Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Persuasive essay about abortions Essay Example

Persuasive essay about abortions Paper Abortion has been one of the biggest controversies of all time. Many people believe it is 100% wrong and even consider it to be murder. The definition of abortion is; â€Å"The termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to being capable of normal growth.† These pro-life believers do not support the idea of abortion and believe it should be illegal. Many of these supporters do not know that if abortion were illegal they would still be performed, unfortunately by an uneducated staff. Over 70 thousand maternal deaths occur every year because of unsafe abortions. These women die, so the idea of supporting pro-life is contradictory, this is why the nation should be pro-choice. Pro-choice believers support the right to privacy and the idea women should have the choice to do what they please with their own body and unborn child. As an example, a woman is raped by a man and becomes pregnant with his child. She decides she doesn’t want to keep the baby and she has an abortion because the idea of raising a child of her rapist is too painful for her to deal with. Pro-choice defenders take sympathies to this woman while she then gets called a murderer by pro-life supporters. Abortions sometimes results in the woman being harassed because of the choice she has made about her own body. Sometime situations like this turns into harassment which can be considered to be part of anti-abortion violence. These â€Å"pro-life supporters† stalk, threaten, and even sometimes kill women who have chosen to have an abortion and even the doctors that provide the procedures. Pro-life also supports the idea that every child has a right to live, even if the mother is not financially able to support the child and the child would struggle everyday along with their mother. These children would be underprivileged and could potentially die from the circumstances they’ve be forced to live in. Again this is what people that are considered to be â€Å"pro-life† defend. We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive essay about abortions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive essay about abortions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive essay about abortions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Pro-choice supports the girl that is fifteen years old loses her virginity and becomes pregnant because she wasn’t fully aware of the consequences of her actions. The choice of her keeping the child would result in her getting kicked out of her home, she’d be finically unable to support the baby, and she would lose her education. With abortion she would not have to deal with these issues, though she would have to deal with the emotional aspect of  deciding to terminate the pregnancy. Pro-choice supports the idea she would learn from her mistake and that ultimately it was her choice to do what she wished with her body. Even though these â€Å"Pro Life supporters† think giving up your child for adoption is a better choice than an abortion, but those children would be forced to live in an unfit foster home till they age out of the system. After they turn 18 they are out on the streets what makes the women who would rather just have an abortion have to think about when they know their child is in a foster home and probably no better off than where they would be if she would have just kept it? You have to deal with the emotional circumstances after an abortion for a while but you have to deal with not knowing what the child you gave up has to go through on a daily basis everyday of your life is a lot harder than the emotional toll of an abortion Even though many people practice pro-life because of their religion, it may be surprising to learn that catholic women are 29% more likely to get an abortion than Protestant women, though they are as likely as all women to do so. In Christianity abortion has been considered homicide since Pope Sixtus V declared it so, but the debate didn’t become heated until the 19th century. So even these pro-life supporters sometimes find the circumstances where abortion is necessary. An example of a situation where you may see this is in a given situation where bearing a child and giving birth would kill the mother because of health issues or womb complications the fetus would have. It’s said that the risks of death associated with childbirth is 10 times higher than that of abortion. This proves that life is too situational to say whether or not abortion should be illegal. About 14,000 women get abortions fallowing rape. It is also estimated that there are millions abortions a year. Imagine that those abortions had not occurred with the current population issue in the world, there are over 7 billion people on the planet and we have limited resources which are fading quickly. Pro-life supporters do not see the situations, reasons, and â€Å"benefits† from abortions. They are ignorant to the reason why many women choose to make the decision they do. It is clear abortion should remain legal; even if it seems immoral it can often be the best situation for the  people that have to make that tough decision. Pro-choice defends and protects the people, it is ultimately the woman’s life that would be affected and no one else’s, who would the government be to take that away from us the people? We live in a country based on freedoms, and women have and should continue to have the freedom to that choice. Also, if women are forced to bear the child and give it up or have to keep it there will be so many young girls on welfare and food stamps. Even unemployment because they don’t have the means to take care of these children but are being forced to keep them. Our country in already in debt why are we going to force people to bring in these children just for the government to have to pay to take care of them and be put even further into debt? What do you think about abortion should women be able to make their own decision on whether they should keep THEIR child or get an abortion? View as multi-pages

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Money and banking David S. Ashbys perspective

