Setting Macroeconomic Policies

Inflation is a situation in the economy whereby the prices of goods and services continue rising while the income of consumers remain the same. During inflation times many people lose jobs and the cost of acquiring raw materials goes up resulting to increases in prices of commodities and many employees are laid off.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Setting Macroeconomic Policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government through the central bank should effect policies such as the monetary policy, fiscal policy and wage control policies that shall reverse this situation. The monetary policy is aimed at reducing the amount of money in circulation and reducing its supply by the central bank. Initially, the government sets the inflation target and the Monetary Policy Committee forecasts the expected future inflation through economic statistics and imposes measures to curb it so as to meet the target (Pettinger 20 07). One of the measures is increasing the interest rates if the inflation rate is expected to go beyond the target. When the interest rates are high, they discourage people and banks from borrowing funds thus reducing money at their disposal. The high cost of borrowing imposed on commercial banks as they acquire funds from the central bank forces them to extend the cost to consumers, in terms of high interest rate. On the other hand, the central bank should increase reserve requirements where the commercial banks are expected to keep a certain amount of money with the central bank. Under this policy, the amount is increased up to the level the banks will be able to reduce money in circulation. Besides, the government can use the fiscal policy that involves increasing taxes coupled with a reduction on its expenditure. When taxes are increased, the amount of income at people’s disposal is reduced proportionately with the rate. This has the effect of decreasing the profits comp anies get, salaries and wages. It’s worth noting that the government spends a lot of public funds on various projects such as construction of roads, electricity and telecommunication. This kind of expenditure increases money available to the public increasing the possibility of inflation in the economy. Hence, if the government could cut its expenditure on infrastructure and other projects, it could curb inflation effects.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another policy is that of wage rate control where employers are required to pay their employees for labor service up to a given level. This too is aimed at decreasing the amount of money the employees can access at a given time. The implications of this policy are that, the employees’ purchasing power is limited. Their demand for commodities is reduced and this pulls the prices down thereby curbing inflation. F inally, the government can employ supply side policies although they take time to reverse the effects of inflation (Pettinger 2007). Unemployment is a situation where there are no jobs to people who have the skills and experience for such positions. This at times arises out of retrenchment where employers lay off some workers to reduce the costs of production so that they can maximize their profits. This situation renders many people jobless affecting their living standards resulting to depression and suicidal attempts as those experienced during the great depression in the world economy. The government should hold talks with the employers and ask them not to lay off their employees, but instead reduce their working hours when the demand for their goods and services goes down. In addition, the government should provide incentives to the private sector by lifting tax and other barriers to job creation (Weisbrot 2011). These barriers include licensing, registration, and other industri al regulations. Lifting tax on the private sector has the effect of attracting investors from abroad to invest in the domestic country, creating more job opportunities. When taxes on the private sector are lifted their expenditure reduces significantly creating additional money to pay workers hence no need to lay them off. The government can also take an unemployment insurance to cover the expenses by the private sector for retaining workers despite the looming economic turn-down.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Setting Macroeconomic Policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government can speed up the country’s GDP by ensuring that its projects and programs are finished in time as they contribute significantly to economic growth. On the other hand, it can limit imports allowing it only to capital goods that are not produced within the country or whose cost of production is high (Morrison 2006). Also, employing cheap labor will help cut costs involved in the country’s production and also increase the production levels. This in return has the effect of creating employment opportunities for those who qualify for it. Other approaches the government can take include economic reforms to ensure that mechanisms that have been devised are adhered to by employing the right people for the right jobs. Economic reforms also deal with ensuring that taxes are collected in time and at least everyone pays tax. Taxes such as value added tax on commodities indirectly imposed on goods helps to create equality in the economy in the sense that, even the poor person who buys from the market is taxed. Removing price controls will also allow market demand and supply forces to determine prices as these controls are deemed by the employers as unfair to their businesses. They in turn react by hoarding commodities until their prices rise significantly. Price controls are viewed by economists as temp oral tools of curbing inflation which lead to shortages of essential commodities such as sugar, rice, flour among others. When these shortages last for long, they impact negatively on the lives of the consumers leading to deteriorating health status especially of the poor from developing countries whose governments have complicated bureaucracies to correct such situations. Investing in education has a role to play in healthcare, well-being and social care of people (Lardy 2007). This is because educated people are well equipped with basics of public health and this in return accords them good life. The government can also open up health facilities across the country to cater for the sick because it is believed that, a health nation has got health people.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many people from developed countries have access to social care facilities and this enables them to enjoy quality lives. Hence the government should invest substantive funds of its budget on education, healthcare and social well being of its citizens if it has prospects of facilitating its GDP growth. Finally, for the country to experience a stable growth in its GDP, then they need to revive their stock market. This has to do with first educating people on financial skills and how to be risk averse in portfolio management. In case the stock market is revived, then they should allow at least 75 percent of their citizens and only 25 percent of foreigners to invest in the exchange market. This provides opportunities for the locals to grow economically. References Lardy, N 2007, China: Rebalancing economic growth, Peter Institute of International Economics. Morrison, W 2006, China’s economic conditions. Web. Pettinger, T 2007, Policies to reduce inflation. Web. Weisbrot, M 2011, How to reduce unemployment and revive the economy. Web. This essay on Setting Macroeconomic Policies was written and submitted by user Dirty F0x 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.

