A Need for Change in the Power Structure Free Essays

string(66) " was more on the generals that led them rather than on the State\." Through historical events, we can be taught that the power structure of the western civilization changed according to the needs of the people and the nation at that specific point of time and place. In the course of western civilization, there have been many forms of governments, rulers, and ruling systems such as democracy, monarchy, and feudalism, just to name a few. Historical specificity of power structures is evident in places like Ancient Athens, Pre-Augustan and Augustan Rome, and the Medieval Europe. We will write a custom essay sample on A Need for Change in the Power Structure or any similar topic only for you Order Now Athens developed their political and institutional unit called polis, which started as an oligarchy hidden behind nominal democracy but was then taken over by short-lived tyranny. In 31B. C. to 14 A. D. , Augustus formed a constitutional monarchy, promulgated to deal with civil wars and to the dissatisfaction of the people at that time. During his reign, this type of ruling system helped him established a strong and expanding Roman Empire. Furthermore, around 600 A. D. to 1300 A. D. in Medieval Europe, feudalism first appeared. It was first thought of that feudalism was the answer to the decentralization of the power in the state. However, feudalism made the nation vulnerable against invasions from Vikings and Magyars. In the essence, the power structures were the responses to the needs at the time. In Athens during the late seventh century B. C. was a time of turmoil for the Athenians. Although the first law code embodied the idea of what democracy is, which meant that the law belongs to the citizens, unfortunately in reality was not so. Athens was mostly governed by aristocrats, and that meant these aristocrats got the best lands, interpreted imposed the laws, and met in assemblies to govern the polis. This caused economic mayhem for the poor peasants. These deprived peasants had to borrow money, and they had to put up their land or pledge himself or his family members as collaterals. In many times, due to the exorbitant fees pressed on these peasants, they end up unable to pay back the loan hence they were sold off as slaves. Furthermore, their land was confiscated and their annual yield was taken in for larger in percentages. The economic and social condition worsened by the Aristocrats rules therefore change was necessary. In 546 B. C. , Pisistratus who was an exiled aristocrat returned to Greece and became a tyrant in the Athenian polis. During Pisistratus’s rule, power of aristocrats declined since he showed supported and brought forth reforms the common people. Although a tyrant by name, Pisistratus actually promoted the idea of equality among Athenian men. By this change in structure of power, the polis prospered and became the beauty that was Greece before, but then threats were just looming around. After Pisistratus death, Hippias took over. Hippias was the emblem of a typical tyrant, who ruled harshly and extravagantly. Change was needed once again. Hippias was overthrown and in 508 B. C. an aristocrat named Cleisthenes came along with an idea that all Athenian citizens have voice and proper representation in the government. This was then was true democracy meant, and in it, he instituted ostracism, which is a system of public voting where a person who receives the most votes went into exile. The goal of it was to get rid of potentially dangerous politicians, such as Hippias. The form of government, the â€Å"Democracy† that Cleisthenes formed and its institution of ostracism were the keys in solving problem similar to that of menace posed by a tyrant like Hippias. A tyrant does not only abuse the economic and financial power of a country but it also divest it citizens of their pride and dignity. Athens certainly succeeded in its changes in power structure to fit its needs at the time, but not everyone has the same problem to solve. (McKay, 69-70). In Rome, before Augustus came to power, there were serious political issues that had to be solved. The republic constitution met the needs of a simple city-state, but it was inadequate for the expanding Rome Empire. New administration had to be established and its growth had to be kept under control. A constitution set a series of checks and balances and ensures distinct separation of powers. In their political system, the most important magistrates were the two consuls, who together exercised executive authority in the form of an â€Å"imperium† or more popularly termed as â€Å"military command†. These consuls had to work with the senate, which was initially an advisory council of the ranking nobility, but grew in size and power over time. Also, war proceeds, mercantilism in the new provinces, and tax farming created new economic opportunities for the wealthy thus, forming a new class of merchants who were the equestrians. Senators became rich and greedy, repeatedly blocking land reforms and controlled violent gangs that intimidated the electorate through violence. On the other hand, Roman soldiers who were initially small-scale farmers and are away from home long enough to maintain their land, started to rely on slaves. This method therefore increases the need for slaves and at the same time brought about higher purchasing powers by these soldiers who earn from both their farms and at the same time as soldiers in war. This also encourages more free trade which unfortunately includes slaves. As time passed; these soldiers and the general public at that became dissatisfied and discontented with the system. The military reforms of Gaius Marius resulted in soldiers often having more loyalty to their commander than to the city and to the State itself, therefore a powerful military general could take over the city through a coup d’etat and hold the Senate in ransom. The Roman army was controlled by the willing and powerful general at the late republic and they were loyal to the general. Rome had to be kept under control Before Augustus, the loyalty of the Roman legions was more on the generals that led them rather than on the State. You read "A Need for Change in the Power Structure" in category "Papers" Gaius Marius, whose most influential changes in the Roman Army was called the Marian Reforms. After being elected as a consul, he directed massive army reforms in order to attract more to join the army. He did this in order to assure protection of the Romans against ant barbaric invasions. Marius loosened up the recruitment policy and the provision of numerous benefits to the soldiers. Soldiers were drawn to it since it allowed a partition of the land that they were able to conquer, wherein