We should embrace nihilism for growth in understanding

â€Å"Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy† (http://www.iep.utm.edu/n/nihilism.htm). In a nihilist perspective, there are no beliefs in dogma, religion and other socially constructed norms and standards. Nihilists question the set of universally made way of thinking and that there is nothing real in this world.SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONâ€Å"Social constructs are institutionalized entity or artifacts in a social system, invented or constructed by participants in a particular culture or society that exist because people agree to behave as if it exist, or agree to follow certain conventional rules, or behave as if such agreement or rules existed† (wikipedia.org). Social constructs are created entities in whi ch people or groups of people perceived them to be true. Social constructs are perceived realities that are put into a convention to be turned into social beliefs.Some examples of social constructs are religion, morality, sexuality, class and many more. These social constructs play a major role in people’s daily lives. Social constructs became an integral part of people’s daily lives. These became inevitable realities of their existence. Basically, how people act are based on social constructions. Social constructions dictate the everyday lives of people. Social constructs determine how people will act and what their pattern of actions is. These social constructs are the perceived rightness of actions in a particular given situation. Therefore, people’s lives are controlled and move by social constructs.Social constructs evolve and changes as time pass by. It depends on the richness of thought of human beings. The minds of human beings are very rich and full of possibilities. People have the capability of evolving one system of thought into another. A particular social construct is not permanent and will not last forever because it only depends on the people who were the ones who constructed them. Social constructs are dynamic because the minds of people are also dynamic. What most people are experiencing now may just become a history of tomorrow.THE WORLD AS A REALM OF MEANING AND CAN BE DISCLOSED BY NIHILISMFor Heidegger, he viewed the world as a realm of meanings and possibilities. These possibilities are for Da-sein to discover and the meanings are for Da-sein to assimilate. This world for Heidegger is where the Da-sein is situated and part of the facticities given to the Da-sein. This world is for the Da-sein to discover and understand. The world gives meaning to the existence of man and man is to exhaust these meanings or possibilities. Hence, the world is where the Da-sein interacts and for him to assimilate.This word â€Å"alethei a† describes the world for Heidegger. â€Å"Aletheia† means revelation and concealment which constitutes the world’s disclosedness to man. The world is the realm of meanings for man that man is always in constant assimilation. Even if it reveals itself to man, it also conceals something to man and that the task of man to assimilate and understand is a never-ending task and that Heidegger called man as â€Å"always already understanding the world†.The word â€Å"always† signifies the infinity of understanding that man is task to reveal the world, the never-ending task of correlation and understanding. Man as Da-sein is the very nature and function of man as a being who is thrown into this world. â€Å"Da† means there and â€Å"sein† means being. Da-sein is openness to the world and the readiness of man to exhaust and assimilate. Da-sein is the there of being of man, the very thrown ness of man into a particular context. To understand mo re of man as Da-sein, we will tackle on the succeeding parts the functions of being a Da-sein.According to the great Heidegger, attunement is man’s mood or state of mind in which affects his perception of reality. He viewed man as always in the mood and is always ready to understand reality. Man as being thrown into this world, attunement is already embedded in his being. This attunement as already embedded in the being of man girds man to understand. Given the facticity of Da-sein as being-in-a-world, he is always in the mood to seize reality or to be conscious of reality and thus constituting man’s openness to the world. Da-sein as the there of being is always situated in the world thus, a temporal being.This situated ness of man gives him ample opportunity to correlate with the world and to fulfill his very nature as an understanding being who is already attuned to do so. Man becomes conscious by virtue of interaction, which is the very process of understanding for Heidegger. To correlate with the world is to exhaust its possibilities, to assimilate its meaning. Through interaction, man becomes conscious of reality, becomes conscious of meaning. Reality is already in the realm of meanings, which constitutes the world, and it is only for man that he can be conscious of and that is by virtue of correlating with the world.To question dogma and religion and other social constructs can be a tool for better understanding of reality. As discussed, Heidegger emphasized that man can slowly reveal the reality of beings by correlating with the world which is the world of meaning and possibilities. The world has its own meaning. The nihilistic view in its proper use, such as not totally for destruction but of finding the truth behind the world, it can open man’s eye to the real meaning of this world. Man as Da-sein in being a nihilist can be able to arrive at a better truth regarding the world. The world still has a lot to give in man’s unde rstanding of it that is why dogmas and principles of today must be questioned because it is still not in its absolute state.NIHILISM AS A TOOL TO A BETTER UNDERSTANING OF REALITYMan’s life is full of socially constructed norms and beliefs that are the ones dictating what he ought to do and act. There is religion that dictates morality and there is government that dictates who are enemies and not such as who are terrorists and not terrorists. A society is comprised of many ideas and perspectives that battles to gain monopoly. Man is put in the center of contrasting views.With the birth of nihilism, there came an opportunity to arrive in a truth wherein wrong dogma and beliefs can be erased and replaced with better ones. Nihilism can give good effects if not put in its extreme nature of destruction. Questioning beliefs and dogma is a healthy process to undertake. Through questioning, man can slowly reveal to himself the true essence of his existence. Questioning must also not b e intertwined with destruction because it can be a truly great means for development and better understanding.â€Å"I hope to bring some balance and clarity to a number of realities that seem to attract a great deal of misunderstanding: [1] the very serious issues of violence in Islam [including recent Muslim violence]; [2] the abhorrence that many Muslims have of violence; [stereotypes of Islam and Muslims as inherently violent]; and [4] the larger context of violence in our world [not just the Muslim world], much of which is woven into the fabric of our society in such a way that we may not even regard it as our own violence† (Hussain, 2006). The misunderstandings such as looking as a Muslim to be violent can be corrected by the nihilist perspective. People can arrive to a certain truth that not all Muslims are violent and stereotyping can be erased.NIHILISM AS A TOOL TO END CHAOS AND VIOLENCE IN THIS WORLDThe chaotic world is brought about by the differences in beliefs and norms and even in the practices of different religions. These are products of social constructions. With different beliefs and principles and with the devotion to such beliefs and principles, it brings chaos and even to violence. People seem to impose their own beliefs to other people which also have their own set of beliefs. By imposing one’s beliefs, it creates an atmosphere of competition that gives tensions and chaos to this world.Nihilism can be a tool to end all chaos and find peace in this world. People, in there different perspectives, can look at the common ground of their different beliefs. To question their own beliefs is a healthy process and even comparing their own beliefs to others is also a healthy process. This is an act of nihilism. People will not destroy their principles and beliefs but rather, developing it to be better set of beliefs and principles. One example can be seen in the realm of religion where we can see differences but looking at the greater reality of it, there are much more similarities that can be used in arriving to a better belief, a belief that can be bannered by all people from different contexts. Even the difference of science and religion, if nihilistic perspective can be used in a proper way of dialectics and questioning, people may arrive at a certain truth that science and religion has its common ground and that one will not be an opposition of the other.CONCLUSIONThe world is a realm of meaning and possibilities and is plague with socially constructed beliefs and principles. With the birth of nihilism, which is a perspective that most of a time attributed to destruction, the world may find better understanding in its hand. By the method of questioning which is a healthy process, people can arrive to better understanding of reality and the very principles and beliefs that they believe. Therefore, we should embrace nihilism.BIBLIOGRAPHYBogossian, Paul. What is Social Construction. 03 Mar. 2007Heidegger, Marti n. The Question of Being. New Haven (Conn): College and University Press 1958.Hussain, Amir. Oil and Water: Two Faiths: One God. Pilgrim Pr, 2006.Nishitani, Keiji. Religion and Nothingness. University of California press, 1983.http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/#H5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_constructionism

“Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt Essay

The autobiography Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt tells the life of the McCourt family while living in poverty in Limerick, Ireland during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Frank McCourt relates his difficult childhood to the reader up until the time he leaves for America at the age of nineteen. Angela’s Ashes has many prevailing themes, but one of the most notable is the settings relationship to the family. The setting of the book ultimately influences the choices and lifestyle of the McCourt family in many ways. Living in poverty and not being able to meet basic needs leads the characters to result to desperate measures, such incidents as stopping Frank McCourt’s education and taking a job to support the family. Frank is forced to take the job mostly because his father is an alcoholic and uses all the money to buy beer instead of feeding his family. Frank describes this pattern of drinking away the money by saying † when dad comes home with the drink smell there is no money and Mom screams at him till the twins cry†(42). This situation lasts until Mr.McCourt leaves to work in England and is never heard from again which forces Frank to take a job at fourteen years old. Frank takes on the role of the head of the family proudly and comments † Its hard to sleep when you know the next day you’re fourteen and starting your first job as a man†(309). Frank’s ability to provide financial stability leads to greater comfort and living conditions for his fami ly. The members of the McCourt family are also forced to beg and steal in order to help the family’s well being. Mrs.McCourt begs charities especially the St.Vincent de Paul Society for help with basic necessities for the family such as food, clothing, and furniture. Mrs.McCourt is even forced to beg for the family’s Christmas dinner. The butcher who she begs to tells her † What you can now missus, Is black pudding and tripe or a sheep’s head or a pig’s head†(97). Mrs.McCourt reluctantly accepted the pig’s head and is ridiculed walking home with it. Also, the children are forced to pick up scraps of coal for the fire from the road on Christmas Day. Frank describes the children’s humiliation by saying, † Even the poorest of the poor don’t go out Christmas Day picking coal off the road†(99). Despite Frank McCourt’s horrid poverty, tiresome starvation and devastating losses, Angela’s Ashes is not a tragic memoir. It is in fact up lifting, funny and at times triumphant. â€Å"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable child hood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood Is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood†, writes Frank McCourt of his early life Although Frank McCourt’s autobiography, Angela’s Ashes, paints a picture of both terrible poverty and struggles, this text is appealing and up lifting because of its focus on both humor and hope. McCourt’s text shows the determination people living in dreadful conditions must have in order to rise above their situations and make better lives for themselves and their families. The effect of the story, although often distressing and sad, is not depressing. Frank as the young narrator describes his life events without bitterness, anger, or blame. Poverty and hardship are treated simply as if they are a fact of life, an d in spite of the hard circumstances, many episodes during the novel are hilarious. Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn in 1930, just after the beginning of the Great Depression. During this time, millions of people around the world were unemployed and struggling to survive. Franks father, Malachy McCourt, struggled to obtain work and lost it easily due to his alcoholism. His mother, Angela McCourt, being a good catholic wife produced five babies in four years, leaving her unable to provide the most basic care for her children. When the baby, Margaret, died due to the shocking living conditions in Brooklyn, Angela subsided into clinical depression, which went untreated. Other women in the building where the McCourt’s lived looked after the children until Angela’s cousins arranged for the family to return to Ireland. Life in Limerick was considerably poorer, with a less supportive population than Brooklyn. The McCourt’s lived in a succession of substandard flats and houses characterized by poor sanitation and lack of electricity. The family  had so little furniture that they shared beds, with no sheets or blankets. When Malachy McCourt took his family back to an impoverished Ireland he chose to live in the south, where he was discriminated against because of his northern name and accent. He was unable to find work and when he finally did it was too late. He had become an alcoholic, unable to control his drinking and conform to the demands of a job. This meant that his family was reduced to existence on the dole and as a result, his children starved, and were forced to pick coal up from the side of the road in order to keep the fire burning. When Malachy left for work in England he sent no money home and Angela was forced to beg for food. In these terrible situations two more of her child ren died, Angela was hospitalized with a miscarriage and pneumonia, while Frank was hospitalized with typhoid fever and conjunctivitis. Survival for the family was clearly difficult and life only improved when Frank found full time employment as a telegram boy. His sense of responsibility guided him to give his mother his wages in order to support the family. Life in Limerick was often associated with humor. A lot of laughter derived from religious practices such as taking the wafer at mass. Since the wafer regularly stuck to peoples tongues, the boys at school had to practice sucking pieces of newspaper, sticking their tongues out for the teachers. The sins that the children confessed were also often sources of humor for the priests, and when grandma’s demand to know if she should clean Franks vomit up with Holy Water is pure mockery. â€Å"bless me father for I have sinned, its been a minute since my last confession†, becomes a sarcastic comment on Grandma’s ignorance. Poverty itself reduced the family to other slapstick situations. Pious Grandma’s deliberate lie to the real estate agent when she denied that there had ever been two rooms upstairs in Angela’s house has a savage humor in light of her piety. For the children Grandma was often the source of unintentional humor from the moment they heard he r accent. There is humor in the situations caused by Roman Catholic censorship. On one occasion Frank is evicted from the public library for reading a book about sex left on the table. The irony here is he really wanted to read Butlers  Life of the Saints but was enticed by a book that shocked the librarian. From an early age Frank promised to support his family. To do this he dreamed of returning to America. During the novel there was discussion between Frank and his father about the difference in economies of the two countries when his father discussed this over the paper he encouraged him to get a good job in the land of opportunity. These discussions were placed in the context of the English oppression of Ireland. It is the symbols associated with New York that really sustained Franks dream over the years. The images of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island which he kept as he left New York as a small boy were so clear that he recognized them on his trip back. McCourt’s hope of a better future was shared by his father, brother Malachy and hisUncle Pa Sheehan. However, it was Frank that had the determination to work at any job available and to save money even id his family starved, in order to make the dream real. There is no magic in Angela’s Ashes. Poverty and despair are cured by both hard work and breaking the law. Not everything that Frank did to save his fare was honorable, but his choices were made with long term goals in mind. Angela’s Ashes depicts unrelenting poverty and the terrible consequences for individuals living in dirtiness. However, Frank McCourt shows that there is always humor in life, no matter how desperate the situation is. Combined with this is the hope that sustained McCourt and drove him to seek a better life in the USA.

The Accreditation Services in the USA Assignment

The Accreditation Services in the USA - Assignment Example The process of accrediting helps to promote as well as uphold this unique function of higher education. There are quite a number of associations which offer the accreditation services. However, this essay will discuss and compare two accreditation associations; the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. To be qualified for Initial Accreditation or Reaffirming of Accreditation as well as the Candidacy status, the MSCHE states that institutions of higher education have to and continue to abide by the following requirements: 2. The institution has to provide written documents that it has the authority of operating as an educational institution as well as award postsecondary degrees through the right governmental organization in the Middle States Region. 4. Commit itself to periodic self-evaluation, institutional improvement and a continuous compliance with the standards set by the Commission as well as its decisions, procedures, and policies (WASC Handbook of Accreditation, 2001). Based on the results of the institutional review by colleagues and peers chosen by the Commission, accreditation proves to the finding of the Higher Education Commission that a given institution has confirmed to the following criteria: 1. Organization for student learning: this involves issues such as whether the institution has set up a clear and purposeful statement which reflects the philosophy and the beliefs of the institution. It also rotates on whether the governing authority has adopted policies which are in line with the goals of the school. 2. Curriculum and Instruction: This involves such issues as to whether the school has the capacity to provide a coherent, relevant and challenging curriculum for every student who meets the purposes of the school.  

Discussion questions1-3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion questions1-3 - Essay Example The interpreter does not differentiate between exception and syntax error, it continues to interpret and execute the source code till possible. However, it stops interpreting where finds a syntax error with an error message. In this regard, it is achievable for interpreters to handle the syntax errors as exceptions to continue an execution of a source code/program even after the syntax error. Defensive programming is to investing more time in writing a secure program by validation of extensive of input, avoiding garbage values and standardization of exception handling. The defensive programming relates to variables as in the defensive programming we need to use naming scheme (preferably Hungarian Variables) begins with int, str and providing meaningful variables names. All the variables should be explicitly initialized to avoid garbage values, long script should be break into sections that facilitates reusability and makes easy debugging. Hence, it can be said that the defensive programming avoids not only syntax errors but also some semantic errors while using the above methods, so that when viewing variables the programmer explicitly knows for what purpose the variable is declared and used in a program. Spreadsheet model is one of the major business models that is ubiquitous and allow us to develop more complex and detailed models than traditional mathematics allows. It facilitates business communication especially performing modeling tasks and accounting statements in effective and efficient manner, as it is more-powerful and refined tool. This is the reasons for which spreadsheet modeling is high in demand of recruiters. Modeling helps us to make informed decisions in any business. We can model a system before its actual implementation to know any defect in the model, test the model and can identify pros and cons of the modeled system. Modeling can be used to investigate alternate ways of doing business, without investing in a

Leadership Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership Ethics - Essay Example It is a multifaceted moral relationship flanked by people, based on conviction, compulsion, commitment, emotion, and a shared hallucination of the good. Ethics, then, fabricates at the very center of leadership. This essay discovers the ethical ins and outs of leadership. Most scholars and practitioners who write about leadership genuflect at the altar of ethics and speak with hushed reverence about its importance to leadership. Somewhere in almost any book devoted to the subject, there are a few sentences, paragraphs, pages, or even a chapter on how integrity and strong ethical values are crucial to leadership. Yet, given the central role of ethics in the practice of leadership, it's remarkable that there has been little in the way of sustained and systematic treatment of the subject. The state of research on leadership ethics is similar to the state of business ethics twenty years ago. I argue that ethics is located in the heart of leadership studies and not in an appendage. The learning of ethics in general consists of the test of right, incorrect, good, wickedness, virtue, responsibility, compulsion, rights, fairness, evenhandedness, and so on, in human being relationships with every one and other living things too. Leadership learning's, either straightly or indirectly, tries to appreciate what leadership is and how and why the leader-follower connection works (What is a manager and what does it mean to work out leadership How do leaders show the way What do leaders accomplish And why do people follow). Because leadership necessitates very characteristic kinds of human relationships with characteristic sets of ethical problems, I consider it suitable to submit to the theme as leadership ethics. Ethics In Leadership Ethics is one of those subjects that people rightfully feel they know about from experience. Most people think of ethics as practical knowledge, not theoretical knowledge. Ethics is primarily a communal, collective enterprise, not a solitary one. It is the study of our web of relationships with others. Ethics is elementally the pursuit of justice, fair play, and equity. Ethics is how we make a decision to behave when we make a decision we belong together, " the study of ethics has to do with developing standards for judging the conduct of one party whose behavior affects another. Cleanly, "high-quality behavior" is going to do no damage and respects the rights of all exaggerated, and "terrible behavior" is deliberately or neglectfully flattens on the rights and interests of others. Ethics, then, tries to locate a means to defend one person's personal rights and needs alongside and besides the rights and wants of others. Of course, the inconsistency and innermost tension of ethics lie in the truth that even though we are by nature collective and in need of others, at the similar time we are by character more or less self-centered and self-serving. If principles and ethics are a part of life, so too are employment, labor, and trade. Work is not impressive thing disconnected from the rest of human existence, but to a certain extent "man is born to labor, as a bird to fly." What are employment and business about Making a living Yes. Producing a manufactured goods or service Sure. Creating money or profit Completely. In actual fact, most ethicists quarrel that business has

