Student Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Student Interview - Essay Example The class was interestng even if it involves math heavily. Perhaps it is because the examples that were used by the professor was about everyday life like how much your $1,000 will be worth after 5 years. The approach and method of teaching was also clear because I was able to understand it even if I did not belong in that class. With the professor’s approach in teaching, I think anyone will be able to get it for as long as they have taken their algebra. The way I see it, the class requires minimal reading but instead requires a lot of analysis and critical thinking. In my opinion, a student can even pass the class without reading for as long as he or she pays attention to the lecture of the teacher. It involves understanding of the problem and problem solving exercises for the student to get a hang of it. I asked my friend what he think of the class and his other class at Taylor as well. He replied that class was pretty easy because the lecture was clear for as long as a student don’t miss classes. He says that difficulty only arise when a students absents from the class because the next lesson will become greek to him or her. And that is time he or she has to read and I doubt if one can really get the lesson from the book because its not clear there and you cannot ask question. When I asked what he meant by that, he explained that almost all of the lessons were linked together, like the previous lesson a requisite to understand the next lesson. He furhter explained that unlike this class that does not require reading, other classes requires paper works in addition to classroom exercises. I asked him if he was able to manage, he replied in the affirmative. He gave me a â€Å"survival tip† on how to handle the rigor of academic requirement at Taylor so taht I will not have hard time. He told me just to get back at my lesson regularly that way I’m updated.

Film Analyzing Instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analyzing Instructions - Essay Example The paper "Film Analyzing Instructions" shows film analyzing instructions. According to Jaikisham, a proper film critic must know how to elucidate why a film work or doesn’t work by looking beyond the noticeable rudiments added to sell a film to the spectators. In allowing viewers to experience the story on various levels you’ve got to analyze the specific details. Seize your note book, skull to the theater, and get ready to enter the world of film critic. Study some of these professional tips on how to analyze a film and determine the fine nuances which a lot of people miss out. This is because a glass maybe half empty or half full. Therefore it is all a substance of perception. Luckily or unluckily an excellent moviemaker does not habitually share the perspective of the audience. Hence, it is vital that one value is the importance of another’s view point. Additionally, if you are watching any film with your family or friends, it is essential that you take note of the things which an untailored film typically does and this forms origin for all your opinions about a film in the end. There is copiousness of things about a film which can be dissected to get the preeminent picture on what a film is all about. Cinema can be interpreted in many different ways and each of them is correct. The following tips are essentially important in analyzing movies. This is very important as this shows how relevant a film is for the recent time. Is it just for entertainment or is it momentous cinema?

Theories and models of change management

Theories and models of change management Nothing in this world is at the state of constant static. Everything is changing. Likewise, organisations are also changing all the time. If we look few decades back things have changed a lot. Change neither disappears nor dissipates. It is a process which is inevitable. What is important is how we manage the change to get the best out of it. Change is the major driving force for a company to be innovative and experiment with new management styles and tools. Changes can bring fortune in the company with improved profit margins and satisfied employees provided that the changes are handled properly with appropriate management strategies, however, if the organisations fails to come across the appropriate and effective management strategies then it can affect the company badly and at worst even collapsing or bankruptcy. So, the changes that an organisation face has to be planned, organised, directed, controlled and channelled effectively. This requires a good leadership quality in the le ader whoever that might be. Leaders can be CEO, Mangers, Chairperson or Board of Directors depending on the organisation. There are many management thinkers at different times who have proposed many different theories and model regarding the nature of change management and how to manage the changes effectively for better of the organisations. The next section of this essay will look at the different management thinkers and their management theories and models and their relevance with the changing business environment and how it is crucial for an organisation to undergo changes for its prosperity and progress. One of the first and most popular theories of change management was given by Kurt Lewin (1890-1947). Lewins model is rather simple however other change management theories are based on this model. Lewins model of change is divided into three stages of unfreeze, change and freeze referring 3 stages of changes The first step in the change in the behaviour is to unfreeze the existing situation which is also called quo state which is the equilibrium state. Unfreezing of the quo state is very important to break the resistance from the change. It can be done with either increasing driving forces away from the quo state or decrease the restraining forces that negatively affects the movement away from the equilibrium or use the both method .(Stephen, 2003) The second step which is the change stage is the movement where all the changes happen. This movement can be facilitated with by persuading the employees to agree on the changes, telling them the benefits of the changes and making them sure that everybody has to work together to get the best out of the changes and show them new perspectives.(Stephen, 2003) The third step is the freezing stage which is the step after the change has been implemented. This stage of the change is required for the changes to stick over time. Sustainability is very important when new changes have been made. The new changes have to be properly institutionalised and formally accepted by all. The actual integration of the new changes takes place in this unfreeze stage. (Stephen, 2003) According to Lewin (1951) driving forces facilitate change because they push employees in the desired direction. Restraining forces hinder change because they push employees in the opposite direction. Therefore, these forces must be analyzed and Lewins three-step model can help shift the balance in the direction of the planned change. Changes are very crucial since changes makes new and improved ideas to implement into action possible. (Kanter, R. et al. 1992) After Lewins model many other writers upgraded his theory making it more effective however the fundamental aspects were still there. One of the most popular model of change management is Kotters eight step model (Kotter, 1995). According to Kotter, successful implementation of change depends on the eight steps as proposed by him. Skipping any one of the eight steps might create illusion of speeding of the process but it does not improve the effectiveness of change.