Technology Essay - 11684 Words

that contribution technology has made to modern life has been really positive and has helped to improve the quality of human lives. The first reason for me to appreciate the contribution technology made to modern life is just the fact that it enhances daily life to unprecedented levels. As women increase their roles in society in the last times, daily homework such is cook, make laundry or vacuum take less time to do it than before, and its permits women to dedicate this time to other activities such is study, working, and other activities. --- No. It is not technology that enables women to get educations. Modern society would be improving the lives of women even if vacuum cleaners had never been invented!! Be careful not to sound like†¦show more content†¦This tiny piece of plastic is distracting teens from the most important message of all. The message of God. iPods also create the distraction but it also sends a signal â€Å"visible from a good distance away, white earphones signal one thing to most people: don’t bother trying to talk to me† (Song). This action irritates people. I have a friend and whenever we get in the car she sticks her headphones in and I endure the rest of the car ride in silence. I find it rude. These bubbles are grow ing around so many people and someone just needs to pop them. As you can tell, I am very much against technology but there are ways that is helps. It helps many people stay in touch with friends that might have moved away, â€Å"the internet can make it easier to keep in touch with old friends† (Coget and Ytaka). In my life, I will move on from all my friends and I will still want to stay in touch with them all, but it can be just as easy to look them up and ask if they would like to do something in person. Staying in touch can be done in person as much as over technology. Some people have trouble making new friends and the internet provides ways to meet new people through chat rooms. I believe relationships built online can be a little eccentric but, â€Å"one study suggests that online relationships simply take longer to develop than those face-to-face and eventually can become as rich† (Coget andShow MoreRelatedTechnology And Technology Essay1762 Words   |  8 Pageshumanity technology is an ever-growing resource allowing people to become whatever, choose whenever, and go wherever they want to be. In the world today, there has been debates concerning technology and whether or not it hinders people’s individualism or expresses it even more. Of course, most people would say that they are unique and that their own sense of self is a personality that only they themselves created and use. But, there are also others who would argue that because of technology peopleRead MoreEssay On Technology And Technology779 Words   |  4 PagesDoes Te chnology Actually Make Us Feel More Alone? When I think about the question of technology and the ability it has to make us feel â€Å"alone†, I think about myself, my family and my friends. As a millennial, I have grown up in such a technologically advanced world that it is becoming more and more of a second nature that children at young ages of 10 and 12 are receiving their first cellphone. While time progresses and the need for technology rises, our society as a whole is slowly startingRead MoreTechnology And Technology Essay827 Words   |  4 Pagesand demand for technology, as well as three career choices. Hopefully from this article you can get a grasp on the technology era, and some of the choices that correspond with it. The technology world grows and develops daily, along with the budding minds of society. For example, sales information in 2012 shows that in just a year iPad sales doubled while iPhone sales increased almost 90%. The demand for technology gives more of an importance to the people who work in the technology field. AccordingRead MoreEssay On Technology And Technology787 Words   |  4 Pages Technology affects todays work environment greatly and effectively. As the years go on, more jobs become available everyday in many work forces. Not only the job itself can require technology, but the job application is mostly recommended online. Even as the generation goes on, kids these days are being brought up with the technology as well. This is bringing the up rise of technology to the work force and military currently. Applications being online now have its pros and cons. Its very accessibleRead MoreTechnology And Technology Essay722 Words   |  3 Pagesentertained, but these days entertainment comes from using social media. As you can see, society has become overly dependant on using technology in their daily lives for three reasons, because it negatively affects children, people are obsessed with buying and using advanced technology, and social media can lead to dangerous for the user. First of all, the use of technology by children is detrimental when it is overused. Granted, I see many young children want their parents phones or they start cryingRead MoreTechnology And Technology Essay780 Words   |  4 Pages Technology Men who were exposed to electromagnetic radiation from laptop Wi-Fi for four hours had sperm with DNA damage and decreased motility. Technology can be good but as the saying goes, a little too much of something can be bad. Technology is great but can have a huge impact on an individual. Too much technology can even affect families and the way people communicate and socialize with them. All of this can also affect people in the long run. How would someone’s life be if all they do is surroundRead MoreEssay On Technology And Technology747 Words   |  3 PagesFull Title: Technology Appropriation Studies have shown that technology can help young children learn. The use of technology has become a part of most curriculums and when used appropriate it can be effective. The use of technology in early childhood classes can extend the way young children are learn. The use of technology can enhance learning, can help children communication, can become resourceful, and can shrink the educational and digital divide preparing them for the changing world. TheRead MoreEssay Technology1449 Words   |  6 Pages Technology is a knowledge of using tools and machines to do tasks more efficiently. We use technology to control the world we live in. Since the art of making fire and creating handcrafted tools, our civilization has come a long way. Science and Technology are making advances at an astonishing rate. From telephones to the Internet, calculators to computers, cars to rockets and satellites, we are part of a new world of discoveries and inventions made possible by Science. Fields like Medicine andRead Morescope of technology Essay932 Words   |  4 Pages Philosophical Reasoning: Critical Thinking in Philosophy Morton’s Winston’s Children of Invention Revisited: The Scope of Technology In this essay, I will comment on Morton Winston’s definitions of technology, then apply the six aspects in every technology to an artifact selected from Friedman’s essay â€Å"The World is Flat†. The six aspects include first the skills, techniques, human activity forms, or socio-technical practice; second, resources, tools, and materials; third, technologicalRead MoreTechnology Is Laziness Essay803 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 101-Essay 3 Mr. Fisher July 5th 2010 Laziness as Pop Culture along with Technology Let’s face it, laziness due to technological advancements is part of our Pop culture and is causing downward trending of active people and has been an increasing issue. So what’s causing this rising laziness to grow exponentially? We as human beings have an urge to invent things daily that make our lives easier and eventually take physical labor out of the equation. Most look at innovation as humanity

Corporate Structure Free Essays

string(112) " between management and shareholders but also facilitate the functioning of the financial and economic systems\." Demand for disclosure has been spurred by information asymmetry and agency conflict between management and investors. Good corporate structure principles are the foundation upon which trust of investors and lenders is built, corporate governance is a philosophy and mechanism that entails putting in place better structures and processes through which the affairs of a company are directed and managed to enhance long term shareholders value through transparency and accountability. Previous empirical studies on the association between cost of equity capital and voluntary disclosure have documented confusing results, Botosan and Plumlee (2002) found a positive association exists between voluntary disclosure and cost of equity capital while Gietzmann and Ireland (2005) found a negative relationship between disclosure and cost of capital. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Structure or any similar topic only for you Order Now Increased application of corporate governance all over the world has risen after major corporate scandals due to lack or improper corporate disclosure, this has resulted to investors and lenders lose confidence in the traditional financial reporting. Transparency and disclosure creates and sustains confidence of investors, stakeholders and the winder society and provides opportunity for continuous improvement of business structure and processes this has resulted to re-examination and scrutiny of the existing corporate disclosure thus spurring the need for expanding the existing disclosure policy. Voluntary disclosure, being one key pillar of corporate governance is regarded as an external mechanism for the control of the management, protection of the shareholders and a decrease of the agency costs resulting from information asymmetry between the management and shareholders. Botosan (2002) observed that firms which disclose more information in their annual reports enjoy the benefit of lower cost of capital. The current growing trend towards increased corporate disclosure will soon transform into a veritable river of additional information.Although the purpose of disclosure is to provide adequate and sufficient information to the various stakeholders, managers may choose not to disclosure certain information in orders to protect competitive advantage Kavitha and Nandagopal,(2011). Studies have shown that public firms are careful about disclosing information that might lead to competitive disadvantage, example, information about technological innovations, strategic and specific operation data Elliott and Jacobson (1994). The decision on the optimal level of disclosure is thus affected by the interplay between the costs and the benefits of disclosure. 1.2 Voluntary Disclosure Elements of voluntary disclosure will be classified into four classes of information disclosure as forward-looking, financial, corporate social responsibility and board size. Voluntary disclosure is regarded as an important economic tool that aids communicating information to different market players in an industry with an aim of providing clear view about business’s long term sustainability. Information disclosure conveys company’s information to the owners, stakeholders and general public about the quality and value of the company Hamrouni et al.,(2015).Corporate disclosure falls into two categories, mandatory disclosure and voluntary disclosure covering all types of information, both of financial and non-financial in nature. Laws, regulations and accounting standards stipulate mandatory information disclosure whereas voluntary disclosure is the information reported beyond the statutory requirements. Meek el al, (1995) defines voluntary disclosure as the free option on the part of the company management to provide accounting and other information deemed pertinent to the decision needs of users of their annual reports. The extent and type of voluntary disclosure is dependent of the industry, size, governance structure, ownership structure and geographic region. Boesso and Kumar (2007) claimed that one of the determinants that led to the emergence of voluntary disclosure was the inadequacy of financial reporting as claimed by investors and shareholders . Investors increasingly demanded openness and disclosure of information relating to performance and strategies. Organizations gains some benefit by virtue of disclosing sustainably over and above the statutory required information. Li and McConomy (1999) found that firms in better financial conditions are more likely to voluntarily adopt new International Financial Reporting Standards (IRFS) on environmental disclosure and hence become more profitable and reduce the cost of compliance. Spanheimer and Koch (2000) noted the primary motive for adopting informative accounting as the access to global funding, worldwide comparability of financial statements, increased transparency and pressure from capital markets. Ross (1997) found that companies that provide more information disclosures reduced the occurrence of information asymmetry between the owners and manager, subsequently get to enjoy low cost of capital. The benefits of disclosure are for example, increased share price will lower cost of capital resulting from a firm’s full disclosure Nayak, (2012). Investors and creditors are better informed with a high level of disclosure making them understand the economic risk of the investment Elliott and Jacobsom, (1994). Disclosure is generally done in the company annual report either through the statements or notes accompanying the statements. The disclosure elements in the study for measuring the level of voluntary disclosure will include forward-looking information, financial and capital information, corporate social responsibility information and board size information. Forward-looking information represents one form of corporate disclosure. It provides a confidence signaling power to the stakeholder in the management capability to foresee the future prospects of the business. According to Celik et al. (2006) forward-looking information helps to predict the future of a company in terms of performance and strength of the management. Management credibility is gained by accurately predicting company future forecast over and over. Even though the shareholders frequently question the management about what is going to happen to the company in future, the management cannot predict or gives a certain answer to what is going to happen but they observe market trends and then present the shareholders with explanations about what the company future prospects. Companies that wish to access external sources of finance may tend to disclose more forward-looking information to enable them gain investors confidence Clarkson, Kao and Richardson (1994). Jenkins Report (AICPA, 1994) formulated a number of key recommendations to increase the quality of corporate reporting, which included increasing the attention for and provision of forward-looking information. Financial information disclosure helps stakeholders to evaluate company performance before making any investment decisions about the company. Improved information disclosure does not only bridge the information asymmetry between management and shareholders but also facilitate the functioning of the financial and economic systems. You read "Corporate Structure" in category "Papers" Adequate disclosure is used as a mean of attracting new investors in addition to supporting and building company reputation. To reduce vulnerability, information disclosure should be comprehensive, timely, informative and credible in nature. Financial information is derived from the financial reports prepared from the books of accounts and analyzed in various categories such as the income statements, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and statements of changes in equity. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) interpreted as the way firms integrate its social, environmental and economic concerns into their value, culture, operations and strategies. Carroll, (1999) noted CSR as an evolving concept. Centre for corporate governance (2005) issued guidelines which encouraged companies to disclose information on CSR, ownership structure and board size (Barako, 2007). CSR efforts translate into improvements in firms’ financial performance. Corporate social reporting disclosure enhances company reputation by gaining trust and support from the stakeholders (Woodwar, Edwards and Birkin, 1996), additionally it helps assess congruence between the social value and social norms (Dowling and Pfeffer, 1975). CSR enables firms to access huge sum of finance that might difficult to obtain.Board size is the total number of directors on a corporate board. The board of directors is the apex organ of a company whose central role being the formulation of polices and strategies to be followed by managers in managing firms operations. Board plays an important role in maintaining effective corporate governance. It is the Board that determines the amount of information disclosure by making strategic decision on the level of voluntary disclosure. Chen and Jaggi (2000) noted that greater number of directors on the board may reduce the likelihood of information asymmetry. It is believed that the size of the board affects the ability of the board to monitor and evaluate management. Increase of directors in the board will consequently increase director’s ability to control and promote value creating activities. Larger board bring with them a collection of experience and expertise, therefore expanding the need for higher information disclosure, it is also argued that larger board size may find difficulty in arriving at a consensus in decision which can ultimately affect the quality corporate governance while small board size encourages faster information processing . Brudbury (1992). 1.3 Cost of Equity CapitalThe cost of equity is the return that an investor expects to receive from an investment in a business. This cost represents the amount the market expects as compensation in exchange for owing the stock of the business, it consist of dividends and capital gains. From an investor’s perspective, cost of equity capital is the return he expects for a share of stock he keeps in his portfolio. Fama and French (1993) found risk growth and size as the factors that influence the required rate of return by investors. When making decisions which affect the firm, Cost of equity plays a crucial role because it affects the discount rate at which expected future cash flows are valued. In archiving an effective strategic decision making and performance evaluation, the cost of equity should be estimated with accuracy. According to Beneda (2003) the cost of equity is a vital base of comparing investment opportunities. Invertors use the concept of cost of equity as an investment opportunity in a company. Cost of equity is one of the methods used to evaluate investment decisions, example capital budgeting analysis, choice of capital structure and firm valuation. Larger firms are associated with lower cost of capital when compared with the smaller firms since they are in a better position to raise funds from external sources on favorable terms. Equity capital plays a fundamental role in the development of a firm due to its advantages when compared to other financing forms. The cost of equity capital is an important component with significant input in calculating the cost of capital Cotner and Fletcher (2000). It is detrimental to apply less appropriate model to estimate cost of capital, this can result to underestimation or overestimation. Underestimation may result in value destructive investments while overestimation may lead to rejection of promising investment opportunities. The cost of equity capital is a key indicator of operations in the financial markets and is used by managers and financial resource providers. Clear financial statements reduce uncertainties associated with shareholders’ equity lending to decrease in the cost of equity while incomplete and unclear financial statements increases uncertainty hence causing information risk to shareholders who hence demand higher return. The cost of equity capital is of importance in two folds: securities valuation models are based on the cost of equity capital and without cost of equity capital it is impractible to invest company money as it is difficult to determine capital structure hence unable to determine investment priority (Ahmend, 2007). Manager being agents of the shareholders try minimize the cost of equity hence maximizing shareholders wealth at this same time improving the value of the company. In most financial decisions, cost of equity is an effective determinant factor. Cost of equity is used in capital budgeting decisions, setting optimal structure and working capital management. Implementing corporate governance practice, the high cost of equity capital problem is overcome. The higher level of voluntary disclosure the lower investor uncertainty, with lower uncertainty investors will be willing to accept lower dividend payouts. A lower dividend stream would decrease the cost of equity capital because of a lower risk premium expected by the investors. Lower risk premium demanded by investors translate into a lower cost of equity capital of the firm. Voluntary disclosure reduces the cost of equity capital in two ways which are based on enhanced stock market liquidity and on the reduced non-diversifiable estimation risk. More voluntary disclosure reduces investor uncertainty and attracts long term investments. Determinants of the cost of equity capital can be categorized into two: variables measured on accounting information only (accounting based) and variables measured on relations between market data and accounting data (market based). How to cite Corporate Structure, Papers