IMPACT OF CHRONIC CONDITION ON SOCIETY Case Study

IMPACT OF CHRONIC CONDITION ON SOCIETY - Case Study Example Moreover, they must agree or make arrangements on to take care and supporting Joe while he is in a different physical location and state of health. These adjustments shall strain the family financially considering that Joe and the wife had retired two years ago. The autonomy needed for this case shall call for strong advocacy from all the involved parties so that both Joe and the family shall be accorded both emotional and final support they needed during this period. Chronic diseases are becoming part of the contemporary society; therefore, the society has introduced chronic care management. The chronic care management involves numerous education and oversight activities (Livius and Weichberger, 1932). These activities have been initiated within the health care professions to help improve the lives of persons suffering from chronic diseases and conditions. Some of the initiatives aim at motivating patients especially by directing them to seek necessary interventions and therapies towards achieving reasonable life or improve lifestyle as they wait to die. In most cases, multiple chronic diseases often coexist; thus, it is advisable for a chronic patient never to seek for fragment health care. Moreover, a patient, as Joe suspected for given chronic condition or illness must seek a proper and elaborate therapies and interventions for such medical conditions (Livius and Weichberger, 1932). Despite the introduction of medical care systems and policies of handling chronic diseases, such services are still too expensive for everyone to afford. However, the political leaderships are introducing health care laws that aim at making such treatment to all citizens. With these bills in place, people like Joe who have financial constrain will have some financial relief towards managing their medical

Talent Management In Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies Essay

Talent Management In Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies - Essay Example Clearly defining the extent of each employee’s role in various company activities is just one of the ways Talent Management helps to accomplish that objective. Surprisingly, organisations have only just begun to embrace models of Talent Management as a means to reaching goals and objectives. This proposal will explore the current model of Talent Management, exploring its advantages, processes, and objective. Since 1987, Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO), renamed Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) in 2007, has through the investment of the Abu Dhabi government, become the largest provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in the Middle East. It serves not only the Gulf Region and other parts of Middle East but also attracts customers for Africa, North America and Asia. ADAT’s operation has garnered approval from many certificates on Authorities including local, European and American ones, provides the following services in-house and remotely on site: 1) Airframe Services; 2) Component Services; 3) Engine Services; 4) Technical Services; 5) Technical Training & 6) Material & Management Supply. In combination with major United Arab Emirates government defence contracts, its principle activities include the sale and support for missile defence, commercial jetliners, satellites, military aircraft, and human space flight to Etihad Airlines and various international carriers operating to and from more than 50 international airports worldwide. In this case study will analyse Talent Management in Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT). 1.2 Problem Statement Due to the highly competitive nature of the aviation industry the need for Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) to employ a team that can expand its technical and management team is immense. The challenge; therefore, becomes can ADAT adopt effective strategies that will not only enable them to attract, but also maintain the right talent. As likely surmised, the right talen t is paramount to maintaining a competitive advantage in both new and existing markets. 1.3 Research Aim This study aims to  analyze the Talent Management process in Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies and to make recommendations for improvement. One of the largest--if not the largest--cost to a company generally involves compensation for its workforce. Proportionately, effective analysis of the process of recruiting and hiring employees will pay dividends in providing insight to areas of improvement. Studies have shown that a high standard of performance from employees positively correlates with a high performance from the company (Peter 2008). Unfortunately, only a handful of companies are able to achieve that goal (Peter 2008). Leading to the questions of how to handle that limited supply of talent, how to procure it, and how to maintain it. The company that figures this out first will ultimately become the leader in their respective field. Bent (2011) argues that available profess ionals within the aviation industry are declining substantially. This is due to procurement by other companies. From previous studies, a multitude of factors affect employee recruitment aside from financial compensation such as development and training, potential for advancement, work environment, relationship with co-workers and boss, recognition, and

The law of internation finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The law of internation finance - Essay Example could be described as follows: a) to identify the key forms of loans available in the context of the Islamic banking system, b) to evaluate the performance of loans provided by the Islamic Financial Institutions; suggestions are also made for the potential increase of the performance of the specific financial products c) to compare these loans with the loans provided by the Western Banks, d) to locate the advantages and disadvantages of loans in the Islamic Banking System, e) to identify the effects of the global financial crisis on the rate of financing by Islamic Banks and f) to identify and analyze the role that Islamic banking can have in the limitation of the effects of recession. The research methodology employed in this study will have two different forms: the literature review will be used in order to identify the views of academic researchers on the study’s subject; on the other hand, the empirical research will be used aiming to retrieve information on the current aspects of the study’s issues. The empirical research developed in the context of this study can be distinguished in two categories: a) qualitative research, i.e. reference to case studies; the modes of financing provided by specific Islamic banks will be presented and analyzed; b) apart from the case study analysis, a survey will be conducted in order to retrieve the views of the public on the loans provided by Islamic banks worldwide; employees in Islamic banks worldwide will be asked to state their view on the performance of loans provided by their Banks; the survey will be conducted through the Internet. The types of loans available in the context of Islamic Banking System are specific; Iqbal et al. (2002) refers to the following types of loans: ‘a) educational loans, b) gold loans – for securing gold, and c) surety loans, which are loans against personal security of two signatories’ (Iqbal et al., 2002, p.176). In accordance with Schoon (2009) the main difference between the

ECDIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ECDIS - Essay Example Data supply is still a weak point of ECDIS at present. The hydrographical services are public authorities, who have now to switch from production of paper nautical charts to digital ECDIS data. Raster data is provided by official sources and fills the gaps in ECDIS data. The scanned paper charts cannot provide any real alternative to ECDIS data. Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) has been in vogue in shipping industry for over two decades now. ECDIS, however, can have a much wider application than in shipping, because electronic display and information can be used in aviation charts, street maps, railway maps, etc. In all these and other likewise segments of transport and communication, electronic display and information can be presented on a computer using the same methodology. However it is in shipping that the system is widely used and we shall restrict our discussion to the electronic nautical charts.Moreover ECDIS was initially developed for shipping, and it is in that industry that its use is wide-spread and likely to increase manifold in the future.. Electronic chart presentation is only one aspect of ECDIS. ECDIS is also an information system. ... ECDIS is also an information system. As an information system, ECDIS enables the user to access additional information on the items displayed in the graphics presentation; for instance, about a lighthouse. This may be marked on the chart by a tower symbol. The system can give further information on this object, for example, about its appearance, structure, and its current status, that is, for instance, it used to be operational once, but is no longer so, and is now preserved as a monument. The data may enable one to access, if required, further data about a detailed history of the lighthouse and view a digitalised photo of this object. The quantum and quality of the information available on the individual objects depends on how up-to-date, accurate and well maintained the data base is, not on the ECDIS itself. ECDIS stores these various details in a geographic-object oriented data base, so that ECDIS can be said to belong to the group of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The parts of ECDIS computer For the user, who is the navigator, ECDIS is only one item of equipment among many on the bridge of a modern ship. Operating the ECDIS is not the main duty of a ship's officer. Rather, the system replaces the conventional chart table and is intended to make all types of work traditionally connected with the paper nautical chart easier, more precise and faster. These include route planning, entry of observations, instructions and notes, position determination and updating charts with the aid of the Notices to Mariners (NtM). ECDIS represents an item of equipment consisting of hardware, software and the data. The hardware of the ECDIS is a computer with graphics capability, a high performance PC or a graphics workstation installed in a console linked with

Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted - Essay Example The article ‘Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted?’ by Malcolm Gladwell broadly conforms to the belief that change movements need to be backed by the disciplined hierarchical authority with centralized control. It helps in running the movement for a sustained period of time to achieve desired goals and objectives. The people need to be involved physically and emotionally with the cause so that they can relate to it. ‘Strong ties’ connects people. He says the success of the Civil Rights Movement was because people were also emotionally connected with the issue and were guided by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Church. There was no ambiguity in the way it was to be carried out which made it more focused and easily sustainable for a long time if required. Author denigrates the importance of social networking media in ushering social changes within society. His main contention is that it has a short span of memory for important issues and it is no t backed by a personal commitment to the cause.The article has used comparative secondary resources to understand and emphasize the paradigms of social change. He especially discusses the role of social networking media as against personal and more traditional means of social activism which directly juxtaposes political authority and popular will. The case of Greensboro, North Carolina has been used to showcase the power of people. The movement was started by just four college students as a sit-in Woolworth’s but within a week, spread like wildfire to encompass hundreds of students across wider geographical areas. The Civil Rights Movement had also huge participation of people, dragging on for years with the same zeal and culminating in the Civil Rights Act.

