Unfair Competition from Countries without International Labour Laws Term Paper

Unfair Competition from Countries without International Labour Laws - Term Paper Example This research paper examines that there have been arguments for the imposition of free trade among all member countries taking part in international trade.   These have been increasingly believed to be of benefit, especially to the developing countries. To begin with, markets get liberalized from the interference of government. This is important because the government does not have a direct contribution to the prevailing prices in the economy due to actions such as subsidies or even tariffs. The involvement of government in the setting of prices may lead to market failure arising from forced priced that have been set without due regard to the natural forces of demand and supply, which work together to determine the prices of goods and services.  This research paper examines that there have been arguments for the imposition of free trade among all member countries taking part in international trade.   These have been increasingly believed to be of benefit, especially to the deve loping countries. To begin with, markets get liberalized from the interference of government. This is important because the government does not have a direct contribution to the prevailing prices in the economy due to actions such as subsidies or even tariffs. The involvement of government in the setting of prices may lead to market failure arising from forced priced that have been set without due regard to the natural forces of demand and supply, which work together to determine the prices of goods and services.

Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay Today the Arms Procurement Commission began public hearings into what appears to be the biggest corruption scandal in the history of South Africa. Apply the Global Business Standards Codex and explain if and how the Defense Department used these principles, what they could have done differently if the Codex was applied GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARDS CODEX. †¢ Fiduciary Principle (Diligence, Loyalty) †¢ Property Principle (Protection, Theft) †¢ Reliability Principle (Contracts Premises, Commitments) †¢ Transparency Principle (Thruthfulness, Deception, Disclosure, Objectivity) †¢ Dignity Principle (Respect for the Individual, Health and Safety, Privacy and Confidentiality, Use of Force, Associatiation Expression, Learning Development, Employment Security) †¢ Fairness Principle (Fair Dealing, Fair Treatment, Fair Competition, Fair Process) †¢ Citizenship Principle (Law Regulation, Public Goods, Cooperation with Authorities, Political Noninvolvement, Civic Contribution †¢ Responsiveness Principle (Addressing Concerns, Public Involvement). LEARNING OBJECTIVES (TOPIC 3) After completion of this topic, you will be able to: 1. Describe the main ethical theories and apply it to business scenarios  © iStockphoto. com/Dan Bachman ETHICAL THEORIES Three periods in history of ethics Greek period (500 BC-AD 500) †¢ The man who performed his duties as a citizen = good man †¢ Greeks – â€Å"Man is the measure of all things† – he decides for himself what is right and wrong †¢ Socrates, Plato and Aristotle emphasised the need and importance of understanding the nature of goodness †¢ Stoics emphasised that goodness is natural to man, laws of morality are the laws of nature – rational and comprehensive to human reason. ETHICAL THEORIES Medieval period (AD 500 – AD 1500) †¢ Attention was given to inner aspect of morality due to spread of Christianity †¢ Changed Greeks’ view that ethics is a part of politics †¢ The standard of right and wrong was according to God’s law in the Bible and was against any doubts ETHICAL THEORIES Modern period (AD 1500 onwards) †¢ Individualism more important that priests’ preaching and church principles †¢ Human freedom and human accomplishments more important than the Christian revelation †¢ The difference between right and wrong was subjective, depending on the attitude of the individual making the moral judgement ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES. †¢ Developed by moral philosophers over generations to distinguish ethical from unethical behaviour †¢ Viewpoints from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision †¢ Each theory emphasizes different points in order to reach an ethically correct decision †¢ Theories are directed towards achieving a common set of goals (Ethical principles) ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES ETHICS DEFINED The domain of ethics is centrally concerned with human CHARACTER (the kind of people we are) and CONDUCT (how we relate to others) Three key questions comprise the focus of this domain: 1. 2. What is good or bad for humans? What constitutes right or wrong conduct? 3. How ought we to live and treat others? ETHICS OF CONDUCTS CONSEQUENTIALISM The rightness/wrongness of an action is determined by its consequences or results The right action is the one that: †¢ Promotes the greatest happiness of the greatest number (maximizes social utility) = Utilitarianism †¢ Produces results that maximise a person’s selfinterest = Ethical Egoism CONSEQUENTIALISM UTILITARIANISM †¢ Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) Creator of Utilitarianism †¢ Goodness = human well-being – what benefits is good and what harms is evil †¢ Two concepts of importance: †¢ Pleasure and pain governs our lives †¢ Pleasure makes life happier and pain makes it worse †¢ Utility – net benefits. and usefulness produced by an action †¢ An action is right if the act is greater than the sum total of utilities produced by any other act †¢ Hedonistic Calculus – system to measure amount of pleasure and pain that an action produces CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM 7 Criteria Questions Asked 1. Intensity How intense/strong is the pleasure and emotional satisfaction? 2. Duration How long will the pleasure last? 3. Certainty How certain am I that pleasure will occur? 4. Propinquity How soon will the pleasure occur? How near is it? 5. Fecundity How likely is it that this experience will cause more pleasure in the future? 6. Purity Is there any pain that accompanies this pleasure? 7. Extent How many people will be affected? CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM. †¢ John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) – qualitative separation of pleasures †¢ Bentham treats all forms of happiness as equal, whereas Mill argues that intellectual and moral pleasures (higher pleasures) are superior to more physical forms of pleasure (lower pleasures) †¢ Mills argument is that the simple pleasures tend to be preferred by people who have no experience with high art, and are therefore not in a proper position to judge. CONSEQUENTIALISM – ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM †¢ Rule Utilitarianism an action is right if it conforms to a set of rules which produce the greatest balance of pleasure over pain †¢ Act Utilitarianism – an action is right if and only if it produces the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for everyone CONSEQUENTIALISM – ETHICAL EGOISM †¢ One’s self is, or should be, the motivation and the goal of one’s own action †¢ Three categories: individual, personal, and universal ? An individual ethical egoist would hold that all people should do whatever benefits them ? A personal ethical egoist would hold that he or she should act in his or her self-interest, but would make no claims about what anyone else ought to do ? A universal ethical egoist would argue that everyone should act in ways that are in their self-interest CONSEQUENTIALISM All is well that ends well, regardless of means used to produce results End justifies the means! NON-CONSEQUENTIALISM DEONTOLOGY †¢ Emphasis on rules, duty, rights †¢ Actions are right if they respect rules and wrong if they violate them †¢ Golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (human dignity, respect for people, obligation, duty) DEONTOLOGY. †¢ Morality and ethics are to be understood as systems of rules meant to govern and guide conduct †¢ Deontological ethical theories are agent-relative as opposed to agent neutral you have a duty †¢ If an action is of the wrong kind, it is forbidden, no matter how good its consequences are †¢ Rejects both Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism DEONTOLOGY – KANTIANISM †¢ Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Ends, not mere means: don’t treat rational agents (others or yourself) as mere objects to be used or exploited Categorical imperative – everyone should be treated as a free person equal to everyone else (unconditional) Everyone has a moral right to such treatment and a correlative duty to treat others in this way Mustn’t sacrifice the few even to benefit the many †¢ †¢ †¢ DEONTOLOGY – KANTIANISM. †¢ Performing an action solely because it is our duty is what Kant refers to as a good will – being good without qualification Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will it that it should become a universal law of nature – offers consistency †¢ DEONTOLOGY – NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS †¢ Another approach to Deontology and complementary to Kantianism †¢ Natural rights: ? Right to freedom/ liberty – freedom from coercive powerful rulers ? Right to ownership and property – each person has a right to ownership over own body and own labour and is free to decide what will be done with what he or she owns, without interference NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS. †¢ †¢ Moral rights –by virtue of being human Each right has a corresponding duty and these duties may be perfect or imperfect Rights play an important role in business ethics – stakeholders have rights Many rights however come into conflict and it is difficult to decide whose rights receives priority (victims or criminals) †¢ †¢ DEONTOLOGY – JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS †¢ †¢ †¢ Fair and equitable distribution of opportunities and hardships to all Ask how fairly benefits and costs are distributed to everyone regardless of power, position, wealth, etc. Seven categories: ? Distributive Justice – concerned with fair distribution of society’s benefits and burdens ? Cooperation and competition – taking a proper share of some good ? Procedual justice – fair, decisive practices, procedures and agreements among parties DEONTOLOGY – JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS. ? Retributive Justice – just imposition of punishment and penalties upon wrong-doers – does the punishment fit the crime ? Compensatory justice – compensating people for losses they have suffered when they were wronged by others – losses due to Apartheid ? Corrective justice – laws themselves as instruments of justice should be considered as just ? Distribution – take into account who has suffered an unfair share of the costs of a policy and others who have unfairly benefitted from a policy RAWLS’ PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE †¢ All social values – liberty and opportunities, income and wealth, and the bases of self-respect – are to be distributed equally unless unequal distribution of any, or all of these values, is to everyone’s advantage. Two principles †¢ †¢ Basic freedoms Freedom of speech, liberty and pursuit of happiness Difference principle -There can be inequalities as long as it makes the worst person better off DEONTOLOGY â€Å"The end doesn’t justify the means. † ETHICS OF CHARACTER ARISTOTELIANISM – VIRTUE APPROACHES †¢ Examines a person’s moral character and whether or not this exhibits virtue †¢ Aristotle – a moral virtue is a habit that enables one to exercise reason in all actions †¢ Action of giving people goods they exactly deserve is justice (virtue) or giving too little/ too much is injustice (vice) †¢ Virtues are means to and constituents of happiness †¢ Virtue ethics makes being virtuous an essential element of leading a moral life SUMMARY ETHICAL THEORIES Utilitarian Model. ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify alternative courses of action †¢ Determine both benefits and harms of each alternative course of action for ALL stakeholders †¢ Most benefits and least harm to the greatest number of people ? The Utilitarian Model has a strong capitalistic orientation and supports: †¢ Profit maximisation †¢ Self-interest †¢ Rewarding hard work Weakness: Focus †¢ Competition on outcome rather ? Focus of ethical behaviour is around: than process which might be †¢ Organisational/ Public Services goals unethical †¢ Efficiency †¢ Conflicts of interest ETHICAL THEORIES Moral Rights Model ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of an individual †¢ If it does, it is wrong Weakness: Focus only ? Focus of ethical behaviour is around: on individual †¢ Right to safety and not societal rights †¢ Right to know the truth †¢ Right to privacy †¢ Right not to engage in behaviours that are contradictory to a person’s moral or religious beliefs †¢ Right to freedom of speech ? Provides clear guidelines on moral individual rights ETHICAL THEORIES Justice Model ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma: †¢ Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of both individuals and groups †¢ If it does, it is wrong ? Focus of three principles: †¢ Distributive Justice Principle ? Everyone needs to be treated the same, unless they differ in ways which are reliant to the situation †¢ Fairness Principle ? Obligations as a result of relationships †¢ Natural Duty Principle ? Accepting responsibility in exchange for certain rights Any questions?

