Nokia Business Analysis Essay

The start of Nokia returns to the year 1865 with the foundation of a ranger service industry undertaking in South-Western Finland by mining engineer Fredrick Idestam. While in the year 1898, the Finnish Rubber Works Ltd was found, and in 1912, Finnish Cable Works started activities. Step by step, the responsibility for two organizations and Nokia started to move into hands of only a couple of proprietors. At long last, these three organizations were converged to shape Nokia Corporation in 1967. Nokia Corporation participates in the assembling of cell phones and versatile system gear, just as in the arrangement of related arrangements and administrations. The organization has four primary business capacities or portions: Mobile Phones, Multimedia, Enterprise Solutions, and Networks. (Nokia, 2011) †¢Purpose to contemplate Nokia (index 1) Communication assumes a significant job in our life. With its enormous objective market, distinctive versatile media transmission organizations have been attempting to involve the business sectors by offer their most recent creative cell phones. One of the well known and fruitful cell phone producers on the planet is Nokia previously. In any case, showcase pioneer will be supplanted by different contenders. This can be prove by their portions of Smart telephone (supplement 2) because of the entrance of their rival. With the rise of Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy today (informative supplement 1), Nokia ought to have an extraordinary answer for guarantee its future achievement and to recover the pieces of the overall industry. In spite of the fact that Nokia’s CEO has comprehended what their circumstance, the administration must ready to have a change that would support Nokia’s upper hand and reflecting to customer’s top pick.

The Factors Influencing Procurement Route Construction Essay

The Factors Influencing Procurement Route Construction Essay Late advancements in the field of development have prompted a reestablished enthusiasm for obtainment which encourages us to incite the specialized complexities by arranging and conveying the development ventures utilizing different particular strategies towards the needs of the customer. What's more, it makes ideal connection between numerous associations dealing with the undertaking in regards to their obligations and dangers. This paper endeavors to report the Principal of Heriot Watt University (HWU) about the propelled acquisition key methodology for the new assembly hall which is intended to work at the HWU with incomparability. In any case, it contains 200 agreeable layered seating giving superb perceivability, high detail innovation, mixed media theater with cooling, a full size intuitive screen and PC driven introduction offices. 2.1 Assumptions It is required from the underlying phase of the task which unmistakably makes ready for the agreeable consummation of the venture. The accompanying suspicions are considered in this report. Capital Cost Income is fiery in the associations which decide the size of the task which is considered fundamentally. Moreover, refreshed cost data was shared by the amount assessor to the customer who corresponds them to the temporary worker. Ongoing proof recommends that during earnestness the ramifications of cost is in part ignored though the underlying expense and lifecycle cost is constantly liked. Time The two fundamental components overseeing the hour of the undertaking are Design of the task and Methods adjusted in the building site by the contractual worker. Information from a few sources distinguished that above highlights are considered in like manner to the customers need. Quality Quality relies on the materials utilized during development allowing the structure particulars. Lifecycle costing is reflected in the nature of the development work used to diminish the upkeep and substitution cost prompting the better financial matters by and large later on. The standard of acquisition is the interminable triangle which favors the customer towards high caliber, least expense and brief timeframe period. All the three variables are commonly worried in an undertaking on the off chance that one is given high inclination, at that point the other two will endure. Execution It primarily depends upon the originator who readies the arrangement and auxiliary plans for the undertaking, basic for stylish intrigue and eco-accommodating. The selection of materials and the constructors assumes the key job in execution and furthermore for the future upkeep and restorations. Hazard Factors The normal dangers looked during the development ventures are ground conditions, counterfeit checks and deficiency in workmanship, material tests and tests, climate. What's more, postponement and debates from both the gatherings, unapproved installments and the inconsistencies from the Government arrangements and Law mediation. Arranging à ¢Ã£ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢ ¬ Early securing arranging is done to choose the acquirement course. Condition à ¢Ã£ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢ ¬ Sustainable condition is accomplished through arranging Adaptability à ¢Ã£ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢ ¬ Changes should be possible in the on-going venture or in future 3.1 Procurement Strategy When all is said in done acquirement is characterized as the getting of merchandise and services[1] which in development field alludes to the development materials, plant and administrations so as to configuration, plan, oversee, compose, execute and commission the venture until conveying to the customer. An assortment of strategy have been created and acquainted with survey working through acquisition which is acquired by gathering of different associations experience and ability. The acquirement methodology depicts the commitment that the successful obtainment will make to the satisfaction of the associations vision and vital goals [a]. Furthermore, obtainment methodology distinguishes the primary destinations, requirements, financing, and hazard and resource responsibility for venture which later improves to accomplish the objective of the customer. In addition, it advances exclusive expectations of demonstrable skill and high caliber of the executives data. Besides, decrease in cost is accomplished through amassed buying power and limits the introduction through viable hazard the board. 3.2 Necessity for Procurement To accomplish the incentive for cash To facilitate easily with the associations and to gracefully concentrate on chain the executives To get supportability by making an incentive for cash choices over the life of the advantage and not exclusively on capital expenses [b]. To 3.3 Procurement Routes The acquisition courses are practiced with incredible association and information on the people and associations who worked in the businesses for a considerable length of time in unmistakable orders. Acquisition course is characterized as the frameworks and methods for authorizing the work. This course is concerned predominantly for the vital methodology of the task which improves the development execution by planning with the pro groups of the venture. 3.4 Factors impacting Procurement Route Fundamental to the whole order of the acquisition is the idea of evaluation about the capacity of the monetary administrators of the venture to fulfill the imperative of the customer. The key parts of this course are managers prerequisites, delicate period/contractual workers proposition, choosing the specific temporary worker and development. Into the deal, the accompanying components are likewise taken consideration in this strategy, for example, cost assurance, cost decrease, contract period, quality and principles, constructability and suit. Just as this course is concerned it relies on the expense and time of the undertaking to the detriment of value which is appropriate for ideal carriage of the venture. Next, the components which supports this course are recorded underneath [3] Client recognition with structure and manufacture acquirement courses of action Inclination of a customer or specialist The craving for the single point obligation regarding the customer More noteworthy assurance of results, at first and in the more drawn out term Regardless of the reality, follows the present ensured greatest value (GMP) which is set up at the hour of understanding and on the off chance that the temporary worker completes the work underneath GMP, at that point remaining sum will be shared between the customer and contractual worker in most case. Circumstances Where Design Build Arrangement Used Widely On account of straightforward and standard types of development are required. Model: Warehouses Where the structure needs just least design works. Model: Farm structures Where restrictive framework is utilized in structures as it decreases the plan and endorsement time. Model: Buildings with Automations, (for example, programmed entryways) Where the tasks requires neighborhood temporary worker masters. Model: Specialized in Flooring and Masonry To execute Fast-track ventures Model: Hospitals In ventures where cost sureness is generally liked. Model: Housing Units 3.5 Types of Procurement Route There is an enormous volume of distributed investigations depicting the job of obtainment course compulsory for delivering the necessary undertaking results and have a significant impact towards completing point. All in all there are numerous acquisition courses accessible which are recorded as follows: Customary/Conventional Structure and Build/Package bargain course of action Development Management The executives Contracting Two phase delicate Turnkey Open Private Partnership System Agreement PFI/PPP Despite the fact that there are numerous courses accessible, customary, plan assemble, development the board and the executives contracting are the significant strategies utilized for the most part. Then again, as per my supposition for this assembly room venture we can receive Design and Build course or Traditional course. 3.5.1 Traditional Procurement Route This is the standard strategy which is by and by for as far back as 150 years in the development business. In this course the customer designates the temporary worker, modeler and experts to direct the venture from the underlying stage to seek after flawlessness in arranging and structure. Moreover, the customer claims the entire duty of the plan and venture group. Here the temporary worker engaged with the offering documentation and arrangement procedures of the proposed venture. The valuation and installment in the authoritative division is approved by customers specialists. To place more or less this strategy benefits the customer in cost and quality with some cost of time. By and by, can be utilized in various circumstances based on estimating brings about a singular amount contract, an estimation contract or an expense in addition to agreement and whether the venture is a solitary one anticipate or a piece of a program under single explicit term[c]. Also, for example concerning the proposed assembly hall venture the three coordinators specialists, designer and contractual worker are utilized at first and the task altogether oversaw by the customer from the starter works. 3.5.2 Construction Management Route 3.5.3 Design and Build Procurement Route The Design Build strategy is one of the more functional methods of customer cordial methodology utilized worldwide to take especially when the structures to be delivered are either specific, and the contractual worker is a specialist in that strength or when they are generic[d]. At first, the idea planned to diminish the contentions that exist between the planner and the contractual worker which bringing about poor notoriety for the development venture and gave incredible affirmation the auspicious finishing of work at lower cost. Nonetheless, the customer needs to think about the trio of configuration, cost and nature of the venture ahead of time before utilizing the contractual worker. In addition, the wants of the business (customer) is obviously proposed to the contractual worker to make him/her completely associated with the task including both plan and achievement which supports least inclusion of the customer. The idea of this acquirement course is limiting the structure devia tions from the first plan which

Prosecutorial Misconduct and Law to Them

Prosecutorial Misconduct and Law to Them Prosecutorial Misconduct Mar 26, 2018 in Law Influence and Authority of Prosecutors Modern-day prosecutorial teams and the police have considerable influence and authority in almost all criminal and civil cases right from the start of investigations to sentencing of any criminal defendant after a conviction (Rosenfeld, 2005). From the prosecutor, this enormous levels of influence and authority comes from discretion the criminal justice system has vested in them to make a decision on whether to conduct an investigation, whether to file charges, when to file those charges and, most controversially, whether to provide a plea bargain or offer leniency. Considering the present sentencing regime for federal cases, prosecutors have the primary control of a case and not the trial judges. In the criminal justice system, it is agreeable that prosecutors have more power than any other actors.

