Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Gender Discrimination Female And Female From Their...

of discrimination instills the low confidence and inferiority complex among female and superiority complex among boys and it continue till whole life. Now, women should initiate towards the elimination of this partial behaviour and stop discrimination while assigning the work to their children. The mother can take onus to transform the psychology of the male and female from their childhood age. Once our society will grow on the principles of equality than the root cause of gender discrimination will be fading away and women will be empowered automatically. †¢ Changes in the psychology of Male-- In our society male are prejudiced for the birth of the girl child because they have the apprehension that due to physical differences women are not that much capable to keep themselves safe and secure. Further, the male is worried regarding the marriage of their daughter and treat her as a liability. From their childhood age to till the age of marriage, they instill in the mind of their daughter that every cultured girl must adjust with husband and their family. Thereby after marriage girls faced all kinds of discrimination in their family and sometimes bear domestic violence, but due to the excessive influence of their parent she could not raise their voice against the all sorts of ill practices going on against her. Male as a father must realize that the birth of a daughter is a precious blessing of god. The female is the originator of this universe. LikeShow MoreRelatedGender Equality And Gender Discrimination1429 Words   |  6 PagesGender equality has been actively sought out for, chiefly by women, throughout history with a goal to establish equal rights and opportunities among all genders. While extensive progress has been achieved towards women’s rights throughout the twentieth century, women continue to experience gender discrimination on a daily basis. Even with the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution which refrains from inequality of rights concerning sex, gender inequality continues to persist Gender discriminationRead MoreGender And Gender Inequality1084 Words   |  5 PagesFor ages it was believed that the different characteristics, roles and status accorded to women and men in society are determined by sex, that they are natural and therefore not changeable. Gender is seen closely related to the roles and behavior assigned to women and men based on their sexual differences. As soon as a child is born families and society begin the process of gendering. The birth of the son is celebrated, the birth of a daughter filled with pain; sons are showered with love, respectRead MoreGender Identity And The Transgender Orientation1386 Words   |  6 Pagesthe behaviors are consistent with the gender assigned at birth, however; there are some children who are cross-gendered and show behaviors that are opposite to the sex assigned to them at birth (Pardo, 2008). Most of the transgender people identify their gender identity during adolescence, research studies suggest that transgender males and females go through a process of dissonance, exploration and finally disclosure before they identify their actual gender identity. The feelings of difference areRead MoreDiscrimination of Girls1678 Words   |  7 PagesDiscrimination against female children ha s been a topic of debate. It has been a subject of concern and sociological significance. This subject raises the cultural aspects about the role of a female child in society, what her human rights are as a human being and a number of sensitive issues.This issue is important because there is nearly universal consensus on the need for gender equality.[1] Gender based discrimination against female children is pervasive across the world. It is seen in all theRead MoreGender Inequality And Its Impact On Children s Developmental Essay1396 Words   |  6 Pagesoverlook gender inequality because race inequality is prevalent and easily recognizable. Like racial inequality; gender inequality is also a real issue in America. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated throughout our lifetime beginning when we are children. Early on, children learn what is means to be a boy or girl from societal standards. Children begin to suffer from the boys versus girl’s mentality which is evident in the so cial behavior of children. Children’s stereotypical thinking about gender is manifestedRead MoreAcknowledge Their Sexual Identity?999 Words   |  4 Pagesbreak through the ‘glass ceiling’ and continue striving for what previous feminist fought for such as a higher ranked female representation in politics and big businesses. She wants to encourage women to start projecting their own traits, instead of taking on a more masculine identity because the most powerful and dominant traits are related to men. That is the issue with Female Chauvinist Pigs is the fact that they believe that if they identify closely with men then they will gain power. Levy statesRead MoreGender, Stereotypes, And Stereotypes Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesAt a young age, we are taught to adhere to norms and are restricted to conform to society’s given rules. We are taught that straying away from stereotypes is anything but good and encouraged to build our lives upon only these socia l rules. Recently, stereotypes based on genders have been put into the limelight and have become of high interest to a generation that is infamously known for deviating from the established way of life. Millennials have put gender roles under fire, deeming it a form ofRead MoreGender Inequality And Gender Equality1725 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent shades of green, with copious amounts of peace and tranquility. Gender equality, however, is something that seems to be left out of the typical picture of the ‘perfect society’. It is ironic that in the nation where ‘all men are created equal’, there are so many restricting gender roles woven intricately into society, and from those restrictions come discriminations based solely on the gender of another human being. Gender roles have been suffocating seven billion people since the beginningsRead MoreGender equality and gender roles go hand in hand in society. These two concepts complement each1100 Words   |  5 PagesGender equality and gender roles go hand in hand in society. These two concepts complement each other to the extent in which one must know about both to fully understand the capacity of either. Gender roles are roles each sex is given. These are stereotypical things. Gender is how people are seen by society. This is imprinted in the brain at a young age and is formed and molded through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood. Each stage comes with different ideas about gender and powerRead MoreThe Struggles And Needs Elderly Lgbt Individuals Face And Its Effect On Their Aging Process1334 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Elderly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LBGT) individuals face many issues that others do not. Not only do they face discrimination due to their sexuality, but also due to their age and/or gender. The intersectionality of sexuality, age, and/or gender can cause many physical, mental, and emotional health issues which require social work intervention. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the struggles and needs elderly LGBT individuals face and its effect on their aging process

Monday, December 23, 2019

Culture Democracy Essay - 1452 Words

There may be many ways in which culture can affect political structure of one country or another, yet, arguably the most important way that a country’s culture affects democracy is through political socialization. According to Alexis de Tocqueville and his book quot;Democracyquot;, he defines culture as an ordered set of symbols, and in turn, political culture as a set of values and orientations through which one perceives and reacts to authority. The way that this set of values and orientations is gained by each person, is through the process of political socialization that begins since early childhood and produces quot;visiblequot; results as a person becomes a mature individual. While it is hard to draw a clear line of when†¦show more content†¦although most churches preach obedience to one supreme being or another, they too can produce differently socialized individuals that can range from religious fanatics to liberal individuals that are willing to fend for themselves and not be skewed by the views of the majority. Enlightenment of a person plays a key role in his personal freedom. Jeremy Bentham once said that quot;the liberated intelligence is sufficient basis for political order and progress.quot; Same can be said about democracy. Better education gives way to independent thought that is likely to perpetuate natural ways of living that ultimately lead to freedom of choice and action, i.e. democracy. This must not be confused with anarchy, where no government of any sort is recognized. Anarchy leads to chaos, which is an unnatural way of life for a person. This can be proven by observing self and others. Generally people look for patterns in life. They may eat like foods and dress alike from day to day depending on their activities. They may also sit in same places and visit same locations as their life goes by. All this is due to a common goal of extracting the most out of one’s position, thus, things that offer the greatest amount of utility are selected most often over the ones that don’t. While, at first sight, anarchy may offer the greatest amount of freedom, subsequently it destroys many of the favorable choices for an individual by virtue of being chaotic and becomes unnaturalShow MoreRelatedDemocracy and Political Culture in Bangladesh.5176 Words   |  21 PagesIntroduction 2 Democracy: Concept 2 Basic Principles or Requisites of Democracy: 3 1. Liberty: 3 2. Equality: 3 3. Fraternity: 3 4. The people as ultimate source of sovereignty: 3 5. Fundamental rights to the people: 4 6. Independence of Judiciary: 4 7. The people are considered as an end and State as the means in a democracy: 4 Politics: 4 Political Democracy: 4 Objectives of the study: 6 a) Broad objectives 6 b) Specific objectives: 6 Political Democracy in Bangladesh:Read MoreHow Does the Presence of a Confucian Culture Affect the Operation of Democracy?1083 Words   |  5 Pagesand avocated â€Å"Asian Values†. Asian values refers to the strong traditional cultural values such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism which co-exists in East Asian societies. The purpose of this essay is to explore Confucian culture and how it may affect the operation of democracy in East Asia. Confucianism is tradition of political and social thought named after the scholar Kongzi (Confucius 551-479 B.C), it is still widely practiced/ seen in social, legal, theological, ethical and political thoughtRead MoreAmerican Political Culture And Its Representation Of Democracy, Equality, Individualism, And Liberty1485 Words   |  6 Pages American political culture is altogether vast and diversified; however, it retains one singular feature – it is a contradiction. At the core, the majority ideally has subscribed to the values of democracy, equality, individualism, and liberty. Even so, history attests to the fact that bona fide enforcement of such values is not consistent. The nation has simultaneously promoted equality while it denied equality. It has exercised open-mindedness toward other cultures while it rejected aspectsRead MoreTo Know About France, and Its History, Culture, French People and Democracy in France5199 Words   |  21 PagesTo know about France and its history, culture, French people and democracy in France ? Introduction France is a powerful democratic country in the world. Every French citizen in France over 18 years old has the right to vote. Freedom of expression is enshrined in law, people are free to gather for any reasons. the French people do strikes very often for their rights and freedom, the strikes in France are common and popular among the world, and French people are free to join any politicalRead MoreEssay on Is Democracy Sustainable in Latin America?1274 Words   |  6 PagesIs Democracy Sustainable in Latin America? In order to determine if democracy is sustainable in Latin America, it is important to understand or at least have an idea of what democracy is. There are several types of democracy and each is different. According to the English dictionary, democracy is â€Å" a government by the people; especially: rule of the majority by a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by themRead MoreEssay Analysis Of Democracy As A Universal Value By Amartya Sen1513 Words   |  7 PagesIn his article, Democracy as a Universal Value, Amartya Sen asserts that democracy is a universal value. In order to develop his argument Sen needs to state his definition of democracy and define what he means by universal value. In the course of Sens argument he gives his view of the relationship between democracy and the economy. He then defends his view of democracy as a universal value against a main argument that deals with cultural differences between regions. Amartya Sen uses a maximumRead MoreThe Challenge For Property Qualifications For Voting907 Words   |  4 PagesOne basis of political democracy in this period was the challenge to property qualifications for voting. It began in the American Revolution but culminated in the early nineteenth century. After the Revolution, no new state required property ownership to vote, and in older states, constitutional conventions in the 1820s and 1830s abolished property qualifications, partly because the growing number of wage earners who did not own much property demanded the vote. In the South, however, where largeRead MoreThe Political System Of The United States1053 Words   |  5 PagesRoger Darlington has said that the United States is the most powerful nation on earth; politically, economically and militarily(1). Even though the U.S. is the second largest democracy in the world, India being the first, it is considered rare, compared to other systems in the world. Where did the founders of the U.S. get their ideas for the political system we have today? The U.S. political system is made up of many components and there are several factors the contributed to what the U.S. politicalRead MoreThe changing of Democracy Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pageshave progressed and cultures have evolved, the ideas of government and democracy have evolved as well. The economic and cultural status of a time period affects how people perceive their government. Living in a capitalist nation does not necessarily mean that democracy is non-existent. However, it does not mean that democracy in the nation has been fully formed and developed. The capitalist economy is altering the beliefs of what it means to be a democratic nation. Democracy gives power to the peopleRead MoreThe Good Society By Alan Draper And Ansil Ramsay1206 Words   |  5 Pagesis the best government possible, but those many grew up in a society that praises democracy, instead of one that praised monarchs or the military. They grew up in a democracy so naturally they would believe a democracy is the best. They were nurtured to believe in such a way. Nanda, however, differed the most from all the rest. Nanda believed that there really was no one size fits all definition. He believed cultures and what is popular during the time period changed the definition so drastically

