Benchmarking as a powerful total quality management tool

Like all other administration ideas and standards, Benchmarking has likewise experienced the trial of time and effectiveness. Truth be told, it was not until Xerox actualized it in the late 70’s that Benchmarking has substantiated itself in the field of business the executives (Brown, 1992). During this time, Xerox was losing piece of the overall industry and feeling pressure from its rivals. While trying to get once more into the game, Xerox contrasted its activities with its competitors'.After contrasting its quality measures with others', Xerox started probably the best pattern in the business world today (Rogers, 1991). Despite the fact that there have been issues on in the case of Benchmarking must be considered as an independent administration idea from that of Total Quality Management (TQM), this paper would contend that Benchmarking is fairly a fixing and a productive device in the usage of an effective TQM process. This paper additionally would contend that benchmarki ng applies not exclusively to assembling yet in addition to support industries.In certainty, it has even called attention to that benchmarking has been valuable in the money related administration of Higher Education organizations (Tang and Zari, 1998). Outline OF BENCHMARKING The standard of benchmarking has been characterized in a few different ways relying upon the region of TQM where its qualities and commitments have been pushed. The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) characterizes it as: â€Å"The procedure of methodicallly looking at your own authoritative structure, procedures and execution against those of good practice associations all inclusive, so as to accomplish business excellence.Benchmarking gives the key interface among recognizing and understanding the key models for change and adjusting these to the truth of explicit associations in the worldwide economy† (Waston, 1993). The acclaimed disciple of TQM and benchmarking Mohamed Zairi characteri zes it as â€Å"emulating the best by ceaselessly executing change and estimating performance† (Zairi, 1996). In the two cases, benchmarking has its own imprint: permitting change for the best.Industry specialists of benchmarking consider a benchmark is the standard of greatness against which to gauge and look at wherein benchmarks are execution measures: what number? How rapidly? How high? How low? (APQC, 1995). Benchmarks are realities; benchmarking empowers genuine improvement (Ammons, 1999). Benchmarking is really the way toward learning exercises about how best execution is cultivated by the severe usage and work of best practices (APQC, 1995).Clearly, benchmarking goes past information social occasion, correlation and estimation. Benchmarking is a fixing in any complete quality administration development. Firms that need to know why or how another firm shows improvement over theirs follow the benchmarking idea (Greengard, 1995). Its utilization is quickening among U. S. firms that have embraced the TQM theory. Benchmarking is tied in with improving serious position, and utilizing ‘best practice' to invigorate radical advancement as opposed to looking for minor, steady enhancements for memorable execution (Certo, 1994).Due to changes in monetary elements, innovation, showcase requests and other social components, benchmarking as a TQM instrument doesn't endure only contrasting past strategic approaches with present so as to pick up business greatness, rather it requires an association to grasp these changes. For this situation, benchmarking in accordance with TQM is an ideal business instrument toward worldwide intensity (Saxl, 1992). This case has been demonstrated by benchmarking experts who were considered as best among the best in the realm of business.

Sole Trader Companies Essay Example for Free

Sole Trader Companies Essay Sole broker organizations are the ones which are opened exclusively. For instance, there is one individual and he captivated about working together so he can put cash into the business and he needs to do it without anyone else. It implies he needs to discover where can wellsprings of money come and how to control it since he should work without anyone else without investors. There are a few wellsprings of accounts as follows: * Retained income: this is benefits of an organization subsequent to evacuating assessments, pay rates and costs or something to that effect and this source ought to be applied following scarcely any months from the earliest starting point. For instance, in the wake of evacuating all of costs like various costs, preparing courts costs we have the equalization in our bank account around 9500 pounds. Pizza hovel can utilize that cash effectively to buy for their crude materials it is likewise a favorable position of them when they can control their use and set aside some cash so they can utilize their cash without considering charging expenses or premiums. In any case, on the off chance that they base on target which is spared a lot of they are going to meet issues in light of the fact that the circumstances of organization will be distinctive relies upon various financial matters stage so they have to think about certain approaches to make sure that setting aside cash won't assume a ton of position in their record. * Selling resources: on the off chance that the business person set up their business yet they have issues in capitals so they should offer a few items to get cash to contribute and getting benefits. For instance, pizza cottage can sell their old machines, gear, or even their own logo. This is appeared to be a hazard route in light of the fact that in the wake of selling resources they will be lose their control in their business a little and it can prompt circumstances of having insufficient advantages for help for delivering. * Personal capital: The proprietors can put their own cash into business for development. This will keep him from the weight of interests from obtaining and the person can control their business without anyone else or herself without relying upon others one. * Debt account: it is regularly utilized when individuals begin to set up a business, business people will request getting cash from their families and friendsâ first lastly then they will request obtaining from others business’s makes a difference. To put it plainly, obligation fund is utilized for buying in the obtaining activity of a business to report for their creations. In the event that Pizza cabin is a Public Limited Company Open Limited Companies is the ones which are made from at least 2 than 2 people. Furthermore, those people are called investors and every investor will claim a piece of the organization which is relies upon their budgetary capacity by the ones called shares. The more offers you claimed the more gift you have in charge of organization. By along these lines the organization can prepare capital effectively and there are a few wellsprings of account as follows: * Issuing shares: business can gather cash by giving offers to stock trade and exterior the business there will be a few people need to put away cash to cause benefits for themselves so they to can utilize their cash to purchase the offers and by that way the business can get cash and for the individual who put away cash they will have a situation in the business and they will get profit every month. * Venture capital: funding is turning out to be progressively significant wellsprings of account for developing business. This should be possible by people or gatherings of investors, they need to search for a great deal of potential organizations or tasks and settling on choices precisely isn't being needed of. Else, they can simple to meet obligations for profits for instance or they can go to bankrupt since they are lost a ton of cash for disappointment ventures. * Bank credits: Business can collect their store by obtaining cash from banks and this is appeared to be a decent method to get cash right away. Be that as it may, the business needs to contemplate the financing cost and the reimbursement capacity on the off chance that they don’t need to go to bankrupt on account of obligations. What's more, business think about credits as long or transient intends to help their business and the considering is relied upon the reasons and the measure of cash the business need to get. For example, if the business had 1 billion and they acquire 100 million, it would be considers as short †term advances on the grounds that the measure of cash they obtained isn't fundamental cash for ventures since it too little contrast with 1 billion. 1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages * Debt money: Favorable circumstances: everybody when they need to set up another business so obtaining cash is extremely fundamental since it will enable the business person to feel increasingly sure and they will be more grounded in working together. Detriments: moreover, they need to consider methods of reimbursing advances to other people. The explanation is that they will make a trust and increment their notoriety so they can obtain in next occasions without any problem. In this way, working together isn't generally positive so it expects representatives to consider methods of existing a great deal and when they go to bankrupt there will be difficult for them to look with makers and in the most pessimistic scenario they can be a jail. * Issuing Shares: Preferences: organizations can raise their assets effectively by giving offers and they can extend their business too. This assembly capital won't make an obligation which the business needs to reimburse. Plus, giving offers can assist business with pulling in and keep great power of staff and the business can associate with potential accomplices. Inconveniences: The organizations need to acknowledge high charges of giving. Giving offers can scatter the possessions, controllerships and incomes too. * Bank advances: Favorable circumstances: Bank credits are appeared to be a decent assets for a business to raise their assets in light of the fact that the business can get contracts from bank effectively and the strategic need to finish is that attempt to acquire benefits however much as could be expected to reimburse. Drawbacks: on the off chance that, the business cause lost with the goal that will to be a huge issue supposing that they didn't reimburse on time they will lost their advantages however the thing is they need to postpone the obligations and that’s the purpose behind interests will be expanded quickly and the delayer the more intrigue. At last at that point, the more cash can't be paid the more dangers of bankrupting.

Whats in an App admissions video essay COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Whats in an App admissions video essay COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The holidays are just around the corner! You know what that means. You have a little under 2 months to apply to our general deadline with SIPA fellowship aid consideration on January 5, 2018. Im excited to bring a new series to you this month about our application process Whats in an App. Since I know many of y’all are in the thick of preparing your stellar applications, this series of blog posts will hopefully answer your burning questions and provide helpful tips about the different components of our application. We’ll be covering a different part of the application every week for the remainder of November just in time for January 5th! Lets get started. Today’s post is about the wait for it video essay. Now, this may seem daunting and stressful; however, its only one part of the review process. This isn’t the be-all-end-all deciding factor for your admissions decision. This component provides the Admissions Committee a sense of who you are in person as well as your thought process and how you respond to questions. We’re not able to conduct in-person interviews because of the high volume of apps we receive each year, so this video response is extremely valuable to the committee and our evaluation process. In it’s second year now, the video response is fully integrated into our online application. We’ve made a significant change to the accessibility of the video essay this year it is only available AFTER you submit your application and pay the app fee. Once this is done, you’ll be able to see the video prompt in your Applicant Status page. That being said, you’ll need to manage your time well and submit your applicati on well in advance in order to access this section and test your connection, webcam, mic, etc. to ensure everything is working properly. How does it work? We have a great video (and transcript) from a prior post, explaining how to access your video essay here. Remember, you can only access this through your Applicant Status page once you submit your application and pay the app fee, but otherwise, the process remains the same. You’ll review the instructions for the video, receive a randomized test question, have 60 seconds to think of a response, then another 60 seconds to verbally communicate this. Keep in mind, you won’t be allowed to resubmit a response. Once you have recorded your response, it is automatically uploaded to your application. What type of questions will I encounter? Our questions run the gamut, from general background, to behavioral to policy related questions. These do not require extensive research beyond reading about current events/affairs in international affairs and policy. Also, there are no right or wrong answers. So breathe, relax, and tackle this response with confidence. What if I experience any technical difficulties during my video response? If you experience any issues during your recording, please reach out to us at sipa_admission@columbia.edu or call at 212-854-6216. Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM 5 PM EST. Keep in mind, our general deadline is at 11:59 PM EST; so please plan ahead, allow time to test your audio capabilities, and contact us during regular office hours to troubleshoot any issues.

Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Paper - 724 Words

Research completed with Veteran’s illustrates that changing schemas, such as feelings of failure, incompetence and mistrust, to name a few, can be effective in decreasing symptoms of PTSD (Cockram, Drummond, Lee, 2010, p.5). CBT is useful for addressing multiple issues, including anxiety, panic, depression, substance abuse, and OCD. It can be especially useful in work with adolescents, older children and adults. Cognitive Behavioral therapy has expanded to include work with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, has been shortened to include Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and can be used in group therapy sessions. Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), a â€Å"short term, component based intervention†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦49). Similarly, this approach is useful when working with LGBTQ individuals and other diverse groups, as it is focused on individual’s thoughts and reactions to stressors and is open to modificatio ns. CBT has some shortcomings in regard to cultural competence, as it may be difficult for some to question the values of their cultures. For instance, a female, Asian client may have difficulty questioning her husband’s motives (Corey, 2009, p. 301). Other specific changes can help to tailor the intervention to make it more culturally sensitive. When utilizing this intervention, it is important for the provider to â€Å"understand the core values of their culturally diverse clients† and take time to understand these beliefs before encouraging them to question personal and cultural beliefs (Corey, 2009, p. 300). Care would have to be taken to ensure positive rapport prior to encouraging this. Hinton and Jalal (2014), developed a cultural checklist that can be utilized to assess cultural sensitivity of CBT interventions which looks as ideas about language, religious background, demographic variables, and key catastrophicShow MoreRelatedTrauma Focused Cognitive B ehavioral Therapy1720 Words   |  7 Pagesadolescents worldwide experience events that are traumatizing. If exposure to trauma is not treated, it could lead to various mental health problems. Researchers have reported a connection between traumatization and increases in mood and anxiety disorders, but the most frequently reported symptoms of psychological distress are post-traumatic stress symptoms (Cohen, Mannarino Iyengar, 2011). Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is basically a conjoint parent and child psychotherapy approachRead MoreInterventions For Children Exposed At Intimate Partner Violence1421 Words   |  6 Pagesaffect the victim, but it may also cause psychological damage to children who may be exposed to it, both directly and indirectly. This paper will aim to examine two types of evidenced-based interventions available for children who have been exposed to intimate partner violence and have developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result. The analysis provided for this paper is based on the studies provided by Community Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for Children Exposed to Intimate PartnerRead MoreThe Most Damaging Types Of Trauma1730 Words   |  7 PagesIn the immediate, as well as long-term aftermath of exposure to trauma, children are at risk of developing significant emotional and behavior difficulties (CWIG, 2012). The most damaging types of trauma incl ude early physical and sexual abuse, neglect, emotional/psychological abuse, exposure to domestic violence and other forms of child maltreatment (Hoch, 2009). Research has shown that children that are exposed to these types of trauma will experience developmental delays including language and verbalRead MoreThe Gestalt, Behavioral, Cognitive Behavior And Reality Therapy833 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to identify how the Gestalt, Behavior, Cognitive Behavior and Reality therapies will be applicable to the future population we want to work with. The differences and similarities teach us the uniqueness of each as well as how their information correlates to one another. PTSD is probably going to be a major disorder I will come across when working with veterans and the cognitive behavioral approach was the most influential, but also most empirically researched approachRead MoreMethods of Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay924 Words   |  4 Pagesof para mount importance. This paper discusses the various therapeutic options that can be employed and the rationale behind each treatment method. The discussion shall be supported by evidence-based research from credible sources. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be treated using various methods and all focus on helping the affected person cope or overcome the traumatic experience through a gradual process. In essence, treatment does not aim at keeping the trauma or the reminder of it at bay;Read MoreCbt And Narrative Therapy For My Client s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnosis Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesanalyzed two very different treatment modalities of therapeutic interventions. These methods were Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy. The framework and strategy behind each of these concepts could benefit a particular client depending on diagnosis and various other factors. Moreover, in some instances, a combination of both therapeutic interventions may be most constructive. In this paper, I will introduce my client and provide details of his life history in order to explore hisRead MoreThe Long Term Effects Of Childhood Abuse1562 Words   |  7 Pagesfor suspected child maltreatment in 2005† (Bentley Widom, 2009). Those children who are abused eventually become adults whom suffered from childhood trauma. Although a trauma may be considered to be in the past, for many the scars are ever so present when moving throughout life. Individuals who haven’t be exposed to high doses of stress and trauma are ready to go into fight or flight at any moment, but when this system is started over and over again, it goes from being life saving to health damagingRead MoreA Case Study : Response Grant ( SERG )1453 Words   |  6 Pages$990,335 grant provided behavioral health treatment for people who needed more than crisis counseling but had no other source of payment for one-year (Gregg, C., Lofton, L., 2011) Other focuses with this grant was geared to behavioral health for the unemployed or underemployed because of the tornado, individuals who were identified in the CCP program though the referral services and for those who need addiction treatment. â€Å"The grant also provided prevention services focused on increased risk of substanceRead MoreLisa Is A Candidate For Interventions That Address Her1622 Words   |  7 PagesNTCSN, expressly for the treatment of children and adolescents who have experienced complex trauma: it is formed and grounded in attachment theory, child development theory, traumatic stress theory, and resilience† (Lawson, M.D Quinn, J., p. 500, 2013). This intervention can be used in many settings, including a group setting such as TAP. That being said, I feel that Lisa would benefit from individual therapy, where her core beliefs, her schemas, attachment style, thoughts and feelings, and traumaticRead MoreEffectiveness Of Chosen Intervention For Children With Refugee And Asylee Youth1273 Words    |  6 PagesIntervention Based on the available research, the authors have chosen Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy as the most effective intervention when working with refugee and asylee youth. This intervention was chosen due to the high amount of research conducted using this intervention with refugee and asylee youth. The pliability of CBT allows this intervention to mold to the unique needs of this population and serve the vast degree of trauma and mental health conditions this population is vulnerable to. CBT

Education Is Crucial If One Were To Be Successful In Life.

