Monday, December 30, 2019
Apple company overview - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2074 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Case study Did you like this example? Slide 1: Company Overview Apple is one of the leading technological companies and it operates its business all over the world. Apple started their journey on April 1, 1976 with the motto à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âThink Differentà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã . It was incorporated on January 03, 1977. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Apple company overview" essay for you Create order This American multinational company has its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Its Vision is- à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âTo make a contribution to the world by making tools for the man that advances humankindà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã . Its Mission is- à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âApple is committed to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and internet offerings.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã Slide 2: Difference between personnel management and human resource management in Apple Inc. Though human resource management and personnel management is used interchangeably but there are some basic differences between these two concept. These differences are as follow- Main differentiating point between personnel management and human resource management is that the personnel planning is the traditional form of managing people within the organization where human resource management is the modern approach regarding managing people in an organization. Personnel management is a process of keeping administrative records which will be used to evaluate the terms and conditions of the employment. On the other hand, human resource management combines the functions of traditional personnel management to corporate goals and strategies and put emphasis on people centered organizational development activities. Norms, customs and established practices are in the focal point of personnel management. But human resource management talks about values and mission. Personnel manager give importance to establishing rules, policies, procedures and contracts, and attempt to monitor and enforce such regulations, with careful representation of written contract. On the other hand human resource managers do not worry about rules and regulations. They relax the traditional norms basing on the demand of the business. Slide 3: Continued Under personnel management, managers depend on compensation, bonuses, rewards, and work simplification to motivate the employees. But in this case, human resource managers depend on work challenges, team work, and creativity to increase motivation. Here in Apple Inc., managers use Human Resource Management approach rather than Personnel Management. In Apple Inc., values arenà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢t formalized, lines of communication arenà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢t hierarchical, and team works get priority. Slide 4: Objectives of Apple Inc.? Apple has some predetermined objectives to be fulfilled. But according the Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, Money isnà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢t the main objective of Apple. Ive said that it would sound a little flippant, but its the truth. He said that their goal and what makes them excited is to make great products. If they were successful, people would like them and if they were operationally competent, they would make money automatically. From the analysis the following objectives are identified as the core objectives of Apple- To expend Apple products to those customers who have not yet own one of them. To ensure service and enjoyment for customers proving hassle free products. Becoming leader in mobile market. Slide 5: How HRM Strategies corresponding to organizational objectives? To achieve these objectives, Apple put emphasis on the following strategies- Expanding distribution channel. Increasing investment in Research and Development activities. The Human Resources practices in Apple Inc. are capable of supporting these strategies. For expanding distribution channel effective and efficient marketing employees are very much crucial and Apple has one the most efficient work force all over the world because the employees are fully motivated and satisfied here. As they get enough holidays and vacation, they are always charged up to exert extra effort. Their training program can bring a significant change in the technical ability of the employees which will accelerate the Research and Development activities. Slide 6: Personnel Management and Leadership skill to achieve strategic goal of Apple Inc. As Apple does not have any structured rules and regulation, values arenà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢t structured and communication line is not hierarchical, effective personnel management and leadership skill more especially leadership skill will be a key to achieve strategic goals of Apple. The following leadership skills help a manager M anage Effectively, Gain Respect of the Employees, Quick Decision Making and Motivating Employees- Vision- A manager needs to have the ability to focus on the big picture. Employees respect an ambitious manager. Confidence- A manager needs to be confident. He should know himself. He should be decisive and should have the ability to keep clam in stress. He should also have the ability to accept criticism. People Skill- A manager needs to be flexible. He should listen carefully what others saying. And he should be supportive to his subordinates. Motivation Skill- An efficient manager needs to have the ability to encourage the people. He should back his subordinates from the backline. By celebrating the success he should encourage his staffs to reinforce the performance. Responsibility- As Sir Winston Churchill said, the price of greatness is responsibility. A manager should have the ability to accept blame, solve problem and lead by example. Integrity- To prove the integrity to the employees, a manager needs to do the right thing, be honest and avoid gossip. Having all of these leadership skills and being able to use the tools of personnel management effectively, a high level of employee satisfaction and an increase in the level of motivation can be ensured in Apple Inc. which will lead to a overall positive change in Apple Inc. Slide 7: Skill Development Plan To develop a skill development plan to deliver improvement seven precious steps should be followed- Outlining the Goals- Being the CEO of Apple Inc. within 2018 should be the primary goal. Assessing Current Situation- Currently taking care of Human Resource Department as the Manager of HR. Acknowledging Strengths and Skills- Ambitious, Ability to focus on big picture, motivate subordinates, Ability to take responsibility and having high level of integrity. Identifying Weakness- Lack of flexibility, lack of ability to keep clam under stress and lack of ability to accept criticism. Creating a Action Plan- increasing flexibility, practicing to keep clam under stress and learn to accept criticism, reading biography of Steve Jobs. Assigning a Time Line- being able to flexible within 6 months, being able to keep clam and accept criticism within 14 months. Check In Progresses- consulting with psychologist, current CEO and others to check the progresses. Slide 8: Organizational Structure of Apple Inc. Slide 9: Impact of operational and culture in Apple Inc. to HRM As apple does not have a hierarchical communication line and it emphasis on team structure, the human resource management is a tough task in Apple Inc. The lack of formal human resource and organizational policies and casual work environment has made the job further complicated. As a human resource manager in Apple Inc. it is really a challenging job to manage the human resources all around the world without any formal Human Resource Management policies. Slide 10: Elements of HRM meeting organizational objectives Recruitment- Currently 14,000 employees are working in head office of Apple Inc. Each and every day Apple needs new and newer employees for its newly opened posts and vacant posts. Filling up these posts with best people is essential for them to keep operational excellences by hiring best person. And recruitment procedures of Apple are very much efficient to meet this need of the organization. Their internship program helps them a lot to serve this need. Development- Development is the process of increasing employeeà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢s (existing and newly hired) performance ability through grooming, advising and training. Apple has a highly developed and equipped with modern facilities training facilities. Retention- As the employees of Apple Inc. work in a team, it is easy to identify and retain the positive performance of team. Negative attitude of team members should be punished and positive one should be encouraged to reinforce in future performance. Appleà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢s Team leaders monitor and evaluate the performance of each team member and take necessary measures. Slide 11: Elements of HRM meeting organizational objectives (Contà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢d) Reward- It is a common phenomenon in Apple Inc. that any significant success is rewarded. It helps Human Resource Manager to ensure employee satisfaction and to motivate them. Performance Management- performance management is the process of between supervisors and employees thorough which strategic objectives of the organization are communicated with the employees and their specific responsibilities are set and evaluated in this process. But in Apple Inc. there are no supervisors as apple does not have any hierarchical structure. In this case, team leaders take this role of supervisors which is comparatively inefficient than hierarchical structure. Communication- communication is important for employee performance as well as for the organizational performance. Without effective communication channel, organizational goals and objectives could not be communicated with the sub ordinates. Similarly, employeeà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢s performance evaluation and feedback is not possible without proper communication channel. Apple Inc. has a very effective and efficient communication channel as it has no hierarchical structure. Team leaders communicates with the team members in a friendly manner which is far effective than traditional structure. Slide 12: Capacity Management Approaches in Apple Inc. Capacity management is the procedures of managing information technology. Its main objective is to ensure that the information technology capacity meets the current and future needs of the organization in a cost effect manner. Apple Inc. uses proactive capacity management approach. Main components of proactive capacity management approach is as follow- Monitoring- Monitoring helps managers to observe how a particular Information Technology Component or an application performs at that time. It provides significant data to the manager for analyzing and decision making. Apple Inc. contentiously monitors the potential market or industry which helps them to gather information about the need of the customers and design a new product to fill that need. Collecting Analyzing Data- From monitoring stage managers get ample amount of data about a certain information technology component or an applicationà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â ¢s performance. In this stage managers need to collect these data and analyze them carefully. This helps increase efficiency and generate forecast from trend analysis. Apple Inc. analyzes and forecasts market demand based on the information collected from monitoring stage. They usually use two basic approaches to forecast i.e. top-down forecast, bottom-up forecast. They usually forecast their sales for 2 quarters. Tuning- Tuning is process of optimizing settings of the information technology system. It ensures the efficient utilization of the system components. Apple tries hard to reach their target sales by advertizing and promotional activities. By these procedures they ensure the optimization of the system. Capacity Planning- In the process of capacity planning several business planning information is used and these business planning is converted into information technology system needs and predicts the future needs of business and predicts what resources would be required to meet those needs. In this stage, Apple Inc. makes a layout of their company. They usually makes two types of layout i.e. production layout, process layout. They use cellular arrangement approach which is less handling and flexible. Implementation- In this stage, change managers provide newly adopted or regenerated information technology system capacity. Requirement Management- Through requirement management, change managers influence the capacity demand and they optimize the existing resources. To increase capacity Apple Inc. follows three strategies i.e. diversification, product development and new production plant. References Cameron, Esther, and Mike Green.Making Sense Of Change Management. London: Kogan Page, 2004. Print. Chanda, Ashok, and Jie Shen.HRM Strategic Integration And Organizational Performance. Los Angeles: Response Books, 2009. Print. Conway, S, and F Stewart.Managing And Shaping Innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Giuliani, Rudolph W, and Ken Kurson.Leadership. New York: Hyperion, 2002. Print. Green, Mike.Change Management Masterclass. London: Kogan Page, 2007. Print. Jackson, T. H.International HRM. London: SAGE, 2002. Print. Jucius, Michael James.Personnel Management. Homewood, Ill.: R.D. Irwin, 1975. Print. McGovern, Patrick.HRM, Technical Workers And The Multinational Corporation. London: Routledge, 2002. Print. Murthy, C. S. V.Change Management. