Control Theory in Today’s Society

While many theories have been established through the years, the Control Theory established and researched by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in 1990 has inspired a large amount of research and proposed the most likely reason that people commit crimes. In addition to their initial theory, Harold Grasmick also presented another facet, the Self- Control Theory, claiming that people commit crimes simply because they lack the capacity to use self- control. These theories are both considered psychological theories, involving the way the human mind works in relevance to crime and the choice to commit crime. It is apparent in several past criminal cases that lack of self- control has been the leading factor in the criminal act. (Hay & Forrest, 2009) Gottfredson and Hirschi asked the question, â€Å"What is Crime? † and thus began to research the theories associated with crime and what drives people to commit criminal acts. Nearly all crimes, they concluded, are mundane, simple, trivial, easy acts aimed at satisfying desires of the moment. (Schmalleger, 2009) For example, a young child steals a candy bar from the local convenience store, simply because he wants the candy bar; this is not a violent or large- scale criminal act, but is still a violation of the law. The general theory of crime asserts that the operation of a single mechanism low self- control, accounts for â€Å"all crime, at all times†; including acts ranging from vandalism to homicide, from rape to white- collar crime. A person’s likelihood to engage in criminal activity or not can supposedly be explained through low self-control, the same way high self-control explains an individual's tendencies of conforming to social norms and laws. (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990) Thus, some people have a lasting tendency to ignore the long term consequences of their behavior. These people tend to be impulsive, reckless, and self- centered. Crime is the end result of their tendencies. (Schmalleger, 2009) The Control Theory is considered a theory and not a perspective since it is not Gottfredson and Hirschi’s opinion, it is a theory that they proposed towards the rationality of crime and why people commit crimes. Several researchers, including K. A. Snedker and J. R. Herting have sought out to see the impact of youth and learning, their affect on self- control on children, as young as seven years of age. Different levels of social control and the culture the children are raised in often seem to have an effect on their personal level of self- control. In the study performed, the majority of the children that were exposed to behavior with â€Å"good† children often ended up having higher levels of self- control, and appeared less likely to behave in criminal behavior. However, the children that were associated with delinquent peers for large amounts of time were seen to have lower levels of self- control, and were also more likely to take part in deviant behavior with said peers. (Snedker & Herting, 2004) It can also be asserted that serial killers generally have a lack of self- control. In the case of Aileen Wuornos, who is labeled as the first know female serial killer in the Western world. The original theory of Gottredson and Hirschi can be used to explain why Aileen had the specific experiences she did, and committed such a large number of crimes. She even went so far as to state that, â€Å"murder was merely her solution to the problem as it presented itself on those seven occasions. † This clearly indicates one of the facets of the self- control theory, that criminals will do whatever necessary in the present situation, for self- gratification or other reasons. While Wuornos claims that she killed seven men in self- defense because they were raping her, she was subsequently convicted of murder and sent to death row. (Adams, 2009) The facts of Aileen Wuornos’ childhood have not be confirmed, but she admitted to smoking, drinking, irresponsible sex (she earned money as a prostitute), all at a fairly young age. These behaviors follow Gottredson and Hirschi’s exact assertions that those involved in criminal activity often start exhibiting short- term gratification at a young age. In the original control theory, Gottfredson and Hirschi low self- control sets as an internal condition between the ages of eight and ten years. According to Cindy Adams, a crime examiner on an internet â€Å"blog†, Wuornos’ deviant behavior began at the tender age of nine, so it can be assumed she lacked the proper socialization with her family members and caretakers. She never learned to show affection or share as most children do. Because of this, her relationships as a child failed her completely, and led her down a path of crime, prostitution, and eventually murder. It can be assumed that if Wuornos experienced a better childhood, she would have developed a higher level of self- control. According to the self- control theory, disciplined and supervised children generally will not look for self- gratification and commit criminal acts. (Adams, 2009) The story of Aileen Wuornos is a clear- cut example of why Gottfredson and Hirschi’s control theory is valid. Had she received the proper love and affection at a young age, she would not have offered sexual favors at the age of nine, become a prostitute at the fourteen, and looked for the abusive and destructive relationships she did throughout her life. The story of Wournos is only one confirmation of the Control Theory, and there are certainly many more if the cases and correlating information were to be researched. Travis Hirschi also went into greater detail concerning the Self- Control Theory, implicating that Individuals possess three (3) sets of traits: (1) traits composing low self-control; (2) traits predicting involvement in crime; and (3) other traits that are the result of socialization. Low Self- Control (LSC) traits appear in the first six or eight years of life, and include only â€Å"factors affecting calculation of the consequences of one's acts†. The second set of traits includes low intelligence, high activity level, physical strength, and adventuresomeness. The third set of traits includes impulsivity, insensitivity, and inability to delay gratification. These traits can be seen in criminals, for example, drug users. Consider the logical structure of drug use. Here, even drugs that do not affect mood (tobacco) are correlated with crime because they share features that satisfy both criminality and the requirements of crime. Both crime and drug use provide short-term, immediate, and easy pleasure, and more importantly. In this view, drug use is not attributable to peer pressure, but to the fact that it is prohibited and has an adverse impact on health. LSC personalities must logically come prior to criminality because they are predisposed to disregard legal prohibitions and negative consequences for their own health. Drug users are people who â€Å"tend toward criminality†, and may self-destruct in any number of ways. Another way of saying this is that LSC is the domain and criminality only covers a portion of this domain. LSC allows almost any deviant act that is â€Å"logically† possible. (Hirschi, 1969) References Adams, C. 2009-07-27 â€Å"Crime 101: What is the link between self- control theory, serial killing, and Aileen Wuornos? † Retrieved from http://www. examiner. com Gottfredson, M. and Hirschi, T. (1990). A General Theory of Crime. Stanford University Press. Hay, C. and Forrest, W. â€Å"The Development of Self Control: Examining Self Control Theory's Stability Thesis† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) . 010-04-03 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p121508_index. html Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: Univ. of Ca Press. Longshore, D. , Turner, S. , and Stein, J. (1998). â€Å"Reliability and Validity of Self-Control Measure: Rejoinder. † Criminology 34:175-182. Sampson R. J. and Laub, J. (1993). Crime in the Making Pathways and Turning Points Through Life. Harvard University Press. Schmallege r, F. (2009). Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction Fifth Edition. Prentice Hall. Snedker, K. A. and Herting, J. R. , 2004-08-14 â€Å"Revisiting Hirschi’s Social Control Theory: Examining Changes in Self- reported Delinquent Behavior among Youth† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association 2010- 04-17 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p110751_index. html Wenk, D. , Hardesty, C. , Morgan, C. and Sampson, L. B. (1994). â€Å"The Influence of Parental Involvement on the Well-Being of Sons and Daughters. † Journal of Marriage and the Family 56:229-234.