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam Free Essays

Page 1 of 14 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SESSION 1, 2009 , , I ECONllOl MICROECONOMICS I FINAL EXAMINATION TIME ALLOWED – 2HOURS THIS PAPER IS WORTH 65% OF THE TOTAL SUBJECT MARK This examination paper consists of two parts – Part A and Part B Part A consists of 20 multiple choice questions each worth onc and one quarter (1. 25) marks. Answer all the questions in Part A on the answer sheet provided, using pencil . We will write a custom essay sample on Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam or any similar topic only for you Order Now only: Print your student number, name and initials in the space provided and mark he appropriate boxes below your student number, name and initials. For each question, mark tbe appropriate response (a), (b), (c), or (d). There is only one correct response to each question in Part A. Part B consists of four (4) essay-type questions, each worth TWENTY (20) marks. Answer only TWO (2) questions from Part B. ANSWER EACH PART B QUESTION IN A SEPARATE EXAMINATION BOOKLET Answers to questions in Part B must be written in ink. Pencil may be used in answers to Part B for drawing, sketching or graphical work only . †¢ †¢ This question paper may be retained by the candidate There are 14 pages in this exam paper. 1 Page 2 of 14 PART A This section is worth 25 marks Mark your answer on Answer Sheet provided Question 1 , †¢ †¢ A monopo list estimates that at the current pnce being charged for the product, Marginal Cost is greater than Marginal Revenue and the abso lute price el asticity of demand is 1. 8. To increase profit the monopolist should: a) Increase price so that price equals the maximum the consumer is willing to pay ) Decrease price and sell more c) Set price equal to the minimum average cost d) Increase price and sell less Question 2 The Coase theorem suggests that private markets may not be able to solve the problem of externalities, a) Unless the government becomes involved in the process b) When the number of parties is large and the bargaining costs are high c) If the firm in the market is a monopoly d) If some people benefit from the externality †¢ TURN OVER THE PAGE 2 Page 3 of 14 Question 3 Consider the following graph where a legally enforced ceiling price operates Price ~_ _ _ __ _ _ _ _—, J __ _ G- – – – s · c , B~ ___H L_ , , , ___ L ___ I 01 , :F : , : : ::J ‘ — I , : O — b–b3 —d -1 2 a) FEC. b) DAC. c) GJECF. Quantity The maximum dead weight loss due to the price ceiling is represented by the areas: d) JAE + DGF. Question 4 Perfect competition is efficient and monopoly is not, because in perfect competition _ _ _ _ , while in monopoly _ _ _ __ a) P b) P c) ~ ~ MC; PMC MC; P How to cite Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam, Essay examples Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam Free Essays Page 1 of 14 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SESSION 1, 2009 , , I ECONllOl MICROECONOMICS I FINAL EXAMINATION TIME ALLOWED – 2HOURS THIS PAPER IS WORTH 65% OF THE TOTAL SUBJECT MARK This examination paper consists of two parts – Part A and Part B Part A consists of 20 multiple choice questions each worth onc and one quarter (1. 25) marks. Answer all the questions in Part A on the answer sheet provided, using pencil . We will write a custom essay sample on Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam or any similar topic only for you Order Now only: Print your student number, name and initials in the space provided and mark he appropriate boxes below your student number, name and initials. For each question, mark tbe appropriate response (a), (b), (c), or (d). There is only one correct response to each question in Part A. Part B consists of four (4) essay-type questions, each worth TWENTY (20) marks. Answer only TWO (2) questions from Part B. ANSWER EACH PART B QUESTION IN A SEPARATE EXAMINATION BOOKLET Answers to questions in Part B must be written in ink. Pencil may be used in answers to Part B for drawing, sketching or graphical work only . †¢ †¢ This question paper may be retained by the candidate There are 14 pages in this exam paper. 1 Page 2 of 14 PART A This section is worth 25 marks Mark your answer on Answer Sheet provided Question 1 , †¢ †¢ A monopo list estimates that at the current pnce being charged for the product, Marginal Cost is greater than Marginal Revenue and the abso lute price el asticity of demand is 1. 8. To increase profit the monopolist should: a) Increase price so that price equals the maximum the consumer is willing to pay ) Decrease price and sell more c) Set price equal to the minimum average cost d) Increase price and sell less Question 2 The Coase theorem suggests that private markets may not be able to solve the problem of externalities, a) Unless the government becomes involved in the process b) When the number of parties is large and the bargaining costs are high c) If the firm in the market is a monopoly d) If some people benefit from the externality †¢ TURN OVER THE PAGE 2 Page 3 of 14 Question 3 Consider the following graph where a legally enforced ceiling price operates Price ~_ _ _ __ _ _ _ _—, J __ _ G- – – – s · c , B~ ___H L_ , , , ___ L ___ I 01 , :F : , : : ::J ‘ — I , : O — b–b3 —d -1 2 a) FEC. b) DAC. c) GJECF. Quantity The maximum dead weight loss due to the price ceiling is represented by the areas: d) JAE + DGF. Question 4 Perfect competition is efficient and monopoly is not, because in perfect competition _ _ _ _ , while in monopoly _ _ _ __ a) P b) P c) ~ ~ MC; PMC MC; P How to cite Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Bluetooth Smart Watch Essay Example For Students

Bluetooth Smart Watch Essay COPYRIGHT INFORMATIONSoldat and all the file formats the program produces areCopyright (C) 2001-04 Michal Marcinkowski. All rights reserved. =====================================================ANTI-HACK PROTECTIONBecause of the Anti-Cheat protection system used in Soldat you cannot use any hack tools like: memory finders, trainers, packet editors, hex editors and disassemblers while Soldat is running. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to CLOSE all programs running in the background while Soldat is on. The use of hack tools will degrade the game to a level it will no longer be playable. Also editing the executable or other related files and crackingthe shareware protection will cause system instability and problems with network play. If this happens to you and you are sure you did not do anythingillegal please contact the author. Please remember that this is a small shareware game made by one man. If you try to break the game protection you make harm to yourselfbecause the author can stop making the game if he;s out of moneyand with overload of work making new anti-hack and anti-cheat systemsall the time. If you want to hack something please concentrate onbig companys like EA Games. Hacking a big commercial title willprove that you are good, please leave Soldat alone. =====================================================LICENSESoldat is a Shareware application. It is fully playable. If you like the game and continue using it please consider registering. The registration fee for a single copy of Soldat is US$ 9.00. =====================================================DISTRIBUTIONUNREGISTERED COPY VERSIONS OF SOLDAT. Provided that you verify that you are distributing the Shareware Version you are hereby licensed to: a. make as many copies of the Shareware version of this softwareand documentation as you wishb. give exact copies of the original Shareware version to anyonec. distribute the Shareware version of the software anddocumentation in its unmodified form via electronic means(e-mail, web page, diskette, CD including magazine Cover CDs)There is no charge for any of the above. REGISTERED VERSIONS OF SOLDAT. You may not, for any purpose, distribute copies of registeredversions of this software, documentation or related materialsto any third-parties. =====================================================LEGAL STUFFNo portion of this software may be disassembled, reverseengineered, decompiled, modified or altered. All graphics and sounds may be modified except maps and scenery files. Modified graphics and sounds can be distributed for free as game MODs. This Software is supplied as is and no liability will beaccepted by Michal Marcinkowski or any legal vendors of this software for any damage incurred by the use of this software. Neither directly nor indirectly you cannot rent or sell by any means this software. =====================================================CONTACTING THE AUTHORWWW: http://www.soldat.ple-mail: emailprotected

Friday, November 29, 2019

Ancient China Essays - Steelmaking, Agricultural Machinery

Ancient China The World is forever in debt to China for its innovations. Ancient China was extreme advance and many of its discoveries are still in use today. This is what Robert Temple, the author of The Genius of China 3000 years of science, discovery and invention. The book is based on 11 main parts of Chinese innovation. Within these 11 categories, there are 3 main parts that contain the most significant inventions. Robert Temple concentrates the bulk of his examples in these three categories, agriculture, domestic and industrial technology , and engineering. Temple's examples were not limited to these fields of innovation. The Chinese excelled in many other areas, including mathematics, warfare and transportation, to name a few. Although Temple wrote about eleven fields of invention, I feel that these three sections contain the greatest examples of Chinese innovation, and the debt that the modern world owes China. The first main area is the field of engineering. Within this chapter, the development of iron and steel is the greatest achievement. The development of iron and steel led to other advances. By at least the 4th century the Chinese have developed blast furnaces to obtain cast iron from iron ore. This was 1200 years before the first blast furnace showed up in Europe. The reasons that the author gave to explain the reasons why the Chinese developed this technology are simple. The Chinese had access to large amounts of clay, the key ingredient in making blast furnaces. The Chinese also figured out that by adding a substance they called :Black Earth,? they could lower the melting point of iron. Another major invention of the Chinese, that led to other achievements, is steel. The common belief today is that Henry Bessemer discovered the process of refining iron into steel. The fact is Chinese had developed the process to refine iron into steel in the second century BC The Chinese learned that by injecting oxygen into the blast furnace, they could remove the carbon from the iron. The Chinese called this process the ?hundred refinings method? since they repeated the process that many times. The finished product was highly prized in China for its strength and ability to hold an edge on a sword. The Chinese would weld the steel onto weaker iron thus creating a strong edge and a superior weapon. The Chinese iron and steel workers were the best at making different types of metals into modern times. But then, no one else could have done so at the time, since iron existed nowhere else but in China. The Chinese invented the chain pump in the first century AD The chain pump allows water to the pumped from lower to higher elevations. The chain pumps were used for draining and pumping in civil engineering, but what is more important is it was used for irrigation. Irrigation allows for greater and more intense farming, thus resulting in a better crop yield. With the greater crop yields larger populations can be supported. The chain pump was exported to all parts of the world by way of visiting ambassadors and dignitaries. The first European chain pump appeared in the sixteenth century, and was a direct copy of the Chinese version. The second area of great Chinese achievement is in domestic and industrial technology. The most recognized Chinese invention is in the field of domestic and industrial technology, paper. Paper was invented around the second century BC and was used as clothing. One might not believe that paper could be used as clothing, but the paper made at that time used thicker and tougher paper fibers. Not only was paper used for clothing, it was also used for military body armor. The Chinese found out that pleated sheets of paper could stop the penetration of arrows. The paper armor was standard issue with Chinese land and sea units. Paper's writing property was not discovered till about one century after its discovery. The earliest example of writing on paper was found an abandon military post. The paper found dates back to 110 AD and contained two dozen readable characters. The area that let China grow and expand was the innovations in the area of agriculture. The greatest achievement