Money and banking David S. Ashbys perspective The first chapter in Ashby‘s book, Money Mechanics, is the introductory chapter and it is fairly brief in comparison with other chapters in the book. In this chapter, the author introduces some of the basic concepts that the book entails and builds on these concepts in subsequent chapters as the book progresses. One of the main topics in the chapter is money.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Money and banking: David S. Ashby’s perspective specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On this topic, Ashby defines what money is, both as an item that serves as a medium of exchange (as most non-economists understand it), and conceptually as most economists view the term. He starts by giving a brief history on the necessity of money and the evolution of currency from the barter trade system to its current form. He explains that in the barter trade system whereby people would exchange goods and services for other good s and services was hectic and time consuming with one of the reasons being that the buyer had to look for a seller who had the commodity or service that the buyer was looking for. The buyer also had to make determinations on whether the seller was willing to exchange his or her goods or services with the buyer and whether their terms of exchange would be compatible. Ashby explains that having a general item or items that would be commonly acceptable as a medium of exchange, which is the basic definition of money in trade, makes trade more manageable. Distinction between currency and money The author also makes a distinction between currency and money and explains that currency is not always money. According to this concept, three widely acceptable objects qualify as money including coins, paper currency, and checking accounts. Ashby explains that although non-economists find trouble making the distinction, it is important for economists to understand the difference between the two. He elaborates this theory by stating that whether cash (in the form of paper currency or coins) qualifies as money depends on a few factors with the most important of them being whether the cash is in the U.S money supply. The U.S money supply involves cash that is in circulation and in use by consumers as opposed to cash under the authority of money creating institutions such as banks. This is the cash in people’s pockets and the cash that they use for their every day needs.Advertising Looking for book review on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, if such cash goes into a savings account at a bank and thus its ownership goes to the bank, the cash is no longer in the U.S money supply system and the term money ceases to apply to it. Another important aspect that Ashby discusses in this chapter is the velocity of money. He explains it as the number of times that consumers use a dollar over a specific period, usually a year. Under this concept, he gives a simple example that helps in the explanation of the theory. He illustrates the concept by using an inference of a dollar passing from one user to another through the purchase of goods and services. That specific dollar facilitates the acquisition of various goods and services by different consumers over a specific period while in circulation. He notes that velocity is a consumer-controlled concept as it depends on the speed at which consumers apply money in the purchase of goods and services. He gives an example of the length of time it takes an individual to pay bills. In his second chapter, Ashby discusses different aspects regarding the U.S Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve System, and the banking system. He explains the operations of these institutions coupled with their functions agencies that control them in terms of regulation and supervision. The U.S Treasury Ashby explains that the U.S Treasury D epartment is part of the executive branch of the federal government, which is the level of government that controls the various states in the US independently. The treasury’s main tasks as set out in Ashby’s discussion include tax collection through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), sale of treasury securities to supplement the tax revenue, and the production of currency through the operation of the U.S Mint and the U.S Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Ashby clarifies that although the treasury institution produces currency, it is not responsible for creating money as most of the currency produced goes to the Federal Reserve banks. The treasury does not inject the currency directly into the U.S money supply for circulation and thus it does not become money until such as a point when it is accessible to consumers for use in the purchase of goods and services.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Money and banking: David S. Ashby’s pe rspective specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve System (FRS) is the second link in the chain towards the creation of money as it involves the remit of currency by the treasury department to the Federal Reserve banks. In addition, the author makes it clear that the currency deposited to the Federal Reserve banks does not attain money status at this level as these banks serve the purpose of holding money that the treasury department sends and transmitting it to banks, which are the institutions responsible for money creation. Some of the functions that Federal Reserve banks perform include serving as banks for the federal governments, serving as banks for foreign governments and other foreign institutions, and serving as banks for other banks in the federation. Although the treasury and the FRS do not create money, they play a big role in regulating the amount of money available for circulation. This r egulation is a very important role as it establishes the value of currency in use through regulating conditions such as inflation and deflation. The author elaborates that making too much currency for circulation causes inflation, thus reducing the value of each dollar as in most cases prices rise to compensate for the increase in supply forcing consumers to use more dollars in the purchase of goods and services. The value of money is in its scarcity and thus the two institutions have to ensure that the money becomes scarce enough to have value and regulate the same to retain such value The banking system Ashby explains that banks are the points at which the creation of money occurs because they are the points of access for currency for consumers as well as the points where consumers deposit currency and end the circuit of the money supply.Advertising Looking for book review on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A dollar travels from the Treasury to the Federal Reserve Bank then the banks and becomes money when people withdraw it from their various accounts for everyday use thus entering the money supply system. Due to the crucial role that banks play in the creation of money, federal governments have established various agencies that ensure the supervision and regulation of their operations. The agencies mainly operate through depositor protection by ensuring there is stability in the monetary system, thus making sure that there is healthy competition in the banking industry and creating consumer protection mechanisms. In the third chapter of his book, Ashby talks about the effects of the treasury department’s operations on money supply in a state. The author looks at the effects activities such as tax collection, sale of securities, and creation of currency may have on the money supply system. In the book, the author notes that one of the main aspects behind the concept of money is the ownership of currency. Once the ownership transfers from the consumer to commercial institutions such as banks, it ceases to be money as it is no longer in the money supply system. The treasury department has the mandate to collect taxes through the IRS. Once individuals pay their taxes through the agency, the IRS deposits the money in various specific banks within the localities in tax and loans accounts belonging to the treasury department. The same case also applies to the money that people use to buy treasury securities such as bonds and shares. In essence, treasury securities reflect as loans from the public to the treasury department as payment for such securities usually occur on dates. However, Ashby explains that Federal Reserve banks are the ones that bear the burden of these loans. In explaining this concept, the author states that the treasury department usually withdraws the money in the tax and loans accounts at the various banks including money paid for the purch ase of treasury securities. The treasury uses the money to pay the government’s operational bills and some of its debts to other countries. Periodically, the treasury department is supposed to pay back a fraction of the treasury securities with interest, which it does through issuing checks to the individuals, who in turn present them at the various banks in exchange for currency. The banks immediately credit the checking accounts of these people and loose a matching amount in their reserves. They demand compensation for the treasury securities from the Federal Reserve banks, and thus banks experience no losses in their reserves. In essence, the amount of treasury securities that people buy from the treasury department form the amount that the public loans to the government through their reserves at banks, which transfers to the Federal Reserve banks. Therefore, the treasury department’s spending has no substantial effect on the money supply or bank reserves. However, the author states that it is noteworthy that the treasury department collects the amounts in tax and loans accounts just before it applies them in various ways. The logic behind this move is that the amount collected is a lump sum and its application takes some time. Therefore, collecting the amount before it is applicable would cause deficits in bank reserves and a consequent reduction in the lending ability of most banks leading to a credit crunch, a situation that most federal governments do their best to avoid. The author is of the view that the creation of currency also has no net effect on money supply. He explains the process of currency supply up to the point where the currency reaches the hands of consumers and becomes money. The essential point worth noting in this process is that when consumers withdraw currency from their checking accounts, they reduce the balance in the checking accounts by exactly the same amount of cash they hold. Therefore, as both the checking accou nts and cash are forms of money, the two remain at equilibrium as an increase in one creates a decrease in the other. In this chapter, the author discusses how the money creation ability of banks affects money supply. In his discussion, Ashby mentions the different kinds of money that reserve banks have and the effect that lending money has on the various reserves and in turn the money supply system. The primary reserve is the first reserve that the author explains by elaborating that it lays its basis on a reserve requirement whose calculation is done through the application of a percentage set by the regulatory agencies against the total bank deposits customers make. The essence of this requirement is the prevention of a scenario where a bank is unable to remit withdrawals at given times due to lack of adequate funding. The banks keep the reserve amounts either in vaults at the banks or in their Federal Reserve accounts. The second reserve that the author elaborates on is the work ing reserve, which he explains as an amount in excess of the primary reserve that banks keep at hand to ensure there is a sufficient operational amount for withdrawal by customers. Although the law does not require banks to keep this additional sum in hand, some banks experience more traffic than others do in terms of customer, and thus they keep the additional sum in hand for convenience. At times, banks also experience net withdrawals. Ashby defines these withdrawals as withdrawals above the amount a customer has in his or her checking account. Since the law forbids the banks from using deposits from other customers to facilitate a customer’s net withdrawal, banks use their working reserves instead. He notes that working reserves do not prevent the likelihood of net withdrawals, but they prepare bank for the eventualities so that the bank still has sufficient reserves on which to operate. The third type of reserve that the author discusses is the secondary reserve. He descr ibes this as a reserve in excess of both the primary and working reserves. The main use of this reserve is to generate revenue for the bank, as a bank is a business institution that aims at the generation of profits. After banks establish their primary and working reserves, they apply the rest of the reserves in revenue generating projects and investments. However, there are restrictions to the types of investments and projects that banks can get involved in with regard to the risks that such investments involve. The author gives an example of such investments as treasury securities by stating that they are safe, generate interest on the reserve, and are easy to liquidate when the need arises. The securities in this case are a form of secondary reserve. The main point that the author makes with regard to money supply and bank lending activities is that when banks lend to customers, they increase the amount of money in supply as they provide the customer with more money than s/he has in his/her checking account. Therefore, although checking accounts and cash ordinarily cancel each other out in bank transactions, in this case the cash is in excess of what the customer has in the real sense and thus creating an increase in money supply. Banks thus have to exercise caution and due diligence in their lending habits. This chapter of the book is mainly about the Federal Resource System (FRS) and its influence on money supply. Ashby lays out three main tools that the FRS uses to influence money supply, by giving a concise description of each of the tools and their role with regard to money supply. One of the tools that Ashby mentions in the chapter is open-market operations. He explains that they involve the purchase and sale of outstanding treasury securities, although in this case, the treasury leaves the function of transacting the securities to the Federal Reserve. The FRS sells and buys such securities directly from the security owners without involving banks, al though it applies the use of intermediaries such as brokers who conduct door-to-door transactions. The effect that such transactions have on the money supply is that they affect the flow of cash in the money supply system without the involvement of checking accounts thus causing a direct increase or decrease in the money supply. Whether the money supply increases or decreases depends on whether the transactions by the FRS are sales or purchases, with sales injecting money in the money supply system and purchases resulting in the inverse effect. The second tool that the FRS utilizes is its mandate to adjust the level of reserve requirements thereby affecting bank reserves. This tool aims at regulating bank reserves and ensuring that banks do not create too much money because of excesses in bank reserves. Ashby explains that the FRS has the mandate to set the percentages that banks have to meet in terms of primary reserves against the amounts they receive on checking accounts. By redu cing the required percentage on primary reserves, the FRS facilitates an increase in the ability that banks have in giving loans to customers. As earlier mentioned, loans create an increase in money supply thus the FRS utilizes this tool to increase or decrease the amount that banks can give in loans as appropriate. In order to ensure the cushioning of banks against negative effects that come with redistribution of reserves due to various reasons, the FRS offers temporarily borrowed reserves appropriately according to the circumstances. The author gives an example of a bank in an area where the main economic activity is farming. He explains that in such an area, the likelihood that cash deposits increase during harvest seasons and reduce during planting seasons is high. Therefore, the FRS provides temporary loans to banks to enable them have sufficient revenue during the planting season, which they then pay back during the harvesting season when deposits increase thus creating an in crease in reserves. In this way, banks in the area can have a steady supply of reserves regardless of the season and without inconveniencing the customer. The author also adds that the regulation of monetary policy in banking institutions facilitates the creation and depletion of reserves, thus controlling the amount available to a bank for distribution to customers. He mentions the federal funds market and explains that the policies that banks set on the amount of federal funds rates that other banks can pay influences the amount of reserves that banks keep. The federal funds markets operate through interbank borrowing, where banks with fewer reserves can borrow from those with an excess in the same. The disadvantage of this method is that the minimum amount a bank can borrow is usually high, thus smaller banks are unable to use such facilities. Therefore, smaller banks would want to ensure that they reduce on lending to avoid such situations.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nanjing Massacre Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nanjing Massacre - Research Paper Example Later, it was revealed that the Japanese soldiers were given clear orders: they had to kill and rape. In this context, Nanking become a symbol of extreme and unjustified military violence. The Nanjing Massacre is discussed in this paper. Particular emphasis is given on the reasons for which Nanjing Massacre has been considered as a forgotten holocaust of World War 2. Efforts are also made in order to explain why the Massacre is still in the spotlight 70 years after the crime was committed. It is proved that Nanjing Massacre has become a forgotten holocaust of the WW2 mostly because of the violence involved; if the Massacre has been kept at the first line of interest, then the chances for the improvement of relationships between China and Japan would be minimized. Still, the Massacre has remained a spotlight despite the fact that 70 years have already passed; it is clear that the events of that period are still alive in the memory of many Chinese, but also of Japanese, as revealed in the primary sources (interviews), retrieved in regard to the particular event. The Nanjing Massacre has been an event that highly influenced the political choices in China; however, today that the relationship between China and Japan has been improved, the Nanjing Massacre may not be valuable in promoting national interests and priorities, at least at the level of political relations between the two countries. People across China are still allowed to develop activities for remembering the Massacre, a fact that means that the Nanjing Massacre is still in the memory of Chinese people. Thus, the specific event should be further reviewed for understanding its characteristics as part of the WW2 and its importance in the context of the global history despite the fact that 70 years have already passed since the crime was committed. 2. Nanjing Massacre 2.1 Key points of the Massacre If the events related to the fall of Nanjing are carefully reviewed, it is made clear that the brutality deve loped in Nanjing has been unjustified. In fact, the city has been fallen after the end of a continuous bombing, which lasted for about 6 months, from the 15th of August up to the 13th of December 1937 (Li 2003, p.119). It has been estimated that about 160 tons of bombs have been used during the 110 missions against Nanjing (Li 2003, p.119). All these months, people in Nanjing, especially foreigners, have tried to develop shelters to be better protected (Li 2003, p.119). After the fall of the city, in the 13th of December 1937 one of the worst periods for China began. For about 6 to 8 weeks, up to March 1938 Japanese soldiers developed mass killings and rapes in Nanjing, an event known also as the rape of Nanjing (Li 2003, p.119). The entrance of Japanese troops in the city in the 13th of December of 1937 is considered as the starting point of the Massacre (Figure 1, below). The number of victims, mostly women and children, during the Massacre of Nanjing has been estimated to 250,000 -300,000 (BBC News 2005). Minnie Vautrin, an American who was in Nanjing when the Massacre began, noted that ‘there probably is no crime that has not been committed in this city today’ (BBC News 2005). Foreigners in Nanjing have been forced to leave the city, during the first days of the Massacre. This fact is highlighted in a report of Tillman Durdin, a journalist of New York Times, who were in Nanjing when t

