Leadership Principles Essay

Abstract This paper explores the definition of leadership, and how applying the principles of leadership can yield more success for teams in the workplace. It also serves to further explore personality self-evaluation and how personality traits help to define an individual’s leadership likely traits and strengths. Reference will be made to personality assessments such as the â€Å"Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator† (MBTI) and the â€Å"Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment†, and what those assessments imply about an individual. While individuals tend to demonstrate particular trends and traits in relation to the personality assessments, the results are not absolute, and in no way offer definitive information about an individual’s specific characteristics (Scholl 2002). Detailed exploration of particular aspects and principles will yield a more refined working knowledge of leadership and practical applications in the workplace, specifically self-awareness and perso nal recognition of individual characteristics and learning styles. A summary with findings and conclusions will conclude the paper. Leadership Leadership is the ability to get a group to achieve greater accomplishments and achievements than the sum of individuals’ actions. Leadership means taking advantage of opportunities and finding ways to improve upon a situation, whether or not someone else gave you the empowerment to accomplish those goals (Blanchard, Fowler, and Hawkins, 2005, p. 15). Leaders have the innate ability to observe a scenario, realize what needs to happen to realize results, seize the moment and guide others to work together to accomplish a common goal. Ultimately, â€Å"a leader is anyone who can give you the support and direction you need to achieve your goal.† (Blanchard et al, 2005, 133). Self-Evaluation Every person is an individual, and as individuals they naturally have unique personality traits that affect how they interact and interact with others in the world. Personal assessment is a valuable tool that allows an individual to realize their own unique traits and tendencies, allowing them to be aware of precognitive tendencies that they might demonstrate in given situations. For me personally, I was assessed using the MBTI method to be an introvert, who tends to be slightly sensing, somewhat thinking, and strongly judging (https://www.typefocus.com). At first, I took some offence to being categorized in this method, but after researching the general description of my personality, as well as specific definitions of the preference categories, I came to realize that this information would ultimately empower me to become a stronger and more capable leader in the future. A summary of careers suggest that I could become a strong manager that would enjoy a workplace where I could use m y knowledge and organizational skills. I am likely to enjoy occupations that involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. (https://www.typefocus.com). I am able to ascertain that my personality traits suggest I am a person who is capable of teaching others my knowledge and other applicable skills. I am a leader who possesses both information power as well as expert power (Yukl, 2011, p. 193) Another assessment that helped me to understand about my character was the Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment (Scholl, 2002). The Big-Five assessment provided five factors, along with several more specific traits and facets that help individuals understand and recognize concerning their personality. The five factors, or domains, are neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. My low scoring on the neuroticism portion suggests that I am a confident, optimistic individual who is even tempered and relaxed; able to face stressful situations without becoming upset (Scholl, 2002). I had a low extraversion score, suggesting that I am reserved and interpersonally formal; an independent thinker rather than a follower (Scholl, 2002). In the domain of openness, my score was almost dead center, suggesting that I do not have strong tendencies one way or the other (Scholl, 2002). I believe that this suggests that my reaction depends on the situation and the environment surrounding it. I can be curious and imaginative about certain situations, but cautious and conservative for others. Personal morals and ethics strongly influence my openness, whereas I am open to new ideas and thinking about scenarios, as long as they do not violate my personal ethical standards. For agreeableness, my slightly higher than center score suggests that I am for the most part a generous, trusting person who is sympathetic to others. At the same time, I can be suspicious and impatient with those who have disappointed me in the past. This is one aspect that I need to be aware of my past, and how it influences my present and future. I once had an assistant who I trusted complicity attempt to stage a mutiny to attempt to remove me from my position. Thankfully, my employees had enough ethical standards to make me aware of the decision, so that I could deal with the situation through the proper channels. However, as a result of that situation I have found it much more difficult to trust subordinates, and I tend to be suspicious of actions that could be viewed as disloyal and insubordinate to me as a manager and leader. For the final domain, conscientiousness, my score was again dead center, but the results for this particular section made me think more deeply about myself. I had always thought that I demonstrated the traits associated with someone who scores high for conscientiousness, but I must accept the fact that I may have tendencies that are normally for those scoring low. For me to be successful, I must constantly be aware of these traits, and be able to recognize and adjust my actions when I act in a way that is not conscientious. The guidelines representing how to promote emotional intelligence in the workplace (https://www.eiconsortium.org) suggested twenty-two steps to assess the situation, instigate change, then transfer power and evaluate how everything worked. The company I formerly worked for must have been influenced by these guidelines, as I had been introduced to the process years ago, and was a continual body of work for me as a retail manager. For every employee that was hired, whether full or part time, I had to assess them as an employee, and implement a training program that would yield the best results for the company. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and I enjoyed showing how every employee had an impact on our store, and their effort and personal pride could have far reaching impact on our daily success, both for sales and customer satisfaction. The process of encouraging transfer and maintenance of  change was mainly designated for the management team, but that was an essential process for our team. I simply could not do it alone: I needed every member of the management to perform to their potential, so that we could function as a team, and each member of management would learn and better their skills for the next advancement opportunity that might come along. It was through this process that I was able to train and advance several members of management, many of whom are now store managers with their own stores to run. Leadership Style My personal leadership style is supportive leadership. I will always try to empower others around me to be aware of their potential, and support them when they need assistance. As Yukl suggests, I use my interpersonal skills to be supportive and compassionate with others as they try to get their work done (Yukl, 2011, p. 64). I attempt to learn more about an individual’s personality, so that I can find a way to best assist them in their own growth and leadership potential. That requires a being a coach who is sometimes there to boost their confidence, and at other times kick them in the rear when they are not putting forth their best effort. At the same time, I realize that it is not possible to provide the motivation for everyone. Every individual has different motivations, and ultimately must take responsibility for creating their own work environment (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.29). I am aware that to be a successful leader, I need to be able to not only empower others, but to show them how to be leaders unto themselves. Every individual needs to be aware of their own strengths and powers before they can lead themselves (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.62), and I plan help others find their way to lead themselves, and ultimately lead others to success. References Blanchard, K., Fowler, S., & Hawkins, L. (2005). Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing, Inc. Buckingham, Marcus (2005). The One Thing You Need to Know†¦About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success. New York, NY: Free Press. Lencioni, Patrick (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Scholl, Richard (2002). Dispositions: The Big 5 Personality Assessment. Retrieved from University of Rhode Island, Labor Research Center Web site: http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Dispositions_Big_5.htm Yukl, Gary (2011). Leadership In Organizations, Eighth Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Linking Verbs

Who could forget the time when one needed a person to serve as a â€Å"bridge† to another person or to something? Also, people have relatives and they are connected by their immediate family members to these relatives. For example, a person is related or â€Å"linked† to his/her grandfather through his/her mother or father. Thus, the link is the parent for this instance. The same is true with verbs for there are the so-called â€Å"linking verbs.† These linking verbs are considered to be the part of the sentence or phrase which â€Å"implies state of being or condition for the subject, [and] not action† (â€Å"Linking Verbs†). To put it more clearly, the linking verb is included in a sentence to connect two different parts of the sentence. In addition to this, the linking verb tries to connect the subject to the parts of the sentence to which it is related (â€Å"Action Verbs and Linking Verbs†). In our previous example of relatives and families, an analogy may be made between the parents and the linking verbs for the two seek to connect two different things or persons. Examples of linking verbs include â€Å"am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have, been, etc† which are forms of the verb â€Å"be,† â€Å"become,† and â€Å"seem† and all of these are considered to be always linking verbs in their sense (â€Å"The Linking Verb†). It is easy to identify the linking verbs for without these, there would be lesser thought to the sentence if none at all. Taking this statement as an example, â€Å"The blue sky is my source of inspiration in finishing my painting† would show that –is serves as the linking verb. It links the blue sky to the phrase â€Å"source of inspiration.† When one is given such sentence, it would be very easy to discern that it is the blue sky is the source of inspiration because of the inking verb. Imagine deleting the linking verb for the statement. It might give a general and vague idea that may be understood by some but can not entirely be discerned. The linking verb may be used for three instances, which is to link the subject with a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective (â€Å"Linking Verbs†). An example of a linking verb that connects the subject with a noun is â€Å"Ana is a queen of her own dreams.† Could you identify the subject and the noun? Indeed, Ana is the subject and the word queen is the noun to which the subject, Ana, is connected. Going to the next, which is connecting the subject to a pronoun, a statement that could be used as an example would be â€Å"The big mansion down the road is his.† In that statement, the big mansion is connected to the pronoun â€Å"his† and this shows that the big mansion is owned by the man referred to in the statement. Lastly, the linking verb is used to connect the subject to the adjective which it is related to. For example, â€Å"The steps she made towards the aisle were as graceful as ever.† The subject here is the word â€Å"steps† and the linking verb is â€Å"were† and this is connected to the adjective â€Å"graceful.† Aside from discussing the purpose of the linking verb, it is also important to take note of when the action occurred to be able to place the correct linking verb. Linking verbs are important in constructing sentences with thought. In one whole page of words, it could be seen that linking verbs play an important role in weaving the ideas together and to show the relationships between the two. Never forsake the usefulness of the linking verb for, though it may only be a few words, it surely makes the difference for the whole thought. Works Cited The Linking Verb. Robin L. Simmons. 23 March 2008 [http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/linkingverb.htm]. Action Verbs and Linking Verbs. 28 April 2002. Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. 23 March 2008 [http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/grammar/actionlinking.htm]. Linking Verbs. Keelee Weinhold. 23 March 2008 [http://grammar.uoregon.edu/verbs/linking.html].

