Barack Obama’s $ 350 Billion Request in Relation to Fiscal Policy

The declaration of recession by the United States of America has been the official indicator that the country is indeed very much affected by the global financial crisis. The country is facing difficulties in many areas especially when it comes to the situation of their economy. This is clearly exemplified by an article that features President-elect Barack Obama urging the Congress to allow his administration to use the other $ 350 billion of the $ 700 billion rescue package. The main objective of the Obama administration is to use the $ 350 billion of financial bailout funds to help the Main Street more rather than the Wall Street. This amount of money will become available to the Treasury Department within the span of 15 days unless the Congress will pass a law to prevent it (Kelley and Fritze). However, some Republicans clearly oppose the plan to spend more. They justified such position with their perspective that such plan will not be effective. These Republicans asserted that they will only support the spending if there are assurances that the money will not be misspent. There are also some American citizens who are also skeptical about Obama’s plan because of the mismanagement of the first $ 350 billion during the Bush Administration. On the other hand, those who support Obama’s request understand the weariness of the people but they encourage them not to prevent the Obama Administration to use the funds because of their disappointment with the previous administration. President Obama sought to reassure the Congress by promising them that there will be transparency to the process and more money will be directed to address the foreclosure crisis. This is in support with the letter sent by Obama’s economic adviser Lawrence Summers to the Congressional leaders that the country’s fragile economy entails them to act â€Å"both quickly and wisely† (Kelley and Fritze). The economic principle applicable to this article is fiscal policy. Fiscal policy pertains to the â€Å"deliberate changes in government spending and tax collections designed to achieve full employment, control inflation, and encourage economic growth† (McConnell and Brue 214). In relation with this, the request of President Obama for $ 350 billion exemplifies fiscal policy. The situation of the country under which the President made this request is in time of recession. It is said that fiscal policy is most applicable in such kind of economic condition. During time of recession, an expansionary fiscal policy is a possible way to address the problem. A possible reason behind the occurrence of recession is that the profit expectations on investment project have dimmed which curtailed investment spending and decreased aggregate demand. In this case, the federal government has three main options that it can use in order to stimulate the economy. These options are: (1) Increase government spending, (2) reduce taxes, or (3) use some combination of the two (McConnell and Brue 215). It is quite observable that President Obama opted to choose the first option, which is increased in government spending. A sufficient increase in the spending of the government can aid in pushing the economy out of recession. This will address one of the problems in times of recession because increased government spending will also increase aggregate demand. Nevertheless, the initial increase in aggregate demand is not the end because the multiplier effect will increase the original money spent by the government. The greater shift in the aggregate demand curve due to the multiplier process that magnifies the initial variation in spending into more successive rounds of new consumption spending (McConnell and Brue 215-216). Lastly, the political considerations that are observable in the article are also a part of implementing fiscal policy. This is due to the fact that fiscal policy is conducted in the political environment. As a result, economic considerations might be taken aside because of political concerns. It is also a common practice for politicians to rationalize actions and policies that are beneficial to one’s interest (McConnell and Brue 223). This is clearly proven by the opposite poles that the Republicans and Democrats have with regards to this issue.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Oil and Gas

1.0 Introduction For many countries, the extractive industry plays a major role as an economic driver, creating jobs, revenue and opportunities for development and growth. There are also social, economic and environmental risks associated with these industries which affect men and women differently. Research by the World Bank (2009) has indicated that men have the most access to the benefits of these industries, whilst women are more likely to suffer the consequences of the social and environmental harms associated therewith. The different experiences of men and women in these industries significantly affect the ability of women to contribute to active growth and development in their respective economies. The gender gap in the oil and gas industry exists in two separate forms, the first being the top-end employment discrimination where there is a lack of females at the higher end of the employment spectrum seeing very low numbers of female engineers, and science and technology employees (European Com mission, 2009). On the one hand this problem is a reflection of the imbalance of opportunities for adequate education, and on the other is what is referred to as the ‘leaky pipeline’ conundrum which describes the phenomenon of disproportionate numbers of women leaving these professions in each consecutive career stage in this industry. The second form of the gender gap is the very low numbers of female employees at the bottom end of the employment spectrum, that which requires lower education standards, but which may be more physically intensive. The World Bank reports (2009) that in most companies there is a female workforce of less than 10%, as these types of jobs are generally considered to be a ‘man’s job’. This is so because of the inherent physicality required in these work environments and the exposure to chemicals which presents a problem for female employees that are pregnant, meaning more time away from work and the inability to work if pre gnant. This research will consider the existence of the gender gap, the justifications therefore, the effects of the gap and recommendations for closing this gap in the industry in terms of ensuring that the opportunities for growth and development, both economic and social are equally accessible in modern oil and gas industry. 1.1 Background to Research 1.2 Significance of Research 1.3 Research Question & Research Objectives1.3.1 Research QuestionWhat is the extent of the gender gap in the oil and gas industry?1.3.2 Research ObjectivesTo determine the causes of the gender gap in the oil and gas industry. To determine the effect of the gender gap in the industry. To determine a succinct set of recommendations for companies in the industry, as well as regulatory authorities in order to close this gap moving towards equal employment opportunities in this industry. 1.4 Proposed Structure 2.0 Methodology The research is primarily a conceptual research dissertation that focuses on an extensive conceptualization, contextualization, evaluation, and analysis of the key issues relating to Corporate Social Responsibility in the oil and gas industry. A conceptual research employs an analytical framework that is based on â€Å"a set of broad theories and ideas that help the researcher to identify accurately the problem(s) they seek to address, frame their research questions appropriately, and locate appropriate literature on the research subject† (Smyth, 2004: 168). In using the conceptual research method, this research combines theoretical and analytical aspects in order to achieve its aims and objectives and provide pertinent answers to the research objectives. In light of the fact that conceptual research requires access to an extensive pool of resources, there is a great reliance on diverse sources of secondary materials for analysis. In this regard, some of the sources of seconda ry data for the research and analysis include electronic databases such as Questia, Jstor, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar. Of specific interest are journals that focus on gender issues in extractive industries in general as these are analogous with the oil and gas sector, but particularly those that are based on the study and evolution of the gender gap in oil and gas companies, focusing on developing nations and the Gulf countries, as these represent compounded historical gender issues. 2.1 Qualitative Research 2.2 Content Analysis 2.3 Data Collection 2.4 Reliability and Validity of Research 2.5 Research Limitations 3.0 Literature Review 3.1 The Gender Gap in Developing versus Developed Countries3.1.1 Differences in Socio-economic problems3.1.2 The relevance of education in enforcing this gender gapIf one considers the vast differences in education priority placed in Gulf countries by comparison to African oil-economies such as Nigeria, one can see a very different picture of the relevance of education. On the one hand, Gulf countries are more likely to actively discriminate against female executive employees as there is a larger pool of adequately qualified female candidates, where in developing countries there are fewer qualified candidates, because of the lack of priority given to education and particularly education of females.3.1.3 The difference in the nature of the Gender Gap in different socio-economic conditions3.2 Cultural Sensitivities and Pragmatism In certain regions of oil and gas exploration, companies base their hiring discrimination on ‘cultural sensitivities’ where there is a concern for hiring women in higher-paying jobs would cause a backlash against women by their male colleagues (Musvoto, 2001). This has resulted in communities with soaring unemployment rates of up to 87% of women, despite the female demographic representing over half the local population. Particularly in developing countries, there is a trend towards rural-urban migration of the working population which often sees the breadwinner of a family leaving to work in an urban environment which perpetuates this gender gap by enforcing the role of the female as a caregiver rather than a breadwinner. In addition to these cultural sensitivities is a pragmatic approach taken by oil and gas companies which represents the bottom line in the sector in terms of cost implications. There is an argument to be made either way, with diversity goals becoming a secondary concern in favour of productivity and outcome. Male workers often have had greater educational opportunities and therefore less training and education is required, as well as less concern for factors of work-life balance. In the current economic climate, cost effective labour solutions are being of primary importance, particularly considering the growing importance of labour standards and quality of work environments which also present greater cost implications. On the other hand, studies have shown that in employment that is non-physical in nature women perform more productively and effectively, coupled with the barrier to private sector growth and development that employment discrimination breeds, increased female representation in the oil and gas sector may prove to be a more economical labour practice. Unfortunately however, despite evidence of long-term benefits of gender equality in the sector, companies choose short-term benefits which perpetuate and enforce this g ender gap.3.2.1 The broader socio-economic effect of the culturally enforced gender gapA theoretical expose on the broader socio-economic effects of the gender gap, e.g. continued lower education levels of women, perpetuated poverty for single parent households, lack of diversity in the workplace.3.2.2 The benefit of a diverse workplace3.2.3 Increased Issues with Work-Life Balance based on Gender3.3 Leaky Pipeline Anomaly and Evolution of Policy to Mitigate the Gender GapThere are a number of potential explanations for this anomalous situation of women in high end oil and gas jobs, one of which is the role of women in many societies as the primary caregiver of their families (United Nations, 2008). Therefore, as women progress through their careers there is a likelihood of their care responsibilities, as well as job responsibilities increasing proportionately and simultaneously, and as a result they are less able to meet the demands of higher level employment. Whilst certain industr y competitors have been recorded as saying that they attempt to incorporate individual career plans that take account of these increasingly personal responsibilities of employees (Al Tukmachy, 2012), the reality is a labyrinth of professional obstacles described as the ‘glass ceiling’ metaphor where female progression in the industry is limited due to concerns of increased need for consideration of factors of the work-life balance that are less present in their male counterparts (European Commission, 2009). As a result, women are often worked out of these executive and management positions, because companies offer incomprehensive policies that do not consider individual career and family outcomes (European Commission, 2009).3.3.1 Current Changes in Policy Direction to Increase Diversity and Retention of Female Staff – A corporate perspective 3.3.2 International Instruments Mandating Diversity in Oil and Gas MNEs4.0 Discussion 4.1 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Reg ion 4.2 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Employment Level4.2.1 Executive 4.2.2 Managerial 4.2.3 Non-managerial 4.2.4 Labour 4.2.5 Discussion 4.3 Current Examples of Corporate Policy for Non-Discriminatory Work Practices 4.3.1 Strengths 4.3.2 Weakness 4.4 Current Examples of Employment Schemes aimed at Female Inclusion in the Workplace 4.4.1 Strengths 4.4.2 Weaknesses5.0 Conclusion The gender gap in the oil and gas sector is very current and topical debate as gender equality in the workplace is becoming a diversity goal around the world. Careful understanding of the causes and effects thereof are imperative for the management of these companies and the greater macro-economic goals of development and growth. This research therefore aims to contribute to the current understanding of these goals in order to further the studies and make concrete recommendations in order to close this gap and further growth and development in the sector. 5.1 Recommendations 5.2 Conclusion References Al Munajjed, M. (2008) Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia: A Major Challenge, Ideation Center Insight: Booz & Co Al Tukmachy, S. (2012) ‘Interview with Saba Al Tukmachy, Career Development Manager at ENOC’ Leaders of the Future Summit: Bridging the gap in oil and gas, 1 – 12 April 2012, Abu Dhabi: UAE Eftimie, A., Heller, K. & Strongman, J. (2009) Gender Dimensions of the Extractive Industries. The World Bank: Extractive Industries and Development Series European Commission (2009) Women in science and technology: Creating sustainable careers. EUR 23740 EN Musvoto, A. (2001) Gender and Mining: Community. Birnam Park: African Institute of Corporate Citizenship Smyth, R. (2004) â€Å"Exploring the usefulness of a conceptual framework as a research tool: A researcher’s reflection†, Issues in Educational Research, 14(2), 167-180. United Nations (2008) Equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men. United Nations Division for the Advanceme nt of Women. Expert Group Meeting, Geneva, 6-9 October, 2008