The French Revolution Persuasive Essay Example For Students

The French Revolution Persuasive Essay The year 1789 brought France the biggest period of change she had or would ever experience. During the next ten year period, now known as the French Revolution, saw the overturn of and murder of Louis XVI, a time of chaos and much bloodshed, and the establishment of a new government that would change France forever. Many aristocrats were murdered during the Reign of Terror, and many leaders of the revolution themselves were murdered as the people continued to revolt. A new constitution was written and then another immediately followed as the Declaration of the Rights Man was proclaimed throughout the land. This time period ended when Napoleon Bonaparte became the first consul of France. France Before the RevolutionBefore the revolution, France was divided into three classes, or estates as they were called. The first two, the nobility and the clergy, received many privileges that the other classes did not. The third class was made up of merchants, professional people, the workers, and the peasants. This caused a major division between the classes and the third class was becoming very upset with the way they were being treated. At this point in French history, the kings of France had believed that they were only responsible to God for the way they chose to rule. However, if they wanted to receive advice, they could ask a legislative body called the Estates General that contained representatives from all three classes. The problem was that the kings were not required to do this and had not done so since 1614. The royal taxes were very heavy which drained all the money from the third class and was then used by the king to live luxuriously. The nobles also drained all of the money from their estates so that they could continue to live a rich lifestyle. Causes of the RevolutionThe Philosophers. The philosophers were brilliant men who wanted to reorganize the government and society on a basis of reason. Theyre were some who thought that the English system of government was better while one mans writings, Jean Jacques Rousseau, even influenced the writers of the United States Constitution. Louis XVI Becomes King. Louis XVI became king when he was after his grandfather Louis XV died. The young king meant well for his country, but was inexperienced, immature, and not very intelligent in his dealings with government. When Louis XVI came to the throne, there were some big problems in France, the main problem being money. He proposed some new government reforms to help raise money, but the nobility and clergy were not happy with them as well as the land tax that was proposed that exempted no one. Because of this, the nobility and clergy demanded that the Estates General meet. Revolution BeginsEstates General Meets. The Estates General met in May of 1789. The third estate was given 600 representatives while the clergy and nobility were given 300 each to balance the power, but nothing had been said as to whether they would vote together or separately. In the past, voting had always been done separately between the classes. This had allowed the nobility and clergy to outvote the third estate. Before the meeting, king Louis asked each body of representatives to send in their own list of complaints that were known as a cahier. Many historians agree that had King Louis and his ministers proposed a good plan of reform to the meeting, the revolution could have been prevented. 1.The World Book. 1966 ed. S.V. French RevolutionBy William F. McDonaldBackground and History of the French Revolution2.The New Book of Knowledge. 1986 ed. .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .postImageUrl , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:hover , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:visited , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:active { border:0!important; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:active , .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc72611588278e95e39786dc0605b392c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Deadly Social Cloud (Satire) EssayS.V. French RevolutionBy Dorothy MarshallHistory and Background of the French Revolution

Owl at Bridge Essay Example

Owl at Bridge Essay â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† Objective-tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the storys action and dialogue. The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer. Third Person-here the narrator. lets us know exactly how the characters feel. First Person-in the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. Omniscient-a narrator who knows everything about all the characters, is all knowing. Limited Omniscient-a narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view. Discussion Questions: 1. What happens in this story? Peyton Farquhar is being hanged and while he is waiting, he thinks about his wife and children. Then, breaks away from his noose and goes to his house where he sees his wife and just as he is about to approach her, he gets a blow to head and dies. But, Farquhar imagined this all in a flash before his death. 2. Why does the disguised federal scout suggest to Farquhar that he should burn the bridge? The disguised federal scout suggests that Farquhar should burn the bridge because he lured Farquhar into a trap. Anyone that is caught interfering with the railroads faces automatic hanging. 3. How might one account for Farquhar’s intense sensitivity to his surroundings during and after his escape? We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Farquhar tends to exaggerate what he is going through and make it obvious that it isn’t reality. During his escape he talks about how he is practically drowning in the water, how his neck and wrist ache and how the river flows. After his escape he talks about how relieved he is to get on land and then he elaborates on how he sees his wife and how lovely she looks. 4. This story employs multiple points of view: identify which POV is being used at which points in the story. In the first part of the story, it is told in third-person but changes to omniscient third-person point during the end, the second part is told in third person and the third part is told in  first person. 5. At what point in the story do you get the first hint that the escape is a hallucination? At what point are you sure? The point in the story where I get the first hint that it is a hallucination is when he made it to dry land then saw his wife. The point I am sure he was having hallucinations was when he was shot in the back of the head at the Owl Creek Bridge.

Impersonal Subjects and Gerunds Quiz

Impersonal Subjects and Gerunds Quiz Compare these two sentences: Studying English is sometimes boring. and It is sometimes boring to study English. Both of the sentences are used to make general statements about an activity - studying English. Here is an overview of the two forms: gerund object to be conjugated (adverb of frequency) adjective Examples: Playing tennis is an excellent exercise.Reading English newspapers is often difficult. It to be conjugated (adverb of frequency) adjective infinitive Examples: It is sometimes exciting to walk in the pouring rain.It was strange to say that Russian is easier than English. Two Exceptions The phrases It is worth and It is no use take the gerund NOT the infinitive form. It is worth / It is no use gerund object Examples: It is worth driving to the lake to have a look around.It is no use studying for this exam. Quiz Change the sentences from the original to the other similar structure. Example: It is sometimes easy to forget your cell phone number. Answer Forgetting your cell phone number is sometimes easy. Playing chess requires great concentration.It is not easy to learn Chinese.It is difficult to understand the motives of many politicians.Interviewing applicants is often stressful and unrewarding.Speaking English is always useful when traveling abroad.It is never simple to move abroad.Thinking about danger is often illogical.It has been difficult to accept his death.Flying to Africa will be great fun.Working hard for so many years has been tiring for them. Original Sentences Playing chess requires great concentration.It is not easy to learn Chinese.It is difficult to understand the motives of many politicians.Interviewing applicants is often stressful and unrewarding.Speaking English is always useful when  traveling  abroad.It is never simple to move abroad.Thinking about danger is often illogical.It has been difficult to accept his death.Flying to Africa will be great fun.Working hard for so many years has been tiring for them. Sentence Changes It requires great concentration to play chess.Learning Chinese is not easy.Understanding the motives of many politicians is difficult.It is often stressful and unrewarding to interview applicants.It is always useful to speak English when  traveling  abroad.Moving abroad is never simple.It is often illogical to think about the danger.Accepting his death has been difficult.It will be great fun to fly to Africa.It has been tiring for them to work hard for so many years.

