Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay

The question of an acceptable formula for revenue sharing among the component tiers of the Nigerian nation is one of the most protracted and controversial debates in the political and macroeconomic management of the economy. This debate has its foundations in the history and evolution of the Nigerian federation. â€Å"Revenue allocation or the statutory distribution of revenue from the Federation Account among the different levels of government has been one of the most contentious and controversial issues in the nation’s political life. So contentious has the matter been that none of the formulae evolved at various times by a commission or by decree under different regimes since 1964 has gained general acceptability among the component units of the country. Indeed, the issue, like a recurring decimal, has painfully remained the first problem that nearly every incoming regime has had to grapple with since independence. In the process, as many as thirteen different attempts have been made in devising an acceptable revenue allocation formula, each of which is more remembered for the controversies it generated than issues settled† Fiscal federalism refers to the scope and structure of the tiers of government responsibilities and functions as well as the allocation of resources among the tiers of government. Perhaps the most important issue of fiscal federalism is the revenue allocation formula, the sharing of national revenue among the various tiers of government (vertical revenue sharing) as well as the distribution of revenue among the state governments (that is, horizontal revenue allocation). The centralization of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. Revenue allocation can be described as a method(s) of sharing the centrally generated revenue among the different tiers of government and how the amount allocated to a particular tier is shared among its components. Nigeria is a federal state – under the federal system of government, federation or centrally-generated revenue is shared among the three levels of government, namely; the federal government, the states and the local governments. The theory of revenue sharing in a federal state is that each level of government receives an allocation of financial resources tailored to their specific requirements as defined by the mandate of legislative competence, their actual situation and the statutory indices of calculation. In Nigeria, decisions as to what proportion of centrally-generated revenue that would be retained by the federal government, the proportion that will be shared among the state governments and the proportion that will go to the local government has always been a problem, due to the fact that there is no consensus of opinion as to what could be seen as an ideal formula. The principles that guide the implementation of intergovernmental fiscal relations include: (a) The Principle of Diversity: The federal system must have the ability to accommodate a large variety of diversities. Hence, the fiscal system must provide scope for variety and differences to supply national, regional and local public goods. (b) The Principle of Equivalence: Based on the geographical incidence of different public goods, allocative efficiency requires the equalization of locational advantages arising from inter-jurisdictional differences with a combination of taxes and public goods and services. This requires the use of fiscal instruments for achieving macroeconomic objectives of growth, stabilization and full employment by residents of different geopolitical units; this requirement controls for what is often referred to as â€Å"central city exploitation thesis†. (d) Minimum Provision of Essential Goods and Services: This ensures that fiscal federalism guarantees all citizens, irrespective of where they reside, the minimum provision of ertain basic public goods and services. (e) Principle of Fiscal Equalization: In order to ensure a minimum level of public goods and services same degree of fiscal equalization is required. This is as a result of differences in resource endowment. (f) The Efficiency Principle: This principle implies that efficiency must be applied in the allocation of resources (g) The Principle of Derivation: The component units of a system should be able to control some of its own resources as they desire. h) The Principle of Locational Neutrality: Interregional fiscal differences tend to influence location choices of individuals and firms. Therefore, policy should focus on minimizing distortions due to some interference. Hence, differential taxes which create locational distortions should be avoided as much as practicable. (i) The Principle of Centralized Redistribution: This principle states that the redistribution function of fiscal policy through progressive taxation and expenditure programmes should be centralized at the federal level. That is, if the redistributive function is decentralized, it can result in distortions in location decisions. It should be noted that the above principles are not mutually consistent. There are several challenges and contending issues confronting intergovernmental fiscal relations in Nigeria: 1) Non – Correspondence Problem Ideally, each level of government should be given adequate resources to allow it discharge its responsibilities. Because this is not possible, there is usually a lack of correspondence between the spending responsibilities and the tax powers/revenue sources assigned to different levels of government. It is this incongruence that is often referred to as the non-correspondence problem. In Nigeria, most of the major sources of revenue come under the jurisdiction of the federal government yet lower levels of government are supposed to generate internal revenue. There is, therefore, the need to resolve the imbalance between assigned functions and tax powers. The issues concerning fiscal relations among the constituent units of the Nigerian federation that remain mostly unresolved are the divergence between assigned functions and tax powers, principle of horizontal and vertical revenue allocation, dependence of states and local governments on federal sources of funding, tendency towards concentration and federal presence in the states (Fadahunsi, 1998). The five principles currently applied in the horizontal revenue allocation formula are far from acceptable to all the stakeholders. 2) Fiscal Autonomy and Independence The issue of relative fiscal autonomy and independence of the state and local governments in a true federal structure goes with the corollary issue of the correspondence of governmental functions and revenue sources. Since the creation of the twelve-state structure in 1967, states and local governments have been excessively dependent on the Federation Account. This independence must be reduced if the federating units are to be free to pursue their own development goals without being hampered by the unpredictable fluctuations in their shares of the Federation Account. It is important that revenue sources should be reallocated and made compatible with the fluctuations stated for each tier of government to enhance steady and proper funding of administrative and developmental activities instead of the often experienced unexpected financial constrictions at the two lower tiers of government. 3) Oil Producing States, Oil Producing Local Government Administrative Areas or Communities Professor Omo Omoruyi in his treatise â€Å"the Politics of Oil: who owns the oil, Nigeria, states or communities† (2000) raised three salient questions on true ownership of oil in Nigeria. The question of local control over local resources is an established constitutional principle in federal systems. But the way the Nigerian federal system developed under the external colonial order (1954-60) and continued under the period of geo-ethno-military internal colonial order (1960-1999) and in the democratic dispensation between 1999 to date is yet an unresolved contending issues in the discourse about Nigeria’s federalism. He challenged the â€Å"Tripod† approach to Nigeria’s problem where the three major ethnic nationalities decide the content and the trend of national issues. This tripod approach to Nigerian politics, should have been done away with by now, with the introduction of the notion of ‘federal character’, which takes states in the federation as the units of representation. The tripod approach to Nigerian politics applies to how the oil, which comes from the non-majority areas, is approached in the political and economic discourse. We should also be aware of the feeling among the majority ethnic nationalities that the areas producing oil by virtue of powerlessness in the military and politics should not be allowed to lay claim to the oil from their areas as of right†. However, theres a distinction between oil producing communities and oil producing states. This is the basis of the activities of the Traditional Rulers of the Producing Communities who are dealing with the President and want the money due to states on the basis of the 13% derivation in the Constitution should be paid to the â€Å"oil producing communities/local government areas†. The Traditional Rulers’ argument is that â€Å"communities† own oil and not â€Å"states†. This is an unresolved issue and separates the communities in riverside areas directly affected by oil spillages from their compatriots in landed areas from enjoying the full benefits of allocations to producing states. One does not know the end of this argument. How should the National Assembly address this matter? The federal government should find a way of making the oil producing local government administrative areas as shareholders in the joint venture arrangements with the oil companies, thus making them stakeholders in the oil industry. There was the issue of who should be spending the oil money. Should it be the Nigerian government in conjunction with the oil producing areas? Should it be the oil producing areas alone? The Constitution from 1960 till after the civil war up till 1978 gave the right of ownership to the federal government but the proceeds were shared between the federal government and the regions or states on the basis of derivation like the agricultural crops. 4) Federation Account and the Derivation Fund It is important to define what constitutes the Federation Account – to which the various vertical revenue allocation formulae have been applied and what should be directly financed from it. Up to 1990, the amount accruing yearly to the Federation Account was still over 96% of totally federally collected revenue; but since 1991, when it first dropped to about 75% and nose-dived to around 35% by 1997, it showed no sign of recovery (Olowononi, 1999). It is therefore clear, that in such a situation, whatever the vertical formula applicable, there must still be a serious fiscal imbalance between the ederal government and the two lower tiers of government. It is crucial to redress this revenue imbalance in the spirit of balanced true federalism. What appears to account for this imbalance is the assertion of the self-claimed right by the federal government to finance various first-line charges from the Federation Account before the application of the vertical formula. The first-line charges include funding for external debt service, national priority projects, NNPC priority projects, special reserve account, and excess proceeds of the crude oil sales account, and in addition, the joint venture cash calls account. These deductions are made from the proceeds of crude oil sales before the derivation fund in the Federation Account is arrived at, and after which further deductions for special funds and the funding of the federal capital territory are made. It will seem more logical, with the exception of the joint venture case calls, that these various charges which are federal government obligations be financed solely from the federal government’s revenue proper, that is, from its share of the Federation Account or from its revenue from other sources. Therefore, in order to determine what constitutes the derivation fund, resolving the issue of the Federation Account is crucial. Thereafter, the derivation formula to be utilized can be arrived at. 5) Oil – Producing Areas and the Derivation Principle The crude oil production has been the most important economic activity in the Nigerian economy since the early 1970s is not subject to debate. Its impact is not limited to its contributing almost 90% of Nigeria’s total foreign exchange earnings but also to the fact that the national budgets are predicated on the expected annual production and price of crude oil.

