The role of lay Catholics in the Church according to the teaching of Assignment

The role of lay Catholics in the Church according to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council - Assignment Example Recent measures and initiatives within the Catholic church, particularly those designed in reenergizing Catholicism as a religion amidst modernity and secularization, were those concerning the increase in engagement and involvement of its lay members. This has been the fundamental issue addressed by the Second Vatican Council that took place from 1959 to 1965. The Council was able to draft and issue several documents, which would supposedly turn the tide for Catholicism during this contemporary age. These documents introduced and emphasized the concept of the â€Å"people of God† when its predecessor stressed on the role of the Pope. This move by Church authorities is increasingly seen as an attempt for the organization to be continuously significant amidst several developments that undermine Catholicism across the globe. This paper will specifically examine the role of the laity or the Lumen Gentium as outlined by the Second Vatican Council and how it is expected to develop l ater on. Background It is important to underscore that in the early days of Christianity, the laity has played an important role in the affairs of the church. According to Walsh (2005), the laity was not only consulted on important matters, because they also take part in electing bishops and in choosing priests. (p66) This role was eventually scrapped as the laity came to be merely defined as those that are subjected under the Catholic organization’s authority and representatives of the religion in secular affairs such as in business, politics and so forth. As the Catholic organization became more structured and the system more sophisticated governance and policymaking, and most of the organizational activities, policies and measures were administered by the clergy. By the time the First Vatican Council issued its codes and rules, the â€Å"Catholic action† referred to as the role to be played by the lay people were strictly confined to participation in Church-led init iatives. For instance, Pope Pius X declared that â€Å"the one duty of the multitude is to allow themselves to be led, and like a docile flock, to follow the Pastors.† (Pope 2004, p6) What this means is that while the laity is expected to be proactive, their actions must only be in support of the ordained and that they do not have clear and specific missions of their own, say, in evangelization. With the onset of the modern age, however, the clergy again began to turn to the laity as the Church is forced to deal with dwindling membership and enthusiasm from among its ranks. It addition, it has been struggling with finding its own identity and significance in a period of drastic changes across the world. The premise of the current Catholic attitude is that the Church must be viewed as â€Å"a community of faith where all the baptized bear responsibility for placing their individual gifts at the service of all.† (Gubish, Jenny and McGannon 2001, pii) The pattern of the n ew strategy reflects an attempt at a deeper and more potent evangelization by having the laity live out their lives according to the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. In recent years lay people have taken on great many administrative roles, and although Church law forbids them to have ‘jurisdiction’, such as a role in administration, they are involved in decision-making from parish level upwards which is often pretty indistinguishable from governance. (Walsh, p66) Laity in the Second Vatican Council According to the Second Vatican Council, the role of the laity is extremely important, explaining that: Inserted as they are in the Mystical Body of Christ by baptism and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit in confirmation, it is by the Lord himself that they are assigned to the apostolate†¦ The apostolate is lived in faith, hope and charity poured out by the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all members of the Church. (Dajczer 2000, p65) The

Why Psychologist use the scientific method Essay Example for Free

Why Psychologist use the scientific method Essay The scientific method makes use of a wide range of approaches and is a perspective that is seen better as an overall rather than use of single specific method. The already adopted scientific method initially was founded on the positivism concept. This included the search for descriptive general laws, which natural phenomena could be predicted with. Scientists were able to control the phenomena occurrences once there was possibility of the predictions. Subsequently, the underlying theories and explanations were developed by the scientists. Despite the change that has occurred on the positivist approach, the redefinition of the philosophical science is underway. The basement premises on which it was founded still continue to be on the current research mainstream. One of the major scientific approach requisite is the falsifiability. A theory is termed as been scientific if in its contents are predictions, which can either be falsely or truly demonstrated. Critically, scientific method has been argued to depend on empiricism, that is, data and observation collection (Mayer, 1985, pp. 42) Hypothetical inductive method is commonly involved in the main scientific method. In this, a scientist will begin with a based hypothesis on theory or insight and observation. A hypothesis is said to be statement of tentative belief that is based on judgment of expert researcher. The hypothesis should be subjected to falsification. This is to mean that the scientific researcher must be set up in a way such that the he/she has the ability to make logical conclusion that the hypothesis is either true or false. In many cases, projects of research may give the scientist a room to reject or accept the hypothesis and this will take one for more questions on research (Barker, 2000, pp. 82). Psychologist on their case have developed the interest and employed scientific method in all their researches. They have actually made the use of various scientific steps or approaches. The steps that psychologist use in their research are: identification of the problem and the hypothesis formulation, designing of the experiment under the help of the independent and dependent variables, experimental performance by use of the control group and the experimental group, hypothesis evaluation, that is, replication of data and hypothesis correction, and lastly is the communication of the results. If a researcher effectively follows the above steps, his or her experimental results will be reliable and valid. Some details in relation to the above stated steps are discussed below. In the process of identifying the problem, the psychologist must be having a good idea of the identified problem. He must also be in a position to make intelligent guesses concerning the problem, that is, come up with hypothesis. The problem at hand should imply a theory under which it can be based on the manner that the resulting solution to the problem can rhyme with the existing theories (Nagel Mill, 1996, pp. 2). Some of the scientific methods employed by psychologists include the following. Firstly, are the controlled experiments in performance of the experiments. In this method, it allows the researcher to establish the relationship between the cause and the effects. The experimenter in this method must manipulate one of the variables as the other variable is measured. The variable that is manipulated in this method is known as the independent variable, while the variable being measured is the dependent variable. The extraneous variable helps in manipulation by minimizing it as opposed to other kind of factors. For the true experiment, there is usually the experimental group and the control group. The experimental groups get the treatment that is designed for the study while the control group to the experimental group is identically treated with exceptional treatment of the experiment. By random assignment subjects are therefore assigned to each experimental group. The second method is the correlation method. This one exposes the relations that are predictable among given variables which are not within the experimenter’s control. The direction and the strength of the two variable relationship is referred to as correlation coefficients. In this method, it is important to note the correlation does not imply causation. Thirdly are the case studies. This method looks deeply on to a single individual study. Fourthly is the archival approach. They usually make the use records of novel, existing information and documents. Additionally, it may involve the use naturalistic observation. Under this method near natural or natural conditions are used to explore the population (Mayer, 1985, pp. 47). Elsewhere, the experimental process may involve the case histories method. This method describes the unusual conditions or person under study. The last method is the use of questionnaires and surveys about attitudes and opinions. Under survey, the attitude and opinions are based on response of the person on predetermined specific questions. Adequate and carefully determined sample on which the questions are based must be used (Peterson Tremblay, 1999, pp. 23). Due to the fact that scientific method works with the research approach rather than the research content, disciplines are not termed as scientific due to their content but because of their observation and data dependency, ideas of their falsifiability and the testing of the hypothesis. Therefore, scientific research legally involves the study of the intelligence, attitudes and other human behaviors which are complex. Despite the fact that the tools psychologists uses to measure the behavior of human may not give similar degree of precision like the one given by other sciences, it may not be precise to establish the scientific discipline status but rather the mechanism by which ideas will be tested and generated (Wolfe, 1992, pp. 206). When a researcher repeats the work that was done by another researcher, this may lead the research to be replicated, that is, the researchers must get the same results of a similar research done by the other researchers. This is a quality of scientific research that must exist. In reporting on their findings of the research, psychologist tries to give explanations and descriptions concerning how their discoveries have been made. On a similar note, other psychological researchers who carry out the same study must replicate on the previous results got by the other psychological researcher. After a research is done and replication is observed, psychologists will come up with a theory and translate it into hypothesis that is precise (Peterson Tremblay, 1999, pp. 9). When conducting a research, psychologists usually use operational definitions to assists in definition of concepts which are of interest. The term sampling is often used to describe the process of coming up with few number of the subjects of study out of the big population. The sampling procedures are used because it is not possible or practicable in the whole population to study all the subjects. There are different kinds of the samples that psychologists might use in relation to the kind of the study they are carrying out. These include: representative sample, convenience sample, random sample, and cross culture sample. The cross culture sample is used to have the external validity improved. One major drawback in the use of sampling method by the psychologist is that it tends to be biased at times. The psychologist researcher may lead to what we call experimenter bias when making the use of sampling procedures. The experimenter bias will result in the case where the researcher distorts the results or the procedures of experiment in study in which relation to the outcomes are known. Blinding procedures conceals the experimental hypothesis when used from the subject and this in most cases is referred to as single blind, while from the experiment and the subject are referred to as double blind (Wolfe, 1992, pp. 187). In their data analysis, psychologist normally uses the following measures to analyze their data. Firstly, the descriptive statistics are the mathematical summaries of the research results. Under descriptive statistics, measures of the central tendencies for a normal distribution are employed. These measures include the mean, median and the mode. Secondly are the measures of variation. This one determines the variation of the scores around the measures of the central tendencies. The measures of variations include the standard deviation and the range. Thirdly is the inferential statistics. This comes up with a statement about a set of given scores (Porterfield, 1999, pp. 82). The use of scientific method by the psychologists has been of great help to the world of business today. The application of research methodology to the world of commerce, business and organisations functions, organisational and industrial psychology looks on various degrees of the customers, workforce, and consumer. This will involve issues such as psychology of training, recruitment, job satisfaction, appraisal, stress management at work. All these factors assist in improving the performance and productivity of the business or the organisation. Psychological skills are employed to select the best qualified candidate during the interview process. This is of great help to the business since the selected candidate will effectively and efficiently deliver the organisational goals and objectives since he or she has the necessary and the required ability. For the new recruited staffs, they must undergo some training in relation to the expected duties and responsibility they have to accomplish in the organisation. They must be prepared psychologically how they should approach some of the duties and responsibilities at workplace and also how they can use such skills to meet the customers’ satisfaction. Psychological skills are also of benefit to any organisation in its application to manage stress that may have affected one of the staff members. In any organisation, stress is an expected situation and if not well handled may mess up the business activities, leading to poor performance. For this reason, organisations have gone ahead and employed psychologists who can effectively handle the matter. Psychologists have also worked on interaction with machines, product designs, software, sales, marketing, and advertisements so as to help in safety, functionality and appeal of the organisation. During the training of the staffs of an organization especially in the department of the sales and the marketing, this really require good impacting of the psychological skills to the staff in this department. For one to convince consumers to consume products of a given organisation, high level of psychological skills is required. It is in the same department or field where to understand the consumer needs psychological skills which have resulted to the employment of scientific method of research in collecting adequate data about the market and functional parameters of the organisation. By the use of such skills, one will be able to know which product needs to be improved or which has lost it market value. Doing all these help to expand and maintain the market share of the organisation (Wolfe, 1992, pp. 204).