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Cost-Benefit of Well Employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Cost-Benefit of Well Employees - Essay Example Indeed, the recommendations are pertinent and plausible although some are quite difficult to get implemented. It is essential for strategic planners of a business enterprise to reduce its long run health care costs and per employee expenditures by ensuring hygienic, safe, nutritious and secure food stuff at canteens and organization’s cafeterias. Although, the short-run costs would be high since employers have to make huge investments and to subsidize these products to make them affordable for employees. Yet, it is worthwhile to mention that it would reduce total organizational health budgets and number of disease affected employees while simultaneously result in higher productivity and efficiency. However, workers suffering from inherited, sexually transmitted or other diseases (including Aids, Cancer, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Brain Tumor, Kidney problem, diabetes etc) are excluded from this list as they need cure / medical treatment on regular basis. Firms can take a mandatory comprehensive medical test to prevent their entrance. The second recommendation would be quite useful as i t would help creating a safe and healthy working environment that would be beneficial for all employees. Quite unequivocally, addiction to detrimental smoking habit is attributable to aggressive persuasive advertising by Tobacco companies, which are inclined to reap benefits at the expense of others. It is impossible for addicts or occasional smokers (who are also workers) to completely get rid of Smoking. Similarly, companies may also not influence their employees to give up smoking even after conducting inter-organizational campaigns, personality development, training and health hazards programs. Hence, at least they could force workers to kick the habit outside the workplaces, thereby also hampering non0smokers from getting interested in Smoking. Without any doubt, Health is Wealth. A healthy, physically

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ethical Issue corrupt FTO Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Issue corrupt FTO - Assignment Example This is whereby the police officers regularly avoid job responsibilities and commit administrative violations. The action of drinking alcohol by the field training officer is significant in relation to his personal accountability and professional accountability. The second ethical violation act committed by the field training officer entails the writing of a favorable evaluation. It is quite obvious that the evaluation is unfavorable and corrupt given that the rookie police officer had received a reprimand for an improper disposition of a traffic accident. In this regard, there are two ethical issues of classification pertaining to this act. Foremost, entails entitlement versus accountability. This comes about when an officer develops a great sense of victimization and increased resentment on administrators and supervisors that are in control over their jobs (Pollock, 96). In this regard, the officer develops a sense of entitlement or a mindset that officer should ‘stick together’ and accord themselves special treatment. The sense of entitlement bestows the belief that officers can operate within their own rules and can bend the law to suite them. Evidently, the field training officer habours a resentment against higher authorities by providing an evaluation that is favorable to the rookie officer despite the earlier reprimand of an improper disposition of a traffic accident. Moreover, the field training officer believes that victimization has been accorded to the rookie police officer through the reprimand given for the improper disposition. This false sense of entitlement and accountability triggers the unethical action by the field training officer in favor of the rookie police officer. The other ethical issue under scrutiny here is in regard to loyalty versus integrity. This is evident by the field officer action in giving a false and favorable evaluation for the rookie police officer. Evidently, the field

