Corporate Social Responsibility Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Term Paper Example They also realized that injudicious exploitation of the communities and the environment is nothing more than making graveyards for themselves. The importance of a healthy community and environment has been realized quite late by the corporate world. The above realization resulted in the development of topics such as corporate social responsibility, sustainable development etc. he needs of nature and societies should be balanced with the needs of the corporate world in order to create a healthy business environment. Earlier, business world were concentrated more on their own needs which resulted in weakened relationships between the business and the society or nature. In short, current companies are aware of doing something to the communities and the environment in which they operate. This paper briefly analyses various dimensions of corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Change is an inevitable aspect of human life. One can see tremendous changes in ev ery aspect of human life if he compares the current standards of living with respect to that a couple of decades before. Business circle is also undergoing lot many changes over the past few decades. The introduction of globalization, privatization and liberalization forced corporate companies to implement many changes in their business strategies. Earlier, organizations were more focused increasing their profits. They did so at the expense of the interest of the people. However, current organizations realized the importance of doing something in return to the community in which it operates. Corporate Social Responsibility is thus evolved as a new term in organizational world recently. Nexen (2009) defined Corporate Social Responsibility â€Å"as a commitment to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of our workforce and their families as well as the local community at large† (Nexen, 2009). Ethics and morality are rapidly d isappearing words from human life; however in the corporate world, these topics are much debated ones now. Relationship building is accepted as the core of every business activity by the modern companies. They are keener in establishing or developing strong relationship with the community in which they operate. Companies often strengthen their relationship with the communities with the help of doing some favors to the communities for the re4sources they exploited from the community. In short, modern companies are so particular in protecting the community and the environment in which they operate. Corporate social responsibility is currently accepted just as another business strategy by the modern organizations. Various dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Hawkins, (2006) has pointed out that it is â€Å"the society which provides both customers and resources to fulfill the business objectives of the corporate companies† (Hawkins, 2006, p.2). A company can never operate in vacuum. Moreover, a company can never operate with the help of their own resources alone. For example, Coca Cola is the biggest soft drink manufacturer in the world at present. It operates in more than 200 countries worldwide. The major ingredient of every soft drink is water. Coke can never generate water from vacuum. They are exploiting both ground water and under water resources to produce their soft drinks. Exploitation of water resources will create drinking water

Fat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fat - Essay Example He tries to convince his readers that society should not take responsibility for the unhealthy behavior of others, and that everyone should strive to be healthy. He is of the opinion that it is wrong for the American government to try and fight obesity by manipulating consumer in the variety of food options that they should use (Balko, p 159). In another text, Paul Campos says that society should not pressure individuals to be thin. He claims that being fat is fine and that there has been no scientific proof that being thin means being healthier. He says that it is all propaganda by the diet industry to get money from people. Campos notes that many people tend to think that being thin means being healthy. He asserts that thinner people are not healthier than fat people, and they should not believe that they are because that is mere propaganda (Campos, p 209). Susie Orbach points out that beauty and physical fitness have become the goals of almost every woman today. She further argues that most women have made the names of diet foods their vocabulary. Issues of food and being fat have preoccupied most people to the extent that they are usually taken for granted. However, these problems present very painful and serious experiences to most women (Orbach, p 200). Susie Orbach further notes that society creates an image that should be followed by women, for them to be appealing. These images keep changing and hence add pressure on women to keep up with the trends (Orbach, p 203). She writes that, in all the changing images, the one thing that remains constant is that women are portrayed as thin. In the last article used in this analysis, David Zinczenko, in his essay, don’t blame the eater, writes that the weight problem faced by society is not only the consumers’ problem; it is largely fuelled by the food industry itself. He says that fast food restaurants play a significant role in weight gain

