Impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management

Total quality management (TQM) has been defined as ‘continuous improvement of every production output whether it be a product or a service, by removing inefficient variations and by improving the backbone of the work process’. International managers like their domestic counterparts have found that incorporating the notion of total quality management into their management process and style can give the competitive advantage. A manager’s decision-making process regarding new or increased international operations involves reacting to the environment, seeking competitive advantage globally and assessing the company’s capability in the global context. Globalization makes managers ask certain questions. These questions include: ‘Must we be more International’? ‘Are we capable of becoming more international? ’ ‘How can we improve capability’? ‘What opportunities should we pursue? ’ This sort of questioning which globalization creates will enable the firm to identify specific weak areas and/or general lack of strength. The focus now shifts to expansion. These might include things like internal changes as well as linkages with other organizations that help provide the desired result. Therefore, the options or strategic plans must be selected with caution. Globalization makes management assess the costs and benefits of various possible modes of entry into the global market. In general, the choices can be seen as ranging from no ownership in foreign locations, to joint ventures, to sole ownership of foreign subsidiary. Globalization enables managers to make a lot of choices and decisions regarding improving their output and expanding their business activity. Each of the options they assess has benefits as well as disadvantages that the managers must weigh to make the right choices. Once the managers have made their choice, a plan of action is formulated and executed to achieve the desired foreign activity. The decision process should be assumed to be a kind of iterative process – that is having been through the model once, a manager will periodically return to the first question and repeat the process. This has the effect changing a reactive strategy into a dynamic one. Globalization creates an atmosphere where companies look to embark on international operations which in turn foster a degree of synergy. Having business operations in more than one international location provides the opportunity to transfer learning from one international location to another. The 1990s is considered to be the decade when the new era of the beginning of quality management. This was because during that period of time, firms where facing a high degree of competition, the encroachment of their market share and a depreciation in the perceptions of the quality of their products. Hence, it was necessary to adopt a quality management technique that would override any existing traditional management styles. Literature Review- This brings us to the topic of identififying the Impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management. What has been the impact of Globalization on Total Quality Management†? TQM has played in its origins a decisive role in Globalization. Globalization is a direct consequence of TQM. In 1954, John Foster Dulles, then the US Secretary of State, despised Japan as a commercial threat to USA. â€Å"The Japanese don’t make anything the people in the US would want. Twenty five years later, in 1979, when Japanese car were starting to be built in America, Business Week mocked: â€Å"With [more than] 50 foreign cars on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the US market. † Later it came â€Å"If Japan can†¦ Why can’t we? † broadcasted by NBC in 1980. And Deming. Anyway, as TQM always does, it has to adapt its processes to the needs of the organization (environment) in every moment and circumstance. Globalization is not an exception Globalization has allowed small businesses and major corporations to expand its products and services to the global market. People from all over the world can access products because of the opportunities globalization has provided. Even though some of outcomes of globalization have been controversial, the market has become more competitive than ever, thus creating the high demand for quality management. The fact that globalization has expanded the market for organizations means that TQM is more important than ever before. Customer demands are higher and if a company does not create products and services that meet their expectations they can easily access the same or similar products and services from another company. If managers do not implement TQM into their company procedure then they will fail to meet the high standards of customers all over the world and eventually lose their business. When it comes to implementing TQM, it’s the mangers responsibility to create an environment where people can work together to improve their work processes. If the ownership or senior management does not buy into this concept you will never succeed. Many people in leadership roles are either too set in their ways or closed minded to the necessary change needed to really improve the way things get done. You have to buy into the concept that there is always a better way to do something. By tapping into all the knowledge and experience your employees possess, you develop solutions that not only improve your execution, you provide everyone with a sense of accomplishment.. These â€Å"process improvement teams† give employees a chance to help steer the future direction of their company. The other problem you have in implementing a team concept is the team members themselves. Many people have great ideas but do not feel comfortable sharing them. They would rather be told what to do, this way if something goes wrong it's not their fault. They actually know a better way to do something, but they don't want to stick their neck out for fear of taking responsibility. By creating a team solution everyone has a vested interest in its success, thus everyone becomes responsible. You are collectively working together to implement these changes, so the chances of success are greatly improved. If a company can develop a team concept that permeates through out its entire workforce, they are much better equipped to handle the constant challenges they face. If everyone has a vested interest in the current and future success of their company, the company's best interest would always come first. The real challenge any company faces is making these concepts a reality. The following outlines the pros and cons of globalization on quality: Pros †¢Viewing both the productivity grows quickly when countries produce goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage. Living standards can go up faster. †¢Global competition and cheap imports keep a lid on prices, so inflation is less likely to derail economic growth. An open economy spurs innovation with fresh ideas from abroad. †¢Export jobs often pay more than other jobs. †¢Unfettered capital flows give the US access to foreign investment and keep interest rates low. . The Pros for globalization show that prices will be kept at one set price and that money will be quickly made by all. The help with foreign countries could also speed up technology as well. Technology could help the underdeveloped countries in the long run, and everyone overall economically. Cons: †¢Millions of Americans have lost jobs due to imports or production shifts abroad. Most find new jobs – that pay less. Millions of others fear losing their jobs, especially at those companies operating under competitive pressure. †¢Workers face pay-cut demands from employers, which often threaten to export jobs. †¢Service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations moving offshore. †¢US employees can loose their comparative advantage when companies build advanced factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those at home. The Con list shows that the concerns are that smaller businesses will be put out of business by larger ones. Also stating that only the white-collar or richer people will be making a benefit in the changes. Demonstrations and Applications in the Business World – Total Quality Management at Tyson Foods- Tyson Foods is known for its high quality products such as chicken, pork, and beef to name a few. Tyson Foods has carefully implemented quality management practices to stay ahead of the competition and because their products are closely regulated by government officials. Recently Tyson Foods opened a new laboratory in Arkansas to test and research food safety. The new laboratory has earned two International Organization of Standardization (ISO) certifications which are the ISO 9001-2000 and the ISO 17025. Tyson Foods is responsible for creating and maintaining the highest quality products on the market. Without this seal of approval from the USDA, Tyson Foods could not operate in the United States nor globally and no company would buy their products. TQM is the most important aspect of Tyson Foods' management process because without TQM they would cease to exist. Total Quality Management is very important in today's industry because of the high demand for quality from customers. The competition to create high quality products and services is ever increasing because the market is very large. Customers can find products from anywhere in the world thanks to technology and the internet so this increases the demand for Total Quality Management within companies. If companies want to continue to stay in business selling their products and services to customers they must implement TQM into their business practice or they will fail to meet customer demands and ISO regulations. TQM has become the new wave of management in today's society because the needs, desires, and demands of customers can be easily met by the vast majority of competition. Competition is the hardest thing a company must deal with and to ensure the competition is fair and equal each company must use Total Quality Management to stay ahead of the game. Conclusion & Reflection – In conclusion, as the demands on firms are changing and increasingly requiring more flexible manufacturing and work practices, team work and multi-skilling are essential if firms are to stay competitive. This means training the work force in a variety of skills so that they can react quickly to changes in models and production runs. Moves in other countries to encourage greater cooperation between industry and education are a testament to the benefits that can be derived. Cross-cultural training is also a necessity for any organization in order for it to survive in todays increasingly globalize and quality oriented environment. Also, reflecting back on this assignment and how this class has enhanced my knowledge on quality and how important quality is not only to the consumer, but also how it can set the standard on any particular industry. I also learned that quality at a globalization level is any less important than it is at a local level.