Assessing Development And Democracy In India Politics Essay

Assessing Development And Democracy In India Politics Essay A strong centred democracy has been at the heart of Indian nationalism since independence with its many languages, religions, ethnicities. In adopting the Westminster parliamentary system, India substituted the monarchy for an elected President and a legislative body consisting of a bicameral structure that includes a lower house the Lok Sabha  and  an upper house the Rajya Sabha  Ã‚  [2]  . India is now the worlds largest parliamentary democracy, some 714 million people were eligible to vote in last years election  [3]  . Members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected every five years with representation divided among Indias States, and seats apportioned  according to population. Members of the lower house the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by the legislative assemblies of the federal States and the President nominates twelve members to the Rajya Sabha based on distinguished reputations in the realm of the arts, sciences or public service  [4]  . The president is elected to office for a five year period by members of both houses. All citizens over the age of 18 years, regardless caste or religion are eligible to vote and turnout has stabilized at approximately 60%, which is particularly high by international standards  [5]  . Under Jawaharlal Nerhus (the first prime minster of India) nationalist ethos encompassing non alignment, socialism and secularism, the latter was the intended safe guard for religious minorities from majority rule. In an affront to the notion that democracy is a Western luxury that developing countries cannot afford  [6]  , Indias body politic has remained markedly stable since independence, a notable exception in post colonial states. It is also viewed as an anomaly because of its incredibly diversified social strata and its ability to continue functioning as a democracy (Kothari 2005). There is no distinction for basis of citizenship along ethnic, religious or caste lines nor has there been any religious qualification for holding office. There has not been any significant state intervention to abolish the caste system  [7]  , although untouchability was made illegal in the Constitution  [8]  the system has been left undisturbed. Independence and the adoption of democracy has however not resulted in any state-led political agenda of social reform, by in large society has been allowed to reform itself in a laissez faire way. A proportion of parliamentary seats and a percentage of public sector jobs were/are however reserved for members of  Other Backward Castes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs)  and  Scheduled Tribes (STs). This reserve falls under Positive Discrimination (PD)  [9]  . Bhimrao Ramji  Ambedkar (a member of the untouchable Mahar caste), provided the Dalits with their first real hope of transcending caste discrimination (Luce, 2007), ensuring that equality along caste lines was enshrined within the Constitution  [10]  . While caste disparity has not yet been alleviated in a substantial way, it has given the Dalits a feel for political mobility  [11]  . Constitutional provisions. As regards Indias post independence economic policy, it adopted a model of self-sufficiency and import substitution  [12]  . Influenced by the Soviet example of a mixed economy it turned its back on trade and foreign capital imports on the premise of being a self-sufficient industrialised nation  [13]  .This failed to take capitalize on Indias early start in modern industry  [14]  , with it rehashing many of the industries which were already in place but which, were in its view tainted by imperialism. As a result industry suffered (Bhagwati, Desai and Sen, 1997). Restrictions on interest rates, subsidies to inefficient industries, taxation on movement of agricultural commodities, and perks to labour etc., all resulted in slow growth and employment, and continued poverty and inequality. With slow growth of jobs in the private sector, government jobs became much sought after, a trend which has persisted even now (Luce, 2007). Elections then became the means to access the fruits of patronage, with plebeian groups organizing around their caste and regional identities. Thus it can be argued that the slow growth with a leaning towards elite jobs, and social conservatism has strengthened caste, regional and religious loyalties. With continued slow growth and poverty levels unabated discontent grew and protests mounted from tribal, dalit and lower caste groups, unhinging Indira Gandhi and leading to the Emergency. Amid mounting pressure over her failure to remove poverty Indira Gandhi suspended democracy in 1975 declaring a national state of emergenc y. The Emergency The mixed economy combined the worst features of capitalism and socialism (Das, 2006). Mrs. Gandhi called for a committed bureaucracy that would be openly socialist, this tainted the neutrality of the civil service and lead to a sharp increase in corruption. She was also responsible for nationalising the banks and insurance sectors, in the name of the poor she handed control of finance to an unreformed civil service. Indias banking system became wholly inefficient which drastically raised the cost of capital for everyone. At this time she also presided over unpopular large-scale sterilization as a national form of birth control and many fell victim to her large scale slum clearance programmes. The activism of associational groups during this time advances the argument that Indias civil society should be the engine for democratisation. With the Swadeshi model, Indias average per capita growth was half that of the developing world which was as a whole was almost 3% from 1950 to 1980 (D as, 2006). The protectionist and anti-foreign sentiment that drove it to the brink of bankruptcy just over a decade ago when it had only three weeks of foreign currency reserves in its coffers. Many of the leaders that ruled India after the British left in 1947, like Nehru and his daughter, Indira Gandhi, feared further influence of foreigners and established a practice of strict self-reliance, known as swadeshi. These governments subsidized many Indian industries, never allowing foreign companies to compete and thereby never allowing its own industries to excel. Such subsidies have long been a drain on the countrys economy, accounting for as much as 14 percent of its GDP. As a result of such protectionism and subsidies, many industries within India have remained stagnant. Indians are incredible farmers who could likely rival the U.S. in agricultural production. But the government doesnt allow people to own more than 18 acres. This is driving out many productive producers. The 1980s Following the election of the Janata party and the ousting of Indira Gandhi and emergency rule a new India emerged one which was no longer administered along old elite lines. Single party dominance was restored during the 1980s with the return of Congress to power. Mrs. Gandhi reinvented the Nehruvian vision maintaining the rhetoric of socialism but changing the content. Her time in office saw a relaxation of the economic self-sufficiency ethos and socialism or dirigisme was backed up by international borrowing. Economic institutions like permit-license Raj remained intact and there was no relaxation of domestic economic policy in parallel with foreign borrowing  [15]  , it did however lead to higher growth  [16]  . The Green Revolution was also now routinely yielding good harvests alleviating the necessity to import food  [17]  . With better prospects in the private sector the appeal of public sector jobs began to wane somewhat. Significantly secularism was increasingly compromised under Mrs. Gandhis populist accommodation of Hindu and Muslim orthodoxies. This created room for meeting the next explosion in subaltern demands which V P Singh tried to accommodate by undertaking to implement the Mandal recommendations. As India had not restructured its economy, its autarchic orientation continued and this meant that insufficient export income was generated to pay back the foreign debt. The economy crashed as it became unable to service its debt  [18]  . The liberalization reforms 1991 is a significant date in modern Indian history. It is difficult to gauge whether Indias political or economic conditions have changed more since that date. Under the balance-of-payments crisis of 1991, the Congress-led government pushed for greater economic transformation and reform. This heralded the end of the mixed economy, self sufficiency as a model was abandoned. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (the then finance minister), argued that macroeconomic stabilization had to be reinforced by reforms to make the decision-making and operational environment of firms more market-based (Varshney, 2007). Indias growth and economic trajectory since the introduction of reforms is extraordinary not only because it has taken place in the context of a democracy but also in so far as it has adhered to a unique development model  [19]  . Its economy is based on domestic consumption rather than exports, is focused on services rather than low-cost manufacturing as was the case in many of the Asian Tiger economies, (despite Indias enormous low-cost labour reserve which would naturally lend itself to labour-intensive manufacturing)  [20]  . India has taken advantage of the skills of its educated middle-class in boosting its services sector which now accounts for more than half of its GDP  [21]  . In this regard the reforms have effected mainly an elite and the educated middle class. Growth hasnt been employment intensive on the whole, between 1993/94 and 2004/05 the rate of employment growth declined significantly to 1.85% from the previous 10 years when it went up a little over 2% on average. Similarly there has been a fall in the growth of real wage rates. Indias development model is now much more dependent on the corporate sector. It has been losing regulatory controls such as the license permit quota raj and has embraced international openness to a greater extent. The private sector has been the principal driver of growth. Indeed the most successful sectors have been those in which the government has been absent. Prosperous despite the state (Das) Nihelani. The economy grows while the government sleeps. With the ever increasing role of the private sector as the driver of Indian growth, there is an obvious requirement to balance the needs of the citizens with those of the private  business. The imperatives of economic liberalization and globalization require diminishing the role of government in overall national activity, posing a dilemma for New Delhi (Perkovich, 2003). While democracy provides the long-disadvantaged an opportunity to mobilize and compete for control of government, unregulated private markets do not, potentially i ntensifying political conflict (Perkovich, 2003). It is however the private sector that offer the greatest potential to create jobs and drive economic growth. Due to liberalisation, the Indian economy has improved dramatically. The reform process has registered a 6 percent average annual growth rate for nearly a quarter century Over the last three years, it has grown at over 8 percent annuallyIt is hard to escape the impression that market interests and democratic principles are uneasily aligned (Varshney, 2007). The opening up of Indias economy and the embracing of globalisation has proved irreversible  [22]  . Combined with the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission this period also heralded the demise of Congress hegemony, to the extent that coalition government has now become a pillar of Indian politics. One-party dominance is gone  [23]  . Rise of Plebeian Politics and Coalition Politics Indias body politic has moved from being dominated after independence by elite English-speaking urban, majority upper castes politicians to