Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Understanding organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding organizations - Essay Example Understanding an organization involve thorough understanding of organizational structures and behavior of its human resources as an individual and as various groups. Studying an organization is a complex process. Various ways of evaluating behavior of an organization have developed over time. This document deals with the different thinking processes used to define direction of an organization and its leadership. It compares and analyzes ways of thinking about organizations and the ways organizations are managed.Perceiving the nature and types of organization; power, interest groups and control; job design and teamwork; individual motivation; organizational culture is always a tricky job.Various approaches towards understanding organizations may be seen as different paradigms of thinking. According to Khn a paradigm is the set of values, or principles, that we use when we think.Classical paradigm is also known as rationalistic paradigm. According to Heijden's explanation of classical paradigm in this way of thinking "the organizational self-perception dictates that the organization is a rather stable entity engaged in a mechanistic relationship with the surrounding environment. This self-perception is not ignorant of change, but it is conceptualized as moving from one stable phase to another and this movement can be initiated through certain, focused actions within the organization" Classical approach towards understanding an organization assumes diagnosis as a primary objective in a rational change of organization. This approach is more objective. Changes within an organization are considered in quasi-stationary equilibrium state for the purpose of classical analysis. Classical paradigm relies on the method of self questioning. Various questions such as in which strategic direction organization is moving, how developed the organization culture is, how should it be and how it could be planned to develop culture in a satisfactory rhythm are raised to evaluate the organizations and strength of their leaders. There are some basic problems with classical approach. First is that, type of questionnaire gives an impression of static nature of an organization ignoring the dynamic nature and emergent scenarios that originations are facing today. This is a sensitive issue as nature of human resources is always core of an organization. Second difficulty is that answers of these questionnaires are derived generally by analysis of associated numbers and statistics which gives a sense of vogue. They seem far from reality as organization's culture can not be treated just like profit and losses. The third problem is that the questionnaire is aimed within the organization whereas the organizational changes can be engineered from outside of the organization also. Classical paradigm thus is effective to analyze only mechanical metaphor of organization. Classical paradigm is always paralyzed because of its rational world view. This paradigm clearly defines the goals of organization without much caring about the execution of plans. It does not emphasize much on outcome maximizing behaviors of organizations and its resources. Classical thinking process is centered on the board room of organization without much caring about business' ground reality. In this case a single entity determines the success or failure of strategy. Processual Paradigm Processual paradigm is also referred as scenario planning paradigm. This approach towards understanding organization is based on the probability theory. Organizations are evaluated according to fact available from their previous performances. Different patterns of organizational performance are the basic of future performance analysis. Processual paradigms can be applied to the phases of linear changes or stable periods ut this probabilistic approach has some basic inherent difficulties as there is no guarantee that the past facts will reflect on future performance

Monday, October 28, 2019

Classical Conditioning Essay Example for Free

Classical Conditioning Essay Classical conditioning is an association between two stimuli; It is what proceeds the response. The two stimuli in my experiment was the ringing of the bell and the on and off of the light switch performed in a dark room. During my experiment I rang the bell and then immediately turned off the lights. I remained in the dark for fifteen seconds then turned the light back on. I left the light on for fifteen seconds, and would monitor my pupils in the mirror then ring the bell and would simultaneously turned off the light again. After doing this several times, I rang the bell one last time but did not turn off the lights. Then I immediately looked into the mirror to monitor my pupils. I noticed that the pupils dilated. The unconditional response (UR) is that my pupils would dilate when the room became dark which I had no control. The conditioned response (CR) is that the bell stimulated the pupils to dilate. Prier to this time, the ringing of the bell had no effect on the dilation of my pupils. Therefore, the classical conditioning programmed my pupils to dilate upon the ringing of the bell and controlling the light stimuli. I repeated the same experiment but this time I did not ring the bell at all to see if the time would have a response. Every fifteen seconds I would turn the lights either on or off. The results were negative. In conclusion, indeed it took two stimuli, the ringing of the bell and the lights to provoke a response.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

History and Concepts of Boundaries Essays -- essays research papers

Chapter 1 – History and Concepts of Boundaries Principal 2: A suveyor creates land boundary lines. These created lines, which are separate and distinct from property lines, are determined by legal principals and law. Boundaries: The line that separates two adjoining land parcels as determined by legal descriptions. Land boundaries can be marked by hedges, fences, monument, or not at all A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The law determines what boundaries are; facts determine where boundaries are located. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A boundary exists because the law permits it to exist. Boundary lines are invisible, yet once created, they have legal authority. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boundaries of a parcel are created by the original surveyor through measurements and writings. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A closed boundary describes a claim of right to a property interest for which any person can make a claim of possession. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the original boundary is created and described, legally, that description remains in effect forever. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the federal statutes, as well as common case law, those lines remain fixed in perpetuity from the time the first property rights are conveyed. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Usually, to have a boundary created that boundary must have terminal points or corners. a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corners and monuments are not the same. 1) Corner: Is a calculated point (theory). 2) Monument: Is a physical object on the ground that marks a corner (physical). 3) Corners carry the same legal dignity as monuments. D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A resurvey should do the following: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identify the existing conditions of the boundary lines at conveyence. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identify the condition of the original corner monuments. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redefine the definition of the courses (bearing/distance) in more modern terms. The Role of the Surveyor and the Law A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The role of the surveyor should include the following: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create original boundaries of a parcel through measurements and writings. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The surveyor is also the person who retraces the boundaries created originally and creates new evidence for future su... ... of the land, whether or not mentioned in the conveyance. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Easement in Gross: Attaches to a person, not a particular parcel of land. f)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creating an easement. 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Express conveyence through a deed or will. A)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most popular way to create a deed. B)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Easement Deeds: Those deeds that describe and convey an easement strictly without deeding a tract of land. C)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The deed must describe correctly interest conveyed and must comply with all formalities required for the transfer of land. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Implication (implied easements) A)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the general rule of law, when an owner of a tract of land conveys part of it to another, the owner is said to grant with it, by implication, all easements that apparent and obvious and that are reasonably necessary for the fair enjoyment of the land granted. B)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Implied easements are often sought in litigation when there is no apparent right-of-way to a land locked parcel. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The 1950’s and 60’s Civil Rights

(1) Trumans civil rights committee: In 1947 Trumans Civil Rights Committee recommended laws protecting the right of African Americans to vote and banning segregation on railroads and buses. It also called for a federal law punishing lynching. He issued executive orders ending segregation in the armed forces and prohibiting job discrimination in all government agencies. (2) Brown V. the Board of Education (1954): In 1954 the Supreme Court made one of the most important decisions in its long history. It decided in the case of Brown v. Board Of Education of Topeka that it was unconstitutional for states to maintain separate schools for African American and white children. This case over turned the â€Å"Separate but equal† doctrine established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson back in 1896. (3) Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): After the supreme court decided to end segregation, African Americans started to speak out more about their racial opinions. In Montgomery, Alabama, a bus boycott ended with a victory for the African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama segregation laws were unconstitutional. During the boycott a young African American Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. became well known. Throughout the long contest he advised African Americans to avoid violence no matter had badly provoked by whites. Rosa Parks tired of sitting in the back of the bus, and giving up her seat to white men. One weary day she refused to move from the front of the bus, and she became one of history†s heroes in the Civil Rights Act movement. (4) The Civil Rights Act: In 1964 congress passed a Civil Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination in restaurants, theaters, hotels, hospitals, and public facilities of all sorts. This civil rights act also made it easier and safer for Southern Blacks to register and vote. Laws were passed to help poor people improve their ability to earn money, a program to give extra help to children at risk even before they were old enough to go to school, and a program to train school dropouts. (5) The Great Society: These actions were very popular. Johnson easily won the 1964 presidential election and then proposed what he called the Great Society program. This was Johnson†s plan. He would work to improve the lives of all people, but especially the poor and the powerless. Programs were aimed at helping every segment in society. (6) Passive Resistance: After Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully led the African Americans through the bus boycott, he became a national figure. Every where he preached the idea of non- violence or passive resistance as the best way to achieve racial equality. † Nonviolent resistance is not a method for cowards† he said. One must â€Å"accept blows from the opponent without striking back†. Love, not hate or force, was the way to change people†s minds. 1. † Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice†. 2. † Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!† 3. † I have a dream that one day this great nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘ We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal.†

