Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Effects of Academic Dishonesty on Higher Education Essay

Academic dishonesty is a vice that is plaguing higher education in today’s society. While lecturers and exam invigilators always seem to be a step behind in catching the culprits, the techniques being invented by the students to beat the system can almost be viewed with grim fascination. The emphasis that has been put on higher education when it comes to job status has totally skewed the moral compass of students and people who were of â€Å"respected character† in their high schools are usually at pains when explaining why the chose to cheat; this is usually after they are caught. The challenges being presented to the young boys and girls in our corridors of higher learning can be tackled the same way these students made the grades in high school. It’s all about commitment and hard work. (Anderman et al, 2007) Reasons for Cheating Students will cheat if they are not adequately prepared or if they believe regardless of their understanding of the course content, they are just not going to pass. Looking at the first reason, failure to adequately prepare for a CAT or an exam yet one has been given all the material can only be blamed on one’s negligence. On the second reason, the students may have reason to believe that there will be a disconnect between the questions being asked and the material they have studied. They could base their suspicions on the previous practices of these particular lecturer or they just do not have faith on the content they have been taught. This rarely happens but what students do not understand is it is not the lecturer’s role to â€Å"spoon-feed† them in the entire course outline. One of the expectations society has on graduates is that one should at least be able to conduct a research independently. Part of the content would therefore not be given in class and the lecturer will expect the students to conduct their own fact-finding missions. Therefore, one should not vilify a lecturer for asking a question that one wasn’t familiar with before looking at the course outline. (Callahan, 2004) Plagiarism, Fabrication and Deception The kind of cheating looked at above focuses on exam-based mode of evaluations. Research work conducted by students or even university faculty has not been spared this vice either. This kind of cheating is characterized by plagiarism, fabrication and deception. Plagiarism is the most common especially with undergraduate students. The internet has proved to be quite resourceful with information about pretty much anything being just a mouse click away. Stiff penalties like being expelled or suspended from the university do exist but there are still a few brave souls who believe they can get away with it. When one moves to the post-graduate and doctorate levels, cases of plagiarism are quite minimal. Having one’s name tarnished with plagiarism is a tag that will follow you for the rest of your career. (Bowman, 2004, p 25) The few cases of academic dishonesty reported usually arise from intentionally presenting false data. Research work is a time consuming process that can take months and even years. It can be quite unfortunate if at the end of your research, the experimental results do not match your hypothesis. Occasionally, some people prefer to fabricate their results instead of repeating the entire process or admitting that their research was inconclusive. You might get away with it if the experts in that particular field are few but the fall-out that would follow when you are discovered has proven to be the greatest deterrent. (Bowman, 2004) Studies in the Unites States show that â€Å"70% of students in high school have cheated† (Anderman et al, 2007) meaning that this vice was not suddenly acquired when these students joined university. It has moved to a point where when students are caught cheating, they are probably mad at themselves because they were caught instead of having remorse. The likelihood that you might actually be caught should be the greatest deterrent to cheating; not the penalty received after you are caught. You will only worry about the penalty if you are not sure whether you will get away with it. (Anderman et al, 2007) Effects on Higher Education Cheating has a negative effect on higher education in that the entire credibility of the system is questioned. Take for instance a student who actively cheated during his time at a particular business school somehow sneaks through the cracks in the system and is employed in the job market. Research has shown a majority of people caught practicing unsound business practices like embezzling of funds most likely participated in academic dishonesty during their time in university. The embarrassment such a person will bring to their learning institution is immeasurable. Furthermore, the credibility of students who passed through this business school will also be brought into question. It is fair to say that a looted business enterprise will think twice before employing someone from that disgraced business school. Majority of universities rely on grants and research funds to run their expensive programs. While funds from local authorities, student fees or even the federal government might be enough to run some programs, a large majority of courses rely on huge cash returns that research programs produce. All this can change if the entire higher education system is brought into disrepute due to widespread cases of cheating. Currently, few universities dare to admit that the problem is more widespread than it is reported. They are aware of the vice and admit to it being prevalent mostly in the undergraduate level. Today, the cost of hiring a university to perform a research on your behalf is a luxury enjoyed by companies or institutions that can afford the high costs. The justification for these high costs is attributed to the level of skill required to conduct this research; and this skills can only be found at our institutions of higher learning. This house of cards could probably come tumbling down if the current levels of academic dishonesty continue persisting. The research work will continue but the revenue being generated will decline. Interested parties will argue that the widespread cases of cheating in your university do not justify the excessive research fees being charged. (Callahan, 2004, p 72) Most academic scholars will never admit it but the prestige that comes with obtaining qualifications from a recognized institution of higher learning played a part when they decided to pursue higher education. Rock stars and established sportsmen and women keep returning to universities to finish their degree courses regardless of the amount of wealth they have amassed. It’s not like getting a degree guarantees you a better life insurance package or longer life expectancy; it is what the degree represents. Ironically, cheaters also realize this. A university degree is a rubberstamp of knowledge in today’s society. Some siblings have complained that their fellow brothers or sisters are held in higher regard by their parents or relatives just because they attended a university (a prestigious one). Is this system fair? Yes it is because being selected to join a university and successfully completing one’s course is not an easy affair. I believe those who have managed this feat deserve every accolade they receive. All this good is however eroded by cases of academic dishonesty. Such people end up tarnishing the names of the institutions plus the people who will pass through its corridors long after they are gone. There is a class system in every society and a large majority of them are segregated by wealth accrued or the level of education attained. Without getting into the pros and cons of a society divided by class, the reality is in every society there will have to be leaders and followers; you cannot have both. A person’s education status has been a barometer for today’s leader. Changing this due to some inept practices of some students who were caught with crib notes does seem far-fetched but is plausible if the problem becomes endemic. (Bowman, 2004, p 26) Conclusion At its current â€Å"manageable levels† academic dishonesty needs to be wiped out since it does affect the morale of students who have chosen to walk the straight path yet they are lagging behind their counterparts who are cheating. The prestige of higher education will be preserved only if its members respect its ideals and principles. Unfortunately, it is these same members who are destroying the system but the buck still stops with them in repairing the tarnished image. (Callahan, 2004, p 78) References Anderman E M, Murdock T B (2007) Psychology of Academic Cheating. Amsterdam; Boston, Elsevier Academic Press, pp 15-18 Bowman V, ed. (2004) The plagiarism plague: A resource guide and CD-ROM tutorial for educators and librarians, New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, pp 25-26 Callahan, D (2004) The cheating culture: Why more Americans are doing wrong to get Ahead, Orlando, FL: Harcourt. Hayden & West Stacks, pp 69-78

Cultural Diffusion, Space-Time Compression and the Limitations on Spatial Interaction Essay

â€Å"Globalization in a Bottle† and â€Å"The Tipping Point– Three Rules of Epidemics† Chapter 1 Basic Concepts Essay Question: How do the two articles relate to Chapter One: Basic Concepts through cultural diffusion, the limitation of spatial interaction, and space-time compression? Whilst reading â€Å"Globalization in a Bottle† and â€Å"The Tipping Point– Three Rules of Epidemics† three key concepts of â€Å"Chapter One: Basic Concepts† become inherently apparent: cultural diffusion, the limitation of spatial interaction, and space-time compression. The two articles clearly depict these three theories, through their choice use of real world examples. In each of these articles, cultural diffusion is a steady theme throughout. World War II marked the diffusion of Coca-Cola on a global scale, as stated in â€Å"Globalization in a Bottle.† The physical movement of soldiers from the US to other parts of the globe facilitated the spread and globalization of the drink and furthermore the brand name. When soldiers were shipped off to foreign lands so was Coca-Cola, and so it became a universal term. This action of spreading an idea through movement earns this incident a spot under the category of relocation diffusion. In â€Å"The Tipping Point– Three Rules of Epidemics† hush-puppies become popular once more through contagious diffusion, a subcategory of expansion diffusion, meaning an idea spread through rapid and widespread contact. The origin of this so-called â€Å"epidemic† is believed to have originated among the urban â€Å"hipsters† of downtown Manhattan. These young trendsetters would go out to clubs or just simply be seen wearing these shoes and suddenly everyone wanted a pair. Diffusion is a large concept covered throughout these articles. Another underlying idea covered in the extent of the two articles is the limitation of spatial interaction—the interaction of people whether through physical contact or by other means of communication. In â€Å"Globalization in a Bottle† this is covered by the resistance of the  numerous other countries to building more Coca-Cola processing plants in their territory. Many nations looked at the company as a way to spread Americas demoralizing traditions, therefore they refused to allow Coca-Cola to initially be diffused into their cultures. In â€Å"The Tipping Point– Three Rules of Epidemics† the author writes about the sexu al promiscuity of homosexual men and their so called aid in the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In turn, this â€Å"lewdness† has led members of society with different sexual orientations to look at the gay community as a negative aspect of modern humanity, impeding spatial interaction between the two. One final concept embedded in the two articles is space-time compression, which is the reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems. Due to the advancements in transportation, the soldiers of World War II were able to transport, and therefore facilitate the diffusion of, Coca-Cola. The same is seen with the newfound demand of hush puppies through word-of-mouth with the upgrades in communication. Overall, both articles clearly portray a society in which space-time compression is fully functioning. In conclusion, â€Å"Globalization in a Bottle† and â€Å"The Tipping Point– Three Rules of Epidemics† are both distinctly ingrained with the theories of cultural diffu sion, limitations of spatial interaction, and space-time compression. The articles utilise great examples of the three ideas and truly give them meaning.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Which Meaning of Compensation Seems Most Appropriate from an Employee’s View: Return, Reward or Entitlement?