Queen Sheba

I would like to engage on a quest to identify the Queen of Sheba. Having read the rather newly published co-authored book by John Ashton and David Down, Unwrapping the Pharaohs, who states that the Queen of Sheba would be identified with the Egyptian Queen/Pharaoh, Hatshepsut. I have often referred to sources, even Christian authors and archeologists that identify the Queen of Sheba as being from the South Arabian capital, â€Å"Marib in Yemen. † With the new archaeological discoveries, including the body of Queen Hatshepsut, and the many presentations, it will be interesting to discover the truths about the great pharaoh.Secular and many Christian sources seem to parrot the same theories which also contradict the archeological interpretations of the discoveries of Sheba and the discoveris of the Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt. Perhaps while the discovery of Sheba supports the Biblical mention of the place as having actually existed; but does this necessarily mean that a queen from this place actually visited Solomon? Or that a person from this place is the famous Queen of Sheba and the same that Jesus alludes? Perhaps new lights will shed a spark of truth and further qualify or authenticate the Bible as the inspired word of God.More than this, if historians and archeologists can provide enough evidence to support the Queen of Sheba as Hatshepsut, perhaps totally new discoveries will significantly impact knowledge of this time period in Egyptian history and the relationship between King Solomon and Egypt at this time. Truth is challenged by fiction; many times fiction becomes truth. The ultimate importance of this topic is Biblically and historically related. The Bible is the greatest book ever written! It is the greatest story- HIS story- of how God created man and gave him freedom of choice.His story tells and instructs in the greatest characteristics any human is capable of possessing, that of an unending and unconditional love. Some of the books of the Bi ble are excellent historical books, as a matter of fact, the earliest historical books that we have. And, quiet, accurate, because we have cross-references from other sources, and they are found to be most very precise so they are very important. This discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was the most famous event in Biblical archeology, but it was, by no means, the first.The urge to explore Biblical history has a venerable tradition. It's a search that began in the Holy Land but would lead to Mesopotamia. Throughout history, crusaders, mystics, and believers have been drawn to sites where the great Bible stories took place; but with the arrival of the nineteenth century, a new kind of pilgrim sought to fortify their belief in the Bible through the infant science of archeology. This fortification give rise to the question concerning the identities of the Queen of Sheba and Hatshepsut, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt.Much speculation cause debate among scholars, but a picture is worth a thous and words, they say. A somewhat nebulous figure, the Queen of Sheba (fl. 10th century BCE)- known also as Bilgis and as Makeda- figures prominently in Judaic, Islamic, and Ethiopian traditions. Her legendary voyage to meet Solomon, King of Israel, has inspired centuries of speculation about her kingdom and influence in the ancient world. Modern day Ethiopians believe her, as the mother of their first Emperor, Menilek I, to be the ultimate maternal ancestor of the dominant Ethiopian royal dynasty.A Queen of Legend Little has been verified about the Queen of Sheba's life- in fact, even such basic details as her given name and the exact location of her kingdom remain uncertain. Tradition places her date of birth in the latter half of the 11th century BCE and her death in approximately 955 BCE; although her kingdom is referred to as both to the south and to the east of Israel scholars generally believe her to have ruled an area in northern Africa roughly equivalent to modern-day Ethiopi a, a country which claims her the progenitor of their long-ruling Solomonic dynasty.The Queen 10th century BCE visit ot the grand court of Solomon, King of Israel and son of the legendary Goliathslayer David, however, is well attested in three major ancient sources: the Biblical Old Testament, the Islamic Qu'ran, and the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings). These three perspectives on the Queen meld to create a picture of one of the relatively rare, powerful female monarchs of the ancient world. A Biblical Riddler The most widespread story of the Queen of Sheba stems from an Old Testament passage describing her journey to Jerusalem to meet with the Jewish king, Solomon, renowned for his wisdom.An account of her stay at Solomon's court appears in I Kings 10:1 – 14 and in a nearly word-for-word repetition, 2 Chronicles 9:1 – 12. Both passages begin: â€Å"The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questio ns. She brought with her a large group of attendants, as well as camels loaded with spices, jewels, and a large amount of gold. When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. The rest of the tale describes the Queen's awe of Solomon's wisdom, riches, and relationship with God, as well as the two monarchs' exchange of gifts. This brief text forms the basis for later embellishments of the queen's voyage. Few other direct references to the queen occur in Biblical sources. In Matthew 12:42 (repeated almost exactly in Luke 11:31), Jesus says, â€Å"On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse you, because she traveled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching. Also, throughout the centuries, the Old Testament book known alternately as the Song of Songs and the Song of Solomon has been speculated to be a series of love poems sent be tween Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. A story that certainly served as inspiration for later Islamic and Ethiopian writers appears in a late paraphrase of the book of Esther explained by C. H. Toy in the Journal of American Folklore article â€Å"The Queen of Sheba. † â€Å"On a certain day when [Solomon's] heart was warmed by wine, he †¦ invited all the †¦ kings of the of the East and the West †¦ in order that the kings might see his greatness.All †¦ came except the moorcock †¦ [who] excused himself by saying that for three months he had been flying over the earth †¦ to see if there was any land that did not acknowledge the king's authority. † The bird reports he has discovered a fertile land to the east ruled by the Queen of Sheba and Solomon, intrigued, sends the bird back to the queen with a letter requesting her presence at his court. The queen wrote back, sending presents, and undertook the voyage to Jerusalem in three years-although the journey normally required seven years-spurred by her desire to pose riddles to Solomon.Solomon answers correctly, proving his wisdom to the powerful queen. An Islamic Convert The Islamic legend of the Queen of Sheba, or Bilqis (alternatively, Balkis) as she is known in the Arabian tradition, stems from these short Jewish narratives. The story of the Queen's appearance at Solomon's court in the Islamic holy text, The Qu'ran, follows a thread similar to that of the Book of Esther. In Chapter 27 of the Qu'ran, a messenger bird declared: â€Å"I have come to thee from Saba with sure tidings.I found a woman ruling over all of them; she has been granted everything and she has a wondrous throne. I found her and her worshipping the sun, instead of Allah. † The passage further explains that Satan has led the queen and her subjects away from Allah, and Solomon, thinking to test this assertion, sends the bird back to the queen with a letter requesting confirmation of the bird's tal e. Upon receiving the queen's response of extravagant gifts, Solomon is not satisfied and writes again, requesting her presence.The queen visits Solomon and, awed by his court, converts to the worship of Allah. Arabian legends based on the Qu'ran embellish this story to include some speculation about the queen's descent from demons and later, her possible marriage to Solomon. Solomon's advisors inform him that the queen has hairy legs; to discover the truth of this, Solomon constructs a palace with glass floors. The queen, believing the floor to be made of water, lifts her skirts, revealing her legs and feet.As Toy commented, â€Å"later Moslem writers interpreted this physical peculiarity as showing that she was of jinn descent; they constructed a romantic history of her father's marriage to a jinn maiden. † Legends also conjectured that the queen and Solomon wed during her visit to his court and had a son who succeeded to the throne of Sheba. An Ethiopian Queen This marriag e figures prominently in the Ethiopian accounts of the queen. Drawing on Jewish and Islamic traditions, the Ethiopian story of the Queen of Sheba – identified with Makeda, Queen of Ethiopia – provides the most extensive picture of the Queen.Told in the Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings), a 14th century compilation of regional oral histories, this version also begins with a voyage to King Solomon's court at Jerusalem. â€Å"The Queen was dumbstruck with wonder at the things that she heard from [a traveling merchant], and she pondered in her heart that she would to go to Solomon, the King,† related the Kebra Nagast, which further details her voyage from Ethiopia bringing lavish gifts to the King. During the queen's stay, Solomon became infactuated with her.Determined to have the virginal queen, Solomon extracts a promise from the queen to take nothing that belongs to him and then orders a grand banquet to be served the night before her departure. As Harold G. Marcu s detailed in A History of Ethiopia: â€Å"He directed his cook to serve the best wines to prepare the spiciest dishes, both of which happily suited Makeda. After having eaten and drunk her fill, the queen fell into a stupor, during which Solomon had jugs of water, labeled as his property, placed strategically around her sofa.When Makeda reawakened, she immediately gulped down some water, an act that permitted King Solomon to satisfy his lust. † Solomon, having afterwards dreamt that God was granting him an heir by the queen, requested that the queen send their son to Jerusalem when the boy came of age. Accordingly, the queen gave birth to a son, Ebna Hakim, who traveled to his father's court as an adolescent. In Pillars of Ethiopian History, William Leo Hansberry recorded that â€Å"Solomon †¦ was overjoyed to see his handsome and noble-minded son. Solomon did his best to persuade Ebna Hakim to remain to Jerusalem, with the intention of making him his successor; but th e young prince was deaf to his father's pleas. † Solomon thus confirmed his son as the future King of Ethiopia and gathered several of his advisors' sons to return with Ebna Hakim and assist him during his rule. This group refused to leave Jerusalem without the legendary Ark of the Covenant-the chest reputed to contain the original tablets of the Ten Commandments sent to Moses by God, among other religious artifacts-and so, stole the Ark.As Marcus commented, â€Å"The larceny was apparently approved by God, who levitated the youths and their holy cargo across the Red Sea before discovery and chase by Solomon's forces. † To this day, Ethiopian tradition places the Ark in the northern Ethiopian city Axum. When the queen died in the mid-10th century BCE, her son rose to the Ethiopian throne as Emperor Menilek I. This Solomonic Dynasty ruled Ethiopia for much of the next 2000 years; the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Sellassie, claimed descent from Solomon and the queen th rough Menilek. A Lasting LegacyAs these varied accounts show, the Queen of Sheba has fascinated and inspired numerous cultures for nearly 3000 years. The lack of any verifiable details of her life does not seem to inspire doubt about her existence. As Nicholas Clapp commented in Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen, â€Å"Her encounter with King Solomon must have happened †¦ because as biblical tales go, it was so dull. She shows up; she's awed; she's crestfallen; she leaves. Nobody is led in or out of temptation, is distraught or gets killed; there is no evident moral message.The story had the earmarks of a day-in, day-out formal court record †¦ [this is] reinforced by passages immediately preceding and following the Sheba story, passages that dwell on Solomon's prowess in foreign affairs. † Instead of being ignored due to its brevity, the bare narrative given in the Old Testament has served as ample fodder for fanciful stories and modern scho larly and popular speculation about the relationship between the wealthy, intelligent queen and the religious, wise King Solomon.Centuries after her death, the Queen of Sheba still rules over the imaginations of people both within and far beyond the boundaries of her ancient kingdom. Books Clapp, Nicholas, Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001 Holy Bible, American Bible Society, 1978. Kebra Negast, trans. Miguel F. Brooks, The Red Sea Press, Inc. 1996. Marcus Harold G. , A History of Ethiopia, University of California Press, 1994. Qu’ran, trans. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Interlink Publishing Group-Olive Branch Press, 1997. Shah, Tahir, In Search of King Solomon’s Mines, Arcade Publishing, 2002.

Investment Analysis and Security Valuation to a Real Life Situation Research Paper

Investment Analysis and Security Valuation to a Real Life Situation - Research Paper Example The scrip of the Almarai Company under the agriculture and food sector has been given a buy recommendation as it is a bull in the market which is also outperforming most of the other players of this sector. Almarai Company is one of the attractive stocks on the Saudi Stock Exchange Tadawul. The stock is actively traded. Eqarani (2012) has reviewed Almarai to be the largest integrated dairy company in the world, with a well recognized brand that was ranked number three in Forbes’s ‘Top-40 Arab Brands’ list. A snap shot taken out of the exchange and presented as Fig 1 depicts its active trading patterns. Fig1 The company has the authorized capital of 4000 million Saudi Arab Riyals and has issued 400 million shares of par value of 10 Riyals. The stock is trading at a level above 50 Riyals on Tadawul stock exchange. The company has a paid capital of 4000 million Riyals and its floated issued shares are 165,409,795. The company belongs to the agriculture and food secto r which is a tremendously growing sector of the economy of Saudi Arabia. The growth for this sector on the Tadawul in last one year is 29.21%. There are reasons. Saudi Arabia is the largest market in the middle-east for agricultural and food products. This sector of economy in Saudi Arabia is growing at a GDP of 8%. Agriculture products in Saudi Arabia account for more than 25% of the private sector investments. The companies not only produce for the local market but they are eying the export market also in the surrounding middle-east countries. All the more, the Saudi government has set its priority on becoming self dependent on the food front because still it is importing 70% of the food items. It is boon time for companies including multinationals for meteorically rise in this progressing economy. Almarai Company already holds a significant place in the economy. The company enjoys a robust health and is a mature company. It was established way back in 1977. The then chairman of t he company Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saudi Al Kabeer worked with a vision to transform the tiny dairy farming industry into an efficient and professional giant that should be able to cater to the growing demands of its population and that too by making its products available at affordable costs. A few graphs presented below depict the consistent good performance of the company in last few years. Graph 1 (Years range from 1 to 4 on X-axis is 2008 to 2011) The Graph 1 shows that the revenue earned by the company is rising at a consistent rate of 8 to 10 per cent each subsequent year. This is an indicator of robust market position of the company. Graph 2 (Years range from 1 to 4 on X-axis is 2008 to 2011) The scenario of operating income is comfortable. The operating income in Dec’ 2011 is 1517 million riyals incrementing by 59 million riyals in comparison to the operating income level of 1459 million riyals in Dec’2010. In contrast to this the incremental enhancemen t in the operating income in Dec’2010 was 494 million riyals in comparison to its level of 965 million riyals in Dec’ 2009. This is a point of concern but at the same time the capital investment in the expansions done by the company explains this low incremental increase in Dec’2011. It is not that heavier in comparison to

