Saturday, August 31, 2019

Mpare and Contrast the Way in Which Heaney

Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney and Stealing Peas by Gillian Clarke both approach passion and disappointment in life by describing childhood experience. They explore love and regret through the description of childhood and nature; Blackberry Picking through the explicit meaning of picking blackberries but them decomposing, and Stealing Peas through the explicit meaning of children stealing peas from pea rows in a field in the day, but later on with a girl asking a boy a question and her being given a disappointing and seemingly unexpected answer. Both Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney and Stealing Peas by Gillian Clarke are similar in subject; they both are poems about sad or unfortunate childhood events that have perhaps lingered in both of the poets’ memories. â€Å"Blackberry Picking† uses nature as a basis for the narrative. Heaney writes about his childhood experiences; picking berries in â€Å"late august†. Heaney and Clarke both create strong feelings in their poems. In â€Å"Blackberry Picking†, Heaney conveys a sense of lust and greed for the berries: â€Å"We hoarded the fresh berries†, but that afterwards the berries fermented and grew sour: â€Å"The fruit fermented†. Alternatively, Heaney could also be describing the excitement and joy people feel at the beginning of relationships and how it can deteriorate into something that is bitter and rotten. Heaney does this by describing how a fungus grows upon the berries that they had picked, making the â€Å"sweet flesh† of the berries turn sour. Similarly, in â€Å"Stealing Peas†, Gillian Clarke also uses nature as a basis for the narrative when she writes about two teenage lovers crawling in pea rows, stealing the peas and eating them. They crawl in the pea rows, slid the peas down their tongues. The girl asks, â€Å"Who d’you like best? and he replies with â€Å"You’re prettier. She’s funnier. † She writes, â€Å"I wish I hadn’t asked† indicating she regrets having asked. The implicit meaning of â€Å"Stealing Peas† is that a boy and a girl go to a field and have sex in the pea rows: â€Å"We crawled†, â€Å"slit the skins†, â€Å"with bitten nails†, â€Å"chutes of our tongues†-these each help to heighten the air of sexual tension in the second stanza, with the crawling as a way of remaining undetected; showing that what they are doing is perhaps forbidden and could get them in trouble, and this observation is reaffirmed by the mentioning of â€Å"stolen green light†. The use of the word â€Å"stolen† symbolises the loss of virginity or innocence, whilst the â€Å"green† showing the go ahead. The poet also describes how a â€Å"parky† shouted at a â€Å"child we could not see† which could either simply be another child in the field, or a child growing inside the girl- she has become pregnant, or lost her innocence. Heaney and Clarke both create strong feelings in their poems. In â€Å"Blackberry Picking†, Heaney conveys a sense of lust and greed for the berries using images of the children hurriedly filling cans with the berries, and by using words such as â€Å"ripen†, â€Å"flesh†, and â€Å"sticky†. These words have very sensual connotations and give the reader the impression that the poet was experiencing feelings of lust and greed at the time, and that the acts are forbidden. Heaney is also personifying the berries by referring to the â€Å"flesh† of the berries; perhaps showing that he felt feelings towards them that you would feel towards a person. Heaney and Clarkes’ poems are, to an extent, different in their form and layout. And though they both appear different, the poems are both similar in that they both focus more on the positive experiences, rather than the negative. â€Å"Blackberry Picking† is structured into two distinct stanzas with a sharp contrast between them. Heaney writes of the picking of the berries in the first stanza, introduces sexual themes, uses aural devices, and utilises similes and metaphors to create strong imagery. In the second stanza, he then moves on to talk about the how the berries are ruined- a â€Å"rat-grey† fungus, â€Å"glutting† on their â€Å"cache†. There is a notable difference between the two stanzas of â€Å"Blackberry Picking†. The first stanza is very long, describing the joy of the children as they go out collecting berries, but the second stanza, where Heaney talks about the fungus, is considerably shorter- it seems that Heaney is recalling the good part of the memory fondly, whilst quickly brushing over the bad. Unlike â€Å"Blackberry Picking†, Clarke has structured â€Å"Stealing Peas† into four stanzas. In the first stanza, Clarke sets the scene for the poem by describing the tide â€Å"far out†, the â€Å"warm evening† voices and the park â€Å"clipped privet†. In the second stanza the poet describes a boy, mentioning that he wore a â€Å"blue† shirt with an â€Å"Aertex† logo, and more sexual language is introduced: â€Å"filthy with syrups†, â€Å"grime of the town park†, â€Å"tendrils of my hair†. Filthy and grime suggesting the sensual, dirty, and perhaps forbidden acts that they are doing. There also is a notable difference between the four different stanzas of â€Å"Stealing Peas† in terms of length. The first stanza is very short, showing that Clarke is choosing not to remember her surroundings at the time so strongly, while the second stanza is much longer, indicating that the time spent with this boy, crawling in the pea rows together, meant more to her than any other part of the day, and that she herself has selected this part of the memory to stand out more vividly than any other. The third stanza is noticeably shorter, with her asking him â€Å"Who d’you like best? † The use of sound is important in both poems, and both poets use it to great effect. Techniques such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhyme- the words â€Å"purple clot† and â€Å"hard as a knot†, â€Å"smelt of rot† and â€Å"knew they would not† in â€Å"Blackberry Picking†, are all strategically used to evoke images and create sounds by Heaney and Clarke. In â€Å"Blackberry Picking†, the use the letter p in â€Å"pricks, our palms† is short and sharp to emphasise the sharpness of the pricks from the blackberry thorns, b in â€Å"bleached our boots† and â€Å"berries in the byre† is very bubbly and bouncy, reflecting the children’s emotions as they set out on a journey of exploration, whilst the use of f in â€Å"filled we found fur† is also soft sounding- creeping in, similar to how the Heaney talks about how the â€Å"rat-grey fungus† seeps in and ruins the blackberries. Clarke also uses aural devices; alliteration with the use of the letter s in â€Å"slit the skins†, helping the reader to visualise the sounds created when the children, crawling through the rows, and stealing the pea pods, slit the skins open. The â€Å"s†, when said aloud, is a soft sound, but in the context of the stanza, creates a more sinister, hissing sound, as though the skins are being hastily ripped open in lust. Again, the use of the letter s in â€Å"slid the peas† helps the reader visualize– almost hear, the youths sliding the peas down the â€Å"chutes† of their tongues. Lastly, the use of onomatopoeia in â€Å"a lawn-mower murmured†, creates a very sexual feeling- perhaps from the boy, towards the girl. In conclusion, it can be seen that the two poems are alike in many ways such as they both recount childhood experiences that the poets regretted. What I found interesting was how Heaney and Clarke wrote the poems, spending more time describing the good experiences, rather than the unfortunate– in a way suggesting that the poets have selectively recorded these events in their minds.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Bailout Plan

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, enacted on October 3, 2008, is a law that gives the United States Secretary of the Treasury authority to spend $700 billion to buy mortgage-backed securities from the banks. The law aims to purchase these so-called bad assets and hopefully restore confidence to the credit market. The law is more commonly known as the â€Å"bailout† since it intends to rescue the major financial institutions of the US from the subprime mortgage crisis that had reached its tipping point by September 2008.The idea was originally conceived by President George W.  Bush and Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury. Although it is already approved, the plan met several criticism. The main criticism is its effect on the general economy of the United States. For one, the bailout would mean an increase in the US budget for 2009 which already stands at $3. 1 trillion. This would also mean that the annual budget deficit of the US would further increase a nd may exceed $1 trillion. The bailout is also criticized because it implies that the mistake made by the banks would now be shouldered by American taxpayers.Majority of surveys conducted showed that the American public opposed the bailout saying that it was wrong for the government to use taxpayer's money to save the banks which caused the problem in the first place. It is interesting to note that the proposal was not only opposed by the public but also by economists and investors. Another problem of the law is the assumption that the securities bought by the government may increase in value sometime in the future and could be sold for a profit.This is a rather big assumption since there is in fact no assurance that it come true. While the bailout may have helped investor confidence and temporarily stop the decline of the US economy, its true effect will likely be felt sometime in the near future. The bailout is still a short-term solution to a possible long-term problem. If the US economy intends to recover from this crisis, it should study the alternatives proposed and see if it is feasible to implement them.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Total Quality Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Total Quality Management - Assignment Example Empirical results are expected to show that there would be a marginal increase in performance over a 4-year and 6-year period, respectively, upon installing ISO and TQM programmes. This means that unless firms maintain and sustain the TQM drives continuously, there will be a decline in competitiveness. One of its main objectives is to identify an implementation order concerning tools and techniques. Data from survey show there has been continuous decline in the number of new ISO 9000 registrations in the manufacturing industry since reaching its peak some 4-5 years (up to and including survey year, 1996) ago. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of ISO 9000 and TQM either singly or in combination on the performance of companies. It also explores the order of implementation, which was not addressed previously. In the process, the relationship of practice and performance is investigated and the practices and performance of firms with or without TQM and ISO 9000 in the manufacturing industry is examined. Saraph et al. (1989) were among the first to attempt to organize and coalesce the various TQM prescriptions. They identified eight critical factors of quality management: the role of management leadership and quality policy; the role of the quality department; training; product/service design; supplier quality management; process management; quality data and reporting; and employee relations. Operational measures of these factors were developed and were found to be reliable and valid. By using such measures, decision-makers can assess the level of quality management in their organization in order to devise strategies for further improvements. Starting from a strategic perspective, the work by Flynn et al. (1994) identified and accentuated seven key dimensions of quality management that included top management support, quality information, process management, product design, workforce management and supplier and customer involvement. These dimensions were then tested for reliability and validity and, by doing so, described a clear framework for subsequent research and established a standard by which practitioners could evaluate the effectiveness of their quality management programmes. Through a detailed analysis of the literature, Ahire et al. (1996a) identified 12 constructs of integrated quality management strategies, namely, top management commitment, customer focus, supplier quality management, design quality management, benchmarking, SPC, internal quality informatio

