Do Financial Management Decisions Influence Firm Value? Essay

Financial management decision-making consists of techniques, tools and procedures that a company or individual uses to gather ideas, evaluate options and select the best outcomes, depending on internal and external factors. A firm’s leadership may ask department heads, segment chiefs and accounting managers to provide input in financial decision-making processes. There are three main financial management decisions which are: * Capital budgeting Capital budgeting is a required managerial tool. According Brunel, R. (2009) one duty of a financial manager is to choose investments with satisfactory cash flows and rates of return. Therefore, a financial manager must be able to decide whether an investment is worth undertaking and be able to choose intelligently between two or more alternatives. To do this, a sound procedure to evaluate, compare, and select projects is needed. * Capital structure The Modigliani–Miller theorem states that, in the absence of taxes, bankruptcy costs, and asymmetric information, and in an efficient market, a company’s value is unaffected by how it is financed, regardless of whether  the company’s capital consists of equities or debt, or a combination of these, or what the dividend policy is. The theorem is also known as the capital structure principle. There are two main questions when looking at the capital structure – 1) How much money do we need to borrow to buy this long-term asset? 2) What are the least expensive sources of funds for the firm? * Working capital management The goal of working capital management is to ensure that a firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient ability to satisfy both maturing short-term debt and upcoming operational expenses. Any decision undertaken by the firm in one area has its impact on other areas as well. For example acceptance of an investment proposal by a firm affects its capital structure and capital budgeting decision as well. So these decision are inter-related and should be taken jointly so that financial decision is optimal. All the financial decision have ultimately to achieve the firm’s goal of maximisation of shareholders wealth. Burberry, one of the famous designer brands in the world was started by a 21 year old draper’s apprentice, Thomas Burberry. This all started with small outfitter’s shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England (The Telegraph 2011). Burberry gained popularity during the First World Was when it won the contract to supply trench coats to the British army. Later on, Burberry was also won by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany and Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther. Burberry’s main mission was to sell Britishness to the world (Friedman 2011). * 2008/2009/2010 Financial reports The Annual Report of Burberry for the year of 2008, states that revenue of of  £995m, up 18% on an underlying basis, 17 % reported. Exchange rates reduce revenue by  £12m. Final dividend of 8.65p per share giving 12.0p for the full year, as the payout ratio is moved progressively towards 40%. The following graph shows the Total Shareholder Return (‘TSR’) for Burberry Group plc compared to the companies in the FTSE 100 Index assuming Ј100 was invested on 31 March 2003. The FTSE 100 Index has been selected because Burberry’s market capitalisation is close to that of companies at the lower end of the FTSE 100 Index. For the year of 2009 Burberry had a 15 per cent rise in sales to  £380m. The company said retail sales were up 17 per cent with strong comparable store sales growth, greater full-price sell through of the winter collection as significantly lower inventory going into the last quarter. Burberry’s wholesale revenue was up 11per cent, driven by more frequent deliveries and full year dividend maintained at 12p per share. Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer, commented: â€Å"2008/09 was one of the most challenging years the luxury sector has ever faced, especially in the second half. Against this background, Burberry grew revenue to  £1.2bn.† The results for the 2010 are that the total revenue up 24% underlying (up 30% reported), Retail sales up 16% underlying (up 21% reported). Wholesale revenue up 46% underlying (up 51% reported) in smallest quarter. After reading and analyzing the financial reports for the past three years, we found three working capital oriented decision made: 1. Investments in market expansion in Middle East (UAE), China and Japan- The achievement of Burberry to enter the China market was the main highlight in the period of 2010/11. Japan offers challenging consumer environment not only to Burberry Group PLC but to many other companies decided to be successful in this market. With the opportunity to make improvements to its leading license agreement, Burberry developed its long-term tactical options in Japan. Through the effort executing the core approach Burberry have reached strong financial results. â€Å"Total revenue grew 7% to  £1.3 bn. Retail performed well, increasing revenue 19% on a 7% comparable store sales gain. Licensing increased 18% with a decline in Japan offset by growth in global product licenses and favorable exchange rate movements.†(2009/10) The achievement of Burberry to enter the China market was the main highlight in the period of 2010/11. Burberry have obtained 50 stores in 30 towns for about  £65 m. Sales in emerging markets were up 45per cent in the past six months .The entering on the China market brought to the company opportunity to develop in the fastest growing luxury market in the world. Since the acquisition ten new stores were opened. Retailing and inventory initiatives have effectively driven efficiency in open stores, with comparative store sales up about 30 % in the second half of the year. 2. Investments for improvement of the overall outlook of the company –  renovating the stores and employing online shopping system- Emphasize profitability over revenue growth. In 2009/10, the significantly slowed buyer environment pressured gross margin and expense structure with a leveraged unfavorable effect on income. To capitalize on gross margin, trade teams continued to reduce range sizes across category. This resulted in more focused assortments leading to enhanced sourcing efficiencies, more consistent in-store presentation and improved sell-through rates. The teams also revised mark-down policies to capitalize on the less seasonal elements of the collections. Retail/wholesale gross margin increased from 52.1% in 2008/09 to 59.7% in 2009/10. â€Å"Pre-tax profits were up by 50 per cent to  £118m and total revenues increased by 21pc, in the six months to the end of September.† This led to boost of Burberry’s dividend by 43pc to 5p. Angela Ahrendts have brought to the company ascend of share price more than 130p. Leveraging the instrument in systems and planning expertise, the Group enhanced inventory management in the year. Inventory levels were cut down 36% year over year. The status of the Burberry Group as a leader in the digital world was further improved with the autumn 2010 show, which in addition to live streaming over the internet, was screen in 3D in five cities all over the globe and let customers to acquire and look through runaway items straight for accelerated delivery- both firsts in the luxury segment. The rollout of the new Burberry.com web page launched in the fourth quarter of 2010/11. The web page was available live in six languages and transactional across 45 countries all over the world by the year end. And: 3. Strict employee payment schemes, bonuses for big sale quantities. Elements of remuneration In economics and finance decisions the principal-agent problem treats the difficulties that arise under conditions when an employee is hired, and there is a conflict of interest and moral hazard. One of the decisions that Burberry shareholders take to overall this problem is with bonus shames. Remuneration is planned such that for executive directors and other senior managers, performance-related elements represent the majority of total possible remuneration. The Group gears its remuneration policy with  providing of the following elements: Base salary The Group intentions to provide salaries which are competitive with those of comparable roles at global companies of a related size and global reach within the luxury goods sector. These companies are representative of Burberry’s participants for executive talent. When bearing in mind the salary, the Board considers not only competitive firms decision, but also what the contribution to the business is and the overall performance through the year. Annual bonus Each year the Board make bonus targeting by reference to internal and external expectations Bonuses are currently based on effectiveness and presentation against Group strategic and individual points of overall contribution to the business. The Committee have confidence in linking incentives to profitability helps to reinforce the Group’s strategy and long-term growth purposes. Targets are severely regulated by Kepler using benchmarks that contains broker earnings estimates for Burberry and its competitors, targets for productivity consistent with median/upper quartile shareholder returns, latest plans for the then current year, budget, strategic plan, long-term financial goals, etc. Actual bonus awards are subject to the discretion of the Board. Service agreements Angela Ahrendts relocated from the US to the UK and commenced her employment with Burberry as an executive director on 9 January 2006 Under a service contract dated 10 October 2005. She was appointed Chief Executive Officer on 1 July 2006. Now she is the chief executive of Burberry and she led the best performing company in the FTSE 100 index for year 2009.Burberry paid Ahrendts a total of  £3.2m, positioning her between the’’ upper middle’’ of the FTSE 100 index for total remuneration. Her pay packet contained a base salary of  £910,000 and a maximum cash bonus of 200 % of that salary, together with other ‘’allowances’’ Burberry made Angela Ahrendts a shareholder by motivating her to make an even better performance. One of the examples of her brilliant decisions was that Ahrendts quickly recognise that the franchise model would in the end disaster the company’s hopes of  restoring and maintaining its premium rating, and has spent much of her tenancy buying back the licenses, often taking a generous hit to the lowest line in the short term as a result. Bibliography 1. Burberry Annual Report 2007/2008 , [Online] from http://smartpdf.blacksunplc.com/burberry2007-08ara/Burberry_2007-08_AnnualReport.pdf [Accessed: 02 December 2011] 2. Burberry Annual Report 2009/2010, [Online] from http://smartpdf.blacksunplc.com/burberry2009-10ara/ [Accessed: 03 December 2011] 3. Burberry- Financial news 2008/2009, [Online] from http://www.burberryplc.com/bbry/newsrel/finnews/2009/2009-05-19/ [Accessed: 02 December 2011] 4. Burberry Annual Report 2010/2011, [Online] from http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com/ [Accessed: 03 December 2011] 5. Burberry Group PLC- Business profile, [Online] from http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Business-profile?s=BRBY:LSE [Accessed: 01 December 2011] 6. Burberry- Financial news, FIRST QUARTER TRADING UPDATE AND INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT, [Online] from http://www.burberryplc.com/bbry/newsrel/finnews/2010/2010-07-13/ [Accessed: 02 December 2011] 7. Burberry’s sales rocket 15 percent, [Online] from http://www .fashionunited.co.uk/news/leads/burberrys-sales-rocket-15-per-cent-201001208062 [Accessed: 02 December 2011] 8. Burberry- Strategy and mission, [Online] from http://www.burberryplc.com/bbry/corporateprofile/strmis/ [Accessed: 03 December 2011] 9. Financial Management – Meaning, Objectives and Functions, [Online] from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/financial-management.htm [Accessed: 01 December 2011] 10. Luxury brands: should you buy the shares? [Online] from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/shares/8169322/Luxury-brands-should-you-buy-the-shares.html [Accessed: 09 December 2011] 11. The Financial Management Decision Process, [Online] from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Financial-Management-Decision-Process/118408 [Accessed: 01 December 2011] 12. The Relationship Between Financial Decision Making & Risk & Return, [Online] from