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House Pvt. Ltd., 2007. Print. Patel, Vinod, and Girish Rana.Personnel Management. Jaipur, India: Oxford Book Co., 2007. Print. Pugh, Derek Salman, and David Mayle.Change Management. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2009. Print. Safire, William, and Leonard Safir.Leadership. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990. Print. Steen, Sandra et al.HRM. Print. Telfer, Edmund S, and George W Scotter.Potential For Game Ranching In Boreal Aspen Forests Of Western Canada. Print. Tobin, Robert.Personnel Management. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, 1979. Print. Tracy, Brian.Leadership. New York: American Management Association, 2014. Print. Vohra, Rakesh V, and Lakshman Krishnamurthi.Principles Of Pricing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Essay on Technological Surveillance - 1068 Words
Technological Surveillance In an age where instant communication and technology provide easy and ready access to information, the society and the individual is caught between two very controversial principles- open information and privacy. The perceptions and expectations of privacy are rapidly changing as a result of current developments in surveillance technologies. The question is are these new surveillance technologies endangering the values and morals of our democratic society, the society we have worked for many centuries to achieve? According to Websters dictionary, surveillance is defined as a close kept watch over someone or something. Surveillance is not a new concept, and hasâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦If this power is put into the hands of one person or one governing body, citizens are vulnerable to having their rights to privacy violated. Citizens may be concerned that they are constantly being watched, even in situations where they are not committing crimes. If the power of surveillance gets in the wrong hands, there is a possibility that the information may be used in crimes. This leads to square one, surveillance to prevent crime has actually caused it. Another very controversial issue is the right to privacy of citizens in their own homes. As citizens of Canada, we have the right to privacy and reserve the right that our privacy will be not be intruded upon. However, as citizens, we also do not have the right to commit crimes within our homes. By committing crimes, we are giving up every right as a citizen. However, corrupted law enforcers also cause ethical issues to rise. Policing agencies can easily use technological devices for reasons other than to prevent crime or catch a criminal. There is no one to police the police. Therefore, officers can physically intrude on ones privacy for any reason they please. Citizens may also abuse this right through the police by creating false accusations about another citizen, which may lead to a person to be watched. Privacy has become a very important issue, especially whenShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Technological Surveillance On Human Surveillance1549 Words à |à 7 Pagesadvancements in everything. This could be through medicine, social skills, physical ability, and even technological advances. Specifically for the application of law and a personââ¬â¢s right to privacy technological advances in surveillance will be analyzed. Whitebread, and Slobogin (2014) give a good working definition of what technological surveillance is and what is covers. ââ¬Å"Technological surveillance,â⬠¦ is meant to encompass a wide variety of techniques that enhance the ability to ease drop or spy onRead MoreTechnological Surveillance Should Not Keep Up With The Swift Changes1143 Words à |à 5 PagesTechnological surveillance is used in a wide field of areas from wiretapping, hacking, bugging, electronic tracking, video surveillance and so on, but, ââ¬Å"when used by the government, technological sur veillance creates a particularly dramatic threat to the privacy of individual citizensâ⬠(p. 354), although this is uncertain to the government if it is indeed goes against citizenââ¬â¢s privacy. Technology advances so quickly, that the law cannot keep up with the swift changes. The first issue involvingRead More`` Domestic Drones `` : The Problems That Ensue From The Flaws Unmanned Aircraft Safety1045 Words à |à 5 Pagesunmanned aircraft safety. Domestic drone use has expanded from the past few years to an array of firefighting and police surveillance to scientific research and aerial photograph. This expanded use, however, provides several security concerns, including a possible invasion of privacy and relaxed consequences of misuse. The debatable question here is whether drone surveillance by police should always require a warrant (McGlynn). By analyzing two opposing viewpoints on this topic through an in-depthRead MoreSurveillance : Surveillance And Surveillance Essay1481 Words à |à 6 Pageschanges in peopleââ¬â¢s daily lives. Since survey and surveillance data is crucial for governments to maintain social order and for corporations to keep normal production and operation, it is inevitable that in the future surveillance will be used in every co rner of the world. Indeed, surveillance products are under the pressure of invasion of privacy because they indiscriminately gather information from every human around the world. However, all this surveillance enhances our society because it is the mostRead MoreSurveillance and Privacy Issues1000 Words à |à 4 Pageslight of the medias recent preoccupation with surveillance and privacy issues. Include government surveillance and social media. For example the young woman who accused Florida state quarterback jameis Winston of rape was identified by football fans on social media and had ugly anonymous things posted about her. Nearly every major international agreement on human rights protects the right of individuals to be free from unwarranted surveillance. This guarantee has trickled down into nationalRead MoreSexual Harassment At The Civil Rights Act1746 Words à |à 7 Pagesââ¬Å"[B]escuse technology evolves so rapidly and constantly, tech-specific surveillance laws operate as a technology sunset, expiring not on some arbitrarily defined timetable, but whenever the circumstances demandâ⬠(Ohm, 2010). This is to say that tech-specified laws should be constructed around the evolving nature of technology so as to find some amount of consistency otherwise abuse and flaws are subject to arise. ââ¬Å"The modern surveillance state needs information, and left without proper oversight the analysisRead MoreThe Implementation of Technologies in Relation to Social Control ââ¬â Surveillance Camera and the Big900 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Implementation of Technologies in Relation to Social Control â⠬â Surveillance Camera and the Big Brother Society. The New Media and the Loss of Privacy. Media technologies were embraced by people as the means of easing their lives. However, if one does not know or take measures to use this technology properly, then one risks his life being abused by technology (Doyle, 2010, p. 4). Have you noticed that you regularly receive targeted ads as they offer you goods and services you used to surf forRead MorePublic vs. Private Policing1695 Words à |à 7 Pageslarge shopping complexes, cinemas, large retail stores, and large compound style housing estates or gated communities. These require constant surveillance for the safety of shoppers and residents. In fact, adequate security has become one of those value-added extras that attract customers and residents. Technological advances, such as high-tech video surveillance cameras, computers, mobile phones, and satellites have increased the need an increase of security personnel for monitoring, investigating,Read MoreFederal Data Protection Laws On The United States1431 Words à |à 6 Pagesentities to access, collect, and share the private information of individuals, privacy concerns have become increasingly relevantâ⬠(p. 366). Technology has revolutionized how we conduct business and communicate to each other. Unfortunately, this technological revolution also generated more opportunities for criminals to get creative with their criminal endeavors. Private sector executives are encouraged to share information with the federal government in order to increase security awareness. The AmericanRead MoreThe Case of the Omniscient Organization1207 Words à |à 5 Pagesproductivity tests. The massive amount of information collected on each employee is supposed to allow DS to objectively manage personnel and make job assignments that provide the greatest efficiency. Instead, DS has created an impersonal monitoring, surveillance, and detection system designed to lay traps for employees and shape their behavior without any managerial effort. Problem Statement Has DS become so consumed with its ââ¬Å"radical restructuring of the work environmentâ⬠that it has prioritized technology
Saturday, December 14, 2019
The Golden Lily Chapter 18 Free Essays
string(16) " out on my own\." JILL DIDNââ¬â¢T GIVE ME any starry-eyed looks at breakfast the next morning, which was kind of a relief. Micah had surfaced again, and while they werenââ¬â¢t as flirty as theyââ¬â¢d been in the past, the two were chatting animatedly away about a science project she had. Eddie and Angeline were equally engrossed in conversation, making plans for when she was free of her suspension. We will write a custom essay sample on The Golden Lily Chapter 18 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her blues eyes were alight with happiness as they talked, and I realized that she had legitimate feelings for him. She hadnââ¬â¢t just been throwing herself at him for the sake of conquest. I wondered if he knew. It wouldââ¬â¢ve been easy to feel like a fifth wheel here, but instead, I was pleased and content to see my little cohort getting along so well. Stantonââ¬â¢s conversation had still left me conflicted, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating the peace around here. I wouldââ¬â¢ve been happier still if Treyââ¬â¢s behavior had also normalized, but when I reached my history class later, he was absent yet again. I had no doubt heââ¬â¢d claim he had family stuff, but my earlier suspicions were returning, about whether his family might be responsible for his injuries. Should I report my worries to someone? Who? I didnââ¬â¢t want to jump to conclusions either, which left me in a bind. Eddie and I always sat near each other in that class, and I leaned toward him before the bell rang, pitching my voice low to address another concern. ââ¬Å"Hey, have you noticed that Jillââ¬â¢s been kind of acting weirdly around me?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sheââ¬â¢s got a lot going on,â⬠he said, ever quick to defend her. ââ¬Å"Yeah, I know, but you had to have noticed her last night. In the library? I mean ââ¬â keeping in mind Iââ¬â¢m terrible at figuring this stuff out ââ¬â it was like she had a crush on me or something.â⬠He laughed at that. ââ¬Å"She was kind of laying it on thick, but I donââ¬â¢t think you have to worry about some romantic complication. She just looks up to you a lot, thatââ¬â¢s all. Part of her still wants to be a brave fighter who rushes out fearlesslyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He paused as he savored that idea, a mix of pride and rapture on his face before he tuned back into me. ââ¬Å"But at the same time, youââ¬â¢re starting to show her there all sorts of ways to be powerful.