Monday, December 30, 2019

Biography Of James Joseph Bulger Jr. - 1708 Words

James â€Å"Whitey† Bulger I think we would all agree sixteen years is quite a long time. What if I were to tell you someone had been on the run from the law enforcement for that long before being caught? The name is James Joseph Bulger Jr. also known as Whitey Bulger. Whitey was one of the most notorious mob bosses in American history for his criminal reign in South Boston, Massachusetts. Whitey was a very violent criminal that had a rap sheet a mile long that included: murder, extortion, racketeering, and the list goes on. I am here to talk with you about the story of Whitey in his early years, his criminal reign in South Boston, and his life on the run from law enforcement for over a decade. On September 3, 1929, Whitey was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Whitey was one of six children born in a Roman Catholic family. He got his nickname for his whitish-blonde colored hair. Whitey grew up in the project of South Boston where he would find his criminal ways. Whiteyâ€℠¢s first crime came just at the early age of 14 years old for stealing. However, Whitey would not learn from his mistake and his criminal record would continue to get worse from there. Whitey was arrested multiple times as a juvenile for things such as theft, fraud, assault and robbery. He would end up serving five years in a juvenile detention school for his delinquent acts. Once released from detention at the age of eighteen years old, Whitey would join the air force where his trouble still seemed to followShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesState University Jane Crabtree, Benedictine University Suzanne Crampton, Grand Valley State University Douglas Crawford, Wilson College Michael Cruz, San Jose State University Robert Cyr, Northwestern University Evelyn Dadzie, Clark Atlanta University Joseph Daly, Appalachian State University Denise Daniels, Seattle Pacific Uni versity Marie Dasborough, Oklahoma State University Nancy Da Silva, San Jose State University Christine Day, Eastern Michigan University Emmeline de Pillis, University of Hawaii

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Child Development And Development Of Children, Japan,...

Across the varying regions of Namibia, Japan, Mongolia, and the United States, Babies portrays the different settings in which babies are raised. Through alternating scenes, the film provides a side-by-side comparison of each infant’s development specifically related to their interaction with the environment. The film displays how each baby meets specific milestones through the first months of life, and exemplifies the role that culture and location plays in the stages of their maturation. Despite the socioeconomic disparities among the varying environments, the developmental stages of each of the infants remain relatively similar. In Namibia and Mongolia, Ponijao and Bayar grow up in rural settings in which resources are relatively limited, however the basic needs of these infants are met. On the contrary, in Japan and the United States, Mari and Hattie begin life in an urban area where there are a variety of resources available to aid and track their development, such as health care services. Nevertheless, the infants mature at relatively the same time. This can be attributed to their genetic predisposition to certain developmental milestones, regardless of their environment. For instance, each of the babies gain control of their heads and appendages and then begin to crawl, all at a rate that is congruent with their age. Although each of the distinct regions provide a unique environment for development, the babies interact with their surroundings in very similar way s.Show MoreRelatedBabies ( Balmes, 2010 ) Is An Unusual Documentary Film1366 Words   |  6 PagesBayar from Mongolia, Mari from Japan, and Hattie from the United States. The film takes viewers to these four babies’ development from their birth to roughly around age one. These four babies are different starting from when they are born. While Namibian parents gets no help from hospital, American parents does not even think of giving birth to the children without going to the hospital. When the baby is born, Hattie meets the world with bunch of medical equipment whereas Namibian child gets no suchRead MoreA Brief History of Buddhism1417 Words   |  6 Pages Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Mahayana, the greater vehicle, refers to the Theravada as Hinayana, the lesser vehicle. It is dominant in India, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Siddhartha Guatama was born in Kapilivastu. His father was the ruler of the small kingdom near the Indian/Nepal border. As a child, his future was foretold by sages. They believed that he would someday be a fellow sage or leader of a great empire. He led a very pampered and shelteredRead MoreWorld Regional Geography: Exam Questions Essay3379 Words   |  14 Pages$660 B worth of goods in 2005 – and increase of 18% from the past year o Total foreign trade in 2005 was $1.4 M – this makes China the third-highest ranking country, preceded by only the United States and Germany – precedes Japan now; this is the first time that China has grossed more than Japan o A decade ago they made only $289 B o Many of our goods are now labeled â€Å"Made in China† o China’s autocratic government and limited constraints on the military willRead MoreA Research On Weird Populations2014 Words   |  9 Pagesones out; this article writes that WEIRD samples are continuously the outliers. In the documentary called Babies, we are introduced to four different babies, from different parts of the world in separate societies including Japan, The United States, Namibia, and Mongolia. The film documents how each infant is raised in their own culture and society. The beginning of the film depicts medical practices amongst the different cultures. The American and Namibian babies were the two that differed theRead MoreEthics of Information Communication Technology (Ict)27618 Words   |  111 Pagesguidelines for action to combat the incidence of malicious attacks on the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic data and systems, computer-related crimes, such as forgery and fraud, content related offenses, such as those related to child pornography, and violations of intellectual property rights (IPRs). Further, threats to critical infrastructure and national interests arising from the use of the internet for criminal and terrorist activities are of growing conc ern after the SeptemberRead MoreFamily Dynamics And Social Values2554 Words   |  11 PagesRace-Religion as Factors of Domestic Violence Much of the ethnic and religious ideologies existent in numerous communities today are the result of history’s shaping the societies into what they are today, particularly during the earlier stages of the development of a religion or the peak of an era. The principles and ideals formed then have gone through alterations with time, as cultures have merged since their foundations. While some views and philosophies have been virtually discarded, common beliefsRead MoreChina Research Paper6220 Words   |  25 Pagesbillion people. Since there were so many people in China they had to think about a way to control population so this is where the one-child policy was made.  It officially restricts married, urban couples to having only one child, while allowing exemptions for several cases, including twins. This policy was introduced in 1978 and initially applied to first-born children from 1979. The policy is enforced at the local level through  fines  that are imposed based o n the  income  of the family and other factorsRead Morecan india become a superpower Essay4304 Words   |  18 Pagescharacteristics of superpowers are firstly, the state or nation should have sizable presence in terms of area and population. Secondly, the state should have high levels of domestic cohesion, a clear sense of national identify and stable administration based on strong legal and institutional arrangements. Thirdly, the state should be economically strong and should be endowed with natural resources, particularly energy resources, minerals and metals. Such a state should have a strong industrial base backedRead MorePepsi Grows potatoes in China Essay5896 Words   |  24 Pagesagricultural products. With the country producing almost half the world’s vegetables and 16% of the world’s fruits, the agribusiness industry in China was a burgeoning one.2 During the first quarter of 2007, China’s export of fresh food to the United States grew 279% to US$7.4 million, with fresh vegetables growing 66% to US$32 million.3 In the early 2000s, China dedicated an additional 5.7 million acres of land to the cultivation of vegetables, equivalent to more than half the land used for vegetable Read MoreCountry Note Book of China17054 Words   |  69 Pagesbecame the great country we have today. It is recorded that Yuanmou man is the oldest hominoid in China and the oldest dynasty is Xia Dynasty. From the long history of China, there emerge many eminent people that have contributed a lot to the development of the whole country and to the enrichment of her history. Among them, there are emperors like Li Shimin (emperor Taizong of the Tang), philosophers like Confucius, great patriotic poets like Qu Yuan and so on. Chinese society has progressed through

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Storytelling and its contribution to organizational theory Free Essays

