Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Coke and Pepsi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Coke and Pepsi - Essay Example cator of working capital, also means that Coca Cola operated within its working capital range and was therefore not in a good position to pay for its current liabilities as they fell due. A comparison of the company’s current ratio with the ratio in the period ended 2011 suggests a decline because 2011 had a current ratio of 1.399. This raises concern because the company could be experiencing a continuously declining solvency potential and may compromise stakeholders such as suppliers and investors. Pepsi reported a current ratio of 1.095. Like the ratio for Coca Cola, this was low, compared to the recommended ratio of 2:1. The organization therefore operated close to its working capital and was unlikely to meet its short-term liabilities as they fell due. Pepsi’s current ratio for the year ended 2011 was however 0.961, an indication that current liabilities were more than current assets. Consequently, Pepsi experienced an improvement in its ability to meet its current liabilities, from the year ended 2011 to the year ended 2012 (Debarshi, 2011). Pepsi is doing better in management of its current assets and liabilities, into better solvency. This is because it reported a higher ratio than Coca Cola did, 1.095 compared to Coca Cola’s 1.071. In addition, Pepsi improved its ratio in the year 2012 while the ratio for Coca Cola decreased to suggest better management in Pepsi than in Coca Cola. Coca Cola had better profitability than Pepsi. Return on assets measures effectiveness in use of assets to generate income. Higher values are therefore preferred. Coca Cola had a return on assets ratio of 11.46, a value higher than Pepsi’s 8.33 percent and this suggests more effective assets management in Coca Cola. The following table summarizes the companies’ return on assets ratios for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012. In addition, Coca Cola experienced improvements in its profitability over the period while profitability of Pepsi declined. Pepsi, however reported

Monday, October 28, 2019

Baskerville Murder Essay Example for Free

Baskerville Murder Essay Murder mystery tales are among the most popular book genre. Murder mysteries will usually consist of an unknown murder that killed a significant character. The detective has to decide among many suspects with clues he or she found in the course of the book. Authors typically write books of this genre because they give the reader a feeling of suspense and confusion as they read the story. It keeps them guessing and switching their opinions as new facts are read. In The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, protagonists, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet many people involved while trying to find the murderer of Sir Charles Baskerville, as said to be a mythical demon hound. Although there are many subjects in the case of the murder, Dr. Mortimer, The Barrymores, Jack Stapleton, and Roger Baskerville. Dr. James Mortimer is a medical practitioner. He is described as tall, thin, and good-natured with rather eccentric habits. He is the first suspect Holmes and Watson meet and the person to tell them about the case. He is possibly the murderer because he was in charge of Sir Charles will when he died. He could of manipulated the will to his own use. By killing Sir Charles the will follows whatever he would of made it. He challenges Holmes in the intro of the story to solve the case. He also owns a dog as shown on the carriage when him, Henry and Watson were headed to Baskerville Hall and discovered by the bite marks of his cane. Its possible that Mortimer could of used his dog and disguised him as the hound to scare Charles at a distance. He is also a close acquaintance to the Baskervilles so he knows a lot about the family that he could of used fro his plans. His information on Sir Charles’ condition at the time is explained when Mortimer said, â€Å"Within the last few month s it became increasingly plain to me that Sir Charles’s nervous system was strained to the breaking point† (Doyle, 43). With this information he could had literally â€Å"scared him to death† with any means that would relate to the hound’s curse. Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore are servants to Sir Charles and Henry. Mr. Barrymore is described as tall, thin and has a black beard. They are very close to the Baskervilles since their family served them for generations. Their motives could be after their wealth or maybe on the inside they are sick of serving them. The hound of legends could have been the Barrymores who served Hugo Baskerville and they were tired of a life of servitude. This hound could of went on from generation to generation. Supposedly, Holmes and Watson first seen Mr. Barrymore when they were chasing a man in a van and the driver described him as a short man with a black beard. When Watson and Henry arrive at Baskerville Hall, Mr. Barrymore says he and his wife would leave the hall soon because of Charles’ death and its too painful of them. As for Mrs. Barrymore, Watson says during the first night, â€Å"And then suddenly, in the very dead of the night, there came a sound to my ears†¦ It was the sob of a wo man, the muffled, strangling gasp of one who is torn by an uncontrollable sorrow† (Doyle, 159). The crying indeed comes from Mrs. Barrymore, which could have been caused, as Watson predicts, a haunting memory. Its possible the letter they received could also have something to do with the case. Jack Stapleton is a short man and a naturalist. He lives in the outskirts away from the other neighbors and the Baskerville Hall. He lives with his sister, Beryl and two servants. He became a suspect because Mortimer told Holmes and Watson that he knows the ins and outs of the moor. Watson first meets him when he came up to Watson and began a conversation. Oddly enough, he was interested in what Holmes and Watson thinks of the case and murder so far. After a few days with Stapleton, Watson believes something is not right about Stapleton and that he is masking his true colors to him. His motives could be that he is after the fortune of the family and only wants to be rich. When Beryl came to Stapleton and Watson while they finished their conversation, she said, â€Å"Go back! Go straight back to London, instantly Go away from this place at all costs! Hush, my brother is coming! Not a word of what I have said† (Doyle, 183). Thinking Watson was Henry, se gave him a warning, but s aid not to tell Stapleton. She later explains that he doesn’t want Henry to leave because the people need someone, but Watson is well aware she is hiding something. If Stapleton was the killer, he must be a master of disguise. When the driver described the man as short and with a black beard, Stapleton could of easily put on a fake beard and mislead the duo. He would also have access to Henry’s hotel room and take his shoes and he could of disguised himself as the hound. Roger Baskerville was the â€Å"black sheep† of the family when Hugo Baskerville was the owner. He is the son of Hugo and the brother of John. Mortimer states that he escaped to Latin America because he was an outcast and disgrace to the family. Interestingly enough, he never states if he died while there. Roger could of came back for revenge and would kill every Baskerville so he would be the only heir left. If he did survive and he came back, he is hiding somewhere from the people. What’s difficult is that anyone could be him because its unknown what he looks like. As Mortimer and Henry travel to Baskerville Hall, they were stopped and Perkins told them, â€Å"There’s a convict escaped form Princetown, sir. He’s been out for three days now, and the warders every road an every station, but they’re had no sight of him yet† (Doyle, 146). Roger could be the convict, Selden, and killed Charles before or after he was thrown in prison. Mortimer, the Barrymores, Stapleton and Roger Baskerville are the most likely suspects to the killer. Out of the four Stapleton could be the killer because he is more mysterious than the others and the fact he knows the moor makes him the prime suspect. Overall, mystery books are interesting because as the reader continues the story, his or her opinion will keep changing and gives the reader the suspense of who the person is. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of many excellent mystery novels.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Pagan and Christian Rituals in Beowulf :: Epic Beowulf christbeo paganbeo

Pagan and Christian Rituals in Beowulf      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beowulf was written in a time when Christianity was a newly budding religion in England. Throughout the book there are obvious references to both Christian and Pagan rituals.   The characters in the epic are newly found Christians who are trying to remain true to their new faith but are weak and hence, in times of great trouble, they resort back to their Pagan traditions and gods out of fear.   Pagan rituals in the book are usually present only as reflections of the past or in times of the characters's greatest turmoil. Otherwise, in times of happiness and rejoicing, they worship their one, almighty, Christian God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Grendel is attacking Herot, and its people think they are in their greatest danger, the people of Herot "sacrificed to the old stone gods / Made heathen vows / hoping for Hell's Support, the Devil's guidance in driving their affliction off." (175-178).   With the use of the word "old" in this section, it can be inferred that the stone gods are things of the past.   The rest of the passage shows that it was because of the doubt and fear, instilled in the people by Grendel, that the people of Herot regressed back to their old gods.   The use of the word "heathen" shows that the soldiers were already Christian and reverted back to their old ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soon after this statement, the poem reads:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beware, those who are thrust into danger,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clutched at by trouble, yet can carry no solace   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In their hearts, cannot hope to be better!   Hail   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To those who will rise to God, drop off   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Their dead bodies and seek our Father's peace!      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This says that the people whose fear consumes them to the point that they lose faith that, after death, their souls will not be granted eternal peace by the Father, God.  Ã‚   This illustrates that the soldiers who have fallen from faith in their worship are doing so only because of great fear, but that they are looked down upon by God and good Christians.   It says that only those who will sacrifice themselves and trust in God will be let into Heaven.   These