(Singh,1963) His eight steps include the following steps: Create a sense of urgency: This step includes analysing the market and examining the possible risks and opportunities along with the competition in the market. (Kotter,1996) Establishing the powerful group to guide the change: This step is to create a group which is capable to handle the changes and has enough power to lead the effort. The group should be encouraged to work as a team. (Kotter,1996) Develop a vision: This stage includes creating a proper vision of change in the organisation. Apart from this the change should be highly focused and should be in rather simple form so that everyone understands and accepts. (Kotter,1996) Communicate the vision : The vision that has been proposed has to be delivered or explained to everyone. A good communication of the vision is very important. (Kotter,1996) Empower staff: The next step is empowering the staffs. This step includes removing hurdles in the change and encouraging new and unconventional ideas and ways of doing things. (Kotter,1996) Ensure there are short terms win: It is very important to keep the staffs motivated. Short term wins help the staffs to remain motivated. This also helps the support needed for the change. (Kotter,1996) Consolidate gains: Organisation should check the policies that inhibit or restrain the changes and if there are any, they should be changed. The policies that catalyse the changes should be brought in to action to speed up the change and efficiency. (Kotter,1996) Institutionalise the change in the culture of the organisation: the changes that have been made should be institutionalised or embedded in the organisation as a culture and should be linked with the performance and leadership. (Kotter,1996) The first four steps of Kotters eight model act as a defroster a hardened equilibrium. Stages five to seven is the introduction of many new changes. It resembles with the change phase in the Lewins model. The last phase grounds the changes that have been made into the business or organisation culture. The success and improvement of the organisation depends on the proper follow of the sequence. ( Kotter,1996) The next change management model is the ADKAR model proposed by Jeffery M Hait (2006). ADKAR is basically a framework to understand change in the individual level which was later used in the field of business and management. It comprises of five elements which are Awareness (of the need of change), Desire ( to support and participate in the change), Knowledge( of how to change), Ability( to implement required skills and behaviours) and Reinforcement( to sustain the change). (Hait,2006) Awareness represents the understanding of the need of the change along with the nature and the affects of not going through the change. (Haitt,2006) Desire represents the desire to participate in the change. Even though desire is much more about the personal choice, it can be created with the intrinsic environment. There are many factors that create desire in the individual about the changes. (Haitt,2006) Knowledge is the basically the trainings and information access about how to change. Knowledge is very important as it is very necessary to have trainings and information access to implement the change. (Haitt,2006) Ability shows the actual implementation of the change at the required pace. It also represents the conversion for knowledge into action. How well the changes have been executed depends on the ability of the group or an individual. (Haitt,2006) Reinforcement represents the sustainability of the change. Sustainability depends on both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors. External factors include recognition, rewards and celebrations that are tied to the realisation of the change. The internal factor is the sense of achievement among the individuals regarding the change.(Haitt,2006) The ADKAR model is in very much sequential manner. It clearly represents how an individual experiences change. Desire cannot come before awareness because desires are only triggered when we are aware, similarly knowledge cannot come before desire as we do not seek for the knowledge before we have desire for it and similarly ability and reinforcement. (Haitt,2006) Having discussed the models of change management it is very important to know that these models were not created just for the sake of creating. Their implications have been highly beneficial in the real context. It is very important to realise that the importance of the change in the corporate society. Technological innovations and globalisation has made this world a much smaller place. Changing according to the changing world is necessary otherwise you just lag behind and can become very hard to get along all over again. To survive and prosper organisations must adopt strategies that realistically reflect their ability to manage multiple future scenarios. ( Paton, McCalman,2000) Business and managers are now faced with ever more complex and high dynamic operating environments than before. If we take a real life example then we can see that the car companies nowadays not only manufacture cars these days but they do much more than just do the manufacturing. They are involved in how to distribute them more widely and how to get more market share and manufacturing more diverse range of cars. Another real life example is the example of BRITISH AIRWAYS. Back in 1981 BRITISH AIRWAYS appointed a new chairperson. When he was appointed the company was very inefficient and wasnt properly utilising the resources. He then made a lot of changes in the company and restructured the whole company. For this he first analysed and realised that the company needed a lot of changes to gain more profit margins and he did so through change management methodology. Then he analysed the areas for the change. The company then systematically reduced the staffs. However, before doing this, through his change management leadership, he let the company know about the need for change to prepare them for the upcoming changes and the benefits behind it. He was able to let the company know about the changes about to happen which shows a good communication and was able to direct the company to prosperity and success. Change as we already said is inevitable and no one can escape the change. The fear of adjusting into new changes and risks that brings along with it is the reason that restrains the change. Having said that change is one of the most important parts of the growth. There can never be development and growth without change. Thats why different writers and management thinkers have published different theories and model to analyse the mechanism of change so as to better understand the change. These theories work as a testimony to the fact that the change is a real phenomenon and can be analyzed through different steps and methods. As I have discussed three models of change management in this essay, each model follows the same basic fundamental framework of the mechanism of change. However, each model has a different way of looking at the things. Lewins model is rather simple which sees change into 3 stages resembling it to the stages before the change, during the change and after the change. Lewins model is more of a generalised model. So, Lewins model of change exhibits the forces that either increase or restrain the changes. To sum up, when the combined strength of one force is greater than the combined strength of the restraining forces, then the change is more likely to happen. (Stephen, 2003) It also says what the factors are that we have to consider during the process of change. Kotters eight model theory sees the change phenomenon into eight different stages. Kotter has defined the change process into many different stages which gives us a more clear idea of how change happens and how a company succeed through change. Kotters model describes how market analysis creates the need of changes and how the changes have to be well communicated to the member of staffs to motivate them for the change. The next theory ADKAR sees change more from individualistic point rather than the change itself. ADKAR says that the staffs have to be aware about the need of change which creates desire for the change. Knowledge increases the ability to cope with the changes and reinforcement stabilises the changes. ADKAR basically cover all the major aspects of change. These three models of changes have a very good implication in the real world. Lewins model being rather simple might not be appropriate for the current change in the business world however the fundamental aspect of change is there. Kotters eight model and ADKAR are quite similar. Kotters model focus more on the change itself however ADKAR focuses on the individual level. I feel that Kotters model covers almost all the aspects of the change. It not only tells about the need of change but also how the changes have to be implemented. It talks about the communication and encouraging each other to work as a team. Apart from this it also says about empowering staffs which is very important and also the motivating factors like short term win makes this model much more applicable for all kinds of institutions and more reliable. With the end of my literature review I would like to research further on the topic: Importance of change for a prosperous future.

