Impacts of Tourism in Host Communities

IMPACTS OF TOURISM IN HOST COMMUNITIES Tourism is one of the most important worldwide activities; it is also of great importance to the socio-economic and cultural development of a country. Tourism is a vital tool for conservation of natural systems, contributes to sustainable development of local communities and creating communities about sharing experiences. But if this activity is disorganized, uncontrolled and poorly planned can cause damage to both, environmental and cultural.People started feeling the necessity to travel when they realise the world was full of new and different things to do, and at the same time those things offer them new lifestyle. However they were not only with the intention to visit and learned, they wanted to establish and teach their own traditions to these new places and societies. Nevertheless, not all people change the community, the majority of time community changes the idea of what would be an appropriate lifestyle of those new members. For this re ason we can say that tourism has been creating positive and negative impacts on host communities.On the other hand, when people decide to travel the cultural factor plays an important role at the moment decision is about to make. Tourists usually choose a destination completely different to their current environment. That is why this essay will discuss the good and bad consequences tourism cause on host communities. In addition, it will argue about the importance of the cultural factor within the tourism. Negative impacts on host communities It is hard to think that tourism an activity that can make feel happy can carry negative impacts.According to Bruce (2001), one of the biggest problems of tourism is that tourists and visitors invade places that belong just to the community, such sacred temples or lands, destroying or making bad use of their properties. This is due to travel agents vending trips to the authenticity of host communities, assaulting their private places, ceremonies and rituals. And, because of that tourist may misunderstand the main reason of why those rituals or ceremonies are for, along with bad comments about the destination causing decreasing of the tourism.Tourism also brings a number of consequences such: prostitution, gambling, begging and crime. The existence of these activities except of crime is due the tourist. People create these new services to satisfy the customers in this case the tourists. Prostitution in third world countries is very common. According to Duncan, E, and Navarro, H (2001) in Colombia, Cartagena children prostitution is common due to the economic conditions of the population. The majority of the children don’t have enough money to satisfy their basic necessities such food, and clean water.For that reason they sell their bodies for less than 50 dollars to tourists. One the other hand, another negative impact of tourism in undeveloped countries is the use of money earn by tourism activities. Indigenous from third world countries do not receive any profit made by them, contrary they live in poor conditions. This kind of host communities, despite what is sold to tourists is their lifestyle they suffer from health problems, poor access to education, expropriation of their land, extreme poverty, violation of their right and discrimination. On the other hand crimes increase in countries which the lifestyle is too high, due to the large number of tourist in the area. Furthermore, French, C, and Craig-Smith, S (2000), even though tourisms bring employment, it also brings rivalry between citizens in the community. The type of work that tourism creates is casual or part-time jobs, that means that natives won’t have the opportunity to work all the year. Besides foreign people travel to those communities in peak season and take the job of the citizens.Positive impacts on host communities On the other hand tourism can bring positive impacts to host communities. Gursay and Rutherford (2011) suggest that: Its basic tent is that locals are likely to participate in an exchange if they believe that they are likely to gain benefits without incurring unacceptable cost if locals perceive that the benefits are greater that the cost, they are inclined to be involve in the exchange and, thus endorse future development in their community. † (Gursay & Rutherford 2011, p. 95) To travel tourists must have a purpose, most of the time people go overseas to know new cultures, different sceneries. For that reason is important that the destination place have good infrastructure, flora and fauna sanctuaries and great amenities for the tourists. Besides, the local people can make use for personal purpose. In addition, tourism helps the preservation of traditional customs such: dances, food, rites, and festivals. It is important to protect old customs to attract tourist to go.Christopher (1998) state: â€Å"The impacts can be positive, such as the case where tourism preserves or eve n resurrects the craft skills of the population† (Christopher 1998, p. 169). Conclusion In conclusion tourism can bring positive and negative impacts; the negative impacts can be more than the positive. However, it is an industry that won’t finish despite all the consequences its make. Tourism helps the economy and develops of a country. Reference 1. Bruce, D 2001, Environmental, Ecotourism.Socio-cultural impact, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, pp. 120-124. 2. Christopher, P 1998, Tourism: principle and practice. The socio-cultural impact of tourism, 2nd edn, vol. 8, Longman, England, pp. 168-184. 3. French, C, Craig-Smith, S, and Collier, A 2000, Principles of tourism. The impact of tourism, 2nd edn, Person Education, Australia, pp. 305-330. 4. Gursay, D & Rutherford, D 2011, â€Å"Developing a community support model for tourism†, annals of tourism research, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 64-988, SciVerse ScienceDirect Journals, EBSCohost, Viewed 27 April 2012. 5. Na varro, H, Duncan, E 2001, â€Å"Prostitucion de menores en Cartagena: Estimacion de costos sociales y economicos†, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano seccional del Caribe Departamento de investigaciones, pp. 8-11, google schoolar, viewed 14 March 2012. 6. Wearing, S & Neil, J 2009, Ecotourism Impacts, Potentials and Possibilities. Ecotourism and Protected areas: Visitor Management for Sustaninability,2nd edn, Burlington: Elsevier

