bella. Bests front cover has to make an impression on its audience by making itself bright, bold and bubbly. This is achieved using different methods to entice the reader, with extremely eye-catching colours such as pink, yellow, blue and white which clash, using Fern Britton in the traditional picture used on every magazine, and through human interest stories as well as shocking stories which further invite the reader to buy the magazine The main story line Drop 7lb Faster suggests that the magazine is trying to tempt the audience into learning the secrets of a celebrity diet, but actually only tells the reader a fraction of what to do on the inside. Eventually, as the audience is not fully aware that there will not be the best tips and information inside, the reader still has become interested and wants to find out more. After the reader has looked into the main eye-catching story, the reader is left almost feeling cheated after the promise of a weight loss programme. The audiences eye is drawn to this as it is positioned to the left at the top of the page, right below the masthead.. The words in the phrase are used in the typical sans serif font, but with striking colours. It is located just underneath the Best logo in a contrasting colour which immediately draws attention to itself. The bright and bold text is the biggest size used on the cover besides the masthead, as the logo is most important. It clearly stands out from any other object on the cover. The word Faster is actually italicised, this leads to the word looking as if it is actually moving, going faster, almost blurring away from the other words. The television presenter, Fern Britton, is placed on the right side of the magazine, as the biggest photograph on the cover. The image of the presenter is conventional for this type of magazine, she is around the same age as the targeted audience, making her a potential friend, where she is acting as a symbol, almost as a mothering figure, someone you can relate to. She is a striking image compared to the bland white background which she is placed on. She looks straight out at the audience in a confident manner, smiling at the audience in a friendly way, reinforcing that the magazine is trying to make itself appear to be a friend to the reader. She is wearing a formal black dress which provides an interesting contrast between her and the background. Despite the celebrity status she appears to have in the photograph, she is pictured lower down to her right in a normal everyday situation with her child. The photograph almost makes the reader feel like that is her and can relate to her like family. The title next to the picture, FERN HRT has made me a NICER MUM is in a direct form of address which makes the audience feel like they are being spoken to directly. It is in a big, bright, contrasting colour compared to the background photograph. Also, the way the magazine refers to Fern, is almost as if the audience are close to her. As well as fulfilling some of the audiences needs, i. e. makeshift friendship, it suggests that because the magazine refers to the presenter in a close way, the audience is getting advice from a celebrity. One of the cover lines is cleverly written to entice the audience even more than any other story. Because it offers simple ways for 9 EASY DINNERS, most women would be interested in learning the secrets of quick appetising meals, as 5 dishes are displayed in images. However it is possible that the readers could somehow feel disillusioned because as they read on to they find that the meals actually take around 45 minutes to an hour. One other cover line SISTERS OF COURAGE stands out from the others, as it is not in big, bold multicoloured, yet in smaller red sans serif font, with bullet point styled border on a white background. This can make the impression that its a shocking story. The picture to the right of the cover line is of two normal looking sisters, together, with an exclusive tag underneath. This can make the reader feel smug as they are reading a story that other magazines may not posses. The phrase underneath the cover line is somewhat exaggerated slightly as it quotes We broke our silence to JAIL our EVIL DAD. The three words, JAIL, EVIL and DAD are in a dark red, bold font. As red is seen to be an evil colour, it emphasises the words more to make them more dramatic and shocking. My 3 Miracles, mended my broken heart underneath is a cover line with a photo of triplets. The three are placed on a bright pink background, easily noticeable. The triplets make a bold contrast as the colours are completely different to the background, making the image stand out. Yet as it does this, the photograph is a heart warming, enticing the reader to read on. Again, the way that the phrase is being displayed, it further reinforces that the magazine is your friend talking directly out to you in a informal manner, almost like the other person telling the story is there, next to reader. In conclusion, the BEST editor has used a proven publication model to entice the fickle public to purchase and read its magazine in preference to a competitor.