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Integrity and Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Integrity and Social Responsibility - Essay Example International human rights law imposes obligations and responsibilities on Governments, and thus promotes and ensures protection of the fundamental freedom of groups and individuals (Ohchr.org, n.d.).Thus, Governments play a significant role as they are responsible to comply with the international human rights law and to refrain from acts that are contradictory to this law. Human rights are based on the principle of universality, which is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This principle was first declared in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948 (Ohchr.org, n.d.). Also, human rights are interdependent, interrelated and indivisible, whereas all people have the right to life, freedom of expression, equality before the law, right to education, social security, work, to self-determination, and personal development (Ohchr.org, n.d.). Another cross-cutting principle in international human rights law is the principle of non-discrimination. This principle is integrated into all major human right treaties, and has a central theme in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Ohchr.org, n.d.). Today, human rights are identified and declared in the numerous declarations, resolutions, and conventions, including the following: United Nations Convention: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its Protocols; The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998; and United Nations Convention: International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Global Reporting Initiative, n.d.). Increased public awareness and presence of various international organizations facilitate the process

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Corporate Governance Scenario in the UK With Focus on Banks Essay

The Corporate Governance Scenario in the UK With Focus on Banks - Essay Example As mentioned earlier the area of corporate governance is of great importance and focus in the world of business today. â€Å"Most academics, business professionals, and lay observers would agree that CG is defined as the general set of customs, regulations, habits, and laws that determine to what end a firm should be run. Much more fraught, however, is the question: â€Å"what defines good corporate governance?† (A Closer Look at Business Edition: Corporate Governance. 2006). Corporations unlike its smaller counterparts like sole proprietorships, partnerships, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are much larger and hence more complex to govern. Even though no owner or partner can avoid the concept of good governance, the consequences of a smaller firm going under due to poor practices are much lower when compared to large corporations. One of the main reasons is that the number of stakeholders who are affected is comparatively huge in the case of corporations. In this cas e, the stakeholders will comprise the employees, the shareholders, the local governing bodies, the creditors, other contractual partners, any subsidiaries and branches, the national government, management or board of directors, and the principal owners (if any). Poor governance can affect each one of these sectors in a big way. In some localities, the economy of that place may be dependent on the performance of its principal employer, a corporation. The economy will be badly affected if such a huge employer finds itself in the red and lays off all its employees.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Friendship and companionship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Friendship and companionship - Essay Example It clearly shows how close two friends can be. The author was attracted to Queequeg because of his traits and unexpected behavior which is child like and got attracted and started observing his funny behavior by staring at him. His mental ability was so less that he can count only up to fifty. Then he starts counting from one again. By the understanding of the story it is clearly evident the kind of friendship between an innocent friend and a person with good presence of mind. Friends can be so close that they can share literally any thing between them from money to clothes. The story can be a lesson to the friends who regularly argue and fight every now and then. An eye opener, an ideal character, goodness and loyalty at heart. In today's age where gay couples are expressing their love openly, friends like Queequeg and the author are so intimate with each other but with out creating situations like Gay couples. The story idolizes that even money cannot part two friends. For example: when Queequeg took his thirty cents of silver from his pocket and mechanically divides then into half and puts in the pocket author. The author was actually spell bound with the gratitude of the Queequeg. Friends can be so close at times that they share the same bed together. A friendship like this can make an atheist to pray to god.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Zurich Insurance Because Change Happens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Zurich Insurance Because Change Happens - Essay Example The company aims to provide higher returns to shareholders. A SWOT analysis has been conducted to analyse the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as market opportunities and threats. The company’s vision and mission statement has been formulated. The corporate objectives have also been discussed in details. The corporate objectives serve as the basis for formulation of marketing objectives. A five-year integrative strategic plan has been formulated with the aim to devise ways in which Zurich Insurance can develop their services in both existing and emerging markets. The strategic plan involves a situational analysis. The macroeconomic analysis has been done through PESTLE analysis, business life cycle and elasticity of demand analysis. The industry analysis has been done through Porter’s five forces, Profit Impact of Market strategy (PIMS) and gap analysis. The market analysis involved determining the segmentation, targeting and positioning of the company’s products. The internal analysis was done through McKinsey’s 7s framework. The marketing strategies of the company were evaluated using Ansoff’s matrix. The implementation of the strategies involved in launching products was done on the basis of 7 Ps of service marketing. The budget allocation for the marketing initiatives was discussed in details. The final step in the strategic plan was the formulation of a Gantt chart to determine the time required in establishing the products of the company. 2.0 Key Issues Zurich Financial Services Group is a major insurance service provider. The insurance sector is extremely competitive. The existence of several major players in the insurance industry makes it necessary to provide certain additional services to customers with the intention that they can gain competitive advantage. In Switzerland, there are almost 80 insurance companies. Among these companies, five to six large players contribute to 80% of the market. The absence o f government insurance companies further enhances the power of the private players (Herzlinger, 2008). The main competitive challenge for Zurich insurance is to differentiate itself from its customers by providing them with certain unique services that is not provided by their customers. SWOT Analysis Strengths The customer centric approach of Zurich insurance is its primary strength. This approach helps them to get a competitive advantage and also instils a feeling of trust among the customers towards the brand. ‘Zurich Help Point’ helps the company to effectively communicate with their customers and their employees. It helps them to implement efficient HR practices and IT system to provide support to employees. Zurich Insurance regularly conducts market research. The company conducts primary as well as secondary research. It helps them in delivering to the customers the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

PUBLIC LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PUBLIC LAW - Essay Example The legislative or law-making function, which is the enactment of rules for the society. The executive or law-applying function, which covers actions taken to maintain or implement the law, defend he state, conduct external affairs and administer internal policies. Finally came the judicial or law enforcing function, which is the determining of civil disputes and the publishing of criminals by deciding issues of fact and applying the law. The three functions of government should be carried out by separate persons or bodies and that each branch of government should only carry out its own function. For instance, the legislature, executive and judicial branches should have equal status so each could control the excessive use of power by another branch2[Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 105]. The doctrine of separation of powers has been attributed to Aristotle3. However, the clearest exposition of the doctrine can be found in the France writer Baron de Montesquieu's De L'Esprit des Lois (The Spirit of the Laws) [1952]. In order to answer this question it is necessary to discuss about the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, the relationship between executive and legislature, legislature and judiciary; executive and judiciary. ... The Constitutional Reform Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and makes changes to the way in which some of the functions vested in that office are to be exercised. Part 2 of this Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and provides for the future exercise of certain functions of that office and for continued judicial independence4. [Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 109] The Executive: The Executive may be defined as that branch of the state which formulates policy and is responsible for its execution. In formal terms, the sovereign is the head of executive. The Prime Minister, Cabinet and other ministers, for the most part, are elected Members of Parliament. In addition, the Civil Service, local authorities, police and armed forces, constitute the executive in practical terms. The legislature: The Queen of the parliament is the sovereign law making body within the United Kingdom. Formally expressed, parliament comprises the Queen, the HL and House of Commons. Parliament is bicameral, that is to say there are two chambers, each exercising a legislative role-although not having equal powers-and each playing a part in ensuring the accountability of the government. The judiciary: The judiciary is that branch of the state which adjudicates upon conflicts between state institutions, between state and individual, and between individuals. The judiciary is independent of both parliament and the executive. It is the prime feature of judicial independence which is of prime importance both in relation to government according to law and in the protection of liberty of the citizen against the executive. As Blackstone observed in his Commentaries that the administration of common justice be in some degree separated both from the legislative and

Tragedy of the Commons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Example Better and cheaper solutions must be developed and governmental support should be at all levels to deal with this problem. 2) The extraction of fossil fuels such as drilling of oil or mining is not considered a tragedy of commons because the resource that is being extracted is not being stored; in fact, individuals are using it as per their needs. The term tragedy of commons was initially driven to describe the over usage of the available resource. In today’s world, the usage of oil consumption for example, has exceeded to great extent. Therefore, to fill this need extraction of such resources is necessary. Nevertheless, the general view of the economists is that fossil fuels are a tragedy of commons because due to its usage the natural resources become extinct. However, the stress is upon usage and not upon over usage. Therefore, it can be said that it is not a tragedy of commons; rather it is a need that is larger than the availability of the resource (Sustainable

Friday, August 23, 2019

Misvaluation affect the failure of merger and acquisition activities Essay

Misvaluation affect the failure of merger and acquisition activities - Essay Example For instance, Vishny (2003) states that misvaluation effects play an important role in market approaches in the short as well as in the long run since they are often driven by managerial optimism whereby the managers intend to satisfy their immediate financial benefits and this often leads to failure in the long run. Reasons such as such as differences in accounting principles, misvaluation of stocks and managerial approaches have been observed to be the main causes of failure of mergers and acquisitions. In some cases, organisations may be undervalued or overvalued but the truth of the matter is that markets are not static as they can change at any moment. The research methodology has been based on secondary research which focused on the merger of Time Warner and AOL. The findings of the study show that this merger failed as a result managerial optimism whereby the CEOs of Time Warner and AOL used their overvalued stocks to merge their organisations. The managers assumed that their organisations will perform well in the future. Their assumptions were based on the notion that the trend will continue like that but that was not the case. Indeed, the internet Bubble that was so promising in the beginning but the trend later changed due to different market forces. It has been observed

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Organization Structure Presentation Essay Example for Free

Organization Structure Presentation Essay Marketing. Terry Davenport is a senior vice-president of Starbucks who leads the marketing department. He oversees the sales organization structure, the marketing structure and cross-functional project teams with their own structure, effectively affecting the organizational structure of the organization as a whole. Finance. Peter  J.  Bocian as the chief financial officer of the company under analysis. The financial function of the firm has access to key decision makers, and the structure of the company was created to force this. For instance, in the case of Starbucks, centralization became possible with new accounting technology. Human Resources. The management of Starbucks’ human resources affect organizational structure in a way that these resources are overseen as one large structure that encompasses the entire firm with several smaller structures supporting the functions of recruiting, benefits and training. Operations. As chief operating officer, Martin Coles of Starbucks adapts to the continuously evolving internal operations of the business, which impacts the organizational framework by having more structure. The operations function also helps to create and support a system of management hierarchy, authority, power and control. Partner Resources. As executive vice-president and Partner Resources head, Chet   Kuchinad is able to affect organizational structure through the inclusion of organizational links connecting partners to the parent corporation that would then account for the accumulation of profits for reinvestment. Technology. Chris  Bruzzo, chief technology officer, influence organizational structure through linking mechanisms that facilitate lateral relations among the organization’s many units such as the ones mentioned above. Research has shown that an IT-based change leads to a single impact or shift in organizational structure — an intervention occurs and a new stable structure results (Earl, 1996).