Government Functions Essay

In the economic system of any country, the government is the authority governing the day to day transactions and dealings between individuals whether private or public. Other functions are enforcement of rules and regulations, overseeing the making and execution of contracts and setting of standards to be followed. To do this, resources are required hence collection of taxes. The functions aside, the government itself owns firms within the economy hence a player. The role played by the state/government has been under close support and criticism simultaneously. In some countries, the government’s role is welcome whilst in others it detested. The main object of government in both scenarios though is the allocation of scarce resources and creating an environment suitable for such resources to be exploited. This is achieved through ensuring that law and order is maintained. External costs incurred by businesses that are not factored in the business transactions are also taken into account by the government. This is in order to protect them from exploitation which may otherwise lead to bankruptcy and collapse. The government’s role shouldn’t be solely that of creation of a good environment for business via maintenance of law and order. Rather, it should go beyond this by being a key player in the economy. Law and order though facilitates stability as well as reduces corruption hence encouraging investment. Using the opportunity cost principle, the uses to which scarce resources can be put are many and the real costs are those which are forgone. These are incurred in cases where corruption is existent. Examples of such costs according to Sowell include delay in performance of certain economic activities given an unviable corrupt economic environment this results to non-development of basic infrastructure that would have been used to carry out the economic activity. In turn, planned investments do not occur hence existing output levels are not increased due to lack of expansion. The final results are normally unemployment accompanied by brain drain as the environment is similarly not viable to work in. Simply put, higher corruption levels are accompanied by low economic growths and low per capita incomes. Other effects of corruption are discrimination in the employment sector and profiling of workers. Contributing to slow economic growth are also long bureaucratic processes. All these contribute to driving away investors. Corruption doesn’t necessarily come in the form of direct bribes. It may also be in the form of nepotism and tribalism which is currently prevalent in most countries. The law being a set of rules and principles that are used in the day to day running of a country ought to have the following characteristics;- reliability; uniformity in application i. e. they must portray a sense of fairness and equality; rigidity i. e. they should not change from time to time. Rigidity brings about stability. Countries with laws that have these characteristics are prone to boost investor confidence as well as encouraging skilled labor to immigrate into the country in search of job opportunities. Such skilled labor may not have been available locally. This set of rules and principles should be impartial but discriminatory at the same time. The discriminatory aspect of some laws has at times proven to boost economic growth. However the statement holds only when the discriminating facet is known by the parties involved well in advance. If the discriminating nature of the law is known, the economic environment will be more stable as compared to where the justice system is discriminatory in interpretation and application of the law. The law may be discriminatory on the basis of aspects such as religion and race. However, if the economy grows, the growth will be felt across the board and not just by those for whom the law discriminates. Even though some laws have discriminatory aspects, they should not in any way allow for the exploitation of one by another nor allow for the interference of one’s activities by another with malicious intentions. A country’s economy is majorly dependent on the existence of a government. Nonetheless, this dependability also takes into consideration the government’s effectiveness in law enforcement. Geographically, some regions within the same country will have laws being more enforced than others. However, extra costs incurred by businesses in ensuring that goods and services reach the consumers are always transferred to the same consumers. This reduces demand due to high prices. Property Rights On property rights, focus should be placed not just on the owners of such but more so on the general effect the existence and exercise of such rights has on the economy. The exercise of property rights may result to economic effects which impact negatively on the populace as there maybe no single individual to blame. As a result, property rights should be closely monitored but even more emphasis ought to be placed on automatic self-monitoring by individuals as a solution. The mere fact that the property rights do exist creates a sense of self-monitoring on the individual which is more effective and less costly as compared to government monitoring. This self-productivity results to increased productivity and lower commodity prices as there is less wastage. However, negligence may also result on the part of the property owners and class stratification. However, given that property rights do have a greater economic efficiency, the general population will have higher living standards when the economic growth that results trickles down. However, restrictions such as setting of minimum standards and creation of Boards to oversee the use of certain property should be put in place. These will help prevent exploitation. Stringent laws need also be put into place by governments and respective authorities. In creation and application of restrictions to property rights, one has to have in mind that property rights do have intentions and effects. Economic incentives by the government do play a big role and such rights need to be looked at from the economic angle i. e. the incentives that are brought about by them. One should also ask what the effects of changing them or completely doing without them are. Social order is a function of existence of laws, government institutions to ensure the maintenance of law and order and acknowledgement of such by the citizens. The degree of social order differs from one country to another as well as from one individual to another. It is the existence or inexistence of a social order and its level that determines how business dealings are conducted between individuals. Social order should be upheld in all aspects of government. This may in turn extend to the rest of the community hence doing away with corruption thus bringing down transaction costs. If the social order is inexistent or at a low level, enterprises tend to be small scale. This translates to lower production and by the economies of scale, the end user experiences higher prices. A good social order thus attracts investment. The government can boost this by encouraging honesty within its administration, indirectly supporting or detesting cultures that are pro-honesty. The same can also be achieved via school curricula. Another factor that can either undermine or develop the social order are the nature of a country’s law. However, the market has a way of creating its own social order. External costs and benefits do exist in business and they occur outside the parties that are part to an actual transaction. These are however not accounted for in the market place and it is for this reason that the government has to come in to make decisions regarding external costs and benefits via legislation and regulations. Some benefits are indivisible. They are either a whole or nothing at all. To decide any aspect about them is thus better left to government. External costs on their part are felt either directly or indirectly by individuals. The individuals thus decide basing on how the external costs impact them and their activities. In countries with popularly elected governments, most of the decisions made by are not put into much economic consideration. Focus is actually mainly placed on making the people happy and not necessarily on economic improvement. Most of such decisions are political and not economically beneficial to the country. CHAPTER 18: GOVERNMENT FINANCE Like any other enterprise whether profit making or non-profit making, resources are needed to enable a business e a continuing venture. On the part of the government, its spending aspect if a factor of revenue collection. Revenue is raised via tax collection. How this tax is collected greatly affects how much will in effect be collected as it impacts on the citizen’s view on taxation policies. Any change in taxation policy by the government will automatically result in behavioral change by the tax payer in terms of expenditure and savings. This change is however in no scale predictable and may go at length to affect the performance of the economy at large. No rule can be said to be applied by government to predict this change. The net tax paid by an individual is a factor of the number of taxes that are applicable on a said person and their position economically. Value Added Tax (VAT) takes a bigger share from the poor than it does from the rich as spending on consumer goods makes up a greater percentage of the poor person’s budget whilst saving or re-investment makes up a greater percentage of the rich’s budget. However, tax paid by individuals is a mixture of both regressive and progressive taxes. However, the official legal indicator of incidence of tax does not necessarily show who bears the incidence of tax. Before a government makes decisions on whether or not to increase a particular tax, factors to be considered are how the tax is collected. This determines whether the tax is being felt by the individual or not. Increasing or decreasing the tax may thus not necessarily result to behavioral change by the consumer. One way through which government raises income is through sale of bonds. It is this level of sale of government bonds that determines the national debt. The impact the national debt will have on the economy is a dependent on what percentage it is of the country’s GDP. However, both GDP and national debt increase over time as a result of increased population size. The vice versa is also true. Sale of bonds is considered a future investment by the government and who bears the cost of the national debt is worth considering i. e. whether it is the government or the tax payer. To the government, accrued interest over time is one cost. This interest may affect investor confidence both in the short and long term. As bonds are sold and re-sold over time, their interest rate has to be increased lest they lose their value. This however lowers investor confidence in the long run. The rise in government interest rates may bring about a ripple effect increase on other interest rates as investors look for money with which to purchase the bonds. Influence of government may however make product prices independent of their costs despite the above ripple effect they may have at the same time. In an economy, there always are unmet needs which the government must satisfy. However resource distribution by government takes into account not the maximization of their use but rather merely re-distribution. It is this that explains why government may undertake projects that are not economically profitable or necessary as well as why some public utilities are offered at prices which are way below their actual market value or at no value at all. Spending by the government is mainly a factor of whether or not there is the need to spend whilst the principles behind such spending are outlined by the law. Through its expenditure, the government is able to influence the economy’s net purchasing power. Increased government spending implies more money will be in the economy thus leaving more at the hands of households for spending on other commodities other than those for which the government has already paid for. Costs as a result of government spending can either be to the government or the economy. It should be clear who is bearing the cost and the nature of the cost. As utility varies from individual to individual, the desire to purchase due to price disparity can thus be controlled via price controls or subsidies. The latter have however proven more fruitful than the former since subsidies transfer the total cost of an item to the entire population rather than letting a single individual to incur it. Here the cost is thus on the economy, not the government. From this, one can deduce that government finance comes in to bring a solution to the price-utility problem by creating an even bigger problem or rather shifting the cost from the government to the economy. The pattern of government expenditure is majorly a political function. Projects that prove politically building are more likely to be undertaken. Any government has got its obligations and current and future expenditure make up the government’s obligations regarding expenditure. Future obligations may seem not that costly until it reaches a point where they must be incurred. Their costs are accounted for but not incurred until the need arises. Incentives can be either political or economical. Incentives such as government pensions are majorly dependent on the size of the working and the retired population. A good balance enables pension payment. On the private side however, payment of insurance benefits is dependent on the currently existing subscribers to the insurance. CHAPTER 20: INTERNATIONAL TRADE Some have argued that in international trade, while one country gains, another loses. But both parties should be gaining in a way otherwise there wouldn’t be a reason to trade. A country may gain via for example economic growth. This has been the general effect of international trade. However, terms used in international trade such as trade deficit and surplus do not necessarily reflect a country’s economic wellness. To determine this, one has to look past the figures involved in international trade. A country may have quite a number of reasons why it should or should not engage itself in international trade. Reasons for however outweigh those against. Those for include absolute advantage, comparative advantage and economies of scale. In terms of absolute advantage, one country can produce particular commodities at prices cheaper than those of another or products of a higher quality. This may encourage it to pursue international trade. As for comparative advantage, the opportunity cost of one country A to produce a certain commodity at the expense of another is much lower than that of country B. Comparative advantage is thus all about efficiency of one country as compared to another. The costs forgone in producing a product should be lower and income generated from the production line opted for ought to be higher hence making them economically viable. The returns should also be in surplus enough for the country to purchase the commodity it forgo to produce. In terms of economies of scale, some ventures are viable only if there is enough market to consume the output. Such markets can be created through exports of commodities hence maximizing advantages brought about due to economies of scale or large scale production. Apart from enabling countries to achieve economies of scale, international trade also facilitates countries to fully utilize their comparative and absolute advantages. However, economies of scale have also resulted in the downfall of some infant industries where protectionist policies are inexistent. In as much as many countries may engage in international trade, some succeed whilst others do not. Reasons for the downfall of others may be the restrictions that exist in International Trade. These include emphasis that has been placed on efficiency of the production process. Another effect of such restrictions are collapse of domestic industries where protectionism does not exist. However international trade itself brings about government interference with trade due to policies such as protectionism while it may result to creation of monopolistic markets and unfair competition finally. Arguments for International Trade restrictions Different arguments have been put forward for international trade to have restrictions. The high wage fallacy argues that commodities produced by highly paid workers cannot compete with those produced by low paid ones. This does not hold since the argument does not distinguish between wage rates and labor costs and between labor costs and total costs. Wage rates may therefore be higher yet the total costs are lower due to economies of scale hence higher profits. Restrictions may also exist so as to save jobs domestically. However, just as free trade results to growth in the economies of all countries engaged simultaneously so do trade restrictions result to reduced economic growth or even reversed economic growth. Restricting trade thus does not result in increased employment. Rather, there will be less spending in the economy. The infant industry argument posits that local developing industries ought to be given time to grow to a level at which they can compete with other industries. However, survival of an industry is not a factor of its growth in terms of production and sales. Political muscle plays a key role in determining the fate of an industry. The National defense argument tries to explain why countries opt to have suppliers of things that are essential for their own national survival lest the external supplier turn enemy. Examples of such commodities are ammunition. Last on the list of reasons for protectionism is the dumping argument which is however restricted given the uncertainties of determining production costs. Here economies of scale may come into play and a supplier selling his/her commodities at lower prices abroad may actually be mistaken for dumping. These restrictions to trade may come in the form of tariffs which are taxes on imports and aim to raise their prices. The restrictions may also be in the form of import quotas which bring about uneven competition beside achieving the same objective of raising import prices. CHAPTER 21: INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF WEALTH International wealth transfers may take the forms of either direct or indirect foreign investments or remittances from citizens whose domicile is abroad. Rich countries always tend to invest in fellow rich counties due to fear of not getting a return on their investment if done in a poor country. Political and economic stability, corruption levels, level of honesty amongst the country’s populace as well as movement of capital within a said country’s economy are factors affecting the decision of whether to or not to invest. International trade takes into account only goods exchanged between countries leaving behind service output. It is for this that International trade has to be at a balance despite the fact that measures used in international trade may not be true reflectors of the trade. An economy that has concentrated in service production rather than goods will tend to export more services and import more commodities. The decision of whether a trade deficit is harmful or not is best done by comparing the deficit with the performance of the whole economy. As a result, the Balance of Payment measure is a better reflector of international trade than the Balance of Payments. Economic transactions are not zero-sum activities where only the buyer and the seller gain, rather it is a wealth creator to both the parties directly involved and to the â€Å"spectators. † Immigration and emigration which are key factors in international trade result to knowledge transfer, new ideas and businesses being created, job creation amongst others. However, on the dark side of the same are diseases, brain drain, increase in crime, collapsing economies and terrorism. Imperialism which implies the domination and exploitation of one country by another is also a means of wealth transfer. However, international investments have been argued to be equal to imperial looting as the subject country loses more than it gains. This explains the class strata of first, second and third world countries. Ceteris paribus, imperialism is more of a moral than an economic argument. Foreign aid, which entails wealth transfer from richer to poorer countries or from one government to another, may or may not be used for intended purposes. The use of foreign aid in government investments has more often than not resulted to mismanagement due to corruption. Some foreign aid comes with strings attached in the form of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). Such aid has proven to deter rather than encourage development. World over, the inexistence of a body to oversee the giving of aid to poorer countries has resulted to exploitation of the recipient. Aid may be in the form of cash grants or goods and services to the recipient country. However, the under-utilization of most of the resources in the recipient country is what leads it to have a need for foreign aid. CHAPTER 23: MYTHS ABOUT MARKETS The name â€Å"market† in itself is a myth as a market is viewed as a thing rather than the people in the market themselves who are engaging in business activity. This has led to rigidity of the market. In a market, variation of prices from one seller to another is always notable. This, economists would say defy the laws of supply and demand but in actual sense they do not. Rather, supply and demand should be looked at from the point of view of different consumers. Each consumer will have a different of demand and supply curve intersections due to utility. Prices in the market ought to be ‘affordable’ and ‘reasonable’ is a notion that is not realistic. It implies that prices should be independent of the market forces of demand and supply as well as production cost but should instead favor the purchasing power of the consumer. The third myth about markets is that some firms may tend to sell their products at below normal prices so as to drive away competition. This myth has not been proven though hence is not that realistic. Fourth is the issue of branding. Despite its advantages of making suppliers and manufacturers to emphasize on quality, the products being sold are more or less the same. What will actually be different is the pricing products or services with brand names that are widely known will definitely cost or charge more. A business, no matter how small is linked to the economy as a whole. Te role different enterprises play in the economy is a factor of whether they are classified as profit and loss or as non-profit making enterprises. However, there exist differences between the two in that profit and loss organizations will always tend to emphasize on quality in order to maximize profits whilst in non-profit making organizations, the customers themselves will not be in a position to emphasize on quality since they are already paying far less than the true value of the commodity or service they are getting. It is the nature of the organization that finally determines what name will be given to the extra amounts remaining after costs as well as how it will be used. In some its called profit whilst in others it is revenue. The ‘Trickle down theory|; is more of a political than an economic theory. The theory posits that those opposed to equality in resource distribution tend to believe that resources should be bestowed on the rich so that it may in effect trickle down to the rest of the populace. The theory is a myth since economically one has to spend first so as to make an income. This spending comes in the form of say purchase of goods and services for sale as well as payments made for their delivery. The economic reality is thus exactly the opposite of the ‘Trickle Down effect. † CHAPTER 24: NON-ECONOMIC VALUES Economics is not a value in itself. Rather it compares values. The market on its part is a reflector of the people’s attitudes and actions as well as beliefs. The issue of the market with respect to moral and social values arises when the market is looked at from the angle of the impact it has on such issues. The society’s moral standards will determine how transactions are conducted in the market. Non-economic values in the market tend to introduce morality into business by defining words such as greed alongside maximization of profit for example and others. These non-economic values however put aside economic concepts like the laws of demand and supply that are used in price determination. These non-economic values are also one-sided since they tend to lean on the consumer’s side mostly whilst forgoing the seller’s side. However, greed cannot be termed to be a product of any particular economic system. Rather it is an intricate trait in all humans and which all have to cope with. The difference however comes with regard to how this greed manifests itself in the different economic systems and how it is controlled. The term greed is however neither adequate or fair in explaining the desire of the seller to make as much profit as possible out of the buyer nor the wish of the buyer to purchase the product with the highest quality at the lowest price. Greed is thus a two way concept which only looks at who is on the gaining end. Exploitation is another term that crops up whenever non-market values are mentioned. It can simply be said to be that which is beyond the acceptable as per the society’s moral standards. Exploitation is thus based on emotion and not the facts existing on the real world. The disparity between greed and exploitation comes in that whilst the former occurs in almost all types of economic systems, exploitation mostly occurs in monopolistic markets where no free competition exists and the buyer has no wide choice of commodities given the factor of the sole supplier. To regulate the above, the government may put in place regulations such as trade barriers, tariffs and quotas as well as value added tax or corporate taxes. Taxation by the government may however be considered as both greed and exploitation. Greed since even the poorest of persons in the economy pays taxes whether in the form of VAT or income tax and exploitation as the government enjoys a monopoly of taxing the people yet one may argue that the quality of services is not guaranteed. The market however takes into consideration many factors before pricing decisions are made. At times the employer for instance may be at the receiving end when the employee has a greater bargaining power or where the demand for services he/she can render is higher than what the market can supply. Here, both greed and exploitation come into play. In as much as governments try to control or maintain at a low the levels of exploitation and greed, the measures put in place might actually serve to make even worse the life of the consumers in cases where exploitation and greed did not exist before. The principle of fairness when looked at from the non-market values point of view carries with it two assumptions. First is that all individuals are playing by the same rules and secondly that all players have the same potential. However, these two may not hold as different individuals have different desires, priorities and thus derive different levels of utility from the same activity, commodity or service. Fairness doe not have a specific definition hence it is majorly those in power who are left to define what is and what is not fair. However, vested interests may underlie the making of such decision. Some groups may also be completely ignored in deciding what fairness is. Economics being majorly concerned with the distribution of resources and values tends to critic â€Å"unmet needs† of the society. Here, the decision of whether a government should carry out a project or not is a function of what has to be sacrificed in order to satisfy the unmet need. However, the existence or identification of an unmet need is not a justification of it to be met. CHAPTER 25: PARTING THOUGHTS The economic concepts and principles cannot all be listed given the imaginative nature of the human mind. However, in as much as new concepts and principles are being developed whilst older ones continue to be refined and refuted, the bottom line should be that they all ought to divorce from emotions which vary from human being to human being. Rather there ought to be basic concepts and principles that are followed by both new and old economic ideas. The above fallacies ought to carry precision in the use of words as well as clarity in order to ensure their true or intended ideology is achieved. A common feature of most economic fallacies is that they focus on the initial consequences of particular policies and not the long term effects of the same. Confusion thus results as focus is placed not on the benefits or effects of policies but rather on the objectives of such policies. The importance of economic principles supersedes their use in only economic factors. If keenly looked at, most things do have economic aspects in which economic principles ca be applied. Instead of focusing on the objectives of goals, of main concern should be the activities that will be pursued t achieve such goals, what the particular legislation or goal encourages and discourages, the regulations that will follow the attainment of the goal, the long term effects of activities aimed towards attaining the goal. Last but not least, we ought to look at similar goals that were attained in the past and the impact they had. In as much as economics carries many fallacies, a distinction should be made between what is practical and what is indeed a fallacy.