they can start their permanent settlements. This not only encouraged the soldiers of the Roman Army but also this played a very important role in Romanizing nearby areas yet to be under the Roman rule, therefore lessening the chance of further revolts. Most importantly, the growing number of Roman Army ensured success in battles. The luxury and benefits provided by the Marian Reforms in the Roman tightened up the loyalty of the legion to whoever that was who handled them and led them to battle. The developed a mentality that the General who piloted them towards numerous victory and have provided pieces of lands to them deserved to be followed and rather than the State. Thus the conflict begins here. Any strong General who manages to bring forth victory and more territories to the State and allot lands for the soldiers can easily take over the whole Roman Empire. Therefore it was not surprising that following Gaius Marius the next prominent person to rise into power was a tough general and commander who directed conquests, Julius Caesar. Civil wars were serious issue as well, and even though Julius Caesar held complete control during his reign, he gained massive dissatisfaction from the people for his tyrannical nature. The accumulation of discontent eventually ended up with Caesar’s assassination, and this created yet another civil conflict. Plunged in chaos and massive discontent, Rome needed someone who could solve all these problems and bring forth tangible and possible lasting changes and Augustus was the one. Augustus’s reign marked the era of the historic Pax Romana, which meant period of security, expanding economy, and order. He not only held control over the vast territory, but he expanded Rome into a Roman Empire. He ended civil war and brought peace to the people. Horace wrote, â€Å"As long as Caesar is the guardian of the state, neither civil dissension nor violence shall banish peace, nor wrath that forges swords and brings discord and misery to cities (Horace, 84). † The peace also â€Å"brought back fertile crops to the fields (Horace, 84). † In Horace’s citation, it is clear that the people of Rome were supportive of the power structure in which a Caesar or an Emperor is given the power to rule over the whole Roman Empire. In this case, Augustus ruled under Constitutional monarchy, wherein he hid his true intentions of tyranny under title princeps, and by writing an autobiography stating that he was elected or people united agreed upon his positions in government and that he was not self selecting (Augustus, 88). In the end, all the social, economic, and political turmoil called for the change in the power structure, and Augustus was the man to deliver it to his people. He restored peace after 100 years of civil war, maintained an honest government and extended the Roman Empire. The unification of Rome brought prosperity back to its cities. Augustus’ great influence to Rome started a lineage of monarchy in which the emperor assumes almost absolute power, retaining only a pretense of the Republican form of government. During the Pax Romana, after Augustus’s death, things weren’t how it used to be. Except for the five good emperors, all other emperors caused civil wars, dissatisfaction from people, barbaric invasions, economic downfall, complete monarchy, and the breakdown of the empire. Tacitus who lived after Augustus’s reign complained how the â€Å"constitution had been transformed, and that there was nothing at all left of the good old way of life [the republic life] (Tacitus, 87). He also complained that it was complete a monarchy and that people were fools for not being courageous enough to stand up against him. Tacitus’s complaint can be looked upon as the reflection of his time’s instability. Even though this may counter my argument of change in the power structure due to the needs of the time, it may not be so. Every state goes through problems and change occurs to fix those problems. The cases I have covered showed how each generations and political system solved the problems rather quickly, but also in these cases, the problems last for two centuries with an exception of five good emperors. We can interpret this as the transition from instability to stability wherein it just took Roman Empire longer time to change to fit the needs of the time. Even though, Roman Empire seemed to have settled to its stable state, it did not last forever. After the division of the Roman Empire, Medieval period came along with Charlemagne, the king of France in the 8th century. He reunited Western Europe for the first time after the Roman reign but he had complete control over the empire. The problem was created when Charlemagne left his throne to Louis the Pious, who also passed away soon after. After which, the three sons of Louis agreed to the Treaty of Verdun, which divided the empire into three parts. Civil conflicts rose from this division of land, and that made the state vulnerable to invasions from the Vikings and the Magyars. These invasions in return made the state’s power decentralized at the local level. From this, the system called feudalism came to being. Feudalism is both an agricultural and a political system where vassals swore his loyalty to the lord and in return for the vassal’s loyalty, aid, and military assistance are thus given, aside from that the lord promised him protection and material support. Along with feudalism came manorialism in the rural area. Manorialism was a simpler system where farmers got protection from invasions by the soldier-lords and in return these lords were provided with manual labor by the farmers. These two systems worked together effectively since farmers’ labors created wealth for the lords, who then used that money to support their vassals. Looking at the locations of the castles built during reign of William the Conqueror, these castles were built around the borders of the country to protect themselves from the invasions and it proves that powers were localized at the time (Source 4, 133). In addition, view of the Harlech Castle built by Edward it shows us that it was built not as fancy architecture, but as a means of protection from invasions (Source3, 132). Feudalism solved common communal problems at the time, but feudalism itself created new predicaments. Feudalism became a struggle for power between the nobles and the knights who were fighting among themselves. Furthermore, additional problems came with progenitor, where only the first son received inheritance. This left all the other sons in the streets with nothing but themselves. These sons then became scoundrels and thieves, and more often brought more disagreements among them. This birth of feudalism in the eighth century France offered the richer landowners security even in the