ECONOMICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ECONOMICS - Essay Example An organization will have to pay higher interest coverage for their long term debts. In addition to this, the charges for bank overdraft and short term borrowings will rise which will affect the working capital balances adversely. If the company has leased manufacturing instruments, it will have to pay a higher lease rental. Since an increase in the interest rates will tend to squeeze money out of the economy, employees might demand higher salaries as well. According to Bloomberg, the yield curve (as on May 8, 2009) predicts the rise of interest rate in near future. This means that organization will plan to maintain its profit in future. It can provide discounts to enhance the sales volume to make reserves for the dry season ahead. It can restrict research and development activities and curtail unnecessary costs since revenue generation might see a downfall. Cars and trucks are costly commodities and are generally bought by customers if they get convenient borrowing schemes. This makes interest rates a decisive factor in determining the sales. A high interest rate means that customers will have to pay a higher installment (EMI). This has greater implications for earning assets like trucks; customers (generally transporters) will postpone their present demand in anticipation of lower interest rates in future. This translates to the fact that consumer demand for both cars and trucks will come down. The main monetary items that affect the operations of a business are the cost of goods sold and general and administrative expenses. Cost of goods sold will depend on the cost of raw materials and the wages of the employees. The company might have to incur advertising and selling costs as well. For purpose of accounting, the company will have to incur depreciation expenses. The tax structure of the country where the company operates is an important determinant of operating costs. A high tax bill will increase the financial

Agrarian Reform & Land Distribution in Brazil Essay

Agrarian Reform & Land Distribution in Brazil - Essay Example (CNN, 2007) This pitiful state in the agrarian sector in Brazil is responsible for the small peasant with big-sized family ending up with no land for tilling. This pathetic land holding pattern in Brazil has led to widespread resentment among the peasant class. This resentment has even taken the form of violence across the nation as the demand for land for mere survival has intensified. The distribution of land in Brazil is indeed uneven. Thorough decades, till date the agricultural development in Brazil is very much biased towards the big agricultural estate. This has benefited only a tiny section of the oligarchy that is associated with commercial and trade capital investment while leaving majority of the population out of its ambit. In the past two and a half decade, more than 30 million workers related to farming, including men and women, had to leave their land and a further 4.8 million peasant families can dream of holding own land. One of the most appalling results of this gross injustice is starvation—nearly 31.5 million people are being tormented from food shortage in Brazil, of which 50% live in the countryside. (FIAN International Secretariat, May 2000). Agricultural modernization process initiated in the country has only aggravated the situation—inequality in the distribution of land has widened which resulted into more exploitation of the agricultural laborers. In fact, majority of the agricultural laborers are denied their basic rights. The situation is so serious that in some areas of the country, slavery is an accepted practice. Along with this, the female workers are subjected to huge discrimination—they work twice as long as their male equal, and are paid less than the males. The modern agricultural system in Brazil is based on the intensive exploitation of scarce land and natural resources, along with the use of heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The

INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example It becomes more complicated when the employees and the company are operating under different sets of culture and tradition. The obvious issue of cultural and institutional differences between the two countries (host and country of origin) creates a question primarily because it dictates the HRM practises and strategies that the MNC subsidiary will utilise, and the support that the host country will provide. Previous studies on HRM practises in the Asia Pacific region have documented that the culture of the origin country has been most influential in their HRM practises. While there are numerous studies outlining the impact of Western Multinationals on emerging economies, there is very little knowledge on the HRM practises among emerging economy MNCs in western economies. Therefore, it was this study’s purpose to examine the HRM practises of MNCs from emerging economies in western countries. Â   This study did not provide clearly stated objectives although it can be surmised from the discussion of the significance. This study aimed to (1) identify the HRM practises used by emerging economy MNCs in the UK, and (2) clarify the issue of the effects of cultural and institutional differences in MNC subsidiaries’ choice of HRM strategies and practises. The research questions are stated after the review of the literature and as follows: The review of available literature explored the home and host country influences in the Taiwanese companies’ UK subsidiary’s selection of HRM practises through a comparison of Taiwanese and British companies’ current HRM practises. The HRM practises that were compared were: recruitment and selection; training and development; pay and benefits, performance appraisal system; management promotion and reward; flexible working; organisational communication; and participatory management; and international relations. The most evident difference between the Taiwanese and British