Which meaning of compensation seems most appropriate from an employee’s view: Return, reward or entitlement? Compensation and Benefits remain as an invaluable tool to attract, motivate and retain qualified candidates. Compensation refers to the wages and other non-financial forms of compensation that an organisation pay to employees for the work they do. Compensation can be given out to employees in the form of pay, incentives, and benefits for performing their job. A total compensation and benefits package aids the organisation in increasing and maintaining the individual’s and team’s morale, encourage motivation towards peak performance, achieve internal and external equity, and increases employees’ loyalty to the organisation. When employees see compensation as a form of entitlement, they might feel that this compensation is unconnected with their accomplishment. Compensation systems are meant to attract, retain and motivate employees. When employees see their compensation as a form of entitlement, the motivation effect ceases. Employee reward and recognition programs are one method of motivating employees to change work habits and key behaviours. Employee reward systems refer to programs set up by a company to reward performance and motivate employees on individual and/or group levels. They are normally considered separate from salary but may be monetary in nature or otherwise have a cost to the company. Reward systems may be used as a tool to lure top employees in a competitive job market as well as to increase employee performance. Though employee recognition programs are often combined with reward programs they retain a different purpose altogether. They are intended to provide a psychological—rewards a financial—benefit. Although many elements of designing and maintaining reward and recognition systems are the same, it is useful to keep this difference in mind, especially for small business owners interested in motivating staffs while keeping costs low. In designing a reward program, a small business owner needs to separate the salary or merit pay system from the reward system. Financial rewards, especially those given on a regular basis such as bonuses, profit sharing, etc. , should be tied to an employee's or a group's accomplishments and should be considered â€Å"pay at risk† in order to distance them from salary. By doing so, a manager can avoid a sense of entitlement on the part of the employee and ensure that the reward emphasizes excellence or achievement rather than basic competency. Merit pay increases, then, are not part of an employee reward system. Normally, they are an increase for inflation with additional percentages separating employees by competency. They are not particularly motivating since the distinction that is usually made between a good employee and an average one is relatively small. In addition, they increase the fixed costs of a company as opposed to variable pay increases, such as bonuses, which have to be â€Å"re-earned† each year. Finally, in many small businesses teamwork is a crucial element of a successful employee's job. Merit increases generally review an individual's job performance, without adequately taking into account the performance within the context of the group or business. Types of Reward Programs include: Variable Pay, Bonuses, Profit Sharing, Stock Options, Group- based reward systems, Bonuses are generally short-term motivators. By rewarding an employee's performance for the previous year, they encourage a short-term perspective rather than future-oriented accomplishments. In addition, these programs need to be carefully structured to ensure they are rewarding accomplishments above and beyond an individual or group's basic functions. Otherwise, they run the risk of being perceived of as entitlements or regular merit pay, rather than a reward for outstanding work. Proponents, however, contend that bonuses are a perfectly legitimate means of rewarding outstanding performance, and they argue that such compensation can actually be a powerful tool to encourage future top-level efforts. Recognition Program While most employees certainly appreciate monetary awards for a job well done, many people merely seek recognition of their hard work. For an entrepreneur with more ingenuity than cash available, this presents an opportunity to motivate employees. Cash is no longer the ultimate motivator. Non-cash awards tend to be more effective; the exception was rewarding increasing sales. Non-cash awards programs would work better than cash in such cases as reinforcing organizational values and cultures, improving teamwork, increasing customer satisfaction and motivating specific behaviors among other programs. One problem associated with many compensation systems is the lack of employee involvement. Though it has been stated that reward in most cases has more motivation, attraction and retention effects, it might not be so for some employees.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Research Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Challenges - Essay Example These factors identify my weakness in developing research questions. Data analysis is another key challenge that I would face because of the involved technical approach and tools. Qualitative data analysis’ subjective approach that relies on a researcher’s background knowledge towards rational opinions is particular problem that I would face. I also lack experience in the research method’s application of software for data analysis and this would limit my ability develop my conclusion and recommendations. I would address the challenge of constructing good research questions by researching on strategies for conducting literature reviews and understanding other researchers’ approach to developing problem statements. I would also share my reviewed literature and problem statement with peers and my supervisor for identification and correction of possible mistakes and inconsistencies. I would further review qualitative research articles to understand authors’ approach to subjective data analysis besides consulting with an experienced researcher on the qualitative analysis technique. I would also attend training on software applications for qualitative

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Dose Trade with Low-Wage Countries Cause a trade Deficit in the Assignment

Dose Trade with Low-Wage Countries Cause a trade Deficit in the High-Wage Country - Assignment Example This is because; absorption of U.S domestic demand for goods by exporters in china and oil exporting countries has widely suppressed domestic job creation in the U.S. In 2011 and 2010, the increasing U.S trade deficit with China led to 2.8 million jobs displacement in U.S (Bordon, 2011). Other factors that have led to the shrinking of the manufacturing sector include rising technological changes which have increased labor productivity, forcing firms to hire few workers. It is incorrect for the Business and Industry Council to blame imports alone for the international imbalance that have led to manufacturing crisis. Manufacturing crisis refers to the long-run trend of falling employment in the manufacturing sector in the United States. The macroeconomic policies that China has adopted of currency devaluation, increasing U.S dollar holding and, subsidies advancement to a range of industries are the major cause of the high trade deficit. By 2011, China had accumulated $3.26 trillion in foreign reserves in U.S treasuries. In Chinese auto-parts industry, both domestic and foreign owned plants have received $27.5 billion in government subsidies. In 2006, 58.2 per cent of China’s exports were from the foreign firms operating in China. These firms are taking advantages of the subsidy policy and availability of cheap labor in China. China and other low wage rate countries enjoy availability of cheap labor, relative to their counterparts in the US and other developed countries. This is the area where they have a comparative advantage in manufacturing. Undervaluing the Chinese currency, yuan, has expanded the U.S trade deficit hurting the U.S manufacturing and depressing the U.S employment. According to the congress research service report (2008), China’s foreign exchange rates reserves increased from $403 billion to $1.5 trillion between 2003 and 2007.in 2010 the reserves were $3.2 trillion. Lutes argue that, lax U.S financial regulations that have fueled over

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Foundation of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foundation of Marketing - Essay Example The prospective markets for the household insurance products are also promising to the company. The company being the one that is specialized in auto insurance they have a very good market share and satisfied customers. Under internal audit concept, it is necessary to evaluate that whether PGI should have adequate resources for involving the new house hold insurance business. For the purpose of expanding the existing business, every business should require appropriate resources, like material, men, and money. Rather than these, effective marketing is also crucial. Market audit of the company throws light on the current market share of the company and the future opportunities for the company in the Market. Analysis of the case shows that PGI is the market leader in the Auto insurance sector. In 2006 the company had a total policy strength of 5, 66,000. And also the company had gained an annual growth rate of 6.2%. But even though the company has the best policy strength the growth rate of the company is lower when compared to its competitor. Blair Patterson has the highest growth rate which is 82.5% and Cherry Ash has a growth rate of 25% while the growth rate is only 6.2% for PGI. For the purpose of introducing house hold insurance, it is necessary for PGI to undertake various marketing strategies. Among them Porter's five force model is significant. supplier Power, rivalry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, barriers to entry. While introducing new house hold insurance by PGI, it is essential to concentrate about the competitors, substitute 's etc. Rather than this, it is also necessary to consider the macro environment factors like political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal. Political Consist of legislation, regulation of transfer for capital and labour, and stability of political system. Economical consist of development of relevant economic indicators, business cycles, unemployment, and industry structures. Socio- Cultural consists of population and demographics and customer behaviour. Technological consist of life cycle phases of products and research and development expenses. Marketing Structure for Company Marketing is distinct in the Dictionary of modern English (1995:872) as the action to try to put up for sale a company's goods by advertising, by attractive packages. Consequently I can say advertising is a way companies sell their goods to the neighbourhood that needs them or customers. The following are a number of of the terms old in marketing covering, selling, advertising, endorsement of products and many additional, but these are the conditions I'm going to use a great deal on my essay. The paper will also be based on publicity, as it is fraction of advertising. According to the expert analysis advertising is merely an economic action that is used by advertisers for the reason of selling or hire customer's conscious of their military. To add on that I got a meaning of the word publicity from Dade (1989:1) and reads that "a paid statement future to provide information about a manufactured goods or service or to convince people to perform in a sure way." Some people too argued that

Friday, July 26, 2019

Operation Barbarossa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Barbarossa - Essay Example Role of HUMNIT in the Plan Bodyguard Through Plan Bodyguard, the Allied Forces had acquired a deception plan that could support their invasion of Normandy. The human intelligence was applied in execution of this plan in inducing the Germans to make planned and strategic faulty dispositions before the onset of Operation Anvil and Overload. The human intelligent was important in making the Germans confused, hence causing them to misallocate their resources into territories that encountered little threat of attacks form allied forces. Under the bodyguard, the operations were divided into three distinctive sub-groups, the Zeppelin, Fortitude North and South respectively. Application of Signal Intelligence in execution of Plan Bodyguard Signal intelligence in Plan Bodyguard was vital in masking the Operation Overload. Through signal intelligence, the Allies located strategic bombing sites that helped champion their strategic bombing campaign. The Allied used signal intelligence to acquire stories that they could sell through their acquired diplomatic leaks. In an instance of that magnitude, they announced about the planned Soviet attack backed by the Allied Forces. This intelligence confused the German forces, as this coincided with their dates of attack against the Allied Forces. Balancing secrecy and openness in a democracy In the United States, many challenges have been encountered in balancing secrecy and openness in line with democracy. According to the general US perception, deceit is detestable in all activities.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

