Proposition 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposition 13 - Essay Example Proposition 13 was the result of a taxpayer revolt against escalating and uncertain tax rates. Viewed as one of the first signs of the coming Reagan Revolution, the radical conservative approach rippled across the country as key provisions of the act were enacted in several other states (Menrow). The most immediate and severe impact of Prop 13 was felt by the school districts that lost over half their revenue creating a crisis in many of California's public schools. In response, California passed a number of bills that eased the pressure on school systems. Overall, tax revenues going to schools decreased between 9% and 15%, with the wealthier districts losing the higher amount ("The Special Challenge"). Prop 13 resulted in the school systems in California moving from local community control to control by the state. It further gave property owners the ability to calculate and plan for their tax rate, enabling low income and fixed income households to maintain possession of their prope rty and avoiding losing their homes due to unaffordable taxes. The focus of Prop 13 was to give the taxpayer a known and predictable property tax rate. It set a maximum tax rate at 1% and limited valuation increases to 2% per year. Upon selling a property, it would then be revalued at the market value. The 1% limit imposed by Prop 13 was about 1/3 of the rate prior to its passage. Prop 13 further limited local taxation by requiring a 2/3 majority in the legislature and 2/3 public vote to increases local taxes. These actions put the responsibility for funding the public school system on the state and in doing so, the state took control of the schools and away from local communities. Recent amendments have lowered the threshold for voter approval to 55%, which has allowed local governments to raise additional funding when necessary. Impact of Proposition 13 The impact of the loss of revenue was most clearly felt by local school districts. Schools, faced with fewer dollars, were forced to delay improvements and in some cases resulted in the cutting of programs. However, the long-term result has not led to the bankruptcy of California's schools. Bolstered by "bailout bills" that benefited education, the schools continued to operate under state control at or near the previous level of funding. In 2001-2002 California teachers were ranked at the top of the pay scale compared to other states (Bell). Faced with the loss of revenue, many cities increased fees on everything from traffic violations, to home inspections, and service taxes on hotels and restaurants (Wood). Along with innovative taxation, changes in Prop 13 over the years have made it easier for local communities to raise money for schools by reducing the 2/3 voter approval to 55%. Critics have pointed to the lower test scores in California schools since the inception of Prop 13 an d linked them to the reduced funding. Per pupil spending has been reduced and is currently about $650 below the national per pupil average. The falling test scores are due to several reasons and lower funding may be just one facet of the problem. Immigration, state educational policies, and an activist teachers union may have more impact on test scores than reduced funding. Relations between the state and local governments have been strained as local government officials, in need of funding, have become

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

Legalizing Prostitution - Research Paper Example First of all, several individuals note that prostitution should remain illegal, so as preserve morality within a given community. Many people especially with families do not want their children growing up knowing that prostitution is acceptable and it is a moral practice within the society. Analysts argue that Christians are among the groups of people that look down upon prostitution and perceive it as immoral. The topic of whether prostitution should be legalized or not has become very contentious. This essay will undertake a study of the advantages and disadvantages of prostitution in an attempt to decode the best stand for the society at large. Legalized prostitution has been documented to promote safety in the neighborhoods. The police and the government authorities will not only put restriction measures in the brothels and prostitution institutions but also offer protection services. In situations where prostitutes rob clients, the client will be in a better position to report to the authorities for action and punishment. The prostitutes, on the other hand, will not fear reporting crimes committed to them. The legal measures put in place will deter prostitutes from committing crimes to their clients.Legalization of prostitution will reduce the rates of crime within the society. When a woman is accused of prostitution, she feels intimidated and will not seek for employment due to embarrassment. This makes them get involved in crime, the reason many women are jailed in this contemporary era. Unlike when prostitution is legalized, women will be free to conduct prostitution thus reducing the rate of unemployment and crime rates among women. With legalization most of the crimes committed to the prostitutes and clients will reduce because women will have specific protected areas to do their business. Legalization of prostitution will put law enforcement measures to better use. For instance, instead of the government using the law enforcement resources in curbing prostitution in the society, they can make use of the resource to fight other serious crimes committed against persons or property (Clark p.86). Lots of resources are more often than not put in place to curb prostitution but, all these efforts seem to go to waste because prostitution is still rampant. If prostitution is legalized, then the government would have an easier time dealing with prostitutes in the society. It m ay be said that the fight against prostitution is doomed to fail, since there are no well established ways of dealing with prostitutes, as well as clients. The authority may harass the prostitutes, but will not stop them from doing what they do best. A study conducted by the Rand Corporation in the city of Los Angeles found that the authorities have done nothing except push the prostitutes across the city's boundaries (Pheterson p.105). This shows that there is a immense predicament within the society in relation to the legalization process. There are those individuals who are not ready accept the process not considering that the vice affects their lives in one way or another. The governments around the world should protect other individual rights, like right to property rather than getting too concerned with issues of prostitution that are difficult to control. Studies indicate that prostitutes go through a very difficult time whilst conducting their day to day activities. Some pro stitutes are normally beaten, harassed and with no resources dedicated towards protection of their rights; they end up suffering a great mile. With legalization and free market for prostitution to take place, the prostitutes will have rights to police protection and to legal provision of resources.