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Research methodology: Family support in bipolar disorder

Research methodology: Family support in bipolar disorder CHAPTER 111 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY NEED FOR THE STUDY Bipolar affective disorder is a recurrent and long term mental illness which can affect the lives of the people in a much serious manner. Globally the lifetime prevalence of all forms of the illness, often referred to as bipolar spectrum disorders, has been estimated to be 5% in the general population. The national rate of affective disorder in India as 34 per 1000 population.(Ganguli 200) For most of the patients family is the primary care givers. There are not many studies in India done in this area. The most important protective factor for a person with mental illness is social support and emotional support from a closely associated relationship. Often, but not always, this close relationship is with a spouse/partner or parent. People lacking such a close supportive relationship are at greater risk of anxiety and depression and any kind of mental illness. Despite the high burden of mental disorders and the fact that a significant portion of this burden can be reduced by primary and secondary prevention, most of the people in India do not have access to mental health care due to inadequate facilities and lack of human resources. India has a community mental health program that consists of integrating basic mental health care into general health care services by training primary health care personnel in mental health care. It can, however, be safely concluded that a sole reliance on the trained mental health professionals may not be the best way to move ahead. So this study attempt to see if there is any association between recovery and family support. This study would enhance the involvement of family in mentally ill patients, especially Patients suffering from BPAD. SCOPE OF THE STUDY Family support is a significant factor for a person with any kind of illness, let alone mental illness. This study aims to see if there is any significant relation between the family support and recovery in the patients with BPAD. Family systems are very much intact in traditional Indian families. This is an excellent resource in the area of mental health services. The finding of this study will help to reinforce the necessity of the community based mental health services. Also this may help to bring more awareness in the society regarding the significance of support from family and friends. AIM OF THE STUDY To study the comparison of family support in recovered persons and non recovered persons with Bipolar affective disorder. OBJECTIVES To study the socio demographic details of persons with BPAD To study the family support among patients with BPAD who are recovered and who are not recovered To compare the family support of recovered persons and non recovered persons with BPAD OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Family: The primary care givers of the patient, who can be father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, daughter in law, son in law, grandmother/father, grand daughter/son. Family support Aid or help given by the members in the family in order to meet physical as well as emotional needs of the patient. Bipolar Affective Disorder: F31-ICD 10 A disorder characterised by two or more episodes in which patient’s mood and activity level are significantly disturbed, this disturbance consisting of some occasions of an elevation of mood and increased energy and activity ( hypomania or mania) and on others of lowering of mood and decreased energy and activity( depression).Repeated episodes of hypomania or mania only are considered as Bipolar. Recovery: Recovery requires_>8 consecutive weeks with either no symptoms or only 1–2 mild symptoms with no functional impairment.(Research diagnostic criteria) HYPOTHESIS: There will be high family support for recovered persons than non recovered persons with bipolar affective disorder. RESEARCH DESIGN The researcher has used descriptive research design for the current study. UNIVERSE Mental Health Action Trust Clinics in Malappuram, and Wayanad is the universe of the study. POPULATION: Persons with Bipolar affective disorder in Morayur, Vengara,Ponnani, Pulikkal,Veliyancode, Ambalavayal, kambalakkad was selected. SAMPLE: Sample size of the study was 60. 30 recovered patients and 30 non recovered patients. Non probability sampling method (Purposive sampling) was used to select both recovered and non recovered patients. Clinician impression as per RDC criteria was used to select both the groups; 30 recovered patients and 30 non recovered patients. Researcher informed the clinics early and the listed patients in the list were asked to be present on the clinic day. Thus data was collected TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION A structured Questioner schedule to retrieve the socio-demographic details. Standardised tool for Family support Secondary data will be collected from the patient files of the clinics. Description of tools: 1. A structured Questioner schedule is developed by the researcher to profile the personal, family, social, work. There are total 13 questions among which 9 are about the personal details of the participant. The remaining four questions are directed to the family. 2. Social Support Appraisal scale (SSA; Vaux et al, 1986): The social support appraisal scale developed by Vaux et al, (1986) is to measure subjective appraisal of support. The SSA is a 23-item instrument based on the idea that the social support is in fact a support only if the individual believes it is available. These subjective appraisals are also viewed as related to overall psychological well being. The SSA taps the extent to which the individual believes he or she is loved by, esteemed by and involved by family, friends and others. The SSA was studied with 10 undergraduate and community samples involving 979 respondents. The mean age ranged from mid teens to 48. The samples were approximately 60% female. The SSA has very good internal consistency, with alpha coefficients that ranges from 0.81 to 0.90. No data on stability was reported. The SSA was subject to considerable evaluation of its validity resulting in very good concurrent, predictive, known groups and construct validity. The SSA is significantly correlated in predicted ways with a variety of measures of social support and psychological well-being, including net work satisfaction, perceived support, family environment, family environment, depression, positive affect, negative affects, loneliness, life satisfaction and happiness. Each item is rated on a scale of 1 (strongly agree), 2 (agree), 3 (disagree), 4 (strongly disagree). The subjects were asked to mark one of the four options given for each of the items in the scale. The SSA is scored by reverse scoring on items 3, 10, 13, 21, 22 and adding up the individual items for a total score, with lower scores indicating a stronger subjective appraisal of social support. In addi tion to the total score, the 8 ‘family’ items make up SSA- family scale and 7 ‘friend’ items make up a friend subscale. The remaining items refer to others in general. This scale has been used in different studies for measuring perceived social support among the people. Panditi (2004) to study the perceived social support among cured alcoholics, Uthaman (2004) to study social support among persons with depressive disorder, Jaison (2004), to study social support among wives of prisoners and Bhadra (2006) to assess the social support among disaster survivors . Secondary data Secondary data was collected from the file records from the clinics as well as a small questionnaire prepared by the researcher. The questionnaire has 6 questions. These questions included the name of the clinic, duration of illness, last episode, is the patient functioning well or not. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION The administrative head of the clinic was met for the permission and plan would be sought to identify the respondents for the current study- and patient Interview tool was used for the data collection The clinician listed out the respondents in the both groups of participants. The administrative head of the clinic was informed beforehand and tools were administered to each of the participants. The objective of the study was clearly explained to the respondents. Ethical issues were clearly explained to them and informed consent of the participants were obtained. They were given freedom in deciding to participate in study. The respondents were allowed to withdraw from the study during the study. None of the respondents from both groups refused to participate in the study. Socio demographic details were taken down from both the patient and the bystander. The tool for family support was translated in Malayalam and questions were asked by the researcher. Each interview took 15 to 20 minutes. DATA ANALYSIS The data collected from 60 patients were coded into binary data manually for the purpose of statistical tests using SPSS 16.0 version. The statistical method used were descriptive statistics namely mean to compare the family support between the 2 groups of patients. Frequency distribution and percentage for items on age, gender, religion, education, occupation, relationship with the primary care giver was done. T test of the mean of the social support of both the groups was done to see the significance of the Hypothesis. INCLUSION CRITERIA Patients who have at least a 2 years of history of Bipolar affective disorder Patients Who are taking treatment at MHAT clinics Patients and family members who will give consent for the study EXCLUSION CRITERIA Patients of other diagnosis other than BPAD. Patients and families who do not give consent Patients who are staying in institutions other than with families Patients who are not under the treatment in MHAT clinics ETHICAL ISSUES The participants were clearly explained the purpose of the study and they were given the freedom to withdraw from the study. Informed consent obtained from the samples for the study. Confidentiality of the information was maintained.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Challenges Wal Mart Faces Expanding To China Management Essay

