Research Paper on Inflation for the Country China

On Inflation for the Country China - Research Paper Example Causes of Higher Inflation in China Evidently, the higher inflation in China can be attributed to numerous factors. According to Yu (2011), the Chinese government’s increased currency control ended up in an artificial decline of foreign exchange rate of the Yuan and this adverse situation in turn amplified manufacturing and export business activities. Macroeconomic theories clearly state that decline in the real value of currency is the most severe impact of higher inflation. At the same time, the cheaper Chinese currency made imported food items and energy resources unaffordable to the country’s people. Economists strongly argue that the county’s unprecedented development rate have added to a severe demand pull inflation. In china, unbridled growth of consumerism together with rampant rise in population continues increase in consumer demand. Probably, the increasing consumer demand in turn would significantly augment business activities and ultimately the cost o f production. As a result, firms are compelled to charge higher prices for their products that would be unaffordable to lower and medium class customers. Many of the economists and corporate business magnets are of the belief that the value of the Chinese Yuan would improve in near future. This expectation has resulted in huge inflows of hot money and other long term investments to the Chinese economy. This large volume money inflows to the country cause asset bubbles in Chinese property market, especially in the industrially developed cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Consequences of Higher Chinese inflation According to Feldstein (1998), it has been identified that the inflation always hurts people’s standard of living since rising prices force them to pay more for the same goods and services. As Flynn (2011) reports, the inflation has a direct influence on gas prices in China as a result of governmental regulations that vehemently try to combat inflation. This situation ma kes the financial planning a troublesome task because the increased gas prices lead to home value loses. Inflation also badly affected the people’s retirement planning due to the increasing uncertainty regarding the future. Since the Chinese people are compelled to spend more and more on same goods and services, they would not have excess amount available to save. Similarly, if people expect further inflation, they are more likely to be extravagant as they envisage worse condition in near future. This economic condition turns to be one of the potential challenges to the Chinese economy as it may lead to further inflation. During the last three years, the difference between demand and supply and the resulted inflation went beyond Chinese government’s control; and consequently buyers trimmed down their day to day expenses in order to vie with the increasing price level. At the same time, producers cut down their output levels so as to retain minimum profit margin. In tot al, both these situations seriously affected the economy as they minimized long term economic gains. How to Manage Inflation in Chinese Economy? According to Premier Wen Jibabo, â€Å"China must continue efforts to control food and housing prices to ease soaring inflation and maintain economic development and social stability† (cited in SPK Group Co., Ltd., 2011). Wen also advises authorities to increase the outputs of farm

My Version of Happiness Essay Example for Free

My Version of Happiness Essay What is happiness? For me, with my sixteen years of life as my basis to define what it is, I think happiness is making friends, meeting new people, enjoying what you have, loving what you have, accepting what you have, enjoying what youre doing, being in a situation that youll remember and laugh at later on, trying to smile, unconditional love, irrepressible smiling, having a crush, pursuing and finding success in pursuit, learning new things the easy way, witnessing something funny, sugar rush, and many other things. Basically, at this moment, happiness, for me, is acceptance, hoping, and believing. I say that because those are the things that have made me happy. Since happiness is subjective, or at least I find it to be so, I know that happiness, for me, is more often than not, ephemeral. It is spontaneous. It causes you to be so as well. It comes when you expect it and when you dont. It is more beautiful in the latter. Some people devote their entire existence to finding it. I think, though, that it is like a dogs tail; if it is sought for like a tangible object, it will not be caught. Some people make sad attempts at trying to generalize what it is. Some people write books on how to acquire it. Like a step by step program, cookbook style. Some people live life waiting for it. Some people observe how other people respond to the temptation to be happy. I guess, Im part of those people, but if thats so, who observes us? Some people neglect happiness; they dont look for it, they doubt its existence. Some people try to find their purpose in the hope of finding happiness with it. Some people just live. Some people are always filled with it. Some people say they have found it. Some people think they have found it. Some people feign happiness. Some people try to know things to be able to know what happiness is. Some people try to justify their happiness. Some people buy things to become happy. Some people neglect being empty to be happy. Some people hide it. Some people write about its nature. Some people find other people, and happiness comes with them sometimes. I do all that, different approaches for different moments. Happiness is tricky thing, deadly as a drug, addicting like one, yet it is legal. It could be a state of mind, but it could just as well be someone or something.

The Role of Hermaphrodites in Society Essay -- Sociology Essays Resear

The Role of Hermaphrodites in Society In Ruth Gilbert’s At the Border’s of the Human, she discusses society’s interest in hermaphrodites in terms of â€Å"people’s desire to examine, scrutinize, and display objects which are alien, strange and other† (6). The anomalous and bizarre spectacle of the hermaphroditic body has drawn the focus of scientists since the early sixteenth century. Hermaphrodites have long evoked a â€Å"mixture of disgust and desire, and fear and fascination†(Gilbert 150) that has led to their position as objects of scientific scrutiny. As defined by Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, a hermaphrodite is â€Å"an individual in which reproductive organs of both sexes are present†. Besides hermaphrodites challenging society’s physical norms, they challenge and have recently changed its cultural norms as well. In ancient societies, dual-sexed beings were either â€Å"exterminated, considered to be beings of suffering, or regarded as strange phenomena† (Brisson 40). Their roles in society were nonexistent because they were viewed as â€Å"threatening deviance from the...

Accounts of Attila :: Rome History Attila Essays

Accounts of Attila Works Cited Missing In Priscus’ 449 account, Attila behaves as a leader who does not merely rival the Roman Emperor, but is in fact superior to the Emperor. Furthermore, he exhibits both Roman and barbarian traits. In addition, Priscus does not use the same vocabulary as utilized in the â€Å"Anonyomus Account† to describe Attila. That is, Attila is not depicted as a brutal barbarian warlord or a savage pagan; rather, he is depicted as a leader who is familiar with Roman customs, in possession of luxuries similar to those of Rome, and skilled at political intrigue and manipulation. Priscus’ account is similar to Prosper’s account as it seems to be relatively objective and merely explains the events that transpired (outside of Priscus’ obvious bias, as he was a civil servant and championed the promotion of the Roman systems of law, taxation, and self defense to the Greek Scythian – Priscus, 204). Additionally, Jordanes’ account is similar to the †Å"Anonyomus Account† because they are both subjective (i.e., Jordanes depicts Attila favorably; while he is apparently held in ill favor by the author of the â€Å"Anonyomus Account†). Moreover, all four sources have one theme in common: Attila was perceived to be a legitimate threat to Rome. Attila’s treatment of the Roman embassies in the beginning of Priscus’ account shows that Attila was not afraid to treat the Roman delegation rudely. Indeed, he refused to meet the ambassadors himself and sent his emissaries to do so, although he knew this was not the Roman custom and his ambassadors had received proper treatment on previous occasions in Rome (Priscus, 202). Furthermore, Attila had been known to claim that, â€Å"his own subjects were generals of [Theodosius] and that his own generals were of equal worth to the Emperors of Rome† ( Priscus, 206). Thus implying that he believed he was superior to the Emperor. In addition, Attila was so bold as to demand Ambassadors with higher ranks (Priscus, 206). Attila exhibited Roman and barbarian traits. Unlike the Emperor, who led a republic, he was a barbarian king who ruled over a Monarchy. In addition, Attila differed from the Emperor since he was a warrior king who carried arms and participated in battle as evidenced by Jordanes’ description of his participation in the battle on the Catalaunian Plains (Jordanes, 101-104).