Organization development and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organization development and change - Essay Example Also the change management framework should be easy to implement and also cost effective. In order to implement changes in the organization the business leaders go for the introduction of various approaches like; Organizational Development (OD), Total Quality Management (TQM) and the Business Process Reengineering (BPR). The focus of this paper is to study the criteria’s required, for the successful implementation of OD in an organization, in order to bring about the desired Organizational changes. Some four decades ago, there emerged a new approach to organizational change, which came to be known as Organizational Development (OD). This concept considers organizational performance as a sum total of all the individual performances. OD is concerned with an approach towards change which looks forward to improve the performance of the organization by improving the performance of the people working in them. Individuals working in an organization are generally found to be the members of various groups. These groups range from the formal groups in their own departments to the informal friends groups. These groups are constantly interacting with each other and in many cases have been found to be interdependent and having significant role in the determination of organizational culture. The consultant or the change agent tries to use these groups so as to influence the organization culture for infusing the desired changes in the organization. The OD practitioners teach the leaders as w ell as the members such skills which enable the organization to solve its own problems. (Miller, 1999). The focus of the OD practitioners has always been to focus on the gap between the position where, the organization is currently functioning and the position where it wishes to reach. Laboratory Training: This began when Kurt Lewin was conducting a work shop on group dynamics at MIT. At the end of each day of the work shop the researchers used to discuss the

