Essay on Light and Truth in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man

Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man tells of one mans realizations of the world. This man, the invisible man, comes to realize through experience what the world is really like. He realizes that there is illusion and there is reality, and reality is seen through light. The Invisible Man says, Nothing, storm or flood, must get in the way of our need for light and ever more and brighter light. The truth is the light and light is the truth (7). Ellison uses light as a symbol for this truth, or reality of the world, along with contrasts between dark/light and black/white to help show the invisible mans evolving understanding of the concept that the people of the world need to be shown their true ways. The invisible man becomes aware of the†¦show more content†¦Once again, Ellison alludes to society, only this time the blacks are not absorbed, but instead mixed evenly. The result is not a white culture, but a mixed, gray culture. The boss, Kimbro, becomes outraged at the mistake telling the invisible man, you trying to sabotage the company? That stuff wouldnt work in a million years (204). Kimbro, one of the leaders of the company, can be compared to a leader of society. He believes that the mixing of black and white, without a result of white can only lead to sabotage. For this crime, Kimbro sends the Invisible Man to work as an assistant in a boiler room. Essentially, Kimbro has placed the Invisible Man back into darkness. With its location in the basement, the boiler room can hide one from the light, or truth, of the real world. The Invisible Mans education continues with his induction in the Brotherhood and his continuing realizations about reality. The Brotherhood makes the Invisible Man believe that he has found a true home, a place where everyone is working for the improvement of all the people, not just specifically blacks or whites. His first task involves giving a speech in Harlem to a charged crowd. He has yet to fully grasp reality, but instead is only beginning to understand the Brotherhoods reality, that of goals aimed only to the bettering of themselves. At this point, however, the invisible man believes that the Brotherhood is theShow MoreRelated The Search for Identity in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesThe Search for Identity in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man It is through the prologue and epilogue, that we understand the deeper meanings of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. The prologue is essential, laying down a foundation that allows us to understand the meaning and reason behind the symbolism and relevance of events the that follow. The prologue allows us to understand the extent and level of intensity the novel is trying to achieve. Acting in the same way, the epilogue further illustratesRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison1409 Words   |  6 Pagescome. However, in Ralph Ellison’s novel, The Invisible Man, the prologue serves as the beginning of the end, in preparation for an epilogue that revisits the narrator’s original inner conflict at the end of a personal narrative. Situated in a hidden underground cellar, the main character, the Invisible Man recounts the journey of his naive youth from the American south to the seemingly optimistic north in Harlem, New York. However, through several unjust experi ences, the Invisible Man doubts the possibilityRead MoreCure for Blindness - Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay1061 Words   |  5 Pages Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man was a crucial literary tool in raising awareness of and forwarding the equal rights movement for African Americans when it reached readers of all races in the 1950s. The Cultural Contexts for Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man claims that the novel envisions nothing less than undoing African Americans cultural dispossession. Ellisons words are indeed an eloquent unraveling of social stereotypes and racisms. He employs allegorical conceptions of blindness and invisibilityRead More Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. Essay746 Words   |  3 PagesRalph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. The unnamed, main character and narrator of Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man, goes through the story being thrown from one ideology to another in search for a sense of individual truth. The narrator finds that following an ideology does not help him find individualism whatsoever but only confines what he can be. The narrators grandfather gave him his first and most prominent ideology in which he were to follow. Son, after Im gone I want youRead MoreEssay on Use of the Bird Motif in Invisible Man2374 Words   |  10 PagesUse of the Bird Motif in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: According to A Handbook to Literature, motif refers to a recurrent repetition of some word, phrase, situation, or idea, such as tends to unify a work through its power to recall earlier occurrences (264). One such type of motif which has seemed to receive less critical attention is Ellisons treatment of birds.  Ã‚   Hence, my aim in this essay is to examine the references to birds in Invisible Man, attempting to show how Ellison uses theRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1303 Words   |  6 PagesRalph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a story about an unnamed African American man trying to find a place for himself in white America. Throughout his life, he believes that his whole existence solely depends on recognition and approval of white people, which stems from him being taught to view whites as superior. The Invisible Man strives to correspond to the values and expectations of the dominate social group, but he is continuously unable to merge his soc ially imposed role as a black man with hisRead MoreThemes and Styles of Ralph Ellison3336 Words   |  14 PagesEnglish IV 16 November 2005 The Themes and Styles of Ralph Ellison Ralph Ellison has proven himself through his novel The Invisible Man to be the leading black author of the twentieth century. Although he had written many short stories and essays collected in the book Shadow and Act, The Invisible Man is his only novel. With this one novel, Ellison earned himself the 1953 National Book Award and acclaim by the African American community for so accurately portraying the struggles a black AmericanRead MoreEssay on Invisible Man2644 Words   |  11 PagesEquality between individuals is a primary step to prosperity under a democracy. However, does this moral continue to apply among differences and distinct characters of the total population? In the novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, the protagonists suffers from the lack of acknowledgement guaranteed to African Americans in both the North and South regions of North America during the early 1900s. The Narrator expresses the poignant problems that blacks face as he travels to the North. An anti-he roRead MoreThe Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison2489 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"I AM AN invisible man.† A story of obstacles of durable struggle, but hope, and everlasting search for voice in a narrow-minded society; The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison depicts the dehumanization and feeling of being ostracized in society, of one man. Imagine a time when everyone you encounter have a racial thought or credibility toward your own races, never considering the fact that who you are as a person does not matter worth a dime. You are better determines on shade of your skin which hideRead MoreEssay about Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison1897 Words   |  8 Pagesrelentless struggles was Ralph Ellison. Ellison, a famous author, depicted racial segregation in the 1940’s through a fictional short story entitled â€Å"Battle Royal.† Battle Royal symbolized the actions of what â€Å"other† people became accustomed to. Blacks were thought to be socially inferior and live i n the shadows of whites. The idea which Ellison uses to paint â€Å"Battle Royal† consists of that when one sex or race treats another as an object or animal, both become dehumanized (174). Ellison’s use of hidden meanings

The Scientific Techniques Used For Experimentation...

The scientific techniques used for experimentation throughout the ages can spark controversy. In the The Island of Dr. Moreau, vivisection becomes the island’s culture. There are many aspects of vivisection that continuously overstep the rights of animals and the morals of humans. Dr. Moreau’s lack of sympathy for inflicting pain as well as the undeveloped jungle in which they experiment in also raises questions in how ethical this practice is. From a moral standpoint vivisection could be seen as wrong because of: the sanitary conditions of the island and the assumed lack of anesthesia used on animals during vivisection. The ethics of vivisection and other scientific techniques become increasingly controversial and continue to go over the boundaries of human capability and morals. Harmful scientific techniques against animals are underrated because the scientific community and public do not establish the status of animals and their rights to proper treatment. The cultu re of vivisection became more about creating fears than the reality of the situation. The question of â€Å"monsters or miracle† became anew in this novel as Pendrick’s initial fear of the â€Å"beast men† changed to a peculiar interest later on in the text. (Framing the Future, 194) (Island of Dr. Moreau). Pendrick’s first awakening after the shipwreck came with thoughts and theories of torture that awaited him. Seeing the â€Å"beast men† only added to his curiosity and fright. His response towardsShow MoreRelatedEssay about Animal Rights1553 Words   |  7 Pages The issue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. They support this position by stating that humans, instinctually, prioritize their o wn survival above other animals thus making any use of animals justifiable (Fox 5). The supporters of animal testingRead MoreScience Inquiry Skills and Education Essay1509 Words   |  7 PagesThe stages of scientific enquiry have been developed and refined over time, to add consistency of approach and structure to systematic investigation. These processes; stimulus, curiosity, enquiry, initial investigation/observation, initial perception, initial hypothesis, experimentation, observation and recording, drawing conclusions, evaluation of initial hypothesis, formation of new hypothesis and re-experimentation, are perceived as a sequential flow of enquiry. However, in reality they are lessRead MoreEssay about What Can Be Learned From the Study of The Prehistoric Era?1011 Words   |  5 Pagesjudged as having been an easy feat. Earlier researchers would have had us believe that prehistoric intelligence was not possible among â€Å"savages.† However, humankind’s natur al instinct is to pursue knowledge and move forward. All the advances made throughout history testify to that. How could it be that intelligence was not a factor in the ability of prehistoric humans to sustain life as they knew it? The unearthing of bones, stone tools and fossils provides the evidence of early man’s existence. Read MoreBiology : Study Of Living Organisms And Is Characterized As A Science1667 Words   |  7 Pagesis obtained within the field of biology is produced by the experimental method mentioned above. Section 2: The biology info guide is a great tool for research and gathering background information when conducting a scientific investigation by providing links for key scientific databases, academic journals, online encyclopedias, and books particularly for the biological discipline. Two key databases that are presented in the info guide are the ProQuest Biological Science Collection and MedlineRead MoreThe Scientific Method Of Social Science Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesThe Sociologic Scientific Method The scientific method is used to research a concept through all sciences. Social science uses the scientific method to systematically approach a research question or problems through objective and accurate observations, collection and analysis of data, and experimentation. Sociological research is the scientific means of acquiring information about various aspects of society and social behavior. Sociologist uses the scientific method to answer important questionsRead MoreThe Building Blocks Of The Renaissance Movement1601 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod in history between the beginnings of the fifteenth century up until the mid-sixteenth century. During this time, culture was re-established amongst societies, revived from the ancient Greek and Roman times that prevailed prior to the Middle Ages. Interest in the arts, which are known as the studies of painting, sculpture, philosophy, architecture, literature, music, theater and the like, were prevalent during this era, as well as the in terest in human beings instead of a focus only on theRead More The Controversial Issue of Animal Ethics Essay2579 Words   |  11 Pagesprogress is being threatened by activists who would end the use of laboratory animals in the search for treatment and cures. Their well financed anti-research disinformation campaign is not the only weapon used by animal rights activists. The more extreme animal rights activists have used tactics of intimidation and terrorism, for example: April 26,1997, activists were arrested when they tried to force their way into Yerkes Regional Primate center during a protest. July 21,1997, The AnimalRead MoreHuman Behavior And Inner Emotion1329 Words   |  6 Pages Various types of theories have been established throughout history to help analyze social behavior in both animals and people. Psychologists use the six main perspectives to better rationalize human behavior and motivation: these perspectives are (but not limited to) the biological, social-cultural, cognitive, developmental, psychodynamic, and behavioral perspectives. These approaches helps psychologists and individuals further their understanding of social behavior and inner emotion. In psychologyRead MoreIslmaic Achievements and Muslim Contributions and Their Spread1231 Words   |  5 Pagesthey conquered whose main focus of study was that field. The Muslim people made many exceptional achievements and great contributions that spread to and affected the entire world, particularly Europe. Several factors encouraged them to pursue experimentations and developments in different fields. First and foremost, the faithful Islamic people had to know the direction of Mecca as well as the time of day in order to know when and in which direction to pray. This meant they had to rely on mathematiciansRead More`` Design Is For Living ``1601 Words   |  7 Pagesan electrifying visual language that signaled a new age and a fresh start- two of the powerhouses were Charles and Ray Eames. The Eameses were a husband and wife team whose unique synergy led to a whole new expression in furniture and architecture. The couple advocated the principles of Modernism through the adaptation of innova ¬tion from wartime technology .Their design style can be branded as â€Å"California Modernism,† a term that is often used interchangeably wit h â€Å"Mid-Century Modernism.† This distinct