McDonald’s: The coffee spill

1. What are the major issues in the Liebeck case and in the following incidents? Was the lawsuit â€Å"frivolous† as some people thought, or serious business? The major issues in this case include how hot the coffee should be, when to draw the line on making a case outrageous and how corporations are supposed to please customers without worrying about being sued. I believe that the lawsuit was frivolous because of the amount of money that was being asked for. It is common sense that when you order coffee or any other hot beverage that contents will be hot.I feel that it was the fault of Liebeck and although this is the case, McDonald’s should have paid the medical bills and settled out of court before it was blown out of proportion. 2. What are McDonald’s social (economic, legal, and ethical) responsibilities toward consumers in the Liebeck case and the other cases? What are consumers' responsibilities when they buy a product such as hot coffee or hot hamburgers? How does a company give consumers what they want and yet protect them at the same time?McDonald’s responsibilities are to be honest and fair economically, legally and ethically. Any business should keep the safety of their customers in mind and if an incident does occur, take responsibility. Consumers are responsible for situational awareness. They should pay more attention to what they are doing and if something does occur, consumers should act within reason and not try to get every cent from the company they can. It is impossible to keep everyone happy. 3. What are the arguments supporting McDonald’s position in the Liebeck case?What are the arguments supporting Liebeck’s position? McDonald’s stated that Liebeck had only herself to blame for placing the cup between her legs. It was also stated that Liebeck failed to leap out of the seat allowing the coffee to penetrate her clothing and burning her. A burn expert for Liebeck stated that 170 degree coffe e is capable of causing second degree burns within 3. 5 seconds. It was also argued that 700 complaints, equal to one in every 24 million cups sold, is trivial.This statement was supposed to help McDonald’s but in turn helped Liebeck. 4. If you had been a juror in the Liebeck case, which position would you most likely have supported? Why? What if you had been a juror in the pickle burn case? If I were a juror in this case or the pickle burn case, I would have most likely supported McDonald’s. I feel that people should show a little more common sense when they order food. Most people want to get their food while it is still hot so why don’t people sue when food is too cold?On the other hand, McDonald’s should make the warning on the cup larger and warn consumers as they order. 5. What are the similarities and differences between the coffee burn case and the pickle burn case? Does one represent a more serious threat to consumer harm? What should McDonald's, and other fast food restaurants, do about hot food, such as hamburgers, when consumers are injured? Both the coffee case and the pickle burn case have one big thing in common. Both cases are against McDonald’s.Both cases are based on the same complaint, too hot, but the burns resulted from different sources. As I stated above, fast food restaurants should make labels larger as well as give a verbal warning. Maybe they should make the entire wrapper or cup a warning. I cannot however agree to lower the temperature. I feel that if a customer wishes to have a cooler beverage, ask the server to pour a little cool water in it to cool it off. As far as food is concerned, consumers should have the common sense to wait. 6. What is your assessment of the â€Å"Stella Awards?†Is this making light of a serious problem? I think that the Stella awards are funny. They show us what people are willing to sue over and how outrageous the cases can be. The serious problem that I see is people are losing more and more common sense and businesses are paying for it. 7. What are the implications of these cases for future product-related lawsuits? Do we now live in a society where businesses are responsible for customers’ accidents or carelessness in using products? We live in a society that is growing older.Does this fact place a special responsibility on merchants who sell products to senior citizens? I feel that we are living in a world where businesses are responsible for consumer carelessness and accidents. Senior citizens should be warned over and over if a product is hot but should not place a special responsibility on merchants that sell to senior citizens. As far as implications, for the court systems to remain fair, damages should and need to be given to all but it does not have to be millions and millions of dollars.

The Impact of International Trade on U.S. Economy Essay

The Impact of International Trade on U.S. Economy - Essay Example By July 2007, the number of negotiated and effected agreements had risen to 205. The United States has also had its share in the international trade (Peridy, 2005). She has entered into trade agreements with countries from Africa, South East Asia, and Europe. International trade brings along certain factors, which impact on the U.S economy, either favorably or unfavorably. Some effects of this trade include provision of new markets and access to goods and services at subsidized prices (Sun and Reed, 2009). In the present paper, the impact of international trade on the U.S economy is investigated. It is hypothesized that international trade favorably impacts the U.S economy. The literature reviews that follow will attempt to illustrate and support the hypothesis. Literature Review In a research article by Peridy (2005), three crucial questions were posed to guide the study. First, does the United States face a trade deficit with respect to Middle East and North American (MENA) countri es? Secondly, has the deficit resulted from the Euro-Mediterranean (Euromed) agreement? Thirdly, what trade potential does the US hold in this area? (Peridy, 2005). The focus of the investigation is on the trade relations between the US and MENA countries, specifically favorable trade using a short, descriptive analysis. It is hypothesized that, the US will trade unfavorably with the MENA countries comparatively to other OECD countries. The investigation focused on market shares and export levels, and calculated several indexes of export position between the US and MENA countries. The result of this investigation agreed with the hypothesis that there was unfavorable US export performance with respect to MENA countries in comparison with other OECD nations. The result indicated that majority of MENA countries are ranked after other OECD countries in US export preference list. In comparison to other exporters, the US seems to export four-times lesser than the MENA countries (Peridy, 2 005). The difference in trade between the US and MENA countries, and the US and Euromed countries may partially be attributed to the long distance between the US and MENA markets, which infers high transport cost to the trading partners (Peridy, 2005). The result of the relative market share also reveals the unfavorable position of trade between MENA countries and the US, with the US having potential in the MENA markets. It is also reported that exports from the MENA countries to the US has continued to dwindle. Contrastingly, the US preserved its favorable position relative to the other OECD countries (Peridy, 2005). These results come together to affirm the hypothesis that international trade favorably impacts on the US economy. One shortcoming of the study is that it relies on predictions that are prone to change (Peridy, 2005). It rests on out-of-sample predictions that calculate what proportion of MENA countries’ exports if they would have behaved akin to countries fully incorporated into the world economy. However, this approach may deter the ambiguous interpretation of residuals. Next, the topic of measures of international relative prices in relation to its impact on the US economy is discussed with China as the primary point of reference. In a research article by Thomas, Marquez, and Fahle (2009), several specific questions are addressed. First, is there a disparity in pricing between exports from China and those from her trading partners? Second, does the World Development Indicator (WDI)’s new price index affect the appraisal of USA’s international relative prices? Third, does the weighting scheme employed in aggregating prices

Shortage of Nurses in the United States Research Paper

Shortage of Nurses in the United States - Research Paper Example Shortage of Nurses in the United States It is evident that the U.S. faces and is still facing a looming shortage of registered nurses within its healthcare centers. However, more effort needs to be established, especially by the government to ensure this problem ceases. Inside medical facilities such as nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and schools among others, they play vital roles that ensures smooth daily running of such facilities. Failure to provide their services would lead to unimaginable adversity. For any medical facility to prevail, therefore, it is necessary that there be nurses, more than enough to carry out efficiently the duties delegated upon them. Despite the importance of nurses in medical facilities, the U.S healthcare facilities are facing a scarcity of nurses. The shortage level is on the rise annually and both long term and short-term solutions need to be addressed. This paper seeks to explore the existing shortage of nurses in the U.S. It analyses causes of such effects, then concludes by givi ng a summary of the research and the recommendations that might help solve the problem. Background In the 19th century when nursing was in its early stages in the US, icons like Florence Nightingale facilitated the nursing movement to help alleviate the serious deficiency of nurses that threatened healthcare staff and patients. The deficiency is still present to date, as can be witnessed in the past ten years where several U.S. healthcare facilities are facing acute shortage of nurses, a clear indication that the output of nurses is not meeting demand from the growing population. The shortage situation Although healthcare facilities in the U.S. are facing a deficiency of nurses, a situation that can compromise the quality of services offered in these facilities, many students are being denied admission into nursing schools. The resultant deficit has attracted the White House and political elite’s attention as the need to import foreign staff intensifies. Lois Capps, a Democra t U.S. Representative and a former nurse was quoted saying, â€Å"Nurses deliver healthcare† and that there cannot be meaningful healthcare with the deficit of nurses. The American Association of College of Nursing issued a report that 116,000 positions of registered nurses in U.S. healthcare facilities are vacant while 100,000 jobs remain unoccupied in nursing homes. The deficiency is anticipated to deteriorate, as the numbers of the elderly is on the rise hence need for more nurses. According to Robert Wood, a staff at the Association, "The nursing shortage is not driven by a lack of interest in nursing careers. In 2008, over 50,000 competent applicants were denied admission into nursing programs, including 6000 who applied for postgraduate of doctorate levels (Dunham, 2009, p.3). In ‘The Future of Nursing’ released in 2010, the Institute of Medicine called for an increment of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and nurses with doctorate degrees as the current levels of this staff stands at 50% instead of over 80%. The Health Resources and Services Administration in April 2006 projected that the deficiency of nurses nationwide would increase by 2020 to over a million nurses. In the report, ‘What is Behind HRSA’s Projected Supply, Demand and Shortage of Registered Nurses?’ all states in the U.S. will witness the deficiency. Currently, over 30 states are facing a shortage, as there are no nurses to fill in the positions. In a statement published by Journal of the American Medical Association in November 26, 2008, Dr. Peter Buerhaus, a professor of nursing was quoted saying

