Examining a Bussiness Failure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Examining a Bussiness Failure - Research Paper Example The present study would try to analyse the organizational behaviour aspects that could be interrelated with the company’s failure in the recent years. This would include an analysis of the aspects of management, leadership as well as organizational structure towards the unfolding crisis that occurred in the organization. Leadership Leadership is perhaps one of the main drivers of a business. A business essentially thrives on the aspect of the vision of the leader of the organization. One of the main reasons for the crisis situation at Enron can be held accountable to the improper leadership of the organization. The lack of proper vision of the company’s leadership can be traced to the fact that its CEO Jeffrey Skilling resigned from the company that was just beginning to see the light of the crisis situation. Another interesting fact was that the CEO while putting down his papers did not cite reasons for resignation which reflected the negative mindset and lack of leade rship skills of the leader of the organization (Jickling, 2002, p.2). An effective leader in this case could have saved the organization from the crisis that has led to the eventual downfall of the company. An effective leader should have realised the malpractices in the company and should have taken corrective measures and should have displayed visionary traits that could have saved the organization. The role theory of leadership states that leaders must act in a manner so as to set goals for others (Changing Minds.org, 2011). The case at Enron reflects a bad picture as the leader displayed complete lack of responsibilities as he left the firm when it was in the midst of a severe crisis and set a very bad role example. Management The management of an organization comprises of the top management board including the top shareholders and the top executive management of the company. The poor state of management of the organization can be easily identified from its actions as the top ma nagement reflected its existence only on paper. The management indulged in corrupt malpractices that ultimately led to the downfall of the organization (Worldlink, 2007, p.2). The top management of the organization defected from its basic responsibility of ensuring compliance in corporate management in an attempt to protect the interests of the existing shareholders of the firm. The top management showed a complete mismanagement as it allowed the CFO of the organization to allow him to do private based partnerships for undertaking business with the organization that was largely against the basic rules of corporate governance. The management of the organization was largely selected through internal preferences where the executive management had a final say. Independent directors largely acted as puppets of the top management of the organization that largely defeated the basic purpose of having independent directors on the board of an organization. Enron should have followed the corpo rate governance ethics and the management should not have been allowed to have a say on the appointment of independent directors. If the company had adopted a democratic and impartial selection of the independent directors, then the malpractices would have been identified long before and would have

Chinua Achebe vs. Margret Atwood Essay Example for Free

Chinua Achebe vs. Margret Atwood Essay Compare the ways that vultures are portrayed and used in the poems by Margaret Atwood and Chinua Achebe. By Jessica Tilbrook. Chinua Achebe and Margret Atwood grew up in two very different environments. They were born almost a decade apart, yet they both managed to construct two very meaningful poems about vultures. Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. In 1967 the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria. Achebe became a devoted supporter of Biafra independence and served as ambassador for the people of the nation. But to get this point there was a 3 year war of independence ravage. Chinua Achebe witnesses some horrific scenes. He saw babies, children and adults starving to there death. He saw his own people from Biafra killing others from Nigeria. He saw how loving people have the capacity to be evil and vice versa according to Achebes version on the poem vultures. Chinua Achebe believed that any good work of art should have a purpose. Achebes vultures defiantly had a purpose, as it shows how even evil, vile creatures like vultures have the capacity to love. Throughout Achebes poem there is a negative feel. From the very start of the poem it is unpleasant and quite graphic in the description of the vultures. In the poem it occasionally refers to love as one of the vultures inclines affectionately. This suggests that even vile creatures can have the capacity to love. Chinua Achebe uses many techniques throughout his poem vultures. The structure of the poem has no rhyming scheme or lines of the same lengths. The lines are written short, probably on purpose as you can then appreciate the horror, by reading it slower, creating tension. Achebes poem isnt really in Stanzas it is more split into four sections; this is probably done to keep the flow of evil and ideas running through the poem. There is also a lack of punctuation throughout the poem, this could have been done on purpose to keep the poem flowing, like the sections. Chinua Achebe choose to right in past tense for the description of the vultures, as its easier to understand what vultures are like whereas the Belsen Commandant is described in the present tense. This might of been done to remind us that evil is all around us now, and everyone has the capacity to be evil. The word strange on its own, at the beginning of the second section makes us pause, and think about whats actually going to be strange, which makes you think about the whole section. Throughout Achebes poem there is a lot of imagery a good example of this is Belsen Commandant a mass murderer and his children calling him Daddy, not father. This is probably done so you can visualise how the children have no idea of what there father has actually done, and they are treating him like normal. This is quite emotional to read, as you can imagine this really happening. Another example of Achebes imagery is the metaphors he uses to describe death and horror. In the first section it says vulture perching high on broken bones of a dead tree. This makes the atmosphere more intense, and builds up the tension from the very beginning. There is some alliteration in the poem, but there are not many references to sound. I think Achebe wants to concentrate on more visual images rather than sound effects to suggest his ideas. I liked Achebes version of the poem vultures. It had a very meaningful purpose, which is what Achebe wanted to achieve. He wanted to use vultures as a vehicle to get people to understand that even the most loving of people have the capacity to be evil. I think he used vultures as a very successful vehicle at getting his point across. I also think that this poem is ambiguous on one hand, you could say that even the cruellest of creatures show even the tiniest amount of love, but on the other hand, that even the most loving creatures have potential to be even the slightest bit evil. The second poem called vultures was written my Margret Atwood. She was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1939. She was a daughter of a forest entomologist, and spent part of her early years in the bush of North Quebec. Atwood is the joint honorary president of the rare bird club of birdlife international. The main message of this poem is how life comes of death. So basically the cycle of life, and even from the most horrific things in life, can bring something extraordinary out of it. Throughout Atwoods poems there are references to death, such as hung and bones. This does not give a good vibe to the poem. Atwood uses several metaphors throughout. Then theyre hyenas, raucous around the kill, flapping their black umbrellas. This is two metaphors in one sentence. She describes the vultures as hyenas which is not only a good comparison but good use of imagery. Also Atwood says the vultures were flapping their black umbrellas this makes them out to seem huge evil animals. The structure of Atwoods poem is done very well, as she occasionally puts odd words on a separate line to make you think about the poem in more depth. The poem is sort of in stanzas but there isnt maybe, which helps the poem keep flowing. All of the lines in the poem are roughly the same length, apart from the occasional odd word. I think it makes the poem easier to read, and get the rhyme flowing at the right pace. Margret Atwood uses a variety of meaningful and powerful words. For example carnage violate gluttonous all these words have a negative impact on vultures. As they are explaining why and how they are vile creates. But some people might say that the way vultures act is completely natural. This is because it is natural for them to eat, which means killing other animals, to feed themselves and there family. Which shows this poem is also quite ambiguous. There arent many references to sound throughout Atwoods version of Vultures. But she does say vultures snigger at funerals. And sniggering refers to sound. This also implies vultures are vile creature, as it is inappropriate to horribly giggle at a funeral. I think that Margret Atwood successfully used vultures as a good vehicle to show how life comes out of death, even in the most horrible circumstances. I thought both Chinua Achebe and Margret Atwoods poems both had very different meanings, but both shows contrasts between humans and vultures. In my opinion Chinua Achebes version of vultures was the best used vehicle to get his point across. As he point his point across very well, and he achieved his purpose that any good work of art should have a purpose. So I think Chinua Achebes poem just slightly had an edge over Margret Atwoods because of Achebes aims for his poem.

The Accounts Of Eros In The symposium Essay -- essays research paper

The Accounts of Eros in the "Symposium" The word love carries with it many, many different interpretations. In modern day, our views on what is appropriate love is much different from the views from the time of Socrates and Plato. To them love was eros, a direct translation of the word love. However, the word itself wasn't the only thing that was different about love. In Plato's "Symposium", there is a celebration for Agathon. He had just won a dramatic contest in Athens, Greece two nights ago. It is customary to drink much wine at these gatherings, however, every one present is too weak from the night before. (Nehamas & Woodruff, pg. xiii) So a proposition is made, by Phaedrus, to properly give praise to the god Eros, and speak on the topic of love. It was their opinion that no poet has yet been able to properly do so. (Nehamas & Woodruff, pg. 7) There were a total of seven accounts given in praise of eros, by seven different people who are present at the party. Of these accounts, the one that made the most sense was the speech of Socrates when he quotes Diotima. This account is practical, and shows love not as a heavenly creature, but as a mortal being, where we can interact with him. It also has answers that most of the other accounts could not even question. This is what stands the speechof Socrates and Diotima apart from most of the others. But, there were two other speeches that were also impressive and brought about points that Socrates did not make. These accounts were given by Aristophanes and Agathon. Through these three speeches, we can get a good picture of what eros is. Starting with the most complete account: Socrates and Diotima; and moving through Aristophanes and then Agathon, this paper will show why these accounts are superior, and why Socrates' makes the most sense. After Agathon's speech, it was Socrates' turn to present his account of eros. But before he does, he tells Agathon that his speech was marvelous and that at one time, Socrates also believed in what Agathon believed. That was until a women named Diotima taught him the real truth in eros. It is however, believed, that Socrates made up the character of Diotima, the reason, though, is unknown. In spite of this, Socrates gives a remarkable speech that is truly complete. One of the first misconceptions among all the speakers was the age of the god Lo... ...s right to them, may not seem correct to us, and this is a problem that arises with Agathon's speech. In the times of Socrates and Plato, eros was a much different word then it's translation: love. He have seen how love takes the shape of a god, and how it has influenced the evolution of human kind. In the "Symposium", Socrates gives the most sensible account of eros when he quotes Diotima , even though to this day, it is unclear whether Diotima was a fabrication to fit Socrates' needs when discussing love. The speech of Aristophanes was also worth noting, as he had brought up the point of human nature, the only speaker to do so. As well, Agathon had a very complete speech, he chose to describe the god Love in terms of his moral character and his virtues. These three accounts were the best of all that were offered. Socrates was the superior one to the other two, but nonetheless, the speeches of Aristophanes and Agathon were complete. Together, these three accounts form a very good picture of eros, one that shows every aspect of what eros truly is. Bibliography Nehamas, A. & Woodruff, P. "Symposium", Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1989

