The Kurds in Modern Iraq

Introduction Kurds are people who originated from Indian and European races. They reside in the hilly regions of the borders between Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. This region where the Kurds live is referred to as Kurdistan. They have a different culture from their neighboring people in Iraq.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Kurds in Modern Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also have a different language of their own. Their language is quite related to Persia, although it differs by some two dialects. Their main religion is Sunni Muslim although they accommodate some Christian, Jewish, and Yazidis religious groups among them. Their total population by the 1987 census was 19.7 million people in the Kurdistan region. Their population in the entire world numbers at 25-35 million people, although their estimated population usually varies. They are spread out especially in Russia and Europe. Kurdis poli cies of nationalism have continued to worry Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. During Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Kurds suffered atrocities under this administration. Their independence was minimized especially during the Gulf war of 1991. Their good relationship with Iraq became questionable when Saddam Hussein was overthrown in the year 2003. They have since been making several attempts to self govern themselves. Currently, they have around eight political parties that are actively involved in all political issues. These political parties are the major machines they use to drive them to their homelands. As we speak, the Kurds are ruled by one government called the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This government began to reign in 1991 and is still operational to date. Their success story made a major leap forward by the death of former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein. Since then, the United States has been helping the Kurds in reconstruction and ensuring their security is g uaranteed. It is also purported that should the security of Kurds be threatened by bloodshed and destruction from Iraq, the United States will gear up in support for an independent Kurdish state. Recent History of Kurds The Kurds are sometimes referred to as a people without a nation because they are unarguably the largest ethnic group without a country of their own. From the time the modern state of Iraq was created, the Kurd’s history has been characterized with instances of underdevelopment, political turmoil and cultural repression, destruction, revolutionary revolts and ethnic cleansing. Genocide has also characterized the Kurd’s society.Advertising Looking for research paper on eastern europe? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Iraq has been engaged in major campaigns to obliterate the Kurd’s synergetic approach towards gaining independence. Many people have been killed and scores injured when Saddamâ⠂¬â„¢s administration ear marked the Kurdish society for destruction. The main aim of these attacks was to thwart any efforts by the Kurds to arise against the national government. Thus, resistance movements were countered with rigorous military operations by the Iraqi government. In post-Saddam Iraq, many political and ethnic issues have arisen in relation to Kurd’s assimilation into the Iraqi state. Many opinions have been given concerning how this issue should be dealt with. Some people have been supporting the formation of five-state Iraq with the region occupied by the Kurd’s forming one of the states. Another option includes the northern self governing section organized not on ethnic basis but on regional basis. It is quite important to note that some of the neighboring countries have not been in support of an independent Kurd state. Turkey as an example has been strongly opposing this fight for freedom[1]. The modern history of the Kurdish people is therefore ex amined in two phases. The first one is the phases of the fight between the Kurdish populace and the governments, which they are subject for control. The second involves the struggle of the Kurds to become a sound community[2]. The Kurds during Saddam’s Reign The contemporary Kurd’s history during Saddam Hussein’s reign can only discuss the events that happened during Saddam Hussein’s last years of dictatorship. These are the years 2000 up to 2003 in Iraqi’s history. Saddam’s reign was characterized by Kurd’s repression. There were secret police tortures, murders, forced disappearance and the use of chemical weapons. Assassinations were also common during this period. Saddam’s methods of eliminating Kurd’s resistance included gassing. Up to the year of his death, there were still many widespread imprisonments. Political participation was only allowed to those politicians who belonged to the Baath Party. It is amazing that this political party consisted of only 8% of the total population of Iraq. Hussein’s administration had also made numerous torture centers where citizens considered resistant to the national government use to be tortured. The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq The Kurds have been the most pro-US group in Iraq since time immemorial. They welcomed the U.S invasion of Iraq thereafter cooperating with the U.S political and military officials. In return to this, the Kurds have been expecting the U.S to support them in their fight for self governance.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Kurds in Modern Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the reason as to why they do not want the United States to leave Iraq without proper arrangement so that the United States does not abandon Iraq and the Kurds[3]. Turkey refused to support the U.S invasion from the beginning. However, the country has expressed her su pport in the withdrawal project that will end in the year 2011. Since the invasion of the U.S led troops to Iraq, the Kurds entered into active post-Saddam national politics on equal footing with Iraq’s Arabs. They did this by participating in a U.S-led occupation administration. This government operated under a ‘Transition Administrative Law’. The constitution also preserved the Kurds’ self-governing ‘Kurdistan (Religion) Government’ and its supremacy to modify the application of some (national) laws. Another provision of this constitution permitted the Kurds to continue to field their militia numbering close to one hundred thousand. The Kurds continued their support of the constitution (in the year 2005) for the reason that this charter seemed to fulfill their momentous demands. The endorsement of this constitution by the Kurds was also because it also included the Kurd’s insistence on federalism. This allowed for the formal creation of regions that had their own regional governments. The constitution recognized the presence of three Kurdish regions which are Dohuk, Irbil, and Sulaymaniyah as legal regions. This constitution appears to have given the Kurds more strength in relation to politics. Many controversies arose concerning the political assertion of the Kurds and the system of governance by the central government. Thus, Iraqi minority groups would later protest at this excessive assertion of demands by the Kurds arguing that it threatened Iraqi’s integrity. On the other hand, the Kurd’s believed that the central government’s system of leadership is not living up to its promises to build a diverse multi ethnic democracy[4]. Political Orientation of the Kurds A short history of the Kurdish political parties shows that the mainstream Shiite Islamic parties are the main parties that boast a huge membership of the Kurds. The main reason as to why Kurds have been politically oriented in the se parties is because they seemed to be yielding to their demands. However, in the year 2008, the Kurds began to break with Da’wa party headed by Maliki. This was because he failed to accede to their main demands. The main demands that were not redressed were issues concerning terrorist activities in the northern parts of Iraq[5].Advertising Looking for research paper on eastern europe? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Maliki offset by reproving the Kurds that they were trying to practice issues that were unconstitutional[6] outside their protective limits and setting up Kurds envoy offices in alien nations. For these reasons, the Kurds representative and the Iraqi prime minister stayed for more than a year before meeting in 2009. Since then, it has been reported by observers that the main Kurdish factions are no longer king makers in central government politics. This was evident when the number of seats held by the two main factions was reduced from 53 to 43, between the year 2006 and 2010. Currently, there has been a lot of political bickering within the Kurdish factions. This is why up until now; there has been no executive branch that has been chosen among the main parties seven months after the elections. The effect of this relationship is that it has reduced the straggle for self governance by the Kurds. Thus, Kurdish independence is not an active source of friction between the two factions. However, the issue still remains to be of topical concern to Iraqi’s neighbors that have Kurds minorities. The Betrayal of the Kurds There have been many instances by both the local government of Iraq and foreign governments have done that have been taken as acts of betrayal of the Kurds. The Kurds have been considered as a vulnerable ethnic group existing in many countries neighboring Iraq and beyond. The U.S has been involved in major operations aimed at guaranteeing security to this marginalized community. From the time of President George W. Bush senior through the Obama administration, things have been taking different twists and turns for the Kurds. When the United States declared her mission to topple Saddam, the Kurds