Present the case against the anthropogenic causes of global warming Essay

Present the case against the anthropogenic causes of global warming - Essay Example This phenomenon is termed as global warming. There can be many negative consequences of global warming including growing risk of human survival on this planet (Maslin, 2007, p.9). One impact of global warming is melting of ice in the north and south poles which includes glaciers and ice sheets over West Antarctica and Greenland. There is also the risk of rising of the sea level that will result in inundation of the low-lying areas. Many species of the earth like penguins and polar bears are rapidly decreasing in number due to the melting of ice caps. Due to increased precipitation, there has also been an increase in rain and snowfall around the world. There is also damage of coral reefs because of warming of sea water; almost one third of coral reefs have already been severely damaged (Effects of global warming, n.d.). The concept of man’s impact on global warming has currently become a controversial issue because of the various difficulties faced by scientists while studying climate change. This paper argues against the anthropogenic factors of global warming and presents the natural and scientific factors responsible for this phenomenon. Greenhouse effect Greenhouse effect is the phenomenon of increased temperature of the earth’s surface and lower level of atmosphere due to emissions of various gases. Similar to a glass house where heat enters but some of it is retained and is prevented from going out, the earth’s surface too absorbs two-thirds of the sun’s radiation and expels one-third of the heat. In order to maintain balance of the solar heat the earth has to give back equal amount of heat to the atmosphere. Since the earth is colder than the sun, it reflects back heat in longer wavelengths than the sun’s radiation. A large part of this thermal energy emitted by land and water bodies is absorbed by the atmosphere and also by clouds that result in rainfall and cooling of the earth’s surface. This entire phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect (What is the greenhouse effect? 2007, p.1). The most important greenhouse gas is water vapour followed by carbon dioxide which is the second most important greenhouse gas. Some of the other greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere are methane, ozone and nitrous oxide (Montzka, et al, 2011, p.43). If there would been no greenhouse effect then the surface of the earth would have been colder than the present temperature. The estimation is that without greenhouse effect the temperature of the earth’s surface would have been 330 C, and the earth would not have been appropriate for living beings to survive. The concern among scientists is that human activities may increase greenhouse gases to a high level which will lead to increase in temperature by 50 C within the middle of this century. However, the extent to which human life will be affected is still under controversy as it is still a matter of speculation how much the temperature change will affect the normal patterns of rainfall, drought, seasons and sea level (Schneider, 1990[1], p.13). The amount of thermal energy reflected back to space by the earth’s surface depends upon the temperature of the surface. A hot surface will radiate more thermal energy than a cold surface. The amount of radiation is also

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by Essay

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by a few relatively small economies could trigger such a wid - Essay Example The issues referring to the economies affected by the crisis shall also be discussed in this paper in order to establish the impact of sovereign debt to the euro financial crisis. This paper is being carried out in order to establish an academic and analytical discussion of the European crisis, linking its causes with its eventual impact on a larger economic region. Body The European crisis significantly impacted on the European financial market. Various elements colluded in order to cause the European crisis, with the crisis more or less unfolding in smaller economies, including Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. The money market was significantly affected by the deterioration in market conditions which started in 2007 (European Central Bank, 2012). The interbank markets are usually subjected to counterparty risk. The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 led to lower confidence in the market, which then caused issues in financial integration (European Central Bank, 2012). Such event trig gered the increase in cross-country dispersion in overnight rates, as well as lower interbank market activity. Although measures to address market tension were implemented by the European Central Bank, the tension re-emerged in 2010 due to pressures in euro government bond markets (European Central Bank, 2012). More remedies were implemented by the ECB which helped improve the money market in the euro area. However, in 2011, more pressures on the euro sovereign bonds caused issues in market integration. Such deterioration also became apparent in the secured financial market. In 2011, the ECB once again introduced remedies to ensure liquidity support for financial institutions (European Central Bank, 2012). Price-based remedies implied deterioration in the integration of the money market, specifically for short maturities. Integration gains which were expected after the bailouts were reversed by the crisis. With longer maturities, the measures of integration seemed to be stable; howe ver in 2011, these measures actually indicated deterioration (Dadush, et.al., 2010). The sovereign bond markets went through significant tension in 2011. During the onset of the financial crisis in 2010, only three smaller countries were severely affected; however, in 2011, the larger countries were soon affected, especially in terms of their bond yields (European Central Bank, 2012). Moreover, market declines in sovereign yields could not be reached with the implementation of fiscal adjustments, as in the case of Ireland. Improvements in the sovereign bond market were evaluated based on simultaneous movements in yields. Europe for the past 2-3 years has been faced with a very serious crisis (European Commission, 2010). The bond market has already been closing to the euro-area countries, and for those who are still open, they are charging high rates of interest for any loans or investments. The increase in bond yields is based on the fact that where investors view more significant r isks associated with their investments in a country’s bonds, they would also likely need higher returns in compensation for such risks (European Commission, 2009). An unfavourable cycle often ensues from this situation as the demand for higher yields would lead to higher costs in borrowing for the country. This causes financial issues