Monday, November 25, 2019

Crimson Tide essays

Crimson Tide essays Detective Regis was the main character in the movie and made many ethical decisions throughout the movie. To start off with, in the very beginning of the movie, there is a man standing in the middle of the city in the road holding up traffic because he has a gun to his head, and is threatening himself. Detective Regis makes an ethical decision to walk out there and know that the guy is not going to shoot himself or at him. He could have gotten himself shot very easily, or made the guy shoot himself very easily, but from what he knows and the business that he is in, he knows that the gun is on safety and he doesn't have to worry about anything bad happening to him or anybody else Another ethical decision he makes is to blame the presidents son for the murder. Just from what he knows, he tries to blame the presidents son for killing a girl, just because they had sex an hour before she was killed. But what he didn't know was that someone was just trying to frame the son. Another ethical decision he made was to keep questioning Nina Chance, because he thought that she knew some things, but she was not telling anyone. And it turned out to be a good decision to do this, because he found out a lot of very important information about people that he never would have found out before. And with all of the things he knew, he put it all together and figured out that the murderer was Jordan. Without this one simple decision he made, the murderer may have never been found, and could have killed lots more people, maybe even the president. Another one of the very important ethical decisions he made was to go to the president and tell him that Jordan was the murderer, because by doing this he could have got killed, or got other people killed. But it turned out that the only person that was killed was Jordan. But without the bravery on Nina Ch ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

McDonald's as the Part of the Modern Culture Assignment

McDonald's as the Part of the Modern Culture - Assignment Example The researcher states that globalization is a broader term, however; the word globalization has been discussed in this article from the perspective of open markets and free entry and exit in international markets. The term in this article, therefore, indicates the expansion of McDonald’s into international markets without facing any significant challenge. The growth and expansion of globalization have ensured that the American products reach to the world markets. This was after the cold war when America became the superpower of the world which allowed American organizations to get access to the international markets. Based on the overall quality of the American products, new products were successfully launched in the international markets with more success as compared to the domestic or other international companies. The products which are going through the same problem as McDonald’s include soft drinks as well as other food products. This may be due to the fact that th ese products lack the product variety and diversification. This decline may be due to a strong emphasis on individuality and change in the Western societies as existing products may fail to provide a new change to the customers. The overall strategic response to such situations may, therefore, include the product development wherein these organizations must focus on new product development and add more varieties to their existing product lines. The most difficult aspect of doing this kind of business is the fact that despite offering low-cost products, the lack of individualism or rather excess of standardization becomes a headache. Organizations often fail to recognize the limits of their existing policies and continue to operate such policies without considering the end result.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Market failure and what government can do Essay

Market failure and what government can do - Essay Example Market failure is the failure of the market to yield efficient outcomes. Elaborating further, Stiglitz said that there are six situations in which markets are not efficient and these are referred to as market failures that provide a rationale for government activity.The six conditions in which markets fail to lead to efficient outcomes are those in which competition fails, situation in which public goods are involved, market situations in which there are externalities, situations in which markets are incomplete, situations in which information is imperfect, and situations in which there are macroeconomic disturbances (Stiglitz 2000, p. 77-85). For markets to lead to efficiency, markets must be perfectly competitive (Stiglitz 2000, p. 77). This means that there are no constraints for competition to prevail in the market. Examples of situations in which competition does not prevail are those involving monopolies and oligopolies. Monopolies are market situations in which there is only o ne seller while oligopolies are market situations in which there are only few sellers. Both monopolies and oligopolies can charge consumers prices that are higher than those which can prevail in perfectly competitive market settings.1 Public goods are those whose consumption is non-rival and non-excludable as opposed to private goods whose consumption are rival and excludable. Non-rival means consuming the good will not deprive others of the good. Road services or city lighting services, for example, are goods or services that are not deprived to others when an individual consume or use the good or service. They are also non-excludable in consumption because it is costly, feasible, or impractical to exclude others from consuming or using the good or service. In the literature of economics, economists usually use the term pure private goods and pure public goods to refer to pure cases but they recognize that there are goods in-between or public goods that have private goods character istics as well as private goods that have public goods characteristics. Sometimes, these goods are also referred to as mixed goods.2 Externalities refer to effects on third parties other than the consumer or producer of the product. For example, consumer may use gasoline but parties other than the producer or consumer of the product receive the pollution. Externalities can be positive or something good such as the benefits to the environments of a certain car that does not use fossil fuel or it can be negative like that in car that pollutes the environment. Economic literature holds that when markets are competitive, prices almost equals costs and goods are produced at costs. However, because of externalities, markets can lead to situations in which goods may be overproduced or under-produced, depending on their effects to society.3 Incomplete markets refer to situations in which although the cost of providing the good is less than what consumers are willing to pay, the good is not produced just the same (Stiglitz 2000, p. 81). The situation of incomplete markets implies that there are things missing in the market because otherwise the good or service would have been produced if there is nothing that is missing in the market (Stiglitz 2000, p. 81). Incomplete markets can emerge when complementary services are lacking, transaction costs are too high, and the like (Stiglitz 2000, p. 81-82). It is possible that incomplete markets are one of the least studied market situation in the academic literature. The literature on the topic does not seem many. Information asymmetry or imperfection in information is also another cause for market failure to happen. For example, borrowers can know their risks as borrowers but lenders may not know the risks of lending to the borrowers. In another scenario, investors want to invest but they do not know the potential returns and possible risks in investments and, thus, they are constrained from investing. Finally, many scholars i nterpret

Monday, November 18, 2019

Equality and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Equality and Diversity - Essay Example Overview of Issues and Definitions: Although there are currently many definitions of what diversity ultimately means, for purposes of this brief analysis, it will be defined as the extent and level to which the organization/entity in question is able to effectively represent the realities of the environment within which it operates (Kellers 154). Ultimately, such a definition implies that diversity in an of itself should be a means by which the organization seeks to reflect the racial, ethnic, and religious realities of both the market that it seeks to compete within and the population that it draws from stop in such a way, such a broad definition allows for this level of diversity not only impact upon the way in which healthcare provision is conducted within a particular region but also have far-reaching applications with regards to how individuals interact with and represent those populations with which they seek to provide healthcare solutions for (Ibrahim 3). Analysis of the NHS and Available Mechanisms/Legislation to Reduce Ageism/Discrimination and Promote Equality As the complexity of the nursing world has only increased, so too has the level of competition and demands that are exhibited on providers throughout the market. This pressure coalesces into forcing these providers to seek to cut costs in almost each and every identifiable manner (Higgins 15). Not surprisingly, one of the main determinants for why age discrimination takes place within the current environment has to do with the fact that providers are able to save a great deal of money by forcing out more seasoned, experienced, and expensive individuals to be replaced by younger and cheaper overhead costs (Kmietowicz 994). Alternately, even those individuals who have not yet been employed are oftentimes passed over due to the fact that the employer determines that they will likely command a higher price than their younger counterparts. Even though such discrimination is ultimately illegal, the f act of the matter is that it is oftentimes impossible to prove; thereby encouraging some to engage tacitly in the practice in the knowledge that they will not likely be caught and in the hopes of garnering a further level of profitability in the future (Hossen & Westhues 1090). Another core rational that individuals within the healthcare profession oftentimes engage as a means of discriminating against an older a demographic is with regards to the financial cost that these individuals are likely to incur with respect to increased absences and/or health insurance reasons (Briscoe 9). Naturally, the same concerns oftentimes contribute to discriminating against women; due to the belief that women will be more likely to be absent; attending to their sick children, on maternity leave, or generally being predisposed to being caregivers in a number of different situations. Naturally, the veracity of all of these beliefs is subject to a great deal of debate; however, the point of this analy sis is not to point to whether or

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Indian Television Reality Programmes Kaun Banega Crorepati Media Essay