Factors for Consideration when Starting a Business

Factors for Consideration when Starting a Business Below are some reasons why a person would like to set up his /her own business. Control If a person has its own business; it gives them more control over how much money they make and how much they will work to gain more. When a person starts his business it is solely dependent on the person how to start and maintain it in future. In short the control comes in the persons hand and there is no one elses control over him. Choice When a person starts his/her own business, it gives him/her freedom to whatever they want to do. For instance, it gives you a choice whether you want to do business and job together or deal in various products of your own choice. Moreover, being a freelancer or an independent contractor gives a person freedom regarding which jobs they choose to take. Business Decisions If a person has his own business the success or failure of the business solely depends on your business decisions. For example, having your own business means you make the choices instead of having them made for you by an employer and the choices made decides if u fail or succeed, which in turn tells whether your decision was worth for a business. It gives you motivation to improve yourself in future and makes you a better businessman. Satisfaction Some people start their own business for themselves because they have a skill or a product to offer. They enjoy being obsessive about what they do. Moreover, starting your own business gives a person satisfaction as whatever they do they do for themselves and they can work hard to earn as much money as they want and there is no fixed salary. Job loss When a person loses his job, he may take his work experience and professional contacts and start his own business to make him less vulnerable to risks. Get creative Starting up a new business, provides and entrepreneur to bring his creativity out. If a person has considered going it alone, he will have thought out how you would do things your way. Being an entrepreneur gives him the freedom to express himself and develop his concept in any way he chooses. Of course, there are always financial constraints, but the ability to be as creative as you like is far more appealing than a one-dimensional job. Very profitable If you think that its just large corporations that make big profits, you would be wrong. There are countless stories of entrepreneurs hitting on a great idea, exploiting it well and being well on their way to their first million by the end of the year. Although the start-up process can be tough, with long hours and little money not uncommon, if you run your business well, the rewards can be huge. And, from a purely selfish point of view, you will get most of the profits yourself. Unfortunately, many of the businesses are more likely to fail in its initial years because of the difficulties that commonly plague struggling companies suffer from. These difficulties occur in every business in its early years as the business is new to everyone even to the management itself. Some of these reasons are elucidated below. Insufficient Capital A common fatal mistake for many failed businesses is having insufficient operating funds. Business owners underestimate how much money is needed and they are forced to close before they even have had a fair chance to succeed. They also may have an unrealistic expectation of incoming revenues from sales. It is imperative to ascertain how much money your business will require; not only the costs of starting, but the costs of staying in business. It is important to take into consideration that many businesses take a year or two to get going. This means you will need enough funds to cover all costs until sales can eventually pay for these costs. Lack of planning Successful businesses just don not happen instead they need planning to make it happen. They are the outcome of deliberate and well-executed business plans. Many businessmen are so eager to get started that they neglect business planning and start a business with a dream and an idea. That might motivate you to get it started but not necessarily to succeed. If a person wants to setup his business it is necessary to have a business plan first and then start. Overspending Many startups spend their seed money before cash has begun to flow in at a positive rate. This often happens because of misconception about how business operates. If youre just starting out in business, seek out seasoned veterans you can bounce your ideas off of prior to making big financial commitments. Inadequate funding Another common reason for small business failure is a absence of adequate funding, especially during the critical start-up period. Inadequate funding severely limits the capacity and looms the ability to grow beyond the initial stage of life. One should resist himself from the urge to start until he have attained all of the funding which they know they need to do it right. Bad marketing Quite often a person creates a business that sells the best product at the best price but still fails because no one knows it exists. Marketing about the product is critical if the business is going to have any chance of becoming the flourishing venture. Unreliable suppliers The ability to maintain proper levels of inventory is directly relative to the quality of a persons relationships with reliable suppliers. Developing effective supply channels can take some time but it is quite necessary in a business as whatever you sell should be good enough to attract customers to buy it. Staffing imbalances Labour is the biggest expense for most businesses. Therefore, it only makes sense that its worth your time to make sure that your company employs the right amount of people. For example, employing too many employees will have a bad effect on the business capital and employing very few employees will result in performance will. Making the perfect balance is not easy, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Ineffective sales performance Sales are a key element in the success of any businesses. Poor sales, on the other hand, are an indication that your business might be in jeopardy. A person should maintain a close eye on sales patterns and trends, and hire the best sales staff, which they can afford to keep the money regularly coming in. 1.3 The important factors which are necessary to start up a business are:- Knowledge/Expertise Any business needs some amount of basic knowledge and experience. It is very essential that the owner is aware about the business he plans to start. Knowledge and expertise about the product or service are keys to a successful business. Moreover, if a person has limited knowledge the owner may not be able to sustain the business and can be fooled by the vendors, suppliers and competitors. Expert knowledge is especially required if the field of business is a niche field. For instance, the construction or software industry would require more knowledge as against a retail business selling a particular brand of clothes or shoes. Location Deciding an ideal location for the business is a strategic and an important one. A good location goes a long way in making the business successful. The location needs to be carefully chosen. Some places have advantages over the others. A location should be explored on the basis where the raw materials can be easily sourced, the manpower would be easily available and it is easy to save on transportation costs. Moreover, choosing a location depends upon the nature of the business. For instance, a retail business should to be located in a well-populated area and one which is easily accessible. Competition Before entering new business, information about market competition needs to be found out. In case a product is a monopoly then the competition will not matter. Otherwise the success of the business will depend upon the demand and supply gap. Thus if there is a huge demand then you can enter the business in spite of the market competition. Otherwise you will need to be stronger than the competitors to gain an entry. Normally existing firms will always have an advantage due to the experience they have and because they may be well equipped. The question which needs to be answered is What is unique about the product / service which will be offered to survive the market competition? Information such as who are the competitors, what is their market strategy and what factors are required to compete with them are important. Financing/Capital After identifying the initial costs required for starting the business, it is necessary to look for the sources of funding like bank loan or sponsors. It is very essential to have adequate funds to start a business as lack of funds will have a bad impact on the business which may lead to the failure of it. Laws, Rules, Regulation Setting up a new business would require compliance with various laws regulations. Each country is governed by separate laws and regulations which require that any new business be registered with certain authorities and meets certain compliance. Thus registration of the name of the company may be required with Ministry of Commerce for instance. Further details need to be provided regarding the workforce and certain deductions may be required from the staff (such as tax) which would need to be deposited with the respected Government bodies. Awareness is required of such rules and regulations. It is always better to consult a lawyer before setting up a new business in an unknown environment. There are certain accounting / consultancy firms which would have a division giving advice on legal and statutory compliance. In case of lack of expertise it is better to approach a lawyer / accounting / consultancy firms. 1. 4 The heart of the issue with Human Resources is the skills-base of the business. What skills does the business already possess? Are they sufficient to meet the needs of the chosen strategy? Could the skills-base be flexed / stretched to meet the new requirements? An audit of human resources would include assessment of the following factors: Existing staffing resources Numbers of staff by function, location, grade, experience, qualification, remuneration Existing rate of staff loss (natural wastage) Overall standard of training and specific training standards in key roles Assessment of key intangibles e.g. morale, business culture Changes required to resources What changes to the organisation of the business are included in the strategy (e.g. change of location, new locations, new products)? What incremental human resources are required? How should they be sourced? (alternatives include employment, outsourcing, joint ventures etc.) 1.5 1.6 A business finance source is a way a business can obtain funding, either for start-up or operating expenses. There are many different types of sources like sales, loans, and investors. Each has different terms, benefits and disadvantages. Business owners tend to use two or more different sources in order to fund their business. Business finance sources fall into two main categories:- Internal funding Internal funding comes from the profits made by the business by sale of products or assets. These are the funds which the company has on its own like the income of the company, the money they have of their own etc. External funding External funding comes from lenders and investors. The most common external finance sources are loans. Short and long-term loans require borrowers to repay funds at an interest rate for a set period of time. Overdraft loans allow a borrower to spend a certain amount of money, and the lender charges interest on the overdraft amount. Before deciding which method is best for a company, business owners should consider a variety of factors. The cost of the business finance source usually is the most important factor considered. Owners look at the interest rates and payment plans to determine the profitability of obtaining a certain funding source. Businesses that have a history financial stability may want to consider an internal source of revenue before opting for an external source. Its also important to determine how long the business will need additional funding. A short-term loan would be best for projects that would only take a short time to complete. Business finance start-up generally refers to the cost to start a new business. It includes determining, calculating, and obtaining start-up costs, as well as managing those finances effectively to ensure the profitability of a new business. The first steps to business finance start-up are to determine and estimate the amount of funds needed to open a business. These start-up expenses may include one-time fees, such as permits and licenses needed to operate the business. Initial costs may also include on-going fees, such as rent and utility payments. Business owners usually only include the necessary expenses when determining the total cost to start-up. In order to estimate the amount of funds needed for the business, owners should set up worksheets that list each expense and how much it costs. 1.7 The advantages of setting up a business under private limited company as opposed to sole trader ship are:- Liability The principal benefit of trading via a limited company has always been the limited liability given to the companys officers and shareholders. As a sole trader or other non-limited business, personal assets can be at risk in the event of a failure of the business, but this is not the case for a limited company. As long as the business is operated legally and within the terms of the Companies Act, directors or shareholders personal assets are not at risk in the event of a winding up or receivership. And as often happens on occasion, such events are not always under our own control. There is no obligation for a limited company to commence trading within any set time period after its incorporation. The principal benefit of trading as a limited company has always been the limited liability of the companys officers and shareholders. As a sole trader or other non-limited business, personal assets can be at risk in the event of a failure of the business, but this is not the case for a limited company. Gives confidence- Operating as a limited company often gives suppliers and customers a sense of confidence in a business. Larger organisations in particular will prefer not to deal with non-limited businesses. Also, many of the costs associated with managing and operating a limited company are not much more than with a non-limited business. Tax advantages- If you trade as a sole trader, partner or partnership, your income will be taxed as proprietors income, regardless of how much profit is retained as working capital. Interest on loans to the business is also taxed as income. Furthermore, partners are personally and jointly liable for partnership tax and if a partner dies, the surviving partners are responsible for partnership tax. Creditors can claim all your property to satisfy debts, and if this is insufficient, you may be declared bankrupt. An undercharged bankrupt is forbidden to start another business or to become a director of a limited company. Separate Entity Due to its very nature, a limited company is deemed to be a separate legal entity from its owners. This has several advantages, including the fact that the company will exist beyond the life of its members. If they retire or die, the company will continue to exist and operate. This ensures security for employees and other members and also is an advantage which other legal forms of business are not subject to. Ownership and Control In the case of Private Limited Companies, the Directors are also usually the main shareholders of the Company. Thus both the ownership and control of the business remain in their hands. Decisions can be made quickly and easily, with little fuss, allowing for a more successful business management platform. Company Name Part of registering a Limited Company, includes the registration of a Company name. This name will help identify the business in the marketplace, separating it from other Companies and protecting it. 1.8 A sole trader is a business form that allows one person to be solely responsible for the financial transactions of the business. The benefits and disadvantages of this responsibility are numerous and should be weighed carefully. Another term for a sole trader is a sole proprietor. Precisely, it refers to the person responsible for the daily organization of the firm and for its profits and losses. Being a sole proprietor as it in legally known in the U.S.is a benefit to many people who are looking to start their own business. It is one of the most common types of businesses that can be formed and involves only one person as the responsible entity of the businessholding that person completely accountable for any debt or liability that the business might incur. Although sole traders have many advantages, they also have many significant disadvantages. Liability The main disadvantage to being a sole trader is the liability that the business owner yields. Being held responsible for any lawsuits or potential damages is not only dangerous to the sole traders business, but it can be detrimental to her personal life as well. Unlike modern business corporationssuch as LLCswhich allow the business to be a separate entity, preventing anyone from holding your personal assets responsible for your business, sole traders are personally responsible for their business. Responsibility One of the main disadvantages to many people for running a sole proprietorship is the complete responsibility that the sole trader has. Completely variant from business to business, since each business has its own type of operations, sharing responsibility takes a huge burden off of most business owners. That is one reason for the popularity of Limited Liability Corporations, Limited Liability Partnerships, and partnerships. These businesses each allow some owners to share or take less responsibility, leaving them to grow and improve their businesses more thoroughly than if they did not have complete responsibility. Lack of Investors When it comes to being a sole trader, the business owner can have a difficult time for growing. Not only because of the lack of time that she has because of her tremendous responsibility, but due to investors lack of interest in a sole proprietorship. Companies are more apt to invest in corporations that have the potential to expand. They also prefer the other benefits of corporations, such as their legal structure and lack of personal accountability. Lack of investors can mean lack of growth for many companieswhich can leave many sole traders running a stagnant business.

Oedipus the King and Maslows Pyramid :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus the King and Maslow's Pyramid      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have long considered general theories of motivation, and the question regarding the specific motives that direct and energize our human behavior has undergone tremendous speculation. To this day the question still stands: what is it that humans seek most in life? In an effort to answer this question, Abraham Maslow proposed what he called the hierarchy of needs. Maslow theorizes that human beings are motivated to fulfill this hierarchy, which consists of needs ranging from those that are basic for survival up to those that promote growth and self-enhancement (Kassin 300).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the base of the hierarchy are the physiological needs of human beings. This level consists of a human's need for food, water, oxygen, sleep, and sex. Homeless people are at this level of the hierarchy because their concern is in obtaining those things necessary for survival. Once an individual has met these needs, they begin to seek steady work, financial security, stability at home, and a predictable environment. This level consists of overachievers and workaholics. People such as this are so concerned with their income that they do not feel that the amount of time they work is sufficient enough. If an individual meets all of these needs, then that person has obtained their general need for safety. Once human beings have obtained safety, they strive to fulfill their social needs. At this level humans concern themselves with affiliation, belongingness and love, affection, close relationships, family ties, and group membership. This is a particularly crucial lev el because if these needs are not met, then humans feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness and alienation. All the needs for love having been met, an individual seeks social status, respect, recognition, achievement, and power. All of these needs combine to fulfill an individual's need for esteem, and failing to satisfy this need, an individual endures a sense of inferiority and a lack of importance. All human beings are placed at one of these four levels, striving to satisfy the needs at that level. If there comes a time in which an individual has obtained all of the needs on the hierarchy, that person becomes ready, willing, and able to strive for self-actualization. According to Maslow, self-actualization is a distinctly human need to fulfill one's potential. As Maslow himself states, "A musician must make music, and artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is ultimately to be at peace with himself.