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy The Chinese ideal of a family follows the Confucian belief that the family should be big and complex. The father is to have as many sons as possible so that the son can fulfill his obligations to the father and their lineage  [1]  . The family is very important for the Chinese that they even coined the term familism which is the basis of a kind of society distinctive from any other kind in the world  [2]  . This means that whatever the members of the family are doing should be only for the benefit of their family. Because of familism, a Chinese couple feels compelled to have at least one male child. The Chinese believe that having a son will benefit them in many ways and one of these is to ensure that their family line would be continued  [3]  . The family in the Confucian view stresses the significance of hierarchy. Confucius also said that in a relationship, one should command and the other should obey. It is now known that the one who commands is the man or the elder, while the one who obeys is the woman or the younger person. The Chinese family is very paternalistic in a sense that it favors the men of the family more than the women  [4]  . Unlike in the West, children in China were not as treasured by their parents. They were more of necessities for the families especially in the rural areas, so that they could help their parents with work in the fields. Sons were especially valued because of their ability to provide for their parents and to carry on their family name, something that the women can never be capable of doing  [5]  . The men are also the only ones who have direct access to Heaven and they can perform rituals for their ancestors. The one who was in charge of the rituals is called the descent-line heir or the tsung-tzu  [6]  . For the Chinese, having a daughter would not be beneficial to them in any way because daughters would eventually leave them to join her husbands family. She would worship their ancestors and serve his family. Having a son would be an assurance to a family; that the son would care for his parents and stay with them even after he gets married  [7]  . The men of the family would also inherit the property that is left to them, and there is no way that a woman would be allowed to become heir to what has been left by the ancestors. An example of this would be the opposition of Chu Hsi, one of the most influential leaders of the Learning Way Movement, in his Family Rituals that a daughter cannot inherit her parents estate even when she had no (more) brothers. A woman, without brothers, inheriting the property of her parents was a Sung practice, but Chu Hsi emphasized that the males should be the ones inheriting the properties because if it were women, then such property would be obtained inappropriately'  [8]  . Everyone knows about how China is becoming more developed and as a result, the population of China has been growing rapidly. China had to do something about the population growth because the government was not able to meet the needs of the citizens anymore. To add to that, death rates were also declining. The government had different programs to prolong a couple from having a child such as encouraging them to get married late. This policy was implemented to answer the problems of overpopulation. Couples who abided by the policy would receive incentives, while those who decide to have more than one child would have to pay the sanctions  [9]  . Chinas one child policy was launched in the year 1979 by former Premier Deng Xiao Ping  [10]  . The main purpose of this policy is to stop the rapid population growth of the country that was clearly evident during the year 1949, when the population was nearly half a billion, the same time when the Chinese Communist Party was establishing itself and thought that this concern would hinder development  [11]  . The policy was not supposed to be permanent but because it was successful, they decided to continue implementing it. It was also not applied to all places in China. Places that do not practice the policy are Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and in total only about 40% of the Chinese population practice the one-child policy  [12]  . The policy itself is not fully unreasonable since it had a practical purpose of controlling the population growth which was certainly necessary at that moment. The only time it gets out of hand is when the Chinese norm of favoring sons enters th e picture. The fact that a family has to have only one child is absurd. How can the government of China expect to control millions of families in the country? Is this even possible? In the urban areas, people found it difficult to resist this policy because of their social and economic conditions as well as the strict ruling of their leaders during that time. However, this is not the case in rural areas wherein active resistance could be seen everywhere. This is because of their childrens contribution to the typical Chinese agricultural family and for their role in preserving the family line. Because of the unfairness of this policy, a lot of people resisted in three forms: first was when the targets confronted the implementers of the policy; second was the escape from the policy by either deceiving rural cadres or colluding with sympathetic ones; third was to appear to be complying with what the state wanted but defying them at the same time. This means that the state succeeds when the couple would obey the states policy of having only one child (even if they want more), but the same couple would reveal the influence of a counter-discourse that challenges the s tates ideological claim to dominate child-bearing when they practice female infanticide. Couples would then resort to ultrasound technology, wherein a rural or urban couple can engineer the sex of their baby  [13]  . The problem of population growth can be seen mostly in rural areas since 80 per cent of Chinas population is rural and 87.2 per cent of births occur there. The government tried to reason out with the peasants regarding the change in family size but they were not successful in changing their minds. By the year 1970, incentives and penalties were introduced as part of the two-child policy campaign. These were even highlighted during 1979, when the one-child policy was finally launched  [14]  . Why the Chinese peasants preferred to have a large family is due to economic reasons. They felt that having a large family would bring more advantages for them, as compared to having only one child. The advantage would be that the family would receive an allocation of grain distributed on a per capita basis. The same goes for the allocation of land that is why people in the rural areas can expand their homes when they expand their families  [15]  . Sometimes, these children would help their parents by gathering materials related to the maintaining of the land such as water and fuel. They would also feed the animals and weed private plots. These tasks could be done even by children, thus it helps the parents prepare for the more rigorous chores. Their children are also the only large-scale investments of the peasants because sons join the work force and they eventually have to provide for their families  [16]  . The preference for sons is also evident in the rural areas because they continue their family line, whereas most of the women get married outside their village, live with their in-laws and join their labor force. This preference is also reflected in a survey conducted during the year 1981. The participants are those couples who had a second child. 42.61 per cent of the 1000 participants had one son and 57.39 per cent had a daughter. When they were asked why they had another child, 50.5 per cent said that they wanted a boy and only 11.4 per cent said that they wanted a girl. This clearly indicates that majority of the respondents prefer a son over a daughter  [17]  . Because they had to, the people from the rural areas used different methods to postpone the creation of children. Some relied on the low cost methods of contraception such as IUD and the second method is sterilization. However, those with only one child have a hard time using this method because they would consider having a second child in replacement of the first one just in case the first one dies or becomes disabled. They do not take pills that much because it is more expensive and supply could be a problem for them. In some rural areas, particularly in Sichuan, vasectomy was used. Both men and women had more complaints regarding the side-effects of this method because the men claimed to be losing their strength. However, this method became very effective because Sichuan was most successful in reducing its birth rate. There was also induced abortion, which was originally just a back up method and was not really meant to be an independent option for contraception  [18]  . Despite the resistance, people still follow because there would be incentives and penalties enforced just to make sure that no one will go against the policy. Among the many incentives are a nutrition allowance, a full adult grain ration and free medical, educational and kindergarten facilities for the child. An example of the penalties on the other hand is the deduction of the couples income by 20 per cent from the time the second pregnancy is discovered but this 20 per cent will be returned to them if they had the child aborted. There are times when a couple is allowed to have a second child. Among these are if the first child suffers from a disability that would hinder him from working or if both are overseas Chinese who have just returned from another country  [19]  . The policy was more successful in the urban areas than in the rural areas. This could be due to the aim of the government that 95 per cent of the married couples in the cities and 90 per cent in the countryside will have only one child so that by the end of the century, China could limit their population to about 1.2 billion  [20]  . As early as 1955, family planning was being enforced in the urban areas of China  [21]  . Chen Da, a pioneering demographer, emphasized that people who received education overseas would more likely have less children because they have a background on birth control  [22]  . The people from the urban areas were more open and accepting of the one-child policy because for one, there were efforts to raise the status of the women by letting them enter into the labor force. Child bearing and rearing are not the only things that a woman is bound to do with all the work that she has  [23]  . The Chinese from urban areas also see children as more of an economic liability because it requires a lot of effort, attention and resources (like money) to raise them but these children contribute little to the lives of their parents  [24]  . Different families have various practices or methods to get rid of a daughter. One of these is female infanticide or the intentional killing of baby girls  [25]  . The couple will resort to female infanticide to try their luck again hoping that they would get a boy the second time around (or kill the girl when the mother gets pregnant with a boy)  [26]  just so they could comply with the policy that was being implemented  [27]  . There are also hospitals in China that have contraceptive technical guidance institutes. These institutes have lower level workers who are trained in the four operations which are tubectomy, vasectomy, insertion and removal of the IUD, and induced abortion  [28]  . IUD and sterilization are widely used in China; in fact, as many as 50 per cent of the Chinese rely on IUDs and sterilization is the second most widely used form of contraceptive method  [29]  . Partly because of these methods, it became possible for China to control its people. Again, the motive of preventing overpopulation is not a bad thing. In fact, it would be helpful to the government so that it could rule the country better. However, is this inhumane policy the only option that they had? Is it really success that they are achieving? Would they call this successful when they know that there are innocent babies killed along the way? The Chinese may have controlled the growth of their population but they are also encountering problems as they go along with their one-child policy. This policy has prevented around 4oo million births, according to Chinese officials  [30]  . Because there are fewer children that are born, there is an expanding population of the elderly. This is a problem because there would be less number of young laborers in the future when the elderly die  [31]  . Another problem is the ratio of men and women because men have been outnumbering women already by about 60 million. This imbalance between men and women would make it difficult for the former to look for wives; therefore they can result to human trafficking of women and children  [32]  . The policy is even crueler because of the inequality between men and women. The government has been addressing this issue saying that men and women must be equal at all costs and that this equality has to be promoted through media. People who commit infanticide, those who neglect or abandon their children or any act that would harm people especially female babies must be punished  [33]  . If the government really means this, then they could already stop with the payment of fines for having more than one child and just have a law against female infanticide, or better yet just abolish the policy. Unfortunately, the Chinese will still be continuing this policy in the coming decades to control the population growth in their country  [34]  . According to the official and minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Zhang Weiqing, China will not make any changes for about another decade because it has been effective in controlling their population growth. Since Chinas population is growing by 17 million per year (according to China Daily as of 2008), abandoning the policy would have major fluctuations in population growth. Officials said that the one-child policy was the only choice that was available and realistic at the time of the construction of the policy, but they are now considering amendments to it, but abolishing it would cause many problems  [35]  . The Philippines is also experiencing an event that is quite similar to the policy that China has implemented on its country for a long time. There may be many people in the Philippines, but they are still able to live their lives normally because the resources are sustaining them. There would be no poor people if only there was equal distribution of resources to all the Filipino people. The church also claims that poverty is not because of overpopulation but is due to the irresponsible and corrupt government that the country has  [36]  , but what exactly is overpopulation? As defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, overpopulation is the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash  [37]  . The option that the lawmakers are considering is the Reproductive Health Bill that promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible  [38]  . The difference of this from Chinas one-child policy is the variation of the Filipino and Chinese mentality; that the former does not favor any gender because Southeast Asian countries tolerate both genders. The cause is the same-which is to control population growth, but the motive is different because while China intends to just control their population, the Philippines aims to eliminate poverty by controlling the population growth. The cause may be reasonable but some parts of the bill are disadvantageous to the lives of the Filipinos, especially the Filipino women. Some institutions are supporting the RH Bill like the National Council of Churches in the Philippines or NCCP, saying that the Reproductive Health Bill does not necessarily promote anything illegal such as abortion  [39]  . However in the bill, it is said that women with post-abortion concerns will not be treated differently  [40]  . Does this mean that the government will still tolerate abortion even if they mentioned in the bill that abortion is illegal? Is what the NCCP saying about the bill not promoting abortion true? Another is the mandatory sex education for elementary students  [41]  . Some parents have a difficult time explaining to their children about how they came to life or even talk about sex with them. Usually parents would wait for the right time to educate them about these things so that the child would understand better. If the law requires mandatory sex education, then these children will be more curious and try to experiment things and be exposed at a very young age. Just like Chinas one-child policy, the RH Bill may have a good purpose but its execution and some of the policies in it are not beneficial. The bill promotes responsible parenthood  [42]  but does this responsibility involve the choice between having the baby and having the baby aborted? If there is the belief that the Philippines is overpopulated, then why not use this to our advantage? Why not use the money for creating jobs instead of spending so much on contraceptives (or letting the corrupt officials keep the money) that will not bring any benefit to a persons life? Our religion is also different from the Chinese. Filipinos do not see their children as economic liabilities because Filipinos are more emotionally attached to their children. The punishments in case of non-compliance stated in this bill will also have a great impact in the lives of the Filipinos who are compelled to comply with the provisions  [43]  . Filipinos must be alarmed that there is so much poor people because the population is rapidly increasing that is why they are assuming that the country is becoming overpopulated and we need to solve this problem. However, the Philippines does not need the RH Bill because the country is not overpopulated. There is the assumption that poverty and overpopulation are connected, and by controlling the population, poverty will be reduced. According to Simon Kuznets, a Noble Prize Winner and author of Population and Capital Growth, there is no clear connection between overpopulation and economic development  [44]  . Places such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are overpopulated but still flourish. The population density of Taiwan is 1,460 per square mile but CIAs World Factbook 1999 stated that Taiwans per capita gross domestic product is $16,500  [45]   What the Filipinos need is a better and more capable government instead of implementing an unnecessary law. As for China, they are also starting to question their own policy  [46]  and because they are already having doubts, then it is best that they reconsider executing it for another decade. By doing this, China would cease to harm innocent human beings and prevent the Philippines from following the footsteps of China in putting something unethical into practice.

Clone :: essays research papers

Pre-Mature Decision Millions of people pour into movie theatres every weekend to view movies about sports, romance, politics, and Science Fiction. While most of these movies are meant exclusively for entertainment, occasionally people will leave a theatre believing what they had viewed. Science fiction movies do this very well, especially when it comes to the topic of cloning. These movies from time to time have involved cloning machines, where a character walks into the machine and out he comes along with his clone. This might have made the movie enjoyable, but have put the idea of cloning in a bad light. There are many reasons why the public fears cloning, however, most fears are unsupported. People are afraid of cloning just as they are afraid of anything new in their lives. This immature fear led congressional representatives to an immediate ban of all research and practice of cloning. Cloning should have never been banned, the action taken was inappropriate and had absolutely no factual reasoning. The statement that "Humans are not guinea pigs" is one of the most common claims made by those who oppose cloning. However, in all morally relevant respects, this is not true. Every one of us is an experiment; a result of a couple of people getting together in the back of a car, a hotel room, or some dark and secluded part of the house, throwing together the ingredients that created us. In many cases, the people who created us may not have even wanted to form a person by their actions, though they did. In this respect, clones will be far further from being guinea pigs than most people who are conceived through traditional methods. Which means that if the cry "humans are not guinea pigs" really has some sort of moral force, it would argue for prohibiting traditional reproduction long before it will have any applicability to cloning (Fyfe par. 26-30). Another very common fear is that cloning will be used to create armies or slaves. Armies and slaves can be created faster and more cheaply by other means than cloning. This fear of a â€Å"2nd Holocaust† is very frivolous. It is unlikely that clones will ever be mass-produced as some people fear. Women would have to go through having to bear them , not mentioning that someone also has to raise them. This is an important point that much discussion about cloning overlooks.

