The Economic Crisis Of The G20 - 2112 Words

The economic crisis has brought about a transformation in international organization, signaling a break with the established system of foundation for managing world liaison. While at the first of the crisis, measures taken appeared ad hoc or temporary, the decision at the Pittsburgh Elevation in September 20 09 to institutionalize the Chemical group of 20 leaders ’ summit reflects a marked shift in the locus of leadership. New players, new meeting place and new issues have moved to the center of global decision-making. Over the course of its first class, the G20 has delivered in response to global economic challenges, at least in a declaratory fashion. However, as we move towards a billet crisis environment, the G20’s follow-on year will bring new challenges. In the lead-up to the two 2010 top Toronto in June and Seoul in November the G20 will need to rise its role beyond the immediacy of crisis response, and propel the common sense of collective enterprisingness into s olidified venture moving forward. This paper provides a framework of analysis from a liberal theory perspective and sets out proposals regarding the G20’s place in the evolving international governance design. Through its dual world — first as a forum of ministers and then as a leaders’ summit the G20 has shown itself capable of robust natural action. Rather than sticking to a set convention, when the global financial impact hit, the G20 effectively re-invented itself. This process has effectively realignedShow MoreRelatedGlobal Financial Crisis : The Fall Of Lehman Brothers1250 Words   |  5 Pages Global banks indeed play crucial roles in keeping the global economic growth in track. 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MBA Program Free Essays

Nowadays every person is striving to be well-educated and intelligent in order to survive in contemporary world and to gain certain success. To become successful means to develop personal qualification and skills such as, for example, awareness, assertiveness, attentiveness, creative thinking and critical thinking. MBA Program course is extremely significant for future plans and future carrier as it provides relevant background and explains important issues being operated in business environment. We will write a custom essay sample on MBA Program or any similar topic only for you Order Now Apparently, the course is promising, because it pays attention to existing theories of business and applies them to business-related communications. A person would surely benefit from such knowledge. Further expectations are to become aware of necessary practical skills how to develop effective communication, how to avoid barriers and how to develop leadership, managerial, administrative and organizational potential. MBA will give an opportunity to become more aware and experienced in dealing with business issues. After the course I’ll increase my awareness how to improve communication cross-culturally and within organization. The course provides lots of opportunities for self-improvement and self-perfection. That is why I am really interested and motivated to enter MBA Program. Speaking about my leadership skills I want to say that I am very flexible person and I am able to work in team and under pressure. I am able to adapt to many perplexing and confusing situations and places. I am sure I am able to contribute I have certain experience in leading projects and, thus, have relative knowledge how to manage affairs and accomplish tasks. Also I’d like to underline that I am a person with creative and critical thinking and I am sure that only innovations and new ideas lead to success. Nowadays it is the era of information culture and most facts come from creative thinking. Therefore, my creative abilities always help me to find and marshal good arguments and information, to define truth and fallacies. Finally, my positive qualifications are punctuality, assertiveness, readiness develop mentally and intellectually. It is a matter of fact that nowadays the labor environment remains highly competitive and more people are tending to seek for knowledge improvement in order to find better job opportunities.   Nowadays everything is swiftly changing and many things can be improved. I think MBA Program is the primary source of information as it provides relevant studies conducted by professors and teachers. References How to write an Admission Essay and Personal Statement. (2006, August 26). Retrieved June 24, 2007, from http://admissionsuccess.endlex.com How to cite MBA Program, Papers