International Relations Between Russia And India - 1556 Words

The University of Manchester Manchester Business School BMAN70302 Research Methods RESEARCH PROPOSAL INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND INDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE IMPORT OF COAL Student Id – 9812013 Supervisor – Dr Laura Haar INTRODUCTION India and Russia shares a strong strategic, military, economic and diplomatic relationships post-cold war and even after the disintegration of the USSR. Initially this international relationship was based on 5 major elements: Politics, Defence, Civil, Nuclear energy and Anti-Terrorism Space. However in recent years, Economic factor has grown its importance between both the countries in the form of trade. The economic relationship between India and Russia is very strong. The†¦show more content†¦Since coal is a non-renewable source of energy and is widely used to make electricity and other industries and small scale factories to run boilers, the demand never goes down. On the other hand, Russia has large amount of coal reserves. The quality of Russian coal is similar to the one India imports from Indonesia and South Africa. Looking at the demand and other factors in mind, India might start importing coal from Russia looking at their International trade relation in mind. Coal industry in India is on a rise as compared to other countries in the world. The graph below will show the rise in demand of imported coal in India over the years. The graph below indicates that the demand of imported coal keeps on rising every year in India. Figure 1: Consumption of Imported Coal over the years. The second graph shows us the increase in exports of Russian Coal in 2015. This suggests that Russia is a potential supplier of Coal to different countries. Figure 2: Increase in Exports of Russian Coal in 2015 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL †¢ To develop an understanding of International trade relations between India and Russia and its impact on the import of Coal. †¢ To explore different trade patterns and trade agreements between India and Russia and its effect on the relationship between the two countries. †¢ To compare the quality of Russian coal from Indonesian and South African coal and how will it benefit India. †¢ To take a

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

Imagine yourself back in the early eighteen hundreds as black slave living on a plantation with death knocking on your door at any second. The only chance to survive this born-into captivity, is to humble yourself before a white master or attempt to escape to an unknown safe haven. To chance an escape would put your life at risk to the bounty hunters and cause severe brutality upon those you left behind. The only logical way to live one’s life in these situations would be submissive from birth to death and to die quietly, so those remaining don’t lose what little faith they have left. This is an example of the atrocities that occurred throughout our Great Nation’s history, and will forever be a scar for everyone to see. One individual†¦show more content†¦Physical pain was the key factor of submission, but when slave children were raised only knowing physical brutality, emotional pain tormented the soul even more. Another action taken by the white masters was the act of making their female salves their personal concubines and then robbing the slave-mothers of their newly born children. This act was performed when the child was about twelve months old, just being old enough to be stripped from the breast that fed and nourished them. Even though most of the slave-children were of mulatto decent from their white fathers, sparing a child from the loss of its mother was not considered and highly deemed as showing favoritism towards the slaves. â€Å"Slaveholders have ordained, and by law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers; and this is done too obviously to administer to their lusts, and make a gratification of their wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable; for by this cunning arrangement, the slaveholder, in cases not a few, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father† (971). The mother of the sl ave-child was usually sold off to some plantation some distance away. This was done to keep her from trying to make any attempt to see her child and to rid the plantation of any witness ofShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass987 Words   |  4 PagesLife of Frederick In the â€Å"narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave written by himself† Frederick reveled to audience the time he was living as a slave and the moments of brutal treats for example psychological, emotional and physical abuses. He was suffering terrible moments during his 20 years as a slave in the twentieth century. In addition, he describes in his own words the strategies he used to escape from the slave holders and to be free. This story the â€Å"Narrative of theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1730 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most well-known slavery narratives was lived and written by Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was a civil rights activist who was born into slavery on a plantation in eastern Maryland in February 1818. His exact birth date is unknown, he states in his narrative, â€Å"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.†2 His birth name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, which was given by hisRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesDate Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Writing in the favor of black people has always remained controversial from the very beginning. Critics regard such writing as â€Å"a highly conventionalized genre† indicating that â€Å"its status as literature was long disputed but the literary merits of its most famous example such as Frederick Douglass s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†¦are widely recognized today.† (Ryan:537) Despite of such severe resistance, writers like Douglass have pennedRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe â€Å"Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass† is the story of Frederick Douglass’ life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. When Douglass wrote this book, slavery was still legal in a large portion of the United States. After Douglass’ escape to freedom and his continuation of his education, he became an abolitionist through his works of literatu re and speeches. In â€Å"The Blessings of Slavery†, by George Fitzhugh he states that southern slavesRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1257 Words   |  6 PagesBook Review By Mary Elizabeth Ralls Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: An autobiography written by Frederick Douglass Millennium publication, 1945edition 75 pages Frederick Douglass whose real name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey approximately birthdate is in1818, the month or day is not known, he died in 1895. He is one of the most famous advocates and the greatest leaders of anti-slavery in the past 200 or so years.Read MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagessoutherners believed that one of the most essential means of life was slavery. In the novel, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass challenges and debunks the idea of slavery being a necessary part of the white lifestyle; many pro-slavery arguments consisted of religion justifying slavery, slaves being â€Å"easily manipulated†/ignorant, and slavery keeping the southern economy from disappearing (The Proslavery Argument). Frederick uses personal experiences and other tactics to expose theRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1363 Words   |  6 Pages In The Narrative of the Life of Frederic k Douglass, Frederick Douglass portrays the importance of education because of its influence in leveling the playing field between the races in the 1800s. Education and knowledge are themes that are heavily dwelled upon throughout the novel, inspiring the reader to see the full power of such important ideals and to take the full advantage of both at all times. Douglass gives the reader a new appreciation for education as he delivers his message regardingRead MoreThe Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass1527 Words   |  7 Pagesconsidered â€Å"property† of their slaveholders and had no control over their own life. They were victims of psychological and physical brutal treatment. This story represents confinement, slavery and the lack of power African people had in such a racist society back in those days. African talents were absolutely wasted and they were considered inferior to white individuals. The â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass† sim ply addresses that white society was causing negative effects to itself andRead MoreNarrative Life Of Frederick Douglass1549 Words   |  7 PagesThe Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass’ is an autobiography of Frederick Douglass, the slave who escaped and became one of renowned social reformers of his time. The book is a collection of actual experiences of the author during his time in slavery and experiences of fellow slaves. He describes brilliantly the oppressive conditions into which he was born, lived, as well as his struggles and triumphs. The author meant to make the reader comprehend life of the African Americans in slavery beforeRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1255 Words   |  6 PagesFrederick Douglass, throughout Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, uses religion to get many of his points across. In one way, religion plays a huge role in Douglass’ ability to become literate throughout the text. With the Bible and other Christi an texts, Douglass is able to further his ability and the ability of others to read. This becomes important because as Douglass points out the slaveholders believe a literate slave is not a good slave. This union of literacy and religion show the