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Product Quality

Does product quality guarantee the success of a business? Various factors are analyzed to examine whether or not a good quality product by itself can propel a business into success. A product of good quality can be defined as one that best satisfies the consumer’s needs at the price they are willing to pay. While it is integral to business success, it is certainly not the only factor that guarantees it, simply because businesses function as an integrated whole, and the success of only one part does not guarantee success of the entire organization.Business success can be referred to as an achievement of common objectives such as profitability, growth, or increasing market share. A good quality product undeniably brings positive contributions to the success of a business. One benefit is customer satisfaction. Once they are satisfied with the product, the customer will be likely to make repeat purchases, and over time develop a strong loyalty towards the brand. When the business has a reputation for producing good quality products with a strong customer base, it establishes itself in a strong position in the market, giving it the opportunity to increase its market share.As a result, retailers would be more willing to stock their products, giving the business more options in terms of the channel of distribution, and thus giving them a competitive advantage. This can also lead to marketing economies of scale, whereby a cross marketing of brands can be used to strongly promote different products simultaneously because an overall positive brand image has been created. Another cost saving is that fewer complaints will need to be dealt with, and because of this, fewer repairs and wastage costs will be incurred.These savings of average costs could then be kept as retained profits, or invested in business growth, proving beneficial to business success. Read more in Business  « Globalization: A Natural Phenomenon Establishing Business Communications in an Emerging Company  » It is evident, then, that businesses must find some sort of way of monitoring quality that best suits them to ensure quality products are consistently produced. This could involve quality control, where inspectors check a sample of finished products for defects, or quality assurance, where quality is the responsibility of each worker and is built into the production process.Quality control could perhaps work better with management that believe in a more strictly controlled work environment, whereas quality assurance works better if management empower and trust workers more, allowing them participation in the improvement process. Provided these methods are implemented well enough, and are appropriate to the corporate culture of the business, this crucial aspect influencing business success can be ensured.However, because businesses operate in complex environments there are many other contributing factors to business success, which, if not integrated with good product qu ality, will have negative effects. From a marketing perspective, in the research and development stage, market research must be conducted accurately to predict demand; otherwise, even if a very good quality product is produced, if a target market is not defined or there is no demand for it at all, then the product will fail.In the development process, value analysis should be conducted, where the appearance, performance and the economy of manufacture of the product should be compared to achieve an ideal balance. If the business solely relied on product quality, it would focus on appearance and performance and neglect the economy of manufacture, which could lead to the production of a good that customers find to be of high quality, but costs so much to produce that it is not profitable to the business, and not worth making.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Best essay ever

Grouping Europe into 3 segments WWW Super Nozzles in Europe Wool No clear sales goals. Growth in Industrial Chemicals 02 Different markets 03 Growth in Europe 04 Other areas of the world 05 New Joint ventures 06 New branded sub-assemblies 07 Growth in Plastics 08 Growth in Canada 09 Manufacturing in Europe THREATS TO Extra fees in Europe TO Fragmented media in Europe TO Cultural barriers in Europe TO New competitors TO Government Solutions AY Create a Joint venture with a company in a single country in Europe.Europe is too big of an area with too many different languages and cultures for a small company eke Kinesics. They need to narrow their focus on one country. Also, by creating a Joint venture they can bypass all or some of the fees that make their European product up to 45% more expensive. The idea seems to be working well in Canada. If it goes well, create more Joint ventures in other countries in Europe.PROS CONS Pl more narrow target market CLC less potential sales UP better understanding of market CO less control over operations UP reduced fees CO share profits Leave Europe. Focus efforts on U. S. Where there is still huge potential for growth. Continue sales from Canada and Japan. Pl no wasted efforts/money in Europe CLC lose European sales UP more energy put forth towards U. S.CO less international exposure UP safe decision CO Company growth may slow down Exhibit 1 SSL Exclusive rights to the mixing device without moving parts SO Unlike components, branded products came in standard sizes that could be plugged in to existing machinery SO Choosing target applications and selling only branded subassembly to them, management was pleased with the financial returns of this strategy SO It appeared that Canadian Kinesics would double their sales from 1972-1973 SO Good ales in synthetic fibers, pulp and paper, industrial chemicals, plastics, waste application, made company versatile SO Only 6 sizes of Super Nozzles were needed to cover U. S. Arrests SO New pr oduct that no one else had, only company with the technology SO More organized than European sales, over 1 million orders SIS Created multiple branded subassembly and able to create custom components.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Young Versus Old Essays - Ageing, Old Age, Rudeness, Retirement

Young Versus Old Essays - Ageing, Old Age, Rudeness, Retirement Young Versus Old In my community I have two groups of people that just don?t seem to get along. One group is the younger people of the area, and the other group is the older senior citizens that live in the community. The older people have complained that the younger people are irresponsible, destructive and rude. The younger people of the area have protested the construction of a retirement home in the community, saying that the older people are boring, old fashioned and complain too much. I feel that bringing these two groups together and making them see the things they share in common will be rather easy to accomplish. Much of the prejudice that the two groups have against each other is based on rumors or something only one member of that group has done. The older people see a couple of younger people riding their skate boards on their street and they assume that all young people are going to take over their streets with skate board riding. The younger crowd may see some senior citizens complaining of service at a restaurant and assume that all older people are picky and rude. The prejudices are of course wrong, the solution is to show the two groups the positive aspects of the other group. For the younger crowd I would set up a community service through the school to visit retirement homes and help the elderly with chores and other odd jobs. These could be set up through the Honor Society at the school, and the Student Council. These two groups could say that they would have to do some many hours of service to earn credits. This could also be provided to the students who are being punished. Instead of staying after school for 2 hours detention, they could just visit the retirement home or some other elderly related activity. During these activities the young people would realize that not all elderly citizens are picky and rude, that some of them are actually fun to be around. And this would also be beneficial to the older crowd, as they would see the good that the young people can do. Both groups would benefit from this. Another possible thing to do with these two groups would to just have big community events that both of the groups would attend. That way these groups would be spending more time together and therefor realize the benefits of having senior citizens in the area and the likewise benefit of having younger people in the area. The key is to make both groups realize that the other group isn?t really like what they thought. Learning and being open-minded is an essential

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Why An Mba

Why the MBA† is a question, I have asked myself several times. As I started to work in corporate America, I saw getting my MBA as a tool for advancement. My professional goals were to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible, and to make lots of money along the way. Getting my MBA was the tool that would help me accomplish my goals. A fifteen year break from school would put this goal on hold. Fortunately, the companies I have worked for showed me that it takes more than a piece of paper to build a successful company. How quickly I had forgotten how I went from a caregiver in a group home to running a network of group homes, or how I went from a front line employee with my present employer to a management position in a year’s time. These accomplishments are why I continually ask myself why get my MBA? I have status within my company, and community. I am financially stable, and to be honest I could take my bi-annual salary increases, bonuses, and one day retir e comfortably. This all sounds good and ten years ago, I would have been quite content to go this route. Unfortunately, I continue to mature, and find myself in a position to make a statement to my children, and to myself. Most who know me would say that a message from me would be about athletics, and the importance of being the best that you can be athletically. That is not the message thatI want to give to my kids. I do want them to be the best that they can be, but not on a basketball court but in the classroom. I have accomplished many things both athletically and professionally. However, I realize now that those accomplishments were hollow. At any time, my basketball coach could have taken my scholarship or chose not to play me. The State of Rhode Island could have come to my office and relieved me of my duties because I did not have my degree. (The position required a master’s degree) My current employer could have placed someone else in my posit... Free Essays on Why An Mba Free Essays on Why An Mba Why the MBA† is a question, I have asked myself several times. As I started to work in corporate America, I saw getting my MBA as a tool for advancement. My professional goals were to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible, and to make lots of money along the way. Getting my MBA was the tool that would help me accomplish my goals. A fifteen year break from school would put this goal on hold. Fortunately, the companies I have worked for showed me that it takes more than a piece of paper to build a successful company. How quickly I had forgotten how I went from a caregiver in a group home to running a network of group homes, or how I went from a front line employee with my present employer to a management position in a year’s time. These accomplishments are why I continually ask myself why get my MBA? I have status within my company, and community. I am financially stable, and to be honest I could take my bi-annual salary increases, bonuses, and one day retir e comfortably. This all sounds good and ten years ago, I would have been quite content to go this route. Unfortunately, I continue to mature, and find myself in a position to make a statement to my children, and to myself. Most who know me would say that a message from me would be about athletics, and the importance of being the best that you can be athletically. That is not the message thatI want to give to my kids. I do want them to be the best that they can be, but not on a basketball court but in the classroom. I have accomplished many things both athletically and professionally. However, I realize now that those accomplishments were hollow. At any time, my basketball coach could have taken my scholarship or chose not to play me. The State of Rhode Island could have come to my office and relieved me of my duties because I did not have my degree. (The position required a master’s degree) My current employer could have placed someone else in my posit...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Propositions in Debate Definition and Examples