expressed their willingness to join in the exercise. They encouraged the United States in this operation thereby advising them to send notes in major Iraqi cities that announced that the United States were coming as liberators. In this action, the Kurds were fighting against the repression that was being propagated by the Iraqi regime and the Turkish authorities[7]. The Kurds also experienced some acts of betrayal from the Palestinian people. The argument goes this way. The Palestinian people have been strongly opposing the idea of formation of a state for the Kurdish people. Yet, as a matter of fact, the Palestinians have been in a strong demand for their autonomy in Israeli soil. Taking into consideration that the Kurdish people outnumber the Palestinians in population, the double mouthed Palestinians ought to either support the autonomy of the Kurds or they stop demanding for their autonomy from the Israeli’s. Thus the betrayals have arisen due to the souring deal between the Kurds and the U.S.A, and between the Kurds and the Turkish administration. The Kurds expected the United States to act in favor of their demand for autonomy as a way of reciprocating. Also the United States has been accused by the Kurds of supportin g the establishment of an antidemocratic leadership in Iraq. The U.S.A has also been accused further, of supporting Turkish administration in anti autonomous Kurds campaign. The Unknown Oppression of the Kurds The Kurds are reported to be treated not quite well in all the surrounding countries that they occupy. Some of the nations have been treating them badly because the Kurds have been resisting the efforts their host countries have been making in trying to assimilate them into their citizenry. The Kurds do not want to be called Arabs. They are therefore treated as second class citizens. In Iraq, the situation has seemingly subsided. However, in neighboring countries such as Turkey, the situation is worse because the Turkish administration has denied the existence of the Kurdish nation. Thus, these states have been trying to force Kurds out of Kurdish lands because they cannot put up with the truth that the states themselves are occupying Kurdish lands. The other unknown oppressio n comes in form of a place called Kurdistan. Kurdistan is that part of the country between Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq that does not have a border[8]. According to these countries, it is that mountainous region with basic natural features such as canyons. It remains unclear whether Kurdistan will revive as was the case with Poland (after two world wars)[9]. This is a fact that has been enhanced by the enactment of policies in the host countries to make the Kurds feel at home. Although the American and the British governments have been trying to protect the Kurds from such oppression, this has only been limited to human rights issues[10]. This is because military force is out of question since the action could be an infringement of the sovereignty of the states. Future Prospects of the Kurds It has become more and more difficult for the Kurds to gain complete self governance. The project has been rendered almost not feasible. Following the consequences of its effects, the Kurds woul d rather seek to improve and strengthen their position in relation to their autonomy within their regions. The restrictions from the international community especially, the European Union have worsened the situation. Worse still, the Kurds are found in other independent states like Turkey which appear to obliterate any attempts by their leaders that are geared at pushing for their autonomy[11]. However, they have been receiving support from human right activists and European Union programs that promote reforms. These programs have been pushing for the awarding of citizenship to Kurds who reside in Syria and Iran. However, the program is being slowed by the fragility of the European Union and the internal problems within the Syrian administration. The problem is also worsened by the issue of the United States troops in Iraq. The instability and murders on the Iraqi soil seem to put the future direction of Iraqi’s perspective on the Kurds quite uncertain. It is extremely hard f or there to be a peaceful multicultural administrative and political coexistence in the recently formed Iraqi government while at the same time recalling the unforgettable truths of the mass graves of the minority Kurds. It will also be difficult to oversee the raising Shia attempts, coupled with the strongly rebellious Iraqi accommodate this multicultural approach. However, should this phenomenon become feasible, it would offer a good example for Turkey, Iran and Syria to internalize this idea within their systems. By doing this, the Kurds in these countries will be saved. The Fight for Self Governance by the Kurds The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is currently ruling the northern regions of Iraq occupied by the Kurds. The KRG is however not completely autonomous because it depends on financial support from Baghdad. The KRG controls the three provinces dominated by the Kurds namely, Dahuk, Irbil and Sulaymaniya[12]. This government however has a share of its own troubles. There have been some cases of corruption and poor governance within the KRG. This government does not have its own resources. It has thus been forced to depend entirely on Baghdad’s economy for its survival. The KGR has a large measure of autonomy in these three regions. It is responsible for the primary legislative, budgetary and administrative authority. It is worth noting that the Kurdish Regional Government is still drafting a constitution even as we speak. The constitution will be tabled in the regional parliament for amendments and approval. The regional parliament is the supreme authority of the KRG. It has been in operation since the year 1992 when Saddam’s forces were largely forced out of the Kurdish region. The Kurdish Regional Government still has a weak parliament that is however, gradually growing stronger by and by. Its strength has been exemplified when in 2007, for the first time, the parliament summoned some cabinet ministers for questioning on many occasi ons. In early 2008, the parliament received a detailed current government budget with just enough lead time to allow some real debate. This was also the first time such an instance ever happened since the formation of the KRG[13]. It should also be noted that the parliament and the executive perform their functions under a form of joint management by the two top traditional Iraqi Kurdish political parties. These parties are the KDP, led by the president of KRG, and the PUK, led by the Iraqi president. Conclusion Kurds are people who originated from Indian and European races. They reside in the hilly regions of the borders between Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. This region where the Kurds live is referred to as Kurdistan. They have a different culture from their neighboring people in Iraq and other neighboring countries. From the time the modern state of Iraq was created, the Kurd’s history has been punctuated with instances of underdevelopment, political turmoil and cultural repress ion, destruction, revolutionary revolts and ethnic cleansing. Assassinations were also common during this period. Saddam’s methods of eliminating Kurd’s resistance included gassing. Up to the year of his death, there were still many widespread imprisonments. The future of the Kurds seems to be oblique in relation to their fight for their autonomy. Kurds would rather seek to improve and strengthen their position in relation to their autonomy within their regions due to internal and external factors. Internal factors include instances of corruption and other malpractices in public offices. External factors include foreign government policies that are against the formation of an autonomous Kurdish state. Bibliography Cagaptay, Soner. The Future of the Iraqi Kurds. The Washington Institute Of Near East Policy. Policy focus#85. July 2008. Carkoglu, Ali. Turkey’s November 2002 Elections: A New Beginning. Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol, 6 No. 4 â€⠀œ December 2002 Gasper, Phil. â€Å"The Betrayal of the Kurds.† Third World Traveler, April 2003,  http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Global_Secrets_Lies/Betrayal_Kurds.html . Izardy, Mehrdad. A Concise Handbook: The Kurds. Washington D.C: Taylor Francis, Inc, 1992. Katzman, Kenneth. The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq. Congressional Research Service. CRS Report for Congress. October 1, 2010. McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds, 3rd Edition. London: I.B. Tauris Co Ltd, 2007. Natalie, Denis. The Kurds and the State: Evolving National Identity in Iraq, Turkey, And Iran. Ed.1. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2005. O’Leary, Brendah, McGarry, John Salih, Khaled. The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. Students institute for international global affairs. Kurds: the history of oppression and future prospects. Articles and Interviews, March 15, 2009. Footnotes Middle East Review of International Affa irs, Vol, 6 No. 4 – December 2002. McDowall, David. P. 1 Katzman, Kenneth. P 5 The multi ethnic democracy allowed the Kurds full rights and redresses the perceived abuses of the Saddam era. This rift widened so much that one of the Kurd,s leaders would be seen on a local television program accusing Maliki of trying to monopolize power. These are the Kurds militia Gasper, Phil Izady, Mehrdad, p. 3 O’Leary, Brendah, McGarry, John Salih, Khaled. p. 7 Natalie, Denis, p. 175 Students institute for international global affairs. Cagaptay, Soner, p 2 Cagaptay, Soner, p. 4 This research paper on The Kurds in Modern Iraq was written and submitted by user Shayla R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Hbs_wipro Essay Example

