Thursday, December 26, 2019
Past Events That Have Shaped the Present - 1922 Words
Past Events that have shaped the Present Kristy Schlak Axia College of the University of Phoenix Past Events that have shaped the Present Remembering our past is important; events that happened yesterday can shape next week or next year. The interesting thing about history is that it is not always recognized as important until much later. When Britain and France tried to appease Hitler with part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, the significance of giving into Hitler’s demands was not fully realized until Hitler advanced further into Czechoslovakia and invaded Poland, (BBC, 2008). Giving in to what was thought of as a small demand set in motion a series of events that resulted in the loss of countless lives, destruction in many parts of the†¦show more content†¦First dismissed by the White House as, â€Å"a third rate burglary attempt,†(Davidson, 2006, p. 925) this action led to the end of Richard M. Nixon’s presidential career and a new attitude about the power held by the President of the United States of America. The men arrested included a former memb er of the CIA and a GOP security aide, later it was discovered they were attempting to bug the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Through the work of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and the FBI more information is uncovered and links between the crime and the White House are unveiled. A check intended for campaign efforts, in the amount of $25,000, was deposited into one of the burglar’s bank accounts and a secret fund controlled by Attorney General John Mitchell intended for use in spying on the democrats is exposed. Recordings by Nixon of conversations related to the incident are then discovered and Nixon is ordered to surrender them. He refuses initially but in the end hands over the tapes and the first acts of Impeachment begin. Nixon had proclaimed innocence but in the end resigns and is pardoned of any charges by his successor and former Vice President Gerald R. Ford, (Watergate.Info, 2007). This was the first resignation of a presiden t. It was broadcast in the media for the world to see, influencing the current attitude of getting information on anyone no matter the cost and airing itShow MoreRelatedEssay on William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying1045 Words  | 5 Pagesof view presents an objective view of what really happened.†This statement is not adequate in connection with William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying. Though many points of view are expressed through the use of interior monologue, even when compiled, they cannot serve as an â€Å"objective†view of what really happened. There are many monologues by many different people, often with opposing ideas and beliefs. Together the novel is a collection of half-truths, with each set of events shaped by whatRead MoreDo We Have a Free Will? Essay example1462 Words  | 6 Pages Do We Have A Free Will? An individual with â€Å"Free Will†is capable of making vital decisions and choices in life with own free consent. The individual chooses these decisions without any outside influence from a set of â€Å"alternative possibilities.†The idea of â€Å"free will†imposes a certain kind of power on an individual to make decisions of which he or she is morally responsible. This implies that â€Å"free will†would include a range of aspects such as originality, moral value, and self-governance. HoweverRead MoreE. H. Carr Believes Everyone Draws Their Own Conclusions in His Book, The Historian and His Facts, and Causation in History616 Words  | 3 PagesIt’s all about the viewpoint of the individual researching or telling the event. Carr supports this idea by stating that, everyone draws their own conclusions. This idea of having your own conclusions is the case for writing and recording history as a historian from the beginning of human history. Ever y historian has a bias or a viewpoint on a historical topic and event. Some historians focus only on one side of the event while, others focus on multiple sides, but pick which one they believe is aRead MoreTheme Of Change In The Poisonwood Bible867 Words  | 4 PagesThe changing of narrators in The Poisonwood Bible allows the audience to see to see how the same event can impact others and their personal growth in different ways, and with the different tense between Orleanna and her children allows the reader see how the change each of the women faces will make a lasting impact for years to come. The changing of narrators allows the reader to see how the same event can impact others in different ways. One instance of this in the novel is when Ruth May dies. AfterRead MoreThe World Of World History1284 Words  | 6 Pages Summer Work Preface: I. World history explores human pasts worldwide to help us understand the world around us. To help us understand that the world needs to continue to develop or we will fall behind. This text talks about how human migration and trade amongst other things has gotten us to where we are today. A.Generalization of World history B.Periodization C.Key events D.Conclusion II. The world history explores the past so humans around the world can understand the terrene aroundRead More The Importance of History Essay992 Words  | 4 Pageslives because it?s important to acknowledge past events that have occurred in our world that deeply influences the present. This essay will discuss what history is, and why we study it. History is the study of past events leading up to the present day. It is a research, a narrative, or an account of past events and developments that are commonly related to a person, an institution, or a place. It is a branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past happenings. Focusing on the people involvedRead More It is Important to have Knowledge of History Essay1099 Words  | 5 PagesIt is Important to have Knowledge of History Though the past may bring a revival and restoration of the misery(Limerick 473), I believe it is necessary to know and study our past. Through this essay I shall explain how knowledge of the past helps improve the quality of future output, satisfy our human thirst for knowledge, and understand certain polices and regulations.      Even in our everyday life we can see how past knowledge helps to improve the futures outcome. Whether it is improvementRead MoreCloud Atlas And The Horrible Ordeal Of Timothy Cavendish1551 Words  | 7 PagesTime is â€Å"the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole†(Oxford Dictionary). David Mitchell uses his novel Cloud Atlas to explore this complicated concept gravely. Even through the way the novel is laid out (in layers with only half of each story given at first), each story noticeably intersects and interacts with shared characters – either in the flesh or the reincarnations of them. Similarly, this layout exhibits an attempt at postmodernistRead MoreAnalysis On Jayson Mcleod s Life997 Words  | 4 Pagesdestiny, but rather a series of events intertwined with a preceding series of events. The Greeks once believed that the weather was at the whim of the gods. The Greeks lat er changed their worldview away from the notion that the gods control weather. From this they began to notice weather patterns allowing for safer sea trade which in turn brought prosperity to the Greek peninsula. It is this sort of cause and effect that shapes the world we live in. Jayson’s family’s past is a large part of what shapesRead MoreThe Cultural Crossroads Of The Americas794 Words  | 4 Pagesbuildings and symbols that represent American culture. This paper will analyze the social histories, national histories, and religious histories present in Haozous’ â€Å"The Cultural Crossroads of the Americas†in order to evaluate its effectiveness in conveying a past-present dialectic. Social histories â€Å"focus on everyday life experiences of various groups in the past†(Martin Nakayama, 2012). When looking at the left side of the sculpture, a glimpse of what Native Americans needed to do to remain sustainable
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Multinational Corporations - 1110 Words
Ethical Dilemmas for Multinational Enterprise: A Philosophical Overview Part One: Review Question #1 Multinational Corporations have always been and are currently now under harsh criticism. They are mainly condemned for exploiting resources and workers of third world countries, taking jobs away from the US industry, and destroying local cultures. Although there are negatives of multinational corporations, there are also positives. Business done overseas provides jobs for the people of the host country, improving the standard of living, and transfers technology. Richard T. De George explains moral standards, in five basic theses, that multinational corporations must adhere to in order to maintain corporate ethics. De George†¦show more content†¦I partially agree with this thesis. Just because MNCs are capable of changing a country, they have no obligation to do so. It is not their moral responsibility to do so either. Although they should support just background institutions, they do not have to. De George s fifth and final thesis explains that responsibility is li nked to ownership. Whatever portion one owns of the MNC one must take that amount of accountability. This means that what host countries cannot expect is that they can demand control without accepting correlative responsibility, (DeGeorge, p. 266). I agree with this thesis. Whoever is in charge of something must become aware that it is them who must take the liability. Part Two: Review Question #2 Today, American MNCs operating overseas face many moral dilemmas. I feel the most important dilemma regards not only the exploitation of resources and employees, but how the MNC affects the host economy. MNCs affect their employees welfare directly, but also affect the host country s citizens indirectly. By providing jobs the spending capital within the host economy increases, and creates a better standard of living. Personally, I believe that MNCs operating in Third World countries do more good than harm. I agree with Ian Maitland, author of In Defense of International Sweatshops. Maitland s article examinesShow MoreRelatedMultinational Corporations : Is There A Difference?1442 Words  | 6 PagesMultinational Corporations – Is there a Difference? â€Å"Researchers and theorists suggest that the skills and techniques of a MNC are very different than those of an organization without a global presence.†In any organization, management skills and techniques are increasingly gaining importance. Further, organizational structure facilitates leadership’s ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment, specifically, an environment in which global relations continue to be developed and emphasizedRead MoreMultinational Corporations11610 Words  | 47 PagesoverConclusionbibliography | | Introduction A multinational corporation (MNC) or multinational enterprise (MNE) is a corporation that is registered in more than one country or that has operations in more than one country. It is a large corporation which both produces and sells goods or services in various countries. It can also be referred to as an international corporation. They play an important role in globalization. The first multinational corporation was the Dutch East India Company, founded MarchRead MoreThe Success Factors Of Multinational Corporations1272 Words  | 6 PagesOne of the most essential success factor in multinational corporations is related with the organization’s group of extremely competent international leaders and managers who have the global knowledge of consumer demands for services as well as products in a world scale, the knowledge of production and service capabilities, and also who can influence others in spite of diverse cultural or political backgrounds that make them think, analyze, decide, act and communicate in a different way than the leaderRead MoreMultinational Corporation1374 Words  | 6 Pages12-14-cent-an-hour for your hard work, imagine you work with toxic chemical glues, paints and solvents everyday. Multinational Corporation is a company that make and sells a product in more than one country. Sometime we called a  ¡Ã‚ °transnational corporation  ¡Ã‚ ±. Multinational Corporation are harmful because of bad working condition, low wage and long hours, bad future and life. Multinational corporations are harmful because they have bad working conditions. According to Sweatshop Fact sheet, workers who workRead MoreThe Expansion Of Multinational Corporations ( Mncs ) Essay900 Words  | 4 PagesThe global economy has been inundated with the expansion of multinational corporations (MNCs). MNCs growth and dominant position in the global economy has been achieved through the process of globalisation. In order to explore the MNCs and globalised supply and production chains, the raise of MNCs need to be established. This essay will then demonstrate how the power attained from MNCs has restructured and diversified the geographies of retail connecting, production, distribution and consumptionRead MoreMultinational Corporations4554 Words  | 19 PagesMultinational Corporation - business enterprise with manufacturing, sales, or service subsidiaries in one or more foreign countries, also known as a transnational or international corporation. These corporation s originated early in the 20th century and proliferated after World War II. Typically, a multinational corporation develops new