Animal Farm-Power Corrpts Essay Example for Free

Animal Farm-Power Corrpts Essay Animal Farm is an allegorical novel about the Russian Revolution and the resulting political system of the Soviet Union. Through this story which appears to be a simple fable on the surface, we see George Orwell’s beliefs about the nature of power and its seemingly inevitable corruption of noble ideas. Educated authority figures in the book bend the principles of communism to suit their own selfish needs and desires, all the while taking advantage of the uneducated masses, and easily manipulated them through propaganda and persuasion. Through this allegory of communism turned to totalitarianism, Orwell explores the dangers of a political system where leaders have no sense of social responsibility toward their subjects. The first instance of corruption among the ruling class appears shortly after the revolution. The pigs, the new rulers of Animal Farm after the ousting of the tyrant farmer Jones, milk the cows to relieve them from of their discomfort. The animals, remembering how Jones would mix some of the milk into their mash, look forward to at least similar treatment from the pigs. However, the milk soon disappears and it is discovered later that the pigs have mixed it into their own mash without sharing it with the other animals, just as the windfall apples have been consumed exclusively by the pigs. Squealer, the political propagandist for the pigs, justifies this to the other animals by saying that the pigs need the extra brain energy, and then bolsters his argument with some fear mongering: â€Å" Do you know what would happen if w pigs failed in our duty? Jones would be back!† (32). The fact that this incident occurs so quickly after the revolution and at a time when all of the pigs are still present on the farm shows Orwell’s belief that the corruption is not only inevitable in a society where the ruling sector of the population is so much better educated than the rest, but that all of these members of the ruling class were potentially corruptible. As the story moves on Orwell shows us how power is corrupting more. Another of the major instance that occurs after the milk and apples is the ruling class moving in the farmhouse. As the commandment says no animal shall sleep in a bed. Some of the other animals were confused but as usual squealer came with his propaganda.

The emancipation proclamation Essay Example for Free

The emancipation proclamation Essay The emancipation proclamation was an historic moment in the history of the United States. It did not only come at a time when the country was being faced by slavery problems but also at the time when the country was at the height of its bloodiest civil war. The emancipation proclamation was issued by the US president Abraham Lincoln and consisted of two different executive orders. The executive orders were issued by the president as the commander-in-chief of the United States army and navy, were meant to free slaves and end slavery altogether. The first executive order was issued in September 22, 1862 and was to free slaves from the hands of states under confederate states of America that had not joined the Union by January 1, 1863. The second one was made in January 1, 1863 and was more specific as it stated the states where the order would apply (Christopher 56). Abraham Lincoln was born in February 12, 1809 and raised in Kentucky. He married his wife Mary Todd in 1842 and together bore four sons, but unfortunately only one of his sons (Robert) survived childhood (Thomas Burlingame, 56). The United States 16th president had a little formal education and is said to have been self-educated. He nevertheless became a lawyer and joined Republican Party as a politician which helped him assume presidency in 1860. During his term in office, the southern states pulled out of the Union citing that president Lincoln and the northerners did not approve of slavery. President Lincoln faced a lot of challenges during the five year periods he served as the president. First, a war broke out between the southerners and the northerners six weeks into his presidency. In what was to later become a bloodiest American civil war, the states within the Union fought the states under the Confederacy for five years. In a tactically move to win the war president Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation in September 22, 1862 which required the states outside the Union to free all slaves. The second one in January of the following was the most effective as it saw a number of slaves being released. He succumbed to assassin’s bullet in 1865 just a year after being re-elected the United States president (Thomas Burlingame, 102). Abraham Lincoln was highly regarded as a great human rights defender as was illustrated by his Gettysburg Address in November 1863. In this short speech he called on Americans to ensure human freedom if it has to survive as a nation. His legacy has been defined in the history book as the man who freed millions from slavery and changed the course of that heinous act. The emancipation proclamation that was issued twice in a span of less than six months was a well orchestrated plan to have slavery abolished in the United States. The first proclamation prepared the way for the second one. Into the second year of the American civil war, Lincoln issued the second executive order barring slavery in the Confederate states (Crowther, 55). This was more specific as it not only stated the intended states wanted to stop slavery but also gave a time frame of a hundred days from January 1, 1863. Ten southern states; South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi and Arkansas were mentioned in this second order. The states of Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland and Missouri that practiced slavery were not included in the order because they were under the Union. Exemption was also extended to the Tennessee state which was neither under the union nor the confederacy and the numerous counties that had joined the Union before January 1, 1863 (Crowther, 56). Implementation was very swift as the Union commanders stationed in the marked states helped to enforce the proclamation (Christopher 67). Although, the immediate impact of the second executive order is not well documented, it is believed that several slaves were freed immediately by many states especially in the regions that were occupied by the Union forces. These states included North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Alabama and South Carolina. Regions within those states that were under the Union occupancy released most slaves upon the emancipation proclamation (Poulter, 48). During the entire period of emancipation, no violent acts were reported between the masters and the ex-slaves (Crowther, 76). However, the proclamation changed the course of the American civil war. There was a big shift in the initial objectives of the war prompted by the northerners. From the initial aims of uniting the two regions, a new agenda was born. It must be noted that Abraham Lincoln’s aim at first, was to use emancipation proclamation to force the Confederate states to join the Union. He exempted states that practiced slavery and were within the Union but ordered those under the Confederacy to end slavery in their states. This informed the opinion that the objectives of the emancipation proclamation was to help the Union win the civil war (Klingaman, 234). Although, unprecedented at the beginning, the proclamation set the stage for the abolitionists to fight for abolition of slavery in America. Thus a new agenda was born; to fight for human freedom in the United States. The proclamation did not escape political debates at the time. Most democrats, who were opposed to the civil war and supported the secession as well as slavery in the south, rejected the emancipation proclamation. It was so much politicized that in the 1862 elections, it became an issue in the campaigns, which saw the democrats up their numbers in the house by 28. The other democrats, who bought into the Lincoln’s objectives of the war, backed off and did not support the emancipation decree. President Lincoln saw the political opposition increasing by the day and therefore used the Gettysburg Address to indirectly refer to his proclamation and abolition of slavery as a new war objective by using his famous phrase a â€Å"new birth of freedom†. This endeared him towards the pro-abolitionists within his republican party that helped his re-nomination in the 1864 elections (Berlin, 260). The emancipation proclamation twist in the American civil war changed the foreign opinions about the war. The Great Britain involvement in the war had brought it diplomatic tension with the United States. At first, before the proclamation, United Kingdom had favored the Confederacy’s quest to secede especially when it provided the southerners with the British-made warships. But the northerners were strongly determined to win the war at all costs and the Trent Affair of 1861 only worsened the situation between the two countries (Klingaman, 234). The emancipation proclamation then changed everything. The British were forced to reconsider their support for confederacy because such a support would be viewed as a support for slavery, a practice they had long abolished. The confederacy’s case for secession never received much sympathy thereafter and the Union cause was salvaged. Many international leaders hailed Lincoln’s decisive and bold steps in fulfilling the dreams of American forefathers. Proclamation therefore came at the right time as the initial tension between the United States and European nations was eased and the union conduct in the war was never scrutinized as their cause was now favored (Christopher 54). Towards the end of the war, the pro-abolition groups got concerned that the proclamation would never be recognized after the war as people would consider it as a decree made for the war according to Berlin (260) they also desired to see the freedom of all slaves in America; not only those within the Confederacy but also those within the Union states. These prompted them to pressed Lincoln to seek a constitutional amendment that would secure freedom for all slaves. In his 1864 presidential campaigns, Lincoln was forced to pledge a constitutional amendment that would abolish slavery in the entire United States. His campaigns were boasted by separate abolition laws passed by two different states – Maryland and Missouri in 1864. After being re-elected, Lincoln hurriedly forced the 38th congress to amend the constitution as fast as possible and January 1865 was the historic moment for all slaves in America. The congress passed to the state lawmakers for ratification the 13th amendment, barring any form of slavery within the borders and territories of the United States. After being ratified in December 1865, the law took effect after twelve days. It is estimated that about 40,000 slaves and 1,000 slaves were released immediately in Kentucky and Delaware respectively (Christopher, 58). Although some have consistently criticized Lincoln as a white supremacist who only made the decree after being pressed by the abolitionists who wanted racial reforms, his legacy will forever remain in the memory of all American races. He took a bold step not only to savage the Union from disintegration but also secured the freedom of the slaves. His belief in human freedom and goodwill to see his dreams through saw the end of heinous act that is slavery at a time when there was tension everywhere. He achieved a lot within a span of five years considering the opposition he faced from all corners of the country and even internationally. He simply won two wars with Emancipation Proclamation. Work Cited Berlin, Ira, Eds. Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation 1861-1867, Vol. 1: The Destruction of Slavery, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1985, p. 260 Christopher Ewan. â€Å"The Emancipation Proclamation and British Public Opinion The Historian, Vol. 67, 2005, p. 34-78 Crowther, Edward R. â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation†. In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. Heidler, David S. and Heidler, Jeanne T (Eds), 2000, p. 45-78 Klingaman, William. Abraham Lincoln and the Road to Emancipation, 1861-1865 New York: Viking Press, 2001, p. 234 Poulter, Keith. Slaves Immediately Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, North South vol. 5 no. 1, December 2001, p. 48 Thomas, Benjamin Burlingame, Michael. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, California: SIU Press, 2008, p. 23-500

