Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Marketing Environment of Child Rights and You UK Case Study

Marketing Environment of Child Rights and You UK - Case Study Example CRY along with its operations based in the Indian sub-continent has also successfully expanded along international regions like the United States of America and the United Kingdom thereby inviting a stronger foothold for fighting for children’s rights (Child Rights and You, n.d.). Micro and Macro Environments of CRY UK Micro Environment The Micro-Environment of CRY based in the United Kingdom would be analyzed on the basis of the internal policies and the organizational design or operational framework. CRY based in the United Kingdom operates based on a Board of Trustees who is followed by the team of Executive Committee. Finally, the main operational arm of the organization comprises of volunteers that immediately follows the Executive Committee. ... CRY UK also renders equal emphasis to the parameters of transparency and accountability in its different operations. The organization also focuses on empowering individuals working at different levels for fighting for the rights of poor children. Macro Environment In the macro environment of CRY UK the organization works through the development of partnerships with key external stakeholders for the organizational expansion and accomplishment of different important projects. On the social front, the organization maintains an effective relationship with large scales of donors, people who desire to volunteer for the concern’s activities and different project administrators. Politically the non-government organization is a registered charity firm under the United Kingdom Registrations Act and henceforth the donations made to the concern are subjected to tax deductions. The organization is socially responsible in that it helps the poor and malnourished children to effectively survi ve, develop both in their physical and intellectual fronts and thereby participate in social development. Moreover, in the macro environment, the concern also takes the active cooperation of different stakeholders like print and visual media to create a large amount of social and individual awareness. The support of different corporate and social and individual associations is gained so as to sustain the spontaneity of the fund raising operations (Child Rights and You, n.d.). SWOT Analysis of CRY Strength Child Rights and You as a non-government organization operates on fundamental vision and mission ideology that focuses on helping the children gain their own rights in regards to better nutrition, education, and social upbringing.  

Monday, October 28, 2019

Role Of Perception Essay Example for Free

Role Of Perception Essay Perception plays a vital role in a beings life, especially in that of a human. Many people choose to believe what they see, and believing links with knowing as it is a component of knowing. We also choose to see what we believe and therefore both statements are complimentary. Human beings tend to believe with evidence rather than believing in something blindly. Belief is usually based on evidence and the evidence is usually linked with our senses. If we see something, we believe in it because we are able to back our assumption with evidence because we have witnessed it. Human reality may also be based on scientific evidence because science which involves historical evidence is able to prove certain theories. Even though we may not witness it with our senses, we believe in the theories accepted by many other scientists. For example, the world trade center was demolished on September 11th, 2001. We suddenly think, how is it possible to destroy one of the greatest and tallest buildings in the world even after the first attempt to destroy it back in 1993. Suddenly as we see it everywhere in the news and read it everywhere, we strongly believe in it rather than half believing in it because we have seen images and video clips of the incident. Humans, according to E.F. Schumacher have the elements of matter, life, consciousness, and self awareness or intelligence. Our self awareness enables us to see things the way we do and it is accepted psychologically that we hold fast to what we can see and experience. Yet knowledge plays a vital role in believing along with language. Since we can read and understand as well as communicate, we can share ideas expanding our knowledge. This also ties in with the senses of hearing and seeing. Knowledge according to Plato is justified true belief. Our senses of hearing and sight enable us to justify what we believe. Since elementary we have learned simple to complex equations and yet we are still learning. Some smart mathematician discovered that 2 + 2 equals 5. We have seen for ourselves by taking two pieces of chocolate for example and adding another two pieces of chocolate we get four pieces. A simple experiment such as that enables us to see as well as learn simple mathematical equations. This  really helps create a basic foundation in learning, especially in the mind of a child. However if it were not for language, 2 + 2 might as well equal a parasite or two thousand if it were not for language. We have learned the basics of English or whatever language we know and therefore it makes sense to us that 2 + 2 equals 4 rather than any answer which we might consider ridiculous. It is also very easy to be fooled into seeing what we believe. It is both good an bad in a sense but it depends on the person. I am referring to people because we have four elements matter, life, consciousness, and intelligence or self awareness- according to E.F. Schumacher. Animals lack self awareness according to Schumacher even though they have some intelligence. I think it is true because have if we think about it, have we ever seen a dog making a computer or bombs? In the most extreme case a dog may be able to move a mouse or open a program or maybe short a bomb and make it explode, but then again others might object because these thoughts may vary from person to person according to their point of view. We are sometimes forced to believe certain things without having 100% evidence showing or stating that its true. Take Religion for example. I believe there is a god but how do we choose when there are over millions in the world. I believe that there is a god controlling the universe but how do we know for sure? I believe that is where faith comes in. Sometimes we have to believe blindly. Even though in the Bible it says In the beginning god created heaven and earth and saw that it was good, it is considered a mythical story. Who saw god create earth, light, water, or animals? According to the Bible, Adam was created on the 6th day, so there is no way a human took an account of the events as they happened. In religion, we are born into a tradition which enables us to see through rituals. It is a framework to many which leads them through the joys and troubles of life. Religion can be a new way of seeing, however it may create havoc by causing people to jump to conclusions. For example, a person was involved in a car accident. Say they were traveling at a high speed and they lost controlled  and crashed into an oncoming truck. The car is totaled but the person is knocked unconscious but returns to consciousness realizing what has happened and they have to broken bones or scratches indicating what has happened. People may immediately say it was by the grace of god nothing happened to me, but if we think about it, it is their belief that they are seeing no matter how hard you try to convince them it was something else. A simpler example would be that of a person who is terrified of ghosts. This person might believe in ghosts robustly and then might think that they have seen one in the middle of the night. What most probably has happened is that this person believes strongly that ghosts exist and what happened was that they saw a fluttering white sheet or a moons shadow which has been cast on a scarecrow which is swaying in the wind. The mind immediately plays a trick on this person, fooling them into believing that they ad seen a ghost. Another example could be a man who cannot see beauty. He might not believe in it at all and finally when the most beautiful woman in the world crosses him, he may not be able to realize her beauty. These two examples can be examples of when seeing what you believe may fool a person. I think the statement  ¨you see what you believe ¨ is true because we do tend to believe entirely if we have some sort of proof or evidence.  ¨You see what you believe is also true as we tend to believe in things blindly as well. I feel it may be misleading at times but the statement is true and this partial statement completes the first.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Review on Sunrise :: essays papers

Review on Sunrise Introduction to Cinema Studies Assessment Task 2 For this assignment I have chosen question 2 on the discussion of a particular edit. The film I have chosen to discuss is Sunrise, and the edit is from the portion of the film where the lady from the city and the husband are discussing the city at the lake. I chose this particular edit for a couple of reasons the first being that for it’s time the effect it produces is quite remarkable. It’s also the scene that caught my eye and held it for the longest period. Visually rich without the need of sound. The edit flows through a variety of images and the shots that surround it are filled with references and common cliches that get the point across. The edit is graphically continuous as it dissolves from shot to shot without any solid cuts. We begin with the city girl telling the husband that he should come to the city. The scene then dissolves to an image of a huge brass band busily and noisily at play. This shot is in complete contrast to the serenity of the still country and the bright silent moonlight. The edit then continues to dissolve into an angled shot of a city street teeming with people hurriedly about their business. This shot is dissolved with that of the band, creating the feeling of organised chaos. This dissolve reiterates the hustle and bustle feeling of the city in contrast to that of the country. The edit then dissolves back to the scene at the waterfront where the city girl is dancing away to the imagery she has created through her tales to the husband. He stares at her wide-eyed as the cliche’ country person reacts to the big city, almost hypnotically. I believe that this edit encompasses most of the major themes of the film. Firstly we are given a rivalry or good Vs evil, or slow Vs fast, or nature Vs cocnrete. The good countryman meets dazzling evil city girl and is hypnotized by the glitz and glamour. On one hand we are shown the serenity of the lake and through the dissolves we are brought into a fast pace with the band and the people, that finishes with a lakeside jive from the city girl. The edit creates an increasing rhythmic relationship. It gives you the feel of stepping on the gas pedal. It starts at a solid stable shot that in its entirety from still water to still people gives us the feeling of dead calm.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Alike or Different Essay