Marketing Strategy of Lv

21/12/2011 Marketing Strategy analysis of LVMH with a special focus on LV Industry overview: Louis Vuitton Malletier is commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, sometimes shortened to LV, is French luxury fashion and leather goods’ company. The company was founded in 1854, and now is the cornerstone of LVMH and its main division carrying almost a quarter of the total group. LVMH is the world leader in the luxury industry. It was established in 1987 through the union of three brands: Louis Vuitton, Moet and Henessy. This union gave birth to a global group that, in addition to leather goods and spirits, brings together to the distribution, a big variety of brands in all segments of the luxury: perfumes, jewelry, watches and also champagne. Through its policy of brand development and expansion of its distribution network abroad (more than 2300 stores worldwide), LVMH has became, since its creation in 1987, a part of a strong growth: it is now the first capital in France and the thirteenth in the world, with 77000 employees of which 74% are based outside France and that share the same values of the groupe. Corporate strategy: A strategic segmentation: In the luxury sector, LVMH has invested in six different strategic business areas: wines and spirits, fashion and leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, watches and jewelry, selective distribution and other activities. Louis Vuitton is trying to represent by its products, the most refined qualities of Western â€Å"Art de Vivre† around the world. The company is also trying to continue to be synonymous with both elegance and creativity in leather products, blending tradition and innovation through their products and kindling dream and fantasy. How Louis Vuitton attracts its costumers: Louis  Vuitton  is  a luxury brand  belonging to  LVMH which  is  the most  valued  brand  in  the world of luxury. Since 1854  this  has been succeeding with  its  luxury  luggage  first and  then with  fashion industry  (especially with collections  by Marc Jacobs). Louis  Vuitton  has introduced  many advertising campaigns,  but ten years of fashion communication have overshadowed the house. The company realized that customers were less sensitive to the values that were associated with the brand. Therefore the company wanted to put aside while the commercial communication by focusing on a more institutional in order to enhance the house and not just the products. Louis  Vuitton  then chose to move from product communication  to  corporate communications. The goal is  to communicate  the values and philosophy of  the brand and its  leitmotiv:  the trip. To create  a  close relationship with its  customers, the Internet  appears  to be the best means of communication  (interactivity, photos,  videos  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ) The fundamental value  that is conveyed  is the  trip. Today  the concept  has evolved in  travel  habits  (mass tourism, development of  low cost), becoming very usual and then there is no  more magic in the  travel or  escape. In this new  communication campaign  LV  seeks to use the concept of  journey  from  idea  to  idea of   physical  personal journey (passenger). Two of LV advertisements that are using the trip concept Main objectives of the company: Long term objectives: The group  aims to ensure the  sustainability of the company  by focusing  on  core brands  like the  capital  (pillars)  of the 5  areas of  LVMH. In addition,  LVMH  has  the opportunity to gain  market share, eclining  his offer  of  new niches  (accessories). It must continue to invest  for growth. Short term objectives: LVMH wants to achieve a rapid return to the strategic activities such as selling on the Internet like on â€Å"eLUXURY. com† These activities can be  reta ined in the  portfolio ones  because they  do not monopolize  considerable energy  over the long term  and  are a source of  direct profitability  (high margin). Analysis of the four Ps strategy: Product  : Louis Vuitton’s products are very distinguished by their â€Å"absolute quality† and very high price. The aim of LVMH is also to make people feel a big difference between any brand and a brand Louis Vuitton. Therefore a strong image is needed to achieve those aims. One of the big issues that touch LV products is counterfeiting which the company is trying hardly to fight against with enlightenment campaigns, distribution of warning notices to companies, registering the trademarks and designs and making some activities with the Union des Fabricants which is a public interest incorporated association that carries out trademark protection activities. The company is also working on prohibiting appraisal of authenticity by officially sanctioning stores that are alone able to verify whether an article is genuine or not, but also using the mass media to tell people about some details to take into account before appraising whether an LV good is genuine or not. By choosing not to make cheap goods at all, LV is also prohibiting second-line operations or what we call lower-cost alternatives. This can be sort of limitation to a greater expansion but a good choice to the company to stay in the luxury area. Another principle of LV product is that LV is an independent manufacture that is prohibiting outlet product production in order to control the brand value and making a real control on the prices. LV has also a special order service for customers that would like to buy customized and order-made products. Price: LV goods prices are very high, but their value is also of a very high level. The prices are widely accepted by women. The company is trying then to keep the trust the costumers have in its reliable pricing, especially by prohibiting exorbitant pricing, bargain sales, sales in value sets, surprise price changes, pricing in odd prices†¦ Place: LVMH has no boundary; its market is global, taking into account national or regional areas. The company has a geographical strategy that is built on the sentence: â€Å"Think global, act local†. The value of having a global market is to overcome the vagaries of economic conditions (fluctuations in exchange rates, etc. .. ), social (war, etc. .. and demographic issues (emerging Asian countries, etc. .. ). This allows them to meet the specific demands of the market better than in other possible way: for example, the Italians prefer sweet taste champagne that can be adapted to be the right product for them, with mixtures of wines and grapes varieties that are specific to champagne. On the other hand the internationalization of sales allows the company t o respond to many different behavioral changes of consumers. Moreover, LVMH is seeking to emerge new markets with very high potential such as China and India. LVMH benefits from the liberalization of world trade. Promotion: LV in comparison with most companies that use mass advertising, never advertise on television but only on magazines and newspapers with non aggressive sales ads, just images. The brand represents the discovery, travel, sophistication, elegance and creativity. When such words are associated with a company we understand that communication must be really special. Louis Vuitton does not use media such as radio and television media that are surely too popular. Louis Vuitton, because of the demands in women's magazines (Elle, Vogue, Madame Figaro ,†¦ , advertisements published in its journals always have a particular theme (urban, fables, seven deadly sins ,†¦ ). To promote its goods, Louis Vuitton prefers to also organize special events such as Concours d'Elegance car and the America's Cup (also known as Louis Vuitton Cup). The brand,  as  for other firms, is  using  the front  of  the stores  being b uilt for  advertising. For example  in New  York  can be seen  at a height of  over 20 meters  Jennifer  Lopez,  new ambassador  of  Vuitton's flagship products  carry  the brand. Vuitton  also  does not hesitate  to call on  great personalities  to represent  the company. The parades  are  also a good way to  make them known. The target  is not only the  public who  attended the  parade (a few hundred people), but  the people who  hear about  in the press and  other media. LV marketing strategy is also based on a special process of diversification: To stay number one in the luxury sector, LVMH group usually offers a similar product line to the 4 corners of the planet, but in different ways. LVMH is seeking to reach a new clientele that is willing to â€Å"splurge†. They have access to luxury by ancillary products already present in the product range; it requires no new skills or additional skills. This diversification marketing involves distinctive innovations both in the cut of clothes (packaging for perfumes) that the composition of handbags (new materials). All this requires a research and development performance, bringing together the best designers to get a head start as soon as possible and find the trend. Weaknesses of Louis Vuitton and propositions for better strategy: LV products are the most copied in the World, which is not the case of other luxury companies like Hermes for example. Indeed, Counterfeiting is a real problem for the segment of luxury products. The â€Å"extension† of the brand could contribute to the loss of image and prestige. To remedy this, Louis Vuitton is strongly committed to the fight against counterfeiting by establishing a specific team to sensitize the consumer and arrest the counterfeiters around the world and especially in countries where the phenomenon is more present like China. Also, the prices of LV products are not the same around the world: they are 50% higher in Asia and 25% higher in the U. S. In addition, foreigners that are residing outside European community can benefit from a tax refund. It is therefore more interesting for many foreigners to buy Louis Vuitton products in France, thus we have a great development of the traffic around this brand. Indeed, there are many consumers that buy LV products in France and then resale them to foreigners. Others collaborate with foreigners and accept to act as intermediaries for the purchase of these products, with taking a commission for this service. The resale of a product devalues its image as luxury item; the resoled product loses its charm and uniqueness: it becomes such a commodity and no longer a luxury product. To prevent this, LV has to develop more its computer control of sales. And since the luxury market is an area of a big concurrence, LVMH is always required to be distinguished from the others, to keep innovating its products, marketing, advertisements themes and in the same time defending its values†¦ And since it has became a worldwide known brand, may be to make some customization in production, sales and marketing for each culture, I would like to propose to make for come chosen countries special processes of production , sales and advertising that meet but also emerge from their culture†¦ References: * http://www. iasdr2009. org/ap/Papers/Orally%20Presented%20Papers/Design%20Management/Luxury%20Brand%20Strategy%20of%20Louis%20Vuitton. pdf * http://veronique. estienne. free. fr/doc/SLIDE. htm

Free Essays on Instinct Or Free Will

, what they do is not explainable solely by references to factors that have influenced them. My thesis then, is that human beings are able to cause their own actions and they are therefore responsible for what they do. In a basic sense we are all original actors capable of making moves in the world. We are initiators of our own behavior. The first matter to be noted is that this view is in no way in contradiction to science. Free will is a natural phenomenon, something that emerged in nature with the emergence of human beings, with their kinds of minds, minds that can think and be aware of their own thinking. Nature is complicated. It includes many different sorts of things and one of these is human beings. Such beings exhibit one unique yet natural attribute that others things apparently do not- that is free will. A reason why some think that free will is not possible is because many believe that the only way we know about nature is from observations that we collect. Since observation can not give us a justification of free will, it is easy to think that there isn’t any such thing. Free will may not be something that we can see directly, but what best explains what we do see in human life. This may include, for example, the mistakes that human beings make in contrast to the few mistakes that other animals make. We also notice that human beings do all kinds of odd things that cannot be accounted for. We can examine a person’s background and find that some people with bad childhoods turn out to be decent, and vise versa. Free will comes as a very helpful explanation of this. Another matter that might count against free will is that the beings in nature do not exhibit free will. Dogs, lizards, fish... Free Essays on Instinct Or Free Will Free Essays on Instinct Or Free Will Free Will- A Matter of Perspective I want to argue that there is indeed free will. In order to defend the position that free will means that human beings can cause some of what they do on their own; in other words, what they do is not explainable solely by references to factors that have influenced them. My thesis then, is that human beings are able to cause their own actions and they are therefore responsible for what they do. In a basic sense we are all original actors capable of making moves in the world. We are initiators of our own behavior. The first matter to be noted is that this view is in no way in contradiction to science. Free will is a natural phenomenon, something that emerged in nature with the emergence of human beings, with their kinds of minds, minds that can think and be aware of their own thinking. Nature is complicated. It includes many different sorts of things and one of these is human beings. Such beings exhibit one unique yet natural attribute that others things apparently do not- that is free will. A reason why some think that free will is not possible is because many believe that the only way we know about nature is from observations that we collect. Since observation can not give us a justification of free will, it is easy to think that there isn’t any such thing. Free will may not be something that we can see directly, but what best explains what we do see in human life. This may include, for example, the mistakes that human beings make in contrast to the few mistakes that other animals make. We also notice that human beings do all kinds of odd things that cannot be accounted for. We can examine a person’s background and find that some people with bad childhoods turn out to be decent, and vise versa. Free will comes as a very helpful explanation of this. Another matter that might count against free will is that the beings in nature do not exhibit free will. Dogs, lizards, fish...