absence of laws and specific order. Through concession, proprietors who were then mostly soldiers gained substantial government power to rule over their lands under the basis of legal arrangements with other local landowners thus forming militias used for defense of their territory. In its basic cases, feudalism swathed the monarchy gaining political support and protection through these feuds run by soldiers themselves. Feudalism developed a certain code of laws, and this system of governance broadens throughout Europe and played a very dominant role in its history. With the emergence of a new civil divergence together with outside incursion, another power structure must be adapted to solve this problem, and it came from Pope Urban II. The eastern parts of Europe have been conquered by invading Turks and Muslims. This situation called for an order by Pope Urban II to create a crusade of men that will aid in recapturing the Christian lands. He had secular power along with religious powers and influence, and he created a military campaign named Crusade. Crusade began as a military campaign to reclaim the Christian lands especially the holy land, to support other Christians, and to eliminate Muslim presence from Western Europe. Pope Urban II stated that â€Å"On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. Therefore, almost all men, whether rich or poor, become knights of the Crusade. In return, he offered indulgence, which was free ticket to salvation. Furthermore â€Å"All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested. † He not on ly removed all the trouble makers out of the state, the crusade in later campaigns proved to be economically successful. France succeeded in its changes in power structures as well due to the needs of the time. Through my evidence, I have shown that every problem is solved in later time, and we can conclude that at the time of long struggle, it is just a transition state wherein rulers must constantly seek answers and study every situation and put forth a strong plan for the State Conclusively, from evidences through historical events, there have always been shifts in power structures that have been adapted to the needs of the time. Athens changed its governing system to solve the problems of oligarchy and tyranny. Augustus solved its problems by Constitutional monarchy, and last of all, France solved its first invasion problem through feudalism and manorialism, and then solved problems created by these systems through entrance of Pope’s power with his Crusade. Some states might take longer time to make that change and some take shorter time, but in the end, needs and distinct situations of the time cause changes in the power structures and applications. How to cite A Need for Change in the Power Structure, Papers

Corporate Management Environmental Ethics †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Corporate Management Environmental Ethics? Answer: Introduction The purpose of CSR is to promote the corporate social responsibility towards the society and the environment as imposed by large multinational organization to have an edge over other competitors in the market. The strategies used by Coca Cola in marketing their product are also described. Large organization has the obligation to act and serve both the interest of the stakeholders which represents the society at large as well the organization. Coca cola being a global brand has sold its product in all parts of the world. Coca Cola founded in the Country Delaware. It has its headquartered in Atlanta. The only evident thing in the World is change, therefore in order to sustain in the economics the company must change and bring about innovation in the product quality and quantity, packaging, advertising. It is the new strategies, which supports the company to sustain in the market. Coca Cola to build their trusted, quality brands, which serve the people. The MNC Coca cola makes a way forward by focusing on various business strategies, and many more sustainability program me and concepts in influencing sustainability practices in Coca cola based on convenience and the choice, which the customers make in the market. The essential elements of Corporate Social Responsibility is how the company is able to promote the welfare of the organization and how the organization is able to take initiative for the society and the environment and promote its product and the organization. This strategy can enable selling the product at a reasonable price to attract the consumers towards their brand (Angwech, 2012). Corporate Social responsibility practices for Coca Cola Sustainable development means Our goal is to use our Companys assets our brands, financial strength, unrivalled distribution system, global reach, and the talent and strong commitment of our management and associates to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for our shareowners. The CSR report is to focus on the companys stakeholders need and to improve the social and the economic sustainability of the customers. Coca cola follows a CSR approach and principles in helping the stakeholders to improve (Armstrong et al ,2015). The company has the philanthropic benefits and improved social capital for the intangible benefits and for the improvement of the brand awareness that will ultimately translate all the business profits although it is not the CSR goals. The CSR cost is taken by the company to provide charity and philanthropic purpose. The companys belief and the company take initiative to have a position in the market place or workplace, community, and environment. Management and Organizational theories Type of segmentation Figure 1: Pattern of Segmentation Source: (Benn, Dunphy Griffiths, 2014) While for the demographic variables Companies focus on factors such as income, education, and marital status , and the gender, age, and stages of life thereby the company is able to analyze how the consumers influence purchase decisions. In order to determine psychographic segmentation, Coca Cola targets people based on general brand consciousness (Berthon et al,2012). They offer products to all age groups. So for every member of a family Coca Cola has its varieties. SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis means to analyze the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats potent to the company. The Strengths of the organization is as follows: Market leader of all the soft drinks company. Coca-Cola has enormous world appeal. (Blowfield Murray, 2014). Social Corporate Responsibility The Company does sponsorship at UK Football Leagues. They continue sponsorship at the Olympics (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2013). The Weaknesses is as follows: Coca-Cola has effects the teeth, which is an issue