Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Women’s Roles in Leadership Positions

The Dynamics of Women’s Roles in Leadership Delora Murphy Wingate University Abstract The roles of women have been evolving for the last 100 years. Many women have shattered the stereotype that a women’s role is to be in charge of the family and have become leaders in a walks of life. Women have proved that they can be effective as business and government leaders. Although there are still gender biases that can exist, it is much move covert then it was 40 years ago.Oddly enough, some of the characteristics that have been viewed as the most necessary for leadership in roles of men, those same traits were viewed as negative characteristics of women in leadership roles. The role of the women has been evolving for many decades. In times, way before my own, a woman’s role was to be the caregiver for her family. Although women, many have sought out an education, their main lifetime focus to be to support her husband and raise her children.Many women still choose this r ole today, but the point is that now they are allowed to choose a specific pathway in life rather than being forced to carry out established roles. This change of women’s roles has been occurring in the United States for the last hundred years. Although this may seem like a long period of time, it is not. When roles are changed or reversed, this does not necessarily mean that everyone instantly converts to the new ideas and philosophies demonstrated by a group.Often times, there is a great deal of protest both within the changing group as well as those outside of the group. Despite the evolved roles of women in society, women still face many challenges in leadership positions. There are qualities that women possess that seem to help them rise to the top echelon of leadership positions, but there are still biases that exist that may inhibit women from reaching their goals. Women won the right to vote in the 1920’s; however, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the â€Å"Women’s Movement† began.Granted women’s roles had been changing for 40 years prior to the Women’s Movement, it was clear that this was not a natural evolution. Many people, both men and women, challenged the idea of a woman as an independent, productive citizen. Many women were ready to be seen and valued differently, but just because a group wants to be seen differently, does not mean that that is going to happen. This is usually the pivotal moment for most movements in History. A group seeks changes that others are adverse to seeing happen. The women’s movement called for fundamental changes in the roles of women.No longer did women want to be seen as the caregiver of the home, they wanted to be seen as independent people who could make important decisions and choose their educational and professional pathways. Today, in the United States of America, women are on a more equal footing with men in most cases: often by necessity, where wom en cannot complete in the workplace for jobs that were one traditionally held my men, also in light of two –parent working households. Although most career and professional opportunities are open to women in this country, there are still major discrepancies in the leadership positions that women hold.Among the US population 25 and above, 34 percent of women have obtained a Bachelor’s degree compared with 30 percent of men. Of Graduate degree’s held, women dominate that group with 39 percent of Graduate Degrees being held by men. Versus 21% percent, which are held by men. It would be appropriate after viewing these statistics, that one could assume that women hold the same, if not more, of the top leadership positions in business and politics, but this, in fact, is not the case. Forbes Magazine (2011) created and published a study with an emphasis breakdown on women’s roles in top leadership positions. Only 6 percent of Fortune 100 CEO’s are women à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Only 8 percent of technology startup companies are lead by women †¢ Only 9 percent of contributors on Wikipedia are women †¢ Women account for only a tenth of the voting power on the words’ key interest rates †¢ Only 13 percent of the top 100 billionaires worldwide are women †¢ Only 15 percent of senior industry management positions belong to women. †¢ Less than 18 percent of Congressional seats are held by women. Clearly, this poses a question about why women are still not sharing equal roles with men in the top leadership positions in this country.There are many different reasons for these statistics. One reason for this â€Å"leadership gap† is that women just don’t ask. This idea is explored by Babcock and Laschever (2007) in the book Women Don’t Ask by Babcock and Laschever. When Babcock questioned many graduate male students were teaching their own course while women were taking on the roles of assistants, her dean st ated, † More men ask. The women just don’t ask. † It turns out, that women are just more likely than men to ask for promotions or raises. This may be due to the facts that some women aren’t aware they should be asking and other women are fearful or damaging relationships.One interesting point to note is that a leadership characteristic that is identified differently in men and women is aggression. Many people positively define aggression as a positive leadership trait in men, but that exact same trait is viewed as negative in a women. Therefore, a women many sense that being aggressive may cause more harm than good when trying to obtain a high level position. Research published by Northhouse in his book Leadership, has also shown that women are more likely to take a passive role in obtaining leadership positions.They are more reluctant to be assertive in asking for positions, and try to obtain those roles through relationships and opportunity. (p. 357) In e ssence, it is a â€Å"double edged sword for a woman†. There is also no question that gender stereotypes still exist. Oddly enough, these stereotypes may produce more harm in the 21st century because they are more covert and hard to recognize. The show, Mad Men, shows how women were treated in the workplace. The sexual harassment and belittlement of women was obvious and apparent.Women were expected to fill certain roles in the workplace and men had no issues openly expressing their ideas on women’s roles. Now, there is to be no such divide between genders. In fact, gender discrimination is breaking the law, so no longer can discrimination exist in any work place. However, this does not mean that these biases and feelings don’t exist. On the contrary, there may be many people who feel like women are not capable of performing certain tasks, but because gender discrimination is illegal, these ideas are not openly shared, but that certainly doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.Despite these things, many women have found success in the political and work setting. Interestingly, Dominance, aggression and assertiveness are not viewed as positive traits in women leaders, but these are the traits most people would identify with the top echelon leaders of the world, both politically and financially. So, what are some of the attributes that are seen in successful women? Five characteristics that most successful women share are: determination, resourcefulness, ambition, confidence, and the ability to create a maintain relationships. A successful woman is determined to have it all and make things work.At www. Successful Women. com, a guest writer describes the attributes of successful women†¦ determination, resourcefulness, engagement, ambition and confidence. Determination means having a strategic plan to accomplish a goal and now allowing anything or anyone to get in the way of that goal. True leaders know their best resource is in the hearts and minds of the people they are leading. There’s not much more that causes distrust then a leader who claims to know everything about everything. A good leader must be able to be resourceful and find answers and solutions quickly.There is no question that ambition plays a large role in the making of a successful female leader. Women without ambition rarely achieve greatness. Queen Elizabeth I gave up the chance at a family (and had her own sister imprisoned) in order to rule England. Susan B. Anthony and many other suffragettes risked being ostracized and thrown in jail in order to spread the message of women’s equality. Throughout history, the most successful women have been willing to take control of their own lives and do whatever was necessary to reach their goals.Probably the most important character trait of a female leader is confidence. Of course, it is imperative for someone to have the skills, but most people will argue that confidence is the key to becoming a successful leader. Imagine trying to get a group to follow someone who lacks self-confidence and shows fear for a task. A leader with confidence acts with decisiveness and passion, which cause subordinates to feel like they can count on their leader. Another key trait is the ability to create and maintain appropriate professional relationships.Women must show enough empathy so that their subordinates feel supported, but not too much emotion as to get over involved with ones co workers, colleagues or subordinates. This is the â€Å"make it or break it† trait for many female leaders. People seem to be more conscious of the relationship that a women has with her subordinates. If a woman is seen as too empathetic, these may be seen as a weakness. If a women seems void of emotion, people may not feel comfortable or like they are able to â€Å"fit in†. Women’s roles have been evolving for over 100 years.The road has been paved for a woman to make decisio ns about the course she chooses to live her life. The roadblocks for women have been moved out of the way. Regardless of gender biases that may still exist, a woman can be whatever she chooses to be. This does not meet that the leadership role is easy. For men and women alike, begin an effective leader is challenging ad requires special and specific characteristics to be effective. References Deborah Morrehead (2007). 9 Qualities of Smart, Successful Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. debramoorhead. com/blog/index. php/9-qualities-of-smart-successful-women/. Last Accessed 15 October 2012]. Denise Trauth (2002). The Changing Roles of Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. txstate. edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2002/10/roleofwomen102102. html. [Last Accessed 8 October 2011]. Guest (2010). Five Characteristics of Successful Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. asuccessfulwoman. com/aswblog/five-characteristics-successful-women. [Last Accessed October 15 2012]. Kath erine W Hawkins, (1995). Effects of Gender Communication Content on Leadership Emergence in Small Task-Oriented Groups. Small Group Research. 26 (2), pp. 234-239Leslie Bradshaw (2011). Why Women Having A Seat at the Table is not Enough. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. forbes. com/sites/lesliebradshaw/2011/08/04/why-women-having-a-seat-at-the-table-is-not-enough/. [Last Accessed 15 October 2012]. Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, (2007). Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation and Positive Strategies. 1st ed. New York: Bantam. Jossey Bass Publishers, (2007). Educational Leadership. 2nd ed. San Fransisco, California: Jossey Bass. Peter G Northhouse, (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. 6th ed. Los Angeles: california: Houghton Mifflin.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Asset Classes Paper Essay