Indian Civilization Essay

Indian Civilization Essay Introduction India civilization begins from riverbanks which is the Indus river and the Ganges river. India derives its name from the Indus river. Knowledge of Indian civilization has come from two leading cities: Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. These cities are carefully planned where they had wide, straight streets lined with brick houses. These cities had elaborate drainage and sewer systems. Achievements in science and technology of ancient India are divided into few sub parts such as mathematics, astronomy, list of Indian inventions, etc. The history of science and technology in India begins with prehistoric human activity at Mehrgarh (known as Pakistan in present-day) and continues through the Indus Valley Civilization to early states and empires. The British colonial rule introduced western education in India in its efforts to give rise to a native class of civil servants, exposed a number of Indians to foreign institutes of higher learning. Following independence, science and technology in the Republic of India has included automobile engineering, information technology, communications as well as space, polar, and nuclear sciences. The earliest evidence of technological progress in the Indian subcontinent is to be found in the remains of the Harappan civilization (4000-3000 BC). Archaeological remains point to the existence of well-planned urban centres which is orderly fashion along with roads and drainage systems complementing them. The drainage systems were particularly remarkable for the times since they were built underground and were constructed in a manner to allow for regular cleaning. Smaller drains from private homes connected to the larger public drains. Larger private dwellings (flats) were constantly multi-storied and all homes were constructed from standardized fired bricks and provided for separate cooking areas and toilets. Storage facilities for grain and goods for trade were built as were public baths and other buildings intended for various public functions. Urban centres were often planned near riverside or sea-ports. Accurate weights and measures were in use and ports such as Lothal were developed as export centres of early manufactured products from smelted copper and bronze. Kilns (oven for burning) for smelting copper blocks and casting tools were in existence as were metal tools such as curved or circular saws, pierced needles and most significantly, bronze drills with twisted grooves. The drill enabled the production of items with unparalleled precision for the times and could be regarded as an ancient precursor of the modern machine tool. There is also evidence of planned irrigation systems and it appears that fire and flood control measures to protect farms and villages were also in place. Artisans made use of the wheel and clay pottery was decorated in a variety of colours and designs. Cotton was grown and used to produce textiles. Urban centres in the Harappan region traded with each other as well as with counterparts in Babylon, the Persian Gulf, Egypt and possibly the Mediterranean. The span of the Harappan civilization was quite extensive, and included much of modern Sindh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Western UP. But prior to its disappearance, there is also evidence of considerable social decay and disintegration. Excavations from the later phases of the Harappan civilization suggest that population pressures led to greater anarchy in building construction. Urban dwellings became smaller and settlements became more unplanned indicating a breakdown of social practices and structures that promoted urban regulations and enforced construction codes. Between 1800 and 1700 BCE, civilization on the Indus Plain vanished. The degeneration of these people is unknown. One suspected cause is a shift in the Indus River. Another is that people dammed the water along the lower portion of the Indus River without realizing the consequences such as flooding up river. Another suspected cause is a decline in rainfall. Agriculture declined and people abandoned the cities in search of food. Later, a few people of a different culture settled in some of the abandoned cities, in what archaeologists call a squatter period. Then the squatters disappeared. Knowledge of the Mohenjo-daro and Harappa civilization died until archaeologists discovered the civilization in the mid-19th century. From complex Mohenjo-daro and Harappan towns to Delhis Qutub Minar, Indias indigenous technologies were very sophisticated. They included the design and planning of water supply, traffic flow, natural air conditioning, complex stone work, and construction engineering. In forthcoming sections, we are going to discuss in detail about the ancient Indias civilization and their contributions towards science and technology in the present world. Indians Contribution towards Mathematics In the period of 400 AD to 1200 AD, important contributions were made by scholars like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta and Bhaskara II. The decimal number system that we are using today was first recorded in Indian mathematics. Indian mathematicians made early contributions to the study of the concept of zero as a number, negative numbers, arithmetic, trigonometry and algebra formulae. Some of the areas of mathematics studied in ancient and medieval India includes Arithmetic (decimal system, negative numbers, zeros, floating point numbers, number theory, infinity, transfinite numbers, irrational numbers), Geometry (square roots, cube roots, Pythagorean triples, transformation, Pascals triangle), Algebra (quadratic equations, qubic equations and quartic/biquadratic equations), Mathematical logic (formal grammars, formal language theory, the Panini-Backus form, recursion), General mathematics (Fibonacci numbers, earliest forms of Morse code, logarithms, indices, algorithms, algorism) and Trigonometry (trigonometric functions, trigonometric series). There are some evidences showing the application of mathematics by ancient Indians. Excavations at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and other sites of the Indus Valley Civilization have uncovered evidence of the use of practical mathematics. Those people manufactured bricks whose dimensions were in the proportion 4:2:1, considered favourable for the stability of a brick structure. They used a standardized system of weights based on few ratios like 1/20, 1/10, 1/5 and etc. with the unit weight equalling approximately 28 grams. They mass produced weights in regular geometrical shapes which included hexahedra, barrels, cones and cylinders, thereby demonstrating knowledge of basic geometry. The inhabitants of Indus civilization also tried to standardize measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy. They designed a ruler (the Mohenjo-daro ruler) whose unit of length (approximately 1.32 inches or 3.4 centimetres) was divided into ten equal parts. Bricks manufactured in ancient Mohenjo-daro often had dimensions that were integral multiples of this unit of length. Indians Contribution towards Constructions Field The Indus-Sarasvati (Harappan) Civilization was the worlds first to build planned towns with underground drainage, civil sanitation, hydraulic engineering, and air-cooling architecture. Weights and measurements were standardized and oven-baked bricks were invented in India using these guidelines. There are many pioneering (first to explore new ideas/method) items of civil engineering such as drainage systems for water (open and closed), irrigation (water supply) systems, river dams, water storage tanks carved out of rock, granaries with ducts and platforms, moats (wide water channel dug surrounding a place), middle-class style homes with private bathrooms and drainage and even a dockyard (place to repair ships). There is evidence of stairs for multiple-storied buildings. Many towns have separate citadels (military stronghold); strongly fortified upper and lower towns. There are separate worker quarters near copper furnaces (place to heat material at very high temperature). Indians also pioneered many engineering tools for construction, surgery, warfare, etc. This includes the hollow drill, the true saw and the needle with the hole on its pointed end. Indians Contribution through Usage of Materials Since iron can be a secondary product of copper technology, its likely to be origin from India because copper was a well-known technology in many parts of ancient India. A smelting furnace dated 800 BCE is found in Naikund (Maharashtra), India. Recent discoveries reveal that iron was known in the Ganga valley. The Indian wootz steel[1] was very popular in Persian courts for making swords. Rust-free steel was an Indian invention and remained as an Indian skill for centuries. Delhis famous iron pillar, dated 402 CE is considered a metallurgical wonder and shows a very few signs of rust. The famous Damascus steel swords were made from Indian steel imported by Europeans. The acclaimed Sheffield steel in UK was Indian crucible steel. The best brains of European science worked for decades to learn to reverse-engineer how Indians made crucible steel and in this process, modern alloy design and physical metallurgy was developed in Europe. Another important Indian contribution to metallurgy was in the isolation, distillation and use of zinc. From natural sources, zinc content in alloys such as brass can go no higher than 28 per cent. A major breakthrough in the history of metallurgy was Indias discovery of zinc distillation whereby the metal was vaporized and then condensed back into pure metal. Brass in Taxashila has been dated from third century BCE to fifth century CE. The earliest confirmed evidence of zinc smelting by distillation is Zawar. This is the earliest place for zinc smelting and production of metallic zinc by distillation process anywhere in the world. Europeans learnt it for the first time in 1743, when expertise was transferred from India. Until then, India had been exporting pure zinc for centuries on an industrial scale. At archaeological sites in Rajasthan, retorts[2] used for the distillation are found in very large numbers even today. Once zinc had become separated into a pure metal, alloys could be made with the required zinc component to provide the required properties. For instance, strength and durability increase with higher zinc component. In addition, copper alloys look like gold when the zinc component is higher than 28 per cent. Most early brass objects found in other countries had less than 10 per cent zinc component, and, therefore, these were not based on zinc distillation technology. It was in Zawar, Rajasthan, where this first became industrialized on a large scale. Zinc mines have been found in Dariba (11th century BCE), Agucha (sixth century BCE) and Zawar (fifth century BCE). These mines have pots and other manufacturing tools of these dates, but the mining could be even older. Unsurprisingly, developments in metallurgy also had their impact on artillery (large guns) production. According to A. Rahman (Science in Medieval India), by the 16th century, the heaviest guns in the world were being cast in India and a variety of weapons were being manufactured in the subcontinent. The Jaigarh cannon factory was one of Indias best and before the crucial battle of 1857, the Jaipur Rajputs laid claim to owning Asias largest cannon. Yet, none of the Rajput cannons were ever used to confront the British who succeeded in conquering the sub-continent without ever having to fight against the countrys best equipped armies, thus demonstrating that technological progress is not an end in itself. Indians Contribution through Usage of Nature Resources Many interesting findings have recently come out about the way forests and trees were managed by each village and how a careful method was applied to harvest medicines, firewood and building material in accordance with natural renewal rates. Discoveries concerning the manufacture and application of natural and artificial dyes were first implemented by Indians. Block printing and dye and other textile-dyeing techniques were popularized. The use of mordants[3] in colour-fast dyeing of textiles became known as did the knowledge of lacquers that could be applied to wood or leather. Paints that could be used on different building materials were developed and elaborate techniques were employed to prevent fading and loss of colour during the heavy monsoons. Indian farmers developed non-chemical, eco-friendly pesticides and fertilizers that have modern applications. These traditional pesticides have been recently revived in India with excellent results, replacing Union Carbides[4] products in certain markets. Crop rotation and soil technology that has been passed down for thousands of years are traditional practices which India pioneered. Historically, Indias agricultural production was large and sustained a huge population compared to other parts of the world. Surpluses (excess of production/supply) were stored for use in a drought year. But the British turned this industry into a cash cow, exporting very large amounts of grain even during food shortages. This caused tens of millions of Indians to die of starvation in the 19th century. Given the importance of fresh water in India, it is no surprise that the technologies to manage water resources were highly advanced from Harappan times onwards. For example, in Gujarat, Chandragupta built the Sudarshan Lake in late 4th century BCE, and was later repaired in 150 BCE by his grandson. Bhopals Raja Bhoj Lake, built in 1014-1053, is so massive that it shows up in satellite images. The Vijayanagar Empire built such a large lake in 14th 15th century CE that it has more construction material than the Great Wall of China. Scientists estimate there were 1.3 million man-made water lakes and ponds across India, some as large as 250 square miles. These are now being rediscovered using satellite imagery. These enabled rain water to be harvested and used for irrigation, drinking, etc. till the following years rainfall. Indians Contribution towards Medical Field Genuine cures were listed with unscientific practices without clear distinction. But during the rational period in India the emphasis on the scientific method led to a much greater level of accuracy with respect to the efficacy of different medicines and medical procedures. The more accurately the Indian medical practitioner was able to observe reality, understand bodily functions and test the efficacy of popular medical techniques, the more successful were the prescribed cures. Dissection of corpses and careful monitoring of different diseases was an important component in the study and practice of medicine. With greater success in treatment came greater confidence and allowed medical practitioners to conduct surgical procedures using a variety of surgical tools though its unsophisticated in comparison to modern surgical equipment. Procedures for inducing unconsciousness or numbing body parts that were to be operated on were required and developed. Tools for excision, incision, puncturing, probing, organ or part extraction, fluid drainage, bloodletting, suturing and cauterization were developed. Various types of bandages and ointments were used as were basic procedures for ensuring cleanliness and limiting contamination. The caesarian section was known, bone-setting reached a high degree of skill, and plastic surgery developed far beyond anything known elsewhere at the time. Indian surgeons also became proficient at the repair of noses, ears and lips lost or injured in battle or by judicially mandated mutilation. Traditional cataract surgery was performed with a special tool called the Jabamukhi Salaka, a curved needle used to loosen the lens and push the cataract out of the field of vision. Brahmanic hospitals were established in what is now Sri Lanka as early as 431 BCE. Ashoka also established a chain of hospitals throughout the Mauryan empire by 230 BCE. While all ancient societies cherished and admired the skills of the medical practitioner, it was the more determined adoption of the scientific approach that enabled Indian medicine to make a quantum leap over the older medical systems of the time. Progress in medicine also led to developments in chemistry and chemical technologies. The manufacture of alkaline substances, medicinal powders, ointments and liquids was systematized, as were chemical processes relating to the manufacture of glass. Advances in food processing (such as manufacture of sugar, condiments and edible oils) took place as did the manufacture of personal hygiene products and beauty aids (such as shampoos, deodorizers, perfumes and cosmetics). Indians Contribution towards Shipping, Trading, Geography and Astronomy Shipbuilding was one of Indias major export industries until the British destroy it and officially prohibited it. Middle Age Arab sailors purchased their boats in India. The Portuguese also continued to get their boats from India and not Europe. Some of the worlds largest and most sophisticated ships were built in India and China. There is also extensive archival material on the Indian Ocean trade in Greek, Roman, and Southeast Asian sources. Indians are well known as traders of items like diamond, brass ornaments, gun powders, metal made swords, iron made indigo dye, copper, bronze, wootz steel, textiles, etc. Archaeologists have found geometric compasses which linear scales made of ivory. The compass and other navigation tools were already in use in the Indian Ocean long before Europe. Using their expertise in the science of seafaring, Indians participated in the earliest-known ocean-based trading system. Few people know that an Indian naval pilot, named Kanha, was hired by Vasco da Gama to captain his ships and take him to India. Deep-sea shipping had existed in India as Indian ships had been sailing to islands such as the Andamans, Lakshdweep and Maldives around 2,000 years ago. Kautilya (sacred scripture) which describes the times that are good and bad for seafaring was used as guidance. Astronomy is one area which has fascinated all mankind from the beginnings of history. The first textual mention of astronomical concepts comes from the Vedas (religious literature of India). In India, the first references to astronomy are to be found in the Rig Veda which is dated around 2000 B.C. Vedic Aryans in fact deified (worshipped) the Sun, Stars and Comets. Indians also prepared lunar calendars which were based on lunar cycle. This type of calendar (lunar calendar) is still in use today. According to Sarma (2008): One finds in the Rigveda, intelligent speculations about the genesis (origin) of the universe from nonexistence (non-real), the configuration of the universe, the spherical self-supporting earth, and the year of 360 days divided into 12 equal parts of 30 days each with a periodical intercalary (in leap years) month. Famous mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata gave some great calculation regarding space that is almost correct. He presented his theory of heliostat, which means that planets revolve around the sun. This theory was presented about a millennium before than the theory presented by Galileo. In 20th century, world famous S Chandrashekhar presented his theory regarding black holes. References [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_valley_civilization [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Indian_science_and_technology [3] Aspects of Ancient Indian Technology H.C. Bhardwaj [4] An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology edited by A.Ghosh Volume I [5] http://yomi.mobi/egate/History_of_Indian_science_and_technology/73/a [6] http://dont-forget-your-passport.blogspot.com/2009/12/ancient-indias-contribution-to-science.html [7] http://members.tripod.com/~INDIA_RESOURCE/technology.htm [8] http://www.indianchild.com/harappa.htm [9] http://www.archaeolink.com/ancient_indus%20and%20indian%20civilizations_ancient_india.htm [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_inventions [1] an exceptional grade of iron ore steel first made in southern and south central India and Sri Lanka perhaps as early as 300 BC [2] a container used in distilling liquids [3] combines with dye and fixes it in material [4] one of the oldest chemical and polymer companies in the United States