Friday, November 15, 2019

Indias Foreign Exchange System: An Analysis

Indias Foreign Exchange System: An Analysis CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction: It is a fact that the currencies of different countries have different values that is based upon their actual economic and monetary strength. It is from this difference that the genesis of foreign exchange occurs. Foreign exchange can be termed as the act of matching the different values of the goods and services that is involved in the international business transaction process in order to attain the exact value that is to be transferred between the parties of an international trading transaction in monetary terms. Foreign exchange as an activity had started the day civilization and independent principalities got established in the world. But in those days it was a case of exchanging value in the form of transfer of goods and services of identical value that is commonly identified with barter system. Moreover the transactions were done on a one-to-one basis, and the terms and conditions were determined by the parties entering into such transactions. There was no universal system or rule that determined these transactions. In that way foreign exchange and international monetary system is a modern day trend that gained an institutional form in the first half of the twentieth century and has been developing since then. 2.2 Foreign Exchange: According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), Foreign Exchange is defined as different forms of financial instruments like foreign currency notes, deposits held in foreign banks, debt obligations of foreign banks and foreign governments, monetary gold and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) that are resorted to make payments in lieu of business transactions that is done by two business entities or otherwise, of nations that have currencies having different inherent monetary value (www.imf.org). Leading economist Lipsey Richard G.,1993 has mentioned that the foreign exchange transactions are basically a form of negotiable instrument that are resorted to deliver the cost of goods and services that form a part of trading transactions and otherwise, between business and public entities of nations of the global economy. Sarno, Taylor and Frankel, 2003 gives the definition of foreign exchange as denoting the act of purchase and sale of currencies of different economies that is performed over the counter for various purposes that includes international payments and deliverance of cost of various business transactions, where the value is usually measured by tallying the value of the currencies involved in the foreign exchange transaction with that of the value of U.S. Dollar. According to Clark and Ghosh 2004, Foreign Exchange denotes transactions in international currency i.e. currencies of different economies. In such transactions the value of a currency of one country is tallied and exchanged with similar value of the currency of the country in order to exchange the cost of a business transaction or public monetary transfer that is taking place between two entities of these economies. 2.2.1 Foreign Exchange Transactions: Transactions in foreign exchange are done through various types and various modes between different countries of the world. According to information mentioned in the Reuters Financial Training Series, 1999,TOD Transactions, TOM Transactions, Swap Rates, Spot Rates, Forward Rates, Margin Trading and Buy / Sell on Fixed Rates foreign exchange transaction methods are some of the commonly used methods that are widely used by global managers for their foreign exchange transaction activities. 2.2.1.1 TOD Operations: TOD Operations are foreign exchange transaction methods where the trader uses the exchange rate of the day on which the foreign exchange transaction order is to be executed. In other words TOP operations are commonly used in intra-day foreign exchange transactions. As a result they are commonly resorted to by speculators in foreign exchange transactions and those who general speculate on the rates of different foreign exchange markets of the globe. 2.2.1.2 TOM Operations: In this type of transactions the transaction process carried forward to the next day instead of it being an intra-day trading. TOM transactions rate is fixed on the day the transaction is signed, but the rate of exchange is agreed upon to be that of the next day. 2.2.1.3 SPOTTransactions: SPOT Transactions can be compared with TOM transactions because here also the exchange rate is fixed at a value that prevails over the exchange rate of intra-day trading of shares. But SPOT transactions have been separated as a different category because unlike TOM transactions, SPOT transactions contracts are executed on the third day after the signing of agreement between the Bank and the client. 2.2.1.4 Forward Contract: Forward contracts are those exchange rate contracts where the currency conversion exchange rate agreement is decided at a certain rate at a time that is well before the date of execution of the exchange contract. In that way they are similar to TOM transactions. The only differ from them in the fact that these transactions are made for a long term i.e. generally for one year, and the parties involved in making this foreign exchange transaction deposit five percent of the contract value with the bank involved in facilitating the transaction at the time of executing the contract which is then returned to the client after execution of the exchange transaction. The need for depositing this amount is to secure the transaction against any loss due to market fluctuations. 2.2.1.5 SWAP: The greatest advantage of SWAP transactions is that the clients involved in the foreign exchange get prior information about the exchange rate of the currencies that are part of the transaction. In this type of transaction the bank first buys the amount of transaction form the client and resells it to the client after a few days after disclosing the exchange rate of the currencies involved in the transaction process. SWAP transactions are much sought after by traders because here they get to know beforehand the exchange rate of the currencies involved in the transaction process that helps them in avoiding fluctuations in market rate and gives them the advantage of determining the prices of goods, the nature of the currency market notwithstanding. . 2.2.1.6 MarginTrading: The key element of Margin trading is that any trader can opt for SPOT trading round the clock by going through the margin trading mode. The other key element of margin trading is that the traders can make deals with a minimal spread for a huge amount of funds by projecting fraction of the needed amount. In that way it is a unique form of global financial transaction where the threshold value that can be transacted through the margin trading mode is $ 100000 with bigger deals being multiples of $ 100000. But in order to deal in margin trading the trader has to make a security deposit of five recent of the contract value that has to be replenished from time to time in order to maintain the amount from which the probable losses from margin trading transactions are accommodated. 2.2.1.7 Buying/Selling on Fixed Rate Order: This is a mutual agreement between the buyer and seller of foreign exchange. Neither its rate nor its other terms and conditions are based upon actual conditions. Rather the deal is based keeping the mutual profitability of the buyer and seller intact where both of them get their desired amount. 2.3 Global Foreign Exchange Market: According to the table depicting the Triennial Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity done by Bank for International Settlements (BIS)2007, as shown below the global foreign exchange market has an average daily turnover of over $ 2 trillion, which is an increase of around forty percent in terms of volumes . This rise in foreign exchange transactions it is observed has been due to rise in the volume of trading in Spot and Forward markets. This is indicative towards increase in volatility of foreign exchange markets around the world. (www.bis.org). Global Foreign Exchange Market Turnover Daily averages in April, (in billions $) Year 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 Spot Transactions 317 394 494 568 387 621 Outright Forwards 27 58 97 128 131 208 Swaps in Foreign Exchange 190 324 546 734 656 944 Gaps in Reporting (Estimated) 56 44 53 60 26 107 Total Turnover (Traditional) 590 820 1,190 1,490 1,200 1,880 Memo: Turnover (At April 2004 Exchange Rates) 650 840 1,120 1,590 1,380 1,880 (BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey, 2004) As observed by Jacque Laurent L.1996, Studies in foreign exchange point to the fact that the volume involved in foreign exchange transactions in the total markets around the globe has the potential to affect the overall functioning of the global financial system due to the systematic risks that are part and parcel of the foreign exchange transaction system. Most of the transactions occur in the major markets of the world with the London Exchange followed by New York and Tokyo Stock Exchange accounting for over sixty percent of the foreign exchange transactions done around the globe. Among these transactions the largest share is carried out by banks and financial institutions followed by other business transactions i.e. exchange of value for goods and services as well as dealers involved in securities and financial market transactions. According to the studies by Levi Maurice D., 2005, in foreign exchange transactions most of the transactions happen in the spot market in the realm of OTC derivative contracts. This is followed by hedging and forward contracts that are done in large numbers. The central banks of different countries of the world and the financial institutions operating in multiple markets are the main players that operate in the foreign exchange market and provide the risk exchange control mechanism to the players of the exchange market and the system where around $ 3 trillion amount of money is transacted in 300000 exchanges located around the globe. The largest amount of transactions takes place in the spot rate and that too in the liquidity market. The quotation on price in these markets sometimes reaches to around two thousand times in a single day with the maximum quotations being done in Dollar and Deutschemark with the rates fluctuating every two to three minutes with the volume of transaction for a dealer in foreign exchange i.e. both individual and companies going to the range of $ 500 million in normal times. In recent years the derivativ e market is also gaining popularity in OTC dealings with regards to the foreign exchange market. 2.4 Global Foreign Exchange Market Management Risks: According to the researcher Kim S. H., 2005, Foreign exchange transactions are identified by their connection with some financial transactions occurring in some overseas market or markets. But this interconnectivity does not affect the inherent value of the currency of the country which is determined by the economic strength of that country. This means that the inherent value of each currency of the world is different and unequal. So when the need arises to exchange the value of some goods or service between countries engaged in such activity it becomes imperative to exchange the exact value of goods and services. Considering the complexity and volume of such trading and exchange activity occurring in the global market between countries it is but natural that the currencies of individual countries is subject to continual readjustment of value with the currency with which its value has to be exchanged. This gives rise to the importance of foreign exchange transactions as a separate ar ea of study and thereby needs much focus for its understanding (Frenkel , Hommel and Rudolf , 2005). In addition to this it is to be realized that with the growing pace globalization and integration of global economic order there has been a tremendous increase in international business transactions and closer integration of economic systems of countries around the world especially between the members of WTO, that has led to the increase in economic transactions and consequent activity in international foreign currency exchange system (Adams, Mathieson and Schinasi, 1998). Added to this is the fact that the exchange value of currencies in the transactions is not determined by the respective countries but by the interplay of value of the currencies engaged in an international foreign exchange transaction and the overall value of each currency in the transaction prevailing at that time. In fact each country in the global economic order would want to determine the value of its currency to its maximum advantage, which was possible a few years ago in when the countries used to determine the value of their currency according to the existing value of their economy. The individual countries till the early nineties used to follow a policy of total or partial control over the exchange value of their currency in the global market. At the same time there also were a group of countries that followed the policy or system in determining the exchange value of their currency i.e. left it to the interplay of global economic activity where the value was determined by its economic performance. The currencies of countries that provide full or partial amount of control in the international exchange value of its currency are known to follow a Fixed Rate whereas the currencies of countries that allow its currency to seek its inherent value through its performance in the global economic system are termed as following the Floating Rate of foreign exchange conversion mechanism. Though lo gically both the type of mechanism of foreign exchange face the effect of exchange rate fluctuations and consequent volatility in rate it is the currencies having a floating rate that are continually affected by the fluctuations in exchange rate in the global market when in the case of currencies with a fixed rate it is more of a controlled and regulated affair (Chorafas Dimitris N., 1992). 