Propositions in Debate Definition and Examples In an argument or debate, a proposition is a statement that affirms or denies something. As explained below, a proposition may function as a premise or a conclusion in a syllogism or enthymeme. In formal debates, a proposition may also be called a topic, motion, or resolution. EtymologyFrom the Latin, to set forth Examples and Observations An argument is any group of propositions where one proposition is claimed to follow from the others, and where the others are treated as furnishing grounds or support for the truth of the one. An argument is not a mere collection of propositions, but a group with a particular, rather formal, structure. . . . The conclusion of an argument is the one proposition that is arrived at and affirmed on the basis of the other propositions of the argument. The premises of an argument are the other propositions which are assumed or otherwise accepted as providing support or justification for accepting the one proposition which is the conclusion. Thus, in the three propositions that follow in the universal deductive categorical syllogism, the first two are premises and the third the conclusion: All men are mortal.​Socrates is a man.Socrates is mortal. . . . Premises and conclusions require each other. A proposition standing alone is neither a premise nor a conclusion. (Ruggero J. Aldisert, Logic in Forensic Science. Forensic Science and Law, ed. by Cyril H. Wecht and John T. Rago. Taylor Francis, 2006) Effective Argumentative Essays The first step in arguing successfully is to state your position clearly. This means that a good thesis is crucial to your essay. For argumentative or persuasive essays, the thesis is sometimes called a major proposition, or a claim. Through your major proposition, you take a definite position in a debate, and by taking a strong position, you give your essay its argumentative edge. Your readers must know what your position is and must see that you have supported your main idea with convincing minor points. (Gilbert H. Muller and Harvey S. Wiener, The Short Prose Reader, 12th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2009) Propositions in Debates Debate is the process of presenting arguments for or against a proposition. Propositions for which people argue are controversial and have one or more individuals presenting the case for the proposition while others present the case against it. Every debater is an advocate; the purpose of each speaker is to gain the belief of the audience for his side. Argument is the core of the debate speech- the superior debater must be superior in the use of argument. The chief means of persuasion in debate is the logical mode. (Robert B. Huber and Alfred Snider, Influencing Through Argument, rev. ed. International Debate Education Association, 2006) Clarifying Propositions [It often requires] some work to extract a clear representation of an argument from any given prose passage. First of all, it is possible to express a proposition using any kind of grammatical construction. Interrogative, optative, or exclamatory sentences, for example, can, with appropriate contextual stage setting, be used to express propositions. In the interests of clarity, therefore, it will often be helpful to paraphrase an authors words, in expressing a premise or conclusion, into the form of a declarative sentence that transparently expresses a proposition. Second, not every proposition expressed in an argumentative prose passage occurs within that passage as either a premise or a conclusion, or as (a proper) part of a premise or conclusion. Well refer to these propositions, which are neither identical with nor embedded in any premise or conclusion, and to the sentences by which they are expressed, as noise. A noisy proposition makes a claim that is extraneous to the content of the argument in question. (Mark Vorobej, A Theory of Argument. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Pronunciation: PROP-eh-ZISH-en

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Discuss how curatorial practices shape an exhibition Essay

Discuss how curatorial practices shape an exhibition - Essay Example London, from 15th October, 2008 to 18th January, 2009; explores the dramatic rise of portraiture during the 15th and 16th century Renaissance, through the art works of great masters of Northern and Southern Europe. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid (Artdaily.org, 2008). It is essential that the exhibition is an intelligently planned and painstakingly executed interpretation of the art works selected. While providing for other possible understandings of the art displayed, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that some art pieces that might have been included to enhance the experience further, could not be procured. According to Storr (2006: 14), â€Å"a good exhibition is never the last word on its subject†. The exhibition’s curator, Susan Foister states that during the Renaissance, â€Å"great painters burst upon the scene with a fascination for the human likeness. They not only acquired the technique to do it, but also the intellectual liberation required to think about what it meant to an individual† (Higgins, 2008). After the dark ages, humanism greatly focused on the individual. The exhibition Renaissance Faces: Van Eyck to Titian at the National Gallery, London provides a rare opportunity to explore over seventy Renaissance portraits along with important sculptures, drawings and medals. Some major paintings have been loaned from the United Kingdom, Europe and North America. These are displayed alongside a selection from the rich in-house collection of Renaissance portraits in The National Gallery, London such as Holbein’s â€Å"The Ambassadors†. Similarly, outstanding masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Van Eyck, Holbein, Durer, Lotto, Pontormo and Bellini are featured (Artdaily.org, 2008). The curator, Susan Foister has stated that the exhibition examines the reasons why portraits were made during the Renaissance, â€Å"the motivations that animated lives are the same as those today. Love,

Website Interface Re-design 3 (Evaluation Report) Research Paper

Website Interface Re-design 3 (Evaluation Report) - Research Paper Example This critically looks into the extent of how easy it is to learn its use, apply it effectively, re-familiarize with its functions, and its level of flexibility as discussed below. This prototype provides a very distinct level of learn ability due to the appropriate use of Gestalt principles of proximity and similarity. The five colorful circle-shaped buttons in the home page provides quick and direct links to other web pages. Web prototype under evaluation is established with the understanding of both experienced and inexperienced end users of Web-site applications. For instance, various navigation options (on the drop-down menu and active links) are provided for use to similar pages. However a little more should be done to ensure that this application can also be accessed through simple gadgets such as smart phones for maximum usability and accessibility. Usefulness level of a website is determined by its main objectives and purposes for which it was developed, compared to its provisions. If the two contradicts, then it is irrelevant and not useful to either of the parties using such an application. Our case study is considered very relevant since its provisions are within its set mandates and priorities. E-commerce websites have all sorts of visitors. The groups of visitors include serious buyers, those who just browse through web pages and friends who wish just to chart on the website platform. Clear, concise, descriptive and easily understandable language should hence be used for efficiency and effectiveness. A standard website should support quick and complete loads (upload and download) with a consistent look on all browsers. Well organized home page with concise contents, consistent navigation choices, a site map and search engines. Good and highly competitive e-commerce websites must have easy-to-access product catalogues from home page with product categories being easy to understand and navigate through. Additionally, all catalog info and

Friday, October 18, 2019

An Evolving Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

An Evolving Industry - Research Paper Example Before, people were forced to line up in movie houses to view the latest film release. Or if one wanted to view a previously released film, one had to go to a Blockbuster Video store, open a membership account and rent out these films. Today, practically anybody with a YouTube account may now upload their movies for the whole world to see. Other websites like Movielocker allows filmmakers to also publish their own videos. In the same way, audiences may now just go to websites like TheOnlyDevice.com, Momomesh, and others to view as much movies as they want. Needless to say, the Internet has hurt big-time movie production suits initially. But then these moneymakers have ingeniously used technology to their full advantage and have in fact exploited the internet in creating buzz for their films. Indeed, the Internet has opened up a multitude of ways for filmmakers to produce and distribute films and for audiences to view these films as

Unemployment in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment in Europe - Essay Example A survey conducted in 2006, an assessment of the unemployment rates in various countries in Europe was carried out. As per the results of that survey, unemployment in Europe in general is currently as high as 4% to 17%. (Kurten, 2006). Not only this, the rate of unemployment was assessed to decrease further in the coming years, which is the biggest cause of concern among the youth of the European nations. The same study by Kurten (2006) revealed that till 2004, people below 25 years of age belonging to the European Union faced unemployment in the percentage of over 18.6%. What particularly raises a lot of difficulties in the way of young Europeans getting employed is a lack of sufficient experience that would get them qualified for the jobs. Any journey has to start from a point. Unfortunately, young Europeans can not start because the employers expect them to have considerable experience that is not possible without at least one employer having compromised upon lack of experience and accepted a fresh graduate. Moreover, employers in Europe conventionally judge the skills of a person through his/her CV. This way, many potential employees fail to be even considered for selection simply because the CVs are not convincing enough in terms of experience. In addition to that, employers in Europe generally tend to evaluate the proficiency of an individual through his/her experience with the first job. This can prove very unfortunate for an individual in that even if he/she remained employed with some infamous and unrenowned company for a considerable length of time in the start of his/her career, he/she might have extreme difficulty searching another job after leaving the first one. The consequences can be even worse if the individual got expelled from the first job for some reason, even if he/she was not at fault at all. On the other hand, employees themselves feel demotivated by repeated rejections and expulsions

Thursday, October 17, 2019

FINANCE FOR MANAGERS Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FINANCE FOR MANAGERS - Term Paper Example If the 30 year old is a moderate investor, who plans to live longer than the prescribed age of 79-82, they should adopt the new life asset allocation model. The model is based on the calculation that the person subtracts his age from 120.That is, (120-30) meaning that 90% should be allocated to stocks while 10% is allocated to bonds. Simko argues that, this allocation model is best suited for individuals who are health fanatics and plan to live well into their mid-eighties. Recent scientific reports indicate that people are living longer than in previous years. Additionally, stocks have been identified as outperforming money markets (bonds) over the long run. The stocks can be used to cater for the needs of the 30 year old into her retirement years (Simko, 2012). According to Ostbo, for an aggressive investor, the best model is the nothing to lose allocation model, which is based on the assumption that stocks outperform bonds in the long run. It is most suited for individuals who are rich and won’t rely on stocks for survival, or poor individuals who are willing to risk their savings to get high rewards. Additionally, the person should be young and willing and able to invest for a period of 20 years and more (Ostbo, 2013). Personally, I would adopt the new life asset allocation model because it caters for the needs of a person, who plans on living up to 85 years and is a moderate investor. I would therefore allocate 90% to equities and 10% to fixed income (bonds). However, I would not allocate any percentage to real estate due to the recent bursting of the housing market bubble in 2007 and neither would I allocate any percentage to gold and cash because of their volatile nature. I would lose the value of my initial investments by investing in