Environmental Problems in El Salvador

With a total land mass of just 8,124 square miles, El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. Like many of its’ neighboring countries, it possesses very few natural resources. Since the nation’s economy is based predominantly on agriculture, it’s no surprise that its’ citizens often experience â€Å"resource roller coasters†. In addition, its’ long history of inappropriate land tenure and ownership practices date all the way back to colonialism. Even more strikingly, â€Å"sixty percent of El Salvador’s population is expected to live in the capital by 2010. As a result, El Salvador has to deal with continuing environmental problems. The fact that the nation lies along the Pacific Ring of fire doesn’t help either, which subjects the country to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The environmental problems that El Salvador continually struggles with are deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, contaminat ion and lack of bio-diversity. El Salvador is the second most deforested country in Latin American after Haiti. In fact, nearly eighty five percent of its forest has disappeared since the 1960's.Today, less than 6,000 hectares are now considered to be primary forest. Deforestation in El Salvador occurs as a result of timber exploitation for fuel. The nation’s high population relies heavily on the collection of fuel wood and subsistence hunting and agriculture. Since the end of the 1990's, the country’s deforestation rate has increased by eighteen percent. The environmental, social and economic effects of deforestation have been nothing short of devastating. To date, more than fifty percent of El Salvador isn’t even suitable for food cultivation.In addition, much of the country suffers from severe soil erosion. The massive deforestation that the nation has experienced has dislodged the top soil and has even changed the climate according to environmental experts. What used to be a heavily wooded region is now more like a desert. Deforestation is so severe in El Salvador that it has forced people into the capital city of San Salvador, where overcrowding has caused problems such as smog. â€Å"At least 11,000 Salvadoran children die every year because of respiratory ailments believed related to air pollution, according to one study. Although the El Salvadoran government has attempted to respond to the problem of deforestation, they have not been particularly successful. They have created deforestation laws, but due to lack of funds and management, the laws often go unenforced. In addition, soil erosion and infertility are quite prevalent in El Salvador. These problems stem mostly from poor agricultural practices. Farmers typically use a â€Å"slash and burn† farming method, which consists of cutting and burning down forests in order to use the areas for agriculture. This method destroys all vegetation and leaves the surrounding soil vu lnerable to extreme erosion.Unfortunately, since it is becoming more and more difficult to find land that is suitable for cultivation, farmers have no choice but to do this. Farming is their livelihood and quite frankly they will do anything to survive. What’s even more disheartening is the fact that the land that is suitable for cultivation has already been bought to use for construction of maquilas. In some cases, soil erosion has even buried communities in landslides and floods have submerged large areas of flat land. The soil is also unable to retain humidity causing drought conditions in the dry season.Most agricultural soil has even been acidified due to the irrational use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, and other forms of pollution. Luckily, the government has responded to this problem and is encouraging farmers to take advantage of improved agricultural technologies. These technologies include planting deep rooted grasses and trees on hillsides to control soil e rosion. However, farmers should not expect much financial assistance to take advantage of these new technologies because the El Salvadoran government simply does not have much to give.Thirdly, water pollution is another environmental problem that plague El Salvador. Despite receiving six feet of rainfall each year, most of the nation’s water is highly contaminated. In fact, thousands are killed each year due to water contamination, many of whom are children. At the same time, most of the citizens of the nation cannot afford bottled water. After the twelve year civil war destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, poor areas became even poorer. Homes and water sources had been destroyed by militia during the war. After returning home, some citizens chose to hand dig wells in order to obtain drinking water.However, many others went to their nearest stream, river or pond to collect water. These unsafe and contaminated water sources caused many people to become ill wit h intestinal diseases. According to Ricardo Navarro, El Salvador’s government has failed to protect its’ most precious resource: â€Å"Farmers have cut down forests that used to store rain water. Ranchers have allowed their livestock to pollute rivers. Communities have put latrines too close to shallow wells. † Others, such as Marisol Prima Ponza, who runs a government dispensary that tracks the health of 375 children in several communities, believe that things are improving. There have been fewer cases of diarrhea,† she says. â€Å"For example, from January to August of this year I have only recorded 17 cases. † Ponza also added that these improvements are due to several projects that have been implemented to improve water conditions. El Salvador’s government can not claim that they have played a large role in any improvements though. In fact, sixty three percent of water improvement programs were financed through international loans and gra nts, twenty one percent through self-financing by ANDA and only sixteen percent with actual government resources.Many citizens and international groups alike have been putting pressure on the government to improve water conditions as well. In fact, March 22 is declared as World Water Day when thousands of people protest in the streets of San Salvador. They typically protest the four main components of the country’s water crisis: high cost of water, unjust distribution of water, contaminated water and environmental destruction. Despite some improvements, poor water sanitation continues to remain one of the main environmental problems of El Salvador. Another environmental problem that El Salvador must deal with on a daily basis is contamination.The nation’s soil is constantly being contaminated from the disposal of toxic wastes. Each day, El Salvador produces over two thousand metric tons of garbage. Over half of the garbage that is produced is disposed of illegally in o pen air dumps. In actuality, only two legal garbage dumps exist for the entire country to share. The whole country, especially the Greater San Salvador area contaminates a great deal of its garbage by â€Å"mixing organic with inorganic garbage, biodegradable or reusable materials with non-biodegradable or toxic waste. By doing this, many recycling opportunities are completely lost and the cost of recovering the recyclable materials would simply not be worth it. Unfortunately, the nation’s restrictions on any kind of waste disposal are quite lax and they do not provide people with the resources for proper disposal anyway. In addition, nearly half of the nation’s garbage is toxic waste which is harmful to human and environmental health. Factories and hospitals alike simply dump their garbage into nearby rivers and lakes which contaminates the water.Unfortunately, the response from the municipal government in San Salvador barely makes a dent in the problem. Nonetheless, if its model extended throughout the nation and made its way into the platforms of public officials as well as environmental organizations, then positive change would probably occur. For a country whose environment is badly deteriorating, this is a life or death situation and must be properly addressed. Garbage collectors themselves can be seen handling garbage with their bare hands on any given day, which subjects them to many types of infections.According to the garbage collectors themselves, there isn’t a very good communication flow between them and the environmental sanitation office. Many of the people that work at the mayor’s office are not even aware of a pilot project to separate garbage. In addition, the equipment that would be needed for the project would not even be affordable due to San Salvador’s poor economic conditions. Unfortunately, the mayor’s good intentions are simply not helpful without the proper funding and effort. Lastly, another environmental issue that affects El Salvador is the loss of bio-diversity.It’s not that the nation naturally lacks bio-diversity, but rather the result of many years of environmental abuse. In particular, the nation’s wildlife and native plant life are suffering due to soil degradation, poor water quality and subsistence hunting. Despite these problems, more than 508 species of birds, 121 mammals, 130 reptiles and amphibians, and over 2000 plant species were recorded in the nation in 1998. Even though these numbers have probably decreased since then due to the government’s lack of emphasis on natural resources training, they are still not devastating by any means.In fact, El Salvador encompasses over seven percent over the world’s total biodiversity. However, these plants and animal species are not going to save themselves. If the nation’s other environmental issues are not addressed then the distinction of some of these plants and animals is inev itable. The environmental problems in El Salvador are an important issue to the state because they all lead to others problems.For example, contamination has led to water pollution which has led to illness and people’s livelihoods depend on whether they are healthy enough to work. As mentioned several of times, the state has definitely not done enough to ddress the environmental problems in which they are suffering from. Even when they do address the problems and create plans to fix them, they usually lack the money to carry the plans through. Any money that they do have to fix the problem is typically obtained through international grant and loan programs, like the United Nations. Some improvements have been made in El Salvador, such as the integration of legal garbage dumps, but since only two exist, the improvements have not been immense. The environmental problems have weakened the economy and in turn, the weakened economy is what is preventing the problems from being fix ed.It’s not that the elected officials of El Salvador do not have goals and visions for their state, but it’s that they can’t carry them through economically. Perhaps educating the citizens of El Salvador about how to care for the environment and farm correctly is one of the first steps. International groups also need to continue to put pressure on the state through protests, such as they did on World Water Day and their funding needs to continue. By improving their environmental problems, El Salvador has the ability to prosper more than anyone has ever even imagined.