Who Is Immigrant Entrepreneurs Business Essay

Who Is Immigrant Entrepreneurs Business Essay Many successful entrepreneurs story told us how an immigrant set up or developed a business successfully, such as Steve Jobs who was born in US, but He Was the Most Famous Arab in the World: The father of the innovative head of Apple was from Syria. (The lede, Ner York Times, October 6); Sergey Brin, one of googles co-founder, was born in Moscow, Russia and grew up in US (Forbes.com); Steven Wong, New Zealand crisps King was originally from China. He moved to New Zealand when he turned to an adult. Why do people name them as an immigrant entrepreneur even they were born or grew up in local? What have the immigrant entrepreneurs done for the world? What challenges and opportunities have they met or will they meet in the future? This research essay will focus on these questions. Literature review Who is immigrant entrepreneurs There is lack of consensus on the exact definition of the concept of the immigrant or ethnic entrepreneur. On reviewing the variety of studies that have addressed this topic, it can be seen that the expression of immigrant or ethnic entrepreneur crops up reasonably frequently, although it should be underlined that its use is somewhat disparate. The term often overlaps with or is substituted by other terms that refer to the condition of being an immigrant, to the condition of being an entrepreneur, or the condition of belonging to a minority group within the economic space under analysis. According to Chaganti and Greene (2002), the reasons that explain this overlapping of terms lies in the theoretical framework used as a reference, which conceives immigrant entrepreneurs as a group of minority business owners for reasons of race, ethnic background (Rinder, 1958). As Chaganti and Greene (2002) state, immigrant entrepreneurs are not always characterized by ethnic attributes, and not al l ethnic minority entrepreneurs are immigrants, as in the case of second or third generations. The term immigrant or ethnic entrepreneur is regarded from a broad perspective and has been used in the majority of studies on the topic (Cavalcanti, 2007), referring both to the immigrant population that create a new firm and to those that belong to ethnic minorities even when they are not immigrants, thus combining the different terms used in the literature. We use the term ethnic entrepreneur with the meaning given by Waldinger et al. (1990) or Ma Mung (1992), and adhere to the ideas of Chaganti and Greene (2002) on this collective, who highlight the importance of the entrepreneurs involvement with their ethnic community with regard to identifying their ethnicity and the lesser relevance of their place of birth or nationality in this sense. Role / Status of immigrant entrepreneurs Immigrant entrepreneurship is an important socio-economic phenomenon of the century. The main destinations of immigrants in the country like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, migrant entrepreneurs play an important role in economic development. For instance, entrepreneurship is critical to sustaining Americas economic power. Immigrant entrepreneurs, like their predecessors, play a key role. Immigrants are credited with 24 percent of patents and founded or cofounded over 25 percent of engineering and technology companies in the U.S. between 1995 and 2005. Economic impact of migrants in the host country operators is aware, but its influence is not limited to economic aspects alone. It involves important non-economic effects such as the development of ethnic community spirit, social integration and recognition of immigrants, a spirit of entrepreneurship preserving, and providing a role model for immigrants (Chrysostome Lin, 2010), especially for unskilled workers resulting in increased entry of foreign labor. Contribution of migrant entrepreneurs of the country of destination cannot be denied. Ayda et. al (2010) concluded that the producers of these migrants contribute to the growth of various products and services, not only because they are skilled and competent, but because of social relations with local communities. In a study of Turkish immigrant entrepreneurs in Switzerland, Baycan-Levent Kundak (2009) found that the movement of a foreign employee to an entrepreneur is very common and easily among Turkish immigrants. Socio-cultural norms of factors, government policies and the educational system in the host country Switzerland to make people less inclined to become entrepreneurs. Mustafa Chen (2010) studied on how five entrepreneurs- can be the internationalization of business and the role of transnational family network. The results showed that the producers of these migrants have access to resources and using the relationship between transnational borders is through family and ki nship networks that allow them to simultaneously engage in social and business activities in both countries. The socio-cultural profile of the entrepreneur and firm creation Understanding the reasons that explain why particular individuals, groups, and less directly, regions and countries are more entrepreneurial than others has been one of the principal objectives of researchers in the field of firm creation, which has been shifted to the more specific area of ethnic entrepreneurship. In recent years, the increase in firms created by this collective, as well as differences shown by diverse ethnic groups within the same target society has once again placed the spotlight on cultural aspects that differentiate certain communities from others (Basu and Werbner, 2001). Culture is considered to be an ethnic resource whose use on the part of the entrepreneur endows the firms created, the process followed for their creation and the strategies adopted for their development with specific traits. Culture is associated with a set of values, beliefs, and norms shared by a group or community (Hofstede, 1991); manifested as a way of thinking, feeling or reacting (Kluc khohn, 1951) through which members of a particular group differentiate themselves from those that belong to others. Therefore, culture exists within the context of a social group or unit, and the cultural differences can reflect variations related to the country or region of origin, ethnic background, social class, religion, gender, or language. Within the cultural elements, values have been one of the factors that the literature has studied most (McGrath et al., 1992a, b). Rokeach (1972) explained that having values means maintaining a permanent belief in preferring one specific type of behaviour over, or a final state of existence in relation to others. Schwartz (1992) characterizes values as concepts or beliefs that are applied to final desired states or behaviours. For Hofstede (2001), values are learnt predispositions, in other words, learnt mechanisms that are used in actions or behaviours with a view to obtaining positive consequences and/or avoiding negative ones. In this sense, it should be stated that values can be held by individuals and by groups, and also by collectives (Kilby, 1993; Kluckhohn, 1951), although it is only on a collective level that values can become components of a culture. More specifically, in the field of firm creation, some researchers have demonstrated the existence of associations between business and certain values that form a part of a given culture upheld by individualism, achievement, independence, or masculinity (Hofstede, 1980; Lipset, 2000). Equally, certain cultures have less consistent value systems in which business activity is included, especially in cases in which the activity implies risk, innovation, growth, and reinvestment of profits (Light, 1972). In this sense, what is common to all studies carried out on this topic is that not all ethnic groups have neither the same entrepreneurial capacity nor show the same entrepreneurial behaviour. Thus, for example, according to the Office for National Statistics (2001) in the UK, the ratio of firm creation by west Europeans is 12 percent, as opposed to 15 percent among Indians, 18 percent amongst the Chinese population and 19 percent of Pakistanis. In the same vein, Asian and East African e ntrepreneurs have a long tradition in business, in many cases related to the restaurant sector (Basu and Altinay, 2002). Corkill (2001) states that African immigrants tendto concentrate on the building industry in Portugal and on agriculture in Spain, whilst Latin Americans and Asian women tend to work in domestic services and Polish, Lithuanian, and Rumanian immigrants tend towards the construction industry in Spain. Curran and Burrows (1988) point out that those from Southern Asia look more to the restaurant, general food trading, and clothing industries. The Chinese are to be found principally in retailing (Song, 1997), and Afro-Caribbeans in the construction sector (Curran and Blackburn, 1993). Relationship between immigrant entrepreneurs and the local market and international market The success of their own business is also assisted by the local people. The locals who are willing to partner with them and hire shops for foreign migrants somehow give them opportunities to start a business. Thanks to the efforts of this migrant entrepreneurs, eventually some of them can establish their own companies, whether small or large scale. There are also foreign workers who have managed to become entrepreneurs took the opportunity to improve their lives doing wrong in the law of this country. Companies may be owned by locals but foreign operators who manage most of the way companies operation and their employees who are employed are foreign workers. In addition, people normally choose foreign operators because the price offered is far cheaper than the local operators do. Many Chinese entrepreneurs are operating fresh food or fast food companies in US, Australia or New Zealand etc. They have achieved many success in a result of advantage of low price. According to Amit and Muller (1995), based on their motivation to engage in entrepreneurial activity, there are two types of entrepreneurs, namely, Push and Pull entrepreneurs. The former includes those who are pushed to start a business as they are dissatisfied with their current position in the labour market in terms of unemployment or underemployment. The latter are those who are attracted by their new venture idea and initiate venture activity. Amit and Muller (1995) also conclude that Pullentrepreneurs are more successful than the Pushones. Chavan and Agrawal (2002) found from their study, examining the changing role of ethnic small business in Australia by studying three generations over a period of time, that the first generation of ethnic entrepreneurs were associated with Push motivations and the second and third generations of entrepreneurs were associated with Pull motivations. As scholars (Basu, 2004; Chavan Agrawal, 2002) have found, immigrants are motivated to engage in entrepreneurial activity either derived from Pushor Pullfactors, or from both, as immigrant entrepreneurs can also be classified as either. There are a number of theories that appear to be relevant for immigrant entrepreneurship and the following paragraphs will examine them. Discussion Analysis Challenges of immigrant entrepreneurs According to Waldinger et al. (1990), immigrant entrepreneurs face various challenges in adapting to the host culture and establishing their own businesses. The main problems that ethnic business owners commonly face include: protecting themselves from political attacks; dealing with surviving competition; managing relations with customers and suppliers; obtaining financial and human resources; acquiring needed information and appropriate training and skills. These social and economic handicaps coupled with the disadvantages drive many immigrant entrepreneurs into small businesses. Indeed, immigrant entrepreneurship can pave the way to upward social mobility (Kloosterman, 2003). Nevertheless, business researchers have documented that the businesses many immigrants engage in are small businesses which are characterised by low entry cost, high levels of competition, limited profit margins, high rate of failure, and labour intensity (Fernandez Kim, 1998; Phizacklea Ram, 1995; Waldinger, 1989; Waldinger et al., 1990). The reasons for this situation can be best explained using opportunity structure theory. Opportunity Structure and Risk-taking Theories The opportunity structure theory states that ethnic entrepreneurs can only move into those niches that are underserved or abandoned by native entrepreneurs. These opportunities are mainly found in the industries where the risks of failure are high. They are characterised by low status, low rewards, heavy labour, high running costs, and limited profit margins (Waldinger, 1989; Kupferberg, 2003). Due to the evolution of the global economic system, the structure of opportunities is continually changing in modern business society. In addition, political factors might frequently hinder the working of business markets. Immigrant business owners have therefore found themselves facing various market conditions (Aldrich Waldinger, 1990). Waldinger et al. (1990) point out that demand for services provided is essential for a business to prosper. The primary market for immigrant entrepreneurs can be the members of their own ethnic community in which there are no language barriers. Within the sam e community, people intimately know each others needs and preferences. In this sense, ethnic entrepreneurs can develop niche customer bases. Kloosterman (2003) sees this as the pull factor on the demand side that creates the opportunities for immigrants to set up a shop within their own ethnic community. Immigrant businesses then do this to meet new comersneeds and facilitate them in solving their special problems caused by the strains of settlement and assimilation. Some businesses provide cultural products, such as newspapers, books, magazines, food and clothes. Others offer special services, for instance, law firms and accountants (Waldinger et al., 1990). Ethnic entrepreneurs thus enjoy an advantage over potential competitors outside the community since they can tap into the buying preferences of consumers in these groups (Hammarstedt, 2001). Massey (2005) claims that enterprise is a risky business as only a proportion of the businesses will survive. Entrepreneurs have to take a number of risks such as financial, emotional and social. This is because they put themselves on the line and thus, their social identities can suffer as well. Barbosa, Kickul and Liao-Troth (2007) claim that risk has always been at the centre of the definition of entrepreneur. Risk perception has been conceived as a determinant of risk behaviour and entrepreneurial decision making. One interprets the environment based on ones perceptions which include analysis, judgment, and intuition. In this sense, whether a situation is deemed of moderate or high risk depends on the perceivers. Different people can draw different conclusions. As Stearns and Hills (1996) note, successful entrepreneurs are good risk managers but not wild-eyed risk takers. They are able to calculate risks and whether the potential rewards are appropriate. Das and Teng (1997) also suggest that a successful entrepreneur is a professional risk-taker because one of the most distinctive features of entrepreneurial behaviour is risk taking. Indeed, risk-taking behaviour has been associated with entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs have been described as self-employed individuals who adjust themselves to risk (Gilmore et al., 2004). Entrepreneurs introduce new products or processes and they adjust themselves to risk where the return is uncertain (Palich Bagby, 1995). Starting a small business is seen t o be a particularly risky undertaking (Gilmore, Carson ODonnell, 2004). The risk that entrepreneurs face can be both financial and psychological since new actions and activities may put their self-images at risk. Failure may lead to the loss of their capital and of their self-image. Therefore, Das Teng (1997) assert that the entrepreneurs are inherently risk takers. They often underrate their chances of failure and they need to be aware of the risks involved and make appropriate financial decisions (Pinfold, 2005). Similarly, immigrants are also risk takers by nature because the process of leaving ones home to take up life in a new new country means accepting great changes (Waldinger et al., 1990). As Delores (1997) contends, immigrants face a number of emotional and cognitive adjustments to the reality of life in the host society. They experience the stresses of adapting to a new country and being upset by the loss of their own culture. Therefore, Waldinger et al. (1990) claim that people who enter the immigration stream tend to be able, better prepared and more inclined toward risk. There is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs must be prepared to take risks. According to Kupferberg (2003), the risk-taking theory emphasises that immigrants are prepared to take on a low status business when they perceive that there is a future in that business. These immigrant entrepreneurs will have strong motives to prove themselves and thus they tend to enter the business differently from a member of the n ative community. Aldrich and Waldinger (1990) claim that in almost all markets, small businesses continue to attract immigrants and many newcomers have set up small business enterprises. There are two possible explanations for this situation. One could be the low status and low rewards in running such businesses. The other might be that small businesses have a high rate of failure. These two factors may reduce the pool of native-born entrepreneurs. Immigrant entrepreneurs therefore can step in as vacancies arise (Waldinger, 1989). Since the structure and allocation of opportunities open to potential ethnic owners have high rates of failure and low status, immigrant entrepreneurs must have the ability to take risks in order to survive. In addition, they are able to quickly respond to the results that the business produces. Immigrant entrepreneurs will abandon those businesses that have limited prospects and stick to those businesses that bring good profits, regardless of whether the businesses might be risky. Based on this theory, immigrant entrepreneurs are seen to have great sensitivity to the market and this market-adapted behaviour enables them to seize any opportunities and attempt all types of businesses. Conclusions The process of globalization and the internationalization of economies and markets is provoking increasingly sizeable and intense international migration (Wauters and Lambrecht, 2007). Our study has analyzed the influence of demographic profile on the ethnic entrepreneur with regard to business activity, the main motivation for creating a new firm and the process followed in creating the firm. We have gone a step further than analyzing who has or has not created the firm and have focused on those that have been involved in firm creation. From the results of the research, the conclusions indicate the difficulty inherent in generalizing on the influence of all the factors of the dimensions analyzed. The area of origin of the entrepreneur is the only demographic factor that shows a significant relationship with the majority of the factors that make up the dimensions analyzed, and thus, this factor is the one that mainly influences the elements that characterize business activity, the mo tivation for starting up a business and the process followed in doing so.

Hamlet - the Character of Ophelia :: Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet - the Character of Ophelia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ophelia is in love with Hamlet, but like so many women, she is at the beck and call of her family first and foremost. Ophelia is not unintelligent, she is simply weak-willed. She doesn't know what she wants, so she lets other people decide for her, namely her father and brother. Hamlet's love letters are at odds with her father's wishes, and, because she is not able to form individual thoughts and opinions, she becomes confused as to what she really wants. Ophelia's weakness of mind and will, which catalyzes her obedience to her father and thus destroys her hope for Hamlet's love, finally results in her insanity and eventual death.    When her father had challenged the honor of Hamlet's intentions, Ophelia could only reply "I do not know, my lord, what I should think" (III, iii). Used to relying upon her father's direction and brought up to be obedient, she can only accept her father's belief, seconded by that of her brother, that Hamlet's "holy vows" of love were simply designed for her seduction. She was to obey her father's orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again. Her father also wanted to prove Hamlet's madness to the king. He used Ophelia as bait so he and the king could listen to Hamlet's words. Ophelia willingly obliged to her father's desires. By not thinking for herself and only doing as her father wished, she ruined her chances of love with Hamlet.    Hamlet put pressure on Ophelia by expecting her to surpass his mother's shortcomings and be an epitome of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that might restore his faith in her. He took her mute terror for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like his mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to "the most beautified Ophelia" and he terminated the letter with "I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "beautified" to display a sincere tribute, and it is apparent he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too much under the influence of her father to question his wisdom or authority, and she has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer.

Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century

A Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century This is a reflection paper on the recommendations proposed in the Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st century report by the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission). The Volcker commission, comprised of members from the three major political parties, recognizes the importance of disciplined policy direction, operational flexibility, and clear and high performance standards as guiding objectives (The National Commission on the Public Service [NCPS], 2003) for an organizational restructuring within the federal government to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This author agrees with the commission in that no such undertaken has occurred since the Hoover Commission some 50 years ago. It articulates in my view a comprehensive plan to reclaim the dignity once associated with public service, and if effectively utilized could re-establish trust between the American public and its government. The decline in confidence shared by many Americans in the capability of federal personnel to carry out the tasks of public service must be addressed. The National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission) recognized this need and published a 2003 report on the public service sector titled Urgent Business for America: Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century. The report, a collective collaboration between veteran government employees, drew upon their knowledge and the expertise of outside sources from every political affiliation to address challenges that plague the civil service sector in the 21st century. The members of the commission focused on seven key areas which are: the relationship between the government and the American public, organizational disorder, one size fits all management, vanishing talent, personnel systems, and labor-management conflict (NCPS, 2003). This author considers trust as the main component of any relationship and agrees with the commission that the distrust between the American people and the government is contributing to the decay of public service. The commission realized that that the policy changes need to combat the problems associated with public service in the 21st century will take a collaborative effort between the citizens of American and government. I agree with the commission that there is no â€Å"quick fix† that the government shares the blame for the negative perception, and must make every effort possible to regain that trust by sufficiently improving its performance. The organizational structure within the civil service sector was another focal point in the commissions’ report. The members recommended that â€Å"the federal government should be reorganized into a limited number of mission-related executive departments† (NCPS, 2003, p. 14). The commission points out that most public servants are perplexed as to the application and significance of their agency’s undertaking and more often than not departments share responsibilities that could be combined to form one cohesive unit. For example, I found it very disturbing that as many as 12 different agencies share the responsibility of administering over 35 food safety laws (NCPS, 2003). The disarray with organizational structure also presents the problem of effectively managing the mission of these individual agencies. The commission notes that nine agencies operate 27 teen pregnancy programs come back to. It is my opinion that the solution given by the commission to group related missions under the same organizational structure would enhance employees’ sense of purpose and loyalty, provide opportunities for advancement and reduce waste of limited resources (NCPS, 2003). One size doe not fit all; this entire â€Å"cookie cutter† approach to agency structure and management practices is no longer viable. The needs of the American public are far more complex and vary significantly than those confronted by civil service reformers of the past. Because the tasks performed by public servants range so greatly it is no longer feasible to assume that a single approach to management will be effective in every instance. The commission members make a valid point in that â€Å"excellent performance requires organizational leadership and culture that fit the mission, not just a single theory of administration† (NCPS, 2003, p. 8). The future of attracting and retaining highly qualified workers in the public service profession appears bleak. The prestige and sense of accomplishment once considered attributes or incentives of public sector employment is on a sharp decline amongst American citizens. This can be attributed to many factors such as inadequate work conditions, differential in public versus private sector salaries, personal safety, and the opportunity for advancement. The two I found most interesting were the requirements for disclosure of personal information and the application process. Ethics regulations are enacted by Congress to ensure the integrity of federal employees. It is a given than more that 250,000 federal employees must make yearly disclosure of the full details of their personal finances (NCPS, 2003). While I agree that such laws are necessary; I also think the process can be modified as not to encompass so many employees. As the commission states Congress needs â€Å"to make federal ethics rules cleaner, simpler, and more directly related to the goals they are intended to achieve† (NCPS, 2003, p. 22). The application process within the civil service sector is another deterrent that I agree with the commission on could be streamlined to expedite the procedure. Those applying for public sector employment find this process tedious and much more complicated than that of the private sector and typically get faster responses private employers. Personnel management systems in public service were originally designed to promote equity among the workforce. The truth of the matter is â€Å"equal pay for equal work† is no longer realistic. This concept is antiquated because of the sophisticated high level tasks performed by some government agencies. The recommendation of the commission is to eradicate the General Schedule classification system. This system has become too cumbersome to administer; to guarantee equity in compensation this system will always require constant tinkering to define â€Å"equal work† so that it can ensure â€Å"equal pay† (NCPS, 2003). What the commission has suggested, and what I agree with, is a broadband system under which the current 15 pay grades are consolidate into six to eight broad bands with wider salary ranges (NCPS, 2003). This would give managers the flexibility to compensate based on capability and performance, and design personnel systems that best sustains the mission of the organization. The Commission notes that there are three very distinct factors that determine pay for the overwhelming majority of federal workers: how an individual job fits into the General Schedule classification system, geographical location of the job, and the employee’s time in service (NCPS, 2003). I was disturbed by the fact that the quality of the work performed was frequently disregarded as a standard. It has to frustrating for workers who provide a high quality of service to be judged on the same merits as those of poor performers. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was enacted to reward bonuses, merit pay and performance commendations to high performing civil servants (NCPS, 2003). This is rarely the case because of insufficient funds or an evaluation system that acts more as a rubber stamp than an effective means of evaluation. Managers routinely were allocating funds as a means to compensate equitably across the board, and not as inducements or rewards for top achievers. This is an area of reform which much attention should be given. It is irrational to believe that high performing employees do not â€Å"pick up the slack† for poor performers. It has been my experience that management comes to rely on this (as long as the work is getting done) instead of dealing with poor performers appropriately. This attitude does nothing but destroy the morale of the unit as a whole. The last area of concentration by the Volcker Commission was the conflict between labor and management. The commission believes, as do I, that it is entirely possible to modernize the public sector without jeopardizing the fundamentals of the merit system (NCPS, 2003). I agree that political affiliation should not be a factor for determining employment within the civil service sector, and that individuals employed by this sector should not be subject to arbitrary discipline or dismissal based on political affliction. I also agree that labor- management collaboration can coexist within the federal government. Numerous recommendations made to the president and Congress. What I found surprising about the report is that the commission instead of focusing exclusively on changes to the public service sector; devoted much attention to a restructuring of the executive branch of government. Moreover, it calls for â€Å"The House and Senate to realign their committee oversight to match the mission driven reorganization of the executive branch† (NCPS, 2003, p. 17); which is no small feat given the current political climate. The commission also made several other controversial proposals, for example, the President and Congress should work together to drastically decrease the number of executive branch positions (NCPS, 2003). In calling for an â€Å"immediate and significant† increase in judicial, executive, and legislative salaries, the commission also recognizes the long-standing reluctance of members of Congress to vote for a pay increase for themselves (NCPS, 2003). The report calls upon Congress to break the statutory link between their salaries and those of judges and senior political appointees (NCPS, 2003). While I found the report be very cohesive and comprehensive, a nd a blueprint for a more efficient government and better quality of civil service employees; I also felt several issues were not adequately addressed. Although, the repot does present sufficient advice as to restructuring organizational and management systems within the federal government â€Å"it fails to address the core problems affecting the delivery of public services. Primarily too often federal agencies simply don't have the resources they need to meet mission requirements; an emphasis on pay compression for top ranking government positions overlooks the impact of pay disparities on front-line workers; and much more needs to be done to address the negative impact of contracting out (Palguta, 2003). While the commission's report appropriately focuses on â€Å"leadership in government† as a primary area of concern, it tends to define leadership too narrowly as those individuals at the top of the organization. First-line supervisors and mid-level managers are a vital component of the leadership team. Finally, while agreeing that greater management flexibility is needed, there must also be balanced with reasonable safeguards to ensure the basic merit principles are maintained (Palguta, 2003). References The National Commission on the Public Service. (2003). Urgent business for America: evitalizing the federal government for the 21st century. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:KSnwxENfsmQJ:www. brookings. e du/gs/cps/volcker/reportfinal. pdf+urgent+business+for+america:+revitalizing+the +federal+government+for+the+21st+century Palguta, John M. â€Å"Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century: Presenting differing perspectives on the rep ort of the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker II). (Opinion Roundtable: Volcker II). † The Public Manager 32. 1 (2003): 7+. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.