Effectiveness of Sobriety Checkpoints

Briana Purifoy Effectiveness of Sobriety Checkpoints Special Problems in Criminal Justice Dr. Stone December 1, 2010 Abstract A good theoretical basis exists for believing that properly conducted sobriety checkpoints and campaigns, may reduce drunk driving, and data from multiple checkpoint programs support this belief. The courts have upheld the constitutionality of checkpoints, opposing those who believe them to violate the fourth amendment. Each year, more deaths result for alcohol-related automobile accidents than any other cause.Sobriety checkpoints, along with media coverage and cooperation from multiple groups, are a necessity to reduce the amount of drunk driving in America. Introduction For many years, the law enforcement community has attempted to detect impaired drivers through numerous innovative efforts and measures. The problem of driving under the influence (DUI) is well known throughout society, yet, even with all of the strategies used to remove these drivers from U. S. highways, it continues to cause needless and tragic loss of life each year. When will this end? When will society no longer tolerate drunk driving?Until that time, the law enforcement community must attempt to contain the carnage inflicted upon law-abiding citizens by impaired drivers. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatal injury and the second-leading cause of nonfatal injury in the U. S. Young adults 15 to 24 years old are particularly at risk for motor-vehicle-related injury (Miller, Galbraith, Lawrence, 1998). Driving under the influence of alcohol is the dominant risk factor for serious highway crashes. General drunk-driving deterrence can be achieved with programs of frequent, highly visible checkpoints.Checkpoints also offer specific deterrence by apprehending drunk drivers. One study estimates that 87% of the drinking drivers apprehended at sobriety checkpoints would not be apprehended otherwise (Miller et al. , 1998). The consequential deaths of drunk dri ving are not â€Å"accidents. † They are the inevitable results of behavior that can be prevented. Although there is no one solution to this problem, sobriety checkpoints are an important component of programs that have reduced the incidence of drunken driving and the resulting loss of life.The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints on drunk driving. It will review the constitutionality of the checkpoints, along with reviewing several studies on checkpoints administered in certain areas or states and their effectiveness on drunk driving and alcohol related accidents. Literature Review Operationalizing Drunk Driving According to national Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, 16,653 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 200, an increase of more than 800 deaths from 1999.This represented the largest percentage increase on record (Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 2002). By some estimates, about two out of every five Amer icans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives (Greene, 2003). An analysis conducted on the effects on crashes of DUI-checkpoints indicated that crashes involving alcohol are reduced by 17 percent at a minimum and that all crashes, independent of alcohol involvement, are reduced by about 10 to 15 percent (Erke, Goldenbeld, Vaa, 2009).Further research has revealed that authorities make 1 arrest for driving under the influence for every 772 episodes of driving within 2 hours of drinking and for every 88 occurrences of driving over the legal limit in the United States (Zador, Krawchuk, Moore, 2000). These tragic statistics dramatically illustrate that driving under the influence is a serious problem. Sobriety checkpoints have the greatest deterrent value of all impaired driving enforcement methods, and the public (87 percent in 2005) supports these measures (Kanable, 2006).Prevalence of Sobriety Checkpoints Sobriety checkpoints have existed for several y ears and have served as a deterrent to drunk driving across many communities. Although not the most aggressive method of removing impaired drivers from America’s roadways, these checkpoints comprise one piece of public awareness and education relevant to the drinking and driving dilemma. Sobriety checkpoint programs are defined as procedures in which law enforcement officers restrict traffic flow in a designated, specific location so they can check drivers for signs of alcohol impairment.If officers detect any type of incapacitation based upon their observations, they can perform additional testing, such as field sobriety or breath analysis tests (Greene, 2003). To this end, agencies using checkpoints must have a written policy as a directive for their officers to follow. Agencies normally choose locations for checkpoints from areas that statistically reveal crashes or offenses (Green, 2003). Officers stop vehicles based on traffic flow, staffing, and overall safety. They mus t stop vehicles in an arbitrary sequence, whether they stop all vehicles or a specified portion of them.Checkpoints offer a visible enforcement method intended to deter potential offenders, as well as to apprehend impaired drivers. Sobriety checkpoints must display warning signs to approaching motorists. Used to deter drinking and driving, sobriety checkpoints are related more directly to educating the public and encouraging designated drivers, rather than actually apprehending impaired drivers. They offer authorities an educational tool. Education and awareness serve as a significant part of deterrence.Frequent use of checkpoints and aggressive media coverage can create a convincing threat in people’s minds that officers will apprehend impaired drivers, a key to general deterrence. In addition, public opinion polls have indicated that 70 to 80 percent of Americans surveyed favored the increased use of sobriety checkpoints as an effective law enforcement tool to combat impair ed driving (MADD, 2002). The average motorist is stopped for a very brief period of time, found to be approximately 30 seconds by the trial court in Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz (Willard, 1990).Only if there is evidence of intoxication is the motorist given traditional sobriety testing. The goal of sobriety checkpoints is to deter drunk driving by increasing the perceived risk that those who drive under the influence of alcohol will be apprehended. The checkpoint serves as a visible warning not only to drivers who are drunk, but also to those who are sober but might contemplate driving in an impaired state on some other occasion. Programs that include checkpoints prevent drunk driving more effectively than those that rely solely on conventional law-enforcement techniques, such as waiting to bserve erratic behavior (Willard, 1990). The National Commission on Drunk Driving and the U. S. Department of Transportation support the use of sobriety checkpoints because of their dem onstrated effectiveness. Critics of sobriety checkpoints have argued that they are unconstitutional because other methods of combating drunk driving are less intrusive and more efficient. Although these assertions are themselves highly debatable, the Supreme Court has held that such considerations do not provide a basis for finding a violation of the Fourth Amendment.Checkpoints do not involve the sort of unconstrained police discretion that the Court found objectionable in Delaware v. Prouse, 440 U. S. 648 (1979). Because every car or a predetermined ratio is subject to the checkpoint, police cannot stop motorists on an arbitrary or discriminatory basis. The validity of the checkpoints also can be sustained under the administrative search doctrine developed by the Supreme Court in such cases as New York v. Burger, 483 U. S. 691. Constitutionality of Sobriety Checkpoints In Michigan Department of State Police v.Sitz, The United States Supreme Court held that a Michigan sobriety chec kpoint program was consistent with the requirements of the fourth amendment. The Court, applying the balancing test announced in Brown v. Texas, held that the state had a legitimate interest in preventing drunk driving, the sobriety checkpoint sufficiently advanced the public interest, and the intrusion on individual motorists was slight (The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1991). Moreover, the Court understated the effectiveness of the sobriety checkpoint program by undervaluing its deterrent effect.The checkpoint’s intrusion on individual liberty is slight and indistinguishable from the intrusion upheld in Martinez-Fuerte. The Supreme Court has indicated that an individual in an automobile is not entitled to the same level of privacy as an individual in the home, according to South Dakota v. Opperman. The Court has held that stopping a vehicle and detaining its occupants is a â€Å"seizure† within the meaning of the fourth amendment. Yet, it has also held that a stop and seizure of a moving automobile can be made without a warrant (Almeida-Sanchez v. United States, 1973). However, the Court noted in United States v.Almeida-Sanchez that roving patrol searches of vehicles required consent or probable cause to be â€Å"reasonable† under the fourth amendment. Later, in United States v. Martinez-Fuerte, the Court found permanent checkpoints on major highways near the Mexican border consistent with the fourth amendment, because the permanent checkpoints stopped all vehicles and questioned the occupants in an effort to uncover illegal aliens. Furthermore, when proving the effectiveness of the sobriety checkpoint program, the Michigan Department of State Police did not need to show the checkpoint was the only practical alternative (Michigan Dept. f State Police v. Sitz, 1990). Accordingly, Justice Stevens inappropriately evaluated the effectiveness of the checkpoint program in comparison to other potential police procedures when he ar gued that a higher arrest rate could have been achieved through use of more conventional police techniques. Such an approach â€Å"violates the principle that such less-restrictive-alternative arguments are inapplicable in the search and seizure context† (The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1991).In fact, the Supreme Court rejected a less-restrictive-alternative argument in Martinez-Fuerte when it argued that â€Å"the logic of such elaborate less-restrictive-alternative arguments could raise insuperable barriers to the exercise of virtually all search and seizure powers. † The Court’s decision in upholding a sobriety checkpoint program paves the way for law enforcement officials to implement a promising technique for combating drunk driving. Importantly, the court accomplished this task without a radical departure from fourth amendment jurisprudence.Rather, the Court arrived at its decision through a consistent application of the case law on automobi le searches and seizures. The Court correctly applied the balancing test enunciated in Brown and properly held that the equities weighed in favor of upholding the constitutionality of the Michigan sobriety checkpoint program (Blade, 1990). The arrest rate realized in the Michigan program compared favorably with similar â€Å"seizures† upheld by the Court. Finally, the Court properly concluded that the subjective intrusion on individual liberty was slight in ight of the substantial drunken driving problem confronting this country, clearing the path for law enforcement officials to combat drunk driving more effectively. Review of Studies A comparative study implemented by Greene (2003) gives statistics compiled by two agencies, similar in size and area of responsibility. They offer an overview of the scope of the DUI problem. In 200, the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted 58 sobriety checkpoints and arrested 323 drivers for DUI. The Ohio State Highway Patrol carried out 12 sobriety checkpoints and arrested 77 drivers for DUI.In 2001, Missouri effected 67 sobriety checkpoints and arrested 318 drivers for DUI. Ohio implemented 19 sobriety checkpoints and arrested 126 drivers for DUI. Since 1989, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has participated in 156 sobriety checkpoints and arrested 807 drivers for DUI. Also, from 1994 to 1995, Tennessee, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, implemented a statewide campaign completing nearly 900 sobriety checkpoints. Law enforcement agencies conducted these in all 95 counties in Tennessee in just over 1 year. The checkpoint programs were highly publicized and conducted basically every week.The evaluation of the program revealed it as highly favorable in reducing the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes. Basically, Missouri averaged about 5 DUI arrests per checkpoint. Ohio averaged less than 7 DUI arrests per checkpoint, and Tennessee’s aggressive checkpoint program averaged l ess than 1 arrest per checkpoint. Sobriety checkpoint programs in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia have led to a reduction in alcohol-related crashes (Greene, 2003). In 1995, North Carolina conducted a statewide enforcement and publicity campaign aimed at impaired drivers.The campaign was deemed a success, indicating â€Å"drivers with blood alcohol levels at or above 0. 08 percent declined from 198 per 10,000 before the program to 90 per 10,000 after the intensive 3-week alcohol-impaired publicity and enforcement campaign† (Delkab County, Georgia Police Dept. , 2002). Another study conducted by Levy, Shea, and Asch (1989) reported the result of some studies of the effectiveness of DWI programs in New Jersey. Effectiveness was defined in terms of traffic crash experience. Their study was devoted to a drunk driving deterrence program named Strike Force, which implemented sobriety heckpoints administered at the county level, with supervision and fund ing from the state and federal government. The Strike Force program provided overtime funding to police departments on a county-wide basis and used a system of random roadside checkpoints to examine drivers for possible intoxication. Police directed traffic onto a single lane, where officers spoke to the driver and provided drunk driving information materials. Drivers who appeared to have been drinking were directed to an area off the roadway for further screening (psychomotor and breath tests).The checkpoint sites and times were determined by police personnel based on prior analysis of accident and arrest data. Operations were usually conducted on weekend nights and were moved to different sites. Although the Strike Force program remained small in terms of resources, their impact on public consciousness was important. The checkpoint programs were publicized on radio and television. The sites were unannounced, but visibility was a prime consideration. Checkpoint trailers with banner s were conspicuously parked in the participating county and driven in major areas when not in use.Surveys conducted for the state found that awareness of them is close to universal among drivers. An important part of the deterrence strategy was the informational and consciousness-raising programs, which not only educate citizens but also inform then of enforcement efforts. The fall in New Jersey’s single-vehicle nighttime rates relative to the state’s all-fatality rate and relative to the US single-vehicle nighttime fatality rate would suggest that New Jersey was effective at deterring alcohol-involved traffic crashes.The coefficient for the Strike Force variable indicated that the program at its peak reduced the single vehicle nighttime crash rate by greater than 20 percent. However, a number of other influences may have contributed, such as other statewide policy changes in New Jersey, including two increases in the minimum legal drinking age and stricter court penal ties for drinking and driving (Levy et al. , 1989). Finally, another study was conducted in an attempt to reduce the amount of drivers driving under the influence on a college campus (Clapp, Johnson, Voas, Lange, Shillington & Russell, 2003).DUI checkpoints were operated by the campus police with assistance from the local city police and the highway patrol. Checkpoints were conducted on three main streets surrounding the campus. These streets were selected because they had a significant amount of student foot traffic and motor vehicle traffic. On average, 730 cars were stopped at each checkpoint. Consistent with Ross (1982), the primary goal of the checkpoints was to increase the perception of risk of arrest for DUI. Arrests were a secondary goal. As such, the checkpoints included 10-15 officers, several police cars with their lights turned on, cones, flares and large spotlights.For each checkpoint, the local media (including the campus paper) were contacted. The checkpoints all received coverage on local television news broadcasts. During the intervention period, the campus newspaper ran six stories related to DUI. One of these stories focused directly on increased enforcement. During the baseline period, the school paper ran 11 DUI-related stories. Additional informational tactics were used, such as telephone interviews and personal interviews. The results revealed a considerable drop in self-reported driving after drinking following the DUI prevention campaign tested at the campus.Also, perceptions of DUI risk increased for students at the university. An important part of the deterrence strategy was the informational and consciousness-raising programs. Conclusion Law enforcement agencies should not accept mediocrity in the area of driving under the influence enforcement. It is not a societal problem. It is everyone’s problem, and no one should take it lightly. More people die or are injured on this nation’s highways due to impaired driving than from all other causes combined (Greene, 2003).It is unacceptable, and all Americans pay a price, whether personal, financial, or professional. Law enforcement agencies must take up the challenge and employ every available weapon to combat this deadly threat. This is a very possible ambition. Through better education, increased awareness, and some strict penalties, the battle can be won. Working in collaboration with one another, the public, the law enforcement community, and the judicial system can help prevent the needless loss of life that results from drunk driving. When people are knocked away one at a time, it doesn’t make the headlines like it should, but we’ve got to make Americans realize the fact that it’s still the number one killer, and it’s 100 percent preventable. This is one thing that we can all work together to do something about† (Webb, 2002).