Greek Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Greek Art - Essay Example It also absorbed ideas from Italian and European arts during the Romantic period. These ideas invigorated the Greek revolution which is, arguably, still taking place today. Greek art is made up of five forms which include: pottery, painting, architecture, jewelry making and sculpture (Maphosa 4). Modern Greek art is as a result of gradual development of the ancient which started during the Romantic period. Many of its elements were absorbed from other European arts and consequently culminated in a unique Greek Romantic art style (Smith and Plantzos 633). This was inspired by the country’s history and geography as well as revolutionary ideals. After the end of the Ottoman rule, education opportunities in arts were limited in independent Greece and, therefore, many Greece artists studied abroad. Majority of the Greece artists of the 19th century studied at Munich International Center for arts (Smith and Plantzos 698). After graduation, they returned to Greece and shared their knowledge with the Greek community. This led to the development of personal and academic bonds between Munich artistry and early Greek painters which in turn gave birth to the Greek Munich School of painting. Nikolaos Gysis was one of the great figures in the 19th century Greek art because he acted as both an artist and a teacher at the Munich academy (Smith and Plantzos 700). The Greek art was characterized by realism, academism, landscape painting, still life, genre painting, portraiture of the upper middle class, and impressionists’ features. Later these features were replaced by symbolism and art Nouveau. In the 20th century, Greek art was represented by many artists who were more interested in living conditions, local customs, and everyday Greek life (Norris 174). Many gifted painters emerged such as Theodoros Vryzakis, Nikiphoros Lytras, Georgios Jakobides, and Georgios Roilos among others. Theodoros

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

FINANCE FOR MANAGERS Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FINANCE FOR MANAGERS - Term Paper Example If the 30 year old is a moderate investor, who plans to live longer than the prescribed age of 79-82, they should adopt the new life asset allocation model. The model is based on the calculation that the person subtracts his age from 120.That is, (120-30) meaning that 90% should be allocated to stocks while 10% is allocated to bonds. Simko argues that, this allocation model is best suited for individuals who are health fanatics and plan to live well into their mid-eighties. Recent scientific reports indicate that people are living longer than in previous years. Additionally, stocks have been identified as outperforming money markets (bonds) over the long run. The stocks can be used to cater for the needs of the 30 year old into her retirement years (Simko, 2012). According to Ostbo, for an aggressive investor, the best model is the nothing to lose allocation model, which is based on the assumption that stocks outperform bonds in the long run. It is most suited for individuals who are rich and won’t rely on stocks for survival, or poor individuals who are willing to risk their savings to get high rewards. Additionally, the person should be young and willing and able to invest for a period of 20 years and more (Ostbo, 2013). Personally, I would adopt the new life asset allocation model because it caters for the needs of a person, who plans on living up to 85 years and is a moderate investor. I would therefore allocate 90% to equities and 10% to fixed income (bonds). However, I would not allocate any percentage to real estate due to the recent bursting of the housing market bubble in 2007 and neither would I allocate any percentage to gold and cash because of their volatile nature. I would lose the value of my initial investments by investing in

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How to be a Good Parent Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to be a Good Parent - Research Paper Example I have written the research paper by using qualitative research method. Qualitative research method consists of observation, questioning and reading of books and different sources. For the research paper, I have read many books, articles and authentic websites for the collection of data. While collection of data, I come to know many facts about the children behaviors and attitude. Raising a child is a tricky exercise and arguably, one of the hardest undertakings one must go through. To be a parent is difficult because parents have many duties and responsibilities that have to be fulfilled. If parent fulfill their duties and responsibilities, children can easily tackle with all types of problems of life in a better way. Children do not come with "How to" instructions nor is there a manual to read. You are literally flying by the seat of your pants learning as you go. There are several techniques through which parents can easily understand the children behavior and attitudes. Parents s hould interact with their children to know their behaviors and attitudes in a better way. Because according to physiologists when we interact with our children, we teach them behaviors (Fontenelle, 2001). Parents should be more conscious while interacting with their children, neighbors and any other person, because children learn behaviors from their parents. It means behaviors of parents matter a lot for their children growth and development. Firstly if you find any problem in your children attitude, then you have to make a list of behaviors that you want to change in your children. After then parents have to focus on the reasons and after then try to solve the reason. Despite the difficulty, each parent understands that qualifying as a good parent are classified as the most fulfilling undertaking once can realize (Young & Philpott, 2009). The natural instinct that accompanies an individual newly classified as a parent helps overcome the many challenges that come together with the development. For being the good parental attitude, you have not been a lenient. Lenient parental attitude does not bring strong personalities. To be a consistent parent leads to be a good parental attitude (Kerr & Stattin, 2000). Make the schedule of the children for example in which they have to eat, sleep, play, watching television and completing their homework. In that way, children learn to be complete their tasks in time and how they can mange their routine work. From the research, it is cleared that children who use to done their works on a certain times, such as playing eating, completing homework be a better children and have a more courage to tackle with the problems of life effectively. Though there are different understandings, it is believed that generalization in coming up with the definition has occurred in the American Society (Steinberg, 2004). Parent should set rules for their children development such as children have to come home in time, completing their tasks an d lunch etc. In that way, children become responsible and their performance become better as compared to other children who do not follow rules (Fontenelle, 2001). Through this research, I have seen same behaviors between children of between 2 to 16 years old children in America. For example, children like to eat fast food at any time. Good parents should make a diet chart of the chart so that they

Monday, October 14, 2019

Hobbes and Lock Views on Property Essay Example for Free

Hobbes and Lock Views on Property Essay Property, whether personal or private, is thought of and looked at differently with different point of views. John Locke (1632 – 1704) and Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) had very strong and also very diverse views of property and its importance in the human society. John Locke saw private property as the basis of freedom and liberty. Locke believed that people were born free, equal and were born with three rights that were natural and God-given; these rights were life, liberty, and property. Locke, who believed in liberal democracy, considered property not just possessions that we physically use and own, but rather that property is what  gwe mix with our labour, the labour of our body and the work of our hands h. (The Human Project; pg151). Property is something that you have put your labour into, the work, investment, energy or effort that you put into something makes it an extension of you, which you own. It is not only your land or personal possessions which are considered property, but this can be in regards with anything from a product, an idea, a service, a relationship, sex or religion. He decided liberal democracy was the best way to protect our property because with too much of a strong government, they could threaten our natural rights. Property was extremely important to Locke because he believed that it defines the boundaries of individual freedom. When you have earned and own your property, you are free to do whatever you wish in the limitations of your property without repercussions by the state or government. Locke believed that property was a primarily good and positive thing and therefore he believed that it was something that should be protected by the government because it is one of the three natural rights that we are given. Another idea of property was from Karl Marx whose opinion on property was quite the opposite of Locke fs; it was based on communism, although Marx himself was not a communist. Marx fs attitude of property was that private property was the basis of exploitation and inhumanity. While Locke saw private property as something people should be proud of and gave people incentive to work, Marx believed that private property created an excruciating difference between the  ghaves h and the  ghave-nots h and therefore he wanted to abolish this conflicted difference and the only way he believed that was possible was to eliminate private property. Marx believed that there was a huge difference between the rich and the poor, which he also described as the  haves  and the  have-nots , the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, the powerful and the powerless, or to put simply, the owners and the workers. Marx divided property into two theories: personal property and private property. Personal property was defined as something that is used by the individual on a daily basis, such as their automobile, their home in which they live, their appliances and their clothes or personal possessions. Private property was defined as something that they own but do not use, such as an apartment they lease out to rent, their factory and factory workers, or a long-term investment. He believed to eliminate this barrier between the  haves  and the  have-nots  so that classes would be equal in society would have to abolish private property. Marx wanted to dispose of private property, not personal property. If private property was removed, Marx believed the separation and division of labour between the  haves  and the  have-nots  would be eliminated because it would bring an end to exploitation, alienation, means of production and opiates; in other words, we would no longer have to use our bodies to make profit for someone else and we would be able to put ourselves into our work and feel independent and proud of the work we accomplished. This would allow individuals to feel personal satisfaction from their work as well as eliminate the classes in society. Locke and Marx fs views on property were very different from one another. Locke saw fundamental values in property in which the government should protect while Marx saw private property as the reason to many problems in the human society because of the unequal distribution of wealth and therefore wanted the government to get rid of private property. I do not think that private property should be abolished as Marx recommends. This is because I believe in Locke fs theory that having property gives individuals the sense of independence and accomplishment and by people having possessions they feel like they have earned something by the work that they do. Without this feeling of owning something, society would not be as it is today as people need encouragement and incentive for what they are doing. In this sense, I feel that Marx  argument that private property should be abolished is flawed and that the government should do anything they can to protect our property as it is one of the three rights we are given. If we looked at private property not as property, but as something to work towards as a reward, it will give individuals the sense of accomplishment which is an opiate that is much needed. If everyone in society had equal amounts of wealth, there would be a lack of dedication: why would one work harder than another if in the end they are all getting the same reward? The society needs private property as motivation to work hard and gives a reward for it. This is why I believe and agree with Lockes theory on property.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Education in the age of globalisation