Importance of Child Friendly Education Essay

All this does not mean that you turn your class into a place of dreary learning. First of all, the activities you would use with adults can work, but make them shorter. For example, a role play may have to last five minutes instead of 10. Also make sure activities are varied: an activity that involves moving about and noise needs to be followed by a quiet task that allows kids to â€Å"cool down†. Remember also that children will not do a task because it is good for their English. Tasks need an end result rather than being open-ended. Building in a quiz or competitive element can work or ask learners to produce work that is displayed on the wall. It’s a great feeling when the children are busy, but their enjoyment of a task might manifest itself in terms of noise. Develop signals to get attention. This can be a raised hand or switching off the lights. Whatever you do, don’t try to out-shout a class because they will always win. Where groups of children are getting really loud it may be time to change the groups around. Adults like praise, but children really love praise. Avoid over-praising individuals and try to compliment whole groups. Use affirmative commands like, â€Å"Please speak English† rather than negative reprimands like, â€Å"Stop speaking Spanish!† You’ll also avoid problems if you set out rules at the beginning of the course. If possible, involve the children in preparing and writing out the class rules – it is especially good practice with modal verbs. A child that then breaks these rules will see greater justice than if you make up your own rules on the spot. More importantly, you will be punishing the inappropriate behaviour, not the child.

Nutrition for Health and Social Care Essay

In this assignment, I will be making realistic recommendations for decreasing negative impacts on the health of one individual. The individual I will be making recommendations for and talking about in more depth is James. As it states in the case study, and James has a BMI above average, therefore, in this assignment, I will clarify in full detail what he could do in order to live a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight as James is 54 years old overweight. In addition, I will also be stating the advantages of acting upon and following the recommendations I have made as well as the disadvantages if he did not follow them and continued with his normal diet. â€Å"Food is essential for life but what we eat is subject to a wide range of influences. Recognising these and taking account of them when planning menus and preparing food can make the difference between and individual eating sufficiently for their needs or not†. James is 54 years old Chief Executive of an international company. He is single with no children, and admits to not paying much attention to his diet. Due to working long hours, he often skips meals, and ends up snacking. He sometimes grabs a takeaway on the way home because he’s not good at cooking, and hardly does food shopping and he lives miles away from the nearest supermarket, and so there’s usually nothing indoors to eat. At 6’1, he weighs 212 pounds and has a BMI of 28. He admits to feeling a little tired, recently. James dietary habits are impacting him negatively because he at an age where he is at risk of contracting some type of serious cardiovascular diseases, for instance problems with his heart or his arteries being clogged with fat because of consuming a lot of unhealthy foods, which could be fatal. James health factors are already beginning to have negative impacts on him because as it states â€Å"he admits to feeling a little tired, recently†. If James does not alter his behaviour towards his health for example taking more care and paying attention to his health, not only will he continue to gain a lot of weight but he will also have a hard time losing the weight as he will have a great amount to lose. I recommend that James goes on a diet and makes lifestyle changes. However prior to beginning his diet, I think it’s highly important that James visits his GP and research about dieting and losing weight the right way rather than doing it the wrong way to see faster results and be at risk of other health problems. After he has done his research, He should start off his diet slowly, for instance he could start by cutting out fizzy drinks and alcohol because they both contain great amounts of calories and fizzy drinks have a lot of sugar which is not good to constantly have, and replacing them with water. Water is extremely beneficial to the body because it refreshes your body and keeps you hydrated, and also drinking the recommended amount of water daily combined with a healthy diet, will contribute in weight loss and a healthier body. James should then begin to make food choice changes and portion control, for example cutting out fatty foods and consuming large portions of food. It states in the case study that he does not pay attention to his diet and because he works long hours, he often skips meals and that he is not good at cooking. James will have to now pay a lot of attention to his diet because it is putting him at risk of serious health problems and the first thing he should do is look on the internet for food recipes. If James does not want to cook at all, he should order his food from shops such as Marks and Spencer’s which have a variety of different healthy meals and also have home delivery so he could have the food delivered to him. Although he works long hours, it is vital that he does not skip any meals during the day, he should prepare a healthy meal at home and pack some to take to work and eat during his break, and he should also incorporate fruits for snacks and a bottle of water to take to work every day. This way he will not have to buy unhealthy take away meals to eat. In addition, James should attempt not to eat heavy meals before bed, he should have a light dinner and if he feels hungry late hours of the night, he should eat fruits and drink water to fill him up. After James has become accustomed to his new diet choices, he should now incorporate exercise to his diet. However it states in the case study that James works long hours which could be problem if he is trying to incorporate some exercise to his new lifestyle. The way to overcome this problem would be for James to have a plan. He should plan out his life for instance what ime he departs for work, what time he’s back home and the amount of hours he has free after work. Due to the fact that James works long hours, I think that he would benefit highly from buying aerobic DVDS and exercising in the comfort of his own home rather than going to the gym after a tiring day at work. He should start off by buying beginners DVD and gradually progressing to the more intense work out. However the DVDs must be suitable for his age and also he should consult his doctor prior to starting the exercising routine. The advantages of these strategies I have implemented above for James is that he will lose weight, he’ll be living a healthier lifestyle, he’ll become accustomed to not eating unhealthy foods and he would have the skills and knowledge about health and how poor diet contributes highly to health problems. The disadvantage would be if James decided not to act upon the recommendation and continued his bad habits of constantly eating take-away, skipping meals during the day and not exercising. The fact that he is 54 and is overweight is highly worrying because he is now at risk of getting diabetes, clogging up his arteries, suffering from a heart attack and other life threatening health problems. If he does not change his diet he is most likely to endure one of the health problems I have just mentioned and in worst cases it could lead to instant death. James lifestyle also has a huge negative effect on his health. This is because he has no wife or kids, whom could’ve helped James more, by for instance having a healthy cooked meal for him when he returns home from work. This way he would not need to always pick up takeaways on his way home as he would have a healthy cooked meal at home. Also the fact that James works long hours has also affected his health, the reason I believe this is because this could be the reason as to why he skips meals due to not having time to eat during work times which is also now making James feels often tired. James health is at risk, the fact that his working hours are so long may also be the reason to why James has not enrolled in gym, as I mentioned above he may feel extremely tired when he returns home from work and does not have the energy to exercise. Also the fact that he often skips meals does not help the situation because he is not receiving enough nutrients to give him energy he requires. I recommend that James starts off by possibly making slight alterations in his working hours and replace them with time for himself. The reasons for this is because James is clearly on a route to becoming obese and he needs to make some time for himself to exercise and better his health. As well as exercising, as I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, he has to change his eating habits as this is the main reason for his weight issues. I believe that a plan would be very beneficial for James to implement in his life because due to the fact that he’s a chief executive of an international company, means that he possibly has a lot of daily responsibilities at work and if he had a plan of what to eat and what time he has free to exercise, he will not become stressed and confused because it will all be written down. In this plan he should write down all the hours he works during the week and the breaks he has in between, he should also implement his new healthy diet in this plan and write the times he eats meals and snacks in between. I believe that after doing this and following through with the plan, he will adjust to the plan and begin to lose some weight and become healthier. Also more importantly James must always carry a packed lunch and fruits to work so he does not skip lunch and after lunch if he begins to get hungry again, he can snack on some fruits instead of buying unhealthy snacks. In conclusion, I believe that the recommendations I have made for James will only be advantages to him. This is because he will begin to lose the weight he has to lose in order to be healthy; his BMI will drop to average weight and also most importantly he will be living a healthier lifestyle and decrease the risk of having serious health problems. In addition, he will begin to have more energy throughout the day to cope with his every day routine without feeling as tired as he did when he did not pay attention to his diet and weight.