Challenges Wal Mart Faces Expanding To China Management Essay Business operations across national borders are becoming the trend in the current era. And this trend continuously grows because of globalisation and multinational operation. In response to this globalisation issue, multinational corporations like Wal-Mart tend operate in other countries to have excellent advantage. According to Amponsah (2001) globalisation and the eagerness of a certain business organisation to operate across borders involves two dimension i.e. change in economic operations of various countries, and change in the participants of global economic operations. Numerous numbers of people believe that the globalisation of economic activities of every country would hasten the fight against poverty (Macarov 2003, p. 103). But like other companies that are operating in local scale, Wal-Mart a multinational company also faces different opportunities and challenges in the foreign market. With this, this paper will be discussing the opportunities and challenges that Wal-Mart faces in venturing the Chinese territory. Opportunities A business venturing to a foreign market creates good opportunities. As for Wal-Mart venturing in China, a new foreign market like China might provide opportunities for new growth. Aside from this, Wal-Mart uses global expansion to lower costs of goods, accelerate speed to market, improve quality of products and of course to cut their overhead costs considering that China is a low cost country whereas the labour is cheap compared to other countries in the West (Walmartstores, 2010). The reason most MNCs are extending their business through other nations was to cut costs. Basically, this is a good opportunity for MNCs like Wal-Mart because of the cheap labour that developing countries offer. Like other MNCs, Wal-Mart can limit costs by sending some or all of its production facilities overseas. Although Wal-Mart are not claiming that they using the opportunity of global expansion to flee away from the protectionist rules of an importing nation, it is remains the motives of most MNCs. B asically, a corporation like Wal-Mart can evade high tariffs that thwart its goods from being competitively priced as they consider foreign direct investment. For instance, when the European Common Market put tariffs on stuffs created by outsiders, U.S. corporations took action by putting up European partners (Multinational Corporation 1998). Venturing in China is also a good opportunity for Wal-Mart to prevent competition considering that one of the effective ways of avoiding actual or impending rivalry from foreign firms is to acquire those (Multinational Corporation 1998). Despite of the opportunistic feat of global expansion, Wal-Mart holds that they produce jobs, build prosperity, and develop equipments in nations that are in dreadful need of such growth. Challenges Cultures Maddox (1993) asserts that business that plans to compete in global market necessitate development of administrative talents learned at the home office to allow the administrators to do their job in a cross-culture environment. Companies that are going global must be aware of the methods of choosing and coaching managers to become well accustomed to diverse environment, chiefly in the environment of the country in which they are assigned. For Wal-Mart case, their Board of Directors should consider the political, economical, and religious factors emerging in China. Aside form this, this should also consider the value systems and the references frame of Chinese consumers concerning the products and services that they offer. This may posed significant challenges in their spreading out to China. Thus, the similar facets value the interest of the administrators of Wal-Mart who will be put at their division in China. The Chinese lifestyle, culture and environment was far away different fro m Wal-Marts home country i.e. USA and other Western countries in which they manages. In evaluating the culture of China as part of Wal-Marts business operation, Hofstedes dimensions culture was used. Actually, Geert Hofstede is a Dutch organisational anthropologist who divided culture into four dimensions. According to Dahl, (2004), the culture can be divided to power distance, collectivism/ individualism, femininity/masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance. It is important to be aware and comprehend these cultural dimensions for these have an influence on the internal and external workings of organizations that operate on an intercultural level. Power Distance. Power distance is described as the amount to which the less powerful members of associations and administrations within a country expect and recognize that power is disseminated unevenly (Hofstede 1991, p. 28); more simply, it is concerned with how equal, or unequal, the people are in a specific society or nation. In China, they have high power distance i.e. 80 PDI, this means that there is significant amount of inequalities in power and wealth within China. As a result, it is quite likely that that society employs a caste system and does not permit significant development for its people (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). In the corporate-oriented context, firms with a high power distance employ a tall organizational structure because there is greater and higher rigidity in terms of hierarchy. Also, there is a large proportion of managerial employees to the overall human resource population, high job ranking for white-collar work, large compensation differentials, and low requirements for entry-level positions (Earley, 1997, p. 147). Individualism versus Collectivism. Individualism is how a society sees accomplishment and personal connections, may it be independently or as a group. Furthermore, according to Hofstede (1991), individualism is a set of values that concern the relationship of a person to his or her collectivity in the society (as cited in Earley, 1997, p. 144). In China, the individualism was low i.e. 20 IDV which indicates that China is a nation with low individualism and has a collective nature wherein close bonds exist among the people (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). Moreover, collectivistic people also perceive themselves in relation a societal and cultural context. This is a great challenge for Wal-Mart considering that their mother country United States has high collectivism as can be observed through the nature of their families. People who reside in such locations live in nuclear families, as oppose to highly collective Asian individuals who normally live with members of their exte nded families. Masculinity versus Femininity. This dimension is about gender differentiation, or n particular, the amount of how a society relates the conventional view of man as a form of achievement, power, and influence. In countries with high masculinity, men manage the most important part of the social order and influence composition, while females are controlled due to male domination (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). In China, they have high masculinity i.e. 66 MAS. Actually this is important for Wal-marts operation since it relates to achievement, industrial strife, high growth, aggression, work stress, and conflict. To be more specific, firms that are more masculine are fast-paced, aggressive, and focus more on development and growth over harmony and stability (Earley, 1997). On the other hand, a feminine-oriented company is more concerned on the social interaction and operations among human resources. Furthermore, such organisation has an understanding and nurturing character, wh ich indicates that the core is on interpersonal execution and synchronization over own interest (Earley, 1997). For this reason, the wellbeing of the members is the primary apprehension since the main outcome of this is about the firms capability to institute the potential of an individual as part of interpersonal good in the group. Uncertainty Avoidance. According to Hofstede, the degree to which the affiliates of a group experience jeopardy by doubtful or unidentified environment is called uncertainty avoidance. As seen in the index, China has low uncertainty avoidance which indicates that the country was less rigid when it comes to change, could handle risks, and have less rules and regulations, since they could effectively endure diverse opinions (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). For Wal-Mart, uncertainty may come from the internal and external environment. An organizations response to such ambiguities, through the use of rules, rituals, and technology, affects its image of high or low uncertainty avoidance. This could be a great challenge for Wal-Mart since China wont easily embrace the change they would bring in the country. A Fifth Cultural Dimension. After additional studies which were mainly focused on Chinese managers and workers, Hofstede introduced a fifth cultural dimension, which is the long-term orientation. This focuses on how nations apply, or do not apply, long-term devotion to conventional, forward thinking principles (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). Countries with high levels of long-term orientation recommend a strong work ethics and anticipate long-term rewards as a consequence of todays hard work. Thus, long-term commitments are emphasized and traditions are respected (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). This is a great challenge for Wal-Mart since they came from countries with low levels of long-term orientation that are capable to experience change because long-term customs and behaviours are lessened, and change is no longer hindered. Political When it comes to political factor, the main disparity in the markets of West and China is the so-called orientation. As seen, most of the west nations are affluent while the China are practicing the Soviet Union economic strategy in which their economic practices are normally mandated by their government. Basically, the local officials of China have great control even though the market is available to foreign investors. As reported in Economy of China (2010), it was argued that Chinese firms should have at least 51% ownership and joint ventures control with foreign investors. Ramsay (2003) stated that it normally takes 2 to 3 months for business registration in China because their governments are putting up restrictions concerning foreign investment (p. 8). The difference in the economic orientation of China and Wal-Marts home country USA poses certain challenges to the leaders of said company. Actually, the said leaders are more familiar in the USA free market in which the investors , producers and consumers are free to transact their business and they also have the capablities to determine the currents stance of their economic activities. Secondly, Chinas transitional economy. According to Alon Shenker (2003) since the mid-1970s there are numerous international opportunities in China that heighted the growth of foreign investment and international joint venture. But despite of these opportunities, emerging problems also arises to MNCs whereas their mangers experience conflicts with Chinese managers. Because of cultural diversity Wal-Marts western manager will experience clash against Chinese managers. As an American, Wal-Marts managers believe that future conditions can be incorporated into the ready matrix which serves up as an investigative sculpt to channel decision making procedures. With respect to these diversities, the Western managers that are positioned in China may face differing management approaches with their Chinese contemporaries. Thirdly, USA and China differ in religious beliefs (Christianity-Protestantism 2010). Chinese are more philosophical and think that humans must track their fate by living in harmony with the human race and practicing social traditionalism (Religion in China 2001). Therefore, Western members would execute their functions based on their own decisions and choices while their Chinese equivalents would constantly try to stand by the regulations and search for outlooks of other members as they are more prone to look for traditionalism. These differences in idea of independence would make the leaders of Wal-Mart consider the outcomes and motivations of their manpower. Western members would be stimulated to do well if they are given adequate liberty at work while Chinese members may rather work in groups and have way in to continuous control. Alon Shenker (2003) argued that the value of personal relationships with subordinates and supervisors is important but organizational chain of command should not dictate their relationships. Aside from this, the heads should have to be familiar with that the Chinese culture consigns much admiration to heads while Western natives have a preference to work alone most of the times. Conclusion The finest method to gauge triumph in international market is in the course of unvarying supervision and constant monitoring of the head office. With the said practice, the head office can determine the current status of the business in the foreign land. With this, Wal-Mart must be able to execute constant monitoring gauges in their operations and the performances of the employees and managers sent to China. As seen in usual cases, the failure of business venture may result in lost prospects, trimmed down production, and smashed up relationships while business venture success implies the achievement of the differing.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Effects of Media on Food Market Essay examples -- Nutrition

Dieting, in the past few decades, has become a significant part of American culture today. This includes fad dieting, regular utilization of diet products such as Slimfast, and even metabolism altering pills. Ironically, in addition to this aspect of popular American culture today, there is also an obesity epidemic. In reaction to these problems presented, unfortunately, there is also a tremendously skewed ideal body image for those influenced by societal standards. Dieting products (â€Å"diet† labeled) only encourage a skewed body image. How does mass production and marketing of diet products influence healthy eating in the United States today? The answer lies within the media codes we accept as reality within marketing and advertisements. Mass-produced diet meals were first introduced to the United States around the 1980’s. They became much more popular in the late1990’s and early 2000’s. These foods were produced to be a healthier alternative to mass-produced pre-made meals. The basis of the dieting problem in the United States probably derives from this process of altering, rather than changing, consumers’ ideas of what healthy is. The Cultivation Theory, which was addressed towards violence in class, can also be applied to this phenomenon of healthy eating. This theory addresses how media and marketing, in this context, prepare the ground (consumers) to be a condition in which things (dieting products) will grow. The popularization and acceptance of the â€Å"diet meal† as opposed to going back to the basics, rather all natural, created a fertile environment for companies to create more diet products and market them as such. The problem, however, is that through this proce ss the terms: diet, lean, low-calorie, sugar-f... ...es it all the more important for consumers to read and analyze the nutritional labels provided before making a purchase. Works Cited Colbin, Annemarie. "Calories - How Much Do They Count." FoodandHealing.com. (2009): n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. "For Consumers." FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration . FDA, 12/08/2011. Web. 3 May 2012. Hawkes, Corinna. "Food Impostors." Alt HealthWatch. 61.1 (2009): n. page. Web. 7 May. 2012. "Hidden Valley." The Original Ranch Makes Everything Taste Better. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2012. . Mayo Clinic Staff, . "Nutrition and Healthy Eating."Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 03/31/2011. Web. 3 May 2012. Schnitzer, Johann Georg. "Human Nutrition." Alive: Canada's Natural Health & Wellness Magazine. (2003): 89-90. Print.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Populating the New World Essays -- American America History