Project Management: Resource Considerations Essay

Resources can include people, equipment, machines, tools, facilities, and space. Among the people may be many different types, such as painters, designers, cooks, computer programmers, and assembly workers. The consideration of resources adds another dimension (beyond the element of time) to planning and scheduling. In many projects, the amounts of the various types of resources available to perform the project activities are limited. Several activities may require the same resources at the same time, and there may not be sufficient resources available to satisfy all the demands. If sufficient resources are not available, some activities may have to be rescheduled for a later time when resources are available for them. One way to consider resources is to take them into account when drawing the logical relationships among activities in the network diagram. In addition to showing the technical constraints among activities, the network logic can also take into account resource constraints. The sequence of activities can be drawn to reflect the limited availability of a number of resources. If resources are to be considered in planning, it’s necessary to indicate the amounts and types of resources needed to perform each activity. For this reason, a resource profile is often developed. Resource leveling, or smoothing, is a method for developing a schedule that attempts to minimize the fluctuations in requirements for resources. This method levels the resources so that they are applied as uniformly as possible without extending the project schedule beyond the required completion time. Resource leveling attempts to establish a schedule in which resource use is made as level as possible without extending the project beyond the required completion time. In resource leveling, the required project completion time is fixed, and the resources are varied in an attempt to eliminate fluctuation. Resource-limited scheduling is a method for developing the shortest schedule when the number or amount of available resources is fixed. This method is appropriate when the resources available for the project are limited and these resource limits cannot be exceeded. This method will extend the project completion time if necessary in order to keep within the resource limits. It is an iterative method in which resources are allocated to activities based on the least slack. The steps are repeated until all resource constraints have been satisfied. In resource-limited scheduling, the resources are fixed, and the project completion time is varied in order not to exceed the resource limits. For a large project that requires many different resources, each of which has a different limit of availability, resource-limited scheduling can get very complicated. Various project management software packages are available that will assist with this process. It is the responsibility of the project manager to make sure that the customer is satisfied that the work scope is completed in a quality manner, within budget, and on time. The project manager has primary responsibility for providing leadership in planning, organizing, and controlling the work effort to accomplish the project objective. In terms of planning, the project manager has to clearly define the project objective and reach agreement with the customer on this objective. In terms of organizing, the project manager must secure the appropriate resources to perform the work. In terms of controlling, the project manager needs to track actual progress and compare it with planned progress. The project manager is a key ingredient in the success of a project and needs to possess a set of skills that will help the project team succeed. The project manager should be a good leader who inspires the people assigned to the project to work as a team to implement the plan and achieve the project objective successfully; be committed to the training and development of the people working on the project; be an effective communicator who interacts regularly with the project team, as well as with any subcontractors, the customer, and her or his own company’s upper management; and have good interpersonal skills. It is important that the project manager develop a relationship with each person on the project team and effectively use his or her interpersonal skills to try to influence the thinking and actions of others. An effective project manager can handle stress and has good sense humor. In addition, he or she is a good problem solver. Although it’s easier to identify problems than to solve them, good problem solving starts with the early identification of a problem or potential problem. Good project managers also manage their time well. These essential skills can be developed through experience, by seeking out feedback from others, by conducting a self-evaluation and learning from your own mistakes, by interviewing effective project managers, by participating in training programs, by joining organizations, through reading, and through involvement with volunteer organizations in which all these skills can be tested. Project managers need to be good delegators. Delegation involves empowering the project team to accomplish the expected results for her or his area of responsibility. It’s the act of following individuals to carry out assigned tasks successfully. One other important component of the project manager’s job is managing and controlling changes to minimize any negative impact on the successful accomplishment of the project objective. To do this successfully, the project manager, at the beginning of the project, should establish procedures regarding how changes will be documented and authorized. A team is a group of individuals working interdependently to achieve a common goal. Teamwork is the cooperative effort by members of a team to achieve that common goal. The effectiveness – or lack thereof – of the project team can make the difference between project success and project failure. Project teams evolve through various stages of development. Forming, the initial stage of the team development process, involves the transition from individual to team member. During this stage, individuals on the team begin to get acquainted. During the storming stage, conflict emerges and tension increases. Motivation and morale are low. Members may even resist team formation. However, after struggling through the storming stage, the team moves into the norming stage of development. Relationships among team members and between the team and the project manager have become settled, and interpersonal conflicts have been resolved for the most part. The fourth and final stage of team development and growth is the performing stage. In this stage, the team is highly committed and eager to achieve the project objective. The members feel a sense of unity. Characteristics often associated with effective project teams include a clear understanding of the project objective, clear expectations of each person’s role and responsibilities, a results orientation, a high degree of cooperation and collaboration, and a high level of trust. Barriers to team effectiveness include unclear goals, unclear definition of roles and responsibilities, lack of project structure, lack of commitment poor communication, poor leadership, turnover of project team members, and dysfunct ional behavior. Team building – developing a group of individuals to accomplish the project objective – is an ongoing process. It is the responsibility of both the project manager and the project team. Socializing among team members supports team building. To facilitate socializing, team members can request that they be physically located in one office area for the duration of the project and they can participate in social events. Diversity is about acknowledging, understanding, and valuing differences, and creating a work environment that recognizes, respects, and harnesses differences among team members for the benefits of accomplishing a shared goal, such as the project objective. Diversity of the team brings unique ideas and perspectives to projects. Diversity should be seen and valued by the project team as a strength that can enrich communication, foster better relationships, create an enjoyable workplace, and enhance team performance. Ethical behavior is necessary within a project organization and is crucial in project business relationships with the customer, suppliers and subcontractors. Customers and suppliers want to do business with a contractor or project organization that they can trust. Intentional distortion, deception or misrepresentation is outright unethical. Conflict on projects is inevitable. During a project, conflict can emerge from a variety of situations. Sources of potential conflict on projects include differences of opinion on how the work should be done, how much work should be done, at what level of quality the work should be done, who should be assigned to work on which tasks, the sequence in which the work should be done, how long the work should take, and how much the work should cost. Project communication takes various forms, including personal communication, meetings, presentations, reports, and project documentation. Communication can be face to face or use some medium, including telephones, voice mail, e-mail, videoconferencing, or groupware. It can be formal or informal. Personal communication can be either oral or written. Oral communication can be face to face or via telephone. Information can be communicated in a more accurate and timely manner through oral communication. Such communication provides a forum for discussion, clarification, understanding, and immediate feedback. Listening is an important part of making communication effective. Failure to listen can cause a breakdown in communication. Common barriers to effective listening include pretending to listen, distractions, bias and close-mindedness, impatience, and jumping into conclusions. Listening skills can be improved by focusing on the person talking, engaging in active listening, asking questions, and not interrupting. Project managers and team members are often called on to give formal presentations. In preparing for the presentation, it’s important to determine the purpose of presentation, find out about the target audience, make an outline, develop notes and visual aids, make copies of handout materials, and practice. Written reports are often required during a project. The two most common types of project reports are progress reports and final reports. Progress reports often cover accomplishments since the prior report, the current project status, any potential problems that have been identified and corrective actions that are planned and goals that should be accomplished during the next reporting period. Final reports provide a summary of the project and often include items such as the customer’s original needs, the original project objective and requirements, benefits resulting from the project, a description of the project, and a list of deliverables produced. All reports should be clear and concise and written as you would speak. Chapter 13: Types of Project Organizations The three most common structures used to organize people to work on projects are functional, project, and matrix. These structures are applicable to a large majority of businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The functional organization structure is typically used in business that primarily sells and produces standard products standard products and seldom conducts external projects. The focus is on the technical excellence and cost competitiveness of the company’s products, as well as the importance of each functional component’s contribution of expertise to the company’s products. For projects, a multifunctional project team or task force is forced, with members selected from the appropriate sub functions. In this structure, the project manager does not have complete authority over the project team, because administratively the members still work for their respective functional managers. The project organization structure is used by companies that are working on multiple projects at any one time and do not produce standard products. People are hired to work on a specific project, and each project team is dedicated to only one project. A project-type organization is positioned to be highly responsive to the project objective and customer needs because each project team is strictly dedicated to only one project. The advantages of a functional organizational structure are no duplication of activities and functional excellence. Disadvantages include insularity, slow response time, and lack of customer focus. The project organization structure has control over resources and responsiveness to customers as advantages. The advantages of a matrix organization structure include efficient utilization of resources, functional expertise available to all projects, increased learning and knowledge transfer, improved communication, and customer focus. Its disadvantages are the dual reporting relationships and the need for a balance of power.

Problem gambling Essay

Gambling is something that people are capable of enjoying once in a while, but for others it can turn into an activity that is hard to control. Gambling is the act of risking money, property, or something of value on an activity that has an uncertain outcome. This can include, lotteries and bingos, card games, going to casinos, buying multiple kinds of tickets, making bets, and games such as pool, golf, or arm wrestling. Gambling can be legal as well as illegal, any sort of gambling managed by the government or by regulations set by the government is legal, and any sort of gambling that is not managed by regulations is illegal. Gambling doesn’t have one specific cause, and the cause can be different for everyone. People who have bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome have been observed to develop an addiction to gambling. Bipolar disorder because exorbitant spending is known to be a symptom and can take form in gambling. Parkinson’s and restless leg syndrome, because of the theory that the medications can increase the activity of dopamine in the brain as a culprit. Other causes can include, emotional conditions, schizophrenia, mood problems, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol or drug addictions. People who have problems with gambling usually spend a lot of time doing so and don’t leave much time for family, friends, and important events. Bigger bets begin to get placed and they happen more often, which can lead to growing debts causing the person to borrow money from friends or family. Those with problems can’t fully stop gambling but would rather â€Å"cut back,† and can also become bad-tempered, depressed, withdrawn, or restless if they aren’t able to gamble. Gambling can have some very serious effects on the gambler, as well as those around him/her. Debt, bankruptcy, poverty, theft, prostitution, and suicide issues can all be side effects of gambling. Families with people those who have an addiction to gambling are more at risk of experiencing domestic violence and child abuse. And children of compulsive gamblers have a higher chance of developing depression, behavior problems, and substance abuse. There are many reasons for gambling and usually it is for fun or excitement, to escape or forget problems, to win money, or to feel challenged. In Canada, gaming is the largest  entertainment industry being the same size as movies, TV, recorded music, and professional sports combined. During 2007, 70.7% of adults gamble, and the most common gaming activities among Canadian adults are lotteries and instant-win tickets. About 3.2& of adults, and 2.2% of youth, are affected by moderate to severe problem gambling. A survey conducted in 2001-2006 suggests that the provinces, which have the highest rates of gambling, are Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Quebec and New Brunswick have the lowest. Gambling can be overcome, as there are multiple ways to fix your problem. Many participate in gamblers anonymous or go to psychotherapy. Medications have been discovered which help reduce the urge to gamble, or thrill that comes with it. Financial counseling and self-help interventions are also ways to go about fixing your addiction. 70% of people who have gambling problems most likely also have another psychiatric issue; therefore they may need more than one type of treatment for their best chance to overcome their problem(s). My personal viewpoint on gambling is that, it’s not always a bad thing if you can keep it under control, and if it is legal. I think it’s a good way to have fun if you know your limits. If you have gambling problems it can become quite serious, which in that case you need to get some sort of help and realize it is not the best lifestyle. After doing this report I realize that it is an important issue that I was not fully aware of, and that it can be harmful to ones present and future just as much as alcohol and drug addictions. Bibliography http://www.onhealth.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm https://dl.cssd.ab.ca/d2l/lms/content/viewer/view.d2l?tId=2157962&ou=1868624 http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/Documents/FA_GamblingProblemGamblinginCanada.pdf

Knowledge Management at Tata Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Knowledge Management at Tata - Essay Example This paper highlights that KM is a vital aspect of organisational development, especially because of the large quantities of information generated in the modern organisational environment and the growing importance of information. Information is currently the most powerful asset in contemporary management. It must be managed and developed well for maximum benefits to be derived from it. Tata followed three recommended steps in any pioneering any knowledge management program. First, it sought out and brought together employees with specialisations in different practices but who had no experience in implementing knowledge management. This was the most important step in the process because the company had no KM history. It had never had a KM culture before, and a major shift was required to make the initiative a success. Consequently, it would have been pointless for the company to go attempt to implement KM processes (collection, organisation, development, sharing, and usage) without a solid foundation on which to base those activities. By adopting a bottom-up strategy to KM, Tata ensured that both effectiveness and sustainability were built into the blueprint. In the case study, it is stated that the company felt that its initiatives gravitated towards a cultural transformation instead of a project.