1984: Power Hunger Leads to Society Downfall

In the eyes of a power hungry ruler, a totalitarian government would be paradise. It would be thought that if a leader is so happy with the way he rules his country, the grass would be greener on the other side. In this case, it is far from it. Citizens are forced to act upon the government’s rules, and failure to do so would only earn them a horrid session of torment and consequence. People are constantly under the government’s thumb, and practically have no say in what goes on around them. An American President once said, â€Å" The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died† (Harry Truman). A totalitarian government’s goal is to see and ignore the peoples’ needs, then take that factor and use it against them by making threats of not making change if the people choose not to cooperate with them. They promise the society a better life, so long as the people do not cease to abide by the government’s orders. When everyone is a mere laborer for the government, looking forward to seeing no change and happiness in their surroundings, the government has then accomplished their goal, and continue to control its people like puppets in their hands. In the end, this comes to show that Truman was indeed theoretically correct, for every ruler who had claimed to be a totalitarian had oppressed their people of rights and freedom, and Truman took action to notice the effects. In 1984, the society of Oceania was overrun by a totalitarian government. During Josef Stalin’s reigning era, he also partook in a totalitarian government. The people were beaten to death, starved, and looked forward to nothing, but were forced to act as they were told. In 1984, the society of Oceania was deprived of having emotion, rights and privacy. The country was able to be easily taken over by using Truman’s three steps to a totalitarian government: seeds, growth and full growth. Even before Big Brother was created, life was still hard for Winston,† above all he remembered his continuous hunger, and the fierce sordid battles at mealtimes† ( Orwell 134). With a society taken over by starvation, the people would easily be tricked into anything that talks about making the country a better place, with unlimited materials the people could use for their daily necessities. This shows how the country could potentially start narrow-mindedly thinking that if they choose what they think has the most advantages, it would put an end to their misery and want, and finally focus on what they need. As soon as the government takes control, they start to make changed in the society. The government gives their people the bare minimum to make sure they always come running back for more, â€Å" war is the way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence in the long run, too intelligent† (Orwell 157). Though the government may have slightly improved the conditions of the society, it still left the people with not enough to be happy and content with, which kept them running back to the government for anything and everything they needed. The government left its people in poverty and strife, hoping for positive changes but not getting too excited about what to expect in their future. The government has reached its full potential when the people are under their complete control, looking forward to no change or happiness in the future. O’Brien immediately got down to the point and told Winston what they planned to do to him, â€Å" Do not imagine that you will save yourself, Winston, however completely you surrender to us. No one who has once gone astray is ever spared. And even if we chose to let you live out the natural term of your life, you still would never escape from us† ( Orwell 211). At this point, Winston is under complete control of the government. Any hope for a better life would be utterly impossible, and the thought of once again being free would be unthinkable. This comes to show just how easy it is for the government to take over the country, leaving its people with no happiness or future. In the end, the country of Oceania which was deprived of having a normal human life style was taken over by a totalitarian government by using Truman’s three steps: seeds, growth and full growth. Josef Stalin, the Russian ruler of the time, also looked to totalitarianism for the answer to unlimited power. Just as Truman stated, Stalin took over his country by using misery, poverty and hopelessness against his people. Even before Stalin came into power, working conditions were far below basic. There’s famine in the Ukraine, during 1933, it drove many people to steal grain from a collective farm, which resulted in their deaths due to Stalin’s authority (â€Å" Famine in the Ukraineâ€Å"). With people’s lives in despair, it was easier for Stalin to trick the people into voting for him as the new ruler. With his too good to be true speeches, the people could not help but believe that they could see drastic change in their society. Little did they know they would see change, but not the type of change they wanted. Stalin used the people’s misery to lie to them into thinking they would get a better life and living conditions. When the people kept on believing that what they heard was true, they hurriedly voted him the new ruler of their country. During Stalin’s era, the KNVD bound victims hands and feet, stripped them to their underwear, lined tem up, and shot them in the back of the head, (â€Å" Mass graves uncoveredâ€Å"). When people realized how Stalin treated the victims, they did not dare to break any laws. Stalin was in control, and nobody could change that. It did not take long until Stalin had gotten the whole country writhed between his fingers. By 1919, Stalin had gotten both the party and public under his complete control (â€Å" Political manipulation†¦ and then there was noneâ€Å"). With everyone under his thumb, Stalin had gotten the power to do whatever he wanted. The whole government was run by his commands, and failure to listen was resulted with being the next victims to his harsh punishments. By using the three parts of Truman’s speech, Stalin was able to convince, gain control, and abuse the people by claming that he would fix their misery, and ending up purring the people through poverty and strife, losing hope of having any improvements in their lives. Truman was officially correct when he talked about the way totalitarianism worked. By using the people’s needs for another reason to step into power, power hungry rulers could easily gain control, make the people suffer though poverty and strife, and then cause them to lose hope of once again having any happiness or good in their lives. All three stages of Truman’s speech could lead to a ruler completely taking aver a country, leaving the people hopeless and defenseless against the government. If the U. S. as taken over by a totalitarian government, over three quarters of what the citizens have today would be banished, and everyone would have absolutely no say in what goes in in their surroundings. The American citizens would be forced to act upon the government’s rules, and any attempts of rebellion or revolt would follow up with harsh punishments and maybe even death. This shows how hard it was for people back then to live their lives the way they wanted to, always in fear of losing their lives to the government.

Zechariah Essays - Biblical People In Islam, Sheep, Free Essays

Zechariah Essays - Biblical People In Islam, Sheep, Free Essays Zechariah Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and Gods people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land, says the LORD. I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them. 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep this nation and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And those who remain will devour each other! 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and snapped it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 That was the end of my covenant with them. Those who bought and sold sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking to them through my actions. 12 And I said to them, If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to. So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, Throw it to the potters this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the LORD. 14 Then I broke my other staff, Union, to show that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. 15 Then the LORD said to me, Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. 16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for the sheep that are threatened by death, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves. 17 Doom is certain for this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye! His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind! The commentary Obadiah through Malachi begins by commenting on the ambiguous nature of the passage. This vague language makes it very difficult to interpret; thus the details remain elusive. The author feels that this passage goes in accordance with the earlier situation described in Zechariah 10:3. In both passages it is made clear that the leaders (shepherds) of Israel have made the Lord angry. Zechariah is describing the social disorder and the peoples dishonesty toward each other that has overwhelmed the community before it will be restored by God. This commentary is certain that the doomed flock is in fact Israel, but is unsure whom the sheep merchants represent. Their guess is that they may be the workers in the temple who have hired Zechariah. The shepherd is understood as symbolizing a ruling, most likely a prophetic one. Zechariah is telling his audience that Israel is in total disarray and the leaders arent doing anything to help, in fact some are making the situation worse. God is permitting the corruption by sitting on His hands. While doing so, he stresses

Mother Knows Best essays

Mother Knows Best essays In the novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith, Katie Nolan continually demonstrates strong leadership for her family. Her ambitions include creating a bank to support her family, educating Francie and Neely, and most importantly showing strong leadership. Throughout the novel Katie Nolan adds money to the tin can bank, sacrificing food, status and material goods to provide a portion of land for her family. It takes a lot of perseverance and struggle to fill the can, but she always finds a way. She has a, Fierce desire for survival. Katie is very tough and passes her traits onto her children and teaches them to deal with hardships, but she also strives hard to educate them. The wise Mary Rommely says, The secret lies in reading and writing. Katie follows her instructions and reads with the children everyday to maintain her promise. Despite cruelty and other issues, she manages to find time to spend with them and educate them. She believes that education is the key to a happy and successful life. She did not want them to lead a suffering life as she did. She continues with her teachings and sends Francie and Neely through high school. She also succeeds in having Francie discover, The magic of learning things. This makes Katie stand out, adding to her perseverance, wisdom. Finally and most importantly, Katie is a leader and made out of thin invisible steel. She leads her family out of many troubles at the same time of comforting and standing up for them. Though her family is in desperate need of money she repeatedly refuses charity, unwilling to be brought down to a lower level. She cleans floors overtime to supply her childrens piano lessons. All these things will provide a great foundation for her children to blossom. Without Katie Francie may have never changed. Other important characters that added a lot to the story include Francie, whose coming of ...

The Definition of an Angle

The Definition of an Angle In mathematics, particularly geometry, angles are formed by two rays  (or lines) that begin at the same point or share the same endpoint. The angle measures the amount of turn between the two arms or sides of an angle and is usually measured in degrees or radians. Where the two rays intersect or meet is called the vertex.   An angle is defined by its measure (for example, degrees) and is not dependent upon the lengths of the sides of the angle. History of the Word The word angle  comes from the  Latin  word  angulus, meaning corner. It is  related to the  Greek  word ankylÃŽ ¿s  meaning crooked, curved, and the  English  word ankle. Both Greek and  English  words come from the Proto-Indo-European  root word ank-  meaning to bend or bow.   Types of Angles Angles that are exactly 90 degrees are called right angles. Angles less than 90 degrees are called acute angles. An angle  that is exactly 180 degrees is called a straight angle  (this appears as a straight line). Angles that are greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees are called  obtuse angles. Angles that are larger than a straight angle but less than 1 turn (between 180 degrees and 360 degrees) are called  reflex angles. An angle that is 360 degrees, or equal to one full turn, is called a full angle or complete angle. For an example of an obtuse angle, the angle of a typical house rooftop is often formed at an obtuse angle. An obtuse angle is greater than 90 degrees since water would pool on the roof  (if it was 90 degrees) or if the roof did not have a downward angle for water to flow.   Naming an Angle Angles are usually named using alphabet letters to identify the different parts of the angle: the vertex and each of the rays. For example, angle BAC, identifies an angle with A as the vertex. It is enclosed by the rays, B and C. Sometimes, to simplify the naming of the angle, it is simply called angle A. Vertical and Adjacent Angles When two straight lines intersect at a point, four angles are formed, for example, A, B, C, and D angles. A pair of angles opposite each other, formed by two intersecting straight lines that form an X-like shape, are called  vertical angles  or  opposite angles. The opposite angles are mirror images of each other. The  degree of angles will be the same. Those pairs are named first.   Since those angles have the same measure of  degrees, those angles are considered equal  or  congruent.   For example, pretend that the letter X is an example of those four angles. The top part of the X forms a v shape, that would be named angle A. The degree of that angle is exactly the same as the bottom part of the X, which forms a ^ shape, and that would be called angle B. Likewise, the two sides of the X form a and an shape. Those would be angles C and D. Both C and D would share the same degrees, they are opposite angles and are congruent. In this same example, angle A and angle C and are adjacent to each other, they share an arm or side. Also, in this example, the angles are supplementary, which mean that each of the two angles combined equals 180 degrees (one of those straight lines that intersected to form the four angles). The same can be said of angle A and angle D.