Baby Can You Love Me Essay

Essex Hemphill is an extremely paradoxical poet, for his verses are a combination of that what seems to be impossible to combine. He uses strange and shocking wording in order to make his audience look at usual problems from unusual point of view. In this regard his â€Å"Baby Can You Love Me? † is one of the most indicative among his verses, if not the most indicative one. Love an death are melted together in this Freudian poem, that reveals the deepest layers of human Eros and Thanatos with the first being the desire of life and the latter being the desire of death. Hemphill’s poem makes it clear that these two desires can sometimes be one. Essex died on AIDS that he has caught during sexual intercourses in a black gay community. He was perhaps aware of his prompt death when writing â€Å"Baby Can You Love Me? †, and thus one can ask what is the rationality of asking to kill oneself and killing a loved one who would certainly die soon? From the rational point of view, the poem is senseless. However, what Hemphill’s poetry surely lacks is rationality. This is not a classical verse with a tone, voice, rhythm and metre. In fact, I am not sure whether Hemphill knew something at all of these formal aspects of poetry. â€Å"Baby Can You Love Me? † has no plot and even no visible characters. It is a poetic question, and it is hardly important whether it is a man asking a man or a man asking a woman, or a woman asking a man, or a woman asking a woman. It would be better to say that this is one personality asking another personality, and this asking personality experiences deep inner crisis that makes him or her turn to the most hidden and most unconscious motivations of own â€Å"I† that Hemphill was not afraid to articulate, reveal and analyze in his poem. This is a deeply psychological intuitive poem that can not be understood by analysis. In order to understand Hemphill one needs a kind of mystical insight, one needs to feel what he has felt and try to feel what he has felt when writing â€Å"Baby Can You Love Me? † The poem opens with a classical question of all enamoured humans asked ever since men learned what is love, although this question is asked in a â€Å"horribly† informal manner usual for marginalized communities of black youth. This question is immediately contrasted with another one: Are you willing to kill me if I ask you to? What makes Hemphill ask this question immediately after confessing love? Perhaps it is the word â€Å"willing† that might help to understand that. This is a kind of examination, a test of love that can be true only if the wills of the loved ones are combined in one will. For most people losing the truly loved one is a tragedy. So the question can be reformulated in a following manner: â€Å"are you ready to subject me and you to terrible suffering in the name of love? † Classical literature from Shakespeare to modernity provides examples of killing loved ones out of painful passion, and Hemphill puts feeling to test by this passion. There are many reasons for which one individual can resolve to put a violent end to the life of another individual, but killing out of love always means killing out of passion. I can hardly imagine killing out of tempered love. So the question is as follows: â€Å"is your love so strong, have you lost your head so much that you can kill me? † This passionate plea for death can be nothing but an up-to-minute whim, yet in order to instigate someone to commit murder even this up-to-minute whim of a lover has to become a law for another lover. Love makes people stronger, although this strength sometimes borders on insanity. It is unusual and unnatural for most people to kill someone else or commit suicide. And Hemphill hesitates whether he can kill himself, thus asking his lover for help in fulfilling this last will: If I’m unable to do so Are you willing to kill me? Once more we come across this formal aspect of will. Hemphill asserts that his will may be not enough to consciously die, so he needs a combination of two wills to fulfill his wish. Perhaps he already knows what is love, so now he is willing to know what is love’s eternal opponent death like, but he has not enough will, so he needs an another will, an another â€Å"I† that would not be tied with natural instinctive will of life and whose will would be purer and stronger. In the concluding lines of the poem Hemphill does indirectly confess what his problem is about. It is in fact fear that keeps him alive. He thus needs bravery, and can there be a greater bravery than the one of an enamoured individual in a moment when he or she confesses his or her feelings. So Hemphill asks: Can you be as brave and clearheaded as you are now, professing that you would love to love me? â€Å"Clearheaded† is perhaps one of the worst characteristics that can be applied to passions, for ‘clear head† is an antipode of passion. On the other hand. murdering the loved one with â€Å"clear head† is a certain demonstration of the place that love occupied in the consciousness of an individual. Hemphill speaks of such high stage of passionate love when it becomes a part of a personality, and when the head becomes cleared and heart becomes brave because of and due to this passion. A lover is â€Å"clearheaded† professing â€Å"love to love†, yet the poem eventually revolves around death. Does this mean that â€Å"love to love† implicates â€Å"love to death† and are lve and death interchangeable in the sense of Hemphill’s â€Å"Baby Can You Love Me? † Hemphill himself answers this question positively in the last lines of the poem: But could you kill me If I asked you to? † This passage echoes the first lines of the poem. â€Å"Baby can you love me† and â€Å"Baby can you kill me† are indeed interchangeable questions. The ending resembles the medieval style of rondos – poems that started and ended with the same lines, symbolizing perfection and circularity of the verse. Whether consciously of not, Hemphill applied this method in his poem and interconnected the two contrasting oppositions into a unity. Love is measured by death and death is measured by love for Hemphill. He does not say that directly, but he makes us feel that.

Helicobacter pylori in gastrointestinal disorders Essay

Helicobacter pylori in gastrointestinal disorders - Essay Example pylori is the production of urease (Graham & Sung, 2006). H.pylori infection is typically acquired in childhood, and affects children by the age of 10-years in developing countries (Graham & Sung, 2006). In developed countries, an age-related increase in prevalence of the disease is seen (Graham & Sung, 2006). Humans are the primary reservoir of infection and the primary mode of transmission is person to person (Graham & Sung, 2006). Oral-to-oral transmission is supported by the finding of H. pylori in dental plaque and saliva by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) while fecal-to-oral transmission is supported by the finding of H. pylori in stool by culture and PCR (Graham & Sung, 2006). Gastro-oral transmission is also possible but more evidence is needed (Graham & Sung, 2006). The ability of H. pylori to colonize and damage gastric mucosal cells is determined by the immune gene polymorphisms of the host and the gastric acid secretion (Kusters, van Vliet, Kuipers, 2006). In addition, bacterial virulence factors like the cytotoxin-associated gene pathogenicity island-encoded protein (CagA) and the vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) help in the colonization (Kusters, van Vliet, Kuipers, 2006) and also triggers the host inflammatory response by activating the nuclear factor kappaB-dependent gene transcription (Zarrilli, Ricci, Romano, 1999). â€Å"Urease and/or motility of the bacterium, presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and various bacterial enzymes† are also known to affect the colonization (Lee, 2005.) The healing of the gastric mucosa is also impaired â€Å"through inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent signal transduction pathways and induction of apoptosis† (Zarrilli, Ricci, Romano, 1999). H. pylori infection also may lead to the progression from chronic gastritis to gastric adenocarcinoma (Zarrilli, Ricci, Romano, 1999). The â€Å"cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), which encodes the type IV secretion

PERSONALITY THEORY (PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER) Essay

PERSONALITY THEORY (PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER) - Essay Example Jung was very influential and changed the way many people thought of psychology in his time, adding a certain mystical or spiritual dimension to some of Freud’s basic categories. And, like Freud, Jung has remained a respected part of the field of psychology, even in today’s modern world. According to Jung’s theories, life’s primary goal is to achieve self-realization, or a harmonious blending of the many components and forces within the psyche. â€Å"Although self-realization is never completely achieved, approximating it involves a†¦ journey of self-discovery† (Hergenhahn and Olson, 2003). The analyst’s role, then, in this situation is to help the client through a sectional modality to find as much self-discovery and self-realization as possible within the parameters of the interview setting, or to present this modality in terms of analysis. reacted to as if they belong to another object or person† (Scharf, 2004). The individuation process was also seen by Jung to be potentially induced by trying to make a connection in the individual between their conscious and unconscious self/selves, through analysis and deliberate action. Jung favored this form of coaxing out the individuation process in an analytical setting. Obviously, the individuation process does not occur during early childhood, and is seen by most to have its roots in the second half of an individual’s adult life. â€Å"Perhaps Jung’s most original contribution is that of the collective unconscious and archetypal patterns and images that arise from it† (Scharf, 2004). Jung was also somewhat strict about the individuation process being facilitated only by his own methods and descriptions, and was distrustful of other methods such as yoga or other eastern paradigms of awareness and enlightenment as being legitimate. The goal of the individuation process

Bus law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bus law - Case Study Example The Verbal Negotiations Winston Graham, a partner of antic dealers, went to Daly Car Sales Ltd., a commercial vehicle dealer, to purchase a van after one of their three delivery vans was â€Å"written-off† in an an accident. Graham conveyed that he was in search for a replacement vehicle that can load up to 1 ton and a cubic capacity of 200 feet. He also explained that the vehicle will be maximized for regular delivery of furniture, their business, and that the average journey would involve normally four or fine large items of furniture. Immediately, Alan Daly retorted that there was an available van that will befit Graham needs. He was referring to a White Transit XL which he warrants as a van with capacity to run at a distance of 48,000 miles on the clock and the storage capacity suitable enough for delivery of furniture. ... The asking price was L4,800 (plus VAT) but Winston counter-offered a price of L 4,500 (plus VAT). Mr. Daly finally accepted Winston’s offer and they proceeded in signing the contract of sale, the latter was a standard form contract, the nature of which implied â€Å"take it or leave it† concept. Daly wrote â€Å"White, Transit XL, 48,072 miles† as details of the object of the contract. A week after the delivery of van, the firm’s driver reported a serious oil leak and a technical problem with its clutch. These problems were conveyed to Mr. Daly via telephone who assured Graham that his company would look into the problem if it will be returned to them before the end of the week. Graham failed to follow Daly’s advice following series of delivery schedules. Said van collected five antique desks and other heavy items which reached approximately the weight of 1 ton, just when its brake failed to stop the vehicle at a junction. Luckily, they were able to escape possible accident. But such experience made the driver decide not ever to use the new van for deliveries and collection to evade possible circumstance that an accident could happen anytime van’s defective engine and brake. The firm however used the van for â€Å"light duties† until it finally came to a halt. After thorough mechanical inspection, it was reported that the van necessitate complete replacement of engine and of clutch. Report also bared that the damage is attributable to constant loss of oil. The van’s total repair will cost more than L 1,000. While at this state, Graham discovered that the vehicle has only a cubic capacity of 150 feet and a load of half a ton. The Exclusion Clause The contract of the sale of van had an exclusion clause under Clause

Literature College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Literature College - Essay Example In this kind of struggle we will see that a deep sense of pride in their heritage and culture is the power that enable them to counter the prejudices and priorities of the white dominant culture and help them preserve what they value most, regain what they were deprived of and find their place in the modern world. Carol Geddes (2007) recounted such a struggle. She reminisced her growing years as a native in their home in the Yukon Bush and the experiences of living in a culture where family, the extended kind, was of paramount importance. She recalled the most heart warming memory as the "feeling of acceptance" and "security in every pair of arms" that carried her, as children were wont to be carried and passed upon during those times (Geddes 86). And this experience was something magnified and replicated in their whole village (Geddes 87). The advent of the Alaska Highway presaged the end of their way of life; and the "tremendous upheaval for Yukon native people" (Geddes 88) was beyond the intelligence or concern of the whites. While the family culture did not vanish the socio-physical dislocation introduced elements - alcoholism, absentee parent, epidemics, broken family - that began to threaten it (Geddes 88). The concept of education along with religion - meant to bring about the best in people - were the very ones that seek to crucify to death the native's sense of personal worth. Geddes recalled one incident in school where the teacher, either ignorant or unmindful of the Indian boy- girl social role, asked her to answer a question her cousin was not able to answer, something unthinkable in Indian society, and which devastated both her and her cousin. She recalled how subject assignment without giving the native students prerogative to choose cast them as "stupid" and she remembered how the experience was "terribly undermining" (Geddes 90). Another aspect that ran conflict with white's dominance and touched the very core of their being was their sense of identity as a people. Another native Canadian, Thomas King (2007) recalled how as a young boy of twelve her mother could not be intimidated to declare herself as Canadian but insisted on identifying her citizenship as Blackfoot before Border Immigration Officers, both from the Canadian and American