Soft Skills in the Workplace Boost Your Freelance Career

Soft Skills in the Workplace Boost Your Freelance Career Hard skills- like software certifications, degrees, work experience- are quantifiable; you either have them, or you don’t. But soft skills, like these rounded up by Brie Weiler Reynolds at Flexjobs.com, are qualities  you can work to develop on your own. By the time you’re ready to send your resume and cover letter out, you can boast your proficiency with each and every one of these skills. Self-EfficacyAre you proactive? Can you perform under pressure? A lot of this is a head game- do you feel a sense of  control over your work and life? Are you confident in your abilities? A roster of freelance clients (even if you know some of them socially) can help demonstrate your ability to time-manage and hustle under your own steam.Outcome ExpectancyThis is what Valerie Ward of EmploymentReadiness.info calls â€Å"the belief that one’s efforts will result in positive outcomes.† Basically, it’s glass-half-full thinking, accompanied by a dose of pragmatis m. Set yourself up for success by not biting off more than you can chew and executing the tasks you take on in a timely, professional manner. Start small if you need to!Maintenance of a Solid NetworkOne of the hardest things about freelancing is the lack of a cube-mate to kvetch to or brainstorm with. Make sure your support network extends beyond the office (or former office!)- find people who will listen to your issues, help you solve problems, pitch in for childcare, extend your professional network, and are generous with their time. Make sure the support goes both ways if you really want a network that performs for you.Constant Self-EvaluationThese are the daily skills that usually come with sharing 4 walls and oxygen with a team of other employees: communication, being proactive, triaging a to-do list, work-life boundaries, learning from mistakes and accurate self-review. Be responsive, be generous, and do it every day, even when you don’t feel like you’re at your best.Assessment of Past ExperiencesFlexJobs calls this â€Å"work history,† but even more important than your actual background is the way you perceive and represent your experience. How can you put the best possible spin on even the least rewarding jobs? Assess the skills you acquired and responsibilities you held, and be able to talk about them cheerfully and confidently.These soft skills will enable you to present a poised, professional attitude to prospective employers- and you can start honing them without even leaving your desk.  5 Soft Skills for Long-Term Career Success  Read More at Flex Jobs

Automotive Industry Analysis According to Porter's Research Paper

Automotive Industry Analysis According to Porter's - Research Paper Example This factor therefore forces existing firms to compete to gain more market share in major and minor niche product markets. The overall intensity of the rivalry among firms is therefore on the higher side. (â€Å" Automotive Manufacturing in the United States† 20) Relative Power of other stakeholders- High Rating Automotive industry is an industry which is based upon different stakeholders such as manufacturers, dealers, banks and financial institutions as well as government. The linkages between the stakeholders therefore are relatively complex and problems with one stakeholder can really see significant impact on the automotive manufacturing firms. During recent economic downturns, automotive sector was hit hardly due to credit crunch. The involvement of government was on the higher side too as US and other governments made equity participation to help automotive manufacturing firms to survive. Environmental groups are also significant stakeholders and their relative power ma y bring fundamental shifts in the industry due to threats posed by carbon emission to the environment. Overall government regulations are stringent and need to be complied with. ("General Motors Corporation Company Profile.† 30) Threat of New Entrants- Moderate Rating New entrants are firms willing to enter into the industry to take advantage of available business opportunities. The overall market size of the Automotive manufacturing market in US is over $200 billion as per estimates made in 2010. Such large market size therefore makes this industry one of the lucrative opportunities for new entrants despite the fact that cost of entry and other entry barriers are high. Typically, automotive sector requires high capital expenditure along with a well developed network of dealers and financial institutions however; those firms which are already established in other markets may find US market a relatively lucrative market. (â€Å"Automotive Manufacturing in the United Statesâ₠¬  18). This factor therefore may seems to be a high rating factor considering the fact that firms like GM are increasingly facing product recalls due to production and design faults. Established brands at international level like Toyota, Mercedes, and Volkswagen may get good brand recognition due to their international repute and presence. Threats of Substitutes- Moderate Rating Substitutes are the alternatives available to the consumers to use in lieu of current product under use. One of the key threats is the increasing use of public transports by the passengers due to higher cost of maintaining the vehicles. The increasing costs associated with gasoline, taxes, carbon emission therefore may restrict the ability of average household income holders to go for new cars. (â€Å" Automotive Manufacturing in the United States† 19) Used cars are another substitute available to the consumers especially due to overall uncertainty prevailing into major markets. It has been suggeste d that overall consumer confidence is at lower levels and consumers do not prefer to make bigger purchases. This threat however may be of moderate nature as factors like brand loyalty and high switching cost may restrict buyers to go for substitutes. Supplier Power- Moderate Suppliers provide essential raw materials to firms to manufacture finished goods. The overall materials used in the production of automotives are diverse in nature