The Trilemma of Globalisation Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade Free Essays

string(273) " in a different 5 sphere it remains a moral affront to those who are committed to future global prosperity that the WTO is unable to reach agreement to allow access, without the burden of duties, by the developing world to the markets of the economically prosperous world\." Ken Costa Chairman: Europe, Middle East and Africa UBS Investment Banking Department 2 Finsbury Avenue London EC2M 2PP Cass Business School 2 March 2006 EMBARGO UNTIL 19:30pm 2 March 2006 The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade In discussing the challenges presented by today’s diverse global environment few topics can be as important as the issue of globalisation. It is at the heart of the structural change that has taken place in our generation as borders have shrunk, technology changed and communications enhanced. Economists believe – almost universally, which says something(! ) that globalisation is a net benefit. We will write a custom essay sample on The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade or any similar topic only for you Order Now But, if recent examples are to go by, there seems to be a growing doubt gnawing at its foundation. Globalisation faces a trilemma. Which is to be master? Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade. Free Trade For globalisation to succeed there needs to be a common acceptance of the frictionless flow of capital across borders and the determination to eliminate 2 impediments to the free movement of resources and products. Free trade is the pillar on which the argument for globalisation is founded. For the last decade we have lived with the prevailing sense that the globalised environment is here to stay. There has of course been a vigorous debate about how the benefits should be shared, the implications of the growing technology divide and the sustainability of regional development. But by and large the foundations have been in place. What has become disquieting recently has been the realisation that some of the most basic premises of globalisation are far from secure. The case for globalisation still has to be made. Globalisation still needs to be nurtured as a beneficial system and hown to be demonstrably favourable to all participants in the global market place. This is an argument that needs to be advanced and argued for and can not merely be assumed. Fear Trade But free trade seems to have been supplanted by fear trade. The recent actions in the United States to prevent the completion of the acquisition by the Dubai Ports World of the US ports previously owned by PO under lines the serious challenge to the argument. Here we have the US, the major exemplar of modern capitalism, wishing to restrict the take-over by one foreign company of another foreign company with operations in the United States. This action is unfortunately not an isolated example, it comes sharply on the heels of the decision to prevent CNOC, a Chinese company, from acquiring Unocal in the US. The ports case has become a testing place for the future direction of globalization. At issue is ownership. There are after all in any market regulations that govern ways in which corporations 3 act. In any event these ports will overwhelmingly be run by and managed, as they have been in the previous foreign owners’ hands, by US citizens. Of course there are arguments for national security. That would be true in any country. But it is of deep concern when these concerns are deployed selectively discriminating between one foreign owner and another. Friends of the United States, and I count myself as one, will do the country the highest favour by lobbying actively against these barriers. Not only on their merits but also because of the sign that is given. Free trade flourishes in a climate of reciprocal openness and mutual advantage, fear trade now seems to be an underlying assumption lurking not only in this decision in the United States but in other countries as well. Security, national interest, cultural preservation and other nationalist reactions can easily stoke these fears. Italy have complained about protectionist activities within the European Union, but recently, albeit unsuccessfully, Italy attempted to prevent nonItalian acquisitions of domestic banks. In France, the Prime Minister has attacked â€Å"fragmented share capital† as being a risk to independence and is looking to bolster the barriers to takeover activity in France. These trends will grow if the strongest and freest markets continue to act in a protectionist way. Those committed to developing sustainable and responsible flows of capital worldwide have a full task to remain vigilant to promote vigorously the need to have a competitive and sustainable global economic order. 4 All participants in the global economy, Government, business, consumers, will need to find a common language to prevent misunderstanding and actions that could easily lead to disastrous protectionist decisions similar to those in 1914 or the 1930’s. Protection can grow rapidly fuelled by job losses, eroding cultural influence, security concerns and ultimately the visceral reaction against foreigners. The openness of markets to trade and to the acquisition of assets lies at the centre of the future prosperity for all. There are risks if this protectionism grows unchecked. Inflation will creep back because the benefits of globalisation will not be felt, interest rates will therefore inevitably hedge higher with a sell-off in the bond markets, pressure on the equity markets and the inevitable liquidity problems could lead to capital controls. A dark scenario and one which I believe is avoidable. But it does require a concerted effort to win both the economic argument but also the ethical ones. Fair Trade Fair trade has therefore emerged in the debate. Unfortunately the concept seems to have been colonised by particular single interest lobby groups seeking to address for example levels of sub-economic activity in Africa and arguing for an increase in the price structure of consumer goods in the developed world. In the end the fairest trade will still be the freest provided the benefits are seen to be shared equitably. Globalised markets have to, and above all be seen to, benefit all: the strongest and the weakest. When the strong economies wish to exclude access to them by emerging economies the very base of the argument is eroded. For this reason, and in a different 5 sphere it remains a moral affront to those who are committed to future global prosperity that the WTO is unable to reach agreement to allow access, without the burden of duties, by the developing world to the markets of the economically prosperous world. You read "The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade" in category "Papers" The diverse global environment raises questions of standards and sustainability of economic activity. These are moral issues. They should be tackled as such. But that does not mean that they are not economic ones too. Take for example one of the questions that is posed by globalisation. Is the move away from regulated markets to unregulated ones simply a means of avoiding the high hurdles of regulation in the developed world? Take the tobacco industry for instance. Do the global tobacco companies seeking entrance into new markets do so in order to evade the onerous restrictions of the major OECD markets? Similarly polluting factories in third world countries where the desire for employment places pressure on local governments to allow activities which would be frowned on in the home countries of multi-national corporations. Low labour costs have brought huge advantages to consumers in the Western world but at what cost to the emerging markets in which they operate? But the moral debate is not a one way street. The clash of civilisations was a debate in ancient Rome and Greece long before Huntingdon raised the topic, but globalisation now means that people find out much more about each others’ cultures much more rapidly. It is true that many international corporations have seen their numerators expand as the top line has grown through sales to emerging markets. Similarly, the 6 denominators of the P L have benefitted as costs have shrunk through outsourcing and manufacturing at lower costs. But on the other hand many emerging markets have also benefitted as their standards of living have increased and transparency has grown. If we wish to make poverty history and I profoundly hope that this objective remains at the forefront of every global citizen then it will come about by working with the grain of capital flows, by recognizing the reward for risk and through supportive actions by Government creating the climate for enterprise to flourish. We work on the natural assumption that it is a good thing to understand each other’s cultures, aspirations and diversity. However we do have to work on one unfortunate fact of human life. It is not good news but bad news that travels fastest. The Danish cartoon incidents and the activities of radical minorities are flashed across our screens and soon become representative of the cultures being depicted. Every global business will need to develop the necessary training programmes not only to enable the free flow of information to work effectively but to determine how globalising information could bring together incompatible elements of culture. Essentially this is a political question – how can free speech and cultural sensitivities be reconciled? But ultimately it will be on the ground an important issue for businesses who try to create core values for global workforces. Will education of itself lead to greater tolerance? This is a topic too large for this address. But suffice it to say that education and prosperity will not of themselves eliminate global tensions though they are essential pre-requisites. 7 8 Diversity Diversity is important to this process. Diversity enhances competitiveness enabling the most innovative, creative solutions to be advanced as perspectives, eclectically drawn across cultures, countries, products, markets are pooled to provide answers to the issues of the day. For example, UBS needs talented people who can efficiently and effectively work across multiple cultures and time zones. Diversity is therefore not an issue merely of gender or ethnicity but it reflects an open and flexible culture which tries to understand the motivations and aspirations of different people and their points of view. These dialogues above all are integrated into the day to day operations of the firm. To respond to the pressures and to come up with innovative solutions requires close co-operation and the working together of a very disparate group of people with a very common set of values and a common desire to understand and appreciate the ways in which common goals can be achieved whilst recognising diverse and local aspirations. There is I believe an even more fundamental issue that will require addressing. There is strong evidence that in a young and mobile workforce material satisfaction is not sufficient to retain their commitment and motivation. There is a deep hunger, almost spiritual, that is diffused and not traditionally expressed but which needs addressing. There is a desire among young people across the globe that there is more to life than the pursuit of material prosperity. Concern for the environment, for just practices in the workplace and for a balanced working life are key themes in this emerging generation. Traditionally this has been a â€Å"no go† area. After all religion and work do not mix. But any desire for a values-based organisation will require 9 careful attention to be given to a much deeper understanding and respect for he religious beliefs, cultural and spiritual aspirations of this new global workforce. A new dialogue of understanding faith in business space is rapidly becoming a global imperative for business. Securities Industry Having made these general remarks it is worth looking at trends in the financial industry. ? Expansion of the Business: Financial sector activities are likely to experience substantial growth over the next decade. Two reasons can be singled out: Deregulation and liberalization mainly in emerging markets, and wealth accumulation and retirement provisioning all over the world. Over the past few decades, the trend towards deregulation and liberalization in financial services has contributed significantly to the industry’s expansion. This process is well advanced in many countries, mainly in the mature markets, but further liberalization is, however, likely in emerging market countries where domestic markets are still highly protected. In general, further liberalization of financial markets is expected to benefit investment banking and securities firms which are positioned to 10 ake advantage of any further opening of individual domestic capital markets. Global asset managers could benefit from the facilitation of cross-border mutual fund business, and possibly from a tre nd towards harmonized pension fund regulation. †¢ Especially in mature markets, but basically to a global extent, financial sector activities are also likely to gain further importance, mainly due to two trends: On the one hand, wealth accumulation is likely to increase as a result of the shift from labour-intensive production to more capital-intensive activities. We see a clear secular trend towards wealth accumulation that is likely to continue over the next decade. On the other hand, the fact that in the coming decades, most developed countries will be confronted with significant demographic shifts leads to a trend that pension reform is on the agenda of many governments around the world. Although each country will follow its own regulatory agenda, we believe a gradual shift from public unfunded to private funded pension schemes is likely to take place. Institutional asset management will be the sector most impacted by this trend. ? Increasing Diversity of the Business: Financial market products are getting increasingly diverse and sophisticated with the main characteristics being securitisation, equitisation, and corporate restructuring. 