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Od vs Hr

We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HRS function Is monopolizing the ODD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. † ODD and HRS Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? By Matt Mailman Ding. Ding. Ding. K, time's up. Time to decide. Will it be door number one, or door number two? The lady or the tiger? In Frank Stockpot's allegory (1882), a prisoner is ordered to choose between two closed doors.Behind one is a woman whom he must marry sight unseen and live with for the rest of his life; behind the other is the tiger which would surely eat him alive. Without knowing exactly what is behind which door, how Is one to choose? And, which does one really prefer? Like the mythical prisoner, the field of ODD has been standing In front of two doors for too long, putting off the choice betw een them. One door would leave the ODD function embedded within HRS; the other would get ODD out to stand independently on its own two feet in the organization.The field of ODD has been putting off this decision for too long? nice its inception, in fact?and it is time for us to make the decision. Well into our mid-ass as a field, we can't really blame all of this mess on our forebears, because frankly we're dealing with these choices Just as badly as they did when the field was first founded. We're still standing looking at the same two doors between which our ODD forebears could not decide. Long History, Deep Roots This question about whether ODD should be part of HRS or should stand on its own goes back to the founding of our field.What became organization development had its roots in the training and placement function, where the T group was the primary Intervention. At a panel of the founders of ODD at the 2009 Academy of Management conference in Chicago, almost every one of the m, to a man, said that they were trained as writers or sociologists or engineers, but attended an ANT Institute T group where their lives changed. (Several also lamented that they were all white men in the field at that time, and on that panel at MOM. Following their ANT experiences, they tried to bring these insights they had obtained Into their organizations via the training function. By the ate sass, Just a few years after the field was founded by about a dozen Internal training and development people at Ant's summer home in Bethel, Maine, the theory was, â€Å"let's transform the way managers think about themselves and the ways they relate to people and solve problems, and once we've done that, we can send them back home to transform their own organizations† (Operas & Bradford, 2004).Evidently, there were some who said that the ODD function should stand on its own and be independent to other intelligence (Burke, 2 ). Others, however, were concerned t the field of ODD was too new and unknown and should reside in the personnel or raining function, as advocated by Shell Davis of TRW Systems, Sys Levy from Pillsbury, Herb Sheppard formerly of Sees, Dick Backyard, and others. Their belief was that â€Å"ODD at the time was too new, too ephemeral, and too suspect to survive on its own in the organization †¦Early on, then, two models or scenarios ODD and HRS: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 17 about the place of ODD within the organization were debated regarding the wisdom of such a placement† (Burke, 2004). Theory Versus Fact The vast majority of the central thinkers, writers, and scholars in our field today (Cummings & Worldly, 2005; Marshal, 2009; Ferrymen & Worldly, 2009; Retell, et al. , 2009) write as if ODD is a separate and distinct field of practice, but the facts on the ground tell a different story.We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the world, the HRS function is monopolizing the ODD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. As a field, we are behaving as if there is nothing we can do about it; it is as if we are watching ourselves in an automobile crash in slow motion, worried and concerned at hat we see, and yet unable to find the brakes or grab the steering wheel to avert the collision and all of the collateral damage.Maybe the founders of the field were right that ODD was too new and too fragile to stand on its own. But they didn't count on what's happening now in the field of HRS. The Ascendancy of HRS Over the past 15 years, we have seen better and better leadership of the HRS function, with several universities now offering Masters' degrees in HARM and HARD and several MBA degrees with an HRS concentration. The result has been a generation of stronger, more tragic HRS managers who have achieved a seat at the table and are trusted advisors at the top of organizations.Many managers at the top of the HRS function are getting better by the year about understanding the dynamics of the organizations in which they serve. Increasingly, they can speak the language of the board room, and are not afraid to undertake even major organization change projects. This new generation of HRS leaders clearly understands that people and money are the powers that run organizations; and when the system can provide enough of the latter, their Job is to get Just enough f it into the hands of the former to get the Job done. And then return the rest to stakeholders. And to keep the organization out of court.In these regards, they are notably different from the generation of HRS managers and VSP that preceded them, when there was no professional training for HRS managers and when these posts often went to the UP who was due to retire next. The evolution of the training function also has had an impact. Ever increasing pressures to reduce costs nave torched the training diminution to get smart about impact evaluation. Kirkpatrick (1998) four levels have forced the training function to kook beyond end-of-session â€Å"smile sheets† to defend their budgets and make the case that training is a valuable investment.The result has been that training functions are now requiring training managers who have the skills to collect data, analyze it, and think systemically about what to do with it. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? If you needed The days of HRS staff being hired principally because they were people persons with DOD listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (BBC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HRS, and HRS is responding by asking itself more relevant to the business of the organization.Many HRS staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspiration goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. With this smarter, more strategic generation of HRS managers comes the instinct and desire to have at hand one of the most powerful levers for organizational change and renewal, the ODD function. Thus the trend of ODD roles and functions being acquired by HRS. And, to be clear, in merger and acquisition terms, these are not mergers of equals; they are straight up acquisitions of the ODD function by HRS.Another factor has been the pressure on HRS functions to be relevant to the business of the organization. The days of HRS staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (BBC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HRS, and HRS is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HRS staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspiration goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. Money to do that, wouldn't you be looking for a DOD ODD person?Often desperate to meet the ir utilization goals, the training function is very happy to let managers continue to believe that training is the answer to every problem, a kind of panacea for whatever ails. Leaders and employees alike seem to rely on training as the answer, believing perhaps that with the right education they can deliver what the business needs. That is certainly an easier solution to accept than facing ODD issues related to how people, teams, and departments relate and connect with one another, how business processes work, and how all connect with ND work toward the strategic direction of the organization.So, it is no wonder that smart HRS leaders are looking to candidates trained and educated in ODD to take on these business partner and training leadership roles, resulting in even more blurring of the lines between ODD and HRS. 18 ODD PRACTITIONER Volvo. 42 NO. 4 2010 Differences Are Real, and Important By now, this author's biases are probably clear: there are important differences between th e ODD and HRS functions; and as these roles collapse and the differences disappear, the field of ODD is losing its unique position in the organization and its effectiveness overall.We're behaving as a field as if we uncoil be living in a both/and world around this, when the truth is exactly the opposite. Many in ODD struggle to find and hold boundaries that separate people and things. We spend our entire time helping our clients make better connections between each other at all levels?individuals and pairs, cross unit collaboration, organizations working toward better partnerships, etc. But when it comes to ODD and our HRS cousins, we should be sharpening and better defining our boundaries, not blurring them, because the differences in our functions are real and important.The HRS function has a legally mandated, regulatory role: to provide people to fill Jobs, to reduce costs (for payroll, health care insurance, benefits, etc. ), and to keep the organization out of the courts and th e press by ensuring compliance and avoiding claims of discrimination or harassment. People view HRS as the people you go to with a problem that you want to make official. People feel that going to HRS puts things in the record. They see HRS as the enforcers or policemen.The ODD function has a developmental mandate; in fact, our Job is to increase the effectiveness of the organization and to maximize the potential of the human beings in the work force. We have theories, concepts, beliefs, and values through which we help our clients assure that there is alignment among strategy, structure, business process, and culture, while at the same time embedding human values such as honesty, respect, diversity, and voice.One model (Marshal, 2006) outlines three domains of knowledge for ODD practitioners: Ð’Â » understanding social systems, drawing on theories and ideas from the social sciences, including psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and others, consistent with ODD aloes; understanding the wows and whys of change, including the bodies of knowledge that help explain how all levels of the system?individual, group, organizational, community, and even societies change; and understanding the role of the third party change agent, especially aiding the person in charge as well as the system itself to bring about the desired changes, requiring an understanding of the issues, politics, psychological processes related to being a third party in a change process. That doesn't sound much like the recruit, retain, train, and develop mandate of the HRS function, does it? It is hard to imagine even the highest functioning HRS departments being knowledgeable and skilled in all these areas. There are many in HRS who look at the list of ODD functions and say, â€Å"Oh, we can do that! † And, on occasion, they may be right.But the philosophies of the two disciplines are starkly different, as are the theory bases, the world views, the c ore skills sets, and their roles within the organization. There is a built-in conflict between the role of ODD consultant, coach or adviser with a developmental mandate working toward organizational effectiveness, versus the role to the R practitioner whose core mandate is regulatory and endorsement. Can a good HRS person advise on selected developmental matters, such as training strategies and needs assessments? Yes, as can a good ODD person. But the conflict of interest for the HRS staff shows up when the Action Research process of retreat planning and design requires them to interview staff about a manager's effectiveness.What staff member in her right mind would say something critical of their manager to someone from HRS, who is likely also to be involved in decisions about that manager's promotion, pay, and even succession planning? Or their own? HRS has its hands on too many of the organizational levers and has too many mandates centering around enforcement and control to ever be effective at drawing out of managers the truth about their insecurities, anxieties, and the shadow sides, that is so necessary to doing good work and being effective in doing ODD. Troubling Examples These concerns aren't Just theoretical, either. Quick conversations with a handful of colleagues, both ODD and HRS, turn up some troubling examples.In a large multinational organization, The Different Functions Organization Development Ђ Improve the effectiveness of the organization Maximize the potential of human beings and their contributions to the organization Align strategy, structure, business processes, and behavior into an effective corporate culture Model and foster humanistic values into the workplace Human Resources Manage employee attraction, retention, development, and performance management Develop and manage programs for employee relations, staff wellbeing, workforce planning, and workload management Ensure equity and diversity Reduce labor costs Avoid litigation E nforce corporate policies 9 the ODD staff and external consultants were forced to follow the rules that govern the rest of the HRS function around meeting with VSP and senior managers. The HRS UP insisted that he attend every meeting that the HRS?and ODD! ?staff had with other VSP in the organization. Not Just marketing or contracting meetings, but actual project meetings as well. He was unwilling to make an exception for the ODD staff lest the HRS staff get upset.Within weeks, his it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top dervish on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HRS function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. Then a succession to HRS managers grade- practitioner is, then anybody can hang out a shingle claiming he or she is an ODD consultant. In fact, some years ago, there was an informal study of the members of the ODD Network that found that almost one third of them had taken on the label or the role of ODD consultant, with no previous education or training in the field.Not All Bad News To be clear, the field has shifted largely positively, over the past few decades, responding to some of the â€Å"red flags† that Larry Greener (1972) identified for ODD, including: Ð’Â » Putting individual behavior ahead of strategy, structure, process, and controls; Ð’Â » Overemphasized the informal at the expense of the formal organization, driving more for openness and trust to change the culture, often at the expense of efficiency, hierarchy, and accountability; Ð’Â » Driving open and trusting relationships as a normative model for change, without questioning the context or applicability in a even situation, and assuming that team building was always the preferre d intervention; Ð’Â » Putting process before task, enamored with the human dynamics of working together over getting the work done; and Ð’Â » Treating the manager as Just another stakeholder, relatively uninvolved in the planning and conduct of consultant programs rather than the key stakeholder. Historically, the field has addressed many, if not all, of these red flags among strong and well-grounded practitioners. However, many of them are still quite evident in HRS people who are trying to do ODD today.The Right Answer Reflecting on the various options for organizing and structuring the ODD function and constructing its relationship with HRS, the optimum solution is to establish In a large financial institution, the ODD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free re ign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HRS function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. Schedule became a huge constraint on the work of the ODD function because consultants (internal and external) could not get into his calendar to meet with their clients. In a science-based organization the ODD function was fully financially self-sufficient, recovering the costs and a bit of an â€Å"upgrade† from its internal clients. Other HRS managers got resentful of this chargeable mechanism. They forced the manager of the ODD program to stop cupping her costs, which effectively killed the ODD function because it had no free- standing budget of its own. In a university, a very strong and capable ODD function has been merged and renamed Learning and ODD, resulting in the organization's best ODD talent being diverted into managing the training program for the university.In a large financial institution, the ODD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when ally reduced the ODD function to delivering two day team alluding retreats, and a cadre of dozens of internal and external consultants has been whittled down to less than 10. In one knowledge -based organization we know, the ODD person is required to have the HRS person present during all contracting and data collection meetings. Clients are now creatively working around the requirement by calling the ODD staff directly on their cell phones after hours to discuss matters that they can't or won't say in front of the HRS people, who are not trusted in that system.No Boundaries, No Standards What Bradford and Burke (2004) said about the jack of standards in the field of ODD applies equally well to the lack of boundaries with the HRS function. â€Å"When there is lack of clarity as to the boundaries of the field and corresponding confusion about what the appropriate role of an ODD 20 the ODD function independently. Ideally, it would have a blended mandate and funding, charging back for local unit-specific work, and centrally funded for organization-wide efforts. There are instances when ODD should be working in partnership with the HRS function, specialists on one discipline speaking with and working closely with specialists of the other discipline.There are instances when the HRS function would be the ODD function's client; and there are instances when the ODD and HRS functions ought not to be working together at all, such as when there are conflicts of interest or large scale organization strategy or design projects not ready for implementation. There are disadvantages to being freestanding and independent within the organization. The O DD function may become vulnerable to exposure, scrutiny, and politics. Some ODD people can't play in the C-suite (Burke, 2004). The function would have to earn its stripes and compete for money and mandate with there functions in strategic planning, financial management, budget, and yes, even HRS.But the upsides of organizational independence are quite significant, and are evident now where strong ODD departments are standing on their own. The ODD function becomes central to the business of the organization, influencing strategy, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, etc. It works upstream, providing early input on the development of plans and processes, able to bring a systemic perspective and ODD values to actions that previously had been made primarily on financial grounds alone. It is present and able to influence the setting of the agenda, not Just the implementation of it. But How to Get There? It is no longer enough Just to be good at process.To be able to st and independently in organizations, free of the cover and support of the HRS function, ODD practitioners need to: Ð’Â » Know the major environmental, regulatory, and financial drivers of the organization; Know, be known by, and trusted by the top leadership to the organization; Know what's involved in evaluating, deciding, and implementing mergers and acquisitions, especially around blending corporate cultures and business processes; Be effective n working across cultures, in global environments, and especially today, virtually; and Be attuned to the organizational politics within the organization and within its governance structures. (Greener ; Cummings, 2004) Integrating sustainability and globalization into the world of ODD brings another set of challenges.To play effectively as a free standing function, free of support from HRS, ODD practitioners need: Ð’Â » New and better ideas for progress, guided by diversity, development, and sustainability; Ð’Â » To understand a nd be effective at intervening in economic systems, balancing productivity with innovation, sustainability, and perversity; socially constructed and negotiated (Bushes ; Marshal, 2008). As the boundaries of the field have expanded over the past 15 years to include more systemic perspectives, there are new challenges for how to educate new ODD professionals (Minoan ; Farther, 2008). That's a tall order for a field that has prided itself historically on being apolitical, focusing on the individual, following the lead of the client, ambivalent about asserting ourselves in leadership roles within our client systems, and seeing ourselves as a bit subversive in being countercultures. There is some good news here, however.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Drugs in a Workplace