Periodical Review Of Human Com :: essays research papers

This is a review of Human Communications Research (HCR) journal. It is published quarterly beginning in September (Fall) and ending in June (Summer). The review being done is on Volume 22, which extends from September 1995 to June 1996. The journal takes a behavioral science perspective in its research of human communications. Research areas include Interpersonal, organizational, mass communication, methodology, information systems and persuasion. HCR is a periodical that recognizes that the world is constantly evolving and that communications research must do the same in order to develop a more clear understanding of the important issues and situational demands that are at hand. In maintaining this approach, HCR focuses on exploring new research areas as well as taking a more theoretical approach. They are also trying to acknowledge more international research studies. Methodologically speaking, they seem to remain open to possibilities and try to promote discussion through their ac ceptance of articles. The new senior editor Cindy Gallois, in her editorial best describes the general direction and intent of HCR. One of the main goals is to encourage diversity so that HCR will have something of interest for every reader. She also says that HCR is moving with a general trend that is away from the databased research studies towards more theory-based research and rigorous interpretations of results. Although they are trying to increase the variety of topics, they are still maintaining a behavioral science approach to communications. Gallois also welcomes the expansion of methods on research and is a firm believer in the idea that a good researcher is one that is capable of choosing the approach and methodology that best fit the research question. It is also her belief that HCR will develop more of an international flavor because the present volume marks the first time it has been edited by a non-U.S. resident. This will allow for a greater recognition of the active communication research studies being done in many countries. Upon review of articles in HCR, I found quite few having similar topics. These included: Communication in the workplace, persuasion, deception, and communication support systems. These topics all deal with important aspects of human communication and are consistent with what is trying to be achieved by HCR. The intent of this journal is to improve human communication in areas that it would be widely useful consistent with the changing world. By researching different perspectives of issues, HCR hopes to get a better understanding of what the obstacles have previously been in order to try and improve communication relationships.

Athena and Telemachus

Chayenne Georges Prof Jette Eng-111 3/10/13 Athena and Telemachus Athena, the Grey eyed goddess, is one of those women in The Odyssey whose role is so important. She is the goddess of wisdom, who helps Telemachus on a journey to bring his father back home. Athena goes to Odysseus son to put courage in him. She doesn’t show her true self to humans; instead Athena disguises herself on three different occasions. She appeared as Odysseus friend Mentes, when she approached Telemachus. When Athena touches down Ithaca she is immediately spotted by Telemachus, who was sitting unhappy among the suitor.Free-will is greatly used between Athena and Telemachus, when she is persuading him to find his father. Athena says, â€Å"If I were you, I should take these steps to make these men disperse,† [Homer, 320]. Here Athena is trying to get Telemachus to realize that it’s time for his father to come to Ithaca, and he has to get the suitors out of his home. In The Odyssey Telemach us is portrayed as a boy who has to grow up, he needs to find the courage and guidance to find his father, Athena is Telemachus’ voice she is the one who helps give this courage to him.The Odyssey give you more of an external view of the characters, it doesn’t really expose their inner thoughts or feelings. Meadowlands by, Louise Gluck demonstrates Telemachus’ true feelings for his father. â€Å"When I was younger I felt sorry for myself compulsively; in practical terms, I had no father; my mother lived at her loom hypothesizing her husband’s erotic life;† [Meadowlands, Telemachus’ Kindness, 24]. Here a whole different side of Telemachus is being identified.In Meadowlands Telemachus is angry at his parents, he pity them. This quote from Telemachus’ Kindness shows the anger he has towards his father for leaving. He feels as if he had no childhood because he never had a father figure in his life. Penelope sorrowed over Odysseus absence, instead of marrying one of the suitors and give Telemachus a father figure, someone to look to, Penelope often fantasied about her husband life and what he is doing while he is gone. She would loom every night to stall the suitors, keep from marrying them.

Interoperability Paper: Child and Family Services Essay

The Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County provides many different services and resources. In this paper I will be talking about the Child and Family Services. The program that I will be focusing on is a program that supports and focuses on children and families. CSSW recognizes the impact that family life has on a child’s ability to grow and develop. We have established programs that recognize and address the needs of children to ensure they are in a stable, safe and loving environment. In addition, CSSW offers caregivers the necessary outlet or training needed to mentally and emotionally tend to and their parent/caregiver, connect caregivers to community resources and promote a family’s ability to stay together. (â€Å"Catholic Social Services Of Washtenaw County†, 2013) I will be focus on the three models Loosely Linked Network, Network Model and Top-Down Model. I will talk about the advantages and disadvantages that all three models have when referring to the origination Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County. Loosely Linked Network Model This model is the least impact and would give the agency more control over their creativity and what they can afford. The child and family program that I am taking about could easily have a model like this implemented and it also could be very affective for this organization. Having in house resources and other organizations in the area can also help. The Loosely Linked Model can help with resources that they can use on the internet to find services directly related to them, it can resource the overall cost of technology that they use in the Child and Family program, and it can also it has the flexibility with in the Catholic Social Service as a whole. There are some advantages to this modal for this particular organization, cost being a big factor, and training for the staff that is working in the program and for the agency. This model would be the easiest but maybe not the best for this agency and their needs. There however are several disadvantages to this particular model. A few are there is no quality control, who is watching out for potential lack of standards and the overhead cost could be high because inefficiencies and monopolies that may occur. Also with this particular model it makes work for some organizations but for this one it would be a bad idea, because they have so many other components to their agency. If technology failed in this model it would not be hard to keep the programs running smoothly. These models resources are still local and would not require networking using a computer. Having paper information of all the support and resources that are being used would need to been done so the clients are still supported no matter what. Network Model This model is more of a formal model that has guideline and standards that have to be met and set up before establishing it for the agency. For this particular organization this type of model may be something that they really need to look and to see if this is something that would benefit the whole agency. At Catholic Social Services there is more area of focuses besides the child and family, they also have programs like adoption, counseling, housing, parenting, and pregnancy. By having a systems that networks their clients information and situation would already be in the system for the other areas of support to find resources for them and or give them other types of support that they did not know was even out there for them. There are a lot of advantages to this model like the overall networking piece, and making sure that the clients get the resources and support they need because of the network being used at the agency, there is always some disadvantages too. One major disadvantage is funding, making sure that all the agencies, services and resources are linked together has a cost to it. Another huge disadvantage is some of the jobs preformed can be taken away because the networking is being done automatically, which them the individuals that had those jobs would have to move to more complex jobs which then you may have the cost of training and or hiring individuals that are more educated for the jobs at hand. For this agency having more of a networking model would be beneficial and would also support the individual and or families more.  