Blue Ocean Strategy and Customer Satisfaction Cycle

Question: Describe the Report for Blue Ocean Strategy and Customer Satisfaction Cycle. Answer: Executive summary The business industry has adopted a different angle as a result of the stiff competition that exists in the market. To stand out, organizations adopt different business strategies that are aimed at out-competing the market rivals and achieve the customer satisfaction. However, such strategies are not sustainable and are not suitable for a long-term plan that would create a unique business environment. As a result, blue ocean strategy is adopted by businesses so as to render the competition irrelevant by adopting different strategies that will not only meet the demands of the customer satisfaction cycle, but will be a long-terms solution for the business. Two major strategies adopted by businesses are value innovation and evaluation of the business position in the blue ocean strategy. Introduction With the current global business environment, stiff competition is a major challenge facing many companies. Businesses that make it through must thus set a pace through creation of unique product profile that can profit from the lucrative available markets despite the level of competition. According to Srinivasan (2012) the goal of the blue ocean strategy that suggests that business enterprises or companies are better off designing ways and strategies of gaining uncontested marketing other than the engagement on the traditional competitive competition. In their book, Mauborgne and Kim (2015) points out that business organizations can adopt a red ocean working environment where business vigorously compete against one another for a share of the market. Instead, business organizations need to find a way of working in a competition-free market. According to blue ocean strategy, businesses need to adopt different strategic moves within the competitive industries that make them unique inst ead of having strategies that increase the battling methods. As a result, the business management will be able to have a systematically creative and uncontested market that is ripe for growth as pointed out by Yang and Yang (2011). This paper presents a detailed analysis of how the blue ocean strategy affects the customer satisfaction cycle. It starts with providing an overview of the customer satisfaction cycle as it presents an evaluation and discussion of the blue ocean strategy in the customer cycle. Overview of the customer satisfaction cycle Customer satisfaction cycle is the description of the progression of the strategic steps followed by customers when making decisions, purchasing, using or maintaining loyalty to a service or a product. According to Srinivasan (2012), customer satisfaction cycle is categorized into five distinct steps such as acquisition, retention, reaching, conversion, and loyalty. In other words, it involves getting the attention of a potential customer, teaching them what a business offers, converting them into paying customers and keeping them as loyal customers who are satisfied with the services. As a result, Yang and Yang (2011) point out that such customer is in a position of urging other customers to join such a cycle and even refer other customers as well. In his study on the survey process of customer satisfaction, Haafen (2016) effective client satisfaction management requires long lasting and visionary strategies that are dedicated centrally to nurturing and protecting the process of cus tomer satisfaction. A business organization hence requires having a clear responsibility on customer satisfaction to promote a consistent and transparent survey process. In coordinating efforts and strategies for continuous improvement, a business enterprise needs to design its activities according to the planning, doing, checking, and acting Deming cycle. It both demonstrates and emphasizes that the program of customer satisfaction begins with careful planning, to result in effective action, and should be checked and measured in a consistent and continuous manner. Plan- it is a central responsibility of the satisfaction manager who establishes the objectives of the survey process that are essential in delivering results as per the expected output of the business. The manager thus plans survey invitations, reminders, and closure. Do- It is a responsibility of the central satisfaction manager that involves the implementation and execution of the survey process. Check- The central customer satisfaction manager measures the processes while comparing the results against the expected results in the process of ascertaining the differences. It hence helps in the creative and careful generation of survey response data analysis. Act- It is executed by the sales, purchase, and logistic manager. The manager is trusted with the responsibilities of compiling customer satisfaction reports, analysis of the reports, and selection of the focal areas in determining their cause as part of the PDCA strategies. The manager is thus able to determine where to changes need to be applied including improvement. Figure 1: The diagrammatic representation of the customer satisfaction cycle Pitta (2013) point out that when a pass through the four stages does not generate the expected improvement within the customer satisfaction cycle, the scope of the business is refined so as to correct the necessary changes. It thus means that reporting the customer satisfaction needs to be consistent, timely, continuous, accurate, and reliable. The customer satisfaction cycle is thus necessary for reporting the structure and flow of the marketing responses so as to make relevant and satisfactory decisions to standardize the procedures so as to meet the needs of the customers as pointed out by Yang and Yang (2011). However, the process may face certain challenges as a result of the stiff market competition and the ever increasing market dynamics in the current business environment as asserted by Taylor (2016). It is at this point that blue ocean strategy is necessary so as to create a different in the business activities and strategies of an organization despite the competition in the market. Discussion and analysis of Blue Ocean Strategy its effect on customer satisfaction The reality in the current business market is companies engaging in head-to-head competition while searching for profitable growth. Both small-scale and large-scale business companies battle over the market share, struggle for differentiation and fight for the competitive advantages in the market. In his study, Sushil (2012) points out that the head-on competition has nothing like a good impact but instead a bloody read-ocean of a rival who are struggling over a shrinking profit pool while failing to build sustainable and meaningful strategies that can profit growth in the future. Doug (2014) asserts that the universe of business consists of two major kinds of space, viz Blue Ocean and Red Ocean. The red ocean represents industries that are in existence in the current market, also known as the current marketplace. Here, the business boundaries are strategically defined and accepted by the participants as everyone understands the rule of the game. The business enterprises involved try outperforming their rivals so as to grab a greater share of the existing market demands. As space gets crowded with time, it reduces the prospects for business growth and profit making. As a result, the products become the commodities as the increasing competition turns the water bloody. On the other hand, Doug (2014) also denotes that the blue ocean represents all the industries that do not exist in the market. It is also referred to as the unknown market space that is not yet tainted by competition. Such a space gives the business an opportunity to create the demand rather than fighting for it so as to enjoy the ample time for rapid and profitable growth. Doug hence denotes two primary ways of creating Blue Ocean where in limited instances; businesses can give rise to the completely new industry. The Blue Ocean is hence created from within the red ocean where a business alters the boundaries of existing industries. The process involves creating a meaningful competitive advantage by developing organizational capabilities that enable the enterprise to design and deliver distinctive and unique customer experiences. Such a step, the business creates a value that is distinctive in the market so as to satisfy a real client/customer need that does not only deal with relev ant, unique, or appropriate product or service but addresses the emotional and experimental elements needed by the customers as well (Sushil, 2012). With the nature of the current business environment, Taylor (2016) points out that it is necessary for a competitive business strategy to focus on the strategies activities that can be adopted to beat the competition. However, the blue ocean strategy applies a different view of creating a new marketplace for the business that will allow one to write business rules that will promote unique strategies to the competitive market. Adopting the blue ocean strategy in a business hence require the business to adopt different strategies that would affect the response and satisfaction of the customers as per the products and services of the business. Arnould and Wallendorf (2015) hence points out two major factors that a business is adopting the blue ocean strategy needs to understand too as to meet the satisfaction needs of the customers in the market. These include knowing the business position in the blue ocean as well as value innovation procedures to meet the needs of both new and existin g customers in relevance to the customer satisfaction cycle. Value innovation to challenge growth of competition the current business environment As businesses are getting larger and organic challenges growing bigger, Mishra, Mohanty, and Mohanty, (2015) point out that the current business market is challenged by profitable organic growth since. As more nimble and agile competitors gets to disrupt the market, value differentiator that caused the initial growth becomes a bigger challenge. In the process of meeting the satisfactory demand of the customers in the market, many business organizations tend to share an implicit set of beliefs and conventional wisdom about where and what services and products do customer value. With the strategies dominated by ideas that can make the businesses stay ahead in the competitive market, Pitta (2013) points out that organizations view the business opportunities through a lens of their existing capabilities and assets. Focusing on what they can offer as well as what they can do best, they develop a competitive convergence that creates a competition solely on the basis of incremental improvem ents in quality and cost. However, differentiated and winning business enterprises under enlightened management principles pay little or no attention to beating or matching their rivals. Motley (2011) points out that winning and satisfying customer requires business organizations to seek to make the competitors irrelevant through a strategic logic of value innovation that will create a blue ocean strategy for the business. Value addition is identified as the major strategy for satisfactorily meeting the needs of the client. With the blue ocean strategy as the major strategy for adoption in satisfying customers, value innovators have learned not to accept the conditions of the industry or even let competitors set their perimeters for their strategic thinking. Value innovators do not focus on comparing the weaknesses and strengths with those of the business rivals so as to strategize a business advantage. They are also not interested in the margin competition for incremental share. Blue ocean strategy hence require a value innovation logics that targets towards dominating the market by offering a tremendous leap in product and value and services as pointed out by Kim and Mauborgne (2014). It is hence the best strategy that will cover all the facets of the check, plan, do, and act in the customer satisfaction cycle through innovation and sustained performance. In their study and analysis of the current business environment and customer satisfaction, Mishra, Mohanty, and Mohanty (2015) reports that many customers desire innovation towards the organic production of food and non-food products. Blue ocean strategy is hence the best market strategy to adopt to ensure success in the organic value innovations so as to win new customers and retain the existing ones. Blue ocean strategy thus helps in the efficient allocation and management of resources so as to meet the needs of customers based on their worth. The strategy helps in promoting or completing proposition of a customer value to ensure a business develops its current customers through sustainable, relevant, and appropriate cross-sell and up-sell business initiatives. It hence motivates leap development in the value of the products and services for both the customers and the buyers so as to create all new satisfactory customer demands. Harper (2015) hence concludes that creating a blue oc ean is reliant on product and services innovation as well as delivery experiences that can satisfactorily meet the demand so of the customers. Finding a space in the blue ocean and building an organizational blue ocean strategy In meeting the demands and customers satisfaction requirements, many companies in the red ocean focus on ideas that position them directly against the competitors. For both small and large business enterprises, once can have an idea that had been presented in the market before but presents it in a different way that will make it unique and render the stiff market competition irrelevant (Srinivasan, 2012). Blue ocean strategy hence opens up new innovative opportunities in the market that will timely provide the desires of the customers hence satisfying their needs. It thus helps in evaluating what makes effective customer satisfaction depending on both qualitative and quantitative market indicators. Finding a space in the blue ocean hence helps the business to clearly understand the relationship between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction as importance factors that can help in the achievement of the business success. Yang and Dylan (2011) point out that customers are increasing ly demanding for suppliers who increasingly improve their supply and quality product provision. As a result, finding a space in the blue ocean through strategic business ideas enables an organization to build a satisfactory business environment for the customers. Where or when do the customers need for the product improvement needs to begin is a vital question that every business needs to answer. As a result, Taylor (2016) identifies the blue ocean strategy as a step that will help in identifying the events that occur before the customers realize they have a need to be satisfied. Knowing the needs of the customers thus enables the organization to evaluate the business strategies so as to understand the customer experience so as to identify the relevant hurdles that need improvement. The evaluation of the business strategies enables a clear understanding of the customer response to the satisfaction cycle thus helping in the identification of the strategic ideas that can be effective in the business as pointed out by Mishra, Mohanty, ad Mohanty (2015). Conclusion Competing in overcrowded business industries is not a sustainable way of high performance. As a result, it is vital that businesses develop operational customer-centric strategies that will draw them out of the red ocean and enable it to stand out. With the competitive nature of the business industry in the 21st century, it is essential that business enterprises adopt blue ocean strategies that will enable the competition irrelevant while satisfactorily meeting the needs of the client. Businesses hence need to adopt different innovative ideas that do not focus on out-competing the rivals but gives the business unique market performance despite the stiff competition in the market. Blue ocean strategy is hence the best way to go for businesses that target at a long-term customer satisfaction of both new and existing clients in the market margins. It can only be achieved when a business industry critically understands the factors that need to be raised in the market above the existing industry standards, factors that need to be eliminated, those that need to be reduced below the industry standards, and factors that can be created that have never existed in the market. These four factors will not only enable the business to meet the needs of the existing customers but will open more opportunities for value innovation, which is a major demand in the current business industry. It is hence a wholesome strategy that will assist in meeting all the strategic steps in the customer satisfaction cycle while adopting strategic that will pull out the business organization from the red ocean of stiff competition. References Arnould, E. J., Wallendorf, M. (2015). Market-Oriented Ethnography: Interpretation Building and Marketing Strategy Formulation.Journal Of Marketing Research (JMR),31(4), 484-504. Doug, L. (2016). Customer-Centricity - Blue Ocean Strategy, Retrieved from https://customerthink.com/customer-centricity-blue-ocean-strategy/ Harper, S. C. (2015). Recognize the rules of engagement.Industrial Engineer: IE,47(5), 32-37. Kim, W. C., Mauborgne, R. (2014). Blue Ocean Leadership. (cover story).Harvard Business Review,92(5), 60-72. Mishra, S. P., Mohanty, A. K., Mohanty, B. (2015). Are There Dominant Approaches to Strategy Making?.Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal Of Management,12(1), 1-42. Motley, L. B. (2011). Finding Your Bank's 'Blue Ocean' Strategy.ABA Bank Marketing,40(4), 44. Pitta, D. (2013). Issues in a down economy: blue oceans and new product development.Journal Of Product Brand Management,18(4), 292-296. doi:10.1108/10610420910972819 Srinivasan, M. S. (2014). The Challenge of Execution in a Changing World.Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal Of Management,11(1), 135-142. Srinivasan, M. S. (2012). Rethinking Corporate Strategy - A Consciousness Perspective.Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal Of Management,6(1), 119-130. Sushil. (2012). Making Flowing Stream Strategy Work.Global Journal Of Flexible Systems Management,13(1), 25-40. doi:10.1007/s40171-012-0003-8 Taylor,S, C. (2016). Blue Ocean Strategy for small businesses, Retrieved from https://fundbox.com/blog/blue-ocean-strategy-small-business/ Yang, C, Dylan S, (2011). An Integrated Model of Value Creation Based on the Refined Kanos Model and the Blue Ocean Strategy.Total Quality Management Business Excellence, Special Issue: From Value Creation to Customer Satisfaction. Vol. 22, issue 9): 925-940. Yang, C., Yang, K. (2011). An integrated model of value creation based on the refined Kano's model and the blue ocean strategy.Total Quality Management Business Excellence,22(9), 925-940. doi:10.1080/14783363.2011.611358