Mass Media and Communication Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mass Media and Communication Proposal - Essay Example As a result, such devices have increased improved their use from basic communication services to entertainment and interaction purposes. To most people, the mobile phone is an important device for communication, entertainment, and organization. The increased need for mobile has led to brands take that as an opportunity to increase their interaction with their consumers. The according to reports, the past two decades have seen a significant increase in interaction between brands and consumers due to the mobile as platforms are providing an always-on connectivity (Meijer, Bannister, Thaens, & IOS Press, 2013). The fast implementation of technology around the world has been attributed to the continued advancement in the application of cell phone in the especially corporate world (Fierce Mobile IT (2013).The increase has been attributed to the fact that technology, especially in the mobile phone, has led to localized and easily personalized, thus becoming one of the effective ways that, when embraced in the corporate world, can increase brand engagement. In the transport sector, the social media has played a critical role in relaying information on operations. For example in the air transport, Airline postponements are one of the most common sources of client frustration. Not only do the delays happen frequently, but also people are quite vocal about their outlooks when their flight is overdue. Some air transport companies such as @JetBlue have embraced Twitter to ensure they are is always responds to their customers because they understand it is important for cultivating customer loyalty. T hey not only do interact with blissful customers, but they also respond to and assist frustrated customers as hastily as possible (Meijer, Bannister, Thaens, & IOS Press, 2013).

Shakespear - King Lear Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shakespear - King Lear - Assignment Example Despite this she still loves her father, she says simply, â€Å"I love your majesty, according to your bond, no more nor less† (1.1 100-102) despite the honesty she reveals with this statement, her father cannot per see that it’s the honest love she shows. After discovery of her sisters plan to kill their father, Cordelia gathers a French army to go to war with her sisters in the defence of her father despite what he did, this true act of bravery leads to her death which portrays her saviour character in the play. Edgar is the play is the son of the Earl of Gloucester. A gullible character that falls into his brothers cruel plan that leads him to escape and disguises himself as a peasant and when his father plans to commit suicide, he tricks him that he will help him, convinces him that he has already fallen and that his life is a miracle â€Å"thy life is a miracle/Speak yet again† (4.6 69). He also kills another human in the sense of saving his