Facts and History of Kuwait

Facts and History of Kuwait Kuwaits government is a constitutional monarchy headed by the hereditary leader, the emir.  The Kuwaiti emir is a member of the Al Sabah family, which has ruled the country since 1938; the current monarch is Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City, with a population 151,000 and with a metro area population of 2.38 million.   Population According to the US Central Intelligence Agency, the total population of Kuwait is about 2.695 million, which includes 1.3 million non-nationals.  Kuwaits government, however, maintains that there are 3.9 million people in Kuwait, of whom 1.2 million are Kuwaiti.   Among the actual Kuwaiti citizens, approximately 90% are Arabs and 8% are of Persian (Iranian) descent.  There are also a small number of Kuwaiti citizens whose ancestors came from India. Within the guest worker and expatriate communities, Indians make up the largest group at nearly 600,000.  There are an estimated 260,000 workers from Egypt, and 250,000 from Pakistan.  Other foreign nationals in Kuwait include Syrians, Iranians, Palestinians, Turks, and smaller numbers of Americans and Europeans. Languages Kuwaits official language is Arabic.  Many Kuwaitis speak the local dialect of Arabic, which is an amalgam of Mesopotamian Arabic of the southern Euphrates branch, and Peninsular Arabic, which is the variant most common on the Arabian Peninsula.  Kuwaiti Arabic also includes many loan words from Indian languages and from English.  English is the most commonly used foreign language for business and commerce. Religion Islam is the official religion of Kuwait.  Approximately 85% of Kuwaitis are Muslim; of that number, 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia, mostly of the Twelver school.  Kuwait has tiny minorities of other religions among its citizens, as well.  There are about 400 Christian Kuwaitis, and about 20 Kuwaiti Bahais.   Among the guest workers and ex-pats, approximately 600,000 are Hindu, 450,000 are Christian, 100,000 are Buddhist, and about 10,000 are Sikhs.  The remainder are Muslim.  Because they are People of the Book, Christians in Kuwait are allowed to build churches and keep a certain number of clergy, but proselytizing is forbidden.  Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are not allowed to build temples or gurdwaras. Geography Kuwait is a small country, with an area of 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq miles); in comparative terms, it is slightly smaller than the island nation of Fiji.  Kuwait has about 500 kilometers (310 miles) of coastline along the Persian Gulf.  It borders on Iraq to the north and west, and Saudi Arabia to the south. The Kuwaiti landscape is a flat desert plain.  Only 0.28% of the land is planted in permanent crops, in this case, date palms.  The country has a total of 86 square miles of irrigated cropland. Kuwaits highest point doesnt have any particular name, but it stands 306 meters (1,004 feet) above sea level.   Climate Kuwaits climate is a desert one, characterized by hot summer temperatures, a short, cool winter, and minimal rainfall.  Annual rainfall averages between 75 and 150 mm (2.95 to 5.9 inches).  Average high temperatures in the summer are a toasty 42 to 48 °C (107.6 to 118.4 °F).  The all-time high, recorded on July 31, 2012, was 53.8 °C (128.8 °F), measured at Sulaibya.  This is also the record high for the entire Middle East. March and April often witness large dust storms, which sweep in on the northwesterly winds from Iraq.  Thunderstorms also accompany the winter rains in November and December. Economy Kuwait is the fifth richest country on Earth, with a GDP of $165.8 billion US, or $42,100 US per capita.  Its economy is based primarily on petroleum exports, with the major recipients being Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, and China.  Kuwait also produces fertilizers and other petrochemicals, engages in financial services, and maintains an ancient tradition of pearl diving in the Persian Gulf.  Kuwait imports almost all of its food, as well as most products from clothing to machinery.   Kuwaits economy is quite free, compared with its Middle Eastern neighbors.  The government is hoping to encourage the tourism and regional trade sectors to reduce the countrys dependence on oil exports for income.  Kuwait has known oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels. The unemployment rate is 3.4% (2011 estimate).  The government does not release figures for percent of the population living in poverty. The countrys currency is the Kuwaiti dinar.  As of March 2014, 1 Kuwaiti dinar $3.55 US. History During ancient history, the area that is now Kuwait was often a hinterland of more powerful neighboring areas.  It was linked with Mesopotamia as early as the Ubaid era, beginning roughly 6,500 BCE, and with Sumer around 2,000 BCE.   In the interim, between about 4,000 and 2,000 BCE, a local empire called the Dilmun Civilization controlled the bay of Kuwait, from which it directed trade between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization in what is now Pakistan.  After Dilmun collapsed, Kuwait became part of the Babylonian Empire around 600 BCE.  Four hundred years later, the Greeks under Alexander the Great colonized the area. The Sassanid Empire of Persia conquered Kuwait in 224 CE.  In 636 CE, the Sassanids fought and lost the Battle of Chains in Kuwait, against the armies of a new faith that had arisen on the Arabian Peninsula.  It was the first move in Islams rapid expansion in Asia.  Under the caliphs rule, Kuwait once again became a major trading port connected to the Indian Ocean trade routes. When the Portuguese muscled their way into the Indian Ocean in the fifteenth century, they seized a number of trading ports including the bay of Kuwait.  Meanwhile, the Bani Khalid clan founded what is now Kuwait City in 1613, as a series of small fishing villages.  Soon Kuwait was not only a major trade hub but also a legendary fishing and pearl diving site.  It traded with various parts of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century and became a shipbuilding center. In 1775, the Zand Dynasty of Persia laid siege to Basra (in coastal southern Iraq) and occupied the city.  This lasted until 1779 and greatly benefited Kuwait, as all of Basras trade got diverted to Kuwait instead.  Once the Persians withdrew, the Ottomans appointed a governor for Basra, who also administered Kuwait.  In 1896, tensions between Basra and Kuwait reached a peak, when the sheik of Kuwait accused his brother, the emir of Iraq, of seeking to annex Kuwait. In January 1899, the Kuwaiti sheik, Mubarak the Great, made an agreement with the British under which Kuwait became an informal British protectorate, with Britain controlling its foreign policy.  In exchange, Britain held off both the Ottomans and the Germans from interfering in Kuwait.  However, in 1913, Britain signed the Anglo-Ottoman Convention just before the outbreak of World War I, which defined Kuwait as an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, and the Kuwaiti sheiks as Ottoman sub-governors.   Kuwaits economy went into a tailspin in the 1920s and 1930s.  However, oil was discovered in 1938, with its promise of future petrol-riches.  First, however, Britain took direct control of Kuwait and Iraq on June 22, 1941, as World War II erupted in its full fury.  Kuwait would not gain full independence from the British until June 19, 1961. During the Iran/Iraq War of 1980-88, Kuwait supplied Iraq with massive amounts of aid, fearful of Irans influence after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.  In retaliation, Iran attacked Kuwaiti oil tankers, until the US Navy intervened.  Despite this earlier support for Iraq, on August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and annexation of Kuwait.  Iraq claimed that Kuwait was actually a rogue Iraqi province; in response, a US-led coalition launched the First Gulf War and ousted Iraq.   Retreating Iraqi troops took revenge by setting fire to Kuwaits oil wells, creating enormous environmental problems.  The emir and the Kuwaiti government returned to Kuwait City in March of 1991 and instituted unprecedented political reforms, including parliamentary elections in 1992.  Kuwait also served as the launchpad for the US-led invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, at the start of the Second Gulf War.

An American sense of identity and unity by the revoulution essays

An American sense of identity and unity by the revoulution essays Much was going on around the colonies throughout the eve of the Revolution. The extent to which the colonists had developed a sense of an American identity was strong, however, their unity was weak. An American identity was becoming stronger and stronger as the days went by leading up to the eve of the Revolution. One example that can be used to show this is the French and Indian War. After the British and the colonists victory in the war, France was no longer an enemy or a threat and the colonies showed that their militia could fight. An increased confidence emerged among the American army after they fought courageously along the British regulars. However, the British did not pay any recognition to the American militia commission above the rank of captain. This insulted the army and led to a different identity than that of a British one. Also, many of the immigrants that fled from Europe werent from England so they didnt feel at all loyal to the British crown. America had melted into a new race of men... and would one day cause great changes in the world... (Document H). The Stamp Act also contributed to this new American identity. After this tax was imposed, many colonists were outraged and felt a great deal separated from Britain. In contrast to this, unity among the colonies was weak. In 1754 an intercolonial congress meeting was held in Albany, New York knows as the Albany Congress. Ben Franklin wanted the colonies to unite tremendously, even writing one of the first cartoons in American history saying that the colonies needed to join or they would die (Document A). However, that attempt failed. Also, in the South there were many Loyalists whom did not want to unite at all. Some said they would rather be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away rather than three thousand tyrants not a mile away (Document D). In addition to this...

Holophrases in Language Acquisition

Holophrases in Language Acquisition A holophrase is a single word (such as OK) that is used to express a complete, meaningful thought. In studies of  language acquisition, the term holophrase refers more specifically to  an utterance produced by a child in which a single word expresses the type of meaning typically conveyed in adult speech by an entire sentence. Adjective: holophrastic. Rowe and Levine note that some holophrases are utterances that are more than one word, but are perceived by children as one word: I love you, thank you, Jingle Bells, there it is (A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 2015). Holophrases in Language Acquisition [A]round six months children begin babbling and eventually imitating the linguistic sounds they hear in the immediate environment. . . . By the end of the first year, the first true words emerge (mama, dada, etc.). In the 1960s, the psycholinguist Martin Braine (1963, 1971) noticed that these single words gradually embodied the communicative functions of entire phrases: e.g. the childs word dada could mean Where is daddy? I want daddy, etc. according to situation. He called them holophrastic, or one-word, utterances. In situations of normal upbringing, holophrases reveal that a vast amount of neuro-physiological and conceptual development has taken place in the child by the end of the first year of life. During the holophrastic stage, in fact, children can name objects, express actions or the desire to carry out actions, and transmit emotional states rather effectively. (M. Danesi, Second Language Teaching. Springer, 2003) Many of childrens early  holophrases are  relatively idiosyncratic and their uses can change and evolve over time in a somewhat unstable manner. . . . In addition, however, some of childrens holophrases are a bit more conventional and stable. . . . In English, most beginning language learners acquire a number of so-called relational words such as more, gone, up, down, on, and off, presumably because adults use these words in salient ways to talk about salient events (Bloom, Tinker, and Margulis, 1993; McCune, 1992). Many of these words are verb particles in adult English, so the child at some point must learn to talk about the same events with phrasal verbs such as pick up, get down, put on, and take off. (Michael Tomasello,  Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press, 2003) Problems and Qualifications The problem of the holophrase [is] that we have no clear evidence that the child intends more than he can express at the one-word stage. (J. De Villiers and P. De Villiers, Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press, 1979)The single word in conjunction with the gestures and facial expressions is the equivalent of the whole sentence. By this account, the single word is not a holophrase, but one element in a complex of communications that includes nonverbal actions. (M. Cole et al., The Development of Children. Macmillan, 2004) Holophrases in Adult Language Holophrases are  of course a significant factor in modern adult language, for example, in idioms. But by and large, these have historical compositional origins (including by and large). In any specific example, words came first, then the composition, then the holophrase . . .. (Jerry R. Hobbs, The Origin and Evolution of Language: A Plausible Strong-AI Account.)

International and Members of the International Court Essay

International and Members of the International Court - Essay Example The provision for the law is such that any culpable individual cannot escape the wrath. It is therefore still better if the US wants to take the initiative of subjecting the suspects to a trial. The sentiment of the Saudi government through their minister for defence can be lawfully interpreted as giving the suspects a feeling that either they are not responsible for the alleged crimes or that in the event that they are, then the US government has moral and legal authority to adjudicate on the matter. There may be no established structures within the US and Saudi government which clearly indicates the channel that should be pursued in such a case, and that it entirely depends on the goodwill of the Saudi government to surrender the suspect which in this case are their citizens to be tried in a foreign land. The prosecution in pursuit of the American system become appreciated on grounds that they are the complainant, just on this fact, they have the moral authority to try the suspects using their jury. On the other hand, the Saudi government may be right as giving another country a leeway to try citizens of your country is an act of surrendering sovereignty to foreigners. In the light of sovereignty, the Saudi government are legally in order to avert possible extradition of her citizens for a trial through a system they cast sufficient doubt in. the fact is even accentuated by the fact that no legal extradition arrangement exists between the two countries. In the event of extradition, it is legally proper that there should be a formal and effective arrangement that provides for a course of action in the event that such is necessary (Stanbrook, Ivor, and Clive 97).

