Examine the portrayal of cultural poverty in “Saved” and “The Wasp Factory”

Cultural poverty can be defined as lacking society's principles in many ways. â€Å"The Wasp Factory† and â€Å"Saved† deal with dysfunctional families living in a community that is deprived of hope and aspiration. Their way of life is violent and gothic due to the deficiency of society's ethics and morals. This is reflected in the characters attitudes and minds which to them is all they have ever known. Their isolation from education and society's support structure limits their knowledge of how to live in a community. Lack of education is probably the most defining factor determining how a society advances and improves. Frank's world is completely his creation, with his own morals, principles and rules. He doesn't know how to socialise as he has never experienced life through the point of view of another human being. His total upbringing by his father was completely orchestrated mentally and physically. Frank epitomises the extremes of society's norms at the time that â€Å"The Wasp Factory† was written when Margaret Thatcher was in power. Thatcher's belief when she was in power was that it's â€Å"Every man for himself† which created social isolation between different families, as can be seen in the families of both â€Å"The Wasp Factory† and â€Å"Saved†. Frank's family sounds highly dysfunctional when we discover how he talks of how Eric's mother haemorrhaged and bled to death when Eric was born. His opinion of how Eric was the first murderer of the family is very sinister and thought provoking, â€Å"Old Eric beat me to it, killing his mum before he had even drawn breath†. Frank doesn't even exist in society which is one of the reasons why he has no education because he could never go to school. The same can be said of the characters in â€Å"Saved† who are illiterate and uneducated which can be shown through their vocabulary. No signs of education can be seen in any of the characters due to their personalities and lifestyles. Also the accent that comes through the vocabulary makes the characters seem different, as in our society we are not use to hearing their accents and generally their lifestyles seem isolated from society. We never hear of how they survive, where their income comes from nor even simple daily routines such as house hold duties. Even though the characters speech in â€Å"Saved† is altered, it brings the reader closer to the characters and they seem more human, which is why we understand the characters more personally and understand their different lifestyles. Social isolation is another aspect that affects the characters in â€Å"The Wasp Factory† and â€Å"Saved†. In â€Å"The Wasp Factory†, Frank understands how his island is just a miniscule part of the planet and knows that he limits his own knowledge of first hand experiences of other places, but the reason why his life is surrounded and clouded by the fact that he will never leave the island is deeper. He believes he has been treated cruelly by society and believes that it is influential and contaminating. This is largely due to the fact that when Eric left the island, he was exposed to the social pressures. He says, â€Å"Eric chose a path and followed it – that path led to the destruction of most of what he was†. Frank believes that Eric developing a mental illness as we learn in â€Å"What Happened to Eric† and his personality change is a result of his leaving the island and returning with a changed heart, indicating the world is a cruel and life-changing place. Frank sees his island as a haven, his protection from the cruelty and dangers of the outside world. He even says, â€Å"I don't bother people, and they best not bother me†, which shows he created isolation purposely, and that he isn't a shy or unsociable person. In â€Å"Saved† the setting reflects the characters isolation from society. â€Å"Saved† is set on a completely bare stage, which helps to create its detachment. At the time that â€Å"Saved† was written, the economy in Britain was in decline and unemployment rose, and this is reflected in the play. The society that the play is set was very capitalistic. Capitalism is a social system based on the principle of individual right, and is reflected in the play as the social class the characters are in is segregated. Bond is also trying to address a political issue with this play, Violence will only stop when we live in a just society in which all people are equal in all significant respects. Capitalism can't do this because its political ethos is competitiveness. The stoning of the baby is a consequence of this, but the eruption of violence has nothing to do with the preceding action or with the object of violence, the baby. It's just the result of the general situation (being bored, having no aims in life) and some of their cries while they murder the baby are ruling-class slogans. Aggression is not directed against the source of alienation, but against human nature, in this case the baby as the epitome of neediness and hope for the future. The young people express that they are not interested in children. Both books have similarities and differences in the way women are portrayed. The Wasp Factory†, Frank is brought up entirely by his father, and the effect this has on Franks view of women is very negative – he says, â€Å"My greatest enemies are women and the sea – women because they are weak and live in the shadow of men† (Pg 43). Frank also has a view that women like to see men helpless as he says â€Å"I expected she would just let me crack my skull on the pavement because women like to see men helpless† (Pg 79). Frank's mother also left the family when he was very young, which may be another reason why he resents the existence of women. In â€Å"Saved† the women are portrayed as weak and insecure. Pam is a very fragile character, and is easily hurt or made happy. Her emotions swing from one extreme to the other, in scene ten, she talks to Len about him seeing other women, â€Å"Yer ain' a bad sort†, and the next minute she is screaming at him, â€Å"Yer're a stubborn sod! † (Pg 95). Pam's relationship with Fred is definitely one way, at the beginning of scene 6 we see Pam practically begging Fred to come home that night, â€Å"I don't care if yer bin with yer girls, come ‘ome after† (Pg 59), and Fred basically doesn't really care and just says, â€Å"There's plenty a blokes knockin' about, why don't yer pick on someone else? (Pg 58). Even after the murder of her baby, Pam puts her relationship with Fred above the fact that he contributed towards the baby's murder, which is a reflection on how much she really cared for her child. Relationships are important in society as they help build foundations on how to communicate and acknowledge the fact that everyone is different. In â€Å"Saved† there is not one strong relationship based on trust. The only relationship which can be examined is between Harry and Mary, but even this has its flaws. Harry says that he only lives with Mary as she does the â€Å"washin' an cookin† (Pg 116), and he has no trust towards her as he thinks that if he left, Mary would easily find a replacement, â€Å"she would soon ‘ave someone in my bed† (Pg 119) One thing that is common in the main characters of both books is the lack of hope and aspiration. It is hard to visualise how the characters would develop as time goes by as they all seem to be in a daily routine which limits their awareness beyond their own surroundings and excludes them from their community. In â€Å"Saved† the only character who is idealistic and positive is Len. The author writes, â€Å"Len does not know what he will do next, but then he has never done†. Len's optimism is apparent because he has seen people at their very worst and most hopeless, yet he chooses to remain and not leave. We might believe that for Len to go further in life and to make something of himself he would have to break free of his current situation but he continues to believe that things will eventually work out for himself and for Pam. Bond says that the play is â€Å"irresponsibly optimistic†. This is true as the ending might be a new beginning for both Len and Pam (Possibly because Pam now has her Radio Times back). In â€Å"The Wasp Factory† Frank is optimistic about many things. Firstly he has a sense of optimism that has been enforced by his father. Frank understands that he was never going to be educated in public schools, but he believes that he is just as well educated as others, â€Å"I probably know more about the conventional school subjects than most people of my age†. Frank is also optimistic about Eric coming home as he has a very strong link with him, even though he is certified insane. The ending of the book is also positive; Frank says â€Å"I thought one door had shut behind me years ago, now the door closes, and my journey begins† (Pg 184). Even with the discovery of his new identity, Frank is confident that his â€Å"Journey† will still continue, and that although he realises he is a girl, he is still the same person, â€Å"But I am still me, I am the same person† (Pg 182). It could be said that human beings adapt to their surroundings, which is scientifically true in the case of animals such as rabbits where their fur turns white in winter. Humans are all born into society, and it is true that your surroundings can have an effect on a persons mind and personality. In â€Å"The Wasp Factory† and â€Å"Saved†, the characters are limited in their awareness and they have no perspective in life. They are living in their own isolated areas with no interaction with other people in their community and this limits their knowledge.