My Favourite Holidays

My Favourite Holidays This is a pretty difficult topic to write on, since I tend to love all of the holidays! As soon as it hits October, I am floored for every holiday between Halloween and New Years. Growing up, it was all about what I would get as gifts on these holidays or the fantastic family dinners. I get excited for Fall, the local Algonquin Mill celebration, the beauty of all the leaves changing, the smell of them burning in the evening, the streets teaming with Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween. I remember how exciting it was to wake up early on Christmas morning and sneak around the brightly lit tree, hoping not to wake up Mom, trying to guess what was in each colorful package with my older sister. I also remember the frustration of not being able to fall asleep because I was so excited. With all of these holidays, I know that everyone has their favorites. There are many different traditions that people follow but are we really celebrating these holiday traditions in the right way or even for the right reasons? Just the entire season would be my favorite time of year, but I shall focus on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Halloween, though it is known for its fun colors and costumes and gorging yourself on candy, actually started out as a Celtic holiday. The Celtics began celebrating this holiday because it was the last day of their winter solstice and apparently they just wanted an excuse to party since this also meant that they were done with the yearly harvesting time. Also, this day was used as a day to honor loved ones who had passed on, since it was said to be the day that the veil was lifted and the dead were able to once again walk with the living. The day after became celebrated as All Hallows Eve which marked the end of the dead being able to walk among us, at last until the next year. Nowadays we parade around in skimpy outfits in cold weather, attending parties to drink and be judged in our costumes. Speaking of drinking, my favorite Halloween myth would be that of the origin of pumpkins, or rather, Jack-O-Lanterns. The legend actually involves a hollowed turnip, the Devil, and a man named Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack, the stereotypical Irish drunkard, was known as a manipulator and loved to trick people. This brought him into contact with the Devil who went to collect his soul after hearing of all of his bad deeds. But, Jack was sneaky. He managed to trick the devil up into a tree and trap him there by carving a holy symbol, a cross, into the trunk of that tree. The Devil, demanding his release, agreed to Jacks demand that his soul would never be taken into Hell for all of his past misdeeds. This comes back to haunt poor Stingy Jack as when he does eventually die, he is not allowed into Heaven because of those same deeds, and the Devil had promised not to take him! He did, though, give Jack an ember, which Jack then carried around in a hollowed out turnip, doomed to roam the earth forever. Now, though, the turnip is a pumpkin and this year, my sister carved hers to make it look like it ate a Trick-or-Treater. Not exactly following tradition, is it? I would say that this would be a nice moralist story to tell our young ones since it shows that there are often bad consequences to bad actions. My second favorite holiday would be Thanksgiving. My family has a three day tradition for this holiday, which I got to join when I turned 21. The night before Thanksgiving, we go to the local bar for the band that plays there every year. Then, we wake up the next morning, more than likely hung over, and cook our Thanksgiving dinners, attending the big family meal in our pajamas because we are so exhausted from the night before. Afterwards, we all lapse into a turkey-coma and wake up early the next morning for the biggest shopping day of the year! Now, Im sure that this is not the same as everyone elses traditions, and I know it is definitely not the same as the real reason for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, another harvest festival, like Halloween, is a holiday in which people are supposed to express how thankful they are for their family, friends, and everything else they have. Growing up, I remember coloring the Pilgrims and the turkeys made out of hands. This was also back when we we re still allowed to pray in school, so our class would have our lunch of turkey slices and mashed potatoes and gravy and say a prayer together. A lot of the religious value behind this holiday has been lost. Lately, it seems to be all about the football game, the big meal, and the shopping ads for the next day race to Christmas. I am sure that if the holiday were observed properly, if we were asked each Thanksgiving to give a list of things that we are thankful for, people might just focus on the more important things in life: family and friends and their own idea of religion. This brings me to Christmas which is another of my favorite holidays. I love the snow on the ground- as long as I dont have to be in it- the colors everywhere, the Christmas carols on the store radios as you try to figure out what to get for whom. I like walking past all the houses and seeing the trees all lit up in their windows Wait a minute, lit up trees? Why do we even have the trees? Christmas, in my family, is all about getting the whole family together for dinner. Everyone is so focused on paying their bills that there is no real gift giving except for that of our company. We like to laugh and have fun and its normally pretty loud at whichever house we congregate in. The real focus of Christmas, though, is actually on religion, which my family does not really follow. This is the day to celebrate the birth of Christ, our savior. The star at the top of the gaily decorated tree is to depict that of the star over Bethlehem that guided the shepherds to where Jesus was born. The tre e was established as part of our tradition by Martin Luther who used it as a symbol of the Tree of Life from the bible tale of the Garden of Eden. Another tradition that is attributed to Christmas is that of Santa Clause, or Father Christmas, or Saint Nick, my all-time favorite man. How could you not love a man that runs around in red pajamas and gives out candy and gifts? Even though he is so loveable, he is not the real reason behind Christmas and it would be nice to see that people, especially children, realize this. Instead, they spend the last ten or so days before Christmas hoping you and jolly old Santa forgot all their past transgressions so that they dont get a lump of coal in their stockings. This does tend to make Christmas more fun, but I only hope that other people get that kind and warm-hearted feeling that I always get around Christmas. It is a time when people are nicer to everyone else and I think that it is the greatest time of year because of this. Of all these holidays, I have my favorites and you have yours, all for different reasons. But in todays society, are we really celebrating them in the right way? In watching the news it is plain to see that America is facing a problem with youth and their values, or lack thereof. Maybe if we tried to spread the old traditions of some of these holidays and to celebrate them right instead of letting them become so commercialized, todays society would remember that there are actual reasons that we partake in these holidays, not just to be able to ask So, what do you want for Christmas this year?

Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay

Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999    Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare's King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999   

Analysis of Arthur Young’s Travels in France

DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT, HISTORY AND JUSTICE CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF ARTHUR YOUNG’S TRAVELS IN FRANCE BY DANIELLE KING Submitted to Professor Ocana in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Western Civilization 112 November 3, 2010 Arthur Young was born on September 11, 1741 in Bradfield, a village in Suffolk, England. After he dropped out of school and acquired a job in a mercantile house, for which he was not suited for, Young began his writing career at the age of seventeen. He was much more inclined to write than work in a more commercial capacity as he later became a great English agriculture writer.Although Young was such a fantastic agriculture writer he is most known for his social and political writings. Young was not very successful with the land from the start; however, after inheriting the land around his home after the death of his mother and through a series of failed farming attempts elsewhere in England, he began to learn quite a lot about agricul ture. From this point Young began to write several books and journals about agriculture in and around England and his popularity grew tremendously. After having made quite a name for himself in the world of agriculture, Young began to travel outside of England.Young first went to Ireland in 1776 and published his findings there four years later with Tour in Ireland. Young’s most popular excursion was to France, which he first visited in 1787. Young explored the country in great detail learning a good deal from the people and the land. Young meticulously documented the condition of the soil and other agricultural data as well as his opinions as to the political and social reasons for Frances’ agricultural failure. This information was published in 1792 split into two volumes titled Travels in France.The reason this work was so important then and still important today is because Young gives a remarkable account of the social, economic, and political problems and struggle s leading up to and just after the beginning of the French Revolution. During the section of Travels in France that discussed his thoughts on the French Revolution, Young was enraged by much of what he saw. The issues that seemed to frustrate Young the most were unequal taxes, harsh penal codes, and a lack of justice in the court system. The first major dilemma Young discusses is a system of unequal taxes.He begins by giving the reader an understanding of how the kingdom was organized. Young says that the kingdom was broken into generalities with an intendant appointed to govern them. The generalities were broken down further into elections which were governed by â€Å"sub-de-legue†; this position was appointed by the intendant. Needless to say, the intendant held a vast amount of power particularly with regards to taxation. According to Young these intendants could â€Å"exempt, change, add, or diminish† taxes on a whim. (Young) With this type of control it is easy to see why befriending the intendant might be advantageous.It was known that the friends and family, even very distant relatives could benefit financially from a connection to the intendant. Naturally people without this connection were very upset as, since taxes still had to be paid to the kingdom, they were the ones to shoulder this financial burden. There were exemptions allowed for the intendants, sub-de-legues, nobility, clergy, and the friends and family of these people. The poor of the kingdom felt as though the people with the most economic resources were exempted from paying taxes because they were fortunate enough to have those resources.The second issue Young uncovers while traveling in Frances is the kingdoms’ unequal and unfairly harsh penal code. Young uses, as an example, the laws for salt smugglers. Taken from his Travels in France were eight extremely strict regulations covering the offenders accused of smuggling salt. The first law mentioned says that if five or more armed salt smugglers are gathered together in Provence they will be fined and spend nine years in jail. If these same people were anywhere else in the kingdom they would be put to death.The next law says that if less than five but more than one armed smugglers are gathered together they get a second chance. The first time they are caught meeting, they will be fined and sentenced to three years in jail. The second time they will be killed. The third rule discusses unarmed smugglers that have some sort of transportation to move the salt. This could be in the way of animals and or carts while traveling on land or a boat if the smuggler is on the water. At this point the punishments become slightly less severe with the first offence being only the fine of the previous law without the time in jail.However, if that fine is not paid then the same three years time will be served. With this law as well, the smuggler would have a second chance although the second offence carried a muc h stiffer penalty. In most of the kingdom a heaver fine was required as well as nine years jail time. In Provence, a smuggler could expect to go to jail for five years without the fine. In Dauphine, however, the second offence would take away a smuggler’s freedom for the rest of his life. The next law covers unarmed smugglers without transportation.This is the least severe of the punishments for males having only a small fine for the first offence. If the smuggler does not have the money to pay the fine they are flogged and branded. The second time they are caught is not much worse with a fine and six years jail time. The fifth law sets the punishments for women; it is very interesting that are given three chances and not given jail time for either offence. The first time they are sentenced with a very small fine and the second time a slightly larger fine. The husband is responsible for the fine. The third time they are flogged and permanently put out of the kingdom.The next law says that the child smugglers are treated the same as the women with both parents held liable for the fine. After the common people of the kingdom, the nobles are mentioned. If nobles are caught, their titles and estates are taken away from them. No fine or jail time is necessary for the same crime that common people could be put to death for. The last law in this excerpt discusses what Young thinks is the salt or revenue employee that smuggles on the side. This person would be sentenced to death. If this employee steals or transports the stolen salt they would be hung.This is the only law listed that describes a particular kind of death showing how important they felt this crime was. The final major issue Arthur Young found with the French during his journey through the kingdom was with the lack of justice in the court system. In his words the justice that was administered was â€Å"partial†, â€Å"venal†, and â€Å"infamous†. (Young) He goes on to say that after conversing with numerous men in several different areas around France all of them felt as if the legal system needed serious reform, as equal justice under the law was completely impossible due to widespread corruption.Young found that as two parties stood before the judge the winner of the dispute would be whichever party could bribe the judge more. Shockingly, this bribe did not always have to be monetary; it could also be the â€Å"beauty of a handsome wife† (Young) The only way justice would be served was if two conditions were both meet; neither party could have any connection to the judge (or anyone else in power) and neither party could have something of value to offer the judge, be it money, land, or women.If either of these conditions was not met, the party that knew the judge or had the available resources would be victorious. Furthermore, the judges had the authority to originate decrees. Not surprisingly, they did this without the permission of the King. As it turns out, these â€Å"parliaments† had configured a judicial system where they made the laws and then turned around and punished people for breaking these laws. Young had uncovered what he described as â€Å"a horrible system of tyranny†.Young’s main points of unbalanced taxes, unforgiving penal codes, and the deceitful legal system help to bring into focus his feelings of why the French were doomed for a revolution. He does a wonderful job of really capturing the feeling of the typical Frenchmen at the time. Although he arrived in the kingdom to evaluate the conditions of the soil and other aspects of the farming environment, he seemed to leave with a thorough understanding of French society in the late 1780’s. The only bias shown in the piece might be in that Young only makes note of the thoughts, fears, and complaints of the working class citizens.From the reading, it is difficult to get a sense of how the people in power felt about day-to-day lif e. Because of this one-sided account, any reader would automatically find themselves cheering for the â€Å"little people† and suppressing a growing detestation for persons of authority. The principle value of Arthur Young’s Travels in France is that the people of this day and age studying the French Revolution have an excellent report of some of the events leading up to it. Young goes deeper into the major concerns of the day than the average textbook can.The reader truly gets the opportunity to feel the pain of the local townspeople. Textbooks try to hit the highlights of history, which sticks mainly to important kings and key politicians, where in pieces like Young’s, readers get to understand the plight of the average Joe. Bibliography Stead, David. Arthur Young. EH. Net Encyclopedia 2003. http://eh. net /encyclopedia/article/stead. young Young, Arthur. Arthur Young’s Travels in France During the Years 1787, 1788, 1789. London: George Bell and Sons, 1 909.

