The Blindside

The blindside movie versus the book Robert ward Chowan University This paper was prepared for [critical thinking 102, section c], taught by Professor Collins Blindside truths and lies In the movie the blindside there are many truths and differences from the book. Some of them more evident than others. In this movie/book critique I will explain the many truths and lies, to better explain the real story of Michael oher.Some key examples of the truths are the truth of big mikes parents; also what are the toughys real professions. Key examples of lies between the two stories would be how the toughys actually discovered big mike, was Michael really a timid player as portrayed in the movie, and did mike really throw a rival player a fence in a high school game. The Blind Side true story reveals that Michael’s birth mother had been addicted to crack cocaine. (ChasingtheFrog. om, 2013) this was also clearly stated in the movie, just like mikes father which in the movie we learn he was murdered but in the book we learn in detail that he was shot and thrown off an over pass. (The Blind Side: Evolution of Game 2012). other than the truths about big mikes real parents we also learn about the toughys. In reality Leanne was actually an interior decorator who eventually helped Michael decorate his own house. Sean toughy was also an owner of a major fast food chain.One of the most disputed facts was when in the movie did Michael ever have a bed to himself. We learn from a comparison of the book and movie that is was truly stated that until moving in with the toughys Michael had never had a bed to himself being he had eleven other siblings growing up. There are actually a lot of similarities in the movie and the book but most are very small and not easily noticed. What you have to understand when looking at a movie or reading a book based on the same story is that it is basically impossible to have everything due to the facts that they are ortrayed by two different direc tors perspectives , and a movie can’t last nearly as long as a book. There are many false truths about the blindside either to make a better story or the actual truth was not known at the time the movie was created. One example would be who was the first family member to make contact with Michael. In the movie we find that big mike was first approached by Leanne when she spotted him walking in the rain at night. The book says that sean senior saw him Collins volleyball game picking up old popcorn.The actuality is that Collins noticed the large man mike and told her father who began to pay for mikes lunch when he realized he did not have the money to buy it himself. Another example would be did mike actually fight in hurt village as seen in the movie. The truth is that was false to he did fight but the person who he fought was a teammate at ole miss. The reasons for the fight are the same though. Works Cited ChasingtheFrog. com. (2013). Retrieved march 3, 2013, from Chasingthe Frog. com: http://www. chasingthefrog. com/reelfaces/blindside. php

Loren Inc

Case Study Format Program: Supply Chain Management Extension Certificate Case Study Format & Methodology You must use this format to prepare your case study analysis and recommendations for course assignments. Organization Background This section provides the context for the issue / organization being examined. It is necessary and important that the class be given a feel for the type of organization and industry being examined, the marketplace in which that industry operates, and the overall business environment in which the discussion and analysis will take place.Defining the Issue It is extremely important that the Learner / group clearly articulate what the problem / situation is to the class. It is essential that the immediate issue / situation, and other broader issues being examined, relate specifically to Supply Chain Management (SCM) material or service related issue(s). The key concern(s), problem(s), decisions(s), challenge(s) or opportunity (ies) must be clearly articulate d and detailed in order to ensure that the remainder of the discussion is meaningful and actionable.This issue(s) / situation must clearly be important to the organization, a source of major competitiveness or significant profitability / loss. The urgency of the situation must also be clearly articulated. Analyzing Case Data This is where a considerable part of the discussion should be contained: causes and effects (i. e. fishbone diagrams); constraints and opportunities; and, quantitative and qualitative assessments.People, materials, methods, equipment, money, and other factors all lead up to effects that must be examined and determined to be valid or invalid. From there, constraints or opportunities which will impact the analysis need to be examined and factored in to possible courses of action. Decision Criteria It is imperative that criteria be clearly established against which all possible alternatives will be measured or compared against. These criteria provide the basis for evaluation and assessment. They can be classified as quantitative as well as qualitative.Such criteria may include: profit; cost; return on investment (ROI); market share; capacity; risk; and / or, cash flow, to name a few. Qualitative criteria may include: competitive advantage; customer satisfaction; employee morale; corporate image; ease of implementation; synergy; ethics; safety; and / or goodwill, to name a few. There may be other criteria that the Learner / group have determined are essential to the decision making process. Ensure that the criteria chosen are clearly articulated and described.Alternative Analysis and Evaluation Each alternative must be clearly identified. The key advantages and disadvantages of each alternative must be listed and thoroughly discussed. The compare and contrast (pro and con) assessments of each alternative must be done against the decision criteria previously listed and discussed. A matrix format may be used in order to more accurately compare e ach of the alternatives. If multiple decision criteria are being used, weighting of each of the criteria must be applied.It is also important to look at the short and long term results of each alternative, and to assess the best, the worst, and the most likely outcomes for each alternative. Qualitative and quantitative analysis will be required. It will also be necessary for the student to use the various supply chain management tools and techniques learned throughout the certificate program to determine those possible outcomes.  © Mount Royal University Continuing Education, Supply Chain Management Extension Certificate, 2013 1 Action and Implementation PlanBased on the predicted outcomes and the comparative strengths and weaknesses of each alternative, the most logical conclusion and alternative should be the one selected by the Learner / group. However, a combination of alternatives may be the more reasonable approach, utilizing the strengths of various alternatives and elimina ting, where possible, the weaknesses of the selected alternatives. The proposed actions and implementation plan must minimize the disadvantages while taking advantage of as many of the strengths as possible.The action plan must be specific and include: who, what, when, where, and how. A contingency plan would also be useful in case things do not go as expected. The implementation plan should include a set of milestones and a schedule for everyone to measure their success against. Assumptions, Presentation & Organization It is important for the Learner / group to clearly identify all assumptions being made when they have been used, and to clearly articulate why case data was unavailable and / or not used.This reflects real life where not all of the information is available to make the most accurate decision possible. If the assumptions are not exactly correct, the implementation plan and contingency plan must be flexible enough to be able to react to any necessary changes. All assump tions used must be reasonable and be as â€Å"true-to-life† as possible.  © Mount Royal University Continuing Education, Supply Chain Management Extension Certificate, 2013 2

Academic Journal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academic Journal - Article Example On the other hand, the US Commercial Services identifies Saudi Arabia as the country with the fastest growing market in terms of security equipment and technology, especially surveillance cameras, consequently accounting for 12% of the world’s security equipments sales (qtd. in Alhadar and McCahill 317). With a look into the operations of surveillance camera system in Crescent Mall in Riyadh, this article addresses fundamental questions arising from the use of this technology in Riyadh and largely in Saudi Arabia. As noted by Marx, current surveillance â€Å"monitors not individual suspects, but geographical places, time periods and entire categories of persons† (qtd. in Alhadar and McCahill 325). However, this new surveillance takes a different perspective once religion and social morals take centre stage as proved Crescent Mall in Riyadh. In this regard, the main target of surveillance becomes men suspected of courting women instead of drug users and other social deviants in a western-like surveillance set-up. In addition, there is a theocratic approach when the surveillance targets those who do not attend prayers. Cultural norms and traditions shaped the response of the security systems in the mall. Case in point, a patrol security officer once directed by the surveillance operator to two elderly women sitting on the floor failed to take action on them since as Alhadar and McCahill noted, â€Å"Saudi cultural norms dictate that elderly people should be treated with respect and consideration† (322). In this case, traditional beliefs played an integral role regarding carrying out of surveillance. On the other hand, the attitudes of the observers played a crucial role in monitoring visitors at the mall especially the women who wore veils. The attitudes are of crucial importance since wearing veils did not prevent women from talking and interacting with men who were not their kin as the Saudi traditions and values

Islamic Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Islamic Art - Research Paper Example The main topic of the essay "Islamic Art" is the profound analysis of islamic architectural style and mosques in particular. For example, The Selimiye Mosque (1569-75), an Ottoman mosque in the city of Edirne in Turkey, has been one of the most magnificent illustrations of Islamic architecture and the mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II. Selimiye has been the most important monument in the historic city of Edirne, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the conquest of Istanbul. In conclusion the author considers that, a reflective exploration of the various processes in the construction of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne confirms that it is one of the most magnificent illustrations of Islamic architecture in general and Ottoman architecture in particular. It is the masterpiece by the celebrated Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan who has been effective in both outdoing the size and grandeur of the venerable Byzantine monument and in continuing a dialogue with his own Suleymaniye Mosque that was built twenty years earlier. In a profound understanding of the architectural and technological quality of this magnificent mosque, one comes to recognize why most modern historians regard it as the culminating achievement of Sinan’s distinguished fifty-year career as the chief architect of the Ottoman court. In short, the Selimiye Mosque can best be considered as the most important mosque in the city of Edirne which is well-known for its mosques, the elegant domes and minarets.