Uses and Abuses of Information in Orwell’s 1984

In George Orwell†s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, we are presented with a dystopian vision of the future. Orwell†s book follows the life of Winston Smith, a citizen of Airstrip 1, formerly Britain and part of the nation of Oceania. The country is governed by Ingsoc, the English Socialists, a totalitarian regime led by the iconic leader Big Brother. Oceania is constantly at war with as well as always being in alliance with one of the other two nations of the earth, Euraisia and Eastasia. The population is divided into three social groups, at the top of the power structure is the Inner Party, whose members are the policy makers and number relatively few. Below them are the members of the Outer Party, who are educated and work in governmental departments. It is this group which Winston Smith belongs to. Underneath them are the proletariat, the uneducated masses that made up 85% of the population. The life of a party member involves being constantly subjected to government propaganda by the medium of the telescreen. This is a device similar to a television placed in the home and workplace of Party members, unlike a television it cannot be turned off and it transmits as well as receives. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, one of four government ministries. The Ministry of Love is concerned with law and order, The Ministry of peace concerns itself with war, The Ministry of Plenty which deals with economic affairs and The Ministry of Truth which is responsible for the production of news, education, entertainment and fine arts. Orwell is said to have based the infrastructure of Oceania on that of Stalinist Russia of the 1940s. I want to compare and contrast Orwell†s vision of the future and control of information to the world of today. I hope to draw parallels in the ideology of Insog, governments of the present day and those of past regimes. Winston worked in the records department of the Ministry of Truth. His job consisted of the constant updating of news archives. He was responsible for altering or ‘rectifying† news reports from back issues of the state newspaper. For example, it appeared from The Times of the seventeenth of March that Big Brother, in his speech of the previous day, had predicted that the South Indian front would remain quiet but that a Eurasian offensive would shortly be launched in North Africa. As it happened, the Eurasian Higher Command had launched its offensive in South India and left North Africa alone. It was therefore necessary to rewrite a paragraph of Big Brother†s speech, in such a way as to make him predict the thing that had actually happened. (Orwell1949). In another case the Ministry of Plenty promised there would be no cut in the chocolate ration. After a cut in the ration, this speech was rewritten to say that they had predicted a cut some time in the future and eventually that the ration had been increased. Once these articles had been rewritten, the old newspapers were destroyed, new issues printed and used as historical records. All documentation of the past had been tailored to say exactly what the government wanted it to. No other records of the past existed other than those that had been manipulated and falsified by the ministry of truth. This may seem fantastic and unfeasible in modern western society, but Orwell himself performed a similar role in the BBC during World War II. This gave him a solid taste of bureaucratic hypocrisy and may have provided the inspiration for his invention of â€Å"newspeak,† the truth-denying language of Big Brother's rule in Nineteen Eighty-Four (Johnson 1993). In 1944 Orwell wrote a letter to tribune bringing up the question of how true history actually is. He said that until recently the chances were that major events were recorded with some accuracy. He says that the battle of Hastings probably happened in 1066, that Columbus discovered America, that Henry VIII had six wives, and so on. A certain degree of truthfulness was possible so long as it was admitted that a fact may be true even if you don†t like it. (Orwell1944). He goes on to say that even as late as just prior to World War I, a substantial amount of facts in the encyclopaedia Britannica are compiled from German sources and were regarded as neutral. An account of World War II would vary from different sources. The Nazis of the day would have a completely different account of the war than that of the Allies. The decision of which of these accounts reaches the history books is decided on the battlefield. If Hitler and the Nazis had won the war, the ‘history books† would undoubtedly be different from those we are brought up to believe in post war Britain. For example Orwell says that in 1941 and 1942 the Luftwaffe were busy in Russia, whilst at the same time German radio was proclaiming the devastation of London through aerial bombing. According to our history, these raids never happened. If we were living in London at that time we would know that those raids never happened, if Hitler then seizes power, those raids might as well have happened as the history books will be written accordingly. This theory is the basis that Orwell uses for the management of information in the fictitious Ministry of Truth. There are countless examples of history being re-written. Orwell gives other examples: Is the protocols of the Elders of Zion a genuine document? Did Trotsky plot with the Nazis? How many German aeroplanes were shot down in the Battle of Britain? Does Europe welcome the New Order? In no case do you get one answer that is universally accepted because it is true: in each case you get a number of totally incompatible answers, one of which is finally adopted as the result of a physical struggle. History is written by the winners. (Orwell 1944). Noam Chomsky develops these ideas and applies them to the Vietnam and Gulf wars. He describes a study that was done at the University of Massachusetts on attitudes towards the Gulf war. This study was designed to gauge the beliefs and attitudes of television watchers. One of the questions asked in that study was, How (sic) many Vietnamese casualties would you estimate that there were during the Vietnam war? The average response on the part of Americans today is about 100,000. The official figure is about two million. The actual figure is probably three to four million. (Chomsky 1991). This example highlights an almost eerie foresight into the future from Orwell. Are the telescreens that pump out propaganda and manipulated facts and figures to the population of Oceania really that different in principle to the televisions that are dotted around our houses now? It seems that the information broadcast on television is believed by its viewers. The history of the Vietnam war has probably altered since it ended. It may be hard to write an objective history of it from an American perspective, as attitudes toward the conflict seem to be ambiguous. When the war ended, American vets were seen by their country as failures, now they are honoured officially. It is unclear who is writing the history of Vietnam. During the conflict, news coverage was biased toward the plight of the American forces and anti communist ideals, creating a monster out of the enemy as to keep people†s thought irrational and unquestionably loyal to the American war effort. Towards the end of the seventies we saw the first of a wave of Vietnam feature films. It was now the directors telling the story, but whose is correct? Mc Carthyists may argue that Hollywood is adopting a communist point of view and thus siding with the old enemy. Is it just wars whose facts and figures are subject to alteration? Who is to say for instance that the so-called financial boom of the eighties actually happened? As it the decade gets more vague in our memories, it may be open to historical manipulation for political means. The likelihood is the current Labour government of 1999 will have a different recollection of the financial situation of the last twenty years than that of the Conservatives. Which, if either, account is correct? We (the public) have our own realities of the era; the amount of money we had at the time. As individuals though we are not in a position of power with which to rewrite history. Chomsky talks about the first modern government propaganda, that of the Woodrow Wilson Administration of The United States at the time of World War I. The population of America were pacifistic at that time and saw no reason to become involved in a European conflict. The Wilson government were committed to war and decided to do something about it. They established a government propaganda division, called the Creel Commission, which succeeded, within six months, in turning a pacifist population into a hysterical, war-mongering population which wanted to tear the Germans limb from limb, go to war and save the world. (Chomsky 1991). These same techniques were used for anti socialist campaigns after the war, which destroyed unions and restricted the freedom of the press. The same techniques were used by the British propaganda ministry, whose commitment at the time, as they put it in their secret deliberations, was ‘to direct the thought of most of the world†. (Chomsky1991). Chomsky goes on to say that the British propaganda ministry†s aim was to control the thought of the more intelligent members of the community in the United States, who would then disseminate the propaganda that they were concocting and convert the pacifistic country to wartime hysteria. He says that this taught a lesson to Hitler and many others that state propaganda, when supported by the educated classes and when no deviation is permitted from it, can have a big effect. A concise example of the use of propaganda in nineteen eighty- four is the rabble rousing Two Minutes Hate. This is a daily gathering where members of the Party vent their hatred for enemies of the state, In particular the spectre of Emmanuel Goldstein. Party members gather together in front of a telescreen while a film of the traitor Goldstein is shown. The participants are worked into a fury of hate before being brought back to calm by the image and voice of Big Brother. In chapter 1 of the book Orwell describes the event: Goldstein was delivering his usual venomous attack upon the doctrines of the Party – an attack so exaggerated and perverse that a child should have been able to see through it, and yet just plausible enough to leave one with an alarmed feeling that other people, less level headed than oneself, might be taken in by it. (1949) I believe evidence of Orwell†s own belief in the power of persuasive propaganda is expressed through the thoughts of Winston. Although Winston is a rebellious thinker who initially uses the two minute hate to vent his detestation of Insoc and it†s subsidiary organisations, he finds his feelings switching to a hatred of the image of Goldstein. He then voluntarily switches his hatred to the image of the girl behind him. Oceania is personified by the image of Big Brother, whilst its enemies are symbolised by Goldstein. This rhetoric is well used in propaganda and there are many examples, either official, as with Marianne and Germania, or unofficial, as in the cartoon stereotypes of John Bull. (Hobsbawm 1983). I have not really scratched the surface of concepts of information manipulation that Orwell highlights in Nineteen Eighty- Four, Newspeak for instance. A whole book could be written on this language and probably has been. After reading Orwell and Chomsky a great deal of correlation is evident between their ideas. Orwell says: The really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it commits ‘atrocities† but that it attacks the concept of objective truth; it claims to control the past as well as the future (1944) Although we live in a so-called democracy today the practice of history rewriting still seems to be prevalent. Chomsky says: the picture of the world that†s presented to the public has only the remotest relation to reality. The truth of the matter is buried under edifice after edifice of lies upon lies†¦ It†s not like a totalitarian state, where it†s done by force. These achievements are under conditions of freedom (1991). Although we do live in a free society (try arguing that we don†t with someone who†s lived under an oppressive regime), we live under what Chomsky calls a self-imposed totalitarianism (1991) with our televisions as our telescreens. As our daily newspapers switch political allegiances, who is to say that they are not employing modern day Winston Smiths to change accounts of the past. Why should the Sun hark on about the good old days under the Tory government when they want Blair to win the next election?

Air Pollution As A Danger To Humanity

Air Pollution As A Danger To Humanity Air is the ocean we breathe, air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. However, human activities can release particles into the air, of which can cause problems such as smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and holes in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious problems for our health and well being as well as for the whole environment. Therefore, preventing air pollution is not only the duty of an individual but also the responsibilities of all people who are living in this earth. Of great concern is â€Å"emissions† caused by traffic and industries. The negative effects resulting from these emissions are undeniable and there is need to get a lasting solution to the problem. Uses of eco-friendly modes of transport such as bicycles or public electric trains are some of the solutions in solving emissions caused by transport systems. There are other gases such as greenhouse gases that have also been of great concern in the recent past. When released to the air, they are both harmful to human beings and plant life. These gases have been proven to be a cause of global warming which has resulted in increased droughts. In turn, these droughts have been a major cause of fires that increase air pollution. Carbon dioxide is a good indicator of how much fossil fuel is burned. Including how much of other pollutants are emitted as a result. Carbon dioxide is a perfect example of air pollution, the average family in the United States causes air pollution in the following examples transportation, electricity, other home fuel uses and goods and services we buy. The average amount of pollution a average family uses each year is (CO2) eighty five pounds, Nitrogen Oxides three hundred and twenty five pounds, Sulfur dioxide or acid rain four hundred and eleven pounds. The health effects on the air pollution on humans is critical as well. Exposure to emissions of lead, mercury, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and ozone-forming nitrogen oxides are hazardous to public health. Toxins like mercury and lead can poison organ systems and can lead to brain damage and death. Other pollutants in the ozone can cause respiratory and other health problems, particularly in children and the elderly. Air polluti on can even lead to either a wide range or a short range of health effects. Over the past thirty years researchers have studied a vast of health effects which are believed to be associated with air pollution exposure. In the respiratory system diseases including asthma and changes in lung function cardiovascular diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes and even death. Nearly two point five million people die from air pollution each year from outdoor and indoor air pollution. The cause of long term air pollution can last for years or for an entire life time. They can even lead to a persons death. The health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to peoples nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. Scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects. Young children and older adults whose immune systems tend to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors. In parts of the country where lakes and waterways have been contaminated with mercury from electric power plants, fish are no longer safe to eat because they, too, are contaminated with heavy metal pollutants. Like people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze which is simila r to smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds. Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can kill crops or reduce their yield. It can kill young trees and other plants. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition. Degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams, damages crops and can cause buildings and monuments to decay. Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects as well as diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been to air pollution. The reduction of air pollution is a major situation that people need to know about, on how to reduce the pollution and make the environment much safer and healthier. Anybody can take easy steps to compact and make air pollution reduce. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives to do this. Taking public transportationinstead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others. Many people have adapted to using eletronic cars or eletricty to live thier lives besides burning fossil fuels and emitting air pollution into the air.

