The income gap between the rich and the poor in China Research Paper

The income gap between the rich and the poor in China - Research Paper Example Over the last decade, China has exceeded the Gini coefficient index threshold by 0.4 close to the warning level given by the United Nations (Cai, 128). This article analyzes the extent of the income disparity in China between the rich and the poor, it cause and effect and the plausible solutions to this problem. Research has shown that income disparity in China between the rich and the poor have continued to increase since 1978 when China opened it boundaries for trade with the rest of the world. According to the China national bureau of statistics, the standard income earning of the 10% richest people in china was 10.9 times higher compared to that of the 10% poorest in the year 2009. In 1985, the figure was just 2. 9 times ((Anon, 148). It can be seen that the gap between the poor has thus increased incredibly. Since 1978 when China opened it door to international trade, per capital income has increased unbelievably. For instance, within the period of 1985 to 2010, the per capital income has increased by 55 times. This has however come from the urban area with the rural area experiencing lesser growth. The earning gap between the rural and city dwellers had reduced from 2.6 to 2.5 times in the 1970 and from 2.3 to 1.9 times in the 80s. However, it widened to 3.3 times in 2009. This is disregarding the fact that there are some social amenities such as good roads, health care house subsidies and other amenities enjoyed by the city dweller which are not available to the rural people further increasing the disparity (Cai, 130). This thus implies that the disparity many even be more than six times larger. The major obstacle in overcoming the income disparity issue is because the affluent have a greater opportunity of increasing their wealth compared to other people. For instance, from 1985 to 2010, the rich recorded a 38 fold increase in their earnings; the people in the middle class register a 21fold increase while the poor only

South Korean Financial Crisis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

South Korean Financial Crisis - Case Study Example Korea was progressing well in 1996 and had become a part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As people celebrated, nobody knew of the impending disaster about to strike. During the latter part of 1996, the current account deficit increased to 5% from previous year’s 2%, a decrease attributed to lessened competition among Korean industries. The GNP declined from 14.1% to become 7.1% and foreign debt rose to a high 100 billion dollars. These and various other debt related indicators were showcasing the upcoming crisis for Korea. The first half of 1997 surfaced a few more indicators of the disaster. Foreign investors in Korea were starting to get wary of the market and lacked confidence in investing because of long recessions, large deficits in current accounts and growing short-term external debt. In January 1997, Hanabo Steel, the 17th largest Korean seller went into bankruptcy. Soon the Sammi Group, another steel company, failed and major affil iates of the Jinro Group went bankrupt. In July 1997, another major automobile manufacturer, Kia motors failed. With the downfall, foreign capital began to flow out of the country. In July 1997, the Southeast Asian crisis broke out first in Thailand, followed by Indonesia, Malaysia and in Hong Kong in October as the stock market crashed. Within October to December, the Korean economy crashed by 112% compared to the US Dollar. ... Within October to December the Korean economy crashed by 112% compared to the US Dollar. From October 1997, the yield spreads of the global bonds of Korean Development Bank (KDB)3, Korea's indicators of the sovereign risk premium, started to jump. By early December, Korea's bonds were reassessed by Moody's and Standard & Poor's and were demoted to junk bonds from their A1 status. Soon the banks could not renew the maturing loans and needed to withdraw from the Korean markets. Foreign lending crashed from the $100 from January to October 1997, to minus $20 billion by the end of the year. The won plunged lower to 50% in a span of two weeks in the month of November. As of November 1997, foreign reserves were seen to stand at 24.2 billion dollars, of which only 9.3 billion dollars was finally available. The figure was much lower than the required foreign reserve level of 36 billion dollars. Korea did not have enough money to repay back its 10 billion dollars short-term borrowings. At the edge of sovereign default, foreign debt touched highs of 119.7 billion dollars and the whirlpool of the crisis was pulling in Korea. The Causes and effects of the Crisis The causes that led up to the crisis were many and experts state that a single cause cannot be pinpointed as the culprit. While the economy crashed along with that of other nations, many experts also state that the currency crisis in Korea is quite different from other traditional situations. This crisis had little to do with the mismanagement of monetary and fiscal policy. The macroeconomic fundamentals were also good. The effects were as diverse too, but boiled down to the financial destruction of Korea. However like every failure or

