Monday, September 30, 2019

Foreign aid vs. International trade Essay

Foreign aid vs. international trade is a long lasting debate as to which strategy leads to the greatest level of economic development. Foreign Aid is defined as any assistance that is given to a country not provided through normal market forces. There are numerous forms of aid, from humanitarian emergency assistance, to food aid, military assistance, etc. Development aid has long been recognized as crucial to help poor developing nations grow out of poverty. International trade is the exchange of goods or services across international borders. Economic development as defined by AmartyaSen, 1998 Nobel prize laureate, â€Å"requires the removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systematic social deprivation.† (1) In 1970, the world’s affluent countries agreed to give 0.7% of their GNI (Gross National Income) as official international development aid, annually. Since then, these rich nations have rarely met their actual promised targets. â€Å"The US is often the largest donor in dollar terms, but ranks amongst the lowest in terms of meeting the stated 0.7% target.† The two charts below, reproduced from the OECD publications (2012) shows aid granted in constant dollars and as a percentage of GNI. Both support the conclusion regarding the failure to meet agreed upon aid commitments and the level of decreasing donations. (2)Billions have been donated, but it appears that Africa which has received the most aid remains a continent impoverished. As Dambisa Moyo in the Wall Street Journal writes â€Å"money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.the insidious aid culture has left African countries more debt-laden, more inflation-prone, more vulnerable to the vagaries of the currency markets and more unattractive to higher-quality investment. It’s increased the risk of civil conflict and unrest †¦.. Aid is an unmitigated political, economic and humanitarian disaster†. (3) Wall Street Journal, March 21st, 2009 Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development aid has been granted to Africa. And unfortunately real per-capita income in 2014 is less than it was in the 1970s. â€Å"More than 50% of the population — over 350  million people — live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades† (4) Wall Street Journal, March 21st, 2009 In 2005, the International Monetary Fund’s report â€Å"Aid Will Not Lift Growth in Africa.† concluded that governments, donors and campaigners should be more modest in their claims that increased aid will solve Africa’s problems. (5) Historically Asia was underdeveloped too. Yet various policies by governments to enhance international trade have resulted in many Asian countries i.e. Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore achieving spectacular economic growth and along with it, higher standard of living for its citizens. Dato Kim Tan, the co-founder and trustee for the Transformational Business Network (TBN) wrote â€Å"growing up din Asia, I saw the Asian tiger economies that 30-40 years ago had a lower GDP than Uganda or Kenya, transform themselves through enterprise, not through aid and philanthropy.† (3)Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and that country’s first democratically elected president wrote: â€Å"There is bad aid and there is good aid. The bad aid is that one which creates dependencies, as we’ve known for a long time now. But good aid is that which is targeted to create capacities in people so that they are able to live on their own activities.†¦ In the long-term they have to depend on themselves rather than depend on aid.†(4) Poverty Cure The issue to be addressed is whetherforeign aid achieveslong-term growth and development – is it a positive or negative catalyst to economic well being. And the corollary to this statement is whether international trade is a better alternative to economic achievement. Trade Theory: The historical basis for concluding that there is gain from trade originates from David Ricardo’s work: Principals in Political Economy and Taxation. The historical context of the time was the protectionist English corn laws, restricting wheat imports. Ricardo’s conclusion, arrived at by his theory of comparative advantage, showed that countries could benefit if they  specialized and promoted free trade. Figure 1: Comparative Advantage Country A has an absolute production advantage of both goods A and B because it can produce more of these goods. Since the PPC is not parallel we can presume that the opportunity cost are both different. As a consequence specialization and mutually beneficial trade can occur. Country A has a comparative advantage in the production of good B and Country B has a comparative advantage in the production of good A. Country B PPF curve has a lower slope therefore its comparative advantage of production is the good on the horizontal axis. To establish a policy of international trade, governments need to develop programmes that require important changes in the society. For example, states must develop competitive market economies based on environmental sustainability, infrastructure, establish a stable currency, a transparent political framework and legal system, security, and educated populace as prerequisites. Good A= Capital Goods Good B= Consumer Goods Figure 2: PPF curve with improved production via exports Country A allocates its resources to mostly consumption. Country C allocates its resources towards investment/capital goods. Countries that allocate their resources mainly in investment/capital goods are greater to have long-term growth than those countries who are more focused on consumption who are using up more current resources. With respect to Aid, money that is allocated to current consumption will not improve future conditions where as aid money allocated for such production of infrastructure, health, etc. will in the long run exhibit economic growth. Interestingly,South Korea’s economic growth from the early 1960s to the late 1990s was one of the world’s fastest, and South Korea remains one of the fastest growing developed countries in the 2000s.This experience is known as the Miracle on the Han River. Like many underdeveloped society’s, S. Korea  possessesno natural resources and suffers from overpopulation.In addition, the Korean War destroyed much of its infrastructure. The solution was South Korea adapting an export-oriented economic strategy.Remarkably in 1980, the South Korean GDP per capita was $2,300, about one-third of nearby developed Asian economies such as Singapore and Japan. In 2010 South Korean GDP per capita advanced to $30,000 – almost thirteen times since 1980. (See two charts below on Korean Economic Growth and South Korean Economic Recovery after 1997.) It is acknowledged that the Korean GDP per capita in 1960 was lower than some sub-Saharan African countries. The growth of the Koreanindustrial sector was the principal stimulus to economic development. It is true that initially some foreign aid was granted by the U.S. given the contentious communist threat, nevertheless, it was from strong domestic government support and a move toward competitive markets and international trade that resulted in the investment of modern technology and newly built facilities at a rapid pace. The export to foreign markets and the plowing of the foreign currency back into further industrial expansion was the strategy for growth. In addition, this economic strategy suited South Korea given its poor natural resource endowment, low savings rate, and small domestic market. Labour-intensive manufactured exports, permitted South Korea to develop a competitive advantage. No doubt government initiatives were essential to this process. â€Å"The inflow of foreign capital was greatly encouraged to supplement the shortage of domestic savings. These efforts enabled South Korea to achieve rapid growth in exports and subsequent increases in income.†(5) Finally, the later development of a unique multinational firm known as the chaebol – family-controlled firms owning numerous international enterprises,enhanced Korean economic growth. There is strong cooperation with government receiving financial support and guidance i.e. innovation and research. Today of these multinationals are Samsung, Hyundai, and LG. Thus, it is evident that South Korean expansion and wealth for its citizenry has derived from the adoption of a competitive market manufacturing economy, and the development of a high-tech commercethat emphasizes international trade. Foreign loans, supportive government policies, and not aid have been the critical catalyst to such a Han miracle. Aid Theory: Aid assists, mostly economic which is normally provided to distressed communities or underdeveloped countries for the enhancement of their socioeconomic condition. Aid is linked to need, is often not linked to the ability to enhance trade. Trade can result in inefficient distribution of income while if aid is mishandled the distribution of aid will be unfair, with people being deprived of the benefits of aid and effect economic growth of the country. Does Aid lead to the establishment of good infrastructure? Development aid is given by governments, i.e. the US being the largest aid donor in the world (As of 2010) and other organizations such as the World Bank. â€Å"Aid to all countries in the world declined† (2007, World Bank) An overview of a number of African countries that have been recipients of aid will consider the use and allocation of the foreign aid, and assess the outcome of these donations upon the populace of the continent. One would note initially that there is a need for humanitarian aid to assist in emergencies and alleviate suffering but long term growth and development requires a different approach. Besides charity aid is a minimal portion of the over-all aid from governments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a report by Transparency International, the Zairian president Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1977) is listed as having embezzled at least $5 billion form the nation. (6) Transparency International In 2009, the former president of Malawi – Bakili Muluzi was prosecuted for stealing $12 million allocated for aid. And Zambia’s former president, Frederick Chiluba is under investigation for taking millions from money that was set aside for health, infrastructure, and education. Thus, these examples of corruption pervert the opportunity for aid to assist the average African improve their conditions. Economic theory will emphasize that inefficiency will result from government intervention and in particular ‘free’ funds. Bad government worsens the situation as they are often bureaucratic in addition to corrupt. The civil service is inefficient and vulnerable to cronyism which has consequence for responsible governance. Economic incentives are nullified and governments need not respond to citizen needs. Investors require transparency in government and business but such a prerequisite is not  required when donations are the source of funds. Policies such as taxation can be deferred since donations flow in to the country. The priority is to remain in power. Africa continues to be the most unstable region. There are numerous examples of civil strife as exemplified by the current war in Southern Sudan and The Congo. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Africa had a greater number of wars than elsewhere in the world. Obviously, such strife has immense impact upon daily life and thwarts any possibility of private investment. Aid thus fills the vacuum. As stated in his book, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa, by D. Moyo, â€Å"†¦aid-financed efforts to force-feed democracy to economies facing poverty and difficult economic prospects remain, at best, precariously vulnerable.† (7) Further evidence of endemic problems is observed in Nigeria. This government is one of the most mismanaged in Africa. For example, during the World Economic Forum of 2005 in Davos Switzerland, four state governors were being investigated in the U.K. for money laundering. Large amounts of aid are looted. â€Å"Speaking at the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003, the former British secretary of state for international development, Lynda Chalker, noted that 40 percent of the wealth created in Africa is invested outside the continent.† (8) Advantages and Disadvantages to Trade: Trade provides development countries with an important base for their own improvement. Countries can develop their own strategies and outcomes to achieve their development objectives i.e. focusing on agriculture of manufacturing services. Countries are the determinants of their own economic destiny. One difficulty of trade is the international economic system imposes impediments i.e. trade barriers. The global market is not an international free trade market i.e. tariffs, taxes and subsidies, regulations and such restrictions operate to the disadvantage of the developing countries. The donor country puts restrictions on the recipient country i.e. the requirement for government transparency, human rights, political support at the UN or Ideological support. Japan gains support from small countries on whale killing/harvesting using trade. Developing countries have weak economic power to challenge economic injustices i.e. EU and USA  have large program of subsidies and economical protectionism.One argument states that trade is a foundation for international cooperationi.e. one country is the resources base and the other importing country is the manufacturing base. Trade would benefits those countries who are engaged in trade (based on the market). Trade relationships would result in a more equitable partnership and thus might be a catalyst for investment and growth. Developing country could receive direct foreign investments and the benefits that would sue from that, technology, employment etc. The result of this would lead to lower prices, greater choice, more efficient allocation of resources, foreign exchange and idea flowing between countries. Once getting passed trade impediments it can seen as long-term development strategy for a developing country. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages: Advantages A country may import things which it cannot produce Maximum utilization of resources Benefit to consumer Reduces trade fluctuations Utilization of surplus produce Fosters international trade Disadvantages Import of harmful goods It may exhaust resources Over specialization Danger of starvation One country may gain at the expensive of another It may lead to war Advantages and Disadvantages to Aid: Aid has been said to decrease the development for countries with their own improvement. Aid has many advantages but as it can be seen using examples such as African countries it can be seen that aid has decreased the development for countries. Countries can be giving aid for ethical reasons,  if there was a natural disaster and were in need of assistance. Aid is based on need, aid permits to countries to retain their dignity because aid if often perceived as condescending. There are different types of aid, tied and untied. Tied aid is foreign aid that must be spent in the country providing the aid or in a group of selected countries. Untied aid is assistance given to developing countries, which can be used to purchase goods, and services in virtually all countries. Jeffery Sachs (UN advisor) argued that aid is important, it is essential to break the poverty cycle and a determinant of long term growth. His argument stated that poor countries are not wealthy because of diseases such as malaria, they need to remove problems such as disease because the free market will not due this. Giving of aid is perceived as an inducement to behave or support certain policies. Aid can be used as blackmailing or getting the upper hand on another country in order to gain their vote in the UN. William Easterly (Professor of economics, NY university), aid does more harm than good, its often wasted, it inhibits peoples inventiveness, devising their old solutions. Aid is corrupt because its given to corrupt officials and often its fragmented that there is many donors and misallocations of the funds. Aid often comes with a lot of preconditions. Furthermore, aid has often come with a price of its own for the developing nations. Aid is often wasted on conditions that the recipient must use overpriced goods and services from donor countries. Most aid does not actually go to the poorest who would need it the most. Aid amounts are dwarfed by rich country protectionism that denies market access for poor country products, while rich nations use aid as a lever to open poor country markets to their products. Large projects or massive grand strategies often fail to help the vulnerable as money can often be embezzled away. Conclusion: In conclusion, it appears that generally trade is more beneficial to  long-term growth and development than aid. African examples discussed are proof that aid is counterproductive and the road to economic failure. The opposite appears true. Those countries able to divorce themselves from aid dependency are more likely to succeed as evidenced by China, India, and even South Africa. A strategy of transparent government, efficient civil service to meet social needs i.e. education, incentives, entrepreneurship, the rule of law, patent protection, institutions to attract foreign direct investment by creating attractive tax structures and reducing the red tape and complex regulations for businesses. Private capital investment into sustainable companies, with aid directly to community based non-profitable organizations is recommended. African nations should also focus on increasing trade, but there have been cases where rapid growth in international trade has led to bottlenecks and impediments to growth and development. There appears to be no panacea but one does conclude that in order to achieve economic, social, and political progress there are essential non-economic and economic prerequisites – cultural (i.e. individualism, attitudes of personal achievement, hard work, etc.) political (i.e. transparent governments, stability, the rule of law,) and economic (i.e. infrastructure, communications network, merit goods i.e. education and health etc.). Each nation is unique with regard to trade and aid. The answer is not either or – aid or trade .but accountable and transparent aid in conjunction with sustainable trade and honest and efficient government. Bibliography: (Complete bibliography after check by Ms. Kerr) 1. Amartya Sen. 1999. Development as Freedom. Oxford university press 2. http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance 3. wall street journal 4. wall street journal 5. http://www.povertycure.org/voices/kim-tan/ 6. http://www.povertycure.org/voices/president-paul-kagame/ 7. http://books.google.ca/books?id=_adMWevoEq0C&pg=PA137&dq=The+inflow+of+foreig n+capital+was+greatly+encouraged+to+supplement+the+shortage+of+domestic+savings.+These+efforts+enabled+South+Korea+to+achieve+rapid+growth+in+exports+and+subsequent+increases+in+income.%E2%80%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iZ7NUq7AIMTd2QWmyIHABw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20inflow%20of%20foreign%20capital%20was%20greatly%20encouraged%20to%20supplement%20the%20shortage%20of%20domestic%20savings.%20These%20efforts%20enabled%20South%20Korea%20to%20achieve%20rapid%20growth%20in%20exports%20and%20subsequent%20increases%20in%20income.%E2%80%9D&f=false 8. OECD Development Statistics Online, last accessed April 7, 2012 9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20405140 10. http://www.guesspapers.net/1593/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-international-trade/ 11. http://www.moeasmea.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=72&CtNode=263&mp=2 12. http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance 13. http://www.ryanallis.com/sustainable-capitalism-and-the-role-of-aid-vs-trade-in-prosperity-creation/ 14. http://www.cato.org/publications/economic-development-bulletin/african-perspectives-aid-foreign-assistance-will-not-pull-africa-out-poverty