Performance Management and Executive Compensation Essay

Introduction In the history of modern economies, from the late 1800s to today businesses have faced ethical challenges regarding compensation for executives and its relation to job performance. In response to major economic crises during the 20th century, the United States enacted broad-based legislation measures as attempts to prevent what were seen as ethical challenges and agency conflicts surrounding both performance management and executive compensation. To understand the current issues facing businesses and regulators, it is important to look at three of most significant legislative acts Congress has passed. The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934, as well as the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 represent legislative interventions regarding corporate financial accounting toward the goal of curtailing the ethical challenges and the conflict of agency problems that can arise from performance management and executive compensation. Yet even after these laws were enacted, ethical conflicts can and still do arise when it comes to the compensation for employers and executives. Securities Act of 1933 The Securities Act of 1933 was born in response to the stock market crash of 1929. Just as it was then, companies who issue securities to raise money for funding new investments or to expand operations have an inherent incentive to present their company and its plans in the rosiest light possible to investors (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 serves the dual purpose of ensuring that issuers of securities to the public disclose material information to investors as well as ensuring that any securities transactions are not based on fraudulent information or practices (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 affects public disclosures through a mandatory registration process for sellers and brokers and applies to the sale or trade of any regulated security type (Sarkar, 2013). Securities Act of 1934 (a.k.a. the Exchange Act) The Exchange Act primarily regulates transactions of securities that take place after its initial offering by a company (Sarkar, 2013). These transactions often take place between parties other than the issuer, such as through trades that retail investors execute via brokerage firms (Sarkar, 2013). The biggest effect of The Exchange Act was the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a federal agency responsible for regulating the securities markets (Sarkar, 2013). Since 1934, the SEC has taken on the role of mitigating fraud, abuse, and other ethical issues in the financial reporting of publicly traded entities. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 was the most significant legislation passed since the 1930s and came in the aftermath of the corporate scandals at companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen (Amadeo, 2013). Sarbanes-Oxley created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a new organization whose purpose is to help oversee the accounting industry (Amadeo, 2013). To prevent the sort of conflicts of interest that had led to the Enron fraud, SOX established new prohibitions for auditors when engaging in consultation work for their auditing clients. It also banned company loans to executives and gave increased job protections to whistleblowers (Amadeo, 2013). Performance Management and Executive Compensation Even after the passing of the Securities and Exchanges Acts of 1933 and 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, there are reasons to be concerned about ethical violations in financial accounting. Two areas where there still exist possibilities for unethical activity which could harm the supply of reliable information to investors are the performance management within a company and the compensation packages of executives. Current Ethical Challenges When evaluating situations to support ethical decision-making, one must first identify the ethical problems as they arise (Eldenburg, 2005). Performance measurements are most often measured in terms of time or financial figures – â€Å"how long† or â€Å"how much.† When selecting a new CEO, the board of directors is required to offer a financial package that is both lucrative enough to attract the most qualified individual and yet also appears fair to other ranking executives of the company. Such financial packages need to be approved by the major shareholders when the salary will impact the company’s financial reports. During an economic recession, firms may significantly downsize their workforce as well as benefits and labor rates employees receive, yet often find themselves contractually obligated to hand-out large bonuses and increasing salaries for their executives. This is potentially a major ethical issue for a company and its executives, with the fibers of the company being reduced while executives are earning more and more – even though the firm is struggling. â€Å"CEOs at the country’s 200 largest companies earned an average of 20 percent more last year than in 2009, according to recent corporate filings. By comparison, average pay for workers in the private sector rose just 2.1 percent last year—nearly the smallest increase in decades† (Harkinson, 2011). It is also not unheard of for CEOs to be forced to step down while still receiving their lucrative compensation packages only to also be given a generous â€Å"golden parachute† as they leave. Excesses like this can have detrimental effects on employee morale as the majority of the company often consists of those earning the least. Boards of directors should take into consideration the financial standing of the firm before they offer an over-the-top compensation package to a CEO. As an illustration of the contrary, Steve Jobs volunteered to work at Apple for a salary of only $1 per year: â€Å"A regulatory filing shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ compensation package remained the usual $1 in fiscal 2010†¦ as is customary, Jobs got no bonus or perk† (â€Å"Steve Jobs,† n.d.). In terms of ethical challenges and executive compensation, Jobs proved by his example that it is possible to put the company first – even if that meant earning a salary of $1. CEOs do not often have to settle for such low salaries to show leadership and camaraderie; however, accepting less exorbitant amounts can help avoid accusations of greed and impropriety altogether. Current Agency Issues â€Å"Principals hire agents to make decisions for them and to act in their behalf† (Eldenburg, & Wolcott, 2005, pp. 591). Often, agents may go on to hire agents of their own, delegating authority and establishing sub-units known as responsibility centers which can decentralize decision-making and accountability. A particularly special case of the principal-agent relationship involves the executives of companies who are effectively agents of the shareholders selected to run the company. â€Å"Four common types of responsibility centers are cost centers, revenue centers, profit centers, and investment centers.† (Eldenburg & Wolcott, 2005, pp. 595) Those agents who possess decision-making authority over a responsibility center use demographic financial data provided by the accountants for budgets and reviews of sales, profits/losses, value appraisals, and costs. Accountant and audit provided information is used to evaluate and measure performance, monitor the effectiveness of managers, reward performance, and influence decisions. (Eldenburg & Wolcot, 2005) The audit information accountants prepare and present is vital to the principal/agent relationship and performance measurement, but also has its costs. The primary challenge presented by the principal/agent relationship concerns the high level of pressure to perform that an agent can experience in the form of the agent’s compensation. Money, as well as other forms of compensation such as bonuses and stock options, increased authority, and ownership expectations are direct motivators of challenges to the ethical foundation of agent performance. When principals evaluate the performance of agents, their decisions are likely to be based on the same accounting information their agents also used. This common use provides a potential incentive for an agent to alter, falsify, or otherwise misrepresent certain data that principals receive. As decision-making authority is granted from a principle to an agent, the agent’s performance is evaluated to some degree from each authority level. Evaluating the effectiveness of the decisions made in each agency level or responsibility center is the core of measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance. Poor performance leads to a loss of decision-making authority, responsibilities, compensation, and other benefits within the entire principal-agent structure. Conversely, outstanding performance has the opposite effect and benefits everyone up the principal-agent ladder. Conclusion The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934 are essential because of their transparency as spelled out in their objectives, and for providing prospective investors detailed information about investment decisions. Their main purpose was to protect shareholders from misrepresentation and scam in the selling of security. The Acts mandated that securities sold to the public within the United States of America must be listed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Later, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was established to make sure that CFOs and CEOs authenticate and approve the financial reporting of their companies. Despite these monumental pieces of regulation, which resulted in the creation of two separate oversight agencies, there are still situations susceptible to ethical challenges and agency issues; particularly concerning performance management and executive compensation. References Amadeo, K; 2013. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Retrieved from http://useconomy.about.com/od/themarkets/p/sarbanes-oxley.htm Eldenburg, L. & Wolcott, S. (2005). Cost management: Measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance, (1st ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Harkinson, J. (2011). America’s 10 Most Overpaid CEOs. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/10-most-ridiculously-overpaid-ceos McConnell, C., & Brue, S. (2005). Economics: principles, problems and policies (16th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Sarkar, D; 2013. Securities Act. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/securities_act_of_1933 Steve Jobs again earned $1 for work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.timesleader.com/stories/Steve-Jobs-again-earned-1-for-work-at-A,115771

Assesment 6 Practical Team Sport

BTEC SubsidiaryExtended Diploma In Sport QCF Level 3 Unit 8: Practical Sport (PT) Unit 22: Rules, Regulations and Officiating in Sport (R&R) Assessment 6 of 8 P1 Skills and techniques- Passing: the skill off passing is used when a player on the same team is giving the ball to another member, this is called passing and this is used to spread the play across the line of attack as the ball in tag rugby cannot be passed forward so generally the ball will be thrown sideways or backwards using the following technique.When the player feels that it is right they will look for a pass by doing this there head position will be looking to where they plan on the ball reaching and this is typically to the midriff of a player on their team so to perform this skill they will have their feet shoulder width apart so that they have balance but also they will have the ball in both hands so that they do not drop it when using the passing action which is having both hands either side of the ball bringing the ball back to create momentum and power and then bring it towards their target and releasing giving the force that is required for it to reach their team mate.Catching: This skill is when you are receiving a pass as you will have to catch the ball and to do this to make your teams play fluent and quick you must have a good technique on how to catch the ball.To have a good technique on catching the ball you must make sure your hands are clear and visible for your teammate to see that you are ready for the ball but then when the ball is heading in your direction you must make sure that your feet are shoulders width apart and that you have a solid base and you are balanced then make sure your hands are close to your chest so that if you happen to miss the ball it will rebound off your chest and will be easier to catch , before catching the ball your head and eyes must be looking at the irection of the ball so that you are ready then when successfully catching the ball look for optio n on whether to pass it on or make a run forwards. Intercepting: The skill of intercepting is used when you prevent the opposition’s team from making a pass and you catch it which then converts possession into your teams favour.The technique of this skill is identifying where the ball is going to go and getting your body position correct to quickly react and catch it before a player on their team does for example if you are about to go in for an interception you will need to keep eyes on the ball and make sure all your body is in line with the ball including your hands so that you can grasp it in mid-flight. After you have caught the ball there will usually be a gap in their defence so as soon as you catch it there will be the opportunity to run for the score zone.Blocking: This is a skill used again for preventing the opposition from retaining the ball and the technique for this is to get any body part in the way of the balls intended destination. The technique to doing this is to make your body as big as possible with the biggest surface area as possible. To do this you will need to stretch out every limb possible and direct them in the way that the ball is heading so that you can block it. Tactics: on1 defending: This is when your team is the defending team and every person on your team has a person to mark on their team and it is your job to mark them so within tag rugby you would be lined up in your defensive line opposite the person you will be marking, a good point to this is that everyone on their team will be marked however if the person you are marking gets passed you then there is very little cover to prevent them from scoring a try. on 1: This is a tactic used when there is a specifically good player on the oppositions team and it is used by 2 players marking the 1 player that is dangerous to their team and it is there job to mark and defend against this one player, an advantage of this is that it may prevent that one player from scoring how ever because two people are marking 1 player it will leave a player on the other team without someone marking them so it could expose their defence.Zonal defending: this is where the defending team do not mark a person instead they mark zones so for example within tag rugby there would be teammates marking the middle sections and wide sections off the pitch and it is their responsibility to make sure that no one gets past them in that area however this can be quite a hard tactic to implement as everyone in the team needs to be disciplined else gaps would open up in the defence leading to opportunities for the attacking team to score.Half court: This tactic is again one that you would use for defending and this is where your team will only defend half the pitch so when the other team has it in there half they will not pressure them and let them have the ball but then as soon as the ball comes into the defensive half there will be high pressure on the ball carriers and players around them to try and gain possession back and limit the amount of chances the team will get, However leaving the team with this amount of space gives them time to build up pace which could mean that the defending team may not be able to catch the attacking team. M1 Passing:

How to negotiate maternity leave with your employer

How to negotiate maternity leave with your employer Whether you’re pregnant or merely thinking about expanding your family, it’s important to know how to address the issue with your employer. We know it can be tricky to navigate the discussion, so we’ve compiled some tips on how to approach the topic with your boss. Know what kind of leave you’re owedMany companies offer some kind of paid maternity or parental leave (which can include paternity leave or the time to care for a newly adopted child). The length of time can vary, so be sure to check your own company’s policies to see what the baseline is. With paid leave, the company pays for a certain number of weeks off.If your company doesn’t offer paid leave, or you want to take additional time off for parental leave, then you could be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). FMLA leave is unpaid, but it ensures that your job will be secure for up to 12 weeks’ absence. This kind of leave can be used flexibly for any f amily purpose- like maternity or paternity leave, or caring for a sick relative.Have a plan in placeBefore you go to your boss, know what you’re planning to do. How many weeks of paid (or unpaid) leave are you expecting to take? Will you have a mix of paid and unpaid leave? When will it start? When do you anticipate being back? Are you seeking a flexible work schedule once you’re back to work?When you’re planning for your leave, know what it is you want. If your company has a flexible policy or if you’re hoping to negotiate terms outside of the stated leave policy, knowing what your options are and what you want to get out of the discussion is key. The more you have figured out up front, the better you’ll be able to present a sensible plan to your boss and negotiate as necessary.As you prep for your meeting with your boss (in person is best, even if you’ll have to file a written parental leave plan later), it can also help to have informatio n and statistics about how parents and children benefit from that initial bonding time, and how self-care improves outcomes for new parents and their babies.Don’t wait too longIt’s better to start talking with your boss about your plans as soon as you feel comfortable disclosing your pregnancy status. You don’t have to announce it to your entire work world just yet, but kicking things off with a confidential discussion with your boss gives you (and your company) the time you’ll need to plan ahead for your leave.Negotiate to get the leave you wantNegotiating leave is pretty similar to negotiating your initial job offer or when you want a raise. Like with any other negotiation, it’s important to approach it with realistic expectations. Sure, in an ideal world you’d have, say, a year off with pay. In reality, most workplaces offer a limited number of weeks, so it’s unlikely you’d be able to negotiate a huge extension of existing p olicy.Instead, make sure your plan balances what you want and need for your family with your company’s expectations. It may be that you can get more time, but at a reduced salary. Or maybe you can create a flexible schedule where you work a different schedule or part-time for a certain period of time. If you’re seeking something above and beyond your company’s stated policy, be ready to compromise and have other options in mind (like unpaid leave beyond a certain point if your employer can’t or won’t extend a certain amount of paid leave).If you give yourself the time to hash this out with your employer and have all the necessary information at your disposal, you’ll be able to come up with a plan that works for you, while keeping your professional life on track. And don’t forget that haggling over these things now might seem stressful, but it can help you get the most out of your parental leave when the time comes.

dresden essays

dresden essays It is said that war is inhuman, but I have to disagree. War is vicious, immoral and heartless-true, but if anything it is one of the most human things that exists today. War satisfies a deep primal urge that very few other things can. Battle and fighting in general are very deeply inlaid into the human psyche, the primitive brain holds a certain hunger for the loss of life and pain of others. But modern man is said to have evolved past that. Instilling cutting edge technology to do the dirty deeds of trained madmen, we can sit back, breathe easy, and convince ourselves that we are not deeply relishing this sadistic feast of mortality. The excuses for carnage in 1945 were incendiary bombs. These were bombs filled with some sort of highly combustible chemical, usually napalm. With these, firestorms were invented. Firestorms consist of hundreds of incendiary bombs dropped from planes over a target. After the area catches fire, the air above the bombed area becomes extremely hot and rise s rapidly. Cold air then rushes in at ground level from the outside and people are sucked into the fire. One of the most sadly unknown, yet most deadly of firestorms is Dresden during World War II. The Allies deliberately attacked Dresden in order to break the morale of the Germans. It was claimed that the real reason behind the bombing of Dresden was the destruction of Germans main communications center, but in reality it was a refuge. Dresdens normal population of 650,000 had most likely doubled in the ending months of the war. RAF commanders have said that the bombing was really to trap the German civilians inside, not allowing them to leave the country. Others have said it was to show the Russians how much firepower the British and the U.S. controlled. For whatever reason Dresden was destroyed on February 13th, 1945. 775 Avro Lancasters were sent from the Oboe ground station close behind the front line. 3,300 to ...

Organization Questions on SAT Writing Tips and Tricks

Organization Questions on SAT Writing Tips and Tricks SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT Writing and Language section tests you on where to place sentences within a paragraph and where to place paragraphs within a passage. You may not know exactly how to approach these questions if you've never encountered these types of questions on other tests. Fortunately, organization questions aren't overly difficult if you know how to recognize and approach them. In this article, I'll do the following: Explain the different types of organization questions on SAT Writing Provide a step-by-step approach to answering each type of organization questions Offer tips to help you answer organization questions on the SAT. Organization Questions on SAT Writing Organization questions ask where a sentence or paragraph should be placed within a passage. To correctly answer organization questions, you must understand the passage to ensure that each sentence and paragraph is logically connected. Generally, there are about 2-3 organization questions on SAT Writing. How to Identify an Organization Question Being able to identify an organization question will help you figure it out efficiently. Luckily, organization questions are easy to spot. Bracketed numbers in front of the sentences in a paragraph signal an impending sentence order question: Similarly, numbers at the top of each paragraph signal a paragraph order question: If you see numbered sentences or paragraphs in a passage, you know that an organization question is coming. Cupcakes and organization questions come in different types.(Hungry Dudes/Flickr) The 2 Types of Organization Questions Here’s how most organization questions will be phrased. Type 1: Sentence Order Questions Most sentence order questions will look like this: Or you might see a question that looks like this: For both types of questions, you have to determine where the sentence should be placed within the passage. Type 2: Paragraph Order Questions This what paragraph order questions look like: Like sentence order questions, paragraph order questions are pretty straightforward. You just have to select where a paragraph should be placed to make the passage most logical. Step-By-Step Approach to Answering Sentence Order Questions I’ll go through the step-by-step process for how to answer a sentence order question. Take a look at this question from a passage about video game designers: #1: Determine What the Question is Asking Read these questions carefully so you know what to look for and how to go about answering the question. In this question, we have to determine where sentence 5 logically fits in the paragraph. #2: Go Through the Answer Choices Go through the answer choices to determine the best placement for the sentence. Let’s look at our options: A. Courses in psychology and human behavior help you develop emphatic collaboration skills, while courses in the humanities, such as in literature and film, should give you the background necessary to develop effective narrative structures. A designer also needs careful educational preparation. B. A designer also needs careful educational preparation. A basic understanding of computer programming is essential. C. Consider taking some general computer science courses as well as courses in artificial intelligence and graphics in order to increase your understanding of the technical challenges involved in developing a video game. A designer also needs careful educational preparation. D. DELETED from the paragraph If you need more information to determine if a sentence logically fits in the paragraph, you can skim the paragraph plugging in each answer choice. #3: Eliminate Wrong Choices The right choice should logically follow the sentence before and connect to the following sentence. Answer choice A doesn’t work. The sentence before discusses specific educational preparation a designer needs. Then, the following sentence says that a designer also needs educational preparation. That doesn’t make much logical sense. Similarly, in answer choice C, the first sentence mentions specific courses a designer should take, and the following sentence states that a designer also needs careful educational preparation. Therefore, we can eliminate choices A and C. #4: Review the Paragraph With Your Remaining Choices to Determine What’s Most Logical In answer choice B, the paragraph starts with the sentence that a designer also needs careful educational preparation. The rest of the paragraph is about the education that a designer needs to be successful. That sentence is a good introduction for the paragraph, and the rest of the paragraph makes logical sense. In answer choice D, the paragraph starts by claiming that a basic understanding of computer science is essential, but the paragraph is about all the different types of courses that a designer needs. Answer choice B would give the paragraph the best introduction and make it most logical. The correct answer is B. Step-By-Step Approach to Answering Paragraph Order Questions Sentence order questions are much more common, but you may encounter a paragraph order question on the SAT. You’ll go through a similar process to determine where a paragraph best fits in the passage. Take a look at this paragraph order question: #1: Determine What the Question Is Asking The question is straightforward. Where should paragraph 2 be placed to make the passage most logical? Also pay attention to the wording in the answer choices. We want to select which paragraph to place paragraph 2 AFTER. #2: Determine the Main Idea of the Paragraph Knowing the main idea of the paragraph will help you decide where the paragraph should fit in the passage. Let’s take a look at the paragraph in this question: Often, the main idea of the paragraph can be found in the first or second sentences. This paragraph is discussing the details of an extravagantly decorated living room from the era of French king Louis XV. In a passage, each paragraph should connect to the next; therefore, the main idea of one paragraph should logically connect to the main idea of the paragraph that follows. #3: Go Through the Answer Choices Use the main ideas of the other paragraphs and the general structure of the passage to determine if it would be logical to place paragraph 2 after a certain paragraph. Here are the main ideas of the paragraphs in the answer choices: A. Paragraph 1 is about the narrator’s favorite exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, which was one of its tiniest: the Thorne Miniature Rooms. B.Paragraph 3 provides a description of the exhibit, which features miniature rooms 1/12 their actual sizes. The rooms are from different regions and eras, from the 13th to the 20th centuries. C. Paragraph 4 opens by stating that the plainer rooms are not as well-furnished, and then describes one of these rooms. D. Paragraph 5 describes a couple of examples of the level of the detail of the furniture in these miniature rooms. It closes with a concluding statement that the narrator isn’t surprised by the level of detail given the exquisite craftsmanship he’s seen in this exhibit. #4: Eliminate Wrong Choices Remember that each paragraph should logically transition to the next paragraph. The original placement of paragraph 2 doesn’t make the most sense logically because it transitions from talking about ornately decorated rooms to a general overview of the exhibit in paragraph 3 to discussing the plainer rooms in paragraph 4. It makes more sense to have the paragraph about the ornate rooms right before the paragraph about the plainer rooms. Those two paragraphs are more logically connected. Therefore, we can get rid of answer choice A. Also, it wouldn’t make much sense to have paragraph 2 after paragraph 4, especially because there is no logical transition between paragraphs 3 and 4. Furthermore, paragraph 5 is the only paragraph that works as a conclusion and sums up the narrator’s fascination with the exhibit. It wouldn’t make sense to have a paragraph after that focusing on the details of a salon from the era of King Louis XV. We can get rid of choices A, C, and D. #5: Skim the Passage With the Answer Choice You Selected The right choice should logically follow the paragraph before and connect to the paragraph after. We’re left with answer choice B: paragraph 2 should be placed after paragraph 3. Paragraph 3 ends by stating that there are rooms from various eras; that logically transitions to the description of the ornate room from the era of King Louis XV. Also, paragraph 4 describes the plainer rooms; that paragraph logically follows the description of ornate rooms. The correct answer is B. 5 General Tips for Organization Questions Here are some important tips to follow for all organization questions. Read the Question and Answer Choices Carefully Make sure you know what the question is asking. Determine if it’s a sentence order or paragraph order question. Figure out what you should be looking for before you attempt to answer the question. Review All ofthe Answer Choices For organization questions, you need to look at the various options you’re given for where to place a sentence or paragraph. Try the various options to determine if all of the sentences or paragraphs would be logically connected. For paragraph order questions, identify the main ideas of the paragraphs. Eliminate Wrong Choices If an answer choice results in sentences or paragraphs that aren’t logically connected, eliminate that answer choice as an option. Wrong answer choices in sentence order questions will result in a paragraph that is confusing or doesn’t make logical sense. Wrong answer choices in paragraph order questions result in a passage in which the main idea of a paragraph doesn’t logically connect to surrounding paragraphs. Getting rid of obviously wrong answers will make your task of selecting the right answer easier. Make Sure That the Answer Choice You Pick Logically Follows What Comes Before and Connects to What Follows For all sentence and paragraph order questions, the correct answer has to make the most logical sense. Check the surrounding sentences or paragraphs to determine that everything is logical and coherent. Use Chronological Order for Help Sometimes, relying on chronological order can help you with organization questions. The first paragraph may describe an event from the beginning, and each following paragraph will describe the next thing that occurred. By paying attention to the sequence of events, you can organize the paragraphs correctly. Similarly, within a paragraph, identifying the order of events can help you organize the sentences. For example, you can't dry off before you get wet. If a sentence about drying off comes before a sentence about getting wet, you'll likely have to change the order of the sentences. What's Next? Organization questions are new to the SAT Writing section. Find out how else SAT Writing has changed. Transition questions are the most common on SAT Writing. Learn how to tackle these questions and improve your score. Finally, make sure you know the most important grammar rules for SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

