Research design Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches

Case Study Case study is a research method that is usually employed when the researcher might be interested in conducting an explorative study but not prescriptive study. In the research method, the researcher could be free to explore and tackle issues as they arise. This means that the method is flexible, which means that the researcher could address broad questions before tackling narrower questions.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The method is focuses on the context of the study implying that it employs the technique of thick description. This strategy helps in bridging the gap between the theoretical study and actual practice, which allows canvassers to offer a comparison of data (Seglin 2003, p. 8). However, the method is believed to be weak because it is too subjective. This means that the results n either could be evaluated nor could be implemented since they are the views of the researcher. Furthermore, the method is too expensive since the researcher would have to stay with the researched in order to study their behaviour. This study cannot employ the case study method because of the ethical issues. Since this is an academic research, reliability, sensitivity and issues related to biasness are to be considered seriously before proceeding to collect data (Kothari 2004, p. 71). Interview Interviewing is considered one of the effective ways of collecting data in any research design. However, a number of issues restrict the use of the method. Interview guides enables sampling because the researcher can control it easily. The researcher would easily choose who to interview based on a certain criteria. Moreover, the method is effective since it permits face-to-face interaction. Face-to-face interaction allows the researcher to extract important information from the researched that could otherwise not be extracted from them. Through interviewing, the researcher would be in a position to collect critical information that would not otherwise be captured by a questionnaire. In this proposal, interview method would be employed together with the surveying method. Additionally, the researcher might choose to use visual instruments in case interviewing would be employed.Advertising Looking for proposal on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This would give valid results as compared to using survey method alone. Since the researcher would be available, he or she would ask additional questions hence acquiring additional information that would not have been captured using the questionnaire. In fact, the researcher may engage the researched in an in-depth discussion hence collecting information that is more important. This would be achieved through probing or seeking clarifications in case the researcher wo uld not understand the answers clearly. No question would be left unanswered since the researcher would ensure that the respondent answers all questions. In other words, the researcher would create enough time for the respondent to address all questions (Blumberg Schindler 2008, p. 71). In research, there is no method lacking some weaknesses. Just like all other methods, interviewing has a number of weaknesses. The method is believed to be very expensive in terms of time and resources. The researcher would be required to travel to various places in search of respondents. The method is consumes more time as compared to survey method since much time is taken to interview one respondent. Moreover, geographical features affect the method because it is impossible to reach people in some provinces, especially during rainy seasons. Finally, the method is accused of biasness because the interviewer would ask a question in a way that suggests a particular answer (Hakim 2000, p. 28). Survey Method This method would be employed in this study because it is an effective way to access a large population. In this regard, a questionnaire would be sent to various employees in various companies. Employees would be requested to give their views as regards to the position of the Chinese small firms. The technique saves time. The Proposal This proposal would take a deductive approach, which would call for the researcher to work from a known hypothesis that convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies would affect positively the economy of the country in terms of performance in the global financial system. Thus, the study would take a top down approach as compared to the inductive approach that would take an up down strategy. To realize the use of deductive approach, quantitative tools of data collection and analysis such as questionnaires and interviews would be used. Quantitative tools would be preferred as opposed to qualitative tools because they would enable the resea rcher to come up with facts, such as a hypothesis that convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies would affect the economy positively in terms of performance globally.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This would enable the researcher to test and confirm the hypothesis (Taylor 2007, p. 19). This would not be like qualitative tools that first come up with an abstract idea that is followed by creation of theories and concepts about the idea. Lastly, data in quantitative research is believed to be hard and reliable as opposed to qualitative research where data would just be rich and deep. Due to this, the study would take a positivism kind of philosophy. A positivism approach would make the researcher understand more the impact of convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies on the performanc e of the economy of China globally (Crotty 2003, p. 9). Quantitative Research This research is occasionally referred to as factual knowledge and would employ conventional arithmetical and statistical representations to compute categorical results. Physical scientists usually exploit it, though social studies, education and finance have been identified to utilize this variety of study. Quantitative researches would make use of an average design, with a little insignificant inter-subject distinction of engendering a premise to be confirmed or refuted. This hypothesis should be verifiable by mathematical and arithmetical techniques and would be the foundation around which the entire research would be calculated. The design would permit randomization of any targeted clusters as well as to organize groups to be incorporated in the research if possible. A well-designed quantitative design would influence only one variable at ago, or else statistical examination turns out to be burdensome and open to queries. In an ideal world, quantitative study would be built in a way that permits others to replicate the research and get comparable outcomes. Quantitative design is believed to be an exceptional approach to confirm results and establish or invalidate a hypothesis. The design would be selected in this research since its configuration has not changed for many years, which means it is normal across numerous technical disciplines and subjects (Parsimonious). Subsequent to statistical investigation of the outcomes, an all-inclusive response would be arrived at and the outcome would be legally conferred and published. Quantitative research furthermore would sieve peripheral aspects if suitably planned and the outcomes achieved would be perceived to be authentic and equitable. Quantitative researches are useful for testing the results obtained by a series of qualitative tests, leading to an ultimate responseAdvertising Looking for proposal on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ethical Implications Ethics is considered an important aspect of any research. Ethics would mean proper or professional research, which would be conducted in the best traditions of the discipline. The research would need to observe researcher-respondent relations, which deals with the welfare of the respondent. Honesty, sincerity, justice and responsibility should guide researcher-researcher relationships meaning there should be no criticism. It should not be based on polemic, personal biases or collective interests. Professional ethics means accuracy in data collection, data processing and application of relevant research methods. In this study, issues related to ethics would be addressed by giving relevant notice to the researched. The study population should also be amicably informed in order to get prepared for the study. To brief respondents is usually important because it could perhaps enhance reliability of the study. It would also be ethical to inform people before proceedin g to reseacrh on them. The findings should always be made public to the researched, as one way of ensuring morality in the study. Furthermore, the researcher should always observe research ethics by keeping away from criticism (Creswell 2003, p 40). Research Design There would be two key methods used to gather information in this proposal. The first one would be through a questionaire, which would be administered online to employees in various companies within the Chinese financial system. The questionaire would seek to capture various attutudes of employees regarding convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies. The questionnaire would have four Parts. The first part would seek to capture the biodata information of respondents. The second part would deal with the demography and gender of the respondents. This would be to ascertain the prevalence of views in varoius categories in order to ensure that if any differences would come about, then they would be captured in their d emographic space. The third part would deal with academic credentials and work experience of employees. The motivation for this section would come from the understanding that different sections of population would respond differently to change, based on age and academic credentials. The fourth part would delve on the specific issues relating to the convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies, starting from the understanding of the concept to the possible effects it would have on the economy. The questionaire would also employ a mix of open ended and closed ended questions to capture different aspects of issues studied. Open ended questions would be used because they give respondents more time to figure out their opinions, which would make them volunteer more information related to feelings, outlooks and comprehension of the subject. This would allow the researcher to understand the position of respondents as regards to their feelings towards convergence or divergence of Chi nese small companies (Wittner 2003, p. 12). Open ended questions would minimize some errors that could have been created in the course of research. Respondents would rarely forget answers if given an opportunity to respond freely. Furthermore, respondents could not ignore some questions because they must go through all of them. Open ended questions would generate data that could be used in data analysis by other researchers. In other words, they would allow secondary data analysis. On the other hand, closed-ended questions would be analyzed easily. That is why they would be used in this study. Each response could be coded for statistical interpretation. Nonetheless, closed-ended questions would be compatible with computer analysis package. The technique would be more specific meaning that its answers would be consistent in all conditions. This aspect would be impossible with open-ended questions because each respondent would be allowed to use his or her own words. Finally, closed-en ded questions would take less time to administer unlike open-ended questions, which would be detailed hence time consuming (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill 2009, p. 11). Rationale The questionnaire would be sent to respondents through the internet that is, the researcher would mail the questions to respective respondents. The researcher arrived at this decision after considering time and reseources. The method is costless and less time consuming. Furthmore, the method would allow respondents to reflect on the questions and answer them accurately. Employing research assistants would be problematic because of the complexity of the study. Many people would be reluctant to give their views freely. The method is ineffective because answers would not be independent. The respondent could not have filled the questions personally. Moreover, the method would be affected by the respondent’s level of literacy. One big disadvantage of the technique is that there would be no interaction between the researcher and the researched. This would mean that respondent’s reactions would not be captured. Reactions are important because they give more information regarding the feelings of respondents. Therefore, it was justifiable for the researcher to employ interviews to reinforce the survey method. Generally, the survey technique is considered more applicable where the researcher is interested in numbers, not deep feelings of the respondent. In this study, the researcher would be interested in identifying the number of employees who feel convergence or divergence of Chinese small companies would be the suitable method of acquiring global economic advantage (Xenos Moy 2007, p 34). List of References Blumberg, C Schindler, D 2008, Business Research Methods, New York, McGraw-Hill. Creswell, J 2003, Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches, Sage, Thousand Oaks. Crotty, M 2003, The Foundations of Social Research: meaning and perspective in the research process, Sage, London. Hakim, C 2000, Research Design: Sucessful Designs for Social and Economic Research, Routledge, New York. Kothari, R 2004, Research methodology: methods and techniques, New Age International, New Delhi. Saunders, M, Lewis, P Thornhill, A 2009, Research Methods for Business Students, Prentice Hall, Harlow. Seglin, J. 2003, The Right Thing: Conscious, Profit and Personal Responsibility in Today’s Business, Spiro Press, New York. Taylor, S 2007, Business Statistics, Palgrave Basingstoke. Wittner, P 2003, The European Generics Outlook: A Country-by-Country Analysis of Developing Market Opportunities and Revenue Defense Strategies, Datamonitor, London. Xenos, M Moy, P 2007, Direct and differential effects of the internet on political and civic engagement, Journal of communication, Vol. 57, no. 1, p 34. 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Geomechanics Lab Report Essay Example