Analysis Of The Vietnamese Tourism Market

Analysis Of The Vietnamese Tourism Market My friend and I have passion in tourism. My friend has several years of experience working for an international travel company in Ho Chi Minh City as a travel consultant cum tour operator. She have strong relationship with five star hotels and restaurants in Vietnam. I have chance to travel to many countries and study international tourism industry. I also have a part-time job as a tour guide for some travel companies. I understand what tourists expect from a knowledgeabe and friendly tour guide , quality service as well. Thus, combining her experience in Vietnamese tourism market and my understanding about international tourists’ demands, we decide to open a travel company, named â€Å"Luxury Tour Co.† in Ho Chi Minh City. Our target market is Spain. Within the next five year, we build â€Å"Luxury Tour† as the first choice for the Spaniard when they think of travelling to Vietnam. This name guarantees for â€Å"best service,best choice† as our slogan of â€Å"Think nothing, let us†. This marketing plan is designed to highlight significant steps and other related issues to run business well and meet the goal. Market Overview Tourism is considered as the key industry in the near future. Tourism involves three sectors, they are, domestic market, inbound market and outbound market (Helmut Wachwiak, 2006:48). Domestic tourism aims to local customers, while inbound tourism aims to attract international tourists to the country and outbound tourism aims to organising tour for local tourists who want to travel abroad. Among of which, inbound tourism is emphasized most. It not only creates more employment opportunities for the local people but also plays an important role to attract foreign investment in Vietnam as MICE tours becomes popular. Tourism is based on a lot of factors. Here is the list of some changes influencing tourism in general and Luxury Tour business activities ( Lloyd E. Hudman, Richard H.Jackson, 2003:24) Infrastru cture in Vietnam . Understanding the contribute of the non-smoke industry, Vietnamese Government has invested in some projects, such as building metro, road etc. , and encouraged people take part in introducing beautiful image of Vietnam to the world ( Vietnam Tourism, 2010 ) Social behavior. For example, considering the tour price, it depends on the suppliers’quotation. They are five star hotels, restaurants, transportation etc. In peak seasons when several tourists come to Vietnam, lack of commodation or waiters/waitresses is predictable. As the result, the tour price is higher, but tourists are served less. Increased gas/petrol price. That is to say, it leads to the increase of price in transportation, flight ticket etc. The rapid development of Internet and e-commerce. According to the CIA Factbook, in 2009, 50% of Spaniard use internet, and this number is increasing repidly. It push e-commerce developped more Stable VND-Euro currency rate makes tour price stable and more competitive than other markets ( Vietnam Central Bank, 2010) Stable politics makes international tourists feel safety while staying in Vietnam New tourism trend. According to ITB World Travel Trends Report 2010/2011, Southeast Asia is sparkling as an ideal destination to EU market. They prefer enjoying â€Å"sun and beach† and discovering Eastern culture

Representations and Misrepresentation of race in American Culture Essay

Representations and Misrepresentation of race in American Culture - Essay Example This paper looks at the representations and the misrepresentation of culture in America, as discussed by Steve Olson in his book â€Å"Mapping human history.† Ideally, the occurrence of mutations in genetics mostly of the mitochondria is claimed to be the reason behind the migration of the different races between the different continents especially the mixed population. Hawaii state has always been marked by controversy in that the even the scientists are not able to tell the original inhabitants of this beautiful island state. A prime reason is that most of the current inhabitants of this state are not true offspring’s of the first people who live in this island commonly known as the Polynesians. However, there is an existing correlation in the biological and ethnic heredity of the people especially because most people only identify themselves with the racial background. The main cause for the misrepresentation of the aboriginals of Hawaii is the intermarriage between the natives and the visitors to the island (Olson, 260). The government of the United States splits its population into four major categories based on their racial background. ... They include the color of their skins, the shape and the size of their yeas, the size and the shape of their skulls, and the types of their hairs. These dominant factors are mostly notable among the black, the whites, Asians and the Indians (Olson, 259). However, there is an element of misrepresentation in that it is not possible to tell how different their genetic makeup is in the four groupings. Olson notes, â€Å"The rapid growth of interracial marriages in the united states and elsewhere marks a new face in the genetic history of humanity. Since the appearance of modern humans in Africa more than 100,000 years ago, human groups have differentiated in appearance as they have expanded across the globe and have undergone under some measures of reproductive isolation† (Olson, 259). He also asserts, â€Å"This differentiation has been limited by the recentness of our common ancestry and the powerful tendency of groups to mix over the same time† (Olson, 259). The native i nhabitants of Hawaii have highly been misrepresented in various statistics. Statistics shows that the natives of Hawaii live in the lower end of the social and economic life. In addition, they have the lowest incomes and highest unemployment rate in America among any ethnic group. Moreover, the native inhabitants of Hawaii have the highest rates of health problems and have the lowest life expectancy ratio. Besides, they are least likely to go to colleges, and almost certainly to be imprisoned. However, it is utmost misleading to generalize this kind of statistics in a large group of people such as the native Hawaiians. These amounts to misrepresentation since a large portion of Hawaiians, comprising of a fifth of the entire native population are now educated and very successful. In

London Metropolitan University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

