The Financial Collapse of General Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Financial Collapse of General Motors - Essay Example Gm which has funded approximately $103billion towards employee-related obligations proved to be a disadvantage for the company. Not only legacy cost but also due to its poor business strategy. It relied on its old mode of thinking which resisted the offering, and manufacturing capacity. The business suffered decline where its market share fell from 45% to 22%. In addition, the deteriorating strength of the economy and the loss of purchasing power of its consumers resulted in bankruptcy for GM (Estrada, 2011). In 2009, GM announced that the cash reserves amounted to $14billion after losing $30.9billion in 2008. Thus GM was filed bankrupt and its assets were sold off to the new government-owned organization (The New York Times, 2010). It can be said that managerial finance was not applied by GM because if the financial manager would have made proper decisions with respect to cash flows and how much and the type of equity and debt to be used in order to finance the firm. Lack of proper managerial finance led GM to a debt of about $172.8billion as compare to it’s assess which was $82.3 at the time of bankruptcy petition (The New York Times, 2010). The economic impact with respect to the collapse of the auto industry has resulted to be dramatic. As per a survey conducted by Planning Perspectives Inc, reported that about 68% of the participants revealed that companies would downsize if GM declared bankruptcy, 12% of the respondent said that the business would likely to shut down. It was aid that if GM goes into bankruptcy business across the globe would be affected severely. As per the economic downturn, the American, during the financial crises bought few new cars. The collapse of any of the key players in the automotive industry had predicted a troubled economy. Almost about one-third of the suppliers of the automobile industry was deemed at the risk of bankruptcy  (Gray, 2008). The auto industry is an important employer and there are many related industries attached to it. The effect would not result in the collapse of the single company, not just America but all of Europe and Japan also.

Exercises ; Problems Solutions Essay Example for Free

Exercises ; Problems Solutions Essay Her owner’s equity decreased by $14,000 for the operating expenses recorded on August 10th, by $400 for the interest expense recorded on August 24th, and by $10,000 for the cash dividend recorded on August 29th. In other words, her owner’s equity was increased by revenues, and it was decreased by expenses and dividends. Interest is an expense because it represents a necessary payment to others (i. e. , creditors) for the use of their money—thus, it is a â€Å"cost† of doing business. Dividends are a distribution of profits to the owners of the firm and represent a partial liquidation of the firm. A dividend is not an expense because it represents a profit distribution; it is not a â€Å"cost† of doing business. f. g. When money is borrowed from the bank, an asset (cash) is increased and a liability (notes payable) is also increased by an equal amount. Net income is increased only when revenue has been earned—and money borrowed from the bank represents a liability that must be repaid, not revenue that has been earned. Paying off accounts payable decreases an asset (cash) and decreases a liability (accounts payable) by an equal amount. Collecting an account receivable increases an asset (cash) and decreases another asset (accounts receivable) by equal amounts. In both cases, only balance sheet accounts are involved. Net income is increased by revenues and decreased by expenses. The expense associated with a cash payment of an account payable would have been recorded in an earlier transaction (when the expense was incurred and the account payable was established); by the same logic, the revenue associated with the collection of an account receivable would have been recorded in an earlier transaction (when the revenue was earned and the account receivable was established).Amounts shown in the balance sheet below reflect the following use of the data given: An asset should have a probable future economic benefit; therefore the accounts receivable are stated at the amount expected to be collected from customers. Assets are reported at original cost, not current worth. Depreciation in accounting reflects the spreading of the cost of an asset over its estimated useful life. Assets are reported at original cost, not at an assessed or appraised value. The amount of the note payable is calculated using the accounting equation, A = L + OE. Total assets can be determined based on items (a), (b), and (c); total owners equity is known after considering item (e); and the note payable is the difference between total liabilities and the accounts payable. The retained earnings account balance represents the difference between cumulative net income and cumulative dividends. The problem could be solved without calculating this number.

Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay -- essays

Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man The works of twentieth-century Irish writer James Joyce resound vividly with a unique humanity and genius. His novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, published in 1916, is a convincing journey through the inner mind and spirit of Stephen Dedalus. Portrayed with incredible fluency and realism, imagery guides the reader through the swift current of growth tangible in the juvenile hero. Above all heavy imagery in the novel is the recurring bird motif. Joyce uses birds to ultimately relate Stephen to the Daedelus myth of the â€Å"hawklike man;† however, these images also exemplify Stephen’s daily experiences, and longing for true freedom . By using imagery of birds as threatening, images of beauty, and images of escape, the reader can unify the work and better understand Stephen’s tumultuous journey through life. The opening scene of Chapter one portrays a conversation between a very young Stephen and Dante, Stephen’s nanny. She scolds him for an unconventional thought, warning him that â€Å"the eagles will come and pull out [your] eyes†. This obviously graphic image suggests to Stephen the threatening presence of eagles that are minding all his thoughts. Joyce’s vividness with such gruesome imagery has a real effect on Stephen; he repeats Dante’s caution in his childish song, chanting: â€Å"Pull out his eyes, Apologize†. A playful, yet sensitive Stephen must immediately conformeven his innocent unorthodox actions in fear of the threatening phantom eagles to save the consequences they will bring. His thoughts are threatened again by birds when he meets an acquaintance named Heron when walking down a dark street. Stephen immediately notes the peculi... ...of how the creatures of the air have their knowledge and know their times and seasons because they, unlike man, are in the order of their life and have not perverted that order by reason†. In order to seek true emancipation, Stephen â€Å"must go away for they were birds ever going and coming...ever leaving the homes they had built to wander†. Stephen resolves to leave his Irish homeland; free and wild as his images of the birds. The attributes which mold Stephen Dedalus’ growing integrity and life decisions stem from the actions which surround him. The reader associates Stephen by the images he encounters and his reaction to them. In James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen’s connection with bird imagery helps to define his search for a role in his society, and helps readers define and identify with his quest.

fully just? :: essays research papers

Fully Just? The death penalty debate is an extremely controversial issue affecting the world today. In today’s society, people argue whether the death penalty is an acceptable form of justice. In America, the pros and cons of the death penalty are an ongoing debate. Countless questions arise whenever someone mentions the death penalty. Is Capital Punishment just? The death penalty is just. As a citizen of the United States, I am interested in this issue because I live under the statutes of the American justice system. Someone who disagrees with the death penalty claims that it is wrong to promote murder, yet he or she promotes murder by opposing an equal punishment for those who commit the crime. Not executing criminals who commit horrific crimes is preserving a life that has devalued all life. People have been sentenced to death for various forms of wrongdoing all throughout history. One can trace back execution all the way to the crucifixion of Jesus. Stoning, drowning, burning at the stake, impaling, and beheading are other forms of punishment that people used hundreds of years ago. These previous methods are found cruel and unusual and evolve to what we refer to today as modern capital punishment. Capital Punishment today is the legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating criminal law and is justly so. Since 1976, capital punishment is accomplished through various means; lethal injection (primarily), electrocution, and gas chamber are the most prominent (Death Penalty Information Center). These new methods are more efficient and less inhumane for the party receiving the sentence of death. Thirty-eight states across the country currently take part in capital punishment; thirty-seven of which use lethal injection as the primary means. The law executes both men an d woman for various crimes, but for the most part the severity of the punishment increases with the severity of the crime (Death Penalty Information Center). The crime most punished with the death penalty is murder, and rightfully so. Society is better off without people who commit inhumane crimes. Opponents of the death penalty commonly portray the death penalty as a barbaric "eye for an eye" approach to criminal justice. Although most parts of the world do not take this philosophy literally, our culture still follows the spirit of this law. In America, two out of every three people support the death penalty, about sixty-six percent (Death Penalty Information Center).