products in its native country and manufactures them abroad, often in Third World nations, thus gaining trade advantages and economies of labor and materials. AlmostRead MoreMultinational Organizations : A Multinational Corporation1247 Words  | 5 PagesA Multinational Corporation, also known as MNC, is a corporation that has it facilities and other assets in more than one country, in addition to its home country. These corporations operate comprehensively in more than one country by having a main office in a centralized location where they systematize global management and have offices and/or factories in different countries. Multinational Corporations may participate in numerous activities such as manufacturing, importing and exporting in differentRead MoreThe Multinational Corporation Boom And Its Reasons2358 Words  | 10 Pages In this paper the multinational corporation boom and its reasons are investigated and then the challenges which these corporations encounter will be discussed. There are certain reasons associated with the rapid growth of multinational corporations during the last 50 years. Including but not limited to globalization, information technology telecommunication, deregulations and worldwide market liberalization and the operation in the emerging economies and the growth opportunity in these countriesRead MoreThe Difficulties Of Managing A Multinational Corporation ( Mnc ) Essay1517 Words  | 7 PagesDiscuss the difficulties of managing a multinational corporation (MNC) by adopting an ethnocentric approach to talent management from home country to subsidiary in another country. Introduction With the accelerating process of globalization, a great number of multinational corporations (MNCs) have emerged around the globe, from 39,000 TNCs in 1993 to 82,000 in 2008, especially in developing nations. According to McKinsey Global Institute (2013), globalization not only gives MNCs tremendous marketRead MoreMultinational Corporations And Its Effect On The Chinese Economy Essay2442 Words  | 10 Pagescountry; thus the rise of joint-owned ventures and multinational corporations or MNCs. Soon enough, China’s business industry was dominated mostly by multinational corporations. Through the establishment of MNCs, a lot of employment were created. Alongside MNCs however, are pressing controversial issues involving violation of human rights, labor code, and country policies as well as its involvement in environmental degradation. Multinational corporations impact the environment of China by exploiting its
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Grease on Broadway Review Essay Example For Students
Grease on Broadway Review Essay I went and watched the play, â€Å"Grease,†a few years back in Columbus. It depicted the 1971 musical, and later 1978 hit film, based on the students of a 1950’s high school. The broadway stars Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, as Danny and Sandy. Their journey to the lead roles were documented on the NBC show entitled, â€Å"Grease: The One That I Want. †The stars seemed to work well together, but lacked a certain chemistry that is needed to play lovers. Crumm and Osnes are both very talented dancers, but something about them together just didnt seem right to me. I feel that two people should really sell that they are passionate about each other, if that is what they are suppose to do for their role. Osnes has a beautiful singing voice, and she played her part as Sandy very well. While Crumm seemed to have a hard time being a leader in his group. For anyone in a lead role, being a leader on stage is very important, and leading did not come naturally to him. The main concern I had about the actors, were that they seemed somewhat stiff while performing. It seemed as though they stuck to doing exactly what they were told, instead of owning their parts, and making them their own. The performers are young, and still have a lot to learn. Being a good performer does not happen overnight, so they have plenty of time to master the art of performing. You can just tell the actors had every single bit of the play drilled into their head, and it seemed as though they were afraid to stray off a bit, to make it their own. The show lacked the spark of, Grease, that many know and love. I couldnt connect with the characters as well as I could when watching the movie. On a more positive note, the actors knew exactly what they needed to do, and they performed their parts as best they could. The youthfulness of the cast had a lot to do with the lack of skill on the stage. There were a lot of young, and talented performers on that stage. However, I do not feel they were ready to perform something as popular, and well loved as, Grease. There are very high expectations for and audience who comes to watch it. I was expecting to fall in love all over again with it, but it was very hard to connect with the characters. People want to feel like they are living out the lives of the characters, while watching them perform. I usually feel most connected to Danny when I watch, Grease. Crumm did not depict the Danny that many people already think they know, from watching the movie, or other performances. Overall, the play was not bad. There were a few things that need to be fixed, in order to make it the best play around. With more experienced actors, the play could become much better. I would like to see the actors now, to see if they have improved their skills.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Why Dont People Help in a Crisis
The death of Kitty Genovese was one of the horrendous acts have that ever happened in the history of crime. The heinous crime witnessed one of the human incapability in offering help to others in an emergency situation. Of all the Genovese neighbors, no one came to help her when she was attacked. Surprisingly, it is alleged by the witnesses that it took more than 30 minutes for the murderer to kill Genovese.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why Don’t People Help in a Crisis? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The time was enough to rescue her. For many years, the same trend of not reacting towards helping others among humans has been observed. Sociologists have observed this trend and have always tried to explain the reasons of such irresponsibility. It is important for moral responsibility to be observed by everyone in the society. Such a contentious discussion is still being investigated. Nevertheless, the murder story of Genovese also raised issues such as what should be done to criminals, who have intentions to kill without reasonable doubts. Some critics argue that the punishment for murders should be death sentence, while others view it as unnecessary action that does not protect lives. The following discussion gives an insight into why people are reluctant to help others and why death sentence, torture or capital punishment should be reviewed on convicted murderers. One important concept that emerges from the issue of people not helping others is the diffusion of responsibilities. According to sociologists, the diffusion of responsibility is the solitary reason behind people being inactive in situations that require emergency help. Diffusion of responsibility will emanate from the aspects that will be discussed further. First, a bystander response research indicates that there is always a â€Å"psychological withdrawal with an individual who is among a crowd of other personsâ₠¬ (Hirschberg Hirschberg 768). In this case, the individual becomes a little bit indifferent. However, the bystanders or, in this case, the crime witnesses do not necessarily become indifferent, but experience inhibition of any possible responsibility. For example signs of â€Å"nervousness is observed among the witnesses†(769).Interestingly, their actions towards helping in an emergency situation may be inhibited by culture. For example, the American culture does not allow people to interfere with other people’s privacy. It is perceived to be â€Å"bad manners to interfere with others privacy in America†(769).Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This may be another reason as to why Genovese neighbors never came to rescue the victim. In any case, the evidence given by the witnesses’ shows that victim only heard screams, but never witnessed the act of killing. In this case, â€Å"seeing is not the same as believing†(769). Another inhibitor may be lack of proper interpretation regarding an emergency situation. If a bystander or witness does not deem a situation to be of emergency nature, then the bystander will be reluctant to intervene in such situations. For all these types of inhibitions to be fully functional, an environment that depicts a presence of other onlookers is always evidenced. Basically, the inhibition only occurs when the bystander in question is among other bystanders. In essence, the inhibition affects other bystanders as well. Nonetheless, â€Å"the underlying emergency always seems to affect the unresponsive bystanders in any instance†(769). This shows that the bystanders are not indifferent or lack apathy, but are nervous. As indicated earlier, a majority of people who are among a crowd fail to react due to responsibility diffusion (Hirschberg Hirschberg 770). From this perspective, people tend to thi nk that another person witnessing the event has equal responsibilities, thus the reluctance to respond first. This may have been in the case of Genovese, where each neighbor might have thought that others were watching Genovese or the murderer. The filtration of the responsibility is psychological. However, in a scenario where â€Å"the emergency is witnessed by a single person, the response is always instantaneous†(770). Nevertheless, in the case of Genovese, the incapability of the witnesses to respond to the cries of the woman should not inhibit the justice system. This means that, without reasonable doubts, the death sentence passed to the murderer is justifiable. Many years later, Genovese murderer appealed against the death sentence ruling. The murderer through his lawyer argued that the case was passed unfairly, considering that the murderer’s lawyer during the trial was once the victim’s lawyer. The murderer’s lawyer argued that the sentence shou ld be reduced to life imprisonment. It is through such judicial sentences that the question of torture in the judicial system is revisited. The appealing of the death sentence, questions the integrity of providing justice to the victims of those who were innocently killed. The reduction of those does not only undermine the fact that such crimes need to be deterred, but also undermines giving reprieve to the victim’s family members.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why Don’t People Help in a Crisis? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are arguments that death sentence cannot bring back the victim. Of course, it cannot bring back the victim, but it is important to understand that most of the murderers have an intent that is associated with an ideology. Genovese murder had previously committed many other killings and raping and thus was acting out of an ideology. These acts are similar to those of a terrorist who subscribe to a certain ideology. The murderer confessed that he was looking for someone to hunt down and kill that night. This is an unremorseful act that was done out of will. Reducing death sentence to life imprisonment is like protecting a criminal’s ideology to live on. â€Å"Death sentence is the ultimate punishment for people who do not value human life â€Å"(Banner 281). It is without doubt that victims who succumb to murderers do not get themselves killed intentionally. Probably, Genovese would not have been killed if the law had nabbed the murderer earlier and passed a death sentence. Sociologists’ term the heinous acts by serial killers as just but a game. To sociologists, serial killers are enslaved to acts of crime for the purpose of public recognition. In this context, it would be morally wrong to just disregard the judicial authority on passing death sentence to such criminals. The murder of Genovese was no game, though was portrayed as such by the killer. The justice system should therefore perceive such as a mockery to justice. In conclusion, it is important to acknowledge the fact that it is the moral duty of everyone to help others. Whether such acts of humanity are triggered â€Å"psychologically by apathy or lack of indifference or not, it remains a moral duty to all persons†(Hirschberg Hirschberg 768). It is sometimes deemed selfish not to help others. This calls for change of attitude and culture that promotes selfishness. On the other hand, acts that take away lives should not go unpunished. In fact, â€Å"death sentence is the best punishment for murder†(Bienen 147). The protection of lives, the closure of victim’s families and deterrence of future cold blood murder, should always guide the passing of a death sentence. Works Cited Banner, Stuart. The death penalty: An American history, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bienen, B., Leigh. Murder and its consequences: Essays on capital punishment in America, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2010. Print. Hirschberg, Stuart, and Terry Hirschberg. The millennium reader, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print. This essay on Why Don’t People Help in a Crisis? was written and submitted by user Landon Bowers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Constantine I (306 - 337 A.D.)