London Metropolitan University - Essay Example Additionally, Brain Activity will be determined using electroencephalography (EEG). This will be another form of disclosure of confidential or private information. Electroencephalography (EEG) examines brain electrical activity in human brain and it can detect covert processing, a processing without any requirement on responds. Therefore, with this private and confidential disclosure, I would only take into account only participants who volunteer and commit myself to do testing on as far as the project goes and as long as no harm occurs on any of my interviewees or myself. At this stage, I have not yet come across any potential conflicts of interest towards my proposed research project. On the other hand I will not be 100% sure whether there may or may not be any potential conflicts of interest towards my project in the future or not. However, as far as I am concerned, my proposed research project does no harm to participants or myself as one of the volunteers participating in my research project. The risks are potentially minimal since the project involves interviews. However, some participants may be allergic to some materials, including materials that may have been used in making my design objects. Before exposing my research participants to my objects, no matter how common they appear to be, I will ask them if they have any allergic reaction to objects. This way, I will be able to assert with utmost certainty that my project does not harm anyone in any way. The primary objective of this research is to determine the emotional effect of shapes/forms on human brain. Research findings will give an in depth understanding of this important connection and therefore, the use of objects/forms especially jewellery will be optimised to bring positive inner feelings such as inner peace and calm. This will greatly benefit me, participants, and more notably, marketers who can articulate their marketing products to appeal to emotions of their

Motivation. What Is The Best Way To Motivate Employees Research Paper

Motivation. What Is The Best Way To Motivate Employees - Research Paper Example Motivation is considered a key factor in increasing efficiency in business. As a result, motivated employees will exert their dynamism to accomplish their purposes and goals. According to Sultan, Sarwat he said,†for an employee to be motivated, he or she perceived that their wants are being met. Thus, the satisfaction of the employee represents an indispensable dimension of the motivational process (Sarwat, 2013); a satisfied individual would certainly contribute positively to the realization of organizational goals and objectives. A dissatisfied employee may not only contribute but can even act in such a way that the realization of such goals and objectives could be completely destroyed, this underlines the importance of employees’ satisfaction to the organization† (Anka, 1988). Lack of motivation will cause numerous problems such as; reducing the annual income, exit of the organization if given the opportunity, produce low quality work, and unsatisfying results o f any productions. This causes work to become a stressful place, and it may transform into a nightmare. For instance, according to Rebecca Maxon (1999), â€Å"Three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful and the problem is not limited to these shores, in fact, occupational stress has been defined as a global epidemic by the United Nations' International Labor Organization, while the physical effects of this epidemic are often emphasized; the economic consequences also are alarming. Workplace stress costs U.S. employers an estimated $200 billion per year in absenteeism, lower productivity, staff turnover, workers' compensation, medical insurance and other stress-related expenses, considering this, stress management may be business's most important challenge of the 21st century†. Therefore, the environment of any workplace does matter for increasing production and limiting its costs, managers are the tools to help improve their employees’ per formance. Although, a lot of business analysts disagree with each other on determining the best method to motivate employees, from offering promotions to working less hours, I firmly believe that if managers provide a clean and safe environment for their employees within the consideration of welfare, thoughts, and appreciations of their hard work, and offer high wages they will create a productive, functional, successful workplace for each other.   To emphasis how clean and safe environments are relevant in motivating employees at their workplace, a lot of companies have started to renew their policies. These policies focused on what exactly they can develop to build a sociable, truthful, creative, and friendly atmosphere for their workers. Also, the courtesy of spending more money on their facilities to be more presentable and eligible enough to remain a satisfying place for their workers could be beneficial. Therefore, employees are seeking these modifications badly so they can be more inspired and enthusiastic about their jobs, consequently, managers and supervisors are responsible for building a clean and safe environment for their workers. The consequences of ignoring this key factor will lead employees to be unwilling to produce more for the business, which will create critical problems between them and their managers. This leads to an unsatisfied workplace environment that could exaggerate employees’ attitudes about leaving their jobs. According to Kori Rodley’s (2010) article about how important the work environment is to employee turn-over, she said â€Å"When employees expect a certain type of environment and get something very different, problems can result, those

Becoming a pilot for a job career Research Proposal

Becoming a pilot for a job career - Research Proposal Example It would be totally exciting to be flying in the clouds. This has always been the ultimate aspiration of one hoping to be a pilot someday. In order to realize that dream, a lot of planning and preparation, research and mind setting are necessary. There are different phases of training involved in this career. But for someone who has his mind and heart set to become a pilot, everything would be possible in due time. The EAA Sport Magazine (2008) has identified another kind of pilot, the Sport Pilot. According to the article, the sport pilot certificate is the easier and least costly way to fly for fun and recreation. Hold a current and valid U.S. driver’s license as evidence of medical eligibility (provided the FAA didn’t deny, revoke, or suspend your last medical certificate application). Alternatively, you can also use a third class airman’s medical to establish medical fitness. Given these classes, it can be deduced that the kind of pilot depends on the experience and training one has obtained. Therefore, a student can decide if he wants additional training to upgrade his level. Experience in this career is measured in the number of flying hours recorded in one’s logbook. In EAA Sport Magazine (2008), the cost of flight training to become a pilot was actually reduced considerably. This was made possible by the elimination of burdensome medical examinations and certifications. Their first step is to join their organization, EAA. By being a member, only $40 per year is paid. Secondly, ‘†the cost of flight training varies by which type of aircraft you want to learn to fly. The cost for airplane flight training is approximately $2,800 - $3,500. You can learn to fly a powered parachute for between $800 and $1,000†. The trainee has the option to pay for the training on a per lesson basis. A typical lesson is from one

Transforming Giftedness into Talents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Transforming Giftedness into Talents - Essay Example (Bonner and Jennings, 2007)Â   This work will explain how giftedness can be transformed into talents. A couple of issues complicate behavior hereditary examines are classified as the discussion and correlation concerning hereditary and ecological influences. In the present record, the consequences of genotype-environment discussion and correlation upon behavior hereditary studies (twin and adoption studies) are analyzed. The research suggests that genotype-environment discussion might prejudice dual study rates of hereditary and ecological affect yet need not have an impact on adoption studies. On the other hand, genotype-environment correlation might have an impact on both dual and adoption study rates of hereditary and ecological affect, the actual path from the consequence with regards to the indication from the correlation. (Subotnik & Jarvin, 2005;) Children who are gifted may develop asynchronously: their brains can be prior to the actual physical development, and certain cognitive and social-emotional understanding might not exactly display spectacular levels of achievements caused by ecological conditions for instance minimal prospects to learn because of lower income, discrimination, or perhaps ethnical hindrances; caused by actual physical or learning problems; or caused by motivational or emotive issues. That dichotomy between possibility of and exhibited achievements features ramifications pertaining to schools when they design software programs and services pertaining to gifted pupils. (National Association for Gifted Children, CSDPG/NAGC, 2009). Theories along with empirical inspections have usually been designed on certain functions, complementing as well as sometimes clashing more than ideas associated with expertise and contesting the components associated with expertise progress or talent development. A few have suggested that giftedness itself is a misnomer, wrongly taken as a

Project Design, Implementation & Evaluation Essay

Project Design, Implementation & Evaluation - Essay Example the Micron Software solves the situation by creating an interface through which the users of the system can maintain data for accountability, integrity, reliability, transparency and foe easy audit (Leffingwell 2000, p. 28). The system will therefore solve the challenges with paper based operations and produce fast tracking of reports in a customized manner. It will reduce or possibly eliminate the cases of data loss and mismanagement. The system to be developed in this project is expected to be interactive in accepting and processing the user input data, and generating output in form of dialogues and reports. The system has to be easy to study so that the clients, operators and users can learn it easily. Even without user guide or progress documentation, the system requirements have to be clear and comprehensive. There have to be consistency in the system functions such that it performs all the action indicated. For example, if the button is indicated as â€Å"Close†, then it has to close the current form. The system is expected to accept data input from the user, perform financial operations and then generate an output from the product and the data kept in its historical database. The system also must do data validation during the input to ensure that each field accepts the right form of data. For example, the field for date should not accept any form of data apart from date. The system has minimum requirement of features and hardware properties which limits its development for example, the size of the memory available, the speed of the processor and the size of the hard disk. The constraints can be caused by failure to meet the basic requirements of the development environment. Other constraints arise from information policy, system response times, and system interfacing with other related application software, the capacity of the networks and compliance issues. The minimum requirement of memory size for example is a RAM of 2GB and hard drive of 500GB. In

Trademark Dilution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trademark Dilution - Assignment Example As a result brand identity is an important part of the company. There comes a time however, when newer companies secure trademarks that are almost identical to those that are already more established. Think of a scenario for instance where two or more schools share the same uniform. This interference with trademarks can be called by different names but the most relevant to the topic we are about to discuss is dilution. Dilution was the subject if great controversy at the time of its founding. The idea is that there are large companies that wish to protect their already established trademarks. Therefore the best thing for them is to support the passing of dilution clauses into law to deny newer entrants the opportunity to try and make money from establishing their trademarks along the standards already set by the established brands. This paper shall seek to study the history and current state of trademark dilution. There shall be case studies that are analyzed so as to show how trademark dilution has evolved through rulings and also legislation. Another important aspect of trademark dilution is whether or not in reality, trademar4ks prevent such uncouth behavior as the industry is trying to prevent. Of course it is one thing to cry foul about trademarks and quite another to establish their effectiveness. The reason why this is the case is primarily because creative departments in companies develop novel means to reciprocate the efforts and products of other companies. Trademark dilution is the United States for instance is a fairly recent phenomenon bearing in mind that the necessary legislation was passed in 1995. That was the year that the Federal Trademark Dilution act was passed. It sought to protect large companies against the ‘gradual whittling away’ of renowned brands by new entrants1. This was an effort to protect big business at the expense of upcoming businesses. This, as the more fashion conscious will note, is a famous fashion brand. The