a now more plebeian political thrust. The social makeup of participation has moved distinctly downwards towards the rural lower castes. The turnout in villages is higher than in urban India  [24]  , the odds of a scheduled caste citizen voting were 2.3% higher than the national average. The greatest increase in voting has taken place in tribal constituencies (Varshney, 2000). In this way caste as well as religion, have materialized as the fundamental base of support in Indian politics. Caste groups are however often as bitterly divided amongst each other as much as they are with Brahmin and upper caste groupings  [25]  . OBC, SC ST parties total vote share is significantly lower than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or Congress, but they are enough to force through concessions in coalition government. Despite the disunity of political parties it is fair to say lower-caste politics are now a permanent fixture with preserving the existing system of patronage-based subsidies being the raison dà ªtre of many lower-caste political parties (Luce, 2009). In many ways the motivation for many SC/ST parties is not to abolish caste disparity but gain leverage over each other. Despite Ambedkars call for annihilation of the caste system, it has remained, and became further entrenched. Increased competition in electoral politics in which Dalit votes make a big dif ­ference has prompted both the BJP and Congress to woo the Dalit vote  [26]  . They are a minority in every state and in most command between 10% and 20% of the vote  [27]  . Indeed Dalits have formed successful political parties, such as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which is now in power in UP, and also have nationally known leaders, including UP Chief Minister, Mayawati, who it was suggested may even have been positioned as a potential Prime Minister  [28]  . It is fair to assert caste disparity is firmly embedded in the Indian body politic. India modernisation and liberalisation, have thus witnessed the country become less secular and more ethnically divided than before, entrenching caste and religious divisions instead of facilitating the demise of caste and communalism. India is an increasingly Hindu nationalist country as opposed to a secular socialist democratic republic. With this we have seen a clear increase in incidents of political and communal violence, most vividly played out in the caste wars in Bihar, Hindu Muslim violence in 1992/1993  [29]  and again in Gujarat in 2002  [30]  . The overarching ideology of Hindu nationalism poses a new challenge. Nehrus vision of secularism, socialism and non-alignment is now on its last legs, if not dead already, while the BJP Hindutva vision is gaining more and more momentum  [31]  . BJP vision. INDIAS DEVELOPMENT MODEL DEMOCRACY Development is by definition and practice a radical and commonly turbulent process that is concerned with far-reaching and rapid change in the structure and use of wealth, and which-to be successful it must transform. (Leftwich, 2002) Democratic politics as it is now in India is that of compromise, it is consensual, conservative and incremental in the change it brings about (Leftwich, 2002). Indias has not adopted the same development of those in its neighbourhood the Asian Tigers  [32]  . While India is a democracy the Asian tigers development all had either autocratic or very restrictive political systems in place. None of them had labour rights or labour rights were very restrictive  [33]  , free trade unions  [34]  or a free press  [35]  . It is worth noting also that unlike India on the whole the Asian Tigers have a far more homogenous population  [36]  . Some scholars argue that democracy is needed to keep a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious country like India intact (Desai). Indias rapid economic growth in the context of a democracy is on the whole without parallel. Evans (2001), however warns against any assumed symbiotic relationship between democracy and human rights. While democracy can endorse equitable development, the goals of democracy and equity should be considered largely independent. Deficiencies in accountability and checks and balances have led to many democracies degenerating into havens of corruption, where the powerful always triumph  [37]  (Eapen 2004). Indeed the relationship between democracy and development is often problematic, in this sense developing countries often accuse proponents of democracy of placing the democratic cart before the economic horse (Mahbabani , 1992). Leftwich (2002) argues that democracies have great difficulty in taking rapid and far reaching steps to reduce structural inequalities in wealth, whether they be based on class, colour, ethnicity, religion or a combination of them. The objectives of competing groups in a developing country like India are often simply to capture public resources and engage in destructive types of corruption and accumulation to enrich their faction (Khan 2002). As we have seen with the upsurge in plebeian politics in India, by legitimising and intensifying contestation between essentially unproductive groups, democracy can make destructive rent-seeking worse (Khan 2002). This can also be applied to India as discussed with patronage being the rainson detre for many caste groups, and the rise of Mayawati for example, using her power to increase her own faction. Indias experience also illustrates that democracy has encumbered development in a number of ways. Short term pandering and handouts to the electorate has impeded long-term investment, particularly in physical infrastructure, which has been to the determent of Indian economic growth development  [38]  (Bardhan, 2006). To the disgruntlement of international financial institutions and credit rating agencies, Indias treasury maintains considerable budget deficits, in the certain knowledge that holding back in government spending could end a coalition(). Neither can democratic systems such as India push thru economically beneficial legislation amid rival parties jocking interests, in the way that autocratic regimes can, particularly pertinent in Indias case (). Nor does India have the option of engaging in policy experimentation open to it, in the way that China has done, as the risk of the consequences of failure at the ballet box are too great. Democratic incumbency is another significant drawback to Indian development  [39]  . Elections have become Indias institutionalized political common sense (Varshney 2005). Essentially no one party remains long enough in power to follow through on policy reform and implementation. Singh was voted out at the beginning of the Early 2000s, the BJP came in and now Singh is back and the threat of being ejected from government makes it worse. Coalition further exasperates this difficulty. The same is the case with corruption and the crime/politics nexus (Desai, 2002 Luce, 2007)  [40]  . The importance of openness in democratic politics is apparent when considering Sens argument that democracy, because it circulates information better, has been more successful in the prevention of famines in India  [41]  . The study is frequently considered in looking at the advantages of democratic systems more generally. Sen argues that democracies allow the poor to penalize or vote out governments that allow famines to occur thus placing a greater impetuous on political representatives to prevent the root cause. He also argues that democracies are better than autocracies at disseminating information from underprivileged and isolated to the central government, owing to political rights such as the freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The level of literacy is fundamental to this argument however, and literacy rates in India are relatively poor. Also highly significant is to who the journalistic discourse appeals to. In India the media generally addresses the upper class and educated middleclass, as the vast majority of the poor and most marginalized are illiterate. It can be argued too that with this same section of Indian society, whom the media primarily address are those who are reaping the rewards of Indias economic prosperity, and who are thus to a large extent placated. The discontent expressed within the media may well be falling on deaf ears  [42]  . Bhagwati (199%) reminds us that it is the views that are expressed, be they those of the rulers or the ruled that is of paramount importance over the actual freedom of the press. Conclusion India certainly affords its citizens more freedoms than China, but it is hardly a liberal democratic paradise (Crossette 2010). Democracy have been the putty that has held India together  [43]  (Desai ). It is however erroneous to equate a multi party democracy political system with high quality institutions. Politics in India has become more consensual and less elitist but at the same time more corrupt and self-serving. Coalition and patronage politics of social factions have combined to make government expenditure a variable outside political control. Castes and religious divisions are used like pawns in the electoral game. Political power is the route to the rewards of patronage for communities which have little chance in the liberal market order for economic gain. By resorting to political patronage, caste disparity has become further entrenched. No major observer denies that India is a democracy, but particularly in states like Bihar where corruption, criminality, murder, and kidnapping heavily taint the electoral process, it is an illiberal and degraded one  [44]  . The decline of secularism and socialism, the rise of liberalism and religiosity, the persistence of nationalism as a force. BJP. On the other side Congress, has pledged it will pursue inclusive growth, clarifying that inclusion will come when growth rates remain sustained at a high level and as long as it takes to make the laudable goal feasible of public expenditure on education, health and welfare. Their strategy operates on the premise that inclusion is an end goal and cannot happen simultaneously with the growth process. The worlds largest free market democracy. Indias economic growth in the context of a democracy is on the whole unprecedented. But it is increasingly questionable as to whether democracy is the variable in Indias strategy to sustain economic growth and development? Opening up to the free market has sharpened marginalisation and inequality, certainly in Indias case the structures of political power, are being propped up by corporate tycoons and powerful lobbies, the risk being this leads to the democratic political process being hijacked and corrupted. Thus the imperatives of democracy and development  require that civil society have to remain constantly alert. Very much a trickle down, rising tide lifts all boats model as opposed to a bottom-up mechanism. Only about 10 percent of Indians have benefited from all that development and progress. Indias development has no meaning for the vast majority of Indians. It is instructive to take note of the issues that the GOI attempts to deal with, the methods they use to address them and the problems they choose to ignore. Governments have chosen to consistently act with deliberation and resolve to support the cause of economic powerhouses. In many cases these have caused direct conflict with often some of the most vulnerable communities. Often the state chooses to be oblivious of the constitutional rights of these communities in its policies and their implementation. Through policies that consistently choose to represent economic interests even at the cost of constitutional rights, the democratic Indian State is losing its credibility. Indias development drive has called into question the credibility of Indian democracy. Crucially Schedler draws a distinction between electoral democracy and electoral authoritarianism based crucially on the freedom, fairness, inclusiveness, and meaningfulness of elections (Schedler, 1998 Diamond, 2002).