The mutual fund chosen is Merrill Lynch Global and the Dow 30 organization chosen is McDonalds. The asset classes for both the mutual fund and Dow 30 organization will be determined. The following will explain how classifications and the current investment environment impact organizational decisions concerning the composition of these portfolios. _Merrill Lynch Global_ Merrill Lynch (2006). Merrill Lynch is a company that helps individual clients achieve financial success. With a professional advisor, customers can receive a customized strategy with the customer’s goals in mind. It makes available to its clients a wide range of investment products and services. When selecting the fund that best suits the clients need, some key factors to consider include a fund’s investment strategy, risk profile, investment performance, and relationship to the overall asset allocation strategy and investment time horizon. _Class A Shares_. Typically, the most preferred tier of classified stock, offering more voting rights than Class B shares. Class A shares are designed to insulate management from the short-term swings of Wall Street, by allowing those in management to control a small amount of the equity of the company but still maintain voting power. These types of shares are not sold to the public and cannot be traded, which supporters say allows management to focus on long-term goals. Class A shares’ annual operating expenses typically include an annual asset-based distribution and service fee of up to .35% (Mutual Funds. 2006). This annual fee is used to compensate the fund’s distributor and firms like Merrill Lynch for shareholder servicing  and distribution-related services. Class A shares are generally more economical for investors who seek to invest larger amounts and have a longer term time horizon. _Class B Shares_. Class B shares typically do not charge a front-end sales charge, so all of the assets are immediately invested in a fund. Class B shares usually impose a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) which may be charged to shareholders who redeem Class B shares within a certain number of years. This charge declines over time and is eventually limited. Class B shares are more economical for investors who have an intermediate to longer term time horizon and have less than $100,000 to invest in a fund family’s equity funds or less than $50,000 to invest in a fund family’s fixed income funds (Mutual Funds. 2006). _Class C Shares_. Class C shares usually do not impose a front end sales charge at the time of purchase. All of the client’s assets are immediately invested in the fund. It is common for Class C shares to impose a CDSC up to 1.00% of the redemption amount during the first year or longer (Mutual Funds 2006). Unlike Class B shares which convert to Class A shares after a period of time, C shares generally do not have a conversion feature. Compared to Class A and Class B shares, Class C shares generally become less economical for investors who plan to invest over a longer term. Merrill Lynch’s compensation differs by share class. The fund share class specific compensation is the basis upon which Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors are paid. Some funds may set higher sales charges and asset based fees for a particular class than do other funds for the same class. Merrill Lynch policy sets a limit as to the maximum sales charges or asset based fees included in the Financial Advisors’ compensation formula based on the share class and size of investment to minimize potential conflicts of interest based on differential compensations (Mutual Funds. 2006). Merrill Lynch is a diversified financial services company. It can be expected to pursue additional business opportunities with the firms whose mutual funds Merrill Lynch makes available to its customers. _McDonald’s (MCD)_ The Dow 30 organization chosen for this paper is McDonald’s. McDonald’s was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. McDonald’s Corporation operates as a foodservice retailer worldwide. It operates and franchises McDonald’s restaurants, which offer various food items, and soft drinks and other beverages. As of July 14, 2006, it operated approximately 31,000 restaurants in 100 countries (Yahoo Finance). McDonald’s change in cash and cash equivalents is a difference of $2,718,200. In 2003, the cash and cash equivalents were at $162,400 and in 2005 the cash and cash equivalents were at 2,880600. The total cash flows from financing activities was (1,736,800) in 2003 and 361,600 in 2005. The cash flows grew substantially throughout the three years (Yahoo Finance). McDonald’s Income Statement shows a revenue of 21.23B, and quarterly revenue growth of 9.40%, a gross profit of 6.32B, a diluted EPS of 2.22 and quarterly earnings growth to be at 57.30%. The balance sheet’s total cash in 2005 is set at 3.29B. The net income for 2003 was $1,471,400 then greatly increasing in 2004 to 2,278,500 then increasing a little more to $2,602,200 in 2005 Yahoo Finance (2006). The stock price history for McDonald’s shows Beta, a measure of security’s or portfolio’s volatility or systematic risk, in comparison to the market as a whole, to be at .92. In my reading for this past couple of weeks, I have learned that many utilities stocks have a beta of less than 1. McDonald’s 52 week low on September 21, 2005 was set at $31.31 while its 52 week high on February 8, 2006 was set at 36.75 Yahoo Finance (2006). Overall, McDonald’s has been growing since 1948 at a great pace. McDonald’s second quarter operating results was fueled by strong sales and margin performance worldwide. McDonald’s EPS compared to competitors is much higher at 2.218 with Burger King at .235 and Wendy’s at 1.056 (Yahoo Finance. 2006). McDonald’s has done an excellent job with their employees, stocks, investments, an  d all aspects of the fast food organization. REFERENCES Mutual Funds Investing at Merrill Lynch (2006). Retrieved on August 12, 2006 from http://askmerrill.ml.com/publish/marketingcenters/products/MF_DisclosureDocument_0406.pdf . Merrill Lynch (2006). Achieve Life on Your Terms. Retrieved on August 13, 2006, from http://askmerrill.ml.com/fa_front/1,2280,,00.html?pg=cnp. Yahoo Finance (2006). Retrieved August 13, 2006, from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ pr?s=mcd.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Business environment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business environment - Coursework Example was formed in order to help the process of international collaboration and it seems the plan is working while, airlines are getting specifically benefitted as cross border trade amongst European nations gets facilitated (Naor, Linderman and Schroeder, 202). The barriers to trade are falling apart and in this way, the airlines such as Virgin Atlantic can reduce its processing speeds of a plane to mere hours now. The plan of EU is to create a unified and integrated economic zone in Europe so that region’s cultural identity can be saved from unconstructive influences of Americanization and during the process; the one of the biggest European airlines is getting back to life. VAA is an English company which makes it European in identity and because of this reason; people of Europe like to travel with a European service provider rather than taking services of other cultures. England is not a part of European Union but it is indeed the part of Europe and no one can deny this fact (Jay, 45). Being European is currently proving to be a good influence of Virgin Atlantic. The relaxation regarding VAT regulations, cross-border trade and closer approximation of excise duties allow the company to consider Europe as a unified country where policies are similar. The company’s employees are rather safe from experiencing cultural and legal shock while travelling to the various countries of the Euro net. However, this not the whole story because England can regain its political position in the Europe by using VAA as a strategic tool in this regard (Casanova, 421). The companies have been known to carry their country of origin’s identity wherever they go in the world. By offering generous discounts and great level of service, the company can create goodwill about its country in other European nations. Additionally, humans have the habit of over generali zing about nations and if airline’s staff can behave admirably and warmly to people then it may go a long way in terms of

Sunday, July 28, 2019

European Media Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Media Policy - Essay Example The media industry is booming day by day and is touching new horizons. Its importance is unparalleled in this society as it serves so many needs and without the presence of media, a certain loophole will be left which can not be filled by any other form of communication.1 When it comes to a media policy, this means that there should be regulation and governance in this industry too. The media, if let loose, can have damaging effects as well. Because it is the media of a country which represents the country worldwide and can have dangerous circumstances for the country if, at any point in time, the media broadcasts or prints something which hurts the social, political and emotional sentiments of some other race, culture or country. Therefore, media has to be regulated so that it is unbiased, so that proper rules are followed, so that coverage is done in a standardized form. The European Media Policy is the media policy which regulates the media channels found in the European Union. There is a forum known as the Information Society and Media, which has an European Commissioner and a Directorate General, presently they are Viviane Reding and Fabio Colasanti respectively. The Directorate General has included the "Media" in his responsibilities since January 2005 only. Before this date, he was only responsible for the Information Society. The European Commission also maintains a Commissioner of Communication, whose job description is to maintain links and contacts with the media and have a certain level of relationship with the media. 2 The aims of the European Media Policy is that it wants to see Europe as a landscape with a strong presence and foothold of media and it wants to have an expression based on the element of media pluralism. Another aim of the European Media Policy is to stand up to such a level where it can compete with other media industries on a global and international scale. Pros of European Media Policy One of the major pros of the European Media Policy is that it is seen as a national responsibility by all. Everyone who is concerned or related with the media takes full responsibility of bringing out the best they can in providing news and entertainment plus keeping in mind that every thing has its limitations. This can be generalized to a term self-governance. The stakeholders and the owners of media can self-regulate themselves so as to decrease the need for a strict overlook of the Government and Media Bodies in this matter. The second major pro of the European Media Policy is that when it comes to the media owners and the Government, neither of them have a stronger foothold than the other in the relationship that they share. If it had been such a case where the Government would have had an upper edge in this relationship that they share and would have been easily able to influence the media without the media having any say as to how the regulation should be done, then there would have been a problem. In the case of the European media policy, the media gets affected, directly or indirectly, with situations that take place on a Government level and likewise, the Government is affected by the way the media will