Philosophy Essay

1. Settings: I scheduled my AA meeting for Tuesday September the 18th at 10 p.m. at the Sobe Room in Miami Beach (1718 Bay Rd. Miami Beach, Fl. 33139). When I arrived I noticed that the parking was far away from the actual meeting point. The meeting point was a church type structure with no sing or any other identification. The door was open so I just went in; I waited about 5 minutes for the meeting to start. The meeting took place in a large room, and the chairs were organized in a semicircle and at the front there was a kind of podium. In the Sobe Room all meetings are open, so I didn’t have to set an appointment. In the meeting were about 50 people, I guess because it was in south beach the majority were young people under 40. There were mostly white males, followed by white females some Latin and some African Americans. There were about 15 people who were there for the first time. I didn’t have to say why I was there but I did have to say my name when everyone else did. 2. Philosophy Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. The primary purpose of AA is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. Although AA was founded on Christian principles and by white men, the organization has evolved to be multicultural. AA doesn’t keep a list of members’ names, but estimates that it has 2 million members who come from all backgrounds. The philosophy behind Alcoholics Anonymous is that alcoholism is a disease. Even if someone stops drinking, they are not â€Å"cured.† The individual is a recovering alcoholic. The organization follows a 12-step structure designed to help the recovering alcoholic have a healthy mind and spirit. By following the 12 steps in sequence, the recovering alcoholic can improve their thought processes and work on healing their emotions. 3. Therapeutic content Even though AA is an independent organization and is not based on psychological or therapeutic research or interventions, they have adopted some techniques of different theoretical models to help the group members deal with their illness. AA uses techniques from diverse psychological theoretical models such as existentialism, gestalt, and narrative therapy. The existentialism theory invites clients to explore their being and ask themselves philosophical questions such as what is the meaning of live, how do actions define individuals and to continually revise their set of values. AA uses this approach in its program when they talk about the greater power, the purpose of their lives, etc. Gestalt theory sees each client as a unique individual and states that any change made by the client has to be his or her own decision, gestalt therapy is also very confrontational, and in both characteristics are included in the AA program. AA states that the client will get better if and only they really want it and commit to it. Also AA uses an approach similar to the narrative therapy by treating the addiction as an illness and as a problem independent of the client, it externalizes it to try to confront it. 4. Impressions and significance: When I arrived to the meeting the first thing that called my attention was the fact that we had to park really far away from the actual site (about two blocks) I later found out that it was purposely made this way so the members wouldn’t feel self conscious about having their cars outside of something that could be affiliated with alcoholism. I entered the location, it wasn’t an actual church, but it had a church like structure. The doors were opened and most people seemed to know each other, before the meeting started some people said hi to me but no one asked any questions. The meeting began with a shot prayer called the serenity prayer, which had me thinking about some contradictions found in the AA philosophy since they claim not to have any religious affiliation but it certainly felt a little inclined towards the Christian side. After the prayer everyone introduced themselves (most people said their names and I’m an alcoholic, but some didn’t) I said my name but gave no further information. Then someone proceed to talk a little about the AA program and the 12-step structure. After the greeting process a guy (27) stood up and went to the podium. He started by repeating his name and saying he was an alcoholic. He said that since this time he saw a lot of new faces he wanted to share his story again. The man shared a very powerful story about his involvement with alcohol, he stated he started drinking around the age of 14, he said that at the moment he thought he was just having fun and doing the same that everyone else did, but that now that he thinks about it he realizes he was using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the confusion he was facing about his sexuality. He stated that he came out of the closet at the age of 16, that it was a very difficult time and that he was dating older men who encouraged him to drink. He continued talking about what coming out had done to the relationship with his family members; he described the time as very painful and he cried while telling the story (some of the people in the meeting cried as well). He said that his mother was very supportive since the beginning, that his younger brother had a hard time understanding; he said that he was a jog in school, so no one expected him to come out since he wasn’t â€Å"the gay type†. But that the real issue was with his father, as soon as he gave him the news the father became very angry and he kicked him out of the house. He said that he sort of expected the reaction but thought that he would eventually get over it, but that that hadn’t happened yet, and that it’s been 10 years and 7 months since the last time he spoke with his father. He said that he joined AA when he was 23, he decide to attend a meeting because he and his partner were having terrible fights while he was under the influence of alcohol and he even tried to hit him once. At that point the partner threatened with leaving him if he didn’t get treatment. He stated that it was the best decision he made in his live. He has now been sober for 3 years and 4 months. Before going to the meeting I had many opinions about what I would find there, I was sure that most people would be people of low socioeconomic status probably many homeless and very angry people. I was afraid of being forced to speak and that they wouldn’t understand the reason that I was participating in the meeting. I expected to see a lot of people praying, singing, and hugging at the end. But the truth is that the reality was very different to what I had in my imagination, I think my perception was heavily influenced by movies I’ve see about it. One thing that caught my attention was the first to realize that most people in the group were people with jobs and life situations fairly normal. But mostly I was surprised that people were a bit cold and distant. I was hoping that dodos were united and friendly to each other but not the case. For me the story of gay guy was very powerful and I felt good to see people around me responding positively and nodding. One thing I did not like was the strong Christian influence of the program; I feel that excludes many people who do not feel identified with this dogma. I think AA is a very powerful tool and can help many clients, but I also think is not for everyone. I would recommend it to clients with maladaptive behaviors that do not have the skills to deal with day-to-day problems. I think that a person has to be religious to some point to really identify with the program. I would not recommend this program to teenagers because I think that there are other programs more suitable for this population.

Battle of Cambrai - World War I - Western Front - Tanks

Battle of Cambrai - World War I - Western Front - Tanks The Battle of Cambrai was fought November 20 to December 6, 1917, during World War I (1914 to 1918). British General Julian Byng2 corps324 tanks Germans General Georg von der Marwitz1 corps Background In mid-1917, Colonel John F.C. Fuller, the Chief of Staff of the Tank Corps, devised a plan for using armor to raid the German lines. Since the terrain near Ypres-Passchendaele was too soft for tanks, he proposed a strike against St. Quentin, where the ground was hard and dry. As operations near St. Quentin would have required cooperation with French troops, the target was shifted to Cambrai to ensure secrecy. Presenting this plan to British Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Fuller was unable to obtain approval as the focus of British operations was on the ​offensive against Passchendaele. While the Tank Corps was developing its plan, Brigadier General H.H. Tudor of the 9th Scottish Division had created a method for supporting a tank attack with a surprise bombardment. This utilized a new method for targeting artillery without registering the guns by observing the fall of shot. This older method frequently alerted the enemy to impending attacks and gave them time to move reserves to the threatened area. Though Fuller and his superior, Brigadier-General Sir Hugh Elles, had failed to gain Haigs support, their plan interested the commander of the Third Army, General Sir Julian Byng. In August 1917, Byng accepted both Elles attack plan and along with Tudors artillery scheme to support it. Through Elles and Fuller had originally intended for the attack to be an eight- to twelve-hour raid, Byng altered the plan and intended to hold any ground that was taken. With fighting bogging down around Passchendaele, Haig relented in his opposition and approved an attack at Cambrai on November 10. Assembling over 300 tanks along a front of 10,000 yards, Byng intended for them to advance with close infantry support to capture enemy artillery and consolidate any gains. A Swift Advance Advancing behind a surprise bombardment, Elles tanks were to crush lanes through the German barbed wire and bridge the German trenches by filling them with bundles of brushwood known as fascines. Opposing the British was the German Hindenburg Line which consisted of three successive lines approximately 7,000 yards deep. These were manned by the 20th Landwehr and 54th Reserve Division. While the 20th was rated as fourth-rate by the Allies, the commander of the 54th had prepared his men in anti-tank tactics utilizing artillery against moving targets. At 6:20 AM on November 20, 1,003, British guns opened fire on the German position. Advancing behind a creeping barrage, the British had immediate success. On the right, troops from Lieutenant General William Pulteneys III Corps advanced four miles with troops reaching Lateau Wood and capturing a bridge over the St. Quentin Canal at Masnià ¨res. This bridge soon collapsed under the weight of the tanks halting the advance. On the British left, elements of the IV Corps had similar success with troops reaching the woods of Bourlon Ridge and the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Only in the center did the British advance stall. This was largely due to Major General G.M. Harper, commander of the 51st Highland Division, who ordered his infantry to follow 150-200 yards behind his tanks, as he thought the armor would draw artillery fire on his men. Encountering elements of the 54th Reserve Division near Flesquià ¨res, his unsupported tanks took heavy losses from the German gunners, including five destroyed by Sergeant Kurt Kruger. Though the situation was saved by the infantry, eleven tanks were lost. Under pressure, the Germans abandoned the village that night. Reversal of Fortune That night, Byng sent his cavalry divisions forward to exploit the breach, but they were forced to turn back due to unbroken barbed wire. In Britain, for the first time since the start of the war, church bells rang in victory. Over the next ten days, the British advance slowed greatly, with III Corps halting to consolidate and the main effort taking place in the north where troops attempted to capture Bourlon Ridge and the nearby village. As German reserves reached the area, the fighting took on the attritional characteristics of many battles on the Western Front. After several days of brutal fighting, the crest of Bourlon Ridge was taken by the 40th Division, while attempts to press east were halted near Fontaine. On November 28, the offensive was halted and British troops began to dig in. While the British had been spending their strength to capture Bourlon Ridge, the Germans had shifted twenty divisions to the front for a massive counterattack. Beginning at 7:00 AM on November 30, German forces employed stormtrooper infiltration tactics which had been devised by General Oskar von Hutier. Moving in small groups, German soldiers bypassed British strong points and made great gains. Quickly engaged all along the line, the British concentrated on holding Bourlon Ridge which allowed the Germans to drive back III Corps to the south. Though fighting quieted on December 2, it resumed the next day with the British being forced to abandon the east bank of the St. Quentin Canal. On December 3, Haig ordered a retreat from the salient, surrendering British gains except for the area around Havrincourt, Ribà ©court, and Flesquià ¨res. Aftermath The first major battle to feature a significant armored attack, British losses at Cambrai numbered 44,207 killed, wounded, and missing while German casualties were estimated at around 45,000. In addition, 179 tanks had been put out of action due to enemy action, mechanical issues, or ditching. While the British gained some territory around Flesquià ¨res, they lost approximately the same amount to the south making the battle a draw. The final major push of 1917, the Battle of Cambrai saw both sides utilize equipment and tactics that would be refined for the following years campaigns. While the Allies continued to develop their armored force, the Germans would employ stormtrooper tactics to great effect during their Spring Offensives.