Emerging Political Tensions between Israel and Palestine Research Paper

Emerging Political Tensions between Israel and Palestine - Research Paper Example Palestine is controlled by two governing bodies i.e. Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Fatah in the West Bank. The division of governance has resulted in suspension of peace making attempts between Israel and Palestine. The recent war occurred in 2014, is a result of political tensions between the two states. This research paper focuses on the major political issues due to which peace-making attempts have been failing between the states. The conflicts between Israel and Palestine have become sensitive at present due to several issues. In the year 2006, the Palestinian Authority held elections in Gaza and the West Bank on the request of George W. Bush’s administration and Israeli support. Despite making attempts, Hamas won the majority of seats. The United States responded by cutting off aid to Palestinian Authority, on the other hand the Israelis withheld tax revenues they collected on Palestinian’s behalf. The Bush’s administration encouraged Abbas to go against Hamas with the help of Fatah and its chief Mohammad Dahlan (Brownlee 113). The circumstances were severe during the period and Fatah was defeated by Hamas in the battle. Finally Hamas took charge in Gaza. These situations became even worse when United States did not make any attempt to talk to the new formed government. The Israelis started to block exports from Gaza, which led to drop of per capita income to 17 percent in the year 2011, compared to 2005. The Israelis even banned exports to the West Bank, which made the life of people worse in Gaza. The people of Gaza were suffering from unemployment and malnutrition on a very high scale. The circumstances forced Hamas to attack Israelis, for the benefit of their people and save his government. The attacks disturbed the life of people and most of the citizens were exposed to threat. The occurrence of cold-war was merely due to the political issues that happened in the year 2006.  

What happens here, Stays here Las Vegas Campaign Essay

What happens here, Stays here Las Vegas Campaign - Essay Example epresents a tremendous revenue stream for the city of Las Vegas, requiring the city to put forth sizeable effort at attracting mass quantities of consumers to its nightlife and recreational facilities. Las Vegas, as a unique American destination, maintains a significant strategic advantage over traditional product brands, as the business does not have to rely on measuring market share against competitors. There are few destinations with the same quality of spectacle and recreation provided by the entire city of Las Vegas, thus the city can focus solely on its product features, benefits and services as a unique travel destination. Though other cities across the country require tourism dollars, Vegas is in a class by itself for adult entertainment. The marketing focus is also to encourage international consumers to visit the city as part of Las Vegas’ marketing focus (Fowler, B.1). Up until only recently, Las Vegas had been positioned as a family destination, with previous marketing efforts focusing on the theme park varieties and water-park recreation provided by the city to lure family revenue dollars. One notable author describes the previous Las Vegas marketing campaign, focused on family, as a conglomerate of â€Å"T-shirt packs of doughnut inhalers roaming the casinos like livestock† (Anderson, 1). This represented a marketing focus where the targeted consumer was the family demographic, potentially creating conflict between the more adult-oriented consumer who looked at Vegas as an escape for adult entertainment and exciting, casino recreation. The shift in marketing focus from family-oriented to a more risquà © campaign illustrates a total change in target market focus. Las Vegas marketers also maintain a very mass advertising philosophy where individual target consumers are not the focus, but appeals to the mass consumer audience comprised of business professionals, young adults, and any other age or background demographic available in the United States.

Cyber crime Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cyber crime - Article Example For instance, some of the malicious attacks that organizations and businesses face include cyber theft and fraud, cyber warfare, industrial espionage and hacking among others. The non-malicious attacks include misuse of access devices, human error and accidental system failures. Additionally, the article provides the costs that companies incur or may in future incur as a result of cyber crime. Moreover, some of the best practices that can limit the cyber crime, and legislations and regulations of cyber crimes are also included in the article. In my opinion, I would agree with the information provided concerning cyber crime in the article. One fact is that cyber crime is increasingly becoming an issue to most governments and its threats can be far much worse to an economy since it is a crime related to the internet; internet is one factor that an economy cannot survive without. Additionally, I would agree with what the author has indicated in the article because currently issues concerning cyber crimes are often discussed in the social media and various governments, therefore it is no doubt that whatever the author has provided is backed by so varied and valid evidences. The topic is very much important globally. Cyber threats and data privacy are factors that are currently becoming a major focus to various businesses, organizations and governments around the world. Since various sectors in the world or different nations depend so much on the internet, I think it is important to educate people on the threats that come as a result of the existence of the internet and how these threats can be limited. Failure to notify the world about this can affect the general economic growth of various nations. Certainly, the author has provided more than enough evidence with regards to cyber threats and data privacy. For instance, the author has provided valid statistics concerning the intensity of cyber

Human Resources Management challenges in Middle East Essay

Human Resources Management challenges in Middle East - Essay Example Any organization seeks to succeed in establishing an effective human resource management as it correlates with the performance of an organization. Actually, effective human resource management enhances the performance of the employees and the entire company direction that aids in accomplishing the organization's goals and objectives (McNamara, 2012). Although, the human resource manager is responsible for human resource management in an organization, line mangers can equally take up this mandate upon authorization by the executive management of an organization. In the Middle East, HRM is a very fundamental aspect in business. Some of the richest countries in the world are in the Middle East and include UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Nevertheless, some of the poorest countries in the world are also found in the Middle East and include Yemen and Sudan. ... The study on managing Human Resources in the Middle East generates an understanding on the dynamics and variables that dictate HRM policies and practices in this region. This paper will address human resource management in the Middle East countries and the challenges relating to it. The paper will highlight the models and future challenges for HRM policies and practices. The paper will specifically address HRM in Saudi Arabia and UAE while analysing the main features of these countries. It will equally denote the similarities and differences of these countries in HRM-related challenges. At the same time, the paper will address the ways by which each country can benefit from the knowledge and experience of the other as well as explaining the main challenges in developing a managerial career in Saudi Arabia. An overview of the main features of UAE and Saudi Arabia This paper will address the human resource management challenges with special concern on UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are bo th Middle East countries. The United Arab Emirates constitutes of seven emirates that include Dubai, Umm al-Qaiwain, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras al-Khaimah (Emirates.org, 2010). Geographically, UAE occupies an area of 83,600 sq. km along the southeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It lies east of Qatar, northeast of Saudi Arabia, and south west of Oman. Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven federations and doubles as the capital city of The United Arab Emirates. UAE is currently one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations. UAE has huge oil reserves estimated at 97.8 billion barrels in 2011, and gas reserves estimated at 214.2 trillion cubic feet. UAE has an estimated population of 8.9 million residents of which about a

Landscape Artists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Landscape Artists - Essay Example This pattern seems to mirror his conservative attitude towards nature: that introducing another life form may no longer be necessary, or even appear destructive, which probably explains why he rarely juxtaposes humans with trees. Inness, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to mind. His own definition of nature is broad enough to even include houses. In fact, in his â€Å"Albanersee, Italien,† he painted what seems to be a recreational area with humans strolling around who are, like him, enjoying nature’s splendor. He seems to suggest that animals, including humans, go hand in hand with nature towards a harmonious coexistence. We could tell from their works that both painters admire nature so much that they want it captured in their paintings in meticulous detail. Otherwise, they would not stay that long in the landscape and realism genre. Rousseau’s works, however, are mostly gloomy, evoking a sense of romantic melancholy to the beholder. Solitude, his favorite theme, is expressed by painting trees standing alone or unusually taller than the other accessory figures so that anyone staring at his canvass would immediately notice such isolation. Darkness usually dominates his works, depicting either sunset or cloudy skies, seemingly to warn danger looming ahead. But Inness is just the opposite, painting clear skies suggesting a fine weather, which also evokes feelings opposite to the kind Rousseau attempts to bring. Inness’s paintings are mostly bright and sunny, with animals and humans that seem to be enjoying nature’s hospitality. In this sense, his paintings look more inviting to the human eye, provoking viewers to look further into the minute details. But in fairness to Rousseau, his masterpieces are successful in bringing intense emotion to the viewers. I admire him for that, as it takes a grea t deal of creativity to express beauty while attempting to elicit a