for health care. If a person is addicted to Coca-Cola then there is health problem and because of drinking Coca-Cola daily it has an effect on the body after few years (Tinnish Lynch,2015). The Opportunities is as follows: Brand recognition comes as a significant factor and thus affecting the Coke's competitive position. The company has a green businesses and sustainability in packaging business (De Mooij,2013). The threats are as follows: Currently, there is a threat for the new viable competitors and it is in the soft drink industry Porters Five Forces Porters five forces allow the companies so that they see how competitive can an industry be. Coca-Cola can be (Lasserre, 2012). Product Differentiation Strategy: Through this differentiation strategy, the company will try to position their products in such a manner that it is able to stand out as a different product from the products that is of the same category (Ramamurti, 2012). Cost Minimization: Through this cost leadership strategy, the company will be able to position their product which is cheaper than that of its competitor (Schuler et al ,2017). CSR Initiative by Coca Cola In order to be a responsible corporate citizen, the Company has to be very committed so that they get sustainable development and it gets the natural resources such as water, environment education, social advancement and promoting gender equality and empowerment of women in the past years. The Company will focus on the key areas like Water, Agriculture and Recycling. The CSR rules that the Government has taken out are thoroughly followed by the company are activities undertaken in pursuance of normal course of business of a Company: Eradicating the need of hunger and poverty and thereby promoting and preventing the health care and sanitation including the promotion of safe drinking water; Promoting of education and also including proper employment and enhancing the vocation skills which is encouraged among children Promoting of gender equality and empowering women and also setting up homes for old age homes Ensuring that the sustainability of the environment and also the ecological balance for protection of flora and fauna, animal, welfare, Protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and women; Contributions of funds and also upliftment of lower and backward classes provided by technology incubators which is located within academic institutions and approved by the Central Government; Rural development of projects. Slum area development. Coca colas CSR Policies and Practices which serve both the interests of the company and the interests of Stakeholders and the Society CSR is the deliberate including of the public interest of the society into the corporate decision making so that the Company is able to focus on the triple bottom line that is people, planet and the profit. People: The Company has committed for the equal and fair treatment to all the people who are working for the organization. Partners: The Company engages effectively in the activities with the partners and the stakeholders. Portfolio: The Company has offered the best quality products with Coca cola and more than 2600 beverage products. Profit: The Company is able to maximize the shareholders value while being aware of the responsibilities of the company. Planet: The Company is working towards being leaders and is responsible for utilizing the water and the resources effectively so that the business grows. Figure 2: CSR Pyramid Source: (Kapferer Bastien, 2012). Potential Business Benefits The benefits of the CSR policy affect the nature of the organization that are difficult to quantify and measures the financial performance. Human Resources: The CSR can help in the recruitment and the retention.CSR helps in the improvement of the staff of the company and also helps in improving the payroll of the company Risk Management: One of the integral parts of the corporate is managing risk. The company draws the attention of the regulators and the Court. Thus building a genuine culture on doing the right thing. Brand differentiation: CSR plays a vital role in building the customers and the loyalty of the people based on the ethical values. License to operate: The Company persuades the government and the public to take the issues of the public such as the health and safety of the environment. Ethical training to the stakeholders as initiative of CSR: Conclusion Marketing plan and the corporate social responsibility helps in the enhancement of the strategies of the company and thus it helps in gathering of all necessary information including, the business and the market research thereby analyzing the target market and finally the product development. It helps in price setting, promotional efforts and distribution of matters. The more efforts which the company gives in the improvement of the CSR or the marketing plan, the more growth will be of business and better is for the organization .All the necessary parts in this marketing plan and the CSR goals helps in an improvement and sustainability of the company as discussed in the brand Coca-Cola. References Angwech, M.A., 2012. Competitive Strategies adopted by Coca-Cola Kenya. Unpublished research project, School of business, University of Nairobi. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. Brennan, R., 2015. Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Benn, S., Dunphy, D., Griffiths, A. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge. Berthon, P.R., Pitt, L.F., Plangger, K. Shapiro, D., 2012. Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy. Business horizons, 55(3), pp.261-271 Blowfield, M., Murray, A. (2014). Corporate responsibility. Oxford University Press. Czinkota, M.R. Ronkainen, I.A., 2013. International marketing. Cengage Learning De Mooij, M., 2013. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications Kapferer, J.N. Bastien, V., 2012. The luxury strategy: break the rules of marketing to build luxury brands. Kogan page publishers. Krtzkamp, K., 2013. Celebrity-Marketing: Market penetration by image transfer from stars using the example of the brand Coca-Cola light of the beverage producer Coca Cola. Lasserre, P., 2012. Global strategic management. Palgrave Macmillan. Ramamurti, R., 2012. What is really different about emerging market multinationals?. Global Strategy Journal, 2(1), pp.41-47. Schuler, D., Rasche, A., Etzion, D., Newton, L. (2017). Guest Editors Introduction: Corporate Sustainability Management and Environmental Ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, 27(2), 213-237. Tinnish, S. M., Lynch, K. D. (2015). The role of leadership and organizational competencies in corporate social responsibility programmes. Sustainability in Hospitality: How Innovative Hotels are Transforming.