The Aging Workforce

When searching through the help wanted ads there seems to be thousand and thousands of available jobs; this number increases daily as companies have employees leave the organization. More and more employees are retiring or are nearing retirement age; once these employees leave so does all the years of experience acquired during their tenure with the company. This is going on in many industries and one industry that I am personally familiar with is corrections. The corrections industry has a vast number of older, seasoned employees retiring and with each year more are leaving the workforce. Added value of aging workforce when recruitingThe population is aging and as people get older more are leaving the workforce. As those known as baby boomers age and begin to leave the labor force their will be fewer workers available to fill those positions. The majority of specialized jobs, professionals such as educators and managers, and government workers are older workers. With the changing wo rk environment, such as the utilization of technology the HR recognizes the need of older workers in particular to acquire or refresh their skills. New technologies may intimidate older workers that are reluctant to learn the skill; which lack of the skill may limit advancement opportunities.However, more employees are working past the age of 65. This may be for several reasons. Some older people work longer because of a desire to feel â€Å"alive† and needed. Others work because of insufficient retirement plans or financial distress. Whatever the reason is there are many workers passed retirement age still active in the work force. At the state prison where I am employed the majority of managers and supervisory staff are over fifty. There was little room for advancement for new employees because the older workers were not retiring, but working after thirty even forty years of service. Challenges/Issues HR faces from aging workforceOne major issue that employers face with an aging workforce is retaining older employees. Compared with the past, older the number of older workers can be expected to grow disproportionately in the years to come. Organizations losing experienced employees that have skills and knowledge critical to the success of the organization make efforts to convince aging employees to remain with the organization, if only on a part-time basis. When an organization loses experienced workers the HR managers anticipate a loss of knowledge and talent and also offer benefits and flexible scheduling in order to retain employees.Currently, my organization is facing the exact dilemma. In the Records department there are ten employees, six which have been employed over twenty five years and are eligible to retire. Of these six eligible employees, there are four employees that are retiring this year; two of which are the office supervisors. Since HR has learned of their intention it has offered bonuses, salary increases, promotions, and flex schedu les to convince them to stay. None of them have taken the offers and did not consider the option. Another issue is numerous job vacancies in the near future.The recruitment process will be draining on resources such as time, staff, and compensation because of the dwindling pool of younger workers. Moreover, it may be difficult to find new workers with the appropriate skills required to perform job duties effectively. Another issue is health issues such as chronic conditions which may lead to excessive leave time taken by aging employees. However, the implementation of better wellness programs and similar initiatives offers possible ways of avoiding excessive time off for illness. Another issue with the aging workforce will be age discrimination.With older Americans still in the workforce, an increasing number of lawsuits regarding age can be anticipated in the future. â€Å"Thriving† employer brand An employer brand is the image of that an organization. It is a positive way t o promote the organization either among employees or stakeholders. It is that employer brand that attracts potential employees and stakeholders. It is what makes someone want to invest capital and be connected to the organization in some way. According to Minchington and Estis there are six steps to an employer brand.These six steps are determine how branding is viewed within the organization, define the employer brand and project scope, relation between HR, marketing, and communications, discovering the employer brand, CEO and senior management involvement, and communications planning (2009). In my organization the â€Å"thriving† brand is public safety, public service, social responsibility, and striving for excellence. The organization has received a lot of recognition for its efficiency and its stellar performance in keeping the community safe and giving back to the community.The name of the organization alone is a brand in itself and several of our compliance officers tr avel throughout the United States to assist other agencies with becoming a â€Å"thriving† brand as well. There are always new people looking to become employees or those that are writing stories or articles on the organization. Qualitative and quantitative data HR may gather to show value added by aging workforce Qualitative data is characterized attributes and characteristics; quantitative data is measured numerically.HR can use some quantitative data to measure employee productivity. Some of examples would be number of units produced, number of days missed, number of errors, and number of disciplinary action. This information can be tracked monthly, quarterly, or yearly. This can help HR determine if the employee is an average, poor, or great employee. Personally, I think this information can be leading because it does not take contributing factors into account such as illness. An employee could have had no absences for years and then may become ill and had to miss many da ys.If the data collected only shows attendance for the past month it looks as if the employee has poor attendance; which is not true but merely a recent and isolated incident (www. smallbusinesschron. com). Qualitative data is what is gathered through human observations. These observations can include observing workers work habits, attitude, behavior, or any factor that may affect his/her ability to perform their job effectively (www. smallbusinesschron. com). This is reliable information to a point because everyone works differently. What seems counterproductive to one may be effective for another.One also has to consider the observer may not be objective and may see things through tinted glasses. Using both methods can add value to an aging workforce but it can also devalue it as well. Conclusion The aging workforce is definitely a concern for HR because once these people leave the organization there will be many vacancies to fill and a small pool of qualified workers to fill thos e vacancies. Although workers are working longer the future of many organizations are definitely are in jeopardy. As the baby boomers retire and begin to enjoy their golden years there will be no one left in the workforce to replace them.