The Responsible Leader and Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The Responsible Leader and Manager - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Debenhams, headquartered in London, is an international retailer of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, gifts, electrical goods and furniture. The company operates more than 240 stores both directly and under franchise. Its management team is made up of managers located in different stores. They include Helen Tully, who manages the operations, commerce and customer focused retail business in London, Chris Halstead, the stores development and projects manager in London, Soleta Oliver, the commercial and stores services manager in London, Andrew Parnell, the operations and visual merchandising manager in Redhill and Shahin Rahnama, who is a store manager in Iran As a team, the managers coordinate the company’s operations with a focus on satisfying customers and the community and maximising profits. The manner in which stakeholders are treated and managed is a crucial component in the revenue generation and success of a corporate outfit. It is the managers’ duty to ensure that stakeholders’ interests are met for the sake of creating beneficial relationships for business continuity. Some of the stakeholders of Debenhams are the customers, employees and corporate shareholders. Customers form the core purpose of any business’ existence. Employees bridge the gap between the company’s operations, products and services, and the customers. Schroder PLC, in its corporate shareholding capacity, has 202.9 million shares, representing a 16 percent shareholding. The managers integrate their personal values with corporate values to lay strategies to manage the unique needs and interests of each group of stakeholder. The managers at Debenhams understand that their customer base, running into millions, works hard to earn and afford their purchases. They know that quality products alone, without personal attention and appreciation, do not represent full value for customers ’ money. They are motivated by the virtue of customer satisfaction to improve their services. They aim to be responsible and active participants in their communities of operation, which are basically made up of their customers. As a corporate entity, the company supports both national and local charities towards the well being of their customers.

Paleo-Diet Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paleo-Diet Project - Research Paper Example Refined foods can cause different diseases, i.e. cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, Parkinson’s, depression, Alzheimer’s, etc. Many scientist researches have proved that the paleo-diet is rich in Monounsaturated and Omega-3 fats to reduce the risk factors of cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, and the cognitive. Fruits and vegetables have rich vitamins extracts, antioxidants, minerals, etc. to decrease the disease spreading factors in the human body. The critiques of paleo-diet consider it as a nonsensical diet, which can become dangerous because of strict restricting patterns. An evolutionary biologist, Marlene Zuk wrote in the book â€Å"Palefantacy† that the myths of paleo-diet are not relevant to the movements of the common lifestyles. Some experts say that the concept of the paleo-diet is to ban junk foods. The arguments of some experts that they do not like the old patterns of foods rather that modern food recipe by having low calories to live an active life style (Jabar, 2013). Some food experts believe that paleo-diet is not all free from the restricted food items, so the concept of this dietary pattern is just like a folk. Expansion of the vegetarian agenda is also a critic point of the paleo-diet. Men are not conscious for eating only paleo-diet (Wolf, Debunking the Paleo Diet: A Wolf’s Eye View, 2013) . Robb Wolf stated that the Paleo-diet has become one the most favorite diets of Americans (Wolf, Debunking the Paleo Diet: A Wolf’s Eye View, 2013). In a conference of Frankfurt, a census was organized internationally to research for the healthy dietary pattern by many anthropologists, archaeologists, and the molecular biologist. They all agreed on the paleo-diet for a healthy lifestyle. The experts presented the nutritional framework based on human species that these species have not adopted the

Life Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Life Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818. Frankenstein was a gothic novel and the book was based on Mary Shellys life as she had a lot of death in her life as her mother died giving birth to her she and she lost her only baby. Mary Shelly want to bring her back as that is what Frankenstein did when his mother die giving birth to his brother. There was a lot of increase of science at time which drove Frankenstein to make the monster. Chapter 5 is the most important chapter as it is when he brings the monster to life but when the monster comes to life Frankenstein would not take responsibility and would not go back to his house I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited. It shows that man should not play god if they are not willing to take responsibility for their action which Frankenstein didnt do. He runs out of his house seemingly to detain me, but I escaped, and rushed down stairs. Just because he didnt want to take responsibility for the  Monster. This chapter shows that he is a coward as he made the monster but when he saw it he was scary to him even though he was the one who made it. It also show he is very selfish as he doesnt think of the monster he only thinks of him self and what would happen if one of his friends sees it I dreaded to behold this monster but I feared still more that Henry should see it this show that he thinks more about him self then he does about the monster as he dont want Henry to see it as it would damage his reputation. Shelley used the language to create atmosphere like at the start it is depressing as Frankenstein realises that making the monster was morally wrong it was on a dreary night of November that I behold the accomplishment but at the end it becomes a scared atmosphere as he doesnt want to think of the monster could he allude to an object on whom I dared not even think. The time of day is night my candle was nearly burnt out.  The chapter talks about appearance and reality I behold the wretch the miserable monster whom I had created he called the monster a wretch which means he doesnt see him as a human and he thinks of him as a thing that he can just throw away when he feels like it and make something else just because he look different to every one else when really Frankenstein is the monster. The chapter also talks about isolation and loneliness as  During all that time Henry was my only nurse when he isolated him self he when insane as he wanted to finish his work and not to rest, but he doesnt ask his friends for help.  The chapter shows man should not play god as it is too much responsibility for them to take. Dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now became a hell to me this show that mortals react to they emotions. Humans emotions change very quickly and this shows that they should not play god if they are not willing to play it out to the end and that no human can control they emotions. Studying this chapter has showed that man should not push science too far as it can cause very dangerous things that can hurt people but if we are going to play god which means we should not be allowed to change our emotions and take responsibility for what they have made or done. It also shows that just because you love someone you are aloud to give them a new life as this is going against god.

Public and Private Sector Collaborations Essay Example for Free

Public and Private Sector Collaborations Essay Open research organizations and private firms work under very diverse situations and with poles a-part aims and objectives, which result in fairly different outcomes in the two types of organizations. Public researchers are mainly ambitious due to their willingness to expand knowledge and publish them in journals and magazines to help for the cause of bringing it to knowledge of the masses. On the other hand, private firms and ventures aim to achieve higher profits through commercially valid information that the firm builds up or obtain to be kept in the boundaries of the company and far away from opponents in the market or the industry. This usually results in the conflicts among the two forms of organizations and it is difficult to work in collaboration between the public and private organizations. But it has also been evident from the past that, private companies and firms which have worked in public collaborations, although not many succeeded, but those who did, have been able to achieve goals and have set trends for other organizations to work for the cause of social development and enhancement of public systems for noble cause. Current Situation (LoJack) and Strategy: LoJack Corporation markets and authorizes the LoJack System, a unique, proprietary system used entirely by law enforcement workforce to track, establish, and pick up stolen motor vehicles. The problem of vehicle theft has escalated to an epidemic level an estimated to result in an yearly loss of approximately $8 billion. The LoJack System has an established track evidence of falling damages, striking public protection, and solving grave crimes related to motor vehicle thievery, all accomplished within the realistic restrictions of overburdened law enforcement structure.   Currently, LoJack has unique system designed to assist law enforcement in locating and tracking stole vehicles. Competition is fierce if viewed with Telemetric and GPS tracking devices. However, if we look at vehicle recovery systems, LoJack is the global leader with a law enforcement network that cannot be easily duplicated.   This law enforcement network is challenging politically and requires a high degree of local political assistance.   Financially, sales are climbing, but year over year growth is declining.   The distribution system through auto retailers seems stuck to new car sales. The LoJack strategy at the present time consists of several discrete variables.   LoJack has elected to expand into new geographic areas and markets which is a logical growth strategy for the firm which has established an enviable reputation in terms of asset recovery systems.   This company has developed a new tracking unit that permits it to move into new segments such as trailers while simultaneously reducing costs for such units, therefore, establishing itself as a cost leader in the sector.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This combined with a strong differentiation of product through law enforcement networks gives LoJack a strong competitive advantage.   These are strengths that cannot be quickly or easily duplicated and because of the proprietary technical aspect of this product.   Competitors would have to try and find substitute products to compete directly with LoJack. Competitive Environment New Entrants Teletrec and other competitors were on the market prior to LoJack’s entrance and other competitors are entering the market through GPS based systems such as ‘OnStar’.   These systems are not a onetime purchase but incur monthly fees to maintain service and may require the use of a cell phone. Substitutes Just as with GPS, there is a threat of substitute products coming on-line through new technology, but this threat should be mitigated by LoJack’s network with local law enforcement agencies. Suppliers Suppliers are also a threat as the auto industry is developing its own telematics technology.   The automakers have started relying on standards to speed up the plan cycle. Their incapability to bring state-of-the-art activity, communication, routing, and other telematics (navigation, driver-warning, and communication systems) evidently emphasize the manufacturers unwillingness to relying on these standards. The automakers came into view to have understood their errors and restrictions and are participating in the development of new network standards for both critical mission and convenience or entertainment systems. LoJack must continue to market its law enforcement advantage to thwart off this threat. Buyers At this stage, buyers have relatively limited buying power due to the lack of alternative technology. However, the threat is the heavy reliance on car dealers to sell the product.   If there is no incentive to do so, then the buyer may lack the knowledge that would drive the purchase. Intensity of Rivalry Although the product is in its growing stages, and there is no clear competition, the increased activity in this sector could be conducive of a threat to achieve a large enough market share to make the implementation worthwhile. Perspective on network level strategy Both LoJack and Micro Logic embrace the embedded organizational structure.   While they both have proprietary technology, they rely on other organizations to leverage these technologies.   LoJack’s technology would not have been possible without the alliance with local law enforcement agencies, Motorola, and Micro Logic.   Micro Logic’s existence had been to partner with organizations to influence its technological resourcefulness to additionally expand the companies that it works for.   It would take an evenhandedness stand in these companies and take a long term approach. In order for Micro Logic to be successful in this venture, it would need to rely on LoJack’s distribution and marketing systems. Not only to sell its products but also to ensure its own financial stability. If LoJack is to review its long term strategy, it must understand that research and development are not at the core of its operation.   Motorola is a key component to both LoJack and Micro Logic and has been a strong partner providing vital assistance. They cannot be relied on to only provide this technology to LoJack.   They are a much larger company and will look to broaden their reach.   In the fall of 1999 Motorola was already working to become a driving force in the telematics industry and moved to position itself with the major car companies. Recommendations Short Term LoJack should look to form a free alliance with Micro Logic. This would allow for LoJack to expand into the new market of construction equipment where need exist and no clear provider exist. An alliance between these two organizations has a proven track record and a proven product that can be marketed globally. The alliance should tackle the construction equipment market. This is a market that has a strong need for a location and asset management technology there is no clear market leader and creativity and innovation in products play a vital role to become a leader. The combination of LoJack’s proven solution for tracking and the ability of Micro Logic to develop strong asset management software would allow for strong penetration in this market.   Both organizations should look to work in their core areas of expertise. LoJack recognizes how to market and allocate the products and Micro Logic should right away assume the Research Development purpose. This will allow both companies to continue to drive down cost. LoJack presently has sufficient cash on hand to assist the need for cash with Micro Logic.   At this point, the cash infusion should be done as a low or no interest loan to Micro Logic. The partnership works well over time, Micro Logic can establish if this is their core business.   If not, they will be able to sell this product back to LoJack just as it did the first time and move in a different direction or become a secondary firm to LoJack.   Motorola is currently working on the 3rd generation LoJack and Micro Logic shou ld work directly with Motorola on this function. Medium Term Once a clear hold on the construction market is protected, then the alliance will have the opportunity to move into the trailer market. A proven track record in auto recovery and construction equipment asset management will allow strong credibility and should allow LoJack and Micro Logic to become the market leaders. During this stage both firms will need to determine the structure of the company and if they are able to grow construction equipment sales to the same rate as existing auto sales then LoJack would be in a position to either absorb Metrologic into the existing organization or turn Micro Logic into a subsidiary. Long Term Emerging markets will be critical to the long term success of LoJack.   With a strong foothold on the construction market this area would be a logical first step into emerging markets as contraction equipment would usually surpass new car sales.   Immerging markets will provide the strongest revenue growths for the company and is possible this may need to be moved into the mid-term focus depending on the success for the technology.