5 Parallelism Problems in In-Line Lists

5 Parallelism Problems in In-Line Lists 5 Parallelism Problems in In-Line Lists 5 Parallelism Problems in In-Line Lists By Mark Nichol Constructing an in-line list a series of items in a sentence seems like a straightforward task, but writers frequently err in their attempts to produce parallel structure. The following sentences illustrate some of the pitfalls of parallel construction and how to fix them. 1. â€Å"You can pay using your bank account, debit, or credit cards.† This list refers to two types of financial resources: a bank account and a card (two types of which are mentioned). The sentence structure mistakenly suggests that the list consists of three elements, rather than two (â€Å"your bank account† and â€Å"a debit or credit card†), one of which is a compound item one consisting of two or more nouns or noun phrases. The following revision reflects the correct organization: â€Å"You can pay using your bank account or a debit or credit card.† 2. â€Å"Her writing was accurate, complete, and demonstrated attention to detail.† Of the three items in this list, two are accompanied by verbs, but the writer has erroneously assumed that complete can share the verb that precedes accurate. It can do so, but only if accurate and complete are linked with a conjunction rather than separated by a comma: â€Å"Her writing was accurate and complete and demonstrated attention to detail.† 3. â€Å"It’s free, secure, and takes no time at all.† This sentence suffers from the same slight but clumsy error as the one in the preceding example. It can be solved in the same way (â€Å"It’s free and secure, and it takes no time at all†) a comma is required before the conjunction in this case because the pronoun’s presence makes the second clause an independent one. Alternatively, each item in the list can be assigned its own pronoun: â€Å"It’s free, it’s secure, and it takes no time at all.† 4. â€Å"The pension system divested in firms doing business with apartheid-era South Africa, avoided oil and energy investments in Iran, and it dropped tobacco companies from its portfolio in 2008.† Here, too, the problem is of inconsistency of structure, but because the subject is a noun and the sentence is more complex, the simple error might not be apparent. Basically, each segment of the sentence needs a subject noun or a pronoun as if it were a distinct sentence, or, better, all segments must share the subject: â€Å"The pension system divested in firms doing business with apartheid-era South Africa, avoided oil and energy investments in Iran, and dropped tobacco companies from its portfolio in 2008.† (Alternatively, the comma following Africa could be replaced by and, but the lengthy sentence is better served by a rest-stop comma rather than another move-along conjunction.) 5. â€Å"There’s the Coke bottle and the old glove and sailboats gliding along the bay.† This sentence (referring to iconic features at a baseball stadium) almost works in its relaxed state, unhindered by internal punctuation. But the lack of a comma suggests that all three things glide along the bay. A comma after â€Å"old glove† will catch that noun phrase and the preceding one, reserving the gliding action for the sailboats alone: â€Å"There’s the Coke bottle and the old glove, and sailboats gliding along the bay.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Excited ABOUT, not "for" How Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?

Free sample - The iPhone 5. translation missing

The iPhone 5. The iPhone 5The following definition is aimed at giving simple information to all the people who are interested in this new piece of technology-the iPhone 5. The targeted audience is composed of people from diverse professional, educational, and cultural backgrounds. This document will be given to all the marketers, cell phone dealers, and representative of call service companies who will attend the upcoming Accessible Cell Phone Seminar. All those who will attend will receive both soft and hard copies of this document for their clients’ reference. The aim of this document is to disseminate information about the iPhone 5, its history, usability, functions, and distinguish the iphone from other phones. This document has used easy language and a simple format for better understanding for all those who intend to buy the gadget. A well-illustrated photograph will show the audience how the phone looks like and its functions. The meanings of specific words like IOS will be clarified by parenthetical definitions. The audience would have a lot of interest in the phone because it is the latest and greatest technological innovation ever. The information is presented in a general manner because they may not have had prior exposure to the gadget. What is an iPhone 5? This Smartphone has both multimedia devices and internet. It was devised and is currently being marketed by the American Multinational Corporation, Apple Inc. This company is the maker of personal computers like the Macintosh, ipad, computer software, and consumer electronics. This phone is available in either a black or a white colour. It uses GSM OR Edge technology. It has a screen that is sensitive to single or multiple touches popularly known as touch screen. This screen is made up of glass that is resistant to scratch and measures 9 cm. Its back is metallic for protective purposes, and it doubles as an antenna. The iphone has five buttons, two for volume regulation, and the rest control phone calls. Both speaker and microphone are located at the base of the phone. It has inbuilt Bluetooth technology that aids the functioning of wireless headphones and earpieces. The phone has an internally located rechargeable battery. Additionally, the iphone has a charger; alternatively, it ca n be charged by a computer’s USB cable. Other accessories that the iphone possesses are a camera, a storage SIM card, and memory card that can store up to 16 to 32 GB of data. A photo illustrating the Touch Screen of the iPhone History of the Iphone Apple Inc’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Jobs, developed the iphone. Apple engineers were directed by Jobs to investigate touch screens. Apple Inc developed the first iphone with a touch screen, in partnership with ATT Mobility. The first iphone was launched in public on January 9, 2007 at Macworld. In 2008, Apple released the iphone 3GS and this were made available in more than eighty countries with more than 100 user languages. The latest release is the iPhone 5. Usability of the iphone Iphone possesses a single key, the home key. Thus, almost all interactions between the user and the phone are conducted through the screen. However, the iphone screen does not sustain the use of a stylus. Instead, the user uses a finger or two to conduct all interactions with the iphone. Finger taps activate the majority of the controls with the UI (User Interface). However, there are situations that call for more advanced features. Swipes and the associated gestures such as flicking and dragging are used for scrolling through various lists on the iphone. For instance, if the iphone use drags a finger on any scrollable list on the phone, it results to the list following the finger automatically. Additionally, if the iphone user flicks a list item up and down, the screen scrolls in the direction of the finger under its own command. The screen scrolls at a reducing speed and eventually stops on its own as if it is fighting against some form of friction. The user of the iphone is able to view such things as web pages and photos if they scroll controls in a similar way. The iphone has additional advanced features; the user can use his/ her finger to scroll over the screen of the iphone in any direction. The photo viewer also utilizes flick type finger gestures to scroll around various photos. However, there are few parts of the iphone that entail the user sliding on an on-screen control with a finger. The most common activities that are operated in this way include unlocking the iphone and switching off. The user moves the on-screen slider from the left of the screen to the right along the on-screen track with a finger. This process completes the task. This feature was developed to avoid the iphone from undertaking these activities accidentally. Usability of the iphone The iphone has grown fast in popularity as more people are looking for phones with multiple functions. The iphone offers a combination of features such as a digital camera, mobile phone, a digital music player, and GPRS functionality. The iphone is capable of performing five major functions: 1. a torch feature, which allows the user to navigate through the dark or find lost items. 2. Geotagging, this special feature, allows users to locate photos that have been misplaced in the iphone. The tag provides the location of the photo. 3. Google street view, this feature allows the user to navigate through the neighborhood through a map that is located on the phone. 4. Slideshow, this feature allows an easy view of photos. 5. Voice command, this feature allows the user to undertake searches on Google. The feature allows the iphone to convert voice into text. What makes iphone unique? This phone has extremely powerful moisture sensors that are exposed to the environment. These sensors show if the phone has been affected by water. Sensors of ordinary phones are located within the phone. The user cannot replace the internally charged battery. This is its main shortcoming but Apple replaces any faulty battery without charging any fee. Its memory card can store large amounts of data contrary to the ordinary phones. This phone has two cameras unlike the ordinary phones that have one. The camera can distinctively pick out images in conditions with very low light. Risks associated with its usage Like any other phone, the iPhone 5 emits harmless radiation. However, there is no data showing that this radiation causes cancer. However, it one should avoid using the phone while driving or operating machinery because accidents are bound to occur. Parenthetical terms and their defined meanings SIM card- Subscriber Identity Module, this device identifies the subscriber in devices like phones and computers. USB- Universal Serial Bus, this feature of the iphone was designed for use in communicating with two devices like a mouse and the host controller or personal computer. GSM- Global System, this feature is used for Mobile Communication. IOS stands for iPhone operating system.