Talent Management At Standard Chartered Bank Display SHRM

Talent Management At Standard Chartered Bank Display SHRM By focusing heavily on its talent management program it can be clearly be seen that Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) is making the practice of SHRM as one of its key priorities. As can be seen from the article, the way SCB adopts its appraisal methodology is of a very strategic angle. By making it a global standard to conduct face-to-face performance appraisals every 6 months goes to show that SCB is reviewing its own performance management objectives to make sure that those objectives stay relevant and achievable, and that is a feature of SHRM. Being sensitive to different cultures by employing different appraisal methods also shows that SCB understands the importance of managers and staff identifying and dealing with real, actual problems in a way that is most familiar and effective to them. That is also another facet of SHRM as through such means, SCB is able to monitor its own competitiveness in the market. Through appraisals, SCB also classifies their employees into 5 categories ranging from high-potentials, to critical resources, then to core contributors, followed by underachievers and finally, underperformers. By doing so they are able to identify areas in which they are lacking and act upon it. Interestingly, as Geraldine Haley explains the classifications, it can be seen that SCB is already identifying the likely flow of talent in the bank and are taking actions to manage the flow. For example, when classifying certain employees as underperformers, Haley goes on to mention that this group of people do not fit the job requirements and they should be transferred to another role or be managed out. Clearly, whether the bank decides to place this group of employees in another role (which fits the idea of SHRM because by placing people where they perform best clearly benefits any company), or by managing them out (thereby reducing unnecessary manpower costs or replacement with a more pr oductive candidate), the intent behind both actions is clearly strategic in nature. The employee classification also allows the bank to understand the their potential and manpower mix which is critical because, the HR department would be able to plan in advance for staff mobility or develop different programs to help develop potential of their talents to another level. So far we are able to see that SCB does indeed view its employees as a strategic key asset in churning out profits for the bank. Yet another SHRM feature being displayed is the secrecy of employee classifications. As mentioned in the article, SCBs stance is that while they do not want certain employees to feel de-motivated and others to boast about their own performances, the whole point of the classification system is to inform managers that there might be actions required on their part to improve the situation. It is true that in SHRM, managers should not cause their staff to feel like they are being constantly monitored for poor performance because this will affect the staffs willingness to contribute towards the company. Again, either way, we see that the actions taken are closely linked to helping the organisation achieve its strategic corporate objectives. The classification system is also being used a guide for regional offices to strategically benchmark against one another to see where they stand. Ever since SCB has been experiencing a high staff turnover rate among newly recruited employees, a solution in the form of a global induction program named Right Start was implemented to curb this problem and they successfully brought down the rate of employees leaving by 5% (http://www.standardchartered.com/annual-report-07/en/business_review/people.html, 2008). SCB has also gone on to groom talents into leaders by means of providing coaching and self-help tools through various medias such as podcasts, videos and workshops. Another key concept is to allow talents to play to their strengths rather than on focusing on managing their weakness. As Hayley explains the strategic rationale on focusing on coaching talents with global roles in the bank, it is because a small 5% improvement from these top managers is enough to cause a huge positive impact on the banks earnings. Under the Best practice view in SHRM, there are 18 Key practices of which SCB can safely said to have achieved at least 50% or more: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). It can be concluded that SCB is investing so much resources towards its human talent management program simply because it views it employees as human capital for the organisation and understands the wisdom in developing and managing its employees in close relation to the values and objectives of the company so that an effective workforce can be grown, and groomed to achieve the strategic objectives of the bank. Word count (865) 1.2 Comment on the relevance of this approach in the light of the recent banking crisis? Answer: The banking crisis of 2008 was largely due to the fall of banking giant, Lehman Brothers (LB). If LB had adopted SCBs view of employees as human capital in the organisation, it could have at least minimised the loss to a certain extent. For one, discussions between employers and staff would have been more open and problem issues could have been brought up and identified at an earlier stage. Inefficiencies in the organisation would have been uncovered if there were a global compilation of performance like in SCB, where CEOs were able to benchmark their performances against regional offices. In a way, having a certain amount of centralised control through talent management would also enable the monitoring of LB companies globally. It is interesting to note that when a German subsidiary of LB requested that top management in the USA forgo multi-million bonuses as a sign of taking responsibility for poor performance, the request was immediately struck off at the first instance. It seems that top management either did not know or did not bother to care what was going on in its other global offices. Therefore it is important for companies to have a solid leadership and to achieve that, organisations must start to take the first step in acknowledging its employees as key assets towards enabling the company to achieve it strategic goals and objectives. Thereafter that, the companys HR policies should be dawn to include short and long term strategies that are inline with the companys corporate objectives. Companies should also consider which view the company would adopt in relation to SHRM. For example, does the company suit the Best Practice view, Bes Fit view, Best Fit Integration view or Resource based approach? Each has its own strengths and weaknesses but the company has to decide which is the most compatible and allow the company to achieve its goals. Perhaps the culture of a company should also be set as culture can deeply affect a employees willingness to contribute positively to the company. Every organisation aims to communicate its own objectives and goals to its employees so a to align the values and attitudes of the employees towards commitment in performance for the company, and in this respect, having an appropriate culture will greatly enable the employee to settle comfortably into the company and be motivated to perform well. Retaining talent is crucial in a companys route of progress and much effort should be put into talent management where employees will feel like that are an important part of a company that cherishes their contributions and seeks to develop and groom them for further growth in their career. With SHRM as the key basic guiding principle, companys should therefore seek to create a pool of talent that will steer it in the right direction, both in good times and bad. Word Count (473) 1.3 Why is it important to measure the impact of SHRM? What might be included in a evaluation strategy to measure the impact of SHRM in an organization to achieve strategic integration? Answer: It is important to measure the impact of SHRM because, firstly, strategies that are formulated into HR policies are closely linked to the strategic objectives of its organisation. The reason why this is so is because the company understands that attitudes and performances of its employees makes a significant difference towards achieving organisational goals. Therefore when an organisation decides to employ the HR unit as a strategically, resources are being invested to make sure the HR unit contributes towards the attainment of those objectives. In measuring the impact of SHRM in a company, there are 18 Key practices of SHRM might be used to ascertain the degree of SHRM present in the company: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). Other possible measurements could be in the form of appraisals where performance management objectives are being reviewed. Through the appraisals the organisation would be able to know how it is faring against the achievement of its own targets relative to the overall performance of the employees. Word count (287) Section B, Question 4 4. What are the main features of a Performance Management system? In what ways can organizations ensure that such systems fulfil strategically useful outcomes (30 marks) Answer: 4.1 Main Features of a PMS The main features of PMS are: PMS consists of business-led outcomes that may be assessed against definite business objectives; PMS is integrated with interlocking procedures and flows of information; There is a mix of quantitative and qualitative objectives; There is a focus on both system design and manner of implementation. Because PMS are sensitive to process and culture, it is hence flexible; PMS rely on a participative approach by mangers and staff alike, which can align with other organisational processes, for example, employee religions, communications and decision-making processes; Lastly PMS have a distinctive and adaptable quality of being people and systems-oriented (Source: University of Sunderland). There are 6 other features of PMS that links it to the overall business strategy of a company which might also guide organisations in ensuring strategic outcomes are met: Objective setting; Ongoing review of objectives; The development of personal improvement plans linked to training and development; Formal appraisal and feedback; Pay review; A competence-based organisational capability review (Source: University of Sunderland). 4.2 Ensuring PMS Fulfils Strategically Useful Outcomes The best way to ensure that PMS is able to fulfil strategically useful outcomes is for the organisation to be involved in the setting of performance objectives and thereafter measure those objectives. When setting clearly defined performance management objectives organisations can gear the scope and nature of the objectives to reflect the organisations own corporate goals. These performance objectives should also be linked closely to the individual employees as well as the organisations capability resources. When setting objectives, coverage should include competence and skill development, ability in meeting operational targets, and creating a suitable corporate culture. Objectives are generally defined into 3 categories: productivity and output related, job-related and person-related. For productivity and output related objectives, these are a measure of quantifiable output targets like: Cost reduction Achieving sales quota Meeting production volumes. For job related targets, these involve meeting the main objectives of the job laid down in its description according to the specified level of competence: Achieving main responsibilities and accountability. Meeting tasks as described in the job description. Meeting the obligations and service relationships to internal and external customers. For person related objectives, these affect the behavioural outcomes of the person performing his job, such as sharing knowledge an ideas with co-workers. Organisations recognise the importance of linking organisational culture with person-related objectives as it can help to bring about a positive change in the organisations culture. For instance, an organisation that wants to have a culture that is collaborative in nature will set objectives on employees and measure an employees research report on the number of references made to other employees work or the number contributions made by the employees colleagues in the report. This type of objective will change a person behaviourally so that he or she is able to meet the performance objectives. As organisations are beginning to shift away from individualistic performance objectives such financial goals and moving towards objectives which links the workforce to the corporate objectives or wider environment such as quality and effectiveness of business processes, other measurements are being introduced to maximise the potential and skill of the workforce through a commitment-oriented strategy. Thus, organisations have also realised that to engage the wider environment, they have to identify the relationship between the 3 key stakeholders an the organisation: Investors who require return on their investment through dividends; Customers who require quality and service for which they pay; And employees who require a healthy and rewarding working environment that provides job security (Source: University of Sunderland). Now that the inter-relationship has been identified, organisations are better able to communicate expected levels of competence from employees and will also be able to appropriately empower staff to deal with activities as a result of their integration. Lynch and Cross (1995), created a model that shows this relationship (see Figure 4.A). This model also identifies the broad measures and integration of objectives at each individual level. Figure 4.A shows The Performance Pyramid from Lynch RS and Cross (1995) (Source: University of Sunderland) 4.2.1 Appraisal Systems As the link between objectives and organisational resources are important, it must therefore be integrated with appraisal systems. Appraisals do the job of reviewing the performance management objectives, and it traditionally occurs annually between the manager and staff. However, as the need for objectives to stay relevant and achievable all the time, reviews of the objectives are beginning to occur more regularly. Hence it can be said that regular reviews also encourages the building of relationship and the occurrence of coaching through such regular discussions. In the design of appraisal schemes, there are 2 types of orientation schemes that emerge: the control orientation and the developmental orientation. In the control orientation approach, it is always assumed in a negative light that a senior entity in the organisation decides the goals, targets, objectives and rewards for the employees to achieve. This results in employees feeling insecure as they feel that they are being constantly monitored and may lead to a breakdown in commitment. Often, when adjustments are introduced to ease such worries, the appraisal scheme becomes ineffective as manager do not address real issues which may cause a loss in motivation or damage in relations between the manager and employee. Standardised controls are put in place so as to maintain consistency and equal treatment for all, however it sacrifices flexibility in the process. The level of impact is low on performance with the exception of a few existing high performers. Thus, this approach is effective when targets are clear and staff are used to it. The emphasis is not so much on enhancing performance through feedback and motivation but more on t he managements authority over the employees. In the case of the developmental approach, the manager is not in control whereas employees are the ones who take the initiative to address uncertainties in wanting to know how to improve themselves. Employees want to be helped and supported through problems and they learn through failures and success. The strengths in this approach include less resistance between the manger and staff, and being able to handle problems in an open way. Problems can also be dealt with on a more objective basis without souring relationships. Employees are also given high trust in their integrity. However, the weaknesses with this approach include less visible outcomes being produced and the manager has to take on a more consultative or counsellor role that they might not be able to perform well in. 4.2.2 Types of Appraisals There are a few types of appraisals which organisations may choose to adopt including the, self-appraisal, top-down appraisal, peer appraisal and multi-directional appraisal. Top-down appraisals are traditional and feedback is gathered from the staff while objectives come only from the top. The weaknesses of this type of appraisal are that too much emphasis is being placed on traditional organisational hierarchies. Favouritism might also be prevalent and employees might not have full knowledge in structures where managers posses a wide span of control. Self-appraisal methods are hardly used. It gives the employees more ownership and a much higher degree of participation in the appraisal scheme. Managers adopt a more supportive and advisory role where they engage in discussions with the staff on setting of objectives. In the upward appraisal model feedback is given from the bottom to top. Employees are often asked to provide such feedback anonymously. Organisations that use this method recognise the need to provide more effective working systems for employees to work more efficiently. In the peer appraisal model, members of the same team are being asked to appraise one another. There may be sensitivities involved when using this method as members might show favouritism to particular members or dislike towards certain members might be the reason for poor rating given. In contrast to the peer appraisal method, multi-directional appraisals sets up to obtain feedback from the outside of the team and it often also includes gathering feedback externally from customers. Its key strength is its being able to overcome the lack of knowledge from a single appraiser as it gathers feedback from many sources. However its biggest weakness lies in the lack of control over hostile ratings being given. Thus appraisals are also a tool to ensure that performance objectives meet strategically useful outcomes. Word count (1409) Section B, Question 5 5. Why are reward management systems critical to SHRM? How can organizations develop reward systems strategically? (30 marks) Answer: 5.1 Why Reward Management Systems are Critical to SHRM In strategic human resource management (SHRM), strategies that are being implemented into a companys human resource policies are closely connected with a companys main adopted strategy in order for it to aid in achieving company objectives. SHRM does so by means of recruiting, developing, maintaining and retaining an efficient, productive workforce. As employees make up a companys workforce, they should then be regarded as key assets in a company. Reward management systems are therefore critical to SHRM because they are used to reward and compensate employees in manners that impact employees positively for the company. For example, well-developed reward management systems uses rewards to motivate employees to grow and develop their potential, thereby increasing the quality of efforts contributed towards the company. Rewards and compensation systems are also critically used in aligning the culture, objectives and philosophies of the company with efforts of the employees, this allows employees to identify themselves as part of the company and thus strengthen their loyalty and commitment towards the company and its objectives (Sherman et al., 1998). In todays competitive environment where companies compete for talent and expertise, rewards play an important role in both the recruitment of talent and retention of long serving employees who have difficult-to-source tacit knowledge in their field of expertise. Having a flexible reward management system also means that a company is able harness other forms employment, for example, hiring of part-timers with relevant experience to temporarily fill in during short-term projects. 5.2 Developing a Reward System Strategically Rewards systems in companies practicing SHRM must obviously be strategic in nature. According to Lawler (1984), there are nine points to consider when making strategic decisions in developing reward systems in companies. The nine points are termed as follows: Base of rewards. Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. Market position. Internal versus External comparison. Centralised versus de-centralised reward. Degree of pay hierarchy. Reward Mix. Process issues. Reward systems consequences/integration. 5.2.1 Base of Rewards Salaries can be based on 3 options: The type of job a person undertakes. The persons contribution in the job. The knowledge and skill level people possess within the job. The 1st option is to pay based on the growth and development an individual undertaking a job. This is typically done through internally comparing a particular job with other jobs within the company using a job evaluation which measures the tasks that the job is required to perform. External comparisons could be used, whereby companies compare the wages offered by other companies against their own. Job based rewards are typically found in larger organisations where job and pay equity is predominant; an example would be jobs in the public service sector where job grading is used. The 2nd option is to pay based on the individuals performance within his or her job and is commonly implemented in cases where the jobs are small in number or job scopes that are distinct and pay has to be individual. Performance based pay is used to balance job demands and contributions made in order to motivate the individual to enhance performance. The 3rd option is to pay based on the need to acquire new s kills and knowledge so as to enable organisations to meet the new market challenges. 5.2.2 Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. This point considers the many types and ways of using incentives, whether as a part of an individuals salary or an additional portion. However, the main dilemma lies in reconciling strategic objectives with the use of suitable incentives to motivate and enhance employee performance and commitment to the company. Companies will have to decide the forms in which incentives will take and how it will be distributed as well as the positive and negative repercussions it might bring to the company or its employees. For example, substituting commission for a fixed bonus payout to sales employees might cause low-performers to be happy, while high-performers might become disgruntled they could have earned more on a commission scheme. 5.2.3 Market Position As labour markets are vulnerable to the economy, market trends and political influences, radical changes may happen anytime within the labour market. For example, if there is a labour shortage in certain industries, organisations would be forced to pay a higher wage to acquire the labour needed. As such, organisations are finding it difficult to sustain an internal sense of fairness that comes from a formal measurement of job equity within internal wage structures. Therefore, reward strategies need to be formulated to answer to such external uncertainties, and also be flexible (if it is not already so) enough to accommodate different wage schemes and levels when required. 5.2.4 Internal versus External comparison As reward systems are key to hiring, retaining and developing employees, it is important for a company to benchmark its reward policies against the external and internal environment. Hence, it is important for companies to understand the logic behind market rates of pay and benefit and to know where and how to collect data required to conduct pay and benefits surveys. These surveys are often conducted so that companies are able to rely on the information to make adjustments to current pay and benefit rates, thus staying competitive in their pay and benefit policies. Companies should also be able to present data in a meaningful manner so that proper analysis can take place. Job evaluaton (JE) is defined as a systematic procress by which relative worth of jobs are determined so as to establish which jobs will be paid more over others in the organisation (Sherman et al., 1998). The key features of JE are: A process which compares the relationships between jobs based on demand placed on employees. A process of judgement made by understanding of job descriptions and roles required to perform the job. A process of analysis after generating point factors from judgements, to enable job ranking. A process of structuring whereby job descriptions are formulated, problem solving, identifying key factors equivalent to job knowledge, and more. Score formulation also takes place to establish ranking, building wage structures and create job-grading systems. The important decisions to make in a JE are the selection of appropriate factors and their levels, as well as how value of factors will be expressed. 5.2.5 Centralised versus de-centralised reward Organisations often have to struggle to decide if reward systems should be managed in a centralised or de-centralised manner. Centralised controlling is tight and usually means a standardised rate of wage increment. This may cause employees to be less motivated and innovative in their contribution which becomes unhealthy for the company, this holds true for employees who belong to a business unit selling a varied number of products and services. In this case, it might be better having a de-centralised control of rewards system and empower managers with discretionary authority to reward employees accordingly, hence boosting morale. 5.2.6 Degree of Pay Hierarchy Pay hierarchies exists in organisations and reward systems are dependent on them to a large extent. Pay hierarchies show the distinct difference in power and often reflect career progression. However, organisations are gradually moving away from such distinct hierarchies in pay systems by formulating wage structures that encourages wage overlap and opportunities for increment. Graded wage structures are commonly used and though not all are exactly the same, they share common features such as: A salary grade allocated to a job based on an individuals contribution, the labour market and the degree of complexity present in a job. Salary bands or grade in which employees belong to and have to gain promotion in order to progress on to a higher salary band. Each band consists of at least minimum entry point, market or mid-point and a maximum point that employees can achieve. Salary bands are associated with each other; usually the maximum point of a starting salary band is the commencement of the next salary band. The degree of overlap will have to be determined by the organisation. As employees move up along the band, organisations will have to decide if employees move up to fixed points along the bands or should employees be allowed to skip certain points and progress at a faster rate instead. 5.2.7 Reward Mix Although pay is often identified to be the key ingredient in a reward mix, other benefits such as free annual health screening, pension schemes, certified-skill upgrades, use of company vehicles, etc, are just as useful in rewarding employees. When creating a reward mix, the challenge for companies is to identify the strategic reasons for having each benefit in the reward mix and their costs to the company. 5.2.8 Process Issues In the discussion of process issues, the 1st strategic issue to be considered is communication and transparency. As communicating pay objectives to employees clearly is important in achieving positive human resource results, the existing culture of companies usually decides how open the dialogs are. Traditional companies adopt a closed system and keep salary ranges unknown for purposes of pay review. Other companies with open systems often publicise the salary structure and criteria for which salary increment can occur. Open systems tend to instil confidence and fairness into employees as decision-making becomes more transparent and criteria are made known. The 2nd strategic issue concerns with employees degree of involvement in pay decisions. A company aiming to achieve a team-based operating culture and high employee involvement in all aspect of human resource management should consider allowing employees to be involved in determination of job salaries too. Companies adopting close -based systems usually applies HR policies onto its employees and ultimately, companies have to decide whether leveraging highly on employees trust and commitment or otherwise, is more suited to the companys culture. 5.2.9 Reward Systems consequences/integration As HR objectives change over time, so should reward objectives because rewards should be integrated into HR systems. And if the objectives are inline, then the integration between rewards and HR systems will serve well to make a positive impact on employees who in turn stays committed to churn out more positive contributions for the compan