Agrarian Reform & Land Distribution in Brazil Essay

Agrarian Reform & Land Distribution in Brazil - Essay Example (CNN, 2007) This pitiful state in the agrarian sector in Brazil is responsible for the small peasant with big-sized family ending up with no land for tilling. This pathetic land holding pattern in Brazil has led to widespread resentment among the peasant class. This resentment has even taken the form of violence across the nation as the demand for land for mere survival has intensified. The distribution of land in Brazil is indeed uneven. Thorough decades, till date the agricultural development in Brazil is very much biased towards the big agricultural estate. This has benefited only a tiny section of the oligarchy that is associated with commercial and trade capital investment while leaving majority of the population out of its ambit. In the past two and a half decade, more than 30 million workers related to farming, including men and women, had to leave their land and a further 4.8 million peasant families can dream of holding own land. One of the most appalling results of this gross injustice is starvation—nearly 31.5 million people are being tormented from food shortage in Brazil, of which 50% live in the countryside. (FIAN International Secretariat, May 2000). Agricultural modernization process initiated in the country has only aggravated the situation—inequality in the distribution of land has widened which resulted into more exploitation of the agricultural laborers. In fact, majority of the agricultural laborers are denied their basic rights. The situation is so serious that in some areas of the country, slavery is an accepted practice. Along with this, the female workers are subjected to huge discrimination—they work twice as long as their male equal, and are paid less than the males. The modern agricultural system in Brazil is based on the intensive exploitation of scarce land and natural resources, along with the use of heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The

Problems in Advertising - Understanding Advertising Messages Essay

Problems in Advertising - Understanding Advertising Messages - Essay Example There are numerous media used in advertisement such as print media and broadcast advertisements. I am intending to study two magazines and two television programs for a period of two months to verify their effects by going to the magazine publishers and the respective media that air the TV programs. Magazines, which are widely used by most firms due to their ability to access a specific target group with high quality presentations and the fact that they accommodate design options, prestige, influence, believability and long shelf life. (Shimp 367-369). I will consider the models used in different basis such as the number used, gender, facial expressions and their evocation. The setting of the scene, its implications to the moods or emotions and the relationship between the setting and the model is important to be analyzed. I will further consider the possible omissions by regarding not only what has been evidently shown and said but also what is omitted and the implication of leaving such issues. The issue of audience cannot be avoided since it is in fact the reason for advertisement. The strategies used in advertisement should be geared towards persuading the customers or support the product, service or a project. It is therefore important to consider the persuasiveness of the advert in the magazine. I will also confirm if the information being passed is ethical and honest as per the company’s claim. The overall effect of the advert on the customer’s feelings, emotions and the degree in which it attracts the customer is similarly an important issue to reflect on while considering the analysis. I will ask the consumers and the entire public on their take on the magazines advertisement by using questionnaires or verbally interviewing them (Shimp 367-369). Considering the TV advertisements, I will access the ability of the advert contents to appeal to the public. I will intend to check on what the advertiser has done to make the product attractive t o the audience by regarding the color, music on the background used, and the models or people involved in the advert. I will scrutinize the targeted audience of the advert and the ability of the advert to reach the audience as anticipated by the company. I will reflect on the statements used and their credibility about the product VHS vs BetaMax The world of entertainment has since changed greatly since 1975 when Sony single handedly revolutionized the manner in which we watch TV, movies and even the approach used in scheduling our evening hours. However, it is unfortunate that the Betamax format cannot withstand the VHS format in the market simply because of advertisement and promotional techniques employed by VHS. BetaMax had very sharp bits, small cassettes that are very much portable, and the hi-fi sound tracks that do not interfere with high-speed duplication compared to the JVC, which did not have same technological advantage as BetaMax.   Several issues affect the technolog ical associated industries such as video formatting which result to a firm’s loss of market share or even closure. Consumers usually concentrate on features that comprise user friendliness and the degree in which utilization knowledge fits into their needs. Businesses should be geared towards meeting the unmet needs of the customers in addition to the already met needs. High tech markets are regarded as vibrant and multifaceted, thus resulting into a varying target market