Causes and Effects of the Decline and Fall of Han China and the Roman Empire free essay sample

Although very much separated on the eastern hemisphere, degradation of the Roman Empire and Han China came in similar waves; the results of the ruined civilizations, however, varied in impact of future civilization. The decline and fall of a great of empire as the Roman would have to be a result of many strong tribulations. To start with, the spread of diseases such as smallpox vastly severed its numbers and even killed the emperor Marcus Aurelius. With a population of 60 million in 180 B.C. the Roman demographic was reduced by 25%. With a decreased populace, there became fewer defenders of the borders. Invasions increased in frequency, and war too took many Roman lives. In the Roman Empire, invasion was provided by Germanic tribes. Some craved bloodlust while others migrated after being invaded themselves by the Huns. Han China, too, faced struggles that would eventually depose imperial rule. Epidemic disease came later to China than to Rome but still had the same negative impact on classical Chinese society. We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Effects of the Decline and Fall of Han China and the Roman Empire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As in Rome, Han China’s population in 200 C.E. peaked at 60 million and fell to 45 million by 600 C.E. Though also invaded by Hun tribes, a more influential cause of the decline of Han China came from corruption in the government impacted all Chinese citizens. As emperors became weak in will and power, military generals drew more power. Peasants grew angry with taxes unpaid be corrupted officials, and in 184 C.E., a group known as the Yellow Turban rebellion confronted Han government. Even after its fall, the Roman Empire maintained an influence over future civilizations. The western Roman Empire finally fell in 476 C.E. to a Germanic general named Odovacer. But unlike Han China, imperial rule would still continue in the eastern part would continue for another thousand years as the Byzantine Empire. Consequently, the Latin language became dead, preserved only in the writings of the Roman Catholic church. As a result Germanic tribes were able to govern regions such as Gaul, Sp ain, and Britain. The remaining states of Han China after 220 C.E. entered a period similar, but less violent, to that of the Period of the Warring States. Though Roman traditions faded, Chinese culture would persist; nomads from the steppe regions became sinicized and helped kept traditions alive. Han China disintegrated into three regional kingdoms, the Wu, Wei, and Shu. Contrary to the Romans, China, after living in disorder for almost 350 years, would be unified under the Sui dynasty. Whereas Confucianism was a prominent philosophy in earlier Chinese dynasties, Mahayana Buddhism became a popular religion during the fourth to sixth centuries to accompany the new changes in power. In the end, the people of both regions localized trade and became self-sufficient.

The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom Essay Example

The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom Paper WorldCom is a telecommunication company that evolves from a merger between Long Distance Discount Services, Inc (LDDS) and Advantage Companies in August 1989. Eight years later in 1997, WorldCom announced another multi-billion merger with MCI Communications that was worth US$37 billion. The mega merger became the largest merger in terms of value in the 20th century. Unfortunately, after the acquisition of MCI, telecommunication industry experienced a downturn that forced telecommunication companies to restructure their finance. The situation also occurred at WorldCom in which in 2000, the company’s stock was plummeting and Ebbers as the corporate CEO had responsibility to cover this WorldCom stock margin calls that used to finance other’s Ebbers business. To overcome this problem, Ebbers forced WorldCom’s Board of Directors to give corporate loans that accounted for $400 millions to cover the margin calls that emerge, but this effort has failed. To hide this failed financial condition, Buford Yates as Director of General Accounting under direction of Scott Sullivan as CFO used insincere accounting method by create bogus financial records and profitability to increase the value of WorldCom’s stock. This evil action commenced in 1999 and run until May 2002. Scandal at WorldCom 2. 1. Facts According to several articles discussing the WorldCom scandal, we find that this fraudulent happened due to support from the corporate managements. There are many underlying facts behind the scandals as following (‘How Did’, 2002): We will write a custom essay sample on The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer WorldCom executives committed accounting fraud that pushed the company to be the largest bankruptcy in the US. The insincerity was hidden from stakeholders and public but disclosed in 2002 Several employments show evidences like hiding bad debt and understating costs that proven the insincerity discovered as early as 2001; however, WorldCom’s Board of Directors did not pay attention to this claim. In June 2001, there were stakeholders that do prosecution against WorldCom but it was elapsing due to lack of evidences. II. 2. Ethical Guidelines WorldCom scandal represents the biggest mistake in American business. WorldCom was proven to violate many ethical guidelines by committing insincerity in providing financial figures to stakeholders and public; some of the violation are as following: Customer commitment Ought to be a big company, WorldCom must hold the trust given by customers by delivering good services. However, customers’ trusts were violated for personal business. Stakeholders’ commitment Public commitment As a public company, WorldCom have responsibility to public to provide true corporate figures. After WorldCom Bankruptcy, stakeholders and investors had low confidence towards financial statement of corporations that caused the slow growth of stock markets. II. 3. Who Was Affected? The bankruptcy of WorldCom presents a domino effect in all of sector, especially at stocks market and telecommunication services. When WorldCom announced their bankruptcy, share price of Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, Alcatel and other telecommunication companies experienced a significant downturn. For example, share price of Nokia experienced five-percent decline, Sony Ericsson descended nine percent, and Vodafone descended 17 percent. Meanwhile, Alcatel experienced heaviest blow by descending 17 percent momentary gratuities after announcing of expense amputation meaning employees reduction . II. 4. Avoidance and Preventions in Future Most of accounting scandals involve insiders (85% of scandals). Another 55% of accounting scandals also involve high-level managements and company’s executives. All insincerity will generate bad impact for company and company stakeholders. Therefore, it requires some prevention action so that a coming fraudulent can be avoided. There are some ways to avoid the fraud in a company: (Waymark, 2006) Observe the financial accounting One of important matters is to give more attention to company financial reports. A research finds that companies focus more on asset misappropriations and computer crimes (63%) while deception of financial accounting only 21%. Observing the executives Second way is to observe all company’s executive in the moment of company merger, after promotion, and new market extension. This is because all executives have work and serve company in a long time. However, if we consider facts and results of fraud, we find that executives conduct a lot of fraud in a company. Reference: ‘How Did WorldCom Go Bankrupt? ’ 2002. Retrieved June 19, 2007 from www. securitiesfraudfyi. com/ ‘Is the backbone broken? ’ 2002. Retrieved June 19, 2007 from http://money. cnn. com/ Midleton, James. 2002. ‘WorldCom domino effect begins’ Retrieved June 19, 2007 from http://www. vnunet. com/vnunet/news/2119227/worldcom-domino-effect-begins Waymark, Stuart. 2006. ‘Preventing Corporate Fraud: Know and avoid the myths’. Retrieved June 19, 2007 from http://int. sitestat. com/ernst-and-young/south-africa/s? South_Africa_Home. Media. 2006_Press_Releases. 14_Aug_06_Preventing_Corporate_Fraud

Fly in the ointment Essays

Fly in the ointment Essays Fly in the ointment Essay Fly in the ointment Essay The fly in the ointment 1 . Explore the condition of the Factory and of the father as the son arrives The condition of the father and the factory when the son arrives where regrettable, It was hardly for the son to recognize the factory, as there was nothing inside it. As seen in this lines: this had been the machine- room, before the machines where gone. Moreover through the factory are empty shells, the sign outside the entrance to the factory is freshly painted and the brass plaque outside the office is shining. The father was acting in a melancholic way, acting shyly nervous and very polite with his on. In Dalton he acts as If nothing has happened, as if everything was fine. As seen In the following lines things are fine, I feel they are fine, I know they are fine 2. Explore the particular relationship of tension between father and son The relationship between Harold and his father isnt the best, when they are together we can almost get the visual image of the tension that both generates as they talk to each other. This could be for many reasons. In my opinion it seems that Harold s father was absent as he spent thirty years of his life in the business and marred the legislation as he Is obsessed with money, Instead of being a family man. As seen In the following lines: It was his father last day at his factory, the last day of thirty years. This leads Harold to feel resentful of his father, but at the same time he tries to get closer, looking for a father figure, I must see him. : But later, when he arrives the atmosphere becomes uncomfortable and their behaviors with each other are quite formal, as to business man talking not as father and son. As we can see in this lines have a cup no thanks- said the son l Just had tea. They are very polite teen each other; this shows us that they are very distant. In Dalton we can notice that they dont know very well each other, while in this conversation Harold discover lots of things about his father. As shown in this lines The old man turned his head way. He actually wiped a tear from his eye. A glow of sympathy transported the younger man. He felt as though a sun had risen. The author use the image of the sun to show us that the father had never showed emotions to his son, and this revelation Illuminates the son and he feels that there is hope for their relation now that his father Is available. But later when he offers his father money, he completely changes, showing other side of him, with anger, and this take completely the hope of Harold again. As seen in these lines his warm voice going dead and rancorous and his nostrils fidgeting 3. Analyze what the son notices about the two faces of the father and what do you get to know about the nature of the father at the end of the story? Harold father shows throw the story that he is doubled faces, he shows one face at first and then other. Harold could notice this for the first time as he goes and visit his father to help him. As seen In this lines the son noticed for the first time that as all big- faced men his father had two faces and inner face and an outer face. The outer face like a soft warm and careless daub of innocent sealing-wax and inside it, as if thumbed there by a seal, was a much smaller one, babyish, shrewd, scared and hard. He changes personalities lots of times in the story, and his sons become aware of it, He looked decided and experienced like a man of forty, but now he softened to sixty greets his son shyly as if not having the courage to face his son. As this lines shows Hullo, old chap. This is very nice of you, Harold. Said the old man shyly, stepping back to let his son in, and lowering his pleased, blue eyes for a seconds modesty. The fathers two faces are evident when he acts as if nothing had happened and that his bankruptcy was nothing as compared with the other businesses that had gone bankrupt. As seen in the following lines: Worrying? You keep on using that word. Im not worrying. Things are fine, said the old man. Smiling aggressively. l feel theyre fine. I know theyre fine. we can notice that he is very arrogant and challenging. Then he starts regretting for the mistakes he have done all his life and sounds like a man ho has probably recognized his faults. Also he mentioned that he would like to live in a nice little cottage by the sea and enjoy his life. This shows humility. He starts saying that money wasnt everything in life, comparing himself with the children of Israel; this was very ironic and ridiculous. He put up a face without being mean and as radiant as a harvest moon. Although he tries to show that face, this face drops as soon as the son offers to try and raise money for him. Here comes to the surface the face of business men who cares about money, and wants money as quickly as Seibel, although he has to humiliate himself. The fathers sailing eyes came down and looked at his sons nervous, frowning face and slowly the dreaming look went from the fathers face. Slowly the harvest moon came down from its rosy voyage. The little face suddenly became dominant within the outer folds of skin like a fox looking out of a hole of clay. He leaned forward brusquely on the table and somehow a silver- topped pencil was in his hand prepar ing to note something briskly on a writing -pad. Raise it? Said the old man sharply. Why didnt you tell me before you could raise money? How can you raise it? Where? By When? . At the end of the story by saying this he clearly show that what he said at the begging were bullwhip, that he doesnt change at all, he would be always obsessed with money and business . It shows that although he tries to change, he couldnt that his obsession wins him, costing a lot, a relation with his son. 4. What does the fly represents at the moment in which it appear. The fly represents the dirty part of the relationship between father and son. It shows that although they are trying to cure all the injuries, there is always something that prevents it. In his case is the fly that while they are talking the father interrupts the whole conversation to kill the fly. As seen in the following lines forgive this interruption. I cant sit in a room with a fly in it. It is use as a symbolic way to show that there are many things that spoil the relationship. Also, I think as he tries to kill the fly he also is trying to kill all the mistakes he have done throw his life, but he didnt succeed. The fly also remark him that he is weak and old and this make Harold feel worried. As this lines show suddenly he looked tired and old, his body began to sag and a look of weaknesses came into his face