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Case Study: Imaginative Staffing, Inc

Imaginative Staffing Inc, a temporary-services firm in New York was formed in 1990. Since then, it had grown to a total of $17 million in revenues. The company is composed of a minimal number of employees – the CEO and her assistant, a sales director, a chief financial officer, four sales representatives, an operations manager, 10 account managers, five administrative assistant and a receptionist. The CEO, Angie Roberts, came up with the idea of engaging into team selling for the reason that she was frustrated with the length of time the company closes a deal with a good prospect. In most cases, it took them 6 months before closing a deal with a good prospect. In one of their meetings, Roberts discussed the idea of team selling to the board. Among the members who attended the meeting, it was only Susan Borland, the sales director, who had an idea about team selling but she didn’t want to take the lead. Roberts asked her to prepare a plan for possible training and development of sales team. Since she didn’t want to take the lead and just wanted to focus on her assignment instead, she asked her assistant, Judy Morgan to the research. In one instance, Borland got the chance to talk to a friend about team selling. Her friend advised her not to put too much person on the team – it might only be a disaster. Also, the members of the team haven’t undergone training; hence, it is quite hard to work successfully. After the conversation, Susan already had in mind who would best become a member of the team. Of course, everybody needs to be trained. (B) – Should Imaginative Staffing adopt a team-selling system for selling to important accounts? Imaginative Staffing, Inc has practiced individual selling; but the result made the CEO a little dismayed. With this, the idea of Roberts to engage in team selling is one of the things the company has to respond quickly. Team selling is a good idea since more than one person can try to convince the other party – to close the deal or not. However, before each member starts working in the team, they must undergo extensive training to ensure they get the appropriate knowledge. Training is one good way so employees can become better and improve their skills. With this, the management must prepare a budget to cover the training expenses. The management must plan, together with the members of the team, about how to successfully implement the project and how to increase more their net income. Moreover, the management must be willing to support the training development programs to, also, improve their services to their clients. – If so, who should be on the team? The team must be composed of employees who are have passion in what they do and those who are willing to expose themselves to various trainings and workshops. The members of the team can be composed of a sales representative, 1 account manager and 1 administrative assistant. These 3 persons must undergo extensive training before they will go on a battle in the field. – What training would be needed by the team? To what extent should the team’s presentation be planned? The team must be exposed to the basic concept of team selling, including its advantages and disadvantages; how to engage successfully in team selling and how to easily convince a prospect to finally close the deal. Basically, the training may revolve in improving oneself in terms of establishing rapport with prospective customers. Before implementing such project, the management must carefully analyze the project and must undergo a systematic way of developing a training program. In addition, training on good communication skills must also conducted to establish a healthy relationship between and among company personnel. (C) Training people is important if an organization wants to achieve competitive advantage. Since the technology is ever-changing, everybody must be well-updated of what’s new in the market. In the process of selecting who can best qualify to become members of the team, the management must include in the program the training of some experienced sales reps; this may be done to further enhance their skills and to improve in areas which need improvement. It is also observed that the highest return on dollars is invested in training the middle managers. In addition, sales manager must also be trained in some managerial tasks. This may be done to develop the manager in all these five competencies – planning and business organization skills, strategic implementation ability, human resource management, leadership and team building and professional commitment. (D) Training Modality for initial training and recurrent training †¢ For initial training – it is best to include newly hired sales rep. This may be done to give them an overview of what it’s really like to work in the real-world. The newly hired sales reps may be exposed to case study analyses in the training; this is done to prepare them on how to attack when similar situations happen in the real-world scenario. In the conduct of an initial training, the management must carefully choose the topic – the one which is most useful for the newly hired sales reps. The management must carefully design the program to cater the needs of the newly hired personnel. In the program design, it must be clearly stated who will conduct the training. In the case of initial training, it may be conducted by an experienced sales rep which may either be an employee of the organization or an invited speaker who is willing to share his expertise in the field. Teaching methodologies may include lecture-discussion, case study analysis, demonstration and most importantly on-the job training. The latter may widen their horizon and let them experience what it’s like to be in the corporate world. This type of training may be done twice every year – January and June. This may also serve as an orientation for newly hired employees. †¢ For recurrent training – it is best to offer refresher course to the sales reps as well as to the administrative staffs and the sales workforce. This is to ensure that they get to know and be reminded constantly how to get customers attention and how to improve their satisfaction rating. In the design of the training program, refresher course in terms of the ideas and concepts in winning customers and in making them satisfied at all times. In addition, it may also be a good topic to include in the program ways on how to motivate themselves to do better in their assigned tasks. Most importantly, the program must include topics on the latest training tools available in the market such as web-based training. This is a good venue for the experienced sales reps to explore the web and find out what’s best in persuading clients. The methodologies which can be applied may be lecture-discussion, demonstrations and role-playing. Refresher course must be given once every quarter to refresh the memory of the employees. This may not only be regarded as a refresher course but an enhancement program as well. (E) To motivate a team, the members must spend some time once in a while to continue establishing an open communication link. This will also enable them to build a positive relationship with each team member. In addition, each member must be a colleague and a coach at the same time. Being a coach enables them to tell other team members about any feedback – positive or negative. And the member must be a believer and each member and leader must have the power of empowerment. The process of empowerment is basically about utilizing the skills, knowledge and experience of an employee. (Fairweather, 2009) In addition, to motivate employees on sales training, some financial methods may be applied such as bonus, commission, profit sharing and piece work. In piece work, the employees are paid according to the number of items they finish in a given time frame. Other than financial motivation, non-financial ones also exist such as job rotation/sharing or team working, consultation, quality circles and fringe benefits. http://www. hoddersamplepages. co. uk/pdfs/cceabus4. pdf) Employee Motivation may be quite a difficult to achieve since each individual may be satisfied in different areas. However, a common meeting for various individuals is through financial motivation. For Imaginative Staffing, it is best to consider giving bonus and rewards to those who can patiently attend the extensive training program. For Imaginative Staffing, it is best to apply some motiva tion methodologies so personnel can feel they are given importance. Borland must carefully prepare documentation regarding factors which can greatly affect the performance of the sales reps. Most importantly, the management of Imaginative Staffing must continue designing programs for the old employees as well as training programs for the newly hired sales reps so they can continue to achieve competitive advantage. Being in a the world where change is bound to happen most of the time, it is best to be updated with the latest trends as well as to keep informed of what’s happening. With this, the management must design a program to suit the needs of the market and the client as well.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Arguments And Supporting Evidence For Argumentative Research