11 †¢ The transformation of financial services over the last years has been driven primarily by the increasing de-emphasis of traditional lending activities combined with the increasing importance of securities trading and financial markets. Corporations are frequently in a position to directly finance their funding needs by accessing the capital markets, expanding corporate bond markets. At the same time, an increase in bank assets has fueled growth in the securitisation of these assets. We expect these trends to continue, as increasing transparency will further facility financing by way of the securities market. †¢ Despite the bursting of the new economy bubble, the underlying trend towards an increasing role of equity finance and equity investments remains intact. Institutional and individual market participants will tend to invest a greater share of their assets into equity products and the corporate sector will increasingly rely on equity financing. We see long-term secular trends pointing towards an ongoing demand for advice on corporate restructuring, as trade liberalization and technological progress will increase global competition for corporations, pressuring them in turn to restructure and consolidate their business. At the same time, cross-border consolidation in some industries has just begun. ? Further internationalization of business and new markets: It is crucial for financial sector firms to have at the same time both a strong 12 footprint in mature markets and expand actively into emerging markets. Economic growth is a key indicator of the potential for financial services in different regional markets. We expect the largest absolute GDP increase over the next 10 years to occur in North America, followed by Asia and Western Europe. Even though North America is set to grow at a slower rate than Asia, the absolute GDP increase will be higher. This demonstrates the importance of having a significant presence in the US and other mature markets. †¢ At the same time, emerging markets, especially emerging Asia, have a huge potential. GDP growth in China averaged more than 9% since 1979, and India is on track to achieve a high sustainable growth path in the foreseeable future. Other markets in the region are benefiting from the increased demand in the region and globally, increasing the attractiveness for global financial firms. Another important emerging area is the Gulf region, driven by sky-high oil prices and some first steps towards a further diversification of the countries’ economic structure. Based on remarkable macroeconomic stablisation efforts in recent years, Latin America finally seems to have overcome its historical volatility, providing interesting nvestment opportunities. 13 ? Alternative Asset Managers: Hedge funds and buyout groups are raising ever increasing sums of money to be deployed principally cross border. The current size of the hedge fund market is estimated at US$ 1. 2 trillion and will expand significantly in the years ahead. Highly liquid and mobile capital should not be seen a s restless capital. Opportunities for long term foreign direct investments in the emerging markets continue to grow as infrastructure projects absorb capital and new investment opportunities allow for petro dollars and other pools of investment funds to help grow these economies. Challenges An international presence in diverse global environment creates substantial challenges. Global firms have to integrate diverse cultures, strike the balance between global reach and local presence, match the structure and characteristics of its international workforce with functional and regional business needs, and establish infrastructure and processes to provide global communication and co-operation means. ? Integrating cultural diversity: A global firm’s clients and employees are generally, at least to a significant extent, not global in their nature and characteristics, but are based and anchored in their respective home countries. This determines a broad variability of cultural and religious habits, business styles and customs, and consumptions models and needs a global firm is confronted with on a day by day 14 basis. In order to achieve long-term profitability and growth, this variability has to be managed and integrated into the firm. ? Striking the balance between global reach and local presence: In order to be perceived as a global player, global firms have to establish a global strategy and business model. At the same time, due to the cultural diversity mentioned above, specific market and customer orientation has to be focused along country-specific needs. This is true for the products offered to the customers, the communication employed to establish and strengthen links with clients and stakeholders, and for every other interaction between the firm and the outside (local) world. ? Finding and strengthening a diversified workforce: Especially in the area of service providers, well-skilled staff is crucial for the long-term success of the company. International mobility and intercultural skills have to be ade core value of every corporate culture. Therefore, human capital management and attracting best people is crucial, especially as the international competition for skilled workforce becomes harder and more intense. Especially in the financial sector, specialist knowledge is required and decides on success in a specific region or business area. Hence, if companies wants to achieve co ntinuous success, it has to establish internal talent development and management processes to ensure that employees are promoted in their personal and professional development. To distinguish itself from its competitors, firms have to offer their staff unique development opportunities, thereby attracting current and future leaders. 15 ? Managing critical resources: Internal processes, corporate communication and IT face considerable challenges in a diverse global environment. As such, it is challenging to guarantee a consistent appearance in terms of brand, strategy and communication. In addition, doing business all over the world is especially challenging for the IT infrastructure and for know-how sharing on a global level. Yet, this offers economies of scale and synergies at the same time, e. g. y streamlining the brand and the public appearance, by having one integrated IT and know-how sharing platform and by reviewing internal processes re duplications, potential for improvements inefficiency and for streamlining and simplifying processes. UBS manages these challenges and makes them opportunities ? One Firm: We firmly believe our integrated business mod el creates more value than our businesses would as stand-alone units. Our clients all over the globe should effortlessly be able to access all the services our firm can provide, where and when they are required, and regardless of what combinations of teams lie behind the solutions. This â€Å"one firm† approach facilitates cross-selling through client referrals and the exchange of produces and distribution services between businesses and thus contributes significantly to our revenue flows. The integrated business model and our â€Å"one firm† approach enable us to combine global reach with local sensitivity. 16 ? Innovative products: As one of the leading global financial services groups, UBS actively shapes the future development of financial markets. As such, challenges emerging from today’s diverse global environment are converted into opportunities by meeting emerging cultural and business needs with innovative products tailored to specific cultural requirements. Another example is the growing importance of hedge funds on international financial markets, where UBS offers products and services specifically targeted at these clients. ? Managing and promoting diversity: †¢ To UBS, diversity means recognizing and appreciating multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives within its organisation. UBS builds on these differences to produce cross-cultural teams that generate new ideas and creative solutions for our increasingly diverse clients. †¢ Diversity consists of a broad range of aspects that vary in their degree of visibility going from gender over ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, nationality to though. †¢ In addition, senior management takes the topic seriously and is often participating in meetings and employee forums on the topic. ? Corporate Social Responsibility: UBS makes responsible behavior an important part of its culture, identity and business practice. As a 7 leading global financial services firm, UBS wants to provide our clients with value-added products and services, promote a corporate culture that adheres to the highest ethical standards, and generate superior but sustainable returns for our shareholders. In order to retain the trust society gives to UBS, UBS conducts its business responsibly and at the same time engages in the communities that it is part of. Socially Responsible Investments In additional to financial considerations, UBS provides expertise in incorporating environmental and social aspects into our research and environmental activities. Advice on social investments not only have to take into account financial considerations but also environment, social and ethical criteria. Human Resources To remain at the cutting edge of the rapid changes in the diverse global economy requires an enormous investment in leadership training talent management and attention to cultivating an environment within which entrepreneurial spirit can flourish. The handling of outsourcing, one of the most dynamic developments in the global economy, has become an important part of the HR process. It emains a challenge when developing outsourcing plans to minimize the impact on existing employees, to plan the transition with meticulous 18 execution and to ensure that the benefits are understood and communicated well before the plans inevitably leak out. Managing declining morale and performance of remaining employees is vital as they often suffer anxiety, envy and a last gasp of invigorated competitiveness. Any outsourcing activity is a time of u pheaval and it is important therefore to underline not only what is changing but also what is not. Conclusion Let me conclude by saying that global organizations face an unprecedented opportunity to grow their worldwide businesses. With this comes increased prosperity and therefore the need to ensure the attractions of globalisation are well understood by all participants; that the benefits of increased profitability are seen to be in the interests of all stakeholders not only the shareholders; and that the barriers to the flows of capital are removed as often as they are erected. Fear trade has no place in a fair and free globalised world. How to cite The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade, Papers