Economic History of English Colonization of the US

Economic History of English Colonization of the US Early settlers had a variety of reasons for seeking a new homeland. The Pilgrims of Massachusetts were pious, self-disciplined English people who wanted to escape religious persecution. Other colonies, such as Virginia, were founded principally as business ventures. Often, though, piety and profits went hand-in-hand. The Role of Charter Companies in the English Colonization of the US Englands success at colonizing what would become the United States was due in large part to its use of charter companies. Charter companies were groups of stockholders (usually merchants and wealthy landowners) who sought personal economic gain and, perhaps, wanted also to advance Englands national goals. While the private sector financed the companies, the King provided each project with a charter or grant conferring economic rights as well as political and judicial authority. The colonies generally did not show quick profits, however, and the English investors often turned over their colonial charters to the settlers. The political implications, although not realized at the time, were enormous. The colonists were left to build their own lives, their own communities, and their own economy - in effect, to start constructing the rudiments of a new nation. Fur Trading What early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, fishing was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people lived primarily on small farms and were self-sufficient. In the few small cities and among the larger plantations of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, some necessities and virtually all luxuries were imported in return for tobacco, rice, and indigo (blue dye) exports. Supportive Industries Supportive industries developed as the colonies grew. A variety of specialized sawmills and gristmills appeared. Colonists established shipyards to build fishing fleets and, in time, trading vessels. The also built small iron forges. By the 18th century, regional patterns of development had become clear: the New England colonies relied on shipbuilding and sailing to generate wealth; plantations (many using slave labor) in Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas grew tobacco, rice, and indigo; and the middle colonies of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware shipped general crops and furs. Except for slaves, standards of living were generally high - higher, in fact, than in England itself. Because English investors had withdrawn, the field was open to entrepreneurs among the colonists. The Self-Government Movement By 1770, the North American colonies were ready, both economically and politically, to become part of the emerging self-government movement that had dominated English politics since the time of James I (1603-1625). Disputes developed with England over taxation and other matters; Americans hoped for a modification of English taxes and regulations that would satisfy their demand for more self-government. Few thought the mounting quarrel with the English government would lead to all-out war against the British and to independence for the colonies. The American Revolution Like the English political turmoil of the 17th and 18th centuries, the American Revolution (1775-1783) was both political and economic, bolstered by an emerging middle class with a rallying cry of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property - a phrase openly borrowed from English philosopher John Lockes Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690). The war was triggered by an event in April 1775. British soldiers, intending to capture a colonial arms depot at Concord, Massachusetts, clashed with colonial militiamen. Someone - no one knows exactly who - fired a shot, and eight years of fighting began. While political separation from England may not have been the majority of colonists original goal, independence, and the creation of a new nation - the United States - was the ultimate result. - This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Tha Face Deal Book Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tha Face Deal Book - Research Paper Example Most of the financing Facebook Inc. was obtained as ventures. The ventures were given with an exchange of obtaining the rights of ownership of the company. Accel Partners invested $12.7 million at a valuation of about $100 million. They also invested in another transaction worth $27.5 million with the Greylock Partners. This investment earned them a valuation of $525 million. The Accel Partners and the Greylock Partners invested in this young company due to its promising market service. The company had grown so that it could serve millions of students around the campuses. The investment opportunity was to allow for its growth in the market. The Microsoft Corporation and the Digital Sky Technology raised their contribution in the form of equities.This financing was aimed at the elevation of the Facebook Inc., which was a young promising company. (Ferrera, 2012). The cumulative investment has seen the listing of Facebook as the most used social network over the years. This led to the e ventual filing for an IPO on February 2012 and started selling stock in May 2012. This tremendous growth can be credited to the investment that has overseen the financial credibility of the company. The investors had an aim of obtaining a valuation in the company through the acquisition of ownership rights of the company. The Microsoft Corporation invested to the company in order to obtain the 1.6% stock and to be allowed to advertise on the site. The Accel Partners requested a post of being a board member of the company thereof being central in running the company (Baloun, 2007). Therefore, the financing of the Facebook Company was a beneficial venture for both the company and the investors. Uses of the finances The Facebook Inc. started as a small company with very few employees. At that time, they only had 10 Employees.The Company had an aim of recruiting new employees to aid in the servicing of its clients. The event that was carried out and it drew about 700 people. The company was also experiencing losses that were spurring the possibility of being sold to Yahoo or other larger media groups. To fight this pressure, there was a need to allow investors to venture into the company financially. This acted as a source of capital for investing in the expansion plans beyond the old environment. The company added high school networks, international school networks and photos to the social networking pages (Sutherland, 2012). In order to obtain a valuation in the economy, the Microsoft Corporation invested $240 million for the 1.6% stake in the company. This enabled Facebook to spread and improve on their applications on the website. The company could get recognition in the corporate market with a high financial basis. Another project was the acquisition of the international headquarters in Dublin (Carver, 2012). The acquisition of other companies such as Connecticut was also another project that required a great deal of funding. This was after the settlement of the suit against Facebook. The funding from Microsoft, Accel, Greylock, and Digital Sky Technologies was instrumental towards the growth of this company to the point of obtaining an IPO. Current valuation The company has provided varied valuation standards in the current period. The increase in the target price of the stock before valuation is a major boost for this company. The company considers their revenue growth, the operating

Weekly post Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Weekly post - Assignment Example These global cycles involve the circulation of elements and nutrients that sustain both the biological and physical aspects of the environment. For example, all known organisms on this planet depend on water to sustain them.   They are constantly cycling water, consuming it on a regular basis either by itself or with nutrients, while expelling water (with waste products) at the same time.   Besides being critical for the biosphere, water is also an extremely important part of the physical environment. When water vapor condenses to form clouds, more of the Suns rays are reflected back into the atmosphere, usually cooling the climate. Conversely, water vapor is also an important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, trapping heat in the infrared part of the spectrum in the lower atmosphere. Water is also involved in other biogeochemical cycles.   The hydrologic cycle intersects with almost every other element cycles, as well as some of the geological cycles such as the sedimentary cy cle.  Ã‚   In this and other activities, we are going to study how carbon cycles through our ecosystem and how mankind affects this cycle.   It is important that we understand how carbon cycles through the ecosystem for two reasons. The first of these reasons is that all organic material contains carbon.   From the smallest vitamin molecule all the way up to the long polymer chains of proteins and DNA, carbon provides the basis of all organic compounds.   The second reason why we need to understand the carbon cycle is because of its effect on the physical environment.   Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is released as a waste product of oxidation.   This means that it is released during the combustion of fossil fuels, as well as the respiration of organisms.   As we will see later, this can have a tremendous effect on our climate, since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Carbon has two phases in the carbon cycle: gaseous and solid.   Its gaseous phase is mostly in the

Fashion marketing Essay Example for Free

Fashion marketing Essay Fashion marketing over the years has changed considerably. This has been due to number reasons which include culture, lifestyles, technology and the media. A case student of a student will be used. Culture is a link between three components: what people think, what they do, and the  material products they produce but also has the property of shaping behaviour and  consciousness within a human society   (Hofstede, 2001) Fashion marketing and culture are closely linked.  People who are members of the same culture, most of the times have an unwritten code  between them for many sectors of their life social and private. Eskimos are a great example  of such unusual habits, which offer their wife to their visitor during the first night and they  simply mean Thank you with this gesture. Moreover, people around the world use different  movements of their face, hands and body to express their feelings and a foreign student might  feel embarrassed, annoyed or shocked when encounters incidents like the one mentioned  above or ones that are totally new and beyond his expectations. Read more: Fashion essay A Student may face  difficulties to adapt to the climate of the new country as well, which might be too warm or  too cold for the standards of his home town. Additionally, the food most probably will be  different and this may make him feel sick or enthusiast about this. The most important aspect  of a foreign students life will be the educational system and fashion, which may differ from  the relationship between teacher and student, to the way the courses are being taught and  gaining employment in the fashion industry due to different cultural norms and values. The  general   rule of thumb at this point is that, after a period of time, the culture abroad may  now come the normal way of living . The feelings, that have arisen from this whole  situation of encountering a new culture, are distinctly different to what had been witnessed in  Bulgaria. The most efficient way for a foreigner, student or traveller, before come into  contact with another culture is to be prepared about the variation among cultures and fashion  trends. One must notice that if a stranger meets another culture, but put aside any egoistic  feelings that might have, which do not let him understand the different lifestyles among  people, will only gain from this interaction. Nowadays, that many countries become multi-  cultural, it is important for the locals and the foreigners to try cooperating with each other in  order both of them to live smoothly together. (Hofstede, 2001) The term fashion holistically covers a plethora of different trends and styles. It has been  observed in the UK that many people dress to impress and others dress for attention purposes.  Youngsters in the UK are becoming more and more fashionable and are becoming conscious  of new trends and styles. People in the UK always strive to look their best which is  painstakingly different to what it is like in Bulgaria where they seem reasonably content with  whatever they wear. Whether people in the UK dress smartly, wearing the latest designer  labels that cost a fortune or whether they wear black Gothic clothes and cover their faces in  thick make up, they take pride in their appearance which seems like a cultural norm in the  UK.   (Connor, 1997)