Analysis of Ghanas Economic Growth

Analysis of Ghanas Economic Growth An analytical review of the effect of conflict, politics and resources on the economic growth of the country. 1.0. Introduction 1.1. Ghana in 1957 Some fifty years ago, Dr Kwame Nkrumah stood before a throng of cheering fellow Ghanaians, proclaiming independence from the British Empire. â€Å"At long last, the battle is ended†, he bellowed triumphantly, â€Å"Ghana, your beloved country is free forever† (Nkrumah, 2007). Such were the words that signalled the end of British rule and the start of a new era for the former Gold Coast, which had succeeded in becoming the first independent nation in Africa. By doing so, she set a hopeful precedent to other former colonies which would shortly and eagerly follow in Ghana’s footsteps. For the â€Å"model colony† the future, at this point, looked bright. As a nation with â€Å"advantages of wealth and attainment unrivalled in topical Africa† (Meredith, 2005, 22), Ghana was expected to take the world by storm, swiftly join the ranks of the industrial nations, and proudly serve as a shining example to the post-colonial world (Dzorgbo, 2002, 2-3). There was nothing far-fetched about this optimism. She was, in 1957, one of the most economically advanced countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Income per head was double that of the Tanganikans, substantially more than the Zambians, and almost on a par with the Rhodesians (Alpine and Pickett, 1993, 64). Contributing to this private wealth was the lucrative trade in the export of cocoa whose production Ghana dominated by this time. Such a presence within the international commodity market helped shore up the already substantial amounts of foreign reserve her government held. Yet all of this failed to happen. Several years after independence, Ghana’s economy began to totter, her foreign reserves evaporated, and reckless public spending placed the country on a financial precipice – all this by the end of the 1960s (Konadu-Agyeman, 2000, 473). There was to be no let-up. The economic downturn continued into the 1970s where Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell more than three percent each year. Price inflation averaged at around 50 to 100 percent. Worse was to follow. By the beginning of the 1980s, inflation reached more than 100 percent, GDP levels fell further into the abyss, and one of the worst famines hit the country (Sandbrook, 1982, 2). Nothing, it now seemed, could go right. She had little choice but to solicit help from abroad. 1.2. International intervention and neo-liberalism Following the implementation of economic restructuring programmes, created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, Ghana finally emerged out of her desperate trough in 1983. Inevitably questions were asked. Why had Ghana struggled for so long? How could she so comprehensively dash the hope and goodwill in the immediate years after independence? Many factors, in the view of the IMF, had contributed to her demise: mismanagement, over-regulation, failure to tackle inflation, and currency over-evaluations headed the depressingly long list (Konadu-Agyeman, 2000, 473). Correspondingly, strings were attached to how IMF funds were to be used: the devaluing of the currency, the Cedi; the withdrawal of subsidies; the retrenchment of labour; the reduction in public expenditure; and the liberalisation of trade and exchange controls. Such measures, which took their cue from a resurgent neo-liberalism, have proved to be a mixed blessing. Even though, on the one hand, the adoption of these policies helped rein in inflation, created steady currency fluctuations and boosted the production of cocoa, they also led, on the other hand, to increased unemployment, ushered in stiff and unfettered competition from abroad, and generated substantial social discontent. So much of the welfare state had been taken away, in fact, that the weak and the poor were falling through the net. But a final verdict on the effectiveness of these policies is still too early to call. Even so, it would be true to say that many of these neoliberal suggestions, which underpin the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP), have not come from an appreciation of the peculiarities of the African predicament in general or the Ghanaian one in particular. Rather they draw from the successes of the East Asian Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) which, it is argued, managed to free themselves from the shackles of perennial underdevelopment by creating growth through the export of value-added products. Such a way of proceeding, it has been reasoned, could be replicated within the African context. Much of the reason why Ghana failed in the years after independence from developing economically, this model suggests, was because she promoted a policy of protectionism. Rather than achieve industrial growth and economic development Nkrumah said it would, his policy of Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI), which erected tariffs so as to nurture domestic industry, did the opposite and halted diversification and competitiveness. All of which had now come home to roost, in the opinion of neo-liberalists, who now called on government to shrink. The new policy of SAP, based on exports, has at first glance much to recommend it, especially with regard to Ghana. Even a cursory look at Ghana’s colonial past yields firm illustration of why an export-based economy could make sense. During the days of the British Empire, Ghana had been forced to open up to the international market not least because she offered precious resources and material such as gold, sugar and cotton. Such a colonial emphasis on international trade, to be sure, substantially benefited the colonisers and not the colonised. Even though the British emphasis on exports had the effect of neglecting domestic industry, the legacy the Empire left behind was nonetheless one in which the economy thrived on her exports (Frimpong-Ansah, 1991, 67). Counterfactually-speaking, therefore, had Nkrumah implemented economic policies which aimed to promote exports rather than seek to curtail them, then Ghana may have been spared from the title question: what are you doing here? 1.3. Problems and solutions for the Ghanaian economy If only things were that simple. Even though one might forcibly argue that Ghana’s economy is orientated towards the international market, the kind of exports she has traditionally exported – and is currently exporting – would not have contributed much towards sustained growth. Nor do present circumstances hold hope that things would be any different either. Primarily, as the World Trade Organization has outlined, Ghana is still â€Å"heavily dependent on agriculture, especially cocoa, and on natural resources, notably minerals. Primary production accounts for almost half of GDP; agriculture at 40%, is the most important sector. Manufacturing contributes some 10% of GDP. Services are the second largest component† (WTO, 2001). Much of this primitiveness must be sought, once more, in British colonial policy, which saw little need to invest any substantial sums into creating a more sturdy and versatile infrastructure. Raw materials, such as Ghanaian cocoa, were kept just that – raw – to keep prices down, prevent competition to British firms by not having processing facilities, and turn Ghanaian subjects into obedient consumers of the finished product that would be shipped in from abroad. As Immanual Wallerstein put it with reference to Africa generally: â€Å"Whatever the motive for entering the world agricultural market and whatever the social organization of export production, each colonial administration, as the political arm of the metropole, sought to tie a segment of the African population into the larger imperial economy either as independent producers or as wage-workers, and in all cases as consumers† (Wallerstein, 1986, 18). He could have just as well been talking about Ghana. Such colonial legacies mean that even today Ghana’s raw materials continue to be dictated by external conditions. Since primary products are easily affected by the vagaries of the weather as well as by the fluctuating international market, export-led economic development would almost certainly prove to be a bumpy ride. More specifically, it means that: â€Å"When stocks are low and pries high farmers can increase their planting, but they cannot compress the time it takes crops to ripen to harvest When farmers eventually increase production, prices fall as supplies quickly outgrow demand in importing countries, given that demand does not grow significantly in response to lower prices. The result is a pattern of short-lived booms followed by lingering slumps† (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2004). Such descriptions invoke a viscous circle from which Ghana would find hard to escape. From this lesson follows the glaring need to diversify the country’s economic base, if it is to avoid the ‘booms’ and ‘slumps’ of an economy ensconced within agriculture. â€Å"While traditional exports, such as cocoa and gold, may remain an important source of growth and foreign exchange in the future,† the World Bank contends, â€Å"export diversification will be necessary to accelerate economic growth and poverty reduction and to decrease Ghana’s vulnerability to external price shocks† (World Bank, 2001,1). To be fair, it has not been from a lack of effort that Ghana has failed to diversity sufficiently, for political circumstances have repeatedly conspired to hold up any sustained drive. Liberal approaches to economic development, which Nkrumah’s successors aimed at, fell fowl of a coup, while two later regimes which tried to develop indigenous strategies of development were ousted in similar circumstances. Clearly political conflict and change have impacted hard on Ghana’s economic growth – arguably negatively on the whole – and, if the IMF anoraks are in any way right, stability in the present governmental set-up would finally lead the country to the elusive goal that had seemed possible during the few years after independence. 1.4. Objectives and organization Enmeshed within all these complicated factors, which this introduction has served to outline, the economic growth of Ghana must, at least for the moment, take place within the neo-liberal strictures imposed by the IMF, which has set great store by small government and export-led growth. Conflict, politics and resources will, in this investigation, be reviewed therefore need to take account of the domestic as well as international setting, so as arrive at a more rounded appreciation of how all these factors have affected economic growth in Ghana. Looking at past attempts to create economic growth as well as current trade policies designed to do the same, this study will offer both a historical as well as a contemporary analysis of the Ghanaian economy. Perhaps reaching beyond the remit of the brief, the study will also powerfully suggest that, as things stand as they do, Ghana’s economic future is set to remain a bleak one. More favourable rules of trade must be implemented, the thesis recommends, without which she will not be able to continue to diversify her economic base. To illustrate these points, the investigation is divided into the following chapters. Chapter two, below, will review some of the basic economic models which have found application in Ghana since her days as a colony of the British Empire. Chapter three will then focus on the implementation of these development theories from a historical perspective, analysing the various regimes as well as their ideological leanings which contributed to the kind of policies they came up with. Chapter four will then assume a more specific and contemporary focus, reviewing the extent to which international agreement on trade has impacted on economic growth in Africa in general and in Ghana in particular. Finally, chapter five will consider how tariff and non-tariff barriers, with reference to the EU, have influenced the shape of the Ghanaian economy. 2.0. Theories of Economic Development Before this investigation can examine in detail how various factors have influenced Ghana’s economic growth, one should stop to consider the kind of economic thinking that has undergirded the disparate policies she has resorted to in order to achieve prosperity down the years. Such a detour is necessary if we are to fully appreciate the broader economic and political climates in which policies have been conceived. 2.1. Free trade and nationalism During her time as a colony of the British Empire, Ghana had been forced to adopt a mercantilist system of trade which functioned as the principle form of economic thinking that dictated the way nations engaged with each other, economically-speaking, until the late eighteenth century. Much of modern economic thinking grew out of a backlash against this closed system, which put the nation before the individual and which saw wealth as finite. Inspired by the work of Adam Smith, who wrote his seminal The Wealth of Nations in 1776, liberals criticized how mercantilism elevated the position of the state out of all proportion to the role it should play in the functioning of the economy. By contrast, Smith felt that the state should limit itself to providing three basic duties to society: First, the duty of protecting the society from violence and invasion of other independent societies; secondly, the duty of protecting, as far as possible, every member of the society from the injustice or oppression of every other member of it, or the duty of establishing inexact administration of justice; and thirdly, the duty of erecting and maintaining certain public works and certain public institutions which it can never be for the interest of any individual, or small number of individuals to erect and maintain; because the profit could never repay the expense to any individual or small number of individuals, thought it may frequently do much more than repay it to a great society.(Smith, 1863, 286) From this basic framework, in which the individual would have access to basic rights and protection from violence, Smith recommended that the government retreat and allow the individual to develop on their own, especially with regard to economics. â€Å"Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice†, he proclaimed, â€Å"is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own way, and to bring both his industry and capital into competition with those of any other man, or order of men.