Microeconomics Research Paper Example

Microeconomics Research Paper Example Microeconomics Paper Microeconomics Paper Looks at how individual economic agents (I. E. Consumers/ households and producers/firms) make their day-to-day decisions. Macroeconomics: Looks at the overall behavior of the entire economy of a country. So in addition to households and firms, it also looks at the government and frequently at the rest of the world. The four target variables that all macroeconomicss are concerned about are: (1) Gross Domestic Product (GAP): This looks at how much goods and services are being produced in the country (or how much is everyones income taken together). They try o maximize this. (2) Unemployment: This has to do with how many people have Jobs and how many dont. They try to minimize this. (3) Inflation: This looks at how the prices of goods and services are changing. They try to Meltzer this. (4) Economic Growth: This looks at the rate at which GAP Is going up or down. They try to maximize this. Gross Domestic Product (GAP) Goods: Tangible things firms produce and consumers buy. An example is a Philly cheese steak. Services: Intangible castles firms provide and consumers buy. An example Is a haircut. Definition of GAP: It is the value of new final goods and services intended for the racetrack produced within a country in a given period of time. (Note: We will concentrate only on gross domestic product in this class. The book also talks about the related concepts of gross national product, net national product, national income, personal Income, etc. You do not need to study them. ) Keynoters in the definition: Value: This refers to the market price. New: Only newly produced goods and services are counted as part of the GAP. So if you buy a second hand 2010 Toyota Campy, then that will not be counted as a part of the GAP for the year 2014. The reason is that this car had already been counted once n the GAP for the year 2010 and to count your purchase again would be counting It twice. In other words, the good Is being sold twice, but It was produced only once. Final: A final good is intended for consumption in the form it is in, whereas an intermediate good is a good that is often used to make other goods. Intermediate goods should not be confused with capital, which is a good that is manufactured for the sole purpose of making other goods. For example, If you buy an ice cream shake, then the Ice cream Is an intermediate $2, the milk and the chocolate sauce is worth $1, the labor is worth $0. 0 and the shop wants to keep a profit margin of $0. 50, then the price of the milkshake to the consumer is $4. So when you buy the milkshake, which is a final good as it is consumed in that form, the GAP goes up by $4. But if we had also counted intermediate goods, then we would also have counted the $2 worth of ice cream and the GAP would have gone up by $6, which would again have lead to double counting. What if you dont purchase an ice cream shake but purchase two scoops of ice cream instead? Then ice cream would be a final good as you are consuming it in that form. Intended for the Marketplace: We only count as part of the GAP goods and services that are produced for the market. So we will not count home production, because when you prepare dinner for yourself in the kitchen then you dont go to the market to sell it. But if you are a gourmet cook and start a take-out business from your home, then your cooking will be counted as a service in the GAP as you are selling your culinary skills to others. We will also not count illegal transactions as part of the GAP as when we talk about markets we dont mean black markets. So money spent on buying pot in Old Town East in Columbus ill not be a part of the U. S. GAP. Even if someone buys recreational marijuana in Colorado or medical marijuana in California (both of which are legal at the state level), the transactions will not be a part of the U. S. GAP as they are not legal at the federal level. Within a Country: The good or service has to be produced within the geographical boundaries of the country. Hence exports will be a part of your countrys GAP whereas imports will be a part of the other countrys GAP. In a Given Period of Time: This is usually a quarter or a year. We only count the good ND services that were produced in that quarter or year, as those produced in other periods will be counted as part of the production in those respective periods. Stock: A stock is a variable whose quantity is measured at a particular point in time. For example, capital is a stock, and so is wealth. Flow: A flow is a variable whose quantity is measured per unit of time. For example, investment is a flow, and so is GAP. A few other flow variables are consumption, government purchases and net exports. Measuring National Income / GAP There are three ways of measuring the GAP of a country. All three methods give us the same final result. (1) Expenditure Approach: GAP is the sum of the total amount spent on new goods and services in an economy over a period of time. GAP = Consumption + Investment + Government Purchases + Net Exports Therefore GAP consists of four components. Net Exports: Net Exports = Exports Imports. So if Chevrolet sells an Impala worth $25,000 to a Mexican living in Cacao, then the transaction is going to raise U. S. Net exports by $25,000 and reduce Mexican net exports by $25,000. (2) Income Approach: GAP is the sum of the total income paid to economic agents in GAP = compensation of employees (wages, salaries, perks) + rent + interest + profit + indirect taxes (why not direct taxes too? ) + depreciation (3) Value-added Approach: Well look at this with the help of an example. (a) Suppose cotton is harvested in Alabama. The bale of cotton is priced at $2. This means that there has been a value added of $2 into the cotton by the seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, (b) A factory in Los Angles purchases that bale of cotton and manufactures cloth with it. The cloth is priced at $6. This means that there has been a value added of $4 n this round by the machinery used, the electricity consumed, the labor used and the profit margin retained by the factory owner from the sale of the cloth. (c) An American Apparel plant in Los Angles then purchases that cloth and manufactures a shirt with it. The shirt is priced at $24. This means that there has been a value added of $18 in this round, once again by the machinery, buttons and threads, labor, profit margin, etc. So the total value-added in the three rounds put together is $(2 + 4 + 18) = $24. So the value-added in the production of one American Apparel shirt is $24. Multiplying this y the total number of American Apparel shirts produced in the U. S. And repeating this exercise for every other good and service produced, the total number that we get the GAP. In the absence of statistical errors, the three methods should give us the same answer. In reality, no country uses the value added method as it is extremely cumbersome. Unemployment Determining a persons status in the labor market: Working Age Population In the Labor Force Employed Not in the Labor Force Unemployed Working Age Population: The number of people 16 and over who are not in Jail, hospital, or some other form of institutional care. Labor Force: Labor force is composed of people who are employed and people who are unemployed. Employed: These are the people who have either a full-time Job or a part-time Job. Unemployed: These are the people who are: and one of the following: (IA) are without work but have made specific efforts to find a Job within the previous four weeks (bib) are waiting to be called back to a Job from which he or she has been laid off. (ICC) are waiting to start a new Job within the next 30 days. Not in the Labor Force: These are the people who dont satisfy the criteria for either employed or unemployed. Examples are stay-at-home parents, retired people, college students and discouraged workers (I. E. Unemployed people who gave up looking for a new Job at least four weeks ago). Labor Market Indicators: We use three main indicators to measure the health of the labor market: (1) Unemployment Rate: Percentage of people who are in the labor force who are unemployed. This tells us how many people want Jobs but cant find one. OUR = (No. Of Unemployed / Labor Force)*100 (2) Labor Force Participation Rate: Percentage of working age population who are members of the labor force. This tells us how many people of working age are willing to take a Job. LEAF = (Labor Force / Working Age Population)*100 (3) Employment-to-population Ratio: Percentage of working age people who have Jobs. This tells us about the availability of Jobs and how well Jobs are matching the peoples skill sets. DEPT = (No. Of Employed / Working Age Population)*100 For the U. S. , according to the 2011 census, the civilian non-institutional population 16 and older was 239,618,000, the labor force was 1 and the number of employed was 139,869,000. Hence the number of unemployed was 13,747,000 and he population that was not in the labor force was 86,001 ,OHO. The unemployment rate would then be 8. 95%, the labor force participation rate 64. 11% and the employment-to-population ratio 58. 7%. Inflation Price level is the average price for all goods and services in the economy. Inflation is an increase in the price level. What if we dont have inflation? We can then have two other possible situations: (1) Deflation: This is the case when prices are falling. (2) Disinflation: This is the case where there is no movement in the price level. Measuring the price level and the inflation rate: Inflation is measured by calculating the percentage change in the price level. Hence, in order to measure inflation, we need to be able to measure the price level. The three most common ways of measuring the price level are: (1) Consumer price index (ICP) or Cost of living index: This measures the change in prices of goods used by consumers. In order to construct the ICP, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monitors the spending habits of consumers over a certain time period (which is currently 1993-1995) and prepares a basket of the goods consumers commonly buy. It chooses basket in that period. It then adds up the individual prices of all these goods to get the total price of the basket in the base period. Let us suppose that the base period price of the basket comes out to be $210. Next they find the prices of all goods contained in the basket in the current period (say January 2014). Adding up, suppose the current period price of the basket comes out to be $250. Price of the basket in the current period occupancy 2014 the base period 250 = _ * 100 210 = 119. * 100 Price of the basket in How do we calculate the inflation rate from this? The inflation rate is simply the argental change in the price level. occupancy 2014= 119 suppose ICP January 2013 = 109. occupancy 2014 occupancy 2013 Inflation rate = 119-109 * 100 109 * 100 ICP January 2013 ICP for the base period is equal to 100 by definition. Recently the government has switched from using the ICP-W (ICP for urban wage earners and clerical workers) to the C-ICP-U (chained ICP for all urban consumers). The C-ICP-U takes substitution effects into account (for example, if the price of pork goes up then pork is now more expensive but consumers might switch to less pork and more beef to keep their expenditure on meat at around the same level); ICP-W does not. As a result, C-ICP-U increases more slowly than ICP-W (0. 3% less per year according to the COB). This saves the government money as it slows cost of living adjustments given to social security payments. 2) Producer price index (PIP): This measures the change in the prices of goods used by producers. The PIP leads the ICP. The PIP measure price change from the perspective of the seller. This contrasts with other measures, such as the Consumer Price Index (ICP), that measure price change from the purchasers perspective. Sellers and purchasers prices may differ due to gover nment subsidies, sales and excise taxes, and distribution costs. Pips measure average changes in prices received by domestic producers of commodities in all stages of processing (I. E. For both intermediate and final goods). Because producer price indexes are designed to measure only the change in prices received for the output of domestic industries, imports are not included. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts surveys and releases approximately 10,000 Pips for individual products and groups of products each month. Pips are available for the products of virtually every industry in the mining and manufacturing products of industries in the transportation, utilities, trade, finance, and services sectors of the economy. The PIP and the inflation rate based on it are calculated in exactly the same way as with the ICP. 3) GAP deflator: This is the third way of measuring the price level. Distinction between nominal and real variables: Nominal means that the variable has not been adjusted for inflation. Real means that the variable has been adjusted for inflation. Whenever we need to meaningfully compare between two time periods, we need to invert the variables into real terms. Otherwise we will end up with erroneous results. To see why, consider the following example. Let us consider an economy that only produces books. In 2012 it produced 10 books, while in 2013 it produced 12 books. Hence book production grew by: 12 10 10 Now lets bring prices into the picture. Suppose the price of a book in 2012 was $5 and it increased to $7 in 2013. Hence the nominal GAP in 2012 was = $50 and the nominal GAP in 2013 was = $84. Hence the growth rate of nominal GAP was: 84 50 50 Obviously this number is wrong. The reason because of which this number is so high s that we did not adjust it for the increase in price. The right way to compare the situations in 2012 and 2013 is to use the same price level to calculate the value of the GAP for the two different years. For example, if we use the base period (I. E. 2012) price, then the real GAP in 2012 would be = $50 and the real GAP in 2013 would be $(5*12) = $60. If we now compute the growth rate, then it comes out to be the correct number: 60 50 Nominal GAP GAP Deflator = Real GAP ___*OHIO Unlike a price index, the GAP deflator is not based on a fixed basket of goods and services. The basket is allowed to change with peoples consumption and investment patterns. Therefore, new expenditure patterns are allowed to show up in the deflator as people respond to changing prices. However, the disadvantage of this approach is that the GAP deflator measures changes in both prices and the composition of the basket, and so should not be used as a measure of pure price changes in the economy. In practice, the difference between the deflator and a price index on the same set of goods and services is relatively small. The GAP and GAP deflator are both calculated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (SEA). Economic Growth short period of time in which producers can only vary the labor they employ, and not the capital stock. Long run: A longer period of time, in which both labor and capital stock employed in a firm can be changed. The long run trend in the GAP represents economic growth. This trend is positive for most countries, but can be negative (as is the case with some sub-Sahara African countries). The short run fluctuations around the trend represent business cycles. There are often business cycle downturns around a positive trend. If the GAP goes up from one ratter to the next, then we say that we are in the expansionary phase of the business cycle. If the GAP goes down from one quarter to the next, then we say that we are experiencing a contraction. If the GAP goes down for at least two successive quarters, then we say that the economy is in a recession.