[narrative]A little learning is a dangerous thing Essay

[narrative]A little learning is a dangerous thing - Essay Example Little did we know that our mode of dressing was termed skimpy and irritated some people in Saudi Arabia. Our ignorance led to the climax of conflict when my friend Jerry attempted to shake the hands of a lady who was passing near our hotel room. This act created a scene that cost us endless explanations in a bid to explain that our intentions were not wrong. We were caught and locked up in a room for hours for indecent behavior. After long hours of discussion, we managed to convince the security men that we were simple visitors and had no intention of any kind with the lady. We even explained we found it courteous to greet people. We were later released with severe warnings. At the end of the day we learnt that had we researched more on the culture of the Middle East, we would not be in trouble for behaving badly. With the tough lessons learnt, life continues. My friends and I are very cautious especially when we do not have enough information on some aspects of

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, & MODES IN THE HUMANITIES Essay

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, & MODES IN THE HUMANITIES - Essay Example The artistic works of Giotto, Masaccio, Alberti, Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Raphael are among the most prominent ones in the Renaissance period. The principal characteristics of Renaissance art include development of a linear perspective, shadow and light, expressions and emotions, realism and naturalism, classicism, humanism and geometrical arrangement of figures. Renaissance artists particularly emphasized on the idea of linear perspective maximizing illusionist depth and space in their works to give it a more realistic and natural look. For instance, the famous painting Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca has utilized linear of perspective beautifully. They studies classical concept in sculpture including human proportion and stance to express their work with weight and fluidity. Renaissance art depicts humanism addressing a number of human values and concerns. For instance, Raphael’s School of Athens shows humanistic interpretations. Moreover, the r enaissance artists mostly rejected the use of religious and supernatural themes. They preferred to paint liberal concepts in their works. The 14th century was a time of great crisis in Europe apparently unsuitable for any sort of innovation and creativity. The appearance of plague, continuing war, and turmoil in the Catholic Church were among the major catastrophic events faced by the Europeans following the decline of Roman Empire. In such a dark age Europeans sought a cultural movement for revival. Despite these discouraging factors, the culture in Italy was surrounded by the remnants of a once glorious Roman empire capable of supporting a rebirth. Renaissance artists took advantage of the emigrating Greek scholars bringing with them classical knowledge of the Greek civilization, high proportion of merchants patronizing artists, and greater political and religious liberty for translation of their ideas into practice. The Baroque Baroque meaning the pearl of an irregular shape mark s the style of art and architecture period during the 17th and early 18th century. Like Renaissance, baroque period started in Italy which later spread to the rest of Europe and America. Baroque art successfully flourished until the advent of Neo-classical art style in the 18th century. Early Baroque art was inspired by the works of other artist such as Correggio and Caravaggio and Barocci. However, later in the 18th century, it depicted less drama and color categorized as Late Baroque art period. The most notable of the Baroque period are the works of Rubens, Caravaggio, Carracci, Cortona, Bernini, Rembrandt and Flemish. The general characteristics of the Baroque art are depicted by movement, dramatic and emotional, tension and energy, theatrical, sensual, counter-reformation, exaggerated lighting, tenebrism, naturalism, spatial values and time. Baroque artists used circular or diagonal composition to depict motion for emotional effects. According to Wolfflin (1979), the Baroque wa s the age â€Å"where the oval replaced the circle as the center of composition, that centralization replaced balance, and that coloristic and ‘painterly’ effects began to become more prominent†. Baroque works of art usually imply irregularity, strangeness and extravagance. For instance, Bernini's Cornaro Chapel in Rome is regarded as a theatrical masterpiece depicting Baroque art. As new scientific concepts were being introduced by Galileo, Pascal and

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

E-views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-views - Essay Example dependent var 1946.249 S.E. of regression 455.4699   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Akaike info criterion 15.33487 Sum squared resid 3526698.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schwarz criterion 15.72491 Log likelihood -183.6859   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hannan-Quinn criter. 15.44305 F-statistic 60.17375   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durbin-Watson stat 1.916498 Prob(F-statistic) 0.000000 (a) The estimated equation is: Y = 148.220572044 - 1.28739451915*X1 + 1.80962162969*X2 + 0.59039598443*X3 - 21.4816857405*X4 + 5.61940285601*X5 - 14.51467253*X6 + 29.3602583452*X7 The interpretation of the estimated coefficients is provided below: Table 3: Coefficient values and their interpretation Coefficient Value Interpretation Coefficient 1 148.2206 This is the intercept. ... ase in the manhour requirement by approximately 0.60 hours per week Coefficient 5 -21.4817 for an increase of the common use area by an additional square feet will imply a reduction of the manhour requirement by 21 hours per month Coefficient 6 5.619403 If the number of building wings increases by one, the additional monthly manhour requirement rises by 5.61 Coefficient 7 -14.5147 for an increase of operational berthing capacity by an additional unit, the monthly manhour requirement falls by 14.51 Coefficient 8 29.36026 For every additional number of rooms, approximately 29.4 additional manhours per month become necessary (b) Testing for significances Here, n=25 and we test at the 95% level (0.05). The test is two sided. For these specifications, the critical value: . From the 4th column of table 2 we see that only the coefficients of X2, X4, X6 and X7 exceed the critical value (in absolute terms). Thus, these are the only variables that are found to be significant, i.e., the coeffic ients are statistically different from zero. It can be checked from the column of probabilities it is only these coefficients that have p-values less than 0.05. Therefore, the conclusion is that only the monthly number of check ins, common use area, operational berthing capacity and number of rooms have statistically significant effects on the predicted variable, the required manhours to run the establishment. Problem 2 The test of joint significance is an F test of the null hypothesis that all coefficients are equal to zero, i.e., the parameters are jointly insignificant. In Eviews this is equivalent to using the Wald test for testing the restriction: The 5% critical F-statistic value for one restriction and 17 degrees of freedom (n=25, k=8) is 4.451. Observe from table 2 that the computed

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Bernie Madoff (Ethics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bernie Madoff (Ethics) - Essay Example Most Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes end up collapsing because new investors begin to dwindle and the return on investment promised quickly declines. What Madoff did that set him apart was to run a successful Ponzi scheme for years and to use charisma, charm, intelligence and advanced accounting to keep auditors, regulators and investors at bay. One thing that clearly contributed to Madoff's success, both because it expanded his resume and because it allowed him to know how to make his business appear legitimate, was that he was a well-established Wall Street player in legitimate operations. He made his money as a stocks wholesaler in the early days of the telecommunication boom when Wall Street would transform utterly. He could point to years of legitimate success when he wanted to assuage the fears of his investors. The frightening fact about Madoff's one-time legitimacy is that it indicates, as do the Enron and WorldCom examples, that Wall Street's mainstream culture does not see m to weed out potential conmen. Rather, the opposite seems to happen: The culture of Wall Street either seems to sharpen existing predatory urges or causes businessmen and financial whizkids to seek out ever-higher rates of return. Of course, Madoff pointed out as he was being arrested and tried that no one was complaining when he was returning them double-digit returns, even though it is clear that it is almost impossible for such returns to be legitimate. One issue might be the inequality at the top of the ladder itself: Hacker and Pierson in Winner-Take-All Politics point out that winner-take-all inequality, where the top 10% gain the lion's share of economic growth, leads to a situation where the rich are more and more likely to invest into extremely risky financial instruments. Madoff, like all good conmen, made sure to psychologically control, reward and assuage his participants. Investors in his money management scheme always were given the direct benefit of his individual ch arm. He cultivated an exclusive atmosphere, allowing only invited investors to come in, which seemed to indicate both safety (after all, why be so careful about an investment if it wasn't legitimate?) and power. People in Madoff's web felt that they were unique and special, part of a small club. Madoff consciously cultivated this image. One of the things that contributes to the eventual transparency of Ponzi schemes is that their affectations at exclusivity are totally superficial: It's obvious to anyone that they're desperately trying to get anyone involved, which makes smart people wonder what they're doing with their money. But Madoff was willing to walk away; he managed to cover up his Ponzi scheme not least with the way he treated investors. Madoff made sure, for whatever reason, to distance his family: Mark, Shana, Ruth and Peter Madoff all seemed totally distant from the planning process. Ruth acted as a public face but it seemed that she was unaware of the fraud. It may have been a desire to protect his family, but it may also have been smart business. The legitimate businesses Madoff ran not only generated profit but were also, in essence, a front: He could use those ventures to shield problems in his illegitimate schemes and could use it to find victims. By scrupulously preserving the integrity of his family and the firm, he made the Ponzi scheme more viable alongside protecting his cash cow. He even hired people who were less educated and perhaps less intelligent than him, people who would be