Saturday, July 27, 2019

ACTA and Internet Counterfeiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ACTA and Internet Counterfeiting - Essay Example As an e-commerce medium, it is used as a payment medium through PayPal, VISA and other online payment systems. Moreover, it is the medium through which softcopy products like eBooks, software, online courses and other products are delivered. Since most of these activities involve transmission of sensitive information about people and more so customers, the information passing through the internet is encrypted such that the information encoded by the server can only be decoded by the client’s terminal and vice versa (Illing and Peitz, 2006: 102). This means that information being transmitted over encrypted networks cannot be accessed by third parties. This security property of the internet is priceless since it helps to sustain the faith that suppliers and consumers have on the internet; however, it also poses one of the major challenges in regulation of content being transmitted over the internet. It enables the internet to be used for transmission of information, a large port ion of which is unauthorised for electronic transmission (Biagi, 2011). Such information includes transmission of age-inappropriate content, rumours and propaganda that may undermine peace and stability, and copyrighted material. Censorship for inappropriate content can be easily implemented at a country or state level; however, transmission of copyrighted material like music, eBooks and software is hard to control since sharing networks entails use of multiple servers located all over the globe (Hertwig and Maus, 2010: 60). This necessitates the adoption of a common regulatory system, whereby countries work together to enforce antipiracy regulations. This essay discusses the effects of internet infringement of property rights and copyrights and discusses the adoption of ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), especially in the European Union. Technical Factors Historically duplication of copyrighted materials has always happened; however, the internet offered a channel that mad e the process quite easy to achieve with little skill level. Moreover, the vastness of the internet and its high rate of growth make any attempt to control its content an exercise in futility. Moreover, the technical knowledge of computer networking specialists gives them the ability to bypass any efforts by regulators, which is the main reason for proliferation of illegal websites (Woodsworth, 2010: 185). Moreover, developments in the information technology sector resulted in the proliferation of highly efficient but cheap IT equipment, which increased the number of servers, terminals and other devices beyond the scope of regulatory bodies. In order to cover the increased usage of the internet for illegal purposes, all stakeholders had to be incorporated in the process, which was the main motive of the implementers of ACTA. The other factor that leads to a high proliferation of computer piracy of software and other copyrighted materials is the capacity of network connections to wor k in both directions, such that information flows to or from a terminal in the same way it does to a server. This allows network terminals like workstations, personal computers and other devices to be used as sources of data, especially as used in peer-to-peer protocols like BitTorrent (Hunnewell and Garlick, 2007). These networks allow users to share data in their computers with other users without the need for a server; which makes it almost impossible to detect the circulation of copyrighted material since pieces of the software or other content are usually spread throughout the terminals in the networks. In this case, remarkably

Can computer technology improve the lives of people in the developing Essay

Can computer technology improve the lives of people in the developing world - Essay Example In a developing country, usually the infrastructure is not very strong and people find it difficult to travel from one place to another. This usually creates the urban-rural divide and people in the rural areas are often unable to receive better facilities. With the use of computer technology and internet, the patients in the rural areas can consult the doctors in the cities via video conferencing. In some cases, the doctors can even assist in surgeries at rural locations via video conferencing. This video conferencing could also help the doctors in developing countries to connect to doctors in developed countries and seek their advice and support. In developing countries, the internet becomes a powerful means of communication, especially amongst the youth. It serves to connect the youth together. Through this internet, governments and health agencies can disseminate important information related to health to the young population. This includes information on HIV or several other diseases. This can help in making the people more aware and preventing the spread of these diseases. Normally, developing countries usually face lots of disasters, either manmade or natural. This includes earthquakes, wars and other such calamities. There is lots of damage to life and the victims of these disasters are often in need of blood. Computer technology can enable the government or independent organizations to develop a database of blood donors, and in case of an emergency, these people can instantly be contacted. This will definitely help in saving plenty of lives. Lieberman, D. (n.d.). The Computers Potential Role in Health Education . Retrieved December 15, 2009, from Informaworld:

Friday, July 26, 2019

Pfizer-puffery or deception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pfizer-puffery or deception - Essay Example Jarvik convince the audience in no time. As long as the information provided is valid, truthful and scientifically justified, there is nothing to worry about if advertisers make use of famous people to enhance the sale of their products. In fact, it is a good practice because consumers would tend to believe a product that is of high quality just because of their trust in the celebrities that introduce the products to the public in ads. Answer-2: It is advisable for Pfizer to adopt more rational and approved means of support for the claims it makes in advertising Lipitor. The best approach is to seek scientific evidence that would prove Lipitor’s role as a cholesterol reducing drug. Answer-3: Rational estimate about a company’s advertising policy can only be made by giving its product a try. Often, products come in sealed packs, and the customers can not even see if the product is the size that appears on the cover. Likewise, validity of claims made for a drug like Lipit or can only be judged through taking its full course at least once.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

ASSIGNMENT 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ASSIGNMENT 1 - Essay Example For the given study, the case in focus is a London production titled Adulthood. In brief, the movie focuses on the life of the main character called Sam who had been in jail for quite a significant time after being convicted for killing Trife. In a funny twist, what Sam propagates after coming from jail is the same thing that Trife had persuaded him not to do. Trife had tried to make Sam not seek revenge. After killing his friend and going to jail for it, Sam faces a challenging life afterwards. Basically, the movie is about justice and retribution as a form of dispensation of legal law. The discussion that follows herein focuses on how Adulthood as a film observes the stipulated legal, ethical and regulations outlined in the film industry. Just like in every profession, the film industry needs to be regulated. It needs to conform to the set legal, ethical as well as relevant regulations. The industry controls a significant revenue and population. Its influence on the population is a lso significant. This highlights the importance of adhering to accepted principles. This has relevance since the influence that films command on the audience can have serious implications if deliberations are not taken into mind while controlling the industry. A film like adulthood portrays what happens in most societies. It gives the predicament of those out of jail in view of the rest of the members of the society. Socializing and getting accepted into the society after serving time in jail is often a challenge to most ex-convicts. Prejudices form part of human life. It is common to perceive people or situations from what is visualized without giving considerations to the intricate factors that surround such situations. In terms of films, legal and ethical implications must be observed to ensure the audience gets the right quality (BBFC, 2013). In case that does not happen, there are obvious drawbacks and legal tussles that a film such as Adulthood will be faced with. The audience s are consumers. Consumer satisfaction is a responsibility any business. Government policies also protect consumers. Striking a balance in reference to the two guarantees legal sustainability. In the course of film production, there are obvious contractual agreements that bind the involved parties. In this case, for instance, the film was produced by Amir Madani. In addition, there were other limited liability companies such as High bridge entertainment, Gran via Productions and Sony Pictures Television which were consulted to see the quality production as well as distribution of the film. There are several benefits associated with such companies. Firstly, individual film maker is usually represented by the company should there be a contract breach during the film production (BBFC, 2013). Secondly, the film maker could sell some interests to the limited liability companies and raise some funds to ensure the production process is a success. The companies are more likely to oblige to the tax scheme other than a certain film maker facing the taxing process on individual capacity. The legal predicaments involved in contracts are still applicable in this case. Below is a pictorial representation of the movie’s cover. Being an original work, the movie is a patented product. Its producer has the right of ownership. Any breach of that can lead to a tussle in a court of law. The breach may come from unlawful reproduction. Adulthood was a film which

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

ARTICLE REVIEW Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

REVIEW - Article Example The article was effective and can assist many people in the manner through which they go about their day to day activities. The reason for this is the manner through which the article defines the two types of people. One group is stated as being motivationally focused while the other is promotion focused. This assists the reader in understanding which type of person they are. With this perception they can develop personally and in their respective professional fields. One limitation of this section of the article is the fact that the writer has not given a specific outline on how a person can identify their powers and deficiencies with regard to the two groups in which they have been placed. It is however important to take a self assessment after reading the basic points on the groups and understanding the way forward where an individual can get to analyze their particular traits (Stevens, 2008). Creating motivational fix is another topic greatly discussed in the paper. In the contemporary reading society, very few people read entire articles and many of these people get bored when they find that they cannot relate to the various topics given. The article however ensures that the reader has a general understanding of the topic where even before going through a topic critically, the reader has the ability to understand whether they can relate evenly. This is done by the author stating the importance of the particular topic. The article discusses motivational fix and states that it is vital because it assists in keeping the goals that an individual has set, in focus. With this motivational fix, the reader gets to understand the key ingredients to success acknowledging the fact that if they do not have this, they may fail in life (Higgins & Halvorson, 2009). The expose is also significant in that it helps the reader understand the various steps that they ought to take after getting the motivational fix. The article

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Coursework - Essay Example Introduction The global financial have been experiencing a rapid growth in last two decades and considering the present scenario of the global market, it can be claimed the market is emerging with major developments. The globalization of financial market has been passing constant developments which have been led by the concept of globalization and internationalization. Globalization has influenced the entire human activities including their culture and life style. In case of the business, the globalization has led to bring significant improvement including the process of management. The thought process of managers and owners has changed as they have started to realize their responsibilities. On the other, with this internationalization of business, the entire global business is also suffering from complexities and intensified competition. However, in order to cope with these complexities and competition, the business organizations have also developed a number of effective tools and t echniques. In the same manner, the global financial markets have also emerged as an important and developed industry. Finance always has been a vital area for the every individual and institution. With the increasing the globalization of business, the necessity of financial services has also been frequently. The global the financial institutions and companies have realized the underlying opportunities in global platform and they keep expanding their market. In this course of development in the global financial markets, there are certain influencing factors. This paper will attempt to discuss important aspects of international financial markets which have led to bring such development. The overall discussion will be presented in four major sections followed by a concluding remark. The first will address the role of financial deregulation and capital control in international diversification. The next section will offer s discussion the two major drivers of financial i.e. technology an d innovation in global financial market and it will be followed by a description and mechanism of carry trade strategy. Finally, the influence of international capital market on share price and cost of capital will be explained followed by an overall conclusion. 2. Role of Financial Deregulation and Capital Control on Financial Globalization and International Diversification 2.1. Concept of Financial Deregulation and Capital Control The importance of the financial deregulation has started to rise with increasing opportunities in the global market place. Financial deregulation can be referred as abolishment of restrictive laws that often cause barriers for the financial institutions. Financial deregulations are important and similar as the free trade policies. Both, the financial deregulation and free trade policy strive to bring development in the market by increasing competition Hope and Maeleng have defined the free trade policies as â€Å"competitor-enhancing device† as it is meant to discard the unnecessary restriction and barriers by offer