5 Errors of Restriction

5 Errors of Restriction 5 Errors of Restriction 5 Errors of Restriction By Mark Nichol 1. â€Å"Bank of America’s purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion will create the biggest bank in the United States with thirty-three million customers.† The lack of punctuation in this sentence invites the impression that of all the banks in the United States with thirty-three million customers, the Bank of America will be the largest. But the last phrase merely refers to the size of the customer base after the merger. This additional information should be set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma: â€Å"Bank of America’s purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion will create the biggest bank in the United States, with thirty-three million customers.† Alternatively, the information can be inserted parenthetically into the middle of the sentence: â€Å"Bank of America’s purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion, which boosts its customer base to thirty-three million, will create the biggest bank in the United States.† 2. â€Å"Take a visit to the military test kitchen where bad grub is taken very seriously.† The implication here is that among military test kitchens, the one in question is the only one that focuses on bad food. However, it’s quite likely there’s only one military test kitchen, a fact this sentence indicates by the simple insertion of a comma: â€Å"Take a visit to the military test kitchen, where bad grub is taken very seriously.† (If there is more than one, the implied multiplicity of kitchens is distracting; a simple change of the article preceding the noun phrase will remove the obstacle: â€Å"Take a visit to a military test kitchen where bad grub is taken very seriously.†) 3. â€Å"Yesterday, ChevronTexaco announced the deal that’s expected to be complete within six months.† The reader might get the impression that of two or more deals, this one’s expected to take up to six months to complete. But there’s only one deal, and it should be complete within six months. To communicate that information, set the time frame apart from the phrase about the announcement, and change that to which: â€Å"Yesterday, ChevronTexaco announced the deal, which is expected to be complete within six months.† 4. â€Å"Daniel Libeskind is the architect of the proposed $43 million Contemporary Jewish Museum project in San Francisco that will begin construction next year.† This example is less likely than the previous one to confuse readers about the number of similar events expected to occur; it’s unlikely that anyone will assume that more than one museum project is in the offing. However, the sentence is constructed so that such distraction is possible. To clarify, undertake the same revision as in the example above: â€Å"Daniel Libeskind is the architect of the proposed $43 million Contemporary Jewish Museum project in San Francisco, which will begin construction next year.† 5. â€Å"The company’s incident-response can quickly and reliably identify events, which threaten an organization’s security posture.† Note that this sentence, by contrast, errs in the other direction: The wording and punctuation implies that all events are a threat to the organization’s security posture. But the sentence intends to refer to a restricted type of events, so it should be worded to convey that meaning: â€Å"The company’s incident-response can quickly and reliably identify events that threaten an organization’s security posture.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesTime Words: Era, Epoch, and EonCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

