Monday, September 30, 2019

One Minute Manager Essay

The most obvious lesson I learned in how simple management can be. The One Minute Manager Style of Management, at it’s most advanced form is basically the opposite of micromanaging. It is a quick and quick and concise form of management that maxamizes results. It is a technique that can also be taken outside of the work place. One minute Goal Setting is the simplest of the steps to becoming a One Minute Manager. It requires both parties to write down their goals in a short and concise format. One minute praisings are unique because the manager spends considerable time seeking for what an employee does right instead of anticipating the employee to do something wrong. Many of us can remember back to when we were kids and did something to upset our parents. The times that we felt the worst were when our parents acted in a manner consistent with the One Minute Reprimand style. It is imparative that a manager sets clear and concise goals with the employee as soon as the first time on the job. Everytime there is a project the employee(s) should sit down and write goals that do not exceed a page in length, but should also be quantitive. Read and reread each goal periodically, as well as evaluating the employee’s performance. After reading the goal setting procedure it would have saved me many headaches and misunderstandings. It is especially nice because the manager and the employee get a copy of the goals. If the employee ever forgets the goals, he or she can simply look at their one page document. The manager should file the goals so they can be revisited upon the project’s completion to see if goals were met. All of this helps eliminate diffusion of responsibility within the workplace since every employee will have a written statement of what they need to focus on for their project. I recently started using One Minute Appraisals. I started this about 3 months ago. It has benefited me both in my professional and personal life. It has improved my relationship with my girlfriend. She has constantly complained about how I never tell her what she does well. I finally took the intiative and decided to tell her what she does well. I noticed it improved a relationship with a new employee. He is in charge of an â€Å"additional duty.† However, since he is new he felt like he did not know the program as well as he could have. I asked him if he had received the training reltated to the additional duty. He said, â€Å"Yes.† I proceeded to ask him a series of questions he should know. He answered them all correctly and even provided me with information that I did not know. To me, this was impressive because I spent 2 years at this base and 4 months on this additional duty and had never learned what he had just told me. After he gave us all his valuable knowledge I pulled him aside and praised him. I told him that he needs to be more confident and he just provided valuable information to 2 of the most experienced technicians in the shop. Just like the book said he would be, he was surprised. I gave him a very strip down version of the appraisal. I did not however, tell him the benefit he had had towards the shop. I did see the realization in his eyes and the boost in his confidence. I will take what I learned from this book and use it, especially now since I will be held responsible of the training of the 5 newest airmans. One minute reprimand is a very useful tool in a manager’s arsenal. It lets the employee know what he or she did wrong, why it upsets the manager, and why it is not beneficial to the company, all in under one minute. I personally do not like to give one minute reprimands. I usually am disappointed when a fellow employee fails to do what I ask, and simply take it upon myself to do the job correctly. The company would benefit most if I took this fellow employee aside and told him why I am disappointed in him. Part of the blame would be placed on myself because I did not establish written goals with him or her. If there was a scenario where written goals were established, hopefully a one minute reprimand would motivate the employee not to committ the same mistake. The One Minute Goal Setting, One Minute Appraisals, and One Minute Reprimad allows the One Minute Manager to spend adequate time with his employees in order to produce the best results possible. It also opens up time for the manager to focus on the business and create possibilities of growth. The time spent with employees is not about quanitity, it’s about quality. The manager allows the time to create unique expectations for each employee as well as maintain open communication about achievements and disappointmens of employees. This system provides feedback while allowing the employees and the manager to move about things at a quick pace to stay on top of everything. The One Minute Manager is ideal within the workplace due to the level of trust he has established with his employees, and the success he has in all aspects of his life.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Week final assignment

For each article, address the following: a. Create a bibliographic citation in PAP format for each article b. Summarize the article, addressing the following questions: I. Who? I. What was done? Iii. How was it done? Iv. What were the findings? V. What contributions has this research made? C. Describe in a meaningful way, how the article contributed to your knowledge and understanding about your selected research topic. D. Critique the article: I. Is this article well-written and well-researched? Ii. Did it/does it lead to new ideas and findings in the selected researched area? E.Synthesize your understanding of the article with what you have learned throughout the course to describe the new learning that took place as a result of reading and thinking critically about the article. A. ADD. (1997, Par 06). Dayton Daily News. Retrieved from http://search. Prostitutes/ This article was published in the Dayton Daily News. The main focus of this article was the simple definition of what At tention deficit hyperactivity disorder is. It explained that it individuals with this disorder are unable to pay attention and are very impulsive. It states that children with this disorder often do not do well in school.No matter what their intelligence level is, they still will not do well in school. The article listed many symptoms that include having short attention spans, forgetful, do not meme to listen well, do not pay attention to details and individuals also fail to finish things they Start. This article listed many symptoms that I were not aware were part of it. At the same time many of the symptoms seem to describe many children in preschool and kindergarten age. Which it surprised me that the article stated that children need to be diagnosed before the age of 7.But I was glad to see that some of the symptoms have to create a real hardship in the lives before the individual can be diagnosed. This article was helpful in the sense that it was very simple and straight to the point. It loud be good to have as a reference in order to maybe talk to parents if problems become apparent with a child. B. Sorrows, K. F. (2009). ADD: urban teachers' knowledge, beliefs and classroom practice. (Order No. 3361083, University of Massachusetts Boston). Prosiest Dissertations and Theses, , 234-n/a. Retrieved from http://search. Prosiest. Mom/ deceive/305140059? Cacao anti=32521. (305140059). This article was written by Karen Sorrows in 2009. This article talked about the importance of teacher intervention with students that have ADD. These students were from the urban area where medical intervention is less likely to append. The article also discusses how a teacher may juggle the needs of students with ADD and the others students who do not have the disorder. It talks about the interrelationships between urban elementary school teachers use and effectiveness of research based interventions for ADD.The study showed teachers' knowledge of ADD and the support they recei ve from the school districts. This was a very useful article in the way that it showed that there are support groups and other teachers deal with students with ADD. It allows a community for a teacher to go to and get any idea and or help if they deed it. It helps put in perspective that there are many families and children that are affected by this disorder that are unable to seek medical help and it is up to the teacher to try to make the best of the situation for the children sake. C. Dovish, S, van, d. O.. Wires, R.W. , print, P. J. , & M. (2013). What part of working memory is not working in ADD? Short-term memory, the central executive and effects of reinforcement. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41 901-17. Did:http://DXL. Did. Rover. MM 0802-013-9729-9 This article was written by several authors that included Dovish, Van, Wires, ND Primps. This article talks about the defects in the working memory that are common with ADD. In children that have ADD their working memory is what is affected the most. Both cognitive and motivational deficits are aberrant working memory performance.This is a good article in the sense that it helps individuals understand the inside working of the mind of a child who has ADD. It helps show the memory that it affects and controls. From the visual to the short term memory, there is more to ADD then we know. I found this article very interesting and it is very informative on the details of he workings of the brain of an individual with ADD. 5. Summarize the overall findings of your research including the summary, description, critique, and synthesis completed for each individual article. A.In the article that I read I found that there are fewer children that are affected with ADD than prior thought. It is said that only 5% of children are affected with ADD. It also gave me some insight on what some of the symptoms are. Even though some seem very extreme, the symptoms are very treatable. Most children with ADD are able to b ecome functioning parts of society once they become adults. It is said that all children no matter what their intelligence level maybe still have problems academically in one way or another. I also learned that many parents blame the school systems for their child's ADD problems.They blame the teachers for not being able to â€Å"teach† properly or looking for a way out of teaching their children. ADD is a genetic disorder that runs throughout the family. 6. Describe two applications this research and your deepened understanding of this educational psychology topic have to the following: a. Academic goals I. My research has really opened my eyes on how children with ADD feel and hat they may go through. It is a very sad and yet very challenging. Plan to try to keep up on all the information that I can in order to make sure that each student gets the best education possible.I know that some children with ADD can be difficult in the classroom and with other students, but it is my job as an educator to stay current with all that is happening and any new teaching techniques. Taking extra classes and helping parents as much as I can is always an option. I will also learn to distinguish the difference between a child acting out and a child who may have ADD b. Personal goals I. I know that what have researched will help in my future teaching career. I plan on teaching middle school history and children at that age can be very trying at times.I can only hope that the proper steps were taken in prior years through possible academic assessments and other symptoms to get children the medical help that they need in order to do well through the middle school years. Can only hope that if by chance I do encounter a child with ADD I have learned the proper tools in order to give the child the best education I can. C. Current role I. In my current role as a mother, wife and a full time employee I can see that I eave seen many individuals with many (but not all and not c onsecutively) symptoms of ADD and to be honest it can be very frustrating at times.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Caree paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Caree paper - Essay Example The ultimate mission of a teacher is to produce a skilled and an informed citizenry. The paper covers the history, requirements, duties, and the job outlook of a high school or a secondary teacher. In the earliest times, cultural, social values, religion, knowledge, traditions, skills, and morality were passed on to generation by informal education. Education was achieved by imitation and observation. It was in oral form. Parents, kids, and extended family acted as teachers to the young. With the complexity of the ancient civilization, customs and knowledge about agriculture, boat building, military, and other activities called for the demand for teachers. The revolutionary war led to an improvement of education in America. Majority of the teachers at the time were male (Saleh & Khine, 2012). Horace Mann in 1647 opened the first free public school. A significant step in the education sector took pace in 1857, coming up with National Teachers Association. It gave rise to the current teacher profession. Becoming a teacher is not easy. A secondary teacher has to pass through high school, complete college and obtain a four-year bachelor degree in the field or subject they wish to teach. In addition, they have to go through one to two years of college in a Credential program. The program entails classes on how to teach. It also tests knowledge of PRAXIS, CBEST, and SSAT (Saleh & Khine, 2012). Teachers are of different types. Each has a unique and a complicated job. Elementary teachers teach grade K to 8. Secondary teachers teach grade 6 to 12. Special Ed teachers teach students with disabilities. The substitute teachers fill in for the absent teachers. Finally, we have the professors who teach in colleges. A secondary teacher teaches in one major subject area like Mathematics, English, Science, History, and Arts. Their daily duties involve making lesson plans, attending lessons, grading papers, assigning grades, contacting parents, keeping attendance and