Praxis of Pastoral Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Praxis of Pastoral Counseling - Essay Example As the essay outlines  since individuals today are faced with major problems concerning their social status, it could not be avoided that most issues that are presented to the counselors are involved with the inability of the individuals to gain the things that they ought to gain from the society. Aside from this, the fact that the thoughts of human philosophy are not in full accordance with the principles of the Bible, Christian Counseling faces so much issues as to how it is considered effective by individuals who are expecting counseling assistance.  This paper discusses that the crisis in counseling procedures especially that of the Christian-based procedure of counseling is mainly focused on the practicality and the effectiveness of the said process of counseling. The fact that Christian Counseling is based upon the principles of the Holy Scriptures, and that not so many people believe in the power of the Bible nowadays, questions the power of the word of God to actually aid e individuals with their personal issues and thus be able to solve the said problems in a  Ã‚   more practical and effective procedure. However, through the effective application of the principles of the Bible in actual counseling procedures, these questions could be answered and thus prove the fact that the counsel from God’s word is indeed effective and useful for every believer of the truth.  Counselors are expected to have a special concern on how others are feeling. The emotional display of the situation that they are currently dealing with should be immediately noticed by the counselors. This ability is not at all innate.... g is to have faith that these particular guidance assistances could lead to the betterment of the situations that each individual deals with at present. While God is not at this time performing such direct miracles, Christians today find that if they 'do not waver in a lack of faith,' they, too, can enjoy success when they apply God's direction. Said Jesus: "All things can be to one if one has faith."(Mark 9:23) Since individuals today are faced with major problems concerning their social status, it could not be avoided that most issues that are presented to the counselors are involved with the inability of the individuals to gain the things that they ought to gain from the society (Culbertson, 2000, 10). Aside from this, the fact that the thoughts of human philosophy are not in full accordance with the principles of the Bible, Christian Counseling faces so much issues as to how it is considered effective by individuals who are expecting counseling assistance. (Culbertson, 2000, 262) The crisis in counseling procedures especially that of the Christian-based procedure of counseling is mainly focused on the practicality and the effectiveness of the said process of counseling. The fact that Christian Counseling is based upon the principles of the Holy Scriptures, and that not so many people believe in the power of the Bible nowadays, questions the power of the word of God to actually aide individuals with their personal issues and thus be able to solve the said problems in a more practical and effective procedure. However, through the effective application of the principles of the Bible in actual counseling procedures, these questions could be answered and thus prove the fact that the counsel from God's word is indeed effective and useful for every believer of the

Econimc Growth without Environmental Damage Essay

Econimc Growth without Environmental Damage - Essay Example However, action has to be taken immediately due to what happened in the past. Nevertheless, it does not matter at what stage of economic growth the country is at that moment. It has since been proven, as it will be seen later in the text, both economic growth and environmental conservation can run con-currently. Moreover, this occurrence has the ability to benefit economies financially and with greater gains than before if properly executed. The first and foremost way to deal with this situation is proper planning for the eventualities of economic growth. Since experience has given important lessons of what could happen if economic growth is not monitored, it is therefore, sensible to use this knowledge as an advantage. Planning for the environment should coincide with when policies for economic growth are made. Therefore, the tendency to pursue economic growth blindly without environmental policies and only clean up after it becomes affordable is avoided (Clapp & Dauvergne 352). Cou ntries should start concentrating on exploiting renewable sources of energy. This is especially for countries that have achieved considerable economic growth without regards to its effect to the environment. It will ensure continuing economic growth while environmental damage is greatly reduced (Vollebergh 34). For many countries and governments, this may be most convenient way and at times the only way to salvage the situation. Since the reality is that, many nations lack the financial ability to take a step towards environmental conservation at the expense of the economy. The message of sustainable development should be spread everywhere. It is natural that many governments will not be willing to tell its people to stop doing things that give them money as producers or pleasure as consumers (Sackman 50). However, by letting people understand the logic behind this idea, it will enable them to understand the connection between population growth, economic growth and environmental deg radation in that respect other than individually. The impact may not be drastic but will sink in with time and with experience. Consequently, people will be willing to sacrifice themselves in whatever way for the conservation of their environment, which in reality determines their comfort and better yet, their longevity. The quickest way to reduce environmental degradation is through public and private partnership through investing in research, development expenditure and human capital skills (Pearce & Barbier 32). The private sector has played a fair share and can even be said to have collaborated in destroying the environment as the government endeavored to create favorable conditions for investment so as to stir economic growth. It is also economical for economies that are not stable enough to initiate and sustain environmental programs before revenue begins to flow in again. The partnership should enable investment in technology that remedies or assists in remedying the current environmental situation in the world. There is also need for Technological innovation, invention and advancement that can assist in avoiding long and expensive procedures. However, it does not go unnoticed that there are some steps that have been made towards this direction. There are windmills and solar panels that enable large-scale harnessing of wind and solar power respectively; genetically modified crops, manufacture of environmental-friendly cars that use

Case Study analysis for Marketing Communications Essay

Case Study analysis for Marketing Communications - Essay Example Companies in business areas such as beer and cider as well as other beverages benefit from sponsorship of sports personalities, clubs and events as these are opportunities for highlighting the spirit of entertainment and social celebrations, which is one of the intrinsic values of the product. The company is launching its advertising campaign on a rolling regional basis, starting from Southern London England followed by Scotland. However, when entering a market as UK, which is not very large in its size, it may be more effective to plan a national campaign, which will utilize national TV, and Press backed by outdoor advertising. The largest poster may be an effective means of attracting attention but the exposure level of the location is limited to those who are traveling via Heathrow airport to Ireland. The cost effectiveness per exposure may question the effectiveness of this advertising tool. The product positioning currently being conveyed by the campaign focuses on the product’s naturalness, tradition and heritage. Although these aspects appealed to the nationalistic Irish public, it may not be an effective positioning to the British. The company to adopt the â€Å"Pint Over Ice† concept combined with the naturalness aspect of the C&C’s product. The key message should be â€Å"Pint Over Ice† which targets the popularity of serving beverages in draught form in UK. The concept of â€Å"Pint On Ice† should be promoted as an integrated message through TV Ads, Press, Bill Boards as well as on location promotions with serving demonstrations. As the key challenge is to change the image of the cider product in UK public’s mind, the marketing communications focus has to be on above the line TV and press advertising conveying the premium image. The company should extend its advertising activities to pub level with Point of Sales material and promotions to add excitement. By providing branded product premiums such as caps, key tags

American Literature before the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Literature before the Civil War - Essay Example From the start, however, the New England’s literature was also directed to the learning and instruction of the colonists themselves, planned to direct them in the godly ways (Hodge, 1907). The first work available in the Puritan colonies was the Bay Psalm Book which was done in 1640, and the whole attempt of the divines who wrote heatedly to set forward their views among them was Roger Williams along with Thomas Hooker. This was to defend and encourage visions of the religious state. They set out their dreams in effect the primary formulation of the idea of national fortune in a sequence of emotional histories from Edward Johnsons Wonder-Working Providence to the epic of Cotton Mather Magnalia Christi Americana. Puritan poetry was also offered consistently to the service of God. Michael Wigglesworths Day of Doom (1662) was candidly theological, as well as Anne Bradstreets poems, issued as The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America (1650), reflected her own piety (White and Rowlandson, 2009). The best of the Puritan poets, Edward Taylor, whose effort was not available until two centuries following his death, wrote metaphysical rhyme worthy of contrast with that of the English poet George Herbert. American historical literature, in a sense, is a literary face of the pious optimism of the Puritan request. The Puritans had the vision of living under an ideal order and worked with trust as well as courage to building a fresh Garden of Eden (White and Rowlandson, 2009). They therefore tended to view everything with a big quantity of optimism. The Puritans metaphorical style of insight brought American literary symbolism into form. To the devout Puritans, the material world was spiritual, nothing but a sign of God. The world, consequently, was one of numerous meanings. The Puritan style of writing is typically by simplicity. The Puritans have been detested for their severity and