Do you have what it takes to become an effective manager An in-depth Essay

Do you have what it takes to become an effective manager An in-depth self-evaluation - Essay Example nteered to support our activities which involved bush clearing along public roads, clearing drainage systems in our local village as well as helping the aged in tilling their land and landscaping their home compounds for no fee. I also had the privilege of playing leading roles in high school whereby I was assigned the role of a student leader, which was a challenging task as it required restraint as well as rigidity to avoid conflicts with my fellow students and the administration. This is due to the fact that whereas the administration expected me to report and manage the student’s affairs, the students on the other hand expected favoritism, which I could not accept. Due to this exposure to leadership, I developed a strong leadership style that makes me confident of my managerial skills and principles, which I am always guided by whenever I am discharging my duties. Through my training period in Human Resource management as well as my Christian back ground, I have always believed that the employees’ interests are as important as those of the firm I am working for. This is because without them, the firm would not be able to achieve its objective of maximizing profit. To achieve this, I believe that employee motivation should be a policy in the management procedures. Through my experience in Human resource management, I know that different individuals have different motivation factors (Mullins 2007 p 259). As such I am able to apply my skills by ensuring for example that the employees are provided with free transport, training opportunities to expand their knowledge at a subsidized cost, rewarding bonuses to the best performers etc. Whereas these priorities may be argued as to cost more expenses to the firm, the overall benefits that can be reaped are worth it. As a manager, one of my roles is to ensure that there are no conflicts between the employees and the administration (Mullins 2007 p 529). I believe that to achieve this, divide and rule policy should

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States Essay - 1

The Fair Tax should be Implemented in the United States - Essay Example The fair tax enhances the fact that there is the same rate of tax without exemptions and exclusion on every taxpayer. There will be a total tax exemption to those who share on the cost of the government. The tax rate is determined and affected by the rate of purchase. To promote reutilization, the used items will not be subject to tax. In goods and services production, the purchase from business to another business will not be taxable. This fair tax will thus act as a replacement on the federal income tax on individuals, tax on capital gains, tax on self employment, and taxation on gifts and the estates. (Kotlikoff and Laurence, 2005). According to congressional report p 20190, the fair tax of 2003 was introduced to promote fairness, freedom, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolish the revenue services that are interest, and enacting a sales tax nationally. In another term, the fair tax can commonly be called national sales tax. It is an essential tax reform item and that was unjust to replace it with a tax system that is simple and fairness. The fair tax Act of 2003 would repeal taxation on individual income, taxation on corporations, taxes on capital gains, payroll taxes, taxation on self employment, gifts and Estate taxes in lieu of 23 percent tax on all goods and services final sales. These taxes eradication will bring about simplicity and equality within the US system of taxation. The bill also provides transactions on business to business tax relief. The transactions are not subject t tax on sales including transactions on products and this helps in abrogating double taxation that may arise. Under the bill of fair tax, Medicare benefits and social security would not be touched. To either one of the vital programs, there would be no financial reduction. The trust fund revenue source

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra - Movie Review Example According to the reactions of many students who were in attendance, the likes overweighed the dislikes apart from the fact that dressing or costumes went a little bit too far and many were not comfortable with them. The fact that this was just one dislike, the likes included the best voices in the world this time witnessed in live performance, great styles on stage and most of all what seemed like the best organization and coordination among the artists who were present. This automatically influenced many students develop the desire to attend another concert in the future. In Opera context, there was a similarity between Don Giovanni-Mozart Madam Butterfly-Puccini because they all acted and appeared in theatre scenes in the same year. In all their acting, they seem to believe in fallacy making it a similarity amongst all of them. Don who featured as the daughter of the regiment from2000 to 2001, Puccini who featured as the girl of the golden west in the same year and Manama Butterfly in 2002 as well as Mozart who featured in the marriage of Figaro, all highly advocate fallacy for they say a fallacy is an informal notion or logic of thought. It is normally due to a misconception or false assumption (Ellen, 202). Normally, all of them direct it towards any other reason other than the true conception of truth. This form of reasoning is used to win arguments. There are many forms of trying to go about this form of reasoning in arguments relating to the question that the first paragraph intended to answer. In order to have a critical and analytical understanding of jazz composers, one should be familiar with the basic common errors of reasoning in order to have a concise form of logical argument (Ellen, 202). Answering the question of my thoughts on the plot of each opera, which many people have not been able to answer since 1960, every Opera production in the United States of America supports performance and creation of new works by American composers especially th ose from the northern side. OPERA America’s online education core, which is the learning centre, features information, which not only focuses on frequent operas but also houses an inventory that has proven to grow of composers from north America as well as their operas for use by opera lovers, artists and administrators (mark, 12). Therefore, the concert finds synopses, biographies of librettists and composers, historical essays and other research as well as other multimedia excerpts. Jazz composers for example, which happens to be the genre subject in this paper, started way back in the 1960’s and up to date the composers still rely on Opera for research work. In the Opera, there is the voice workshop and the composers’ series, which is a competitive biannual fellowship, offered to composers especially those of jazz and composer/librettist teams (Mark, 212). The composers in subject do not relate to modern social issue because the notion behind fallacies as out lined by major philosophers asserts that in order to be a rational thinkers and composers, then one should avoid the illogicality in fallacies and carry out an examination to gauge one’s level of thinking. While composing, development for Rational Persons involves Viewing Development in Stages; the composer tries to explain the basic concepts that would help in becoming a rational jazz composer. Librettists like mark Campbell places in the mind of the audience stages of evaluation through which one can become a more rational thinker (Mark, 202). Other noticeable aspects include I. Non sequitur as the form of thinking where the

Research Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Plan - Essay Example The CVS chain has recently been unfavourably in the public eye because it was found to be selling drug products that were expired and thereby violating health codes. The goal of this research study is to derive an answer to the research question: â€Å"Why do people go buy their goods in Duane Reade rather than CVS?† It appears likely that the negative publicity that CVS has gathered about selling expired products could be one of the salient reasons why customers are preferring Duane; however it is also likely that other factors such as store layouts, their convenient locations to arrangement of goods within the store, prices, customer service or quality of goods could be the factors motivating customers instead. The objective of this study will be to determine why customers appear to be preferring Duane; whether there is more than one reason for such a choice and if so, what are the factors that are leading to such a preference? In order to arrive at an understanding of the factors that could be propelling customers to make such a choice, it would first be necessary to carry out an exhaustive review of the literature that is available on customer service, product quality, marketing, good business practices, ethics in business, the importance of complying with Government regulations and similar aspects that would provide background information which would be valuable in arriving at an answer to the research question. This comprehensive study of the literature would not only help to identify salient factors that may affect customer shopping preferences, it may also help identify additional factors which are peculiar to the New York region, such as targeting ethnic groups who form a sizable portion of the population, more so than those present in the states where CVS markets its goods – although these states are also primarily in the north-eastern part of the United States. Once the

K.Marx selected writting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

K.Marx selected writting - Essay Example â€Å"†¦most people today would probably say that Marxism’s day is over, that Marx’s ideas have been proven empirically false and morally bankrupt, and that it is time to sweep away the remnants of Marx’s influence into the â€Å"dustbin of history.†(Introduction, ix) So, the ardent supporters of the cause of the labor had to revise their strategies, though lip-service continues to be paid to the ideology from different platforms even now. For Marx, labor is a commodity and needs to be evaluated thus. When Marx wrote about the alienation of labor, it was the most miserable commodity. Marx categorized the entire society into two classes: those with property and the one without property, who labor. In the Manuscripts titled â€Å"Alienated Labor† Marx deals with the basic causes of alienation. It takes place within the economic system of capitalism. â€Å"We now have to grasp the essential connection among private property, greed, division of labor, capital and landownership, and the connection of exchange with competition, of value with the devaluation of men, of monopoly with competition, etc., and of this whole alienation with the money-system,"(59) writes Karl Marx. The contention of Marx is political economy gives no proper explanation about the foundation of the division between labor and capital and also between capital and land. Interest of the capitalist assumes supreme importance. Another important aspect that eventually hurts the labor is competition. This is a mesmerizing tool with the capitalist that is important in successfully running the business. The other aspect of competition is greed and in the capitalist system it is the war of the greedy and aggrandizement of wealth. Labor, the â€Å"eternal natural necessity which mediates the metabolism between man and nature†, (223) is transformed into an alienated commodity to be bought and sold. With the advancement of the capitalist structure, the labor is denied most of the necessary objects,

How classic was the 1959 mini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

How classic was the 1959 mini - Essay Example In the aftermath of the Suez Canal’s closing, car sales plummeted, and the cars which were being sold off at that time had low performance and were unattractive. Upon recognizing the need for better cars, all car manufacturing companies responded by producing cars that were efficient in terms of the technology which as there at that time. Germany introduced the â€Å"bubble cars† which were slow and had only three wheels (Mini Cooper History, n.d.). Sir Leonard Lord who was then currently managing the British Motor Company did not find the bubble cars much to his taste. Coincidentally, the British Motor Company rehired Sir Alec Issigonis, who was given some basic requirements on a car that was to be developed by British Motor Company. The fundamental requisites for the said car were: Sir Alec Issigonis took the current A-series engine from the British Motor Company Austin car and set it in a transverse position on the front wheel drive chassis, while placing the radiator on the left side of the engine. The early mini that was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis was publicly released on August 26, 1959. it was sold as either the Austin Mini Seven or the Morris Mini Minor. The engine offered was the said Austin engine that had a 850cc and generates a thirty-four (34) horsepower speed (Mini Cooper History, n.d.). Since Sir Alec Issigonis had a passion for smoking and dislike of music, the first mini car design had an ashtray and without any radio for musical entertainment. It also consists of sliding windows which avoided the construction of mounting of car window handles on the car door. Hence, with the extra door space large pockets were built. It also sported a centered mounted large speedometer. The first mini sold more than 116,000 units in its first year of production (Mini Cooper History, n.d.). But given that not everyone