Tax Cuts in Keynesian Economics

Introduction Unemployment forms one of the major government concerns in most countries and states of the world. In situations of elevated levels of unemployment, many people are left with no money to spend thus leading to low demand for products.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tax Cuts in Keynesian Economics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Decrease in demand makes many businesses and companies to go out of business or lay-off their workers as the level of unemployment grows. Through physical policy and multiplier effect, the government is able to manipulate the economy by controlling or managing demand levels (Slater, 2007). Aggregate demand According to Keynesian, reduction in tax manipulates aggregate demand thus stimulating or reviving the economy. When taxes are lowered, people remain with more money to spend thus increasing the aggregate demand for products. Increase in aggregate demand leads to rise in Re al GDP thus reviving the economy (Sheffrin, 2003). Physical policy The issue of fiscal policy is entirely based on Keynesian economics as derived by John Maynard Keynes’ theories. According to Keynes theory, the government is capable of influencing the economy by either increasing or decreasing taxes and manipulating its spending level. Manipulating government’s spending leads to change in position of the aggregate demand because the government forms part of the aggregate demand. By cutting taxes, the government increases disposable income of consumers. The consumers will now have more money in their pockets to spend. This happens when the economy proves to be sluggish. When the public consumption or spending increases, more money is pumped into the economy leading to an expansionary effect. On the other hand, reduction in the level of government’s spending and increase in taxes contracts the economy. â€Å"Therefore, expansionary fiscal policy which involves t ax reduction and rise in government transfer payments shifts the aggregate demand curve to the right thus reviving the economy† (Larch, 2009, p. 125).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Contractionary fiscal policy involves tax increase and reduction in government transfer payments thus shifting the aggregate demand curve to the left† (Larch, 2009, p. 126). Multiplier effect Considering Keynesian multiplier, the economy is supposed to encounter a rippled effect. This is due to funding by the government which increases level of consumption. Rise in consumption levels increases level of aggregate demand for products thus leading to growth of economy from recessionary period. Keynesian suggests that growth of economy from recessionary period encourages employment (Heyne, 2002). This is because of high demand from people to consume more thus making supply firms t o increase in number and hire more workers. In multiplier effect, an increase in spending like rise in government outlays is actually a multiple of that increase and continues in the same trend until a potential is reached. â€Å"The increase in spending decreases considerably after every step making the multiplier process to tape-off and allow for equilibrium attainment† (Sheffrin, 2003, p.121). In the case of closed economy, decrease in tax payments at these steps increases consumer spending and multiplier effect size thus increase in aggregate demand. This revives the economy. Conclusion In general, revival of economy largely depends on the aggregate demand. Tax reduction seems to be one of the actions that shift the aggregate demand curve. Reduction in taxes makes more money available to consumers thus leading to increase in consumption. Increase in consumption is associated with increased demand for products and rise in spending levels. This pumps money into the economy leading to its revival. Fiscal policy and multiplier effect also affects aggregate demand thus stimulating the economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tax Cuts in Keynesian Economics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Heyne, P. (2002). The economic way of thinking. Journal of economy, 6(2), 46-59. Larch, M. (2009). Fiscal policy making in the European union. An Assessment of Current Practice and Challenges, 2(14), 121-127. Sheffrin, M. (2003). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Slater, S. (2007). Economics (9th ed.). London: Routledge. This essay on Tax Cuts in Keynesian Economics was written and submitted by user Lea Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System

Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System Babylonian mathematics used a sexagesimal (base 60) system that was so functional it remains in effect, albeit with some tweaks, in the 21st century. Whenever people tell time or make reference to the degrees of a circle, they rely on the base 60 system. Base 10 or Base 60 The system surfaced circa 3100 BCE, according to The New York Times. â€Å"The number of seconds in a minute - and minutes in an hour - comes from the base-60 numeral system of ancient Mesopotamia,† the paper noted. Although the system has stood the test of time, it is not the dominant numeral system used today. Instead, most of the world relies on the base 10 system of Hindu-Arabic origin. The number of factors distinguishes the base 60 system from its base 10 counterpart, which likely developed from people counting on both hands. The former system uses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60 for base 60, while the latter uses 1, 2, 5, and 10 for base 10. The Babylonian mathematics system may not be as popular as it once was, but it has advantages over the base 10 system because the number 60 â€Å"has more divisors than any smaller positive integer,† the Times pointed out. Instead of using times tables, the Babylonians multiplied using a formula that depended on knowing just the squares. With only their table of squares (albeit going up to a monstrous 59 squared), they could compute the product of two integers, a and b, using a formula similar to: ab [(a b)2 - (a - b)2]/4. The Babylonians even knew the formula that’s today known as the Pythagorean theorem. History Babylonian math has roots in the numeric system started by the Sumerians, a culture that began about 4000 BCE in Mesopotamia, or southern Iraq, according to ​USA Today. â€Å"The most commonly accepted theory holds that two earlier peoples merged and formed the Sumerians,† USA Today reported. â€Å"Supposedly, one group based their number system on 5 and the other on 12. When the two groups traded together, they evolved a system based on 60 so both could understand it.† That’s because five multiplied by 12 equals 60. The base 5 system likely originated from ancient peoples using the digits on one hand to count. The base 12 system likely originated from other groups using their thumb as a pointer and counting by using the three parts on four fingers, as three multiplied by four equals 12. The main fault of the Babylonian system was the absence of a zero. But the ancient Maya’s vigesimal (base 20) system had a zero, drawn as a shell. Other numerals were lines and dots, similar to what is used today to tally. Measuring Time Because of their mathematics, the Babylonians and Maya had elaborate and fairly accurate measurements of time and the calendar. Today, with the most advanced technology ever, societies still must make temporal adjustments - almost 25 times per century to the calendar and a few seconds every few years to the atomic clock. There’s nothing inferior about modern math, but Babylonian mathematics may make a useful alternative to children who experience difficulty learning their times tables.

