Audi and Its Communication Strategy in UK Essay

Audi and Its Communication Strategy in UK - Essay Example The marketing communication of the company is tremendous and this is evident from the well established brand name of the company. In this report we will discuss the communication strategy of Audi in United Kingdom in detail. We will first briefly discuss the history of the company in United Kingdom. In the end we will comment on the efficacy of the communication strategy of the company in UK market alongside with some recommendations. Audi: A Brief History Audi AG is a German car manufacturer that builds a wide range of automobiles from super mini cars to SUVs. The company has a large global presence as it is operating in Europe, India, Brazil, and China (Audi Website, 2012). Audi has its headquarters in Germany and the company is the wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG. Volkswagen markets Audi as its premium brand for the upper income group market. The history of the company dates back to the 19th century when it was founded by August Horch (Audi Website, 2012). The first Audi car came out in 1909 and since then the company has not stopped. In 1964 it was purchased by the automobile giant Volkswagen which marks the new era in the history of the company. ... Audi in United Kingdom The operations of the company in United Kingdom are going extremely well. The company is growing in the country at a great pace and is pushing well known brands like BMW and Toyota behind. In 2011 Audi became the market leader in the premium cars segment of UK leaving behind the giant BMW (Cars Pages UK, 2011). From 2010 to 2011 the sales of Audi in the UK increased by 27.9 percent (2011) and this shows the pace of growth of the company. Seeing such growth the company is planning o introduce new models in the United Kingdom market to tap the potential offered by the UK market. It is amazing to see a premium car brand growing at such a great pace even in the times of recession and this depicts the brand value of the company. Communication Strategy of Audi in United Kingdom The marketing strategy of Audi has been greatly successful in the country because it has made Audi a market leader in its premium segment. In this section we will attempt to understand the mar keting strategy of Audi in United Kingdom using different marketing theories. Audi derives its brand value from its rich history that expands over three centuries. The company uses it history as a mark of respect to show the world that it is a formidable force in the automobile industry. Audi uses its legacy to attract customers and build trust of customers on its products. The company corporate tagline is â€Å"Vorsprung durch Technik† meaning progress through technology (Audi Website, 2012). This shows that the company communicates itself as a brand that focuses on innovation in technology. The products of the company also follow this tag line as they are mostly a pioneer in their own respective size ranges. The use of this tagline is mainly to communicate

Happiness Interviews and Happiness Analyzed Essay Example for Free

Happiness Interviews and Happiness Analyzed Essay The first person I interviewed was my mom, Shirley. The reason I chose her is because she is 83 years old and raised seven kids during the early part of the Cold War. She has been married twice, she been broke then been comfortable but not wealthy, and she has seen her share of health problems. For my second interview, I chose a new co-worker named Doug. He is a 21 year old, homosexual, single father. While he does work to pay bills, he grew up in a family with money and usually gets what he asks for. He has never experienced a traumatic event such as a death in the family, serious health conditions, or hard financial times. He is the exact opposite of my mother, making him a perfect comparison. Interview with Shirley Question: What does Happiness mean to you? Response: Well, to me happiness is just being content with life. Bills paid with a little money in my pocketbook, time to relax, and spending time with people I love. Question: Has this always been your definition of Happiness? Why or why not? Response: No, of course not. When I married at 17, I thought happiness was being married and raising a family. However, being as it was just after WWII, birth control was out of my control, and as time went on, my husband failed to work, and the burden of taking care of 7 children on government funds and part-time bartending was almost too much. Happiness had fleeted from my life. My marriage ended after my eighth child died a day after birth and I had a hysterectomy. My husband felt that I was no longer a woman and filed for divorce and custody of our kids. After the divorce, my oldest son left for the Navy and my younger kids had been ordered to life with their father, I was miserable. Finally, I began working full-time, and found happiness within myself. Things got even better when I met your dad. Having a loving husband and a job I loved, I thought I had it all. I had no idea that 7 years after we married, we would get the chance to adopt you, completing the circle. Life was complete and I had never been happier. Question: What was your definition of happiness then? Response: Happiness was staying home and raising you while your dad worked and made enough for us to pay the bills and not be broke, and our family time on the weekend with no worries just each other. Question: After suffering from a life-threatening heart condition leading to open-heart surgery and almost losing your husband to a heart attack, did happiness take on a new meaning? Response: Of course. Now happiness is living one more day to see my wonderful husband, my daughter, and my precious granddaughter. Without that, life would be unbearable. Happiness is also knowing that those you love are happy and satisfied with their lives. Question: Do you think your opinion of happiness will change in the future? Response: Not likely, I mean I am 83 years old. Not much about me is gonna change at this point in my life. (S. Burkhert, personal communication, March 23, 2012) Interview with Doug Question: What does Happiness mean to you? Response: Happiness is doing what I want when I want, not answering to anyone, and having enough money to do whatever. It’s about being comfortable with whom I am as a gay man with a daughter and as a young adult with so many things I want to do. Question: Does it affect your happiness if your actions cause someone else sadness or pain? What about your daughter’s happiness. Response: No, I don’t really care about other people.  I care about me first and if it makes my daughter happy too, then it’s a bonus. I get what I want because if I’m unhappy, nobody’s happy. Question: Have you always been that greedy about your happiness? Response: Yeah, pretty much. Question: Don’t you think everyone has the right to be happy? Response: Sure, as long as it doesn’t affect me. (D. Pittman, personal communication, March 26, 2012) Happiness Analyzed Dawn Burkhert HU300 – Arts and Humanities Kaplan University In The Art of Being Human, Aristippus defined happiness as the sum of total pleasures experienced during one’s lifetime. However, after interviewing two totally different people, reading Chapter 7 in The Art of Being Human, and analyzing my own thoughts about happiness, I do not believe Aristippus’ definition to be accurate. To some, it’s about raising a family and enjoying life’s little moments, to others it’s about personal happiness at any cost, and to a few it is about doing good deeds for other people. Happiness can be fleeting or ever-lasting, can be spiritually influenced or materialistic. For every person, happiness takes on a different meaning. During the first interview with my 83 year old mom, Shirley, family was a key ingredient to her happiness. She was raised to believe in marriage and large families, as well as never putting herself first. Her happiness lies within knowing that she is making her family happy and spending time with her loved ones. She never asks for much, but always gives more than anyone could ever ask. Acts of such selflessness are not as plentiful as in her days, post the Great Depression and during the Cold War. On the other side of the coin, Doug, my second interview is very much the believer is selfish happiness. He feels that his happiness lies with him getting what he wants, when he wants, and without regard to others. As a 21 year old single man, Doug feels that he must always be happy before he can make his daughter happy. He said he would break a promise to his daughter in a heartbeat to do or get something he wanted. He stated that his happiness should come before all others. He has little consideration for others and could care less about other people’s opinions. This seems to be a destructive attitude to have, especially since we will not always get what we want, when we want, or how we want. As for me, I think that happiness should be both about ourselves and those surrounding us. Without happiness, we are nothing more than God-made robots. We were made to feel empathy, sympathy, joy, sadness and other sordid emotions. Happiness is supposed to be the most cherished of emotions according to the emotional state theory of happiness (http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/happiness/). Of all theories of happiness I have researched through the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, I agree the most with the life satisfaction theory. This theory states that happiness is a positive outlook on a person’s whole life not just a few selected events. The life satisfaction theory is the most applicable of theories I think because it tells us not to pick and choose which events in our life brought us happiness or which we would like to forget. It lends itself to the idea that regret of past events or bitter feelings of things we cannot change is not acceptable†¦be happy with who and what you are regardless of your situation and others’ opinions. That describes me so well and I think everyone should feel this way. Happiness is a wonderful feeling, no matter what it is that makes us feel this emotion. I doubt there will ever be a universal opinion of what happiness really is, what it constitutes, and what brings it to us. Some people are happiest while serving others, some while being served, and others are content just being alone. Regardless of how we obtain happiness, we all deserve happiness.