Candide Characters Essay Example for Free

Candide Characters Essay In Candide, the character called Pangloss is believed to be a parody of philosophers who spent their time idly wondering about the world or debating points that have no real significance to life situations.   For instance, Pangloss keeps on saying that the world is good despite all of the misfortunes that have befallen him. Many experts believe that Voltaire was also making fun at G.W. von Leibniz, a seventeenth-century philosopher who was part of a greater movement called theodicy.   This school of thought explains that evil exists in the world because they serve particular purposes.    That even if the world is perfect because it was created by a perfect God, it is necessary to allow evil to happen.   Its clear that Voltaire does not believe, like how philosophers did, that there is an inherent goodness in everything and that everything happens for a reason, even the bad ones. Setting: The nobility of France In this play, the setting could be defined as the society, which is present at that time.   In other words, some members of the nobility of France were part of Candides life, like Cunegonde and her brother.   One example wherein Voltaire poked fun at this class is when he related that the barons sister didnt marry Candides father because he only had seventy-one noble lineages. Action: Jacques Death Jacques, a good man who helped Candide and Pangloss, fell on a turbulent sea as he was rescuing a sailor.   The sailor, instead of helping Jacques to get back to the ship ignored the poor man, which resulted to his death.   In this example, it would seem that Voltaire is parodying the Christian preaching of good overcoming evil.   Here, Jacques did a good deed and was a good man but he died because of it.   To add to the mockery, Pangloss even said that the sea outside Lisbon was specifically created so that Jacques could drown in it. Works Cited Arouet, Francois-Marie.   Candide by Voltaire. Courier Dover Publications, 1991. Ward, Selena, and Jaffee, Valerie.   Candide.   Sparknotes Home Page.   21 July 2008 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/candide/index.html

Purposes of Economic Sanctions

Purposes of Economic Sanctions Anne Cook 1. Table of Contents (jump to) 1. Table of Content 2. Abstract Summary 3. Introduction 4. Body 5. Conclusions 6. Bibliography 2. Abstract Summary Economic sanctions, which comprise trade and financial components, are imposed by governments or the United Nations on target countries for the express purpose of achieving the sender countries objectives. They are imposed when diplomatic negotiations have broken down and as an alternative to conflict or warfare. The United States and the European Union, with the UN, are the major sender countries involved, with the US having broader defined purposes. Economic sanctions can be applied unilaterally or collectively. There is concern regarding the high volume of economic sanctions applied by the US and the legality of their defined purposes. This study also concludes that the defined purpose may not result in the desired outcomes, and can inflict economic burden on the sender country. 3. Introduction This paper deals specifically with defining and discussing the purpose of economic sanctions. This will be done in the context of the current purposes, which have changed considerably from historic times when economic sanctions were primarily imposed prior to going to war or in conjunction with military hostilities. Economic sanctions are defined as: ‘Economic, trade or financial sanctions are imposed by governments or the United Nations to exert pressure on individuals or political regimes and for the advancement of foreign policy objectives. Sanctions include a range of financial or trading restrictions, such as freezes on the assets of and travel restrictions on nominated individuals, bans on financing of state-owned enterprises, prohibitions on the supply of technical, financial and other assistance and outright prohibitions on trade.’ Ref [1]http://www.lloyds.com There are two specific types of economic sanctions Ref [2]http://www.globalpolicy.org (a) Trade Sanctions Trade sanctions restrict imports and exports to and from the target country. These restrictions can be comprehensive, as in the case of Iraq, or they can be selective, only restricting certain goods often connected with a trade dispute. (b) Financial sanctions Financial sanctions address monetary issues. They can include, blocking government assets held abroad, limiting access to financial markets and restricting loans and credits, restricting international transfer payments and restricting the sale and trade of property abroad. The freezing of development aid also falls into this category. There is substantial overlap between financial and trade sanctions, especially when applied comprehensively, since with their foreign assets frozen and access to new funds blocked, Governments will be unable to pay for imports, and trade will suffer. 4. Body Sanctions can be applied unilaterally or collectively and different rules will apply to each sanctions regime. Research shows that collective sanctions are more effective than those unilaterally applied. The following list from Lloyds identifies the following countries targeted by the EU the US as at May 2006 Myanmar (Burma) (EU and US) Belarus (EU) Democratic Republic of Congo (EU) Cuba (US only) Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia (EU and US) Iran (US only) Iraq (EU and US) Ivory Coast (EU only) Lebanon Syria (EU and US) Liberia (EU and US) Libya (US only) North Korea (US only) Sudan (EU and US) Zimbabwe (EU and US) Some of these sanctions affect designated individuals only in the targeted country. There are also sanctions in place against named individuals or entities who: Are indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia; Belong or are related to the Taliban, Usama Bin Laden and the Al-Qa’ida network; Are suspected terrorists. Many countries impose economic sanctions against others. However, due to their finacial muscle in the internationel economy, the United States and the European Union are the major ‘senders’ of economic sanctions and their stated purpose of applying such sanctions differ if one looks at their stated purpose for the imposition of sanctions by the major senders.. United States Purpose for Economic Sanctions Ref [3]http://www.fas.org/man/crs/crs-sanction.htm, The U. S. government may choose to impose economic sanctions: to express its condemnation of a particular practice such as military aggression; human rights violations; militarization that destabilizes a country, its neighbors or the region; proliferation of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons or missiles; political, economic, or military intimidation; terrorism; drug trafficking; or extreme national political policies contrary to basic interests of values of the United States (e.g., apartheid, communism); to punish those engaged in objectionable behavior and deter its repetition; to make it more expensive, difficult, or time-consuming to engage in objectionable behavior; to block the flow of economic support that could be used by the targeted entity against the United States or U.S. interests; to dissuade others from engaging in objectionable behavior; to isolate a targeted country (or company or individual); to force a change or termination of objectionable behavior; or to coerce a change in the leadership or form of government in a targeted country. European Union Purpose for Economic Sanctions The European Union has a common list of objectives which all member countries adhere to. Ref, [4] http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/cfsp/sanctions/index.htm The European Union applies sanctions or restrictive measures in pursuit of the following specific objectives: To safeguard the common values, fundamental interests, independence and integrity of the Union in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter; To strengthen the security of the Union in all ways; To preserve peace and strengthen international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the objectives of the Paris Charter, including those on external borders; To promote international cooperation To develop and consolidate democracy and the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In addition to the 2 economic superpowers listed about, the Security Council of the United Nations has a charter for the imposing of sanctions. Ref [5]http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/INTRO.htm United Nations Purpose for Economic Sanctions ‘Under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Security Council can take enforcement measures to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such measures range from economic and/or other sanctions not involving the use of armed force to international military action. The use of mandatory sanctions is intended to apply pressure on a State or entity to comply with the objectives set by the Security Council without resorting to the use of force. Sanctions thus offer the Security Council an important instrument to enforce its decisions. The universal character of the United Nations makes it an especially appropriate body to establish and monitor such measures. The Council has resorted to mandatory sanctions as an enforcement tool when peace has been threatened and diplomatic efforts have failed. The range of sanctions has included comprehensive economic and trade sanctions and/or more targeted measures such as arms embargoes, travel bans, financial or diplomatic restrictions.’ Addition Comments There is a growing trend to apply economic sanctions in order to protect industries or supply in the senders home country; this is increasingly considered outside the original purpose of economic sanctions and scolars debate that this is protectionism using economic sanctions as a tool to look after the senders domestic market. One example, that led to retaliation from the EU, was against steel imports to the US from lower priced sources. In 2002, The United States places import tariffs on steel in an effort to protect its industry from more efficient foreign producers such as China and Russia. The World Trade Organisation ruled that these tariffs were illegal. The backlash from Europe resulted in the tariffs being dropped before the EU applied tariffs against the US s reported in the New York Times Dec 5, 2003 ref [6]http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2091EF93F590C768CDDAB0994DB404482n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fE%2fEuropean%20Union%20 President Bush lifts tariffs on imported steel, averting trade war with Europe but risking political backlash in some industrial states heading into 2004 Presidential election; cites improving economy and cost-cutting efforts by domestic steel makers as reasons for his decision to lift tariffs 21 months after they were imposed; original goal was to keep them in place for as long as three years; announcement of his decision immediately leads European Union to drop its plan to retaliate with tariffs on variety of American exports from states vital to Bushs political fortunes; Bush says he will continue program to monitor steel imports to detect any destabilizing surges of cheap foreign steel, and that United States will also continue pressing other nations to stop subsidizing their own inefficient steel producers In addition, the US (in 1999) had imposed unilateral economic sanctions on 75 countries – the purpose and high volume of economic sanctions is increasingly being questioned in the light of the stated purposes for which they should be applied. Ref http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/half-cn.htm ‘Half the World Hit by Unilateral Sanctions, by Someshwar Singh ‘Geneva, 21 Dec 99 More than half of the worlds population in 75 countries is subject to unilateral coercive economic measures or sanctions by one country alone the United States of America according to a recent report by the United Nations.’ The longest standing unilateral economic sanction enacted by the US, is that against Cuba. This has been in effect since 1960 and has failed to achieve their original purpose. After 46 years the Fidel Castro government is still in power, and maintains its commitment to Communism, even after the fall of the Soviet Union. Ref the US Chamber of Commerce [7]http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/international/cuba.htmCuba and Unilateral Sanctions The United States has maintained an embargo on trade with Cuba since October 1960. Implemented to pressure the Castro regime to democratize, these unilateral sanctions have completely failed to achieve their objective. The U.S. Chamber has long argued that unilateral sanctions do not work. Too often, they serve to make a martyr of a tyrant and actually help prop up authoritarian regimes. Unilateral sanctions also isolate the United States from its allies while denying U.S. Company’s access to markets in which third-country firms can do business easily. 5. Conclusions The US stated purposes for applying economic sanctions are broader and more far reaching than those documented for the European Union and the United Nations. Economic sanctions have been used by the United States to protect local industry and arguably are a tool used in providing protectionism. The US has also enacted sections in higher volumes in recent years. However, the purpose that invoke sanctions are often circumnavigated by services and goods being supplied by alternative countries or the purpose itself is not met at all. The 45-year embargos against Cuba by the US have not fulfilled their purpose that was to force Fidel Castro to renounce communism. The purpose for engaging in sanctions by the sender is often not the eventual outcome in the target country. The European Union imposes economic sanctions within the framework of the United Nations Charter. The motives and desired outcomes for imposing sanctions vary by sender country as a result of these differences in purpose. In general, internationally, the application of sanctions should be introduced when diplomatic channels have failed and to avoid conflict or war. There is increasing statistics that show that the imposition of economic sanctions can result in more harm to the sender country than the target. With the current level of globalization, the target can find alternative sources for goods an/or services. The effects on the host and target countries should be the subject of a further paper to provide a broad framework for discussion on this topic. 6. Bibliography Common Policy and Security Policy of the European Union in the World, http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/cfsp/sanctions/index.htm ‘Economic Sanctions to Achieve U.S. Foreign Policy Goals’, Dianne E. Rennack, Analyst in Foreign Policy Legislation Robert D. Shuey, Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Defense on the Federation of American Scientists web http://www.fas.org/man/crs/crs-sanction.htm Global Policy Forum, the United Nations http://www.globalpolicy.org Lloyds of London, http://www.lloyds.com The New York Times [8]http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2091EF93F590C768CDDAB0994DB404482n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fE%2fEuropean%20Union%20 The US Chamber of Commerce http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/international/cuba.htm Third World Network http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/half-cn.htm UN Security Council – Sanctions Committee http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/INTRO.htm Page 1 of 10 [1] Lloyds of London http://www.lloyds.com [2] Global Policy Forum, the United Nations http://www.globalpolicy.org [3] ‘Economic Sanctions to Achieve U.S. Foreign Policy Goals’, Dianne E. Rennack, Analyst in Foreign Policy Legislation Robert D. Shuey, Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Defense on the Federation of American Scientists web http://www.fas.org/man/crs/crs-sanction.htm [4] Common Policy and Security Policy of the European Union in the World, http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/cfsp/sanctions/index.htm [5] United Nations, Security Council http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/INTRO.htm [6] New York Times http://select.nytimes.com [7] The US Chamber of Commerce http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/international/cuba.htm [8] New York Times