string(209) " Mentoring and Storytelling to transfer knowledge in the Workplace† explains that the knowledge with rich tacit dimensions is transferred informally through processes of colonization and naturalization\." The storytelling approach towards the knowledge sharing is explored in detail. The story telling can be used to elicit tacit knowledge and can be used to flow the knowledge about previous events in the organization and any other work related knowledge in an interesting and effective manner. Since emotions are attached to the stories, they narrate the much value to the listeners and the listeners tend to keep what they have heard. We will write a custom essay sample on Storytelling and its contribution to organizational theory or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this sense, organization memory is created by the anecdotes of the stories being told. The lessons learnt from the past experiences are label to the employees working now. It is also studied the negative stories have much impact on the listeners. The story telling has the potential to capture tacit knowledge and how it is done in the context of IBM is explained. Moreover, the story telling in the organizations can be enhanced by the use of IT tools like intranet, emails and other knowledge management systems which helps employees to create platform to share their stories and communicate the values of the organization. This values and the knowledge base of the organization helps to form the organization memory. Table of Contents Introduction Storytelling is one of the approaches towards knowledge capture and codification, the first phase of KM cycle. This is used to elicit tacit knowledge, towards creation of new knowledge and to organize the content in systematic manner. In knowledge capture phase, the distinction between the capture of existing knowledge and the creation of new knowledge has to be made. Mostly, only existing knowledge is set into the pattern, which only forms the explicit knowledge. There is huge pool of knowledge, which needs to be captured towards generating the new knowledge and that knowledge is mostly tacit in nature, which resides within the heads of knower. Every organization also has a memory. The embodiment of the organizational memory is the experience of its employees, tangible data and knowledge stores in the organization (Walsh and Unison, 1991). The value of knowledge is increased when it is transferred otherwise the uncultured knowledge is devalued and ignored with time. In today’s fast-paced economy, an organization’s knowledge base is quickly becoming its only sustainable competitive advantage. This competitive advantage is owned by utilizing the organizational knowledge, the individual skills, thoughts and ideas. So Tacit knowledge management is must to capture the experience and expertise of the individual in an organization and making it available to anyone who needs it. Once the tacit knowledge becomes explicit, it needs to be organized in a structured document that will enable multipurpose use. The KM tools help to create knowledge and then leverage it across multiple channels, including phone, email, discussion forums, Internet and any new channel that come online. Story telling is one of the best KM tools to capture tacit knowledge. Organizational story can be defined as past management actions, employee interactions or other key events that have occurred and that have been communicated informally (Swap et al, 2001). The stories provide a rich context making it interesting for the listeners and also remains in the conscious memory longer. Stories reinforce organizational learning and communicate common values. The core capabilities of an organization are built by critical skills of employees, management systems and organizational values. This capability can be transferred in formal and explicit way. However much knowledge articulacy knowledge with rich tacit dimensions is transferred internally through processes of colonization and initialization. Story telling is one such transfer mechanisms that can leverage the tacit knowledge of the organization. Literature Review The use of the stories and storytelling may provide a powerful practice as a part of efforts by individuals, groups or organizations to share what they know. It breaks away from the traditional means of communication and adds new dimension to the knowledge management tools. Deeding, in his article â€Å"Telling Tales† tries to convey hat the age-old practice of storytelling is an effective method to be used as knowledge management tools but the stories told should match the situation and conditions in the organization. Storyteller as a leader should influence the listeners and the story should have enough detail to be intelligible and credible. Different narrative patterns like Sparking Action, Communicating who you are, Transmitting value, Fostering collaboration and Taming the grapevine can be used. Snowman’s article titled â€Å"The new simplicity-context, Narrative and Content† focuses on the need f knowledge management to go beyond the boundaries of using best practices into the realms of uncertainty. Since both the human behavior and system are complex, the cause and effect of the system and the interacting agents can’t be separated; the contextual stimulation is needed to capture the knowledge. The decision making pattern is important. Narrative is emerging as one of the most exciting approaches to knowledge management. It involves going and finding a person to ask questions whenever faced with the new task or encounter a problem and get context-sensitive answers. In short, stories allow the communication of complex ideas in a simple, memorable form. Karakul Shaffer B Kali in his research on â€Å"Transfer knowledge Using Stories: A Malaysian University Case Study † attempts to explore the usage of knowledge-embedded stories in a Malaysian institute of higher learning and will consider the understanding of organization members concerning storytelling in the organization. It provides insights on the culture of storytelling as a method of knowledge transfer medium and explores the practicality of using stories in the organization and the employee’s perception of the usage of stories to transfer knowledge. This case reveals that story telling is regarded as an acceptable approach in knowledge transfer. Mostly gathering sessions in the university stimulated storytelling. The case also presented the factors that influence the KM storytelling. The factors are an extension of the existing knowledge transfer factors mentioned in literatures, which do influence KM storytelling. Walter Swap, Dorothy Leonard, Mimi Shields and Lisa Abram in their research â€Å"Using Mentoring and Storytelling to transfer knowledge in the Workplace† explains that the knowledge with rich tacit dimensions is transferred informally through processes of colonization and naturalization. You read "Storytelling and its contribution to organizational theory" in category "Papers" They have focuses on two transfer mechanisms mentoring and storytelling. Most stories told informally in organizations are negative. Therefore managers interested in how knowledge accrues in the organization cannot ignore these important transmitters. Stories that dramatist or illustrate managerial systems, values, norms are more likely to be believed and acted upon than mere statements of policies and norms. Finally, the use of information technologies can enhance the story telling. The effect of verbal storytelling can be enhanced through the use of multimedia. Consistent with the elaboration effect, seeing and hearing the storyteller can add weight and detail to the story as can visual about the environment in which the story occurred. Story-telling-a technique to capture tacit knowledge In KM, the knowledge capture and creation may be done by the individuals who work for the organization or a group within that organization, by all members of a community of practice (COP), or by a dedicated COP individual. So the creation, capture and the codification of the information is done at the personal level while performing activities at Job. Within the firm, individuals share perceptions and Jointly interpret information events and experiences (Cohen and Leviathan, 1990) and at some point, knowledge acquisition extends beyond the individuals and is coded into corporate memory (Napkin, 1995; Spencer, 1996; Monika and Takeouts, 1995). Unless knowledge is embedded into corporate memory, the firm cannot leverage the knowledge held by individual members of the organization. Knowledge acquisition from individuals or groups can be characterized as the transfer and transformation of valuable expertise from a knowledge source (human expert, documents) to a knowledge repository (organizational memory, facts and rules). Explicit knowledge is already well described but we need to abstract and summarize this content. Tacit knowledge capturing needs various techniques of which story telling is the one. Stories involve the detailed narrative of management actions and decision-making styles, employee activities and interaction and other events within the division that are communicated informally within the organization. A story can be defined as telling of a happening or a connected series of happenings whether true or fictitious (Deeding, 2001). This involved the group interaction and collaboration for story telling. The SEC’ model developed by Knock and Takeouts also supports that story telling or narratives can be used to bring out tacit knowledge. Fig 1 :SEC Model by Monika and Takeouts Here, colonization process is involve which emphasizes the tacit knowledge exchange through Joint activities such as gathering, spending time together, informal talks and living and working in the same environment rather than through written or verbal instructions. The process of transferring one’s ideas or images directly to colleagues or subordinates means to share personal knowledge and create commonplace or Baa. During extrapolation process, an individual commits to the group and thus becomes one with the group. The individuals’ intentions and ideas merge and become integrated with the group’s mental world. This involves the expressing of ideas or images as communicable manner such as metaphors, analogies, event description or narratives. A number of conditions must be in place, however, in order to ensure that storytelling in its various enacted forms creates value in a particular organization. Sole and Wilson (2002) argue that although all stories are narratives, not all narratives are good knowledge-sharing stories. As an example, they cite movies, which tell stories designed primarily to entertain and therefore need not necessarily be authentic-?or even believable. In contrast, in organizational storytelling, stories are often used to promote knowledge sharing, inform, and/or prompt a change in behavior, as well as communicate the organizational culture and create a sense of belonging. In order to achieve these organizational objectives, knowledge-sharing stories need to be authentic, believable, and compelling. Stories need to evoke some type of response, and, above all, they need to be concise Deeding, 2001), so that the moral of the story or the organizational lesson to be learned can be easily understood, remembered, and acted upon. In other words, organizational stories should have an impact: they should prevent similar mistakes from being repeated, or they should promote organizational learning and adoption of best practices stemming from the collective organizational memory. Deeding (2001) describes the power of a springboard story, knowledge that has been captured in the form of a brief story that has the ability to create a strong impact on its audience. He outlines a number of key elements required to use stories to encapsulate valuable knowledge, such as: The explicit story should be relatively brief and detailed Just enough that the audience can understand it. The story must be intelligible to the specific audience so that they are â€Å"hooked. The story should be inherently interesting. The story should spring the listener to a new level of understanding. The story should have a happy ending. The story should embody the change message. The change message should be implicit. The listeners should be encouraged to identify with the protagonist. The story should ell with a specific individual or organization. The protagonist should be prototypical of the organization’s main business. Other things being equal, true is better than invented. One should test, test, and test again Story telling and KM processes involved in context of MM. IBM has leverage on the power of story telling at the daily work place to enhance the employees’ performance. IBM has a four-stage storytelling approach. 1 . Anecdotal elicitation through interviews, observation and story circles 2. Anecdotal deconstruction to analyses cultural issues, ways of working, values, rules and beliefs to lied the story’s key messages 3. Intervention / communication design with a story constructed or enhanced 4. Story deployment Story telling workshops can be run to elicit the knowledge and cultural values of an organization as well as both its best and inhibitors to sharing and identifies business issues. Values, rules and beliefs of organization were identified. Storytelling provides the platform to the employees to share experiences and build social capital and networks and most importantly it achieves agreement among the participants The knowledge management framework developed by Olivia and Lieder (2001 a) is based n the view of organizations as â€Å"knowledge systems†. According to this view, organization consists of four knowledge processes Creation Storage / Retrieval Transfer Application Here in case of MM, knowledge creation process takes place by the creation of anecdotes, which are captured as tacit knowledge, and they are stored in a repository and aligned with communities, processes and subject areas. This shows the knowledge storage process. Then the knowledge transfer takes place through support discussion forums (lunch and learn), databases, intellectual capital, management systems (training), document management systems, bulletin boards, inline chats, portals (community kick-off days) and intranets. Ultimately, the people who make communities do the knowledge application process. The effective communities have valuable stories. Practice of dedicated Story Telling Sessions The practice of dedicated story telling sessions in some organizations have proved the increased level of knowledge exchange among employees. For example, NASA, Deducted and Malaysian university have Km initiative in form of story telling sessions. The ITEMS (Information Services and Media Services) Department has its own storytelling sessions. There are two storytelling session ITEMS Sharing Session- It involves the staffs from whole ITEMS department and it is conducted once a week to share the stories on the problems encountered and the solutions. Toolbox Session-alt only involves the units in ITEMS department. It gathers the support unit employees to share their stories on the problems raised. They have one program to stimulate KM storytelling called Buddy program. In Buddy program, two employees from different department are paired together to work as a single department. Junior staff is paired with senior academic acting as mentor. Conclusion Stories are powerful conveyors of meaning and tacit knowledge and been in use from ancient times. It helps to share knowledge with context and emotion. It triggers the listeners to respond with other stories building new understanding. Stories can capture and hold the attention increasing the likelihood of hearing and listening. Story telling is very valuable in story telling network. Any organization has a set of its memories embedded from the time of its inception. These memories are the skills and knowledge of its employees while in an organization over the years of operation. So, the organizational memory has its role on forming the knowledge base of the organization. Employees can use the organization memory to learn and improve the effectiveness of their work. Employee’s knowledge can be stored and then information and knowledge can be shared by KM. Organizational memory is one of intangible assets of one organization; it stores past experiences and knowledge, supports organization strategy and improves organization effectiveness. Accordingly, it is important to establishment and development of organizational memory for KM. Organizational culture can be stored by story, and it is one of retention facilities of organizational memory. The idea, spirit, and culture of organizations can be passed down by storytelling. Through storytelling, organization members emotionally connect to their organization and then identify their organization. Storytelling can store organizational culture, convey experience and knowledge, and improve acquisition, retention, and maintenance of process of organizational memory management. Organization value and spirit can be conveyed effectively by storytelling. How to cite Storytelling and its contribution to organizational theory, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Dolphin Hunting free essay sample