The Indian Television Reality Programmes Kaun Banega Crorepati Media Essay In India, reality shows hosted by celebrities have become salient execution strategy to make the show successful, where top Indian celebrities host different reality shows apart from endorsing several brands. This research paper has tried to find out the factors which affect people choice towards different reality show. Later by taking one very popular Indian reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati efforts have been made to understand that among two stalwarts of Indian celluloid world Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan who is the better host of the show and why? Q score technique has been used to understand the same. Focus group discussion containing people from different demographic variable was conducted to understand the reason of variation in viewership of this show from 2000 to 2012.Further; this research can be treated as a base for celebrity selection for hosting a reality show or brand endorsement by producer/directors/marketers advertising agency. Introduction India is one country, which is known to idolize the stars of the celluloid world.  Therefore, it makes tremendous sense for a TV show/ reality show to engage a celebrity for its hosting. In India, there is an exponential potential for a celebrity hosted event to be perceived as genuinely relevant and entertaining, thereby motivating viewers to come for watching it. The impact of the celebrity on a viewer depends upon the likability of viewer regarding the celebrity. Some celebrities have a huge fan following thats why they are able to attract more people for their respective show/s, ultimately increasing the viewership of that TV show/ reality show. 21stcentury has witnessed the advent development of a lot of technologies. Due to the advent of technology, it becomes easier for people to take the advantage of the same. The role of television as a media is increasing day by day. These days we can see a lot of people opting for DTH, therefore, now we dont have to rely on the cable to see the programmes on television. Due to this the viewership of people has increased to a greater extent. There was a time when people enjoyed watching religious serials, educational programmes, movies songs which provided entertainment. However, the meaning of entertainment seems to have changed and now a day reality shows have become the flavor of small screen. The small screen has been flooded with reality shows, namely X Factor, Just Dance, Little Champs, MTV Roadies,  Emotional Atyachar, Ratan Ka Rishta,  Comedy  ka maha mukabala, MTV Stunt Mania, Kaun Banega Crorepati, etc. and the list goes on. Moreover, most of the reality shows have been hosted by one celebrity or other. The basic assumption behind celebrity hosting the reality show is that the value associated with the celebrity is transferred to the brand of the reality show and therefore helps to create an image that can be easily referred by viewer. Henceforth, by association of celebrity with the reality show can very quickly establish the credibility, get immediate recognition and improved viewership. However, there are so many risks associated with such celebrity hosts. The viewership could slide down drastically just as quickly as it moved up the viewers mind due to some problem in celebrity image, career graph etc. Literature Review (Khatri, July-Dec. 2006) has opined that the celebrity endorsement does not itself guarantee sales. It can create a buzz and make a consumer feel better about the product, which in turn has to come to expectation of customers as a real star by delivering the promise. (Ibrahim, 2010) observed that using celebrity where the measurable results of such high cost strategy do not justify the amount of money that companies spend on utilizing celebrities. The allocated budget for using celebrities needs to be reallocated in other marketing areas such as marketing research and marketing insights to understand customers needs in more details. (Datta, 2010) has concluded that there are lots of challenges involved in finding the right celebrity match with product or service. Further, he opined that for the success of celebrity endorsement right fit between celebrity and band endorsed is must. (S.K.Dube, 2011) has observed that in India now a day, the use of celebrity endorsement/advertising for companies has become a trend and a perceived as winning formula of corporate brand equity building and products/ services marketing. The use of celebrity for brand promotion is increasing day by day but it cannot be treated as an assured strategic tool to enhance market share, demand of the product or even profit because it mainly depends upon suitability of celebrity with a product and brand as well. (Kineta Hung, 2011) from a survey involving 1,030 respondents has found that consumer celebrity worship is a significant antecedent to endorser effects; over-endorsement by a celebrity is an important moderator; and this model is robust across field like sports and entertainment celebrities. (Gouranga, 2011) concluded that celebrity is an important factor of interest to generate more positioning of interest in the minds of consumers rather than message and background set up at the time of recall in advertisements. So celebrity acts as an effective component of advertisement to make the advertisements more effective. (Jayant Sonwalkar, 2011) observed that in a country like India, celebrities act as major opinion leaders and since awareness levels are low, celebrities play a major role in brand recall. Celebrities are helpful in initiating a desired state need among people. The respondents usually pay attention to those advertisements using celebrity icons. The study conducted by him also revealed that to some extent celebrities initiate an action to buy that product. (PiligrimienÄ-, 2011) has found that the sport celebrity can be used when its possible to find a link between the product and sport, or when the company wants its customers to relate the product with the sport, active and healthy life style. (Ogunsiji, 2012) has pointed out that Global brand endorsements demand a global brand management team. Thus regional and international organization is in place to maintain brand leadership through proper effective celebrity endorsements. So, companies with large brand portfolios need to have separate managers for each brand and its promotion. Aim and objective of the study: In this fast changing world, viewers preferences towards reality shows are increasing and they are finding these reality shows as a good source of entertainment. Most of the reality television programmes are getting good response due to their respective hosts. How much an effective a particular host is? Does the response of viewers vary due to change of celebrity host? Is the personality of the host is matching with the personality of television programme which is being hosted by respective celebrity? This study can help the sponsors and producers of programmes to choose an appropriate host for their reality show. Further, this study can help in enhancing the viewership of reality programme. Objectives of the study 1. To know the factors affecting consumer preference towards Indian reality shows 2. To study the reason of variation of viewership in program Kaun Banega Crorpati between year 2000 to 2011 3. To study the compatibility of host personality (Amitabh Bachchan Shahrukh Khan) with respect to Kaun Banega Crorpati Need of the Study Reality shows has become important part and parcel of the peoples life. Presently, we can see that Indian television channels are flooded with reality shows. Now, most of the channels which want more TRP are coming up with a new reality show. Competition in this field has also increased manifold. So, producers of the reality shows are looking to hire super stars for hosting their shows. Producers are spending millions of rupees on hosts. Different people have different perceptions regarding the celebrity hosts. Some people might enjoy seeing a particular host in a reality show, but some people do not like that host. Every celebrity has his/her own personality. A marketer needs to know that whether the hosts personality is matching to the personality of the program he is hosting or not? This research can help the marketer to know that what kind of host would be appropriate for his show. If the marketer can make the right choice in selecting the host for his programme, he can beat the competition and can achieve higher TRP for his/her reality programme. Scope of the Study: The scope of study is confined to Indian reality programs and data has been collected from people residing in Jalandhar and Phagwara region of Punjab. In this study, researchers have taken one of the most popular Indian reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati. This study has tried to find the factors which affect the viewers preference towards Indian reality shows. Further, researchers have tried to find the reason of variation in viewership of Kaun Banega Crorepati from 2000 to 2011. Research Design: In this study, by and large descriptive research design has been followed. Researchers have tried to discover the insights that how the host personality is affecting the viewers preferences towards the Indian reality shows. Survey method with the help of structured questionnaire has been used for the data collection and the data collected has been analysed quantitatively, which also qualifies that the research design of the study is descriptive in nature. Researchers have also tried to find out the various reasons of variation in viewership for this researchers have conducted one focus group discussion to find out the aforesaid objective. So, the research design is also exploratory in nature to some extent. Sampling Design Target Population: People residing in Jalandhar and Phagwara, who watch Indian reality show like Kaun Banega Crorepati Sampling Technique: In this research, Convenience sampling has been used. This is a type of Non Probabilistic sampling. As everyone dont watch reality programme like KBC, so only those people have been surveyed who watch these programmes. Sample Size and data collection: In this research, Sample size of 300 respondents from Jalandhar and Phagwara city of Punjab region has been collected. Researchers have used structured questionnaire for this purpose. In the questionnaire, five point Likert scale has been used to measure the attitude of respondents. Few dichotomous questions have also been used to understand respondents behavioral pattern. A focus group of 11 people consisting different age group and occupation was conducted to find out the reason of variation in viewership of KBC during 2000 to 2012. Secondary data has been collected from Internet, books, periodicals, magazines etc. Time period of Data: The data is collected in between the time frame of month January 2012 to June 2012 across Phagwara city and Jalandhar city and its suburbs. Pilot testing: Researchers have done pilot testing by using convenience sampling technique. A sample of 35 was taken for this purpose. A questionnaire containing Likert Scale was instrumented for this purpose. Reliability testing for the pilot survey was decent with Cronbachs Alpha 0.697. Some necessary changes as per requirement were made in the questionnaire after conducting pilot survey. Data Analysis: Demographic variables like Gender, Age, and Occupation etc. have been used for profiling the respondents. Along with it, profiling also has been done on the basis of variables like does respondent watch reality programmes on television, does respondent watch KBC etc. From literature survey, lots of variables have been found which affect the viewers preference towards Indian reality shows. Factor analysis has been used to identify the important factors out of several variables. Apart from this, a Focus group has been conducted to know the reason of variation in viewership of KBC from 2000 to 2012. Brief Summary of tools used for analysis: 1. Descriptive Statistics: For profiling of the respondents 2. Factor Analysis: To identify the important factors affecting viewers preference towards Indian reality Show 3. Q Score: To understand the host compatibility with popular show KBC 4. Focus Group: To understand the reason of variation in viewership of KBC from 2000 to 2012. Frequency Distribution Frequency distribution of the 300 respondents has been displayed who prefer to watch different reality shows. Chart I: Frequency distribution of most favourite television reality show Source: Researchers Survey Out of 300 respondents, 127 respondents has identified Kaun Banega Crorepati as their most favourite reality show on Indian television channels. Moreover, in response of another question, researchers have also found that all the 300 respondents were aware of Indian television reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati and they have watched it at least once. 2. Can you tell the names of celebrities who have hosted the show? Researchers provided different options of celebrities name for this question, in which again all the 300 respondents were able to answer this correctly. Respondents were able to identify both hosts of KBC Amitabh Bachhan and Shahrukh khan. 3. Who is the favourite host Amitabh Bachhan or Shahrukh khan for KBC. Chart II: Frequency chart of favourite host Source: Researchers survey Researchers have found out that out of 300 respondents 254 repondents have chosen Amitabh Bachchan as a favourite host only 46 respondents have chosen Shahrukh Khan as their favourite host. FACTOR ANALYSIS Factor analysis has been performed to know which are the important factors which affect respondents preference towards watching Indian reality show. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 348 respondents, after scrutiny researchers have removed 48 questionnaires due to errors in response. The data based on Likert scale, which was meant for measuring respondents preference was entered into SPSS data sheet. Before applying Factor analysis Reliability test was performed and then data was subjected to Factor analysis by using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) method. KMO Value which determines the sample adequacy was found .816 which was highly satisfactory. Varimax rotation for orthogonal factors with Kaiser Normalization was considered to get the % of variance explained for 13 statements in the questionnaire. To find the relevant factors Eigen value of greater than 1 was considered. A table of Rotated Component Matrix has been generated with the help of SPSS and three factor s were derived. Here, Factor loading above 0.50 has been considered for Factor analysis. Then, the factors have been derived based on the statements that have gone into each factor. The list of factors along with the supporting statements has been displayed in Table I. Table I: KMO and Bartletts Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .816 Bartletts Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 1.322E3 Df 78 Sig. .000 Source: SPSS Output of Research Study Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test is applied to check out the adequacy of data. Here, it has been found more than 0.816, which is more than desired value of 0.5. Table II :Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 2 3 1.Influence of host personality .079 .070 .857 2.For the sake of knowledge -.034 .445 .662 3.Just for Enjoyment .326 .264 .331 4.Come on my favourite channel .786 .190 -.094 5.Because of peer influence .856 .208 -.032 6.Family Influence .816 .142 .135 7.Perfect timings .611 -.061 .467 8.Content of the show .054 .289 .629 9.Match with my personality .302 .529 .260 10.Like the way of portraying .359 .099 .070 11.For viewers questions .271 .709 .158 12.Challenge human capabilities .083 .854 .094 13.Platform for common people .150 .730 .243 Source: SPSS Output of Research Study Table III: Factor List Channel, peer family influence Competition and Connect with common people Host Knowledge Come on my favourite channel Match with my personality Influence of host personality Because of peer Influence For viewers questions For the sake of knowledge Family influence Challenge human capabilities Content of the show Perfect timings Platform for common people Source: Researchers Survey Description of the factors Factor 1, refers to, Channel peer and family influence and contributes to 33.978% variance. This factor is described in terms of Favorite channel, peer influence, family influence, and perfect timing of the show telecast. Factor 2, describes the Competition and Connect with common people contributes to 14.352% variance. This factor refers to Questions for viewers, challenge human capabilities, match with my personality and platform for common people. Factor 3, focuses on Knowledge and content and it contributes to 8.865% variance. This factor includes statements like influence of the host personality, for the sake of knowledge and content of the show Focus Group discussion to find out the reason of variation in viewership of KBC: To find out the reasons in variation of the viewership of reality show KBC, focus group was conducted. In focus group, 11 people from different age group and back ground were selected. Main finding of the focus group has been summarized below: It was observed during the discussion that, Change in the host of KBC from Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh Khan for Kaun Banega Crorepati has a great inverse impact on variation in viewership. During focus group participating people noted saying that Amitabh Bachchans personality matches with the personality of show. Most of the people felt that, Kaun Banega Crorpati is a kind of Quiz show where seriousness of the host, proper discipline and intellectuality of the host is required. These all qualities are possessed by Amitabh bachhan, which can be attributed to the success of Amitabh Bachchan as a host of KBC. A lots of other reality shows like Dus Ka Dum, Khatron Ke Khiladi etc. came on silver screen after the intial success of KBC, which also impacted the viewership of KBC. However, most of the Quiz show hosted by other super stars was similar in nature. Four participants of focus group discussion who were female observed that as KBC was coming on Sony television from 9 PM to 10 PM on week days, and a lot of family serials were also being telecasted on different television channels on same time slots. Here, these female participants felt that they preferred watching family serial rather than KBC. Five participants, who were doing jobs, found that KBC show used to come on working days and these people after coming exhausted from office looking for some light entertainment programmes, they were not interested in watching a show where they need to apply their mind. It was also observed that most of the participants were agreeing that voice quality, overall personality and matureness of Amitabh bachhan was very good which was lacking in Sahrukh khan as a host of KBC, however later was observed charming and informal. Q score Technique Applying the Q score technique to determine the familiarity, popularity and compatibility of two stalwart (Amitabh Bachhan and Shahrukh khan) among Indian celebrities as a host of KBC based on feedback from the respondent of different demographic backgrounds will be very useful and relevant for producers and directors in identifying and selecting the appropriate celebrity as a host of their respective reality shows. Q score to help choose the right celebrity host for reality show Q Score is normally used by marketing firms to select the right celebrity for endorsing their product/ services and determining the popularity ranking of the celebrities as per the consumers response. The Q score answers the question how appealing and popular is the celebrity among those who do know him or her? Advertisers and advertising agencies can refer to Q rating score of a celebrity for choosing the right celebrity. In this process, respondents are asked to indicate two things first Whether they know (heard / seen) about the selected celebrities? Secondly, if respondents answer yes- then the respondents are being asked to rate the celebrities on a five point Likert scale scale that includes Favourite, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Calculating Q ratings:- Q rating is calculated by taking the number of respondents who indicate in questionnaire that a celebrity is FAVOURITE and that number being divided by the number of respondents who indicate that they know (heard/ seen) of that Celebrity. Here, researchers have calculated Q score to check the compatibility of host personality (Amitabh Bachchan Shahrukh Khan) with respect to Kaun Banega Crorpati. Q scores for Amitabh Bachchan: A= How many people know Amitabh Bachchan as a host for KBC/ Total number of respondents Here, all 300 respondents were aware about Amitabh Bachchan as a host for KBC So A= 300/300 = 1 B= How many respondents rate Favourite/ total number of respondents As, 184 respondents answered favourite Amitabh Bachchan as a host for KBC So, B=184/300 Q Score = B/A= 184/300*100 = 61.3 Q scores for Shahrukh Khan: A= How many people know Shahrukh khan as a host for KBC/ Total number of respondents Here all 300 respondents were aware about Shahrukh khan as a host for KBC So A= 300/300 = 1 B= How many respondents rate Favourite/ total number of respondents As, 70 respondents answered favourite Shahrukh khan as a host for KBC So, B=70/300 Q Score = B/A= 70/300*100 = 23.3 Analysis: Based on survey researchers found that Amitabh Bachchan has a Q score of 61.3 Shahrukh Khan has a Q score of 23.3. Generally Q score more than 50 is considered good. This indicates that Amitabh Bachchan is a better host for Kaun Banega Crorepati rather than Shahrukh khan. Summary of research findings Compatibility of host personality with the reality show is one of the most important factor for the success of reality show. Apart from compatibility show timing, nature of show, content of the show also contributes towards success of the show. Factor analysis concluded that Channel peer and family, competition connect with common people and knowledge content are the important factors which affects viewers preference towards watching reality show. Through Focus group, it was found that as a host of KBC, overall personality and matureness of Amitabh Bachchan was very good which was lacking in Sahrukh khan as a host of KBC, however later was observed charming and informal. This is one of the main reasons of the success of Amitabh Bachhan as a KBC host. Based on focus group, researchers came to conclusion that the reasons of variation in viewership of KBC between 2000 to 2012 are timings of the show, change of host of show, coming up of new reality shows, the content of the show is same from last five seasons which has created a boredom, increase in the number of channels etc. Based on Q score analysis survey researchers found out that Amitabh Bachchan has a Q score of 61.3 Shahrukh Khan has a Q score of 23.3. This indicates that Amitabh Bachchan is more popular host for Kaun Banega Crorepati rather than Shahrukh khan as per respondents. Conclusion After conducting this research, it can be concluded that competition connect with common people, Channel, peer family influence and Knowledge content are three important factors which affect the viewers preferences towards Indian reality shows. Apart from the fact that KBC is being hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, reality show like KBC has become popular due to the reason that it is a platform for common people which also increases the knowledge of the audience. Researchers also concluded that the reasons of variation in viewership are primarily due to the timings of the show which was not appropriate since the show was earlier telecasted in a time slot of 9 PM-10 PM. Moreover, this time slot was also commonly used by many channels to telecast their best performing programme. People were in a habit of watching Amitabn Bchchan in the KBC as a host, but in the third season Shahrukh Khan came into picture and the TRP of the show fell drastically. Most of the people perceive Amitabh Bachch ans personality to best match with the show and change in the host personality resulted in sharp decline in viewership. Practical Implications This research will go a long way in helping the advertising agency, directors producers of reality show who can make this research a basis in selection of the right celebrity for endorsement and celebrity as host for reality shows. Moreover, this research shall also work as a reference for further academic research in this area. Limitation of the Research Although, this research has achieved its objectives, there are some unavoidable limitations. First, due to time constraints, small sample size of 300 has been chosen. However, for generalizing the results, larger sample could have been better. For Factor analysis, randomly chosen respondents would have been better choice but as population of area where research has been conducted is on larger side, so listing of the population becomes cumbersome task. In addition researchers have moderated and noted the finding of focus group discussion themselves, some amount of subjectivity cannot be ruled out. Future Research The scope of this research study may be further enhanced by incorporating different reality show in the research. This research can also be extended further for deciding celebrity for endorsement purpose.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