We can try and change ourselves, by changing our appearance, putting on makeup, wearing different clothes, jewellery, etc. But it’s not just a case of appearance, but it also involves the person underneath that mask everyone tries to hide behind. Nobody has ever tried to look at the person underneath before judging them. It’s just ego that stands in the way. What will the result be when people are stripped of all their accessories, when that mask is removed? What we get is a rollercoaster of emotions. Things that people can never guess are hidden underneath. And that’s yet another similarity, which makes mistaken judgment also put into account. Feelings are also something to look at. For example, people do get happy, angry and sad in different situations, but everyone still gets those emotions at times, regardless of reason. And everyone goes through the same life cycle, how they’re born, turn to children, then the teenage, middle aging comes after, then being old, and finally death. Everyone will face death someday. And everyone is made by God, and made of the same materials, as some believe. Everyone eats and breathes, everyone has the five senses, nobody can live without a vital organ, and no one can have supernatural powers. And these are all similarities. * A lot more people don’t believe in that saying, they believe that people differ in a lot of things, and the things that they have in common with others can be looked at from a different angle, making them into another difference. For example, everyone is a human being, but everyone is a different kind of human being, depending on personality, looks, and abilities. And the fact that everyone has a dream that is to be fulfilled can also be a difference, like everyone has a different dream and a different goal for the future. As for the life, everyone does have a life, but it depends on how they live it, and how everyone uses it that makes a difference. Besides, some people are born to have the personality to be good leaders, and others have the power and will to work hard in what they’re good at, while others don’t treasure their abilities, and instead they use it for their own good, to get the better out of things, while they cause hurt to everyone else around them. That’s an example of being and not being able to be a useful person, to not use life wisely, and another way why people are different. Some believe that people differ in how they look (both on the outside and the inside), how they react to things around them, their personality, beliefs, ethics and religions. What can also count as a difference is how everyone is raised, what they’re taught to believe, where and when they were born and who they lived with. People often adopt habits from those they live with, which can sometimes be good, and sometimes be bad. That can make a lot of differences compared to someone who was born rich, lived rich, and died rich. Another way of looking at things is people’s appearance. Some people really care about how they look, and always try to look their best at times. Some wouldn’t give that subject a second thought. Some do care, but not so much. And that’s related to both personality and physical appearance. Language spoken is also a difference. And the fact that some of us can do something that others can’t, which comes down to ability. Furthermore sometimes people have disabilities that others don’t have. Sometimes there are illnesses and diseases that run in families, and some inherit that disease and some don’t, which is another difference. If we try and list these differences they will not have an end, and just thinking would take long too. So it’s not a case of what is the same and what can be different, it’s just how people think about things in their own point of view. So regardless of what there is that can be used as an argument, and however we think the ones who think the opposite are wrong, and no matter which angle we use look at things, it all goes back to opinion, and opinions are very important. And my opinion stays the same, but what about yours? And what’s more important is to reason why we look at things from that point of view, and if we really are being fair, or if we are just judging others by what we think of them, and how we think of them. And most importantly, are we really being fair, or do we just think we are?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Informal learning Essay

Traditional and formal education has been for a long time been the standard and de facto method in order to deliver information. Especially considering the classroom set up, where in there is a teacher, a student, a classroom, and a designated curriculum for the discussion that is facilitated by the teacher, the method of formal education is deeply relies upon in our culture in order to deliver the information that is required for learning (Sefton-Green, 2004). This paper does not attempt to deny or ignore the efficiency of a formal education set up. However, recently, a growing number of academic studies have pointed towards informal education to be efficient and effective this will especially in the multi-faceted field of learning and education. The paper does not claim that informal education could provide a substitute and an alternative for formal education. What it does stress, however, is that informal education may be a reliable accompaniment to formal and traditional methods of teaching and that if properly used and combined with traditional means of information teaching, could yield larger results especially in the classroom set up where students have been pointed out by research to be having multiple levels and kinds of learning, education, and reception methods. Such informal education has been implemented by many academic institutions around the world. In fact, the choice of educational institution often relies not only on the ability of teachers to deliver content through traditional classroom means, but also the various facilities, activities, and informal learning methods that the school and educational institution implements e-learning framework of students. However, as has been the case by the Montessori institution problem, informal education, much like formal education, needs a specific design in order for it to be effective and efficient. One could not just throw a hodgepodge of activities and claim it to be effective informal education techniques. The identification process is just as difficult as the teaching itself. Researchers who have undergone the subject of identifying essential academic informal education processes have highlighted the efficiency of statistics — taking into consideration various variables that focus on that specific market and demographic. For example, although it has been proven that learning games had been efficient in Western schools, that method of informal education is not so effective in eastern schools because children are used to the traditional classroom set up a formal education which they have been introduced to in the past. Alternatively, eastern schools made use of such learning games only through gradual adaptation, unlike those that had been implemented in western education where it was fully integrated immediately knew the curriculum of schoolchildren. Therefore, the best method in order to identify these informal learning methods is to understand the demographics, the market, and the behavior of the students where such curriculum would be taught and adapt them to not only the learning result that may be brought about by the informal education method but also the social context which it shall be taught to. Another example of informal learning that is being integrated into discussions of undergraduate programs, especially in the fields of political science, philosophy, and the humanities, is the teaching method that requires constant interaction with students and allowing them to voice out their opinions without the permission of teachers and professors. This method has traditionally been associated to the discussion group method where in the teacher and professor is not considered the highest knowledge giving body in the classroom but rather a facilitator in the discussion where in the students would be voicing out their own opinions and learnings from the subject matter rather than being imposed upon by the strict curriculum. Especially in the humanities, and the subject matters we have identified above were in it is essential for students to have an analytical perspective and not just a memorized body of standardized knowledge, this informal learning method would not only be more effective with respect to academic learning, but also be more efficient with respect to further training and development of the students depending on the chosen field. Yet another example that we could point out in an academic institution are those that are being implemented in sports programs in secondary school. It has long been a proven fact that physical education may be able to teach concepts such as teamwork, relationship building, and trust that is very difficult to learn in a formal and traditional classroom set up. However, recently, researchers have driven such physical education classes to integrate informal learning with formal learning processes by instituting lessons of human kinetics to the sports programs themselves. Children are not just integrate the two sports and extracurricular activities without first identifying the various details and focus — as well as the science — behind such training. For example, Gym classes in secondary schools have for a long time integrated swimming activities for the student body. Recently, however, before such swimming training is integrated to the students, students are first introduced to the human kinetics and science of respiratory improvement and cardiovascular training that could be found in swimming exercises (Lucas, 1983). The promotion of such activities would be less difficult nowadays especially because recent research have pointed towards such informal education to be key aspects in student improvement. However, in institutions where such research and discussions have not reached, educators and school heads may be given solid research and peer-reviewed articles about the effectiveness and efficiency of such informal learning in their institutions and how it may be able to significantly increase the capabilities — both academic and nonacademic — standards of their students.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Money Persuasive Speech Essays

Free Money Persuasive Speech Essays Free Money Persuasive Speech Essay Free Money Persuasive Speech Essay for example, you invested in a one year CD or certificate of deposit, starting in year four, you would have $1040 as an initial investment. Here is a spreadsheet I created showing what you would earn within 10 years at the current CD rate of 5. 15%. You will also see on this spreadsheet your savings if you saved $20 a week on your grocery bill. This would give you an initial investment of $1040 starting with year one. You would be adding 1040 each year in savings plus your interest each year. I found the current CD rates at bankrate. com. There are many investment opportunities that could increase your coupon savings if you chose to invest. This what can be done if you are serious about saving money by clipping coupons. Here are a couple of pages posted on forums. amily. com. You can see exactly how much they saved on their grocery bills per month and year. It is broken down in great detail. Here is a spreadsheet showing how much could be earned if these savings were invested in a CD or other investment. We are talking enough money for JR Sheila to buy a new car. So where do you find coupons? Two great sources are your newspaper and online. I clip coupons out of the Belleville News Democrat. My favorite is coupon bar. com. Here you will find various sources for coupons, and you can download it to your tool bar, so the latest coupons are only a click away. The book free Money Free Stuff includes coupon clipping as one of its strategies for obtaining free and low cost items. It also has other good information for saving money. Coupons can also be found online and in newspapers for entertainment, dining out, merchandise specific catalogs and stores. You can use a coupon organizer if you want or just put them in your wallet like I do. We all eat out, buy groceries, buy clothing, go to movies and other entertainment, so why not do these things for less. Would you throw money out the window? That’s what you do every time you miss an opportunity to use coupons. You are offering to pay more money for something than what you have to pay if you use coupons. Let’s review the value of clipping coupons. Coupons can save you money that can help you pay bills, make a purchase, save for your college education, save for your children’s college education or start a retirement fund. There is no out of pocket expense in order to reap these benefits, just a very small portion of your time. Let’s look at the flip side of the coin. If you don’t clip coupons, you won’t have extra money to help with expenses and purchases. You may have to take out a loan for purchases and expenses and incur interest expense as well. If you were diligent in your quest to save, you could be $75,000 richer in ten years. When you buy a lottery ticket your odds are 1 in several million that you will win. With coupons there are no odds, just solid savings. Coupons are free money for the taking. Take the time to clip coupons out of the newspaper or get them online. It only takes a few minutes of your time and saves you money that you can use for whatever however you choose. Capital One asks What’s in your wallet. I can tell you what won’t be in your wallet, if you don’t take advantage of coupons, money.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Understanding Cash Flow Management