Matt Fowler RES 297 11/12/13 Evidence Based Medicine Research Assignment 1) In Vitro Evaluation of Heat and Moisture Exchangers Designed for Spontaneously Breathing Tracheostomized Patients Claudia Brusasco, MD⇑ Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Diagnostiche Integrate, Sezione Anestesia e Rianimazione Francesco Corradi, MD PhD Dipartimento Cardio-Nefro-Polmonare, Sezione Terapia Intensiva Cardiochirurgica, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Parma, Italy. Maria Vargas, MD†¦ this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a neurobehavioral development disorder diagnosed by a number of symptoms†¦ Evidence supporting the requirement of this program In Australia, dietary problem is a major risk factor of death and chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the critical goal is to develop a method for reducing death and suffering from heart disease and stroke. There are certain strength evidence suggested the requirement of food labeling program is acute now. Food labeling has been suggested it was a method to provide the consumers confidence and feel safety†¦ Argument Essay What if I told you that the reason teens not being able to go to bed before 11 isn’t mainly their fault. Sure if they 're watching YouTube eating, and drinking energy drinks all night long than we could say that this is primarily the reason they complain about being tired for school. But what about the kids that find themselves tossing and turning all night long until they realize they 're alarm just went off. Various students find themselves waking up anywhere from 6am, to 7am right†¦ jury’s disbelief of evidence can itself be evidence. â€Å"Where an unresolved factual dispute exists† – which is the norm in criminal trials – â€Å"demeanor evidence is a significant factor in adjudging credibility. And questions of credibility, of course, are basic to resolution of conflicts in testimony.†13 As Judge Learned Hand observed, â€Å"the carriage, behavior, bearing, manner and appearance of a witness – in short, his ‘demeanor’ – is a part of the evidence.†14 Demeanor â€Å"evidence may satisfy the tribunal†¦ for the proof of many questions,and they would then sit together,think and debate over the questions. He was known not to rest before he would get his answers. Many philosophers have been debating it as far back as regarding rationale and brain research. The brain and body are similar on the grounds that if the psyche were not influenced by the physical world, then it would not need to take after the principles of the physical world. On the off chance that the brain were really a different thing†¦ Supporting Research from the Relevant Scientific Paper: There has been an increased study about neighborhoods to see if the environment does affect children and youth. Leventhal & Brooks-Gun (2003) stated that â€Å"neighborhoods’ impact remains debatable.† That is only because of other influence such as family. However, Leventhal & Brooks-Gun (2003) also state that based on evidence from randomized experiments, where the influences from family is controlled, that neighborhoods do in fact matter. Some†¦ Cuba to transition away from communism. There has been many complications and changes over the years, and it has led to today with current United States President Obama wanting to lift the embargo. In this paper I will discuss the pro and con arguments supporting the embargo, and give my opinion on whether it is better to keep or lift the embargo. History of the Embargo In April of 1959, Fidel Castro forced Fulgencio Batista to flee, and became the prime minister of Cuba. In the same year, United States†¦ Construct and Support an Argument Kristy Valerius MGT/521 December 06th, 2010 Instructor: Jerry Davis Construct and Support an Argument Today I will be constructing a supporting an argument regarding my decision to pursue an Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree to achieve a personal business goal. Next, I will discuss the description to construct and Support an Argument. Finally, I will discuss the considerations of the Jungian Personality self-assessment on how others†¦ to develop evidence-based practices that improve the care and outcomes of their patients (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014). The identification of a better way to practice patient care in my workplace has been discovered and descriptions of the steps required to implement this change are reflected upon. My organization encourages changes that promote the safety and quality of care of our clients as long as it is supported by the evidence. Nursing research, research utilization, and evidence-based practices†¦

Friday, September 27, 2019

Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods research Paper

Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods - Research Paper Example The research report under analysis examines the depth and breadth of reverse logistical practices in Ghana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Apparently, the research used a mixed methods approach. In essence, the research exercise involved a proportional application of both the quantitative methods and qualitative methods. The first evidence of mixed methods approach is observable within the data collection context of the research. With respect to the data and methodology section of the article, it emerges that data and information were gathered through the use of questionnaires, specifically both open ended and closed ended questionnaires. Questions contained within the questionnaires were either open or close ended in nature. In this case, use of closed ended questions is an iconic characteristic of quantitative research methodology. On the other hand, the use of open ended questions is synonymous to qualitative research methodology. In addition, administration of per sonal interviews to managers and professionals within the pharmaceutical industry qualifies as an incident of qualitative research approach. Based on the nature of questions used during the questionnaire data collection exercise, it is admissible that a mixed research methodology was employed.Besides the proportional blend of qualitative and quantitative approaches in obtaining data and information, mixed methods approach is also evidenced by techniques used in the description and analysis of data and information.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

James Argument on the Belief in God in The Will to Believe and Essay

James Argument on the Belief in God in The Will to Believe and Pascal's Wager - Essay Example Therefore, Pascal concludes that any rational being has a duty to believe in God to attain the infinite happiness. However, this argument by Wager raises many critics from philosophers who view the argument as lacking probability in the life of humanity and more so related to belief. Pascal’s argument is viewed as an extraordinary power. The proponents of this argument explain that even though Wager’s argument might be taken as false and a probability taken on this argument, on at the end we might be wrong and the argument might be true after all. Therefore, no matter how small the probability, Pascal’s argument should be accepted as true according to this argument. However, William James is a serious critic of this argument by Pascal and tries to discredit the hypothesis and the conclusion by Pascal regarding believing in God. For James, belief involves a will to choose among possible options and such an option has to have concrete evidence and our faith in most cases is responsible for shaping future outcomes. Rather than taking forced options that might end up being false, James stresses on being indifferent. The assertion by James is therefore more skeptical one that does not offer concrete proofs as compared to Pascal’s. ... Interestingly James postulates that wherever there is an option where losing the truth away and save ourselves at any rate of believing falsehood by not making up our minds till objective evidence has come, such an option would be worthwhile compared to believing the falsehoods in such circumstances (James, 5). This contradicts Pascal’s argument that it is the nature and obligation of any credible humanity to believe in God, since whether or not God exists would have a greater degree of happiness for such an individual. Consider the postulation below by Pascal. God exists God does not exist Believe in God infinity f1 Do not believe in God f2 f3 Therefore, according to the above table, if God exists and you believe, such an individual has an infinitely happy life to gain. On the other hand if God doe not exist or you do not believe then your utility level in such cases as indicated by f1, f2, f3 is finite (Tabarrok, 123). Therefore, one who believes in God according to Pascal h as more to gain in both cases as compared to those who do not believe in God. Taking James postulation, the second case would apply; where if truly God exists the individual would have to lose everything as the chance of gaining the truth is thrown away in fear of believing in falsehoods (James, 5). It would follow that Pascal’s postulation is more concrete and accurate compared to the postulation by James on the subject of believing in God. The critics of James to Pascal’s work can also be applied to criticize his own work. James explains that humans are recorders and not the makers of truth. In addition James explains that facts are facts and independent of our believing or not (James,