Understanding Your Role As A Teacher Essay Example for Free

Understanding Your Role As A Teacher Essay I have been asked to critically examine and discuss the work of three selected authors and to compare and contrast their views. I will link this theory to my experience of working with children, and give my own views and how this has developed my understanding in my role as a trainee teacher. The readings I have chosen to discuss and compare are: An Introduction to Children’s Learning (Ray Potter), The Significance of Young Children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Dowling M) and How Children Learn (Curtis A, O’Hagan M). Potter discusses how behaviourism and cognitive development are the two most widely regarded theories in the approaches to learning and how these theories have implications for teaching. ‘Behaviourism is a theory of learning focusing on observable behaviours and discounting any mental activity.’ (Pritchard 2008:6). He discusses several theorists and how their theories help children learn, and how teachers manage learning more effectively in the classroom. He talks about behaviourism and how children learn from life experiences. ‘Behaviourist claims that we are what we are, not because of innate intelligence or genetic factors, but solely due to our life experiences’. Potter (cited in Jacques et al 2004:63). Skinner, a pioneer in behaviourism, believed that behaviour could be controlled through ‘conditioning’, the act of rewarding desired behaviour (positive reinforcement) and ignoring undesired behaviour (negative reinforcement). Many of Skinner’s theories branch from his animal experiments, whereby he would reward with food and punish when saw unacceptable behaviour. This is highlighted in An Introduction to Children’s Learning (Potter), as to how this theory has been adapted in today’s schools. â€Å"Conditioning occurs in many schools in the morning when the children first arrive in the playground. They will be playing and talking to each other when they see their teacher come into the playground. The children will immediately line up in front of their teacher ready to go in to school†. This I observe everyday in my school setting. In the Introduction to Children’s Learning (Ray Potter) it states that children achieve well through the â€Å"behaviourist psychology which goes back many years to Pavlov and Skinner, thus children learn by listening carefully to get the correct stimulus and through the repeated reinforcement of correct responses†. This is evident in schools today, whereby teachers encourage children to chant and repeat facts across the curriculum. This is in the hope that repetition will result in the information becoming innate, consequently allowing the children to regurgitate at the drop of a hat, but it could argued do the children lose the meaning. One has to ask however, how successful is this for all children? Biggs (cited in Leask 2009:89) ‘A pupil’s motivation influences the learning strategies they adopt. A pupil with an instrumental motivation is likely to adopt reproducing or rote learning strategies.’ Do children retain this knowledge? We know now after many years of research that not all children benefit from the dated ‘talk and chalk’ style of teaching. The philosopher Confucius cited in Ray Potter’s In the Introduction to Children’s Learning, pondered the theory â€Å"I do and I understand†, this was later developed by Piaget who based his cognitive theories and ‘emphasis on doing, activity and experience children learn through interaction with their environment’. (Kitsen et al 1997:2) ‘Piaget was actually keenly aware of the importance of social factors in children’s learning.’ Bruner believed that children think through three modes, enactive (actions), iconic (pictures), and symbolic (words and numbers). Providing the information is presented in an appropriate way and the information is appropriate to the child’s age, then the child will be able to understand and learn from it. Bruner’s theory is that children’s learning is active and they base concepts on their previous knowledge. The past knowledge helps the learner to process the new information to support decisions in the form of cognitive development. This allows the child to build on past experience and develop further the information given. Like, Vygotsky, Bruner also believed that social interaction and culture played a big role in cognitive development. ‘Bruner felt that children were organised according to their experiences and that they are active in their learning’ (Tassoni, 2005:197). Potter also discusses cognitive theories and how the next generation theorist such as Piaget, Vygostsky and Bruner believe that memory, understanding and thinking are vital in children’s learning. ‘But these are the very stuff of the next generation of theorists, the cognitivists.’ Potter, (cited in Jacques et al 2004:66). The role of social interaction is based on theories from Vygotsky and Bruner. To put the role of social interaction into place at school the pupil and teacher need to work together by the teacher helping to create meaning, rather than dictating what is to be learned. Learning through social interaction does not always occur in school. Children also learn through social interaction with their peers, parents and other adults. A prime example of this social impact that is used in many schools today is the use of the school council. Children regardless of age, economical background, race and gender can voice their views and have their views challenged in a safe environment. ‘Social interaction (particularly those which take place between themselves) may facilitate the course of development by exposing a child to other points of view and to conflicting ideas which may encourage him to re-think or review his ideas’ (Wood 1998:17). Piaget’s theory maintains that children need to overcome a sequence of stages in development. These stages are complex and appear in four main categories. The sensory-motor stage begins from birth to two years, the child learns through sensory experiences and movement. The pre-operational stage from approximately two to seven years of age, when the child begins to develop the skill of using symbols and how things look, yet they are unable to direct logical thinking. By the age of seven to eleven or twelve children have begun to make connections by thinking logically and associating their thoughts to concrete situations, Piaget describes this as the concrete-operational stage. At approximately eleven or twelve the formal operational stage falls into place, by this age to adulthood we begin to use more sophisticated levels of abstract and logical thinking. He believes the development of stages from childhood to adulthood is a consequence of the individual’s experience with the environment around them. They are learnt through assimilation, accommodation and adaptation. ‘Every living thing must adapt to its environment if it is to survive.’ Vygotsky focused on language and communication as a support to a child’s cognitive development. He looked at how children interact with their peers and adults and how it influences their communication and language on a social level. This form of social interaction does not always have to be verbal, gesture and body language is communication learned though peers or adults. Another aspect of Vygotsky’s theory is the zone of proximal development. This is when development is gained through social behaviour. The skills of social interaction can be developed further with guidance from adults and peers. We as facilitators can support learners by scaffolding, gradually reducing support so the child becomes capable of independently completing a task. ‘The ‘zone of proximal development’ seems a vital idea for teachers to have in mind when talking to individual children. Could it be applied to pairs? Or to small groups? Or to a whole class?’ (Kitson et al, 1997:154). Dowling discusses how children’s personal, social and emotional development has a significant factor in children’s learning. Dowling explains that three themes often occur in any debate about early childhood issues, which are -context, continuity and controversy. An ideal example of this in practise is a well managed Foundation Stage classroom. Being an unqualified Reception teacher for the past two years, I have observed and experienced this environmental situation of context, continuity and controversy. For example role play areas are set in line with the topic e.g. Healthy Eating- setting up a restaurant. However the theory of constructivism being the idea that things are the way they are, is socially constructed e.g., boys play with cars, girls play with dolls. This is an integral part of everyday life. Toys are being marketed gender specifically. Children often arrive in a school setting with premeditated views coming from the way they have been brought up and through media advertisement. This can counteract the good practise that is trying to be initiated in foundation Stage settings of today. Cultural assumptions, according to Richardson, the ‘nature’ of girls’ and boys’ behaviour reproduce rather than expose inequality and work against young women in schools while supporting gendered stereotypes in society.’ (1997:25). When the children immerse themselves in the theme, their personal, social and emotional development thrives and their creativity blossoms. The current way the Foundation Stage is run nationally has been very successful in that funding has been given to early year’s education to allow schools to be successful in their early years teaching and development. However the new government has controversially pulled all of this funding and at present we are unsure as educators of which directive we will be undertaking. In contrast Dowling explains that in China children who attend Kindergartens receive homework in literacy and numeracy. The focus is on academic achievement rather than personal, social and emotional development. Therefore it has been found that these children rarely gain these skills in later life. Dowling (2000:17) ‘Asian education methods have valued academic development while damaging other aspects of children’s growth, which help them to live and achieve in society.’ It is similar to the theories of Piaget, Bruner and Skinner but I believe the actual concept that is being modelled is wrong if we are to educate young people to live successfully in today’s society. Similarly Curtis and O’Hagan discuss how factors can affect learning. They introduce the chapter by focusing on ‘What is learning? They discuss several ways children learn and factors which can affect this. These are development, environmental factors, and periods of learning, memory, concentration, cognitive styles, and intelligence. They believe children construct their knowledge and understanding through their experience with the environment, and that learning is active and experience based. They agree that children are not less knowledgeable than adults, that children just see the world differently at their level. In my classroom adults often celebrate when they have learnt something new, especially when the learning has been imparted from the child to an adult. The child just prioritises their learning differently from the adult. Children need this scaffolding in order to develop in many ways. This lending itself to Vygotsky’s theory. (Pollard 1994:13) ‘’they are thus seen as intelligent social actors who, although their knowledge base may be limited in absolute terms, are capable in many ways.’ In conclusion to the theories looked at, are all based around children’s learning and similar in view.. It is possible to learn from each of them and use the theory in practice in a classroom. As a teacher I would be more inclined towards Vygotsky’s theory. This is mainly due to the fact that we can challenge children to go beyond what they already know in our school environment. (Curtis et al 2005:36) ‘Educators began to realise that a stimulating environment could increase intelligence.’ For children to experience a broad and balanced curriculum we as facilitators need to be able to challenge and help children develop further. In order to help them do this we need to scaffold their learning by gradually withdrawing support and guidance so that the child can perform the task independently. I feel scaffolding is a skill that will develop overtime with experience promoting desired behaviour. (Corrie, 2002:174) ‘Teachers scaffold children’s learn ing when they help them to achieve something that they, could not do without the teachers assistance.’ The ability to judge how much and how little support is a difficult notion and varies from child to child. From Piaget, I have learned that for children to work independently and solve problems they need to build on their past experiences. Despite this I believe that with the guidance of a more knowledgeable peer or adult the child can learn through social interaction. Through social interaction a child might learn today what might take them weeks to learn if left to explore individually. I would suggest that if we can help and challenge children to go beyond what they know, they would continuously be learning new knowledge. I am also aware from working in inner city school; social factors have a huge influence in children’s learning. I understand how important it is to promote positive role modelling and give children first hand experiences in order to learn. ‘The context of the school can make a significant difference to children’s behaviour, self concept and self esteem as these accounts testify.’ (Rogers, 2009:13). Bibliography Jacques, K. Hyland, R. (2004) Professional Studies: Primary Phase, London: Learning Matters Ltd. Kitson, N. Merry, R. (1997)Teaching in the Primary School, London: Routledge. Leask, M (2009) Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. Oxon: Routledge. Llleris, K. (2007) How We Learn: learning and non learning in school and beyond. London: Routledge Pollard, A. Bourne, J. (1994) Teaching and Learning in the Primary School. London: Sage. Prichard, A. (2008) Ways of Learning: Learning theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. Oxon: Routledge. Richardson, V (1997) Constructivist Teacher Education: Building New Understandings. Great Britain: Biddles Ltd Rogers, B (2009) Manage Children’s Challenging Behaviour London: Sage Tassoni, P. (2005) Diploma in Child Care and Education. Oxford: Reed Educational Professional Publishing Ltd. Thornton, S. (2008) Understanding Human Development. London: Pelgrave Macmillan Wood , D. (1998) How Children Think and Learn, 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Characteristics of Phobias Depression and OCD

Characteristics of Phobias Depression and OCD Phobias A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear of a particular situation or object, and is an example of an anxiety disorder. There are several types of phobias but three include agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. The characteristics of phobias can be divided into three categories: Behavioural there are two types of behavioural characteristics and they are avoidance and panic. Avoidance is the key behavioural characteristic and this is because when someone with a phobia is presented with an object or is put into a fearful situation, the first initial thing they will do is avoid it. A prime example of this is if someone has a social phobia, they will avoid being in big crowds, and if someone who has arachnophobia they will avoid being near spiders. Panic on the other hand is the other behavioural characteristic and this happens when they come face-to-face with their fears and cannot avoid it. This results in panic and causes a high level of stress and anxiety on the person. What can also happen is it can result in the person freezing due to the fear being so intense. This is part of the fight or flight fear response. This freezing response is an adaptive response to make a predator think that their prey is dead. Emotional The main emotional characteristic of phobia are unreasonable and excessive fear, panic, anxiety, and a feeling of dread. An emotional response is set off by the anticipation or the presence of a specific situation or object, which is excessive in relation to the danger actually posed as. Cognitive there are also two types of cognitive characteristics and they are irrational beliefs and selective attention. A persons phobia is defined by their irrational thinking about the