Friday, September 27, 2019

Unemployment Rates in California Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Unemployment Rates in California - Term Paper Example Looking into the different aspects of this and understanding how it is affecting the economy can then provide different relationships to changing the available opportunities that are within the region. California is an important region to analyze in terms of unemployment rates because of the comparisons of those who don’t have jobs to the rest of the countries. California has the fourth largest amount of unemployment in the nation, with an average of 11.4% of the population not having a steady job. This has increased dramatically from the year 2005, with the average at 4% and now jumping to almost 12%, as seen in the graph below. The highest in the nation is at 13.6% and the lowest unemployment rate carries 4.3%. For California, this shows that dramatic measures need to be taken to change the amount of unemployment in the state. Even though California is ranked at one of the highest percentages from 2009, they have also had one of the largest decreases in unemployment rates with 33,600 individuals who were able to find work within the region. However, it was also noted that the changes in unemployment decreases of 12.4% were specifically related to seasonal adjustments that occur each year. Not only was the increase considered above average, but the unemployment rates in general for California were at a lower average than last year. In August of 2009, there were 13,900,700 individuals in California that were unemployment. In 2010, the rate was 13,827,900, with a difference of 112,800 people that were employed in 2010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). The unemployment that is occurring in California is dependent on different industries and the changes that are occurring within the economy. The unemployment and percentage increase by industry is as follows: The industry is one of the factors that are seen with the amount of unemployment that has taken place in California. There are

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Torts problem question Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Torts problem question - Case Study Example Driver's Duty of Care and Breach. In Nettleship v. Weston, [1971] 3 W.L.R. 370 citing Glasgow Corporation v. Muir [1943] A.C. 448, 457, it was ruled that "if a driver goes off the road on to the pavement and injures a pedestrian, or damages property, he is prima facie liable. Likewise if he goes on to the wrong side of the road. It is no answer for him to say: 'I was a learner driver under instruction. I was doing my best and could not help it.' The civil law permits no such excuse. It requires of him the same standard of care as of any other driver. 'It eliminates the personal equation and is independent of the idiosyncrasies of the particular person whose conduct is in question.' The learner driver may be doing his best, but his incompetent best is not good enough. He must drive in as good a manner as a driver of skill, experience and care, who is sound in wind and limb, who makes no errors of judgment, has good eyesight and hearing, and is free from any infirmity." (see Richley (H enderson) v. Faull. Richley, Third Party [1965] 1 W.L.R. 1454; Watson v. Thomas S. Whitney & Co. Ltd. [1966] 1 W.L.R. 57). Applying the same principle to the instant case, Anna must, whether or not she is driving a car or a bicycle or motorcycle, whether in a road, highway, street, or bicycle path in a local park, as a driver drive in as good a manner as a driver of skill, experience and care, sound in wind and limb, who makes no errors of judgment, has good eyesight and hearing, and is free from any infirmity. But Anna failed to exercise the duty of care incumbent upon her as a driver and a local park at that where it is expected that a lot of people and pedestrians would be walking about. In Eyres v Atkinsons Kitchens & Bedrooms Ltd., [2007] EWCA Civ 365, the judge found a driver liable in negligence for personal injury sustained in a road traffic accident because prior to the accident the driver had been exchanging text messages on his mobile phone, and that it had been the drive r's inattention through using his mobile phone that caused the accident. Likewise, in the case of R. v Payne (John), [2007] 2 Cr. App. R. (S.) 45, it was ruled that the driver was rightfully convicted because the driver allowed himself to be distracted whilst driving by using a mobile phone. (See also Robertson v Klos, [2005] HCJAC 136). In the case of Anna, she was driving with only one hand and using her mobile phone with the other. Hence, Anna was negligent in her driving and in breach of her duty of care as a driver. Causation. To be able to claim against Anna for personal injury and/or damage to property under the law of tort, it is imperative that causation must be established. There is causation when both factual causation and legal causation are present. Factual causation refers to the nexus between the defendant's action and the claimant's damage (the 'but for' test) while legal causation refers to the break or 'novus actus' in the chain of causation. Applying the 'but for' test applied by Lord Denning in Cork v Kirby MacLean [1952], and illustrated in Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee [1969], Brian would not have suffered personal injury (significant cuts and a bad sprain to his ankle) and damage to property (his Walkman damaged beyond repair) but for failure of Anna to

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Economy analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economy analysis - Assignment Example People find it more convenient to order books from online vendors than to go out to bookstores to look for books the way they did before the digital revolution. The second point is that in addition to Amazon, there are now many avenues through which people access eBooks, hence the loss of the need to visit libraries. The final point he makes is that copyright laws are lagging behind, since they were developed in an era where the current potential for digitization did not exist. It is important to have a balance between access to published material bearing the cost of production in mind, and to retain the â€Å"incentive to create† for writers (Posner). There are two key strengths in Posner’s article. The article communicates very clearly the relationship between the demise of the bookstores and libraries in relation to the emergence and development of the digital revolution. The issues in it focus on the purchasing behavior of individuals and how the internet is affecting consumer behavior. The second strength of the article is that it identifies the legal problems that existing copyright laws have which will only make the process more difficult to manage. The article argues that there is need for action to update existing laws to make it easier for creators of literature to enjoy more protection because of the increasing cost of policing the internet to prevent online piracy. The key weakness of the article is that it does not offer any radical solution, but struggles to find a way around the existing problems based on the current laws. It does not pay attention to the fact that it is now almost impossible to stop online piracy by using legal means only. The internet is universal, and it is almost impossible to start developing laws which every country will accept. This is because different countries derive different benefits from the internet hence the laws may impede

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Public Safety Administrator Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Safety Administrator Interview - Essay Example This was a civil commitment of convicted sexual offenders who had finished their prison-sentences. It was agreed that a public safety administrators be deployed in various parts of New Jersey The interview was therefore aimed at seeking to recruit an administrator to help combat crime and other inhuman act that were rampant in the region .The person that I interviewed was the police inspector from the Hammonton Township. He had the physical leadership qualities and the necessary skills for the job. I briefly spelt out his duties which were to liaise with the civil leaders, church leaders, police officers and coordinate them harmoniously to as to bring a lasting solution to the problem. The officer will be perpetually required to speak to the media, address public gatherings, recommend the hiving and firing decisions and manage the budget within his jurisdiction. I began by citing a case to him that appeared in the local dairies July 29 1994 where seven years old Megan was sexually assaulted and murdered a short distance from her home in New Jersey. Her neighbor Jesse was arrested and ultimately convicted of the crime. Jesse was a twice convicted sexual offender who had previously served time for fondling and then attempting to strange another seven year old girl. He shared the house across the street with other two convicted sexual offenders whom he had served jail term with but their neighbors were unaware of their prior criminal record with these I sought his views as to whether law enforcement officials should notify the community when sex offender moves in. To his views the convicted sexual offenders should be reporting at the new offices of the public safety administrator and should give out reliable address so that it would be easier to reach and apprehend them when necessary. Though notifying community members the presence of convicted sex offender would not prevent the offenders from re-offending he noted that this will be a positive move geared at curtailing the offences adding that the community would be very resourceful in the reforming exercise. We finally agreed that he was to be the New Jersey public safety administrator and he promised to improve the situation and to adhere to the laid down rules and regulations as per the job description 3. Historical Perspective Subject matter analysts have varied views and contribution on the case Simeon Schopf a writing and research editor looks at various objections research to Megan's law and concludes that in the balance of interests, such law are constitutional but Bonnie steinbock focus on moral issues posed by the notification statutes and argues that Megan's law fails to serve its ultimate goal- protecting children. 4. Conclusion To my view the community should be notified on those instances where it is deemed necessary to protect the public .The convicted sexual offenders should undergo some counseling after finishing their prison sentences so as to reform and stay away from criminal activities. The rehabilitation

Monday, September 23, 2019

Adolescent girls and depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Adolescent girls and depression - Essay Example A research carried out by Blyth, Simmons and Carlton-Ford on the adolescents show that the adolescence period is characterized by intense hormonal influence on the young minded teenagers coupled with a strong urge for self-identity and self-dependence among the adolescents (Blyth et al 109). This often results in the change in their behavior, likes and dislikes as well as emotional vagaries as these teenagers struggle along the long bridge of transition into adulthood. The High school age is characterized by numerous complexities as it marks a period of transition from childhood into adolescence, for the girls, this is often an issue that seeks to define and affect her perceptions and self image. These perceptions go beyond her and also affect those around her including her teenage friends, parents and other adults and require a sound understanding and proper management of one’s self. The teenage high school girl is faced with many challenges during her struggle with the adolescence stage. First is the much workload at school and academic excellence to join best college. This is always the greatest stress causing feeling in the high school adolescents and is the prime cause of heir wanting to withdraw from everyone especially those of their own families in order for them to concentrate fully in shaping their future lives. Baltes in his journal Longitudinal and cross-sectional sequences in the study of age during early adolescence, notes that, alongside all these the teen is also faced with the need to recognize and identify herself with responsibilities in the society as far as her social life is concerned. This is always accompanied with mixed reactions and emotional influences on the young girl. The aspect of moods change and mixed reaction then sets in as the teen girl is unable to fully identify herself amidst the intense struggle (Baltes 163). The need to make strong and mature decisions continuously battle with the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Term Paper