Hbs_wipro Essay Example Hbs_wipro Essay Hbs_wipro Essay He pictured Wipers software products coming off a virtual assembly line with the same quality and efficiency he had witnessed in auto plants employing principles of lean manufacturing. Pop Wiper Technologies had been incredibly successful in selling its software services to companies around the world in all sectors of business. In fact, Technologies provided 76% of the $1. 3 billion in total revenues that its parent, Wiper Limited, earned in 2004. Ball was Vice President of the Manufacturing Solutions vertical within the Enterprise Solutions SUB. His team of software engineers designed systems and applications addressing procurement, vendor development, and production processes for clients around the world in the manufacturing sector. No etc With at least 50 customers in the Manufacturing vertical, Salsas team was continually responding to the individual needs of its clients, and Ball himself was constantly thinking about the most effective way to do this. An engineer by training, Ball had studied the principles of lean manufacturing that had been so well publicized by Toasts automotive plants could be emulated in the knowledgeable business of software development. : A Global Economy Software services was a fast-growing industry in India in 2005, as more and more companies around the world were choosing to buy customized software systems rather than build them themselves. The opening of Indians economy in the sass had allowed companies in the US and Europe, as well as Japan, to discontinue activities in-house that were not cost-effective nor considered part of an organizations core competency, and import them from elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of qualified software engineers in India and other developing nations were carrying out software bobs at lower cost than in the clients home country. This phenomenon brought a swell of new business to Wiper in the new millennium. The export of software and IT services had brought close to $17 Professor David M. Upton and Research Associate Virginia A. Fuller prepared this case. HOBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Certain details have been disguised. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright 2005 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or quest permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to Hobs. Harvard. Dude. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means?electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise?without the permission of Harvard Business School. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [emailprotected] Harvard. Du or 617-783-7860. 606-021 billion in revenues to India in 2004, and had ushered the words outsourcing and offspring into the global business lexicon. Outsourcing To outsource work meant that a company would buy work that was previously done in-house (I. E. Within the company itself). The outsourced work could be done either offshore or elsewhere within the customers home country. Offspring Offspring meant moving work from the companys home country to another country. However, it did no t necessarily involve a third-party. Often, a satellite branch of a company was set up in another country, and the offshore work was done there. Such work was not considered outsourced, because it was still performed under the umbrella of the parent company. Offshore satellites of a single company were called captive centers, or Just captives. Since Wiper Technologies work focused on non- Indian companies based outside of India, its customers were both outsourcing and offspring the work given to Wiper. Wipers Work Back in 2003, NSA Ball and his team in the Manufacturing Vertical took note of the current state of Wipers role in global business. Enterprises had grown rapidly across the globe through mergers and acquisitions, and markets grew more global as barriers disintegrated in many developing countries. At that time, most of Wipers outsourcing work came in two forms: dedicated offshore development centers on its Bangor campus, and in the fulfillment of customers large, enterprise-wide IT projects. Odds Offshore development centers were created for customer-companies who outsourced entire business divisions to Wiper. The DOC was essentially a remote office of the client, though operated by Wiper employees. The initial objective of customers who set up Odds with Wiper was to leverage the lower costs in India. The projects undertaken in Odds varied in size, nature, and technology. Wiper operated about 50 Odds, staffed with anywhere from 50 to 1700 people in each. Large projects Large projects were also outsourced to Wiper for lower cost, but increasingly to leverage the skills of Wipers engineers and other resources that had developed as a result of dealing with similar-scale projects with other customers. One problem facing large multi-national corporations (Mans) was the integration of systems across their various geographic units. Because of their fragmentation, they were not well equipped to handle enterprise-wide system development or changes, so such large rejects, usually for integrating alien systems. Another technological problem for large corporations was procuring and providing middleware between legacy and the new packaged systems they had installed. In general, Wipers large global clients had several business units dispersed around the world, each with projects outsourced haphazardly, some to Wiper, others to local IT services companies, and some to their own internal IT departments. Within that company, the outsourced projects were addressed as follows: each business unit determined the projects it needed to outsource, and selected vendors independently. Solutions were then architect disparately, creating dissonance between units of the company. Usually, only large-scale projects went to a company like Wiper, for it was only those projects that could Justify the overhead cost associated with setting up an offshore engagement, at least from the point of view of the local managers. 1 See statistic: Mascot. Org/newswire/issue [Research. SP 2 The Problem of Small Projects Traditionally, in manufacturing, global companies tended to outsource very large software projects, but keep the many smaller projects those with budgets under $100,000 within their regional IT units. This meant that small projects were handled in one of two ways: kept in-house and completed by regional IT teams, or outsourced locally. When a project was kept in-house, it ran the risk of waiting in a long queue in the internal IT department, because of limited internal capacity and the inevitable backlog. When projects were outsourced to multiple service providers, the customer ended up with a myriad of different technical solutions across the globe. Large corporations with global footprints typically had vendor procurement processes at the local business unit level, and f similar projects did not look the same. More often than not, Wiper saw completely different architectures and completely different platforms created within one company for precisely the same business function. Even though many of these small projects were similar in nature, they were completed in uniform ways because local companies did not feel they could justify sending them to one large vendor such as Wiper. The costs of setting up an outsourcing contract were high, for there were many specifications to be outlined and agreed upon by both parties before the work could begin. The initial steps of evolving such a contract included specifying quality levels, product requirements, and delivery times. (See Exhibit 1). When software solutions were designed ad hoc, and were non-uniform across the company, upgrades and subsequent integration became difficult. This led to a integrated company-wide IT strategy and loss of control of regional IT functions. With such fragmentation, the company was unable to take full advantage of its scale because its systems each required individual maintenance and specialized skills. Having Wiper handle such projects could, Ball believed, lift the client out of the has of diffusion, the chaos of local decision-making, all of which had contributed to a global sub-optimal. If Wiper could streamline the initial steps of engagement, it would be simpler and more cost-effective for customers to hand off small projects, and a whole new stream of business would flow in. Wipers Challenge Although lower cost was the initial reason large companies chose to import services from offshore, Ball was convinced that labor cost arbitrage alone was not enough to keep his business booming, especially since Wiper faced major competitors in its own backyard, among them, Data Consultancy and Inflows Technologies Limited. He wanted Wiper Technologies to be the worlds top source for software services because of the quality of its product, not simply because it was a lowermost alternative. To be competitive in an industry which was itself growing explosively, Wiper had to differentiate itself based on the quality and delivery of its software products, not the price of its labor. New Opportunity Ball wanted to improve Wipers execution of small-sized projects such that the departments. By establishing blanket contracts with large clients, they could take in a stream of small projects but not have to go through the overhead of setting up a new entrant every time. Also, the development process could become much more efficient if Wiper reused some of the components that they developed for other projects, rather than re-creating them with each new project. 3 Rules of Engagement Traditional Model Typically, a Service Level Agreement (SAL) was created based on performance measures and process models agreed upon between Wiper and its client before work on a project began. Performance measures were quantified by work-in-progress and field defects (rejection index), estimated time to complete the project (gauged by not- n-time index), customer satisfaction (rated on scale of 1-5), effort overrun (overage and underage), and production support (response time, resolution time). The SAL also specified the process model to be used. There were various life cycle models that each project could follow, and this depended on the type of project. Development projects, maintenance projects, system conversion projects, and package implementations each had process models specific to the nature of the work. Factory Model Ball realized that companies were reinventing the wheel every time they sent their mall projects to a m ©Lange of disparate local outsourcers, or completed the projects consolidate the initial steps of engagement and offer a more streamlined process for completion of small-scale projects to its large customers, those customers would benefit from greater strategic control. All projects under $KICK, for example, would automatically be diverted to Wiper. This would ensure uniformity across geographic units of a NC and reduce the amount of individual maintenance the company would have to do on its systems. Ball piloted this design under the name Factory Model, in which the parallel recesses of the traditional model were combined into a single stream. Each incoming project was then assigned to a process rather then creating processes around the requirements of individual projects. (See Exhibit 2). Four fundamental processes demand management, centralized engineering and architecture, core factory processes, and infrastructure consolidation served each of the individual projects requiring similar technical or functional solutions. Demand Management This phase consisted of consolidating demand for solutions across geographic regions and business units of large global customers. Wiper employed a central team to manage customer requirements and form a common, transparent demand repository within its Manufacturing vertical. Thus all work of a similar nature and of similar functional areas was funneled into this common demand management function. This led to improved pipeline management, which standardized the bid process, and reduced bid process cycle time by 10-15%. This essentially automated the demand management process. The procurement function changed in that duplication was eliminated across geographies. A web page allowed customers to log requirements for their specific rejects, and this information was stored in the demand repository as well. The entire procurement cycle was cut down by making sure assembling demand and allocating it to functional areas, then moving the requirements to the virtual factory. This was the first area of improved efficiency under the Factory Model. Centralized Architecture and Engineering Services Ball established a core architecture group that identified best processes, improvements, and innovations, and used this information to create templates for possible projects. The use of these templates enforced standards throughout the 4 roof, making it easier to train employees and assign qualified people to any project in the pipeline. This also enabled reuse of components. The centralized architecture and engineering services group endeavored to standardize the finished architecture across various business units and geographies as long as they were in the same functional area. Core Factory Processes This step incorporated specialization of tasks, knowledge reuse, and code-reuse using standards into the design, build, test, and deploy steps that actually brought projects to fruition. Within the Core Factory Processes tag were the PAPAS/PM (Product Process Quality Assurance/ProJect Management Office) features that drew upon elements of the Toyota Production System. Here projects underwent planning and control, metrics analysis, benchmarking, issue resolution, status reporting, and resource forecasting to ensure quality across the different units. Productivity improvements were driven by the use of component libraries, global test beds, and a knowledge management network. Choosing Projects Infrastructure Consolidation This step comprised the standardization of development, testing, and deployment platforms. Common platforms promoted common hardware infrastructure. Software licenses were reused where possible, and infrastructure support teams were optimized. Through a centralized capacity planning model as well as cost allocation mechanisms, this step reduced Wipers operating expenditures by about 15-20%. The Factory Model was best suited for global enterprises that sought to achieve business units. By 2004, Wiper was piloting lean processes in the Factory Model for software development for two large clients. These customers fit the profile of being global, with multiple business units spread across different geographical locations. Furthermore, the projects these customers wanted were small and not interdependent, with a low degree of variability; they were conducive to the Factory Model. Indeed, large global companies were more likely to have repeatable Jobs in their work streams projects that may be small or relatively simple in nature but large in volume. Project requirements coming in from dispersed business units often shared common components, even if they addressed different business issues. Automobile production was analogous in that individual cars on a production line shared a similar design and basic components, but also had features that made each unique. Each of the cars had four wheels, an engine, and a steering wheel, but each also had unique features like sunroof or no sunroof, automatic or standard transmission, heated seats or no heated seats, etcetera. The cars could still move down the assembly line as such, having both common components and unique features. If they were too different, there would be no point in having an assembly line; they would all be custom-made. Ball envisioned a similar scenario with software, and believed that the common components shared by many software products would allow software to be produced a factory-like style. For example, an order management system in Asia was similar to an order management system in the US, in that they both shared common functionality. Like the sunroofs or heated seats, additional features could be added or removed from the basic model according to customer specifications. Once Wiper had built the basic platform, it could very quickly turn around requests for a customized variation on that. 5 Lean Principles ongoing improvement within Wipers software development life cycle as a result of the application of lean manufacturing principles. Lean principles had already improved quality and productivity in many industries, most notably the auto industry with the Toyota Production System. In its own application of lean principles, Wiper outlined the following tenets: 1) Continuous Improvement Go see for yourself to understand thoroughly (genetic sunburst) Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options, implement rapidly Continuous organizational learning through kamikaze 2) Approach to People: Respect, Challenge, and Grow Grow leaders who live the philosophy Respect, develop, and challenge your people and teams Respect, challenge, and help your suppliers