Common Plastics We Use Every Single Day

Common Plastics We Use Every Single Day You probably do not realize the impact that the invention of plastic has had in your life. In just 60 short years, plastics popularity has grown considerably. This is largely due to just a few reasons. They can be easily molded into a wide range of products, and they offer benefits that other materials do not. How Many Types of Plastic Are There? You may think that plastic is just plastic, but there are actually about 45 different families of plastics. In addition, each of these families can be made with hundreds of different variations. By changing different molecular factors of the plastic, they can be made with different properties, including flexibility, transparency, durability, and more. Thermoset or Thermoplastics? Plastics can all be separated into two primary categories:Â  thermoset and thermoplastic. Thermoset plastics are those that when cooled and hardened retain their shape and cannot return to original form. Durability is a benefit meaning that they can be used for tires, auto parts, aircraft parts, and more. Thermoplastics are less hard than the thermosets. They can become soft when heated and can return to their original form. They are easily molded to be formed into fibers, packaging, and films. Polyethylene Most household plastic packaging is made from polyethylene. It comes in almost 1,000 different grades. Some of the most common household items are the plastic film, bottles, sandwich bags, and even types of piping. Polyethylene can also be found in some fabrics and in mylar as well. Polystyrene Polystyrene can form a harder, impact-resistant plastic that is used for cabinets, computer monitors, TVs, utensils, and glasses. If it is heated and the air is added to the mixture, it turns into what is called EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) also known by the Dow Chemical tradename, Styrofoam. This is a lightweight rigid foam that is used for insulation and for packaging. Polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon This type of plastic was developed by DuPont in 1938. The benefits of it are that it is almost frictionless on the surface and it is a stable, strong, and is a heat-resistant type of plastic. It is most commonly used in products like bearings, film, plumbing tape, cookware, and tubing, as well as waterproof coatings and films. Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC This type of plastic is durable, non-corrosive, as well as affordable. This is why it is used for pipes and plumbing. It does have one downfall, however, and that is the fact that a plasticizer has to be added to make it soft and moldable and this substance may leach out of it over a long period of time, which makes it brittle and subject to breaking. Polyvinylidene Chloride or Saran This plastic is recognized by its ability to conform to the shape of a bowl or other item. It is used mainly for films and wraps that need to be impermeable to food odors. Saran wrap is one of the most popular wraps for storing food. Polyethylene LDPE and HDPE Perhaps the most common type of plastic is polyethylene. This plastic can be separated into two different types, including low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene. The differences in them make them ideal for different uses. For example, LDPE is soft and flexible, so it is used in garbage bags, films, wraps, bottles, and disposable gloves. HDPE is a harder plastic and is used mainly in containers, but was first introduced in the hula hoop. As you can tell, the world of plastics is quite large, and getting larger with the recycling of plastics. Learning more about the different types of plastic can enable you to see that this invention has had a strong impact on the world at large. From drinking bottles to sandwich bags to pipes to cookware and more, plastic is a big part of your everyday life, no matter what type of life you lead.

What Postmodernism Is Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What Postmodernism Is - Essay Example The essay "What Postmodernism Is" concerns postmodernism era. Postmodernism intends to establish that it is not in the power of human beings to change the world for their own benefits. Humans do not possess an unlimited potential to understand the world. Modernists were of the view that it is possible to understand reality with complete certainty by way of observation and reasoning. Modernism ended abruptly when philosophers began to question the ability to understand truth objectively. The postmodernist is suspicious of such realities. They do not have any concrete reason to defy such objective facts. It is only suspicion and virtue of hypocrisy that keeps them from believing in them. Some objective realities are simply inescapable. There cannot be a world in which there is no objective truth. For example, hurting kids under every circumstance is completely wrong. There cannot be any possible world in which such a practice could be considered acceptable. If this objective reality is denied and it is assumed that reality cannot be understood objectively, then it is hypocritical. I think that there are many realities which are perfectly understood by everyone. This is because truth can be described objectively which suggests that truth is completely attainable. A world where truth is not attainable would be a picture of complete chaos. This is why postmodernism is hypocritical. If there is no absolute truth as postmodernists suggest, then everyone would be free to violate moral principles/

Improve Healthy Environment Zen Hair and Spa Research Paper

Improve Healthy Environment Zen Hair and Spa - Research Paper Example The concern has also been identified as a potential health hazard, especially to the attendants who are always in the shop. Objectives Application of artificial nail products is associated with environmental impacts that include emission of dust, vapor, and scent. The products use has also been associated with presence of bacteria. As a result, there is a normally developed irritation felt in the nose, throat, eyes, and the skin leading to discomfort. This has been the reason for the customers’ complaints. I therefore propose that we implement ventilation system that can improve healthy environment at the store. Planning The nature of work in a nail salon calls for measures to ensure health safety of all the people who may be exposed to the chemicals and the emissions within the shop. The environmental protection regulations therefore recommend that appropriate steps be taken in order to regulate possible contact with the used chemicals and their vapor. An exhaust system that drains vapor and dust from worktables is therefore recommended. Similarly, application of appropriate â€Å"room air cleaning devices† are required in every enterprise that operates a nail salon. A properly modeled and properly functional ventilation system is a necessity towards ensuring that people in the shop are protected from possible health hazards. EPA regulations further recommends that proper clothing be ensured while in the nail shops and that, chemical containers are tightly fixed to eliminate chances of possible infiltration of the immediate atmosphere by vapors and dusts from the chemicals. Proper cleanliness is also emphasized (EPA, P. 3-8). One of the equipments that Zen can use in order to reduce and possibly eliminate air pollutants in its workshop is â€Å"salon pure air I† (Salonpureair, p. 1). The equipment, like its alternative â€Å"Salon Pure Air II† costs about 950 dollars and has available accessories (Salonpureair, p. 1). An alternative to the salon pure air equipment is the Salon air purifier that is designed to ensure â€Å"healthy and comfortable environment† for personnel and customers in a nail salon. The salon air purifier is highly regarded for it quality services and is a favorite among magazine readers. It costs about 850 dollars and it is portable besides its capacity to operate without breaks. It efficiently filters out â€Å"nail dust, hair clippings, pollens, bacteria, mold spores, and other airborne dust debris† besides eliminating chemical fumes and smells during salon services (Aerovex, p. 1). Sunflower II is another air cleaner option that is available at only 218 dollars (Aerovex1, p. 1). The organization should therefore purchase and install one of these equipments to facilitate cleanliness and health safety in its shop. Due to product standardization, these equipments can be obtained from any reliable supplier. Aerovex systems company is particularly reliable due to its establishm ent, pricing and after sales services. Zen should therefore purchase Salon Air purifier. This is because while the equipment, being sold at 850 dollars, is less expensive as compared to Salon Pure air, its operational features such as portability, filtration and elimination of vapors are efficient in maintaining health safety in the salon (Aerovex1, p. 1). Responsibilities The nature and impacts

Organisational structure Essay Example for Free

Organisational structure Essay Various Structures Practical Illustration organizational structure: It refers to a formal system of tasks and reporting relationships that coordinates and motivates employees to work together to achieve the organizational goals. Formal system of task and reporting relationships showing how workers use resources. It Involves the following structures: 1) Functional Structure It refers to the organizational structure composed of all the departments that an organization requires to produce Its goods or services. tOf3 2) Dlvlslonal structures It refers to the organizational structure composed of a series of business units to produce a specific kind of product for a specific kind of customer. It is used by most large corporations. It involves 3 main types: a) Product Structure, where divisions are created according to the type of product and service. b) Geographic Structure, where divisions are based on the area of a country or world served. c) Market Structure, where divisions are based on the types of customers served. 3) Matrix Structure It refers to the organizational structure that groups people by function and product teams simultaneously. It results in complex relationships. The structure is very flexible. Each employee has two bosses (functional manager and product manager) 4) Product Team Structure It refers to the organizational structure where members are permanently assigned to a team empowered to bring a product to market. It involves no two-way (dual) reporting. It involves forming cross-functional teams composed of a group of managers from different departments working together to perform organizational tasks. Existing AFC Organizational Structure: It is very clear that Abu Qir Fertilizers Company extremely represents applying the unctional very steep highly centralized extensively rigid structure.

Essay --

Sumedha Kucherlapati -MS in Information Management Systems-2014 ____________________________________________________________________________________ My earliest memories as a child were playing â€Å"SUDOKU† with my sister and thoroughly enjoying it. As I grew up my love for logical games grew with me. When I started working at Deloitte, I was always applauded for my analytical and problem solving skills. Further due to the professional exposure at Deloitte as Business Technology Analyst, I got acquainted to business to technology transition of real life challenges and requirements. This fascination has progressively transformed into my career goal to be the best blend of technical and functional consultant and I believe that doing a Masters in Information Systems management will help me step closer to my goal. I have always excelled in education and did my entire high school on scholarship. My undergraduate studies in Electronics and Telematics from GNITS, one of the top three private colleges in the state has given me a very substantial knowledge of the basic areas of Computer Science. Courses like Cryptographic algorithms, Network analysis, Wireless Communication Network and Computer Networks helped me learn about Information security, Computer Architecture and gave me an insight into hardware of electronic devices. To complement my theoretical knowledge, I presented a paper on â€Å"Use of Compact Fin-FET memory circuits to increase read, write capability.† This article focused on the results of an independent-gate Fin FET SRAM cell simultaneously enhancing the read data stability and memory integration density. The paper fetched us first prize at a National Level technical fest. I also headed the IEEE, ISTE s... ...lp 275 Special and differently abled children on the ‘National Impact Day' conducted by Deloitte which is the biggest Annual event of the firm. Working at Deloitte has helped me understand that to stand out as a leading consultant it is very important to have business insight along with technical expertise and MISM course structure at your esteemed university would equip me with perfect blend of the same. My experiences assured me that I am on the right path towards my goal and would like to continue pursuing my skills in this direction. I strongly feel that courses like IT Project Management and Consulting Communications in your curriculum would further boost my skill set. I would be honored to be under the unmatched guidance of the eminent professors at Heinz college and am looking forward with great hope to get an opportunity to join your university.