Once We Were Not Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Once We Were Not - Essay Example The author suggests that fossils directs to the fact that most of successful animals shared somewhat similar biological history. But the homosapiens ability to compete and evolve has made it is single species to exist today in the world. The co – existing of different homosapiens and neanderthalensis have co –existed before but the latter has vanished from earth due to evolution.Homosapiens like Australopith form Australis, Ardipithecusramidus from Ethiopia andAustralopithecus anamensis from Kenya all have existed on earth before millions of years. The author states that these homospaiens have ape like look and were a small brained, big faced bipedal species. The remnants from different part of the world have suggested that these have co –existed and persisted before 2.2 million years. The caves in France were occupied around 11,000 years ago by homosapiens called Cro magons. They were having lineage resemblance to the homosapiens of Africa. The author claims that Neanderthalensis in Europe were also homosapiens who existed in Europe some 30,000 years ago. They were also homoerectus in Java. The author suggests that â€Å"Black Skull† found in Northern Kenya direst that homosapiens existed on earth around 2.5 million years ago. The author points out that many types of Australopith existed millions of years ago. However the longevity of these species was only a few hundred or thousand years. But African continent was home to many types of homosapiens according to author. As per ( Tattersall 1-7)â€Å"Nevertheless, even if average species longevity was only a few hundred thousand years, it is clear that from the very beginning the continent of Africa was at least periodically—and most likely continually—host to multiple kinds of hominids† The author claims that the earlyhomosapiens had a different form rather than newer ones. They shared same landscape and same continent. These hominoids have also reached China

John Dalton's Atomic Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

John Dalton's Atomic Theory - Essay Example John Dalton, born in the 18th century is known as the father of Atomic Theory and is mainly known for his work on the atomic theory and Dalton’s Law for partial gases (Fishman, 2008). By education he was a chemist and later shifted his focus on researching and meteorology. Even though, today advanced research has shown that Dalton’s theory was not absolutely correct, yet we cannot forget his pioneering work that encouraged others to think on the same lines and made progression in the field. After the proposed theory and up to this day any work in the fields of physics or chemistry is very much rooted in the theory. Dalton, was very much fascinated with the properties of gases. It was while doing research on meteorology that we concluded that when water evaporated it existed as an independent gas. He explained that unless both water and air were composed of the same discrete particles it was not possible for both to exist in the air together. This encouraged him to perform a series of experiments with gases, following which he proposed his atomic theory. While introducing his concept he published in the book A New System of Chemical Philosophy that â€Å"We might as well attempt to introduce a new planet into the solar system, or to annihilate one already in existence (Dalton, 1808). In short Dalton proposed four main concepts. Firstly, all matter is made up of minute and indestructible atoms. Secondly, all atoms in similar elements have identical chemical and physical properties. Next he also said that compounds are made up of atoms combining in a fixed ratio and lastly, he proposed that chemical reactions merely include the rearrangement of the constituent particles (Thompson, 1807). On a personal level, I think that Dalton’s work is truly pioneering and phenomenal since a simple evaporation of water instilled questions in his mind about the existence of smaller particles. One of the major drawbacks that can be seen in his experiments is that

The Declaration of Independence Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Declaration of Independence Analysis - Essay Example The scene in 1776 during the meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia was a very crucial one. The colonists have already fought many battles together yet were missing on the aspect of unity(â€Å"Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.†). The Declaration of Independence was vital as it united the colonists since many were reluctant to break away from their birth nation. Many wanted to compromise and mend the relations with Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence boosted the unity of the colonists and boldly stated the justification for the separation from a ruthless regime (â€Å"Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.†). Another key purpose the declaration of independence served was to break away from the British government. One can easily say that the purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to explain the view of the colonies (Armitage 15). Since the founding fathers deemed it necessary that all men are created equal, everyone shall ha ve a chance of â€Å"life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.† The Declaration in essence proclaimed that if the government derives of these rights, they have the right to rebel (Armitage 16). Since men create governments to protect their rights, it is essential that that the government accommodates their needs. Hence, the Declaration of Independence was vital towards the independence movement. The Declaration of Independence was also critical as it asked for foreign help. Without a doubt, most countries such as France and Spain did not recognize America as a country. However, the Declaration of Independence assisted the colonists in their pursuit to ask for assistance in the international sphere (â€Å"Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.†). This unity was vital as it would appeal other nations to completely obliterate England’s power for its quest to dominate in the North American hemisphere. Lastly, the Declaration of Independence listed all the list of grievances against the king, which was vital towards the liberation movement. The lists of grievances outlined all the woes that the colonists had to face due to the King’s assent to law. In addition, the Declaration of Independence wanted to eliminate slave trade, which was rejected by the King himself((Jefferson 18). The grievances also stated that the king would appoint governors in each colony and impose a system of control. Any legislature that the King was not pleasing to him was immediately refuted by his highness. Moreover, the king insisted on stationing his army in the colonies without the legal consent of the colonists (Jefferson 20). The Quartering Act imposed by King George III was controversial as it was burden amongst the colonists to financially assist them. All these list of grievances and salutary neglect (â€Å"Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.†) against the King were outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Thus, the Declaration of In dependence hence was critical as it listed many flaws and justifications for the right to withdraw from George’s cruel law (Jefferson 24). Works Cited Armitage, David.  The Declaration of Independence: a global history. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print. Jefferson, Thomas, and Sam Fink.  The Declaration

Intercultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Intercultural Communication - Essay Example International students are an increasingly significant presence in our educational programs, and thus it is important to understand how they make the transition from their culture education to new constructs for learning, socializing and communicating. Hence, we need to enhance our understanding of the difficulties faced by international students and construct learning environments that facilitates intercultural communication among international students and host students. In order to critically evaluate the article, it is essential to read it through carefully made make important points as for the consistency and structure, also to discuss in details the parts that were included in the article, review the literature concerning intercultural communication of international students and the difficulties they face while studying internationally and the reason they limit their interaction with students who are culturally different, discuss findings and design of research, consider views of other authors and make sure the article corresponds to other recent research. Finally, come up with conclusion about article's credibility and views on how the article might be improved. When looking for books, articles, journals in the libraries (both university library and online libraries) and searching the world wide web the following keywords were used: intercultural communication; ethnic students; international education; language barriers; cross-cultura... a. Kijima, M, 'Schooling, multiculturalism and culture identity', International Education Journal, ERC2004 Special Issue, 2005, vol 5, no.5, PP.12-136 b. Doria, C, 'The truth about being an international student', Globally United, 2005 c. Dalglish C, Chan A, 'Expectations and reality: international student reflections on studying in Australia', Opportunities in a challenging environment, the Australian International Education Conference 2005'. d. Asmar C, June 2005, 'Internationalising students: reassessing diasporic and local students difference' Studies in Higher Education, v.30 n.3 p.291-309 e. Prescott A, Hellsten M, 2005 'Hanging together even with non-native speakers : the international student transition experience' 'Internationalizing higher education : critical explorations of pedagogy and policy' edited by P Ninnes and M Hellsten, pages 75-95. Hong Kong : Comparative Education Research Centre, University of Hong Kong p 75-95 f. McNamara D & Harris R 'Overseas Students in Higher education: Issues in Teaching and Learning, Routledge, 1997 3. Findings The following books and journals will be used to critically evaluate the article: a. Dalgish C, Chan A, 2005, 'Expectations and reality: international student reflections on studying in Australia', Opportunities in a challenging environment, The Australian International Education Conference, Education Australia. This item can be found in Southern Cross University library/ library database/A+ Education.This paper will be useful in assessing the article as it explores international students expectations, and difficulties faced studying overseas. b. Tomich PC, McWhiter JJ & Darcy MJA, 'Personality and International

Collecting and preparing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collecting and preparing - Essay Example The photographer needs to use the modern as well as state-of-art camera for the attaining better results. The size of the lens should be 28 mm focal length and macro lens should be 50 mm focal length, which gives a standard quality photo. The photographer also should record the crime scene along with the areas attached with it. They also should record the appearance of the evidence and provide the investigator the photograph along with the evidence for the further investigation. At last, the photographs of the crime scene must be presented in front of the judge in the form of evidences in a systematic manner (Pearson, 2015). At the initial steps, the photographer should have the knowledge about different types of camera. The photographer appointed should be well acquainted with the type of camera that is required to take the photo of crime scene along with the perfect size of the lens and other accessories. The confidence level of the photographer must be high and should give higher attention at the time of work (Pearson, 2015). The equipment such as camera should be good quality attached to a perfect quality of lenses. During the time of capturing photo, there should be proper lighting so that clear photo could be taken (Pearson, 2015). During the time of photography of a crime scene, the photographer needs to ensure the safety by wearing the precautionary dress and needs to use certain arms or weapons while capturing the physical evidences (Pearson, 2015). There are two types of photography such as micro and macro. The photographer also needs to take the photo from different angles to make it easy for investigation process. For the two types of photo, photographers should use two types of cameras such as micro camera and macro camera so that the standard of the capture could be ensured (Pearson, 2015). The photographer should mark on the photo