How We Find Meaning in Life Through Love Essay -- Essays Papers

How We Find Meaning in Life Through Love Life’s offerings such as: interests, talents, jobs, religion, or relationships are the catalysts through which we put meaning into our lives. When we find someone or something that we love or feel passionate about that puts meaning into life. It makes people feel as though they are fulfilling a want or desire, which would also lead to feeling very accomplished and happy. Finding a passion gives life a purpose. Jay Earley said it best when he wrote, â€Å"I define life purpose as a contribution to the world that uses your whole self fully and gives your life passion, fulfillment, and meaning through dedication to something larger than yourself† (Early 6). We are able to feel that we are here for a reason. Everyone needs something in their life that they strive for or love to execute. If we weren’t to look for these passions then there would be no purpose in living. We don’t want to go through life not caring about anything and having nothing that br ings great joy to our life. Not having a passion would put a void in one’s life and a feeling of emptiness. There are many ways to achieve this love or to find a passion. Many people obtain their purpose in life by seeing their interests or talents and pursuing them. Other people find meaning through their job. Many people turn to religion, primarily I would say that people find meaning in life through relationships. Finding love or fulfilling a passion in an interest or talent is an easy thing to do. Lots of people are able to find meaning through their interests. Collecting coins, stamps, comic books, porcelain dolls, magazine articles, spoons ect. are interests that some love to pursue. The spoons, or other collections, are a ... ...ave some one else’s company and having them to talk to makes life easier. Close friends that are with a people through everything give them a purpose in life. Whether people have a hobby, a talent, a job, religion, or if they have a close relationship with another person there is something that they are passionate about or love to do. It could even be finding a support structure or finding something that helps you escape from reality. Finding a passion or interest in life fulfills your purpose. There is a meaning in life and something that contains value for each person. Others might not understand what you think brings meaning to your life, while you might not understand how they find meaning in their life. That is why you have to know what you love hold that close and make it important in life, and this will help you with a more pleasant enjoyable life.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide

As I stand in front of you, my thoughts go to thousands of patients in the world today that are undergoing intense suffering and tormenting experience for they have been denied to exercise that one great decision regarding their life. My thoughts also go towards hundreds of medical practitioners charged with the responsibility of caring for such patients. To what length should I go to save this patients life? For how long can this patient hold on to life and is the pain worthy it? It is more than certain that almost each and every medical practitioner has ever mulled over these two questions alongside many others. In the same breath he or she has also thought of the ethical dilemma involved should a rash decision be made on the issue. The debate on whether physician assisted suicide should be legalized has raged on for sometime now and has taken an emotion twist (Cook, Earleen H., 1982). It is my opinion that this debate should be put to rest. A look at the positive side of legalizing physician assisted suicide leaves no doubt that it is the only way to go. It is the only way to relieve a patient who is undergoing a moment of immeasurable suffering and whose end is certainly nigh (Beauchamp, T.L., 1989). There are a number of reasons why physician assisted suicide should be legalized. The most basic reason is mercy .As human beings, we are endowed with loads of emotions and a conscience that cannot allow us to sit back and watch as our beloved ones wallow in a miasma of suffering, especially when we have the ability to end such suffering. It hence would be inhumane to watch as patients undergo a slow and painful death. Secondly, we talk abut individual rights and freedom, what more freedom would there be than allowing a patient to make that crucial decision in determining his/her hour of death and quell the bouts of pains tormenting him her. Finally, the huge cost of maintaining life in the face of sure death cannot be rationalized. Why should we spend millions in taking care of people in a vegetative state while million others are dying due to lack of basic drugs? (Kenneth Cauthen, 1998) The opponents of legalizing suicide are only afraid of change. Their arguments do not hold any water. They talk of difficulties in regulation, sanctity of life and further state that sometimes miracles do happen. These arguments are just but empty words and cannot be compared to the suffering our beloved ones go through as they try to grapple with the last painful moments of their lives. It is the high time that bold steps are taken. It the time to bend the Hippocratic oath, at least for a just cause. It is the time to â€Å"change the rules† as Jack Kevorkian, an American pathologist and the pioneer of the latest debate of legalizing physician-assisted suicide, puts it. (Ed Newman, 1996) References Ed Newman, 1996. Making the final choice: Should physician-assisted suicide be legalized? Truth seeker. Retrieved on 03/11/07 from http://www.banned-books.com/truth-seeker/1994archieve/121-5/ts215m.html Beauchamp, T.L., 1989, â€Å"Suicide in the Age of Reason,† in Suicide and Euthanasia: Historical and Contemporary Themes, ed. B.A. Brody (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Cook, Earleen H., 1982.  Euthanasia and the right to die:   the medical and legal viewpoint.   Monticello, IL:   Vance Bibliographies.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Explaining Marx essays

Explaining Marx essays In Karl Marx's early writing on "estranged labour" there is a clear and prevailing focus on the plight of the labourer. Marx's writing on estranged labour is and attempt to draw a stark distinction between property owners and workers. In the writing Marx argues that the worker becomes estranged from his labour because he is not the recipient of the product he creates. As a result labour is objectified, that is labour becomes the object of mans existence. As labour is objectified man becomes disillusioned and enslaved. Marx argues that man becomes to be viewed as a commodity worth only the labour he creates and man is further reduced to a subsisting animal void of any capacity of freedom except the will to labour. For Marx this all leads to the emergence of private property, the enemy of the proletariat. In fact Marx's writing on estranged labour is a repudiation of private property- a warning of how private property enslaves the worker. This writing on estranged labour is an obvious point of basis for Marx's Communist Manifesto. The purpose of this paper is to view Marx's concept of alienation (estranged labour) and how it limits freedom. For Marx man's freedom is relinquished or in fact wrested from his true nature once he becomes a labourer. This process is thoroughly explained throughout Estranged Labour. This study will reveal this process and argue it's validity. Appendant to this study on alienation there will be a micro-study which will attempt to ascertain Marx's view of freedom (i.e. positive or negative). The study on alienation in conjunction with the micro-study on Marx's view of freedom will help not only reveal why Marx feels labour limits mans freedom, but it will also identify exactly what kind of freedom is being limited. Karl Marx identifies estranged labour as labour alien to man. Marx explains the condition of estranged labour as the result of man participating in an institution alien to his nature. It is my in...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Tribute Money, Masaccio essays