Drugs in a Workplace Free Online Research Papers In recent years Illicit drug use has become more prevalent in the workplace. Consequently, many employers began administering random drug tests to ensure the full performance and efficiency of their employees. While an employer has the right to ensure that his staff are fulfilling their contractual agreements and maximizing potential revenue for the firm, the established drug testing programs that are currently in use are subject to numerous flaws. Primarily, these tests are both inaccurate and ambiguous and as such they are ineffective at preventing workplace drug abuse. Secondly, the invasive nature of these tests lowers employee morale, which in turn leads to lower performance. Thirdly, these tests require the submission of personal fluids and may reveal other personal information that is not relevant to the scope of the job. Furthermore, the use of these tests is a clear violation of an employee’s personal autonomy. Consequently, due to the aforementioned issues, I strongly believe that the current method of drug testing in the work place does not hold sufficient stance in order to justify the invasion of employee privacy rights. Furthermore, I believe that more effective means are available and should be adopted by employers who are seeking to identify drug users in their workplace. The central flaw of workplace drug tests is their ambiguity and likelihood of error. Specifically, most workplace drug tests use urine analysis to determine whether the individual in question is guilty of illicit drug abuse. However, statistical data shows that tests using urine samples are subject to over 30% rate of error , and are therefore an inappropriate method of testing. Furthermore, urine sample drug tests detect any traces of drugs that are present in the individual’s body at the time of testing, even though these drugs may no longer be active. Additionally, there are currently 250 medications that could cause a false positive, these include such drugs as Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, and Midol . Furthermore, the test ambiguity results from the fact that the tests do not specify whether the drugs were taken during work hours or whether they were used on the employee’s leisurely time and are therefore a violations of privacy. Lastly, urine analysis tests are time inef ficient as any positive results must undergo a second review before they could be remitted as legitimate . Thus, while the central purpose of drug testing is to prevent any potential injuries within the workplace, the length of time that it takes for these tests’ results to come in leaves plenty of opportunity for potential harms and injuries to occur. Consequently, it is apparent that due to their rate of error, lack of precision with regards to the time of abuse, and a lengthy processing period urine sample drugs tests are ambiguous and ineffective and as such should no longer be administered by employers. The detrimental effects that drugs tests have on employee morale is the second reason why employers should immediately cease their implementation. According to the article â€Å"Drug Testing and the Right Privacy: Arguing the Ethics of Workplace Drug testing† by Michael Cranford, drug tests are not only a good means of detecting poor employee performance, but also they enable employers to identify and resolve any drug abuse that is taking place within their workplace . However, in spite of these tests’ ability to identify workplace drug abusers they are highly detrimental as they may foster lower work performance and decrease employee morale. Specifically, seeing as these tests are highly invasive and require the submission of personal body fluids under the supervision of an observer they cause many employees to feel violated and mistrusted . Furthermore, according to Joseph Desjardins and Ronald Duska, authors of â€Å"Drug testing in Employment†, the random ad ministration of drug tests to all employees is not only unjustifiable but can also constitute a grave violation of one’s privacy. Conversely, while administering the drugs to all employees may seem unreasonable, targeting specific workers should also be prohibited as the selected individuals will feel discriminated against and their personal rights will be infringed upon. Consequently, it is apparent that the arbitrary administration of drug tests either to all employees or to specifically selected workers is not justifiable. Furthermore, not only are these tests not effective at maintaining high employee performance they result in lower employee morale and in a decreased work quality. A third downfall to urine sample drug tests is that they not only reveal any potential illicit substances present in one’s system, but they also detect additional medical information such as pregnancy . Such content may be personal to the employee and should not be disclosed to their employer. According to Desardins and Duska, â€Å" an employee’s right to privacy is violated whenever personal information is requested, collected, and/or used by an employer in a way or for any purpose that is irrelevant to or in violation of the contractual relationship that exists between the employer and employee† . Desardins and Duska further argued that â€Å" Since drug testing is a means for obtaining information, the information sought must be relevant to the contract in order for the drug testing to not violate privacy† . However, seeing as these tests not only specify drug abuse that takes place during work hours, but also reveal any illicit substances used during an employee’s leisurely time they may constitute a violation of one’s privacy. Furthermore, not only do urinary samples fail to specify the time of the illicit abuse, they also reveal additional private information such as pregnancy and the intake of prescribed medication. To conclude, the current method used for the detection of drugs is a violation of privacy as it reveals extraneous personal information about an employee that is not relevant to their work. Lastly, the forceful administration of mandatory drug testing fails to preserve an individuals’ right to autonomy. According to Diana Zorn, â€Å"to respect another’s autonomy is to treat them as individuals having the abilities required to be rational decision makers capable of identifying their own interests and making their own choices about the best means to advance† . However, by prohibiting the subject employees the ability to refuse the test with out negative re-precaution, employers are assuming that people are irrational human beings who in fact are not capable making their own decisions. Furthermore, Information privacy is violated when a person losses control over information that is rightfully personal . Seeing that urine tests reveal leisurely drug use, and other personal conditions, thereby causing the employee to lose control over personal information, and thus taking away ones’ autonomy. Conversely, it could be argued that autonomy has its limitations one of which being the harm principle. According to the harm principle if the preservation of a personal autonomy may lead to potential harm, it is justifiable to not honor such autonomy . However, due the fact that the current method of drug testing requires ample time for processing, such test is unable to prevent a large portion of harms, thereby annulling the harm principle. To conclude, a thorough analysis of the moral issues involved in the administration of mandatory drug testing in the workplace reveals that such tests are unethical and as such their practice should be ceased. Presently, the majority of drug tests implemented by employers are highly ambiguous and erroneous as they carry a high error rate and are enable to specify the time of the drug use. Furthermore, the primary purpose of these tests is to prevent future injuries in the work place and maintain high employee performance both of which the test fail to accomplish. Lastly, arbitrary urine sample drug tests constitute a grave infringement on employees’ privacy and constitutional rights and as such they should be deemed both unethical and illegal. Above all else, this method of drug testing fails to preserve an employees sense of autonomy. Given the numerous downfalls that urine sample drug tests carry I conclude that they are highly unethical and should no longer be administered by employers. Instead, workplaces nationwide would be well advised to adopt more effective and less invasive means of drug abuse surveillance by adopting computer based programs, such as the Bowles-Langley Computer Based Drug Testing , and carefully monitoring their staff. Research Papers on Drugs in a WorkplaceMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationResearch Process Part OneUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWGenetic Engineering