Monday, July 22, 2019

Agroforestry Research Essay Example for Free

Agroforestry Research Essay Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.[1] A narrow definition of agroforestry is trees on farms. As a science The theoretical base for agroforestry comes from ecology, via agroecology.[3] From this perspective, agroforestry is one of the three principal land-use sciences. The other two are agriculture and forestry.[4] The efficiency of photosynthesis drops off with increasing light intensity, and the rate of photosynthesis hardly increases once the light intensity is over about one tenth that of direct overhead sun. This means that plants under trees can still grow well even though they get less light. By having more than one level of vegetation, it is possible to get more photosynthesis than with a single layer. Agroforestry has a lot in common with intercropping. Both have two or more plant species (such as nitrogen-fixing plants) in close interaction, both provide multiple outputs, as a consequence, higher overall yields and, because a single application or input is shared, costs are reduced. Beyond these, there are gains specific to agroforestry. Benefits Further information: Ecoscaping Agroforestry systems can be advantageous over conventional agricultural and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity, economic benefits, and more diversity in the ecological goods and services provided.[5] Biodiversity in agroforestry systems is typically higher than in conventional agricultural systems. With two or more interacting plant species in a given land area, it creates a more complex habitat that can support a wider variety of birds, insects, and other animals. Depending upon the application, potential impacts of agroforestry can include: †¢Reducing poverty through increased production of wood and other tree products for home consumption and sale †¢Contributing to food security by restoring the soil fertility for food crops †¢Cleaner water through reduced nutrient and soil runoff †¢Countering global warming and the risk of hunger by increasing the number of drought-resistant trees and the subsequent production of fruits, nuts and edible oils †¢Reducing deforestation and pressure on woodlands by providing farm-grown fuelwood †¢Reducing or eliminating the need for toxic chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, etc.) †¢Through more diverse farm outputs, improved human nutrition †¢In situations where people have limited access to mainstream medicines, providing growing space for medicinal plants Agroforestry practices may also realize a number of other associated environmental goals, such as: †¢Carbon sequestration †¢Odour, dust, and noise reduction †¢Green space and visual aesthetics †¢Enhancement or maintenance of wildlife habitat Adaptation to Climate Change There is some evidence that, especially in recent years, poor smallholder farmers are turning to agroforestry as a mean to adapt to the impacts of climate change. A study from the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) found from a survey of over 700 households in East Africa that at least 50% of those households had begun planting trees on their farms in a change from their practices 10 years ago.[6] The trees ameliorate the effects of climate change by helping to stabilize erosion, improving water and soil quality and providing yields of fruit, tea, coffee, oil, fodder and medicinal products in addition to their usual harvest. Agroforestry was one of the most widely adopted adaptation strategies in the study, along with the use of improved crop varieties and intercropping.[6] Applications Agroforestry represents a wide diversity in application and in practice. One listing includes over 40 distinct uses.[3] The 40 or so applications can be roughly classified under a few broad headings. There are visual similarities between practices in different categories. This is expected as categorization is based around the problems addressed (countering winds, high rainfall, harmful insects, etc.) and the overall economic constraints and objectives (labor and other inputs costs, yield requirements, etc.). The categories include : †¢Parklands †¢Shade systems †¢Crop-over-tree systems †¢Alley cropping †¢Strip cropping †¢Fauna-based systems †¢Boundary systems †¢Taungyas †¢Physical support systems †¢Agroforests. Parkland Parklands are visually defined by the presence of trees widely scattered over a large agricultural plot or pasture. The trees are usually of a single species with clear regional favorites. Among the benefits, the trees offer shade to grazing animals, protect crops against strong wind bursts, provide tree prunings for firewood, and are a roost for insect or rodent-eating birds. There are other gains. Research with Faidherbia albida in Zambia showed that mature trees can sustain maize yields of 4.1 tonnes per hectare compared to 1.3 tonnes per hectare without these trees. Unlike other trees, Faidherbia sheds its nitrogen-rich leaves during the rainy crop growing season so it does not compete with the crop for light, nutrients and water. The leaves then regrow during the dry season and provide land cover and shade for crops.[7] Shade systems With shade applications, crops are purposely raised under tree canopies and within the resulting shady environment. For most uses, the understory crops are shade tolerant or the overstory trees have fairly open canopies. A conspicuous example is shade-grown coffee. This practice reduces weeding costs and increases the quality and taste of the coffee.[8][9] Crop-over-tree systems Not commonly encountered, crop-over-tree systems employ woody perennials in the role of a cover crop. For this, small shrubs or trees pruned to near ground level are utilized. The purpose, as with any cover crop, is to increase in-soil nutrients and/or to reduce soil erosion. Alley cropping With alley cropping, crop strips alternate with rows of closely spaced tree or hedge species. Normally, the trees are pruned before planting the crop. The cut leafy material is spread over the crop area to provide nutrients for the crop. In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and eliminate soil erosion. Alley cropping has been shown to be advantagous in Africa, particularly in relation to improving maize yields in the sub-Saharan region. Use here relies upon the nitrogen fixing tree species Sesbania sesban, Tephrosia vogelii, Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida. In one example, a ten-year experiment in Malawi showed that, by using fertilizer trees such as Tephrosia vogelii and Gliricidia sepium, maize yields averaged 3.7 tonnes per hectare as compared to one tonne per hectare in plots without fertilizer trees or mineral fertilizer.[10] Strip cropping Strip cropping is similar to alley cropping in that trees alternate with crops. The difference is that, with alley cropping, the trees are in single row. With strip cropping, the trees or shrubs are planted in wide strip. The purpose can be, as with alley cropping, to provide nutrients, in leaf form, to the crop. With strip cropping, the trees can have a purely productive role, providing fruits, nuts, etc. while, at the same time, protecting nearby crops from soil erosion and harmful winds. Fauna-based systems Silvopasture over the years (Australia). There are situations where trees benefit fauna. The most common examples are the silvopasture where cattle, goats, or sheep browse on grasses grown under trees.[11] In hot climates, the animals are less stressed and put on weight faster when grazing in a cooler, shaded environment. Other variations have these animals directly eating the leaves of trees or shrubs. There are similar systems for other types of fauna. Deer and hogs gain when living and feeding in a forest ecosystem, especially when the tree forage suits their dietary needs. Another variation, aquaforestry, is where trees shade fish ponds. In many cases, the fish eat the leaves or fruit from the trees. Boundary systems A riparian buffer bordering a river in Iowa. The are a number of applications that fall under the heading of a boundary system. These include the living fences, the riparian buffer, and windbreaks. †¢A living fence can be a thick hedge or fencing wire strung on living trees. In addition to restricting the movement of people and animals, living fences offer habitat to insect-eating birds and, in the case of a boundary hedge, slow soil erosion. †¢Riparian buffers are strips of permanent vegetation located along or near active watercourses or in ditches where water runoff concentrates. The purpose is to keep nutrients and soil from contaminating surface water. †¢Windbreaks reduce the velocity of the winds over and around crops. This increases yields through reduced drying of the crop and/or by preventing the crop from toppling in strong wind gusts. Taungyas Taungya is a system originating in Burma. In the initial stages of an orchard or tree plantation, the trees are small and widely spaced. The free space between the newly planted trees can accommodate a seasonal crop. Instead of costly weeding, the underutilized area provides an additional output and income. More complex taungyas use the between-tree space for a series of crops. The crops become more shade resistant as the tree canopies grow and the amount of sunlight reaching the ground declines. If a plantation is thinned in the latter stages, this opens further the between-tree cropping opportunities. Physical support systems In the long history of agriculture, trellises are comparatively recent. Before this, grapes and other vine crops were raised atop pruned trees. Variations of the physical support theme depend upon the type of vine. The advantages come through greater in-field biodiversity. In many cases, the control of weeds, diseases, and insect pests are a primary motive. Agroforests These are widely found in the humid tropics and are referenced by different names (forest gardening, forest farming, tropical home gardens and, where short-statured trees or shrubs dominate, shrub gardens). Agroforests, in many ways, epitomize agroforestry. Through a complex, disarrayed mix of trees, shrubs, vines, and seasonal crops, these systems, through their high levels of biodiversity, achieve the ecological dynamics of a forest ecosystem. Because of the internal ecology, they tend to be less susceptible to harmful insects, plant diseases, drought, and wind damage. Although they can be high yielding, complex systems tend to produce a large number of outputs. These are not utilized when a large volume of a single crop or output is required.