Having access to more services is always a bonus. This model may have a hard time functioning if technology fails. This best thing for this model is to make sure there is always paper trails and backup. It may seem like a lot of extra work but you need to remember it is for the clients that you are helping. Top-Down Model The Top-Down model is a model that has several components and ways to share the information that is needed. Keeping the Catholic Social Services Child and Family programs the three components of the IGHI would be the (a) the Child and Family Services, (b) Washtenaw County Catholic Social Services and (c) Catholic Social Services. By having these three components they are an informational infrastructure not just an organizational agency. Having these three components working together there can have some pro and cons to it. Some pros are that is a client needs information, resources or services outside Washtenaw County their information is available to others with in the Catholic Social Service origination. Also by having multiply agencies using the same system some of the task can just become routine for the system so the human service professional can focus on other task, like having more time to meet with clients. There are also some cons to this type of model. There has to be goals that are set by everyone, system wide goals. Without system wide goals there is no monitoring and control by the origination. Over all lack of support by everyone involved can be a major issue for the organization and their clients. This model would work if all parts of the origination were on board and was able to understand the benefits to this model. If they do not understand the model they may feel that they do not have the freedom to help their clients the way they see fit when in reality it is the opposite. The more information and support right at your figure tips the better for the human service professional and most importantly the clients. This model could get a little tricky if technology failed. Having everyone on the same system could and or would take down the whole agency, which them no one could help their clients until it was fixed. Even if only done for a short time it could really matter in some of your clients cases. Making sure that there is back up information on all clients would need to be done, so supporting clients could still happen even without technology. All three of these models have several pros and cons to them. I  think that to help this particular agency, The Washtenaw Catholic Social Services: Child and Family that the Networking model would be the best to support their overall need for the organizations and their clients. They already have a Facebook, twitter and a very interactive web page. This organization no matter of their model is here to support their community. â€Å"As a member of our community, we believe our work attains the greatest benefit when we join with our neighbors and colleagues to create a responsive, compassionate society where all are valued, honored and have the opportunity to thrive.† (â€Å"Catholic Social Services Of Washtenaw County†, 2013) References Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County. (2013). Retrieved from http://csswashtenaw.org/ Schoech, D. (2010). Interoperability and the Future of Human Services. Journal Of Technology In Human Services, 28(1/2), 7-22. doi:10.1080/15228831003759539

Azerbaijan Economic Development

Azerbaijan Economic Development Problem Identification The Azerbaijan economy has developed significantly since the Soviet Union collapsed, but its GPD has fluctuated in past two decades. This means that the overall economy is unstable. Azerbaijan is among the East European countries that have rich natural resources, but have failed to use this wealth to move toward modernization.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Azerbaijan Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Azerbaijan’s economic development faces massive problems related to the limits of its resources (United Nations., and Economic Commission for Europe. 2003). The economy is one-sided, because it depends heavily on petroleum production and oil prices, and these are obstacles to its long-term development process. To achieve stability and improve this process, it is necessary to develop a broader economy with more diverse resources (Cornell, 2011). Brief Topic Descript ion Sufficient resources are the primary asset for economic development of countries. Countries are endowed differently with the resources; some have many resources whereas others limited capacity. In addition, some of the resources are underutilized/ignored with respect to others. This research focuses on the economic development issues in Azerbaijan. Specifically, the limitation of resources in stabilizing the economy and achieving modernization has been examined. The research also employs some of the theories of comparative politics such as the modernization and independence theories. Finally, the study uses several levels of analysis to gain a better understanding of the situation. Significance of the Research Study of this topic is of much significance in shedding light about the potential of diversifying resources to achieve economic stability and modernization. Resources diversification is important and an essential component of development. Therefore, this study unveils its influence in the economic development of Azerbaijan. Research Question This research will be guided by the following research question: Should the Azerbaijan government to diversify the country’s economy resources to achieve stability and move forward with modernization? Hypothesis Diversifying Azerbaijan’s economic resources is a positive mechanism towards stabilizing the economy as well as modernizing it.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Definition of Terms The following terms will be utilized in this research; Diversification: This is a technique of investing in a wide variety of sectors to minimize the risk involved in specializing with one sector. Economic Stability: This is terminology describing a financial system that is experiencing very minor fluctuations in its output growth as well as maintaining a consistently lower rate of inflation. Modernization: This is a transformational process that begins from underdevelopment status to development status. Detailed topic description After the break of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan started on a transition journey from communism to market economy to enhance its stability and survival economically and politically. Azerbaijan primarily relied on its hydrocarbon resources particularly oil to achieve this goal. Development of oil resources spearheaded the country with a sustainable middle level economy. This helped Azerbaijan to combat the high poverty levels and achieve some of its development goals (Leeuw, 1998). This was short lived because this hydrocarbon resource Azerbaijan over-relied on being limited. This posed great challenges to Azerbaijan that hindered it in realizing its objectives. Therefore, a systemic transition to market economy was required coupled with effective measures. However, this systemic transition was complex as it encompassed transitions in the politi cal, economic and social aspects respectively (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). The political transition involves creation of states as well as establishing their identities, formulation of policies both local and foreign, and establishing of democratic institutions and their governance. Relative to economic transition, it incorporates price liberalization, expenditure stabilization, privatization of enterprises and globalization of the economy. Further to social transition, this mainly concentrates on societal development (Leeuw, 1998).