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering - Term Paper Example In the field of biotechnology, modern techniques enable the genes to be removed from one organism and inserted into another in order to produce a desired substance, for example, Insulin. Another example is of fire fly. When a gene of fire fly is introduced into tobacco protoplast, the gene produces an enzyme, luciferase. When adult plant is sprayed with substrate luciferin, it glows. Many of human diseases are cured by means of this technology. Biotechnology has produced multiple drugs and vaccines. Bacteria naturally clean up the environment by killing and engulfing the pollutants, but genetic engineers have produced much more improved types of bacteria that can finish the environmental pollutants, increase soil fertility and function as pesticides in a much more efficient manner as compared to naturally occurring bacteria. Similarly, by using the knowledge of biotechnology, the scientists have altered the genotype and phenotype of plants and animals for the benefit of mankind. Some times natural mutation of genes in humans cause malfunctioning in their bodies, the biotechnologists replaces the faulty genes by healthy ones. The gene therapy in which genes are inserted into the cell outside the body is called Ex Vivo gene therapy and within the body is called In Vivo gene therapy. ... The DNA which contains DNA from two different sources is called recombinant DNA. The following bacterial is required for producing recombinant DNA. Isolation of gene from the chromosome The chromosomes are cut on the flanking sites to isolate the genes from them. The enzymes restriction endonucleases are used for this purpose. The genes can also be chemically synthesized in the laboratory or synthesized from messenger RNA by an enzyme named reverse transcriptase. The obtained DNA is termed as complimentary DNA. (Peacock,2010) Molecular Scissor Endoneucleases (restriction enzymes) cut down the viral DNA and restrict their growth. Hamilton O Smith at Johns Hopkins University was the person who isolated the first restriction Enzyme. The specific sites in DNA show specific sequence of four to six nucleotides arranged symmetrically in the reverse order. These sequences are known as Palindromic sequence. Restriction enzymes cut the DNA at the specific sites. Out of four hundred isolated en zymes, twenty are frequently used in recombinant technology. ECORI (a restriction enzyme) cuts double stranded DNA at the cleavage site so that a gap is formed to fit the foreign DNA with its complimentary ends into the gap. (Yount, 2008) Vector (the molecular carrier) Vector is a method by which recombinant DNA is inserted into a host cell. In this method, plasmids (natural extra chromosomal circular DNA) are used as vectors. They carry genes. DNA of bacterial virus is also used as vector. Lambdaphage (vector) attaches to a host bacterium. The recombinant DNA releasing from the virus enters the bacterium and replicates to produce many copies of virus each containing a copy of the gene of choice. Plasmids are cut with enzymes to

Saturday, September 21, 2019

I Will Survive Essay Example for Free

I Will Survive Essay Since I was young I was told not to ever judge a book by its cover, up until a few weeks ago I believed this was complete bull but a series of uncanny events insisted on changing my mind. This chain of unforeseeable circumstanced began a few weeks ago where . . . The sounds of keyboards was almost deafening, the constant click blurred into a humming drone which one could debatably compare to the fog horn of a light house warning helpless ships away from there watery grave. I stare a little dazed but unfazed by the bright light of the computer screen, flashing uncountable numbers and words which I’m supposes to make some kind of sense of if I am to continue with this curse most people call being an accountant. I feel some what contained in this shit tip excuse of a cubical, but to be honest the only thing caging me is the confines of my on reality. Closing my eyes I open them to this dark fantasy of a world plagued with zombies which are swiftly breaking down and tearing apart the countries of the world. But then a unexpected hero named Lorry strives to find a cure and against all odds saves the human race from absolute extinction. â€Å"Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † Just so where clear my names Lawrence but my friends call my Lorry, okay no one calls me Lorry, I don’t have any friends, or family for that matter. I live alone in this crumby apartment building in room 147. To be fair I get it on good rent but I think that because someone got murdered here. I try to be optimistic about it an say its just a rumour but between you and me the smell of death still lingers. You could say I’m just your usual nerdy 19 year old boy who loves his movies and video games and especially zombies. I mean zombies and I go together like peanut butter and jelly like a hero and his side kick, I love zombies. I often wish for a world in strife due to an out break of zombies where I save the world and get the girl, okay I may have prayed to god once or twice for that. It’s a little funny when you wish for something and at the time it sounds like such a good idea. Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † said the floor manager with a high pitch squeal piercing the flow of my train of thought. â€Å"Righteo will do† I said back with a smile as fake as fairy tales. I began to digress as soon as the managers eyes were off my back, surfing websites until something very captivating caught my eye. A breaking news bulletin streaming live showed footage which looked like the street in front of the building, I mean facade looks identical but that wasn’t the most alarming part. Apparently they were reporting an incident about a man who tackled another individual to the ground and started to devour another man living body and I quote â€Å"tearing flesh from bone with nothing but his teeth. † That’s when my semi attractive but still way out of my league co-worker Jazz leaned over, â€Å"ahhh your always looking at zombies you freak. † All though Jazz was a complete mess and frankly a female dog I had an odd some what mercurial attraction to her. I mean I’m not one of those superficial shallow guys . . . Okay I’m tend to take what I can get. As these thoughts raced through my mind at million miles an hour suddenly it hit me â€Å"Zombies! The people on the news their zombies† I nervously said as my voice broke multiple times. â€Å"what? I was joking† Jazz naively replied. â€Å"Are you even watching what I am watching? We have to get out of here! † It was at that moment the sound of shattering glass filled the room followed quickly by melody of foot steps thunderously increasing in speed and sound, mirroring my heart almost beating out of my chest. I watched as this man who looked drunk, uncontrollably sprint towards Jazz, teeth gnashing finger nails gashing at thin air. I could see the blood lust in his eyes. Now it was like time stood still, screams seemed to become silent but my other sense seemed to heighten. I noticed a foul stench so thick in the air you could cut it with a butter knife. Through the chaos and the haze, something deep down with in began to stir. A hero was being born. With out hesitation or mare thought I pulled the pen from my shirt pocket bounded over the desk. I held my pen like a blade an with all my strength I trusted pen into the temple of the crazed man right before Jazz’s eyes.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Health Gaps in the Indigenous Culture