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"I think. But speaking of her being a brave fighterâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I studied him curiously. ââ¬Å"Why donââ¬â¢t you train her anymore? Donââ¬â¢t you want her to hone her skills?â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, yeah. That. Wellâ⬠¦ there are a few reasons for it. One is I need to focus on Angeline. Another is that I just donââ¬â¢t want Jill worried about that. Iââ¬â¢ll do the protecting.â⬠Those were exactly the reasons Iââ¬â¢d guessed. The next one was not. ââ¬Å"And I guessâ⬠¦ the other thing is that I donââ¬â¢t feel right being in contact with her like that. I mean, I know it means nothing to herâ⬠¦ but it means something to me.â⬠Again, my social skills took a moment to kick in. ââ¬Å"You mean, you donââ¬â¢t like that you have to touch her?â⬠Eddie actually blushed. ââ¬Å"It doesnââ¬â¢t bother me, thatââ¬â¢s the problem. Better for us to spend time together in a hands-off way.â⬠I hadnââ¬â¢t expected that, but I could understand it. Leaving Eddie to his own inner demons, I soon got caught up in the day and wondering what had happened to Trey. Iââ¬â¢d hoped heââ¬â¢d come into class late, but he didnââ¬â¢t. In fact, he didnââ¬â¢t surface for the rest of the day, not even when I was finishing up my independent study. Iââ¬â¢d thought he might come by again for homework. ââ¬Å"You look troubled,â⬠said Ms. Terwilliger, watching me pack up when the bell rang. ââ¬Å"Worried about getting your project in on time?â⬠ââ¬Å"No.â⬠Iââ¬â¢d actually finished two of the charms, but I certainly wasnââ¬â¢t going to tell her that. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m worried about Trey. He keeps missing school. Do you know why heââ¬â¢s out? I mean, if you can tell me?â⬠ââ¬Å"The office notifies us if a student will be out for the day, but they donââ¬â¢t tell us the reason. If it makes you feel better, Mr. Juarezââ¬â¢s absence was called in this morning. He hasnââ¬â¢t disappeared.â⬠I almost mentioned my fears about his home but held off. I still needed more evidence. Between worrying about Trey, Ms. Terwilligerââ¬â¢s work, the Warriors, Brayden, and all my other myriad complications, I knew I couldnââ¬â¢t waste any of my free time. Nonetheless, I went to Adrianââ¬â¢s after school on a mission I couldnââ¬â¢t refuse. On our way to Wolfeââ¬â¢s class earlier this week, Adrian had mentioned offhandedly that he hadnââ¬â¢t had the Mustang looked at by a mechanic before purchasing it. Although my own novice assessment hadnââ¬â¢t found anything wrong with the car, I pushed for Adrian to get the car examined ââ¬â which, of course, meant I had to look up a specialist and make the appointment. It was just before my textile museum date, but I was certain I had time to make it all work. ââ¬Å"The guy I bought it from seemed pretty trustworthy,â⬠Adrian told me, after weââ¬â¢d dropped the car off with the mechanic. Heââ¬â¢d told us heââ¬â¢d look at it right away and that we could hang around and wait. His shop was on the outskirts of a suburban area, so Adrian suggested we go for a walk through the neighborhoods. ââ¬Å"And it ran just fine when I did the test drive, so I figured everything was okay.â⬠ââ¬Å"That doesnââ¬â¢t mean there arenââ¬â¢t problems you canââ¬â¢t see. Itââ¬â¢s best to be safe,â⬠I said, knowing I sounded preachy. ââ¬Å"Bad enough you got a car you canââ¬â¢t drive.â⬠Glancing over, I saw a small, half smile on his face. ââ¬Å"With your help, Iââ¬â¢ll be a pro in no time. Of course, if you donââ¬â¢t want to help anymore, Iââ¬â¢ll just wing it and figure it out on my own. You read "The Golden Lily Chapter 18" in category "Essay examples"â⬠I groaned. ââ¬Å"You already know what Iââ¬â¢d say about ââ¬â wow.â⬠The neighborhood we were in was pretty affluent. In fact, Iââ¬â¢d say the houses bordered on being bona fide mansions. We stopped in front of one that looked like a cross between a hacienda and a southern plantation, large and sprawling with a pillared porch and pink stucco siding. The front yard was a mix of climates, green grass with palm trees lining the path to the house. The trees were like tropical sentries. ââ¬Å"Gorgeous,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"I love architecture. In another life, Iââ¬â¢d have studied that ââ¬â not chemicals and vampires.â⬠As we continued on, we saw more of the same, each house trying to outdo the others. All of them had high fences and hedges blocking their backyards. ââ¬Å"I wonder whatââ¬â¢s back there. Pools, probably.â⬠Adrian stopped in front of another. It was as yellow as his car and showed another mix of styles, like a southwest version of a medieval castle, complete with turrets. ââ¬Å"Nice juxtaposition,â⬠he remarked. I turned, knowing my eyes were wide as I stared at him. ââ¬Å"Did you just use juxtaposition in a sentence?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, Sage,â⬠he said patiently. ââ¬Å"We use it all the time with art, when weââ¬â¢re mixing different components. That, and I know how to use a dictionary.â⬠He turned from me and scanned the house, his eyes resting on a gardener who was out trimming some hedges. A sly smile crossed Adrianââ¬â¢s lips. ââ¬Å"You want to see the back? Come on.â⬠ââ¬Å"What are you ââ¬â â⬠Before I could say another word, Adrian strode up the granite pathway and cut across the lawn to where the guy was working. I didnââ¬â¢t want anything to do with this, but the responsible part of me couldnââ¬â¢t let Adrian get into trouble. I hurried after him. ââ¬Å"Are the owners home?â⬠Adrian asked. The gardener had stopped his clipping and stared at Adrian. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"When will they be back?â⬠ââ¬Å"After six.â⬠I was astonished that the guy was answering these questions. If Iââ¬â¢d been asked them, I wouldââ¬â¢ve assumed someone was staging a break-in. Then, I saw the glazed look in the gardenerââ¬â¢s eyes and realized what was going on. ââ¬Å"Adrian ââ¬â ââ¬Å" Adrianââ¬â¢s eyes never left the other manââ¬â¢s face. ââ¬Å"Take us to the backyard.â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course.â⬠The gardener dropped his hedge clippers and headed for a gate on the side of the house. I tried to get Adrianââ¬â¢s attention to stop this, but he was outpacing me. Our guide stopped at the gate, entered a security code, and led us to the back. My protests died on my lips as I gazed around. This back property was almost three times the size of the front. There were more palm trees ringing the yard, along with a terraced garden full of plants, both native and non-native. A huge oval shaped pool dominated the space, its turquoise hue startling against the gray of the granite that surrounded it. On one side of the pool, several steps led up to a smaller, square pool. It could only hold a few people, and a waterfall poured out from it, down to the larger pool. Tiki torches and tables around the pools completed the lush setup. ââ¬Å"Thanks,â⬠Adrian told the gardener. ââ¬Å"Go back to your work. Itââ¬â¢s okay if weââ¬â¢re here. Weââ¬â¢ll see ourselves out.â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠the man replied. He walked back the way weââ¬â¢d come in. I snapped back to reality. ââ¬Å"Adrian! You used compulsion on that guy. Thatâ⬠¦ I mean, itââ¬â¢sâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"Awesome?â⬠Adrian walked over to the steps leading up to the upper pool. ââ¬Å"Yeah, I know.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s wrong! All of this. Breaking and entering, and compulsionâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I shivered, despite the sweltering heat. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s immoral. Controlling someone elseââ¬â¢s mind. You know it! Your people and mine both agree.â⬠ââ¬Å"Eh, no harm done.â⬠He climbed to the top of the pool and stood on its edge, surveying his kingdom. The sun brought out chestnut glints in his brown hair. ââ¬Å"Believe me, that guy was easy to control. Weak-willed. I barely had to use compulsion.â⬠ââ¬Å"Adrian ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Come on, Sage. Not like weââ¬â¢re going to hurt anything. Check out this view.â⬠I was almost afraid to go up there. It was so rare for any of the Moroi here to use their magic that it was easy for me to pretend it didnââ¬â¢t exist. Seeing Adrian use it ââ¬â the most insidious kind ââ¬â made my skin crawl. As Iââ¬â¢d told Ms. Terwilliger in our charm discussion, no one should be able to control another like that. ââ¬Å"Come on,â⬠Adrian repeated. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re not worried Iââ¬â¢m going to compel you up here, are you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course not,â⬠I said. And I meant it. I didnââ¬â¢t know why, but some part of me knew Adrian would never, ever harm me. Reluctantly, I went to join him, hoping that would encourage him to leave. When I reached the top, my jaw dropped. The intimate pool hadnââ¬â¢t seemed that high, but it gave us a stunning view of the mountains off in the distance, rugged and majestic against the blue of the sky. The larger pool glittered below us, and the waterfall made it look like weââ¬â¢d entered some mystical oasis. ââ¬Å"Cool, huh?â⬠he asked. Adrian sat down on the small poolââ¬â¢s edge, rolled up his jeans, and took off his socks and shoes. ââ¬Å"Now what are you doing?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Making the most out of this.â⬠He put his feet in the water. ââ¬Å"Come on. Do something bad for a change. Not that itââ¬â¢s really that bad. We arenââ¬â¢t trashing this place or anything.â⬠I hesitated, but the water was intoxicating, as though it too could wield compulsion. Settling down, I copied Adrian and dipped my bare feet into the water. Its coolness was startling ââ¬â and wonderful ââ¬â in this intense heat. ââ¬Å"I could get used to this,â⬠I admitted. ââ¬Å"But what if the owners come home early?â⬠He shrugged. ââ¬Å"I can talk us out of it, donââ¬â¢t worry.â⬠That wasnââ¬â¢t exactly reassuring. I turned back to the gorgeous view and lush property. I wasnââ¬â¢t always the most imaginative person, but I thought back to what Iââ¬â¢d said about living another life. What would it be like to have a home like this? To stay in one place? To spend days by the pool, soaking in the sun, and not worrying about the fate of humanity? I fell into daydreams and was so caught up that I lost track of time. ââ¬Å"We have to get back to the shop,â⬠I exclaimed. Glancing over, I was astonished to see Adrian watching me, a look of contentment on his face. His eyes seemed to study my every feature. Seeing me notice him, he immediately looked away. His usual smirky expression replaced the dreamy one. ââ¬Å"The mechanic will wait,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Yeah, but Iââ¬â¢m supposed to meet Brayden soon. Iââ¬â¢ll be ââ¬â â⬠Thatââ¬â¢s when I got a good look at Adrian. ââ¬Å"What have you done? Look at you! You shouldnââ¬â¢t be out here.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not that bad.â⬠He was lying, and we both knew it. It was late afternoon, and the sun was merciless. Iââ¬â¢d certainly felt it, though the coolness of the water had helped distract me. That, and I was human. Sure, sunstroke and sunburns were concerns, but I loved the sun and had a high tolerance for it. Vampires did not. Sweat poured off Adrian, soaking his shirt and hair. Pink blotches covered his face. They were familiar. Iââ¬â¢d seen them on Jill back when sheââ¬â¢d been forced to play outdoor sports in PE. Left unchecked, theyââ¬â¢d turn into burns. I jumped to my feet. ââ¬Å"Come on, we have to get out of here before you get worse. What were you thinking?â⬠His expression was astonishingly nonchalant for someone who looked like he would pass out. ââ¬Å"It was worth it. You lookedâ⬠¦ happy.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s crazy,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"Not the craziest thing Iââ¬â¢ve ever done.â⬠He smiled as he looked up at me. His eyes grew slightly unfocused, as though they were seeing more than just me. ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s a little crazy here and there? Iââ¬â¢m supposed to be doing experimentsâ⬠¦ why not see which is brighter: your aura or the sun?â⬠The way he looked at me and spoke unnerved me, and I remembered what Jill had said, how spirit slowly drove its users insane. Adrian hardly seemed insane, but there was certainly something haunted about him, a definite shift from his usual sharp wit. It was as though something else had seized hold of him. I remembered that poem line, about dreaming and waking. ââ¬Å"Come on,â⬠I repeated. I held out my hand. ââ¬Å"You shouldnââ¬â¢t have used spirit. We need to get you out of here.