China as a threat to the US Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

China as a threat to the US - Research Paper Example China has become so strong economically and militarily that it has caused debates to erupt regarding whether or not it would ever go into a war with other powerful countries in the world in genral and the US in particular. However, the fourth generation’s leadership in China considers nourishment of a peaceful environment its most sacred goal so that the Chinese people can be pulled out of poverty. The US has been facing the issue of dealing with a politically repressive yet economically rising China since the late 1990s. There have been frequent debates about the containment and engagement policies. China can be considered as a threat to the US because of a number of reasons that include but are not limited to â€Å"A RISING ECONOMIC POWER ARMED WITH A ONE-PARTY DICTATORSHIP AND INCREASING MILITARY CAPABILITIES, FEAR OF A COLLAPSE OF CHINA, AND THE VISIBLE STRENGTH OF CHINESE NATIONALISM† (Zhao 85). China is, indeed, a threat to the US on economic grounds. The main con cerns of the stakeholders and the policymakers in the US with respect to China include â€Å"CHINA’S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN AN UNDERVALUED CURRENCY, ITS MIXED RECORD ON IMPLEMENTING ITS WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) OBLIGATIONS, ITS RELATIVELY POOR RECORD ON PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR), AND ITS EXTENSIVE USE OF INDUSTRIAL POLICIES† (Morrison para. 2).... In case the Sino-American tensions keep rising, the whole world in general and Asia in particular would be divided into a new cold war. If that happens, it would result in sustained growth of the prospects of conflict and confrontation thus posing threat to the growth of China’s economy. Alternately, â€Å"A DEEPENING U.S.-CHINA ENTENTE WOULD BRING WITH IT INCREASED POSSIBILITIES FOR STABLE, SUSTAINED WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF OUTSTANDING REGIONAL DISPUTES, AND THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF PRESSING GLOBAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING TERRORISM, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS† (Friedberg 36). China is likely to resuscitate as a threat to the US after the removal of the threat of terrorism because of her rapid economic growth. China understands that the major powers in the West are the driving forces behind the development of the current international system. China is very much likely to take measures to develop such internation al norms that address her own interests. Thus, it is very important for China to take a more active role in the creation of the new world order. Taking everything into consideration and visualizing the matter in a broader frame, it becomes apparent that â€Å"CHINA IS MORE LIKELY TO POSE A THREAT TO U.S. INTERESTS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA THAN TO U.S. GLOBAL INTERESTS, AT LEAST FOR MANY DECADES† (Ross and Feng 11). In spite of the fact that China poses threat to the US both economically and militarily since it is a nuclear power also, it is unlikely for China to erupt into a war with the US. War happens when the challenger that starts overtaking the dominant power is dissatisfied. The combination of overtaking, dissatisfaction, and parity happens to

Graduate Schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Graduate Schools - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that graduate schools equip students to think with a high degree of open-mindedness. Graduates are not fixed in their thinking. They are open to debates and are quite flexible with respect to decision making. They are able to recognize and assess situations critically, make assumptions, implications and practical consequences of their actions. Accordingly, they act after assessing situations with sharp and open minds. This paper makes a conclusion that graduates also master great communication, human relations and communication skills. They go through intensive theoretical and practical learning that transforms them into useful assets in the society. They are relied upon to figure out solutions to complex problems at individual, group and societal levels. This is because the graduate schools have equipped them with knowledge and skills to solve such complex problems. Think tanks in virtually all fields of knowledge come from graduate schools. Whether in the field of medicine, technology, religion, humanities and social sciences, the leading brains are produced from the graduate schools. Strategic global thinkers with diversified knowledge and skills come from these graduate schools. From the foregoing, graduate schools play very significant roles towards the growth and development of the society. They contribute to research and development in economics, politics, social sciences, cultural aspects and religion. The society needs graduate schools to do research, enhance global competition and build a very vibrant economy

Proposal (Subject-Mental Health and Criminal Justice) Research Paper

Proposal (Subject-Mental Health and Criminal Justice) - Research Paper Example Here, we develop a proposal on behalf of a community mental health support group. This proposal is developed using empirical evidence from previous methods. Issues of public safety and ethics are paramount. As such, we analyze the process of law enforcement as applied to the mentally ill, and in so doing, we delineate strengths and weaknesses of traditional methods of dealing with these problems. Our population of interest is those who have not responded well to conventional clinical-legal methods. These are the people who have been traditionally called lost causes or incorrigibles. Our proposal builds upon previously successful models as a consolidated inter-disciplinary method. Briefly, our proposal is one of laissez faire. Forced participation in mental health and substance abuse programs are most often not appropriate especially for people who have the ability to independently improve their own lives (Chandler et. al., 2004). Ultimately, it is a profoundly human endeavor to help others live down their own shortcomings. This is a certainty upon which any method should operate. Although their presence is becoming much more significant, offenders with mental illnesses are still some of the most disenfranchised groups in society. Here, we propose improved methods of dealing with this population in a criminal justice setting. As such, we present the background and rationale for our proposal as well as its details and predicted outcomes. As we explore relevant information with respect to mental health and criminal justice, we are faced with certain questions. Do we include alcohol and drug abuse as a mental illness? How much is the system itself responsible for aggravating mental illnesses in the population? Does punishment (particularly confinement and isolation) make matters worse or maybe even create a lasting state