The Japanese public has developed a mischievous reputation with the rest of the world over the past 100 years. They are notorious for going against the grain of modern society and tend to be rather impulsive during international disputes. There are many neighboring countries of Japan that oppose the actions of these â€Å"whalers†. The tension that the Japanese have created within the fishing trade by slaughtering dolphins is leading them into a downward spiral. This seems to be the current path that the United States are headed down as well in regards to the illegal hunting, slaughtering, and production of dolphins for their meat and fins. The Japanese people who are involved in this trade believe that hunting dolphins is a significant aspect of their culture. They see their brutal actions as an ancient tradition that must be carried on, even at the cost of diminishing the already struggling dolphin populations. Obviously, the Japanese have resentment issues contingent to outsiders attempting facilitation of their actions. This is completely understandable; however, the Japanese must realize the magnitude of the compulsory repercussions that correlate with committing genocide of an almost endangered mammal species. Essentially 100 percent of Japan’s dolphin slaughter is carried out in tiny coves off the coast in a town called Taiji, in Japan’s Higashimuro District. According to Justin McCurry of The Guardian, â€Å"the fisherman of Taiji successfully lure up to 100 bottlenose dolphins into these coves daily, harpoon, shoot, and stab them to death†. It is a problem that has ultimately become an immense burden on the Japanese public as a whole. Without taking proper affirmative action to address this problem in the near future, there will arise serious repercussions not only for the dwindling dolphin populations and the Japanese public, but also the rest of the world’s population. The distribution of illegally acquired dolphin meat throughout the Japanese population will only add to the terrible effects of the initial wrongdoing of the Japanese fishermen. Whaling originated in Japanese waters as early as the 12th century. However, the commercial hunting of dolphins superseded with little warning by the beginning of the 20th century. The switch was most likely due to the elevating demand for the fins of certain species of dolphins, as well as the meat they provide to the people of Japan. The Japanese fishermen of modern day are a product of many generations, realizing that there was a larger possibility for profit involved in selling the fins of dolphins’ to locations such as museums along with distributing the meat to markets throughout the population of Taiji. This small town has become the processing center for all illegal acts related to the slaughter of dolphins. It has always been a community that relied heavily on fishing but in recent years, there have been countless underground operations taken on. Where there is conflict there is also usually some kind of judicial system in place. Hence, the United States was quick to establish the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in August 1946 to address the expanding ethical conflicts that large numbers of Americans had with the actions of the Japanese whalers. According to Mark Palmer of Earth Island Journal, â€Å"In September, for the first time, fishermen in Taiji released 70 bottlenose dolphins after catching and retaining around 10 to 15 for aquariums† (21-22). This was ultimately a huge step for the American-run IWC and Richard O’Barry, the organization’s front man. The IWC and O’Barry have been directly involved in the conflict with Japanese whaling industries since the commercial ban on whaling and dolphin hunting was passed in 1986. This seems to be the major reason why the IWC is handling the Taiji dolphin situation so stubbornly. Following the ban, the Japanese stated that they would comply with the new laws and regulations passed, however, continued to covertly manage new operations without the public’s knowledge. In 2005, just before the apex of the Taiji dolphin situation, O’Barry interviewed multiple Japanese fishermen, reporting one of his findings: The fishers who hunt and kill dolphins agree with us [IWC]. When they asked us why we had come to Taiji, we told them we wanted to document the methods used to conduct the dolphin massacres and let the Japanese people know the truth about their hunt. The fisher’s reply was, â€Å"The Japanese people have no right to know about the dolphin slaughter. It is none of their business. Not all of the fishermen involved in the Taiji slaughter are pro-dolphin hunting. This poses a few questions such as why these fishermen are involved in the trade when they don’t personally believe in the act, what’s keeping them around, and who it is that facilitates the actions of fishermen in The Cove. The Japanese reasoning for the continuation of dolphin slaughter in Taiji seems unreasonable at best. The Japanese government and the men in The Cove that commit the murders don’t share a consistent explanation for why hunting dolphins is beneficial for the Japanese community. The fact that the Japanese public is completely oblivious to the actions performed by their government in The Cove is abhorrent and distasteful. The Japanese government is continuously adding to the already massive burden over the heads of every Japanese citizen by deceiving, committing murder, and failing to cooperate with any outsider humanitarian organization so as to meet a compromise on the situation. This mass genocide can’t be deemed a tradition if the Japanese people don’t even know of its existence. Palmer also states in a 2010 article similar findings to O’Barry: Although the slaughter of dolphins continues, Earth Island International (EII) efforts have led to fewer dolphins being killed this year. More importantly, news stories are being published in Japan, for the first time, about the dolphin slaughter and about the dangers posed by the Mercury contamination of dolphin meat (23). The first breakthrough for EII and the IWC came in the form of this confession by the Japanese government. This would lead to further speculation about all the happenings within The Cove. The Japanese public immediately started showing signs of distress and discomfort about the news. Mercury poses a serious threat to the human body when ingested. It is the most toxic non-radioactive element on Earth. When high-levels of mercury become present in the body, it can cause hearing and vision loss, psychosis, and even death. The most terrifying aspect of mercury poisoning, however, is that once it is present within the body, it will always be there because it never degrades (Nevada Division of Environmental Protection). In The Cove, a documentary on the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Joe Chisholm argues that the first serious threat of mercury poisoning actually occurred in Japan back in 1956, in a town called Minamata. It was a stressful time for all mammals living around the coast because factories in Minamata began dumping exorbitant amounts of mercury waste product into the waters outside of town. This became the illicit beginning for the dolphin slaughter. The efforts of the IWC in the past have been essentially futile because of the Japanese unwillingness to cooperate with any outsider organizations. IWC headquarters has been located in the United Kingdom since its establishment in 1946. This distance between the UK and Japan may be a contributing factor to why the Japanese continue to disobey IWC regulations and laws. Ultimately, they may feel unthreatened by an opposition with a locale so far from their operations. There seems to be an outrageous sense of Nationalistic pride within the fishing community; the fishing trade in Japan is an industry that is massively subsidized by Japanese taxpayers. When these types of subsidies are put in place, there’s room for corruption, which has certainly taken place in the past. David Phillips, director of the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP), in the Earth Island Journal states: IMMP recently joined the Elsa Nature Conservancy (ENC) of Japan and One Voice, a leading French animal protection organization, to warn that dolphin meat sold to the Japanese people is highly contaminated with mercury, methyl mercury, cadmium, DDT, and PCBs. Despite evidence of dangerous contamination, the Japanese government provides no warning to its people that eating dolphin meat often mislabeled in Japanese markets as whale meat is a serious health hazard (14-15). There is no way for the Japanese to hide these factors in their secret operations. Eventually the truth will be heard and the citizens of Japan will cause uproar of the situation. The Japanese government has been knowingly poisoning the public with mercury since the commercial ban on whaling in 1986. They have shown no signs of remorse or sympathy for their actions in the past 25 years. The act of disguising this dolphin meat in Japanese markets as â€Å"whale meat† is dubious and shows how corrupt this government really is. It seems as though not even the Japanese government knows the actual reason why these kinds of operations are carried out. Children throughout the school systems of Japan were being poisoned with mercury by school lunchmeat on a daily basis until 2005 when two schoolteachers realized what was going on behind the scenes and acted to remove the â€Å"whale meat† school menus. This meat was essentially being given out to public schools free of charge as a form of propaganda by the Japanese government. More of the Japanese people are being made aware of this situation every day. However, the profit made on each hunt is only about 50% of how many animals they pull in. The tumultuous behavior of the Japanese government only produces further questions on the situation. The Japanese fishermen and their supporters have exercised unorthodox methods of hiding their operations since the IWC banned commercial whaling in 1986. In the past 25 years there have been many unimaginably horrific events that have taken place around Japanese waters. This was exactly the case with Jane Tipson, a British dolphin activist. According to Michael Horsnell of CDNN (UK) in 2003, while involved in a midnight operation to free some of the bottlenose dolphins being held captive overnight in one of the Taiji coves, a Japanese fisherman shot Tipson in the neck, killing her instantly. This was reportedly the 22nd killing associated with the Taiji coves. Instead of attempting to refine the laws in Japan in regards to dolphin hunting, the Japanese government is shielding their actions, which is only creating more, exponentially severe problems. Even though the culprits in this situation are the Japanese government along with the fishermen in the coves, it is only fair to assess the situation from the perspective of the dolphins as well. Dolphins have evolved to be some of the most social and self-aware creatures on the planet. The fact that the Japanese hunt these creatures is cruel and outrageous. They are one of the only mammal species in the world that can comprehend language to the extent that humans do. Richard Connor, professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth states, â€Å"Males mediate alliance relationships with gentle contact behaviors such as petting, but synchrony also plays an important role in facilitative interactions† (587-602). Denise Herzing, Professor of Biological and Psychological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, claims that dolphins also crave social interaction with mammals of other species, not only between social clicks. Herzing states, â€Å"To engage humans in interaction, the dolphins often initiate spontaneous displays, mimicry, imitation, and ynchrony† (1452). These instances relate to how dolphins not only have their own distinctly unique language, but how interactions between other mammal species are an important aspect to consider when discussing the social competence of dolphins. These creatures have proven to be excessively intelligent and possess the ability to interact with humans on many levels. Committing mass murder of dolphins in the secretive Taiji coves seems outrageously similar to The Final Solution exhibited by Hitler during the beginning of World War II. The Japanese have no intentions of stopping until all of the dolphins in Japan are gone. With time, these types of hidden and illegal operations always meet their downfall. According to Tadamichi Morisaka, a dolphin psychologist at Kyoto University in Japan, â€Å"No comparative cognitive studies of dolphins were conducted in Japan until the mid-1990s, but several pioneering works on dolphin comparative brain studies in Japan had already implied the higher cognitive ability of dolphins by the 1940s† (168-176). Data has shown that dolphins have possessed a higher cognitive ability since the 1940s. With this type of information being known for 70+ years, one would assume that further, more extensive research would be conducted on such an amazing creature. However, the Japanese continue their daily slaughter of these intelligent creatures solely for financial profit without concern for the potential scientific benefits. The Japanese government and fishing committees have been attempting to explain their actions since the beginning of this crisis. Their argument is that the traditions of their culture outweigh what PETA or any other American-based animal rights organization believes. They simply will not stop their thousand-year-old traditions for what a few Americans believe is morally wrong. There is obviously a larger, more significant point of debate that lies beneath these ethical quarrels between governments. Americans breed their domesticated animals such as chickens, cows, and pigs for purposes of consumption. The Japanese use this argument as a justification for their wrong doings and state that Americans have been committing these same actions for virtually the same length of time. With this in mind, there are also serious considerations made in regards to the number of animals slaughtered for purposes of human consumption. The Japanese have no such system devoted to regulating the number of dolphins remaining off the coast of Taiji or the number of dolphins being killed. The outstanding problem in Taiji is that these dolphins are simply being picked off one-by-one without the Japanese following any regulations set in place by the IWC. The active problem that the Japanese seem to have with the United States is that Americans domesticate all types of animals for purposes of consumption as well as financial gain. The Japanese see this mindset as hypocritical. Chickens, for example, are constantly being mistreated and slaughtered on farms throughout the Southwest in order to feed the families that raise them. The problem with the Japanese using this as a counter argument is that it is completely irrelevant due to the animals’ cognitive intelligence. Beatrix Eklund, professor of Avian Behavioral Genomics and Physiology at Linkoping University in Sweden states, â€Å"Chickens are known to adjust synchronization and inter-individual distances depending on behavior† (251-252). Influence on behavior is essentially the only way that chickens know how to react to the domestication process. The chickens that are domesticated in the United States are simple-minded animals with very limited cognitive abilities and are also copious in numbers, nowhere near endangerment like the dolphins in Taiji. This does not necessarily make it ethically right to slaughter these chickens for human consumption; however, it’s much more acceptable than how the Japanese carry out their dolphin operations simply based on the sheer number of animals available. There are many aspects of the dolphin situation that the Japanese believe are major problems when in reality, these problems are either miniscule or completely fabricated. Either way, these are all excuses formulated by the Japanese to buy themselves more time to make a profit and defend themselves against the inevitable downfall of these operations. In The Cove, animal activist Roger Payne states, â€Å"The Japanese fishermen are being told by their government that the dolphins are eating too much of the ocean’s fish population, therefore they must provide pest control in regards to the situation. An outrageous claim indeed, however, some would argue that these fishermen are being brainwashed by their own government solely for profit, with no regards for dwindling dolphin numbers. The formulation of this claim by the Japanese is not so surprising. They are a culture that is heavily reliant on the fish market and any attribution that threatens the oceans’ fish population will get them heated. Ultimately, they are hurting themselves by over fishing dolphin. The reason this dolphin meat in markets throughout Taiji were not easily detectable is because the process that is utilized to identify these chemicals within the products requires a proper science lab setup along with tremendous amounts of work and testing. The Japanese government simply denied that there was dolphin meat present in the markets knowing that there would be no affirmative action taken against them. There have been many conflicts between Japan and the United States within the past century. The Taiji dolphin situation has ultimately proven to be the most heated in recent years. Japan has become the pinnacle of dolphin slaughter and trade. Nothing that the Japanese government has done in the past 25 years regarding distribution of dolphin meat has been a sincere act of progressiveness. Countless operations have been conducted behind closed doors in the past that were relentless and destructive in nature. It was only until a select few Americans unveiled the truth on this situation that the Japanese public was finally debriefed about their corrupt government. Japanese news teams are now aware of what has been occurring within their towns and are reporting their findings every day. An acceptable ethical reason for slaughtering dolphins is virtually non-existent. The Japanese government continued to deceive its citizens solely for profit. Not only were these actions disguised for 25 years, but they also resulted in an epidemic of mercury and lead poisoning within almost every Japanese family in the Higashimuro district. There is no obvious reason what would cause the Japanese to decide on slaughtering one of the most self-aware, and intelligent mammals on planet Earth. Ultimately, their priority was making a profit on these horrific and deceitful acts they were committing. The only way the Taiji dolphin slaughter can possibly be steered back in the right direction is if the Japanese government bans the sale of all dolphin meat in markets and publicly admits their mistakes. This would not dismiss the government’s past decisions immediately; however, it is an honorable start to a grueling process that must be completed in order for Japan to start fresh. All social change will come from the passion of individuals.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong Essay Example

Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? Essay Should same-sex matrimony be legalized in Hong Kong? Content Introduction p.3-4 Title and Description Title Description 1.2 Background We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 1.3 Research Objective 1.4 Focus Question 2.Research methodological analysis p.5 2.1 Questionnaire 2.2 Interview 2.3 Restrictions 2.3.1 Restrictions on questionnaire 3.Findings p.6-11 3.1 Findingss 3.1.1 People’s understanding towards the issue 3.1.2 People’s stance 3.1.3 Impacts on citizens and the society 3.1.4 Other suggestions 3.2 Interview sum-up 3.2.1 Interview 1 3.2.2 Interview2 4. Analysis p.12-14 4.1 People’s understanding towards the issue 4.2 People’s stance 4.3 Impacts on citizens and the society 4.4 Other suggestions 4.5 Restrictions 4.Conclusion p.15 5.Reflection p. 16 6.Bibliography P.17 7.Appendix p.18-25 1. Introduction 1.1title and description 1.1.1Title Should same-sex matrimony be legalized in Hong Kong? 1.1.2 Description Same-sex matrimony is a ceremonial brotherhood of two people of the same sex [ 1 ] , a matrimony or a marrige-like relationship between two work forces or two adult females. Through this undertaking, I would wish to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. Besides, to happen out other possible things that we can make to assist the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 1.2 Background In recent old ages, same-sex matrimony has been legalized in different parts of the universe. More and more people support and talk out for the LGBT twosomes. It is such a hot and argumentative subject that it drew my attending and my involvements in happening out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. What impacts will same-sex matrimony bring to the society? Is the legalisation of same-sex matrimony executable in Hong Kong? Different parts of the universe are transporting out different policies protecting the rights of the LGBT twosomes. Until now, 18 states, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the United States and certain sub-national legal powers, including parts of Mexico allow same-sex twosomes to get married [ 2 ] . While in Hong Kong, what has the authorities done protecting the rights of the LGBT twosomes? Harmonizing to the information collected, the Hong Kong authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes from being discriminated and treated below the belt, which is non plenty for protecting the LGBT twosomes, and this affect the individuality of the LGBT citizens and their quality of life. In add-on to different related issues that raised, such as a transsexual lady contending for matrimony in Hong Kong. I decided to utilize this subject as the rubric of my independent question survey. 1.3 Research aims From the background information, we know that the Hong Kong authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong from being discriminate, which is really limited. Due to this, I wanted to happen out ways for assisting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. The aims of the independent question survey are as follow: -to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong ; -to happen out how the quality of life of Hong Kong would be citizens affected if same-sex matrimony is legalized ; -to happen out how the legalisation of same-sex matrimony would alter towards the societal individuality of Hong Kong citizens ; -to find out other possible ways to assist protect the rights and battle for equality for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 1.4 Focus Questions -What has the Hong Kong authorities done so far for assisting or profiting LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong? -What jobs or troubles are LGBT twosomes confronting in Hong Kong? -What are the positive or negative impacts on societal facets on general populace? -What are the positive or negative impacts on societal facets on LGBT twosomes? -Other than legalising same-sex matrimony, can we/the authorities do any other things to assist the LGBT twosomes? 2. Research methodological analysis 2.1 Questionnaire The questionnaire consists of 14 MCs, the mark interviewee aged between 0-65. A entire no. of 337 samples have been collected and most of them aged between 10-18. In the questionnaire, it includes inquiries like ‘what negative or positive impacts will the legalisation of same-sex matrimony be brought to the society? ‘ , ‘do you think that same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong? ’ , etc. Through the questionnaire, I can happen out the positions of Hong Kong citizens towards this issue, how much they understand and support the issue. 2.2 Interview Two interviews with representatives from Blessed Minority Christian Fellowship ( BMCF ) and the Equal Opportunities Commission have been conducted. The representative of the BMFC mentioned that they do back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, this is because God creates everyone and all people should be treated every bit. Whereas the representative of the Equal Opportunities Commission mentioned that they besides support same-sex matrimony, they think that there should be suited Torahs protecting the rights of people with different sexual orientations. 2.3 Restrictions 2.3.1limitations on questionnaire The sampling size is non big plenty, it can’t stand for the position of the general populace. Apart from this, the sampling size is non broad plenty, as most of the respondents are female respondents and most of them aged between 10-18. Due to the above restrictions, the truth and the representativeness of the survey is therefore affected. 3. Findingss 3.1 Questionnaire 3.1.1People’s understanding towards the issue In fig3.1, it shows whether the respondents know that same-sex matrimony has been legalized in 17 states. The figure shows that 51 % of the respondents didn’t whereas 49 % of they did. In fig3.2, it shows whether the respondents know that the authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ for protecting the rights of LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. The figure shows that 58 % of the respondents knew that whereas 42 % of they didn’t. 3.1.2People’s stance From fig. 3.3, when respondents were asked whether they think that same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong, 78 % of them respond that they think that it should whereas 22 % of them think that it shouldn’t. From fig3.4, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony should be legalized as everyone is equal, some people thinks that it’s because of human rights, some thinks that Hong kong should be more unfastened, and a few people think of other grounds, such as love has no boundaries. From fig3.5, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony should non be legalized as it will take to tonss of argument, some people thinks that it affects moral and traditional value, the fewest respondents thinks that it’s because of reiligous ground. 3.1.3 Impacts on citizens and the society From fig3.6, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony will let Hong Kong citizens to hold a stronger sense of belonging, some of them thinks that it can better the populating criterion of Hong Kong citizens, can assist advance Hong Kong’s Economic development and a few respondents thinks that it can increase the freedom of HongKongers. From fig3.7, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony will impact teenagers’ values towards matrimony, and a few of the respondents thinks that it will take down the quality of life of the Hong Kong citizens and that they will hold a lower sense of belonging. A few of them besides thinks that it will impact the population of the city.. 3.1.4 Other Suggestions From fig3.8, it shows that apart from legalising the same-sex matrimony, respondents thinks that the authorities should put up Torahs to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes, set up non-profit organisation or cooperate with NGOs to assist the LGBT twosomes that are in demand. 3.2 Interview Summary 3.2.1 Interview 1 The first interview was carried out with the representative of the Equal Opportunities Commission. In the interview, the interviewee mentioned that their organisation support that the authorities should make something like puting up the SODO in order to assist the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. But they have no stance towards the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. Despite the fact that they don’t have a stance towards the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, I can see that they tend to back up it as they mentioned that they don’t see any disadvantages that may be brought approximately by the legalisation of same-sex matrimony and they think that the legalisation make the society more equal. 3.2.2 Interview 2 The 2nd interview was carried out with the representative of the BMCF. In the interview, the interviewee mentioned that their organisation back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. However, as there are still many voices and different sentiments, they think that the authorities can foremost put up Torahs like the SODO or advance the civil brotherhood, and take farther actions like legalising same-sex matrimony in the hereafter. 4.Analysis of findings 4.1People’s understanding towards the issue From the information collected, it is shows that merely around half of the respondents know what have the authorities done so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong and that same-sex matrimony has legalized in 17 states. This reflects that Hong Kong citizens by and large don’t have a really clear apprehension on the issue on same-sex matrimony and the state of affairs of LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 4.2People’s stance Despite the fact that the information collected shows that a minority of citizens do non back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony in Hong Kong, as they think that the legalisation can take to tonss of argument which is non executable. It is still shown that most of the respondents back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they think that everyone is equal and that they should bask the same rights. Furthermore, from the interviews conducted, it is known that the BMCF and some other related organisations support the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. Apart from this, the Equal Opportunities Commission tend to back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they mentioned that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony cause no injury to the society and that everyone, no affair what their sexual orientation are, should be treated every bit under the jurisprudence. Apart from the questionnaires and interviews, from a study conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it’s shown that people with higher instruction degree have higher credence towards homosexual. As the society develops, people in Hong Kong are more educated and the degree of credence towards homosexual will be higher, the degree of acceptancy towards the legalisation is therefore higher and it shows that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony if executable. The above reflects that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony is executable, as most respondents back up it. Apart from this, Hong Kong citizens by and large have a high acceptancy towards the LGBT twosomes and that everyone in the society should be treated every bit. 4.3Impacts on citizens and the society For the positive impacts, it’s shown from the questionnaire that most respondents think that after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, Hong Kong citizens will hold a stronger sense of properties. This is because they by and large thinks that after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, the LGBT twosomes can bask the rights that normal twosomes do and they can be treated more every bit comparing with the current state of affairs, which improve their quality of life. The societal will be more harmoniousness as struggles between LGBT twosomes, citizens and the authorities will diminish, and this addition the sense of belonging of Hong Kong Citizens. For the negative impacts, it’s shown from the questionnaire that most respondents think that after same-sex matrimony is legalized, the values of adolescents towards matrimony will be affected. This is because, at present, matrimony is known as a relationship between a adult male and a adult female, but when same-sex matrimony is legalized, they may get down to believe that matrimony can be a relationship between two work forces or two adult females alternatively of one adult male and one adult female. This can hence impact the traditional value. From the interview conducted with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the interviewee mentioned that in the traditional value of Chinese civilization, a adult male should get married with a adult female and reproduce their following coevalss, nevertheless, after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, two people of the same sex may acquire marry and they won’t be able to reproduce to their following coevalss which affects the t raditional value. From the interview, it’s besides reflected that people who support and those who don’t have a really different ideas towards the impacts that will be brought approximately by the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. It’s mentioned that people who support the issue thinks that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony can do the society more just and equal as the LGBT twosomes can bask rights that normal twosomes do. Whereas, those who do non back up the issue thinks that the legalisation will take to unfairness as they may hold to portion their benefits and rights will the LGBT twosomes after the legalisation. 4.4 Other Suggestions From the findings, it’s shown that most respondents think that the authorities should put up Torahs to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes. In the interviews conducted, both the BMCF and the Equal Opportunities Commission mentioned that they hope that the authorities can put up Torahs, for illustration the sexual orientation favoritism regulation, in order to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. Apart from this, they besides think that the authorities can follow other states to transport out civil brotherhood, supplying more freedom and rights for the LGBT twosomes. 4.5Limitations Some of the secondary informations used is excessively old and is non updated, this may impact the truth of the analysis. 5.Conclusion The subject of my independent question survey is whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. Through this survey, I would wish to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong ; how the quality of life of Hong Kong would be citizens affected if same-sex matrimony is legalized ; how the legalisation of same-sex matrimony would alter towards the societal individuality of Hong Kong citizens and other possible ways to assist protect the rights and battle for equality for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. Besides, I would wish to happen out replies for my focal point inquiries. From the survey, I can see that most of the respondents back up the same-sex matrimony should be legalized. Although most people are back uping the issue, there are still many different voices and statements towards it. Some people do back up that same-sex matrimony should be legalized, as they think that under the jurisprudence, everyone is equal and that the LGBT twosomes should be treated every bit and should hold the chances to bask the same rights as normal twosomes do. However, there are still some people who do non back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they think that it can impact moral value, traditional value and the value towards matrimony of the following coevalss. As there are still many different voices and sentiments, it’s known that same-sex matrimony can non be legalize in short term. But for the clip being, I think that the authorities can still take actions supplying aid for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong, for illustration puting up Torahs like the sexual orientation favoritism regulation or advancing the civil brotherhood. 6.Reflection Through this survey, apart from cognizing more about what same-sex matrimony is, what difficulties the LGBT twosomes are confronting in Hong Kong, I besides learnt how to believe from multiperspective. For illustration, when I am analysing the information collected, I will seek to walk in the places of different stakeholders and think from their point of position and attempt to explicate why they have such an sentiment. Personally, I support the legalisation of same-sex matrimony and I do trust that it can be legalized every bit shortly as possible. But as I know that there are still many different voices and sentiments on the issue, same-sex matrimony can non be legalized in short term. So at the clip being, I hope that the authorities can pass on with and roll up thoughts from the general populace foremost and take farther actions like advancing the civil brotherhood or puting up Torahs for assisting the LGBT twosomes every bit shortly as possible so as to let the LGBT twosomes to hold a better life. Last, if I am making similar sorts of surveies once more, I will seek to roll up a larger sample size with wider distribution, so that I can hold a more accurate and dependable consequence for my findings. 7.Bibliography 1.Same-sex Marriage Law A ; Legal Definition, USLegal, 2014, lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //definitions.uslegal.com/s/same-sex-marriage/ gt ; ( 16 November 2014 ) 2. Same-sex matrimony, Wikipedia, 2015, lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage gt ; ( 2July 2015 ) 3.e ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢a? ­?-†¡a ¤Ã‚ §a ­? ea†º?eâ„ ¢?eˆse ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢e‚?c §Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ GEU4011M – a °?ee?Ze «- lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //ucgeu.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/GEU/images/2009/GEU200910120.pdf gt ; ( 1July2015 ) 4. My3q, online quesionnaire lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //my3q.com/research/yuichingcheung/59291.phtml gt ; ( 1July2015 ) 1