The Differences Between Athens And Sparta History Essay

The Differences Between Athens And Sparta History Essay Athens and Sparta may be on the same country and even on the same continent, but many differences can be found between these two city-states, They were close together on a map, yet far apart in what they valued and how they lived their lives (White, 2010). Some of the things they have differences, are the types of government each of then used to rule their cities. The education may have some similarities but at the end they differ in little things, as the military organization. The citizens on these two cities were in some part similar but also a little different as many of the things I had already talked about on the above. Both, Sparta and Athens did different things for their benefits and this things gave them the opportunity of unite more and the formation of a new government call democracy. There were three types of governments used by this two cities; monarchy, oligarchy and democracy. Each of them with different characteristics and that it identity and differ them from each other. Monarchy for example, is a type of government that consists that a king or a queen are the ones that rule the city, making everyone do what they order to do. Oligarchy, on the other hand is a government in which a small group of citizens gather together and they are the ones that control the taking of decisions (White, 2010). This were the types of governments that Spartans and Athenians used to control they cities, which at the end created the formation if a new government called democracy; a system of government in which citizens vote to make governmental decisions. On Sparta, the people that could be citizens were only the men and they need to be 30 years old. No women were allowed to be considered a citizen and of course they were only used to be housekeepers. Some of the women in Sparta owned lands and that was one the reason they were the freest women in Greece. Like in here, this author says: Citizen women were free to move around and enjoyed a great deal of freedom. Spartan women could own and control their own property (Unknown Author, Lets Compare at the time of Pericles, about 475 430 B.C).On Athens, the wealthy noble people that owned land were the ones that were consider citizens. One similarity between this two cities, were that no women where consider citizens but on Athens they werent allowed to own land. They also divided themselves into common people that didnt own land and the helots, which were free Greeks that had lived in Sparta before they were conquered. Not all the things between Sparta and Athens were completely different, there were some things which they had similar things. For example, on the way of government they both had a person or persons which were the ones that control the city and the things they were suppose to do. For example, Both Athens and Sparta had an Assembly, whose members were elected by the people. Sparta was ruled by two kings, who ruled until they died or were forced out of office. Athens was ruled by  archons, who were elected annually (White, 2010). Their military tactics and movements werent completely the same but they both had an army that Ortegà ³n 2 could help them. Also the weapons they used were similar, as helmets and swords. The educations for these two cities were similar in the way that they teach things, not the same things but they learned things. Also this education was mostly for men in both of the cities. Some differences they had on the things I just said were notably marked and they were constantly seen. On their government for example, the Spartan form was called  oligarchy, but it had elements of monarchy  , democracy, and  aristocracy(Unknown Author, Athens vs Sparta). They had a king which went with them to war and all the things they assisted, but he wasnt the one that took the decisions; the citizens were the ones that decided things. Instead on Athens, they used the democracy as they way of governing, which for them was more organized, but they were impartial because only the wealthy noble people were the ones that could vote. On their military part, Sparta only focused themselves into teach their people to fight and know how to defend themselves, instead Athens gave the options to men to take the decision if they wanted to join the army or not and study another thing. At the end, both of these city-states helped to the formation and evolution of the democracy, which in now days are used in most of the countries around the world. Sparta in somehow used the democracy but only a little group and even more in a group of old men which they didnt had knowledge of the things that were happening. Athens, on the other hand already used the democracy but a very restricted way which limited the common people to vote. Both of this forms of government opened the eyes of many tyrants and rules which at the end, when Greece united for the fight of power between Persia. It evolved and in a way it expanded around, giving new options to the world. Ortegà ³n 3

Hound Of The Baskervilles Essay -- essays research papers

SUMMARY Entering the office and showing Holmes and Watson an 18th century manuscript, Dr. James Mortimer tells the myth of Hugo Baskerville. Hugo captured and imprisoned a young country girl at his estate in Devonshire. He then became the victim of a hound of hell as he chased her along the lonesome moors late one night. Ever since that day, James Mortimer reports, the Baskerville family has been haunted by a mysterious and supernatural black hound. The recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville has brought back suspicions and fears. The next of kin, Holmes and Watson find out, has arrived in London to take up his post at Baskerville Hall, but he has already been intimidated by an anonymous warning note and the theft of a shoe. The duo quickly discovers that Sir Henry Baskerville is being followed in London by a mysterious bearded stranger, and they speculate as to whether the mystery man is a friend or an enemy. Holmes, however, says he is too busy in London to accompany Mortimer and Sir Henry to Devonshire to investigate the bottom of the case, so he sends Dr. Watson to be his eyes and ears, asking him to report back regularly. Arriving in Devonshire, Watson discovers a state of emergency, with armed guards on the lookout for an escaped prisoner wandering the moors. He meets potential suspects in Mr. Barrymore and Mrs. Barrymore, Mr. Jack Stapleton and his sister Beryl, Baskerville neighbours. A series of mysteries happen: Barrymore is caught lurking around the mansion at ni...