American Minorities and Sports Essay Example for Free

American Minorities and Sports Essay Sports have always had an enormous impact on American society and culture. People use sports at all levels, whether it’s youth, high school, college or professional, to help build an identity, connect with others and grow as individuals. Even though American is a diverse country made up of different races, nationalities and ethnicities, discrimination has been in issue throughout America’s history. Sports took on an even greater meaning for some minorities during the 20th Century, especially Europeans and blacks. They used sports as a means of vertical mobility in order to advance themselves socially in America. The idea of social mobility was one concept that originally drew many immigrants to the country. Between 1880 and 1915, around 26 million immigrants moved to the United States, and about half came from several areas of Europe (Moore, 2011a). America offered the chance for people to better themselves and someone from any background could become successful and rise above their parents. During this time, Americans were already viewing sports as an important and democratic part of life, because it judged people on their talent and skill alone (Reiss, 1980). Competition was an opportunity to prove and show off your â€Å"manliness† and power. Sports were also seen as a way to gain vertical mobility, and for Europeans, it was a way to become more accepted into the American culture. Although they received more respect than blacks, they mostly were not considered truly â€Å"American† (Moore, 2011a). Boxing was a popular sport among young immigrants. Boxing was a sport that proved â€Å"manliness† and toughness, and turning professional meant chances to earn prize money. Most immigrants from Europe lived on the East Coast in cities that quickly became crowded and poor, and fighting was a functional skill to learn while living in the ghetto neighborhoods (Reiss, 1980). Boxing became a social ladder for ethnic groups since one group seemed to dominate until another group became better. Whoever were better boxers at the time were viewed as the tougher race. In the 1800’s and early 1900’s the Irish held most of the Heavyweight Championship titles, with boxers like John L. Sullivan, Jack Kilrain and Gene Tunney (Sowell, 1983). In the 1920’s and 30’s Jews began to have success in the ring, with 1913 being the only year in since the start of the century that there was no Jewish champion. In the two decade span they held 18 titles (Moore, 2011a). These champions were important to the Jewish in proving their worth to the country and countering the discrimination that the Nazis in Germany were trying to spread. Boxing for European ethnic minorities served as a way to prove their race’s toughness, and prizefighting was a way to leave the poor ghettos and make a decent life for themselves. Italians were slower than other groups in their involvement with sports. Between 1899 and 1924 about 4 million immigrated to the United States and settled in the crowded East Coast cities (Reiss, 1980). The Progressive movement was gaining popularity at the time, but because of their past in Italy, many Italians mistrusted governments telling them what to do and what their children should do (Moore, 2011a). However, 2nd generation Italian-American children were given opportunities to play sports through the creation of the Public School Athletic League. In 1905 historian Camillo Cianfarra tracked the Italian youth development in sports and observed: â€Å"In our public elementary school competitions, our children are not inferior to the children of other nationalities, in the lists of gymnastic [track and field] winners the Italian names appear quite frequently as they appear in the rosters of teams involved in inter-high school competition† (Reiss, 1980). Baseball soon became a popular sport with the Italians, and they became very successful with the sport. By the time of the Depression, Italians were becoming a majority in the Major Leagues (Moore, 2011a). Italians success in baseball gave them social mobility, but they were also still discriminated against. Some of the best players in the league in the 1930’s were Joe DiMaggio, Tony Lazzeri, Frank Crosetti and Ernie Lombardi (Baldassaro, 2005). Joe DiMaggio helped Italians gain more exposure and respect when he became the best player in the league and an American celebrity (Moore, 2011a). Blacks in the United States had similar involvement as the Europeans with ports and social mobility, although they faced much more discrimination and rejection than the other minorities. Blacks used sports as a main way to try and prove their equality to the rest of the country. They viewed successful black athletes as heroes and passionately supported them, and used them as a more subtle channel to showcase their fight against the discrimination and hate that they faced daily. Boxing featured several black champions and was a popular sport, just like it was with the European minorities. One of the earliest black champions was Peter Jackson, an Australian who won the Heavyweight Championship over there in 1886. He traveled to America in 1988 to fight John L. Sullivan, who held the Heavyweight Title, but Sullivan refused to fight him because he was black. Besides that setback, he was considered one of the best boxers of the time, and blacks loved him because he was a respectable man and proved black equality with his victories. Frederick Douglass at the time said, â€Å"Peter is doing a great deal with his fist to solve the Negro question† (Moore, 2011b). He was also respected within the white community because he never bragged or belittled an opponent (Moore, 2011b). People around the country of any race looked up to him as a role model. Although Peter Jackson helped gain some respect for blacks in white America, it wasn’t until Joe Louis that Americans found a black athlete that was embraced as an American hero. Louis was born in Alabama in 1914 as the son a sharecropper and great grandson of a slave. His family moved to Detroit in 1924 where he soon took up boxing. After ten years of hard work he won the Golden Gloves as a light heavyweight and his career took off from there. One of his biggest victories was against former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera in front of a crowd of 62,000 at Yankee Stadium (Official Site, n. d. ). Louis’s symbol as an American hero though didn’t fully happen until he avenged his loss against German champion Max Schmeling with a first-round knockout in 1938, during the time of the Nazi’s dominance in Europe. It was this victory that caused the American people to see him not as just another black fighter, but as an American hero. It helped to counter the impression of successful black athletes that Jack Johnson, the previous black heavyweight champion, had left, and in a way almost transcended his race (Schwartz, n. d. ). â€Å"What my father did was enable white America to think of him as an American, not as a black,† said his son, Joe Louis Jr. â€Å"By winning, he became America’s first black hero† (Schwartz, n. d. ). In the 1960’s, black athletes used the world’s biggest sporting stage to fight racism and show their protest against the discrimination that they were still facing. In October 1967 the Olympic Project for Human Rights was established by sociologist Harry Edwards and others, mainly athletes. The goal of the organization was to protest segregation and racism in sport and society. A boycott of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics was suggested but never happened, yet several members still used the Games as an opportunity for the organization. Many on the US Track and Field team wore black socks as support of the black community, or badges of the OPHR (Henderson, n. d. ). The most famous act of protest however was from sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who finished 1st and 3rd in the 200m final. On the medal podium, they each raised a fist while wearing a black glove. The act led to the International Olympic Committee president, Avery Brundage, suspending them from the rest of the competition and forcing them to leave (Moore, 1991). Although the protest had negative consequences for the sprinters, it was another key moment in sports that showed how the black community rallied around its athletes and used sports as a way to come together and fight for civil rights. Sports and competition were important in minorities efforts to advance in 20th century America through vertical mobility, although the reasons were different for each race. Europeans struggled with adjusting to a new country and culture, and sports helped serve as a way to assimilate more with the American culture and be accepted. Because of the large numbers of immigrants in the late 1800‘s and early 1900‘s, most lived in poor, crowded urban areas. Being successful in sports meant a chance to become professional, leave behind poverty, and make a life for yourself. It was essentially the â€Å"American Dream. † Sports had a slightly different meaning for black Americans. The United States was still a country of discrimination and oppression, and black society used their successful athletes to empower and unite them. Through heroes like Joe Louis, they fought against the discrimination and tried to prove their equality to whites. Both minorities in the 20th century viewed sports as a key tool in their struggle for acceptance in American society. American Minorities and Sports. (2017, Jan 08).

Basic Video Streaming Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Basic Video Streaming Problems - Essay Example However, there are several drawbacks related to the concept of video streaming. Video streaming has its limitations on the internet because internet does not give any surety of any fixed bandwidth, delay or packet loss. It works on a â€Å"best effort service† (Apostolopoulos et al. 2002). These are considered to be variable factors that change with respect to the quality of internet connection. There have been many researches carried out over the years to induce more reliability and consistency in video streaming. These three issues are discussed in detail: As stated earlier, the bandwidth between two nodes is variable and might not be known. This variability causes problems in the traffic flow from one point to the other (Wu et al. 2001). If the sender sends data at a rate which is faster than the available bandwidth then congestion and low quality streaming is resulted. On the contrary, if the sender sends data at a rate which is slower than the available bandwidth then the receiver decodes a sub-optimal video quality (Apostolopoulos et al. 2002). A strategy to overcome this problem is to ensure a bandwidth that is acceptable to both the nodes; this can be done by estimating the available bandwidth and striking a balance between the estimated bandwidth and video bit rate transferred over the link. The degree of this issue varies from packet to packet. The variation in the delay of every packet depends on its respective queues on different routers. If there exist some variations in the end-to-end delays then it is known as delay jitter (Apostolopoulos et al. 2002). The main reason behind this problem lies in the fact that the receiver is designed to decode and thus display frames at a certain rate. Some frames may arrive at the receiver late due to this delay jitter; this can create a problem at the receiver because he is programmed to decode the frames at a certain rate. These late frames will cause jerks in the display of