Rates of reaction experiments Essay Example for Free

Rates of reaction experiments Essay I was planning to observe each reaction for 10 minutes and was able to do so because the reactions started getting slow after a while I had a few problems during my experiment. The size of the chips was not exactly the same, each group was made up of chips of approximately equal sizes and this is not exactly accurate. In stirring the experiment we had to be careful of stirring it evenly and not aggravating the reaction. The experiment could have been improved in various ways. Using beads of limestone can solve the problem of unequal size of particles. Using a magnetic stirrer can be used solve the problem of uneven stirring of reactants. The use of a more accurate scale helps in solving the problem of reading off measurements from the measuring cylinder. Drawing the curves of best fit was an accurate step I took. My graphs helped in proving my aim, A distinctive trend is shown in the graph as clearly show that small particles react faster than large particles. I was interested in this experiment when I first started. I was interested in seeing changes in the reactants at the end of the reaction. I was very satisfied when I found out that my predictions were correct. The effect of concentration on Rate of Reaction Aim In this experiment my aim is to find out whether rate of reaction increases when concentration in a reaction is increased. Word equation Sodium Thiosulphate + Hydrochloric Acid Sodium Chloride + Sulphur Oxide + Water + Sulphur Chemical formula Na2S203(aq) + 2HCl(aq) 2NaCl(aq) + SO2(g) + H2O(l) + S(s) This reaction usually produces a white precipitate, which is the Sulphur and a putrid smell, which is the sodium chloride. Two main factors are needed in this reaction for it to succeed. The first, being that the reactant particles must meet and collide. If no collisions take place then the reaction cannot happen. Secondly the reaction must have enough energy to form a product. The activation energy is the most minimum amount of energy that is needed for a product to be formed. Once the solution has become totally opaque the reaction is complete. This means all the reactant has been used up and the reaction is complete. We can see this if a piece of card with a cross on it is placed under the conical flask. Once the cross is completely obscured from vision, if looking through the conical flask to the bottom, the reaction has taken place. The time it takes for this to happen is measured as the rate of reaction. Purpose of this experiment The purpose of this experiment is to record how long it takes for the cross under the conical flask to disappear under different concentrations. We have chosen sodium thiosulphate to use in different concentrations from a range of 10 ml to 40 ml. I believe 4 concentrations will be a sufficient amount although more can be taken to further the investigation Apparatus needed for this experiment are: Conical Flask stopwatch White tile marked With X . Chemical needed for the experiment are: 1) Sodium thiosulphate 2) Water (distilled) 3) Hydrochloric Acid Fair test I will need to keep in order to get correct results and to do this I need to keep in mind a list of variables, which are: The temperature of apparatus should not change Try to control the surface area of the reaction Try and judge accurately when the X mark is disappearing Fixed amount of Sodium thiosulphate and water should be added Prediction I predict that when the concentration of the acid is raised, the rate of the reaction will increase. This is because, when the concentration of acid is higher, more acid particles are present in a given volume of the solution, therefore, more acid particles are available to collide with HCl particles. This consequently increases the chances of successful collisions (those resulting in a reaction) occurring. As the collision theory states, the more collisions that occur in a period of time, the faster the rate of the reaction. This is because the reaction only occurs when Hydrochloric acid and Sodium thiosulphate particles collide each other Safety. As safety is the number one priority in this experiment, many safety precautions were taken to make it as safe as possible   Goggles were worn to make sure that eyes were protected.   Hair and loose jewelry were tied up.   A safe distant was kept in case of any spillages.   Any spillages on clothes and skin were rinsed thoroughly immediately. Any spillages on work surfaces and on the floor were mopped up with a damp paper towel. As Sulphur Dioxide can appear to be a hazardous gas, windows and doors were opened to keep maximum ventilation in the room. Method 40 ml of Sodium thiosulphate should be poured in the flask Then 10 ml of HCl should be poured into another flask 10 ml of distilled water should be poured onto another flask Put a tile containing an X mark under the sodium thiosulphate flask Then mix all these 3 chemicals into one such as pour the 10 ml of water and 10 ml of HCl onto the flask containing sodium thiosulphate. As soon as the reaction starts put the stopwatch on After we saw the reaction between started forming white precipitate which made the X mark look dimmer and dimmer to finally no X mark. As soon as the X mark is not seeable stop the stopwatch and record the time Everytime we finish a reaction we had to use another flask Everytime we start another reaction the concentration of sodium thiosulphate we decrease it by 10 ml and increase water by 10 ml During the experiments the amount of |Hydrochloric acid always remains the same at 10 ml The steps are the same for every new reaction on this experiment whether if the concentration even changes Preliminary work Before conducting a real experiment I will do a Preliminary test to check whether the experiment will work out. I have used the same method as shown above and theses are the results I obtained Volume of sodium thiosulphate (ml) water (ml) Hydrochloric acid (ml) Time it takes for X to vanish 3secs Experiment diagram Results The table below shows the results of my real experiment. The experiment was done for 3 times to get the average time taken which can make it even more accurate Na2S2O3 (Ml) H2O (Ml) Volume of HCl (Ml) Trial 1 Time taken (Seconds) Trial 2 Time taken (Seconds) Trial 3. Time taken (Seconds) Average Time taken (Seconds) 40 ml 10 ml 10 ml   000 Conclusion After conducting my experiment and while looking at my results I feel that my predictions were true because I predicted that when the concentration is high the reaction will be fast compared to the reaction with less concentration and same in my result I saw when sodium thiosulphate is 40 ml and water is 10ml the reaction takes 48. 83 seconds but when water is at 40 ml and sodium thiosulphate is at 10 ml the reaction takes 194. 00 seconds Analysis As you can see from the results in the section before, the graphs and recordings clearly show that the concentration does affect the rate of the reaction. As the concentration increases, the rate of reaction speeds up as well. The following graphs clearly state that where the sodium thiosulphate was most dilute, and was at the concentration of 10ml, the rate of reaction took the longest on average and in every experiment taken. The graphs also show that the rate of reaction happened the quickest when the Na2S203 was at its highest concentration. As you can see in the graph, the graph takes a negative correlation in form. The rate of reaction time starts off highest because of the low concentration. As the reactant particles are further apart and there are more spectator ions present, getting in the way of the reaction. These ions do not take part in the reaction but can slow it down as the do act as an obstruction. This makes it very hard fro collisions to take place. This prevents the reaction from happening quickly and stops the product from forming quickly. As the concentration slowly increases, the number of spectator ions decreases in the same given volume, which in the experiment is 10cm3. This makes it more likely and easier for collisions to actually occur. This being as it is, it means that the reaction happens quicker and so the products are formed quicker as well. Even though the rates of reaction for the different concentrations were all very different, the cross on the card eventually disappeared in every experiment. The cross did not really disappear though. This is just a phrase used. What really happened was that the solid Sulphur that is formed as a precipitate of the reactions, shields our view and it is an opaque substance. The Sulphur is a milky yellow colour and can be seen when emptying out the contents of the conical flask. It sometimes can leave a residue on the inside of the flask. The rate of reaction also depends on how quickly all the Sulphur is formed as an end product. This can be dependent on the concentration as well. If there are more particles in a given volume there are going to be more atoms that need to bond to make the product. Aim My aim for this coursework is see whether rate of a chemical reaction is affected by the addition of a catalyst in the reaction How a catalyst works There are many ways in which we are able to speed up the rate of reactions. A catalyst can either increase or decrease the rate of reaction. A positive catalyst lowers activation energy. The particles, therefore, need less energy to react and the process proceeds more quickly. A negative catalyst (an inhibitor) slows down the rate of a chemical reaction by doing the exact opposite. However, it is important to realize that the catalyst itself does not take place in the reaction and it is, therefore, not used up in the reaction. Below is an energy diagram showing the presence of a catalyst. The graph shows the effect of a positive catalyst on the activation energy. When you use a catalyst, there is as much catalyst at the end of the reaction as there was at the beginning. The catalyst is used over and over again. As catalysts work so fast and are used again and again, it is only necessary to have small quantities of catalyst present to make a chemical reaction go faster. Solid catalysts work by providing a surface onto which the reactant particles can attach, react, rearrange and then leave. Catalysts work in a very similar way to increasing surface area, when it comes to the rate of reaction. Catalysts are no different. If you want a solid catalyst to be as effective as possible, it should have the largest surface area possible. By putting holes in the catalyst, it will have a large surface area and be more effective at catalyzing a particular reaction than if it was just a solid lump. Apparatus needed for the experiment Delivery Tubes Test Tubes Test tube clamp Stop watch Stand Chemicals used in the experiment A) Hydrogen Peroxide B) Potato Chippings Fair Test: Fair test must be kept in mind to promote accurate results. For this reason I had to keep: The same mass for the catalyst The temperature during the experiment shouldnt change Concentration should remain the same Prediction I can predict that when the catalyst will be added to the reaction the reaction will be quicker and faster because of the collision moving faster. I predicted this because when I learnt about catalyst the fist thing that was taught to me was that catalyst increase any kind of reactions Formula Hydrogen Peroxide water + Oxygen 2H2O2 (aq) H20( l ) + O2 ( g ) Method For this experiment the catalyst we will be using is Potato. And it will be cut into pieces of 1cm The method we done our experiment is show below: 1) First we need to set up all the apparatus we need during the experiment 2) Put Hydrogen Peroxide inside the test tube and add Potato chippings (catalyst) 3) Heat the te.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Free Trade Agreement Between the GCC and ASEAN