American Woman

American Woman The struggles America has dealt with have been expressed in the lyrics of popular songs, specifically issues pertaining to government, politics, the period of the Cold War and Vietnam War. Another American issue that has been expressed in popular music is the drug world and its complications, creating a strong and forceful depiction of America. The song titled â€Å"American Woman† has been expressed through many different medium of art. American Woman† has two versions; the first version was made by the Canadian rock band the â€Å"Guess Who†, the second version was made by the American singer and composer Lenny Kravitz. â€Å"American Woman† is a successful song that has caused many controversies over the years; for example, regarding the â€Å"Guess Who† version, it refers to attacks on U. S. politics and government, especially for the Cold War and Vietnam War, while Kravitz’s version expresses his personal take on drug use a nd his personal battle with drug addiction. â€Å"American Woman† is a product of the Vietnam War and its issues.When the vocalist of â€Å"The Guess Who† referred to American woman, he actually referred to The Unites States. Some lyrics of the song reflect the political and government issues of the U. S. For example, â€Å"Don’t come hangin’ around my door, I don’t wanna see your face no more, I got more important things to do, that spend my time growin’ old with you† (L. 18-21). This part of the song is basically saying that Canada has its own troubles that they have to deal with, and they don’t need to get into some wars over opinion with the U.S. The â€Å"Guess Who† version also refers to America’s imperialistic attitude at the time of the Vietnam War. For instance, â€Å"I don’t need your war machine; I don’t need your ghetto scenes† (L. 35-36). This phrase is referring to the nuclear we apons that the U. S. used in Vietnam and the after math of the explosives. During the time of the Cold War and the Vietnam War, America tried to get Canada to adopt nuclear missiles and join in the war. The â€Å"Guess Who† showed in the lyrics of â€Å"American Woman† the rejection of war activities.For example, â€Å"Colored lights can hypnotize, Sparkle someone else’s eyes, now woman, I said stay away, American woman, listen what I say† (L. 37-40). These lyrics basically refer to the explosions of the bombs that occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1955 to 1975 (Vu Tung). The phrase implies that Canada does not like wars, and it tells the U. S. government to bother someone else. At the time of the Vietnam War, Canada had economic growth, political independence and regime survival in a post-Cold War environment.In the Kravitz’s version of the song â€Å"American Woman† the original political themes of the song were replaced by his p ersonal takes on drug use and his personal battles with drug addiction. When Kravitz mentions American woman as a white girl, he actually refers to the use of cocaine. For instance, â€Å"Huh, American Woman, stay away from me, American woman, mama let me be† (L. 1-2). In this phrase, he is refusing to use drugs, especially, cocaine. Furthermore, he is also saying that drugs don’t let him be the person that he wants to be.In America, the number of drug users increases every year. Drugs are everywhere, especially at parties and night clubs. Kravitz used the lyrics of â€Å"American Woman† to transmit the message of avoiding drugs. For example, â€Å"Colored lights can hypnotized, Sparkle someone else’s eyes† (L. 13-14). This phrase also reflects how the use of drugs can captivate people by making them feel good; however, Kravitz refuses to take drugs, and he wants to stay away from them. In the song â€Å"American Woman† Kravitz shows his per sonal experience using drugs and the negative effects of the illegal substances.For instance, â€Å"Don’t come knocking ‘round my door, I don’t wanna see your shadow no more† (L. 11-12). In these lyrics the singers is referring to his personal experience using drugs. When he mentions shadows, he refers to how painful and hard is the addition of these illegal substances. Kravits throughout the song shows how he fought to quit drugs. In the following lyrics expressed â€Å"I gotta go, I gotta get away, Baby, I gotta go, I wanna fly away† (L. 29-30). Although the drug world at first glance seems amusing, from Kravitz’s experience, he prefers to get away from temptations.In conclusion, â€Å"American Woman† is an extraordinary song that has caused many controversies over the years; for example, regarding the Guess Who’s version, it refers to attacks on U. S politics and government, especially for the Cold War and Vietnam War, while Kravitz’s version referrers to the rejection of the drug world and his personal experience with cocaine. The challenges that America has had over the years, have been subjects for songs, paintings, poetry, films and art in general, especially those themes that are related with the U.S. government, politics, wars and illegal drugs. America will always be the subject of inspiration for artists around the globe because it is a country with a variety of cultures and population issues. Work Cited * The Guess Who. â€Å"American Woman†. Elyrics. net. 200-20013. Web. March 20, 2013. * Kravitz, Lenny. â€Å"American Woman†. Elyrics. net. 200-20013. Web. March 20, 2013. * Vu Tung, Nguyen. â€Å"Vietnam’s Membership of ASEAN: A Constructivist Interpretation†. Military and Government Collection. Vol. 29, Dec 2007. Web. March 20, 2013.

Cultural Diplomacy: a Filipino Perspective Essay

I. WHAT IS CULTURAL DIPLOMACY? Considered as a relatively new term in international relations and among governments, a commonly cited definition of cultural diplomacy is that of Milton Cummings, an American Political Scientist which defines Cultural Diplomacy as â€Å"the exchange of ideas, information, values, systems, traditions, beliefs, and other aspects of culture, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding† between or among nations (Kang, 2013) or simply put, it pertains to a cultural form of international communication between and/or among nations (Kieldanowicz). It was only during the past decade when governments started to and have increasingly paid attention to the practice of Cultural Diplomacy and have acknowledged the growing importance of cultural dimensions in analyzing the ever-increasing complexity of foreign affairs (Kang, 2013). Art and culture are two important aspects of cultural diplomacy, as these are the forefront of many countries’ promotional efforts. The showcasing of a country’s cultural heritage, as made possible by cultural diplomacy, provides a country with the opportunity of showing who they are and create a positive image which will help them achieve their political aims (Kieldanowicz). This belief was echoed by Philippine DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario was quoted saying â€Å"DFA recognizes the impact of culture in modern diplomacy and sees it as an effective tool in protecting our national interest, in advancing our advocacies and in achieving the development agenda of the country in the international arena. Cultural diplomacy is described as â€Å"†¦a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation or promote national interests; Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, private sector or civil society.† From this definition, we can gather that cultural diplomacy is similar to an agreement between two countries for the purpose of strengthening their relations through their cultures. II. PHILIPPINE ISSUES IN LINE WITH CULTURAL DIPLOMACY The first issue which the group considers significant in line with the establishment of cultural diplomacy is the young population’s patronization of Korean, Japanese and American pop culture. As previously mentioned, art and culture makes up our identity as Filipinos, however with the continuous and increasing â€Å"Japanesation, Koreanisation and Americanization† of our young generation, the young population is slowly losing its Filipino identity this then becomes a hindrance to the promotion of local Philippine culture, so the question is how could the Philippine local culture be promoted abroad if locally, there is difficulty in promoting, much less preserving it. III. PROJECTION OF ISSUES ON FOREIGN POLICY The ‘Japanesation’, ‘Koreanisation’ and ‘Westernization’ of the Filipino pop culture must be addressed by the Philippine government. We believe however, that action must first be taken in the local or domestic level and extend it later on to the international level by virtue of foreign policy. In line with this issue the government may sponsor students to study sociology with focus on Philippine culture, or establish art competitions such as song-writing and painting contests and the like. This will later on be reflected in the foreign policy by the establishment of government sponsorship of foreign students studying of Philippine culture and society. As we know, globalization is defined as â€Å"worldwide integration and development† and it has helped in improving the economy of different countries. Nowadays, there is a need for all the countries need to improve their exports to be able to make it in the international market. But despite that, globalization has also caused problems such as in cultural diplomacy, an example of this is the Business Process Outsourcing Industry. Even though the pay is nice in such an industry, there is an issue concerning cultural clashes. Since most of the BPOs came from the western side of the earth and then merely outsourced, there is a clash of what are the ways of living in one certain country and the ways of doing things when brought to the receiving country. There would be a lot of issues that would need to be addressed which causes in problems in cultural diplomacy. Let’s use the call center business as an example. Let’s us say that there is a new call center has been outsourced here in the Philippines. In the country where the call center originated they do no not celebrate Christmas or Lent but here in the Philippines we do celebrate these events. This is where the clash begins, because these are two different countries with two different cultures, it would be hard to make or form a cultural diplomacy. There is a need to have talks to address such issues and so that both parties can agree on decide on something to agree on to form a partnership through cultural diplomacy.