Geomechanics Lab Report Essay Example Geomechanics Lab Report Paper Geomechanics Lab Report Paper Aim The main intention of this investigation was to determine the various stages of the Attributer Limits. These included the liquid limit test (AL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (Pl) and linear shrinkage (LS) of a soil sample provided by the administration. This was then followed by a sieve analysis to determine the particle size distribution of another soil sample so that a suitable classification in both situations could be made in accordance with the Australian Standards ASSAYS 1993. Procedure (Sample preparation) On commencement of the experiment, each group was provided with two arts of grammas of soil retrieved from the field and then oven dried by the experiment supervisor. One part of the soil sample was coarse grain gravel for the particle size distribution chart and sieve analysis, whilst the remaining 500 grams of soil was of fine grained fraction. * Preparation of Coarse Grained Fraction During this procedure the mass of grammas of soil was recorded and soaked in water for duration of 24 hours. This was then followed by placing the soil sample into a 0. Mm mesh sieve and the entire fine particle was washed away using running tap water and a small spray bottle until the water had started running Lear. The sieved sample was then transferred in a tray which was again put into the oven at 1 00 degrees for 24 hours. * Preparation of Fine Grained Fraction The remainder of the 500 grams of the sample was then sieved through a 0. 425 mm mesh sieve and the contents collected. This procedure was done until approximately 150 to grammas of material was successfully passing sieve. : Procedure (Sieve Analysis) This procedure involved the sieve analysis of the coarse fraction. This involved weighing the mass of the oven dried coarse grained fraction so that we are able to determine the particle size distribution. For this experiment the mass of coarse fraction used was 312. 10 grams. This was then followed by arranging the sieves from top to bottom in order from larger gaped mesh in the sieve to the smaller one (i. E. 37. Mm to 0. Mm) and then pouring the sample in the top sieve whilst shaking it for approximately 10 minutes. This provided mechanical energy to the soil allowing for it to pass all the sieve layers. The next procedure involved recording the soil mass that had accumulated on each sieve and the bottom pan. Furthermore the percentage of original mass retained and cumulative passing % vs Article size plot has been constructed as shown in Appendix A. As shown in the plot it can be noted that the results obtained were not accurate enough for the effective size values of D_II and D 30 to be calculated. Yet the effective size D 60 was able to be found and was shown to be 1. Mm as shown in the particle size vs.. Percentage passing table in appendix A. Due to the fact that all effective size values have not been able to be attained from the graph, the uniformity coefficient C_u and the coefficient of curvature were not able to be calculated. Yet if they could be then they would be calculated using these equations: u=DIODE where CUE=Coefficient of Curvature C=Coefficient of Curvature All values record ed have been further discussed in the results section of this report. Procedure (Attributer Limits determination) * Liquid Limit (AL) The liquid limit test west performed on the fine Sandy soil over the course of two sessions to determine the water content (percentage) at the point when the soil started to behave with liquid qualities. This test procedure involved gradually adding water to a round well created in two thirds of the soil sample on a glass plate. Then using two spatulas the sample was mixed until a smooth paste was formed. This was then followed by placing a small amount of the sample into the liquid limit device and leveling it horizontally using the spatula to create a smooth surface. Using the grooving tool the sample in the cup was divided in half. To determine the number of blows the handle of the mechanism was rotated at a speed of two blows per second and the number of blows recorded until the soil closed the groove to a length of 1 CM. It was expected that the number of blows be as close to 25+ or 3 as possible. The group was successful in our fourth attempt where 28 blows were recorded. Once the sample was successful it was removed room the liquid limit cup and placed within a tin and the mass weighed. This was determined to calculate the moisture content percentage. The mixture in the liquid limit range was placed in a 0. 25 meter length mould with a internal diameter of 0. 025 meters and left on top of the oven so that the linear shrinkage could be determined. All values obtained are discussed in the results. * Plastic Limit (PL) To determine the plastic limit (as a percentage), after which the soil could no longer be deformed; water was added to the remaining one third of the dry soil on a separate glass plate and molded by hand. Small amounts of the soil were rolled on the flat glass plate until they formed into a diameter of 3 mm and then started to break apart. According to SASHAYS it was proved that the soil had reached its plastic limit. This soil was then placed in a tin and similarly to the liquid limit all mass values of the tin and sample were recorded. These were left to dry in the oven. All results obtained the following day have been discussed in the results section. Linear Shrinkage (%) As instructed, results for the linear shrinkage were collected after duration of 24 hours from the laboratory and the linear shrinkage (in percentage) was lactated using the formula: where Ls=Recorded Shrinkage L=Lillian Length of Sample In addition to the linear shrinkage, all dry mass results were also collected from the previous day and recorded as shown in the results section of this report. * Plastic Index Conduction of the plastic limit and linear shrinkage test led to the calculation of the moisture content in percentage and this further allowed us to calculate the plastic index using the formula.

Psychology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology - Term Paper Example It is possible for us to measure the behaviour of a person both qualitatively and quantitatively and hence psychology is now considered as a branch of science. Clinical psychology is the most important branch of psychology because of the immense contributions it gives to the treatment of mental problems of human beings. There are many branches of clinical psychology at present. Psychoanalysis is one among them. Psychoanalysis theory was developed by Sigmund Freud which deals with psychological method of investigation, systematic set of theories about human behaviour and the treatment of psychological disorders. Feminists were among the earliest proponents of psychoanalysis because it acknowledged sexual desires in all people including women, who at the time were considered asexual. But over the course of the century, the theory fell out of favor among feminists, many of whom maintained that it contributed to women’s oppression instead of their liberation. In the 1970s interest in psychoanalysis among feminists enjoyed a renaissance, and by the end of the century it formed part of the canon of feminist theory in the humanities. However, the theory still faces a great deal of resistance from feminists in the social sciences (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010) This paper briefly explains the feminist theory in psychoanalysis Freud argued that boys and girls begin life with similar psychological dispositions, but they follow different paths to adult heterosexuality owing to their anatomical differences and the expectations placed upon them by their families and society in general (Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). According to feminists the interpretations of sexual development by Freud is unacceptable. Freud believed that the environmental parameters control the sexuality more than the genetic parameters. In other words the boys and girls develop heterosexuality mainly from the environment rather than any genetic predispositions. Freud argued that the boys and girls learn a lot form the family and the society about the sexual patterns and they try to follow the same pattern. For example, boys realize their similarity with their father at an early age itself and will try to imitate the father in every respect. Same way girls will try to imitate their mothers. Freud pointed out that â€Å"When individuals did not successfully progress through the stages of development, mental illness could result. Freud maintained that unresolved early childhood traumas associated with these stages of sexual development become lodged in the unconscious and reappear in neurotic symptoms†(Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic, 2010). Many of the psychological disorders occur at the latter stages of one’s life is attributed to the unresolved childhood traumas by Freud. For example, it is quite possible that a child could not relieve his/her sexual energy in the childhood because of the social restrictions. In family and society, children are prohibited from engage in any sexual activities because of the traditions, customs and beliefs. On the other hand, childhood is a stage during which the sex hormones are hyperactive. In other words, most of the sexual requirements were remain unsolved or unmet during childhood which will negatively impact the life of the child latter, according to Freud. In short, Freud’s theory succeeded in giving a comprehensive account about the sexual development. Freud observed that