Education is crucial if one were to be successful in life. In modern day, a person without a college degree would have a difficult time to sustain a living. On the contrary, those who are able to attend college and have graduated are also struggling to pay their student loans. Students who try to further their education have had this issue for ongoing years. Not only does a student try to acquire as much knowledge as one can, but it is not a guarantee that once a student graduates from college, that he or she will have an occupation. This all factors into how it has become strenuous for students to pay their student loans when tuition fees are excessive instead of being affordable for each student. Therefore, student loans should be†¦show more content†¦The Student Loan Act of 2012 is a recognition that millions of Americans have grossly overpaid for their education due to governmental interference in the marketplace (Barnet and Bedau, 2014). Education should be a birth give n right instead of a commodity the government uses to extract money from (Barnet and Bedau, 2014). Instead of considering student loans as an exception it is seen as a norm. The average amount acquired by an undergraduate student in 2012 was $25,900 according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (Johnston and Roten, 2015). The federal student loan program is designed to correct market failures that cause students to invest exceptionally less in their education because of either capital market imperfections or external benefits from education (Miles and Zimmerman, 1997). The capital market failure occurs because students are unable to obtain loans by committing future earnings as collateral. The high cost or lack of other financing causes students to invest less in their education than would be profitable for the student, furthermore it would be less socially desired (Miles and Zimmerman, 1997). The â€Å"external benefit failure† goes to proves that students do not efficiently value the benefits their education provides to society. Students can’t obtain the entire benefit for themselves in higher wages which cause them to invest less than the socially desirable amount (Miles and Zimmerman, 1997). Thus, they willShow MoreRelatedParental Involvement : Young And Helpless Essay979 Words   |   4 Pagesthey will become, essentially building the foundation of our own being and existence. Finish introduction/Rework â€Å"Did you finish your homework, let me see it?†, what may be one of the most influential questions a parent can ask their child. This question has haunted millions of children every year hoping to slide one over on their parents in order to get that extra half hour outside before super. It’s a well researched and proven fact that parental involvement has a large impact on a child’sRead MoreAmerican Media And Its Impact On American Culture1061 Words   |  5 PagesKingdoms are shown through their successful trade routes, ordered government, wealth, Education system, individual morals and art. To start, the advances of ancient African culture is shown through their successful trade routes. As document 1 shows, the location of early african empires was essential to their success. The kingdom of Aksum, reached it’s peak of prosperity because of its location. The Kingdom is located on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Land routes were essential for trade because itRead MoreThe Problem Of Poverty And Poverty1640 Words   |  7 PagesThe Problem: Looking at the myriad of problems our country faces, Poverty ranks as one of the largest; affecting nearly 14.5 percent of our national population and over 21% of the population in Norman. The existing communication found in poverty relief work is failing. With poverty happening all over the world communication gaps within service slow down and weaken the success and sustainability of the relief process. There is little to no collaboration taking place between the millions of organizationsRead MoreEducation Is The Most Powerful Weapon Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout our history, most of the revolutions were turning points that contributed and improved the modern society that we are living now. Social reformers such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson have been spreading the message that education is crucial in leading to a successful life. However, there are still many people, especially those from the bottom of our social hierarchy pyramid, are struggling in daily l ife because of the lack of education. Social problems that we encounter these daysRead MoreThe Importance Of Self And Self Esteem861 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"beliefs about his or her attributes and abilities as a person.† It can be impacted by outside variables and is crucial to the internal development of one’s self. Self-Esteem is especially crucial to children, as well as adolescents who are struggling to discover their place and purpose. The maintenance of keeping a positive self-esteem is a continuous effort as one goes through challenges in life. According to psychotherapist Nathanial Branden, self-esteem is an essential human need that it vital forRead MoreThe Purpose Of Education By Martin Luther King Jr.942 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Purpose of Education,† that â€Å"Intelligence plus character – that is a goal of true education.† Good character is defined as a particular feature or quality that is ingrained in a person throughout their lifetime. Character represents many qualities, which separates one person from another. Many parents wish that when their child would grow up, as a caring, and an honest person. Many people argue whether schools should provide character education besides academics. Character education programs areRead MoreUNICEF and Childrens Welfare Essay examples1160 Words   |  5 Pages Health Among the many fights against poverty, improving children’s’ health is one of the major responsibilities. A healthy child becomes a healthy adult, a person who has the ability to create a better life for them, the people around them, their community, and their countries. One of the core UNICEF objectives is to improve the health of the children of the world. Most of the children deaths occur due to pneumonia, preterm birth complications, intra-partum related complications, diarrhea andRead MoreSocial Issues Of Education And Education984 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Issues in Education The United States has made leaps and bounds in its education system since schooling became mandatory. Most people in the US have at least a high school education and are able to function in society as fruitful and productive citizens. However, in the past years the family and education structure have changed, creating new social issues for society to address and find solutions for. The following examines the shortage of teachers in schools, increasing school violence, andRead MoreAmerica s Equal Opportunity For The Education System Essay1416 Words   |  6 Pagesopportunity it provides for its citizens. Anyone must be able to get a quality education, get jobs they want, and be productive members of society. However, there has been debate lately on how equal the opportunities are for the majority of American citizens. Many Americans have a harder time getting the quality education they deserve because of their social or economic status. Many employers value formal educations, but the majority of lower class citizens are not given the chance to pursue themRead MoreEthics And Ethics Of Ethics775 Words   |  4 Pagesmanipulation, assets and liabilities were reduced at the reporting date, and the leverage ratio was decreased as well because the numerator and the denominator of that ratio are reduced by the same amount. As a result, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and former officials of Lehman brothers have agreed to pay $90 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit. We can refer from the two previous examples that ethics education is crucial. The main reason for ethics education is that ethics courses and training

Urban deprivation is one of the characteristics of large cities in all parts of the world Free Essays

The inner city areas of many Global cities have an image of decay with poverty, pollution, crime, overcrowding, poor housing conditions and unemployment. Such problems are more prevalent in inner-city areas than in other areas of the city. Deprivation has been caused by old industries closing down and increasing the unemployment levels which are not tackled due to the old workers not being skilled enough to work in these new factories or line of jobs. We will write a custom essay sample on Urban deprivation is one of the characteristics of large cities in all parts of the world or any similar topic only for you Order Now This happens more in MEDC’s compared to LEDC’s where overpopulation and urbanization have cause the problems in the inner city. Counterurbanization has been another problem within MEDC’s as it has left houses derelict and the people would rather commute than live in the inner city. This has then led to out of town shopping centers being set up. In MEDC’s the inner city initiatives for reversing the decline of the inner city started back in 1945 with comprehensive redevelopment. This program involved large-scale clearance of old terraces in order to provide space for new housing and inner city environmental features. Over twenty years 1. 5 million properties wee knocked down in the inner city. Elswick and Kenton in Newcastle were two areas embarked for comprehensive redevelopment. Existing residents were moved either into new towns of Cramlington or to extensive council houses estates built in areas such as, Byker. Many local authorities followed identical planning and soon the landscape of the inner city was transformed with huge concrete and glass tower blocks separated by flat expanses of grass. At the time these high-rise flats were a great success architecturally however the policy failed due to redevelopment underachieving demolition. This gave a housing shortage and vast spaces of derelict land. This policy that lasted till 1967 also failed to tackle the social and economic problems. 1968 saw another scheme come into action; the Urban Aid programme gave grants to local authorities to expand services in deprived areas and to establish community development projects using self help. This scheme was a great deal more localized and it was unfortunate that the economic downturn limited the funds and therefore by 1977 the scheme had finished. The next year the new towns policy was abandoned in an effort to stop decentralization of people and businesses. For the first time inner cities were officially declared problem areas. In 1988 Margaret Thatcher introduced the â€Å"Action for cities† policy. From 1991 onwards-Local authorities were able to bid for funds for specific urban projects. An example is Sunderland; the money was used to redesign parts of the city center with a new shopping precinct. And bus station. A single government department, the end of the 1990’s had created the Urban Regeneration Agency. In Greater Manchester 4. 5 hectares of the city were destroyed with 30,000 homes left damaged form the bombing of World War II. By the end of the war 70,000 homes were deemed unfit for living mostly in the high density Victorian inner center. The plan for Manchester was launched in 1945 with the aim of clearing all Victorian housing. Following the repair of the war the Manchester Slum Clearance Programme restarted in 1954. Over five years 7500 properties were demolished mostly in the Miles Platting area. In 1961 the policy of comprehensive development took place with the clearance programme expanding in four main areas: Hulme, Beswick, Longsight and Harpurhey. Over 55,00 new houses, a mixture of low and high rise were built to replaced the cleared terraces reducing the housing density and population by up to 50% in some areas. The Hulme area was a typical Victorian area of Manchester and was tightly packed with terraces. Conditions were overcrowded and polluted with few housing having toilets. After the demolition of the terraces, shopping facilities were introduced in three areas. By 1972 the redevelopment of Hulme was completed with 5,000 new houses being built. Problems did arise with new properties leaking and then the heating bills were too high for the residents and many found the accommodation inappropriate. This area fell into a spiral of decline with growing unemployment, drugs and violence along with eh deteriorating environment. The Hulme city challenge was launched in 1992. This plan involved building of 3000 new homes, shops, roads, offices and community facilities to replace existing properties in a 60-hectare area. The funds of i200 million came from the government, local authority and private finance. Manchester faced other problems form the closure of the nineteenth century industries that left 24,000 jobs unavailable between 1974 and 1984. Plans included 2000 new houses and 375,000 square meters of industrial and commercial floor space to provide 10,000 jobs. In 1988 central Manchester was given n UDC to regenerate 200 hectares of land and buildings in the southern part of the city center. This area included six conservation areas, over ninety listed buildings, three universities, the Granada Studios Tour and the Museum of Science and Industry. However these were the areas of contaminated land, derelict warehouses, mills and canals. The IDC ended in 1996 and in the eight years of operation invested i420 million. Urban deprivation in the LEDC’s have been tackled in many ways however there have been schemes that have proven to be a lot more successful than the others. In Chennai there has been a rapid increase in population due to the rural to urban migration and the high birth rates. About one third of the population lives in the slums, mostly shantytowns. The planning solutions began with the building of four to six storey blocks however these largely failed due to high maintenance and lack of uptake as the tenants would be unable to afford the rent. If the rent were reduced the scheme would lose money. After this initial failure The Board took up a new idea of upgrading the slums. The aims set were providing one bath and one toilet per ten families; one public fountain per twenty families; one street light per forty meters of road and one pre school per two hundred families. Other initiatives required self-help financing after an initial investment had been made either by the World Bank or welfare organizations. These schemes encouraged greater community involvement. Some of the start up loans were gave to families to build their own homes. Site and service schemes were implemented with finance provided for the acquisition of land; purchase of building materials, road building and the provision of basic services such as, water and sewage. New owners were then responsible for building the property on their allocated land. The upgrading after that often led to the sale of homes to higher income groups. The generated some money for the poor families and allowed the Board to re-invest in new schemes. An area in the southern outskirts of Chennai was the location for a site and services scheme known as Velacheri. It provided fourteen hectares of land to house 2,640 families many of whom were being forced out of Chennai. Waiting for the new residents building their homes would have caused a delayed the rail building so contractors were used to begin the building of properties. Along with the roads, water supply, streetlights and many other services. These services did face problems with many being left unfinished and extra floors being added without regulation. Some families sold their home for profit and the poorest were unable to afford these houses. These are some example of the initiatives being taken in order to solve the problem of urban deprivation. However there have been many other schemes and one of the most successful was that of the Favelas in Brazil redevelopment that won several prizes such as, the famous Habitat Award from the United Nations. These have been more successful as it didn’t break up the families and kept the community spirit and the families could continue to access their place of employment. The similarities between the initiatives of the MEDC and LEDC worlds that have been undertaken for there reduction of urban deprivation are not all that similar. This is due to the fact that the MEDC’s have more finance so there are able to use other schemes to tackle their problems. Also the fact that the problems they face are of a different cause. In the LEDC’s it tends to be shanty towns are therefore have to look to house these people unlike the MEDC it not so overcrowding but unemployment due to the decline of the Industrial Revolution and recently Counterurbanization has left old Victorian buildings derelict and an eye-saw. How to cite Urban deprivation is one of the characteristics of large cities in all parts of the world, Papers