Critically evaluate the best practice in global supply chain Essay

Critically evaluate the best practice in global supply chain management at two firms of your choice in the fashion industry - Essay Example At present, fashion industry is an international and highly globalised industry where clothing could be premeditated in one country, contrived in another country and end up being sold globally (Choi 2012). In relation to this, two fashion industries: Gucci and Marie Claire have gradually grown to this level. They are among the renowned fashion industries that deal with shoes, belts, beauty products, hand bags among other fashionable products (Manlow 2007). During the manufacture of these products, a particular strategy is used that entails six principle procedures that incorporate global supply chain planning, global supply strategy and configuration, global sourcing, global distribution, global logistics and managing sustainable global supply chains (Cetinkaya et al 2010). Global Supply Chain Planning Distribution centres Gucci has one of the best distribution centres complete with everything that is necessary, the distribution of Gucci is designed around the needs of Gucci. Unlike other fashion retail chains such as Marie Clare, Gucci has different products for different regions. The distribution centres are designed to meet the needs of the Gucci. Fashion industry is very competitive and time and efficiency is everything if a firm has to be competitive and successful in this industry. To be able develop a way to compete in this way, Gucci has come up with a very important supply chain strategy. This strategy revolves around two main important things as follows: Incorporating the suppliers to have a compact value chain Gucci is a global fashion retailer and this means that Gucci has created a system where it is able to meet the global demand for is goods without missing an opportunity to sell to a ready market. To achieve this, Gucci has been able to come up with ways in which to make sure that they are able to have a compact supply chain. This means that Gucci has merged its businesses with suppliers to ensure that it is able to control the suppliers. As Coo k (2011) point out, keeping the supplier close to the business is becoming a common supply chain management strategy because once it eliminates one of the competitive issues that Michal Porter (2008) identified in his model of five competitive forces. This is the force of bargaining power of suppliers. Gucci, unlike Marie Clare has identified that keeping the suppliers close is a major way of ensuring an efficient supply chain that can be used to make sure that better services are given to the customers. Global outsourcing This difference between Gucci’s supply chain and Marie Clare’s supply chain may be as a result of different business models of the two businesses. For example, Gucci has a very big range of products with some products being more popular in different markets and unpopular in other markets. This means that the supply chain for a firm like Gucci most take consideration of this right from the suppliers through the distribution centres to the final custom er contact. Gucci has also made use of global outsourcing as a way to make it more efficient for Gucci to satisfy the needs of the customers efficiently and cost effectively. According to Schary et al 2007, at present competition globally is entirely stiff. Individual companies no longer compete as autonomous entities, but as supply-chains networks. In essence, companies no longer compete in terms of brand versus brand, but they compete in terms

Understanding Organisation Theory and Practice Essay

Understanding Organisation Theory and Practice - Essay Example This article stresses that contingency theory has been widely employed by companies such as those in the airline industry to streamline their operations and also respond to adversities that stem from the companies’ in internal and external environment. Globalisation and evolution of technology has consequently led to the exposure of organisations inclusive of the airline companies to environments that are volatile since the environment has been significantly expanded. The airline industry in comparison to other industries has been exposed to impacts of the business environment such as the economic, political, technological, and socio-cultural factors which has increased due to multi-national exposure. This paper makes a conclusion that Qantas and Virgin airlines have often applied the contingency theory with the aim of not only dealing with the implications of their internal and external environment but also to gain competitive advantage over other companies in the same industry. †¢ Due to the competitive nature of the airline industry in Australia and beyond the borders, the management of Qantas and Virgin should focus on other management approaches that can maximize their bottom line besides the contingency theory. Some of the management approaches that have proved significant in organisations are the system theory and chaos theory. The system theory will enable the management of the airlines to comprehend how the employees are affected by different systems and they also affect the system that surrounds them.

The usage of derivative instruments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The usage of derivative instruments - Essay Example The paper tells that in the present day context, the degree of competition was observed to be witnessing a significant rise along with the environment of business undergoing a constant alteration. The constant alterations have been giving rise to unforeseen situations that calls for effectual management with respect to the companies as well as banks. Therefore, it can be inferred that in relation to the mentioned context, it becomes important for the business enterprises to effectually manage the unforeseen risks from beforehand. It was identified in this regard that the most widely used financing strategies to overcome the challenges raised by business risks are the use of financial derivatives. Examples of financial derivatives used in the current risk management strategies are options and futures, and forward contracts. Options are defined as â€Å"the right and not the obligation to buy or sell something on a specified date at a specified price†. On the similar context, fu tures and forward contracts are also considered as significant risk management tools that are based on the value of fundamental assets. However, these techniques are subject to various factors such as credit rates, interest rates, currency fluctuations and other financial aspects which should be taken into consideration prior to the execution of this strategy. A derivative has been defined as an agreement that is found to take place among a buyer as well as a seller and gets initiated on the current date with regard to a particular transaction that is expected to be realised on a future date or time. For example, the tr

Louis Kahn, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, 1959-1965 Assignment

Louis Kahn, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, 1959-1965 - Assignment Example The Salk compound is at the centre of the large courtyard that has identical concrete rows of laboratory space and offices. At the end of the courtyard is a magnificent view of the Pacific, coupled with the soothing fountain sounds. Designed by Louis Khan, the courtyard is the main highlight of the site. The courtyard is inspired by Louis Barragan, a Mexican architect. Khan had initially planned to have plants and trees at the courtyard but was advised by Barragan against that decision (Treib). It enabled Khan to come up with a stone plaza that created an open feeling with the large sky; it also had a water feature (Anderson). Originally, the buildings were built by different cement mixtures with various colors; this is evident in the basement of the complex. Khan introduced wood to compliment with the cement. Inside, the buildings have no walls; this is a promotion of collaboration. The basement has one floor with another two floors existing above it, on both sides (Anderson).Lighting fixtures in the form of easy slide rails have also been used to promote collaboration. Roman techniques are evident in the architecture as the concrete was created from volcanic ash to create a pinkish glow. Each laboratory block consists of five study towers each containing offices, but those at the entrances consists of only two study towers. The diagonal walls enable each of the thirty-six scientists in the studies to have a view of the Pacific. The original design of this complex had conference buildings and living quarters but were never

Vacco vs. Quill Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vacco vs. Quill - Research Paper Example Vacco vs. Quill The United States Constitution allowed the states the democratic space to pass state laws that were for the benefit of the state citizens. The doctors felt that the law was interfering with the medical standards that allowed them to assist terminally ill patients to end their lives so as to relieve them the pain associated with the disease. The District Court upheld the state law since it was the state that was allowed to make laws that govern the state so long as they don’t contradict the United States Constitution. The Court of Appeal reversed the ruling on the basis that the prohibition led to violation of Fourteenth Amendment clause that called for Equal Protection. The case proceeded to the Supreme Court finally for further clarification. The New York state had passed a law in 1965 that barred physicians from assisting terminally patients end their life although it allowed patients to refuse treatment even if it is life saving to them. According to Enotes, the respondents Samuel C. Klagsbrun, Timothy E. Quill and Howard A. Grossman who were physicians in New York backed by three terminally ill patients who wanted to be allowed to terminate their lives. They presented their case in the United States District Court accusing the New York State Attorney, Dennis Vacco, of the state barring them from prescribing l ethal medicine to mentally stable but very ill patients who are under unendurable pain and desire to end their suffering through the doctor’s assistance to end their lives although the medical standards allow them. ... The court based its argument on the fact that the United states Constitution allowed the states normal democratic processes and that meant that New York had a legitimate right to protect vulnerable citizens and generally preserve life. The second circuit was reversed by the Court of Appeal; it determined that despite the general application of the ban on the assisted suicide, the New York state law did not exercise equality for not treating equally all the mentally competent people who are in their last stages of their sickness and are opting to end their suffering by prematurely terminating their lives (Tannsjo 90). Those in the their final stages of their illness and in the life support machines could direct the removal of those machines thus terminating their life in the process as opposed to those who are in a similar situation except the use of life support machines on them, who could not be allowed to order for the hastening of their life end through drug administration. The Co urt viewed the ending of one’s life through the withdrawal of the life support machines as similar to assisted suicide. The court was to determine whether the unequal treatment of the patients related in any way legitimately to the state interests, the conclusion of the court was that the New York statutes that prohibited a terminally ill patient with sound mind on the final stages from assisted suicide were not rationally in any way legitimately related to the state interests. The Court Of Appeal therefore reversed the District Court’s ruling. The State Attorney, Dennis Vacco, appealed in the Supreme Court and it gave a landmark ruling regarding the

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Reading response - Essay Example In my opinion, the text reveals a number interesting religious notions that were commonplace at that time in the society. The text reveals that the established religious norms of the society were close or similar to the protestant faith. It was for this reason that Mrs. Hutchinson was repeatedly asked about this aspect. As was common in most of the older societies, opposing or questioning religious beliefs was not an option for the ordinary people. The religion appears to be the property of Church or the ruling class and it was molded as and when needed. I strongly feel that Mrs. Hutchinson’s stand against the status quo was itself sufficient to stand apart; since no one in the society was willing to accept or talk about the reality. Mrs. Hutchinson’s ideology can be equated to antinomianism – an idea that was unacceptable for the ruling class. The primary reason for unacceptability appears to be the control that this class intended to exert on the other classes of the society. I feel that religion and justice have always been used as tools to control the masses; religion acted by manipulating the people emotionally and by taking control of their belief system, whereas judicial system provided the authority that was required to control those who failed to align with the religious teachings or controls. I am forced to think critically about the role of judicial system that was functioning at the time of Mrs. Hutchinson. At various points in the text, it appears that there is a single person in the court who is defending her case; there is no attorney to assist her about the legalities of her case or to assist her in taking a solid defense. Instead, it appears that a couple of men, who are inclined towards taking punitive action against the lady are surrounding her from all sides and as soon as she leaves one of them ‘answerless’, the other jumps in, to divert her attention or to

Vacco vs. Quill Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vacco vs. Quill - Research Paper Example Vacco vs. Quill The United States Constitution allowed the states the democratic space to pass state laws that were for the benefit of the state citizens. The doctors felt that the law was interfering with the medical standards that allowed them to assist terminally ill patients to end their lives so as to relieve them the pain associated with the disease. The District Court upheld the state law since it was the state that was allowed to make laws that govern the state so long as they don’t contradict the United States Constitution. The Court of Appeal reversed the ruling on the basis that the prohibition led to violation of Fourteenth Amendment clause that called for Equal Protection. The case proceeded to the Supreme Court finally for further clarification. The New York state had passed a law in 1965 that barred physicians from assisting terminally patients end their life although it allowed patients to refuse treatment even if it is life saving to them. According to Enotes, the respondents Samuel C. Klagsbrun, Timothy E. Quill and Howard A. Grossman who were physicians in New York backed by three terminally ill patients who wanted to be allowed to terminate their lives. They presented their case in the United States District Court accusing the New York State Attorney, Dennis Vacco, of the state barring them from prescribing l ethal medicine to mentally stable but very ill patients who are under unendurable pain and desire to end their suffering through the doctor’s assistance to end their lives although the medical standards allow them. ... The court based its argument on the fact that the United states Constitution allowed the states normal democratic processes and that meant that New York had a legitimate right to protect vulnerable citizens and generally preserve life. The second circuit was reversed by the Court of Appeal; it determined that despite the general application of the ban on the assisted suicide, the New York state law did not exercise equality for not treating equally all the mentally competent people who are in their last stages of their sickness and are opting to end their suffering by prematurely terminating their lives (Tannsjo 90). Those in the their final stages of their illness and in the life support machines could direct the removal of those machines thus terminating their life in the process as opposed to those who are in a similar situation except the use of life support machines on them, who could not be allowed to order for the hastening of their life end through drug administration. The Co urt viewed the ending of one’s life through the withdrawal of the life support machines as similar to assisted suicide. The court was to determine whether the unequal treatment of the patients related in any way legitimately to the state interests, the conclusion of the court was that the New York statutes that prohibited a terminally ill patient with sound mind on the final stages from assisted suicide were not rationally in any way legitimately related to the state interests. The Court Of Appeal therefore reversed the District Court’s ruling. The State Attorney, Dennis Vacco, appealed in the Supreme Court and it gave a landmark ruling regarding the