Henry IV Essays - Henry IV Of England, Henry V Of England

Henry IV One of the most important aspects of 1 Henry IV is the development and transgressions of Hal who is the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. The play's focus on the family reminds us that the struggles England endured through its growth were largely struggles inside the royal family. Hal's character is at a point where he is unable to define who he will be; a responsible part of the monarch, as his father would like to see, or a rogue as is John Falstaff. Throughout the play the prince keeps company with Falstaff, who is indeed a knight but hardly acts as one would hope. He lies, robs travellers and frequents the bar and whorehouse owned by Mistress Quickly. By scene iv of the fifth act it is clear that the Prince will fulfil his role and embrace his noble birth by standing with his father to fight against the rebels. At the end of the battle Hal makes it clear to himself but also to Falstaff that he will no longer be amongst his clan of rabble rousers. Undoubtedly Prince Hal is a noble character on a small scale and as early on as the second scene in the first act he is hinting at his uncertainties about his role in the state. He states: "So when this loose behavior I throw off / and pay the debt I never promised..." In this "loose behavior" refers to his dealing with Falstaff and the low life of the tavern and the "debt" he "never promised" is upholding the lineage of the monarchy. However, it is not until the battle when Hal puts his selfish, albeit true, loyalty behind him and defends his father who is being attacked by Douglas. Although he does not kill Douglas, Hal shows that he has become a man of honour and dignity. His father recognises this: "In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me...some tender of my life." This shows that Hal's decision to change is outwardly apparent to others, but most importantly, to his father. Another aspect of Hal's commitment to change can be seen in the lines that Shakespeare has given him. Most of the audience members would already be well acquainted with the story of Henry IV so it was especially important that the language be varied and colorful enough to keep the audience interested. In Act V, scene iv Hal is given lines that seem extraordinarily defiant but masking an internal struggle. Hotspur If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth. Prince Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name. Hotspur My name is Harry Percy. Prince Why, then I see A very valiant rebel of the name. I am the Prince of Wales; and think not, Percy, To share with me in glory any more. Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere; The Prince, rather than hastily disregarding his former ways, still holds respect for Hotspur even though it is apparent by this time that he will defeat the rebel as he promised his father. Hal speaks respectfully towards Hotspur but proclaims that he will no more "deny [his] name" as he has done up until this point in regards to his duty. This shows the audience that he has come to terms with his identity. Hal's use of language throughout the scene further expresses his acceptance of rank. Until this scene, Hal has spoken in verse only in the company of other nobility and in prose when with his friends in the tavern. The shift in his method of speech reveals to the audience that Hal felt he could move between the two spheres of society, between his father and Falstaff without having to have a static identity. His acceptance of his place in society can be seen in that he decides, for the first time, to speak in verse when addressing Falstaff: "I prithee, speak; we will not trust our eyes Without our ears: thou art not what thou seem'st." . Shakespeare makes Hal's transgressions all the more important because it takes place during the first time that all the characters, from both the palace and the tavern, are in the same scene. In a sense, Hal is forced to choose a side. There is such a dynamic social contrast that the "royalty" and "low life" seem all the more on the fringes. In addition, there is the added presense of a climate that fosters nobility and morality. The true nature of the individual

Current Economic Climate essays

Current Economic Climate essays Facing the current economic climate in the US, the Federal Reserve, for the past twelve months, has dropped interest rates in an effort to encourage spending and stimulate the economy in general. After losses for the past quarters and the events of September 11th, the country has driven right into a recession. Since interest is the price of money, the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates so people and businesses have the incentive to spend money, therefore spurring the economy. The Federal Reserve took no action last time they met in January. For the past quarters, the Federal Reserve has constantly dropped interest rates in an effort to prevent the country from entering recession. As I mentioned earlier, dropping interest rates stimulates the economy by motivating spending from not only people, but also businesses. Through its fiscal policy, the government also attempts to guide the country away from a recession. President Bush introduced a tax cut last year to stimulate spending but it didnt prove very successful. September 11th dampened the economy the current recession. The Federal Reserve is in charge of maintaining a balance. They are interested in preventing inflation by raising interest rates or stimulate spending by lowering interest rates. As the article explains, Analysts believe the economy is slowly recovering and may get out of the current recession in the next few months. Jack Guynn, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta told Bloomberg News that the Federal Reserve will consider raising interest rates if inflation becomes a concern. Inflation is an increase in the general level of prices. As unemployment rates go down, Inflation increases as shown in the Phillips Curve. Analysts are looking at the lower jobless rate, which went from 5.8% in December to 5.6% in January. The rate of change was not that significant when considering that December has a higher amount of people looking for jobs because ...