The groups that were affected by the BP Oil spill disaster in the Gulf Essay

The groups that were affected by the BP Oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - Essay Example To better understand the situation, a brief background of the how the catastrophe occurred is important. Deepwater Horizon was a 9 year old semi-submersible oil rig functioning in the waters of the Mississippi canyons, under lease of British Petroleum. At the time of the explosion, there were drilling going on for an exploratory well at depths of about 5000 feet. The well was almost funcationaly complete, whereas major cementing work was being carried out by one of the concerned parties/ contractor of BP, Halliburton (BBC, 2010). After completion of the well, it could be used as a subsea producer later. However, catastrophe struck on 20th April, 2010, methane gas shot up from the well 5000 feet under the ground and it shot up all the way up to the rig. The safety instruments did not react properly to this phenomena and the rig caught fire as methane exploded on the rig. All but eleven workers were saved through rescue efforts and lifeboats. This catastrophe didn’t end here; an oil leak was found where the oil rig stood 3 days ago. This sleek oil cover started endangering life. According to official estimates of August 2 and about 62000 barrels of oil per day has escaped the well into the water, endangering the environment and submarine life (Channel 4 News, 2010). Identification of key stakeholders: The oil spill happened at such a big magnitude that it affected a multitude of organizations, people far and wide, in multiple countries; it affected human as well as animal habitat. Therefore, the impact was far and wide, all the species directly as well as indirectly cannot be accounted for. The sub-groups can be classified as follows. With the oil spill came the disastrous damage that the Gulf of Mexico’s natural habitat had to face as the slick oil destroyed marine life. It suffocated the animal and plants and as the oil rose to the top, it created massive havoc in terms of dead fishery and plants and unimaginable loss to the scenic beauty of natur e in that area. Naturally, this oil spill has been a disaster; however, indirectly it has cost millions of people their livelihood. Fishermen in the area have been worst hit by this calamity where their basic income is now dead or the area in which they fished is now contaminated. Marine life has been completely destroyed in some places. Therefore, apart from the natural habitat which was ruined, it was the fisherman who was the stakeholders which were affected in this scenario. Environmental agencies claim that there will be constant efforts needed for decades to come to bring the habitat close to its original well being. The complete restoration is not even possible (Szabo, 2010). As the oil slick reached the shores engulfing the Gulf of Mexico, tourism was hit. Tourists ran away from the spots which were considered as summer favourites before the disaster. Even today, when there is no presence of oil or its impact on the beaches of Denver, there are almost no tourists when compar ed to earlier years. Tourists now have widespread fear that the oil has ruined the shoreline and it may affect them in some way. The oil spill has also cost the company; they have to pay millions

Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of United States vs. State Essay

Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of United States vs. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Essay Example The issue of Modified Standard 208 by the ordinance of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made the incorporation of passive restraints such as air bags and passive seatbelts mandatory in all automobiles manufactured after September 1982 to ensue better public as well as occupant safety. However, before this new regulation could come into effect, a new Secretary of Transportation assumed office and the implementation of the Standard was delayed for one year. NHTSA, then, called a public hearing after reopening the rulemaking process, where forth the Modified Standard 208 was retracted. Their claim stated that the utilitarian values of air bags and passive seatbelts are no longer justifiable in automobile security given, questioning the benefits of passive restraints. However, this withdrawal of the rule indicated that the decision was not a result of the proven ineffectiveness of passive restraints but rather one based on the interests of large automobile companies . As was duly shown, a staggering 99% of the motor vehicle industry was at that time incorporating automatic seatbelts into their models that could be easily detached. Motor Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (MVMA) of United States demanded a court review of the rulemaking on parameters less ‘arbitrary and capricious’. ... Cutler presented his argument gusto, clarity backed by relevant statistics and figures to show that the public reception of passive restraints were not only negative but that detachable seatbelts, in cases of accidents, were safer to the occupant. I find both sides were convincing and clear enough in presenting their points. The questions by the judges were crucial, and to some extent, indicated a slight incredulity towards the justification of the repealing of the restrictive regulation stipulated under Standard 208. The court was to review and issue a ruling based on whether â€Å"facts found and the choices made† were relational or truly â€Å"arbitrary and capricious†. The court ruled the facts directing the previous rescinding to be insufficient and inconclusive in indicating that passive restraints were not preventive of accidents. I believe, to an extent, the agency’s decision to rescind the Standard may have been a result of bureaucratic politics, a natur al consequence of the change of power as the new Secretary of Transportation assumed office. However, it is indubitable that the court could find no â€Å"direct evidence† to justify the retraction of the Standard 208 and was unbiased in its ruling. Impact and Significance The historical Marbury vs. Madison case of 1803 initiated a momentous change in the US legal system by establishing the ground for judicial review in assessing the constitutional applicability and integrity of legislations. The ideological and constitutional effect of the Marbury vs. Madison case has been enduring. The key importance of the MVMA versus State Farm Mutual Insurance Company lies in the fact that this case throws into sharp relief the pitfalls as well as the effectiveness of the judicial review system. It is also significant in

Scenario medication management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scenario medication management - Essay Example We will be touching a few topics that come under this heading. We are first going to talk about â€Å"Mental Capacity†. There is actually an act on mental capacity which is called â€Å"The Mental Capacity Act 2005† which basically states that a framework is there to protect and empower people who are incapable for not making their own decisions. This act makes it clear that the person who can make decisions for that incapable person would be held responsible in the future. The individual who is looking after the invalid should have the best interest for the person. The individual must also consider that whether it is likely that the invalid person in time or in future will be able to make their own decisions. As it is said by British Geriatrics Society that â€Å"Mental capacity is a legal concept and any decision as to whether a person does or does not have mental capacity is ultimately a decision for a court of law†. For example: that is a nurse gives a medication or a drug with a food item or liquid other than water it might cause a reaction and the person who solely be responsible for this conduct would be the nurse that gave the patient the medication, where the patient was in no condition to make his or her own decision. Now lets move on to the second topic which is called â€Å"Role of Pharmacist &MDT†. As we have always recognized that the medical consultants work within a clinical team and they have the sole responsibility for the clinical management of the patients assigned to them but with in that team the pharmacist has a specific and the most important responsibility and that responsibility is to provide safe and appropriate use of medication or drugs. When we look at the role of a pharmacist in a hospital setting it should basically include medication storage, packaging and compounding, support personnel, see drug expenditure and quality improvement and

Disaster management assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Disaster management assignment - Essay Example Why was there such a deficiency in the aid provided? Was there any effect on the extent of Hurricane Katrina of the human activities? Was the catastrophe prompted by the land use practices along the Gulf Coast? Can Global Warming be considered as one of the factors that impelled the storm to such appalling proportions? What effect would it have on the over all nation’s economy? These are just some of the questions that started arising in the utter confusion after the disaster. Since the time that Katrina hit, the tropical storms and hurricane activity in the Atlantic have been well above normal. The arrival of Katrina actually signified a continuation of the trend in 1995 (Hurricane Katrina: A Scientist’s Response). The development of hurricanes had an average of 7.7 hurricanes and 3.6 major hurricanes yearly between 1995 and 2005, while in the previous 25 years the average had been 5 hurricanes and 1.5 major hurricanes. (Hurricane Katrina: A Scientist’s Response 2005) New Orleans, which was directly in the eye of the hurricane, sits in the middle of the flood plain of the Mississippi river. This mighty river like most rivers of such a scale overflowed its banks inundating the surrounding area which threatened the wellbeing of the communities surrounding that area. Katrina arrived in the busiest hurricane seasons of the Atlantic Ocean by the end of which 24 tropical storms had formed. Out of these thirteen became hurricanes including seven classified as being category-3 and higher. (Hurricane Katrina: Possible Causes 2005) Hurricane Katrina was one of the most calamitous hurricanes to have ever hit the American soil. It completely devastated New Orleans, Louisiana and other communities settled on the Gulf Coast when it came ashore on August 29, 2005 (Hurricane Katrina: Possible Causes 2005). It made landfall on Louisiana after crossing South Florida and gaining strength over the Gulf of Mexico at 6:10 A.M local time. At 9:45 A.M, the Katrina centre

No child left behind Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No child left behind Act - Essay Example The also mean to servechildren with disabilities, those who originate from low revenue families, and even those entrenched with ethnic and racial propagations. The NCLB act was put into legislation on January 8, 2008 and signed by President George Bush. The sole aim of NCLB is to increase the reach of the national government into the management of both international and local schools and as well raise the stakes for states, districts, and schools. The increases funding for the specific schools that serve poor students, decrees ‘highly qualified’ teachers for every classroom, and consequently holds all schools that receivenational funds answerable to raising the success of all students (Hackett 2011). Education is the proficiency and capability of developing children’s reasoning ability and how they adapt to the curriculumthey are subjected to. This is what the federal government has tried to achieve in the No Child Left Behind act where the main objective was to change the nature of curricula public schools use. In essence, the latter compelled former President Lyndon B. Johnson, on April 11, 1965 to signing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The then united President, Lyndon B. Johnson declared, â€Å"I believe deeply no law I have signed or will ever sign means more to the future of America† (Cunningham & Redmond 2009). In any case, the act signaled the start of more policies that would effectively identify the role of the Federal government in impacting child growth and education. However, this still leaves the question of â€Å"is the NCLD act improving the quality of teaching?† Well, the act deludes off the blame of poor child performance on teachers but only requires â€Å"highly qualified† teachers in every classroom by the academic year 2005/2006. For this case, â€Å"highly qualified† teachers are defined as those who hold a bachelor’s degree, are certified or licensed by