Inequality of Development of Saudi Arabia

Introduction Development involves integration of modern advances in technology, democracy, social organizations, values, as well as, ethics into a single humanitarian project of making the world a better place to live. In the strongest sense, development involves using the resources of a country to improve the living standards of the poorest citizens.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Inequality of Development of Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the weakest sense, development can be described as the use of a country’s productive resources for the benefit of a few individuals. Economic development refers to â€Å"a multi-dimensional process that not only involves economic growth but also a re-organization of the entire economic system alongside the social, political and economic spheres†. Consequently, development involves both economic growth and change. In this context, change means a ttainment of specific ideals of modernization which include increase in productivity, modern knowledge, social/ economic equality, as well as, improved institutions. In strict economic sense, development has traditionally been associated with an increase in the production capacity of a country as measured by its GDP. However, GDP is not a good measure of development since it does not take into account issues such as, health, urbanization, equality, external dependence and institutional development. A more effective measure of development is the human development index (HDI). Using the HDI involves assessing a country’s level of poverty, unemployment, delivery of basic services, as well as, inequality. This paper focuses on development by assessing the level of inequality in Saudi Arabia. The distribution of national income and delivery of basic services will be discussed. Overview of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the second largest Arab country in the world and the largest in western Asia. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan, as well as, Iraq in the north. It is also bordered by Kuwait, Qatar, as well as, United Arab Emirates in the east. The Red sea borders the country in the west while Oman and Yemen lay to the east of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia covers a land area of approximately 2.2 million km2. The country has a population of approximately 27 million people.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since its inception in 1932, Saudi Arabia operates under an absolute monarchy system of government. The king performs legislative, executive, as well as, judicial functions. The king also serves as the country’s prime minister. Consequently, he leads the council of ministers with the aid of two deputy prime ministers. Key positions in the government are held by the members of the royal family. Islam is the official religion in Saudi Arabia. The socia l, political and even economic policies are based on Islamic principles such as Islamic banking system. Saudi Arabia has a relatively stable political environment as compared to other Arab countries. It also enjoys strong political ties with foreign countries. However, Saudi Arabia has recently been associated with terrorist activities. This has negatively impacted its relationship with western countries, especially, the United States of America. Saudi Arabia possesses the second largest oil reserve in the world. Thus, it is also the second largest exporter of oil in the world. Currently, the oil industry accounts for nearly 90% of the country’s exports. The government of Saudi Arabia derives 75% of its revenue from oil exports. Inequality and Economic Growth in Saudi Arabia In development, inequality refers to the disparities or differences in the distribution of income and economic resources of a country. It also includes disparities in the provision of basic services. Thus , inequality can be witnessed among citizens (vertical inequality) and between different regions in the country (horizontal inequality). In 2010, Saudi Arabia’s economic growth (GDP) was estimated to be 6.4%. Through years of investments and increased oil exports, Saudi Arabia has always experienced steady economic growth. The rapid economic growth stimulated development in various sectors of the country. However, the development resulting from the rapid economic growth varies from region to region and from sector to sector. To begin with, the government has always focused on developing the public sector at the expense of the private sector. Oil as the main source of revenue in Saudi Arabia is considered a national resource. The oil industry contributes up to 45% of the country’s gross domestic product. The private sector, on the other hand, contributes only 40% of the gross domestic product. Given the significance of oil in the country’s economic growth, the go vernment channels most of its funds towards the development of the oil industry. However, the public sector where the oil industry is classified is mainly dominated by the royal family.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Inequality of Development of Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The royal family has great control over the companies that drill and market the country’s oil. Thus, a large percentage of the oil and gas resources are controlled by the royal family and a few influential business men who account for less than five percent of the country’s population. Additionally, massive investments in the public sector in terms of jobs and salary increments have only benefited a few. This is because majority of Saudi Arabians are employed in the private sector. In light of these disparities, the government through its fourth development plan began to encourage private enterprise in 1950s. T he government supported private investments by offering financial assistance and economic incentives to promote the growth of private firms. Consequently, the contribution of the private sector to non-oil GDP rose to 70%. However, the growth in the private sector has since been realized only in the agriculture, banking, as well as, construction industries. The oil industry is still dominated by the royal family. The first two development plans that were implemented in Saudi Arabia focused on building infrastructure. Consequently, the road network and electricity generation expanded three fold. However, infrastructure development was mainly undertaken in the cities/ urban areas and the oil mining centers. The rural areas where the poorest and minority groups live still lack adequate infrastructure in terms of roads, railways and electricity. Regional development in Saudi Arabia is relatively fair compared to other Arab countries. The government promotes development in all regions in order to ensure equality. For instance, the government has announced plans to build six new industrialized cities by 2020. The cities will be spread across the country and will increase per capita income in each region to $33, 500 by 2020. Income Distribution Income distribution describes the manner in which a country’s GDP is shared among its population. In 2010, Saudi Arabia’s per capita income was $24,200, which was among the highest in the world. However, per capita income is not a good measure of income distribution since the actual funds might not necessarily reach the poorest citizens. The high poverty rate in Saudi Arabia is an indication of the inequality in income distribution.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The number of Saudi Arabians who can not afford food and decent housing continues to rise annually. However, the government denies claims of high poverty rates and hardly issues data on the country’s poverty levels. In 2010, over 11% of Saudi Arabians were not employed. The unemployment rate is likely to be higher since women are never included in Saudi Arabia’s statistics. The royal family that comprises approximately 6,000 individuals controls over $400 billion of the country’s currency. In general, 90% of the country’s income benefits only one third of the population. The royal family is the upper class, and approximately 20 million out of 27 million citizens belong to the lower and lower-middle class. Following the decline in economic growth in 1950s, and rising discontent among the citizens, the government decided to improve distribution of the country’s wealth. Thus, in the fourth development plan, the government embarked on privatization of state owned corporations. Additionally, the private sector was allowed to participate in the telecommunication and energy industries. The aim was to increase the private sector’s ownership of state enterprises to 70%. Through privatization, many Saudi Arabians have had a chance to own state corporations and share the income generated by such corporations. However, not all citizens are able to participate in the privatization due to the high poverty levels. Additionally, corruption in the government limits the citizens’ chances of owning state corporations through privatization. In most countries, the tax system is used to influence the distribution of national income. Governments often use progressive taxes to redistribute income from the rich to the poor. Tax rebates and subsidies are often given to the poor in order to improve their disposable incomes. As a planned economy, Saudi Arabia focuses on equal income distribution through fair taxes. The government does not levy taxes on incomes earned through employment. Additionally, individuals who are not involved in any business activity are exempted from interest and dividend taxes. However, only residents of Saudi enjoy the income tax relief. Saudi nationals who operate businesses involving commercial goods within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are subject to an Islamic tax. The tax is referred to as Zakat and is charged at a flat rate of 2.5% on both property and income. Corporations and individuals who engage in business activities pay an income interest of 20%. In this context, business activities include financial services, professional activity and trading activities. Employed Saudi Arabians are expected to contribute 9% of their income to the national social security fund. The fund caters for old age, disability, and death. However, civil servants, farmers and domestic savants are exempted from these contributions. The tax system is fair since it leaves citizens with high disposable income. H owever, it promotes inequality since it can not redistribute income from the high income earners to the low income earners. Additionally, only the employed citizens are able to benefit from the tax reliefs. Provision of Basic Needs A country is considered to be developing if its citizens are able to access basic services such as education, health care and security. In most countries, the basic services are defined as public goods. Consequently, they are provided by the government in order to reduce inequality in accessing them. The commitment of the government of Saudi Arabia to provide basic services and social safety nets to its citizens can be illustrated by the country’s development plans. Saudi’s third development plan which was implemented from 1980 to 1985 promoted development of infrastructure in education, health, as well as, social services. The fifth development plan was implemented between 1990 and 1995. The plan led to the improvement of the countryâ€℠¢s internal security. It also led to efficiency improvements in the provision of social services, as well as, regional development. Between 1996 and 2000, the government implemented the sixth development plan. The sixth plan focused on reducing the cost of providing basic services without reducing the number of services provided by the government. From 2005 to 2010, the government implemented the eighth plan which focused on education and empowerment of women. The plan led to construction of new universities and collages. The current plan focuses on expansion of education, health and housing sectors. The objectives of the current development plan will be achieved by 2014. In the context of equality, the effectiveness of these development plans can be explained as follows. Education The government of Saudi Arabia has taken cognizance of the importance of education in development. Consequently, free education is provided by the government in order to enhance access. Enrollment in Saud i’s primary schools is at 98.1%. In order to proceed from primary to intermediate