Education in the age of globalisation Introduction What does education have to do with globalisation? The answer is simple: everything. The most recent wave of globalisation, which began in the 1980s, is being driven by the knowledge economy and, in turn, this knowledge economy is being facilitated by globalisation. Without education, the knowledge economy collapses. So anyone talking about globalisation is also talking about the knowledge economy and education. First, globalisation. Sometimes the concept seems like a many-headed dragon (Giddens, 2000). To some, the phenomenon is as old as the world itself just think of the great kingdoms of antiquity, the voyages of discovery, the great waves of migration in the 19th century, etc.. After the world wars, international institutions were created which were supposed to lead to global governance, a type of world government which would establish a new world order. However, the most recent wave of globalisation has swept over this like a deluge. As a result of increasing internationalisation in production and distribution networks, sovereign states are suddenly being downgraded to water-carriers of international big business. The laws of the free market are imposed upon them, for fear of being ignored by investors. Some institutions that were supposed to guarantee the creation of the new world order are themselves preaching deregulation and worldwide competition. In other words, in debates about globalisation, we are not usually talking about the globalisation trend in its generic sense (the increasing trend towards worldwide interdependence, driven by telecommunications). The model of globalisation that is so controversial that it has become the target of fierce demonstrations, is one that is coloured by neo-liberal ideology. It is the globalisation of the free market, driven by competition and the quest for profit. Both heads of the monster also refer to the knowledge society. In the first definition, the Internet and the media play a key role: ideas move at the speed of light around the world and ensure that every innovation that catches on also takes on worldwide proportions. This means that anyone who can master the Internet and the media is at the source and acquires power. In the second definition, the establishment of the global neo-liberal market economy, knowledge, IT and information play just as important a role. A great many services that do not require physical proximity (such as information processing, accounting, financial services, translation, etc.) can indeed be produced anywhere in the world and delivered to the other side of the globe. Moreover, markets are connected across the world so that information about production, prices, innovations, etc., is distributed over the Internet in the blink of an eye. This significantly increases the transparency of the markets and boosts co mpetition. Our leaders have also understood that our competitive advantage in the global market economy no longer rests on the possession of raw materials or manpower, but on our grey matter: knowledge. The Lisbon Strategy: knowledge as both competitive weapon and social cement? During the 2000 spring summit in Lisbon, EU leaders elevated the knowledge economy to the ultimate goal of the decade: making the EU into the largest and most dynamic knowledge economy in the world, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The exegesis of this text is a fascinating activity. At first sight, one sentence contains the most obvious contradictions: on the one hand, the desire to be a winner in the global competitive struggle is clear while, on the other hand, we find the desire to counteract the social and regional polarisation that results from the neo-liberal market economy, using the same investments in knowledge. It seems to be a typically political sample compromise between heads of state on right and left, all wanting to put their eggs in the EU basket without checking whether their agendas are in any way reconcilable. The fact is that the Lisbon agenda can be taken in many different ways. For the marketeers, it is first and foremost about playing out comparative advantages on world markets. According to the Heckscher-Ohlin theorems of international trade theory, free trade will spontaneously cause trading partners to specialise in producing those goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage. Where necessary, the government may lend a helping hand. If we assume that Europe is relatively poor in raw materials and labour, but rich in brain power, then investing in education, research and development is indeed the recipe for success. Investment in RD has to be increased, up to 3% of gross domestic product. The innovative climate has to be nurtured, including by establishing innovation platforms, incubation centres, public investment in eco-technology, etc.. Information and communication technologies are key areas of economic development. The number of scientifically and technically educated people at secondary and higher levels must be dramatically increa sed. The connection between education and the labour market must be improved. The flow of unqualified school-leavers must be cut by half. Participation in life-long learning must be increased and every adult must have access to basic IT skills. By specialising in knowledge-intensive sectors according to the forecasts of neo-classical trade theory the European economy will grow further and the Third World will also benefit as a result because the flipside of the coin is that labour-intensive activities will be outsourced to low-wage countries. Both sides, North and South, can only benefit as a result. The World Bank looked and saw that it was good: according to the Bank, the new globalisers a group of 23 developing countries that have opened up their borders (China, India, Brazil and others) saw average economic growth in the 1990s (per head of population) of 5% per year. In the rich countries, where globalisation was promoted, this growth was 2% per year, while the stragglers, countries that sealed themselves off, experienced negative average growth (World Bank, 2002). At the same time, the OECD and the EU learned from research that the knowledge economy was once again to set them on the path of sustainable growth. Temple (2001) found that every additional year of education by the working population increases national income by about 10%. This effect can be broken down into a level effect and a growth effect: the former means that the working population is more productive and therefore generates more income. The growth effect can be attributed to the fact that the more highly e ducated have also learned to learn: even after leaving the classroom they continue to behave creatively and flexibly under changing circumstances, producing a snowball effect as a result. As far as investment in research and development is concerned, the figures are just as telling: Sakurai et al. (1996) estimate the average rate of return from RD activities at 15%, with exceptions up to 40-50% in some countries and sectors. In other words, every euro a company or government invests in RD is fully recovered in an average of 7 years. The observation that few investments are as profitable as investments in education and research is perhaps one of the most important findings to come out of social sciences in the past decade. The European Commission has also received this message loud and clear (de la Fuente Ciccone, 2002). So much for the good news. However, the way in which globalisation and the knowledge economy can be reconciled with social cohesion within the EU is not specified anywhere. Even the built-in pattern, that the global free market actually undermines social cohesion within Europe, is not discussed anywhere in EU documents. Indeed, the associated specialisation in knowledge-intensive sectors boosts the demand for highly specialised scientists and technically educated labour. The increasing shortages in these labour market segments will exert upward pressure on the wages of these workers. On the other hand, the outsourcing of low-skilled, labour-intensive production processes leads to reduced demand and a structural surplus of unskilled labour, which means that the wages and working conditions of these groups are also gradually undermined (Wood, 1994). Whether this polarisation on the labour market is caused by globalisation itself or by technological evolution or the tertiarisation of th e economy is more like a discussion of the gender of the angels: the three trends are after all dimensions of the same knowledge economy. Inequality in Europe, even in the whole of the rich North, has been systematically increasing since the mid-1980s (Fà ¶rster, 2000). According to Pontusson et al. (2002), some countries are still managing to curb inequality by a strong trade union movement and/or public employment, but these counteracting forces are coming under increasing pressure. The Lisbon strategy therefore seems like trying to square the circle. The more the member states encourage it, the less social cohesion there is. The EU does have structural funds available to promote social cohesion (both between regions and between the highly skilled and unskilled). Since the enlargement of the EU, however (itself also a stage in globalisation), these structural funds themselves have lost some of their influence because they have not grown in proportion to the size of the Union, certainly not in proportion to the drastically wider gap within the EU28. In our opinion, the only way to reconcile the knowledge economy with the objective of greater social cohesion and is through mass investment in education. The difference between this approach and the previous is that investment in education influences the supply side of the labour market, while globalisation and intensification of the knowledge-intensive production sectors influence the demand side. This difference is essential: perhaps it requires some explanation. RD investment and specialisation in knowledge-intensive trade (IT, financial services, pharmaceuticals, eco-technology, etc.), as we have said, boost the demand for highly skilled workers, while the outsourcing of unskilled production sectors causes a decline in the demand for unskilled workers. All other things being equal, this shift in the demand for labour causes a reverse redistribution of employment and income, from unqualified to highly qualified. Rather than stimulating this (spontaneous) trend, policy must be geared towards bringing about similar shifts on the supply side of the labour market. Education and vocational training are actually geared towards converting unskilled workers into more highly skilled workers: if this process can (at least) keep pace with the shifts on the demand side, inequality can be kept in check, or even reduced. It is a race against time and, if we claim that large-scale investment in education is needed, the distribution of this investment itsel f among the various sections of the population is also of great importance. The deeply ingrained Matthew effect in education and life-long learning actually threatens to undermine the effectiveness of this strategy. From a social perspective, the first priority in education policy is to eliminate the flow of unqualified school-leavers from education; the second priority is the literacy plan and the third is to increase the supply of engineers and those with scientific and technical skills. Not everyone will agree with this ranking. It is a question of social choice. The Lisbon strategy does not actually contradict this approach but nor does it lead automatically to the desired result. As we wrote in the introduction to this section, it seems like a sample compromise between diverging national priorities. Anything is possible with such compromises. We can characterise the contrasting policy alternatives described above as knowledge-intensive versus knowledge-extensive. The knowledge-intensive path, which gives priority to the development of advanced technology, will boost economic growth in the short term, but gradually become bogged down on the labour market, further dualisation of society and social unrest. The knowledge-extensive path, which gives preference to a raft of basic skills for as many people as possible, will perhaps deliver less visible results in the short term but, in the longer term, lead to more sustainable growth. The debate surrounding the correct mix has, to our knowledge, not yet been explicitly pursued. Free movement of education services The education sector is not only an involved party in the globalisation process; it is itself also partly the subject of it. In the 1990s, the WTO (World Trade Organization) launched an offensive (in the Uruguay round and again in 2001 in the Doha round) to involve a number of subsidised services in the negotiations about trade liberalisation as well. In principle, every service over which the government does not have a genuine monopoly can be discussed at the negotiating table. Education services are included here as soon as private organisers of education are admitted, even if they are 100% subsidised by the state. This is certainly the case in Belgium, given that the free education network alone is larger than the two official networks combined. International trade in education services can take various forms: from distance learning across national borders, international student or lecturer mobility, to the establishment of campuses abroad (Knight, 2002). Of course, it is up to the members themselves to decide, through free negotiations, whether they want to open up their education sectors to international competition. The EU commissioner for trade, who acts during the GATS negotiations on behalf of all EU member states, had given undertakings during the Uruguay round for privately financed education (in other words the commercial or at least unsubsidised education circuit). All compulsory education and most higher education therefore fall de facto outside the scope of GATS. Only entirely private schools and commercial initiatives in adult education were liberalised. What does this mean in practice? We are not used to talking about trade in educational services, even less about their liberalisation. After all, import tariffs are never charged Trade barriers do not, however, consist solely of import tariffs, but also of what are known as non-tariff obstacles (e.g. quota restrictions, quality standards, recognition procedures for fore ign qualifications, etc.). Once a party has opened up its borders, it must at least apply the general principles of GATS in this respect. Market access means that no quantitative barriers may be imposed, such as a ceiling of x foreign students or y branches of foreign schools. The most-favoured clause means that no privileges can be denied to one member if they are committed to another member of the WHO.  [1]  The principle of national treatment implies that, when there is free access to foreign service providers, no different standards or subsidy rules can be imposed on provisions of domestic or foreign origin. Furthermore, undertakings are irrevocable and WHO members hand over jurisdiction over any conflicts to a panel of international trade experts. The GATS initiative was not exactly welcomed with great enthusiasm. Its intentions were good: to increase prosperity by bringing burgeoning service sectors out of their national cocoons and to allow matching between demand and supply to take place across national borders. Liberalisation means diversification, greater freedom of choice, more efficiency and quality incentives and perhaps also less of a burden on the government budget. On the international stage, the major Anglo-Saxon countries were clearly in favour of the initiative. After all, they have had a strong comparative advantage right from the start because the working language of their education systems is the most important world language. E-courses, whether or not supported by specialist call centres, are very attractive as an export product because they are associated with huge economies of scale. However, the reception of foreign students can also be a lucrative business. For example, Australia is making big bucks with the tens of thousands of Asians attending university there. Even if this export education is partially subsidised, return effects can still be gained from other spending by foreign students and, if the best brains can then be retained in the host country, the picture is even more favourable. As importers, some major developing countries, led by China, can also make money from liberalisation. Thanks to the meteoric growth of its economy, the Chinese government cannot satisfy the increased demand for higher education. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students begin their studies abroad every year, possibly with a grant from their government. Most of them come back with Western qualifications and join the countrys scientific and technological elite. The Chinese government saves on higher education because most migrants pay for their studies abroad themselves. In some cases, multinationals investing in China establish their own colleges to train suitable executives. By contrast, in the European education sector, liberalisation and commercialisation meet with great reticence, not entirely without justification (OKeeffe, 2003; Hanley and Frederiksson, 2003). Not for nothing do governments curb market effects in education because of the risk of market failure. A free, competitive market also requires homogenous goods (a nursing qualification in country A should have the same value as in country B); at the same time, all those involved must be well-informed about the quality and cost price of the goods. Power concentrations (e.g. of large universities or associations) are out of the question, etc.. None of these conditions for healthy competition is truly fulfilled. Education is a very complex, opaque market. If all this applies to domestic provisions, how much more then to foreign provisions? Will liberalisation not lead automatically to privatisation and price increases? Does globalisation of the education sector not open the door to the suppressi on of national culture? It is not actually clear to what extent all these objections are founded. It is a fact that the EU pursues a somewhat ambiguous strategy in this area. It portrays itself to the outside world as the defender of a regulated, protected education sector but, internally, despite its subsidiary role regarding education, it promotes liberalisation by all means available. The Bologna process and the Copenhagen process should create a European educational space for higher and vocational education respectively, in which supply and demand can move freely. Harmonisation of structures, recognition of qualifications obtained elsewhere and the development of a uniform, transparent European Qualification Framework should help to enable EU citizens to brush up or refine their skills in other member states. Erasmus grants should boost student mobility and, last but not least, the EU services directive (the infamous Bolkestein directive) has led to the free movement of educational services within the E U, which that same EU is fighting at the GATS negotiating table. So what effects should we expect? To begin with, remember that compulsory education is also not subject to the services directive or the GATS rules, so that a great deal of movement should not be expected at this level. Secondly, higher education will also remain largely subsidised in the future. Free movement in this sector will perhaps lead to a downwards levelling off of subsidies (or an upwards levelling off of registration fees). After all, in an open educational space, a member state cannot allow itself to offer cheaper education than its neighbouring countries for very long. In the long term, thousands of students from other member states could benefit from this transnational generosity. After all, different prices cannot be charged to EU students and to domestic students. In higher and adult education, an increased registration fee is not actually undemocratic: it counteracts the misplaced redistribution currently ravaging these segments because the better-off make disproport ionately more use of education which is partly funded by less well-off taxpayers. The democratisation of higher and adult education is not threatened if increased registration fees are coupled with higher study grants. The creation of a more transparent, uniform European educational space can, we believe, only be regarded as a positive phenomenon. It is the task of the government, where the market fails, to ensure that the educational supply is more transparent. This allows the user to choose more freely. The competition between provisions is also heightened as a result, which should lead to better quality and/or lower cost price. Nonetheless, the impending commercialisation of higher education may also have detrimental effects: in this context, education is gradually reduced to its most utilitarian dimension. As the student himself finances a larger share of the cost of education, he will also be more likely to choose the more lucrative studies. In particular, humanities and cultural sciences could come under pressure as a result. If society attaches importance to an adequate balance between courses of study, it will also have to build in the required incentives for this (e.g. by differentiated registration fees). Another risk the intensification of the brain drain is covered in the final section of our paper. Last but not least, at international level, the risks of any forms of market forces in education are of course present, specifically increasing polarisation in quality and prestige among educational establishments. The Cambridges, Paris VIs, Munichs and Stockholms are undoubtedly becoming even more of a major draw within a unified European higher education space. It will not be long before they increase their registration fees and tighten up their entry conditions in order to cream off the European elite. Regional colleges, by contrast, will see a weakening of the target audience as a result of the same mechanisms. If access to higher education (and, even more so, adult education) is to remain democratic, European directives will also have to be enacted, as was also necessary for the liberalisation of other public welfare services. For example, Flemish higher education is already feeling the consequences of entry restrictions in the Netherlands. The question is whether this will be s ustainable in a context where international student mobility is on the increase. On the whole, the free movement of educational services does not look as scary as many make it out to be. It is important that a distinction be made between compulsory education, on the one hand, which belongs to the field of basic social rights, and further education and training on the other hand. In these latter segments, partial commercialisation should not automatically lead to social breakdown. It can even contribute to a more balanced financing mix, which is necessary to cope with the growing participation trend in the future. EU legislation will still have to ensure the required limit conditions to prevent negative social side effects. Education and Third World development In the above sections, we have largely confined ourselves to the European perspective. What do education and the knowledge society mean for the Third World? Curiously enough, the theory regarding the social role of education in the development literature is much richer and more subtle than in Western education literature. Whereas the Chicago economist Becker (1964) labelled education as an individual investment in human capital, with a financial return in terms of future income, the Bengali Sen (Sen, 1999) teaches us that education can also be regarded more broadly as an investment in capabilities which subsequently enable higher levels of functioning to be attained at the levels of health, family life, social participation, etc.. Empirical research underpins this position and demonstrates that a higher level of education also leads to better nutrition, health (e.g. AIDS prevention), housing, sex education, etc. (MacMahon, 1999; Saito, 2003). Moreover, investment in education generates many spill-over effects on the wider society. People learn from one another. Education also has a positive influence on security (prevention of high-risk and delinquent behaviour), social commitment, civil responsibility and the quality of democratic decisions. Research increasingly points to the role of education in the development of social capital (de la Fuente and Ciccone, 2002). These positive social effects are most clear in the context of gender-specific anti-poverty programmes. For instance, more education for women is associated with better family planning and better nutrition, health and training for children (for a summary of the results, see Behrman, 1997). In order to break through the vicious circle of poverty and disease, education and training programmes for girls and women are essential. In this context, UNICEF talks correctly of the multiplier effect of education for girls (UNICEF, 2004). These positive external effects ar e an additional reason for government intervention in education and training. Sufficient evidence exists that educational investment in developing countries produces a higher return than in developed countries (Psacharopoulos and Patrinos, 2004). This difference is a direct indication of the need for education in the acquisition of basic skills. In addition, Behrman (1997) points out that, as far as subsequent educational investments in their children are concerned, basic education or basic literacy for women is more important than achieving higher levels of education. Sen (2002) also emphasises the role of basic education and the role which this plays in increasing the required human security and further human and social development. Cost-benefit analyses have demonstrated that investments in pre-school education and basic education have a higher rate of return than spending on secondary and higher education particularly in developing countries (Psacharopoulos and Patrinos, 2004; Cunha et al., 2006). In multilateral development cooperation, these findings have been well received. At the World Conference in Jomtien (Thailand), in 1990, the Education For All (EFA) initiative was launched under the auspices of UNESCO. All parties agreed with the position that universal, compulsory, free, public and good-quality basic education is the cornerstone of an education strategy which also includes secondary, further, vocational and adult education. During the international Education Conference in Dakar (2000), the importance of education for all was again underlined and 6 objectives were formulated, two of which were later adopted as millennium objectives (completion of basic education by all young people and equal educational opportunities for girls and boys at all levels by 2015). The key target groups of the EFA campaign are the 80 million children who have never been to school and the 800 million illiterate adults in the world. Every developing country participating in EFA draws up a na tional education action plan that fits in with the national poverty reduction strategy (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) and gives priority to basic education. This action plan is tested on all relevant social actors. A set of indicators is envisaged which can be used to test effective implementation. Monitoring and evaluation are entrusted to one single financier by the international community, per receiving country. In an attempt to accelerate the EFA train further, in 2002 the Fast Track Initiative (FTI) was launched, encouraged by the World Bank, which both international financial backers and receiving countries can join on a voluntary basis. In addition to endorsing the EFA principles, donors are asked for an additional commitment to long-term financing and receiving governments are asked to commit to transparent evaluation. The least that can be said about EFA and FTI is that they have the wind in their sails. Participation and invested resources are rising phenomenally. Since 2000, official development help for education worldwide has more than doubled. Nonetheless, the challenges are still considerable: the major enemies of education are poverty (and, associated with this, child labour), war, the debt burden, migration, mismanagement and disease. In crisis regions, education simply grinds to a halt. In some countries, the ravages of AIDS on teaching staff are so severe that it is barely possible to replace sick and deceased teachersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In addition, it has to be said that the interests of financial backers and receiving countries, even if both groups have noble objectives, do not always coincide. The governments of developing countries are happy to make use of international support so that they can spend some of their own budgets on other priorities. On the other hand, the leading role of the World Bank in the FTI is not totally altruistic. One of the conditions for support, specifically, is that the national EFA action plans be linked to poverty reduction plans (PRSP): the latter are the World Banks key aid instruments. This means that multilateral educational aid serves as a lever to reinforce the influence of the World Bank on its customers. It is known that this external pressure is not always popular. Along with development aid, pro-globalist, liberal policy ideas are also dished out to receiving countries. In the past, for example, they were often obliged to reduce their import tariffs or food subsidies, which hit farmers and consumers particularly hard. Brain drain One of the reasons why the return on higher education in developing countries is relatively low has to do with the brain drain from developing countries to the rich North a phenomenon that does not exactly mesh with the predictions of international trade theory. In the first section of our paper, we referred to the theory of comparative advantages: every country will specialise in exporting goods and services for which the production factors are present in relative excess. Robert Mundell (1957) demonstrated that the international mobility of production factors can be regarded as a substitute for trade in goods, and with the same effect. In specific terms, this would mean that if developing countries have a surplus of unskilled labour and rich countries relatively large numbers of highly skilled people, we would expect a South-North migration of unskilled workers and a North-South migration of highly skilled workers. In both cases, migrants are attracted by the fact that, in the host country, they are relatively better paid than in their own countries because they are relatively scarcer there. In reality, the dominant pattern is a South-North migration of both unskilled and highly skilled workers. In 2005, around 4 million legal migrants (and an unknown number of illegals) flooded into the rich OECD countries (OECD, 2007). These figures do not include temporary migration. Upon closer inspection, the contradiction between theory and practice can be explained by a series of factors, of which we highlight only the most important. Firstly, the rich North dominates the world economy to such an extent that it also depresses demand for highly skilled people in the Third World. Secondly, governments in the North do not pursue a liberal policy when it comes to immigration. When push comes to shove, they place restraints on the laws of neo-classical trade theory, erect barriers to unskilled immigrants and are even actively recruiting the more highly skilled workers to fill existing bo