The Vices of Human Nature in Homers The Odyssey Essay -- World Litera

The sum of all human traits is defined as human nature, meaning the excuse for our vices, and the flaws of mortal life. In Homer's The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus demonstrates these flaws throughout his journey, constantly struggling through the eternal fight for realization of life and death, and is weighed down by the never ending power struggle of nature versus mankind. In The final chapters of Odysseus's quest, the reader believes that the main character has finally found himself. The problem with his happy ending is that he has forgotten one thing. Odysseus is not perfect he is human. Though he has learned much through his perils, the vices of Pride, vengeance, and dependency, all come back to haunt him during the slaughter in the hall, leaving the reader to wonder if he learned anything during his time away from home. What if the true lesson learned was that human nature will always prevail? In book twenty-two, when Odysseus is preparing to slaughter the suitors, he exclaims, murdering bow in hand: "Look-your crucial test is finished, now at last! But look ...

Nationalized Health Care

The topic of nationalized healthcare evokes visceral reactions from supporters and foes alike. The rational argument for such a program is often lost in emotional rhetoric. Those who don’t have access to good health care want it. Those who can take advantage of the latest innovations want to continue to do so.The morality of the issue, however, is irrelevant until we answer a few basic questions. Would nationalized healthcare bankrupt America? Would the quality of care be good? Would innovation be stalled in a federally controlled system? These questions have been debated before, but it is rapidly becoming apparent that America will have to move toward such a system in order to have a healthy, productive workforce in the 21st century. Evidence shows that it can be done, and at a lower cost than what might be expected.Arguments against NHCOpponents of a nationalized health care system fear the creation of a vast federal bureaucracy. The bureaucracy itself would result in severe tax raises. By its nature, they say, a federal bureaucracy of this size cannot operate efficiently and effectively. Decisions on personal health care should not be put into the hands of the federal government.Profit drives innovation. For this reason, it is no surprise that the majority of medical advances have been made in the United States. A federally controlled system will, by its nature, restrict the profits of firms engaged in medical research. Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff was quoted in a recent issue of Reason Magazine:  If all countries squeezed profits in the health sector the way Europeand Canada do, there would be much less global innovation in  medical technology.(Bailey, 2005)Reports of long waiting times for care in nationalized systems such as Canada’s have further energized opponents of NHC. Americans deserve the best in healthcare. How can a system that relies on rationing of health care provide the best in care? Those who can afford it ha ve access to the best health care in the United States. For those who cannot, there are already many options. Health insurance pools, Medicare, Medicaid, hospital and corporate assistance programs provide a safety net for those without standard insurance. The overwhelming cost of heath care simply cannot be borne by the federal government. Tax increases will cause the loss of jobs and create a drag on the economy that benefits no one.Arguments for NHCMany Americans assume that they are getting the best health care in the world. This is not necessarily true. Mortality rates and other measures of overall health lag behind other countries that have nationalized single-payer systems.The cost of health care has also become a major issue that will have ripple effects through the economy. A recent article by Julie Appleby in USA Today cites evidence that should concern employers trying to maintain a productive workforce:Already the average yearly cost of the most popular type of insuranceà ‚  plan offered by employers hit $11,765 this year†¦Average premiums  have risen 87% since 2000, while workers earnings have risen 20%.  (2006)The multi-payer, multi-layered system of healthcare in the United States generates billions of dollars of waste. In fact, enough money could be saved by moving to a single-payer structure to pay for the health care of the 46 million Americans who are not insured.A New York Times article cites evidence from a New England Journal of Medicine study that a single-payer system could actually cost less:  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦administrative costs represented 31 percent of total health care  spending in the United States, about double the proportion in  Canada, which has a single-payer system.  (Lohr, 2004)In our current system, claims are shuffled back and forth between insurance agencies, employers and the government. The cost of this paper shuffling cannot be underestimated. The time involved also penalizes the provider who may have to wait for months to get paid for services as each agency tries to negotiate a favorable price.Dr. Himmelman, a co-author of the NEJM study concludes that:The savings from moving to a single-payer system, estimated, would  be roughly $375 billion a year. That allows you to cover everyone.  (Lohr, 2004)Spreading the risk among the entire population would also reduce costs. This, in fact, is how insurance companies make money. With the entire adult population paying premiums to the government in the form of taxes, the cost for any one individual is held to a minimum.Innovation can, and does, still exist under a single payer structure. Drug companies, for example, will still have access to federal funds for research and development. They still can reap tremendous profits by developing widely used medicines. Patient financial assistance programs, which most drug companies have, would no longer be necessary in a fully insured nation. They will also save money from only having to deal with one entity. That money can then be used for R & D.Innovation has not dried up in countries that have single-payer systems. For example, many of the recent advances in the treatment of juvenile diabetes have originated in Canada or Europe. The Edmonton protocol provides hope for a cure through islet cell transplants. Their studies are now being replicated in the United States. Profits are still enormous for innovative companies in those countries. In the U.S. the profits for these innovative firms are not necessarily as high as one might expect. The lions’ share of health care profits in our system goes to the insurance companies. Those companies make money, in effect, by rationing health care, thereby spreading their risk. Predictably, they are against a nationalized system that would cut them out of the loop.Analysis and ConclusionPowerful insurance companies and other lobbying interests have been able to forestall a nationalized health care system. The last major attempt was ma de early in the Clinton presidency. Our country has changed dramatically even since then. The robust economy has drawn millions of new workers. At the same time, health care costs have spiraled to unprecedented levels. Continued economic growth requires a productive, permanent workforce.The Census bureau estimates that 46.6 million Americans are without health insurance, greatly limiting their access to preventive care. Preventive care is the single most important element to maintaining long-term health. Millions more people are under insured. Who are the uninsured? According to the New York Times:  Eighty percent of the uninsured are members of working families.But either their employers do not offer health insurance or they find  their share of the employers’ plans too expensive.(Lohr, 2004)Some who resist a national system argue that individual health savings accounts can be an effective way of paying for health care. In some cases, this is true. A question arises, how ever: Can health savings accounts keep up with the spiraling cost of health care? For most people, it is unlikely.A single-payer, nationalized health care system would have multiple benefits for the United States. Employer costs would be reduced, freeing them to expand their businesses and create more jobs. The administrative costs of a single federal system would be enormous, but still less than the multi-payer system we have today.Individuals would have guaranteed access to preventive care, an act that has been proven to save money in the long run for both the person and the system.More healthy days for the workers means more production at work and more growth of business. That, in turn, brings more tax revenue to the government. If tax increases are necessary for the initial set-up of the system, they will be more than offset by the decreases, or elimination, of health care premiums.Given the nature of our global, competitive economy, it just makes good sense to keep as many peop le healthy and productive for as long as possible. This means that everyone has to have access to health care. Unfortunately, this is getting progressively more difficult. Eventually, the nation will pay an economic price for this.The good news is that the evidence shows us that national health care is not as expensive or substandard as we may think. The United States can afford a national health system. Instead of being a drag on the economy it would be a stimulant. Sooner or later it will become necessary.SourcesAppleby, Julie. â€Å"Consumer unease with U.S. health care grows†. USA Today, 16 Oct.2006.Bailey, Ronald. â€Å"2005 Medical Care Forever†. Reason Magazine, 15 Jun. 2005.Clancy, James. â€Å"U.S. should adopt Canada’s public health care model†. National Unionof Public and General Employees [online] 2004. Accessed 27 Nov. 2006 from   Lohr, Steve. â€Å"The Disparate Consensus on Health Care for All†. The New York Times[

