Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Supporting Organizational Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supporting Organizational Strategies - Essay Example According to a survey conducted by New Zealand’s Business NZ and the Industry Training Federation in 2003 (Jeremy et al, 2003), 55% responding firms indicated that the need to continue to provide training, or begin providing training, within the enterprise depends on shortage of skilled workers and if suitable courses to meet such training needs were available. Other important drivers for training were identified as customer requirements (49%), a desire to growth within the enterprise (48%), skill shortages in the industry (where these exist) (48%), and actual growth in the enterprise (47%). All in all, it was realized that firms involved in training and skill development gained much from the training. When firms take on extensive training and skill development, there is that tendency that quality of output will improve. Employees who have gone through such training learn new ways of production and ameliorate their ideas of the whole production process. Looking at theories of motivation, employee motivation leads to survival and positive productivity within the firm (Smith, 1994). It is absolutely important for managers to understand what makes employees motivated, because employee motivating factors are complex and change everyday (Bowen and Radhakrishna, 1991). Therefore, just that aspect of recognition within the industry to undergo training and skill development to some employees is a motivating factor (Vroom, 1964). When employees are motivated, there is increase in productivity and consequently growth in the business. Therefore through skill development and training programs, there is obviously employee motivation and increase knowledge in knew production skills and consequently, business growth. When employees gain new skills, there is considerable positive effect on health and safety of the enterprises. This is because, when new skills are gained, the company stands a better competitive place on the market with her competitors

Monday, October 28, 2019

The negative effects of being to dependt on technology Essay Example for Free

The negative effects of being to dependt on technology Essay Today’s technology is more advanced and it may make your life more easier, but today im going to give you an insight on how being too dependent on technology has it negative effects on us as people in this world. When depending on technology it will give you negative effects toward your education, behavior, and economy. â€Å"People have become too dependent on technology. Many people now won’t go anywhere without their cell phone, or GPS or even their laptop computer. People today have forgotten how to spell correctly or do simple math† according to ask.com The negative effect on education by being too reliant on. Technology is relied on more and more, children today use digital communication instead of improving their writing skills. They don’t know how to write cursive, do proper grammar, and correct their spelling. People that want or feel like their cell phone or laptop is everything to them in other words its and addiction. It makes you lose track of what you’re supposed to do for instance you’re doing your homework but you keep checking your phone or laptop knowing you have to focus. According to 500 American student 73 percent said â€Å"they wouldn’t be able to study without technology†. And 38 percent couldn’t study without checking their phone or laptop. On the other hand technology has a negative effect on behavior, lazy both physically and mentally. Physically when you’re too lazy to move because you’re so use to some type of technological equipment. And mentally because your brain become too lazy to think and less able to do critical thinking. . Automobiles make it less effort for people to move however, car accidents are responsible for more death than non-health related issue. Obesity and Physical Fitness is also a result children are overweight by 10percent because of their lack of exercise and spending countless of hours in front of the computer, or television. Instead of going out to ride a bike or play out door games. For example, I’m one of those people that depends on technology and I felled P.E. my first semester in high school because I rather txt, talk on the phone or be on Facebook. Instead of doing what I was supposed to do in a result II failed P.E. but was giving an opportunities to take an online P.E. class and take this from me if you don’t want to sit at a computer all day of the week then I would suggest do our physical  activities. \ Economic also have several different negative effects. It cost financial drain focusing small businesses to close because of machine technology are taking over. Not only can it put small businesses out of business it can also put big businesses because people look a technology as in it doesn’t take strike, you don’t have to pay them, and you don’t have to worry about a machine going on break. Its sound good but what happens if the machine break down you can’t fix it because the lack of education due to the fact you’d rather invest in technology instead of learning about the risks. The risk of it putting you and or your employees out of a job. Plus it cost those practice for the tec hnology to be even used which the money is being waste instead of being put toward something more effective. With that in mind, let’s say all technology stops and your so depended on technology that you don’t know what to do. From a simple tasked such as writing a paper without typing to knowing a problem right off the top of your head with looking it up. Or let’s say you’re a game freak what happen if all video games and television was gone what would you do with yourself? Go out and become crazy having mental problem, go out and do crime to relive your game or go on with your life. For example my sister dropped her phone and it broke she was said crying like a child but she 22 she thought her whole world end. I looked at her in disbelief thinking to myself is she really doing this over a phone but people today grown attracts to their technology they would freak out if it wasn’t around and that’s a bad thing to see. Generally speaking being too dependent on technology has it negative effects dealing with our education, behavior, and economy. It keeps you from focusing, makes you lazy, and putting people out of jobs. So, remember when depending on technology it will give you ne gative effects toward your writing and grammar, your physical and mental body, and small businesses. Everyone is depending on Google for everything and they are not referring to books.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Culture as a Process in Levines Highbrow, Lowbrow Essay -- Highbrow L

Culture as a Process in Levine's Highbrow, Lowbrow In Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine argues that a distinction between high and low culture that did not exist in the first half of the 19th century emerged by the turn of the century and solidified during the 20th century, and that despite a move in the last few decades toward a more ecumenical interpretation of â€Å"culture,† the distinction between high art and popular entertainment and the revering of a canon of sacred, inalterable cultural works persists. In the prologue Levine states that one of his central arguments is that concepts of cultural boundaries have changed over the period he treats. Throughout Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine defines culture as a process rather than a fixed entity, and as a product of interactions between the past and the present. Levine’s first chapter presents evidence that 19th century Americans of all social classes enjoyed Shakespeare as an integral part of their culture and entertainment. Shakespeare’s works were familiar enough to the populace that a variety of parodies were written and performed for large crowds that displayed their engagement with the works by applause, vegetable-throwing, interruptions, and commands to the actors. Shakespeare’s plays were performed in frontier communities and in cities, in churches and theatres and make-shift stages, attended by people of all classes. He describes the integration of Shakespeare into the Americans’ language and imagination, and explains Shakespeare’s popularity on the basis of its compatibility with 19th century Americans’ oral rhetorical style and their ability to see their own culture’s emphasis on individualism and morality reflected in Shakespeare’s characters and stories. Levine ex... ... and others whom Levine treats are a different breed of reformers because they are concerned only indirectly with morality. But when Brown laments that today’s youth are intellectually wanting and have no connection with their cultural heritage, he uses bold phrases such as â€Å"junk food for the soul,† indicating that the erosion of appreciation for high culture is changing not only the common forms of entertainment but the character of today’s youth. Another parallel exists in Brown’s conception of culture and the Springhall’s reformers’ concept of morality as something that youth can access if they choose to break away from the evil influences of â€Å"mass† or â€Å"popular† culture – with the help, of course, of their moral or intellectual superiors, who long to inculcate their own (perhaps technologically or culturally outdated) ways of thinking into the next generation.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Differences between Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt Essay