Health Gaps in the Indigenous Culture Introduction This assignment will be focusing on indigenous culture and their health. A national strategy ‘Closing the Gap’ will be initially summarised to explore the current gaps and the plans that have been taken by the Australian state and federal governments. The health issues of indigenous Australians will be reviewed in comparison with the non-indigenous population, which will include a discussion about how the European settlers are considered to have contributed to the current health and psychosocial concerns of indigenous people. Additionally, the health of indigenous Australians will be compared with other indigenous groups in the world. Finally, health promotion strategies initiated by the governments to improve indigenous health outcomes will be identified and additional interventions will be proposed. Closing the Gap Campaign Although Australia is considered one of the richest countries in the world, indigenous Australians continue to suffer systematic inequalities and can expect to live 10-17 years less than non-indigenous Australians (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014). In 2008, a formal apology was made to indigenous Australians and the Government acknowledged, recognised and apologised for their past wrongdoings and committed to taking further steps for indigenous health equality (Australian Government, 2009). This is known as the Closing the Gap Campaign. The goal of the Closing the Gap Campaign is to close the health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians within a generation. The Australian Governments committed to working towards reaching six targets to reduce the visible gaps in life expectancy, infant and child mortality, childhood education, literacy and numeracy skills, school completion rates and employment rate (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The G overnments have implemented strategies to the recognised areas, or the Building Blocks: early childhood, schooling, health, healthy homes, safe communities, economic participation, governance and leadership. Also, a report is being published annually on the progress that Australia has made towards this national objective. Morbidity and Mortality In 2006-2010, the mortality rate for indigenous Australians was 1.9 times greater than for non-indigenous people across all age groups. Approximately 50% of indigenous people reported having a disability or long-term health condition and hospitalisation rate for indigenous people were 40% higher than other Australians (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011) Babies born to indigenous families were twice as likely to be of low birth weight compared to non-indigenous babies, in 2005-2007. The death rate of indigenous infants and children is double the rate of non-indigenous infants. Maternal mortality rates for indigenous women were 2-5 times greater than for the non-indigenous women (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, n.d). In 2008, 32% of young adult indigenous people (aged 16-24 years) reported having high levels of psychological distress, which was 2.5 times the rate for non-indigenous people (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011). Moreover, indigenous young adults died at a rate 2.5 times as high as that of the non-indigenous population. For adults aged 35-45, the death rate was 6-8 times higher than the national average (Australian Indigenous HealthInfornet, 2013a). It was estimated that 12.4% of indigenous people aged over 45 years have dementia, compared to 2.6% of non-indigenous people in that age group (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, 2012). Around 44% of older indigenous adults reported their health as poor and the mortality rate in aged indigenous population is doubled the non-indigenous rate. Health Issues For many thousands of years before European settlement in1788, indigenous people enjoyed good health and harmonious existence, relying on a hunter and gatherer life. Connection to the land is fundamental to indigenous wellbeing and the core of all spirituality (Aboriginal Heritage Office, n.d.). Both men and women participated in hunting and they sourced food from the water, hinterlands of the area and the surrounding bush. Since European settlement, indigenous cultural heritage has been broken and indigenous people have experienced disadvantage in aspects of living standards, life expectancy, education, health and employment (Australian Government, 2009). Outcomes for education, employment, income and housing are much poorer than that of non-indigenous people (Australian Indigenous HealthInfornet, 2013a). During the 2004-2005 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006), around 12% of indigenous people reported having long term cardiovascular diseases and this rate was 1.3 times higher than non-indigenous. Many indigenous people experience significantly higher rates of cancer, diabetes, psychological distress, renal disease and respiratory disease than the national average. Influence of Non-indigenous population European settlement has had a devastating impact on indigenous health and psychosocial wellbeing, which can be traced back to the beginning of colonisation. In the time following settlement in 1788, 10 million people have arrived in Australia and made it their home (National Museum Australia, n.d.). In this time, many of the natural resources were affected: fish supplies were depleted, native animal population were reduced and feral animals introduced, land was cleared and waterways were polluted. It is believed that many infectious diseases, such as measles, smallpox, influenza and tuberculosis, were introduced by the new settlers (The Fred Hollows Foundation, n.d.). These diseases caused major loss of life among indigenous populations and resulted in depopulation and social disruption. Direct conflicts and occupation of indigenous homelands meant that indigenous people lost control over many aspects of their lives. This loss of autonomy affected the capability of indigenous people to adapt to changes, which would eventually have consequence in poorer health status (Australian Indigenous HealthInfornet, 2013b). From the time European settlers first arrived in Australia, they had attempted to ‘civilise’ the ‘black races’. The Native Institution was designed to educate indigenous children in the European way; the policy of ‘protection’ led to indigenous people being placed on government reserves or in church missions; the policy of assimilation forced indigenous people to live in the same way and hold the same belief and values as the white Australians; many children were forcefully taken away from their families and placed in institutions or white families (Australian Museum, 2009). The children were brought up in Christian way, taught in English and raised to think and act as ‘white’. ‘Civilisation’ led to a loss of identity and resulted in cultural and traditional practices being destroyed, families bonds being disconnected, and the whole communities being dispossessed. Dispossession of traditional lands caused loss, emotional distress, trauma and separation and meant that indigenous people were not able to hunt anymore. (Rowena Ivers, 2011). Indigenous people faced discrimination in education and employment (Northern Territory Department of Health, 2007). People became more dependent on welfare and allowances and rations were paid for laboured work. This led to a change of eating habits. Traditional food were less encouraged and rations and communal feeding were broadly available and convenient (Northern Territory Department of Health, 2007). Under the influence of rations and communal feeding, a transition of meal patterns from traditional diet to ‘westernised’ food has happened. Contemporary indigenous people may not want to resume the traditional hunter lifestyle or they may have lost the skills to hunt. The community store became their only food source. The community store usually stocked a very limited selection of food and popular foods are tinned meat and fruits, biscuits, tea, flour, sugar and tobacco. Fresh fruits and vegetables are less available in stores. Indigenous people began smoking when they were paid in tobacco rather than cash. The use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs increases the risk of chronic disease, cancer, as well as other health concerns, such as mental disorders, accidents and injury (Australian Indigenous HealthInfornet, 2013a). Decreased levels of physical activity, less consumption of traditional diet and overeating of high energy foods are risk factors for non-communicable disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases. Australian Indigenous vs. Worldwide Indigenous Indigenous people are the traditional custodians of the land they have inhabited for thousands of years. There are approximately 370 million indigenous people worldwide, living in more than 70 countries (World Health Organisation, 2007). Despite the great diversity of indigenous peoples, many similarities exist between Australian indigenous and other indigenous groups. Traditional indigenous people rely on their land for survival and traditional life is linked to the land. Common to many indigenous groups, colonisation negatively affected their physical, emotional, social and mental health wellbeing. Colonisation led to racial prejudice and dispossession of traditional lands which often cause poverty, under education, unemployment and increased dependency on social welfare. The changes of lifestyle caused severe inequalities in indigenous heath status, including emotional and social wellbeing (World Health Organisation, 2007). Overall, they experience poorer health compared with non-indigenous groups. Their health is associated with a range of environmental and socio-economic factors: poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, poor hygiene, environmental contamination, and infections (United Nations, 2009). Indigenous people had little natural immunity to microorganisms that were introduced to the land. The devastating infections depopulated indigenous groups. Child health is influenced by inadequate nutrition, exposure to infectious diseases and poor living conditions. Childhood health complications are common in Australian indigenous groups as other indigenous groups elsewhere: low birth weight, skin infections, ear disease, dental caries, trachoma, parasite infection and respiratory infections. Although some diseases are prevalent in specific areas, the causes are similar: poor hygiene, malnutrition or water contamination. Many indigenous groups both in Australia and elsewhere do not have access to their traditional food and are highly dependent on commercially prepared food. Indigenous adolescents in Australia and other countries experience similar health related problems, such as tobacco and drug use, violence, mental and emotional disorders (Northern Territory Department of Health, 2007). Urbanisation causes rapid changes to indigenous lifestyle, foods high in calories, fat and salt and low in fibre. People live in an overcrowded and unhygienic environments and having less physical activity. The worsening of lifestyles has resulted in chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic renal disease. Australian indigenous people in 2001-2004 had the lowest life expectancy for both male and female, compared to indigenous groups from New Zealand, Canada and USA. They also had the highest infant mortality rate and lowest birth weight. When comparing the age standardised mortality rate in 2003, Australian indigenous groups have the highest mortality rate for cancer, cerebrovascular disease, intentional harm, diabetes and HIV. Health promotion strategies The Australian Governments have implemented a range of initiatives across the states during 2009 and up to 2014 By recognising the areas that needs to be improved that include improvements to early childhood, schooling, health, healthy homes, safe communities, economic participation, governance and leadership. Delivery of health promotion programs is guided by principles that ensure all programs meet the targets of the Closing the Gap while being appropriate to the communities’ needs. All programs have to engage the local indigenous people and should be time sufficient and accessible to all indigenous residents (Council of Australian Governments, 2009). All initiatives are related to the Building Blocks and best practice has been sought. For example, according to the latest Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report 2013, health attention has been focused on implementing health promotions in the following areas that considered could facilitate achieving the goal of closing the gap in life expectancy and child mortality between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Areas such as chronic disease, primary health care, health service, food security, oral health, ear and eye health, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, substance misuse, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, indigenous sexual health, mental health, aged care, sport and recreation, culture, remote airstrips and road safety (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2013). Comprehensive strategies have been undertaken to encourage people in communities undergo health checks, provide training of healthcare workers, deliver education on lifestyle change and self-management, provide affordable medicines and fund advertisements to increase awareness. According to the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse annual report 2011-12 and 2012-13, some of the strategies work but may only have a short term effect (Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, 2013). However, some interventions trialled in indigenous community were unsuccessful because they were originally designed for non-indigenous populations and were considered culturally inappropriate. Education programs could have a limited impact on indigenous groups and may need to be employed in conjunction with other interventions. Barriers to the effective provision of program may arise due to short term and one-off funding, and the provision of the program may be discontinued due to indigenous groups’ capacity to provide the service. Often the data is incomplete and cannot be assessed for effectiveness. Proposal of additional interventions The traditional indigenous people conceptualise their health as holistic. It encompasses everything: land, environment, family, relationship, community, law and the physical body. Health for indigenous people is the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the identity of being indigenous (Australian Indigenous HealthInfornet, 2013b). The author’s proposal of interventions to improve indigenous health outcomes is to return to indigenous people the keys elements that have been taken from them: equality with other Australians, their identity, freedom, culture, self-determination and their traditional lands. They had good knowledge of their land, sources of water and food, the effects of seasonal cycles on plant foods and animals. Both men and women hunted food, which kept them physically active and emotionally well. The traditional diet had variety and was rich in nutrition: vegetable food provided vitamins and minerals and essential supplements for the body needs; meats were high in quantity and quality (Northern Territory Department of Health, 2007). Health and sickness were shaped by culture beliefs and traditions. Indigenous people believe that the protection of spirituality is fundamental to their health (1). Family relationship is at the core of indigenous kinship systems which is essential to their culture. Kinship helps to define roles and responsibilities for raising and educating children and provides the structure systems of moral and financial support. In indigenous society, family ties are healer to emotional and physical wellbeing. Indigenous people had a healthier lifestyle, had pride in their identity and their culture heritage was passed through generations. Their traditional cultures helped them to survive for thousands of years. The crisis indigenous people face today is the consequence of continuous years of inequality, disadvantage, discrimination and disenfranchisement. To close the gap between indigenous and non-Indigenous health, health providers need to consider the determinants of health, including socio-economic and political issues and their impact on indigenous people. It may remind non indigenous Australians to apply some self-criticism: to remember that they equal to us and all can enjoy the right to be free and exercise self-determination. Conclusion: 1 Jing Ping PIN10344490

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Soap Opera Genre Essay -- TV Television Media Essays

Soap Opera Genre "Before I saw Neighbours, I didn’t know there was an Australia" (Jerry Hall, The Clive James Show, UK, 31 December, 1989) The soap opera genre originated in American radio serials of the 1930s, and owes the name to the sponsorship of some of these programs by major soap powder companies. Proctor and Gamble and other soap companies were the most common sponsors, and soon the genre of 'soap opera' had been labeled. Like many television genres (e.g. news and quiz shows), the soap opera is a genre originally drawn from radio rather than film. Television soap operas are long-running serials traditionally based on the close study of personal relationships within the everyday life of its characters. Soaps are a consistent set of values based on personal relationships, on women’s responsibility for the maintenance of these relationships and the applicability of the family model to structures. In soap operas at least one story line is carried over from one episode to the next. S uccessful soaps may continue for many years: so new viewers have to be able to join in at any stage in the serial. In serials, the passage of time also appears to reflect 'real time' for the viewers: in long-running soaps the characters age as the viewers do. Christine Geraghty (1991, p. 11) notes that 'the longer they run the more impossible it seems to imagine them ending.' There are sometimes allusions to major topical events in the world outside the programs. Soap operas have attempted to articulate social change through issues of race, class and sexuality. In dealing with what are often perceived to be awkward issues soap operas make good stories along the emotional lines of the characters. Christine Geraghty (1991, p. 147) ‘While it seeks... ...stitute Curran, James & Michael Gurevitch (eds.) (1991): Mass Media and Society. London: Edward Arnold Dyer, Richard (ed.) (1981): Coronation Street. London: British Film Institute Turner, V (1974) Social Dramas and ritual metaphors In V.Turner, Dramas, fields and metaphors: symbolic action in human society Cornell University Press: Ithaca Hobson, Dorothy (1982): Crossroads - The Drama of a Soap. London: Methuen Modleski, Tania (1982): Loving with a Vengeance: Mass-Produced Fantasies for Women. Hamden, CT: Archon Morley, David (1992): Television Audiences and Cultural Studies. London: Routledge Coward, Rosalind (1987) Women’s Programmes: Why not? In Boxed in :Women and Television Edited by Baehr, Helen, and Dyer, Gillian Pandora Press Tulloch, John and Moron, Allen ‘Women Like Gossip’: The family audience in A Country Practice: ‘Quality Soap’