Monday, July 22, 2019

International Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

International Marketing Strategy Essay For most manufacturers, success or failure is determined by how effectively and efficiently their products are sold through their marketing channel members (e. g. , agents, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers). Given this situation, considerable marketing channel research has focused on organizational responsibility for managing channel how interrelationships among a firm and its channel members can be managed better (Achrol and Stern 1988; Anderson et al 1997). Globalization of markets is a phenomenon that has received much attention and been extensively debated both at general societal/institutional/cultural levels and at market and business levels. In any globalization process, distribution of goods and services between and within local industrial and consumer markets is of great importance. A marketing channel is a set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for consumption. Globalization of markets and reorganization of distribution are mutually dependent processes that involve changes in market structures. Mattsson Wallenberg, 2003) As national markets expand and as new opportunities arise for satisfying consumer demand, greater specialization in distribution is evident both in the level of distribution and in goods and services handled (Mallen, 1996). Moreover, as the global marketplace expands, many multinational firms have been influenced by mounting pressures to develop a worldwide communication, distribution and information network that facilitates the free flow of information and goods across national boundaries (Min Eom, 1994). Distribution channels excellence has become a powerful source of competitive differentiation. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, companies began to view distribution channels as more than simply a source of cost savings and recognize it as a source of enhancing product or serve offerings as part of the broader supply chain process to create competitive advantage. (Mentzer et al, 2004). International distribution channels In international marketing the manufacturer doesnt sell products directly, it goes through several parties-before reaching the consumer. It involves various channels and variety of intermediaries. In order to sustain the growth of the international marketplace and the integration of the world’s economic activities it is vital to conduct efficient and cost-effective distribution according to Ross (1996). The challenge to global distribution management is to structure a supply chain that is responsive and flexible enough to cope with differences in customers requirements and yet enable the benefits of focused manufacturing to be achieved. According to Black et al (2002) the past decade has seen some of the most rapid and substantive changes in channels of distribution for goods and services in developed economies. What companies must remember is that the choice of distribution channel is quite complicated in the home market of a company but even more complicated when going international and starting to export. It is vital for companies who are about to establish abroad that they realize that the choice of distribution channel is crucial for future success and growth. There are many alternative distribution channels to choose from and the conditions may vary from different companies and markets. Furthermore, the choice of distribution channel is often complex and expensive if changing it subsequently. Therefore, it is central that the decision is given the attention and acknowledgement, which is called for due to the fact that it has such a long-term outcome of the export investment’s success. (Anderson et al, 1997). Distribution builds stable competitive advantages, since marketing channels have a long-run character and to build them it is necessary to have a consistent structure; and due also to the fact that they are focused on people and relationships. With channels of distribution changing rapidly studies of consumers will need to focus not just on understanding product choice but also on understanding the reasons for channel choice. Distribution channel intensity Another channel strategy according to Jobber (2001) is the intensity of the distribution channel. According to Kotler (2000) and Fein and Anderson (1997) companies have to decide on the number of intermediaries to use at each channel level. Three approaches are available: intensive distribution, selective distribution and exclusive distribution. Mallen (1996) states that intensive distribution is at one end of the scale where the policy is to distribute to as many outlets as possible, and that exclusive distribution is at the other end of the scale, where the policy is to distribute only to one intermediary at a given level in a given geographic area. The broad middle ground is normally referred to as selective distribution. Intensive distribution consists of the manufacturer placing the goods or services in as many outlets as possible. This approach is generally used for everyday goods such as milk, bread, tobacco products and soap, products for which the consumer requires a great deal of location convenience. Manufacturers are constantly tempted to move from exclusive or selective distribution to more intensive distribution to increase coverage and sales. Intensive distribution may help in the short term but often hurts long-term performance. (Kotler, 2000) According to Mallen (1996) intensive distribution tends to maximize sales for the simple reason that more outlets increase the possibilities of consumer contact. Yet, this approach means a more elaborate marketing operation at the manufacturer level. Selective distribution involves the use of more than a few but less than all of the intermediaries who are willing to carry a particular product. It is used by established companies and by new companies seeking distributors. The company does not have to dissipate its efforts over too many outlets; it enables the producer to gain adequate market coverage with more control and less cost than intensive distribution. Kotler, 2000) Selective distribution is generally applied on rarely bought goods such as DVDs, computers and cameras according to Fein and Anderson (1997). Exclusive distribution means severely limiting the number of intermediaries. It is used when the producer wants to maintain control over the service level and service outputs offered by the resellers. (Kotler, 2000) While minimizing costs, exclusive distribution tends to maximize channel goodwill and channel control. It is easier for the manufacturer to have completely satisfactory relationships with a few intermediaries than with many in a given area according to Mallen (1996). Often it involves exclusive dealing arrangements, in which the resellers agree not to carry competing brands. By granting exclusive distribution, the producer hopes to obtain more dedicated and knowledgeable selling. (Kotler, 2000) Exclusive distribution is often used on capital goods such as cars according. Importance of distribution Distribution is a key component of any international marketing strategy. To successfully deliver products and services to customers spread across different geographies, you’ll have to develop an international marketing strategy with special emphasis on supply chain, which includes distribution. If your business has entered various markets, it may not be possible for you to single-handedly manage the overseas operations. You’ll have to develop an effective distribution channel. This channel will consist of channel intermediaries, who will make sure that the product reaches the end user. Distribution is critical to your overseas operations because: 1. It has a direct effect on sales. If you don’t have a good distribution network, your products may stack up in a warehouse and won’t reach your target customers. 2. It affects your profits as well. As distribution costs can make up to 50 percent of the final selling price of some products, an efficient distribution network can increase your profit margins. 3. It has an influence on customer satisfaction. As the long-term success of your overseas operations depends on satisfying your customers, choose your dealers and retailers carefully as they will be responsible, to a large extent, what your customers think about your product and if they will recommend your product to others. 1. 4 Types of distribution channels To gain competitive advantage in the market, you need to identify the right distribution channel that is familiar with your target consumer and segment. Also make sure that the distribution channel that you choose shares similar policies and strategies as your company and has a proven track record in the market. You can choose from among several channels of distribution. Your chosen distribution channel will directly affect all your other marketing decisions. Here are some options: Direct marketing: In this method, the company interacts with its customers directly without any intermediaries. Mail orders, the Internet and phone calls are some of the ways your potential customers can learn about your products and make purchases. Agents: Agents operate on a commission basis. You’ll have to pay these agents on the volume of sales they generate. Agents do not accept any legal ownership of the product. This kind of channel is usually expensive, as an agent is expensive to train and the physical distance makes his progress difficult to track. Distributors: Distributors buy the goods directly from you and will then sell it to retailers. Since they take title to the goods, they are free to determine the prices of the goods themselves and develop their own marketing strategies. They usually have storage facilities. Retailers: Retailers sell to the end customers and are, therefore, able to develop a better bond with them. The retailer takes on the responsibility of promoting the products and often decides the price of the product. Manufacturing-owned intermediaries: This is a capital-intensive option, as your business will directly set up sales and service units in the markets that it has a presence. 2. 0 Channel Management Strategies Channel Management is yet another sales and marketing phrase that is thrown around like everyone knows what it means. But so few companies really comprehend channel management in a way that really helps them. Sales channels being the conduits by which we distribute our products to the end-user come in many shapes from direct, to the web, to the traditional retail environment. Channel Management Strategies (CMS) provides the latest research, benchmarking data, analytic models, and thought leadership necessary to align and enhance your existing channel management initiatives. Channel Management Strategies delivers objective data and intelligence to compare and contrast your efforts with peer organizations, and provides thought-provoking research on industry trends, best-practice models and tactics, budget and resource allocation and measurement strategies. Channel management is a process by which a company creates formalized programs for selling and servicing customers within a specific channel. it can impact businesses in a positive way. First segment channels by like characteristics (their needs, buying patterns, success factors, etc. and then customize a channel management program that includes: 1. Goals: Define the specific goals you have for each channel segment. Consider your goals for the channel as a whole as well as individual account. And, remember to consider goals for both acquisition and retention. 2. Policies: Construct well defined polices for administering the accounts within this channel. Be sure to keep the unique characteristics of each segment in mind when defining policies for account set up, order management, product fulfillment, etc. 3.  Products: Identify which products in your offering are most suited for each segment and create appropriate messaging. Also, determine where to upsell opportunities lie. 4. Sales/Marketing Programs: Design support programs for your channel that meet their needs, not what your idea of their needs are. To do this, you should start by asking your customers within this segment, â€Å"how can we best support you in the selling and marketing of our products? † That being said, the standard considerations are product tra ining, co-op advertising, seasonal promotions, and merchandising. Again, this is not a one-size fit all, so be diligent about addressing this segment’s specific needs in these areas. Defining a channel management strategy for each segment allows the organization to be more effective within each segment, while gaining efficiency at the same time. Still, maintaining brand consistency across all channel segments is critical to your long-term success. So it has to find a good balance between customization and brand consistency for a successful channel management.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Children Are Our Future