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Teacher Education :: essays papers

Teacher Education Today’s leaders are consistent with researching and finding new ways to make our education system more effective. In most states to become a teacher, you must have a bachelor’s degree from the institution you attended. There is no law stating as of now that you have to have a degree in the subject you want to teach. Any teacher who has a degree above a bachelor’s degree is then rewarded with a specific salary increase (How to Obtain, 2001). Some states require an internship, and many require different preliminary testing before you can become a certified teacher (Certification Requirements for, 1995). An important issue that has started to gain popularity is the issue of teachers learning new technology that is now available. There are many websites and companies dedicated to getting schools to gain advancement in technology. Most schools today are using the same tools that have been around since the beginning of time. There is no obligation for teachers right now to learn about technology and how it can improve student’s learning and academics (Hardin, 2000). We have been blessed to have the internet, and many new digital machines that can further learning. There are high hopes for the future of our schools to take advantage of this growth and use them regularly in the classroom. The generations of students today are growing up using the computer. It is appropriate and a must that teacher’s use the computer and internet in school. Not only does it provide so much information that is useful for a pupil’s education, but helps that person later in li fe. Eventually most things are going to be done over the internet and using digitally advanced tools, so children should have the use of them in schools (Schank, 2000). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 On January 8th 2002, there was a law passed by President George W. Bush called the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The No Child Left Behind Act makes the minimum qualifications required by teachers. These qualifications are a bachelor’s degree, full state certification and demonstration of competency of the subject that will be taught. Each state has the liberty to choose what this certification includes according to its own needs. This law states that all 50 states must develop a plan to make sure that all teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified for that position bye the end of the 2005-2006 school year (No Child Left, 2004, pp. Teacher Education :: essays papers Teacher Education Today’s leaders are consistent with researching and finding new ways to make our education system more effective. In most states to become a teacher, you must have a bachelor’s degree from the institution you attended. There is no law stating as of now that you have to have a degree in the subject you want to teach. Any teacher who has a degree above a bachelor’s degree is then rewarded with a specific salary increase (How to Obtain, 2001). Some states require an internship, and many require different preliminary testing before you can become a certified teacher (Certification Requirements for, 1995). An important issue that has started to gain popularity is the issue of teachers learning new technology that is now available. There are many websites and companies dedicated to getting schools to gain advancement in technology. Most schools today are using the same tools that have been around since the beginning of time. There is no obligation for teachers right now to learn about technology and how it can improve student’s learning and academics (Hardin, 2000). We have been blessed to have the internet, and many new digital machines that can further learning. There are high hopes for the future of our schools to take advantage of this growth and use them regularly in the classroom. The generations of students today are growing up using the computer. It is appropriate and a must that teacher’s use the computer and internet in school. Not only does it provide so much information that is useful for a pupil’s education, but helps that person later in li fe. Eventually most things are going to be done over the internet and using digitally advanced tools, so children should have the use of them in schools (Schank, 2000). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 On January 8th 2002, there was a law passed by President George W. Bush called the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The No Child Left Behind Act makes the minimum qualifications required by teachers. These qualifications are a bachelor’s degree, full state certification and demonstration of competency of the subject that will be taught. Each state has the liberty to choose what this certification includes according to its own needs. This law states that all 50 states must develop a plan to make sure that all teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified for that position bye the end of the 2005-2006 school year (No Child Left, 2004, pp.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Is Economics as old as the first Transaction between Men? Essay