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Online Search

Free Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Online Search The Social Security Death Index, commonly referred to as the SSDI, is a database containing the names and dates of birth and death for over 77 million Americans. This massive database is a wonderful resource for genealogists, and is available in many online locations for free search. To learn more about about the Social Security Death Index, and what it can tell you about your ancestors, read How-to Guide to the SSDI. Note about free Social Security Death Index Access: In late 2011, a number of genealogy sites removed or restricted access to the free SSDI database, the public version of the SSA Death Master File. The following sites still provide free SSDI access as of December 2015: FamilySearch- SSDI Search Free online search of the SSDI, a name index to deaths recorded by the Social Security Administration beginning in 1962. Free, unrestricted search. This database was last updated on 28 February 2014, just prior to restrictions enacted in March 2014 which require that newly reported deaths will not be made available in the public version of the Social Security Death Index for three years after the individuals death. As such, new deaths reported after February 2014 will not be available in this database until 2017. Social Security Death Master File, Free Tom Alciere makes available this free version of the Social Security Death Master File, current as of November 2011, and searchable by name or social security number. This copy does not have available the death-residence location or death benefit payout ZIP Code. For additional search features for accessing these files, check out the SSDI search tool at DonsList.net. GenealogyBank- Free SSDI Search Advanced search features make this free version of the SSDI easy to use (with registration). However, it is only current through 2011, stating that due to  compliance with Section 203 (Restriction on Access to the Death Master File) of the Budget Act of 2013, they are no longer able to display SSDI records for individuals who have died within the previous 3 years. More importantly, GenealogyBank  does not  provide social security numbers for any individual in the database, whether or not the death was recent. Searching the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) in One Step Steve Morse has created a very handy search form which enhances the search abilities of many of the free SSDI search engines on the Web. You can choose from a variety of free SSDI databases to search through this flexible search interface. Ancestry.com also offers a searchable version of the SSDI, but it is available only to paying subscribers and not free. It is current through mid-March 2014, but does not include social security numbers for individuals who died within the past 10 years.  Going forward, new records will be available when they are older than 3 years (1095 days), to comply with U.S. law. More on the SSDI Tips for Searching the Social Security Death IndexHow to Request a Copy of a Social Security Application SS-5Social Security Numbering: How to Tell Where a Social Security Number Was Issued

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Interview with Book Designer Stewart Williams Reedsy

Interview with Book Designer Stewart Williams Reedsy â€Å"I like things a little more visceral†¦Ã¢â‚¬  - An interview with designer Stewart Williams. We are proud to feature designer Stewart Williams on Reedsy. Stewart’s arresting, beautiful and original designs have spanned a large range of titles from novels to cooking to poetry and a range of non-fiction. We got some great insights into Stewart’s creative process, his approach to different genres and authors, plus the opportunities of a rich online presence.For the unconditional lovers of the written word, I’ve transcribed most of the interview below. But for those who want to take part in the discussion, you can directly join us on the hangout! Hi Stewart, thanks for joining me on this hangout. First, can you give me a bit of background on how you became a freelance book designer?I started out in the publishing world working in magazines and newspapers, and was primarily art directing for various publications in Seattle for quite a long time. I worked for a number of newspapers, however I really wanted to work with books, because I’ve always loved reading and I’ve loved books since I was a little kid. I always thought that the publishing industry was fascinating and that what cover designers did was really the kind of thing I wanted to do as a graphic designer.Whilst I was working for newspapers I started to get jobs here and there with publishers and I didn’t turn down anything. I knew that every job that I could do was something I could add on to my portfolio, to help me get bigger and bigger clients as I moved along. After a brief period of travel, Sasquatch books hired me as a senior designer and I stayed there for a few years. I finally ended up in New York City where I couldn’t find any work at all, so I just decided to go do business for myself.I started to build a presence using all the contacts I had acquired, and I knew at that time that it was really important for me to work on my online presence, so I was always doing online portfolios. I can’t remember the last time I showed anybody a physical portfolio, nobody really uses those anymore. I was already making websites back in the early 1990s, and those have really helped because I really don’t know where people find my work, so I try to put it everywhere.I really like the fact that you put all your work out there, on different platforms. I’ve checked your blog and you’re one of the few cover designers I’ve seen at Reedsy who posts all the projects they’re doing, including information about the creative process and previous cover versions. I think too few designers do tha t.I’ve noticed that as well and I don’t know why that is. I think sometimes it has to do with this idea that when people sign up for a portfolio and are asking for a description, if you have 25 covers it can seem a little daunting to write 25 descriptions at once. For me it was always important to do it as I went along so this wouldn’t happen.Also, I think people run out of things to say, or they are trying to really let the work speak for themselves. But for my clients, people ask me specific questions, like â€Å"do you do YA?† or â€Å"how many covers do you do?†, and I think that the explanations that I give really demystify what is going on on my end so the people get a better idea of how the process works. The blog really helps me illustrate that for them rather than just do some magic trick and say: â€Å"here’s your cover!†In particular, also, I do it to show to people how many cover designs go into a cover project for somebod y like Amazon. Sometimes I do 13 different covers before they decide on the one they like.You mentioned you’ve worked in the past for big publishers, but it seems that now you’re shifting a bit towards indie authors and getting more work from them, am I right?Yes, that’s true, it’s something that I’ve seen more and more over the last 3-4 years: with the rise of the Kindle people have started to write independently and publish via KDP or similar services. It’s been really different for me in the beginning because I usually never dealt with authors, and I realised I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sometimes they have really good ideas, or they just want you to do whatever you feel like, and I like that direct line of communication with people.And by working directly with authors you get more creative freedom, right?You know, I’ve often found along the years that the less I get paid, the more creative freedom I have! When people have larger budg ets they tend to have an idea of exactly what they want you to do. With smaller budgets, they’re more inclined to relinquish control of things and let you do what you want if the price is kept down. Of course I never use that as a way to do whatever I feel like, because I think it’s really important to hear what the author is telling me the want. I want to make sure that my work is something they’ll be happy with and will help them sell their book.Do you prefer working purely with stock imagery, or illustrations, or a mixture?That’s another thing that has to do with budgets in a way. I think there is a lot of inexpensive stock photography out there, so it is hard to convince somebody to spend more money on an illustration.I’m not really an illustrator, I haven’t done it for a living. I like to illustrate, but it’s one of those things where I have to prove myself to people before I get them to hire me, so I’m doing more smaller jobs that don’t pay as much just to get the experience and have something to show.I feel like with the surge of independent publishing and the number of books available having an illustration - something that is 100% unique - really adds value.I agree, and I’d say that the stock photography is not keeping up with the demand, so you start seeing the same photographs on different people’s books and that’s embarrassing for the author.I think people are starting to realise that you cannot just take an image and put your title and name on it because there is a very good chance that someone else is going to use the same†¦You work across all genres, I think, but is there any that you prefer working on? Or any project lately that you have particularly enjoyed?I like things a little more visceral, where there is more of a graphic edge. I think crime and horror are like that. I try not to emulate what people see out there and stay away from the typical horror book cover.But I do like to work on all things, even non-fiction. I have a few client publishers who publish more historical books, and those tend to follow certain contemporary trends in the United States politics. I do like working with archival and historical images.I also love working on poetry books. There tends to be a non-linear way to think about the covers that can work with poetry books, they’re not conceptual the same way a fiction book might be. I find it more interesting and challenging to work with an abstract idea. If you’re building a cover and you know there are certain elements that have to be on it, it becomes more of a production process than a creative one. My method of working is a little weirder and less straightforward than that.That’s good to hear, because a common piece of advice if you write in a particular genre is that your cover absolutely has to respect certain guidelines that are part of the genre. I always feel like as an author you might stand a better chance if you come with a different style for the cover, even one that doesn’t fully â€Å"respect† the genre.I would agree. Other people who write in your genre all have similar looking covers. So if I’m going to look for a book in that genre online, I’m probably immediately going to pick up the one that has a cover that doesn’t look like all the others.That said, it’s hard to convince people to do something different. Even publishers will say to me: â€Å"this book has sold quite a bit and it looks like this, can you do something similar?†. But the problem is that the public is smarter than that and after a while it is going to get bored.I think there’s only a small window of time in which you can emulate an idea and still be successful. The rest of the time you’ve got to try something different. It is a risk, and although people have to take risks, they usually don’t want to be the firs t one.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Instructions for a Common Activity. Preparing and Serving a Dinner for Assignment