Siege of Fort Ticonderoga in the American Revolution

Siege of Fort Ticonderoga in the American Revolution Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - Conflict Dates: The Siege of Fort Ticonderoga was fought July 2-6, 1777, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Armies Commanders: Americans Major General Arthur St. Clairapprox. 3,000 men British Major General John Burgoyneapprox. 7,800 men Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - Background: In the spring of 1777, Major General John Burgoyne devised  a plan for achieving victory over  the Americans. Concluding  that New England was the seat of the rebellion, he suggested separating  the region from the other colonies by advancing down the Hudson River corridor while a second column, led by Colonel Barry St. Leger, moved east from Lake Ontario. Rendezvousing at Albany, the combined force  would drive down the Hudson, while  General William Howes army marched north from New York. Though the plan was approved by London, Howes role was never clearly defined and his seniority prevented Burgoyne from issuing him orders. Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - British Preparations: Prior to this, British forces under Sir Guy Carleton had attempted to capture Fort Ticonderoga.   Sailing south   on Lake Champlain in the fall of 1776, Carletons fleet was delayed by an American squadron led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island.   Though Arnold was defeated, the lateness of the season prevented the British from exploiting their victory.   Arriving in Quebec the following spring, Burgoyne began assembling his army and making preparations for moving south.   Building a  force of around 7,000 regulars and 800 Native  Americans, he gave  command of his advance force to Brigadier General Simon Fraser while leadership of the right and left wings of the army went to Major General William  Phillips and Baron Riedesel.   After reviewing his command at Fort Saint-Jean in  mid-June, Burgoyne took to the lake to begin his campaign.   Occupying Crown Point on June  30, his army was effectively screened by Frasers men and the Native Americans. Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) -American Response: Following their capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775, American forces had spent two years improving its defenses.   These included extensive  earthworks across the lake on the Mount Independence peninsula as well as redoubts and  forts on the site of the old French defenses to the  west.   Additionally,  American  forces built a fort atop nearby Mount Hope.   To the southwest, the height of Sugar Loaf (Mount Defiance), which dominated both Fort Ticonderoga and Mount  Independence, was left undefended as it was not believed that artillery could be pulled to the summit.   This point had been challenged by Arnold and Brigadier General Anthony Wayne during earlier stints in the area, but no action was taken.   Through the early part of 1777, American  leadership in the region  had been in flux as Major Generals Philip Schuyler and Horatio Gates  lobbied for command of the Northern Department.   As this debate continued, oversight  at Fort Ticonderoga fell to Major General Arthur St. Clair.   A veteran of the failed invasion of Canada as well as the victories at Trenton and Princeton, St. Clair possessed around 2,500-3,000 men.   Meeting with Schuyler on June 20, the two men concluded that this force was not sufficient to hold  the Ticonderoga defenses against a determined British attack.   As such, they devised two lines of retreat with one  passing south through Skenesboro and the other heading east toward Hubbardton.  Ã‚   Departing, Schuyler told his subordinate to defend the post for as long as possible before retreating.  Ã‚     Ã‚   Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - Burgoyne Arrives: Moving south on July 2, Burgoyne advanced Fraser and Phillips down the west shore of the lake while Riedesels  Hessians pressed along the east bank with the goal of attacking Mount Independence and cutting the road to Hubbardton.   Sensing danger, St. Clair  withdrew the garrison from  Mount Hope later that morning due to concerns that it  would be isolated and overwhelmed.   Later in the day, British and Native American forces began skirmishing with the Americans in the old  French lines.   In the course of the fighting, a British soldier was captured and St. Clair was  able to learn more about the size of Burgoynes army.   Recognizing the importance of Sugar Loaf,  British engineers ascended the  heights and covertly began clearing space for an artillery emplacement (Map). Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - A Difficult Choice: The next morning, Frasers men occupied  Mount Hope while other British forces began dragging guns up Sugar Loaf.  Ã‚  Continuing to work in secret, Burgoyne  hoped to have Riedesel in place on the  Hubbardton Road before the Americans discovered the guns on the heights.   On the evening of July 4, Native American campfires on Sugar Loaf alerted St. Clair to the impending  danger.   With the American defenses exposed to the British guns, he called  a council of war  early on July 5.   Meeting with his commanders, St. Clair made the decision to  abandon the fort and retreat after dark.   As Fort Ticonderoga was a politically important post, he recognized that the withdrawal would badly  damage his reputation but he felt that saving his army  took precedence.   Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - St. ClairRetreats: Gathering a fleet of over 200 boats, St. Clair directed that as many supplies as possible be embarked and sent south to Skenesboro.  Ã‚  While the boats  were escorted south by Colonel Pierse Longs New Hampshire Regiment, St. Clair and the remaining men crossed to Mount Independence before marching down the Hubbardton Road.   Probing the American lines the next morning, Burgoynes troops found them deserted.   Pushing forward, they occupied Fort Ticonderoga and the surrounding works without firing a shot.   Shortly thereafter, Fraser received permission to mount a pursuit of the retreating Americans with Riedesel in support. Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (1777) - Aftermath: In the Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, St. Clair suffered seven killed and eleven wounded while Burgoyne incurred five killed.   Frasers pursuit resulted in the Battle of Hubbardton on July 7.   Though a British victory, it saw the American rearguard inflict higher casualties as well as accomplish  their mission of covering St. Clairs retreat.   Turning  west, St. Clairs men later rendezvoused with Schuyler at Fort Edward.   As  he predicted,  St. Clairs abandonment of Fort Ticonderoga led to his removal  from  command and contributed to Schuyler being replaced by Gates.  Ã‚  Firmly arguing that his actions had been honorable and were justified, he demanded a court of inquiry which was held in September 1778.   Though exonerated, St. Clair did not receive another field command during the war.   Advancing south after his success at Fort Ticonderoga, Burgoyne was hampered by  difficult  terrain and American efforts to slow his march.   As the campaign season wore on, his plans began  to unravel following a defeat at Bennington and St. Legers failure at the Siege of Fort  Stanwix.   Increasingly  isolated, Burgoyne was forced to surrender his army after being beaten at the Battle of Saratoga that fall.   The American victory proved a turning point in the war and led to the Treaty of Alliance with France. Selected Sources: British Battles: Siege of Fort TiconderogaFort TiconderogaHistory Central: Battle of Fort Ticonderoga

Paris au Pluriel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paris au Pluriel - Essay Example In the Journey to the End of the Night, Paris has been depicted from the point of view of the marginalized, working class and slum dwellers of the early 1930’s, that is between the wars, a time when, in the language of the narrator–protagonist Ferdinand Bardamu, the world was busy with â€Å"killing or adoring, or both together. 'I hate you! I adore you!'’." The story, narrated in argotic language, almost echoed Celine’s life from1913 to 1932, with some changes needed for fictions. Cà ©line pursues Bardamu through World War I trenches in Africa, the a nightmarish work in a Ford factory in the United states, and his return to postwar Paris, starting medical practice in a Paris suburb area. Celine himself was a Doctor in pitiable Parisian districts, the misery of whose residents gave him a cynical view of humanity that he translated into his fictions - side-splitting besides being scary and ostensibly vulgar. The fictional La Garenne-Rancy where he painfully observed the appalling condition of the workers â€Å"bent over their machines,†¦ calibrating bolts and more bolts, †¦vapor that burns your throat and †¦attacks your eardrums from inside. It's not shame that makes them bow their head. You give in to noise as you give in to war. At the machines you let yourself go with three ideas that are wobbling about at th e top of your head. And that's the end." (from Journey to the End of the Night, as cited in Celine, kirjasto.sci.fi ) With 'Journey†¦, Celine liberated the French novel from the synthetically styled prose of Gide and Proust and gave it a plain passion and gnaw it never came across after Rabelais. It is a picaresque novel with the rogue protagonist, or antihero Ferdinand like Don Quixote, fighting "against all", yet whereas Cervantes, the creator of Don Quixote, lamented for the death of courtliness, Celine talked mockingly about the death of civility. As a slum doctor in Paris, he had heard every sort of howls-- of pain, rage and misery; mixed with his own typical French humor and changed by a style of high revulsion. This 450-page account of anger, acrimony, despair, disappointment, and acquiescence depicts a Paris of conflict, spinelessness, lies, sleaze, treachery, exploitation, perversion, bullying, cheating, gluttony, illness, isolation, insanity, lust, tittle-tattle, abortion, reprisal, and murder in a narrated in a way in which rarely any cheery word could be traced. From a literary stan ce, The Journey possibly could be ranked as havinng brought a strikingly new style, a chatty language that also includes many cultured elements wielding significant influence on later-day French literature. Albert Thinaudet, renowned French essayist and a major literary critic between-the- wars said that in January 1933 Journey was still a widespead topic at dinner parties in Paris (Godard, "Notice," in Cline). Journey was an instant success making Celine as a major literary figure. An broken up, hallucinatory and dreary novel heavy in slang, it followed Ferdinand Bardamu from the trenches of the First World War, to Africa, to America, ending back in Paris, where Bardamu started medical practice. The split, self-exiled narrative portraying a disintegrated world without loveliness, decorum or possible salvation was something awful to French readers: The worst part is wondering how you'll find the strength tomorrow to go on doing what you did today and have been

Gateway art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gateway art - Assignment Example She adds voice to her portraits by including calligraphy on the images, one of the calligraphy is a poem by feminist contemporary Iranian poet. Farrokhzad was one of the renowned Iran female poets whose work enticed Neshat to include in her paintings. Artistically works and poems were the main channels the Muslim women could use in revolution against their frustrations with the social and cultural restrictions. Following Iranian unveiling in 1936 the Irans women bodies were unveiled, subsequently female poets and artists like Neshat started revealing their thoughts, emotions and desire (Meskimmon, 2012). Neshat portrays Iranian women determination in executing their mission by the picture of her self-cladding in a black chador with her rifle aiming at the viewer. This portrait is unlike the others that do not direct their weapons at the audience the black veil leaves only the upper part of her face visible. Neshat grew up in an era before the Islamic revolution when Shahs government was trying to promote secular culture. She employs the art of photography in self-expression when she displays the characteristics of Iranian society culture and traditions. All the images covered in the women of Allah illustrate the theme of bound restriction, silence, old-fashioned and the violent Muslim women (Sheybani, 1999). Historically Islam religion and believes hold it that a womans body is a battleground for several kinds of rhetoric and political ideology. Neshat uses photography in exploring the relation between a Muslim woman and the positions that she inhabits. The traditional arrangements of the western democratic society were making efforts in eliminating difference and boundaries, comparatively contrary to Islamic culture where Islamic men and women holding different spaces are meant to come together to create a cohesive unit. Women of Allah series was Neshats artwork after visiting Iran in 1990 she makes a