To what extent do you agree with this statement? It can be said that economics is as old as the first transaction between men and I completely agree with this statement. It must, however, be noted that the importance of economics in people’s lives has greatly increased over the ages. In days gone by, other things such as religion and tradition had greater influence on people’s lives, whereas today, people are more influenced by economics. As a result of the ever-changing nature of economics, the economic laws that existed in the past would be obsolete in today’s society. In order to have a better understanding of this statement it is important to, firstly, have knowledge of the history of economics and also to study the evidence that both supports and opposes the statement. According to Robert Heilbroner â€Å"†¦the perpetuation of the human animal becomes a remarkable social feat. So remarkable, in fact, society’s existence hangs by a hair†¦ in a word, if any of a thousand intertwined tasks of society should fail to get done-industrial life would soon become hopelessly disorganised.† He then goes on to outline the three ways man has found to guard against this calamity. The first of these is the continuity of society by organising it around tradition. This method consists of the various roles in society being handed down from generation to generation according to the society’s customs. The cycle of son following his father’s occupation keeps the necessary positions in the society full and prevents chaos. The second way in which the problem can be solved is through command, meaning an authoritarian rule in order to ensure that tasks are completed. For many centuries, man has dealt with the challenge of survival through either of these solutions. The third and final way is the market system. The market system is â€Å"†¦an astonishing arrangement in which society assured its own continuance by allowing each individual to do exactly as he saw fit-provided he follow a central guiding rule.† The rule being incredibly simple â€Å"†¦each should do what was to his best monetary advantage.† It was the appeal of monetary gain, rather than tradition or command that leads the great majority to do their job and today keeps our society together. Economics can be defined as â€Å"the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind.† Using this definition it is easy to see the validity in the statement â€Å"economics is as old as the first transaction between men.† The objective of man and most other living creatures is to survive. The continued existence of man demonstrates man’s ability to achieve this goal. With the limited resources available to man and his unlimited wants, in order to survive, cooperation within a society is required. This cooperation has ever been present, as trade is thought to have occurred as long ago as 3000BC. This trade is the early form of economics. On the other hand, it can be said that in the past, economics has not existed. This is because in the past there was no scarcity and the available resources were adequate for sustaining our very basic lifestyles. We were influenced by tradition and command and this paved the way in which our society was run. As Heilbroner says â€Å"†¦as long as the problem [of survival] was handled by tradition or command, it never gave rise to that special field of study called ‘economics.’† However, when the market system came into play and overran tradition and command, economics was developed. â€Å"When society no longer obeyed a ruler’s dictates, who was to say where it would end? It was the economists who undertook to explain this puzzle.† Although, it was very possibly not realised back then, it can be said that economics is as old as the first transaction between men. The importance of economics certainly has increased over the years and the role it plays in people’s lives now is greater than it did in the past. However, I believe that economics has always been one of the key components of man’s survival, whether today or 3000BC. Of course in the past people had wants and need just like we do today and therefore the methods, such as trading, that they used to obtain these things fall under the category of economics.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Breaking Into Advertising and Staying Essay

In the life of an individual, it is seen that building a great and stable career in a line of work that he/she personally likes and loves to do is one of the foremost undertakings that is considered to be a difficult task. Thus, this requires a bountiful amount of effort and courage for a person to achieve a stable career and to be situated in a position that he or she prefers to be in. Advertising Industry, on the other hand, as linked to the discussions about career, is considered to be one of the most stimulating and exciting line of businesses in which there are numerous number of aspirants who are hoping to penetrate the scene and be a part of it. Also, the advertising business is regarded as included in the most competitive and strongest industry that could ensure a bright future ahead for anyone who could make it to the top of the industry competition. However, as far as the aspect of employment is concern, establishing a career in advertising industry is seen to be one of the most difficult and tricky task to do. Thus, this is where the book entitled â€Å"Pick Me: Breaking into Advertising and Staying There† is primarily intended for, which is to serve as a guide and as an essential reading in helping people to land a job and survive under the pressure of the industry that is once regarded to be included in the list of the most competitive ones. The book is primarily written to provide a reading material to be able to guide the people, more especially those who aspire to establish a career in the advertising industry, to land in a job and handle the pressure which serves as the characteristic of the said business. The book is authored by two of the most reliable individuals in the field of advertising who have worked as creative directors and are closely creative partners namely Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin. The primary objective of the two is to render people definite information as to how could they acquire a position in a business world such as advertising. As such, from the majority of the book, the information is essentially rendered to answer the questions of people or students with regard to having a stable job and establishing a career in the said industry. In addition to this, the book is also co-authored by a group of fourteen individuals, who are regarded as famous persons in the advertising industry, who have also provided and shared their own insights as well as personal experiences that have been instrumental for them to enter the careers they are in today and excel in it. Nonetheless, through the background and capabilities of the people behind the ideas, it is seen that the book is effective in achieving and functioning to what it principally intend. The book is seen to be precise with its aims and goals. Being aware that the establishment of career in the advertising industry is a tricky task, the writers have stated and rendered their information in the most positive way that the readers could have a grasp of the messages they intended for. Thus, the approach of the writers in rendering their thoughts is seen to be concise wherein the book incorporates the list of the typical questions and concerns by the person with regard to the topic and renders the appropriate answers accordingly. Likewise, a clear statement of the issue and topic which tells about the link between employment and the difficulties of establishing a career in advertising industry has been key factor that paves the way to definite results as well as conclusions for the book. According to the writers, it is important for a person, more especially for those who aspires for a job in the said industry, to know exactly and render accordingly his or her goals as well as the things that he or she wants to achieve to be able to employ a clear pathway and focus in the progress of his or her career. Also, the writers have clearly stated the point that a formal educational background is significant, although not the sole essentials, in establishing a career and making it to the top of entire advertising industry. Thus, talent, skills, passion and dedication are regarded as factors that are required to be able to establish a long-time career and succeed in the said industry. In addition to this, the thoughts of fear and self-antipathy should be conquered in order to establish a career, stay and succeed in the advertising business. Likewise, the fresh and new ideas are seen to be a vital ingredient of success in the advertising industry which could place a person in a stable and healthy ground for his or her career in the industry. This could also improve and determine the reliability of one’s capabilities in the industry to come up with a brilliant notion that could help the clients and publicize a product more towards greater results. From a personal point of view, it can be said that the points and statements written above, as per the writers’ standpoint, are all essential and significant in a way that it renders clear notions for the people that have the dreams of making it in the advertising industry. Thus, most of the points that have been depicted in the book are all supported and explained through the incorporation and a mixture of personal experiences industry as well as logical reasoning that is connected to the entire context of society. Likewise, knowing the fact where the writers are coming from employs more wisdom in the points that have been stated in the pages. Moreover, the idea of stating a clear focus and goal is indeed essential in establishing a career. This renders a definite way and serves as a focal point as to where the progress of career is heading. The presence of formal education, on the other hand, is also seen as significant wherein it should serve as roots for knowledge or notions that should be further enhanced by the personal capabilities and talent. Also, talents, capabilities and dedication in the job is definitely instrumental in order to establish and stay in a line of career for a long period of time. Nonetheless, saying that confidence is a must in landing to a job and staying in the advertising industry is absolutely significant. Thus, the existence of self-loathing should be conquered in order to employ a steady job environment and pave the way for continuous personal and career growth. Likewise, it can be said that the most important point in the book is the argument that focus and goal stipulated with passion and dedication are in fact an essential formula to establish a career and survived the challenges of being employed, more especially in the advertising industry. In the end, with the above written facts and information about the book, it could be stated the information and thoughts depicted in the book are all factual as well as helpful fundamentals towards having a decent job or position and staying in the advertising industry. Thus, it is certain that the book and the writers are successful in achieving their goals as well as in serving their purpose that is seen to render a tangible reading guide for the people who aspire to land in a job and establish a career in the advertising industry. Nonetheless, all the thoughts and information rendered in the book are useful and obliging for the readers as all of the points and statements are supported with relevant real world experiences and factual evidence that are tested to have produced positive results about the topic. Reference Vonk N. and Kestin J. (2005). Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There. United States: Wiley-IEEE.

Employee Portfolio: Management Plan Essay

Employee Portfolio Amy, one of the employees has a very negative outlook on usual daily basis. She is not very satisfied with her current job which prevents her from showing her full potential at work. Her personal emotions take over and carry on to any tasks. There is something preventing her from being satisfied in the work. From her assessment it seems as she feels it is hard to grown and show her real ability to work to satisfaction of the company. On the other hand, Daisy is very happy with her current position in the company she is working for. She is happy which reflects in her work because she is able to use her full potential. She is able to accomplish whatever comes her way and is always open to new things. Finally, Lynnet is in some way like the other employee Daisy. She as well is happy with her job and can use own methods on the job to grow. She is good at noticing mood changes between others and herself and can think clearly about how to manage emotions. My recommendations on future assessments for Amy might be taking are like one, she needs to find a way she can control her emotions and feelings. Another recommendation is she needs to know she can take break before starting just so she can refresh her mood and attitude. Sometimes since she lets things around her take control taking a walk can help before taking any kind of assessments. Assessments can be stressful to an employee especially if they are afraid it can affect their pay, work schedule and future promotions. Both Daisy and Lynnet, are able to handle their emotions and surroundings and does not affect or interfere when taking assessments, therefore; they can just keep doing the same things they are currently doing that is working just fine. When Daisy was taking the assessment I noticed she took her time and even talked to herself about certain things she even knew about how she is. Lastly, Lynnet was quicker at doing the assessments  because at the moment she was just g etting off work and I believe since she loves her job it was just really easy to answer the questions. I believe Daisy and Lynnet should keep up what they are doing and working for them.