Constantine I (306 - 337 A.D.) The Emperor Constantine I was effectively the sole ruler of the Roman world between 324 and 337 A.D.; his reign was perhaps one of the most crucial of all the emperors in determining the future course of western civilization. By beginning the process of making Christianity the religious foundation of his realm, he set the religious course for the future of Europe, which remains in place to this very day. Because he replaced Rome with Constantinople as the center of imperial power, he made it clear that the city of Rome was no longer the center of power and he set the stage for the Middle Ages. His philosophical view of monarchy, largely spelled out in some of the works of Eusebius of Caesarea, became the foundation for the concept of the divine right of kings, which prevailed in Europe.Flavius Valerius Constantinus, the son of Constantius Chlorus and Helena, seems to have been born in Naissus in Serbia on 27 February ca.English: Side view of Ponte Milvio, Rome.272 or 273 A.D. When hi s father had become Caesar in 293 A.D., Constantius had sent his son to the Emperor Galerius as hostage for his own good behavior; Constantine, however, returned to his dying father's side in Britain on 25 July 306. Soon after his father's death, Constantine was raised to the purple by the army. The period between 306 and 324, when Constantine became sole imperator, was a period of unremitting civil war. Two sets of campaigns not only guaranteed Constantine a spot in Roman history, but also made him sole ruler of the Roman Empire. On 28 October 312 he defeated Maxentius, his opponent, at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge; in 314, 316, and 324, he repeatedly defeated his last remaining rival Licinius. Once he had overcome him, he was the undisputed...
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Definition and Examples of Epigrams in English
Definition and Examples of Epigrams in English An epigram is a concise, clever, and sometimes paradoxical statement or line of verse. Adjective: epigrammatic. Also called, simply, a saying. A person who composes or uses epigrams is an epigrammatist. Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Oscar Wilde are all known for their highly epigrammatic writing styles. Irish poet Jane Wilde (who wrote under the pen name Speranza) observed that epigram is always better than an argument in conversation. Examples and Observations The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.(Tacitus)There are no gains without pains.(Benjamin Franklin, The Way to Wealth)If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.(Benjamin Franklin)The Child is father of the Man.(William Wordsworth, My Heart Leaps Up)The only way to have a friend is to be one.(Ralph Waldo Emerson, On Friendship)A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.(Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance)In Wildness is the preservation of the world.(Henry David Thoreau, Walking)The old believe everything: the middle-aged suspect everything: the young know everything.(Oscar Wilde, Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young)All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. Thats his.(Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest)No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best fr iend.(Groucho Marx) The only ism Hollywood believes in is plagiarism.(Dorothy Parker)Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about other peopleGreat people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.(Fran Lebowitz)Asked for his favorite epigram, Karl Marx responded, de omnibus disputandum, i.e., doubt everything.†(Dan Subotnik, Toxic Diversity. NYU Press, 2005)Audiences are always better pleased with a smart retort, some joke or epigram, than with any amount of reasoning.(Charlotte Perkins Gilman)What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, its body brevity, and wit its soul.(Samuel Coleridge)The art of newspaper paragraphing is to stroke a platitude until it purrs like an epigram.(Don Marquis)A brilliant epigram is a solemn platitude gone to a masquerade ball.(Lionel Strachey)Three things must epigrams, like bees, have all:A sting and honey and a body small.(Latin verse, quoted by J. Symonds, Studies of the Gr eek Poets, 1877) Renaissance Epigrams: Gall, Vinegar, Salt, and Honey In the Renaissance, George Puttenham remarked that the epigram is a short and sweete form in which every mery conceited man might without any long studie or tedious ambage, make his friend sport, and anger his foe, and give a prettie nip, or shew a sharpe conceit [i.e., idea] in few verses (The Art of English Poesy, 1589). Epigrams of both praise and blame were a popular Renaissance genre, notably in the poetry of Ben Jonson. The critic J.C. Scaliger in his Poetics (1560) divided epigrams into four kinds: gall, vinegar, salt, and honey (that is, an epigram could be bitterly angry, sour, salacious, or sweet).(David Mikics, A New Handbook of Literary Terms. Yale University Press, 2007) Types of Epigrams The Epigram is expressed in various ways: A. In the Epigrammatic style. It now refers to a style marked by point and brevity. It does not necessarily involve contrast.B. Emphatic assertion. What I have written, I have written.C. Indirect or concealed statement. A kind of mingling of literal and figurative.D. PunningE. Paradox (T. Hunt, Principles of Written Discourse, 1884) The Lighter Side of Epigrams Jeremy Usborne: Oh come on, mate. How am I going to see Nancy again if you dont give me a pass? She clearly hates me. Mark Corrigan: Well, maybe you should take that as a sign. Jeremy Usborne: Im not giving up that easily. Faint heart never won fair maid. Mark Corrigan: Right. The epigram that starts the stalkers manifesto.(Robert Webb and David Mitchell in Gym. Peep Show, 2007) Pronunciation: EP-i-gram EtymologyFrom the Greek, epigramma, inscription
Thursday, November 21, 2019
The Scientific Reasoning Level of Students In the Faculty of Science Research Proposal
The Scientific Reasoning Level of Students In the Faculty of Science In King Saud University - Research Proposal Example It is important to establish how scientific reasoning capability affect the way students choose the subjects to specialize in. Students within the faculty of science in King Saudi University can choose to specialize in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. It is also important to establish the scientific reasoning capability of students in the four learning levels in King Saud University to determine whether their understanding of different scientific concepts is progressing or not. Literature Review A lot of research has been done on factors that determine performance of students in science and the scientific reasoning. Such studies have shown that scientific reasoning is imperative and it enables students predict and apply different scientific theories. A study conducted by Bell, Maeng & Peters (2010, p. 8) showed that students enjoy challenges posed by scientific inquiry and take part more devotedly when supported. The study also showed that most teachers do not exhibit natural ability in providing instructions and teaching on the nature of science thus students interest in science and scientific reasoning capability tends to depreciate as they proceed to higher teaching levels. Schen (2007, p. 86-88) did a study to investigate development of scientific reasoning among undergraduate students majoring in Biology. The study made use of Lawson Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) to assess student’s scientific reasoning capability. The study results showed that there is need to foster development of reasoning skills among undergraduate biology students to improve the reasoning skills of future scientists. Schen concluded that undergraduate students pursuing biology may be having difficulty in understanding scientific methods well since they are not evolving their mental reasoning skills (Schen, 2007, p.142). Moore and Rubbo (2011, p.3) did another research to determine scientific reasoning abilities of non-science majors in physics-based courses. The study results showed that students in non-scientific physics based courses, which included conceptual physics and astronomy courses score considerably lower on the LCTSR compared to students enrolled in courses with science majors (Moore & Rubbo, 2011, p.8-11). Another study was done by Benford and Russell (2001, p.2) and aimed at examining the connection between scientific methodologies and biological inquiry methods in college biology laboratories. The study established a negative relationship between lecturer or instructor inquiry and student understanding of nature of science. The study also showed that most biology students have low scientific reasoning capability. Little research has been done on how scientific reasoning differs in different scientific specialization such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Additionally, there is less literature comparing the trend of scientific reasoning across different levels of study. This study is thus important since it aims at establis hing if there is any difference in scientific reasoning in the different specialization as well as in the different levels of study. Background and Objective The level of scientific reasoning determines how student perceive different aspects of science, which in turn determine the science subject they choose to major in. The scientific concepts vary from one level of study to
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
The short explanation of the constitutional conventions is that they Essay
The short explanation of the constitutional conventions is that they provide the flesh that clothes the dry bones of the law th - Essay Example The UK lacks a well-written constitution, but has a collection of several legal instruments that forms the constitutional law. In this case, conventions provide the underlying principles that provide the basis for governance in the society. According to British Constitutional scholar, Sir Ivor Jennings, conventions exist as precedents, customs and practices since the actors believe they are bound by the rules3. Jennings outlined three tests for ascertaining a valid convention that include considering the precedents or political rules that have been practiced such as election of Prime Minister for the majority party4. The second test is the ministerial responsibility or acceptance of such conventions by those operating under the constitution by consent that creates an obligation to act. The third test is the existence of good political reasons. Thesis statement: constitutional conventions provide the flesh that clothes the dry bones of the law; they make the legal constitution work; a nd keep in touch with advancement in ideas. The UK constitution derives its content from various sources such as Acts of Parliament, common law, EU laws and accumulated conventions. In this case, the UK constitution is uncodified since no single written document and documents like court judgments, treaties and statutes form part of the constitution. The unwritten sources like parliamentary conventions, ministerial responsibilities and royal prerogatives form part of the constitution. Constitutional conventions are unwritten and politically enforceable since they provide the basis for the implementation of the Constitution. Some constitutional conventions in the UK include the international treaties that are presented in Parliament at least 21 days before ratification as per the Ponsonby Rule of 1924. The ministerial responsibilities to advice the monarchy forms part of the conventions since the monarchy is expected to act as the advice expect in circumstance when it needs to exercis e reserve powers. It is a constitutional conventions that the Prime Minister is the leader with of a political party or coalition of parties that command majority seats in the House of Common in order to command the support of the House of Commons in passing important legislation5. Accordingly, money bills originate from House of Common and it’s a convention for monarch to grant royal assent to all legislation. In addition, the House of Lords does not approve any legislation from House of Commons when such legislation forms part of the government’s manifesto and Westminster Parliament cannot legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament6. Constitutional conventions may not be legally binding, but are politically enforceable and ensure powers of the UK constitution are implemented in accordance with democratic ideals. The conventions are used to ensure changes in the society without enacting tedious legislations. The UK acknowledges consti tutional conventions as aids to judicial decisions and such acknowledgement of their existence is perceived as enforceability of such conventions in interpretation and implementation of
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Organizational Structure of a Hospital You Know Essay Example for Free