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Azerbaijan Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political Transition The first few years of Azerbaijan independence were marred by inevitable chaos and uncertainties (Cornell, 2010). This political turmoil led loss of territories, damage of the infrastructure and the influx of refugees. This had a destructive impact on Azerbaijan e conomy making the lives of Azerbaijan citizens very difficult. On the contrary to this, Azerbaijan witnessed significant development in democracy and other related governance issues that had not been experienced since the reign of Muslim Orient. Amongst them was an exercise of voting rights in a free and fair election where Aliyev Abulfaz Elchibey was elected the first president with a popular vote. In addition to this, Parliament, Milli Majlis, comprised of 50 members was formed to replace the Soviet supreme legislative body. The reign of Elchibey did not last long as he was divested due to failure of bringing the much awaited economic reforms. This portrayed the country’s commitment to economic development (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Heydar Aliyev succeeded Elchibey and during his reign he managed to enhance political stability, economic recovery as well as to prevent state fragmentation. By initiating good foreign investment policies the Azerbaijan oil sector experienc ed massive growth enhancing economic stability and modernization. However, most critics argued that this progress was achieved at the expense of democracy and other political liberties. This is because the reign of Aliyev was characterized more of an authoritarian than democratic. In the 1995 referendum, the Azerbaijan government centralized the all powers to the executive branch, President. The reason for this was to prevent political unrest emanating from the ethnicity based conflicts which would endanger or hinder economic development (King, 2005). To worsen the situation, the executive branch initiated a plot to alter the constitution in order to secure more power. This was a big blow to democracy and its consequences had great damage to Azerbaijan smaller parties at the same time endangering their political existence and influence in nation building. This attracted outright pressure from international organizations such as the Council of Europe asking for restoration of democra cy. To date, the organization has been monitoring progress of Azerbaijan in developing democratic institutions that are effective and functional. For instance, in 2004, the council ordered the Azerbaijan government to initiate constitutional changes that would allow the separation of power upon which parliament was to retain more power than the executive to oversee running of government activities.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A country’s successful transition to democracy and stability depend solely on the efforts of lawmakers. Lawmakers during Heydar Aliyev reign mainly concentrated on maintaining political and economic stability at any cost including sacrificing democracy to achieve these objectives. The following government under President Ilham Aliyev, aimed to achieve political and economic stability by balancing democracy and the rule of law. The lawmakers of this period were divided between reformers majority who are foreign trained and conservatives. These two groups conflicted about the control of distribution structure to be used in handling substantial funds from the oil business. The Azerbaijan government operated on a pyramidal structure based on patronage, nepotism and corruption strongly influenced by regional or clan. This is one and most significant challenge facing reform process in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan government launched a program in 2005, the National Anti-Corruption Pro gram to fight corruption because of the severe impact corruption has on the destabilizing economy (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Economic Transition Similarly to other former USSR nations, economic transition in Azerbaijan involved transforming the USSR communism economic system based on heavy subsidies, state owned industries and state market domination in resource allocation and price determination into a capitalist system controlled by the market economy and privatization. This transition was formally launched in 1991 under the Basic Economic Development Law. However, the transition period under Elchibey was marred with various challenges, the most disheartening being hyperinflation which hit the 1.664% mark by 1994. This was attributed to the price liberalization reforms employed in 1992. As a result the national income declined terribly from $35,006 million to $1.031 million, gross national product per capita also declined, industrial outputs decreased and the unemployment rat e was acute. Above all the factors that contributed to the downfall and challenges in the economy in these first years of independence was over-reliance on specialized economy instead of the diversified economy. The Azerbaijan economy solely depended on energy resources mostly petroleum oil (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Besides over-reliance on energy resources, poor economic reforms worsened the situation. As of 1995, implementation of improved economic reforms started with the government introducing a stabilized program, Systemic Transformation Facility with the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This enhanced recovery of the economy which persisted in the following years with continued reinforcement of stabilization policies from Azerbaijan government and its National Bank, for example, stabilization of Azerbaijan’s national currency (Manat) in1995-1996 to curb the high rising inflation. Alongside the technical support from various financial institution s like IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and so forth, oil sector was strengthened in foreign investments. This contributed to high revenues which enhanced economic growth and stabilization. In 2003, oil accounted for 40% of Azerbaijan budget revenue and 90% exports. To date, the energy sector still accounts for the largest share of Azerbaijan’s revenue and exports (United Nations 2003). Additionally, the government initiated an energy fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) managed by a team of experts. This aimed at enhancing effective management of energy (oil) assets through exploration, development and production. As of October 2003, the fund had accumulated $800 million. However, this faced a major downfall due to lack of transparency and accountability. High cases of institutionalized corruption were reported. The ruling elites piled up oil revenues as well as mismanaged the resource. Likewise in political transition, corruption remains the hindrance to economic development destroying the industrial base and job creation. Despite the oil sector primarily steering economic development in Azerbaijan, relying on the one-sided economy is dangerous and may hinder development of other economic sectors like agriculture. Agriculture in Azerbaijan constituted 14.1 per cent of the total country’s gross domestic product by 2003. Azerbaijan has a favorable climate which would ensure production of many types of crops. Of the 11 climatic zones for agriculture, Azerbaijan has 9 of them. Agriculture has also experienced a big blow by poor and inadequate infrastructure which fell into disrepair during the Soviet era. Therefore. Azerbaijan farmers cannot export their products and they lack proper storage