Chinese Music Instruments Essay

In this research paper I will introduce four Chinese music instruments: Chinese drum, Guzheng, Qin and Chinese lute. Chinese drum is still very popular in china for the old generation, and they use drum as an exercise for body training. GuZheng is a Chinese traditional instrument; furthermore, I remember when I was in the secondary, one of my classmate played GuZheng very well. In every public holiday, she will show GuZheng; moreover, it’s really specially. The third one is Qin; we still can see this instrument display in some Chinese drama, but this instrument does not have lots of people know how to play it. Last one is Yu Pipe that is a very ancient Chinese instrument; in addition, I don’t think lots of people heard this before and I cannot find more information about it. So I choose Pipa to instant of Yu Pipe. Pipa is rarely instrument and never see it in western country; however, Pipa is not that rare almost all the classic music group will have the people who play Pipa in the group. History of Chinese Drum The drum occupies a prominent place in Chinese culture. Though the exact origin of the Chinese drum is still subject to debate, ancient literatures show that it is about as old as Chinese history itself. The earliest documentation of its application in ancient China occurs in Oracle Inscriptions (Jiaguwen â€Å"Jiaguwen is an ancient Chinese word, it usually write on animal’s shell†) of the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC), that is, inscriptions carved on tortoise shells and animal bones. As an old and wonderful form of art, the drum finds application in almost every aspect of Chinese social life, including sacrificial and worshiping ceremonies, farming, and warfare, and throughout the centuries it has been imbued with profound cultural implications. The history of the popularization of the Chinese drum is also the history of its continuous borrowing and assimilation of other artistic forms and expressions. During the process, Chinese drum performance arts have undergone a lot of regional as well as ethnic variations. As a result, today they produce different visual impacts and bring to the viewers different senses of beauty some are masculine, giving off a sense of invincible might; some are more delicate with nimble and graceful dancing steps; and there are still others that possess both qualities. This rich array of artistic expressions from the Chinese drum culture gives full expression to the vitality of the Chinese nation. History and Introduction of GuZheng The modern-day guzheng is a plucked, half-tube zither with movable bridges and 21 strings, although it can have anywhere from 15 to 25 strings (a customized version exists with more than 34 strings). the guzheng‘s strings were formerly made of twisted silk, though by the 20th century most players used metal strings (generally steel for the high strings and copper-wound steel for the bass strings). Since the mid-20th century most performers use steel strings flat wound with nylon. The guzheng has a large resonant cavity made from wu tong wood (paulownia tomentosa). Other components may be made from other woods, usually for structural and decorative purposes. For the introduction, the guzheng has existed since the warring states period and became especially popular during the qin dynasty. The ancient guzheng had 12 strings, which gradually evolved into it current forms. Until 1961, the common guzheng had 18 strings. In 1961 xu zhengao together with wang xunzhi introduced the first 21-string guzheng after two years of research and development. In 1961, they also invented the â€Å"s-shaped† left string rest, which was quickly adopted by all guzheng makers and is still used today, whether in the shape of the letter â€Å"s†, â€Å"c†, etc. the 21-string zheng is the most commonly used, but some traditional musicians still use the 16-string, especially along the southeastern coastal provinces of china and in taiwan. The guzheng is tuned to a pentatonic scale; the 16-string zheng is tuned to give three complete octaves, while the 21-string zheng has four complete octaves. Playing styles and performers there are many techniques used in the playing of the guzheng, including basic plucking actions (right or both hands) at the right portion and pressing actions at the left portion (by the left hand to produce pitch ornamentations and vibrato) as well as tremolo (right hand). These techniques of playing the guzheng can create sounds that can evoke the sense of a cascading waterfall, thunder and even the scenic countryside. Plucking is done mainly by the right hand with four plectra (picks) attached to the fingers. Advanced players may use picks attached to the fingers of both hands. Ancient picks were made of ivory and later also from tortoise shell. The guzheng‘s pentatonic scale is tuned to do, re, mi, so and la, but fa and ti can also be produced by pressing the strings to the left of the bridges. Well known pieces for the instrument include yu zhou chang wan (singing at night on fishing boat), gao shan liu shui (high mountains flowing water) and han gong qiu yue (han palace autumn moon). Two broad playing styles (schools) can be identified as northern and southern, although many traditional regional styles still exist. The northern styles are associated with henan and shandong while the southern style is with the chaozhou and hakka regions of eastern guangdong. both gao shan liu shui (high mountains flowing water) and han gong qiu yue (han palace autumn moon) are from the shandong school, while han ya xi shui (winter crows playing in the water) and chu shui lian (lotus blossoms emerging from the water) are major pieces of the chaozhou and Hakka repertories respectively. The GU Qin While the music of the Gu Qin represents Chinese culture at its most historical and refined, its sound can be challenging for Westerners to appreciate on first hearing. Many students are struck If you were to experience it live, you would also wonder how an audience could possibly hear such music, because it is extremely quiet. The qin is one of the most ancient instrument in the world to have remained in continuous use. Known also as guqin ( meaning â€Å"ancient zither†), it is a roughly 51-inch-long rectangular board zither made of paulonia wood painted black, and has seven stings, traditionally of twisted silk, running lengthwise from end to end, without frets or bridges. There is also a series of 11 inlaid mother-of pearl circles along one side marking the acoustical nodes or vibration points for each string. To the player’s left, the strings pass over the end and are tied underneath to two small peg-like feet attached to the instrument’s lower board. At the right end the strings run over a slight ridge that acts as a bridge, then pass through holes to the underside where each is tied to a small wooden peg. The instrument is tuned by twisting these pege to loosen or tighten the string’s tension. The player, seated on a chair with the instrument on a table or frame, plucks the strings with the fingers of the right hand and stop the strings with the fingers of the left hand. History of Pipa The pipa is a plucked Chinese string instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body. It has been played for nearly two thousand years in China, and belongs to the plucked category of instruments. Prototypes of the pipa already existed in China in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC). At that time, there were two types of pipa. One was straight-necked, with a round sound box constructed from lacquered Paulownia wood, and two faces mounted with leather. The other was believed to be inspired by the primitive forms of zheng, konghou, and zou. It also has a straight neck, a round sound box, and also four strings, along with twelve standards of notes. This model was later developed into the instrument known today as the ruan. The modern pipa is closer to the instrument which originated in Persia/Middle-East (where it was called barbat) and was introduced into China beginning in the late Jin Dynasty (265-420 A.D. ). I am not very sure how this instrument works on every rhythm, but I know that song is good. No matter it plays alone or plays with other rhythm, you always can hear its special sound. There are still a lot of different music instrument in this huge world. Although, the instruments are from different place, it place same music and music don’t have different nation. Hopefully, we never lost any music instruments and pass it to the next generation. Music instruments also are culture, and they are important in our life. Work Cited Lency. â€Å"Chinese Drum’ First Stop: Shells and animal bones. † Chinaculture. org Offers 01 October 2004 http://www. chinaculture. org/gb/en_artqa/2006-02/06/content_79017. htm Han, Mei. â€Å"Guzheng. † In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001). Montreal, Quebec, Canada. â€Å"Pipa’ First Stop: With a wooden plectrum. †  ©2000-2009 Philmultic Management & Productions Inc. http://www. philmultic. com/pipa/ Zha, Fuxi (1958). Cunjian Guqin Qupu Jilan . Beijing: The People’s Music Press. ISBN 7-103-02379-4.

Christmas Eve Essays - Temperature Control, Switches, Thermostat

Christmas Eve Essays - Temperature Control, Switches, Thermostat Christmas Eve Jenny Leigh Parker 12/16/98 It was Four o Clock P.M. on December the twenty fourth. The grandfather clock ticked away the hours. It seemed like three hours had gone by. Then, the clock said that it had only been fifteen minutes. I had to do something to help the time pass. I thought that a nice long nap would make the day go faster. My sister wanted to join me. I laid there listening to my sister snore , which made me so upset. How could she possibly fall asleep so fast, plus her obnoxious snoring kept me awake. Finally, I fell asleep, but only for about ten minutes. I woke up to the aroma of my moms famous banana cream pie. I heard the garage door open, and my dads rip roaring Bonneville pulled into the garage. I was so afraid. My dad has this phobia of having a cold house. (In his early years, the house he grew up in, only had one fireplace, and he slept on the other side of the house. He would wake up with icicle toes and be numb all over his body. He could see the air condensation appearing in front of him). After that, he has always had our house scorching hot. He usually has our house's thermostats to about ninety nine degrees. I'll bet I could roast an egg on top of my head. I had also just gotten it to the perfect temperature for the rest of the family. As I expected, the first thing he did when he walked in the door was head straight for the thermostats, and to turn those suckers up until they were ready to explode. My dad knows that I am the only one in the household that can adjust the temperature. So, there was no way I could ever get away with a stunt like that. The next thing I heard was the ceiling fans starting to turn. I have an upstairs bedroom, so, all the excess heat comes into my room. I was beginning to feel the heat creep upstairs. I knew I was a goner. I had a plan, I would step outside and sit in a snowbank for awhile, then inside, maybe the heat wouldn't bother me. I stepped outside. The coldness struck me like a thousand knives. The temperature was below zero. It was just about the right temperature to make my plan work. I was walking through snowflakes and the cold wind was blowing in my face. I plopped down in the white snow. I could feel that my body was soaked. I was extremely cold. I thought that for sure I was frostbitten through my toes. I was determined not to leave until I knew for sure I was freezing from top to bottom. I stepped inside, only to find that I was beginning to break into a sweat. My plan was unsuccessful. I went upstairs, changed out of my itchy, scratchy, turtleneck, fuzzy fluffy, sweater and corduroy slacks. Then, slipped into a sleeveless shirt and pair of denim shorts. That was the way to go as long I stayed in the house the rest of the night. After all the battles with heat, we had finally came to a mutual agreement. I stepped downstairs and first thing I smelled was the pine from our Christmas tree. That is the best smell. I love the outdoors. I then realized that it wasn't the tree I was smelling. It was my mom's pine scented candles that she had been burning. The family dinner was absolutely delicious. I love all the different smells from a home cooked meal. What delight that brings to me. It has been a tradition of mine for a couple of years, to wear myself out on Christmas Eve and do gymnastics. I ended up doing fifty cartwheels on each side. Seventy five back walkovers, twenty five front walkovers, and one hundred backhand springs. Keep in mind, I had just eaten a huge meal. I was ready to pass out. I felt so sick, out of breath and exhausted. I fell asleep pretty quick. Christmas season is my favorite time of the year because of all the different smells, feelings,