Drones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Drones - Research Paper Example Moreover, they are inexpensive relative to conventional aircraft, and they are remote controlled, thereby eliminating peril to the flight crew. However, despite these benefits, drones continue to generate much debate among the public. Much of this debate revolves around concerns of privacy and safety. This paper contends that there ought to be no fear over the good use of drones. Drones have the potential to collect weather data from the farthest reaches of the atmosphere (Cutlip 7). These parts are difficult to reach using conventional weather instruments. The data thus collected could be integrated into models for predicting weather, thereby increasing the reliability and accuracy of weather forecasts. More accurate weather prediction would be useful in helping farmers that rely on rain-fed agriculture better plan their farming activities. This would come in handy at time when global warming has altered global and local weather patterns and rendered planning for farming activities difficult. Over the years, universities and research centers across the country have been exploring ways in which drones can be used to gather meteorological data. However, it was not until recently that drones started to be in collecting and interpreting weather data. Besides agriculture, improved weather prediction have other benefits. For instance, had it been available to them, the authorities and the University of Alaska would have used meteorological drones to predict that the winter storm of 2011 was going to be more severe than those usually experienced. Then the 3,500 residents of Nome would have been advised to replenish their supplies of fuel to last them the entire season. Then, they would not have had to endure the cold for several weeks as they waited for the relief fuel to arrive from Russia. Even so, the usefulness of this information would have largely depended on how well the authorities and researchers disseminated it. Improved

The trend in economic growth of a country Coursework

The trend in economic growth of a country - Coursework Example This essay discusses that throughout history there have been many studies on economic growth. Overall economic growth of a country is measured every year by the difference that has occurred in GDP over the previous year. Should we consider that a country grows only by analyzing the monetary value of the production of final goods and services during a period? In researcher’s opinion would have no sense not to consider the benefit that provides a trained workforce, or the economic stability of a country. To reinforce this idea the researcher will investigate past developments on this theory. Mincer elaborated a study about the relationships of the individual’s earnings as variable dependent in age, experience and education. Mincer considers that the benefits of education to the people can be extrapolated to countries. Considers that an educated workforce directly affects the growth of a country. He justifies that an extra year of education in a white man who did not work on a farm contributes a extra seven per cent of profit. Adam Smith was the first person that found some link between International Trade and Economic Growth. The work of Grossman and Helpman and Rivera-Batiz and Romer has also aided to clarify why the participation of a country in an integrated world economy can stimulate its growth. Oil production and exports affect economic growth. Limiting the supply of oil to a country can cause serious economic consequences. We must highlight the oil crisis of 1973 or the current threat from Iraq to the European Union countries to limit its supply. In relation to the political unrest, the IMF warned in its 60 years that a lack of political stability could affect economic growth.Regarding the number of murders; the current Mexican central bank governor Agustin Cartens (2011) said that violence inhibited economic growth. The model To begin with, we need to find the relationship between the dependent variables and independent variable (growth). Th e initial econometric model of the of this study is: y = ?0+ ?1(GRDP)+ ?2(TRADEHARE)+ ?3(YEARSSCHOOL)+ ?4(ASSASINATIONS)+ ?5(REV_COUPS)+?. Some of the coefficients are expected to negative because some of the figures of variables are greater than the figures in dependant variable. From the SPSS output table below us can note that there is a negative relationship between growth and rgdp60 as well rev-coups. This means that other factors help to increase growth as they have positive coefficients’. Coefficients Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. Model B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) .490 .690 .710 .480 RGDP60 -4.693E-04 .000 -.622 -3.167 .002 TRADESHA 1.562 .758 .238 2.060 .044 YEARSSCH .575 .139 .770 4.126 .000 RECOUPS -2.158 1.110 -.256 -1.943 .057 ASSIS .354 .477 .092 .742 .461 a Dependent Variable: GROWTH The model econometric model of the of this study will be y= 0.49 -0.00047(GRDP) + 1.561696 (tradeshare)+ 0.575 (Yearsschool)+ 0.354 (assassinations ) -2.1575 (rev_coups)+? Goodness-of-Fit Chi-Square df Sig. Pearson 232.676 4032 1.000 Deviance 188.381 4032 1.000 Link function: Logit. The goodness –of-fit- statistics for model is 232.6 this means that the data obtained from the random sample is greater than 5 thus it does not fit into a specific pattern. Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .599 .359 .305 1.582084957 a Predictors:

HRM Information Systems

HRM Information Systems ABSTRACT Information technology is expected to drive Human Resource (HR)s transition from a focus on Human Resource Management (HRM) to Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). This strategic role not only adds a valuable dimension to the HR function, but also changes the competencies that define HR professional and practitioner success. The study aims at investigating what role if any do Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) play in SHRM. It attempts to examine how HR professionals and managers in different organizations see the effects of HRIS on strategic HR tasks and job roles. It also tries to find out if there is any significant difference in the usage of HRIS between Small/Medium (SME) size and large size companies. A survey questionnaire was sent to different companies. The target group of the questionnaire was HR managers, HR directors, and HR professionals in companies based in England. The scope was widened to include both large and small/medium sized organizations across all the business sectors. The results of the survey reveal that HR professionals not only consider HRIS usage as a support for strategic HR tasks but also perceive it as an enabling technology. The study also indicates that large sized firms are most likely to experience considerable HRIS usage in support of strategic HR tasks. Moreover, there was no significant difference in proportion to the size of a company regarding HRIS usage in support of commitment management and managing trade union relations with organizations. Low response rate of this study makes generalization rather difficult however, future research would benefit from higher response rates for more generalized results OVERVIEW The relationship between the HR strategies and the firms performance is an issue that has caused significant differentiations in the literature mostly because of the existence of many parameters that can influence the results produced through the examination of this problem in practice. Moreover, because within a firm, the participants and the interests are many it is difficult to identify the role and the significance of each particular organizational element particularly when there is no specific corporate plan for such an investigation. RESEARCH PROBLEM The human resources strategies followed by modern organizations present significant differentiations in accordance with the firms position in the market, its performance and its financial strength in general. In the long term, the application of specific human resources strategies has been found to be related with the performance of the organization. Moreover, where appropriate HR plans have been applied, the organizational performance has been found to be increased. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH Current research as already mentioned above will focus on the examination of the relationship between HR strategies applied within a particular organization and its performance. In order for the above task to lead to valid results, a series of other issues are going to be examined at a secondary level. These issues are indicatively: a) Which is the significance of the HR for the organizational operation, b) How the HR strategies can be more effective? c) Is there any chance for innovation in firms with specific HR plan or any relevant initiative has to be adapted to the existed framework? d) Which are the main aspects of organizational growth and e) Are there any other factors that can influence the firms performance and which would be their interaction with the HR strategies already implemented in the particular firm? LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH Current research is limited by the fact that it is rather unlikely for companies to provide data related with their employees problems related with the workplace. On the other hand, any programs or support tools existed are very likely to be provided by all firms that would be engaged in the research of current project. For this reason, although the job satisfaction and the personal development of employees would be rather easily monitored, the existence of problems in the workplace would be difficult to be proved. For this reason current research as already described above focuses on the examination of the human resources strategies followed by organizations in general as these practices can be observed in most firms of modern commercial market. The existence of specific differentiations in accordance with the specific issue will have to be proved either by statistics released in general or by cases examined particularly in the legal area. INTRODUCTION According to Likert, Every aspect of firms activities is determined by the competence, motivation and general effectiveness of its human organization. Of all the tasks of management, managing the human component is the central and most important task because all depends how well it is done. This quotation sums up the importance of human components in an organisation and the need for managing it effectively. Human resource management is concerned with all aspects of managing the human resources of an organisation. More specifically, human resource management involves determining the organisations heed of human resource, recruiting and selecting the best available employees, developing, counselling and rewarding employees, acting as a liaison with union and government organisation and handling other matters regarding to the well being of employees. Each of these functions is necessary to some degree irrespective of nature and size of the organisation. That is why in most of the organis ation a separate department know as Personnel/Human resource Department is created for the effective performance of these functions. The relationship between the HR strategies and the firms performance is an issue that has caused significant differentiations in the literature mostly because of the existence of many parameters that can influence the results produced through the examination of this problem in practice. Moreover, because within a firm, the participants and the interests are many it is difficult to identify the role and the significance of each particular organizational element particularly when there is no specific corporate plan for such an investigation. Organization must have a set of unique resources for gaining competitive advantage moreover proper utilization of those resources matters a lot. Today organization employee acts as a main resource and knowledge, skills and abilities have to be deployed and used to the maximum effect if the organization is to create value. LITERATURE REVIEW Human resources should be considered as a significant organizational asset. In this context, the application of the appropriate strategies for its development, can lead to the improvement of the corporate performance both in the short and the long term. However, there are also companies where human resources are not considered as having particular importance for the firms growth. In this context, Haines (1997, 95) supported that there are firms that view their human resources as an expense rather than an asset an element that is expendable and perhaps discarded when the skills possessed becomes obsolete; however when human resources are viewed as an asset, companies enhance individual value through training and human development and ensure continued contribution to the organization. The importance of human resources for the corporate performance has in any case proved both in the literature and the empirical research conducted in all industrial sectors. In accordance with the above, in order for a firm to achieve a stable and continuous growth, it is necessary that its employees are satisfied as this term has been explained in the literature. More specifically, in accordance with Kim (2005, 669) job satisfaction is an affective or emotional response toward various facets of ones job. Job satisfaction has been a topic of great interest for researchers and practitioners in a wide range of fields, including organizational psychology, public administration, and management. On the other hand, the existence of job satisfaction has been extensively related with the level of payment of employees in the particular sectors of a specific organization. Indeed, the study of Rudman (2003) showed that paying for performance is a big issue in contemporary human resources management; organisations have long believed that production and productivity improve when pay is linked to performance, and have developed payment-by-results (PBR) systems and incentive schemes to support th is belief. In the same context, it is noticed by Blinder (1990, 117) that employees usually feel that profit sharing and gain sharing are good for personal effort, company growth and productivity, and workplace atmosphere. However, in order for the firms to achieve the maximum level of growth, it is necessary to design and apply the appropriate HR policies as indicated by each particular firms needs. The use of fit as a criterion of evaluation of the appropriate corporate strategy has been extensively used in practice. Towards this direction Wright (1998, 56) mentioned that the basic theory behind fit is that the effectiveness of any HR practice or set of practices for impacting firm performance depends upon the firms strategy (or conversely, the effectiveness of any strategy depends upon having the right HR practices). In other words, the issues that need to be considered by a firm before applying any relevant HR strategy are many. Indicatively, Katzell (1975, 5, 11-12) tried to identify the relationship between the employee satisfaction (as a result of a specific HR strategy) and the corporate performance and found that policy-makers must face up to a serious dilemma and find some way to resolve it; the dilemma is this: policy-makers would like to achieve two objectives for work organizations, on the one hand to enhance productivity and performance, and on the other to improve the quality of working life and job satisfaction for employers because under certain conditions, improving productivity will enhance worker satisfaction and improvements in job satisfaction will contribute to productivity; what it does mean is that there is no automatic and invariant relationship between the two. Under these terms, corporate performance has been found to be related with the employees performance within a particular organization. From a different point of view, Lawler et al. (2003, 15) supported that HRs greatest opportunity to add value may well be to play a role in the development and implementation of corporate strategy; HR can make a logical case for being an important part of strategy development, because of the importance of human capital in the ability of the firm to carry out its strategy. In other words, HR strategy can influence the firms growth in accordance with the measures provided for the personal and professional development of the firms employees even in the long term. The implementation of appropriate diversity strategy has to be considered in this case as absolutely necessary because in case of inequality in the workplace, no cooperation would be regarded as existed even if such cooperation exists, it will be problematic. In this context, Mathews (1998, 175 ) noticed that before diversity strategies are implemented, the organizations cultural environment, management and evaluation systems should be examined to ascertain if existing personnel/human resources processes will support or hinder diversity in the organization; then, appropriate strategies can be designed to develop and manage diversity based on these findings. From the same point of view, Ramlall (2003, 60) supported that given that several large-scale studies have proven that HRM is a critical driver in an organizations financial performance, it is imperative for HR and other leaders to understand the critical nature and utmost importance of understanding the effectiveness of all HR activities in creating value for the organization. To a more thorough examination of the problem, Christensen managed to identify the five elements that are considered as most crucial in the improvement of the employees productivity (as this improvement is expected to lead to the increase of the corporate growth). More specifically, Christensen supported that there are five elements which are extremely important for the effectiveness of employees within a particular organizational environment. These are (1958, 34): a) The technical organization of the group; b) The social structure of the group; c) The individual task motivation, i.e., the willingness to work hard that each member brings to and maintains toward his job; d) The rewards he receives from doing the job, and e) The satisfactions he obtains from being an accepted member of the group. The above elements can exist in any organization and can influence the productivity of its employees either in the short or in the long term. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM) During and after 1970s, several changes took place in many countries which led to the term Human resource Management in place of the traditional term Personnel Management. These changes, declining importance of trade unionism, shift from industrial employment to service sector employment, growing competition, deregulation of economies, etc. As a result, three important roles of human resources have emerged as stated below. Human resource policies can be integrated with strategic business planning and used to reinforce appropriate culture. Human resources are valuable and a source of competitive advantage. Human resources can be tapped mostly effectively by mutually consistent policies which promote commitment and Foster a willingness in employees to act flexible in the interests of the adaptive organisations pursuit of excellence. The term Human resource management has been the subject of considerable debate, and its underlying philosophy and character are highly controversial. Much of this controversy stems from the absence of a precise formulation of and agreement on its significance and definition (Storey, 1989; and 1995a), as cited by Bratton and Gold (2003: 7). Obviously, definition of the subject matter is needed for analysis and understanding of HRM theory and practice. HRM DEFINITION HRM has a variety of definitions but there is general agreement that it has a closer fit with business strategy than previous models, specifically personnel management. In all the debates about the meaning, significance and practice of HRM, nothing seems more certain than the link between HRM and performance (HRM Guide October 2006). Below are some of the definitions of HRM, although it can be argued that these will only be ones of several possible definitions. De Cenzo and Robbins (1996: 8) defined HRM as the part of the organization that is concerned with the people dimension, and it is normally a staff or support function in the organization. HRM role is the provision of assistance in HRM issues to line employees, or those directly involved in producing the organizations goods and services. Acquiring peoples services, developing their skills, motivating them to high levels of performance, and ensuring their continuing maintenance and commitment to the organization are essential to achieving organizational goals. This is much the case regardless of the type of organization, government, business, education, health, recreation, or social action. The authors proposed an HRM specific approach as consisting of four functions- staffing, training and development, motivation, and maintenance. In addition, Bratton and Gold (2003: 7) define HRM as the strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This is achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices. The authors presented HRM functions as planning, recruitment and selection, appraisal and performance management, reward management, development, employee relations, health and safety, and union-management relations. Moreover, to Alan Price (2004: 32) HRM aims at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and d eveloping key competencies. Contributing to the working definition of HRM is Abecker et al., (2004). They see HRM as a strategic and target oriented composition, regulation and development of all areas that affect human resources in a company. Efficient and effective management of these resources to a large extend, affects human resource behaviour, and consequently the performance of the organization as a whole. Moreover, the authors identified HRM with the field it covers. These include planning aspects- personnel requirements analysis and personnel asset analysis, and change aspects- recruitment, personnel development and labour displacement (Ibid). Next, is the diagrammatic representation of the said field. Human Resource Management Change Aspects Planning Aspects Personnel Requirement Analysis Labour Displacement Personnel Development Recruitment Personnel Asset Analysis Figure1: Fields of HRM (Source: Abecker et al., 2004) It is however, somehow strange, that, an important aspect of HRM, payroll or compensation/payment is missing from the field in figure 1 above propounded by the authors. Abecker et al., (2004) like the previous other authors, did not present a conclusive and detailed definition of HRM including the other concepts (HR processes). Lastly considered are the opinions of various management scholars who have taken a more in-depth look at the whole concept of HRM. These opinions should be given the greatest weight, since they reflect more in-depth research on the subject than is done by most textbook authors. Few such authors are Dessler et al., (1999), and Torrington et al.,(2005). According to Torrington et al., (2005: 5) HRM is fundamental to all management activity and has evolved from a number of different strands of thought. It is best described as a loose philosophy of people management rather than a focused methodology. Thus, distinction has been made between HRM as body of management activities on one hand (generically described as personnel management) and then on the other as a particular approach to execute those activities (carrying out people-oriented organizational activities than traditional personnel management). An organization gains competitive advantage by using its employees effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Torrington et al.,(2005: 5) identified the role of the human resource functions with the key objectives. These four objectives are the corner stone of all HR activities. These include Staffing, Performance, Change-management and Administration. Staffing objective focuses on finding the appropriate pool of human resources needed to ensure full and timely supply of work force (Ibid). It therefore involves designing organizational structures, identifying working conditions for different groups of employees followed by recruiting, selecting and developing the personnel required to fill the roles. Performance objective aims at ensuring workforce motivation and commitment for effective performance. Consequently, employees training and development remain important. Moreover, managing change effectively and efficiently remains one of the core objectives in almost every business. Key issues here include recruiting and/or developing people with the required leadership skills to drive the change process. Change agents are employed to encourage acceptance of change by coming out with reward systems associated with the change process. Employees involvement is also paramount here and is encouraged. The aim is to avoid resistance to change, more especially where it involves cultural changes (attitude, philosophy or long-present organizational norms). Administration objective aims at facilitating the smooth running of the organization. Hence, there is the need for accurate and comprehensive data on individual employees, records of achievement in terms of performance, attendance, training records, terms and condition of employment and personal details are (Ibid). However, for the purpose of this study, literature on the HRM concept will be based on the opinions of Dessler et al., (1999). The authors defined HRM as the management of people in organizations. It consists of the activities, policies, and practices involved in obtaining, developing, utilizing, evaluating, maintaining, and retaining the appropriate number and skill mix of employees to accomplish the organizations objectives. The goal of HRM is to maximize employees contributions in order to achieve optimal productivity and effectiveness, while simultaneously attaining individual objectives and societal objectives Dessler et al., (1999: 2). To the authors, the function of HRM include assisting the organization in attracting the quality and quantity of candidates required with respect to the organizations strategy and operational goals, staffing needs, and desired culture. Helping to maintain performance standards and increase productivity through orientation, training, development, job design, effective communication, and performance appraisal. Helping to create a climate in which employees are encouraged to develop and utilize their skills to the fullest. Helping to establish and maintain cordial working relationship with employees. Helping to create and maintain safe and healthy work environment. Development of programs to meet economic, psychological, and social needs of the employees. Helping the organization to retain productive employees and ensuring that the organization complies with provincial/territorial and federal laws affecting the work place such as human rights, employment equity, occupational health and safety (Ibid). HRM PROCESSES This sub section illustrates the processes involved in executing the HRM functions. Each of the functions: planning, recruitment, selection, orientation and training, performance appraisal etc. goes through a process. Unless otherwise stated, the rest of this section will be drawn from (Dessler et al., 1999)s literature based on pages 165 to 533. PLANNING PROCESS Human Resource Planning (HRP) process reviews human resources requirements to ensure that the organization has the required number of employees, with the necessary skills, to meet its goals, also known as employment planning. HRP is a proactive process, which both anticipates and influences an organizations future by systematically forecasting the demand for and supply of employees under changing conditions, and developing plans and activities to satisfy these needs. Key steps include forecasting demand for labour considering organizational strategic and tactical plans, economic conditions, market and competitive trends, social concerns, demographic trends, and technological changes. RECRUITMENT PROCESS Recruitment is the process of searching for and attracting an adequate number of qualified job candidate, from whom the organization may select the most appropriate to field its staff needs. The process begins when the need to fill a position is identified and it ends with the receipt of rà ©sumà ©s and completed application forms. The result is a pool of qualified job seekers from which the individual best matching the job requirements can be selected. The steps in recruitment process include identification of job openings, determination of job requirements, choosing appropriate recruiting sources and methods, and finally, generating a pool of qualified recruits. Job openings are identified through human resource planning or manager request. Next is to determine the job requirements. This involves reviewing the job description and the job specification and updating them, if necessary. Appropriate recruiting sources and methods are chosen because there is no one, best recruiting te chnique. Consequently, the most appropriate for any given position depend on a number of factors, which include organizational policies and plans, and job requirements. SELECTION PROCESS Selection is the process of choosing individuals with the relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected openings. Data and information about applicants regarding current employees, whether for a transfer or promotion, or outside candidates for the first time position with the firm are collected and evaluated. The steps in the selection process, in sending order include preliminary reception of applicants, initial applicant screening, selection testing, selection interview, background investigation and reference checking, supervisory interview, realistic job previews, making the hiring decision, candidate notification, and evaluating the selection process. However, each step in the selection process, from preliminary applicant reception and initial screening to the hiring decision, is performed under legal, organizational, and environmental constraints that protect the interests of both applicant and organization. ORIENTATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Employee orientation is the procedure of providing new employees with basic background information about the firm and the job. Is more or less, considered as one component of the employers new-employee socialization process. Socialization process is an ongoing process of initialling in all employees the prevailing attitudes, standards, values, and patterns of behaviour that are expected by the organization. Training however is the process of teaching new or present employees the basic skills/competencies needed to perform their jobs. Whereas training focuses on skills and competencies needed to perform employees current jobs, employee and management development is the training of long-term nature. The aim is to prepare current employees for future jobs with the organization or solving an organizational problem concerning, for example, poor interdepartmental communication. Training and development processes include needs analysis, instructional design, validation, implementation, and evaluation and follow-up. CAREER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS It is the deliberate process through which persons become aware of personal career related attributes and the lifelong series of activities that contribute to their career fulfilment. Individuals, managers, and the organization have role to play in career development. Individuals accept responsibility of own career, assess interests, skills, and values, seek out career information and resources, establish goals and career plans, and utilize development opportunities. The career stage identification entails career cycle (the stages through which a persons career evolves). These stages include the following: growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance, and decline stages. Occupational orientation identification is the theory by John Holland. This theory enumerates six basic personal orientations that determine the sorts of careers to which people are drawn. They include realistic orientation, investigative orientation, social orientation, conventional orientation, enterprise orientation, and artistic orientation. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS Performance appraisal may be defined as any procedure that involves setting work standards, assessing employees actual performance relative to these standards, and providing feedback to the employee with the aim of motivating the worker to eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par. Processes in performance appraisal contain three steps: defining performance expectations, appraising performance, and providing feedback. First, defining performance expectation means making sure that job duties and standards are clear to all. Second, appraising performance means comparing employees actual performance to the standards that has been set, which normally involves some type of rating form. Third, performance appraisal usually requires one or more feedback sessions to discuss employees performance and progress and making plans for any required development. Some of the appraisal methods include graphic rating scale, alternation ranking, paired comparison, forced dis tribution, and critical incident methods. EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PROCESS Employee compensation involves all forms of pay or rewards accrued to employees and arising from their employment. This however consists of two main components: direct financial payments, and indirect payments. While direct financial payments are in the form of wages, salaries, incentives, commissions, and bonuses, indirect payments are in the form of financial benefits like employer-paid insurance and vacations. Moreover, legal considerations in compensation, union influences, compensation policies, and equity and its impact on pay rates are the four basic considerations influencing the formulation of any pay plan. Benefits are indirect financial payments given to employees. These may include supplementary health and life insurance, vacation, pension, education plans, and discounts on say company products. Furthermore, income and medical benefits to victims of work-related accidents or illness and/or their dependents, regardless of fault are all part of employees compensation. The processes in establishing pay rates involve the following five steps: First, conducting wages/salary survey to determine the prevailing wage rates for comparable jobs, which is central in job pricing. Second, determine the relative worth of each job (job evaluation) by comparing the job content in relation to one another in terms of their efforts, responsibility, and skills. This eventually results in wage or salary hierarchy. Third, group similar jobs into pay grades, a pay grade comprises of jobs of approximately equal value or importance as determined by job evaluation. Forth, price each pay grade using wage curves. A wage curve is graphical description of the relationship between the value of job and the average wage paid for the job. However, if jobs are not grouped into pay grades, individual pay rates have to be assigned to each job. Fifth, fine tune pay rates. This involves correcting out-of-line rates and usually developing rate ranges. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCESS Occupational health and safety process aims at protecting the health and safety of workers by minimizing work-related accidents and illnesses. Laws and legislations to ensure and observe general health and safety rules bound employers. More so, rules for specific industries, for example, mining and rules related to specific hazards, for instance, asbestos have to be adhered to. The following steps are important in this process. Checking for or removing unsafe conditions by using checklist to audit a companys adherence to safety rules that are guarded against hazards, which cannot be removed. Next, through selection, screening out of employees who might be accident prone for job in question without compromising the human right legislation. More so, establishing a safety policy, this emphasizes on the importance of practically reducing accidents and injuries. Setting specific loss control goals by analyzing the number of accidents and safety incidents and then set specific safety goals to be achieved. Enforcing safety rules through discipline and conducting health and safety inspections regularly by investigating all accidents and near misses, and by having a system in place for letting employe