A Stillness at Appomattox Essay -- Bruce Catton American Civil War Ess

A Stillness at Appomattox â€Å"All up and down the lines the men blinked at one another, unable to realize that the hour they had waited for so long was actually at hand. There was a truce†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bruce Catton’s Pulitzer prize winning book A Stillness at Appomattox chronicles the final year of the American Civil War. This book taught me a lot more about the Civil War than I ever learned through the public school system. Bruce Catton brought to life the real day to day life of the soldiers and the generals who led them into battle. The day to day life for the regular soldier was not glorious. Many times the regiments were low on supplies such as food and clothing. They lived in the elements. Medical conditions were grotesque because of the lack of advanced equipment and anesthesia. â€Å"Discipline was enforced with brutality† as if all the other conditions were not bad enough. The author is graphic in his detail of the people and the places of importance during this time in history. The book is written more from a Northern point of view and so I didn’t get quite the same perspective of the Southern side but still learned more than I knew before. A few chapters into the book the war year of 1864 begins with a changing of the guard again with President Lincoln appointing Ulysses Grant to lead the Army of the Potomac. Grant has an illustrious past. People talked about his being a drunkard but Catton says â€Å"He was simply a man infinitely more complex then most people could realize.† Grant, even though he was a West Point graduate, never wanted to be a soldier or to have a life in the military. He wanted to be a teacher. What Grant did bring to the Army of the Potomac was his ability to relate to the soldiers and made them his army. He completely retrained and re-organized the armies, and re-enlisted troops that were going to go home. They all realized that under Grant the Army of the Potomac changed which meant now that the entire war would change. The Battle of the Wilderness was a very unusual battle because it was fought in the woods. The terrain and the trees wouldn’t allow for the smoke to clear and it was dark anyway because of the trees. The men described it as eerie. Both sides fired blindly because of the smoke. Artillery was abandoned because they could not transport it through the woods. So those soldiers became... ... or ending the war, because it was the only rail junction connecting Richmond to the rest of the Confederacy. Faced with the need to defend a line running continuously from north of Richmond to Petersburg, the Confederates were stretched thinner and thinner. Eventually their line broke. Within a little over a week it was over. The final year of the Civil War was something new in the history of warfare - never before had two large armies remained locked in continuous combat for such a long period of time. In the past the armies would fight, retreat, regroup, and usually meet at some later date and place but in 1864-65 even though they moved around some it was almost one continuous fight to the end. On the final day the Union soldiers were told that â€Å"if they hurried this was the day they could finish everything† although that inspired them, they were also promised that once they reached Appomattox Station rations would be handed out. Many of the men later admitted they did so â€Å"because they figured it was the quickest way to get breakfast.† After a small skirmish near Appomattox Station Lee decided to surrender his army right before the Union carried out their attack.

Human Population Growth Essay

No matter what organism you are talking about, all living things possess the ability to reproduce. This comes in two forms. The first form of population growth is Exponential Population Growth. The second is Logistic Population Growth. Exponential population growth refers to when a population is not subject to any limiting factors, it will grow and expand exponentially even past the capacity of the environment to sustain. Rabbits are a good example of this form of population growth, â€Å"Thus, the exponential growth model explains how a few dozen rabbits can multiply into millions and overrun a continent. † (Simon, Reece, & Dickey, 2010) Logistic population growth refers to when a population reaches the capacity of the environment to sustain, the population growth declines. Fur seals of St. Paul Island are a good example of this, â€Å"After hunting was controlled, the population increased rapidly until about 1935, when it began to level off and started fluctuating around a population size of about 10,000 bull seals—the carrying capacity for St. Paul Island. † (Simon, Reece, & Dickey, 2010) Humans tend to exhibit exponential forms of population growth. We rapidly reproduce and expand, exceeding the carrying capacity of the environment. This leads to us spreading to other areas and exceeding the carrying capacity there as well.