International terrorism Essay Example for Free

International terrorism Essay Terrorism is the intended use or threat of use of extra normal violence or brutality by sub-national groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objective through intimidation of a huge audience, usually not directly involved with the policy making that the terrorists seek to influence. (Enders and Sandler, 2002a, 2002b) Several historical and contemporary terrorist groups support a strong religious party, typically by dint of their membership. Anti-colonial, nationalist movements such as the Jewish terrorist organizations active in pre-independence Israel and the Muslim dominated FLN in Algeria come eagerly to mind, as do more topical examples such as the devastatingly Catholic IRA; their Protestant counterparts, arrayed in various loyalist paramilitary groups like the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commandos; and the predominantly Muslim PLO. Though, in all these groups it is the political, not the sacred aspect of their motivation that is prevailing; the primacy of their ethno-nationalist and/or irredentist aims is obviously true. For others, however, the religious motivation is overriding. Certainly, the religious crucial for terrorism are the most significant defining characteristic of terrorist activity today. The consequences of the rebellion that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic in 1979 have included its critical role in the renaissance of this strand of terrorism; but, the contemporary advent of religious terrorism has not been restricted exclusively to Iran, much less to the Middle East or to Islam: since eighties it has involved elements of all the worlds’ key religions and, in several instances, smaller sects or cults as well. I have no regrets, said Yigal Amir, the young Jewish extremist who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, to the police. I acted alone and on orders from God. (Amir Yigal, 1987, pp. 7-8). Like Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah is another international terrorist group that was the product of numerous splits within the Lebanese Shia movement. Its origins can be traced back to 1974, when a Lebanese Shia cleric, Imam Musa al-Sadr, who had studied in the Iranian holy city of Qom, organized the Movement of the Underprivileged to advance Shia interests and progress the communitys lowly socioeconomic conditions. This movement was consequently reorganized as the principal Shia political party in Lebanon, Amal, which formed its own militia during the civil war that racked Lebanon a year later. Hezbollahs ideology is as simple as the organization is â€Å"wraithlike. † The members are taught that humans form two groups: the followers of Allah (Muslims) and the followers of Satan (infidels) who must be censored so that Allahs rule will expand to the whole planet. Satan, they have been told, evident himself in all sorts of disguises: a womans lock showing from under her veil (chador); the bare leg of a teenager boy; women and men mixing in public places (cinemas, cafes, restaurants); the Israeli profession of Palestine; and so on. The struggle against Satan is a full-time job for party members; the partys proposal clearly states: â€Å"Our religion is not a meager part-time hobby like cross-worshipers who go to church on Sunday to bribe their God. † (Robert Fisk, 1996) The party recruit â€Å"volunteers for martyrdom,† trains them, and flings them on missions. In October 1983, such volunteers carried out the suicide bombing of the American marines and French commandos in Beirut. Other members linger the streets, throwing acid on womens unveiled faces, pasting opponents, setting fire to newspaper offices, and so on. The party also broadcasts courses on radio and TV on how to use a diverse firearm, techniques of guerrilla warfare, kidnapping, assassinations of â€Å"enemies of God,† and other deeds. The size of the membership is composed of teenagers and even children. Throughout the eight-year war with Iraq, â€Å"children’s martyrs† were commonly sent to the mine fields to clear the way for tanks. A senior member of the party explained that children can be replaced at less cost than the tanks. Khomeinis justification was perceptibly less cynical: Those less than twenty have not yet been infected by satanic Western culture. In its first months, the Islamic Republic used Syrian and Palestinian terrorists to perform assassinations of opponents in foreign countries. In 1980, Khomeini ordered the formation of an Iranian force capable of striking anywhere in the world. Hojatol-Islam Fazlollah Mahalati, with the assistance of Hadi Ghaffary and Chamran, a pro-Khomeini radical who lived in Lebanon (who had both been trained in PLO camps in the early 1970s), was dispersed to the task. By 1981 the hit squads started their worldwide operations. In 1979, however, al-Sadr vanished throughout a visit to Libya. The desertion of the Imam created a vacuum within Amal that made the party productive ground for Iranian influence, and given the movement prone to the fundamentalist call of the revolt which had brought Khomeini to power earlier that year. Nabih Berri, a lawyer, was appointed head of Amal the following year. Hussein Mussawi, and the assumed mastermind behind the terrorist campaign against Libya to recover the Imam, was named as Berris deputy and commander of the militia. A fanatical supporter of Khomeini, Mussawi sought to place Amal in the front line of a regional revolution based on the new Iranian Islamic Republic. Berri, on the other hand, clung to a modest line and advocated a new deal for the Shia community within the limits of the existing Lebanese state structure. By this time, though, the radicalization of the Shia in Lebanon had gone far away the narrow nationalist and social aims of Amal. In 1981, Mussawi broke with Berri and founded his own organization, Islamic Amal. Shortly after, another faction split from Amal and under the leadership of Abbas Mussawi and the spiritual guidance of Sheikh Mohamed Hussein Fadlallah, it soon came to be recognized as the Hezbollah. Like Islamic Amal, Hezbollah embraced Khomeinis directive for a pan-Islamic revolt designed to turn Lebanon into an Iranian-style Islamic republic. It is really unfortunate that people around the world are irritable about three human deaths throughout this war yet hardly uttered a word with the massacres lately in Africa where hundreds of thousands of people were murdered. The United Nations is calling for a cease-fire and saying this could lead to a humanitarian crisis. Though, this effort didn’t work well so far. According to Gal Luft, In Hizballahland, the movements fighters have much more than a safe haven. Its training camps have become a hub of international terrorism, a convention center for some of the worlds most dangerous men. Here they can experiment with new weapons, practice their tactics, and collaborate with fellow terrorists from groups like al Qaeda, Hamas, Ansar al-Islam, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Kurdish Workers Party. From Lebanon, similarly, Hizballahs agents and associates can easily export their skills to destinations around the world. (Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003). The second advantage Hizballah enjoys is sophisticated weaponry. Al Qaedas arsenal is now limited to small, easily smuggle arms. When it comes to anti-aircraft capabilities, it possesses (as far as we know) only antiquated Soviet SA-7 Strella missiles, part of roughly 50,000 that were sold to third-world countries during the cold war; such missilesthey may have figured in last Novembers attack on an Israeli passenger plane in Kenyaare largely ineffective against the countermeasure routinely employed by modern planes. By contrast, Hizballah has accumulated an impressive stockpile of weapons, including, as I mentioned at the outset, thousands of rockets, artillery pieces, and antitank and anti-aircraft missiles. In the latter category, it has reportedly equipped itself with SA-18 missiles, whose substantially improved range and speed enable them to shoot down almost any aircraft. Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003. Owning more weapons than it knows what to do with, Hizballah has also helped procure arms for other groups. It played a key role in the January 2002 attempt to smuggle 50 tons of weapons to the Palestinian Authority aboard the Karine-A. Its external-operations commander, Imad Mughniyeh, one of the worlds most wanted terrorists, arranged to purchase the ship, and Mughniyehs deputy Haj Bassem personally supervised the loading operation at the Iranian island of Kish. Gal Luft, Hizballahland, Commentary Magazine, July-August 2003.

Logical and rational exchange Essay Example for Free

Logical and rational exchange Essay In the 1990’s police officers employed the â€Å"stop and frisk† technique (World Socialist Website) to apprehend possible and alleged street criminals or suspects. However, it is disconcerting that a new development has evolved. Police officers are now using unnecessary force on students, old people, children and almost any body. There are several incidents in 2007 where students were Tasered by police officers for very insignificant reasons. A student from UCLA was repeatedly stunned after having been caught studying in the library without his University ID. In Warren Ohio a University woman was harassed and Tasered by a police officer outside a bar without provocation. The stories go on and on. What is even more alarming is that these stories are increasingly becoming more common. This dysfunction in the United States today has ignited a fear among the public. Terrorism has a face and its face is of a police officer with a badge, a nightstick, mace and Taser (Roberts). The very people who promise to uphold the law are the very ones who abuse it. In many instances the public is fighting back. One such person is Larry Neill White who in 2007 shot and killed three police officers in his home in Odessa Texas (Johnson). The police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call and found themselves facing the barrel of White’s gun. Asked why he did not hesitate to shoot the police who were trying to apprehend him, his reply â€Å"You got these guys coming to your door, what would you do? (Johnson)† This is the most vicious attack on police officers of Odessa in 73 years. Sadly this event has been happening in other parts of the United States as well. In the first 10 months of 2007 at least 60 police officers have been shot and killed. Between the years of 2006 and 2007, there has been a 54% increase (Johnson) in recorded incidents of police officers’ killings. With criminality becoming more rampant, police officers are tasked to be more aggressive in apprehension. The public in response is becoming more mistrustful. The situation is steadily becoming more serious. The need to address this problem is becoming more urgent. Steps have been taken by the United States Government to address this problem. The Clinton Administration made the boldest effort to address the situation by increasing the training budget of law enforcement in ethics and integrity. An additional US$20 million budget (Amnesty International) was allotted to programs that would better equip police officers when interacting with their public. Michael Quinn, a 23-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department was interviewed by Lydia Howell in 2004 about his then newly released book, â€Å"Walking with the Devil: What Bad Cops Don’t Want You To Know and What Good Cops Won’t Tell You†, Mr. Quinn acknowledged that development of communication skills is of key importance in law enforcement. He said that acquiring proper communication skills is as vital as learning how to handle guns. It should be an integral part of law enforcement training. Many agree that the relationship between communication and nonviolence is fundamental (Martin). Furthermore, development of communication skills must be regarded with importance more so in police academies and rookie training. Young police officers who are not properly equipped in communication are more likely to commit misjudgments in the field. A great number of documented cases on police brutality and the use of unnecessary force involve racial and ethnic minorities. It is easy to assume that in these instances there is a huge break in communication. The Clinton Administration further addressed the issue by encouraging law enforcement agencies to increase their number of minorities’ employment. However experience would attest that even among people of the same racial background, communication may prove difficult, particularly in highly stressful situations. Arrests, â€Å"stop and frisk† situations, and even just the flagging down of vehicles by police officers in many cases are viewed as stressful events by the public. During this situations control is always with the police officers. They have the ability to dictate ensuing events. Therefore they need to be fully prepared to handle any eventuality. Most times, force and violence are not the answers to these situations. Most times, the logical and rational exchange of information is enough to achieve resolution of the matter at hand.