Sonnet 69 :: essays research papers fc

Sonnet 65 (Shakespeare) 1 Since brass, nor stone, nor boundless sea, 2 But sad mortality o’er-sways their power, 3 How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, 4 Whose action is no stronger than a flower? 5 O how shall summer’s honey breath hold out, 6 Against the wreckful siege of batt’ring days 7 When rocks impregnable are not so stout, 8 Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays? 9 O fearful meditation! Where, alack, 10 Shall time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid? 11 Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back, 12 Or who his spoil o’er beauty can forbid? 13 O none, unless this miracle have might: 14  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That in black ink my love may still shine bright. Withstanding Mortality through Verse Melissa Zyduck Explication #1 Sonnet 65 Carducci Feb. 21st, 2001 Sonnets are rhymed poems consisting of fourteen lines, the first eight making up the octet and the last six lines being the sestet. The basic structure of the sonnet arose in medieval Italy, its most prominent exponent being the Early Renaissance poet, Petrarch. The appearance of the English Sonnet, however, occurred when Shakespeare was an adolescent, around 1580 (Moore and Charmaine 1). Although it is named after him, Shakespeare did not originate the English sonnet form. The English sonnet differs slightly from the Italian, or Petrarchian, Sonnet and the Spenserian Sonnet in that it ends with a rhymed couplet and follows the rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef gg). Thus, the octet/sestet structure can be alternatively divided into three quatrains with alternating rhymes and ending in a rhymed couplet. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 is part of a sequence of one hundred and fifty-four sonnets allegedly written sometime between 1592 and May of 1609 (Duncan 13; Moore and Charmine 1). In sonnets 1 through 126, the speaker addresses a young man often referred to as the Youth, and in sonnets 127 through 154, a woman, or Dark Lady, is addressed Sonnet 65 is also part of a unit with Sonnet 64 (Best 1), the two coming together to form their own â€Å"fearful meditation† (9) on time and ruin reaping youth and beauty from the world and leaving only cold death (Cooney 3). Shakespeare opens the poem with the speaker listing paradigms of the long-lasting substances â€Å"brass† and â€Å"stone† (1). â€Å"Earth† and â€Å"boundless sea† (1) are also long lasting, but are superior in that they are nearly limitless in extent. All of these elements, by their nature, should be capable of holding out against â€Å"sad mortality† (2), but none of them are free of its operations (Duncan, 240) as it â€Å"o’er-sways their power† (2).