level, students must qualify by passing an exam. This leads to a reduction in enrollment at the intermediate level to 95.9%. At the secondary level, the enrolment further drops to 91.8%. In general, these percentages indicate that there is equality in accessing basic education. Additionally, the literacy rate is above 90%. Even though access to basic education is high, the quality is still low. In particular, the curricular is dominated by religious teachings and rote learning. Consequently, most high school and collage students lack technical skills that are needed at the workplace. Access to high quality education remains the preserve of the rich who are able to send their children to overseas universities. Health Care Health care services are financed by the government. However, the medical services are delivered by both the government and the private sector. The ministry of health oversees t he provision of preventive, curative, as well as, rehabilitative health care services. The services are provided through a network of over 1900 public medical centers. There are also 220 public referral hospitals that offer specialized treatment. The ministry of education provides health care to students while the ministry of labor and social affairs provides rehabilitation health care. Overall, good access, as well as, effective care has been reported for services such as immunization, maternal care, as well as, disease control. The high access rate is an indication of equality. However, the poor access to treatment for chronic diseases is an indication of inequality. Water Water is a very important commodity due to its scarcity in Saudi Arabia. In order to increase access to clean water, the government has invested heavily in water distribution, treatment of waste water and desalination. Additionally, the government finances the provision of water for domestic use. However, majori ty of Saudi Arabians can not access clean water on a regular basis. For instance, statistics for 2011 indicates that residents of Riyadh, Saudi’s capital, were able to access water only once in every three days. In Jeddah, the citizens were able to access clean water only once in every nine days. It is only the rich, especially, the royal family who can access clean water on a daily basis. Human Rights The socio-cultural norms and the Islamic laws that govern Saudi Arabia restrict the freedom of women. Such restrictions are reflected in women’s participation in economic activities and the political process. The law in Saudi Arabia grants women the right to own land, property, as well as, to enter financial contracts. However, women’s rights to ownership can hardly be exercised due to social norms and other laws. For instance, women who intend to operate a business must employ male managers before receiving licenses for their businesses. Additionally, women are l egally under the guardianship of their male counterparts. This limits women’s ability to independently own property or a business. Apart from access to economic resources, the inequality between men and women also exists in education. For instance, the literacy rate for men is 95% while that for women is 89%. Saudi Arabia’s Relationship with the World Globalization is an integral aspect of every country’s development. As economies embark on economic growth, they must also search for new markets for their surplus produce. This has necessitated international trade and globalization. For a country to effectively participate in international trade, it must have good foreign relations with its trading partners. In light of this requirement, the government of Saudi Arabia has focused on fostering strong political and economic ties with the rest of the world. This can be illustrated by the country’s membership in world organizations. In 1945, Saudi Arabia became a member of the United Nations (UN). Saudi Arabia is also a â€Å"member of the Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Muslim World League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference†. As a leading oil producer, Saudi Arabia belongs to the OPEC group of countries. Saudi Arabia plays a key role in the formulation of OPEC’s pricing policy. Generally, the country focuses on stabilization of international oil prices through OPEC in order to protect the interest of Western economies. Saudi Arabia is also a member of the World Trade Order (WTO). From 1970s to 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia spent over $70 billion in foreign aid. The funds were used to support development projects in various countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However, Saudi Arabia’s generous foreign aid has been associated with promotion of Wahhabism. Wahhabism is an Islamic sect that is linked to terrorist attacks and intolerance to non-Muslims. Most Arab countries consider Saudi Arabia to be a close ally of western countries, especially, America. For instance, in 1991, Saudi Arabia assisted the US in the Gulf War by hosting the latter’s troops. Saudi Arabia’s association with America has always been opposed by other Arab countries and some Saudi nationals. Consequently, Saudi Arabia has since limited its association with America. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and America suffered a major setback when the latter associated the former with the Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist groups. In the Arab world, Saudi plays an important role in promoting peace. For instance, the country supports America’s inversion of Iran in order to destroy Iranian nuclear program. Saudi Arabia has also helped to mediate peace between Palestine and Israel. Currently, the main trading partners of Saudi Arabia include USA, Japan, China, as well as, South Korea. Overall, Saudi Arabia has a good relationship with the rest of the world. This has promoted equalit y in Saudi Arabia by enabling its citizens to benefit from globalization. For instance, Saudi nationals are able to access higher education in foreign countries. Additionally, the country’s citizens can access foreign goods and markets. Causes of Inequality in Saudi Arabia Political system The monarchy system of governance is partly blamed for the escalation of inequality in Saudi Arabia. To begin with, non- royal family members have been locked-out of the leadership of the country. The democratic space is limited and views that contradict the perspectives of the ruling class are never tolerated. Additionally, formulation of economic policy is dominated by the ruling class. Lack of public participation in policy formulation has resulted into implementation of policies that promote inequality instead of reducing it. Lack of democracy also promotes corruption within the royal family and government cycles. The ruling class takes advantage of their positions to enrich themselves with the country’s oil and gas resources at the expense of the citizens. Expenditure by the royal family, for instance, accounts for a large portion of the country’s budget. Corrupt government officials also illegally acquire resources that are meant to benefit the most vulnerable groups. Wealth Concentration Less than a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s population controls more than three quarters of the country’s wealth. In particular, the royal family and a few business men control most of the country’s wealth. Concentration of wealth in the hands of a few is partly promoted by the tax system. The government charges a fixed income tax for all income groups and businesses. Since the tax is not progressive, income can not be redistricted from the rich to the poor. The tax system has significantly contributed to the development of an extremely rich class and an extremely poor class in the same economy. The middle class is consistently reducing in size. Dev elopment Patterns Empirical studies reveal that countries experiencing slow development have relatively low levels of inequality. However, as a country begins to experience rapid growth, more wealth is generated and owned by the owners of capital, thereby causing inequality. As a rapidly growing economy, Saudi Arabia has been able to generate a lot of wealth in the last decade. The government’s commitment to expand the private sector has promoted capitalism and ownership of private property. Consequently, the balk of the country’s income is controlled by the owners of capital. Inequality is perpetuated by the lack of effective social welfare programs to reverse the inequality in wealth distribution. Responses to Inequality The government of Saudi Arabia can consider the following recommendations to reduce both vertical and horizontal inequality in the country. First, equity can be achieved by dispensing the revenues accruing from oil and gas directly to the citizens. I n this case, the uniform transfer of cash to citizens will act as a progressive tax. Thus, it will help in reducing the rich to poor disposable income ratio, thereby reducing vertical inequality. Second, in order to prevent widening of the gap between the rich citizens and their poor counterparts, the government should promote productivity, as well as, export growth in the manufacturing and agricultural sector. The government can also create jobs in the public sector for the citizens rendered jobless in the private sector. Pro-poor policies can also be adopted by the government to improve the socio-economic status of the poor groups. Third, horizontal inequality can be reduced through equitable sharing of revenue between the central government and the local governments. In a nutshell, the oil revenue should be decentralized. Conclusion Saudi Arabia is one of the richest and fastest growing economies in the Arab world. The country derives over 75% of its revenues from its vast oil re serves. Despite having a lot of wealth, inequality and poverty still exist in Saudi Arabia. High levels of inequality exist in the distribution of the country’s income. Most of the financial and other economic resources are controlled by the royal family and a few business men who account for less than one quarter of the population. Even though basic services are provided with relatively high levels of equality, the quality of most services such as education and health is still poor. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world remains strong. The main causes of inequality in Saudi Arabia include the political system, wealth concentration and development patterns. The inequalities can be addressed through equitable distribution of national income and implementation of pro-poor policies. Works Cited Ahmed, Syed. â€Å"Professional Insights: Business Women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.† International Journal of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 30.7 (2 011): 610-614. Print. Albatel, Abdullah. â€Å"Government Activity and Policy and Economic Development in Saudi Arabia.† Journal of Economic and Administrative Science 19.2 (2003): 1-2. Print. Al-Sakran, Sulaiman. â€Å"Leverage Determinants in the Absence of Corporate Tax System: the Case of Non-Financial Publicly Traded Corporates in Saudi Arabia.† Managerial Finance 27.10 (2001): 58-86. Print. Basu, Kaushik. Analytical Development Economics. New York: Cengage Learning, 2003. Print. Boscheck, Ralf. â€Å"The Governance of Oil Supply: an Institutional Pespective on NOC Central and the Questions it Poses.† International Journal of Energy Sector Management 1.4 (2007): 366-389. Hayami, Yujiro and Yoshihisa Godo. Development Economics. New York: Cengage , 2005. Print. Hosad, Soraya. â€Å"The Rise of Consumerism in Saudi Arabian Society.† International Journal of Commerce and Management 17.1 (2008): 73-104. Print. Jasimaddin, Sajjad. â€Å"Analyzing the Com petitive Advanatges of Saudi Arabia with Porter’s Model.† Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing 16.1 (2001): 59-68. Print. Kayed, Rusem and Kabir Hassan. â€Å"Saudi Arabia’s Economic Development: Entrepreneurship as Strategy.† International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management 4.1 (2011): 52-73. Print. Niblock, Tim. Saudi Arabia: Power, Legimacy and Survival. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2006. Print. Nixson, Felix. Development Economics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print. Sigel, Eckhard. Development Economics. New York: Cengage, 2005. Print. This essay on Inequality of Development of Saudi Arabia was written and submitted by user Tristen C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