† Not only did he feel his thinking needed to apply to the domestic sphere but also the international one too, for â€Å"commerce, which ought naturally to be, among nations, as among individuals, a bond of union and friendship† had broken down into a series of international conflicts because homos economicus operated from the assumption that they had to steal from one another rather than share the wealth available. More specifically liberal thinking envisaged a world based on three pillars: first was the belief that free trade promoted economic growth and consumption; second, that it improves societal values and ideals; and third, that free trade would promote a more peaceful international environment because greater interdependence would lead to a convergence of interests among societies (Harlen, 1999, 735). Most pioneering in the implementation of these ideals was Britain which threw down the gauntlet to her rivals by tearing down protectionist barriers, such as the Corn Laws, in the middle of the nineteenth century at a time when mercantilism dictated the opposite and discouraged trade between European powers. Soon European countries followed suite in gradually adopting policies that were more liberal in outlook. Nations such as France, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal and Spain all moved towards the liberalization of their tariff system. But such an open period proved to be short-lived as nationalistic concerns rowed the liberal boat back to shore. By the 1870s, for example, Austria-Hungary increased duties and Germany followed at the end of the decade; France also upped her tariffs in 1881, modestly initially, then sharply in 1892, while other countries returned the favour in kind (Krasner, 1975, 325). Much of the problem had been that, in following Britain, which had embarked upon industrialization much earlier than the European continent, the benefits which European countries could reap from liberalizing their markets would be far from worthwhile, not least because their own infant industries could not compete with those of Britain, which had far more established businesses that had the muscle to blow those of the continent out of the water. Bitter about the lessons that had been learnt at the hands of the British, nationalist economists, while seeing the benefits of free trade, came to point out that liberals â€Å"did not adequately address the problems of how economically and politically weak countries might ensure their national security in a world where free trade did not exist† (Harlen, 1999, 739). Such a dilemma was not only shared by European countries but also by the United States whose economic power was no match to Britain’s at this time. If the United States were to compete on Britain’ terms, economist Alexander Hamilton noted, â€Å"the want of reciprocity would render them [United States] the victim of a system which should induce them to confine their views of Agriculture, and refrain from Manufactures† (Hamilton, 1964, 138). Such a view implied that open competition would only result in the stronger country dictating terms and keeping the weaker one in almost perpetual underdevelopment. Consequently, in order to compete, diversification of the country’s manufacturing base had to be effected, an objective that could only be realized if government helped out and, to cite Hamilton once more, â€Å"encouraged the introduction of foreign technology, capital, and skilled labor †¦ and adopt protectionist trade policies, including tariffs, quotas and bounties, to bolster its fledgling industries†. Similar conclusions were reached by the German political economist Friedrich List, who laid down in his National System of Political Economy the need to dispense with the ideology of free trade in the short term in favour of empowering the state to protect and boost its infant industries and build up a skilled workforce. Only when this was done, List also argued, could countries move towards a policy of liberalization. 2.2. Theories of development Following the end of the Second World War, which signalled the end of colonialism, a similar yet different schools of thought emerged, which centred on the issue of how newly-independent former colonies could ‘catch up’ and attain economic prosperity. Such thinking took shape during the Cold War so that development theory, as it was called, took influences from both the right and the left – from capitalism to Marxism – to produce the following ways of thinking about development: modernization, structuralism, dependency theory and neo-liberalism. Typically, modernists believe development have to be achieved through linear progression, from a ‘traditional’ to a ‘modern’ society’ (Rostow, 1968). During the ‘traditional’ stage the country would be limited by weak government, poor technology and communications and overreliance on subsistence agriculture. Eventually however these societies would accumulate ‘preconditions of take-off’ in which foundations are laid, such as the creation of private business, banks, schools and hospitals; but such a society still lacks the productivity necessary to make the big jump. To achieve ‘take-off’ the economy would need to show signs of rising investment and savings as well as the rapid expansion of industry and agriculture. Even though the economy would have to experience some turbulence along the way towards maturity, it would do so by stripping itself of the very industries that had helped in the take-off. Finally, countries would, under this theory, enter the age of mass consumption when an affluent society would be born. Most importantly, in order to achieve the various stages of development and pass through them, the state had to be interventionist. Even though these thinkers insisted on the virtues of private enterprise, they also insisted that the Third World needed a plan or blueprint which governments could follow. A different take on modernization, which rejected the linear path of development, was Latin American structuralism. Ultimately, it sought the reason for underdevelopment in the unbalance of trade between raw commodity producers and manufacturers. More capital and technology would, it was argued, lead to a turnaround in fortunes. Crucially, developing countries had been apportioned the almost exclusive role of primary product producers within the international division of labour. As Raul Prebisch, a prominent proponent of this analysis, saw it, there were two problems associated with being predominately a primary goods exporter. First, he saw that technological advancement in the industrial core would lead to the creation of synthetics for natural products. Such a shift away from a dependence on raw materials, such as rubber, would have a detrimental impact on the economies of those who sought to profit. Second, he discerned the tendency that as per capita incomes increase, demand for primary products, such as food, would remain stable, while by contrast demand for manufactured goods would rise (Prebisch, 1964, 7). All of this meant that, without the prospect of the developed world consuming more primary products, developing countries had to face the prospect of â€Å"price volatility in the short term and declining terms of trade over the long run†. Such defects in the international system would be overturned through industrialization, which would decrease dependence on primary products and increase ability to export processed products. Importantly, however, structuralism shared with modernization theory the need for government to play a major role in supporting and protecting infant industries through tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Only by doing so, it insisted, could developing counties compete at all. Such was part of the reason why the policy of import-substitution industrialization (ISI) was created and propounded in the hope that an emphasis on industrialization would promote growth. Yet the problem with structuralism was that it took as a given the outer context of the capitalist international economy. Accept this, dependency theorists countered, then there was only the prospect for further dilemmas for developing countries. As a chief proponent of this idea, Andre Gunder Frank showed, in his book Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America: Historical Studies of Chile and Brazil, that underdevelopment was caused by the very nature of global capitalism. Two divisional structures had emerged in which one camp would function as the metropolis centre and the other would serve as the peripheral and perennial satellites. Such a structure was largely exploitative in that â€Å"the metropolis expropriates economic surplus from its satellites and appropriates it for its own economic development. The satellites remain underdeveloped for lack of access to their own surplus and as a consequence of the sae polarization and exploitative contradictions which the metropolis introduces and maintains in the satellite’s domestic economic structure†. So he concludes pessimistically that â€Å"economic development and underdevelopment are opposite faces of the same coin† (Frank, 1969, 8). Such thinking formed the basis for the rejection of schemes such as ISI, since they only helped entrench even further a form of â€Å"dependent development† in which developing countries would become wholly reliant on the developed world for capital and investment. As long as this state of affairs continued, dependency theorists warned, developing nations could not share in the wealth of a capitalist world economy. Rather, it was argued, nations should move towards a socialist path of development, with the Soviet Union as a model of a country that had managed to industrialize without recourse to capitalism. Such an interpretation of development, it hardly needs to be mentioned, left room for any viability in the policies of ISI that had emerged under the structuralist banner. As it turned out, ISI failed to deliver on its promises of creating industrial competitiveness. In fact greater inequalities arose due to the way in which certain industries were protected so that they ended up with excess capacity, inefficiency and low quality. More worryingly, the fact that the state controlled licensing and foreign exchange meant that it encouraged â€Å"rent-seeking, corruption, smuggling, and black market as well as inefficiency in the allocation of resources† (Cohn, 2005, 378). Problems identified by dependency theorists proved to be prophetic. 2.3 The return of liberalism Even so, the inadequacies of ISI did not prevent the liberals, emerging out of the shadow of criticisms, from drawing different conclusions. For they sought the root cause of developing countries’ inability to move away from their state not in the unfair international system, which was inherently set up to keep them underdeveloped, but in incompetent government. What needed to be done, in other words, was to keep out the hand of government and allow market forces to operate. Evidence that the neoliberals were correct was provided by the promising growth of East Asian countries which based their economic development on exports. Examples such as Taiwan and Korea, which both witnessed strong rates of growth, conferred confidence on neoliberal analysts who sought the success of these countries to an â€Å"evolutionary process of industrially induced modernization and structural transformation †¦ locating an appropriate development niche within the global economy which may be exploited by implementing sound development policies based on conventional neoclassical economic principles† (Bruton, 1998, 107). From all these examples neoliberals re-built the edifice to their economic thinking. Clear guidelines this time were issued governments to, for example, â€Å"eliminate exchange–rate controls, restrictions on international trade, deregulation of the financial sector, privatization of state enterprises, creation of an unregulated labor market, specialization according to ‘comparative advantage’ and market driven resource allocations, and generally defining a ‘minimalist’ role for the state in development† (Brohman, 1996, 108). Most developed countries, responding to the debt crisis of the 1980s, gradually appropriated these new policies. Within the developing world, however, the legacy of ISI left a chronic balance of payment problem so that many countries had substantial debts they owed to international financial institutions. Responding to the crisis, in which many developing countries were expressing inability to return the debts, the IMF and World Bank issued guidelines in which it was spelt out that these nations should adhere to structural (or neoliberal) reforms so as to achieve growth and stability. There was, in fact, little choice. As Walden Bello and Shea Cunningham have acutely noted, â€Å"Faced with the threat of a cut-off of external funds needed to service the mounting debts they had incurred from the western private banks that had gone on a lending binge in the 1970s, these countries had no choice but to implement the painful measures demanded by the Bank and Fund† (Bello and Cunnigham, 1994). Such a move proved to be a watershed: it marked a shift away from an era of protection to a time of the free market, and it is within this climate that developing countries presently operate. In what follows one will review how these shifts and turns in economic developmental thinking impacted one particular country, Ghana. 3.0. Politics, ideology and economic policy Ever since her independence in 1957, Ghana has chopped and changed economic policy to the extent that she has tried pretty much all the development theories on which policy was forged. During the colonial period, she had been subjected to mercantile policies, which rendered Ghana an exporter of raw materials and an importer of finished consumer products. Tragically, this meant that wider socio-economic developments failed to take place, so that a diversification of her economic and industrial base away from the almost total reliance on a few basic resources could not be effected before British rule ended. 3.1. Nkruman and structural economics When Nkrumah assumed the mantle of power, he intended to push Ghana out of the underdeveloped into the developed world. Conceiving a Ten Year Development Programme, he established an Industrial Development Board (IDB), which was handed the task to develop the country’s manufacturing capabilities with the intent to pass them on to private enterprises when sufficiently grown (Dzorgbo, 2001, 148). But more substantive initiatives were carried out following the visit of Professor Arthur Lewis, a development economist, who argued strongly against any shock industrialization strategy in a country whose domestic market was limited; pursuit of large-scale industrialization would counterproductively remove resources away from the rural areas to the modern sector; and where shortage of labour would be aggravated by demand from industry. Far from adopting ambitious schemes, he put forward a series of modest proposals that were designed to prop up basic infrastructures so that a basis could be laid â€Å"for private foreign investment without the government having to bother offering special investment favours† (Dzorgbo, 2001, 149). Such a policy of â€Å"industrialization-by-invitation†, which was based on modernization theory, took a dim view of the ability of the government to access funds and take industries under its wing in a way Nkumah had initially intended. Even so, many of these recommendations were both enthusiastically and modestly accepted. Between 1950 and 1962, the Ten Year Plan adjusted to sing the tunes of a need above all for strong infrastructure. More specifically, it successfully constructed roadways and bridges to connect the various parts of the country, while it built the hydroelectric Akosombo Dam to secure the energy base needed for industrialization. Efforts were also invested in the setting up of transportation systems, while in the realm of social development, the government increased access its population had to water and education. Free primary education became available for all by 1960 and secondary education was expanded rapidly too. Enrolment in schools almost doubled across the board in the 1960s, with some 36,414 students registering in secondary schools, technical colleges, polytechnics and pre-university schools (Dzorgbo, 2001, 153). Such impressive improvements were capped off by improvements in health care services which saw new hospitals and clinics open. Despite the fact that Nkrumah government had followed and even bettered the recommendations of Lewis to improve the socio-economic infrastructure of the country, it grew impatient of the gradualist approach to economic development. More specifically, it became disillusioned by the â€Å"industrialization-by-invitation† policy because it had not led to the diversification of the economic base necessary for stability in the long run. Even though substantial amounts of FDI had been expected, following adoption of Lewis’ ideas, little of it had materialised. Those which had were taking the country for a ride. For example, during the construction of the Akosombo Dam, Nkrumah sought financial assistance from the United States. Eventually the firm Kaiser Aluminium Company came forward to underwrite some of the costs of the project. But conditions were attached that it as well as it