Upperclass Education Essay -- essays research papers fc

Land Of The Free, Home Of The Upper Class   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.† (Lazarus) This incredible, sentimental homage to the American dream brings many to ask, what a wonderful concept- but is this truly the case? Is America truly a land of opportunity and dreams realized, or is it more so a case of realizing we have been dreaming? In a country where image is made and sold like bread in a bakery, it is no wonder the idea of a land of opportunity still exists- it smells so good. In theory, a land of opportunity and self-motivation would be a real chance at success and pure determination and hard work could get a man wherever he desires to be. However, reality poses quite a different story. Everyday hardworking families struggle to get by on food stamps and minimum wage. If theories of equal opportunity held true, ev ery single parent working multiple jobs for their children would be able to send their kids to good schools and not need to worry about how to pay for a trip to dentist or a doctor’s check-up. And while it is easy to point fingers at the poor and say that its all their fault because of the decisions they’ve made or as luck would have it, a gray area develops when taking a look at the working class and realizing that there are boundaries in place that try to keep people in their positions of powerlessness. One of these boundaries is class through education. Through background, cost, and strategic tokenism, the American society has bordered out the same people it claims to embrace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, one may point out the arbitrary nature of class. While ideally most people would like to see a country of hard work and payoff, the fact of the matter is that from the moment we are born, before any chance to prove oneself, we are placed into a category that has either great advantages or vast disadvantages. The elite are nearly always born that way, just as those in poverty. Once a child is born into their status, where they live has major impact on how their life will pan out. For most of Middle America suburbs comprised of housing developments and apartment complexes put children into mediocre public schools with mi... ...emselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clearly, the solution to this situation is far more complicated than most people like to admit and in no single action will we find a remedy for it. The inequalities in place must first and foremost be recognized and acknowledged for any sort of change to come about. We can no longer â€Å"accept it as inevitable, [and] something we just have to live with.† (Langston 127) Leveling the playing field does not make a person a socialist or jeopardize upper class status; in fact, chances are that more upward movement would benefit the economy as a whole and not just a single class of people. It is about time that instead of passively accepting the inequalities at hand that something ought to be done about them, one step at a time. After all, we want to live up to the lady who claims to lift her lamp beside the golden door to let people use their opportunities if they so choose. Bibliography Domhoff, G. William. Mapping The Social Landscape, Susan J. Ferguson. McGraw-Hill 2005. Page 290 Langston, Donna. â€Å"Tired Of Playing Monopoly,† Race, Class, and Gender. Wadsworth Publishing Company 1998. Pages 127-130 Lazarus, Emma. â€Å"The New Colossus† 1883

Biocon

Case: BIOCON LTD. Building a biotech powerhouse Reasons for success of Biocon Ltd. in the past: Sequential growth strategy: Biocon added businesses like enzymes, biopharmaceuticals, research services and drug development that were interlinked. Consolidation of core skills: Biocon had consolidated its core skills in enzymes (known to be the building blocks of biotech), established a footprint in biopharmaceuticals (which helped generate regular cash flow) and partnered with global firms (serving as launching pads for drug development). Biocon's Integrated Business Model: Biocon, along with its subsidiaries – Syngene and Clinigene, handles the entire lifecycle of a drug; right from discovery to commercialization (it has least expertise in commercialization). o Discovery Syngene Molecular Biology Synthetic Chemistry Biocon Microbial Fermentation Biodiversity Bioprocessing o Development Clinigene Clinical Research Clinical Development Clinical Trials o Commercialization Biocon Generics, main contributor to revenue: Bulk of their revenues came from generics. A generic drug typically cost 20 per cent to 80 per cent less because the product was not burdened with legacy expenses of research, development, clinical trials and marketing. Patent of Plafactor: Biocon secured a U. S. patent for a reactor it developed, known as plafactor. The patent gave the company exclusive global rights to use and license the technology for the manufacture of drugs involving genetically engineered microorganisms in a solid-state fermenter. Diversified and Specialized: From the company’s origins making enzymes for the breweries industry, Biocon had expanded and diversified into related fields during the next two decades. Biocon specialized in four broad areas: enzymes, biopharmaceuticals, custom research and clinical research. Fermentation offered competitive advantage: The importance of enzymes for Biocon lay in the fact that the business was a springboard for one of the company’s competitive advantages. Fermentation was a core skill that offered Biocon a leverage in stage 3 of the value chain of biopharmaceuticals. The company’s fermenting capacity gave it both the ability to scale up an industrial process and the platform on which to pursue discovery-led growth. Threats to sustaining this performance in future: More competitive market: Every biotech player – big and small, was seeking a foothold in generics. The biopharmaceuticals space, in which Biocon had built a niche, was thus becoming more crowded and competitive day by day. Changing Regulatory Environment: The regulatory environment that had made generics such an attractive sector in India was changing. The government of India had introduced a full-fledged patents regime. In the past, the Indian government had granted patents for the process of manufacturing a drug, not for the drug itself. Patent protection of Statins: Biopharmaceuticals represented 80 per cent of Biocon’s turnover, with the production of APIs for statins accounting for 45 per cent of revenue. Statins would lose patent protection in 2008 in the United States. As a result, the dollar value of the global market for statins would shrink from $22 billion to $3 billion. There were also pricing pressures from low-cost Chinese competitors. Commercialization: Relative to the company’s other activities; Biocon had the least expertise in this final stage of drug discovery and development. Investments were being made in creating the manufacturing capacity for industrial scale-up. Commercialization would also require compliance with manufacturing standards, deployment of a sales force and development of expertise in marketing and promotions aimed at physicians and end-customers. Greater demand on Biocon’s financial resources: Biocon had operated for a long time in the realm of commodities, characterized by business-to-business sales. Making the transition to drug discovery and development would involve developing competence in several key areas: building a portfolio of promising drug candidates to move through the development pipeline, project management skills to facilitate this process, regulatory compliance, manufacturing and marketing. The need to develop capabilities in these areas would place greater demand on Biocon’s financial resources.

Of Mice and Men Qu Essay

Do you agree that Lennie is always incapable of taking responsibility for his actions? You should refer closely to Lennie’s words, to events and to the actions and opinions of other characters in your answer. Throughout the majority of the novel, Steinbeck demonstrates how Lennie relies on George to help him out of the dire, tense situations he brings upon himself. Steinbeck conveys this image of Lennie by producing this by frequent reoccurring events, Lennie’s actions or even implicit use of speech from or even directed at Lennie. At the opening section of the book, Steinbeck chooses to show us the large contrast between George and Lennie; he describes how Lennie â€Å"flung himself down† â€Å"snorting into the water like a horse.† The use of crude descriptive words such as â€Å"flung† or â€Å"snorting† suggests just how careless Lennie can be. This compares Lenny to an animal which instinctively lashes at the sight of something they want without thinking logically at all. And with this, the readers taste the first time at which how reliant Lennie is of George. Steinbeck chooses to have George say that Lennie will â€Å"be sick like you was last night.† By mentioning â€Å"last night†, the reader learns that Lennie must regularly make stupid mistakes like this. It is made very apparent how Lennie is unable to take responsibility for his actions when he crushes Curley’s hand. Lennie was unable to understand the situation when Curley made a misunderstanding about Slim and his wife and Lennie continued â€Å"smiling with delight† on a completely different topic. This produces a juxtaposition image in the reader’s mind where at one side: Curley is steaming hot with anger as he â€Å"whirled† upon Carlson (the word â€Å"whirled† also suggests how he only gave Slim respect opposed to Carlson who he flipped into his old aggressive self again) and on the other, Lennie is grinning to himself like an idiot. The fact that Steinbeck chooses to have Lennie fantasize whilst a loud commotion is going on nearby shows just how little awareness and sense Lennie has altogether. And this is what leads into the fight. When Lennie is being attacked, he has no intuition to make a decision on what to do so once again he â€Å"looked helplessly at George.† The word helplessly really emphasises just how incapable Lennie is like a baby animal or lamb for instance when he gets himself into trouble like this. He â€Å"bleated with terror† implying that even with the strength Lennie possesses, he is unable to analyse the situation to take responsibility of the problem he has gotten himself into. The words â€Å"bleated† and â€Å"terror† really create an atmosphere as if Lennie like a baby lamb has been corned by a wolf. This is done by using the onomatopoeia â€Å"bleat† so you can almost here how distressed and vulnerable Lennie is at this stage. All he can do is use his animal like instincts and â€Å"retreat† and defend with his â€Å"huge paws†. The reference to â€Å"paws† may also hint to us what is about to come however it may have several connotations; a bear is a shy beast and doesn’t want attention, however if a situation of danger arises, it can be extremely vicious and protective just like Lennie becomes when George tells him to â€Å"get him.