Performance Measurement In The Public Sector Finance Essay

Performance Measurement In The Public Sector Finance Essay In recent years governments within Canada have been facing increased pressure from the public to be more financially accountable, transparent and responsible when it comes to managing tax dollars. In large part, this is due to several economic and social pressures, such as an aging population, budgetary deficits and various financial scandals, which make the need for effective and efficient financial management a pressing matter. Governments have been developing systems, approaches and processes to continually ensure value for money, including integrating private sector practices into the public sector (e.g. New Public Management and Public Sector Renewal). One such private sector practice is the extensive use of and reliance on performance measures, which are used to obtain information thought to be critical to ensuring effective and efficient financial management, such as tracking government debt, program success, and forecasting future programming needs. This paper will demonstrate and explore the theory of performance measurement, including its advantages and disadvantages. A case study will then be presented, which will outline, apply, and assess financial performance measures used by the Ontario government on its provincial budget covering the period from 2002 to 2007. The paper will then conclude with observations and recommendations for more effective use of performance measures and a better understanding of the benefits and, perhaps more importantly, the limitations of performance measurement. Performance measures, while a useful tool, are not sufficient to guarantee effective and efficient management of public resources. Context for the need for performance measure in the public sector Governments are increasingly grappling with complex social and economic pressures. For instance, the aging of the population is expected to have important impacts on governments revenues and expenditures. With soaring health care costs as the population ages, Roy Romanow (2002) in his report on the future of health care in Canada estimates that annual per capita expenditure on people aged 65 and over is three times as much as the average of all age group spending (p.57). Looking at Ontarios annual report and consolidated financial statements between 2002 and 2007, the province has seen a significant increase in its expenditure in health and long term care where the province increased its expenditure by approximately 9.9 billion dollars or a 36.8 percent spending increase over five years. Overall expenditures during the same time period have increased by 20.4 billion dollars or a 28.6% increase. This essentially means that approximately 49% of the increase in expenditure went to health care spending. Ontarios revenues on the other hand increased by 21.8 billion dollars or a 31.8% increase. However, net debt has increased by 8.5 billion dollars or a 6% increase (Please refer to appendix 1.1). As these statistics show, expenditures on health care represent a significant proportion of provincial spending, a situation that may be exacerbated by an aging population. Furthermore, Saks and Haccoun (2004) estimates that Canadian labour supply shortage will reach the one million plateau by year 2020, which can have significant adverse effects on the Canadian economy and its provincial and territorial counterparts in terms of ability to raise taxes and maintain current program expenditures and ensure a sustainable economy in the future. As a result of these pressures and complexities, governments have started to examine its role in society and the various ways through which programs are delivered and managed. For instance, governments are increasingly delivering programs and services through partnerships as a means of improving efficiency in the delivery of services to Canadians. With increasingly complex and varied configuration of delivery of public services, there exists a real need to identify separate roles and responsibilities of participating partners and to develop expectations, standards, and measures of performance to ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability. What is Performance Measure: Definitions and Considerations One of the results of this movement for better public service delivery is the integration of private sector practices, including performance measurement to ensure transparency, accountability and sustainability even in the face of pressures and complexities facing the public sector. In recent years, several developed countries and some developing countries have made increasing use of performance concepts and results indicators, both in their managerial practices and in the formulation and execution of public programs (Performance Measurement in Public Administration, p. 649-650). Performance measurement is also considered by some experts as the first step toward improving the performance of a public-sector organization, and, if backed by an appropriate incentive system, it can help shift organizational focus from inputs to outputs and outcomes and thus improve efficiency and effectiveness (Performance Measurement in Public Administration, p.663). It is essentially the collection of a bout an organizations performance indexes that will equip a program manager to evaluate its changes in performance over time (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). Performance measures are believed to be first applied in the public sector in 1960, when calls for the improvements in processes in which the way the government manages its resources or inputs to maximize efficiency and effectiveness started becoming more pronounced. It is argued that by tracking performance, the government is better able to meet its budget goals and objectives. There are many factors to consider when developing or applying a performance measure in an organization. The main factor that must be considered is cost. Can the organization afford the costs associated with developing, maintaining and implementing a performance measure? Clear, concise and realistic performance goals are needed. The performance measure must be fully communicated to everyone in the organization, as the success of a performance measures implementation depends on everyone buying into the concept. Once a performance measure is approved, an appropriate rewards system should be included, as well as a system for modifying the performance measures if the organizations objectives are not being realized. The organization must also ensure that individuals who have to work with the performance measures within the organization are well informed about the process and the benefits of the system and how to implement it (Mayne, 2005). In other tools, realizing and achieving the full benefits of performance measurement may be compromised or limited if analysts/managers fail to appreciate and understand the nature, purpose, meaning, and limitations of the indicators. Benefits of Performance Measurement As the economy grow, the demand for government services increases as well. Ontarios gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 493.1 billion dollars in 2002 to 586.2 billion dollars in 2007 or an increase of approximately 18.9% (Please refer to appendix 1.6). This means that there could be an increased demand for government programs and services and, likely, for the Ontario governments workforce. As programs, service, and government workforce grow, there would be a need to track the various programs the government provides. Performance measures can be beneficial in a given organization in various ways if implemented properly. Some of these benefits include: workforce and program management, assessment of program effectiveness, and increased accountability. Performance measures assist in organizing information that will help track, assess and analyze how various programs are progressing over time. It is a control measure that will make sure that the public sector is delivering services to the public that will maximize the publics utility level and at the same time ensure that resources are utilized efficiently and effectively(Carroll and Dewar, 2002). The management of these processes will also ensure compliance within various departments where the process can be standardized across various departments to ensure compliance. The application of performance management hopes that managers would change from being inwardly focused to being outwardly focused on public conditions, needs and problems (Waldt, 2004, p.21). By helping managers think outside the box, performance measure will hopefully generate innovation that can be fed back into the policy process to incorporate these innovations. However, this will only work if senior management i s able to sell this idea to everyone in the organization that will help break down resistance. By overcoming these barriers, an organization can now look ahead and collect various information regarding its performance, how well it is doing in comparison to previous years?, and how it is performing against other organizations. Performance measures can also help in improving public accountability. Outcomes information will inform public debate and the political process, and thereby providing direction to Government(Waldt, 2004, p. 19). In recent years, various government sectors have faced heavy scrutiny from the tax payer, electorate, opposition parties and the media. This is due to mismanagement of government funds such as the sponsorship scandal. This is one of the reasons why various performance control measures are increasingly filtering through the public sector. Since performance measure requires information gathering, maintaining and analyzing, then its proper implementation improves government accountability, transparency and responsibility. Since the public sector is more open to scrutiny because of the advancement of the information technology and the availability of legislations such as the Freedom of Information Act, this will further assist in ensuring that public sector managers are more cons cientious. Although one must ask whether or not performance measures in the public sector exist because there is a real need to improve performance or a perceived need for one. If the cost of performance measure outweighs its benefits, then performance measures can be seen as a ploy by the government to provide peace of mind to the public. Then the cost of performance measure is essentially the cost of buying peace of mind which is a waste on its own. Finally, another benefit of proper application and implementation of performance measure is through benchmarking (Carroll and Dewar, 2000). Benchmarking allows government agencies to create and compile best practice information that can help other agencies achieve their goals. This information may be useful to other organizations to help make their operations effective. A word of caution with utilizing benchmarks is that each organization is different from one another. Therefore, these benchmarks must be modified to fit into the organizations culture, goals and objectives. Though this may be helpful, the flip side is a potential to promote laziness and block innovation (De Bruijn, 2007). Limitations to the Use/Application of Performance Measurement The main idea behind performance measures is to be able to reduce cost and at the same time provide services at the least possible cost without jeopardizing the quality of service. However, the application of performance measure alone does not mean that governments will start realizing the benefits associated with this practice. Some may question the underlying reason why performance measures are needed in the public sector. It can be argued that performance measures were implemented in another country or province and they have been successful at achieving goals through the use of performance measures as a tool (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). However, just because performance measurement works in one particular organization does not necessarily mean that it can be fully integrated in another organization and be expected to provide the same level of success (the idea of benchmarking). This brings into light various motives or the driving force for the use of performance measures. Do public sector analysts and managed really believe that performance measurement contributes to more effective financial management? Or are they simply forced to include performance measures to fulfill reporting and financial requirements from the Center of government (e.g. Treasury Board)? Or are they just following a trend or a passing fad? The implementation of performance measure in the public sector can have a few disadvantages. These limitations include the manipulation of the performance measure system, challenges and difficulties in quantifying qualitative objectives (Carroll and Dewar, 2002). One of the major problems of performance measure is the manipulation of the performance system to maximize rewards by a particular individual/organization. Performance measure objectives can be interpreted in a variety of ways that can potentially give way to manipulate the system to allow a given organization to meet its objectives on paper but not in reality. One example of how performance measure can be manipulated happened in Australia when an Aboriginal tribe was informed that its sanitation and other subsidies would depend on their performance in keeping sanitary facilities clean, they did so most effectively by thoroughly cleaning the toilets, and then closing them to the public. (p. 660, Performance Measurement in Pu blic Administration) Performance measure can be manipulated by defining the goal and manipulating other variables to meet its objectives. For instance, if a police forces objective is to decrease crime rate in a given community, it can essentially meet its goal without any real changes to the crime rate in the community in question by choosing not to report certain crimes. This practice is a waste of resources that could have been used to fund other programs that are more efficient in nature. As illustrated by the examples given, the application of performance measure can potentially generate good performance on paper but not in reality. Another disadvantage of performance measure is the challenges associated to applying it to the public sector (Graham, 2007). This is because private sector is mostly concerned with profit maximization which is a quantifiable objective. The public sector on the other hand is concerned with measuring qualitative objectives and quantifying its results. Qualitative measures can be quite challenging because it involves subjective interpretation of quality. For instance, if the governments goal is to measure the quality of secondary education provided in Ontario, and then it becomes hard to determine how well the ministry of education is performing. The reason for this is because there are a variety of ways to measure quality, where is the data coming from? What measures are used? Who measures performance? And whether or not there is a conflict of interest that will manipulate the system. Finally, quality of education may not be measured until a few years later when the students graduate h igh school. The application of performance measure also calls for rewarding good performance and punishing poor performance (Waldt, 2004). The implementation of this premise may be a challenge in the public sector because politicians can over ride budget allocation. If for instance, health care is the governments top priority, if for instance health care is the worst performing ministry within the public sector then this may be a challenge. However, this will not work in the public sector because politicians can opt to ignore the performance measure in place and increase funding for the