Code of Ethics Essay

The primary purpose of a code of ethics is to safeguard the welfare of clients by providing what is in their best interest. It is also designed to safeguard the public and to guide professionals in their work so that they can provide the best service possible. All professional counselors are obligated to perform by a code of ethics. The American Counseling Association (ACA) provides guidance in resolving moral problems that professionals may encounter, whereas Christian counselors not only abide by the ACA Code of Ethics but also by the American Association of Christian Counselors AACC code, which promotes excellence and brings unity to Christian counselors, and gives honor to Jesus Christ. This paper will address the broad similarities and differences between the two codes, as well as comparisons in the specific areas of Confidentiality, Sexual Intimacies and Discrimination. Codes of Ethics Comparison A code of ethics is a systematic statement of ethical standards that represent the moral convictions and guide the practice behavior of a group (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002). † With that in mind, every counseling discipline has an ethics code which is continuously revised and updated to stay current with emerging issue, and to promote elevated clarity and direction to the profession. Thus, the ACA and AACC codes of ethics were both created to assist their members to better serve their clients. They also define values and behavioral standards necessary for ethical counseling. Yet while they are similar in intent, they are distinct in their foundational premise. General Similarities and Differences Both codes stress the importance of â€Å"promoting the welfare of consumers, practicing within the scope of one’s competence, doing no harm to the client, protecting client’s confidentiality and privacy, acting ethically and responsibly, avoiding exploitation, and upholding the integrity of the profession by striving for aspirational practice †(Corey, p. 6). However, the biggest difference between the two codes rests in the streams of influence, whereas the AACC code is rooted in a biblical worldview. In other words, the primary goal of the AACC is â€Å"to bring honor to Jesus Christ and his church, promote excellence in Christian counseling and bring unity to Christian counselors† (AACC, 2004). However, the ACA’s goals are educational, scientific, and professional. It strives to enhance the quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the counseling profession, and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity (ACA, 2005). The primary goal of the AACC is â€Å"to bring honor to Jesus Christ and is church, promote excellence in Christian counseling and bring unity to Christian counselors† (AACC, 2004) Specific Comparisons Both codes express a high priority on client confidentiality. Also, they express the value of discussing and securing written consent from the client. They also both discuss the importance of client disclosure in that protecting confidential communication is always the first response of the counselor. The counselor is mandated to disclose information in life threaten or abusive situations. However, the distinct difference between the AACC and the ACA is in the area of privileged communication. While both associations require that counselors do not disclose client information as it relates to training, research or publication, the AACC adds that â€Å"Christian counselors do not disclose confidential client communications in any supervisory, consultation, teaching, preaching, publishing, or other activity without written or other legal authorization by the client† (AACC, 2004). The ACA and the AACC codes differ greatly in the concept of sexual Intimacies. In fact, The ACA (2005) used the term â€Å"sexual or romantic interactions or relationship†. In other words The ACA (2005) does not forbid, but sets guidelines pertaining to any participation of sexual or romantic interaction with any current or formal clients for a period of 5 years following the last professional contact. However, the AACC declared that all forms of sexual interactions or relationships outside of marriage are unethical. The only exception to this rule is marriage, which the AACC (2004) declared as â€Å"honorable before God†. Thus, guidelines have been appropriated to allow for such a case. In addition, Christian counselors are also forbidden to counsel current or former sexual partners and or marital partners. (AACC, 2004 )Discrimination can result in serious problems for both the people that hold them and the people that they are prejudiced against. Both associations agree that non-discrimination is the best practice, for clients should not be denied service based on age, religion, sexual orientation etc. However, the AACC maintains its biblical perspective in that counselors are to encourage biblical principles. While Christian counselors must not discriminate, they also cannot condone certain practices that conflict with biblical principles. For instance, in the area of sexual orientation, Christian counselors will not deny service. However they will â€Å"encourage sexual celibacy or biblically prescribed sexual behavior while such issues are being addressed† (AACC, 2004). Conclusion There are many similarities and differences relating to the code of ethics for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the American Counseling Association (ACA). Through these areas we realize that the code of ethics sets boundaries and regulations for all professional counselors and without them, counselors could not be effective or productive in their true calling.

Free Essays on Leadership V. Followership

Possessing skills or knowledge in the area of leadership can benefit people in the future. Effective leaders must understand from where their authority comes. Official authority comes from regulations and manuals or is designated by rank. But authority over people results from one thing- the willingness of those placed in the leader's charge to follow. Ira Chaleff, author of the article "Learn the Art of Followership," puts it this way, "The relationship between leaders and followers all the way up and down the organization chart makes programs, breaks programs, and makes or breaks careers. Members must smoothly shift between the leader and the follower roles." The willingness of subordinates to follow erodes when a leader undermines those in authority. This undermining can come in several forms: arguing publicly with a supervisor, not carrying out responsibilities, and complaining or making biting comments about supervisors to subordinates. When a leader behaves poorly as a follower, how can subordinates be expected to do better? Followership hinges on integrity- it must be present in leaders and followers alike. No one can expect people to support decisions if there is one hint of compromise or lack of integrity. Organizations should understand the dynamics of leader-follower relationships and work towards developing both roles in their people. Chaleff believes that superior followership requires loyal and energetic support of the leader’s agenda and a willingness to challenge the leader’s policies or behaviors if they are harmful to the common purpose. Followership takes courage- sometimes more courage than leadership. Followers should be aware that leaders have earned their place because of their experience and knowledge. They should respect the role the leader has earned. There are times when a follower may disagree with a decision being made and will express concern. But once the decision has been made, ... Free Essays on Leadership V. Followership Free Essays on Leadership V. Followership Possessing skills or knowledge in the area of leadership can benefit people in the future. Effective leaders must understand from where their authority comes. Official authority comes from regulations and manuals or is designated by rank. But authority over people results from one thing- the willingness of those placed in the leader's charge to follow. Ira Chaleff, author of the article "Learn the Art of Followership," puts it this way, "The relationship between leaders and followers all the way up and down the organization chart makes programs, breaks programs, and makes or breaks careers. Members must smoothly shift between the leader and the follower roles." The willingness of subordinates to follow erodes when a leader undermines those in authority. This undermining can come in several forms: arguing publicly with a supervisor, not carrying out responsibilities, and complaining or making biting comments about supervisors to subordinates. When a leader behaves poorly as a follower, how can subordinates be expected to do better? Followership hinges on integrity- it must be present in leaders and followers alike. No one can expect people to support decisions if there is one hint of compromise or lack of integrity. Organizations should understand the dynamics of leader-follower relationships and work towards developing both roles in their people. Chaleff believes that superior followership requires loyal and energetic support of the leader’s agenda and a willingness to challenge the leader’s policies or behaviors if they are harmful to the common purpose. Followership takes courage- sometimes more courage than leadership. Followers should be aware that leaders have earned their place because of their experience and knowledge. They should respect the role the leader has earned. There are times when a follower may disagree with a decision being made and will express concern. But once the decision has been made, ...