Theory of Mercantilism

Theory of Mercantilism Most of the European economists who wrote between 1500 and 1750 are today generally considered mercantilists; this term was initially used solely by critics, such as Mirabeau and Smith, but was quickly adopted by historians. Originally the standard English term was â€Å"mercantile system†. The word â€Å"mercantilism† was introduced into English from German in the early 19th century. The bulk of what is commonly called â€Å"mercantilist literature† appeared in the 1620s in Great Britain. 6] Smith saw English merchant Thomas Mun (1571–1641) as a major creator of the mercantile system, especially in his posthumously published Treasure by Foreign Trade (1664), which Smith considered the archetype or manifesto of the movement. [7] Perhaps the last major mercantilist work was James Steuart’s Principles of Political Economy published in 1767. [8] â€Å"Mercantilist literature† also extended beyond England. For example, Ital y, France, and Spain produced noted writers of mercantilist themes including Italy's Giovanni Botero (1544–1617) and Antonio Serra (1580-? ; France's, Jean Bodin, Colbert and other physiocrats. Themes also existed in writers from the German historical school from List, as well as followers of the â€Å"American system† and British â€Å"free-trade imperialism,† thus stretching the system into the 19th century. However, many British writers, including Mun and Misselden, were merchants, while many of the writers from other countries were public officials. Beyond mercantilism as a way of understanding the wealth and power of nations, Mun and Misselden are noted for their viewpoints on a wide range of economic matters. [9] Merchants in VeniceThe Austrian lawyer and scholar Philipp Wilhelm von Hornick, in his Austria Over All, If She Only Will of 1684, detailed a nine-point program of what he deemed effective national economy, which sums up the tenets of mercantilism comprehensively:[10] That every inch of a country's soil be utilized for agriculture, mining or manufacturing. That all raw materials found in a country be used in domestic manufacture, since finished goods have a higher value than raw materials. That a large, working population be encouraged. That all export of gold and silver be prohibited and all domestic money be kept in circulation.That all imports of foreign goods be discouraged as much as possible. That where certain imports are indispensable they be obtained at first hand, in exchange for other domestic goods instead of gold and silver. That as much as possible, imports be confined to raw materials that can be finished [in the home country]. That opportunities be constantly sought for selling a country's surplus manufactures to foreigners, so far as necessary, for gold and silver. That no importation be allowed if such goods are sufficiently and suitably supplied at home.Other than Von Hornick, there were no mercantilist wr iters presenting an overarching scheme for the ideal economy, as Adam Smith would later do for classical economics. Rather, each mercantilist writer tended to focus on a single area of the economy. [11] Only later did non-mercantilist scholars integrate these â€Å"diverse† ideas into what they called mercantilism. Some scholars thus reject the idea of mercantilism completely, arguing that it gives â€Å"a false unity to disparate events†. Smith saw the mercantile system as an enormous conspiracy by manufacturers and merchants against consumers, a view that has led some authors, especially Robert E.Ekelund and Robert D. Tollison to call mercantilism â€Å"a rent-seeking society†. To a certain extent, mercantilist doctrine itself made a general theory of economics impossible. Mercantilists viewed the economic system as a zero-sum game, in which any gain by one party required a loss by another. [12] Thus, any system of policies that benefited one group would by de finition harm the other, and there was no possibility of economics being used to maximize the â€Å"commonwealth†, or common good. [13] Mercantilists' writings were also generally created to rationalize particular practices rather than as investigations into the best policies. 14] Mercantilist domestic policy was more fragmented than its trade policy. While Adam Smith portrayed mercantilism as supportive of strict controls over the economy, many mercantilists disagreed. The early modern era was one of letters patent and government-imposed monopolies; some mercantilists supported these, but others acknowledged the corruption and inefficiency of such systems. Many mercantilists also realized that the inevitable results of quotas and price ceilings were black markets.One notion mercantilists widely agreed upon was the need for economic oppression of the working population; laborers and farmers were to live at the â€Å"margins of subsistence†. The goal was to maximize pro duction, with no concern for consumption. Extra money, free time, or education for the â€Å"lower classes† was seen to inevitably lead to vice and laziness, and would result in harm to the economy. [15] Infinite growth The mercantilists saw a large population as a form of wealth which made possible the development of bigger markets and armies. The opposing doctrine of physiocracy predicted that mankind would outgrow its resources.Origins Scholars debate over why mercantilism dominated economic ideology for 250 years. [16] One group, represented by Jacob Viner, argues that mercantilism was simply a straightforward, common-sense system whose logical fallacies could not be discovered by the people of the time, as they simply lacked the required analytical tools. The second school, supported by scholars such as Robert B. Ekelund, contends that mercantilism was not a mistake, but rather the best possible system for those who developed it. This school argues that mercantilist poli cies were developed and enforced by rent-seeking merchants and governments.Merchants benefited greatly from the enforced monopolies, bans on foreign competition, and poverty of the workers. Governments benefited from the high tariffs and payments from the merchants. Whereas later economic ideas were often developed by academics and philosophers, almost all mercantilist writers were merchants or government officials. [17] Monetarism offers a third explanation for mercantilism. European trade exported bullion to pay for goods from Asia, thus reducing the money supply and putting downward pressure on prices and economic activity.The evidence for this hypothesis is the lack of inflation in the English economy until the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars when paper money was extensively used. A fourth explanation lies in the increasing professionalisation and technification of the wars of the era, which turned the maintenance of adequate reserve funds (in the prospect of war) into a more and more expensive and eventually competitive business. Mercantilism developed at a time when the European economy was in transition. Isolated feudal estates were being replaced by centralized nation-states as the focus of power.Technological changes in shipping and the growth of urban centres led to a rapid increase in international trade. [18] Mercantilism focused on how this trade could best aid the states. Another important change was the introduction of double-entry bookkeeping and modern accounting. This accounting made extremely clear the inflow and outflow of trade, contributing to the close scrutiny given to the balance of trade. [19] Of course, the impact of the discovery of America cannot be ignored. New markets and new mines propelled foreign trade to previously inconceivable heights.The latter led to â€Å"the great upward movement in prices† and an increase in â€Å"the volume of merchant activity itself. †[20] Prior to mercantilism, the most important ec onomic work done in Europe was by the medieval scholastic theorists. The goal of these thinkers was to find an economic system that was compatible with Christian doctrines of piety and justice. They focused mainly on microeconomics and local exchanges between individuals. Mercantilism was closely aligned with the other theories and ideas that were replacing the medieval worldview.This period saw the adoption of the very Machiavellian realpolitik and the primacy of the raison d'etat in international relations. The mercantilist idea that all trade was a zero sum game, in which each side was trying to best the other in a ruthless competition, was integrated into the works of Thomas Hobbes. The dark view of human nature also fit well with the Puritan view of the world, and some of the most stridently mercantilist legislation, such as the Navigation Acts, were enacted by the government of Oliver Cromwell. [21] PoliciesFrench finance minister and mercantilist Jean-Baptiste Colbert served for over 20 years. Mercantilist ideas were the dominant economic ideology of all of Europe in the early modern period, and most states embraced it to a certain degree. Mercantilism was centred in England and France, and it was in these states that mercantilist polices were most often enacted. France Mercantilism arose in France in the early 16th century, soon after the monarchy had become the dominant force in French politics. In 1539, an important decree banned the importation of woolen goods from Spain and some parts of Flanders.The next year, a number of restrictions were imposed on the export of bullion. [22] Over the rest of the sixteenth century further protectionist measures were introduced. The height of French mercantilism is closely associated with Jean-Baptiste Colbert, finance minister for 22 years in the 17th century, to the extent that French mercantilism is sometimes called Colbertism. Under Colbert, the French government became deeply involved in the economy in order to increase exports. Protectionist policies were enacted that limited imports and favored exports.Industries were organized into guilds and monopolies, and production was regulated by the state through a series of over a thousand directives outlining how different products should be produced. [23] To encourage industry, foreign artisans and craftsmen were imported. Colbert also worked to decrease internal barriers to trade, reducing internal tariffs and building an extensive network of roads and canals. Colbert's policies were quite successful, and France's industrial output and economy grew considerably during this period, as France became the dominant European power.He was less successful in turning France into a major trading power, and Britain and the Netherlands remained supreme in this field. [23] Great Britain In England, mercantilism reached its peak during the 1340-1789 Long Parliament government (1640–1660). Mercantilist policies were also embraced throughout much of the Tudor and Stuart periods, with Robert Walpole being another major proponent. In Britain, government control over the domestic economy was far less extensive than on the Continent, limited by common law and the steadily increasing power of Parliament. 24] Government-controlled monopolies were common, especially before the English Civil War, but were often controversial. [25] The Anglo-Dutch Wars were fought between the English and the Dutch for control over the seas and trade routes. With respect to its colonies, British mercantilism meant that the government and the merchants became partners with the goal of increasing political power and private wealth, to the exclusion of other empires. The government protected its merchants—and kept others out—by trade barriers, regulations, and subsidies to domestic industries in order to maximize exports from and minimize imports to the realm.The government had to fight smuggling—which became a favorite American tech nique in the 18th century to circumvent the restrictions on trading with the French, Spanish or Dutch. The goal of mercantilism was to run trade surpluses, so that gold and silver would pour into London. The government took its share through duties and taxes, with the remainder going to merchants in Britain. The government spent much of its revenue on a superb Royal Navy, which not only protected the British colonies but threatened the colonies of the other empires, and sometimes seized them. Thus the British Navy captured New Amsterdam (New York) in 1664.The colonies were captive markets for British industry, and the goal was to enrich the mother country. [26] British mercantilist writers were themselves divided on whether domestic controls were necessary. British mercantilism thus mainly took the form of efforts to control trade. A wide array of regulations was put in place to encourage exports and discourage imports. Tariffs were placed on imports and bounties given for exports, and the export of some raw materials was banned completely. The Navigation Acts expelled foreign merchants from England's domestic trade.The nation aggressively sought colonies and once under British control, regulations were imposed that allowed the colony to only produce raw materials and to only trade with Britain. This led to friction with the inhabitants of these colonies, and mercantilist policies (such as forbidding trade with other empires and controls over smuggling) were a major irritant leading to the American Revolution. Over all, however, mercantilist policies had a positive impact on Britain helping turn it into the world's dominant trader, and an international superpower[citation needed].One domestic policy that had a lasting impact was the conversion of â€Å"waste lands† to agricultural use. Mercantilists felt that to maximize a nation's power all land and resources had to be used to their utmost, and this era thus saw projects like the draining of The Fens. [27] Mercantilism helped create trade patterns such as the triangular trade in the North Atlantic, in which raw materials were imported to the metropolis and then processed and redistributed to other colonies. Other countries The other nations of Europe also embraced mercantilism to varying degrees.The Netherlands, which had become the financial centre of Europe by being its most efficient trader, had little interest in seeing trade restricted and adopted few mercantilist policies. Mercantilism became prominent in Central Europe and Scandinavia after the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), with Christina of Sweden, Jacob Kettler of Courland, Christian IV of Denmark being notable proponents. The Habsburg Holy Roman Emperors had long been interested in mercantilist policies, but the vast and decentralized nature of their empire made implementing such notions difficult.Some constituent states of the empire did embrace Mercantilism, most notably Prussia, which under Frederick the Grea t had perhaps the most rigidly controlled economy in Europe. During the economic collapse of the seventeenth century Spain had little coherent economic policy, but French mercantilist policies were imported by Philip V with some success. Russia under Peter I (Peter the Great) attempted to pursue mercantilism, but had little success because of Russia's lack of a large merchant class or an industrial base.Wars and imperialism Mercantilism was economic warfare and was well suited to an era of military warfare. [28] Since the level of world trade was viewed as fixed, it followed that the only way to increase a nation's trade was to take it from another. A number of wars, most notably the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the Franco-Dutch Wars, can be linked directly to mercantilist theories. Most wars had other causes but they reinforced mercantilism by clearly defining the enemy, and justified damage to the enemy's economy.Mercantilism fueled the imperialism of this era, as many nations expended si gnificant effort to build new colonies that would be sources of gold (as in Mexico) or sugar (as in the West Indies), as well as becoming exclusive markets. European power spread around the globe, often under the aegis of companies with government-guaranteed monopolies in certain defined geographical regions, such as the Dutch East India Company or the British Hudson's Bay Company (operating in present-day Canada).