Retail Merchandising & Store Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Retail Merchandising & Store Operations - Essay Example Marketers need to come up with new strategies to attract and hold on to their customers and one of these promotional strategies is visual merchandising and store design and layout. Walters and White have defined visual merchandising as the activity, which coordinates effective merchandising selection with effective merchandising display. (D Walters and D White, 1987). It involves communicating a positive product image to the customer and also ensuring that the customer decodes it well thus leading to positive behavioral outcome leading to purchase. The basic aim of the retailer is to trigger a customer to make a purchase. For this three major steps are to be followed. The first one should cause the customer to enter the shop. This can be caused by the shops exterior including both the exterior landscape, the board and the window display. The second effort is made to retain the customer in the store for as long as possible which is attained by making the ambience pleasing and the store comfortable. The third and the decision making process of buying is greatly affected by the product display and availability which is ensured by clean products on display in an efficient manner. The interior design of the store can greatly affect the customers psychologically, lowering their defenses and removing their doubts, encourage them to make purchases and maintain interest in the store. (Kotler, 1974). Thus all marketers are unanimous in agreeing with the fact that store design is one of the main factors behind customer store choice decisions. Other factors include pricing, distance and size of the outlet. Previously the emphasis was on the display of the products but now marketers also have to lay emphasis on the elements which excite the senses of the shoppers. Frequently used elements are smells, lighting, flat screen videos and

Just in Time (JIT) today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Just in Time (JIT) today - Essay Example Two companies, one automobile and one glass manufacturer who have adopted JIT & TOC technologies were analyzed. As the automobile company is in the niche market, JIT it very much the answer to its specific needs. In case of the manufacturer its manual operations went in favour of the TOC. It is an established fact that the Just-in-Time (JIT) based System is the answer to manufacturing assembly operations. JIT has lead to the development of what is known as Lean Manufacturing. It offers scope for reducing inventories and introducing ways and means to improve productivity by planning optimal use of resources. By elimination of all activities that do not add value and/or are safety nets, maximum use of scarce resources like capacity, manpower and capital becomes achievable. It also results in value addition for the customer, improved bottom line and enhanced productivity of employees. This is the ultimate objective of Lean Design While there are a variety of softwares available, the most suitable are those that have been adopted and perfected by the larger Automobile companies like Toyota Corporation. They are the pioneers of the Just-in-Time concept and have perfected it to an extent that has made them world class competitors to larger companies in the world. In contrast, other methods try to automate current business process and while implementing, there is a risk of simply automating the waste. With them quality is an issue that is left for other standards like ISO etc. For these reasons, Just in Time is now a widely adopted philosophy for focusing on customer value adding activities through eliminating wastes and striving towards continuous improvement. Lean Designs are based on JIT methods and are most popular today. An ARC Groups’ strategy report authored by Simon Bragg (2004) suggests that today 36% of US manufacturers and 70% UK manufacturers â€Å"are today using Lean as

The Galapagos Island Tortoise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Galapagos Island Tortoise - Essay Example The Galapagos Tortoise are the largest living breed of tortoises in the world. They inhabit the nine islands of the Galapagos archipelago. While Charles Darwin was the first to research these animals, they were actually discovered by a Spanish explorer in the 1500’s. â€Å"Galapago† means tortoise in Spanish and most likely derives from the word saddle. The Galapagos turtles have a distinctive shell that is in the shape of a saddle. The size of these creatures is what sets them apart from other species. The adults can weigh over 660 lbs while they are approximately 4 feet long. Scientists have not figured out a maximum life expectancy for the tortoise however they are expected to live around 200 years. They are believed to belong to one species called Geochelone elephantopus, with approximately 14 different sub speciesThe arrival of the Galapagos tortoises is thought to be descended from a common ancestor that arrived from the mainland. They are capable floating quite e asily on the water. Scientists believe that the original colonist of tortoise washed aboard one island then its descendants were dispersed around the other islands-floating on the ocean currents. In the 1600’s buccaneers used the Galapagos Islands as a home port to repair their boats before attacking Spanish colonies on the South American mainland. They collected the tortoises and stored them aboard their ships because they lived for a long while. They were eaten as a source of food as well as killed for their turtle oil. The early settlers hunted them for their meat up through the 1800’s. ... If they feel threatened by another animal, they withdraw its head, neck and forelimbs into its shell for protection. Sometimes this is not enough as the top of their shell opening can leave a gap. Originally, this was never an issue because there were no native predators on the Galapagos Islands. It is only when settlers introduced domesticated animals that went wild that they became susceptible. And of course, they were hunted by the settlers for food. The conservation efforts of the tortoise populations still face challenges today. Rats, dogs, and pigs eat the eggs and young tortoises. Goats are in direct competition with them when acquiring food so many of them devastate the vegetation. Also, cattle, donkeys, and horses trample the ground squashing the tortoises nests. Efforts have been made to safeguard tortoises nests. One such example is that eggs are collected in the wild and incubated at the Charles Darwin Research Station. After they hatched, they would remain under vigil until they were large enough to fend off attacks from rats, dogs, and pigs. There have also been campaigns to eradicate the wild animals that pose a threat to the tortoise. These methods of preserving the giant tortoises have worked really well as it is predicted that only 120 turtles have been killed over the last 17 years. With all the work that has been put into the effort to keep the main attraction of the Galapagos islands from becoming extinct, there is still more work to be done. Many of the animals that are not native to the island should be removed in the effort to keep the these fascinating turtles alive and well. When Charles Darwin made a trip to the Galapagos Islands, he found a huge

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy Essay

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy during the 19th century - Essay Example (Fouskas and BÃ ¼lent, 2005 p 1) The factors that motivated the American policy of Imperialism in the 19th century can be grouped into military, political and economic interests. In the 1890s, America saw the emergence of new navalist’s ideologies, which were greatly advocated for. Alfred T. Mahan, a former president at the Naval War College argued out the need for America to battle out for naval supremacy in the world. Mahan pointed out that foreign commerce was crucial to the survival of any great nation and for a powerful country in the world; thus, there was a need to protect the sea routes. According to Mahan, all these could only be achieved by having a strong naval force. A powerful navy would facilitate the acquisition of colonies and overseas naval bases and oil fields In the early 1890s, America experienced an overproduction of commodities by industries. Majority of the prosperous business people and government officials saw the only solution to the crisis as the finding of new markets for American products outside the North American continent. Americans, thus, targeted territories in Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In the beginning of the 19th century, France, Germany and Great Britain were expanding their political powers and influence in the world through various means. One of such ways was the acquisition of territorial regions in Africa, the country of China and other areas of the globe. This made American policy makers to advocate for America to join other European Countries in acquiring colonies for it not to be left behind politically, economically as well as militarily. (Ramos, 2007 pp 30-31) Imperialism led to the strengthening of the American navy. Imperialism allowed the navy to establish ports in Pearl Harbor, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii. These ports made it possible for America to compete with European countries. America was able to expand its territory. Military forces were easily

Analysis of Slavery and the Genesis of American Race Prejudice Article Essay

Analysis of Slavery and the Genesis of American Race Prejudice Article - Essay Example Degler states that, â€Å"†¦ the status of the Negro in the English colonies was worked out in a framework of discrimination; that from the outset, as far as the available evidence tells us, the negro was treated inferior to the white man’s servant of the free man† (Degler 52). Degler in this statement puts a halt to the discussion on what came first between slavery and discrimination and asserts that slavery evolved from the continued discrimination of the Negro by the white man, partly because there were no structures to protect Negros in America. Consequently, slavery evolved as a legal status and an epitome to discrimination. Degler seeks to differentiate the difference in the treatment of Negros in the Spanish and Portuguese Iberian region to that of the British. He explains that the major differences were that while the former had already fixed legal status to deal with the Negro even before they ventured into America, the same structures lacked in British te rritories. Secondly, Degler explains that â€Å"the discrimination against the negro antedated the legal status of slavery† (Degler 52). These were the main facts that differentiated British treatment of the Negros from the Spanish and the Portuguese. Degler in his argument makes a clear statement that slavery in the North American region left a considerably different mark on the status of Negros compared to the South American region, which according to Degler explains the current cases of racism in America. Degler asserts that as Handlin asserted, before the seventeenth century, the term slavery was not in use. However, Degler is fast to clarify that the fact that the discriminatory name did not exist does not indicate there was similar treatment between the Negro and the freeman.  