Problems of Teen Pregnancy Essays

Problems of Teen Pregnancy Essays Problems of Teen Pregnancy Essay Problems of Teen Pregnancy Essay RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Definition and explanation of teenage Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is simply defined teenage girl who became pregnant at an early age. The term connotes that the girl has not reach the legal adulthood before conceiving. Like United States, our country, Philippines also facing this kind of problem. Our government discusses how to prevent and low down the rate of pregnancy especially in the teenagers. Most cases of teenage pregnancies are observed in the lower economic strata of society where there is a lack of knowledge, awareness and facility to address the problem of unintended pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is often associated with an increase rate of delinquent behaviors including alcohol and substance abuse. An absentee parent can create insecurities in children, and depending on the parents role in the childs life, can make some children more prone to crime and other emotional issues. Causes of teen pregnancy and tips to surpass it Family problem affects the thinking ability of a teenager. It makes them to create decisions that they think its good for them, they ask advices to their friends than their families. This is also the time that teens are starting to learn to drink alcohol nd use prohibited drugs to satisfy their selves and to forget the problems between his/her family. One thing that the teens think can help them to get away from their family is to get pregnant. They act so reckless yet after getting pregnant theyll come to their parents for the financial support for the baby. If the family problem doesnt stop that early this will be the reason for the adolescent to pursue their plan in getting pregnant. Their mind is really sober and cant think well, one of the family members should talk to their family member that is involved on the specific circumstances. Parents have the most important role in the life of a teenager. They are the ones that adolescents look up too whenever they have problems. They must be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of their children. Try to be more supportive than to criticize them. Try to discuss with them some certain issues to reach an outcome that you and your teenager can both accept. Make conversation with them over breakfast and dinner, having heart to heart talk with will help to enlighten their minds and they can think clearly. One factor that leads teen girls to become pregnant is peer pressure. Many teens exualize themselves or engage in behavior for which they are not yet ready because they want to fit in or be popular. Peer pressure to engage in sexual activity is so common, a variety of terms refer to the behavior, such as hooking up, booty calls or referring to someone as a friend with benefits. If youre a parent, consider the impact that peer pressure could have on her decisions, and the potential ramifications of this impact. Any teen succumb to pressure to have sex. All teens have sexual urges especially boys, they engage in sex before they are ready. Popular drugs, smoking, alcohol, sex and dangerous driving. If their friends value having sex, then they are likely to have sex, too. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex even when they do not fully understand the consequences associated with the act. Still others find it easier to give in and have sex than to try to explain why not. Some teenagers get caught up in the romantic feelings and believe having sex is the best way they can prove their love. Most teenagers experience sudden and hitherto unknown emotions and feelings during their early puberty. They feel a natural sense of rebelling against the set norms as well. All this, coupled with a sudden sense of new-found freedom and sexuality, results in many of them giving vent to their feelings through sexual expressions and experiences. The only way they could probably achieve that would be by having a boyfriend or girlfriend or at least by dating and indulging in sexual acts often. This kind of rash behavior could lead to unintended pregnancies. When you feel threaten and pressure, you must stop and ignore them. These people will bring the worst out of you. Find a substitute and affirming friend, its good to have friends who can affirm you. Develop a sense of humor; crack a Joke and veryones going to admire you. Be prepared, make a plan and be prepared for the times youll face peer pressure. Most teens do not want to become pregnant; they are still becoming so as a result of sexual activity. While actual force to have sex is rare, many teenage girls (especially those under the age of 1 5) feel pressured to have sex. Rape does happen and is one of the reasons that teen pregnancies occur. Rape by boyfriends, family members and even strangers can result in teen pregnancy. 50 60% of teens were molested prior to their first pregnancy, 50% of perpetrators were family members. To avoid rape, avoid walking alone as much as possible. Be mentally prepared. Always carry pepper spray and learn self defense. Ways of Preventing Teen Parenthood Teenage pregnancy is a rather frightening reality that can change your life in an instant. The good news is that teenage pregnancy is avoidable: By not having sex, you never risk getting pregnant. If you do decide to have sex, its best to stay informed about what you can do to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. Abstinence also protects people form STDs. This way helps teenagers to refrain from getting pregnant. Also prevents pregnancy by keeping the sperm out of the vagina. For us, abstinence is the safest way of preventing pregnancy. It has many benefits, it has no medical and hormonal side effects and it is free. Teenagers can used this method to focus on school, career and family. Any woman or man can abstain from sex play. Many do so at various times in their lives. Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant if they have limited or no guidance from their parents. Many parents have busy lives that prevent them from providing the guidance and support hat their young teenagers need to make good decisions on issues such as sex. If youre a parent, talking to your children will have a big effect on them especially when youre talking about intercourse. Communicating with your children about sex, love, and relationships is often more successful when you are clear in your own mind about these issues. Start the conversation, and make sure that it is honest, open, and detailed information you might need, but dont let your lack of technical information make you shy. If youre a teenager, ask advices to the people you trust. Let them larify issues about pregnancy and sex. Dont be shy asking your parents about it. Being open to them will keep you away from the risk of getting pregnant. The effectiveness of birth control methods is critically important for reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy. Effectiveness can be measured during perfect use, when the method is used correctly and consistently as directed, or during typical use, which is how effective the method is during actual use (including inconsistent and incorrect use). Using contraceptives helps those to refrain to avoid pregnancy also some contraceptives are good for health. You can use injectable progestin; this method is extremely effective since all thats required of a woman is to return to her health care provider for a shot every three months. Males can use male condoms; these are thin tube made of latex. This is the best contraception to avoid having STDS. Psychological Effect of Teen Pregnancy Its common for pregnant teens to feel a range of emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, confusion, and sadness. It may take a while to adjust to the fact that youre going to have a baby. Its a huge change, and its natural for pregnant teens to onder whether theyre ready to handle the responsibilities that come with being a parent. A. Emotional Effect 1 . Initial Excitement Some teenagers are excited to bear a child, especially when it is their first pregnancy. They are excited to see their baby. Others are excited to buy clothes and other things for the baby. They think of names for the baby. 2. Confuse Some are confused and at a loss on what to do. They are too young and many have no idea about bearing a child. 3. Afraid Some are scared. They think of questions like, How should I tell my parents? How will I face my classmates? or What is the best thing to do to solve this problem? They are afraid to answer these questions. They feel scared on what will be the reactions of their parents. 4. Frustrated Pregnant teenagers will realize that they are not yet ready to bear a child when its already late. 5. Hopelessness Low self-esteem increases vulnerability and decreases her ability to refuse to go along with risky sexual behaviors. 6. Denial Some teenagers Just neglect and abandoning her/his baby. 7. Worries about the future Several uncertainties may arise. She may start worrying how would she dealing with he baby herself. 8. Mood Swings Its very common to have mood swings during pregnancy. Some girls may also experience depression during pregnancy or after delivery. B. Mental Effect of Early Pregnancy 1 . Depression It is common among pregnant teenager who is desperate to solve their problems. Some teenagers try to solve their problem by abortion and suicide. Abortion, it is the removal of a fetus from the mothers womb. Abortion is illegal. About 300,000 to 500,000 women undergo abortion every year. Article 256, 258 and 259 in the Revised Penal Code of the Philippine penalize women who undergo bortion and others who help her with imprisonment. Some teenager, however, think A woman of any age is pregnant and unaware of it is likely not to get the nutrition she needs to sustain both herself and her unborn child. Part of what boosts the rate of mortalities in teen births is that, worldwide, teens have a higher rate of premature birth and low birth-weight babies. Many researchers believe that this is due to a lack of adequate prenatal care, either because teen mothers are too scared or lack the financial resources to seek out medical help. Many wait until the third trimester to ee a doctor, which raises levels of anemia and nutritional deficiencies in young mothers. Because of this lack of early care, children of teen mothers are more likely to suffer from health issues and to be hospitalized within their first year of life. Prematurity plays the greatest role in low birth weight, but intrauterine growth retardation (inadequate growth of the fetus during pregnancy) is also a factors. The younger a mother is below age 20, the greater the risk of her infant dying during the first year of life. It is very important for pregnant teens to have early and adequate renatal care. Factors can be divided into maternal and fetal. Maternal factors include age (younger than age 1 5, older than age 35); weight (pre-pregnancy weight under 100 lb or obesity); height (under five feet); history of complications during previous pregnancies (including stillbirth, fetal loss, preterm labor and/or delivery, small-for-gestational age baby, large baby, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia); more than five previous pregnancies; bleeding during the third trimester; abnormalities of the reproductive tract; uterine fibroids; hypertension. Premature may have problems ith his or her vision, digestion, and respiratory. Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation. As a result, they are at risk for lower academic achievement. Teens are more at risk for certain problems during pregnancy, such as anemia, high blood pressure, and giving birth earlier than usual (called premature delivery). Clinic- focused programs provide easier access to information, counseling by health care providers, and contraceptive services. Many of these programs are offered through school-based clinics. See a doctor as soon as possible after youVe found out that you are pregnant to begin prenatal care. Take vitamin supplements that are recommended by your doctor to support you and your babys health. Avoid the intakes of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy. Using illegal drugs such as cocaine or marijuana during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, prematurity, and other medical problems. Babies can also be born addicted to certain drugs. Socioeconomic Problems Throughout the developed world, teenage pregnancy is more common among young people who have been disadvantaged in childhood and have low expectations f education or the Job market. Socio-economic circumstances seem to play a major role in rates of teen pregnancy. There may be a growing lost generation of young people who see no reason not to get pregnant. Teens coming from poor economic status and single parents are more likely to participate in risky sexual behaviors. For some disadvantaged youth, particularly for girls whose self esteem tends to drop as they mature, sexuality may be all they have to value. Children of teenage parents are more likely to have problems and to eventually become teenage parents themselves, hus perpetuating the cycle of poverty begun by a teenage birth. It is widely individuals in higher social classes are healthier and live longer than those in lower classes. This is true regardless of whether income, education or another socioeconomic indicator is used and regardless of the health outcome used. Teen mothers are less likely to complete the education necessary to qualify for a well- paying Job ?only 38 percent of mothers who have children before age 18 obtain a high school diploma. This disparity in education, not surprisingly, tends to affect income level. Teenage mothers and fathers tend to have less education and are more likely to live in poverty than their peers who are not teen parents. Babies born to teen mothers are more likely to have health problems at birth, do poorly in school, do time in Jail and also become teen parents. Teen pregnancy is the leading cause of females dropping out of high school. Furthermore, less than 2 percent of teen mothers attain a college degree by age 30. Because of their lower education status, teen mothers on average earn lower incomes than their peers, and are thus more likely to be in poverty. Unmarried mothers of all ages reported most dissatisfaction with educational achievement. With the little income of both parents, its very difficult to provide with the required nutrition and care. Its very difficult for teenage mother and father to support themselves and their baby. As their education is cut short, its very difficult for teenage parents to find decent Job. Some parents Just abandoned their child to escape the poverty. Teen Fathers The adolescent father faces immediate developmental crises, which include completing the developmental task of adolescence making a transition to arenthood, and sometimes adopting to marriage. These transitions can be stressful. The decision to include the young father in all aspects of the care is based on assessment in the following four areas: (1) the couples relationship; (2) levels of stress, concern, and coping; (3) educational and vocational goals; and (4) the level of health education knowledge. Adolescent fathers need support to discuss their emotional responses to the pregnancy. The fathers feelings of guilt, powerlessness, or bravado should be recognize because of their negative consequences for the arents and the child. Counseling the adolescent fathers needs to be reality oriented. Topics such as finances, child care, parenting skills, and the fathers role in the birth experience must be discussed. Teenage fathers also need to know about reproductive physiology and birth control options as well as safer sex practices. The adolescent father may continue to be involved in an ongoing relationship with the young mother and his baby. In many instances, he also plays an important role in the decisions about child care and raising the child. He is encouraged to use coping echanisms that are not detrimental to his own, his parents, or his childs well- being. Fathers can experience postpartum depression. There is a lot of advice out there for girls who find them facing an unwanted or unexpected pregnancy but there is very little information out there for guys. It takes two to make a baby but all too often when the pregnancy is announced the guy gets lost in the confusion. But teen fatherhood is not something to be taken lightly and along with responsibilities to the more likely to get involved with criminal behavior, including alcohol and drug abuse, nd drug dealing. Depending on their age, teen fathers can also face charges of statutory rape. Teen fathers earn less over time than men who have children at an older age. Over time, teen fathers earn 10 to 15 percent less annually than male teens that wait to have children. A young fathers financial insecurity or confusion about child care was most likely to lead to a stated disinterest, and that disinterest predicted uninvolvement. To be a good teen father you can do the following: Choosing to stand by your baby is a big deal and shows that you definitely have the potential for the Job. If you are still in a relationship with the mother of the child then thats great, you can work together to be good parents and raise a happy child. Be sure to support the mother through the pregnancy, it is a very diffic ult time for her and her body is changing in a big way. Try and have some sort of balance, if you are working constantly you will never get to see your child. Teenage fathers should be a role model to their baby. They are the one shaping the characteristic of their children. Teen Mothers The very young adolescent mother is inexperienced and unprepared to recognize he early sign of illness, potential danger, or household hazards. She may inadvertently neglect her child. The higher mortality rates among the infants of adolescent mother are attributed to the inexperience, lack of knowledge, and immaturity of the mothers, causing them to unable to recognize a problem and obtain the necessary resources to rectify the situation. Nevertheless, in most instances, with adequate and developmentally appropriate teaching, Adolescents can learn effective parenting skills. The transition to parenthood may be difficult to adolescent parents. Coping ith the developmental task of parenthood is often complicated by the unmet developmental needs and tasks of adolescents. Some young parents may experience difficulty accepting a changing self image and adjusting to new roles related to the responsibilities of infant care. Other adolescent parents, however, may have higher self concepts than their non-parenting peers. As adolescent parents move through the transition to parenthood, they may feel different from their peers, excluded from fun activities, and prematurely forced to enter an adult social role. The conflict between their own desires and the infants emands, in addition to the low tolerance for frustration that is typical of adolescents, further contribute to the normal psychosocial stress of child birth. Maintaining a relationship with the babys father is beneficial for the teen mother and her infant the involvement of the babys father is related to appropriate maternal behaviors and positive mother-infant relationship. Adolescent mothers provide warm and attentive physical care; however, they use less verbal interaction than do older parents, and adolescents tend to be less responsive to interact less positively with their infants than do older mothers. In comparison with adult mothers, teenage mothers have a limited knowledge of child development. They tend to expect too much of their children too soon and often characterize their infants as being fussy. This limited knowledge may cause teenagers to respond to their infants inappropriately. Sex Education having no effect on teens to avoid sex, but others can see it has a way to decrease teen pregnancies in America. According to Advocates for Youth (2009), comprehensive sex education programs helped youth delay onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce number of sexual partners, and ncrease condom and contraceptive use. An important component of an ongoing sex is effective communication with parents. When peers are the primary source of sexual information, it is transmitted and exchanged in secret conversation and contains a large amount of misinformation. Adolescent need precise and concrete information that we allow then to answer questions such as What if I start my period in the middle of class? or How can I keep people from telling I have a n erection? it is important to tell them what they want to know and what they can expect to happen as they became mature sexually.