† On the other hand, â€Å"paws† may refer to another weaker animal such as the â€Å"paws† of a puppy that Lennie was so infatuated about. This can symbolize how weak and inexperienced Lennie is since he is also new to this aggression he is receiving likewise to a new born pup is to the world. At this stage, Slim sees how vulnerable and useless he is and â€Å"jumped up† to help. The impact the moment is causing on the other workers watching is shown to be so big that the respected Slim is even shaken conveyed by â€Å"jumped up.† It shows how emotions inside Slim were building up until they finally â€Å"jumped† out of him in an explosion. Steinbeck does this to show how useless Lennie can be in these situations so that even people around him who have known him for a few hours understand how dependent he is. However, Lennie with George’s guidance was able to do something however his actions shows the reader once again just how unintentionally irresponsible he can be. At first the description of Lennie’s attack is just that Curley’s â€Å"fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand†. It isn’t very dramatic at this point and just seems like Lennie stops Curley from attacking him. For example, it could of been described using dramatic words such as: Curley’s hand was absolutely crushed causing him to scream with agony however it uses the word â€Å"disappear† to relieve all the tension that may of built up; this may be done to cause a greater impact later on. The speech that follows explains how the situation was worsening. George tells Lennie to â€Å"leggo of him† but all Lennie could do was watch â€Å"in terror† which shows how shaken up he is so that he can’t even respond. Even with George who â€Å"slapped him in the face again and again†, Lennie was still unresponsive. By slapping him George hoped to achieve a respond which would normally happen to anyone however it shows that Lennie was undergoing a mental difficulty insde. The way Steinbeck describes George having to give multiple signals â€Å"again and again† like slapping or verbal commands show how incapable Lennie was. When Lennie finally finishes he doesn’t seem to even understand what he’s done. He doesn’t even look at the â€Å"shrunken† Curley and immediately talks to George â€Å"miserably†. At this point Slim had â€Å"regarded Lennie with horror† showing how his opinion of him being a â€Å"nice fella† had turned so very quickly. By having Slim- a very high respected figure looking at Lennie with this â€Å"horror†, Steinbeck causes the readers to truly understand how dangerous and uncontrollable he is. Lennie’s only concern here was probably mainly whether or not he could tend to the rabbits so he was apologizing to George. He even asks George at the end of the section whether he can â€Å"still tend the rabbits† which once again shows us how unaware of the situation he really is and this requires George to look into their greater concern- whether they will â€Å"get canned now†. This shows that even though Lennie is not prioritized correctly, George once again desperately tries to fix the damage that’s been done which suggests how many times this may of happened in the past. Steinbeck just repeatedly reinforces the strong idea of what Lennie is like and how George has to bail him out time and time again. It states how â€Å"Slim smiled wryly† and instantly the world â€Å"wryly† shows how Slim is going to take responsibility and deal with Curley in a slightly devious, corrupt method so that George and Lennie won’t get sacked. After Lennie killed the puppy in section 5, his initial fears was once again the rabbits. And after he causes the death of Curley’s wife, his fears remained the same. At that point, â€Å"he pawed up the hay until it partly covered her† and left for the place where George told him to go if anything wrong happened. The fact that Lennie crudely leaves the body openly â€Å"partly† hidden in the barn shows how little concern he has for the bigger picture. The way Lennie only â€Å"partly† hides the corpse shows what little concern he has almost to the extent where it becomes ridiculous as all he can think of is go to the rendezvous part and have George help him yet again. Up until the beginning of section 6, Lennie has acted irresponsibly and ironically, he begins to think accordingly to the situation only when it is too late. Opposed to how he â€Å"flung† himself around in section 1, Lennie went through the bushes to the meeting place â€Å"as silently as a creeping bear moves†. He also â€Å"drank, barely touching his lips to the water† opposed to how he was â€Å"snorting† it like a horse. Steinbeck uses the same location to create a strong contrast between the juxtaposition used here. As he crept â€Å"silently† and drank â€Å"barely† touching the water, these two words emphasise how carefully he is acting. Steinbeck deliberately does this to emphasise how late it is for him to be responsible and coordinated. And even so, it is George once again who has to take the real responsibility to shoot him.