Costa Coffee Essay Example for Free

Costa Coffee Essay 1. Executive summary In this business report we are analysing the business environment in which our company – BESO and its main competitor – Costa Coffee operate. The main objective is to research, analyse and understand the competitor’s business strategy, to find out if there is a gap in their action plan and how we can take advantage of this. The report consists of SWOT analysis of BESO and PEST analysis of both companies. The target markets of both – BESO and Costa Coffee are similar. That makes the competition between them even bigger. The report also discusses the marketing approach and the various advertising campaigns conducted by Costa Coffee and the advertising techniques we decide to adopt in the long run. The distribution system of Costa Coffee is also considered and plans to expand to different locations. The pricing strategy of BESO is based closely to the strategy of Costa Coffee as we have adopted competitive pricing. In terms of ethical issues we examined the various types of corporate social responsibilities of Costa Coffee. 2. Introduction. The business report includes an analysis of Costa Coffee as a main competitor of BESO Coffee. The report examines the business environment where both companies operate in. It has been requested from the Marketing Director of BESO and also has to be focused only on the UK market. 3. BESO – Brief history BESO Coffee is a coffee chain settled in the UK in 2001. It has been established by an independent trader but later on when the business has grown, new stakeholders appeared. At first BESO’s target market was limited as well as the products it offered- only a few types of coffee and limited types of confectionary. However, only two years after launching BESO on the market it became popular through different groups of people, therefore the menu became much diversified and the target market as well. BESO has shown great performance during the years and has become one of the most recognized names on the current market. That is why Costa Coffee is determined as a main competitor of BESO. 4 5 The Marketing Profession 4. SWOT and PEST analysis 4. 1. SWOT analysis Strengths †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Efficient and trained staff Customer loyalty Brand recognition High quality coffee Friendly and relaxing atmosphere for our customers. Weaknesses †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Limited number of outlets Low levels of advertisement Interior design needs updating More range of the types of coffee available. Continual change in consumer taste Can be seen as an unhealthy product Opportunities †¢ Based in Central London which covers a large demographic of customers Olympics 2012 will bring in more sales Introduction of new products including healthy options. Retailing mugs and coffee equipment Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Customers demanding fair-trade and organic coffee. Big chain coffee shops dominating the market. Economic issues and crisis Lack of ownership of primary resources e. g. Coffee farming. †¢ †¢ †¢ 4. 2. PEST analysis There are many different Political, Economic, Social and Technological issues that both our company and also Costa Coffee face within the coffee industry. Firstly, the first political issue to consider is that majority of coffee beans are brought and made in developing countries, so companies need to ensure that their coffee is made by fair-trade dealers and they need to consider the ethical conditions of the labor used. Another political issue includes all the taxes and tariffs incurred by any business operating within the UK, whether it be import tariffs or VAT on goods sold. The economic factors that our companies face are similar to the issues faced by many businesses within the whole goods and services market, this including the economic recession of 2008. Customers now have less disposable income to spend and as a result cut-down on the purchasing of non-vital goods. This is due to of unemployment rising and the levels of debt increasing. The social factors that need to be taken into consideration is that consumers are spending more money on coffee due to the demand for quality goods. This can be seen in the comparison of value of tea and coffee industry with coffee valuing at 738 million according to the Times (2008). As a result, companies need to ensure that buying coffee is not only a quick purchase, as they need to have value-added for customers including high quality coffee and a relaxing 5 6 The Marketing Profession atmosphere. Lastly, the technological issues that both our company and Costa face is the introduction of self-made home coffee by the use of coffee machines specifically tailored to make at home, for example, the Senseo coffee-machines. This can be seen as a threat to coffee shops as it is a cheaper alternative for customers in the long run. 5. Target market According to a Mintel report titled Coffee Shops published February 2012, Two thirds of consumers buy coffee out of home, rising to three in four among 16-24-year-olds as core users. Costa Coffee has the highest number of outlets within the UK totaled to 1,302 coffee shop chains as opposed to Starbucks who has 739 and Caffe Nero with 509 shops. It also claimed that Costa has different store designs to suit different purposes such as ‘Metro’ which is aimed at the younger/urban consumers and ‘Evolution’ which is designed for more mature customers in provincial locations. It states its customer segments are ‘Recharge, Relax, Refuel’. Therefore the target market for Costa Coffee ranges from a wide range of customers of different ages as it caters to many different needs. Students have been said to make up 30% of their target market, Professionals 45%, Families 10% and mature consumers 15% of the clientele. At BESO Coffee, our market we aim to target at is very wide as it ranges from teenagers to mature customers. We even target at families as we offer menus for younger children and parents. Our products are reasonably priced so it can be bought from people of many different income level groups, from working to upper class. 6. Marketing approaches Costa coffee have used many different marketing approaches and campaigns in order to succeed within the industry as it is important to continually update their marketing strategies. Costa has introduced campaigns such as How Do You Like Yours’, which allowed customers to customize their coffees by for example adding espresso or syrup. This helps them differentiate themselves from competitors as it gives consumers more power and control over their purchase. Another campaign introduced by Costa was the arrival of Costa light in 2011, which offered low-calorie and healthier options to customers. This was an important step for Costa as there has been an increase in healthy eating trends, which can be seen in the figure below. Figure: Consumer demand for display of calorie content on restaurant menus, June 2010-December 2011 6 7 The Marketing Profession. Other campaigns included the launch of Costa Coffee Gift Card in November 2011 which allowed customers to buy card with pre-paid amounts of up to ? 75 and a more recent campaign at the beginning of 2012 when Costa collaborated with the Spirit Pub Company which ensured that Costa coffee would be used in its restaurants chains including Chef Brewer and Flaming grill. Costa has used many forms of media to advertise their campaigns to the public. One method used to inform customers was through the use of television advertising in 2008 whereby Costa launched its first ad. The advert helped to illustrate the superiority of Costas products and according Reynolds (2010) its message was that the brand is on a mission to save the world from mediocre coffee and seven out of 10 coffee lovers prefer Costa. Other forms of media used by Costa include Billboards as it can be seen by many commuters within the UK by their use of big bold writing and minimal distraction of the main message. Their billboards are distinctive as they have a continual theme colour, text and logo, which are recognised by customers. Our approach to our marketing campaign is to use alternative uses of media to portray our message, including the use of the Internet, as it is a popular form of media used in today’s society. We aim to use Facebook and Twitter to advertise our campaign and the company as a whole as it covers a large demographic. 7. Distribution strategy Costa operates in the UK through its own coffee shops, franchises and wholesale outlets. On the18th of October 2011, Whitbread stated that the number of Costa UK stores had risen from 1,217 in March 2011 to 1,302 in September 2011, including 95 openings and ten store closures. In comparison, Costa International increased its stores from 654 to 701 during the same period, including 72 openings and 25 closures. Meanwhile Costa Express/Coffee Nation units increased from 877 in March 2011 to 934 in September 2011, taking account of 79 openings and 22 closures. These units are partnered with service station operators such as Moto, Esso and Welcome Break, retailers like Tesco and The Co-Operative and foodservice group Compass (Mintel 2012). In a market with low loyalty levels, advertising and promotion is important in keeping brands in the forefront of consumers’ minds. Costa Coffee looked to sustain an emotional response among consumers with the marketing supporting its launch of Costa Light variant in autumn 2011 through an advertising campaign that used slogans such as ‘All the love, none of the handles’ and ‘Extra feel good in every cup’ (Mintel 2012) Customers were also encouraged to see the lighter side of life with its Costa Light Comedy Challenge competition. Costa’s aim was to showcase up-and-coming comedians by asking them to submit a one-minute film via its website. A public vote then saw the top ten entries from five regions go through to a further round to be judged during one-off events across the UK, with the campaign finally culminating in two regional winners performing at The Comedy Store, London (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s distribution system is broad with a balanced portfolio across high streets, retail parks, concessions, airports, rail and other travel hubs as well as an increasing number of stores in new locations such as universities and hospitals. Innovative distribution channels, such as Costa Express and Drive Thru are developed. They will extend the brand’s reach and increase accessibility for the customer (Whitbread, 2010). 7 8 The Marketing Profession Andy Harrison, chief executive of Whitbread said that popping out for a coffee has become a firm fixture of peoples lives. â€Å"Coffee culture has grown massively over the last five to 10 years – people have a real demand for quality coffee and a choice of different coffees, he said. When I was kid everyone wanted a Nescafe – that has definitely changed. (The Guardian 2011). 8. Pricing strategy. Costa Coffee is a well-known, high valued and trusted cafeteria all over the world. They offer wide range of high qualitative coffee drinks and food, excellent services and relaxing atmosphere. Costa relies on their superiorities and offer comparatively higher prices because they have realized that the luxury comes with the price. Costa Coffee offers two sizes of drinks medium and large and the price difference between them is not significant. In this way they encourage their customers to buy the bigger size, because the amount of the drink is bigger and is on almost the same price as the medium one. But even the medium size of cappuccino is served in a cup with the size of soup bowl, so Costa Coffee has a reason to charge a relatively higher price because of the value they give, even though in most cases customers do not need such a big amount of drink although they have to pay for it. In this way, Costa is able to sell cheaper coffee to regular customers, who are aware of the amount of the drink (with elastic demand) and sell more expensive coffee to infrequent visitors, therefore the cafeteria makes big profit from each cup of coffee. This is the corporate strategy and how Costa found a way to charge comparatively higher prices than most of their competitors. This strategy has some disadvantages and threats such as the present credit crunch, which might affect the sales and the budget of Costa Coffee as they target middle and upper middle class, therefore in the time of recession customers may prefer some of the cheaper competitors. 9. Pricing strategy that we will adopt competition based pricing strategy One of the biggest advantages of the Competition based pricing strategy is that in the same time you are focused on your business and objectives and on the competitions strategies. Once you understand what the competition is doing, you have the chance to do everything better and to gain a competitive advantage (Jobber 2008), therefore to increase the number of customers and to gain bigger market share. There are three types on competition based pricing methods: †¢ †¢ †¢ Price your product the same as the competitor Set your price to increase customer base Seek larger market share through price Compared to Costa Coffee we are fairly new to the market so it would be more appropriate for BESO to adopt the Competition based pricing as a strategy that will allow us to grow fast as competitive brand. In order to achieve biggest results we will match/mix the three competition-based pricing methods. BESO will offer similar products as/like the Costas products but on lower prices, therefore BESOs market department must always be aware of what the competition is offering in order to provide better value for money. In this way BESO will has the opportunity to outline its advantages as comparing similar products as those of the competition but on lower prices (even pence). Once customers understand our priorities they will use to come to BESO as a place, which offers better value for money, 8 9 The Marketing Profession. therefore we will increase our market share (Palmer and Hartley 2006). In terms of increasing customer base, the process is similar to market penetration, we have to select a price that will beat the competition and doing that we will motivate customer to notice our products and to make a purchase decision. Market penetration pricing works well in the introduction stage of the product life cycle and in a highly competitive market, as you increase the production some of your costs will decrease. During the next stages of the product life cycle the price can be increased (Jobber 2010). The easiest way to increase the market share of BESO is to select prices that will attract and hold as many customers as possible (depend on target). It is recommended to adopt the Market share pricing after the business achieved market penetration, because they are linked as the market share happens when large volume of products are sold. So it is better if things happen step by step. And finally the market share is calculated by dividing the amount of each company sells out of the total market and in this way the market leader is determined. 9. 1. Disadvantages of Competition based pricing †¢ †¢ †¢ There is a danger to ignore your own production cost if you focus too closely on the competitors prices. It takes more time to research and update competitors information. Competitors also can copy whatever price you select. 10. Customer service Loyalty is particularly low in the coffee shop market, making customer retention a key area of improvement going forward (Mintel 2012). At the start of 2012 Costa Coffee launched the ‘Just How Do You Like Yours? ’ campaign. It aims to highlight the customizable elements of its products, a key differentiator to its lower-priced non-specialist competitors such as EAT and Pret A Manger. A clear pricing strategy was also included in order to appeal to consumer’s sense of value for money. For example, customers can now add an extra shot of espresso or sugar-free syrup shots to their drinks for 35p per unit. Also, in 2011 Costa Coffee launched gift cards (Mintel 2012). Although consumers state that convenient location is more important to them than the brand of coffee chain, operators can still capture consumers’ attention through qualities other than price. For example, two in three users think that quality is the most important decision-making factor when choosing where to buy hot drinks, whilst nearly half disagree that they usually choose the cheapest venue. However, with so many brands trading off of a quality positioning, operators have to ensure that they are differentiating themselves on additional levels, hence the trend towards lifestyle branding in the wider eating out market (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s reputation for excellence applies not only for the exceptional coffee but also the insistence on perfect service. â€Å"Recruiting and retaining highly motivated and talented people is essential and great emphasis is placed on improving the skills, expertise and 9 10 The Marketing Profession performance of our people through award winning, industry-leading training and developing programs† (Mintel 2012). 11. Costa Coffee’s attitude towards environmental issues Consumers are extremely careful about environmental issues, trying to buy environmentally friendly food and drinks. Most of the customers feel that it is their duty to save the environment in order to live healthier. That is why most companies are under a lot of pressure to change their attitude towards the environment most often related to greener, packaging solutions, recycling and many others. Costa Coffee is the first UK coffee chain buying beans from Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ farms. From October last year, almost 100% of the coffee beans for Mocha Italia blend are from certified sustainable farms. Costa Coffee is also a member of UK Paper Cup Recycling Committee, their cups are made from sustainable sources and that’s saves about 1,100 trees a year. The ingredients from which the cups are made of are all from iconic recyclable material and are made using only certified sustainable pulp. Vegetable Costa Coffee is also concerned about its coffee-growers and in 2006 it registered a Costa Foundation, dealing with the improvement of the welfare of coffee-growing places like Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda and Vietnam. Costa Coffee is also a partner with Cafechurch network, supporting local community. The organization deals with environmental issues, fair trade, divorce and stress problems and others. People are feeling well, being part of a great atmosphere, live music, good communication, and a lot of interviews, having the opportunity to understand more about the Costa Coffee Foundations. 12. The competitor’s CSR activity Costa Coffee is not achieving basic standard of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The coffee company does not give a specific data for the carbon footprint. Its environmental data is part of the environmental data of its parent company-Whitbread. 13. What is your attitude to CSR/environmental issues going to be? The aims that Costa Coffee manages to do are quite a lot. Some of the first ones are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Developing Costa Coffees energy environmental strategy. Managing carbon reporting and ensuring compliance for CRC. Maintaining the ISO50001 system. Working with manufacturer’s waste contractors and NGO to improve takeaway cup recycling. 10 11 †¢ †¢ The Marketing Profession Developing Costa Good Together CR programme . By 2012/13 Costa Coffee aims to help 15, 000, providing them access to education. That target will help to bring together the communities, helping adults to find jobs and trades. The coffee chain aim is to raise ? 750,000 alone during 2012/13. Costa Coffee will try to dedicate Energy Environment Manager in Costa Coffee. That will be useful, trying to insure more control and to organize the best structured plan for the company. Costas cardboard cups are not recyclable, even though the cardboard can be recycled. The other ingredient in the cardboard cups, the ink and the glue, cannot be recycled. The target environmental plan of Costa Coffee is to use vegetable ink and degradable glue on its cups. Costa Coffee is raising money to build schools in regions where a lot of coffee farms take place. There are already 22 schools in developing countries. That makes a big difference for a lot of young people who have the opportunity to study. Costa Foundation is also taking care for the supplement of special healthy nutritious meals and laptops for the children. †¢ †¢ †¢ 14. Conclusion Based on the researches and analysis that have been done BESO has a great potential to use Costa’s disadvantages and to convert them into our opportunities for prosperity. Offering similar products as those of Costa Coffee but on lower prices and in the same time launching our own products (BESO’s cupcakes) is a good strategy to gain a competitive advantage. Slight changes in the interior design of our cafeteria would be refreshing and a good way to attract new customers. Furthermore increasing our advertising activities would be an opportunity to remind our customers and in the same time to inform our new potential customers about BESO’s fantastic services and great value for money. 15. References Baker S. (2003), New Consumer Marketing, West Sussex, John Wiley Sons Ltd Cooper D., Schindler P. (2011), Business Research Methods, New York, McGraw Hill Education Economics Help (2008), Costa Coffee UK and Sales Techniques. Available at: http://econ. economicshelp. org/2008/08/costa-coffee-uk-and-sales-techniques. html [Accessed: 20th March 2012]. Government of Alberta (2012), Methods to Price Your Products. Available at: http://www1. agric. gov. ab. ca/$department/deptdocs. nsf/all/agdex1133#competition [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Jobber D. (2010), Principles and Practice of Marketing, London, McGraw Hill Education 11 12 The Marketing Profession Kotler P. , Armstrong G. (2006), Principles of Marketing, The United States of America, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data LinkedIn (2011), Costa Coffee Energy and Environment Manager at Whitbread. Available at: http://uk. linkedin. com/pub/ollie-rosevear/14/672/948 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel (2012), Brand Communication and Promotion. Available at: http://academic. mintel. com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=59 0036/display/id=611992#hit1 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel.