Week 5 Q&A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 Q&A - Assignment Example Not adhering to this procedure leaves the police subject to the whims of the suspect being interviewed. The police will lack mechanisms to detect lies and misinformation in the absence of shreds of evidence to fall back on. Even circumstantial evidence may help the police in this case. According to Orthmann and Hess (2012), Enterprise theory of investigation is applicable to investigations on white collar cases since it treats spates of crimes committed by an individual as not being a solitary random crime, but rather, as being related to other crimes, to further other criminal organizations. Because of this, enterprise theory helps take down other players in crime at once, as opposed to apprehending smalltime members who are serving powerful players and organizations in crime. As it relates to law, by the term, fruit of the poisonous tree, it is meant, evidence obtained illegally and such, is inadmissible in the court of law, as was seen in the case, Nardone v. United States. The difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion is that the former refers to there being enough circumstantial evidence or evidence to warrant a search. In turn, reasonable suspicion is the notion that there is enough evidence or circumstantial evidence where reasonable assumptions or logical conclusions are made, to the effect that a crime has been committed (Orthmann and Hess, 2012). The potential pitfalls that can occur if the investigator does not adequately coordinate with the prosecutor before testifying are variable. Some of these pitfalls include: the misunderstanding of the implication of the evidence that has been adduced in the court of law; and the consideration of some (not all) (incriminating and exculpating) evidence. All these may lead to a travesty of

Memo Spiderman Essay Example for Free

Memo Spiderman Essay For this assignment I have chosen Spiderman. In the last movie of the trilogy, Spiderman turns into the Dark-Spidey by a symbiote that enters into his body and changes him.  When the symbiote attacks Peter Parker he at first feels more powerful. He turns black and acts without judgment. People still see him as Spiderman, so his new personality runs his body and runs the town he is supposed to be helping. Mary Jane and others start to notice the changes in him and alienate themselves from him. Eventually he returns back to regular Peter Parker and Spiderman. Normally Spiderman’s actions would just seem like a hiccup in his judgment. However, using the psychodynamic theory to analyze his actions, there would be a better explanation for his changes. Using the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego, the levels of Spiderman can be explained. Spiderman helps everyone in the city and with good intentions. He follows the rules, but still acts as a superhero. Spiderman in this case would be the Superego of Peter Parker. In the psychodynamic theory, a superego purpose is to uphold the moral rules of the social world. However, when he changes into the Dark-Spidey he lets out his Id. He acts out. Dark-Spidey wants to run the city for his own pleasure and does not think of others. In a Freudian perspective, the Id is a pleasure seeker. Peter Parker does not act out by any means. He works as a regular reporter for the Daily Bugle. Parker would be the Ego, by acting in accordance to the constraints of his life but still balancing his Id and his Superego. Although this example is completely fictional, this portion of Freud’s theory applies very well and makes sense. Most people will eventual let out their Id out, because they go for what they want when they want it. The theory cannot be tested, but fluxes in people show that the Id, Ego, and Superego do exist to some extent.

The relationships between happiness and money Essay Example for Free

The relationships between happiness and money Essay The Relationship between Money and Happiness If money doesn’t buy happiness, what does? Many people believe that having more money is going to make them happier in life, but does money really provide true happiness? After reading the passage â€Å"Yes, Money can buy happiness,† by John Tierney, explains that people are more often to be happier when they spend money on others rather than spend money on themselves. In my opinion many people believe having more money will make their lives happier and free of all worries. In my life money has provided food, clothing, and shelter our basics needs in life but I came to a conclusion where my satisfactory is not enough. I complain that I need more money and that it will solve all the solution to my problems. But in reality money is never going to be enough to buy my happiness in life, because the more we have the more we need and want. For example, I went shopping to the citadel outlets with my family, less than a few hours I spend about four hundred dollars. I looked at other people and I wish I had more money to spend in order to feel enjoyment and more satisfaction. Then, I look into my partner eyes and say to him, I realize with money you can become selfish, destructive and greedy but on the other hand it can help you discover a world you never knew because we all know money can open the doors to many objects in life. Such as, having the opportunity to explore the world, to have all the materials in life. Furthermore, I do agree that buying does bring happiness to everybody in that moment. After, that I disagree it would bring 100% happiness in life because money does not buy love, passion, pureness, and what life is all about. In the end it all depends on your approach to life and how you see money and the relationship with it.

Applications of Mathematics in Real Life

Applications of Mathematics in Real Life Applications of Mathematics in Real Life Situations 1.0 Application of Matrices Matrix concepts can be applied in various fields such as: Quantum Mechanics 3D Games Animations Cryptography and Others. We shall analyze the last one which is Encryption in further details. Encryption is indeed an important measure of security when there are transactions of data between parties. Firstly, we shall make use of the AB = X and B = A-1X concept, where the matrix A is the Encoder and the inverse of A is the Decoder. As messages are mainly sent in letters, we have a set a relationship between letters from the message and numbers in our matrix. For our example we will take the following relationship. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Space 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 1 0 Now let’s encode our message which is â€Å"BAD†. Referring to our relationship table, it becomes â€Å"3, 2, 5†. We decide for a coding matrix A, which can be 5 2 4 6 1 0 2 7 2 As it is a 3*3 matrix, we can encode 3 numbers at a time. Encrypting the first 3 numbers, 10, 0, 13 (Matrix B) using matrix multiplications: 5 2 4 3 39 6 1 0 2 = 20 2 7 2 5 30 39, 20, 30 becomes the Encrypted Message which should be decoded now using inverse of matrix A. Inverse of A = 1/73 12/73 -2/73 39 3 -6/73 1/73 12/73 20 = 2 20/73 -31/146 -7/146 30 5 Decoding the message gives us back 3, 2, 5 which can be referred back to the relationship table to get the message sent. Note: For this example We need to have a matrix A which does have an inverse, we need to cater for the blank – space hence we can allocate a â€Å"0† for it The coding matrix as well as the number letter relationship is independent that is for some other encryption A can be 3 while B is 4 and so on. Conclusion: Matrices do play a major role in not only Encryption of Messages to avoid misuse of data, but in other fields mentioned above as well. 2.0 Application of Statistics â€Å"We live in the Information Age†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a common saying in today’s world. It is a true fact as in our era as we make use of information in every field to be able to get an idea of what is actually happening and what we can do to not only to reduce problems of the past but devise ways and techniques for much proper less time consuming, less complicated, less costly and more beneficial processes to obtain output Statistics are the ways we can achieve the above by manipulating the data in their own ways to obtain a set of conclusions which will help us take many crucial decisions. We can also agree to the fact that indeed statistics are being used in many vast and important fields which will be illustrated below: Weather Forecast/Emergencies Precautions We make use of statistics to a very great extent in weather forecasting. This is so as almost every forecasting is based on data and information gathered from previous ones and in addition with other related data. For example: In reference to the amount of rainfall or cyclones obtained from previous years, we can have a close overview for the current year and hence take necessary precautions Medical Studies/Prediction of Diseases/Genetics Statistics have a huge role in medical fields nowadays. By referring to data and information on other past patients, we can learn more and extract new remedies and treatment not only to make the medical field prospect but help needy peoples. Also, using genetic data, some parents might come to know well before the coming problems with their expected children hence can prevent the possible problems accordingly. For example: Using information recorded from past patients suffering from a particular disease in a particular season, expected patients with the same disease can be protected using vaccinations well before. Politics To achieve a well organized political structure for the country’s well being, the potential people needs to be elected and based on their contribution, their work and their reputation on previous data, the obtain their chances to be candidates in next elections. Consumer Goods/Stock Market/Quality Testing Many wholesalers, retailers and even small scaled businessmen nowadays do keep tracks of both their purchases and sales which constantly being referred to be able to extract many important conclusions for better decision making and productivity. For example: If a certain commodity’s sales rises during a particular festive season, the businessman will know from statistics that he should have the item in stock for his own profit. In addition, it is crucial acknowledge what is happening in the economy of the country, hence statistics is a blessing here also as it gives us feedback and predictions for the future. Companies too use statistics to test whether their products are as per their customer’s wants and needs. To do so, they make use of product batches and hence it is time consuming for them to check for all the products. Conclusion: In the light of the above, we have seen that statistics are merely predictions; hence we cannot rely completely on statistics. However, they allow us to have better overviews of what is expected and hence we prepare accordingly to eliminate errors and mistakes. 3.0 Application of Regression and Correlation Regression and Correlation is used with sets of data, most commonly 2 sets of data to conclude about one main point, the relationship between the data. Regression deals mainly with the graphs of best fits for the data to be able to obtain the Correlation between them. Example: The Correlation: Positive Linear Correlation The study also includes the Correlation degree or measure namely the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, which lies between -1 and 1. Regression and Correlation is used in everyday life in various situations namely: In Businesses Firstly, to compare the previous sale figures such as to have better understandings for future sales. Moreover, companies are able to see how the varied prices on commodities have an effect on sales and clients requirements. Also, also the regression predictions will allow the companies to eliminate future problems and risk hence obtaining better business models with proper decision makings. In Regression Testing As defined by the Internet, Regression Testing is to verify that modified code does not break the existing functionality of the application and works within the requirements of the system. Therefore, it is a much easier and quicker way to find mistakes in systems to be able to implement new designed and modified ones. In Medical Fields According to Paul I. M. Schmitz (1970-1986), in the biomedical field, data in binary form such as disease/no disease or survival/death are very common. In these applications a multivariate normal distribution for the x-variables in both the disease group and the non-disease group was assumed. In pregnancy cases, the IQ of the unborn child is mainly based on predictions from regressions. Hence it is clear that regression played an important part in medical fields. In Education / Candidates Selection / World War Many institutions such as Harvard use regression models to be able to select the students that are eligible. Students also turn to counselors which uses the same techniques to predict the best school for the latter. For selecting best candidates for employment, companies do make use of regression methods. In the same way, during world wars, regression made it simple to pick the most capable soldiers to increase their winning chances. Conclusion: Like Statistics, Regression is of great importance when it comes to have predictions for the future to be able to make better decisions. 4.0 References Matrix Encryption [Online] Available from http://www.austincc.edu/lrosen/1314/webact2/webact2.htm [Accessed: 26th 29th November 2014]. Maths Worksheet Center [Online] Available from http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com/mathtips/statsareimportant.html [Accessed: 30th November 3rd December 2014] What Are Some Ways Linear Regression Can Be Applied in Business Settings? [Online] Available from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ways-linear-regression-can-applied-business-settings-35431.html [Accessed: 26th 05th November 2014]. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient [Online] Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearson_product-moment_correlation_coefficient [Accessed: 5th November 2014]. Numbers Numerical Methods For Bioscience Students [Online] Available from http://web.anglia.ac.uk/numbers/graphsCharts.html [Accessed: 7th December 2014] Testing Basic Interview Questions [Online] Available from http://testingbasicinterviewquestions.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-is-regression-testing-explain-it.html [Accessed: 7th December 2014] Regression Models [Online] Available from http://www.psychstat.missouristate.edu/introbook/sbk16m.htm [Accessed: 7th December 2014] Paul I. M. Schmitz. (1970-1986) Developments In Logistic Regression Methodology. 1.p.2.1 [Online] Available from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/860423_SCHMITZ,%20Paulus%20Ignatius%20Maria.pdf [Accessed: 7th December 2014]