Cross Cultural and Strategic Management †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Cross Cultural and Strategic Management. Answer: Introduction: This report discusses the difference of management style in different countries in the world. Due to globalization, the organizations have got the scope for operating in various countries, manufacture their products in one country and exporting them in another market. Sometimes the companies operate from their headquarters located in different country but regulate their market located in different region (Knight et al. 2015). In doing this, they face various issues regarding the methods of management. Multiculturalism is the reason why the management needs to have a prodigious knowledge about the cross cultural management strategies so that the they can understand the expectation of the employees with different set of values and responses and act accordingly to utilize their manpower in a best possible manner. The news article namely Business Mentor: How Cultural Differences Affect Doing Business published in July 2017, reveals the fact that different culture of different country can affect the business and regulate the organizational culture in that place (News.abs-cbn.com 2018). As the reporter of this article Armando Bartolome has discussed that globalisation and technological advancement have greatly changed the connectivity and communication among the organisations operating in different countries. This articles originally describes the global acceptability of various factors which distinguish one organisational culture from another. The organisations which functions in a multicultural environment need to know some most important factors for effectively motivate the employees as well as business associates. Differences in leadership styles: This article discloses the fact that business management style varies from country to country. One management style that is effective in the European countries may not be effective in the Asian organization. Management styles varies across countries due to the factors like political influence, economic ups and downs, level of mobility, technological progress and market globalization. Including all these, the corporate culture of that country, educational background and the technological availability (Kuratko 2016). With the progress of time, the conventional management style has changed. The management styles that were once used to be very effective to manage the local employees became outdated as the organizations started to function in the multicultural markets. In this aspect, the theory of cultural dimension by Hofstede can be discussed. According to this dimension, the organizational culture varies from country to country. It describes the effects of cross-cultural communication where the societys culture influences the values of its members. This values ultimately relate to their behaviors and this dimension uses a structure derived from factor analysis (Coviello 2015). The article reveals that the communication mode is different in different cultures. In some culture, the people are blunt hence loud whereas in other culture, the people are soft-spoken and use more indirect language to communicate with others. In some cultures, the employees directly take the first name of their bosses or other employees but in some culture the last names of the employees are the only way to address (Stahl et al. 2017). The most senior business partner sometimes is the person to take decision at a meeting hence the employees need to acknowledge their status as a sign of respect and leave a good impression. Different people in different culture have different views and values of time. Some culture follows times as a guideline to complete their tasks whereas others see time to be very important factor to follow. In business, most of the organizations value time as they need to deal with other business partners hence coming late for the meetings may leave negative impression to the business making others to feel that the authorities are least interested with the deal (Moore 2015). This article then gives some recommendation that the business in cross-cultural environment should follow to sustain in different market. They should identify how their business partners value time then begin the trade relationship. Here the author has described the importance of punctuality in the business dealings with the American companies which often cannot be followed by the Indian or Filipinos. Theory of cultural dimension: As described by Hofstede, there are six factors that regulate the attitudes and thought sit h employees in the organization which affect the regulations of the company to sustain in that environment. These are power distance index, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, long term orientation and indulgence. The style of management in China and other south-east Asian countries is different because the society here is more collectivist. The people accepts the power dimension of the managers. The people are accustomed with the hierarchical structure where the power is executed strictly without any reason (Mackenzie, Golembiewski and Rahim 2018). The lower degree of this index discloses the fact that the power hierarchy is not clearly established in the organization hence the employees can question their higher authorities easily. The European and north American countries have lower power index where the cross-cultural leaders need to apply different method of management. In the collectivist country like India, China, brazil and some African countries, enjoy tightly integrated relationships with their extended fails as well as other groups. Hence the management needs to work for the wellbeing of whole community rather than for any individual. The European countries are highly individualistic where individuals work only for their own achievements or their immediate family. In the uncertainty avoidance index this dimension captures the situation where the employees are ready to embrace any kind of unexpected situation and tolerate ambiguity than any other societies (Jiang, Gollan and Brooks 2015). The societies score higher in this index opt for more stiff guidelines, laws and rely on absolute truth. In such cases, the market entry mode such as joint ventures (JVs) or as a wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS) becomes difficult for the organizations. In the societies scoring ow in this index have fewer relations and the market environment remains more free fl owing. The westernized organizations are more masculine where the people are more achievement oriented and believe in assertiveness and rewards for success. In this kind of culture, the women are also very competitive but less emphatic than men as this are seen to be taboo in masculine culture societies. On the other hand, the feminist societies tend to care for others in the organization where the members believe in cooperation and modesty of life. For the multinational companies, it is more profitable when the employees are less indulgent in the luxurious life. This is the reason why the big MNCs like Walmart, Amazon and Nike have been shifting their manufacturing department to the south Asian countries more specifically to China where the society is more rigid and restrained hence the employees are more controlled in their lives and carry on their tasks very seriously. As discussed by Edward Hall, the human receptions of space are actually formed as well as patterned by their culture. In his theory of proxemics, the theorist has suggested that differing cultural framework for organizing space, which are internalized in people at an unconscious level, may lead to the serious failure of communications well as understanding in the cross-cultural setting (Gelfand et al. 2017). This theory basically revolves round four dimension- context, time, space and information. In the article, author has pointed out that there are different communication methods which makes the organization or culture soft spoken or loud. Hall has identified two levels of context cultures. In the high context culture the organizational messages are implicit but bears metaphors but in low context culture, the messages are simple and clear to understand. The people in high context culture, accept failure whereas in the low context culture people blame each other for failure. In high context culture, the amount of nonverbal communication is high, people bear inward reactions, strong bond among themselves and prefer to maintain a long-term orientation (Dalkir 2013). In low context culture, the focus is high and filed with verbal communication. The reaction of people is visible and prefer to maintain an open grouping pattern according to the need of situation. According to Hall, the factor of valuing time also has two differ aspect. In the monochronic action, the people do one thing at a time, concentrate on the immediate job and emphasis promptness of action. On the other hand, in polychronic action, the members of the organization can do many things at a time. These people are easily distracted and prefer to lend things. Unlike monochronic action, which thinks about the time to finish a job, polychronic action emphasizes in the quality of the task. Here, relationship is more important than time. The factors of space and information are also vital for the cross-cultural societies to follow. The low-territoriality allows for the sense of low ownership of space. For taking the organization to a summit of success the maintenance of information flow is one of the most necessary things (Bird and Mendenhall 2016). The slow information flow allows the mangers to plan carefully structured strategies but fast flow needs to have a quickly made strategy. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the article by Armando Bartolome, provides general idea about the functionality of the managers, operating in the cross-cultural market. The cross cultural issues emerge when they need to maintain different employees from different cultural background hence different code of behavior and expectation. The report here analyses these issues discussed in the article from theoretical perspectives and provided insights to these issues to manage. References: Bird, A. and Mendenhall, M.E., 2016. From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution and adaptation.Journal of World Business,51(1), pp.115-126. Brewster, C., Houldsworth, E., Sparrow, P. and Vernon, G., 2016.International human resource management. Kogan Page Publishers. Coviello, N., 2015. Re-thinking research on born globals.Journal of International Business Studies,46(1), pp.17-26. Dalkir, K., 2013.Knowledge management in theory and practice. Routledge. Gelfand, M.J., Aycan, Z., Erez, M. and Leung, K., 2017. Cross-cultural industrial organizational psychology and organizational behavior: A hundred-year journey.Journal of Applied Psychology,102(3), p.514. Jiang, Z., Gollan, P.J. and Brooks, G., 2015. Moderation of doing and mastery orientations in relationships among justice, commitment, and trust: A cross-cultural perspective.Cross Cultural Management,22(1), pp.42-67. Knight, G., Liesch, P., Zhou, L. and Reuber, R. eds., 2015. Creation and Capture of Entrepreneurial Opportunities Across National Borders.Journal of International Business Studies. Kuratko, D.F., 2016.Entrepreneurship: Theory, process, and practice. Cengage Learning. Mackenzie, K.D., Golembiewski, R.T. and Rahim, M.A., 2018. Introduction. InCurrent Topics in Management(pp. 9-24). Routledge. Moore, F., 2015. Towards a complex view of culture: cross-cultural management,native categories, and their impact on concepts of management and organisation. InThe Routledge Companion to Cross-Cultural Management(pp. 69-77). Routledge. News.abs-cbn.com, A. (2018).Business Mentor: How Cultural Differences Affect Doing Business. [online] ABS-CBN News. Available at: https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/30/17/business-mentor-how-cultural-differences-affect-doing-business [Accessed 1 Apr. 2018]. Stahl, G.K., Miska, C., Lee, H.J. and De Luque, M.S., 2017. The upside of cultural differences: Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in cross-cultural management research.Cross Cultural Strategic Management,24(1), pp.2-12.

The Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Development

Introduction A strong, reliable, and sustainable economy is always the objective of every nation across the world. Globally, oil-producing countries have continuously played a significant role in the international economy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a renowned political and economic union, specifically for the Arab states, mainly depending on production of oil for economic development (Coury and Chetan 1). The union has played a pivotal role in ensuring peace and economic expansion in countries covered by the union. Countries in the GCC have prospered in their economies through economic development strategies and successful transformation agendas. However, recent studies have indicated that some countries within the GCC are threatening their economic power by over depending on oil production as the chief financial resource. Since gas and oil are exhaustible resources, there is a growing need to diversify economies in the GCC (Looney 138). This paper investigates economic diversification in Qatar compared to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Literature Review Countries in the Middle East have found oil to be the most precious natural resource, which truly has been quite imperative in enhancing their economic growth. For several decades, most countries in the Middle East have ranked top in the global oil production overview, with the majority of them depending on oil and natural gas wealth as major commodities for economic intensification. According to Shediac et al. (2), the Gulf Cooperation Council, including countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are the largest oil-producing nations covering up to 80 per cent of the overall global oil production.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Oil in the GCC union started being the most appropriate economic booster since its discovery several decades ago, with the global wars revolving around oil production centres. However, oil boom within the GCC union seems to be losing its capacity gradually, which became eminent in years 1973-74. Conventionally, despite the triumph associated with the GCC as the greatest oil-producing nations, something seems to be going wrong. Previous studies have continuously indicated that the GCC economies have consistently been dependent on natural resources for growth by investing heavily on oil and gas production and leaving other non-oil sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and hospitality overtly underutilised and underdeveloped (Basher 3). This aspect may best explain the reason behind economic predicaments that struck the GCC union during the global financial credit crunch and collapsed oil prices that laste d for decades from late 1980s to 1990s and even currently in the 21st century (Basher 2). With the existing socio-economic difficulties and financial problems worsened by unprecedented changes in the climatic conditions, concern has risen over the GCC and other oil-producing to change their propensity of depending on oil as the main economic commodity to other profitable sectors. Due to the prevailing pressure, several transformational changes are emerging within the GCC. The GGC union has developed several strategies to avert the pressure on oil. Some countries have almost completely shifted their economic activities from oil production to depending on public sector activities (Basher 3). Diversification within the GCC has been successful despite the fact that these countries face daunting challenges in diversifying, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia diversifying through other potential sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, and hospitality industries.Advertising We will wr ite a custom research paper sample on The Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a bid to reduce its dependence on oil, Qatar has been investing heavily on natural gas production, which plays only a partial role in protecting the country’s unfavourable oil price fluctuations that affect national economic condition (Basher 4). Compared to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia who have diversified in almost all non-oil sectors, natural gas is barely enough to protect Qatar from depending on oil for economic support. Problem Statement Currently, nations within the GCC and others across the Middle East regions depending on oil production for economic growth are calling for enhancement of a diversified economy. Research noticed that the level of global oil production is gradually diminishing with climatic conditions and over-exploitation of natural resources exacerbating the situation. On noticing this, Middle Eastern governments, especially those under the GCC, have formulated economic development and transformation agendas (Shediac et al. 1). In this context, transformation agendas principally involved diversification of economy targeting to shift from depending on single economic commodity to well-diversified ones from a range of profitable sectors. Given that oil and natural gas revenues are exhaustible resources, the GCC governments have started substituting them with other considerable resources to enhance sustainable economy (Coury and Chetan 1).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Contrarily, Qatar has opted to shift to natural gas, which is still an exhaustible natural resource to avert the pressure on the oil consumption, making a null change. Methodology In a bid to provide empirical evidence needed to reinforce the argument in this study, this paper reviewed latest case studies conducted to examine the prevailing condition in the diversification of the economy within the GCC union. Two important case studies remained imperative to this study. A case study conducted by Basher (1-30), which concentrated on comparative analysis of dependence of oil in three countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, significantly proved the argument for this study. This study also undertook a quantitative assessment of the determinants of the business cycle synchronisation. The other empirical evidence involved case studies conducted by Shediac et al. (1-3), which principally examined diversification of the economy across the GCC economies. Both studies intended t o compare dependency of oil as the main economic commodity to others in a bid to distinguish which country among the three mostly depended on oil as the major economic commodity. In a bid to provide empirical evidence for the first study synchronicity or rather synchronisation method dominated the first study. Synchronicity, a term used to describe the experience between two that are actually unrelated, but normally coincide under circumstances in a meaningful manner. This study validated data produced concerning oil output and output from other non-oil sectors for the years ranging from Kuwait (1978-2007), Qatar (1980-2006), and Saudi Arabia (1968-2008). The study employed a nonparametric filter technique that usually estimates â€Å"trend component by minimising deviations from trend, subject to a predetermined smoothness of the resulting trend† (Basher 8). This aspect allows the estimation of synchronicity of oil output gap of the respective GCC economies. On the other han d, a case study of the GCC, the G7, and developed economies countries were significant in the study. Shediac et al. (2) confirm that this methodology involved measuring Gross Domestic Product (GDP) distribution across all sectors within the GCC, including agriculture and/or manufacturing to ascertain â€Å"concentration ratio† and â€Å"diversification quotient.† Results/Discussion First Argument By comparing the output ratio of oil and other non-oil sector products from the three GCC member countries, including Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, this paper managed to estimate the extend at which each country depended on oil products for economic growth. As synchronicity measure fluctuated over time, it was significant to include important events like, â€Å"the first oil crisis (1973-74), second oil crisis (1979-81), the Gulf war (1990-91) and the recent oil price shock (2005-2008); during all these episodes oil prices significantly increased† (Basher 10). This el ement primarily denoted how non-oil sectors depended on the oil sector with synchronicity being highly volatile and different across the three GCC countries. For Kuwait, the long run synchronicity measure indicated that non-oil sector’s dependence on the oil sector increased during a given period, thus suggested decreased diversification. Comparing to Qatar, the long-run trend of synchronicity was decreasing by then, although this aspect portrayed less meaningful economic diversification. The synchronicity trend for Saudi Arabia increased diffidently until mid-1990 before declining afterward. The estimated value of synchronicity in non-oil sectors in Qatar indicated that 53 per cent output of the non-oil sector revealed similar figures/percentage, which coincided with the output gap of the oil sector showing that the level of diversification within the non-oil sectors remained considerably weak. For the case of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, using different span of time indicated t hat the synchronicity measure between oil and non-oil sectors revealed only 45 per cent for Kuwait, demonstrating that the level of diversification in non-oil sectors had gradually been increasing (Basher 10). The case study yielded almost similar results in Saudi Arabia where the synchronicity measure for oil and non-oil sectors produced 46 per cent a trend that like Kuwait demonstrates reduced dependency on oil as the main economic commodity in the two countries. Basher affirms that this aspect revealed, â€Å"Qatar’s non-oil sector shows a slightly higher degree of dependence on the oil-sector relative to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia† (10). Second Argument In a bid to provide empirical evidence to this paper to prove the argument between oil dependency in Qatar and Kuwait together with Saudi Arabia, the study investigated the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) distribution across the three GCC economies, including Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Following the case study condu cted by Shediac et al. (2), it became apparent that for a country to have a sustainable economy, several measures of diversification must reflect. Diversification is achievable, where the GDP reveals an even distribution across a variety of economic sectors (Srinivas 5). Therefore, to measure the contribution of GDP across sectors in the three countries, the study involved two important concepts, which are measurable and normally signify diversification of an economy. Shediac et al. affirms, â€Å"The concepts of economic concentration and diversification can be captured with the computation of the respective point estimators of concentration ratio and diversification quotient for the sample of studied economies† (3). Table 1: Economic Concentration and Economic diversification Latest Figure revealing data sample in the year 2005 Qatar Kuwait Saudi Arabia Economic Concentration (%) 39% 33% 28% Economic Diversification (%) 2.59% 3.0% 3.63% (Source: Shediac et al. 3) As demonstrated, the table only involved comparative figures for three GCC economies, viz. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Research has demonstrated that economic concentration quotient and diversification quotient are significant determiners of economic diversification that predominantly depend on a range of economic sectors for economic development (Shediac et al. 3). Normally, â€Å"the concentration ratio measures a nation’s concentration in a given sector by taking the sum of squares of percent contribution to the GDP† (Shediac et al. 3). Countries with high economic concentration normally suffer from volatility in the economic growth and fluctuating economic cycles. In explainable manner, in the case of high economic concentration a country normally depends on vulnerable external events, including changes in the prices of dominant commodities a case eminent in Qatar’s economic concentration. From the source of the above data, from the three GCC countri es sampled for this study, Qatar ranks top in the economic concentration compared to all other GCC countries. However, comparing the figures for the three countries in the GCC economies as used in this study, Qatar recorded highest economic concentration of 39 per cent, followed relatively close by Kuwait with about 33 per cent and finally Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 28 per cent. The essence of these figures is to provide an overview of how high concentration correlates with economic diversification where high economic concentration reveals high reliance of economic activity in the three GCC countries on the oil and gas sector. Normally, higher economic concentration depicts low diversification in economical terms. Based on the above table, Shediac et al. note, â€Å"Qatar tops amid the three GCC countries with highest concentrations in terms of sector contribution to GDP and thus, exhibits the lowest diversification scores† (3). According to studies conducted to investigate the contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDPs across the three GCC nations, comparative analysis revealed that Qatar depends considerably high on oil than both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Both studies conducted by Basher (15) and Shediac et al. (6) demonstrate that Qatar has heavily invested on oil than other sectors. Screening through sectors like manufacturing and agriculture in the three GCC countries, Shediac et al. (7) concluded that the oil industry in Qatar is relatively highly depended by other sectors that in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which is an evidence to demonstrate how Qatar heavily relies on oil than the other two countries. Srinivas (11) postulates that the monopolised oil production sector in Qatar has forced researchers to cite this element as the main cause of lack of diversification in the country, thus exposing it to dangerous events like global price fluctuations. Conclusion Based on the empirical evidence provided by the two case studies to prove the argument f or this study, it is evident that Qatar has continuously depended on oil production as compared to Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Comparing figures on the economic concentration and economic diversification of the three GCC countries, Qatar ranks top in the economic concentration and the lowest diversification quotient, whereby the higher the economic concentration the lower the diversification in economic terms (Shediac et al. 3). On the other hand, Basher (15) used the synchronisation technique, where synchronicity referred to similar situations coincided with each other. As both oil and natural gas revenues are exhaustible, all GCC nations, especially Qatar, should be cautious on diversification. Works Cited Basher, Syed 2010, Has the Non-oil Sector Decoupled from Oil Sector? A Case Study of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries. PDF File. Web. Coury, Tarek, and Dave Chetan 2009, Oil, Labour Markets, and Economic Diversification in the GCC: An Empirical Assessment. PDF File . Web. Looney Robert. â€Å"The Gulf Co-operation councils caution approach to economic integration.† Journal of Economic Cooperation 24.3 (2003): 137-160. Print. Shediac, Richard, Rabih Abouchakra, Chadi Moujaes, and Ramsay Mazen 2008, Economic Diversification: The Road to Sustainable Development. Web. Srinivas, Kastoori. â€Å"Economic Development of GCC Countries: Risks and Challenges: An Overview.† Indian Journal of Business Review 4.1 (2011): 1-14. Print. This research paper on The Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Development was written and submitted by user Griffin Hurst to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Pliny Trajan Correspondence Essay Example