Organizational Structure of a Hospital You Know Essay INTRODUCTION: For this assignment I’m choosing, Fortis Hospital at Noida, India and Krishna Nursing home at Chitradurga, Karnataka India. Fortis hospital at Noida, India is a part of Fortis healthcare group and mainly focuses on orthopaedics and neurosciences. It’s a medium sized hospital with 300 bedded facilities and about 250 full time staff. Its organisational structure has low vertical and high horizontal distribution. THE HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION is as follows, 1) 37 medical departments which covers different specialities.2) Other departments such as HR, marketing, finance, engineering and nursing. 3) Social specialisation, example doctors.4) Functional specialisation, example technicians and nurses. VERTICAL STRUCTURE is as follows, 1) Zonal director at the top. 2) 43 departmental heads who work under Zonal director. 3) There is team under each department which report to departmental heads. Organizational structure of fortis hospital ZONAL DIRECTOR United HR medical director Head eng marketing sales Finance head Nursing matron Team Hr Doctors Eng team Marketing team Finance team Nursing team Centralisation: Head of department control all departments and they report to the Zonal director. Each individual in the organisation has limited autonomy and financially it is highly centralised and functionally it is moderately decentralised and it has high level of standardisation of administrative task and the recruitment process is very much formalised, whereas doctors have low level of formalisation and everyone follow standard operating procedure. Hence in summary, Fortis hospital is multi-speciality hospital of medium size and its structure has high horizontal complexity but low vertical complexity and it is moderately formalised and there is not much direct impact on centralisation and has moderately flexible structure and decision making is highly formalised and moderately decentralised at operational level.(http://www.hindubusinessline.com; www.fortishealthcare.com; www.hoovers.com) In contrast to the above mentioned complex structure second mentioned hospital is Krishna Nursing Home which is a small 50 bedded multispecialty hospital with a simple structure with the director at the top who is in charge of everything and there are heads of recruitment, finance and medical director who report to the director. It is mainly a vertical structure with director who has full decision making power, hence the structure has minimum decentralisation. The other staff has no autonomy.This hospital works basically on loyalty and trust and personal relationship and caters to a small population in the village Chitradurga, India. This structure is compatible with small hospitals like this. But disadvantage is that it is highly dependent on the director and is individual centric (www.healthcaremagic.com) If we compare the 2 structure in relation to, 1) Central Peripheral relations: Fortis is much bigger hospital and has separate division for each department and there is decentralisation and semi-autonomy for each department and the purchaser and provider divisions are separate. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home has no decentralisation and no autonomy for the departments and all decisions are taken by the director. 2) Links with other organisational groups: Fortis has links and tie-ups with many other smaller hospitals which refer cases to them and also has link ups with various insurance companies. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home has no tie-ups with any other hospitals and works alone and caters to a small population. 3) Internal structure: Hierarchy, as mentioned above Fortis hospital has minimal vertical but complex horizontal distribution of power so it has a flatter organisational shape which helps in effective communication and decision making and has widened collaborative links between various departments and divisions resulting in internal linking and average spans of control whereas Krishna Nursing Home has vertical structure and is fully hierarchical based and there is no internal linking between departments (Merson et.,al, 2006). CONCLUSION: Both these hospitals has completely different organisational structure but both are successful because the targeted population for both are different. While, Fortis targets higher and wider range of population and focuses on specialised services, hence has complex organisational structure. Whereas Krishna Nursing Home caters to a small population and provides basic services and hence has a simple vertical hierarchical structure. REFERENCES: ‘Fortis Healthcare signs pact with US hospital’ online. Available at: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/2000/10/18/stories/021851e 3.htm. (Accessed on 7 January 2013) Krishna Nursing Home (online). Available at: www.healthcaremagic.com (Accessed on 8 January 2013). Merson et.,al (2006) ‘International Public Health’, 2nd Edition, Jones and Bartlett publishers, pp;558-593. (online) Available at: www. Fortishealthcare.com.(Accessed on: 7 January 2013). (online) Available at: www.hoovers.com (Accessed on: 7 January 2013).
Friday, November 15, 2019
The Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy Essay -- Energy Resources
The amazing thing about renewable energy resources is that they do not deplete. These energy resources include energies such as hydroelectric energy, solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. The major advantage of using these resources is that the environmental impact is extremely low when compared to the use of fossil fuels and other energy processes. One of the most used renewable energy sources is hydroelectric power. When you look at all the environmental impacts of dams, etc., they seem to be a lot less devastating than those effects due to the use of coal and oil for producing energy. Some of the environmental impacts include major flooding due to the gigantic reservoirs that are formed by dams, which in turn makes certain areas of useful land worthless (Baird). Another impact is that the flow and quality of the water may be affected in ways that the dissolved oxygen content of the water will decrease, but this problem can be minimized with proper flow control (US Dept. of Energy). On the other hand, hydroelectric plants do not release any emissions such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide, both of which increase to global warming and climate change. This is a tremendous advantage over fossil fuel use. Also, there isn't any need to worry about nuclear disasters like there is with the use of nuclear energy. Another renewable energy resource that has a lower amount of environmental impact is solar energy. Solar energy is created and used through the use of photovoltaic cells that collect the suns energy and then convert that energy into a useful form like electricity. As one would think when first asked about solar energy and photovoltaic cells, there aren't many environmental impacts associated with it. The o... ...there isn't any negative impact on the environment due to renewable energy resources, but based on all the evidence, it seems that non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum, all have a much more negative influence on the world around them. Works Cited AWEA. Wind Energy and the Environment. 2014. http://www.awea.org/faq/tutorial/wwt_environment.html#Bird%20and%20bat%20kills%20and%20other%20effects. Baird, Stuart. Geothermal Energy. 2013. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/GEOTHERM.HTM Baird, Stuart. Hydroelectric Power. 2014. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/HYDROELE.HTM Baird, Stuart. Photovoltaic Cells. 2013. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/PHOTOVOL.HTM Baird, Stuart. Wind Energy. 2012. http://www.iclei.org/EFACTS/WIND.HTM US Dept. of Energy. Environmental Issues and Mitigation. 4/27/2014. http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/hydro_enviro.html
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Behavior Problem In Children And Adolescents
This is a story of Ted, an eight year boy, in whose eyes there always was seen a certain kind of anxiety. He loves playing football like any other child in my neighborhood. He has brown hair, wears long T-shirt, hat and always has a muffler around his neck. He looks like any other normal boy but one day when I went to his house, I saw anxious face of this mother and what she told made me felt thinking. She said that one day Ted was sitting in his English class and suddenly he felt that he should run away from his room, or he was going to get mad and hurt somebody.Not only this, he started breathing very fast and began to tremble too. He asked his teacher that he wanted to leave the classroom but his teacher simply refused. He became so adamant that he started to scream, just kicked the desk, slammed the door behind and rushed outside the class room finally finding himself landing in the Principal’s office. He apologized but that was not the end of the story. Sometimes his face also used to turn red. He started behaving in this manner in regular intervals.His mother told me that they had even got him thoroughly examined by the doctor but there was no serious problem with him. He stayed with his mother who got divorced few years back, and there was no one else in the house. His mother goes to office after dropping him to near by school and Ted always returns home disappointed, finding himself all alone. Later it was found out that he is suffering from Panic Disorder. Panic disorder is a form of anxiety disorder commonly found in thousands of children all over United States of America.Generally 12 per cent of children of ninth grade have panic attacks, and 1-2 per cent of adults have this problem. Children having Panic disorders may suffer from fear and discomfort, palpitation, pounding heart or great heart rate, trembling, sweating, shaking legs, nausea, dizziness etc. Panic disorder has become the most common problem among children and adults alike. They may also feel choking, chest pain, fear of dying, parasthesia (numbness or tingling sensation) etc.We generally ignore Panic disorder terming the symptoms as normal behavior of children but it is a very serious problem, which can hamper the child’s mental and physical growth. Affected children are socially cut off, their school performance is deteriorated and they may suffer from many other problems. It is not necessary that those children who are having panic attacks may have panic disorder, if 10 % of the children will suffer from panic attacks then 1 to 2 per cent only suffer from Panic disorder.Out of these who develop the Panic disorder, 10-35% is sure to get cured, 50% may get affected mildly later. The most common of all panic disorder is Agrophobia. This means always having a feeling of finding in a place or any situation were it is impossible to escape, or face a situation where help is not nearby available. According to the researchers, Panic disorder is caused when there is abnormality in that part of the brain, which indicates the quantity of Carbondioxide in the blood. If Carbondioxide is more, this means breathing is less than normal.Therefore, body will send the signals to increase the breathing process and also send adrenaline to help in the same process. We can also say that Panic disorder is hereditary problem. The children are much more likely to have an anxiety disorder if a parent also has an anxiety disorder. Part of this heredity is expressed through something called Behavioral Inhibition, which means reacting opposite to entirely new situation and things. Some infants and children will be very happy, eager and curious to find out about new people and things.However, roughly 15% of children will feel shy, withdrawn, and irritable in a new situation or with new people or things. Ted’s problem of Panic disorder is a problem of anxiety disorder, which is the most common among Children and adolescents. There are many kinds of a nxiety disorders but the most common of them are Separation Anxiety Disorder and Specific Phobias, occurring in the age group between 6-9 years old. Anxiety is one of the many disorders affecting man hood like neuroses. Children generally suffer from maximum fear and worry more than their parents do.Many of these problems can be predicted and cured easily so clinician before starting the treatment should carefully examine the behavior among children and then should prescribe the medicine for the same. Girls suffer more from fear than boys do. Separation anxiety disorder is found in childhood only and these involve the problems like specific phobia, social phobia among others. Children suffering from the phobias will try to leave the feared object. Social phobia occurs when children fear from being humiliated in public place.Children may get scared of speaking, writing, reading, performing in public, initiating and maintaining conversations, speaking to authority figures and interact ing in informal social situations. The idea can daunt on the children that what others will think of them and may suffer somatic symptoms with a sole purpose to escape uncomfortable situations. These children may suffer from lower self esteem and and always feel lonely and sad. This disorder can be comorbid with other diagnoses such as anxiety or depression.So, it becomes inevitable to treat the problem, whatever disorder the child may be suffering from before it causes some serious implications on his health and life. There should be open communication between clinicians, therapists, family and school staff. The source of stress of the child should be reduced through counseling, medicines and supportive environment both at home and school. It becomes utmost important for the parents to understand the illness of the child and his struggle with it. The child should not be left isolated.They should listen to the child’s feeling, praise his efforts and encourage him to participa te in various activities to relieve him of the stress, tension and depression. Ted’s mother also understood the root cause of problem and following the advice of child psychologists, she herself undertook parent guidance counseling sessions. With this, she was able to manage his son’s illness effectively by providing much needed support and love. Soon, Ted was on the path of recovery. Reference Nelson R. W. , Emeritus & Allen Y. (2005) Behavior Disorders of Childhood. Publisher: Prentice Hall