Eastern and Western Medicine Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eastern and Western Medicine - Article Example Western medicine works with the concept of performing different diagnostic tests for detecting pathologies. On the other hand the eastern medicine practitioner would rather check the patient’s pulse, observe the patient’s tongue looking at its shape and color to reach to his conclusion. After finding out the cause and the pathology, the western medicine doctor would prescribe medicine or opt for surgery. The eastern medicine has an entirely different way. According to their view there is a substance known as ‘Qi’ which flows through special channels in the human body. Insertion of needles at these channels affects the flow. This method of inserting needles is used for altering the flow of Qi to organs of the body and different muscles and it is via this way that they treat ailments. This procedure is specifically known as acupuncture. The eastern medicine also uses naturally occurring herbs for its treatment purposes. If a patient is brought in an emergency after an accident eastern medicine is not much effective for him because the patient needs immediate treatment along with blood transfusion if he has had severe blood loss. Doing acupuncture on such a patient would not be a very good step. But for patients who suffer from depression, fatigue and frequent headaches, eastern medicine proves to be very helpful. The reason is that it works more effectively and quickly in such cases whereas western medicine in these cases would delay the process and they have side effects as well. Thus recurrent headaches and other such diseases which require continuous medications should be treated with acupuncture in order to avoid the side effects of the drugs. Athletes also take the benefit of eastern medicine because of its quick response in treating muscle aches by using acupuncture. Chemotherapy for cancer along with acupuncture also is effective to reduce the side effects of the processes. Certain diseases  which have been signified as idiopat hic that is without any underlying reason such as fatigue syndrome can also be treated with acupuncture. But for acute conditions such as acute appendicitis surgery hence western medicine is the only option.

Interwest Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Interwest Healthcare Essay What are the potential sources of the problem? The source of these problems seems to be coming from two areas in Interwest Healthcare. The first area is the miscommunication that the hospital administrators are having with upper management. The hospital administrators and upper management are not only having miscommunication issues but they also do not share the same role expectations with each other which is creating tension. â€Å"The hospital people accused Singh of being a bureaucrat who did not care about patient services. Singh accused the hospital staffs of not understanding the importance of accurate reporting† (Brickley, Smith Zimmerman 2009 p. 38). The second area is the system or process that is in place for recording and entering data. The current process is clearly not running at an efficient rate which is raising concerns for upper management. Even though hospital administrators do not see to eye to eye with upper management the concerns that they have are valid and can have a very negative impact on Interwest Healthcare if the issue is not resolved. What information would you want to analyze? The first information that would be analyzed is the process that is done to record and enter data for patients. It is important to gain as much information as possible regarding the data entry because that is the root of the whole issue between hospital administrators and upper management. Another area that would be analyzed is the workplace with emphasis on how time is managed and the importance employees put on data entry. It is important to gather and analyze as much information as possible on the source of the problem. By gaining and analyzing the information it would help Interwest Healthcare make progress on the data entry issue which will put them in a better position to succeed. What actions might you recommend to increase the accuracy of the data entry? The first point of action would be streamlining and simplifying the data entry process. By completing those it would not only increase the accuracy of the data entry but it would also decrease the burden on the hospital administrators. But before any changes to the data entry process are made it is important to communicate directly to the hospital administrators. It is important to have the hospital administrators on board with the changes that will be made with the data entry process. By gaining the hospital administrators consent with the changes this will allow a smoother transition for the data entry change and it could provide a positive change to the workplace. As for the changes to the data entry it would most likely be a simple computer process along with small piece of paperwork. It would be best to have some sort or paper record on file that would need to be alphabetized along with a simple computer program. The computer program would help ensure accuracy and would have the patient’s data record on file which will be easy to locate. There would be very little paper work for the process mainly because it takes up space and takes more time to record. The paper work that is part of the process would simply serve as a backup if the computers were down. The key to ensuring accuracy with the data entry is to make the process as simple as possible so it would minimize the errors. How does your view of behavior affect how you might address the consulting assignment? As a consulting assignment I see Interwest Healthcare as a company in distress due to the way the hospital administrators and upper management. The way the two groups have been behaving and treating each other it is a clear sign of stress and miscommunication. One of the first tasks is to mediate the two groups and try to have everyone on the same page. There is a clear disconnect on the expectations of each other’s roles but by bringing them together the roles and expectations can be made by both parties and progress can be accomplished. In order to make progress both parties will need to be able to compromise and be willing to understand each other’s concerns and priorities. Refreneces : Brickley, J.A., Smith, C.W. Zimmerman J.L. (2009). Managerial economics and organizational architecture (5th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irw

Current phase of economic growth in singapore nitin raj

Current phase of economic growth in singapore nitin raj CURRENT PHASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SINGAPORE NITIN RAJ Introduction The international economy has experienced fundamental changes during last two or so decades. Economic activity is becoming not only more internationalised but also meaningfully, it is becoming globalised in a world of complexity, interconnectedness and mobility. Today we live in a rapidly changing and increasing competitive world of globalisation. This report is brief analysis about the economic growth of Singapore (republic of Singapore) and stumble of it while recession. Singapore, an island in southern Asia is highly acclaimed global market friendly economy, major contribution of which is manufacturing of electronics. Being one of the busiest ports it is the fourth largest economy foreign exchange centre. This report will play particular attention to: Evaluation of current phase of economic growth in Singapore. Factors contributing current phase of growth/contraction in economy. Discussion on some methods of managing the economy by the Government. Singapore has successful free market economy with strong market economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors. It has one of the highest per capita gross domestic product in the world. Singapores location on major sea lanes and its industrious population have made important hub for south-east Asia region. Singapores small population, external market dependency and suppliers have pushed it towards economic openness free trade and free markets. Effective government policies have been key reason in Singapores historically strong economic performance. Singapores economic growth To know about GDP, first we have to know that what this term actually is, GDP is gross domestic product, which means, The total value of goods and services produced within a countrys borders during a fixed period, usually one year, obtained by adding the value contributed by each sector of the economy .you can think of it as the size of the economy. EVOLUTION OF ECONOMY OVER LAST TWENTY YEARS Figure 1 (Source: International monetary fund- 2009 world economic outlook) TABLE 1 YEAR GDP PER CAPITA % CHANGE 1989 15621.62 10.86% 1990 17044.27 9.11% 1991 18277.45 7.24% 1992 19308.1 5.64% 1993 21486.89 11.28% 1994 23735.75 10.47% 1995 25421.68 7.10% 1996 26811.78 5.47% 1997 28585.21 6.61% 1998 27557.65 -3.59% 1999 29738.55 7.91% 2000 32864.45 10.51% 2001 31936.05 -2.82% 2002 33478.7 4.83% 2003 36016.97 7.58% 2004 40179.48 11.56% 2005 43754.29 8.90% 2006 47444.57 8.43% 2007 50447.62 6.33% 2008 51226.03 1.54% 2009 49433.48 -3.50% Singaporean GDP is at a good state as of late. Its per capita GDP is among highest in world. There has been a steady rate of growth in last five financial years. GDP in year2003 2.02 % 2004 1.10% 20058.10% 20066.40% 20077.90% 20087.50% The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore reduced at an annual rate of 2.80% in the last quarter of December 2009. Singapore Gross Domestic Product is worth 182 billion dollars or 0.29% of the world economy, as per the reports of World Bank. Unemployment Rates The unemployment rate in Singapore was 2.10 percent in December of 2009. Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless Rate Current Account Exchange Rate Singapore 0.02% -2.80% 0.20% 2.10% 8324 1.4018 Year Mar Jun Sep Dec 2009 3.30 3.30 3.40 2.10 2008 1.90 2.20 2.30 2.50 2007 2.80 2.30 1.70 1.70 Singapore has enjoyed virtually full employment for long periods of time. In tandem with the global economic crisis and the economys contraction, unemployment as of end-June 2009 rose to 3.3% and resident unemployment reached 4.6%. The inflation rate in Singapore was 0.20 percent in January of 2010 Country Interest Rate Growth Rate Inflation Rate Jobless Rate Current Account Exchange Rate Singapore 0.02% -2.80% 0.20% 2.10% 8324 1.4018 Year Jan Mar Jun Sep Dec 2010 0.20 2009 4.30 2.60 0.00 -0.50 -0.50 2008 6.60 6.70 7.50 6.70 5.50 2007 -0.60 0.20 1.70 3.00 3.70 Business cycle The five stages of the business cycle are growth, peak, recession, trough and recovery. In starting year of Singapores economy, its growing with faster rate and from year 2003 up to 5 years it reaches to peak, and after some years it starts declining and now it is in trough stage, now it should try some new methods to grow up, and recover its economic level. Factors contributing current phase of economy are as follows Contraction: Recession: Singapore is the first Asian economy to enter in recession. Recession is directly phasing to unemployment, it increased 3% in year 2009. Singapores economy is heavily dependent on export activities and its going down up to 18% International trade is also going down to 3.2% Causes for economic development of Singapore: A foremost reason is increasing demand of electronic products all over the world. The construction sector is also helping the economy to grow and survive in the market. It expands its hands up to 16.4% Government strategies and tactics are also playing crucial role in economic development for this south East Asian country. We can conclude that in some sector economy gets into contraction and the main factor which helped in contraction is recession. Due to recession tourism industry effected, unemployment increased, and its export also got down. In some sector, still some growth is there, like demand for electronic products, pharmaceuticals, educational sector all helped Singapore to grow lot. But in current phase Singapore is going in contraction, in almost every sector of economy. Flow of income The terms circular flow of income refer to an economic model which explains the reciprocal circulation of income in between producers and consumers. The methods to manage the economy are: First method is to reduce the unemployment rate as in December 2009 the unemployment rate is 2.10% and due to high worldwide recession it is continuously increasing. Due to unemployment, tourism sector is being effected, and also the service sector as people are jobless. Government is trying to match the perfect level of employment, as in 2010 worlds first youth Olympic is going to be held in Singapore, so tourism sector will b get effected by this, Singapore government is opening two large base royal casinos to attract tourism, this can also help in reducing unemployment. Second method can be price cut, as 60% firms in Singapore are owned by government, so it can cut the prices, by cutting down its manufacturing cost, the cost has to be reduced in recovery stage, then it can use new techniques which can help in reducing wastage, government should reduce taxes also on some products like medicines, education, tourism sector, communication sector, all this will help to get recover from recession stage. Public sector debt : Debt is the total amount of money that a country (or company) owes. In January 2010, there was net borrowing of  £4.3 billion, which compares with net borrowing of - £5.3 billion (net lending) in January 2009. The PBR forecast for 2009/10 is net borrowing of  £178 billion. Public sector net debt, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), was 59.9 per cent at the end of January 2010 compared with 50.0 per cent at end of January 2009. Net debt was  £848.5 billion at the end of January compared with  £708.0 billion a year earlier. Public sector deficit: Deficit is in simple words expenditure over revenue, a situation in which liabilities exceed assets, expenditures exceed income, imports exceed exports, or losses exceed profits. Singapore recorded a general government deficit of S$4054 Million in Jan/10 that is of 14% of GDP as compared to previous period S$4017 million .Due to worldwide recession Singapore also has to bear this public sector deficit. Significance of these figures: Government borrows loan and money for the sake of people only, it want to increase the production by cutting taxes , want to reduce unemployment and start new projects so that people can get jobs. By starting new projects government wants to increase the standard of living of people, and their purchasing power. Conclusion Singaporeone of the four tigers of Asia (others are Honkong, Taiwan and South Korea) has a highly developed and successful open-market economy. Few years back it had a GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Its economy recovered by 2006 from the global recession in 2001 but again the GDP of Singapore economy declined and its a prediction by various economist it will decrease at a rate of 2.8% in year 2010, but some predictions say just opposite of it as per promises done by the government it will increase at rate of 3 to 5 percent and according, as far as I studied about Singapores economy, it is now in a trough stage of business cycle, that is fourth stage, now its time for recovery, the last stage of business cycle, so it has to grow up now, by cutting prices or by reducing unemployment rate. Tourism in Singapore has also a vital role. After a big loss it has started growing smoothly. Worlds first youth Olympic game is going to be held in Singapore; hopefully it will promote the tourism sector. Employment will also groom this year. Two casinos are also going to start this year, which can help it in increasing tourism,. The global recession seems to coming at its end so the European countries and United States will soon regain their importing capabilities which will help Singapore to re establish its development back again. Singapore had suffered a lot. Till last year they worked on saving jobs. Now as the market conditions have improved job qualities are taken into consideration. Improvement in world business, rise of Singapore manufacturing, export, tourism, government commitment has shown good signs and it is believed that this small island will soon achieve its lost growth.