The Tribute Money, Masaccio essays Masaccio was born around 1401 and represented a return to the Florentine style of Giotto following what was a brief revolt to this style in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death of 1348. Tribute Money, a fresco painted around 1427, as one of Masaccios later works, displays his full array of talents, including his enthusiasm for mathematics and geometry (shown by the building on the right in particular), and was a private commission for the Brancacci familys funerary Chapel in Florence. The image, part of a large fresco cycle, stands 255cm tall and 598cm wide, and has been restored a number of times over the years to make it the powerful and colourful image it now is. The painting is most commonly seen as a continuous narrative linked by the three figures of St. Peter, Christ and the tax collector, rather than an iconic image for example. The story of the image is taken from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and the central part of the painting shows what happens when the tax collector asks Christ to pay his dues, which Christ refuses as a point of principle. To the left of the image as indicated by Jesus outstretched arm is Peter catching and opening the fish and finding the coin, and to the right as the tax collector points is Peter handing the coin, which is actually worth twice the required tax, to the tax collector. Throughout the image there are a number of classical features, as much adored by the Florentines at the time, such as the arches on the right, the robes fastened over one shoulder and perhaps more subtly the semi-circular arrangement of both Christ and his disciples, which is reminiscent of the ancient roman symposiums, as well as the circular nature of the story, as followed clockwise from the centre. The features of the characters in the image are to a large extent stylised, particularly the distinctly Romanesque profile of the disciple who appears twice ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Mattel Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mattel Inc - Research Paper Example ategy that resulted to the acquisition of the Leaning Company reduced the management ability to carry out the normal quality inspection of the company products (Erika 28). This was the strategy that reduced the company success and quality of the products than the anticipated. In essence, the company thought that the diversification of its business would give it a lead in the manufacture of communication materials, not knowing that the cost of operation would be tremendously increase. As well, the expansion increased the operation cost, making the company to spend billions of US dollars in running the daily activities (Wooten and Erika 7). When the Leaning Company started registering losses, Mattel had to make an effort to rationalize the impacts that this would cause in the company (Segundo 1). They had to pay the debts that the acquired company made, thereby, affecting their financial position. As a result, the company accumulated losses, amounting to $475 million, in 1997 (Erika 33). This was the beginning of the company’s nightmare in maintaining the cost of operation and quality of the products. Secondly, the expected boom in the internet sales of the toys did not yield the outcome (Segundo 1). Indeed, the internet sales targeted the world market, and steady customer demands. Instead, the company recorded loss from the venture, thereby worsening its financial position. Third, the raised labor requirement also did not work well for the company. Therefore, the company embarked on a job cut, to reduce the expenses. In further reducing the cost, the company opted to use cheap materials in making the toys. In fact, the materials did not meet the quality requirements, making the products to be an environmental and health hazards to the users (Erika 39). Specifically, the coloring element that the company used in making the toys contained high amount of lead that exceeded the limit that the government had set. In summary, the problem that resulted to the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Hamlet, why is this an optimistic play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hamlet, why is this an optimistic play - Essay Example All the schemers and morally corrupt persons are dead. Fortinbras, the king of Norway will now reign over Denmark, and its people can expect peace and prosperity, after the unstable period of palace intrigues. Hamlet, himself, though being an upright young man, was not politically inclined, and would not have made a good king for Denmark. So, though his untimely death is a personal tragedy, it seems inevitable that this had to happen in the larger interests of political stability. Amidst the death and destruction, it is also heartening that Horatio is alive-he lives to relate the story of Hamlet to the new king, Fortinbras, and to the world. There is a sense of poetic justice when the denouement of the play is unraveled. The schemers have got what they deserved, especially King Claudius who has killed his brother, Hamlet (Father of the protagonist-the young Hamlet) and married the Queen Gertrude for political gain, and the Queen herself, who for personal security and power married her brother-in-law so readily, just weeks after her husband was slain. If we narrow the spotlight to examine Hamlet's personal actions in the play, there is reason for optimism too. ... rude for political gain, and the Queen herself, who for personal security and power married her brother-in-law so readily, just weeks after her husband was slain.If we narrow the spotlight to examine Hamlet's personal actions in the play, there is reason for optimism too. Hamlet has generally been seen as an indecisive person, who, though he knew that his father had been killed by his uncle, Claudius, did not take action to avenge his death. This, however, is a simplistic interpretation. Think of this. Hamlet is generous enough in giving Claudius the benefit of doubt. The crime that he has committed has no living witnesses. Yes, the ghost of Hamlet's father does inform him of the dastardly deed. But how can he believe in this without any other evidence How can he be sure that this ghost is not some evil spirit come down to merely confuse and mislead him The message that we get is the one that is enshrined in the judicial systems of most democracies in the world today: Presume that a person is innocent unless he is proved guilty. The play, therefore, is not a typical 'revenge' play. (Eliot, 1922) We must understand that the play deals with the complexity of human action, and the difficulty in ascertaining the correctness of an action. To the extent that the play acknowledges that we cannot simplistically classify an action as black and white, and that a vast gray exists, it is more realistic; and to the extent that it is more realistic, it may be considered optimistic, as it believes in the innate goodness of a person, and the mistake we could make in sitting in judgment on anyone-however wicked he may appear to be.This play contains some of the most optimistic lines ever written-asserting belief in the innate goodness of

Thursday, October 31, 2019

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

HRM - Essay Example As a decision strategy, Thurlby was reported to indicate that â€Å"those who refused had less chance of being shortlisted for a future top job at the company† (Peacock, 2010, par. 1). In this regard, the essay aims to address the following objectives, to wit: (1) to identify three important HR issues that are raised by this scenario (from the article); (2) to review and summarize the most pertinent research evidence and contemporary thinking relating to these issues; and (3) to set out clear and concise research-based advice to HR professionals who face similar situations. Specifically, the above mentioned objectives would be tackled using the topics on international employees resourcing, resistance and managing cultural diversity in multinational organizations. Three Important HR Issues The article written by Peacock (2010) proffered three contemporary and critical issues that face global organizations: international employees resourcing, resistance and managing cultural div ersity in multinational organizations. These issues would be discussed in greater detail, as follows: 1. International Employees Resourcing The distinct characteristics of an international manager, known as an expatriate manager has been noted by Schneder and Barsoux (2003) as â€Å"a new type of cosmopolitan, multilingual, multifaceted executive who is operational across national borders (somewhat like James Bond)† (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003, p. 185). The plight and challenges experienced by expatriates are closely evaluated by Pires, Stanton & Ostenfeld (2006) in their discourse that aimed to provide guidelines to improve the adjustments and effectiveness of expatriates’ movement to ethnically diverse environments. Jordan & Cartwright (1998) depicted the most apt key traits and competencies that organizations should be aware of in selecting expatriate managers. Further, expatriation was seen as a promoter of change and an interrupter of status quo (Glanz & van der Sluis, 2001) that options need to be determined by organizations in terms of establishing a career plan to encourage the expatriate’s decision to move and determining options for the expatriates’ spouses. The Business Dictionary (2011) defines an expatriate as â€Å"a person who has citizenship in at least one country, but who is living in another country. Most expatriates only stay in the foreign country for a certain period of time, and plan to return to their home country eventually, although there are some who never return to their country of citizenship† (par. 1). In the case of Jaguar, the HR director specifically stated that the potential expatriate manager would be relocated to China on a three-year assignment. Concurrently, â€Å"those with partners, or children in schools, were often put off the upheaval of moving abroad† (Peacock, 2010, par. 2). The apprehension from the points of views of potential expatriate managers could be analyzed in term s of the potential problems identified as follows: (1) unprepared and ill-equipped to conform to the demands of a new environment; (2) failure

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Product Life Cycle Essay Example for Free

Product Life Cycle Essay INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE The international product life cycle is a theoretical model describing how an industry evolves over time and across national borders. This theory also charts the development of a company’s marketing program when competing on both domestic and foreign fronts. International product life cycle concepts combine economic principles, such as market development and economies of scale, with product life cycle marketing and other standard business models. The four primary elements of the international product life cycle theory are: the structure of the demand for the product, manufacturing, international competition and marketing strategy, and the marketing strategy of the company that invented or innovated the product. These elements are categorized depending on the product’s stage in the traditional product life cycle. Introduction, growth, maturity, and decline are the stages of the basic product life cycle. During the introduction stage, the product is new and not completely understood by most consumers. Customers that do understand the product may be willing to pay a higher price for a cutting-edge good or service. Production is dependent on skilled laborers producing in short runs with rapidly changing manufacturing methods. The innovator markets mostly domestically, occasionally branching out to sell the product to consumers in other developed countries. International competition is usually nonexistent during the introduction stage, but during the growth stage competitors in developed markets begin to copy the product and sell domestically. These competitors may also branch out and begin exporting, often starting with the county that initially innovated the product. The growth stage is also marked by an emerging product standard based on mass production. Price wars often begin as the innovator breaks into an increasing amount of developed countries, introducing the product to new and untapped markets. At some point, the product enters the maturity stage of the international product life cycle and even the global marketplace becomes saturated, meaning that almost everyone who would buy the product has bought it, either from the innovating company or one of its competitors. Businesses compete for the rema ining consumers through lowered prices and advanced product features. Production is stable, with a focus on cost-cutting manufacturing methods, so that lowered prices may be passed on to value-conscious consumers. Product innovators must guard both foreign  and domestic markets from international competition, while finally breaking into riskier developing markets in search of new customers. When the product reaches the decline stage, the innovators may move production into these developing countries in an effort to boost sales and keep costs low. During decline, the product may become obsolete in most developed countries, or the price is driven so low that the market becomes close to 100% saturated.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Philosophical Definition of Justice: The Role of Accounting