HR Training Strategy :: essays research papers

Introduction Since the opening the market of the Bahrain telecommunication industry, it has gone through major structural changes. As with most opening of markets of former public companies, the government wished to see increased efficiency in the service of telecommunication. Nouradeen (2005) By opening the market, the government hoped that the incentive of higher profits would act as a reward for efficiency, meaning that more effort would be made in research and development of new techniques so as to make the service more efficient. In order to pass savings onto the consumer, the telecommunication companies would have to work under certain restrictions imposed by the government and the telecommunication regulator, (TRA), which were designed to prevent private monopolies exploiting the consumer. The aim of this project is to investigate to what extent the industry has changed since these changes were implemented and how the price of telecommunication to consumers has been affected by these changes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The opening of the market in this industry has seen Two main stages: Firstly, Batelco, a company which was effectively a monopoly ran from the 1960’s until the first step to opening the market in 2003. This stage on the road to opening the market was to introduce competition in direct supply for customers, thus introducing the idea of competition into the industry, allowing a small proportion of the market to be run to a certain extent by the market mechanism. By 2003 the telecommunication company was introduced mtc Vodafone and was set up to provide mobile services for the country. TRA(2003). This effectively meant that in a particular area of service a different company was in a position of to create competition to the sole provider in mobile services. (Which was regulated by the government). Akhbar Alkhaleej (14:2003) The question that I wish to answer is: - To what extent did the restructuring of the telecommunication industry affect the price of telecommunication to consumers and for what reasons did this occur? Economic Concepts The market for telecommunication in the Bahrain has undergone several important structural changes as outlined in the introduction to the coursework. Initially, before opening the market, the telecommunication market was a public monopoly which meant that although it had all of the features of a monopoly it was controlled and owned by the government and thus it was intended to provide the best price for the consumer. However, the idea of opening the market the industry was that the extra competition found in the market would allow the consumer to see a further fall in price, particularly as the competition should have increased finance of research and development and therefore increased efficiency in the market.

Free Essays on The Stranger (The Outsider): Freedom and Death :: Camus Stranger Essays

Freedom and Death in The Stranger (The Outsider)  Ã‚      In The Stranger (The Outsider), as in all Camus’ works, Camus’ views on freedom and death – one dependent on the other – are major themes. For Camus, freedom arises in awareness of one’s life, the every-moment life, an intense glorious life that needs no redeeming, no regrets, no tears. Death is unjustifiable, absurd; it is but a reintegration into the cosmos for a â€Å"free† man. Until a person reaches this awareness, life, like death, is absurd, and indeed, generically, life remains absurd, though each individual’s life can be valuable and meaningful to him. In a sense, The Stranger is a parable of Camus’ philosophy, with emphasis on that which is required for freedom. Meursault, hero of The Stranger, is not a person one would be apt to meet in reality in this respect; Meursault does not achieve the awakening of consciousness, so essential to freedom and to living Camus’ philosophy until the very end of the book, yet h e has lived his entire life in according with the morality of Camus’ philosophy. His equivalent in the Christian philosophy would be an irreligious person whose homeland has never encountered Christianity who, upon having it explained by a missionary, realizes he has never sinned. What is the morality, the qualities necessary for freedom, which Meursault manifested? First, the ruling trait of his character is his passion for the absolute truth. While in Meursault this takes the form of a truth of being and feeling, it is still the truth necessary to the conquest of the self or of the world. This passion is so profound that it obtains even when denying it might save his life. Second, and not unrelated to the first, is Meursault’s acceptance of nature as what it is and nothing more, his rejection of the supernatural, including any god. Actually, â€Å"rejection† of God is not accurate until later when he is challenged to accept the concept; Meursault simply has ne ver considered God and religion worthwhile pursuing. The natural makes sense; the supernatural doesn’t. It follows that death to Meursault also is what it is naturally; the end of life, cessation, and that is all. Third, and logically following, Meursault lives entirely in the present. The past is past and dwelling upon it in any mood is simply a waste of the present. As to the future, the ultimate future is death; to sacrifice the present to the future is equivalent to sacrificing life to death.