In reflection there are many differences between the United States’ 31st president Herbert C. Hoover and it’s 32nd president Franklin D. Roosevelt, so much so that their administrations and thoughts on how to run the country existed on two completely different paradigms in relation to their views on the governments role in society. To begin with, the Grand old man and the New dealer start out with a difference in the very foundation of their political standpoints. Herbert Hoover was affiliated with the Republican Party while Franklin D. Roosevelt was a member of the democrat party and their administrations are but a reflection of their affiliations. Herbert Hoover was appointed to office on March 4th of 1933 and Franklin Roosevelt was appointed April 12th of 1945. Hoover ended up serving four years in office as he lost his reelection to Roosevelt himself who later came to serve a total of three terms in office resulting in twelve years of presidency before his death in office. In the administrations of Hoover and Roosevelt it is clear that Roosevelt was more for government involvement than was Hoover however, Hoover had served as the secretary of commerce under the administrations of president Harding and president Coolidge and even in those administrations he believed that the government did not have to be passive and he backed the concept of â€Å"associationalism† that envisioned the creation of national organizations of businessmen in particular industries. This was meant to stabilize industries and promote efficiency in production and marketing but he never truly had an opportunity to implement his plans because less than a year after his inauguration the United States plunged into the Great Depression, sidelining previous ambitions and goals. In new light of his presidency Herbert Hoover implements government economic recovery that granted limited success such as the Smoot-Hawley tariff which hurt his administration and the economy rather than help it. And much of his doctrine for governing the American people was to have the least amount of direct government involvement in the people’s everyday lives. On the other hand Roosevelt was elected into the Great Depression and in his first 100 days in office he implemented a flurry of economic legislation that was part of his â€Å"New Deal† domestic program in attempt to alleviate (immediately yet not completely) the crisis looming over the United States. During his presidency Roosevelt implemented many acts that dealt with the Economy/Jobs, Financing/Banking, Defense/Foreign  Affairs, Social issues, Housing and even Environment and even got the nation’s unemployment rate down from 25% to 2%( The Agricultural Adjustment Acts, Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Farm Credit Act, Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA), Gold Reserve Act, National Industry Recovery Act (NIRA), National Labor Relations Act, Tennessee Valley Act, The Federal Farm Bankruptcy Act, Glass-Steagall Act, Corporate Bankruptcy Act, Emergency Banking Act, Federal Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act, Veterans Administration Act, Lend-Lease Act, Neutrality Acts, Selective Training and Service Act, Revenue Act of 1932, Revenue Act of 1941, Social Security Act, Farm Mortgage Refinancing Act, Home Owners Loan Act, National Housing Act, and the Reforestation Relief Act). Roosevelt’s new economic programs brought jobs to hundreds of thousands of men during the Great Depression through rural and agricultural projects that allowed them to once again get a paycheck, which also alleviated the congestion of large urban areas, a feat which overshadows president Hoover’s rural projects such as the Hoover dam. Roosevelt may have implemented many acts such as the Conservation Corps (CCC), Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Tennessee Valley Authority but it wasn’t just his economic reform that allowed for alleviation of the crisis, it was also his cheerful personality. Franklin D. Roosevelt used his optimism to bring trust and public confidence to his administration. And some of the ways he did this was through the â€Å"Fireside Chats† which were radio chats which he would use to communicate his programs and plans with the people. Roosevelt’s personality was even shown in his inaugural address where he stated â€Å"we h ave nothing to fear but fear itself† and it was often unknown that he was paralyzed in both of his legs. Herbert Hoover in contrast was not as outspoken and forth going and he lost the trust of the American people. More radical programs of relief were presented to him but he insisted that his policies were working. Hoover’s popularity began to decline due to his perceived political failures and many Americans thought him personally responsible for the conditions that they were in which led them to begin calling the shantytowns (housing for the unemployed) that they lived in on the outskirts of town, â€Å"Hoovervilles† But not only are Hoover and Roosevelt different in their domestic services but they were also different in their foreign affairs as Hoover didn’t have much direct involvement in foreign affairs but he did  pass the Hoover-Stimson doctrine which refused to recognize Japan’s conquer of Manchuria and even mediated on behalf of Peru and chile to settle a land dispute as well as sending ships to shanghai in order to protect U.S citizens. Hoover simply did not have the same pressing issues in foreign affairs as Roosevelt did because WWII occupied a lot of the time that Roosevelt was in office. Initially Roosevelt attempted to keep America out of the war and simply implemented ways to aid in the war effort while still on the home front such as the cash and carry act where munitions had to be bought and picked up from the United States instead of being shipped to the buyer and this improved the economy as European demand for war goods increased. And even though Roosevelt attempted to keep America out of the war, entry was inevitable after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor that Americans themselves wanted revenge for. This led to more foreign intervention and direct involvement that president Hoover didn’t have to endure as president although he did assist in the war effort under president Wilson by supplying the troops with food as well as organizing a large return of Americans from Europe. In conclusion, President Herbert C. Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt are two president who lived on different sides of the political spectrum. President Hoover was a hands off type of president and was not big on large reform and radical change but rather little government involvement in the affairs of the American people whereas president Roosevelt had more of a direct approach. President Roosevelt believed that the government should have direct involvement in the affairs of the people and it was evident in his administration due to all of the economic legislation that was passed during his terms. In the end they were both presidents who stuck to their respective presidential strategies.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Fleet Management System Essay

ABSTRACT The current situation in Kenya demands a good fleet management due to the  rising factors of economy that needs to be addressed in order to have a flourishing economy. Vehicles aid in transportation of goods and services in government offices. Effective use of transportation resources especially in the government we help a great deal in keeping the country’s economy at per with other developing states around the globe. It also helps improve service delivery and good governance. Currently, there are no effective ways of monitoring and managing the government vehicles. In order to have a good method of controlling the vehicles in different government departments, we need a good fleet management system. Fleet management system is focused on maintenance management, and helps people to ensure that fleet assets are maintained properly and on schedule. The system controls the entire operations of a vehicle to enable effective utilization of the vehicles and more so to increase accountability among the civil servants. It is aimed at keeping drivers records, vehicle details and records of bookings made. The system goes beyond maintenance management to offer optional features such as fuel logging, personnel records, route logging and inventory tracking. The system enables you to establish a pre-emptive approach to fleet maintenance management. It helps you prevent costly, unexpected break-fix scenarios and downtime due to neglected fleet vehicles and equipment. It serves as a ready resource for fleet maintenance history, fuel usage, and all expenses associated with operating a fleet of motor vehicles and other mechanical assets. It also help significantly ease your reliance on a pen and a paper. The research adopted a questionnaire driven methodology to gather information and follow-up processes. CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction. 1.1 Background information Fleet management is the management of a company’s transportation fleet. It includes commercial motor vehicles such as cars, ships, vans and trucks, as well as rail cars. Fleet (vehicle) management can include a range of functions, such as vehicle financing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle telematics (tracking and diagnostics), driver management, speed management, fuel management and health and safety management. It is a function which allows companies which to rely on transportation in business to remove or minimize the risks associated with vehicle investment, improving efficiency, productivity and reducing their overall transportation and staff costs, providing 100% compliance with government legislation (duty of care) and many more. These functions can be dealt with by either an in-house fleet-management department or an outsourced fleet-management provider. According to market research from the independent analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of fleet management units deployed in commercial fleets in Europe will grow from 1.5 million units in 2009 to 4 million in 2014. Even though the overall penetration level is just a few percent, some segments such as road transport will attain adoption rates above 30 percent (Maduro M, 2010). Fleet management system enables people to accomplish a series of specific tasks in the management of any or all aspects relating to a company’s fleet of vehicles. These specific tasks encompass all operations from vehicle acquisition to disposal. Software, depending on its capabilities, allows functions such as driver and vehicle profiling, trip profiling, dispatch, vehicle efficiency, etc. It can provide remote control features, such as Geo-fencing and active disabling. Current vehicle diagnostic information can also be related to a management site, depending on the type of hardware installed in the vehicles. New platform, based on Fleet management software, is fleet controlling with higher amount of information available for both drivers and dispatchers of a fleet. At this time (2012) online software platforms are very popular: users no longer have to install software and they can access the software through a web browser  (Lakhani, K. R., & Von Hippel, E, 2003). 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT: Kenyan Government departments face a common challenge of controlling their fleet assigned to them to carry out various functions in the ministries. Vehicles record management is done manually and there is a need to computerize the whole process of assigning a vehicle to a driver, its maintenance and its daily operation. The project will be an online system which will take care of all the vehicles operations and maintenance and also provide security so that only the authorized users will be able to access the data. The system is aimed at improving or rather eliminating all these problems that are encountered during the operations of fleet management. 