Monday, November 25, 2019

Online education at Longwood University Essays

Online education at Longwood University Essays Online education at Longwood University Essay Online education at Longwood University Essay The public school Longwood University is offering an online education programs and the deadline for applying is rolling. The program represents an online business graduate program. All of the enrolled students are already employed and applied for this course only for getting higher education. Just as any other school that offers online studying and education, Longwood University has all of the online classes recorded and archived for further use. This online business program founded by Longwood University is accredited by the gold standards of business school accreditations – the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Longwood University founded this online business graduate program in 2010-2011. The total number of enrolled students is 16. The tuition for this program is different for in-state students and out-of-state students. For in-state students the tuition is $289 and for out-of-state students, the tuition is $799. The deadline for applying is rolling, the admissions website is www.longwood.edu and the e-mail is [emailprotected] The rankings for Longwood University’s online program are the following: rank 5 and score 95 for training and faculty credentials, rank 215 and score 16 for technology and student services, rank 31 and score 85 for student engagement and rank 16 and score 83 for admissions selectivity. The peer assessment score 1.6 out of 5. The application deadline is the same for both in-state and international students. The director of admissions is Abigail O’Connor. The admissions phone is 434 395 2043. Longwood University awards MBAs and it has 10 full-time faculty instructors who teach on the online courses but the degree cannot be earned entirely online. Campus-based students are not allowed to participate in this online course. The recommended Internet speed for this online course is DSL. The only problem that can occur is that there is now live tech support all the time. The part-time tuition for in-state students is $289 and for out-of-state students is $799. The full-time tuition for in-state students is also $289 and for out-of-state students $799.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Employment training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment training - Essay Example The main objective of the human resource requirement would be to coordinate their activities with others and also the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the organization. The human resource professional spend a considerable time in improvement in area such as recruitments, selection, training and development. The main objective of the HR management would be the attainment of the specific goals and objectives. The major objective of the study would be to focus on several components of the employment training in strategic human resource management and its related activities. The author of the study would also be highlighting the various components of the formal and training imparted to the employees of the organization. Finally, the study will conclude with recommendations which can improve the various managerial situations by imparting knowledge through training and development programs. Training & Development Most of the employees look for learning and grab eventful opport unities as they seek for employment (Cabrera, 2009). To facilitate for employment opportunities and progression most of the companies spend a considerable amount of time and money on training and development programs. The main objective of the training and development program would be to improve the existing job and development processes. ... Effective training would helps in considering the work options which can improve the effectiveness in the work procedure. Training is also referred to skill development programs which help in the presentation of specific and commitments that develop the skills and behaviour that can be transferred to the workplace. It is also referred to the skill development options, which help in the presentation of specific actions and commitments and enhancement of the skills of the employees. Organizational development can be referred to building the capacity of the organization and sustain a few desired process that benefits the entire organization on the whole. This helps in the examination of the present environment and also identification of various strategies that will helps in the rectification of the errors and also improvement in the existing managerial process. Employment training helps the management to run the managerial functions in different manner and provides a structured format a nd how they can help in contribution to the organizational success. Traditional concepts of HR related to the training and developmental are not related to modern day techniques and concepts and are not always applicable to changing market dynamics. Training and development has not only enhanced the knowledge and skills of the employees but also has improved the thinking ability of the individual and lays emphasis on the reinvention and reengineering process of the organization. The contemporary HR techniques are highly sophisticated and allow the employees to imbibe the innovativeness which can bring about the dramatic changes in the marketing environment. It also helps in deciding upon the future of the organization by stemming

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

AIR Pollution Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AIR Pollution - Outline Example The trend in such industrialized countries is therefore a proof of the low socio economic factors prevalent in the countries despite their strong economies as the discussion below portrays. While obesity refers to the increase in body weight, research continues to prove that poor people are more susceptible to obesity than their wealthy counterparts are. Such is a worrying correlation since it proves that large sections of the populations of the developed countries are increasingly becoming poor (Correl,2010). Obesity is a lifestyle complication and therefore arises when people cannot afford appropriate lifestyles. The increase of fast food cafes in such developed economies as the United States and the United Kingdom is an economic factor that does not only point to the rising poverty levels but also makes citizens more vulnerable to obesity. Fast food cafes dispense foods high in fat some of which are never cooked in appropriate conditions. However, the foods are cheap and convenient to most of the people in the countries who spend most of their active hours at work. Such people lack adequate time to exercise thus burn the excess calories they obtain from such foods a feature that heightens their risks of obesity. The rising cost of living in the industrialized economies compels the poor to work hard thus lacking time to exercise and burn the excess calories (Drewnowski, 2013). Despite such, the group continues to rely on fast foods thus increasing their risks of becoming obese. Furthermore, obesity sustains the cycle of poverty in such families since it increases the chances of the people suffering many other diseases, which require adequate funds to manage. Despite such close relationships between poverty and obesity, other researches continue to prove that obesity arises from social factors and is not therefore a proof of the rising poverty levels in such countries. Proper nutrition for example is a cultural problem in the United States a feature that

Monday, November 18, 2019

Causes of Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes of Climate Change - Essay Example Greenhouse gases are crucial in sustaining life on earth. They allow rays from the sun to enter but stop them from escaping to outer space. However, individuals cause the release of more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere making the greenhouse effect stronger. As a result, the earth’s climate begins to change because more heat is trapped (Directgov 2012). Changes in the energy output of the sun cause the climate to change. This is because the sun is a vital source of energy that drives the climate system. This effect is referred to as solar irradiance. Research has indicated that variability in solar energy has played a major role in the previous climate changes. However, there is not sufficient evidence to support the effect of solar irradiance on the current global warming (NASA 2012). The earth’s climate is changed and influenced by natural causes such as ocean currents, volcanic eruptions, solar variations, and changes in the earth’s orbital. For instance, volcanic eruptions produce gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, causes climate change but its effects are minimal compared to the emissions caused by humans (Climatechangechallenge.org 2012). In conclusion, there are two causes of climate change, human and natural causes. Human causes have led to the increase of greenhouse gases in the air which causes a change in the climate. Natural causes also lead to changes in climate, but their effects are minimal compared to the human causes. The effect of solar irradiance on the climate is also