2.5 Foreign Exchange Risks Prevailing in the Global Market: Risks related to the exchange rate of a currency in the global market as has been mentioned, occurs due to the interplay of inherent value of each currency of the respective countries that are part of the global financial mechanism. Risks related to foreign exchange come into picture and are also inevitable in this world marching towards increased interaction due to globalization. The risks will occur due to business interaction and consequent exchange of value for goods and services. According to Kodres LauraE., 1996, the risks related to foreign exchange occur when there is increased interaction between the currency of a country with that of other countries in the international market and that too if the currency has a floating exchange rate. In that case the value of the currency is continually affected by its business and financial performance. This relation with other currencies in the market affects it during the time when the need arises to exchange it with another currency for settlement of financial transaction in some business or financial purposes and gives rise to various types of risks. The prominent risks associated during this situation are Herstatt Risk, and Liquidity Risk. 2.5.1 Herstatt Risk: Herstatt risk is a risk that is named after a German Bank that got liquidated by the German Government in the seventies of the last century and made to return all; the claims accruing to its customers. This is because its creditworthiness was affected and it could not pay the settlement claims to its customers and also on behalf of its customers to their clients. It is basically connected to the time aspect of foreign exchange value claim settlements in which the foreign exchange transactions do not get realized as the bank loses its ability to honour the transaction in the intervening period due to some causes. In the particular case the German bank failed to honour the financial settlement claims of its clients to their counter parties that were to be paid in values of U.S Dollars. The main issues that arose were regarding quantifying the amount to be delivered and the time of the transaction process due to the two countries financial systems being located and working according to different or separate time zones. This case has established a phenomenon in foreign exchange market where there may erupt situations in which the working hours of banks located in different time zones may never match with each other leading to foreign exchange settlement transactions getting affected during the mismatch of the two banks closing and opening time. In fact the Alsopp Report that studied this phenomenon in detail said that though the foreign exchange transactions are made in pen and paper on a single day the actual transfer of value takes place within three to four days. And with the exchange value of currencies operating in the international market always remaining in a state of flux they either get jacked up or devalued. In either case it affects the clause of transactions that was decided on an intra-day rate, as the value of both the currencies in the international market has changed during these days. 2.5.2 Risks related to Liquidity: There can crop up different problems related to the banking systems operations and dynamics i.e. in both technical and management systems as well as inability in terms of volume of available liquidity strength or in mismatch in tallying of time etc; that can affect the capacity of banks to honour foreign exchange transactions in terms of transfer of liquidity. These types of risks are being commonly witnessed in newly emerging economies that are being unable to cope with the sudden surge in volume of global business transactions thereby leading to exchange rate settlement and payment delays, outstanding payments and dishonouring of financial commitments in the exchange rate transaction market. 2.5.3 Financial Repercussions: According to the Studies in foreign exchange related risks by Dumas and Solnik, 1995 aver that risk related to transactions in foreign exchange have increased with globalization and the rise of global economic integration process with the countries getting affected in relation to the volume of their transactions in the global financial and business marketplace. This is because the market is now more oriented towards market value driven convertibility of currencies that is influenced by the global financial movements and transactions, and any independent transaction especially of transnational and multinational companies; will automatically affect other transactions happening in the global financial marketplace (Klopfenstein G.,1997). However, according to another study by Gallati Reto R., 2003, these multinational and transnational companies are simultaneously being affected by the fluctuations in exchange rate of different currencies of the global market that is exposing their business operations in different global markets to exchange rate related risks especially due to difference in Spot and Forward rates and the inevitable fluctuations (Choi , 2003) that give rise to foreign exchange settlement related problems. 2.5.4 Remedies to Foreign Exchange Settlement Risks: As there risks that have cropped up in foreign exchange transactions due to increase in volume and frequency of transactions mainly as a result of globalization so, also there have come up remedies to minimize the risk related to adverse conditions in foreign exchange transactions. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in one of its studies in 1999 has said that settlement of claims is the most predominant risk that is related to foreign exchange transactions, especially the speed with which these transactions are materialized and the roadblocks that they may face in the process due to tremendous increase in volume of foreign exchange transactions that cannot be cleared in expected times. The solution to these risks according to the study is to simultaneously clear transactions on either side i.e. for both the parties side so that they simultaneously give and receive payments at the agreed rate of exchange. This would solve the problem of extended time of actual payment when the rate of exchange fluctuates, thereby creating problems for both the parties. This arrangement is related to deals being processed simultaneously, which requires the concurrence and common cause of both the parties. This is because the party that is expecting a hike in value of it s currency may not agree to such a proposal. In that case there should be some law or arrangement that would make it mandatory for both the parties to settle their intra-day payments on that day itself so that there is no scope left for speculation by them. According to the study, such arrangements have been made in USA and Europe where systems like Fedwire and Trans- European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET) have been established. Fedwire facilitates payments in foreign exchange transactions under the mode of Real Time Gross Settlements (RTGS)and TARGET facilitates intra-day transfer of foreign exchange between parties of member countries of Europe on the same day itself. But, for simultaneous release of funds by both the parties and the intra-day settlement of claims to succeed it is imperative that the member countries of the global economic system should come together have concurrence on these issues. This is because all said and done the foreign exchange transaction related rules and laws are still governed by the respective countries. And most of these countries are reluctant to make any headway in linking their currency system to the global currency system for speedy disposal of foreign exchange transactions for fear that such a move would expose their currency end financial system to the baneful effects of risks and volatility of global foreign exchange system (Hagelin and Pramborg, 2004). At the level of international trading corporations there has been initiated some steps whereby they have formed a private arrangement known as Group of Twenty. They are a group of twenty internationally acclaimed global clearing banks who have formed an system called the Global Clearing Bank that acts as a connection between the payment systems of different countries and verifies international foreign exchange transactions in order to simultaneously satisfy both the parties regarding authenticity of the process of transaction. The thing is that this system puts a high amount of strain on the financial and foreign exchange system as well as reserves of individual countries along with requiring them to bring about some amount of commonality between the financial rules and regulations of individual countries which is easier said than done. All the same the establishment of Bilateral Netting System and Multilateral Netting Systems as well as of Exchange Clearing House (ECHO) are trying t o facilitate foreign exchange transactions and minimize the inherent risks involved (McDonough ,1996). 2.6 Indian Foreign Exchange System: 2.6.1 Historical Background: The historical background of foreign exchange system in India was a saga of excess control and monitoring with even minor transactions being made to undergo the rigorous scrutiny of concerned government authorities to avoid any risks associated with such transactions and save the scarce foreign exchange reserves from being frittered away in some transactions considered unimportant or anti-national by the government. The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) that was enacted in 1947 and made more stringent in 1973 was the embodiment of the prevailing sentiment of the governments of those days, which was to completely regulate and control all the foreign exchange transactions and protect the foreign currency reserves. (Mehta, 1985) All these changed in the nineties of the last century with the opening up of Indian economy in 1991 in keeping with the recommendations of the High Level Committee on Balance of Payments set up under the chairmanship of Dr C. Rangarajan by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and subsequent entry of India into World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994. This was preceded by the liberating of current account transactions and establishing full convertibility of current account transactions in 1993. In 1994 also the Government of India accepted Article VIII of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund that established the system of current account convertibility and the exchange value of rupee came to be determined according to the market rates with only the convertibility of capital account being under the control of the government (Krueger,2002) as the Tarapore Committee on Capital Account Convertibility of 1997 (Panagariya A., 2008) suggested the government to keep adequate sa feguards before allowing the convertibility of capital account to be determined according to the market forces as there was need to consolidate the financial system and have an accepted inflation target before such a venture. The Tarapore Committee also suggested that the legal framework governing the foreign exchange transaction system in India also needs to be modernized before going for total convertibility of the capital account due to which the Government repealed the FERA Act of 1973 and promulgated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in 2000. This new act did away with the system of regulation and control and established a system of facilitation and management of foreign exchange transactions thereby promoting all the activities related to foreign exchange transactions. The most important thing that was done by FEMA was to recognize violations or mistakes in foreign exchange transactions as a civil offence instead of a criminal offence as was done by FERA. FEMA also shifted the responsibility of proving the violation or mistake in foreign exchange transaction and related rules from the prosecutor to the prosecuted. And if the prosecuted was proved guilty he or she was to pay only monetary fine or compensation instead of being jailed as was the earlier provision under FERA. FEMA also simplified many of the rules and notified specific time frames for delivering judgments related to violations of foreign exchange rules and regulations and provide rules for establishing special tribunals and forums to deal with such cases. Th e compounding rules were also made less stringent and all matters related to compounding rules were notified to be dealt by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instead of the previously assigned Enforcement Directorate. RBI was made the designated Compounding Authority in all related matters. Only the cases involving hawala transactions were left from its purview As per Mecklal and Chand