facilities for the products like refrigerators. On the other hand, brokers and wholesalers are scared of the poor infrastructure system. This forces farmers to sell their produce soon after production and for lower prices. However, there are some smaller plants for food processing emerging but the power problem is a major threat. This requires a steady supply of power and good infrastructure to ensure easy access to resources and supplies. In regards to tourism, Azerbaijan has a diverse geography stretching from its broad coastline to major mountain ski resorts. Likewise in agriculture, poor infrastructure and lack of consistent power challenges tourism. Only its capital city, Baku, has better infrastructure ranging from transportation to other sectors like health care. This also plays a part in limiting diversification of resources to other areas since all investors and companies concentrate entirely on Baku. Developing non-oil sectors and formulating favorable policies to enhance foreign investment, good infrastructure and so forth in these sectors can be a big boost in stabilizing the economy in Azerbaijan. In this respect, Azerbaijan government in 2003 initiated policies to develop non-oil sectors to stabilize the e conomy by creating more jobs, improving economic conditions, enhancing transparency and effective spending. In regards to privatization, effective private sector enhances economic development. In Azerbaijan, privatization begun as early as 1993 and is still continuing to date. By 2001, Azerbaijan government had accomplished privatization of over 29000 small enterprises but lagged behind in privatizing the big enterprises. This portrays the high commitment government has with big enterprises which mostly were related to energy (Megginson Oxford University Press 2005). To promote economic diversification a country’s need to develop its financial and physical infrastructure. Azerbaijan is facing a major challenge in developing reliable and modernized financial institutions. Restructuring of the existing banking system in Azerbaijan is taking place very slowly. This is attributed to over-reliance on foreign capital. As earlier mentioned Azerbaijan economy is mostly funded by int ernational organizations like the IMF, World Bank, ADB amongst many others. Social Transition Democratization and nation building process requires major contribution from the government and the people. As it is described democracy is a livelihood and the capacity upon which societies develop. This is facilitated by collective understanding and stabilized social consensus. However, the situation of Azerbaijan is filled with widespread apathy in politics, scattered opposition, non-satisfactory political dialogues and lack of cooperation between the government and the people. This makes the transition to democracy in Azerbaijan very difficult and complicated. Inequality amongst people in Azerbaijan is inevitable in respect to financial resources as well as opportunities to enhance ones capability and talent. There have been many internally displaced people and refugees in Azerbaijan who have not been reintegrated back to the society. To the bigger majority, no progress has been made in several years whereas the minority have grown disproportionately rich. During the 2003 elections, the political unrest emerged due the dispute in election results leading to a sour relationship of Azerbaijan government and its citizens were close to about 1000 opponents were arrested (Ottaway, 2002). Besides these obstacles in social transition, Azerbaijan people were actively fighting for democracy. Civil societies and community-based organizations emerged and teamed up with international organizations to fight for their rights. Existence of mistrust between the government and its citizens poses great harm to economic development (Ottaway, 2002). Detailed outcome description This research provides data to support the hypothesis and highlights the issue of economic development in Azerbaijan. It also suggests some solutions that help the economy to maintain long-term stability. In general, the outcome centers on the idea that the Azerbaijan government should diversify the economy wi th new resources such as agriculture, services, and tourism amongst many others. Agriculture is crucial not only Azerbaijan but in the entire world at large. Agriculture in Azerbaijan comes second in the economy behind the energy sector. This sector has the greatest growth potential in the economy because the energy sector is diminishing. Despite agriculture being second after the oil sector, it provides more employment opportunities than the energy sector. As of 2010, agriculture employed 40 percent of the entire Azerbaijan working population while the energy sector employing less than one per cent. This portrays the bigger potential and benefit/influence this sector can have on Azerbaijan economy. There are high poverty rates linked to lack of employment. Additionally, above 52 percent of the country’s territory was under agriculture due to the favorable climate and the traditional influence of rural households (Zvi Lerman, Sedik, and Sedik, 2010). On the contrary, the sect or’s share of Azerbaijan GDP was only 5.2 per cent as opposed to the energy sector which constituted above half of the total GDP. The exports from energy sector constituted 92 per cent of the countrys total exports. Agricultural sector failed to make an impact in that due to over-reliance on small scale farming. In general, agriculture performed poorer in 2010 than in the previous year. This was attributed to fall in grain production as a result of the floods and the decline in the cultivated area. This shows that there were poor agricultural policies to prevent or overcome these disasters and also ensure good prices. However, agriculture has continued to grow steadily due to the good climate and government intervention. The Azerbaijan government has reduced the value added tax on agricultural inputs, lending rates, initiated irrigation systems as well as improved the infrastructure. The Azerbaijan government considered the agricultural sector as their main priority for ensur ing economic stability and modernization amongst the non-energy resources. For this reason, it has created plans with strategic development programs to focus on the sector. This includes the Socioeconomic Development of Regions for 2009-2013, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development for 2008-2015 and the State Program for the reliable provision of population with foodstuffs in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2008-2015. Contrary to the efforts the government has invested in agriculture, agriculture still has little influence in economic development. This is because the rural population is still relying hugely on remittances. More to this, the land management practices, agricultural services and credits, agricultural inputs and privatization incentives are poor. Furthermore, the high number of refugees and internally displaced persons dealt the agricultural sector and other sectors as well a major blow in reduction of poverty. As far as the financial system is concerned, Azerbaija n has made rapid expansion of this sector. This triggered the rise in number of financial institutions to above 200 which were further reduced to 44. Besides the reduction, only two banks, Kapital Bank and International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) partially owned by the state dominated controlling more than half of the oil assets in the sector. As of 2006, a report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) indicated that the financial sector had expanded by over 60 per cent. However, the ratio of GDP to banking assets was below 20 per cent. This reflected the small contribution the sector was making in the financial growth. Although there was a rapid expansion of the system, the system remains fragmented and under capitalized. Therefore, further reforms are required to promote efficiency and confidence to mobilize more savings for investment purposes. The low ratio portrayed that this sector had a growth potential which when well capitalized can serve the economic demands for credit especially at this moment it is