Sunday, November 10, 2019
A Different History – Essay
Commentary – A Different History (by Sujata Bhatt) ‘A different history’ by Sujata Bhatt is a poem written about the social and political concern of the lost of cultural identical renouciation of Indian identity. The poet has used sentence pattern, motifs, symbolisms and imagery predominantly in this poem to emphasize the problem of younger generations losing their roots and identities. The poem begins with the use of the motif â€Å"Great Pan†who is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs. Great Pan†in the poem is a symbolism of the native culture and identity in the European countries. This motif plays a huge role in the poem as the first three lines in the first stanza shows us the richness of Indian culture and the need for all Indians to appreciate their culture. The great pan leaving Europe to India portrays the intensity loss in Europe but more important highli ghts the attraction of the land, rich, harmony between environment and human society coexisting that India can offer. The human nature and human wisdom is what attracts even the god of culture to leave Europe and â€Å"emigrated to India†.The poet highlights through this use of personification that every Indian should be proud of the great culture root that Indian can provide. The sentence patterns along with other techniques used by the poet are significant in terms of the allowing the readers to understand the theme and the concerns of the poet. The run on lines in the first stanza implies that Indian culture will never fade or end and that it will be eternal, passing on through generations and generations. It is also effective in the sense that the run on lines emphasizes the effectives of the repetitions used in the poem.The repetition of â€Å" It is a sin†ultimately shows the readers that it is a sin to discard the Indian culture and it is a sin to forget where one is from and what one should value culture-wise. The constant use of cultural icons such as â€Å"snakes†, â€Å"monkey†and â€Å"trees†further stresses the rich native culture in India and how important it is that conserve this culture. An imperative is also used in the poem â€Å" You must learn†¦wood the paper was made†gives off a cautious tone, warning the readers what would happen if the culture is not respected and treasured.The first stanza of the poem, although linked closely with each other have very contrasting moods. In the first stanza, the poet idolizes the uniqueness of Indian culture and how important it is to sustain this culture. The mood that the readers get is hopeful and respectful. However, in the second stanza, the reader uses many techniques, principally rhetorical questions to express her thoughts of the English colonization and the English language influences. The tone in the second stanza is bitterness and sad with a s ense of fear.The rhetorical questions â€Å"Which language has not been the oppressor’s tongue? †and â€Å" Which language truly meant to murder someone? †contradictory with each other. The first question implies that the English imposes foreign language on native Indians when they first conquered India. She explores the enigma whereby the language of the conqueror is cherished by later generations. â€Å"The unborn grandchildren grow to love that strange language†. The second question is a metaphor the poet had used to point out the neutrality of language.Language is not meant to murder anyone and is major component of history. She is merely confused why Indian people of today’s generation would love a language that came from people, which has caused death and agony for hundreds of years in India. It is ironic to see how young people today forget about their heritage to love the English language. The two stanzas link with each other to show the confusion of the poet not understanding how people could neglect their own rich culture (described in stanza one) to loving a language that has caused them so much pain in the past (stanza two)The pre-dominant imagery used in the second stanza is imagery of the English colonization. The use of the metaphor â€Å"after the torture, with†¦ of the conqueror’s face†contains many destructive diction that provokes a negative feeling for the readers but more importantly to build up to the irony. The fact that after all the people in India have gone through in the colonization by England, generations today would still love and speak English. The sense of pain and sorrow of the poet is undeniable.After the colonization of India, English was brought in as an official language and was referred to as the â€Å"strange language†that younger generations love. The loss of identity in younger generations is clear in the second stanza and younger people do not know the hi story of India and don’t seem to understand and appreciate the importance of this wonderful culture. The poem ‘ A different culture’ by Sujata Bhatt emphasizes the loss of identity for younger generations in India. The poet used a number of techniques effectively to show the sense of irony and bitterness towards this significant social issue in today’s society.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Dong Chang Essay Example
Dong Chang Essay Example Dong Chang Essay Dong Chang Essay Background: Dong Chang, a secret police and service sets up by eunuchs during the Ming Dynasty in 1420 and direct under the leadership of the Ming Dynasty. Dong Chang is founded by Zhu Di (the King, Emperor). Although there was a current organization â€Å"Jin Yi Wei†over that period of time, Zhu Di did not trust that organization. Therefore, Zhu Di revolted a number of eunuchs and turned into a very strong organization. Zhu Di believes eunuchs are more reliable. Analyze the Organization (Strategy, size, management, environment, external relationship): The leader of Dong Chang is eunuch called â€Å"Chang Gong†. The punishment and spy departments are the major departments for Dong Chang. Dong Chang has a strict hierarchy of authority. The position is named by the number of staffs. For example, â€Å"Hundred†means that the officer can manage one hundred staffs. Dong Chang is a large organization which covered over Ming Dynasty which is larger than current China and small counties nearby Ming Dynasty. Each type of work have special name. For example, there are officials of various ministries to monitor North Korea, and secretary to watch/to hear the prison criminals in the entire local government. Dong Chang is not only in institutions, but with reasonable staffing in the investigation developed action system. The management is quiet simple. First day of every month their investigation would focus on the work arrangement. Dong Chang’s function is to investigate the plotters and heresies as great wickedness. Dong Chang is powerful as Jin Yi Wei, one person in charge and gives the right to do to follow it. At the beginning, Dong Chang is only responsible to the investigation, arrests, and the rights to without trial the prisoners. But at late of the Ming Dynasty, Dong Chang has its own prison. Dong Chang has the right to monitor government officials, scholars, and other political forces because Dong Chang only needs to report to the emperor. Therefore, because Dong Chang is a special secret service, all officials and scholars are afraid about it, so the external relationship is limited. But Dong Chang does not need to care about the external relationship because its power is too strong and has the right to arrest and kill all people. Critique the Structure of the Organization: Dong Chang is only responsible to the emperor they can do whatever they want. There is no privacy, no one can say no to them. They are watching/hearing every move every word of people. They only trust themselves. They are using an autocracy system. Therefore, sometimes even they carry out illegal actions no one can punish them which is bad and why it fails eventually. A good organization should care about the complaint and to improve, not â€Å"Autocracy†. Insights and Recommendations: This type of organization structure has been around for centuries which placed the CEO (emperor) at the top and everyone else was arranged in layers down below, as illustrated in the diagram above. The emperor gave authority to Dong Chang’s leader (Chang Gong) but one must still report to the emperor for any kind of activities. With hierarchy of authority and specific rules and procedures, bureaucracy control is taking place. However, this approach has many disadvantages such as slow response to new opportunities, unforeseen threats like terrorist attacks, or organizational crises. Our recommendation is to use a temporary structure to respond to an emergency or crisis situation. This means that it still get to maintain the efficiency and control benefits of bureaucracy yet prevent the problem of slow response. The hierarchical side with its rules, procedures, and chain of command maintain control and ensure obedience to rules that have been developed and tested over many years to cope with well-understood problems and situations. However, during times of high uncertainty, the most effective structure is one that loosens the lines of command and enables people to work across departmental and hierarchical lines to anticipate, avoid, and solve unique problems within the context of a clearly understood mission and guidelines. This would be more effective in any type of military organization.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Author Lane Ashfeldt on the Changing Role of Editors
Author Lane Ashfeldt on the Changing Role of Editors The changing role of editors - An interview with Lane Ashfeldt â€Å"We tend to associate independent publishing with early-career writers getting their first break, since this is the kind of story that has tended to grab the headlines. But another significant group of authors choosing to self-publish are mid-career writers whose contracts for certain titles have expired.†We say on our homepage that our Reedsy professionals â€Å"know the publishing landscape better than a writer knows the taste of hot coffee†. So we like to regularly have their take on it. Today, we interview Lane Ashfeldt, a UK-based freelance editor who has worked both for a small press and directly with authors. She shares her insights on the ever-changing role of editors - whether in-house or freelance - and on the opportunity self-publishing represents for writers (even â€Å"mainstream†ones).Hi Lane, great to have you here. You’re one of our fiction editors on Reedsy and have been freelance for around 4 years. How did you start your editing career?Thanks for asking me Ricardo. I got into fiction by accident, planning to move on, but it stuck. For six years I edited short stories and novels for an indie press, in a variety of styles from crime to literary. I later started writing myself, and taught writing at a UK university.What prompted you to go freelance as an editor?When my book of my stories, SaltWater, was in edits I blogged about the process and some ex-students who had carried on writing after their courses got in contact asking if I’d look at their novels. I couldn’t say no.How do you find having the writer as your employer?I’ve never really thought of it that way. Reedsy refers to editing projects as collaborations and I think this hits the right note, though of course in this context the author is ultimately in control of the process. Which is as it should be - it is their book. I suggest edits, and explain why, but it’s up to the writer whether they choose to act on them. It†™s a very cooperative thing. It’s also private. I don’t identify titles that I’ve edited freelance. (The titles on my Reedsy profile are from a regular job before I went freelance.)Do you see any parallels between your freelance editorial projects now, and when you were a full time editor?I enjoy working direct with authors, and this aspect is very similar. As a commissioning editor I’d meet authors and see their books through from manuscript to hard copy. Now it is more usual to work remotely via electronic means, and generally I only work on the text unless asked for input on submissions or electronic publication routes. One key similarity is, it’s very result-driven – it is all about finishing a piece of fiction, be it for print or ebook publication. Another aspect in common with my experience as a professional novel and short story editor is that over time you build relationships with certain authors and a knowledge of their strengths. It is rewarding when an author asks you to work on multiple projects as the dialogue becomes more fruitful.You have taught creative writing. How does that compare with editing?There is some commonality. But because advanced level university students need to write dissertations and conduct research, there’s a necessary interest, pedagogically, in the process of creative writing; this can distract from the task at hand, ie finishing the book. With project