Exam qusetion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exam qusetion - Essay Example Laws in common law however can be repealed and amended by parliament. Duress is a defence against all crimes with the exception of murder and attempted murder. The prevailing circumstances matter and determine when duress can be used to exonerate one of their wrongdoings. The threat must: be to death or serious injury, be directed against the defendant or his immediate family or someone close to him, neither emanate from actions the defendant voluntarily did nor circumstances that the defendant voluntarily put himself in and inescapable by any reasonable means. The crime against which one seeks to use duress as a defence must be a directly caused by the threats to the person. The above criteria present a lot of problems to the defence of duress. First is the subjective nature of most of the criteria. The perception of the actor is key to the actions they commit and what accounts as serious injury to one person may not be so to another. Levels of fortitude, self-sacrifice, altruism and perception of danger vary from individual to individual and have no reasonable measure or an objective benchmark. The requirement that the threat be of serious injury is of essentially ambiguous and thus may be valid or invalid depending on the individual under duress. This ambiguity and subjectivity also apply most of the other criteria and thus denying the defence of duress to any and all individuals without appealing to the prevailing circumstances is clearly unfair. The courts do not recognise duress if the court determines that the harm done is superior to the perception of harm to be caused by threats and this is tested in two ways; questioning whether the defendant acted as they did because they honestly believed the harm of the threat to be serious and questioning whether a reasonable person of typical courage and having similar characteristics to the defendant would have acted in the same manner. Clearly these two criteria do not

Reflection on Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection on Leadership - Coursework Example Such a position demanded a competitive individual with high potential leadership, in training, experience and passion. The organisation was at the pioneer in an already saturated market. To maintain the position was receiving challenges daily and required leadership with a vision and mission as lain down in the organization’s statements. For this reason, desperate job seekers were not to be entertained in the application for the position, which made it vital to inform the interested persons through the job advert about particulars of the position. Secondly, it is a requirement legally with the consequence of familiarising the potential candidates with information relevant to their job, as well as, their expected responsibilities (Torrington et al. 2005). With this regard, the organisation had no choice but to follow the legal requirements. On this note, it is necessary to reflect on the nature of leisure centre undertakings, as there are scores of organizations offering such s ervices, but in illegitimate grounds. Such organisations stretch their operations to compromised levels, a fact that the general public is aware of. To avoid any suspicions and any doubts on the part of our potential candidates for the job offer, we had to lay down the job expectations. Lastly, the job description was an indispensable tool to us as the pioneers of the organisation. At the drawing board, we realised that, by describing the job to be carried out by the management we wanted to employ in the organization, it simplified the task of putting down the information needed by the job advertisement. Equally, the job description went deeper than just the title level; it enhanced the possibilities of obtaining competitive candidates (Torrington et al. 2005). At this point, it became handy to give the description of the job as Sports Facilities Manager in the sports department. The location of our organisation was also provided as Hatfield. Moreover, the responsibilities of the ma nager were provided as responsibility of supervision and management of our organisation besides assisting in the creation and development of the Leisure centre’s annual budget. With duties of facility planning, Inclusive of facility redesign, constructions, buying or selling together with leasing of sports facilities and supervision of the facilities, the manger had to be experienced. The manager was to be custodial over crews and staff, as well. There was the need to maintain clarity in the selection criteria to be subjected to the candidates so as to prevent hesitant selection decisions. In addition, explicit selection criteria assist in defining the most suitable procedure as well as the approach to the selection process. Therefore, at this juncture, it was necessary to compare the available theories in the selection criteria. In our case, selection criteria that are typically obtained in the nature of a person specification according to Torrington et al. (2008), was worth y to note. This was because person specification offers another recruitment’s key document aside of the job description. The crucial note with the personal selection criteria is its ability to define the ideal candidate profile negating the characteristics that could never be met fully. In agreement with Porter,

Should the government intervene in the OTC markets, pros and cons and Research Paper

Should the government intervene in the OTC markets, pros and cons and US versus Canada - Research Paper Example Securities traded in this market are not listed on the organized stock exchanges such as the Nasdaq Stock market. Some securities that are traded in the over the counter markets include common stocks, bonds, and derivatives such as forward contracts and interest rate swaps. OTC market is conducted through brokers and dealers thus is a negotiated market where trading is carried out through computer systems and telephone conversations (Poitras 61). The securities traded on OTC market are usually small since the issuers have not met the listing requirements. Though Nasdaq trades through a network of dealers, it is not an OTC market but an organized stock exchange market where trading is carried out on the floor (Poitras 73). Each year, billions of dollars are exchanged in the OTC market. OTC market mainly consists of derivative financial assets such as the forward contracts, interest rate swaps and options. The derivative market has experienced a phenomenal growth since 2000. Derivative instruments were designed for the agricultural industry to hedge the farmers against crop failure, or expected price movements. Derivative contracts have been extended to the main sectors of the economy including oil industry, gold markets and financial sector. Derivatives have the potential of hedging against unforeseen risks and price moments but are subject to abuse by greedy investors (Wood 67). The Commodity Future Trading commission has the mandate of regulating the derivatives market including derivatives traded in the stock exchanges. The derivatives traded in the exchange markets account for $ 334 trillion each year meaning the value of the underlying assets involved is also $ 334 trillion. The main derivatives in the exchange markets are options and future contracts. However, most of the derivative instruments do not trade on the exchange markets, but are transacted in the OTC market. Each year, $ 684 trillion of underlying assets are traded in the OTC market where most of the derivative assets traded include the interest rate swaps, currency swaps, credit default swaps, commodity indexes and exchange rate swaps (Madura 90). Derivative contracts have one similar feature since their value depends on the price movements of the underlying asset (Wood 87). The underlying asset may be a physical commodity or a stock market index or the rate of interest prevailing in the mar ket. Derivative instruments such as options, swaps and future or forward contracts lose or gain value as the underlying asset changes in value even though the holder of the derivative may not be the owner of the underlying asset (Madura 117). Millions of business firms use the derivative instruments to manage foreign exchange risks. Firms protect their profitability against the raw material price increase by entering in to a derivative contract that automatically increases in value when price of the raw material increase. For instance, Southwest Airlines managed to purchase jet fuel at lower prices in 2008 when the energy prices were soaring since it had entered in to a derivative position (Madura 198). Generally, there are two categories of derivative contracts. The first is the option contract that providers the option holder the choice of buying or selling the underlying asset over a certain period of time. The other is the future contract, this contract obligates the holder to b uy or sell the underlying asset on the expiry of the contract period. All other derivatives such as options and swaps have evolved from the above two derivative contrac

Analogies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analogies - Essay Example A disease that has very devastating effects on an individual is bound to change that specific individuals biochemistry. The assumptionis that, if a person has a severe disease like PKU, there would have to be some alteration in some of the chemicals handled in the body. All of the bodys chemical courses precede, particular metabolic pathway or route. A Los Angeles freeway system analogy could be applicable in this case. If an accident occurs in Anaheim, traffic may flock in downtown Los Angeles. After a while, substitute roads begin to become operational and the traffic starts to move again but at a slower pace. If the number of cars taking different alternate routes were measured, it would be possible to pinpoint precisely where the accidentoccurred. By use of this analogy, the chemicals eaten as food are the traffic and proceeds along marked major highways known as metabolic pathways until an accident ensues. The accident could bean infectious disease, a mutation, or even a vitamin deficiency. Consequently, after the accident, the traffic courses of molecules are averted onto the slow alternate routes as a substitute of the twelve-lane superhighway. The individual with the slow flow of molecules is alive however, may not be as operational as individuals who has all the metabolic highways are open. The bottleneck with using thi s highway analogy is that; supposing certain freeways were not even registered on the highway map since the people who amassed them were not from town and did not know about them. Overall, analogies are effective strategies for communicating complex materials and concepts and a person with little knowledge of the functionality will easily

Employee privacy on computers in the workplace Research Paper

Employee privacy on computers in the workplace - Research Paper Example Such policies mean that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to define where personal privacy and eavesdropping laws end and the rights of the employer being with respect to monitoring any and all forms of electronic communication that the employee might engage in while employed. Accordingly, the purpose of this essay is to provide a thoughtful commentary on key issues relating to privacy and employer rights with respect to the issues at hand. Furthermore, the analysis will seek to raise some key questions with reference to what the technological development evidenced within the past few years portends for the employment frontier. Firstly, it should be understood that the technological development that has taken place within the past few decades has made a profound and lasting impact on the way that firms surveil and monitor their employees. Prior to this technological revolution, the ways in which an employer could surveil an employee legally were quite limited. Privacy laws d ictated that electronic eavesdropping by means of a microphone or the use of a hidden camera was illegal. As such, the level to which an employer could ethically, morally, and legally gain a degree of inference with regards to what activities and thoughts the employee shares within the company, among personal friends, or any other such activities is brought clearly into focus. The true crux of the matter is not the fact that the employer will be able to gain a high degree of inference with regards to the potential unethical or illegal activities in which the employee might be engaging; rather, it has been proven statistically that a high percentage of emails and correspondence that are done at work are of a personal nature. Naturally, such correspondence put a burden on the sender to understand and realize that the privacy of these communications is suspect due to the terms of the confidentiality agreement and terms of electronic communications that they have agreed to; however, the re is a small degree of moral burden on the part of the employer as well to actively seek to purposefully disregard such personal conversations as long as they do not represent a breach of contract or any form or manifestation of illegality (Detterman 980). Yet, the issue with such an approach hinges upon the fact that the employer will not be painstakingly reading each and every correspondence generated by the employee. Unfortunately, privacy laws or ethical considerations cannot guarantee that this will not be the case. Although this essay has spoken primarily about the privacy concerns that employees might experience as a function of having their employer read their correspondence, it would be remiss of this author to discuss this situation fully without offering advice for a simple way in which the employee can work to avert many of the negative repercussions of over-aggressive privacy policy (Evans 1116). Once the employee signs on the dotted line and accepts the fact that the employer can monitor their activity and communication via the devices that are utilized within the workplace setting, virtually no privacy whatsoever exists within these mediums. As such, it is the strong recommendation of this author that the employee be ever-mindful of the lack of rights they possess while utilizing the employer’