Management Report on a case-study Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management Report on a - - Case Study Example Table of Contents: Sl. No. Particulars Pg. No. 1 Introduction 4 2 Outline a set of values typical for the organizational culture of a well-established small business 5 3 Current business environment for existing business in homeland and world over 7 4 SWOT analysis of newly proposed solar powered and heating units 8 5 Guidelines and directions for the proposed business plan 11 6 Organizational chart which best suits the diversified organization 13 7 Conclusion 14 8 References 14 Introduction: Wobble & Strait Engineering Ltd. is a well-established small business catering to the needs of rural, forestry and fishery companies. The Company was established in 1946 and was mainly family managed. It currently, employs 21 staff in various cadres, including Stanley the Managing Director, to support the purpose of the business. Candy, his heir is now inclined to get involved in the business matters and understands that there are questions regarding the financial soundness of the business in th e present scenario of rising New Zealand dollar as against the US one. The high dollar value is forcing many forestry and fishery companies to defer their requirements with the result that the demand for the company’s products is getting thinned out day by day. ... 2. Consider a real current business environment for the existing business in the homeland and the world over. 3. Conduct a SWOT analysis of newly proposed solar powered energy and heating units. 4. Propose some guidelines and directions for the proposed business plan and 5. Project an organizational chart which best suits the new diversified organization. Outline a set of values typical for the organizational culture of a well-established small business: For any business to be a going concern, it needs to be economically viable while ensuring that the work standards are quality ensured for guaranteed future prospects. As such, it needs to develop Vision and Mission Statements which can lead it towards the goal orientation of profit maximization. This goal can be achieved only when an encouraging culture is established in the organization. Organizational culture is dependent on the values it professes towards it customers, members, manager to staff and all other related inter-personal associations. Thus, a set of values which are like a bible to the organization have to be assimilated which need to be revisited to ensure that no severe deviations occur in the activity process. W&S, being a semi-service oriented organization, has developed similar values (related attitudes) basing on which, it has developed all these years. A recollection of those values and focusing on newly required areas which were overseen in the previous years is imperative for the company’s success in the future: Having a Pro-active Attitude: The employees of an organization should be enthusiastic and believe in its purpose. They should be confident that the goals of the organization are achievable and whenever there is any slack in the business, the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Fitness assessment analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fitness assessment analysis - Essay Example 32 sit ups in 60 seconds are above average high endurance and muscular strength. The individual’s flexibility is lower compared to standards from results given. The hand grip test is also above average. I was surprised by the sit ups scores that were very low. Doing 32 sit ups in 60 seconds means that 1 sit up takes more than 1 second which is bad. Secondly, the flexibility of this person is low as an average person should make at least 15. In this result, the highest flexibility value is 12. 7 meaning that is lower compared to set standards. Of all the results, flexibility and sit ups that are low. For flexibility this individual should ensure that all joints are exercised for the whole body to be flexible. For great improvement on flexibility, individuals should perform a wide rage of stretches. Muscular strength can be improved by making exercise the same and working against heavy loads. An individual’s hands should also be forward while doing sit ups. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Obesity Education Initiative Guidelines on Overweight and Obesity Electronic Toolkit. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/e_txtbk/txgd/4142.htm Accessed: November 30,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Case Study 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Case Study 2 - Essay Example During 1970s quite a few environmental laws and regulations were framed with an effort to control ocean dumping. President Nixon addressed to Congress on banning of unauthorized and harmful waste dumping on the ocean. Subsequently Environmental Protection Agency passed a bill to the Congress which resulted in formation of Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act 1972. It established a permit system for ocean dumping with a view to end all oceans dumping by 1975. EPA along with the Army Corps of Engineers began to issue permit for dumping of waste in ocean. On October 15, 1973, the EPA issued its final regulations and criteria’s for ocean dumping which were strict and highly restrictive. It aimed at terminating all oceans’ dumping regardless of the permit issued to the applicant. It led to a highly protective approach to ocean dumping. But the scenario changed in 1980s when New York City authorities filed a suit in a federal district court against EPA on the rejection of its application on dumping waste in the ocean. The verdict was delivered in favor of city and the power of EPA to terminate ocean dumping was limited. As a consequence of the verdict EPA adopted a more flexible rules regarding ocean dumping and viewed ocean as an authorized disposal option of dumping wastes. 3) The change in the administration with the President ship of Ronald Reagan led EPA to move away from confronting intergovernmental relations and to comply with federal stance towards municipal sludge dumping. 2) The passing of bill by EPA to Congress which resulted in formation of MPRS Act 1972 also changed the ocean dumping policy. A more strict dumping system was followed and permit system was started for dumping of wastes. Ocean dumping should not be allowed liberally. Strict rules regarding dumping of wastes should be adopted by the government. There is already enough pollution in the water world due to various oil tragedies like the Gulf Oil

Monday, September 23, 2019

Comparative project success factors - 2550 words Essay

Comparative project success factors - 2550 words - Essay Example e above mentioned course, we will also try and make a few suggestions that, according to us, might have rendered to a better strategic move and hence, less of a fiasco. Every case study has a conclusion to make. Ours happens to outline the wrong moves and learning from the mistakes made by those involved in the strategic decision making of the above mentioned three projects. While we will be discussing the chosen three projects in details later, let us get a brief outline of the same to assist the uninitiated. The Millennium Dome Project was termed as one of the biggest and most exceptional of the projects undertaken so far. Many politicians amongst the country took personal strides to make the project work. Millennium dome was built to serve as a memento for the third millennium, and hence the name, while its purpose was to exhibit art. Our next project, the London Ambulance Project, is one that helps many in their course of lives. It has one of the largest fleet of medical services, with 24x7 help, offering mobile medical services. It is one of the oldest establishments and still runs to its utmost capacity. The Terminal 5 project in Heathrow airport is also one of the oldest projects, taking over 18 years to take form, shape and finally life. In this project, a new terminal – terminal 5 – was developed to enable smooth processing and fl ight availability by the BAA officials. a) The Millennium Dome – We have already explained what the main purpose of Millennium Dome was. Let us now take a look at the specifications of this project. The Millennium Dome was originally conceived by the John Majors Conservative government, mainly to celebrate the third millennium. However, the scope for the conception was small in nature. When the new government entered, lead by Tony Blair, in 1997, the project assumed a new and larger than life scope. The project was allotted  £399 million, while the size for the whole project too increased by manifolds. The design and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Bajaj auto Essay Example for Free