Reading notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading notes - Essay Example From around 1932, the military always received awards depending on the number of killings in battle. A military group stands to oppose this mode of awarding and recognition, arguing that it completely disregards the aspect of honor and respect to the military. The country faces a financial crisis that has averted her economy for the worse. The bailout outcomes have caused Americans to suffer under the hands of the government. From this we can see the Afghan Goatherds in place, which defines that people do not always get what they want. Such events may bring about the subject of moral dilemma: In this Plato’s perception is to overlook prejudgment and focus on the right virtues. Utilitarianism is explained in the argument of overall happiness. Utilitarianism is defined through two objections. One which argues whether it is right to take a harmful action in the interest of another action and the argument which sees the benefits of the chosen action. Libertarianism is used to question whether we own ourselves and our decisions or whether we are subject to a superior figure that controls us. Thus, it creates a minimal state of the two sides. Three policies fall under this minimal state; number of moral legislation, paternalisms and wealth. Also, the concept of â€Å"Free-Market† spans out indicatively on the issue of economic inequality. Take for instance Michael Jordan’s money being taxed. The extra taxation is explained as an intention to help other people with the money collected. However, from a libertarian perspective, choice of voluntary action gets violated. There is the question of morals and markets. In this, people may get hired for a particular task but end up doing two or more tasks that may have not featured in the agreement. Putting into consideration the libertarian and utilitarian reasoning, high effectiveness could be observed in a case of a volunteer army as compared to any other. Still under this scenario, surrogacy features

Don't have a topic choice one Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Don't have a topic choice one - Research Paper Example Despite the fact that various developments are considered to have taken place, some groups remained assertive that further action is needed to resolve gender issues. In some cases, media has been arguably blamed for frustrating the gender mainstreaming process as much as it is expected to play a pivotal role. This paper proposes a study to assess the role of media in reconciling gender issues, such as in terms of women representation and content inclusivity. Problem Statement Various developments have taken course regarding the gender issues. Some of the developments have pertained to media. Whereas some articles have pointed out that there are still problems within the media in supporting gender mainstreaming, there are those that insist media has made various developments in fostering gender mainstreaming. The question is then how these could be effectively ascertained. Importance of the Research Policymakers are concerned about the state of gender mainstreaming and the need to rea lize equality for all persons. This study would go a long way in informing the policy makers about the situation. This will in turn help formulate appropriate measures to address the problem. If the results would present the media positively, it would form a basis for the society to celebrate the achievements. Hypothesis H1: Media has responded positively to the requirements of gender mainstreaming. H2: Media has not aligned gender representation. H3: Media has not assured women about the inclusivity of content. Variables There are two variables that would be given uttermost considerations. These are media representation of media and inclusivity of media content regarding gender, as far as gender sensitivity is concerned. Aims of the Study 1. To find out the state of treatment of gender subject in the media. 2. To find out the state of women representation in the media. 3. To ascertain the state of content inclusivity with regard to media. 4. To suggest the need to take measures. Ba ckground and Literature review The subject of gender issues is traced to a period that was characterized by gender movement in Western society. This was in response to various discrimination policies. In America, women did not vote, access education, or even engage in politics. Rampant incidences of sexual violence directed at women were not uncommon. Worse still, women were always the main victims of domestic violence. Women were looked down upon and discriminated in all areas of life. However, the evolution of the world was accompanied by various changes pertaining to women rights owing to emergence of women rights movement so that there were various developments between 1900 and 1970 (Stratigaki, 2005). With several years down the line, it is expected that a lot of developments have taken place. As far as media and gender issues are concerned, literary works on gender issues are well documented. The United Nation Platform for Action (1996) singled out the portrayal of women in me dia as that marred with stereotypes, further singling out that women possessed limited access to the creation of the products of the media, as well as in making decisions pertaining to media and culture. Woodward (2003) defines gender mainstreaming as the process where the public policy gender element is recognized and incorporated into gender dimensions in policy provision. Gender mainstreaming is characterized by a set of three essential elements, which include equal

Tele Vision as an Advertisement Media Research Proposal

Tele Vision as an Advertisement Media - Research Proposal Example Regardless of the media or method selected, the main aim of advertisement is to convince the target audience that they have a need for the product. Through advertisement, the suppliers/marketers are trying to create an image about the product with the help of linguistic and artistic elements. The present research paper looks on how an advertisement campaign for an expensive chocolate be planned and implemented effectively through television channels to reach its target audience. The target audience consists of women in the age group of 20 to 40. The paper takes a narrative approach for explaining the various aspects of advertisement campaign and its effectiveness to the business. Everything in business demands planning for effective implementation and controlling. In advertisement also, a well planned campaign can do a better job than one which is not. Advertisement Planning gives a detailed blue print of what and how it is done at various stages of campaign. The present campaign is planned to be conducted through television to reach the target audience comprising of women in the age group of 20 to 40. A popular channel such as entertainment or sports channel is suggested for selection. The company is a chocolate manufacturing firm in the U.K. which has been in existence for some time in the market doing similar business. The new product is an addition to company's product lines, all of which have a sound customer support and brand equity. The new product which focuses on the customers, who are in the age group of 20 to 40, uses an innovative imported technology and it is going to capture the market in the next six months. The product and Brand name The product is an expensive chocolate, which has exceptional features than that available in the market. The company claims that the content of chocolate is highly recommended for the health of women in the age group of 20 to 40. The brand name decided for the product is Enclate. The brand name 'Enclate' is registered and trade mark for the same has already been sanctioned by the authority concerned. The word 'Enclate' is written using special letters, which the company developed in consultation with the advertisement agency. Objectives of Advertisement Campaign The objectives of advertisement campaign are inseparably connected with that of marketing strategy of the firm, which in turn is associated with the overall corporate strategy. To achieve and maintain the target market within the desired time frame, the firm has set the following specific objectives: 1. To disseminate knowledge about the company, its values etc to its customers and to the general public. 2. To convey about the brand, price, other promotions and distributions (Setting the advertising objective, p.2) 3. To create awareness about chocolates in general and Enclate in particular 4. To create a distinct brand image apart from other similar brands 5. To stimulate the customers to purchase the product Target Audience The company has already fixed the target audience for Enclate. Women in the age group of 20 to 40 constitute the target group for the product. Normally, this group does not take chocolates as a habit. But, the

Don't have a topic choice one Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Don't have a topic choice one - Research Paper Example Despite the fact that various developments are considered to have taken place, some groups remained assertive that further action is needed to resolve gender issues. In some cases, media has been arguably blamed for frustrating the gender mainstreaming process as much as it is expected to play a pivotal role. This paper proposes a study to assess the role of media in reconciling gender issues, such as in terms of women representation and content inclusivity. Problem Statement Various developments have taken course regarding the gender issues. Some of the developments have pertained to media. Whereas some articles have pointed out that there are still problems within the media in supporting gender mainstreaming, there are those that insist media has made various developments in fostering gender mainstreaming. The question is then how these could be effectively ascertained. Importance of the Research Policymakers are concerned about the state of gender mainstreaming and the need to rea lize equality for all persons. This study would go a long way in informing the policy makers about the situation. This will in turn help formulate appropriate measures to address the problem. If the results would present the media positively, it would form a basis for the society to celebrate the achievements. Hypothesis H1: Media has responded positively to the requirements of gender mainstreaming. H2: Media has not aligned gender representation. H3: Media has not assured women about the inclusivity of content. Variables There are two variables that would be given uttermost considerations. These are media representation of media and inclusivity of media content regarding gender, as far as gender sensitivity is concerned. Aims of the Study 1. To find out the state of treatment of gender subject in the media. 2. To find out the state of women representation in the media. 3. To ascertain the state of content inclusivity with regard to media. 4. To suggest the need to take measures. Ba ckground and Literature review The subject of gender issues is traced to a period that was characterized by gender movement in Western society. This was in response to various discrimination policies. In America, women did not vote, access education, or even engage in politics. Rampant incidences of sexual violence directed at women were not uncommon. Worse still, women were always the main victims of domestic violence. Women were looked down upon and discriminated in all areas of life. However, the evolution of the world was accompanied by various changes pertaining to women rights owing to emergence of women rights movement so that there were various developments between 1900 and 1970 (Stratigaki, 2005). With several years down the line, it is expected that a lot of developments have taken place. As far as media and gender issues are concerned, literary works on gender issues are well documented. The United Nation Platform for Action (1996) singled out the portrayal of women in me dia as that marred with stereotypes, further singling out that women possessed limited access to the creation of the products of the media, as well as in making decisions pertaining to media and culture. Woodward (2003) defines gender mainstreaming as the process where the public policy gender element is recognized and incorporated into gender dimensions in policy provision. Gender mainstreaming is characterized by a set of three essential elements, which include equal

Thomas Jefferson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example Moreover, when the United States was engaging in their war of independence they were in fact trying to break off the rule of the British monarchy. From this perspective the separation of Church and state became a bit of a noble experiment insofar as they were trying a system that was different from England. According to Blond (2010) the rue of the Church of England still holds sway to this day. As a final example, it could be argued that Jefferson believed that people should be governed by the laws of man and not necessarily by the human interpretation of the laws of god. According to White House Publications (2011) from one perspective, Jefferson was simply promoting religious freedom. How has Jefferson's ideas on the "separation of church and state" influenced our current governmental practices? One of the most significant ways that the separation of church and state has influenced our current government practices comes through our legal system. Although it may be the case that cer tain acts are forbidden in religious texts (Such as homosexuality) our legal system has determined that these acts should not be considered illegal.