â⬠He took my hand and staggered to his feet. A rush of warmth and electricity went through me, just as it had the last time we touched, and our eyes held. For a moment, all I could think about were his earlier words: You looked happyâ⬠¦ I brushed such sentiments aside and quickly got him out of there, only to discover the mechanic hadnââ¬â¢t finished. At least in his shop, we were able to get Adrian some water and air conditioning. As we waited I texted Brayden. Running an hour late with family stuff. Sorry. Will be there as soon as I can. My phone chimed back about thirty seconds later: That only leaves an hour for the textile museum. ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s not nearly enough time,â⬠said Adrian deadpan. I hadnââ¬â¢t realized heââ¬â¢d been reading over my shoulder. I moved the phone away and suggested to Brayden we just meet for an early dinner. He concurred. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m a mess,â⬠I muttered, checking myself out in a mirror. The heat had definitely taken its toll, and I looked sweaty and worn. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t worry about it,â⬠Adrian told me. ââ¬Å"If he didnââ¬â¢t notice how awesome you were in the red dress, he probably wonââ¬â¢t notice anything now.â⬠He hesitated. ââ¬Å"Not that thereââ¬â¢s even anything to notice. Youââ¬â¢re as cute as usual.â⬠I was about to snap at him for teasing me, but when I looked over, his face was deadly earnest. Whatever retort I might have managed died on my lips, and I quickly got up to check our status, in order to hide how flustered I felt. The mechanic finally finished ââ¬â no problems found ââ¬â and Adrian and I headed downtown. I kept watching him anxiously, afraid heââ¬â¢d pass out. ââ¬Å"Stop worrying, Sage. Iââ¬â¢m fine,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Althoughâ⬠¦ Iââ¬â¢d be better with some ice cream or gelato. Even you have to admit thatââ¬â¢d be good right now.â⬠It would, actually, but I wouldnââ¬â¢t give him the satisfaction. ââ¬Å"What is it with you and frozen desserts? Why do you always want them?â⬠ââ¬Å"Because we live in a desert.â⬠I couldnââ¬â¢t argue with that reasoning. We reached his place, and I swapped cars. Before he went inside, I inundated him with advice about getting water and resting. Then, I spoke the words that had been burning inside of me. ââ¬Å"Thank you for the poolside outing,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"Your near-sun-stroke aside, that was pretty amazing.â⬠He gave me a cocky smile. ââ¬Å"Maybe youââ¬â¢ll get used to vampire magic after all.â⬠ââ¬Å"No,â⬠I said automatically. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll never get used to that.â⬠His smile immediately disappeared. ââ¬Å"Of course not,â⬠he murmured. ââ¬Å"See you around.â⬠I finally made it to dinner. Iââ¬â¢d chosen an Italian restaurant, filled with the scents of garlic and cheese. Brayden sat at a corner table, sipping water and earning glares from the waitress, who was probably impatient for him to order. I sat down opposite him, dropping my satchel beside me. ââ¬Å"I am so sorry,â⬠I told him. ââ¬Å"I had to do this thing with my, uh, brother.â⬠If Brayden was mad, he didnââ¬â¢t show it. That was his way. He did, however, give me a scrutinizing look. ââ¬Å"Was it something athletic? You look like you ran a marathon.â⬠It wasnââ¬â¢t an insult, not by any means, but it did take me aback ââ¬â mostly because I was thinking of Adrianââ¬â¢s comment. Brayden had had almost nothing to say about my Halloween costume, but he noticed this? ââ¬Å"We were out in Santa Sofia, getting his car looked at.â⬠ââ¬Å"Nice area. Keep going up the highway, and you can get to Joshua Tree National Park. Ever been there?â⬠ââ¬Å"No. Just read about it.â⬠ââ¬Å"Iconic place. The geologyââ¬â¢s fascinating.â⬠The waitress came by, and I gratefully ordered an iced latte. Brayden was more than happy to tell me about some of the parkââ¬â¢s geology, and we soon fell into our comfortable rhythm of intellectual discussion. I didnââ¬â¢t know the parkââ¬â¢s specific makeup, but I knew more than enough about geology in general to keep up. In fact, I was able to talk on autopilot while my mind wandered back to Adrian. I recalled again what heââ¬â¢d said about the red dress. I also couldnââ¬â¢t shake the comment about me being happy, and how that was worth his suffering. ââ¬Å"What do you think?â⬠ââ¬Å"Hmm?â⬠I realized Iââ¬â¢d lost the thread of our conversation after all. ââ¬Å"I asked which type of desert you find more striking,â⬠Brayden explained. ââ¬Å"The Mojave region gets all the hype, but I actually prefer the Colorado Desert.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ah.â⬠I slipped back into the flow. ââ¬Å"Um, Mojave. I like the rock formations better.â⬠This triggered a debate of the regions while we ate, and Brayden seemed happier and happier. He really did like having someone who could keep up with him, I realized. None of my books had said anything about the way to a manââ¬â¢s heart being through academic debates. I didnââ¬â¢t mind it, though. I liked the conversation, but it didnââ¬â¢t exactly send thrills through me. I had to remind myself it was still early in our relationship ââ¬â if I could even call it that. Surely the head over heels part would come soon. We talked for a long time after the meal was over. The waitress brought us an unsolicited dessert menu when we finished, and I surprised myself by saying, ââ¬Å"Wowâ⬠¦ I canââ¬â¢t believe how much I want gelato right now. That never happens.â⬠Maybe the sweat and heat had leached my nutrientsâ⬠¦ or maybe I still had Adrian on the brain. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve never heard you order dessert,â⬠said Brayden, sliding his menu away. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not too much sugar?â⬠It was another of those weird statements of his that could be interpreted a number of different ways. Was he judging me? Did he think I shouldnââ¬â¢t have any sugar? I didnââ¬â¢t know, but it was enough for me to close the menu and set it on top of his. With no other scheduled forms of entertainment for the night, we decided to just go for a walk after dinner. The temperature was down to moderate levels, and it was still light enough out that I wasnââ¬â¢t as concerned about the Warriors of Light jumping out from corners. That didnââ¬â¢t mean I ignored Wolfeââ¬â¢s teachings, however. I still kept an eye on my surroundings, watching for anything suspicious. We reached a small park that only took up one city block and found a bench in the corner. We sat down on it, watching children play on the opposite side of the lawn while we continued a discussion on bird watching in the Mojave. Brayden put his arm around me as we talked, and eventually, we exhausted the topic and simply sat in comfortable silence. ââ¬Å"Sydneyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I turned my gaze from the children, surprised at Braydenââ¬â¢s uncertain tone, which was very different from the one heââ¬â¢d just been using to defend the superiority of the mountain bluebird over the western bluebird. There was softness in his eyes now as he looked at me. The evening light made his hazel eyes take on a little more gold than usual but completely hid the green. Too bad. Before I could say anything, he leaned forward and kissed me. It was more intense than the last one, though still a long ways from the epic, all-consuming kisses Iââ¬â¢d seen in movies. He did rest his hand on my shoulder this time, gently bringing me a little closer. The kiss also lasted longer than previous ones, and I again tried to let myself go and lose myself in the feel of someone elseââ¬â¢s lips. He was the one who ended it, a bit more abruptly than I wouldââ¬â¢ve expected. ââ¬Å"I ââ¬â Iââ¬â¢m sorry,â⬠he said, looking away. ââ¬Å"I shouldnââ¬â¢t have done that.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why not?â⬠I asked. It wasnââ¬â¢t so much that Iââ¬â¢d been yearning for the kiss as it was that this seemed exactly like the kind of place youââ¬â¢d want to kiss: a romantic park at sunset. ââ¬Å"Weââ¬â¢re in public. Itââ¬â¢s kind of vulgar, I suppose.â⬠Vulgar? I wasnââ¬â¢t even sure if we were really all that much in public, seeing as no one was next to us and we were in the shade of some trees. Brayden sighed with dismay. ââ¬Å"I guess I just lost control. It wonââ¬â¢t happen again.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s okay,â⬠I said. It hadnââ¬â¢t seemed like that much of a loss of control, but what did I know? And I wondered if maybe a small loss of control wasnââ¬â¢t such a bad thing. Wasnââ¬â¢t that kind of the basis of passion? I didnââ¬â¢t know that either. The only thing I knew for sure was that this kiss had been a lot like the last one. Nice, but it didnââ¬â¢t blow me away. My heart sank. There was something wrong with me. Everyone was always going on about how socially inept I was. Did it extend to romance as well? Was I so cold that Iââ¬â¢d spend my life never feeling anything? I think Brayden misread my dismay and assumed I was upset with him. He stood up and held out his hand. ââ¬Å"Hey, letââ¬â¢s go walk to that tea shop one block over. Theyââ¬â¢ve got this local painterââ¬â¢s art on display that I think youââ¬â¢ll like. Besides, no calories in tea, right? Better than dessert.â⬠ââ¬Å"Right,â⬠I said. Thinking of the gelato didnââ¬â¢t cheer me up any. The Italian place had had pomegranate, which kind of sounded like the best thing ever. As I stood up, my cell phone rang and startled both of us. ââ¬Å"Hello?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sage? Itââ¬â¢s me.â⬠I had no reason to be mad at Adrian, not after what heââ¬â¢d done for me, but somehow I felt irritated by the interruption. I was trying to make the most of this night with Brayden, and Adrian unsettled everything. ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s going on?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Are you still downtown? You need to come over right now.â⬠ââ¬Å"You know Iââ¬â¢m out with Brayden,â⬠I said. This was pushy, even for Adrian. ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t just drop everything and entertain you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not about me.â⬠It was then that I noticed how hard and serious his voice was. Something tightened in my chest. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s about Sonya. Sheââ¬â¢s missing.â⬠The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel How to cite The Golden Lily Chapter 18, Essay examples
Friday, December 6, 2019
Working Inside the Black Box 5 Ways to Enhance Classroom Learning free essay sample
The article presents three main problems in the assessment of students: first, the assessment methods that teachers use are not effective in promoting good learning; second, grading practices tend to emphasize competition rather than personal improvement; and third, assessment feedback often has a negative impact, particularly on low-achieving students, who are led to believe that they lack ââ¬Å"abilityâ⬠and so are not able to learn (Black et al., 2004). As a solution to these problems, the notion of Assessment for Learning is introduced.à Assessment for learning is defined as ââ¬Å"any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting studentsââ¬â¢ learningâ⬠(Black et al., 2004). Because the previous grading system is widely used and firmly established, the Kingââ¬â¢s-Medway-Oxfordshire Formative Assessment Project (KMOFAP) was established to explore the application of assessment for learning.à Several means were devised in order to facilitate the change needed in current assessment methods. We will write a custom essay sample on Working Inside the Black Box: 5 Ways to Enhance Classroom Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One technique is to increase wait time for answering questions asked in class, enabling the students to think more reflectively before responding.à By feedback through grading, students are given comments to help them improve their work and focus.à Related to this is peer-assessment and self-assessment, wherein the students are to think of their work as a set of goals, and their peers can give comments and suggestions that are more easily accepted than those given by professors. And through the formative use of summative tests, students are asked to traffic light subjects taken up according to how secure they feel their knowledge of it is. These different methods aim to refocus assessment on actual learning, involving the cooperation of the students, teachers, and administrations, to review school policies and establish formative assessment methods which truly promote learning, through planning and exploration. Reference List: Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., William, D. (2004 September). Working inside the black box: assessment for learning in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 86 (1), 8-21.