Instructions for a Common Activity. Preparing and Serving a Dinner for 6 persons - Assignment Example Anyone would love their friends come over for dinner but at most times feel intimidated by the labor that goes into it. However, planning and preparation well ahead in advance not only makes hosting a dinner much easier but also a thrilling experience. Given below are the instructions of how to go about hosting a dinner for six persons. Instructions By following instructions step by step we not only find that a job becomes easier but it avoids a lot of confusion and makes it more methodical and systematic. Step -1 – Cleanliness is of utmost importance and therefore the kitchen, the dining table and the surroundings should be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant. Step - 2 – Utensils and food stuff should be washed thoroughly before making use of them. Serving dishes should be washed well and dried with a clean towel before using them to serve. Step – 3 – The Menu should be made out well in advance and the ingredients for preparation should be purchased at l east a day ahead of the dinner and that includes even the desert. Step- 4 - Menu – Preparation of Chicken Fried rice, Chicken fry and Caramel custard. To serve – 6 persons Things needed – 2 Kgs. of chicken, 1 Kg. rice, 100 gms. each of carrot, beans and peas, 4 big onions, ? kg. tomatoes, saffron, ginger and garlic paste, spices, hot chilly peppers, ground pepper, oil, green coriander and salt to taste. For the Caramel custard we need 4 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 200 gms. of sugar and few drops of vanilla and a dash of nutmeg. Step 5 - Preparation 1. Chicken Fried rice: Wash the rice thoroughly and keep aside. Boil the chicken after washing with a little salt and ? teaspoon of saffron. Remove ? kilo and once again saute in a pan with either oil or ghee. When cool, shred and keep aside. Chop 2 big onions and 4 tomatoes and keep them covered in separate dishes. For the vegetables a grater could be made use of or chop them finely lengthwise after washing them. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a medium sized utensil and when hot enough put in the onions and fry till golden brown. Add ? a teaspoon of saffron and stir. Put in the tomatoes and diced vegetable and fry well. When cooked well put in the shredded chicken, some spices and diced chilly peppers with sufficient salt to taste. Cover and let it simmer well for 5 mins. Put in the washed rice and pour 10 cups of water. Cover with a lid and cook for another 15 mins. Serve while hot. Chicken Fried Rice 2. Chicken Fry: Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan. Toss in the diced onions and fry till golden brown. Put in ? a teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir. Add15gms. of ginger - garlic paste and fry well. Put in 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder and ? a teaspoon of black pepper and fry them well. Toss in the diced tomatoes with sufficient salt and fry well. Finally add the pre-cooked chicken and mix well in the masala after adding sufficient salt. Cover the vessel and cook again for about 10 to 15mi ns. Garnish it with finely chopped green coriander leaves and serve while hot. Chicken Fry 3. Caramel Custard: In a baking dish heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar till it melts and gets burnt and spreads evenly at the bottom and sides of the dish. In another dish beat the eggs, milk, sugar and Vanilla essence well till the sugar dissolves completely. Gently strain this mixture into the dish with the burnt sugar. Scrape a little nutmeg powder over the top of the mixture and cover the mouth of the deep pan with butter paper. Place this dish in a pressure cooker and cook for 10 mins. Serve while cool. Caramel Custard Caramel custard could also be served with ice-cream, strawberries or fresh fruit. www.ifood.tv/network/caramel_custard/photos How to set a Dining Table for 6 persons In order to make a good impression it is

Friday, October 18, 2019

Gender division of labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender division of labor - Essay Example This has in many occasions led to family breakdowns. This is because men consider themselves more important than women hence looking down on them and giving them no chance at all in decision making (Cohen, 2004). Their suggestions and thoughts are suppressed hence being subjected to oppression. Therefore, this causes a lot of tension in societies between men and women where women think that they have been denied access to their rights. Since women engage more in unpaid roles at home, it gives them a lesser bargaining power against their male counterparts who earn hence in most cases providing for the family needs. Quite often, the idea of gender based division of labor causes chaos, more so in the civilized world where women are in pursuit for gender equality. Women consider themselves just as much effective as men, and that they should be allowed do the rest of the chores. This desire has been accelerated by education; education has now been advocated for all. Modern technology also makes it a lot easier for women to do work that was considered complicated for them. According to Cohen (2004), this has been a bold step towards economic developments in most societies. To him, a shared responsibility is effective for a society to develop. He views an economically empowered woman as a tool to development in that they can generate enough income to keep their families going, making it a shared responsibility between wives and husbands. However, most men view this as a woman’s tool to fight them hence always disregarding the idea, and as a result, it leads to disagreements among the involved parties. Also, there is yet another point of contemplation; property ownership. Property ownership is an idea that has spark different views in different societies. In most cultures, owning of property is a man’s thing. In his view, Cohen (2004), social cultural beliefs belittle the fact that women can in any circumstances own property. Women are considered weak and with no sufficient knowledge to manage property. It is often an abomination for them to acquire or inherit property, especially so, land. According to Kergoat & Othmer (2005), extremely few women have had the privilege to own property in comparison to their men counterparts. Commonly, many families have their family possessions registered in the husbands’ names, which are in return given full powers to make any decisions concerning the property. Low percentages of married couples have joint properties (Kergoat & Othmer, 2005). Therefore, women feel left out and oppressed. They often desire to be treated equally with the men, to be considered able to handle what men can handle. This causes unrest in the society because women feel suppressed and deprived of access to their rights. On the hand, men view them as less influential in decision making and threats to the powers set upon them. However, Kergoat puts in his view that women and men should have equal opportunities to prop erty ownership. Most constitutions and power changes are now empowering women to own property. A property right in regard to women is fast coming up, being viewed as a great boost to societal economic upgrade. Women are now finding their way up in the ladder to equality. However, this is being viewed as an abuse to men and cultural beliefs hence it is not being easily

Finance Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance Accounting - Essay Example The accounts above are made in light of portraying a true picture to the shareholders as well as any investors interested in the company. The true and fair view concept has been at the heart of financial reporting in the UK for over forty years. In recent years there has been a major increase in the international importance of this concept. This has come about with its adoption by the European Community in the Fourth Directive on company law and its implementation in all Community countries. However, this concept has never been defined in UK legislation, and a variety of meanings can be attributed to it. In view of the recent international developments and given that the UK is the source of the concept, this study sought to elicit the views of senior UK practitioners on the true and fair concept. The FRC has laid three points: that the concept of the 'true and fair view' remained a cornerstone of financial reporting and auditing in the UK; that there had been 'no substantive change in the objectives of an audit and the nature of auditors' responsibilities'; and that the need for professional judgement 'remained central to the work of preparers of accounts and auditors in the UK'. To support the application of the "true and fair view", accounting has adopted certain concepts and conventions which help to ensure that accounting information is presented accurately and consistently. The most commonly encountered convention is the 'historical cost convention'. This requires transactions to be recorded at the price ruling at the time, and for assets to be valued at their original cost. This is applicable when the calculations were made for the fixed assets of plant and machinery, fixtures and fittings and buildings. Under the...In view of the recent international developments and given that the UK is the source of the concept, this study sought to elicit the views of senior UK practitioners on the true and fair concept. The FRC has laid three points: that the concept of the 'true and fair view' remained a cornerstone of financial reporting and auditing in the UK; that there had been 'no substantive change in the objectives of an audit and the nature of auditors' responsibilities'; and that the need for professional judgement 'remained central to the work of preparers of accounts and auditors in the UK'. To support the application of the "true and fair view", accounting has adopted certain concepts and conventions which help to ensure that accounting information is presented accurately and consistently. The most commonly encountered convention is the 'historical cost convention'. This requires transactions to be recorded at the price ruling at the time, and for assets to be valued at their original cost. This is applicable when the calculations were made for the fixed assets of plant and machinery, fixtures and fittings and buildings. Under the "historical cost convention", therefore, no account is taken of changing prices in the economy. The other convention used is the monetary measurement concept.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

How far can we use the shape of the yield curve to derive expectations Research Paper

How far can we use the shape of the yield curve to derive expectations about outlook for an economy - Research Paper Example The slope of the yield curve is considered as one of the important indicators as it shows the difference between the long and short run interest rates in the economy. The critical difference between the two interest rates therefore defines how the future outlook of the economy can change. The overall macroeconomic significance of the slope of the yield curve is based upon the overall monetary response to the shocks received by the economy over the period of time. Economists therefore use the statistical relationship between the slope of the yield curve and economic growth and observe as to where the yield curve is actually pointing. This approach also requires taking different parameters before the overall state of economy can be reliably estimated based on the interest rate spreads. (F. Cwik, 2005) The slop of yield curve can be one of the most important indicators for assessing the economic performance of a country and make future expectations. Yield curve slope can provide essential information about the economic growth, inflation and recessions. Yield curve showing the difference between the 10 years treasury bonds and the federal fund rate therefore serves as one of the key economic indicators about the overall state of the economy. It has also been argued that if consumers expect to have a recession in future, they may reduce their consumption in order to increase their savings for future consumption. Thus the short term interest rates may go up as a result of this and resultantly the gap between the short and long term interest rates may narrow. In such a situation therefore the shape of the yield curve therefore can provide the estimate about the economy. (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland , 2011) Yield curve provided two important forecasting insights into the overall affairs of the economy i.e. the growth as well as the recession. First, it also can help