Populating the New World Upon the arrival of the first European explorers to the "New World," they encountered what they believed to be primitive savages. These creatures that ran about in the shape of humans showed no aspect of humanity and aroused wonder and curiosity on the part of the Europeans. When the Europeans travelled further into the heart of the land and saw the buildings of the Maya, Inca, Aztec and other ancient Indian nations, they were unable to attribute these massive structures to the people that they saw before them. Instead, they theorized that it was the descendants of one of the ancient European civilizations that built the temples. It possibly might have been the ancient Greek, Egyptian, or a lost tribe of Israelites. It did not occur to them that the Indians, erroneously named by Christopher Columbus, might have been capable of the construction of the buildings they found. As the Europeans became settled in the Americas, they began to wonder as to the origin of the indigenous population. The church, in accordance with the teachings of the 15th and 16th centuries, maintained that they were actually the descendants of sinful Babylonians that had survived the flood of Noah. In 1589, a Jesuit priest by the name of Joseph de Acosta jumped ahead of his contemporaries in explaining the arrival of the Indians into the New World. While he remained within the doctrines of the church, de Acosta put forth the theory that the Indians could have arrived to the Americas via three means: an organized and prepared transoceanic voyage, an accidental landing, or a migration over land. He worked under the assumption that man hailed from the Old World, as all humanity was descended from Adam, and that the Ind... ...n to leave. 6) As more people moved into the New World, they "pushed" people that had been here before further south. With these understandings, the identity of those that truly discovered America can be better discerned. Works Cited: Dixon, E. James. Quest for the First Americans. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico, 1993. "The First Americans." The World Book Encyclopedia. USA, World Book, Inc., 1994, vol.10, p. 155. Heinrichs, Ann. America the Beautiful: Alaska. New York, Children's Press, 1991. Maxwell, James A. America's Fascinating Indian Heritage. New York, Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1978. Snow, Dean. R. The Archeology of North America. New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. Willey, Gordon R. An Introduction to American Archaeology. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966

William Shakespeare :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was able to, through his writings , lead the readers to examine their own social corlas, judgment, and wisdom. The most remarkable quality of his works is that even when we read them today, we still examine ourselves. He was able to accomplish their task as well as any writer of any era. Shakespeare's writings allow his readers to question the social climate of their day. (Bender 13). William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire located in the heart of England on April 23 or 24, 1564. His mother, Mary Arden grew up in a much more prosperous environment than the Shakespeares. His father John, and Mary Arden were married in 1557. John Shakespeare was a wool dealer and glove maker, who became a prominent citizen and well-respected in the community. Eventually, John held a position in the public office. (Bender 13). Subsequently, John Shakespeare experienced financial problems and lost his wealth and governing positions. This, of course, had a big effect on the whole family. William was the third of eight children. The older siblings were sistets Joan, born in 1558 and Margaret in 1562. Both of William's older sisters died very young. (Bender 14). The other dive children were Gilbert born in 1566, a second Joan 1569, Richard 1573, Edmund 1580, and Anne 1580 who died at age eight. (Bender 14). William Shakespeare was educated at the local school in Stratford. Ironically, William never attended a university although virtually every English speaking universities studies his works. Bioghrapher a man educated in " the university of life." (Bender 14). His plays and other works display Shakespeare's vast knowledge of the entertainment, social mores, and culture of his native Warwickshire. William married Anne Hathaway in 1582. He was 18 and she was 26. They had twin daughters Hamnet and Judith and later their third daughter Susanna. (Bender 15). Shakespeare lived in an England that was overwhelmingly rural and had virtually no mechanized industry. It was a society very different from the one we enjoy in the U.S. today. Death and disease were the common experiences of all families during this era in England. (Andrews 67). This society was one in which a vigorous and youthful population was growing with unusual rapidity. The resulting economic development. (And rews 72). The manner in which the English made their living at that time seemed to be greatly influenced by region. The regional differences can be divided by an imaginary line from Bristol in the southwest to Hull in the northeast.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

“Cannon Fodder” and “The Armistice” Essay

The two poems are both written during the time of the First World War, and reflect the emotions felt towards the war. Both poets have different experiences of the war, yet share a common grief. They reflect their grief and other emotions through their use of language. In the poem â€Å"cannon Fodder†, Wilfred Owen tries to convey to the reader the terror that he felt when discovering the corpse of the soldier seven days after his death. Owen uses very powerful imagery to show the reader the horror of the corpse: â€Å"Feeling the damp, chill circlet of flesh Loosen its hold On muscles and sinews and bones† This represents the decay and decomposition of the corpse, and he shows us the horror of seeing the extent of the decay by using a metaphor. The flesh isn’t really holding on to the dead soldiers body, but it is there to inform us that it is falling apart. Owen also tries to convey to the reader the feeling of futility towards the war. He shows the pointlessness of it all by using rhetorical questions: â€Å"Is death really a sleep?† The soldier who has discovered the corpse is asking the corpse this question, but of course, the soldier will get no answer because he is talking to a dead man. This task in itself is pointless, and reminds us just how pointless all of the war seems to Owen. Owen also uses a lot of Prefixes on words instead of using a different word. This can change the mood of a sentence: â€Å"Uncared for in the unowned place† The use of the suffixes makes the place sound so desolate, that it is not worth dying for. The place is called â€Å"no mans land†, and this is why it is referred to as unknown. Uncared makes us feel that there is no recognition of the bravery of the soldier, or for the respect to bring his body in from no mans land. In Owen’s poem, we also feel for the soldier who found the corpse. He thinks back to what the dead soldiers life at home was probably like. This makes us feel as though the soldier wishes he was at home, feeling all of the comforts presented in the soldiers thoughts: â€Å"But at home by the fire† The word but instantly indicates that the mood of the poem is about to change, and that the reader is about to see a contrast between what they have just read, and what they are about to read. Owen also uses his line structure to add power to the words and the meaning he is trying to convey: â€Å"Your bright-limbed lover is lying out there Dead† The last line of the quote is very emphatic and powerful, because death is such a strong word and it is being used alone, almost being used as a false stop to the idyllic life being lived by the dead soldiers lover. During stanzas two, three and four, Wilfred Owen uses the soldier to try and tell the story for the people back home by using the context that they will understand: â€Å"O mother, sewing by candlelight, Put away that stuff.† This quote was used to show the reader that the war would affect them back at home almost as badly as the soldiers are feeling it over in France. In stanzas two, three and four, one can detect a large amount of bitterness, and possibly anger, yet the anger is conveyed more subtly than in poems like â€Å"dulcet et decorum et† where the stanzas are set out almost like tirades. We detect this bitterness by the rudeness to the people back at home. In stanzas three and four, he even tells the mother and the lover what to do. In the poem, â€Å"The Armistice† by May Wedderburn Cannan, the reader feels some entirely different emotions than the ones conveyed in â€Å"Cannon Fodder†. The first different emotion that the reader detects from the poem is relief. The whole office feels this, as it descends in chaos: â€Å"One said, â€Å"it’s over, over, it’s the end: The War is over: ended† The reader can feel the hustle and bustle of the people in the office, as their excitement and relief boil over. This is shown by the repetition in the workers speech. They repeat the words end and over. This is to stress the key fact that the killing will come to an end, and that their families and loved ones will get them back. In the second stanza, the workers also being to recollect: â€Å"I can’t remember life without the war† This shows that to the people, war had become a way of life, and that people had forgotten their old lives. The fact that the people are reflecting about the war is good, because it shows their concern and respect for the men on the front line, and this is probably Wedderburn Cannan’s subtle way of saying thank you to the men who were frontline. The reader can also detect feelings of isolation from the two women left behind after the others leave the room: â€Å"Big empty room† This suggests that the women do not feel left behind by the other staff, but left behind by their men who went and fought, and died in the army. The big empty room is a metaphor for the women’s empty hearts now that the loves of their lives have left them for good. The reader is also given a view of the idyllic thoughts that one of the women is thinking about the front line: â€Å"It will be quiet tonight Up at the front: first time in all these years, And no one will be killed there anymore† This is an idyllic view of the frontline, however it is also ironic, because it is a well-documented fact that lives were lost even after the armistice because it took a while for news to spread of the end of the war. It is also a little upsetting, because these men’s lives are being lost in vain. Wedderburn Cannan also makes us feel empathy towards the two female characters at the end of the poem: â€Å"It’s over for me too†¦my man was killed, Wounded†¦and died† The pauses in the dialogue make the reader feel that the woman is struggling to force back tears. It also makes us feel that maybe she is contemplating what the future holds, and reflecting on her dead husband. The poem comes to an extremely sombre ending, and this is very similar to the ending of the war: â€Å"Peace could not give back her dead.† This makes us feel that the whole war was worthless. Even in the times of peace, people like the woman in the poem are still feeling the grief that devastation of the war had caused. The two poems are from different times, wartime and post-war but the anti-war message is still the same and is still being utilised effectively by the strong language used in both poems. In â€Å"Cannon Fodder†, Wilfred Owen displays to us the full of horror of the war in gory detail, whilst in â€Å"The Armistice†, the horror of the war is the loneliness of the people left behind. Whereas Owen uses shock tactics to put his message across, Wedderburn Cannan tries to draw the reader’s empathy instead.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Racism in America Essay