Research Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Plan - Essay Example These trading companies, once in a foreign land, used to try influencing the ruling class in order to strengthen their business goals. Gradually these companies also succeeded in capturing power in those countries, thus giving rise to the practice of imperialism. This practice also led to many wars around the world resisting the imperialistic trends. But the recent trend is different from the imperialistic trends. Now the liberalisation policies have opened up the turf for competition from all around. With multinational companies reaching out to almost all parts of the world, the smaller domestic companies have started feeling the competition. To study this phenomenon we will; 2. How the e-business saga emerged in the developed world followed in quick succession by the developing world nations. Asian region and some of the so-called lesser developing nations have emerged as key players in this globalisation regime. E-Business or online business activities are closely linked to the process of industrialisation, computerisation, IT penetration and overall development of the country’s economy. Developed nations in the western world have played a leading role in such matters; therefore, it is quite natural that these economies played a key role in the development and proliferation of e-business activities. But as the profit margins started shrinking, the economies of scale coupled with the size of the available market started becoming major factors in carrying forward the e-business opportunities. The Asian region led by countries like China and India, with billions of population and an equally dependable IT infrastructure started attracting the multinational companies (MNCs). On the one hand these MNCs started depending on the Asian region for production of goods and services because of lower production costs, on the other hand the availability of huge market also became an

Assess the Significance of Developments in Policing Essay Example for Free

Assess the Significance of Developments in Policing Essay There were many significant developments in policing which aided the effectiveness of law enforcement in Britain from the period of 1830 to 1965. Reasons as to why developments were necessary in this period; firstly between the years 1829 – 1850 there was a steady increase in crime[1]. Secondly as time progressed criminals came up with ways to beat the policing system, therefore it was necessary for policing in Britain to develop, in order to keep on top of crime. Development factors such as; the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Force, passing of key legislation were key developments in policing which influenced law and order. Other developments such as the reformation of prisons and developments in technology, coupled with roles of individuals such as; Elizabeth Fry and high profile cases like that of Oscar Wilde, also contributed to the effectiveness of law enforcement in the 19th and 20th century. The first significant development in British policing, which notably advocated effective law enforcement was the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Force in 1830. This was a significantly fundamental advancement in law enforcement as it was the first time in British history that an organised policing force was introduced and it updated the predated system of watchmen and bow street runners. However, the force was met with varying attitudes from the public, much of which was sensationalised by the media[2]. Other major Acts were implemented to support the Metropolitan police, especially forces outside of London, for example; the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. This was a significant development as it nationalised the police force therefore allowing effective law enforcement to take place throughout the country, unlike before where it was restricted to London[3]. However the effectiveness of these developments can be questioned, as police officers were often criticised for being drunks and bullies[4], therefore they were mistrusted by the general public. There were further attempts to nationalise the police force, such as the Rural Constabulary Act 1839. This was a significant development in law  enforcement as the legislation focused nationalising policing in rural areas. On the other hand, the enforcement of the Act was optional[5] thus limiting its effectiveness, as many boroughs were apprehensive of its creation. Nevertheless further legislation was pioneered in the form of the County and Borough Police Act of 1856, which saw every county having to acquire a professional police force[6]. The government encouraged the development and gave incentives such as; paying for clothing and wage to efficient police forces[7]. Officers therefore, would have felt a sense of duty to their jobs accurately as they had respectable positions. Additional legislation allowed the policing forces of Britain to develop into further branches, such as the establishment of the C.I.D in 1877 which investigated homicides. This development was pivotal as it loosened pressure on the Metropolitan police force and allowed a select force to focus on a case. However, the birth of the C.I.D incurred with the Turf Fraud Scandal, thus leaving the public suspicious and distrustful of the establishment. The C.I.D’s first major test came in the form of the Jack the Ripper Case in 1888[8], which instilled fear throughout the nation. Conversely the case was significant in another light, as police performance was repeatedly criticised for its incapability and slow work. Other cases such as The Arrest of Scotland Yard[9], did not help the detective forces as they were again shown as an inefficient and corruptive detectives. The development of the C.I.D also brought about the development of the Special Irish Branch in 1884, both which showed their significance as they foiled the assassination attempt of Queen Victoria at her Golden Jubilee in 1887[10]. This was a significant case as it showed the public that both, the C.I.D and the Special Branch were effective developments of law and order as cooperative work between forces ensured the protection of the Queen and thus the nation. It is apparent that other factors contributed in influencing effective law and order and not only developments in policing, for instance the reformation of prisons. Prisons in the 18th century have been criticised for their poor sanitation, poor food and living conditions. It was remarked that felons in Britain lived â€Å"worse than dogs or swine†[11]. Humanitarian Elizabeth Fry campaigned for the separation of women and children from male  prisoners, especially after she witnessed the appalling conditions in prisons[12]. Her work was promoted throughout the House of Commons and with the support of Sir Robert Peel; they introduced a series of prison reform including the Gaols Act 1823. This showed the strong public opinion on issues regarding law and order, especially as intervention of influential individuals was evident. By 1840 the government had recognised that prisons needed to be modernised, such as the Pentonville prison in 1842. Developments such as these meant that wardens could control prisons better and new regimes could be exercised, such as the separate system, where inmates were kept in solitary confinement from the beginning of their sentence. This development aided effective law and order as there were reported cases of reformed criminals, however the system sent many insane or led them to suicide, questioning the regime and the governments handling on the treatment of criminals. Furthermore, prisons had been nationalised in 1877[13], this coupled with the harsh regimes led to a steady fall in crime[14], proving the effectiveness of this development on law and order. Further legislation such as the Prison Act 1898, reasserted the idea of reformation as the main role in prison regimes. This led to a dilution of the separate system, the abolition of hard labour, and established the idea t hat prison labour should be productive. The argument of the reformation of prisons brought attention to young offenders. Transportation itself had ended in 1852, as reformists viewed it as a lenient punishment, however under the Reformation School Acts (1854); courts were allowed to send children for transportation[15] setting double standards within society, whilst historians argue that there were little, if any boundaries between children and adults[16]. The Children’s Act of 1908, established juvenile courts[17] and also banned prison sentences to those less than 14 years of age. This was significant in influencing effective law enforcement, as children were seen with sympathy and compassion. The legislation also showed that boundaries were being set for adults and children. During this period there was a general feeling that children were committing crime due to inadequate discipline and education at home, thus the Borstal System was introduced[18]. The main elements in the borstal programs included; education, regular work, vocational training, and group  counselling, however the Borstal System proved to be ineffective as 75% of inmates still re-offended[19] . Further developments came into fruition in the form of technology, which greatly influenced effective law and order. It has been argued that were being increasingly caught[20], for instance, advancements through the development of finger printing in 1901[21]. The development aimed to prevent criminals from concealing previous convictions. This development contributed to effective law and order as a database of criminals was created which the police could use as a reference for repeat offenders. Other tools which helped the police force included Radio telegraphy and the use of the 999 system in 1910. These developments influenced effective law and order as the police was able to communicate better with not only one another, but also with those in need of help. However the effect of the modernisation of the police force meant that there was increasing reliance on electronical and technological methods, thus alienating the average police man from his community[22]. It can be argued that the use of media had also affected the influence the effectiveness of law and order as public opinion had been influenced through the use of various Medias. The Oscar Wilde Case of 1895[23], exemplified how societies stereotypical immoralities i.e. homosexuality, could be used against someone in a court of law and order and convict them as a criminal. Other cases, for instance the Derek Bentley Case of 1952[24], showed further miscarriage of justice, as the wrong person was hung. This case was significant in influencing law and order as the media attention helped increase societies widespread doubt in the justice system. An added incentive that motivated the public’s change of attitude towards capital punishment and the miscarriage of justice was the Ruth Ellis Case of 1955[25]. It was evident from this case, that Ellis was did not receive the correct legal representation in court and the case was not thoroughly investigated. It was found out after the trial; Ellis was a victim of domestic violence, which could have been the cause for her crime of passion. These high profile cases strengthened the public’s resolve on the issue of the barbarity of capital punishment and the ever present fact that there was  no reprieve for those who were convicted and hung. This led to the profoundly significant changes in legislation which influenced effective law and order; the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act of 1965[26]. This was paramount in policing legislation as the death penalty was abolished. The abolition was a significant change in the 20th century as capital punishment was seen with much aversion both from the public and judges alike, who were especially reluctant to hand out death penalties. In conclusion developments within policing which significantly influenced effective law and order in the period 1830-1965 were vast and all had varying impact on society. Legislation such as the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 and the Rural Constabulary Act of 1839, ensured society was protected by an organised, efficient national police force. However officers were distrusted by the general public, therefore they had many hurdles to face before having a significant impact on society. However one cannot base the effectiveness of law and order within this period solely on developments in policing, as there were other contributory factors. For example; reformation of prisons through work of individuals such as Elizabeth Fry, the establishment of the C.I.D, technological developments such as finger printing and DNA sampling and high profile cases like that of Oscar Wilde. These developments greatly advanced effective law and order, as one can base the suggestion of decreasing crime rate during 1830-1965[27] on these as well as the developments in policing. Bibliography Books Trend of Crime 1750 – 1900 – Ian Dawson Crime and Punishment: A Study Across Time – Roger Whiting 1968 D.Taylor. ‘Crime, Policing, Punishment in England 1750-1914’ The Victorian Underworld, Donald Thomas 1998 Police and Prisons – P. F. Speed 1970 Crime and Punishment through time, John Murray History of Police in England and Wales – T. Crithchley 1978 Websites www.historyhome.co.uk www.learnhistory.org.uk www.parliament.uk/ www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_and_Borough_Police_Act_1856 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper#Investigation www.suite101.com/content/the-jubilee-plot-to-kill-queen-victoria-a290563 www.howardleague.org/index.php?id=elizabethfry www.howardleague.org/history-of-prison-system/ www.crimezzz.net/forensic_history/index.htm www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_wilde www.innocent.org.uk/cases/derekbentley/index.html www.stephwn-stratford.co.uk/ruth_ellis.htm www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/71/enacted