Understanding Cash Flow Management Free Online Research Papers A business cash flow can be compared to the engine in ones car or the heart in a human body. No car will run without an engine, and the heart needs to keep pumping in order for a human to survive. Cash flow is the heart or engine of a business and the goal behind cash flow management is to determine the cash needed for day-to-day business without losing investment options by having two much cash. There are many cash management techniques to use in a business, and some vary with the products and services sold, and how the business is run. Productive cash flow management will allow a business owner to free up cash in order to make short or long term investments. However, some short-term financing is a way for a business to get immediate funds. The focus of this paper will be toward the small business owner, and it will look at both topics. This paper will show the comparison and contrasting op various techniques of cash management with one another. It will also review the various short-term offers available, and why some are better. Cash Management Techniques The struggle to maintain adequate levels of cash into a small business is a common problem. By projecting the inflow and outflow of your businesses cash, you can determine the amount of cash that will be available during a designated period. Various ways to do this is through a cash flow projection, shortening collection cycles, offer credit, monitor inventory, electronic funds transfer (EFT) transfers/automated clearing houses (ACH), and E-Commerce. Preparing a cash flow projection is a useful tool in helping the financial manager to plan ahead in the coming months and years. If first starting out, projections should be done on a Source: The cash flow cycle from Foundations of Financial Mangement. (Block Hirt, 2005) month-to-month basis, then yearly. This will provide historical data in order to take those values and determine the possible cash level. To do a cash flow projection, think of it as a personal checkbook is there enough money there to pay the bills or look at the bigger picture as shown in Controlling inventory to sales so current assets do not go up and down helps eliminates having to discount items or pay for storage. An example used by Block and Hirt (2005) was McGraw-Hill and textbooks. Too many or too little textbooks produced would mean loss of sales or excess inventory that could not be sold until the following school year. Businesses should buy inventory at the best price and that can be sold within a short time, and special orders need deposits. Service businesses do not have to worry about inventory, but like most firms, they look for vendors that will offer stretch payments. Vendors that allow firms to pay within 30 to 60 day give those businesses more readily available cash. On the other hand, a business wants to expedite their customers payments and can do so by offering incentives like discounts on the entire bill or pushing up the payment cycle and include stiff late fees. (AllBusiness, 2007). EFT is probably the most efficient and cost savings tool a firm can use. Not only will it encompass all the above actions discussed, but it can be used for direct deposit of paychecks, and allow the firm to make their payments to creditors at the last minute. It costs only nine-cents compared to issue an EFT/ACH payments compared to an 86-cent paper check. (U.S. Treasury, 2007). Reasonably priced alternatives to EFT are Regional Collection Centers or a lock box system that can cash checks quicker. However, the time period is usually 24 hours and there is an additional cost to the firm. (2007). The world-wide web makes E-Commerce a must for business. Purchases and payments can be made 24/7. A wider range of customers can be served, and investments by a company can be made though transactions. Since the United States money is an accepted currency world-wide, EFT makes investing overseas and borrowing from foreign banks easier. Short-Term Financing Businesses seeking loans want the lowest interest rate possible. Since the U.S. dollar is the worlds international currency, many firms look for Eurodollar loans that offer the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The LIBOR rate is lower than the prime interest rate, making these loans more favorable. This problem is most of these loans are given to larger worldwide companies like McDonalds, which has numerous loans in euro-based currencies (2005). Smaller firms seek loans from commercial banks that run from six months to a year, or a self-liquidating loan. The problem with the latter is the sale of current assets provides the cash to pay for the loan, and if the assets are not sold, a business can be bankrupt immediately. There are compensating loans that are good for small or large business. This type of loan allows a bank to supply credit to a business, but funds have to be immediately available to cover 20% of the loan fee and 10% of future commitments (Lowe, 2006). In a trade credit, a company receives goods immediately, but does not have to pay until 30 or 60 days. Depending on the loan and vendor, a discount may be offered if it is paid with a specific time. An example would be using a credit card from Lowes to purchase a new kitchen. Lowes will finish the work but will not get paid for the work until later. Trade credits are also used as a signaling effect on the performance of both the seller and buyer. Companies with poor track records will have difficulty in getting longer credit days, so many opt not to see trade credit. Commercial paper is an unsecured promissory note, money market or certificate of deposit issued by large banks and corporations. The short-term investment is usually for a minimum of $25,000 and to purchase inventory or to manage working capital (Wikipedia , 2007), which is why businesses selling products use this type of financing. Generally regarded as a safe investment, Block and Hirt (2005) noted bankruptcies of United Airlines, Kmart, Enron and WorldCom in 2001-2002 have caused some lenders to become. One of the most common used short-term financing is the bank overdraft. IA bank issues the overdrafts with the right to call them in at short notice, although most have a certain period attached to them. This type of financing should not be used to purchase machinery or equipment since the bank can call in the loan at short notice. Bank drafts are good to use for companies with season fluctuations in trade, like nurseries which have down times during the various seasons. Conclusion Each business has to know how to manage its money and what finances are available if needed. If a firms cash inflows and outflows are mismanaged, it may face a liquidity crunch, which in turn means the business needs to borrow funding. If this happens, a business may take a loan or line of credit at a higher rate. If cash management techniques are planned ahead by a business, it can prevent this from happening. Cash flow management can also help a company to begin to show a profit and successfully stay in business. Referemces AllBusiness. (2007). Cash Flow Management Tools. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from www.allbusiness.com Block, Stanley B. and Hirt, Geoffrey A. (2005). Current Asset Management. (University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved January 28, 2007, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, MBA/503 Introduction to Finance and Accounting. Block, Stanley B. and Hirt, Geoffrey A. (2005). Sources of Short-Term Financing. (University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved January 28, 2007, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, MBA/503 Introduction to Finance and Accounting. Block, Stanley B. and Hirt, Geoffrey A. (2005). Working Capital and the Financing Decision. (University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved January 28, 2007, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, MBA/503 Introduction to Finance and Accounting. Lowe, Kevin. (2006). Managing Your Cash Flow and Tools to Use.. Retrieved January 31, 2007, from entrepreneur.com United States Treasury. (2007). Electronic Funds Transfer. Retrieved Febuary 2, 2007, from fms.teas.gov Wikipedia. (2007). Commercial Paper. Retrieved January 30, 2007, from wikipedia.com. Research Papers on Understanding Cash Flow ManagementIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperDefinition of Export QuotasMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part OneThe Spring and AutumnTwilight of the UAWThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Empress Wu Zetian of Tang and Zhou