Complete Breakdown of Every ACT Reading Question Type

Complete Breakdown of Every ACT Reading Question Type SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It’s helpful to know how much certain types of questions show up on the ACT Reading section in order to make the most of your studying. We’ve collected data from publicly available ACT tests on the types of questions that show up most frequently. In this article I’ll go through the different question types, how much they show up on the test, and how this information can help you. What Are the ACT Reading Question Types? Before we go through the distribution of question types on the test, I’ll give a brief outline of the different question categories we’ve established and what each one entails. Type 1: Big Picture Questions Big picture questions deal with the main subject of the passage or the narrator’s overall point of view.These types of questions require you to look at the passage holistically rather than focusing on one specific section. Example of a big picture question: The main theme of this passage concerns the: A. difficulty of first starting and then maintaining a friendship.B. process of making a new friend and how the friendship changes the narrator.C. problems the narrator has dealing with the loss of her former neighbors.D. differences in the lives led by two pairs of adults who at different times lived in the same house. Type 2: Little Picture/Detail Questions Little picture/detail questions will ask about a small piece of factual information in a passage.These are the most straightforward questions because they are completely literal; it’s just a matter of finding the correct information. Example of a little picture/detail question: According to the passage, the research that led to the development of the small-comet theory began with a project originally intended to study: A. the electrical activity accompanying sunspots.B. water entering Earth’s upper atmosphere.C. static in satellite transmissions.D. specks in satellite images. Type 3: Vocabulary in Context Questions Vocabulary in context questions ask about the meaning of a word in the context of the passage.They might also give you something in the passage to reference and then ask you to choose the vocabulary word that best describes it.These questions provide a line number for the word they're referencing, so that makes them a bit less time-consuming. Example of a vocabulary in context question: As it is used in line 58, the word humor most nearly means: A. personality.B. whim.C. mood.D. comedy. Type 4: Development and Function Questions Development and function questions askhow a certain paragraph or phrase functions in the context of a passage, how the argument in the passage is developed, or how the author structures the passage.These questions gauge your understanding of how thoughts should be organized in writing in general or why they might be arranged a certain way for a specific argument. Example of a development and function question: The main function of the second paragraph (lines 20-29) is to: A. identify some of Armstrong’s mentors, such as King Oliver.B. list some of the early events in Armstrong’s developing career.C. contrast Armstrong’s opinions of King Oliver and Fletcher Henderson.D. describe the musical style Armstrong developed jointly with Fletcher Henderson. Type 5: Inference Questions Inference questions ask you to make inferences based on a logical extension of information found in the passage.These types of questions are often perceived as difficult and subjective, but they can always be solved by looking at information directly presented in the passage. They just require a couple more steps in your thought process. Example of an inference question: It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the woman most strongly desires to attain which of the following qualities from dreaming? A. RelaxationB. Self-awarenessC. EntertainmentD. Self-control How does she know....she isn't already in a dream? I have to admit, the special effects almost distracted me from the sheer ridiculousness of this movie. Distribution of Question Types Here is a chart that lists all the different question types on the ACT Reading section along with their average distributions on the test: Question Type Average Number of Questions Percentage of Questions Big Picture 4 10% Little Detail 18 45% Vocabulary in Context 3 8% Development and Function 9 22% Inference 6 15% All Questions 40 100% ACT Reading always presents four types of passages in order on every test: Prose/Literary Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science.I'll go through the different question types again below, explaining their distribution on the test and whether they tend to show up more often with passages in certain topic areas. Big Picture Questions On each of the four publicly available tests we analyzed, we found four questions that could definitively be identified as big picture questions.This covers main point and point of view questions.Essentially, because there are four topic areas on the ACT Reading section, you should expect to see about one big picture question per topic area.They comprise4 out of 40 reading questions on average, so they only make up about 10% of the Reading section. Little Picture/Detail Questions Detail questions are the most common questions on the ACT Reading section.On the tests we analyzed, detail questions made up from 12 to 21 questions out of 40, so as much as half of the entire Reading section.On average, they’re about 45% of each test. This is good news because detail questions are the simplest ones to answer!These questions come down to reading carefully and finding the correct details in the passage. They’re more about time management than critical thinking. Vocabulary in Context Questions Vocabulary in context questions made up a relatively small percentage of questions on the tests we sampled.On one of the tests, we didn’t find any!On average, you can expect there to be about 3 vocabulary in context questions on the Reading section, so less than 10% of questions.This brings home the fact that knowing vocabulary is not very important on the ACT - it’s such a small portion of the test that it’s not going to be significant overall. Vocabulary in context questions tend to show up the most often in the Natural Science topic area, so along with the final passage or pair of passages in the reading section. Development and Function Questions Development and function questions are the second most common question type on the ACT Reading section.You’ll probably see about 7 to 10 function questions on the Reading section, so about 2 for each passage.They made up about20% of questions on each of the tests we analyzed. Development and function questions tend to show up the most often with the Humanities passage or pair of passages, so you'll commonly see them in questions 21-30. Inference Questions Inference questions are also common, but they're not quite as prevalent as function questions.It seems to depend on the test. I saw a wide range in how many inference questions were tested; on one test there were only 3, and on another there were 10.Inference questions usually make up about 15% of questions on the ACT Reading section.Inference questions are relatively even in terms of their distribution across subject areas. Your brain after being ENLIGHTENED. This really confuses me though - isn't the lightbulb supposed to be above your brain? Why is the brain inside the lightbulb? I don't have all the answers. How Does This Information Affect Your Approach to ACT Reading? Here are a few tips based on what we know about question distribution on the ACT Reading section. You can save yourself time by tailoring your approach to the types of questions you'll see most frequently. Adapt Your Passage Reading Strategy The biggest challenge on the ACT Reading section is not the difficulty of the questions - it’s time.Many people run out of time on ACT Reading because they haven’t nailed down a good strategy for reading the passages yet.They move too slowly and miss out on some of the questions. Because detail questions are the most common questions on the ACT, one strategy is to skip the passage initially and head straight for the questions.For questions that ask about a specific detail, it’s not critical to know the overarching structure of the passage. You just need to do a little search and find to locate the relevant detail. Once you answer the detail questions, which make up close to half of the questions for each passage, you will likely have a strong enough sense of the main point of the passage to answer more challenging inference, development and function, and big picture questions.Vocabulary in context questions can usually be answered without reading the passage first as well, since the line number is provided. Of course, if you’re already a fast reader and don’t have trouble with time pressure on the Reading section, feel free to continue to read the passage first.Some people prefer to skim and then head for the questions, but you should know that the distribution of question types on the ACT means that you don’t HAVE to read the whole passage first. Attention to Detail is Key As we now know, little picture/detail questions are the most common question type on the ACT.It follows, then, that attention to detail is critical on the test!I want to stress again that most of these questions are not that hard. What makes them difficult is time pressure along with a few tricky answer choices that you might fall for if you’re rushing. Avoid making assumptions, and don’t rush through the question if you can avoid it.Many of the mistakes students make on the ACT Reading section could be avoided by reading more carefully and paying attention to keywords or details in the passage.If you have any time at the end of the section, go back and check over your answers so that you can be sure you didn’t misread anything. Keep in mind the fact that all questions on the ACT Reading section, not just little detail questions, can be solved successfully by looking closely at the passage and finding direct evidence for your answers. Don’t Worry Too Much About Vocabulary Vocabulary usually gets a lot of attention in standardized test prep because it gives you the opportunity to focus on something concrete. It's evident from the question distribution numbers, however, thatvocabulary is almost a non-issue on the ACT. There will be a few vocabulary in context questions, but the words in these questions are not particularly advanced.These questions require strong reading comprehension skillsso you can understand variations in the meanings of common terms based on context.Your passage reading skills will be much more critical than your vocabulary knowledge when answering vocabulary in context questions. NOT TODAY! Summary There are five types of questions that you’ll encounter on the ACT Reading section: Big Picture Little Detail Vocabulary in Context Development and Function Inference The most common are little detail questions, then development and function questions, then inference questions, and finally big picture and vocabulary in context questions with about the same frequency. Based on this information about question distribution, you should: Read passages more strategically Pay close attention to detail Reduce time spent on studying vocabulary Now that you know the types of questions you'll see on the ACT Reading section, you can feel even more secure in your preparedness for the test! What's Next? For more information about ACT Reading, check out my other articles on the hardest questions you'll see on the Reading section and thefundamental strategyyou need to know to succeed on ACT Reading. You should also take a look at our guide to getting a perfect 36 on the Reading section if you're applying to very competitive colleges. If you're taking the ACT soon, read this article on the best way to practice for the Reading section! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Runic Alphabets in Scandinavia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Runic Alphabets in Scandinavia - Essay Example Sadly, the meanings of these symbols and their purpose are now lost. Like runes, they were believed to be used for divination and they may have strongly influenced the magical function of later runic alphabets (Smith 1996). Historians and anthropologists are uncertain about the early uses of runes. They may have been used as actual characters for writing. However, the name rune suggests that they were also used as mystical signs or symbols which possess powerful magic. Early Germanic literature bear testimony to the magical character of runes. The Edda, a series of poems, and folk songs to these modern days attest to the influence that runes have on humanity. In fact, the supernatural powers of runes are said to have not only influence, but can overcome natural and physical laws. Runes can summon rain or violent thunderstorms. They can break chains and shackles, or bind men into them. They can heal illness or cause someone to suffer disease. They could raise the dead from their graves. Warriors can become invincible with the help of runes, and cause his weapon to inflict mortal wounds to the enemy. Runes can make men mad, as they can also protect men from the deceitful designs of others. Runes are generally considered as of divine origin, since Odin himself, as related in the Edda, had to sacrifice his person in order to learn the secrets of the runes. Odin was also the foremost runemaster, according to Germanic literature, and was known to have used the stones to exercise personal revenge. Simultaneous with the magical use of runes, there is also evidence that they were used as a means of communication. These messages may have been popular or used in secret. Saga of Egill Skallagrmsson, his daughter Thorger apparently carved the Sunatorrek -- a beautiful poem on a runic staff or runakefli -- where Egill laments the death of his son. Stone monuments are also lasting evidence of the roles played by runes in olden times. These are more common in England and Scandinavia. Some of these monuments simply bear the name of a fallen warrior. Others relate his life and exploits. Since these runic inscriptions were often found in England and Scandinavia, it could be inferred that the use of runes for such purpose may be a later development (Ward & Waller, ed.). II. Discussion A. General Development and Transformation of Runes Runes are also known as Futharks, named for the first six letters in their alphabet, namely, F, U, Th, A, R, and K. The Elder Futhark has 24 letters, the Younger Futhark has 16 letters. Futhark was brought into England by the Anglo-Saxons and transformed into the 33-letter Futhorc, which accommodated the phonetic changes which occurred in Old English (AncientScripts.com). The runes of Scandinavia can be classified into three periods. They are also not related to the Futhorc of the Anglo-Saxon. The first period dates from around 175 A.D. to the 8th century. However, some evidence show that the period may have started much earlier, as far back as 50 A.D. This period is referred to as the Primitive Norse, and Christianity had not yet reached that far north. The language was called Primitive Old Norse for the Nordic Inscriptions and were in Germanic or Gothic languages in lands farther south. The language of this

Entrepreneurial Innovations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneurial Innovations - Research Paper Example In addition, the wide-ranging availability of the Internet for performing business-related tasks of the businesses, sellers, and buyers is the primary reason behind the development of electronic commerce (or simply e-commerce). Actually, â€Å"electronic commerce is the method of selling and purchasing services and goods and products performed electronically by means of computerized business transactions over the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies† (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 25; Stair & Reynolds, 2003, p. 19). There are different kinds of innovations in the context of IT, which can be implemented by an organization to upgrade their business processes. For instance, an organization can automate their business process, implement an e-commerce portal or use the Internet for marketing strategies and so on. Innovation in the context of organizational change also plays a significant function in the business organizations. No matter, whether a business organization is going to formulate or launch a new product, or going to introduce a new service, or going to invent and put into practice a technological invention that can change the business processes or a new management tool or technique, innovation, and organizational change helps the business organization develop and put into operation a business strategy and infrastructure. In fact, many business organizations invest a higher proportion of their finances in forming and implementing an innovation strategy than others.  