Monet Vs. Degas: Impressionist Aesthetics Essay example -- essays rese

Although from the same artist group, these Impressionists originated from backgrounds that seemed worlds apart. Claude Monet, known as the â€Å"Master Impressionist† varied the themes in his artwork more than any other artist did. Monet’s work â€Å"Impression Sunrise†, of which the term â€Å"Impressionist† originates also gives rise to the title â€Å"Master Impressionist†. Edgar Degas started his career as an artist with nothing in common with Monet but the era in which they lived. From themes to brushstrokes and choices of colours, Monet and Degas started their relationship as Impressionist artists on opposite ends of the earth. However, towards the climax of their lives as artists, Monet aided Degas in adopting Impressionist Aesthetic qualities. Monet chose to depict exquisite landscapes from his own gardens and elsewhere, particularly in France. He uses small, elegant brush strokes and vibrant colour to match the scenes he paints. In the mid-1870’s, Monet’s influence over Degas lead Degas to lean his colour choices nearer to those of other Impressionists. In addition to this, Degas began employing pastels, which gave his works a more granular affect that more closely resembled those of other Impressionists. For numerous years in his life, after attempting to paint his the first of his famous â€Å"Haystacks† ,and, being unable to seize the right shading or colours due to the rising sun, Monet was intrigued by the affect of weather and light on his outdoor projects. On the other hand, Degas, although also concentrated mainly in France, based his works on people, nudes and ballerinas in particular. Monet never painted a nude. Monet and Degas' earlier works have notably different brush stroke styles. While Monet has tended to lean towards the short, choppy and yet delicate, Degas’ strokes blended virtuously unnoticeable. However, these seem to correspond with their earlier themes and objectives. Monet mastered the art of illustrating waves with his brush stroke style, Degas, the curve of a woman’s body or the sheer coat of a young colt. The colours chosen by either artist’s match the scenes they tend to choose to paint. Degas normally chose colours that would show deep contrast between the background and foreground. Monet chose colours the gently blended and showed vibrancy but that created a kind of stable balance in the greater part of his paintings. Degas’ brushstrokes a... ...uring his later years; he painted almost no people in his work as he physically ripened. Both these artists’ lifestyles largely affected the aesthetic principals in their works. Degas depicts incredible detail on his subjects foreground and faces in particular while leaving the backgrounds of his works slightly hazing; therefore rendering them almost unimportant to his works. An example of this would be one of Degas earlier works: â€Å"Achille De Gas in the Uniform of A Cadet† c. 1855. However, Monet varied his work much more than Degas did. The evolution of Monet’s artistic style was extreme. Although both artists are of the Impressionist Movement, Degas and Monet started on very contrary bases in their approach to their production of painting and such. However, Monet influenced Degas into adapting his art to fit it into the Impressionist stereotype. Degas’ influence over Monet was minimal to non-existent putting aside his decision to add other colours to his palette. Since Monet was the leader of the Impressionists, this can be expected. If extensively examined, Degas’ later works and Monet’s works can be comparable; if not approach or style then in paint and pastel application.