The eNotes Blog 4 Ways to Succeed in Your First LectureClass

4 Ways to Succeed in Your First LectureClass College can be fun and exciting, but for freshmen it can also be confusing and overwhelming- especially when it comes to your first lecture class. Whether it’s physics, astronomy, English 101, or one of the other hundreds of subjects available at your school, a lecture class is likely to appear on your schedule. Regardless of your major, you will probably take several  classes involving a professor talking at length to a large room full of students vigorously taking notes. Adjusting  to this type of classroom environment and style of learning may be new to you, so here are four ways you can do your best  in your first lecture class. 1. Be prepared for the format and ready to listen On the first day, enter the classroom with the proper materials: your textbook, notebook, pens or pencils, as well as any other course specific items included on the syllabus. Arrive in the proper state of mind- rested, alert, and ready to digest information. You should also get to the room early so you don’t feel rushed. Remember that first impressions count! Finally, select a seat that works for you; some students prefer to be right at the front, while others may feel more comfortable somewhere in the middle. Wherever you sit, make sure it’s a spot from which you can understand what’s going on, see the board clearly, and hear your professor. 2. Take effective notes This is where your notebook comes in (or perhaps a laptop if your professor allows it). Write down what is on the board. Write down what the professor emphasizes, repeats, or specifies that you need to know. Write down any assignments, even if they are already listed on your syllabus. Focus on getting the content, and then later on, focus on organizing your thoughts. These notes will help as you study for quizzes and exams so that you won’t have to reread each chapter of your textbook the night before. All in all, make sure the notes you take are in a structure that you know you can understand later- nobody wants to return to notes that aren’t legible or logical! 3. Form a study group Study groups offer multiple benefits. First, they allow you to break up the coursework into more manageable chunks as you work through them with your group members on a set timeline. Second, your group members will likely bring different perspectives on the material that will give you new insights to consider- and your own unique insights can do the same for them. Third, you can make new friends! Regularly meeting up with the same collection of individuals over a semester could forge a social bond in addition to an academic one, something many college first-years  hope to find. 4. Go to office hours This applies to every class, lecture or otherwise, but it can be especially important with lectures as there is less opportunity for one-on-one interaction in the class itself. You should be able to find your professor’s office hours in the class syllabus. Or, go up to your professor at the end of class and ask when he or she is available to talk. Prepare for this meeting like  you would prepare for the class. Bring your notebook, textbook, and writing implement. Ask useful questions. Let your professor know that you are committed to succeeding in the class and are thankful for the time he or she is giving you. When you become a face to your professor instead of simply a name and number, your status and familiarity with her or him will rise. Even though office hours are available to every student registered in a class, many students do not take advantage of them as they should. Be above average- your professor, and your grades, will appreciate it. With these four steps, you will be well on your way to achieving success in your first lecture class. Start at the beginning with strong preparation, and work the other steps into your classroom lifestyle. Who knows? Your first college lecture class might end up being one of your favorites! This is a guest post from writer Mahlena-Rae Johnson. Mahlena-Rae is a professional tutor and contributing writer with Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement.