Racism is very much a problem in our country; we just can’t admit that it’s there. We bury it back in our minds, not able to admit the pressing problem in our nation. All of the groups in our nation demonstrate racism and believe that they are right for hating a certain type of people. The Klu Klux Klan, Aryans, Skinheads, Neo Nazis, and many more are a good example of the racism that still lingers. There is also a substantial amount of racial profiling now ever since the September 11th tragedies. Many people ridicule Middle Easterners and people who are considered to have â€Å"their color† because some of us think that since a few Middle Eastern terrorists bombed us, they all hate us and want us to die. This all started with slavery and the Africans being sent away from their homelands to break their backs working on our farms. We spit on them, treated them like shit, and expected them to work hard for us and like it. Many of the white people do feel sorry and are guilty for what we did to the African American ancestors, but there’s nothing we can do to take it back. It is history and we cannot change it. There is still racism towards African Americans. Whenever you hear a murder, robbery, assault, or drug bust on the news, they say it was an African American. There are just as many white people that commit those same crimes, but they aren’t on the news nearly as much. Affirmative Action in today’s society has nothing to do with slavery and if it does, it really shouldn’t. We use Affirmative Action to make a school or work environment have diversity, not pity on what we did. Affirmative Action is to make sure minorities have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Do you think the strategic Essay

Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves? By farhanzscania As this chapter has shown, emotions are an inevitable part of people’s behavior at work. At the same time, it’s not entirely clear that we’ve reached a point where people feel comfortable expressing all emotions at work. The reason might be that business culture and etiquette remain poorly suited to handling overt emotional displays. The uestion is, can organizations become more intelligent about emotional management? Is it ever appropriate to yell, laugh, or cry at work? Some people are skeptical about the virtues of more emotional displays at the workplace. As the chapter notes, emotions are automatic physiological responses to the environment, and as such, they can be difficult to control appropriately. One 22- year-old customer service representative named Laura who was the subject of a case study noted that fear and anger were routinely used as methods to control employees, and employees eeply resented this use of emotions to manipulate them. In another case, the chairman of a major television network made a practice of screaming at employees whenever anything went wrong, leading to badly hurt feelings and a lack of loyalty to the organization. Like Laura, workers at this organization were hesitant to show their true reactions to these emotional outbursts for fear of being branded as â€Å"weak† or â€Å"ineffectual. † It might seem like these individuals worked in heavily emotional workplaces, but in fact, only a narrow range of emotions was deemed acceptable. Anger appears to be more acceptable than sadness in many organizations, and anger can have serious maladaptive consequences. Others believe organizations that recognize and work with emotions effectively are more creative, satisfying, and productive. For example, Laura noted that if she could express her hurt feelings without fear, she would be much more satisfied with her work. In other words, the problem with Laura’s organization is not that emotions are displayed, but that emotional displays are handled poorly. Others note that use of emotional knowledge, ike being able to read and understand the reactions of others, is crucial for workers ranging from salespeople and customer service agents all the way to managers and executives. One survey even found that 88% of workers feel being sensitive to the emotions of others is an asset. Management consultant Erika Anderson notes, â€Å"Crying at work is transformative and can open the door to change. † The question then is, â€Å"Can organizations take specific steps to become better at allowing emotional displays without opening a Pandora’s box of outbursts? â€Å"

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Nigerian Economy: Macroeconomic Analysis