Excessive Salaries in Professional Baseball Essay -- MLB Sports Athlet

Abstract This paper addresses the issue of the extreme increases in salaries of major league baseball players. It looks at the effects of these increases on all areas of the game, from competitiveness, to fan appeal, to financial issues. It also looks at the different perspectives of all involved, including the owners, players, and the fans. Also shown in the paper are the possible solutions to the problem of baseball salaries, along with some of the possible negative outcomes in the future if nothing is done Baseball’s Skyrocketing Salaries It can no longer be said that baseball is just a game. Actually, it has been many years since that statement could be considered true. Only recently, however, did the entire nation, not just sports fans realize the extent to which this fact is true. Athletes, for the most part, have always been paid better than the average American; but now, with Alex Rodriguez’s new contract, he is truthfully worth just as much as the entire franchise that he plays for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball salaries have skyrocketed out of control, and something must be done before the integrity of the game, and eventually, the game itself is destroyed. There are many reasons why this will happen, and this claim will be supported by the viewpoints of all involved, players, owners, and fans. Many of the cold, hard facts related to this salary increase will be shown, along with exactly what has caused this exponential increase in pay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the outcry against the outrageous contracts that the players receive only recently become national news, the anger towards the players for this dates back to the beginning of the game. However, since the creation of free agency in 1976, the increase in pay has become out of control. In order to see this, one only has to look at the first two years of free agency, where salaries doubled (Bodley, 2000, par. 17). Additionally, the average salary is currently forty times higher than it was in 1976 (Fisher & Heller, 2001, par. 4).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball was the first sport to have free agency, and as it currently stands, the last to control it. All other major sports, basketball, football, and hockey, have plans in place in order to keep a check on salaries. As a result, they are not facing the crisis that Major League Baseball will soon have to deal with. These sports all have a form of a salary cap or some revenue sha... ... Fisher, E., Heller, D. (2001). Financial House of Cards. Insight on the News, 25 paragraphs. Retrieved February 24, 2001 from Friends University Library on-line Database: http://library.friends.edu:2059. Fuhr, J. (1999). Stee-rike Four! What’s Wrong With the Business of Baseball? Atlanta Economic Journal, 27(2), 38 paragraphs. Retrieved February 24, 2001 from Friends University Library on-line Database: http:library.friends.edu:2066. Noonan, D. (2000, December 8). Show me the Most Money. Newsweek, 57-58. Ozanian, M. (2000, June 12). Too Much to Lose. Forbes, 12 paragraphs. Retrieved February 24, 2001 from Friends University Library on-line Database: http://library.friends.edu:2059. Saraceno, J. (2000 December 13). Blame Owner: Don’t Envy A-Rod’s Green. USA Today, 26 paragraphs. Retrieved from Friends University Library on line Database. http://library.friends.edu:2059. Sullivan, R. (2000, December 25). Big Bucks and Baseball: The Idea of Overpaying for an Athlete’s Services didn’t Start with A-Rod, and it won’t stop with him. Time, 5 paragraphs. Retrieved February 24, 2001, from Friends University Library on-line Database. http://library.friends.edu:2059.

Massacre in Edwidge Danticats The Farming of Bones Essay -- Edwidge D

Massacre in Edwidge Danticat's The Farming of Bones The massacre that Edwidge Danticat describes in The Farming of Bones is a historical event. In 1937, the Dominican Republic’s dictator, Rafael Trujillo, ordered the slaughter of Haitians on the border of the two countries. Twelve thousand Haitians died during the massacre (Roorda 301). The Massacre River, which forms the northern portion of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was named for a separate massacre in the nineteenth-century of French soldiers by revolting native slaves. Although the river has been the site of much tragedy in the past, it â€Å"shows no mark† of the violence that has taken place there (Van Boven par. 2). Danticat states that â€Å"nature has no memory† (qtd. in Holmes par. 5). On a visit to the Massacre River, Danticat observed that â€Å"people were using it, almost oblivious† (Holmes par. 6). Even Haitians did not know the truth about the past of the river. One of Danticat’s reasons for writing The Farming of Bones was to tell the story of the 1937 massacre for the world to hear â€Å"so that [these things] don’t happen again† (Holmes p. 12). The Massacre River was, in fact, Danticat’s inspiration to write the book (Wachtel 108). She sees the river as â€Å"both sad and comforting† in Hispaniola’s history (Wechtel 107). The river is both a site of grief and a site of hope. Although so many people have died in the river, Haitians still use it to â€Å"cleanse their labor’s residue off their bodies, reconnect with their community, and pay homage to their dead† (Shemak 96). Danticat also sees the river as dividing between torment and hope (Bell xi). This idea of water being both divisive and comforting is prominent throughout the novel. .. ...e/issue_10.22.98/art/danticat22.html. Houlberg, Marilyn. â€Å"Sirens and snakes.† African Arts 29.2 (1996): 30+. Leyburn, James Graham. The Haitian People. New Haven: Yale, 1966. Loederer, Richard A. Voodoo Fire in Haiti. New York: Literary Guild, 1935. Ogungbile, David Olugbenga. â€Å"Water symbolism in African culture and Afro-Christian churches.† Journal of Religious Thought 53.2 (1997): 21+. Roorda, Eric Paul. â€Å"Genocide next door.† Diplomatic History 20.3 (1996): 301+. Shemak, April. â€Å"RE-MEMBERING HISPANIOLA: EDWIDGE DANTICAT’S THE FARMING OF BONES.† Modern Fiction Studies 48.1 (2002): 83+. Van Boven, Sarah. (1998, September 7). Massacre river. Newsweek, 132, 44. Wachtel, Eleanor. â€Å"A Conversation with Edwidge Danticat.† Brick 65 (2000): 106-119. Wesdake, Larry. â€Å"Mystic Traveler.† Ceramics Monthly Nov. 2000: 53-57.