German war effort in World War essays

German war effort in World War essays By late 1943 the Germans war efforts in Russia where looking more and more bleak. With a large number of German forces still entrenched in the Russian heartland problems that they faced where surmounting quickly. One would have to look back at 1942 to see the beginning of the difficulties the Germans faced both on the frontlines and back in Germany. In July 1943, the battle of Kursuk began, which was given the codename of Operation Citadel by the Germans. This battle was to be one of the wars largest armored engagements of the war on the eastern front. This battle lasted less than a month. The attitude of the German High Command is seen when Keegan states "No one was readier to admit defeat than Hitler. 'Thats the last time I will heed the advice of my General Staff, 'he told his adjutants after a meeting with Manstein and Kluge on 13 July to decide the future of the operation, and he ordered Citadel to be closed down." (Keegan pg 471) German panzer production was well below the expected output of 1000 a month, in actual production of only 300 plus panzers a month. During the short, but decisive, battle of Kursuk approximately half of the monthly output had been lost in the short period when the operation began until Hitler called it off. German war equipment and logistical support was being hampered by the Allied bombing of major industrial centers and city centers. Overy points out that "The bombing offensive caused German military leaders to drain much needed air strength away from the main fighting fronts to protect the Reich, weakening German resistance in the Soviet Union and the Mediterranean." (Overy, pg 129) German aircraft production turned from bombers to fighters, which reduced the bombing effect on the Soviet front. The treat of German air strikes during the Battle of Kursuk and the following German retreat was severely reduced with the Allied bombings in Germany. The intense bombing had a very disheartening e ...