Performance Enhancing Supplements Essay -- Steroids Illegal Drugs Heal

Performance Enhancing Supplements Northeastern junior Colin Magee is like other athletic students around campus. He played sports in high school and now lifts weights at the Marino Center, Northeastern’s multi-million dollar workout center, several times a week. Also like many other weight-lifting students, Magee takes performance-enhancing supplements. Performance-enhancing supplements are nutrients that, unlike anabolic steroids, are available over the counter at countless supermarkets and nutrition stores nationwide. Supplements such as androstenedione (andro), creatine, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), and NO2 are the most popular in today’s market, and are used to improve muscle gain. They are taken to coincide with a weight-lifting program. The supplements, though all similar, differ in the way each works once inside the body. "Creatine is the most moderate of the supplements out there," says Magee, an amateur expert on supplement and steroid use. Magee's sister is a professional bodybuilder. "Creatine creates water retention in muscles, basically bloating the muscles to increase strength...NO2, nitric oxide, is what they call a hemo-dialator, which is a blood widener. NO2 creates more blood flow in the body, makes the blood pump harder, which creates increased strength... Andro tricks the body into thinking it is not producing enough testosterone, so it causes the body to overproduce the testosterone hormone." While supplements are sold over the counter, anabolic steroids, which are illegal in the United States, are not. Despite this, anabolic steroid use has been rising in recent years. A 1989 study by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) showed that roughly one in every 20 collegiate student-athlet... ...ds, and more and more teenagers are seeing their idols admit to taking supplements and steroids and think it’s okay if they did too. In today’s world, where skinny girls are prettier and bulky guys are more handsome, teenagers and college students are under more pressure to conform to these social norms, and if someone is under pressure, they are more apt to turn to other unnatural methods to better their results and appearance. The answer to this problem is an increase of awareness. If people were aware of the real risks of these supplements or the long term effects of taking steroids, then maybe, just maybe, today’s youth will turn away from these supplements and steroids. Maybe, just maybe, today’s youth will realize that maybe taking those supplements isn’t really worth it after all. Maybe, just maybe, they will choose their health over their appearance.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Use of Symbolism in The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is about a man named Gatsby and his struggle to attain the American Dream in 1920’s Long Island. He fights to get his dream woman and to do so, he must first become rich. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really go about it the right way; he takes part in some illegal activities with some quite sinister characters, such as Meyer Wolfshiem. The corruption of Gatsby’s dream and his struggle to attain his dream are shown by F. Scott Fitzgerald through the use of symbolism, such as Gatsby’s car, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, and Gatsby stretching his arms out towards the green light across the bay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby has a car that is an important symbol in this novel. Gatsby’s car represents many problems in the society at that time. His car is very elaborate, â€Å"It was a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns†(Fitzgerald 68). It symbolizes the irresponsibility of society and the differences between the old rich and the classlessness of the new rich. It is also the car that Gatsby buys to impress Daisy and that hits Myrtle Wilson, eventually leading to Gatsby’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another symbol in this book is the big billboard with the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg on it: Above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The[y]†¦ are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look from no face but, instead from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose(Fitzgerald 27). This billboard represents the eyes of God looking out over the vast wasteland of moral corruption and dying hope. Some might have even said that since the doctor had long abandoned the area, God might have left, also.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, there are a few symbols all combined into one. This is the image of Gatsby with his arms stretched out towards the green light across the bay, which is repeated at the end of the novel, â€Å"fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbors mansion†¦. it was Mr. Gatsby himself†¦. he stretched out his arms toward†¦.

Questions For “Spotted Again In America: Textile Jobs.”

Explain how each of the factors caused the Kerr Group (this Chinese company) to mom to the US? A. Labor? Even, in U. S. The labor cost will raise, but the difference will shrink as Chinese salaries keep rising. And it will be compensated for by other savings. B. Regulations? Manufactures In Central America can send finished clothes duty-free to the U. S. Unlike companies In China. C. Proximity to? To Charlotte banks and the port in Charleston, S. C. To Central America, where it can send yarn to manufactures there and take advantage of clothes makers there. . Other infrastructure? Industrial land prices have soared, making expansion difficult in China, since the textile industry is plagued by overcapacity; the local governments are reluctant to sell land to producers. 4. How does NONFAT (The North America Free Trade Agreement between Canada, Mexico and the US) matter in this case? U. S. Duties on imported yarn and clothing have existed for decades. But trade pacts such as the North Am erican Free Trade Agreement created duty-free zones between the U. S. And several trade partners. In those agreements, the U.S. Imposed a â€Å"yarn forward† requirement, meaning that sixties Imported from partner countries have to be made completely from material produced In those countries or the U. S. If not, they face duties, usually ranging from 5% to for yarns, 10% and 12% for fabrics and 15% to 20% for clothing, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations, a U. S. Textile trade group. For years Asian clothing producers Just swallowed the duties because production and transport costs were so low. Now they are reassessing that practice.Brian Hamiltonians study on Global production costs for textiles in 2003 vs.. 013 for the US and China? Hamilton, who wrote his Ph. D. Dissertation on the global textile industry, said â€Å"The rising costs have made it more expensive to spin yarn in China than in the U. S. † He found that in 2003, a kilogram of yarn spun in the U. S. Cost $2. 86 to produce, while it cost $2. 76 to produce a kilogram in China. By 2010, however, it cost $3. 45 to produce a kilogram in the U. S. And the cost in China had Jumped to $4. 13 per kilogram. U. S. Production costs were lower than Turkey, Korea and Brazil.

Aristotle and Plato Essay

One of the greatest philosophers of all time was a man named Aristotle, the ancient greek philosopher. He was practically influenced every area of conceptual modern thinking. His mind set was in terms of materialism, which he essentially viewed substance on Earth before ideas and qualities. He genuinely believed in the notion of analyzing compounds and characteristics of people and their actions. Aristotle, who was a student of Plato, believed in â€Å"virtue of character and thought†, which means that virtue results from teaching, experience, and habits rather than Plato’s idealism notions of ideas and qualities (pg.265-266). He believed that peoples noble actions would lead to virtue and that all things in life had an end. That all ends must result in something good, an example would be an acorn, the end of an acorn would be an acorn tree. Aristotle believed that it was inevitable for humans to obtain happiness over a course of time and that this was the end for a human being. He believed that in order to be virtuous, one must first avoid temperance and deficiency. Aristotle also claims that justice can mean both lawfulness and fairness or injustice can mean unlawfulness and unfairness. His notion was that the law encouraged people to pursue virtue, therefore, the lawful person would result to being virtuous. In essence, he claims that people who pursue virtue will be just and those who do not pursue virtue will be unjust. He believed that sensory perceptions in the human soul are reflections of objects, and thoughts in consciousness are based on what we have already seen. Plato believed that the average person could not see the truth, therefore, the noble lie was essential to get people to pursue their natural form or task. A simple ascetic city with the notion of everyone having natural abilities to do a certain job was justice for Plato. In contrast, Aristotle, did not believe that humans had access to these perfect forms in their minds as a way to reach justice and the perfect city. He argues that justice is a complete virtue when exercising virtue in relation to others and that it requires intellectual virtue. That a virtuous person should pursue the most pleasant and happy life, which is the philosophical life of contemplation and speculation. The highest good for Aristotle is the end of a human, which is gained through virtuous action over their course of a life time. In order to live a life of virtue according to Aristotle, one must find the mean or good actions, which finding the mean is virtuous actions. By exercising virtue in relations to others is a good thing that will lead to a virtuous happy life and this will inevitably lead to an end of a human being, which is happiness. He was not a hedonist, his highest good reflected on reason, virtue, and experience that gains practical wisdom and that people learn from mistakes. This notion of a human gaining happiness by living a virtuous life reflects on his notion of a content society. Aristotle’s perception of justice was similar to Plato’s in the way that virtue related to both temperance and courage, but in all other aspects they were completely in contrast. Virtue consisted of habits and making right choices for the individual to be just, according to Aristotle. Virtue of temperance and courage causes people to be in a â€Å"good state† and to perform their â€Å"functions† well (pg. 269). Therefore, in order to acquire justice in Aristotle’s perception, virtue would have to take place within the individual’s state of character and reason for the whole in order to pursue virtue. Equality being about justice and exercising freedom was permissible according to Aristotle. He was really about diversity, but not a feminist, he clearly reduced the women’s roles in society, which was normal due to an era of sexism. There where three forms of happiness according to Aristotle- a life of pleasure and enjoyment, a life of free and responsibility, and a life as a thinker and philosopher. He rejected the imbalance of these premises and it was essential in human relationships. Therefore, finding the mean and his example of not to be cowardly or impulsive, but courageous. Aristotle believed in the mixture of constitutions, which means that if you mix â€Å"oligarchy† and â€Å"democracy†, which would be essentially â€Å"polity†; bringing a large middle class, then there can be more equality and justice among the citizens (pg. 403). He described democracy as a form of government that would overthrow the rich. Therefore, where the poor are predominant, there will be democracy. He’s implying that there is a better way; modern way to conduct a government where the people are not ruled by a monarch or tyranny. This means that if you rely on one type of constitution, then it would inevitably lead to depravity by changing into a bad constitution. An example would be if monarchy was established, then it would lead to tyranny or aristocracy to oligarchy. Aristotle’s notion was that in order to have equality, then a mixture of constitutions was necessary for justice. He he elaborates on constitutions, he is indicating the system of government that should be established. This relates to virtue because in order to be virtuous depravity must be impermissible and having a mixture of constitutions brings a balance to good. He advocates on having a massive middle class would be essential in order to have a balance of equality and fairness. He supports on having this large middle class because it will genuinely bring a balance in society and impact on politics according to Aristotle. The virtue of justice belongs to the city, a self-determination of what is just. He advocates on the art of acquisition; that wealth should have a limit. He does not seem to like people who are upset with moneymaking. He emphasized on that a democracy was essentially the worse type of government; just as a tyranny. If there is no large middle class, then democracy denounces to rule by the poor and Aristotle believed that it should be the rule of everyone or the many. Therefore, the mixture of democracy and oligarchy was essential to Aristotle for the sake of polity. Being a just person can lead to a life of virtue, which is acquired by noble actions and experience, in contrast with Plato’s ideology of perfect forms in the human mind being to abstract and delusional. However, Aristotle’s notion is to pursue a virtuous life by making right choices and learning from mistakes, which is very good because human beings are not perfect. Happiness would be considered the end of a human being and it’s acquired by virtue according to Aristotle and making choices on whether to be or not to be a just person. His perspective revolved around people living in communities or political communities and that politics was a characteristic for the well-being. He also incorporated public education being the means of a community and through the development of practical wisdom because he wanted people to learn from their mistakes, stating that there is no perfect idea of a society. When an individual acquired happiness, which was the highest good over their course of life, it was done by pursuing virtue and noble actions. Therefore, Aristotle’s theory involves a fair political view where there is a higher class, lower class, but more importantly, a massive middle class where everyone must participate in politics. In accordance to Aristotle’s and its success can be determined by the happiness of the citizens. Where each citizen has acquired the point of where they derive in moderation and are capable of distinguishing the means and the extremes and the good of society. He criticized Sparta on their austere culture and the citizen structure of a military society because he genuinely believed that it was not a content community. He did not lack humane values and he emphasized on how people should exercise virtue in relations to others. In essence, Aristotle’s theory offers a well established broad and fair view of a justice for a society and politics.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Psyc101 Psychological Disorders Schizotypal Personality Disorder The cluster A disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, is not to be confused with Schizophrenia. It is on the milder end of the spectrum but can still have extreme effects on one’s life and relationships. The disorder, which affects nearly 3% of the population, can be defined by several different behaviors and has many symptoms. Unlike schizophrenia, the people with this disorder can acknowledge their behavior but still may not want or seek treatment.A person with schizotypal personality disorder will have trouble with interpersonal relationships and can display what is described as odd or unusual behavior. They are not comfortable in social settings or surrounded by groups of unknown people. Someone with this disorder will tend to be a loner especially if there are no immediate family members around. Due to a lack of social skills or feelings of inadequacy they may never marry nor have children because they c annot relate to others in a normal way.Often characterized by odd thinking and beliefs, paranoid thoughts, distorted perception and a lack of close friends, there are other symptoms as well. One may be prone to delusions or hallucinations, be superstitious or believe they have ESP (extrasensory perception). Persons may dress in abnormal ways such as mismatched clothes or dirty clothes and may not even attend to their personal hygiene.Individuals with this disorder feel so disconnected and distant from the rest of society that some of these symptoms arise as way for them to have something to cling to in hopes of being able related to something or someone. Therapy, including one on one, couple or group, and medication can be used to help someone with schizotypal personality disorder to function. Some of the therapies would require the person to interact and â€Å"bond† with the therapist in order to learn social skills such as trust.A therapist may also try to teach someone wit h the disorder how to correctly respond to people with actions or expressions and can try to alter their paranoid ideas to improve relational connections. Medications cannot treat the disorder, however, certain ones can help alter moods or treat symptoms of anxiety and depression. Individuals with a personality disorder such as Schizotypal may have odd or eccentric behaviors and isolate themselves from others. Many symptoms of this disorder cannot be treated with drugs and with urging people may not seek therapeutic forms of treatment.In conclusion, a person with this disorder can remain lonely and distant with little interaction with society and will never experience the joy and happiness of a â€Å"normal† life. Works Cited Mayo Clinic Staff. â€Å"Schixotypal Personality Disorder. † MayoClinic. com. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. October 8, 2010. Web. October 8, 2012. http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/schizotypa-personality-disorder/DS00830/ Mi nddisorders. com. Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. n. d. Web. October 8, 2012. http://www. minddisorders. com/Py-Z/Schizotypal-personality-disorder. html