Naturalism The Open Boat To Build A Fire English Literature Essay

Naturalism The Open Boat To Build A Fire English Literature Essay Naturalism is a form of literature that strives to achieve the reproduction of the human characters with the involvements of environment, heredity, instinct, chance, and also the present social conditions of the particular time in which the work was written. American literary naturalism is closely associated with literary realism, and is heavily influenced by determinism: which states that a persons behaviors are swayed by heredity and environment. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalism) In these short stories authors Stephen Crane and Jack London try to portray their characters accurately through their characters internal thoughts and actions influenced by the indifferent forces of nature. Instead of the characters having free reign in the short stories, the naturalist authors portray the characters action and thoughts being heavily influenced by uncontrollable environmental forces. The characters in the authors short stories struggle to survive against an inhuman and an insensitive universe. The authors strive to gain meanings within their own writings of the experience, which in return establishes authenticity of the characters human endeavor. In Stephen Cranes short story, The Open Boat, Crane writes of four mens thoughts and actions while fighting to survive against the brutal forces of the open sea. Crane reveals mans conflicts with an indifferent nature; that isnt necessarily concerned with human actions and humanity desire to live. As the moon falls, and the sun begins to beam the light of day the men began to grasp the full aspects of their situation. As the men look ashore for safety, the four crew members are prone to mistakes and confusion on thoughts of safely making it ashore. The correspondent is presented to readers as inquisitive, curious to know the reason for the situation he seems to be trapped in. The cook is seems to be almost light-hearted and sure of life. The captain is constantly struggling to find a successful plan for bringing his crew successfully ashore. The oiler is presented as the most composed, and also most skeptical of there success of reaching the safety of land. Crane develops the brotherhood of the four men crew as an opposing force against the destructive and indifferent forces of the ea surrounding them. The world around the four men battling against the seas harsh nature is dramatically and constantly referred as indifferent to their attempts at humane survival. The cook states he believes that they will be saved by people ashore, who will recognize the danger theyre in, and send a rescue party to save them. Cook, remarked the captain, there dont seem to be any signs of life about your house of refugee. No, replied the cook. Funny the dont see us!(pg.191.ln.59-60) Crane seems to be suggesting the uncertainties of life that we believe in things not realistically possible and hope for things not there. True to the naturalistic style of literature, the men almost never seem to be free of the grasp of the menacing sea around them. Recognizing that they are unlikely to be rescued the captain plans bring the boat into the shore themselves. As they come near to shore, fierce waves force all four men out of the boat.Only the oiler does not survive. Crane suggests that this life and death struggle with the ocean must demand some price. In this tale, the price to be paid for battling against nature and emerging victorious is that one man must die. Crane seems to choose the oiler as the sacrificial lamb since he is the least friendly of the crew and the closest to living as if dead when he was alive. To battle the sea a man must be willing to give his all and choose life.  Crane ends his extraordinary tale with the same compressed elegance with which it began. None of the men may have known the color of the sky as they sat in the dinghy for hours tossed on the sea, but they intimately learned the colors of the sea. the captain, the cook and the correspondent know that they have acquired new knowledge. They have survived to become interpreters of the sea, its sounds, rhythms and cruelties. The oiler has vanished but the cheerful cook was able to float ashore with a lazy grace desiring to eat another slice of the pie of life. Nature is always pushing man to his limits. When man heeds the warning signs that nature has to offer and those warnings of other men, he is most likely to conquer nature. When he ignores these warnings, nature is sure to defeat man. To build a fire is a prime example of this scenario. In the short story, To Build a Fire by Jack London, an inexperienced traveler in the Yukon travels alone with his dog, even though it is ill advised to do so. The man is strong and smart but nature humbled him during his quest to reach his friends. The mans inexperience with traveling in the cold subzero temperatures doomed him from the beginning, but his strong focus under extreme pressure and his keen sense of observation are what allows him t o survive as long as he did. The ignorance of the old-timers words of wisdom slowly haunts him and catches up with him in the end. The mans disregard for natures power is his demise during his journey.  Although the mans inexperience is his demise, he has very keen observing skills and strong focusing abilities. London writes, he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet.(Pg.117.  ¶.2,ln.1)   The dog, on the other hand, although guided by his learned behavior still has its instincts. The dog follows the man throughout the ill fated journey, but after the man dies he relies on his instincts to survive the brutal forces of nature on the journey through the Yukon. Then it turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp it knew, where there were other food providers and fire providers (129). London chose to use nature as the antagonist, a force working again st the main characters will to survive. Very similar to the use of the environment in Stephen Cranes The Open Boat. London accomplishes his personification in the story by giving the environment many humane characteristics. He had to accept the inevitable. Not only did he have to accept death, he had to acknowledge that the Old-Timer was right when warning him about traveling alone.   While the man was dying, he was angry at the dog because of its natural warmth, instincts that he had, and the survival skills that the dog used. Those were the elements that the man lacked. It was a shame that the protagonist had to suffer and die in order to find out that mans frail body cannot withstand natures harsh elements in spite of his over-confident, psychological strength.   Naturalistic writers Stephen Crane and Jack London focus on qualities of men usually associated with the heroic or adventurous, acts of violence, bodily strength, and desperate moments usually attached with acts of survival. The authors seek not only to reproduce stories of real life, but journey into the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in their stories. The stories deal with the raw and unpleasant experiences while struggling for survival; which helps with the understanding of the intermingling in life of the controlling forces of nature and individual worth, without dehumanizing their characters. Beaver, Harold. Realism and Naturalism in Nineteenth-Century American Literature.  Modern Language Review  83.2 (1988): 423-424.  Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

Complex Causality: Climate Change Essay -- multidisciplinary perspecti

Complex events are incidents that challenge pre-existing ideas through not meeting standard expectations or solutions. Equally, due to their ‘complex’ nature they should be able to be analysed from a multidisciplinary perspective. A multidisciplinary perspective is the drawing together of methodologies from different social science disciplines (such as economics, international relations, history and political science) to analyse an event and consequently reach a single conclusion. Overall, the use of a multidisciplinary perspective (in comparison to a singular disciplinary perspective) will provide the fullest and most accurate analysis of complex events, however this can create a trade off with the complexity and time taken to reach a conclusion. Firstly, this advantage will be argued through implying complex events have complex causality that can only truly be seen through a multidisciplinary perspective. Secondly, it can be seen that all social sciences lie on a spec trum with lots of overlap and interdependence between disciplines, and therefore it is an intrinsic feature of the social sciences to view complex events through a multidisciplinary perspective. Finally, it can also be seen that each discipline has respective areas of strength as well as areas of weakness and consequently a multidisciplinary approach allows for the most accurate and broadest analysis of a respective event. This can be shown through examples of complex events such as the current problem posed by Climate Change and the unforeseen end to the Cold War in 1991. However, it is important to keep in mind that while there may be many advantages of using a multidisciplinary perspective to analysis, the ultimate purpose of this analysis is to lead to a fina... ...AEBB275/1989%20for%20posting.pdf] Gaskel, G. (2014) Thinking like a social scientist: Why methodology matters LSE100 Lecture Capture retrieved 26th March 2014 [http://moodle.lse.ac.uk] Harrison, M. (1993) â€Å"Soviet Economic Growth Since 1928: The Alternative Statistics of G. T. Khanin† from Europe-Asia Studies Retrieved 26th March 2014 [http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/academic/Harrison/public/eas93.pdf] Hoffman, M. (2013) â€Å"Global Climate Change† in The Handbook of Global Climate and Environmental Policy Memorandum of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1989) Excerpt from ‘The Political Processes in the European Socialist Countries and the Proposals for Our Practical Steps Considering the Situation Which Has Arisin in Them’. (Cold War International Project) Sandler, T. (2004) Global Collective Action. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