Comparison Between Merchant of Venice and The Bible Essay -- William S

SHYLOCK: What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? The Biblical Story Genesis 16: 1-16 1 Now Sarai Abramï ¿ ½s wife bare him no children, and she had a maid an Egyptian, Hagar by name. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from child bearing. I pray thee go in unto my maid: it may be that I shall receive a child by her. And Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai Abramï ¿ ½s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram for his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. and when she saw that she had conceived, her dame was despised in her eyes. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, Thou doest me wrong. I have given my maid into thy bosom, and she seeth that she hath conceived, and I am despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. 6 Then Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand: do with her as it pleaseth thee. Then Sarai dealt roughly with her: wherefore she fled from her. 7 But the Angel of the Lord found her beside a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to Shur, 8 And he said, Hagar Saraiï ¿ ½s maid, whence comest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from my dame Sarai. 9 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, Return to thy dame, and humble thyself under her hands. 10 Again the Angel of the Lord said unto her, I will so greatly increase thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 Also the Angel of the Lord said unto her, See, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael: for the Lord hath heard thy tribulation. 12 And he shall be a wild man: his hand shall be against every man, and every m... ...tian: those who are "gentile" Christians (the vast majority) and those who are Jewish Christians (in other words, ethnic Jews who belong to the second category (above) of both "Jews" and "Christians." David was descended from Abraham through Abraham's great-grandson Judah, whose father was Jacob, and whose grandfather was Isaac. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob, who had twelve sons corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel (actually, not quite, because Levi became a tribe without a land of its own (they were the assistants to the priests and lived in specific cities throughout the land), and Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh were given a double portion of the inheritance (both of them had their own tribe, in a way)). - Peter Gaultney Works Cited ï ¿ ½Ishmael.ï ¿ ½ Smithï ¿ ½s Bible Dictionary. April 5 2005. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/smith_w/bibledict.i.html?term=ishmael

Technology in Healthcare: Good or Bad

lI believe that technology is both good and bad in the healthcare field. With technology constantly changing, there is no end to what we can do. Technology allows us to use computers or computerized systems to collect, process, and store pertinent data. It also allows up to progress to the future with the machines we use in the healthcare field. Some of the upsides are better record keeping, data analysis, and convenient documentation which can provide more prompt medical billing. Patient security and safety is a concern with all advances in technology.After all, without the patients, what business would the healthcare field have? Technology via machines that are used are constantly progressing. These can be very good in the development of better machines to help to aide patients in better treatment and less lengthy hospital stays. There are downsides to technology in healthcare though. Let’s think for a minute. What causes errors in healthcare technology? Human error. This ca n be via inadequately trained, inexperienced, tired, or even cases where people don’t admit they made a mistake.How about faulty equipment or programming? If a machine or program is not running properly then it isn’t going to give the right results. One thing for sure is that there has to be constant monitoring and troubleshooting to maintain a safe environment for both the patient, the hospital or facility, and also for the companies who make the products we use in the technological aspect of healthcare. With technology being a definite for the future, I think it’s just a wait and see thing as to whether it ends up being better or worse.

LEMURS Essays - Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemur, Ruffed Lemur, Dwarf Lemur

LEMURS Essays - Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemur, Ruffed Lemur, Dwarf Lemur LEMURS TABLE OF CONTENTS FACTS ABOUT LEMURS3 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF LEMURS3-5 HISTORY AND THE LEMUR5 THE ENDANGERED LEMUR6 BIBLIOGRAPHY7 A lemur is a small, monkeylike animal that lives primarily in Madagascar. Their sizes range from about as big as a mouse to as large as a cat. They have a roundish head with a pointed muzzle and large eyes. Their fur is wooly and their legs are longer than their arms. They are nocturnal animals, feasting on mostly plants, small animals, insects and bark. The common enemies of lemurs are humans, the fossa and the banded gymnogene. There are 22 species of lemurs, ranging from the indri lemur, which is the largest lemur at almost 3 feet, to the mouse lemur, a 5 inch lemur that weighs about 2 ounces. The ring tailed lemur is a lemur with a 2 foot tail used to signal other groups of lemurs. They are the only lemurs that spend much time on the ground. They live in groups of up to 30. The ring tailed lemurs live in southern Madagascar. The colors of the ring tailed lemur are black and white. It's enemies are; large birds of prey and fossas. The aye-aye is an almost extinct lemur. It looks like a large cat with bat's ears, beaver's teeth, a middle finger that looks like a twig and huge eyes. It uses it's middle finger to dig for insects and comb its fur. The aye-aye lives on patches of coastland in Madagascar. They are a sleek brownish color. Its enemies are fossas. The indri is the largest lemur. There are many different species of indri. The avahi, verreaux sifaka, diademed sifaka and indris are all indris. They live all over Madagascar. They vary in color. The black lemur is in danger of extinction. One of its subspecies is already extinct. Its body is 16 inches long and its tail is 20 inches long. It can weigh up to five pounds and it lives in north and central Madagascar. It can be dark brown or black. Its enemies are the fossa and the banded gymnogene. There is another species of lemur that is called the brown lemur which is just like the black lemur except it is a little bit more of a brownish color. The mouse lemur is the smallest lemur. It is about the size of a mouse, but otherwise lemur-like. It lives all along the coast of Madagascar. It eats small fruits, blooms, leaves and insects. It's color is a light shade of brown. Owls and fossas are its enemies. There is two different kinds of mouse lemur, the lesser and the coqueral's. A smaller than average lemur, the weasel lemur, lives on the east and west parts of Madagascar. It has big eyes and a small muzzle. It eats mostly fruits and plants. It has a thick and wooly coat of fur and is a brownish maroon color. The enemies of the weasel lemur are owls and nocturnal birds of prey. The mongoose lemur is a very good climber and jumper. It is covered with silky brown fur, similar to a bear. Its enemies are the fossa and the banded gymnogene. Its tail is about twice the size of its body. It lives in northern Madagascar. The Rruffed lemur is a black and white lemur. Its fur is somewhat longer than other lemurs. It lives in families of 2-5 animals. It is a pretty large lemur, bigger than the black lemur. It lives in northeast Madagascar. The red-bellied lemur obviously got its name from its distinct red belly. Its enemies are the fossa and banded gymnogene. It lives in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar. Besides its belly, it is crestnut-brown. The gentle lemurs are a group of short legged, long tailed lemurs. They have long, soft fur and pug-like nostrils. Their enemies are ring tailed lemurs, banded gymnones, Madagascar Buzzards and death adders. They live on the east and west coasts of Madagascar. There are two kinds of gentle lemurs, the broad nosed and the grey. The dwarf lemur is about twice the size of the mouse lemur. Its enemies are owls and fossas. It lives all along the coast of Madagascar. One species of dwarf lemurs, the hairy eared dwarf lemur, is nearly extinct. There are five different kinds