buy custom Enron essay

buy custom Enron essay Introduction Enron was a giant energy company that was based in Texas, USA. It was the leading company in the provision of electricity and natural gas, and was then named as the most innovative company until the revelation of its substantial financial reporting and systematic fraud of its accounting processes had been highly institutionalized. The revelations of the scandal lead to the fall of its share, which had been considered to be the blue chip stock from over 90 dollars to selling in pennies. Enrons code of ethics issued in July 2000 indicated that the responsibility of conducting affairs of the business in accordance with the law, moral and honest manner was in its officers and employees. The code also stated that an employee should not directly or indirectly behave himself in a manner that was detrimental to the companys interests, thus, basing the codes on respect, excellence, integrity, and communication. The officer of Enron did not follow the codes of conduct, as it was stipulated, le ading to its fall. This paper will analyze the accounting systems that never provided the true face of the firm. Enron revenues grew considerably to 101 billion dollars in 2000 until its revelation that appeared to show its problems being not as a result of some core energy operations, but with other ventures. Reasons for the Collapse of Enron a)Accounting Problems The collapse of Enron was not due to its large size, but it was caused by decentralization of its operations to numerous subsidiaries that made it hard to detect when the company was running on losses. The requirement to make public the financial statements that was traded publicly made Enron craft some imaginary statements with its subsidiaries that were masking its true financial statements (Nicholson, 2011). The accounting records of Enron held back the losses it had been making and only stated the assets of its subsidiaries. Thus, the company gained confidence of market financiers who financed its e-commerce ventures. The over reliance of the special-purpose entities (SPE) made the company heavily indebted, thus leading the company to form the partnership with its financiers because it was not possible to finance their debts. The financiers then had to lend funds to the partnership, which were never revealed in the companys balance sheet. This SPE applied all kinds of ventures ev en selling some assets to these partnerships with the management of the company. The SPE used by this company depicted the recklessness and incompetence of its management team without even disclosing the existence of the SPE. The company used derivatives that did manipuate the results of the companys accounting and the need for full disclosure of the financial statements applying the set standards of accounting that were not followed. The markets, in which Enron traded, were never regulated, and thus, the profitability of the company in its derivatives was higher than the financial statements. The offshore entities of Enron were used for planning and tax avoidance in such a way raising the companys profitability. This, in turn, did provide the movement of funds which necessitated the holding back of the disclosure of losses. These offshore entities made the company looking profitable because of doctoring the financial statements where in the real sense the company was losing funds. b)Top Leadership The top executives of Enron were charged with fraud, money laundering and insider trading which were criminal acts. The management of a company is the one responsible for safeguarding the company shareholders interests. Enron management waived the rules of interests and creating a partnership that do business with the company and managing these partnerships by the same management. These executives raised their credibility and adherence to the code of conduct of the company. In any working environment, there are some established rules of effective working. These rules are implemented so as to ensure that the set goals and objectives are achieved in business. One of the main reasons why these rules exist is so as to guide individuals. These guidelines help different individuals to coordinate activities among themselves so as to achieve the expected results. Since the working environment consists of many personalities, they operate as a team. Within the team, there are the established rules on how the team operates. This is extremely vital since it helps in the attainment of these set goals. It also prevents random decisions. The management of Enron engaged into business activities that violated the companys code of ethics. The activities involved trading the volatile earnings not rewarded on the stock market. The management of Enron was the one to bear the responsibility for the collapse of this company as the ethics code stated. They were involved in the creation of partnerships that they managed on their own. Thus, they gave some exceptions from the ethics code of the company and its values, and the visions did not match with the management actions. c)Management culture The collapsing of Enron was not as a result of an accident, but the companys culture of management. This facilitated its downfall through fraud and greed because the company was extorting its consumers. The managementt only focused on the maintenance of values appearance that raised the trading price of its stock instead of relying on the creation of the real value of the company. The company also resulted in replacing employees in their divisions even though the integrity was compromised. It is viewed that the company was leveraging with the administration that allowed the perpetration of frauds. Therefore, the collapse can be attributed as the largest problem of management culture (Nicholson, 2011). d)Auditing issues The federal law requires that auditing a public company should be conducted by an independent auditor. The auditors of Enron were either misled of the actual income of the company which was restated with the losses being reported to be lower than they appeared, or the auditor compromised its independence used in the determination of the nature and the extents of the procedures applied in auditing. Enron did not use an outside auditor and this led to the management not disclosing the real status of the companys assets (Jickling, 2002). The auditor was indicted for the destruction of documents that showed the auditing of Enron. e)Pension Issues Enron was sponsoring its employees benefits. It was later revealed that the retirement stock was even larger than the stock of the company. The companys collapse led to employees losing their values of the retirement benefits. The plan was supposed to allow the participants to have information setting limits on the companys stock that can hold the retirement plan. f)Banking Issues The collapse of Enron was also contributed by the participation of banks as they provided the funding of the offshore ventures. They were also involved in partnering with the company proving funds that were traded off the balance sheet. The banks were also viewed as providing derivatives to other institutions by recommending the companys securities as they were faced with the opportunity of making profits form their deals and the risk avoidance from the bank (Jickling, 2002). Conclusion The management of Enron was never guided by the code of ethics, and, thus, they did not create the ethical environment for the company as the fundamental values of respect, integrity excellence, and communication that were never followed. The collapse of Enron was enhanced by the managements failure to guard the interests of the companys owners. They also used loans to pay the existing loans in supporting the e-commerce ventures. These financiers facilitated the frauds that were being committed to the company. Buy custom Enron essay