Friday, November 29, 2019
World Civilizations 1500 Essays - Mesoamerica, Fall Of Tenochtitlan
World civilizations 1500 March 17, 1999 1. Essay form (7%) 2. Tenochtitlan case study (10%) 3. Mozambique case study (13%) 4. Comparison of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique cases (15%) 5. Summary of the gun powder arguments in Stearns (35%) 6. Discussion and critique of gun powder arguments in the light of the Tenochtitlan and Mozambique case studies (20%) In the past wars were fought to gain land, wealth, and fame. Two such examples of this are the battle of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique. These are two battles that disprove the gun powder superiority theory. Certain countries look to get an advantage, by incorporating such things as guns, canons, and steel armor. Some countries look to gain an advantage through superior numbers. Several Army leaders simply believed they were superior to their adversaries. Such as the case in Tenochtitlan. The purpose for the invasion of Mexico is not clear however, has stated above it is usually for power, land, or money. In this case Cortes was looking for gold that he hoped he could take from a primitive people. In April 1521Cortes had reached Tenochtitlan. This would mark the beginning of the battle between the Spanish and the Aztec. Before the Spanish arrived in Mexico, a sickness broke out. This epidemic was small pox. Small pox decimated villages. Small pox caused blemishes on people faces, it caused their bodies to become stiff, and made some people unable to move. "And when things were in this state, the Spaniards came..." (Sources, 70 L.). Twelve Spanish boats had come, traveling the coast and looking for places to land. The Spanish managed to get two boats in. It is documented that these boats came in fighting. "There were deaths on both sides, and on both sides captives were taken." (Sources, 70 L.). It is recorded that at the first sight of the Spaniards the natives ran. W ith the village emptied the Spaniards took as they pleased. As the Spaniards continued they came to a place where the fortress was well fortified. This presented no obstacle as they used their canons to blast down the wall. "and the fourth time finally the wall went to the ground once and for all..." (sources, 70 L.) Once inside, the Tzilacatzin and some other warriors went out to face the oncoming Spaniards. These warriors used nothing more than stones repeal the oncoming Spanish. This sent the Spaniards retreating. Some of these warriors hid in the dense brush, and as the Spaniards came through the warriors ambush them. The Spaniards had come with gunpowder and guns and when ambushed these guns did not help. The selection is not specific but I don't believe the Aztec had guns of any kind. "Then he went and threw a Spaniard down, knocking him to the ground..." (Sources 71 L.). The captives were taken to Yacacolca and sacrificed. Spanish first and all other second. The heads were h ung on skull racks facing the East. The Aztec won this battle but it would be short-lived. The second example is the battle in Mozambique. This is similar to the previously described battle in that the natives seemed fearful at first, and retaliated to win the battle. The Portuguese arrived in the rivers of Cuama in the year 1593. Dom Pedro de Sousa led them. This battle was a retaliation of an earlier battle in which the Zimba had killed one of the Portuguese priests. Dom Pedro de Sousa obtained information about his enemy and quickly raised an army. "... 200 Portuguese and 1500 Kaffirs..." (sources, 65 L.) He also took various pieces of artillery, which he wanted to use on the walls. When this failed he was determined to enter by assault. He had part of the trench filled, through which several of his soldiers were wounded by the arrows being shot from above. The natives also used boiling fat and water, which they poured on the attackers and scalded them. They also used iron hooks, which they would stick through the holes of the wall and grab anyone who came too close and wounded them mortally. Following this encounter the captain ordered his men back to camp so they could rest and tend to the wounded. The captain had an idea that would put his men on World Civilizations 1500 Essays - Mesoamerica, Fall Of Tenochtitlan World civilizations 1500 March 17, 1999 1. Essay form (7%) 2. Tenochtitlan case study (10%) 3. Mozambique case study (13%) 4. Comparison of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique cases (15%) 5. Summary of the gun powder arguments in Stearns (35%) 6. Discussion and critique of gun powder arguments in the light of the Tenochtitlan and Mozambique case studies (20%) In the past wars were fought to gain land, wealth, and fame. Two such examples of this are the battle of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique. These are two battles that disprove the gun powder superiority theory. Certain countries look to get an advantage, by incorporating such things as guns, canons, and steel armor. Some countries look to gain an advantage through superior numbers. Several Army leaders simply believed they were superior to their adversaries. Such as the case in Tenochtitlan. The purpose for the invasion of Mexico is not clear however, has stated above it is usually for power, land, or money. In this case Cortes was looking for gold that he hoped he could take from a primitive people. In April 1521Cortes had reached Tenochtitlan. This would mark the beginning of the battle between the Spanish and the Aztec. Before the Spanish arrived in Mexico, a sickness broke out. This epidemic was small pox. Small pox decimated villages. Small pox caused blemishes on people faces, it caused their bodies to become stiff, and made some people unable to move. "And when things were in this state, the Spaniards came..." (Sources, 70 L.). Twelve Spanish boats had come, traveling the coast and looking for places to land. The Spanish managed to get two boats in. It is documented that these boats came in fighting. "There were deaths on both sides, and on both sides captives were taken." (Sources, 70 L.). It is recorded that at the first sight of the Spaniards the natives ran. W ith the village emptied the Spaniards took as they pleased. As the Spaniards continued they came to a place where the fortress was well fortified. This presented no obstacle as they used their canons to blast down the wall. "and the fourth time finally the wall went to the ground once and for all..." (sources, 70 L.) Once inside, the Tzilacatzin and some other warriors went out to face the oncoming Spaniards. These warriors used nothing more than stones repeal the oncoming Spanish. This sent the Spaniards retreating. Some of these warriors hid in the dense brush, and as the Spaniards came through the warriors ambush them. The Spaniards had come with gunpowder and guns and when ambushed these guns did not help. The selection is not specific but I don't believe the Aztec had guns of any kind. "Then he went and threw a Spaniard down, knocking him to the ground..." (Sources 71 L.). The captives were taken to Yacacolca and sacrificed. Spanish first and all other second. The heads were h ung on skull racks facing the East. The Aztec won this battle but it would be short-lived. The second example is the battle in Mozambique. This is similar to the previously described battle in that the natives seemed fearful at first, and retaliated to win the battle. The Portuguese arrived in the rivers of Cuama in the year 1593. Dom Pedro de Sousa led them. This battle was a retaliation of an earlier battle in which the Zimba had killed one of the Portuguese priests. Dom Pedro de Sousa obtained information about his enemy and quickly raised an army. "... 200 Portuguese and 1500 Kaffirs..." (sources, 65 L.) He also took various pieces of artillery, which he wanted to use on the walls. When this failed he was determined to enter by assault. He had part of the trench filled, through which several of his soldiers were wounded by the arrows being shot from above. The natives also used boiling fat and water, which they poured on the attackers and scalded them. They also used iron hooks, which they would stick through the holes of the wall and grab anyone who came too close and wounded them mortally. Following this encounter the captain ordered his men back to camp so they could rest and tend to the wounded. The captain had an idea that would put his men on
Monday, November 25, 2019
Second World War in U.S. History
Second World War in U.S. History Introduction Studies on the Second World War have yielded varied perspectives; according to Erdelja, ââ¬Å"there is no other experience that was more crucial to the development of the U.S. and Europe in the 20th century than the Second World Warâ⬠(Erdelja, 2009, p. 1). The war marked the struggle for social and political freedom for the entire world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Second World War in U.S. History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The consequences of the war were characterized by chaos, which broke human bonds, destroyed homes and communities, and uprooted foundations of societies. From todayââ¬â¢s perspective, World War II was more than the series of battles and diplomatic negotiations, which are widely studied today (Royal Air Force 94). This paper will discuss the World War II in the light of the U.S. history. The paper will describe the role that the war played in shaping the U. S. government and its policies. The lessons learned due to the U.S. engaging in the war are also highlighted. World War II and U.S. History World War II was the most gruesome epoch ever in the U.S. history. It was characterized by struggles, deaths of many citizens, financial constrains, damaged property and many other challenges in the country. The number of deaths between 1939 and 1945 was estimated to be more than 55 million. The war began on September 1, 1939 when Poland was invaded by Germany. It spread out to the entire world with almost 50 countries taking part in the war and men and women fighting in almost every part of the world. After the war became rampant, Americans became divided on whether to participate or to stay out of it completely. However, their hopes and desires were for their allies to win the war while they remained calm and isolated from the war. While some wished the U.S. could avoid the war at all costs, there was a group of interventionists that demanded the government to do all it could within its power to help the allies of U.S.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It was then that the government changed its policy from being neutral on issues related to the war into being prepared through expanding its military forces and later proceeded to support its allies. The president then made the U.S. to be an arsenal supplier; the U.S. started by supplying war materials to its allies (Teachers Guide 1). World War II was a turning point to the lives of Americans and in the history of the U.S. In 1944, the three great allies came together to invade Germany. In the pacific, the Americans drove the Japanese forces back. The devastating bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed in August 1945; this made Japanese government to surrender (The Choices Program 4). Impact of the Second World War II to the U.S.A World War II had an unal terable impact on the US history and in our present life. The period was characterized by a vast number of families lost through the death of young men and women, those who became crippled, mass deportation, conflicts in cultures, religions, confusion and outright fears. Although the war was away from United States, it had a huge impact on the American society. Undeniable, it was a gruesome time in history and the many incidences from the war presented numerous lessons to be learnt. To start with, its leaders transformed U.S. to be an arsenal and produced vast numbers of war materials. Prior to the involvement in war, its economic sectors such as industries and agriculture had been mobilized to support factories which manufactured weapons. Americaââ¬â¢s business had become larger with its federal government expanding its power (Ayers, Gould and Oshinsky 766). The war brought about a 10% shift of Americans to war production centers. Japanese-Americans were evicted from their homes and were incarnated to relocation centers whilst the African Americans demanded full citizenship. More women were employed into the armed forces and in the factories which were manufacturing weapons (Ayers, Gould and Oshinsky 766). The World War II cost the U.S. approximately $304 billion. The U.S. obtained this money through deficit spending, lending and selling of war bonds. Its debt is said to have skyrocketed from $49 billion to $259 billion in 1945, which remained unsettled until 1970 (Schug 142).