Doing business in UK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Doing business in UK - Research Paper Example The four countries constituting the United Kingdom (UK) are England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is true that they can be distinguished geographically, however, their strong sense of nationality and identity cannot be ignored. Originally known for having a very homogeneous society, since the Second World War, Britain has acquired extreme diversity in all spheres due to the large number of immigrants accommodated into its population. The high mix of ethnic cultures and groups makes it difficult to define the British culture as having a particular look or acting in a particular fashion. The British are considered to be more formal as compared to other nations. It is found that numerous people belonging to the older generation prefer to work with organizations and people who are known to them or their associates. The young businessmen do not require long and standing personal relationships before entering into businesses with people. Nor do they depend on intermediaries for making i ntroductions for conducting businesses. In other words the key to successful businesses lie in effective relationships and maintenance of long term relationships. The British are seen to immense respect for ranks as they prefer to deal with people belonging to their levels or higher levels. Businessmen prefer including an elderly statesman into their group as a representative of authority which is considered as being essential for having positive and health business relationships . 1. The project seeks to present the pros and cons of conducting business in UK. This is done using the study of the region’s macro environment that affects the decisions of businessmen and entrepreneurs of organizations. Considerations are taken with regards to changes in tax structures, changes in legislations, demographic changes and changes in the government policies. To summaries it the entire project makes a thorough macro analysis of the United Kingdom which would impact the entry, establishm ent and growth of businesses in the same2. 1. PESTEL Analysis There are a number of factors in the external environment of firms which affect the decision making of managers and entrepreneurs. These factors are political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors which require consideration while setting up business in locations. 1.1. Political Factors The recent past political conditions in the United Kingdom were not very impressive for conducting business operations. However, the conditions have now changed. The government has been trying to schedule its activities as per its priorities for investing money. Blair has highlighted an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report in which he tried to show that Britain’s taxes were much lower as compared to the other industrialized nations across the world, Japan and USA being the only two exceptions3. Recently the government has been stressing on cutting duty on fuel which would be compe nsated by cutting costs in the form of pension reductions. The food prices had reached record levels and the prices of stables like food grains, had reached high levels however, the price rise has been curtailed. The aim of the government has been to build a solid foundation for a healthy economy and attempt to achieve full employment, lower inflation rates and maximize welfare of the economy (see 3). 1.2. Economic

Assessment of Science Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assessment of Science Knowledge - Essay Example In this type of assessment, the students have to give answers to the asked questions in their own words. They construct their own answers with their understanding. Students are able to give answers within a very less time. Also this exercise helps students in forming their own opinions about a situation. This assessment allows the students to be creative. The responses given by students can be somewhat irrelevant in some cases. In this assessment, the students are asked to present, demonstrate, practical, draw or explain whatever the teacher asks the students to do. This assessment is group-based as well as individual. The students get a chance to demonstrate their attained skills from this assessment. The students who are somewhat shy or not very confident can feel problems with this assessment. The students are asked to do projects and perform experiments that are extended tasks. The students are assessed in terms of their skills to do a task that requires sufficient knowledge and skills’ acquirement. The students get a chance to prove their talent to their teachers. Projects and experiments are also considered difficult tasks due to which, students may face problems with their completion. They require their teachers’ support at each and every step of the task. Portfolios can also be used for assessing students’ performance. In student portfolios, the tasks completed by students are attached, which help the teachers in evaluating the knowledge and skills attained by the student. Portfolios are very helpful as they inform about each and every task completed by the student and his/her improvement with the tasks. Sometimes, portfolios show an imbalance of performed tasks due to which, the teacher faces problems in evaluating the student wholly. The students can be asked to fill in a short response paper in which, they are asked to give short answers to the questions. This assessment strategy can be adopted at the end

Attentional Bias In Alcohol Drinkers Psychology Essay

Attentional Bias In Alcohol Drinkers Psychology Essay Attentional Bias refers to the term not allowing one to examine all possible outcomes when judging about an association. Previous research stems from the famous â€Å"Stroop effect† that was discovered in 1930 by J.Ridley Stroop. This was an experimental effect in which he discovered that the individuals cognitive processing ability was very powerful. In other words ‘The Stroop effect (Stroop, 1935) is a prime example of the human failure to attend selectively to a particular aspect of a complex stimulus (Algom, D., Chajut, E., Lev, S. (2004). Since most researchers are interested in finding out things, the logical next step would be to develop further on and ask whether this actual delay in reaction time is due to moderate drinkers compared to light drinkers. In order to test the effectiveness of this Stroop effect, one uses the colour words example. By this, we mean words that are written using same coloured ink i.e. red written in red ink, and words written in differ ent coloured ink i.e. red written in blue. The participants are asked