Analytical Essay Sampe on the Novel #8220;1984#8221; by George Orwella

Analytical Essay Sampe on the Novel #8220;1984#8221; by George Orwella George Orwells classic novel 1984 is a perfect example of a futuristic totalitarian regime and a dystopia. Orwells tale expresses his vision of a government changing and becoming a totalitarian government. The government, in this story, is run by an unknown leader who goes by the title Big Brother. The concept of Big Brother is that someone is always watching, and people can never deceive the government. In Orwell’s idea of what may happen in the future, Big Brother monitors everything everyone does or even thinks. Orwell was born with the name Eric Arthur Blair, in 1903, in Bengal, India. His father was Richard Walmesley Blair. He worked in the Opium department of the Indian Civil Service as a minor customs official.(Biography) When Orwell was four, his family returned to England. They then settled in a village near London, Henley. Soon after their move his father returned to India. Orwell was sent to a private elementary school in Sussex when he was eight years old. His experiences there influenced his views on the English class system. After finishing school there he went to two private secondary schools using scholarships.(Biography) He went to Wellington for one term and Eton for four and a half years. Orwell later received training in Burma and became an Indian Imperial Police officer. He served there from 1922 to 1927. Orwell decided not to return to Burma while he was on leave in England. He had dreamed of becoming a writer ever since he was a child. He did not feel the Imperial Police was a suitable job for him.(Biography) He had also realized how imperialistic the Police unit was and rejected it. He resigned on January 1, 1928. The opening of the book explains the setting of London, which is now Oceania, in the year 1984. London is described, as having a strict government that Orwell felt could have existed in 1984 if people did not listen to his warnings.(I Texas) It also tells of how citizens are monitored everywhere they go. There are â€Å"telescreens† in each room which constantly show pictures of â€Å"Big Brother† speaking, but they are also videotaping everything that is going on. As you progress into the book you discover the main character, Winston Smith, begins to want to revolt against â€Å"Big Brother.† As these rebellious urges progress he begins a love affair, which in this time is illegal, with a girl named Julia.(I Texas) The novel has a classic tale of betrayal when Winston discovers that O’Brien, who he thought was a rebel like himself, was actually a chief inquisitor for the inner party of â€Å"Big Brother.† The book is ended when Winston is captured, tortured, and basically brainwashed. The punishments Winston goes through eventually make him realize that he loves â€Å"Big Brother.†(I Texas) There were many personifications, allegories, ironies, and symbolisms in 1984. Orwell’s character, Winston, was named after England’s great WWII leader Winston Churchill. An article Winston once wrote about freedom meaning that you could say that two and two makes four is used against him in the end. This shows some of the irony Orwell used in his writing. The story relates a great deal to what Hitler had been doing a few years before in Germany. The citizens are fed endless propaganda to ensure they will not go against the government.(I Texas) Orwell also was referring to NAZI Germany when he wrote about â€Å"Doublethink.† The theory behind â€Å"Doublethink† is the process that was used on Winston to make him believe two and two equal five. Orwell creates a symbolism between the separate states of 1984, and the separate countries during the time the book was written. He created Oceania to represent the United States, Urasia to represent Russia, and East asia to represent China.(I Texas) Another example of symbolism in this novel is the paperweight Winston buys in the old junk shop. It stands for the fragile relationship Winston shares with Julia. The coral in the inside of the paperweight represents Julia and Winston. In addition to the symbolisms, 1984 also includes some foreshadowing. The nursery rhymes do have a sentimental value to them, but they also create a foreshadowing of Julia and Winston’s betrayal to each other. Because they have been altered, the nursery rhymes do not always have the same meaning as they did before.