Pliny Trajan Correspondence Essay Example Pliny Trajan Correspondence Essay Pliny Trajan Correspondence Essay Plink explained to Trojan that in he past he had asked the people he came across whether they were Christians, and if they said they were Christians he would threaten them with punishment and ask them twice more whether they were Christian, and if they agreed every time he would send them for execution (Roman law does not accept a single confession as proof of crime). He would also send them to be executed if they were stubborn, as obstinacy and unbending perversity deserve to be punished. If there were Roman citizens Plink deemed to be insane he noted them down to be sent to Rome. Roman citizens had an advantage over others at this time, as if you were ordered to be executed you could appeal to the Emperor but if this appeal failed and you did have to be executed it would be by beheading, not crucifixion as per the other accused. Before long, Plink was handed a piece of unsigned paper that revealed the names of many Christians. When he met some of the people named on this list they told him they werent Christians, and proved this by reciting a prayer to the gods, made supplication with incense and wine to your statue, and moreover cursed Christ as Plink had heard that true Christians could not do his and refused to. Thus Plink had a dilemma on his hand -? he didnt know what to do, as the piece of paper he had been handed proved untrue (although some people said they had been Christians in previous years but had realized the error of their ways, so Plink let them leave peacefully after they worshipped Tartans statue and cursed Christ). These unsigned letters that he was handed allow us to have an insight in the early Church habits, as the repented earlier Christians told Plink what they used to do. They told Plink that Christians assembled on a fixed day (which we assume is Sunday, but we eave no proof) before day light to pray to God, to take an oath to not commit crime, theft, robbery or adultery, not to break their word and not to deny a deposit when demanded. They then departed and met again to eat ordinary but harmless food (I. E. He Christians were not eating human flesh as was common folklore). Plink was confused as to what to do he had not experienced this before and he needed advice on what to do. To gain more information on Christians, he asked 2 maid-servants how far this Christian tale was true, however he discovered nothing from them. They said it was a perverse and extravagant superstition. He concluded that the matter was worth deliberation. Christianity was having a huge effect on Bathing, where Pl ink was sent. Plink writes in his letter All ages and every rank, and also of both sexes are brought into present or future danger. The contagion of that superstition has penetrated not the cities only, but the villages and country; yet it seems possible to stop it and set it right. At any rate it is certain enough that the almost deserted temples begin to be resorted to, that long and issued ceremonies of religion are restored, and that fodder for victims finds a market (the farmers who brought into the various markets food for the temple victims Were in danger Of being ruined (Hardy) I. . Christianity Was bad for business at the time), whereas buyers till now were very few. We can gather from this that the superstition of Christianity was leaving Pagan temples deserted, hence clearly the Church had expanded noticeably and was impacting social and economic life in the province. Banks also says Plink however informs the emperor that his actions have reversed this trend. Trojan responds to Plink v ery bluntly, which is ironic compared to Plinks lengthy letter. He says Plink took the right course of action, but there is no laid no rule involving something like a set form of procedure. Trojan does give Plink some advice in case he gets into the same situation again. He says they (Christians) are not to be sought out; but if they are accused and convicted, they must be punished Papers, however, which are presented unsigned out not to be admitted in any charge, for they are a very bad example and unworthy of our time. Terrestrial concluded what a decision, owe hopelessly entangled! He says they must not be ferreted out, implying they are innocent; he orders them to be punished, implying they are guilty. He spares them and rages against them, he pretends not to see and punishes. Bruce also concludes Entangled as the ruling was, Trojan no doubt thought it was the most reasonable and expedient course in the circumstances. J Stevenson that Tartans belief that Christians were both innocent and guilty is sensible and a pragmatic decision, avoiding groundless accusations on one hand, but retaining sanctions if necessary on the other.

International Economics between New Zealand and Morocco Research Paper

International Economics between New Zealand and Morocco - Research Paper Example The volume of export trade in New Zealand has been falling over the last two years. The export communities include meat, wood, and also mechanical machinery, with the top leader countries accounted for 56% of the total exports. Some of the top export markets include China, Korea, US, and Australia. On the other hand, the import of New Zealand has been on a rising trend over the years. The highest increase include the import from Brunei and Oman, while the imports entailed imports from Russia (Hirschman, 176). Some of the top partners were from Australia and China. Top 10 export commodities in New Zealand include dairy products like birds eggs and honey, meat, wood, prep milk, wood pulp, machinery, iron and steel, paper and paperboard, edible fruits, modified starch, and electric machinery while the top 10 imports in New Zealand include mineral fuel, electric machinery, boilers, plastics, vehicles, food industry residues, rubber articles, animal fats, miscellaneous edible fruits, and surgical instruments. In New Zealand, the terms of trade rose 1414 points in 2014 from 1389 in 2013. The terms of trade in the country was averaged at 1044.98 from 1957 to2014 reaching an index point of 1438 during the 2nd quarter of 1973 and lowest in 1975 with an index of 796. The index graph is as shown in the diagram below. Agriculture is the main economic block of New Zealand. The processing and production of the agricultural products lie wine, fruits, dairy products, and wool generate 16 per cent of the GDP and employs 15% of the workers (Helpman,  121). The products of agriculture generate almost half of the country’s GDP. In New Zealand, the regional and bilateral Free Trade Agreement play a crucial role in the international trade. The free trade agreement helps in maintaining high standards in protecting, supporting, and promoting sustainbale development and building capacity to address the issue of trade. The country has sought in

Video from TED Talks Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Video from TED Talks - Movie Review Example In order to meet the required energy levels to sustain such a trip, it is critical to have a reliable source of energy. Over and above that, the chosen source of energy must have adequate capacity to propel the aircraft without taking high risks that threaten life. It is interesting to have an environmental enthusiast like Bertrand Piccard. However, his project will take long to make a difference as far as use of fossil fuels is concerned. Today, flying has increasingly become commercialized. Airlines have invested billions of dollars in air transport, an area in which Bertrand Piccard is far from proposing a reliable solution. As he speaks, Bertrand Piccard has invested significantly in the project. The project only accounts for a couple of people as Bertrand Piccard plans to fly around the world. While Bertrand Piccard might actually fly around the world in a solar-powered aircraft, his arguments or propositions will probably take ages to be adopted. There are diverse and dynamic resource criticalities that would have to be addressed before such an ambitious project is commercialized for public use. Bertrand Piccard’s approach to environmental sustainability, however, is highly