Rural Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rural Development - Case Study Example Poverty alleviation and addressing the problem of hunger remains as the priority action areas for the Niger government. Persistent landlessness, lack of business opportunities and child hunger erode the initial gains made in Niger placed last out of a total of 177 countries on the United Nations list in 2007. The U.N. aid had stated that 300,000 children under the age of five facing the risk of death from malnutrition every year in the Sahel region which encompasses Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, among others. The hunger problem which afflicted the country had stemmed from the apathy that was present in the Niger government. Thus, the government failed to fulfill its serious obligation to provide food to its citizens. (Mousseau and Millant, 2007) Business conditions have dire prospects. Niger's population lives on less than a dollar a day. The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $320 in 2007. Approximately 40 percent of the Niger children suffer from chronic malnutrition and Niger's less than five years old mortality rate is very high. (Mosseau and Mittal, 2006) The regional integration of West African countries via the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), meant to assure an adequate food supply in the region. However, this organization failed to establish a regulatory mechanism that to ensure food supply and stable food prices. Irregular food production, exchange rates, government policies, international commodity prices, and regional conflicts exacerbated the hunger crisis. High food prices led to the sale of livestock, capital goods, and land, thus putting more people at a high poverty risk.The Government must do three tasks. First, attain food availability for all of its citizens soon. It has done this based on recent developments. The Board of Directors of the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) had approved the request of the Niger Government for a grant of CFAF 3 billion (US$7 million) to finance the Emergency Food Security Support Project in August 2008. The main objectives of the grant are to pro vide support for irrigated rice production and to achieve household food security.The State of Niger will supplement this grant with resources derived from mineral exploitation. The hike in the food prices during the Ramadan period made the Government subsidize the prices of consumed food products. This operation provided 3,000 metric tons of rice and sugar on the market at half the real price. The Government has channelled CFAF 11 billion (US$25 million) for trade channels for the marketing of cowpea.Second, the government must establish an arrangement with its major food suppliers to deliver food to the country on a regular basis by setting up a Food Exchange Market and funding it through its mineral resources. Third, the government can promote a holistic training in skills and education to make available a healthy and well-educated work force which can generate substantial income for their families and communities. Rural development in the NorthRural development is responsible for economic regeneration among the countries in the North, particularly the UK.

Film Genre (English Class) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Genre (English Class) - Research Paper Example The success of the gangster film with audiences later influenced filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, whose 1972 epic The Godfather casts its criminal characters as appealing archetypes of good â€Å"family men,† doing whatever is necessary to survive and thrive in a dangerous world. The growing popularity of gangster films in the first three decades of the twentieth century owes a great deal to the American public’s fascination with notorious real-life gangsters such as Al Capone. The gangster cut a dashing figure—his sharp dressing style, marked by â€Å"pinstripe suits, fedoras, and fancy neckties,† created a whole new image for the American gangster, serving to â€Å"legitimize their status as businessmen† and allowing them to represent themselves as â€Å"a model of the new American ideal for the urban working class† (Beshears 197). Of course, his carefully-crafted outward appearance served to disguise the fact that Capone was, for all intents and purposes, little more than a common criminal. Like many of his criminal contemporaries, Capone made a fortune bootlegging liquor after Prohibition was enacted in 1920. Yet Capone and his cronies were not roundly vilified for their criminal activity. Instead, the public became enamored with the heady tales of the ongoing struggle between gangsters and the police who sought to shut them down. The â€Å"old moral order† (199) had broken down—in its place, many Americans had begun to embrace â€Å"a nihilistic outlook on life† (198) driven by disillusion in the wake of World War I. The resulting lack of optimism and distrust of authority created an environment in which gangsters were painted almost as folk heroes. They were perceived by many to be Robin Hood-type figures fighting the establishment on behalf of the downtrodden. In reality, however, the gangsters were solely in it for themselves, eager to make a profit even through the most nefarious of me ans. Based in large part on the infamous persona of criminals like Capone, the â€Å"gangster film† became a popular genre, exploding into success in the early 1930s. The gangster film is a sub-category of crime films in which the main characters are part of a gang or are otherwise affiliated with a crime organization or mob. The film typically depicts the rise and fall of the main character, a man whose ruthlessness, cunning, and unrepentant narcissism take him to the top and cause his subsequent downfall. The movies are set in large cities so as to â€Å"provide a view of the secret world of the criminal: dark nightclubs or streets with lurid neon signs, fast cars, piles of cash, sleazy bars, contraband, seedy living quarters or rooming houses† (filmsite.org). The movies are generally bloodbaths—multiple characters die as a result of their association with the gangster. Though in the earliest gangster films, much of the violence occurred off-screen, later film s almost gleefully depicted the random violence associated with the gangster way of life. Additionally, these films are crafted as â€Å"morality tales: Horatio Alger or ‘pursuit of the American Dream’ success stories turned upside down in which criminals live in an inverted dream world of success and wealth†

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE OF THE WRITINGS OF JOHN PIPER AND N.T Thesis Proposal - 1

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE OF THE WRITINGS OF JOHN PIPER AND N.T. WRIGHT ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH - Thesis Proposal Example The study of the doctrine of justification5 is considered the cornerstone of Christianity6 by many Christian scholars. It is, according to Luther, the article by which the church stands or falls,7 The challenge between Piper and Wright concerns the implication of their views on imputed or incorporated righteousness on justification8 to Christian faith, especially concerning Soteriology.9 On the one hand, Piper’s perspective is that imputed righteousness on justification does not consist merely of belief in Christ alone for salvation, but also submission of every area of one’s life to Christ’s Lordship.10 Thus, Piper unwittingly affirms both â€Å"faith alone† and â€Å"faith not alone† referring to justification, which according to Lybrand constitutes the intrinsic incongruence of these assertions in his (i.e., Piper’s) practical interpretations and teachings.11 This inconsistency could be explained in the way Piper distinguishes justification from sanctification,12 wherein he proposes that to man is given the right to stand with God on account of faith alone.13 Again, Piper maintains, this is something given. Nevertheless, Piper insists that man must live a life that he considers a deadly battle against sin.14 The manner by which he fights such a battle––according God’s will––constitutes s anctification.15 Also important on Piper’s position is the argument that sin has been fought, and won over with the death of Jesus.16 One might contend that if sin has been won over based on Christ’s sacrifice, Piper would not be able to justify his â€Å"faith not alone† portion of his argument. However, he maintains that the right to stand with God is only achieved by eliminating the sin––the one that was already won over on the cross––by way of dying â€Å"in Christ.†17 This is central to his righteousness imputation theory,18 and distinguishes his position from that of Wright’s who proposes, â€Å"incorporated righteousness† as a more