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Finance Essays Tax Havens

Finance Essays Tax Havens Tax Havens Critical Analysis of Tax Havens within an International Context The following paper will offer a critical analysis of tax havens within an international context. Specifically, this paper will argue that there is both good and bad to tax havens and that favourable tax policies can both assist the host country and multinationals eager to optimize their earnings and savings. In particular, this paper will note how tax havens are often accused of creating unfair advantages for companies that are competing for public contracts; at the same time, tax haven policies in Bermuda have made that country a leading destination for e-commerce and technology firms. Moving onward, there is evidence that the offshore financial services offered by these states have given them an unimagined degree of affluence – even if it is true that tax haven status is frowned upon international organizations like the OECD. Moreover, being a tax haven is no guarantee that overseas companies will actually take the time to establish legitimate business activities in the country. Furthermore, the tax haven policies that grant generous tax rates to overseas operations have been accused of depleting the tax base of nations that are seeing their revenues drop as corporations flee for greener pastures; needless to say, this has grim consequences when one pauses to consider just how many social services are dependent upon public money for their survival. There are, of course, additional points that warrant a hearing, as well. Individuals – at least in the United States – who think they will profit from flocking to overseas tax havens may find that the long arm of the American tax code will track them down wherever they may settle; on an even more serious note, the lack of institutional transparency found in tax haven lands not only allows criminals to avoid paying taxes but allows them to carry out their nefarious money laundering schemes. Not least of all, this paper will also take the time to ponder how tax haven policies have facilitated tax avoidance on the part of the wealthy and have directly imperilled social services at the exact same time as they burden the middle class and lower class with a monumental tax burden; similarly, the generous tax policies of developing lands vis-a-vis foreign multinationals can unhappily deprive them of much-needed resources which can be put towards essential social services. Staying with the notion that there is both good and bad to be found in tax haven policies, this essay will embark on a brief discussion of the consequences upon corporations of utilizing the services of tax haven states. On one hand, tax haven states indubitably serve as a means of protecting the savings of corporations during difficult periods; on the other hand, the hidden costs associated with moving from a western land to a third world nation (all because of the tax benefits to be realized) can bear with it unexpected hidden costs that can harm valuation. One last thing this paper wishes to bring to the attention of its readers is that tax havens are not always found in developing lands – and these first-world havens can become the resting places for the savings of individuals who may not always have the best of reputations. In the end, tax havens certainly have a place in the world – but they will function infinitely better once definitive guidelines on their regulation can be drawn up by the international community and enforced rigorously by that same community. Critics of international tax havens often point to the fact that they create unfair advantages for companies competing for government contracts elsewhere. To put it another way, concerns (in the United States) have been raised that these contractors (those who have subsidiaries in tax haven countries) are at an unfair cost advantage relative to their competition insofar as they are able to lower their United States tax liability by shifting income to what is commonly referred to as ‘tax haven parent’. In a real sense, this means that powerful US corporations are shifting income from affiliates in high-tax countries to affiliates (subsidiaries) in low-tax countries so that they can reduce their overall tax burden. In 2002, the GAO revealed that 59 of the 100 biggest publicly-traded federal contractors were incorporated in a so-called ‘tax haven’ country that either did not tax corporate income or taxed the income at a rate below the American rate. Clearly, these countries have tax policies that attract American multinationals – with the technological and human resources they possess – but they also siphon money away from the US treasury at the same time as they give contractors prohibitive advantages during the bidding process. One notable example of how contractors who exploit tax haven policies in other countries have excited the wrath of American legislators can be found by looking at the case of Accenture and its ugly fight only a few years ago with Illinois law-makers. During 2004, at least four contracts awarded to Accenture were attacked by legislators because the company had taken full advantage of a loophole in the Illinois tax code that permitted corporations to shift profits to overseas locations so as to avoid paying taxes in the state of Illinois. The matter escalated in no time at all to the point where the State Comptroller was actually asking the Illinois Procurement Policy Board about the feasibility of blocking all payments to four Accenture contracts adding up to more than $2 million. On an even larger scale, the US House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the homeland security spending bill that effectively blocked Accenture from being a participant in the $10 billion US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program. One country that has an excellent tax policy (if you are a wealthy corporation) is Bermuda. The British island dependency has no corporate income tax and is ‘tax-neutral’ in terms of how it treats holding companies. A holding company that is actually incorporated in the United States and which receives cash dividends from overseas affiliates/subsidiaries can see its gross dividends pass directly to shareholders. Because of its generous tax policies, Bermuda is now marketing itself as an e-commerce center that is perfect for international technology companies located all over the world. Not surprisingly, the Bermudan approach to attracting technology firms (and the jobs and expertise they offer) has been picked up in countries like Ireland that are keen on targeting ‘preferred’ firms. The benefits that accrue to tax haven states are sufficiently appealing that the countries employing this practice are extremely reluctant to part ways with it – even if it curries the disfavour of the international community. Most of all, the provision of what are called ‘offshore financial services’ has given these countries a measure of affluence they could not have achieved otherwise; indeed, many small island economies (referred to most commonly as simply SIEs) view the emergence of an Offshore Financial Center (OFC) as a panacea for economic disadvantage – possibly because (though it is not stated explicitly in the articles this writer has encountered) the employment opportunities that become available within the financial sector of the SIE courtesy the arrival of multinationals looking for attractive tax and financial services are undeniable. Because examples give force and vigour to any argument, it is necessary to glance at the case study of Malta. Here, the tiny nation – which does not have an over-abundance of natural or human resources by any means – has become renowned for its status as a tax haven; more significantly, it has parlayed its generous tax concessions to foreign investors and companies into a situation wherein its financial services sector is burgeoning at a robust rate. Specifically, 12 percent of Malta’s GDP was to be found in the financial services sector in 2004 and the sector employed about 6,000 local residents. Another good example of a country that has rescued itself from a troubling financial situation by turning itself into a tax haven is the Isle of Man. Other research reiterates the idea that tax haven policies have a beneficial impact upon a country’s economic health. For example, whilst major tax havens have actually less than one percent of the world’s population (excluding the United States), and whilst they have (as of 2005) only about 2.3 percent of the globe’s gross domestic product or GDP, they nonetheless ‘host’ 5.7 percent of the foreign employment and 8.4 percent of the equipment, plant and property of American companies. At the same time, the per capita real GDP in the tax haven nations grew by a healthy rate of 3.3 percent in the years 1982-1999 – almost 2.5 times the world average. Furthermore, in spite of fears that the combination of small populations and relative affluence in these lands would precipitate the creation of even larger governments, the reality is that the ratio of government to GDP in these locations is fairly reasonable. Possibly prompted by the Bermudan example and by a few other states identified as ‘high priorities’, the OECD set about defining a tax haven in a seminal 1998 paper that continues to reverberate to this day. Most significantly, a tax haven country has a policy of not imposing taxes (or only nominal ones); offers itself or is viewed as offering itself, as a place that permits non-residents to escape taxation in their homeland (or nation of residence); does not have an effective exchange of information with outside parties; lacks transparency; and attracts businesses with no ‘substantial’ activities – these last two criteria, especially, will be touched upon at various points later in this paper. In the defence of these two states, each one does impose indirect taxes; for instance, Bermuda has a fairly hefty payroll tax and also places taxes upon on all goods purchased on the island. Nonetheless, only the most ardent supporter would suggest that these two countries fail to rise to the level of tax-haven states. In terms of attracting foreign multinationals, tax haven policies are difficult to beat. However, critics charge that countries like Bermuda do not simply attract ‘real’ economic investment but also ‘brass plate’ or ‘booking operations’ that are characterized by a lack of actual business activity; in other words, international organizations like the OECD become suspicious when they see companies locating to places like Bermuda (or even Ireland) which do not have a lot of business-related action taking place. For countries that are trying to attract jobs as well as foreign capital, it would seem as though having tax haven policies can be a bit of a double-edged sword in the sense that a) other countries are sharply critical towards their ‘preferential’ taxation practices and b) these policies may not attract the jobs the aforementioned countries are hoping for. In fairness, tax haven policies in the United Arab Emirates (specifically, in the port city of Dubai) have attracted plentiful foreign investment on a scale