Bajaj auto Essay The project report entitled Strategic Management Cycle of Baja] Auto Ltd . has been submitted to Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad in partial tultlllment tor the award of degree of Master of Business Administration. I the undersigned hereby eclare that this report has been completed by me under the guidance of Prof. Jignasha mam (Faculty Member, Shayona Institute of Business Management, Ahmedabad) The report is entirely the result of my own efforts and has not been submitted either in part or whole to any other institute or university for any degree. Date: Place: Ahmedabad PREFACE As it is always said that if you give some-one theory knowledge it will make person understandwell. But if you give some-one theory as well as practical knowledge then it will help the person to understand and remember that always. In the same way to get practical knowledge,the report which we prepare not only make us understand the various functions but also gives us different vision regarding them and along with it gives us experience of practical assignment and managers work. By preparing report on Analytical Study on Strategic Management Cycle of Baja] Auto Ltd. we have tried to develop skill to understand well and also how to implement theoretical knowledge work. For this we are thankful to Gujarat Technological University for including such a project as practical studies in the syllabus of M. B. A. Acknowledgement The succession completion of this report would not have been possible without co- operation and support of our professor , friends and our institute. We forward gratitude to respected director of our institute. We are heartily thankful to the management for providing us the opportunity to make a study to practical in their organization. We express our sincere thanks to the company who have given us all the information on-line. We are also thankful our professor out with whose help, this becomes possible and who provided full guidance, co-operation and valuable suggestion bout company report. We are also thankful to our college friends and all those who have helped us directly or indirectly in the preparation of this report. Executive Summary In our project we nave conducted a research on now baJaJ auto ltd works By using stretegic management ; their different moves.. Hence on the basis of the Information we have found out our finding and have done an in-depth analysis on Strategic Management Cycle of Baja] Auto Ltd.. It is followed by recommendations and conclusion. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 . Objective of SM 2. Introduction of ABC Co. 3. History of ABC co. . Strategic Thinking i. Vision i. Mission iii. Corporate Purpose v. Values: (Standard of Conduct, Law, Employees, Consumers, Shareholders, Business Partners, Community Involvement, Public Activities, the environment, innovation, competition, business integrity etc. ) 5. Strategic Planning i. Strategy adopted by ABC Co. i. Action plan by ABC Co. iii . Responsibilities of ABC Co. CSR (Internal as well as External) iv . Michael Porters 5 Forces analysis v. McKinseys7S Model VI. SWOT Analysts of ABC co. PEST Analysts ViiiBCG MATRIX 6. Analysis of Strategies of ABC Co 7. Strategic Implementation i. Resource Allocation 7. Strategic Evaluation i . Balance Scorecar 1. OBJECTIVE OF SM . Statements of vision tend to be quite broad and can be described as a goal that represents an inspiring, overarching, and emotionally driven destination. Mission statements, on the other hand, tend to be more specific and address questions concerning the organizations reason for being and the basis of its intended competitive advantage in the marketplace. Strategic objectives are used to operationalize the mission statement. That is, they help to provide guidance on how he organization can fulfill or move toward the high goals in the goal hierarchy-the mission and vision. As a result, they tend to be more specific and cover a more well- defined time frame. Setting objectives demands a yardstick to measure the fulfillment of the objectives. If an objective lacks specificity or measurability, it is not very useful, simply because there is no way of determining whether it is helping the organization to move toward the organizations mission and vision. 2. INTRODUCTION OF BAJAJ GROUP : The Baja] Group is amongst the top 10 business houses in India. I s tootprint stretches over a wide range of industries, spanning automobiles (two-wheelers and three-wheelers), home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. The groups flagship company, Baja] Auto, is ranked as the worlds fourth largest two- and three- wheeler manufacturer and the Baja] brand is well-known across several countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South and South East Asia. Founded in 1926, at the height of Indias movement for independence from the British, the group has an illustrious history. The integrity, dedication, resourcefulness nd determination to succeed which are characteristic of the group today, are often traced back to its birth during those days of relentless devotion to a common cause. Jamnalal Baja], founder of the group, was a close confidant and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, GandhiJi had adopted him as his son. This close relationship and his deep involvement in the independence movement did not leave Jamnalal Baja] with much time to spend on his newly launched business venture. His son, Kamalnayan Baja], then 27, took over the reigns of business in 1942. He too was close to Gandhi] nd it was only after Independence in 1947, that he was able to give his full attention to the business. Kamalnayan Baja] not only consolidated the group, but also diversified into various manufacturing activities. The present Chairman of the group, Rahul Baja], took charge of the business in 1965. Under his leadership, the turnover of the Baja] Auto the flagship company has gone up from INR. 72 million to INR. 120 billion, its product portfolio has expanded and the brand has found a global market. He is one of Indias most distinguished business leaders and internationally espected for his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. 3. HlSTORY OF BAJAJ AUTO LTD Baja] Auto is a $2. 3 billion company founded in 1926. It is fourth largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer. Baja] Auto has three plants in all, two at WaluJ and Chakan in Maharashtra and one plant at Pant Nagar in Uttaranchal. The company is into manutacturing ot motorcycles, scooters and three-wheelers. In India, Baja] Auto has a distribution network of 485 dealers and over 1,600 authorised services centres. It has 171 exclusive dealers for the three-wheeler segment . lt has total 3750 rural outlets in rural areas. The company has opened 11 retail stores for bikes across the country, exclusive for high-end and performance bikes. It has opened these stores under the name in cities like Pune, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Faridabad and Mangalore. The Baja] brand is well-known across several countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South and South East Asia. It has a distribution network in 50 countries with a dominant presence in Sri Lanka, Colombia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Central America, Peru and Egypt. It has technical tie up with Kawasaki Heavvy Industries of Japan to manufacture latest models in the two-wheeler space. Baja] Auto has launched brands like Boxer, Caliber, Wind125, Pulsar and many more. It has also launched Indias first real cruiser bike, Kawasaki Baja] Eliminator. Baja] Autos has in all three plants, two at WaluJ and Chakan in Maharashtra and one plant at Pant Nagar in Uttranchal, western India. WaluJ Baja] range of motorcycles and three-wheelers Chakan Baja] range of motorcycles Pant Nagar Baja] range of motorcycles Achievement 1945- On November 29 Baja] Auto came into existence as BachraJ Trading Corporation Private Limited. 1948- The company commenced sales in India by importing two- and three-wheelers. 1959- Baja] Auto obtained the licence from the Government of India to manufacture two- and three-wheelers. 1960- The company became a public limited company and conducted Bhoomi PooJan of the Akurdi Plant. 1970- Baja] Auto rolled out its 100,000th vehicle. 971- The company introduced its three-wheeler goods carrier. 1972- The company introduced Baja] Chetak. 1975- Baja] Auto ; Maharashtra Scooters entered into a Joint venture. 1976- The company introduced Baja] Super. 977- Baja] Auto introduced rear engine autorickshaw and achieved production and sales of 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year. 1981- Baja] Auto launched Baja] M-50. 1984- On January 19, the foundati on stone laid for the new plant at WaluJ, Aurangabad. 1985- On November 5, the WaluJ plant inaugurated by the erstwhile President of India, Giant Zail Singh. The company commenced production at WaluJ, Aurangabad in a record time of 16 months. 1986- The Baja] M-80 and the Kawasaki Baja] KBIOO motorcycles were introduced. The company produced and sold 500,000 vehicles in a single financial year. 990- The Baja] Sunny was introduced. 1991- The company introduced Kawasaki Baja] 4S Champion. 1994- It launched Baja] Classic. 1995- On November 29, Baja] Auto turned into a 50-year old company. It signed agreements with Kubota of Japan for the development of diesel engines for three- wheelers and with Tokyo R;D for ungeared scooter and moped development. The Baja] Super Excel is introduced while Baja] celebrated its ten millionth vehicle. The same year one million vehicles were produced and sold by company in that financial year. 1997- The Kawasaki Baja] Boxer and the RE diesel Autorickshaw are introduced. 998- The company commenced production at Chakan plant. It rolled out Kawasaki Baja] Caliber from its WaluJ plant. Baja] Auto launched Legend, Indias first four- stroke scooter from Akurdi plant. The same year Spirit was launched. 1999- Caliber motorcycle notched up 100,000 sales in record time of 12 months. 000- The company launched Baja] Safire. 2001- Baja] Auto launched its latest offering in the premium bike segment Pulsar. The same year Eliminator was launched. 2003- Baja] Pulsar DTS-i was launched. The company sold 107,115 motorcycles in a month. The company launched Baja] Wind 25, The World Bike in India. It launched its Caliber 115 Hoodibabaa! in the executive motorcycle segment. 2004- Baja] Discover DTS-I, new Baja] Chetak 4-stroke with wonder gear and Baja] CT 100 were launched. Baja] unveiled new brand identity, new symbol, logo and brandline. 005- Baja] Discover, Baja] Avenger DTS-I and Baja] Wave DTS-I were introduced. 2006- Baja] Platina was launched. 2007- RE GDi autonckshaw, Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si, Bajaj pulsar 220 DTS-Fi, 200 cc Pulsar DTS-I and Baja] Kristal DTS-i were launched. The company also underwent through revamping of its organisational structure. 008- Baja] Platina 125 DTS-Si was launched. 2009- Bajaj pulsar 150 180 upgrade and Bajaj XCD 135 DTS-Si were launched 2011- April, Baja] Records its best year ever of 2010. HISTORY OF RAHUL BAJAJ Rahul Baja] Chairman, Baja] Auto Limited. Mr. Baja] (b. June 10, 38) is recognized as one of the most successful business leaders of India. He heads the Baja] Group of Companies which is a leader in a variety of manufactured products and financial services in India and abroad including motorized 2 and 3-wheelers, home appliances, electric lamps, wind energy, special lloy and stainless steel, cranes, forgings, infrastructure development, material handling equipment, travel, general and life insurance and investment, consumer finance asset management. Mr. Baja] holds an Honours Degree in Economics from Delhi University, a degree in Law from Bombay University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Baja] is the Chairman of the Board of many companies. He was elected to the Upper House of Parliament (RaJya Sabha 2006 2010). Mr. Baja] has received many prestigious awards and recognitions, notable being the award of Padma Bhushan by he Government of India in 2001, Alumni Achievement Award by the Harvard Business School and Life Time Achievement Awards from Economic Times, Ernst Young and CNBC TV18. Mr. Baja] was appointed Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic. Mr. Baja] has been conferred Honorary Doctorates by 7 Universities including IIT Roorkee. The Project Report On Strategic Leaders Page 4 Mr. Baja] was the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (Cll 1979-80/1999-2000). He was President of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers SIAM) and Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry And Agriculture (MCCIA) and Chairman of the Development Council for Automobiles and Allied Industries. Mr. Baja] was appointed by the Government of India the Chairman (1986- 89) of the Government owned domestic carrier, Indian Airlines. Mr. Baja] was nominated by the President of India the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay during 2003-06. Mr. Baja] is a Member former Chairman of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, Geneva and a Member of Harvard Business Schools Global Advisory Board. He is also a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution, Washington DC and a Member of the Executive Board of Indian School of Business. Mr. Baja] spear-heads the CSR initiatives of the Baja] Group which include Jamnalal Baja] Foundation and Shiksha Mandal and a number of social organizations including Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust and Ruby Hall Clinic, a large hospital in Pune as their Chairman.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan

Distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan In his book author (RRRRR), wrote that domestic investors of any particular country who engage in investments activity outside their country of residence and this investments earn them returns which are then repatriated to their domestic country are engaging in foreign direct investment. From the point of view of a country, foreign direct investments are the investment made by non-citizens of that country or investment made by citizens in other foreign countries. Foreign direct investment is attainable where there is a good business relationship between the investing company or parent company and its subsidiary company located abroad. This kind of business relations has led to the emergence of multinationals company that engage in foreign direct investment in many parts of the world. According to (DDDD), a business analyst whose studies refer to only those companies which have a minimum of 10 percent shareholding in foreign subsidiaries as companies that participate in foreign direct investment, also companies which have voting rights in the annual general meeting of foreign subsidiaries engage in foreign direct investments. Types of Foreign direct Investments As by the definition, foreign direct investment can be classified in two categories namely the internal FDI and external FDI, the classification of the two categories is mainly guided by the restrictions that are imposed for these investments and the requirements involved for such investments to take place. External FDI also known as direct investment abroad usually supported by the local government due to the benefits it will bring to the country one among them is foreign exchange that will help the country to have a balance of payments in its international trade. The government offers there support by giving such investments tax incentives that will reduce the cost of doing business and as well as make the investment worthwhile without eroding their income. External investments become unfavorable when companies abroad get special treatment by their local governments which in a way give them competitive advantage over the external FDI by granting them subsidies and covering of their risks. Internal FDI is encouraged by the host country in different manners which include; subsides, elimination of trade or investment barriers that makes doing business for foreign investors hard, lowering of interest on loans granted to them and tax allowances. Other classifications of foreign direct investment are vertical FDI and horizontal FDI. Vertical FDI occurs when a multinational company that owns more than 10 percent of foreign subsidiary, engage with its subsidiary in business activities whereby the foreign subsidiary is the main supplier of raw materials to the multinational company or it uses the goods and serviced produced by the multinational company. Horizontal FDI is when a local multinational company engages in the same business activity in different parts of the world. Motives behind Foreign Direct Investment FDI which are driven by the motive of establishing a strong market presence or venturing into new markets are termed as market-seeking FDI, while FDI which are driven by the motive of tapping into factors of production like labor, human resource which are in foreign countries and are more efficient in operations and cost are termed as resource -seeking FDI. FDI motivated by maximizing the opportunities available and reaping on the benefits of economics of scale are termed as efficiency seeking FDI. Determinants of foreign direct investment The main factors which will determine if a foreign direct investment can take place are the economic prospects of the foreign country and the size of the potential market. If the foreign country has wide market then foreign investors will assume that they will be able to grow their investments rapidly and get big returns of it. The foreign countrys population will also play critical part in making decision on whether to participate in foreign direct investment, because its the size of the population that determines the consumer size available thus a big population will mean a big consumer base. If the foreign country citizens have a reasonably higher per capita income it would mean that they would be ready to spend and to the foreign investor he or she would translate this to potential of good investments. Foreign investors will also be lured into investing in foreign country if the workforce thats available is well qualified and competent enough, who will offer to them big returns on their human capital. The availability of natural resources like gold, oil and diamond will attract foreign investors to these countries, an example is Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other oil rich countries have all attracted foreign investors into their country to tap into the oil exploration industry thats unlimited and has good future prospects. The level of technological advancement and infrastructure that are available in a country will also influence on foreign direct investments. Recent reports and studies have shown that countries which have properly placed infrastructure facilities have experienced a high amount of foreign direct investment. (PPPPPPPP) studies noted that over the past countries have made tremendous reforms to their economic policies in bid to create conducive environment which can attract more foreign investments and companies that engage in foreign investments have altered their legal framework to make them more transparent and sensitive to their business environment. Advantages of Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan According to statistics released by the Ministry of Economy and Budget planning of Kazakhstan they have shown that the country main benefit from foreign direct investment has being the economic development witnessed in that country, especially since the country was referred to as among those economically developing countries in the 1990s. Foreign direct investment has also being the source of financial assistance for Kazakhstan during times of economic hardships. Kazakhstan has also witnessed technological advancement since foreign investors who allocate a big percentage of their capital towards technology and research in the field that they plan to invest in. The workforce in that country has become more skilled and resourceful because the foreign companies bring in new skills and train their human resource according to their high standards, in addition they have contributed to the education development in that country because of the revenues they pay to the Kazakhstan government in the form of corporate taxes which are channeled to building of schools and technology-focused training institutions. New jobs have being created in the country which can be mainly attributed to FDI that has also led to the rapid development of the manufacturing industry in that country, e employees working in these companies are also paid according to international standards which affords them good lifestyle and increase in the living standards of the countries population. Kazakhstan revenue collection has shot up because now it not only relies on domestic taxes but also taxes that come from these foreign investment made in that country, the increase in revenue collection has played a big role in the growth of the economy. Companies in Kazakhstan that have ventured to foreign markets have being able to increase market for their goods and services thus have being able to earn the country foreign exchange that helps it to attain a balance of payment in the international trade. The Kazakhstan central bank reportedly has lowered it interest rates on loans made out to business ventures which is attributed to the influence of foreign direct investment. Business can now access capital from the local banks at a low interest rate level; the small and medium sized companies have tapped this advantage and have grown their business to a high level. Disadvantages of Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan Operations of the companies, Human resource working for these FDI companies and the distributions of revenues made out of foreign direct investment are the main areas that are prone to suffer from the disadvantages of FDI. The fragile parts of the economy of the host country are also prone to any negative shift in foreign direct investment. Studies done by (GGGGGG) have indicted that negative consequences of foreign direct investment in a host country can be reduced if the government is strict in ensuring that these companies that participate in FDI in their country are engaged in business activities that environment friendly, they abide by the social and legal regulations that the government has established. In Kazakhstan foreign investment has forced the government to make some economic reforms that which have not being received well by the locals, some of the economic policies do not even favor the foreign investors themselves. The geographical location of Kazakhstan and also the fact that it is land locked has made foreign investors view it as an isolated region unfavorable for doing business because of the high transport fee to fly in and out of the country especially when moving goods or capital goods that need to be shipped or transported through the railway. In allowing foreign direct investment Kazakhstan will be placing their local companies at the disadvantage of being taken over by the large multinational companies who are exposed to huge amount of capital to invest. For Kazakhstan local companies which engage in direct investment abroad will be exposing themselves to the danger of nationalized in the foreign country. The government of Kazakhstan aims at making the economy more liberal to attract even more foreign investment into the country, in doing so they loss control of these companies that operate there as subsidiaries fully owned by multinational companies. When the government does not exercise control over these companies the environment and locals interest cant be represented and employees are exposed to potential exploitation by such companies. Some of the companies will even disregard economic policies set by the government. Foreign direct investment wont be of benefit to the Kazakhstan economy if the subsidiaries of multinational companies directly channel their profits to their mother country without making any developments in the country the invest in, there would also be imbalance of payment as more capital will be moving out of the country than capital coming into the country. Foreign Investment in KZ economy The foreign investment turnover in Kazakhstan has shown a continuous growth over the past ten years with an annual growth average of 19.1% with a significant growth being recorded in the years between 1995-2006, the rapid growth that was estimated to have reached more than fifty billion US dollars by August the year 2007 was largely associated with the sharp rise in prices of both oil and gas coupled with the significant increase in oil export volumes. Kazakhstan main partner in trade is still viewed to be Russia who are the country largest importers, the country basically enjoy a large export market in the western countries where there are leading in export of oil and metals that are used by industries there as raw materials. Foreign investment in Kazakhstan economy has increased because investors are attracted to the country by the fact that economy of the country has be experiencing tremendous growth, evidence is shown by figures which show that about eighty percent of all capital inflows that went to the central Asia region were direct towards the countrys economy with the European Union topping the list in terms of source of investments. Author (PPPP), in his studies show that this sharp raises in foreign investment is due to the economic reforms made, stable institutions that have being set up and the development experienced in the banking sector. Foreign investment led to about eighteen Kazakhstan companies being listed in the London Stock Exchange with four being listed at the main market in the period between the years 2005-2007. Foreign direct Investment in Kazakhstan; Sources: Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Foreign Inflow by various countries to Kazakhstan figures according to the year 2009; COUNTRY Japan France US Russia Netherlands China Italy UK Others % 3% 7% 16% 4% 28% 6% 4% 6% 22% Source: Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Movement in the key economic indicators   Key economic indicators 2003   2004 2005 2006 2007 2008   Real GDP growth (%)   9.3   9.6 9.7 10.7   8.9 3.1   Consumer price inflation (av. %)   6.8 6.7 7.5 8.4 10.8 9.5   Exchange rate Tenge:US$ (av)   149.58 136.00     132.88   126.09   122.60   122.55   Exchange rate Tenge:à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (av)   168.79   169.04   165.42   158.27   167.8   167.75   Budget balance (% of GDP) -1.7   -1.9 SOURCES: Kazakh Statistical Agency, Investors Guide, Nationalbank Kazakhstan  Ã‚  Ã‚   Main exporters and importers Main destinations of exports 2007 % of total   Main origins of imports 2008   % of total   Russia   9.8   Russia   35.5   Italy   16.3   EU   24.5   France   8.3   China   10.7   Switzerland   15.7   US   5.1   China   11.8   Ukraine   4.7   Others   38.1 SOURCES: Kazakh Statistical Agency, Investors Guide, Nationalbank Kazakhstan Main export and imports   Major exports 2007   % of total   Major imports 2007 % of total   Mineral products   69.8   Mineral products   12.8   Chemicals, plastics, rubber   4.1   Chemicals, plastics, rubber   10.7   Non precious materials, its products   17.3   Non precious materials, its products   13.5   Machinery, equipment transport, instruments and apparatus   1.8   Machinery, equipment transport, instruments and apparatus   46.8   Foodstuff   3.9   Foodstuff   6.8   Others   3.1   Others   9.4   SOURCES: Ministry of Energetic and Mineral Resources, Investors Guide, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investment Environment in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan located in the central Asia and Europe region is the ninth largest country in the world thats landlocked with a gross national income per capita of more than six thousand and a population of more than fifteen million whom according to reports released by United Nation are averagely in the income group of middle income earners. Kazakhstan currently leads the central Asia in terms of social and economic growth, it has the potential to make the region independent and an economic success, the European Union in the year 2000 elevated the country to the market economy status due to its attraction to international investors and multinational companies who prefer to locate their. The same move was followed by the United States of America who in the year 2002 also elevated the status of Kazakhstan to a market economy up from a non-market economy opening up for their local companies the wider western nations market that includes the US; this conclusion was arrived at after observing economic indicators that showed improvements such as the increase in level of wages for the workforce, convertibility of countrys currency, increase in foreign direct investment, drop in corruption level, control of production, public control and reduction in human rights violation. The transition to market economy is a journey that started 17 years ago from the former soviet economy to a free market economy. After independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the high rate of inflation and economic decline that was witnessed in the early parts of 1990s Kazakhstan engaged itself into a series of political, economic and social reforms. Currently the economic reforms are geared towards diversifying the economy more particular is to remove the economic reliance on natural resources and focus on developing other key sectors of the economy. Kazakhstan investment environment has seen an overall macro- economic stability coupled with economic reforms that are aimed at making the environment more investment friendly. Figures released by the Index of Economic Freedom show that over the past five years the country has witnessed a recommendable economic growth that can be attributed to the increased revenues from the Oil industry. The Kazakhstan high corruption level, unfavorable tax rates and lack of access to funds for investment are the main difficulties experienced in the investment environment that has made doing business even harder this is according to the 2009 reports by Enterprise Surveys. It is important to note that the investment environment in Kazakhstan has shown improvements in these three problematic areas making doing business easier in that country. The most notable improvements were in reduction of costs from 1,431 dollars to 119 dollars which are incurred when applying for construction permits, the other sectors that transformed so as to improve the investment environment was shown by the 10 percent fall in corporate tax, reduction in labor taxes and even compulsory contributions by the Kazakhstans working population was lowered. A new tax code and the Kazakh law were also introduced all aimed at making the country a good investment harbor, the new law mainly focused on ensuring that there was equality in the distribution of investment incentives to both local investors and foreign investors, safeguard the rights of investors and establish procedural system that was free and fair in settling disputes of investors. Some of the measures that the new tax code p ut into considerations included; adjusting the tax code so that it can be in line with the international financial reporting standards, eliminating the advance payments by all but three hundred biggest companies of their corporate tax, extension of loss deferral period to up to ten years, lowering of value added tax from 13% to 12%, gradual introduction of traditional payment scheme for value added tax and the implementation of a common social tax rate of 11% replacing the regressive scale. The drastic changes and economic policy reforms all paid of when the country was voted as the leading country in CIS because of its efforts in creating an investment environment that was conducive for doing business. International rating agency in 2002 rated Kazakhstan highly in terms of investment and due to the fact that Kazakhstan was the first Soviet Union republic to repay all the loan advanced to it by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the year 2000 which was seven years ahead of the repayment schedule, Standard Poors and Fitch confirmed the same in the year 2004 as other surveys and research done by international organizations all showed the same. In particular Fitch analyst pointed out that Kazakhstans finance and economy in general was better placed to deal with pressure from Oil and the ever changing oil prices than any other country in the world. The organization of top forty most industrialized countries (OECD) in the year 2003 put Kazakhstan at position four in terms of export credit rating which was an upward movement from the last rating done by OECD before 2003. The better ratings meant that the country could now enjoy good opportunities for doing trade. According to figures given out by World Bank business experts they show that out of all the foreign direct investment made in central Asia nearly eighty percent of these investments were made in Kazakhstan, the same report also showed that the country is regarded as being among top twenty countries which are most favorable to foreign investors. Recent years have seen research and survey place Kazakhstan in the top spot in foreign direct investment per capita which has being increasing steadily. In the period between 1993 and 2005 FDI was reportedly to have grown to be more than 37 billion US dollars, important point to note is that in the period of 2001 to 2003 there was only 4.5 billion US dollars worth of FDI made while in 2004 there was a drastic increase of up to 8.4 billion US dollars worth of investment made in Kazakhstan which was due to the increase in local companies that had foreign direct investment from 6,579 companies in 2003 to 7070 companies in 2004. Literature Review Regional distribution of foreign direct investment is the allocation of the investment opportunities and resources in economical manner so that every region gets a piece of the cake. When Kazakhstan is making strategic planning, they make a regional distribution plan considering the available FDI. It involves distributing FDI among the much needed projects or sectors of the economy and regions in the country. In the strategic planning decisions are made as to what areas or regions need FDI and what amount of FDI is needed, afterwards a contingency mechanism is established which sets out regions or area that should be given more priority than the others incase FDI is limited Regionally the country enjoys great leadership thanks to its close ties with the Russia, China and the central Asia region also the creation of customs union between the country Russia and Belarus this year has cemented its position as the regional leader. . Major Key sectors that Kazakhstan has mainly focused on improving through the help of foreign direct investment include; agriculture which offer investment opportunity in over twenty million hectares of farmland with more than a hundred and sixty five million hectares of pasture, the government has tried to promote these sector to investors by putting in place infrastructure facilities that offers smooth transport system. The textile industry also offers investment opportunities thats backed up by availability of qualified workforce, availability of processing factories that are already in place the government also make grants to these industry in form of tax holidays, favorable custom tariffs plus there is a wide ready market for textile products in East-Europe region and Russia, close links that exist between neighboring cotton producers like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan make the sector highly capable of big returns. The telecommunication sector has being liberalized to attract more foreign investors enhanced by the growing number of information technology an internet penetration which has resulted to a sharp demand for broadband ISP services. The power generation sector will attract FDI due to high electricity consumption attributed to increased income/quality of life, infrastructure and hydrocarbon projects, recent reports show that a total of twenty two billion US dollars worth of investment are expected by the year 2015 plus the government has set aside thirteen billion US dollars that are to be channeled in the expansion program of power generation capacity a further nine billion US dollars will be invested in distribution and national grid. The other potential area that the Kazakhstan government focuses on distributing FDI to is the Metallurgy sector which produces huge amount of world-class base, precious minerals and metals, the sector has well developed infrastructure that are already in place and the closeness to biggest consumers of metallurgical products makes it worthwhile to channel FDI to. According to National Bank of Kazakhstan, the country is ranked at the 20th position in terms of its oil reserve, 13th position in terms of natural gas reserve and 24th in the world in natural gas production. Recommendation Kazakhstan should take the advantage of its strategic location which put it at a better place to become the centre of business in central Asia with ready markets form Russia and China. To gain competitive advantage over other country Kazakhstan should focus on creating conducive business environment together with political stability and increase the incentive granted their local companies that want to participate in direct investment abroad. All this will be attainable if there will be zero tolerance to corruption cases, improving of the education standards and the logistical infrastructure. Political institution should be strengthen by instituting professional training for government officials, engaging the local government in the developments of clusters, design a process to ensure that the political environment is transparent in its deal and consistent, institute professional civil service with transparent rules and performance based promotion. Zero tolerance to corruption will be achieved if the government institution eliminate the long tendering procedure that are involved with tenders, put in place comprehensive strategy to fight against corruption in national and local government, the other way to eliminate corruption is to ensure maximum punishment for those officials who engage in corrupt deals plus salary increment to government staff. The other recommendation that will see increase in FDI is removal of labor quota on expatriates; promote the transfer of skills as show of commitment to the growth of FDI, promoting the entrance of foreign banks in to the local banking industry, establishing transparent small and medium enterprises lending institutions, reduce the complexity in regulatory procedures that are involved in the licensing and registration process and the involvement of existing multinational companies in setting up private sector IFCs. Privatization of government owned industries and establishing a competition oversight authority that will make the country more attractive for foreign direct investments.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay examples --