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Cultural Literacy Essay

Cultural Literacy. What is it? How can one define it? Is it knowing the answers to questions such as: who are Joseph Stalin and Frederick Douglass? Who fought in WWI? What was the Louisiana purchase? What is the second commandment? Name an amendment to the constitution? Try this on for size, who is the host of Total Request Live on MTV? Who is J. Lo engaged to? Cultural literacy is knowledge of what one should know in order to be a functional member of an educated society. It includes an understanding of one’s language, grammar, pronunciations, syntax in speech, and the basic listening, reading and writing skills along with the knowledge of mathematics and history. Many argue whether cultural literacy is possible or not, whether it can truly exist. The whole concept of cultural literacy is an important one. Especially to America. America, being the great melting pot that it is needs to have this for everybody. We are constantly receiving new people into our country and as they come, our cultures â€Å"rub off† on each other, they begin to intertwine with another. By understanding these different groups we understand their cultures and we become more culturally literate (to the other persons culture) and our cultures actually mix. America is great because of this. The concept of cultural literacy is an important one to understand in order to make America a better place to live for everybody. To answer the question of whether or not it is possible for cultural literacy to exist, we need to break it down. We have to know what it means and who it applies to. We also need to understand how it works. The works of E. D. Hirsch, Jr. , â€Å"Cultural Literacy (excerpt),† and Jay Chaskes, â€Å"The First-year Student as Immigrant,† expose the definition of what cultural literacy is and how this definition varies as it comes across various cultures, groups, members and individuals in a society. Cultural literacy is possessing the information needed to be able to interpret a statement the way it was meant to be interpreted by an author or speaker. Many things are open to different interpretations, though. Hirsch agrees, â€Å"? we cannot treat reading and writing as empty skills, independent of specific knowledge. The reading skill of a person may vary greatly from task to task. The level of literacy exhibited in each task depends on the relevant background information that person possesses (217). † People who give this information are tryingto pass along a message. As long as one can receive that message correctly in most cases, they are considered culturally literate. We can safely assume that everyone is at a different level of cultural literacy since everyone knows a different amount and has experienced a different amount. A good author or speaker is able to communicate his or her message to these people with different amounts of knowledge and experience and have the same viewers receive the basically same message. One may be considered â€Å"culturally literate† somewhere, then culturally illiterate elsewhere. You can’t expect anyone to know all the information needed to interpret something correctly. But with what they already know, they can form a correct conclusion. Jay Chaskes, the author of â€Å"The First-Year Student as Immigrant,† supports this notion: As with all newly-arrived immigrants, students must learn various skills and acquire certain knowledge bases before the can be recognized as citizens of their adopted country (i. e. , they must successfully complete their first year of college). These skills and knowledge bases include communication skills, cultural rules and expectations, geography, performing as a â€Å"good citizen,† and learning the community’s services and structure. (Chaskes 31) When students and immigrants first arrive they have some sense of knowledge and understanding of where they are and what is around them. Once they begin to adapt to their new environment and learn new skills to be seen as a member of their community, they become more culturally aware of their surroundings. With the knowledge they had and with the new information they attained the students and immigrants form â€Å"correct conclusions and assumptions. † People have different levels of cultural literacy based upon experience and common knowledge. For example lets take a closer look at Chaskes’ section on Professors and Academic Culture: Compared to their high school teachers, college professors may present a more aloof and distant demeanor. The student discovers that the rhythm of the professor’s work day may limit when he or she might be seen. The comings and goings of the professoriate seem somewhat inscrutable. (32) This culture of new first-year students are not used to this. They might be used to a closer relationship with their professors like in their secondary school where they are able to reach and meet with their professors at specific hours. Everything is different now. It is not that the system of their previous school was wrong,it is just different. But once they become accustomed, they acculturate to this new college culture. Because of their previous experience, they were on a different level of cultural literacy. Basically different cultures are going to see things differently than another. Neither is wrong it is just how one culture interprets that specific thing. Some people might be more educated in one area and others in another. Basic knowledge may be held by someone who have gone through many experiences, and because of their experiences they could understand what another is talking about. A different, well educated person might not get the idea as well because it is harder for them to relate. For example, in Hirsch’s excerpt, â€Å"Cultural Literacy,† he exhibits an experiment conducted by Richard C. Anderson and others at the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois in which they grouped two sets of paired readers. These individuals were all similar in sexual balance, educational background, age, and social class. However, the only discrepancy was that one group was in India and the other in the U. S. : Both were given the same two letters to read. The texts were similar in overall length, word-frequency distribution, sentence length and complexity, and number of explicit propositions. Both letters were on the same topic, a wedding, but one described an Indian wedding, the other an American wedding. The reading performances of the two ? split along national lines. The Indians performed well in reading about the Indian wedding but poorly in reading about the American one, and the Americans did the opposite. This experiment not only reconfirmed the dependence of reading skill on cultural literacy, it also demonstrated its national character. (Hirsch 220) This is a great example by Hirsch that demonstrates what actually happens in the real world. The fact that the Indian was knowledgeable about the Indian wedding is not surprising since he probably attended one. So, to the Indian culture he is probably considered culturally literate. If the American had previously attended an Indian wedding he would definitely know more about such an event. He would be building upon his â€Å"Indian cultural literacy† by experience, which doesn’t apply to IQ (or fact knowledge). An equal example of how this would occur in the real world would be an Indian person who just immigrated to America. Let’s assume he can speak English already, but he has no previous experience in America. If he read about the wedding of the president he could probably understand the basics, but not the specifics. The reason for that is because India has weddings and so he will understand how two people are joined together. If he had never heard of that he would probably be thinking what they mean by joining together. But assuming he understands that part of it, he might not understand that rings are usually what spouses give each other at weddings, or that, traditionally, Americans are making a vow to God when they get married. Although the wedding has two different meanings to two different people of different cultures, both ideas are still correct—like someone saying toe-may-toe, vs. toe-mah-toe. It is just how it is interpreted from that individual’s culture and experiences. Since culture is the way certain people live, and everyone lives in different ways, no one can have the same cultural literacy. So even if we all posses the same knowledge, our differences in personal experiences set our levels of cultural literacy apart. One thing can mean something different to two people, but may be correct either way. It is just how that certain thing is deciphered by every culture. Also, in one place a person could be considered culturally literate, and in another he or she would be considered culturally illiterate (even if they were more knowledgeable than most people in their own culture). If they had time to adapt to the new culture and gain experience in that culture, then they would become more and more â€Å"culturally literate† in that culture. Works Cited Chaskes, Jay. â€Å"The First-Year Student as Immigrant. † From Inquiry to Argument. McMeniman, Linda. Allyn & Bacon, 1999. Pg. 29 Hirsch Jr. , E. D. â€Å"Cultural Literacy (excerpt). † From Inquiry to Argument. McMeniman, Linda. Allyn & Bacon, 1999. Pg. 214.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Value Chain Analysis