Prep 7 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prep 7 - Coursework Example The environment has a strong influence when it comes to gene expression. For example, the mixture of genes he inherits and the environment, he interacts with determines the personality of an individual. Various environmental cues can alter the gene expression. They are the extracellular and intracellular concentrations of different ions (Dawkins, 1999). Reaction norms could be used to understand phenotype plasticity in the below manner. Phenotype plasticity shows the degree to which the phenotype of an organism is. The response patterns display the relationship between the genotype and phenotype (Dawkins, 1999). The variability could be structural variations and copy number variations. The difference between broad sense and narrow sense heritability is that the general sense shows the genetic contributions to the phenotype variance of a population and the strict sense does not reflect genetic contributions. Heritability is measured by coming up with the relative contributions of non-genetic and genetic differences to the total phenotypic variation in a population (Dawkins, 1999).The narrow sense heritability and the strength of selection work together in a manner that their response is since they are necessary for selecting (Dawkins,

Social Psychology of the Learning Environment Essay

Social Psychology of the Learning Environment - Essay Example It is evident from the study that when social psychology is being linked with the learning environment, student-teacher relationship is often given high regard. Social psychology as defined by Mashek and Hammer is the study of how individuals are influenced by other people and the situations they find themselves into. Conversely, according to Fiske et al., the science of social psychology is predicated on the simple fact that human thought, emotion and behaviour are immensely affected by the real, implied and imagined presence of people. Moreover, there are times that individuals’ thoughts, feelings and actions are influenced when they simply think about other persons, speculate about their objectives, visualize their reactions, or even fantasize about them, and a great deal of attention has been paid to how people respond when they think about other individuals. However, social psychology is concerned mainly with how individuals are influenced and affected by those people who m they relate with as stressed by Fiske et al. Social psychology is said to concentrate at three varied levels of analysis. According to Mashek and Hammer, the three stages of analysis are individual processes, interpersonal processes and group processes. Individual processes are employed when regarding phenomena such as impression formation, attitudes and persuasion. Subsequently, interpersonal processes form the groundwork for romantic relationships, friendships and helping behaviours (Mashek & Hammer, 2011). Lastly, group processes are taken into consideration when studying conformity, group decision making and jury behaviour (Mashek & Hammer, 2011). The aforementioned levels of analysis provide the foundation of social psychology as well as the diverse kinds of influence that social methods can take (Mashek & Hammer, 2011). In the classroom setting, the previously cited levels of analysis can be utilized to understand erudition and instruction. For instance, interpersonal proces sed are apparent in the teacher-pupil relationship which may have an impact on learning. Furthermore, the learning environment also employs the use of group processes which aids in facilitating learning. Learning Learning mechanisms provide means through which information about chronic developmental environments are acquired (Fiske et al., 2010). Moreover, it provides strategies through which organisms obtain information about temporary contexts, hence giving them the means to resourcefully modify behavioural responses (Fiske et al., 2010). Affiliation Affiliation as defined by Fiske et al. (2010) is the act of associating or interacting with one or a variety of individuals. The concept of affiliation bears no indication of the quality, affective tone, or length of the social encounter or the nature of the relationship between the people (Fiske et al., 2010). As Fiske et al. (2010) describes it, when people want to affiliate, they only wish to be in the company of and to relate with others. Hence, many theorists supposed that relating with and being in the company of other persons is an essential social behaviour (Fiske et al., 2010). Having an affiliation is crucial in learning because such relationships may greatly contribute to the learning process of a specific individual for the reason that their experience of interacting with other individuals may teach them a variety of new things and to help them explore a wide array of concepts that may be unique to them. Tutor-learner Relationship The tutor-learner relationship can be effective if it imbibes a positive and caring development of the space or time, interpersonal and

MARKETING SUSTAINABILITY Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Case studies on performance management Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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The environment incomparative and worldpolitics Essay

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What Is Obama Care Essay Example for Free

What Is Obama Care Essay Obama Care (also known as Health Care reform) is a national health care plan aimed at reforming the American health care system. Obama Cares main focus is on providing more Americans with access to affordable health care, regulating the health insurance industry and reducing spending in health care. There are around 44 million Americans who currently are unable to get health insurance. One of the major things Obama Care does is help these individuals to get health insurance through expanding Medicaid and Medicare and offering assistance to Americans who cannot currently afford healthcare. Obama Care helps to ensure that health care coverage is available to any legal U. S. resident who cannot otherwise obtain quality healthcare through their employer. Your access to health care is no longer in the hands of health insurance companies. The first phase of Obamas health care reform began in 2009 with the Affordable Health Care for America Act and was followed by The Patient Protection Act. Which culminated into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010, or for short â€Å"Affordable Care Act†? After going through several changes the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Since Obama Care was upheld in the Supreme Court and Barack Obama was sworn into office for a second term Obama Care health care reform is now the law of the land (abet with some major changes made in the Supreme Court ruling). Many reforms have already gone into effect and many more will roll out over the next decade. Obamas healthcare reform is focused on health care funding, reducing the cost of healthcare for Americans, increasing coverage and removing the burden that health care has become on the average American. In the years since its become a law the Affordable Health Care Act, has already made a big difference in our country. Obama Care has done some important thins already such as prohibiting insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get sick and has been chipping away at discrimination against anyone with a pre-existing condition. No system is perfect, but Obama Care Health Care Reform aims to reform the American medical system towards the favor of the people and away from the monopoly of the medical industry. Obama Care aims to provide complete and comprehensive medical coverage for Americans. Obamas health care reform under the Affordable Care Act is the most significant overhaul to health care industry in decades, covering every aspect of healthcare including mental health, care for seniors, child health, womans health and our nations poorest. Obama Care also provides drug coverage and free preventive care and checkups for children and countless other unprecedented reforms to the American health care system.