Victorian Clothing :: European Europe History

Victorian Clothing Through out history people have been influenced by many things in society, art, music, and role models are all some of examples. One of the biggest things that makes us who we are and that we can use to tell other people what we are all about is clothing. Lawyers and doctors don't wear jeans and t-shirts. Instead they may sport a coat or shirt and tie. You don't see many garbage men wearing suits and tuxes. It was the same way through history as it is today. Clothing is, many times, very much over looked. Clothing in the dark ages where tainted with black and gray colors. Very plain and blunt styles were used, as different to the Enlightenment era where colors were first used and showed up in some clothing. During the time when Queen Victoria was ruling, France and British were very elegant yet plain in the same sense. Women wore dresses with dull colors yet were big and bulky. One of the most popular eras for clothing, even today, is the Victorian style. Victorian style is a combination of both light and dark colors that are put onto expensive fabrics and usually given an elaborate design. The main contrast between Victorian clothing and Queen's style was the amount of skin showing on the women's dresses and clothing. The Queen did not permit any skin being shown save the face and neck. Women were expected to ware gloves and dresses or aprons that went down past their feet or ankles. The men wore a button plain button down shirt. Most men would wear a dark vest with two or three buttons on it and button one or two. On the bottom they would ware black or gray pants. This was one of the first times it became rather popular to ware a hat outside. The hats were usually light colors, maybe a tan or light blue color. The women wore dresses and even long skirts or dresses of different colors and styles. The milk maid style is very popular. The women would sometimes were dresses with aprons over them. The aprons were not like the ones we have today. Instead they are very intricate with designs and come in many colors. The colors were usually soft and casual yet when put with the very beautiful designs they were quite a sight. The women, like men sometimes wore hats or, in some cases, bonnets.

Human Resource Management and East Midlands Ambulance Essay

1. Executive summary The purpose of this report is to investigate the human resource management (HRM) problems that the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is experiencing. One of the issues EMAS is experiencing is paramedics possess a lack of motivation and commitment to the job consequently causing a rise in absence. This is caused by the new budgets cuts enforced on the NHS and is impacting on the paramedic’s working life such as, cancellation of allocated break times. Another problem they are facing is the human resource department has been downsized therefor there is one HR manager and adviser covering 3 counties. This is causing work relations between HR and line managers to break down due to not enough HR staff to support every individual station. It is recommended that HR should allocate time to each station to support managers and employees and directors come to an agreement to give employees their breaks. There is additional web information to support the concepts chosen to analyse the problem. These are www.telegraph.co.uk/article/absenteeism and www.thefreelibaray.com/psycologicalcontacts. 2. Problem identification and analysis The new budget cuts to the National Health Service (NHS) are causing many  changes throughout the organisation; one sector of the organisation being highly effected is the Ambulance service. Throughout the East Midlands Ambulance Service many cost efficient changes are taking place, however they still have to meet the same standards of performance to meet their annual targets so that they will receive the same budget for the service next year if the targets are not met the budget each year will decrease. Major changes to EMAS include: * No allocated break times and lunch times. The directors say paramedics are to have their breaks and lunch aboard the ambulance between jobs ‘’when they get a minute’’ however due to the increase in emergency calls, reports revealed that some paramedics were not having lunch at all throughout a 12 hour shift. This is a breach of not only their written employment contract but their psychological contract as well. * Human resources has been downsized, there were HR managers and advisers for every county over the east midlands. The new change saw one HR manager and one HR adviser covering 3 counties and researched showed that employees felt like they had no one to turn to for advise as there HR department was far too busy for individual employee needs. This is making it very difficult for the HR department to focus on what is demotivating the employees causing absenteeism. Even though there have been many other changes to EMAS these are the priority because the result of these changes has had an immense impact on absence and sick leave, as employees are not satisfied with the new conditions to their job description. The new changes to EMAS are causing a vast chain reaction throughout the organisation mainly because most of the changes are hugely breaching employee’s psychological contract. The terms they were expecting to have when they were first employed by EMAS has now been removed for example if a paramedic were to smoke there breaks they used to get off the ambulance for refreshments etc. have now been removed they are expected to remain on board the ambulance. Such a breach would have a massive impact on their commitment to the job as they would feel that the employer has been disloyal to them and not having care for the job would lead them to take unnecessary time off. The HR department cutbacks have had a big impact to not only employees but their line mangers to. HR are finding it difficult to attain any spare time to meet with the managers to discuss recent  problems/procedures therefore all the contact is being made thought documents and letters leaving the managers confused about dealing with their team. The managers are being put under a great deal of stress as their employee expectations have been disregarded. Managers expect to have the HR department at hand for advice on employee problems and procedure. Not having this is not the job expectation they had when they first started. 3. Recommendations Solutions to these problems are very complex and the most obvious solutions are obstructed by the budget cuts. Yes the HR department need more advisers covering each county but unfortunately that cannot occur, instead propose a new system as to where the HR department travels to each station, maybe 1 district a day, to assist the line managers and provide them with up to date policies and procedures. They could also enlist employee time to discuss and problems they are facing and offer advice. This could help to build the relationships that are currently being strained. Also arranging for back to work interviews and help schemes for absentees could help to make them feel more empowered and feel the organisation really needs them back to work giving the employee a sense of purpose. As for the impractical break times for paramedics, give them a designated time to eat their lunch and have their breaks in a suitable environment, whilst one team is having a break have another standing in but make sure that whether on a break or not they must always make themselves available should they be needed. A breach in written/psychological contracts like this is unacceptable for the organisation to enforce upon the employees. The research carried out by Steers and Rhodes (1978) on absenteeism is what this organisation should follow because the employee’s ability to do the job is becoming complicated by a breach in job expectation, not resting on break creating role stress etc. therefor rescinding the employee’s motivation to work. Studying this research could open up compromises for the managers and their employees. Information The web page studied to back up the concept of absenteeism is www.telegraph.co.uk/article/absenteesim on the 26/11/2012 showed that the main cause for absenteeism was work related stress. This web page has been  selected to back up the concept of absenteeism because work related stress can be through unsatisfied job expectation and losing commitment to the role maybe through breaking of a psychological contract. This information was also backed up by the web page www.ukessays.co.uk 26/11/2012 which proves the information is a reliable source. The second concept chosen in this report is psychological contracts and web page chosen is www.thefreelibrary.com/psycologicalcontracts 26/11/2012. This page studied what would be a breach of a psychological contract. This information came from an article written by Pittensburg State University and has been back up by other sources mentioned in the article therefore is a reliable source. References Pittensburg State University. (2010). Psychological contracts. www.thefreelibrary.com/psychologicalcontracts. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012. Preston, D (2012). Book 2 An introduction to human resource management in business. p9-22. Steers, R. M. and Rhodes, S. R. (1978) ‘Major influences on employee attendance: a process model’ Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 63, No4, pp. 391-407 The Telegraph. (2011). Absenteeism. www.telegraph.co.uk/absenteeism. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012. UK essays. (2003). concepts of absenteeism. www.ukessays.co.uk. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012.