Enhance Jobseekers Level Of Employability Education Essay

The intent of this survey is to find the extent to which the Employment and Training Corporations preparation programmes enhance jobseekers degree of employability. The thesis is divided into chapters to supply: a reappraisal of related academic literature, an overview of the methodological analysis, a presentation of the findings, and a decision drawn from the survey. The appendices contains paperss used during the research procedure such as the inquiries used for treatment, the questionnaire, the superior lists and rating sheet, the moralss blessing signifier, the engagement letters and consent signifiers and a list of ETC preparation programmes for mention. In this thesis, there were two cardinal countries which needed to be tackled ; the acquisition procedure and employability. Therefore each nucleus subdivision is structured to give consideration to these issues. The first chapter provides an overview of the Maltese labor market and of the services offered by Malta ‘s public employment and preparation corporation, the ETC. The purpose and intent for this survey will besides have in this chapter.1.1 The Maltese Labour ForceMalta is a little island with a little population. Though â€Å" aˆÂ ¦ the population of Malta has about doubled, from 211,564 in 1911 to 416,055 in 2011aˆÂ ¦ † ( NSO,2012a ) . Harmonizing to the ETC ( 2011: 12 ) , at the terminal of August 2011 there were 149,751 gainfully employed persons on full-time footing with an addition of 2,551 when compared to August 2010. Therefore despite the unfavorable economic alterations, Malta registered an addition in the figure of individuals in employment ( ETC, 2011:12 ) . Last July, the Times of Malta ( 2012 ) announced an addition of 180 in the figure of registered unemployed in Malta and a lessening by 26 in Gozo. Besides it is interesting to observe that every bit presented by the NSO ( 2012b ) , this twelvemonth in Malta the rate of employment among females increased by 3 per centum points whilst there was a little lessening of 1 per centum point among males. This activity rate indicates that there was a strong betterment in the labour market public presentation amongst females. Whereas the chief part of males was in the 55 and older age brackets bespeaking an ageing labour force and the consequence of the addition in the retirement the ETC ( 2011: 7 ) . In add-on there was a lessening in the employment rate for young persons ( ETC, 2011: 7 ) . The ETC claims that this may be attributed to occupation hunt and economic alterations which may be making some troubles for immature jobseekers ( 2011: 7 ) . Furthermore the ETC besides keeps records of the little and average sized endeavors that make up the Maltese industry. The private sector is the major sector in fact â€Å" The private sector represented 72.6 % of entire full-time employment, which increased by 1.8 % between August 2010 and August 2011 † ( ETC, 2011: 12 ) . Tourism and related services are considered as cardinal employers in Malta. Harmonizing to the Institute of Tourism Studies ( 2012: 7 ) ; â€Å" Tourism is inseparable from the Maltese economic model † and it is portion of the Maltese civilization.1.1.1 European TargetsThe undermentioned two sub-sections will exemplify the European and National marks with respects to instruction and employment. As stated by the European Commission ( EC ) ( 2012 ) , a figure of employment schemes were implemented by the EU such as the ‘Europe 2020 ‘ for economic growing and increasing employment across the Union. Harmonizing to the EC ( 2012 ) , by 2020 th e EU must make the undermentioned marks with respects to instruction and employment ; 75 % of the population between the ages 20 and 64 must be employed ; early school departers must be reduced to be under 10 % and ; at least 40 % of those between ages 30 and 34 must hold pursued higher instruction.1.1.2 National TargetsThe local authorities enterprises can be found in Malta ‘s first National Reform Programme which contains 27 different steps aimed at guaranting that Malta reaches the Europe 2020 marks ( MFIN, 2012 ) . The marks were developed on Malta ‘s demands to advance growing and occupations and as: â€Å" Government believes that a timely and effectual bringing of the proclaimed policy steps in the first NRP under the Europe 2020 Strategy is a requirement for driving frontward economic reclamation every bit good as beef uping Malta ‘s fight † ( MFIN, 2012: 19 ) . Furthermore the marks set for the European Union ( EU ) , related to employment and preparation in Malta are outlined below: Puting the employment mark rate at 62.9 % by 2020. Reducing the rate of early school departers to 29 % by 2020 and ; Escalating the figure of those that completed third instruction from 30 boulder clay 34 old ages old to 33 % by 2020 ( MFIN, 2012: 75 ) . Despite the addition in the rate of employment in Malta from 58.2 per cent in 2000 to 62.0 per cent, it is still below the EU-27 norm, 71.4 per cent ( MFIN, 2012: 4 ) .1.2 The Employment and Training CorporationIn Malta, the employment information is gathered by the ETC which maintains a national computerised database of employees and jobseekers to place and react to labor and skill deficits ( ETC, 2011 ) . In add-on the ETC ( 2010e ) offers general and specific preparation to registered unemployed jobseekers and to individuals in employment who wish to heighten their cognition, competences and accomplishments. More specifically, ETC aspires in: â€Å" Enhancing employability by urging policies and implementing enterprises aimed at authorising, helping and developing jobseekers to ease their entry or re-entry into the active employment market, advancing work force development through accomplishments and competence development, and by helping employers in their enlisting and preparation demands † ( ETC, 2010a ) .1.2.1 ETC Employability ProgrammesThe corporation is besides actively involved in the development of a figure of employment steps such as: The ‘Occupational Guidance ‘ where occupation searchers are assisted by ETC employment advisers to place their occupational penchants and are referred to allow preparation programmes organised by ETC or by other administrations ( ETC, 2010b: 6 ) . The ‘Personal Action Plan ‘ which takes topographic point when a individual goes to the ETC to register on portion 1[ 1 ]of the unemployment registry for the first clip and is allocated an employment adviser ( ETC, 2010b: 6 ) . The ‘Supported Service for Persons with Disability ‘ and ‘Bridging the Gap ‘ which mark registered handicapped individuals and individuals in deprived state of affairss by offering them all the support needed for them to happen employment ( ETC, 2010c ) . The ‘Community Work Scheme ‘ which aids the long-run unemployed[ 2 ]addition work experience and to heighten their accomplishments ( ETC, 2011: 17 ) . The ‘Work Trial Scheme ‘ ( WTS ) which was launched in 2009 and is good as it provides a 13 hebdomad on-the-job preparation for the disadva ntaged groups ( ETC, 2010b: 19 ) . The ‘Employment Aid Programme ‘ ( EAP ) which besides helps disadvantaged groups by aiming those with no work experience, or who have been unemployed for a long period ( ETC, 2011: 21 )[ 3 ]. The ‘Employment in the Social Economy ‘ which AIDSs disadvantaged and handicapped individuals in happening employment with non-commercial administrations ( ETC, 2010d ) .1.2.2 ETC Training ProgrammesIn add-on to its services, the Corporation operates a figure of developing programmes and strategies to ease the integrating of jobseekers in the labour market: The ‘Training Aid Framework ‘ ( TAF ) which offers direct subsidies of the cost of developing to heighten cognition and accomplishments of the employees in the private sector ( ETC, 2010b: 22 ) . The ‘Apprenticeship schemes ‘ to develop childs to get the accomplishments needed in the labor market and to fix them for employment ( ETC, 2010b: 19 ) . The ETC ( 2010 ) besides offers preparation classs which range from direction and development classs to basic accomplishments and trade classs ( Appendix I ) .1.2.3 Political and Legislative AspectsFurthermore the ETC is affected by a figure of political and legislative issues modulating employment in Malta and its authorization derives from the Employment and Training Services Act ( 1990 ) ( PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010: 1 ) . The Social Security Act besides affects ETC ‘s enrollment services, because a jobseeker must be seeking work to be entitled to societal benefits ( PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010: 20 ) . Whereas the ETC ‘s employment licenses subdivision is governed in portion by the Immigration Act ( PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010: 2 ) . The ETC is besides indirectly affected by the Employment and Industrial Relations Act and the Conditions of Employment ( Regulation Act ) which regulate employment ( PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010: 1 ) .1.3 Research PurposeAdditionally t his survey will concentrate on Malta ‘s public employment bureau, the ETC in order to pull up a series of recommendations towards its preparation methods. This job was chosen as a scheme towards the type of acquisition and preparation needed to turn to the development of jobseekers that are willing to get new accomplishments. Therefore this survey seeks to lend to academic thought by foregrounding the importance of larning and development and by advancing employability. The extent to which the ETC preparation programmes enhance employability will be examined through a post-positivist attack and a mixed-methodology. In fact through the usage of focal point groups and semi-structured interviews, the research worker will derive the positions of both jobseekers and employers towards the ETC preparation programmes. The supply side will besides be taken into consideration through a concluding semi-structured interview with the Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of ETC. Furthermore the research worker chose to research this cardinal research job after detecting jobseekers ‘ behavior during assorted developing programmes at ETC, which is the research worker ‘s workplace. Besides the ETC has presently conducted a telephone study among persons ( registrants and non-registrants ) to happen out the ground why many of the appliers did non turn up for the preparation programmes recommended to them in the last twelvemonth therefore the survey is seasonably with the current events. Subsequently the thesis will seek to reply the research job by trying three research inquiries: What are the features of jobseekers seeking clerical businesss? What are the employers ‘ outlooks when seeking prospective recruits for vacant clerical stations? What are perceptual experiences of registering jobseekers and employers towards ETC developing programmes? These research inquiries will help the research worker in placing the employability degree of jobseekers and if there is a spread between jobseekers ‘ accomplishments and capablenesss and employers ‘ demands and outlooks. Furthermore the survey ‘s purpose and aims will help the ETC better its preparation programmes. Chapter 22.0 Literature ReviewWhile carry oning the reappraisal, there was a important sum of literature which was relevant to the cardinal countries explored in this survey. The challenge was to place the writers that contributed in the most important manner to the survey. The organic structure of the literature is classified into two countries: acquisition and employability.2.1 Learning, Education, Training and DevelopmentHodkinson ( 2005: 110 ) argues that larning can be understood from different theoretical places such as acquisition by take parting in activities and acquisition by building one ‘s ain apprehension. Hodkinson ( 2005: 116 ) portrays larning as being loosely similar in different contexts and it can be general or specific. While Jarvis ( 2010: 17 ) explicates that as society is altering so is the context in which we learn. Fragroso et Al. ( 2011 ) contribute to this argument by exemplifying development and grownup acquisition in Europe. The writers claim that t he current economic alterations should be considered as an chance to larn at a local and planetary degree ( Fragroso et al. , 2011: 42 ) . While transporting out the literature reappraisal, the research worker noticed that many writers differentiate formal acquisition from informal larning. Indeed Van Dam ( 2012: 49 ) provinces that formal acquisition is curriculum based and can develop an person ‘s competencies. Whereas Engestrom ( 2004 ) considers informal direction ideal in a workplace to guarantee that ends and marks are met. The work of Engestrom is supported by Boud and Middleton as it describes informal acquisition as another acquisition option. Boud and Middleton ( 2003: 195 ) portray informal acquisition as â€Å" portion of the occupation † or a mechanism for â€Å" making the occupation decently † . â€Å" Although acquisition is by and large perceived as a manner to better employees ‘ current occupation public presentation, so far no research has been conducted to research the possible relationships between formal and informal acquisition, on the one manus, and employability, on the other † ( Van der Heijden et al. , 2009: 19 ) . Van der Heijden et Al. ( 2009: 19 ) chose to research the consequence of larning on employability by administering an e-questionnaire amongst 215 Dutch non-academic university pupils. The work of Van der Heijden et Al. ( 2009 ) , demonstrates the demand of supplying more formal preparation chances to employees as practical acquisition is non plenty to heighten their degree of employability. Additionally the relevancy of Van der Heijden ‘s work will be discussed in the findings of the survey. Education and preparation are besides important in the acquisition and development procedure. In fact â€Å" Education is the longer-term procedure that is to make with the rounded formation of the whole person † ( Harrison, 2002: 4 ) . Durkehim ( 2004 ) defines instruction as the cognition gained officially from experiences. While preparation has been defined by Armstrong ( 2006: 535 ) as â€Å" The systematic development of the cognition, accomplishments and attitudes required by an single to execute adequately a given undertaking or occupation † . Additionally a societal experiment was conducted by Rosholm and Skipper ( 2009 ) , to find whether schoolroom preparation is good to the unemployed. In this experiment, the findings indicate that preparation may increase the clip spent in unemployment for an person who has merely completed the preparation programme ( Rosholm and Skipper, 2009: 361 ) . However this hazard is for a short term as in the long tally, preparation does heighten an person ‘s employability ( Rosholm and Skipper 2009 ) . Rosholm and Skipper ( 2009 ) insist that farther research should be done to verify if higher rewards are so offered to the trained individual. Apart from analyzing developing demands, this survey will besides mensurate the effectivity of the ETC preparation programmes in developing jobseekers ‘ potencies. Harmonizing to Baum ( 1995 ) ‘development ‘ can take topographic point at any clip and there is non a definite manner of how it occurs. Additionally Garavan ( 2007: 27 ) argues that larning and development are cardinal to ease the development of a learning civilization. The work of Garavan ( 2007 ) is of import for this survey as it demonstrates that development focuses less on larning outcome as possibly preparation does and is more on heightening employability. Antonacopoulou ( 2000: 260 ) argue that in order to understand the relationships between acquisition, instruction, preparation and development there is a demand to understand these procedures at different degrees of the hierarchy ; at an person and organizational degree. Antonacopoulou ( 2000: 260 ) claim that the holographic position can assist heighten the apprehension of the nature of acquisition, instruction, preparation and development in society ( Illustration 2-1 ) . Illustration 2-1: The relationships between acquisition, instruction, preparation and development Beginning: Antonacopoulou ( 2000: 260 )2.1.1 The Learning ProcessIn this thesis, the acquisition procedure is considered cardinal for heightening persons ‘ potencies. The acquisition procedure and the different acquisition manners adopted by jobseekers will be observed through the research methods adopted. David Kolb claims that â€Å" acquisition is the procedure whereby cognition is created through the transmutation of experience † ( Kolb, 1984: 38 ) . Harmonizing to Kolb ( 1984 ) the learning rhythm starts from experience, the development phase and so the decision-making portion ( Illustration 2-2 ) . Illustration 2- 2: The Experiential Cycle of Learning ( based on Kolb, Rubin and McIntyre, 1974 )Concrete experience( Planned or accidental )Brooding observation( Actively believing about the experience, its basic issues, and their significance )Active experimentation( Trying out the acquisition in other similar state of affairss: creativeness, decision-making )Abstract Conceptualisation( Generalizing from contemplations, analyzing, in order to develop a organic structure of thoughts, a theory or principlesaˆÂ ¦ ) Beginning: Harrison, R. ( 2002: 8 ) In add-on Chan ( 2012: 406 ) tested Kolb ‘s theory by carry oning an experiential undertaking to detect pupils ‘ larning procedure. Through the findings, Chan ( 2012: 405 ) affirms that Kolb ‘s larning procedure produces a assortment of larning results. Chan ( 2012 ) supports Kolb ‘s theory as it allows the scholar to reflect, pattern and act in a cyclic procedure. â€Å" Experiential acquisition can be defined as the development of personal apprehension and accomplishments through the analysis of, and contemplation on, activity † ( Moody, 2012: 16 ) . In a survey conducted by Moody ( 2012 ) , even employers are confident that experiential larning delivers consequences. Furthermore Kolb ( 1976 ) identifies four acquisition manners which can be adopted by different sorts of scholars: The Activists- Learning through practise The Reflectors- Learning through observation and judgment The Theorists- Learning through enterprises affecting new thoughts, constructs and constructions Experimenters- Learning by proving theories. A learning manner is the ability of an single to obtain information in a peculiar manner or combination of ways ( Zapalska and Brozik, 2006 ) . Research on larning manner started in the late 19th century and it was documented that there were different manners adopted amongst scholars ( Zapalska and Brozik, 2006: 326 ) . Harmonizing to Rogers ( 2002: 111 ) we tend to utilize all acquisition manners but we prefer to utilize one or two more than the others. Illustration 2- 3: Learning manners based on larning rhythm Militants Reflectors Experimenters Theorists Beginning: ( Rogers, 2002:110 )2.1.2 Diversity of Ways of LearningFurthermore Rogers ( 2002: 88 ) explores four types of larning theories: those that focus on the scholar, on the context, on the undertaking undertaken and on the procedure involved. Learner-based theories include the behavioristic theories and the cognitive theories ( Rogers, 2002 ) . Harman and Brelade ( 2000: 14 ) , posit that the behaviorist theories enhance an person ‘s motive to larn by acknowledgment or honoring the person when marks and ends are met, by making activities to look frontward to and by offering all the support needed. Additionally Burns ( 2002: 114 ) describes behaviorism as the â€Å" comparatively lasting alteration in behavior † . Skinner ‘s work is besides of import within the context of this survey as it contributes to the apprehension of the acquisition procedure by external influences. Indeed Skinner illustrates the importance of positive and negative supports during acquisition ( 1978 ) . Skinner ( 1978 ) encourages uninterrupted support on behalf of the trainer as it increases the rate of larning whilst intermittent support retains what is being learned in an appropriate context. Furthermore in a survey conducted by Fuller and Unwin ( 2005 ) , the workers are seen keener to larn if the preparation concerned is relevant to their day-to-day undertakings and if it helps them better and work more efficaciously. Harmonizing to Fuller and Unwin ( 2005: 22 ) , there are two types of larning that new entrants experience when in a work environment ‘learning as attainment ‘ and ‘learning as engagement ‘ . ‘Learning as attainment ‘ involves all the preparation chances offered by the administration to heighten the new recruits ‘ accomplishments and cognition whereas ‘learning as engagement ‘ is the apprehension of larning to work in a societal environment ( Fuller and Unwin, 2005 ) . Harmonizing to Rogers ( 2002 ) other larning theories are built on the analysis of one ‘s personality and on the scholar ‘s actions. Besides Rogers ( 2002 ) argues that there is diverseness of ways of acquisition and there is no consensus about larning. In this thesis, acquisition is considered cardinal in heightening jobseekers ‘ potencies and employability.2.1.3 Analyzing preparation demandsIn add-on acquisition and public presentation happen during the transportation of preparation ( Vermeulen and Admiraal, 2009: 65 ) . Harmonizing to Vermeulen and Admiraal ( 2009: 52 ) , developing refers to the planned and organised learning while transportation is the application of