Need for Universal Social Security and Pension Schemes

Need for Universal Social Security and Pension Schemes Securing Old Age Abstract Pension system aims on poverty release, consumption smoothing, and insurance coverage in respect of ageing population. In India, most of the old age citizens are not covered under any social security program. A miniscule number of Government employees and few private sector workers retire with pensions. Majority of the total workforce is engaged in the unorganised sector with no access to old age income security. The issue of old-age security is gaining importance and it is now high on the public policy agenda. The developed countries generally provide pension to those who contribute for pension whereas in majority of the developing countries pensions are provided in a discretionary manner which reduces the coverage of pension. The article discusses the need for a universal pension scheme that will help the working population in the unorganized sector with increased coverage of pension. Key words: Pension scheme, Old age, social security Introduction The increased rate of the aged people in the total population has created a substantial demand for old-age social security. Thus it has become important to provide social security to its elderly people. Pension is one of the major component of old age social security. Developed countries have a good pension system with highly organised formal labour markets. Indian old-age income security is not well developed. India, being a welfare State, has taken upon itself the responsibilities of extending various benefits of Social Security and Social Assistance to its citizens. As per the reports out of an estimated work force of about 397 million, around 28 million workers are having the benefit of formal social security protection in India. Rest of the workers are in the unorganised sector. A well organised social security system for the workers in the unorganised sector will help in improving productivity, contribute to the harmonious labour relations and thus contribute to socio and economic development. Social security is a system of protection of individuals who are in need of such protection by the State as an agent of the society. Such protection is relevant in contingencies such as retirement, resignation, retrenchment, death, disablement which are beyond the control of the individual members of the Society. The current study attempts to examine the need for a universal social security and pension scheme. And a non-contributory pension scheme can guarantee a regular income in old age to all residents of the country, regardless of their earnings or occupation. It explains the scope for implementing a universal pension scheme which will increase the pension coverage and ensures proper income security to the old. The findings suggest that a reasonable increase in the amount of the pension and streamlining the delivery mechanism would significantly help to reduce old-age vulnerabilities. The paper concludes with policy directions for reforming the Indian pension system. The coverage of formal old age security is low, as majority of the population belonging to the informal sector of the developing countries is deprived of old age security. Indian pension system could potentially influence policy decisions in other developing countries with similar reliance on the national provident fund system. Indian provident fund schemes are low coverage and under performance schemes due to the investment restrictions. Majority working populations are engaged in the unorganised sector and have no access to any formal system of old age economic securities like provident fund and pension fund. Public sector employees are privileged with a vast pension provisions while private sector employees are aggrieved with low returns from their benefit schemes. Old age and social security The disappearance of large family system in India that took care of the social security needs of all members has necessitated provision of social security for senior citizens. For the senior citizens, social security can works like a protection cell which provides security through the medical benefit and old age pension plan. Social security pensions are meant to help disadvantaged sections of society such as the elderly, widows and disabled persons to live with basic financial security. Social security has gained paramount importance in the changed economic scenario. Social security programmes are actively undertaken even in developed nations. Social security is the financial assistance provided by the Government to the needy citizens such as disabled persons, aged persons, widows, unemployed youths, survivors of the deceased workers to promote their welfare by enabling them to access to food, shelter, health etc. social security acts as safety net for the disadvantageous sections of the society. Social security has gained paramount importance in the changed economic scenario. India also has enacted many social security measures for its needy citizens. In order to protect the welfare of unorganized workers the legislative measures namely minimum wages Act, 1948, the employees compensation Act, 1923, the maternity benefit Act, 1961, the bonded labour system (Abolition) Act, 1976, the contract labour (Regulation Abolition) Act, 1970, the inter-state migrant workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, the building and other construction workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, etc. were implemented. In India, the elderly population is projected to reach 116 million in 2016 and 179 million in 2026. This raises the need for an effective system of pension. Population in India across Different Age Groups (million) Source: Census of India Percentage Distribution of Population by Broad Age Groups, Sex and Residence, 2012 Source: Sample Registration System (2012). Old age social security plays a pivotal role in a welfare state and one of its’ major components is pension. Pension provides a long-term income security in old age. Need for Pension scheme Need for Pension arises because of: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · One is not as productive in the old age as in youth. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · The rise in the nuclear family system as compared to earlier joint family system. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Migration of younger earning members as they are no longer interested in their family business. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Rapidly growing informal and unorganized sector. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Rise in cost of living. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Urbanization andimproved standard of life à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Increase in the life span because of good medical facilities. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Bringing unorganized sector into formal scheme of pension. Unlike most of the developing countries, India did not have a universal social security system for the old aged people. As there is no formal pension scheme in India for the newly appointees, a need was felt to have a scheme so that people can save for their future when they are no longer working. Pension is a financial tool for old-age income security. These are generally defined as monthly payments made on superannuation to an individual to enable her/him maintain a decent standard of living post retirement and in old age. The developed countries generally provide pension to those who contribute for pension whereas in majority of the developing countries like India, pensions are provided on a discretionary basis which reduces the overall coverage of pension. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) was introduced in India in 1995. Currently, five schemes come under the NSAP: the IGNOAPS, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Scheme. The central government makes a diminutive contribution of Rs 200 per month per person to old-age pensions, raised to Rs 500 per month under IGNOAPS, for persons aged 80 years and above. The patterns of usage of the pension are indicative of its importance in the lives of the benefi ciaries. The accepted defined benefit pension system, which was the broader goal of a welfare state, is slowly giving way to the defined contribution system where risk is borne by the final beneficiaries. Pension reforms in India in the last decade have seen three major initiatives a paradigmatic shift in the civil servants pension scheme, the National Pension Scheme for all citizens and the New Pension System Lite for the economically disadvantaged sections with small savings. Pension system in India Pension plansprovide financial security and stability during old age when people dont have aregular source of income. Retirement plan ensures that people live with pride andwithout compromising on their standard of living during advancing years. Pension scheme gives an opportunity to invest and accumulate savings and get lump sumamount as regular income through annuity plan on retirement. The history of the Indian pension system dates back to the colonial period of British-India. The Royal commission on civil Establishments, in 1881first provided pension benefits to the government employees. Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935 made further provisions and expanded the retirement benefits to the entire public sector workforce. Several provident funds were set up after the independence to extend the coverage to private sector employees. Indian pension system largely hinges on financing through employer and employee participation. It denied the vast majority of the unorganised workforce’s access to formal channels of old age economic support. A common objection to social security pensions is that they might displace or undermine family support for widows and the elderly. Traditionally, joint family structures in India worked as a hedge against old-age economic crisis and a support network that precluded the need for third-party pension instruments. Universal Social Security and Pension Schemes Table: Details of Pension Beneficiaries of Selected Pension Schemes Source: Economic Political Weekly and Government of India. Universal pension schemes are often criticized for high fiscal costs. Recently Government of India announced a slew of low-cost pension and insurance schemes, in the budget for 2015-16. It includes least half-dozen social security schemes like Atal Pension Yojana and Universal Social Security scheme that will lead to a universal social security system for all, especially the poor and the underprivileged. Atal Pension Yojana will provide defined pension according to contribution. Of this, 50 percent contribution would be made by the government The government proposes to work towards Universal Social Security for all Indians. These social schemes reflect the intention that no person suffers from avoidable pain due to illness, old age. In countries like Canada and New Zealand, a progressive income tax system taxes the pensions for higher income individuals, making even the universal pension system relatively targeted. However, most of the lower income countries which might institute a universal pension system may not have a progressive income tax structure and may find it difficult to use the tax system to make the universal pension more targeted. Depending on the income distribution within the country, making the pension small enough may be sufficient for higher income individuals to not bother with collecting the pension. Such is the case in Nepal where higher income Nepalese often do not collect the very low universal benefits. A second set of issues arise regarding the service delivery for a universal pension. In the case of Namibia, despite a mandate for a universal pension, many rural elderly were not receiving the pension. The reasons ranged from lack of access to the pension distribution network and difficulties with verifying age and eligibility to different types of fraud. However, the administrative cost of the system was raised. Since poorer regions are harder to reach, the poorest may still not be reachable with a universal pension without a sizable investment in administrative capacity. This service delivery issue applies to all types of social pensions, not just the universal type. Some countries as noted above, offer universal pensions to all residents above a certain age regardless of income or assets. Even non-citizens who have fulfilled a minimum residency requirement in the country are often eligible. Universal pensions are clearly the best way to drastically reduce old age poverty since all the elderly, regardless of work or contribution experience, are eligible to receive some benefit. However, as with any universal benefit, many people who will be receiving it will not be poor. As a result, in terms of poverty reduction achieved per dollar spent, the expenditure may not be wholly effective. Furthermore, in the countries where such programs have been adopted, such as Namibia13 and Mauritius, cost considerations are forcing the governments to move toward means-testing and other methods of providing old age security. Universal pensions systems involve less administrative apparatus and administrative costs than targeted systems, but the actual benefits, since they are received by the nonpoor as well as the poor, cost more. A large proportion of Indias population is without insurance of any kind, health, accidental or life. Worryingly, as the young population ages, it is also going to be pension-less. Conclusions The current study attempts to examine the need for a universal pension for the elderly. Indian financial sector reforms have made significant progress in the spheres of banking and capital market. But sectors like insurance and pension are still hitherto untouched sectors. India has low coverage pension and the pension system is unable to fulfil its purpose. Since independence, many reforms have been initiated. The introduction of a universal pension scheme will facilitate social security and also helps in assuring the young that in old age there would be national savings to take care of any difficulties, implying that over-accumulation is not necessary during the younger days. The introduction of a universal pension scheme will enhance the welfare of the working cohorts of India majority of whose future lies in uncertainty.