Written Response of Current Ethical Issue Assignment

Written Response of Current Ethical Issue - Assignment Example Probing of in-depth events surrounding his deaths reveals that the University failed to acknowledge contributing to his suicide, but attributed it to different factors (Silverman, np) The issue is of great concern to both the public and research Department in Minnesota University. In essence, it raises many issues with reference to ethics and how the institution is dedicated and concerned about the subjects they use in research. Additionally, it does elicit concerns on how the Department of Human Research Protection conducts it activities, with close insistence of research ethics such as confidentiality, truthfulness, justice, veracity, beneficence and consent approval Being a member of the research body panel in the university, I would insist of detailed investigations with immediate effect. Concisely, failure to win the trust of the public remains at the verge of affecting future research works. If elements of ethical compromise are revealed from the investigations, the university should reveal and admit it all. Heavy compensation should be made to the victim families, and the report made public with full assurance on

Political Power Essay Example for Free

Political Power Essay A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do. Does this sum up the essence of political power? Political analysis can be defined quite simply as the analysis of the nature, exercise and distribution of power.1 This argument is criticised of being too broad, excluding almost nothing, nevertheless it is reasonable to argue that power is the central theme which lies throughout the study of politics. Therefore defining the concept of power is one of the crucial things in the study of politics consequently it is often contested and can never be agreed among the scholars. This essay will focus on so-called the faces of power controversy in the post war period. First of all, the idea which consists of the first and basic part in interpreting power will be introduced. Then what its critiques argue and their flaws will also be discussed to draw the conclusion how far the argument A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do reflects the essence of power. The faces of power debate was raised from different theoretical traditions and approaches to political analysis. Basically the argument is about whether the concept of power is simple and quantifiable or it is rather complicated and intuitive concept which cannot be measured. Lukes2 acknowledges that this concept can never be settled. Alternatively he accepts the broad definition of power as As ability to get B to do what he or she would not otherwise have done but tries to highlight 3 different ways in which A can influence Bs behaviour: decision-making, agenda-setting and thought control. The one face of power power as decision-making was suggested by Dahl in the early post war years. The thesis put forward above was originally proposed by him and this one-dimensional view of power was significant and influential in 1950s. Power is somehow about getting things done, and is therefore most clearly reflected in decision and how they are made.3 For Dahl, in order to find out power relationship, three steps are needed. First, a number of decision areas are selected and then the actors involved in that decision and their interests are figured out. Finally by comparing the decisions made and the actors preferences, the power relationship can be revealed. In this sense power is understood as a concept which can be simplified and quantified. A clear example was shown in?Political Analysis?: Anna buys Bens car for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500 which is actually worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½800 and both of them are aware of the real value. In this case, Annas power has been exercised over Ben in terms of decision-making since this decision would not have been the case if he had an influence in the process. One of the critical assumptions here is that the actors involved are fully aware of the information. Anna could have made this deal without exerting power if Ben did not know the real value. This argument of power as a decision-making does often make sense in tripartite political system where a number of different parties exercise their influence on controversial issues. In this case it is obvious to see the frequency of a particular partys preference coincides with the final decision. Thus, how far they have influence on decision-making can be understood in terms of their political power. However Dahls argument faces critical attack in a sense that it too focuses on its narrow concept of power in decision-making. First of all, since only the key decisions are studied, it raises the problem of how far we are capable of distinguishing key issues and routine issues which are often ignored. Moreover, it does not take the potential power into account. In this manner, the power which is not exerted cannot be regarded as power. For instance, some business groups would not be concerned with the welfare issues until they realise the increased burden for welfare tax. Then it might be possible for them to begin exercising their power which has not been exercised without any explicit need for it. Also as assumed from its name, it only uncovers one face of power ignoring other circumstances in which decisions are prevented from happening, the area of non-decision-making.4 This gave a rise to the second face of power argument by Bachrach and Baratz. According to their view, power should be understood as agenda-setting which is the two dimensional approach. Power might be manifested not only in doing things but also in ensuring that things do not get done.5 What they basically insist is that power is exercised in choosing what should be involved in formal discussion and what should not be. In other words, who holds the power needs to be understood in agenda-setting process before the actual decision-making process. In this way, they have broadened the boundary in the concept of power. This kind of approach is well shown in the liberal democratic system where parties are seen as the medium of representing a particular preference on issues. However they can actually block a certain kind of issue to be discussed by disregarding it or make an agreement not to raise the issue. It is difficult to quantify the concept of power from this approach nonetheless not impossible. Thus they agree with the one-dimensional approach in a sense that there should be observable and demonstrable evidence of power relationship between the one who exercise power and the other who are subject to the power. However the attempt to limit the concept of non-decision-making to observable behaviour is entirely arbitrary6 since it does not take in the case in which the subordinated do not recognise themselves as being subordinated. Consequently this problem gave a rise to the third-dimensional view introduced by Lukes. According to his argument, the basic assumption of the above two views is not quite right. What people believe as their interests does not necessarily mean their real interests. The ability of A to exercise power over B, not by getting B to do what he would not otherwise do, but, by influencing, shaping or determining his very wants'7 What is meant here is that power lies in shaping peoples consciousness rather than their actions. In other words, without forcing them to do something visibly it is possible to make them do regarding that as natural and beneficial for them. This can be true where peoples preferences are often influenced by social experiences such as culture, education and media and these can be manipulated by those who have the power. In this way it naturally leads to the concept of false consciousness which reflects the idea that people are prevented from recognizing the fact of its own exploitation8 However Lukes argument also faces severe criticism. Back in the example of Anna and Ben, the critical point is not in the fact that Anna forced Ben to do something that he would not otherwise do, but in the fact that Ben behaved in a way which is contrary to his genuine interest. This raises a problematic point that who is to know Bens real interests. In effect, It is impossible to argue that peoples perceptions and preferences are a delusion, that their felt needs are no their real need, without a standard of truth against which to judge them.9 In this sense this debate become meaningless since there is no scientific method which to prove and make an absolute judgement over this. Furthermore it is contested that nobody is capable of distinguishing the autonomous decision based on real interests and the one based on felt interests being manipulated from powerful. To conclude, the debate over the concept of power has been developed from the shallow one dimensional understanding to a more intuitive and complex three dimensional one. It cannot be said that the effort of developing it into more sophisticated form has always been successful. However through this process, it is true to say that the concept of power has been understood from various approaches which enabled better understanding. Nevertheless the important point to note is that the latter has never attempted to replace or deny the former approach since no single argument can define the political concept of power by its own. Rather, it has its root in the former argument and tries to make it more convincing. From this point of view, power is definitely something which enables A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do. Therefore on one hand, it is possible to say that the essence of power lies in this argument to a certain extent but there can be plural ways dependi ng on approaches in doing so. (1,419 words) References Clegg, S.R. (1989:11) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Hay, C. (2002:168) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Heywood, A. (2004:122, 124, 125, 127 and 128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000:26) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Bibliography Clegg, S.R. (1989) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Goodwin, B. (1997) Using political ideas (4th edn). Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Hay, C. (2002) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Heywood, A. (2004) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. McLean, I. McMillan, A. (2003) Oxford concise dictionary of Politics (2nd edn). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1 Hay, C. (2002:168) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. 2 Heywood, A. (2004:122) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 3 Heywood, A. (2004:124) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 4 Heywood, A. (2004:125) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 5 Clegg, S.R. (1989:11) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 6 Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000:26) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 7 Heywood, A. (2004:127) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 8 Heywood, A. (2004:128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 9 Heywood, A. (2004:128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn)). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay

Key Elements In The Service Concept Tourism Essay INTRODUCTION In service organisations, in order to guarantee customer satisfaction, operation managers need to ensure that the customers are delivered the service they require. The service concept is a shared outstanding by customers, employees and shareholders of an organisation of the nature of the service provided and received. Service concept defines what an organisation is selling and what a customer is buying. The service concept can be described as follows : The organising idea : the essence of the service bought or used by the customer. The service experience : how the customer is treated by the service provider and the experience of the customer has of the organisation and its facilities. The service outcome : the end result of the service for the customer. The service process : the way in which the service is delivered. The service value : the benefits perceived by the customer against the cost of the service. In general we can say that : = A service concept acts as service specification. = A service concept should provide sufficient detail to make it clear what the organisation is selling/providing and what the customer is buying /receiving. = A service concept is more emotional than a business model, deeper than a brand, more complex than a good idea and more solid than a vision. = A service concept contains the organising idea for the service. There are some key elements in the service concept which is illustrated in the figure below : Service Concept Service Operation Organising idea Service experience Value of the service Service Outcome Figure : Key elements of Service concepts In this coursework I am going to explain the service concept of Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts. Radisson Blu Hotels Resorts is part of the Rezidor Hotel Group, and currently operates over 155 hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with another  47 projects under development. Radisson Blu is a first class full service hotel brand with key differentiators such as the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee and the Yes I Can! spirit of service. The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. Its current consists of 274 hotels in operation and under development in 47 countries accumulating nearly 55,000 rooms. Rezidor manages selected Carlson brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa: Radisson, Park Inn, Regent and Country Inn. What make Radisson Blu unique to customers ? Most of their competitors have fantastic rooms, comfortable beds,  award winning  architecture and catchy advertisements aimed at achieving and exceeding guest service expectations, but due to some exceptional service concept , Radisson Blu is separate from similar hotels which make them unique to customers. The following exceptional service concepts make Radission Blu popular among customers : Yes I Can! Over a decade in the works, Yes I Can! is Radissions special service philosophy that sets them apart from the competition. Being hospitable is all about giving guests your undivided attention and when guests stay at a Radisson Blu hotel; the hotel manager, the waiter, the receptionist, the porter- everyone plays a vital role in delivering a memorable guest experience. At Radisson Blu , Yes I Can! is the companys mission and a way of life which guides them to meet any challenge and identify every opportunity. Whether their guests are in Glasgow or Capetown, Beijing or Rome, they are assured consistently excellent service. 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee In the fiercely competitive industry, they stand apart from the rest, thanks to their special Yes I Can! service spirit.   They love what they do and as proof of that, they promise to deliver a 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. Their staff will do everything to ensure that customers leave their hotel happy, so if there is a complaint, it is noted and takes into serious considerations.. If customers complaint remains unresolved or they leave disappointed, any one of their staff can invoke the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. This means that customers will not have to pay for their room or the service in question. To keep customers coming back time and again, they strive to provide an exceptional service level at all times.   This is their promise to customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or their money back. So, if any customer is dissatisfied with anything during their stay, the hotel wants to let them know so that they will Endeavour to make it right. Express Check-Out Even with their improved departure process with Satellite Reception desks, some guests cannot spare the time to check-out in the morning. For their guests in a rush they offer Express Check-Out to save valuable time and ensure an efficient and accurate check-out, by offering the options of sending invoice by email, mail or a quick pick-up at the reception desk. Late Check-Out Check-out from Radisson Blu hotels as late as  6 p.m. (subject to availability) instead of the normal check-out time at no extra cost. Their aim is to accommodate the needs of their guests and offer tailor made flexible solutions. [emailprotected] All guests staying at Radisson Blu hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa can now get Free high-speed Internet access as part of the Radisson Blu [emailprotected] service concept. Check-in to a Radisson Blu hotel and log on to customers corporate network, access email, download music, shop, customers can do whatever it is they like to do online, and do it for free! Free high-speed Internet access comes with easy-to-follow, simple instructions. The service includes high-speed as well as wireless Internet access. Since most Radisson Blu hotels are wired, all hotel guests can access the Internet from anywhere in the hotel: rooms, meeting facilities or public areas, by using their name and room number. Breakfast on the go! For their guests on the go with no time for a sit-down breakfast, they offer the Grab Run takeaway breakfast. Tea and coffee in disposable cups along with fresh fruits and energy bars are available on a special table in the lobby so that none of their guests miss out on the most important meal of the day. One Touch Service Customers can access the following services with the touch of a button : INFORMATION/CONCIERGE: request special information on local events   ROOM SERVICE: have meals delivered to customers room   WAKE-UP CALL: their front desk will make sure customers wake up on time LAUNDRY: obtain laundry service, or 3-hour express service   HOUSEKEEPING obtain an iron, ironing board or extra pillow and blankets   MAINTENANCE: 24 hour a day service to ensure their is comfortable and convenient Super Breakfast Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the last impression a guest has of a hotel before leaving. The Radisson Blu Super Breakfast is an extensive buffet featuring a range of food items selected from the best of Continental, North European, and American cuisine. Free high-speed Internet With their easy-to-follow instructions, customers can log on to their corporate network, access email, download music, shop, do whatever it is they like to do online. Long committed to being among the first to anticipate the needs of the busy traveller, Radisson Blu has been offering Free high-speed Internet access to all guests who stay in their hotels. Just check-in to Radisson Blu hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa get free access to the Internet as a part of their [emailprotected] Connect service concept. Room Styles They Offer their guests a choice of room styles. A popular feature of Radisson Blu hotels and resorts for over 12 years, there are now more than 20 different room designs to choose from. 3-hour Express Laundry The average guests stays at a hotel for less than two days, which makes getting laundry done a complicated matter. But at Radisson Blu they have dispensed of this complication with 3-Hour Express Laundry. All shirts, blouses, socks, underwear, pants and other pieces of clothing, handed in before 8 p.m. will be returned fresh and clean that same evening. Satellite Reception Satellite Reception desks are individual counters in the lobby that offer guests a more personalized, efficient, informal and relaxed service when checking-in/out. Anne Sà ©monin Bath products Offering a holistic and personal approach to beauty, Anne Semonin is a high-end French brand that is known for its philosophy Every skin is unique. Anne Sà ©monin was among the first to combine essential oils and trace elements, a standard that today is a benchmark in the industry.   Customers can check into one of their hotels and be spoiled with a unique range of her products, exclusively produced only for Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts. CONCLUSION Thinking about the service concept not only help managers understand their business but also challenges them to view their business in ways that can make it stand apart from other organisations. Service concept is a strong strategic tool that can make an organisation successful if implementations of those concepts are done properly. Every organisations service concept is different and focus is needed on those ideas to get the competitive advantage.