Tao Heung Case Study Analysis

Tao Heung Case Study Analysis ABSTRACT Tao Heung is a listed company focusing on Chinese restaurant business in Hong Kong and Guangdong. By utilizing Porters five forces model, Chinese restaurant industry is identified to be intensively competitive. Nevertheless, Tao Heung still recorded slight growth by 2009 through successful cost control measures and operational efficiency. The company has strengths of strong financial position, cost efficiency, and good marketing and management capabilities, and weaknesses of imbalanced market presence, business portfolio, and capital structure. The business environment provides it new opportunities for developing new markets and businesses because of improving living standard and purchasing power. Major threats include severe inflation leading to soaring costs related to labour, rent, and food ingredients. TOWS matrix is a technique to formulate possible strategic alternatives matching internal factors to external opportunities and threats. In corporate level, Tao Heung is suggested to adopt market development strategy by using merger and acquisition and leveraging of debt. In business level, enhancing currently adopted cost leadership strategy is recommended. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Tao Heung is a catering company, focusing on operating Chinese restaurants and mainly operating in Hong Kong and China market. The company was founded in 1991 and was listed on the main board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 2007 (Stock code. 0573.HK). It is now operating 66 outlets, including various styles of restaurants, in Hong Kong and more than 10 outlets in Mainland China. The business philosophy of Tao Heung is Delicious and Value for Money. It is well known for its quality foods and quality services at relatively low prices, and innovative marketing campaign, such as One Dollar Chicken, at the minds of Hong Kong consumers. One Dollar Chicken campaign was a marketing promotion during the period of financial tsunami in 2008. Consumers could enjoy a dish of chicken for only One Hong Kong Dollars at the restaurants of Tao Heung. The campaign effectively enacted the companys Value for money philosophy. Chinese restaurant is a traditional industry in which there are many inherent shortcomings and flaws. However, Tao Heung is renowned for the use of innovative marketing strategies and modern management techniques in running this traditional business. The objectives of Tao Heung are to become one of the most esteemed and premier Chinese restaurant groups in Hong Kong and China, recognized for innovations and its capabilities to provide high quality food and restaurant service that promise customers exceptional dining experiences (http://www.taoheung.com.hk/eng/corporate/overview.jsp). The goal of strategic management is to leverage a firms capabilities to accomplish its strategic objectives with the balance of all stakeholders interest. Mr. Chung Wai Ping, who is one of the founders of Tao Heung, owns 36.7% of shares in Tao Heung and must be the key stakeholder. However, share owners of a firm are not the only group of stakeholders of the firm in the sense of strategic management. Stakeholders refer to the groups of people who have interests in a firms activities and affect or are affected by the achievement of the firms objectives (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Therefore, creditors, suppliers, customers, competitors, employees, governments, and public in the communities are the stakeholders of Tao Heung. Tao Heung tries to maximize profit through providing quality foods and exceptional dining experiences to its customers. As a result, it has the capability to repay loans to its creditors, pay taxes to governments, share profits with employees, satisfy the business need of suppliers, and contribute to communities. Meanwhile, its status as one of the most esteemed and premier Chinese restaurant groups in Hong Kong and China inevitably has impact on its competitors. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY Strategy is defined as a firms theory about how to gain competitive advantages (Barney Hesterly, 2010). Therefore, strategic management is a set of managerial decisions and actions that generates the firms competitive advantage, and, hence, gains above average return (Wheelen Hunger, 2010) (see Figure 1). Mission Objective External Analysis Internal Analysis Strategic Choice Strategy Implementation Figure 1 Strategic Management Process This article aims to critically evaluate the strategic position and direction of Tao Heung. Johnson and Scholes (2007: 16) point out that understanding the strategic position is concerned with impact on strategy of external environment, internal resources and competencies, and the expectations and influences of stakeholders. Therefore, this article will present external environmental analysis and internal analysis of resources and competencies for Tao Heung and evaluate its strategic options accordingly. By conducting external analysis, the critical opportunities and threats in external environment of Tao Heung will be identified, including macro-environment and industry environment in which the firm operates. Porter (1980) contends that a firms profitability is determined by the intensity of competition within the industry it competes. As a result, he developed Five Forces Model for examining the intensity of competition of an industry. In addition, generally adopt PESTEL framework for analyzing a firms macro-environment. The following factors are included in the analysis: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors (Harvard University Press, 2007). By conducting internal analysis, the organizational strengths and weaknesses of Tao Heung will also be identified. The resources and capabilities which are the source of competitive advantage will be identified by internal analysis (Barney Hesterly, 2010). Porter (1985) proposed that Value Chain Analysis is a technique for analyzing source of competitive advantage of a firm. However, according to the Resource-based View, competitive capabilities must be rare, durable, valuable, robust, and not easily be imitated (Grant, 2002). Then, external analysis and internal analysis are synthesized into a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym used to describe the particular Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are strategic factors for a specific company (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Utilizing the result of SWOT analysis, a number of strategic options can be generated. A TOWS Matrix is produced to show how the external opportunities and threats facing a particular firm can be matched with the firms internal strengths and weaknesses (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Finally, this article will critically justify the strategy that Tao Heung is using and suggest corporate and business level strategy that Tao Heung should use to improve its performance. Corporate level strategy refers to the strategy that creates value to the firm in line with the overall purpose and scope of the firm. Diversification, merger and acquisition, are examples of corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the strategy about how to compete successfully in particular market and achieve competitive advantage (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Porter (1980) suggested three generic competitive strategies: cost-leadership, differentiation, and focus. They are examples of business level strategy. Secondary data from company annual reports, Internet, government statistics, academic journals, CEO interviews, magazines and newspapers will be collected for conducting analysis. 3. ANALYSES Four analyses will be presented here: Industry analysis, Macro-environment analysis, Internal analysis, and SWOT analysis. 3.1 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS According to Five Forces Model, the intensity of competition within Chinese restaurant industry in Hong Kong is determined by five competitive forces (Porter, 1980): Threat of new entrants New entrants are threats to the existing firms within an industry because they bring new capacity to the industry, and a new desire to gain market share and resources. If the entry barrier to the industry is high, the threat of new entrants is lower. The relatively high capital requirements and sunk costs create certain degree of entry barriers for Chinese restaurant industry. According to the information provided by Trade and Industry Department (2006), the capital requirements for opening a Chinese style cafà © was HK$1,275,500. The scale of a Chinese restaurant is 10 to 20 times greater than a cafà ©, the capital requirements are estimated to more than HK$15,000,000. Most of the investment is spent for decoration, facilities, and marketing activities. They are all sunk costs that cannot be recovered. Economies of scale also help establish barriers to entry. Therefore, the major rivals of Tao Heung are big Chinese restaurant groups such as Maxims and Star Seafood. Companies with limited capital have been not easy to start up a new Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong recently. Rivalry among existing firms Hong Kongs Chinese restaurant industry is dominated by several large restaurant groups now. They are Maxims restaurants, Federal Restaurants, Hsin Kuang Restaurants, East Ocean Victoria City Restaurants, Star Seafood Restaurants, and Tao Heung Restaurants. The relatively small number of competitors and roughly equal in size create intensively competitive environment. In addition, the growth rate of this industry is slow. The value of Chinese restaurant receipts and purchases for the first half of 2010 was HK$19,600 million, accounting for 6% increase compared with last year (Census and Statistics Department, 2010). Moreover, the exit barriers of this industry are high because of high sunk costs. Diversity of rivals and differentiation are low. These factors contribute to fierce competition within this industry. Threat of substitute There are many substitute products that can satisfy the same needs of dinning in Chinese restaurant. Consumers would like to gather to mingle and socialize in Chinese restaurants, besides of the dinning needs. But they could satisfy the same needs by going to Western restaurants, fast food restaurants, or even at home. According to Porter (1980), substitute limits the potential returns of an industry by placing a price ceiling. Chinese restaurants cannot charge profitably beyond the perceived values of dinning experiences. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers in this industry is high. The major reason is that consumers can choose their favorite restaurants free of switch costs. The restaurants can create greater product and service differentiation by introducing innovative recipe, and leveraging quality foods and services, in order to erode the bargaining power of buyers. Bargaining power of suppliers The major suppliers of Chinese restaurants are the food suppliers. They are numerous in the market. The products are not unique and restaurants have almost no switch costs to change suppliers. Substitutes are always readily available. Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Overall, collective strengths of five competitive forces determine high level of competitive intensity in Chinese restaurant industry. The profit potential of this industry is limited. 