sisNigeria – Country Report 2012 61310039 Indian School of Business 7/6/2012 Contents Economic Overview3 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)3 GDP Composition4 Inflation4 Shadow Economy5 Trade Overview5 Foreign Debt7 Labor Market & Human Capital7 Population and Income Inequality8 Unemployment9 Currency10 Money Supply and Monetary Control10 Fiscal policy12 Exchange rates12 Interest Rates13 Foreign Direct Investment14 Globalization and Comparative Advantage14 Conclusion15 References16 Economic Overview Nigeria's economy is estimated to be worth about $262bn, making it one of the largest economies in Africa.The estimates and analysis of various indicators is discussed in the later sections. The country has fared better than many other countries during the global economic downturn, but systemic problems in infrastructure and the labor market mean that its position in the Economist Intelligence Unit's global rankings remains towards the bottom during the forecast period, at 75th out of 82 countries. Efforts to create a significantly more attractive business environment are likely to produce only modest results owing to the slow pace of more fundamental reforms. Nigeria has taken steps to simplify trade by working on its tariff structure.However, there is still a protectionist sentiment in the country. Cross border smuggling is still a major concern and is liable to remain an important feature of the Nigerian economy. The capacity and efficiency of Nigerian ports (Trade) have improved following the implementation of an ambitious concessioning program that transferred management of terminals to private operators. However, although the reforms have improved port operations and ship turnaround times, there remains the problem of corruption in the customs service, which can complicate and delay the clearance of goods. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)The latest GDP projection data as brought out by World Bank is $ 268. 5 billion (2013 F) and the country population is projected at 175 million translating into a GDP/Capita to 2,213. The Real GDP Growth for Nigeria has been at 6. 8 %. However, considering the disparity in the country’s infrastructure viz-a-viz other Asian developing nations the growth rate is not enough for substantial improvement. Nominal GDP| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| 2012(F)| 2013(F)| US$ bn| 166. 5| 208. 1| 169. 4| 196. 3| 244. 2| 262. 4| 268. 5| N bn| 20,941| 24,665| 25,225| 29,498| 37,590| 42,877| 46,720| Real GDP growth %| 6. | 6| 7| 7. 8| 7. 4| 6. 4| 6. 9| Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| GDP Composition In Nigeria, the Investment component of the GDP as compared to the private consumption and government is very low, hovering at 17 % approximately. A developing market is required to invest around 40 to 50% of GDP in capital investment for successive number of years. However that is not seen with Nigeria. Hence, the prospect of Nigeria as an investment destination appears to be grim in the near future. | 2007| 2008| 200 9| 2010| 2011| 2012 F| 2013 F| Private consumption| 6. 6| -34. 3| 6. 4| -26. 7| 11. 8| 9. | 10. 4| Government consumption| 90. 8| 4. 4| -8. 1| 17. 8| 12| 8. 5| 8| Gross fixed investment| 24. 5| -6. 8| 9. 1| -3. 6| 6. 5| 6| 6. 5| Exports of goods & services| -11. 7| 43. 4| -30| 11. 4| 11. 9| 10. 4| 12. 4| Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| The graph below gives the GDP contribution – Industry wise for Nigeria. Crude is one of the major contributors to the GDP. Hence, and rate fluctuations in the price of crude oil have added volatility in the Nigerian GDP. Inflation Despite monetary tightening carried out by the CBN in 2011, the forecast for inflation remains negative.Inflation is expected to increase to 12. 7% in 2012. Fiscal laxity by the states is one of the main reasons for this. In addition, the payment of the newly instituted minimum wages and the injection of funds into the bailed out banks, inflationary pressure is bound to continue for the rest of the year. It is exp ected moderate only in 2014 as a result of moderation in commodity prices. The April 2012 inflation data as obtained shows a Month-on-month inflation to be (0. 13%), Year-on-Year (12. 9%), 12-Month Avg. Chg. (11. 1%). The inflation rate is exceedingly high and is detrimental towards investment in the country.The Consumer Price Index and Nigerian Inflation rate is shown below. Source: Economic Intelligence Unit Shadow Economy The untaxed and unregulated revenues – by some estimates – account for between 40% and 45% of gross domestic product (GDP). Nigerians make most of their living, as street hawkers, minibus drivers, money changers or market traders. In spite of the abysmal performance of the country’s economy, poor infrastructure and unfriendly business environment Nigeria has huge potentials to be tapped because of its huge deposits of Natural Resources nd population that can be gainfully employed. The black economy accounts for a large part of the Nigerian e conomy. Trade Overview Nigeria has considerable natural resources such as oils, and the revenue from oil exports forms a major chunk of the Government fund. Nigeria has recently started a sovereign wealth fund and the excess returns from oil exports viz-a-viz projected returns is directed to this sovereign fund. This fund is building up at a slower pace as the revenue is being directed towards meeting government excess spending to meet the countries capital requirement.The country has been putting efforts to tighten the fiscal policy and the same has been reflected in their medium-term expenditure framework. The country has projected a year-on-year budget deficit of 1% of GDP. However, from the recent trends it appears that Nigeria will be able to sustain a year-on-year budget deficit of 2% given the prices of oil remain stable even though the current European turmoil and a slowdown in china can push oil prices down and lead to further increase in Nigeria’s Fiscal deficit.Nig eria intends borrowing from the international capital market for meeting its capital expenditure requirement in the near future. The total value of Nigeria's exports in the first quarter of 2012 is at about USD 30 billion, the exports to India has reached USD 4. 2 billion, compared to USD 3. 7 billion credited to the US in the period under review. Nigeria's export to India is mostly crude oil and cashew nuts while India exports pharmaceutical goods, machinery, electronics and rice. The US was trailed by the Netherlands with USD 2. billion, followed by Spain with USD 2. 4 billion and Brazil which recorded USD 2 billion. Nigeria is a member of the WTO and does not impose permanent import restrictions however it has a huge banned list of import goods which coupled with ad valorem tariffs have given rise to increase in smuggled goods. As such the restrictions do not seem to have benefited the local industries. There are specially designated export processing zones which provide benefits from tax, duties, foreign exchange restrictions and import-export restrictions.The Nigerian Export Credit Guarantee and insurance corporation (Nexim) provides insurance under the government’s export guarantee scheme. This has helped exporters in raising funds at subsidized rates for refinancing. Nigeria figures 133rd on the Doing Business in Index among 183 world economies and 15th among the 46 sub Saharan African economies. The trade balance of Nigeria for period 2007 to 2011 and forecasted data for 2012 and 2013 is given below. | 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| 2012(F)| 2013(F)|Trade balance| 37,748| 45,885| 25,342| 20,237| 34,528| 34,131| 28,778| Goods: exports fob| 66,040| 85,729| 56,121| 73,698| 103,847| 114,068| 111,836| Goods: imports fob| -28,291| -39,844| -30,779| -53,461| -69,319| -79,937| -83,058| Services balance| -16,902| -22,113| -16,479| -19,231| -24,761| -24,278| -25,914| Income balance| -11,747| -15,059| -14,404| -18,623| -22,905| -20,913| -24,624| Current tra nsfers balance| 18,545| 19,366| 18,694| 20,092| 25,004| 27,387| 28,562| Current-account balance| 27,643| 28,079| 13,153| 2,476| 11,867| 16,327| 6,802| Source: Economic Intelligence Unit|Nigeria and its neighboring African nations have imposed strong continental Trade Barriers which is depriving the continent of new sources of economic growth, new jobs and leading to a sharp fall in poverty and other factors. However, many African countries are losing several billions of dollars in potential trade earnings every year, because of high trade barriers with neighboring countries. It is easier for Africa to trade with the rest of the world than with itself.The Policy progress in the nation has been restricted due to political instability and tussle between the presidency and senior economic team. Policies towards changes in exploiting the proceeds from fuel exports are always the concern restricting policy improvements. The country has huge limitation in the power sector and the governmen t has initiated privatization program focused mainly on the power sector, However the progress has been slow as a result of private-sector reluctance, the various vested interests involved and strong union opposition.This is limiting foreign investments in Nigeria. Nigeria urgently requires Tax reform for attracting investments in the country and this policy reform is high on the political agenda. However due to conflicting interests and the fragile nature of the Nigerian administration reforms are expected to be slow. Foreign Debt Due to the economic slowdown public sector revenue and expenditure has contracted in the past 3 years. As a result of the budget deficit, infrastructure is facing acute shortage which is mostly financed by internal public borrowing while also seeking access to external funding.The Nigerian government has set on the path of prudent reforms to reduce total spending while improving funding for capital requirements for efficient spending that will translate t o long term economic growth. The government also launched a Euro denominated bond in 2011 and expects to return to the international debt capital markets again in the next few years. Labor Market & Human Capital The education system of Nigeria is in a poor state unable to meet the educational requirement of the country. There are currently only 46 tertiary institutions in Nigeria providing education covering all functional areas.Out of the 42m Nigerian children who ought to be in primary school, less than 24m are in school. Out of the 33. 9m children of secondary school age, only 6. 4m are in secondary schools. The pass rate for JAMB examinations is about 20% – indicates poor quality of secondary school graduates. The educational system has not been tailored to meet developmental needs of the nation. Any foreign investment has to transfer both funds and human capital to the country. There are no improvements visible in the near vicinity.The Nigerian Labor market is marred wit h constraints and there appears little prospect in the near future of resolving many of the key constraints to improving the labor market in Nigeria. Most of the talented Nigerians prefer to move out of the country and the country is suffering from a ‘brain drain’. Nigeria has a large number of very capable professional and highly skilled workers in a range of sectors. Unfortunately for the country, large numbers, particularly in the medical profession, live and work overseas, and the restoration of civilian rule in 1999 has failed to bring an end to the brain drain’. Although labor law reform in 2005 weakened the capacity of the unions to organize political or sympathy strikes, the labor movement remains powerful, capable of organizing paralyzing national strikes. Value of indexa| | Global rankb| | Regional rankc| | 2006-10| 2011-15| 2006-10| 2011-15| 2006-10| 2011-15| 4. 4| 4. 6| 80| 80| 16| 15| a Out of 10. b  Out of 82 countries. c  Out of 17 countries: A lgeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| Population and Income Inequality The population in Nigeria is growing at a very fast pace, but given the poor state of the countries health care and educational system, this is only constraining the already dismal state of the country the growth rate is presented below, the high rate of population growth and the deteriorating state of infrastructure is not conducive enough for enticing foreign investment. Population (Million)| 2006| 2010| 2015| Total| 140. 4| 152. 2| 166. 7|Period averages (%)|   | 2006-10| 2011-15| Population growth|   | 2. 1| 1. 8| Labor force growth|   | 2. 4| 1. 9| Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| Poverty in Nigeria remains significant despite high economic growth. Nigeria retains a high level of poverty, with 63% living on below $1 daily, implying a decline in equity. There have been attempts at poverty alleviation, but the inequality has been rising. Income inequality worsened from 0. 43 to 0. 49 between 2004 and 2009. This is correlated with differential access to infrastructure and amenities.In particular, there are more rural poor than urban poor. This primarily results from the composition of Nigeria's economy. Oil exports contribute significantly to government revenues and about 15% of GDP, despite employing only a fraction of the population. Agriculture, however, contributes to about 45% of GDP, and employs close to 90% of the rural population. This incongruence is compounded by the fact that oil revenue is poorly distributed among the population, with higher government spending in urban areas than rurally.High unemployment rates have rendered personal incomes even more divergent. The graph below gives a comparison of the population below poverty line in relation to the total  Nigerian population. Data Source: Economic Intelligence Unit Unemp loyment According to the ‘2011 Annual Socio-Economic Report' released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the total number of unemployed people have increased from approximately 7 million in 2006 to 16 million in 2011. In 2011, approximately 2. 1 million people were newly unemployed.The report has also predicted the new entrants into the unemployed pool to be around 8. 5 million in 2015. The increase is also interestingly explained by the tendency of Nigerian university graduates to stay away from labor intensive work. They are now ready to wait for a white collar job thus resulting in the entry of new university graduates into the unemployment pool. The total number of employed labor force has remained fairly constant from 2006 to 2011 at around 51 million. However, 10 million new people have been added to the labor force during 2006-2011.The increase in labor force could be explained by the steady increase in the number of universities, polytechnics and colleges of educati on. While the enrollment in universities and polytechnics has decreased from around 460,000 in 2006 to 340,000 to 2011, enrollment in colleges of education has increased during the same period. Whereas the enrollment in state and federal institutions has decreased during 2006-2011, enrollment in private institutions has increased steadily. According to the report, the increase in unemployment rate has been kept in check by Nigerian government's employment policies.The unemployment rate in rural areas was 25. 