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society A Nation Changer: How Title IX has changed sports and society Oftentimes when people think of what has changed this nation’s foundations, they think of the Civil Rights Movement and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Not many people think about a piece of legislation passed in 1972 that prohibits participation, denied benefits, and discrimination based on sex in any education program receiving federal financial aid. This keystone piece in our history is called Title IX and has been under the microscope of scrutiny for nearly four decades, and to be honest, it should not be such the controversial subject it is. [NT1] When people think of Title IX, they often associate it with collegiate athletics. People think that way because they are not aware that it includes academics, support services, clubs, and so on. As a society we have unfortunately become glued to ESPN that we forget there is more to life than who beat the New York Yankees or what NFL superstar got arrested. The Women’s Sports Foundation revealed in a question-answer article that despite the ongoing claims and litigation brought to court by individuals and parents, more people are becoming more accepting of this law, signifying a major shift in society’s views of women in sports (â€Å"Title IX†). We as a society should not need this law, although important, to ensure gender equity. Instead, we should view men and women as equals. Title IX has expanded beyond the athletic fields and courts, beyond what society thinks it only deals with, and is now a major issue in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Since its enactment, women have become empowered and passionate about changing the society’s view of their sex across the board. Take one look at the last presidential election. The United States of America almost had for the first time in history, a female vice president in Sarah Palin. Even more so, look at who is running the State of North Carolina: Beverly Perdue. I found out from the Women’s Sports Foundation website that in order to be compliant with Title IX, a school must pass two parts of a three-part analysis. The first part is to provide athletic participation slots significantly proportionate to total student enrollment. The second part is that federally-funded institutions must show ongoing commitment to athletic opportunity expansion of the underrepresented sex, and lastly, the third part of the compliance analysis is accommodating the underrepresented sex’s interests and abilities (â€Å"Title IX†). I myself have been involved in athletics as a student-equipment manager for about a decade now. I am also majoring in Sport Management with a concentration in Athletic Administration at Western Carolina University. I am familiar with how Title IX works in an athletic department as a result of my curricula. To put the analysis in laymen’s terms, I will use Western Carolina University as an example. There are a total of 287 athletes, 111 being female and 176 being male. That equates to 39 percent and 61 percent respectively. The student body enrollment is 9,429; 56 percent being female and 44 percent being male. Western would not comply with this prong (proportionality test) because the percentages are outside the three percent â€Å"give or take† range. The expansion of athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex prong is commonly referred to as a temporary compliance fix because a school can only use it for so long before they must switch to another prong. Western uses this prong as well as the third prong, the third by including athletic surveys in their admission application. When a student applies for admission, they must list sports they would be interested in playing. This satisfies the third prong of the compliancy test. For the longest time Title IX was only enforced in educational programs and those related. When lawmakers realized that athletic departments are also a part of the educational institution that is when the water really began to boil. One of the most significant examples in history of protesting athletic changes in favor of Title IX is the story of Chris Ernst and the Yale University’s women’s rowing team.[NT2] A member of the 1982 Olympic rowing team, Mary Mazzio produced in 1999, â€Å"A Hero for Daisy†. Figure 1 is a vivid shot of what the young girls did in the Yale AD’s office. According to Mazzio’s film and Ernst’s narrative, it was 1976 when the actual events took place, but the legend lives on: nineteen young women rowers wrote â€Å"Title IX† on their chests and backs and walked into the Yale athletic director’s office and stripped to their waists, revealing the phrase while Ernst read a statement. Before this protest, the women would have to come in after a grueling, sometimes cold, wet practice, and take cold showers. After the protest, the AD put showers in the women’s locker room and the entire story was all over the news†¦all across the country (â€Å"Hero†). [NT3] The main theme behind this film is the girls wanted to stop being treated as inferior to the men and have appropriate shower and locker room facilities. I saw scenes of the women having to get on the bus back to campus with frozen hair the showers were so inadequate. Several of the team members also became ill as a result of to not being abl e to take care of themselves properly. [NT4] Quite simply, the women were fed up with being treated as underdogs to the men and decided to stand up for what they believed was right. In my opinion, these women changed sports and without a doubt, society as well. The result of Chris Ernst’s actions undoubtedly made national news. Of all national broadcasting agencies to put this film on the airwaves was ESPN. The media is the largest form of intelligence transportation known to mankind. Both at Penn State University, Marie Hardin, an associate professor in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, and Erin Whiteside, a student pursuing a doctoral degree in the College of Communications, wrote an article in Newspaper Research Journal titled â€Å"Sports Reporters Divided Over Concerns about Title IX.† The article shows in a series of charts that although most sports journalists are acquainted with Title IX, their beliefs towards the law and homosexual athletes varies according to their own gender and amount of circulation (Hardin 1). Figure 2 gives clear gender-specific views of Title IX and sports: As you can tell from this chart, there is a higher percentage of men that think Title IX has hurt men’s sports than not. Women have a converse view, reporting that they think Title IX has not hurt men’s sports. Again with the second question, more men think that Title IX is just fine the way it is, and a large majority of the women interviewed still think it should be amended. It is a classic example of gender bias; People in this field tend to vote for their own gender no matter what is ethically right in the eyes of society. The media is just as bad, if not the worst, at being fair when it comes to publishing stories on women’s athletics. Hardin and Whiteside’s article states, â€Å"Studies have consistently found that women are positioned as less interesting and capable through both the quantity and quality of coverage. Furthermore, the lack of newspaper coverage devoted to girls’ and women’s sports does not reflect their participation rates, and editors have cited ‘lack of interest’ to justify these decisions† (Hardin 2). Unfortunately, people read more stories about the achievements of male athletes than female. Here’s a classic example: look at how many articles have been written about Shaun White, a professional snowboarder who has only recently made headlines with a spectacular performance at the Winter X Games, and Jamie Anderson, the female equivalent – with not quite the spectacular performance. I said Jamie Anderson and people probab ly had no idea who I was referring to because they did not see her name in quite as many articles explaining how great of a snowboarder she is. I would not say that it is an overall lack of interest in sports amongst females; I think one could unfortunately fault sports journalism for being bias. This biasness among sports journalism is an institutional norm; â€Å"Individuals who choose to resist those institutional norms by supporting women’s sports, for instance, can be ostracized† (Hardin 4). So if I choose to be a sports journalist and chose to go against the common grain of coverage and write about people like Jamie Anderson, I would be considered an outcast. An outcast for doing what I believe is the right thing to do, promoting the achievements of women in athletics. At least that is the mindset of sports journalism more often than not. Title IX is a law seeking to turn the tables of that popular notion. I know that one female in particular used Title IX in her favor and changed the way sports journalism views women. It was Chris Ernst, and when her complaint made the headlines, you can bet it impacted society. The general public might think, â€Å"Title IX sure does seem bias towards women.† They would be right; Title IX is directed more toward providing athletic opportunities for women. Steven Rhoads brings up in his article â€Å"Sports, sex, and Title IX† that this law is supposedly anti-discriminatory, when in fact it is just the opposite. Title IX fails to mention is that in order for institutions to be compliant with the law, some programs dedicated to male involvement must be cut, namely non-revenue earning sports. Take for example wrestling. Each of the three weight classes has a certain number of participants in them; call it twenty for easy math. That brings the grand total to sixty wrestlers. Since wrestling in most schools is not considered a huge ticket sell, it is often dropped due to Title IX requirements. That means sixty young men cannot go after a passion because of a law that tries to get more females active in sports. Rhoads also points out that based on t he interest prong of the compliancy analysis, it is hard to determine what females are interested in. Moreover, he explains that the psychology behind females in sports is much different than males in sports. Males have natural tendency to expend their testosterone-born aggression and competitiveness through sport. Males also make more friendships through involvement in sports. Even a benchwarmer on a football team feels he is a part of the team merely by cheering and being there for his team. Females on the other hand, when they feel they will be cut or see potential for arguments, they quit the team (Rhoads). So going back to the interest prong, could one argue that we are wasting time trying to figure out athletic opportunities for women by doing surveys when they may quit a team at first sign of struggle? Have you ever wondered how the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) schools fare in regard to Title IX? These are schools where the outcomes of football and men’s basketball games make headlines more often than academic research. According to â€Å"Part†, â€Å"Charles Kennedy is a senior instructor of political science at Penn State – York. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer, director of Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Action Center, and assistant to West Virginia’s Secretary of State† (â€Å"Part†). Kennedy came up with a playoff system explained in his article â€Å"Part† to determine compliancy using other factors other than the commonly-used three prong test. His variables come from a 2004 Chronicle of Higher Education gender equity study: participation, scholarships, coaching salaries, and operating expenses. The participation test is quite simple; the number of female student-athletes should be proportionate to the percent age of women in the student body. The scholarship variable is governed by the Office of Civil Rights and mandates that â€Å"colleges must award the same proportions of aid to female athletes as there are women participating in varsity sports. The proportion is to be within one percentage point† (â€Å"Part† 52). Two variables not included in Title IX are coaching salaries and operating expenses. I do believe that coaching salaries should be proportionate and fair because it makes the women coaches just as equal as the men coaches. Although operating expenses are not covered under Title IX, they are of concern with the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act in that the EADA does mandate how much of an athletic budget must be reserved for women’s teams (â€Å"BCS† 53). In Kennedy’s analysis, the BCS Champion of Title IX was Ohio University, outlasting Stanford University 3-1 with individual statistics* of participation (-10.7: 0.0), scholarship (2.55:1. 96), coaching salaries (40.9:38.0) and lastly operating expenses (41.7:39.2). A cheist at the Naval Research Laboratory, Debra Rolison, has done Title IX protesting in the form of holding discussions nationwide in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – STEM – disciplines. [NT5] In an interview report by Toni Feder[NT6] , Rolison feels that these departments should have to maintain a balance of male and female doctorate positions. According to a report given by the Congressional Subcommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, if we want to have better educated graduating classes coming out of our universities and colleges, we need to open the door of recruiting and accepting women in the educational workplace more (Feder). [NT7] Julie Walters is an assistant professor of political science at Oakland University and Connie L. McNeely is a faculty member of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Together they wrote an article addressing gender equity in the STEM fields as well. They shed light on how little Title IX has been discussed in the realm of academics, when in fact academics is probably the more important subject to be discussed than athletics. Women are less inclined to go into STEM fields because â€Å"while both males and females are equally committed to academic careers, women’s higher turnover has been highly correlated with dissatisfaction and lower levels of research support, fewer advancement opportunities, intellectual constraints, and heavier teaching and service workloads† (Walters 1). If that is not sexual discrimination in the workplace, please tell me what is. It is completely unfair to shove more work onto women as retribution for trying to advance in their career. Universities exalt the male by allowing them easier course loads and giving them advancement opportunities quicker than females. I am not a feminist by any means, but I do know where to draw an ethical line, and what some universities do is plainly unethical and purely discriminatory. The worst part of it is that â€Å"an institution may attempt to defend itself by claiming, for example, that all such work is â€Å"voluntary,† but a question arises in the definition of â€Å"voluntary† in practice and application† (Walters 9). Just when people think the institution is the terrible person, take a look at the federal government; â€Å"In 1996, Congress cut or eliminated funding for state Title IX coordinators, and in 2003, cut funding for the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1965, which provided grants in aid in promoting gender equity in educational environments† (Walters 9). What that last quote is saying is Congress basically said that f unding Title IX is no longer important. Schools nationwide need those coordinators to make sure the school is in compliance, and all of a sudden Congress says, â€Å"Gender equity is no longer a big deal to us.† You can bet that Congressional ruling impacted society and quite a few athletic departments. In a report by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, statistics are showing that females are making significant strides in the academic field. According to the report, â€Å"In the last 10 years, the number of girls taking the AP Calculus AB exam has increased nearly 60% and the number of girls taking the AP Physics B exam more than doubled during the same period†¦ And, in 2007, half of the 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search were girls† (â€Å"Science†). Even with a major law in place, women still see the cold shoulder; â€Å"unsupportive classroom environments, a limited peer group and outdated pedagogy; and women scientists and engineers earn less and advance slower than men in both academia and the private sector† (â€Å"Science†). In my opinion, we should accept women and girls not for just beauty, but for the amount of intelligence and other talent they have. In our dismal economy, we cannot afford to be discrimina tory against women, or toward any sexual orientation for that matter. We need the most qualified individuals in the positions, and if the most qualified are women, so be it. Continuing on with the STEM fields, the United States National Aeronautic and Space Administration – NASA – has their own policies on Title IX. NASA grants federal money to universities and other educational institutions for research and development. Since this aid is federal, it makes the entire organization subject to compliance checks. The â€Å"prong† analysis I mentioned earlier does not apply here as much as it does in athletics, but one could argue that the money should be allocated evenly amongst the affected programs. I found out that NASA does conduct random but forewarned interviews and tests among schools that received grants. In comparison to the NCAA punishment policies, NASA is fairly lenient, only bringing down hefty sanctions when the school fails to voluntarily comply[NT8] (NASA).[NT9] In conclusion, I hope that this explanation has left you, the reader, with a better understanding of how Title IX has impacted sports and society. I can only imagine what society was like before Title IX, and I am thankful that we have it today and for the future. Many generations to come will benefit not just in athletics, but in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Without a doubt, the people with passion for reforming society, namely Chris Ernst and people like Debra Rolison, are making the world a more balanced society.