what is learnt in different contexts. The analysis of developing transportation will assist place jobseekers ‘ specific larning manner. Zapalska and Brozik ( 2006: 237 ) argue that there are many techniques the trainer can utilize to place a learning manner and the first measure is to execute a preparation demand analysis. A preparation demand analysis provides a benchmark of the accomplishments trainees possess prior being submitted to a preparation programme and will increase the effectivity of preparation ( Blanchard and Thacker, 2003: 116 ) . Blanchard and Thacker ( 2003:116 ) imply that â€Å" A preparation demand analysis is of import because it helps to find whether a lack can be corrected through preparation † .2.1.4 Design, Development and Delivery of Training ProgrammesSubsequently in order to implement an effectual preparation programme, Vincent and Ross ( 2001: 37 ) suggest the undermentioned stairss: Planing including choice of trainers ; Planing and developing the preparation programme ; Implementing with the usage of presentations and interactions and ; Measuring and following-up productiveness and betterments. Similarly Ghosh et Al. ( 2012 ) imply that the choice of the trainer is the first and first of import component when be aftering a preparation programme. The trainer must possess cognition on the topic of the programme: â€Å" However, mere ownership of cognition is non sufficient ; the trainer must be articulate plenty to make out to the participants with the constructs being covered in a programme † ( Ghosh et al. , 2012: 198 ) . In order to implement an effectual preparation programme, the trainer should see the acquisition theories prior the design of the preparation programme ( Vincent and Ross, 2001: 37 ) . Additionally Werquin ( 2012 ) argues that cognition of larning results is cardinal during the class ‘s design and it is indispensable for the labor market and for employers. â€Å" The construct of larning results is at the bosom of many research programmes and policy responses † ( Werquin, 2012: 159 ) . Learning results focus non merely on the content of the preparation programme but besides on the aims and what the scholar is expected to accomplish at the terminal of the class ( Werquin, 2012: 159 ) . â€Å" Training research has typically found inconsistent relationships between trainees reactions to the existent preparation event ( besides normally referred to as developing satisfaction ) and larning results † ( Orvis et al. , 2009: 960 ) . A related issue is present in the findings of an experimental survey conducted by Orvis et Al. ( 2009 ) which investigates the acquisition procedure in an e-learning environment. The consequences suggest that farther research is needed on how to prosecute scholars for case by including learner control tools in the preparation programmes ( Orvis et al. , 2009: 969 ) . In fact Long et al. ( 2011 ) claim that games are an extra effectual method which trainers can utilize to excite acquisition and buttocks. Besides Dwyer ( 2004: 82 ) suggests that the ambiance and environment in which larning takes topographic point affects the sum of acquisition and the perceptual experience of scholar. This can be illustrated in a instance survey conducted by Hodkinson and Hodkinson ( 2004 ) , where the trainers ‘ temperaments and relationships with workers are seen holding an of import consequence on the acquisition procedure. Besides harmonizing to Arends ( 2009 ) trainers can change their lessons through formal or informal activities. It is interesting to observe that the development phase is the most clip consuming as â€Å" All elements of a peculiar preparation programme are determined during the development stage † ( Blanchard and Thacker, 2003: 23 ) . Harmonizing to Blanchard and Thacker ( 2003 ) once the preparation stuff is ready, pilot-testing can be performed during the execution stage and some minor alterations can be made in the developed content.2.1.5 Evaluation of Training ProgrammesFollowing execution there is the rating stage which involves informal and formal observation, and the usage of treatments or questionnaires to roll up feedback from the scholar ( Dwyer, 2004 ) . Likewise Scruggs and Mastropieri ( 2010: 222 ) argue that rating can take topographic point in a assortment of signifiers such as on a one-to-one footing, whole-class activity or written. The rating stage is critical to the success of a preparation programme ( Wang and Wilcox, 2006: 532 ) . In an article by Wang and Wilcox ( 2006: 529 ) , the rating procedure is classified into two classs: formative rating which provides information for the design of the preparation programme and ; summational rating which is more focussed on larning results and benefits. Tennant et Al. ( 2002: 234 ) claim that there are a figure of theoretical accounts for mensurating the effectivity of a preparation programme such as the Kirkpatrick theoretical account which measures the alteration in accomplishments as a consequence of preparation and the CIRO theoretical account which measures the alteration in accomplishments prior and after preparation. Furthermore when developing an evaluating methodological analysis, one must take into consideration the group concerned and in obtaining consensus from participants prior the rating procedure ( Dwyer, 2004 ) . Lee and Pershing ( 2002: 176 ) besides emphasise on the demand of analyzing the participants ‘ reactions to the preparation programme. In a survey conducted by Lee and Pershing ( 2002 ) , it was concluded that a well-designed preparation programmes occurs when there is a proper design standards.2.1.6 The ETC Training ProgrammesThe primary aim of this survey is to mensurate the effectivity of the ETC preparation programmes. Article 16 of the Employment and Training Services Act ( 1990 ) , states that the Corporation shall supply developing programmes to help persons in happening employment or to better or update their cognition and accomplishments to increase occupation chances and calling aspirations. Furthermore the ETC ( 2010b ) purposes to expect future labour market n eeds to prolong or construct persons ‘ employability. The ETC ( 2011: 14 ) declares that the current preparation programmes are funded by the Employability Programme which is a constituent of the European Social Fund 2.4 and are unfastened to both unemployed registrants and to use or inactive individuals ( Appendix I ) . Besides the ETC ( 2010g ) procures and provides the preparation equipment, the installations, and the clerical and administrative support to trainers. An of import constituent which was losing by the ETC is the Training Programmes Design and Quality Assurance Unit. This unit has been set to re-design and develop new ETC preparation programmes and is working for the acknowledgment of the preparation programmes sought from the Malta Qualification Council ( ETC, 2010f ) . It is interesting to observe that in 2011, â€Å" The entire figure of participants in ETC preparation classs was of 15,072 hence there was a 10 % addition on the old twelvemonth † ( ETC, 2011: 9 ) . In 2011 there was besides an addition of 27 % in female engagement in ETC preparation classs ( ETC, 2011:9 ) . However this twelvemonth a telephone study was conducted by the Research and Development Unit at the ETC, to analyze why about two tierces of persons using for Office Skills, IT, Trade, Technical and Care Worker developing programmes did non turn up on the day of the month scheduled ( R & A ; D, 2012: 2 ) . Consequently one inquires â€Å" Why do so many preparation Sessionss seem to blow everyone ‘s clip? † ( Dwyer, 2004: 79 ) . Harmonizing to the findings, the grounds why many of the respondents did non take part in the ETC class were the long waiting lists and others claimed that they were ne'er contacted to get down the class ( R & A ; D, 2012: 11 ) . A smaller per centum did non go to due to occupation committednesss whilst for the remaining, the clip indicated for the class was non suited ( R & A ; D, 2012: 11 ) . This survey will detect in more depth the jobseekers ‘ positive and negative positions towards the ETC preparation programmes.2.1.7 Developing a jobseeker ‘s possibleA similar research was carried out by Larson and Milana ( 2006 ) which establishes that the deficiency of engagement in grownup instruction and preparation is due to: deficiency of clip and/or energy deficiency of motive in re-entering instruction deficiency of courses/equipment deficiency of support and ; deficiency of assurance in ain competences. Harmonizing to Larson and Milana ( 2006 ) , deficiency of clip and/or energy is more likely to be a barrier to adult females than work forces, whereas deficiency of assurance can be more of a barrier to young person and seniors. Similarly when grownup instruction and developing engagement surveies were analysed in Canada, it was observed that the chief grounds for many non go toing classs were fiscal issues, developing conflicted with work agenda, deficiency of family-friendly steps and preparation offered at an inconvenient clip ( Peters, 2004 ) . This is farther supported by Cullen ( 2011 ) whose findings indicate that jobseekers express a negative attitude towards preparation and employment due to several societal barriers. Furthermore Martin and Grubb ( 2001: 32 ) argue that when labour market programmes are mandatory to jobseekers they are less effectual. Blanchard and Thacker ( 2003 ) widen this farther when saying that a individual ‘s public presentation depends on a figure of factors such as motive, cognition accomplishments and attitudes and the environment ( Illustration 2-4 ) . In this survey, the research worker will analyze the jobseekers ‘ motive to larn, their features and the environment in which larning takes topographic point. Illustration 2- 4 Factors Determining Human PerformancePerformanceMotivation ( M ) Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude ( KSA ) EnvironmentP= M x KSA x EBeginning: Blanchard and Thacker ( 2003: 75 ) Carr et Al. ( 2009: 16 ) imply that people must foremost recognize the ground they should use their accomplishments. Therefore in order to heighten 1s ‘ potencies, it is necessary that an person is made cognizant of possessing the cognition, accomplishments and competences needed for a peculiar occupation ( Carr, 2009 ) . â€Å" Most job-seekers wish they could unlock the secret expression to winning the Black Marias and heads of employers. What they wonder, is that alone combination of accomplishments and values that make employers salivate with exhilaration? † ( Hansen and Hansen, 2009 ) .2.2 Employability-Towards a DefinitionEmployability is another cardinal subject of the thesis. While transporting out the literature reappraisal, the research worker found many societal factors that can be of an employment barrier to jobseekers. In this thesis there will be a brief overview of these societal factors and an analysis of the employers ‘ demands and outlooks when enrolling. Furthermore the extent to which the ETC preparation programmes run into current labor market demands will besides be examined in this subdivision. The International Labour Organisation ( 2004: 9 ) provinces that ; â€Å" aˆÂ ¦the term employability relates to portable competences and makings that enhance an person ‘s capacity to do usage of instruction and preparation chances available in order to procure and retain nice work, advancement within the endeavor and between occupations and header with alterations in engineering and labour market conditions † . Brown et Al. ( 2002: 10 ) extend the definition of the term employability by imputing it on the supply and demand within the labour market, viz. on the employability degree of others. Furthermore Glastra et Al. ( 2004: 291 ) argue that in order to last in this competitory universe it is necessary for the work force to prosecute in womb-to-tomb acquisition. The current economic alterations altered the working life hence the demand of womb-to-tomb larning to heighten employability ( Glastra et al. , 2004: 305 ) .2.2.1 The Jobseeker ‘s PositionsThe jobseekers ‘ degree of employability is a affair of concern in this thesis. The chief factors which contribute to the passage from instruction to employment will be taken into consideration. These factors vary from unstable occupations, labour market conditions, population ‘s employability degrees and the instruction system ( CEDEFOP, 2010:30 ) . Indeed Mifsud et Al. ( 2006: 16 ) finds the passage from school to work, peculiarly disputing as without farther instruction and developing the jobseekers will miss the accomplishments and competencies needed in the labor market. Harmonizing to Muller and Gangl ( 2003 ) , the passage procedure is the period between the terminal of the primary instruction and the subsiding into the work environment. Likewise Braun et Al. ( 2001 ) distinguish between two phases in the passage period: the initial occupation hunt after go forthing instruction and ; the beginning of the employment experience. During this passage there are two types of hazards for new entrants, these being the inability to happen employment and instability of the first employment ( Braun et al. , 2001 ) . Besides harmonizing to ILO, due to this passage from instruction to working life, young persons need more encouragement towards happening a suited employment ( ILO, 2006: 20 ) . Additionally Yorke ( 2006: 2 ) provinces that many times â€Å" The transferability of accomplishments is frequently excessively easy assumed † . When look intoing the employability spread between the long-run and short-run unemployed, Thomsen ( 2009: 451 ) finds that there exist major differences for case in accomplishments and wellness position. These employment barriers make it harder for the long-run unemployed to happen work ( Thomsen, 2009: 451 ) . The deprived groups are besides happening it hard to acquire employed ; these groups include the aged, people with particular demands and former substance maltreaters who need farther support during occupation seeking ( ILO, 2006: 21 ) . Another factor that affects employability is the altering life style with more adult females take parting in the labor market ( NSO, 2012b ) . Despite the addition in employment rate, it still remains hard for adult females to keep a full-time occupation without shared duties ( Zerafa, 2007: 39 ) . Thus the demand of more family-friendly steps ( Zerafa, 2007 ) . Furthermore Ostrouch and Ollagnier ( 2008 ) show how hard it is for adult females to progress in professions considered untypical for adult females. Womans may besides be discouraged to analyze in their country of penchant due to gender stereotyping ( Ostrouch and Ollagnier, 2008 ) . â€Å" Previous surveies indicated that racial and cultural favoritism at work bound occupation chances and contribute to cut down calling aspirations and outlooks † ( Forstenlechner and Al-Waqfi, 2010: 768 ) . Forstenlechner and Al-Waqfi ( 2010 ) make up one's mind to analyze workplace favoritism in the context of immigrants and jobseekers. The findings of the survey indicate that prejudiced actions can take topographic point during the pre-employment phase ; or after the enlisting procedure ( Forstenlechner and Al-Waqfi, 2010 ) . Ultimately these prejudiced state of affairss influence jobseekers in their pursuit of happening a occupation.2.2.2 The Employer ‘s PositionThis survey will besides look into the employers ‘ positions towards larning and employability. The employers ‘ point of position is needed in this survey to analyze the extent to which the ETC preparation programmes are run intoing their demands and outlooks. Furthermore this survey will besides travel through the features employers seek in prospective employees and the troubles encountered during enlisting. Vera and Crossan ( 2004 ) indicate that a acquisition clime that adapts rapidly to alter will finally prolong an administration. Besides the survey conducted by Carrim and Basson ( 2012 ) revealed that a learning clime can be used in different types of administrations and should be aligned with the administrations ‘ profiles. On the other manus Warhurst ( 2012 ) implies that employers are more concerned with the current economic alterations so staff development. â€Å" In an age of asceticism with many administrations confronting cuts and imposed alterations, it might be assumed that larning within administrations would fall victim to force per unit area for the competitively efficient bringing of merchandises or service † ( Warhurst, 2012: 1 ) A related hypothesis investigated by Joyce ( 2008: 376 ) is that â€Å" Today many companies are engaging less and/or return longer to happen merely the right individual with the right accomplishments for the right occupation † . Employers, apart from using the general face-to-face interviews are returning to situational behavioral interviews and the usage of other trials including psychometric trials, written tests and a 2nd interview ( Joyce, 2008: 379 ) . This happens as â€Å" In today ‘s competitory universe, one can non disregard the fact that employers look for people who are good trained in the country of their employment † ( ETC, 2010e ) . Indeed the informations given by the NSO shows that frequently employers seek to enroll skilled persons instead than partly or non-skilled appliers to avoid the clip taken to develop ( 2001 ) . Consequently these long enlisting procedures are taking to more costs and are going stressful for employers ( Joyce, 2008: 379 ) .2.2.3 Labour DeficitsThe long enlisting procedures may besides be attributed to labor deficits though Cohen and Mahmood ( 2002 ) argue that occupation vacancies can be even at low employment rates. If one takes a expression from a local point of view, one finds that in recent old ages, a figure of low-skill fabrication companies in Malta have closed down like Denim and VF, ensuing in redundancies every bit good as decreased soaking up of lower-skilled school depa rters ( The Malta Independent, 2007 ) . This happens as â€Å" aˆÂ ¦Malta has non managed to pull adequate activity in growing sectors to replace worsening activities † ( MFIN, 2012: 10 ) . In order to change by reversal this, the ETC is join forcesing with assorted employers to avoid labour deficits and to implement its preparation programmes consequently ( ETC, 2010b ) . Additionally a survey by Fsadni illustrates the local labor and accomplishments deficits which employers predict for the period of July to December 2012. It is interesting to observe that harmonizing to the survey conducted by Fsadni: â€Å" In all sectors, the bulk of the employers are confident they will happen the right people for the occupations † ( 2012: 6 ) . Therefore Fsadni suggests employers are confident that supply will be run intoing labour market demands. The findings by Fsadni will be compared and contrasted with the concluding consequences of this survey.2.2.4 Skill ShortagesIn this subdivision, importance is given to skill deficits as frequently a low unemployment rate suggests a skill deficit. Although Cohen and Mahmood ( 2002:12 ) intimation that a high degree of employment does non needfully connote that there are no skill deficits. When analyzing the accomplishment shortages, one must take into consideration the economic activity as â€Å" The pupils population is going more diverse and instruction and preparation systems are holding to set to the demand of globalization and internationalization, increased in-migration, and quickly altering occupational profiles ensuing from technological and economic developments † ( Cedefop, 2010: 12 ) The ESF 3.75 Unlocking the Female Potential, considers accomplishments deficits in Malta and the chief mark group are females ( NCPE, 2012 ) . The employers, who besides had their say in this research, mentioned some of the preparation needed for inactive females which included computing machine accomplishments, specific proficient accomplishments, societal accomplishments like teamwork, and client attention ( NCPE, 2012 ) . The NCPE ( 2012 ) besides recommends that the ETC should supply more on-the-job preparation to adult females returning to employment. There is besides the demand to better the place of counsel particularly when it comes to young persons to do a smooth passage into work ( CEDEFOP, 2010: 16 )DecisionWhile carry oning the literature reappraisal, it was felt that the cardinal subjects of the thesis contribute in more important ways to academic thought, through the development and apprehension of the acquisition procedure and the employability construct. As seen from the literature reappraisal, the three chief factors to take into history when sing a successful preparation programme are: the jobseekers ‘ positions, the employers ‘ positions and the local economic system. Furthermore the attack chosen will help the research worker in measuring three hypotheses: The first hypothesis is that jobseekers do non admit their accomplishments and abilities in forepart of employers. The 2nd hypothesis is that the higher the degree of mismatch between the standards listed for clerical businesss by employers and those features possessed by clerical jobseekers, the lower are the employability chances of such jobseekers. The 3rd hypothesis is that during the enlisting procedure, employers seek for already trained campaigners. Finally these hypotheses will besides lend to the aim of the chief research inquiry in that to what extent do the ETC preparation programmes enhance jobseekers ‘ employability in Malta.