Compulsory and Voluntary Voting Policies in Democracy

Compulsory and Voluntary Voting Policies in Democracy The right to a free and fair vote is a staple in the democratic process. However, there is debate over whether or not this process is best implemented when the population has the choice to engage in the political system or whether or not it should be mandated.[1] Many people claim that the best system to follow is the one that they are a part of, however in countries where different voting policies are implemented; there is empirical data that can be used to determine whether compulsory voting or voluntary voting produces better results and whether it tends to enhance the quality of democracy. Yet many people will still argue that just analyzing empirical data is not enough to determine whether or not compulsory voting more democratic due to intrinsic reasons. Both of these approaches make it difficult to discern whether or not compulsory voting is more democratically favourable however upon analysis of the two different voting systems, I have found that the arguments that oppose com pulsory voting are not substantive enough to discredit the evidence as to why it does improve upon the essence of democracy. That is why in this essay I argue that compulsory voting does enhance the quality of democracy. What does it mean to enhance the quality of democracy and what is the importance of determining how to advance it? Democracy, at its most basic definition, means the rule by the people. When analyzing the quality of democracy of a state, what is being analyzed is how well the citizens of that state (the people) are represented in the policies that are passed. If the democratic representatives of the government pass laws that a majority of the people in the state do not want, then the quality of democracy is poor. It is not the people that are ruling in this case, but rather the elite few. The issue of compulsory versus voluntary voting is a very relevant issue in todays day and age because a lot of people are disenfranchised by politics. People lose faith in their political system because they feel like they are not being represented. This in turn leads to a less politically active society which is not concerned by the issues that affect them and then often times their lives are made worse due to their lack of input in the policies that are passed. This circular downwards spiral further alienates people and future voters, demonstrating the need for maximizing representation in democratic political systems. The quality of the system cannot be improved until the people are represented to the nations fullest potential. When analyzing which voting system would be the best to implement in order to enhance democracy, it is important to evaluate societies where these different voting styles are implemented. The American voting system is an ideal case study when considering the effects of voluntary voting. The United States and its citizens pride themselves on being a shining example of freedom and democracy. To many people across the world, it has become synonymous with the idea of a perfect democratic system which all other nations strive to achieve. However statistically, the vast majority of citizens in the United States are very poorly represented by their democratic government[2]. For example, a study done by Princeton and Northwestern Universities found that on economic policies, the policy preferences of the average citizen only get implemented less than 20% of the time while the policies preferred by business interests and economic elites are implemented the vast majority of the time, demonstra ting how the median citizen or median voter at the heart of theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy does not do well when put up against economic elites and organized interest groups[3]. This in turn leads to the main flaw with the voluntary voting system. People refuse to be involved in the democratic process because they lose faith in their representatives. This in turn leads to worse social and economic situations for the majority of citizens in the state. The United States is a prime example of this. The United States has a relatively low election turnout rate, ranking 22nd in the modern world.[4] The United States is also has the highest total global personal wealth yet 80.56% of that wealth resides among the top few.[5] In fact, more than three quarters of all Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck.[6] With a voluntary voting system, the American government tends to leave the people behind in favour big money interests. A defining argument in favour of compulsory votin g is that compulsory voting will alleviate the socio-economic inequalities in a society because if everyone voices which policies they want to see implemented into their law, then the politicians will be severely pressured into pushing for those policies if they wish to stay elected, and hence policies that benefit the majority of the people will be implemented.[7] Americans and others who believe in that voluntary voting is more beneficial than compulsory voting will refute this claim by stating that if you force non-politically active citizens to vote, you cannot infer that they will vote in their own interests because they would not have a good understanding on who to vote for to implement their ideas.[8] They claim that people who would stay home and not vote in a voluntary system would just vote arbitrarily in a compulsory system. The flaw with this objection is that it assumes that everyone who doesnt vote does so because they have absolutely zero interest in voting. There are many reasons that people do not vote in a voluntary system other than being apolitical. For example, voting could be a large enough inconvenience for so poorer people so they decide to stay home.[9] People also choose not to vote even though they have policy opinions because they believe their vote is just one in a million so it doesnt make a difference and furthermore could just lack the motivation to express vote.[10] If all these people were pressured to vote, the elected representatives would better represent the views of the overall population and democracy would be enhanced. Australias voting system is the antithesis of Americas. If you are over 18, it is your legal duty to register to vote and to go the polls. Failure to do this will result in a fine and a potential day in court.[11] This form of pressure is meant to increase the participation levels in elections and better represent the will of the public. Multiple studies have been done checking if this theory translates to real world policy and they all come to the same conclusion: [Compulsory voting] can increase the salience of elections and make voting more rational and meaningful and it can enhance and protect such values as representativeness, legitimacy and political equality. It also has the potential to break the counterproductive cycle of low efficacy, alienation, non-participation and state neglect that has led to an increasingly moribund political culture.[12] The studies found that compulsory voting remedied one of the biggest problems with voluntary voting which is the Socio-economic status voting gap.[13] When observing the history of Australias voting population before the compulsory voting law was passed, it was revealed that turnout disproportionally represented those in higher socio-economic status while many people who were in a lower economic status abstained from voting for a various amount of reasons.[14] Many people who argue in favour of voluntary voting disagree with the idea that the socio-economic status voting gap should be addressed by compulsory voting because they claim that if peoples lives were already very burdensome so much so that they didnt vote when they had the opportunity because it was so inconvenient, then there shouldnt be a law that inconveniences them further by forcing them to vote.[15] The problem with this argument is that it misses the fact that peoples lives became less burdensome because of them bein g represented in their system[16], and so compulsory voting was for their own good, and hence the quality of democracy improved. When evaluating whether or not compulsory voting enhances democracy, people who  support voluntary voting say that simply analyzing statistics is not enough. They claim that a reflection must be done on whether compulsory voting is right by the fundamental nature of democracy. One of the aspects in measuring the legitimacy of democracy is checking if there is A free and independent citizenry[17]. This means that the public has absolute freedom of speech and a right to protest, demonstrate, and preach with dissent from the government. The argument then comes up that abstention from voting is a form of expression, and therefore any attempt to remove this democratic right would be dictatorial and would actually be diminishing democracy, not enhancing it.[18] However, this claim is refuted by the idea of the social contract. The social contract is the pillar upon which authority is given legitimacy in a democratic state. By choosing to live in a democratic system, the collective is obl igated to contribute to certain areas of society. As with paying taxes and jury duty, compulsory voting is just another duty that the citizens of a state are obligated to comply with under the social contract. Since the social contract is the strongest case made for accepting authority in a democracy, then having compulsory voting as a citizen duty would not tarnish the quality of a democracy because it would seen as legitimate. In countries like Australia where compulsory voting has become the status-quo, it is not thought of as dictatorial or tyrannical in anyway.[19] It has become a culturally accepted norm. However, countries where this idea is viewed as taboo would view this as an attack on freedom. A case study by Lisa Hill on Americas low voter turnout found that the idea of being compelled to vote is anathema to many Americans and it would undoubtedly meet with vigorous resistance on a number of fronts.[20] Unless there is a cultural shift that would allow the assimilation o f these kinds of new ideas, compelling people to vote could possibly weaken the quality of democracy in countries like America because their citizenry would have a difficult time integrating it into their established system. However, there are ways to remedy these rejections of policy. Hill explains that methods that have been approached to improve public acceptance of compulsory voting were to clarify existing requirements, give the people optional preferential voting, and to expand the voters option for political expressions. The objections to implementing compulsory voting are rooted in status-quo biases and are under the assumption that it is not possible to change the cultural views of citizens on policies which have not been adapted yet. These objections falls flat due to these policies being implemented into other countries successfully through smart execution plans and therefore it has increased the quality of democracy, not decreased it. Compulsory voting enhances the quality of democracy because it provides a better representation the needs of all the people in society. When analyzing a country without compulsory voting such as America, it is found that the views of the people are not what is represented by the policies that end up being passed because a large majority of the people who tend to be lower class do not engage in their political system. However, in a country that does have compulsory voting such as Australia, the socio-economic status voting gap is greatly diminished and the policies that end up being passed are more representative of what the people want. Many common objections to compulsory voting are that it is burdensome and it decreases freedom. These objections do not hold up because in countries where it is implemented, the system ends up benefitting more people and becomes culturally accepted to the point where it does not become an issue. Therefore, compulsory voting does end up producing bette r results and improves the quality of democracy. Bibliography Beck, Katie. Australia election: Why is voting compulsory? BBC News, August 27, 2013. DeSilver, Drew. U.S. voter turnout trails most developed countries. Pew Research Center, August 02, 2016. Gilens, Martin, and Benjamin I. Page. Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics 12, no. 3 (2014): 564-581. Heywood, Andrew. Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Sathel, Trevor. Pros and Cons: A Debaters Handbook. London: Routledge. 1999. Hill, Lisa. Compulsory Voting in Australia: A Basis for a Best Practice Regime. Federal Law Review 32 (2004): 479-497, http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/fedlr32div=30g_sent=1collection=journals Hill, Lisa. Low Voter Turnout in the United States Journal of Theoretical Politics 18(2): 207-232, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0951629806061868 Hill, Lisa. Public Acceptance of Compulsory Voting: Explaining the Australian Case. Representation 46:4 (2010): 425-438http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00344893.2010.518089 Johnson, Angela . 76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. CNNMoney, June 24, 2013. Martin Gilens, and Benjamin I. Page. Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics 12, no. 3 (2014), 564-581. Sherman, Erik. America is the richest, and most unequal, nation. Fortune, September 30, 2015. [1] Trevor Sathel, Pros and Cons: A Debaters Handbook (London: Routledge, 1999), 75. [2] Martin Gilens, and Benjamin I. Page. Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics 12, no. 3 (2014), 570-577. [3] Gilens and Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.572-573. [4] Drew DeSilver, U.S. voter turnout trails most developed countries. Pew Research Center, August 02, 2016. [5] Erik Sherman, America is the richest, and most unequal, nation. Fortune, September 30, 2015. [6] Angela Johnson, 76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. CNNMoney, June 24, 2013. [7] Gilens and Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.565. [8] Gilens and Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.566. [9] Gilens and Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.565. [10] Gilens and Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.565. [11] Katie Beck, Australia election: Why is voting compulsory? BBC News, August 27, 2013. [12] Lisa Hill, Low Voter Turnout in the United States Journal of Theoretical Politics 18(2): 228. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0951629806061868 [13] Lisa Hill, Compulsory Voting in Australia: A Basis for a Best Practice Regime. Federal Law Review 32 (2004): 480, http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/fedlr32div=30g_sent=1collection=journals [14] Hill, Compulsory Voting in Australia: A Basis for a Best Practice Regime. 480. [15] Sathel, Pros and Cons: A Debaters Handbook, 75. [16] Hill, Compulsory Voting in Australia: A Basis for a Best Practice Regime. 497. [17] Andrew Heywood, Politics (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), 86. [18] Sathel, Pros and Cons: A Debaters Handbook, 75. [19] Lisa Hill, Public Acceptance of Compulsory Voting: Explaining the Australian Case. Representation 46:4 (2010), 429, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00344893.2010.518089 [20] Lisa Hill, Low Voter Turnout in the United States, 228.