1.3 THE OBJECTIVES OF FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The objectives of the system will include: To enable accurate and complete data that will be stored in the database about all the government vehicles. To help keeping records of every vehicle i.e. The designated driver of every vehicle. The mechanics Fuelling and mileage Insurance cover To enable in keeping the drivers details i.e. Valid license number. Valid National ID number. Painting of the vehicle Changing of break fluids. Changing tires. To determine whether the vehicle is taking the government at a profit or loss. 1.4 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT The focus of this proposal is to analyse the how a fleet of vehicles have been managed in various government departments and how the current situation is in vehicles management in terms of their job allocation and general maintenance. There has been great controversy about the use of an online  management system. This study therefore wishes to analyse the effectiveness of the Online Fleet Management System. 1.5 PROPOSED SOLUTION Due to the advancement in technology the researcher will develop a computerized system that will be implemented to overcome the old system which the government have been using. 1.6 PROBLEM JUSTIFICATION Fleet Management System will be very appropriate when it comes to management of a fleet of vehicles government. It will help reduce misuse of vehicles and it will more accountability to the drivers and officials assigned to those vehicles. A report about each vehicle will be generated to rate the performance of the drivers and the vehicle itself. Security is also paramount. The system ought to have a controlled access so that no unauthorised persons is allowed to manipulate the data that is in the system. 1.7 CONSTRAINTS OF THE PROJECT Time constraints- time is a limiting factor in the study due the fact that lecturers are on. Limited funds- Finances to carry out an in-depth study are not available to me since am depending on somebody. Shortage of material related to the study- the sample is limited to government departments only. Longitudinal effects: unlike most professors who can take several years researching on a single research problem, the time available to investigate a research problem and to measure change or stability within a sample is constrained by the due date of my assignment making it difficult to carry a proper feasibility study. Lack of prior research on the topic: the fleet management system topic has not been thoroughly researched on making it difficult to find existing work. 1.8 SOLUTION STRATEGY Development of an Online Fleet Management System will find a solution to the problems associated in vehicle fleet management. The system will be developed using PHP, HTML, CSS and java script at the front end and MySQL at the backend. 1.9 WHY THE CHOICE The Kenyan government institutions have been facing so many challenges when  it comes to management of its fleet of vehicles. I considered this system to be appropriate to solving the existing challenges in effectively monitoring the vehicles. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Vehicle Fleet Manager 3.0 Fleet management system works more the same as Vehicle Fleet Manager 3.0 which has been developed by vinisoft through enabling you to record, manage and consult all information concerning your vehicle fleet quickly and efficiently. It is designed not just for large transport firms, but service companies and businesses, too. Whether you have a fleet of 3 or 1000 vehicles to look after, we have the solution to meet your expectations. In terms of functionality, fleet manager 3.0 works more less the same as Fleet Management System. It does the following: It tracks and manages the drivers information Get notified when insurance has expired. Creates group of vehicles. Monitors the petrol consumption Keep a record of the vehicles’ details. However, Vehicle Fleet Management 3.0 does not have a module to cater for the bookings of the vehicles made in different organisation departments. (Kanuka, 2003; Schwegler, 2000; Taylor, 2006) 2.2 Intelligent Fleet Management System This is a system that was developed to control the vehicles in a city. The routing plan of a delivery fleet is usually developed a priori and provides an optimal way of serving customers by taking into account certain constraints, such as delivery time windows. However, such plans may not cope adequately with the dynamics of a city logistics environment, in which unexpected events (e.g. traffic congestions) often occur during delivery execution. We present the development and evaluation of a real-time fleet  management system that handles such unforeseen events. The system monitors the delivery vehicles in real time, detects deviations from the initial distribution plan, and adjusts the schedule accordingly by suggesting effective rerouting strategies. The system has been tested in simulation environment and in real-life cases and the results show that delivery performance is enhanced significantly and customer satisfaction is improved. Gaps in the system: Unlike Online Fleet Management System, the Intelligent Management system, the system does not capture the details of the driver and also the bookings made to deliver commodities and staff members within the city. Online Management System will capture all this data and it will a far much better system as compared to the Intelligent Fleet Management System. 2.3 Fleet Management in defence The United Kingdom Government developed a system managed its army fleet. However, in the long, the government realized that the system had its own shortcomings. Due to these fact these drivers, in the UK the concept of Whole Fleet Management (WFM) was devised as a way of meeting all operational and training commitments with a reduced fleet and reduced equipment. It was proposed that the practice of issuing units and formations with their full establishment of vehicles would cease and instead, units would hold a reduced fleet of vehicles sufficient only for low level collective training. The plan was that their holdings would be augmented from a central pool for higher level training and operations. This process has the potential to improve availability, reduce maintenance costs and allocate diminished resources at the right time, in the right place and in the correct configuration. The operational benefits and efficiency of the WFM concept are such that the UK MOD proposes to extend it to all ground based equipment and vehicles across Defence. As such, the benefits are that there will be a reduction in the number of vehicles procured, which will result in a smaller Total Fleet Requirement (TFR). Quite simply, without WFM the UK MOD will not be able to meet future operational and training requirements. The Management Information System Requirement FM within expeditionary warfare, invariably demands short planning times, so to plan for future operations Commanders need precise and timely information on units, formations and fleets, including: Equipment location. What the state of repair of each asset is. How each piece of equipment configured. When each piece of equipment will be ready for use. Research Gaps: Poor visibility of: Land equipment configuration, locations, ownership, usage, maintenance, reliability and availability; Inefficient maintenance techniques and procedures, which did not implement Reliability-centred Maintenance (RCM) well and involved little data analysis. Few effective logistic support partnerships with Industry. 2.4 Sierra Wireless Fleet Management System Sierra Wireless defines Fleet Management Solutions (FMS) as a system designed for commercial or private vehicles, trailers or similar vehicles that incorporates data logging, satellite positioning and data communication to a back-office application. Within this definition we note the following areas of Fleet Management Solutions: Fleet management (trucking, local delivery, service fleets, utility companies, taxis, rental vehicles, public transit, school buses, emergency service vehicles, heavy equipment, etc.) Container/Trailer tracking User based insurance (Pay as you drive) Stolen Vehicle Recovery / Tracking Track and Trace Driver Behaviour Metrics Fleet Management systems allow companies that rely on transportation in their business to remove or minimize the risks associated with vehicle investment, improving efficiency, productivity and reducing their overall transportation costs. Fleet management can include vehicle financing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle telematics (tracking and diagnostics), driver management, fuel management and health and safety management. Advanced fleet management systems can easily connect to the vehicle’s on-board computer, and gather data for the user. Data collected can vary and can include details such as mileage, fuel consumption, and much more, which are then gathered into a global statistics scheme. Research Gaps Sierra Wireless Fleet Management System only to keeps log of the track of the vehicles without holding both the vehicles and drivers’ details. CHAPTER 3 SYSTEM MODEL 3.0 Introduction This chapter outline the online fleet management system model .It covers the following areas: implementation of the system, system analysis, project design DFDs, ER diagrams case diagrams, case scenarios and UML diagrams. 3.1 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION The online fleet management system is to be developed using PHP scripts and MYSQL database. Java scripts will be used to validate the data captured from the interface as it is a client side scripting language. The system will be on windows platform but once hosted on a server, it can be accessed by anyone using any platform. 3.1 SYSTEM ANALSYSIS The task of system analysis is to establish in detail the proposed system requirements i.e. functional and Non-functional. It aims in understanding the input and output of a system and processing steps necessary to perform inputs into outputs. What interface will be provided for the users to interact with the system, based on the skills and computer proficiency of the intended users and what control measures will be undertaken in the system. 3.1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENT Hardware Requirements The online fleet management system should be hosted on a server which has Intel duo core processor of speed 3GHz and above, Ram of 2 GB, Hard disk of 160 GB and above. Functional Requirement These are statements of services the system should provide, how the system should react to particular inputs and how the system should behave in particular situations. The following are modules which aid in implementing  the system functional requirement: i) Security module This module performs login, logout from the system and privileges allocation depending on the type of user who is accessing the system. ii) Vehicle Registration This module captures the details of all the vehicles that are owned by government departments and institutions. iii) Driver Registration This module captures the details of the drivers that are assigned vehicles at department level. iv) Booking Vehicles This module captures the details of the vehicle bookings made by the different people. v) Duties assignment of vehicles. This module holds the assignment for all the vehicles available at department level. Non-Functional Requirement These relates to the behaviour of the system in its operation environment. The system should be safe and secure where it should operate without catastrophic failure and protect itself against accidental and intrusion. It should be reliable and available thus delivering services as specified and when requested for. 3.2 SYSTEM DESIGN Based on the nature of the project I chose the waterfall development model for software engineering. This model will be used to build the Online Voters Registration System. Its paradigm is as shown below.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Global Trade Imbalance Ensuring Proper Development of the Humanity