Guide Of Using Of Internet For Patient Assignment

Guide Of Using Of Internet For Patient - Assignment Example Agatha is a twenty-eight-year-old married woman. She has been married for one year now and has not had conception yet. Agatha misses her menses and goes to the hospital for medical check-up and examination. A laboratory test conducted in the laboratory reveals that Agatha is about three weeks pregnant. Three weeks on, Agatha goes to the hospital again and she is asked to go and take a scan of her pregnancy because it is a new hospital. When Agatha goes to take the scan, the result is that the fetus is not seen. The morning before the scan, Agatha saw blood stains in her panty. Agatha comes home from the hospital very worried because the doctor did not give her much information about the two experiences she had today expect that she is given a referral date. She is very desperate to get information because this is her first pregnancy and she is very naà ¯ve about this new health concern. Her greatest fear is that there are several cases of miscarriage in her family and so she is simp ly confused and needs more information.As a family member, health practitioner and someone very familiar with the use of the internet, I would recommend the website, http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/ for Agatha. On the contrary, I would advise Agatha against visiting http://wiki.answers.com/Q/FAQ/443. My choice of website for Agatha is based on the guidelines given on the first page. The Women’s Health Website (2011) is recommended because of a number of reasons:1. The website is a government-hosted website.... s (2007) Scenario and Recommendations It is appreciated by the NSW Department of Education and Training (2011) that â€Å"the growth of the World Wide Web to more than 2 billion web pages makes searching and finding information like trying to find the proverbial â€Å"needle in a haystack.† Likely, there are search engines that make the search of information very simple. Agatha is a twenty eight year old married woman. She has been married for one year now and has not had conception yet. Agatha misses her menses and goes to the hospital for medical check up and examination. Laboratory test conducted at the laboratory reveals that Agatha is about three weeks pregnant. Three weeks on, Agatha goes to the hospital again and she is asked to go and take a scan of her pregnancy because it is a new hospital. When Agatha goes to take the scan, the result is that the fetus is not seen. The morning before the scan, Agatha saw blood stains in her panty. Agatha comes home from the hospita l very worried because the doctor did not give her much information about the two experiences she had today expect that she is given a referral date. She is very desperate to get information because this is her first pregnancy and she is very naive about this new health concern. Her greatest fear is that there are several cases of miscarriage in her family and so she is simply confused and needs more information. As a family member, health practitioner and someone very familiar with the use of the internet, I would recommend the website, http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/ for Agatha. On the contrary, I would advise Agatha against visiting http://wiki.answers.com/Q/FAQ/443. My choice of website for Agatha is based on the guidelines given on the first page. The Women’s Health Website (2011) is

Ethics, Values, and Social Responsibility Research Proposal

Ethics, Values, and Social Responsibility - Research Proposal Example Fraudulent practices are common nowadays especially in the aspects where there is money involved. People have witnessed substantial cases particularly in accounting practices. There is a necessary accounting practice ethics because this consideration is giving a certain degree of credibility and integrity of the corporate world. Leaders are vulnerable to engage in corrupt practices just to optimize generation of profit for the benefit of their advantage and the company. As a result, not disclosing the exact amount for accounting purposes and tax declaration entices the leaders or the management to go for the safest way that may be in favor for their profit generation. Here where the common fraud exists, which may have prior approval of the management or the corporate leaders. On the other hand, the work at the corporate world without question may undeniably extend to one’s personal life. This is a common scenario by which employees were constantly tracked in their online via t heir social networking accounts by their leaders or managers. This at some point may be a violation of their privacy and freedom of expression considering that some thoughts or gestures they initiated on the social media may be taken against them within the context of the corporate discipline. Another important ethical issue facing the leaders and the corporate world is confined within the context both external and internal to marketing. Marketing is primarily about conveying of information, and for the sake of convincing the target market, the use of deceptive schemes has become a common action that clearly at some point will also have to undergo leader’s approval. Next to marketing, another common ethical issue involving the corporate world and leaders is about paying employees. Some corporate organizations with the sheer approval of their leaders decide to pay their employees a kind of compensation which might not eventually fall on the standard. This is for the sake of op timizing profit and such direction has to be initiated for the disadvantage of the employees by not paying them the exact or right amount for their given time and effort for the company. Finally, perhaps the oldest of its kind in the array of ethical issues facing the corporate world and leaders is the issue of discrimination triggered by race, ethnic, origin, gender and sexual orientation. This is still common to exist in some organizations today where leaders may have certain bias or prejudice against certain groups of people or organizations. As a result, they have to employ relevant company policies and most of them have to be strongly integrated with the hiring process. For them, it is the best way to fire people while they are not yet hired. These are just some of the common ethical issues one may potentially raise as taking place in the corporate arena and affecting its leader’s actual credibility and integrity to lead the entire team. Knowing which of these is particu larly taking the lead is the next point of the work at hand. Using the relevant related literature review concerning this issue will lead to the opportunity to rank these ethical concerns. Ranking the Ethical Issues Business leadership and corporate social responsibility have clearly become the common primary concern in the context of business ethics in the age of globalization (Pies, Beckmann & Hielscher, 2010; Selart & Johansen,