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Second World War in U.S. History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other challenges encountered were the concentrations of people in weapon manufacturing centers. The influx resulted to strained community resources. The overcrowding of migrants into war material producing centers made them to shelter in substandard woodsheds and in trailer parks with inadequate sanitation facil ities. This resulted to high prevalence of communicable diseases, including scabies, ringworms, and tuberculosis among others. With the concentration of people in the centers, confrontation arose. Historians have claimed that by 1943, there were almost 250 racial conflicts. Social evils were also on the rise, for example, African Americans roamed in the city attacking police and dragging white passengers off street cars. There were increased criminal activities which also led to a considerable loss of lives at the home front (Schug 142). Families break ups were on the increase. It was estimated that approximately 3 million families separated; it was estimated that 16 families out of 1000 were separated by 1940 with the rate almost doubling to 27 in 1000 families by 1944. More so, the number of unmarried women rose from 73 per 1000 in 1939 to 93 by 1942. There were fears of people getting into marriage as spouses were being sent to battle fields. Birth rates also increased from 2.4 m illion in 1939 to 3.1 million in 1943. Majority of which were described as ââ¬Å"good bye babiesâ⬠; who were conceived for family continuation incase the father died at war (Anon 1). Another challenge was increased and rise of social immorality. Much of the immoral behavior that had become rampant was not evident during the peace times. The war period also witnessed increased opportunities for gay affairs, and same-sex relationships; gay communities in cities such as San Francisco became common. Briefly, the war time swapped traditional gender roles where men lost their roles as bread winners in the family. During this time, women worked to feed their families at home whilst most men defended their nation away from the U.S. (Norton et al. 749). It be should be noted that there were also women who were directly involved in the battle field. Importance of World War II in Americansââ¬â¢ History World War II marked a major turning point for the World history. It was one of the major events in the world that should never be repeated. This event marked the importance of teaching the future generations the impact of engaging in war and the many lessons learnt from the mistakes committed.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Knowledge of the World War II helps one to understand how the contemporary society was developed; knowledge necessary in laying the foundation for tomorrowââ¬â¢s generation. Studying history helps the students to become good citizens and to have knowledge of the past events together with lessons learnt from the mistakes committed in the past. In learning about World War II, students understand the impacts of participating in such events. This way, graduates will perfectly suit to the U.S. society and its dynamic requirements from the citizens (World War II 4). The significance of World War II includes the end of dictatorship ruling in Asia and Europe. America would have been surrounded by enemies had Germany and Japan won the war. More so, the era ushered in the Atomic age where peaceful use of atomic and nuclear knowledge became of importance. Most importantly, the war brought up the need for establishing effective world organizations that would help in solving disputes between nations thereby, mitigating future wars re-occurring. This led to the formation of United Nations with the aim of resolving disputes between nations peacefully (United States History 1). Conclusion World War II came to an end with depression in most of the most powerful nations. The war shaped the U.S. history by making it the most dominating country as most of the powerful countries had been ruined economically. The Office of scientific Research and Development led to inventions and improved commodities such as jet engines and other war materials. The war also placed the U.S. among the most powerful nations. However, it is undeniable that World War II was the most expensive war in history. It is estimated that the cost of the war totaled $2 trillion, and the property damage was about $239 billion with the United States spending 10 times than it had spent in the World War I. Anon. ââ¬Å"Virginia women and the Second World War.â⬠Library of Virginia, 2011. Web. lva.virginia.go v/public/guides/WomenofWWII.pdf. Ayers Edward, Gould Lewis, and Oshinsky David. American passages: A history of the United States since 1865. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print. Erdelja, Kresimir. The Second World War: Workbook 4. Teaching Modern Southern European history. New York, NY: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. Norton et al. A people and a nation: History of United states. Boston, MA: Cengage learning, 2011. Print. Royal Air Force. ââ¬Å"The Second World War 1939-45.â⬠Royal Air Force, 2011. Web. raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/F21D57C4_9913_5321_BB9830F0BB762B4E.pdf. Schug, Mark. United States history: Eyes on the economy through 20th century. New York, NY: National Council for economic education, 1993. Print. Teachers Guide. ââ¬Å"The cold war.â⬠Disney, 2000. Web. http://disney.go.com/educational/abcclassroom/support/tcw/TG_TheColdWarUnit.pdf. The Choices Program. ââ¬Å"Teachers guide for. The fog of war. An Errol Morris Film developed by the choices Program a nd the critical Oral History Project Watson Institute for international studies.â⬠The Choices Program, 2004. Web. choices.edu/resources/detail.php?id=55. United States History. ââ¬Å"World War II.â⬠United States History, 2011. Web. u-s-history.com/pages/h1661.html. World War II. ââ¬Å"How did World War II affect people around the world?â⬠Teacher Link, 2003. Web. http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/gallagher2003fall/vallen/vallen.pdf.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
T-test and Correlation Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
T-test and Correlation - Statistics Project Example This paper will analyze difference in the percentage usage of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English in their texts. For this, 10 texts written by a native speaker of English and another 10 texts written by a non-native speaker of English (Arab writer) in the usage (percentage) of prepositions were collected (table 1). The research hypothesis is ââ¬Å"Is there a difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English?â⬠The null and alternate hypotheses are H0:à µnative = à µnon-native H1:à µnative âⰠà µnon-native The selected level of significance, à ± is 0.05. The test selected is two-tailed t-test for independent samples (Independent Samples Test) because alternate hypothesis involves not equal to sign (âⰠ). The average percentage use of prepositions in writing for non-native speaker of English in their text is 38.50 (SD = 6.35). The average percentage use of prepositions in writing for native speaker of English in their text is 38.30 (SD = 4.64). From figure 1, it appears that there is no difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non-native speaker of English. The Leveneââ¬â¢s test for equality of variance is not significant, F(1, 18) = 1.90, p = .19 (>.05). Therefore, equal variance can be assumed for t-test. The null hypothesis H0 is retained. Therefore, there is no difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English, t(18) = 0.08, p = .94 (>.05). Both data set (data set 1 and data set 2) shows no correlation, r(8) = .06, p = .87 (>.05). In conclusion, data suggest that there is no difference in the usage of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Totaltarian Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Totaltarian Regimes - Essay Example In addition, totalitarianism is considered as a system of rule guided by an ideology whose perspective is geared on achieving a certain favorable political, social, and economic end by guiding every aspect of society to that goal with the use, to some extent, of "propaganda and terror"(Pleuger, "Totalitarianism," par.2). The system is also described as "both a form of social control as well as a method of social control" facilitated by advancement of technology and mass communication (Keis, "The Age of Totalitarianism," par. 10). Within the context of those definitions mentioned above that our discussion of totalitarianism will be based. In discussing history of totalitarianism, we do not consider intensively the birth of the concept of totalitarianism but we look into regimes that fit into the character as described by scholars as it occurred in history. We look deeper into what are the motives of totalitarian leadership and its impact on the society. By definition, it can be inferred that like any other form of governments, the system, by the perspective of the rulers, is anchored on the goal of total development for the country. Whether the approach would benefit a select few at the expense of other sector the concept of total development would likewise benefit the entire society. Taking violence, war, and human rights abuse and violations out of context, we can see that development brought by totalitarianism is highly considerable as shown by Russia's might in the Cold War era, the totalitarian monarchies in the Arabian region, and China's rise to economic dominance in the present times. Most totalitarian regimes with autocratic leadership hold on to power by imposing an official ideology upon its people. The master plan is laid and facilitated by controlling all means of mass media and information systems. There is only one political party which in some case becomes an alter ego of the leader and the exercise of free well and freedom of speech is being suppressed. Critics are subject to intense surveillance and executions are frequent with the use of strong police and military backing. All these are utilized to achieve the goals of the leadership. Dirty as it can be described, however, in dealing with totalitarian regimes it is argued that totalitarianism is different from authoritarianism although most totalitarian regimes are governed by authoritarians and dictators, but which is not always the case. Monarchy can be considered totalitarian but the role of a king is not as intimidating as a dictator. Of course, this point had its share of arguments in the past and is also a point of controversy in political science today. But looking at the present times we can see that monarchies rule in the principle of totalitarianism yet democratic processes are being recognized like the case of Britain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and the other present day monarchies. This argument is the reason why the term totalitarian democracy emerged. Therefore we consider the brutal totalitarian regimes as a manifestation of extremism within the totalitarian concept. History of Totalitarianism Within
Monday, November 18, 2019
International Finance and Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