Global Trade Imbalance Ensuring Proper Development of the Humanity Recent financial crises and social turmoil in many countries suggest that the economic models used nowadays are inappropriate. Each country is struggling specific financial issues. However, it is important to remember that people have entered the era of global cooperation and integration and this means all the countries are affected by global trends.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Global Trade Imbalance: Ensuring Proper Development of the Humanity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Financial constraints of one country transfer to the rest of the world. The situation is worsen by the fact that different states have different capacity and more developed countries often take advantage of less industrialized states. Thus, global trade imbalance can be regarded as one of the most burning issues to be solved in the nearest future. The present paper dwells upon this issue and contains a brief analysis of the most ef fective solution to the problem. In the first place, it is necessary to understand that global trade imbalance is a real issue which can have deteriorating effects on the development of all countries. Pettis (2013) claims that states used to have numerous financial constraints but the issues never expanded to other countries. Nonetheless, in the twenty-first century, countries’ economies have close ties and any financial imbalance within one country is quickly transferred to other states (Pettis, 2013). Developing countries are especially vulnerable to financial constraints. Admittedly, deteriorating economy is associated with crime and social instability. Recent revolutions and military conflicts can be regarded as illustrations of negative effects of economic issues. Cleary, to avoid military conflicts involving many countries, it is crucial to address the global trade imbalance. Adams and Park (2009) claim that the global imbalance has been increasing for the past two deca des and now the rate of the imbalance is rather alarming. To provide an effective solution to the problem, it is necessary to consider the roots of the issue and its nature. Rodrik (2011) notes that global trade imbalance is often associated with different groups’ interests. Historically, countries tried to gain more benefits for themselves while trading with other states. One of the brightest illustrations of such policy is the mercantilists’ view on the society’s development.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, mercantilists thought it was effective to buy raw materials (or simply take them from colonies) and manufacture goods inside the country so that the domain could accumulate wealth (Rodrik, 2011). Admittedly, this approach cannot be applicable in the 21st century. Nonetheless, it is clear that countries pursue their national interests rather than try to focus on the good of all. This cause of the problem lies within the terrain of macroeconomic factors. Sinn, Buchen and Wollmershauser (2011, p. 47) state that the major reason for the present trade imbalance is bursting of â€Å"debt bubbles†. In other words, developed countries (e.g. the USA) have borrowed a lot to solve certain issues, but the GDP growth was much lower than it had been expected and the countries faced severe financial constraints when they had to pay back. Lane (2013) partially agrees with such a viewpoint and adds that the recent imbalance has not necessarily been caused by corrupted governments or banks. The author focuses on the crisis of 2008 and claims that banks as well as Americans thought the market would never fall. Nonetheless, this crisis transferred to the rest of the world and affected all countries, to different extent. This can be regarded as a microeconomic root of the present global trade imbalance. Clearly, the re are micro- and macroeconomic roots of the problem. Therefore, it is possible to note that stakeholders can also be found at the two levels. First, the major stakeholders are countries and international organizations, which are regulating bodies. Multinational businesses should also be regarded as a significant force, which can affect the global trade imbalance. At the same time, citizens of countries should be seen as stakeholders as citizens often affect their country’s policies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Global Trade Imbalance: Ensuring Proper Development of the Humanity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Admittedly, people have always struggled financial constraints in different countries. Nonetheless, the crises become more and more severe while more and more countries are involved. Potentially, this could have deteriorating effects on the development of humanity. It is possible to think o f numerous scenarios. One of these scenarios is a global war (trade war or a global military conflict). Another possible scenario is the increased gap between developed and developing countries. This imbalance can also result in numerous conflicts. Both scenarios are destructive and, hence, it is essential to diminish the global trade imbalance. It is possible to consider a number of solutions to come up with the most effective one. At this point, it is necessary to note that the WTO can play the central role in each of possible solutions. Thus, it can be tempting to employ the strategic theory. Governments can try to affect some interactions between multinationals which control this or that industry. The case of the US anti-dumping policies on shrimp from Viet Nam can be regarded as a good example of this approach. The US government restricted import of certain shrimp from Viet Nam (United States, 2011). The country tried to ensure domestic companies could get more profits. Admitte dly, the increased profitability of some US companies was achieved at the expense of losses of Vietnamese firms, in this case. The approach has certain benefits. First of all, it can affect global trade. Thus, if a country faces severe economic constraints other countries can affect certain multinationals to help the country cope with the issues. At present, the vast majority of industries and markets are controlled by huge companies. Remarkably, lots of countries have a big business which has certain influence on the global scale. Therefore, it is possible to reach certain balance by controlling huge companies. However, the major downside of the approach is that countries tend to pursue their national interests. Countries are likely to try to gain benefits at the expense of others. This drawback makes the approach absolutely ineffective even though it is possible to introduce certain controlling body to make countries ready to strive for the good of all. There was need for an inter national organization to regulate such relations long ago. The WTO is the contemporary international regulator. It was created in 1995 and it has tried to achieve global trade balance since then (World Trade Organization, 2009). For example, Viet Nam addressed the organization when the USA had started the anti-dumping policies.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Remarkably, the USA had to admit that the measures had been inconsistent with the country’s obligations in terms of the WTO participation. The conflict was solved but it took quite a lot of time and Viet Nam still lost a lot. Therefore, even in this particular case, the balance was not totally achieved. This suggests that the use of this approach will not be effective. Theory of hegemonic stability is another approach which can be exploited to diminish global trade imbalances. This approach consists in the hegemony of a country, which controls global trade. This approach could be effective, but it has a serious downside. First of all, it is necessary to state that the approach was in the twentieth century. The USA was the hegemony which set certain conventions and regulations (Gilpin, 2011). The country spread certain economic patterns as well as such concepts as democracy and liberalism. Admittedly, this approach has certain strengths. For instance, it ensures that there is one dominant agent controlling interactions of other agents. The dominant agent ensures order and has the entire picture to be able to achieve global trade balance. Remarkably, the dominant agent is the country with strong economy, which is exemplary for other countries. According to the theory of hegemonic stability, the dominant country is an inspirational leader and other countries are eager to follow it. This ensures compliance with regulations set. It seems that there is a win-win situation as one country dictates rules to achieve global trade balance while other states eagerly follow. Nonetheless, the approach has a serious downside as the dominant country often tends to pursue national interests and declines, sooner or later. Thus, Gilpin (2011) articulates the ideas that the hegemon often strives for the good of all when it is consistent with hegemon’s national interests, while the dominant state often tries to achieve certain goals at the expense of other countries. Admittedly, to diminish such negative effects, it is possible to create an organization (e.g. the WTO), which will control the activity of the hegemon. Though, in practice the co-existence of the hegemon and a controlling organization is impossible as the domain would be reluctant to follow other people’s rules. The anti-dumping policies launched by the USA are exemplary in this respect. Although the USA had to comply with the regulations provided, the country asked for â€Å"a reasonable period of time† (United States, 2011, n.p.). Thus, the hegemon had an opportunity to continue certain policies for the necessary period of time. It is possible to note that the dominant country strives for global trade balance which is beneficial for the country and is often reached at the expense of the developing countries. As has been mentioned above, the USA can be regarded as a modern illustration of the approach and its drawbacks. Clearly, at certain stage of the world’s development, the USA supported non-Communist countries and they all benefited, though the hegemon still got more. However, the decline of the hegemon led to the severe financial crisis, which affected lots of countries. Therefore, this approach has proved to be ineffective as it failed to achieve the global trade balance. More so, the approach is short-lived as the hegemony of the USA is coming to an end while other countries gain more power in the world. For instance, Kharroubi (2011) states that China is becoming a powerful agent in the world arena and can become the next hegemon. Of course, China’s hegemony can also finish within decades. Institutionalism is another approach which can be employed to achieve global trade balance. This approach consists in the belief that international relations as well as macroeconomic activities should be controlled by an international institution (or institutions) striving for global balance (Gilpin, 2011). Clearly, this approach also has both benefits and drawbacks. One of the major benefits of the approach is its comprehensiveness. Thus, international institutions are constituted by representatives from many countries. Potentially, such an organization can include all countries in the world. Thus, all countries’ interests can be taken into account. This comprehensiveness can ensure that countries will not take advantage of a state. Besides, such organizations (ideally) ensure availability of comprehensive data which can help come to the right conclusions. For instance, members of the organization can report about their problems or issues they foresee. This approach can be effective and can help countries achieve global trade balance. However, there are a number of drawbacks. The members of the international institution are still likely to pursue their national interests. The discussion of the most burning issues is always associated with a lot of debate. Sometimes countries spend a lot of time discussing an d still fail to come up with efficient solutions as each country tries to pursue certain goals. This can be detrimental as even though some decisions can be made, the discussion takes up too much time while some issues need immediate actions and decisions. Apart from this, countries can distort data provided to get some support or get profit. It is difficult to ensure that the data provided are adequate. Admittedly, decisions made on the basis of the distorted data are often erroneous. This undermines effectiveness of the approach. Nevertheless, institutionalism is the most appropriate approach, which can help diminish global trade imbalance. The other two approaches mentioned above are far less efficient. It is possible to compare the three approaches in terms of a number of aspects. When it comes to fairness and transparency, strategic theory and theory of hegemonic stability are less effective. Thus, Rodrik (2011) claims that in free trade there is always the winner and the loser , i.e. there are always stakeholder who gain profit at the expense of other stakeholders. The two approaches are characterized by existence of a single ruling force (a country or coalition of several countries or a hegemon). These two approaches lead to global trade imbalance as the country (or countries) in power focus on their aims rather than the good for all. At the same time, institutionalism ensures that interests of all countries will be taken into account. Importantly, developed and developing countries have the same rights and can affect the decisions made. When it comes to collecting and analyzing data all approaches are quite similar. Countries always try to pursue their national interests and can provide inadequate data to promote their nations. Though, it is necessary to add that the latter approach (i.e. institutionalism) is more vulnerable to this kind of problem as countries can affect the decision made and are more interested in creating certain image of their state s. It is also quite difficult to get all the necessary data for an international organization using own resources. Finally, it is possible to consider such aspect as the pace of decision making. Admittedly, the contemporary business world often needs quick and correct decisions. Hesitation often leads to losses or even financial crises. It is possible to state that the theory of hegemonic stability can be regarded as the most efficient in terms of the flexibility and decision making ‘speed’. The dominant country does not have to discuss decisions and can implement changes at once. As far as strategic theory is concerned, there can be certain amount of debate, but the agents are not numerous and they can be quite flexible as well. However, institutionalism is associated with a great deal of debate which makes decision-making process quite lasting. At that, irrespective of certain downsides, institutionalism can be effective in addressing issues related to global trade im balance. It can ensure fairness and transparency. All stakeholders involved can participate in the decision making. Nevertheless, this approach can be effective if people understand the importance of cooperation. Countries should provide adequate data to make the international organization able to develop proper strategies. People should also understand that sometimes they have to waive some privileges and refrain from deriving advantages to enable other countries to benefit. Countries should learn how to cooperate effectively. In conclusion, it is possible to state that global trade imbalance is one of the most burning issues as it has already led to numerous financial crises. It is also associated with military conflicts in developing countries. There are numerous ways to address the issue. For instance, it is possible to employ strategic theory, theory of hegemonic stability or institutionalism. The third approach is the most efficient as it ensures fairness and transparency. How ever, to make the approach truly effective, people should start cooperating. It is time to understand that cooperation is the key to global trade balance, which, in its turn, it crucial for proper development of nations. Reference List Adams, C., Park, D. (2009). Causes and consequences of global imbalances: Perspective from developing Asia. Asian Development Review, 26(1), 19-47. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.177.2404rep=rep1type=pdf Gilpin, R. (2011). Global political economy: Understanding the international economic order. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Kharroubi, E. (2011). The trade balance and the real exchange rate. BIS Quarterly Review, 33-42. Retrieved from bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1109e.pdf Lane, C. (2013, November 19). Banks aren’t the bad guys. The Washington Post. Retrieved from washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-lane-banks-arent-the-bad-guys/2013/11/18/fa1c7b1a-5073-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html Pettis, M. (2013). The great rebalancing: Trade, conflict, and the perilous ahead for the world economy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Rodrik, D. (2011). The globalization paradox: Democracy and the future of the world economy. New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Sinn, H.W., Buchen, T., Wollmershauser, T. (2011). Trade imbalances – Causes, consequences and policy measures: IFO’s statement for the Camdessus commission. CESifo Forum, 1, 47-58. Retrieved from cesifo-group.de/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/1201880.PDF United States – Anti-dumping measures on certain shrimp from Viet Nam. (2011). Retrieved from wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds404_e.htm World Trade Organization. (2009). Retrieved from wto.org/english/res_e/doload_e/inbr_e.pdf