Effect on Economy Due to Change in Rbi Policy

Shivans gupta PGPFM nifm- Faridabad Shivans gupta PGPFM nifm- Faridabad Effect of Monetary Policy of RBI on Economy Effect of Monetary Policy of RBI on Economy 2012 2012 Effect of Change in monetary policy of RBI on Economy Economy An  economy  consists of the  economic systems  of a country or other area; the  labour,  capital, and  land  resources; and the  manufacturing, production,  trade,  distribution, and  consumption  of  goods  and services of that area.A given economy is the result of a process that involves its  technological evolution,  history  and  social organization, as well as its  geography,  natural resource endowment, and  ecology, as main factors. These factors give context, content, and set the conditions and parameters in which an economy functions. Repo rate Repo rate is the rate at which RBI lends to commercial banks generally against government securities. Reduction in Repo rate helps the commercial banks to get mo ney at a cheaper rate and increase in Repo rate discourages the commercial banks to get money as the rate increases and becomes expensive.As the rates are high the availability of credit and demand decreases resulting to decrease in  inflation. Reverse Repo rate Reverse Repo rate is the rate at which RBI borrows money from the commercial banks. The increase in the Repo rate will increase the cost of borrowing and lending of the banks which will discourage the public to borrow money and will encourage them to deposit. Cash Reserve Ratio Cash Reserve Ratio is a certain percentage of  bank deposits  which banks are required to keep with RBI in the form of reserves or balances . Higher the CRR with the RBI lower will be the  liquidity  in the system and vice-versa.RBI is empowered to vary CRR between 15 percent and 3 percent. But as per the suggestion by the Narshimam committee Report the CRR was reduced from 15% in the 1990 to 5 percent in 2002. As of October 2012, the CRR is 4. 5 percent. Statutory Liquidity Ratio Every financial institute have to maintain a certain amount of liquid assets from their time and demand liabilities with the RBI. These liquid assets can be cash, precious metals, approved securities like bonds etc. The ratio of the liquid assets to time and demand liabilities is termed as  Statutory  Liquidity  Ratio. There was a reduction from 38. % to 25% because of the suggestion by Narshimam Committee. The current SLR is 23%. Bank rate Bank rate, also referred to as the  discount rate, is the  rate of interest  which a  central bank  charges on the loans and advances to a  commercial bank. Whenever the banks have any shortage of funds they can borrow it from the central bank. Repo (Repurchase) rate is the rate at which the central bank lends short-term money to the banks against securities. A reduction in the repo rate will help banks to get money at a cheaper rate. When the repo rate increases borrowing from the centra l bank becomes more expensive.It is more applicable when there is a liquidity crunch in the market. Inflation In  economics,  inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices  of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. [1]  When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the  purchasing power  of money – a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. A chief measure of price inflation is the  inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general  price index  (normally the  Consumer Price Index) over time.Gross domestic product  (GDP) Gross domestic product  (GDP) is the  market value  of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP  per capita  is often considered an indicator of a country's  standard of living; GDP per capita is not a measure of personal income (See  Standard of living and GDP). Under economic theory, GDP per capita exactly equals the gross domestic income (GDI) per capita (See  Gross domestic income). GDP is related to  national accounts, a subject in  macroeconomics. GDP is not to be confused with  Gross National Product  (GNP) which allocates production based on ownership.Interest rate An  interest rate  is the rate at which  interest  is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a  lender. Specifically, the interest rate (I/m) is a percent of principal (I) paid at some rate (m). For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for deferring the use of funds and instead lending it to the borrower. Interest rates are normally expressed as a  percentage  of the  principal  for a period of one year. Money supply In  economics, the  money supply  or  money stock, is the total amount of  monetary assets  available in an  economy  at a specific time. There are several ways to define â€Å"money,† but standard measures usually include  currency  in circulation and  demand deposits  (depositors' easily accessed assets on the books of financial institutions). Money supply data are recorded and published, usually by the government or the central bank of the country. Public and private sector analysts have long monitored changes in money supply because of its possible effects on the  price level,  inflation, the  exchange rate  and the  business cycle.Relation between two variables Interest rates & investments Interest rates & the bond prices are inversely related to each other. When interest rates move up, it causes the bond prices to fall & vice – versa. Say for example, you have a bond, which is yielding 10% now. Suddenly, the interest rates in the economy move up to 11%. Now your bond is giving fewer yields than the market return. Obviously it price is going to fall in such a case. Reverse is the case when interest rates fall, the bond price will move up because it is giving more returns than the market return.So movements in interest rates have serious implications for individual investments. Inflation and economy Inflation effects the economy on three sides. One, it is directly linked to  interest rates. The interest rates prevailing in an economy at any point of time are nominal interest rates, i. e. , real interest rates plus a premium for expected inflation. Due to inflation, there is a decrease in purchasing power of every rupee earned on account of interest in the future, therefore the interest rates must include a premium for expected inflation.In the long run, other things being equal, interest rates rise one for one with rise in inflation. Money supply and the economy Money supply also effects the economy on thre e sides. One, money supply is used to control the  inflation in an economy. On the demand side, whenever money supply in the economy increases, consumer-spending increases immediately in the economy because of increased money in the system. But supply can’t vary in the short – term, so there is a temporary mismatch of demand & supply in the economy which exerts an upward pressure on inflation.This argument assumes that demand drives supply, which is generally the case. On the supply side, due to an increase in demand, supply can only be increased by capacity additions. This causes the cost of production to rise & that is reflected in inflation. Two, money supply also has a direct relationship with the  growth of an economy. Until an economy reaches full – employment level, the economy growth is the difference between money supply growth rate & the inflation, other things being equal. When an economy reaches full employment level, the growth in money supply i s set off by a growth in inflation, other things being equal.This happens because output can’t rise after full employment & therefore inflation increases one for one with the money supply. Three, money supply also has a relationship with  interest rates. One variable can be used to control the other. Both can’t be controlled simultaneously. If the RBI wants to peg the interest rate at a certain level, it has to supply whatever money is demanded at that level of interest rate. If it wants to fix the money supply at a certain level, the demand & supply of money will determine the interest rates. Usually it is easier for RBI to control the interest rates through its open market operations (OMO).So, the money supply is allowed to vary but RBI controls it by playing around with interest rates through its OMO. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) & statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) and an economy CRR is the percentage of its total deposits a bank has to keep with RBI in cash or near cas h assets & SLR is the percentage of its total deposits a bank has to keep in approved securities. The purpose of CRR & SLR is to keep a bank liquid at any point of time. When banks have to keep low CRR or SLR, it increases the money available for credit in the system. This eases the pressure on interest rates & interest rates move down.Also when money is available & that too at lower interest rates, it is given on credit to the industrial sector which pushes the economic growth. Monetary policy and economy It refers to a regulatory policy whereby the monetary authority of a country maintains its control over the money supply for the realization of general economic objectives. It involves manipulation of money supply, the level & structure of interest rates & other conditions effecting the level of credit. The central bank signals the market about the availability of credit & interest rates through this policy.The RBI fixes the bank rate in this policy which forms the basis of the st ructure of interest rates & the CRR & SLR, which determines the availability of credit & the level of money supply in the economy. So it plays a very important role in the development of a economy. Practical Analysis of the Research Table of different Monetary Rates DATE| Reverse Repo Rate| Repo Rate| CRR| SLR| Bank Rate| Mar-10| 3. 5| 5| 6| 24| 6| May-10| 3. 75| 5. 5| 6| 24| 6| Jul-10| 4| 6| 6| 24| 6| Sep-10| 4. 5| 6| 6| 24| 6| Nov-10| 5| 6. 5| 6| 24| 6| Jan-11| 5. 5| 7| 6| 24| 6| Mar-11| 5. 75| 7. 25| 6| 24| 6|May-11| 6| 7. 5| 6| 24| 6| Jul-11| 6. 5| 8| 6| 24| 6| Sep-11| 7| 8. 5| 6| 24| 6| Nov-11| 7. 75| 8. 5| 5. 5| 24| 6| Jan-12| 7. 75| 8. 5| 4. 75| 24| 6| Mar-12| 7. 75| 8. 5| 4. 75| 24| 6| May-12| 7| 8| 4. 75| 23| 9| Effect of change in Repo rate on bank Prime Lending Rate Prime Lending Rate Dates| ICICI| SBI| Repo rate| 20-Apr-12| 18. 5| 14. 5| 8| 04-01-2012| 18. 75| 14. 75| 8. 5| 13-Aug-11| 18. 75| 14. 75| 8| 04-Jul-11| 18. 25| 14. 25| 8| 07-May-11| 18| 14| 7. 75| 24-Feb-11| 1 7. 5| 13| 7. 25| 03-Jan-11| 17| 12. 75| 7| 06-Dec-10| 16. 75| 12. 5| 6. 5| 18-Aug-10| 16. 25| 12. 25| 6| | | | | | | | | | |As the repo rate and reverse repo rate have direct impact on bank prime lending rate. From year 2010 to 2012 the repo rate keeps on increasing from 6 to 8. 5 the PLR of SBI and ICICI also increasing from 12. 25 to 14. 75 and from 16. 25 to 18. 75 respectively. But as the RBI cut down its Repo Rate by . 50 points the PLR of banks also down by . 25 points. Impact of change in CRR and SLR on Money Supply As the CRR is same in 2010-11, 2011-12 i. e 6%, there is not so much change in money supply it is in between 15000-16000. But as it start to decrease in 4th quarter of 2011-12 money supply start increasing and cross to 16000.And in Ist quarter of 2012-13, CRR become 4. 75 and SLR become 23% then Money supply is 17500 cr. in Indian Economy. Reverse Repo Rate| Repo Rate| Bank Rate| CRR| SLR| money supply|   |   |   |   |   |   | 5. 75| 6| 6| 6| 24| 15100 | 5. 25| 6. 25| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 5. 5| 6. 5| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 6. 5| 7. 5| 6| 6| 24| 15100| |   |   |   |   |   | 7| 8| 6| 6| 24| 16000| 7. 5| 8. 5| 6| 6| 24| 16000| 7. 5| 8. 5| 6| 5. 5| 24| 16000| 7. 5| 8. 5| 6| 4. 75| 24| 16000| |   |   |   |   |   | 7| 8| 9| 4. 75| 23| 17500| Effect on Increase in Money supply on Inflation As Money supply increases in the economy, there is more money in the market hich ultimately increase the purchasing power of people. Because of increase in purchasing power the cost of production increases and ultimately Inflation rate increases. So money supply in 2012-13 increases to 17500 cr. The inflation rate become 10. 05 from 8. 65. Reverse Repo Rate| Repo Rate| Bank Rate| CRR| SLR| money supply| inflation rate|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 5. 75| 6| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 11. 99| 5. 25| 6. 25| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 10. 55| 5. 5| 6. 5| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 10. 23| 6. 5| 7. 5| 6| 6| 24| 15100| 9. 56| |   |   |   |   |   |   | 7| 8| 6| 6| 24| 16000| 8. 86| 7. 5| 8. 5| 6| 6| 24| 16000| 10. 06| 7. | 8. 5| 6| 5. 5| 24| 16000| 6. 49| 7. 5| 8. 5| 6| 4. 75| 24| 16000| 8. 65| |   |   |   |   |   |   | 7| 8| 9| 4. 75| 23| 17500| 10. 05| Impact of Repo rates, CRR and of Money supply on GDP Growth Rate Data categories and components| units| 2010-11| 2011-12| 2012-13| GDP(Current market price)| in rs. | 7674148| 8912178| 159527986| Growth rate| in %| 18. 1| 16. 1| 16. 9| As we see that our GDP growth rate start decreasing because of increasing rates. Because there is money declination in the market the purchasing power of people and our production starts declining which ultimately effect on our GDP growth.But as in financial year 2012-13 the RBI cut its rate by . 50 then our GDP growth rate increase by . 8 %. Conclusion RBI increase or decrease the rates i. e. repo rate, reverse repo rate, Cash reserve ratio, statutory liquidity ratio to control the money supply in the economy. As this small change in th ese ratios affect a lot on the whole economy and its various component like on investment index, cost of production, inflation, interest rate, exchange rate, prime lending rate of bank, home loan and car loan rate, deposit rate of bank and etc.In first quarter of financial year 2012-13, RBI decrease the repo rate by, reverse repo by, CRR by, SLR by the ultimate objective of this reduction in rate is to increase the money supply in the economy. As the rate decline in 2012-13, the RBI release 17500 cr. In the market. But this increase in money supply increase the purchasing power of consumer which ultimately effect on inflation and hence inflation also increase. But because of decrease in rates, it is easy to take more loan for the corporate which increase their production and in result of this our GDP also increase by . %. The prime lending rate is directly proportional to the repo rate of RBI. So there is a fall also come in prime lending rate of banks by . 25 points because of decr ease in repo rate by . 50 So, The change in monetary policy of RBI affect many other rates and and which also affect the consumer and these rates are the instrument of RBI to control the money supply in the economy. Bibliography * www. rbi. org. in * www. indiabudget. nic. in * www. wikipedia. org * www. simpletaxindia. net * www. karvy. com * www. tradingeconomics. com