(I Texas) For example, one of them ends with, â€Å"I sold you and you sold me.† The story of 1984 can also be related to the present day government of the United States. One can already see that in our schools the freedom of speech is limited. Because of school shootings, student threats are being taken more seriously. Some schools however do not take it as seriously as others. However, it was not until September eleventh that it really became noticeable. After the tragedy in New York and Washington D.C., many precautions have been taken to ensure further terrorists acts do not happen again. Since the attacks, freedoms have been lessened. Phone conversations can now be recorded without permission, and one can be taken in for questioning just for something discussed on the phone. These are similar to the rights that are taken away while students are at school, but it is on a much larger scale. Security has been greatly increased in all forms of travel. This may not necessarily be a bad thing but it is time consuming. When traveling now on planes, all bags must be checked. This means one must arrive at the airport earlier to be sure to make the flight. It is understood that along with freedoms, come a certain amount of responsibilities. George Orwell’s 1984 was an extremely good book. It really makes one think about how horrible it would be to live in a totalitarian society. It makes one seriously wonder if the United States is slowly becoming more of a totalitarian government. George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948.(I Texas) It has only been a little over 50 years. One should look at where our government has moved over the past 50 years. Just imagine where we will be in another 50 or 100 years. People should take into account that this could really happen and that it is a real threat. George Orwell’s novel of a futuristic totalitarian regime and dystopia is a classic tale that acts as a warning to all governments, to guard against becoming more like â€Å"Big Brother.† It emphasizes many important symbolisms and allegories to ensure that something as horrific as NAZI Germany does not happen again. The United States has changed significantly since September 11, 2001. Would it be possible for 1984 to become a reality in the United States? You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on 1984 from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers on any topics.

Bureucracy and Legal-Rational essays

Bureucracy and Legal-Rational essays BUREAUCRACY AND LEGAL-RATIONAL AUTHORITY IN WEBERS WORK According to Weber, bureaucracy is a product of the legal-rational form of authority which is itself a product of the process of rationalisation which defines modern societies. Max Weber was a sociologist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who was concerned with understanding social actions and the effects they had on modern, Western civilisation. He identified a relatively new social process of rational action which is characteristic of modern society in all its institutions. One of the social consequences of rationalisation lies within the sphere of authority, and Weber identified a new form of authority called legal-rational authority. This type of authority called for new ways of organising systems, that is, new organisational bodies which would be compatible with rationalist principles. Weber called these modern organisational bodies bureaucracies. Weber saw rationalism as the hallmark of modern society (Cuff, Sharrock s behaviours and peoples actions, with actions being those which carry attached meanings, and behaviours those which dont. Four types of meaningful action were theorised by Weber- traditional, emotional/affectual, value-rational and instrumentally rational (Haralambos, Holborn, Smith & Davis 1997). The first three types of action were based on traditional customs, emotional ties or personal or social values. Instrumental-rational action, argued Weber, was unique in that the actors took into account the means, ends and the long-term consequences of their actions (Haralambos et al 1997). According to Weber, modern civilisation, particularly in the West, was driven by a widespread tendency towards instrumentally rational action, a process of rationalisation (Haralmbos et al 1997). This was apparent in the growing emphasis on science, medicine, architechture, t...