3.2 MACRO-ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS PESTEL framework is employed for analyzing macro-environment: Political factors The economic transition policy of the government of Guangdong province intended to change the manufacturing-based economy into high-value-added economy. The results lead to severe factory closure in Southern China. It is a drawback for the market development strategy of Tao Heung since its physical presence in China is mainly in the cities in Guangdong province. On the other hand, after the 2008 financial tsunami, Chinese government introduced measures which aimed at promoting domestic demand and increasing welfare benefits. The purchasing power of Chinese consumers has been increased. Tao Heung is definitely benefited from these measures. Overall, the market potential for Chinese restaurants business seems to be optimistic in the long run. After all, factory closure in Guangdong province is a temporary phenomenon. It will recover when the transition is successful achieved. Economic factors Financial tsunami in 2008 created a very volatile economy for catering industry. Tao Heung recorded a relatively low revenue growth of 5.5% only in 2009 (Tao Heung, 2010). Fortunately, economic conditions both in Hong Kong and China are gradually recovering. However, another economic force has been negatively affecting Chinese restaurant industry since economic recovery. Inflation has been very serious for the recent two years. As a result, the costs of raw materials have been soaring. The profitability of Tao Heung is inevitably eroded. In addition, Tao Heung also faced rental and labour market pressure because of severe inflation. Indeed, rent, food and labour are three major inputs to Chinese restaurant industry. Increased Costs associated with rent, food and labour cause significant negative impact on the Chinese restaurant industry. Social factors Living standard is high in Hong Kong. Besides, as economic growth in China is substantially, living standard is improving accordingly. Thus, there is increasing demand for quality cuisine. Restaurant goers both in Hong Kong and China are not only seeking for food, but also for specialty recipe, quality service, and excellent atmosphere. In addition, there are rising concerns for food safety also. It may be because of recent food safety problems in China and the emerging environmental conservation sentiment. Increasing demand for quality and safety will impose challenges to that industry. On the other hand, it may be opportunities for Tao Heung. Tao Heung is a pioneer in adopting modern management and marketing skills to operate traditional Chinese restaurants. If Tao Heung can cope with the challenges, they can outperform its rivals. Besides, improving living standard in China means more market opportunities, for example, banquets market. Technological factor Advanced information system technology is an enabler of modern supply chain management. Tao Heung has utilized bulk purchase and direct food supply from its logistics centres to enhance cost efficiency. The advancement in food processing technology also creates new opportunities for food catering industry, chilled food trading business. Environmental factor Chinese restaurant operations pollute water when washing foods and dishes. According to the Polluters Pay Principle, restaurants need to pay additional sewage charges. Because of the increased environmental concern in our society, the sewage charges are expected to rise. Besides, consumers are more concern about food safety now because of severe pollution problems. Legal factor The minimum wage legislation process is about to complete in Hong Kong. The initial minimum wage rate will be HK$28 per hour. It is expected to come into force on May 1, 2011 (Labour Department). Tao Heung will face increasing labour costs and human resources pressure. 3.3 INTERNAL ANALYSIS Internal analysis is concerned with identifying a firms internal strategic factors which is the firms critical resources and competencies for success (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). With reference to resource-based view of strategic management, Grant (2004) suggested that an organizations sustainable competitive advantage is primarily determined by its strategic resources and competencies. The following internal strengths are identified to be critical for the success of Tao Heung: Strong financial position Tao Heung has very low debt ratio (about 1%). The value of cash and cash equivalents asset is 428 million at the end of 2009 (Tao Heung, 2010). In addition, Tao Heung is listed company so that it has capability to raise funds from shareholders or public when needed. The strong financial position can support Tao Heung to grow naturally or grow by merger and acquisition. Logistics centres Tao Heung owns a logistics centre in Tai Po (Hong Kong) and Dongguan (China). The logistics centre in China enables it to achieve bulk purchase of food ingredients from their sources. Logistics centres have another role of supplying food products to restaurants of Tao Heung. Foods have been processed before delivering to restaurants. The semi-processed food ingredients can help (1) save the cooking time in restaurants, (2) use less skillful chef, and (3) save kitchen space. Besides, the excess capacities of logistics centres are utilized to manufacture pre-packing chilled food supplied to its own outlets, supermarkets and food centres, providing another source of revenue. Marketing and management capabilities Tao Heung has profound marketing capability. The marketing team has launched some excellent promotion campaigns such as One Dollar Chicken. They have also developed brand awareness in China and have won some awards such as Top 500 Quality Brands in China 2009 and Top 500 Overseas Chinese Merchants in Chinas Market (Tao Heung, 2010). Tao Heung has a lot of innovations in Chinese restaurant management, for example, achieving cost efficiency by using operation of logistics centres. Moreover, Tao Heung will establish a training institute providing professional training to restaurant workers with the cooperation of VTC. The program can ease labour pressure of the industry. Although the economic situation was bad in 2009, Tao Heung could still achieve growth through stringent cost control measures and streamlining of operations. On the other hand, Tao Heung has some weaknesses. It has been too focus on Chinese restaurant business and Hong Kong market. Its peripheral businesses including airline catering, chilled food trading and bakery accounted for a relatively modest amount of total turnover (HK$52 million) in 2009. Besides, Mainland China business accounted for only 17.3% of total turnover in 2009. In addition, its use of debt has been too little. Better use of debt can enhance returns of shareholders, although high level leverage of debt will increase business risk. 3.4 SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis summaries the key issues from the external environment and the strategic capabilities of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Figure 2 shows the internal strengths and weaknesses of Tao Heung, as well as the opportunities and threats from the external business environment. The strengths are strong financial position, cost efficiency, and marketing and management capabilities. The weaknesses are imbalanced market coverage, business portfolio, and capital structure. Opportunities include increasing purchase power, living standard, demand for quality cuisine, and advanced IS technology. The threats include inflation pressure, minimum wage, intense competition, and food safety concern. Strengths Strong financial position Cost efficiency through the use of logistics centres Good marketing and management capabilities Weaknesses Imbalanced market coverage Imbalanced business portfolio Imbalanced capital structure Opportunities Increasing purchasing power in Mainland China Increasing living standard leading to new business opportunities such as banquet Demand for quality cuisine Advanced IS technology enabling efficient supply chain management Threats Severe inflation pressure leading to rising costs related to rent and food. Minimum wage legislation leading to higher labour market pressure Intense competition in Chinese restaurant industry Concerns about food safety Figure 2 SWOT Analysis for Tao Heung TOWS matrix is used to illustrate how the external opportunities and threats facing a particular organization can be matched with that organizations internal strengths and weaknesses to result in four sets of possible strategic alternatives: SO strategies, WO strategies, ST strategies and WT strategies (Wheelen Hunger, 2010) (see Figure 3). Strengths (S) Weaknesses (W) Opportunities (O) SO strategies Generate strategies that use strengths to take advantage of opportunities WO strategies Generate strategies that take advantage of opportunities by overcoming weaknesses Threats (T) ST strategies Generate strategies that use strengths to avoid threats WT strategies Generate strategies that minimize weaknesses and avoid threats Figure 3 TOWS Matrix The possible strategies are listed in the Figure 4. In summary, Tao Heung is suggested to develop new markets, enhance its operation efficiency, rapid expansion into Mainland China, and better use of debt. The strategies can be consolidated into two levels of strategies: corporate and business level. Strengths (S) Strong financial position (S1) Cost efficiency (S2) Good marketing and management capabilities (S3) Weaknesses (W) Imbalanced market coverage (W1) Imbalanced business portfolio (W2) Imbalanced capital structure (W3) Opportunities (O) Increasing purchasing power (O1) Increasing living standard (O2) Demand for quality cuisine (O3) Advanced IS technology (O4) SO strategies Expansion to various food catering businesses (S1O2O3) Rapid expansion into Mainland China (S1O1) Enhance capacities of logistics centres (S2O4) WO strategies Acquire other catering businesses (W2O2) Merger and acquisition in Mainland China (W1O1) Threats (T) Severe inflation pressure (T1) Minimum wage legislation (T2) Intense competition (T3) Food safety concerns (T4) ST strategies Leveraging the use of logistics centres (S2T1) Stringent quality control (S3T4) More stringent cost control (S2S3T1) Improved employee training (S3T2) WT strategies Diversify into other market segments (W1W2T3) Figure 4 TOWS Matrix for Tao Heung 4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Ansoff product/market growth matrix (Figure 5) suggests that a business attempts to grow depend on whether it should market new or existing products in new or existing markets (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Existing Products New Products Existing Markets Market Penetration Product Development New Markets Market Development Diversification Figure 5 Ansoff Product/Market Growth Matrix Concerning with Tao Heungs corporate level strategy, market development is a more suitable strategy. Both new geographical markets and new segment markets should be explored. Although Tao Heung has established its presence in Chinese market, it has only less than 15 restaurants in China by the end of 2010. All of these restaurants are located in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Tao Heung should expand more rapidly in China market and open more new restaurants in other cities within Guangdong province. Regarding to segment markets, most of restaurants in Hong Kong are seafood restaurants targeting to medium income level families. Tao Heung has adopted multi-branding strategy. The different brands are targeting similar segments using different products. For example, Hak Ka Hut, Chao Inn, and Shanghai Inn provide different style of dishes but target the same segmented customers. Chao Inn and Shanghai Inn even located at the same place. HIPOT is a new brand of Tao Heung. This new brand target young customers. It is a good direction. Tao Heung is encouraged to explore more new segment markets by building more new brands. Tao Heung has mainly used internal development for growth. The only acquisition in the past few years is the acquisition of Tai Chong Bakery. Using companys own resources to develop new businesses is actually a play safe game. However, Tao Heung is suggested to use more merger and acquisition to expand into China market in a more rapid pace. Since Mainland China is a massive market, growth by acquisition could be better than by organic growth. Besides, Tao Heung can better use of debt to balance its capital structure. Porter (1980) suggests three generic strategies to compete with rivals in a market. They are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies. Cost leadership is the strategy that Tao Heung is currently adopting. Tao Heung put much effort on achieving cost efficiency by utilizing logistics centres and stringent cost control measures. . It is a correct direction since Chinese restaurant is a very intensively competitive industry. However, Tao Heung is suggested to focus on maintaining quality cuisine while achieving cost efficiency. To complement cost leadership strategy, diversifying into other food catering business such as bakery and school catering to balance its business portfolio.