Measuring The Fair Value Essay Example for Free

Measuring The Fair Value Essay Financial Accounting Standard seven (FAS 7) guides entities in determining the fair value estimates for the financial statement needs. This is a general rule that is applied worldwide so that figures appearing in statements may make sense to all stakeholders. Such unbiased figures will be of use incase local companies want to trade internationally, because uniformity in cost or value measurements are made uniform. Financial Accounting Standard one hundred and fifty seven (FAS 157), is applicable to either financial or non financial assets or liabilities being measured fairly as per authorities on accounting pronouncements. The absence of a particular consistent framework in fair value estimates for quoted prices can create inconsistencies or incomparability. The Financial accounting Standards framework does away with inconsistencies on the balance sheet figures as per historical cost and income statement figures. According to Financial Accounting Standard one hundred and fifty seven (FAS 157), fair value is the price received when selling an asset and the amount paid in transferring a liability in a transaction that is taking place on active markets. This price may also be called the exit value. Such prices are determined by both financial and economic factors and operate at free will, while holding other factors constant. It can also be determined by considering that all participating parties are acting at free will and are competing for the few available resources. Fair value in future markets is an equivalent amount in future contracts. This will be an equivalent of the spot price just after you have considered compounded interest or lost dividends due to the fact that investors own future contracts but not physical stocks for a particular time period. A liability’s fair value is the sum for incurring the liability or selling it on any current transaction. (Brian, 2007 p.35-45) FAS 157 stress using market input when making an estimation of an asset’s or liability’s fair value. Prices that are quoted, data for credits and curves for yields are instances for market inputs under FAS157. Quoted prices may measure fair value most accurately but due to the non existence of active markets other techniques may be used in estimating asset’s or liability’s fair value. Under FAS157 assumptions applied in estimating fair value may be from a non related market participant’s perspective. It will therefore be necessary to identify the market for trading an asset or liability. (Brian, 2008 p.46-52). Conclusion: Incase of the availability of more than one market, FAS 157 expects the ‘much advantageous market’ to be used. Prices and costs for transacting should be considered when estimating the much advantageous market. It can therefore be concluded that fair value accounting is the greatest relevant estimate in financial instruments. Fair value accounting should be retained in financial accounting, because it ensures a true and unbiased view of the financial statements. Financial statements will be a clean representation of an entity’s financial and economic position to all stakeholders who might be interested in the performance of any publically traded company. REFERENCES: AICPA. (2010). Fair value Accounting @http://www.aicpa.org/MediaCenter/fva_faq.htm   Retrieved On May 4 2010 Brian, N. (2007). Retaining Fair Value in Accounting. London: Oxford University Press. Brian, N. (2008). The Need for Fair Value Accounting. New York: Nerd Press. Gerald, M. (2009). Fair Value Accounting Fraud: New Global Risks and Detection Techniques. New York: Harcourt and Brace. James, W. (2009).   Market to Market and Fair Value Accounting. New York: Nerd Press. James, W. (2009). Fair Value Accounting Principles. New York: Harcourt and Brace. Mark, L. (2008). Fair Value Measurements: practical Guidance and Implementation

Factors Affecting Multinational Corporations Cost Of Capital Finance Essay

Factors Affecting Multinational Corporations Cost Of Capital Finance Essay This essay will consider the key factors which affect a companys cost of capital. The essay will analyse firstly the key components which contribute towards a companys cost of capital before going to consider how these factors differ for a multinational company as opposed to those operating within a single national market. In the first instance, the essay will consider the issue of the cost of capital with specific reference to multinational organisations, as such the research will use the definition of a multinational organisation as provided by Johnson et al (2008). Here the definition given is a multinational company is simply one which operates in several diversified geographic markets which spans the borders of more than national boundary. Every business is subject to the cost of capital, the cost of capital in essence represents the cost to a business of making use of the resources for which investors in various forms put into the business in the first place. The cost of capital is incurred through a variety of methods and includes interest payments and dividends, which an investor receives as a reward for investment within a business. For pragmatic purposes the cost of capital is usual expressed as a percentage, the most common expression being that of the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). WACC is a useful way of analysing a companys cost of capital. Essentially WACC considers the relative costs of each of the component elements of the companys capital structure and then takes an average of those costs, based upon the relative weights of each component (Tennent 2008). Whilst companys may have many sources of finance, each of which have there own costs and nuances the cost of capital may be broken down into two major sources, namely debt and equity. Debt In a companys capital structure debt is usually one of the major components and consists of long term borrowings such as bank loans and other financial instruments such as bonds and debentures (Arnold 2007). The principal cost of capital with regards to the debt component of the capital structure is the payment of interest upon the capital borrowed in the first instance. In the case of a bond, interest rates are fixed at the issue of point of the bond with the company receiving a lump sum investment on issue in return for regular repayments of a fixed interest rate. On the other hand long term borrowing may have slightly more flexible approach to the cost of capital. The principal cost of long term borrowing is still an interest rate however, the borrower may opt to negotiate a fixed or floating rate of interest. Where a fixed rate of interest is agreed, then the cost of capital is also fixed for the duration and will operate like that of a bond or debenture. However, where the inter est rate is a floating one, then the parties will negotiate an initial rate but this will then be amended to reflect changes in the underlying interest rates issued by central banks. The question in relation to a multinational companies cost of capital which relates to debt is what interest rate will be paid. The answer would be a combination of the concepts of risk and central bank interest rates. A companys capital structure in itself also has an impact upon the companys cost of capital. In general terms, whilst debt funding is seen as a lower cost source of capital than that of equity (Bringham and Ehrhardt 2005) the cost of debt however, in its self is not fixed. Bringham and Ehrhardt (2005) indicate that as a company takes on a greater level of debt within its capital structure, future borrowings become more expensive. This is due to the fact that investors consider that as a company increases its levels of leverage, the company becomes a more risky investment and thus a higher rate of interest is required to secure future funding. In essence, one may consider that the cost of capital for a company will increase, where the company chooses to increase its leverage by obtaining that capital through debt. Equity Equity represents the component of the capital structure of a company which relates to those who have a direct ownership of a company, in other words stocks and shares and their derivatives (Arnold 2004). Shareholders are rewarded through firstly the payment of dividends which represents a direct cost to a business. Secondly shareholders will also expect to see capital gains in the share price representing a further non-financial cost of the cost of capital. As with the debt element of the capital structure, the cost of equity varies from company to company and from industry to industry. Bringham and Ehrhardt (2005) indicate that the relevant factors which will affect the cost of equity are risk, the risk free rate of interest and the return obtainable from alternative investment with a similar risk profile. In general terms, the cost of financing a business via equity is considered to be a more expensive option than financing a business through debt. This is due to the fact that in effect equity represents a permanent source of capital, once issued shares remain in circulation in perpetuity unless a special action is taken to buy back the shares. On the other hand all forms of long term debt have a redemption date, even if that date is at a point far into the future. Risk As has been identified one of the central contributing factors towards consider what affects a companys cost of capital is the concept of risk. At the general level risk is simply defined as concept of uncertainty (Business Link 2009), more specifically risk is usually associated with the concept of uncertainly manifesting itself in a negative format. The basic relationship between risk and reward for investors and companys alike is the consideration that in order to justify the taking of a higher level of risk, there must be the prospect of an increased level of reward. This may be seen as manifested on both the debt and equity side of the cost of capital of a companys capital structure. On the debt side of the capital structure, those companys that have high level of risk will be charged a higher rate of interest by banks or have to offer a higher rate of interest on bonds in order to obtain funding. As such, this pushes up the companys overall cost of capital. Bonds for instance are often given a credit rating, these range from government bonds which are often used as the risk free rate and those attract low interest rates through to low quality corporate bonds often referred to as junk bonds (Brealey et al 2006) and attract a much higher coupon rate for the risk taken. Risk is similarly incorporated into the cost of capital on the equity portion of a companys capital structure. Where a shareholder invests in what they perceive to be a riskier share then in return the shareholder will expect a greater level of return in the form of higher dividends and greater capital growth. The concept of risk is often incorporated in the cost of equity by considering what analysts refer to as a risk beta. Betas are in effect an expression of the perceived risk of a sector or specific company, 1 represents a risk which is no greater or lower than that of the average whilst a positive figure represents a company with a greater risk and a negative figure as one with a lower risk. As such those industries and companies which are associated with long term profitability and stability will have a low beta and thus a lower cost of capital. Whilst those operating in a riskier sector, or with a shorter record of performance will have a higher beta and thus a higher cost of capital. This can be demonstrated by comparing the relative betas of Coca-Cola, a long established and profitable company with a beta of just 0.6 (Reuters 2010 a) and Apple Inc a fashionable growth based company which thus has a beta of 1.41 Reuters 2010 b). As such one the essay has thus far identified that risk is probably the most important factor in determining the relative cost of capital for a specific company. The question now for those operating in the international business environment is what constitutes risk and how can risk be managed to affect the cost of capital. One key consideration is that of diversification. Diversification is a strategic decision and can take on numerous forms from product diversification (Jobber 2007) through to market and geographic diversification (De Wit and Meyer 2004). In general terms, investors usually consider that businesses which have a greater level of diversification have a lower level of risk than those who have a smaller level of diversification. The consideration is that diversified firms are protected against a fall in any single market or geographic region. The down side of this of course is that a firm trades of its ability to make a large profit where a single market experiences a surge or growth spurt. Empirical evidence would seem to support this theory, well diversified firms such as Unilever and PG having risk betas of 0.73 and 0.51 respectively (Digital Look 2010, Reuters 2010 d). National ratings may also be seen as a key consideration for risk where multinational corporations are concerned. Whilst on the whole geographic diversification may be seen as a way of reducing risk, this is not always the case. In many cases companies have chosen to invest in emergent markets such as China, Indian and South America. Whilst these may be seen as areas of key growth which generate the possibility of high rates of return. National ratings would also suggest that investments in such countries also pose significant risks and thus raise the cost of capital. For instance those doing business in China face significant risks over issues related to the protection of intellectual property (Panitchpakdi and Clifford 2002), whilst on the other hand other countries suffer from problems relating to political stability or other such areas of conflict. Interest rates Interest rates may be seen as one of the other key elements which affect the cost of capital for those operating in the multination business environment. At its most basic level one may consider that the relative cost of borrowing will reflect that of the base rate of central banks around the world. Thus when interest rates are on the whole low as they are at present in the UK (BoE 2010) the cost of capital will also be lower due to lower interest rates from long term borrowings. On the other hand were interest rates rise, then the cost of capital will also risk as banks and long term lenders beginning to require a higher rate of interest than previously. The multinational corporation does however, have a special consideration when it comes to the issue of interest rates and the companys cost of capital. Whilst a domestic company is wholly subject to interest rate fluctuations within their national market. There is the consideration that on a global scale interest rates are set locally to reflect national and regional interests. As such for the multinational corporation there is the consideration that the company can take advantage of such a divergence of interests by looking borrow or issue instruments in the countries which are exhibiting the lowest rate of interest on the behalf of central banks. For instance at present, many companies may be attracted either to conduct their business within the UK or to take out loans and issue financial instrument in the UK due to the low interest rate at just 0.5% which would have a positive impact upon the cost of capital. Alternative Investments The final consideration which will affect the cost of capital for a multinational company is the consideration of the yield that investors can achieve elsewhere. In general terms investors will choose to invest in an investment which yields the highest return for the given risk profile of the investment. As such a companys cost of capital will also fluctuate dependent on the performance of others within the sector, where the market as a whole has performed well then one would expect that the cost of capital on the equity side of the equation would increase. This is due to the fact that the stated company must be able to offer a similar return to those operating in the sector. Conversely where the performance of the market as a whole or of the sector is poor, then a companys cost of capital will decrease based upon falling expectations of investors in equities. Alternative investments must also be considered in the form of the risk free rate, the risk free rate being the rate one can obtain from investment in a high quality government bond. In general risking risk free rates will see risking costs of capital as investors are able to gain increasing levels of return at a lower risk elsewhere. Having considered the research posed in this paper, one may conclude that there are a wide range of issues which contribute to the overall cost of capital for a company. Despite these considerations, one conclusion is that the single biggest factor which contributes towards the cost of capital is the consideration of the level of risk for which a company is seen as exposing its investors capital too. As such the management of the cost of capital may in effect be seen as an exercises in the discipline of risk management first and foremost. In considering the cost of capital, one may also conclude that the multinational organisation has the ability to benefit from a lower level of the cost of capital through greater diversification and other risk reducing factors, which allow a company to reduce its risks.