Cahokia - Prehistoric Capital City on the Mississippi

Cahokia - Prehistoric Capital City on the Mississippi Cahokia is the name of an immense  Mississippian (AD 1000-1600) agricultural settlement and mound group. It is located within the resource-rich American Bottom floodplain of the Mississippi River at the junction of several major rivers in the mid-central United States. Cahokia is the largest prehispanic site in North America north of Mexico, a proto-urban center with numerous allied sites spread across the region. During its heyday (1050-1100 AD), the urban center of Cahokia covered an area of between 10-15 square kilometers (3.8-5.8 square miles), including nearly 200 earthen mounds arranged around vast open plazas, with thousands of pole and thatch houses, temples, pyramidal mounds and public buildings laid out in three great planned residential, political and ritual precincts. For perhaps no more than 50 years, Cahokia had a population of about 10,000-15,000 people with established trade connections throughout North America. The latest scientific research indicates that Cahokias rise and fall were engineered by immigrants who together refashioned the Native American communities for the greater Mississippian culture. The people who left Cahokia after its breakup brought the Mississippian culture with them as they traversed throughout fully 1/3 of what is today the United States. Cahokias Chronology Cahokias emergence as a regional center began as a collection of rudimentary Late Woodland farming villages about 800, but by 1050 it had emerged as a hierarchically-organized cultural and political center, inhabited by tens of thousands of people supported by local plant domesticates and maize from Central America. The following is a brief chronology of the site. Late Woodland (AD 800-900) numerous small farming villages in the valleyFairmount Phase (Terminal Late Woodland AD 900-1050), the American Bottom had two many mound centers, one at Cahokia and the Lunsford-Pulcher site, 23 km (12 mi) to the south, with a total population at Cahokia of around 1,400-2,800Lohmann Phase (AD 1050-1100), Cahokias Big Bang. Around 1050, there was a sudden growth at Cahokia with a population estimated between 10,200-15,300 people within an area of 14.5 sq km (5.6 sq mi). Changes concurrent with the population explosion included community organization, architecture, technology, material culture, and rituality, all of which likely involved in-migration from elsewhere. The site was characterized by large ceremonial plazas, post-in-circle monuments (woodhenges), dense habitation zones of elites and commoners, and a central core of 60-160 ha (.25-.6 sq mi) of at least 18 mounds surrounded by defensive palisadesStirling Phase (AD 1100-1200), Cahokia still controll ed the American Bottom, the lower portions of the Missouri and Illinois river floodplains and the adjacent hilly uplands, amounting to some 9,300 sq km (~3,600 sq mi), but the population was already in decline by 1150, and its upland villages were abandoned. Population estimates are 5,300-7,200. Moorehead Phase (AD 1200-1350) Cahokia saw steep decline and final abandonmentthe latest population estimates for the period are between 3,000-4,500 Greater Cahokia There were at least three great ceremonial precincts within the region known as Greater Cahokia. The largest is Cahokia itself, located 9.8 kilometers (6 miles) from the Mississippi River and 3.8 km (2.3 mi) from the bluff. It is the largest mound group in the United States, centered on an expansive 20 ha (49 ac) plaza fronted on the north by Monks Mound and surrounded by at least 120 recorded platform and burial mounds and lesser plazas. The other two precincts have been impacted by the modern urban growth of St. Louis and its suburbs. The East St. Louis precinct had 50 mounds and a special or high-status residential district. Across the river lay the St. Louis precinct, with 26 mounds and representing a doorway to the Ozarks mountains. All of the St. Louis precinct mounds have been destroyed. Emerald Acropolis Within one days walk of Cahokia were 14 subordinate mound centers and hundreds of small rural farmsteads. The most significant of the nearby mound centers was likely the Emerald Acropolis, a special religious installation in the middle of a large prairie near a prominent spring. The complex was located 24 km (15 mi) east of Cahokia and a broad processional avenue connects the two sites. The Emerald Acropolis was a major shrine complex with at least 500 buildings and perhaps as many as 2,000 during major ceremonial events. The earliest post-wall constructed buildings date to about 1000 AD. Most of the remaining were built between the mid-1000s to the early 1100s AD, although the buildings continued in use until around 1200. About 75% of those buildings were simple rectangular structures; the others were political-religious buildings such as t-shaped medicine lodges, square temples or council houses, circular buildings (rotundas and sweat baths) and rectangular shrine houses with deep basins. Why Cahokia Blossomed Cahokias location within the American Bottom was crucial to its success. Within the limits of the floodplain are thousands of hectares of well-drained tillable land for farming, with abundant oxbow channels, marshes, and lakes that provided aquatic, terrestrial, and avian resources. Cahokia is also quite close to the rich prairie soils of the adjacent uplands where upland resources would have been available. Cahokias cosmopolitan center including people migrating in from different regions and access to a broad trading network from the gulf coast and southeast to the trans-Mississippi South. Vital trading partners included the Caddoans of the Arkansas River, people of the eastern plains, the upper Mississippi Valley, and the Great Lakes. Cahokians dabbled in long-distance trade of marine shell, shark teeth, pipestone, mica, Hixton quartzite, exotic cherts, copper, and galena. Immigration and Cahokias Rise and Fall Recent scholarly research indicates that Cahokias rise hinged on a massive wave of immigration, beginning in the decades before AD 1050. Evidence from upland villages in Greater Cahokia indicates that they were founded by immigrants from southeastern Missouri and southwestern Indiana. The influx of immigrants has been discussed in the archaeological literature since the 1950s, but it was only recently that clear evidence showing a huge increase in population numbers was discovered. That evidence is in part the sheer number of residential buildings built during the Big Bang. That increase simply cant be accounted for by birth rates alone: there must have been an influx of people. Strontium stable isotope analysis by Slater and colleagues has revealed that fully one-third of the individuals in mortuary mounds at Cahokias center were immigrants. Many of the new immigrants moved to Cahokia during their late childhood or adolescence, and they came from multiple places of origin. One potential place is the Mississippian center of Aztalan in Wisconsin since strontium isotope ratios fall within that established for Aztalan. Main Features: Monks Mound and Grand Plaza Said to have been named after the monks who were using the mound in the 17th century, Monks Mound is the largest of the mounds at Cahokia, a quadrilateral flat-topped, earthen pyramid that supported a series of buildings on its upper level. It took about 720,000 cubic meters of earth to construct this 30 m (100 ft) tall, 320 m (1050 ft) north-south and 294 m (960 ft) east-west behemoth. Monks Mound is slightly larger than Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and 4/5 of the size of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. Estimated at between 16-24 ha (40-60 ac) in area, the Grand Plaza just south of Monks Mound was marked by Round Top and Fox mounds on the south. A string of smaller mounds marks its east and west sides. Scholars believe it was first used as a source of soil for mound construction, but then it was purposefully leveled off, beginning at the end of the eleventh century. A wooden palisade enclosed the plaza during the Lohmann phase. It took an estimated labor of 10,000 person hours to build even 1/3-1/4 of the entire plaza, making it one of the largest construction projects at Cahokia. Mound 72: The Beaded Burial Mound 72 was a mortuary temple/charnel house, one of several used by the Mississippians at Cahokia. It is rather inconspicuous, measuring only 3 m (10.5 ft) high, 43 m (141 ft) long, 22 m (72 ft) wide, and it is located 860 m (.5 mi) south of Monks Mound. But it stands out because there were over 270 individuals deposited in 25 burial features (several suggesting human sacrifice), along with large votive caches of artifacts, including arrow bundles, mica deposits, discoidal chunkey stones, and masses of shell beads. Up until recently, the primary burial at Mound 72 was considered a double burial of two men lying atop a beaded cloak with a birds head, alongside several retainers. However, Emerson and colleagues (2016) recently restudied the discoveries from the mound including the skeletal materials. They found that, rather than being two men, the highest ranking individuals were a single male buried atop a single female. At least a dozen young men and women were buried as retainers. All but one of the retainer burials were either adolescents or young adults at the time of their deaths, but the central figures are both adults. Between 12,000-20,000 marine shell beads were discovered intermingled with the skeletal material, but they were not in a single cloak, but rather strings of beads and loose beads placed in and around the bodies. The researchers report that the birds head shape shown in the illustrations from the original excavations may have been an intended image or simply fortuitous. Mound 34 and Woodhenges Mound 34 at Cahokia was occupied during the Moorehead phase of the site, and while it is neither the largest or most impressive of mounds, it held evidence of a copper workshop, a nearly unique set of data on the hammered copper process used by the Mississippians. Metal smelting was not known in North America at this time, but copper working, consisting of a combination of hammering and annealing, was part of the techniques. Eight pieces of copper were retrieved from Mound 34 backfill, sheet copper covered in black and green corrosion product. All of the pieces are abandoned blanks or scraps, not the finished product. Chastain and colleagues examined the copper and ran experimental replications, and concluded that the process involved the reduction of large chunks of native copper into thin sheets by alternately hammering and annealing the metal, exposing it to an open wood fire for a few minutes. Four or perhaps five massive circles or arcs of large postholes called Wood Henges or post circle monuments were found in Tract 51; another has been found near Mound 72. These have been interpreted as solar calendars, marking the solstices and equinoxes and no doubt the focus of community rituals. Cahokias End Cahokias abandonment was rapid, and that has been attributed to a wide variety of things, including famine, disease, nutritional stress, climate change, environmental degradation, social unrest, and warfare. However, given the recent identification of such a large percentage of immigrants in the population, researchers are suggesting an entirely new reason: unrest arising from diversity. Americanist scholars argue that the city broke apart because the heterogeneous, multiethnic, likely polyglot society brought social and political competition between centralized and corporate leadership. There may have been kin-based and ethnic factionalism that may have reemerged after the Big Bang to splinter what began as ideological and political solidarity. The highest population levels only lasted about two generations at Cahokia, and researchers suggest widespread and tumultuous political disorder sent groups of immigrants back out of the city. In what is an ironic twist for those of us who have long thought of Cahokia as the engine of change, it may well have been the people who abandoned Cahokia beginning in the mid-12th century that spread the Mississippian culture far and wide. Sources Alt S. 2012. Making Mississippian at Cahokia. In: Pauketat TR, editor. Oxford Handbook of North American Archaeology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p 497-508.Alt SM, Kruchten JD, and Pauketat TR. 2010. The Construction and Use of Cahokia’s Grand Plaza. Journal of Field Archaeology 35(2):131-146.Baires SE, Baltus MR, and Buchanan ME. 2015. Correlation does not equal causation: Questioning the Great Cahokia Flood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112(29):E3753.Chastain ML, Deymier-Black AC, Kelly JE, Brown JA, and Dunand DC. 2011. Metallurgical analysis of copper artifacts from Cahokia. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(7):1727-1736.Emerson TE, and Hedman KM. 2015. The dangers of diversity: the consolidation and dissolution of Cahokia, Native North Americas first urban polity. In: Faulseit RK, editor. Beyond Collapse: Archaeological Perspectives on Resilience, Revitalization, and Transformation in Complex Societies. Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press. p 147-178. Emerson TE, Hedman KM, Hargrave EA, Cobb DE, and Thompson AR. 2016. Paradigms Lost: Reconfiguring Cahokia’s Mound 72 Beaded Burial. American Antiquity 81(3):405-425.Munoz SE, Gruley KE, Massie A, Fike DA, Schroeder S, and Williams JW. 2015. Cahokias emergence and decline coincided with shifts of flood frequency on the Mississippi River. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(20):6319-6324.Munoz SE, Schroeder S, Fike DA, and Williams JW. 2014. A record of sustained prehistoric and historic land use from the Cahokia region, Illinois, USA. Geology 42(6):499-502.Pauketat TR, Boszhardt RF, and Benden DM. 2015. Trempealeau Entanglements: An Ancient Colonys Causes and Effects. American Antiquity 80(2):260-289.Pauketat TR, Alt SM, and Kruchten JD. 2017. The Emerald Acropolis: elevating the moon and water in the rise of Cahokia. Antiquity 91(355):207-222. Redmond EM, and Spencer CS. 2012. Chiefdoms at the threshold: The competitive origins of the primary state. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 31(1):22-37. Schilling T. 2012. Building Monks Mound, Cahokia, Illinois, a.d. 800–1400. Journal of Field Archaeology 37(4):302-313.Sherwood SC, and Kidder TR. 2011. The DaVincis of dirt: Geoarchaeological perspectives on Native American mound building in the Mississippi River basin. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 30(1):69-87.Slater PA, Hedman KM, and Emerson TE. 2014. Immigrants at the Mississippian polity of Cahokia: Strontium isotope evidence for population movement. Journal of Archaeological Science 44:117-127.Thompson AR. 2013. Odontometric determination of sex at Mound 72, Cahokia. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 151(3):408-419.

The Main Aim of a Research Paper

The Main Aim of a Research Paper The Main Aim of a Research Paper A research paper is one of the most commonly assigned tasks at both high school and college. That is why every student knows how challenging such a task may be and often claim that it only adds inconvenience and stress. However, a research paper, if completed properly, is a great way to understand the subject and give a tutor a chance to evaluate a variety of skills. A real goal of completing a research paper It is as simple, as A-B-C: you won’t be able to finish post-secondary grade until you will be ready to complete such assignments. Research papers give your professors a chance to evaluate not only your knowledge of the subject but also your abilities to find relevant sources and data, process it and use the material in a clear and understandable manner. In addition, you will be able to show your tutors how well you are able to shape your personal opinion on a subject and back it with relevant information. The main difference between a research paper and a creative writing is that you should always put logic first. No need to make up anything: just use facts and arguments to cover the topic. It is probably the most valuable and important advice you will ever get on an academic assignment. How to complete As any academic task, a research paper has some rules and guidelines, which you need to follow. While such rules may not be too strict or obvious, there is always one thing you need to remember: always follow the structure. A proper structure of your work gives the reader a chance to understand the subject and make up personal opinion on the matter. Another important lesson you will learn from a research paper is that you should always base it on other works and studies. Being able to process various sources and make up your own vision on the subject is one of the most valuable lessons any student can learn from an academic writing. What will you learn If you think that completing a research paper is causing you stress and you don’t feel like finishing it, you need to consider all of the benefits. Such task gives you a valuable experience of working with various sources, analyzing information and improving knowledge on the subject. That is why benefits of a research paper include: Learning various information. You will always know more! Obtaining logical skills. Constant analyzing will definitely help in future; Argumentation skills that are useful even in daily lives; Gaining confidence to support your point of view. All these skills will bring you an ultimately new experience and you will not only be able to complete a great research paper but will also improve  the quality of your life.