The film versions Essay Example for Free

The film versions Essay The setting in this version is very ominous. It begins with a boy, Pip walking along a road past the gallows, which gives the audiences the feeling that danger is about because gallows were we criminals were murdered so it hints that a criminal is about. The sky is gloomy and looks like it is going to rain. You can tell this even though it is not it colour. As Pip goes into the graveyard, you can see the empty moors in the background. The graveyard looks intimidating because of the gravestones that look like people so it seems like someone is watching Pip, this makes the audiences feel like someone is watching them too. As there is no one about, it makes it more frightening because there is no one to see what happens or anyone to look after Pip. This is exaggerated because there are no people around so it makes it daunting. All together the setting is a place that most people wouldnt go to unless there was a good reason or if they did go in they wouldnt go in alone. This makes the audiences fell nervous and part of the action. There is a lot of sound in the 1946 version, the wind is howling and you can hear the trees creaking, because of new technologies and special effects some people might say the it sounds fake but it would have sounded very atmospheric at the time it was made. The sounds make the audiences feel like they are in the situations where the wind is howling and the tress are creaking. When Pip speaks his voice sounds very innocent and childish which makes the audiences think he is more venerable, Magwitch voices is dark, menacing and forceful which would send a chill down the audiences spin. The differences in the voices and the atmospheric sounds build up the tensions in the first scene. Pip is dressed in poor-looking clothes but he still looks like he is well cared for because he is wearing warm clothes, we already know from the sounds that it was cold, the wind in the trees. Magwitch is wearing rags and looks poor and scruffy. We know that he is a criminal because of the shackles around his feet. Portraying them like this tells the audiences straight away who the people are so it doesnt need to be explained. The lighting is used to great effect and helps create the atmosphere which colour does now. Although there is not any colour they are still ably to show some things though light. You can tell if it is light black and white or dark black and white. The most effective part is when Magwitch has Pip on the gravestone, when you see the both together it looks like Pip is in the light and Magwitch is in the dark, this is trying to express that Pip is nice and innocent and Magwitch is the malevolence person, this is done by making the light and setting brighter behind Pip than it is behind Magwitchs this makes the audiences think Pip is nice and Magwitch isnt all though they my not notice it. Nonetheless the light helps you to feel what the setting is like for, example the dark sky suggests it gloomy, if you didnt use lighting it would make it harder to tell. Being in black and white some people say it looks boring but I think it creates a misty atmosphere that adds to build the tension. The camera changes between the two characters Pip and Magwitch and doesnt show them both together to start with, this is done quickly when each one is talking, doing these speeds up the pace of the first scene. It only showed part of their face to start with not all of it. Its also effective when Magwitch looks down at his feet, which shows us the shackles, this is done because it make the audience feel like they know what he is thinking. Having the camera change between the two doesnt give the audiences time to take in the face until it show them together, this makes the audiences eager to see what he looks like.

The Lively Art Of Writing Questions English Language Essay

The Lively Art Of Writing Questions English Language Essay 1) The difference between an opinion and a fact is that an opinion can be used as the main topic of an essay. It is based on partial knowledge of a subject where the writer thinks what seems true. In a fact, however, the statements are based on absolute certainty and can be proven if needed to. Facts can not be used as an essay topic since no sides exist, meaning no people to persuade. 2) Although facts do not make admirable essay topics, they do provide the needed support for an opinion. If an essay is purely based on personal feelings, nothing is available to prove those emotions. What is needed are strong facts which can show the reader the impartial aspects of the main idea. 3) Opinions may prove a writers viewpoint, but not all of them are created equal. In terms of writing an essay, a more detailed opinion (more than just a yes or no answer) is preferred. This makes the topic more interesting to read and forces the writer think in a less general perspective. The legitimacy of the opinion is also considered when it comes down to quality. A writer needs a statement that creates controversy to stir up interest. An opinion that is generally accepted to be true would not be a topic to choose since hardly any factual evidence would exist to support the opposition. 4) Assuming a writer has all the background information needed, an essay topic on an American foreign policy would be a great choice. In this opinion, one nation is enforcing a rule based in another country. This would pull people from both America and the foreign country to either oppose or support this policy. With the numerous amount of people involved, controversy will be unavoidable. This controversy plays a key role in the topic since people will be interested and want to see how this policy will support/oppose their own views. 5) Of the five groups of topics, only one from each group would make a strong topic. In the first group (A-D), Sewing as a Hobby would be the better choice since people have different viewpoints on how sewing is a hobby. The variety of topics in sewing would also give the writer the work of narrowing the topic down to a single or few aspects. In group E-H, the choice would be Driver Training Programs Cost Too Much. This is an excellent topic for both support and opposition and for looking though the viewpoints of multiple people, such as students, parents, or other people in a community. The winner of best topic in the third group (I-J) would go to Moby Dick, Americas Greatest novel. This statement would relate to anyone who has read the novel and has created an opinion on the quality of it. Using these opinions, interest would be created and people would gladly voice their love/hate for the classic. In choices M-P, the best topic would be High Points in American Literature. Great am ounts of literature have been composed in American history and that would bring out numerous high points. People will have their views on which should be crowned best. In the final group (Q-T), The Student Council is Outmoded would be the choice since this would stir up views from teachers, students, and parents. Depending on their likings of the student council, they would strongly support or oppose it since this audience would have a strong view on what is best for the students. 6) The chief difference between a typical term paper and an essay is that an essay is mainly a persuasive piece of writing. In it, the writer writes on a certain topic which reflects his/her opinions. In a term paper, however, the writer is mainly focused on providing the facts in order to tell about a subject. 7) A. Edison Invented the Electric-Light Bulb would be a poor essay topic since that is a fact and it can be proven without much effort. B. The weakness of Teachers Should Explain Things More Clearly is that this topic is too emotional. Hardly any facts that would prove this true. C. No weakness lies in the topic Science Has Influenced Modern Life. D. Safe Driving Should be Encouraged is another weak topic as this statement is supported by a vast majority of people. It would be ridiculous go against safe driving. E. Although The Responsibilities of Students may seem like a feasible topic, it is actually quite poor since varieties of responsibilities exist and they can mostly be agreed on by everyone. Chapter Two 1) The difference between a thesis and an opinion is that an opinion is a broad idea. This cannot be used as a strong basis for an essay, but when it is condensed down to a specific point, it becomes a thesis. A thesis, now with all excess information cut away, is now ready to become a main point of an essay. 2) To narrow down an opinion to a thesis, five steps are required. The first step is to take inventory, and that means to take into consideration all that is known about the topic. After seeing all the information available, ask questions that derive from the opinion. Make sure that the questions asked are still related to the topic. When a question that seems appeasing is found, look for relationships between this question and the original opinion. Try to find what commonalities they share and search for statements that can be used as a thesis. Then ask the yes-or-no question; if both a supportive and negative statement can be given, then it is on its way to becoming a thesis. The final step in the process is to qualify the statement by narrowing it down. Choose which point to write on and specify a degree of support/opposition. 3) The value of a yes-or-no question is small when it is viewed as a an essay topic, but is very useful in finding a proper thesis. The question will help define a particular viewpoint, which is the basis of growth to a more specific statement. It will also help determine whether or not the statement is appropriate for use as a thesis. 4) Qualification of a thesis is important since that is where the the feelings toward an opinion come in. Qualifying outlines the degree of support or opposition, thus it helps guide the writer on the right path when writing an essay. This process is also useful for looking at both sides of an opinion and it can help the writer take them into consideration. Chapter Three 1) The three elements that create a full thesis are the statement itself, the supporting points, and the opposing points. 2) In writing, the full thesis is related to the psychology of an argument since the goal of a thesis is to persuade, just like how one tries win in an argument. Arguments arent won just by pure factual information nor is it won by emotions alone. The thesis statement highlights the main view of an argument, thus taking a stand. Then the use of both the supporting and opposing statements are used to persuade the reader/opposition. With these two sides, the persuader can use factual information along with some opposing statements, in an attempt to win by including facts with a hint of emotion. 3) The full thesis statement should be kept in view when writing since this prevents the writer from steering off into another topic. It also reminds the writer of the degree of the thesis and in turn, this ensures the appropriate details are being added into the essay. 4) When writing an essay, a full thesis should be followed as much as possible, but it is possible to have some leeway. The thesis should only be used as a guide since there should always be creativity in a paper. Following this guideline is great for beginning writers, but as experience racks in, it will be normal for writers to sway away from following a strict guideline. Chapter Four 1) An essay needs a concluding paragraph since it ties all of the middle section together. It brings the essay to a formal close, thus leaving the reader with satisfaction. 2) The introduction helps write the conclusion since the format of the two paragraphs are very similar. The introduction starts out broad and narrows down to a point (the thesis). In a conclusion, however, the thesis expands out into the broad subject used in the introduction. Therefore, the writer can look at the introduction and then use the information to help plan out the conclusion. 3) It is likely that the introduction will have to be rewritten since the middle is not necessarily completely based off of the thesis. Ideas will frequently change throughout the writing process, thus the intro could then become inaccurate. It must be revised to fit the new middle section before the conclusion is made since it is significantly based off of the introduction. 4) The structure of a conclusion is the exact reverse as that of the introduction. It starts out at a specific point (thesis) and gradually works its way to become a vague idea. Instead of trying to prove a point in the middle, it is tying in (restating) the middle section. 5) Every time an idea from the middle is used in the conclusion, it rings a bell in the readers mind. The reader recognizes this statement from the essay and is thus once reminded. This will be an effect that prolongs the memory of the ideas listed in the essay. 6) A person can summarize without listing by using references to the middle text or introduction. Instead of listing the points, talk about the significant points, thus the reader is reminded and the deadly three point conclusion is not used. 7) To broaden a conclusion means to get more vague in a subject until the broad point is reached (which would be the idea used in the beginning of the introduction). The writer reviews what was stated in the preceding starting form the first sentence in the conclusion, therefore the writer begins to talk more vaguely. Chapter Five 1) Style in writing is similar to style in any other kind of activity since it takes time to create. Just like how athletes train to get skill and gracefulness, a writer must train to get his own expertise. Style also is what stands out to the audience. Similar to how people admire different athletes for different traits, readers will learn to respect a writers method. 2) It is important to learn what not to do in writing since that is how the writer gains experience. If a writer was told only what to do, he can make numerous mistakes and not even notice it, as they are abiding by the to do rules. He must be told what not to do in case of the multiple times that this event might take place. Just like in bowling, the person is told to roll the ball to try to knock all of the pins down. If he is not informed to not cross the line, then he could walk over it and not know the consequence until its too late. 3) Two rules that shall be applied to my writing is to only use third person and to never use the word there. 4) The use of a personal pronoun weakens a statement since it gives the reader a sense of the writers uncertainty such as in the sentence I believe that animal cruelty is wrong. If no pronoun is used, then the writer is giving a sense of command and confidence just like in Animal cruelty is wrong. 5) To substitute first and third person means to revise a statement so that only a third persons point of view is used. The process usually involves cutting out the personal parts if it is substituting for a first person view and rewording if for a second person view. 6) The elimination of the word there forces writers to use better verbs since it requires thought to fill in the blank space. Leaving the space blank would usually mean a boring sentence. It is best filled with an action verb to give the sentence life.