that has (amongst other things) allowed the city to develop its communication and infrastructural capabilities while simultaneously wooing upscale tourists. One other problem with tax haven policies that offer low or non-existent tax rates is that international organizations like the OECD have asserted that they undermine the tax base (presumably of the countries that are seeing businesses flee elsewhere) and erode public services; in fact, ‘harmful’ tax competition has been compared to competitive devaluations and to tariff wars. To expand on this last point, the OECD (in 1998), released a study which argued that tax haven countries divert large amounts of foreign direct investment and ‘taxable income’ away from OECD member states. The tension between the OECD and tax haven nations has long threatened those lands trying to give corporations and individuals advantageous tax rates as well as the benefits of greater privacy. However, there is some sense that this tension is dissipating as more and more tax haven states belatedly embrace international best standards of practice. Be that as it may, only the most wildly optimistic person would dare say that the current hostility between the OECD and small tax haven states is not problematic; the willingness of the above-mentioned countries to cut multinationals ‘slack’ in terms of what they pay in the form of corporate taxes has raised the ire of the OECD and the powerful western nations which comprise its membership to such an extent that real political and even diplomatic problems could still linger in the future. To get to the heart of the problem, the OECD’s penchant for naming transgressors and then ‘shaming’ them in the court of international opinion has been perceived as bullying in some quarters; certainly, the nations that are targeted – or have been targeted – by the OECD are small, politically and economically weak and burdened with limited economic prospects, save for the financial services and tax breaks they offer to foreigners. One can maintain that a lot of this tension would simply go away if the countries engaging in tax haven policies and practices would cease their current practices – but that ignores the reality that these countries need the financial benefits that accrue from such activities; moreover, it is worth asking what the financial implications will be for multinationals and for the communities in developing lands that benefit – even if indirectly – from their presence. Individual Americans who think that tax havens are the perfect thing for them should give the idea a bit more thought: tax haven nations may be enticing in many respects, but US tax law makes it hard for individuals to spirit money somewhere else in the expectation they will not have to pay. For instance, US citizens are taxed on their world-wide income: the tax breaks found in places like the Caribbean, Luxembourg, or the Caymans do not apply to individual US citizens – just corporations. Furthermore, an offshore partnership aimed at mitigating the tax burden will not work for US citizens: the ‘rules’ simply assume that the private citizen earned so much money each year and do not view any profit from the partnership as being a simple long-term capital gain; as such, interest is added onto the taxes that the private US citizen must pay the government. As if that is not bad enough, the capital gains arising from the partnership is taxed as regular income and not as capital gain – which means higher tax rates in the end. Beyond what has been discussed above, individuals and companies using tax havens to avoid paying taxes may not simply be doing this sort of thing to spare themselves at tax time: money launderers like tax haven countries like the Bahamas because of the fact they disclose little information about the companies or individuals doing business within their environs; additionally, money launderers tend to exploit tax havens to the fullest extent possible. For all intents and purposes, tax haven policies really make life easier (though not trouble-free) for criminals eager to avoid the prying eyes of government. As an addendum, it must be mentioned that the United States government has recently taken action to reduce the ‘pay-off’ for wealthy individuals eager to exploit tax shelters. Remaining with America for just a while longer, the matter of off-shore tax havens has become so important to the United States government that exhaustive legislative hearings on this very matter have become de rigueur in recent years. Yet another challenge posed by tax havens is that they are so difficult to tackle from a legal point of view – something that clearly favours criminals at the same time as it grossly disadvantages law enforcement. To elaborate, at least one noted scholar has commented that it is well-nigh impossible to formulate a universal definition of a tax haven that can be used to effectively combat the fiscal abuses associated with this global phenomenon. Until such time as the international community comes to a universal understanding of the concept of a tax haven, criminals can feel reasonably secure that there will be at least a few places on earth willing to embrace them and their tawdry ‘business’ pursuits. Despite the conceptual challenges posed, the United States – as much as any nation – has decided that it has had quite enough of the tax evasion and money-laundering activities characteristic of tax haven nations with their generous tax avoidance policies. Recent court decisions in the US have expanded the power of US states to tax the income of corporations that do not have a ‘physical lexus’ with the state. In essence, the courts have taken the position that an out-of-state corporations so-called ‘in-state economic presence’ renders the absence of a physical presence (headquarters or office buildings or any kind of physical structure at all) entirely irrelevant as to determining the state’s capacity to pursue that corporation for money. Another problem that tax haven policies bring is that they give the wealthy one more means by which they can avoid paying their full weight in taxes. In essence, tax havens provide tax avoidance options to companies and to wealthy individuals; as a result, the tax burden ultimately ends up being borne (more and more) by the middle class and by those with fewer financial resources. Suffice it to say, as the rich grow richer while the poor grow poorer (courtesy onerous tax burdens), the ability of the poor to invest in education plummets. Over time, this can lead to a general decline in productivity – a decline causing great harm to the country that is unable to keep the rich from exploiting one tax avoidance scheme after another. The grim consequences of tax havens upon nations that are seeing the ‘flight’ of capital resources to far-off places reaches beyond just imposing a greater burden upon those ill-equipped to shoulder that burden; tax havens also imperil social services that are already under attack in an age of neo-liberalism. For example, in early 2005, it was reported that Canada’s top 5 banks shifted about $10 billion to offshore tax havens in the period from 1991 to 2004. According to the academic who headed up the study, the utilization of offshore tax havens and shelters is tantamount to engaging in economic terrorism insofar as the monies lost make it difficult (with the potential to be impossible) for the government to finance social programs that need public funds to survive. Despite the protestations of the banks in question that their foreign-based subsidiaries located in tax-haven lands such as Malta, Barbados and the Cayman Islands are simply a means of taking advantage of the competitive tax policies located overseas, the report stresses the aforementioned dollar figure and the fact that the total number of subsidiaries for the ‘big five’ stood at 73 as of the end of 2004. Nor is the problem of tax avoidance confined just to wealthy western nations that are finding it increasingly difficult to provide appropriate social programs in an era when their populations are aging at an alarming rate: in countries that feature (or have featured in the past) tax haven policies, the government is often unable to collect all the taxes it would like to service all the social programs it would like. For instance, whilst Chile has long been the most attractive country in the world when it comes to mining and direct investment in this field, the world’s leading copper producer also does not charge a royalty on the extraction of its most precious natural resource and its taxes are incredibly low – and sometimes non-existent because of legal accounting loopholes that allow for generous write-offs for things like equipment. Tax haven policies appear to offer many positives and more than a few negatives – something this paper has noted time and again. While it can be argued a number of different ways, one would be remiss not to point out that private equity firms (or maybe any firm) doing business in a country in the midst of a financial downturn can – and certainly have – used offshore tax havens to shelter the profits on their investments; American equity firms, as a matter of fact, did precisely this during the late 1990s to protect their investments in Korean financial institutions. Given what has been described in the last paragraph, it is tempting to say that companies which move their operations abroad to escape paying taxes at home benefit handsomely from the transfer; after all, why leave the technologically-advanced, human resource-rich and affluent west for a small or developing peripheral economy unless (amongst a few other reasons) the organization’s senior thinkers were intent upon saving as many dollars as possible from the taxman? Unfortunately, the expected tax savings do not automatically exceed the non-tax costs associated with the above-mentioned move; if anything, the decision to set up new subsidiaries (or to pick up stakes and move elsewhere) has manifested negative repercussions in the form of hidden and unexpected costs that negatively impact firm valuation. Proceeding along, it is commonly heard – maybe less so than in the past – that tax haven nations are predominantly nations that are less developed than those countries found in the west; the truth, though, is rather more different. Difficult as it may seem, even affluent western nations can properly be described as tax havens – the United Kingdom being the best example. In London in particular, the favourable tax laws are such that many Russian elites – who, in some instances, have reputations that warrant a bit of polishing – have injected vast sums of capital into the local economy. At the same time, London (and the United Kingdom in general) is not alone: Switzerland has also attracted plenty of Russian capital and it seems as though the two are responsible for the staggering flight of roughly $102 billion from Russia between 1998 and 2004. Again, the money that flows out of Russia now is the kind of money that could be directed towards such things as social programs and the like.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Its Time to Lower the Drinking Age :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