Empress Wu Zetian of Tang and Zhou Like so many other strong female leaders, from Catherine the Great to the Empress Dowager Cixi, Chinas only female emperor has been reviled in legend and history.  Yet Wu Zetian was a highly intelligent and motivated lady, with a strong interest in government affairs and literature.  In 7th century China, and for centuries afterward, these were considered inappropriate topics for a woman, so she has been painted as a murderer who poisoned or strangled most of her own family, a sexual deviant, and a ruthless usurper of the imperial throne.  Who was Wu Zetian, really? Early Life The future Empress Wu was born in Lizhou, now in Sichuan Province, on February 16, 624.  Her birth name probably was Wu Zhao, or possibly Wu Mei.  The babys father, Wu Shihuo, was a wealthy timber merchant who would become a provincial governor under the new Tang Dynasty.  Her mother, Lady Yang, was from a politically important noble family.   Wu Zhao was a curious, active girl.  Her father encouraged her to read widely, which was quite unusual at the time, so she studied politics, government, the Confucian classics, literature, poetry, and music.  When she was about 13, the girl was dispatched to the palace to become a fifth rank concubine of the Emperor Taizong of Tang.  It seems that she likely did have sexual relations with the Emperor at least once, but she was not a favorite and spent most of her time working as a secretary or lady in waiting.  She did not bear him any children. In 649, when Consort Wu was 25 years old, Emperor Taizong died.  His youngest son, 21-year-old Li Zhi, became the new Emperor Gaozong of Tang.  Consort Wu, since she had not borne the late emperor a child, was sent to Ganye temple to become a Buddhist nun.   Return From the Convent Its not clear how she accomplished the feat, but the former Consort Wu escaped from the convent and became a concubine of Emperor Gaozong.  Legend holds that Gaozong went to the Ganye Temple on the anniversary of his fathers death to make an offering, spotted the Consort Wu there, and wept at her beauty.  His wife, Empress Wang, encouraged him to make Wu his own concubine, to distract him from her rival, Consort Xiao. Whatever actually happened, Wu soon found herself back in the palace.  Although it was considered incest for a mans concubine to then pair up with his son, Emperor Gaozong took Wu into his harem around 651.  With the new emperor, she was a much higher rank, being the highest of the second rank concubines.   Emperor Gaozong was a weak ruler and suffered an illness that frequently left him dizzy.  He soon became disenchanted with both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao and began to favor Consort Wu.  She bore him two sons in 652 and 653, but he had already named another child as his heir apparent.  In 654, Consort Wu had a daughter, but the infant soon died of smothering, strangulation, or possibly natural causes.   Wu accused Empress Wang of the babys murder since she had been the last to hold the child, but many people believed that Wu herself killed the baby in order to frame the Empress.  At this remove, it is impossible to say what really happened.  In any case, the Emperor believed that Wang murdered the little girl, and by the following summer, he had the empress and also Consort Xiao deposed and imprisoned.  Consort Wu became the new empress consort in 655. Empress Consort Wu In November of 655, Empress Wu allegedly ordered the execution of her former rivals, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, to prevent Emperor Gaozong from changing his mind and pardoning them.  A blood-thirsty later version of the story says that Wu ordered the womens hands and feet chopped off, and then had them thrown into a large wine barrel.  She reportedly said, Those two witches can get drunk down to their bones.  This ghoulish story seems likely to be a later fabrication. By 656, Emperor Gaozong replaced his former heir apparent with Empress Wus eldest son, Li Hong.  The Empress soon began to arrange for the exile or execution of government officials who had opposed her rise to power, according to traditional stories.  In 660, the sickly Emperor began to suffer from severe headaches and loss of vision, possibly from hypertension or a stroke.  Some historians have accused the Empress Wu of having him slowly poisoned, though he had never been particularly healthy. He began to delegate decisions on some government matters to her; officials were impressed with her political knowledge and the wisdom of her rulings.  By 665, Empress Wu was more or less running the government. The Emperor soon began to resent Wus increasing power. He had a chancellor draft an edict deposing her from power, but she heard what was happening and rushed to his chambers.  Gaozong lost his nerve and ripped up the document.  From that time forward, Empress Wu always sat in on imperial councils, although she sat behind a curtain at the back of Emperor Gaozongs throne. In 675, Empress Wus eldest son and the heir apparent died mysteriously.  He had been agitating to have his mother step back from her position of power, and also wanted his half-sisters by Consort Xiao to be allowed to marry.  Of course, traditional accounts state that the Empress poisoned her son to death, and replaced him with the next brother, Li Xian.  However, within five years, Li Xian fell under suspicion of assassinating his mothers favorite sorcerer, so he was deposed and sent into exile.  Li Zhe, her third son, became the new heir apparent. Empress Regent Wu On December 27, 683, the Emperor Gaozong died after a series of strokes.  Li Zhe ascended the throne as Emperor Zhongzhong.  The 28-year-old soon started to assert his independence from his mother, who was given regency over him in his fathers will despite the fact that he was well into adulthood.  After just six weeks in office (January 3 - February 26, 684), Emperor Zhongzhong was deposed by his own mother, and placed under house arrest. Empress Wu next had her fourth son enthroned on February 27, 684, as the Emperor Ruizong.  A puppet of his mother, the 22-year-old emperor did not exert any actual authority.  His mother no longer hid behind the curtain during official audiences; she was the ruler, in appearance as well as fact.  After a reign of six and a half years, in which he was virtually a prisoner within the inner palace, Emperor Ruizong abdicated in favor of his mother.  Empress Wu became Huangdi, which is usually translated in English as emperor, although it is gender-neutral in Mandarin. Emperor Wu In 690, Emperor Wu announced that she was establishing a new dynastic line, called the Zhou Dynasty.  She reportedly used spies and secret police to root out political opponents and have them exiled or killed.  However, she was also a very capable emperor and surrounded herself with well-chosen officials.  She was instrumental in making the civil service examination a key part of the Chinese imperial bureaucratic system, which allowed only the most learned and talented men to rise to high positions in government. Emperor Wu carefully observed the rites of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, and made frequent offerings to curry favor with higher powers and retain the Mandate of Heaven.  She made Buddhism the official state religion, placing it above Daoism.  She also was the first female ruler to make offerings at the sacred Buddhist mountain of Wutaishan in the year 666.   Among the ordinary people, Emperor Wu was quite popular.  Her use of the civil service examination meant that bright but poor young men had a chance to become wealthy government officials.  She also redistributed land to ensure that peasant families all had enough to feed their families, and paid high salaries to government workers in the lower ranks. In 692, Emperor Wu had her greatest military success, when her army recaptured the four garrisons of the Western Regions (Xiyu) from the Tibetan Empire.  However, a spring offensive in 696 against the Tibetans (also known as Tufan) failed miserably, and the two leading generals were demoted to commoners as a result.  A few months later, the Khitan people rose up against the Zhou, and it took nearly a year plus some hefty tribute payments as bribes to quell the unrest. The imperial succession was a constant source of unease during Emperor Wus reign.  She had appointed her son, Li Dan (the former Emperor Ruizong), as the Crown Prince.  However, some courtiers urged her to choose a nephew or cousin from the Wu clan instead, to keep the throne in her own bloodline instead of that of her late husband.  Instead, Empress Wu recalled her third son Li Zhe (the former Emperor Zhongzong) from exile, promoted him to Crown Prince, and changed his name to Wu Xian. As Emperor Wu aged, she began to rely increasingly on two handsome brothers who were allegedly also her lovers, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.  By the year 700, when she was 75 years old, they were handling many of the affairs of state for the Emperor.  They had also been instrumental in getting Li Zhe to return and become Crown Prince in 698. In the winter of 704, the 79-year-old Emperor fell seriously ill.  She would see nobody except for the Zhang brothers, which fueled speculation that they were planning to seize the throne when she died.  Her chancellor recommended that she allow her sons to visit, but she would not.  She pulled through the illness, but the Zhang brothers were killed in a coup on February 20, 705, and their heads were hung from a bridge along with three of their other brothers.  The same day, Emperor Wu was forced to abdicate the throne to her son. The former Emperor was given the title of Empress Regnant Zetian Dasheng.  However, her dynasty was finished; Emperor Zhongzong restored the Tang Dynasty on March 3, 705.  Empress Regnant Wu died on December 16, 705, and remains to this day the only female to rule imperial China in her own name. Sources Dash, Mike.  The Demonization of Empress Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, August 10, 2012. Empress Wu Zetian: Tang Dynasty China (625 - 705 AD), Women in World History, accessed July 2014. Woo, X.L. Empress Wu the Great: Tang Dynasty China, New York: Algora Publishing, 2008.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Do the research of Marketing(1000 words) and Financing(1250 words) Essay

Do the research of Marketing(1000 words) and Financing(1250 words) strategies - Essay Example The paper shall discuss important financial decisions that could help positively influence the company’s decisions. It is inevitable in the company. The company has branches in Asia, Europe and the USA. The Companies trade with each other, and they establish a price for transaction. According to financial experts, it is a method that tries to minimize the overall tax bill and increase the general profits. To remain competitive and compliant, the company must manage effectively the issue of transfer pricing. The finance section’s tax department has a comprehensive solution that helps in management of every step of transfer pricing step. The company should improve its software provisions because transfer pricing depends heavily on data. Good software will assist the parent company in the US to manage both the external and internal sources. It is a model that demands the company to finance its own operation using internally generated funds. Managers prefer this model because it reduces the risk of under investment, which could result to long-term debt problem. There are scenarios where the company does not have sufficient funds to run its internal operations. Such case will see the company issue debts to finance the operations. Using pecking order theory, the company will avoid financing its internal operations using the external equity capital, which could cause long-term debt. The company grants shares to the members of the public. In the US where the parent company operates, the government introduced Financial Accounting Standards Board. The board demands corporations to operate in restricted stock. It means the company has to value shares theoretically when granted. Literature reviews that concern finance indicates how there is no clear definition of increase in earnings and stock prices after aligning the interests of the employee and the employer in connection with share’s long-term effectiveness (Hinde &

Friday, October 18, 2019

Personnel Guidance in Research and Development Essay

Personnel Guidance in Research and Development - Essay Example A research involving a creation of a new technology may be termed as a high level research. A highly critical issue usually involves a team and each team member contributes in his way towards the research. Research involves discovery of a truth and therefore it should taken seriously and with immediate attention. It does not involve only the searching; rather it is one's effort to find the truth using a series of trials involving various aspect of the issue. A research must be taken with a positive frame of mind and should never be a matter of fun. Before one is ready for research, he must have an objective and should be fully focused on it (Gredler and Shields, 2008). A research involves deep and thorough knowledge of the subject and therefore, the researcher must be aware of the various factors that can affect the scope of the research. A researcher must always start by finding a person who has a deeper knowledge of the subject and with whom he can discuss the various outcomes and the possibilities and the scope of the research. Generally, this person should be much higher in experience and knowledge than the researcher. This person can then be termed as a Research Guide. Performing a research under a guide boosts up the confidence of the researcher and provides a better way to proceed in the work. 2) A Research Plan The researcher must have a plan in order to proceed with the research. One must completely have theoretical as well as a practical approach for the subject. The availability of a research lab helps in attaining better results. It also provides the practical approach where in a real time issues can be simulated. These simulations provide a clear picture of the subject. This helps in better judgement of the subject and therefore a practical approach to deal with it. 3) Finance Another big constraint involving a research can be finances. Sometimes, research may involve high finances. Like a research in the field of automobile engine and emissions may involve a multiple changes in design of the component. Thus manufacturing a new component such as an engine part, with course of the research, involves a lot of resources which will prove costly. Therefore, a researcher must look for funding options if available. To get funding for a research, one must put together all the authentic and genuine facts for the research that must convince the funding authority. Available funds can prove very crucial as these when utilised in an efficient manner can several times get the researcher the best he wants. The researcher then has full freedom to take care of the aspects which he might overlook due to lack of resources. 4) Available facts and figures Another area that needs to be taken care of is the updates that are connected to the field of your research. One