International Monetary Fund Essay

The question â€Å"To what extent has the International Monetary Fund contributed in revamping the Nigerian economy since the 1980’s?† is a question that helps us to evaluate the true impact of international monetary policy.   In order to further understand the meaning of this question, this paper will examine the following subjects – 1) the meaning of the question, 2) the significance of the question for International Relations scholars, 3) how the question relates to other published work in the area, and 4) what methods would be employed to answer the question. First of all, the question is directly focused on economic impacts.   However, the question is not simply a matter of metrics, because the question is directed at procedural changes as well.   The question is focused on the restructuring of the Nigerian economy.   To only use economic metrics would fail to address the consequences restructuring entails.   When the IMF releases money to a country, they stipulate conditions that the country must meet. Therefore, the question is also directed at the matching the directives of the IMF with the implementation within Nigeria.   The question is not asking if the IMF has had a positive or negative impact on Nigeria, so value judgments can be left aside.   However, there are several hidden economic impacts.   Structural changes to the workforce, changes in occupations, and new roles within the economy are all more difficult to measure, but can be considered a result of economic policy.    Therefore, the question means 1) what are the economic stipulations of the IMF from the 1980’s until now, 2) has the Nigerian government met the requirements of the IMF, 3) what restructuring has occurred within the Nigerian economy as a result of the IMF, 4) what economic measures can be attributed to these changes, and 5) what are the indirect economic impacts of the IMF policies. International relations scholars are interested in this question because the answers yield important data on the impacts of policy.   International relations scholars are often consulted on questions of policy.   It is therefore in their best interest to know the impacts of policies made in the past.   In this regard, they are historians.   First of all, it is critically important for International Relations scholars to understand what the IMF has attempted to revamp within the Nigerian economy by tracing the stipulations as they were made. Additionally, the scholar can look at the Nigerian government’s ability to meet the demands of the IMF.   How well were they able to integrate the changes required by the IMF.   Were there consequences that required new policies in the future?   In tracing these policy changes, the scholar can also piece their own picture together of what the IMF did well (what was effective), and what changes needed to be made in direction in order to achieve effectiveness.   They can also have a unique insight into the culture and politics of Nigeria, as well as the internal culture and politics of the IMF. At this point, the International Relations scholar can also know what economic measures are affected by differing types of policies and requirements.   Additionally, they can make recommendations on what types of correlations can be found between initiative and their impact.   Perhaps some of the most valuable information for International Relations scholars, however, is related to the indirect impact of the IMF’s policies. When looking at the restructuring of the Nigerian economy, the International Relations scholar is able to examine the changes within the population, how people moved around, the changes in families, etc.   This type of information allows for a more comprehensive picture of economic change and the effects policy can have on cultural change.   Also, this may highlight the challenges represented by a more powerful entity interacting with a less powerful entity on a global scale. There has been much written about Nigeria since the 1980’s.   There are environmental reports, malnutrition reports, and economic reports.   However, these all approach Nigeria from a different perspective than the direction of this question.   This question seeks to directly explore the impact of IMF policies and economic aid on the revamping of the Nigerian economy.   As such, this question seeks to provide supporting information of the changes in Nigeria.   It seeks to trace change related to IMF policies alone.    It is impossible to completely know what current conditions in Nigeria are caused solely or even primarily by the IMF policies, however by focusing on the IMF, widespread impacts can be evaluated from IMF policies.   It is taking the infusion of money and change of monetary policy as the starting point and looking for the economic aspects affected.   One of the main sources for research on these types of development programs is found with the World Bank.   A particularly useful document is â€Å"The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1982 – 1992.†[1]Using this document and also information from the IMF, the scholar can tie together the policies of the IMF and the effects. In order to study such a complex issues, a rigorous approach will need to be taken.   It is the most difficult to know the indirect impacts of the IMF’s economic policies.   It is undesirable to claim that changes were a result of IMF policy, if in fact, they owed their existence to a governmental or environmental change.   However, the economy is so closely entwined with all aspects of life, the implications of the IMF policies will be seen to have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, we can begin by examining the Nigerian economy and economic statistics in 1980, and comparing them with the present day to get snapshots of the economic health of Nigeria at these two points in time.   These snapshots, however, encompass other economic influences other than the IMF programs.   Then the specific policies of the IMF and their objectives are compared to the resulting economic changes to see if the stated goals have been achieved via metrics. Also involved in this analysis is the ability of the Nigerian government to implement the changes required by the IMF.  Ã‚   This area of analysis is perhaps the easiest, as the initiatives of the IMF are easily available.   However, information on the implementation and the implementation’s challenges may be more difficult to find.   Looking at a timeline of IMF policies, one can also deduce what was effective or not effective.   If a policy was ineffective, then in a later cycle we should find a correction or an abandonment of the program. The internal structure of the government and economy can also be viewed.   The way that money flows and what directions can be measured.   It is important to see structural change since the 1980’s.   The Nigerian government worked with the IMF to develop the National Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy in 2004.[2]   This document reviews previous policy and also lays the groundwork for future work between the IMF and the Nigerian government. This report focuses on structural changes – highlighting the importance of revamping the Nigerian economy. Additionally, looking at the basic economic unit – the household – can show structural changes ass well.   By looking at these structural changes, the real question about revamping the economy can be answered.   Of course, this type of analysis also looks at the indirect effects of economic change.   These are difficult to measure, but by tracing newspaper stories and major events in Nigeria, it may be possible to trace events back to economic policy decisions. Overall, the question of the effectiveness of the IMF’s policies to restructure the Nigerian economy is a very important question with implications for future policy consideration and also a deeper understanding of the past. Now that the world is becoming smaller and national boundaries are being crossed with money and policy, it is more important than ever to understand the impact of economic policy.   Additionally, with the prevalence of capitalism and modernization, the effects of economic policy on third world nations must have a thorough understanding. Reference List International Monetary Fund, The Nigerian Economic Reform Program, IMF, 2005, retrieved 10 January 2007    World Bank, The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1985-92, World Bank, 1997, retrieved 10 November, 2007, < http://www4.worldbank.org/afr/poverty/databank/DocNav/default.cfm> [1] World Bank, The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1985-92, World Bank, 1997, retrieved 10 November, 2007, < http://www4.worldbank.org/afr/poverty/databank/DocNav/default.cfm> [2] International Monetary Fund, The Nigerian Economic Reform Program, IMF, 2005, retrieved 10 January 2007