6 Strategies to Successfully Pass a School Bond

6 Strategies to Successfully Pass a School Bond A school bond provides a financial avenue for school districts to meet an immediate specified need. These specified needs can range from a new school, classroom building, gymnasium, or cafeteria to repairing an existing building, new buses, upgrades in classroom technology or security, etc. A school bond issue must be voted on by the members of the community in which the school is located. Most states require a three-fifths (60%) super-majority vote to pass a bond. If the school bond passes, property owners in the community will foot the bill for the bond issue through increased property taxes. This can create a dilemma for voters in the community and is why many proposed bond issues do not receive enough â€Å"yes† votes to pass. It takes a lot of dedication, time, and hard work to pass a bond issue. When it passes it was well worth it, but when it fails it can be extremely disappointing. There is no exact science for passing a bond issue. However, there are strategies that when implemented can help improve the chances that the bond issue will pass. Build a Foundation The district superintendent and the school board are often the driving forces behind a school bond issue. They are also responsible for getting out into the community, building relationships, and keeping people informed about what is happening with the district. It is vital to have good standing relationships with powerful civic groups and key business owners within a community if you want your bond to be passed. This process should be continuous and ongoing over time. It should not happen just because you’re trying to pass a bond. A strong superintendent will make their school the focal point of the community. They will work hard to forge those relationships that will pay off in times of need. They will make community involvement a priority inviting members into the school not only see what is going on but to become a part of the process themselves. Potentially passing a bond issue is just one of the many rewards that come with this holistic approach to community involvement. Organize and Plan Perhaps the most crucial aspect of passing a school bond is to be well organized and to have a solid plan in place. This begins with forming a committee that is as dedicated to seeing the bond passed as you are. It is necessary to note that most states prohibit schools from using their own resources or time to lobby on behalf of a bond issue. If teachers or administrators are to participate on the committee, it must be on their own time. A strong committee will consist of school board members, administrators, teachers, advisory councils, business leaders, parents, and students. The committee should be kept as small as possible so that a consensus can be reached easier. The committee should discuss and create a detailed plan on all aspects of the bond including timing, finances, and campaigning. A specific task should be given to each committee member to carry out according to their individual strengths. A school bond campaign should start approximately two months before the vote is scheduled to occur. Everything occurring in those two months should be well thought out and planned in advance. No two bond campaigns are the same. It is likely that parts of the plan will have to be abandoned or changed after realizing that the approach is not working. Establish a Need It is essential to establish a real need in your bond campaign. Most districts have a list of projects that they believe need to be completed. When deciding what you are going to put in the bond it is vital to look at two factors: immediate need and investment in your student body. In other words, put projects on the ballot that will resonate with voters who understand the value of education and show them there is a need. Make those connections apart of your campaign and bundle things where appropriate. If you are trying to build a new gymnasium, package it as a multipurpose facility that will not only serve as a gymnasium but as a community center and auditorium so that it can be used by all students and not just a select few. If you are trying to pass a bond for new buses, be prepared to explain how much money you are currently spending to maintain your bus fleet that is outdated and run down. You can even use a deteriorated bus in your campaign by parking it in front of the school with information about the bond. Be Honest It is essential to be honest with the constituents in your district. Property owners want to know how much their taxes are going to go up if the bond issue is passed. You should not skirt around this issue. Be direct and honest with them and always use the opportunity to explain to them what their investment will do for students in the district. If you are not honest with them, you may pass the first bond issue, but it will be more difficult when you try to pass the next one. Campaign! Campaign! Campaign! When campaigning begins it is beneficial to keep the message simple. Be specific with your message including the voting date, how much the bond is for, and some simple highlights of what it will be used for. If a voter asks for more information, then be prepared with more details. Campaigning efforts should be holistic with a goal of getting the word out to every registered voter in the district. Campaigning occurs in many different forms, and each form may reach a different subset of constituents. Some of the most popular forms of campaigning include: Build a Website – Create a website that gives voters detailed information about the bond issue.Campaign Signs/Posters – Put campaign signs in supporters’ yards and posters in high traffic locations such as the post office.Speaking Engagements – Schedule speaking engagements with civic groups in the community such as the Senior Citizen Center, Masonic Lodge, etc.Organize a Voter Registration Drive – A voter registration drive allows you to recruit newcomers and potential supporters who might not vote otherwise.Door to Door Canvassing – Simple word of mouth campaigning may make the difference especially in reminding voters to get to the polls.Telephone Committee – A simple way to poll voters in the community as well as to inform them about the bond issue and to remind them to vote.Direct Mail – Send flyers highlighting the bond issue out a few days before the vote.Media – Use the media to get the message out when possible. Focus on Uncertainty There are some constituents that have their minds made up on a bond issue before you even decide to do it. Some people always vote yes, and some people always vote no. Do not waste time on trying to convince the â€Å"no† votes that they should vote â€Å"yes†. Instead, focus on getting those â€Å"yes† votes to the polls. However, it is most valuable to invest your time and effort on those in the community that have not decided. Visit with those on the fence 3-4 times throughout the campaign to try and sway them to vote â€Å"yes†. They are the people who will ultimately decide whether the bond passes or fails.

Pronouncing the S

Pronouncing the S Most of the time, the s of Spanish sounds the same as the s sound in English words such as see and bus, although perhaps a bit shorter. However, the sound of the Spanish s is also affected by the sound of the letter that follows it. When an s is followed by a voiced consonant - in other words, a b, d, voiced g, m, n, l, r or v - it is pronounced like a soft z sound. Note that the z-like sound occurs in Spanish only before those consonants. It does not occur at the end of words (such as in plurals) or when followed by a vowel. The s sound changes slightly merely because it is blending into the sound that follows. In some areas, native speakers frequently omit the s sound when it comes at the end of a syllable, so that  ¿Cà ³mo est usted? ends up sounding something like  ¿Cà ³mo et uted? You should be aware of this if youre traveling in such areas but shouldnt imitate it elsewhere. The question  ¿Cà ³mo est usted? (How are you?) is used in our audio lesson on pronouncing the Spanish . Words used to demonstrate the z-like sound of s are mismo (same) and desde (from).

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud Research Paper - 9

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud - Research Paper Example This essay demonstrates that the suitability of an accounting policy under the requirements of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) draws a line on the continuum that distinguishes legitimate earnings management from fictitious accounting transactions. The process of determination of whether or when earnings management dealings do cross the line is essentially difficult to ascertain legitimacy to fraud, especially in certain situations on financial transactions. Legitimate earnings management in an entity translates to quality in earnings but with no reference to whether there has been a fair presentation of the financial statements that are convenient to the generally accepted accounting principles. Auditors’ roles with regard to quality of the entity’s earnings are important though their responsibilities are spelled out in detection and reporting of fraud. Auditors need to address their judgments about quality and the acceptability of the entity’s pr inciples of accounting and all the financial estimates that underlie the statements. Auditors should always inform the committee on the audit on the unacceptability approach at the end of the accounting period so as to improve the overall effectiveness of the corporate body on audit committees. The communication between the auditors and the committee on the audit is seen as an avenue for enhancing clear understanding of the quality of earnings and all the issues related to it hence improving the level of financial reporting. ... ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦42 4.0 Question #4 Overview: Ethical Considerations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..45 4.1 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦46 4.2 Corporate mechanisms to avoid fraudulent Earnings Management†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.50 4.3 Board oversight†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.51 4.4 External Audit and internal Audit reporting to Audit committee of Board†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..52 4.5 Whistleblower procedures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.52 4.6 Code of conduct and ethics of Financial Officers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.53 4.7 Philosophical Stance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.54 4.8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..55 Question #1 Overview —Theoretical and Conceptual Knowledge Introduction (Overview) Earnings management entails an extensive range of illegitimate and legitimate actions undertaken by companies and business organizations’ management s, affecting the entire legal entities’ overall earnings. In understanding this phenomenon of earnings management, it’s important to have a wide overview of the legitimate managerial activities carried out in an entity and the fraudulent reporting that is spearheaded by accountants and the entire management of an organization. The management of earnings leans on the credibility of financial information which is adversely affected by legal or illegal undertakings. All managerial activities within an organization have various implications and potential effects on earnings management.

Dual Authority in Matrix Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dual Authority in Matrix Organization - Essay Example further research 135 References 136 Appendix 144 Introduction Overview: Nowadays many organizations are adopting and are making changes in their structural form in order to survive and cope up with the uncertainties that are usually coming because of competition going on around the world and changes that are coming in the shape of environment and technological advancement. However in order to manage and control these changes various important developments were made over time so that these changes can be turn into planned changes. Keeping this consideration in mind a new concept emerged known as Matrix. Trailing history, in 1950 United States aerospace industry is considered to be the one who first used the term â€Å"Matrix† in their setting and which later was use by various business circles and in education sectors as well. However in 1960s at some places there was this common understanding and practices that matrix was considered as a prime alternative in dealing with vario us important business management issues related with communication, co ordination and control (Davis and Lawrence , 1977). Moreover in 70s and 80s various researches were carried out regarding matrix in an organizational settings, though matrix organizational structures flourished while researches that were going on were not that much in numbers. On the other hand if the matrix is considered with reference to business environment than organizations in this era were opting matrixes as a viable alternative in dealing with different issues related to complex business environment (Sharma, 2010). Moreover different companies around the globe have applied the matrix structure some examples from the recent past companies who were using matrix structures in order to deal with complex business environment are Zurich, Asea Brown Boveri, Sinclair Knight and Merz etc. In order to achieve worldwide economies of scale these companies adopted matrix structures in addition with responsiveness and f lexibility (local) (Gottlieb, 2007). Research Background: Organizations in need of a matrix structure: Conventionally organizations use to follow simple structures in order to achieve their goals however this culture has been changed mainly because of globalization. Nowadays concept of multinational organization is very common as these organizations have captured a fair amount of market share around the globe. Initially starting from a city then going nationwide and later worldwide these organizations have adopted various organizational structures in between. As the spam of control of these organizations grew which resulted in creating complexities in organizational st

Parental Divorce and Childrens Adjustment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Parental Divorce and Childrens Adjustment - Essay Example This represents the efforts by the parents to shield their children from the impending deficiencies in development in the occurrence of divorce. Therefore, this implies that the children who go through the process of parental divorce exhibit a variety of negative developmental outcomes (Lansford 5). These developmental problems could be summarized as the internalization of problems and externalization behaviors, problems in social relations and poor academic achievements. However, these developmental issues also rely on other issues such as age, race, and gender. Parental divorce has been known to have adverse effects on the development of family members, especially the children. As a result of the high prevalence of parental divorce, many children are forced to adjust to the situation in order to cope with life. Therefore, different sets of children react in different ways in the occurrence of divorce. For instance, infants may react to their parents’ mood swings through practices such as loss of appetite. However, in the cases of adolescents, they may react rather personally to such an occurrence. They may be emotionally affected, and this could even lead to poor academic results and poor relationships. This is owed to their maturity at the time of divorce. In some cases, adolescents may even blame themselves for the divorce. Consequently, they could even go an extra mile to try and help their parents in resolving their differences. Studies have revealed that the leading cause of parental divorce is extramarital sex. This is closely followed by domestic violence within the family. Other causes of parental divorce include midlife crisis, addictions, and religion. However, divorce has a negative impact on the development of family relations both in the short term and long term.