In one way or another [1], mobile phones have changed everyone’s life. We can say that nowadays more than half of the population has a mobile phone or at least has used a mobile phone. Mobile communication networks made it possible to be connected and reachable even in the most remote places. One might question whether this is good or bad. The truth is mobile phones can nowadays save lives but it can also endanger life if not kept below the allowed limits. Since predictions show that in future most of the communication will be in the mobile domain (maybe even the internet), it makes sense to optimize mobile networks for the most efficient utilization of the frequency spectrum and for minimizing smog. Both the telecommunication network providers and the users can only gain in efficiency and usability if we theoreticians provide them with the most efficient algorithmic solutions to all interesting problems raised by these networks. While there exist a number of results on several aspects of telecommunication network planning and management, very little is known about models that use a ...

Declaring Independence :: History

Declaring Independence On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. The Congress dealt with the military crisis the colonies were in with England. It organized forces around Boston into the Continental Army and appointed George Washington to commander-in-chief. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle fought in the war. The colonists had made a fort on Bunker and Breeds Hills to fire on English ships approaching Boston. Thomas Gage ordered his British troops to attack the hills. He believed the task to be an easy one, but met great resistance. It took two British attempts to capture the two hills, which lead to many British casualties. The second attempt did run the colonists off the hills, but resulted in a greater colonial victory. Of the original 2500 Redcoats, only 1500 had survived the attack while only 400 of the Patriots had met with death. Although war had begun, the colonies still wanted to make peace with England. Only 1/3 of the colonists wanted to wage war with England. The people were afraid that if a major war was fought with England, that all traitors would be executed. The motives for the war were not against King George III. The colonies were rebelling against Parliament, not against the crown. The Olive Branch Petition was created in an attempt to persuade King George III to mediate for the colonies. King George ignored the petition and said to use full force against the colonies to crush the resistance to English government. Then in January 1776, Thomas Paine published â€Å"Common Sense† with stated that the American Colonies should be independent from England. This along with the King’s refusal to support the colonies caused the creation of the Declaration of Independence. The devastation caused by the Battle of Bunker Hill caused General Gage to be replaced with General William Howe. Howe ordered his troops to evacuate Boston and sailed his men to Nova Scotia to wait for reinforcements and to plan his next attack. How planned to isolate New England because it was though that most resistance originated from there. He intended to capture New York City and take control of the Hudson River. He also planned for an army, led by John Burgoyne, to march southward from Canada. Howe was successful in his attempts to capture New York City. General Howe’s victory in New York City began a repeating pattern for both himself and Washington.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Brief Introduction to Systematic Living Essay -- Natural, Man Made,

an even larger system of systems. This is not to say that systems imply order. Nor do the terms â€Å"systemic† or â€Å"systematic†, although they are frequently used to suggest exactly that. Quite the opposite. There is an incredible amount of chaos that occurs at every scale, in both natural and man-made systems. Systems of any kind can be unpredictable, and take on a life of their own. One glimpse at the juggernaut of bureaucracy that is the U.S. federal government demonstrates this nicely without having to spend another breath proving the point†¦ I’ve been lucky enough in life to have been thrown into situations where it seemed I was always forced to reverse engineer a wide assortment of systems. Most people call these situations â€Å"problems†, and I did too for many years. My first career began during the U.S. Army’s transition into the New Army of the post-Cold War era. I served for nearly a decade, stateside and overseas, participated in the administration of multi-national task forces under U.N. control, and built and managed the deployment facility for the USARPAC power projection platform. I learned, by trial and error, the ins and outs of the personnel management bureaucracy and how to design computer-based solutions for many problems. Contrary to popular belief, the military was not at all bleeding edge in its attempts at automating even basic office documents, much less complex processes. We still used primarily tally sheets, log books, and typewriters to run Division-level operations even in the mid 1990s. The shining exception to this was Microsoft Powerpoint. Our generals lived and breathed their battle theaters through an endless barrage of Powerpoint slideshow briefings. My first Army Achievement Medal was award... ...its Own Reward Entity Relationship Mapping: What Software Teaches Us About Grammar Cooperative Evolution as a Systemic Norm Specialization vs. Generalization Design with Perpetuality Sweet Chaos Design with Intentionality This Cell Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us: The Prisoner’s Dilemma Preserving Hammurabi’s Palace KISS A LEGOâ„ ¢ in Every Pot Entropic Economics 101 Two is One, One is None Give Me My Damn Twinky! Natural Rights vs. Human Rights A Calendar for Every Season Can’t a Squirrel Get a Nut? Regulate Yourself Of Mollison and Gall, Dawkins and Waal The Lie of Dichotomy: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose When You Piss in the Global Wind, We All Get Wet Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_projection http://systemic.permacultureuniversity.net/?p=3

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Advertisements: How Do They Persuade Us Essay