Media Frames and Hip Hop Culture

The media has an increasing presence in all of our lives, and there has been a lot of research conducted on the various ways that it affects the very ideas that pop into our heads, the impressions we formulate of other cultures and musical genres, on foreign policy and the things that we buy. It’s obvious that the media is playing a role in our daily lives, but to what extent is it affecting the way hip hop music and the culture itself are understood by the average citizen, specifically children?Via the radio, the newspapers, magazines and most commonly, the television and internet, is it possible to see just how these easily available media are influencing younger people and those of an older age bracket and notice what kinds of frames the media are using with regards to hip hop? This paper will take a look at the available literature sources on the subject of media messaging and hip hop culture and review the established theories, as well as use household surveys to examine just how much exposure children in America actually have to mass media.Media framing is the process by which the media chooses its context for a news story and portrays it with a certain slant – common framing is done with a conservative viewpoint or a liberal one, and often as pertains to the hip hop culture the frame is that of a violent, consumerist culture (Robinson 20). Media framing is a technique by which journalists and reporters give basic context to their stories, and framing can tend to promote a particular political or social agenda or because of a fundamental lack of knowledge on the subject. Ramsey (pp 22-40) thinks that it is a case of the latter, since researchers and sociologists tend to regard hip hop cultures in American as being quite separate from the rest of the population to begin with.This isolation, to whatever degree it is actually apparent in these subcultures, is portrayed by the media and therefore understood by all viewers and listeners as the tr uth. Americans who are not a part of the hip hop culture are easily made to notice themes in hip hop music that relate to violent gang mentality and blatant consumerism that sees younger black people showing off expensive clothes, jewelry and cars. Mukherjee calls this media frame the â€Å"ghetto fabulous† and explains how what was originally an isolated feature of the hip hop culture has become widespread due to media attentions. This primary isolation is one of the major frames used by the media to portray a specific picture of hip hop culture, and these depictions are undoubtedly helping to shape the hip hop scene in the mind of the average television viewer and magazine reader.Saunders describes the generalized version of hip hop culture as a group of thieves, graffiti artists, vandals, drugdealers, sex-obsessed men, objectified women and joyriders (37-134), and unfortunately although this is a part of the underground culture of both the hip hop artist and the people lis tening to the music, the author accepts that there is more to it than this perception. Although it has been correctly noted that these themes are recurrent in rap music, an individual listener could easily fail to notice these same themes – or any other recurrent themes, for that matter – inherent in other types of music or even literature and film.The media has honed in on the negative themes in rap and hip hop music, however, and uses such sensationalist aspects of the culture and music to deliver a message of negativity, and create fear. The attentions unrelated groups of people have tried to intervene and have such songs and music videos censored. This has not generally had a positive effect on hip hop lyrics, and in fact has actually helped to raise the popularity of such music and the culture surrounding it (Davidson 74).Where once hip hop was purely restricted to the groups of black Americans forming their own subculture, now media attentions (both positive and negative) have brought hip hop and rap music to larger numbers of people who wouldn’t have originally had access to it. With the widespread hip hop scene, people of other ethnic origins and social situations are discovering the music and starting to participate in the culture, and this can be attributed in a large part to the success of the Motown Corporation (Neal).Some of the aspects featured in hip hop music, like graffiti, can be looked at as holding a specific role within the culture itself. Graffiti, for example, can be viewed as a â€Å"microcosm of how people communicate, participate, and learn within a community† (Rahn 137), specifically within the hip hop communities of urban America. Although it seems unlikely that media bodies realize exactly what they are portraying to viewers and readers of popular magazines, stories about graffiti artists involved in the hip hop lifestyle are being framed in such a light as to highlight the rebellious qualities of the su bculture.Graffiti is portrayed in a conflicting way; negative in that it defaces public and private property and can be used to mark gang territory, but also mildly positive in that it is obviously an artistic outlet. The artistic aspect has a negative side as well, however, since the media can only seem to look at graffiti art in a good way if it is an expressive emotional outpouring from an impoverished neighborhood (Rahn).Basically, hip hop artists are only getting attention from the media for negative qualities in their music and lifestyles, at least as perceived by the media itself and the majority of average citizens watching the news and reading the magazines and newspapers. People see rappers on TV when they are involved in gang related crimes and gun violence, or when their lyrics have come under scrutiny for what is deemed unsuitable content. Although every genre of music has questionable lyrics, hip hop artists are the primary suspects when it comes to bringing out the ce nsors.The media frames hip hop and rap artists in an unfavorable light the vast majority of the time, citing them in one all encompassing category that is violent, untrustworthy and obsessed with material possessions. Unless a person is directly involved in the hip hop scene, they are very unlikely to hear about positive things going on within the culture. The media on the whole simply reports on negativity within the hip hop world, something that many artists are understandably frustrated with.What this media framing is proving to the hip hop culture is merely an ignorance on behalf of media and the general viewing audience towards black American society. With very few years – relatively speaking – of freedom and equality between black people as a minority group in America and the majority whites, black Americans have found themselves grouped together in poor areas still facing huge difficulties in achieving better standards of living. These societal factors have had a huge impact on the subculture of blacks themselves, resulting in part in hip hop music as both a rebellious act and a validation of black survival in an often hostile larger environment.Mollyanne Brodie used her book Kids and Media in America: Patterns of Use at the Millenium to discover just how much of an impact media images such as these portrayals of hip hop culture are affecting young children throughout the country. The results of these surveys are instrumental in understanding the role of media framing in American children with regards to hip hop music and culture. She noted that although there are ways of discerning how long a television set is on during the day in the average household, there is no real way of knowing which programs or advertisements are seen by which members of the family.With specialized surveys distributed to households in the United States, Brodie collected answers from members of different families to work out just how much time children were spendin g watching which kinds of shows on the TV during the day. â€Å"The ‘in-home’ sample consist[ed] of 1,090 young children, ages 2 through 7 years, and relie[d] on parent responses to questionnaires† (Brodie 18). Keeping in mind that children can lack vital information about the programs they are watching and other related questions, it was up to parents to share the viewing habits of their children and this data was collected to get a firm, solid look at the American child and media influences.The conclusions were that today’s young person in the United States spends more time with media sources than any other preceding generation, and that this is likely to increase in the near future. With the television, computers, the internet and advanced mobile technologies, kids have access to more information than ever before and the media therefore has access to the kids as well. For this reason, the media has taken on a more powerful role than ever before in human history.The findings of these surveys were conclusive in revealing the simple fact that kids can go about their daily lives without fully realizing how they are being affected by the barrage of media images, and when it comes to the hip hop culture this is no different. Negative comments, news stories and lyrical debates are at the forefront of a young person’s mind, since survey statistics have proven that music is the most important aspect of a child’s life, especially in the teenage years. Hip hop has infiltrated the routine of the average youth due to censorship issues, gang reports and all kinds of negative imaging, however it is with this younger generation that the truth behind the hip hop culture is beginning to be truly appreciated.The average youth experiences difficulties that are thematically similar to that of the oppressed and underprivileged black American who is a part of the hip hop culture, and kids are able to make this connection when they take a l ook at the music coming out of such groups. Rap and hip hop were born out of frustration and the need for freedom of expression, which is just what the average teenager is looking for as well. With this fundamental likeness, youths turn to hip hop music as a way to bond with each other and feel validated in their opinions and feelings of loneliness and desperation.Lyrics about gang violence can represent the need to fit into a group, while songs featuring bling and ownership can represent the ultimate triumph over adversity. Kids can really relate to this kind of music despite media imagery that portrays it as negative, because they are used to having themselves portrayed in a negative way by their parents, schoolteachers and other authority figures.Media framing of the hip hop culture might not be affecting the youth of America in a straightforward way, but it is affecting them nevertheless. The older generations are reacting in the expected manner, however, when they tend to latch onto the negative side of hip hop and work to eradicate it from the American music scene. Parents are becoming concerned about their children participating in what they consider a different culture of music and behavior, and the media is merely serving to continue this sort of thinking.When people see rap music videos, they have years of pre-conceived notions in their minds, placed there by the media, and so it becomes very difficult to differentiate between real opinion and actual negativity. A person tends to consider issues such as this based on the information they already have, and then value that information on the source that it came from. If the source is trusted, a person will tend to follow that train of thought; if not, they might look further into the issue to find features of it they can relate to themselves.It is this characteristic of each individual person that leads them to a certain degree of media influence. Where an adult who trusts major news sources and hears that rap music is synonymous with violence and crime might believe it with few questions, a teenager who has become wary of any older authority figure who hears the same thing will probably not accept this as the complete truth.Brodie’s surveys helped to prove what most of us already thought to be true: the media is playing a huge role in our perception of the world, particularly with the younger generations. â€Å"A typical 11- to 14-year-old gives more than 6 ½ hours per day to media, and because he or she often uses several media simultaneously, encounters almost 8 hours per day of media content† (Brodie 190). These conclusions do go to support secondary sources like the essays The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture and Sold Out on Soul: The Corporate Annexation of Popular Black Music.Both papers solidify the notion that the media has a great impact on hip hop portrayal throughout America in every aspect, particularly in music and consumerism. Researchers are in agreement with statistical evidence that proves children in America are incredibly susceptible to media influence, although it is clear that there are other factors that determine just how a young person will react to the same media frames in hip hop.Works CitedBrodie, Mollyanne, Ulla Foehr, Donald Roberts and Victoria Rideout. Kids and Media in America: Patterns of Use at the Millennium. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2003.Davidson, Sandra. Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.Rahn, Janice. Painting without Permission: Hip-Hop Graffiti Subculture. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey, 2002.Mukherjee, Roojali. The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture.Neil, Mark. Sold Out on Soul: The Corporate Annexation of Black Popular Music.Ramsey, Guthrie. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003.Robinson, Piers. The CNN Effect: The Myth of News, Foreign Po licy, and Intervention. London: Routledge, 2002.Sanders, Bill. Youth Crime and Youth Culture in the Inner City. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005.