The Guilt and Innocence of Monsieur Mersault †Literature Essay

The Guilt and Innocence of Monsieur Mersault – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers The Guilt and Innocence of Monsieur Mersault Literature Essay Guilt and Innocence were mere feelings that mean nothing to an indifferent soul. Monsieur Mersault is doomed by his apparent guilty innocence. Many times tackled by feelings that are essential for one’s life, Mersault disregards all of them. Often he describes that his physical needs tend to come before his emotional ones. â€Å"My nature was that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.† Throughout the book he would describes much more and with more accuracy his physical needs, such as the weather, killing time at the prison and even about smoking cigarettes. His nature, fatalistically, became his doom. Innocence is a term that has many definitions, the one found most applicable would be; lack of knowledge or understanding. â€Å"I wasn’t familiar with all the procedures†¦I didn’t quite understand what happened next†. Its clear in this exert that Monsieur Mersault was not enlightened about what was going on in the trial and why the reporters were analyzing every breath he took. It was his nature; he was indifferent to how people felt about him, or even to how his case would proceed. We can observe that this innocence is becoming an enemy, since he does not understand his case and does not care about it. His lack of knowledge and interest often makes him loose track of what the prosecutor was saying making him much more susceptible to any of the prosecution’s questions. â€Å"For example, I got bored very quickly with the prosecutor’s speech† He had the innocence of being bored when the prosecutor was twisting his fate. He has a logical reasoning for being bored as â€Å"whatever interest you can get people to take in you doesn’t last very long†. Therefore, the prosecutor talked about his life, he evoked the right feelings in the jury, the emotional ones. He convinced them that with his â€Å"naivetà ©Ã¢â‚¬  he premeditated the shooting of the Arab. He caught Monsieur Mersault right where his guilty innocence screamed guilt. â€Å"I could feel how much I’d enjoy going for a walk if it hadn’t been for mama†. Nihilistic attitudes such wanting to enjoy a walk throughout the country on the day of your mother’s funeral contributed to the prosecutor’s point because we can see exactly how Mersault makes it clear his non-value for human existence. Mersault existentialist nature contributes much to lack of understanding of small but important things. Therefore, Camus builds the character of Mersault in this manner so we can try to understand The Absurd. Mersault, crashes w ith the absurd, he is a guilty-innocent person. This snowball kept rolling and impressing more people throughout his life, until it impressed the jury which gave his ultimatum. He was guilty. He was so benevolent and apathetic towards his feelings and everyone that in the end his own nature made him an enemy to himself. Like a hazard to himself he continued to not generate value for anything that any normal person would value. â€Å"Funeral tomorrow†¦ That doesn’t mean anything†. We can observe in this exert that Camus already starts the book emphasizing Mersault’s passiveness towards his moms funeral, which builds up into a deal of innocence in his trial that turns him into a guilty criminal. Ironically it makes sense, therefore it is absurd because he never did anything wrong, he did not kill the Arab intentionally and to live an nihilist life was his nature. Research Papers on The Guilt and Innocence of Monsieur Mersault - Literature EssayThe Spring and AutumnEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThree Concepts of Psychodynamic19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Hockey GameInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