Plant And Animal Cells Essay -- Biology Biological Cells Essays

Plant and Animal Cells I. Introduction All organisms in life are composed of at least one or more cells. Cells are the basic units of life. There are three main features of a cell. First, all organisms consist of one or more cells. Second, cells are the smallest units of life and third, cells arise only from preexisting cells. These three facts are referred to as the cell theory. All cells can be categorized into two basic cell types. They are prokaryotic and eukaryotic. To distinguish where cells are placed in the two categories, what is inside the cell must first be looked at. Every cell, either prokaryotic or eukaryotic all contain basic cell parts. They are: a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, DNA (the genetic material), and ribosomes. Prokaryotic cells have a simple structure and they are usually smaller than eukaryotic cells. Also, most prokaryotic cells contain a cell wall. In addition to having the basic cell parts, eukaryotic cells also contain a membrane-bounded nucleus and cell organelles. The membrane surrounding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells, separate the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Most of the cells we used in the experiments held, were multicellular or consisting of more than one cell. A variety of cells were used in completing the experiments. We used union cells, cheek cells, potato cells, and Elodeo cells. We also used Planaria which is a unicellular organism. Many stains and dyes were used in the experiments. They were water, methylene blue, salts, and iodine. In our studies of cells, we conducted three experiments to test the different features of cells. The first two experiments were on how membranes were selectively permeable, diffusion, and osmosis. To test this, we set up two experiments. The first experiment we set up had three cups. In each cup a potato slice and a different liquid was put in. In the first cup was filled with distilled water. The second cup was filled with salt water and the third was left empty. We left these cups sit for twenty- four hours and then we observed them. The second experiment we set up involved dialysis tubing which was acting like a membrane. In the dialysis tubing we put a liquid that was made of starches and sugars. We then put the dialysis tubing into a beaker of water wh... ...c solution and sucked up some of the water in the cells. When we observed the cheek cells we found they were very different from the plant cells. The nucleus was in the middle of the cheek cells and there were a few cell organelles. The Planaria cell was all red and had lines running down it. In this cell though, the nucleus was not present. The plant cells and animal cells were very different. In the plant cells there was motion of cell parts but in the animal cells there was no motion. Also, the nucleus and chloroplast of the plant cell were towards the outside of the cell because the chloroplast can receive sunlight better on the outside of the cell than on the inside. In the animal cells though, the nucleus and cell organelles, were towards the middle of the cell. III. Conclusions All organisms in life are made of at least one or more cells. Cells are the basic units to life. Without cells life cannot exist. In our experiments we went to look how cells function and what are their features. In finding this information, I know have a better understanding of how cells function and their specific features. Plant And Animal Cells Essay -- Biology Biological Cells Essays Plant and Animal Cells I. Introduction All organisms in life are composed of at least one or more cells. Cells are the basic units of life. There are three main features of a cell. First, all organisms consist of one or more cells. Second, cells are the smallest units of life and third, cells arise only from preexisting cells. These three facts are referred to as the cell theory. All cells can be categorized into two basic cell types. They are prokaryotic and eukaryotic. To distinguish where cells are placed in the two categories, what is inside the cell must first be looked at. Every cell, either prokaryotic or eukaryotic all contain basic cell parts. They are: a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, DNA (the genetic material), and ribosomes. Prokaryotic cells have a simple structure and they are usually smaller than eukaryotic cells. Also, most prokaryotic cells contain a cell wall. In addition to having the basic cell parts, eukaryotic cells also contain a membrane-bounded nucleus and cell organelles. The membrane surrounding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells, separate the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Most of the cells we used in the experiments held, were multicellular or consisting of more than one cell. A variety of cells were used in completing the experiments. We used union cells, cheek cells, potato cells, and Elodeo cells. We also used Planaria which is a unicellular organism. Many stains and dyes were used in the experiments. They were water, methylene blue, salts, and iodine. In our studies of cells, we conducted three experiments to test the different features of cells. The first two experiments were on how membranes were selectively permeable, diffusion, and osmosis. To test this, we set up two experiments. The first experiment we set up had three cups. In each cup a potato slice and a different liquid was put in. In the first cup was filled with distilled water. The second cup was filled with salt water and the third was left empty. We left these cups sit for twenty- four hours and then we observed them. The second experiment we set up involved dialysis tubing which was acting like a membrane. In the dialysis tubing we put a liquid that was made of starches and sugars. We then put the dialysis tubing into a beaker of water wh... ...c solution and sucked up some of the water in the cells. When we observed the cheek cells we found they were very different from the plant cells. The nucleus was in the middle of the cheek cells and there were a few cell organelles. The Planaria cell was all red and had lines running down it. In this cell though, the nucleus was not present. The plant cells and animal cells were very different. In the plant cells there was motion of cell parts but in the animal cells there was no motion. Also, the nucleus and chloroplast of the plant cell were towards the outside of the cell because the chloroplast can receive sunlight better on the outside of the cell than on the inside. In the animal cells though, the nucleus and cell organelles, were towards the middle of the cell. III. Conclusions All organisms in life are made of at least one or more cells. Cells are the basic units to life. Without cells life cannot exist. In our experiments we went to look how cells function and what are their features. In finding this information, I know have a better understanding of how cells function and their specific features.

Essays --

Consequently, California higher education has increased in student fees in order to gain the amount of the state budget. Larry Gordon, Gale Holland, and Mitchell Landsberg, authors of the article â€Å"The California Fix,† have pointed out that CSU system has raised student fees by a total of 32% and is commanding 24 furlough days for all employees, including college presidents in 2009. Indeed, the UC system has a reduced freshman enrollment by 6% and hiking undergraduate fees by 9.3%. Then, Governor Jerry Brown has fund higher education but not enough. Laurel Rosenhall, author of the article â€Å"After Massive Cuts,† has revealed in 2010, state funding for CSU went up by more than 11% over in 2009 while UC moved up by more than 12%. In 2011, Brown decided to intend cutting $500 million each from the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems and another $400 million from a California Community College (CCC). Brown also has plans to ra ise fees on community colleges from $26-$36 a unit which means a full-time student would actually pay $1,080 per school year in fall 2011 (Rosenhall). According to Investment Weekly News, May 17, 2012, the California Student Aid Commission will resist to proposed Cal Grant cuts and the rearrangement of the Cal Grant Entitlement Program. The proposal of Cal Grant cuts will reduce college opportunity for students. This will affect the greatest free funding at the UC and CSU when the Governor’s proposal to eliminate Cal Grant which low income students cannot afford the rising cost of higher education. Michele Siqueriro, commissioner of the Campaigns for College Opportunity, explains that Cal Grant students whose family incomes are $50,000 a year for a family of four would lose t... ...ion in funding. However, California is struggling due to the economy so CSU will have to look for ways to modernize and educate students in difficult finaincal times (Dulaney). Although our parents thought the higher education system is the key to success, the budget cuts is causing the state and people to save money in California. Conversely, students are concern about the reductions that will extend the time it takes to gruaduate in four years. Most likely higher tuition is distressing many students to pay their student loans. For example, Dior Sweeney, a senior at UC Berkeley, has works two jobs while going to school, but he believes when he graduate that he will owe more than 20,000 student loans. He also worries about paying his tuition, rent, transportation, and food because the economy is effecting him to think that he will not get a job with a B.A. (Chea 7).

Good Practice in Human Resource Management HRM – Transcript

1. Good Practice in Human Resource Management (HRM) Based on an interview with Graham Walton, Library Service Development Manager at Loughborough University ExFiles FOLIO Course – January 2007 2. Graham’s Current Role Graham is the Library Service Development Manager at Loughborough University. He is responsible for overseeing the quality /evaluation of library services, marketing and publicity, developing new services, training staff as well as human resources. 3. Main Functions of HRM HRM is about â€Å"getting the right people with the right skills in right place†. It is crucial that Library HR processes meet the strategic aims of the organisation. The HRM manager has operational responsibility to follow wider organisational policies and practices. 4. Graham’s HRM Responsibilities Graham oversees the appraisal process of all library staff. This involves the development process, monitoring progress, collating final outcomes and identifying any training needs. Graham is responsible for all human resource aspects of non-academic contract library staff. This involves seeing the HR process through from start to finish: e. . writing job descriptions and person specifications, interviewing, selection, induction, de-briefing of leaving staff etc. Graham is also heavily involved in staff development and devising training programs. 5. How has Graham acquired HRM skills? Variety of ways including: One-year HRM course as part of an MBA. Internal courses on recruitment and selection. Learning through experience: â€Å"getting on with it†. Appl ying common sense. 6. Key challenges of HRM Workforce development – staff are now expected to learn new skills on a regular basis. Need to think about how you enable your staff to do this. Organisational Structure – need to think about the best way to configure this. What is the best way for people to work together? Need to allow opportunity for people to easily step out of their teams and work with others. Culture Change – this is a universal challenge and libraries are not necessarily the best-equipped at dealing with this. This is perhaps the most difficult challenge as culture is intrinsic and deep-rooted. Work/Life Balance – how do you match flexible working needs with providing services? 7. Success Factors for Effective HRM If the following 5 factors are in place, you should have effective HRM: Follow organisational policies and procedures. Exercise Fairness – make all your decisions based on evidence. You must be able to justify all your decisions should you need to defend any of them. Attention to detail – lots of things relating to HR that you need to remember and stick to (e. g. start dates, holiday entitlements etc). Awareness of individual differences – you need to know your staff individually and be aware how different people will react differently to situations. Open-door policy – you need to be approachable and always be ready to drop everything should someone come to you with an HR issue. 8. In what way does an effective HR manager influence their staff? An effective HR Manager: Leads by example – if you expect your staff to show certain characteristics then you need to show them yourself. Be open, fair and transparent in your methods at all times. Ensure that your staff feel valued and important within the organisation. Ensure that other managers realise that they all have a responsibility for HRM – for example a team leader must take on shared responsibility for the staff development of colleagues in their team. 9. Is there anything particularly unique to library and information service HRM? Most HRM issues are generic to all organisations, whether commercial or not-for-profit. One issue that is perhaps not common, is that libraries have the â€Å"professional vs. on-professional† debate. This can cause tension and conflict, meaning that some staff do not reach their full potential. 10. Innovative HRM Practices Two things we are trying/considering at Loughborough University which we have not tried before: A pool of temporary part-time staff that we can call on at short notice to reduce the strain on existing staff during periods of annual leave/sickness. Holding recruitment open days – this would involve placing an open advert inviting people to come to the library on a certain day. Library staff would then â€Å"speed-interview† all those attending and from this it would be decided who would be invited back for further interviewing. 11. How do you see your involvement in HRM evolving in the future? The aspects to focus on in the next few years will be: Staff skills mix/workforce development and how HR can move this along. There will be even greater pressure for increased flexible working and working from home. At present, it is unclear how this will manifest itself in the Library.