Performance Analysis of Littleton Manufacturing Essay -- Business Anal

Performance Analysis of Littleton Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Littleton Manufacturing facilitates poor upward and downward communication throughout all levels of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a result of the ineffective communication system, Littleton faces a number of issues which ultimately has affected the bottom line of the company. Key challenges to note are low employee morale, low level of unity within the organization, poorly designed organizational structure and confusion in interpreting procedures and rules. Improving the accuracy and speed of the flow of communication should be an important first step in the resolution of the presented issues, thus allowing the organization to function more effectively and efficiently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The importance of organizations and their reasons for existence are outlined in Exhibit 1. Littleton currently is performing poorly across all of these factors, decreasing their importance and contribution towards society. Littleton is categorized as a large-batch, mass production manufacturing system (Daft, 246). Based on this, Littleton should be, but aren ¡Ã‚ ¯t carrying out properly, a mechanistic organizational structure with standardized jobs and formalized procedures to ensure efficiency (Daft, 248). Top management seems to be aware of this point, but they are not communicating the rationale and need for a mechanistic structure to the rest of the organization. Littleton ¡Ã‚ ¯s two units (fabrication and components) serve different domains and therefore  ¡Ã‚ °have different performance and accountability needs ¡Ã‚ ±. Although these two units obviously require different structures, they are viewed and treated as one by management and employees, which causes communication barriers through inconsistencies in management style and rule implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three symptoms of structural deficiency are present at Littleton. There is delay and lack of quality in decision making. Information linkages in either the vertical or horizontal direction may be inadequate to ensure decision quality (Daft, 120). The organization does not respond innovatively to a changing environment, this is caused by the fact that departments are not coordinated horizontally (Daft, 120). Also, too much conflict is evident. Organization structure has to specify a single set of goals for the entire organization (Daft, 120). Littleton seems to have a lack of st... ...a are further clarified in appendix 2. ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enhance both upward and downward communication across all levels of the organization ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improve management effectiveness ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Help improve employee morale ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feasible in regards to cost ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Be timely and enable Littleton to adapt to changes quickly. The following alternatives were generated for Winslow to consider implementing: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sell off either the Fabrications of Components part of Littleton. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redesign the organizational structure emphasizing an effective and efficient communication process. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Initiate job rotation/cross training between departments. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continue to function as it currently is. Exhibit 1 (Daft, 13) Organizations exist to do the following 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bring together resources to achieve desired goals and outcomes 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Produce goods and services efficiently 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facilitate innovation 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Use modern manufacturing and information technologies 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adapt to and influence a changing environment 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create value for owners, customers, and employees 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accommodate ongoing challenges of diversity, ethics, and the motivation and coordination of employees

Corporate Strategy

MGMT611: Strategy Natalya Vinokurova Corporate Strategy Session 15 1 Corporate Scope Corporate center Division A in industry a Division B in industry b Division C in industry c Division D in industry d – The average U. S. Fortune 500 company operates in four different industries – Diversification is even more prominent in other parts of the world †¢ Grupos, chaebol, business houses, keiretsu, and so on – Poor corporate strategy is common â€Å"Excite, one of the leading Internet services companies, yesterday [received a] takeover offer from Zapata, a Texas-based group with holdings in marine protein and food packaging companies.Citing the â€Å"excellent fit with Zapata’s new strategic direction,† Avram Glazer, Zapata’s chief executive officer, said the proposed transaction â€Å"makes sense for Excite’s shareholders because of the capital resources that Zapata can bring to Excite. † Financial Times, May 22, 1998 2 What di versified corporation did this become? 3 Decomposition of Variance in Profitability: Evidence from the United States Year 2% Industry 18% Corporate parent 4% Transient 46% †¢ In the U. S. corporate strategy is typically the icing on the cake, not the cake itself – Business units must be competitive on their own merits – †¦in attractive industries †¢ But the icing can make the decisive difference between a good cake and a bad one Business segment 30% Note: Ignores covariance terms; based on 58,132 observations of 12,296 business segments in 628 industries in the United States Source: Anita M. McGahan and Michael E. Porter, â€Å"How Much Does Industry Matter Really? † Strategic Management Journal, 1997 4Decomposition of Variance in Profitability: Evidence from 14 Emerging Economies †¢ In much of the rest of the world, corporate strategy is more prominent †¢ Membership in a diversified entity has a larger effect on profitability †¢ Th e effect on profitability is more likely to be positive Source: Tarun Khanna and Jan W. Rivkin, â€Å"Estimating the Performance Effects of Business Groups in Emerging Markets,† Strategic Management Journal, 2000 Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey Litmus Test of Corporate Strategy †¢ Is the combination of all businesses of the firm worth more than the sum of how much each business is worth individually? – The answer could be less, e. g. J. C. Penney telemarketing division was worth 3X the market value of the entire firm †¢ When deciding whether or not to acquire another business, you need to decide BOTH – whether you have a competitive advantage running that business – AND how it will contribute to the fit among the other 6 businesses you are runningAcrobat Document 7 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 1984-1994 8 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 1995-2005 9 Two big problems 1. Growth at all costs: †¢ This is an example of what happens when a solid corporate strategy meets an aggressive growth goal 2. Mismatch between strategy and organizational structure: †¢ You can have a corporation with businesses that are closely connected like the classic Disney businesses and then run the businesses together in a tightly integrated way.That can work. †¢ You can have a corporation with the broader scope of later Disney and run them in a loosely coupled way. That can work. †¢ But if you have a corporation with the broader scope of later Disney and run them like the classic Disney, with heavy-handed management from the top, searching for synergy that doesn’t really exist†¦then you get into trouble. – In 2005, ABC President Robert Iger replaces Eisner 10 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 2005-2012 11 The Walt Disney Company: Take-aways Co re lessons of corporate-level strategy †¢ Competition occurs at the level of the business unit †¢ Corporate strategy is a success or failure to the extent that it enhances business unit competitive advantage – Is the relative gap between WTP and cost larger than it would be otherwise? †¢ Two tests: – Better-off: Does the presence of the corporation in a given market improve the total competitive advantage of business units over and above what they could achieve on their own? (What’s the added value of the corporation? – Ownership: Does ownership of the business unit produce a greater competitive advantage than an alternative arrangement would produce? †¢ A corporation is more likely to pass the tests when it has some shared resource that (a) creates competitive advantage for the business units and (b) is difficult to trade efficiently via the market – E. g. , access to animated characters – Making business units â€Å"be tter off† sounds easy, but it typically requires sophisticated structures, systems, and processes, plus cultural supports 12 Corporate strategy entails trade-offsEither focus on†¦ or focus on†¦ Guidance on the Projects Overall Grading †¢ The project must cover all three components of the class – Human and Social Capital – Strategy – Multinational Management Components of Grade (NOT equally weighted) †¢ Use of frameworks (most important issue) †¢ Quality of research †¢ Innovativeness/Insight of analysis †¢ Integration of different components of class †¢ Quality of communication 14 †¢ ? of grade will be based on presentation; ? on final project write up †¢ We will also use a peer assessment to adjust the grade for effort put in by each team memberA Word on Plagiarism †¢ Any text (more than 2 consecutive words) taken from another source must be – In inverted commas – Clearly identified with the source †¢ It is NOT sufficient to simply note that you used a source. You must identify which text came from it. †¢ Failure to identify the source of your work is a serious breach of academic ethics and will be treated accordingly †¢ If in doubt, ask Professor or TAs for guidance †¢ (It is generally not a good idea to reproduce whole sentences or paragraphs from other sources without a very good reason anyway) 5 Next Class: Firm Scope and Strategy †¢ – – – – Case: Monitor’s Opportunities in India (A), 9708-482 What are the benefits and costs to Monitor of moving each of its back-office functions to India? In light of those benefits and costs, what would you recommend to Mark Fuller, Monitor’s CEO, about the location of each function? Should Monitor tap into the Indian pool of talent somehow, perhaps by conducting business research there? If so: Should it conduct research only for Monitor case teams or sell its re search services directly to external clients? 16