Monday, October 21, 2019

Tejano Music Queen essays

Tejano Music Queen essays Selena Quintinilla Perez was the most qualified in the field of Tejano music/crossovers singers. She portrayed an immense amount of talent, success, and love for what she did. She beat out singers Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada due to the overwhelming amount of support she had from her fans and others. Selena succeeded both Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada in the Tejano music business and proved to be an excellent role model for people everywhere. Selena definitely achieved the top-Tejano music singer due to the many things she accomplished over her lifetime. For example, "by the age of nineteen, she was a millionaire; and by the age of twenty-one, she could draw crowds of twenty thousand." ("Selena.") She accomplished things most people could not accomplish in their life time. Selena was widely known and well-liked by many people. In addition, "Selena made six albums between 1987 and 1994 and won a Grammy award for her album, Selena Live, in 1993." ("Selena.") Selena put in a ton of work to create what she did in such a short amount of time. She was rewarded well for this work. Furthermore, Selena was "defining a new genre" of music "as uniquely American as Delta blues or New Orleans jazz" to which Tejanos would enjoy. ("Selena.") Selena had a brave, courageous side to her that was always willing to try new things. She saw this as a chance to include both Tejanos, Mexicans, and Americans in her music. The many acc omplishments of Selena have led us to think that she is the best Tejano music singer of the 20th century. Selena was not just the top of Tejano music, but she was also respected and looked at as a good role model by Mexican Americans, especially young women. For example, she became a "strong advocate for education, encouraging Mexican-American children to stay in school and to stay off drugs." (Harris 294, 296) Her commitment to other Tejanos is truly shown here. She genuinely c ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Canadas Provinces and Territories

Canada's Provinces and Territories Canada is the worlds second largest country based on area. In terms of governmental administration, the country is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Canadas provinces differ from its territories because they are more independent of the federal government in their ability to set laws and maintain rights over certain characteristics of their land such as natural resources. Canadas provinces get their power from the Constitution Act of 1867. By contrast, Canadas territories get their power from the federal government of Canada. The following is a list of Canadas provinces and territories, ranked in order of the 2008 population. Capital cities and area have been included for reference. Canadas Provinces 1) Ontario Population: 12,892,787 Capital: Toronto Area: 415,598 square miles (1,076,395 sq km) 2) Quebec Population: 7,744,530 Capital: Quebec City Area: 595,391 square miles (1,542,056 sq km) 3) British Columbia Population: 4,428,356 Capital: Victoria Area: 364,764 square miles (944,735 sq km) 4) Alberta Population: 3,512,368 Capital: Edmonton Area: 255,540 square miles (661,848 sq km) 5) Manitoba Population: 1,196,291 Capital: Winnipeg Area: 250,115 square miles (647,797 sq km) 6) Saskatchewan Population: 1,010,146 Capital: Regina Area: 251,366 square miles (651,036 sq km) 7) Nova Scotia Population: 935,962 Capital: Halifax Area: 21,345 square miles (55,284 sq km) 8) New Brunswick Population: 751,527 Capital: Fredericton Area: 28,150 square miles (72,908 sq km) 9) Newfoundland and Labrador Population: 508,270 Capital: St. Johns Area: 156,453 square miles (405,212 sq km) 10) Prince Edward Island Population: 139,407 Capital: Charlottetown Area: 2,185 square miles (5,660 sq km) Canadas Territories 1) Northwest Territories Population: 42,514 Capital: Yellowknife Area: 519,734 square miles (1,346,106 sq km) 2) Yukon Population: 31,530 Capital: Whitehorse Area: 186,272 square miles (482,443 sq km) 3) Nunavut Population: 31,152 Capital: Iqaluit Area: 808,185 square miles (2,093,190 sq km) To learn more about Canada visit Canada Maps section of this website. Reference Wikipedia. (9 June 2010). Provinces and Territories of Canada - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Networking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Networking - Assignment Example mentioned as follows: Advantages of a Local Area Network File Sharing Files can be sent from one computer on a network to any other computer connected in the same network. There is no longer any need to copy data on a piece of paper and then type it again into the other computer system, neither is there any need to copy the data on a retractable flash drive and then physically bring the flash drive to the second system to transfer the file to it. All these methods of file transfer become obsolete once LAN enables file transferring. Another basic method via which file sharing becomes really handy is when data is being stored and arranged on one system (in this scenario Sally’s Computer system), but is needed for reference at another computer within the premises (John’s Computer System). Transferring of files over the network enable timely data management and significantly reduce the chance of data entry and manipulating errors. Streaming of Media Transferring of digital media such as image files, digital videos or audio files becomes very easy within a network. This becomes particularly handy when a main set of big LCD screen or High Fi speakers are connected to one main central room and a file from any computer over the network can be sent to it and played. With particular reference to the current business of photography the image files photographed by John can be managed across the network and can even by displayed via one central projector if required. Internet Connection Sharing A single broadband internet connection can be shared over the Local Area Network. This means that all the computers connected to a network can get connected to the internet via a single connection only and separate internet connections are not required for each one of them. This way,... This paper approves that a single computer system is designated as a server in the network of computers. It is the computer system from where the administrator monitors the overall activities of the network. This computer system is just as vulnerable to fault as is any other computer system over the network. However if any fault does occur in this system, the entire network gets affected by it. Sometimes, if the fault is severe, the entire network may come to a halt because of it. For networks containing larger number of nodes it is often a good practice to made redundant systems supportive of critical network services. Wireless Networking is the most trending phenomenon in the world of networks nowadays. Instead of having physically linked computers as its nodes a wireless network connects computing devices to itself using radio waves which are as low as the frequency of the harmless microwaves. This report makes a conclusion that computing Devices are being equipped with the ability to get connected to a wireless network nowadays. If a wireless network is installed more and more computing devices can get connected to it. This would eliminate the necessity of each device getting connected to the network only via network cables. Wireless networks are easily scalable. Unlike the LAN they do not need to be equipped with more hardware cables and infrastructure setup in order to cope up with increasing area requirements. For wireless networks only the installation of access points at farther locations is required and thus expands the range of the wireless network. The need for embedding specific installations and applications is addressed flexibly by wireless networks as their configurations can easily be changed as and when require.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Economic Tiger Feared Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Tiger Feared - Essay Example Dubai developed to become an economic tiger by exploiting geographical, economic, and human factors in her environment. With the geographical location of Dubai being primarily a desert, this factor was a drawback in comparison to thriving economies of the world. In a bid to match international business trends, this factor was treated as strength by economic developers in Dubai. A favorable environment for investment drew international investors into Dubai. In the human factor context, the population in the economy comprises of both locals and internationals, thus enjoying a broad labor force in economic pursuits (De Blij, 2009). European Industrial Revolution and the revolution being experienced in India relate to relate to that of Dubai in terms of resource base, adequate labor supply and investment practices, and relatively stable political environment. Economic tigers should be tamed as opposed to being feared. This is because their vibrant economies are beneficial to other less performing economies. For instance, the developing economies have benefited from massive projects that are financed by tiger economies. On the same note, tiger economies can provide information and guidance on economic growth and development pursuits by sharing their strategies and policies with economies that have the potential to handle them. Other global powers that deem it necessary to tame tiger economies should engage in economic collaborations, engaging in practices that result in measures and policies that regulate rapid rates of economic growth and development to a point that outperforms many other economies around the

Concise annotation of the given article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concise annotation of the given article - Essay Example The life cycle concept applied to products and stores (Davidson, Bates, and Bass, 1976) executed a significant study that defined the concept of the retail life cycle. Prior to that, the key explanation for retail development was the wheel of retailing concept. The main assumption in Brown's (1991) retailing theory is that businesses usually start with low service / low price product mixes. The main motivation for shopping on this initial stage is price. As the "wheel" revolves, and it usually does, the stores start adding more services (such as credit, sales-support staff, display, etc.) When this happens, the store does not attract the consumers who buy based on price any more. The store then becomes full service and supports higher prices. Stephen Brown's article is a highly academic piece of work. This valuable theoretical research around the topic of retail change and evolution of retail institutions is deeply credible, regarding the author's background. Brown is professor of Marketing Research at the University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, situated in Northern Ireland.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Critical Thinking and Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Thinking and Writing - Essay Example The use of first person in the poem informs the purpose of and the message carried by the poem. By referring to her personal self, the author draws the line between â€Å"it’s about me† and â€Å"it’s not about me.† If the author had presented the poem in third person, the subject matter of the poem would have been different from what is communicated in first person. In this respect, presenting the poem in first person best suits the intention of the author with regard to the underlying message in the poem. Audience to this poem can be diverse and dynamic. In light of enjoying the poem more, however, groups that need motivation and inspiration constitute a perfect audience. Such groups could be persons seeking employment positions, especially in fields that require direct relations and interactions with diverse communities. Social workers for example would enjoy this poem most. This is due to the nature of their professional duties, which are directly executed in community