Role and Functions of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role and Functions of Law - Essay Example These interests could be domestic, societal, cultural, economic and political. However, if this pursuance of interests is not governed by agreed upon conventions, precedents, rules and regulations, the society will unexceptionally end up being subject to anarchy and disorder. Hence, it is the institution of law that ushers in decorum into the personal or collective pursuance of interests, thereby ushering in a sense of order that nourishes society and extends to it a chance to get organized and fair. Besides, for any society to work in an ordered manner, it is essential that its affiliates uphold the social norms in all the spheres of their life. Though most of the people living in a society are conversant with the social norms cherished by it, still there will always be a substantial proportion of people who will evince a predilection to negate social norms and understanding in the pursuance of personal satisfaction. So, law is one viable social instrument that could be relied upon to make people stick to relevant social norms (Tamanaha, 1999, p. 250). In that context law stands to be an upholder and protector of social norms and expectations. Codified law makes it amply clear to the people as to which acts pursued by them stand to be acceptable and which ones are illegal and reprehensible. It is also a known fact that disputes tend to be an integral aspect of social, cultural, political and economic interactions. Again it is the law that facilitates methodical procedures for the resolution of disputes. Law also brings in a sense of certainty and stability into any society’s social, cultural, economic and political life, thereby allowing for a scope for growth and development. However, it does not mean that law stands to be a static and vegetative institution. Law does allow for change and also assures that the requisite change is accomplished in an organized and stable manner. It is only law that assures just and fair societies which not only serve a p rivileged few, but rather look after the interests of the aggrieved, weaker and sidelined sections of the society. Law also helps the societies to arrive at and maintain a delicate balance between the powers of the state and the rights of the individuals and groups (Commerce Powers, 2012). Law also makes way for the establishment and execution of the requisite penalties in the instances of the breach of law. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that law is one salient and essential social pillar. In the free market economies, the rules and regulations sanctified by the business law do play an important part in ensuring the right business environment. Again, as already mentioned, in the sphere of business also, law helps in a pragmatic resolution of disputes between two or more business entities (Strier, 1994, p. 193). In business, it is again the law that sets the standards of acceptable behavior for the businesses and firms. It also needs to be mentioned that law protects the nation al and global business environment from being manipulated by a powerful few, by being a protector of ethics and morals (Commerce Powers, 2012). Personally speaking, my role as a professional field service technician is subject to many legal norms and regulations. While serving my customers, it is imperative for me to assure that the services rendered by me happen to be as per the standards, criteria, and safety features set by the related federal and state rules and regula

Public Administration;managing sustainable communities. Midterm exam Essay

Public Administration;managing sustainable communities. Midterm exam - Essay Example This organic kind of development was to accommodate 30,000 citizens within roughly 6,000 acres. A major transport route connected to every division. Stops were situated within the heart of activity, linking each region. Government structures were held within special consideration and they were provided with the locations that seemed or were believed to be the most prominent and easy access. Ebenezer Howard is the founder of Letchworth Garden City and the Garden City movement. In the year 1898, Ebenezer Howard was disgusted at the very distasteful living and functioning conditions within the belatedly 19th Century cities and municipalities. He wrote a manuscript outlining his notions for a totally new system of livelihood. The paperback, Tomorrow, A Peaceful Path to Real Reform, was afterward published again as Garden Cities of Tomorrow in the year 1902. According to McKenzie (1996), Howard envisioned building his Garden City from scratch on an undeveloped six-thousand-acre plot of land. At the center would be a city one thousand acres in area, along with roughly one-and-one-half within diameter. The city is depicted as circular, and crossed from center to circumference by six wide boulevards. At the center would be a five-and-one-half-acre Central Park surrounded by public buildings such as the town hall. Around this park would run a circular Crystal Palace, a glass arcade not unlike the modern shopping mall. Outside this arcade a series of circular streets lined with trees, houses, schools, and gardens would encircle the center. At the edge of the circular city would be the industries, the factories, warehouses, and coal and timber yards, all of which would face outward onto a circular railway encompassing the town and delivering goods to and from the city and its businesses. Outside this perimeter would be a five-thousand-acre belt of agricultural land that would be home to an additional two thousand people engaged in farming. This greenbelt,