Informal interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Informal interview - Essay Example What are the core competencies and skills needed by an individual in order to be successful as the HR Director? What is your perspective of the HRD in an organization? What are the implications of the importance of the role of HRD on the top management in an organization? Interview summary The professional interviewed was Mr. Ali Javaid. He has five years of experience as a human resource director (HRD) in Sunshine Company. There is a whole range of job duties and responsibilities assigned to Ali by his company. As the HRD of the company, Ali manages the activities to hire the personnel, develop their skills as per the needs of the company, motivates them using different types of strategies, and ensures that the performance of the workforce is up to the standards established by the company. Ali oversees the process of recruitment including the development and circulation of notices about the employment opportunities, advertising, application screening, establishment of the schedules of interview, and contacting the interested candidates after the completion of the process of recruitment. Ali assumes the responsibility to circulate and coordinate all information and documentation about the evaluation of the employees. He ensures the compliance of the organization with the practices of equal opportunity and employment established by the state (â€Å"Director of Human†). Ali regularly develops new programs of employee orientation. He administers the benefits and provides the employees with information about retirement and personnel benefits. Salary schedules are maintained and updated by him. Ali has established and maintains an electronic system of employee records that consists of the employees’ application materials, licensure documentation, official transcripts, and documents. Ali prepares all sorts of contracts and other documents about compensation and employment. He also monitors the vacations and leaves of the employees. He also prepares and delivers the payroll information. These are only few of the duties and responsibilities performed by Ali in the company as its HRD. The main competencies needed to be successful as a HR Director include negotiation skills, job knowledge, qualified recruitment, effective training, and the power to influence others. Successful HR Directors have such communication skills that enable them to communicate in a way that is a win win situation for the employees and the company. Each organization has certain constraints while employees have their own needs. HR Directors listen to the concerns of the employees and help them understand the organization’s position and tendency to resolve their problems. This requires good interpersonal skills which a HR Director must have in order to succeed. The HR Director should have comprehensive job knowledge (Heisler). He should have a firm understanding of the job duties and responsibilities along with comprehensive knowledge of the applicable saf ety regulations, labor laws, and state and federal policies. The core competency of recruitment means that the HR Director minimizes the expenditures of the company related to the advertisement of job and the selection process. It also means that the HR Director should be qualified enough to establish a fair system of skill evaluation to select the right personnel for the company. The HR Director should have knowledge of the latest developments and advancements of technology so as to make best use of them for the training and skill development of the employees at the

Finding differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Finding differences - Essay Example This report presents a comprehensive review of financial statements of three companies, which are operating in US, UK and France respectively and follow the financial reporting frameworks applicable in the said countries. Caterpillar Incorporation is a US based company headquartered in Peoria. The company is engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling machinery and equipments related to construction industry (Yahoo Finance, 2013). The three companies considered in this report, as stated earlier, are based in three different countries which have different financial reporting frameworks applicable for financial reporting of corporate entities. In the United States of America, corporate entities are required to report their financial statements in accordance with the principles and guidance presented under U.S. GAAP. The framework provided in U.S. GAAP is thus the primary accounting or financial reporting framework in the US. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, business entities are required to report their financial statements in accordance with the principles and guidance presented under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The standards provided under IFRS are collectively regarded as the financial reporting framework to which business entities operating in the UK adhere. Lastly, in France, French GAAP are used by corporate entities to prepare their respective sets of financial statements (Nobes et al., 2008; Radebaugh & Gray, 2008). Due to the difference in financial reporting frameworks of the companies selected in this report, there are a number of differences in their financial statements’ structure and other reporting and valuation related matters. These differences are discussed in the following sections. All three companies have different names for income statement; in Caterpillar’s financial statements, it is named as â€Å"Results of Operations†, in Glaxo