Multicultural organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multicultural organization - Research Paper Example This research paper studies the various characteristics of the multicultural organizations that practice diversity principles and how they contribute to the competitive advantage of the organizations. Which characteristics comprise a multicultural organization? Globalization has brought together people from different countries in a single platform especially through the use of the internet. The concepts and the dimensions of Multicultural organizations have been reflected in the works of Milton Gordon. There are mainly various dimensions from which the facets of multicultural organizations should undergo analysis (Gordon, 1964). The aim for any organization should be contributing to the integration of the society by and large. Every multicultural organization by the process of acculturation would bring in the dominant culture of the organization in tune with the other cultures which may not be so prominent. Due to the presence of different types of people in the organization cultural conflicts is to some extent inevitable. An ideal multicultural organization would aim at integration of the cultural norms of both the minority and the majority at the same level so that the employees maintain a uniform code of conduct. At the same time all the cultural groups should be able to maintain their own identities. In other words there would be coexistence of all the cultural practices. Along with this the organizations should also aim for a structural integration in which people from different cultural backgrounds can work under the same roof in a healthy atmosphere. There should be uniform and equal growth and promotion policies for all the employees irrespective of their nationality, race, religion or gender. This diversity and equal opportunity measures should exist not only in the top hierarchy but also across the different lower or middle levels of the organization pyramid. Not only during the course of the daily work but also outside the predefined work hours shoul d this integration be a practice. This informal process of integration would make it possible for the employees to develop the social and business relationships beyond the premises of the office. If the people from one background participate in the social events of people of another culture, it would make them behave in a bounder less fashion and new ideas would be generated. Thus the unofficial channels of communication between the employees should also be developed and nurtured in multicultural organizations (Cox, 2001). A multicultural organization should not have any bias towards a particular culture. Any kind of discrimination should be banned and if any employee is found to be exhibiting such behavior legal measures should be taken against that entity. Cultural prejudices should also not be encouraged. Conflicts may arise due to such prejudices which would hamper the equilibrium of the organization which in turn would have an adverse effect on the productivity of the employees . This conflict may take the form of interpersonal conflict or intergroup conflict. In case of intergroup conflict the problem is accentuated and it gives rise to an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred. This kind of attitude should not persist in any organization that has much higher goals to achieve. Thus the human resources department especially has to take a

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Research on Sure Thing by David Ives Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Sure Thing by David Ives - Research Paper Example The actions, reactions, beliefs, attitude and character psychology become the most important part of the play and create the definite response that is expected in the play. The concept of Sure Thing is then dependent on the psychological associations and expectations that change throughout the play and are defined by the layers to the character. The main concept that Ives uses to characterize the changes in the psychology is through Betty and Bill and their relationship that grows as they get to know each other. The psychology of the characters and the way that they relate to each other changes when the bell rings. By this occurring, the correct scenario is created in the end, which the author creates as being significant by the statement of â€Å"sure thing.† The bell changing the scene becomes the signifier that is attributed to the play and leads to the main concepts of psychological relationships and how this creates both the play and the relationships which are held betwe en two individuals. The changes in relationship become the stabilizer in the play because of the continuous changes in the character. This is done to define the main attributes of the characters while changing these with acceptance or rejection based on personality (Hauptmann 1). The dimensions of the characters and displays which are created by building continuous changes in identity as a psychological, as opposed to a physical, attribute (Rusko Hamar 509). The concept of character identity expression is one which is traditionally used in places to identify the specific attributes which each individual has. Voice fluctuations, differences in costumes and divisions are used to create the identity. Within each of these are symbols to show that the individual represents a specific set of characteristics, specifically which they never go out of. The personality features are then able to create an understanding that specific psychological attributes are associated with the main classifi cations of the day while building changes that relate only to the main characteristic and identity. This specific concept is used with a variety of plays and is expected as a main component in traditional theater (Rusko Hamar 509). The difference with Ives work is that the same characters are used. The only difference is in how the character chooses to respond and what is associated with this alteration. For instance, when Bill is talking to Betty, both make several statements that are not considered as psychologically acceptable by Betty. At these times, the bell rings and a different persona is taken. An example of this is when Bill starts to ask Betty more personal questions. â€Å"Bill: Do you come in here a lot? Betty: Every once in a while. Do you? Bill: Not so much anymore. Not as much as I used to. Before my nervous breakdown. (bell)† (Act 1, scene 1). This is one of several examples that show the transparent psychology which is stated becomes unacceptable. The bell a llows this to be avoided and a different characteristic or psychological response to be replaced with the information that is given. By changing the response and characteristic, there is the ability to create the right layers to the character until one fits with the other in terms of psychological responses. The ability to break the psychological attributes and characteristics of both of the characters is one which doesn’t take place as a voice only of the several sides of Betty and Bill. There are also

Law of the Costitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Law of the Costitution - Essay Example ental principles of Britain’s unwritten Constitution, and the role of judges within the context of those principles by stating that the indivisibility of Parliamentary power requires that all exercise of Governmental power must be authorized by Parliament, since it is the source of all valid authority.1 As a result, the British power of judicial review by the Courts would not include the power to invalidate Acts of Parliament, rather the Courts may only use their powers to constrain any abuse of powers by the other arms of Government, such as the legislative and executive branches2. This political and legal view is based upon the absolute and indivisible sovereignty of the British Parliament3. As stated by Dicey: (a) â€Å"Parliament has the right to make or unmake any law whatever†4 and (b) no person or body may be recognized as having the legal authority to set aside or invalidate the acts of Parliament, except Parliament itself.5 Thus, the indivisibility of Parliamentary power sets it out as the source of all valid authority.6 As a result, the British power of judicial review would not include the power to invalidate Acts of Parliament, rather the Courts may only use their powers to constrain any abuse of powers by the other arms of Government.7 Jennings has opposed Dicey’s theory by arguing for limiting of Parliamentary power by the manner and form of the process of procedural entrapment8. A piece of legislation would be deeply entrenced if amendment requires unanimous support within the Houses of Parliament. Jennings defines legal sovereignty by specifying that Parliament has power to make laws for the time being, but not to bind future Parliament. The power of Parliament to make laws is also subject to the rule of recognition that is to be recognized by the Courts, â€Å"including a rule which alters this law itself.†9 Hence law making will be conditioned by the rule of recognition, which should limit the powers of Parliament to bind successors in an era

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Research on Sure Thing by David Ives Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Sure Thing by David Ives - Research Paper Example The actions, reactions, beliefs, attitude and character psychology become the most important part of the play and create the definite response that is expected in the play. The concept of Sure Thing is then dependent on the psychological associations and expectations that change throughout the play and are defined by the layers to the character. The main concept that Ives uses to characterize the changes in the psychology is through Betty and Bill and their relationship that grows as they get to know each other. The psychology of the characters and the way that they relate to each other changes when the bell rings. By this occurring, the correct scenario is created in the end, which the author creates as being significant by the statement of â€Å"sure thing.† The bell changing the scene becomes the signifier that is attributed to the play and leads to the main concepts of psychological relationships and how this creates both the play and the relationships which are held betwe en two individuals. The changes in relationship become the stabilizer in the play because of the continuous changes in the character. This is done to define the main attributes of the characters while changing these with acceptance or rejection based on personality (Hauptmann 1). The dimensions of the characters and displays which are created by building continuous changes in identity as a psychological, as opposed to a physical, attribute (Rusko Hamar 509). The concept of character identity expression is one which is traditionally used in places to identify the specific attributes which each individual has. Voice fluctuations, differences in costumes and divisions are used to create the identity. Within each of these are symbols to show that the individual represents a specific set of characteristics, specifically which they never go out of. The personality features are then able to create an understanding that specific psychological attributes are associated with the main classifi cations of the day while building changes that relate only to the main characteristic and identity. This specific concept is used with a variety of plays and is expected as a main component in traditional theater (Rusko Hamar 509). The difference with Ives work is that the same characters are used. The only difference is in how the character chooses to respond and what is associated with this alteration. For instance, when Bill is talking to Betty, both make several statements that are not considered as psychologically acceptable by Betty. At these times, the bell rings and a different persona is taken. An example of this is when Bill starts to ask Betty more personal questions. â€Å"Bill: Do you come in here a lot? Betty: Every once in a while. Do you? Bill: Not so much anymore. Not as much as I used to. Before my nervous breakdown. (bell)† (Act 1, scene 1). This is one of several examples that show the transparent psychology which is stated becomes unacceptable. The bell a llows this to be avoided and a different characteristic or psychological response to be replaced with the information that is given. By changing the response and characteristic, there is the ability to create the right layers to the character until one fits with the other in terms of psychological responses. The ability to break the psychological attributes and characteristics of both of the characters is one which doesn’t take place as a voice only of the several sides of Betty and Bill. There are also

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example However it is accomplished, the satisfaction of all physical distribution needs in the marketing channel must be accomplished for the rest of the channel to function successfully. The selection and use of physical distribution facilitating agencies is quite different than the selection and use of facilitating agencies for other channel services. In most cases other than for physical distribution, the facilitating agency will be employed and paid for by whichever channel member needs it. For physical distribution, however, the manufacturer or marketer will normally locate, select, and pay for the services of agencies involved in physical distribution (McCalley, 1992, p. 43). Channel strategy literature informs us about channel-facilitating agencies that can provide a variety of services for the manufacturer or marketer of products. Marketing services in this context needed depend on what can be expected from the channel members and the capabilities of the manufacturer. In this case not only strategies are required but other governance and management issues are also of significance that are most commonly the selected marketing channel members as they have the ability to ship and store products at the wholesale or retail levels in the market. These are actually the intermediaries that provide all or most of the physical distribution functions. In conditions where the channel members are unable to provide the needed services, the manufacturer has the option of providing the services itself or employing facilitating agencies to perform them. Therefore the need for all or some of these services or for other physical distribution services depends on manufactu rers’ ability to themselves satisfy the key physical distribution requirements of the marketing channel to be managed. Let us review that in order to help us in determining what is