Dsm-Iv Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa DSM-IV Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa A) Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height. Weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make weight gain during period of growth leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected. B) Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat even though under -weight. C) Disturbance in the way one’s body weight or shape is experienced undue influence of body weight on self -evaluation or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight. DSM-IV) The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual contains 3 eating disorders Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Although Anorexia Nervosa (AN) will be the focus of this report it is worth noting the 3 disorders are very similar and in fact Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified is the name given to the disorder when only 1 criterion for AN is missing f or example if a patients weight loss is still in the normal range despite significant weight loss or if a patient still menstruates.Bulimia Nervosa is when the patient excessively over-eats and purges but does not experience significant weight loss. (Franco 2012) Main Symptoms The main symptom is extreme thinness that has no medical cause and usually a pre-occupation with food. AN seems like a physical illness when in fact it is a psychological one. Heart-rhythm disturbances digestive abnormalities bone density loss anemia and hormonal and electrolyte imbalances are the most common physical symptoms and in severe cases organ failure can lead to death.The patient will very rarely present to the Doctor for treatment alone due to denial of having a problem being an intrinsic part of the illness. Young patients will often be taken to the Doctor by a concerned parent with the usual symptoms being a sudden withdrawal from family or friends and a lack of interest in formerly enjoyed activi ties as well as significant weight loss. (Phillips 2010)Bulimia and AN go hand in hand with many overlapping symptoms such as disordered thinking. Up to 50% of patients with AN develop bulimia and a smaller percentage of patients who are initially bulimic develop AN. † (Franco) AN sufferers have an extremely distorted perception of themselves. Where others may see a once beautiful girl wasting away the patient may perceive that she is succeeding at looking after herself and has enormous self -control that others lack. (Watters 2010) Men or boys who have AN tend to have other psychological problems while women and girls are more likely to be perfectionist and displeased with their bodies. Dryden-Edwards 2012) Bio-Psycho-Social Factors AN is the most obvious physically but attempting to treat just the biological symptoms will have little long term effect. Studies suggest social factors are what cause AN and indeed AN is little known in non-industrialised countries that do not su bscribe to a Hollywood ideal of beauty which is easy to see is unattainable by the average person due to the unrealness of it. Not even the celebrities look like their on-screen personas in real life thanks to photo shopping and professional make-up artists.It’s good to see Australian teen magazines are helping their target audience develop a healthy body image by having something called â€Å"a reality check alert†. If the magazine is sent a celeb picture that has already been re-touched they will print a little disclaimer next to it reminding their readers it’s not natural. A healthy body image is the first step to preventing AN and Bulimia. Edward Shorter a medical historian working today believes that illnesses like AN â€Å"are a culturally agreed-upon expression of internal distress’.Richard Gordon writes in Eating Disorders-Anatomy of a Social Epidemic â€Å"Individuals with pre-existing mood or anxiety disorders or a whole host of under-lying ps ychopathologies or developmental vulnerabilities histories of sexual abuse or familial concerns with weight control may be pre-disposed to adopting such culturally sanctioned behaviours as modes of managing unbearable levels of distress. † (Watters 2010) This means that social factors are probably the most important aspect of why this particular illness developed but the propensity to develop a culturally specific disorder came from psychological issues.This does not make the illness any less real or deserving of medical care just that practitioners need to develop a care plan based on a holistic approach and recognise that the starvation is secondary to psychological issues. The quotes are not meant to downplay the role body image has in the illness but there may be more at stake than poor body image that the sufferer has poorly defined feelings of inadequacy that find a culturally recognised home in AN. AN has the highest incidence of suicide than any other mental illness an d sufferers are 32 more times likely than average to commit suicide. Butterfly Foundation) Past Treatment Anorexia-type symptoms began presenting to doctors in adolescent girls during the 1850’s at the height of the Hysteria epidemic. At first it was a strange manifestation of the well -known women’s illness (well known at the time-it has disappeared from the medical canon today) but by 1860 it was becoming common for young women to starve themselves. In 1873 the model for AN that we would recognise today became well known but with the name Hysterical Anorexia.Treatment was usually hospitalisation with Doctors reporting being perplexed that their patients did not seem to want to get well. Treatments in the 1970’s tended to conform to the medical model with enforced hospitalisation and force feeding. (Watters 2010) Today’s Treatment Today individual and family counselling is just as important as nutrition education. Many sufferers display perfectionist ten dancies so Cognitive Behavioral Therapy seems to be the most effective treatment in helping sufferers understand their irrational thought patterns.The average patient suffers from AN for 7 years and while 5% of the population may have AN at any time the illness has a 15%-20% mortality rate (Butterfly Foundation) which makes it the highest mortality rate of any mental illness so early detection and treatment is essential for a positive prognosis. Significant Behaviours One of the hardest behaviours for family and friends of sufferers to understand or come to terms with is the patients preoccupation with food but refusal to eat it.The sufferer shows signs of being compulsive when it comes to food working out how many calories each portion of food contains and devising a diet and slavishly sticking to it and punishing themselves if they eat too much for example an unplanned piece of birthday cake. AN sufferers are often addicted to exercise and will exercise up to 6 hours a day. AN suf feres necessarily have to lie to family and friends about their behaviour and this can create another level of strain on the patient as they are often high achievers and â€Å"good girls† and in fact sufferers redominately come from the middle and upper socio-economic classes and more often than not have high levels of academic success. (Dryden-Edwards 2012) Personal Qualities and Professional Skills As a case worker one needs to be prepared to work with family and friends of your client in a way that you may feel conflicts with confidentiality issues. The important thing is keeping your client alive while helping her find a psychiatrist or psychologist who can help her get to the bottom of the underlying issues.A lot of patience will be required on a personal level and if you feel the impulse to grab your client and shake her and cry â€Å"why won’t you eat dammit† perhaps a little research won’t go astray. The otherside to that is not to become too emot ionally involved. Hopefully her family and friends are a strong support but otherwise find out about support groups for your client but beware the â€Å"pro-ana† groups’ that are trying to turn an illness that claims many beautiful young people and turn it into a lifestyle choice. 1225 words References and Bibliography â€Å"Mum Please Help† Phillips Karen Webster Irina MD.Clearview Books 2010. â€Å"Crazy like us- The Globalization of the American Psyche† Watters Ethan. Free Press 2010 â€Å"Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology† Oltmanns Thomas F. Neale John M. Davison Gerald C. John Wiley & Sons 2003 â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa† Dryden Edwards Roxanne MD http:www. medicinet. com Retrieved 10/11/2012 â€Å"Eating Disorders† Franco Kathleen N. http: www. clevelandclinicmeded. com Retrieved 10/11/2012 â€Å"DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa† Taken from DSM-IV http: www. medicalcriteria. com Created 3/7/2005 Retrieved 10/ 11/2012 www. butterfly foundation. com Site dedicated to education about Anorexia

How does Shakespeare use language, structure and dramatic devices in Macbeth? Essay

How does Shakespeare use language structure and dramatic devices to create tension in the play? Shakespeare uses language, structure and dramatic devices to great effect to create and uphold the dramatic atmosphere throughout both scenes. These two scenes in particular are significant due to the fact that they show the characteristics of Macbeth change from a battle-hardened, honourable and combat-decorated warrior to an emotionally unstable, cowardly individual who is susceptible to other peoples’ coercive measures, namely his wife; Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seemingly talks to himself to portray the conflict currently raging away in his mind as whether to assassinate the King or not and reasons for and against such an action. The soliloquy is particularly effective in this manner due to its generic function being to create a better understanding of the thoughts within the subjects head, in this instance; the reluctance of Macbeth to kill Duncan and his reasons for such opinions. A soliloquy also creates a better audience-character bond and increases the emotional attachment felt by the audience for the character. In the soliloquy we are given several reasons as to why Macbeth is averse to committing regicide; one being his blood-relation with the King and his position as the King’s subject: â€Å"First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed†, he himself clarifying the two relations to be â€Å"strong† reasons against the potential act. Another is his description of such an act metaphorically as digging one’s own grave: â€Å"Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice To our own lips† foreseeing the potential consequences of his actions as being potentially fatal. Another justification to affirm his position is his description of King Duncan as a humble and efficient ruler: â€Å"Duncan Has very humble in the use of his power has been So confident in his great duty that his virtues Will pray like angels†. Effectively informing the audience that nothing can be gained from his usurping of power other than an increase in Macbeth’s own power. Lady Macbeth uses aggressive and manipulative language when conversing with Macbeth; this is maintained throughout both scenes to conserve her domineering feature over Macbeth and also uphold her large influential impact on him over making important decisions. The most important extract which clearly proves this point is arguably the defining moment of her character and we begin to see her as a fully-formed 3-dimensional and begin to see her â€Å"true colours†: â€Å"How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums and dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.† She is explicitly confronting him for his apparent cowardice due to his hesitant approach to the assassination by telling him that if she promised she would kill their baby (as a hypothesis) she would â€Å"dash his brains out† without reluctance ; using guilt as a means to persuade. This shows, more than ever, the vicious and violent side to Lady Macbeth as opposed to the unsure and hesitant Macbeth. Macbeth concedes to this powerful statement by asking a weak and meaningless question showing the audience that he has already succumbed to her will: â€Å"If we should fail?† This is answered by a rhetorical question: â€Å"We fail?† and again implying his cowardice by asking him to dig deep for his courage and they will not fail: â€Å"But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we’ll not fail.† And then goes on to tell Macbeth of her plan to assassinate the King by offering the King’s guards wine and eventually their memory â€Å"will be a wisp of smoke†, â€Å"Anything we can’t put off on His officers who are like sponges† and them taking the blame for their â€Å"great quell†. Lady Macbeth also puts his love for her into question as a means to coerce him into carrying out her demands: â€Å"From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour?† Which is a very devious albeit clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ statement from a female, questioning their partner’s love for them for them to spring into action reassuring them of their love and affection for them. Act 1 scene 7 would have generated great excitement for the Elizabethan audience at the time due to the gender-reversal of roles between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Social hierarchy put women below men in terms of authority in almost every aspect of every-day life in the 1600s whether they were peasants or nobles they would be deemed inferior and the males, more often than not, took the domineering roles and were deemed superior to their social counterparts. Lady Macbeth is seen to be the exact opposite of a typical Elizabethan woman: she is shown as cunning and cruel, cold and calculating which were all archetypal characteristics of males. This is proven by Macbeth’s reaction to her plan of assassination as he retorts with : â€Å"Bring forth men-children only, for thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males.† Indeed confirming that the characteristics possessed by Lady Macbeth were only to be found in men and men only. This response is in stark contrast to what our response would be as our orthodox perception of the characteristics of individuals are not based solely or majorly on gender and although a stereotypical view may still exist within some in modern-day society it is still not as deeply engrained into our perception of people as it was in the 17th century. Shakespeare has intentionally left out the murder scene of Duncan for the audience to recreate the scene in their minds as it would be infinitely better represented inside one’s head and would have a better impact rather than the simple shock of a few seconds of seeing blood and gore. This is due to one’s imagination being more able to represent such a scene and will increase the suspense and excitement for the audience. The conversation between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is portrayed as tense due to the short replies and questions between the two which help to build and maintain tension: â€Å"I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did you not speak?† â€Å"When?† â€Å"Now.† â€Å"As I descended?† â€Å"Ay.† This short exchange of words at a time when discussing the murder clearly shows the anxiety in the two characters and also creates an anxious atmosphere within the audience. From my analysis above I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare effectively uses language, structure and dramatic devices to maintain the drama where necessary, in this instance the two scenes which are pivotal to the whole play and consequently the most dramatic are filled with such features to maintain drama through unorthodox situations and characters, role reversal and aggressive language to name a few.