The New Right Essay Example for Free

The New Right Essay The New Right, as it is called, has had a phenomenal impact in Britain and the United States since 1979. Both its successes and failures have led to an intense ongoing debate, especially within the British Conservative Party, as to what extent the New Right represents a departure or continuance of, what some perceive as, traditional Conservatism. The long and rich past of the Party has made the citation of a particular period of its history, as being either a source or illustration of traditional Conservatism, very difficult indeed. Nonetheless, certain tenants transcend the breadth of its history to form the criteria by which the New Right can be judged. Conservatism is, first and foremost, composed of many conflicting strands of thought. It does not stand as a monolithic ideology offering an unalterable set of prescriptions which configure to some preconceived, and as yet, unrealised ideal of society. It is not surprising then that there are many conservatives who would deny the attribution of ideology to their beliefs.1 British Conservatism is, therefore, more accurately, characterised by the prevailing strand or grouping at any given time. This displays a fundamental point, namely that Conservatism avoids being ideological because it is, by nature, not. By contrast, one of the most striking aspects of the New Right is its strong ideological fervour. Margaret Thatcher and her mentors, like Sir Keith Joseph, were fired up by the battle they believed they were waging against the damaging post-war consensus and the pernicious ideology of socialism. Unlike previous incarnations of Conservatism, Thatcherism (which is the British New Right) relied heavily on actual thinkers and academics rather than the traditional sort of ancestral wisdom which was personified by Harold Macmillan: who had once said distrust the clever man. In light of this, it is of little surprise then that John Stuart Mill referred to the Tories as the stupid party.2 Although having borrowed from Adam Smith in the early nineteenth century the Conservatives by no means had a Karl Marx. Thatcher felt that this traditional absence of a strong ideology was a disadvantage. She is reported to have said after her election as Party leader in 1975 that: We must have an ideology. The other side have got an ideology that they can test their policies against. We must have one as well. This is where Friedrich A. Hayek, Milton Friedman and the Centre for Policy Studies came in. The Conservative Party had not witnessed this degree of ideological zeal before and it represents something of a departure. It also worked exclusively thereby distancing itself, maybe misleadingly, to what had gone before. Thatcherites saw each MP as either wet (meaning a paternalistic Conservative) or as a dry (an ideologue). The wet Ian Gilmour (dismissed from the Cabinet in 1981) entitled his assault on Thatcherism Dancing with Dogma. It has passed into Thatcher legend how being one of us was the only way to gain favour. The importance of this term is reflected in how it was used as the title of Hugo Youngs acclaimed biography of Margaret Thatcher. This ideologicalism is a departure but it does not represent a complete break with the past. Most Conservatives today, who speak of traditional Conservatism, refer to a paternalistic aspect which reached its zenith in the period after the Second World War up until about Edward Heath. It is usually identified by language which stems from Disraeli and his references to One Nation from his novel Sybil in 1845. It is highly debatable as to whether this is indeed the most traditional form of Conservatism because it did, after all, contain some facets which differed from the eras of Edmund Burke and Robert Peel. Indeed, some of the differences within Conservatism are reflected in the tremendous difference between these two giants of Toryism or Conservatism alone. This complexity is not surprising considering the Partys long history which has seen Conservatives adapt and respond to changing circumstances in order to meet the needs of the Nation and Party. What the two figures above illustrate is a form of Conservatism which reflected the needs of the period within which it had to exist and survive. It also allows for the fair conclusion that traditional Conservatism emerged, in frail form, under Peel in the mid-nineteenth century to embrace its belief in measured and progressive change with a sense of compassion. Although this overview implies differences with the New Right there are also similarities. The New Right fits in with the Conservative tradition of rising to the needs of Nation and Party and is an example of typical Conservative adaptability. It is, after all, the worlds oldest and most successful political party. Peel dramatically refashioned the Tory Party by moving it in a new direction, despite hostile opposition, to expand its base of support and to deal with the land-owning elitism of politics. A tradition continued to a different extent by Disraeli. Much the same could be said for Thatcherism, which pressed unreservedly for the end of the broadly accepted status-quo. Keynesianism (which was already being gently questioned under Jim Callaghan) and corporatism were held responsible for British decline and she aimed to obliterate them. Again, it ushered the Party further in a new direction away from its previous acceptance of such arrangements and the general consensus which had surrounded the essential matters of politics since the War. The Party examined itself and the national condition, remodelling itself accordingly. This is a very distinctive Conservative tradition. The New Right did, however, abandon any notions of paternalism and instead emphasised the importance of economics in emancipating the individual. Economics was above politics. This brought the New Right into conflict with the One Nationists who felt, like P. Norton and A. Aughey in 1981, that the disposition towards economic policy may entail the disseveration of the concept of One Nation.3 The emphasis on free markets, deregulation and an non-interfering state has a strong tradition in Conservatism which stretches back to the publication of Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations. It was, however, a departure from post-war Conservatism. There had always been mixed and opposing views within Conservatism on the merits of capitalism. Lord Hailsham had criticised capitalism as an ungodly and rapacious scramble for ill-gotten gains whereas Burke before him regarded the laws of commerce as being the laws of nature, and consequently the laws of God.4 In this respect the New Right had roots within the longer history of Conservatism. The ferocity with which it economic policies were pursued, in the face of stiff opposition, represented something of a departure in the broad consensus of post-war Britain. It was really a return to the traditional policies pursued by Conservatives before 1940 rather than a revolutionary new approach. This also illustrates how difficult it is to define traditional Conservatism. It is misleading however to consider this conversion or reversion as something which began suddenly with Thatcher. The New Right had come to exist after a period of gradual change and modification to Conservatism which began under Edward Heath. The 1979 Party manifesto contained many similarities with one of 1970. Admittedly, this does not account for what came after, in subsequent General Elections. The Selsdon mentality bore parallels with the New Right in moving towards a radical, technocratic questioning of institutions, customs and ideas.5 Heath had shown the same propensity to dispense with the past where necessary when he said: we are going to build on the past but we are not going to be strangled by it5 The New Right aroused tension in the party because, unlike Heath, it saw itself as ideological and was wholly unwilling to compromise. Yet, t is crucial to mention, in this context, that compromise had never really been a feature of traditional Conservatism. It only came to be regarded so in the consensus of post-war Britain. The New Right represented a visible continuation in continually pertaining, mainly in rhetoric, to various nebulous concepts in which all Conservatives take refuge: Nation, Church, Monarchy, Family, Authority, the Rule of Law, Order, Hierarchy, Deference, Community and so forth.6 The New Right held to virtually all of these in its rhetoric. This is advantageous because each of these concepts, as all Conservatives know well, unites each of them as well as being able to transcend class in their appeal. The New Right was hugely populist and classless, keeping to a later Conservative tradition as the franchise was extended in the last century. Some, but not all, traditional Conservatives feel, however, that the New Right has undermined Conservative values due to its own inherent contradictions. A few examples are the conflict between meritocracy and monarchy or community and individualism. The New Right chose to be opposed to constitutional reform (unlike almost every other leader since Peel) while fundamentally altering institutions such as the Civil Service and Local Government. Maybe it is the undermining of traditional Conservative concepts that lays the New Right open to the accusation that it un-Conservative. It could be retorted that it is a belief in certain traditional Conservative values which has bred the contradictions and anomalies in Thatcherism by splitting the New Right between Traditionalists or Authoritarians and the Libertarians. The former wish to maintain traditional Conservative values while also pursuing a New Right agenda. Arguably it is the latter, represented by MPs like Alan Duncan, which are the departure from traditional or any other form of Conservatism. Thatcher represented the dominant Traditionalist grouping which Alan Clarke has stated is really Gladstonian Liberalism. In his view Thatcher was not really a Conservative. Heath is of the same opinion. In 1985 Heath wrote: I dont believe that what we have now is true Conservatism. Its 1860 Laissez-Faire Liberalism.7 Yes, Thatcherism does have many similarities, in domestic terms, to the Liberalism of the past century. What is negated in this argument is that Gladstone had been a Peelite and was once regarded as a future Conservative leader. So, if Thatcherism is neo-liberalism it does not necessarily mean it is not traditional Conservatism. Her domestic view was indeed Gladstonian but her foreign policy view was, to muddy the issue further, closer to Disraeli and that of Winston Churchill (a former Liberal). The foreign policy of Thatcher (excluding Europe because it defies categorisation) was very Conservative indeed, and the Falklands is considered its proudest achivevement. The New Right has been found not to be a departure in all key aspects so it must therefore be concluded that it represents a continuation it is not separate from traditional Conservatism. There are too many threads within it which relate to Conservative history and values for it to be considered a break with what had gone before. It did not or does not seem a blatant continuation because, as time wore on, it increasingly sought to exclude or sideline those who held reservations about the New Right project (the One Nationists). The New Right thrived on confrontation by constantly defining itself by what it was against. Its abandonment of consensus meant it departed from post-war Conservatism but not from traditional Conservatism per se. Sir Robert Peel, back in 1846, had split the entire party due to his refusal to compromise over protectionism for the land-owning classes. By contrast, the Party managed to hold together under the leadership of Thatcher for ten years and even went on to win a further Election in 1992. A simple majority of MPs had supported Thatcher in the internal ballot of 1989. There must have been common ground under the New Right for all this to have been achieved. The New Right saw themselves as an ascendant strand of traditional Conservatism and did not regard themselves as a complete departure. Between lasting values and changing circumstances there must be a constant dialogue Thatcher had said in 1977. It was or is its uncharacteristic ideologicalism which obfuscates the issue of continuity making it seem like a departure. It refused compromise and objected to any tempering of what it thought the best way to proceed. The New Right was not really new because it related to many aspects of Conservatism which had gone before: the New Right is in fact a renewed Right. It prized freedom, was thrift, classless, populist, nationalistic or patriotic and authoritarian to name but a few. Neither its contradictions or an erroneous view of traditional conservatism should allow it to be labelled a wholesale departure from traditional Conservatism, it is not.

The Transformation from Student to Teacher :: Education Teaching Classroom Teachers Essays

The Transformation from Student to Teacher Is there a transformation from student to teacher? The nature of a student is learning to develop skills to help them with there everyday problems. Later on in their schooling they will start to develop more advanced skills. Skills which will be used to help other students perform tasks to help the community, such as building bridges, teaching, networking an office building, and so on. After you have mastered a major role in society and can perform its task flawlessly you begin to teach others the same knowledge which you have acquired. One reason is because you have performed in that duty long enough to teach others how to do it properly and the precise ways, but at the same time you are still a student. Mainly because the world today has increased its standards, and increased the safety laws. During your term of teaching, your methods are becoming extinct and you are forced to increase your knowledge of newer ways and safer ways so your students will have the newest and most up to date knowledge of the subject. Some of the greatest are also the greatest students. My science teacher throughout high school was one of my favorite teachers. She knew how to bring her knowledge to life. Throughout high school I always chose one of her science classes. She had been teaching for at least fifteen years before I was ever a student of hers, and she was still a student in college. She was working on her doctrine in Physics. She was a very smart teacher and she played a big role in myself wanting to be a teacher. If it was not for education the world would be out of order and unorganized, which makes it difficult for everyone. If it were not for teachers being able to overcome the obstacles and having the nature of helping others, the world would be over run with ignorance and total chaos. As a teacher I would use a number of different philosophies if the classroom.

Higher Education and Vocational Degree Essay

â€Å"What’s Wrong With Vocational School,† by Charles Murray is an Article that states Vocational schooling would be better off than a four year College degree. In Murray’s opinion, college should only be with those with a high IQ rate of 115 or higher and able to handle rigorous and challenging courses. If you are at an IQ below 110 it becomes an issue and you would be more successful in a Vocational program. This article calmly and rationally presents the notion that the population would be better served by the reintroduction of more training for careers in trade occupations becoming more prominent, therefore creating more job opportunities for people graduating with a vocational degree. Many students that graduate from a four year University do not learn what is needed to go into the working field. Murray states â€Å"For a few occupations, a college degree still certifies a qualification. This brings up the question, why do we pressure everyone to get a four year degree? In our society the college you go to means more than your actual qualification or talent you might have. Employers tend to pick a student that graduated from a university over that of a vocational school student just because of the name of the school not the talent the individual has. The degree itself also does not automatically qualify the student for the job and there are much faster and better ways such as a vocational degree for young people to provide credentials to employers. These credentials are needed in the job market for students with vocational degrees. As Murray says, â€Å"Finding a good lawyer or physician is easy but finding a good carpenter, painter, or electrician is becoming difficult. † The jobs needed such as an electrician or painters are those with vocational degrees. We often overlook some of the great jobs that don’t require a degree and are still very rewarding. A vocational degree can bring just as much income sometimes even more than a four year college degree in half the time. We have a mindset that a four year degree is much more valuable than a vocational degree. As Murray conveys this is not true he used an example of a craftsman bringing intrinsic rewards with high income. Vocational degrees are becoming more susceptible in our community. A college degree is no more important than any other high tech occupation such as an NBA player or a cabinet maker. Many of our most high income people do not have a college degree and do not care because they are living happily without it. Murray states the social cachet of a college degree still remains but will erode over time when large numbers of high income people do not have college degrees. † Many employers are looking more at the evidence you are good at something without the benefit of a college degree and will increase more overtime. If this does continue our false outlook of a college degree will diminish. As a society we look at the only way of becoming successful is going to a four university and look over vocational degree programs.