Children Are Our Future Our greatest glory consist in not ever failing, but in rising every time we fall. (Oliver Godsmith) The children of todays society will never know the true meaning of this quote or what its like to fall and get right back up to try again. Many say if you dont award your children for participating, theyll choose not to participate and wont get anything done. As a parent its hard to see your child fail considering you want nothing less than the best and to see them happy, but they should not be entitled to a trophy just for showing up and going through the motions. The millennials have been called everything from coddled to just downright spoiled. Their overal attitude is horrible, always thinking they know whats best and whatever they do will be accepted and rewarded. This, however, is through no fault of the child but of the parents and caregivers that raised them. A writer from the Amrican Academy of Pediatrics states, From Californias soccer fields to the basketball courts of New York, sports-league organizers are beginning to question the practice of congratulating every kid on every team just for putting on a uniform. This just shows that people can see what participation trophies do to children. By giving them an award for participating and going through the motions will kill their entire motivation and want to do better. With these participation trophies they will fail and not kow how to handle it. With participation trophins theyll never learn to fail, without failure theyll nver learn to succeed. Just as eveyone says, the children are our future. If we continue to hand out awards for participatinon, theyll never learn and give up as soon as they are unable to complete a task. Technology doent make anything better as they get frustrated if something doesnt pop up as fast as they would like. The millennial generation is electroniclly sophisticated as Julie A. Ray from the Association for Childhood Education International states. With as many technological advancements as ther are in the world today, very few people have patience and its getting worse as time goes on. Having no patience is also a factor in weather anyone will continue to fail and succeed or just fail and never try again and expect a reward for onece again, going through the motions. You will never learn to do things to the best of your ability if you dont ever fail. Part of being human is learning to accept the fact that you will fail, weather it be one, three, ten, or even a hundred times before you succeed, you will fail. Michael Jordan, a retired professional basketball player and well reapected rolemodel, says, Ive missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. Ive lost almost 300 games. 26 times, Ive been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. Ive failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. Jordan was not handed a trophy for missing 26 game winning shots, he was awarded a trophy for working hard and failing. Even though he failed he never gave up. He pushed and pushed and worked everyday until he was succesful, until he was able to make those game winning shots that everyone was depending on him for. When were not feeling overwhelmed, one highly sensitive person (HSP) told a reporter for a California newspaper, we can experience joy and love much more deeply than the nonHSP. (Christine Rosen) Raising children on paticipatin trophies will give them a higher risk of becoming a HSP. They wont know how to handle the conditions of life as it can be fast paced. In the real world, there is no one to hold your hand or tell you what to do and how to do it. You have to learn from your mistakes as well as everyone elses. If you are awarded a trophy for showing up and just being there and participating, you wont learn how to make a mistake and if we continue to hand out trophies like its candy, no one else will learn to make mistakes either. Once you are an adult and youre out on your own and you make a mistake and you fail, youll think that its all going to be okay, someone will come and fix it, once you realize no one is there to fix it and no one is going to be there to tell you its okay, youre going to feel like a failure, something that youve never felt before because for your entire life, everything has been handed to you. Handing out trophies like its going out of style is a big mistake. Children are our future, raising them on participation trophies will improve nothing, do nothing but destroy children and their future. As soon as they fail and realize that its not okay, they will no longer be confident in themselves or in anything that they do. Part of success is confidence in failure, knowing that you will succeed if you just try again , even if you fail more than youd like to admit. You will never get anywhere if you never try.