Triple Bottom Line Reporting on Corporate Sustainability

Triple Bottom Line Reporting on Corporate Sustainability In this paper we explore the concept of triple bottom line reporting and its use in gauging the level of corporate sustainability. The concept of triple bottom line reporting is shown to be effective in ensuring that the corporate sustainability concerns are addressed and business takes account of the outcomes. This is done using a review of relevant literature in order to point out the success factors as well as the threats that face TBL reporting programs. Introduction The contemporary corporate environment and culture has been steadily leaning towards the increasing need of higher levels of transparency and accountability in regard to public reporting as well as communication. This is a trend that demands for increased disclosure of the nature and level of corporate performance and engagements in matters of social-economic and environmental dimensions (G100 2003).In a nutshell, the public is in need of information regarding the level of sustainability in which various corporations engage in. In order to gauge the level of sustainability, it is important that a standard of reporting be adopted. Triple Bottom Line reporting is one of the techniques of reporting sustainability. The definition of TBL reporting A standard definition of triple bottom line reporting does not exist. This therefore means that no universally accepted definition exists. It can loosely be defined as the a form of corporate communication which engages stakeholders and holds the key to the corporations accepted approach to the management of social, economic and environmental dimensions via clearly instituted communication channel that provides information on the above mentioned three dimensions (G100 2003). The elements of social, economic and finally the environmental dimensions in an organization are what constitutes sustainability/sustainable development.TBL can therefore basically be used to refer to the official publication of social, economic and environmental information of a given business entity in a manner that is integrated to reflect both the activities as well as the results of a corporations performance on the basis of the three dimensions. The factors driving the general trend towards the adoption of TBL reporting There are quite a number of factors that are driving corporation towards the adoption of TBL reporting. Some of these factors are; mandatory requirements, the need to be consistent with the high level of public vigilance on the corporate code of behavior, and the increase in the level of stakeholder requirement for high level of transparency as well as results. The idea of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting has in the previous years become progressively more stylish in organizations; consulting firms, investment firms, and also the NGOs extensively employ it in the management of their operations. The thought lies behind the TBL model is that a firms final can be gauged not merely by the customary financial end result, but again by its social, moral as well as ecological performance. For quite a long time, the majority individuals who are both in the corporate world and outside have come to an agreement that organizations are required by the stakeholders to perform their tasks responsibly. Firms are not capable of flourishing in the long run when they constantly ignore the interests of the main stakeholders. The evident uniqueness of TBL is lying in the contention of its supporters that the general accomplishment of responsibilities to the society, workers, clients, and suppliers ought to be calculated, reviewed and the information provided to the stakeholders the same way that the financial results of public corporations is being conducted. If we strongly believe that moral practices of the business and also social responsibility are significant purposes of corporate authority and administration, then we ought to accept the efforts to come up with tools that are capable of making much clearer to the administrators, shareholders besides the other stakeholders how well a corporation is performing in this regard. This paper looks at the usefulness of TBL, the advantages of socially responsible practices by the businesses, and the probable effectiveness of tools that are capable of being used to assess and report on performance. Triple bottom line reporting is making firms liable for not only economic and social effects but also for environmental results of doing businesses. Indeed it is an accepted accounting form for the nonprofit organizations and also the governmental organizations to demonstrate their dedication to corporate social responsibilities. To these firms, both the ecological and also social performance also significant the way financial performance is important. The concept of triple bottom line reporting was originally applied by John Elkington in the year 1995. He published a book concerning this topic in the year 1998. The book was entitled Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. Indeed, Triple bottom line reporting has got drive in all sectors and industries and not for the not for profit making organizations and also for government organizations as it has been presumed. As stated above, the term triple bottom line was supposedly invented by John Elkington in the year 1995 (Sarre Treuren 2001) despite the fact that it was not made popular until the book that he published became widespread in the year 1997. The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is an idea that has got authorized imprimatur as a structure to give confidence to the organizational concerns regarding sustainability. Despite the fact that at first it was viewed as a mere idea or a method of thinking about sustainability, similar to the notion of corporate social responsibility, it has now become a device for both accounting and reporting. Other authors are arguing that Triple Bottom Line is essentially imperfect in the things it is offering, and besides, they are saying it is transmitted by proponents who are mainly uninformed of the other approaches that are in existence. The Function of Triple bottom line reporting Triple bottom line reporting needs the corporations to socially be responsible to both the shareholders and also to every stakeholder of the respective firms. Stakeholders usually entail all the shareholders, workers, clients, goods and services providers and any other person who is influenced by the events and proceedings of the business. It is demanding that a firm be liable for all the aspects of the business. The Benefits of Triple bottom line reporting The social feature of triple bottom line reporting is focusing on reasonable treatment of a firms human resources. in addition to the provision of a safe place of work and also reasonable salary for workers, being responsible socially involve performing responsible and helpful business practices in the community the surrounds the business. Triple bottom line reporting is requiring a corporation to be involved in sustainable ecological activities. Corporations and firms ought to put great efforts to conserve the surroundings, or to significantly minimize the harm that they are inflicting on to the surroundings. A corporation using triple bottom line reporting is capable of managing the utilization of energy, minimizes waste, recycles resources and also shuns the production of very dangerous substances like chemicals and weapons. The Significance of Triple bottom line reporting When a business appears to be both socially and environmentally responsible to its clients, it will be capable of maximizing the profits that it is making. It is very common situation to see many companies making headlines because of being involved in accounting scandals, giving their workers very unjust salaries, unsafe work conditions and prejudice. All these reports are affecting the reputation of the firms that are involved besides their goodwill, thereby resulting into the lost of many revenues. Also, focusing on more things just profits can help a company open market potential that was unattainable before. Companies may also lose market share to other competing businesses that are utilizing triple bottom line reporting because they appear more socially responsible to consumers. TBL is capable of making a firm to reach the untapped market. Indeed TBL firms are capable of finding niches that are financially profitable, and which were previously missed by the firms when their driving force was money only. TBL is capable of developing highly profitable ways to aid the NGOs that are in existence with their missions like fundraisings, getting to the customers, or generating networking opportunities with other numerous NGOs.It is also capable of providing goods and services which will be of great use to the populations that are languishing in poverty. It is capable of making businesses to become familiar with new business ventures. Due to the fact that numerous business opportunities are coming up in the sphere of social entrepreneurship, the businesses that are having hopes of reaching this growing market have to prepare themselves of being profitable financially, socially helpful and economically sustainable or else they will not be able to compete with the firms which are not designing themselves that way. For instance, just trade and ethical Trade firms need moral and sustainable practices from every supplier providing them with goods and services. Any businesses that are having plans of working with the firms that are dealing in just Trade or moral Trade have to design the models of their business to become TBL. Firms usually issue TBL reports mainly for two purposes: to meet the demands of the investors and also to be recognized for the actions that the firms do. For instance, firms like Shell and Nike have in the past applied this kind of reporting to enable them restore the reputations of their firms after having received negative exposure for inefficient ecological and social decisions Tschopp (2003) Firms are usually being scrutinized both by the media coverage and public watchdog groups. It is an undeniable fact that the individuals who are capable of ensuring that their firms have good reputations in environmental conservation and social policies will have to succeed. Those ignoring responsibilities as such will probably fail Tschopp (2003) Firms are also capable of getting financial advantages from TBL reporting. The firms will be able to get attention from the new investors. Similarly, they will trap new employees as they maintain their current workers. TBL reporting permits transparency of a firms environmental and social undertakings, limitations, and goals of the years to come. Firms that are striving for success are capable of meeting eligibility standards and they can be members of some environmental and social funds. When the firms fail to achieve the requirements, their stock performance can be hindered (Tschopp 2003). Triple bottom reporting has been shown to have several benefits. The first on is that it improves the reputation of an organization. It also has a positive influence on the brand name of the firm as well as its products. The reputation of a corporation is a function of the manner in which it is perceived by the stakeholders. Having an effective method of communicating with the stakeholders on the social, economic and environmental dimensions can act very well in changing the perceptions of the stakeholders and in the process improving the reputation of the corporation. The other benefits of TBL reporting are that it aids the corporation to openly operate in the society. In this context, it acts as a sort of a license to enable the business to operate freely by the virtue of the support, acceptance and acknowledgement that it receives from the stakeholders. The transparency in communication and accountability in actions are what makes it possible for the corporations to be granted the license to operate. The rest are outlined below Through the integration of sustainability into the business models and thinking, firms are capable of realizing these seven bottom line benefits: It will be very easy to hire the best employees. Researchers are estimating that the highly significant corporate resource after 20 years for any organization is usually talented workers. Majority of them usually pay great concentration to corporate social responsibilities and also to the environmental behavior of the firms for which they are working. TBL results into greater withholding of the top talents. It is very challenging for firms to keep their most talented and most skilled workers in the present market that is characterized by a lot of competition. Studies are however showing that the skilled workers usually tend to continue staying with a firm when they are having meaningful work. TBL is also capable of maximizing the productivity of the workers. There is a big connection that exists between important job and productivity. The managers of organizations should involve the whole firm in sustainable growth goals such as zero emissions, independent energy production, and no d isposal of waste and helping in the conservation of environment, the firm will get much more back from the workers. Enhancement of reputation and brand Efficient communication with the shareholders and also the stakeholders on one or more dimensions of TBL is capable of playing a significant role in the management of the perceptions of the stakeholders. This will not only protect but also enhance the corporate reputation of the firms. Securing a social license to operate Having a good reputation, the members of the community and the stakeholders will strongly support the operations of the organization. The surrounding communities will probably provide more support to the firms because they are communicating openly and besides, they are honest about the performance of the firms in relation to environment factors, social factors and also to economic factors. Attraction and retention of high caliber employees Through the publication of the information regarding TBL, the information is capable of playing a significant role in positioning the employer as the employer to work with. This is capable of enhancing worker loyalty, reducing turnover and also capable of attracting skilled workers. Reduced risk profile During TBLs reporting, firms usually indicate their obligation to minimize risk. This usually takes place during the times of growing legal action, where owed diligence is capable of being established and a firm comes up with risks, the risks can be managed better. Consecutively this is capable of advancing the relations of the stakeholder and hence makes it simpler to draw investment capital and consequently positively influence the price of the shares. Identification of potential cost savings TBL reporting is involving the assortment and scrutiny of information on resource, the usage of materials and the evaluation of business processes. This is capable of actually helping the firms to identify the opportunities that are present for savings of costs through effective and efficient allocation of both resources and materials.TBL is accompanied by minimized expenses at the commercial sites .numerous unnecessary waste usually happen at the non-manufacturing areas. Through the employment of more sensible handling of wastes, effectiveness of energy, conservation of water and naturalized landscaping (Ann 2003) Reduced risk, easier financing Firms that are showing both the environmental and social responsibility always is likely to be seen as less dangerous. That is capable of translating into the avoidance of cost, minimized insurance premiums, minimized official and regulatory costs, and evasion of missing revenue from customer crusader actions (Ann 2003). The desirable qualities of a TBL report. A good TBL report has the following qualities and characteristics. Reliable- a good TBL report should be accurate and should provide information that is true regarding the activities as well as performance of a given corporation. The report should be useful meaning that the information contained should have a high level of relevance to the stakeholders (both internal and external ) the information should be relevant to the corporate decision making process. The TBL report should exercise and exhibit full disclosure meaning that the content should have open explanations. The report should be reproducible in order to allow for the ongoing publishing of the information contained for the purpose of reporting in the future. The report should have a high level of auditability. This means that the report should be having the quality of being able to be verified externally (G100 2003). The challenges that affect the use of TBL reporting Angela Lewis Consulting (n.d) pointed out that the two main problems facing the use of TBL reporting are that it lacks a universal method of gauging/measuring its success. The implication of this is that there is no social, economic, environmental or ethical equivalents of assets, liabilities, equity, expenses and revenue. The other one is that there is no numerical method of accurately describing consumer, environmental or community benefits. Rafiq (2010) pointed out that the other challenges to TLB reporting are informal corporate culture, lack of understanding by the top management, lack of human resources capacity, Lack of support from the government and other development agencies, resistance by privately listed firms to reveal their financial information, resource constraints that affect SMEs and a general lack of public service orientation. Conclusion Despite the challenges affecting TBL reporting, extant literature reveal that it is indeed a success since it has its benefits outweighing the challenges. It is therefore crucial that all firms embrace TBL reporting since it pays to be social responsible. . Referencing Angel Lewis Consulting,n.d. The Triple Bottom Line Explained: http://www.angelalewis.com.au/publ/The%20Triple%20Bottom%20Line%20Explained.pdf Anne,P, A. 2003. The Sustainability Advantage: Seven Business Case Benefits of a Triple Bottom Line. (Book Review).CMA management. John Elkington,J. 1997 Cannibals With Forks: The Triple. Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. Capstone,. Oxford,402 pp. ISBN 1-900961-27-X G 100, 2003.Sustainability:A guide to triple bottom reporting http://www.group100.com.au/publications/G100_guide-tbl-reporting2003.pdf Rafiq, M .2010. Major Challenges for TBL Reporting in Pakistan http://www.tbl.com.pk/major-challenges-for-tbl-reporting-in-pakistan/ Sarre, R. Treuren, G. 2001. The triple bottom line: balancing social, environmental and financial outcomes in business (paper prepared for the South Australian Business Vision 2010) (on-line resource) http://business.unisa.edu.au/cae/tbl/tbldownloadables/sabv2010fin.rtf [accessed 26 February 2004]. Tschopp, D. 2003. Its Time for Triple Bottom Line Accounting. The CPA Journal. 73(12): 11.