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The History of Computers :: Technology Computers Essays

The History of Computers To those of us that have grown up during the computer age, computers seem like a normal part of our everyday lives. The idea that only a few decades ago computers were virtually unheard of is inconceivable. Computers are now so essential that they basically run our society and the whole of the modern world. They track hurricanes, forecast the weather, predict natural disasters, control satellites and missiles and keep countries around the world in constant contact. The technology that revolves around the computer industry is forever changing and growing, becoming more advanced and doing things that seem beyond anyone ¦Ãƒ s wildest dreams. The development of computers during the last few decades is astronomical and could be one of the fastest developing inventions ever created. The dawn of the computer age can be traced back to the period of 1936  ¡Ãƒâ„¢ 1945, when the first computers were being built in several countries (Tomaselli vii). Although they came about as a result of the war, it is certainly safe to say they would have developed on their own in the business industry. Regardless, computer technology has grown by incredible leaps and bounds since the very beginning and as Barnes says,  ¡Ãƒ we have been living amidst the fastest technological revolution of all time ¡ÃƒÅ" (vii). Every couple of years something completely new and more advanced comes out and takes over the previous style of production and pretty much exterminate it as well. The technology is forever changing and constantly growing. There are so many technologies associated with the computer industry that it ¦Ãƒ s almost hard to keep track of. The technology that is most directly related to the greater society in this country at least is the personal compute r, or the PC. A personal computer can be defined as a computer built around a microprocessor for use by an individual, as in an office or at home or school. The PC, also known as the microcomputer, was developed from the semiconductor industry (Barnes 622). In 1968, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore created Intel and started developing a photolithography method to put three components on a single chip (Barnes 622).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Management Economics Essay

Introduction. The business cycle or economic cycle refers to the ups and downs seen somewhat simultaneously in most parts of an economy. The cycle involves shifts over time between periods of relatively rapid growth of output (recovery and prosperity), alternating with periods of relative stagnation or decline (contraction or recession). These fluctuations are often measured using the real gross domestic product. To call those alternances â€Å"cycles† is rather misleading, as they don’t tend to repeat at fairly regular time intervals. Most observers find that their lengths (from peak to peak, or from trough to trough) vary, so that cycles are not mechanical in their regularity. Since no two cycles are alike in their details, some economists dispute the existence of cycles and use the word â€Å"fluctuations† instead. Others see enough similarities between cycles that the cycle is a valid basis of studying the state of the economy. A key question is whether or not there are similar mechanisms that generate recessions and/or booms that exist in capitalist economies so that the dynamics that appear as a cycle will be seen again and again. Just as there is no regularity in the timing of business cycles, there is no reason why cycles have to occur at all. The prevailing view among economists is that there is a level of economic activity, often referred to as full employment, at which the economy theoretically could stay forever. Full employment refers to a level of production at which all the inputs to the production process are being used, but not so intensively that they wear out, break down, or insist on higher wages and more vacations. If nothing disturbs the economy, the full-employment level of output, which naturally tends to grow as the population increases and new technologies are discovered, can be maintained forever. There is no reason why a time of full employment has to give way to either a full-fledged boom or a recession. Text. Business Cycle, term used in economics to designate changes in the economy.  Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the level of business activity in industrialized capitalist countries has veered from high to low, taking the economy with it. Characteristics of business cycle are: -A trade cycle is wave like movement. -Cyclical fluctuations are recurrent in nature. -Expansion and contraction in a trade cycle are cumulative in effect. -Trade cycles are all pervading in their impact. -It is characterized by the presence of crisis i.e. downward movement is more sudden and violent than the change from downward to 0upward. -Cycles differ in timing and amplitude they have a common pattern of phases, which are sequential in nature. Phases Of Business Cycles: The ups and downs in the economy are reflected by the fluctuations in aggregate economic activities such as production, investment, employment, prices, wages, bank credits etc. The various phases of the trade cycles are: Prosperity: Expansion And Peak. This phase begins with the rise in the national output, consumer and capital expenditure, level of employment and inventories. Debtors find it more convenient to pay off their debts. Bank rate increases so credit facilities, idle funds for investment in production since stock prices increases due to increase in profitability and dividend. Purchasing power continues to flow in and out of all kinds of economic activities. Expansion continues with the multiplier process. In earlier/ later stages additional workers can be obtained by giving higher wage than prevailing in the market. Input prices increases rapidly which leads to increase in cost of production. As a result price increases and cost of living increases which lower the consumption rate. The demand for new houses, cement, iron, labor tends to halt and same is for furniture, automobiles etc. This makes reaching the peak. To summarize we can say that: -It is a turning point in the business cycle – the end of expansion -Economy at or close to full employment -Capital and Labor Utilization at a high -Prices and cost rise at a moderate rates -Firms profit at high -Interest rates rise -Consumers and firms expectations favorable Turning Point And Recession. After reaching the peak, demand starts declining. Producer unaware of this fact continues to increase production and investment. But after sometime they realize that their inventories are pilling up and they have indulged in over-investment. Consequently further investment plans will be given up-order for new machinery, raw materials. Demand for labor ceases. Temporary and casual workers are removed. Producers of capital goods and raw materials cancel their order. This is the turning point and beginning of recession. Further the income of wage and interest earners also decreases. This causes demand recession. Producer lower down the prices to get rid of inventories  but consumer expects further decreases in price and hence postpones their purchase. Investments starts declining leading to decrease in income and consumption, bank credit shrink and prices decrease. At this stage the process of recession is complete and the economy enters the phase of depression. To summarize this: -Consumer spending falls -Investment spending falls -Inventories accumulate -Firms profit’s decline -Business Failure increase Depression And Trough. This is the phase of relativity low economic activity. It indicates fall in production, increased unemployment and a rapid fall in the general price index. Workers lose their job, debtors find it difficult to pay off their debts, and investment in stock becomes less profitable. At the depth of depression, all economic activities touch the bottom and phase of trough is reached. Weaker firms are eliminated from the industry. At this point, the process of depression is complete. Due to unemployment, labor starts working at lower wages. Consumer expects no further decline in price and start spending. Hence demand picks up. Stock prices fall during recession; the prices of raw material fall faster than the prices of the finished products. Therefore profitability tends to increase after the trough. Producers’ start replacing worth-out capital, investment picks up and employment gradually increases. Following this demand increases, bank credit becomes easily available at a lower rate. Due to increase in income and consumption, the multiplier effect increases the economic activities. The phase of depression comes to an end over time  depending on the speed of recovery. To summarize this: -The turning point in the cycle – the end of contraction -Characterized by high unemployment and low consumer demand relative to industry capacity -Greatest period of excess capacity over the cycle -Business profits are low or negative -Some prices are falling other unchanged -Consumers and firms expectations about future are bleak Recovery. It starts when prices further stop falling. Producers see no risk in undertaking production. Firms use idle capacity to increase production. This generates employment and income, which creates additional demand for consumer goods and services. Businessman when realize increase in profitability. Hence they speed up production machinery. Businessman starts increasing their inventories, consumer start buying more and more of durable goods and variety items. With this process catching up, the economy enters the phase of expansion and prosperity. The cycle is thus complete. To summarize this: -Employment, production, prices and wages begin to rise at roughly the same time -Expectations of consumers and firms optimistic or favorable -Investment spending increases -Consumer demand rises Causes of Cycles. Economists did not try to determine the causes of business cycles until the increasing severity of economic depressions became a major concern in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Two external factors that have been suggested as possible causes are sunspots and psychological trends. The sunspot theory of the British economist William Jevons was once widely accepted. According to Jevons, sunspots affect meteorological conditions. That is, during periods of sunspots, weather conditions are often more severe. Jevons felt that sunspots affected the quantity and quality of harvested crops; thus, they affected the economy. A psychological theory of business cycles, formulated by the British economist Arthur Pigou, states that the optimism or pessimism of business leaders may influence an economic trend. Some politicians have clearly subscribed to this theory. During the early years of the Great Depression, for instance, President Herbert Hoover tried to appear publicly optimistic about the inherent vigor of the American economy, thus hoping to stimulate an upsurge. Several economic theories of the causes of business cycles have been developed. According to the under consumption theory, identified particularly with the British economist John Hobson, inequality of income causes economic declines. The market becomes glutted with goods because the poor cannot afford to buy, and the rich cannot consume all they can afford. Consequently, the rich accumulate savings that are not reinvested in production, because of insufficient demand for goods. This savings accumulation disrupts economic equilibrium and begins a cycle of production cutbacks. The Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter, a proponent of the innovation theory, related upswings of the business cycle to new inventions, which stimulate investment in capital-goods industries. Because new inventions are developed unevenly, business conditions must alternately be  expansive and recessive. The Austrian-born economists Friedrich von Hayek and Ludwig von Mises subscribed to the overinvestment theory. They suggested that instability is the logical consequence of expanding production to the point where less efficient resources are drawn upon. Production costs then rise, and, if these costs cannot be passed on to the consumer, the producer cuts back production and lays off workers. A monetary theory of business cycles stresses the importance of the money supply in the economic system. Since many businesses must borrow money to operate or expand production, the availability and cost of money influence their decisions. Sir Ralph George Hawtrey suggested that changes in interest rates determine whether executives decrease or increase their capital investments, thus affecting the cycle. Regulating the Cycle Since the Great Depression, devices have been built into most economies to help prevent severe business declines. For instance, unemployment insurance provides most workers with some income when they are laid off. Social security and pensions paid by many organizations furnish some income to the increasing number of retired people. Although not as powerful as they once were, trade unions remain an obstacle against the cumulative wage drop that aggravated previous depressions. Schemes to support crop prices (such as the European Common Agricultural Policy) shield farmers from disastrous loss of income. The government can also attempt direct intervention to counter a recession. There are three major techniques available: monetary policy, fiscal policy, and incomes policy. Economists differ sharply in their choice of technique Some economists prefer monetary policy, including the American Milton Friedman and other advocates of monetarism, and is followed by most conservative governments. Monetary policy involves controlling, via the  central bank, the money supply and interest rates. These determine the availability and costs of loans to businesses. Tightening the money supply theoretically helps to counteract inflation; loosening the supply helps recovery from a recession. When inflation and recession occur simultaneously–a phenomenon often called stagflation–it is difficult to know which monetary policy to apply. Considered more effective by American economist John Kenneth Galbraith are fiscal measures, such as increased taxation of the wealthy, and an incomes policy, which seeks to hold wages and prices down to a level that reflects productivity growth. This latter policy has not had much success in the post-World War II period. Conclusion. Thus we can say that the central idea of business-cycle literature, that the economy has regular and periodic waves–a cycle–lasting for several years, has few adherents today. Perhaps such cycles never existed, or perhaps they once did but no longer do because the government now plays an active role in the economy. However, the business-cycle approach remains useful because it is an easy way to introduce a number of macroeconomic topics, including the adjustment process that remains central in macroeconomics.