Hatchet – Gary Paulsen

HATCHET ESSAY Brian Robeson, the main character in Gray Paulsen’s novel Hatchet does experience problems after crashing in the Canadian wilderness. However, he is able to survive because he learns from his mistakes and he becomes more positive and resilient. When Brian survives the plane crash he initially finds it very difficult to cope in his new environment. His clothes were soaked and muddy, he was freezing cold and his anorak had been torn. As he was practically motionless a â€Å"swarming horde of mosquitoes flocked to his body. † He was being eaten alive but didn’t have the energy to fight back!Brian approached the lake and all he could see was his ‘ugly’ reflection of his beaten up face. Brian was miserable and lonely and depressed. He could remember how in the city it was all grey and black but now he was in a green nature. Brian had no food so he managed to find some berries which he called â€Å"gut cherries† because of the massive stomach pains they gave him. He was satisfied that he had food but it was nothing compared to what he could eat back home. One night whilst sleeping Brian felt something on his leg, he awoken to see a porcupine near his foot.Without thinking he kicked it and got some of the quills stuck in his foot, Brian then threw his hatchet at the porcupine but didn’t hit it and landed against the wall in his cave. Brian felt so upset with himself. â€Å"It was all too much and he couldn’t take it. † So it can be seen that initially Brian certainly finds it hard to survive in the wilderness. Although Brian finds it difficult at first, he is able to survive because he learns from his mistakes and he is persistent. After the incident with the porcupine Brian needed rest so he lay down on his side and shut his eyes.That night Brian had a strange dream his best friend Terry & his father were in it. His dad was trying to speak to him about how he threw the hatchet against the wal l and that if he did it again sparks would come. His dream wasn’t at all clear but Brian managed to find out its purpose. The next morning Brian looked over his dream again and again. He grabbed his hatchet and kept hitting the wall with it. Brian knew that he needed something to keep the spark alive so he grabbed a few twigs and tore up a twenty dollar note that he happen to have in his pocket.At first he didn’t succeed but with his persistence Brian made a new friend †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ fire†. Brian had still been eating gut cherries and needed something new. Brian was down at the lake and noticed some strange tracks across the sand, he thought they may have been turtle tracks so he followed them to find turtle eggs buried, about 12 or so. Brian quickly cracked one open and drank what was inside. He was in heaven and was going crazy over these eggs. He knew he had to leave some so he took the rest back to his shelter. Brian knew he had a fire and he knew that his shelter was near the lake.And what lives in the water? Fish do. Brian could make a fish spear! He carved a stick with his hatchet and began his task of trying to get a fish. It wasn’t working, the fish would just swim away as soon as Brian raised his arm or made the slightest of movements. He needed a better weapon, maybe a bow & arrow. Brian’s fire had gone out whilst he was outside and it just so happens that a plane had flown past. Brian was screaming out to try and get the pilots attention but without the smoke he didn’t seem to look down.Brian was destroyed on the inside, he just didn’t want to bother anymore. He grabbed his hatchet and started cutting his wrist. The next day Brian woke up upset but after thinking long and hard he was a new man, he learnt from his mistakes and made a better fire which he would sustain and he would not let anyone or anything get in the way of his survival. He even managed to complete his bow and arrow, he was tryi ng it out when the arrow splinted into his face. He didn’t want to be upset so he made a better arrow which would hold.Brian remembered from past experience with the spear that the light refracts in water so he knew exactly how to get a fish. The trouble was that it wasn’t as easy as he thought but after about an hour of trying Brian finally got one, his first fish. In all the time he’d spent so far in the Canadian wilderness he never thought he would feel so good. With the spare fish guts Brian places them in a shallower pool of water which of course attracted more fish. He then made a small net which fenced off the pool. He basically had his on fish tank where he could eat any at any time.Because Brian is determined and is able to learn from his mistakes he manages to endure this difficult time. As time passes, Brian becomes more positive and resilient and he refuses to give in. Brian had been going well, he’d been eating fish and maintaining his fire s o that if rescue did come he’d be back home. Fish was getting kind of boring for Brian and he felt like meat. Of course there were birds around, Brian could hear them all the time. The problem was how to get them? He could use his bow and arrow but the birds might fly away at the sound of movement kind of like the fish.Brian knew about a bird called a fool bird. They have amazing camouflage skills. Brian discovered that the fool birds were shaped rather like pears and that he should look for shapes not colours when trying to capture these birds. With his brain and agility Brian managed to kill one of the fool birds, having his official â€Å"day of first meat. † Weeks had passed and still Brian hadn’t been rescued, it was as if they’d forgotten about him or at least looking in the wrong place. But Brian had to be positive and think positive as he patiently waited day after day.He was doing everything he could think of right so why hadn’t he been re scued yet. Time would tell Brian thought. There would been no Brian Robeson without more injuries, like one day when he was down at the lake a moose came to get a drink and thought of Brian as a pray so the moose rammed his leaving Brian without broken ribs as he thought. Things weren’t going good, he could barely walk well and one night a terrible thing happened. He heard gusts of wind coming from hear there and everywhere. It was a tornado. Brian wasn’t safe at this point in time and he was scared for his life.The next morning he woke up to complete disaster. His shelter had been torn apart, there were trees on the ground everywhere you looked and out on the lake Brian could see that the tornado was that strong that is managed to move the plane so its tail was sticking up. Brian needed to get his fire started again he couldn’t risk another chance of not being rescued. So he fixed up his shelter and started the fire again but still he wasn’t rescued. Bri an was getting a bit fed up with the situation that he had to take matters into his own hands.There must have been a survival kit in the plane which he knew would have some sort of rescue device so he put together a raft made out of logs he’d found after the tornado. With his broken ribs Brian paddled out towards the plane. All he had with his was his hatchet. When he got to the plane he tied the raft up and began examining how he could get inside. Brian started chopping at the plan with his hatchet. Then all of a sudden he dropped his hatchet. He couldn’t believe it all this time Brian had been lost the only useful thing he had was his hatchet and now that was at the bottom of the murky lake.He had to retrieve it, he just had to! Brian dived down into the lake looking around but wasn’t able to see anything. He then dived down a second time managing to get his hatchet. He then continued chopping at the plane. After a few minutes Brian had made it bigger for him to just fit through so he climbed inside the plane. Brian looked around and couldn’t see any type of survival kit or bag. So he dived under and found the bag which was attached to the seat in the front of the aeroplane. He managed to get it and started making his way out of the wreckage.As he was pulling the bag out he would budge so Brian moved around whatever was inside and thankfully it came out. He paddled back to shore and back up to his shelter, where he then looked inside the bag. It had everything you could imagine. Blankets, pots, food, water, knifes but most of all Brian saw a transceiver type of device he turned it on at the bottom but it didn’t seem to do anything. Brian was so hungry that he didn’t care about survival right now. He saw packets of food which you just had to add water and you were done. Brian ate about 5 adult meals and then he heard a noise.It sounded like a sort of plane, then he looked up. Coming down landing next to the lake was a plane and a man approached him and said â€Å"Your Brian Robeson, that kid that got lost aren’t you? † Brian said nothing but â€Å"Would you like some food†. By refusing to give in and remaining positive, Brian survives his time alone in the Canadian wilderness. When Brian’s plane crashes it first appears that he will struggle to survive. However with each experience Brian learns to do things differently and this assists his survival. He becomes a person who is able to learn from his mistakes and remain positive and determined in his new environment.

The Advantages and Disadvantages to Robotics

In this paper we will be talking about the advantages and disadvantages of robotics in the modern era. The use of robotics in the modern era has greatly increased since the prior era. I will explain how robots are used everywhere from industrial companies to medical facilities. The first thing that I will be discussing is the advantages of robotics. In 2006 a California based intuitive Surgical Inc. launched a new surgical system called â€Å"the da Vinci surgical system†. This is based from an article in the May 2010 edition of Yale scientific magazine this system was a major advantage for both doctors and patients going through major surgeries. One of the greatest aspects of this system is that its precise surgical tools are controlled by remote access. The surgeon, sitting at a console located several feet from the patient on the operating table, uses a hand and foot based control panel. This system has multiple arms with numerous tools like a scalpel, scissors. Also the system has a full 3-D stereoscopic vision of any and all procedures. The da Vinci System offers many advantages over open surgery for both the surgeon and the patient. For the surgeon, the robotic arms offer greater mobility since their range of rotation is not constrained like the human wrists. In other words while cutting off tissue this can be done in one swift movement instead of the Jerking and start stop movement.