Communication Skills in Management

Communication Skills in Management Introduction Organisations bring together people from different backgrounds. To ensure that diverse groups of people working in an organisation are organised such that they work towards common aims and goals, communication is an essential skill for any leader. Organisational leaders select various communications strategies depending on the situations that they encountered in their work environments.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Communication Skills in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Communication strategies are crucial in organisations, particularly in the information age. Organisations are growing into immense complexities and are constantly looking for mechanisms of becoming competitive. One of the ways of gaining competitive advantage is by â€Å"discovering and implementing a communications strategy that supports company business objectives for its customers, workforce and partners† (Perry Bodkin, 2000, p.89). Good communication strategies have multiple benefits for an organisation ranging from enhancing workforce motivations to the creation of additional customers and retention of the existing clientele. The main aim of this paper is to provide an outline of communication skills and discuss its benefits. It also discusses how managers can deploy communication skills to make their work efficient and effective. The discussions of the paper are based on the existing literature of the roles of organisational communication in enhancing the success of organisations and on the understanding of the roles of communication in organisations developed over the semester. Thus, an opportunity is seized to offer authors personal opinion on the development of communication skills, propose an action plan for learning and utilisation of the communication skill in the future. Communication is selected for discussion as a managerial skill that is essential in an organisation since its incorporation or its negation in an organisation determines the extent of effectiveness of organisational leadership. The benefits of good communication Communication refers to exchange of information, either verbally or non-verbally. Verbal communication entails the transfer of meaning through sounds and words. Non-verbal communication entangles transfer of meaning, intentionally or unintentionally, via symbols or actions.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In organisational settings, communication refers to exchange of information between organisational leaders and employees and or from employees to employees (McShane, Olekalns Travaglione, 2010, p.54). It also entails the transfer of information from the organisations to the customers and the owners (shareholders). Organisations’ leaders encounter various pressures to comply with various demands raised by a myriad of organisational stakeholders while still ensuring that an organisation remains competitive in the short and long run. Ensuring compliance to these dual anticipations, organisational managers have to design and execute various business strategies (Fernstrom, Reed, Rahavi Doohe, 2012: Malina Selto, 2001). Although failure of such strategies may initiate at the design phase, many of business strategies, irrespective of how well they have been designed, have more failure rates at the implementation and execution phases (Kaplan Norton, 2004). In the implementation and the execution phase, communication is of great paramount. Philport and Arbittier (2007) agrees with this assertion and further adds, â€Å"MBA- trained managers know a lot about how to decide a plan and very little about how to carry it out† (p.69). Consequently, when leaders have communication challenges, showcased by inadequate expertise in execution of communication strategies within an organisati on, harmonious operation of all organisational stakeholder may be impaired. The benefits of good communication in an organisation may be studied from the paradigm of the challenges that organisations encounter when leaders in an organisation fail to embrace effective communication strategies. The effects of poor organisational communication, a key indicator of lack of possession of good organisational communication skills are reflected in a research conducted by McFarlin, Sweeney and Cotton (2003), in which 197 management executives for 197 companies were surveyed to unveil their anticipations for success of their communication strategies. The research findings indicated that only 63 percent of all the surveyed executives had expectations for their strategies of communication to succeed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Communication Skills in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Considering that 37 percent o f the surveyed executives were not sure whether their communication strategies would succeed, the researchers concluded, â€Å"much of expectation and performance failures were a failure to execute the company’s strategy effectively† (McFarlin, Sweeney Cotton, 2003, p.380). Strategies are implemented through the collective effort of all people who must work to attain given goals and missions for which an organisation is established to accomplish. For coherency in operation of all these stakeholders, effective communication is important. A leader who endeavours to develop business strategies that would succeed requires ardent communication at all hierarchical structures of business administration. Such an effort in incredibly important since the implementation of new business strategies often involves change (Williams Seaman, 2001). People are normally reluctant to change. Consequently, it is important that leaders within an organisation effectively communicate the be nefits that employees would gains once they embrace proposed organisational change. Poor communication often results to resistance to change especially where the persons working in an organisation consider the changes being implemented as threats to their jobs and personal excellence. For instance, while personnel at the headquarters of an organisation may be fighting for standardisation of products produced by an organisation to ease supply chain and logistics challenges, personnel at departmental levels for various products may be opposed to such an endeavour. In such a situation, a leader deserves to portray assertive communication skills to ensure that things are done in a manner that would of benefits to an organisation. How leaders should use communication Communication is the tool that enables leaders within an organisation to articulate their ideas to the employees and/ or employees to articulate their ideas to the leaders. Wok and Hashima (2013) argue that good communicatio n is essential in fostering morale of workers.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This means that leaders in an organisation should deploy communication as a tool for breaking down communication barrier channels to enhance free interaction between the leaders and employees or employees and their fellow workers. When leaders communicate effectively, employees get satisfied with their jobs. Since job satisfaction is correlated to employees’ retention, it implies that leaders can utilise communication as a tool for dealing effectively with issues of employees’ turnover. This suggests leaders who are effective communicators experience low incidences of turnover. Leaders deserve to plan and design effective formal and informal communication strategies to take into consideration mechanisms of handling negative perceptions about an organisation in the effort to boost strategic initiatives for re-claiming and or acquiring new market. Wal-Mart is perhaps one of the best organisations whose focus on effective communication led to success of the company. For i nstance, the company was in 2010 incredibly criticised for labour practices that were highly questionable. Critics claimed that the company pursued policies that encouraged gender discrimination, low wages incommensurate to the efforts of the employees and even mistreatment of employees. The organisation was also challenged for putting small retailers out of business through her pricing strategies. Wal-Mart also encountered situations in which her organisational culture failed to measure up to the cultures of new possible profitable markets. Faced with these challenges, the organisation’s leaders focused on deployment of communications as the tool for clearing the negative profiling coupled with provisions of employees with clear channels of articulating their issues with the Wal-Mart leadership. Borrowing form the case of Wal-Mart, it is evident that leaders needs to put in place strategies for ensuring that people are free to expresses themselves whenever certain issues the y perceive as having negative implications on their work or where conflicts between personal needs and work requirement emerge. This underlines the significance of open communication in an organisation. Impediments to communication lead to low workforce productivity through reduced work morale and job satisfaction. In fact, according to Dasgupta, Suar and Singh (2013) communication is an essential tool for resolving work force conflicts. This implies that when leaders are effective communicators, communication is used in management of employees’ conflicts. One of the noble roles of managers in an organisation is to monitor and control processes and the manner of execution of job elements allocated to different people. Consequently, communication is the means by which managers are able to get information from the employees on work progress and possible impediments to successful completion of the job facets. Work groups are composed of people who have different opinions and lev els of innovation and creativity. To turn around these diversities into organisational success, managers should deploy communication to garner information of the workforce talents and capabilities, which are essential in successful realisation of organisational aims, goals and objectives. Understanding how to effectively communicate with employees and other organisational stakeholders call for managers to have an understanding of issues that may hinder their capacity to communicate effectively. Such hindrances encompass barriers to effective communication in an organisation. They include information filtering, selective perception, emotions, information overloads, language barrier and communication comprehension (Robbins et al., 2011). Zeng, Anh and Matsui claim that management has the noble role of identifying hindrances to effective communication and looking for strategies for resolving them (2013, p.457). Additionally, management also needs to resolve the problem of gender and cu ltural barriers to effective communication Robbins et al. (2011), effective managers seeks for ways of overcoming barriers to effective communication by enhancing interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. This provides an amicable opportunity for an organisation to achieve its aims, objectives and goals. This suggests that communication is used in an organisation to eliminate ineffective communication created by communication barriers. My development for communication skills this semester At the beginning of the semester, I had very poor communication skills. As an introverted person, I encounter challenges in opening to people with whom I am not well acquitted. Faced with this challenge, I have the perception that it would influence my effectiveness in the work environment where I expect to pursue a career as an organisational leader. Possession of good communications skill is essential in helping a leader to succeed in his or her work involving planning, directing, controllin g and monitoring the process of execution of tasks within an organisation through people. Based on these cognitions, which has been developed in the course of my university education, I consider communication skills as essential skills to develop. In fact, the skills are required in aiding leaders to create channels for open communication in an organisation. On the successful development of the learning contract at the beginning of the semester, I considered developing the goals that I would work towards in the course of the semester. This was critical in availing means of evaluating the learning outcomes. I maintained a journal for tracking various experiences coupled with the outcomes of efforts of improving my communication skills. In the process of development of the communication skills, I chose to read widely from the university library on how communication skills can be developed and implemented. This was followed by actualisation of the skills by engaging in practical implem entation of the acquired knowledge in the university settings. My focus was on face-to-face communication. I realised I had challenges in articulating information through words and non-verbal forms of communication. Making a strategic decision to implement communication skills in a university setting introduced the need to develop the ability to deal with people from cross-cultural environments. This is because a university is an institution that brings people from different cultures and different demographic characteristics. In my case, I am an international student from Middle East. I have challenges in communicating well in English since it is not my native language. This underlines the significance of developing effective communication skills when dealing with people from mixed backgrounds due to challenges of the language barrier and proper articulation of information to create the desired meaning. In the effort to determine whether I have developed communication skills, I had several goals that I intended to achieve. The first goal was to improve my performance in the work groups’ assessments in all the subjects that I take in the university. This goal was essential in measuring my success in development of communication skills. Effective communication of ideas is necessary in answering questions correctly. Language barrier is also an important aspect, which may contribute to poor understanding of questions. Secondly, I would like to have improved peer relationships in both class setting and the whole university at large. This goal is crucial since communication skill is essential in helping to break down peer conflicts. I also want to develop good relationships with sports’ teams, which I encounter during sports competitions. As an introverted person, I also find it difficult to communicate well with people even those who are close to me including my family members. Hence, my goal is to create better channels for communication with family members and friends. Ability to communicate effectively is a function of having good listening skills. Thus, my last goal was to develop better listening skills. In a short time basis, for the period that I was engaged with the learning contract, I believe that these goals are crucial preliminary steps that I can deploy to enhance good organisational communication in the future. Evidence of skills Over the period of 9 weeks, I maintained a journal where I was recording the success details for my process of development of communication skills. In the journal, I was recording the changes in my grades since I enrolled for the learning contract. Therefore, my analysis for success in the contract is essentially quantitative. The evidence derived from the analysis of the data entered in the journal indicates that I have attained a lot in term of performance improvements, although having spent a lot of time in extra tasks involving development of communication skills. This made me to minim ise time required in studying other subjects. In terms of performance, my grades have been steadily improving since I decided to develop communication skills. They have charged from credits to distinctions for the subjects that have involved group work discussion and collective group work challenges. This achievement is attributed to the effort that I made as the group leader to enhance active involvement of all members and tracking the group members’ ability to understand the subject matter under discussion. I also made an effort to ensure that whenever a group is formed, the first task was the creation of avenues for a good group communication by allowing adequate time for members to introduce themselves to one another. This was crucial in eliminating possible hindrances to group communication articulated to fear. One of the groups had two domestic students and two international students. This give room for development of crosses cultural communication skills. In the group, effort was made at the initial phase to lay down the anticipated outcomes, setting periods when the outcomes would be achieved and the contribution of each member in the realisation of the anticipations. This was essential in ensuring that all group members were at the same knowledge levels, which was essential in creating the synergies required for the improved grades. At the beginning of the semester, it was incredibly difficult for me to create friendships. Following the initiative for creating open communication with other students amid their diversity differences, I have managed to create close and effective personal relationships with other people. These friendships have survived even after I finished the assessment for the capacity to develop effective communications skills upon taking the learning contract. During my interaction processes, I am likely to call people with whom I have had group work experiences. This suggests my efforts for creating open communication and tru sting relationships yielded fruits. On the extracurricular activities platforms, I play soccer. For a long time, I was feeling that there are some important ideas that the team would implement to enhance its performance. Unfortunately, before taking the initiatives to develop communication skills, I was too afraid to speak about them. Through the creation of open communication channels, am now able to deal with the inhibitors to communication in the team. This has changed me from being a passive team member to an active member. Through the ideas that I have been able to articulate in the team, I have been made the assistant –captain. Additionally, I have also managed to develop better interaction processes with the team members. Indeed, some team members come seeking my opinion and advice on some issues affecting our team. This did not happen before. Despite the communication skills learning contract helping me to communicate effectively, listening skills have been instrument al in gathering information from the team members on areas where strategic initiatives needs being developed. Without the listening skills, it is problematic to interpret the issues that affect the team performance. This opening up of the group to engage every team members in the decision making process has seen the team register improved performance in all games. My friends and family members have noted the effort that I have been making to communicate better with them. They are to the opinion that the efforts that I have made over the last 9 weeks were incredible in aiding them to communicate better with me. The arguments that I have been engaged with friends and family members have also been based on open communications. This has reduced incidence of conflicts. How I will use these skills in the future Currently, I have managed to develop good communication skills, which have proved to be effective. The main concerns are how to utilise these skills in the future in the work envir onment. The lessons, skills and knowledge developed during the semester are important in enabling me to resolve work conflicts through effective communication. The plan is to continue developing the skills so that I can also incorporate various issues that may make communication strategies in a work environment different from the communication strategies required in the university settings with peers and/or with family members. Conclusion Leaders in a dynamic operational environment for an organisation require having good communication skills for them to have the capacity to win the confidence of all employees and other organisational stakeholders. Communication is an important aspect of an organisation, which helps to facilitate the transfer of information from one person to another within the organisation. In the course of the last 9 weeks, I had been learning communication skills via experience. The results indicated that I have realised positive outcomes. The plan is continue wi th this learning spirit to become an effective. Reference List Dasgupta, S., Suar, D., Singh, S. (2013). Impact of managerial communication styles on employees’ attitudes and behaviours. Employee Relations, 35(2), 173 – 199. Fernstrom, M., Reed, K., Rahavi, E Dooher, C. (2012). Communication strategies to help reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases: Proceedings from the inaugural IFIC Foundation Global Diet and Physical Activity Communications Summit. Nutrition Reviews, 70(5), 301 –310. Kaplan, S., Norton, P. (2004). How strategy maps frame an organisations objectives. Financial Executive, 20(2), 40−45. Malina, M., Selto, F. (2001). Communicating and controlling strategy: An empirical study of the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 13(3), 47−91. McFarlin, B., Sweeney, D., Cotton, L. (2003). Attitudes toward employee participation in decision-making: A comparison of European and American managers in a U.S. multinational. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(4), 363−383. McShane, S., Olekalns, M., Travaglione, T. (2010). Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim. Australia: McGraw Hill. Perry, M., Bodkin, C. (2000). Content analysis of Fortune 100 company web sites. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 5(2), 87-97. Philport, J., Arbittier, J. (2007). Advertising: Brand communications styles in established media and the Internet. Journal of Advertising Research, 37(2), 68-76. Robbins, S., Judge, T., Millett, B., Boyle, M. (2011). Organisational Behaviour. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Williams, J., Seaman, E. (2001). Predicting change in management accounting systems: National culture and industry effects. Accounting, Organisations and Society, 26(5), 443−460. Wok, S., Hashim, J. (2013). Communicating and sharing working relationships with older employees. Journal of Communication Management, 17(2), 100–1 21. Zeng, J., Anh, P., Matsui, Y. (2013). Shop-floor communication and process management for quality performance: An empirical analysis of quality management. Management Research Review, 36(5), 454–477.