diversifying away from mainly relying on oil alone. To add on, the under capitalized banks are at the risk of collapsing in the event of economic shocks which will further destabilize economic development. Dominance by one financial institution like it is with oil is a threat to other financial institutions. Likewise in other non-energy sectors, Azerbaijan has a big potential in the tourism industry. Azerbaijan is endorsed with many fascinating sites like the ancient cities, fortresses, palaces, mausoleums, mosques and so forth. On top of this, it mostly famous for its features of eternal fire, the â€Å"atashgehs,† for example, Yanardag-the blazing mountain in Absheron. Over decades now, fire worshippers from Azerbaijan and even other countries mainly India has visited the place in search of the fire. Furthermore, Azerbaijan has above 6000 historical monuments. Apart from this, is also known for its favorable agricultural cl imate having 9 climate zones of the existing 11 worldwide. In spite of all these fascinating sites for tourism, Azerbaijan gains little revenue from the sector which is insignificant to its economic development. The majority of this revenue was generated from domestic tourism. Nevertheless, the progress in developing the sector has been ongoing in the years since 2000. According to the experts view, Azerbaijan can accommodate about 22 to 25 million tourists per year. In 2011, Azerbaijan had 2 million visitors which portray they is a big gap to fill in this sector (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism development 2005). Recommendations/solutions Based on the above outcomes of the economic situation in Azerbaijan, the following solutions will speed up the process of diversification. Azerbaijan government should concentrate on implementing effective economic development programs in regards to the non-energy sector. As stated in this research, Azer baijan has a great potential in economic and human resources, historical heritage and unique natural environment. For instance, in agriculture, the Azerbaijan government considers the agricultural sector as their main priority in ensuring economic stability and modernization amongst the other non-energy resources. Azerbaijan has a favorable climate for agriculture satisfying 9 out of the 11 climatic zones preferred for farming. As indicated above, major efforts have been invested in agriculture but the efforts are not enough and effective. Relative to service industry we consider Azerbaijan banking sector. This sector as indicated is comprised of many financial institutions but only a few dominate. To enhance economic development and modernization, the financial sector must also be modernized to empower the development of other sectors by providing credit and loans. Therefore, the financial sector has to improve its corporate governance, encourage consolidation and privatization. Th e Azerbaijan government owned Kapital Bank and the majority shares in the IBA, 52.7 per cent. With respect to tourism, Azerbaijan has broad fascinating resources for tourism. Azerbaijan has to develop beaches, hotels and recreation facilities along its Caspian coastline. Relative to the hotels, Azerbaijan has only 6 five star hotels and very few 3 to 4-star hotels for budget tourists (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism development 2005). Developing the above sectors and other potential sectors will ensure development of the country’s remote and peripheral areas, promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, creation of new employment opportunities, and restoration of infrastructure. Nevertheless, the management of the resources would require accountability and transparency using effective monitoring mechanisms both in the public and private sector (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism developme nt 2005). With regards to oil revenues, good governance should be embraced in the distribution and use of this primary source of revenue to uplift other sectors of the economy. As mentioned above, institutionalized corruption of SOFAZ delayed development of other sectors. Another important solution to diversification, is finalizing of the privatization process especially for the biggest business. This would eliminate monopoly in certain sectors of the economy and improve the competitiveness of goods in the domestic market. In return, this would be of much benefit to the ordinary Azerbaijan consumers. On the political scene, Azerbaijan government should initiate more clear and democratic policies to enhance good governance and relationship with its citizens. In addition, the government should embrace effective running of the government institutions and implementation of the adopted policies. As noted, inefficiency in implementation of policies or running of government institutions wa s a hindrance in achieving economic stability and modernization (Bongers, McCallum, United Nations Human Settlements Programme World Association of Cities and Local Authorities Coordination 2003). Furthermore, the government should formulate effective social reforms to reintegrate the displaced persons and the refugees in the society. Moreover, equality should be upheld in solving the immediate needs and challenges facing Azerbaijan such as housing, employment, poverty and many more (United Nations 2003). Comparative Analysis and Debate This research applies theories levels of analysis to shape the debate about whether or not Azerbaijan should have a comprehensively developed economy with diverse resources in order to ensure its stability and modernization. Two theories have been applied in this research, modernization and dependency. These theories have notable similarities and many differences as well. The theories provide valid information and explanations pertaining to developm ent and underdevelopment. Likewise, two levels of analysis, systemic and sub-systemic will be applied in this research. These systems explain underdevelopment in Azerbaijan and need to stabilize the economy to achieve long term development (United Nations 2003). In regards to modernization theory, the following questions are necessary in the theoretical analysis. What causes the economic stability of a country to rise, endure or fall? Does democracy evolve or diminish as a result of economic development? Democracy falls in which economic development level? The above questions are sufficiently answered by comparing two theories, modernization and dependency relating to economic development and democracy. These questions also help to define the mechanism existing economic development and aspects of political regimes. The research about the relationship between democracy and economic development has been widely covered than any topic in comparative politics (Hauss, 2008). The majority of these studies has shown that the levels of economic development and democracy are strongly tied. There are two different factors why this relationship is possible: democracy has a high likelihood of occurring when a country is developing economically or it may develop independent of the economic development. However, democracy has high chances of surviving in a developed country. The first factor is endogenous whereas the second is exogenous. By comparing the two regimes, we assert that democracy occurs when dictatorship ends. Hence, the notion that democracy is dependent on economic development is similar to the saying that dictatorship in a country ends soon the country develops economically. Therefore, democracy edges out dictatorship through economic development (Przeworski, and Limongi, 1997). Surveys conducted in different countries show that as a country develops economically, its social structure extensities-civilization, and labor, it requires considerable involvement of employees. Furthermore, other new groups and activities arise. As a result of this, dictatorship loses its effectiveness as the changes occurring empower people with autonomy, privacy and freedom. Using the endogenous factor, modernization theory takes effect in this. This theory describes democratization to be achieved after the economy develops. Modernization involves differentiating and specializing the social structures. This is done to distinguish