Valuation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Valuation - Research Paper Example In 2011, Coca-Cola was also recognized as the most valuable brand in the world on the basis of Interbrand’s best global brand. Pepsi Corporation Pepsi Corporation is another American based multinational enterprise that operates in the food and beverage industry. Headquarter of Pepsi is in Purchase, New York. The company was formed in 1965 and since that time it has expanded its brands to more than 200 countries. Pepsi is the fifth largest food and beverage company in the world in terms of total revenue however in the North American region it is the largest company. There are more than 285 thousand employees working for Pepsi around the world. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Food and beverage industry includes food production, distribution, retailing and catering of food and beverages. The total value of this industry in the year 2008 was $5.7 trillion. The growth rate of the industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.5% and it is estimated that the total value of this industry would re ach up to $7 trillion by the end of 2014 (IMAP, 4). As other industry suffered because of financial crisis, food and beverage industry was also one of the victims of recession. ... Cola Corporation is considered to be the seventh most important company in the industry with total revenue of $31.9 billion and net income of $5.8 billion. The industry is lead by Nestle with total revenue of $101.8 billion which has grown by 13.5% in 2010 from 2009. The net profit of Nestle in 2010 was $16.7 billion. Other important players in the market are Bunge ltd, Unilever Archer-Daniels Midland Kraft Foods Tyson Foods Mars Inc Kirin Holdings etc. The future of this industry is bright as the economy is currently recovering from recession and many companies are planning to expand their businesses and acquire firms in the industry. Pepsi acquired a Brazilian based coconut water manufacturer company, Amacoco Nordeste while minority shares of Zico LLC were bought by Coca Cola thus reflecting potential in the industry. S&P 500 and Dow Jones US indexes indicate that the industry would grow with the passage of time as it is reflected in the following graph. (Source: IMAP, 4) FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Financial Highlights of Coca-Cola The revenues of Coca Cola Company have increased in 2010 from 2009 by 13% which has helped the company in improving its profitability considerably by 73%. The revenues of the company although decreased in 2009 in comparison to 2008 but still the company was able to generate 18% more profits than 2008 which reflected that the company was able to cut off several expenses and costs. In addition to this, the earning per share of the company has been increasing with an increasing rate since 2008. Earning per share increased by 18% in 2009 and then it increased by 74% in 2010 reflecting positive future of the company. 2010 Change in % 2009 Change in % 2008 Revenues 35,119 13% 30,990 -3% 31,944 Operating Profit 8,449 3% 8,231 -3% 8,446 Net Profit 11,809

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Critical Thinking and Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Thinking and Writing - Essay Example The use of first person in the poem informs the purpose of and the message carried by the poem. By referring to her personal self, the author draws the line between â€Å"it’s about me† and â€Å"it’s not about me.† If the author had presented the poem in third person, the subject matter of the poem would have been different from what is communicated in first person. In this respect, presenting the poem in first person best suits the intention of the author with regard to the underlying message in the poem. Audience to this poem can be diverse and dynamic. In light of enjoying the poem more, however, groups that need motivation and inspiration constitute a perfect audience. Such groups could be persons seeking employment positions, especially in fields that require direct relations and interactions with diverse communities. Social workers for example would enjoy this poem most. This is due to the nature of their professional duties, which are directly executed in community

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Social Responsibility - Essay Example Social responsibility works to the best interest of the society. In other words, social responsibility seeks to promote social welfare subject to the decisions and actions taken by business enterprises. The underlying welfare is defined in terms of social impacts that result from the daily business activities of many and different enterprises. The business fraternity is expected to play a moral and ethical role in developing the society as they progress with their daily activities. This implies that part of their success and benefit should be channeled to the society. Essentially, the three primary factors that social responsibility accounts for include the economy, environment and society (Allen, 2011). The growth, development, and sustainability of these three factors encompass the role of social responsibility. Any enterprise operating in the societal setting needs to consider the economic, environmental, and social implications of its activities. The ultimate objective of social responsibility is to ensure that enterprises do not adversely affect the society. On the same note, the new venture is factored in the process to ensure that social responsibility is realized. The new venture, therefore, drives social

Monday, October 14, 2019

Human resource management Essay Example for Free

Human resource management Essay All managers and great leaders should want to motivate and reward their employees. A good and effective manager would motivate and encourage their employees. If you were a manager, how would you motivate and reward your employees effectively? Money seems to motivate a majority of employees, but there are other ways employees find satisfaction in their jobs, such as a work-life balance, telecommute, challenging work, and academic reimbursement, to name a few. If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers† (Noe, p. 319) I truly believe this statement. If I was a manager, ensuring that my employees are taken care of would definitely be a top priority. The employees are also stakeholders. Every day they work which is an investment in the company. When the employees are treated right, involved, and able to voice their opinions, they are more willing to stay at the organization longer. Of course, the longer they stay the lower a company’s turnover rate is. The employees are the company, and they represent the company. In my past experiences and positions in the life, taking care of the employees was not a priority for my previous employers. For the most part my previous employers were about numbers, quotas, sales, money and customer satisfaction. Employees always seemed to come last, and I can say this reason was partly why I did leave. As an employee, I like the open door policy with managers. I like feeling like I’m a part of a great organization like it’s my second home. I enjoy being recognized for a job well done, and I do feel that if employees feel as if they are an important part of an organization then they will always give 100% into their work. Money is a major motivator for employees, but it’s not the only motivator. Employee motivation can be as individual as the people who work for you. â€Å"But you can boil down employee motivation to one basic ideal: finding out what your employees want and finding a way to give it to them or to enable them to earn it†(Inc. , Nov. 30, 1999). Examples of employee motivators are performance-based cash bonus, praise and commendation from manager, increase in base pay, teambuilding, incentives, career discussions, attention from company leadership, stock or stock options, opportunity to lead projects and advancement or growth within the organization. Gaining a better understanding of what motivates employees will make you a better manager. It will help you get the most out of your employees. Great leaders and managers make all the difference when it comes to managing and motivating employees. These alternative methods of motivating will be effective differently for each employee. Making employees feel they are doing something meaningful is an alternative methods. When employees are involved and feel that they are helping to create and achieve goals, they feel important. â€Å"Research on job satisfaction reveals employees are most satisfied when they are working on a challenging task uninterrupted† (ASTD, Patterson). Also effectively communicating help motivates employees. Employees like to know how the organization is progressing toward a goal. Giving ongoing communication about employee’s performances is important for employee development. Listening, respecting, and providing recognition makes employees feel worthy. Managers should manage but not micromanage. Managers should empower their employees by allowing them choices and ensuring they are accountable for their choices. There are many alternative methods that motivate employees, and this will be determined individually. Texas Roadhouse looks for ways to recognize employees and bring them together to have fun. They provide competitions, events, outings and conferences to employees. I do think these motivating ways can be transferable to other organizations. Some bigger organizations can probably provide the same employee recognitions, but smaller organizations may not be able to. Although the smaller organizations can find other ways to recognize their employees and to bring them together, such as offering competitions, and winning gift cards, for example. Each individual organization, no matter what size can still find ways to motivate, recognize, and bring their employees together. In conclusion, motivating and rewarding your employees is how you will keep them. Making sure your employees are engaged is very important in helping to keep them motivated. Organizations should focus on their mission, vision and higher purpose and ensure that all employees understand their daily efforts and how it drives progress towards the mission, vision and purpose. Human resources professionals must manage their organizations with finesse, constantly looking for that optimal level workplace satisfaction, which helps employees motivated and engaged.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Job Satisfaction Definition Psychology Essay