Arab Nationalism in the Modern Context

Arab Nationalism in the Modern Context ‘Arab Nationalism’ was an important part of anti-colonial struggle. A generation on it has little meaning today. Discuss. This essay will examine to what extent Arab nationalism as an ideology was of significance to the anti-colonial struggle and the influence of Arab nationalism in present times. A prominent question of interest in this study will be: was western domination eliminated due to the might of Arab nationalism? Certainly there has been a debate surrounding the significance of Arab nationalism today, this essay will highlight central issues surrounding the debate such as whether Arab nationalism has terminally declined or has just become a lessened force. A further question of concern will be: If Arab nationalism has gone into political remission could it be revived or gain appeal in present times? Furthermore this study will analyse when Arab nationalism was at its strongest and when the greatest expression of Arab nationalism were evident. Arab nationalism is considered to be a nationalist ideology which objective is to achieve a unified Arab nation encompassing the entire territory which is categorised as â€Å"the Arab World† from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf (Karsh Arab nationalism and the set of beliefs surrounding the ideology were believed to have the capability to dissolve such matters in order to redeem and revert back to an indigenous culture and heritage. Most of the Arab world experienced colonial suppression and were ruled by western powers such as Britain and France. Was Arab nationalism vital in the struggle against colonialism? It is deemed that â€Å"†¦through the imperial world during the decolonizing period, protest, resistance, and independence movements were fuelled by one or another nationalism† (Said, 1993). The end of the Second World War caused vast political, social and economic transformations to the world order subsequently certain colonised nations gained their independence. In spite of this, the end of explicit or direct colonialism obviously did not equate to the termination of colonial dominance. European powers sought to retain their power across the Middle East and North Africa and colonialism still dominated large parts of the region. European imperialist presence was still evident as certain monarchies were under their rule and were still well disposed to them. For example, Egypt had been granted independence by the British in 1933 however Britain still played a direct role in Egyptian affairs and exercised a huge influence over the nation. It would be in this context that Arab nationalism would serve to provide a compelling set of beliefs and gain ground as a robust force in opposition to foreign occupation. Rafik Asha deemed that â€Å"(Arab) nationalism constitutes the vital soul-force of our people, the bloodstream of Arab life and political vitality, the spirit which guides a resurgent people towards freedom from domination, servitude and pat ronage† (Pfaff, 1970). The Arab nationalist movement was immensely advanced by Gamal Abdel Nasser whom attained power in Egypt and became the nation’s president. In 1956, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal which had still been occupied by the British. Furthermore, he fought against British, French and Israeli hostility and attacks towards Egypt later on that year. Both these forms of action exhibited a defiant attitude towards the Western powers and inevitably forced them into submission. During this epoch, Arab nationalism gained immense support and popularity throughout the Middle East and North Africa due to Nasser’s leadership furthermore many people in other Arab nations believed that they shared a common struggle against colonial powers.

Influences on comprehension, fluency, and word recognition Essay

Influences on comprehension, fluency, and word recognition - Essay Example Rather, it is a thinking process, where the reader thinks about what the symbols, signs and the words mean (p.99). To further contextualize the definition, the authors cited explanation from other sources that underscore how the reading comprehension reduces uncertainty and builds the bridge between the new and the known (p.99). The RAND Corporation also developed a similar definition, that which considers reading comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language (Sweet and Snow 2003, p.10). Based from these definitions, one can infer several important insights. First, reading comprehension is a big concept that encompasses word and symbol recognition, the level of reading fluency and the ability to understand and think about the texts being read. Consequently, this paper will refer to reading comprehension as inclusive of cognition, fluency and word recognition. In addition, the framework also reveals that it is a construct resulting from social and/or cultural processes. The understanding required for the symbols and texts entails the influences of the environment, not unlike how children acquire cognitive abilities and behaviors. These points are important because they underpin the position that technology, motivation and instruction are crucial in developing reading comprehension ability. A study undertaken by Lietz (1996) measured the reading comprehension skills of students across six countries. There were at least four variables identified as major influences in a learner’s reading comprehension: gender, the education of the parents, the education of the learner, and the number of books and resources available (p.398). This study corroborates the position that reading comprehension is affected by environmental factors. For example, the education of the parents implies numerous dimensions. First, there is the level of awareness regarding the learner’s cognitive development. A higher educational attainment would mean a better understanding of the psychology of the learner. It could also be influence the perspective of the parents on education, academic performance and reading. Based from such perspective, the availability or unavailability of resources – which was also an identified variable - such as books, computer, the Internet, among others are determined. The body of literature on this subject echoes this theme. Alcantara et al. (2003), found that the attitudes of the parents, siblings and peers as well as the home background (i.e. whether the learner is read to or provided with sufficient reading materials) are crucial in the acquisition of reading comprehension ability (p.89). What these studies highlight is the fact that reading comprehension is a skill that is learned through a complex process, involving many factors. Student Motivation The student motivation is easily the most important variable that influences re ading comprehension or the acquisition of the ability. As has been mentioned earlier, reading comprehension is a cognitive process. This prompted Paris and Stahl (2005) to conclude that motivational processes are integral to it. It was argued that, generally, motivation, along other constructs, is behind comprehension, which for its part is considered as a psychological phenomenon (p.29). They demonstrated the dynamics of

Declaration of Independence Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Declaration of Independence Evaluation - Essay Example Declaration of independence was not entirely congress original work in terms of convictions and ideas. It has several similarities with the work of John Locke work about the American treatise. The beginning clauses of the document that states that human kind was created alike with inalienable rights of liberty, life and freedom is in conjunction with the Locke philosophy. Locke point of view was that all the jurisdiction and power is equal with no citizen having more than the other does. The document further proceeds to emphasize that government is established through the decision of the citizens to protect their rights. Furthermore, it claims that in case the state does not address and protect the rights of the people then it will be the democracy of the citizens to abolish or alter the government. The Locke’s philosophy is well enshrined in the document. Hobbes counter declaration mimics the ideologies of declaration of independence and the Hobbes ideas was to justify the ki ng's action in England as perfectly legitimate. Hobbes perception and beliefs allowed the people to elect sovereign once and after that, the people should be obedient to the government without questioning. The sovereign as called by Hobbes decides the successor and the rules. The perspective was seen the United States founding fathers that this method will leave the government vulnerable to corruption. With the idea they opted to apply Locke’s’ philosophy. Hobbes document saw the need for the people to abolish any political bond that is connecting them and take the power sovereign land. He further expounded that opinion of the humankind necessity declaring the cause that forces the people to dissolve. His ideologies were evident that humanity are created alike and endowed with life by the creator and securing the rights the governments were to be formed among the few. Hobessian perspective on the declaration of independence could have stated that if any type of leaders hip cannot protect the people then the rights of the citizens to dissolve it could have been necessary. As the government could protect the citizens then the people must respect and obey the said government. His perspective also was of the view that the said government had the obligation of assenting to bills even if it was not the opinion of the people. The government is endowed with rights that are suitable as far as it will not disable its ability to protect the people. Hobbes argued that equality and freedom in respect to individual rights meant that individuals could pursue their interest and survival without limitation in the state of nature. The government is without duty to respect the rights of the individuals. The state of nature herein is the state of war hence Locke has claimed the people have the duty to respect the individual’s rights even in the state of nature source of the duty being the natural law. There is also a difference to the Hobbes perception in that Locke argued differently about the property. They both agree that individuals have rights to any property in the state of nature. They also differed in that Hobbes denies the individual duty of the citizen to respect the property of others. In this perspective, the property is made less or useless in a state of nature according to Hobbes. On the other side, Locke is of the opinion that individuals

Miami International Airport Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Miami International Airport - Research Paper Example The airport is used by both passengers and cargo. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department operates the airport. Miami International Airport is the property of Miami-Dade county government. It is one of the busiest airports in the world and was founded in 1928. Miami International Airport is located on three thousand two hundred and thirty acres of land near downtown Miami. Its terminal is being expanded to more than seven million square feet through a capital improvement program which is scheduled for final completion in early 2014 (Peter, 2009). The high number of passengers and cargo that go through the airport tend to have political, social and economic impact. This is because of the trade between different countries and the exchange of ideas and work force between different countries. Like many airports around the world, there are social amenities at the airport that contribute to the economy an example being the Miami International Airport Hotel. Apart from being a place where tourists and other passengers can check in for a rest, it highly contributes to the economy of the country and also helps in maintaining the airports standard (Didion, 1998). The economic impact is not only in the amount of revenue generated but also in the number of jobs created. Miami International Airport and the General Aviation Airports have an annual economic impact of thirty two point eight billion U.S dollars. The airport and other related aviation industries contribute a total of two hundred and seventy two thousand three hundred and ninety five jobs directly and indirectly to the local economy. This means that the airport creates one out of every four jobs. The activities that go on daily at the airport have contributed to its economic impact (Peter, 2009). Among U.S Airports, it is ranked the first in international freight, second in international passengers, third in total freight, third in