Project Planning in Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Planning in Teams - Essay Example This also allows the formation of work breakdown structure and defining the dependencies and relationships. Using the same, network activity diagram can be formulated which assists in identification of critical activities and paths and time for completion of projects i.e. minimum and maximum. (Thayer, 2000). Following up with the same, the essential cost and time factors can be allocated to each activity allowing the final estimate to be calculated for the project on the whole. Once the plan is in its final shape, it is referred to as the baseline of the project that eventually serves as a benchmark for comparison of each activity's completion. Such comparison lead to creation of experience and knowledge which betters the future planning by individuals involved in the process (Fleming, 2005). A specification document is mainly a written foundation that specifies the major set of requirements of a project. These set of specifications are generally vague in nature. Later an agreement is reached between the customer and the vendor that is a refined form of specifications document and has a legal value and it contains in finalized format what actually a customer needs (Pinto, Jun 2006). Structuring a project is rather an essentiality to proceed with the work. Based on the set of requirements agreed upon by the customer, the project manager formulates a structure according to which resources are allocated (Pinto, Jun 2006). Work Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure or WBS is an important tool in structuring a project that mainly requires breaking a requirement in small bits and pieces that would be later compiled to form the whole of a project. WBS is extremely useful because it defines precisely the requirements of each bit of a project, and secondly, it also assists in formulation of milestones in the project, alongside the ease of having parallel running activities (Pinto, Jun 2006). Task Allocation One the WBS is formed; tasks are allocated to individuals and in

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

How far can we use the shape of the yield curve to derive expectations Research Paper

How far can we use the shape of the yield curve to derive expectations about outlook for an economy - Research Paper Example The slope of the yield curve is considered as one of the important indicators as it shows the difference between the long and short run interest rates in the economy. The critical difference between the two interest rates therefore defines how the future outlook of the economy can change. The overall macroeconomic significance of the slope of the yield curve is based upon the overall monetary response to the shocks received by the economy over the period of time. Economists therefore use the statistical relationship between the slope of the yield curve and economic growth and observe as to where the yield curve is actually pointing. This approach also requires taking different parameters before the overall state of economy can be reliably estimated based on the interest rate spreads. (F. Cwik, 2005) The slop of yield curve can be one of the most important indicators for assessing the economic performance of a country and make future expectations. Yield curve slope can provide essential information about the economic growth, inflation and recessions. Yield curve showing the difference between the 10 years treasury bonds and the federal fund rate therefore serves as one of the key economic indicators about the overall state of the economy. It has also been argued that if consumers expect to have a recession in future, they may reduce their consumption in order to increase their savings for future consumption. Thus the short term interest rates may go up as a result of this and resultantly the gap between the short and long term interest rates may narrow. In such a situation therefore the shape of the yield curve therefore can provide the estimate about the economy. (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland , 2011) Yield curve provided two important forecasting insights into the overall affairs of the economy i.e. the growth as well as the recession. First, it also can help

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Technology in Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Essay

Technology in Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Essay Example superior to the technologically and intellectually inferior people of the medieval society he wakes up in at the beginning of the story, but in the end the technology that Morgan brings does not have the lasting impact that he had desired: â€Å"Hank Morgan wants to dominate the past with sure-fire knowledge from the future, but all he achieves is a record of events that have no historical consequence† (Mitchell 231). While Twain is critical of the medieval society that doesn’t encourage thinking, he is equally as of critical of many of the modern conventions and technological advances that Morgan brings to the court. One of the first things that Hank considered to be of utmost importance was the newspaper. News used to only travel by messengers and through people talking to each other. Messengers could only reach a limited number of people, and news that traveled from person to person could be highly inaccurate. Newspapers could solve these problems by reaching a large number of people and by remaining the same story as told to everybody, and this was the reason that Hank started the newspaper as one of his first programs. This was the important aspect of information technology that Hank felt he was bringing to King Arthur’s court: â€Å"A newspaper has its faults, and plenty of them, but no matter, it’s hark from the tomb the tomb for a dead nation without it, and don’ you forget it† (78). When considered on its own merits, the newspaper is an effective tool to communicate information to a large number of people. Twain seems to take issue with other aspects of the wa y that the information is communicated. Beyond merely teaching the medieval society about using the printed word as a means of mass communication, he also taught them how to use a journalistic tone in their writing: â€Å"That is a good piece of war correspondence, Clarence; you are a first-rate newspaper man† (Twain 458). The journalistic tone is meant to be a succinct form of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Create A Classic Detective Story Essay Example for Free

Create A Classic Detective Story Essay In this assignment I will analyse the classic Sherlock Holmes detective story the Speckled Band and find out how sir Conan Doyle takes a basic idea from all detective stories, a murder and still create a classic story.  First off a detective story needs a murder and in this case it was the death of Sarah stoner that starts the story off, but no death in any detective story would be complete without a mysterious death and the way Sarah died was a mystery. And I think that most detective stories use mysterious deaths because this makes the story more interesting and more intriguing because if the death was straight forward then the reader might be able to predict the ending of the story before actually reading the end of the story. This story also has its fair shares of mysterious characters for instance Helen Stoner, who is Sarah stoners sister is as mysterious as they get, like when she first met Sherlock she was wearing black clothes like she just came from a funeral. But why use mysterious characters? Because it is these characters that keep the reader guessing as to who the suspects may be and sometimes the writer can use this as an advantage to create a huge twist in the end of the story. The story describes the atmosphere as well such in the case of Sarahs death the atmosphere was described as dark, mysterious sounds etc and this is very important to use descriptions of certain atmospheres and locations because they will help the reader create a sort of picture of the scene in their heads therefore making them want to read more because it helps them get more involved with the story and also makes them think about whats going to happen next. The location of the story is also important and in this story most of the tension is created in the mansion of Helen stoner, which is owned by Dr Roylott. And in this mansion are a number of false clues such as in the room of Sarah stoner theres an emergency bell that dont work, her bed bolted to the ground, no windows and a ventilator that goes straight in to Dr Roylotts room. But the biggest false clue to me was the title itself the Speckled Band and it was pure genius for Conan Doyle to use a title like this because some people read the story purely out of curiosity to find out what the speckled band was. So by using mysterious deaths, mysterious characters, atmospheres, locations false clues the writer is able to draw the reader in the story, use tension to create questions in the mind of the reader but it also helps the writer stay 5 steps ahead to create a classic detective story.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Effects of trade barriers