International Finance and Law - Assignment Example A close analysis of these two descriptions of the same product provides two different products. In the first document, it is evident that the traders are dealing with steel ingots, while in the second document; we cannot deduce which products the traders are dealing with. The only thing we are sure of, as a bank is that they are dealing with ingots. I would not honor the Letter of Credit, and as such, would not make any subsequent payments towards the document. This is because the document speaks of a product that is completely different from the one in the contract of sale. Consequently, the bank would be liable for honoring a Letter of Credit that has such form of discrepancies, and as such, would be liable to pay any amount of liability caused by the damages incurred from this contract. Furthermore, it would be difficult for the bank to trace the money paid out to SS, if at a future date the traders realized the discrepancies in the two contracts and demand to stop the contract, especially if at all he is a fraudulent person. Honoring the contract also gives him legal rights to decline liability to the contract, and he may choose not to send the products at all, or send a different product, ingots instead of 51 steel ingots to the buyer (Bamford, 2011) By refusing to honor this Letter of Credit, I would have to ask both parties to the contract to review the details of their contract. I would demand that they make changes to the contract and rectify the discrepancies before the bank can release any payment upon the order made. For instance, I would send a letter to MM advising him of the difference in description of the goods between the Contract of sale and the Letter of Credit. This means that the goods that the letter of credi demands payment upon are not the same ones discussed in the contract of sale. Therefore, he needs to clarify which goods he is paying for, and what is the acceptable market price of these goods. It might also
Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Sinking Economy Of Japan
The Sinking Economy Of Japan The country which almost ruled the world in economy for decades even being one of the tiniest countries of the world setting an example of perfection in most of sectors is presently suffering from some drastic challenges which have mesmerized the people across Japan as its economy is sinking and national debt is touching sky. The revolutions of growth which started right from the 1868 in the Meiji Period rarely witnessed great slumps till 1990s. Adaptation of free market economy and North American type of free enterprise capitalism took Japan to such great heights from where it never looked to topple down, but alas the growth slowed markedly in the 1990s (i.e. during the Lost Decade), substantively because of the after effects of Japanese asset price bubble and somewhat deliberative domestic policies which caused to extract speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. In the present decade, less stable governments although left no stone unturned to revitalize the gian t economy but were thrashed down by global economic crisis of 2008. In 2010, Japan could do nothing but see its position being acquired by another economy giant China as Japan was ranked 3rd as per economic size in terms of GDPà [1]à based on data from the International Monetary Fund. Besides economy, there are several other sectors which are facing jittery crisis. In this essay Im going to discuss these problems illustratively. Challenges before Japan in a Nutshell: 1) Economic Outlook: * Japans Export Competiveness: Japans blazing economic growth of 1980s was thrashed by the 1990s stock market crash followed by a recession of almost 10 years. Countrys economy revived again but the global economic crisis of 2008 debilitated the economic growth and consequently, Japans ability to produce and export a wide variety of goods is getting constrained resulting in lesser demand in countries across the globe in contemporary times. Since the start of the present decade the contraction in export is almost entirely due to a steep fall in external demand, the reasons may be a shift in global demand structure, arrival of global recession in Japan relatively late with greater severity, impact of yen appreciation etc. The now fragile economic recovery of Japan is running out of stream because of the slow growth in key export markets. As a result private consumption also didnt take off for the simple reason because Japan heavily depends upon exports. It seems that Japanese economy is governed by short term policy making. Appreciation in the value of yen is debilitating Japans competitive power in global arena. So, responsibility is heavy on the government Bank of Japan to take effective decisive action against currency moves. The comparison visible below tells the story: * Decrease in manufacturing: Manufacturing industries make a substantial part of Japans secondary sector with employing almost 28% workforce of Japan. But, due to current sluggishness of economic growth, Japans rank in manufacturing is grasped by china as it toppled to 3rd position and the graph below suggests that USA manufactures almost twice as China, double what Japan makesà [2]à : Developed markets like that of Japan and Euro zone are struggling with stalled recoveries, as in the fourth quarter annualized GDP in 2009 was a mere 0.9% in Japan and 0.1% in Euro Zone. While much stronger rates of economic growth are visible among some fastest growing economies of China, Brazil India. Deflationary conditions are still persisting in Japan. In December, 2009 the overall Consumer Price Index (food items energy sectors not included) stopped at 1.2% which was below than that of December, 2008à [3]à . This happened to be the largest such decline for CPI in history of Japanese economy. The danger inherent in deflationary conditions is that consumers tend to defer purchases as they wait for prices to fall even further. Consumer prices are influenced through changes in governmental policies, so government should make efforts to control deflation. In April-June quarter, the GDP deflator which is considered as the broadest measure of public trends was -1.8% showing a mild improvement from the -2.8% in previous quarterà [4]à and is also suggestive of the fact that how deeply entrenched deflation Japan is experiencing. In order to achieve fiscal reforms, it is a prerequisite to get deflation at 0%. Now lets examine what happens when people start expecting inflation: Since the Global Economic Depression of summer 2008, Japanese companies could not help seeing a steep drop in domestic overseas demand which provoked companies to make adjustments in production to reduce their inventories. It resulted into fast downfall in production mostly in machinery, digital automobiles industry. In 2009, real GDP contracted at an annualized figure of -11.9% in Jan-March, the second straight quarter of double-digit negative growth following a -10.2% fall in Oct-Decà [5]à . Even in 2010 no great recovery could be registered in economy of Japan as between April and June this year GDP grew by 0.1%, much lower than expectedà [6]à . The fatal impact of the global economic recession on world economy caused recurring profits to fall sharply (which were at boom in 1990s) along with mitigation of sales in Japan overseas. The housing market of Japan has not witnessed any positive growth signs since the revision of the Japans Building Code in 2007. Even in 2010 when the effects of the revision of the Building Code have extinguished, housing sales could not notice recovery signs. The reasons may be attributed to the expectation of further fall in housing prices and stagnation of labor industry to create employment environment. Due to the factors above mentioned allied with others, in August, 2010 China replaced Japan as the worlds second biggest economy after overtaking Germany as the largest exporter with a nominal GDP region of $1.337 trillion compared to Japans $ 1.228 trillionà [7]à . To deal with such economic challenges, I think, Japan should first slash expenditures and then increase tax burden as minimum. It is advisable that there should be more focus on spending cuts than focusing on tax increase. The aim of fiscal reform should be equalizing the primary balance i.e. creation of such environment in which current expenditures is financed by current revenues to protect the financial position from further deterioration. * Banking Policies in Japan: challenges and prospects- Japan began the decade of 1990s with a heavily regulated financial system controlled by a resolute undeterred Ministry of Finance (MoF) and ended the decade with great market reforms, a complete restructuring of the financial institutions which were regulatory in nature and providing greater independent to the Bank of Japan amid collapse of asset prices, a looming bank crisis, worsening unemployment the lowest interest rates in industrial world. In the aftermath of the bursting of Japanese asset price bubble which choked the banking system, most of the Japanese banks unveiled unconventional monetary policy measures to cater to the challenges posed by monetary crisis created by aforementioned asset price bubble of 1990s. But had the Bank of Japan cut its policy rate to a great extent immediately after the bursting of the asset price bubble, deflation would have been avoided. The unpractical recommendations made to bank of Japan like all that the bank of Japan needs to do is to set a high inflation rate target and purchase all types of assets including physical assets to achieve the target the central bank should credibly promise to be irresponsible did not help in any way. Although Japan began the decade of 1990s with a heavily regulated financial system controlled by a resolute undeterred Ministry of Finance (MoF) and ended the decade with great market reforms, a complete restructuring of the financial institutions which were regulatory in nature and providing greater independent to the Bank of Japan amid collapse of asset prices, a looming bank crisis, worsening unemployment the lowest interest rates in industrial world. What is the problem and where does the devil lie who has pestered Japanese economy so far; lets examineà [8]à : The decrease in the risk taking capacity of many economic entities which resulted in drastic reduction in effectiveness of conventional monetary policies and in such monetarily pathetic atmosphere, the overnight interest dropped down to zero, limiting the room for additional easing through conventional monetary policy formulae. In the context of Japan, the overnight interest fell to 0.5% five years after the real estate prices peaked in 1990. It took time to recapitalize the banking system. Uncertainty regarding the transmission mechanism of monetary policy is bigger than that of normal times. When the central banks try to create fruitful policy measures in the constrained atmosphere for effectiveness of traditional monetary policies, they are obviously introduced to the vicious area of fiscal policy. Consequently, policymakers are in fear of being accountable to for such policy actions in the Japanese democratic environment. What should Banks do? Maintain the stability of financial markets and the financial system. Inject the capital into the banking system together with the provision of liquidity in order to kill the pressure on the financial intermediation process. Banks may take measures to take on individual credit risk such as corporate debt when there is a major risk that credit market functions shall become worse and consequently, the feebleness of financial conditions is capable of causing loss to the economy of Japan. Communication with the market is very important in order to effectively conduct monetary policy as the effectiveness of unconventional policy is always uncertain and through communication with the market Banks are able to show their commitment to the stability of financial market and financial system. 2) Piracy: a threat to be crumpled down- Japanese industries are facing problems in achieving value creation through the utilization of Intellectual assets due to raising graph of counterfeit, fake pirated products. These issues have rattled the Japanese governments cage to force government to take strict and specific measures to combat as it is opening its first overseas army base in Djibouti to counter rising piracy in the regionà [9]à . But neglecting non-cooperative attitude of some countries is posing problems to crush the evil of piracy. 