Case Study Drivers of Industry Financial Structure

Case Study Drivers of Industry Financial Structure Executive Summary KR+H is a manufactory company in cabinet industry and it had devised a unique operating strategy of producing high quality custom cabinets at a low cost. Because the investments will reduce costs and increase the working efficiency in manufacturing process. And the analysis will show that adding investment is valuable and profitable. Based on KR+H’s past financial performance and the cost of investment, KR+H would need additional financing to fund the proposed capital investment.The internal financing could be very difficult for KR+H based on it had a deficit in 1992. And internal financing may also slow down the investments because KR+H has to retain its profit. Also rising the price is not a very good option in a long-term perspective. Because it could retard their growth and therefore did not represent a viable path to a long-term profitability. So we suggest that KR+H should finance the proposed capital b y relying on external financing from a bank or an outside investor. ContextKR+H is a manufactory company that designs,fabricates and installs high quality, uniquely designed cabinetry. Now it had devised a unique operating strategy of producing high quality custom cabinets at a low cost. KR+H believes that the use of computer-controlled equipment allowed the firm to significantly reduce their labor cost and other production cost while increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process. In order to support the development if their innovative operating system, KR+H need to clearly define the scope and speed of growth for their business.However, the partners do not have internal funds to finance the investment and their access to external capital markets is limited. Therefore KR+H needs a better operating and financial strategy to managing rapidly growth and its capital. I think the article â€Å"Seize advantage in a downturn† is very helpful. Many companies fail to see the opportunities hidden in economic downturns. In order to take advantage of opportunities, KR+H first need to do a thorough but rapid assessment of its own vulnerabilities and then move decisively to minimize them. David and Daniel, 2009) KR+H could approach their problem by using some of those steps introduced in this article such as Monitor and maximize its cash position 1. Evaluating the capital position: In the cash flow statement Exhibit 6, the net decrease in cash by $15,298 in 1991 and $46,955 in 1992. In order to meet cash requirement during 1992,KR+H gets a personal loan about $35,000 and the bank overdraft to cover its deficit about $14,000,which shows us that KR+H are short of cash during the past years and it gets worse. The total enhancement of the new investment will be: Category |Cost | |Require in Capital |$300,000 | | |$100,000(developing in 2 years) | |Software | | | |$25,000 – $30,000 (maintain & update per year) | |Marketing |$40,000 |Based on KR+Hâ€⠄¢s past financial performance and the cost of investment, KR+H would need additional financing to fund the proposed capital investment for sure. 2. Adding investment is valuable and profitable: I think the proposed projects are profitable investments and it will add values. Because the investments will reduce costs and increase the working efficiency in manufacturing process: |Category |Number | |Increase production capacity |50% | |Labor cost saving per year |$170,000 |Another fact is that on a pro forma basis, KR+H’s cost of goods sold in 1990, the year before merged is approximately 60% of sales. In 1991,the percentage is increased to 67% and in 1992 the year after the merger the percentage rose to almost 75%. It shows us that some unanticipated cost increasing rapidly while the revenue is rising. If KR+H could adopting the new investment it would make its production more efficiently and the technique may also save some cost of goods. In addition, the cabinet industry exp erienced a decline in efficiency in 1992. Firm size |Sales per work |Compare to 1991 | |Large |$120,000 |gain 9% | |Medium |$84,000 |decline 11% | |Small |$80,000 |off 2% | |KR+H could gain a long-term rapid growth in sales by first adopting the new technique and the improvements in production efficiencies will give KR+H more advantages in sales. There is no doubt that the investment will increase the operating leverage and also increase risk. In Exhibit 9, with investments KR+H will yearly saving $207,900. Therefore, adding the investment is very profitable. And also rising the price is not a very good option in a long-term perspective. Because it could retard their growth and therefore did not represent a viable path to a long-term profitability. I think KR+H finance the proposed capital by relying on external financing.Because the internal financing could be very difficult for KR+H based on it had a deficit that was covered with a personal loan to company about $35,000 by a partn er and a bank overdraft $14,000 in 1992. And internal financing may also slow down the investments because KR+H has to retain its profit. The investors wouldn’t want a low return just because the firm wants to invest. Thus, external funding will be a better choice. Ratios In 1992 and 1993, exhibit 4 Year |Return on Sales |Return on Equity | |1992 |2. 1% |21% | |1993 |8. 3% |98% | | Besides this, KR+H also is profitable in 1992 and assume that it will have 10% growth rate. Meanwhile, with the investments could save KR+H about $209,900 each year.Those profitable data in its financial performance will help KR+H to get a loan from a bank or other outside investors. Conclusion: KR+H has its new investments developed and they focus on reduction by continuing to increase the level of automation in the process. And this investment is valuable and profitable. Based on KR+H had performed not very well in their cash flow in the past 3 years. The company also troubled with limited access to the capital market. Therefore, it is necessary for KR+H to get external financing in order to maintain its revenue and get a rapid growth. References: Robert C. Higgins(2012), Analysis for financial management David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter(2009), Seize advantage in a downturn