Marketing Principles Essay Example for Free

Marketing Principles Essay It is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process A marketing environmental analysis helps a business understand external forces that can affect it. The environment, or external forces, are often factors that a business cannot control, yet it is important to be aware of environmental concerns when preparing a marketing plan or introducing a new product to the market. The most common method for preparing a marketing environmental analysis is to conduct a PESTLE analysis, which stands for; Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental. This covers all areas affecting a business. Political The first element of a PEST analysis is a study of political factors. Political factors are factors connected with the government and its activities. Politics affect organisations because governments introduces rules and regulations that organisations and their customers have to abide by. Economic The second element of a PEST analysis involves a study of economic factors. All businesses are affected by national and global economic factors. National and global interest rate and fiscal policy will be set around economic conditions. The climate of the economy dictates how consumers, suppliers and other organisational stakeholders such as suppliers and creditors behave within society. Social The third aspect of PEST Social is about forces within society such as family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and the media. Social forces affect our attitudes, interests and opinions. These forces shape who we are as people, the way we behave and ultimately what we purchase. For example within the UK peoples attitudes are changing towards their diet and health. Technological The fourth element of PEST is technology, as you are probably aware technological advances have greatly changed the manner in which businesses operate. Organisations use technology in many ways, they have: -Technology infrastructure such as the internet and telephone

Reducing the Cost of Healthcare Expenditures

Reducing the Cost of Healthcare Expenditures Abstract The purpose of the research paper is to analyze methods for lowering government spending, including both state and federal levels, on healthcare expenditures. This will be accomplished by analyzing two popular methods. The first method includes reallocation money in programs to help reduce cost. The second method focuses on fixing the person and solving the root of the problem. There are many who favor and resist each argument, each with having valid points. The best option of the two is to be determined by the study of peer reviewed (academic) journals, online articles and various news sources paired along with the opinions of authors, healthcare professionals and doctorate professors. Introduction and Background Federal, state and local levels of government play a crucial role in the literal and figurative health of our economy. If you only consider the three main health insurances provided by the government: Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP you will notice that it takes up twenty five percent of our national budget. With expenditures growing at alarming rates it is imperative that we are able to reduce these cost. Healthcare did not become a major part of the federal pudget until the later part of the progressive era. President Roosevelt really advocated for health insurance policies but most of the planning and organizing was left to the discretion of the state. When the Depression hit, it brought about a change in priorities. Focus was primarily on welfare, social benefits and unemployment. Lack of concern for comprehensive health insurances lead to the creation of private insurances like Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Social Security act was passed but overseas affairs captured the attention of policy makers. As advances in health care, technology and medicine begin to occur prices also began steadily to rise. Which in turn left us in with a very unstable healthcare system. Those who could afford private health insurances were taken care of, the rest of the medical cost of the poor were covered by the federal government, and those who fell in between had to make due. These events lead to President Lyndon B. Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into low, allowing comprehensive coverage for millions of Americans. By 1975 Medicaid expenses rounded up to thirteen billion dollar while Medicare accumulated another fifteen billion. Both of these figures were higher than experts predicted. Which in turn has allowed for the programs to go over budget since the early years of their existence. Now our main goal to dramatically reduce the debit that we have accumulated over all these years. There are many ways that this can be done. With the all the advanced technology we have it is possible to keep people healthy for longer periods of times. However it is very expensive for people to seek the care that they need to remain healthy for as long as possible. The goal is to a harmonious balance between bettering the person and cutting cost. Support of Controlling Cost Budgeting is hard, but when the people of a country depend on it, it must be done. There are many approaches and ideas about how to reallocate funds and other resources in order to save money in the healthcare field. Rapidly increasing cost put immense pressure on budgets ultimately affecting the effectiveness of the services that are provided. Many of these options that deal with cutting of money call for standardization across the country and the need for stricter guidelines. One proposal is to cut cost in areas that are not relevant or of necessity. This would accomplished by increasing regulations in hospitals and having them abide by stricter guidelines. With increased regulation hospitals would be encouraged to â€Å"off-peak use of facilities and equipment and to avoid costly cosmetic surgery† (Bloch p.123). This method would limit many practices to only dealing with basic situations. Hospitals and other healthcare providing facilities currently expect to receive a certain amount from the patient and the remaining portion from a health care provider or another party. Therefore practices would not have to deal with complex and expensive issues that cause them to lose money. Their many focus would be on procedures that they are confident they would be reimbursed in. The bottom line in this method is to plain cut anything that provides uncertainty as far as reimbursement is concerned. The second popular option that is â€Å"addressing and labeling the quality of care† (Baucus p.5). There is no doubt that everyone wants the best care that they can possibly receive. The definition of best care differs in different parts of the country. What’s good in the South might be considered mediocre in the West. This solutions proposes that we look at practices across the country and determine which ones are most successful and cost efficient. Then we would require hospitals around the country to go by those procedures. This would allow a universal from state to state and would trim the grey areas of comparison. If all states would adopt this organizational structure â€Å"Medicaid spending would decline by thirty percent. (Baucus p.7). When hospitals, doctor’s offices and insurances are unable to pay their bills the burden eventually falls on the state and the loss takes an unforeseen punch on their budget. With options such as these, there is a smaller chance that these losses will occur. Providing stricter guidelines and addressing the quality of care are options that can make positive impacts on our budget immediately. Without protocols in place doctors are less likely to accept welfare patients because they fear that they will not be repaid. Since 2001 Medicaid spending has increased by thirty- three percent (Wilson p.150), by simply implying these procedures we could offset this trend within three years. Support of Health Promotion Health Promotion is anew area of care that focuses on ones holistic lifestyle and preventive care. Many universities and colleges are offering programs and major in this rapidly growing field. Even insurances are jumping aboard the bandwagon and offering this as a part of some health insurance plans. This method of lowering the deficit offers a more individualized approach with benefits that will be reaped in the long run. Michael O’Donnell, health promotion advocate and editor of Science of Health Promotion, appeared before congress to answer their question if health promotion can help the deficit. His response is as follows â€Å"There are eighty-three studies which show people with unhealthy habits have higher rates of cost, there are an additional fifty studies that show health promotion reduces those cost and promote absenteeism of those habit after going through a program and most importantly there are thirteen studies that show the savings that are produced by this program are greater than the cost themselves.† With his speech to congress he explained the benefits of health promotion within a matter of five minutes. As we continue to do studies on this area this proof will continue to be produced. The benefits are already showing in the patients who have participated in these programs. One of the first steps in starting a health promotion and holistic care program is â€Å"identifying all of the services the patient might need and is interested in (Guba p. 32). With current insurances plans all part are not utilized. According to most people who are insured they agree that their insurance either provided to much insurance or not enough. Tailoring programs to fit their needs and desires will ultimately save insurances thousands of dollars per insured person a year. Johnson Johnson family company allowed an independent research group to perform a study on the health care benefits and options that it provided to its employees. With their plan employees were encouraged to workout, quit smoking and other habits that were beneficial to their health. As they committed to these task the received a reduction in price of their health care insurance. According to the Harvard Business Review it is â€Å"estimated that wellness programs have cumulatively saved the company $250 million on health care costs over the past decade; from 2002 to 2008, the return was $2.71 for every dollar spent† (Berry). If s basic health promotion plan was able to save a company this much money, imagine the benefits our budget would see in the long run. An Assessment of the Arguments Health promotions and holistic care and reallocation resources both offer promising benefits for our budget however they both contain many flaws. When we consider the first argument, it could also seem as if we are limiting doctor’s discernment in treating their patients. With this option practices would not be reimbursed if they did not follow the protocol verbatim. In the world of medicine many odd and unexplainable miracles happen because doctors use their discretion to fix a situation, there is a real and respectable fear that this would be lost with the cost allocation method. It is a common belief among economist that a â€Å"reduction in medical inflation can be best achieved if regulation is decreased rather than increased† (Bloch p. 120). If this is to be true it would completely deflate the argument advocating for controlled cost. When it comes to health promotion the down fall is the lack of time we have had to study this field. Purposeful and intense researc h in health promotion did begin until the late nineties. While many positives results are starting to reap we are also waiting to see if there is any backlash. Those results will come as my generation continues to growing. Conclusions and Future Recommendations The amount of debit that we have is something that is not to be considered lightly. There is no quick to any problem that will provided long lasting and stable results. With the cost allocation method it seems as if we would be cutting gashing wound, that is in obvious needs of stiches with a band aid. Yes, there would be a quick sigh a relief but the rush would definitely be back before we realized it. Therefore health promotion and holistic care is the best option for our country to cut the deficit. We may not have years of information behind it but what we have been doing hasn’t been working so a new a fresh approach is what we need. For this program to be successful it is imperious that policy makers listen to the concerns and opinions of the professionals with in the health care field. There is a bright and prosperous future with health promotion. The people tend to lose trust with the government when they are forced to do something. If we encourage citizens to perform th ese actives and reward this can catch fire across America. References Baucus, M., Slavin, P. L., Korsmo, J. (2008). Controlling health care costs. Issues In Science Technology, 24(4), 5-9.Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=604a0f71-3dfb-4799-8418-03cf4fab79c3%40sessionmgr115vid=1hid=117 Berry, L., Mirabito, A., Baun, W. (2010). What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs? Harvard Business Review. December 2010. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs Bloch, H., Pupp, R. (1985). Supply, Demand, and Rising Health-Care Costs.Nursing Economic$,3(2), 119-123. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5f565f5a-e3d7-4d26-9322-a8a609ca37e6%40sessionmgr115vid=1hid=117 Guba, Susan C. MD. (2007). Cost-effective, Holistic, Integrative Medicine Program. Oncology Issues: November/December 2007. Retrieved from http://www.accc-cancer.org/oncology_issues/articles/ND07/ND07-New-Perspectives-on-Developing-a-Cost-effective-Holistic-Integrative-Medicine-Program.pdf ODonnell, Michael P. (2001). Special Issue on the Financial Impact of Health Promotion Programs. American Journal of Health Promotion: May/June 2001, Vol. 15, No. 5. Retrieved from http://www.ajhpcontents.org/doi/pdf/10.4278/0890-1171-15.5.v Wilson, J. F. (2009). Will All Health Care Reform Lead Back to Medicaid? Annals Of Internal Medicine, 150(2), 149-151. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=679fd1b8-8c75-49a6-ad06-9b8aa4506a80%40sessionmgr4004vid=1hid=4103