The Dramatic Scenes Of Romeo And Juliet English Literature Essay

The Dramatic Scenes Of Romeo And Juliet English Literature Essay Romeo and Juliet is a story of love set in Verona that has an unfortunate tragic ending. At the beginning of the play, the audience is shown the prologue of the play that familiarizes them with the tragic ending to come. In the play the audience sees a lot of contrast between love and hate and contrasts of emotions will become apparent as you continue through the play. The masked ball is at the very beginning of the play. Dramatic irony is allowed to run throughout the play as from the prologue the audience can tell that Romeo and Juliet are both going to collide and fall in love and this will happen despite the fact that they are from feuding families. As the audience hears in the prologue: A pair of star-crossd lovers take their life. This means that they have met only through fate and chance and that they will both die together. When they meet at the ball they have no idea to whom one another is and after enquiring they soon find out that they are from rivaling families. The prologue was preformed in a sonnet, which consists of 14 lines and 10 syllables in each line. Once Juliet realizes that Romeo is a Montague she immediately tells herself that: My only love sprung from my only true hate! This denotes that Juliet had just thought she had found the right person who she loves but she cannot love him, as he is her born enemy, a Montague. Romeo and Juliet are sharing actions. This shows that Romeo and Juliet have quickly become attracted to each other. The audience can see the couples togetherness; now Romeo and Juliet can also see their togetherness as they both exchange the hand position of prayer. This equates with the religious imagery and connotations within their speech. It is also showing that the relationship between the couple will expand onto a more faithful way. The audience sees that Juliet is reluctant to kiss Romeo when she says: If I profane with my unworthiest hand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Using a religious metaphor, Romeo remarkably talks Juliet in to allowing Romeo to kiss her. However this metaphor offers more uses. O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. A way in which Shakespeare has made this scene dramatically important is as the way that Shakespeare portrays Romeos thoughts when he first meets Juliet in a very poetic and romantic way. This becomes dramatically important as Romeo then links to a dove surrounded by ugly crows: Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear, So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows. From this the audience can tell that Romeo is completely shocked about Juliets appearance and beings to demonstrate her beauty. This is showing love at first sight with Juliet and after the first time he lays eyes on her he says: Did my heart love till now? Romeos use of language and speech is a lot more poetic in contrast to Lord Capulets jesting language. Capulets speech is fun and majestic in comparison to Romeos language being extremely dramatic and said in a serious manor and being very austere about what he is saying. It is almost as if it is too late for Romeo and Juliet as they fall in love before they find out each others identities The Montagues and Capulets fight takes place in the opening scene of the play. In this the audience can see an indication that the romance between Romeo and Juliet is set to become very complex due to the fighting between the two families and that their relationship could end in tragedy. This scene is very important as it gives the scene a lot of structure. The themes that the audience can take from this scene are: marriage, love, hate and conflict. Marriage in this scene refers to Paris bid to marry Juliet. Love in this scene refers to Romeo and Juliet unexpectedly converging and then instantly falling in love. Hate is found in this scene when Romeo and other close friends of the Montague Family, who are also foes of the Capulets, attend the Ball uninvited. And the audience sees conflict in this scene when Tybalt finds out Romeo is attending the Ball and wants him to immediately be removed. When Tybalt suddenly realizes that Romeo is at the ball the feeling of the atmosphere immediately changes as there is conflict and confrontation between Romeo and Tybalt, the audience knows this as Tybalt proclaims: Ill not endure him. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] He shall be endured. From this you can see that the two phrases are matched and that there is now a lot of anger coming from Tybalt sparking tension between the two characters that the audience immediately will pick up. A lot of thing said in Romeo and Juliet are said in a similar way to a poem, this is called iambic pentameter just as the audience sees when Tybalt exclaims. Ill not endure him, He shall be endured. This line is split, but the two different sentences are similar, the audience can tell that this is an argumentative conversation in this part if the play as by the way the sentence is converged. Tybalt utters: Fetch me my rapier boy. From this the audience can see that Tybalt has longed to fight Romeo and is more than willing to do so. The audience may decide to interpret this as anger and tension being created from the feud between the two rivalling families. And doing so will make the audience excited and ambitious. The story ends in tragedy and the audience is then left to feel sympathetic for Romeo and Juliet, as it was fait that played a very big are in the story. As just after one died the other died not knowing and reasoning into why one another died, but just assuming it was cause on their behalf. Not only this but Shakespeares use of dramatic affect really heightens the feeling that the audience receives from the play.

Free Essays - Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange :: Clockwork Orange Essays

  Clockwork Orange In Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, Burgess creates a gloomy future full of violence, rape and destruction. In this dystopian novel, Burgess does a fantastic job of constantly changing the readers’ allegiance toward the books narrator and main character, Alex. Writing in a foreign language, Burgess makes the reader feel like an outsider. As the novel begins, the reader has no emotional connection to Alex. This non-emotional state comes to a sudden halt when Alex and his droogs begin a series of merciless acts of violence. The reader rapidly begins to form what seems to be an irreversible hatred toward the books narrator. However, as time progresses, Burgess cleverly changes the tone of his novel. Once wishing only the harshest punishments be bestowed upon him, it is these same punishments that begin to change how the reader feels. In fact, by the end of the book, one almost begins to have pity for Alex. The same character that was once hated soon emerges as one of many victims taken throughout the course of the book. Throughout Alex’s narration, Burgess manages to change the readers’ allegiance toward a once seemingly evil character. Alex is the type of character one loves to hate; he makes it all too easy to dislike him. He is a brutal, violent, teenage criminal with no place in society. His one and only role is to create chaos, which he does too well. Alex’s violent nature is first witnessed during the first chapter, and is soon seen again when Alex and his gang chose to brutally beat an innocent drunkard. This beating off the homeless man serves no purpose other then to amuse Alex’s gang. The acts committed were not performed for revenge, the one reason given was that Alex did not enjoy seeing a homeless drunk, â€Å"I could never stand to see a moodge all filthy and rolling and burping and drunk, whatever his age might be, but more especially when he was real starry like this one was† (13). Alex continues to explain his reason for dislike, â€Å"his platties were a disgrace, all creased and untidy and covered in cal† (13), from this explanation one realizes his reasons for nearly k illing a man are simply based on pleasure, desire, and a dislike toward the untidy. By the end of the second chapter Burgess’s inventive usage of a different language to keep the reader alienated from forming opinions about Alex ceases to work.

Euclidean Geometry :: essays research papers

Euclidean Geometry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geometry was thoroughly organized in about 300 BC, when the Greek mathematician Euclid gathered what was known at the time, added original work of his own, and arranged 465 propositions into 13 books, called 'Elements'. The books covered not only plane and solid geometry but also much of what is now known as algebra, trigonometry, and advanced arithmetic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the ages, the propositions have been rearranged, and many of the proofs are different, but the basic idea presented in the 'Elements' has not changed. In the work facts are not just cataloged but are developed in a fashionable way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even in 300 BC, geometry was recognized to be not just for mathematicians. Anyone can benefit from the basic learning of geometry, which are how to follow lines of reasoning, how to say precisely what is intended, and especially how to prove basic concepts by following these lines of reasoning. Taking a course in geometry is beneficial for all students, who will find that learning to reason and prove convincingly is necessary for every profession. It is true that not everyone must prove things, but everyone is exposed to proof. Politicians, advertisers, and many other people try to offer convincing arguments. Anyone who cannot tell a good proof from a bad one may easily be persuaded in the wrong direction. Geometry provides a simplified universe, where points and lines obey believable rules and where conclusions are easily verified. By first studying how to reason in this simplified universe, people can eventually, through practice and experience, learn how to reason in a complicated world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geometry in ancient times was recognized as part of everyone's education. Early Greek philosophers asked that no one come to their schools who had not learned the 'Elements' of Euclid. There were, and still are, many who resisted this kind of education. It is said that Ptolemy I asked Euclid for an easier way

Local and National Provision for Swimming :: Papers

Local and National Provision for Swimming The sport I have chosen to analyse the Local and National provision for is swimming. I have competed in many "in-club" races and swam against several other clubs, this was through a continuous interest in swimming and sport as a whole. Every popular sport has to be provided for at different levels, from an absolute beginner, to international excellence. At each level, there are different coaching and training procedures, as well as the consideration of the disabled to cater for. This operation is run by the Amateur Swimming Association (A.S.A.), where rules are made official and provision is provided, which coaches and swimmers have to abide by. The A.S.A has a swimmer development program called Swim21. I quote from the website, "Swim21 provides a long overdue nationally recognised club development programme which provides clear pathways which swimmers can progress along. I'm sure the programme will go along way to helping us produce the champions of the future." The quote basically tells us that the A.S.A is very keen to produce talented swimmers into the future and do everything it can to achieve this. Swim21 also applies to disabled swimmers. At grass roots level the most important contributor to the access a young performer has to sport is usually from the school, and this is no different in swimming. As well as this many young children have available to them the opportunity of learning to swim at their local swimming facility. Henceforth, in general, once young swimmers have learned the basics, with a particular enjoyment for the sport, they have the choice to move onto competitive swimming by signing up to a club registered with the A.S.A within their area. The next stage to improving is to enter into a training program, suited for age and experience. Normally within a swimming club, there are teaching groups depending on the experience and skills they have, so that they can therefore train to become better, or train to perfect the skills the need to