Technological advancement or invention from 1815 to present Essay

Technological advancement or invention from 1815 to present - Essay Example Discussion Air conditioning was first conceptualized in the tradition of refrigeration. Refrigeration came about due to the need to preserve foods (Air Conditioning Systems). It was discovered that by keeping the temperature around food at below 4 degrees Celsius, it was possible to reduce the growth of bacteria and to prevent food spoilage. From the development of refrigeration, air conditioning came about. The basic foundations of refrigeration seen in 1824 indicated that liquefied ammonia could cool the air when it is evaporated (Air Conditioning Systems). These foundations laid the groundwork for the invention of the commercially available air conditioning units. The need for air conditioning was seen because industrialists saw the need to reduce air temperature in their industries. In 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit (Air Conditioning Systems). At that time, his invention was very much relevant in the manufacturing process of a pr inting plant where controlled temperature and humidity assisted in making the printing process more efficient because it maintained consistency in the paper size and ink alignment (Air Conditioning Systems). ... Carrier’s legacy was soon improved and conceptualized for its human suitability. However, not until 1928, with the discovery of Freon by Thomas Midgley, Jr. was the home use of air conditioning considered (Air Conditioning Systems). Freon was considered a safer and less toxic refrigerant. The invention of the Freon followed the more widespread of the air conditioner as its use was then seen in The White House in the 1930s; and in the 1940s and 1950s, its demand would continue to increase for many homes (Air Conditioning Systems). With these demands, the air conditioner also took on various physical changes, with its build being made smaller. Moreover, improvements to the technology integrated changes which included its applicability as a heating mechanism during winter months. Carrier patented his ‘apparatus for treating air’ in 1906. The term air conditioning was actually not Carrier’s term. It was coined and introduced by Stuart Cramer in a patent he file d in 1906 for a device he invented which incorporated water vapor to the air in textile plants (Bellis). Willis Haviland Carrier shared his Rational Psychometric Formula with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1911 and this formula is still being used in the air conditioning industry today (Bellis). Due to Carrier’s invention, industries were able to operate well because they now had the ability to control temperature and humidity levels while operating their machineries and carrying out their work processes. Different industries like film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles, and other products were able to carry out their processes well without fear of straining their machineries and other equipment (Bellis). In 1921, Carrier patented the centrifugal

The Problems Of The Women In Current World Essay

The Problems Of The Women In Current World - Essay Example Research has been done on the present situation of the wage gap in the US in the last decade and the improvements made in the last 30 to 40 after the enforcement of equal wages acts and the women’s movement in mid 20th century. Women are still considered as second-grade custody workers in various job sectors. A decade ago in the US, the women were still being paid low as compared to the men for the same job that they were doing. Women caretakers and cleaners have a salary widely disparate from that of men and all because of gender difference. A salary gap of 8000 US dollars separated the women’s yearly income (22000 US Dollars) form the men’s yearly income (30000 US Dollars). (Barko 1) Even after 5 decades since the enforcement of the Equal Payment Act of 1963, American women earned 74 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to the study published jointly by the AFL-CIO and The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), Washington (Barko 1). An increase in the wages of women task force employed across different industry sectors and in different categories would bring more than 50 % of low-income dual-earner and single-mother households above the poverty line. The recent study has challenged the age-old argument of lesser industry experience, childbearing time off and child rearing time off supporting the low income of women stating that 43 % of wage gap remains unexplained. After the industrial revolution in the late 19th and early 20th century, many new fields of work emerged and the professional world witnessed a boom. New posts were created, new organizations came into existence and new business lines became viable profit-making options.

Corruption and Multi-National Corporations Essay

Corruption and Multi-National Corporations - Essay Example Legally, facilitation payment is not allowed in the United Kingdom. However, it is allowed legally to certain extent in the United States (Special Cases, 2009). The issue of facilitation payment becomes specially challenging when doing business with a foreign country. The laws in a different country may or may not be similar to those your own country. Hence, this issue has to be studied clearly and carefully before deciding on its legal implications. Multi-national corporations operate in different countries all over the world. So it is not possible for them to work under one set of rules. Their memorandum of association must tally with the laws and customs of the host countries. They also have to do business with customers in the host countries as well as overseas. This makes the situation of facilitation payments more complicated if flexibility is not maintained (Special Cases, 2009). Research show that majority of multi-nationals have indulged in facilitation payments although they same majority would prefer not to make these payments. This is a catch-22 situation with the giver and taker harboring guilty conscience and yet performing the act in the larger interest of business (Gordon, Kathryn and Miyake, Maiko; 2001, p3) "Bribes can come in all sizes. ... ch-22 situation with the giver and taker harboring guilty conscience and yet performing the act in the larger interest of business (Gordon, Kathryn and Miyake, Maiko; 2001, p3) "Bribes can come in all sizes. The media likes to highlight the more flagrant examples, but the smaller, everyday forms often go undetected. In the past, governments have overlooked facilitation payments. Western lawmakers assumed that such payments were simply unavoidable, a necessary part of doing business abroad" (Wrage, Alexandra; 2009). Nonetheless, the issue does not stop at that. Time and again, facilitation payments have reached the courts and resulted in destabilizing outcomes. Daewoo is an example of a major multi-national firm collapsing owing to financial irregularities (Daewoo corruption scandal deepens, 2001). However, facilitation payments continue to be made the world over. How do these payments reflect in the eyes of the law Morally, facilitation payments, whether big or small, are wrong. But these payments are given and received in different and ambiguous ways and bypass the law. They may simply be given under the nomenclature of a gift or in the form of entertainment. International businesses have accepted it as a necessary evil. And it does appear that it is prospected to stay this way for a very long time to come (D'Ascenzo, Michael; 2008). By and large, in most countries, facilitation payments are tolerated if the sum involved is small. Nobody is inclined to run to the courts on small amounts spent on getting business. However, it is large facilitation amounts that can cause trouble. Large amounts not only cause legal hassles, they can even destabilize the concerned corporation. It is not healthy for large corporations to be paying out large facilitation amounts as these

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection Essay

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection - Essay Example For instance, the mothers’ smoking habit also increases the probability of ‘physician-diagnosed asthma and wheezing’ after first few years of birth. For instance, the unborn children in uterus were found vulnerable to asthma and adverse respiratory effects primarily because of maternal smoking. 1.2 – Maternal Smoking and Low Birth Weight Veiga & Wilder (2006) conducted an extensive research on maternal smoking habit during pregnancy among African – American and Caucasians in American society. The authors actually based their research on previous findings of 180 – 200 gm weight deficit among new born children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy. Their new research results augmented the weight losses as the researcher revealed that maternal smoking is noxious for health of unborn children and that the smoking causes weight loss of 200 – 230 gm. For instance, the probability of low birth delivery (LBD) among smoking mothers during pregnan cy is twice than that of non-smoking women. In addition, the demographic factors such as race, marital status, age, education and income level also impact the results since greater percentage of LBDs had been recorded among Caucasians in comparison to Afro – American women.

CHARACTER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FILM STORIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHARACTER TRANSFORMATIONS IN FILM STORIES - Essay Example The Long Kiss Goodnight does not really involve an occasion or event; rather it is just a positive change in this character’s life. "Back when we first met you were all like oh phooey I burned the darn muffins. Now, you go into a bar and ten minutes later sailors come running out" (The long kiss goodnight). This line from the film, The Long Kiss Goodnight, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Mitch Henessey, perfectly summarizes the character transformation made by Geena Davis’ character from Samantha Caine back to Charly Baltimore. As Charly Baltimore, Davis’ character was originally a top-secret agent working for the United States’ Government. After suffering from Amnesia, she transforms into Samantha Caine, a suburban housewife, and beloved member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at her eight-year-old daughter, Caitlin’s school. However, her memories slowly begin to return to her while chopping vegetables during preparation of her family’s dinner one night. At first she thinks she may have been a chef, due to her above average knife skills. She is forced to learn that she was not a chef, but a lethal assassin, when characters from her past begin to seek her out to kill her. Character transformation films are an interesting genre. While generally somewhat predictable, the viewer has seen the â€Å"Ugly Duckling† story repeated in various forms throughout cinematic history, this film’s transformation did not wholly fit the typical mold. ‘Transformation movies’ 2005, Characteristics of transformation movies, viewed 10 December 2011,

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection Essay

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection - Essay Example For instance, the mothers’ smoking habit also increases the probability of ‘physician-diagnosed asthma and wheezing’ after first few years of birth. For instance, the unborn children in uterus were found vulnerable to asthma and adverse respiratory effects primarily because of maternal smoking. 1.2 – Maternal Smoking and Low Birth Weight Veiga & Wilder (2006) conducted an extensive research on maternal smoking habit during pregnancy among African – American and Caucasians in American society. The authors actually based their research on previous findings of 180 – 200 gm weight deficit among new born children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy. Their new research results augmented the weight losses as the researcher revealed that maternal smoking is noxious for health of unborn children and that the smoking causes weight loss of 200 – 230 gm. For instance, the probability of low birth delivery (LBD) among smoking mothers during pregnan cy is twice than that of non-smoking women. In addition, the demographic factors such as race, marital status, age, education and income level also impact the results since greater percentage of LBDs had been recorded among Caucasians in comparison to Afro – American women.