Criticisms of IMF

â€Å"The fund believes it is fulfilling the tasks assigned to it: promoting global stability, helping developing countries in transition achieve not only stability but also growth. † â€Å"I believe, however, that it has failed in its mission, that the failures are not just accidental but the consequences of how it has understood its mission. † This is what Stiglitz states in his book, and is also his platform on how he feels about the International Monetary Fund. He believes that the IMF has a narrow view stating that â€Å"what the financial community views as good for the global economy is good for the global economy and should be done†.Stiglitz criticizes that the IMF has done great damage to the countries wherein they prescribe economic policies that must be followed in order to qualify for an IMF loan, or for loans from banks and other private-sector lenders that look to the IMF to indicate whether a borrower is creditworthy. Stiglitz argues that the Inter national Monetary Fund and its officials have ignored the ramifications of having incomplete information, inadequate markets, and unworkable situations, all of which are particularly present characteristics of newly developing countries.Stiglitz states that the International Monetary Fund called for policies that conform to logical textbook economics, however, they do not make sense to the country that the policies are going towards to provide relief. â€Å"Stiglitz seeks to show that the consequences of these misguided policies have been disastrous, not just according to abstract statistical measures but in real human suffering, in the countries that have followed the. † (Stiglitz, 2003).The most traditional and perhaps best-known IMF policy recommendation is for a country to cut government spending or raise taxes. Either one of these actions, or both would be used to balance a country’s budget and eliminate the need for government borrowing. Most people believe that a lot of government spending is wasteful anyway. Stiglitz accuses the IMF for reverting to Herbert Hoover's economics in imposing these policies on countries during deep recessions.The deficit, at this time, is mostly the result of a stimulated decline in revenues. Stiglitz argues that cuts in spending or tax hikes only make the downturn worse. He also emphasizes the social cost of cutting back on various kinds of government programs, such as eliminating food subsidies for the poor, which Indonesia did at the IMF's request in 1998, only to be engulfed by food riots. Another standard IMF recommendation is high interest rates, which make deposits and other assets denominated in the currency more attractive to hold.Most countries go to the IMF because they find themselves having trouble maintaining the exchange value of their currencies. Stiglitz argues that the high interest rates imposed on many countries by the IMF have made their economic downward spirals even worse. Countries are intended to battle inflation that was not a serious problem to begin with. â€Å"Stiglitz repeatedly claims that the IMF's policies stem not from economic analysis and observation but from ideology—specifically, an ideological commitment to free markets and a concomitant antipathy to government.† In part, Stiglitz complaint is that the International Monetary Fund did not understand or even try to understand, his and other economists' theoretical work depicting that markets that are pretty much unregulated do not necessarily deliver positive results when information or market structures are incomplete (Stiglitz, 2003). A country that currently has loans from the International Monetary Fund is the country of Venezuela. Venezuela first negotiated an economic program with the International Monetary Fund in the year of 1989. In the mid 1970s, oil prices soared and seemed unstoppable.Venezuela is a country very rich in oil, so at this time, they accumulated a lot of money fr om oil revenues, but also from loans from international banks. The government then used this money to expand state-owned industries, however, the government ended up supporting the least efficient enterprises, which came to rely on government credits and direct subsidies. Government investments were fruitless from 1974 – 1989. As government expenses continued to increase, the gross domestic product grew very little as a ratio of the government expenditures.The excess amount of money supply, created by government spending, raised the price index by a factor of 15, interest rates 3. 7 times and the devaluation of the national currency by a factor of 10, all happening during the same period. In addition to all of this, Venezuela’s foreign debt increased to a record level of $33 billion and their payments could not be honored. Venezuela undertook negotiations with the IMF when they were under all of this pressure from the decreasing oil prices and the rapidly rising intere st rates on their immense foreign debt.They had tried to borrow money to finance some of their debt; however, the international markets had been apprehensive for Venezuela had refused to work with the IMF. Venezuela had first turned to American banks for proposed financing because it did not want to agree with an economic program with the International Monetary Fund. The International Monetary Fund cleared a loan of about $453 million to the country of Venezuela. Officials declared the loan as a first installment of what is expected to be a credit package that may total as much as $4.6 billion from the international agency to support Venezuela’s economic reform program over the next three years. They believe that Venezuela’s economic adjustment program should â€Å"encourage a substantial reflow of private capital† to the South American country. The planned economic reforms were aimed at freeing and unifying Venezuela’s foreign exchange rates, deregulatin g interest rates and opening the country’s economy to foreign trade by removing quotas and tariffs. The austerity program is the price that Venezuela had to pay for the aid in financing from the IMF.Domestic interest rates were allowed to rise substantially and the government had cut several important subsidies as part of a proposed economic program with the IMF. Since Venezuela agreed on an economic program with the IMF, commercial bankers seem a lot more ready to compromise with them. The IMF reform program included many policies. As a result â€Å"The per capita gross domestic product fell almost 8% from 1989 to 1993; the inflation index rose almost 10 fold; the outstanding foreign debt increased by $5 billion and the banking crisis that burst out in 1994 erased 10% of the GNP and $6 billion of the country’s international reserves.† What the Venezuelan government basically did was sign an agreement that led to a transfer of money from private sectors to the à ¢â‚¬Å"pockets of the wasteful government†. The government attempted to balance its accounts through its citizens, by increasing the taxes and increasing the interest rates. Little attention was given to increasing the productive capacity of the nation, but was all focused on the fiscal demands of the state. In recent years, Venezuela's economy has gone from bad to worse. Its deterioration corresponded with the implementation of policies recommended by the International Monetary Fund.Venezuela has gone through two IMF aid packages beginning in 1989. Since the implementation of the most recent package in 1996, Venezuela’s interest rates have more than doubled to 68 percent annually. The national currency, the Bolivar, has been devalued by 94 percent, accumulated inflation has reached 218 percent and production output has stalled. Capital flight has exhausted more than $2 billion from Venezuela’s international reserves, which are much lower now, than they were befor e the International Monetary Fund package was signed.The fiscal deficit has been declared unmanageable and Venezuela’s stock market is down more than 50 percent. This downward spiral was the result of the tax increases, devaluation, few privatizations and public service rate hikes in the 1996 IMF package. The repeated devaluations have increased costs to the private sector and ignited inflation. The IMF also allowed the government to delay reforms of ineffectual state hospitals and public schools. In the case of the country of Venezuela, Stiglitz’s criticisms of the IMF do apply.The IMF’s policies do not take into account the economic and social circumstances that currently exist in the country where it is applied to. As per usual, the International Monetary Fund used its traditional methods on Venezuela. Increase taxes, and have higher interest rates. The positive effects of any loan obtained from the IMF or other financial institutes are useless because of the collection of interest and the rising interest rates. For developing countries such as Venezuela, the benefits from an agreement with the IMF cannot be seen for the large burden of clearing away their large foreign debt blocks their view.The IMF did not take into consideration the social implications that would be caused when such harsh adjustment measures are put into operation. The poor are always the most affected. Their frustration was seen in Venezuela, as outbreaks of violence. The Venezuelan currency kept being devalued constantly therefore workers had to pay more for their essential needs, as their wages began to decline. The unemployment rate would then rise and that is why it is no surprise to why the people of Venezuela turned to violence. When bitterness and despair take hold, sometimes violence may be the only way to be heard.It becomes imperative in times like this to have concrete negotiations on a debt plan to achieve a substantial reduction in debt and in interest payments. While losing many of its systemic functions, the Fund’s operations during the 1980s became dominated by dealing with the debt difficulties faced by a relatively small group of highly indebted developing countries. All the Fund’s lending was to developing countries, and the majority of it was to the highly indebted countries, even though the majority of programmes remained with low-income countries.The Fund frequently became depicted as a development agency offering concessional assistance to developing countries. Even some of its staff bemoaned what they saw as the loss of its monetary characteristics and consequently much of its financial reputation (Finch, 1988). The least subtle criticisms of this type tended to use the phrase ‘development agency’ almost as a term of abuse. What the Fund was doing was perceived as being bad in and of itself. The more subtle criticism was that the Fund had largely been pushed by political pressure into lowering its own financial standards.The criticism here was not so much that development assistance is inappropriate, but rather that the IMF is an inappropriate institution through which to give it. This argument sees it as important to retain the revolving character of Fund resources, as well as the Fund’s short-term monetary perspective—features, so it is claimed, that will be lost if the Fund is forced to lend over the long term on the basis of unviable programmes and unachievable targets. The plea has been strongly articulated to ‘let the IMF be the IMF’ (Finch, 1988).An extension of this argument is that unsuccessful programmes will damage the reputation and credibility of the Fund and adversely affect its catalytic role. The claim that financial standards have been sacrificed is intimately related to the debt crisis. In essence, it is that the governments of countries where the private banks are located, and in particular the United States, encouraged the F und to lend to the highly indebted countries in order to reduce the probability of default. In the early years of the debt crisis, the argument could be made that such action was sustaining the stability of the international banking system.But as the banks themselves adjusted to the crisis by reducing their exposure, strengthening their capital adequacy, provisioning, and expanding other lines of business, this systemic argument for lending by the IMF disappeared. Even critics who approach the issue from a rather different angle, having more in common with the ‘traditional’ criticisms of Fund conditionality, have concluded that the main beneficiaries of Fund lending to highly indebted developing countries during the 1980s were the international banks.Simply put, the claim is that it was positive net transfers from the Fund that financed negative net transfers with the banks. This is a claim that is at least superficially consistent with the evidence at aggregate level, but it is not an interpretation that finds ready acceptance—publicly at least—inside the Fund, where the accusation that it had bailed out the banks has been, often staunchly, rejected. Yet the criticism that the Fund failed in its dealings with the highly indebted countries during the 1980s has more dimensions to it than this.First, there is the argument that, along with others, the Fund misinterpreted the very nature of the debt crisis by treating it either as a liquidity crisis or as one of short-term internal adjustment rather than as a more deep-seated problem of structural adjustment which required important supply-side responses as well as the appropriate management of demand. This meant that the Fund opted to support new financing which assisted countries in meeting their outstanding debt-servicing obligations but which did little to restore medium-term viability to their balance of payments.The nature of the programmes supported by the Fund has, in relation to this, been criticized for an