Free Trade Agreement Between the GCC and ASEAN Executive Summary This paper is a consolidated report of surveys on key issues and concerns to trade and investment in an ASEAN-GCC free trade environment. The researchers were able to make a schema of most likely issues and concerns that would be deterrent to negotiations for a free trade agreement on the ASEAN and GCC zones. The consolidated report is based on an intensive literature review. As the ASEAN-GCC talks are still underway, the researchers thought it wiser to first create a schema for an enterprise survey which would assess the effectiveness as well as determine barriers which would inadvertently affect ASEAN-GCC free trade negotiations. A consolidated report on such factors would greatly benefit business enterprises as well as the government itself in that it provides a guidelines of expectations and, thus, this could be addressed early on. The report first discussed an overview of the GCC financial market to establish the market potentials and capacity of the region. The key issues and concerns that were gathered through research were then grouped accordingly to whether they fall under the tariff barriers or formal transaction cost issue, and the non-tariff barrier (NTB) or informal transaction cost issues. From the consolidated report, it was revealed that while tariff barriers or formal transaction costs affects trade and investment, it was the non-tariff barriers which generally costs companies a lot. Non-tariff barriers include red tape from getting business certifications, weak legal system especially in legal disputes and the like, enforcement of environmental policies, restrictions placed on ownership of equities and real estate, existence of laws which prohibits foreign nationals from applying for business permits, especially in areas outside the free trade zone. There also exists some political and/or diplomatic barriers. However, these should not be given to much focus as these contribute only a small amount of influence to the conduct of trade and investment. Area of Study This study on the free trade agreement between the ASEAN and GCC focuses on identifying issues and concerns that should be addressed in order for a free trade agreement between the GCC and the ASEAN to be useful and beneficial for all signatory parties. These issues and concerns are identified through extensive research and inference from previous studies and factual articles. However, issues that are only significant for the government and other stakeholders, but are not of particular important to the business sector (i.e., labor and environmental issues) were not considered. Background of the Problem Last June 30, 2009, a trade pact in the form of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the 10 country-members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (TradeArabia, 2009). The said MOA focuses on building a trade bloc between the GCC and ASEAN, and also explores the possibility of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and a free trade agreement (FTA). The trade pact was signed after the first successful GCC-ASEAN ministerial meeting held in Manama, Bahrain, wherein the ministers approved a two-year working plan in improving trade relations between GCC and ASEAN countries (TradeArabia, 2009; ArabNews.com, 2010). A trade and investment road map in the form of the GCC-ASEAN 2010-2010 action plan was adopted on the second GCC-ASEAN ministerial meeting held in Singapore in May 2010 (ArabNews.com, 2010; Press Trust of India/bilaterals.org, 2010; The Malaysian News Agency, 2010). In an article by the Press Trust of India (2010) as cited by bilaterals.org (2010), the GCC and ASEAN have agreed to further enhance trading and investment opportunities as well as collaboration in the areas of improving the economy, commercial and business enterprise, education whilst promoting mutual respect through culture and media by way of the ASEAN-GCC Two-Year Action Plan (2010-2012) . However, in the recent press release of the ASEAN Secretariat (www.asean.org, 2010) a free trade agreement between the two blocs was not brought up. Business Dictionary defines free trade agreement as a treaty between countries that essentially reduces tariffs and barriers on goods and services, although capital and/or labor may not move freely (businessdictionary.com). These agreements specify the rules and for trade between or among signatory countries (Sen, 2004, p. 1). Free trade means trade of goods and services (not necessarily capital and labor) between countries that is free from tariffs and other trade barriers imposed by the governments of those countries (Bhagwati, 2002, p.3). It is considered as the building block for economic integration in a region (Sen, 2004, p. 1). Free trade is based on the principle of comparative advantage first proposed by David Ricardo (Case Fair, 1999, pp. 812-818). Ricardos theory of comparative advantage asserts that countries could produce goods more efficiently if they specialized at producing the good(s) which they produce most efficiently and bought all other goods from other nations specializing in producing those goods (Case Fair, 1999, pp. 812-818). According to this theory, specialization will make production of goods more efficient and thus, bring down prices. Therefore, if goods can freely enter a country, advocates of free trade suggest consumers would benefit because of the lower prices of goods (C ase Fair, 1999, p. 818). WTO and other reports have stated that free trade agreements have started to proliferate between countries and even between trading blocs (Crawford and Fiorentino, 2005, p. 2; Razeen, 2006). Of regional trade agreements reported to the WTO as of 2005, 84 per cent are free trade agreements (Crawford and Fiorentino, 2005, p. 3). The WTO reports that the uncertainty of the fate of the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) has prompted countries to pursue their own preferential deals, mostly bilateral, or involving two countries, with other nations (Crawford and Fiorentino, 2005, p. 6). The more aggressive countries or trading blocs are the European Union, Australia, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, and the United states and Canada. The ASEAN and the GCC are both lagging behind in creating deals, but the member countries, particularly of the ASEAN are forging their own FTAs with other countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China (Crawford and Fiorentino, 2005, pp. 6-8). It has been observed that trade among the Arab states has been relatively small compared to other regions (Hassan and Tarik, 2010). This is despite the observation that members of the GCC have common economic and social characteristics (Fasano and Iqbal, 2003). But the GCC is trying to catch up with regard to forming free trade agreements as a bloc with other countries and trading blocs (Hassan and Tarik, 2010). It has signed a free trade agreement (GSFTA) with Singapore in 2009 and has since experienced a growth in investments from and an increase in trade with this country. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates and was formed in May 1981 (Fasano and Iqbal, 2003). Its aim is to promote cooperation and peace among member nations. The member countries of the GCC have all undergone diversification from dependence on oil into trade and services-centered economies. The GDP per capita in these countries are among the highest in the world (Fasano and Iqbal, 2003). The members of the ASEAN, however, have followed a different track. Instead of forming free trade agreements as a bloc, each individual member of the ASEAN has began to forge free trade agreements with other countries such as Japan, South, Korea, the United States, and Australia (Razeen, 2006). Singapore is the most aggressive of these countries, having signed a free trade agreement with the GCC in 2009 (iAdvisory, 2009). However, the region has started talks as a bloc for free trade agreements with China, Australia New Zealand, and the GCC (China Embassy, 2004; Xinhua, 2008; Tradearabia, 2009). The ASEAN was formed in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand through the signing of the ASEAN Declaration by the five founding members, namely: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. It was later joined by Brunei Darussalam in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar in 1997, and finally, Cambodia in 1999. Thus, today ASEAN has ten member countries (ASEAN website). With the signing of the memorandum of agreement between the GCC and ASEAN for in 2009 (Tradearabia, 2009) and the adoption of the ASEAN-GCC Two-Year Action Plan in 2010, trade and finance officials in these two regions are still on the verge of devising such an agreement that would be agreeable to all involved. The Joint Vision in 2009 built the economic partnership between the two regions on the following areas: economic, cultural, scientific and social, and aims to promote people-to-people contacts. On the other hand, the two-year action plan expands its cooperation and collaboration along the areas of trade and investment, economic and developmental cooperation, education and training, culture and information, and mutual consultation in international matters (ASEAN Secretariat, 2010). Research Objectives The researchers believe that this paper would be timely as it attempts to point out possible key issues and concerns that the business enterprise might come up against in operating within the GCC. It is a fact that business organizations and companies are the driving forces behind trade. Thus, the point of view of these organizations will have to be considered for a free trade agreement to prosper. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify possible issues and concerns that should be addressed in order for a free trade agreement between the GCC and the ASEAN to be useful and beneficial for all signatory parties. Issues that could be significant for the government and other stakeholders, but are not of particular important to the business community (for example, labor and environmental issues), will not be considered. Expected Outcome Through this research, we hope to uncover key issues that are seen by businesses in both the ASEAN and the GCC as roadblocks to free trade between the two regions. We anticipate that lack of information about each others markets, and the convoluted regulatory policies of each region will be primary concerns. Also, the unification of standards for export products, particularly in the electronic sector may be another crucial issue. These concerns will be discussed in detail. The literature will also be consulted for possible solutions on how to address the issues. Such possible solutions will be incorporated in the conclusion and recommendations portion of the paper. Methods of Examination Literature Review Due to time constraints, the researchers opted to use literature review as a method for identifying key issues and concerns in the GCC-ASEAN free trade agreement, particularly with regard to trade and other aspects that affect it such as cultural, political, and social environments, will be reviewed in order to identify possible issues and challenges that would be stumbling blocks to reaching a beneficial trade agreement. Research and statistical material on the effects of free trade agreements forged by GCC with other countries, regions, or trading blocs will also be examined to determine issues that have emerged, if any, in these free trade agreements. The same shall be made with regard to the agreements forged by the ASEAN and its member countries with other nations or trading blocs. Techniques and Strategies Used Descriptive analysis such as frequency counts, means, percentages and was used in describing the consolidated report about the identified key issues and concerns surround the GCC-ASEAN free trade agreement. These literature were gathered from published journals, news articles, magazine articles, e-zine and the like. The need to consolidate the information gathered from these materials are very important in order to show a general picture of the key issues and concerns plaguing the business enterprise operating within the GCC-ASEAN free trade agreement. And, thus, inference can be drawn. From the consolidated report, a conceptual framework could be sufficiently drawn, providing a springboard for an intensive enterprise survey in order to assess the effectiveness of the GCC-ASEAN free trade. Analysis and Findings This section describes the literature review conducted by the researchers. In this review, variables under consideration are scrutinized and discussed through presentation of relevant articles focusing on a GCC-ASEAN partnership. The presentation begins with an overview of the GCC as potential target market, followed by a brief discussion of both formal and informal transaction costs in the international marketing scene as variables considered for a successful trading agreement. After which is an analysis of the foreign direct investments (FDI) of the regions concerned so as to assess and somehow predict a successful trade agreement should the key issues and concerns be identified and addressed. The GCC Financial Market The Arab world is characterized by five attributes that have allowed it to benefit from the favourable international economic conditions. First, it owns the worlds largest deposits of energy. It has 58 per cent of all known raw oil reserves and 27 per cent of all proven natural gas reserves. (IMF Country Report, 2009). Second, the Arab world benefits greatly from international remittances. Ratha, Mohapatra and Silwal (2009) in the World Bank Migration and Development Brief 10, cited that the Arab world as a whole again benefited more than other world regions when international remittances quadrupled in 2000-2008. Third, Arab countries have benefited from the global boom in tourism during 2002-2008. Fourth, Arab countries accumulate a lions share of total global development assistance (World Bank, 2009). Fifth, Arab countries accumulated substantial foreign assets of more than US$2500 per inhabitant in 2006 (IMF, 2009). In a study conducted by Zarrouk (2001) entitled A Survey of Barriers to Trade and Investment in Arab Countries wherein a total of 230 companies, which represent the manufacturing and service sectors of Egypt, Gaza-West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the UAE, it was revealed that the trading barriers are most intensive in Gaza-West Bank with a mean of 2.0, followed by Syria (mean = 2.1), Egypt (mean = 2/41), Tunisia (mean = 2.43) and Saudi Arabia (mean = 2.8). Zarrouk (2001) describes the mean score from a scale of 1 (extremely problematic) to 4 (not problematic) (please refer to the table adapted from Zarrouk, 2001). From the result of the study of Zarrouk (2010) it can be inferred that Saudi Arabia figured as a country, wherein an FTA might prove challenging. As to the areas or indicators of what might these trade barriers be. Zarrouk (2010) identified these barriers. First, his study revealed that: Saudi has visa restrictions for business visits There exists local agency laws which allows Saudi nationals only to register for business and to be an agent of a foreign company Saudi customs are biased on Arab-made products but are more lenient to Asian, North American, and European products On the subject of transaction costs, Zarrouk (2010) business enterprises were interviewed as to whether these were not costly (value of 1) to prohibitive (value of 4). It was found out that customs duties and other import charges (mean score of 3.0) ranked first followed by domestic taxes (mean score of 2.6), customs clearance (mean score of 2.5), public sector corruption (mean score of 2.4), inspection/conformity certification (mean score of 2.2), transshipment regulatory measures (mean score of 2.1), and business visa restrictions (mean score of 1.8). Please see table below (adapted from Zarrouk, 2001). When the companies were interviewed about the most restrictive constraints to trade and investment, the study revealed that a primary obstacle is the weak legal system that fail to ensure that the terms of business contracts are honored (Zarrouk, 2001; Abdel-latif, 1992). Second in rank is the restrictive local agency law granting business permits only to nationals. In a similar vein, Newquist (1994) hints in his article for Computer World entitled Breaking a Barrier to Trade that cultural values play a role in trade and investment. For instance, he said that ethnocentricity weakens trade. In a free trade agreement wherein foreign nationals are invited to invest in the region, this factor would have a very negative effect indeed. Third in rank as most restrictive is that foreign nationals are prohibited ownership of real estate. This means that foreign investors have less opportunities of staying longer in Arab countries, thus, the cost of transferring to and fro their home country w ould be quite expensive. In relation to this, Arab countries also puts limits on foreign ownership of equities thus this would mean a slow expansion and growth of businesses. Sadly, corruption, bureaucracy and bad governance also figures in the trade barriers identified by Zarrouk (2001). Meanwhile, less transparent and complex tax systems and para-tariffs were also included in the list of most restrictive barriers. The GCC has been engaging in trade agreements with countries other than the ASEAN. For instance, they also have a free trade agreement with the EU, the NAFTA, the WTO, and GAFTA in as much as it enjoys bilateral trade relations with a host of other countries as Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and its neighboring Arab countries. Zarrouk (2001) also attempted to interview the business enterprises with regard to the free trade agreements signed by their respective governments. It was revealed in the study (Zarrouk, 2001) that among the trade barriers to a companys growth according to the respondent companies are: There is a lack of clear-cut orientation with regards to free trade agreement benefits given to the business enterprises; Government agencies do not make enough effort to inform the public about the benefits of the agreements; Competition from Asian countries is much stronger, offsetting the benefits of the agreements Implementation problems: Partner countries do not commit to terms and conditions of the agreements Articles of some agreements are left to the interpretation of customs officials Trade agreements do not reduce the numerous administrative procedures, paperwork and red tape Implementation of certain articles of the agreements is not reciprocal Transportation between Arab countries is inadequate. Considering these results of the study of Zarrouk (2001) with specific reference effective free trade barrier which states that Competition from Asian countries is much stronger, offsetting the benefits of the agreements a free trade agreement between the GCC and the ASEAN is highly workable. This is backed up by a shared trading history that have been shared by both regions (Press Trust India, 2010; The Malaysian National News, 2010; Reuters, 2010). Transaction Costs In Economics, a transaction cost is cost associated with exchange of goods or services and incurred in overcoming market imperfections (BusinessDictionary.com). Also known as frictional costs, these are fees and charges incidental to buying, selling, and trading which includes transportation costs, legal fees, communications charges, and even opportunity costs in taking up time and energy in putting up a business venture. As cited by Abdel-Latif (1992), transaction costs cover a wide range of transactions from the conceptualization of putting up an investment until the actual running of the business itself. Generally, transaction costs include: the costs of obtaining information about market conditions in any given foreign market (the quantities and qualities desired and the prices prevailing for each different quality) and the reciprocal costs for agents in foreign countries; the costs of information about government regulations and other policies in both foreign and home markets (including exchange rate policy, exchange restrictions, tariff and non-tariff barriers, and health and environmental regulations); the costs to each potential party of identifying appropriate trading partners in these markets; the costs of negotiating, writing, and enforcing contracts and resolving disputes between the parties; and the costs of financing the transaction, which generally involves a long lag between placing an export order and making final payment for it, and of bearing the risks of default throughout the process. Abdel-Latif (1992) further corroborates that these transactions costs are affected by several factors which includes: differences in language, culture and taste, laws and dispute resolution procedures, income and information sources, the modus operandi of markets, and the extent and character of competition, difficulties of enforcing contracts across countries, and hence the higher risks of payment default. However, these factors are dynamic and changes over time along with the changes in organizational structure, advent of new policies and regulations, use of technology in communications, transportation, and other aspects of the dynamic societal structure whether environmental, socioeconomic, political or cultural. Other factors which may give rise to transaction costs are what is known as asymmetry of information which is elemental to any business relationship. For example, at the level of the rules and regulations, countries may want conditions to look different than they really are or may be unwilling to enforce existing laws. Likewise, the agents responsible for implementing the rules may have little incentive to do so and indeed may have the incentive to leave the interpretation of these rules sufficiently ambiguous so as to generate rents for themselves. Even more relevant and important, each potential trading partner has better information about his own characteristics and propensities (appropriate to defining the terms of the contract) than does the other party, inducing adverse self-selection for any given terms. (Abdel-Latif, 2001) Theoretically, any contract between trading partners details enough fine points for a working partnership to thrive. However, in reality, the details of these contractswhich includes threshing out possible roadblocks as well as scrutinizing everything takes up a lot of time and discussions, and most often ends in stalemate. Thus, the costs of drawing up a very detailed and comprehensive trading pact whose interpretation is transparent and accurate are quite expensive. Moreover, there is a time lag in having these agreements move to and fro the business partners and, thus, there is a likelihood of it being exposed to risks as moral hazards and resorting to shortcut methods in order to get through a deal. Transaction costs in the communications and in dispensing information are exposed to a host of other factors like insufficient insurance systems to keep the transactions private in order to protect the enterprise practices, the non-existence of competitive markets who should have been able to provide services such as that in information and enforcement costs for the reason that there already exists a specified role for an intermediary providing the aforementioned services. Thus, the scenario is that there is a monopoly of the services and upon which the government base its trade intervention and other regulations. Once a business enterprise engages itself in a contract it exposes itself to risks. Hence, after engaging in a contract both parties would naturally protect itself from these purported risks by seeking insurance. Moreover, when the company seeks this insurance it presents itself to an asymmetry of information wherein both parties fall into excessive negotiation costs as well as lags in time which further results to attempt a moral hazard and become opportunistic (Abdel-Latif, 1992). The upside of this is that the degree and magnitude of these problems in transaction costs depends on the salient features of the business in the region, on the regions conducting trade and investment itself, the companies or enterprise involved in the transaction, and even the socio-political and environmental conditions itself. Furthermore, the enterprise itself may just well revive itself and find its own innovative solutions to get over these problems (Abdel-Latif, 1992). Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Foreign direct investment or FDI refers to any form of investment that earns interest in enterprises which functions outside the domestic territory of the investor (Graham Spaulding, 2010). An FDI calls for a business partnership between a parent company and its foreign subsidiary. The presence of multinational companies concretizes a foreign direct investment. There are two categories of FDIs, inward FDIs and outward FDIs, which depends on the kinds of restrictions the government requires business enterprises to follow. Outward FDIs are direct investments abroad, which requires tax incentives and/or disincentives, and which the government tries to guard from probable risks of any form (Graham Spaulding, 2010). Aside from the classification, a foreign direct investment is motivated by a lucrative market, presence of resources, and efficiency in operating a business in the region (Graham Spaulding, 2010). In any case, a successful free trade agreement between regions base most of its terms and conditions in these three motives. These three motivations are already present in a partnership with GCC and ASEAN. As it is, both regions are said to be complementing each other in the sense that ASEAN countries have a need for the oil industry of the GCC and the GCC countries have a need for the resources, particularly the agricultural sector, for itself. With the advent of new technology developments, more and more companies have been establishing foreign direct investments (Spaulding Graham, 2010). This is partly because communications as well as transportation costs have decidedly become cheaper as compared in the past (Graham Spaulding, 2010). UNCTAD reports that there is an increase in the yearly FDI flow from an average of $10 billion dollars to $20 billion within a decade (from 1970s to 1980s). This growth further hit the roof from $26.7 billion in 1990 to $179 billion in 1998. The amount doubled to $208 billion in 1999. At present, FDIs comprise a bulky portion of global businesses. Satsuya (2009) revealed in his article that among the issues that hinder foreign direct investments, particularly in Malaysia and Thailand, runs parallel with foreign ownership of companies. In the telecommunications sector, distribution and commercial banking, foreign ownership is narrowed to 30 percent. Malaysia limits foreign ownership to industries that have to do with financial industries to 49 percent while foreign banks are only permitted to set up one other branch with a limited number of personnel. But these limitations are not only true with the ASEAN countries like Malaysia and Thailand. Some of the GCC members, like the Saudi Arabia, also imposes its limitations of foreign ownership of real estate and equities. In fact, this corroborates with the study of Zarrouk (2001) wherein he says that Saudi Arabia ranks among those with severe restrictions on foreign ownership in the country. On the other hand, in Bahrain, foreign distribution services could well put up several distribution branches in the country but they are not allowed to participate in direct commercial sales like wholesale and retail. Though the UAE is more friendly to foreign investors offering 100 percent ownership in free trade zones, such as Abu Dhabi, it limits foreign ownership to 49 percent outside the free trade zones. Thus, foreign industry expansions are still limited. Meanwhile, the telecommunications sector remain off limits to foreign ownership as well as the granting of licenses to any foreign bank t o operate as a full-fledged financial institution. Key Issues and Concerns Identified by Independent Papers Along the domestic spheres, Sasuya (2009) identified these factors which the government enforces in order to safeguard most of its defunct local commerce, and thereby contributing to the evolution of trade and investment in the region. Some of these measures involve dependence on subsidies, setting up of importation quotas and exacting high taxes on imports. By so doing, while the GCC and ASEAN regions inadvertently protects its industries from trade it also prevents foreign investments from entering the picture (Sasuya, 2009). In the same manner, it is because of these trade defensive measures that there are deadlocks on negotiations such as a free trade agreement which generally banks in reducing tariffs on imports. For instance, when Japan and South Korea started negotiating a free trade agreement with Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, angst rose from the terms regarding its agricultural tariffs and issues arising from full-ownership of an agricultural company of a foreign n ational also emerged, especially from the Thai end. According to the Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who was also its Deputy Prime Minister, their refusal to bring down tariff on rice imports is due to the fact that 70 percent of the Thais are rice farmers (Satsuya, 2009). In Malaysia, this barrier is much more extensive. With the Malaysian government instigating its Bumiputera development policy, which operates in favor of the ethnic Malay majority who incidentally belong to borderline economy, thereby affecting not only trade but the flow of foreign direct investments. Thus, by refusing to reduce tariffs on rice imports the government is actually protecting its constituents but is, in a way, increasing the transaction costs incurred by this particular deadlock. In the manufacturing sector, high tariffs also act as trade barriers. In Malaysia for instance, automobile imports have high taxes to protect its local automobile industry, Proton. Even if the Thais do not manufacture any automobiles, the country is sponsoring the industry as part of its industrialization scheme in which they envision becoming an auto manufacturing center. Meanwhile, the textile industry is also shielded in the sense that it imposes 20-30 percent tax on all imports (Satsuya, 2009). There exists a statistical relationship between trade influx and political climate. According to Bergeijk (1992) a country with good diplomatic relations also increases its chances of getting bilateral business trades as well as drawing in foreign investors. However, the researcher also warns not to put too much emphasis on this variable as it has less contribution than other economic variables. Nevertheless, the fact that it contributes some amount of influence on the way companies conduct their business should not be discarded. Aside from political and diplomatic relations, a separate study finds that environmental constraints in the form of policies of the region also act as a trade barrier (Kohn, 2003). For instance, if and when a foreign investor should want to import a product which proves to be more polluting than the existing domestic product, the company woul