Effects of trade barriers Chapter 1 Introduction Trade is an exchange of services and goods for other services and goods or for money, Trade ( 2010). The paper discusses about the effects of trade barriers on international trade, i.e. to identify one or more variables (inflation, transportation cost, tariff, remittances, population, GDP deflator and exchange rate) in the study that effect international trade the most. A trade barrier is a general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts international trade (Trade barrier, 2010). The problem discussed is the effect of trade barriers on international trade. In order to address the problem, two hypotheses have been developed and tested. Each hypothesis explains the effect of variables as barrier to international trade. Secondary data of three years comprised on year 2005-2007, collected from the source World Trade Organization (WTO). The statistical tool applied to test the hypothesis is multi-variate regression model as there are more than one independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variables identified in this paper are (Inflation, Exchange Rate, Remittances, GDP, Tariff, Population and Transportation Cost) the dependent variable are (Imports and Exports). The statistical result of the hypothesis testing can be seen in the following chapters. Inflation Generally inflation is defined as a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over time, where as most of the economist define inflation as a rise in the prices of some specific set of goods or services, it is important to understand that the rise in prices is for specific set of goods and services and it should be constant, as well as a rise in price of one good or service as compared to other does not mean an increase in inflation it should be increased for every product or service. Inflation is measured as the percentage rate of change of a price index (Haq Hussain, 2008). Measures of Inflation There are many measures of inflation each for different sector, Consumer Price Indices (CPI) CPI measures the price of goods and services purchased by a consumer (Haq Hussain, 2008). Cost-of-Living Indices (COLI) Are indices similar to the CPI which is often used to adjust fixed and contractual incomes (Haq Hussain, 2008). Producer Price Indices (PPIs) measures the prices acknowledged by producers. This differs from the CPI in that price subsidization, income, and taxes may cause the amount acknowledged by the producer to differ from what the buyer paid. Producer price inflation measures the pressure being put on producers by the costs of their raw materials. This could be passed on as consumer inflation, or it could be absorbed by profits, or offset by increasing productivity (Haq Hussain, 2008). Commodity Price Indices (CPI) measures the price of a selection of commodities. In the present commodity price indices are weighted by the relative importance of the components to the all in cost of an employee (Haq Hussain, 2008). GDP Deflator GDP deflator is a measure of the price of all the goods and services included in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Haq Hussain, 2008). Capital Goods Price Index So far (CGPI) has not been established, where as several economists have recently pointed out the necessity of measuring capital goods inflation (inflation in the price of stocks, real estate, and other assets) separately. Indeed a given increase in the supply of money can lead to a rise in inflation (consumption goods inflation) and or to a rise in capital goods price inflation. The growth in money supply has remained fairly constant through since the 1970s however consumption goods price inflation has been reduced because most of the inflation has happened in the capital goods prices, Haq Hussain (2008), where as there are two common known measures widely reported in many countries, i.e. CPI and GDP Deflator. The above chart shows the trade of world developed countries in terms of exports and imports, the amount is in US billion dollars, the next chart is of inflation of the developed countries of the world, the purpose is to compare and analyze the countries inflation rate and trade in order to examine the impact caused by inflation on countries trade. As it can be seen that each country has different impact of inflation on its imports and exports, for instance Australia inflation rate was 2.30% in year 2007 where as its exports were 142 billion dollars and its imports were 160 billion dollars, similarly for Canada its inflation rate was 2.10% and its exports were 431.1 billion dollars and its imports were 386.4 billion dollars, therefore if a comparison is made between these countries it can be seen that every country has a different impact of inflation on its trade, hence it can be said that the reason for this difference of change is the size of countrys economic and financial structure. Tariff A tariff is a tax forced on an imported or exported commodities. In general dialect, however, it has come to mean import duties charged at the time goods are imported (Parkin, 1996). According to Japans customs tariff law a tariff a tax based on the standard of assessment of prices or volume of imported goods (Tariff, 2010). Functions of Tariff There are three major functions of tariffs: To serve as a basis of income; To protect domestic industries; and To remedy trade distortions (corrective function) (Functions of Tariff, 2010). The Income Function The income function simply means that the income from tariffs provides governments with a source of tax revenue. In the past, the income function was indeed a major reason for applying tariffs, for instance Japan generates about 845 billion yen in tariff revenue per year, which represents approximately 1.9 percent of total tax revenue (Meti, 2010). Protection of Domestic Industries Tariffs are also used as a policy tool to protect domestic industries from competition of importing goods, as well as tariffs are also used as a source of protection of market access from foreign exporters (Meti, 2010). Remedy to Trade Distortions Corrective tariffs are used as a remedy for trade distortions caused by companies to injure domestic industry, for instance anti-dumping agreement is used to impose duties on companies exporting goods that are specifically banned and cause damage to domestic industry of importing country (Meti, 2010). Remittance Remittance can be defined as sums of money that a migrant worker sends back to his or her country of origin (Wimaladharma, Pearce Stanton, 2004). Remittance plays a vital source of income for developing country economies, as well as millions of individual households, predominantly poor women and their children. Unlike aid or concealed investment flows, remittance reaches the poor directly, and the poor decide how the money is spent. Importantly, remittance services also offer a means for monetary institutions to increase their outreach and significance to poor clients (Wimaladharma, Pearce Stanton, 2004). For instance the largest remitting countries in terms of volume are the United States with remittances amounting to $28.4 billion, Saudi Arabia with remittances amounting to $15.1 billion and Germany with remittances amounting to $8.2 billion (Wimaladharma, Pearce Stanton, 2004). In the study, Ratha (2003), it was found that more than three-quarters of remittances go to lower mid-income and low income developing countries. India receives the largest volume of remittance mounting to $10 billion, then Mexico with $9.9 billion, followed by the Philippines with $6.4 billion (Wimaladharma, Pearce Stanton, 2004). Exchange Rate The price of one countrys currency expressed in another countrys currency. In other words, the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another. For instance, the higher the exchange rate for one euro in terms of oneyen,the lower the relative value of the yen (Investopedia , 2010). Exchange Rate and Trade Exchange rate is one of the important factors in an open economy since it affects so many business, investment and strategic decisions. Various empirical studies have been conducted to assess the influence of exchange rate on trade balance, with the objective of providing valuable inputs to policy makers on the usefulness of exchange rate policy such as devaluation-based alteration policies (effected through nominal exchange rate) to balance a countrys foreign trade for instance, Greenwood (1984), Himarios (1989), Rose Yellen (1989) provided the evidence of relationship between exchange rate and trade balance. In a study, Oskooee (2001) stated that appreciation of exchange rate directly affects a country trade as it can be used as an effort to increase international competitiveness and help to improve its trade balance. On the other hand it was also reported in the study that depreciation of exchange rate increases exports by making exports fairly cheaper, and daunt imports by making imports fairly more expensive, thus improving trade balance(Liew, Lim, Hussain, 2000). Japan and ASEAN A study conducted using trade balance data from year 1986 to 1999 between Japan and 5 ASEAN countries to examine the impact of exchange rate on countries trade balance. It was found in the study that the role of exchange rate changes in initiating changes in the trade balances has been overstated. It is widely expected that the decrease of ASEAN-5 exchange rates with respect to Japanese yen would improve these economies trade balances with Japan during the sample period of study (Liew, Lim, Hussain, 2000). Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product is the value of collective or total production of goods and services in a country during a given time period (Parkins, 1996). Measures of GDP There are two common measures of GDP namely: Expenditure Approach. Factor Income Approach. Expenditure Approach In expenditure approach the GDP is measured by adding consumption expenditure, investment, government purchase of goods and services and net exports (Parkins, 1996). Factor Income Approach In factor income approach the GDP is measured by adding all the incomes paid by the firms to household for the services of factor of production, for example compensation of employees, net interest, rental income, and profits paid for entrepreneurship (Parkins, 1996). Chapter 2 Literature Review Transportation Cost Europe A comparative study, Conlon (1981), was conducted in 1981 between Australia and Canada to investigate the role of transportation cost as a trade barrier in trade flow of both the countries. It was found in the study that in Australia nominal transport costs contribute over 40 per cent of the trade barrier in its trade flow, where as in Canada transport costs provide over 17 per cent of the total barriers. In the study by, Casas choi (1985), it was found that transportation cost being the trade barrier has two affects on the country economy 1) implicit tariff effect, 2) resource cost effect. The Implicit Cost Effect In the implicit cost effect, Casas choi (1985) an increase in transportation costs affects the trade flows by increasing the domestic comparative price of the imported goods. Resource Cost Effect In the resource cost effect, Casas choi (1985) an increase in transportation cost, shifts productive resources from traded goods to the transport sector, i.e. in case of increase in transportation cost, the resources used to produce goods domestically were allocated for payments of transportation bills due to which production of domestic goods suffered. United Kingdom Similarly an empirical study, Binkley Harrer (1981), conducted in the United Kingdom to examine the role of transportation cost as trade barrier, it was found that Transportation costs between countries pose a formidable barrier to trade, similar to other trade barriers such as tariffs. This study was further supported by the study of Sampson and Yeats in which it was concluded that transport costs to be a more significant trade barrier for United Kingdom exports than tariffs, (Sampson Yeats: Binkley: 1978 Harrer: 1981). Similarly another study conducted in the United Kingdom also concluded that transportation cost is more effective trade barrier as compared to tariffs (Sampson yeats, 1978: Binkley Harrer: 1981). United States A similar study by, Finger Yeats (1976), conducted in the United States gave the similar conclusion that that effective shield through international transportation costs is at least as high as that due to tariffs, Geraci Prewo (1977). In a study it was concluded by the author that progressive reduction in the transportation cost resulted in the growth of trade between United States and Europe, Shiue (2002). Similarly another study conducted in the United States also concluded that transportation cost is more effective trade barrier. Africa A study conducted in Africa to examine the effect of transportation cost on African trade, the results indicated that there is a very little trade flow within the Africa and the rest of the world, due to strict trade policies, for example according to, Collier (1995), Collier Gunning (1999), Limà £o and Venables (2001), There is a common belief that Africa trades too little both with itself and with the rest of the world. The poor performance is typically attributed to protectionist trade policies and high transport costs. Similarly another study concluded that the reason behind the low trade is the poor infrastructure and inappropriate transport policies (Amjadi Yeats 1995: Limà £o Venables, 2001). Australia A study conducted in Australia, Sampson Yeats (1977) to identify the trade barriers causing decline in Australian exports, it was found in the study that transportation cost is a major contributor to decline in export as compared to tariffs, in other words it can be said that 66 percent of the total Australian exports are decline due to transportation cost. China A study conducted in china by studying various trends in trade barriers, the purpose of the study was to identify trade barriers affecting Chinese exports, and it was found in the study that transportation cost is a major trade barrier as compared to tariffs and local markups (Li, 2007). Tanzania An empirical study, Kweka (2001) conducted for developing countries such as Tanzania it was found in the study that transportation cost as a trade barrier have two impacts on the economy: It reduces the export competitiveness, Kweka (2001), since the cost incurred by the producer and cost paid by the buyer is widens by the high transportation cost. In other words it can be said that due to the increase in transportation cost most of the export orders to developing countries such as Tanzania are declined. The second impact, Kweka (2001) on the economy of developing countries is a positive impact, due to high transportation cost the trade of locally produced goods increases, this is due to the fact that the gap between the prices of locally produce goods and imported goods become so wide that it becomes nearly impossible for the people of importing country to buy imported goods as a result 95 percent of the purchases are made off locally produce goods. Ultimately leading a growth in the overall economy. Tariff There are number