value chain analysis Inbound Logistics Operations Marketing Service Outbound Logistics SAP , VCM SAP , CRM – DMS Strategic Alliances Transporters, Convoy Drivers Association Dealer Network, Marketing Research Firms, Vehicle Financing Regional Warehouses, Dealer Workshops, Distributors, TASS 9 Value Chain Analysis: Tata Motors Inbound Logistics Long term contract with service provider’s – transporters and agents Personnel at regional offices for over seeing the smooth transit of goods Transparency and monitoring through deployment of IT – all transactions through SAP DTL supplies for critical high value items. Efficient storage facilities – easy storage and retrieval Operations Capital Equipment Manufacturing division – tooling development capabilities of global standard. Apprentice Trainee Course – ensuring stable source of skilled manpower. Kaizen & TPM team – continuous drive to improve efficiencies. Automated manufacturing processes. Distributed manufacturing – Assembly units at South Africa, Thailand, Bangladesh, Brazil etc Maintenance – technical competence Capacity Utilization – Mercedes Benz cars make use of Tata Motors paint shop facilities. Outbound Logistics Stockyards, all across the country Long term contracts with transporters – higher volume of business to transporters ensures competitive price. Regional Sales Office and Vehicle Dispatch Section linked through SAP. Efficient security system for prevention of any kind of pilferage Marketing and Sales Structured approach to understanding the requirements of individual customers – QFD’s conducted at regular intervals. Clear identification of product requirements, leading to development of innovative products – Tata 207 DI, Tata Ace Pan India presence and global footprint. Independent teams for addressing the requirements of institutional customers – Defense, State Transport Units Helping to augment the scarce resources – Fiat selling vehicles through Tata dealerships, in return Tata has access to Fiat’s technology and unutilized capacity. Quick assessment of the changing market dynamics and consumer preferences – Tata 407 LCV Large network of dealers – use of technology : DMS. Service Easy availability of spare parts Efficient collection of data from field and communication to the respective plants Pan India presence, as well as global presence. Large network of workshops – Dealer workshops and TASS Training facilities – for dealer end and TASS personnel Procurement E procurement initiative Global Sourcing Team – China, a key destination for sourcing essential items like tires, power steering units etc. , Steel procured from Belarus Long term relationships with a stable and loyal pool of suppliers Technology driven procurement – SAP and VCM Strategic subsidiaries & JV’s – TACO group of companies, Tata Cummins Centralized Strategic Sourcing for key components – FIP’s, Steel etc Group resources – Tata Steel and Tata International Localized supplier base at mfg. locations – low inventory levels Value Chain Analysis value chain analysis Inbound Logistics Operations Marketing Service Outbound Logistics SAP , VCM SAP , CRM – DMS Strategic Alliances Transporters, Convoy Drivers Association Dealer Network, Marketing Research Firms, Vehicle Financing Regional Warehouses, Dealer Workshops, Distributors, TASS 9 Value Chain Analysis: Tata Motors Inbound Logistics Long term contract with service provider’s – transporters and agents Personnel at regional offices for over seeing the smooth transit of goods Transparency and monitoring through deployment of IT – all transactions through SAP DTL supplies for critical high value items. Efficient storage facilities – easy storage and retrieval Operations Capital Equipment Manufacturing division – tooling development capabilities of global standard. Apprentice Trainee Course – ensuring stable source of skilled manpower. Kaizen & TPM team – continuous drive to improve efficiencies. Automated manufacturing processes. Distributed manufacturing – Assembly units at South Africa, Thailand, Bangladesh, Brazil etc Maintenance – technical competence Capacity Utilization – Mercedes Benz cars make use of Tata Motors paint shop facilities. Outbound Logistics Stockyards, all across the country Long term contracts with transporters – higher volume of business to transporters ensures competitive price. Regional Sales Office and Vehicle Dispatch Section linked through SAP. Efficient security system for prevention of any kind of pilferage Marketing and Sales Structured approach to understanding the requirements of individual customers – QFD’s conducted at regular intervals. Clear identification of product requirements, leading to development of innovative products – Tata 207 DI, Tata Ace Pan India presence and global footprint. Independent teams for addressing the requirements of institutional customers – Defense, State Transport Units Helping to augment the scarce resources – Fiat selling vehicles through Tata dealerships, in return Tata has access to Fiat’s technology and unutilized capacity. Quick assessment of the changing market dynamics and consumer preferences – Tata 407 LCV Large network of dealers – use of technology : DMS. Service Easy availability of spare parts Efficient collection of data from field and communication to the respective plants Pan India presence, as well as global presence. Large network of workshops – Dealer workshops and TASS Training facilities – for dealer end and TASS personnel Procurement E procurement initiative Global Sourcing Team – China, a key destination for sourcing essential items like tires, power steering units etc. , Steel procured from Belarus Long term relationships with a stable and loyal pool of suppliers Technology driven procurement – SAP and VCM Strategic subsidiaries & JV’s – TACO group of companies, Tata Cummins Centralized Strategic Sourcing for key components – FIP’s, Steel etc Group resources – Tata Steel and Tata International Localized supplier base at mfg. locations – low inventory levels

Friday, November 8, 2019

Wer and Wyf, Man and Woman

Wer and Wyf, Man and Woman Wer and Wyf, Man and Woman Wer and Wyf, Man and Woman By Maeve Maddox In Old English, the word man had the meaning of â€Å"human being† or â€Å"person,† male or female. Note: Old English is the earliest form of English, brought to Great Britain in the fifth century by Germanic settlers. The first literary works in Old English date from the seventh century. In OE, the word man occurs in proverbs in the sense of â€Å"one,† â€Å"a person† or â€Å"people†: NÄ“ sceal man tÃ…  Ç £r forht nÄ“ tÃ…  Ç £r fà ¦gen: A person shouldn’t be too soon fearful nor too soon glad The usual OE word for â€Å"an adult male person† was wer. Man didn’t start being used in that sense until late in the OE period (c. 1000). Wer continued into Middle English, but by the late thirteenth century had been replaced by man. Wer survives into modern English as the combining form seen in the first syllable of werewolf: â€Å"a person who, according to medieval superstition, is transformed or is capable of transforming himself at times into a wolf.† The general meaning of man to mean human person of either gender survives in modern English in such words as manslaughter and mankind. The latter is being superseded by the word humankind in the belief that the man- of mankind excludes women. Its fixed legal use will probably prevent manslaughter from being replaced by humanslaughter. The Old English word for a female person, married or unmarried, was wyf. The meaning â€Å"female spouse† developed within the OE period, but the general sense of woman, married or unmarried, continued. In the 18th century, one definition of wife was â€Å"a woman of humble rank or of low employment,† a sense that remains in the words fishwife and alewife. Used figuratively, the term fishwife has acquired the negative connotation of â€Å"a scurrilously abusive woman.† The sense of â€Å"women in general† is at work in the expression â€Å"old wives’ tale†: â€Å"an unlikely story told and believed by women a widely held or traditional belief now thought to be incorrect or erroneous.† For example, a very common  old wives  tale  is the admonition to feed a  cold  and starve a  fever. Note: The tale, not the women, is â€Å"old.† Inherent in this expression is the notion that women are more gullible than men. Perhaps we could coin the expression â€Å"old husbands’ tale† for the stereotypical notions that men pass on about women. For example, â€Å"Women lack intellect,† â€Å"women are more emotional and jealous than men,† â€Å"women are not suited to serve in public office,† â€Å"women lack courage,† etc. Husband, like wife, has meanings apart from married status. Meanings of husband include â€Å"tiller of the soil, manager of a household,† and â€Å"steward.† It’s interesting that today’s general word for â€Å"adult female person,† woman, originated when wyf (â€Å"female person†) was joined to man (â€Å"human being†) to produce the combination wyfman (â€Å"female human being†). The modern form woman developed from a plural of wyfman that did not include the /f/ sound or spelling: wimman. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Yay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other AcclamationsWord Count and Book Length

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Classicism †Classification of Classic Art