6% and 17. 1% in urban areas. The total national unemployment rate was 23. 9% in 2011. Total unemployment rate amongst males was 23. 5% in 2011 while the same rate amongst females was 24. 3%. The report explains that married women who previously stayed out of the labor force have now started entering the market for jobs due to a raise in claim for financial independence. More women are also now forced to enter the labor market because of the need to supplement the income of male s in families.The unemployment rate has been consistently growing in Nigeria due to lack of industries, political stability and a myriad of other reasons. Unemployment is leading to crime and shadow economy which is further hindering investments in the country. Data Source: Economic Intelligence Unit Currency The Legal Tender followed in Nigeria is the Naira (sign:  ? ;  code:  NGN). The Central Bank of Nigeria referred as CBN is the sole authority responsible for issuing and maintaining the volume of the currency in the Nigerian economy.The currency was adopted by Nigeria on 1st Jan 1973 replacing the pound that was being followed since the colonial days. Money Supply and Monetary Control The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the central bank of Nigeria. Since the global financial crisis of 2008-09, maintaining adequate liquidity and averting a total collapse of the banking system has been the main focus of the CBN. The CBN uses the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to anchor short t erm money market rates and other interest rates in the economy.Open market operations conducted through the Treasury Bills auction is the major instrument of monetary policy. The CBN also uses discount window operations (including standing lending and deposit facilities, repo and reverse repo operations) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) in monetary management. The banking crisis of 2009 and the subsequent reform initiated in the banking sector has complicated the monetary policy. The central bank also ensures that there is sufficient lending in key sectors such as agriculture.Since 1977, Nigeria has had an Agric Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) under the management of the central bank. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is responsible for maintaining a balance between its objective of managing inflation and the government's aim of reducing the cost of borrowing by the private sector to encourage investment in productive activities. The CBN is currently pursuing the former objective, having increased its prime interest rate six times during 2011: the Central Bank is attempting to counter what it sees as high inflationary expectations embedded in the system.As the forecast period progresses and the inflation outlook improves, the focus of the CBN will return to easing monetary policy and boosting lending to productive sectors. Nevertheless, this has been complicated by the banking crisis of 2009 and the subsequent reform program put in place by the Central Bank, which is likely to mean that risk aversion among the banks persists into the first part of the forecast period at least. Below is the summary of the key Monetary Indicators for Nigeria. Monetary indicators| 2007a| 2008a| 2009a| 2010a| 2011a| 2012b| 2013b| 2014b| 2015b| 2016b| |Exchange rate N:US$ (av)| 125. 8| 118. 5| 148. 9| 150. 3| 153. 9| 160. 7| 174. 0| 172. 0| 174. 0| 176. 0| Exchange rate N:US$ (year-end)| 118. 0| 132. 6| 149. 6| 150. 7| 158. 3| 170. 8| 173. 0| 173. 0| 175. 0| 177. 0| Exchange rate N:↚ ¬ (av)| 172. 44| 174. 33| 207. 46| 199. 42| 214. 19| 209. 71| 224. 46| 217. 58| 215. 33| 221. 76| Exchange rate N:â‚ ¬ (year-end)| 173. 66| 184. 49| 215. 49| 201. 31| 210. 42| 221. 23| 222. 31| 215. 39| 219. 63| 223. 02| Real effective exchange rate, CPI-based (av)| 38. 05| 42. 32| 38. 59| 42. 11| 42. 74c| 46. 39| 46. 44| 50. 42| 53. 60| 56. 5| Purchasing power parity N:US$ (av)| 71. 31| 80. 30| 88. 60| 99. 68| 115. 8c| 120. 9| 121. 0| 123. 9| 129. 2| 136. 3| Money supply (M2) growth (%)| 58. 1| 53. 6| 20. 6| 3. 7| -0. 5| 8. 7| 20. 5| 19. 6| 17. 5| 18. 5| Domestic credit growth (%)| 358. 3| 55. 9| 41. 1| 14. 1| 28. 1| 7. 9| 21. 5| 20. 7| 18. 2| 17. 7| Commercial banks' prime rate (av; %)| 16. 9| 15. 5| 18. 4| 17. 6| 16. 0| 16. 0| 14. 0| 13. 0| 13. 5| 13. 8| Deposit rate (av; %)| 10. 3| 12. 0| 13. 3| 6. 5| 5. 7| 6. 0| 5. 8| 5. 8| 5. 8| 5. 5| Money-market rate (av; %)| 6. 9| 8. 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 8. 5c| 8. 8| 7. 0| 6. 5| 6. | 6. 0| a  Actual. b  Economist Intelligence Unit foreca sts. c  Economist Intelligence Unit estimates. Source: EIU| Fiscal policy While Nigeria’s fiscal policy during the last half of the decade has been favoring expansive expenditure in the productive sectors, there is growing pressure to introduce tough, unpopular market reforms to tighten the fiscal policy. However it will be difficult to do so considering the different interest groups that the government needs to placate and wider legislature that favors greater government expenditure to counter the crippling infrastructure deficit.Even as investment in infrastructure remains critical, how the government manages to bring down the share of recurrent expenditures while improving the quality of capital expenditure is the key challenge. Another challenge for the government will be how it manages its dependence on oil prices, the key component of its revenue. A return to recession in Europe or a less than expected growth in China could bring down the oil prices. Exchange rates Th e Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been responsible for managing the exchange rate and this was being done by auctioning of foreign currencies.The CBN sets the exchange rate. However, Nigeria’s currency fluctuations is correlated to fluctuations in the oil prices. In 2007, the Naira saw significant appreciation viz-a-viz the dollar due to increase in Global crude prices. Nigeria’s central Bank intends making the Naira exchange rates floating and policy decisions are being formulated towards this objective. The CBN also intends to make the exchange rate independent to the extent possible and aims at intervening only to meet defined policy objectives.The country has seen a huge depreciation of the Naira in the past 3 Decades, presently owing to the stable and strong crude prices the currency is considerably stable but is forecasted to slip further if the Global Economic crisis continues to deter. Source: http://www. exchangerates. org. uk/ Interest Rates The CBN kept it s benchmark interest rate at 12%. The CBN will find it hard to balance its objective of managing inflation and the government’s aim of reducing the cost of borrowing by the private sector to boost investment.Nigeria has seen a slowdown in economic growth in its economy as a result of slackening in global economic activities. As the tight liquidity condition persists, short term interest rates have been rising for the past couple of years. Another cause of concern for the CBN was the slowdown in interbank lending, which prompted the CBN to guarantee placements in the interbank market. This also helped bring down the interest rates in the short term money markets, such as the interbank call rates.The above table indicates the Monetary Aggregates and Interest Rates as obtained in 2010. Foreign Direct Investment Although the government will continue to welcome foreign direct investment (FDI), the level of FDI outside the oil and gas sector will remain low in relation to the poten tial size of the market. This reflects the complexities of the local business environment, together with the bureaucracy, corruption, low productivity, poor infrastructure and low income levels that restrict the potential market.The salient feature of the policy is enumerated. Full foreign ownership is allowed in all sectors apart from banking, although the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been more relaxed on the issue since the 2009 crisis in the sector and the subsequent need to recapitalize the affected banks. A new bill proposes to outlaw discretionary awards of oil and gas contracts, and stipulates that licenses must be given through â€Å"open, transparent and competitive† bidding processes.Nevertheless, a number of Asian investors, from China, India and South Korea in particular, who have shown keen interest in entering Nigeria on the basis that they concurrently develop local infrastructure, may still find themselves the preferred bidder on new acreage. There is als o likely to be a continued bias towards policy favoring local business, as evidenced by the recent local content bill for the oil industry that gives indigenous firms priority in the awarding of oil concessions and requires foreign companies to employ more local staff.As a result, and with other countries set to improve more rapidly, Nigeria will slip in the global rankings from 67th to 71st out of 82  countries, and from 12th to 13th in the Middle East and Africa region. Value of indexa| | Global rankb| | Regional rankc| | 2006-10| 2011-15| 2006-10| 2011-15| 2006-10| 2011-15| 5. 1| 4. 6| 67| 71| 12| 13| a Out of 10. b  Out of 82 countries. c  Out of 17 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Nigeria was 2. 99 as of 2010. Its highest value over the past 40 years was 8. 28 in 1994, while its lowest value was -1. 15 in 1980. The below outlines the Annual inflows of FDI along with its percentage composition of the gross fixed investment. (US$ m)| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| 2012| 2013| 2014| 2015| Annual inflows of FDI| 4,854| 6,035| 5,487| 5,787| 3,000| 3,500| 6,000| 7,500| 7,250| 7,250| % of gross fixed investment| 40. 4| 39. 7| 32. 1| 35. 3| 13. 7| 14. | 20. 5| 20. 9| 16. 8| 14. 2| Source: Economic Intelligence Unit| Globalization and Comparative Advantage Nigeria has not benefited considerably from globalization due to mono-cultural export, inability to attract increased foreign investments and huge indebtedness. And the way forward for Nigeria is to focus towards diversification of exports, debt reduction and expand developmental cooperation. Nigeria got connected to the rest of the world with the arrival of British in the Year 1539 and by the 1800’s Nigeria was under complete control of the British Empire.And since then Nigeriaâ€℠¢s trade has been heavily dependent on British trade. Nigeria has been a country rich in natural resources and traded these resources for weapons and tools. This asymmetric trade is the reason for the wide variance in the distribution of the nation’s wealth. The country received its independence in 1960 and during that time the Farm products was its major export. Post-independence, farm products constituted the major portion of Nigeria’s Trade. The six major agricultural products then were cocoa, rubber, palm oil, groundnut, cotton and palm kernel.And this constituted 69. 4% of its total GDP for the year 1963/64. The other contributor to exports was oil. However, during that period oil was priced low at $3. 8 per barrel and thus was not much lucrative. The 1970’s saw Nigeria’s fortune turn with the jump in fuel price by almost 4 times. Nigeria had high grade petroleum reserves and these reserves were easier to extract. The petroleum price rose to $14. 7 p er barrel by January 1974 and rates continued to soar reaching a high of $38. 77 per barrel in 1981.Within the same period, total revenue from oil rose correspondingly. By 1978, oil contributed 89. 1% of Nigeria’s export and in the same year contribution from agriculture plummeted to 6. 8% of exports. The overdependence of the country’s economy on oil exports has seriously hindered the development in other spheres. Globalization poses a multitude of challenges on Nigeria. The countries very poorly on education, health, agriculture and industrial development and therefore it is imperative that Nigeria focuses on these area to fundamentally transform the nation.The country requires focusing on technological development and science and Technology are required to be central theme of their Developmental Strategy. The Country also requires focusing on basic Infrastructure such as power supply and telecommunications and these must exist regularly and uninterruptedly. Also, in dustrialization, including manufacturing and fabrication must be brought in at the center place. There is a need to revitalize agriculture by utilizing the technologies in the field and shifting to mechanized farming. ConclusionThere is an element of risk of doing business in Nigeria even though the debt of the country is in a manageable state. A prolonged European crisis and a slowdown in China will lead to dip in oil prices and Nigeria will face difficulties in meeting its deficit requirements. The currency of Nigeria-Naira is currently seen stable and after depreciating by an average of 6. 3% per year in 2012-13 to N174:US$1, the naira is expected to moderate more gently in subsequent years, to N176:US$1 in 2016, though the currency has seen a continuous downslide when data is compared for the last three decades.After the Banking crisis of 2009, the banking sector is skeptical on lending to private sector, however the confidence is returning. The political risk of the country is seen as high due to factions in the government and the rise in Islamist fundamentalism. Piracy is also a major phenomenon in the Gulf of Guinea which makes Nigeria’s coastline a risky shipping port. Nigeria declared a state of emergency in January 2012 in the northern parts due to a recent spate of terror attacks; however no civil war or major instability is expected in the short run.The government has been accused of largely ignoring public grievances like unemployment, poverty, inequality in wealth and corruption. Unless the government steps up to address these issues and establish credibility there is risk of escalation. The President Mr. Good luck Jonathan has recently commissioned investigations into allegations of corruptions in the oil subsidies and replaced the Chief of the Police for failing to root out infiltration by the insurgents into the government offices.However the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their enforcement. The future of the Nigerian ec onomy therefore depends on stabilizing governance and enabling the parliament to unlock major reforms in the Oil and Gas sector. References 1. Economic Intelligence Unit – (http://country. eiu. com/Nigeria) 2. CBN Monetary Survey 3. Exchange Rates – (http://www. exchangerates. org. uk/) 4. Shadow Economy Reference – (http://news. bbc. co. uk/) 5. Currency Reference – (http://www. cenbank. org/)