overemphasis on devaluation resulting from a desire to strengthen the tradable sector of the economy and thereby to facilitate debt servicing, and an over-ambitious attempt to achieve stabilization and liberalization simultaneously. A long-standing worry associated with the use of devaluation is that a shift in the nominal exchange rate will fail to alter the real exchange rate because of the inflation it generates.Devaluation is seen as destroying the ‘nominal anchor’, or to use the older jargon ‘reserve discipline’, that a fixed exchange rate provides. Is this not a particular worry in highly indebted countries where the inflation record is frequently very poor and where the reputation of governments as inflation fighters is often weak? Just as the counter-inflationary merits of fixed exchange rates were being acknowledged and accentuated in the context of the European Monetary System, were they not being neglected by the IMF ?Critics of the Fund’s approach to conditionality within the highly indebted countries have argued that, whereas devaluation may certainly be appropriate in some circumstances it may be inappropriate where the fiscal deficit is under control and where the income redistributive effects, particularly in terms of lowering the urban real wage, spark off political unrest and measures to restore real wages. In these circumstances, the price of non-tradeables may also rise, with the result that the relative price effect of devaluation on the internal terms of trade is lost.The dangers of a vicious circle, whereby inflation leads to devaluation which then leads to further inflation, have long been acknowledged in Latin American economies where there is a legacy of rapid inflation and a low degree of money illusion. Indeed, in the context of forward-looking models of economic policy which emphasise the importance of the government’s reputation, the vicious circle can take on an additional twist.Here the use of devaluation damages a government’s anti-inflation credentials; private agents anticipate devaluation and mark up prices ahead of it; the inflation thereby caused itself forces the government to devalue. Expectations become self-fulfilling and generate their own internal dynamics. The Fund has also been seen as being over-ambitious. Its stabilisation and liberalisation objectives have been interpreted as paying inadequate regard to the potential inconsistencies that may exist between them.Within developing countries, in particular, revenue from tariffs may be an important element in total government income. Tariff reduction can therefore exert a significant adverse impact on the fiscal balance unless this source of revenue is replenished by other tax changes. Evidence suggesting a falling rate of success in achieving programme targets is cited as supporting the claim that Fund-supported programmes in highly indebted countries have been unreali stic.In the case of intermediate targets, relating, for example, to aspects of credit creation, such a record reflects an increasing problem of non-compliance. Countries have often simply not complied with strategic elements in Fund-supported programmes. Some authors have again sought to explain this phenomenon in terms of the specifics of the debt problems with which highly indebted countries have been faced, the argument being that Fund-supported programmes have offered little domestic rate of return. The principal beneficiaries have instead been private foreign creditors.The distribution of the costs and benefits of the programmes has established a set of incentives that is antagonistic towards a high degree of compliance. The debt overhang has had the effect of weakening Fund conditionality through acting as a tax on necessary reforms, with one implication being that it has become increasingly difficult to muster the necessary domestic political support for such reforms (Sachs, 1989; Krugman, 1988). In this context it is claimed that debt relief is needed to create the necessary incentive structure to adjust.The Fund has been criticised for failing to recognise this. Indeed, its policy of ‘assured financing’, whereby IMF support was predicated on countries continuing to meet their outstanding obligations to the banks, has been interpreted as systemically discouraging the provision of debt relief by the banks and thereby impeding the resolution of the debt crisis. At the beginning of the crisis the Fund had some success in encouraging new commercial money inflows by making these a precondition of its support, but this insistence faltered as the banks’ reluctance to lend became more pronounced.Moreover, it is argued that the Fund’s inappropriate approach to the debt problem was reflected by its apparent neglect of the distinction between new financing and debt reduction—a distinction which was being accentuated in the academ ic literature as the 1980s progressed (Krugman, 1988). Critics suggested that this neglect again showed the Fund as being primarily concerned with cash flow rather than medium and longer-term problems.Yet, even in a short-run context, the different expectational responses to new money and debt reduction can cause different effects, with new money leading to further indebtedness and therefore the prospects of additional domestic fiscal and monetary problems. Statements emanating from the Fund about its own perception of its role in the debt crisis tended to side-step these analytical issues and stick with broader organizational ones, which emphasized its strategic importance as an ‘honest broker’ or catalyst (Nowzad, 1999).The Fund described its objective as that of normalising creditor-debtor relations and restoring country access to sustainable flows and spontaneous lending. The means to this end were to be vigorous and sustained adjustment efforts by the debtors, and a co-operative concerted approach involving creditors, the Paris Club, commercial banks and the export credit agencies. While recognising that progress had been uneven and vulnerable, by the mid-1980s the Fund was interpreting its overall record on the debt problem as ‘encouraging’ (Nowzad, 1999).At the same time, however, critics were assessing that, ‘the IMF’s recent record in the debtor countries is one of failure’ (Sachs, 1989a). Such disagreement persists because there is no universally accepted set of criteria by which the Fund may be judged. Apart from anything else, there is always the basic problem of the counterfactual: what would have happened if the Fund had done things differently?Accepting this difficulty, a superficial review of the empirical evidence suggests that the Fund’s record in terms of dealing with the debt problem of the 1980s was, at best, mixed. Certainly it managed to help avoid a major systemic international financ ial failure and this was no small achievement. But, by other criteria, no substantial or sustained degree of success can be claimed. By the end of the decade, creditor-debtor relations had not been normalised, and access to spontaneous lending had not been restored.Indeed, the creditworthiness of the highly indebted countries, as represented by the secondary market price of their debt, had continued to fall; net transfers to highly indebted countries were still significantly negative; a concerted and co-operative approach to the debt problem had not emerged; most debt indicators failed to show any notable or sustained improvement; and macroeconomic performance in the highly indebted countries was poor and often deteriorating, with forward-looking indicators such as the investment ratio and import volume suggesting bleak prospects for the 1990s.Even IMF-specific indicators were discouraging, with declining programme compliance, rising arrears and the increasing use of waivers. Episod ic successes existed but the overall picture was not reassuring. During a decade in which open economy macroeconomics became more sophisticated, the accusation was increasingly made that the model underpinning the Fund’s operations had failed to be modified and that it was out of date and inappropriate. Research of an excellent academic standard conducted within the Fund’s own Research Department was, according to this view, no longer having a significant operational impact.Indeed, and again at a superficial level, the empirical evidence seemed to suggest that the conventional caricature of a Fund-supported programme involving a combination of exchange rate devaluation and the deflation of aggregate demand through credit control was more accurate during the 1980s than it had been before (Edwards, 1989). At the same time as Fund-supported programmes were being criticised for lacking intellectual sophistication, evidence as to their adverse social and human implications was also being more systematically collected and coherently presented (Cornia et al., 1997; Demery and Addison, 1997).Increasing infant mortality and morbidity, malnutrition and falling life expectancy were now being attributed, at least in part, to IMF-backed programmes. And the design of programmes which emphasised reduced government expenditure rather than increased tax revenue was being seen not only as endangering important welfare schemes in developing countries, but also as reflecting the dominant current politico-economic paradigm within the developed countries, where the role of the state was under stark review.This in turn highlighted another area—the sequencing of reform—in which the Fund came in for criticism. Merely designing an appropriate programme of policies was now seen as inadequate; more consideration needed to be given to the order and inter-temporal distribution of elements of an adjustment programme, particularly as even research conducted within the Fund itself was beginning to suggest that Fund-supported programmes could have a negative effect on output, at least in the short run (Khan et al., 1996; Vines, 1990).Earlier models, which formed the basis for financial programming within the Fund, most notoriously the Polak model, had basically assumed away such an effect by making output exogenous. Yet even the more outspoken critics of the Fund’s handling of the debt crisis suggest that its approach changed towards the end of the 1980s, particularly after Michel Camdessus took over as Managing Director in 1987.This change of approach found expression in terms of a softening attitude towards debt relief, a change in the treatment of arrears, with the Fund becoming prepared to make loans while countries were in arrears with the banks, and an increasing concern for the effects of Fund-supported programmes on income distribution and the related recognition that income distributive effects might be important in determining the political, and therefore practical, feasibility of programmes.Although criticisms still remained, for example that the Fund placed too much reliance on voluntary forms of debt reduction which, given the associated free rider problems, should instead be treated as a public good, they became slightly more muted. If the Fund was still not coming up with right answers, at least, according to some critics, it seemed to be asking more relevant questions. Moreover, some of the broader criticisms relating to the input of the Research Department were suspended awaiting the impact of the appointment of a new Managing Director.On top of this there appeared to be a growing acceptance that macroeconomic stability was a necessary precondition for sustained economic development, and this took some of the sting out of the old debate about IMF conditionality. At the beginning of the 1990s private capital began to return to some of the lightly indebted countries, to the extent that some commenta tors claimed that the Latin American debt crisis was over. This was not the case in Africa, and it is unclear as to how significant the Fund’s input was in generating capital inflows. References Cornia, G. A. , Jolly, R. and Stewart, F. (eds) (1997)Adjustment with a Human Face: Protecting the Vulnerable and Promoting Growth, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Demery, Lionel and Addison, Tony. 1997. The Alleviation of Poverty Under Structural Adjustment, Washington, DC: World Bank. Edwards, S. 1989. ‘The International Monetary Fund and the Developing Countries: A Critical Evaluation’, Carnegie Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy 31. Finch, David C. 1988. ‘Let the IMF be the IMF’, International Economy, January/February. Krugman, Paul. 1988. ‘Financing versus Forgiving a Debt Overhang’. Journal of Development Economics 29.Khan, Mohsin, Montiel, Peter and Ul Haque, Nadeem (1996) ‘Adjustment with Growth: Relating the Analytical Approaches of the World Bank and the IMF’, World Bank Discussion Paper, Washington, DC: World Bank. Nowzad, B. (1999) ‘The Debt Problem and the IMF’s Perspective’, in Graham Bird (ed. ), Third World Debt: The Search for a Solution, London: Edward Elgar. Sachs, Jeffrey D. 1989a. ‘Strengthening IMF Programmes in Highly Indebted Countries’, in C. Gwin and R. Feinberg (eds).The International Monetary Fund in a Multipolar World: Pulling Together, US-Third World Policy Perspectives No. 13, Washington, DC: Overseas Development Council. Sachs, Jeffrey D. 1989b. ‘Conditionality, Debt Relief, and the Developing Country Debt Crisis’, in Jeffrey D. Sachs (ed. ), Developing Country Debt and Economic Performance, Vol. 1. International Financial System, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2003. Globalization and its Discontents. New York: Norton. Vines, David. 1990. ‘Growth Oriented Adjustment Programmes; A Recons ideration’, London: Centre for Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper No. 406, March.