Arthur Rackham Illustration Essay

Arthur Rackham (1867-1939), the most well known Illustrator of his time. His work brought life to many different stories such as the Grimm’s fairy tales, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and many of Shakespeare’s work. Rackham approach to these tales is full of ‘grace and grotesque’, it is often that in the same image, Rackham would have a beautiful young girl and an old wrinkled creature. The drawing also include so much raw emotion Rackham’s work possesses a style of line and colour use that were very prominent in the Art Nouveau movement (1890-1914), a style that has is starting become popular again a century later. Rackham became a full time artist at the young age of 25 as a reporter and illustrator for The Westminster Budget and also did some small book illustration jobs, but it wasn’t until he was 37 (1905) that his career took off with the publication of Rip Van Winkle. The years following his rise to fame were very productive. Making work for over 30 different tales, averaging 13 colour plates for each project. My favourite works Rackham did were his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Apart from loving the story Carroll wrote, I think Rackham’s illustrations are so beautiful and fit the story perfectly. My favourite from this series of drawings is Advice from a Caterpillar. Done in 1907, the 24. 5 x 16 cm drawing is only a few cm smaller than A4 but shows such intricate line work. Bibliography http://www. alephbet. com/arthur-rackham-101. php http://www. library. pitt. edu/libraries/is/enroom/illustrators/rackham. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Arthur_Rackham