ministry of health. It is also useful to note that the implementation of performance measurement in the public sector could potentially be more challenging than in the private sector, in part because of differing operations/service goals. While the private sectors bottom line is profit maximization, the public sector involves multiple competing stakeholders with multiple goals (Graham, 2002). For instance, there are certain stakeholders who believe in maintaining balanced books and reducing debt, while there are others who believe that the government should consistently provide for social programs, even if this implies financing services through deficit. Furthermore, a performance measures effectiveness may not be fully utilized because politicians can choose to ignore these measures or can over ride budget allocation based on performance measures. Case Study: Ontario Financial Performance Measure A budget is one of the most important pieces of legislation in any given government because it outlines how the government plans to manage its limited resources effectively. A well-conceived, -applied, or -implemented budget allows the organization to realize its goals and objectives with maximum efficiency and effectiveness (McKinney, 2004, p.264). For many years, the public sector has been experiencing increased pressure from the public to provide the best quality of service at the least possible cost. Furthermore, governments have been facing increased pressure from the public to reduce its debt, otherwise debt servicing costs will be transferred to future generations at a higher cost (principal plus interest charges). As the government becomes larger, the role of financial management plays an indispensable role in the achievement of an organizations objective. It is the fuel that gives life and substance to the engine of public administration (McKinney, 2004, p.1). Along with its growth, the number of competing stakeholders also increases and therefore, the process of allocation becomes more complicated. This is the very reason why governments are increasingly finding ways to improve its financial reporting such as the adoption of accrual based accounting and the implementation of the Public Sector Accounting standards. These are some measures used in the private sector that are now being applied in the public sector. In theory, the purpose of the application of these measures is to be able to make governments responsible, responsive and fully accountable. This section will explore and analyze the financial performance measures used by the government of Ontario to assess its effectiveness. The government of Ontarios financial analysis measures three areas which includes sustainability, flexibility and vulnerability. Sustainability measures the governments ability to meet its financial obligations. Sustainability measures Assets to Liabilities, Financial Assets to Liabilities, and Net Debt to Total Annual Revenue, Net Debt to GDP and Deficit to GDP. Flexibility measures the governments ability to move around its financial obligations across programs or across various years to be able to provide the best possible programming level. Flexibility measures Public Debt Charges to Revenue and Net Book Value to Cost of Capital Assets. Finally, vulnerability measures the extent to which the government is dependent on or can be influenced by external organizations such as the federal government, foreign institutions and foreign governments. Vulne rability measures Government Transfers to Total Revenue and net Foreign Currency Debt to Total Debt. Sustainability Assets to Liabilities measures the governments ability to meet its financial obligations through the liquidation of its assets. In the private sector depending on the company, an acceptable ratio is 2:1. However, looking at the Ontario governments assets to liability ratio, this figure hovers around 0.27:1 0.31:1 between 2002 and 2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3). This figure may be way below the private sector expectations but the chances of a government experiencing bankruptcy (especially in developed countries) is quite low, since governments tend to have the ability to raise money by issuing debt to cover liabilities. Therefore, the use of this measure is limited to just merely observing upward or downward trends. Furthermore, with the implementation of full accrual based accounting in the public sector it becomes hard to determine the exact total value of the governments assets. These assets include heritage assets where a market value is non- existent or there are competin g estimates. It becomes a challenging task to assign a value on such an asset, or the asset may be of value to the government who owns the asset but not to anyone else. Given the challenges associated with determining an actual value for an asset, care should be taken when using this ratio as a financial performance indicator since its accuracy can be challenged. Financial Assets to Liabilities measures the governments ability to raise cash quickly or its liquidity to cover its liabilities. The Ontario governments ratio ranges from 0.18:1 to 0.23:1, where it reached its peak in year 2004/2005 and in 2006/2007 (measured at 0.21:1). (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Net Debt to Total Annual Revenue measures the governments net debt in relation to its ability to generate revenues. This ratio reached its peak over a five year span at 2.03:1 in 2003/2004 and 1.56:1 in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Since 2003/2004, the Ontario government has been able to reduce its net debt in relation to its annual revenue. Net Debt to GDP measures the governments fiscal capacity. They relate bond indebtedness to the sources of government revenue (McKinney, 2004, p.245). Ontarios net debt is hovering around a quarter of its GDP and between 2002 and 2007 where it has been slowly declining from 0.27 in 2002 to 0.24 in 2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Since a consistent downward trend exists in this measure, this means that the government is improving in this ratio. Since both Net debt and GDP has increased from 2002 to 2007, this means that the GDP has increased at a faster rate than the increase in net debt. This means that governments ability to pay its debt obligations has improved over five years. Deficit to GDP measures the governments deficit in relation to its GDP. In this measure, the government has seen improvements from 2003/2004 to 2006/2007. This means that the Ontario government is continuously managing its expenditure and making sure it spending is within its capacity. Even though the Ontario government has seen deficits in the years 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, this ratio is looking favourable since deficits are declining in relation to GDP, which has seen a constant increase over five years. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Flexibility Public Debt Charges to Revenue measures the governments ability to raise funds to pay its debt servicing charges. In this measure, the Ontario government has seen a constant improvement or a downward trend during the five year term from 14.9% in 2002/2003 to 9.7% in 2006/2007. The reason for this is because Ontarios revenues over the same five years have seen consistent growth and have increased by approximately 31.8% while interest on debt has seen a 13.7% decline over the same period. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) Net Book Value to Cost of Capital Assets measures the true value of the governments capital assets. This value is hovering around two thirds of the cost of capital assets and it has seen a slight downward trend from 69.5% in 2002/2003 down to 67.2% in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This figure is a good indication of the governments capital assets such as land, buildings, and transportation infrastructure such as highways, railroads and bridges. However, looking at the Ontario governments public accounts, it does not state whether or not the value of land is recorded at historical cost or fair market value. If the land is recorded as historical cost, then it does not really show the true value of the governments assets; instead it is under estimated if the value of the land increases in market value and vice versa if it decreases in market value. Furthermore, depreciation is measured based on estimates; it could be that the life span of an asset could be higher than expec ted and therefore, while the asset is recorded on financial statements as having no value, the asset could still be utilized. Furthermore, an asset can be estimated to have a lifespan of 10 years; at year 10, even though the asset can still be used, an organization can continue using the asset or request for new funding for the replacement of the asset. Since the asset can still be utilized, the organization can sell the asset and make money out of it (scrap value) and record it under its miscellaneous revenues. This becomes an issue of operational efficiency versus manipulation of assets to maximize revenues. Vulnerability Government Transfers to Total Revenue measures the proportion of the federal governments share of the province of Ontarios total revenue. Federal funding that flowed into the provincial government ranges between 13% (2002/2003), which is its lowest level between 2002 and 2007, and has increased steadily to approximately 15.8% (2005/2006) and dropped slightly to 15.5% in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This figure can be interpreted in various ways where the upward trend shows that the federal government is continually increasing its transfer payments to the province of Ontario in relation to its total revenue. Looking at nominal figures, the federal government has increased its transfer every year between 2002 and 2007 (from 8 billion dollars in 2002/2003 to 14 billion dollars in 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.2) Part of this increase is due to huge surpluses the federal government has been reporting in recent years. However, the increased in federal transfer can b e seen both negatively and positively. This can be viewed positively because the province is able to provide more services to the public. However, funding commitments can be revoked especially with a change in government and government priorities. Furthermore, budgetary models are built upon expectations, if the province expects to receive a certain amount of dollars from the federal government, and this is not realized, then it can potentially adversely affect the financial standing of the province. The provincial government should also use this figure as a sign of caution in terms of its forecasts not to rely heavily on federal transfers. The province should try to provide the same level of programs and services to its citizens without relying heavily on federal transfer payments because of fluctuations and uncertainty. However, others may argue that increasing federal transfers is a positive step towards addressing the so-called fiscal imbalance and providing Ontario a fair share of federal funding that is more proportional to the contributions that Ontarians make to the federal tax base. This demonstrates another useful limitation/caveat: performance ratios/indicators are not purely objective, in that their interpretation and ultimately the manner in which they are used/applied depend on the subjective point of view of the public sector analyst/manager. Net Foreign Currency Debt to Total Debt measures the provinces debt level to foreign countries and or organizations. This figure has seen an increase from 21.4% in 2002/2003 and 23% in 2004/2005 and from that point it declined to approximately 20% by 2006/2007. (Please refer to appendix 1.3) This measure is a good indicator on Ontarios reliance on foreign governments in terms of trade and its indebtedness. A declining net foreign currency debt to total debt means that the province can have a positive effect on the provinces credit rating that assesses the governments vulnerability and stability which can have an impact on interest rates on its debt. An improving credit rating will increase the chances of the Ontario government to refinance its maturing debt because of lower risk of default from its debt. An increase in this ratio might cause international panic where other countries can call the province on its debt that can have adverse effects on the economy in terms of attracting investors and other countries willing to do business with the province. As a useful summary of the provinces dependence on foreign debt, it is important to keep track of this budget measure of vulnerability. Discussion of the Ontario governments Financial Analysis as a Measure of Performance Based on the above discussion the ratios used by the government of Ontario is a useful tool as part of a comprehensive strategy or approach to analyzing, measuring the provinces economic and financial performance. However, these tools alone are clearly not sufficient to obtain a full and clear picture and forecast of the economy. Variables such as domestic and international political conditions, international and domestic commodity prices, supply and demand, price of oil, interest parity, price parity, and other non-financial indicators, such as demographic trends, should be considered when formulating, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of policies and programs. Furthermore, these budgetary performance measures tend to be applied at a relatively high level (i.e. on rolled-up or summed-up figures or estimates) with a view to gauging whole of government performance. Since the Ontario government comprises of individual ministries and departments, improving whole of government performance must start with the individual ministries and their specific programs and projects. This reinforces the idea that full and effective performance measurement entails consideration of other and more specific factors/elements. The government of Ontarios financial measures provide very useful snapshots of the government position at a particular point in time. However, there are other measures, information and factors that one has to consider in gauging the performance of the government and formulating recommendations and strategies moving forward. Conclusion Increased pressures and complexities confronting the public sector has encouraged the proliferation of private sector practices, including the use of performance measurement to gauge program outcomes and ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability of government operations. As this paper has demonstrated, there are benefits to performance measurement, such as providing opportunities to track, compile, and maintain data and requiring regular reporting, thereby helping in promoting transparency and benchmarking. However, these financial/material indicators are not sufficient to ensure effective and efficient management of public resources. As this paper has pointed out, there are several limitations and caveats to performance measurement that public sector managers/analysts must bear in mind, including the need to incorporate other information (e.g. non-financial and qualitative data) in developing, implementing, and assessing policies and programs. These points were reinfor ced in this paper through an examination and evaluation of financial ratios intended to measure the performance of Ontarios budget between the period of 2002 and 2007. While this paper presented a case study of performance measurement from a financial perspective, perhaps a more interesting and richer case study would be to explore quantifying qualitative program performance measures in which represents another area of future research. Indeed, performance measurement when used in a public organization by itself is a fools gold (Carroll and Dewar, 2002).