Advertisements are part and parcel of our lives. Perhaps, they are one of the most decisive and, at the same time, imperceptible factors moulding and channelling our â€Å"purchasing habits,† so to speak. On the face of it, advertisements promote products and services; they create demand by dint of inducing and increasing consumption. Yet, the ways in which they convey their messages have a profound effect on all aspects of our lives: our happiness, our culture, family and interpersonal relations, business, stereotypes, wealth and status, individuality, and so forth. According to Leiss et al. (1990: 1), advertising is ‘a â€Å"privileged form of discourse†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, in that it can attract our attention, insinuating itself into our thought processes and carving out a niche in our lives. As we shall see, advertisements succeed in selling us a lot more than merely products; in fact, they contrive to reconstruct our relations to things and other people—in short, they interfere with our sense of identity, they equate us with things, and manipulate us. Williamson’s observation succinctly encapsulates their power: ‘Advertisements are selling us something else besides consumer goods: in providing us with a structure in which we, and those goods, are interchangeable, they are selling us ourselves’ (Williamson, 1978: 13). In the present study we are concerned with how advertisements, or rather ‘ad men’, to quote Packard (1957), persuade us to buy their products, and exploit our â€Å"hidden† needs—both processes taking place beneath our level of awareness. See more:  First Poem for You Essay In searching for more effective ways of persuading people to buy goods, a great many merchandisers or ‘probers’ (Packard, 1957) turned to psychologists in order to gain insights into the deepest recesses of the psyche and the factors that motivate people, and then to capitalise on their expectations and fears. Equipped with this knowledge, ad men nowadays exert a remarkable influence on people’s habits and conceptualisation of the world and themselves in relation to values—values which are, in great measure, determined by the marketplace. Packard (1957: 14), perhaps one of the most vehement critics of â€Å"the hidden persuaders† who have ensnared us by appealing to our unconscious or subconscious needs, eloquently captures the â€Å"state of the art†: The symbol manipulators and their research advisers have developed their depth view of us by sitting at the feet of psychiatrists and social scientists (particularly psychologists and sociologists) who have been hiring themselves out as ‘practical’ consultants or setting up their own research firms. These ‘motivation analysts’ have definitely become our shamans who, ‘having helped to inspire the fear of the devil [in us], [they offer] redemption’ (Bolinger, 1980: 2) by means of the products they sell. They are not only interested in moving their merchandise off the shelves; they are actually seeking out powerful communicative cues, ‘a discourse through and about objects’ (Leiss et al. , 1990), which will weld together people, products, and cultural models. In view of this, ‘we no longer buy oranges, we buy vitality. We do not buy just an auto, we buy prestige’ (Packard, 1957: 15). The sale of ‘self-images’ (ibid. ) is now the norm. Advertisements barely focus on products alone; it is the prospective buyers that they make â€Å"overtures† to—which is mirrored in the language used and in such features as the colours in the ad, its layout, and so on (we will consider some of these aspects in due course). As Ewen (1976, cited in Leiss et al. 1990: 23) notes, advertisers have effected a ‘self-conscious change in the psychic economy’ by inundating the marketplace with suggestions that consumers should buy goods in order to enter realms of experience previously unfamiliar to them. Gradually then, advertising has become a ‘highly organized and professional system of magical inducements and satisfactions’ (Williams, 1980 [1962], cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 25) which can sell us emotional security, reassurance of wealth, ego-gratification, creative outlets, love objects, a sense of power and roots, and immortality (see Packard, 1957: 66-74 for further details). Many people would, at this juncture, hasten to defend advertising on the grounds that the consumer is a rational decision maker who avails herself of technology; advertising cannot create new needs but can only help increase or speed up consumption (Schudson, 1984, cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 36); and without the help of advertising, consumers would have limited information about the products circulating around them. What they lose sight of, though, is the fact that ‘[w]e never relate to goods only for their plain utility; there is always a ymbolic aspect to our interactions with them’ (Leiss et al. , 1990: 45). Now that we have briefly outlined the â€Å"state of the art,† we move on to the actual study of advertisements and the ways in which they persuade us. There are many approaches to this end, but we will draw upon two: semiology, or the study of signs, and content analysis. Semiology, on the one hand, is concerned with the emergence and â€Å"movement† of meaning within the text and between the text and the world surrounding it. Content analysis, on the other, focuses on the surface meaning of an ad, detecting similarities and differences. Indisputably, the growing predominance of visuals in ads has resulted in a kind of ambiguity of meaning, which renders the interpretation of the message more complex and challenging. Earlier advertisements explicitly stated the message by describing the product and adducing arguments in its favour. In the 1920s, however, visuals were more frequently used, and these two, text and visual, became complementary. Still, in the 1960s, the text shifted away from describing the visual toward a more elaborate and mystic form, whereby it functioned as a â€Å"key† to the visual (Leiss et al. 1990: 199). Against this background of radical changes in the form and content of advertisements, the abovementioned approaches, semiology and content analysis, offer us an insight into the structures of ads and help throw light on the subtle elements, expectations and assumptions, with which they are imbued. Roland Barthes (1973, cited in Leiss et al. , 1990: 200-201), following Ferdinand De Saussure’s tradition, divides a sign into two components: the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the material object; the signified is its abstract meaning. Let us illustrate this with Barthe’s own example: Roses signify passion or love. If we analyse their â€Å"meaning,† we have three elements: the signifier—the roses; the signified—passion or love; and the sign—the â€Å"passionified roses† as a whole. Of course, there is nothing inherently â€Å"passionate† or â€Å"amorous† about roses; they are viewed as such within the context of western culture. In another culture, roses could signify something different, even the opposite of passion or love. Thus, any interpretation of advertisements from a semiotic perspective is bound up with cultural norms and values which may be at odds with those operating in different cultures or different systems of meaning. After all, the power of advertisements lies in, and appropriates, these very norms and values, with a view to reconstituting reality, while â€Å"tinging† it with an arcane suggestiveness and elusiveness. Drawing upon several advertisements, we will endeavour to probe into the ‘probers’’ minds, weaving the two approaches together. More specifically, we will focus on the rhetorical devices employed (e. . , metaphors, metonymy, jingles, etc. ), as well as the ways in which the text and the visual element prevail upon us to react, i. e. , to buy the product (e. g. , their proclivity for creating a problem, only to consign it to the â€Å"omnipotence† of the product, their spatial arrangement, etc. ). Unfortunately, an in-depth analysis is outside the remit of this study. Let us consider the following ad: A black Ford Zetec covers two pages in the magazine, while the text reads: â€Å"When the lorry in front loses its load, most drivers would find themselves losing control. Not if you’re driving the new 2. 0 litre Ford Focus Zetec ESP. One of the first cars in its class available with an Electronic Stability Program. ESP constantly assesses the angle you are steering against information received from sensors on the behaviour and direction of the car. By reducing engine power and braking individual wheels it helps you to maintain control and stability, allowing you to stay on track. It’s almost like it knows what to do before you do. So sit back, enjoy the ride and expect more. † And the motto just above the car is: â€Å"just steer. This common, albeit â€Å"catchy,† ad addresses the prospective buyer directly through the use of the pronoun you. What is more, the strategy it employs is that of creating a problem—or rather setting a scene familiar to many a driver (â€Å"When the lorry in front loses its load, most drivers would find themselves losing control. †) Only in the first sentence is there any mention of â€Å"most drivers†Ã¢â‚¬â€apparently in order to juxtapose them to you, the prospective buyer. â€Å"You† are not like â€Å"most drivers† because â€Å"you† are driving â€Å"the new 2. 0 litre Ford Focus Zetec ESP. Another device employed in the ad is the use of personification, as in â€Å"ESP constantly assesses†¦it helps you†¦It’s almost like it knows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The new Ford Focus is more of a jinee in a bottle waiting for you to rub it than merely a car. All â€Å"you† have to do is â€Å"sit back, enjoy the ride and expect more,† revelling in the security its omnipotence affords. Finally, the pun in â€Å"just steer,† referring to the actual steering of the vehicle and, only obliquely, to the idiom â€Å"to steer clear of,† consciously or unconsciously, dares us to pop into the car and drive, reminding us of our inability to resist the temptation vs. he omnipotence of the vehicle. As Williamson observes, ‘puns perform the correlating function seen in all ads, but in a way that begs to be deciphered†¦condensation draws together both the denoted and connoted meanings of the ad, therefore making a deterministic connection between them’ (Williamson, 1978: 87). Yet, not all ads are so straightforward and direct. Let us examine the following ad (found in Williamson, 1978: 25). The ad shows Catherine Deneuve’s face and a Chanel No 5 bottle. There is no text linking these two; they are simply juxtaposed. But are they really linked, in the first place? One could say that they are supposed to be linked, in terms of an assumption that they are inextricably related. This link, though, is arbitrary, drawing upon our knowledge of a glamorous world of films and magazines, which Deneuve has come to be associated with. Thus, in juxtaposing her face, which signifies beauty and glamour, with Chanel No 5, there is a â€Å"latent† transference of meaning from Deneuve’s face to the product, and back again. Not only is her face rendered an object that is summoned to â€Å"argue† in favour of the product, but it also depends on that product for the beauty and glamour ascribed to it. Here, the use of language is irrelevant, as the ad appropriates the relationship obtaining between signifier (Catherine Deneuve) and signified (glamour and beauty). In other ads, the visual, not only complements, but virtually transcends, the text, to convey a meaning which is not always easy to decipher. Consider the Gordon’s Gin ad, where there are two different photographs of a famous actor of the 1950s, the second one being obviously altered to the point where the actor is barely recognisable. On the left side of the first photo, there is a text in italics, reading: Gordon’s is made with the pick of the Tuscan Juniper. On the right side of the second photo, the text written in a regular typeface reads: â€Å"Other gins are made with what’s left. † Finally, at the bottom of the page, there is a Gordon’s Special Dry London Gin bottle in the middle of the sentence: â€Å"If you’re not drinking (bottle of Gin) what are you drinking? † Apparently, the significance of the ad resides in assumptions and values outside its ‘grammar’ (Williamson, 1978). First of all, the juxtaposition of the two photographs appropriates the general belief that a good photograph means good quality, which then invites the reader to make the connection between he quality of the first photograph with that of the product through the association of the text in italics with the first picture, and the regular text with the second. Furthermore, the thin typeface (i. e. , italics) stands in stark contrast to the regular text, as it is associated with glamour and prestige and arouses â€Å"elegant† feelings. So, the last sentence â€Å"If you’re not drinking (bottle of Gin) what are you drinking? † could easily be rephrased as: â€Å"If you’re not one of those who prefer our gin, then who are you? Once again, the product is â€Å"put on a pedestal,† while tinkering with our desire for approval, that is, suggesting to us that we will find our identity only if we indulge in it. In addition, the use of the calligram, i. e. , the picture of the bottle, instead of the words naming it, establishes the product as something that has a substance all its own, which is beyond words. As Williamson (1978: 91) has noted, the calligram playfully seeks to erase the oldest oppositions of our alphabetical civilisation: to show and to name; to figure and to speak; to reproduce and articulate; to look and to read†¦[It is a] double trap, an inevitable snare.