Definition of Terms Essay

A pre-Socratic Greek materialist philosopher. Democritus was a student of Leucippus and co-originator of the belief that all matter is made up of various imperishable, indivisible elements which he called atoma or â€Å"indivisible units†, from which we get the English word atom. Mesopotamia A cradle of civilization geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq. Sumer in southern Mesopotamia is commonly regarded as the world’s earliest civilization. Cities in Mesopotamia later served as capitals of the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mitanni, Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Parthian, Sassanid and Abbasid empires. Idea A concept or abstraction formed and existing in the mind. Human capability to contemplate ideas is associated with the ability of reasoning, self-reflection, and the ability to acquire and apply intellect. Further, ideas give rise to actual concepts, or mind generalizations, which are the basis for any kind of knowledge whether science or philosophy. Humbaba A monstrous giant of immemorial age raised by Utu, the Sun. Humbaba orHuwawa was also the guardian of the Cedar Forest where the gods lived. Anubis The Greek name for the ancient jackal-headed god of the dead in Egyptian mythology whose hieroglyphic version is more accurately spelled Anpu. He is also known as Sekhem Em Pet. Prayers to Anubis have been found carved on the most ancient tombs in Egypt; indeed, the Unas text (line 70) associates him with the Eye of Horus. He serves as both a guide of the recently departed and a guardian of the dead. Kumarbi Kumarbi bit off the genitals of Anu and spat out three new gods. This is related in the Hittite myth Kingship in Heaven: Alalu was overthrown by Anu who was in turn overthrown by Kumarbi. When Anu tried to escape Kumarbi bites off his genitals. Anu tells his son that he is now pregnant with the Teshub, Tigris and Tasmisu. Upon hearing this Kumarbi spit the semen upon the ground and it became impregnated with two children. Kumarbi becomes pregnant and is cut open to deliver Tesub. Together, Anu and Teshub depose Kumarbi Tammuz Tammuz was established in honor of the eponymous god Tammuz, who originated as a Sumerian shepherd-god, Dumuzid or Dumuzi, the consort of Inanna and, in his Akkadian form, the parallel consort of Ishtar. The Syrian Adonis (â€Å"lord†), who was drawn into the Greek pantheon, is another counterpart of Tammuz,son and consort. The Aramaic name â€Å"Tammuz† seems to have been derived from the Akkadian form Tammuzi, based on early Sumerian Damu-zid. Oligarchy A form of government where political power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society (whether distinguished by wealth, family or military powers). The word oligarchy is from the Greek words for â€Å"few†. Aton Aton was the focus of Akhenaten’s religion, but viewing Aton as Akhenaten’s god is a simplification. Aton is the name given to represent the solar disc. The term Aton was used to designate a disc, and since the sun was a disc, gradually became associated with solar deities. Aton expresses indirectly the life-giving force of light. Babylon A city of ancient Mesopotamia, the ruins of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers (55 mi) south of Baghdad. It was the â€Å"holy city† of Babylonia from around 2300 BC, and the seat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 612 BC. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Iliad The poem concerns events during the tenth and final year in the siege of the city of Ilion, or Troy, by the Greeks (See Trojan War). The word Iliad means â€Å"pertaining to Ilion† (in Latin, Ilium), the city proper, as opposed to Troy (in Greek, , Troia; in Latin, Troia), the state centered around Ilium, over which Priam reigned. The names Ilium and Troy are often used interchangeably. Hyksos An Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta, initiating the Second Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt. They rose to power in the 17th century BC, (according to the traditional chronology) and ruled Lower and Middle Egypt for 108 years, forming the Fifteenth and possibly the Sixteenth Dynasties of Egypt, (c. 1648–1540 BC). [1] This 108-year period follows the Turin Canon, which gives the six kings of the Hyksos 15th Dynasty a total reign length of 108 years. [2] Epimetheus Epimetheus (â€Å"hindsight†, literally â€Å"hind-thought†) was the brother of Prometheus (â€Å"foresight†, literally â€Å"fore-thought†), a pair of Titans who â€Å"acted as representatives of mankind† (Kerenyi 1951, p 207). They were the inseparable sons of Iapetus, who in other contexts was the father of Atlas. While Prometheus is characterized as ingenious and clever, Epimetheus is depicted as foolish. Attica A periphery (subdivision) in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece. Attica is subdivided into the prefectures of Athens, Piraeus, East Attica and West Attica. Enki A deity in Sumerian mythology, later known as Ea in Babylonian mythology, originally chief god of the city of Eridu. He was the deity of crafts . The exact meaning of his name is uncertain: the common translation is â€Å"Lord of the Earth†: the Sumerian en is translated as a title equivalent to â€Å"lord† Nebuchadnezzar II A ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c. 605 BC-562 BC. He is famous for his monumental building within his capital of Babylon, his role in the Book of Daniel, and his construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and known among Christians and Jews for his conquests of Judah and Jerusalem. Ionians One of the four main ancient Greek phyla or tribes, linked by their use of the Ionic dialect of the Greek language whose settlements were located principally on the Islands between Greece and Anatolia—but whose peoples settled on both coasts as well (giving rise to the eponymously named region of Ionia), which migrations includes only the southern areas of the Greek mainland including Athens. Akhenaten Meaning Effective spirit of Aten, first known as Amenhotep IV (sometimes read as Amenophis IV and meaning Amun is Satisfied) before his first year, was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. He is especially noted for attempting to compel the Egyptian population in the monotheistic worship of Aten, although there are doubts as to how successful he was at this. Inanna The goddess of love and war, if Inanna wasn’t strapping on her battle sandals,she was seen swaggering around the streets of her home town, dragging young men out of the taverns to have sex with her. Despite her association with mating and fertility of humans and animals, Inanna was not a mother goddess, and is rarely associated with childbirth. Inanna was also associated with rain and storms and with the planet Venus.. Boundless It is symbolized by the infinity sign which is like an inverted number 8. Ii manifests the eternal powers of a god-king which is limitless. Annunaki A group of Sumerian and Akkadian deities related to, and in some cases overlapping with, the Annuna (the ‘Fifty Great Gods’) and the Igigi (minor gods). The name is variously written â€Å"da-nuna†, â€Å"da-nuna-ke4-ne†, or â€Å"da-nun-na†, meaning something to the effect of ‘those of royal blood’ or ‘princely offspring or â€Å"heaven and earth† (Anu-na-ki) The Annunaki appear in the Babylonian creation myth, Enuma Elish. Shamash Means â€Å"sun†. Both in early and in late inscriptions Sha-mash is designated as the â€Å"offspring of Nannar,† i. e. of the moon-god, and since, in an enumeration of the pantheon, Sin generally takes precedence of Shamash, it is in relationship, presumably, to the moon-god that the sun-god appears as the dependent power. Academy An institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership. The name traces back to Plato’s school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, north of Athens. Sparta A Dorian Greek military city-state, originally centered in Laconia. Sparta emphasized military training, and after achieving notable victories over the Athenian and Persian Empires, regarded itself as the natural protector of Greece. The Kings of Sparta were believed to be the direct descendants of Hercules. [ Hephaestus The Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan; he was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. He was worshipped in all the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, especially Athens identified by Greek colonists in southern Italy with the volcano gods Adranus of Mount Etna and Vulcanus of the Lipara islands, and his forge moved here by the poets. Uruk An ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates, on the line of the ancient Nil canal, in a region of marshes, some 30 km east of As-Samawah, Al-Muthanna, Iraq. Octavian The name Gaius Octavius. His father, of the same name, came from a respectable but undistinguished family of the equestrian order and had been governor of Macedonia. After Octavius’ birth, his father gave him the cognomen of Thurinus, possibly to commemorate his victory at Thurii over a rebellious band of slaves. [ Dialectics A controversy, that is, the exchange of arguments and counter-arguments respectively advocating propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses). The outcome of the exercise might not simply be the refutation of one of the relevant points of view, but a synthesis or combination of the opposing assertions. Gaea The Greek goddess personifying the Earth. Her Roman equivalent was Terra . derives from the Greek words Ge ( ) = Earth (Pelasgian), and *aia = grandmother (PIE The Republic A Socratic dialogue by Plato, written approximately 360 BC. It is an influential work of philosophy and political theory, and perhaps Plato’s best known work. Minotaur A creature that was part man and part bull. â€Å"Minotaur† is Greek for â€Å"Bull of Minos†. It dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction built for King Minos of Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold the Minotaur. The Minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus Utnapishtim In the eleventh tablet of the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim â€Å"the faraway† is the wise king of the Sumerian city state of Shuruppak who, along with his unnamed wife, survived a great flood sent by Enlil to drown every living thing on Earth. Kadesh An ancient city of the Levant, located on the Orontes River, probably identical to the remains at Tell Nebi Mend,about 24 km southwest of Hims ,in what is now western Syria . Kadesh is first noted as one of two Canaanite cities (the other being Megiddo) that led a coalition of city-states opposing the conquest of the Levant by Thutmose III Neanderthals A species of the Homo genus (Homo neanderthalensis or Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia. The first proto-Neanderthal traits appeared in Europe as early as 350,000 years ago. Stela A stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerary or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living—inscribed, carved in relief (bas-relief, sunken-relief, high-relief, etc), or painted onto the slab. Pandora The first woman, Each god helped create by giving her unique gifts. Zeus ordered her creation as a punishment for mankind, in retaliation for Prometheus’ having stolen fire and then giving it to humans for their use. She is most famous for carrying a jar (pithos) (or box) containing all the world’s evils. She releases these evils, but closes the lid before Hope can escape. Knossos The largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. The city of Knossos remained important through the Classical and Roman periods Pax Romana The latin term for â€Å"the Roman peace† (sometimes Pax Augusta), was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire between 27 BC and 180 AD. Augustus Caesar led Rome into the moderation of Pax Romana, and his successors for the most part imitated his policy. This period ended with the death of Marcus Aurelius, which is considered the start of the decline of the Roman Empire. Xerxes A king of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty. Xerxes ( ) is the Greek form of the Old Persian throne name Xsayarsa, meaning â€Å"Ruler of heroes†. Xerxes was victorious during the initial battles. At the Battle of Thermopylae, a small force of warriors, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, resisted the much larger Persian forces, but were ultimately defeated, after a Greek man called Ephialtes betrayed his country by telling the Persians of another pass around the Hot Gates Mountains to corner them. Thebes A city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. Thebes played an important role in the fabric of Greek myth, being the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus.