Hamlet is not Insane in Shakespeares Halmet Essay -- essays research

"Alas he's mad" (3:4:108) How far do you agree with the statement that Hamlet is mad? A great controversial talking point of the play Hamlet is whether he was mad or in fact making people think he was mad. I disagree with Gertrude's statement that Hamlet is mad. I ask you what the definition of madness, the relatively permanent disorder of the mind, a state of mind characterized by the inability to distinguish right from wrong. Indeed Hamlet only acts mad in front of certain people such as his mother, Polonius, Ophelia, Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who he knows are spying on him. I think Hamlet by using his mad faà §ade hides his real intentions and motivations from his enemies and people that will give away information, thus driving them to madness instead. Causing Ophelia to drown, Polonius stand behind that curtain, Gertrude to drink from the poisoned cup and Laertes to put poison on his blade. Shakespeare uses Hamlets fake madness as a catalyst for the surrounding characters demise. As Gertrude says when hamlet confronts her, about marrying his uncle. ?Oh Hamlet thou hast left my heart in twain.? (3:4:154) Ophelia certainly is driven mad, partly by her father?s emotional manipulation on her, but also I believe by hamlets, denying of their love, and taunting after he finds out she is used to spy on him. Claudius I believe does, have reluctance and sometimes portrays the characteristics of a mad man, when he finds out he has been tricked by Hamlet, after the Mousetrap he shows the manic tendencies. This could be equated to anyone in the same situation. Even Claudius and Polonius believe Hamlet is not insane,- ?Love? His affections do not that way. Nor what he spake, through it lacked a form a little. W... ...the end of the play Hamlet does being to become unstable, maybe like many characters in other Shakespearian plays (Macbeth) they become enwrapped in their plan and thus become what the have pretended to be, this is shown maybe in the way in how at the end Hamlet delays no more, he has had enough. Hamlet is such a complex character originally in the play its hard to determine his exact motives, even the audience in his monologues feel there are motives and emotions deep inside that he holds back. I think Hamlet is a character that Shakespeare had many emotional feelings about. The idea that his son was called Hamlet and whether there alone is a connection. In this play I think Hamlet is trying to get the message across of how the Elizabethans poorly treated mental illness patients by treating it as something more demonic and locking them up in poor professional care.

Temper tantrums Essay -- essays research papers

Temper tantrums occur when a child is tired, hungry, uncomfortable, or not feeling well, too warm, or wearing scratchy or tight clothing. It's best to try to find out what caused it so you can try to avoid the circumstances that might trigger another outburst. Temper tantrums are found to be most common among 3-5 year old children. Boys more often than girls display temper tantrums. A number of behavioral problems are associated with temper tantrums, including thumb sucking, sleep disturbances, bed-wetting and hyperactivity. Most children displaying temper tantrums come from families in which both the mother and father are present. Researchers suggest that one possible reason for this might be the parents' expectations and discipline methods conflict. Young children often become confused when parents use different discipline methods, their confusion can lead to frustration and temper tantrums. Children act by parental example. If adults tend to have outbursts, children are most likely going to follow their example in handling their frustrations. Parents need to learn that they have to control themselves. They can't expect their children to control their tempers if they can't control their own. Physiological needs also are a big part. If a child is hungry or fatigued, they are more likely to have a temper tantrum. Make sure that they child is getting enough sleep and having their meals on time. A small snack after school should also be provided. Be sure ...

arab women :: essays research papers

For many generations, women vowed to give their all, and instead of receiving the equal treatment of love and appreciation, they were oppressed and degraded. In Egypt, a woman did not have the right to divorce herself; therefore, she had to put up with all the humiliation, mistreatment, unfairness, and inequality everyday. Today, women are celebrating the new law of â€Å"Khul’†, which gives the woman the right to divorce herself with or without her oppressor’s consent, but the question is: does the woman become really free? In our parents days, women had truly suffered extremely damaging marriages, being totally helpless and with no power. Some women tried to use their parents, others used the police, and some just accepted bad marriages as their fate. In the cases where the husband treats his wife aggressively by beating and causing injuries, the woman can provide evidence by police records and hospital certificates, but men always refute these evidence by saying that the wife caused these injuries herself. Thanks to the khul’ law women can finally move a step forward in gaining their rights, while moving closer to equality with men. However, we also see that many other factors still affect a woman’s decision of whether or not to get a divorce, and some consequences of freely taking this decision. In the Egyptian society, the marriage relationship is a very sacred one. It assembles between a man and a woman who are supposed to have common characteristics and their relation to be built on mutual understanding. Accordingly, almost all couples experience a happy and comfortable life in their earliest years of marriage. However, after they become accustomed to each other, the defects of each begin to appear and they may reach a point where they are unable to tolerate each other, let alone live and raise a family together. So, problems arise and lead to divorce. Yet, divorce is extremely problematic for women for several reasons. First, women’s families and the society do not accept divorce easily. Second, men have the right of divorce whenever they want. Third, according to the old divorce law, women used to face many problems in courts to obtain divorce. But according to the new law khul’, women will be able to obtain their freedom easily, and they will be able to f ace their families and society by the force of law and Islamic Shariaa.

Empathy in “To kill a mockingbird” Essay

Empathy is the ability to share in or understand other‘s emotions and feelings. It is the term of emotional understanding and a special skill for individuals. This skill requires people to look at things from other people’s views. According to Atticus Finch, ‘you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view†¦ until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.’ There are many circumstances in this novel where empathy towards others is demonstrated or learned by positive characters such as Atticus, Scout and Jem. Unlike Atticus who is probably one of the most empathetic characters throughout the whole novel, it takes certain experiences such as their dealings with Walter Cunningham and Mrs. Dubose for Scout and Jem to develop this unique quality. The first character, Atticus, shows empathy to many people throughout the story including Miss Caroline, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Atticus first shows empathy for M iss Caroline when Scout came home complaining about getting in trouble by her, â€Å"’ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view†¦until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’† (Chapter 3). This is One of the most important lessons Atticus teaches his children, which is that empathy should not be limited to people who seem nice on the outside. Atticus tells his children to use their imaginations, and feel what others feel before making a judgement. A Second example is Atticus’s empathy for Boo, which is developed after a long period of time of listening to people tell stories, which then gives him a bad reputation throughout the community. When Atticus realises that Scout, Jem, and Dill are playing a game about Boo’s life, he tells them to stop because he does not want the kids to believe what other people tell them all the time, they need to learn that not everything another person says is true. Throughout the novel Atticus proves to us what a respectful and empathetic man he is and also shows his strong beliefs towards racial equality which was an uncommon quality in a man during the 1930’s. A prime example of his empathy towards people suffering racism was when he agreed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongfully accused of rapping a white girl. To Atticus, cheating a black man is the worst thing a white man can do â€Å"There’s nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who’ll take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance†¦ whenever a white man does that to a black man†¦ the white man is trash.† (Chapter 23).