Canada Health Act Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Undermining of the Canada Health Act Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, Canada’s government-funded, universally accessible, health care system has been praised and admired both at home and abroad as one of the finest in the world. A great source of pride and comfort for many Canadians is that it is based on five fundamental principles. Principles that are a reflection of the values held by Canadian citizens since the formation of Medicare in 1966. These principles were reinforced in the Canada Health Act, (CHA), of 1984 and state that the Canadian system is universal, accessible, portable, comprehensive and non-profit. With increasing concerns of debts and deficits, Canada’s publicly funded health care system has recently become the target of fiscal attack. Efforts to reform and restructure the system have produced few results. Currently, some governments throughout the country are looking towards a more radical approach. An approach that would see not only the reform and restructuring of the method of operation of the current system, but that would change the system entirely. The proposed idea? In Alberta, it is to increase the role of the private sector in the current system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On December 29th, 1999, Nancy MacBeth leader of the Alberta liberal party was cited in the Edmonton Journal as saying: â€Å" There’s ‘ample evidence’ that the Alberta government’s plan to expand the role of private health-care will contravene the Canada Health Act.† This is the strongest argument against privatization. It reflects the fears of many Albertans and Canadians; the fear that a two-tier system similar to that of the United States will develop. The fear that the system which was built upon values reflected in five principles will be eroded and replaced and that they will be the ones left to suffer the consequences. Privatization of health care would undermine the principles of the Canada Health Act and as such would undermine the integrity of the health care system. The evolution of Health Care  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1966 one of Canada’s most prided achievements to date was introduced to the Canadian Health Care system. Medicare was a daring and innovative concept pioneered by Canadians for Canadians. It revolutionized health care. Canadians overwhelmingly supported the new system as it reflected their values and the import they placed on universality and equal access to health. ... ... accommodating the needs of a changing population, while maintaining the fundamental principles of the Canada Health Act. References Alberta Association of Registered Nurses. (1995). Position Statement on Privatization. Edmonton: Author. Armstrong, P., & Armstrong, H. (1996). Wasting Away: The Undermining of Canadian Health Care. Toronto: Oxford University Press. Armstrong & Fegan. (1998). Universal Health Care. New York: New York Press.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canadian Nurses Association. (1997). Code of ethics for registered nurses. Ottawa: Author. Dirnfeld, V. (1996). The benefits of privatization. Canadian Medical Association,155 (4), 407-410. Gordon, M., Mintz, J., & Chen, D. (1998). Funding Canada’s health care system: A tax based alternative to privatization. Canadian Medical Association, 159 (5), 493-496. National Advisory Council on Aging. (1997). The NACA position on the privatization of health care. Ottawa: Author. Taft, K. (1997). Shredding the Public Interest: Ralph Klein and 25 Years of One-Party Government. Edmonton: The University of Alberta Press and Parkland Institute. Wilson, D. (1995). Myths and facts about paying privately for health care. AARN,51(10), 9-10.

My Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Education Essay

My Teaching Philosophy I believe that teaching is one of the most important professions in the world today. From the very beginning, until present time, teaching has been around. The book of Genesis speaks of God walking and talking with Adam in The Garden of Eden, God was teaching Adam. I will be proud to, one day, be a part of this great calling. There are many reasons why I want to be a teacher. Starting with the most important, I want to influence children positively with Christian perspectives that will help them achieve satisfaction in their life. I also would like the opportunity to coach. I believe coaches have more influence on children than teachers. I think this is true because sports are something that the child participates in because he/she chooses. For that reason, coaches are usually well respected by their athletes. Another reason I want to teach is for the opportunity to meet people. Teachers and coaches both have a great influence on children’s lives. I want to be a positive influence while helping prepare children for their future role in society. My father was a teacher and coach for many years and I am amazed at the lives he has touched. His students love him, even after not seeing him for years they remember the little sayings and quirks he said in the classroom. My father cared about the students, and he had a respect and trust for them all. Sometimes they didn’t deserve such trust, but I think the trust he put in them caused them to want to live up to his expectations. If I can be half the teacher that he was, I will consider myself a success. In addition, I want to be a teacher that instills Christian principles in all my students. I plan on being a lifetime learner by a... ... paid for our tuition, then, by paying taxes, paid for other people’s children to go to school also. I do not think that is fair, therefore, I plan on supporting the voucher system for all the United States. My decision to become a teacher was a major crossroads in my life. It took me a long time to decide which way to go, and now I feel great about the decision I have made. I have thought and prayed, and now I KNOW that this is what I want to do. I don’t want to be another teacher that does the same old thing. I want to be the best teacher that my students ever have. I want to be remembered by them and hopefully have a great influence in helping develop successful, happy adults. I understand the amazing responsibility and pressure that is placed on teachers and I am prepared to work hard and take on this great challenge of shaping our future generations.

What are some of the individual and group †level factors that affect organisational change and development? How can these be managed?