the two aspects from from political structures. The main goal of this process is to create democracy. These processes include industrialization, urbanization, mobilization, education, political incorporation, communication and many more. In short, this is diversification of the economy. Therefore, according to modernization theory, democracy is dependent on economic development. It is assumed that if a country advances economically, like the developed countries, there is a higher probability of political democracy persisting (Przewor ski, and Limongi, 1997). Therefore, modernization is termed as one of the factors why economic development is linked with democracy. The sense that a country becomes democratic after developing economically portrays democracy as endogenous. That is, it comes as a result of development under authoritarian system. This implies that a poor authoritarian country would develop and become democratic after reaching a certain level of economic development. On the contrary, an authoritarianism / dictatorship would end because of other forms of influences thus democracy would still be achieved. The majority of European countries achieved their democracies as a result of wars but not modernization. On the other hand, other democracies fell due to the demise of their leader, foreign pressures and economic crises. Modernization theorists concentrate on the socio-political and cultural factors and impact of economic development (Przeworski, and Limongi, 1997). Relative to the dependency theory, i t looks at the interaction between developing and developed countries. This theory appears as an opposing theory of the interaction based on free market theory. It was developed to challenge the economic policies of free markets during the post war era. Therefore, dependency theory shows that a few established countries that are supplied by the developing countries at their own expense. This implies that third world countries depend on the developed nations because they send resources, and they may or may not get compensations. This theory holds that developed countries put their developing counterparts under pressure through tough economic forces like instituting sanctions or proscribing trading policies which are attached to loans provided by the IMF or World Bank (Johnson, Turner Turner, 2003). The dependency theory further posits that there is an increment in dependency as time passes. The developed nations take the advantage of the vast resources to develop unfair policies whi ch oppress the developing countries. In addition, the developed countries avoid criticisms from the developing countries. This strategy favors and creates economic security of the developed countries at the expense of the underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the developing countries continue to lose wealth to the developed countries. This causes poverty in developing countries, and this situation forces these countries to get loans from the developed countries. The developing countries accumulate huge debts, and this increases their dependency on the developed countries. Generally, dependency theory emphasizes that lack of development in underdeveloped countries occurs is attributed the international capitalist system that keeps the third world countries like Azerbaijan underdeveloped. Azerbaijan is influenced by other European countries under the Council of Europe and is dependent on loans from IMF and World Bank amongst other international financial institutions (United Nations., and Economic Commission for Europe. 2003). As per the systemic level of analysis, it has two regimes, the post-Cold War and the post-9/11. The post-Cold War regime was characterized by the change in the international system to a capitalist system whereas the post-9/11 refers to the war on terrorism that left countries torn apart and in conflicts with one another. This approach will evaluate how both regimes affected the development process in Azerbaijan. Regarding to post-Cold War regime, Azerbaijan suffered unrest after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although Azerbaijan was relatively quiescent during the progress of the Cold War, it suffered conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Apart from the political conflicts, other conflicts related to religious militancy, terrorism and competition over the limited resources intensified causing instability which further affected the international relations of these countries. Similarly to the post-Cold War, post-9/11 also contribut ed to political unrest and deterioration of international relations between the United States and Muslim related countries (Burnell Randall, 2008). Further to the sub-systemic analysis level, the phenomenon about Azerbaijan underdevelopment will be examined through its political system, political culture, leadership and decision making policies for the government. The Azerbaijan political system was under the authoritarian rule where the economy first developed and later started to fall. This was attributed to the political culture of institutionalized corruption which affected the government. The leadership was based on dictatorship where only the class of state building elites controlled decision making (Atakishiyev, 2007). Debate It is necessary for the Azerbaijan economy to continue depending on the Petroleum productions and the oil prices. The country should use the wealth for development, which will help move forward to modernize. As opposed to diversification, specializing i n the oil sector has proved successful in Azerbaijan. To date, oil is the main contributor of the country’s revenue. In addition, most of the exports also come from this sector. This revenue has been used to develop the country’s economy, and a good progress has been observed for years. One sector is easy to manage effectively, unlike many sectors (Atakishiyev, 2007). By contrast, diversification of the economy is the key in achieving economic stability and modernization. As studies have shown, countries that are developed are those with a diversified economy. In respect to Azerbaijan, diversification is highly required. Despite the oil sector being dominant in Azerbaijan economy, there is a major risk of exhausting the natural resource which will leave the country in a stalemate, destabilized and non- modernized. On the basis of this research, Azerbaijan has a great potential of economic resources ranging from agriculture, financial institutions to tourism. Besides, t he little efforts by Azerbaijan in these sectors, they have portrayed change to the economy. Therefore, by diversifying its economy, Azerbaijan would realize economic stability and modernization within a short time. Conclusion This research has successfully proved that diversification of economic resources is the key to achieving economic stability and modernization. Azerbaijan has mainly relied on the energy sector since independence; however, it has other potential resources which are underutilized. The outcome of this research has helped us to understand the economic development of countries which are reliant on single sector/resources like Azerbaijan. However, over reliance on one sector has contributed to the underdevelopment of countries. This research has shown that such a system is at the risk of collapsing once the resource exhausts or due to other factors. These other factors include democracy. The modernization theory has emphasized on the impact of democracy to achieving economic stability and modernization regardless of relying on a single or multiple sectors. Contrary to this, the dependence theory proves that the hindrance to development and modernization is dependence on developed countries which end up indebting them. In regards to levels analysis, underdevelopment of a country is as a result of local and international influence. In systemic analysis, countries fail to develop due to external influence like war and terrorism with destroying the international relations. On sub-systemic analysis, internal influence play center role in underdevelopment of the country. On all these fronts the impact is massive on country relying on a single economic resource. 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