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy Essay

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy during the 19th century - Essay Example (Fouskas and BÃ ¼lent, 2005 p 1) The factors that motivated the American policy of Imperialism in the 19th century can be grouped into military, political and economic interests. In the 1890s, America saw the emergence of new navalist’s ideologies, which were greatly advocated for. Alfred T. Mahan, a former president at the Naval War College argued out the need for America to battle out for naval supremacy in the world. Mahan pointed out that foreign commerce was crucial to the survival of any great nation and for a powerful country in the world; thus, there was a need to protect the sea routes. According to Mahan, all these could only be achieved by having a strong naval force. A powerful navy would facilitate the acquisition of colonies and overseas naval bases and oil fields In the early 1890s, America experienced an overproduction of commodities by industries. Majority of the prosperous business people and government officials saw the only solution to the crisis as the finding of new markets for American products outside the North American continent. Americans, thus, targeted territories in Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In the beginning of the 19th century, France, Germany and Great Britain were expanding their political powers and influence in the world through various means. One of such ways was the acquisition of territorial regions in Africa, the country of China and other areas of the globe. This made American policy makers to advocate for America to join other European Countries in acquiring colonies for it not to be left behind politically, economically as well as militarily. (Ramos, 2007 pp 30-31) Imperialism led to the strengthening of the American navy. Imperialism allowed the navy to establish ports in Pearl Harbor, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii. These ports made it possible for America to compete with European countries. America was able to expand its territory. Military forces were easily

General Motors Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

General Motors - Research Paper Example Management isolation slowed down GM’s ability to recognize and to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. The company failed to recognize the following: (1) that their American consumers’ wallets were getting tighter and that probably they needed smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles like Toyotas; (2) they forgot to keep a close eye on their competition (Toyota beating them on economical cars and BMW beating them on luxury and coolness); (3) that their structure and culture was impeding them to compete effectively (Staff 14). The US Government’s bailout Joseph Bower, Harvard’s Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration, like many wondered whether it was right for the US government to support one competitor (GM) against a group of healthy rivals (Staff 16). Of course fears of government intervention have been justified through lessons from history demonstrating governments’ poor stewardship of industry. However, this time round Mr.

Development of personality Essay Example for Free

Development of personality Essay When studying human behavior, specifically focusing on the development of personality and crucial to how a person or individual conducts him/herself, psychology offers a variety of dimensions. The concept of personality is central to the attempt to understand oneself and others and is part of the way in which it accounts for the differences that contribute to people’s individuality. Psychologists have been particularly concerned with shaping of the personality in relation to genetic and environmental influences. People have been fortunate that the study of human personality has been thriving and fruitful. Individuals can choose from as many models they can to help them see themselves better and maintain good relationships. Personality is more than poise, charm, or physical appearance. It includes habits, attitudes, and all the physical, emotional, social, religious and moral aspects that a person possesses. However, to be more precise, the explicit behavioral styles covered in the course, perhaps, best captivate an individual’s personality and how he/she is understood. With the different behavioral styles, an overall pattern of various characteristics is seen. Like a â€Å"psychograph,† a person’s profile is pulled together and at a glance, the individual can be compared with other people in terms of relative strengths and weaknesses (Corey 2005). Personality is defined as integrated general characteristics of the individual’s total behavior and his or her unique adjustment in the environment. Personality theory is a set of assumptions concerning human behavior together with rules for relating these assumptions and definitions to permit their interaction with empirical or observable events. Personality psychology is a scientific study of mental functioning concerning internal drives, inner motive, repressed feelings, thoughts, and conflicts as the nature of personality (Feist and Feist, 2006). Behavior is described and analyzed. On this basis, an attempt to predict behavior is possible, and although this may not thoroughly and completely be accomplished in some endeavors, the basic understanding then is that there are certain expectations concerning how any person would act or decide upon things that are within his conscious awareness. Psychology is of great importance to man since psychological problems are common to group relations, in whatever framework a person or group of individuals come from. The goals of treatment for instance, using the psychodynamic model, include alleviating patient of the symptoms which specifically works to uncover and work through unconscious conflict. The task of psychodynamic therapy is â€Å"to make the unconscious conscious to the patient† (â€Å"Models of abnormality†, National Extension College Trust, Ltd). Employing the psychodynamic viewpoint, the therapist or social scientist believes that emotional conflicts, or neurosis, and/or disturbances in the mind are caused by unresolved conflicts which originated during childhood years. The treatment modality frequently used includes dreams and free association, at times hypnosis (as preferred by either the therapist or by the client). In the integrated or eclectic approach the goal of the therapy is not just relief to the patient or client. Although an immediate relief is very helpful, this may not always be the case in most illnesses. The goal as mentioned is to provide long-term reduction of the symptoms and the occurrence of the disease altogether if possible. The management then is not impossible but neither is this easy. Specifically, the counselee or patient must want to heal or believe that there is going to be curative effects in the process. It presupposes that he/she must learn to trust the therapist in his/her capabilities as well in leading or facilitating the changes or modifications. It is very much essential that (in the perspective of a cognitive-behaviorist) that the client understands ownership to the deeds and choices in thought patterns he/she made are crucial to the recurring or occurring condition that s/he experiences (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). Moreover, the identification of specific treatments or interventions according to the diagnosed issue will be accommodated and implemented based on the chosen treatment modalities fit with the therapeutic approach utilized. It may be a single modality based on a single approach (e. g. learning principles and desensitization for a patient with specific phobias) or it maybe a combination of many modalities (CBT, Rogerian, Phenomenological, or Family systems) (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). ~Promoting therapy Psychotherapists believe that therapy contributes a lot to the improvement of the psychological condition of the client (Snyder, 1994). Therapy can come in many varied forms and the use of these or any of these has been proven to be of vital significance to clients from various walks of life and with myriads of problems or mental and emotional challenges. Therapy may be long-termed analytical experiences or encounters or brief problem-oriented treatment/intervention. Whatever the case, these consultations and in-depth interactions and activities between a practitioner therapist and the client in most cases, are beneficial (Mutha, 2002). It is therefore wrong to argue that with or without treatment patients recover or improve because subtle issues are overlooked with this statement or findings. Firstly, studies were done with findings that were more correlational rather than experimental (Mutha, 2002). Secondly, the element of catharsis is a powerful ingredient or element of the healing process and many of those without seeking professional help happened to be with a support group whose experiences were years of gaining knowledge and skills from the experts and experienced counselors (Mutha, 2002). It is true that there have been substantial evidences as well that improvement with cases have occurred; these are usually attributed the aforementioned reasons. Specifically, psychotherapy enables a client or patient to help ease his anxiety, managing his fears from the mundane or petty to the horrific. Quality of life, wellness and recovery are primary goals aside from the usual notion that psychotherapy is just a crutch for someone who may not actually have a real psychological problem (Snyder et al, 2000). This last phrase is true for some people who needed more than the advice or the listening ear; precisely, they needed a human ace who is intent on knowing and understanding them. Personality cognitive theories are concerned with constructive alternativism with which the alternative scientific constructs may provide a useful view of the world. George Kelly’s the Psychology or Personal Construct Social cognitive theories explain personality as a reciprocal interaction among behavior involving observation, cognition including self-efficacy, and environment making a chance encounter and fortuitous events (Feist and Feist, 2006). Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive theory Cognitive social learning theories describe behavior as a function of the expectation of reinforcements and strength of needs satisfied by those reinforcements. Behavior is shaped by the interactions of person variables such as competencies, encoding, strategies, expectancies, values and goals, and the self-regulatory system with situation variables (Feist and Feist, 2006). Behavioral Model The Behavioral model utilizes what is termed as the learning theory posited by Skinner and Watson and the rest of the Behaviorism school. It assumes that the principles in learning i. e. , conditioning (Associative and Operant) are effective means to effect change in an individual. Generally, the thrust of this theoretical perspective is focused on the symptoms that a person is experiencing. Just as many of the errors of the patterns of behavior come from learning from the environment, it is also assumed that an individual will be able to unlearn some if not all these by using the techniques as applied based on the learning principles. To a certain extent this still works: reinforcements are effective to some extent and in some or many people this stance can be separate or distinct from the Cognitive-Behavioral approach. In behavior therapy therefore, thoughts, feelings and all those â€Å"malfunctioning† and unwanted manifestations revealed in one’s activities can be unlearned and the work of a behavior therapist. The basic concepts include â€Å"extinguishing† – utilized when maladaptive patterns are then weakened and removed and in their place habits that are healthy are established (developed and strengthened) in a series or progressive approach called â€Å"successive approximations. When these (factors) are reinforced such as through rewards in intrinsic and extrinsic means, the potential of a more secure and steady change in behavior is developed and firmly established (Corey, 2005). Although few psychologists today would regard themselves as strict behaviorists, behaviorism has been very influential in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline. There are different emphases within this discipline though. Some behaviorists contend plainly that the observation of behavior is the best or most expedient method of exploring psychological and cognitive processes. Others consider that it is in reality the only way of examining such processes, while still others argue that behavior itself is the only appropriate subject of psychology, and that familiar psychological terms such as belief only refer to behavior. Albert Bandura’s social cognitive approach grew out of this movement. Banduras method emphasizes cognitive processes over and above observable behavior, concentrating on not only the influence of the person’s upbringing for example, but also observation, imitation, and thought processes (Corey, 2005). Cognitive-Behavioral Model Beck’s Cognitive Therapy The Beck’s Cognitive therapy is one of the most popular and widely studied therapies in the market today and countless times proven the effectiveness of the treatment style or the kind of interventions that had been favored by the doctors. Its stance boils down to appreciating the effects of biology, emotions and environment on the individual and pursues changes in those levels (Padesky and Mooney, 1990). There are various adaptations or revisions of the strategy today and remains to be top of the list in mental institutions all over the world. In the cognitive approach alone, it understands that an individual at varying times in his life has error-filled thinking patterns. These patterns may include wishful thinking, unrealistic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment. This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think. It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future. Cognitive-Behavioral approach â€Å"facilitates a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist† (Ellis Beck in Corey, 2004). For the Cognitive Behaviorist viewpoint, issues are dealt directly in a practical way. Here the client is enlightened as to the patterns of his thinking and the errors of these thoughts which bore fruit in his attitudes and behavior. His/her thoughts and beliefs have connections on his/her behavior and must therefore be â€Å"reorganized. † For instance, the ways that a client looks at an issue of his/her life will direct the path of his reactivity to the issue. When corrected at this level, the behavior follows automatically (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). The systems theory portion of the therapy indicates that whatever is occurring or happening is not isolated but is a working part of a bigger context. In the family systems approach then, no individual person can be understood when removed from his relationships whether in the present or past, and this is specially focused on the family he belongs to (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy postulated primarily by Ellis and Beck â€Å"facilitates a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist. With the idea that the counselor and patient together cooperate to attain a trusting relationship and agree which problems or issues need to come first in the course of the therapy. For the Cognitive Behaviorist Therapist, the immediate and presenting problem that the client is suffering and complaining from takes precedence and must be addressed and focused in the treatment. There is instantaneous relief from the symptoms, and may be encouraged or spurred on to pursue in-depth treatment and reduction of the ailments where possible. The relief from the symptoms from the primary problem or issue will inspire the client to imagine or think that change is not impossible after all. In this model, issues are dealt directly in a practical way. In the cognitive approach alone, the therapist understands that a client or patient comes into the healing relationship and the former’s role is to change or modify the latter’s maladjusted or error-filled thinking patterns. These patterns may include wishful thinking, unrealistic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment. This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think. It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future. Just as the cognitive-behavioral model also recognizes the concept of insight as well, this is only a matter of emphasis or focus. In behavioral/cognitive-behavioral therapies the focus is on the modification or control of behavior and insight usually becomes a tangential advantage. Techniques include CBT through such strategy as cognitive restructuring and the current frequently used REBT for Rational Emotive-Behavior Therapy where irrational beliefs are eliminated by examining them in a rational manner (Corey, 2004; Davison and Neale, 2001). Whereas in insight therapies the focus or emphasis is on the patient’s ability in understanding his/her issues basing on his inner conflicts, motives and fears. In the cognitive approach alone, the therapist understands that a client or patient comes into the healing relationship and the former’s role is to change or modify the latter’s maladjusted or error-filled thinking patterns. These patterns may include wishful thinking, unrealistic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment. This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think. It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). Coaching the patient on the step by step procedure of CBT is a basic and fundamental ingredient. Here the client is enlightened as to the patterns of his thinking and the errors of these thoughts which bore fruit in his attitudes and behavior. His/her thoughts and beliefs have connections on his/her behavior and must therefore be â€Å"reorganized. † For instance, the ways that a client looks at an issue of his/her life will direct the path of his reactivity to the issue. When corrected at this level, the behavior follows automatically (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004).