Compare And Contrast On Characters Rayona And Pearl :: essays research papers

Compare and Contrast on Characters Rayona and Pearl Rayona and Pearl were two characters that were very alike in the stories. They are also somewhat different. They lived lives that were very troublesome. Rayona had to go through the tough times of her mother's sickness and the death of her brother. She lived away from most of it, but still had to live with it. Pearl had to go through the tough times of her mother Hester being charged with adultery, she also had to go through all of her trials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rayona and Pearl are similar in that they both went through the tough times of their mother's problems. Rayona lived with knowing her mother was very sick. Pearl had her mother's scarlet letter to live with. As children they didn't know who their fathers were, they were forced to guess. Rayona and Pearl were also similar because they both had a tough time getting along with the kids they had to go to school with. Neither of them were able to make friends very easily. Rayona's trouble was that she was part African American growing up in a Native American community. Pearl had trouble because of the fact that her mom committed adultery and the kids laugh at her. Both of the children were also social outcasts in their community. The community was different from them didn't accept them. Rayona and Pearl were also similar in another way. Through the tough times of their mothers they stood by their side and endured the same hardships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rayona and Pearl also have many differences. Rayona was of American Indian and Black decent while Pearl was of American decent. While Pearl had to live with her mother's troubles, Rayona lived away from them. There is a time when Pearl finds out her history and the things her mother went through. Rayona however never found out about her past or what her mother went through. Another difference between the two is that Rayona had a brother to grow up with and play with. Pearl only had her mother around the house. Rayona also had several people to look up to such as, Aunt Ida and Reverend Tom. Compare And Contrast On Characters Rayona And Pearl :: essays research papers Compare and Contrast on Characters Rayona and Pearl Rayona and Pearl were two characters that were very alike in the stories. They are also somewhat different. They lived lives that were very troublesome. Rayona had to go through the tough times of her mother's sickness and the death of her brother. She lived away from most of it, but still had to live with it. Pearl had to go through the tough times of her mother Hester being charged with adultery, she also had to go through all of her trials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rayona and Pearl are similar in that they both went through the tough times of their mother's problems. Rayona lived with knowing her mother was very sick. Pearl had her mother's scarlet letter to live with. As children they didn't know who their fathers were, they were forced to guess. Rayona and Pearl were also similar because they both had a tough time getting along with the kids they had to go to school with. Neither of them were able to make friends very easily. Rayona's trouble was that she was part African American growing up in a Native American community. Pearl had trouble because of the fact that her mom committed adultery and the kids laugh at her. Both of the children were also social outcasts in their community. The community was different from them didn't accept them. Rayona and Pearl were also similar in another way. Through the tough times of their mothers they stood by their side and endured the same hardships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rayona and Pearl also have many differences. Rayona was of American Indian and Black decent while Pearl was of American decent. While Pearl had to live with her mother's troubles, Rayona lived away from them. There is a time when Pearl finds out her history and the things her mother went through. Rayona however never found out about her past or what her mother went through. Another difference between the two is that Rayona had a brother to grow up with and play with. Pearl only had her mother around the house. Rayona also had several people to look up to such as, Aunt Ida and Reverend Tom.