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia and its Representation in the Media Research Paper

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia and its Representation in the Media - Research Paper Example What is meant by this statement that the understanding of human rights within the Western world is something of a public relations game relates to the fact that the nations in which the West regularly integrates and has close business/economic interests are relatively unbothered by human rights complaints from the outside world. In such a way, the sad reality of the situation is that many nations within the Western and/or developed world have the unique opportunity to bring about societal and systemic change within nations that exhibit a very poor track record of human rights. However, rather than leveraging their respective positions as a means of bettering the lives of individuals the world over, oftentimes these nations choose instead to continue the beneficial relationships they have with oppressive and repressive regimes. ... In such a way, the author will attempt to analyze the current situation with regards to human rights and Saudi Arabia; analyzing the way in which human rights is portrayed in the media, both domestic Saudi media and world media, discuss the issue of censorship within Saudi Arabia, and analyze the means by which alternative media/social media has allowed the Saudi individuals, and those arguing for a greater degree of human rights liberalization, a platform in which to adequately have their message the past. Furthermore, as a function of analyzing each of these aspects, it is the hope of this author that reader will come to a more full and complete understanding of the way in which human rights are currently exhibited within Saudi Arabia as well as the means by which individuals within and without Saudi Arabia understand these can rights, and the level to which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is willing to go in order to respond to the unique needs that are being exhibited within the King dom. Before delving directly into specific human rights abuses that Saudi Arabia is guilty of, it must be understood that Sharia law defines the way in which the nation’s judiciary operates. Ultimately, appreciating an understanding of the nuances of Sharia law would require a dissertation length response. However, for purposes of this brief analysis, it can and should be understood that Sharia law most necessarily refers to the law that is lain out in the Koran; Islam’s most holy book. Moreover, due to the fact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not have a Constitution, the rights and privileges to which the accused is beholden is necessarily solely defined within the Koran.

3.2 Smithsons Holiday Tour Proposal Speech or Presentation

3.2 Smithsons Holiday Tour Proposal - Speech or Presentation Example The first date we will set to join the tour to Salvador before flying to Manaus. The location is classic, with a moderate pace and standard comfort. It is appropriate for small groups. At Salvador there are many activities that will be undertaken: On arrival at Manaus on day three, we will have the opportunity to experience the beautiful scenery of the metropolis jungle. The area keeps the picture of the golden times of its peak era during the rubber economic boom. It consists of restored monuments and restored buildings. The city is nestled in the forest and also offers exotic resorts and hotels a convention centre and state-of-art technology. The allure of the paradise is exclusive. The fourth day will be the launch into the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rain forest is a top area of attraction and has several activities that will engage us. It is located in the state of Amazonas which is the largest in the Brazil region. It is an enormous tropical rain forest that is interrupted by a gigantic network of rivers. It is an elegant tourist destination that gives the exuberance of the jungle when exploring it in an economically friendly manner. On return to Cuiaba, we will commence our journey to explore the wildlife reserve at Pantanal. Pantanal in Brazil is the principal wetland in the whole world. Additionally, it is the best place to consider for wildlife tours in the southern parts of America. The wildlife includes among others monkeys, anteaters, giant river otters, the elusive jaguar, ocelots, anacondas plus approximately 400 species of fishes. The destination is heaven for the birders with a passion for the colourful parrots, large flocks of Jabiru storks. Precisely, more than 650 species of birds live in this location. Indeed, this is a superb destination for an individual who wants to view birdlife and wildlife. A visit to Foz do Iguacu will be

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia and its Representation in the Media Research Paper

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia and its Representation in the Media - Research Paper Example What is meant by this statement that the understanding of human rights within the Western world is something of a public relations game relates to the fact that the nations in which the West regularly integrates and has close business/economic interests are relatively unbothered by human rights complaints from the outside world. In such a way, the sad reality of the situation is that many nations within the Western and/or developed world have the unique opportunity to bring about societal and systemic change within nations that exhibit a very poor track record of human rights. However, rather than leveraging their respective positions as a means of bettering the lives of individuals the world over, oftentimes these nations choose instead to continue the beneficial relationships they have with oppressive and repressive regimes. ... In such a way, the author will attempt to analyze the current situation with regards to human rights and Saudi Arabia; analyzing the way in which human rights is portrayed in the media, both domestic Saudi media and world media, discuss the issue of censorship within Saudi Arabia, and analyze the means by which alternative media/social media has allowed the Saudi individuals, and those arguing for a greater degree of human rights liberalization, a platform in which to adequately have their message the past. Furthermore, as a function of analyzing each of these aspects, it is the hope of this author that reader will come to a more full and complete understanding of the way in which human rights are currently exhibited within Saudi Arabia as well as the means by which individuals within and without Saudi Arabia understand these can rights, and the level to which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is willing to go in order to respond to the unique needs that are being exhibited within the King dom. Before delving directly into specific human rights abuses that Saudi Arabia is guilty of, it must be understood that Sharia law defines the way in which the nation’s judiciary operates. Ultimately, appreciating an understanding of the nuances of Sharia law would require a dissertation length response. However, for purposes of this brief analysis, it can and should be understood that Sharia law most necessarily refers to the law that is lain out in the Koran; Islam’s most holy book. Moreover, due to the fact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not have a Constitution, the rights and privileges to which the accused is beholden is necessarily solely defined within the Koran.

Critically evaluate the above statement, explaining the various legal Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the above statement, explaining the various legal implications and legislative concerns of e-commerce which deserve a greater attention from business regulators and law legislators - Essay Example Increased individual autonomy for shoppers poses questions on the legal validity of contracts. The convenience of buying goods or services from any part of the world affects the enforceability of transactions especially when disputes arise. Likewise, increased liberty may expose consumers to infringement of rights to privacy. It is critical for legal stakeholders to familiarise themselves with these legal concerns in order to guard against loss of business due to these issues. One of the primary challenges in handling ecommerce transactions is the lack of physical signatures. E-commerce transactions take place without paper or other physical representations of transactions. In traditional business settings, handwritten signatures authenticate contracts by providing a unique form of identification for the signee (Chaudhury and Jean-Pierre, 2002). They also assist in showing the association between the person and the document being signed. Traditional signatures are highly useful in proving that the signee was actually involved in the transaction. E commerce also has its own form of authentication called the electronic signature. Sometimes it is in the form of a secret code, a pin number, a typed name or a scanned image of one’s handwritten signature (Frieden and Sean Patrick, 2006). Digital signatures may also be used; these ones come in the form of encrypted messages that only respond to a specific key when being decrypted. The latter form is highly secure in comparison to other electronic signatures. Regardless of the type of signatures chosen, certain legal implications still exist. Stakeholders are yet to decide on the circumstances in which electronic signatures ought to be trusted. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether these signatures hold the same weight as traditional ones. Some signatures seem to hold greater authenticity than others. Business persons are still