stimulus and this causes them to fear. An example of this is a person who suffers from arachnophobia may think that all spiders are deadly, despite the fact that no spiders in the UK are deadly. On the other hand, if a person with a phobia is presented by a situation or object they fear of, they will find it hard to concentrate because they are preoccupied by anxious thoughts, and will therefore direct their attention elsewhere. This means that because of their selective attention, it will cause them to become fixated on the object they fear due to their irrational thoughts and beliefs about the danger. Depression: Depression is one of the most common mood disorder, and mood disorders can be characterised through strong emotions, which can affect the way a person functions normally in their daily lives. A mood disorder can affect an individuals behaviour, perceptions and thinking. There are different types of depression such as manic depression known as a bipolar disorder, and major depression known as a unipolar disorder. There are a range of possible symptoms people who suffer with depression can experience. In order for someone to become diagnosed with major depression, sufferers are required to show at least five symptoms every day for at least two weeks. Characteristics are then divided into three groups which are: Physical/behavioural symptoms there are many behavioural characteristics of depression including pain especially headaches, muscle ache and joint ache, change in appetite, lack of activity, and insomnia. First of all there is often a change in the persons activity level, with sufferers constantly feeling tired. Leading on from this, sufferers then often experience sleep disturbance, with some people sleeping more, or less, or experiencing insomnia. Finally, sufferers whose appetite changes may have significant weight changes too due to them eating less than usual or more, and losing or gaining weight. Affective/emotional symptoms the key emotional symptoms of depression include extreme feelings of sadness, despair and hopelessness. Sufferers will also experience feelings of worthlessness and anhedonia which is no longer having an interest in activities that used to be pleasurable. Diurnal mood variation can also occur and this is the change in mood throughout the day, for example feeling worse in the morning time. Even though experiencing a depressed mood is the most common emotional symptom of depression, some people experience anger that can be directed towards others or themselves. Anger can also lead to self-harming behaviours sadly. Cognitive symptoms along with the behavioural and emotional symptoms of depression, there are also cognitive symptoms. Cognitive symptoms are things such as experiencing persistent negative beliefs about their abilities and themselves. Along with this it involves suicidal thoughts and finding it difficult to maintain or pay attention. Sufferers are often slower in responding at making or to decisions.   Furthermore, they are also more inclined to just focus on the negatives and not identify the positives and in some cases this can lead to them experiencing recurrent thoughts of death, suicide or self-harm. OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has two parts which are obsessions and compulsions. The majority of people who suffer from OCD that experience obsessions and compulsions that are linked together. The three types of characteristics for OCD are: Behavioural compulsions of OCD are the behavioural aspect and for people who suffer with OCD, compulsions have two properties. One of these properties is that compulsions are mental or physical repetitive actions. Sufferers will often feel the need to repeat a behaviour, for example repetitive hand washing. The second property is compulsions are used to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared situation from occurring but in reality they would not actually stop a dreaded situation and are excessive. For example with the excessive hand washing being caused by an excessive fear of bacteria or germs, it is therefore a direct response to the obsession. Emotional the emotional characteristics of OCD are usually characterised by anxiety caused by the obsessions. However, some of the sufferers of OCD also experience depression due to the anxiety they go through. As the obsessions for the sufferer are persistent, this causes a high level of anxiety for them. This anxiety can result in them having low moods and a loss of pleasure in everyday activities, because these everyday activities are being interrupted by the repetitive compulsions and obsessive thoughts. Cognitive Obsessions are the cognitive part of OCD and are the reoccurring and persistent thoughts, impulses and images.   Examples of these are the fear of safety by leaving windows and doors open, perfectionism a fear of not being the best, and fear of contamination by germs and dirt. For people who suffer from OCD, these thoughts keep happening over and over again. The sufferers tries to ignore the thoughts, impulses or images however it unable to. In most people these thoughts cause stress and anxiety. Some sufferers of OCD try to deal with their obsessions by introducing cognitive strategies. An example of this is sufferers with religious obsessions might pray over and over again in order to reduce their feelings of being immoral. Furthermore, sufferers of OCD realise that their compulsions and obsessions are irrational, so they experience selective attention which is directed towards the anxiety-generating stimuli. This is similar to the selective attention people with phob ias have.