A review of economic growth and financial development literature

A review of economic growth and financial development literature Introduction It is the wish of every country to realize improved and sustainable economic growth and financial development in order to improve the living standards of the greatest majority among its citizenry. Improved economic and financial development is also central to a country’s ability to safeguard its survival in a world that is increasingly facing uncertainties, and unforeseeable risks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A review of economic growth and financial development literature specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For these reasons, countries with visionary and development conscious leaders devise the most feasible economic blueprints that can enable them to reach greater heights of economic and financial success. In reality, a developmental state is a product of superior economic design; not accident, chance, or miracle. That is the bitter truth that the world’s poor and developing countriesâ⠂¬â„¢ leaders must embrace or condemn their countries to terminal economic and financial stagnation. This paper is a review of China’s economic growth and financial development. Economic growth Economic growth refers to a rise in the capacity of a country to generate goods and services, as compared from one period of its history to another (Barro Sala-i-Martin 2004, p.52). Economic growth is measured in real and nominal terms (Cypher Dietz 2008, p.33). Nominal terms include inflation while real terms are adjusted for inflation. Comparative studies of economic growth of different countries use GDP or GNP per capita because these variables take into account population differences between countries (Cypher Dietz 2008, p.33). Economic growth is normally attributed to technological advancement in a given society (Barro Sala-i-Martin 2004, p.52). United States is a prime example where enormous economic growth was realised following the introduction of the internet technology. I t is pertinent to note that, the growth of a country’s economy should not be seen in terms of an increase in its productive capacity only, but also as an improvement in the quality of life of its citizenry. In short, economic growth is a process through which a country’s wealth accumulates over an extended period. Therefore, economic growth can best be thought of as a process of transformation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Fitzgerald, a country’s long-term sustainable economic growth depends on its ability to increase its pace of accumulating physical and human capital, to use the resulting productive assets more efficiently and guarantee the reach of the entire population to these assets (2006, p.1). Financial Development Financial development refers to the â€Å"creation and expansion of instruments, institutions and markets that support a country’s investment and economic growth process† (Fitzgerald 2006, p.1; King Levine 1993, p.3). Banks and non-banking financial intermediaries such as stock markets and pension funds â€Å"play the role of translating household savings into enterprise investment, keep an eye on investments and distribute funds, as well as, to price and mitigate risks† (Fitzgerald 2006, p.1). Financial intermediation provides liquidity so that companies can operate the new capacities efficiently. Some economists hold that, financial development and economic growth are intimately related (Jeanneney et al 2008, p.3). Financial development influences a country’s economic growth, and helps to alleviate poverty because economic growth is a potential way of reducing poverty (Jeanneney et al 2008, p.3). Financial development helps alleviate poverty indirectly by motivating growth, and directly by enhancing transactions and enabling the poor to gain from financial services that raise their income, which facilitate their ability to undertake productive investments and other activities. Literature review on China’s economic growth and financial development The People’s Republic of China, popularly known as China is the most populous country with over 1.3 billion citizens. It is situated in East Asia (LaFleur 2003, P.3). It is a de jure one-party state ruled by the Communist Party of China (CPC) (LaFleur 2003, P.3). China is the third largest country by a total area and the second largest by land area (LaFleur 2003, p.3). During 1990s, the international community started to acknowledge that China’s economy is self-motivated and rapidly growing; therefore, its swift growth would continue for some time (Chow 1994, p.1). Today, china is one of the fastest growing economies internationally.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A review of economic growth and financial development literature specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since 1978 when economic liberalization was introduced in China, China’s investment and export-led economy has grown 90 times bigger and is currently the fastest growing leading economy in the world (Wang et al 2007, p.85; Bramall 2009, p.464). According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), during the period 2001-2010, China’s annual average GDP growth was 10.5 percent. This growth is anticipated to grow at 9.5 percent during the period 2011-2015 (Morrison 2011, p.2). Between 2007 and 2010; China’s economic growth rate was equivalent to all of the G7 countries put together (Morrison 2011, p.2). The link between economic growth and financial development has triggered a protracted debate from Smith to Schumpeter. According to research results over the years, financial development stimulates economic growth (Burzynska 2009, p.8). He argued that via the services that financial intermediaries bring about like mobilizing savings, containing risk and enhancing transactions technological and economic development is motivated (Burzynska 2009, p.8). For him, financial intermediaries facilitate technological innovation. Technological advancement according to Schumpeter is a process of continuous substitution of old production methods and goods with improved processes, services and goods by innovation and invention (Burzynska 2009, p.8). It has long been agreed amongst economists that financial institutions can enhance economic growth. For instance, Hicks put emphasis on capital formation, which he argued can be influenced by financial intermediaries by either changing savings rate or by redistributing savings among different capital generating technologies. There are, however, distinguished economists who oppose the view that financial developments stimulate economic growth. For example, for Robinson an economy in which enterprise is leading finance development follows (Robinson 1952, p.4 3). In other words, financial development takes place as an automatic response to rising varied financial needs. Other scholars were concerned that economists overemphasized the importance financial factor in economic growth (Lucas 1988, p.4).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Financial intermediaries play six main roles. First, they pool household savings and make them available for lending (Burzynska 2009, p.9). Doing so reduces transaction costs for firms, as well as, households themselves. Secondly, financial intermediaries distribute savings and decide who gets loans (Burzynska 2009, p.9). Thirdly, financial institutions mitigate the overall risks of doing business by way of spreading investor’s funds among the diverse investment opportunities. Fourth, they produce liquidity. Fifth financial in situations facilitate trade by extending credit and guaranteeing payment (Burzynska 2009, p.9). Finally, they exert corporate control and monitoring of managers. A properly functioning financial system should ensure increased savings and investments which either via capital accumulation or technological change leads to rise in output and consequently economic growth (Burzynska 2009, p.9). China’s outstanding economic growth during the last two de cades has attracted considerable attention particularly from economists. Most empirical studies show that improvement in China’s productivity can account for an important portion of its striking growth (Morrison 2011, p.5). The source of China’s remarkable growth has two aspects namely domestic and international even though the two are intimately related. Since 1978, China backed free trade and gradually removed trade restrictions. The government transformed its policy of management of foreign trade by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and gave provincial governments a substantial autonomy in foreign trade and permitted private sector to take part in foreign trade (Morrison 2011, p.2; Chow 2005, p1). According to Chow (2005), during the period 1978 to 2002, total volume of exports and imports rose from $ 20.64 billion to a staggering $620.8 billion in 2002. This accounted for 65 % of china’s GDP and a growth rate of 35% annually (Chow 2005, p.1). Consequently, China became the third largest trading economy behind Germany and the United States. Presents Chinese exports are found all over the world. In the year 2001, China acquired World trade Organization membership. WTO pushed it to lower its tariffs for manufactured and agricultural products (Chow 2005, p.1; Bao et al 2006, p.181). The lowering of tariffs helped to increase competition among Chinese manufacturers and farmers and ended up providing inexpensive products for Chinese consumers. According to Chow (2005), foreign trade has boosted China’s economic growth in three aspects. International specialization, which occurs as each country produces the goods for which it has a comparative advantage in generating, has enabled China to procure more goods than by national production only (Chow 2005, p.1). Secondly, exports are a part of aggregate demand and rise in cumulative demand has helped China to raise its national output. Thirdly, trade in conjunction with foreign investment has b rought in modern technology and methods of management that has increased China’s productivity (Chow 2005, p.1). Another major cause of China’s economic growth was an increase in foreign investment, and domestic investments (Chow 2005, p.2; Morrison 2011, p.5; Zhang 1995, p.2). Even though available statistics show that private consumption fell from 49 percent of GDP in 1990 to 35 % in 2008, investment increased from 35% to 44 percent of GDP by the same date (Chow 2005, p.2). According to Clow (2005), flow of physical capital in the form of foreign direct Investment (FDI) has been exemplary in advancing China’s economic growth. After the introduction of the 1978 economic reforms, China’s foreign investment policies have positively changed. The 1978 economic reforms became a point of departure for China from seeing foreign investment as a form of exploitation by outsiders, to embracing it for purposes of China’s economic growth and development (Chow 2005, p.2; Morrison 2011, p.2). For instance, in 2001, an amount of FDI of $ 49.7 billion dollars was utilized while in 2003 $ 56.1 billion was utilized. Foreign investment has helped China’s economic growth through the provision of physical and financial capital, new technology and managerial skills to China (Chow 2005, p.2; Morrison 2011, p.5). Through the 1978 reforms the government also encouraged individual citizens to start their own businesses. Additionally, control of prices for various commodities by the state was gradually removed. Clow, however, points out that, foreign investment is not a basic economic factor in China’s outstanding economic growth, but only a vehicle boosting that growth (Chow 2005, p.2). Instead, there are three significant factors including availability of high quality human resources, which comprise properly trained and hardworking labourers, and creative entrepreneurs. Adequately properly functioning market institutions and chinaâ€⠄¢s standing as a late comer who can embrace new technology from the already developed countries (Chow 2005, p.3). These three fundamental factors have enabled china to create a centre of attention for foreign investors. Moreover, the investors would have invested their capital in other economies. Today, China is exporting capital to developing countries, as well as, United States. For instance, Chinese investment has boosted economic development of some African and Asian countries. Morrison has attributed China’s swift economic growth to two main factors namely large-scale capital investments and a swift productivity growth (Morrison 2011, p.5). These capital investments were financed by both foreign investments and domestic savings. Economists view these two factors as having moved hand in hand. Economic reforms resulted into higher efficiency in China’s economy, which in turn, enhanced national output and raised resources for additional investment within the economy (Morrison 2011, p.5). Furthermore, economists have concluded that productivity growth, or increases in efficiency have been a fundamental factor in China’s striking economic growth. This improved productivity is attributed to reallocation of resources to more productive areas particularly sectors that were previously strictly controlled by the government like services, trade and agriculture (Morrison 2011, p.5). For example, improvements in agriculture promoted production and set workers free to pursue employment in a more dynamic manufacturing sector (Morrison 2011, p.5). In addition, economic decentralization encouraged the rise of private companies. The private firms that emerged tended to follow more productive activities than the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), and were more market-oriented and for this reason more efficient (Morrison 2011, p.5). The export sector of the Chinese economy got exposed to competition. Provincial and Local governments were permitted to estab lish and run a wide range of enterprises based on market forces and principles, without central government interference (Morrison 2011, p.5). Additionally, China has attained high rates of total factor productivity than even most of the developed economies including United States. These high rates of TFT growth are attributed to China’s ability to reach and make use of existing foreign technology and expertise. Apart from the causes of rapid Chinese economic growth reviewed above, economists have explored the role played by financial development in boosting economic development in China over the two last decades. Like other sectors, since the introduction of the 1978 economic reforms, the Chinese financial sector has experienced fundamental changes. For example, the place of mono banking was taken over by commercial banking; stock markets emerged; and modern regulatory bodies were established (Burzynska 2009, p.11; Zhang 2008, p.12). Stock markets were introduced in China in 1990. Stock markets were established in main cities including Shanghai which is a China’s oldest financial centre and Shenzhen, a fast growing city in the southern part of china for purposes of balance (Burzynska 2009, p.13). More than 75 percent of stock trading takes place in shanghai and the rest in Shenzhen. Unfortunately, even though indexes may reach greater heights and transactions prosper within China’s stock markets, some shares are not tradable (Burzynska 2009, p.14). For example, combined capitalization of Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets as at the end of 2007 was 133% of GDP even though only 37% of GDP was tradable (Burzynska 2009, p.13). Furthermore, stock in china is more of a political affair and thus plays a minor role in financing enterprises. Politics within the stock market has led to incorrect pricing of the stock with overpricing and under pricing alternating depending on the prevailing political conditions (Burzynska 2009, p.13). Loans offered 80% of financing compared to 13% of equity in year 2007. Foreign companies are only permitted to obtain loans from banks only and can not borrow from other companies. According to Burzynska (2009), even though the debt market in china is developing it is considerably narrow, fragmented and inadequate in liquidity. It was not until 1990 that the government started to take charge of and control the bond markets seriously, which began unofficially in 1980s (Burzynska 2009, p.15). In 1997 trading of government bonds was started on the inter-bank market. The corporate bond market was reserved for various SOEs, and a considerable period remained remarkably small (Burzynska 2009, p.14). The government and policy banks issue most of the bonds. However, the volume of bonds traded has grown significantly especially since 1998 due to expansionary monetary policies (Burzynska 2009, p.14). For example, as of the end of year 2007 total bond issuance accounted for 32% of GDP (Burzynska 2009, p.14) . In a nut shell, it is the Chinese banking sector that plays the most significant role within the Chinese financial sector and is thought to have the strongest link with economic growth. Chinese financial system has numerous banking institutions. Hence, over the last decade total bank loans have accounted for over 105% of GDP (Burzynska 2009, p.15). China’s banking sector is categorized into four principal types of banks including commercial banks, state owned banks, foreign banks and rural credit cooperatives (Burzynska 2009, p.15). There are also non-banking institutions. The People’s Bank of China has served as the central bank of china since 1983. It formulates and put into practice monetary policies and controls financial markets (Burzynska 2009, p.16). However, it is not an independent entity because the government has apparent control over expansion of new financial products and levels related to interests rates on loans. The momentous question today revolves a round whether the relatively weak financial intermediaries in China have been a fundamental contributing factor to China’s rapid economic growth. Influential economists, some of which are respected authorities on Asian economic studies, have positively focused on the role of China’s financial system in its rapid economic growth. Others had used the case of China’s outstanding economic growth to prove that financial development follows economic growth given the fact that, by the time china was emerging as a dynamic economy, its financial system was poorly developed. Therefore, for such scholars current financial development is merely responding to presently required financial arrangements in a growing economy. There is, however, evidence showing that Chinese has historically maintained a high of savings even in the absence of a properly developed financial system. For example, when economic reforms were introduced in 1978 domestic savings stood at 32% of GDP (Mor rison 2011, p.5). Even though, much of these savings were produced by profits of SOEs, the 1978 economic reforms which entailed economic decentralization, resulted into a considerable rise in Chinese household savings, as well as, company savings (Morrison 2011, p.5). Consequently, Chinese gross savings as a proportion of GDP have drastically grown; it reached 53.9% in 2010; therefore, is one of the highest savings rates in the world (Morrison 2011, p.5). According to Morrison (2011), the high level of savings has allowed China to boost national investment. It is estimated that Chinese domestic saving margins surpass its domestic investment levels making China one of the largest net global lenders (Morrison 2011, p.5). Therefore, there is no dispute that financial intermediaries have contributed to Chinese rapid economic growth especially during the years following initialization of the 1978 economic reforms. These reforms apparently created a developmental space in which competitio n within the financial sector could thrive, and in the long run enabled it to contribute to China’s astounding economic growth. There is empirical evidence showing that financial development has significantly contributed to China’s high rates of total factor production (Guillaumont et al 2008, p.3). Empirical evidence has continually shown that financial development promotes China’s productivity by increasing efficiency. Financial development caused a positive and significant impact on efficiency both through expansion of credit to the private sector and through promotion of competition within the financial sector, which in turn robustly promotes China’s productivity growth (Guillaumont et al 2008, p.3; Hasan et al 2007, p.4; Calomiris 2007, p.364). However, economists, such as Maswana, have asserted that China’s rapid economic growth and financial development outcomes are irreconcilable because; its financial system is seriously weak and inefficie nt (Maswana 2008, p.1). Avid critics of the said link between China’s remarkable economic growth and its financial development cite intermediation inefficiencies such as non-performing loans and government controlled loan allocation (Maswana 2008, p.2). Conclusion China’s economic growth is certainly remarkable and hence the enormous attention it has attracted among influential economic scholars across the globe. More literature on China’s economic growth and financial development will keep on surfacing, since its rapid economic growth rate is anticipated to continue for a considerable period in the foreseeable future. This argument is anchored on the fact that there is an unresolved debate on the connection between China’s rapid economic growth and its financial development. However, it expected that as China’s technological advancement starts to catch up with that of principal developed countries, its level of productivity advantages and real GDP growth could slow considerably from its spectacular 10% economic growth rate, unless China transforms itself into a centre of new innovation and technological revolution. Furthermore, thriving of business in all sectors especially with regard to foreign investment depends largely on government’s ability to implement free-trade policies, which are in line with WTO principles. References Bao, S., Lin, S., Zhao, C., 2006. The Chinese economy after WTO accession. Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Barro, J., Sala-i-Martin, X., 2004. Economic growth. New York, NY: MIT Press. Bramall, C., 2009. Chinese economic development. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Burzynska, K., 2009. Financial Development and Economic Growth: The Case of Chinese Banking Sector. [Online] Available at: nek.lu.se/NEKfng/Financialdevelopmentandeconomicgrowth.pdf . Calomiris, C. W., 2007. Chinas financial transition at a crossroads. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Chow, C., 1994. Understanding C hinas economy. London: World Scientific. Chow, C., 2005. Globalization and China’s Economic and Financial Development. [Online] Available at: www.princeton.edu//Globalization%20and%20China9%208%2005.pdf . Cypher, M., Dietz, L., 2008. The process of economic development. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Guillaumont, S., Hua, P., Liang, Z., 2008. Financial Development, Economic Efficiency and Productivity Growth: Evidence from China. [Online] Available at: lingnan.net/news2/fujian/2006321125013Liang_abstract.pdf . Hasan, I., Wachtel, P., Zhou, M., 2007. Institutional Development, Financial Deepening and Economic Growth: Evidence from China. [Online] Available at: http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/emplibrary/7-17.pdf-Hasan . Jeanneney. G., Kpodar, J., International Monetary Fund. African Dept. 2008. Financial development and poverty reduction: can there be a benefit without a cost. New York, NY: International Monetary Fund. King, R.G., Levine, R., 1993. Finance and Growth: Schumpeter M ight Be Right. [Online] Available at: http://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/1083.html . LaFleur, R. A., 2003. China: a global studies handbook. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO. Lucas, E., 1988. On the Mechanics of Economic Development. Journal of Monetary  Economics, 22(6), pp. 3-42. Maswana, J., 2008. China’s Financial Development and Economic Growth: Exploring the Contradictions. [Online] Available at: eurojournals.com/irjfe_19_07.pdf Morrison. M., 2011. China’s Economic Conditions. [Online] Available at: fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33534.pdf . Robinson, J., 1952. The rate of interest and other essays. London: Macmillan. Wang, G., Wong, J., National University of Singapore East Asian Institute. 2007. Interpreting Chinas development. London: World Scientific. Zhang, A., 1995. Economic Growth and Human Development in China. [Online] Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr1996/papers/amei_zhang.pdf Zhang, J., 2008. China’s Economic Growth. Trajectories and Ev olving Institution  Washington DC United Nations University.

Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists Essay

Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists - Essay Example The essay "Middle Eastern Female Contemporary Artists" explores the Female Contemporary Artists of Middle East. Elements of the theater arts are evident in marriage ceremonials, funeral practices and performances of traditional music. Arab artists draw inspiration from the vestiges of the region's ancient cultures, combining older iconography with new insights to create fresh artistic expressions. This fusion of elements is evident in the works of several artists who have been influenced by the ancient symbols of Mesopotamia and the rich imagery of Coptic art. Sawsan Amer's works on glass, for instance, combine traditional iconography with personal imagery, mixing the direct frontality of Coptic icons with representations of birds, both real and imagined. Another artist who joins ancient and contemporary references is Liliane Karnouk from Egypt. "My paintings are in search of a definite cultural union," says the artists. "I belong to a generation trapped between Western and Oriental values." She expresses her search for union by combining tree bark from Canada and the papyrus paper from Egypt in installations such as Black and Green, 1992. This work expresses her helpless outrage at the senseless violence of the Gulf War. The black paperworks represent an initial outlet for her mourning for the human and environmental victims of the conflict. The large spatial canvases were conceived as a visual requiem. The tree bark and green seedlings emerge as a source of renewal. The art of Effat Nagui, a 92-year.... The black paperworks represent an initial outlet for her mourning for the human and environmental victims of the conflict. The large spatial canvases were conceived as a visual requiem. The tree bark and green seedlings emerge as a source of renewal. The art of Effat Nagui, a 92-year-old Egyptian artist "who lives in history," draws upon the ancient cultures of northern Africa. One of the pioneers of modern art in Egypt, Nagui was the first woman artist to have a work acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, in 1928. Her mixed media works like Icon of the Nile. 1991 (Amirsadeghi, Mikdadi & Shabout, 2009, 167-185) unite concentric circles and the venerable outline of the mummy with remnants of Coptic parchment and crocodile skins to create contemporary images that utilize the magic of antiquity. As Nagui says: "Sometimes the artist needs to use materials and forms from ancient folk art so that he may touch the invisible bases which erected original art. Art is the result of assimilated and inherited culture." (Madkour, 2006, 19-21) Nagui's wooden sculptured surfaces, influenced by Nubian architecture, testify to the dynamic and symbolic roles of art forms. These and other contemporary Arab artists draw inspiration from the past. The Arab East has seen a succession of major civilizations, each creating its own art forms. This is precisely what civilizations are about--creative, centripetal power which fuses old elements with new ideas, giving birth to original and specific new expression. (McEvilley, 2007, 19-21) The Art of Politics The Arab East has been a battleground in the 19th and 20th centuries. War has been a critical feature of recent history in the region, and wars, per se, create turmoil in a society, accelerating the normal

Abortion and Infanticide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abortion and Infanticide - Essay Example Potentiality principle described by the writer explains about the importance of possession of some property which makes some one eligible to have a serious right to life. For any organism to have this right the property should be there on continuous basis instead of that property is gained during the course of life. The author explains this issue of possession of some property to a further step by discussing the continuous ability of an organism having that property. He takes adult human as a model who has got that property but the human fetus still has not attained that level to be provided with that property so the fetus does not have the right to life based on the potentiality principle. This differentiation he makes by dividing the ability at two levels: physiological and psychological. He states that the physiological properties are same at the fetal level if compared across the species but this property based on physiological characteristics does not allow some organism to enjo y the right life. Once some one reaches a level to attain the psychological characteristics sufficient enough to be recognized as possessing that property with serious right to life. In fact, he tries to defend the idea that the serious right to life is not granted right at the beginning of some organism’s life at the zygote level, for example, in humans but there is some cut off point after which an organism belonging to some species may become eligible to serious right to life.

Managing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing People - Essay Example This capital was calculated as the cost of acquiring those skills through education, apprenticeship, and maintenance during this acquisition period. These represented a fixed cost akin to other fixed costs. This too repays itself by way of profits as does a machine. This productive power of labour is again dependant on the division of labour as different skills are involved and each individual possesses a variety of them. The agility and nimbleness employed by the labour results in improved production and is his contribution towards profitability. Thus human capital was seen as skills, dexterity, and judgment combined. This concept has remained intact over two centuries and it has become central to most organizations as the most important ingredient. The Human Resources division has assumed greater significance in comparison with other areas. In the present day service oriented economies where a large part of GDP consists of services instead of manufacturing Managing People is of paramount importance. All companies irrespective of their size have Human Relation Departments (HRD). It is the function of this department to hire appropriately qualified people for working n various departments of the company. Qualifications are defined according to their usefulness for the company and often experienced people are preferred over others. A successful HRD exercise just begins with the hiring as it now extends to laying down policies for the individual and groups of employees and periodically evaluating performances. Of late it has been realized that just orientation of the employee in their jobs ror environment is not enough and some training both at the intial stage as well as later for upgrading is equally important for the organization. Organizations keep evolving. In order to survive the continuous onslaught of competition and innovations, a company has to keep changing its strategies to for keeping itself on track in working

Tort law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Tort law - Essay Example One of the requirements of offer is the offeror’s intention to be bound by the made proposal and elements of seriousness are necessary. Terms of the proposal must also be definite to the involved parties and the court must be able to ascertain the terms. In addition, the proposal must be communicated to the target party in order to constitute an offer. Another essential element of a contract is acceptance of the offer and this must be consistent with terms of offer and within a reasonable period. Offer and acceptance constitute an agreement (Miller and Jentz 2010, p. 208- 218). Another element of a valid contract is existence of consideration for the offered benefits. Consideration must be a valuable object, recognized by law, and can be present or be a promise to be executed in future. Parties to a contract must also have legal contractual capacity such as majority age, sound mind, and freedom from intoxicants. In addition, the subject matter of the contract must be legal, no t contrary to any existing law or repugnant to natural justice or humanity (Miller and Cross 2012, p. 189- 190). Annabel Constructions Ltd. builds residential flats. In one of its ventures, it entered into agreements with clients to complete and deliver apartments to the clients. The agreement stipulated date of delivery and included a penalty clause for any delay on delivery. Annabel contracted different suppliers for deliveries and completion of its apartments and Murray & Co. won the contract for supply and fixing of double-glazed windows. The company had however under quoted its bid, realized its inability to complete the work, and communicated this to Annabel before Annabel agreed to pay additional  £ 20000 for completing the work in time. Murray the completed the work within the original schedule but Annabel Constructions refused to pay the additional  £ 20000 as had been agreed between the parties. A breach of contract exists if a valid contract

Micro economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Micro economics - Essay Example But the other side of picture is also being supportedby many economists. They are of the view that UK is still in the grasp of double dip depression. According to a study, in the year 2008 peak the growth rate of economy was less than 20.1% and in the year 2010, the overall growth rate is around 6.1% which shows a serious plunge during the great depression. International monetary fund issued a forecast about the growth rate in between 0.6% to 0.8 % and this is not considered as a gratifying rate. Since 2008, the government of UK has stimulated up to 380 billion pounds into the economic machinery to increase liquidity rates but due to the lack of â€Å"trickle down† effect, the money has not shown its benefits and didn’t reach the core level of the industries. Many unconventional and out of the way step and initiatives are being taken to solve the problem of liquidity. Massive job lose statistics showed that there were around 750,000 public sector jobs that were cut off but this problem has been sorted out after the pact between democrats and conservatives. During the nine months of double dip depression, the economy of UK shrank up to around 1.1 pc (Kirby et al, 2011) and there is now a rise in the growth that shows that depression has ended. The economists are feeling the fear that the depression can come because economic depressions re-appear and do not go away easily. The measures by the ONS say that the economy grew by 0.7per capita and many other independent sources for example a renowned economist named as Samuel Tombs is supporting the view that growth will touch around 0.6pc. Till 2012, depression was still badly affecting the UK’s economy as this was the consequence of bankruptcies of major banks like Lehman brothers and the stock markets of UK were falling to the lowest records since the great depression. The measures from NIESR says that double dip depression was still there until September 2012 as after pumping thousands of doll ars in the banking systems , there was no rise in the growth of the economy (Hay, 2012). Question 2 There are mainly four categories of unemployment, as follows 1) Structural Unemployment 2) Frictional Unemployment 3) Cyclic Unemployment 4) Seasonal Unemployment (Boyes& Melvin, 2012) The first type of unemployment is when the competent work force is available but there is a huge lack of demand for them. This kind of unemployment is highly proliferated in the world. The second type refers to the unemployment that is caused due to high â€Å"switch rate† of employees between different jobs. The third type is because of the effects of overall growth of the economic conditions and fourth type is because of the fluctuations of international economic trends and developments. Diamond Mortensen Pissarides (DMP) model illustrates the unemployment as a function of limited variables ad the rate of unemployment is directly proportional to the number of variables. If people have limited m eans and skill sets, unemployment will expand automatically. This model is regarded as the most practical one. According to DMP model, the bargain rate between employee and employer is also affected due to unemployment rate. If unemployment rate is high, bargain will be low because hiring is a difficult process altogether. As shown in the above figure, if the productivity in decreased, there is also a decline in Nash’s wage line. A high rate of wage line depicts less unemployment and sound economic condition

Green Claims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Claims - Essay Example The consumers consider them â€Å"as not made for them but for people from high class societies† (Klutz, 2009). According the research done by the United Nations Environmental Program in 2009, global market is not really ready for these products. This may be as a result of the consumers’ attitude towards these products. There are various false green claims being made by various companies around the world. These claims cannot be substantiate hence also misleading the consumers. On the other hand, products making green claims have turned to be a global trend where many companies in the world are adapting to this initiative. For green products to become main stream, they should firstly be bought at an affordable price as the rest of other products. The consumers also need to be aware of these products which can be achieved through advertisements, consumer education about green claims. A radical action should also be taken on companies and manufactures who give false green claims on products in the market. Rules and regulations should be set in relation to the green claim initiative. The U.S does not have a national body that oversees green certificates which makes it hard to enforce the Green Claim initiative programs (Sobha, 2008). As a result, U.S products are less competitive in the global market. In this case, it is difficult to examine the effectiveness of green technology in the states. A body independent body that focuses on green technology should be created to empower the Green Claim initiatives. Klutz M. (2009). Environmentally Conscious Materials Handling: New Jersey. John Wiley & Sons,

Tort law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Tort law - Essay Example One of the requirements of offer is the offeror’s intention to be bound by the made proposal and elements of seriousness are necessary. Terms of the proposal must also be definite to the involved parties and the court must be able to ascertain the terms. In addition, the proposal must be communicated to the target party in order to constitute an offer. Another essential element of a contract is acceptance of the offer and this must be consistent with terms of offer and within a reasonable period. Offer and acceptance constitute an agreement (Miller and Jentz 2010, p. 208- 218). Another element of a valid contract is existence of consideration for the offered benefits. Consideration must be a valuable object, recognized by law, and can be present or be a promise to be executed in future. Parties to a contract must also have legal contractual capacity such as majority age, sound mind, and freedom from intoxicants. In addition, the subject matter of the contract must be legal, no t contrary to any existing law or repugnant to natural justice or humanity (Miller and Cross 2012, p. 189- 190). Annabel Constructions Ltd. builds residential flats. In one of its ventures, it entered into agreements with clients to complete and deliver apartments to the clients. The agreement stipulated date of delivery and included a penalty clause for any delay on delivery. Annabel contracted different suppliers for deliveries and completion of its apartments and Murray & Co. won the contract for supply and fixing of double-glazed windows. The company had however under quoted its bid, realized its inability to complete the work, and communicated this to Annabel before Annabel agreed to pay additional  £ 20000 for completing the work in time. Murray the completed the work within the original schedule but Annabel Constructions refused to pay the additional  £ 20000 as had been agreed between the parties. A breach of contract exists if a valid contract