College education is worth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

College education is worth - Research Paper Example of all this college education is a worthy investment since it is viewed not only as a challenge that changes one’s life but also an endeavor in today’s society. It is a well known fact that college graduates earn much more money than high school graduates. A research finding by The Hamilton Project in October 2012 confirmed that the gains from college education are much higher than of any other investment such as real estate, bonds and stocks. It was also found out that the returns from college have largely been steady over the past thirty five years, clearly demonstrating that the increasing cost of tuition has been offset by the amplified earning premium for degree holders. Thus in most respects, college education has never been more important. College graduates have always earned more money and find it easier in finding employment than their counterparts who are high school graduates. What however may be less instinctive is the fact that these gaps have been increasing recently. Thus for instance a youthful college graduate took home $4,000 more each year in the 1980s, inflation adjusted, than somebody of similar age who had no college e ducation (this was an average across the whole population and not just those working).This figure has however climbed to $12,000 each year over the past 30 years(Greenstone,Looney,2012). Whereas there is evidence about the lifetime value of increased education, cynics are increasingly pointing to increasing tuition costs to argue that college is not as good of a venture as it once was. It is true that there has been nearly 50% increase in cost of college over the last 3 decades (calculations courtesy of National Center for Education Statistics) which could be overstated. Foremost this increase in tuition does not cater for recent financial aid increases. Therefore, whereas the sticker cost of college may have risen, it is not clear to what scope the cost to students as well as their parents has risen. In fact the actual

English colonization on the indigenous peoples of the New World in the Research Paper

English colonization on the indigenous peoples of the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries - Research Paper Example In ancient times the concept of colony is found in Greek city states. According to Toynbee apart from Athens and Sparta, all the Greek city states established their colonies on different parts. Greek city states developed colonies in order to fulfill the needs of their growing population1. Modern era of colonialism is normally associated with the discovery of America in 1492 by Columbus. Spain established its colonies in the New World and shortly afterwards other European countries followed the suit. The fall of Spain gave place to England and France to fight for the new found world along with already known world of India and Africa. In this fight between the two European powers, England prevailed. English colonies were established worldwide and they boasted that sun never set on the British Empire. American history begins with the clash of Europeans and Native American people. The above statement is true for modern times, which ignores the past of New World. Archeology has revealed the old world of America but normally it is ignored and least discussed. For current purpose the focus will be on the 16th and 17th centuries. The Native Americans, who first came into contact with Europeans, had their culture and values. They used to speak some 300 to 350 distinct languages and different ways of living. The Aztecs and Incas were two great empires of this New World and their remains testify the greatness achieved by these empires. These native people first faced Spanish settlers. The sheer power and brute force humbled the indigenous population and this was the method, which was to be used by later colonial powers. English settlers tried their luck at the East and there the indigenous population despite its variation lived in similar ways. They depended on agriculture, which was done by female population. Indigenous population did not keep herds of domestic animals and Male population used to hunt and fish. They used to live in family groups but loyal to larger kin and clan. There used to be one chief, who ruled by consent. The first major impact of colonialism on indigenous population was epidemic diseases. The life style of local population was different as they never kept herds and never lived with animals. On the other hand Europeans and Asian used to live near their domestic animals. The diseases, which were spread in the local population, resulted in the death of countless people. Mann says that "what happened after Columbus was like a thousand kudzus everywhere." "Throughout the hemisphere," he wrote, "ecosystems cracked and heaved like winter ice."2 Estimates of the population of the Americas at the time Columbus arrived have varied enormously. Some have argued that existing estimates of a high pre-Columbian indigenous population are rooted in a bias against aspects of Western civilization and/or Christianity. The indigenous population in 1492 was not necessarily at a high point, and may have already been in decline. Indigenous populat ions in most areas of the Americas reached a low point by the early twentieth century, and in a number of cases started to climb again. Native Americans suffered profoundly because of their remoteness from the rest of the world. Europe, Africa, and Asia had been trading knowledge and technologies for centuries. Societies on all three continents had learned to use iron and kept herds of domestic

Final project Public health Unit2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final project Public health Unit2 - Term Paper Example alth doctors, assess the health of a population, diagnose community problems, seeks the causes of those problems, and devises strategies to cure them (Schneider, 2011, p. 5-6). Public Health improves every time, being attributed to the historically famous faces behind the improvement of Public Health Unit. John Snow is one of the legendary people that contributed in Public Health. John Snow is an English physician and a leader in the adoption of  anesthesia  and medical  hygiene. Snow was born on March 15, 1813 in York, England and was the first of nine children born from William and Frances Snow in their North Street home. Snow studied in York until the age of 14 and became the apprentice of William Hardcastle, a surgeon in  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  and physician to  George Stephenson  and family. John Snow is considered as one of the Fathers of Epidemiology because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, England, in 1854 (Vinten-Johansen, 2011, n.p.). In line with this, Epidemiology is a discipline that describes, quantifies, and postulates causal mechanisms, for health phenomena in populations. Using the results of epidemiologic studies, public health practitioners are aided in their quest to control health problems, such as disease outbreaks. Epidemiology is derived from epidemica, a term that provides an immediate clue to its subject matter. It is concerned with the distribution and determinants of health and diseases, morbidity, injuries, disability, mortality in populations (Friis and Sellers, 2009, p. 5-6). In 1854, Snow demonstrated that cholera rates were linked with water pump use in London. Snow investigated the area around Golden Square in London and arrived at the conclusion that cholera was not carried by bad air, or necessarily by direct contact. He formed the opinion that diarrhea, unwashed hands, and shared food somehow played a large part in spreading the disease. Snow, for the first time, linked the sources of drinking

Developing Professional Practice in HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Developing Professional Practice in HR - Essay Example This essay analyses and discusses the process of developing professional practice in HR. The first part presents the analysis and findings of a small-scale piece of research. The second part is a reflective review on the competencies and contribution of HR professionals. The third part discusses the contribution of CPD to the performance of HR professionals. And the last part presents a concise personal development plan. Small-Scale Piece of Research Human resource (HR) professionals have to work in a strategic manner. They should acquire the essential competencies, and this is only possible through familiarity with HR theories, practices, and knowledge. Moreover, acquisition of these essential competencies arises from having the capacity to use information within particular business contexts. At present, developing HR professionals is very crucial in numerous aspects of human resource management (HRM): recruitment, strategic planning, and performance management, amongst many others (Porter, Smith, & Fagg, 2012). HR competencies are the qualities that facilitate successful performance of HR professionals and that give an organisation the ability to compete effectively in a highly competitive business world. The objective of this small-scale piece of research is to find out the specific HR competencies that actual service organisations, specifically those in the hospitality industry, value most. The researcher interviewed several HR personnel from three service organisations: a hotel, a restaurant, and transportation. Majority of the HR personnel interviewed believe that HR professionals should have personal integrity. Most of them named good interpersonal skills and personal communication as the most important HR competencies. HR professionals have to learn the skill of building a relationship that is based on trust. Trust consequently builds motivation and personal integrity. HR professionals have a good chance of taking part in their organisations’ str ategic planning activity if they are able to build trust. Nevertheless, most of the HR personnel interviewed ranked competency in strategic performance the lowest. This possibly implies that HR professionals in these service organisations are incapable in terms of strategic decision-making and management of organisational culture. This finding is very important because HR professionals must be capable of determining, building, and integrating organisational cultures that contribute to the successful implementation of business strategies and competitive strategies. Moreover, according to Yeung and colleagues (1996), if HR professionals do not have the ability to effectively manage or cope with change, they would have difficulties dealing or communicating with important people to guarantee prompt decision-making and appropriate resource allocation. HR professionals should acquire the necessary qualities of an effective strategic business expert. Most scholars believe that HR professio nals should first aspire to become a strategic business expert then eventually progress to key contributors (Labedz & Lee, 2011). Because a great deal of the literature on the subject matter has demonstrated a positive correlation between organisational performance and strategic human resource management, this small-scale piece of research tried to determine the HR competencies valued most by HR personnel in service organisat

Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Plan - Assignment Example This paper is bringing a report on how marketing solutions assist a brand for its productive and sustainable growth in the market. The report will imply marketing models of analysis and the frameworks that could help launch a selected product in a feasibly selected market. The product selected is â€Å"solar energy systems† which are proposed to be launched in the demanding UAE. The aim here is to apply marketing concepts in order to enable the successful launch of the selected product. The first section of the report will bring the constructive UAE market analysis and the second will imply marketing strategies for enabling successful establishment of the product. The objective is to build the prospect for the brand and its product, by applying all possible successful marketing schemes. With the 2020 scenario, UAE is looking out to revive its business industry. There is a multiple level of governmental plans to make the place a hub for business establishers. The trend of industrial and business growth is massive and at the great numbers as quoted by modern day researchers in UAE. This is showing a rise of demand in the power sector where there are thoughts circulating to bring alternate energy solutions, which are efficient, economic and to the most environmental safety. The need of the market is extensive as the bulk number of offices, production facilities, and factory warehouses are currently operational in UAE. They are requiring efficient power generating systems, systems that could cut the cost, meet the demand and ensure environmental safety. Initiatives are already there to find the most workable alternate energy systems. This to cut dependency on natural gas power generation, that is expensive and much effort taking. Apart from all, it has been assessed that electricity consumption in UAE is far much at the greater rates than in Europe, North America or Asia. In this alarming state, the most workable

Capital Investment Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital Investment Appraisal - Essay Example In applied capital budgeting, however, the fundamental concept of managerial flexibility, or active project management, has been well accepted and long practiced. In the past, one way decision-makers have attempted to supplement a traditional analysis is with "what if" analyses, such as sensitivity analyses, scenario analyses, and simulation. However, richer and more efficient capital budgeting decision-making frameworks are needed; and they should directly translate into increased corporate effectiveness, profitability, and long-term survival in today's globally competitive marketplace. (Black 637-354) The primary enhanced decision-making framework is a "real option" analysis. During the last fifteen years, increasing attention has been given to the "real option" approach to capital investment decision-making. "Real options ... allow managers to add value to their firm, by acting to amplify good fortune or to mitigate loss". When real options are present, the traditional DCF methodology may fail to provide an adequate decision-making framework because it does not properly value management's ability to wait, to revise the initial operating strategy if future events turn out to be different from originally predicted, or to account for future (dis)investment. (Trigeorgis 202-224; Fabozzi 7-9; Grinblatt 9-15) Thus, calculating the value of the decision rights of managers to actively manage investment opportunities is not simply a matter of discounting. In addition, since management is not committed to revising the firm's investment strategy or undertaking these future discretionary op portunities, the right to do so is truly an option. That is, managers undertake these opportunities only if and when they chose to do so. In practice, capital investments are determined by managerial discretion where the available options to invest in real assets is evaluated on an on-going basis and either exercised, deferred, or allowed to expire. An option-based approach is, therefore, an excellent representation of the managerial decision-making process. To be simple the internal capabilities of a firm must be matched to its external opportunities in order for managers to maximize shareholders' wealth. The real options are characterized by the flexibility they offer in timing of decisions involving the capabilities and opportunities of the firm (Walters and Giles 1-7; Ross 96-102; Chung 1215-1221; Copeland 15-22). The true NPV of a project can be viewed as the sum of the traditional NPV and the values of inherent real options: True NPV = Traditional NPV + NPV of Real Options. To clarify the value of options from active management, suppose that a firm considers producing a new product, which requires an initial outlay of $1 million. The capacity of the production facility over one period would be 40,000 units. The variable cost of producing one unit of this product is $390. The price of the product in one period from now would be either $300 or $500 with an estimated probability of 50 percent for each state of the nature. The appropriate discount rate for the project is 15 percent. The expected cash flow from the project after one period woul

Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Plan - Assignment Example This paper is bringing a report on how marketing solutions assist a brand for its productive and sustainable growth in the market. The report will imply marketing models of analysis and the frameworks that could help launch a selected product in a feasibly selected market. The product selected is â€Å"solar energy systems† which are proposed to be launched in the demanding UAE. The aim here is to apply marketing concepts in order to enable the successful launch of the selected product. The first section of the report will bring the constructive UAE market analysis and the second will imply marketing strategies for enabling successful establishment of the product. The objective is to build the prospect for the brand and its product, by applying all possible successful marketing schemes. With the 2020 scenario, UAE is looking out to revive its business industry. There is a multiple level of governmental plans to make the place a hub for business establishers. The trend of industrial and business growth is massive and at the great numbers as quoted by modern day researchers in UAE. This is showing a rise of demand in the power sector where there are thoughts circulating to bring alternate energy solutions, which are efficient, economic and to the most environmental safety. The need of the market is extensive as the bulk number of offices, production facilities, and factory warehouses are currently operational in UAE. They are requiring efficient power generating systems, systems that could cut the cost, meet the demand and ensure environmental safety. Initiatives are already there to find the most workable alternate energy systems. This to cut dependency on natural gas power generation, that is expensive and much effort taking. Apart from all, it has been assessed that electricity consumption in UAE is far much at the greater rates than in Europe, North America or Asia. In this alarming state, the most workable

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Many people have different preferences on what type of writing style they think is more superior to another, I believe descriptive writing to be more excellent writing style then narrative. I can tell you that there are a few similarities and a few differences between the two. I prefer Descriptive essays, rather than narrative essays. In my belief, its that the descriptive essays are more effective when an author is trying to convey a story or get a message across than narratives. Descriptive essays keep the reader engaged throughout the story. It provides the reader with more in depth details, and it allows the reader to better envision the picture that the author is trying to paint. Descriptive and narrative essays have a few traits in common. Typically both almost make you feel as if you are present with the author. They both usually tell you of an event that the author went thru or a message the author wants you to receive. Whether you are reading the Personal Narrative or Descriptive Essay both are very creative form of writing. The difference between a narrative essay and descriptive essay is that the narrative essay is more catered to someone’s point of view in order to tell a story, whereas the descriptive essay describes a person or the place or an event by using vivid images. The writer describes a behavior or personality or uses our sense of smell, touch, sound, taste. Descriptive essays show a reader and do not tell them. Descriptive essays give a lot of details for instance, would you prefer to read an essay with a sentence like, â€Å"the girl ran down the street† or â€Å"the young girl ran down the street wearing light blue shorts and a white top, as her blonde hair blew in the wind†. The second sentence would catch a reader’s attention more than the first. This is a example as to why I believe descriptive essays are better than narrative essay, because they paint a better picture. â€Å"On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges.  A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings, so they resembled bicycle tires.† Tan, A. (2013). This is an excerpt from the descriptive essay Fish Cheeks. When we as a writer provide our readers with such descriptive details you can almost picture yourself in that kitchen, and I became engaged from this point on. It is easy for the reader to get wrapped up in the story when the author is using descriptive language to paint a vivid picture. The audience can visualize the food, and the way it looks. Narratives are more direct and straight to the point, and that can cause a lot of readers to get lost or disengaged. A descriptive essay takes the dialogue to a different height by the details given by the author allowing us as a reader the ability to share the authors experiences by explaining and to show us rather than just telling us. When giving more details, the reader obtains more of the story. When reading the article I Want a Wife (Brady, 1971), the author gives a brief description of their friend who had recently become divorced and was now looking for a new wife. The author goes into explain how she also, would like a new wife. She then explains the â€Å"duties† her new wife would complete for her. The new wife would be preparing meals and keeping a clean home. Here comes my issue with this narrative, I am left wondering about this womans story. I want to know who she is. Is this description of her own marriage? What is her husband like? Is she not happy? Does she like being a wife? Narrative essay focus more on the information, and again telling the reader the story from the point to point they may use different forms of dialogue to convey this message to the audience. The author may use intriguing humor or tell the story first hand in first person to try to make the reader interested. The benefit of writing a story that contains many details is that it also allows the reader to visualize and feel the emotions that the author is trying to convey. The descriptive language presented in Fish Cheeks; the reader is able to visualize them as a fourteen year old who describes a Christmas Eve dinner when she as fourteen, how she felt when the boy she had a crush on, who, was also a minister’s son and his family had been invited to have a traditional Chinese dinner with her family. Her being afraid of what he would think of her and her culture, and of how she just wanted to fit in: When she finds out he is invited to dinner, she cries because she fears what he might think of her and her families Chinese  Christmas celebrations. Her fears came to life just as her mother brought out the steamed fish, with its eyeballs still on. Also, her father added to her worries by poking the fish’s cheeks and announcing that it was her favorite. When everyone left Amy’s mother handed her a gift a mini skirt, and told Amy that she could look like an American girl on the outside, but she would remain a Chinese girl on the inside , saying to Amy â€Å"Your only shame is to have shame.† It was a lesson that she would understand many years later. When Amy describes, this all I can visualize every piece of her story. In conclusion, by the author providing descriptive language and more in depth details to captivate and engage their audience, and by also allowing the reader to become wrapped up in the moments and emotions being depicted and painted throughout the story and providing a more engaging experience for the reader, this means to me that a descriptive essay is more beneficial than a narrative essay. A descriptive essay has a larger and long lasting impression and impact on the reader, and the audience walks away as if they just lived the story or event described themselves. It not only has that but, also the message that the author was trying to convey been instilled into the reader to remember forever. References Tan, A. (2013). Fish cheeks. Retrieved from http://redroom.com/member/amy-tan/writing/fish-cheeks Brady, J. (1971). I want a wife. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/content/cat_020/Brady_I_Want_a_Wife.pdf

Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos

Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos Background: Generally speaking, hydropower has various economical, environmental and social and strategic advantages. The hydropower is the largest renewable resource used for electricity and Hydropower is a significant source of electricity worldwide and will likely continue to grow especially in the developing countries. Thus it plays an essential role in economical development especially in many developing countries. Like many countries the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) or Laos is in trend in receiving foreign investment mainly in hydropower sector which comparing by sector from 2000-2010 hydropower sector account more than 33% in total investment (MPI, Laos). Laos nature and climate provide mammoth opportunities for the country to develop hydropower sector which in recent year there has been increased demand for electric power in the region of South-East Asia, however less than 2 percent of the hydropower potential has been developed in Laos over the past 30 years (Laos National Statistic in 2007). During the last few years, the hydropower sector has played an important role in the speedy economic growth of the country recently has experienced, more than 70 hydropower projects are under development, and the hydropower sector makes up an significant part of the export industry in Laos. As the government set the economic outlook from now the year 2020, the National Development Vision to the Year 2020 is to graduate from the status of being a least developed country and become sustainable development nation. To reach and achieve such vision, Laos needs the capital and invests in the human resource capacity, as Laos Government lack of these things. Thus, the foreign investment especially in hydropower sector is playing an important role in increasing the governments revenue (capital generation), job creations and new business system introducing. The hydropower sector is playing the significant role in the Laos economic and social development, the investment law in 1994 introduced the huge incentives mainly tax incentives in order to attract more investment, the question is that are these incentives really work and attract more investment into Laos? Or how did the investment incentive policies effect to hydropower sector in Laos? Thus, the objective or thesis statement of this paper is to analysis the effective of incentive policies offered by government of Laos in attracting investment mainly hydropower sector into Laos. The scope of this paper is not go back beyond the investment law introduced in 1994, but it starts to introduce some basic information about Laos such as the basic information about population, land area, religions and so on (See the Laos at Glance in the table 1 below) and the investment incentive policies provided by the government of Laos. Many scholars explained that, market size and cost of production is the key in attracting investment. Krugman (1991a) argues that the interaction of market, transport costs, and fixed investment costs determines the location of industry. In the Morissets article (2003, p. 253), the impact of tax incentives on FDI is not obvious that it can help in promoting investment. In the past few decades the numerous studies of international investors have indicated that the investment incentive policies are not major factor in their investment location decision. More important factors such as infrastructure, political stability, labor and the cost of production, however in this study is going to explain and provide evidences that investment incentive policies provided by government are the key factor in attracting investment in the case of Laos. Most of the data and information using in here are mainly from the concerning ministries in the Laos as essential. Thus, once again, the scope of this thesis is not covering all aspects of the economic development in country; it will focus only on the laws and regulations applied to foreign investment especially in hydropower sector. Furthermore, there is no any hypothesis test in this paper, as the objective of the paper is to analyze and examine the effective of the Strategic Investment Promotion for Laos. The main study shall be identifying the issues of using incentive policies and drawing out the strategic policies for recommendations. In order to make this paper easy to read and complete, this paper is developed into four chapters. The chapter one is the introduction chapter, where the general information, thesis statement and scope of this paper are drawn. The second chapter is literature reviews related to the foreign investment policies. The third chapter will focuses on overview of Laos economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in the economic and social development in Laos. In this chapter, the data and figures are illustrated in order to see how changing in hydropower sector in Laos through the policies and incentives offering, plus more specific study on the comparative study, which will focuses on the analyzing of the incentive and disincentive on foreign direct investment. The last chapter is conclusion and recommendations approaches. In this chapter, the policies recommendations are drawn. Then the last part of the paper is the references. Lao PDR at a Glance (Table 1) Name Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Surface Area Population total: 236,800 sq km, land: 230,800 sq km, water: 6,000 sq km 1995 census: 4,574,848 (2007 estimate: 6,677,534) Density 25 people per sq km Land Boundaries total: 5,083 km Borders Myanmar 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423km, Thailand 1,754 km, Viet Nam 2,130 km Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Climate Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) Religion Buddhist 65 percent , animist 32.9 percent , Christian 1.3 percent, other and unspecified 0.8 percent (1995 census) Time Zone UTC+7 Currency Kip (LAK) Exchange Rates As of October 6th, 2008 : 1 Dollar: 8560 Kips 1 Euro: 11680 Kips GDP 39,284 billion Kips (Nominal, 2007 estimate) 4.1 US$ billion GDP per Capita 604 USS (2006) Source: Economic Research Department, MPI, Laos, 2007 Chapter II: Literature Review Foreign Direct Investment Policy Recently, many scholars try to explain and point out the factors for foreign investment location decision in developing countries. On the other hand there are many studies and articles related the FDI and its policies in developing countries. The developing countries try to develop their investment policies and strategic plan in order to attract the foreign investment In the article of Shaukat Ali and Wei Guo (2005) explained the behavior of MNCs in China, with its huge potential market size as the most important factor for attracting FDI to China, with its large population, steady economic growth, trade integrations are the perfect combination in attracting FDI. The authors further point out that the Chinese Government incentive policies are another important factor In the article of Ekrem Tatoglu (2002), it is was found that market size, openness of the economy, and infrastructure of the host country had positive effect, but the lack of exchange rate and economic stability had negative effect but not significant, however to some extent, it has slowed down its efforts to receive much higher volume of foreign investment. In the Morissets article (2003, pp. 253) point out that the relation between investment policy such as tax incentives and FDI is not the most significant whether it can help the host country in gaining the foreign investment. Over the past few decades they are numerous studies from the international investors have indicated that investment policy such as tax incentives are not the most important factor for investment locations, more important factors such as infrastructure, labor and political stability. However it doesnt mean that the investment policy has no effect on attracting foreign investment, one of the good examples is the Irelands tax incentives which have been recognized as key in attracting foreign investors over the past two decades. Moreover, there has been growing support evidence that investment policy influence the location decisions of companies within regional economic groupings, such as the European Union, North American Free Trade Area, and Association of Southea st Asian Nations. No doubt that market size is important to foreign investment in deciding location but other factors such as the investment policy and institutional framework, are essential in influential a countrys attractiveness to FDI. There are three forms of investment incentive policies: tax incentives, subsidies, export processing zones (EPZs). The investment policy can be favorable to foreign investment or unflavored to foreign investment in order to protect local industries The effect of FDI will depend, in part, on the form that FDI takes. FDI directed to heavily protected industries or attracted by very costly incentives may have a low, or even negative, effect on growth and productivity, Attitudinal and empirical research on the effect of tax incentives on FDI has been inconclusive. In the article of Hearnest (2007, pp.25-30) dedicated that if the investment policy such as tax incentives may be good for a country. This is so if some conditions are contents. First, the investment policy must lead to an increased of inflow in FDI into that country by attracting FDI that would not come without the presence of the incentives. Second, these FDI should contribute to the countrys development by offering returns to the country that more than offset (the returns) the foregone tax revenue in form of tax incentives granted to the investors. When trying to find out who should qualify for the tax incentives in Tanzania therefore, the work will focus on some types of investments that would not come to Tanzania without the presence of the incentives, but have the potential of contributing positively to the development of the country. As for who should not qualify, a focus will be on those investments that would come in any circumstance (in this case the absence of tax incentiv es). FDI determinants that MNEs look for are the presence of economic, political and social stability; and rules regulating entry and operations of businesses. Others are standards of treatment of foreign affiliates; business facilitation (including, inter-alia, investment incentives and thereby tax incentives; market size, growth, structure and accessibility; raw materials, low cost but efficient labour force and physical infrastructure in form of ports, roads, power and telecommunication. Specific incentives may not be main determinants of a countrys attractiveness to FDI. A countrys general economic and political conditions, domestic market, natural and other resources may be more important than some specific incentives. However various incentives have been found to influence investments. Since specific incentives may not be main determinants of a countrys attractiveness to FDI. A countrys general economic and political conditions, domestic market, natural and other resources may be more important than some specific incentives. However various incentives have been found to influence investments. In the conclusion for the literature reviews, there are both advantages and disadvantages by offering the investment incentives policy from the host countries to the foreign investors. However, most of the articles presented in there seem to support the investment incentives policy (tax incentives) offered by many developing countries. There is no doubt that this form of investment incentives are dominated in many developing from now and in the future, especially the ASEAN nations, particularly Laos. In this context, this paper will lead through the way that investment incentives are really strategic tools for FDI attracting in Laos. CHAPTER III: Overview of Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos 3.1 Current Laos Economic Situation As the Lao government set their development goal which aiming to free the country from being least developed country by the Year 2020, it ultimate goal is to graduate from the status of being a least developed country and become sustainable development nation. To achieve the goal, Laos needs the capital and human resource capacity, as Laoss lack of these things. Thus, the Foreign investment especially in hydropower and mining sector are playing an essential role in increasing the governments revenue (capital generation), job creations and so on. Since the Laos government started their economic liberalization, the new economic mechanism (NEM) in 1986, the Government of Laos has made the development of private sector and attraction of the foreign investment as the strategic priority, thus the implementation of investment policies are very important to investment especially in attracting foreign direct investment. With the advantages such as political stability, natural resources, low labor costs, strategic location and incentive investment policies, both domestic and foreign investment has notably evidenced its contribution to the Laos Social Economic Development. Generally the total (public and private) investment mobilized rose significantly from 21.3 percent of GDP in 2001 to about 29 percent in 2005, and averaged at 27.8 percent for the five-year period which mainly from FDI  [1]  . The foreign investment has provided further drive to Laos economic growth. The government of Lao PDR provided good climate for investment, such as infrastructures, telecommunication, political stability, stable macroeconomic condition and law and regulation related to investment. With the Laos National Social and Economic Development Plan (NSEDP), Laos government had achieved to maintain the economic prospect with an average GDP from year 2000 to 2010 approximately about 7.73 percent (see figure 1), mainly benefiting from expanding natural resources within the country. By encouraging Foreign Direct Investment, Laos economy has been gradually increased in many sectors, especially industry sector and services sector, which by 2009 had reached 70 percent of GDP. (See Figure 2 and 3) Industrial sector has grown in recent year with rapid rate, accounted an average rate about 11.3 percent per year. The mining industry increased by 33.87 percent; tobacco 20.75 percent; food processing 9.17 percent; textiles 20.11 percent; and garments 11.15 percent. The services sector has been positively meet the requirements of production and trading, from 2001to 2005, the growth rate in total revenues from services sector accounted an averaged at 10 percent per year.  [2]  According to National Social and Economic Development Plan, in general Government of Laos (GoL) has performed well with its ambitious economic target and strong economic growth which grounding to free the country from the status of least-development country by 2020. Figure 1: Laos real GDP growth in percentage Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook 2010 Figure 2: Laos GDP composition by sector Source: CIA World Fact Book Figure 3: Laos GDP per capita compared by continent Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook 2010 In recent year the Government of Laos (GoL) continue to work hard and try to boost its foreign trade with the aim to increase more in export, the structure of their economic changed with the shares of the private sector and Foreign Investment in the economy have increased. In particular, Foreign Direct Investment has facilitated the creation of new products and increasing size of the markets including the entry of new markets. The number of foreign direct investments and private domestic in the past five years stood at 9.7 billion USD, in which foreign direct investments accounted for 8 billion USD  [3]  . Thus, the private sector has become more and more essential in the economy of the Laos. The Lao PDR has been headed for business in regional and global economic integration. It is vital to Laos economic with its potential in domestic and foreign investors to guarantee the benefits from the liberalization of trade. Being the member of ASEAN, ATFA and WTO applicant providing opportunity for the country in trade and attracting foreign direct investment increasing the market entry by reduced 98 percent of its tariffs (zero to five percent in 2008). However Laos faced the problem of trade imbalance, in the year of 2007 to 2008 the total trade was 2630.9 million USD which number of export only 822.7 million USD (see Table 2) 3.2 Foreign Direct Investment and Hydropower Trends in Laos Foreign direct investment is playing crucial role in Laos economy, with the implementation of Investment Law in 2004 which the Government of Laos (GoL) given huge investment incentive to foreign investors especially tax incentive, as the resulted in 2005 onward the FDI inflow has been significantly increased especially in mining sectors and hydropower sectors. In 2006 the FDI inflow raised up to 2,699 million USD and in 2009 increased more than 4,312 million USD (see figure 4 and figure 5). Figure 4: Foreign Direct Investment in Laos Source: Raw data from Ministry of Planning and Investment, Laos Figure 5: Foreign Direct Investment by Sector 2000-2010(Jun) Source: Raw Data from Ministry of Planning and Investment, Laos Not yet complete 3.3 Analysis Study of Investment Incentives and Disincentives in Laos 3.3.1 Investment Incentives in Laos Tax exemptions from some major industrial nations: Lao receive the trade privileges from European Union such as GSP privilege. Currently, the receiving GSP is from 42 countries from EU, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Vietnam and etc. Thus, the garment investment sector is still having comparative advantages in attracting many textile companies to invest in Laos. Mostly, investors are from Taiwan, Japan and Thailand. Furthermore, Laos has sign the Normal Trade Relations (NTR) with USA in December 2004. This is the signal for Laos to join the world trade system (membership of WTO is underway). Such membership leads confident for foreign investors doing business in Laos. Land-linked country: This is going to be trade hub in the Southeast Asia region, which has access to ASEAN market with more than 500 million. Inhabitants including southern part of neighboring China, which adds up together reaching nearly 1 billion people, this is going to be the huge market in the world. Currently, the main roads reaching every corner of the international border pointed have been built. In the next five year, Laos can be the transit goods and connect Southeast Asia to the Northeast and Central Asia. Abundant water resources, rich in mineral resources, and plentiful of productive land: Laoss government still enjoys receiving the application for the development of the hydropower dams and mining concession from foreign investors. These two sectors are main attractive sectors for foreign investors around the world. The abundant water resources help Laos to gain more major foreign investors to invest in the hydropower project, which lead Laos to be the electricity supplier or battery of Asia. Furthermore, unexploitations of mining areas are still existed and waiting for right foreign investors to invest in this sector. Most of the mines are gold, copper, coal, tin, Zink and others. Thus, this is another sector that the Lao governments use to promote and attract foreign investors for investing. Moreover, there are plentiful of productive land for foreign investors to do the plantation projects for the industrial plantation such as sugar, palm trees, eucalyptus, and so on. Currently, many big paper companies are investing for the industrial plantation in Laos such as Oji paper factory (Japan), and Birla Pulp Company (India). Laos Economic Zone: Savannakhet Province is a hub of trade and services in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The province is linking Lao PDR with Thailand, and Vietnam on the Road No.9. It is also all along the Road No.13 which runs through Lao PDR, leading north into China and South into Cambodia. The construction of Road and bridge will progress develop Savannakhet as a trade and services zone in near future and will bring an expansion of markets which will create further business opportunities for all the economic sectors in Savannakhet province, thus Savannakhet Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) which linking neighboring countries in the Asian region with a total population of more than 500 million people and thus is a main centre for trade and services. The categories of business activities planned to be developing in the Savannakhet Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) include the following: Export Processing Zone; Free Trade Zone; Free Service and Logistic Centre including tourism, banking and other activities. 3.3.2 Disincentive of Investment in Laos Geographic condition (land locked country) and poor infrastructure: Laos has no border with the sea, thus this is only obstacle for the transportation. The cost of transport goods from Laos to the sea port in Thailand or in Vietnam is quite expensive and may take longer time for the goods to reach the destination due to the documentations and unforeseen events that can happen anytime. Furthermore, the infrastructure in Laos is not quite good especially the road condition in some places or provinces. These cause the transportation cost high and the return on investment or profit is not so high as expected. However, with the support from the international financial organization such as ADB and World Bank, the Lao government has put the budget for the infrastructure development for the main route to the sea ports such as Road R3 connecting Thaiiand-Laos-China, the road No. 9 connecting Thailand-Laos-Vietnam, Road No. 13 run through the whole countries from North to South of Laos. The vision of the government is to change Laos as Land-Locked country to the Land-Linked country. By achieving this goal, the cost of transportation will be reducing for sure. Macroeconomic instability: Lao economic is not independent economic system. Directly and indirectly, the economic depends on the changing of the Thai and Vietnamese economic growth. Now, the Lao economic is more likely to depend to the Chinese economic as well now, as the major foreign investors is Chinese investors. The Lao currency (Kip) is none tradable currency, so it depends on the changing of the US dollars and Thai Baht. For instance, when the financial crisis occurred in 1997, supported that Lao can escape from this crisis, however, it hit hardly by the crisis as most of the commodities goods import from Thailand. Thus, when the global crisis hit Thailand, it will directly and indirectly hurt Lao economy. However, Lao government has put more afford to monitoring the economic development in Laos and try to not depending on one country economy such Thailand. Now, the free flow of goods leads Laos to escape from the dependent economic from Thailand. Laos can gain access to the Vietnam and China market now. Small market: Although the economy sounds goods in recent years, but the total expenditure of the Lao people is still low. Most of the markets in Laos are small in size and number of consumers. Most of the big spending on consumers is in the main city, but not in the rural areas. However, most of people in the city cross the border to Thailand in spending for the commodities goods. In recently, the good economic recovered and increasing in FDI inflow in to the country, Lao people spend more money in commodities and luxury goods. Thus, this is the good sign in increasing Lao people spending. In the near future, the Lao small market is going to graduate to the big market soon. Thailand. Now, the free flow of goods leads Laos to escape from the dependent economic from Thailand. Laos can gain access to the Vietnam and China market now. 3.4 Comparative Study of Investment Law (1994 and 2004) 3.4.1 The Investment Law in 1994 Not yet complete 3.4.2 The Investment Law in 2004 Not yet complete Law on the Promotion and Management of foreign Investment in the Lao PDR (1994) Law on the Promotion of Foreign Investment In the Lao PDR (2004) Form   of FDI à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚   2 forms of FDI: a) A joint Venture with one or more domestic Lao Investors b)   A 100% foreign- owned enterprises Exemption from import duties for intermediate components and raw materials imported for processing and re-export; Uniform flat rate of 1% of import value of equipment, means of production, spare parts and other materials used in operation of investment projects; No export duties on finished products; Annual profit tax at a uniform flat rate of 20% Special privileges, including reduction or exemption from theprofit-tax rate, are given based on the size of investments and the significant positive impacts that such investments have on the socio- economic development of Lao PDR; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚   3 forms of FDI: a)   Business Cooperation by contract; b) A joint venture with one or more domestic Lao investors (Foreign equity should not be less than 30% of total investment capital); or c) A 100% foreign- owned enterprise 0% of import duties on production vehicles, machinery, equipment and raw materials No export duties on finished products;    Profit tax is classified into 3 groups: 20%, 15% and 10% and profit tax exemption is offered for a certain period depending on activities, investment areas and size of investment 1) Zone One (area with no economic information infrastructure) 7 years profit tax exemption thereafter a profit tax of 10% 2) Zone Two: (areas with certain level of economic infrastructures) 5 years profit tax exemption 3 years profit tax of 7.5% thereafter a profit tax of 15% 3) Zone Three ( areas with good infrastructure) 2 years profit tax exemption 2 years profit tax of 10% thereafter a profit tax of 20% Other   Incentives Investment term is up to 30 years Freedom to expatriate their earnings back home or to third countries Right to employ foreign expatriates Personal income tax at a flat rate of10% Investment term is up to 75 years Freedom to expatriate their earnings back home or to third countries Right to employ foreign expatriates (not exceed 10% of the enterprises labor) Personal income tax at a flat rate of 10% Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR Case Study of Foreign Direct Investment on Hydropower Sector in Laos Not yet complete Chapter IV: Conclusion Not yet complete