Dick Spencer Essays

Dick Spencer Essays Dick Spencer Paper Dick Spencer Paper The purpose of this case analysis is to determine why he was effective as a salesperson but lacked the ability to successfully manage and lead people as he transitioned from one position to another. Analysis of Critical Issues: Success as a Sales Person Dick was considered the boy to watch by corporate headquarters because of his impressive track record as a salesman. He was liked by his peers, had looks, charisma and a natural ability to socialize which allowed him to be successful in his current position. Dick was also an educated individual. At the young age of 22 he had already graduated from an M. B. A degree which showed he was driven, self-motivated and had all the qualifications to succeed within the company. His personality and ability in the golf course even allowed him to create a personal relationship with the president of the company, who became very fond of Dick. In my opinion his success as a salesperson came at a young age because he had the aptitude, and the necessary relational communication skills which allowed him to successfully accomplish organizational sales objectives required by his superiors. Many individuals pursue an M. B. A degree for career advancement opportunities. In Dicks case he managed to complete his college education with an M. B. A degree and land a sales position straight out of college. His knowledge and skill set in my opinion were over qualified for a position as a salesman. Broom, Glossy and Ramsey (1998) second this notion that selling is the required entry-level job in many industries (p. 18). At such a young age it was a starting point where he managed to shine against his peers. According to Saba (201 1), Master in Business administration (MBA) degree holders are considered as personnel who have ample knowledge about various emissions of business field (p. 08). A motivated individual like Dick came to this sales position with all the right professional qualities to prosper and more. Klan and Jones (2009), express the importance of how a business school plays an intrinsic role in influencing the professions Of those who obtain an M. B. A degree. Dicks education might have been essential not only to his career success as a salesma n but his development as a business professional and his motivation to keep moving up the ladder. In her research Saba (2011 confirms that MBA students are generally thought to eave realistic self-concepts and some career directions (p. 08). In her study of 1 00 professionals in Pakistan, Sabas data analysis demonstrates that MBA improves different skills that are the basis for better career opportunities (Saba, 2009, p. 207). His education was partly what made him successful as a salesman, his ability to efficiently communicate with people and interpersonal skills also play large roles in why he was so successful in that field. During the segment that we read on his success as a salesman you cant help but notice how people describe Dick; he has good looks, has charm, etc. Even though his sales achievements affect his peers goals they still consider him a regular guy and enjoy his company when they socialize. You also notice how easily he can build a relationship with the president. One realizes that this person has great interpersonal and communications skills, as well as a proactive personality that attracts people and makes him likeable. According to Broom et al. (1998), relational communication variables are important measures of a salesperson adeptnesss and achievement of sales performance outcomes (p. 6). In their study of 239 salesmen the authors clearly highlight the importance of effective communication within sales interactions (Broom et p. 16). Since sales are dynamic, it requires that a salesman adapt to their clients needs and behavior and possess a high degree of relational communication. In their study Of 496 employees; Gibbers, Grant and Kramer determine that proactive individual select and create situations that enhance the likelihood of high levels of job performance (p. 41 7). Dick was always traveling to negotiate and effectively close large contracts. He was so hands- on and involved in his business activities that it caused him his first marriage. As Broom et al. (1998) confirm, As involvement increases, salespeople are more able to perceive customer cues and respond accurately, that increases the probability of closing the sale and attaining sales performance goals (p. 19). Aside from his success as a salesman, Dicks ability to play golf seems to get him ahead. It allows him to network with the president and according to his peers a key factor that helped him close many of his sales. According to Julian Small, the CEO of Wentworth Golf Club in an interview for the Economist, golf is a fine test of character, when you do business with people, o need to know more about them, and golf rewards players who remain calm under pressure, never lose their temper and think strategically. These are all virtues in business, too (The Economist). Dick had a great combination of education, communication, interpersonal skills and self-motivation. What happens when he starts to climb up the ladder? We will discuss this to an extent in the following section. Tribulations as a Manager From the moment Dick finally gets promoted to production and administrative positions, he develops a reputation for being a cold, cost cutting, calculating reviewer in all the departments he is involved in. Upper management is content with his results and continue to let him grow within the company, but as he transitions from one role to another you see how Dick starts to lose himself as a manager. He goes from being the easygoing and likeable guy from the sales team to a dreaded superior who ultimately falters in his new endeavors within the Trip-American Company. From reviewing the case literature there are many critical issues leading to his tribulations as a manager, first his micro-management and leadership style leads to low employee satisfaction and resistance to change. Second his self- efficacy went from superior levels in sales to the bottom extreme in his role at the Mudroom Company, finally I believe that he lacked the training and/or knowledge to effectively manage a culturally diverse staff. Dick comes from a position where he practically makes all his own decision to close sales and is in charge of his professional environment, he moves up the latter with this notion that he himself has the vision to know what is best for the organization. From his trouble shooter phase, you can see that Dick does not particularly cares about the employees within the departments he intervenes. He cares about systematically improving and reducing costs to make the organization flourish without really considering who gets affected by his decision making and monotonous behavior. As Alveolus Sovereigns (2003) confirm in their study, some managers sense of leadership is to work on strategies and visions and refrained from focusing on details or directing people (p. 962). From the cases text, we learn in his first transfer out that he is received with reservation by both the community and plant life in London and from his new plant manager role in Birmingham he initially purged the Taft and operated much as he had in his troubleshooting job for the first couple of years. In a sense these first two narratives prepare us for his lack of knowledge to effectively direct personnel, empower them and his tribulations as a manager when he was made the manager of the Canadian Mudroom plant. It is during his final transfer that his tribulation starts with his tightfisted style of leading people. Bad management is frequently categorized as micro-management. In other words, Micro-management is about when you take away the decisions from the people that should take the dec isions Alveolus Sovereigns, 2003, p. 973). From the case text we learn how Dick is constantly strolling around the organization, he would walk out of his office and appear anywhere on the plant floor. Supervisors, managers and foreman did not feel at all comfortable with his actions. Keeping his thoughts to himself he would later comment on things he would like to see changed or implemented in future meeting with the management staff. A foreman expresses his feelings of his visits with utter frustration, l wish to hell hed stay up in the front office where he belongs. Negative attitude towards Dick where slowly rising. As conveyed by managers from different institutions in Alveolus Sovereigns (2003), the superior has to have the vision and ability not to tell subordinates what to do in detailed levels, one has to have the ability to learn to delegate and trust people in their particular field of expertise (p. 973). By him interfering in work that is better understood by managers down the lines, he was becoming a burden on the shoulders of managers who instead focusing on the task at hand were increasingly becoming more concern with his presence on the floor and his behavior that at some levels they did not understand. There is a clear relation between dervish style and employee satisfaction or dissatisfaction. It is evident that Dick is causing more harm than good as he is constantly interfering in all day to day operations that go on throughout the plant. This is clearly evident when he overheard the accounting staff members as they criticize, for a guy whos vice president, he sure spends a lot of time breathing down our necks. In Father Humidifier (2006) study it is clearly express that quality of the leader-employee relations has a great deal of impact over the employees level of job satisfaction and overall self-esteem (p. 14). Dick is constantly avian meetings with his management team that keeps them away from their duties. He always brings up situations or improvements he would like to see implements or changes that affect the morale of his team. Overall, employees are more satisfied with leaders who are considerate or supportive than with those who are either indifferent or critical towards subordinates (Humidifier, 2006, p. 14). Negative relationships between upper management and workers within an organization can significantly reduce efficiency which can be seen at the Mudroom Plant as they are behind schedule to previous planning of current activities. Dicks micro-management and leadership style had influenced his staffs overall level of satisfaction and caused them to be constantly looking over their shoulders. They felt more threatened than actually supported by Dicks overall headship. His actions on the Siding Department specifically caused a resistance to change because of how he handled the situation. According to Starr (2011), major change requires people to give up feelings of comfort, long-held values or beliefs, and established routines (p. 47). As he told his workers that the narrow bands of scrap where bendable and easily fitted into the disposal barrels, he refused to ear the workers and the foremans message of we have always done it this way. He refused to listen how bending the bands carried certain issues and problems that only the foreman understood. What he found out a few days later was that the workers kept on cutting the strip scraps even after the fact that he took away the saw machines like an angry child. As Starr (201 1) emphasizes in her study, nee major change challenges attitudes, values or assumptions it becomes a threat to identity and makes resistance inevitable (p. 647). The foreman and his staff ignored Dicks request completely, undermining his authority. As Dent Galloway (1999) confirm, more often, the obstacle is in the Organizations structure that makes people choose between the new vision and their own self-interest (p. 26). The way Dick handled the situation caused the foreman to storm out of his office and the Siding Department team to resist his challenge the status quo because his request challenged a previous effort they knew was more adequate for the task at hand. More will be addressed on how Dick could have handled the resistance to change in the Siding Department incident specifically in the recommendations section. Another important piece to his tribulation as a manger had to greatly with his self-efficacy which was greatly challenged at the Mudroom plant. Self-efficacy (also known as social cognitive theory or social learning theory) is a persons belief that he/she is capable of performing a particular task successfully (Lundeberg, 2011, p. 1). As a salesman Dick had high levels of self-confidence, he truly believed in his ability to accomplish his sales objective with assurance. I believe his self-efficacy came crashing down to the lowest levels in Canada. At some point he even became paranoid hinging the president and his friends in the home office where waiting for Dick to prove himself or fall flat on his face. He lost track of time, dates, pushed away his family, at his lowest point he left a meeting without his shoes. He started to remembered how his worst fields during the M. B. A where accounting and human relations. As Lundeberg (2011) mentions in his study, self-efficacy is a powerful determinant of job performance (p. 2). At some point he talks about how there were moments in that position that he thought about crying confi rming Loungers (201 1) notion that emotional uses can be so powerful that they can dictate attitudes, assumptions and if they persist may become associated with inefficient results (p. ). The last reason believe Dick had tribulations as a manager where impart because he lacked the training and/or knowledge to effectively manage a cultural diverse staff. Symptoms of this believe are apparent when he worked in Britain and confirmed at the Mudroom Plant. His workers did not understand his ways even mentioning you know how these Americans are. This leads me to believe that the Trip-American Company did not have trainings programs for Manager who were going to operate outside of the United States which could affect manager-employee relations because of lack of culture identity. Edwards Turnbuckle (2013) express in their study that leadership development programs pays insufficient attention to the way that learning to lead becomes embedded and affected by the cultural context within which leaders and leadership operate (p. 46). Dick mentions it himself how he felt the Canadians he worked with resented his presence, how he just came in over their heads. No plan was set in motion to make Dicks transition to the Canadian company as smooth as possible avoiding these types of conflicts. He had to create a bond with his management team which instead resulted in bad situation for all of them. If Dick would have had some previous training, he could have had a broader organizational impact that can be understood by a more culturally based approach (Edwards Turnbuckle, 2013, p. 47). There is a clear link between leadership and culture, if there would have been a higher level of importance put under this notion maybe Dick would have understood his staff better, avoided uncomfortable circumstances and lead hem in such a way that they would label him as a guide and support leader instead of an antagonist. Recommendations-?Decision Making and Problem Solving: In reviewing the case study of Dick Spencer, you can say he did a lot of good for the departments he made flourish, but what about the people? Think that Dick in his quest for ultimate glory and SUccess forgot that people are the heart of an organization. Without people there would be no plant for him to come in and do all his cost cutting procedures. Do not get me wrong believe operating efficiently is important; after all we are all in this field to generate venue and maximize profits. However, there needs to be a balance between efficiency and organizational culture. Dick moved from his troubleshooting days to a V. P position; he needed to emulate leadership in order to maximize outcomes and include those around him. Dick basically barricaded himself in his office at the Mudroom plant. What could he have done differently? I believe the first thing he needed to do was become a transformational leader not a micro-manager; second he needed to challenge the resistance to change in a different way, and finally I believe he had to acquire more knowledge on cross cultural approaches to leading an international staff. In order for a company to run in an efficient and effective manner, every business needs human capital. In a sense, the success of an organization comes from the hard working people in the operation lines and from their supervisors. In fact, personnel are important in context of achieving goals and objectives of an organization (Bush, Susan Unpaved, 201 1, p. 261 Being behind schedule on the expansion project of the Mudroom plant which is destined to generate large amount of profits had everyone, specially Dick, on the edge. Instead of micromanaging his staff, Dick had to renovate his methods into transformational leadership, which is defined as a system of changing and transforming those around you in a positive manner (Bush, Susan Unpaved, 201 1, p. 261 According to Bush et al. , transformational leaders adopt an attitude that support employees, provide them a vision, cultivate hope, encourage them to think innovative, individualized consideration and broaden the communication (2011 , p. 261). Every meeting with his managers ended in yelling and fighting. There seemed o be no effective communications styles between him and his staff. Instead of empowering them to accomplish their goals he discouraged them and wanted them to do their jobs as he commanded. Transformational leadership in top managerial positions is an important concept, because employees who are satisfied with their jobs tend to be more creative and innovative that help businesses to grow, flourish and bring positive changes (Bush et al 201 1, p. 261 Dick needed to entrust his staff to do the job they were hired to do by guiding them and encouraging them in developing organizational commitment. Dicks leadership in such a multilevel project as the expansion of the Mudroom Plant required him to be in harmony with his managers and staff to accomplish the goal of keeping up with schedule. According to Stop (2006), researchers have found that employees who are pleased with their supervisors/leaders, feel that they are being treated with respect and are valued by their management feel more attachment with their organizations (As quoted in Bush et al. , 2011, p. 261). Therefore organizational commitment is an important piece Of the puzzle. How committed were the employees of the Mudroom Company under Dicks direction? Dick had to direct with guidance while motivating his employees. This would have developed higher levels of job performance; since a leader even in rough times has employee loyalty to ultimately reach organizational goals and objectives. The siding department incident is a genius conclusion to this case because it just comes to show the low levels of personal and professional quality Dick was displaying in his current position. The foreman and his team completely ignored his demand; it was apparent that he was not being taken into account the many operational activities that were going on inside the Mudroom Plant. Just with the fact that he took the saw machines from the department like a bully provided evidence that he did not handle this specific case correctly. As stated by Dent Galloway (1999), employees may resist the unknown, being dictated to, or management ideas that do not seem feasible from the employees standpoint (p. 26). There are two prescription concepts that believe Dick could have applied to avoid this embarrassing incident and effectively deal with the situation. First he needed to develop a new job definition; instead of just telling the Foreman and the employees about the generation of the new idea or concept actually provide a formal document to the generation and implementation of the new method (Dent Galloway, 1999, p. 35). By having formally introduced the concept he has supported documentation of the necessary implementation he has requested. The foreman then could have formally introduced a communication of why his new method was not feasible. Talking about communication brings me to the second prescription concept which is to revise the role of the administrator. By having implemented formal communication with only the foreman, Dick would have seen himself only as a primarily facilitator of communication, rather than as someone who checks up, delegates and follows through, and applies pressure to actually perform the process (Dent Galloway, 1999, p. 35). Dick in all the senses was wrong to discuss the changes with lower level employees and worst of all tell the service department to physically remove the saw machines out of the siding department. This incident shows the lack Of communication with his staff and why there was resistance to change. As heavily discussed by Dent Galloway, a manager cannot just expect changes o happen instantly, not until there is way communication amongst all parties. You cannot simply impose the change but suggest and discuss them to see if it there is better alternative to current methods (Dent Galloway, 1999, p. 36). Modern day business has called for the expansion of leadership development programs for global managers. Leadership at the cross country level has become a critical issue for companies that wish to expand and be successful around the globe. In fact there is necessity of substantial guidance for leaders who are going to operate internationally not only because of preference in ethnicity, language or culture, but also by the international nature of culture and leadership (Spoon, 2009, p. 62) If you look at Dicks case, both countries he traveled (Britain and Canada) are not that different to the United States. He could speak English with the staff there was no true culture shock; so what went wrong? What Trip-American failed to identify was the need for Dick to learn and develop specific leadership interaction skills within a different cultural context. Spoon (2009) study demonstrates the need for global manager to address this relationship using a dynamic and interactive approach, viewing leadership as a social construct (p. 62). This contributes to the notion that by understanding a new perspective of interaction with a diverse team Dick could have developed essential leadership skills necessary in a culturally diverse atmosphere. Trip-American Company could have provided a leadership development program considering culture in more depth through imparting knowledge of the history, education and dialogue related factors that might affect employee behavior within international companies. This could have improved Dicks understanding of his own necessary modification of his definition of dervish to add Reese the management styles or behaviors within international countries (Spoon, 2009, p. 77). Conclusion: This case study is particularly interesting because we see the two faces of the coin. On one side you get this young professional who is successful in sales, impresses everyone and has hunger to go out for more. Then you face the 14 year veteran who starts doubting himself and completely begins to lose himself as a manger and to some extent as a person. Do believe the problems of the Mudroom Company were basically handed off to him, but like any good manager he should have relied on his trained staff and incommunicado with them to get the job done. Dick was practically determined to impose himself on every aspect of the company. He failed to realize that up to some extent you need to trust and rely on the work of others to reach company objectives. As the V. P, he should have been there for guidance and support; instead he criticized and was a burden. A major part of being a manager is learning when to delegate and trust your people. One has to remember that they are experts in their given area and we cant do the job for them. This case study allows you to see how important people are to organizations. Without their high morale, loyalty and organizational commitment you can expect poor results which will ultimately lead to your personal and professional failure. My motto as a manager is lead the way, empower people and criticize constructively; but always show respect. I think as Dick moved up the ladder he forgot all those essential qualities that made him successful at the beginning. At the end as he mentions to his buddies all you can do is laugh. Eventually one has to see their errors in order to learn and grow from them and make sure to avoid them or act differently in future circumstances.