The UK Property Market

The UK Property Market Residential Property The United Kingdom enjoyed serious property boom for over a decade. The property boom slowed down when the economic meltdown commenced in 2008. During the boom years the value of property in the United Kingdom soared, and in some cases the value of properties rose by over 200 percent (Cameron, 2005:5). One of the main factors for the boom was that the economy had a long period of sustained growth, furthermore the interest rates were regulated by the government and kept low. Added to these factors was an upsurge in property investments fuelled by both local and foreign investors. Finally the government kept a tight control on the number of new houses built during that period, so that effectively demand outstripped supply (Cameron, 2005:5). Currently, the bubble in the property market in the United Kingdom has burst and the market is currently undergoing some reforms. Prices are no longer rising as fast as they were some years ago and there is now an oversupply of houses in the property market as home owners are reluctant to sell in this current state. The effect of this is that supply of properties out stripes demand in residential property (Ruddick and Moore, 2010:1). The economic slowdown affected all sectors of the property market, however the price of houses in London are slowly picking up and this is due to the weak pound that has made a lot of foreign investors to come in to the UK and invest in properties (Evening Standard, March 30, 2010). Stake holders are arguing that the Carlsberg review of residential properties should be the bench mark for carrying out reforms in the residential sector as well as all the other sectors of the property market. Furthermore, the reforms currently going on is aimed at producing better and more information to customers, this lead to the introduction of the Home Owners Information Package (HIPs). The government plans to regulate the property market, especially the estate agents so that it will no longer be an all comers affairs. Finally, there is now a standards board in the property industry, although they have limited powers. On the other hand, the residential property market in Europe is different from the property market in the UK. The residential property market in the UK encourages people to buy their own homes, unlike in Europe, where the emphasis is more on long term renting (Oswald, 1999:10). Credit is readily available in the UK in order to assist home owners to buy properties, unlike in Europe where it was not easily available (Oswald, 1999:10). However all this has changed as the residential property market in Europe is undergoing some reforms that has had a great effect on the residential, commercial and industrial properties all over Europe. It appears that most European nations are copying the UK model and are now encouraging its citizens to be home owners instead of renting. Spain is a good example (Oswald, 1999:7). Furthermore, with the opening up of the EU, Europeans can now move to any EU country and acquire property, this factor has greatly affected the property market in the EU, because capital can now be moved easily and investors in one part of the EU can take advantage of cheap properties in any other part of the EU. Finally, it appears that for eight years starting from 1990, the reforms and gains of the real estate market in the United Kingdom were modelled on the system of the United States; however for six years starting from 1998, the property market in the United Kingdom appeared to be harmonized with that of its European neighbours (Lee, 2009:32). Commercial Property and Industrial Property Commercial properties are scarce in the UK and demand exceeds supply. This among other factors led to a boom in the commercial property sector. However there appears to be a slump at the moment as Commercial property in UK was also affected by the global economic down turn. However current reports indicate that the commercial property sector in the UK is picking up and investors are starting to snatch up prime commercial properties (Evening Standard, March 30, 2010). The commercial property yield in the UK is quite impressive and high compared to its European neighbours. On the other hand, commercial properties in Europe also appear to be booming. The European economy is recovering and a lot of foreign investors are investing in commercial properties in Europe (Oswald, 1999:7). The economic meltdown has also affected the growth of commercial property in Europe and the sector is also undergoing reforms just like the market is undergoing in the UK. Most EU countries have put legislation in place in order to allow real estate investment trusts (Oswald, 1999:27). This legislation will make it easier for foreign investors to invest in the commercial property sector and inject the much need funds in order to keep the commercial property sector booming. Finally the demand for industrial property is low in the UK. This is due to the fact that a lot of industries are closing down due to high cost of labour and the strong Pound Sterling. Companies are moving their operations to Europe and other areas where it will be cheaper for them to operate. While in Euro pe the demand for industrial property is booming, due to the stability of the Euro as well as the economic prosperity in the Euro Zone. Furthermore due to some recent EU Directives, setting an industry in some EU countries is now a lot cheaper and easier than it used to be. (B) The five major skills that I acquired in the university are as follows: communication skills, multi-tasking, organizing skills and time management skills, IT skills and interpersonal abilities. The main purpose of communication is to convey ones message to recipients. Good communication takes many forms such as speaking, writing and listening (Heller, 1998:6). I gained my communication skills in the university through course work presentations, seminar discussions, formal training sessions and face to face meeting with my course leader. These range of activities helped me to acquire my verbal and communication skills in the university. I improved my verbal and communications skills in the university by devoting time to the three key elements of effective communication, which are, effective initial preparation, effective structuring of my material and effective delivery of my material (King, 1992: 14). Finally, the art of getting ones message across effectively is a vital part of being a good manager (Heller, 1998:1). Communication skill will help me in future because no matter my status within an organization I will be giving instructions to my colleagues, superiors or juniors and these instructions can range from simple instructions or requests to complex instructions. I also gained IT skills and interpersonal abilities while studying in the university. We had a specialized IT unit in the university that offered training and support to students. I went for many lectures and training that the IT unit organized on campus. We had a large IT laboratory on campus and each student had a password that allowed the student access to any of the personal computers in the IT laboratory and there was always an IT specialist to offer technical support to any student that was experiencing difficulties. Inter personal abilities is basically about getting on well with your colleagues. I was in a university with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I also lived in the hostel and I had three flat mates all from different cultures and backgrounds and we to share the same living room and kitchen. These are the factors that helped me gain inter personal skills while studying in the university. The explosive growth of information technology in recent years highlights the need and importance of IT skills (Pearlson Saunders, 2006:7). In future if I work in an organisation I could be asked to take on any tasks that require different skills at different times. Finally, most organisations are now a mix of people from different cultures and backgrounds, therefore my interpersonal skills as well as communications will benefit me, if I find myself working in such multinational organisations in the future. One other skill that I gained while studying was multi-tasking and organizing skills. These two skills are essential skill (Crenshaw, 2007:15). I gained this skill by taking part in different activities in the university. As an undergraduate you are introduced to many different activities and some of them have no relationship with one another. I was introduced to so many different activities that involved different tasks to accomplish. I gained organising skills by been involved in many societies on campus. The effect of this was that I had to organise my time effectively and efficiently between my course work and my other activities on campus. This skill will help me in future due to the fact that I can cope in a busy working environment. Furthermore, I can be versatile and engage in different activities that are not related. Finally, I will be able to organize and balance my personal life and my working life. The last key skill that I acquired while in the university was time management skills. Time management is all about determining ones priorities. There is usually a lot to accomplish in the university. When you acquire this skill you can then be able to determine your priorities. I gained this skill my making a daily ‘to do list the day before and I usually organized my list in accordance with three criteria: the importance/urgency of the task, the amount of time available and the quality of time available (Morris, 1996:73). This skill enabled me to be in control of my personal life and academic life. This skill will help me function well under pressure and make me be in control of my work load in any organisation I find myself working for in future. Bibliography Cameron, G (2005) The UK Housing Market, Economic Review, University of Oxford Journal, Oxford Crenshaw, D (2007) The Myth of Multi-tasking, Key Organisations System, London Heller, R (1998) Communicate Clearly, Dorling Kindersley, London King, A.G (1992) Effective Communication, Blackstone Press, London Lee, S (2009) Is the UK real estate market converging with the rest of Europe? Journal of European Real Estate Research, Vol.2, Issue 1, 18-32 Morris, B (1996) First Steps in Management, Library Association Publishing, London Oswald, A.J (1999) The Housing market and Europes Unemployment: A Non-Technical Paper, Economic Department, University of Warwick, Warwick Ruddick, G and Moore, M (2010) UK Housing Market: Double Dip Fears, Telegraph on line can be assessed at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/houseprices/7539267/UK-housing-market-double-dip-fears-subside-slightly.html > Scott, P (1996) The property Masters: a History of the British Commercial Property Sector, Spon E FN, London

SWOT-Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Situation Analysis (SWOT Analysis) The following SWOT analysis captures the strengths and weakness within Dragon Biotech and the opportunities and threats that exist in our environment. This analysis highlights areas to be leveraged and points out where we must improve within the firm and within our industry and market. As we look at our SWOT analysis to follow, we are in a sustainable overall position, we have strengths to balance our weaknesses, and particularly our knowledge of where we are heading for and what our customers need. We also have some attractive opportunities. However, we have a weakness in competiting against price-oriented competition from both local and international brand names. Strengths: Dragon Biotech's strengths include: Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strong business model embracing both generic and proprietary drug development. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proven proprietary technology platform that outperforms competitors' methods. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Solid financial position with established cash flow. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flagship product, EPO, achieved remarkable revenue growth in a US$4,8 billion market. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unique marketing strategy to penetrate geographic areas with quick drug approvals. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Experienced well-connected management team and board of directors. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captured 30% of EPO market share in china, endorsed by Chinese medical Ass...

Modern Architecture Essay -- Modernism, Postmodernism

As some critics contended, postmodernism represents a break with the modernist notion that architecture should be technologically rational, austere and functional, discuss the ways in which one postmodern architect has developed strategies which overcome these tendencies. Juxtaposition is seen between the characteristics of early 20th century modern architecture and the artistic endeavours of postmodernism that followed. To represent the ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion the modernist tendencies had adopted, Robert Venturi built a ‘Ghost Structure’ to imply architecture had no longer become an art form and was merely just a ‘spectator’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) in society. This essay will discuss ways in which the architect Robert Venturi adopts methods to overcome these tendencies that architecture has lost meaning and ways in which he attempts to remove himself with any links with the ‘post-modernist’ movement that he is viewed in having. Modern Architects saw their role as ‘reformers,’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) and tended to break with tradition and start anew. Considering it was a new revolutionary movement they tended to ignore potential problems and focused on the new modern advancements available. A modernist tendency was to build individually however Venturi claimed that a ‘building derives meaning from its context’ (Out Of the Ordinary, 2002) and evidently each individual location requires a different form of architectural style to represent this. In Venturi's book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ he quotes ‘familiar things seen in unfamiliar context become perceptually new as well as old’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) here he perhaps means in order for art to become worthy of aesthetic appreciation the v... ...ical architecture in which he feel shouldn’t be forgotten but instead should be admired and inspire future movements. Despite modernism striping what Venturi believed was the ‘art’ from architecture he fought to overcome these tendencies are drew upon relevant historic features and characterisations and applied them liberally to his design, in accordance to their context. Nevertheless he understood that designing for the user was significant and not to exclude social problems. He undertook the modernist concept of advanced ways to construct and recognised and understood the developing society, yet he chose not to ignore historic references and applied them in a system of layers within his designs to accommodate for the advanced civilization whilst electing to apply asceticism for both a functional and visual experience.