Iraq Funding essays

Iraq Funding essays Picture yourself rolling through the streets of Baghdad in an armored personnel vehicle, when an adversary pops out of the shadows with a rocket launcher. You are dead in his sights, and you suddenly remember that your vehicle lacks much of the armor it is supposed to have, and your bulletproof vest never arrived. At that moment, how much do you care about midterm Congressional elections, or the 2008 White House run? How much do you care about politics at all? Unfortunately, politics could weight heavily on the preparedness of Americas troops as they battle a persistent insurgency in Iraq. Congressional leaders have attempted to tie a withdrawal date to much-needed military funds; one prominent Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, has even threatened to push for funding cuts. These tactics are part of a strategy to score political points over an unpopular war, but ultimately it will be Americas troops who suffer. Polls show many Americans do not support the war in Iraq, and I myself have some serious misgivings about the decision to invade Iraq and what exactly America hopes to accomplish. But, like many Americans, I also understand that we can not choose to support our troops only when it is popular or convenient. As Americans, we have an obligation to maintain the funding levels that our troops need to have the best possible opportunity to accomplish their mission and return home safely. The U.S. government has been spending a whopping $2 billion a week on the war in Iraq, and the fact is that American troops have not been getting all the equipment, supplies and resources they need (Iraq war, No date). One of the first problems to emerge was a lack of spare parts, and military commanders often had to wait an average of 40 days to get parts they needed to fix vital tanks and helicopters (Ricks, 2004). Similarly, many armored vehicles lacked the armor they needed to protect ...

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - Essay Example On August 02, 1964, â€Å"the destroyer ship Maddox, headed by Captain John Herrick (Operational Control), was cruising offshore in the international shores when North Vietnamese (NV) tried to approach it by dispatching soviet-built P-4 fast patrol torpedo boats (PTFs). Torpedoes were launched from North Vietnamese PTFs. Maddox retaliated with the support of F-8 Crusader jets that strafed all the NV PTFs (Hickman, K-a.,n.d.). The second attack occurred on August 04, 1964. Given the 1st reported attack, the U.S. was not in the position to ignore NV attacks. In fact, immediately the US reinforced Maddox with another destroyer USS Turner Joy (DD 951). On the night of August 04, the U.S. warships reported having made contact with North Vietnamese naval forces whom they claimed attacked these 2 destroyer ships (Hickman-a, n.d). â€Å"In response to these alleged attacks, the U.S. through the 7th Fleet carriers, Ticonderoga and USS Constellation (CVA64), launched retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam that destroyed an oil storage facility and damaged an enemy naval vessels† (Natasi, 2001). U.S. through Johnson proposed the passage of a joint resolution with Congress (H.J. RES 1145) dated August 07, 1964, known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, described as the Southeast Asia Resolution, Public Law 88-408 which granted powers to President Lyndon Johnson to escalate U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War without a declaration of war. (Hickman, K-b.,n.d.), (â€Å"Tonkin Gulf Resolution†, n.d.) and (â€Å" Gulf of Tonkin Resolution†, n.d.). â€Å"The controversy about the Gulf of Tonkin incident came out after 40 years later when National Security Agency (NSA) declassified and released this material to the public†.

Merits And Demerits Of Documents And Drawings Assignment

Merits And Demerits Of Documents And Drawings - Assignment Example On the other hand, drawings is defined as an illustration that is drawn using the hand and may be published in a book, magazine, or newspaper; this can be any form presentation of object(s) on a surface by use of lines (Calloway 12). In this paper, am going to discuss the merits and demits of documents and drawings according to the history regarding Indians and the history of American west. To start with, the documents and drawings were accessible and reliable to the non specialist and the students; documents and drawings were drawn from a variety of tribes. They provided a reliable way to pass out information from one person or country to another inform of teachings because provided a reach history sources. In the Indians and west America history, books were used as a way of communication; books and other print media provided people with an effective way to pass data. However, there was a printed magazine. These magazines provided people with information of current affairs about occ urrences in their respective countries. In this way, the printed documents and the drawings were reliable and accessible to people especially students and non-specialist. This means that the demands for students and non specialist were met (Calloway 56). In the Indian and west American history, documents and drawings were accountable; with the invention of writing and drawing in the respective countries.... However, the drawings and the documents does provide more detailed information; documents and drawings provided a more precised and meaningful information. In this book, much of information about the Indian culture and the lost west is given, the Indians just like the lost west used drawings and documents. They found that documents and drawings provided more information compared to verbal information. Most of their journals or writings were done in drawings and documents in form of books and other print media. These documents and the drawings could easily give clear instruction which could easily be followed by another students or non specialist. In the history of the Indians and the lost west, books and translated materials were used to communicate and express people’s ideas. In this case, we find that information passed by writings or prints produced more meaningful and precised information. The different tribes like Mandans, Lakotas and Pawnees in the respective countries c ould easily communicate via the documents (Calloway 80). However, in the history of the Indians and the lost west, documents and the drawings were considered to be the cheapest form of communication which could be easily translated. In many occasion in the history of the Indians and the lost west, were translated to many other languages, documents and drawings met the demands of the other tribes. The documents for example, books could be written in another language. They could not be easily be understood by another tribe in the respective empires in Indians and lost west. Thus, there was appointed personnel who were depended by the rest to translate. The person could easily translate the written document or documents in a way that could enable other people to understand (Calloway 120). In