Absolute and Comparative Advantage Essay Example for Free

Absolute and Comparative Advantage Essay An individual, a firm, a region, or a county may develop an area of specialization naturally, but frequently choices must be made to determine what to produce for exchange or trade. Producers should concentrate on the activity in which the)- have an absolute advantage. An absolute advantage is the ability to product a good or service using fewer resources than other producers use. In the United States, this situation occurs when one region of a country is more suited than another for producing certain pro ¬ducts. Florida can grow oranges using fewer resources than Iowa, where heated green ¬houses would be necessary. Iowa has vast, flat acreage and can produce corn much more efficiently than could Florida. Thus, Florida specializes in oranges while Iowa concentrates on com. and the products are exchanged through the marketplace. When each of two parties has an absolute advantage over the other in producing a particular good or service, it is easy for both to decide their areas of specialization. But what happens when one party can produce both goods and services more effi ¬ciently than a second party? Should the party with the absolute advantage produce both products for itself? Although this party has the advantage in producing cither good, it should specialize in producing the good in which it has a comparative advantage. Comparative advantage is the ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than other producers facc. 1’his means lerting the other party produce the good in which it has the lower opportunity cost. Total output will be greater, and exchange will allow both parties to have both goods. Suppose a woman can make $100 per hour as a marketing consultant. Part of her work includes preparing reports for her clients. Suppose that in addition to being a first-class consultant, she is more efficient at word processing than anyone she might hire to key the reports. Thus, she might be able to key in one hour what it takes an assistant two hours to do. As a result, she reasons that, instead of hiring an assistant to do the work, she should do it herself. Is she right to do her own keying as well as consulting? If she docs her own keying, she still must take an hour each day from her consulting to do so. The opportunity cost of keying is the S100 she could have earned consulting. The opportunity cost of consulting is the S20 she must pay an assistant to key the reports. Therefore, if she hires an assistant, she can devote her hill time or consulting. I led gross earnings will be $ 100 greater per day. After paying the assistant $20 for two hours work, she will still have additional net income of $80 per day. Thus, the marketing consultant is bcucr-off specializing full time in the service for which she has the greater comparative advantage.