Circular Motion Essays

Circular Motion Essays Circular Motion Paper Circular Motion Paper Circular motion is the motion that links velocity, mass, and radius of the string of an object. If any one of the factors is changed, the motion of the object gets affected or the velocity/acceleration gets affected. All objects going through circular motion experience a force called the centripetal force. Centripetal force is the force that acts from the center of the circular path and makes the object move in the curve instead of flying out. In other words, centripetal force is the force that originates from the center and is directed inwards. Also, one important factor in this lab is that the circular motion will be horizontal. In this experiment, the factor that will be changed is the radius of the string. This will bring in a direct change in the motion of the rubber stopper attached to the string. The string will pass through a plastic tube, which will be holding gear and the time for 10 rotations of the rubber stopper will be timed by a stop watch. The velocity will be calculated by using the universally known formula: v = (2r) / t , where v is the velocity, r is the radius of the string and t is the time for one rotation. The main purpose of this experiment is to find out one factor that affects the motion of a rubber stopper in circular motion. In this lab, this factor is the change in radius of the string that is attached to the rubber stopper. In this experiment, the factor that will be changed is the radius of the string. As the radius of the string decreases, the speed of the revolving rubber stopper increases. This would happen because as the radius decreases, the rubber stopper takes less time to circle around with the constant centripetal force on it. In other words as the radius decreases, the size of the circle decreases, hence it takes less time to cover a smaller circle, with the same force acting on the rubber stopper. In other words, the radius of the string is inversely proportional to the velocity of the stopper. Overall, the experiment was carried out with minimum errors and followed as the procedure. There were eight data points with three trials each. The experiment was related to one factor that affected the motion of the rubber stopper in circular motion. In this experiment, that factor was the length of the string (radius). As stated in the hypothesis, the radius was decreased which would increase the velocity of the stopper. But as it can be seen from the data table and graph that as the radius decreased the velocity also decreased. Hence, the radius of the string is directly proportional to the velocity of the stopper. This proves my hypothesis wrong which stated that as the radius decreases, the velocity increases. In my experiment, the radius was decreased which decreased the time elapsed but decreased the velocity as well. This would have happened because as the radius decreased, the stopper actually has to move faster in order to cover the larger circle in the same amount of time. The stopper actually covers much more area of the circle when the radius is larger without taking more time. This theory is exactly opposite as stated in my hypothesis. As it can be seen from my graph and the data table that there were some errors in my experiment. The percent error that was calculated to be 13. 5 % assures the fact that there were flaws in my experiment. One big error was that when the stopper was revolving, the hand often touched the string of the stopper. This often altered the centripetal force acting on the string, hence changing the values of my data. Another error was that not all the time the radius mark (the mark on the string with the marker) used to be exactly under the plastic pipe. Because of this, the values of the radius were altered hence changing the velocity factor in my experiment. The errors/flaws stated above can be prevented by a number of steps. Always during the experiment, the only part the hand should touch is the plastic tube only. Even if the hand touches any other part of the apparatus, the experiment should be stopped carefully and the trial should be re-done. Also, instead of using a marker on the string, he string should be tapped or tagged at the point needed. The tag should be greater than the radius of the hole of the plastic tube so that the tag does not pass through the hole, hence it will not alter the value of the desired radius.

Creating a Splash Screen in Delphi Applications

Creating a Splash Screen in Delphi Applications The most basic splash screen is just an image, or more precisely, a form with an image, that appears in the center of the screen when the application is loading. Splash screens are hidden when the application is ready to be used. Below is more information on the different types of splash screens you may see, and why theyre useful, as well as steps for creating your own Delphi splash screen for your application. What Are Splash Screens Used For? There are several types of splash screens. The most common are start-up splash screens - the ones you see when an application is loading. These usually display the applications name, author, version, copyright, ​an image, or some type of icon, that uniquely identifies it. If you are a shareware developer, you could use splash screens to remind users to register the program. These may pop up when the program first launches, to tell the user that they can register if they want special features or to get email updates for new releases. Some applications use splash screens to notify the user of the progress of a time-consuming process. If you look carefully, some really large programs use this type of splash screen when the program is loading background processes and dependencies.  The last thing you want is for your users  to think that your program is dead  if some database task is performing.   Creating a Splash Screen Lets see how to create a simple start-up splash screen in a few steps: Add a new form to your project.Select New Form from the File menu in the Delphi IDE.Change the Name Property of the Form to something like SplashScreen.Change these Properties: BorderStyle to bsNone, Position to poScreenCenter.Customize your splash screen by adding components like  labels, images, panels, etc.You could first add one TPanel component (Align: alClient)  and play around with BevelInner, BevelOuter, BevelWidth, BorderStyle, and BorderWidth properties to produce some eye-candy effects.Select Project from the Options menu and move the Form from the Auto-create listbox to Available Forms.Well create a form on the fly and then display it before the application is actually opened.Select Project Source from the View menu.You can also do this through  Project View Source.Add the following code after the begin statement of the Project Source code (the .DPR file): Application.Initialize; //this line exists! SplashScreen : TSplashScreen.Create(nil) ; SplashScreen.Show; SplashScreen.Update; After the final Application.Create() and before the  Application.Run statement, add: SplashScreen.Hide; SplashScreen.Free; Thats it!  Now you can run the application. In this example, depending on the speed of your computer, you will barely see your new splash screen, but if you have more than one form in your project, the splash screen will certainly show up.For more information on making the splash screen stay a bit longer, read through the code in this Stack Overflow thread. Tip:  You can also make custom shaped Delphi forms.

PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE - Essay Example However, the yearly interest expense should be included in the cash flow table since it contributes to the net expenses which reduce the net income amount. c) The depreciation allowance should be included in the cash flow table since depreciation occurs yearly or continuously. The only difference is the rate of depreciation per year which should be taken into consideration. The $18,000,000 new investment, is only included in the cash flow table if the investment took place within the years whose cash flows were being determined, however, it should only be included in the very year it occurred. I would therefore recommend the board of working computers, under payback period, to invest the $18,000,000 in Bernoulli since the initial investment will be paid back only during the second year of operation where the net cash flow will be $20,385,808. Following the NPV calculations above, the NPV is $30,794,219/ the general criterion for NPV is that, a project is accepted if it has a positive NPV. A higher NPV is even more preferred. In this case, if working computers invest $18,000,000 in Bernoulli, the NPV is positive hence I would advise them to invest in the project. The general criterion on IRR is that, the project is accepted if the IRR is greater than the cost of capital. The cost of capital here is 14.5% and IRR is 66.98%. Therefore, I can recommend that the working computers should invest on the Bernoulli since the IRR is greater than the cost of capital. Working computers would use the sensitivity index to make a proper decision on whether to contribute $18,000,000 to the Bernoulli division. A part from the sensitivity calculated above, the Company can also use NPV, IRR and the payback period methods to make an informed decision on whether to contribute to the Bernoulli Division, $18,000,000 for the project. To begin with, a negative sensitivity always means that, the output (Net present Value) decreases with an increase in the cost of

Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Anorexia Nervosa - Research Paper Example â€Å"The word ‘anorexia’ literally means ‘loss of appetite’† (Watson, 2007, p. 9). With Anorexia Nervosa, the individual usually suffers an extreme amount of distress about becoming overweight, thus reducing their food intake dramatically. This refusal to maintain a healthy body is often mixed with low self-esteem, which in an ordinarily healthy person can be dealt with by power of reasoning, which modifies the way the affected person assesses and thinks about their eating habits and their bodies. Sufferers of Anorexia Nervosa often feel hungry, but avoid eating enough food to sustain themselves properly. On an average, an anorexic individual has about 600 to 800 calories per day, in some cases people also starve themselves. Anorexia nervosa is a severe mental sickness that has a high frequency of comorbidity. It also has the highest mortality rate when compared to any other psychological disorders. People usually tend to develop anorexic symptoms in their early teens. Anorexia is more commonly seen in adolescent girls than boys. However, this does not restrict the fact that women and men of any race, age, cultural and socioeconomic background can be affected by anorexia. Anorexia nervosa occurs in 10 times more females than males. â€Å"Females are more likely than males to have anorexia. In fact, about 90 per cent of people with anorexia are females. Studies estimate that one out every 200 women has anorexia. However, males can also have anorexia. Currently, around 10 per cent of people with anorexia are males† (Graves, 2000, p.14). â€Å"Anorexia nervosa is a mental disorder that results in an avoidance of eating because of a cluster of specific emotional issues. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa may begin to manifest as early as 9 years of age† (Barry & Farmer, 2002, p. 324). Anorexic symptoms or sign can include steady changes in the appearance and behavior of a person, which occurs over a period of years or even months. Change in dieting behaviors, which include counting of calories and fasting, narrowing down the choices of food or changing food inclinations, like the refusal to eat bad or fatty food, declaring to dislike food that was earlier relished, not eating certain food groups like dairy or meat, and rapid, obvious, and dramatic weight loss. Strict and extreme workout patterns, that are carried out even in bad weather or when the individual is injured or ill. â€Å"Most anorexics consider exercise to be their best friend because it is a valuable asset in their pursuit of thinness. For someone who consumes too few calories, though, exercise keeps the body in a continual state of deprivation and actually serves as a method of purging† (Hall & Ostroff, 1999, p. 39). The treatment for anorexia is focused on checking mortality and illness by reestablishing body weight and fixing psychological and dysfunctional thinking and behavior, and treating obsessive thinking and depression, and final avoiding relapse, with the support of a family member or the sufferer’s partner. This treatment involves four main components, bringing and maintaining the person to a weight that is healthy, providing treatment for the various psychological problems related to anorexia, and removing or at least reducing the thoughts and behaviors that end up in disordered eating habits, and avoiding reversion