Why Radical Right Parties Struggle to Maintain Support

Why Radical Right Parties Struggle to Maintain Support Explaining the rapid decline in support for radical right parties in Western Europe Abstract The general trend amongst the radical right parties of Western Europe has been a steady increase of fortunes in elections to the national legislature. However, cases in France, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands have presented a phenomenon whereby the party haemorrhages their share of the vote soon after an electoral breakthrough. The aim of this work will be to highlight why (where it occurs) parties of the extreme right have struggled to maintain the consistent support of a large portion of the electorate and explain why this decline is more rapid than traditional mainstream parties. Introduction Background Amongst observers of Western European parties of the radical, or extreme, right there has been a general consensus that the last three decades have exhibited a trend of resurgent fortunes. Since the collapse in support and legitimacy for such parties in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War and the onset of the Cold War, they initially struggled to establish an electoral foothold in both the traditionally and newly democratic systems of Western Europe. Approaching the 21st Century, though, most countries in Western Europe witnessed an upturn in fortunes for the radical right, with many achieving the status of mass organised parties and becoming a persistent presence in national legislatures. Consequently, academic literature has tended to focus on the reasons behind this phenomenon, observers attempting to provide explanations behind the electoral performance of specific parties or an over-arching explanation of why radical right parties appear to be becoming increasingly p opular and successful in elections to national legislatures. This has provided several factors which are generally considered to be conducive towards the success of the radical right, such as: populist appeal; charismatic leadership; shifting debate in the political spectrum which creates a niche which the radical right alone can exploit; increasing salience of radical right issues; notably immigration and race relations; decline in voter confidence in the traditional democratic elites (including electoral effects of voter apathy); and increasing perception of mainstream party corruption; and inability to deliver on critical issues; and more. Taking the general theme of research in this area, then, one might assume that the fortunes of Western European radical right parties has on the whole been of increasing, or at least stable, electoral fortunes. Indeed, in researching for this paper, it has been noted that electoral results for radical right parties to national legislatures has in almost all Western European countries been improving over the last three decades. However, there are certain cases which present an interesting question regarding the futures of such parties and the continuance of this trend. This is the question of whether they are institutionally capable and stable enough to maintain support and legitimacy, as well as operate as a successful governing party once they have achieved significant success. Such success we might define as the institutionalisation of the party as a relatively permanent feature in national elections, with reasonable potential to participate in coalition negotiations or be a signif icant factor affecting the passing of bills and focus of debate in the national legislature and media. As mentioned, for many parties this is already a reality, or could realistically become one, but four cases suggest that once extreme right parties have reached a certain level of support, they encounter the same risks as many other institutionalised parties with regard to reversals in fortune. However, I will argue that many of the risks they face are unique to parties of the radical/extreme right, and hence why in the cases under study the decline in support has been so rapid. The cases under question regard when parties of the radical right experience a reversal of the general electoral trend, namely a decline in support. As mentioned, examples of this have been the exception rather than the rule, but are of significant interest because of the fact that radical right parties are still essentially niche parties. The cases investigated in this paper Austrias FPO, Frances Front National, Germanys Die Republikaner, and the Dutch parties of the radical right have all at some point experienced a significant downturn in electoral support in national elections. In 2002, the FPO slipped from 26.9% of the popular vote to just 10% after a tumultuous period in coalition with the OVP, and though experiencing a resurgence in fortunes, the party has suffered from Haiders split to form the BZO. In Germany, the Republikaner party went from being a party with European Parliament and Landtag seats and polling over half a million votes in federal elections by 1998, to a sp lintered and no longer apparently extremist party which has almost dropped off the electoral map in federal elections. The French Front National has been an ever-present and outspoken feature of French politics since Jean-Marie Le Pen burst onto the scene, but after the unexpected success in the 2002 presidential elections, they have been unable to maintain momentum, with numerous internal spats and a slide a results in 2007 Le Pens lowest result in presidential elections since 1981, and the National Assembly results more than halving. Finally, the Netherlands presents an interesting case, whereby several radical right parties have scored seats in general elections, yet so far all have swiftly collapsed, despite what might be argued is a fertile ground for the radical right as a force in Dutch politics. These cases stand out because of the unusually damaging decline in electoral fortunes, which buck the trend of established radical right party performance over the last three decades. Whilst there are examples of established radical right parties (i.e.: parties which have representation in the national legislature over several terms) which have suffered electoral setbacks (notably the Alleanza Nazionale in 2001, Norways Fremskrittspartiet in 1993), such declines in support have been relatively minor, and such parties have recovered from them swiftly. This paper seeks to provide some explanation as to why the reversal in electoral fortunes for the four parties under investigation here has been so rapid. Whilst there have been cases elsewhere in Western Europe of radical right parties suffering electoral setbacks, none have been so markedly significant as these, where the parties under examination have experienced declines in performance of at least 60% in elections to the national leg islature in the space of just two elections. In two cases the LPF and Republikaner this has been near a near terminal decline; in the case of the FPO, this was followed by a significant split from which they are only just recovering; and the FN are left at in a difficult position, particularly given the age of their ever-present leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. These results stand in stark contrast to the general story of radical right success in recent decades, where a decline in votes for an established party has been both relatively minor and recoverable from, the four parties under investigation have experienced what appear to be electoral nose-dives. Consequently an examination of the reasons why these four parties have suffered such unusually damaging results might help to produce interesting results concerning how the parties of the radical right operate as an electoral force and any unique challenges they face in consolidating themselves in the party systems of Western Europe. Previous research in this area As mentioned earlier, general research into the declining fortunes of the radical right has been relatively sparse and overwhelmed in comparison to the amount of research conducted into the reasons behind success for the radical right. Much of the general work into the radical right as a new phenomenon has provided useful grounds for research into decline, most notably Herbert Kitschelts The Radical Right in Western Europe (University of Michigan Press, 1995), which posited that the radical rights success in the late 20th century can to a large extent be explained by an electoral systems effect on voter choice. This seminal work has gone some way to explaining the differing levels of success exhibited by the radical right, offering a plausible reason why there appear to be significant limits to radical right success at a national level in mixed and majoritarian systems, such as the UK, Germany and Scandinavia, compared to systems which are more proportional or have lower thresholds for entry into legislatures. It is useful to take into account the effect of electoral systems, given that many individual and general studies suggest that successful radical right parties will often exhibit very similar traits with rega rd to leadership style, policy platforms and party organisation, and in particular the mobilisation of electoral coalitions on common policy issues; yet these similarities stand in contrast to electoral results which might vary greatly. Though Kitschelts theory as elucidated in The Radical Right is intended primarily to explain the conditions for radical right emergence and success, it has also been to some extent used to explain the converse why the radical right might experience a decline in success. However, the great weakness of Kitschelts study is that it is so concerned with explaining conditions for emergence. Numerous studies have gone to show that taking the converse of Kitschelts theory that electoral systems can explain reversals in success for radical right parties will not provide satisfactory explanations of the radical right phenomenon. Partly this is because the electoral systems model cannot account for reversals in success once a radical right party has become established. Indeed, if we take Kitschelts theory strictly, we might conclude that once a radical right party has established itself as a legitimate and vote-winning parliamentary party (i.e.: it has broken through the electoral thresholds and maintained representation for at least one subsequent election), then it is unlikely to fall back into a position whereby it retreats into permanent decline despite a permeable electoral system. Significant counter-examples to this notion exist, most notably the Dutch example, whereby the radical right has broken through electoral barriers to make relatively significant gains, only to suffer rapid and terminal decline, despite little change to the electoral system and the obvious salience of radical right politics amongst a stubborn group of extremist voters and significant group of protest voters. The issue is further complicated when we consider the effect of other actors in the electoral system. Two studies in 2005 (Veugelers and Magnan; Meguid) complimented an approach which showed how flawed an analysis of electoral systems can be when considering the reasons for a decline or restriction in the success for radical right parties. The Veugelers Magnan study sought to apply Kitschelts electoral systems theory, although the study was specifically aimed at analysing the conditions for far right strength. The significance here was that the study A.) suggested that the conditions for far right success were dependent to a significant extent upon the structure or restructuring of party competition; and B.) that an application of the electoral systems theory could not satisfactorily explain the (varying levels of) success for parties in France and Austria. Whilst Meguids studypaid little attention to electoral system features as a variable, it did present strong evidence that the a ttitudes of ‘mainstream parties towards niche (including radical right parties) is crucial to the electoral fortunes of a niche party at a general election a theory backed up by Art, who believed the differing levels of success experienced by the German and Austrian extreme right was primarily attributable to mainstream responses to their presence in the arty system. The structure of party competition is therefore of interest, as it provides the possibility of a significant external factor which might effect a decline in support for a radical right party. Individual studies have shown the significance of mainstream responses to radical right issues when it comes to electoral performance. Generally, there is a lot of divergence across countries with regard to cross-party adoption of and attitudes towards the policies and issues canvassed by the radical right. This is partly due to the nature of political discourse in each country, with what we might call ‘radical right grievances amongst voters and politicians alike rather diverse. Whilst the primary issues championed by the radical right tend to be common (foremost amongst which are immigration, race relations and anti-establishment platforms), the salience of these issues amongst voters varies significantly from country to country, and accommodation of such issues likewise. For instance, m ainstream responses to immigration and race issues in Germany are rather muted by mainstream fears of being accused of auslà ¤nderfeindlichkeit, despite it being a highly vocal issue at local level in contrast, there has been a marked shift in strategy amongst the French mainstream since the early 1990s to accommodate issues popularised by Le Pens outspoken rhetoric. Again, much of the general work on party system effects on the fortunes of the radical right has centred upon their emergence and the conditions for success, rather than failure. A general theme popularised by Ignazi (1992) was that the evolution of political discourse in post-industrial Western Europe to focus on neo-conservatism and neo-liberalism had opened up and legitimised dialogue concerning issues traditionally confined to the extreme right. Given that these same themes are to some extent still prevalent today, it might be suggested that any decline in fortunes for the radical right might be due to internal factors affecting radical right parties, rather than the result of further shifts in the political spectrum which havent been evidenced. However, Ignazis theory has become less popular recently, with studies such as Abedi (2002) suggesting that radical right parties are just as successful where ‘overcrowding of the centre is evident as when the centre parties open up (as Ignazi suggested) to allow possible entry. Further to this, no obvious correlation between a fall in support for the radical right and a change in the party system can be drawn. This is partly due to difficulties in producing a coherent model of the party system which analyses such a correlation, as well as because responses to the influence of a radical right party tend to be driven by particular or extraordinary events in the short term, rather than medium- and long-term shifts in discourse. Particularly evident are the cases of the LPF and FPO, whereby shifts to actually accommodate these parties in government by pragmatic coalition partners were immediately followed by a rapid decline in support, even though the overall terms of political debate did not significantly change over the period in question. This might lead us to agree with Abedi that any change in support for the radical right is largely unrelated to the degree of polarisation exhibited by the party system. We m ight subsequently take the view that a decline in support for a radical right party has an ambiguous relationship to restructuring of the party system. Given this we might look to the manner in which parties of the radical right garner support in the first place (excepting any influence from external actors such as those discussed above). Studies in this area have again tended to concern how the radical right achieves support in the first