Golf Tourism :: Environmental Sports Golfing Essays

Golf Tourism Golf tourism is spreading rapidly all over the world in places like Asia and Mexico. Although most people who play the sport of golf play because of its interaction with nature, what most golfers do not realize or consider is the damaging environmental impact on the sport. The booming golf trade throughout the world creates a haven for golfers and a nightmare for environmentalists. According to members of the Malaysia-Based Asia-Pacific People’s Environment Network, golf development is becoming one of the most unsustainable and damaging activities to people and the environment (TED Case Studies, 1997). Asia has gone from just 45 golf courses in 1970 to over 500 today (TED Case Studies, 1997). The rapid increase in development also brings a rapid increase in ecological problems. In Southwest Asia ecological apathy includes greens carved out of paddy fields and virgin forests. Development of golf courses also entails clearing vegetation, cutting forests and creating artificial landscapes. These activities lead to land erosion and block the soils ability to retain water (Klein, 1996). Golf courses also need large quantities of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, which cause health problems among golfers, workers, and nearby residents. Unfortunately, these numerous problems are overlooked by developers who are often supported by the Asian governments due to the economic rewards from the sport. The low green fees in Asia have increased tourism to these courses as well as increasing the temptation for further golf course development. The most notorious debate among golf course development in recent years has been the plan to create a $311 million project consisting of 592 luxury homes, hotels, restaurants, and a 7,276-yard golf course in Tepoztlan Mexico. Opponents of the golf course claim that golf-course projects use dangerous chemicals and too much water as well as induce higher property taxes and disrupt culturally intact communities. The site of development in Tepoztlan will be located on 462 acres of communal land within a national park and a biological corridor that harbors Aztec ruins and 28 endemic species of animals (Planet ENN, 1996). The high amount of water necessary for the project is estimated by developers to be approximately 800,000 gallons a day for peak irrigation (which is nearly five times that pumped daily by Tepoztlan). This brings about much debate because of the town’s ongoing problems with water shortage. Those who support the Tepoztlan golf plan (mainly developers) believe that it will create 13,000 construction jobs over seven years, and 2900 permanent jobs (Selcraig, 1996).

Reasoning and Communication Essay -- Communication

REASONING AND COMMUNICATION The word reasoning comes from the sense of the mind which is closely related to critical thinking. Reasoning can be expressed as the way of making a decision or deciding if a proposed claim is true, partly true, totally untrue or false. Reasoning is an important aspect of our daily life for survival, in educational institutions and in our professions. Reasoning is essential for progression from kindergarten school level to a graduate school level. The definition and meaning are much debated by many educators, but having in these few meanings, It is described as "the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication as a guide to belief and action. More recently, critical thinking has been described as the process of purposeful, self-regulatory judgment, which uses reasoned consideration of evidence, context, conceptualizations, methods, and criteria. Reasoning is attached to analytic philosophy and pragmatist constructivism dated back to more than 2,000 years ago, then in the Buddha’s lectures and in the Greek Socratic tradition. Reasoning is used to determine so many issues, it sets goals, to determine assumptions, and dig out buried values, to check out and determine evidence, and to assess conclusions. Reasoning helps formulate a solution and also create a desk to critical and complex problems, finding the solution within the mind, what the next action to take, analyzing and synchronizing the best and most quality methods of approach. Reasoning and Critical thinking are related terms. Richard Paul in 1995 articula... ...M., Mericle J., Frush K., Meliones J. (2008). Using Six Sigma Methodology to Improve Handoff Communication in High Risk Patients. In: Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches. Vol. 3. Performance and Tools. AHRQ Publication No. 08-0034-3. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; August 2008. Ruggerio, V.R., "Neglected Issues in the Field of Critical Thinking" in Fasko, D. Critical Thinking and Reasoning: Current Research, Theory, and Practice (2003). ISBN 978-1-57273-460-9 Schramm, W. (1954). How communication works. In W. Schramm (Ed.), The process and effects of communication (pp. 3-26). Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. "So We Need Something Else for Reason to Mean", International Journal of Philosophical Studies 8: 3, 271 — 295. The Origins of the Modern Mind p. 173 see also A Mind So Rare p. 140-1