Cnbc House of Cards Essay Example for Free

Cnbc House of Cards Essay Who the players are? Stakeholders? Technical and ethical issues are? What was the relationship about prices and personal incomes? People started to buy houses that they couldn’t afford and then they were left behind leaving. The economy is falling and so are the communities. Insects, graffiti, dirty pools are left behind since people are evicted and people don’t have were to go. The lenders are not responsive to customers who want to cooperate to pay for their debts. Wall street only cares about the money they can generate from this foreclosure. During the crisis thousands of people were relieved from their jobs MORTGAGE RATES Housing prices were rising faster than incomes making it impossible to keep with payments. The demand for the houses went down and prices SHOULD HAVE been that prices went down but they went up. People will not be able to pay making prices to fall but they didn’t fell. â€Å"Keep going until someone tells you no† (uniformed and uneducated in finance?) the person didn’t know what he was able to pay right now and in the future, and he asked until someone tell him that he couldn’t do so. BUT people keep buying houses. CHAPTER 2 MORTGAGE MARKET ON FIRE Subprime mortgage –mortgage for the credit challenged Freddie and Fannie – the leaders in mortgage lending Quick Loan – for people who couldn’t afford a down payment You didn’t need to prove how much you made, no verifying incomes or assets After 2001 things got crazy. Before 2001 it was difficult to get a loan because more verification was needed such as tax returns, how much you make, and down payment. They had good loans until 2001. **GSE’s accounting scandal (executives could make more bonuses) In 1999 GLB the banks became deregulated causing banks to become commercial banks and mortgage brokers. Fannie and Freddie buyed loans from mortgages firms. They stated the rules. Until this point they were dominant because they only bought loans in which their investments would pay off. Then came the accounting scandals and they are in the penalty box. After 9/11 interest rates were lowered by the government and now houses are more appealing (or just buying was more appealing). Countries that were once stated as poor become wealthy countries and after all this happened (9/11 and Fannie and Freddie). Moral hazard what Dallas say about the wires crossing. CHAPTER 3 – DREAM HOUSES In 2002 government pushed Wall Street and lenders to facilitate mortgages. Adjusting interest rate – low interest rates the first two years and later higher interest rates. He claimed that he made almost four times than what he actually did. Lots of refinancing and lots of spending by the population Irresponsibility by the black lady, she could afford it because the mortgage broker gave her the company’s money * but it reality she couldn’t afford it She should have done a down payment, she didn’t do it Its an adjustable rate instead of a fixed rate CHAPTER 4 – LEGIONS OF LENDERS 20-30 minutes to provide a loan Loan officers with no experience on the industry had the job to provide as much loans as they could, their job was to close the loans. Health problems by the dirty pools left behind CHAPTER 5 – STAMPS OF APPROVAL In 2004 home ownership rates were higher than ever and construction in over 20 years, but they were not sustainable. But we ran out of people who could afford mortgages and even we throw subprime loans. Greater mortgage alternatives rather than the fixed rate loans. Allen came up with the Pay Option Negative Amortization Adjustable Rate Mortgage. Traditional loans had full amortization, fixed rates, and a fixed payment. Instead of having a fixed rate then an adjustable rate was used making possible people to make their payments. The problem was that if it went up, then the borrowers will not be able to afford the payments anymore unless their incomes went up fast. Pay options were also available allowing the borrowers to choose lower payments and the balance of what you should pay and what you actually paid was added to the loan to have a negative amortization. The introductory low rates were called Teaser Rates. The goal was to make home ownership more affordable for more people. Michael Francis and other brokers in Wall Street knew that some of these loans are bad loans but they didn’t cared because they transferred all these loans to whoever wanted to buy them such as pension funds. They are just the intermediary or the pipeline. These pension funds could only buy AAA mortgage loan. The investors wanted to sell their loans to the pension funds but they needed to be rated AAA by these agencies. Their job was to evaluate the risk of the securities. What was the ethical issue here with the agencies? The riskier BBB looked as good as the triple AAA and they looked much safer than they used to be and they started to look more like a AAA security. So AAA requirement got lower as the market got smart. Moodies, SP, and Fitch are the three rating agencies. They didn’t give price but based on their ratings they got priced. The suggestion is that these agencies would come with the investment bankers. The business was getting more competitive so you just wanted to get more business or more business than the other agencies. When Anne Arundel was asked if standards lower she replied, The problem is that if you are the only person to know how these standards work, if investors are not paying attention and banks are only comparing what they will get from you instead of the other agency, then no one is paying attention. This means that the investors are not concerned about the standards but how much AAA securities they could get from each agency. Then no one is paying attention? They are the ones that came up with the ratings, so this is not a fair statement. The investment banks were the ones who hired the rating agencies and they controlled the â€Å"repeating game†. It doesn’t make sense because the investors are the ones who should have made these appraisals instead of the investment bankers. It was advantageous for the investment banks to get as many AAA as possible to sell them as fast as possible since they only accepted AAA securities. They are not responsible for pricing the securities but only to rate them. Your payment goes down and the interest rates went up and the difference was added to the principal. The three rating agencies provided which loans are risky and which ones are not. Investment rate goes from AAA to BBB and this were the ones acceptable. BBB sounded more safe than their used to be and the requirements for AAA were lowered. Rating agencies helped lenders to achieve these requirements but they reject these accusations. So mispricing of risk occurred because they wanted more business than the other agencies. CDO worked really well around the country and around the world. CHAPTER 6 – ARCTIC INVESTORS Takes place in Narvik Norway. The major of Narvik says that the town was getting fewer taxes so the town council took and loan to place the money in CDOs. They bought the securities from Terra. They didn’t know what they were buying but they knew they were AAA rating CDOs. Citigroup was selling CDOs to Terra who knew a little about them and sold them to municipalities like Narvik that didn’t knew anything about them. Narvik taxes levels were going down. The problem was that their inflow was too low, do they decide to take action and increase this inflow. Knowing the risk rating was more important than knowing what it was. CDOs you take lower rated securities and bundle them up and create AAA securities. Why there were CDOS because the AAA are easy to sell but the BBB higher risk are tougher to sell and if you don’t sell them all you don’t make profit. Wall Street investment bankers created these new products. Bill Dallas said it was like a frat party were people didn’t go home, we could have stop it but we didn’t stop it because if we had we are just one company we would have gone out of business and another company would have taken his business. This was not his strategy but these products were doing big money. They talked about greed, a lot. CHAPTER 7 INSIGHT INTO OUTSIGHT The banks were never contacted by the SEC of the FED according to Michael Francis. But don’t use this in the paper because we don’t know if its true. The FED said that they could have done something but unemployment would have gone to 10%. The lack of oversight †¦ allen grenspan (Federal Reserve) there are a number of things, that there is a little thragh in this business. It could have done it buy it would have been politically suicide. The SEC didn’t intervene because they assumed the banks would police themselves. CHAPTER 8 THE BIG WINNER Kyle Bass discovered that bad loans were being made by Quick Loan Funding and decided to bet that at some point they would go bad. He invested $1 billion. CHAPTER 9 A WORLD OF HURT Bill Dallas discovered in 2006 when most of the loans were going bad. Wall Street decided to stop buying these bad loans and no cash was going into the lenders so many lending companies started to close. Quick fund Lending and Own it by Bill Dallas closed. People were not able to make the payment son their loans so they decided to default the loans and the house of cards started to fall. Simmons blames herself and the industry because they made her the unpayable loan. Arturo Trevilla lost his home along with his dream to own a business. Some California neighborhoods became ghost towns filled with empty homes. Then homes prices began to fall and the global credit crisis began. In Norway people began to realize that their investment came to nothing or loses. The losses accounted a quarter of their budget. Narwik didn’t bought home CDOs but municipal bonds. The only winner was Kyle Bass by betting against the market. He made 600% in 18 months. Retail sales went down after the attacks of 9/11 and the country was still recovering from the .com bust and the economy needed money to be invested and money to be spent. The lower the interest rates the cheaper it is to loan. The cost of borrowing became cheaper than the past generation. Prime interest rates were cut down along with mortgage rates. But at the same time prices were rising faster than people’s incomes. The problem was that if prices were going up and people’s incomes at a slower rate, then less people will be able to buy a house and therefore the demand for houses will fall and causing prices to fall. But the reality was that the price and demand didn’t go down. You swing for the fences until someone tells you to stop. Subprime mortgage is a mortgage for the credit challenged and was created in California. Back then getting a mortgage was not easy because a lot of information was needed, such a visit, bank statements, and wait 90 days. You check two years tax returns fully documented. Bill Dallas was 30 years in the business. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress to increase home ownership. They bought mortgage loans from mortgage lenders. They get cash in return and make more loans. They received constant flow from home owners and create the Mortgaged backed security. They dominated the market of mortgage backed security. They dictated the rules for lending. They only accepted loans from people that were able to make the monthly payments but the smaller morgages instutions wanted to change that. They wanted to make sure that everyone could afford a loan or a home and they saw the right opportunity when these two companies got into an accounting scandal and received a penalty. They lost their dominance in the mortgage industry. With no leaders lenders could bend the rules. Who took over? Wall Street. Michael Francis worked with a company that wanted to take over Freddie and Fannie’s place. After 2001 and 2002 the mortgage market got in fire because cash was abundant. Countries that were once poor now had money and they wanted to invest in something and Wall Street had what they were looking; securities backed by American homes and American borrowers. More revenue through more loans. There were no money down for people with good credit. Quick loan funding target people who couldn’t afford a down payment and had a bad credit; these are called subprime loans. You didn’t need to prove how much money you generated and it was called stated income. You didn’t need to look at assets either. The problem was that Wall Street said ok and they decided to buy them. In 2002 the Bush administration pushed people to have a home. Arturo Trevilla dreamed to have an own business and a home. He bought a home with an adjustable interest rates. The first two years with low interest rates and then with higher interest rates. His broker told him that his home’s price will go up and that he could make a cash loan to start his own business. The paperwork was tricky and he didn’t read the contract and couldn’t understand it. He knowingling signed that he generated four times his salary and that he could afford to pay his $584,000. Cynthia Simmons also craved a better life. She lived in a bad neighborhood in California and decided to get out of there. Compton was infested with gang warfare. For her own and her family’s safety she had to get away from Compton. An agent got her a house in New Belinda California, own of the best neighborhoods. Simmons said that her mortgage broker lied on her income and without her knowledge he signed to loans. More of these loans were made and Wall Street was loaded with cash as long with homeowners that had more cash. Retail sales were going up. With the value of their homes rising they were able to refinance their loans and put cash in their pockets to spend. Lots of refinancing and cash occurred. Home values were rising and the equity on their houses was also rising. With this people refinanced their loans and made restorations and improvements. It took a week to close the loan and the conversation was wrapped up in 20 to 30 minutes. The loan officers had incentives to close more loans to generate more fees. Loan officers had no training; including pizza deliverymen. Their training was to close the loan and no license was required. Daniel Sadek was the owner of Quick Loan Funding in 2002 and became a wealthy man. Daniel sold Mercedes to young kids who were loan officers and he realized he wanted in that business. The subprime business was booming. Frank Medina and wife refinanced their loan to finished the back yard and pay their credit cards. Kelly and Mark Gifford refinanced their loan again because the value of their homes were rising. People turned their homes into cash machines. Daniel was financed by many of the industries largest investors (citigroup, Wells Fargo, ben Bernsatein) and he didn’t had a degree and they secured his loans so that he could finance your loans. Wall street created a market for the worst mortgages. He never made a loan that WS will never buy. Almost always they found someone in WS to sell that loan. Bankers became intoxicated with the amount of loans they could sell to WS. (38:00 min) What did banks did? They made this mortgages and used the warehouse line of credit and made a lot of these funds and pooled them. The economic and political environment when it started? What is the long term for the product? Product that came out of Allen †¦ Explain all the parts Why was people taking loans? To achieve the American dream, to pull cash put to do anything such as pay debts, to buy a house, to refinance their mortgage and get a better rate What where the rating agencies job? To assign risk to the securities. One of the problems or moral hazard? Investment banks hired them to rate their securities (you cant say they did it to have more business). Prices were increasing higher that people’s incomes. The issue was that people were using the house as an investment and they were counting on them. Prices rising in the entire economy, and income at a lower pace, so fewer people can afford to buy houses. It can remain that way and Kyle Bass said that income should rise or houses should come down. GSC – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had two roles – they set the rules to what a good mortgage was and they stated the requirements for making a loan. They established what a good loan was. When they came back they bought subprime mortgages. They were regulated agencies and when they were taken out other unregulated agencies took their place. As long as there is someone that will buy something from you, it will continue to supply it. Liar loans? CDOs? Teaser rate? – The initial rate people pay because it is substantially lower before it adjusts. People were not concern that it will adjust because they were going to refinance the loan anyways.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Conditional Fee Arrangements Law Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Conditional Fee Arrangements Law Essay UK legal aid system has undergone tremendous changes and reforms ever since its introduction in 1949. Its purpose of the act was to provide legal advice for those of slender means and resource, so that no one will be financially unable to prosecute a trust and reasonable claim or defend a legal right and to allow solicitors and counsel to be remunerated.  [1]  Due to its popularity, legal aid expenditure imposed a heavy burden on the government. In solving this problem, the UK legal aid system undergone various reforms. Conditional Fee Arrangement (hereafter CFA) was a result of one of these reforms after half a decade when legal aid act created. Ever since its introduction in 1990, CFA has been a controversial topic among legal educators. In determining the success of the CFA system, it cannot be easily determined purely by its utility rate, but ethics issue must also looked into. The numerous pros and cons of the scheme opened the door for criticism and professor to criticize. The history of legal aid dates back to 1949. After Second World War, it was recognized that equality of access and the right to representation before the law was fundamental to a just society. Hence, the Rushcliffe Committee made a number of recommendations that led to the establishment of the first legal aid scheme by the Legal Aid and Legal Advice Act 1949. The purpose of the legal aid scheme, as Lord Steyn once said is a principle of our law that every citizen has a right of unimpeded access to a court.  [2]  Generally, the legal aid scheme was a success. It achieved its purpose in ensuring that the public obtains access to justice. However, from the view of the State, the scheme was imposing heavy burden on the government. It is worth to point out that legal aid funding is placed very low in the political agenda as generally it does not favor anyone as compared to medical and education funding. As a result, Lord Irvine suggested capping a ceiling on legal aid funding. Since c apping the budget for criminal legal aid is against human rights, the only choice will be to first cover all cost in Criminal legal aid and civil legal aid will be funded by the leftovers.  [3]  In view of this, Lord XXX introduced CFA in the Court and Legal Services Act in 1990. The CLSA Act provided a statutory basis for parties to litigation to enter into CFA for a limited number of proceedings. Not until the Conditional Fee Arrangement in 1995 that it was released to different types of proceedings including personal injury, bankruptcy, insolvency and human rights cases. In 1998, subsidiary legislation has greatly widened the range of proceedings where CFA are permissible to cover most of the civil cases except for those specified in the CLSA act, which are mostly related to crime and family legislation. Today, majority of personal injury cases are funded by CFA under the amendment of Access to Justice Act 1999. CFA is an alternative to legal aid. It enables those without the necessary resources or with risk averse tendencies to take forward claims for compensation. It is an agreement whereby a lawyer and a client can agree to share the risk of the litigation by coming to a financial arrangement on the fee payable based on the outcome of the litigation. In the event of losing, the client will not be liable to pay any fee to their lawyer, but if the case is won, normal cost are payable. Although the client is required to pay the fee when winning the case, but it may be recoverable in full or in part from the losing party. Unlike Contingency Fee Arrangement, which is common in USA, CFA does not allow solicitor to claim a percentage of the winning. Instead, lawyers are allowed to charge the usual rate plus uplift if the case is successful. Conditional fee arrangements developed as a result of the proposed reduction in public funding for civil litigation and the fear that the abolition of legal aid would reduce access to justice for many. Access to justice is when people do need help, there are effective solutions that are proportionate to the issues at stake. In some circumstances, this will involve going to court; but in others, that will not be necessary. Someone charged with a criminal offence should have access to proper legal advice and representation, when the interests of justice require it. But in civil matters, for most people, most of the time, going to court is, and should be, the last resort. It is in no-ones interest to create a litigious society. People must make responsible choices about whether a case is worth pursuing; whether to proceed by negotiation, court action, or in some other way; and how far to take a relatively minor issue. This is one of the major advantages, which is also the purpose, of CFA and the legal aid system. A conditional fee agreement is therefore a very useful method of funding litigation as in many cases the prospective litigant may not have the financial resources to fund the case and may not qualify for legal aid. It is particularly important in personal injury cases as these claims cannot be funded by legal aid and as such many litigants would not have had legal redress owing to the lack of funding. Given the high cost of litigation in Hong Kong, those in the middle-income group whose means are above the limits set down by the Legal Aid Scheme and the Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme would have difficulty financing litigation. The second advantages of CFA is that it could reduce the cost of legal aid funding and that it could refocus legal aid by removing cases which can be financed in some other way and promoting access to justice for the need by directing the aid budget to priority areas. This will allow the Government ultimately to concentrate publicly funded support on legal services towards helping people secure their basic rights such as a decent home, appropriate social security benefits and challenging officialdom through judicial review, and towards assisting cases that raise issues of wider public interest. The present system does not allow the Government to do this. It allows no assessment of the importance of classes of cases or any way of targeting help towards priority needs. The government simply pays for the amount and type of legal services that lawyers wish to provide. The reduction of legal aid fund of removing all personal injury cases to CFA was significant. The third advantage of CFA is that weak cases will be weeded out. frivolous claim Because the solicitor is taking the risk of the charge, they will for sure assess the chance of success of each case before they accept it. This way, all weak cases will be weeded out. Also, under the CFA scheme, litigant are required to disclose to the other party. Disclosure of a CFA to the other party may encourage earlier settlement because the other partys cost exposure will increase in line with the level of the success fee. Although there are significant contribution, CFA also brings up lots of problems. . Traditionally, solicitors were restricted to change on a conditional or contingent basis. They have been restricted by case law, statutes and practice rules. The two main common law principles related to this are Maintenance and Champerty. Maintenance is where someone who is not a party to the action and has no interest in it, funds or otherwise supports one of the litigants. Such an agreement was generally held by the courts to be void for reasons of public policy and was also grounds for making an order for cost against a non-party funder. In entering CFA, lawyers may tend to put their duty to the court second to their desire to secure a win to guarantee fee, which may lead to suborning evidence, coaching witness, failing to give discovery of documents. This restricted the ability of solicitors to act either contingently and conditionally as they risked significant cost liability. A CFA gives the lawyer a financial interest in the litigation and he therefore takes control of the st rategy and resolution of the litigation. As Lord Denning once mentioned, in Re Trepca Mines Ltd. (No.2) 1963 CA, if legal advisors had a personal interest in the outcome of litigation they might be tempted to influence the damages, to suppress evidence or even to suborn witness Champerty is an aspect of maintenance where the third party not only supports a litigant but also takes a share of the damages awarded, e.g. contingent fee arrangement and success fee. Champerty has been held to be contrary to public policy and thus champerty agreement is void. Last but not least, Claimants may not be able to find a solicitor whos willing to take risk. Even if the case is strong, some solicitors may demand an unreasonably high chance of success to take the case. The decision in Calley v Gray and Halloran V Delaney have made solicitors less willing to take on the risk of CSA when success have been pegged at 20%. Further confusion has occurred after later decision of Sanwar V Alan and Designers Guild v Russell Williams, where the court allowed a claim of 100% success fee and justified it with the recognition that solicitor has taken a substantial risk in entering into CFA.