The Role of Nurses in the Prevention, Care, and Management of Suicide Essay

The Role of Nurses in the Prevention, Care, and Management of Suicide - Essay Example The first section of the paper identifies the nature and symptoms of suicide. Nurses should be aware of the nature, signs and symptoms of suicide and the factors contributing to suicide risk. Determining who are at risk should be done immediately to prevent suicide, thus the second part of this paper determines the preventive measures that must be done to control the situation. The third part discusses the proper care for patients at risk of suicide. Although care for patients with suicide tendency is the main responsibility of psychologists and psychiatrists, nurses contribute to the wellness of the patients and the continuity of the recovery program. The fifth part suggests follow up actions that nurses can perform to ensure complete recovery of patients with suicide tendency. The sixth part gives the conclusion and summarises all the important points in the prevention, care and management of suicide cases in the hospital setting. The role of the nurse in the prevention, care, and management of suicide among hospital patients is very significant. The nurses are the ones who have the most direct and frequent contact with the patients, thus they may affect the mood and emotional condition of patients with suicide tendency. The case of suicidal patients is very sensitive, thus nurses should be equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills to identify and care for patients attempting to commit suicide.... e case of suicidal patients is very sensitive, thus nurses should be equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills to identify and care for patients attempting to commit suicide. The number of suicide cases in the UK has decreased in the past years (Joint Commission Resources 2007). Nevertheless, this does not make suicide less of a problem. The World Health Organisation declared suicide as a major global health concern, accounting for approximately one million cases worldwide annually (Voice of America 2009). Currently, it is one of the three leading causes of death for young people under 25. This rate makes suicide a serious problem in the field of health care. To address this issue, patients with suicide tendency should be identified right away for counselling and other relevant interventions. In the hospital level, nurses can help to address the problem by assessing and reporting the behaviour of patients. Therefore, it is necessary for nurses to know the signs of suicide to ef fectively act and elicit efforts from the concerned people to initiate prevention of suicide attempts and manage proper care of the patient. Currently, only a few nursing studies have addressed suicide specifically (Fitzpatrick and Wallace 2005; Bryan and Rudd 2011). Study and assessment of suicide cases revealed poor patient assessment, limited communication, and knowledge deficit of professional staff about suicide. In this regard, it is imperative for every nurse or health worker in general to be aware of the behavioural signs that can manifest as part of suicide risk. Also, it is important to understand the nature of suicide ideation and the factors that could lead a person to commit suicide. Suicide Prevention Suicide ideation or tendency results usually from depression. When people

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery - Essay Example The plot of â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery differ slightly. The plotline in â€Å"The Lottery† revolves around a yearly important event, which occurs on June 27. Everyone assembles in the normal town, as for a typical local festival, but in this case a sacrifice is to be made to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Each family have to draw a slip at random from the all-important black box, and that which is marked denotes the family from which the sacrifice will be taken. Each family member then draws again, highlighting the specific person to be stoned to death; in this case, Mrs. Hutchinson. In The Lottery, this yearly event is still occuring, which the protagonist Jason returning to the town (which he left when he was very small) with his father’s ashes. It is discovered that Jason is one of the Hutchinson’s referred to in the short story version. The plot of the film adaptation is largely based around flashbacks in which Jason remembers the significance of the gravestones, which all bear the same date at death in yearly intervals. As the townsfolk are so desperate to keep the tradition going, it is difficult for Jason to expose the truth; he winds up mentally ill. Perhaps the reason that both â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery are so chilling for American readers and viewers is because it is set within a typical small American town of around 300 residents. Additionally, Jackson effectively mixes the conventions of the small town with the outlandish lottery ritual; for example, the residents â€Å"in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock† (Jackson, 1948, p1), establishing the normalcy of the town. This is used in juxtaposition with the ritual that would not be familiar to readers of the New Yorker or viewers of NBC. In The Lottery, too, the town to which Jason returns is extremely normal and could even be described as idyllic despite the snippets of memory it brings back. The main similarity between the two media used to tell the story of the lottery is that they revolve around many of the same themes. Perhaps the main theme is of ritual. The lottery in both â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery are fiercely protected rituals that hold a large importance to the townsfolk. There are a number of customs that must be observed before the actual process of drawing the lottery must begin; the â€Å"swearing-in of Mr. Summers† (Jackson, 1948, p7), and â€Å"a recital of some sort† (Jackson, 1948, p7), for example. The film and print versions also show that the local people are fiercely protective of their lottery. The townsfolk also seem to follow a herd mentality, as there seems to be no real explanation for the lottery or the sacrifice, but everyone continues to follow along with the practice as usual. Despite this, the ritual itself is unimportant in many ways as â€Å"the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones† (Jackson, 1948, p71). This quote is important in many

The Weimar Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Weimar Cinema - Essay Example From this study it is clear that  during the era of the Weimar cinema, there was experienced stylistic, economic and cultural transformation in the film industry of Germany. Isenberg’s quote is highly relevant as it higlights the various aspects in which the Weimar cinema impacted on the film industry in Germany. The economic, cultural and stylistic changes encountered at the time have had a profound effect on the history of cinema as practiced in Germany. The Germany film industry in the present day has been thoroughly influenced by the establishments of the Weimar cinema, whose influence is evident in the modern making of films.This report highlights that  The Weimar cinema occurred during the Golden Age of cinema that notably was the silent era of filmmaking in Germany and elsewhere in the world. While the modern day production of films in Germany has advanced tremendously following the technological developments, a lot of credit goes to the Weimar cinema for such advan cement. â€Å"During the Weimar cinema period in Germany, an exceptional variety and number of films were released on various themes that have continued dominating the film industry in Germany and internationally†.  Isenberg’s views are significantly important in pointing to the contuinity of thematic issues in the modern time of filmography as was during the Weimer cinema.  The Weimar cinematography was fundamentally inspired by the sordid politics that surrounded the aftermath of the World War I.

Multinational corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Multinational corporations - Essay Example As a result, laws, economies, and social movements are forming at the international level. Many politicians, academics, and journalists treat these trends as both inevitable and (on the whole) welcome. But for billions of the world's people, business-driven globalization means uprooting old ways of life and threatening livelihoods and cultures. The global social justice movement, itself a product of globalization, proposes an alternative path, more responsive to public needs. Intense political disputes will continue over globalization's meaning and its future direction" (Global Policy Forum) "The term globalization refers to the process of global integration of the economies of nations by allowing the unrestricted flow of goods, services, investments and currencies between countries. Nation states pursued globalization in the hope that this would lead to prosperity. They believed that globalization would bring them agricultural modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and hyper-consumerism resulting in increases of per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Unfortunately, such developments have often been accompanied by increasing social and environmental destruction throughout the world. The process of globalization is having unprecedented impacts, both positive and negative, on life at the individual, village, town, city and national levels" (Center for Alternative Development Initiatives). Globalization traces its roots on the modern economic concepts popularized by economists such as David Ricardo. Particularly, it has its foundation on the "principles of comparative advantage" which supports international trade (Mankiw). Introduced by David Ricardo in 1817 through his book On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, comparative advantage posits that trade can create value for both countries even if one has the fewer resources in the production of all goods. Using the production possibilities frontier, Ricardo was able to prove this, achieving a significant breakthrough in the field of international economics. Practically, Ricardo believes that given the situation, both countries can still gain by having the less efficient country specialize in the production and exportation of the commodity in which its absolute disadvantage is smallest and import the product in which it has its greatest absolute disadvantage. The commodity in which one country has the least absolute disadvantage can be thought of as one in which it has the comparative advantage. The gains are realized as both countries specialize in the production of commodity in which it has the least opportunity cost (Mankiw). The Gains from Trade: A Simple Numerical Example To facilitate understanding of the gains from trade, we cite the example from the Principles of Macroeconomics book of N. Gregory Mankiw. Given that it takes 20 hours for farmer to produce 1 lb of meat and 10 hours to produce 1 lb of potato, and 1 hour for rancher to produce 1 lb. of potato and 8 hours to produce 1 pound of meat, we construct the table for a 40-hour work schedule. Source: Mankiw, N.Gregory. Principles of Macroeconomics. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. Obviously, the rancher has the absolute advantage in the production of both meat and potatoes. The rancher may advice the farmer to produce potato alone, while he does meat production at longer hours than production of potato. The table below shows the beneficial

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery - Essay Example The plot of â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery differ slightly. The plotline in â€Å"The Lottery† revolves around a yearly important event, which occurs on June 27. Everyone assembles in the normal town, as for a typical local festival, but in this case a sacrifice is to be made to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Each family have to draw a slip at random from the all-important black box, and that which is marked denotes the family from which the sacrifice will be taken. Each family member then draws again, highlighting the specific person to be stoned to death; in this case, Mrs. Hutchinson. In The Lottery, this yearly event is still occuring, which the protagonist Jason returning to the town (which he left when he was very small) with his father’s ashes. It is discovered that Jason is one of the Hutchinson’s referred to in the short story version. The plot of the film adaptation is largely based around flashbacks in which Jason remembers the significance of the gravestones, which all bear the same date at death in yearly intervals. As the townsfolk are so desperate to keep the tradition going, it is difficult for Jason to expose the truth; he winds up mentally ill. Perhaps the reason that both â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery are so chilling for American readers and viewers is because it is set within a typical small American town of around 300 residents. Additionally, Jackson effectively mixes the conventions of the small town with the outlandish lottery ritual; for example, the residents â€Å"in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock† (Jackson, 1948, p1), establishing the normalcy of the town. This is used in juxtaposition with the ritual that would not be familiar to readers of the New Yorker or viewers of NBC. In The Lottery, too, the town to which Jason returns is extremely normal and could even be described as idyllic despite the snippets of memory it brings back. The main similarity between the two media used to tell the story of the lottery is that they revolve around many of the same themes. Perhaps the main theme is of ritual. The lottery in both â€Å"The Lottery† and The Lottery are fiercely protected rituals that hold a large importance to the townsfolk. There are a number of customs that must be observed before the actual process of drawing the lottery must begin; the â€Å"swearing-in of Mr. Summers† (Jackson, 1948, p7), and â€Å"a recital of some sort† (Jackson, 1948, p7), for example. The film and print versions also show that the local people are fiercely protective of their lottery. The townsfolk also seem to follow a herd mentality, as there seems to be no real explanation for the lottery or the sacrifice, but everyone continues to follow along with the practice as usual. Despite this, the ritual itself is unimportant in many ways as â€Å"the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones† (Jackson, 1948, p71). This quote is important in many