Decisions in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken Essay -- Analysis Road

Decisions in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken Throughout our lives we are faced with a number of important decisions, decisions that determine an unseen future. The choices, though often virtually identical, lead to different destinies and often leave us asking "what if?" There are not always signs telling us the way to go or the choice to make; we must find out what lies ahead for ourselves. In his "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost relates to the reader such a choice, symbolic, perhaps of any major decision in life. The traveler in Frost's poem must blindly decide between two similar paths, and this decision greatly affects his life thereafter. In the opening stanza, Frost takes the reader into a "yellow wood," setting the scene. Both this location and time of year are important in the description of the traveler's decision. The idea of being in a forest brings to mind towering trees and plants blocking everything but the path traveled. This image is a way of showing that even though we all are different, everyone must follow certain guidelines. The traveler then "looked down one [path] as ... ...and it has changed his life. As travelers on paths of life, we come to a number of forks each day, and the directions we choose there shape our unique lives. Sources Cited and Consulted Mike Bellah. "The Road Not Taken." Best Years. Online. World Wide Web. 29 Jul 2004. Finger, L. L. "Frost's 'The Road Not Taken': a 1925 Letter come to Light." American Literature 50. Online. World Wide Web. 20 Jul. 2004. Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." The Poetry of Robert Frost. Ed. Edward Connery, Lathem. New York: Hot, Rinehart and Winston, 1969.

Econimics Questionnaire

Name: Registration Number: Program: Total Marks: [20]   Weight: 5% †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Qs. 1 a. Why do economists include only final goods in measuring GDP for a particular year? Why don't they include the value of the stocks and bonds bought and sold? Why don't they include the value of the used furniture bought and sold? [4] b. What are the four phases of the business cycle? [3] Qs. 2 Recent figures showed the CPI at 210. , while one year earlier it was 202. 2. [3] a. What was the rate of inflation over the previous year? b. At this rate of inflation, approximately how long will it take for the price level to double? Qs. 3 A hypothetical economy's consumption schedule is given in the table below. GDP=DI| C| 6600| 6680| 6800| 6840| 7000| 7000| 7200| 7160| 7400| 7320| 7600| 7480| 7800| 7640| 8000| 7800| Use the information to answer the following: [5] a. If disposable income were $7400, how much would be saved? b. What is the â€Å"break-even† level of disposable income? . What is this economy's marginal propensity to consume? d. What is the average propensity to consume when disposable income is $7000? When disposable income is $8000? Qs. 4 a. Suppose a $100 increase in desired investment spending ultimately results in a $300 increase in real GDP. What is the size of the multiplier? [1] b. If the MPS is . 4, what is the multiplier? [1] c. If the MPC is . 75, what is the multiplier? [1] d. Suppose investment spending initially increases by $50 billion in an economy whose MPC is 2/3. By how much will this ultimately change real GDP? [2] Econimics Questionnaire Name: Registration Number: Program: Total Marks: [20]   Weight: 5% †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Qs. 1 a. Why do economists include only final goods in measuring GDP for a particular year? Why don't they include the value of the stocks and bonds bought and sold? Why don't they include the value of the used furniture bought and sold? [4] b. What are the four phases of the business cycle? [3] Qs. 2 Recent figures showed the CPI at 210. , while one year earlier it was 202. 2. [3] a. What was the rate of inflation over the previous year? b. At this rate of inflation, approximately how long will it take for the price level to double? Qs. 3 A hypothetical economy's consumption schedule is given in the table below. GDP=DI| C| 6600| 6680| 6800| 6840| 7000| 7000| 7200| 7160| 7400| 7320| 7600| 7480| 7800| 7640| 8000| 7800| Use the information to answer the following: [5] a. If disposable income were $7400, how much would be saved? b. What is the â€Å"break-even† level of disposable income? . What is this economy's marginal propensity to consume? d. What is the average propensity to consume when disposable income is $7000? When disposable income is $8000? Qs. 4 a. Suppose a $100 increase in desired investment spending ultimately results in a $300 increase in real GDP. What is the size of the multiplier? [1] b. If the MPS is . 4, what is the multiplier? [1] c. If the MPC is . 75, what is the multiplier? [1] d. Suppose investment spending initially increases by $50 billion in an economy whose MPC is 2/3. By how much will this ultimately change real GDP? [2]

Financial Reporting HSBC Bank Essay

HSBC bank is a branch of HSBC Holdings plc and has its headquarters based in London. The bank provides a wide range of financial products and services to individuals, governments, non-governmental organizations and companies. It provides banking products and services in the domestic as well as the international market (Gianaris, 2001). HSBC group of banks is one of the organizations of its kind that offers the largest banking and financial services all over the world. The company has 8,500 offices in 86 countries and territories in Europe, Hong Kong, Asia, Middle East, North America and Latin America. The company has been listed in the stock exchange markets of London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, and Bermuda (Jao, 2001). The company has about 220,000 shareholders in 119 countries and territories. The company provides a wide range of products to its over one hundred million customers. The company has four categories of customer groups and businesses: Personal Financial Services, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets and private Banking (Gardener & Versluijs, 2001). Financial reporting is the process of compiling the formal records of the financial activities of an organization or an individual. It involves preparing the financial statements of a company. The organization aims at finding out its financial position in the short run or in the long run period. The HSBC bank prepares its financial reports according to the generally accepted accounting principles of Canada (Mcmenamin, 1999). Financial Reporting History The company prepares financial reports annually, semi-annually and quarterly. The company files interim reports after every three or six months, that is, semi annual and quarterly financial reports. These reports reveal the financial performance of the company for the stipulated period of time (Das, 2004). The companies linked with HSBC bank are required to prepare semi-annual reports. On the other hand, quarterly reports are not compulsory for all countries. Regulations regarding the format of interim reports differ in each country. The interim reports may be short or long depending with the country. The date for filing the interim reports also vary with the different countries (Pietrobelli, Ffrench-Davis, Zamagni, & Ocampo, 2000). The history of preparing interim reports by the bank can be traced back to the mid-year of 2002. The quarterly reports started being in operation with the first quarter of year 2003. The financial reports are essential to the researchers and that is why the company requires adequate filing of all financial statements of the bank (Mcmenamin, 1999). The company maintains timely preparation of its financial reports. It uses web crawler technology to track and update the financial records. The system of preparing financial reports is very functional since it uses PDF format. This computer program allows the documents to be searched easily and can be copied into other documents more easily. The size of the PDF documents allows them to be downloaded more easily. The financial reports are presented in full-color native PDF for ease in reading them. The interim reports are easily obtained through the Global Reports Library on Research and Markets (Pietrobelli, Ffrench-Davis, Zamagni, & Ocampo, 2000). The accounting policies of the HSBC bank comply with the International Financial Reporting Standards. The interim consolidated financial statements are prepared according to IAS 34, according to International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the European Union (EU) (Das, 2004). The bank has abandoned the IAS 32 since March 2009 since this standard required the bank to offer its shareholders rights so that they could be identified as derivative financial liability. This was done to ensure that the reports presented position of the bank as being true and fair, also, to ensure that the reports give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the company (Jao, 2001). The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) endorsed by the IASB may differ with those endorsed by the EU. But recently there have been no amendments on the standards endorsed by IFRS and those endorsed by the EU. The IFRSs make up the standards provided by IASB and the interpretations provided by International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC). The interim consolidated financial statements must include comparative information. This is a requirement by the IAS 34, UK Disclosure and Transparency Rules and the Hong Kong listing rules (Gianaris, 2001). Estimates and assumptions about the future state of financial affairs are used when preparing financial information. The estimates are prepared from the information available as well as use of judgment of the people preparing them. However, the real results might be different from the estimates in the future (Pietrobelli, Ffrench-Davis, Zamagni, & Ocampo, 2000). The interim consolidated financial statements of the bank consolidate the financial statements of HSBC Holdings and its subsidiaries. The company adopts the revised and amended standards of IASB and endorsed by the EU. The application of the revised standards is done as per the acquisition date of the business or after the beginning of the first annual financial period of the year (Pietrobelli, Ffrench-Davis, Zamagni, & Ocampo, 2000). Accounting Policies Interest income and expense- This refers to all financial instruments except for those classified as held for trading or designated at fair value in the income statement using the effective interest method. Through the effective interest method, the financial liability is calculated and interest income is allocated over the relevant period (Gianaris, 2001). Non-interest income- This comprises the Net trading income which is composed of all gains and losses from changes in the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities held for trading as well as the related interest income, expense and dividends. Net income from financial instruments designated at fair value and dividend income also comprises the non interest income (Jao, 2001). Segment reporting- The HSBC holdings conduct its businesses in several countries and offer a wide range of consumer products. Segment income and expenses must be transferred accordingly. Gains and losses for each segment must be accounted for separately so as to achieve the profitability of each (Das, 2004). Determination of fair value. Fair value of financial liabilities is determined using the quoted market prices where available or using valuation techniques. The fair values include assessment of market participant concerning the appropriate credit spread to apply to the liabilities of the company (Gianaris, 2001). Loans and advances to banks and customers- These include loans and advances initiated by HSBC which are not grouped as either held for trading or designated at fair value. Loans and advances are recognized when cash is advanced to borrowers (Gardener, & Versluijs, 2001). Impairment of loans and advances. Losses for impaired loans are recognized when there is objective evidence that the loans have been impaired. Impaired loans are recorded as charges to the income statement. Losses expected from future events are not recognized (Jao, 2001). Corporate Governance Analysis The bank has established commitments to maintain high standards of corporate governance. Over the last financial year, the bank has maintained compliance with the Combined Code on Corporate Governance released by the Financial Reporting Council. It has also complied with the Code on Corporate Governance Practices in Appendix 14 to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Pietrobelli, Ffrench-Davis, Zamagni, & Ocampo, 2000). The management of HSBC bank has appointed several committees to deal with several corporate activities of the bank. The board committees consist of directors, group managing directors and co-opted non-director members. The principal committees are Group Management Board, Group Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee and Corporate Sustainability Committee (Das, 2004). The directors have the duty to conduct internal control within the bank. They also review how effective the internal control system is operating. Controls have been designed to safeguard assets from unauthorized use and disposal. These controls ensure that proper financial accounts are maintained and that the financial information contained in the records is reliable. The system of internal control is designed to prevent frauds, errors, material misstatement or losses in the business. The system also ensures compliance with rules set up by the Financial Services Authority, which is the body which regulates the activities of HSBC (Jao, 2001). There are corporate policies to safeguard the bank against operational and Reputational risks. The bank has set up procedures to ensure that the risks are minimized. These risks are concerned with the issues relating to the environment, social and governance activities. The bank follows guidelines provided by the Association of British insurers concerning the best response to the issues affecting the company and its stakeholders (Das, 2004). The company aims at managing the risks associated with the health and safety standards of its operations. The bank is responsible to get rid of risks concerning fire, injury and accidents that may affect its workers and visitors. Group Corporate Real Estate sets up the rules concerning health and safety of the company. The implementation of these policies is done by Health, Safety and Fire Coordinators who are located in every country the bank operates. The bank has remained prepared to protecting its employees from terrorists. There are security review functions which have been set up to assist manage health and safety of the staff, assets and buildings of the company (Gianaris, 2001). The bank maintains a good communication network with its stakeholders. Individual and institutional customers are regularly informed about the operations of the bank. Timely response to the customer needs is given a priority to ensure good relationship is maintained. Annual general meetings are held to ensure that all stakeholders are informed of all activities of the bank over a given period of time (Gardener, & Versluijs, 2001). Conclusion The general organization of HSBC company stands no doubt that it will remain successful in the future. The corporate governance ensures that the mission and vision of the company are achieved. The accounting policies of the bank are in compliance with the international standards. The accounting policies ensure that the accounting procedures are carried out in a professional manner. The company has performed well in the market and if it continues with these strategies it will achieve much. References Mcmenamin, J, 1999, Financial Management: An Introduction. Routledge. London. Pietrobelli, C, Ffrench-Davis, R, Zamagni, S, & Ocampo, J, A, 2000, Financial Globalization and the Emerging Economies, United Nations. Santiago. Jao, C, Y, 2001, The Asian Financial Crisis and the Ordeal of Hong Kong. Quorum Books. Westport, CT. Das, D, K. 2004, Financial Globalization and the Emerging Market Economies. Routledge. New York. Gianaris, N, V, 2001, Globalization: A Financial Approach. Praeger Publishers. Westport, CT. Gardener, E, P, M, & Versluijs, P, C, 2001, Bank Strategies and Challenges in the New Europe. Palgrave. New York.