Introduction â€Å"Change and resistance go hand in hand: change implies resistance and resistance means that change is taking place† (Gravenhorst, 1993). This definition exemplifies the importance of the human element in organisations as it is this constituent that ultimately becomes the face of any organisation. Due to the difficult economic and political situation nationally and internationally, many organisations have changed their working practices; it has never been more vital for managers to handle change effectively by avoiding common errors made by change agents and become what Tushman and O’Reilly call an â€Å"Ambidextrous Organisation†. Implementing change in organisations has proved to be a lot tougher than originally thought, as success depends on the stakeholders involved in the process, the organisational context for facilitating change, as well as many other internal and external factors. This essay will argue the most difficult aspect of organisation change is the human element in change processes, due to the emotional dimension that humans bring with them into organisational life. This essay will first will discuss change resistance generally, stating reasons why people resist change and offering ideas for how to overcome resistance. Then the impact of emotions will be dealt with: why they are important in change processes referring to scholarly texts and theories. The last sub-section of the essay will address group level factors, making distinctions between different types of groups and teams. A discussion and analysis on group norms and how they can prove to be problematic will follow. Finally, solutions will be provided for combating group factors of resistance and how they can be seen as an opportunity to oversee past management behaviour. The conclusion will reiterate the main arguments put forward and will summarise the essay findings. What is Resistance to Change? From an internal point of view, resistance to change is situated at individual and group levels. Beer and Nohria (2000) argue that 70 per cent of change programs fail because of a lack of strategy and vision, inadequate communication and trust, poor commitment from top management, a lack of resources, poor change management skills, and resistance to change from within organisations. Resistance to change inside organisations has been understated in the past, and many organisations continue to neglect emphasis on the internal factors of change. â€Å"Resistance towards change encompasses behaviours that are acted out by change recipients in order to slow down or terminate an intended organisational change† (Lines, 2004, cited in Hughes, 2010, p 33). This quote exemplifies that behaviours of change recipients play a key role in the implementation of change, which can act as a barrier during transition processes. Resistance to change can be defined in many different ways, but trad itionally ‘resistance’ is experienced negatively in organisations, with management viewing resistance as a stumbling block, delaying mechanism, and enemy of necessary changes. However, Ford and Ford (2009) and Waddell and Sohal (1998) have argued that the way managers interpret resistance is wrong and posit that in many cases management do not truly understand such behaviour, instinctively interpreting objections as a form of resistance from employees. This point has validity since it is very common for managers to see any form of feedback as resistance from their subordinate counterparts (Ackroyd and Thompson, 1999). Why Resistance Occurs Resistance to change occurs for many reasons, whether at the individual or group level. The first point to consider is whether change processes benefit employees or not. There are such cases where change is structured in favour of employees, but where the change is still resisted. This type of self-sabotaging behaviour can be directly related to organisational misunderstanding and a lack of trust between staff and management (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979). The word change itself is defined in such a way so as to bring an element of surprise to organisational structure and processes – altering the status quo (Hughes, 2010 p.164). Whenever changing a process, there will always be a sense of anxiety and fear amongst recipients, especially if organisations have previously failed in adopting to change and implementing new practices (Hughes, 2010). This will increase the likelihood of change resistance from the shop-floor, regardless of the change proposals put forward. Change agent s often unintentionally alienate employees in the decision making process, acting without the consent of other groups within the organisation and assuming they have all the knowledge needed for implementing the best changes (Ford and Ford, 2009 and D’Amelio, 2008). Fransella (1975, p135) states individuals have to negotiate and manage change on a daily basis; this point validates the argument of Ford that resistance will occur if there is no input from the employee perspective. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) have, in their work, noted four common factors as to why individuals resist change: self-interest, misunderstanding and lack of trust, different assessments of the changes most needed, and a low tolerance to change. Parochial self interests are a very common reason for resistance since loss is always a difficult acceptance. Therefore, individuals will always try their utmost to keep what they have, and in an organisational context Zaltman and Duncan (1977) view threats to power and influence as one of the most important sources of resistance to change. How to Manage Resistance Managing resistance to change can be very problematic, the reason being that managers have a tendency to view resistance as something oppositional, dangerous or purely self-serving (Brown and Humphreys, 2006). However, if managers adopt new behaviour patterns, dealing with resistance from an optimistic perspective where feedback loops can be seen as a positive means for discussion amongst employees and management (Ford and Ford, 2009), then stronger relationships can begin to be built across organisational hierarchies, and change can be more effectively managed. Seeing resistance from a more favourable perspective allows change agents to hear concerns and advice from change recipients, and it also gives employees the opportunity to address entrenched problems such as a lack of communication between management and employees and ineffective organisational practices that continue to survive. However, such harmonious outcomes are easier espoused than achieved; since management is intrins ically suspicious of giving over power, and placating disenchanted workers has proven to be a difficult task in the past (Coghlan, 1994). Cialdini (2001) suggests six principles of persuasion, based on communications which are very effective. Cialdini states that every leader has to harness the art of persuasion in order to win people over and overcome resistance to change, without creating negative feedback. However, management behaviour has proven to be a very path dependant model, where radical change is needed to convince people that past events will not reoccur. As soon as management behaviour has changed, it is vital to make new incentives achievable, where benefits and outcomes are in tandem and there is no confusion or lack of knowledge on the part of employees that would inhibit them from delivering satisfactory outcomes (Vroom, 1964). Role of Emotions in Change Processes Emotions and responses to change can be so intensive that the literature in organisational change has compared them with individual responses to traumatic changes such as death and grief (Grant, 1996; Elrod and Tippet, 1988; Kubler-Ross, 1969). Emotions are such that they are experienced by everyone, mainly by individuals but also collectively in groups as well as by change agents themselves. This point is consistent with Myers et al.’s (2010) claim that â€Å"emotions are not just experienced by those on whom change is imposed on; those who lead change may experience transitions as equally emotional† (p. 63). From an organisational perspective, emotions play a key role; they can directly affect performance and emotions have an impact on the overall culture within organisations (Hofstede, 1989). Organisational change can be seen as either a challenge or an opportunity; triggering positive emotions such as excitement and anticipation or negative feelings such as fear, anxiety and the anticipation of a tangible threat to the material position of staff within an organisation. The challenge for change agents is to carefully manage such emotions to ensure that they do not affect the transition process change entails. Negative emotions have proven in the past to be a major hurdle in organisational change (Hofstede, 1989). The impact of negative change will leave an impact on the collective morale of staff, which can be an obstacle for future successful change processes. ‘Emotional contagion’ is also an important unintended consequence of change and little explored facet of organisational life to be highlighted here. It refers to situations when â€Å"emotions can be directly picked up from other people† (Myers et al, 2012 p. 66). In other words, emotions can initiate and spread amongst all members of an organisation, for example if organisational change has adverse effects on a few individuals, their negative emotions will affect their peers. Therefore, emotions can move from individuals to other individuals, and as a result become an influential group dynamic and even epidemic. Emotion Coping Cycle To understand emotions from a theoretical perspective, the works of Elizabeth Kubler Ross (1969) are informative to the debate. She puts forward six stages of emotional responses that effect individuals; her work is especially relevant to organisational change discourses since employees and change agents go through similar stages of emotions during periods of change and transition. Mark and Mirvis’ 1992 study based on a failed merger of two computer companies is also an intriguing example of emotional interplay and its role within organisational change. Mark and Mirvis discovered individuals involved in the merger feared a loss of control, ‘unknowns’ associated with their new work responsibility, and also how they would be judged in the future. Since organisations often use mergers as a cost cutting strategy, likely resulting in people being made redundant, such negative emotions associated with mergers are founded on previous experience and hence validated. During the redundancy process, employees affected will go through stages where emotions vary Ross (1969). From an appraisal theory perspective, individuals affected will make their own interpretation of events and emotions will trigger behaviour. It is vital for change agents to possess excellent communication skills in order to manage the emotional cycle individuals will likely go through as the anxiety of the merger spreads amongst employees (Mark and Mirvis, 1992). The most dangerous stage of the redundancy process is the depression stage, which can take months to subside, especially if the redundancy is not effective immediately. Change agents need to deploy sympathetic communication methods and be reasonable in explaining why change is taking place by taking blame away from the individual and ensuring employees move to the acceptance stage as fast as possible. Solutions (Emotional Intelligence) Emotional Intelligence encompasses a multi-dimensional framework of thought which raises awareness, facilitation, knowledge and regulation of emotions. Emotional intelligence allows individuals to form substantiated, reasoned opinions about emotions during periods of transition without allowing emotions to turn their subjectivity against their goal of better understanding the emotions they are feeling. However, personalities initially dictate the levels of emotional intelligence individuals have to a certain extent; an individual who possesses traits of a ‘sensing and judging’ person will likely resist change as they will see radical change as a violation of the psychological contract. However, instilling employees with high levels of emotional intelligence requires an overall organisation transformation. Senge (1992) emphasises that organisations and employees need to develop personal mastery and take account for their own actions as well as learning how decisions based on emotions are dangerous for one to make. Organisations should not buy into the fact that emotions cannot be tampered with, they should invest heavily in developing staff and training them to become more emotionally intelligent, so they can adopt the practice of monitoring their own actions which will help facilitate transition. Group level Dynamics Individual factors of resistance to change are a big issue for change practitioners, but it is unrealistic for such practitioners to work with every individual who comprises an organisation, especially when working within big corporations. Almost every individual in an organisation belongs to at least five or six groups inside that organisation. Groups have a direct impact on change processes; moreover, change agents must devise strategies where they do not cause anger and resentment to groups as they have more of an influence than individual resistors of change. However, focusing on group dynamics is a realistic way of tackling organisational change and development, as consistent with Lewin’s (1966) idea of group decision making being more effective and more likely to be pursued. McKinley et al. (2010) have distinguished between groups and teams, stating that groups are two or more people working to a common goal, where there is no psychological contract between them. Teams a re seen by Katzenbach and Smith (1991) as differentiated to other working groups by performance results, since only teams produce individual results and â€Å"collective work-products† , the results from several members working together. Teams and groups can come in many different forms, such as formal and informal groups, both of which are vital to life within organisations. Informal groups are dangerous to management as they do not possess any form of institutional rules and are governed by ideas which are not always in the best interest of employers. Causes Of group Resistance (Group Norms) Group norms can be a big stumbling block for organisations and can be a root cause for resistance to change. Coghlan (1994) has described group norms as unwritten rules which constitute the atmosphere within groups and teams. Group norms in a formal setting can be governed and overlooked by organisations. However, since informal groups are self-organised by the thoughts and identities of individuals it is not so easy for organisations to influence them. The dangerous aspect of group norms is that they can easily become viral as personalities differ in groups in which a very outspoken and influential figurehead can influence the thinking of the quiet individuals getting them to comply with their frame of mind, this is in line with Watson’s (1969) argument where he posits that team resistance is based on conformity to group norms. In an organisational context group norms can cause difficulties for change processes due to the influence they have. During change processes, where th ere is a great deal of uncertainty, there is a strong possibility that this will result in people joining informal groups since these may wield hidden but significant power within organisations and be able to influence decisions on organisational process due to such power. This will also have a positive impact on groups as they will broaden their capacity. Solutions Group dynamics can be an extremely difficult question for organisations; however, winning groups over can benefit organisations in terms of morale, productivity and cultural cohesion that results from positive networking: â€Å"It has been argued that the modern organisation is no longer a collection of individuals, but rather a network of interconnected teams (Kozlowski and Bell, 2003). This way of imagining organisations exemplifies the importance of groups and collective thinking in this context, and how such thinking can shape the outcomes of organisational change. It is therefore vital that organisations include groups in change processes or else they will run the risk of engendering demotivated and disempowered work forces, as well as the possibility of employees joining informal groups resisting top-down transitions and changes in order to exercise power and feel valued as individuals. Solutions presented by Ford and Ford (2009), where change processes are seen as an opportun ity to change the status quo by changing norms within groups, have been seen to produce positive results in Coch and Ford’s 1948 case study among others. These solutions also coincide with the thoughts of Kotter and Schlesinger (1979), where methods of dealing with resistance which emphasise the importance of participation and communication are put forward as the best resolution to issues of organisational change. Change agents are seen as needing to encourage cross-organisational participation and dialogue, and to see resistance as a resource and a necessary feedback loop in order for change to be implemented successfully through the medium of groups. Conclusion This essay has discussed internal factors of organisational change and development from the human element perspective. Resistance to change is something which has traditionally been assumed as a negative development by managers. This perception was shown to be a cause for change attempts being resisted. How resistance to change is helpful to organisations where poor employee participation has been a prevalent feature during past transitions has also been discussed. The points made by Ford and Ford (2009) are useful as they see resistance as a resource which encourages organisations to start afresh and change the employee base instead of gratifying the self-interest instinct. Emotions have been shown to play a key role in change processes, where negative emotions have a big influence not only on individuals but also on groups, as they can be highly contagious and effect organisational cultures. It is clear that managers need to carefully manage emotions during transitions, since a pro longed coping cycle can prove to be disastrous for organisations. Dealing with emotions can be complicated; however, having a high level of emotional intelligence among staff will make the probability of resistance lower without letting emotional subjectivity surpass objectivity at work. As mentioned above, almost every individual belongs to several groups within their organisation. The most dangerous types of groups are informal ones due to their hidden power agendas and circumventing influence they can have on individuals, which can be a direct form of resistance to change. This essay has argued that the most feasible solution to coping with emotions during organisational change periods is winning over groups through interpersonal ways where groups are the sole focus of change, and groups can participate and contribute towards change. This may take up time and resources, but in the long run the organisations will benefit hugely. References and Bibliography Ackroyd, S., Thompson, P., 1999. Organizational Misbehaviour. SAGE: London pp. 46-49 Beer, M. and Nohria, N., 2000. Cracking the code of change. Harvard Business Review. pp. 133-41. Boreman, D.R., Ilgen and I.B., Weiner (eds), Handbook of industrial and Organisational Psychology. Vol. 12. New York: Wiley, pp. 333- 76. Brown, Humphreys, 2006. Organizational Identity and Place: A Discursive Exploration of Hegemony and Resistance. Management Studies. Vol. 43 No. 2 pp. 231-257 Buchanan, D., and Huczynski, A., 2010. Organisational Behaviour, Cialdini, R., 2001. Harnessing the Science of Persuasion. 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Organisation Dynamics, Vol. 21, No 2, P. 18-35 McKinlay, A., Carter, C., Pezet, E., Clegg, S., 2010. Using Foucault to make strategy. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. Vol. 23 No. 8, pp.1012 – 1031 Mirvis, P. H., and Marks, M. L., 1992. The Human Side of Merger Planning: Assessing and Analyzing â€Å"Fit†. Human Resource Planning, 15 (3), 69- 92. Myers, P., Hulks, S., and Wiggins, L. 2012. Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. 1st ed. Oxford: OUP Senge, P. M., 1992. Mental Models. Strategy and Leadership. Vol. 20 No. 2 pp. 4-44 Schein, E.H. (1978). Career Dynamics: Matching Individual and Organisational Needs. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Tushamn, M., and O’Reilly, C., 2006. Ambidextrous Organisations: Managing Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change. In: Mayle, D., 2006. Managing Innovation and Change. SAGE Publications: London pp. 170-184 Vakola, M., Tsaousis, I., Nikolaou, I., 2004. The role of emotional intelligence and personality variables on attitudes toward organisational change. Managerial Psychology Vol. 19 No. 2 pp. 88 – 110 Vroom, V. H., 1964. Work and motivation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Waddell, D., and Sohal, S. A., 1998. Resistance: a constructive tool for change management. Management Decision, Vol. 36 Iss: 8 pp. 543 – 548 Watson, G., 1969. Resistance to Change. In: Bennis, W., Benne, K., and Chin, R., (Eds), The Planning of Change. (2nd ed). Holt, Rinehart & Winston: New York pp. 27-46 Zaltman, G. and Duncan R., 1977. Strategies for Planned Change. J. Wesley & Sons: New York.