to read the words and not the colour. This sounds easier to do than it actually is. In this study the methodology and the affects of the Stroop test will be critically evaluated. To achieve this, previous research and literature will be drawn upon. A study of Duka and Townshend (2001) demonstrated attentional bias associated with alcohol cues: differences between heavy and occasional social drinkers, they used a dot probe (alcohol-related pictures and words) and questionnaires, and the aim was to examine whether non-dependent heavy drinkers would differ in their selective attention towards alcohol-related stimuli compared to social drinkers, the results showed attentional bias amongst the heavy drinkers in relation to alcohol-related stimuli, scores in factors such as sociability and sexuality shown to also be high, but low on personality and persistence. A further study of Duka and Townshend (2004) demonstrated the priming effect of alcohol pre-load on attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli; they used a dot probe and questionnaires, and the aim of this study was to examine whether attentional bias towards alcohol-related stimuli wound increase after priming with either one or two doses of alcohol/placebo, the results on mood ratings showed dose dependent increased in positive mood radar after alcohol pre-load, and in the dot probe task, all participants showed attentional bias towards the alcohol-related stimuli, and the neutral bias was only positive at low alcohol dosage. A study of Sharma, Albery, and Cook (2001) demonstrated selective attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli in problem drinkers and non-problem drinkers; they used a modified Stroop task (computerized), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in order to measure Anxiety, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to allow scoring (high or low), the participants were divided into three groups: local community alcohol service (CAS), student volunteers who were divided into two control groups, the aim of this study was to examine whether patient of problem drinkers selectively attend to alcohol-related stimuli compare to the two control groups of non-problem drinkers, the results indicate significance amongst the CAS group in longer reaction times in responding to colour of alcohol-related words compared to neutral words, with reduced interference for the high AUDIT group, therefore significant; in the low AUDIT group no significance was found. Additionally, no evidence is provi ded in the interference habituated amongst the three groups. A study of Stetter, Ackermann, Scherer, Schmid, Straube, and Mann (1994) demonstrated whether alcoholics develop an information processing bias towards disease-related stimuli, the results indicated an increase of error amongst alcoholics when presented with the disease-related stimuli compared to the neutral conditions, and controls. A further study Stetter, Ackemann, Bizer, Straube, and Mann (1995) by testing their hypothesis that alcoholics develop a disease-related attentional bias, with 40 male alcohol-dependent, and 40 male healthy, and used the Stroop colour-naming task, the results showed alcoholic inpatients performed significantly poorer than the control group under the critical experimental condition (colour-naming of disease-related words), as compared with the non-critical condition (colour-naming of neutral words; p = 0.03), no effects were found on the reaction times. A study of Johnsen, Laberg, Cox, Vaksdal, and Hugdahl, (1994) conducted in Norway demonstrated attentional bias in the processing of alcohol-related words on alcoholic subjects, using the Stroop colour and word test, the results indicate the alcoholics respond slowly on all categories, more so on alcohol-related words compared to the control group, and both groups responded slowly to colour interfering words than neutral words, the findings suggests that the alcoholic subjects allocated their attention to alcohol-related words, therefore allowing their cognitive processes take over making it impossible to ignore the alcohol-related words. Method Participants The participants were recruited the students at London South Bank University. There will be 170 participants in total, 34 males (17-moderate and 14-light drinkers) and 139 females (68 moderate and 71-light drinkers), and all the participants were adults aged 18years plus. Apparatus All participants were asked to complete the tasks on a computer (PC), and the same apparatus was used to store data, and later analyse the data collected. Design The Stroop task method is used and the two-way ANOVA test will be used to analyse data (2 X 2 Mixed subject design). There are two independent variables i) Group (light vs. moderate alcohol drinkers) ii) Word Type (neutral vs. alcohol-related words), and the dependent variable is the reaction time to identifying the colour the word is presented in. In order to verify differences that may occur, the between group and within group will be looked at in more depth. Procedure In this study, the following was explained. Each participant was asked to follow the instructions provided on the screen. Labels were placed on the buttons on the keyboard for each subject to make their responses. There are two set type of words (alcohol-related words and neutral words). The participants were required to complete a serious of trials in responding to the colour of the ink that the word is written in (BLUE, RED, YELLOW, and GREEN) and (VODKIA, J.DANIELS, GIN, and BEER) rather than word. Part of the instruction was that they must complete each trail as quickly and accurately as possible, as their reaction time would be recorded Results The results of the 2 x 2 ANOVA was used to analyse the data. The effects of word type (alcohol-related words and neutral words) f = (1,168) 140.16, p = (moderate drinkers and light drinkers) f = (1,168) 26.68, p = . Neutral Word Alcohol Word Main Effect of Drinking Type Light 840.00 mean score (34.28) sd 870.52 mean score (28.51) sd 855.26 mean score (31.66) sd Moderate 849.91 mean score (28.86) sd 892.67 mean score (21.26) sd 871.29 mean score (24.73) sd Main Effect of Word Type 845.01 mean score (31.95) sd 881.73 mean score (27.39) sd Discussion For this study the hypotheses do support, in other words significance was found. The literature of the prior studies using the Stroop paradigm with alcohol-related stimuli has a number of fundamental methodological problems. According to Sharma, Albery, and Cook (2001) the first problem identified is that the multitude of different variables that could potentially be manipulated giving a totally different set of results. It therefore becomes apparent that