Monday, September 16, 2019

A Crazy Love Story Essay

Domestic violence in today’s society has become common and normalized in the United States. When people think of domestic violence, they go straight for physical violence against women. But according to â€Å"domesticviolence.org;† Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. The documentary Crazy Love is such a great example because it is a story of two lovers named â€Å"Burt Pugach† and â€Å"Linda Riss,† who are a perfect example of domestic violence. Burt became enraged that Linda would leave him even though he was still married. In a very vicious manner, Burt hired three black males to go to Linda’s house and to throw acid on her face. Linda received permanent blindness in both of her eyes and a very scarred face. Burt was in prison for 14 years while he still tried to be in contact with the woman he hurt so much. He was released from prison after good behavior and because Linda agreed for Burt to support her. It seems that partners even though they are in love, find themselves in abusive relationships. Many abusive relationships are due to wanting to have control of the other person. According to â€Å"domesticviolencestatistics.org;† nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented a breakup. Domestic violence and abuse is sometimes learned through watching someone being abused. A reason why Burt turned to domestic violence might be because his mother abused him as a young boy. His mother gave Burt severe beatings and they would not stop until his father came home. It gets to a point where it is normal for that person to get hit or be abused in some way. People who were abused or saw someone being abused do not want to be the victim anymore and they would rather be the aggressor because they are familiar with that particular relationship dynamic. (Kathryn Patricelli) An example of a celebrity that had abuse in his life when he was younger and then went on to participate in domestic violence would be Chris Brown. In Chris Brown’s childhood his parents were divorced when he was just six years old. Chris Brown saw his mother get abused by his stepfather. Since Chris Brown was so young when it happened it became part of everyday life for him. Now Chris Brown is notorious for hitting his girlfriend at the time Rihanna. Rihanna, just like Linda went back to the person that abused them. Love is something that can be defined a million different ways because the word â€Å"love† has different meanings to different people. According to Dictionary.com, love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) This bible quote is very strong because it describes what love is really supposed to be about. According to the verse love is kind. But not all love is kind, like Linda and Burt’s relationship. Love can also bring more characteristics into the definition. Some other words that go along with the word â€Å"love† could be loyalty, respect, honesty, and compassion. As hard as it may seem, Burt does show love towards Linda Riss when he would always see if Linda was all right. He then becomes obsessed with her. Burt brought Linda to breakfast then drove her to work, then picked her up at lunchtime to bring her out to eat, and then at dinnertime Burt would pick her up from work and go out for dinner. Burt said: â€Å"I was making $60,000+ a year when everybody else was making $4,000 a year.† Burt owned a nightclub and Linda was living a life of luxury. â€Å"Crazy† is a term that could have different meaning to people also. According to Dictionary.com, crazy means mentally deranged, and manifested in a wild or aggressive way. Society also has a different definition of the word â€Å"crazy.† Some phrases could be â€Å"Wow. That was so crazy,† meaning that something really spectacular happened. When somebody would commit a crime of passion they are considered crazy. The person would have a brief episode of craziness. Linda and Burt both show their â€Å"craziness† during the film. Burt is a different kind of crazy than Linda. Burt is a man who likes to control and spoil his spouse. He is crazy to even think about harming the one person who he is completely obsessed with and harming her for the rest of her life. Linda is crazy because she stayed with a man that abused her and hurt her. In today’s society domestic violence still exists and is almost common in the United States. More households are having some type of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse has been around for many years and probably will still continue for many years to come. Some intimate relationships turn violent and women are left to figure out what to do. Some women go straight out of the relationship and other women like Linda Riss stay in the relationship and continue getting abused. Annotated Bibliography Hetling, Andrea, and Haiyan Zhang. â€Å"Domestic Violence, Poverty, And SocialServices: Does Location Matter? Domestic Violence, Poverty, And Social Services: Does Location Matter? Domestic Violence, Poverty, And Social Services.† Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited) 91.5 (2010): 1144-1163. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. Works Cited Patricelli, Kathryn. â€Å"Mental Health Care, Inc.† Mental Health Care, Inc. Mental Health Care, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Definition – Domestic Violence.† Definition – Domestic Violence. N.p., 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. .

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Indian Ethos and Values Essay

This is the first truth thought to every child. Even a poor uneducated man living in a hut knows that God is in everybody and therefore there is sameness in all. The second truth is about a holistic universe. Where at a level of pervading consciousness everything is interconnected at WASTHI LEVEL (Individual level) my limbs, hands, legs, ears, eyes, heart, lungs†¦. Everything are me. I live in all of them. Their sorrows and joys are my sorrows and Joys. Similarly at SAMASTHI level (the whole universe) I am not a single individual but I am a part of the whole universe Just as my limbs are part f me. Modern science has accepted that in this holistic universe all minds and matters are interconnected at a deeper level. The basic unity of life cannot be broken. Love, sacrifice therefore emerge as the only for a meaningful living. On the basis of this holistic vision, Indians have developed work ethos of life. They found that all work, physical or mental, managerial or administrative have to be directed towards single purpose. The manifestation of the divinity in man by working for the good of others, for the happiness of others. These Indian ethos are required all over he world in present scenario in managing business and industry effectively and efficiently. Some of these ethos are as follows: All work/Karma to manifest divinity, hence these must be pure, good, honest and sincere. Indian philosophy also teaches to perform every work without having any attachment to result, because results do not fall under the Jurisdiction of a doer. Such thinking and understanding will change the whole attitude. Now the results will become a PRASAD-gratitude – coming from the God himself. You can now accept the result with open mind without apprehensions-Just as you accept members into Considering motivations as internal every human being has the same divine atman with immense potentialities within Vedanta brings infinite expansion of mind, breaks down all the barriers and brings out the God in man. Motivation is to be internal and not external. Such motivation involves the inner beauty and does not promote any greed in an individual to have more and more in return of his work. Such an understanding is essential before embarking on the task of building the indigenous system of management. These are: Essential divinity of human soul Essential owners and solidarity of universe and all Philosophy of an integral experience. Family is the basic unit of social system. Rishi and ashramiac culture. Purusharth the mission. Varna-Ashram system. Spirit is free enquiry, tolerance and selective assimilation. The characteristics of Indian culture are that attends to be pervasive and enduring. When an international company is setting up business in India, it will have to look for the acceptability of their management in its present form in the Indian situation. The four basic cultural dimensions which may account for differences in management and HRD practices across culture are: the extent to which a society empahises collective rather than individual activity. the extent of power distance or tolerance for social inequility the extent of acceptance of uncertainity the extent to which a society empahises â€Å"masculine values† and behaviour such as assertiveness,ambitiousness and dominance etc. In the above diagram, the basic or the fundamental requirement for a manager is his VISION’ and attitude towards the environment in its totality i. e. Cosmic view based on cultural values. Next comes the emotional stability of the manager. He must be a self- controlled and self-propelled man. This can come by the heavy input of sattvic gunas and the constant practice of niskam karm. Job skills is the last input. Which though important, is not the ‘Core Requirement’ as the westerners view it. Hence any international company should imbibe above mentioned features seeking the business in India.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Family and International Assignment Policy Essay