Saturday, July 20, 2019

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Symbols and Symbolism :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Symbolism is what makes a story complete.   In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald cleverly uses symbolism.   Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing the characters wear.   There are three main symbols used in The Great Gatsby, they are The East and West Egg, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, and the eyes of Dr.T.J. Eckleburg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most important symbols in the novel is class and social   standing. It is like a barrier for almost every character. East and West Eggs act as a symbol of this by its physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the   East which is far more refined and consists of people with more money and a higher social status. East Egg also represents the "old money." Nick and   Gatsby are on the West, which is for people who don't have any real standing, even if they have money.   The West Egg represents the "new money."   The green light shines from the East Egg to the West Egg luring Gatsby towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman that Gatsby has always wanted but   never gets, lives on East Egg. There is also a barrier of water between the two cities that keeps people like Daisy and Gatsby apart from one another and keeps them from reaching their goals and what they want in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another symbol used in the novel was colors.   The first was the green   light.   The light was only a light, however to Gatsby it becomes his dream   for the future.   The light symbolizes hope and dream.   The dream is Daisy.   Gatsby buys the house across the bay so he can see the Buchanan's light.   Later in the story when Gatsby has Daisy the importance of the light   diminishes.   The color yellow in the story often represents death.   Myrtle   dies after being hit by a yellow car.   Another example of yellow representing death is the scene just before Gatsby enters the pool, "He shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees" (Fitzgerald 169).   This   shows that he was about to die just as the leaves in the tree were.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final symbol used in the story is the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.   Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, they are simply   viewed as an unexplained image, as they stare down on the valley of ashes.   The eyes could mean anything to the observer, but they often make them

Friday, July 19, 2019

Gang Violence Essay -- essays research papers

Gang Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays gangs are big issues in America. People who are in gang feel like they belong some where and people care about them. There are various reasons people join gangs, and almost all age group between ages 12-40 are involved in gangs. One of the big reasons people join gangs is because of their needs, protection, and also they want attention from people around them. Gang’s should be taken seriously because today’s gangs are more violent and brutal then they were in 60’s. Gangs do more violent act every day and if police don’t do anything about gangs then it will be hard to control the gangs in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today gang is a big issue when it comes to steeling and money. Usually young kids ages between 13-18 steel more then the older gang member who are eighteen and older. Once the kids start steeling they want more and more things like CD players, walkman, clothes, school supply, games, music, movies and whatever the kids could get their hands on. Also money is the biggest problem in the world because even if people have enough money they want more. But money problem was different for Luis because his family didn’t have much money and they lived in a poor neighborhood. So Luis’s mom told Luis to start working somewhere when Luis was only nine year old. Later Luis started to work with his mother and helped out the family bit. Then Luis met Yuk Yuk who was older then him. Yuk Yuk taught Luis and his ...

Scary Stories :: essays papers

Scary Stories Campfires surrounded by frightened people listening to blood curdling stories of terror, mystery, and murder is where screams were made. Before modern technology, before the flashy lights and whistles of Hollywood there were ghost stories. Some of the most original, chilling, and spine tingling tales ever, were told around these fires, generation after generation, with each one adding his or her own twist. Many spooky tales were scripted into novels and short stories with vividly graphic details. With advances in technology, black and white movies started thrilling lives. These colorless thrillers kept much of the movie going population up at night and checking the closets for mythical spooks. Early films such as â€Å"Frankenstein† would have little to no effect on current thrill lovers. Time changes and so does current technology. Movies in the black and white period made use of intense symphonic music to build suspense and excitement. Building up music and right at the climax a scarey boogie monster would jump out and make an audience shriek, is a common way of producing a scarey part of any movie. In â€Å"The Shining† by Stephen King, the great emphasis is on music as a tool to pump blood through spectators’ veins. â€Å"The Shining† tells a story about a man named Johnny, that looks after a haunted hotel during the winter months, while finishing his novel. With his wife and child he tended to the hotel, while a fierce blizzard blocked them in. As the week progresses, strange occurrences begin to happen and eventually the man becomes possessed by the hotel. In the most famous scene, the young boy is shown riding his big wheel through the halls of the hotel. He rolls across the wooden floors making a hollow wooden noise interrupted by the dul l sounds of rugs scattered across his path. This combination of sounds gives viewers an anticipation of something scary to come. Turning a corner the boy runs into two ghosts of brutally slaughtered little girls that haunt the place. The boy swings around and goes back across the rugs on the wooden floor, faster than before. At the very climax, the boy flies into a room with his father and out of harm’s way. Without the over emphasized sound, this scene would be a pointless and almost useless part of the movie. Twenty years later, humans still enjoy a good thrill, but now extreme visual effects are put into play to try to frighten viewer that have been dulled by the same old routine of music effects with zombies popping out of bushes.