Linguistic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Linguistic - Essay Example Although OED describes itself as descriptive by taking a more objective approach: allowing English users to utilize words according to which way they think is more appropriate; somehow, it is not as descriptive as other dictionaries like Merriam Webster’s or American Heritage considering that it subdues itself from adopting slang, newly-created words. For example, both Merriam Webster’s Dictionary and OED recognizes the word â€Å"skunk†; nevertheless, OED sticks with the original meaning while Merriam Webster’s Dictionary takes a new definition of the word which means â€Å"an obnoxious or disliked person† (Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, â€Å"Skunk†). OED claims that "it traces the development of English from the earliest records, and formally from 1150 AD, up to the present day" (Oxford English Dictionary, â€Å"Guide to The Third Edition of the OED†). Anyone can nod as to the looseness of the rules in this dictionary, but still, it has the slightest leanings towards prescriptivism. Acocella (5) asserts â€Å"the most curious flaw in the descriptivists’ reasoning is their failure to notice that it is now they who are doing the prescribing.† OED and other descriptivist dictionaries are becoming more of a trendsetter rather than an agency to respond to the changing needs of the society. However, OED’s belief that it’s a descriptivist dictionary but claims it â€Å"does include information on which usages are, or have been, popularly regarded as ‘incorrect’† may just be a sign that it’s not fully descriptivist

The Life of Mozart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Mozart - Essay Example Born in 1756, Mozart seemed to have inherited the interest for music from his father, Leopold Mozart who was a choir master and the court musician for the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg (Herbermann, 1913, p.623). Mozart demonstrated his skills in piano before he was above five years of age. He was honored with the Order of the Golden Spur when he was only thirteen years old. Mozart had an estranged relationship with his father though he had gained his initial inspirations from him itself. This had worsened after the death of his mother, when Mozart decided to walk out on his father and become a self made person. He married in Constanze and he also consumed alcohol heavily. It is said the he died of rheumatic fever (Jenkins, 2005, p.113). Music and conflicts Mozart was born in the time when the Christian society was torn between the Catholics and the Protestants. His parents had to travel extensively from London to Austria. Mozart was also a prodigy in languages as he had learnt fiftee n languages over his life time. â€Å"In 1769, the 13-year-old Wolfgang had composed the first 65 pieces in the Kochel catalogue. The Kochel catalogue is the definitive system for identifying Mozart’s works; each piece is designated by either â€Å"K†, for Kochel or â€Å"KV†, for Kochel-Verzeichnis (German for Kochel Catalogue) and followed by a number between 1 and 626† (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, n.d, p.2). Mozart met Johann Christian Bach during 1764-1765 who made a big impression in his career and music (Flothuis, 2001, p.2). Bach’s music had greatly influenced Mozart to compose his creations in the form of symphonies and piano concertos. He had also absorbed some of J.C. Bach’s creations in his own music. Mozart was a very troubled person from within. He was not accepted by the society initially and his financial condition was also very poor. He was also neglected by the emperor Leopold II who thought his music to be a laughable kind of music. The previous emperor, Joseph II, had shown admiration for Mozart in spite of his scarcity in monetary support and his infamous comment. However, Mozart was completely ignored by Leopold II who had not included the composer in the musicians who were invited to the coronation of the emperor in Frankfurt in the year 1790 (Greene, 2007, p.410). Compositions During his life time of 35 years Mozart had composed 600 works that included 16 operas, 41 symphonies, 27 piano concerti, 5 violin concerti, 25 string quartets, and 19 masses (Foley & Bangert, 2000, p.210). His compositions had formed the basis for many music composers like Beethoven. In the later years, Mozart had incorporated the musical styles from other countries into his creations. Mozart had perfected the symphony for operas. Mozart was well known for his symphonies such as Symphony No. 40 in G minor. His compositions â€Å"have become synonymous with the Classical "age of elegance," and are perhaps best exemplified by the well-known Serenade in G major, which the composer called Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A little night music)† (The Classical Period, 2008). Conclusion Mozart was considered to be one of the pioneers composers of all times. His music depicted a bold expression that was sometimes complex and dissonant, and often required greater technical knowledge from the musicians who

The great depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The great depression - Essay Example At the same time, inequality grew by 0.1 percent pushing the poor to worse levels while the rich gained more wealth (Mcquaid 636). Evidently, with the rising personal debts and a consistent production of more goods, a balance was unattainable hence triggering a great depression on the lack Tuesday of October 1929. The stock market crashed leading to the worse economic collapse felt all over the world including various industrialised nations such as Europe. Apart from worsening wages, the great depression led to the closure of 11,000 banks out of 25,000 by 1933 in the United States. Notably, the failure attracted a nationwide loss of confidence in the economy. As a result, many people were not willing to invest or meet the high production at the time. Certainly, this aggravated the spiral downfall hence putting into question the relationship build by America from World War I. historically, America emerged from world war I as a major financier of various countries including Europe. Countries like Germany had been weakened by the war and had to pay for war reparations (Freedman 62). It, therefore, asked for a lot of financial assistance from America, which appeared to be enjoying financial stability. Therefore, many countries that suffered from the great depression mainly had debt or credit related issues with the United States. Germany, for instance, had cases of rising unemployment represented by 6 million people, which is 25% of the e ntire German workforce. The great depression was felt in different countries around the globe. It’s huge effects not only forced a new deal in America but directly led to extremism in Germany and most importantly World War II. As a result various key issues contributed to the fall of world economy. Before the industrialization period, limited Americans had a limited access to the banking sector. However, as industrialization gained momentum more banks came into light. Americans

Michael Kors Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Michael Kors - Assignment Example A strong management team in an organization is substantially important in achieving the goals of the organization. Therefore an organization that has such a management gains a competitive advantage in the market. An organization whose specialized teams help in the achievement of the vision afore set vision, is considered to be successful. For instance, a marketing team that successfully keeps an organizations brand selling and even improving over time is a good example of the importance of group work. Mahmohan reports that in order to motivate employees it is necessary to develop and maintain a certain style of management which is appropriate to a good work environment (17). This is majorly the responsibility of a management group obliged with the duty of ensuring a motivating working environment for workers. One way of doing this is by setting specialties to be performed within the organization by teams who specialize in the corresponding fields. According to Drummond & Helga, creating effective teams and groups that are workable is a key contributor to an organizations well-being (32). For instance, a successful entrepreneur, Michael Kors has a senior management team which has an average of 25 years of experience in the retail industry and an average of eight years with

Personal Value and Ethical Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Value and Ethical Standards - Essay Example In purely lexical terms, the word ethics comes from the Greek word ethikos which means ‘based on habit’. In present terminology, ethics is taken to be a branch of philosophy which judges individual and collective actions as being right, wrong, good or bad. In business and professional fields like finance, construction, public relations, advertising and many others, the application of ethical principles is said to be a part of the good practices which create and increase credibility for the business interest (Alexandra & Woodruff, 1990). The field of human services is not exempt from the practice of ethics and there is an entirely different branch of ethics connected with the actions of those who interact with individuals in need. In fact, even those who have no contact with others and are only conducting research on the various topics under the field have to follow ethical and legal guidelines that govern how research can be done on any particular topic (Scanlon, 2000). Thus, every individual from researchers to those who actually provide services have to follow ethical guidelines. Therefore, it is important to understand what ethical guidelines are in actuality. Velasquez et. al. (1987) report that when people on the street were inquired about the meaning of ethics, they said that ethics have to do with internal feelings of what is right and wrong or that ethics are religious beliefs or that ethics are legal requirements. People also considered ethics to be acceptable behavior as per the rules of society and some simply did not know what it meant. While the responses stated above may come naturally given the context the word ethics is so often used in. It must be clarified that ethics have nothing to do with the internal feelings of a person (Alexandra & Woodruff, 1990). This is because personal feelings and emotions about something may lead a person to do what

Fukushima Nuclear Plant Disaster Research Paper

Fukushima Nuclear Plant Disaster - Research Paper Example If left unchecked, these can result in casualties equaling or even exceeding the body count of the previous natural disasters. This being the case, this study intends to take a look at the specifics of the incident – what occurred, as well as how and why. Concluding the study shall be a brief reflection on the incident and its immediate and distant aftermath. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 The Disaster 5 Radiation – The Deadly Consequences 8 Reflection 14 Conclusion 15 References 16 Introduction The disaster that occurred at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant last March came right on the heels of the then-recent earthquake and tsunami that rocked the nation. The said occurrence was a consequence of these natural calamities, and was in fact joined by other nuclear accidents all over Japan. However, the one in Fukushima stands out as the largest. In fact, the magnitude of the disaster is said to be comparable to the tragedy at Chernobyl decades ago (Thomson- Reuters, 2011). The comparison to Chernobyl came courtesy of experts on the subject, which should say something on how catastrophic the Fukushima incident was. On the International Nuclear Event Scale, its rating was a 7, exactly the same as that of Chernobyl, whereas the Mile Island Disaster trailed behind at 5. As shall be explained below, the Japanese government tried to dismiss and downplay the incident to extent, but was eventually forced to concede to its magnitude. Fortunately, casualties resulting from the immediate disaster were relatively few. For sure, the natural calamities that preceded the disaster claimed over 9,000 more lives than the accident at Fukushima. Even then, the latter was still hardly equivalent to a slap on the wrist. The death toll immediately following the disaster numbered at 47. Two of these were Fukushima plant workers unlucky enough to get caught in it, and who sustained multiple external injuries before ultimately dying of blood loss. The other 45 who perished had been patients at an evacuated hospital in Futaba, and who had mostly been suffering from dehydration and starvation. Unfortunately, though, the relatively low immediate body count might be balanced out by an even bigger death toll if things are left the way they are now. As with the disaster at Chernobyl – and, more to the point, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – the area remains irradiated, and cleanup efforts continue up till today. The threat of radiation is arguably the most terrifying thing to have come out of the disaster. The other consequences which have resulted from the accident cannot be seen by human eyes. However, these are unmistakably there, and can in fact result in a much higher body count if left unchecked. Even as it is now, the constant threat of being irradiated has rendered numerous surrounding villages and neighborhoods uninhabitable, which by itself is already a monumental setback for the unlucky ones living there (Maeda, 2011). The Disaster As already noted, the Fukushima disaster ranks among the biggest nuclear catastrophes in recent history, easily at par with or even exceeding what happened at Chernobyl (Thomson-Reuters, 2011) though still on a somewhat lower scale compared to the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs. Considering that multiple reactors were involved at Fukushima, in contrast with

Personal Value and Ethical Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Value and Ethical Standards - Essay Example In purely lexical terms, the word ethics comes from the Greek word ethikos which means ‘based on habit’. In present terminology, ethics is taken to be a branch of philosophy which judges individual and collective actions as being right, wrong, good or bad. In business and professional fields like finance, construction, public relations, advertising and many others, the application of ethical principles is said to be a part of the good practices which create and increase credibility for the business interest (Alexandra & Woodruff, 1990). The field of human services is not exempt from the practice of ethics and there is an entirely different branch of ethics connected with the actions of those who interact with individuals in need. In fact, even those who have no contact with others and are only conducting research on the various topics under the field have to follow ethical and legal guidelines that govern how research can be done on any particular topic (Scanlon, 2000). Thus, every individual from researchers to those who actually provide services have to follow ethical guidelines. Therefore, it is important to understand what ethical guidelines are in actuality. Velasquez et. al. (1987) report that when people on the street were inquired about the meaning of ethics, they said that ethics have to do with internal feelings of what is right and wrong or that ethics are religious beliefs or that ethics are legal requirements. People also considered ethics to be acceptable behavior as per the rules of society and some simply did not know what it meant. While the responses stated above may come naturally given the context the word ethics is so often used in. It must be clarified that ethics have nothing to do with the internal feelings of a person (Alexandra & Woodruff, 1990). This is because personal feelings and emotions about something may lead a person to do what