Philosophical Definition of Justice: The Role of Accounting What is Justice? Justice means different things to different people. It is very much a culturally determined concept that requires an innate understanding of a particular person or group of people. For the purpose of this research paper justice is defined as the judgment and process involved with making something that is wrong or bad, right and good. Justice helps us as a society distinguish wrong from right and corrects what is wrong by making it right. But what is right and what is wrong? What is fair and what is just? If something is wrong or unfair, how should society make it right? Such questions have been asked since the beginnings of human interaction. Perhaps under a monarchy justice, for right or wrong, is more easily determined as it is simply what the supreme ruler (or monarch) feels is just or fair. Under a monarchy or aristocratic rule, there is only one ruler and what that individual feels is right, just, or fair, simply is and often cannot be questioned. However, within the realm of more contemporary political systems such as democracy, the ideology of justice, while arguably more fair, can be much more difficult to establish and understand. Democracy, at least in theory, grants the power to the people and therefore places the burden of justice or defining what is fair or equal upon the masses. Since different people have different belief systems they are often in disagreement on what is right or what is fair and have differences of opinion when it comes to justice. Without the aristocracy, justice becomes a very argumentative and ambiguous concept. Philosophy, the Various Schools of Thought, and their Influence on the Ideology of Justice Disagreements over what is fair (or just) have been around since the beginning of time, almost certainly since the very first of human interactions. At first glance we probably think we have a fairly uniform understanding of what justice might or should be. For example if someone commits premeditated first degree murder, most would probably agree the individual should be jailed and, depending on your belief system, either face a life sentence in jail or the death penalty. If someone embezzles money from their company, most would insist the individual should be forced to make restitution and face additional criminal or civil penalty. But even in the seemingly straightforward examples above, and within the realm of a relatively homogenous audience (those reading this paper), one can already start to see how complicated the ideology of justice can be. For example, some have very strong feelings about the death penalty and insist that no crime, even murder, would justify ending another persons life. Additionally, some feel that crimes such as embezzlement are a form of victimless crime and would never warrant a punishment as severe as jail time since no one individual had been harmed. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 527) Within the relatively straightforward scenarios above, one can already begin to imagine the diversity of opinions as to what is just and fair. Should the murder be murdered? Should the embezzler be jailed? What if he only stole the money to pay for chemotherapy for his dying wife? Luckily, numerous philosophers and historians have provided us with rich literature that helps us decipher the complex ideology of justice. In fact, it is only after studying and critically evaluating several of these philosophers, their different schools of ethical and moral thought, and the way they define justice that one can start to understand the differences in perceptions of justice around the world. The next sections provide brief introductions into several of the various schools of ethical and moral thought and provide some insight into the individual philosophers that have undoubtedly helped to shape ours and others understanding of justice. It is only after considering the various schools of thought that we can start to understand the differences in the perception of justice that exist around the world. Utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was a utilitarian and insisted that justice is doing what will produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. (Justice a Reader pg. 9) The utilitarian school of thought considers the principle of utility as the basis of moral law. Bentham defines utility as whatever promotes pleasure or prevents pain. (Justice A Reader pg. 9) The major criticism / objection to Benthams utilitarian principals come from the perspective that maximum utility, or collective happiness, may come at the expense of violating individual rights. (Justice A Reader pg. 9) In order to refute some of the criticisms of Benthams utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) argued that the idea of justice rests ultimately on utilitarian considerations but also requires a respect for individual rights. (Justice A Reader pg. 9) But even with Mills approach to justice, it becomes extremely difficult to choose and/or decipher between individual rights and the majority or maximum utility. This often leaves us with questions of where to draw the line between the greatest good for the majority and the protection of individual rights. Libertarianism Milton Friedman and other libertarian thinkers were advocates of free markets and critics of government regulation. (Justice A Reader pg. 49) Underlying their (libertarians) laissez-faire stance is the idea that each of us has a fundamental right to liberty – a right to do whatever we want with the things we own, provided we do not violate other peoples rights to do the same. (Justice A Reader pg. 49) Contrary to utilitarian thought, libertarians would never sacrifice individual rights for maximum utility or the benefit of the majority. According to the Libertarians, only a minimal government is necessary. In essence the government should only be put in place such that it enforces contracts, protects private property, and keeps the peace. (Justice A Reader pg. 49) Justice would ensure that we own ourselves and the fruits of our labor, and therefore, as the proprietors of our own person, each of us has the right to decide what to do with our bodies and our labor, with the money we earn, and the goods we possess. (Justice A Reader pg. 49) Justice would be the protection of those rights as well as the individual rights of others. The biggest challenges to libertarian policy usually come in the form of paternalist and/or redistributive laws. Paternalist and redistributive laws typically are enacted such that a society can tax the rich to help the poor. While utilitarian principles strongly favor such laws, Libertarians typically argue that such laws are a form of coerced charity that makes every person the property (perhaps even the slave) of the majority. (Justice A Reader pg. 49) Pure Libertarianism teaches that welfare is a violation of individual rights. Liberationists believe that while the poor should have every right to better themselves, that right should not come at the expense of anyones individual right to what they own or produce. Egalitarian A third school of thought that attempts to define the role of justice in society is egalitarianism. John Rawls (1921-2002) was often described as an egalitarian liberal (Justice A Reader pg. 263) and defined justice as fairness. Rawls believed that justice is a social contract in which people come together to choose the basic principles that will govern their society and proposed that the way to think about justice is to ask what principles would be chosen by people who came together behind a veil of ignorance that temporarily deprived them of any knowledge about where they would wind up in society. (Justice A Reader pg. 203) Accordingly, Rawls moral reasoning requires us to be abstract from the particular circumstances in which we find ourselves (Justice A Reader pg. 203), and justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. (Justice A Reader pg. 203) Rawls rejected utilitarianism and believed that certain individual rights are so fundamental that utilitarian considerations should not override them. (Justice A Reader pg. 203) However, contrary to Freidman and the libertarians, Rawls did not believe that the results of a free market are necessarily fair and was not opposed to the taxation of the privileged to help the poor. In Rawls opinion it would be acceptable, under certain circumstances, to take from the privileged as long as it were helping the underprivileged. Accounting and Justice Regardless of how you define justice or what school of thought you most closely relate to, it is clear the accountant plays a significant role in the establishment and preservation of justice for society. Accounting is the language of business (Bloomfield, 2008) and without it justice cannot exist. Since the beginnings of specialization, when humans stopped being self sufficient and started specializing, bartering, and trading, accounting has become a critical part of human interaction. In todays society accountants serve in many roles critical to the defense and preservation of justice. For example, in the U.S., IRS accountants ensure that citizens pay the appropriate amount of tax, forensic accountants provide investigative services for criminal and civil proceedings, and many of the FBIs anti-terrorist agents use their accounting backgrounds to trace terrorist funding. History of the Spanish Empire One only has to look back a few hundred years to see a perfect example of how the role of an accountant can protect and help preserve, or fail to protect and preserve, an entire civilization. In his book For Good and Evil – The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization, Charles Adams describes how tax fraud lead to the demise of one of the largest and most wealthy empires found in modern times – Imperial Spain. Around the time Christopher Columbus discovered the new world (the 14th and 15th centuries), the Spanish Empire was the strongest empire in the world which has never been equaled in terms of size or money. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 529) It controlled significant portions of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania (Australia and the Pacific Islands), and at its peak Spains conquered overseas empire was the largest the world has ever known. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 529) However, in the 17th century the vast empire started to disintegrate. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it was not the English fleet defeating the Spanish Armada that brought down the Empire, rather it was tax evasion and revolt by the masses against the patronage system that ultimately lead to the bankruptcy of the empire. After several revolts from within the empire, and long civil war, the Spanish Empire was forced to increase taxes to pay soldiers to put down the various rebellions. As a result, many of the people in the colonies engineered what was probably the best system of fraud and evasion that history has ever known. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 530) When the Spanish authorities tried to tax goods that passed through the major ports, the Spanish businessmen created complicated schemes to have silver and gold shipped to alternate ports away from the customs officials, even laundering it through foreign countries. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 530) In order to avoid the Royal Fifth – a 20% cu stoms tax and a 35% convoy tax on good from the colonies, the Spanish businessmen transformed commerce into one massive smuggling operation by avoiding the authorities and therefore the taxes. (Hanlin 2004, pp. 530) The Empire tried to stop the smuggling and division of money and goods away from the taxing authorities but simply did not have the means to control and stop the smuggling and tax evasion. As a result, the overseas empire could not defend itself and stealing the colonies of Spain became an international sport as most of the colonies were lost to the British, Dutch, and eventually the United States. Contemporary Accounting and Justice Given its role as the language of business, accountings integral role in society continues to grow as global economies grow and become increasingly interconnected. World GDP has grown from $1.34 trillion in 1960 to $60.6 trillion in 2008. (The World Bank, 2009). The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that in the U.S. 7% of total GPD is lost to fraud and injustice. (ACFE, 2008) When applied to a global GPD of $60.6 trillion loses resulting from fraud and injustices are estimated to have been $994 billion in 2008. $994 billion is a staggering number but in fact may be understated as many developing countries face an even higher percentage of fraud due to the lack of infrastructure and the ability to combat fraud. According the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), the U.S. ranks 19th (with 1st indicating the least amount of corruption) out of 182 countries surveyed for the amount of perceived corruption within a particular country indicating that, on a global scale, losses probably well exceed the trillion dollar mark annually. So who is best equipped to protect and defend the innocent from the injustices of fraud? The answer is simple, the accountants around the world. Accountants understand the language of business better than anyone and therefore are best suited to be the defenders of justice and fight the injustices that exist across the globe. Just or unjust, they may have even been able to preserve the Spanish Empire. Distributive Justice Another manner in which accountants play an integral role in society is through distributive justice. Utilitarian principles have led to many governments and societal systems that incorporate and rely upon paternalist or redistributive laws. For example, the U.S. and many other countries tax their wealthy citizens and use the funds to run social support programs for the poor such as welfare, unemployment, section 8 housing, etc. Such programs are a form of distributed justice. Robert Nozick describes distributive justice as follows: In contemporary political theory, distributive justice is primarily about the allocation of income, wealth, and opportunity. (Justice A Reader pg. 263) If distributive justice does represent the allocation of income and wealth, than who other than that accountant, who understands the language of business and taxation, would be best equipped to establish and preserve distributed justice? Another example of distributive justice and the role that an accountant plays is the concept of price gauging. Michael Sandel uses a great example in his teachings at Harvard when discussing the events that often transpire in the aftermath of a hurricane. Often, in the days following a major hurricane, for example Hurricane Charley in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, local retailers charge prices for common goods such as bags of ice and gas powered generators in excess of 1000% of their normal price. (Justice, 2009) Should such practices be considered simply the effects of supply and demand or is it injustice on the part of the retailer in the form of price gauging? Regardless of your opinion on price gauging laws, it is evident the accountant is best equipped to understand and determine whether or not price gauging exists and how to best allocate monies. Who other than the accountant would understand all the transactions taking place between retailers and consumers? In both cases above, the enforcement of paternalistic laws and analysis of price gauging activities, accountants are the ones that ensure monies are appropriately being collected and allocated, thereby defending justice as a society sees fit. Justice and the Role of the Accountant Globally Increasingly, corporations and businesses are taking on the global environment. This requires that accountants and auditors be able to identify the different risks associated with international interconnectedness and be able counteract these risks with