Public Relations in Insurance Industry

Public Relations in Insurance Industry There are various definitions of Public Relations. Lee Edwards emphasize that there is no universally agreed definition of PR due to the fact that PR is used in a huge range of industries and in each one slightly different skills and competencies have emerged among practitioners (Tench and Yeomans, 2009:4) Overall we can distinguish between academic and practitioners public relations definitions. For the academic point of view, Harlow offered the next definition: Public relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics; involves the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinions; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change; serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and ethical communication techniques as its principal tools (Tench and Yeomans, 2009:4). It is a definition that covers most aspects of PR. On the other side practitioners use PR to substitute terms like corporate communications or organizational communication. During the first World Assembly of Public Relations Associations, in August of 1978 that was held in Mexico City the definition of public relations was developed as the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action, which will serve both the organization and the public interest. (Tench and Yeomans, 2009:6) What is insurance? If a layman needs to be explained what insurance is, it is all about managing risks on behalf of others. One of the most popular forms of insurance, life insurance, the insurance company makes an attempt to manage the death rates of its clients. The insurance company charges premiums from the policyholders and then invests the money in other low risk investments. The money, along with benefits is paid to the policyholder on maturity or to the beneficiaries in case of death of the policyholder. Insurance companies use demographic data to make life estimates of policyholders. Characteristics like age, sex and smoking and drinking habits are taken into consideration to decide on the premium amount. Shorter the life estimate, higher is the premium payable. For other forms of insurance like health, property, automobile etc., the same rule applies. In the year 1999 in the United States, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act legislated that banks, insurance and brokerage firms and various other types of financial institutions can join together and offer their customers more varied and complete range of services. As a result of this act, especially in the insurance industry, there have been some major mergers and acquisitions. In the past some years, the majority of the liability insurance underwriting in the US insurance industry has been through the bigger firms while these firms have been busy acquiring other smaller insurance firms. (The Industry Handbook: The Insurance Industry) Why PR: Insurance companies are not charitable organizations. While managing risk, they also look to make profits. The industry is one of the most competitive in the world with multiple companies vying for a place in the market. It is not uncommon to find new entrants coming in from time to time. To maintain their foothold, existing insurance companies are required to come up with new products very now and then. Insurance companies are also governed by strict rules and legislations and are required to publish their financial results as and when the law states. It is also common knowledge that the insurance industry receives a lot of flak from policyholders, former employees and the media. Hence, the role of public relations in the insurance industry is of utmost importance. Unlike other fields in insurance, PR requires specialization in this field because it is a critical job in the industry. Social and economic impact of PR: The social impact of public relations is quite clearly visible. This line of job is totally concerned with communicating with the public and the media. The power exerted by public relations as a socially-embedded profession is a focus for increasing numbers of scholars in the field. Critical approaches to public relations examine the manner in which the profession sustains or generates social inequity and include theoretical critiques of scholarly work by industry frontrunners like Aldoory and Pieczka. In addition to these and other works focusing on specific aspects of public relations, there have been broader analyses of public relations and its influence on society and the discussion is still evolving. (Bridgen Liz, Emotional labour and the pursuit of personal branding:   Public relations practitioners use of social media) The economic impact of public relations has received less attention that it deserves because it has always been looked upon as a service industry. The economic impact of PR from induced economic output of PR vis-à  -vis buyer and seller transactions is completely different from the reliable figures. Till now, the calculation of economic impact of PR was done in the same way as it was done for the advertising industry. Both were considered as capital intensive activities but the fact is that PR is more of a labor intensive activity. In order to calculate the economic impact of PR, a three step process is required Identify the number of professionals in the industry. Estimate their annual CTC. Adopt an economic multiplier which accounts for the increased productivity delivered by those professionals, as it would seem senseless for an organization to invest resources in activities whose final value is considered equal to or lower than their gross costs. Falconi Toni M. (2006) Public Relations and the Insurance Industry Scope From the findings stated already, it seems quite natural that the insurance industry needs PR specialists. There are many companies that outsource their PR to professional PR firms but there are many more that have an in house team of PR specialists. PR is a specialized job that can only be handled by professionals who have done a specialized course in this field. While a PR professional has the potential to make it big in the insurance industry and earn good money, there are some social and economic contexts that must be cleared right in the beginning. The social impact of PR is difficult to measure in monetary terms but given the volatile publicity that insurance companies receive, it is vital for them to employ PR professionals who can handle the outside world well. The inner workings of the insurance industry are always under the scanner and speculations are always rife about what happens and what does not happen. It is the job of a PR specialist to handle the public, the lawmakers and the media. The insurance industry, considered by many as a faceless, giant behemoth, needs a human face to show the world. What the world likes to see is a smiling, confident face that can handle the accolades as well as the accusations. As for the economic impact, the calculations can be done but again, monetary terms matter less in PR. Some people may question the amount paid to PR professionals but the fact remains that these are specialized people who are the face of the industry. Whether it is disseminating information, getting the publicity done or handling the pressure from the people outside the industry, it is the PR professionals who do the work for the insurance industry. As stated above and reiterated, specialization is the key. Public Relations What is required and what is expected? Important requirements for PR professionals: Public relations is all about interaction and communication of various forms. There are some basic qualities that are required by PR professionals. Effective communication Effective communication is a must for PR professionals. One must be able to think on your feet and respond. There is no scope for reaction. It is important to remember that speaking the truth bluntly may not be the best policy in a PR job. One needs to be honest but tactical at the same time. What is important is a strong vocabulary and body language. Assertion is a key and it is important to know where to draw the line. It is important to remember that people out there are ready to pounce and being an extrovert and a charismatic personality is very useful. A PR professionals job is not to alienate people even in the most trying circumstances. If you cannot endear them, at least dont make enemies out of them. Effective communication in PR means reaching out and touching people of different age groups, different demographics and different social strata. Depending on the PR announcement one is making, the language needs to be fine tuned according to the audiences capability. For example, a group of bachelors would not be interested if the PR professional kept harping on the fact that insurance is for families. They need to be told about savings that could help them in future. A degree A professional Bachelors degree is a must for a PR job. One cannot expect to find a job in PR just because he or she can speak clearly. There are intricacies associated with a PR professionals job and only a professional degree can teach the tricks of the trade. Some people also opt for a Masters degree in PR and further enhance their knowledge and skill. Starting from the beginning One needs to be a go getter to become a PR professional and the learning starts from the college. People usually fritter away time during long vacations. Those who want to make PR a career spend their time doing internships with professional PR firms so that learn the skills needed for this industry. It is common to see future PR professionals getting engaged in college fests and annual events. It is here that the learning starts and it helps massively in ones future career. Industry knowledge When someone is applying for a PR job in the insurance industry, a knowledge of the industry is a must have. When appearing for an interview, the incumbent is expected to know about the insurance industry and the role of PR in the industry. As mentioned above, PR is very important in the insurance industry and only those who exhibit adequate knowledge are chosen. There is no honeymoon period even during the interview. The role starts right inside the interview room. (Gaikwad R. Education PR Know the Skills and Qualifications That Make a Successful PR Professional. Singleton A. How Do you Get a Graduate Job in Pr? Spring D. Pr People Stand Out From the Crowd.) Qualities of PR professionals: As a PR professional, one needs to meet the expectations and demands from both the employer and the audience. A PR professional cannot afford to endear someone and alienate someone else. It is said that it is not possible to make everyone happy and this is precisely the challenge that a PR professional faces. Often there is a dilemma should I keep my employer happy or should I keep the press people happy? Those who manage both sides do well as PR professionals. Be optimistic What a company looks in its PR professional is optimism. The situation may be at its worst but the PR professional needs to maintain a steady and professional demeanor and go ahead with the job. A never say die attitude is a must for someone working in the PR department. Walk the walk and talk the talk Practicing what one preaches is important in a PR role. It is important to remember that a PR professional is the face of the company and if the company does not follow what it states, the PR person faces the music. As a PR professional, it is important to be clear about everything, policies and practices, before facing the world outside and communicating. Be assertive and extrovert PR is such a job that one cannot afford not to be assertive and extrovert. The former quality allows one to draw the line as and when required while the latter quality helps one maintain good relations with the company as well as the media and the public. Be honest Honesty is a very good policy. Blunt truth does not always work in a PR role but dishonesty is a complete no-no. What is required is effective communication skill and the ability to play around with words. Be helpful Going that extra mile is a great quality for PR professionals. A helpful attitude always helps, especially when communicating bad news. Be knowledgeable The employer will expect its PR professionals to have knowledge about, well, almost everything. Knowledge about current affairs and global news is a must. One never knows which question to expect during a press conference. Even if the PR professional is not aware of some or the other topic, the communication has to be tactful. (Henderson J. Ten, Essential Qualities for Success as a Freelance PR Consultant.) Meeting the demands: What the employer demands from its PR professional is a lot of tact and inter-personal skills. The PR person communicates all types of news and a professional demeanor along with a pleasing personality is what the employer expects. As for the outside world, a PR person is expected to be honest and open and an affable person. When someone has these qualities along with a professional degree, a PR job is tailor-made for that person. As Bill Prickett of APR says that during meltdown of US economy when unemployment is out of control it is only the profession public relation experts and executives who would be able to provide the much-needed expertise and support in critical business areas like Encourage the employees Employ constant, consistent communication Embody the conscience (VandeVrede L., A bad economy demands great PR) PR: When and why is it used? Public relations covers many areas, but there are three important fields where public relations is really important. Financial public relations The role of PR here is to provide company information to business reporters and analysts. The insurance industry is one of the largest in the world and handles a lot of money, money belonging to the policyholders and money belonging to the shareholders. Like any other industry, companies in the insurance industry need to publish their financial results at times specified. A PR professional is often given the job of making the financial announcements and handle questions from the audience. Product public relations PR here is used as an alternative to advertising. This area mainly covers publicity for new products and services. Unlike advertisements, the role of the PR professionals is not to come into the limelight. A PR persons job is to make the announcement and handle the questions from the audience. Publicity and branding are important criteria in this part of a PR professionals job. Insurance companies often need to come up with new products because of the intense competition in the market. Before the advertisements blitz the media world, the PR team makes a quiet entry and makes the announcement to those who matter. Crisis public relations This is one of the most challenging areas in PR. This area covers the response to any negative publicity that the company faces. Insurance industry as a whole receives a lot of negative publicity from people who are not associated with the industry. There are lawsuits filed almost every day and the press tends to highlight even minor issues. The job of a PR professional is to act as a cushion and blunt all these attacks. As stated by Bob Kelly, a former DPR of Coca Cola and a PR expert public relations indeed packs a punch, but only when its based on a solid foundation. According to him it is the very fundamental premise of PR. He says as generally people act on their own observation of the facts and behaves accordingly in different situations one can handle the situation on the basis of the perception. It is therefore very important for the PR executives to create, modify or strengthen the clients opinion by reaching, convincing and moving-to-desired-action in a way that helps the organization in achieving its goal. According to Kelly this ensures that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the public relations mission is accomplished. (Kelly Robert A. Why PR Packs a Punch.) PR: Key Tactics When it comes to PR in the insurance industry, there are some key tactical areas one needs to focus on. Insurance as a product is quite complex for the layman. As a PR professional, one will find different types of people in the audience. Some people will be absolutely ignorant and others will have varying degrees of knowledge about the industry. As a PR person, it is important to be able to reach out and address all the different people in the audience. This is where the skill comes into the picture. The goals of the PR campaign must be identified in advance. Setting a goal may sound a little tough when one is fresh in the insurance PR job but gradually, the idea will set in. When the goal is planned in advance, it makes life much easier. The PR person can then keep the goal in mind and work towards achieving it. All the paths to the goal will gradually fall in place and the entire process will be smooth. The second tactic is to totally understand the objectives of the PR campaign. Before one faces the audience, absolute knowledge of the topic and associated ideas should be well within ones grasp. From the venue to the audience to the speech everything needs to be planned well in advance. Invitations need to be sent out and the press release has to be marketed. This is when a PR professional is supposed to have done a good job. The message that is sent to the public, lawmakers and the media must be clear and concise. It is important to remember that a PR persons job is not to hog the limelight. The PR person should ideally deliver the message, answer questions and then gradually fade away. If the PR campaign is about disseminating the financial information of the company, the finance people can then take over. If it is about declaring a new product or service, the advertisements should do the follow up. If it is about communicating some bad news or handling some negative publicity about the company, the lawyers should take over. What the PR person needs to do is present facts and data honestly and ensure that the audience is not alienated. There are some innovative PR persons who dwell into the social fields that earn a name for the company. It is very common to see insurance companies partner not for profit and charitable organizations to take up social causes. The job of the PR professional is to advertise and publicize any such campaign and put the insurance company in a positive light. As has been mentioned again and again, insurance companies are often held in negative light and it is important to highlight the good deeds as much as possible. Of course, being in PR and having a good contact list always pays. If a PR person has good media relations, it works wonders for the insurance company. PR professionals are often invited to participate in TV debate shows and are asked to write columns in newspapers and magazines. Through these channels, PR professionals can publicize their company. The insurance company on the other hand gets free publicity without spending a dime. Social and ethical implications of PR in the insurance industry Customer relationship management Customers of insurance companies are spoilt for riches. There are simply too many options to choose from. And it is common knowledge that retaining customers is any day less expensive than acquiring customers. While it is important for insurance companies to acquire new customers, much more important is retaining existing customers. It is the existing customers that give new business either by buying new policies or by referring others to the insurance company. A PR professionals job is to keep customers happy. There are many ideas about how this can be achieved. What is absolutely important is connecting with customers. Whether it is about disseminating information or bad news, a PR person has to connect to customers in such a way that they actually feel proud to be associated with the organization in good times and feel accountable and empathetic during bad times. Promotion One of the key social implications of insurance PR is marketing and advertisement. Insurance companies today engage in various social activities by partnering with charitable organizations. The PR person must ensure that any such activity is publicized. A social cause attracts more attention than some glitzy ad that showcases a new product or service. Through positive visibility, insurance companies get the required attention and are put in a positive light by the public. There are some critics who continue to raise their brows and comment that all the social work is a gimmick. But the majority of the public tends to think high of any insurance company when they see the company associated with some form of social cause. Ethics Any company that is ethical tends to do well. Contrary to what some part of the outside world thinks, insurance companies dont earn their bread by cheating policyholders. There have been some instances over the years where people have felt cheated but those cases are a flash in the pan. Most insurance companies have their policies in place and they try their level best to help people by staying within the policies. Insurance companies have a profit motive in mind. They earn their bread by giving service to people and taking risks on their behalf. It would be unfair to brand them as anything but honest. As a PR person, it is vitally important to project this image of the company. And to achieve this, the PR person needs to be ethical himself or herself. PR codes of ethics Codes of ethics may be established by employers or by professional organizations. There are various codes of ethics but adoption of a code of ethics does not automatically bring morality to a calling. Generally, having a code reflects a sincere desire to raise standards of ethical practice and to provide criteria to guide and judge individual behavior (Cutlip and Centers, 2009:152). Ethical Public Relations is not an Oxymoron The companys conscience most often determines the role of the PR desk. It is a very important job albeit not the most popular one. (Van Hook Steven R. Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron) Praise of Secrecy Peter OMalley asks us to stop the deception that is completely muddle headed. When it comes to honesty, truth, integrity and accuracy, this is not PR ethics are grounded. (OMalley P. In Praise of Secrecy) PR Disasters The Truth Gerry McCusker says that public relations jobs these days just perpetuate PR disasters while earlier on, public relations professionals were supposed to fix them. (McCusker G. The Truth About PR Disasters) It is also said that the prevailing state of ethics in PR practice depends greatly on codes of ethics practiced by leading professional PR associations. One can voluntarily join these associations or groups to practice this concept of ethical public relations. Here you need to abide by a code of conduct that may include a set of forbidden activities and some ethical principles. (Bowen Shannon A. Ethics and Public Relations.) Summary: One cannot deny the importance of Public Relation today. With new industries coming up everyday this specialized field is evolving at a fast rate. As PR executives in an insurance company you will be facing government organizations and personnel, nonprofit or nongovernment organizations, educational institutions, athletic teams, industries, corporations, entertainment companies, and even nations. So, under the broader umbrella of the term PR you may have to work as a publicist, analyst, media specialist, as well as communications specialist. The insurance industry has always needed PR professionals ever since PR as a profession came into being. The insurance industry has the tendency to stay in the limelight for right as well as wrong reasons. Whether it is about garnering positive publicity or dousing negative publicity, PR professionals, over the years, have been the face of the insurance industry and handled the general public, lawmakers and the media. PR is the human face of the insurance industry and it is the PR professionals that act as customer service representatives, corporate communication specialists and media sources. Data shows that the demand for the number of PR professionals in the insurance industry is still higher than the supply. For fresh graduates who earn their degree in PR, there is immense opportunity in this industry. This is one profession that needs specialists and ordinary graduates are not really wanted in the PR field. Very few people choose PR as their discipline and fewer still are really able to make it big. Those who are smart and suave, have excellent communication skills, have great contacts with the outside world are cut out for PR jobs. If you are someone who has all these qualities and have the ambition to make it big in the insurance PR field, then we wish you all the best. If you have reached this portion of this manual, we hope you now have a fairly good idea about this industry and what you really need to have and need to do.