The male gaze Essay Example

The male gaze Essay Example The male gaze Essay The male gaze Essay John Bergers Ways of Seeing resonates with Picassos Les Demoiselles dAvignon and Rembrandts Bathsheba at her Bath because the male painters view the women as objects and have created highly sexualized images. In contrast, the two female painters Catherine Wiley and Sofonisba Anguissola have depicted women as modest, more realistic and personalized in Summer Day at Newport and in Portrait of Sister Minerva. The phenomenon of the Male Gaze can best be seen by comparing a male view of a women and a females view of a women in paintings. In these four images Picasso and Rembrandt put their own wants and needs in the paintings, whereas Wiley and Anguissola focus more on how a women would like to be viewed with equality and pride. Bathsheba at her Bath by Rembrandt truly shows the male gaze which enables women to be a commodity (What is the male gaze at http://finallyfeminism101. wordpress. com) that men desire. In his painting he depicts a women solely on display for a males pleasure. He does this by using light to highlight her nude body, but he completely obscures the face of the women in darkness. Also, Rembrandt publicly displayed this private act of bathing for the male gaze. This is similar to Scott Russell Sanders discussion of naked women on display in his college dorm room. The women in those pictures like Rembrandts Bathsheba were on display in an artificial way, The paper women seemed to gaze back at me, enticing or mocking, yet even in my adolescent dither I was troubled by the phony stare, for I knew this was no true exchange of looks ( Scott Russell Sanders, Looking At Women, Georgia Review, Spring 1989, page 255 line 15). In Rembrandts painting the female is not looking at the viewer, in fact she is looking away and appears bashful. It is as if she does not want to be seen as an object but she has no control in the male painters creative process. As Rembrandts puts his wants and needs into the his painting, Anguissola views women as more modest and respectful of themselves. In Anguissolas painting of Portrait of Sister Minerva, the women is fully covered and clothed from her neck to her wrists. She focuses on the beauty of a womans face not the curves of a womans body. Anguissola captures the rich essence of the fabrics and colors that the women presents. In Rembrandts painting the woman is wearing an arm band and a necklace which employs a more sexual objective of the womans body, as well as giving her a very erotic feel that emphasizes the focus of her nude body. As for Anguissolas piece uses the Jewelry as an accessory to accent the power and confidence she has for herself. As seen in one of the responses to What is the male Gaze? angrygirl states, I think women have much more power now then ever before. I think not only do we know about the male gaze, but many of us control it and use it to our advantage (What is the male gaze at http://finallyfeminism101. wordpress. com). Anguissola shows that the women knows how the male gaze works and by not giving into the nudity that the male sex wants she simply gives them the opposite in which, they want more. Similarly to Anguissolas painting, Wiley portrays women as elegant and humble. Although you cannot directly see the faces of the two women in Wileys painting of Summer Day at Newport, she uses very soft pastel colors which illustrates these women as proper and very delicate. The brushstrokes of Wileys painting captures the emotional feeling of the womens appearance. It is as if she has put her own strength and feeling into the women she is painting, in which, she wants to evoke their best assets. The image that Wiley is portraying is respectful to the womans body. She dresses the women in conservative day dresses with an umbrella over their heads, inferring that they present themselves as classy and sophisticated. Wiley also shows the two women conversing and being friendly with one another exhibiting them as the mere opposite of how Picasso would. Picasso creates these women as if they would never interact with each other. This exemplifies the mind set of a female artist and a male artist because Wiley simply paints the two women as friends and Picasso does not capture those types of nuances. In Picassos piece Les Demoiselles dAvignon he tries to show his anger towards women. In this painting he presents the five women as if their faces were blocked out, almost as if he does not care how they look. He positions them provocatively with their legs spread wide open and their arms behind their heads with their chest prompted forward, giving the painting the feel that these women are not personalized. They have no individual qualities to them. All of the women are presented in the same way. All which are not real women, they are insignificant faceless objects that really have no purpose but to pleasure men. As Scott Russell Sanders states, It is the nature of the show to reduce the woman, discard her individuality, her soul, make her into an object, thereby enabling the man to handle her with greater safety, to use her as a toy ( Scott Russell Sanders, Looking At Women, Georgia Review, Spring 1989, page 226). In Picassos painting the women are being used as a toy, because he did not give distinct curves and detail to the womans body it allows any man to look at the painting and see whatever shapes they desire. Whereas in Wileys painting of the two women shows exactly what the men can see and nothing more. Picasso also puts these distorted masks on the women, simply portraying that the women are nothing more then an object and should not be viewed for the beauty that they have but for what men make of them. The two male artists and the two female artists both have very different views of women and how they should present themselves to others. Whether it be seductive and sensuous or suave and dainty, both show a very different definition and view about the Male Gaze.

Phrasal Verbs About Speaking for ESL Learners

Phrasal Verbs About Speaking for ESL Learners This phrasal verb feature focuses on phrasal verbs we use when talking about speaking and conversation. Obviously, using tell or say or speak, etc. is absolutely correct when relating conversations. However, if you want to stress HOW the person said something, phrasal verbs come in handy (idiombe useful). Phrasal Verbs About Speaking Negative Speaking go on: to continue to talk about a subject after the interest of the listener has been exhausted.harp on :Â  inf. to repeatedly talk about a certain subjectramble on: to talk for a long time about something which is not very interesting to the other people in the conversationrabbit on (British):Â  as aboverun on (American):Â  as above Speaking Quickly rattle off: to say a list or impressive number of facts very quicklyreel off inf.:Â  as abovewhip off inf. (American):Â  as above Interrupting butt in: to rudely enter another conversationchip in: to add a specific point to a conversation Speaking suddenly blurt out: to say something suddenly, usually without thinkingcome out with: to say something suddenly Contributing come up with: to add a new idea to a conversationto go along with: to agree with someone else Not Speaking shut up: to stop talking, often used as an imperative (very rude)break off: suddenly stop speakingclam up: to refuse to speak or become silent during a conversationdry up: run out of ideas of interesting comments, finish speaking because you dont know what to say next or have forgotten what you would like to say Speaking Rudely talk at: to talk to someone without listening to what they have to saytalk down to: to verbally treat someone in an inferior mannergo off: to speak angrily about somethingput down: to criticize someone or something Sample Paragraph WithPhrasal Verbs Last week I went to visit my friend Fred. Fred is a great guy but at times he can really go on about things. We were speaking about some of our friends and he came out with this incredible story about Jane. It seems she had butted in while he was harping on his favorite complaint: Service in restaurants. Apparently, he had been running on for quite a while putting down almost every restaurant he had been to by rattling off a list of his visits to different restaurants in town. I guess Jane felt that he was talking at her and was fed up with it. She went off about what a rude person he was which shut him up pretty quickly! I thought about blurting out that maybe she was right, but decided to clam up in order to not upset him.As you can see by using these phrasal verbs the reader gets a much better idea of the dynamics of the conversation. If the above story was reported by saying she told him, he said etc., it would be pretty boring indeed. In this way, the reader gets a real sense of the personalities of the speakers.

RAW #8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RAW #8 - Essay Example The principle is important because it protects both the companies and workers against exploitation and labor abuse (United Nations Global Compact). This ensures that all parties must have terms governing their contracts to avoid future disputes. The Elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation principle is about equitable treatment of workers without favoritism, prejudice or harassment. As a result, the principle means that organizations should ensure they embrace different opinions and backgrounds of their workers by observing national and local rules (United Nations Global Compact). The adherence to this principle means that they need to set rules that embrace all backgrounds, promote efforts that create a climate of tolerance and have programs supporting staff development on equal bases. This principle is essential in that it informs companies of their roles in eliminating discrimination elements (United Nations Global Compact). This starts from the recruitment to promotion of workers within an organization and across the different communities. In this regard, it is vital to embrace divergent opinions in order to attract appreciation and respect among the

Are minority perspectives in psychology a option for the reduction of Essay

Are minority perspectives in psychology a option for the reduction of prejudice - Essay Example To be sure, prejudice against ethnic and gender minorities impedes upon the progression of the social sciences. Solutions to this substantial problem have been proffered. One such recommendation has been that an increase in minority perspectives in psychology may reduce the amount and level of ethnic-based prejudice in the field. On many levels, this seems like a viable option; minority doctors are more socially equipped to handle the cases of minority patients. There is, however dissent from this theory. Here we will discuss both the problem and this possible solution to minority and gender prejudice in the field of psychology. The traditional framework for psychological assessment uses Eurocentric masculine behavior as the standard of normality. The western male model is not only seen as universal, but as ‘good’. Eurocentric standards of mental health are often inappropriate for ethnic minorities, because they are based on the philosophies, values and other aspects of the European culture, and these combinations are used as a basis for normative standards of mental health. These standards are routinely used for assessment and diagnosis. Likewise, masculine standards have proven to be somewhat ineffective in the diagnosis and treatment of women What is considered as sane or insane behavior, mental health or mental illness, normal or abnormal behavior is therefore always in relation to a white male normative standard. These standards are applied to minorities, and result in increased rates of misdiagnosis. The Eurocentric approach does not take into account cultural and language differences and how minorities express their inner feelings. The masculine approach does not take into account feminine sensitivities and varied modes of thinking and feeling. In the earlier days of Eurocentric practice, diagnosis like drapetomania (the escape behavior exhibited by enslaved Africans) was

American government and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American government and politics - Essay Example "This vexes me the most of any thing whatever. There are at this time in the adjacent County not less than 5 or 6 well meaning men in close Gaol [jail] for publishing their religious Sentiments which in the main are very orthodox. I have neither the patience to hear talk or think any thing relative to this matter, for I have squabbled and scolded abused and ridiculed so long about it, to so little purpose that I am without common patience. So I leave you to pity me and pray for Liberty of Conscience to revive among us." (Madison, 111) According to church-state scholar Robert Alley, this incident was pivotal in the young Madison's life. Madison had recently graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and was unsure what to do with his life. Dogged by frequent illness, the frail and undersized Madison was not even sure he would live much longer. Learning about those preachers in prison gave him a cause and seemed to reenergize him. "It is the general opinion, I think, of the scholars who have written about Madison that that was a key point in Madison's life," Alley said. "The thing that drove him to get involved in politics was seeing those men in jail in Culpeper County." (Madison, 113) Madison soon had the opportunit... The attempt at disestablishment failed, but Madison's ideas on religious freedom were included in an "Article on Religion" that was adopted by the Convention. The statement held that religion can be "directed only by reason and conviction, not force or violence" and guaranteed to all "the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." (Madison, 119) Here Madison was responsible for a great leap forward in thinking. At the Revolutionary Convention, delegate George Mason had proposed an amendment guaranteeing "toleration" of all faiths. To Madison, this did not go far enough. He sought to expand religious liberty rights beyond mere toleration and argued for the "free exercise" of religion -- a concept that would later resurface in the First Amendment. Even though his attempt at disestablishing the state church failed, Madison had planted an important seed. Three years later Jefferson made another attempt at disestablishing the Anglican [Episcopal] Church in Virginia and securing passage of a general religious freedom bill. The move was unsuccessful, but seven years later, after the Revolution, Madison took up the cause and pushed both measures through. It was during this struggle that Madison penned what is considered one of the greatest American documents on religious freedom: "The Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments." Despite its somewhat unwieldy title, the "Memorial and Remonstrance" still stands today as a powerful indictment of church-state union. Madison's appeal was written in response to a drive in the Virginia Assembly, led by Patrick Henry, to use tax funds to pay for "teachers of the Christian religion." The "Remonstrance" lists