Free Essays on The Fight Against Pollution

The Fight Against Pollution Nature and Technology have brought about so many changes in are environment according to researcher, Bill Mckibben, author of â€Å"The End of Nature† and researcher, Gregg Easterbrook, author of â€Å"Forget PCBs. Radon. Alar: The World’s Greatest Environmental Dangers Are Dung Smoke and Dirty Water.† In order to protect the world’s remaining habitats, we must stop and pay attention to what it is that we are doing wrong. First, we must pay close attention to what we have done to alter are environment so drastically. Every year we see all of the changes that we have brought about. Some of them are changes in the atmosphere like sunlight, rain, and weather. Hazardous levels of toxic air and polluted waters have taken a turn for the worst also, causing fear-inspiring problems all over the world. Gregg Easterbrook and Bill Mckibben both point out extremely important points, but Gregg Easterbrooks argument seems to have stronger and more urgent problems needing to be addressed like air and water pollution. Lets take a closer look into the environmental dangers that are occurring in this present day. According to one researcher, â€Å"Throughout the world, many more people die each year from filthy air and dirty water than from, dioxin, electromagnetic radiation, nuclear wastes, PCBs, pesticide residues, and ultraviolet rays† (Easterbrook 636). It is time that we approach these disturbing truths before it is to late. What can we do to prevent and hopefully change the foreseen future? We can start with getting educated about what pollution is and how it is caused. Gurinder Shahi, of the U.N. Development Program, estimates that in Nepal rural women spend five or six hours a day on foot searching for fuel wood and carrying it home. Such labors deny them the time for education and result in health damage to themselves and their children. (qtd. in Easterbrook 639). There are so many littl... Free Essays on The Fight Against Pollution Free Essays on The Fight Against Pollution The Fight Against Pollution Nature and Technology have brought about so many changes in are environment according to researcher, Bill Mckibben, author of â€Å"The End of Nature† and researcher, Gregg Easterbrook, author of â€Å"Forget PCBs. Radon. Alar: The World’s Greatest Environmental Dangers Are Dung Smoke and Dirty Water.† In order to protect the world’s remaining habitats, we must stop and pay attention to what it is that we are doing wrong. First, we must pay close attention to what we have done to alter are environment so drastically. Every year we see all of the changes that we have brought about. Some of them are changes in the atmosphere like sunlight, rain, and weather. Hazardous levels of toxic air and polluted waters have taken a turn for the worst also, causing fear-inspiring problems all over the world. Gregg Easterbrook and Bill Mckibben both point out extremely important points, but Gregg Easterbrooks argument seems to have stronger and more urgent problems needing to be addressed like air and water pollution. Lets take a closer look into the environmental dangers that are occurring in this present day. According to one researcher, â€Å"Throughout the world, many more people die each year from filthy air and dirty water than from, dioxin, electromagnetic radiation, nuclear wastes, PCBs, pesticide residues, and ultraviolet rays† (Easterbrook 636). It is time that we approach these disturbing truths before it is to late. What can we do to prevent and hopefully change the foreseen future? We can start with getting educated about what pollution is and how it is caused. Gurinder Shahi, of the U.N. Development Program, estimates that in Nepal rural women spend five or six hours a day on foot searching for fuel wood and carrying it home. Such labors deny them the time for education and result in health damage to themselves and their children. (qtd. in Easterbrook 639). There are so many littl...

Poseidons Loves and Their Children

Poseidon's Loves and Their Children The Greek god of the sea, Poseidon brother of the gods Zeus and Hades, and of the goddesses Hera, Demeter, and Hestia was associated not just with the sea but also with horses. Its difficult to even for historians to track the myriad lovers and children of the Greek gods. Some estimates put the count at well over a hundred, with the lovers being mostly but not exclusively female. In some cases, ancient authorities differ, so the exact lineage and relationships remain open to debate. Nevertheless, several of the gods various consorts and offspring remain mythologically significant in their own right. Amphitrite,  His Consort Placed somewhere between the Nereids  and the Oceanids, Amphitrite the daughter of Nereus and Doris never obtained the fame she might have earned as Poseidons consort. Vaguely personified as the sea or seawater, she became the mother of Triton (a merman) and possibly of a daughter, Rhodos.   Other Lovers Poseidon enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh, seeking romance with goddesses, humans, nymphs and other creatures. Not even physical form mattered to him: He could, and often did, transform himself or his lovers into animals so as to hide in plain sight. Aphrodite, goddess of love and beautyAmymone, the blameless Danaid who became an ancestor of the founders of MycenaePelops, king of Pelepponesia and a founder of the Olympic GamesLarissa, a nymph, whose three sons with Poseidon eventually ruled all of ThessalyCanace, a human woman who bore the god five childrenAlcyone, one of the Pleiades, who bore Poseidon  several children Sexual Violence Poseidon, like many of the Greek gods, did not behave with perfect moral rectitude. In fact, many of the stories of Poseidon focus on rape. In the myths, he raped Medusa in the temple of Athena and Athena was so angry she turned Medusa ugly and her hair into snakes. In another story, he raped Caenis and after he fell in love with her, he granted her wish of transforming her into a male warrior named Caeneus. In yet another story, Poseidon pursued the goddess, Demeter. To escape, she turned herself into a mare but he transformed into a stallion and cornered her. Significant  Offspring Some of Poseidons most notable children include: Charybdis, the sea monster who (with Scylla) threatened the Strait of MessinaTheseus, the hero who served as the mythological founder of AthensBellerophon, the hero who captured Pegasus and killed the Chimera  Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant from  The OdysseyProcrustes, the villain  who owned an iron bed to which he made his guests fit by means of his hammer Pegasus itself,  the famed winged horse, sprung from Medusas neck when Perseus delivered the fatal blow. Some legends suggest that Poseidon fathered Pegasus, which would have made the horse half-brothers with his captor, Bellerophon. Some legends even suggest  that Poseidon sired the ram that bore the Golden Fleece!

Ethics in Management Consulting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics in Management Consulting - Case Study Example I strongly agree with the author since the Consultancy is a dynamic field with a lot of expectations and reputation that help in better service delivery. Issues of confidentiality and anonymity are essential in quality service to clients and ensure the consultancy is operating within the accepted ethics. Â  The dilemma that the case presents is that of fee charge to various clients. The dilemma of the fee to charge arises from time to time and what should be the criteria to ascertain the fee to different groups of clients. Â  I would charge different consultant fee to various groups of clients should I be in the similar situation. This would the through using the information obtained initially from them. Some of the criteria would be to look at their economic capabilities to pay and the nature of consultancy work. I strongly agree with the author’s view. This is based on the fact that the nature of consultancy varies from client to client so it can only be rational to charge a different fee. In addition, different clients are served at the interval and with various economical capabilities (ability to pay). Â  Hauser, A. (2009). Ethics in Management Consulting: An examination of the extent to which the principles of integrative consulting ethics are incorporated in management consulting firms in Germany.

Accidental Overexposure of Radiotherapy in Costa Rica-Total Body Research Paper

Accidental Overexposure of Radiotherapy in Costa Rica-Total Body Response to Radiation - Research Paper Example In a 1991 report, the capital city, San Jose had about 1.11 million inhabitants. The Costa Rican social security system, which is mandated to provide medical cover, reported 90% coverage for the population. The life expectancy was reported to be at 75.2 years between the years 1990 and 1995. Integral in the treatment of cancer in Costa Rica are three hospitals which also act as referral centres for the different segments of the country. These include the San Juan de Dios Hospital, the Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia Hospital and the Mexico Hospital. Of significance and relevant to the case study is the San Juan de Dios Hospital which has radiotherapy facilities (International Atomic Energy Agency, 1998). During the month of July 1997, the international atomic energy association received an invitation from the government of Costa Rica to aid in assessment of overexposure of radiotherapy. This overexposure had occurred to patients in San Jose Hospital in Costa Rica. The initiating occurrence specifically happened at San Juan de Dios hospital in San Jose on the 22nd of August, 1996. This was after a radioactive carbon source, 60 CO was replaced. When the new source was standardized, an inaccuracy was made in the computation of dose rate. Consequently, this error led to administration of considerable higher radiation doses compare to the prescribed intake in terms of exposure (International Atomic Energy Agency, 1998).... e was no satisfactory explanation as to these large disparities in dose values, an expert was engaged to evaluate the possibilities of such differences. The expert was to assess the physical aspects of quality assurance in radiotherapy. Furthermore, the expert was also to verify degree of application recommended by the technical report series and those of compliance reports. The review was conducted between the 8th and 19th of July, 1996. Her report indicated that there were no records kept on the calibration of beams emitted by radiation machines. Additionally, the assessment showed that there was no information available on the specific equipment used to offer radiotherapy services. With working environment prevailing in tandem with dose determination procedures properly followed, the outcome obtained or the calculation of absorbed dose rate in a computer program was not easily verifiable. The computer program which was developed by the person in charge of dosimeter had errors of c lose to 5% in percentage dose values. Moreover, there was an error of approximately 2 centimeters in the optical distance indicator (Perez & Brady, 1998). Discrepancies of up to 8% within the calculated time found, for the same irradiation conditions, when a calculation method on the basis of percentage depth dose (PDD) and the tissue air ratio (TAR) was used. Initial examination indicated that similar absorbed dose rate value had been employed in both procedures. Consequently, revelation on confusion between the concepts of dose in air and dose in water at the depth of optimal maximization was eminent. Having underpinned and satisfactorily addressed these issues, the expert brought these findings to radiation oncologists at the hospital. These included thermo luminescence dosimeters dose