Separation of Classes on Gender Basis Research Paper

Separation of Classes on Gender Basis - Research Paper Example This essay "Separation of Classes on Gender Basis" aims to analyze the pros and cons of the separate classes for boys and girls. Supporters of the movement argue that the learning ability of boys and girls are different. The recent research has clearly indicated natural differences in how male and female understand and learn their lessons at class and society at large. It is very necessary to impart education to the pupil based on the gender, as their understanding ability differs with respect to their sex. When the necessity of single sex education is debated it includes the issues of socio-economic, political, civil rights and legal concerns which are very important in terms of practical perspective. Leonardo Sax (2005) states in his book that the behavior of girls and boys when they are together reflects the larger society to which they belong. His opinions that the girls are most expressive in a single sex school than in a co-ed school. Because of less or no pressure they tend to react instantly and actively in a single sex school. In a coed school the boys came forward with an attitude to put up and spoke on any given topic with ease, while the girls were forced to talk a very few words. He even noticed a considerable change in the courage of the single sex school and co-ed students. The teacher enthusiastically praised, corrected, helped, and criticized the boldly spoken boys who could speak voraciously on any topic given and with the girls who were soft spoken with less courage he nodded his head and would hardly help them overcome their mistakes. But the girls in the single sex school could easily dare to speak on any given topic without pressure, where the teacher could correct the students and also inculcate new teaching techniques based on the gender for better understanding. This in turn would help the students to enhance their learning capabilities. The doctrine of Single Sex Public Education (SSPE) is a good example of the above. SSPE informs teachers in male classrooms to move constantly in the classroom with a pitch of loud voice, even to the point of shouting. But the teachers in the female classes are asked to be still and use a soothing tone to talk to the pupil. This was introduced as the young males thrive on competition and confrontation, while the young females expect care and co-operation in a learning environment. This was the ideology of SSPE (Datnow and Lea, 2002). Few researches have pointed that the single sex schools can foster each gender to excel in

Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Compensation - Essay Example Each company in every industry across all countries has accountants who similarly have the same qualifications and skills with all the other accountants and thus, accounting is one example of a benchmark job. Once an individual is able to afford all the basic needs then the attainment of these needs seizes to become a motivating factor. However, the individual can become motivated again if he or she focuses on achieving other higher needs such as safety or social needs. If a school administrator sets a target for teacher to achieve for example to ensure that more than 50% of the students achieve grade B and above, if the teacher achieves this target he or she will receive an extra pay that is known as merit pay. According to the writings by (Milkovich, 450-700), broad banding is described as a practice whereby the human resource categories different jobs in ‘bands’ based on a broader classification such responsibilities and skill requirements. Broad banding eliminates small grouping of jobs, which usually result in many jobs groups. (Milkovich, 450-700), noted that among the key advantages of broad banding is that it reduces rivalry between employees in an organisation since it eliminates the emphasis on hierarchy or status within the organisation. Secondly, broad banding is advantageous to an organization because it makes the payment structure to be more flexible and responsive to the vary needs of the evolving environment. (Milkovich, 450-700) stated that it is not possible for certain organisations or countries to adopt the practice of broad banding, this is especially if the organisation or countries gives much regards to status or titles because of social factors and either the country or organization prefers the use of well defined procedures and policies. However, the practice can easily be adopted in organizations that are much flexible and prefer cross or lateral

The Invention of the Transistor and the British Media Landscape Article

The Invention of the Transistor and the British Media Landscape - Article Example Sjoberg (n.d) mentions that the transistor changed the way information was received earlier to the discovery. The transistor made it possible for the individuals to take ones radio to whatever place which was not possible in the case of television. And moreover, electronic media use outside the households was only possible with the transistor.5 It is further stated that the application of frequency modulation technique for superimposing audio signals on the VHF carrier was a serious development in radio broadcasting in 1950. This facilitated the people to listen to the radio with great digitized audio at a better frequency. In 1960, a geostationary communication satellite was yet another innovation in radio technology, the idea which was conceived by British scientist Arthur C. Clarke. It is pertinent to mention that an innovation called stereophony was developed in the late 1950s and used in the United Kingdom for sound broadcasting (Vardhan, 2002). The changes in the technology use d to produce and transmit radio have been linked to the rise of autonomous youth culture and the introduction of the portable transistor radio in the early 1950s (Chignell, 2009)6. The invention of the transistor has resulted in audio digitization which was first introduced by Alec Reeves of England which is known as pulse code modulation. As a result of the most cost-effective audio digitization of analog audio signal, broadcasting of additional data with added values to traditional voice and music as possible.

Management Issue Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Issue Paper - Essay Example These areas of diversity bring a challenge to managers when they try to rally every employee to offer his or her best to the organization due to influence from their backgrounds. Some of the challenges that managers face includes resistance of some employees to the organizations diversity plan. Some of these employees present a challenge to the management as they try to sabotage the management efforts of ensuring that all employees relate well to each other and understand the organization’s demand. Employees’ negative attitude reduces productivity as they slow down positive change and damage moral of other employees. Secondly, communication in organizations with workforce diversity poses a challenge since there are people from different sexes, age groups among others are represented. Due to these differences, a challenge of dealing with different communication styles employees and between employees and management arises. There is also misunderstanding leading to poor of fice relations and misinterpretation of each other’s intentions. Thirdly, workplace diversity runs the risk of causing disorganization in the work place. People from the same background tend to form their own subgroups since they present the same ideas and viewpoints. This poses a challenge to the management, as they cannot rally all the employees to take a common stand through consensus building. Due to the disorganization in the workplace, the organization suffers as production is lowered when all employees and management cannot come together to champion a common course (Douglas 46). Fourthly, diversity in the workplace comes with stereotypes on how different groups of people work in the organization. Stereotyping increases stress and anxiety as the worker faced with such a challenge feels discriminated upon leading to low output levels (Konrad & Pringle 27). The main problem mangers face is coming up with strategic measure that will ensure effective management of people th rough creation of an organizational environment that attracts and retains diverse workforce by responding to changes in the demographic and social patterns in the workplace. Managers have a role to play in creating an organization that attracts workforce from diverse background while at the same time being supportive of their aspirations, promotes equality, and ambitions, (Cornelius 147). Several strategic plans can prevent crises that may come up in the organization due to the diversity of its workforce. Firstly, setting targets for diversity in the organization can help manage employees. In this regard, the management needs to come up with plan that determines the recruitment targets for various groups whether women, men, disabled, ethnic minority. Through such initiative, the organization is able to determine its progress towards workforce diversity and further practices and policies can be evaluated against the set targets (Cornelius 152). In order to manage diversity at the wor k place, managers need to create flexibility practices and policies that will ensure all employees are treated fairly in the workplace. Creating flexible time schedule ensures that all employees are available and offer their best to the organization. Other than cultural

Macro and Micro Economics and their Predictions for the Future Term Paper

Macro and Micro Economics and their Predictions for the Future - Term Paper Example Research has it that this growth began in the postwar period from 1955. Between this year and 1973, there was a rapid growth in the GDP at 8% but later, the GDP per capita was at 3%. Most of this growth has been attributed to the increase in the manufacturing sector. Various spheres of human development also improved greatly during this period, for instance; infant and maternal mortality rates declined such that by 1993 it was one of the lowest in the world. Some researchers say that over the past decade, Japan's economy has been stagnant due to poor population growth, debt, deflation and natural disasters. According to Buttonwood, however, the growth per capita over the last ten years is at 1.6% greater than that of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and even America (www.economist.com). Apparently, Japan has plans to start trans-pacific partnership trade to increase its economic growth. Another indicator of economic growth is the Human Development Index, currently in Japan; it is at 0.901, the 12th out of 187 countries. The purchasing power parity according to the wall street journal is 1$= 110.784 yen. The main industry in Japan is the manufacturing industry inclusive of electronics, automobile, biochemistry and optical media. Agriculture is not that well developed due to lack of farming land. These two industries provide the population with employment and according to the economist, in 2008, the ratio of job offers to applicants is at 0.59. However, the low birth rate is troubling this economy due to the high probability of lack of available indigenous workforce in the next few years. Japan is known to be one of the easiest and best places to do business due to its low tax rate. This is one of the members of G-20 countries, an upcoming economy. Currently, its economy has an expectation to expand by 8.5% (the Economist). The increase in the workforce is one of the reasons why there is a high expectation of its economic growth. The growing national income per capita has been seen to triple at a  percentage of 13.7% according to the wall street journal. Human development index in India is still questionable but expectations of improvement are very high.

What are management techniques. Which ones are effective Research Paper

What are management techniques. Which ones are effective - Research Paper Example The Balanced Scorecard Technique is a performance-based technique that is structured in a way that enables a sequential check and evaluation of processes in order to determine the level of conformity with the expected outcomes (Armstrong 46). The popularity of the Balanced Scorecard has been witnessed largely in western countries. Studies have also found out a significant level of preference of this management tool in Scandinavian countries, the Middle East and Spain. Over the times, theorists and management experts have managed to develop related techniques and concepts of management basing on the structural foundation of the Balanced Scorecard. Some of the related techniques are Results Based Management and the Performance Prism technique. The fundamental feature in these techniques is the linking of all actions towards some specific outcomes. The balanced Scorecard operates through the creation of ‘target values’ that are used to measure the progress and specific outcomes of various processes within the organization. Essentially, the units of measurement are designed in ways that provide the most relevant information about the nature of performance of a given measure. Both financial and non-financial units of performance are assessed against these target values, which act as safeguards to the nature of performance (Armstrong 50). For instance, the volume of sales could be assigned to some specific target value so that all subsequent actions and results regarding the trends of sales are measured against this target value. On this score, it becomes necessary to consider the fact that other matters such as employee performance are regulated and observed through these values. Such measures could involve appraisal processes in which the performance of employees is measured against definite goals in order to deter mine the levels of progress in relation to certain