one needs to be very clear on exactly what the variables are and what exactly the researcher wants to achieve. Another problem identified is that of the actual format administered. Again, many issues may arise regarding the way in which the test is formatted. If the format is changed, will the result change along with it? As more development is completed in this area of study on alcohol addiction, the researcher no doubt will see that, the variables and the modes of administration discussed above will have a huge effect on the study. For example, one set of results could construct stronger effects than others, and that the other probable central variables make no difference at all to the outcome. The researcher should also take into account that however, a task is administered to the participants is bound to have both advantages and disadvantages, and can be improved upon. This does not mean that one way is better than the other. It just means that the researcher needs to be aware of this and choose a methodology that best works for them. Choosing the correct methodology in any study therefore can be just as important as the actual study itself. What becomes apparent is that there is no particular way of carrying out a study. Either way studies will carry certain advantages and disadvantages. One particular study related to our discussion was the single-word presentation of the Stroop stimuli. In this case, the stimuli were given in card format. One card had all the needed stimuli for alcohol -related words while the other had neutral words. The time taken by each subject to colour name the words on the first card compared to the second was recorded. In other words, recorded reaction time. This format, although used on many studies, comes with its limitations. Evidence obtained concludes that it is difficult to accurately measure the response time by the individuals and that the process evolved is very time consuming and involves a lot of calculations. In other words this type of format may be seen as being time consuming and tedious for the researcher to carry out. Its not all bad however, the card format can have an advantage in that it ‘produces stronger interference effects (e.g. McNally, Amir and Lipke, 1996; Williams et al., 1996), presumably because it provi des a semantic network of words in a given category (Sharma, et al 2001). In addition, the individuals words recorded in terms of its reaction time are not used with any presentation mode, as each participants reaction times to each category of stimuli are averaged prior to statistical analysis. Other objections to the use of card presented stimuli were that the total time measured included both correct and incorrect responses. Previous research shows that the amount of trials where errors occurred is in fact rare and equivalent for different categories of stimuli. Furthermore, studies by Stetter et al also seem to agree. His study shows that card format stimuli does not allow for the measurement of time-cause of alcohol attentional bias. For instance, with these card presentations one would not know if the strongest bias occurred for alcohol words presented earlier and then the bias attenuated. An attempt to rectify this issue was to assess participants habituation to the stimuli across time. This was achieved by observing how reaction times to the alcohol and neutral stimuli changed during the course of the experiment. In relation to Johnsen et al studies, it was criticized in many aspects such as, the word types not being matched on the frequency. Additionally being assured in using two words alcohol-related words, for example ‘liquor store; ‘red wine. (Sharma, et al 2001).However, Johnsen et al stated clearly that since the studies were carried out in Norway, the words were obviously translated in Norwegian ‘vinmonopol = liquor store, and ‘rodvin = red wine, and as you can see, when translated its single words. Further criticisms were put forward to why the participants were asked to press the key response button; and call out the name of the colour. Sharma et al study contained a number of problems. Firstly, the neutral words were long to a given category (environmental features), which affects the reaction times. Secondly, the number of neutral words being associated closely to the four ink colours (e.g. blue, red, brown, green), also how these colours were closely link ed to the words (e.g. blue sky, green grass). Also concerns were put forward on the manner of design (e.g. low, middle, and high) drinking groups. Lastly, problems occurred with the problem drinkers, who may have resolved their alcohol problems being placed amongst the heavier drinkers. To conclude, there are two opposing thoughts with the methodology used; one that the Stroop paradigm is highly objective, valid and reliable, and the other that some are not worthy of inclusion. Many researchers are continuing to offer theoretical explanations to account for the Stroop paradigm, and still trying to make sense on how it could be adapted to be more advanced in being improved. References Algom, D., Chajut, E., Lev, S. (2004). JourA Rational Look at the Emotional Stroop Phenomenon: A Generic Slowdown, Not a Stroop Effect. nal of Experimental Psychology General. 133 (3), 323-338. Duka, T., Townshend, J. M. (2004). The priming effect of alcohol pre-load on attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli. Psychopharmacology. 176 (3), 353. Johnsen, B. H., Laberg, J. C., Cox, W. M., Vaksdal, A. (1994). Alcoholic Subjects Attentional Bias in the Processing of Alcohol-Related Words. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors : Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors. 8 (2), 111. Sharma, D., Albery, I., Cook, C. (2001). Selective attentional bias to alcohol related stimuli in problem drinkers and non-problem drinkers. Addiction. 96 (2), 285-295. Sharma, D., Albery, I.P., Cook, C. (2001) .Selective attentional bias to alcohol- related stimuli in problem drinkers and non-problem drinkers, Addiction, 96, 1261-1265. Stetter F, Ackermann K, Scherer E, Schmid H, Straube ER, Mann K. (1994). Distraction resulting from disease related words in alcohol-dependent inpatients: a controlled dichotic listening study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 244 (4), 223-5. Stetter F, Ackermann K, Bizer A, Straube ER, Mann K. (1995). Effects of disease-related cues in alcoholic inpatients: results of a controlled Alcohol Stroop study. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research. 19 (3), 593-9. Townshend, J. M., Duka, T. (2001). Attentional bias associated with alcohol cues: differences between heavy and occasional social drinkers. Psychopharmacology. 157 (1), 67.