The Job Satisfaction Definition Psychology Essay Job satisfaction, insimple words is an individuals emotional reaction to the job itself. It is a set of favorable or unfavorable feelings with which the employees view their work. When a person says that he has high job satisfaction, it means that he really like his job feels good about it and values his job highly. According to E.A. Locke, job satisfaction is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experience. Job satisfaction is the amount of pleasure or contentment associated with a job -if you like your job intensely you will experience job dissatisfaction.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Andrew Bin Job satisfaction is the set of favourable or unfavourable feelings  with employees view their work.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keith Davis and Newstrom According to Fieldman and Arnold, Job satisfaction will be defined as the amount of the overall positive effort or (feelings) that individuals have towards their job Job satisfaction is the mental feeling of favorableness which an individual has about his job. So it is one of the important factors which have drawn attention of managers in the organization. Benefits of job satisfaction study Job satisfaction study can produce positive, neutral and negative results. The importance of the study is explained below. (1) The study informs the management about the level of satisfaction of the employees in the various services offered to them by the organization. (2)Job satisfaction study is a useful for identifying related problems, for assessing the response of the employees to various alternatives and also for encouraging managers to modify their original plans approximately. (3) Job satisfaction study is a useful way to determine certain training needs. (4) The study is tangible expression of managements interest in employee welfare which gives employees a reason to feel better towards management. EFFECT OF LOW JOB SATISFACTION Job satisfaction has a variety of effects these effects are. High turnover of employees. High absenteeism. Tardiness. Low employee performance. High turnover of employees Low satisfaction is associated with high employee turnover. Employee turnover means the proportion of employees leaving an organization. Most satisfied employees are less likely to think about quitting and searching for a new job or announce their intention to quit and thus one more likely to stay with their employer longer. Employee turnover has several negative consequences especially if the turnover rate is high. Difficult to replace derived employees. Direct and indirect costs to the organization since replacing workers are expensive. The feeling of demoralization because of the loss of valued Co-workers. Both work and social patterns may be disrupted until replacements are found. The organizations reputation in the community may suffer. High absenteeism Absenteeism refers to the frequency of absence of a job holder from the workplace either unexcused absence due to some avoidable reasons or long absence due to some unavoidable reasons. Tardiness The impact of low job satisfaction is tardiness. A tardy employee is one who arrives at work late. Tardiness is a type of short period absenteeism ranging from a few minutes to several hours for each event and it is another way in which employees. Withdraw from active involvement in the organization. it may impede the timely completion of work and disrupt productive relationship with Co-workers. A pattern of tardiness is often a symptom of negative attitude requiring managerial attention. Low employee performance If the rewards are seen as fair and equitable the improved satisfaction develops because employees feel that they are receiving rewards in proportion to higher performance. On the other hand if rewards are seen as inadequate for ones level of satisfaction leads to either great or lesser commitment which affects efforts and eventually the performance. Article: 1 WORK TEAMS AND JOB SATIFACTION Authors Laura Newmark, Management Consultant, Boone, NC, USA Jerry W. Koehler, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA Thomas W. Philippe, St. Petersburg College, St Petersburg FL, USA Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH, Volume 8, Number 2, 2008 One of the most significant changes in modern organizations over the past few decades has been the increased use of work teams. Many organizations have embraced beliefs that people are untapped resources, that people who do the work are in the best position to improve the organizational processes, and the most effective method to utilize human resources is to form work teams. Even though many organizations have adopted the team approach, it still remains to be seen whether or not work teams positively affect organization members. Although there is Ample evidence that organizations have improved their quality and productivity by utilizing work teams, the overall affects teams have on the organization and organization members is still uncertain. There has not been sufficient research on the positive or negative affects of work teams. The definition of work teams accommodates the use of many labels. It includes autonomous work teams, semiautonomous work teams, self managed teams, process-improvement teams, self-determining teams, cross-functional teams, quality circles, etc. There are five themes that emerge from qualitative analysis they are (1)commitment, attitude, and willingness within team; (2)Knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience of team members; (3) team work and ability to work as a team; (4) internal team leadership (5) communication and trust within the team. In fact, the affect was just the opposite; people who did not work in a team had significantly higher job satisfaction than team members. The results indicate that working on teams may not have a positive affect on team member job satisfaction. This was a significant finding since job satisfaction has long been a significant variable for determining organizational effectiveness. Since many organizations are moving to team based organizations, the data indicates that this movement may cause organizations to experience significant problems in implementing teams, particularly in the area of job satisfaction. Article: 2 JOB SATISFACTION AND RETENTION STRATEGIES Author Safdar Rehman Director (HR), Super Solutions Consultancy, Canada Source: Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal (2012) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Vol. 4, No. 1 Phillips, (1998) and Meglino, Ravlin, De Nisi, (2000) studied that precise and pragmatic job information during the recruitment and selection process was linked with positive work outcomes like job satisfaction, low turnover and enhanced job performance. Applicants who felt a better fit between their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) and their job requirements were likely to accept a job offer. Campion (1991) found that inescapable turnover was characteristically viewed as critical to an organization. The notion that turnover decreases organizational performance was supported by the most of researchers. Mobley (1982) suggested That, turnover might interrupt job performance when an employee who intended to leave became less efficient and effective. Shaw, Gupta, Delery, 2002 found empirically that voluntary turnover was associated with the inferior organizational performance. Other researchers suggested that turnover could improve performance. One probable advantage of turnover was the exclusion of poor performing employees. Furthermore, Staw et al; (1986) proposed that turnover might enhance performance if most of the turnover was by employees with longer or very short tenure. Article: 3 JOB SATISFACTION AND WORK LIFE BALANCE Author Millicent F. Nelson, Middle Tennessee State University Richard J. Tarpey, Middle Tennessee State University Source: Academy of Health Care Management Journal, Volume 6, Number 1, 2010 Work-family conflict studies have also indicated that there is a difference in levels of work-family conflict perception between males and females. Several of these studies have also indicated that the majority of pressure females experience comes from family demands rather than work demands especially when the family has children. One possible explanation is that a larger portion of family role tasks that are time constrained typically falls on the female of the family. While males usually assume responsibility for tasks such as home maintenance, females normally are responsible for tasks that must be done on a regular basis regardless of the quantity or pressures of work demands. Therefore, while many generally male dominated family tasks can be put off if work demands increase, the same is not true for the female dominated tasks such as laundry, cooking, or direct child care. Therefore, the propensity for females to experience work-family conflict is high due to irregular, inflexible or long work hours, potential limited choice in work schedules, and personal or family demands. Additionally, with families can experience more demanding family role tasks in addition to their potentially high demand work role tasks causing a further perception of a lack of balance. The implications of the work schedule on an individuals ability to achieve a work-family balance are clear and demonstrated in previous studies. An employees negative perception of a work schedule should increase the potential for the existence of work-family conflict through the perception of the scheduled hours as too excessive, irregular, or inflexible. THEORIES OF JOB SATISFACTION The main theoretical approaches to job satisfaction are given below: 1. Need Fulfillment Theory According to this theory a person is satisfied when he gets from his job what he wants. In other words, job satisfaction will vary directly with the extend to which those needs of an individual which can be satisfied actually. Thus, job satisfaction is positively related to the degree to which ones needs are fulfilled. 2. Equity Theory Under this theory, it is believed that a persons job satisfaction depends upon his perceived equity as determined by his input -output balance in comparison with the input -output balance of others. Every individual compares his rewards with those of a reference group. If he feels his rewards are equitable in comparison with others doing similar work, he feels satisfied. Job satisfaction is thus a function of the degree to which job characteristics meet the desires of the reference group. Equity theory takes into account not only the needs of an individual but also the opinion of the reference group to which the individual looks for guidance. 3. Two-factor theory (motivator-hygiene theory) Frederick Herzbergs Two-factor theory (also known as Motivator Hygiene Theory) attempts to explain satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. This theory states that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are driven by different factors motivation and hygiene factors, respectively. An employees motivation to work is continually related to job satisfaction of a subordinate. Motivation can be seen as an inner force that drives individuals to attain personal and organizational goals (Hoskinson, Porter, Wrench, p.  133). Motivating factors are those aspects of the job that make people want to perform, and provide people with satisfaction, for example achievement in work, recognition, promotion opportunities. These motivating factors are considered to be intrinsic to the job, or the work carried out. Hygiene factors include aspects of the working environment such as pay, company policies, supervisory practices, and other working conditions. While Hertzbergs model has stimulated much research, researchers have been unable to reliably empirically prove the model, with Hackman Oldham suggesting that Hertzbergs original formulation of the model may have been a methodological artefact. Furthermore, the theory does not consider individual differences, conversely predicting all employees will react in an identical manner to changes in motivating/hygiene factors. Finally, the model has been criticized in that it does not specify how motivating/hygiene factors are to be measured. 4. Discrepancy theory The concept of discrepancy theory explains the ultimate source of anxiety and dejection. An individual, who has not fulfilled his responsibility feels the sense of anxiety and regret for not performing well, they will also feel dejection due to not being able to achieve their hopes and aspirations. According to this theory, all individuals will learn what their obligations and responsibilities for a particular function, over a time period, and if they fail to fulfil those obligations then they are punished. Over time, these duties and obligations consolidate to form an abstracted set of principles, designated as a self-guide. Agitation and anxiety are the main responses when an individual fails to achieve the obligation or responsibility This theory also explains that if achievement of the obligations is obtained then the reward can be praise, approval, or love. These achievements and aspirations also form an abstracted set of principles, referred to as the ideal self guide. When the individual fails to obtain these rewards, they begin to have feelings of dejection, disappointment, or even depression 5.Equity Discrepancy Theory This is a combination ofequity and discrepancy theories. Under this theory, satisfaction is defined as the difference between the outcomes that one perceives he actually received and outcomes that one feels he should receive in comparison with others. When the individual feels that what he actually received is equal to what he perceives he should receive, there is satisfaction. This model reveals that a persons perception of what he should receive is influenced by the input and output of others. 6. Opponent process theory According to opponent process theory,  emotional events, such as criticisms or rewards, elicits two sets of processes. Primary processes give way to emotions that are steady with the event in question. Events that seem negative in manner will give rise to the feelings of stress or anxiety. Events that are positive give rise to the feeling of content or relaxation. The other process is the opponent process, which induces feelings that contradict the feelings in the primary processes. Events that are negative give rise to feelings of relaxation while events that are positive give rise to feelings of anxiety. A variety of explanations have been suggested to explain the uniformity of mood or satisfaction. This theory shows that if you try to enhance the mood of individual it will more likely fail in doing so. The opponent process theory was formulated to explain these patterns of observations. 7.Social Reference group theory Reference group defined the way an individual look at the world. According to this theory job satisfaction occurs when job meets   the interest, desire and requirements of a persons reference group .in   other word, job satisfaction is a function   of the degree to which the job meets the approval of the group to which the individual looks for guidance in evaluating the world and defining social reality. The social reference group theory is similar to the need fulfilment theory  except that it takes into account not the desires need and interest of the given individual but rather the point of view and opinion of the group to whom the individual looks for guidance. This theory an incomplete explanation to the extent some people are independent of group opinions and group pressure.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

John Marshall: The Most Influential Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