the necessary precautions. The global environment adds additional complications for the role of the accountant and actually increases the responsibilities as the defender of justice. In a global spectrum, there are many different laws and regulations and thus, the role of the accountant changes depending on the environment in which the rules are generated. Culture is a huge influence on accounting regulation. Additionally, culture is intertwined within the market and political forces that help to shape the resulting accounting system. The different interaction of these forces in an environment helps to determine the place of the accountant in the economic system, which has a direct effect on the accountants role as the defender of just ice. Justice can only prevail in a society that embraces it. Perceived levels of corruption can be indicative of the state of the economy of a particular country which can help to define or determine the role of the accountant. If there are very few cases of fraud, but high levels of corruption perception it can be an indication that the appropriate level of justice is not being achieved. If enforcement of laws and regulation is inconsistent then a tougher approach may be needed to combat corruption. Transparency International states that in order to minimize corruption there needs to be strong oversight by governments, law enforcement, media, and the society. If a country is lacking oversight, corruption can continue to get worse. As a result, the role of the accountant in these environments would be limited since rules, laws, and regulations are not embraced and enforced. Regulation is only part of the battle. Change will only be effective if it comes from a commitment that is made by businesses and governments of all sizes. Stronger institutional oversight is needed across the world. There needs to be strict legal frameworks and more alert regulation by enforcement agencies in addition to accountants and auditors that ensure lower levels of corruption. As noted in an article issues by Transparency International, persistently high corruption in low-income countries amounts to an ongoing humanitarian disaster. According to the CPI index, China has improved over last year showing that their efforts to reduce corruption by enacting reforms, the implementation of forceful investigation, and intense sentencing have created less perceptions of corruption than before, but still remains a very serious problem. Norways score indicates that as a result of some serious scandals that have emerged over the last few years there is a significant problem in the private and public sectors. However, a growing number of cases being investigated and prosecuted demonstrates that they are at least trying to make headway. Italy is declining in the corruption index because of severe fraud and corruption that exist in the public health system and because of the recent arrests of politicians and public officials in the Abruzzo region. France also has also seen several cases of public officials that were connected to corrupt activities surface recently. Somalia, having the lowest CPI score highlights that there is a link between economic and political collapse. Additionally, Iraqs score of 1.3 shows the importance of establishing solid and functioning institutions capable of preventing corruption and implementing the rule of law. In all cases, the examples provide insight and indicate a need for regulation and an increased role for accountants because justice is not being found. Accounting Regulation Globally Accounting rules can indicate a lot about a country. Accounting rules are created in such a way that they fit the environment that they exist in, which varies across countries and cultures. If society wishes to protect the investor, the accounting system will have disclosure rules that enable investors to gain information and protect themselves. While some countries are developing regulations that contain investor protection improvements, in many cases much more work needs to be done. The manner in which markets function and the way politics are conducted greatly affect accounting systems and often lead to drastic differences across countries. The role of the accountant and, furthermore, the way that justice is enforced will also vary greatly amongst countries. Common law countries differ from codified law countries because common law countries have an independent body to interpret the law. Accounting rules in common law countries are determined by the private sector and require lengthy disclosure since there are no close relationships with corporations. However, code law countries require that corporations be heavily involved the government. The government often includes banks, labor unions, and major suppliers in rule-making decisions. As a result, transactions in these countries tend to be focused more on private information. There are institutional differences between all countries. Institutional differences enable economic and accounting systems to differ, thus the role of the accountant and the justice that results will differ amongst these countries. Accounting regulation in Germany allows more discretion on the accountant because it is written in more general terms. However, in France the regulation is more rigid, enables less discretion, and thus provides less wiggle room on the part of corporations. In Switzerland there are very few disclosure requirements, which can facilitate the reporting of smooth earnings through the usage of hidden reserves. Further, some accounting systems are difficult to compare because they do not fit within any particular mold. For example, the accounting system in Finland was created specifically for use by the foresting industry. By looking at international comparisons of accounting systems, it is evident there is no single way of performing accounting. As a result, the accounting rules are different and change to become an integral part of the markets and politics of each country and culture. Market demand affects the financial statements because the corporations must pay to prepare them. The political environment is important because the government has the ability to control regulators and possibly interfere with regulation. In order to perform and understand the different accounting processes, accountants must be aware of the different forces that exist in a particular country. By being aware of the different forces, accountants will be able to more aptly ensure that justice prevails in the country they operate. As evidenced above, accounting regulations vary across countries, time, and cultures which causes significant variations in the role of the accountant. While countries have been extending efforts to strengthen accounting rules and oversight, this alone cannot and will not prevent future fraud. (Leuz, 2002). But there are many benefits to implement strong laws and enforcement in order to protect shareholders rights. U.S. firms are not the only ones experiencing problems, as many firms globally are suffering from accounting irregularities. Some countries experience self-dealings and misappropriations of profits because of weaker legal measures. Weak legal measures create a greater incentive to manipulate the financial statements to conceal poor business performance. Manipulation is less apparent in places where outside investors have legal rights to vote out corrupt managers. However, manipulation is predominant in places like Austria, Italy, Germany, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Ta iwan, because they do not have investor protection. East Asian Perspective The East Asian countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand can help accountants see the way that accounting standards interact with the incentives of managers and auditors. (Ball, Ashok, et al, Incentives versus standards) The accounting standards in these countries come from a common law environment. Common law countries generally create high quality financial reporting. However, in these countries the preparers incentives generate low quality financial statements. The preparer incentives again, depend on the market and political forces and how these forces interact with one another. Market forces are dependent on the demand for high-quality financial reporting. The political forces depend on the government involvement in the creation and enforcement of the regulation. The interaction of these forces with the accounting system can drastically change the role of the accountant in these countries. The standards themselves are viewed as high-quality, but the institutional s tructure creates incentives for preparers incentives to issue low-quality financial reports. Financial reporting in East Asia generally exists with an incentive structure that is similar to a code-law model. However, the East Asian countries do not follow that model. Their governments have code-law reporting incentive features, but also have indications that the environment reduces the financial reporting quality. The large amount of family-owned businesses and enterprises is a cause for the low need of quality financial statements. One family generally owns investments that are inter-related. These networks are commonly referred to guanxi networks. These networks attempt to take away the demand of required disclosures and timely loss recognition and it also reduces the communication required with stakeholders. The extent of government involvement in the standard setting and the financial reporting practice differs across these countries. Political factors can create an incentive to hide large profits and losses. The political environments in these East Asian countries have a tendency to want companies to succeed, so they recommend companies hide losses. They also are afraid of other countries becoming involved in their practices because they do not want to be held accountable for any misstatements. The companies are also expected to report smooth earnings, which reinforces the desire to report, cover, and hide losses. Litigation is minimal in these countries since there is a large incentive to hide earnings, which the government reinforces. There have been very few cases of judicial actions in these countries. Audit quality in these countries is poor primarily due to lack of auditor independence. The influence and independence of the accounting profession is an indicator of ineffective enf orcement of accounting standards. Considering the financial incentives for managers and auditors there is a greater incentive for reduced timeliness and conservatism in accounting earnings. Fraud is continuing to go undetected in Hong Kong. Although there is a 22% incidence of fraud, much more is expected to be going on given the different forces that are currently having an effect on the country. As a result, currently more scrutiny is being given to the monitoring of financial transactions and corporations are beginning to make it a priority. There are currently programs that are offered for certification in forensic accounting, which is having an impact on fraud detection. Most of the fraud cases that exist in Hong Kong are internet banking fraud, computer fraud, misuse of corporations credit card, and electronic funds transfer fund. There is a need for more forensic accountants in Singapore in order to ensure sufficient justice as many significant fraud cases are going undetected. Two important fraud cases involved Fibrechem Technologies and Oriental Century. In the Fibrechem Technologies audit, Ernst Young Singapore were not certain of the cash and trade debtor balance. KPMG had the same problem with Oriental Century. Another notable case is one in which a Singapore monk, who was in charge of Singapores well-known charities, received 10 months in prison for committing fraud. In Malaysia, the role of accounting in the fight for justice is very small. Crimes are beginning to become more and more complicated and controlled but forensic accounting is viewed as a service that only larger companies can afford. This makes catching fraud more difficult. Cases that are investigated are generally handled by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Division. This group was able to catch a large fraud that involved the CEO and two others of Transmile Group Bhd for publishing misleading financial statements and has often been called Malaysias Enron. Fraud and forensic accounting is a relatively new topic in Thailand. According to an Ernst Youngs global survey, more than half of the companies in Thailand have suffered significant fraud. The management of the corporations was responsible for over half while employees ranked second, responsible for 45% of the fraud incidents reported. Asset misappropriation was the biggest concern. (MPA Program: Forensic accounting project) The commercial crimes in Thailand are becoming more and more complicated and organized. Forensic accounting is used to combat this to an extent, but is only utilized in the public sector. It is also noted in Thailand that there remains an enormous amount of well documented corruption related to the government amounting to billions of US dollars. There are many cases where Thailands auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka, was able to bring about cases against members of the government but there are even more cases linked to the military involving loans from politicia ns. Chinese Perspective This accounting profession is still at the early stage of development in China, and a lack of skilled professionals creates problems for regulators. To a large extent the accounting standards and practices in China lack conservatism Doupnik and Perera note in their International Accounting textbook. There are also no sound interpretations of the relevant requirements that need to be implemented to have an effective accounting system. The theory of true and fair presentation and transparency may not be clearly understood by Chinese accountants. Until the 1980s, those who carried out accounting work were not held in high regard which had a very negative effect on the development of the accounting profession in China. Unlike in other countries, accounting and auditing have taken different paths in their development as rival disciplines with the support of different government agencies. However, there has been some growth in the accounting profession due to the recent economic reform pro gram and the demand for financial information from investors has increased. There are many fraud cases evident in China. One high-profile case that deserves mentioning was with Zhu Xiaohua who was the chairman of state-owned company, Everbright Group. Zhu was convicted to 15 years in prison for taking $500,000 in bribes. These bribes were taken between 1997 and 1999. The bribes were for the purchase of shares in a company that resulted in large losses. Another example of fraud in China was when a business woman, Du Yimin, was sentenced to death for running a Ponzi scheme that cheated investors out of YUAN700m ($102 million). (Lin, 2009) According to Lin, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has been stepping up such prosecutions and says there are now 1,416 similar cases open, involving YUAN10bn ($1.5 billion) in investors money. In China it is still possible to receive the death penalty for fund-raising fraud, however, if a Chinese person is charged with collecting money illegally from private investors, the maximum sentence is 10 years in prison. In Chi na is evident that ethics are not being followed across the board. Japanese Perspective Japan also differs from other cultures and has a different role of the accountant and effectively different need for justice. The Japanese attitudes towards external auditors and the audit function are different from others. This is due to the cultural value orientation of not trusting someone from outside the group. Companies are not under pressure from their main providers of finance to disclose information publicly and companies are reluctant to provide information voluntarily. As a result, the a