Organic Coffee Essay -- Environmental Business Proposal Essays

Organic Coffee SAFARI PLANET COFFEE(S.P.C.) The best Minnesota organic Coffee Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 2. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 3. Business Description †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 4. Management and Processes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 5. Research, Marketing and Company Plan.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 6. Financial Projections...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 7. Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 8. Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 1. Executive Summary Coffee is one of the world’s most precious commodity second to oil at the same it is one of the most chemically treated products that cause consumer and farmers health problem and destroys environments for that reason, the main idea of Safari Planet Coffee (S.P.C) is very simple, we want to diversify Minnesota by importing and selling organic coffee with high quality grown from the land of its origin Africa, particularly from East Africa. Safari Planet Coffee (S.P.C)’s core value is to bring into focus an environment where this coffee product can become a vivid expression of belonging to customers who will enjoy our healthy organic coffee or purchase from our wholesale department. We want our customers, who are our greatest assets, to feel that inward uniqueness, the moment they step foot into SAFARI PLANET COFFEE(S.P.C), feeling like they were on the actual coffee producing farm in East Africa, particularly Ethiopia the birth place of coffee. Safari Planet Coffee (S.P.C) shall bring into the business an environment where positive thoughts, ideas and suggestions are expressed freely and embraced under an atmosphere of mutual co-existence and professionalism, in the best interest of the establishment. Safari Planet Coffee (S.P.C) is not here only to make money but we will dedicate 15% of pretax dollar to improve the quality of our coffee farmers in East Africa, as our company grows we would set aside a percentage of pretax dollars for social cause and to promote the Organic coffee industry. Safari Planet Coffee (S.P.C) initial investment would be $15,400.00 of owner’s capital and $45,000.00 of SBA loan. Our aim is to select premium Organic coffee products from the East African region that offer superior quality, supplement the coffee products with educational propaganda that promotes the origins of coffee, conditions of East African farmers, a... ... Total $ 60,400.00 Projected Financial Statement attached †¢ Projected Balance Sheet 7. Reference Coffee for Future Brewing/Mixing March 2004, Compiled from the U. S. Market for Coffee and Ready-to-Drink Coffee, 4th Edition, Published by Packaged Facts 2 Griswold, David (2004),Quick Guide to Sustainable Coffee 3Koppel. D 1992, Common Sense about Pesticides, Independence Institute. 4Rice, R.and Ward, J. 1996 Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Coffee, Conservation and Commerce in the Northern Hemisphere. 5 O'Connell, Jock(2004) Organic Food: A Niche Market Goes Global http://jockoconnell.tripod.com/CaliforniaOrganic.html Retrieval date October 17th 2004 8.Appendix Estimated share of gourmet/premium beverage dollar sales by subcategory ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 Whole bean and ground coffee by IRI tracked sales and shares †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 Gourmet beverage/confectionary: by household income bracket †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Gourmet beverage/confectionary: by educational attainment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 Gourmet beverage/confectionary: by age bracket of purchaser ...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Purchasing indices for gourmet beverage/confectionary: by ethnic group †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7

Norma Rae and A Respectable Trade :: Films Movies

Norma Rae and A Respectable Trade In this essay I shall compare the two economic systems of capitalism and slavery within the context of films, Norma Rae and A Respectable Trade. In the film Norma Rae, workers in a textile mill attempt to form a union with the leadership of a disgruntled employee named Norma Rae. In a Respectable Trade, a woman of the aristocracy marries a slave trader named Josiah when she comes to realize that her time spent in her uncle's estate must come to an end due to the social aspirations of her aunt and that because she has no talent as a governess she has very few options left. This series, from the book of the same name, is about the relationship between her (Frances) and her slave, Mehuru from Oyo in addition to being about the several other interpersonal and economic relationships occurring within the system of slavery in 18th century Bristol. In Norma Rae, the equipment and other resources necessary for textile production in the town were owned by the textile company. The majority of the population did not have any control over the productive resources necessary for the development of enterprises. This is consistent with capitalism where there is a concentration of control over productive resources by a small subset of society, in this case the textile mill. In a Respectable Trade, the aristocracy had majority control over the means for production. It was only through them that the merchants could for example get the monetary means to expand business or start out if they were not fortunate enough to have inherited some means of trade as Josiah and Sara did. The common folk of Bristol, England did not control the means by which they could have started their own businesses. Here too, the control over productive resources is concentrated in the hands of the few. So we see that slavery shares this quality with capitali sm and as yet I have not cited any unique properties of these two class processes. One important and defining difference between the two though is that in slavery, human beings also constitute a productive resource that can be bought and sold and done with as one would a piece of furniture. Capitalist and Slave Economic Systems have singular ways of resolving the question of how to get workers to labor.

Macro Economic Factors Affecting the Video Game Console Essay

Demographic Factors: Age is the main demographic factor affecting the market for video game consoles although common misconceptions are that the market is mainly comprised of teenagers. Recent Studies shows that the largest market sector of video game console purchases are teenagers or young adults. ESA demographic data shows that America’s average game player’s age is 34 and the average age of game purchasers is 40 (see article x) Generational factors play a big role in the market sector of gamers who purchase more than one game console, buy the latest version and buy games into adulthood. In 2010 26% of gamers were over 50. There is a definite generational factor as many of the consumers were in their teens when the mass video gaming culture began and now are in their 40s or 50s and have retained their gamer status, therefore are also ready to adopt new products. Gender is another factor that should be noted. Female gamers are a large portion of the video console market although significantly less than their online gaming counterparts. ESA research predicts that 40% of video game players are females. Economic Factors: Household income  ± studies have shown that video games in the toys and games market are able to gain a significant share of the market the larger the average household incomes are of a given market segment or particular region. For video games to comprise of 15% market share in toys and games of a given country, 60% of the population must earn incomes above US $15,000 (see figure x). Business cycle-The sale of consumer electronics andnovelty products are influencedby macroeconomic factors of a country. If there are recessionary or inflationary pressures, sales are likely to be affected sincechanges in consumers behaviour is determined by the perceived increase or decrease in the level of disposable income. This is, however, likely to have a short term impact and in the long run will have negligible changes on the sales of video game consoles, as business cycles return to a favourable position for higher consumer spending. Demand elasticity- Video Game consoles have a price elastic demand (for a portion of the consumer market) and combined with a high substitutability factors creates susceptibility to changes in competitor’s prices or quality hence impacting the size and share of the market for our product. Factors that change the cross price elasticity of our product need to be considered and addressed. Technological Factors: Innovation R&D- Technology, particularly technological innovation is a critical factor in the video game console market, and the leading competitors Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo have significant R&D invested in technology improvements. If our product development lifecycle does not include product improvements that are comparable to the leading competitor’s product, future success will not be guaranteed. Compatibility – Hardware issues include compatibility with existing hardware and the ease and cost of switching to the use of new hardware. Our product has the benefit of not requiring additional video output devices, i. e. television sets and monitors. Software Development -Technological developments in the software developing industries with which we have partnerships and licencing contracts will affect the attractiveness of our virtual video game console and hence indirectly affect sales generated. Also revenues generated from licencing and subcontracting are dependent on the success of game software publishers; a tactic to reduce risk would be to diversify the scope and use of our product, i. . develop a large partner relation database. Political Environment: Industry Regulation plays an important role in the success and growth of any technology specific product. It will invariably depend on the industry regulations specified the country code of regulatory law when production and manufacture will be conducted but also within the countries where target market segments reside. Ownership of manufacturing, distribution, and exporting firms also vary in different countries and will need to be considered before launching a worldwide market strategy. Trade Barriers -The trade and product specification restrictions on use of certain technology and/or products as well as licencing and exporting costs of the distribution and sale of various product categoriesdiffer between countries/regions and will have a large impact on the competitiveness of the virtual video game console. This can be in the form of trade barriers or indirect barriers through the use of health and safety standards, product labelling and advertising laws and restrictions. Intellectual Property Rights – Legal issues in country of sale, aside from aforementioned industry regulations, include trademarks, copyrights, licensing, patent applications, online ownership, and revenue recognition. Piracy and counterfeiting issues will need to be considered. It has become an accepted practice for the console manufacturers to lose money on the hardware and to recover the loss by charging high licensing fees to game publishers and developers. IPR standards are weakly enforced in many emerging markets with large market potential such as China, Brazil, and Russia. Environmental Factors: Raw Materials  ± The Video Game industry uses a lot of plastic resources and requires the use of scarce metals for its hardware. Given the negative public view on large amounts of non-biodegradable waste product, manufacturing processes and the use of valuable raw materials in the virtual video game console need to be carefully considered. Energy usage and efficiency- The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently published a study on American energy usage with specific regard to game consoles and found that game consoles consume roughly 16 billion kilowatt hours annually(see figure x). These finding were based on the assumption that half of the consoles are left on or on standby after use. A console that has timed automatic shutdown, as the virtual gaming console does, reduces this energy wastage. Health related concerns ± There is a general perception that frequent video gaming has a negative impact on a person health. However this perception may subject to change as research shows contrasting outcomes that there is the view that considers such side-effects to be ‘relatively minor or temporary’ (Griffiths 2002) and that finds playing computer games is comparable to a mild intensity exercise: with normal use, playing may neither improve nor harm physical fitness (Emes 1997)? Cultural Factors: Fashion Trends: Video Game console purchases are often made according to similar purchases made in a consumer’s social reference groups. Word of mouth and peer reference can play a crucial role in the choice of video game consoles. Networkingcapabilities ± the ability to connect to a large number of players online through a portable console has a definite cultural factor as the popular use of online networks determine the success of the addition of these features. Recreational Alternatives- changes in the demand for video game console may be created through a shifting trend in choice of recreational methods. Advances in the market for other toys and games could play an important role.