South African Automotive Industry Impact of Globalisation

South African Automotive Industry Impact of Globalisation 1. Introduction This paper discusses the impact of globalisation on the South African automotive industry in the business context. It explains the concept of globalisation and the importance of globalisation on the South African automotive industry. We explore the innovation, development and skills required in a globalized industry. This paper summarises of the current research of the business imperatives of globalisation in the South African automotive industry, which must be aligned with foreign investment and ownership, development of local skills, manufacturing and exporting. 2. A Definition of Globalisation According to Held and McGrew [2003:3], the term globalisation denotes the growth of connections between various countries that exists as society and states become increasingly entangled in worldwide systems and an exchange of communication via interaction. Kugut (1999:166) defines globalisation as a means of union between nations and companies achieving a common way of doing things. Gill (1999:70) defines globalisation as a method of growing economic integration, and a rising economic interdependence between the different economies of countries. Kiely (1998:3) defines globalisation as a world that has brought closeness of different economies, cultures and societies. Braithwaite and Drahos (2000:8) define globalisation as the growth of social, cultural, economic and political relations worldwide. These definitions highlight the magnitude of globalisation. A number of theorists present various meanings for globalisation. Essentially, all of these definitions describe economic, political and social integration on a worldwide scale. The globalisation method occurring in one part of the world influences what is taking place in other parts. 3. Globalisation as an Investment Driver of Growth in the Automobile Industry According to Flatters [2005], Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has increased substantially in the South African automobile industry since 1995. It is difficult for South Africa to compete against other automotive supply chains around the world. This requires large amounts of capital, experience, skilled workers, and the latest technology systems. According to Zhu, Xu and Lundin [2006], high-end technology is required for any industry to compete in a sustainable manner, and this is very costly in terms of finance and time. According to Flatters [2005], in 1995 the initialization of the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) and the Productive Asset Allowance (PAA) incentive scheme set a high standard of Foreign Direct Investment in the South African automotive industry. As a result, investment in this sector is high and vehicle exports have grown. 4. Positive effects of globalisation in South Africa Innovation in the South African Automotive Industry According to De Klerk [2006], ever since the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) was brought in by the government in 1995, the South African automotive industry has integrated into the global automotive supply chain. The MIDP have removed all the competition from the automotive industry. Initially, when foreign ownership had a part in the South African automotive industry, it seemed as if it would have a negative impact on the South African automotive industry. According to De Klerk, JJ [2006], foreign ownership is exactly what the South African automotive industry needed. According to Lourens Barnes [2004], in order to improve in the industry, South African automotive industry technology needs to be improved. This requires foreign capital investment, and the opportunity for the domestic market to take advantage of it. When foreign and domestic markets work together, the technical knowledge is transferred to the developed country, which is then able to progress forward. Many auth ors have confirmed that when a country inherits the technology that comes with Foreign Direct Investment, the host country will have a very good base to develop its industry further. [Sadoi, [2008]; Doctor, [2007]; Basser, [2008], Lorentzen and Barnes, [2004]] According to Flatters [2005], South Africa has attracted substantial foreign investment over the past few years for example, Daimler Chrysler, and Alfa Romeo have invested here. However, this is very little compared to other developing countries. Multinational enterprises (MNE) view South Africa according to its size and for the potential for future growth in its domestic market. MNE look at the advantages that can taken from unsettled exchange rates in developed countries, the experience and quality of the workforce, and whether it is a low cost centre compared to other nations. According to De Klerk [2009], South Africa presents a beneficial emerging market for the multinational enterprises. South Africas population growth has increased by 8 percent (around 3571 350) in 1994 and by 11.9 percent (around 5333 550) in 2000, and is still growing. There are advantages that can be taken from the defect of the exchange rate.Wessells (2004) says that since the death of the Bretton Woods system, countries worldwide may choose an exchange rate ruling. According to De Klerk [2009], South Africa has a promising economy with an unpredictable currency, which is seen as a great benefit to the multinational enterprises. The quality and competence of the South African automotive workers are not of high standard. According to De Klerk [2009], the industry has a lack of skills and a surplus of untrained laborers. 5. Foreign Ownership, Education and Skills Development According to De Klerk [2009], it is expected that the same level of skills in a developing country be matched to that of the foreign investor. However, in developing nations the level of education is not that high. According to a literature review by Chatterji Montagma [2008] on foreign ownership, the multinational enterprise expects developed countries to have a high level of education before investing. Nevertheless, foreign direct investment continues although the standard of education is not high. The research done by authors Chatterji Montagma [2008] around training and processes and routines found that: developed countries would receive on-the-job training training is carried out with the use of advanced technologies multinational enterprises is impacted with quality of assembly line by the processes and routines of the host countries laborers. According to De Klerk [2009], the low cost of laborers in the local economy and processes and routines are beneficial to the multinational enterprises, with the aid of advanced technologies. 6. The Development of the South African Automotive Industry According to Black [2009], the South African automotive industry went through a bad period in the 1980s.The economic growth was slow due to political factors and international isolation. Vehicle sales had gradually recovered up until 2003, and had reached 617 000 units in 2005. According to NAAMSA [2006], 525 000 vehicles were produced in 2005, of which 26.6 percent were sold abroad. By the year 2005 the South African automotive industry was liable for 7.4 percent of South Africas Growth Domestic Product. (DTI, 2007). According to Black [2009], like most other countries with growing economies, the South African vehicle industry had set tariffs and a string of local content programs aimed at protecting the industry. According to Black [2009], the protection ruling became a serious problem 1980s, which led to the perception South Africa automotive industry as incompetent. According to Black [2009], a year before the first democratic elections, the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) was introduced. This has allowed tariffs to decline by 40 percent for light vehicles and 30 percent for vehicle components before 2002. According to Black [2009], the MITs International Motor Vehicle Program published its first book on the future of the automobile industry. The South African automotive industry was not mentioned much, but the book contained some negative comments on the future of the South African automobile trade. 7. Automobile Exports According to Black [2009] motor vehicle exports grew fast in 2001. The increase in the quantity of vehicle exports does not mean that a foreign firm is being competitive in the automobile industry. Being competitive relies on the company global plan and the need to optimize its global manufacturing ability according to the policy ruling at each production location. The significance of economies of scale increases competitive pressure on companies in the automotive industry, requiring that they boost their production in order to decrease unit costs [Black, 2009]. In 2005, the export of motor vehicles grew rapidly as foreign companies had to adopt a strategic plan to supply vehicles out of South Africa.   According to Black [2009], in 2001 the three German vehicle companies, BMW, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler introduced an export strategy that was generating almost 50 percent of their import rebate credit certificates from exporting vehicles. Other vehicle firms like Ford and Nissan consistently practiced a multi-modal plan, using low local content standards. By 2005, Toyota and Ford employed an export plan together with other assemblers that followed later. The growth and success in the export of the automotive vehicles has been driven by the Motor Industry Direct Plan. Many multinationals do not see South Africa as an exporting location. Keeping costs low positively impacts the rapid growth of exports. The cheap labor and low management costs, joined with cheap property and electricity, add to the competitive advantages. According to Black [2009], in mid 2002 the cost of assembly for domestic firms such as DaimlerChrysler and BMW are below the manufacturing costs of the plants in G ermany. High costs were gained in the South African processes through supply chain management .i.e. the inbound and outbound logistics. According to NAAMSA [2006], Automotive Industry Export Council [2007], Department of Trade and Industry [2002, 2004], the Table 1 below, signifies the growth of the automotive exporting in 1990s, which exceeded the small regional markets and major export destinations that are at considerable distances from South Africa. The investment of vehicle production and component producers has gradually improved since the depression in the mid 1990s, when unclear politics and policies and a weak domestic market led to a serious slump in new capital expenditure. According to Black, [2009], an amount of capital totaling R847 million was invested in the automotive manufacturing industry in 1995. By 2005 this had increased to R3.5 billion. South African production plants still lag behind in capital expenditure compared to the vast capital expenditure in explosive markets like China, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and Central Europe. [Black, 2009] When the Motor Industry Direct Plan [MIDP] was introduced in the 1990s, the South African automotive industry entered in to the African markets. Unfortunately, this market was too small to increase the production line. On a smaller scale, the Completely Knock Down [CKD] assembly investments continued to grow. For example, in 1998 Fiat agreed to spend R250 million in order to manufacture new models from the Automaker production factory in South Africa. [Black, 2009]. 8. Automobile Manufacturing based in South Africa 8.1 Toyota in South Africa According to Black [2009], the Toyota brand was popular in the 1990s, with a big local market slice for its cars and light commercial vehicles. In the past, Toyota and Nissan were locally owned and operated by licensed agreements. Two well known international vehicle companies, Nissan and Toyota, have taken control of the South African automotive operations. These two firms have created a reaction amongst rival competitors in the South African market. Toyota South Africa has firmly incorporated itself into the parent global manufacturing system. The first Toyota vehicle exported out of South Africa was the Corolla. In 2005, on a large scale, Toyota exported light commercial vehicles as part of its Global project, which was called the Internal Multipurpose Vehicle project. At its Durban plant, Toyota has started production and aim to complete 300 000 units per year. However, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) stated that the South African manufacturing plant will be entirely incorporated into the TMC global supply system. 8.2 Ford in South Africa According to Black [2009], Ford has a history in the automotive assembly line in South Africa. Ford withdrew its vehicle assembly plants in the mid 1980s due to the political regime at the time. Toyota and Ford have reinvested into the South African domestic vehicle market after the first democratic election in 1994. At first they were hesitant to export vehicles out of South Africa on a large scale and therefore they kept their plants going worldwide, as well as knowing that there assembly production lines are in various markets. According to Black [2009], Ford Motor Company fully invested in South Africa in 2002 and has boosted its production line volumes by producing 100 000 units per year on the T6 pickups. 8.3 General Motors in South Africa According to Black [2009], Delta Motor Corporation is currently licensed to export under the brand name of GM. Initially they had a problem exporting vehicles out of South Africa because they did not have a stake in the South African domestic market. In 1996, Delta invested in its first production plant in South Africa. It is a small plant that has a low production turnover on volumes. GM has started an export plan, but the units produced and content levels are too low. Additionally, their position in the domestic market is weak. 9. Conclusion This paper reviewed the impact of globalisation on the South African automotive industry, and discussed measures that may allow South African automotive businesses to achieve their objectives through foreign investment and ownership, development of local skills, manufacturing, and exporting.