Informative Essay on Hpv

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Testing What is the Human Papillomavirus? Commonly known as HPV, it is an infection that spreads through sexual contact. There are over one hundred different types of HPV; several types cause genital warts, while other high risk strands can lead to cancer of the cervix, anus, vagina, and penis. Because HPV is often asymptomatic, many people are unaware of their infection status, and thus, their potential for transmitting the virus to a sexual partner.The significance of the Human Papillomavirus is that fifty percent of Americans who are sexually active will contract it within their lives, and at any given point there are twenty million Americans already infected with it (â€Å"By the numbers: HPV Vaccine†). Infection with HPV is a significant public health burden in the United States because of the costs for screening and treatment for cervical abnormalities, as well as costs associated with treating benign genital warts. There is a vaccine known as Gardasil that will prevent strands of HPV. The vaccine, FDA approved, is effective towards different types of HPV.Human Papillomavirus vaccines should be administered to females, who are sexually active, to fight against certain strains of the virus, such as genital warts and most importantly cervical cancer. Genital warts is a skin infection caused by the sexually transmitted disease, the Human Papillomavirus. HPV types associated with genital infections are transmitted sexually, primarily through skin to skin contact during sexual activity. Warts are extremely common. Statistics show that â€Å"each year 250,000-500, 000 Americans develop genital warts† (â€Å"By the Numbers: HPV†).All are benign. In women, warts occur in or around the vagina, on the cervix or around the anus. In men, genital warts are less common but might occur on the top of the penis. There are currently several different strains of HPV that cause both external and internal warts. In the United St ates, about 1. 4 million people have genital warts, which cause HPV (Board, A. D. A. M. Editorial). According to researchers, â€Å"vaccines for the Human Papillomavirus are available to protect against the two types of HPV† (types 6 and 11) that cause about 80% of genital warts (â€Å"HPV Vaccine†).The Human Papillomavirus vaccine has been recommended for females nine to twenty-six years old; it should be administered before the onset of sexual activity, but the girls and women who are sexually active should be vaccinated as well (â€Å"HPV Vaccine†). Most infections go away within 1 to 2 years, but some persevere. Persistent infection can increase the risk of certain types of cancers. Nearly two decades ago, experts discovered a relationship between infection with HPV and cervical cancer. Since then, these experts have learned much more about what HPV can lead to (â€Å"Cervical Cancer Symptoms, Causes, Treatments†).The Human Papillomavirus can cause ch anges in a woman’s cervix. If the body clears the infection, the cervical cells go back to normal, but if they do not and the infection continues, the cells will abnormally change. The American Cancer society says â€Å"about 12,170 women will find out they have cervical cancer in the U. S. this year† (â€Å"By the Numbers: HPV Issues†). Many women in the United States get Pap smear tests, and if they have abnormal cells, they have them removed before they become benign. The high strands of HPV cause Pap smear tests to show that the cells are abnormal.According to Statistics â€Å"researchers say that virtually all cervical cancers, more than 99%, are caused by these high-risk HPV viruses† (â€Å"Cervical Cancer Symptoms, Causes, Treatments†). The most common of the high-strains of the Human Papillomavirus are types 16 and 18, which cause seventy percent of all cervical cancers (â€Å"HPV Vaccine†). Cervical cancer has an effect on women not only in a health manner. The emotional cost from HPV is a further burden as it may include fear of cervical cancer, apprehension, and the stigma associated with a sexually transmitted infection.HPV is so common that drug companies long sought to develop a vaccine against it. In June 2006, Gardasil, a Human Papillomavirus vaccine made by Merck & Co. , was licensed for use and brought to the market (â€Å"HPV Vaccine†). Gardasil, which is given into a series of three injections, targets the main types of HPV. The types targeted are HPV 6, HPV 11, HPV 16 and HPV 18, which cause ninety percent of the genital warts and are the leading causes of cervical cancer (â€Å"Cervical Cancer Symptoms, Causes, Treatments†). Brought to the attention by researchers â€Å"combined, those strains affect an estimated 3 million women in the U.S† (â€Å"HPV Vaccine†). Since HPV is so common in the United States, the makers of Gardasil are trying to get a law approved that wil l make the shots mandatory. In 2006, Upon Gardasil’s release, Merck & Co. launches an intensive lobbying effort to convince state lawmakers to make the vaccine mandatory for girls entering middle school. Approximately two dozen states consider adopting such a law in the first few months after Gardasil’s debut. â€Å"Key Events in the History of HPV† Women are not aware of the causes or effects of HPV. They lack knowledge of the infection and are more at risk.Circumstances are worsened when accompanied by a lack of knowledge about the transmission of the virus and its association with genital warts and cervical cancer. Doctors are recommending Gardasil to their patients to prevent genital warts and cancers. â€Å"I’m a Pediatrician, and in Pediatrics, we do routinely recommend Gardasil to both boys and girls,† says Dr. Marney Gundlach (â€Å"Undernews†). Dr. Alvin Bay Lin also quotes, â€Å"As a family physician, I recommend Gardasil to all appropriate patients, boys & girls 9-26yo, to prevent cervical and other genital cancers, anal cancer, and genital warts.There is some evidence that it may even be useful in women 27-45yo† (â€Å"Undernews†). In today’s generation, girls begin having sex as young as nine years old, and that is causing the risk of HPV to increase. Recently, Gardasil has been approved for males, in order to decrease the risk for spreading infections and to primarily lowering the results of spreading it to women (â€Å"HPV Infection in Men: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes. †). Note that the vaccines are not an HPV cure. Gardasil has been shown to provide protection for five years. The Human Papillomavirus vaccination does not mean women can skip their Pap smear test.Gardasil is slowly becoming known in order to enhance the awareness of its prevention against HPV. Should girls and young women receive the Human Papillomavirus vaccine? Yes. The vaccine is nearly one hundred effecti ve in preventing diseases caused by high-risk strains of HPV (â€Å"By the numbers: HPV Vaccine†). HPV is so common within the United States that at any given point there are twenty million people that have it (â€Å"By the numbers: HPV Vaccine†). The Human Papillomavirus causes skin infections, also known as genital warts. They occur in both men and women, in or around the genital areas.There are over one million people in the United States that have contracted genital warts (â€Å"Cervical Cancer Symptoms, Causes, Treatments†). If infections are not cleared up, they may lead to cervical cancer. Approximately, 3,700 women die each year from cervical cancer (â€Å"By the numbers: HPV Vaccine†). There is a vaccine out that has been Federal Drug Association, and Center for Disease Control approved to help prevent strains of HPV. Gardasil helps target the four main types of HPV. It is administered into a series of three shots, is effective to work up to five years. The shots may be presented to both men and women, in order to reduce etting high risk strains of HPV. Doctors are recommending Gardasil to their adult patients as well as their adolescent patients in order to create awareness against HPV. Due to lack of knowledge of how severe HPV can be, Gardasil should be administered to both men and women to decrease the number of HPV infections a year and the number of deaths of cervical cancer. Statistics show the vast number of Americans who have contracted HPV, and how they are rising every year. Gardasil may be the safest choice in protection for women, in order to slowly decrease future numbers. Works Citied Board, A.D. A. M. Editorial. â€Å"Causes, Incidence, and Risk Factors. † Cervical Cancer. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Nov. 0000. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. â€Å"By the Numbers: HPV Vaccine. † Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 18 Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Cervical Cancer Symptoms, Causes, Treatments. † WebMD. WebMD. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. â€Å"HPV and Cervical Cancer. † WebMD. WebMD, 10 Jan. 0000. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. â€Å"HPV Infection in Men: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes. † WebMD. WebMD. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. . HPV Vaccine. † Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 18 Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Key Events in the History of the HPV Vaccine. † Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 18 Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Undernews. † : Gardasil: A Case Study of What Can Happen When Pharma Hustling Goes Wild. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. | | | competency| 50|   37| clear maintained position| 10|   9| analysis/synthesis| 15|   14| use of sources| 15|   14| distinctive presentation| 10|   7| grade|   | 81|

Non Perfoming Loans in Commercial Banks in Zimbabwe Is Now a Cause of Concern as It Is Threatening the Survival of Banks Bit by Bit

Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(6): 882-886  © Scholarlink Research Institute Journals, 2012 (ISSN: 2141-7024 jetems. scholarlinkresearch. org Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(6):882-886 (ISSN:2141-7024) Journal of Emerging Trends in Insights on Non-Performing Loans: Evidence from Zimbabwean Commercial Banks in a Dollarised Environment (2009-2012) 1 Laurine Chikoko, 2Tendekayi Mutambanadzo and 3Takaiona Vhimisai 1 Department of Banking and Finance, Midlands State University, P Bag 9055, Senga, Gweru. Department of Banking, National University of Science and Technology P O Box AC939, Ascot Bulawayo. 3 Department of Banking, National University of Science and Technology P O Box AC939, Ascot Bulawayo. Corresponding Author: Laurine Chikoko ___________________________________________________________________________ Abstract This study was prompted by the gradual deterioration in asset quality in most commercial banks in Zimbabwe aft er the adoption of the multiple currency exchange rate regime. The poor asset qualities were reflected by the non-performing loans trending towards the watch list category.In this regard we investigated the commercial bank credit process with the objective of understanding the fundamental causes of the impaired assets that are bedeviling the Zimbabwean banking sector so that some of the mistakes are not repeated and correctional measures are put in place. The methodology adopted a survey research design with use of questionnaires and interviews with commercial banks head credit risk, head retail and head corporate banking division from 15 registered commercial banks in Zimbabwe.Research findings show that some banks were sitting on nonperforming loans due to poor credit analysis processes; wrong products offered to the clients; lending based on balance sheet strength instead of cash flow based lending; banks taking too much comfort in security; information asymmetry leading to moral hazard; economic environment and political influence. Key recommendations include an urgent setting up of the Credit Bureau; banks should not adjust clients request and the need for banks to consider the economic environment and adjust their credit culture.The central bank needs to tighten its supervisory role and ensure prudential guidelines are not violated. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: credit analysis, loan products, non-performing loans, Zimbabwean commercial banks, dollarised environment. __________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION the watch list category. The implication is that Zimbabwe adopted a multiple currency regime in borrowers were struggling to repay loans leading to 2009.A multiple currency system allowed trade to be the problem of banks sitting on non-performing conducted using major trading currencies, for loans. example, the United St ates Dollar (USD), Pound Sterling, South African Rand, and the Botswana Pula. Each non-performing loan in the financial sector is After the adoption of the multiple currency system, viewed as an obverse mirror image of an ailing the banking sector experienced marked unprofitable enterprise.From this point of view, the improvements in the intermediary role which resulted eradication of non-performing loans is a necessary in improved financial support to the key productive condition to improve the economic status of the sectors of the economy (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe financial institution. Continuously rolling over non(RBZ), 2010). A research conducted by the performing loans locks up resources that could International Monetary Fund in 2010, indicated that otherwise be invested to profitable sectors of the the profitability of banks had improved following a economy.Intuitively this hinders economic growth more favourable economic environment during the and impairs economic efficiency . Consequently this new regime. While officially reported, aggregate study seeks to provide insights on Zimbabwean banking soundness indicators do not raise major red commercial banks non-performing loans. The flags, they mask vulnerabilities specific to a fully ultimate objective is to draw lessons from dollarised banking system experiencing rapid credit commercial banks lending in Zimbabwe during the growth, as well as a significant variation in prudential multiple currency regime.The paper is organised as indicators across individual banks. The Reserve Bank follows. In the second section, we present brief of Zimbabwe (2012) also noted that there has been review of literature. In the third section we present gradual deterioration in asset quality as reflected by the research methodology; in the fourth section a the level of non-performing loans trending towards 882 Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(6):882-886 (ISSN:2141-7024) discussion of the findings.Finally we present conclusions and recommendations. LITERATURE REVIEW A non-performing loan is an advance by a financial institution that is not earning income and full payment of principal. As such interest is no longer anticipated (Van Greuning, & Bratavonic, 2003). There is no global standard to define non-performing loans at the practical level. Variations exist in terms of the classification system, the scope, and contents. This pitfall potentially adds to disorder and uncertainty in the non-performing loans subject.For instance, as described by Park (2003), during the 1990s, there were three different methods of defining non-performing loans: the 1993 method based on banking laws; the â€Å"Bank’s Self-Valuation† in March 1996; and the â€Å"Financial Revival Laws-Based Debt Disclosure† in 1999. These measurements have gradually broadened the scope and scale of the riskmanagement method in the banking industry. The literature that examines non -performing loans has increased as more researchers attempt to understand the major factors that cause financial instability.This trend has arisen due to the role played by impaired assets in financial instability as evidenced by the strong association between nonperforming loans and banking crises. In most of the economies that collapsed, credit risk preceded financial crises. Khemraj (2005) revealed that the banking crises in East Asia and Sub-Saharan African countries were preceded by high non-performing loans. This stimulated research in trying to establish the causes of non-performing loans in banks.Caprio (1998) had earlier presented stylised evidence and found that inadequate regulation and lack of supervision at the time of the liberalisation could play a key role in explaining why deregulation and banking crises were so closely entwined. The analysis of Kaminsky and Reinhart (1999) provides interesting insights on the links between financial crises with financial liberalisa tion. The study found that the proxy variable for financial liberalisation which was the growth in domestic credit as a ratio of output, accelerated greatly as the crises emerged.Earliest studies to examine the causes of loan losses were by Keeton and Morris (1987). The study showed that local economic conditions along with the poor performance of certain sectors explain the variation in loan losses recorded by the banks. The study also reports that commercial banks with greater risk appetite tend to record higher losses. Garey (1991), also concur with the early studies of Keeton and Morris. Garey (1991) found that loan lossexperience of large commercial banks in the US was influenced by both internal and external factors.This study found a significant positive relationship between the loan-loss rate and internal factors such as 883 high interest rates, excessive lending, and volatile funds. Non-performing loans were influenced by gross domestic product growth, high real interest ra tes, lenient credit terms and excessive lending by commercial banks (Goacher, 2002; Howells and Bain, 2002; Heffernan, 2005; Freixas, 2007 and Machiranju 2008). Despite the abundant literature on non-performing loans, to the researchers’ knowledge, no study has been done on causes of non-performing loans on Zimbabwean commercial banks after dollarisation in 2009.METHODOLOGY A survey research design was used in this study. The survey allowed the collection of large amount of data in an economical way (Saunders et al, 2003). Data obtained through use of questionnaires was standard which allowed easy comparison. The limitation to the survey strategy was the fact that data collected may not be as wide-ranging as those collected by other research strategies. There is a limit as to the number of questions that any questionnaire can contain if the goodwill of the respondent is not to be presumed on too much. To mitigate this weakness, personal interviews were used in the survey stra tegy.Data was collected from 15 registered commercial banks in Zimbabwe. The key informants were departmental heads of credit risk, retail and corporate banking divisions. In addition account relationship managers were randomly selected in the survey. The study was carried out in Harare mainly because that is where all commercial banks are headquartered. Data from the survey was analysed using STATA version 11. Tabulations were used to show percentages and frequencies of respondents in each response category, with cross-tabulation tables showing percentages and frequencies between two given categories.Crosstabulations were computed together with correlation test between two variables by using Pearson chisquare. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY The issue of non-performing loans is a sensitive and confidential issue since it has a bearing on bank performance and reputation. To this end, we had challenges in getting a detailed account from some of the respondents. However, to overcome this we h ad to interview many respondents from the same institution in order to fill in the missing details. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS On average the banks were in business for thirty seven years but varied from five up to one hundred and eighteen years.Table 1 summarises the ages of the fifteen commercial banks. Table 1: Tabulated Zimbabwe Commercial Banks Years in Business Variable Years in business Observation 15 Mean 37. 5333 Std Dev 40. 2347 Min 5 Max 118 Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences (JETEMS) 3(6):882-886 (ISSN:2141-7024) From the survey, age had nothing to do with the problem of non-performing loans as reflected by a? statistic of 5. 86 (P=0. 210). Of the banks surveyed, 20% were internationally owned banks and 80% were locally owned banks.It was evident from the survey that locally owned banks had the problems of non-performing loans while internationally owned banks did not have problems of non-performing loans. This was shown by the observed differences i n ownership and non-performing loans which were statistically significant as shown by the of 17. 26 (P