editing, the emphasis is not on â€Å"how to,†if you like, but on getting it done. To as high a standard as possible, obviously.With the explosion in self-publishing, do you feel the role of editors is changing?In the present era of publishing everything is negotiable. Some editors are strong on marketing, some act as curators whose job is to uncover the Next Big Thing in their sphere of interest, some are very much a cog working within the corporate constraints of a major brand. As a full-time editor, I worked with a n indie press. Generally in smaller presses roles are more flexible. Editors may do both copy editing and commissioning - perhaps also have a say in the design, typesetting, marketing, and PR. Commissioning editors with bigger houses are rarely this hands-on. Often they operate more on the level of curators whose intake is limited to people they know and a group of agents their company has history with, taking on finished projects that someone else (an agent, a professor in creative writing, a literary consultancy, the author) has edited and polished. You could say they operate less as editors (in the conventional sense of the word), more as a gateway to the production and marketing machine behind their brand.But with the increasing variety of publication routes open to writers, there is space for all sorts of editorial approaches to co-exist. Recent projects I’ve worked on as a freelance editor illustrate this - some went on to be self-published, others are taking the ag ent / traditional publication route.Is it still possible to land an agent or publisher with an unedited manuscript?I am sure there are examples out there. The best writers are excellent editors of their own work, and this was true even in the days when some of the editing processes took place heh-hemming over dictation to a secretary. But if hiring a freelance editor adds perspective and strengthens your writing, it is a step worth taking.How do you see the publishing industry evolving in the next few years? Now that independent publishing has been established as a valid option, are more traditionally published authors going to try it?Lots of traditionally published writers have already experimented with publishing their work independently. It skewed towards US-based writers to start with, perhaps because the terms offered to US writers were more favorable, but that is beginning to even up. Both European and US authors working directly with Amazon can now access a royalty of 70% of the cover price on their titles (as against c. 7% working through a publisher) which increases the chance that authors may choose this route.We tend to associate independent publishing with early-career writers getting their first break since this is the kind of story that has managed to grab the headlines. But another significant group of authors choosing to self-publish are mid-career writers whose contracts for individual titles have expired. They are sitting on out-of-print (and professionally edited) novels that readers want to read - maybe even want to reread on ebook, having lost the hard copy - and it is not a lot of work to put up the files on self-publishing websites. A couple of examples: Philip Casey and Jeff Noon. Like Casey, Noon recently had new covers made for all his books and re-released them, along with his new ebook Channel Skin. No doubt there are others - perhaps especially writers whose ebook rights were never optioned first time around.You are a published wri ter, so I expect you love writing. What is the best thing about editing?For me, it is a similar buzz to writing. I enjoy editing. I love the intensity of it, the fact that you can lose yourself in the work, think about nothing else. Just words, and how they fit together. How they unfold to reveal a story.Thanks a lot for your time, Lane! Follow Lane and Reedsy on Twitter: @Ashfeldt and @ReedsyHQDo you feel like the role of editors has changed? Is it worth it to work with a freelance editor before submitting your MS to agents and publishers? Leave us your thoughts, or any question for Lane, in the comments below!
Sunday, November 3, 2019
LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
LAW - Essay Example As such, the national courts are under an obligation to promote EU law. However, the English courts follow a dualist approach in dealing with cases of non – compliance. This practice has resulted in a number of barriers for the UK courts to integrate the EU law with their national legislation1. In order to interpret the EU law, the European Court of Justice mainly depends on three sources; namely, the EU Treaties, Articles of the Treaties and provisions of EU law. The ECJ deals with cases of breach of EU law by Member States if their national legislation fails to correctly interpret the EU law. The ECJ then examines the legal basis of the Acts enacted by the institutions of the EU to find out their legality and practicality. Member States refer cases of infringement of EU law to the ECJ for the proper interpretation of EU law2. In the context of European integration, the United Kingdom has retained its parliamentary sovereignty to a very limited extent, in several matters relating to the European Union. The UK cannot escape from being penalised for breach of EU law; and it cannot determine the scope and extent of the penalties imposed upon it. Furthermore, the United Kingdom cannot abstain from implementing any directives issued by the EC nor does it have the power to withhold parts of directives from being implemented. This was established in the case of Factortame in 19913. In that case the parliamentary sovereignty of the UK was completely ignored by the European Court of Justice. The House of Lords refused to implement the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 on the plea that the Act challenged and derogated from, parliamentary supremacy in the UK. In another case, namely, R v. Secretary of State for Employment4, the House of Lords held that the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 was not in accordanc e with the EU Law. Their
Friday, November 1, 2019
Investment Strategy Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Investment Strategy Business - Research Paper Example Graham’s investment strategy, as established in his now seminal text the ‘Intelligent Investor’, encourages a steady and conservative approach referred to as ‘defensive investing’. This strategy is contrasted with ‘speculative investing,’ an approach more closely linked to gambling. Graham’s strategy has lasted the test of time and drawn positive attention from billionaire investor Warren Buffet who claims it is the best investing text ever written. This essay examines Graham’s strategy in this text through an analysis of investment objectives, asset allocation, security selection process, and whether I would implement this strategy. Objectives The strategies articulated in the ‘Intelligent Investor’ are such that any sort of investor including an individual, hedge fund, or pension plan can adopt them. This is due to Graham’s deep understanding of market vicissitudes that make this strategy not simply a s trategic angle on the market, but virtually the only safe approach to investment. In these regards, the only investors that this approach is not targeted for are what Graham terms ‘speculative investors’. Graham states, â€Å"every nonprofessional who operates on margin should recognize ipso facto that he is speculating†¦everyone who buys a so-called â€Å"hot†common-stock issue†¦is either speculating or gambling†(Graham, pg. 21). ... Instead Graham’s encourages a steady and conservative approach, the returns of which will be determined by the specific market conditions of the era. Graham indicates that strategic approaches that guarantee a specific return may be successful for a period, but in the long run have consistently proved ineffective. In terms of risk, Graham indicates that risk should be determined by the investor’s specific goals. For Graham risk is largely measured in the allocation of common stocks vs. bonds. Rather than implementing a time limit, Graham instead considers that risk and return are most concentrated in common stocks and as such they necessitate longer time horizons. One such example Graham gives is that a couple that are saving to buy a home would be better served consolidating their portfolio in bonds as this are safe and easily accessible; conversely, an individual with a longer time horizon should have a higher percentage of common stock. Asset Allocation Grahamâ€℠¢s strategy as articulated in the ‘Intelligent Investor’ functions as a comprehensive approach to portfolio management. Indeed, intrinsic to Graham’s strategy is the mitigation of risk through the successful allocation of bonds and common stocks. There are a number of considerations within this mode of understanding. In regards to precious metals, Graham recommends a relatively small allocation of such securities, indicating 2-3% of a portfolio should be dedicated to them. In terms of determining the percentage of bonds vs. stocks in the portfolio Graham provides a variety of options. Graham begins in considering a base percentage differential of 50% bonds and 50% stocks.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Alice Walker and her Life Annotated Bibliography
Alice Walker and her Life - Annotated Bibliography Example The writers life is heralded through a narration of her childhood days and how she grew up. Through this effort, Lazo identifies the links between her parents and family and the old traces of segregation and oppression of Black people which shaped the mindset and personality of Alice Walker. This is narrated skillfully in the first three chapters of the book which are on her early years. Lazo then goes on to describe how her injuries and difficulties as a child shaped her adult life in the era of the civil rights movements and other discourses which gave her the impetus to write and publish her books. This work provides a very authoritative discussion about how Alice Walker was shaped and how she evolved to become who she is now. This will be an important element in the research because it will provide a reference point for the assessment of Alice Walkers personality. The book also discusses some of the social activities that Alice Walker is connected with at the moment. Professor Bloom is a world acclaimed lecturer at Yale. He is a top professor in the Humanities. He has won a lot of prizes for his ability to critique literary works and provide the literary elements of such projects. Her book on Alice Walker provides a complete guide to Alice Walkers literary style. Bloom gives a critical analysis of her major works and identifies the main elements of literature in each of the books. This is done through a series of critical essays that provide in-depth evaluations of each and every important tool that Alice Walker used to convey her plot and characters. This is vital for the research because it provides a convenient point through which references can be made about the literary elements of Alice Walkers works. Also, since it is a compilation of various critiques, it provides a summary of the plot of Alice Walkers major projects. This will give an insight into projects that cannot be read in-depth for some critical
Monday, October 28, 2019
Principle-Agent Model of Employment Relationship
Principle-Agent Model of Employment Relationship Outline the principal-agent model relating to the employment relationship, and describe how pay models can help overcome some of the problems of performance in developing country governments. Introduction Managing scarcity is a major concern both in the private and the public sector all around the world. As the cornerstone of the economic theory the efficient and effective use of the scarce resources has been, since the acknowledgment of this social science, a paramount responsibility for public officials. Whether it was on behalf of the absolutist ruler or about the peoples interest, managing the states resources is a craft that not only has evolved in its tools but also in the scope that it covers, as new necessities arise and evolve at the pace of civilization. In the following sections, we aim to cover the Principal-Agent Model relating it to the employment relationship within the public sector, for which we will develop the main characteristics of the model with a political economy perspective. As Solow (1974) acknowledges, the world has been consuming its exhaustible resources since the beginning of time, and as the process will continue and new necessities will emerge, the state in all its forms needs to enhance its output and efficiency to address these situations. As one of the main inputs for government delivery is human capital, the choice of a proper compensation scheme, with incentives effects considering performance and quality can provide significant effects on output (Lazear, 2000). From this perspective, we will cover different payment models and incentives as tools to achieve a better and wider output in the environment of developing economies where scarce resources are more acute and social needs are more demanding, focused in the provision of the basic elements and services to help people to develop. Finally, and after going through the theoretical ground of the Principal-Agent Model and the mentioned compensation methods, we will relate them with developing country experiences and outcomes in the framework of new public management where, working