Managing Communications, Knowledge Ans Information

Introduction In this unit my aim is to understand the access sources of finance for a business and the skills financial information for decision making. I will be learning how finance information is recorded and how to use this information to make decision for example in planning and budgeting. Task 1 1. 1 Evaluate the amount of available financing, for instance, venture capitalists and other equity financeers can offer millions of dollars to small business owners. Bank loans and small-business loans often do not offer such large amounts of financing.Debt, equity and grant, debt financing involves obtaining capital by going into debt. An example of debt financing includes loans. Equity financing consists of obtaining capital in exchange for a share of your company. Examples of equity financing include investors or stock 1. 2 A) Tax effects The taxes affect a business in the capital it will be able to spend on expanding the business. The more money they pay in taxes, the less money th ey have to hire more employees and grow the business. Taxes also cut into profits and the company’s stock value.This is the reason why the government can create jobs by easing the tax burden on company workers. When company’s start hiring they have a larger number of people they have paying taxes, and the more people working the lower the tax rate can be, plus the more money going into Social Security. Also lower taxes on the workers inability for them to save and invest in more companies and their personal future. b) 1. 1://www. ehow. com/how_6522588_select-sources-finance-business. html#ixzz2OGLEYw00 http://www. ehow. com/how_6522588_select-sources-finance-business. html#ixzz2OGKQ34PI

The Benefits of an Aging Population Outweigh the Disadvantages

Ageing population is one of the most discussed matters. It is because fertility rate is steadily decreasing and life expectancy is increasing. Some believe that it is a huge problem whereas others stand on opposite view. In this writing I will explain why there are more benefits than cautions of the elder generation to the society. As human beings age, they become more dependent on the care of others. Traditionally, this care was provided by the family, but nowadays, the need for care presents a burden which many families cannot cope with.Moreover, elderly people need medical care, day centres, transport and leisure. All these points cause many economic consequences. The major problem is funding welfare systems, such as pensions and healthcare. That means that governments need to spend more. Consequently that could raise income taxes. Of course, elder citizens do need more heath care, but many others are fit, competent and self-sustaining. For instance, across Europe, typically only one retired person in 20 lives in a care home.In the UK, of 10m over 65s, just 3 percent live in care homes. In addition for that, those who survived drugs binges, fast cars, or bad marriages, are older, they are still rocking and making more use of condoms that their younger generation. For example, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. Even they are in their 70s nobody has idea of a dependant. Furthermore, non-celebrities also remain active, assertive and independent.They fill library and seminar halls once crammed with callow youths. They run picket lines or marathons. Millions of the middle-class retired continue working and they are often more valuable than young workers. Some worry that older workforce will be less innovative and adaptable, but there is evidence that companies with a decent proportion of older workers are more productive than those addicted to youth. Finally, elder generation less hooked on the latest ‘gizmos’.They may even reduce pressure on the worldâ₠¬â„¢s recourses by consuming less, and by conserving environment. In conclusion, it is true that as getting older, mankind need more care and attention, both from the family and the government. However in the modern life, as medicine and technology developed, they are healthier and independent. From my prospective, in future old people will be expected to stay in the formal economy longer.

China and WTO Essay

Since 2001 the world has witnessed a rapid growth of China in terms of its economy. With the goods having a â€Å"Made in China† label becoming a frequent part of our lives, China paves its way ever on the road to success. The credit to such a boom in the country’s trade (peculiarly exports) goes to one key factor: Globalization. Cognizant of the World Trade Organization’s potential to let China fully practice Globalization, right after its membership of WTO China marked an instance of global significance. Today with the steps of China gradually turning the uni-polar world into a bi-polar one, the analysts of global trade and economy predict China to soon supplant the United States, wholly on the basis of its tenacious economic stand. Initially, this paper attempts to develop a comprehension of rudimentary concepts pertaining to the World Trade Organization, Globalization and China. The paper further elucidates the major argument by a conscientious analysis of China’s practice of Globalization, accession to WTO, different attitudes about a Globalized China and impacts of its WTO membership not only on the country itself but also on the whole world. Introduction: It is a datum of experience that in the scene of modern existence globalization has emerged as an inevitable process. With its instruments like the World Trade Organization, Globalization has profoundly penetrated into the roots of the modern economic system thereby affecting different nations differently. With WTO and economic globalization being in vogue in the business world, what remains the topic of a controversial debate is the entrance of China into WTO. Previously a member with average participation in the international trade, China has established itself as one of the top most economies of the contemporary world immediately after signing the agreement with WTO in the year 2001. As the concerned year marked a celebration for China, it also proved as a sinister for many other nations that had been dominating the international trade before China’s formal stepping into it. With a multifaceted nature of China’s WTO membership, there remain a number of ambiguities in terms of its corollaries on the world and the country itself. Globalization: Before laying the foundation of the paper’s major argument, it is mandatory to comprehend the concept of globalization. â€Å"Globalization is what happens when the movement of people, goods, or ideas among countries and regions accelerates. † In the contemporary world, all the aspects of life are touched by the ravishing presence of globalization. Once comprehended as a mere economic phenomenon involving the flow of goods and services across borders, the term has transcended to reach the exchange of language, culture and relationships among nations† . According to Suarez in ‘Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium’, the commencement and proliferation of globalization coalesces a series of cycles. Of them, the first cycle began in 1492 ending in the early seventeenth century whereas the second cycle embarked in the late seventeenth century. Globalization is often reckoned as an elusive concept keeping under consideration its dual prospects. This multi faceted view is clear in every aspect of globalization. For instance, international organizations like WHO, UNESCO and UNDP are trying to ameliorate the standard of life across the globe by attempts for eliminating poverty, improving health conditions and providing job opportunities etc. Such steps on the part of globalization provide its positive picture attempting to elevate the nations. On the other hand, the instruments of globalization like multinational companies are exploiting the world labour and have become a major source of collapse of many domestic businesses. Wal-Mart is one of the many examples in this concern. Not only feared by the smaller businesses of Non American countries, the domestic investors suffer the same threat. According to an interview (documented in the article ‘Rediscovering Uncle Sam’ of the book ‘Ambassadors of Peace) with the Mayor of Chestertown, Margo G. Bailey told how she has been fighting the Wal-Mart from entering into the small city of Chestertown for almost a decade because the invasion of Wal-Mart would mean a fiasco for the owners of the small businesses in the locality. This means that if globalization is elevating humans, it is equally abusing them. With the ascending power of globalization in the contemporary world, what becomes the reason of its achievement is three facts. First is the globalization’s role in the amelioration of technology. Twenty first century is considered as the hey day of science, technology and telecommunication. The second reason is the provision of integration of people across borders to get acquainted with the foreign cultures. This has specially marked a boom in tourism industry. Thirdly, the concept of free trade as advocated by globalization has increased the capital flow between nations who are now more interested in global trade without being interfered by the state government. Of many forces of globalization, World Trade Organization is considered its key instrument. World Trade Organization: Formed in 1995, World Trade Organization stands as the only hegemonic power ruling the trade in the international business market. WTO started to informally supplant General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that had been carrying on the same function in the global market since 1947. The working of WTO is based key principles which are available in the form of its written documentation covering almost every kind of activity happening in the international trade. One of these principles is to equally treat all the participating nations in the business market. This means that any policy framed by WTO would be implemented on all the nations alike irrespective of their status in the global market. Another principle of WTO advocates Free Trade which means the elimination of trade barriers like tariffs, regulation or other such measures of protectionism imposed by the government thereby impeding the process of liberal trade or smooth flow of goods and services among the nations. WTO also makes sure the transparency of trade policies by making all the nations cognizant of them through their 2300 paged of agreements providing every term in black and white. In the similar way, the negotiations regarding the policy matters are not made surreptitious thereby making the adjustments open to all the other members too. With a seemingly stringent frame of law, WTO also believes in providing flexibility to the developing countries in order to make their positive contribution possible in the competitive market. According to Article III of ‘Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization’ WTO is responsible for five major functions. These responsibilities involve, 1. Implementation, administration and operation of Multilateral, Plurilateral and its own trade agreements. 2. Providing a platform of negotiations between different member nations regarding their trade policies and agreements. It also assists them in implementing the decided policies. 3. Settling the disputes among the member nations. The nature of such disputes is generally trade-policy based where the WTO serves as an arbiter between the conflicting nations. 4. Facilitating and training the weaker members in order to create a balance in the global economy. For achieving the desired goal, WTO co-operates with World Bank and International Monitory Fund. 5. Monitoring the trade policies that have been implemented and to make possible the aspect of transparency in these policies. China in the contemporary world: It was about two hundred years ago that China was he ruling power of global economy. After years of a sleeping giant, China has rapidly raised its status in the global community in the wake of the last decade. This aggrandizing significance is specially marked in the growing performance of the country in terms of its annual economic performance. This is clear by analyzing the performance of China’s ship building industry. Considered as a poor quality manufacturer around 1980s, it has grown into a ‘bona fide’ world industry today. As a result of this boom in the economy, millions of Chinese previously living at the bottom line of poverty enjoy better standards of life today. For the very reason World Bank believes that â€Å"China achieved the fastest doubling of economic output ever from 1978 to 1987, far outpacing both early industrializers (e. g. , United Kingdom, United States, and Japan) and late industrializers (e. g. , Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan) alike. It then repeated the feat from 1987–1996† and looks like continuing the same pace in the future to come. To restate, as a result of globalizing process China has doubled the per capita income for three times after 1978. Of the over all augmenting profits, China’s major gains also lie in its textile industry. Reviewing China’s consistent rise for the past many years, many analysts proscribe China most likely to supplant the position of the U. S. by becoming the most powerful economy of the world around 2050 as the former has already caught the high brow of the world. While talking to China Daily, Long Yongtu, China’s former WTO chief negotiator said, â€Å"Because China’s economy is more open, and China’s economic size is much bigger, the world is more sensitive to what’s happening in China. I think in that way China is really changing the world. â€Å"