World Trade Orgtanization and the Ready Made Garment Industry of Bangladesh; a Critical Analysis

Assignment On WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND THE READY-MADE GARMENT INDUSTRY OF BANGLADESH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS Submitted To: Professor Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque Department of International Business University of Dhaka. Submitted By: Sheikh Rashedul Islam Student ID: 80116043 Subject: Theory & Practice of International Business Course No:EIB-510 MBA (Evening Program), Department of International Business University of Dhaka. Submission Date: January 6, 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am heartily thankful to the course teacher of Theory & Practice of International Business, Professor Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque; whose encouragement, guidance and support from the initial stage to the final level enabled me to develop an understanding of the topic and prepare this assignment. I thank all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of the assignment. Date:January 6, 2012 Table of Contents: Abstract:4 Introduction::5 Textile imports vs exports in Bangladesh6 Data & Simulations:7 Aggregation of GTAP database version 5_1:9 Ready made garments MFA export tax equivalent:9 Average import-weighed tariff in Bangladesh:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 RESULTS :12 Experiment 1: ABOLITION OF MFA QUOTAS:13 Conclusion:17 Reference:18 WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND THE READYMADE GARMENT INDUSTRY OF BANGLADESH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS ABSTRACT Since the 1980s the export oriented readymade garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh has experienced an extraordinary evolution: This trend was accompanied by a tremendous rise in the export share from 0. 2% in 1980 to nearly 75% in 1997-98. High concentration on low value-added products, strong dependence on imported textiles and high regional concentration of exports characterize Bangladesh’s RMG sector. The main policy framework is given by the WTO’s Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) which follows the former Multifibre Arrangement (MFA). By 2005, the sector is to be fully integrated into GATT rules and existing quotas currently hampering trade will come to an end. Thus, it can be expected that worldwide trade in textile and clothing will expand and that production in now discriminated regions will increase. However, existing import tariffs for textiles, strongly supported by local textile producers, hinder the current RMG production in Bangladesh. In this paper we will discuss how future policy developments may affect the RMG sector of Bangladesh. For the analysis we used the comparative static general equilibrium model GTAP. In this model quotas resulting from the MFA agreement are included as export tax equivalents. Compared to China and India, Bangladesh has less restricted access to the most important markets the EU and USA. The experiments simulate a full phase-out of the MFA quotas, as well as a reduction of import tariffs in the textile and clothing sector. First results indicate an increase in RMG production in Bangladesh, but compared to China and particularly India growth rates are quite modest. It is shown that the effects resulting from textiles imports tariff reduction in Bangladesh itself are stronger than the MFA phase out. This demonstrates the importance of the existing tariff regime for textiles. Furthermore it can be shown that RMG imports from Bangladesh to NAFTA are reduced while China and especially India significantly expands their exports to this region. Although Bangladesh can augment its RMG exports on the second large market, the EU, again it looses in competitiveness against China and India. INTRODUCTION The export oriented readymade garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh has experienced an extraordinary evolution: having started with 9 enterprises in the late seventies, the number has now grown to over 3000. This trend was accompanied by a tremendous rise in the export share from 0. 2% in 1980 to over 80% in 1998 (WTO, 2002 and figure 1). With a value of about 4 billion US$, the RMG industry has clearly become the dominant source for Bangladesh’s export earnings. Figure 1: Textile imports and RMG exports of Bangladesh Source: GTAP v5_1. However, Bangladesh’s RMG sector is characterized by some unfavourable circumstances: the sector highly depends on imported fabrics. In 115 out of 127 categories of fabrics the share of imports exceeds 70% (CPD, 1999). Figure 1 shows that over the years about half the export earnings were spent on textile imports. Since natural conditions in Bangladesh hardly allow for a huge expansion of cotton production, this problem will continue in the future. Additionally, the added value in the apparel sector is quite low. The sourcing of textiles for the Bangladesh RMG industry has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, as can be seen from figure 2. In the 1980s, the dominant suppliers were the high-income Asian countries, led by Japan with an import share of more than 40%, and followed by Korea with a share of about 10%. Until the mid 1990s, Korea had taken over the position of Japan as the leading source for textile imports, with a share of around 30%. Since then, India has expanded its textile imports into Bangladesh, and more recently China has started to assume an increasing importance. By 1998, 35% of textile imports were sourced from China and about 20% from India. Figure 2: Composition of textile imports of Bangladesh [pic] Source: GTAP v5_1. Note: Last figures for India are 1997 data. Figure 3: Bangladesh exports of clothing to USA and EU 1980-1998 (in billion US$) [pic] Source: GTAP v5_1. Bangladesh’s RMG sector is concentrated both in regards to export products and export markets: the concentration of products is much higher than for India and China, two important competitors on international markets, while 90% of Bangladesh RMG exports are going to two markets, the EU and the USA (see figure 3). The main policy framework is given by the WTO’s Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) which follows the former Multifibre Arrangement (MFA). By 2005, the sector is to be fully integrated into GATT rules and existing quotas currently hampering trade will come to an end. Bangladesh faces quota in two markets, the USA and Canada. Due to the Generalised System of Preference (GPS) the important EU market provides no quota restrictions for Bangladesh’s textile and clothing products. With respect to other competitors on this market like India and Sri Lanka this presents a comparative advantage. Nevertheless, some restrictions resulting from the Rules of Origin also apply for imports from Bangladesh. In the near future, the EU market for textile and clothing will not only be affected by changes in the ATC agreement, but by bilateral agreements connected to further enlargement processes of the EU as well as developments with regard to the EU? s specific regional preferences. This will particularly influence the market access of the Central and Eastern European countries and Turkey. In general, the abolition of textiles and clothing quotas will initiate an expanded worldwide trade and production in now discriminated regions. This of course will lead to country specific effects depending on regional idiosyncrasies. Concerning Bangladesh existing import tariffs for textiles, strongly supported by local textile producers, hinder the current RMG production in Bangladesh. In the recent past the pure existence as well as the rate of these tariffs has been under heavy discussion in Bangladesh (e. g. The Independent, 2002). Therefore, we will discuss how different future policy developments may affect the RMG sector of Bangladesh. This includes the changes in the global ATC agreement, further developments on the huge import market EU as well as changes in the national tariff regime of Bangladesh. DATA and SIMULATIONS The analysis was done using the comparative static general equilibrium model GTAP. Since the GTAP framework is well known and documented (see Hertel, 1997 and http://www. gtap. agecon. purdue. edu), we will not elaborate on its theoretical background here. However, it is important to note that import barriers resulting from the ATC agreement are calculated into tariff equivalents (see Francois & Spinanger, 2002 and table 2). For the experiments the GTAP database version 5. 1 was used, which contains 66 countries and 57 sectors. The selected aggregation can be obtained from 1. Table 1: Aggregation of GTAP database version 5_1 |Regions |Sectors | |Bangladesh |Rice paddy rice, processed rice | |China |Other Grains wheat, cereal grains | |(incl. HongKong) |Fibres plant-based fibres | |India |OthCrop oilseeds, sugar crops, other crops, vegetables, fruits and nuts | |High-income Asia (HincAsia) |Ofood raw milk, cattle, sheep, goats & horses, other animal products, vegetable oils and fats, | |Other Asia (OthAsia) |dairy products, bovine cattle, sheep & goat meat products, other meat products, wool, silk-worm | |USA |cocoons, beverages and tobacco products, food products | |Canada (CAN) |Extract fishing, forestry, coal, oil, minerals, gas | |Mexico & Central America |Tex textiles | |(CentrAm) |Wap wearing apparel | |European Union (EU) |Lea leather products | |Turkey |LabintMan motor vehicles & parts, chemicals, wood products, paper products, publishing, | |Central and Eastern Europe |petroleum, coal products, mineral roducts, metals, metal products, | |(CEEC) |CapIntMan transport equipment, electronic equipment, machinery & equipment, ferrous metals, other| |Rest of the World (ROW) |manufactures | | |Svces electricity, con struction, gas manufacture, trade, transport, distribution, water, | | |communication, financial services, insurance, business recreational services, public | | |administration & defence, education, health, dwellings | If exports are constrained under the MFA export quota regime, there are lower exports and higher prices than in a free-trade situation. The effects of this constraint can be measured in terms of an implicit export tax or tariff equivalent of the quota rent. Table 2 presents such estimates (from the GTAP v5_1 database) for the wearing apparel industry. [1] The table indicates that the Multi-Fibre-Agreement for wearing apparel is less restrictive for Bangladesh than it is for its main competitors China and India. Table 2: Ready made garments MFA export tax equivalent (million US$, 1997 and as % of domestic market value of exporting region)* ( from ( to |USA |Canada |EU |All |Total | | | | | |other countries | | |Bangladesh |103 |5 |80 |2 |190 | | |9% |9% |8% |5% |8% | | China (incl. HongKong) |1974 |166 |848 |72 |3059 | | |31% |34% |14% |2% |10% | |India |460 |46 |290 |12 |807 | | |52% |52% |18% |2% |24% | |High-income Asia |68 |4 |2 |0 |74 | |2% |2% |0% |0% |1% | |Other Asia |563 |29 |281 |8 |880 | | |10% |10% |7% |1% |7% | |Mexico & Central America |277 |3 |7 |0 |287 | | |3% |4% |5% |0% |3% | |Turkey |24 |1 |0 |0 |25 | | |5% |5% |0% |0% |1% | |Central and Eastern Europe |12 |1 |0 |0 |13 | | |5% |5% |0% |0% |0% | |All other countries |83 |3 |34 |1 |121 | | |2% |3% |0% |0% |1% | |Total |3563 |257 |1542 |94 |5457 | Source: GTAP v5_1. * Not all countries are facing quotas on each export market. The tariff equivalents described here result from the estimation of rents and thus include not only direct but also indirect effects originating from the ATC agreement. The estimated value of the export tax equivalent for Bangladesh is 190 million US$ in 1997, which amounts to 8% of the domestic value of total RMG exports. Exports to the North American markets from China and India apparently face higher quota restrictions, as the estimated ad-valorem tariff equivalent of the quota shows. For example, Indian exports to the USA would be more than 50% cheaper without the quota. The current RMG production in Bangladesh is affected not only by export measures but also by existing import tariffs. Although the country has xperienced some liberalization in the recent past, tariffs for intermediate inputs and especially textiles are high compared to other products entering Bangladesh (see table 3). In international comparison Bangladesh levies relatively high import taxes on its textile impor ts (table 4). Tariffs of more than 30% of the import value are not uncommon. On (trade-weighted) average, textile imports into Bangladesh face a tariff equivalent of 29%, which is three times as high as the world average. According to the GTAP database, the tariffs on textiles have contributed approximately 420 million US$ to tax revenues in Bangladesh. Table 3: Average import-weighed tariff in Bangladesh, fiscal year 1991-99 Import categories |1991 |1995 |1999 | |Intermediate inputs |24. 