Mediocrity of Teacher Recruitment Essay -- Teachers Education Employme

Mediocrity of Teacher Recruitment Some teachers are better than others. This is a simple and, I hope, obvious fact. But the culture of American schools is not friendly to it. Particularly in our hiring of public school teachers, we tend to avoid notions of serious discernment, of picking the very best in our society to become our teachers, and we accept that the most talented of our young people will gravitate to other fields. Overcoming this acceptance of mediocrity in teacher recruitment and retention represents the greatest opportunity to bring a quantum improvement to our schools. To focus on the elite among new teaching recruits as a matter of method is, in fact, the radically democratic way to give our society's most valuable resources to our poorest and neediest children. That simple fact should trump any concerns about the ill effects of meritocracy on job applicants. The work of educators is to educate young people. So long as we have the courage to make the very best possible experience for those young people our highest goal, we must attend to fairness for teachers only after we have attended to excellence for our students. And we have yet to do that right. Today, the best teachers in many schools are in a way the dissidents, the people who stand out, who attract criticism as well as praise for being remarkable educators, and they resist a strong pull toward mediocrity in the professional culture of too many schools. We must recognize that this is a problem, and we must fix it. The solution is not difficult to imagine. New teachers must come to know that there is an early-career, merit-based threshold to cross, similar to what doctors, lawyers, and many business professionals face in their first few years of professional work. If we can make this a reality, the most talented and most effective among them will be able to earn their place in a truly elite, dedicated corps of teachers. We will keep the very best of the new teacher recruits, and we'll attract large numbers of people in other professions who today don't sign on to become teachers because they believe that American schools haven't fostered a culture of achievement and haven't been able to make the profession of teacher as respected or respectable as many other professions. In many school systems today, new teachers are, officially, on some kind of probation for a period... ...s job security. A district that wants to fire a tenured teacher must typically undergo a lengthy process of hearings and appeals. One purpose of tenure laws is to protect teachers from being dismissed because of political or personal views. Opponents, however, argue that tenure makes it difficult for districts to fire unqualified teachers. On a similar front, several studies are also now being conducted to examine ways to dramatically overhaul the entire teacher-compensation system--not just change a bit of it here or there. Undeniably, much remains to be done. A major report issued in September by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future offered a scathing indictment of current practices, including inadequate teacher education, bureaucratic hiring procedures, and the placement of unqualified teachers in classrooms. The report set the price tag for remedying these problems within a decade at nearly $5 billion a year in new federal, state, and local money which should be spent on upgrading teacher education, subsidizing people to teach in high-need fields and locations, reforming the licensing and induction process, and better professional development.

Effective Literacy Strategies for English Language Learners Essay

Introduction English Language Learners (hereafter referred to as ELLs) currently comprise 10% of the total school population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005). It is a population that is going to continue to increase in American public education and their specific needs for learning literacy are of great importance to teachers. Since schools and teachers are increasingly judged based upon the academic achievement of students, then the success of the growing population of ELLs is going to be increasingly important. In the present paper the role of the teacher and specific research-based literacy strategies for ELLs is investigated. Teacher’s role In a research article by Yoon (2007), the question of the teacher’s pedagogical approach in relation to ELLs participation in the classroom was investigated. Three teachers with varying approaches to teaching ELLs were observed. The first teacher believed that teaching ELLs was not his â€Å"full responsibility† and to talk or not was the students choice and the teacher respected it. Also many of the discussions were based on American cultural topics. This teacher reported that the ELLs in his classroom were â€Å"shy and quiet.† The ELLs in this classroom reported being â€Å"frustrated† and often did partner work with special education or other non-mainstream peers. The second teacher modeled through her teaching how to position ELLs as important members of her learning community. She believed teaching ELLs was her responsibility and she tried many strategies to meet the diverse needs of her learners. She attempted to embrace her studentsâ€℠¢ cultural differences by asking them questions about their native culture. She also chose to pair ELLs with cert... ...r english-language learners: teacher-composed digital jumpstarts for academic reading. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(5), 386-395. Rieg, Sue A. & Paquette, Kelli R. (2009). Using drama and movement to enhance english language learners’ literacy development. Journal of Instructional Psyhchology, 36, 148- 154. Sox, Amanda & Rubenstein-Avila, Eliane (2009). WebQuests for english-language learners: essential elements for design. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(1), 38-48. Watts-Taffe, S., & Truscott, D. (2000). Using what we know about language and literacy development for ESL students in the mainstream classroom. Language Arts, 77, 258- 265. Yoon, Bogum (2007). Offering or limiting opportunities: Teachers’ roles and approaches to english-language learners’ participation in literacy activities. The Reading Teacher, 61(3), 216-225.