altogether with other theories and components that includes a varied mix of characteristics (Gruening, 2001) such as, budget cuts, privatization, user charges, competition, separation of politics and administration, performance measurement and improved accounting, among others that we can relate to the neo-liberalist agenda, that emphasises management tools in order to achieve the goal of better public sector performance. Principal-Agent Model In theory of delegation, the core idea of the Principal-Agent Model is that the Principal needs to delegate a certain activity or job because its too busy to do it by himself. This is made by hiring a third party or Agent who will be responsible to perform the defined activities, but as the Principal is busy, it also means that he cannot observe the Agent actions perfectly. So, several ways are to be considered to motivate the actions of the Agent to favour with her actions the interests of the Principal (Gibbons, 2017). To be defined as a Principal-Agent Model some necessary features or core assumptions are required. According to the settings explained by Miller (2005), first, the agent takes actions that establishes a payoff to the principal, along with a risk variable. Secondly, there exists information asymmetries as the principal can view the outcome provided by the agent but not the actions that the latter undertook. Moreover, in many cases, the associated costs of monitoring the agent actions can be prohibitively expensive. Third, there also exists asymmetry in the preferences as those of the agents, as are assumed to diverge from the principals preferences. Also, the agent is taken to be more risk-averse than the principal. Fourth, the principal is expected to act rationally based upon coherent preferences and is able to take the initiative by offering a contract. Fifth, agent and principal have common knowledge about the game structure, the costs, probabilities of the different outcomes and other variables. Moreover, they are conscious of the agents rationality and her preferences regarding an incentive package that its expected utility is above the agents opportunity cost. Finally, the principal is assumed to have the ability to impose the best possible solution regarding the agents inferred best response equation. In other words, The principal is endowed with all of the bargaining power in this simple setting, and thus can make a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the agent (Sappington, 1991, p. 47). Furthermore, Miller (2005) defines, from the above-mentioned assumptions, two initial results. Outcome-based incentives, to partially overcome any moral hazard problems despite information asymmetries. And, Efficiency Trade-Offs, as moral hazard sets boundaries to both transaction efficiency and the principals benefits. Efficiency in incentives endures a trade-off with risk-bearing efficiency, and the best trade-off or second best solution must involve risky outcome-based bonuses for the risk-averse agent (Shavell, 1979 in Miller, 2005). Asymmetries and Costs The relationship between the principal and the agent is not exempt of unbalances of power that operate in both ways. The former is threatened by moral hazard or informational asymmetries regarding the actions that are to be undertook by the agent. To balance this situation, the theory presumes that the principal will try to narrow these asymmetries by installing information systems and monitoring the agent. Also, they will offer incentives as a way to align the parties interests. In this alignment, principals compensate the agents not only for the collaboration agreement but for the actual result of this enterprise, performing contracts that are output oriented (Shapiro, 2005). Moreover, given the insurmountably costs of monitoring the agent, or public servant, the outcome based contract is a clear alternative against a retribution based on actions (Miller, 2005). In the public-sector sphere, if the official fails in his task, e.g. inclusive poverty alleviation programme, must be removed from office even if his actions were in the best interests of the public. This is not done out of vengeance, but as an incentive for future officials under the same information asymmetry and output-based contracts. Of course, if the programme succeeds, the official must be rewarded. This shows that there is inefficiency along the process, even though the output-based contract succeeds in reducing the moral hazard problem, it does it whilst recognizes the inefficiencies that come along with the solutions achieved, that in most cases are not Pareto-optimal in the relationship between the agent and the principal (Downs and Rocke, 1994). Moral hazard is a key component in the contract formulation. The principals are assumed to be risk neutral and the agents risk averse, as they have bet all in into the contract with the principal, the information asymmetry plays an important part as the agent will do things that might go against the principals goals in order to preserve themselves from risk. Thus, the importance to design tools to minimize this hazards (Shapiro, 2005). In addition, the principals are faced with situations that modify substantially the assumption that is the latter the one who is in control of creating incentives, specifying the preferences and making the contracts for the agents to follow. There exists many common situations in which principals need agents with expertise, or with experience that goes far beyond that of theirs, in this cases the asymmetry of information is reinforced by the shift in the asymmetry of power as it shifts from the principal to the agent (Shapiro, 2005) a common case observed with public officials and politicians. Therefore, by manipulating the incentives offered to the agent, the principal attempts to minimize agency costs or shirking, that is the losses assumed by the principal by her incapacity to align the self-interests of the agent with her owns (Miller, 2005). When it comes to the public service, two observations must be made. First, as there exists knowledge and information asymmetries and they are characteristic in many agency relationships that are opaque and quite difficult to be subject of surveillance, agents self-regulation provides a very important monitoring role. Secondly, many regulatory provisions and self-regulatory arrangements established to control agency relationships are as well agency relationships. Whether they are compliance officers, auditors, internal affairs departments, insurance companies, investment advisors or government regulators, the monitors act on behalf of the principals. Therefore, they also comprise agency problems (Shapiro, 2005). Shirking, cooptation or corruption becomes part of the equation. So, the question of Who monitors the monitors? (Shapiro, 1987) arises, creating a structure of agents controlling agents. The later question demands more attention from the political science view as sanctions are required to induce agents to properly perform their duties. Budget cuts, firing officials, recontracting or voting them out of office are ways used in the public sector to align the agents objectives with those of the principals. As Mitnick (1998, in Shapiro, 2005) explains, these situations inevitably comes with associated agency costs, when they are too high, either in political or economic terms, principals might choose not to expend resources on them. Furthermore, as politicians might not bear the burden of the consequences of the agents self-interested, opportunistic actions, the costs most likely are passed through to the public. This creates the perfect environment for increased laxity of monitoring activities in the public sector (Meier and Waterman, 1998). Contracts, Pay Models and Performance It is clear now that the channel to implement the required balances of power and influence is through the correct design of the contracts where the principals delegation to the agent will be embodied. Sadly, there is not a golden rule for contract design as every relationship is different and requires diverse considerations to achieve the best possible outcome considering most of the contingencies. Nevertheless, there is a caveat to consider as there are substantially different scenarios between the contracts and incentives options for the public sector than those of the private, more flexible, one. We must remember that the beginnings of the new public management and the considerations of the principal-agent theory are rooted in the developments in management techniques provided by the private sector in its search for efficiency and productivity. For this particular reason, we cover the more standardized retributive models to, afterwards, be able to apply them to the public sector with the necessary considerations. One of the entrepreneurs in compensation techniques was Henry Ford who addressed the high rotation of personnel and absenteeism that his motor company suffered by increasing the hourly wages high above the average threshold in the industry. This basic action provided immediate effects as productivity, commitment increased whilst personnel rotation decreased. This decision, though basic today provided a clear example of what incentives can produce in a given organization. But, Fords times are over and the complexity of transactions, markets and peoples needs have evolved into a more sophisticated retribution design. A rather common output-based contract is the Piece-rate payment instead of the classic hourly payment. This kind of contract works for certain organizations, and has proven to be effective in the increase of productivity due to two components: the increased production per worker due to incentive effects and a natural shift towards more capable, results driven employees recruited to fill the posts of those that are unable to produce enough to maintain their previous level of income. This generates profits sharing between the company and the labour force as part of the productivity gains are split among them, whilst encouraging more ambitious workers to differentiate themselves, both characteristics are unable to be achieved with a basic salary retribution (Lazear, 2000). Is understood that covenants regarding quality and other issues must be addressed in the contract to avoid future backfires. There exist different alternatives of contracts regarding the agents retributions. But they all aim to be the optimal solution to the information asymmetry problem. Authors also suggest the analysis of retribution in a time frame perspective, where initially the agent will be paid a wage lower than his alternative wage, with the promise of future, career attached, above the threshold wages as an alternative to avoid shirking when monitoring the agents activities is imperfect. Moreover, this method of delayed-payment or bonding contract is efficient as it doesnt alter the present value of the best alternative compensation. Also, this system provides the principal with an additional tool which is the increasing cost of job loss to keep the agent focused on the principals objectives (Krueger, 1990). A tool that is also related with bonuses or options related compensations. In jobs that are capital intensive and highly routinized, there is also room for shirking, absenteeism, theft, high turnover, waste, misuse of equipment or poor service that have a significant effect on output and performance (Krueger, 1990). These situations observed in certain industries can be also seen in some public offices, with the condiment that in many cases there also exists the limitation of law and regulation regarding the protection of the public employment that creates a further layer of asymmetry in the principal-agent relationship. The relationship can be turned-over as the principal becomes the employees that are unionized and the agent, the organization for whom they work. In cases where it has full negotiation power for determining the labour contract, the unions will demand higher salaries and in-kind payments that goes straight against the goal of maximizing the output as the cost increases (Laffont and Martimore, 2001). Moreover, there exists the risks of overemployment due to the mentioned legislation coverage, that prevents the organization to restructure its personnel and achieve a maximization of output through increased productivity. As Shapiro (2005) acknowledges, over time the agents acquire influence over other groups than their principals that increases their protection against any sanction that might be cast upon them. And as in many cases agents -government officials or corporate directors- outlive their principals (politicians, shareholders), the balance of power may shift. Performance and Development From all the above covered, we clearly observe that performance enhancing measures are activities that arent free of charge. In fact, even in private companies the application of any structural change regarding increasing output or efficiency comes with stressful situations that might be so disruptive that can stop the process. This situation, when taken to the public sector, where the motors of change are elected official with a fixed term in office, provides situations that require strong commitment and enough negotiations skills to prove the workforce and the ultimate principals, the voters, of the necessity of change. In this section, we will cover the approach that developing countries have taken to address and minimize situations that reduce performance or