Global recession and emerging challenges for human resources management in india

Global recession and emerging challenges for human resources management in india INTRODUCTION Meaning of Global Recession A recession is a decline in a countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for two or more consecutive quarters of a year. A recession is also preceded by several quarters of slowing down. An economy, which grows over of period of time, tends to slow down the growth as a part of the normal economic cycle. An economy typically expands for 6-10 years and tends to go into a recession for about six months to 2 years. A recession normally takes place when consumers lose confidence in the growth of the economy and spend less. These leads to a decreased demand for goods and services, which in turn leads to a decrease in production, lay-offs and a sharp rise in unemployment. Investors spend less; as they fear stocks values will fall and thus stock markets fall on negative sentiment. Risk aversion, deleveraging and frozen money markets and reduced investor interest adversely affect t capital and financial flows, import export and overall GDP of an economy. This is what exactly what happened in US and as a result of contagion effect spread all over the world due to high integration in the global economy. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)s latest Global Financial Stability report (GFSR) widening and deepening fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis have profound financial system and macro-economic implications. While the US remains at the ‘epicenter, the backwash effect of the American financial institution in other countries ‘reflecting the same overly benign global financial conditions, an inattention to appropriate risk management systems and lapses in prudential supervision. The global slowdown has its implications on the domestic economy. During the last three years Indian Economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.6 per cent. For the first time the economy has shown signs of deceleration and grew at 7.8 per cent in the first half year of 2008-09 (April-September). The service sector, which contributes more than 50% share in the GDP and is the prime growth engine, reported to be slowing down, mainly in the transport, communication, trade, and hotels restaurants sub-sectors. The industrial growth has decelerated sharply during April-November, 2008 encompassing all the constituent sectors. In manufacturing sector, the growth has come down to 4.0 per cent in April-November, 2008 as compared to 9.8 percent in the corresponding period of last year. The slowdown occurred in the all the use-based categories, except consumer goods where it has accelerated. Meaning of HRM Humans are an organizations greatest assets; without them, everyday business functions such as managing cash flow, making business transactions, communicating through all forms of media, and dealing with customers could not be completed. Humans and the potential they possess drive an organization. Todays organizations are continuously changing. Organizational change impacts not only the business but also its employees. In order to maximize organizational effectiveness, human potential—individuals capabilities, time, and talents—must be managed. Human resource management works to ensure that employees are able to meet the organizations goals. Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise. There are seven management functions of a human resources (HR) department that will be specifically addressed: staffing, performance appraisals, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee and labor relations, safety and health, and human resource research. Global Recession and HRM The financial downturn is impacting developed as well as developing economies are likely to get worse as the European countries, the US and others go into a deeper depression due to the increase in job losses which often follows recession. The slump in the market and increased job losses will have some important implications for the changing task of human resource professionals. As the unemployment continues to increase, HR professionals are likely to be dealing with more stressed employees who are the sole wage earners in their families. As recession is becoming the part of the normal cycle of business. Therefore it makes just as much sense to plan for recession or downturns as it does to plan for good, economic times. OBJECTIVE This economic downfall has affected all the major sectors in India including IT, aviation, banking, real estate, tourism, outsourcing, telecommunication, etc with its consequence mainly on the HR policies of these industries. This article discusses Impact of economic slowdown on employment in India. The emerging challenges of human resource management in the global recession situation. The strategy adopted by HR personnel to deal with these challenges. HYPOTHESIS In todays economic meltdown where job cuts, loss, pay reduction, last come first go, insecurity of employment atmosphere prevail, HR has special responsibility to create ease environment to the affected by counseling, displaying care and concern, preparing them for multi skill task, engaging and deploying in other required areas of functions like security, crisis management team, etc. Global recession has raised various emerging challenges for Human Resources Managers HR needs to be proactive innovative and try to come up with early interventions as for any organization to survive during recession. REVIEW OF LITERATURE â€Å"The global economic crisis is expected to lead to painful cuts in the wages of millions of workers worldwide in the coming year. It predicts that the slow or negative economic growth, combined with highly volatile food and energy prices, will erode the real wages of the worlds 1.5 billion wage-earners, particularly low-wage and poorer households. Between the years 1995 and 2007, for each one per cent decline in GDP per 2 capita, average wages fell even further by 1.55 percentage point, a result that points to the possible effects on wages in the current crisis. [International Labour Office (ILO), 2007-08]. ‘The economic slowdown of the advanced countries which started around mid-2007, as a result of sub-prime crisis in USA, led to the spread of economic crisis across the globe. Many hegemonic financial institutions like Lehman Brothers or Washington Mutual or General Motors collapsed and several became bankrupt in this crisis. According to the current available assessment of the IMF, the global economy is projected to contract by 1.4 per cent in 2009.Even as recently as six months ago, there was a view that the fallout of the crisis will remain confined only to the financial sector of advanced economies and at the most there would be a shallow effect on emerging economies like India. These expectations, as it now turns out, have been belied. The contagion has traversed from the financial to the real sector; and it now looks like the recession will be deeper and the recovery longer than earlier anticipated. Many economists are now predicting that this ‘Great Recessionof 2008 -09 will be the worst global recession since the 1930s.[Choudhari 2008] â€Å"The financial downturn that is impacting developed economies are likely to get worse as the European countries, the US and others go into a deeper depression due to the increase in Job losses which often follows recession. The slump in the market and increased job losses will have some important implications for the changing tasks of human resource professionals. As the unemployment continues to increase, HR professionals are likely to be dealing with more stressed employees who are the sole wage earners in their families†. [Mujtaba, 2008} â€Å"The global economic crisis has brought to the forefront of organizations the concepts of viability and survival which at these times can be desperate pursuit. There are three main reactions in organizations, namely the corporate reactions in organizations, namely the corporate reaction to remain viable, the employee reaction to survive the turbulence, and the human resources reaction ( including recruiting and hiring talent, corporate organization, training and institutional learning)†. [Kathleen Patterson Gray Oster, 2008] â€Å"In emerging economies, growth is projected to slow down appreciably but still may reach 5.0 percent in the year 2009. The overall recruitments are lower for the industry this time as companies remain cautious amidst the global financial crisis.† [Srivastav, 2009] â€Å"Growth in real wages has slowed down globally in 2008 because of the economic crisis and the trend is expected to continue in 2009, despite signs of economic recovery. Growth in average wages reduced from 4.3 % in 2007 to 1.4% in 2008. Real wages in the first quarter of 2009 also fell in more than half of 35 countries, compared to the annual average of 2008, â€Å"Wage deflation deprives national economies of much needed demand and seriously affects confidence,† â€Å"Minimum wages are an important policy tool for social protection and proposes that minimum wages be combined with other income support measures and/or tax reductions†. [ILO,2009] The last time anyone faced a situation like this was in the 1930s, so if there is anyone who is 98 (assuming they should have been at least 20 then) and is coherent†¦ the rest of us are figuring out and learning on the fly, reasons Elango R, chief human resources officer, Mphasis. According to Elango, Managing the unknown, visualizing into the uncertain future, constantly calibrating and tuning the variables†¦ and hoping to high heaven that you are on the right path†¦ are responsible for increasing stress levels. He believes that the challenge is to take long term decisions without issuing the short term. This requires skills, knowledge and thinking that are not called on in a growth environment. In a growth environment, ones pre-occupations are different, and having seen growth for years most of us are skilled at this. The current business environment entails a delicate tightrope walk balancing both the business interests and employee interests. [Elango R, 2008] RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Secondary Data collected from various sources like * Economic Political weekly * HRM Journals * ILO Reports * Ministry of Labour Employment Labour Bureau ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION I. Impact of economic slowdown on employment in India. Ø Ripples of recession leading to reduction in exports to developed countries are being felt by all the developing countries. Credit availability and its cost have become major areas of concern. The combined impact of all these factors would be loss of employment and reduction of income leading to social distress. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) placed the estimated world output growth at 3.75 per cent in the year 2008 and 2.2 percent in the year 2009 in World Economic Outlook (WEO), November 2008, which represented a significant slide from a level of about 5.0 per cent in the year 2007. Ø The global situation deteriorated rapidly after mid September, 2008 following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, one of the top five investment banks in the US, the collapse of American International Group (AIG) Bank and also of the mortgage lenders Freddie Mae and Fannie Mae. There has been a massive choking of credit since then and a global crash in the stock markets. Ø The deepening of the global crisis and subsequent deleveraging and risk aversion in the global markets affected the Indian equity and the foreign exchange markets. While the Indian economy has a sufficient internal ballast to withstand the impact of global recession because of overall strength of domestic demand and the predominantly domestic nature of financing of investment and exposure of exports to less than 20% of GDP, nevertheless some slowdown is inevitable. It may be observed from Table 1 that the total estimated employment in all the sectors covered by the survey went down from 16.2 million during September, 2008 to 15.7 million during December, 2008 resulting in job loss of about half a million. It is seen that the employment declined every month during this period. It has also been observed that the employment in all the sectors/industries studied went up significantly over the period from March, 08 to September, 2008. Beyond September, 2008, it has however, decelerated at all industries/sectors level at an average rate of 1.01 per cent per month. Table 1 Trends in Average Employment Period Average Employment in Percentage (millions)change September, 08 16.2 October,08 16.0 -1.21 November,08 15.9 -0.74 December,08 15.7 -1.12 Average Monthly change -1.01 Source : Government of India, Ministry of Labour Employment Labour Bureau, Chandigarh. From the above data it is observed that the management people and employees may experience anxiety around a number of issues during an economic crisis or downturn. The monthly average rate of employment loss during Oct- Dec, 2008 was 1.01 per cent whereas in January, 2009 the rate of decline has increased to 1.17 per cent. The increase in rate of change is mainly due to the decline in employment in IT/BPO sector in January, 2009 in contrast to the increase in employment during Oct-Dec, 2008 and also higher rate of unemployment in Automobile Sector. The month wise employment trends are presented in Table 1.2. Table 1.2 Trends in Average Employment Sl. No. Period % Rate of Decline 1 October, 2008 1.21 2 November, 2008 0.74 3 December, 2008 1.12 5 January, 2009 1.17 Source : Government of India, Ministry of Labour Employment Labour Bureau Chandigarh The economic slowdown is expected to adversely impact the quality of employment besides the quantity reflected by decline in employment. The quality aspect is measured in terms of decrease in average wages received by the employees. Hence information is also collected on the total 12 earnings of workers. The results of the survey reveal that the average monthly wages have also declined by 0.26 per cent in January 2009. The average monthly decline during Oct-Dec, 2008 was 3.45 per cent. During the current survey the average monthly wages for direct and contract workers are also collected. The findings of the survey reveal that average monthly decline in the wages are 0.25 per cent for direct category of workers and 0.63 per cent for contract workers in January, 2009. The information is presented in Table 1.3. Table 1.3 Percentage change in Average Monthly Earnings SR.No. Period Percentage Change 1 October, 2008 1.74 2 November, 2008 -11.43 3 December, 2008 -0.5 4 January, 2009 -0.26 Source : Government of India, Ministry of Labour Employment Labour Bureau Chandigarh Table 1.4 Month Wise Estimated Job Loss Sl.No. PeriodEstimated Job Cumulative Job LossLoss 1 October, 2008 1,96,092 1,96,092 2 November, 2008 1,17,550 3,13,642 3 December, 2008 1,77,222 4,90,864 4 January, 2009 98,156 5,89,020 Source : Government of India, Ministry of Labour Employment Labour Bureau Chandigarh It needs to be noted that the rate of decline in employment in January, 2009 is higher than average monthly rate of the previous quarter, whereas the total loss of employment estimated is less than the previous monthly estimates. In this recession period HR play an important role to make the industry sustain and the entire economy flourish. This paper expresses the challenges of human resource management in the global recession situation. The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. The most important challenge in recession period that is revolutionizing the Human Resource systems to identify, maintains, develop and utilize talents across the organization to their fullest capacities. The management of Human Resources has now assumed strategic importance in the achievement of organizational growth and excellence. As globalization advances and we move into the information age, organizations need to adapt to the changes in technology and the changing issues in management of people. II. The emerging challenges of Human Resource Management in the times global recession†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources. With the increase in competition, locally or globally, organizations must become more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organization. In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven function with a thorough understanding of the organizations big picture and be able to influence key decisions and policies. In general, the focus of todays HR Manager is on strategic personnel retention and talents development. HR professionals will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organizations members and their loyalty. The HR manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations, especially in the management of workplace diversity. These paper discusses few important challenges of HRM due to recession and i.e†¦ Problem of Recruitment. Managing downsizing program appropriately. Talent management. Stress Management. The Return on Recognition in a Recession. 1. Recruitment and Recession. Recruitment industry is going through a tough time at this moment, the numbers have dropped drastically for the biggies and even recruitment agencies are battling for survival. Synergy Solutions provides recruitment services to companies in India and in US, the biggest challenge today is to find newer and better ways to add value to the clients. There is a need to find innovative ways to improve recruitment ROI for the client. First things first, the base idea is not to wait and find ways to weather the storm but to take proactive measures to tide the wave. The world is changing very quickly to combat recession and its about time we translate our thinking into action or else we will be late. The main reason being the companies who are hiring have recently made drastic cuts in their recruiting budget and are in the process of streamlining their side of the story. Companies (clients) has to demand greater accountability from recruitment agencies and focus on improving their recruitment ROI. Recruitment agencies / staffing companies who are agile in their operation and can quickly adapt to the changing environment will emerge victorious at the end of this recessionary period. Few areas where placement agencies should focus: * Closely monitoring the way each industry is changing in current times and the way companies within the industries are changing their hiring strategy. * Build stronger relationship with clients thereby working closely with your contact points in the company to get clarity on their internal hiring plans and prepare accordingly. This will also help protect your share in the pie from your competitors. * Clients will use this recession to re-negotiating the recruitment contracts with recruitment agencies. Since numbers are falling every day recruitment agencies will be concerned about their cash flow situation and as a result will have no option but to be forced to negotiate their existing contract. New client would want to start the relation on the terms advantageous to them, that means lower rates and tougher terms. * Look out for companies who are brave and would consider recession as the right time to recruit good quality talent at the right price. These are usually multinationals with deep pockets and would want to drive competitive advantage home. Be smart to attack these companies. * Train your recruiters to be tactically smart and agile in their actions. During the boom there were a lot of open positions and even more candidates available so the match making activity was comparatively easy and largely govern by the good sentiments in the market. During tougher times recruiters need to be smart and get themselves deeper into the fit gap process and ensure win win situation for the client and the candidate * Use of technology and social media applications to hunt better profiles as compared to job boards. Sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social and business networking sites are fast becoming every recruiters trump card. Lot of head hunting can happen over these networking sites. * If your salary component are on the higher side and you foresee that its going to be difficult to sustain then take adequate action now try and offer a mix of lower fixed and higher variable with an assurance that salaries will get back to normal once the market stabilizes. 