Transactive Memory System and Creativity of Dutch Designers

Transactive Memory System and Creativity of Dutch Designers Preface The author declares that the text and work presented in this Master thesis are original and that no other sources other than those mentioned in the text and its references have been used in creating the Master thesis. The copyright of the Master thesis rests with the author. The author is responsible for its contents. RSM Erasmus University is only responsible for the educational coaching and beyond that cannot be held responsible for its contents. Abstract This research examines the impact of the transactive memory system on the creativity of Dutch fashion designers, architects and graphic designers. The transactive memory system (TMS) consists of individual expertise of members as well as their knowledge of ‘who knows what and is based on communication. The emphasis in this thesis is given to the retrieval function of the TMS. This function could have an impact on the process of idea generation. In this research a special focus will be on the concept of ‘ba, developed by Nonaka (1994). Central to the ‘ba stands the idea of knowledge creation during interaction. Approximately five hundred designers were sent an online survey about the impact of the environment, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer on the retrieval of information during idea generation. The final number of cases used was 128 and these were empirically investigated using a multiple regression analysis. Results showed that having connections with other individuals did have a significant impact on the creativity of Dutch designers during idea generation (ÃŽ ²=.379 significant at level .001). Furthermore, the use of explicit knowledge showed to have an unexpected positive moderating effect on the relationship between retrieving information and creativity (ÃŽ ²=.202 significant at level .05). However, the other aspects did not show significant results. Chapter 1 Introduction and research topic Introduction ‘The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your resources Albert Einstein In order to be successful in the creative industry, designers have to be able to deliver what is perceived to be creative. But what is creativity? Many researchers focused on the personality approach; defining creativity as a personality trait. Simonton (2003) argued that creativity has three essential components: person, product and process. These components have to be interrelated in order to recognize creativity. Koestler (1964) proposed that creativity involves a ‘bisociative process- connecting two frames of reference to produce new insight or invention. Amabile et al (2005) mentioned that creative performance can be affected by the work environment in every context; a school, a room, a design studio or organization. Amabile (1983) focused on the process of creativity and identified that social and environmental influences are also of importance in creative performance. She developed a framework, which describes the way in which cognitive abilities: personality characteristics and social factors might contribute to the different stages of the creative process. Social networks are taken as to be one of these social factors. How does this work in the creative industry? Designers must have all of the resources and assets available in order to succeed in todays highly competitive marketplace. But where do new ideas come from? And in what way do these ideas affect creativity? Marlies Dekkers designs her collections based on a different concept than traditional underwear. Every collection is inspired by movies, art or literature. When she has a moment of inspiration, even if it is in the middle of the night, all the members of her designing team receive a text message with her idea. They all discuss this idea the next morning. Rem Koolhaas has been successful architect for more than twenty years. He celebrates the chance-like nature of city life: the city is an addictive machine from where there is no escape. Another key theme in architectural design was introduced by Koolhaas. This notion: the ‘Program, involves an act to contribute to human activities. Over the past 15 years Viktor and Rolf have taken the fashion world by storm with their particular blend of cool irony and surreal beauty. They created The House of Viktor Rolf that presents each of the designers signature pieces from 1992 to now, shown in a specially commissioned and characteristically theatrical installation. They are most well-known for their fantastical and concept driven designs and for their conceptually driven fashion show presentations. Subjects of their work include their analysis of fashion and the fashion industry, the idea of the fashion designer as a story teller, transformation and illusions. Marlies Dekkers, Rem Koolhaas and Viktor Rolf are successful, but are inspired in different ways. It could be interesting to know in what way social relationships affect creativity; what kinds of relationships are part of the process of generating ideas? Family, friends or peers? And within which context and with what means are these ideas shared, transferred or created? Perry- Smith and Shalley (2003) focused on the importance of generating creative ideas and tried to explore the association between the context of social relationships and individual creativity. They argued that informal relationships are more beneficial, in general, than formal relationships for creativity. Informal relationships are not specifically required as a part of the job. These relationships are more likely to provide connections to people with diverse viewpoints and perspectives (Perry-Smith, 2008). Informal ties ease the process of communication rather than formal ties. Conversations with others can therefore not only be a source of ideas, but also a driving force behind creativity. Nonaka Toyama (2003) discuss the potential of these dialogues as they introduce the concept of ‘Ba; a context or place, which can transcend beyond boundaries to create knowledge. Knowledge creation occurs as the actors synthesize tacit and explicit knowledge in social space. Conversations can create new knowledge and enhance creativity. Searching for information and getting inspired is essential during this process. A transactive memory system (TMS) is a collective memory of who knows what. This is a shared system for encoding, storing and retrieving information (Wegner, 1986). The TMS is based on the idea that individual members can serve as external memory to others. Its value is determined by the willingness of members to search for the specific expertise. Members are able to benefit from each others knowledge and expertise if they develop a good, shared understanding of who knows what in the group/unit. They are able to develop deep expertise in specialty areas and they can rely on other members to provide access to others specific knowledge (Lewis, 2003). Retrieving information is a valuable asset of a TMS: individuals with specialized expertise can be found quickly. Designer creativity and the retrieval function of a TMS have not yet been associated with each other; connections to people who are creative or have specific expertise may help individuals be more creative (Perry-Smith, 2008). Therefore the subsequent question will be central in this research: What is the effect of the retrieval function of a transactive memory system on the creativity of fashion designers, architects and graphic designers in the Netherlands? The following sub-questions can be derived: How is a transactive memory system used to generate new ideas? How is a transactive memory system used during the transfer of knowledge? 1.1 Research Objective The objective of this research is to provide some new insights as to how the retrieval function of the transactive memory system (TMS) can have an impact on the creativity of designers. The purpose of this research is to test theory and causal relations. The most appropriate research strategy will be the survey design since we are dealing with probabilistic hypotheses. The numbers of respondents to the survey in this research were 128. 1.2 Thesis structure The next chapter will discuss the theoretical issues, namely the concept of creativity and the transactive memory system. Chapter 3 will justify the chosen research design and the analysis of the results. The general discussion, implications and recommendations will be described in Chapter 4. Part I Chapter 2 Literature Review ‘Everything you can imagine is real Pablo Picasso This chapter will discuss the relationship between the retrieval function of the TMS and creativity as well as different aspects that could moderate this relationship. The first section will explain how retrieving information can play a role during idea generation. The following part will discuss the cognitive elements that could impact this relationship such as absorptive capacity, scanning the environment, the usage of boundary objects and the role of a shared context (‘ba). A conceptual model will be presented at the end of this chapter, displaying the presumed relationships. Introduction Designers operate in a creative environment and are faces with innovative tasks. They should be able to identify trends and changes during idea generation. This phenomenon called environmental scanning can be used to retrieve relevant information. Cohen and Levinthal (1990) argue that the ability to exploit external knowledge is critical during the generation of ideas. They introduce the concept of absorptive capacity, which is the ability to take in and make use of new knowledge. In this way, retrieving information requires prior related knowledge to assimilate this newly acquired information. Sharing information means sharing knowledge. The context in which these interactions take place is crucial. Knowledge is created by means of interaction among individuals or between individuals and their environment. ‘Ba is the context shared by those who interact with each other (Nonaka Toyama, 2003). Thus, designers could retrieve relevant information when participating in a ‘ba. To deliver creative products, designers need to be able to combine and integrate knowledge. They could face knowledge boundaries during interaction. Different boundary objects can be used to manage knowledge across boundaries (Carlile, 2002). The first difficulty that needs to be addressed is the way different types of ‘ba, the environment and the usage of absorptive capacity are related to retrieving information. The second problem that needs to be addressed is how boundary objects are being used dring the generation of ideas. The most common means of identifying creativity has been through its products. In architecture, music, writing, art and even scientific discovery the presence of a creative product is of importance (Akin Akin, 1998) Creativity is generally defined as the production of novel, useful ideas or problem solutions. It refers to both the process of idea generation or problem solving and the actual idea or solution (Amabile, 1983). Drawing on the assumption that novelty is the distinguished feature of creative work, Simonton (1999) focused his theory on variation. In this theory, the process of variation primarily contributes to idea novelty; it is guided by the existence of knowledge elements that are available for combination into new variations within the creators mind. According to Simonton (1999), the initial selection of ideas goes on within the mind of the individual creator, through a process of testing them against relevant criteria for novelty. Once an idea has been selected by the creator, developed, and communicated, there is often a second selection process by relevant individuals in a social group or community. In Simontons view, creativity depends in large part on novelty, and because novelty is largely a function of cognitive variation, interacting with other individuals is likely to increase the probability of creativity. Creativity is a choice made by an individual to engage in producing novel ideas; the level of engagement can vary from situation to situation. In this thesis creativity is defined as thinking outside of general frames of reference that leads to generation of novel ideas, solution to problems, or innovations (Akin Akin, 1998). In order to create a new product, diverse ideas become available from past experiences. In this way, individuals enrich their own knowledge domain with other knowledgeable persons who help them to retrieve and apply knowledge components during idea generation (Taylor Greve, 2006). This means as a conclusion that individual creativity and the ability to deliver innovations depend on interactions in social systems (Amabile, 1996). Relevant ideas can be generated through communication and through the retrieval information from external sources. External knowledge and the interpretation of the environment can be such sources. 2.1 Transactive memory system creativity Creativity does not just play a role in arts, invention and innovation; it also is a part of our everyday life (Runco, 2004). He defines creative thinking in terms of cognitive processes that lead to an original and adaptive insight, idea or solution. What is unique about this definition is the reliance on cognitive processes. This definition assumes that all creative work requires some cognition and that everything we do requires information processing. Creative ideas generated from ones cognitive processes are influenced by the individuals personal experiences. A combination of individual and others knowledge is an ideal means to obtain information and be creative. Strategic management researchers have proposed a knowledge processing view of the firm that emphasizes the importance of social interaction as the process through which knowledge is created and transferred in organizations (Kogut Zander, 1992; Nonaka, 1994). Nanaka Takeuchi (1995) argue that knowledge consists of tacit and explicit dimensions. Explicit knowledge is that which can be expressed in words and numbers. It is easily communicated and shared in the form of hard data, codified procedures or universal principles. In contrast, tacit knowledge is highly personal, difficult to formalize and consist of subjective insights; intuitions and hunches (Davenport Prusak, 1998; Alavi Leidner, 2001). These forms of knowledge are mutually dependent and have qualities that reinforce each other. It is via the process of continual interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge that new knowledge is created. Nonaka Toyama (2003) argue that knowledge creation starts with ‘socialization, which is the process of converting new tacit knowledge through shared experiences in day-to-day social interaction. A transactive memory system (TMS) has been defined as a combination of an individuals knowledge and a shared awareness of who knows what (Wegner, 1986). This represents a ‘divided up into portions type of knowledge sharing. TMS was initially proposed to explain the knowledge residing amongst intimate couples and family members when they are able to bring together disparate knowledge to solve a problem. This means even though the solution to any issue at hand may not be readily available, family members do know how to come together and develop a response. Wegner (1986) explains that members are able to benefit from each others knowledge and expertise if they develop a good, shared understanding of who knows what in the unit/group. TMS is built on the distinction between internal and external memory encoding. Often, individuals encode new (tacit) knowledge internally, in their own memory. However, even more often individuals encode or use knowledge encoded externally. According to Wegner (1986) a TMS can be explained as a set of individual memory systems in combination with the communication that takes place between individuals. He argues that an individuals memory system becomes connected with those of other individuals involving three stages: Directory updating. Directory updating or expertise recognition is the process by which team members learn which topics others know without learning the actual information within each topic. Furthermore, members come to understand their own areas of expertise within the team Communication to allocate information. Communication to allocate information is characterized by a team member using his or her directory of expertise to forward new information outside of his or her domain(s) of expertise (Anand et al 1998). Communication to retrieve information. Although it is important to possess relevant knowledge, the knowledge must also be utilized to be successful. Communication to retrieve information is the process by which individuals seek specialized information from the teams domain expert to help in task completion when their personal knowledge bases are insufficient. A transactive memory system will be most effective when knowledge assignments are based on the members actual ability, when there is a shared understanding between the members and when members fulfill expectations (Brandon Hollingshead, 2004). This research focuses on the process to retrieve information for it is in the retrieval process where usefulness and efficiency of a TMS can be achieved (Wegner et al 1985). This retrieval process could result in the creation of new knowledge. The creation of new knowledge leads us to creativity. Creativity could be seen as a mental event by which an actor intentionally goes beyond his or her previous experiences in order to gain novel and appropriate outcomes; the TMS can help individuals to achieve these outcomes (Pandza Thorpe, 2009). Transactive retrieval requires determining the location of information and sometimes entails the combination or interplay of items coming from multiple locations. This process begins when the person who holds an item internally is not the one who is asked to retrieve it. In transactive memory this can occur when individuals respond to a particular information label and one group member retrieves one item whereas a second member retrieves something quite different. In their discussion it could be determined that two items add up to yet a third idea. These so-called external components of information are not personally known but can be retrieved when required (Anand et al, 1998). If we ask a question to a person who is a well-integrated part of a transactive memory network, this person is often able to answer (after consulting with other network members, of course) with information well beyond his or her internal storage. When team members correctly identify the experts and delegate ta sks based on an individual members expertise, they perform better (Hollingshead, 2000). Brandon and Hollingshead (2004) argue that representation of tasks is critical to the structure of the TMS; the features of tasks are embedded in the transactive memory process. In this way, team performance in terms of creativity may depend on whether the group can correctly recognize and utilize the knowledge of its members (Brandon Hollingshead, 2004). The interaction of different perspectives enabled by a TMS is a large contributor to the discovery of insight and the creation of knowledge (Jehn et al, 1999; Nonaka Takeuchi, 1995; Nonaka Toyama, 2001). As individuals will retrieve relevant information via a TMS, it is probable designers will discover new knowledge and improve creativity. Thus, the following hypothesis is defined: H1: The usage of the retrieval function of the transactive memory system is likely to contribute to creativity 2.2 Interpretation and creating As mentioned in the previous paragraph, creativity is concerned with generating novel outcomes (Pandza Thorpe, 2009). Creativity is defined as the production of novel ideas that are useful and appropriate to a given situation (Amabile, 1983). Cognitive styles are recognized as core characteristics of individual creativity. Cognitive style is a persons preferred way of gathering, processing and evaluating information. It influences how people scan their environment for information, how they organize and interpret this information and how they integrate their interpretations that guide their actions (Amabile, 1988; Woodman et al., 1993). According to Miliken (1990), action involves a response based on scanning and interpretation of information. Choo (1996) argues that the principal information process is the interpretation of news and messages about the environment. Individuals must determine what information is significant and should be attended to. Interpretation involves the development of ways of comprehending information; the fitting of information into some structure for understanding action (Thomas et al, 1993). Interpretation of the environment also requires identifying threats and opportunities (Miliken, 1990); which requires designers to assess the meaning and significance of each trend, change and event they noticed during the scanning phase. During this phase information is gathered. If one has access to more information, it is also important to select information that is useful to interpret issues (Thomas et al, 1993). Another purpose of scanning is identifying the key trends, changes and events in an environment that might affect performance (Miliken, 1990). Monitoring and analyzing the environment enhances the ability to enter new knowledge domains. Information about the environment can be gathered through different channels, such as personal relationships with peers (Danneels, 2008). Daft and Lengel (1986) explain that the interpretation of the environment is the source of information processing. Cohen and Levinthal (1990) argue that the ability to recognize the value of new information using prior knowledge is critical to innovative capabilities. This phenomenon, called absorptive capacity is used to give rise to creativity; using prior knowledge to assimilate and use new knowledge. An amount of absorptive capacity is needed to increase both the ability to acquire new knowledge and the ability to retrieve and use it (Cohen Levinthal, 1990). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the retrieving function of the transactive memory system could be used to acquire new data, which is combined with the creation of new interpretations about the environment, which in turn can reduce the uncertainty about the environment. Taking the importance of the ability to interact in different contexts, scanning the environment could put some people in more advantageous positions than others to be creative. Some persons are considered to have contacts with individuals in other fields of expertise who may possess or develop knowledge that can have an impact on their current work. Creative individuals who interact with other designers and are aware of trends could be considered to achieve more creative ideas. Individuals can scan the environment and benefit from this novel information flow. TMS can increase this learning process and can act as an interactive mechanism (Austin, 2003). A certain amount of absorptive capacity and environmental scanning could affect the relationship between the retrieval function of the TMS and creativity. Therefore the following hypotheses are defined: H2: high levels of absorptive capacity will moderate the relationship between the retrieval function of the TMS and creativity, such that retrieval is more likely to have a positive relationship with creativity H3: environmental scanning will moderate the relationship between the retrieval function of the TMS and creativity, such that retrieval is more likely to have a positive relationship with creativity 2.3 Boundary objects Interacting to develop a shared understanding can be done using language and other symbols. Individuals articulate what they intuitively know through dialogue and discourse (Choo, 1996). Texts are a variety of forms including written documents, verbal reports, art work, spoken words, pictures, symbols, buildings and other artifacts (Philip et al, 2004). Carlile (2002) define these objects as ‘boundary objects. The notion of boundary objects was first introduced by Star and Griesemer (1989), who described the attributes of boundary objects that enable them to serve as translation devices; they have different meanings in different social worlds but their structure is common enough to more than one world to make them recognizable and function as a means of translation. Boundary objects can adapt to different context simultaneously while maintaining a common identity across all context, allowing each group to decontextualize its knowledge for use in common space and recontextualize it for use in its own practice (Bowker and Star, 1999). Boundary objects are enabled via in going transactions but also enable interaction. Carlile (2002) distinguishes among different types of boundaries- syntactic, semantic and pragmatic- that require different types of boundary objects: Repositories supply a common reference point of data, measures or labels across functions that provide shared definitions and values for solving problems. This object establishes a shared syntax or language for individuals to represent their knowledge. Standardized forms and methods provide a shared format for solving problems across different functional settings. These objects provide a concrete means for individuals to specify and learn about their differences and dependencies across a given boundary. Objects, models and maps are simple but complex representations that can be observed and then used across different functional settings. These objects facilitate a process where individuals can jointly transform their knowledge. A syntactical approach is based on the existence of a shared and sufficient syntax at a given boundary. A common syntax or language is shared between the ‘sender and receiver. Integrating devices are processing tools (repositories) and integration is accomplished through processing information. When novelty arises, the sufficiency of the syntax is in question and another boundary is faced. A semantic approach recognizes that there are always differences in kind and the emergence of novelty is a natural outcome in settings where innovation is required. Integrating devices are seen as processes or methods for translating and learning about differences at a boundary, but when negative consequences are faced, another boundary arises. A pragmatic approach recognizes that knowledge is localized, embedded and invested in practice. This view highlights the negative consequences that can arise given the differences at a boundary. Integrating devices (objects, models and maps) are used to create new knowledge. Sketches can be seen as a pragmatic boundary object during idea generation. In order to move beyond a knowledge barrier, designers can use sketches to communicate and explain their ideas to others. Individuals must be able to alter the content of a boundary object to apply what they know (Carlile, 2002). As novelty of the situation increases, this study argues that designers, who face more pragmatic boundaries, will need boundary objects to see consequences of social interactions with others. In the engineering industry, all the information is expresses in a common framework using 3-D design so that everyone concerned with the project can quickly respond to each other (Baba Nobeoka, 1998). Visual tools, such as sketches, facilitate the processing of novel information and may lead to a faster understanding (Feiereisen et al, 2008). Thus the following hypothesis is developed: H4: the usage of pragmatic boundary objects will moderate the relationship between the retrieval function of the TMS and creativity, such that retrieval is more likely to have a positive relationship with creativity 2.4 Knowledge through ‘ba Information becomes knowledge if it is given meaning through interpretation and interaction. Knowledge exchange cannot simply be a matter of transferring it across groups engaged in different practices; knowledge must be transformed through decontextualization and recontextualization (Spender, 1996) Tsoukas (2002) argues that these mechanisms to interact can be used to predict and guide behavior. These tools can enable a skilled user to get things done and need to become instruments through which we act- of which we are subsidiarily aware- not objects of attention. Objects can be used to ease the transfer of tacit knowledge, since this knowledge is not visible. Tacit knowledge is highly personal and hard to formalize, making it difficult to communicate or share with others. Whereas explicit knowledge can be expressed in words and numbers and shared in the form of data (Nonaka et al, 2000). The most explicit kind of knowledge is underlain by tacit knowledge (Tsoukas, 2002). Although the tacit knowledge of each individual is personal and unique, it can be absorbed by others through social relationships and collaboration (Mascitelli, 2000). Nonaka (1994) introduced the concept of ‘ba to be specific to knowledge creation in order to include these concept-specific items. According to him, ‘ba can be thought of as a shared space for emerging relationships. This space can be physical (e.g an office), virtual (email, teleconference), mental (shared experiences, ideas) or any combination of them. What differentiates ‘ba from ordinary human interaction is the concept of knowledge creation. According to Nonaka et al (2000), ‘ba provides a platform for advancing individual and collective knowledge. Knowledge is embedded in ‘ba where it is then acquired through ones own experience or reflections on the experience of others (Nonaka et al. 2000). An environment is created, whether physical or virtual, that lends itself to the creation and sharing of knowledge. It can emerge in individuals as well as in teams and is an existential place where participants share their contexts and create new meanings thr ough interactions (Nonaka Toyama, 2003). Participants of ba bring in their own contexts and through interactions with others and the environment, the contexts of ‘ba, participants and the environment, change. A good ‘ba needs participants with multiple contexts and yet a shared context is necessary for a ‘ba to exist (Nonaka et al, 2000). It sets a boundary for interactions among individuals and yet the boundary is open. It is not bound to a certain space or time (Nonaka and Toyama, 2003). When participating in a ‘ba, it is important that these individuals share time and space through their direct experience. As mentioned before a good ‘ba can provide a platform for advancing individual and/or collective knowledge ( Nonaka et al, 2000). A TMS can be seen as a combination of knowledge possessed by individuals and focuses on the utilization of expertise (Hollingshead, 2000; Lewis, 2003; Wegner, 1986). This expertise could be gathered by the retrieval function of the TMS, creating a ‘ba, where during interaction, new insights and new knowledge can be developed and in turn, could enhance creativity. An originationg ‘ba, a dialoguing ‘ba, a systemizing ‘ba and an exercising ‘ba support a particular knowledge conversion process and there by ‘ba speeds up the process of knowledge creation: 2.4.1 Originating ‘ba An originating ‘ba takes place in a world where individuals share feelings, emotions, experiences and mental models. An individual sympathizes or further empathizes with others, removing the barriers between the self and others. It is the primary ‘ba from which the knowledge creation process begins