What Is Your Critical Evaluation of Colgate-Palmolive’s International Assignment Policy? What Are Its Strengths And Weaknesses? Colgate-Palmolive’s (C-P) international assignment policy was designed to standardize entitlements for the expatriate managers. It covered tax equalization, goods and services, housing, the actual move and settling in, sale or rental of the principle residence, relocation allowances, living expenses, education, vacation, leave, post allowance and smooth transitions (Rosenzweig, 1994). The assignment policy was progressive, permitting applicants a 5 day pre-acceptance tour. The language courses at the company’s expense were paramount. Overall, the company sought to address both the expatriate and his family’s quality of life. I subscribe to the motto: â€Å"a happy wife makes a happy life†, thus I would agree that the policy was comprehensive and supported the aforementioned and motto. Strengths included â€Å"financial parity† and the overall family and spouse assistance program. However, the greatest strength was C-P’s willingness to improve the policy and orientations based on surveys (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 7). The only weakness I can surmise is that such a policy does not support a local indigenous applicant. What Should Colgate-Palmolive Do About the Growing Issue of Dual-Career Families? C-P has two courses of action (COA). Do not hire or address dual-career families or succumb and make the overseas assignments attractive to dual-career families. COA one would limit their candidate pool. One C-P human resource manager (HRM) stated: â€Å"the frequency of dual-career families among C-P’s young managers was a reflection of their high quality: ‘We tend to attract people who have been to graduate school and who often met their spouses at graduate school. Both spouses are educated professionals and both tend to want to pursue their careers’† (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 9). Thus COA two would support a larger qualified candidate pool. However, there is a cost(s) associated. C-P discussed income replacement to offset the spouses lost income (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 0), but was viewed to expensive. Others recommended C-P change the overseas perception, in lieu of a loss or sacrifice, a positive spin was placed on foreign employment. Personally, I would opt for COA one but with two additions. Transfer young single executives on shorter term assignments in support of saving costs and capitalize on modern technologies that did not exist at the time this article was published. Secure virtual training conference lines can be purchased for under $25,000 permitting daily interaction, meetings and mentoring between C-P headquarters and the expatriate manager. Lastly, C-P foreign employees may capitalize on the numerous web based social technologies such as Skype and Face Time that are now a staple communication platform. What Should an MNC Consider When Designing a Policy Regarding International Career Development? It is paramount that MNC focus on recruiting processes. A larger diverse, multi lingual applicant pool who have lived and been educated abroad would mitigate many of the culture shock experiences associated with overseas assignments. The policy development should incorporate local nationals employed by companies like C-P. In the US, we are familiar with the big Japanese motor companies like Toyota and Nissan, but we often overlook the other foreign owned companies like Pillsbury and CBS Records who employ thousands of US professionals. Ultimately, MNC must address the monetary compensation and quality of life for 2 potential candidates: host-country employees and home country employees (where the headquarters is located). Certainly, I am not naive to the fact that compensation is not easily addressed as it should conform to local laws and taxation (both host and home countries). What Should an Employee Consider When Deciding to Accept or Decline an International Assignment? How Does the Employee’s Current Career Stage Affect Such a Decision? As an active duty Soldier with family and prior overseas duty assignments, I have had given this question a great deal of thought. Certainly C-P’s policy covering areas such as tax equalization, goods and services, housing, the actual move and settling in, sale or rental of the principle residence, relocation allowances, living expenses, education, vacation, leave, post allowance and smooth transitions are important. Ultimately, it boils down to education, medical care, quality of life and face time with family. Dependent on one’s age and the age of your children, a support system for the spouse is paramount. Extended family is ideal if the expatriate will travel frequently, thus transcontinental travel, accessibility to international airports is important. Quality of education and backwards planning are important. The closer children get to high school and college age, the more important it is to be in the US with a stabilized duration of assignment.

Does the Euro Crises prove that any of these member states: Greece, Ireland and Portugal should have not been allowed to join the euro?