2. Managing downsizing appropriately. Virtually every country has to face the impact of a global economic downturn which can be in the form of recession, slowdown, depression or growth recession. When a downturn occurs, the organizations have to suffer heavy losses and bear the brunt of slow revenue generation. During this period, there is also less spending by the consumers, less investment by the investors and more of savings. Even the sectors who have been thriving in the boom period try to save more. Numerous causes can be attributed to the economic downturn and one of which affects the business is lack of skilled manpower. Other reasons could be the increasing population, lack of food supply, climatic condition, and entry of substitutes, inapt investments and technological changes. The shift in supply and demand hugely affects the entire business cycle. There can be acute shortage of cash supply leading to less or poor investments. All of this may ultimately affect the morale of the employees which should be a concern to every organization. Also, the decline in growth and decrease in profits certainly calls for certain top-of-the-line strategies to make adjustments to serve organizational needs. Managing the teams or human capital at this juncture is a Herculean task. So, a manager should devise certain strategies in order to manage teams during down turns. Downsizing during this period is certainly not a good option because if there are merits of laying off of employees, there are many demerits too. What should a manager do to manage teams or workforce? * Hold special meetings: During this unsafe situation, the organizations top most head or CEO should brief the meeting where the main subject should be the employees and their concern. If the head of any organization feels confidant, the whole organization feels confidant. Alternatively, middle-level managers and senior managers can conduct private meetings where they can console their subordinates. Also, give your workforce to ask questions and express their feelings regarding the business insecurity. * Motivate the employees: The key to managing and retaining the employees during downturn is motivation. Apart from the special meetings being conducted, a manager should regularly be attending to their problems and constantly trigger the employees to have good mood. * Offering challenging assignments and opportunities: If you offer your teams the challenging assignments, they spirits will be lifted and they will manage to survive even in bad times. * Explain to them the importance of their existence in jobs: There is no use crying over the spoilt milk, just like economy turning to a bad shape and business showing downfall. Its better that you discuss about the new projects and subsequently tell them what role they have to play. How their productivity can make the organization grow, explain to them. * Initiate change by identifying key people: There are few employees who are influencers and can bring about a lot of change in the organization. If these employees are given the right message to convince other team workers, the organization can move in the right direction. * Identify the achievers and reward them: Even during this period, you should give your employees the bonuses and increments if possible. In this way, they will always remain motivated and perform. All the above points are crucial to letting the organization grow to greater heights and following the above strategies will promote the general health of the organization despite economic downturns. 3. Talent Scenario during Recession The law of demand and supply mercilessly applies to human resources, also. During the economic downturn, companies were able to downsize by getting rid of redundant work force and dead wood. They also restructured the employee compensation (mostly by decreasing) to stave off financial losses. Only those employees were retained who proved their worth. The employees had to accept all kinds of compensation-related compromises while maintaining the same or even higher level of efficiency and productivity. They could thus survive the financial tsunami. These survivors got the opportunity to handle a variety of tasks that further sharpened their skills and made them multi-skilled. Thus, overall quality of talent has increased. At the same time, those who were out of job lost this opportunity to hone their skills in a new challenging environment. Adding to our woes, slashing of training and development budgets has led to a depletion of the number of skilled employees within the companies. Such steps from companies have created an altogether tricky scenario: The quality of talent within the companies has increased (raising the bar of the talent), while the quality of skills available in job market has dwindled. Now, recruiters can hire the required quality talent not from outside but from inside their competitors workplace. While many have forgotten the term â€Å"War for Talent†, the phenomenon is slowly re-emerging. â€Å"A study by Accenture has found that more than two-thirds of executives are now deeply concerned about not being able to recruit and retain the best talent. In todays global and highly competitive economy, the war for talent is now global, not local. The survey of more than 850 top executives from the U.S, UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Japan and China found worries about talent management were growing, with 67 per cent this year putting it second only behind competition as the key threat, up from 60 per cent last year.† It may be worth noting that great companies such as Infosys, responded to the downturn by investing more in training. Instead of fearing of financial losses, these corporate focused on improving the quality of their employees skills. And the effect is visible in their financial results. Member of Infosys board of directors and head of HRD and Education and Research, T V Mohandas Pai said, â€Å"In response to the economic crisis, we had stepped up our investment in training. This has made us more competitive in fulfilling clients needs today.†The demand for talent in the market will never cease. Retention will always be a challenge. New Definition of Talent While war for talent continues, the bar for talent also goes up. Old skills and competencies may not work. Companies now need salesman who does not sell products but does sell solutions; production managers no longer control the operations, they are expected to innovate and improve productivity; and quality managers need to study competitive products with more zeal and help develop better products and services. The employers expectations have changed and are set to grow: Highly Productive: The talented employees need to be highly productive. They should deliver much more than they are compensated for. If that happens, employers are willing to give larger share to them. Multi-Skilled: Companies have discovered that one way to decrease recruitment cost is to have multi-skilled employees. Multi-skilled employees help reduce manpower dependence, and the overall sum of all the multi-skilled employees is greater than the same number of equal number of specialist. Self-Managed and Self-Motivated: Self-managed and self-motivated employees reduce managerial efforts. This helps organizations to have less number of managers. Innovative and Out-of-the-Box thinkers: As the rules of the business change and competition increases, the existing solutions no longer work. Companies need employees who constantly infuse new ideas and provide out-of-the-box solutions to meet a customer need that seems to have no end. The Key to Retain Talent Lies in HR Policies and Practices As organizations increase their expectations from employees, employers too have to significantly change the way they manage the talent. Talented employees continuously need new challenges and goals they can achieve, and a continuous supply of information and resources they can use to solve business problems. And needless to say, they will in return demand more lucrative and effective compensations, a great work culture and friendly HR policies. â€Å"Even during the recession, companies are reviewing and revising their leadership development programs. Survey after survey indicates that people who quit their jobs do so because of their relationship with the boss, not because of dissatisfaction with their job. A recession is a perfect time to take a hard look at leadership style and training to increase employee satisfaction with management.† Five Important Talent Retention Factors Lets us consider five factors that can help organizations retain talent to meet the client and business requirements in post-recession era: Clear Goals, Targets and Expectations: You need to tell them what exactly you expect from employees and what should they do to meet these expectations. A talented mind without a direction is most likely to pull the plug than a mediocre or a dead wood. Balanced Work Environment: Talented employees have huge positive energy and they exhaust this energy to meet the deadlines. But often they need time to re-energize themselves. Organizations that want to retain talented employees need to provide a positive environment that allows them to re-energize themselves more often. Track Performance Goals and Provide Analysis: Innovators and hard workers

The Impact of The Simpsons on American Children :: TV Television Media Essays

The Impact of The Simpsons on American Children The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began working on Life in Hell, a humorous comic strip consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and college newspapers across the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originally wanted Groening to make an animated pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to represent the typical American family "who love each other and drive each other crazy". Groening named the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer and Margaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagram for "brat". Groening chose the last name "Simpson" to sound like the typical American family name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to star in Herman's Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the voice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High, Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullman's producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for material to appeal to younger viewers.