Television in the UAE & Saudi Arabia: An analysis of women’s representation

Introduction This research analyzes the ways in which women are represented on television in Arabic countries; through social programs in the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Since graduation in 2007, I have been employed at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI). This has awarded me seven years of experience as a news reporter and presenter; which has helped me to understand more about common traits in Arabic television as well as its depiction of women. As a result of this background, the connection between the Arabic women of the television and the country’s government will be the primary subject that this report will explore. The rationale (epistemological, substantive, and practical) for undertaking this project stems from personal interest towards the research; as workplace experience at DMI included conducting analysis about current affairs and relations between Arabic-Gulf countries and Arabic women. This background raised a personal and moral obligation: to discover whether Arabic women are represented on TV in a negative way and what can be done to support them. This project surrounds a universal matter of gender in-equality and should be addressed as such. Arabic women (like all women around the world) should be able to work and have a proper education instead of being fated to live the life of a housewife. What makes matters more significant is the strategy the government has put in place to deliver on this mandate – manipulating the public through propaganda on common media platforms. This report will discuss more precisely what can be done if the research concludes that women’s representation is negative on Arabic television (by analyzing the source of the problem). For instance; are religious reasons, customs and traditions, different cultural backgrounds and governmental differences to blame for female representation in the mediaOr are there other factors worth considering? Secondary research into the topic will aid the report. This research will help reach a logical conclusion of the matter and also vicariously un-cover a niche in this area of study – (there was barely any information directly comparing between these two Arabic countries). So although this means the project will be a more difficult subject to research, it will be thoroughly completed in order to shed light upon the topic. For this reason, a mixed methodology application of quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to conduct my research. Moreover, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have been chosen for research because they advocate different rules in TV programming than other Arabic countries even though they all follow the same religion – Islam. Furthermore, women in these two countries have different cultural backgrounds and government. The role of television as a media platform in the Arab world has been highlighted repeatedly. Arabic TV’s image and perception must therefore be the first thing to be addressed in the process of identifying whether the representation of women is a positive or negative one. In light of this, the project addresses the following questions: How does Arabic TV present women in a positive or negative way? What are (and why are there) differences between women’s representation in these two countries, even though they share a common religion? Women’s experiences of social Arabic TV- harmful or helpful?Literature ReviewLiterature dealing directly with the relationship between the Arabic woman and her problems with representation on Arabic TV is virtually non-existent. However, with the continuous development of worldwide media, it is hardly surprising that the Middle East’s opinion of Arabic media has become more sophisticated and modern in many aspects. In light of this, many Arabic television channels have become much more well known and influential than ever before. For example, â€Å"Al-Jazeera TV† in Qatar has noticeably developed a stronger base of viewers around the world from its wide-spread signal – something that hasn’t happened to a global Arabic news station before. As a result, the middle-east now has access to a new brand of â€Å"universalized† news (Waxman, N.D.). Consequently, these channels have become more interesting in many aspects. It could even be argued that Arabic women are presented in an equal light to men on their native TV because of the positive attributes it shows women possessing. For example, channels depict women as intelligent and wise on worldwide TV stations in the Middle East; by implying they have the right to be educated, to be independent and to have their own business. Conversely, there are some local Arabic TV channels that do present women negatively. What makes this more significant is how the television stations do nothing to remedy this negative (and purposeful) representation. References to renowned academic literature will also be included that argues each side of the debate; which for all intents and purposes was substantially difficult to find. Whereas a selection of these studies focus on the positive way Arabic television depicts women, other research is focused only on the differences between Arabic women in the East and the West. On the other hand, other works have sought to discuss merely the negative image Arabic stations impose on their native females. The results and critical opinions within this collected research (as well as primary research) will subsequently form the main body of my essay. An extensive amount of the work collected on the matter emphasizes dominance over Arabic women; particularly Saudi Arabian women. One of the main books to demonstrate this belief is Paul Danahar’s The New Middle East. Published in 2013, the BBC’s Middle East bureau chief (Danahar) revealed that a new era shaped the Middle East during the Arabic Spring of 2011 which lead to clearer insights of media representatives; thereby changing traditional opinions in some Arabic countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia. As a result of this, the general consensus of Arabic people (specifically women) within the international community also changed; creating a knock-on effect on the role Islam played in the Middle East during the Arabic Spring as well. Perhaps the most interesting point in this book is that the writer mentions that people (men and women) of the Arabic community can finally speak more openly for the first time. This book is a strong reference with regards to describing women’s cases during the Arabic Spring, but it is perhaps too eager to include such divine constructs as fate, destiny and pre-destination. The outcome of the Arabic Spring revolution will be considered first. The work of Goetz (1997) asserts that women have developed remarkably for almost three decades now in numerous Muslim countries, and points out organizations must be recognized as being deeply gendered in their structure towards women’s interests in the media. However, Goetz’s results were based upon data from over 30 years ago, and it is unclear if these differences still persist; as it can be clearly seen that many Muslim-Arabic countries have changed a lot during those thirty years. For example, the amount of women appearing in Saudi Arabian media has seen a significant decrease during the last thirty years. While Goetz’s research may therefore not be as historically relevant as others (her analysis was not based on empirical research, and she does not focus on Saudi Arabia), it is evident that the way television and media is constructed in the Middle East is fundamentally different from other countries (namely those in the West). For example, Saudi women cannot wear what they truly want to wear on the TV screen, or drive a car, and have to face a patriarchal culture every day. This is why Saudi Arabia was specifically chosen for this report. Keddie (2007 p. 149- 150) feels that it is remarkably interesting to see the difference between Middle Eastern women in the past and the present. She focuses on tracing the development of Middle Eastern women’s history since the rise of Islam, and notes that there have been significant improvements in the Middle East’s women’s suffrage movement. Moreover, the appearance of women in public places reflects this discovery, a s well as the fact that females seem to have taken up the pre-dominant role in advertising. However, she argues that women in Saudi Arabia were more open to change in the 1960s and 1970s than they were in the 1980s and 1990s; also that they were more educated, including a higher amount of people studying abroad, had more job opportunities, their own marital choices and better health. But, this all changed because of â€Å"the Islamist takeover of the main Saudi mosque in 1979† (Keddie, 2007, p.150). It seems this reason remains unclear because Saudi Arabia had already been an Islamic country for centuries before; it was the change of the role of the government that lessened women’s rights – an after-effect of the Islamist takeover. Strong & Hareb (2012) indicate how the amount of digitally competent young females in the UAE who use social media programs is rapidly increasing. Additionally, Strong & Hareb (2012, p. 3) point out that â€Å"The UAE is made up of s even emirates, which were separate authorities until the country was formed in 1971. Each emirate is governed by a ruling family; with some services (like education) to be funded and administered by the overall federal government†. Therefore, the UAE has a different television channel for all seven emirates. Moreover, the WAGL (Women as Global Leaders) claim that â€Å"Although Emirati females make up only about 5% of the total population, the spotlight recently has been on them as potential future leaders† (WAGL, 2012). Strong & Hareb (2012, p. 3) suggest this means that the UAE government is showing us through television that it is supporting Emirati females to be leaders. Moreover, the government’s media website said that â€Å"the UAE has become a model for Arab women in all fields† (WAM, 2009). For the UAE, the situation is more hopeful – there is perhaps more openness felt towards women, whereas in Saudi Arabia, there is no freedom. Females ca nnot wear what they really want to wear on a TV screen, and usually have to wear traditional, religious clothing. Mellor, et al (2011) found that some Arabic countries have a new challenge in the media because globalization has brought new opportunities to them. For example, â€Å"the United Arab Emirates (UAE) now profile themselves globally as the perfect hybrid link between east and west† (Mellor, et al, 2011, P. 25). Clearly, it can be seen reflected in women’s current affairs in the UAE. This paper agrees with Mellor, because it can clearly be seen that Emirati women have many more opportunities now; whether it be working as a TV presenter or reporter. This study directly correlates to the main analysis of this report: by showing us that Emirati women are represented in a positive way on UAE television. A similar view to this essay was found in a report by The Dubai School of Government (2011, p1). This report states that â€Å"Arab women in particular have becom e more engaged in political and civic actions; playing a critical leading role in the rapid and historic changes that have swept the region†. This article focuses on women within media and social terms, in a way that implies they are active in their society and that UAE television does help them feel more independent. It seems that UAE TV urges women to be intelligent, to be something more than just a housewife or mother at home, to work or own a business and finally be equal with Emirati men. Lastly, the work of Saker (2004) reveals that the image of Middle Eastern women in a media landscape often presents them as changed, empowered and advanced. This article will be useful for my research. Methodology/ Research Method: As previously mentioned; this project is difficult to research. For this reason a variety of data by using mixed methodology – qualitative and quantitative methods. Additionally, both types of data will be collected in the two countries during the summer. This study encompasses two different types of research to explore if Arabic TV helps women or harms them. The first type of research theory is qualitative (questionnaires, interviews, etc.). For example, respondents will be shown clips of Arabic TV shows and create a survey that will ask them which Arabic television programs support women and which do not support women, and why (as well as asking demographic information such as nationality, age, gender, and education level). The second type of research theory is a quantitative content analysis – case studies, statistics or percentages to compare with two social Arabic programs from two Arabic countries that have women presenters from the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The programs are Kalam Nawaiem from MBC channel – Saudi Arabia, and Zahrat Al-Khaleej from Abu Dhabi channel – United Arab Emirates. These methods lead to answering the overall research questions: How does Arabic TV show women in a positive way or negative waySecondly, what are the differences between women’s representation in the two countries (the UAE and Saudi Arabia)Thirdly, what are women’s experiences of Arabic TV – harmful or helpful? Conclusion The United Arab Emirates & Saudi Arabia have been chosen because on the surface it appears that one country supports women (UAE) and the second country does not support women (Saudi Arabia) on TV stations. This will make for a very conclusive and judicial paper – one that will be written with passion. Firstly, the paper’s aim and rationale for the research will be discussed. Secondly, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the literature written on this topic will be analyzed, as well as the research methods and studies chosen. It is interesting to see the differences between Islamic Arabic cultures and Western cultures; and then to compare women’s representation on TV programs. Moreover, it cannot be denied that we should support and respect women around the world, and is clear that it is not fair or equal to abandon Arabic women in this belief. The most intriguing point is that it is not all Arabic countries that do not support women; even though the Islamic religion connects them all. This research then, will help us understand in more detail the reasons of these differences – whether religious or government or cultural. However, there will be some problems that most likely will be encountered (especially in Saudi Arabia) due to ethical issues. The research collected may or may not be allowed to be considered outside of the country. To resolve this, alternative ways will be considered so that the project can be investigated freely. It is clear that this research needs to go ahead because it asks an important question – Are there positive ways Arabic women on TV are presented or negative waysSecondly, there has been little research done before on this topic. There was not much information that has compared two countries, justified research and then remained objective at the conclusion. Thirdly, the research seeks to understand in more depth how these differences have occurred in two Arabic countries even though there is a religion that binds them together; bringing cultural and historical significance to the paper. Lastly, this is a topic that affects everyone universally, and is something that everyone can understand. It does not matter whether the reader is a woman or a man, for it will bring attention and focus to the problem regardless. Thus, this topic can be investigated after the description of its main characteristics. Bibliography: Danahar, P. (2013) The New Middle East: The World after the Arab Spring. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Dubai School of Government, UAE (2011) The role of social media in Arab women’s empowerment. Arab social media report, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1. Goetz, A. M. (1997) Getting institutions right for women in development. London: Zed Books Ltd. Keddie, N. R. (2007) Women in the Middle East: Past and Present. Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press. Mellor, N. et al. (2011) Arab Media: Globalization and Emerging Media Industries. The United Kingdom: Polity Press. Saker, N. (2004) Women and media in the Middle East: Power through self-expression. America: Published by I.B Tauris & Co Ltd. Strong, C & Hareb, H. (2012) Social Media Fashion among Digitally Fluent Young Arabic Women in the UAE. Social Media Fashion. Vol. 8, Issue 1. Dubai, Zayed University. WAGL. (2012) About WAGL. Women as Global Leaders Conference. Available at: http://www.zu.ac.ae/main/en/wagl2012/about.aspx. Last accessed 5 February 2014. WAM. (2009). Foreign Media Delegation Visits. WAM Online. 24th, November, 2009. Available at: http://uaeinteract.com/docs/Foreign_media_delegation_visits_GWU/38528. Last accessed 5 February 2014. Waxman, S. (n.d) Arab TV’s strong signal the Al-Jazeera network offers news the Mideast never had before, and views that are all too common. Al Jazeera Online. http://www.allied-media.com/aljazeera/washpost.htm. Last accessed 11 February 2014.