place. A recent example is Ivarsflatens (2008) study, which supports the theory that the only grievance mobilised by all radical right parties with any success is that of immigration. Importantly, this study suggests that radical right parties are just as effective when no particular grievance is mobilised (intentionally or not). This presents one of the more crucial issues that the radical right faces, namely how to deal with a voter base which tends to be split along three lines first, committed voters who are attracted to the partys general platform; second, voters who would normally vote otherwise, but are attracted because the issues touted by the party (in particular, immigration) suddenly b ecome more salient; and thirdly a protest vote from those voters who have become particularly disillusioned with mainstream parties(more on this later). The suggestion, consequently, is that it is not a change in policy or grievance issues which effects a drop in support for the radical right, but rather a partys response to changing perceptions of legitimacy and reliability as a legislative grouping. This is particularly important given that radical right parties so often emphasise themselves as anti-establishment, meaning they risk de-legitimisation if they acquire the labels of ‘corrupt and ‘ineffective which they hurl at mainstream parties. Having to contend with these issues, radical right parties have consequently developed rather unique party structures in order to respond effectively to voter issues. Of particular interest is common assertion that the radical right tend to be populist parties. For numerous reasons too extensive to list here, radical right parties have relied heavily on new media and the appeal of a charismatic and outspoken leadership. Due to their small size relative to mainstream parties, as well as the more transitory nature of their voter base, they have tended to rely heavily on alarmist campaigning, often gaining press coverage in excess of their size or real influence, in order to get heard and maximise their effect on party dialogue. This is a regularly observed strategy, even if it weakens or threatens solidarity and effectiveness in the party leadership. One key objective of such a technique is to widen and enhance their voter appeal, but in order to work successfully radical right parties have often had to ‘water downproposals, or at least simplify them in order to fulfil the need for soundbites and slick campaign material. Such campaigning, and a reliance on uniquely charismatic and authoritarian leadership (a common feature across the most successful radical right parties), is a factor common to most radical right parties, particularly those under study in this paper. Hypotheses Given the variety of factors affecting the establishment and growth of the radical right, it might be reasoned that there are numerous reasons behind the failings of radical right parties where they have occurred. Although external factors such as party system structure, electoral system and the nature of the electorate have been shown to have an effect on the performance of radical right parties, existing research suggests that this is most significant when a radical right party is emerging. However, I will seek to show that whilst these factors can be part of the reason for a decline in support for radical right parties, they are not necessarily primary causes. In particular, in the four cases under investigation, the hypothesis is that the external factors mentioned are not significant enough to explain why the decline in support for these parties was so rapid. The central question of this paper is why the radical right in the four countries under investigation have experienced such a substantial decline in voter share between elections, rather than a minimal drop or continuing to grow as has been the case with the radical right in other West European countries. A hypothesis based on external factors (party system and competition, media strategy, electoral system, voter issues, etc.) affecting the party is unlikely to be sufficient, as the variation in circumstances for the four parties under consideration means it would be difficult to derive a general cause for electoral demise, particularly given the highly unorthodox nature of the parties decline in comparison to the overall story of radical right success across Europe in the same period. A hypothesis based on internal factors (leadership, party strategy, etc.) alone is also insufficient, as it is difficult to envisage how the decline in votes scored on such a large scale can be the res ult of internal structural issues without a significant alteration in the external factors precipitating a decline. Comparing these cases to other Western European radical right parties which have not suffered a significant or permanent collapse in support, it is suggested that the successful parties have better managed a transition which allows them to present themselves as reliable governing parties which can (sustainably) fulfil the demands of voters in parliament or government, rather than just reliable vote-winning ­ parties which can win representation on limited issues at individual elections. The former is shown to be present in the case of parties such as Italys MSI/AN and Lega Nord, Switzerlands SVP, Norways Fremskrittspartiet, etc, all of which have avoided significant declines in vote-share despite changing conditions in the party system or electoral system. It is therefore expected that in the four cases under investigation the three most significant factors conducive to the plunge in electoral results are:- 1.) Leadership style. As mentioned, radical right parties tend to, without the ‘taming effect of coalition partners, be characterised by a populist style of campaigning, often focusing on specific political issues to fan voter sentiments and gain cross-cleavage support from the electorate. This often includes leaders who embody a highly pragmatic and charismatic leadership style. It is hypothesised that in our four cases this style of leadership makes it difficult for the party to the demands of government or maintain a stable coalition of support. 2.) Mainstream party responses to the radical right. Since the emergence of the ‘new radical right party family there has been a general move by radical right leaders towards legitimising their parties within political systems, and it is not controversial to suggest that this is a necessity for them to be perceived as legitimate by an electorate in order to break into a national legislature or into government, or by the parties they have to negotiate with in parliaments (for the passage of bills, formation of coalitions, etc.) in order to effectively influence policy. It is postulated that the reaction of mainstream parties to a breakthrough by the four parties under consideration inhibits the respective radical right partys ability to operate as a governing/policy influencing party, as well as inhibiting the ability of the initially large electoral coalition which gave them representation to support them in a consequent election. 3.) The social bases of electoral support. Given the heterogeneous nature of support for radical right parties at the polls, it is suggested that a significant portion of the vote for the parties under consideration at ‘breakthrough elections is mobilised on a temporary, rather than a permanent, basis. This could be for a variety of reasons issue salience, identification as a ‘radical right voter, legitimacy of the party. It is suggested, therefore, that the four parties under investigation have been unable to establish a stable and reliable basis of electoral support between parliaments, such that when factors (1) and or (2) come into play the party suffers from the departure of one or more groups of voters that are attracted to the party by temporary issues. Consequently the steep decline in vote share is a result of the inability of the party to consolidate their appeal to a broad enough group of voters to maintain their electoral momentum, resulting in only a small g roup of faithful voters turning out to prop up their poll numbers. Methods and Focus This paper will focus on the developments of four parties in the electoral periods relevant to the subject of enquiry. These are: the French Front National between the 2002 and 2007 presidential elections, and the 1997, 2002 and 2007 National Assembly elections; Austrias Freiheitliche Partei Osterreichs (FPO) between the 1999 and 2002 Parlament elections; Germanys Die Republikaner between the 1998 and 2002 Bundestag elections; and the cases of the Dutch radical right parties, concentrating on the electoral fortunes of the Lijst Pim Fortuyn between the 2002 and 2003 elections to the House of Representatives. In each of these cases the parties in question have gone from positions of relative strength to haemorrhaging votes, results which stand in contrast to results for radical right parties elsewhere across Western Europe. This paper will then focus on analysing whether the hypotheses listed above are true. This has been done by assessing academic papers which have analysed the conditions of the relevant parties in order to determine what, if any, consensus there is on the reasons behind these parties collapse in vote share, backing this up with media evidence where it is relevant. Additional to this, general research into the systematic effects determining what might cause a drop in votes for the radical right has been called upon in order to confirm the hypotheses, as well as potentially extrapolate the hypothesised causes for vote decline from external factors (such as changes in the party or electoral system, the strategies of rival parties, changes in issue salience, etc) in order to see if it can be confirmed. Throughout the investigation special attention will be given to several key themes which contribute the events surrounding the electoral defeats of the parties in question. These will include:- Party leadership All four parties under investigation have been generally considered by observers as exhibiting a populist style of political strategy. Three factors are worth considering here. First, how far this is important in allowing the party to generate votes at general elections; second, to what extent the party uses populist campaigning to gain influence on policy; and thirdly, how this affects the partys ability to respond to demands of government/the electorate (where relevant). Legitimacy of the party This does not concern whether or not the party is viewed as a legitimate, i.e.: not anti-system, party; rather, it concerns whether or not the party has a reputation for delivering on its promises, or can present candidates who are genuine and reliable enough for an electorate to support them. This is important in the sense that the partys chances of maintaining electoral momentum may be hampered by poor performance in government or in the legislative process in parliament. Competition in the party system How other (relevant) parties in the countrys party system respond to the challenges posed by the party of the radical right. Obviously there is a difficulty in assessing which responses by what parties actually have an affect on the performance of the radical right party. Consequently we will be looking for cases collaboration, cohabitation, or ostracisation by mainstream parties which have an observable effect on either the radical right partys electoral fortunes, or their ability to operate as a policy-influencing party (be it by governing or as a force in the legislature). Salient policy issues at elections Parties of the radical right have been noted to campaign on a breadth of issues, albeit often engaging more vocally with a specific issue in order to generate support, in contrast to mainstream parties (particularly those with ambitions of government) which are forced to campaign on a wide variety of issues affecting all voters. Consequently, it is of interest to observe whether the specific campaign and policy stances of the radical right parties at elections in any way effected (or possibly even mitigated) the decline in vote share. The social bases of support Radical right parties do not fit easily into a cleavage-based model of the party system, as they tend to draw their support from a wide variety of social backgrounds for numerous different reasons. It is of interest, therefore, from what groups did the party under investigation originally garner support in the election preceding the regression, and whether there was any observable change in the type or confidence of the groups who voted for the party by the time of their decline in the following election. Cases Studies Austria the Freiheitliche Partei Osterreichs (FPO) The FPO is possibly the most significant party to begin this investigation with, due to the fact that it is not only one of the longest established radical right parties, but also because it occupied government for far longer than any other under investigation here. Since Jà ¶rg Haider was elected leader of the party in 1986 it had experienced a remarkably sustainable rise in results, culminating in the earthquake success at the 1999 election where it became the second largest party with 26.9% of the vote. It is of note that the FPOs success has roughly correlated to the declining fortunes of the ‘Grand Coalition of SPO and OVP. Popular disenchantment with the Proporz system which had characterized Austrias two-party system came to a head in the 1999 elections when both parties opinion poll ratings slumped immediately prior to the election. The SPO/OVP coalition had not, by most standards, been particularly unsuccessful or hit by scandal, even benefitting from increasing opinion poll numbers thanks to Austrias presidency of the EU in the second half of 1998. Whilst the Social Democrats poll numbers remained remarkably stable (with only a minimal drop in 1999 compared to the OVP), the OVP had a much harder time, being unable to mitigate a general trend of decline that had continued since the 1991-95 Parlament. In particular, Mà ¼ller notes that the party had difficulty in producing a coordinated and effective campaign on election issues, compared to the aggressive campaigning of the SPO and FPO, the latter of whom was particularly successful at enlivening their campaign by recruiting celebrities such as Patrick Ortlieb and Theresia Kirler. The constitution of the vote for the FPO in the 1999 election is also interesting with regard to how it broke the OVP/SPO duopoly. The FPO had been remarkably successful at increasing turnout from voters of every background, suggesting the FPO was poaching voters from both the SPO and OVP. This is partly due to voter dissatisfaction with the continuation of the Grand Coalition still too tainted by Proporz, as well as the FPOs ability to play off Haiders recent election to the Governorship of Carinthia a success which greatly enhanced the FPOs credentials as a party of government. However, the core vote for the FPO remained blue collar (predominantly male) workers, largely (and perhaps disproportionately) drawn from former SPO-leaning voters, despite the SPO being generally seen to have been more successful than the OVP at limiting the drop in votes experienced as the 1995-9 coalition came to its end. (Though it should be noted that the FPO increasingly attracted a significant number of voters from right-leaning farmers and middle-class professionals unhappy with the OVPs commitment to the EU and perceived lack of leadership.) The FPO had also more than any other party managed to increase membership of the party, particularly amongst professionals and those exhibiting no ideological affinity for the party. Luther points out that as beneficial as this may have been for maximising turnout, the membership drive was set against a push by Haider to fill organisation posts within the party with individuals likely to be loyal to the party leadership (i.e.: Haider), including key figures such as Susanne Riess-Passer and Karl-Heinz Grasser. T