John Marshall: The Most Influential Chief Justice of the Supreme Court In the beginning years of the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court was a struggling institution due to the lack of effectiveness of the Chief Justices and was not highly regarded by the executive and legislative branches of the government. The third Chief Justice in only twelve years, John Marshall put an end to the Supreme Court’s lack of influence after his appointment by President John Adams in 1801. John Marshall was the most influential Chief Justice of the Supreme Court because he was the first to make it a just and effective establishment that was equal to the two other branches of government by his court rulings and policies. Through his first case, Marbury v. Madison, Marshall formed a foothold for the Supreme Court through his administration of judicial review. In this case, Marbury had not received his judicial commission after President Adams was elected. Former President Thomas Jefferson had instructed his Secretary of State, James Madison not to pay Marbury. Marbury then sued ...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Analyzing Carson’s Work

Literary works document history. Each piece of literature can tell the readers something about the past – it may be events, ideologies, or stories of people. As a reflection of thoughts however, these literary pieces often do not relay accurate events. Rather, such works only provide vague interpretations of the authors. In this paper, the researcher will try to analyze the poem â€Å"Belfast Confetti† of Ciaran Carson of Northern Ireland.By analyzing the events which probably inspired the creation of the poem, this paper will serve as a historical criticism of the award-winning piece.The title, â€Å"Belfast Confetti† is not one which Carson creates imaginatively. Rather, it is a common slang term used to refer to the easy-grip collection of debris often used by rioters during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Troubles was the period of conflict that roughly began during the 1960s and seemingly ended in 1998 through the Belfast Agreement. It was considered a s a period of conflict that resulted from the political conflict between the catholic/nationalist minority and the protestant/unionist majority. The worse of these years were from 1970 to 1972, when almost five hundred people died.Most of these killings took place in Belfast, the city where Carson was born, and lived his whole life. (English) Other the common slang term, the word â€Å"Confetti† in the title can be interpreted in a number of ways. It can be regarded as the collection of screws, nails, bolts, and other sharp objects used as shrapnel for IRA bombs. (English) If coupled with imagination, the term â€Å"confetti† can bring the reader right into bombing scene, where one can witness the â€Å"confetti† of various fatal elements dropping from midair.Also, â€Å"confetti† can suggest a feeling of confusion and disorder embracing the mind of the author as he took himself right into the hostile hotspots of Belfast. As noted by Mahony, â€Å"Belfas t confetti uses three quite different image patterns, all conveyed as being disrupted, to try to recreate for the reader in a linear fashion, the very non-linear experience of living through a bombing. † (Mahony) â€Å"Suddenly as the riot squad moved in, it was raining exclamation marks† (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC)The situation depicts a usual day during the period of the Troubles when riots were common day-to-day events. According to Carson, each time the riot squad moves in, that meant that it was time for a â€Å"raining† of â€Å"exclamation marks†. Raining is often used to imply â€Å"a multitude of† or â€Å"plenty of†. As for the â€Å"exclamation marks†, such can be interpreted following the actual purpose of using the said punctuation mark – signifying strong emotions during the onset of violence. Thus, Carson notes that when riot squads come, then a variety of strong emotions set in the people of Belfast.This variety may refer to mixture of revolutionizing and insistent emotions of the squads, distrustful and aggressive reactions of the military, and apprehensive and distraught feelings of the civilians. â€Å"Nuts, bolts, nails, car-keys. A fount of broken type. And the explosion. Itself – an askerisk on the map. This hyphenated line, a burst of rapid fire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC) The description of diverse emotions is then followed by a seeming narrative of what actual takes place during Belfast’s destructive era.Through these lines, Carson takes the readers again in a picturesque gallery of memories where the rioters throw in the cocktail of â€Å"nuts, bolts, nails, car-keys† and the air fills up with fountain-like debris (â€Å"a fount of broken type†) much like what happens when an active volcano spews dust, smoke, and stones up in the sky. In response to the noted revolutionary action is an explosion – which then leaves awkward marks on the city’s map as it inevitably eradicates social structures. In writing, asterisks are often used to indicate anonymity – to conceal, taking the place of letters within a word.Carson then uses the word â€Å"asterisk† to describe what explosions often did to Belfast before – destroying its structures and people into obscurity. As noted by Mahony, â€Å"Carson tries to project a debris-strewn labyrinth where once there was order. † (Mahony) Carson also uses the phrase â€Å"hyphenated line† to describe the â€Å"burst of rapid fire†. Hyphens are used to join words. By â€Å"hyphenated†, Carson reflects on continuous nonstop gun fires. â€Å"I was trying to complete a sentence in my head but it kept stuttering† (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC)In the next line, Carson then describes what he felt when he was in the city at the time of the Troubles. He explains that at times when the guns were firing, civ ilians would try to create a sentence (which is defined as ‘a set of words with a complete thought’). Sentence here should not be taken as a mere line in a poem. Instead, it can be noted that Carson relays that in the midst of the gun fires and explosions, people would try to devise a â€Å"sentence† or a â€Å"complete† explanation of the devastating event which is happening around them.Unfortunately, they would just â€Å"stutter†, or fail at devising an adequate rationalization. â€Å"All the alleyways and side streets blocked with stops and colons. † (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC) Following Carson’s fondness of punctuation metaphors, the â€Å"stops† would refer to â€Å"periods†. Periods are use to end a sentence and colons indicate discontinuities within sentences. Both suggest that people caught in the midst of violent Belfast bouts would try to find a way to escape through alleys and side lanes but neverthele ss only to find dead ends.â€Å"I know this labyrinth so well – Balaclava, Raglan, Inkerman, Odessa Street – Why can’t I escape? Every move is punctuated. † (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC) In this line, Carson injects his own history in his literary piece. As one who grew up in Belfast, he knew the place quite well. Implying that he is very familiar of the place also tells the readers something about Belfast’s geography. The city is small with lots of intertwining streets, which just like Carson suggests – looks like a maze. The question of escape however, supports the overall theme of the poem.Carson suggests that people who were caught in the Troubles could not find a way out of the conflict. Apart from the civilians, those who were directly involved within the problem could not find a way to effectively resolve the persisting crisis. The politicians, activists, republicans, loyalists, and paramilitary forces were unable to find an eff icient solution even through a series of ceasefires and agreements. The people of Belfast and that of the whole Northern Ireland couldn’t find a way out even up to now as sporadic killings still happen. (English)As noted by Carson, every move is â€Å"punctuated† or as what its literal meaning suggests, â€Å"interrupted at frequent intervals†. (Collins Dictionary) It should be noted that despite attempts to end the Troubles through the Sunningdale Agreement, the establishment of the group ‘Peace People’, open talks, and paramilitary ceasefires. However, all of these struggles towards peace are often interrupted by bombings, armed campaigns, and killings. (English) The same also happens at the individual level as attempts to escape are also interrupted by indecisions.â€Å"Crimea Street. Dead end again. A Saracen, Kremlin-2 mesh. Makrolon face-shields. Walkietalkies. † (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC) Carson also further addresses the exis tence of military forces through an enumeration of what they often use at war. For people who live in Belfast, the enumerated warfare gears are considered as typical daily paraphernalia. However, the familiarity of such things disrupts the commonality of normality as suggested by the next line: â€Å"What is my name? Where am I coming from?Where am I going? A fusillade of question- marks. † (Belfast Confetti, copied from BBC) The series of questions may be equated to the disgruntled thinking which the people of Belfast experienced during the Troubles period. These can also be interpreted as the common questions based upon what the authorities often ask to the city constituents as part of standard security interrogations. In an interview in The Guardian, Carson relays his own experience as he was interrogated by the authorities:When somebody comes to you and says ‘OK, mate, over here, against the wall',† he says in exaggerated Cockney, â€Å"and you're asked who y ou are, where you're from, and you say: ‘I'm from here. ‘ (Quoted from The Guardian) Another interpretation is that it is a question of identity that troubles civilians who do not belong to either of the conflicting parties. As a result of the confusion that surrounds them, civilians felt that there was a need to participate to the war. As noted by Carson, he himself felt that taking a side was necessary.In the same interview with the Guardian, when asked whether he felt like joining one of the conflicting political parties, Carson responses: Kind of close at times, but †¦ you know – no. And why not? I don't know. One could easily have done so. I was scared maybe. (Quoted from The Guardian) The â€Å"fusillade† meaning ‘simultaneous and incessant firing’ of questions emphasizes the uncertainty of the civilians. In conclusion, the poem ultimately tells Carson’s story of living through the Troubles and facing daily bombings, riots, an d violence.As noted by Wheatley, â€Å"The chaos of violence (which, once again is creative to the same extent to which it can be destructive) â€Å"is made scriptable in metaphors drawn from writing and printing in ways that emphasize the explosive effects on any pretence of realist representation. † (Wheatley). Carson injects metaphors in his interpretation of the events so as to dramatize and emphasize the frustration posed by the bombings, and seemingly take the reader to the actual events. Works Cited: BBC. â€Å"Poetry: Belfast Confetti†. BBC Northern Ireland Learning. 2 May 2009 â€Å"Collins Essential English Dictionary†. HarperCollins Publishers, 2004, 2006 English, Richard. â€Å"Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA†. Oxford University Press, 2003 Mahony, Christina Hunt. â€Å"Contemporary Irish Literature†. Palgrave Macmillan, pp 79-84 The Guardian Staff. â€Å"A life in poetry: Ciaran Carson† Guardian. co. uk. 17 Jan 2009. 2 May 2009 Wheatley, David. â€Å"That Blank Mouth: Secrecy, Shibboleths, and Silence in Northern Irish Poetry†. Journal of Modern Literature. 25 (2001): 1-16