Monday, October 14, 2019

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi Book Review Essay Example for Free

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi Book Review Essay Sook Nyul Choi has written a heart-breaking book about love, brutal, loss, and the agonized life of a little girl, named Sookan, and her family. She has titled it Year of Impossible Goodbyes. The story has a lot of sacrifices and decisions that were hard to make, like this one, â€Å"Please, I beg of you, let’s not waste time talking about my [Aunt Tiger] coming along anymore† (Choi 125). It is a true story based on her experience under the dictatorship of the Japanese Imperial Government during World War II. After the war ended and the Japanese lost, Russia sent troops into Northern Korea to accept the surrender of the Japanese. As the Russian Communists occupy North Korea and threaten Korean civilians, Sookan, the narrator, faces the Japanese, the Russians, and her fight into South Korea. After I read this marvelous novel it reminded me of my family; I assure you it is one of my favorite books, and while I read this book, I learned that I could have different emotions! The novel reminded me of my family because they are always with me while Sookan’s parents, from time to time, were apart from her. Her Grandfather had always reminded them â€Å"Harmony will prevail, after darkness there will be light, yet we cannot have the light without the dark. Better days are bound to come now† as Cabuco 2 some of the family members were away (Choi 46). When I used to be alone at home with my grandfather, he used to tell me something similar to this about always sticking together, but when alone do not lose hope. Inchun reminds me of myself when I was small, because I used to follow my brothers everywhere, and I used to annoy them by whining and crying. This novel became one of my favorite novels because it taught me about pain, sacrifices, and loss. I could feel the pain Sookan went through as I read â€Å"I eard the dogs drawing closer and I thrust my body under the wire. The barbs dug into me. My hair was caught, my clothes ripped, and I could feel the blood pooling in the cuts on my back† (Choi 164). Therefore, they had a lot of sacrifices of leaving their homeland, friends, and the precious things of grandfather. They even lost Kisa, Aunt Tiger, the sock girls, and Unhi. As Sookan says herself â€Å"I wouldnt have lost so much if it werent for the Japanese† (F. , Anna). This statement is actually true because without the sacrifices and losses, they would not have made it for freedom. I also like this book because I think not many books are written about wars whose author has experienced it, but this book was. As I read this novel, I learned that I could have different emotions. At first, I thought it was boring since it had a lot of details and the first chapter was long, but as this story gets to its plot, I got interested as Sookan’s feelings are being expressed. â€Å"Can you blame them? How are they to know there’s anything better? Your Americans aren’t here. I [Aunt Tiger] heard they’re in Japan helping the Japanese! They’re nearby now, but they just don’t care about us,† I felt helpless, annoyed, and disappointed about the situation for being abandoned as I read this quote (Choi 106). I was getting irritated by how brutal the Japanese and Cabuco 3 Russians were treating the Koreans. I felt really annoyed by Inchun’s whining, crying, and complaining. As Sookan and Inchun arrived at their home in South Korea, I felt really lugubrious that they did not find their mother there, as they hoped they would. I felt really happy that they finally reached the South. I also like how the author’s choice of words, as they can really give the reader, like myself, vivid imageries and different emotions. I have no words to explain what I think about this novel, but I can assure that it has become one of my favorite books. As I was reading this novel till the very end, I found myself with different emotions. It reminded me of my parents and I felt so blessed that they were always with me. It is really easy to have a favorite book, but it is hard to know what it has really taught me. This book has really inspired me, that is why it has become one of my favorite books. The author has great choice of words that filled me with different emotions. Above all, I would rate it nine point five out of ten, because ten is reserved for the best book and I was quite bored to it until the novel got to its plot. I really like the part about understanding the life at war from someone, like the author, who has experienced it. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially to the little ones as they know very little about life at war. After reading this novel, the reader will feel really inspired by this wonderful novel from the author who has experienced it all.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Globalization And Trade Liberalisation Economics Essay