Green Claims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Claims - Essay Example The consumers consider them â€Å"as not made for them but for people from high class societies† (Klutz, 2009). According the research done by the United Nations Environmental Program in 2009, global market is not really ready for these products. This may be as a result of the consumers’ attitude towards these products. There are various false green claims being made by various companies around the world. These claims cannot be substantiate hence also misleading the consumers. On the other hand, products making green claims have turned to be a global trend where many companies in the world are adapting to this initiative. For green products to become main stream, they should firstly be bought at an affordable price as the rest of other products. The consumers also need to be aware of these products which can be achieved through advertisements, consumer education about green claims. A radical action should also be taken on companies and manufactures who give false green claims on products in the market. Rules and regulations should be set in relation to the green claim initiative. The U.S does not have a national body that oversees green certificates which makes it hard to enforce the Green Claim initiative programs (Sobha, 2008). As a result, U.S products are less competitive in the global market. In this case, it is difficult to examine the effectiveness of green technology in the states. A body independent body that focuses on green technology should be created to empower the Green Claim initiatives. Klutz M. (2009). Environmentally Conscious Materials Handling: New Jersey. John Wiley & Sons,

Negotiation Strategy Analysis Essay Example for Free

Negotiation Strategy Analysis Essay Negotiations are handled differently by everyone. Some Negotiators are more passive and others extremely direct. Some love the bargaining process and begin the offer extremely low or high for the purpose of playing the negotiating game with their opponent. Others just prefer to have their best cards on the table with a take it or leave it attitude. Negotiators should learn when and how to use different negotiating styles. After all, negotiations play a huge role in business today. Two main negotiating strategies exist; non engagement and Active engagement. Both strategies will be discussed thoroughly to assist in identifying how different strategies may be used in business. â€Å"The California State University faculty has overwhelmingly approved a new four-year labor contract, ending more than two years of contentious bargaining with the administration† (Hoag C., 2012). The contract did not meet all that was hoped for; however, for the most part the amount taken from faculty was greatly diminished. Although, no pay raises will be granted for four years, finally settling on an agreement seems to put most of the faculty at ease. The contract was approved by approximately 91% of members. Faculty recognizes that public employee unions have it far worst and are grateful that they have managed to preserve much of what they have. Although these negotiations started as long and contentious bargaining, in the end the strategy used shifted to more of a non-engagement strategy. As the faculty realized the offer being given was much better than most are offered within their field they avoided further negotiations. They have been working without a contract for the last 2 1/2 years, which plays a role as well on the avoidance of further negotiations. According to (Lewicki, Barry, and Saunders, 2006), Alternatives can influence the usage of this strategy in different ways. If the negotiators has a strong alternative they will likely avoid negotiations due to the inefficiency of wasting time n egotiating with someone when a stronger alternative is present. From another perspective, if the negotiator has a lack of alternatives or a weaker alternative they will likely avoid dispute so that a resolution can be reached quickly. In this case, the faculty decided to avoid further dispute due to the weaker alternative. Seeing others having to give up much more and recognizing that the longer the negotiations last the longer they will be working without a contract influenced their decision tremendously. Another piece of news that demonstrates an alternate form of negotiating strategy is the issue surrounding the FDA’s law concerning graphic images being placed on cigarette packs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 45 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes, which are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. And the World Health Organization predicts smoking could kill eight million people each year by 2030 if governments do not do more to help people quit (REUTERS, 2012). To assist in combating this increasing problem the FDA passed a law requiring that all tobacco companies place a graphic image along with their warning labels. The images range from diseased lungs to rotting teeth. Tobacco groups appealed this decision saying there is no evidence that the graphic images will assist in bringing the number of tobacco users down. â€Å"In a 2-to-1 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that the law, which is administered by the Food and Drug Administration, violated corporate free speech rights† ( REUTER, 2012). This ruling was contradictory to another case seen early in the year making it likely that the Supreme Court will have to make the final decision. In this case, the negotiators are using an active engagement strategy. Rather than obeying the law without question tobacco groups are fighting for their corporate rights. This case is a classic example of distributive and competition bargaining. The outcome will either be that the tobacco groups will lose and will have to abide by the law; or the FDA will win. In this situation one side will get all. The cases mentioned differ as far as the strategy used. For the University of California faculty, the style more accurately reflects integrative style of negotiating. Each side is winning in some respect. They are aware of each other’s ultimate goals and are able to accommodate each other. In the end, the faculty avoid further dispute which is consistent with a non-engagement strategy. On the other hand, in the case concerning the da and tobacco company neither party wants to give in to each other. The FDA is determined to combat the issues resulting from tobacco products; while the tobacco companies are determined to maintain their labels as is. Circumstances surrounding every negotiation will determine which strategy is best to use. However, to become fully competent in making the decision on which strategy to use, one must understand how each strategy applies in real world situations. The two cases mentioned are excellent demonstrations on their usage. References Hoag, C. (2012, September 5). Cal State faculty approve 4-year contract. The Times-Standard. Retrieved from http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_21470909/cal-state-faculty-approve-4-year-contract Lewicki, Barry, and Saunders, (2006). Negotiation 5th ed. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/DownloadList.aspx?assetMetaId=9ef17708-1ddf-4b07-b135-33c10b621f8eassetDataId=a78264a6-2449-41a9-9752-49dfe94ee641 REUTERS, (2012, August 24). Appeals Court Blocks Graphic Warnings on Cigarettes. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/business/tobacco-groups-win-ruling-on-graphic-cigarette-warnings.html