African American Cinema Essay Example for Free

African American Cinema Essay The subject of African-Americans in Motion Pictures provides some of the most interesting studies along with the many controversial interpretations of the roles as actors they played on screen. As far back as the silent films era, African-Americans have been featured in motion pictures playing roles depicting some aspect of acting and being purveyors of a black image. The messages or themes of these movies have over the years presented a mixture of images based upon what was thought to please the viewers of each particular film. Unfortunately, many of those films showed black characters in negative stereotypical roles, which the average African-Americans would never truly identify as being like themselves. Since many of our American icons and heroes have come from our motion picture stars, we need to understand what this narrow view presented and compare it with what we presently see at our local cinema today. The movies Guess Whos Coming To Dinner (1967), Shaft (1971), Do The Right Thing (1989), Boys n the Hood (1991), and Menace to Society (1993) show a thematic style and stereotypes in the way that black films have progressed over the years. The motion picture industry was never too quick to change their approach in presenting African-Americans in realistic roles depicting social or civil conditions in an integrated context. Many of these roles required scenes showing African-Americans in positions of authority or relating to white Americans in a positive way. This Integration Period therefore brought together African-American actors with scenes along side white actors in roles showing both players dealing with racial conflict and resolution. Guess Whos Coming to Dinner was truly a unique film for its time in that Sidney Poitiers character breaks all the stereotypical views of blacks in American Cinema. In the early 1930s blacks were portrayed as lower class, slow-witted figures of entertainment, often showed in menstrual shows. Poitiers character broke all these stereotypes. 1971 brought to the big screen a successive series of superhero black or blaxploitation films. Shaft was released in 1971, and Richard Roundtree was the superman black hero detective. He was compared by many to the white James Bond. Related to Guess Whos Coming to Dinner, Shaft took it up a notch in showing a black man as a hero. Poitiers role was one to equalize whites and blacks in their roles in American cinema, but Shaft showed a black man who was an authoritative figure. Different themes can be mixed in between the two movies. They both show an intelligent black man that has a grip on reality. Both movies showed themes of how integration has struck America. They differ though on a level in that Shaft was a black dominant cast and Guess Whos Coming to Dinner was predominantly white. Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, and Menace to Society were all produced in a more modern era, hence the fact that they all have similar racial themes. The films all paint a picture of urban Black America in their time period. All three films are thought to be racially reactionary films aimed at the psyche of both black and white viewers. The movies were all a success due to the touched topics of racial situations, ethnic tensions, and human encounters of anger. The superb casts of both black and white actors made the motion picture industry aware of a newer avenue for films and race relations. African-Americans in motion pictures in todays expanding world of visual imagery can be seen on many expanding fronts. We see the making of motion pictures on subjects or themes which can be taken from history, life experiences, music, and unexplored events. Todays markets are open, and African-Americans are taking advantage of these open door opportunities. Actors and actresses are expanding their roles from stage acting to movies to TV miniseries to video cassettes or discs, and roles taken from books, plus movie soundtracks. In our world today African-American actors and actresses will always have a place in American Cinema and their future looks bright and promising.