Human Communications Essay

Everyone has a slightly different style of communicating this is one of the things that make every individual unique. As we know communication is a two-way process and effective communication requires everyone involved to be able to express their own thoughts and messages and to understand the communication of others. In a way it is our job to ensure that we find ways of communicating language needs, preferences can be quite wide ranging, someone may require an interpreter or signer or someone else may need communication to take place in a quite environment and at a slower pace. We had a little girl who’s first language was welsh and luckily I am fluent and was able to assist her a lot in communicating with others, also we now have a parent who has partial hearing loss and I ensure that the environment is quite when we talk. When working with adults, we can ask them directly how to accommodate communication or work out for ourselves that a person cannot speak English. My twins have a friend in school who is Turkish and their mother struggles with English, we communicate by using Google translate on our mobile phones. It is also important to establish a level of formality required as not everyone wants to be called by their first name, some will prefer to make appointments rather than just â€Å"turn up†. It is also useful to be aware that written communications can be daunting for some people, a home-setting link book is a good idea, but you must check that the parents or carer’s are comfortable with reading and writing. With children it can be challenging to decide the best way to communicate, for example babies and young children will still be developing speech and so talking alone will not work. This is why we use facial expression and gestures to point at things, so that a baby or toddlers are more likely to understand what we are trying to say. We also need to learn to interpret what a baby of toddler is trying to communicate when crying or what a toddler is trying to express when gesturing to some objects.

Mba 2nd Sem Ass

Summer / May 2012 MBA Semester-2 MB0044: Production and Operations Management Assignment Set – 1 (60 Marks) Q1. What is meant by productivity? Write a brief note on capital productivity. Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of the system and looks at the economies achieved during the processes. Every process will have a number of contributors which help in achieving maximum productivity. The processes are: People, Machines, Facilitating goods, Ancillary equipments, and Technology.Each of these elements attempts to enhance the contribution of other elements. Opportunities exist at all stages of the workflow in the entire system to introduce measures for increasing productivity. However in actual manufacturing situations, the inefficiencies will have cascading effect in hampering productivity. Communication, effective review processes and innovative methods will ensure optimisation of resources. Building up reliability into the equipments, managing the supply chain to eco nomise on the cost factors improves productivity.Quality circles are very efficient in incorporating low cost and non-intrusive methods of improving productivity and quality throughout the organisation. Quality circles: †¢ Involve all persons who are actually involved in the production system and the information they elicit and bring about improvements that are highly cost effective †¢ Unveil creativity and encourage team work and bring about improvements almost on a day to day basis †¢ Bring continuous incremental changes in a harmonious way instead of dramatic changes †¢Encourage identification of possible failures and seek methods of preventing things going wrong Capital Productivity Capital deployed in plant, machinery, buildings and the distribution systems as well as working capital are the components of the cost of manufacturing. Demand fluctuations, uncertainties of SMU Roll No. XXXXXX production owing to breakdowns, and inventories being created drag the productivity down. Therefore, strategies are needed to maximise the utilisation of the funds allotted towards capital. The strategies included are: †¢ Outsourcing strategies †¢ Methods improvement †¢Balancing of workstations †¢ Quality circles †¢ Rationalisation of packaging methods SMU Roll No. XXXXXX Q2. (a) What is automation? (b) What are the kinds of automation? (a) Automation: Automation is the use of scientific and technological principles in the manufacture of machines that take over work normally done by humans. Figure shows a sample automation production process. Figure: Automation For services, automation usually means increase in quality and productivity using labour saving devices. Automation is ideal when the service provided or the product manufactured is highly standardised.Some extent of automation can be designed even with customisation, that is, product or services meant to produce or deliver low volumes specific to a requirement. The cos t per unit determines the extent of automation required. Automation systems cost huge sums of money and therefore, a deep analysis of the various factors has to be done. (b) Kinds of Automation: There are three kinds of automation: fixed, programmable, and flexible. 1. Fixed: By its very nature, fixed automation is rigid. They are designed for high volume production and their rigidity ensures less variability.They are not amenable to change in product or process. They need minimal human intervention. Examples: Oil refineries and chemical processing units. SMU Roll No. XXXXXX 2. Programmable: Programming devices enable machines to operate automatically. The machines have sensing and control devices that enable this. The simplest of them called machine attachments replace human effort. They guide, locate, move, and achieve relative positions by means of cams, optical sensing, and load sensing mechanisms and activate the controls to remove human intervention.Numerically controlled mach ines read instructions and convert them to machine operations. Computers are used for controlling one machine or a number of them and they have programmes written into them for operations. They are Computer Numerically Controlled or, for short, CNC machines. 3. Flexible: Robots are higher in the order of automation as they perform a variety of tasks. They are designed to move materials by holding them in their arms and making precise movements according to programmes written into the computers that reside in them.They simulate human actions. They can grip and hold tools with the help of sensors. These sensors are sensitive to touch and force to ‘know’ that the material is to be held with the requisite pressure for the conduct of operations. Vision sensors are used for inspection, identification and guidance. They use optics based instruments to gather data and feed them to the computers for activating the other parts of the robot. With the help of automation, 100% inspe ction of components can be done which ensures highest quality.Identification and movement of materials are helped by bar codes which are read and fed into the system for monitoring quantity, location, and movement. They help the automated systems to sort information and provide information for effecting any changes necessary. To make effective use of automated machines, we need to have the movement of materials from and to different stations as also stores, automated. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), receive orders for materials from anywhere in the production area, collect materials and deliver materials to the workstations.Computers and information systems are used for placing orders for materials, giving commands and adjusting inventory records which show the location and quantity of materials available/needed. Continuous updating gives a clear picture for all concerned to enable them initiate action to keep the throughput smooth. Automated Guided Vehicle Systems ( AGVS) like pallet trucks and unit load carriers follow embedded guide wires or paint strips to reach destinations as programmed. SMU Roll No. XXXXXX Q3. What are the factors that influence the plant location? General factorsThe general factors that influence the plant location are listed below 1. Availability of land: Availability of land plays an important role in determining the plant location. Many-a-time, our plans, calculations and forecasts suggest a particular area as the best to start an organisation. However, availability of land may be in question. In such cases, we will have to choose the second best location. 2. Availability of inputs: While choosing a plant location, it is very important for the organisation to get the labour at the right time and raw materials at good qualities.The plant should be located: †¢ Near to the raw material source when there is no loss of weight †¢ At the market place when there is a loss of weight in the material †¢ Close to t he market when universally available, so as to minimise the transportation cost 3. Closeness to market places: Organisations can choose to locate the plant near to the customers’ market or far from them, depending upon the product they produce. It is advisable to locate the plant near to the market place, when: †¢ The projection life of the product is low †¢The transportation cost is high †¢ The products are delicate and susceptible to spoilage †¢ After sales services are promptly required very often The advantages of locating the plant near to the market place are: †¢ Consistent supply of goods to the customers †¢ Reduction of the cost of transportation 4. Communication facilities: Communication facility is also an important factor which influences the location of a plant. Regions with good communication facilities viz. Postal and Tele communication links should be given priority for the selection of sites. 5.Infrastructure: Infrastructure plays a prominent role in deciding the location. The basic infrastructure needed in any organisation are: †¢ Power: For example, industries which run day and night require continuous power supply. So they should be located near to the power stations and should ensure continuous power supply throughout the year. SMU Roll No. XXXXXX †¢ Water: For example, process industries such as, paper, chemical, and cement, requires continuous water supply in large amount. So, such process industries need to be located near to the water. †¢Waste disposal: For example, for process industries such as, paper and sugarcane industries facility for disposal of waste is the key factor. 6. Transport: Transport facility is a must for facility location and layout of location of the plant. Timely supply of raw materials to the company and supply of finished goods to the customers is an important factor. The basic modes of transportation are by Air, Road, Rail, Water, and Pipeline. The choice of loc ation should be made depending on these basic modes. Cost of transportation is also an important criterion for plant location. 7.Government support: The factors that demand additional attention for plant location are the policies of the state governments and local bodies concerning labour laws, building codes, and safety. 8. Housing and recreation: Housing and recreation factors also influence the plant location. Locating a plant with the facilities of good schools, housing and recreation for employees will have a greater impact on the organisation. These factor seems to be unimportant, but have a difference as they motivate the employees and hence the location decisions. Special factors The special factors that influence the plant location are: . Economic stability – outside investments 2. Cultural factors 3. Wages 4. Joint ventures – support of big time players SMU Roll No. XXXXXX Q4. Explain about the seven basic quality control tools. Remaining answers are availabl e in the full assignments. For full assignments contact us: Global Education Rajdeep: 098662 48187 / 077958 40110 Email: [email  protected] com / global. [email  protected] in Website: www. smuassignments. com The diagonally marked watermark (Sample Assignment of smuassignments. com) will not appear in the paid assignments. SMU Roll No. XXXXXX