Recent Organisational Changes in the Virgin Group

Recent Organisational Changes in the Virgin Group These assignments discuss the organisational changes that the Virgin Group has been during the last few years, and how they are adapting to the changes in the operating environment. This will be in the context of the employees perception of the changes, and how the Virgin Group can lower their resistance to change. This is a natural feeling from employees, when faced with uncertainty, and this needs to be managed. The assignment focuses on the Virgin Group airline operation, Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic Airways was founded in 1984, and it is the UKs second largest carrier. The company is based at Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airport; Virgin Atlantic operates long haul services to over thirty destinations globally. The organisation has been recognised through awards from top business, consumer and trade (www.virgin.com). 2.0 THEORECTICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Meaning of Change management Change management is not a distant discipline with rigid and clearly defined boundaries. Rather, the theory and practice of change management draws on a number of social science disciplines and traditions. Three schools of thought form the central plank on which change management theory stands. This includes: The Individual perspective school: This school is split into Behaviourist and Gestalt-Field theory. The Gestalt-Field theorists believed that behaviour is not just a product of external stimuli; rather it arises from how the individual uses reasons to interpret the stimuli. The behaviourists, on the other hand seek to achieve organisational change solely by modifying the external stimuli acting upon the individual. The Group Dynamics school: This originated from the work of Kurt Lewin. According to Lewin (1974) people in organisations work in groups, and individual behaviour must be seen, modified or change in the light of groups prevailing practices and norms. HENCE the focus of change must be at the group level and should concentrate on influencing and changing the groups norms, roles and values (Cummings and Huse, 1989). The Open Systems school: The school is concerned with understanding organisations in their entirely. It attempts to take a holistic rather than a particularistic perspective. This is reflected in its approach to organisational change. Change management can be defined as a systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organization and on the individual level. A somewhat ambiguous term, change management has at least three different aspects, including: adapting to change, controlling change, and effecting change. A proactive approach to dealing with change is at the core of all three aspects. For an organization, change management means defining and implementing procedures and/or technologies to deal with changes in the business environment and to profit from changing opportunities. Daft (2000) states that change is a necessary evil and all organisation undergo change at one time or another if not continuously. Organisations usually change in response to political, economical, social, technological and legal forces. There are four different types of change that an organisation can undertake, they are technological change, new product based change, structural change, and cultural change. According to Bass (1985) successful adaptation to change is as crucial within an organisation as it is in the natural world. Just like plants and animals, organisations and the individuals in them inevitably encounter changing conditions that they are powerless to control. The more effectively you deal with change, the more likely you are to thrive. Adaptation might involve establishing a structured methodology for responding to changes in the business environment (such as a fluctuation in the economy, or a threat from a competitor) or establishing coping mechanisms for responding to changes in the workplace (such as new policies, or technologies). 2.2 RESISTANCE FOR CHANGE Many authors (Lawrence, 1954; Maurer, 1996; Strebel, 1994; Waddell and Sohal, 1998, among others) stress that the reasons for the failure of many change initiatives can be found in resistance to change. Resistance to change introduces costs and delays into the change process (Ansoffs, 1990) that are difficult to anticipate (Lorenzo, 2000) but must be taken into consideration. Resistance has also been considered as a source of information, being useful in learning how to develop a more successful change process (Beer and Eisenstat, 1996; Goldstein, 1988; Lawrence, 1954; Piderit, 2000; Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Undoubtedly, resistance to change is a key topic in change management and should be seriously considered to help the organisation to achieve the advantages of the transformation. To manage resistance change effectively, the following methods could be used: Communication and Education: This is by far one of the most effective implementation tactics that can be used by an organisation. Communication is used when solid information is required to ensure that employees buy into the process and education should always be used when the change pertains to the introduction of a new technology or product or service (Bunker and Alban, 1992). Participation: This will help with the smooth transition from the pre change phase to the post change phase and if employees were encouraged to participate in the change initiation phase then most of the problems that can occur when the change is implemented could be eliminated as the issues and problems may have been identified and solved in the initiation process (Buller, 1988). Negotiation: This can be used when there is severe resistance and management needs to sell the idea to the employees. Top Management: The visible support of top management to the change process can help reduce and eliminate resistance (Daft, 1982). 3.0 IMPLEMENTING CHANGE IN VIRGIN GROUP One of the largest internal change moves by the Virgin Group, was when Sir Richard Branson, became disillusioned by the public listings, obligations and corporate bureaucracy of a publically listed organisation, he sought after to taking the organisation back to private ownership (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). This was from the philosophy that forgoing short-term profits for long-term expansion is the way forward (www.virgin.com). This contingency approach of the Virgin Group is formed from the business requirements, and the structure (which will take the shape of what is needed to operate within the change environment) as this has a considerable direction on the overall organisational performance (Burnes, B. 2000). The structure of the Virgin Group and its accomplishments, are contingent the environmental influences. As a result by changing the structure, this is an internal driver of change in reaction to the external markets (Mullins, L 2005). With the change in the listing of the organisation, came the reduction in organisational bureaucracy. The need for bureaucracy and a hierarchical structure in the Virgin Group was reduced greatly (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). As a result Sir Richard Branson assumed a hands-off stance, with the managers, encouraging them to use their initiative, skills and experiences (www.virgin.com). This change to the organisational structure has led to a separation of the employees, through now working in specific groups or parts of the business. The variety in locations that the Virgin Group operates, and the wide range of services and goods they offer has led to divisions in the work force. Therefore they are not a centralised team; some divisions could operate in an insular manner, which is easier said than done to change, without altering the structure (Burnes, B. 2000). Some of the internal drives of change the Virgin Group faced with, were the several layers of managers, which can slow down the management reporting systems and their reaction to situations they are faced with. With the contemporary environment, this is negative to change and will slow down the internal management process (Burnes, B. 2000). There have been internal issues since the structural change, with communication across the group and this was particularly noticeable in the middle and lower levels of employees. They were not receiving enough information on the proposed changes, leaving them unable to instruct employees on the organisational changes (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). The organisational structure of the Virgin Group is a group de-centralised; this could encourage silo behaviour, from the different business teams and the different locations in which they operate. There is a natural competiveness between groups, and operating under this structure can encourage competitive behaviour between them (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). To encourage the Virgin organisation working as a group, and to reduce silo behaviour caused by the structural change they started using a single web address, Virgin.com, for the whole of the organisation customers has entrance to all the Virgin services under a solo portal. These strategies assist in supporting the organisational parenting strategy and improve the synergies already imitative from the organisational branding of the Virgin Group (www.virgin.com). Virgin Atlantic service is very much customer focused with a prominence on value for money, quality, fun and innovation. The organisation is 51% owned by the Virgin Group and 49% owned by Singapore Airlines, and employees over 9000 people (www.virgin.com). This change has led to two internal parent organisations, but with Virgin retaining the majority share. Changes to organisations are almost at an epidemic status, reducing the organisations control of the external environment. All organisations are faced with incessant change; this is in their operational environment and the organisational context. In the modern-day organisational situation, there is enormous attention and spotlight on the human resource. The drivers from this change can be both internal and external to the organisation (Coram,  R Burnes B 2001). The human resource is not excluded from this change process, and is a significant part of the organisational context (Frank F et al 2004). Contemporary theorists advocate that if organisations want to be effectual, in both their current and future operating environment, they must focus on the composition and motivation of their human resource (Beardwell, I. et al. 2004). Virgin Atlantic values their employees and trains them to maintain the high service levels and to be able to remain effective (www.virgin.com). As a result of the change it is vital to manage the human resource fairly. When organisations use human resource management as a tool, it will assist them to encourage and motivated their employees to adapt to the proposed changes. The future prospects for all organisations are unpredictable and it is difficult to confirm what is required from the human resource, when an organisation is changing (Bratton, J Gold J 2003). An internal driver of change is the HR responses to market forces. The HR function should mix the current issues of their human resource with the wider financial and business requirements, that change will force upon them (Bratton, J Gold J 2003).The Virgin Group including Virgin Atlantic focus on their employees, as they see the value in managing the resource. Employees are recruited who fit within the culture and support the Virgin ethos. Internal change is driven by an organisations strategy (Bellin, B Pham C 2007). The strategy is a consciously created plan, which will include the methods and actions, to achieve the desired result. An organisation mission statement is normally a non monetary realisation. This mission is the future direction of the organisation (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). The internal forces for change includes making the organisational structure more effective, reducing diversification through streamlining the portfolio and identifying new and emerging markets. This change has realigned the organisation on their mission, focusing employees to assist in the transformation (Groucutt, J. et al 2004).   Virgin Atlantic is reliant on their branding, this is recognisable when they enter new markets, and this has been an internal driver of change (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). The Virgin brand name is the most significant benefit and asset to the organisation. This brand of Virgin and Sir Richard Branson was capitalised on, when an adverts for Apple Computers, Sir Richard Branson was connected to Einstein and Ghandi, as a shaper of the 20th century (www.virgin.com). The management of Virgin Atlantic has been very strong, during the changes over the past five years. This strong leadership of the organisation will focus the employees during periods of change. An organisations efficiency and survival during periods of change, is dependent on the ability of their management and leadership team. (Bailey, J. 2009). Gupta (2004) concluded that the ideal world of vision, the leadership transfers this to the real world, making it happen (Gupta, S 2004). The virgin group is a good parent to Virgin Atlantic, with Richard Branson as an effectual leader (Bailey, J 2009). This will assist in the stabilisation of the organisation during times of change, and reduce employee resistance. The success of the organisation is, in addition, dependant on clear-cut communication and management of the behaviours that motivate employees performance to be an effective organisation (Gupta, S 2004). Through proving freedom of decision making to the managers with Virgin Atlantic, encourage a responsibility of their actions and ownership of the organisation. This provided an organisational culture that encouraged growth with the managers. When recruiting new management, potential employees are shortlisted for innovation, abilities and competitive nature (www.virgin.com). In addition, Virgin Atlantic is capable to cope with the possible downsides of this autonomy and decentralisation. To prevent the failing of communication links and the potential threat of single business units chasing their own strategies, the Virgin Charter sets out a management system and internet business strategy that takes gains from the of information technology, further extending the Virgin brand (www.virgin.com). External forces have led the separate business within the Virgin Group to move towards the tactically five pillar realm. The core strategy is the heart of Virgins core strategy to develop the five pillars of the business empire: travel, leisure, mobile phones, entertainment retailing and personal finance (www.virgin.com). This during periods of change keeps employees focused on the organisational goals, and unites the organisation (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). The accomplishments of the Virgin Group are reliant on their corporate parenting strategy, and the competitive advantage is dependent on the culture (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). The Virgin Groups strategy is executed through the decentralisation of the businesses and the unified branding. In the short run, the strategy looks very strongly constructed, and some commentators believe it is near enough unstoppable (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). On the other hand, in the long term, they need to be a succession plan, to replace the natural wastage of management, with individuals that believe in Virgin Charter. They will need to continue the legacy of the Virgin Groups corporate ethos, through successful execution of the Virgin Charter (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). Virgin Atlantic must also carefully consider the new markets they plan to enter. One solitary slip-up can blemish or even destroy the Virgin Brand, and this could be disastrous for the group (Johnson, G Scholes J 2004). Diversifying too much could weaken the Virgin brand, especially when a service or product does not meet the expected Virgin standard. The news on a loss of reputation will travel faster than the success of a product or service. Therefore the association of a single Virgin brand can also have a negative effect on the group (Kotler, P et al 2005). As previously discussed, organisational change is an existing and inevitable aspect of organisational life. The environment surrounding the organisation in the operational and market context is in a continuous situation of change, this through the worldwide economy and the speed and change of technology. As a result, organisations should take action to reduce the impact of forced change, through predicting and assessing the possibilities (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). There are numerous external factors, which will have an effect on the Virgin Atlantic, and how they manage their operations. The external political environment includes the administrative and legal systems, which govern the organisation where they operate. The external operational environment for the Virgin Group will influence the internal procedures and ultimately the organisational effectiveness. These external political influences can be drivers of change, which manage over the organisation. For example an unfavourable political environment can prevent expansion into the location (Klein, L 2008).   The national financial trends will also be a driver of change, for example a down turn on the economy will impact on an organisations expansion plan. This driver of change can reduce the economic stability of the finances of the organisation; as a result, less investment will be attracted. The state-run legal systems are made up from the policy, laws, and regulations of the host country.   As a result the organisation must survive within this legal framework, and audit their systems to ensure compliance to local regulations (Baldry, C et al, 2007). This economic stability is vital for organisational survival. This is achievable through re-evaluating their present market position, and tactically plan where they want to be. This is the organisations strategic fit, aligning their strategy with the environment, through matching their core competencies and skills, to the required strategy. This is a simple process that some organisations overlook (Kotler, P et al 2005). This continuous organisational change has an effect on the employees; this can impact the workplace, these changes can leave the workforce unsettled and can leave individuals uncertain of their role, and how this fits in with the organisations strategy. Change is unsettling for employees, and in times of economic downturn, they can become fearful of their job security (Hunter, D 2006). The very structure of an organisation can add to employees uncertainty in periods of change. The organisation hierarchical structure can put off the workforce from acquiring the details of the planned change. This is a basic change process, which is regularly overlooked, to the determent of the strategy (Hesketh, A Fleetwood S 2006). Consequently, the workforce is not aware of the full extent of the organisational change strategy, or their role within it. The structure of the organisation is capable of covering up what is really is occurring, frequently with just the summit of the management team being conscious of the full strategic intent of the organisation (Groucutt, J. et al 2004). The constant change in the Virgin Atlantic can lead to uncertainly with some employees. This uncertainly can lead to resistance to the change. This resistance is not malicious, and is not intended to disrupt, but some employees feel more secure through holding on to the way things are, and not changing working patterns and behaviours. When the employee relationship is not as strong as it should be, then any change to the working environment will be met with resistance (Beardwell, I. 2002). The most important tool that the management has during periods of organisational change is communication. Through setting up formal and informal communication channels, the employees can be given the information on the changes, leading to them understanding the rationale and the benefits to the organisation. The employee voice is a fundamental human right, for free speech, which should be encouraged in the workplace (Hunter, D 2006). These employee forums can be used as a platform for the Virgin Atlantic to discuss organisational changes that will affect the employees working lives. This will give the employees a voice, to openly discuss their concerns. Prosser (2001) concluded that the collective voice of the employees achieves what the lone voice could never do: it humanises and civilises the workplace (Prosser, M 2001). Therefore, it is vital to give employees a collective voice. The Virgin Group can also measure the employees feelings, fears and attitude to the proposed change, through employee surveys. This is good human resource management practice. This method of gauge the employee attitudes is only of assistance to the organisation when they are surveyed on a regular basis, to be used as benchmarks of the progress of the organisation in the employee relationship (Marchington, M et al, 2001). There are arbitrating factors when employees attitudes are surveyed, and this is further enhanced to benefit the organisation, when they are used with other forms of listening to the employee, for example discussion and communication (Hesketh, A Fleetwood, S 2006). When concerns are discussed it is imperative to pay attention to the motivational factors, which will maintain the employee interaction with the employer (Parker, S (2000) cited in Dorenbosch, L et al 2005). Not all theorists agree that employee attitude surveys are the way forward in industrial relations. When they have the results from the surveys employers do not have to respond to the conclusion from them, sometimes it is just lip service (Blyton, P Turnbull, P 2004). Union representation in organisations is frequently viewed as ideal in employees voice, and there is support that there is considerably more to the employees voice, than any survey can reveal (Dundon, T 2003). Virgin Atlantic has successfully managed organisational change through changing the structure of the organisation. This is in reaction to the different markets they operate in and the changes individually to their environment. This has led to an insular culture; this can be addressed through communication across the group. One of the major issues the organisation has faced is the employees rà ©sistance to the changes, sparked by uncertainty of their current and future working environments. Employees as individuals enjoy security, and when this becomes uncertain, there is a natural reaction to resist the change. 4.0 CONCLUSION The objectives of the assignment is the implementation of change in an organisation through understanding of the theoretical aspects of change management and the best way change management can be effectively implemented. It is absolutely clear that the support of senior management staff need to be sorted, development of effective strategies, tackling staff resistance to change, and implementing plans for accomplishing each goal stated need to be taken serious during implementation process to gaining comparative advantage over competitors. Virgin Group, are successful and encourage innovation. They must now ensure that all employees are committed to organisational strategy, and will through the knowledge accept the change.