In the United States, it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of twenty-one. At the age of eighteen people are considered adults. â€Å"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen-years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age (Amendment 26, Section 1 of the Constitution). At the age of eighteen, a person can get married, vote, drive, take out loans, pay taxes, buy tobacco, have sex, be tried as an adult, have children, use credit cards, buy real estate, act independently of parents and be in the armed forces and die for their country. If we look at Vietnam War, half of the soldiers that fought in that war were under the age of twenty-one, and a lot of them were 17 to 19 years old. Yet that person still can not drink alcohol. Also we can smoke when we are eighteen. Smoking kills just as many people if not more than drinking. Smoking causes cancer, and many more conditions compared to drinking that causes liver problems only after sever abuse of it. Smoking has many chemicals including carbon monoxide which is so poisonous that we have alarms in our house that detect it, but we can smoke and not drink. We can vote when we are eighteen. We vote for bills and bonds that change our lives. We can vote for the senators and the entire Congress that propose laws that govern our society. We vote for the President who is the commander of millions of troops whom he can send to their deaths in a minute’s warning. It is imperative that the drinking age be lowered to the age of eighteen. The drinking age must be lowered t o the age of eighteen because this age would be consistent with other responsibilities that the government ____ grants eighteen-year-olds. For instance, at the age of eighteen, a person is liable to be in the armed forces. If a person is being trusted to fight or even possibly die for their country, it seems a lot less crucial to trust them with an alcoholic beverage. To add to the fact of dying for their country, these people are being counted on to kill other humans. This seems unreasonable that a person is liable to take on an adult’s job, that involves the future of the country, and still be unable to enjoy an activity that other adults are allowed to participate in.