Enchaning level of engagement with data in the allocation anduse in Dissertation

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Timeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Timeline - Essay Example From 1880 to 1884: According to Black, Herman Hollerith, an employee at the US census bureau got the idea and founded a punch card technology back then that was used to store information about people living in Germany. That is, perforated readable cards that could store details of each and every person such as names, gender, nationality and occupation (Black, 2001, p. 25). This was the year when the prototype was built of a counting machine that could store and use the data collected and stored in the punch cards. 1910 to 1923: This was when the US consensus changed and they stopped using Hollerith technology as it had some downfalls such as slow in speed and it was too expensive to maintain. The same year, Hollerith sold out his patented design technology to a salesman, Willy Heidinger, from a German established business company called Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschaft (German Hollerith Machine Corporation) or Dehomag. Hollerith sells his remaining shares of his business to Charles Flint for $1.41 million. There occurred an inflation that caused Dehomag from German to delay payments on their scheduled royalty. 1924 to 1933: Watson Thomas, a businessman propelled by Flint assumed the role of CEO of CTR and renamed Dehomag to International Business Machines (IBM) (Black, 2001, p. 44). January was the month when Hitler came to power and made a promise to create a Master Race, dominate Europe, and decimate European Jewry (Black, 2001, p. 44). IBM strategic alliance with Nazi Germany. In March, Hitler established a concentration camp whose inhabitants were political prisoners in Dachau, ten kilometers north of Munich. Willy Heidinger controlled 90% of Dehomag. In April there was a delayed consensus as Dehomag assisted the German Nazi government in ethnic identification. In October: Watson supports the move and travels to Germany where capital is also invested to precede with the Nazi project. An IBM factory in

Economic arguments for further enlargement of the EU Essay

Economic arguments for further enlargement of the EU - Essay Example The paper tells that the enlargement of the EU is one of the most debated topics presented to relevant councils. When the European Union was first formed in 1952 there were only six member countries. Today, there are 27 member countries in the European Union, and this number is scheduled to be increased in 2013. The European Union has been inducting newer countries into its council on an irregular basis since 1952, after subjecting applicant countries through a long process requiring pre-accession treaties, assessment conditions and a set of criteria – the Copenhagen criteria – that must be met before membership is granted. The process can take a number of years and after the induction of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, Croatia is set to become a member of the EU in June 2013. Other countries like Turkey, Iceland, and the Western Balkans are in accession negotiations to follow suit. Membership generally offers great benefits to member countries, particularly those struggl ing to make the move from being developing nations to being developed ones. The European Union provides an economic and political support that smaller countries, or at least countries with smaller economies, can use to enhance their global standing, both within and outside Europe. But what is the impact that this expansion has, whether on the currently existing members of the European Union, the European Union as a whole, or even, in fact, Europe in general? Surely there must be certain economic and political impact such a membership must have, and economic advantage is generally gained at the expense of another party’s disadvantage. While that may be true, and in fact is to a certain point, it is not quite as limited as that. The results of many surveys, reports, and inquests have shown that the general perception among Europe’s public seems to be that membership offers great benefits to newer members while offering little to no benefit to older members. This percepti on might not be in the majority – with statistics varying from country to country – there is no doubt that it is a sizable portion of the public, any country or sample considered. Evidence supporting this matter is given further in the report, built generally upon information provided by the British Parliament in 2006. As negative as general perception might be, however, expansion has always shown to result in positive economic and political impact. This is true of any series of expansion, but this report will particularly center its focus on countries inducted in 2004, as they have had sufficient time to determine the effect of membership on their economy, as well as the impact of their membership on the European Union members in general. In fact, not only are the arguments brought forth against expansion generally baseless, with little evidence to support their claim, inverse evidence shows that economic arguments supporting the expansion of the European Union are la rgely misunderstood, or otherwise overlooked.