Legal Barriers For Foreign Investors In Vietnam Economics Essay

Legal Barriers For Foreign Investors In Vietnam Economics Essay Vietnam in recent years has emerged as Southeast Asias fastest-growing economy and one of the regions hottest new destinations for foreign investors. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January 2007. Its membership requires the country to merge into the global rules-based trading system and increase transparency in government decision making, speed up economic reform, and strengthen the rule of law. The Vietnamese economy offers many attractions for U.S. companies. About 70% of the population is under the age of 30, and the country has a literacy rate above 95%. Per capita income has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and domestic consumption is growing at more than 20% per year. Vietnams increasingly affluent urban consumers think highly of U.S. consumer goods. Vietnam has many natural resources and agricultural products, including oil and gas, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, and tea. Some of the countrys top export industries produce garments and textiles, footwear, furniture, and seafood. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel, raw cotton, grain, cement, and motorcycles. Two decades have past since the country mounted an economic reform program known as doi moi. Vietnam is in the midst of transformation from an inward-looking command economy with little space for personal initiative to a more open society with a vibrant, free market economy that seeks to engage with the wider world. Hanoi in 2006 hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which along with a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, marked Vietnams emergence as a key player in the regional and global economy. The United States and Vietnam have forged strong relations in recent years despite a tragic history, stepping up cooperation in such areas as HIV/AIDS control, avian flu prevention, law enforcement, and a growing military-to-military partnership. The U.S. government is helping Vietnam restructure its education system and reform its legal system. The two governments are cooperating in accounting for servicemen missing since the war, launching a human rights dialogue, and establishing new forms of regional security cooperation. Although the GATT progressively acquired many of the attributes of an international organisation, it was increasingly felt in the 1980s that it was not keeping up with the rapid changes in the global economy, and required strengthened dispute-settlement and transparency mechanisms. While this was reflected in the agenda of the Uruguay round, the Ministerial Declaration establishing the rounds agenda did not call for the creation of a WTO. Instead, it was agreed that the round would be a single undertaking, with all its agreements applying to all GATT contracting parties. In principle, it was not necessary to create an international organisation to implement the results of the round, especially in so far as a common dispute-settlement mechanism was agreed to apply to all of the various agreements reached. The suggestion to establish a Multilateral Trade Organisation (MTO) by Canada in 1990 -supported by the EU was therefore something of a surprise. An important motivation to establis h an MTO was to have a single institutional framework encompassing the modified GATT, its sister bodies on services (GATS) and intellectual property (TRIPs), and all other agreements and arrangements concluded under the auspices of the Uruguay round. The United States initially opposed the idea, but, after further negotiations on the substance of the new organisation, agreed to the framework that currently exists, including the name change. Although the US Congress remained suspicious of any limitations to its sovereign powers in trade policy, during the ratification debate it became clear that the establishment of the WTO would not do much to change the status quo as far as the infringement of sovereignty was concerned. The GATT-1947 was a binding international treaty, and most of the institutional aspects of the WTO already existed under the GATT. None the less, the establishment of the WTO was a significant event. Attempts to put the GATT on a more secure organisational footing had been made periodically since the failure of the US Congress to ratify the ITO. During a 1955 meeting to review the GATT, a number of contracting parties proposed to establish an Organisation for Trade Co-operation (OTC). This proposal was much less elaborate than the ITO but it also failed to win the approval of the US Congress (Jackson, 1990). The issue of providing an institutional framework for international trade reappeared again in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN in 1963. A group of experts called for the creation of a new UN agency with universal membership and substantial powers in the sphere of international trade. The idea was that this body would implement, interalia, recommendations of UNCTAD as well as other relevant policy decisions taken by organs of the UN. The proposal envisaged that the GATT would become the agen cys Committee on Tariffs. The proposal did not meet with much interest among the major trading nations. However, the 1964 UN General Assembly resolution establishing UNCTAD provided that it should be concerned with matters relating to the elaboration of a comprehensive trade organisation. Nothing concrete came of this despite lengthy discussions about the need for a New International Economic Order during the 1970s in large part because of the widely differing philosophies held by industrialised market economies and much of the developing world regarding the appropriate basis for international trade. With the creation of the WTO, an international trade organisation exists that is firmly based on GATT principles reciprocity and non-discrimination. The Scope, Functions, And Structure Of The WTO As the principal institution with responsibility for the multilateral trading system, the WTO has the same status as institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF. The WTO has legal personality and has been accorded privileges and immunities similar to those accorded to the specialised UN agencies. It is headed by a Ministerial Conference of all Members, meeting at least once every two years. More frequent participation by trade ministers than occurred in the GATT context is intended to strengthen the political guidance of the WTO and enhance the prominence and credibility of its rules in domestic political arenas. It can be noted, however, that past experience of the GATT with Ministerial meetings suggests that these can easily be an inefficient use of the time of many Ministers from smaller trading nations. This is because in negotiations the controversial issues tend to be solved at the last moment and require agreement between the major players. The latter may take a significan t amount of time to strike a deal between themselves, thereby marginalizing the potential for participation by Ministers of smaller countries. The WTO is charged with providing the common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations among its Members in matters related to the agreements and associated legal instruments included in the Annexes . . . to the Agreement. There are four such Annexes, which contain the substantive rights and obligations of Members. Annex 1 has three parts: Annex 1A entitled Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods, contains the GATT-1994 (the GATT-1947 as amended by a large number of Understandings and supplementary Agreements negotiated in the Uruguay round); Annex 1B, which contains the GATS; and Annex 1C, the Agreement on TRIPs. Annex 2 consists of an Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes the WTOs common dispute-settlement mechanism. Annex 3 contains the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), an instrument through which surveillance of Members trade policies occurs. Finally, Annex 4 entitled Plurilateral Trade Agreements consists of Tokyo round codes that were not multilateralised in the Uruguay round, and that therefore bind only signatories. Annexes 1-3 together are called the Multilateral Trade Agreements. The WTO has five functions. It is charged with facilitating the implementation and operation of the Multilateral Trade Agreements; providing a forum for negotiations on already covered or new issues; administering the Understanding on dispute settlement and the TPRM; and, finally, co-operating with the World Bank and the IMF to achieve greater coherence in global economic policy-making (Article III WTO). Between meetings of the Ministerial Conference responsible for carrying out the functions of the WTO the organisation is run by a General Council at the level of officials. The General Council turns itself, as needed, into a body to adjudicate trade disputes (the Dispute Settlement Body) or to review trade policies of the member countries (the Trade Policy Review Body). Three subsidiary councils operate under the general guidance of the WTOs General Council: the Council for Trade in Goods; the Council for Trade in Services; and the Council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Separate Committees exist to deal primarily with the interests of the least developed countries (Trade and Development); surveillance of trade restriction actions taken for balance-of payment purposes; trade-environment linkages; and the WTOs finances and administration (Secretariat). Additional committees or working parties deal with matters covered by the GATT, GATS, or TRIPs Agreement. There are committees functioning under the auspices of the Council on Trade in Goods dealing with subsidies, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, technical barriers to trade (product standards), import licensing, customs valuation, market access, agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade-related investment measures, rules of origin, and safeguards. Similarly, specific committees address matters relating to the GATS or TRIPs. Committees also exist to administer the Plurilateral Agreements. However, these are not under the guidance of the General Council but operat e within the general framework of the WTO and inform the Council of their activities. There were more than thirty councils and standing committees in the WTO in 1995 twice as many as under the old GATT. WTO In a struggle that began in the early 1980s, many countries worked in the Uruguay Round negotiations of 1986-94 to strengthen the multilateral trading system, as well as advance the liberalisation of international trade in goods, services and ideas. Governments are in the process of implementing the resulting agreements that now comprise the World Trade Organisation. They are interested in extending the WTO system to outside economies, but not in exposing it to fresh disputes and divisions, which is why negotiations on the accession of new members are detailed, rigorous and time consuming. This is critical in accommodating the economies in transition. One of the major political tasks before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as it gears itself to address the needs of the international trading community for the remainder of this century and beyond, is to extend the benefits of the open multilateral trading system to economies that are still outside.  [1]  It means ensuring that the integration of outsiders into the world economy leads to concrete benefits for them as well as for their trading partners who are WTO member countries. It also means that the terms and conditions of entry should be such as to preserve and, hopefully, strengthen the credibility of the multilateral trading system, rather than weaken or expose it to disputes and divisions. Success in meeting these goals will depend, in practical terms, on the way the accession process is managed and controlled. If the right terms are arranged, an additional 1.5 billion new consumers and workers would benefit from the multilateral trading system, well before the year 2000. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed. One of the WTOs central objectives is to make the organisation truly global in scope and application. The WTO has 124 members as of October 1996. The member countries are now engaged in accession negotiations with 28 governments that have formally applied to join. Many others are considering applying. Bulgaria, Mongolia and Panama completed their accession negotiations earlier in the year and will become WTO members when they ratify their protocols. The most recent applications for accession have been from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Georgia. Existing requests include major economies like the Peoples Republic of China, Chinese Taipei (known in the WTO as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu), the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Belarus and Vietnam. All these are important players on the international economic, trade and trade-related investment scene. There are also requests for accession from smaller but similarly significant countries. Many of them are economies in transition such as Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia and Moldova. There are others that are developing economies, among them Algeria, Jordan, Seychelles, Tonga and Vanuatu. Applications have also been received from such least developed economies as Cambodia, Nepal and Sudan. These countries and territories represent a wide range of economic and political interests. But they represent a critical common factor that motivates them. Big or small, developed or developing, they all look to WTO membership to underpin their domestic economic reforms, to help them compete fairly in the international marketplace and to counter discrimination and arbitrary behaviour with the help of enforceable multilateral rules. Benefits Of WTO Membership Why do governments want to join the WTO system? What are the benefits of WTO membership? First, membership means access for their economys exports of goods and services to the markets of the WTO community on unconditional most-favoured-nation (MFN) terms. The substantially reduced tariffs and non-tariff barriers achieved through eight rounds of multilateral trade negotiations over the last half century become available to entrepreneurs in the applicant country immediately on its accession. In the Uruguay Round negotiations, finally concluded at the end of 1994, developed countries further agreed to reduce tariffs on industrial goods by 40 percent. Their average tariff rate will stand, once the tariff agreements have been fully implemented, at around 3.8 percent; and 99 percent of their industrial-product tariffs will be bound at their new levelsmeaning that, having been reduced as a result of multilateral agreements, they cannot be raised again without further multilateral negotiations. Reforms agreed in agriculture include a 36 percent reduction in export subsidies and an 18 percent reduction in domestic support afforded to agricultural producers. In addition, the level of security for trade in agricultural products has been substantially strengthened, for 100 percent of agricultural product lines are now bound and no non-tariff barriers are permitted for agricultural products, with the exception of measures taken for balance-of-payments purposes.  [2]   Rough estimates by the WTOs economists suggest that the reduction of international trade barriers as a result of the Uruguay Round agreements could produce an increase in world income between US$109 and US$510 billion per year by the time the market access commitments are fully implemented in 2005 (GATT Secretariat,1994, p. 36.). These figures do not take into account the beneficial impact of other results concerning, for example, strengthened trade rules, procedures and institutions, or the market-access commitments and rules for trade in services. Secondly, WTO membership means the effective dismantling of discriminatory barriers that have been specifically directed at certain countries, for instance those erected against China, Russia and the East European countries. The most important benefit in this respect would be the availability to those countries of the same principle of nondiscrimination that WTO member countries normally apply to each other in the conduct of their trade relations, albeit with exceptions permitted under WTO rules. Thirdly, in the context of the general reduction of tariffs as barriers to trade, traders in the acceding country benefit from rules dealing with the trade-distorting effects of many types of hidden non-tariff measures like public subsidies, technical standards, customs-valuation and import-licensing procedures and restrictive policies on foreign direct investment or intellectual property rightsnow comprehensively regulated by transparent rules. The new General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) brings international disciplines to bear on activities in this vital area of trade as well. The importance of effective multilateral rules and disciplines in governing international trade relations increases in direct proportion to the intensification of international competition in the marketplace. For acceding governments, membership also puts at their disposal a strengthened and contractually binding international dispute-settlement mechanism. The importance of this mechanism is self-evident and its link with the need for security and fairness in trade relations is well recognised. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the dispute-settlement mechanism is the fact that the dispute-settlement bodys findings and their implementation cannot be blocked by any member; the mechanism is automatic. Finally, it is increasingly seen that the accession process helps reformist governments resist the pressures of sectional interests opposed to reforms that are being pursued in the long-term interests of economies as a whole. Governments can embark on the reform of expensively protected sectors, like industry and agriculture, and justify their actions as a price required by the WTO in return for the benefits of membership. Why Does Accession Take So Long? Each accession is a negotiation and is thus unique. For the same reasons, no deadlines or time limits are laid down in the accession process. Progress essentially depends on the openness of the applicant governments trade regime and the rapidity with which it can be brought into conformity with WTO obligations. Vietnam and WTO During the initial years of doi moi, Vietnam enjoyed remarkable levels of economic growth: the end of collectivised agriculture gave a substantial boost to the rural economy, while an influx of foreign investment coupled with liberalisation of private sector economic activity brought considerable benefits. By the second half of the 1990s, however, the economy was slowing, partly influenced by wider regional problems after the 1997 Asian crisis, but primarily because of domestic factors. Ari Kokko picks up the argument where Martin Gainsborough left off, asking how far that slowdown reflected a decline in Vietnams commitment to the reform process, and also the extent to which the downturn reflected structural problems rather than temporary setbacks. His answers focus on three key areas: trade policy, state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform, and the position of the private sector. (ADB 2000) On trade policy, Kokko paints a fairly positive picture. Vietnams 2001 Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States was a major landmark in the direction of eventual World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession, and there is plenty of evidence that Vietnamese exports have been enjoying a sustainable recovery in recent years. This reflects the outward orientation of private sector Vietnamese firms and of multinational corporations with operations in Vietnam. Substantial overseas development aid disbursements and private cash remittances (often transferred by overseas Vietnamese to relatives and business partners in the country) have helped boost Vietnams balance of payments. State enterprise reform is another matter entirely. Like Gainsborough, Kokko insists that the lack of progress here is undeniable; most SOEs are loss-making and have continued to enjoy preferential access to credit, while the bulk of equitisations to date have not affected the largest and most troublesome state en terprises. Kokko notes that the private sector remains underdeveloped, faced with various forms of discrimination and limited access to credit. At the same time, he is more positive than Gainsborough in highlighting certain areas where private sector reform has proceeded quite rapidly. He praises the 1999 Enterprise Law, which has led to the registration of numerous new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Kokko also singles out support from international donors for private sector capacity-building notably Japans Miyazawa plan, which has provided substantial funding to nurture SME development. Ultimately he suggests that SOEs reform might be tacitly bypassed: future strategies should focus on the development of the private sector while accepting more gradual reform of the SOE sector. He also expresses concern that Vietnam needs a better welfare and safety net infrastructure to protect its citizens from the uncertainties of the market, and to reduce both urban and rural povert y. After the problematic 1979 invasion and occupation of Cambodia, which blighted Vietnams relations with much of the world during the 1980s, the emphasis was now on settling all disputes by negotiation. Ideology was now marginalised, whereas previously it had formed the core of Vietnamese foreign policy: pragmatism prevailed. Vietnam was particularly anxious to find ways of countering Chinese economic and strategic dominance in the region, and this helps explain Vietnamese enthusiasm for building stronger ties with other Southeast Asian countries best seen in the decision to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Another crucial juncture was the normalisation of relations with the United States. Within ASEAN, Vietnam has acted as an informal leader for the new entrants of the 1990s (the others were Burma, Cambodia and Laos). Yet the ASEAN summits held in Hanoi in 2001 lacked clear focus; Vietnam seemed to prefer ASEAN to adopt a lower profile, and was uneasy with rec ent moves towards ideas of flexible engagement, constructive intervention or enhanced interaction, which would permit member states to comment critically on developments inside other states. Vietnam was attached to an older model of ASEAN, the so-called ASEAN way, based upon principles of consensus and non-interference a much more comfortable model for a one-party state. Yet Vietnam also sought to use ASEAN membership as a means of pressing its claim for admission to other multilateral bodies such as the WTO, laying itself open to charges of crude pragmatism. In its relations with the rest of the world, Vietnam (like many other states) often wanted things both ways: the benefits of foreign investment without the constraints of playing by international economic rules, or the benefits of ASEAN membership without the pressure to conform to regional norms of behaviour. In a way, this duality resembles other aspects of Vietnams post-doi moi order: Vietnam has persistently sought to take advantage of opportunities presented by globalisation and economic liberalisation, whilst avoiding the associated social and political costs. One consequence of the perceived success of reforms during the early 1990s was that the Vietnamese authorities revised their economic targets for the period from 1991 to 2000. Instead of aiming for a doubling of the countrys GDP over this period, as was originally intended before the Seventh Party Congress in 1991, the target was changed to a doubling of GDP per capita (Socialist Republic of Vietnam [SRV] 1994). Assessing the achievements of the reforms, many foreign observers concurred, concluding, for example, that Vietnam appears well-positioned to become a new East Asian dragon (Irvin 1995:725). However, these impressive achievements could not completely hide some of the structural and systemic weaknesses of the economy. By 1996, donors and foreign observers had highlighted several problems related to the import-substituting trade regime and the role of the state, in particular the continuing reliance on SOEs as the main vehicle of development (Kokko and Zejan 1996; Ljunggren 1996; Mallon 1996; United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] 1996). On trade policy, concerns focused on the distorted incentives provided by the complex, non-transparent and highly restrictive trade regime. The combination of tariffs, quotas, import licensing requirements, foreign exchange controls and various other trade barriers created strong incentives in favour of import substitution in consumer goods and selected heavy industries and a bias against export-oriented production. One paradoxical result was a rapid increase in imports: import-substituting industry in Vietnam, as elsewhere, was heavily dependent upon imported machinery, raw materials and intermediates. Consequently, although exports grew rapidly, import growth was even faster, resulting in growing trade and current account deficits. By 1995, the current account deficit exceeded US $2.6 billion, or 13 percent of GDP. Several problems were imminent. Would it be possible to finance large deficits without endangering future growth and macroeconomic stability? How would Vietnams commitm ents to liberalize trade from around the year 2000 mandated, for example, by Vietnams membership of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and ambition to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) be realised? Would the promises to reduce tariffs be neutralised by the emergence of strong interest groups benefiting from, and therefore lobbying for, continued protectionism? The most important result in terms of formal policy may be the agreement about a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between Vietnam and the US, which was signed in July 2000 and ratified in late 2001. The BTA is an important step towards Vietnamese membership in the WTO, and perhaps also a key step in Vietnams continuing economic reforms. Unlike the AFTA agreement, which is based on consensus and does not prescribe severe sanctions against member countries that do not fulfil their commitments, both the BTA and eventual WTO membership are likely to come with stricter conditions, enforcement and sanctions. Moreover, the BTA allows Vietnam to reap some of the benefits (in terms of access to US markets) early on, while the perceived costs (resulting from opening the Vietnamese market to US firms) will come later. It is possible that these two features will strengthen the reform process: it will be difficult to default on reform promises once they have generated thousands of jobs that may be lost if promises are not fulfilled. The continuing increase in exports is another sign of progress in this area. In 1999 and 2000, exports grew at an annual rate of over 20 percent, which was more than four times the rate of domestic demand growth. This shows that an increasing share of the Vietnamese economy is integrated with the international economy, and that there is probably a gradual shift in the balance of power from groups favouring inward-oriented policies to groups relying on contacts with the international economy. In fact, the current Ten-Year Socio-Economic Development Strategy sets up the goal that the export growth rate should be twice as high as the planned 7.5 percent GDP growth rate during the period 2001-10: if the target is achieved, the ratio of exports to GDP will exceed 90 percent by 2010. Other important reforms have been made on the import side. Import tariffs have been reduced gradually, in line with Vietnams AFTA commitments, and the road map for future tariff reductions under the agreement was published in early 2002. The tariff reduction scheme constitutes an important step to facilitate the long-term planning of Vietnamese producers: with a clear time-bound plan in place, there is less scope for interest groups to lobby for extended protection. Most quantitative restrictions have also been removed, and all domestic enterprises are now allowed to import any goods that are not subject to quotas. Yet some problems remain. The tariff structure remains complex. There is great dispersion of tariff rates in the range from zero to 100 percent, with higher rates on import-substituting goods and lower ones on imported inputs. This provides high effective rates of protection for local market-oriented industry. Various administrative measures, such as temporary import bans, have also been used to restrict imports of consumer goods. Summarizing a review on trade policy, CIEM (2002:126) notes that this shows how many policy decisions tend to aim at dealing with the problem on a case by case basis rather than resolving it based on a consistent and overall approach. Foreign trade transactions can also be controlled and restricted by the allocation of foreign exchange. The State Bank of Vietnam controls and approves remittances of foreign currency abroad, and State Bank authorisation is required to borrow foreign currency, to convert dong to dollars, and to open offshore escrow accounts. Exporters are obliged to surrender a large share (at present 40 percent) of their foreign exchange earnings to the State Bank. For a long time, state enterprises and agencies had privileged access to foreign exchange (World Bank 1999b), and it is possible that these preferences still apply. Vietnam has to deal with almost 100 anti-dumping lawsuits and trade disputes each year, in which domestic businesses often come off worst. At the recent G20 Summit in Toronto, as ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called for G20 nations to ensure a sustainable economic recovery and fight against trade protectionism in all forms. He emphasised that Vietnam has to face many disguised protection measures in some developed countries, saying that G20 nations should continue to introduce specific measures to remove barriers to trade and foreign direct investment. These barriers have become obstacles for Vietnamese investors and exporters. To some extent, these barriers, with stricter regulations on food hygiene and safety and anti-dumping, have had a positive impact on Vietnamese businesses who have to increase the quality of their products to compete against foreign rivals. Tran Manh Canh, Deputy General Director of the Hanoi Trade Corporation (Hapro), says that his company exports many products to the Republic of Korea, which requires a high standard of food hygiene and safety. However, Hapro leaders consider these a good opportunity for local businesses to sharpen their competitive edge to penetrate the global market, adds Mr. Canh. In addition to this, trade barriers have also posed numerous difficulties and challenges for Vietnamese businesses who do not have a proper understanding of this issue. Many local businesses find it hard to access information about the trade laws of countries that have commitments with Vietnam. Therefore, clarifying trade barriers and technical standards provided by partners and ensuring transparency in the origin of products are still big challenges for Vietnamese businesses when they export their products to foreign markets. For instance, the European Union (EU) has an anti-dumping tax of 10 percent on Vietnamese leather shoes. The European Bicycle Manufacturers Association (EBMA) has requested a review and extension of the anti-dumping duty on imported Vietnamese bicycles. This affects the Vietnamese bike ind

Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics Essay ex

Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics 1. FUNCTIONAL TACTICS Functional tactics are the key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area that is human resource management, marketing, finance, production/operations and research and development to provide the business ‘s products and services. Hence functional tactics translate thought (grand strategy) into action designed to accomplish specific short- term objectives. Every value chain activity in a company executes functional tactics that support the business’s strategy and help accomplish strategic objectives. 1.1 Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics - Functional tactics are different from business or corporate strategies in three fundamental ways: i. Time horizon. ii. Specificity. iii. Participants who develop them. Time Horizon - Functional tactics identify activities to be undertaken â€Å"now† or in the immediate future. Business strategies focus on the firm’s posture three to five years out. - The shorter time horizon of functional tactics is critical to the successful implementation of a business strategy for two reasons. i. First, it focuses the attention of functional managers on what needs to be done now to make the business strategy work. ii. Secondly, it allows functional managers to adjust to changing current conditions. Specificity Functional tactics are more specific than business strategies. Business strategies provide general direction. Functional tactics identify the specific activities that are to be undertaken in each functional area and thus allow operating managers to work out how their unit is expected to pursue short-term objectives. Specificity in functional tactics contributes to successful implementation by: - Helping ensure that functional managers know what needs to be done and can focus on accomplishing results. - Clarifying for top management how functional managers intend to accomplish the business strategy, which increases top management’s confidence in and sense of control over the business strategy. - Facilitating coordination among operating units within the firm by clarifying areas of interdependence and potential conflict. Participants Different people participate in strat... ... Beecham Kenya 2000 - 3. Flat organizations – Microsoft and dotcom companies - - 4. Increased responsiveness to customers NB. BPR requires maintenance of Key Performance Indicators on Quality, Lead time, Cost and Service. CONSEQUENCES - As BPR efforts progress, one of the first phenomena is excess capacity. As processes are re-engineered, even more capacity is discovered. The most frequent response is downsizing. - BPR suggests that old practices must be â€Å"obliterated† and new processes designed from scratch to fully leverage new technologies and business realities. In practice, few managers have the luxury of re-designing their processes or organizations from â€Å"clean sheet of paper† - people, equipment and business knowledge cannot be so easily scrapped. Furthermore, organizational change almost inevitability becomes a learning process in which unanticipated obstacles and opportunities emerge. Reference: - Pearce & Robinson – Strategic Management - Readings on bus 6020 - Henry J. Johansson – Business Processing Engineering