hold back efficiency. Improving Health Service Delivery Performance enhancement is a key factor to achieve the health-associated Millennium Development Goals. Hence, looking for improved ways for service delivery is significantly important. A way to achieve this goals has been the application of government contracting with third parties such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) practitioners, universities or companies. As Loevinsohn and Harding (2005) expose, contracts for health service delivery provides some interesting characteristics. First, they ensure a more precise focus on measurable results, especially when the contracts are defined objectively with measurable outputs. Secondly, they overcome some constraints that can prevent governments to efficiently use the available resources, such as the ones mentioned in the previous section. Third, the use of the private sectors flexibility can improve service delivery. Fourth, increased autonomy and decentralization in the decision-making process allows a faster response to peoples ne eds. Fifth, as contracting is through public offers, it will increase the efficiency because of price competition or, if its recruiting for staff, will attract better qualified agents. Finally, as these activities are outsourced in its execution allows governments to focus more on its other roles, such as planning, financing, regulation and more varied public health functions. Of course, in addition to the caveats covered in this paper, the thought of contracting non-state institutions to perform public activities comes with other difficulties as contracting should cover a sufficiently large scale to make a difference in aggregate service output. Which in turn, leads to both more expensive contracts and a shift in the balance of power due to principals (government) limited capacity to manage this contracts in the most efficient way once the service is instituted. Hence, there will be unsustainability risks in the contracting (Loevinsohn and Harding, 2005). However, governments have different types of contracts to provide a principal-agent relationship with positive results for society. In a service delivery contract, the state decides the services to be provided, where, and the integration scale in the infrastructure and supply management, where, personnel, equipment or consumables will be, or provided. There are intermediate options such as a management contract, where the agent will take over on the government health workers and take care of the increase in the salary, which will be linked to outcome based indicators (Loevinsohn and Harding, 2005). In this case, there is a limited effect in the principals shift of power as the agent remains in a rather weak position as it can be dismissed if does not accomplish the performance levels pre-contracted. When contrasted with some average scenarios in many developing countries, where the public sector underperforms or barely function at all, due to factors such as poverty, corruption, chronical economic crisis and political instability. Public officials morale is undermined and in some situations absenteeism increases or there are a lack of tasks or resources to work with, pervasive corruption and rent seeking characterises the public sector in many places in the world (Grindle, 1997). Reforms to increase performance and effectiveness are demanded both by the public and by the politicians, whos agency contract with society depends on their performance. Nevertheless, Loevinsohn and Harding (2005) research provides evidence of the impressive improvements achieved by government contracting with third parties in the performance of the service delivery. Whether primary health care in Guatemala or nutrition programmes in Africa, contracting yielded positive results. In some case studies the contractors were proven to be more effective than the state agencies, regarding several measures on quality of service and coverage. As an example, in India a NGO was able to deliver an increase of 14% in tuberculosis treatment completion rates at a lower cost than the public services in a nearby area (Murthy et al. 2001). Contracting under specific, results driven conditions has proven to deliver impressive and rapid results. The studies made on programmes that are ongoing suggest that there is a link between the high performing programmes with increased autonomy given to contractors, cases such as Cambodia, where Rural Primary Health Provision and District Hospitals, where output-based service delivery contracts provided better results than traditional management contracts. A result consistent with the characteristics of hospital services where autonomy in the workforce management is significantly important to improve performance (Harding and Preker, 2003). It is to be expected to generate controversy by contracting with non-governmental institutions to provide services. Critics often relate this movements as pro neo-liberal desires of privatization, while financing them with public resources with the objective to limit the government involvement in services such as health care or education. However, some programmes are designed and implemented due to internal analysis of the lack of expertise or proper resources to cover and deliver a defined set of services, a process that can lead to more efficient expenditures without reducing the public expenditure for that item (Loevinsohn and Harding, 2005). Hence, increasing performance and output. The above-mentioned examples are among many others where new public management techniques or concepts apply. The Principal-Agent model expressed in the relationship between the state and a third party specialized in service delivery shows that such a complex relationship should be followed in those activities that allow to be critically measurable, without being put through subjectivities in the performance analysis. When the Principal-Agent relationship is put under the scope of political science there are interesting considerations to be made. When we analyse the delegation process or the objective we might observe that maybe the goal is to provide an enhanced credibility in the commitments made, or to avoid the cost of unpopular policies. Instead of aligning the interests of the agents with theirs, principals who seek credibility from their agents choose other agents with different preferences regarding policies and provide them with considerable autonomy and discretion as a way to provide contracts with independence whilst seeking accountability for their actions (Majone, 2001 in Shapiro, 2005). As we can see, contracting under the principal-agent model is not a simple activity. There are so many variables that can affect the efficiency of the objective rather than its effectiveness, that it proves complicated to perform corrective measures. Therefore, the monitor eye is so important. The threat of future sanctions provides the agents, and in the public arena, some principals, with the incentives to perform their activities properly. Moreover, in democracies, where congressional oversight is available, and where effective incentives systems are applied, less often sanctions should be observed in the form of hearings and investigations. Direct and continuous monitoring of inputs rather than results proves to be an inefficient tool for controlling the agent (Miller, 2005). This provides a further incentive for the proper implementation and design of outcome-based contracts. Conclusion In the present paper, we have gone through the standard framework of the Principal-Agent model, where we have covered the technical requirements to be met in order to perform this kind of contracts. Always from the basis that is the Principals need of delegation of a certain activity, the trigger for entering in this contract based relationship in which there exists characteristics such as information asymmetries, efficiency trade-offs and relatively high monitoring costs associated. Furthermore, we have gone into a deeper analysis of the causes and costs related to the different asymmetries that can be observed in the principal-agent relationship and the particular impact that this can cause in contracts performed with the public sector. For which we have also covered the mainstream contract typology, the intrinsic objectives of the correct formulation of the agreement in order to avoid shirking and goals divergences. To finally, approach performance issues with developing country experiences related to the health sector as it is one of the public services that can have its output clearly and objectively measured without further complications or subjectivities. From all the above covered, we clearly can see that Principal-Agent contracts applied to governments is possible and yields positive results. But, it is also clear that is not an easy or systematic task. As it requires many considerations and attention to the caveats mentioned and many others that can apply due to the intrinsic characteristics of the tasks and the outcomes negotiated. We must also bear in mind that this kind of contracts also bear internal difficulties within the government agencies as not all of them are fit to be part of this kind of arrangements. In addition, we cannot think of implementing an effective principal-agent relationship without pursuing other structural changes in the governmental structures. As Robert McNamara, former president of the World Bank, claimed in most countries, the centralized administration of scarce resources both money and skills has usually resulted in most of them being allocated to a small group of the rich and powerful. This is not surprising since economic rationalizing, political pressure and selfish interest often conspire to the detriment of the poor. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] experience shows that there is a greater chance of success if institutions provide for popular participation, local leadership and decentralization of authority (World Bank, 1975, p.93). Moreover, Rondinelli (1981) focuses on the efficient delivery of services depending upon the effective organization at community levels to have a strong interaction with the agencies in charge of service delivery to establish priorities and set objectives. This paper aimed to observe the impact of the Principal-Agent Model as a tool to gain in efficiency and increase performance levels in the public sector. From all the above covered, we can see that, if properly implemented and with the necessary systemic view, this incentive-based tool is strong enough to help government agencies to increase their output and provide better services for the community. Again, is not the easy path, but it can payoff. References Downs, George W. and Rocke, David M. (1994) Conflict, agency and gambling for resurrection: The principal-agent problem goes to war. American Journal of Political Science. Vol. 38 pp. 362-380. Gibbons, Robert (2017) Lecture Note 1: Agency Theory. MBA Course 15.903: Organizational Economics and Corporate Strategy. MIT Sloan School of Management. Massachusetts. Grindle, Merilee S. (1997) Divergent Cultures? When Public Organizations Perform Well in Developing Countries. World Development. Vol. 25, pp. 481-495. Gruening, Gernod (2001). Origin and theoretical basis of New Public Management. International Public Management Journal 4 (2001) 1-25. Harding, April and Preker, Alexander S. (2003) Innovations in Health Service Delivery: The Corporatization of Public Hospitals. Health, Nutrition, and Population. World Bank. Washington D.C. Krueger, Alan B. (1990) Ownership, Agency and Wages: An examination of franchising in the Fast food industry. National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper No. 3.334. Laffont, Jean-Jacques and Martimore, David (2001) The Theory of Incentives: The Principal-Agent Model. Princeton University Press. New Jersey. Lazear, Edward P. (2000) Performance Pay and Productivity. The American Economic Review. Vol. 90, pp. 1346-1361. Loevinsohn, Benjamin and Harding, April (2005) Buying results? Contracting for health service delivery in developing countries. The Lancet. Vol. 366, pp. 676-681. Meier, Kenneth J. and Waterman, Richard W. (1998) Principal-agent models: an expansion? Journal of Public Administration and Research Theory. Vol. 8, pp. 173-202. Miller, Gary J. (2005) The Political Evolution of Principal-Agent Models. Annual Review of Political Science. Vol. 8, pp. 203-225. Murthy K.J.R., Frieden T.R., Yazdani A. and Hreshikesh P. (2001) Public private partnership in tuberculosis control: experience in Hyderabad, India. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Vol. 5, pp. 354 -359. Sappington, David E. M. (1991) Incentives in principal-agent relationships. Journal of Economic Perspectives. Vol. 5, pp. 45-66. Shapiro, Susan P. (1987) The social control of impersonal trust. American Journal of Sociology. Vol. 93, pp. 623-658. Rondinelli, Dennis A. (1981) Government Decentralization in Comparative Perspective: Theory and Practice in Developing Countries. International Review of Administrative Sciences. Vol. 47, pp. 133-145. Shapiro, Susan P. (2005) Agency Theory. Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 30, pp. 263-284. Solow, Robert M. (1974) The Economics of Resources or the Resources of Economics. The American Economic Review. Vol. 64, pp. 1-14. World Bank (1975) The Assault on World Poverty. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore.
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