Multinational corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Multinational corporations - Essay Example As a result, laws, economies, and social movements are forming at the international level. Many politicians, academics, and journalists treat these trends as both inevitable and (on the whole) welcome. But for billions of the world's people, business-driven globalization means uprooting old ways of life and threatening livelihoods and cultures. The global social justice movement, itself a product of globalization, proposes an alternative path, more responsive to public needs. Intense political disputes will continue over globalization's meaning and its future direction" (Global Policy Forum) "The term globalization refers to the process of global integration of the economies of nations by allowing the unrestricted flow of goods, services, investments and currencies between countries. Nation states pursued globalization in the hope that this would lead to prosperity. They believed that globalization would bring them agricultural modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and hyper-consumerism resulting in increases of per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Unfortunately, such developments have often been accompanied by increasing social and environmental destruction throughout the world. The process of globalization is having unprecedented impacts, both positive and negative, on life at the individual, village, town, city and national levels" (Center for Alternative Development Initiatives). Globalization traces its roots on the modern economic concepts popularized by economists such as David Ricardo. Particularly, it has its foundation on the "principles of comparative advantage" which supports international trade (Mankiw). Introduced by David Ricardo in 1817 through his book On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, comparative advantage posits that trade can create value for both countries even if one has the fewer resources in the production of all goods. Using the production possibilities frontier, Ricardo was able to prove this, achieving a significant breakthrough in the field of international economics. Practically, Ricardo believes that given the situation, both countries can still gain by having the less efficient country specialize in the production and exportation of the commodity in which its absolute disadvantage is smallest and import the product in which it has its greatest absolute disadvantage. The commodity in which one country has the least absolute disadvantage can be thought of as one in which it has the comparative advantage. The gains are realized as both countries specialize in the production of commodity in which it has the least opportunity cost (Mankiw). The Gains from Trade: A Simple Numerical Example To facilitate understanding of the gains from trade, we cite the example from the Principles of Macroeconomics book of N. Gregory Mankiw. Given that it takes 20 hours for farmer to produce 1 lb of meat and 10 hours to produce 1 lb of potato, and 1 hour for rancher to produce 1 lb. of potato and 8 hours to produce 1 pound of meat, we construct the table for a 40-hour work schedule. Source: Mankiw, N.Gregory. Principles of Macroeconomics. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. Obviously, the rancher has the absolute advantage in the production of both meat and potatoes. The rancher may advice the farmer to produce potato alone, while he does meat production at longer hours than production of potato. The table below shows the beneficial

A history of American sexuality Essay Example for Free

A history of American sexuality Essay There is little to dispute the notion that rebellious movements only originate as a need, not as a result of human nature. It would indeed be appropriate to view the various cultures of resistance that have developed over the ages in light of this ideology; every era saw a different need and hence developed and shaped itself through their individual’s sexual meaning (Demilio and Freedman 228). They embody a change in attitude of youngsters regarding suppressed sexual inclinations considered inappropriate by the general public or believed to be counterproductive. Stemming from as early as the 17th century, the progress of freedom of sexuality has mostly been a mosaic, finding roots in differences of race gender and class. However, recent times have allowed that progress to be catalogued in discernable text which can be reviewed to gain insight into the perception of sexuality as has been generally associated with the past; historians such as Jeffrey Weeks, D’emilio and Freedman provide some valuable control points to make those judgments. First era: 1600 to 1780 The institution of marriage, the historical perspective of which was recently been subjected to criticism, has been under scrutiny lately simply because historical data does not correspond with the stereotypes of a traditional marriage (Coontz 13). In simple words, people who believed that the sanctity of marriage centuries ago was protected because of love between partners have lately been disproven. From 1600 to 1780, marriage was vastly regarded as a tool designed squarely as a reproductive mechanism and for the promotion of labor sources, increasing the family ties and the creation of a new generation (Demilio and Freedman 14). Since work was primarily agricultural back in those days, there was a need to increase labor within the family which was directly reflected in sexuality being confined to the institution of marriage, which in turn was designated for procreation (Demilio and Freedman 16-17). Such was the kinship and family system. During this era, there was a distinct lack of the element of love and social stigma prohibited acts of premarital intercourse and even falling in love as a pretext for marriage. Amongst the general society though, there were mixed thoughts within Protestants and Native American Indians (Demilio and Freedman 108). They formulated resistant sexualities to the norms. While the Protestants encouraged sexual pleasures within the marriage and allowed public, though limited, displays of affection, anything outside this institution was invalidated and scorned upon (Demilio and Freedman 4). There are evidences of regulation in the many punishments awarded to those who breached these standardized concepts of sexualities, and acts of adultery, premarital intercourse, homosexuality, and fornication were considered crimes, commission of which not only resulted in penalties but drew contempt at the hands of the public at large. These were very evidently governed by legal implications, enforced not only by the church (Demilio and Freedman 51) but also the state and society in unison. Such sexual criminals thus became outcast, leading to non-uniformity of sexualities. Amongst these, the prime suspects were Native American Indians, who allowed pre-marital intercourse and considered homosexuality acceptable. Moreover, marriage was not restricted to just one partner. Polygamy became just as common, suggesting that the sexual behavior was more a matter of the culture and social acceptance than human nature. As D’emilio and Freedman point out, the Chesapeake colonies where men outnumbered women due to the presence of a big number of migrants, men could choose to have sex with women simply to derive pleasure and not as instigation to marriage (Demilio and Freedman 14-17). The political system in the middle of the 17th century harbored the use of slaves, and those created their own sexual regimes. The southern areas saw a rise in inter-racial sexual ordeals, giving presence to another distinct system of regulating sexualities. The forms of political control that dominated throughout the 17th century, namely the church, state and the local community began losing their footing by the middle of the 18th century to late 18th century. This was partly due to the rise in commercialization and trade, since community presence was losing ground to a larger form of individualism, which institutionalized marriage as an expression of romance. Thus, the original sexual meanings relating to family ties and procreation governed by the sexual politics of the church, state and the local community were being superseded by the culture of resistance that encouraged romance as the central focus of marriage (Demilio and Freedman 95). Second era: 1870-1980 A new era of sexual preferences was emerging in the late 19th century. The prevailing mood was that of a heightened sense of pre-marital and within-marriage sexual intimacy, defined as â€Å"Victorian† (Peiss 206), with individuality as the central focus, allowing for sexual endeavors to extend beyond marriage and include previously scorned ideologies such as same sex sexualities. The aura was becoming increasingly liberal, as the presence of seemingly immoral exercises such as pornography, and brothel management undermined the societal values (Peiss 238). Attention was drawn towards them by a new breed of post 1880 conservatives. This movement concentrated squarely on declaring every form of seemingly impure sexuality such as adultery, commercialization of sex in terms of pornography, fornication and even eroticization within marriage as immoral and as plagues to society. Sexual meaning, while decidedly liberal in those days, employing extensive use of contraception and experimental living with partners, was met with sexual regulation tactics by the state, governed by the enforcement of legislations. The sexual politics included the passing of Anti-prostitution (Demilio and Freedman 150, 209, 213) and anti-pornography laws facilitating the resistance that Protestants had also partnered in. This, while curbing public vulgarities to some extent, could not come in the way of the growing consumerism that the industrial wave brought with it. With concentration on individual choice, commercial sex grew, in sync with the empowerment of women both at the workplace and within the family, leading to even more equality amongst the sexes (Coontz 208). In the culture that ensued, the sexual meaning took a very liberal turn with empowerment of the individual being the centerpiece, thus enabling homosexual tendencies to thrive, along with the encouragement of romance and eroticism becoming increasingly desirable. The post 1920s was regarded as an era of sexual reform, post Victorian sexual era so to speak, a time when the concept of marriage was drifting from the originally conceived â€Å"traditional† meanings to those based on deriving sexual pleasures simultaneously with the need to reproduce. The sexual meaning, thus, in the context of D’emilio’s and Freedman’s philosophies (1997), combined those two to place emphasis on the fulfillment and satisfaction of one’s self with respect to the institution of marriage, rather than be forced to adhere to it in order to meet social demands of labor and reproduction. The freedom of choice was highlighted amongst the youth and non-heterosexual endeavors as well as pre-marital sexualities became gradually acceptable. The depiction of sex for commercial use picked up pace as well (Demilio and Freedman 327), and liberalism both within marriage and outside it grew. The routine depiction of sexual images to the public became frequent, suggesting that sexual choice and independence was what the society wanted. It was in these times that strides were made for gender equality as well, as men slowly edged towards ceasing to become the dominant sexual partners and women began sharing high posts with men in the workplace. Third Era: Post 1980 to present day The major cultural resistance shift was next experienced in the 1970s, with the advent of the liberal homosexual regimes and the urge to pursue sexual freedom by the likes of Hugh Hefner, bringing to light demands to acknowledge premarital sexual endeavors as a right. This, of course, was contrary to the norm of the day, which was still largely heterosexual. More sexual politics brought Left-wing views to the forefront, arguing especially in favor of the gay liberation movement and feminism (Demilio and Freedman 322-323). During the 70s and 80s, this phenomenon gripped the economically thriving youth of the day, affecting the counterculture in so much as shredding the traditional norms associated with marriage and family in favor of a single sexual life. The right-wings continued to advocate against the sexual deviancies of pre-marital intimacy, commercial utilities of sex, eroticism, etc and much of the debate in the 80s thus surrounded the use of contraceptives, illegitimacy, the spread of HIV and Herpes, rising divorce rates etc. This state of moral panic was superseded by the feminist culture of resistance, which in turn strengthened the position of women who placed emphasis on choice. Employing Margaret Sanger’s voice of reason (Demilio and Freedman 243-244), the phenomena of birth control enabled women to pursue sexualities undisturbed, serving to ultimately enable gays and lesbians to exchange vows and raise children (Peiss 484). Conclusion To the present day, sexual meanings have been age dependant and cultures of resistance have shaped the way sexual regulations were governed by sexual politics. As stipulated by Weeks, D’emilio and Freedman, all three need to be considered in unison to understand the changing mechanisms of sexualities over a given period (Demilio and Freedman 377), but it can easily be inferred that those cultures had a strong part to play in the liberation of sexualities and the deviation of the essence of the institution of marriage, from its traditional stance as a means of reproduction to one purely used to attain sexual fulfillment through love . Works Cited Coontz, Stephanie. Marriage, A history: How Love Conquered Marriage . Penguin Books, 2005. Demilio, John and Estelle B. Freedman. Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, 2nd Edition. University of Chicago Press , 1997. Peiss, Kathy. Major Problems in the History of American Sexuality: Documents and Essays . Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.