of studies conducted to examine the impact of tariff as a trade barrier, for instance in a study it has been found that tariff and capital controls lead to trade deformation. Where as on the other hand it has also been that found tariff barriers in the importing countries tend to have a negative, though insignificant, effect on exports of countries (T. Tamirisa, 1999). Another study examining the impact of tariff as barrier on trade found that tariff has a significant negative effect on mutual exports, in part because of significant trade cost, where as in presence of tariff barrier the impact on imports is comparatively weak (T. Tamirisa, 1999). One more study examining the impact of tariff as a barrier in trade found that tariff is one of the significant factor of mutual trade in-between countries, as compared to country size wealth, exchange and capital controls, while tariff rate significantly reduce export of developing and transition economy (T. Tamirisa, 1999). A study conducted to examine the relationship between trade barriers and trade flow. The study identified number of barriers such as exchange control, tariff, NTBs, it has been found that tariff is one of the major trade barrier as compared to exchange control and NTBs. The study also concluded that tariff with other barriers of trade tend to reduce the volume of trade, as well as tariff alone have a depressing impact on the mutual trade of countries (Lee Swagel, 1997). The study also provided the evidence that country having bi-lateral trade is affected by tariff charges as a result it does not only have a strong negative effect imports but it acts as a substantial barrier to export also. Final study concluded that tariff act as a barrier to both imports and exports of a country (Lee Swagel, 1997). Another study conducted in year 1993 by lee to examine the distortion caused by tariff in international trade found that tariffs charges lower the long-run growth rates more significantly in a country that needs to import more under a free trade regime. As well as government intervention in terms of imposing a tariff on the imports of foreign goods leads to the increase in price paid by the domestic purchaser i.e. (1 + 7) times the price received by foreign exporters (lee, 1993). Therefore it can be said that, tariff has two effects on the economy, namely the deformation of resource distribution and the transfer of income, distortion effect of tariffs always decrease the steady-state levels of the capital stock, output, and consumption. Where as transfer of income help to retain the income earned through exports within the country, in presence of tariff where as in absence of tariff same income earned through export is used to settle import bills. On the other hand the study also concluded that when the tariff rates are high, the productivity of public input diminishes; thus, higher tariffs always lead to lower growth rates (lee, 1993). Empirical studies have found that tariff liberalization would transfer trade from the rich to the poor and from the local to the global. It has been estimated that the elimination of tariffs would create more trade for poor countries than for richer countries. They also imply that tariff elimination would divert trade away from continental preferential trading areas (lai zhu, 2004). The study provided the evidence that tariffs, and distance-related barriers and production costs are important factors affecting bilateral trade flow, where as tariff being the major element affecting the trade flow (lai zhu, 2004). For instance the trade among OECD countries is free form tariff charges where as non OECD countries have the highest tariff charges. As a result, the impact of tariffs on trade within OECD countries is likely less than 3.7% whereas the impact of tariffs on trade among non-OECD countries likely exceeds 3.7% (lai zhu, 2004). Population There are number of studies conducted to examine the impact of population on trade. These studies discussed various questions regarding the benefits of openness of trade between countries for instance, who gains from an opening of the borders between two neighboring countries? Will any country lose as borders are opened? Is it the small country or the large country that benefits most? (Shachmurove Spiegel, 2004) It is general perception that countries with large populations having no trade tend to have larger profits at the expense of consumers i.e. since there is no foreign producer in the country all the profits earned through production is solely taken by the country it self in simple words it can be said monopoly. Where as if the same country having trade with other countries or foreign producers are trading in the country tends to reduce its profits, as part of the profit is taken by foreign exporter. On the other hand keeping the same scenario for a country with small population tend to have lower profits in the absence of trade and it will further see a decline in its profits with the presence of foreign producer (Shachmurove Spiegel, 2004). There are number of studies conducted that provided the evidence that countries having population aging problems have direct impact on the country trade, for instance a study by, Kenc Sayan (2001), showed that changes in age composition of population are likely to affect saving and expenditure patterns, the resulting changes in composition of demand are expected to affect comparative prices between expenditure and investment goods. On the supply side, the decline in labor supply and the slow down in capital formation associated with population aging had cause changes in capital-labor ratios. As a result it alters relative factor prices and leads to second-round effects on resource allocation. Furthermore, since the changes in the relative capital intensities across traded and non-traded sectors affect real exchange rates and trade patterns, they are expected to create additional effects on partner country economies as well (Sayan Uyar, 2002). On the other hand if the countries experiencing population aging are large in the international trade, where as their partners are small and have not yet faced a population aging problem themselves. In other words, commodities and capital traded at the terms set by large economies may make these small countries vulnerable to the effects of population aging even if they have relatively young populations (Sayan Uyar, 2002). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) There are number of studies conducted to examine the impact of gross domestic product (GDP) on trade (imports exports) of a country, for instance a study conducted using gravity equation to examine the impact of gdp on exports of a country, the study classified the sample into three categories a) homogeneous goods, b) differentiated goods, and c) an in-between category (Feenstra, Markusen Rose, 2001). It found in the study that if a trade of one country with another move from homogeneous goods to differentiated goods, then the stretch of exports with respect to GDP rises considerably (Feenstra, Markusen Rose, 2001). The finding of the study is empirically strong and significant both economically and statistically, as well as the study also stated that the GDP of the exporting country is found to be a powerful illustrative variable in the comparative strength of bilateral trade relations (Feenstra, Markusen Rose, 2001). Another study conducted in India to examine the impact of various economic variables such as (distance, GDP, population, tariff, and exchange rate) on Indian trade flows. Previous studies have also been conducted using gravity model to examine the impact of economic variables on trade flows, it was reported in the previous studies that distance has a negative and significant impact on trade where as GDP and population have a positive and significant impact on trade flows (Srinivasan Archana, 2008). Likewise the previous studies, the study conducted in India reported the similar findings, i.e. larger distance reduces mutual trade and a larger GDP and population of the trading countries increase trade. It was also found in the study that size of the economy is an important influential factor explaining the inflow and outflow of goods and services. A study similar to previous studies was conducted to examine the impact of gdp on trade flows of a country. The study supported the findings of the previous studies that tariff barrier of importing country have a negative and significant impact on exporting countries, where as the study also reported that the larger gdp and population have a positive impact on bilateral exports of countries (Tamirisa, 1999). A study conducted by, Ghartey (1993), using economic data of three countries (United States, Japan and Taiwan) to examine the impact of gdp of each country on its trade flows, it was found in the study that United states GDP promoted its exports, where as for Japan and Taiwan the impact was opposite (Chen, 2009). Similarly another study conducted by, Jung Marshall (1985), to examine the relationship between GDP and exports, the study used thirty one years of GDP and exports data from year 1950 to year 1981 for 37 developing countries, it was found in the study that there is no relationship between GDP and exports of 37 developing countries except Israel (Chen, 2009). China A study conducted in china by, Shen (1999) to examine the relationship between exports and GDP, the study used twenty one years of exports and GDP data from year 1977 to year 1998, the study found that there is a short term relationship between the Chinese GDP and exports, where there is no long term relationship between the two variables (Chen, 2009). Pakistan A study conducted in Pakistan to examine the impact of GDP on Pakistan trade flows, it was found in the study that an increase in GDP i.e. increase in domestic income results in increase in imports, for instance a one-percent increase in Pakistan GDP increases imports from US and Japan by an equivalent percent. Where as if compared to UK and Germany the trade flow is positive and small but not significant (Akhtar Malik, 2000). Inflation What exactly is inflation? A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services. Inflation occurs when the price level rises from one period to the next (Robinson, 2007). The Impact of Inflation on International Trade A study conducted in U.S, Robinson (2007) to investigate the impact of inflation on international trade and small business. It was found that inflation creates uncertainty that discourages productive activity, savings and investing and ultimately reduces the competitiveness of a country in international trade. It was also found that if inflation is not offset by a nation with a less valuable currency, the U.S.s exports become more expensive and less attractive. This makes other countries imports more attractive. As a result this forms an economy of unbalanced trade with more reduced U.S. economy and international trade (Robinson, 2007). Inflation has many disadvantages; it creates uncertainty, in that people do not know what the money they earn today buy tomorrow. This uncertainty discourages productive activity, saving and investing. Inflation reduces the competitiveness of the country in international trade. If inflation is not offset by a nation with a less valuable currency, the U.S.s exports become more expensive and less attractive. This makes other countries imports more attractive. This forms an economy of unbalanced trade which results in a much more reduced U.S. economy (Robinson, 2007). Inflation and Trade A study conducted, Fitoussi (2007), to investigate the impact of inflation on trade found that in the last 15 years or so, disinflation and the increase of world trade seem to have gone hand in hand. It was found that in the past three decades a downward trend in inflation caused an inward trend in world trade (Fitoussi, 2007). The first fact that can be observed is that the past three decades were characterized both by an upward trend in world trade (measured as exports over GDP) and a downward trend in inflation (measured as yearly change in CPI) (Fitoussi, 2007). Remittances In general remittances are defined as a portion of the earnings a migrant sends to relatives back home, IMF (2010). It has been estimated that workers migrated to different countries send home between US$ 2000 to US$ 5000 a year, i.e. in terms of percentage around 20% to 30% of their income. It has been found in the previous researches that poor countries receive larger amount of remittances as compared to high income countries for instance In 2007, the top three recipients of remittances India, China, and Mexico-each received over $25 billion. But smaller and poorer countries tend to receive relatively larger remittances when the size of the economy is taken into account. Expressing remittances as a share of GDP, the top recipients were Tajikistan (36 percent), Moldova (36 percent), Tonga (32 percent) and Kyrgyz Republic (27percent). Remittances as a share of GDP amounted to 3.6 percent of GDP in low-income countries in 2006 compared to 1.7 percent in middle-income countries (Ratha Mohapatra, 2007). Numbers of studies have been conducted to examine the impact of remittances on the trade of a country; these studies provided a mix of evidence regarding the impact of remittances on countries trade, for instance some studies provided the evidence that remittances can improve a countrys creditworthiness and thereby enhance its access to international capital markets for financing infrastructure and other development projects, in other words it can be said that increase in inflow of remittances increase the foreign reserves of a country, hence it enhances the ability of a country to meet its foreign trade obligations (paying of import bills). This enhancement of country ability indicates a sign of increase in its economic activity as a result it attracts foreign investors and foreign export orders (Ratha Mohapatra, 2007). For instance the ratio of debt to exports of goods and services, a key indebtedness indicator, would increase significantly if remittances were excluded from the denominator. Exchange Rate Turkey A study conducted, Vergil (2001), to investigate the impact of exchange rate volatility on Turkish trade flows comprising on 10 years data from year 1990 to year 2000. It was found in the study that exchange rate volatility has a negative impact on Turkish trade flows. Africa A study conducted to analyze the impact of exchange rate volatility on African countries trade flows. The study used 33 sub-Saharan African countries exchange rate macro-economic performance indicators data. It was found in the study that exchange rates contributed a great deal towards Africas poor economic performance, Ghura Grennes (1993), i.e. overvaluation in exchange rate resulted in lower level of exports, lower level of real GDP per Capita and lower level of Savings (Shatz Tarr: 1990). G-7 Countries A study conducted by international monetary fund to investigate the impact of exchange fluctuation on world trade, in the study the G-7 countries trade was taken as world trade. The purpose of the study was to compare the results of IMF 1984 study a