Fathers Of Twentieth Century Neoclassical Realism Politics Essay

Fathers Of Twentieth Century Neoclassical Realism Politics Essay The father of twentieth century Neoclassical Realism, Hans Morgenthau has a similar view but under the signpost of interests which are defined in terms of power but combining the principle of rational order with politics, where the type of interests vary in relation to foreign policy (Hans J. Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, Fifth Edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978, pp. 4-15.). On the other hand, Neo-Realists (also known as structural realists), such as Kenneth Waltz dismiss human nature as an explanation of IR behaviour within the realm of politics; they rather base their theories on structural constraints (ref). This strand of realism thus holds that the international arena is defined by anarchy and the number of great powers in the international arena. These states are seen as sovereign and equal, thus each state seeking its own interest and will not give up its interests up to another state. Thus states are always in a state of aggressiv e behaviour. The realist belief that states are innately aggressive has given rise to different variants of realism. Offensive realism like other strands of realism view states as the main players or actors in the international arena but with the view that conflict is based on anarchy of the international system and not on human nature and characteristics as proposed by Morgenthau. Offensive realism thus views states as hegemonic, with an insatiable appetite to maximise power thus ensuring security and survival. Furthermore, defensive realism, another variant views international system provides encourages expansion only under certain conditions, where anarchy creates the circumstances where by the tools that a state uses to amplify its security causes an inverse reaction i.e. diminishes the security of other states. This creates a security dilemma where states are in constant worry over one anothers future and relative powers. Most notable examples of this variant of realism include balance-of-po wer theory and security dilemma theory (Sources: Jeffrey W. Taliaferro, Security-Seeking Under Anarchy: Defensive Realism Reconsidered, International Security, 25, 3, Winter 2000/2001: 152-86; and John J. Mearsheimer, (2002), Tragedy of Great Power Politics, W.W. Norton, New York). The purpose of this essay is to answer the question of whether or not Realism is a bellicose tradition of thought. I have started off the first section of this essay (above) by giving a brief oversight of realism and its variants. The remainder of this essay will discuss how realism and realists view war, conflict, and their ethics. The third section examines how different variants of realism view war and conflict. The fourth section provides a case study and the views of notable realists on wars, such as the Iraq War (in 2003). Finally the last section of this essay summarises the preceding arguments and argues that although realism talks of war and studies war and conflict, it is by no means bellicose tradition of thought. Realism and Power: It is common that critics of realism view realists as immoral or a school of thought that does not involve ethics. On the other hand, classical realists such as Thucydides (460-411 B.C.) viewed politics with an eye for moral questions. This is evident when he asks whether relations between states to which power is fundamental can accomplished through an eye of justice and peace. Thucydides through his book History of the Peloponnesian War has inspired many realists as he gives an acknowledged classical text in international relations. In his book, realism is expressed in speeches and dialogues of Athenians showing a debate in Sparta before the Peloponnesian war. Furthermore it is through realist views and explanations that Thucydides explains the cause for such a war through a Melian Diaglogue made by Athenian envoys. Realists exhibit and highlight the limitations imposed by the nature of human beings on politics. This human nature according to realists is defined as being egoist hence power and security become the main issue when looking at the factors that contribute to conflict in IR. It is through Thucydides that the notion and main building blocks of state actors, anarchy, security and power are defined within the context of realist tradition. To take two main points from Thucydides into account: Thucydides describes the debate in Sparta (Chapter 1 Par. 76) that the Athenians have a preference of self-interest over morality. That is, the analogies and concerns of right or wrong have never turned people aside from the opportunities of aggrandizement offered by superior strength (chap. 1 par. 76). Realists find an anarchical world and security as a central issue in their school of thought. To achieve security, states increase their strength and power, thus formulating a power-balancing paradigm in order to deter prospective enemies. Thucydides further stresses this issue by locating the cause of war in the change in the balance of power between the Delian League (led by Athens) and the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta). It is the conviction of Thucydides that the fear of the increase in Athenian power and Spartas future security vulnerability that led Sparta into war (1.23). Realists are skeptical about applying morals to international relations and its politics i.e. there is no place for morality in IR, that is to say there is a rejection of ethical norm. This can be highlighted within the Melian Dialogue (5.85-113) when Athens invaded the island of Melos. The Melians were offered a choice, annihilation or admit defeat, without the recourse to justice, just to think of their survival. The Athenians were hence stressing the fact that since any authority above the state does not exist, and in the case of the Melians, the only right is that of the stronger, hence survival of the fittest. To shine light on this matter further, the Athenians equate right with power and thus disregard issues of justice, ethics and morals from foreign affairs, in this case war. Critics of IR have always juxtaposed classical realism with that of idealism or even liberalism. That is to say liberals and idealists view the world through emphasis on international standards, interdependence among states and international and economic cooperation. The Melian Dialogue of Thucydides gives rise to one of the first debates between idealist and realist schools of thought, that is, whether politics can be based on moral thoughts drawn from justice or will politics be seen as a struggle for interests and power? To take a closer look at the Athenian argument of the Melian Dialogue, it is clear that it is based on realist notions of security and power. There is a clear disregard for moral talk and thus advise the Melians to take a closer look at the status quo. Here the status quo is that of Melians inferior military capabilities, thus advising the Melians to think about their survival (5.87; 5.101). Furthermore, another description of this realist status quo is the fact that Athenians base their argument around security issues, self interest and power. On the other hand, when looking at the Melian situation closely, it is clear that the Melians are weak and do not risk the security and self interests of the Athenians. In his book, Thucydides remains neutral to the thoughts of the Athenians and Melians, i.e. supports neither the idealists nor the realists. Therefore, if Thucydides is to be regarded as a realist, he would not be seen as one that resembles a member of the realpolitik that denies ethics and morals, but one that is neither amoral or immoral (ref) and can be compared to realists such as Hans Morgenthau (discussed later) where they are rational to the views of national interest and also place moral aspects to the way political actors should act in the international arena. It was not until the 15th century that Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born and challenged the notion of morality and ethical standards in Christian political spheres. His approach, indeed a novel one for his time lies in his criticism of the unrealistic attributes of Western politics. Thus, after setting the ground for a new ground into realist doctrine, Machiavelli skews away from the teachings of early scholars towards the effectual truth of the matter rather than the imagined one (chapter XV of The Prince), i.e. a realist truth and view. Machiavelli hence replaced morality in politics with the ends justifies the means, i.e. whatever is good for the state and not ethical or scruples norms, in other words what is encompassed in the phrase ragione di stato or its French equivalent, raison dà ©tat (ref). Although Machiavelli is often seen as the father of both modern political strategy and defense of the republican form of government, he may also be seen as the one that caused the demoralization of Europe by challenging the Christian views of the union between politics and ethics. Before Machiavellism, it is thought that the notion of using any means and all means in the state of war was unheard of. As a result, Machiavellism gave rise to masses of armies fighting each other, where the morality has lost its validity and presence in the political moiety. This concept of politics where ethics according to Machiavelli was now under two: private and public and the principle of raison dà ©tat would further give rise to politics of Lebensraum and world wars. It is in my opinion, as well as other political commentators (ref) that realism has an inclination to drift into an extreme standpoint where the ends justify the means at the expense of other states, no matter how immoral or amoral the policy is. The end goal is the security and power of the state in an anarchical world. Thomas Hobbes: Morality and Anarchy Thomas Hobbes (1588-1683) realism came through around the same time as Machiavelli, his views of human behavior was that they are particularly individualistic rather than moral or ethical, as Hobbes mentions in his Leviathan, humans are subjected to a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death (Leviathan XI 2), hence are always in a power struggle. These concepts are briefly summarized in the fact that humans are egoistic, in a state of international anarchy, and their view of politics is rooted in a power struggle. Thus when comparing schools of thought, it is clearly visible that Hobbes views have a great affinity towards neorealism. Taking the concept of anarchy as a state or nature further, Hobbes clearly mentions that the world is in a state of war as is of every man against every man (XII 8). That is to say that the status quo of the world we live in is a state of war. The views of Hobbes are deduced from the an individuals behavior, that is individuals are selfish and egoistic and may use force at any given moment without recourse to morals, encouraged by competition for wealth and power. Hence, individuals may even invade one another for gain; take preemptive measures to ensure their safety. Hobbes therefore mentions that humans endeavor to destroy or subdue one another (XIII 3) whether for gain, safety or power. Overall, in this regard, where conditions are of potential aggressors are optimum, realists believe that it is best to make war rather than peace, where the world becomes Darwinian; i.e. survival of the fittest. When analyzing Hobbes writings in Leviathan, it is apparent that Hobbes views the relationship between individuals and the state as a primary focus. To indulge deeper into this argument, Hobbes views that once states are formed, the individuals running the state control the states behavior, hence their lust and drive for power i.e. domination of other states. This is evident where Hobbes mentions that states, for their own securityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦enlarge their dominions upon all pretences of danger and fear of invasion or assistance that may be given to invadersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.endeavour as much as they can, to subdue and weaken their neighbors (XIX 4). Furthermore, Hobbes also argues that even though there is a war of all against all, that does not mean that states are always in a state of war, but they are always on guard and expect war at any given moment (XIII 8). Furthermore, to evade war and overcome fighting, Hobbes does not support a social contract or deal between nations like the UN to end international anarchy. He also does not believe that war could ever be obliterated from the world we live in. Furthermore, it would also seem that Hobbes believes that the continuous condition of anarchy and insecurity which states are in is not reflected in the insecurity experienced by the individuals (statesmen). Hence as long as there is no onset of war between states, statesmen can feel safe. It is evident when reading through Hobbes Leviathan that there is a common view shared between Machiavelli and Hobbes when it comes to their denial of moral principles and the support of the notion of raison dà ©tat. On the other hand, although they both also view independent states are enemies by nature, selfish and egotistical, what differentiates them is that Machiavelli has a view of doing anything it takes to bring forward to what is advantageous to the state. Hobbes view of classical realism is one with a defensive nature of foreign policy. His approach unlike Machiavelli, is a that of prudence and pacifism where sovereign states should be liaised towards peace through reason. Furthermore, although Hobbes views the world as anarchical and immoral, he does not view it as one with no rules. Hobbes believes that because certain rules of reason do exist therefore there may be some leeway for international cooperation achieved through jointly beneficial treaties between sovereign s tates. On the other hand, Hobbes does not dismiss the fact that international rules will also be ineffective in ceasing the struggle for power through war. That is to say, states will interpret these rules according to their own interests thus ignoring international laws and commitments. This therefore highlights the egotistical, selfish and greedy nature of states through Hobbes pessimistic view of relations between sovereign states in IR. The idea of the creation of modern (20th century) realism arose from the attitude and results of the emergence of an idealist school of thought most notably after WWI. These liberals also known by synonyms just as idealists or utopians had an aim of building peace by the virtue of creating a system of international law intertwined with international ogranisations. This gave rise to the League of Nations via the interwar idealism in 1920 followed by the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 that prohibited war and propagated the peaceful settlement of interstate disputes. It was the advocacy on behalf of scholars like the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, a political scientist by profession that focused their abilities uniting humanity and appealing to rationality and morality. It was the view of utopians like Wilson that saw war as an imperfection of social conditions that could be improved rather that it being a primordial of egoistic human nature. On the other hand, the hopes of utopians were short live, and although Wilson was the main advocate for the League of Nations, the US never joined, and with the withdrawals of Japan and Germany, a second world war broke out. By that time, realists such as E. H. Carr has been heavily criticizing the liberal school of thought. It was the works of realists such as Carr and Morgenthau that influenced the creation of what is thought to be a liberally induced United Nations in 1945. Carrs famous work on international relations, famously known as The Twenty Years Crisis (1939) focuses on a rebuttal of the idealist utopian views of international relations. Carr criticizes and challenges the idealist views of the harmony of interests where he believes that morality can only be relative, not universal (19). Furthermore, he mentions that the principle of the harmony of interests is created by privileged groups to justify and maintain their dominant position (75). When Carr argues his central idea of moral principles, he refers to and uses a concept that can be traced back to Marxist theories (ref) of the relativity of thought. His idea is that the interests of a particular group will always pave the way and be deterministic of what that group deems as moral principles, hence not universal as utopians might believe. It is also worthy to note that as Carr views a politicians use of morally discrediting or slandering an enemy as an act created by actual policies. Thus t hese policies in realist views are dependent on interests of the parties involved and not universal and independent of interests as utopians claim (ref). Carr also views that values and interests are also not universal, where a party that acts on these values and interests are basically their own interests; and what is best for that party is best for everyone (71). A further theory put out by Carr contradicts an idealist principle of harmony of interests where humans can be rational and cooperate to achieve those interests. Carr believes that humans actually have different interests, therefore would compete and between them to achieve their goals, this is what he terms conflict of interests (ref). This conflict of interests thus coalesces with a Hobbesinian view that morality is dominated by a coercive power (ref) (61). Therefore, Carr believes that international moral principles are enforced by countries with power over other nations with no or less power, hence, morals are made to subdue weaker nations into dominance (ref). Carr also views morals and views of peace, justice and international order as the status quo. He further supports this argument by viewing that states or powers that are happy with the current status quo view the current status as just, and those who dont, view it as unjust and would therefore end up in going to war (76). Furthermore, Carr also views that if peace cannot be attained through war then the best way to ensure peace is to satisfy powers greater than the weaker state: Those who profit most by [international] order can in the longer run only hope to maintain it by making sufficient concessions to make it tolerable to those who profit by it least (152). The Realism of Hans Morgenthau, Morals and Power Hans Jochaim Morgenthau was an avid neoclassical realist thinker influenced by the works of Hobbes and Reinhold Niebuhr. He presents a fact that humans have an insatiable lust for power identifying it with animus dominandi, the desire to rule or dominate. This desire Morgenthau sees is the pivotal root cause of conflict: international politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power (25). In his main work, Politics among Nations, Morgenthau bases his theories of realism on six main principles. It is in the second principle that Morgenthau clearly presents his argument of where state leaders think and act in terms of interest defined as power (5). This concept presents two main points: firstly is the autonomy of politics from other fields such as economics, religion and ethics. Furthermore, the second principle allows for the analysis of foreign policy without recourse to motives and morals of statesmen or politicians, hence the presence rationality in international politics. But, unlike Machiavelli, Morgenthau does not completely devour ethics from politics. In his fourth principle, Morgenthau explains the relationship between realism and ethics. He mentions that Universal moral principlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.cannot be applied to the actions of states in their abstract universal formulation, but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they must be filtered through the concrete circumstances of time and place (9). That is, there is always some form of friction between morality and political decisions. Morgenthau also stresses the need for prudence when applying his principle as political morality cannot exist without prudence, i.e. without consideration of the political consequences of seemingly moral action (ibid.). To take a closer look at his central themes of power and interest, Morgenthau believes that moral and ethics are not sufficient to comprehend the dynamics of international politics, there therefore has to be a balance in power interests. Morgenthau like Carr was doubtful and pessimistic at how idealists viewed politics in that they never took into account the harsh and negative lesson of history. Morgenthau further contested that the ethics of evil as an inherent part of foreign policy. This is due to the fact that politicians may not have a choice between right or wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. but rather between bad and worse (ref). Morgenthaus realist views stresses on the pessimistic vision of foreign policy, thus creating version of ethics that intertwines power and morality together, a view also shared by Max Webers ethics (ref). Morgenthaus view of ethics was born out of harsh lesson from the failure of the League of Nations to the fascist actions of Nazi Germany and the dangers of communism. Therefore national interests to Morgenthau were an utmost priority as long as these interests contributed to a balance of power; a balance between power, interest and ethics (2). This to Morgenthau is fact and reality as opposed to the idealists utopian views. Morgenthau further emphasized his point by: I prefer the brutality of realist inquiry over the confused sentimentality that neglects its interests and does not get to the point.(3). Furthermore, according to Morgenthau and the concept of animus dominandi, mans strife for power makes man greedy hence taking everything for themselves and depriving their neighbours. Morgenthaus view thus makes him a promoter of power poltics, but on the contrary, Morgenthaus realism offers elements of morals and ethics to utilize power adequately thus giving rise to morally good results (ref). Morgenthaus neoclassical realism was indeed a mix between limiting power intertwined with morality, balanced with tolerance and self constraint made his neoclassical form of realism appealing. . Political theorists have long seen Morgenthau with an eye of immorality. On the other hand, when looking closer (as mentioned above), Morgenthau has been in agreement with Max Weber in that decisions based on moral values could not be justified rationally thus deeming him a realist with morals aspects. Furthermore, Morgenthau also viewed the world as morally imperfect and corrupt, thus should have some morality incorporated to it. This is evident in his opposition to the Vietnam War. He clearly opposed US foreign policy during that war, and thus called for a realist foreign policy based on national interest. Overall, Morgenthau was a harsh critic and opponent of US intervention and foreign policy in Asia. On the other hand, he advocated for a peaceful coexistence with communist Russia and thus advocated a dual strategy of military might and a willingness to seek dà ©tente. His support was clearly expressed when Kissinger and Nixon attempted to enforce a more moderate realist strategy toward Communist powers (China and Russia) hence creating a multipolar world led by the US via the use of Morgenthaus balance of power and his dà ©tente (4). Finally, Morgenthau has advocated a mixture of prudence, morality and realist views of national interest and balance of power in his politics. His advocacy supports Friedrich Meineckes concept of raison detat and when combined with his realist views, makes an effect and coherent realist model.

The Macbeth Witches Essays -- English Literature Essays

The Macbeth Witches In the first scene in act one we can see that the witches have some kind of psychic ability from when they predict that Macbeth will win the battle. The witches appear to be having some sport of shared vision. We can tell this from the second quotation- â€Å"When the hurlyburly’s done. When the battle’s lost and won.† The witches clearly know that King Duncan’s side will win the battle. They also know when they will meet with Macbeth- â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth.† This addresses the theme of witchcraft and is Shakespeare’s way of letting the audience know that the witches have powers. The scene is set in the dark on the heath- a very open place, and the thunder and lightning in the background ‘top it off’ as such. These key elements are Shakespeare’s way of conveying evil. In Elizabethan times this worked well on the audience who were convinced (perhaps unlike a modern audience) that these three women were witches from the very first line. Just before the end of the scene we see that the witches have familiars when the first and third witches call on them. This is also a key element in convincing the audience that the women are witches. The fact that they have familiars makes them seem evil and though perhaps a clichà © now would have been very real for an Elizabethan audience. At the very end of the scene the witches do a sort of chant. â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.† This implies some sort of evil spell and l...