Product Life-Cycle Model Essay -- essays research papers

Overview The product can be defined as goods, services or both; in the other words it’s anything that satisfies customer need. Each product has its own limited life, however it shares the same aspect and we define the period that the product goes through as the â€Å"Product life cycle†. The Product life cycle consist of four stages starting from introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. At the introduction stage, the product is not popular and can’t really make a lot of profit. Its marketing cost may be high in order to test a market and set up a distribution channel. At the growth stage, the product start making a profit, the sales increase rapidly with some cost on marketing especially brand building. Competitors enter the market, often in large number depending on how attractive the market is. When a profit starts to decline, it’s the sign of ‘Maturity stage’. At maturity stage, the sales continue to increase but at the decreasing rate until become stable, because of price competition. The product reaches its peak at this stage, most companies fight aggressively to maintain their market share. The competition is very intense, unfortunately a small firms will die one by one. During the decline stage, the profit start to drop gradually, each firm has to manage carefully. There’re not many choice to choose now; take the most out of it before exit or expand the market by using marketing mix strategies in order to extend product life. Can product life...

Repression of Women Exposed in Susan Glaspells Trifles :: Trifles Essays

The Repression of Women Exposed in Trifles  Ã‚   Susan Glaspell in Trifles explores the repression of women. Since the beginning of time, women have been looked down upon by men. They have been considered â€Å"dumb† and even a form of property. Being physically and emotionally abused by men, women in the early 1900’s struggled to break the mold formed by society. Even with the pain of bearing children, raising them, doing household and even farm chores, their efforts have never been truly appreciated. Mrs. Wright was â€Å"†¦real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid—and fluttery†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as Mrs. Hale, her neighbor, describes her (22). This would all soon change after her wedding day. With Mr. Wright’s insipid character and lack of patience of any joyous sound, Mrs. Wright’s spirit dwindled to nothing. It seems she spent hours at a time focusing on her quilts, preserves, and caring for the only life there was in the house, her canary. Even when Mr. Hale offered to get a party telephone, Mr. Wright responded, â€Å"†¦folks talk too much anyway†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (5). This silence he preferred also applied to his spouse. There were no hugs given out much less a smile. He failed to give her even the most minimal sing of appreciation much less the emotional warmth she hungered for. The coldness felt in the house as the sheriff and court attorney entered the house symbolized the same coldness brought about by Mr. Wright. For the house to be cold and gloomy and everything else outside the total opposite, was much more than just coincidence. It was as if when you entered the house a cadaver, cold and clammy, had embraced you in its arms. â€Å" I don’t think a place’d be any cheerfuller for John Wright’s being in it†, Mrs. Hale told the court attorney (11). Mrs. Hale knew perfectly well what kind of personality Mr. Wright had, which is why she specified that she wished that she had gone to visit Mrs. Wright when only she was there. â€Å"There’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm†, says Mrs. Hale, yet they are seen as mere trifles because it is the women who take on these tasks. â€Å"The treatment of women in ‘Trifles’†, a web site that analyzes the demeanor of women throughout the play, states â€Å" The women are betrayed as if they are second class citizens with nothing more important to think about, except to take care of the medial household chores like cooking, cleaning, and sewing.