Outline and evaluate the working memory model Essay Example for Free

Outline and evaluate the working memory model Essay Baddeley and Hitch (1974) developed an alternative model of short-term memory which they called the working memory model. The working memory model consists of four components. The central executive which controls and co-ordinates the operation of two subsystems, the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. The central executive controls attention and coordinates the actions of the other components, it can briefly store information, but has a limited capacity. The phonological loop consists of two parts, the articulatory control system and the phonological store. The articulatory control system (the inner voice) where information is rehearsed sub vocally and has a capacity of about 2 seconds. The phonological store (the inner ear) stores information in speech-based form, the speech input is held for a brief duration. The third component, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, mentally manipulates images and space, for example it is used when a person imagines the encodes visual information in terms of separate objects as well as the arrangement of these objects in ones visual field. The final component, episodic buffer, receives input from many sources, temporarily stores this information, and then puts them together in order to construct a mental episode of what is being experienced right now. The evidence of the existence of the working memory model offers a better account than the STM component of the multi-store memory model. This is because it moves from describing immediate memory as a unitary store to one with a number of components. The working memory model does not over emphasize the importance of rehearsal for STM retention, in contrast to the multi-store model. It is an optional process rather than the only means by which information is kept in immediate memory. The working memory model also explains many psychological observations. The KF case study supports the Working Memory Model. KF suffered brain damage from a motorcycle accident that damaged his short-term memory. KFs impairment was mainly for verbal information his memory for visual information was largely unaffected. This shows that there are separate STM components for visual information (visuo-spatial sketchpad) and verbal information (phonological loop). However, there are also arguments to suggest weaknesses of the working memory model. The main limitation is the lack of evidence for the central executive, some psychologists believe it is too vague. Critics also feel that the notion of a single central executive is wrong and that there are probably several components. This could make the working memory model appear reductionist because it has only been described as being unitary and over simplified. From this, it could be suggested that it is lacking in detail and is not fully reliable. Finally, much of the supporting evidence for this model comes from the study of brain-damaged individuals, where it is impossible to make before and after comparisons, so it is not clear whether changes in behaviour is caused by the damage. Finally, the process of brain injury is traumatic, which may in itself change behaviour. These factors limit the validity of any conclusions drawn.

Language Death: Cultural Issue Or Moral Panic?