Democracy Aims of the Ninth Amendment

â€Å"We the People of the United States†¦ do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. † Within those opening words, the framers of the U. S. Constitution made clear their intentions for democracy in America and their disregard for previous despotic institutions. No longer viewing the individual†s highest duty to be obedience to the state, our founding fathers displayed a firm commitment to bolstering the significance and dignity of the individual. This new found faith in the ability of the populace to govern itself is known as democracy. Democracy itself is an ideal that was developed by the ancient Greeks around 500 B. C. Inherent in all of the freedoms of democracy are certain â€Å"inalienable rights† that are guaranteed to every citizen who resides under that democracy. Following the Constitutional Convention, Federalists, who supported the ratification of the Constitution, obtained the support by promising that an enumeration of the rights of all citizens that would be added as an amendment to the Constitution after it had been ratified, to Anti-Federalists who opposed ratification due to the lack of enumerated rights. In order to outline and expound upon those rights, the Constitution was amended almost immediately following its ratification in 1788. The Bill of Rights, as the first ten amendments have come to be known, was put into effect on the fifteenth day of December, 1791, and is a formal declaration given by the government to define the fundamental liberties of its citizens and thus limit its own power. The first eight amendments contain the essential rights of every citizen, as well as certain procedural precautions instituted to insure the protection of those rights. The enth amendment guarantees the limitation of federal control to those and only those powers granted it in the Constitution. Inherent in the ninth amendment is the vitality of democracy in the United States. The ninth amendment reads: â€Å"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. † Amendment nine, while protecting citizens from the infringement of the government on the unenumerated rights of the individual using rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights, also levels any implied hierarchy of rights making no single right of any greater importance than another. The preservation of democracy in America is vitally dependent upon the ninth amendment as illustrated by its inherent ideologies that made it an amendment, its modern judicial implications in relation to the topics of the day, as well as its ability to reinforce those attributes that keep a democracy operating. Once the Constitution had been put into effect and representatives had been sent to Congress, it was time for the amendments that had been promised, to be sent before Congress. The leader in the proposition of amendments to the new Congress was James Madison, the â€Å"Father of the Constitution. † Madison†s chief intention in proposing his amendments to the Constitution was to prevent â€Å"†¦ the abridgment of the freedom of the people by [the] gradual and silent encroachments of those in power. † Madison originally proposed fifteen amendments that were to enumerate all of the inalienable rights of United States citizens. Of those fifteen, twelve were accepted by Congress to be sent to the states for approval under the process outlined in the Fifth Article of the Constitution. What would become the ninth amendment was seen even then as innocuous, but Madison was able to support its importance asking, â€Å"If an enumeration be made of all our rights, will it not be implied that everything omitted is given to the general government? † Democracy, as a free-state, relies inevitably on the protection of the freedoms of the individual; because all of the freedoms that an individual has a right to cannot simply be listed, it is vitally important that those rights which are not spelled out in the body of law that protects the individual continue to be protected from usurpation by the government. Through inference this amendment implies in its own wording that the rights that are listed in the Bill of Rights are so important that they needed to be spelled out, but there are other natural rights belonging to United States citizens that were equally important, but too numerous to mention. These â€Å"natural rights† include the right to choose your own mate, the right to reproductive choice, the right to determine the manner of your child†s education, and even covers rights to personal privacy. Certainly no man would argue the personal, as well as democratic significance of these rights. Thus, Madison, foreseeing the possibilities of the rise of the federal government to the already massive position of power that it now occupies kept it from denying Americans all of those rights that even they take for granted, because they cannot be found specifically enumerated in The judicial implications behind the ninth amendment are innumerable, mainly due to the fact that on a regular basis the government does its best to work its way into the private lives of individuals and instruct them on how to better their conduct in the ace of social morality. One pressing issue facing the people of the United States today is that of doctor-assisted suicide. To date, it has been ruled that suicide is in essence self-murder and accordingly, if murder is illegal so must all forms of it be illegal as well, self and otherwise. However, in light of the unenumerated rights guaranteed to citizens by the ninth amendment, this â€Å"right to die† inherently belongs to the individual as it does ot infringe upon the rights of others. Another modern political debate is that of the legality of homosexuality. Seeing as how, regardless of their sexual orientation, homosexuals are citizens of the United States of America, they also have the right to decide for themselves the person with whom they engage in sexual relations. Sexuality is, therefore, one more of the unenumerated rights bestowed upon the people under the â€Å"innocuous† amendment. Wisely effected for this use, the ninth amendment was cited in the case of Roe v. Wade in the determination of a woman†s right to have an abortion. This right, while not enumerated in the Constitution is still a right of the people under the ninth amendment. The ninth amendment, while famously misunderstood and misinterpreted by Judge Robert Bork in his 1987 confirmation hearing, has only recently been utilized as a tool in the fight for the preservation of the individual citizen†s democratic rights. Bork demonstrated his ineptitude and his inability to be a Supreme Court Justice by stating that he could not logically view the ninth amendment from the mindset of the Constitution†s framers. The ability of a Supreme Court Justice to trust his own insinuations into the minds of our founding fathers is what allows them to make a clear, responsible and accurate assertion about the ramifications of the wording of the Constitution. Unenumerated rights are, by definition, rights that are not specifically listed and are, therefore, more or less unknown. If it was possible to enumerate all of the rights that are delegated to the people under the ninth amendment then it would have been done and the innocuity innate in its creation would be forever erased. As those rights remain constantly emerging and on the verge of emerging the Supreme Court will have to continue to expand its interpretation and better use the ninth amendment for the protection of the intrinsic rights of the American citizen. Democracy itself is reliant upon several things to keep it working: citizen participation, voluntary action and education. The ninth amendment strengthens the wide-spread participation of the citizenry by entrusting them with rights that are God-given, rights that are so innately human that they need not be itemized in the body of law that was created to itemize the inborn rights of all citizens. Any and every individual has the right to run for public office. Each individual is also capable of supporting which ever political party he feels best represents his own personal opinions. He also retains the right to keep those personal opinions to himself if he so chooses. Another characteristic of democracy is its faith and dependence upon education. Although widespread participation is a significantly substantial aspect of democracy, it alone does not ensure the proper maintenance of good government. An active populace is nothing if it is not an educated populace. Education is not an institution that can be left to sort itself out, either. Whether an individual should choose to attend public or private schools, continue to a college or university, or perhaps be taught directly by his parents at home is a right that remains his under the ninth amendment. Without the freedoms and rights that are built-into the educational systems of America by the ninth amendment, the ability of the nation to take action, keep informed, vote intelligently and produce leaders worthy of public trust and responsibility would be drastically diminished. The lack of force inbred in all democracies requires a distinct amount of voluntary action to replace it. The right of the citizen to participate or not to participate in the everyday workings of the democracy in which he lives is always his. The ninth amendment can in that manner work against itself, but thanks to the safeguard of education it can be assumed a majority of the individuals inhabiting a democracy are there of their own free will and there because they wish to cooperate with and for the established system and not against it. The successful operation of American democracy, as well as that of any other democracy, is dependent upon the rights granted to the people of the United States by the ninth amendment. In The Federalist, â€Å"Number 47,† James Madison said that, â€Å"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. † Madison proposed the Bill of Rights in order to avoid allowances for the federal government to secure a position of tyranny as well as to promote the permanent establishment of democracy. Amendment nine of the Bill of Rights is the amendment that best exemplifies the preservation of that new state of democracy in America by withholding from the national government all those rights that went unenumerated in the Bill of Rights, but which continue to be retained by the people. The right to personal privacy, the right to a choice of educational institutions, the right to receive an abortion, the right to choose your own sexual orientation, the right to follow the political party of your choosing and even the right to die are all bestowed upon the citizenry by the ninth amendment. Democracy, as an institution of sentiment, law and government, could not survive without the guarantee of the ninth amendment that the people shall retain those rights which were given them with birth and which will neither be denied nor disparaged. The increasing clarity of the ninth amendment will continue to provide boundless possibilities for the people of the United States to not only continue in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but also to inhibit federal interference with that goal.