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Comparing the Second Coming and to Things Fall Apart :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Second Coming Compared to Things Fall Apart    The book Things Fall Apart , by Chinua Achebe , is very similar to the poem , The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats.   Seeing the line â€Å"Things fall apart† in the poem , Achebe makes an outstanding association. At this point in time he says to himself, â€Å"I should name my book Things Fall Apart, It will show the main idea of the book.† One of the many coinciding concepts between the two is the daunted apprehension of both the poem and the book. In Things Fall Apart it seems like whenever the main character, Okonkwo, gains hope things happen to fall apart . The contents of The Second Coming told of a chaotic world and a base that could not hold because of it’s own inner conflicts. In Addition to the synonymous feeling both the book and the poem give, they both expose a great shift from and old era to a new era. The Second Coming reveals an apocolypse. Yeats shows this change by describing the conversions our world, as a global community, made throughout history. Key lines that refer to these changes in time are â€Å"Turning and Turning in the widening gyre the falcon cannot hear the falconer†. These lines refer to the constant adjustments we have to make and also the fact that we cannot go back in time . Chinua Achebe also reveals a major shift by describing Umuofa as it was in the beginning. In descr ibing Umuofa as it was originally he makes it easier to catch sight of the major changes throughout the story. Another coinciding idea in both pieces is the sacrifice of something to avoid changes that come along . Okonkwo ends his life as a last resort . In doing this he feels that he saves his honor and heritage . He also kills himself to dodge the pain and suffering that Christianity brought to his culture . â€Å"The Second Coming† warns us of an apocolypse . The apocolypse is the end of civilization in our world . What makes the poem so synonymous to the book is that in either case it is not possible to stop the changes from happening . A fourth coinciding idea in these two literary pieces is the loss of control of a higher power over a lower power .