Globalization And Trade Liberalisation Economics Essay The current period in the world economy is regarded as period of globalization and trade liberalisation. In this period, one of the crucial issues in Development and International Economics is to know whether trade openness indeed promotes growth. With globalization, two major trends are noticeable: first is the emergence of multinational firms with strong presence in different, strategically located markets; and secondly, convergence of consumer tastes for the most competitive products, irrespective of where they are made. In this context of the world as a global village, regional integration constitutes an effective means of not only improving the level of participation of countries in the sub-region in world trade, but also their integration into the borderless and interlinked global economy.(NEEDS, 2005) Since 1950, the world economy has experienced a massive liberalisation of world trade, initially under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), established in 1947, and currently under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which replaced the GATT in 1993. Tariff levels in both developed and developing countries have reduced drastically, averaging approximately 4% and 20% respectively, even though the latter is relatively high. Also, non-tariff barriers to trade, such as quotas, licenses and technical specifications, are also being gradually dismantled, but at a slower rate when compared with tariffs. The liberalisation of trade has led to a massive expansion in the growth of world trade relative to world output. While world output (or GDP) has expanded fivefold, the volume of world trade has grown 16 times at an average compound rate of just over 7% per annum. In fact, It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand the growth and development process of countries without reference to their trading performance. (Thirlwall, 2000). Likewise, Fontagnà © and Mimouni (2000) asserted that since the end of the European recovery after World War II, tariff rates have been divided by 10 at the world level, international trade has been multiplied by 17, world income has quadrupled, and income per capita has doubled. Incidentally, it is well known that periods of openness have generally been associated with prosperity, whereas protectionism has been the companion of recessions. In addition, the trade performance of individual countries tends to be a good indicator of economic performance since well performing countries tend to record higher rates of GDP growth. In total, there is a common perception that even if imperfect competition and second best situations offer the possibility of welfare improving trade policies, on average free trade is better than no trade. From the ongoing discussion, it is evident that trade is very important in promoting and sustaining the growth and development of an economy. No country can isolate herself from trading with the rest of the world because trade acts as a catalyst of growth. Thus Nigeria, being part of the world, is no exemption. For this reason, there is a need to thoroughly examine the nature of relationship between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. Trade Openness And Output Growth: Historical Experience Of The Nigerian economy Today, Nigeria is regarded to have the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. In the last three decades, there has been little or no progress made in alleviating poverty despite the massive effort made and the many programmes established for that purpose. Indeed, as in many other sub-Saharan Africa countries, both the number of poor and the proportion of poor have been increasing in Nigeria. In particular, the 1998 United Nations Human Development Report declares that 48% of Nigerias population lives below the poverty line. According to the Report (UNDP, 1998), the bitter reality of the Nigerian situation is not just that the poverty level is getting worse by the day but more than four in ten Nigerians live in conditions of extreme poverty of less than N320 per capita per month, which barely provides for a quarter of the nutritional requirements of healthy living. This is approximately US$8.2 per month or US27 cents per day. Doug Addison (undated) further explained that the Nigerian economy is not merely volatile; it is one of the most volatile economies in the world. There is evidence that this volatility is adversely affecting the real growth rate of Nigerias gross domestic product (GDP) by inhibiting investment and reducing the productivity of investment, both public and private (see figure 1 below). Economic theory and empirical evidence suggest that sustained high future growth and poverty reduction are unlikely without a significant reduction in volatility. Oil price fluctuations drive only part of Nigerias volatility; policy choices have also contributed to the problem. Yet policy choices are available that can help accelerate growth and thus help reduce the percentage of people living in poverty, despite the severity of Nigerias problems. Figure During the period 1960-1997, Nigerias growth rate of per capita GDP of 1.45% compares unfavourably with that reported by other countries, especially those posted by China and the Asian Tigers such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. Viewed in this comparative perspective, Nigerias per capita income growth has been woefully low and needs to be improved upon. (Iyoha and Oriakhi, 2002). In like manner, Ogujiuba, Oji and Adenuga (2004) wrote that the Nigerian economy has severally been described as a difficult environment for business. With a population growth of about 3%, it has been acknowledged that the current average output growth rate of less than 4% will see the country being poorer in the next decade. A study conducted by Iyoha and Oriakhi (2002) on Nigerias per capita GNP from 1964 to 1997 shows that it rose steadily from US$120 to US$780 in 1981. Thereafter, it fell almost steadily to US$280 in 1997. Thus, between 1964 and 1981, income per capita increased by 550% or at an annual average rate of 32.3% while between 1981 and 1997, it fell by 64.1% or at an annual average rate of 4%. It is worth noting that if income per capita had continued to increase beyond 1981 as it did before then, Nigerias GNP per capita would have equaled US$1,279 in 1997. The difference between US$280 and US$1,279, i.e., approximately US$1,000.00, is a rough measure of the cost to the average Nigerian of domestic macroeconomic policy mistakes and adverse international economic shocks. Likewise, in 1960 agricultural exports accounted for 70.8% of total exports while petroleum accounted for only 2.6%. Exports of other commodities like tin and processed goods amounted to 26.6% of total exports. By 1970 agric ultural exports only accounted for 33% of total exports while petroleum exports had started to establish dominance by exceeding 58% of total exports. By the time the oil boom began in earnest in 1974, petroleum exports accounted for approximately 93% of all exports. The relative share of agricultural exports in total exports had shrunk to 5.4% while other products accounted for the remaining 1.9%. Since 1974, with the exception of 1978 when the relative share of petroleum in total exports amounted to 89.1%, petroleums share in exports has consistently exceeded 90%. Indeed, since 1990, the relative share of petroleum in total exports has exceeded 96%. Agricultures contribution has fluctuated between 0.5% and 2.3% while the share of other products has fluctuated between 0.5% and 1.7%. Thus, petroleum exportation has totally dominated the economy and indeed government finances since the mid-1970s. Meanwhile, a puzzling and disturbing aspect of Nigerias export boom is that the growth it generated did not seem to be lasting or to have had a significant effect in changing the structure of the economy. For instance, in the 1970s, there was a major increase in measured GDP but the structure of the economy remained basically unchanged (see figure 2 below). This led Professor Yesufu (1995) to describe the Nigerian economy as one that had experienced growth without development. Figure During the period of 1970-1985, import substitution industrialization (ISI) strategy was a dominant feature of trade policy in Nigeria. The trade policy was generally inward oriented. Under this ISI strategy, infant manufacturing industries were protected using high tariffs, import quotas, and other trade restrictions like import licensing. Non-tariff barriers to trade such as import prohibitions were also utilized. During this period, trade policy was also adjusted in response to the exigencies of the balance of payments. Also, Nigeria was operating a fixed exchange rate regime under which the value of the naira was essentially tied to the U.S. dollar and gold. It is worth noting that the trade policy pursued during this period resulted in a rapid increase in manufacturing production and employment, particularly during the era of the oil boom (1975-1980) and that led to a rise in the share of manufacturing in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 5.6% in 1962/63 to 8.7% in 1986. (Iyoha and Oriakhi, 2002). In 1986, Nigeria adopted the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the IMF/World Bank in 1986. With the adoption of SAP in 1986, there was a radical shift from inward-oriented trade policies to outward-oriented trade policies in Nigeria. These are policies and measures that emphasize production and trade along the lines dictated by a countrys comparative advantage such as export promotion and export diversification, reduction or elimination of import tariffs, and the adoption of market-determined exchange rates. Some of the aims of the Structural Adjustment Programme adopted in 1986 were diversification of the structure of exports, diversification of the structure of production, reduction in the over-dependence on imports, and reduction in the overdependence on petroleum exports. The main SAP measures were: deregulation of the exchange rate trade liberalization deregulation of the financial sector adoption of appropriate pricing policies especially for petroleum products rationalization and privatisation of public sector enterprises and abolition of commodity Marketing Boards. However, as a result of trade liberalization gospel of the SAP, the Nigerian external sector has really grown in leaps and bound. For instance, the total domestic exports of Nigeria in 2006 amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦7555141.32 million as against à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦6621303.64 million in 2005 showing an increase of 14.10%. Domestic exports recorded negative growth rates in 1993(7.70%), 1994(45.5%), 1997(2.03%), 1998(38.48%), and 2001(27.06%). The largest increase in domestic exports was witnessed in 1995(448.42%). Total imports (c.i.f) stood at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦2922248.46 as against à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦1779601.57 million in 2005 recording an increase of 64.20%. Total imports also recorded negative growth rates in 1994(45.72%), 1998(9.41%) and 2004(18.07%). The value of total merchandise trade amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦10477389.78 million in 2006 as against à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦45272.24 recorded in 1987. External trade was dominated by domestic exports between 1987 and 2006 averaging 67.17% while impo rts (c.i.f) averaged 32.82% (see figure 3 below). Consequently, the trade balance was positive between 1987 and 2006. Oil exports remains the dominant component of export trade in Nigeria between 1987 and 2006 accounting for about 93.33% of total domestic exports. On the other hand, non-oil exports accounted for a small value of 6.67% over the same period. (NBS report, 2008). Figure Therefore, it could be understood that SAP involved the deregulation and liberalization of the Nigerian economy. This policy thrust dovetailed nicely with the emerging international orthodoxy to the effect that deregulation and economic liberalization would yield the optimal allocation of scarce resources, reduce waste, and promote rapid economic growth in developing countries. Unfortunately, there has been no significant progress made in the achievement of these objectives. The economy is still excessively dependent on petroleum exports while the degree of openness of the economy has increased. The trade openness of the economy has significantly increased in the past three decades, with the trade-GDP ratio rising from 31.54% in 1970, to 46.91% in 1980, 57.23% in 1990, 88.16% in 1995, 85.26% in 2003 and 57.63% in 2007(see figure 4 below). Indeed, in the 1990s the ratio of trade to GDP has averaged 70%. This extreme openness of the economy could be disadvantageous in that it makes the country highly susceptible to internationally transmitted business cycles, and, in particular, internationally transmitted shocks (like commodity price collapse). A good example of this effect on the Nigerian economy is that of the global food crisis of 2007 and current global economic/financial crisis. Figure Statement of Research Problem Nwafor Manson (undated) noted that the Nigerias trade policy over the years has been determined by one/more of the following: Need to protect and stimulate domestic production (import capital goods at low prices etc) Need to ameliorate /prevent balance of payment problems Need to boost the value of the Naira Need to be competitive and enjoy the benefits of openness Need to increase revenue and International agreements. Today, as part of moving with the trend of globalization and trade liberalisation in the global economic system, Nigeria is a member of and a signatory to many international and regional trade agreements such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and so many others. The policy response of such economic partnership on trade has been to remove trade barriers, reduce tariffs, and embark on outward-oriented trade policies. Despite all her effort to meet up with the demands of these economic partnerships in terms of opening up her border, according to the 2007 assessment of the Trade Policy Review, Nigerias trade freedom was rated 56% making her the worlds 131st freest economy while the countrys GDP was rank 161st in the world in February, 2009. The economy has struggled vigorously to stimulate growth through openness to trade. In fact, it seems that as the country put greater effort to boost her economic growth by opening up to trade with the global economy, the more she becomes worse-off relative to her trading partners in terms of country output growth. Having reviewed the related literatures and considering the structure of the Nigerian economy as related to trade openness and output growth, we may then ask the following questions: Does trade openness have any significant impact on output growth in Nigeria? Is there any other macroeconomic variable that has significant impact on output growth in Nigeria? Is there any linear association (correlation) between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria? Is there long run relationship between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria? Has there been any significant structural change in output growth between the pre-SAP and post-SAP period in Nigeria? Objective of the Study The broad objective of this research work is to study, in its entirety, the relationship between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. This broad objective can be subdivided into the following smaller objectives: To examine the impact of trade openness on output growth in Nigeria. To identify other internal and external macroeconomic shocks that determine output growth in Nigeria. To determine the linear association (correlation) between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. To ascertain the possibility of long run relationship between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. To determine the possibility of structural changes (if any) in output growth between the pre-SAP and post-SAP period. Statement of Research Hypothesis In view of the foregoing study, with respect to trade openness and output growth in Nigeria, the following null hypotheses will be tested: Ho: Trade openness does not have any significant impact on output growth in Nigeria. Ho: There is no other macroeconomic variable (internal and external) that have significant impact on output growth in Nigeria. Ho: There is no linear association (correlation) between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. Ho: There is no long run relationship between trade openness and output growth in Nigeria. Ho: There is no significant structural change in output growth between the pre-SAP and post-SAP period. Justification of the Study Nigeria is currently undergoing a series of transformation in every sector of the economy, including the external sector of the economy. The countrys economic policy in the last two decades had one dominating theme which is an integral part of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) trade liberalization. This policy was espoused on the argument that it enhances the welfare of consumers and reduces poverty as it offers wider platform for choice from among wider variety of quality goods and cheaper imports. Today, there are many existing literature on the topical issue of trade openness and growth of which some support the axiom that openness is directly correlated to greater economic growth with the main operational implication being that governments should dismantle the barriers to trade. The focal point of this research work is to identify the short comings and benefits of this argument as well as check the validity of this mainstream axiom in Nigeria in the presence of various i nternal and external shocks. Significance of the Study The role of international trade in the developmental journey of an economy can not be overemphasized, especially with the current trend of globalization. Nigeria, being part of the global village, is not left out of this world development. This research work is carried out to study how trade openness has influenced the performance of the Nigerian economy through output growth in the presence of other internal and external shocks. The findings of this research work transcend beyond mere academic brainstorming, but will be of immense benefit to federal agencies, policy makers, intellectual researchers and international trade think tanks that occasionally prescribe and suggest policy options to the government on trade related issues. It will also help the government to see the effectiveness of trade liberalization policy on the economic growth of the nation over the years. This research work will further serve as a guide and provide insight for future research on this topic and related field for students who are willing to improve on it. It will also educate the public on various government policies as related to trade issues. Scope and Limitation of the Study This research work span through the period of 1970-2007 (38 years), and is within the geographical zone of Nigeria. Thus, it is a country-specific research. This research exercise, like every other research work, is really a rigorous one that consumes much time and energy especially in the area of data sourcing, data computation and modeling. The work is relatively limited base on time and financial constraints, data availability, precision of data and data range, and methodology adopted which could further be verified by future research. Nevertheless, the researchers have properly organized the research so as to present dependable results which can aid effective policy making and implementation at least for the time being. Chapter Summary and Prospect In this chapter, we have introduced the concept of openness and output growth, the problems this study seeks to address, the targeted objective of the study and the hypotheses this study seeks to verify. We have also explained the justification for and the significance of this study as well as the scope and limitations of this study. In the next chapter, we shall review the related literature, both theoretical and empirical, as well as limitations of the previous studies. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Openness refers to the degree of dependence of an economy on international trade and financial flows. Trade openness measures the international competitiveness of a country in the global market. Thus, we may talk of trade openness and financial openness. Trade openness is often measured by the ratio of import to GDP or alternatively, the ratio of trade to GDP. It is now generally accepted that increased openness with respect to both trade and capital flows will be beneficial to a country. Increased openness facilitates greater integration into global markets. Integration and globalisation are beneficial to developing countries although there are also some potential risks. (Iyoha and Oriakhi, 2002). Trade openness is interpreted to include import and export taxes, as well as explicit non-tariff distortions of trade or in varying degrees of broadness to cover such matters as exchange-rate policies, domestic taxes and subsidies, competition and other regulatory policies, education polic ies, the nature of the legal system, the form of government, and the general nature of institutions and culture (Baldwin, 2002). 2.2 Theoretical Literature The issue of whether trade and increased openness would lead to higher rate of economic growth is an age-old question which has sustained debate between pro-traders and protectionists over the years from classicalists like Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, to John Maynard Keynes, Raul Prebisch, Hans Singer, Paul Krugman and so on. Theorists from both theses have influenced policy in many countries and at various stage of development. There has also been a huge policy debate about what constitute good and bad policies for these countries, especially the developing countries including Nigeria. Should these countries completely open up to international trade? Or should they instead, at least temporarily, protect some or all of their industries from the world market forces? Formal arguments have been developed pro and con of both theses. These arguments were discussed extensively by Maskus (1998) thus: Argument One: Economies will grow faster if they protect domestic industry from import competition. This is a general statement of the Infant-Industry Hypothesis, which states that manufacturing sectors in underdeveloped economies must be sheltered from competition in order to have the incentive to invest capital, learn how to produce goods efficiently, take advantage of scale economies through large-scale production, and develop innovative or distinctive products that can be sold on world markets. The broadest application of the infant-industry argument for isolation from global markets emerged in the widespread use of import substitution policies in developing countries. A policy of import substitution for industrialization purposes (ISI) involves extensively controlling virtually all components of the economy in order to direct resources into manufacturing. It is an old idea, but its modern origins come from economists writing in the 1950s and 1960s (Arthur Lewis, Raul Prebish, Hans Singer, Gunnar Myrdal, others), who claimed that developing economies faced two fundamental probl ems. First, their status as primary-commodity exporters left them vulnerable to world swings in commodity prices (e.g., oil, sugar, tin, copper, etc.) and also that over the long run, commodity prices would decline relative to manufacturing prices and costs of new technologies. Second, because developing countries have high population growth rates and abundant labor supplies, it would be difficult to absorb workers into primary production. Rather than waiting for comparative advantage to push resources into labor-intensive manufacturing, it would be better to force industrialization through ISI policies. Such programs became common in the 1950s throughout Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. They are still much in evidence in many countries. Policies imposed in a thorough ISI program include the following. Escalating tariffs, or tariff rates that rise with the stage of processing. Thus, low tariffs on primary goods, medium tariffs on industrial inputs and machinery, and high tariffs on final goods, particularly consumer goods such as food products, clothing, cosmetics, automobiles, and so on. Such tariff structures establish very high effective rates of protection for final goods, meaning that auto factories and so on were strongly protected. Considerable taxes on production of primary commodities in order to push labor out of the countryside and into the cities for developing manufacturing. Such taxes include tariffs on imported fertilizers, price ceilings at very low rates for crops, export taxes on farm goods, and so on. For these reasons, ERPs in agriculture were often strongly negative, vastly reducing output and productivity in farming. Fixing exchange rates at expensive levels (i.e., overvaluing the domestic currency), again in order to discourage primary exports and production and also to reduce the cost of imported inputs for manufacturing sectors. Such exchange rates tended to generate large trade deficits, forcing governments to borrow from abroad and build up debt. It also required setting and controlling multiple exchange rates, so that capital and input transactions could take place at cheaper rates than goods imports in order to protect domestic industry. Extensive systems of quotas and licensing for imports and production. Rigorous controls on FDI coming into the country, requiring foreign firms to meet certain performance requirements. Also controls on imported technologies, with governments placing restrictions on costs of technology and under what terms it would be transferred to local firms. Extensive nationalization of industry to establish state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in key sectors, such as petroleum, steel, chemicals, construction, banking, and airlines. These industry champions received government subsidies and were favored in the process of capital allocation, typically being allowed to borrow at very low rates from state banks (usually at negative real interest rates). To some degree these policies successfully pushed industrialization, but rarely of an efficient kind. Developing countries are full of large manufacturing operations that operate at inefficiently low scales because market sizes are small and product quality is not good enough to penetrate export markets, which is a costly activity. These operations are partly supported by government subsidies, generating vested interests in keeping them going and opposing liberalization. Relative prices of goods are heavily distorted by the various subsidies, trade restrictions, and licenses. Other unintended effects include massive shifts of workers into the cities and worsened sanitation and health problems. However, the question is whether such policies have limited growth. Evidently many other factors are at work. What seems clear is that such countries have not performed well in terms of acquiring and improving technologies, have lagged significantly behind in product innovation and adaptation, have inefficient and distorted agricultural and manufacturing sectors, and have not performed well in building human capital, physical capital, and infrastructure. Some relevant figures are given later. Thus, these sources of growth have likely been limited in countries pursuing ISI programs. Argument Two: Countries will grow faster if they are open to international competition This is the basic hope underlying trade-reform programs that involve extensive liberalization of trade and investment barriers, reduction of controls on technology transfers, unification of tariff rates and domestic tax rates, removal of consumption and production subsidies, and deregulation of industry and privatization of state-owned enterprises. It is the essential philosophy behind World Bank loans to facilitate restructuring and IMF lending packages that require microeconomic structural reforms. It is also a very old idea (going back to Adam Smith and David Ricardo at least) but its modern translation into trade liberalization largely began with the reforms in Chile in the 1970s advocated by the Chicago School of economists (e.g. Milton Friedman, George Stigler). A somewhat different version of this approach is (to contrast it with ISI) called export promotion, which is the policy followed largely by East Asian and Western countries. These approaches are not necessarily liberal in the sense of free competition. There are many examples of sheltered and subsidized domestic firms or industrial groupings; much of this protection was designed to encourage infant industries to mature and export. However, the key component of export promotion programs is not to discourage exports, as is done under ISI programs. The basic policies under export promotion include the following. Properly valued exchange rates, meaning exchange rates that do not discriminate between imports and exports. This is accomplished either through flexible rates or pegged exchange rates that are allowed to move gradually to account for inflation differences between the country in question and major export markets. In this sense, the exchange rate did not impose any tax on exports. Remove taxes on export production and, indeed, make the tax and tariff system as neutral as possible across sectors of production. Thus, while in most of these nations agricultural production was protected from import competition, in manufacturing there was relatively little discrimination across types of goods. It is for this reason that export-promotion policies are far closer to open trade policies than are ISI policies. There were certainly major exceptions to this rule in many export-promotion countries, however. Rather than rely largely on import protection to promote infant industries, some active forms of export promotion in manufacturing and high-tech sectors were taken, including favorable allocation of loans and subsidies and rebates of import tariffs paid on imported industrial inputs. Recognizing that exporting is harder than cutting off imports because exports require improving levels of quality and considerable foreign marketing costs, East Asian firms have emphasized quality control and access to foreign technologies on favorable terms. Governments have supported this by ensuring strong public educational efforts, investments in infrastructure for exports, and technology transfer policies that attempted to force inward technology flows at cheap prices. Recent problems in some countries (especially Asian countries) indicate that while export-promotion strategies may have contributed to growth, they ultimately cause serious problems of overproduction (excess capacity) relative to the economys ability to consume commodities. (Maskus, 1998) The World Bank favors lifting the protectionist measures that have locked low-income countries out of rich-country export markets. In fact, most international bodies (WTO, IMF, World Bank etc) strongly support the case for trade openness and financial liberalisation when setting up programs for developing countries or when multilateral meetings occur. Some of the arguments put forward in favour of increased openness to trade include the following: Specialization: Gains from specialisation in the good in which the country has a comparative advantage such as productivity gains, lowe