5) Japan Haunting Indebtedness: Economy of Japan got mired in the worst recession since WWII and got edged into deflation. In the 90s Japan was worlds top creditor nation whilst now it ranks 1th among worlds largest debtor nationsà [10]à (vide the graph below). Taro Asos government planned 27 trillion yen (almost $282 billion) in stimulus spending since the great recession of 2008 began to worsen the financial system of Japanà [11]à . But stimulus efforts from past economic problems have heaped a mountain of public debt in the region of around 189% of GDP which is highest in developed nations which consequently debilitated Japans capacity to spend its way out of the recession. The great indebtedness of Japan is worrisome because once a government incurs significant incremental debt it results in a political impossibility to go back to the levels of indebtedness it had earlier. The debt levels become almost eternal and even if a practical government runs a surplus, there is a dim hope that ruling politicians would utilize much of that surplus to pay the debt. In order to absolve itself from raising heap of debt, Japanese government should make efforts to attract buyers to the nations increasing debt. Bank of Japan should adopt measures to buy corporate debt and enhance the buying of government bonds to keep funding problems at bay which would have resulted in further derailing of economy of Japan. Despite a debt-to-GDP ratioà [12]à as 189.30% as shown below, the Bank of Japan never seemed to lose ability to set the key overnight interest rate, which remained below 1% for about a decade and the debt didnt drive long term rates higher either. Low taxes: Although getting a horrible increase in government debt, taxes in Japan are relatively low among the countries of Developed world. Japan is the country with the lowest government revenue-to-GDP ratio (31%) and currently the second- highest government net debt- to- GDP ratio (78%), even then its 33% marginal tax rate on average income workers is one of the lowest in developed countriesà [13]à . A comparison is shown below: 11) Governance and the Political System: (i) The factor that weakens the power and functioning of cabinet in Japan is the dual power structure of ruling party and cabinet. In a successful cabinet system, cabinet executes the policies of the ruling party as power within a ruling party is focused in the cabinet and the ministers who form the cabinet are the partys prime movers and rest members of the ruling party generally dont defy the polices of cabinet. But it is on earth in Japan that members of the last ruling Liberal Democratic Party (before 2009 elections) who did not become part of cabinet acquired more power than the cabinet and subsequently, many policy decisions were framed through repeated contact, behind the scenes, negotiations arm twisting among top politicians of ruling LDP. It also included disregard of cabinet by tribal lawmakers with close ties to specific political lobbies and powerful bureaucrats. Thus, the decision making power of the cabinet in Japan was totally hampered. The LDP also had its own polic y consideration section called the Policy Affairs Research Council which would examine the Bills and similar policy proposals put forward by the cabinet. Further, government bills cleared by the Policy research council were then approved by the partys General Council before submitting to Diet. This took form of a Prior Screening Sanctioning, a system alien to most of great democracies across the globe. The government Bills would also got modified or vastly changed in this prior screening process and this system reinforced the impression that any proposal approved by the ruling party would be approved by the Diet, reducing the role of the Diet as a mere rubberstamp. The LDPs powerful policy tribes (zokuà [14]à ) had steadily emerged as a shadow government. Thus, Policy Affairs Research Council zoku deliberated in major policy decisions, leaving Diet Committees to fight over politics rather than the substance of the legislation. While all the major political parties have a similar structure including the present ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Japan is forced to possess a weak cabinet, bureaucrats-led-politics, non-transparent decision making process in high political institutions. But the issues aforesaid are not fundamental institutional issues and there is a scope to deal with these issues to overhaul the conflicting political interests within the parties. (ii) The ministerial coordination and cabinet leadership in Japan has taken a backseat contrary to the spirit of an actual democratic setup. Ministers have become just the figureheads who simply acquire a position on top to promote the existing policies without innovating distinct policies and give priority to bureaucratic advice which makes it difficult for government to give effect to drastic policy shifts to changing social, economic political circumstances. (iii) In 2010, Japan is ranked 24th for democracy, after all developed countries but Italy, Greece Singapore. Astonishingly, it is placed behind even three developing countries: Uruguay, Costa Rica and Chile. These figures present the picture of democracy in Japan. 12) Straining Foreign Relations: Japan needs to address the challenge of Chinas rising regional clout, while keeping ties with this giant which is Japans biggest trading partner on an even keel. Although Sino-Japanese relations have seen positive improvement in recent decades but territorial and maritime disputes still simmer coupled with growing mistrust over military hegemony like China and Japan dispute the ownership of a string of five small uninhabited islands in the East China Sea near the place known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China- which are believed to hold seabed oil deposits. There also exist tensions with USA on various issues including the issue to move the U.S. Marine air Station Futenma off the island of Okinawa as Okinawans have long complained about the noise and intrusion of the base and rape of a 12 year old local in 1995 and the charge that a US Marine sexually abused a young Japanese girl in early 2008 renewed public outcry against the bases thus resulting into increased tensions between the residents of Okinawa and marines. Japan and USA are military allies under treaty concluded in 1951 and revised in 1960à [15]à . But the ruling party DPJs past criticism of the bilateral security arrangement may further complicate alliance management issues such as the planned realignment of US forward deployed forces in Japan and the Host Nation Support (HNS) that Japan provides to help defray costs associated with the stationing of US bases across the Japanese archipelago. Besides this, political shifts turmoil in Japan since 2006 appear to have slowed down some of the increased cooperation in the US-Japan alliance. 13) Dullness in Employment Sector: Japans labor market witnessed a recessionary financial system in recent decade with a difficult employment environment. In such a turbulent time, the conservative concepts of employment in Japan are in question and unconventional ideas concepts are emerging throughout the companies of Japan. Ideas such as lifetime employment and seniority based payment are being revised and being replaced with new innovative as well as creative ideas in the process of revitalizing the financial system. Various techniques are entering into Japanese labor system in form of work-sharing, overseas jobs, and part time employment to provide opportunity to people who are unemployed or not considering employment to enter the workforce and contribute to economic development. Solution: (i) According to a report of the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training (JIL)à [16]à released on work sharing in Japan, it is generally believed that when a country is in recession, the number of part-time and non-regular workers tends to decrease in order to lower costs and maintain the number of regular workers. But, in context of Japan this lacks reality as number of part-time workers has increased while the number of full time regular workers has decreased. In Japan, work-sharing has been utilized to combat the rising number of part-time workers and has been a highly controversial topic among the employer class. JILs report outlines three types of working sharing: Employment Maintenance Job Creation Diversified working Patterns Employment maintenance work-sharing mainly targets midlevel employees, allowing them to reduce their work hours and share these hours among themselves, thus, this facilitates employees to stay employed with their wages adjusted for the hours they work. Job creation work-sharing intends to cut down hours of work at the national company levels aiming at increasing the overall number of jobs. Diversified work-sharing allows employees to pin-point their hours of work in order to allow persons previously unemployed to enter the labor sector. The working patterns mentioned above are useful in many ways. For example, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. announced in Jan, 2003 that they going to introduce work sharing program in one of their factories and over 200 hundred employees were involved in the program which required workers to take three more days of vacation per month and reduce their basic pay y 12%. As per companys estimate, it could save almost 100 million yen and was successful in retaining its employeesà [17]à . So, more emphasis should be laid down to implement these patterns to save the sinking Japanese employment sector. (ii) Working abroad either for foreign or Japanese companies may prove an excellent cure to rapidly diminishing job market tighter job vacancies in Japan. Besides, the opportunities stored in the West, there is also great scope in growing economic markets of Asia like China, India, Thailand etc. (iii) Non-regular jobs: The global recession and tattered economy of Japan has forced many companies to severely restrict the number of new graduate recruits so that they can retain their mid-level and senior employees. Thus, surging demand for employment can be checked through establishing job placement offices for part-time offices and distributing incentives in form of subsidies. In 2009, the number young workers with non-regular jobs surged to 1.78 millionà [18]à . So, there is a need to frame new policies to assist the young part-timers in gaining full time regular employment. Demographic Challenges: Japans demographic problems seem to end nowhere as the combination of low birth rate, strict immigration practices, and a rapidly aging population are haunting the think tanks of Japan. Japanese women are avoiding marriage child-bearing to meet the difficulties of career and family. The countrys birthrate has fallen to 1.25 which is below the necessary rate i.e. 2.1 to sustain a population sizeà [19]à . The countrys current population is roundabout 128 million which may fall to about 100 million till 2050à [20]à . So, Japan is on the verge of full-fledged population decline. As per estimates of government of Japan, the nations total fertility rate will continue to fall and that even in 2055, it may only recover to the 2005 levels at the most. In developed countries, it s found that there is a mild tendency for birthrates to rise when female employment is bigger. But, Japan is low in the ranking of both the fertility rate and the female employment rate. Hence it is suggestive of the fact that if more women were to join labor force, birthrates would grow high. However such deduction lacks practicality due to a host of reasons. Another factor responsible for low birth rates is that in Japan the percentage of children born before marriage is also low in comparison to countries like UK, France Sweden where birthrates have recovered. As per my opinion, to improve birth rates, Japan government should hike the allowance for children, increase the allowance for childbirth, provide medical-care subsidies, enhance augment child care centers and give education assistance to support the marries ones as it is quite expensive in Japan to nurture the children. Japan is also suffering from the tag of being the oldest country in the world with a high elderly share of 20% and it will further rise up to 30% in till 2025 and 40% till 2050à [21]à . Another vital fact is that Japans workable population is shrinking which may result in a sharp economic decline. However, 29% of men aged 65 and over remain in labor force which is quite commendable than 20% of USA, 5% of Germany 2% of Japan. To meet the challenges of aging population, the government must ensure that support systems for elderly are not only sustainable but also adequate; government should strengthen the private employer pension system by requiring that all benefit promises including severance pay must be fully funded.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)