Friday, July 19, 2019

The European Monetary Union (EMU) - The Euro as a Single Currency Essay

The European Monetary Union (EMU) - The Euro as a Single Currency Liberalizing trade is nothing new to the world, but we have never witnessed such a vast economic integration between sovereign countries like the integration carried out in the European Union. Customs duties between European countries started to come down steadily in the early 1950s and were abolished in 1968 with the introduction of a customs union and the implementation of the common external tariff. The official proclamation of the single market on 1 January 1993 marked the ending of non-tariff barriers to trade between Member States. European Monetary Union will make it possible to complete European economic integration. The introduction of a single currency will mean price transparency, that is prices of goods can be directly compared on the markets of the participating Member States, which will merge into one market. Obstacles to trade such as the transaction costs, which add up to 0.4% of the EU GDP per year, and the exchange risk, will be eliminated. The competitive positions of companies can no longer be established by exchange-rate movements but will reflect productivity, inflation and cost differentials. This should permit a better allocation of capital and of available resources. The member countries will also be able to save administrative costs used for hedging operations. Over and above its positive effects on price stability and public finances, the single currency will make it possible to complete the single market and increase the benefits, which have already flowed from it. Monetary Union will create an area within which national financial markets will become an integrated, wider and more flexible market. Financial institutions and financial centers will face new competitive conditions. The size of a specific national market will lose its significance. Competition will increase and could lead to greater harmonization across the euro area. The introduction of the euro will have a great impact on the financial sector. This is because of three main reasons: Â · The European System of Central Banks will be operating the single monetary policy in euro. So, it will be necessary for financial institutions to be able to operate in euro. Â · Governments will issue all new debt in euro. Therefore, financial institutions, payment systems and clearing ... ...ch the problems associated with the changeover to the euro will be resolved. Second, the national currencies of the EMU members are no longer independent. They are fixed to the euro. A speculation between currencies of the member states is pointless because this is equal to speculation with a currency of the same type. The introduction of the euro in 1999 was an event, anticipated for a long time. Following, the euro has faced some problems due to the transaction period, but there is a strong belief that these problems will be easily overcome as the young currency accumulates power. Now that, the euro has become the official currency of the European Union (with some exceptions) there will be no more national currencies of the member states. In this way, we become witnesses of the highest level of integration among independent nations in the world history, when the European Union is expected to become the leader in the world economy. Bibliography: 1. Kreinin, International Economics, 1991, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 2. Cecchini, The European Challenge, 1992, Wildwood House 3. European Central Bank’s web site: http://www.ecb.int 4. EMU official web site: http://www.emu.int

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The History Of Rave Music :: essays research papers fc

The history of Rave Music is quite interesting. It has been around for decades. Some enjoy it, some don’t. There is some conflict as to where Rave Music actually started. Some people, non-ravers most likely, ask what is Rave Music? Rave Music is made up of technologically advanced beats that are mixed with other beats to form music. Rave Music has a culture of its own, as so does any other music type. The history of Rave Music is hard to sum up, but here it goes... The controversy in â€Å"Who started Rave Music, U.K. or U.S.?† is going to forever live on. But in all actuality, the U.S. sparked the flame that started it all. It all started back in 1970, in Detroit and Chicago, when Djs, like Frankie Knuckles, would program drum rhythms and play disco records over the top of his beats. He would play this â€Å"music† in the â€Å"club environment†. In 1977, in Chicago, the first club, playing this â€Å"music†, opened and was called The Warehouse. This is where house music received its name (shortened version of the clubs name). The U.K. heard of this and adopted the music. The music blew up over seas. Meanwhile it was still on the low in the U.S.. That is why people say the U.K. started it. House music was being played in gay clubs, in England, for 2 years before any sign of acceptance in the straight scene. While that was going on, the Djs in the U.S. were playing around with their music and somehow came up with the idea of mixing house music and hip-hop together. In 1985, Hip-house was born. This is when house music blew up in the United States. In 1986, Underground was born. Djs started getting creative with their music and in 1987 Deep House and Techno were born. In 1988, came Acid House. This was invented by 2 Djs who were hooking up their equipment and someone accidentally hit the on switch and on came the speakers making an â€Å"acidy† noise. The Djs liked the noise and decided to mix house music in. Thus, making Acid House. The U.K. began feeling left out and started experimenting themselves. In 1989, they came up with New Beat, a mix between Acid, Techno and House. While this was going on the U.S. came up with Hardcore, some really really fast house music. In 1990, LA finally decided to step away from the rap scene and give House/Techno a try. The History Of Rave Music :: essays research papers fc The history of Rave Music is quite interesting. It has been around for decades. Some enjoy it, some don’t. There is some conflict as to where Rave Music actually started. Some people, non-ravers most likely, ask what is Rave Music? Rave Music is made up of technologically advanced beats that are mixed with other beats to form music. Rave Music has a culture of its own, as so does any other music type. The history of Rave Music is hard to sum up, but here it goes... The controversy in â€Å"Who started Rave Music, U.K. or U.S.?† is going to forever live on. But in all actuality, the U.S. sparked the flame that started it all. It all started back in 1970, in Detroit and Chicago, when Djs, like Frankie Knuckles, would program drum rhythms and play disco records over the top of his beats. He would play this â€Å"music† in the â€Å"club environment†. In 1977, in Chicago, the first club, playing this â€Å"music†, opened and was called The Warehouse. This is where house music received its name (shortened version of the clubs name). The U.K. heard of this and adopted the music. The music blew up over seas. Meanwhile it was still on the low in the U.S.. That is why people say the U.K. started it. House music was being played in gay clubs, in England, for 2 years before any sign of acceptance in the straight scene. While that was going on, the Djs in the U.S. were playing around with their music and somehow came up with the idea of mixing house music and hip-hop together. In 1985, Hip-house was born. This is when house music blew up in the United States. In 1986, Underground was born. Djs started getting creative with their music and in 1987 Deep House and Techno were born. In 1988, came Acid House. This was invented by 2 Djs who were hooking up their equipment and someone accidentally hit the on switch and on came the speakers making an â€Å"acidy† noise. The Djs liked the noise and decided to mix house music in. Thus, making Acid House. The U.K. began feeling left out and started experimenting themselves. In 1989, they came up with New Beat, a mix between Acid, Techno and House. While this was going on the U.S. came up with Hardcore, some really really fast house music. In 1990, LA finally decided to step away from the rap scene and give House/Techno a try.

George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language vs. Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal: Essay

George Orwell’s â€Å"Politics and the English Language† and Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† are essays from two different times; the former written in 1946, and the latter in the 18th century. Both essays aim to spark people’s attention and address important national issues of their countries. â€Å"Politics and the English Language† basically presents Orwell’s opinion about the then-current state of the English Language—that it was decaying, just like what was happening to civilization at that time. He attributed the decay of the English Language to politics and economics, arguing that it is not just the fault of the writer that his words lack precision and has stale imagery, but it is rooted from political and economic causes, saying â€Å"†¦an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form.† On the other hand, â€Å"A Modest Proposal For Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being Aburden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public† presents Swift’s satirical critique of the English and Irish government, wherein he sarcastically suggested that in order for the Irish government to solve the national issues of poverty and overpopulation, they must sell the children of the poor, specifically one-year old babies, as food for the wealthy Irish and English people. He presented staggering calculations and economic strategies on how to achieve necessary solutions to end their national problems. He argued that the use of poor children as food for the wealthy will reduce the country’s population and improve the condition and living state of the poor Irish people because of the increased income they will get from selling their children. The points in which these two essays try to impose on their readers are much influenced by what was going on in their respective countries at the time the famous literary pieces were written. In Swift’s time, which was the early 18th century, several astounding issues were present in Ireland that struck Swift and led him to write his famous essay. One of these is the oppressive treatment of the Catholic peasants of Ireland by the English, which resulted in the peasants of Ireland to be experience extreme poverty. Swift published his essay as a pamphlet. On the other hand, Orwell’s essay was written in 1946, a time when Britain was in a hazy after-war state. Therefore political speeches were prevalent at that time; writers and speakers, as observed by Orwell, lack precision in their words and has a stale imagery in their messages. The way the two authors attacked their respective adversaries (in Swift’s case, the Irish government, and in Orwell’s, political writers and all writers in English in general) are completely different in a variety of ways. There is significant amount of   diversity of their style of writing even though they have the same goal in general, which is, in a shallow point of view, to spark, take hold—grope people’s attention through their essays to get them to read intently what the message of their essays bring. In terms of the persona of the essay, Orwell attacked writers as a linguist, analyzing what was faulty behind the use of language of writers in his time. The essay even has a persona of an English language instructor, as Orwell pointed out rules that he proposed everyone must use when writing: â€Å"(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.   (ii) Never us a long word where a short one will do.(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. (iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active. (v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. (vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.† Meanwhile, Swift attacked the Irish government in the persona of an economist, calculating how much percentage of the population will be decreased in case his proposal is applied, and other economic statistics in his time. A part of his essay presents then-current statistics of the kingdom of Ireland: â€Å"†¦ The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom; but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry, or whose children die by accident or disease within the year. There only remains one hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The essays also differed in the type of language their authors used. Orwell’s â€Å"Politics and the English Language† used literal language. He said his points straight and direct, with no figurative speech whatsoever. Neither did he used euphemisms in criticizing the words and sentences and essays of the writers who, according to him, are faulty in their use of the English language: â€Å"These five passages have not been picked out because they are especially bad — I could have quoted far worse if I had chosen — but because they illustrate various of the mental vices from which we now suffer. They are a little below the average, but are fairly representative examples. I number them so that i can refer back to them when necessary: 1. I am not, indeed, sure whether it is not true to say that the Milton who once seemed not unlike a seventeenth-century Shelley had not become, out of an experience ever more bitter in each year, more alien [sic] to the founder of that Jesuit sect which nothing could induce him to tolerate. Professor Harold Laski (Essay in Freedom of Expression)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  On the other hand, the language of Swift’s essay, â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, is entirely figurative. The essay is classified as a political satire, incorporated with much sarcasm and irony. His irrational argument, which is to use the babies of poor families in Ireland as food for the wealthy English and Irish people, intensified by exaggeration, is actually a metaphor to attack the policies of the Irish government at that time. â€Å"†¦and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation†¦ †¦a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.†