Navy seals

After striving to indicate a person who has had a significant influence on me I have come to a conclusion, that rather than a individual person I have a particular group. This particular group is unlike any other in the I the world. This group consists of elite men who put their homeland before themselves, they are capable of putting the needs of others before their own. These men were willing to do everything and anything to become part of the elite group known around the world as the Navvy Seals.Navvy seals are groups of elite soldiers, known around the world for their abilities in he air on the land and in the sea. These soldiers lead the world in their special oops. They are unlike another soldiers in the world, willing to risk their lives for anyone in need around the world. Ready to assist and cry for help. I see the Navvy Seals the way most people my age see pro sports players. Like pro sports players the SEALS are the best of the best. Their training and tactical work is so v igorous that their number one philosophy is â€Å"the easy day was yesterday†. Which is one of many in the Navvy.To be given the opportunity to serve my country a a Navvy Seal would mean the world to me. I would spend every breathing moment being the best I can be for my country family and myself. All my life I have wanted to be affiliated in the military. Four to five years ago I had very low self confidence in myself and others and not very great aspirations. My plan was to enroll in the marines after high school and attain my college education from the military. My primary aspiration for my life was to exceed the achievements of my mother, who didn't graduate high school.I wanted to be able to say if I could do it why couldn't you? My mind and heart were consumed by the dreadful thought of my rothers and how they would never have the opportunities that I have been blessed with. It wasn't until I had opened up to my uncle Derek who is a marine that I had a change of heart a bout virtually everything past and present. My uncle was in absolute disagreement with my plan. He explained the importance of college to my and the pride that comes with the privilege of becoming a marine that will extinguish my desire to exceed the accomplishments of my moms.Together we looked through the different military academies and I found Annapolis the most interesting because their classes in economics. I have a strange liking towards economics, like the stock market and the economy. Those thing Just really seem to interest me to I hope to major in economics and international trade while attending Annapolis. My interest in international trade comes from my desire to travel, which is another one of the many reasons I aspire to be a Navvy Seal. Ever since I was little I've wanted to see the world, and what it has to offer.There is absolutely no better way at accomplishing that dream other than attending Annapolis become a Navvy Seal, and sounds to go to be true, but I know i n my heart that in order to accomplish that goal I ave to be mentally and physically tough enough to get there. Speaking about becoming physically and mentally tough I have already begun those first small steps. It started off with small attitude adjustments such as my love for athletics, instead of dreading the next workout I changed the dreading into excitement that put me in the mindset to get better rather than Just get through the workout.Eventually I got to a point where my moms actions didn't influence my mind as much. In fact I changed my entire perspective on my mom, although, she isn't perfect she chose her path and being angry about that isn't helping me or her in nyway. So instead of being angry I chose put all the extra time I spent being angry and wishing things could be different to actually make a difference in my life not Just for me but for her my brothers and anyone else that thinks they can't do it.I feel like a much better person, free from the invisible chains that ranted excuse after excuse of why I couldn't or didn't get the Job done. I find happiness and hope to be the greatest things in life and I know whole heartedly that the SEALS brought those thing to me. Nothing makes me happier than getting a good grade on an ssignment and knowing I've gotten Just a tad bit closer to my dream. I can sometimes get lost in my thoughts of the the future, to the point where I feel as if I'm reading a good book with precise imagery.Imagining myself 10 years from now along side the best special pops team in the world, seeing the world and serving my country. Another exciting thing about the SEALS is their brotherhood. The fact that they would risk their lives for one another is breath taking. They would rather all sacrifice their lives saving one of their own than leaving them behind. Their goal number one oal in operations it to complete the given task unnoticed, quietly, quickly, and most importantly together.Like family these men will do anything f or each other and will go to the ends of the earth to protect their own. The final thing I will mention is the SEALS ability to be wherever they are needed whenever they are needed. No matter the circumstance they are always willing to put their lives on the line for whomever is in need. Which is also like something I've always done. I may not meet the needs or standards of everyone but I will always go out of my way to help someone in need.Not only because I know it is the right thing to do but because I remember when I didn't have much and someone would go out of their way to help me. I will never forget those people which makes it necessary for me to do the same for others. All that being said I don't believe that I am perfect by a long shot, there are thousands, heck millions that have it ten times worse than me and have beat the odds. But one thing is for sure once given the chance I will do everything I'm my power to be the best I can be for myself and my country,