Classicism – Classification of Classic Art Free Online Research Papers Classical art can be somed up as the following: â€Å"Aesthetic attitudes and principles based on the culture, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, and characterized by emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion, and restrained emotion.† Place and time period Classical art occurred in ancient Greece during 480-323BC – just after the beginning of democracy and the end of the Persian war. Obviously not a lot of artwork can be produced during a time of conflict therefore the end of a war symbolized a fresh opportunity for art expression. Similarly Democracy also had a great impact on this art period due to the fact that it created a richer availability of resources to the people; meaning artwork could be produced more generously and frequently as apposed to earlier times. Types of Artwork Produced Sculptures, friezes, pottery and arcitechture were the main artworks produced during the classic art movement. Sculptures: The ancient Greeks interest in bodily precision and human success led them to expand a great interest in depicting the â€Å"perfect† human figure in art. Their ideals of the model human body are made fairly obvious throughout their sculptures. The detail, proportion and natural movement in these figures reflect the ancient Greeks developed understanding of the human anatomy. It is clear when observing sculptures from the Archaic art phase (when sculptures where rigid and juvenile) that the artists of the classic period had adopted a more peaceful and natural contropposto pose (weight on one side) for standing figures. Another dramatic advancement to be noted is their remarkable techniques of carving drapery, evidently being more realistic than ever before. Developed great technical skills, their ideals of true beauty held back the potential of achieving the techniques used to portray authentic emotion and feeling. This was later achieved in the Hellenistic art phase. A time when Alexander the Great’s conquests initiated several centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in a great international variety of art, and eventually leading to brutal realism which included: old age- as well as youth, unnatractiveness, fear, pain, rape†¦Alongside many other significant changes such as: women’s bodies being considered appropriate to sculpt nude, and the developed techniques of carving group figures. Architecture: â€Å"Ancient Greek life was dominated by religion and so it is not surprising that the temples of ancient Greece were the biggest and most beautiful.They also had a political purpose as they were often built to celebrate civic power and pride, or offer thanksgiving to a supporting god/goddess of a city -for success in war† The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders, each with their own clear proportions and detailing. The Greek orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric The Doric style is rather sturdy and its top (the capital), is plain. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. Ionic The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its capital is decorated with a scroll-like design (a volute). This style was found in eastern Greece and the islands. Corinthian The Corinthian style is seldom used in the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. Its capital is very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves One of the most famous architectures of ancient Greece is the Parthenon- a temple located on the Acropolis, a hill overlooking the city of Athens; it remains devoted to the great Greek goddess Athena, the patron goddess of the ancient City of Athens. The Parthenon is considered to be the finest example of Doric-style construction. The Parthenon was designed by Phidias, a famous sculptor, at the request of Pericles, a Greek politician credited with the founding of the city of Athens. Friezes: Freizes of the classic art period carry the same characteristics of classic sculpture, yet of course lack the oppurtunity of 3d observation and interpritation. One of the most intimate and affecting remains of the Ancient Greece are their Funeral friezes. Funeral friezes evolved during this period from the rigid and impersonal kouros of the Archaic period to the highly personal family groups of the Classical period. Although some of them depict ideal types ie.the mourning mother and the dutiful son- r as time pogressed, they increasingly depicted real people. Pottery: In ancient Greece Pottery was designed for particular uses and purposes eg. Amphora’s- used for storing oil, wine or water. Stamina’s- used for storing funery ashes, liquids, and offerings to gods. Archaic and Classic pottery was painted using clay strips (diluted solutions of clay). For the period of classicism, the majority of clay originated from Attica, a place near Athens, which contained a high iron content, it was this that is accountable for the potteries rich, reddish brownish colour. During this period, direct painting was used rather than incision-, which had been used in Archaic times. Direct painting offered new expressive possibilities to artists such as three-quarter profiles, greater anatomical detail and the representation of perspective. It’s important to note the following paint distinctions of pottery whilst determining which art period it originated from. Archaic=Black figure painting Classic=Red Figure painting Hellenistic=White ground painting Paintings aren’t merely decorative, they also hold stories of: war, everyday life episodes or even Greek myths and legends. An example of this is illustrated above within the classic style vase. It shows Priam, the king of Troy, asking Achilles to return the body of his dead son Hector. Classic Art Influences Romans filled their environment with original works of classic Greek art, which included reproductions, or variants of those works. Knowledge of this classic Greek art and architecture passed to later Europeans by way of Rome, by doing so, also influencing the art period of the Middle Ages. A detailed and specific example of this would include that â€Å"around 1337 Italian sculptor Andrea Pisano portrayed a Gothic artist carving a classic-style nude in a relief called The Art of Sculpture for the bell tower of the Florence Cathedral in Italy†. The Renaissance was a period during which both the artistic forms and the ideals of Classical art remains were revived and renewed. It began in Italy around the 1400’s, spread north, and continued until about the 1600’s. It was mainly Roman copies of Greek sculpture and architecture, rather than the original Greek works, that renaissance artists sought to copy. Indirect classical art influences of today include the desire to look somewhat like gods, or in this current age- a celebrity or perhaps a model who carry the 21st century ideals of a perfect human body. These unrealistic standards have caused much unacceptance amongst those of us who â€Å"compare† and push ourselves to fit this image often causing serious mental/health problems i.e. Eating disorders, depression†¦ which remain still today a great problem within our society. Research Papers on Classicism - Classification of Classic ArtAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBringing Democracy to AfricaHip-Hop is ArtRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMind TravelBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Analyse Political Discourse in One or More of the comedias you have Essay

Analyse Political Discourse in One or More of the comedias you have studied - Essay Example This creates a weakness in the comedy and changes the value of the play as it is depicted in different times. The main association with Vega is not only associated with the politics of the time. More important, Vega is concerned with creating dramatic effects, showing opinions and working as a motivational and entertaining force for the culture of his time period. Fuentovejuna and Political Discourse The comedy by Vega is one which is defined by political discourse first. The play is one which is defined by the time frame in which it is written and the politics which were taking place at this time. The play begins with describing an event which occurred in 1476 in Spain, located in a small village in Fuente Obejuna in Castile. The main depiction is from the Order of Calatrava, who was a commander at the time and which mistreated the villagers by branding and killing them. The massacre which occurred gathered the attention of King Ferdinand II of Aragon to investigate the villagers. E ven when tortured, none would give the information of the ill treatment and would only respond by stating that â€Å"Fuentovejuna did it.† This depiction is then told in Vega’s description of the play and is shown in the writing from 1612-1614. The main point of this specific event is one which was passed down to several with political discourse, specifically because of the silent rebellion which the peasants took over the king and which didn’t allow the king to have a specific amount of power over the village. The legend became one which was essential in the changes which began to occur in Spain at later dates, specifically with noticed victories that were from the peasants (Edwards, 7). The main depiction of the political discourse is one which is noted throughout the play; however, there are many controversial concepts which are associated with the way in which Vega displays the information. Throughout the play, Vega uses specific characters to represent the historical incident and to show what has occurred during this time frame. However, the discourse is one which is combined with both comedy and with opinions of what has occurred during this time. The result is the understanding of what has occurred with representations of what the politics meant during this time as well as what was most important to the author. More important, more universal themes, such as justice, ending the incident and developing the plot and character become more relevant than the political facts which are associated with the play (Blue, 295). The opinion and the discourse as one which is specific to universal themes and opinions throughout the play are seen from the first portion of the play. For instance, when the commander is speaking about the king, he speaks not of the history which occurred during this incident, but instead alludes to the opinions of the ruler and what was expected during this time. â€Å"Grand Master Don Rodrigo / Tellez Giron, you who have been bourne to this exalted station by the valor of that famous father of yours who, when you were eight, renounced the position of Master in your favor†¦ understand that your honor demands that in this situation you adhere to your kinsmen’

Friday, November 1, 2019

Philosophy - Aristotle vs Plato Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy - Aristotle vs Plato - Essay Example But essentially at a point their philosophies are almost the same because both them doubt the physical reality while their solutions for the believability of reality are different. Indeed Aristotle’s belief in reality emerges from the experimental proof. But Plato’s belief in reality is mostly contextual. For example, if it is believed by the most of the people, it is the reality for the time being. Even if one meets a more real thing, it will not be established by until others also feel in the same way as the person who has viewed the more real/realer. Therefore, Plato’s reality seems to be the norms followed by the most. Plato asserts that reality is essentially subjective and normative while Aristotle’s reality is objective and in order to earn the credibility, it needs to go through a set of experimental process. Indeed both Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophies are complimentary to each other in the sense that the escaped prisoner discovers the reality through Aristotle’s experimental process that symbolically represents the prisoner’s attempt to escape from the cave, though in Plato’s allegory, the escapade of the prisoner happens accidentally, and the escaped prisoner must teach other prisoners in order to drive out the reality of the cave from their head, while establishing his own reality. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners’ cognitive perception of the shadow reality can be considered as their knowledge of the Cave. That is, Plato knowledge is related to physicality, and reality is absolutely the Ideas that precedes reality. P lato’s theory of Ideas and knowledge suggests that â€Å"states of being are contingent upon the mingling of various Forms of existence, that knowledge is objective and thus clearly more real, and that only the processes of nature were valid entities† (Thomas 23). In this regard, Richard L. W. Clark says that in Plato’s hierarchical model of cognition, â€Å"empirical