Abstract The creation of the Eurozone following the Maastricht Treaty led to the region becoming one of the largest single currency areas in the world. However, at the heart of this project lay a series of inherent weaknesses. This paper discusses these weaknesses from the perspective of three countries: Ireland, Portugal and Greece. Each of these countries had their own particular economic and fiscal issues which would have exposed them to economic shock should the Eurozone experience a financial downturn. This was the case in 2008 when the US led financial crisis spread to Europe. This paper assesses that none of these countries were sufficiently prepared to join the Eurozone but also that they also possessed their own unique structural weaknesses which would perpetuate any financial crisis. It is for this reason that these three states would not have been allowed to join and also that they all sought bailouts in order to stop their domestic governments from bankruptcy. Introduction The development of the Eurozone represented a further attempt in the European Union to create increased economic and fiscal convergence and integration. The recent financial crisis has provided this new project with its first major test. This paper begins by reviewing the development and evolution of the Euro and the Eurozone. In doing so, it looks at the considered need for fiscal stabilisation at the international level. This section also highlights the various fiscal and economic mechanisms which were put in place prior to allowing any country to join the project. Subsequent to this the eligibility of three countries, Ireland, Portugal and Greece is considered. Here, the rationale for these countries joining, as well as reviewing the structure of their respective economies, is taken into consideration. Further to this, the question of whether these countries met the stabilising mechanisms prior to joining is assessed. This paper then highlights various other reasons why it may hav e been beneficial for them not to join the Eurozone. Finally, this paper reviews the recent meltdown in the Eurozone area and highlights that this event was precipitated by a structural weakness in both US as well as global financial markets which left these three countries exposed to debts sufficient for them to require bailouts and restructuring programmes which were indicative of shock therapy. This paper concludes that Ireland, Portugal and Greece should have been allowed to join the Eurozone since neither of these countries had met the eligibility criteria. In addition each of these states possessed their own structural weaknesses that ultimately would have exposed them to an economic downturn, regardless of the causation. Euro Evolution The Euro is the common currency which is used by the majority of member states of the European Union (EU). It originated in 1992 following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty which contained three aspects to combining and increasing EU governance. The Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), as a vehicle for economic integration and financial convergence, was first muted in the late 1970s as a vehicle for furthering economic integration (Civitas, 2013), and represented the latest international drive towards economic stability. Originally known as the European Monetary System, it was wound up in 1992 with the development of the ERM (Civitas, 2013). Progression towards the ERM included the creation of an independent central bank, which was mandated to achieving and maintaining price stability across the Eurozone space; a Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) which consisted of an intergovernmental agreement which was conjoined with the EU legal framework, the aim of which was to limit member state fiscal deficits; and a no co-responsibility (in layman terms, a no bail out clause) which was enshrined within Article 125 of the Treaty (Europa, 1992). These mechanisms were considered to be decent fiscal instruments for EU and Eurozone governance and, as a result, member states did not consider that it was important to coordinate their economic policies. This latter aspect was forwarded by powerful member states such as the UK, France and Germany, which did not consider that they would have any benefit from these policies. For them, any subsequent domestic policy changes were considered to have a detrimental impact upon their finances (Campaign against Euro Federalism, 2013). However, as a precursor to Euro membership, aspiring member states need to comply with a pre-set series of fiscal guidelines. EU Member states which join the Eurozone must meet a series of convergence criteria (European Commission, 2014). These criteria are based on a series of fiscal; mechanisms which are utilised to restructure the economies of member states in order that the transition to conversion to the Euro are based upon macroeconomic indicators which are used to measure The convergence criteria are formally defined as a set of macroeconomic indicators which measure stability of prices and inflationary pressures; sound and sustainability public finances which includes an imposed limit on government borrowing as well as national debt in order that member states avoid possessing an excessive national deficit (European Commission, 2014). However prior to this, aspiring member states need to conform to the exchange-rate stability mechanism, through which participation in the ERM takes place for at least two years prior to membership without there being any evidence of a strong deviations from the ERM cr iteria (European Commission, 2014). A further factor in the progression towards joining the Eurozone for any aspirant state is an assessment of long-term interest rates. Indeed this latter criterion was a mitigating factor in the UK’s failure to adhere to ERM controls in the early 1990s (Civitas, 2013). More recently the Eurozone has been engulfed in a global financial crisis which began in the USA and spread to Europe via Iceland (this is discussed in greater detail later in the paper). The fallout from this particular crisis is yet to fully land. However, the Eurozone has progressed through a series of crises since the idea was first muted in the later 1970s and, more recently, via the sovereign debt crises of recent years. It is evident that the Eurozone is not an exact science and that there exist a number of structural issues at the heart of this project. Economic and Political Reasons for the Three joining the Euro The aforementioned group of PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) joined the Euro at its inception. This section discusses three of these states, Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Bardhan, Edelstein and Kroll (2011) noted that Ireland benefitted from a number from Eurozone membership. Additionally, it is noted that the period of economic convergence provided the country with an array of stabilising fiscal factors which led to the country becoming known as tiger economy (Bardhan, Edelstein and Kroll, 2011; BBC, 2011) but in 2008 the country was the first Eurozone country to fall in to recession (BBC, 2011). However this outcome was the end of a dream which, for Arestic and Sawyer (2012), was based upon a political aspiration of economic success as well as personal and national prosperity for the Irish population. Greece joined the Eurozone in 2001 (BBC, 2001). EU membership was previously extremely popular in Greece and its populace had experienced tough austerity measures in order to comply with the economic and fiscal mechanisms which were needed to ensure a successful transition to the new currency. Similarly, there was a political determination to join the new currency since it was seen that progression would provide increased international scope for the country (BBC, 2001). Lynn (2011) argues that the historic role, in terms of political development, of Greece was a contributory factor in the national rush to join the Eurozone and considered that this outcome was to be achieved at all costs. Schadler (2005) suggests that the at all costs caveat was provided by the austerity measures and the near compliance with pre-set regulatory fiscal criteria which ensured membership of this exclusive group. In effect, whilst Ireland had hoped for increased economic wealth and prosperity, Greek aspira tions largely concentrated upon gaining increased international respect and recognition. With regards to Portugal, it is noted that this country did not join the EU space until 1986 and, effectively, was a late comer to this political institution. This is of particular importance to its membership of the Eurozone since wholesale economic change first began thirteen years later as a precursor to Eurozone membership in 2002 (Porter and Prince, 2012). Porter and Prince (2012) argue that the country’s membership of the Euro came at the behest of a political leadership that had a largely uneventful foreign policy. They link the convergence with EU policies such as membership with the Eurozone with the decreasing influence within its former colonies (Porter and Prince, 2012). This includes the return of former territories to China during the same period as the shift in focus towards its near neighbourhood was taking place. To summarise, it can be evidenced that there were numerous reasons why Ireland, Greece and Portugal joined the Eurozone. These include increased pros perity and wealth as well as increased political clout and international recognition. Was the Convergence Criteria met by the Three? It is of particular concern that Ireland, Greece and Portugal required mass fiscal stimuli packages and bailouts in order to shore up their economies and protect the respective states from going bust. A central factor in this outcome, it can be argued is a failure of these three states to adhere to the fiscal criteria that membership of the Eurozone required in order to provide a secure transition to the new currency. As stated previously, aspirant Eurozone states were required to attain to a number of preset economic and fiscal controls which would have indicated their capabilities and successful transition to the Eurozone. Maduro (2012) holds a perspective which states that structural failings within the ERM, as well as the wider EU, failed to address the excessive cross-border flow of capital which was a contributory factor in the subsequent economic crisis. Mauro also highlights that a particular failure of the EU to implement the then existing rules relating to EU budgetary frameworks also impacted upon states abilities to progress to the Eurozone successfully. For Maduro (2012) this particular outcome was important to the success of the Greek model, as well as its subsequent economic crash, since it revealed that both the local and supra national system for monitoring public finances was not working as effectively as it should have. It is noted that Greek economic perfor mances were outside of the considered ERM requirements and that from 2000 to 2008, the budget deficit given to the European Commission was nearly three per cent of the country’s GDP. In 2001, it is also noted that Greece was warned by the European Central Bank ECB, that the country still work to do to if it was going to successfully be adpted into the Eurozone. This included developing the structure of its economy and bringing inflation under control (BBC, 2001). Nevertheless Greece did join the Eurozone despite having a series of noted failings within its central fiscal requirements. Bardhan, Edelstein, and Kroll, (2011) note that the Irish economy had been inflated by a large housing bubble. This helped inflate the Irish economy to a status of having near full employment by the turn of the century (Bardhan, Edelstein, and Kroll, 2011). However a party to this success proved to be the Irish commitment to the controls which had been placed upon it by the ERM. Regling and Watson (2010) argue that a failure of the ERM structure had a detrimental impact upon the Irish economy since the loss of fiscal independence was a mitigating factor on both the creation of the bubble as well as the failure of the Irish government to combat increasing inflationary, and other fiscal pressures. Regling and Watson (2010) blame this outcome on the structure of the ERM and highlight that a small nation requires having, as full as possible, fiscal controls. Portuguese compliance with ERM criteria provided a greater economic stimulus that had first been thought was possible (Constancio, 2005). This produced a similar outcome to the Irish economic experience of the ERM and realised a booming Portuguese economy. Constancio, (2005) also notes that subsequent pay increases outstripped inflationary pressures and this outcome provide to be decisive in the battle to retain control of this area of fiscal policy, particularly where an economic downturn would result in the possibility of rampant inflation. These outcomes, Constancio (2005) argued led to pay increases in Portugal outstripping their EU partners. Essentially this outcome was borne of the structural failings discussed earlier into this paper and were only exposed when these state were impacted by the financial crisis. In terms of the Eurozone qualifying criteria, it is to be noted that none of these three countries met the criteria for joining the Eurozone. Ireland, Portugal and Greec e, therefore were in good company and were aligned to the German, Spanish, Austrian et al experiences of convergence criteria which all failed to meet qualifying critiera. Indeed, , of all the member states only two, France and Luxembourg, were the only countries to satisfy all the convergence criteria (Arestis, Brown, Sawyer, 2001). Any other Reason why any of the Three should have not Joined the Euro The earlier discussions as to the reasons why these three states, Ireland, Portugal and Greece joined the Eurozone produced divergent responses and listed from economic reasons to political vanity and reshaping of foreign policy. These issues alone are not sufficient to realise the potential pitfalls should they experience an economic downturn, as was the case in 2008 onwards. Arestis and Sawyer (2012) noted that in the case of Greece the risks far outweighed the benefits. They compared Greece with Austria and recognised that both economic models were similar apart from Greece having a far lower wage economy that Austria. Austria, therefore, was capable of resisting economic shock. Had the Greek government recognised this potential risk then it is recognised that it would not have been in their benefit to join this monetary union. With regards to Portugal and Ireland, Constancio (2005) argues that these economies had not resolved the structural issues of boom and bust. AS a result ec onomic recession was a highly probable outcome in the event of an economic bust. In essence, therefore for reasons of due diligence it is arguable that neither of these staes should have joined the Eurozone. One other potential reason for not joining the Eurozone is the philosophical argument of losing sovereignty. After the ERM had its first crisis in the early 1990s, Palm (1996) noted that the loss of state sovereignty also meant the loss of fiscal control. Whilst this particular issue is discussed elsewhere in this paper, Palm (1996) specifically discussed the loss of fiscal control in terms of an absence of asymmetric county-specific economic shock which, he argued, would be a thing of the past. Instead Palm (1996) stated that it is entirely feasible that or counterbalancing methods would be needed in order to stop economic contagion since all member states would be affected in one way or another. With hindsight Palm (1996) is discussing the response to the Eurozone crisis of 2008 to the present day. It is unfortunate, therefore, that the three countries were unable to consider due diligence when considering their membership of the Eurozone. Had they have done so they would have r ecognised the exposure to the potential banking failures and acted accordingly. Euro crises The recent fiscal crisis in the Eurozone has highlighted that it is exposed to the international financial climate. The recent fiscal crisis began in earnest in the USA with a series of regulatory changes to the US banking system in the early 2000’s (Jickling, 2012). The collapse of US subprime lending facilities impacted on Europe, firstly in Iceland where its ballooning financial sector had been exposed to the debt crisis in the USA (Lewis, 2009), and latterly on other Eurozone member states which had been exposed to large banking debts and bad practices . This has included Cyprus and the PIGS group of nations, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. The latest crisis occurred in Cyprus where experiences there were in line with similar financial and economic failings within the Eurozone space. In each case, it can be evidenced that a number of structural failings as well as an inordinate exposure to risk have been causal factors in their particular fina ncial collapses Menendez, 2013). Indeed, Iceland subsequently possessed a national debt which was ten times its national GDP (Glitner, Landbanksi and Kaupthing, 2009). Jickling (2012) Argues that the underlying causal factors of the recent crisis in both the USA and in the Eurozone were structural and that, as a result, it can be evidenced that there were four factors which needed to be addressed. These factors are: imprudent mortgage lending, bursting of housing bubbles, the structural imbalance of global debt as well as issues relating to securitization (Jickling, 2012). Menendez (2013) notes that following the financial crisis the three countries, Ireland, Portugal and Greece were impacted further when they were faced within increased demand for higher interest rates on borrowing as well as reduced fees from issued bonds. This particular outcome also impacted upon the three mechanisms which were available to these countries (renegotiation, bond issues and monetization) when attempting to relieve themselves of the economic and fiscal burdens (Menendez, 2013). The resultant outcome was that the reform processes which they were able to utilise led to reform of their respective public sectors. Prior to this, Klein (2007) had argued that such an outcome would be indicative of the new model of international crisis management. Indeed with subsequent remedies for filling the vacuum caused by financial shortfalls becoming more autocratic and oppressive it is arguable as to whether the EU space witnessed for the first time a Bolivian style response to a financial crisis (Klein, 2007). Janssen (2011) argues that one possible solution could have been that the Euro is devalued however this would not have been beneficial to Germany since its economy is export driven. As such, the political shenanigans which led to the creation of the Eurozone, and which failed to realise the preset criteria for the vast majority of countries has continued to perpetuate the structural issues that reside at the heart of this institution. For Ireland, Portugal and Greece, however, the economic and fiscal issues remain. Conclusion In conclusion, the creation of the Eurozone has been some thirty years in the making and has been considered as a regional attempt at satisfying the need for a cross border fiscal control system. The ERM was developed in order to progress this ideal but failed to address a number of structural issues that resided within the international monetary system. As a party to this, the resultant exposure of the UK to fiscal issues resulted in this country leaving the ERM some twenty years ago. Since this time the project has developed and went live with a number of nations converting their currency to the Euro. As such the Eurozone was created. However the qualifying criteria of the Eurozone was not met by all but two countries and the subsequent exposure to the US banking crisis by Eurozone members left a number of them in need of financial bailout packages. This included Ireland, Portugal and Greece. These three countries were heavily exposed to this crisis as a result of their own structu ral issues which included booming economies and exposure to a credit bubble. When these bubbles burst, the Eurozone project was in crisis and, today, a number of issues remain unresolved. This includes how to restructure the economies of states that reside within the Eurozone. However as a result of the exposure of these three countries to the recent crisis, the failure to restructure their economies prior to joining, as well as their failure to adhere to all the preset compliances evidences that they should not have been allowed to join in the first place. This issue aside, with only France and Luxembourg satisfying the qualifying criteria the question of whether any other state should have been allowed to join remains a matter of debate. In conclusion, the Eurozone crisis which engulfed these three countries typifies the weakened global fiscal structure which led to the crisis in the first place. Bibliography Arestis, P., Brown, A., Sawyer, M. (2001) The Euro: Evolution and Prospects, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Arestis, P., and Sawyer, M. (2012) The Euro Crisis, London: Palgrave McMillan. and Institutions, London: John Wiley & Sons. BBC (2001) Greece joins the Eurozone, (online), available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1095783.stm, (accessed on 29/10/14). BBC (2011), Europe’s PIGS: Country by country, (online), available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8510603.stm, (accessed on 29/10/14). Campaign against Euro Federalism (2013) What is to Happen?, London: Campaign against Euro Federalism. 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