Language Death: Cultural Issue Or Moral Panic? The use of English as a spoken and a written language is a fast and growing trend and most countries have been adopting English even in official documents and people are not speaking their native language but increasingly communicating in English in a globalized society. As expressed by researchers, Americanization is a fast and dominant trend and countries are adopting English in schools, offices and media, TV and also music and entertainment. Movies in certain countries are made in English or with English subtitles although English may not be the native language. This means that the minority languages are dying out drastically and this radical change is language has to be noted and important theme among linguists. Language death is widespread as many language are being replaced by English and English is now taking over all other languages as people around the world find it easy to communicate in one language. With globalization, the rate of language becoming extinct continues to in crease alarmingly and will possibly continue to increase in the future. 2)What is language death? According to David Crystal, a language dies when nobody speaks it anymore. Krauss (1992) establishes three types of prognosis for language death and provides the characteristics that would define language death in a specific way, with the prognosis being the probability of continuation or that a language would continue to be used and when it doesnt it is considered dead, or that a language would degenerate to some other language and this degeneration implies that language would get distorted or mixed with other language and finally disappear or the possible rejuvenation of a language which means an old or dying language would be rejuvenated or revived to a new language. Language death occurs when languages become moribund' and a language is no longer learned or spoken as a mother tongue by children and this sort of language that is not used has been considered as doomed to extinction. A language may also be Endangered and although still learned and used by children would likely to cease to be learned by children during the coming centuries so these are endangered. These two categories of languages that are either moribund or endangered according to Krauss make for 90% of the worlds languages and only remaining 10% or 600 languages have been defined as safe, and these are languages that are neither moribund nor endangered and are not in immediate danger of extinction or death (Krauss, 1992). 3) Brief history of language death There could also be certain status issues in language as seen in case of certain languages such as Irish and Sanskrit these are spoken only by traditional people and the modern or urban citizens of either Ireland or India do not speak these languages. In some cases traditional language is spoken by tribes or people of lower socio economic groups and speaking these languages could be associated with low socio economic status as members of high socioeconomic status tend to adopt language that have global appeal such as English. According to Krauss (1992) there are 6900 languages spoken around the world and 3000 of these will not be spoken by the end of the next century and will thus be considered dead or extinct. Language death could have many factors as seen in the history of language and the endangering of language is due to a lack of speakers or there could be less government support in keeping the language from extinction. The threat to language is the pressure to give in to globalization and standardization as using one standard language has become the norm. It has been estimated that the number of English speakers worldwide was 4 million in 1500 although by 2000 the number of English speakers would be 1 billion across the world Otto Jespersen (1938/68). There are speakers of English as a first or native language, speakers of English as a second language and speakers of English as a foreign language. (Pennycook,1994). Language death has been traditionally due to language being lost or not spoken in family and informal situations and this inflicted the death of the language or replacement with another language in church, legal and other official situations. Traditionally language has also died when a majority of their speakers die due to natural disasters or genocides and similar conditions. For instance language spoken in El Salvador such as Lenca and Cacaopera are already extinct and Pipilonly is another language that has a few remaining speakers but there is a gradual shift towards adopting a language that others speak and understand and Spanish and English are becoming popular with older traditional languages becoming extinct in central and South America (Krauss, 1976). In Ceylon there has a death of the traditional Tamil languages with English being used instead and a scholar Sir Arunachalam commented that The root of the evil in Ceylon is that the vernacular is neglected. In Africa, there is a gradual extinction of many tribal languages as these small tribes speak these languages extensively and many of these tribal members are remote from other human habitation and with their death due to harsh African conditions or poverty, ther e would be no one left to speak these languages. 4) Why is language death an important issue? Language death is an important issue as language is related to culture and cultural identity and loss of linguistic diversity could also be a loss of diverse cultures. The issue thus goes beyond language and touches on problems with culture as specific languages would have specific expressions and with the loss of language there would be a loss of such specific expressions and this means that there will also be a loss of knowledge or every few people would be able to relate to cultural knowledge or transfer certain cultural idioms and expressions to the next generation. These cultural expression would then die and a culture itself would die when language dies. Although this sort of scenario may be extreme, these are possibilities and to preserve culture, it would be necessary to preserve language and that is how language death and its analysis and knowing its causes and possible means of preservation of language or prevention of language death could also be studied along with this. D ixon (1997) has suggested that smaller societies and even tribes dealing with minority languages have complex hierarchies and communal relations and associated complex pronoun structures which may not be completely grasped or interpreted with a majority modern language. According to researchers, there is also a feeling of loss of valuable cultural components and information through the process of colonization and modern day globalization. 5) What is the relation between culture and language? Language and culture are related as cultures and cultural identities are expressed with language and expressions that are peculiar to a language and with the loss of different languages it would be difficult to pass certain cultural nuances to the future generations as certain expressions are unique to certain cultural patterns. Language does not exist separate from culture but is an integral aspect of culture and when a language dies it also adversely affects the culture as the culture which is based on the language is suddenly usurped by some other language and this would mean that the cultural basis or roots are lost. It is important to preserve language to preserve culture. 6) Should language death lead to moral panic? It is an open question whether language death is a cultural issue or whether it should lead to moral panic. If cultural identity is to be preserved, language death would definitely mean that there is a death of culture and diversity in this world. The colonisation and globalization issues could be issues of morality as imperialism itself raises ethical questions on whether a foreign culture or language has a right to claim ownership or whether it could completely usurp or conquer other cultures. These are problems that will become even more relevant in a globalized world with increased connectivity when there are practical advantages of speaking in one language. 7) Conclusion Language death is an important both as a moral and cultural issue as languages are an integral part of cultural identity so language and culture are related significantly. People identify with a culture they belong to and thus they also identify with a certain culture and feel a sense of belonging to a group or society or even when they speak a language which is common in a cultural group they identify with the language as well. Other issues apart from culture, society, globalization that will be linked to language death would be morality when a minor language or culture is usurped or conquered by a global or stronger language. In the future a majority language could completely overshadow a minority language. Problem of Oversupply in the Office Market: Solutions Problem of Oversupply in the Office Market: Solutions Proposed Office oversupply solution. Businesses are developing very quickly in the UK and around the world; the shapes of businesses in the world are changing and evolving very quickly. In this assignment we will try to find out long-term and short-term solutions to the problem of oversupply in the office market. Before we can propose the solutions we need to understand how the problem has evolved and the differences between the traditional and modern needs of businesses that resulted from the change in businesses themselves. Traditional definition of office: Office is the physical place from which a company performs its functions. Why firms need an office? Offices are important in order to prove to the stakeholders of the company that the company exists and have a usual place. Offices are normally where staff work and perform their duties. Offices are a place of holding meetings with clients and suppliers. Traditional criteria in choosing the location of the office: In the past, choosing the location of an office was related to many factors, I would mention the most important of them here: Exchanging information with peer companies: in the past, acquiring information was one of the most important issues in building a competitive advantage, companies used to locate their offices close to each other in order to exchange information about pricing, market conditions, supply and demand, for example, in the city of London and New York most of the financial companies were located in central London and Manhattan around the central banks and the stock exchange. Offices are usually located where customers are: companies used to locate their offices where they can meet their customers and know about them more information, for example, the offices of car insurance companies are in the cities where they can meet people and talk to them directly face to face and feel their needs. Offices of one company are close to each other: offices of one company are chosen to be very close to each other in order to depend on each other, exchange goods and services and make it easier to meet and discuss important strategic issues.  Ã‚   Legal relationship between the landlord and the company: The legal relationship between the office owner and the company that occupies the office is usually defined in the lease. What is the lease? GE Capital definition of the lease is that: â€Å"Lease is a legal agreement between the property owner and tenant stipulates the conditions under which the tenant may possess the real estate for a specified period†. Normally, the lease is a long-term relationship between the two parties; this long-term relationship involves financial commitment from the property occupier. Who can afford the lease? The above definition means that the property occupier is traditionally an established business with stable or growing client base and sales in order to meet the financial obligations of entering into the lease. Lease is the most expensive item after the cost of labour. Why small businesses usually fail? Most small businesses have cash flow problems resulting from their obligations to pay their employees, landlords and creditors. Small businesses usually do not have stable cash inflow while they have increasing cash outflow. Long term lease or business rents contribute to the dilemma of the small businesses by not giving them contractual flexibility when signing their lease agreement. Main text: What has been changed? Businesses themselves are in constant change in the world, when businesses change all the functions that are related to them change too such as offices, labour, and markets. Economic factors: I will mention below the most important factors that have change businesses and in turn changed the demand for offices: The world economy depends more than ever on small firms: countries like UK, US and the rest of Europe have established initiatives in order to promote innovation and entrepreneurship; this means that the world economy depends increasingly on small firms that have the potential to grow into medium and large sized firms or diminish. A consequence of having many small firms is that these small firms cannot commit themselves to long-term lease contracts. Information technology: the spread of information technology has made communications between different parts of the business easier, conferences could be held by using telephone conferencing facilities and life video recordings. Consequences: the consequence of information technology on businesses is that many different offices of the company do not have to be close to each other, many companies are choosing to locate their headquarters in remote areas where they can save huge sums of money on paying less rent. Huge banking business lines such as Barclay Card are located outside London in Northampton. Internet: the Internet did not only change the way of doing business but also created new businesses online: many businesses do not need a physical place anymore to operate.   Consequence: the consequence of the Internet on office demand is deep; the Internet has made the demand on office substantially less. Flexible labour: the ups and downs of the recent business cycles are more extreme than ever before, a slowdown in the economic activity could cause the dismissal of hundreds of thousands of employees, while an economic boom requires thousands of employees, companies need flexible offices in order to change the size of the office as soon as possible, companies may need to double their space in 2 months or cut half their space in less than a month. Consequence: the result of the variability in the economic cycles required commercial property providers to be able to meet their clients’ needs by changing the space of the office. Contraction in clerical work: at the beginning of the last century there was an enormous clerical work, all the companies that were working in this field had offices and employed too many people which needed space, the computer and the internet had made clerical companies unviable and forced too many companies to close, this had caused a contraction in the needed space for clerical work.   All the above factors have helped in the drop in the demand for offices in the big cities such as London and New York. There is a clear imbalance in the property markets in many capital cities and especially in London. The problem determination: Residential properties are getting very expensive and many people are buying them in order to make capital gains on them while the revenues from commercial offices are getting less attractive. Office suppliers are taking huge space in order to build offices that are left empty or partially used.    There are many vacant office spaces in London. The reasons for this problem is the fact that office suppliers did not pay attention to the changes to businesses needs in the UK. Office suppliers are still providing inflexible offices for established large and medium businesses and not for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Proposed solutions: There are long-term and short-term solutions to the problem of office oversupply. We will demonstrate below the importance of each one of them in meeting the changing business needs. We cannot apply long-term solutions straight away because of the nature of the property market. Property building is a long-term process; we cannot change the whole on going building work all of a sudden; that’s why we need to differentiate between long-term and short-term solutions. Short-term solutions: Introducing long-term inflation-linked leases: regarding the buildings that have been built and do not meet the current market needs, Property Suppliers could offer many businesses which have stable market share to sign a long term lease by linking the lease rate to the inflation rate. Linking these lease rates to inflation is very important in recession times where the prices of the companies’ products go down while the cash-out flow stays constant for a long time. These type of inflation-linked products could encourage also many large companies to sign up for bigger buildings in case they needed more staff.   Provides contractual flexibility for medium size companies: provide managed offices: research shows that 70% of businesses have at least one empty desk all over the year, the average cost of this empty desk is  £18,000 each year including central heating, this has created the need for elastic buildings, Spencer, J (no date given), these flexible offices are designed to provide medium term (3-5 years) or even short term office space solutions without the financing and the operational risks associated with long-term conventional needs, managed offices provide phones and Internet to all offices, the building has very small offices and very large offices, this would give small companies the opportunities to move into a bigger office as soon as they expand, this type of office is convenient for small companies which could dismiss or recruit staff in the foreseeable future. Subletting: property providers could give their tenant the right to sublet the property if their business has contracted or if they expanded and they need to move to a bigger building.   Providing Unbundled offices for small businesses and entrepreneurs: as we have discussed above, offices are used for many different things such as holding meetings, having physical presence and working from the office: small businesses and entrepreneurs may need only to hire some elements of the traditional office such as meeting rooms and using the address for sending and receiving mail, this has left the door open to introduce virtual offices which are flexible unbundled products (offices), virtual office provide flexibility and reduce rent rates by 40% and 60%, Grand,C (no date given).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Virtual offices do not only reduce the costs of establishing small and entrepreneurial businesses but also can be used by many entrepreneurs and reduce the required size of land that is necessary to build offices. Changing building types: building type could affect prices and capacity directly, in this section I will explain the most important changes to building types: Building skyscraper: when property suppliers build skyscrapers they can use every square meter of the land to build as many offices as they can this can reduce the cost of buying the land compared to the number of offices that they can build, skyscrapers create the sense of communication between the companies that occupy it, skyscrapers contain many small and medium size offices, this will give small firms the chance to lease offices in them. Environmentally-friendly buildings: the environment is a concern for many businesses, governments and individuals; building environmentally friendly buildings means using less cement and depending more on glass, this can changed the shape of the buildings and the cost of the building as well, glass is cheaper than cement because it can be recycled there are huge amounts of glass every where which can be recycled, recycling glass is cheaper than manufacturing glass, this can make the buildings look very modern and become cheaper for small businesses which are looking for an office to rent, glass as well is very energy efficient because it traps the heat inside the rooms, this will make the cost of electricity bills much less than normal, buildings of glass need shorter time to build. Cogeneration potential: cogeneration is generating electricity and heat by installing a generator in the building; this generator runs by gas. The government is sponsoring an initiative in order to encourage office providers to design the building in a way to install micro-CHP (combined heat and power), the building which is designed to contain CHP is different from the building that does not have CHP, the building which is designed to have a CHP must have extra space for huge boiler and steam pipes and a generator, installing CHP in offices can help companies cut their electricity bills substantially, CHP generates electricity depending on gas and supplies electricity to all offices directly, the building which have CHP are more likely to sell electricity to those that do not have CHP through the distribution network, this could be a profit offsetting the reduction in the durations and prices of lease.   Corporate hotels: building corporate hotels can provide very important solution to the office market oversupply; these hotels provide short-term accommodation to businessmen who would like to come to a short business trip to cosmopolitan cities such as London, New York and Hong Kong. Corporate hotels provide fully flexible accommodation in offices that are equipped with the latest communication technologies. Long Term: Changing land use: As we have already pointed out, prices of residential properties are going up constantly and there is a housing crisis in London and major cities of the World (New York, Honk Kong). The solution to this problem may be in redistributing the land between offices and residential areas. As we have already seen from the above analysis, there is an over-supply of offices in the UK and many other parts of the World as a result of changing business needs. Companies that need to get offices in the cities are mostly small companies that are looking to grow. Large businesses are making use of the technological advancements that have happened in the last fifty years in order to move to bigger buildings outside the city. Large businesses find it more cost efficient to move to bigger buildings outside the city, the fixed costs of these companies will drop substantially plus the cost of labour outside major cities will be much less than average.    Large businesses make use of video-conferencing and intranet, information technology in contacting other parts of their business or their suppliers and customers. Offices providers should build more large offices outside the city in order to meet the requirements of large businesses. The change in land use includes giving less land to parking in office buildings in the city: The pollution caused by cars are a major cause of climate change, the UK government in its white paper took the responsibility for reducing CO2 emissions, this includes reducing the number of cars used in the city and encouraging using renewable resources as a fuel for cars. The government had imposed the congestion charge as a way to reduce traffic in the city and encourage people using public transportation. This entails building offices with fewer parking spaces than usual. There is enough land to strike a balance between the residential property market and the commercial property market. Commercial properties have to be more concentrated on a limited size of land; building skyscrapers and building more small and medium offices for small companies and entrepreneurs could do this. The rest of the land has to be redistributed to residential properties in order to build more houses and lower the prices of residential properties. New York Experience: New York has a fantastic experience in the offices markets; New York started building skyscrapers a hundred years ago as a way of hosting thousands of small and medium companies that are trying to make success. The prices of land in New York are not as expensive as the prices of land in London but even though New York businessmen found that building skyscrapers will make the cost of having an office cheaper and this will give New York businesses in a better position compared to their London counterparts. New York has used short-term leases and flexible office space as a way to utilise the empty space that the city had. Not only those, but also the prices of New York residential property are cheaper than the residential property of London. Price competition in New York is a way of solving office market oversupply. Hong Kong Experience: Hong Kong is the major player in Asia; this city has witnessed very impressive economic growth rates in the last century. We will try to find out how the offices providers have responded to the increasing demand of offices in that city. Hong Kong has responded to office oversupply by creating the elastic buildings, which could give small businesses the chance to move to bigger or smaller offices as soon as the size of their business expands or shrinks. Honk Kong encourages elastic buildings because they encourage investors to invest their money in Honk Kong. Honk Kong is an emerging market and international investors want to enter and exit the market as required, the elastic building has given them the flexibility in exiting and entering the market and dropped the requirement of capital investment in leases in order to establish a presence in that city. The elastic building helped to solve the problems of office oversupply and undersupply. The city of Hong Kong has introduced corporate housing which is a fully furnished apartment equipped with information technology in order to give the businessman the chance of working from home without hiring an office and wasting time travelling from one area to another. The corporate housing has created an ideal housing for businessmen who came to Hong Kong in order to explore the possibilities of establishing business their. Corporate housing is a major competitor to business hotels, corporate houses have created a very flexible office space, and this has helped in solving the problem of office oversupply. The city of Hong Kong is full of skyscrapers in order to maximise the number of offices built on every square meter of the land. Conclusion: This research has looked at the office market oversupply from economic viewpoint as well as building viewpoint. Introducing flexibility in the contractual relationship between the landlords and the hiring companies and taking into consideration the environmental concerns in building offices can find solutions to office market oversupply. The solution is a mix between changing contractual relationships and building types. The lease has to be flexible in order to fit the requirements of small businesses. Short-term solutions include being aware of the environmental concerns; building environmentally friendly offices can be used as a competitive advantage in order to market these offices. This environmental competitive advantage can be used in increasing demand for offices and making more profit by reducing the costs of heating and building the property. It is very important as well to build more offices outside the major cities in order to meet the needs of large businesses. Office market supply depends on the general economic activity, there is no solution to office market oversupply or undersupply but there are some tools that may help reduce the cyclical effects of the economic activity on the office market. Reference: Grand,C (no date given): Virtual Office: Risk Management, Security, Control and Auditing, institute of internal auditors. Spencer, J (no date given):   The ‘elastic building’ can help you s-t-r-e-t-c-h- your budget