1 |26. 3 |21. 5 | |Capital goods |18. 7 |12. 5 |8. 57 | |Final consumer goods |47. 3 |26. 4 |11. 2 | |All imports |24. 1 |20. 8 |14. 68 | Source: WTO (2002) after NBR. Table 4: Ad valorem tariff equivalent for textiles (in %) |( from ( to |Bangladesh |Average all import destinations | |Bangladesh |n. a. |11 | |China (incl. HongKong) |36 |12 | |India |10 |10 | |High-income Asia |33 |18 | |Other Asia |20 |11 | |USA |32 |8 | |Canada |n. a. |2 | |Mexico & Central America |n. a. |8 |European Union |32 |5 | |Turkey |n. a. |12 | |Central and Eastern Europe |n. a. |10 | |Rest of the World |34 |10 | |Total |29 |10 | Note:Calculated from value of imports at domestic market prices over value of imports c. i. f. , GTAP v. 5_1. n. a. : not available or import flow negligible. Since the RMG sector of Bangladesh is restricted on the export side as well as on the imports the simulations analyzed in this paper include two experiments. Experiment 1 (EXP 1) focuses on the export market. It simulates firstly a complete phase-out of the ATC agreement and secondly specific relevant developments on the EU market such as the Eastern Enlargement and a preferential agreement with Turkey. Experiment 2 (EXP 2) additionally describes a reduction of import tariffs in the textile sector of Bangladesh by 20%. RESULTS Experiment 1: ABOLITION OF MFA QUOTAS What can be expected for Bangladesh if all quota restrictions on textiles and garments trade are abolished by December 31st, 2004, as foreseen in the ATC? The main competitors of Bangladesh’s RMG sector, located in India and China, are relatively more restricted by the ATC agreement than Bangladesh’s producers. On the North American markets, Mexico and Central American countries have increased their market positions over Bangladesh as a result of closer regional integration in the Americas. On the European markets, exports from Turkey and Central and Eastern European countries are competing with exports from Bangladesh. The Eastern enlargement and trade preferences for Turkey imply that the GSP (and Everything but Arms, EBA) preferences supporting Bangladesh on the EU market are losing their importance. In order to capture the latter issue we incorporated the enlargement of the EU as well as zero-tariff access to the EU for Turkish producers in our simulation. Table 5: The MFA abolition experiment | |(1) |(2) |(3) |(4) | | |Average export |Export volumes |Share world export |Share world export | | |price | |volumes 1997 |volumes post-MFA | |Bangladesh |-7% |0% |2% |2% | |China (incl. HongKong) |-11% |60% |24% |33% | |India |-21% |267% |3% |10% | |High-income Asia |-1% |-28% |5% |3% | |Other Asia |-6% |1% |10% |9% | |Mexico & Central America |-4% |-42% |7% |3% | |Turkey |1% |40% |3% |4% | |Central and Eastern Europe |1% |70% |5% |7% | Table 5 summarizes the effects of a MFA phase out on the RMG world market. Obviously, the highly quota constrained exporters from India and China are able to dramatically expand their exports. In the case of China, the model predicts a 60% increase in export volumes. However, exporters now face a price that is on average 11% lower. [2] For India the picture is even more impressive, as exports are simulated to expand by more than 260%, albeit at 20% lower prices. Bangladesh is simulated to maintain its export volumes, but would face a 7% lower price. Columns (3) and (4) in the table compare current world market shares in RMG with post-MFA shares. Clearly, China and India are increasing their world market shares. Table 6: MFA phase out: Effects on main markets, change in export volumes by source and destination (percentage change relative to base 1997) |( from ( to |USA |Canada |EU |of which EU preference | | | | | |effect | |Bangladesh |-21 |-33 |26 |-12 | |China (incl. HongKong) |199 |194 |67 |-19 | |India |752 |632 |80 |-19 | |High-income Asia |-51 |-59 |-30 |-12 | |Other Asia |-13 |-25 |23 |-16 | |Mexico & Central America |-44 |-50 |15 |-16 | |Turkey |-45 |-53 |72 |96 | |Central and Eastern Europe |-43 |-51 |81 |106 | Table 6 focuses on the main export markets. Obviously, Bangladesh is losing ground in North American markets, where China and India are out-competing all other suppliers, including Mexico and Central America. Only on the European market does Bangladesh have positive growth rates. The granting of preferences to suppliers from CEEC countries and from Turkey enables those regions to double their sales volumes to the EU, which leads to a diversion of imports from all other sources. Experiment 2: LOWER TEXTILE TARIFFS IN BANGLADESH. The phase-out of the MFA is an external event that Bangladesh producers and policymakers will have to deal with in some way, but on which they have little influence. In contrast, there are also a number of national policy instruments available that Bangladesh could use to further its RMG industry. One of these instruments is the lowering of import taxes on textiles. It has been seen in section 2 that import barriers on textiles – a vital input in RMG – are relatively high in Bangladesh. The tariffs lead to an average increase of the price of imported textiles by about 30%. Clearly, a lower tariff would reduce the cost of imported textiles to the Bangladesh RMG industry, and this will decrease production costs in the RMG sector. Table 7 reports the effects on RMG and textiles output in case of a unilateral 20% lowering of all import tariffs on textiles (i. e. rom average 29% to average 23%, but with variation according to source region). Table 7: Output changes in Bangladesh, percent changes relative to base | |MFA phase out |lower textile tariffs |MFA phase out + lower | | | | |textile tariffs | |Fibres |5. 1 |-0. 8 |4. 3 | |Textile s |6. 6 |-0. 7 |6. 0 | |Wearing apparel |0. 2 |7. 3 |7. 6 | Table 8: Decomposition of export growth effects Indicator | | |import price textiles |-4. 5% | |price domestic textiles |-0. 2% | |share of imports |0. 3% | |composite price textiles |-1. 5% | |average price other inputs |0. 5% |cost share textiles |0. 7% | |supply price RMG |-0. 9% | |elasticity of substitution domestic/foreign WAP at the importer side |8. 8 | |change in exports |7. 9% | While expansion of RMG production and exports under the MFA phase-out is rather limited, the unilateral reduction of textile import tariffs has notable positive effects on output and trade. In fact, the 20% tariff cut results in a simulated RMG output growth of more than 7%. Not surprisingly, this output effect turns out to be mainly export driven. The lower price for imported textiles in the wake of the tariff reduction drives down the price for textiles that the RMG industry in Bangladesh uses. Table 8 summarizes the important effects. The 4. 5% lower price for imported textiles is combined with a very slight drop of domestic textile prices to yield a drop of the composite textiles price by -1. 5%. Given the large 70% cost share of textiles in RMG production, the supply price of RMG products can drop by -0. 9%. This drop is sufficient to lead importers to substitute towards Bangladesh RMG products. The GTAP model has an Armington import structure with an elasticity of substitution between domestic and foreign RMG varieties equal to 8. for all importers such that the substitution effect alone results in an almost 8% rise of Bangladesh RMG exports. Since Bangladesh is a small player on global RMG markets (market share around 1%), global import levels are not affected by Bangladesh’s cheaper supplies. The conclusion from this exercise is that lowering tariffs on textile imports does indeed boost the competitiveness of the Bangladesh RMG industry. At the same time, the domestic textiles industry experiences some competition from abroad, resulting in lower domestic textile prices and a slight drop in output, but this is more than compensated by increased export earnings in the RMG industry. Figure 4: Welfare effects (equivalent variation, million 1997 US$) [pic] The equivalent variation welfare indicator in Figure 4 provides a summary of effects on the total economy. According to this welfare measure, the main beneficiary of the MFA phase-out is the USA. The importing regions Canada and the EU also benefit, as do India, China and Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey. The latter two regions mainly due to the EU-preference effect. This picture makes clear why not all countries always support the abolition of the MFA. For Bangladesh a slight negative welfare effect of the MFA phase can be observed. The unilateral reduction of textiles tariffs somewhat improves this outcome, but is insufficient to tip the balance. Table 9: Welfare analysis: allocative and terms-of-trade effects, million US$ |MFA phase out |MFA phase out and lower Bangladesh | | | |textile tariffs | | |allocative |terms-of-trade |allocative effects|terms-of-trade | | |effects |effects | |effects | |Bangladesh |-11 |-180 |52 |-338 | |China |3108 |-4676 |3107 |-2715 | |India |2063 |-1806 |2061 |-393 | |High-income Asia |-131 |-168 |-131 |-501 | |Other Asia |74 |-853 |73 |-1348 | |USA |1765 |6350 |1767 |5127 | |Canada |421 |423 |422 |390 | |Mexico & Central America |-211 |-217 |-211 |-1178 | |European Union |707 |50 |716 |16 | |Turkey |163 72 |162 |659 | |Central and Eastern Europe |438 |96 |437 |1286 | |ROW |-387 |-62 |-387 |-981 | Table 9 explains the reason for this negative outcome. The terms of trade for Bangladesh – and indeed for all the quota-restricted exporters – are negatively affected as world prices for garments drop. In contrast to, for example, India, the terms-of trade loss is not compensated by allocative gains in Bangladesh. Closer inspection of the underlying data shows that the negative allocative result in the MFA phase-out scenario is mainly due to the expansion of the domestic textiles industry which is currently subsidized. Expansion of a subsidized activity receives a negative welfare evaluation, because it pulls resources into an activity that could be more effectively used elsewhere in the economy. With lower textiles tariffs, the domestic textiles industry shrinks somewhat and the negative allocative effect is turned in to an allocative gain, as less subsidization is required. CONCLUSIONS The phase out of the MFA changes global patterns of trade. India and China are the biggest winners in terms of output and export growth. In terms of welfare, the importing countries gain most, as the import prices drop. At the same time, this means terms of trade loss for exporters. Bangladesh can only mildly benefit from the MFA phase-out, and loses ground on North American markets. Since the EU grants preferences to CEECs and Turkey, Bangladesh exporters face increasing competition on the EU market. On balance output volumes are expected to be unchanged from Bangladesh, implying a drop in market share in the expanding RMG market. A counteracting policy option for Bangladesh is the unilateral lowering of import tariffs on textiles. This reduces costs to the RMG industry and improves exports through lower supply prices. Macro-economically, increased export revenues easily compensate the loss in tariff revenues. Reference: Source: Office of Textiles and Apparel, United States Department of Commerce. Abbreviations: MMF: man-made fibre; S/V: silk and vegetable; MB: man and boy; WG: woman and girl. ———————– [1]