The American Dream vs The American Myth :: Essays on the American Dream

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being stuck en route for an enormously long period of time, would you think that the destination had better be worth all the time spent getting there? Many people would say yes. Think about it. If you were on a journey which lasted months, possibly years of your life, you would want to arrive at your destination seeing the same thing you had dreamt of during the trip. What if, when you got there, you discovered that the dream was actually a myth? The American settlers discovered just that. Is this not similar to High School? Everybody has a specific view, or dream, of High School that very first day they walk in as a freshman. How often is this dream a realistic one?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take, for instance, the first settlers in Jamestown. These people came solely for capitalistic purposes. They figured that if they developed settlements, they would surely profit. With this goal taking over all others in their minds, they did not survive. Many factors contributed to this. For example, the settlers were not prepared for the new area. They believed that they could walk right in and succeed. What they did not realize, however, is that they needed to prepare more. They settled on a horrible piece of land, which killed many off due to sickness. They weren’t able to take care of themselves, as they figured that the Indians would provide cheap labor. The settlers were proved wrong, as the Indians rebelled against the Europeans in raids. Settlers in Jamestown were not prepared for America, thus leading to their downfall. High School can be directly related to Jamestown. Every year, many freshmen catch themselves doing a complete turn-around soon after the year begins. Freshmen usually split into different cliques soon after High School starts. These cliques are usually groups of people with similar interests, whether it is fashion, sports, or math club. All through Middle School, the children were guided along by the administration. This leads them to believe that High School will be the same way. Once in High School, many feel lost and unprepared. The first day of High School, many freshman get to the lunch room, sit at their tables, and wait to be called up to the lunch lines. They were pampered all through their earlier schooling, so they figured that they would be told when to go eat.

Cultural distance assignment Essay

CDj is the cultural distance between the host country (j) and the home country (in this case Germany). It is calculated with a summation of 4 different variables indicating different cultural dimensions. These are uncertainty avoidance, power distance, individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity. is the country j’s score on one of the four cultural dimension is the score of the home country (in this case Germany) on this dimension. is the variance of this particular dimension. Firstly, the distance on each dimension between the host country j and the home country (in this case Germany). Secondly, this number is squared. After squaring minus each variable is divided by the variance of that variable. And finally, all these four variances are added together and divided by 4. 2. What is the difference between mean and variance? Can you explain the example given in the lecture in your own words? Mean and variance are both about distribution, but mean refers to one measure of the central value for a probability distribution. It is the average of a set of measurements. On the other hand, variance is a measure of how far a set of numbers is spread out. In a statistical probability graph the difference in variance is made visible in the height of the graph. A low variance indicates that the data points are close to the mean. This can be recognized in a normal distribution graph where the curve is either flatter or steeper. A flat curve indicates a high variance as data points are far away from the mean, whereas a steep curve indicates a small variance as the data points are close to the mean. 3. Calculate the distance on each dimension between Germany (our home country) and a specific host country using the Excel program.? Tip: you can use the formula editor in Excel to calculate the distance on e. g. power distance between Germany and Argentina, the first country in the sample. You can copy-paste the formula in the other rows/columns. Power distance: Argentina – Germany: 49-35 = 14 Uncertainty avoidance: Argentina – Germany: 86-64 = 21 Individualism / collectivism: Argentina – Germany: 46-67 = -21 ? 21 Masculinity / femininity: Argentina – Germany: 56-66 = -10 ? 10 4. The Kogut-Singh index of cultural distance also contains the variance of each dimension. Answer the following questions: a. In the bottom row of the columns you will find the variance for each culture ? dimension. What dimension has the highest variance? Individual – collectivism b. What does a high variance mean Tip: to calculate the variance yourself, you can use the formula editor of Excel and search for â€Å"variance†. A high variance means that the date points are very spread out from the mean and from each other 5. Calculate the cultural distance using Kogut and Singh formula while using Germany as the home country. Tip: follow the different steps as explained in the main lecture, and first calculate the difference, ? the squared difference, the variance, and the overall cultural distance. Cultural distance = 0,547 ? [(14*14)/507,68 + (21*21)/559,42 + (-21*-21)/621,34 + (-10*-10)/329,58)]/4 6. Which four countries have the lowest cultural distance to Germany? Switzerland, Italy, South Africa and Luxembourg 7. Which country has the highest cultural distance? Guatemala 8. What is the average cultural distance between Germany and these 57 other countries? 1,6046894 9. Pick a host country and relate the cultural distance score between Germany and that ? host country to the 7 points of critique raised by Shenkar as discussed in the lecture. We picked Egypt, which has a cultural distance score of 1,748. 1. The illusion of symmetry: you cannot assume that the cultural distance from Germany and Egypt is similar to the cultural distance from Egypt to Germany. Because of recent conflicts in Egypt it is probably less attractive for other countries, including Germany, to do business or invest in Egypt, whereas for Egypt itself, it is not hard to do business in Germany. 2. The illusion of stability: Cultural distance is measured at a single point in time, but cultures may change over time and therefore, cultural differences may also change over time. Currently the conflict in Egypt is still ongoing which makes cultural difference between Germany and Egypt bigger. However, if this conflict ends, the cultural difference may shrink again. 3. The illusion of linearity: in case a German MNE already had an entity in Egypt and is considering a second one, the obstacle of starting a second entity is lower than it would have with the initial entity introduction. The effect on cultural distance therefore depends on the experience already gained and is not a linear process. 4. The illusion of causality: Kogut and Singh’s formula only focuses on cultural difference, but distance is a multidimensional construct and should be studied not in isolation but together with the other three dimensions of distance, namely; institutional/administrative distance, geographic distance and economic distance. For instance, the cultural difference between Germany and Egypt is 1,748 and the geographic distance between Germany and Egypt is 3208 kilometer. The cultural difference between Germany and Australia is 0,320 (a lot smaller than 1,748) and the geographic distance between these two countries is 14482 kilometers (a lot further than 3208 km). 5. The illusion of discordance: the assumption is that all cultural aspects of the cultural distance between home and host country matter equally, but depending on the country, some dimensions of a culture matter more than others. Take language and religion. Both cultural aspects, but when Germany does business with the Netherlands difference in language would matter a lot more than difference in religion, whereas when Germany does business with Egypt, the religion factor would weigh a lot heavier. 6. The assumption of corporate homogeneity: by using national cultural measures, the CD concept only incorporates variance in the national culture but does not consider possible variances on a corporate level. National culture vs. organizational culture is left out. In Egypt, a company which employs employees of many different nationalities will have less cultural differences with a German company in comparison to a company which only employs Egyptians. 7. The assumption of spatial homogeneity: when examining the cultural differences on the basis of national level scores, possible cultural variances within that same country are left out. In Egypt it would not be correct to look at the country as a whole, since within the country (city versus rural areas) there are different cultures and sentiments based on different takes on for example Muslim religion. This could affect the way different companies do business and therefore reduce or expand the cultural difference between Germany and Egypt. 10. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Kogut and Singh measure of cultural distance. Kogut and Singh have made an effort of creating an overview on the cultural distance between countries. The overview is quite meticulous and based on empirical research, taking four dimensions – created by Hofstede – of cultural distance into account. Although the measure of cultural distance should provide realistic information for organisations that seek new markets, it is not able to do so. The measure should be seen as an indicator of cultural distance rather than an absolute number. Supported by Shenkar’s seven points of critique1, the weaknesses of Kogut and Singh’s theory will be assessed. Supported by Kim and Gray’s article, its strengths will be assessed2. As Shenkar researched effectively, Kogut and Singh’s measure is quite ambiguous. It creates several illusions of cultural distance. Deriving from these seven points made by Shenkar, the measure cannot be used in practice. The differences between reality and theory are too large. For example, as Shenkar explained in point 5; â€Å"The implicit assumption that differences in cultures produce lack of â€Å"fit† and hence an obstacle to transaction is questionable. First, not every cultural gap is critical to performance. As Tallman and Shenkar (1994, p. 108) note, â€Å"different aspects of firm culture may be more or less central, more or less difficult to transmit, and more or less critical to operations†. Second, cultural differences may be complementary and hence have a positive synergetic effect on investment and performance. ’3 Companies are shown one CD number, but the importance of the various dimensions creating this number is different for each company. For example, a company involved in financial derivatives that seeks to create a subsidiary overseas may be less concerned about the individualism/collectivism-dimension than about the uncertainty avoidance-dimension, as these companies are inherently making money of uncertainty. Thus, the CD number does not suit the function implied by Kogut and Singh. Singh and Kogut create an illusion that this CD number helps companies finding a suitable strategy for expanding abroad. The CD number should provide hard data for finding this strategy. Due to the difference between theory and practice, this number cannot provide practical data. However, the measure is suitable for other goals. For one, the measure can explain corporate behaviour in new markets. Kim and Gray researched the applicability of the CD measure. They concluded that relationship between the CD measure and corporate behaviour has some plausible consistencies. 4 The ownership mode a company takes in a new market is indeed dependent on the cultural distance between the host and home country. Kogut and Singh’s measure is thus accurate, but not practical. In conclusion, the measure of Kogut and Sing is accurate enough to explain corporate behaviour in hindsight, but cannot be seen as a practical calculation for choosing a business strategy. A company may tend to get confused by the calculation method, as it equally takes all dimensions into account. However, in the end, a company will probably handle appropriately to the new market’s culture. This is shown in Kim and Gray’s research.