The Job Selection Criteria

Why are you applying for the Graduate Trainee Program in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? What skills and attributes would you be able to contribute to DFAT's goals and work? You should give examples based on your academic achievements, work experience and/or extra-curricular activities. I deem the Graduate Trainee Program as one of the epitomes of DFAT's thrust in showcasing the best and brightest Australia has to offer the international community. Being part of a vibrant, dedicated and diverse group of individuals entrusted to foster understanding and promote the country's foreign and trade relations is a challenge anyone who believes in Australia should be proud to be a part of. Having read Politics and Government in university and presently doing my post-graduate studies in International Relations give me the fundamental, if not advanced, skills as well as awareness of local and international socio-political and economic realities of today. Complementary to my academic skills are the English language teaching experiences I have locally and abroad, which contributed immensely to my understanding of different cultures and peoples of varying age group. Being trilingual (English, Korean and street Japanese) gives me the edge to appreciate not only the language of other people but the nuances of what a language conveys, this is a paramount trait in comprehending the distinct language of diplomacy. It has helped me deal with clients in an interpretation job, students in a teaching assignment or local tribes people in medical or mercy missions. 1.Written and Oral Communication Skills Provide examples of where your written and oral communication and negotiation skills have been most effective in the workplace or elsewhere. What outcomes were achieved? One of the jobs I do on the side is translation and interpretation work from Korean to English and vice versa. This type of work deals with Korean trade delegations coming to Australia to deal with Australian business owners. Both Korean and Australian clients require submission of a written project proposal prior to getting the tasking. The proposal calls for demonstrating my competence and advanced level of understanding not only of the Korean and English languages but the cultures as well. In writing the proposal, I set my plan of action and the methodology to be used for the translation and interpretation processes. After the clients read through my proposal, I present it to both parties and convince them of my being the right person to get the job done. During the actual translation/interpretation work, I sometimes observe that the principals' understanding of what each said to the other may get â€Å"lost in translation.† The outcome of which is that on several occasions, I had to mediate and arbitrate so that the two factions agree on correct interpretations. It is noteworthy seeing conflicting parties come to terms because of my diplomatic approach and diligence in getting the job done properly. Describe a situation in which you had to identify and analyze a problem and then recommend a solution. What was the outcome? What constraints did you face in developing the solution? Would you have done anything differently? In 2001, while doing community re-building voluntary work with the Youth with a Mission (YMAN), a non-government organization assisting marginalized communities worldwide, I was a â€Å"trainee team leader† charged with a group of young volunteers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Fiji and even Australian aborigines. We were in northern Thailand amongst the Karen and Hmong tribes and I found out that due to their patriarchal society, the males in the tribes refused to work with our female volunteers. This caused some setbacks since individual assignments were already given prior to arriving on site. As the team leader of the group, I discussed this problem with the senior team leader and recommended that we should respect their culture in order to complete the mission. I talked with the team and organised the male volunteers to work in building houses and improving the local site. The female volunteers took on the English teaching assignments and medical assistance. This went well with the local populace and we gained their respect because we demonstrated our reverence for their beliefs. I would have done things differently by studying the culture, beliefs and peculiarities of the tribes first prior to embarking on another volunteer mission. What makes a successful team, in the workplace or elsewhere? Why are you an effective team member? How have you incorporated people from different backgrounds in a team in which you have participated? Give an example of how you have contributed to a team's achievements. Team success rests with good leadership and management. I related the leader and manager role since despite being distinct characteristics, they are inseparable traits of someone charged with such daunting assignment. A leader/manager must have the vision to effectively implement tasks and the steadfastness to successfully complete mission objectives. My value as a team member is the ability to work cohesively with each team member and agree to set aside idiosyncrasies in order to fulfill collective goals. People with different backgrounds can be incorporated in a team by appealing to their individual aims and marry them with the strategic objectives. During one of my courses in post-graduate studies, our class simulated a United Nations Security Council meeting and I played the part of the Secretary General. We were doing North Korean nuclear proliferation conflict resolution and individuals have their own opinions on how best to mitigate the problem. Playing the goodwill role, I contributed to the team output by consolidating valid points from individuals and getting a group consensus that the solution to North Korea's nuclear arms program is by catering to the North Korean's need for aid in exchange for reduction or total demobilization of the nuclear arms . 4.Flexibility, Adaptability and Initiative Give an example of a challenge you have recently faced in the workplace, your studies or extra-curricular activities. Describe how you addressed and overcame that challenge. What were some of the difficulties you faced? While working as a contractual English instructor in Korea, I noticed that the students learning English, though very diligent and hardworking, English have a hard time with conversational, street-speak and business English. This is due to the formation of the program wherein they learn classroom and â€Å"theoretical† English but lacking the suave and practical application. Korea is a very rigid and structured society and change usually comes at a difficult phase. I adapted and conformed to the norms of the school but took the initiative by instructing my students to prepare a five-minute oral presentation of a country of their choice. The presentations have to be made with individually hand-made posters to have more impact in terms of graphics. After each student's presentation, critiques from the class – in English, were done and this further confirmed the value of the pioneering teaching methodology. Needless to say, my technique was adapted by other teachers, who found it more efficient than the processes they have been using for years. Even the school director was pleased with my achievement that when my contract ended, he offered to renew it but I declined since I had to go back to Australia to pursue my studies.

How different people understand the issues of civil rights and racism Term Paper

How different people understand the issues of civil rights and racism in America today - Term Paper Example The movement stood up for reason, rationality, and above all, liberty. This is important in understanding the underpinnings of modern civil rights movements surrounding fundamental human liberties. Joseph (2014) revisits the Freedom Summer in his article titled, When Civil-Rights Unity Fractured, stating that racial divisions that emerged during the 1960s are still present today and in order to understand the present efforts to build interracial coalitions, the present must be considered in context with its historical legacy and context. The Freedom Summer is an important period in history where began a lasting movement of black activism and involvement. Black revolution intensified during the period as many students became increasingly active and engaged themselves with various movements. Looking back at the Enlightenment Movement of the 18th century, a viable connection can be made with Freedom Summer which ignited activism based on recognition of civil and human rights to fundamental liberties. The main purpose of black activism was not merely to obtain voting rights but their aim went beyond this. With their activism, blacks were looking out for greater political transformation and greater rights for the blacks. To confront racism on a country wide scale was another prominent goal of the activists. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party played an important role for the blacks as it provided a useful tool for independently organizing their projects. Activists like Fannie Lou Hamer led the party being used as a vehicle to voice their demands. As a great number of black African Americans acquired the right to vote, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party used the voter base in order to challenge the dominant White American Democratic state delegation at the convention. Another aim of the effort was to pressurize the national party and Lyndon B.

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example Empowering employees is of benefit to the achievement of your organizations goals of zero serious safety events. In Brookwood Medical Center, achievement of organizational goals is attained through a culture of social responsibility, teamwork, and treating other employees with respect and dignity. Dana Reid, I support the culture practiced in your organization. It is true that the importance of education in health care cannot be understated. One of the most fundamental elements of organizational culture as asserted by Dixon and Dougherty (2010) is human interactions. I believe that level of education of an individual plays an important role in determination of behavior in relation to human interactions, and also individual opinions towards specific issues. I also concur that a culture of higher education and setting the minimum requirement for new recruits as a BSN facilitates quality improvement as only highly skilled individuals are considered. In Brookwood Medical Center, attaining a high level of education is also highly valued. For a nurse to be recruited to a nurse leader position, he or she must also have a BSN. Creating a culture relating to education helps minimize incidences of medical errors as it prevents recruitment of poorly skilled individuals. Dorgham, S. R. (2012). Relationship between organization work climate & staff nurses organizational commitment. Nature and Science, 10(5), 80–91. Retrieved from

Sino-American relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sino-American relations - Essay Example Given the importance of Sino-American relations, this paper examines important issues in the bilateral relations between the United States and China. To understand Sino-American relations, it is important to comprehend the parties' perception of each other. China has for long viewed the United States as its biggest foreign policy problem because, as the only global power in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 world, the latter more than any other country, has the ability to faciliate or hinder the fulfillment of vital Chinese foreign power objectives. These objectives range from coopting Taiwan into its territory, expanding economic prosperity and securing international recognition of China's status as a great power (Levine 91). While China's policy towards the United States is an area that engages the country's leaders and many of its citizens, the reverse is not true. Since the United States currently enjoys unipolarity, and will possibly continue to do so in the next few decades, the challenge for America is: how to preserve and promote American unipolarity (Zhang 686). Thus, while the United States is aware of the rising clout of the PRC, China is not on the top of Washington's foreign policy agenda (Levine 92-93), and probably only captures American attention insofar as it affects American hegemony. Taiwan and Japan In the shadow of this asymmetry in levels of interest, major conflicts of interest or real cooperation between the two giants unfold. Generally, such issues are connected with developments in Asia because it is in this region where the United States is most likely to come into contact with China (Wang [2]). A major worrisome security problem for China in Asia is the Republic of China ("ROC") on Taiwan. American interest in Taiwan is both historical and multi-faceted. For the first 30 years of the PRC's founding, the United States did not formally recognize the PRC. Rather, it recognized the ROC as the sole legitimate government of all China and maintained diplomatic relations with it. Although the United States transferred its recognition from Taipei to Beijing in the 1979's Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations ("Joint Communique") (Wikipedia, Sino-American relations), Taiwan's claims on American sympathies, which originated in Cold War anticommunism, have co ntinued to be reinvigorated by the transformation of the island into a vibrant plural democracy (Levine 101). Besides, American commercial, cultural and other unofficial contacts with Taiwan have continued since 1979 and indeed were acknowledged by Beijing in the Joint Communique. The United States is also a larger exporter of weaponry to Taiwan (Sino-American relations). In short, American interest in Taiwan is very much alive. To complicate matters, this interest is tied in with the United States' relations with Japan - one of its important allies in Asia. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Japanese securities alliances have strengthened instead of weakened. The relationship between the United States and Japan has grown stronger after 9/11 with Tokyo's dispatch of troops to support the occupation of Iraq and provision of substantial reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and Iraq