Economic Background – Greece

Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with a large public sector that accounts about half of GDP. Besides, Greece is a major beneficiary of European Union aid, which equal to about 3. 3% of annual GDP. In addition, Greece is an agricultural country and one of the poorest countries of the European Union with the second to lowest average income, after Portugal. In January 2002, Greece adopted the euro as its currency. The adoption provided Greece, formerly a high inflation risk country under drachma, with access to competitive loan rates and also to low rates of the Eurobond market which led to a dramatic increase in consumer spending and gave a momentous boost to economic growth. Between 2003 and 2007, Greece economy grew by nearly 4. 0% per year. The preparation for the Athens Olympic Games during 2004 gave an impulse to the Greece economy. However, the financial crisis had slowed down the Greece’s economic growth to 2.0 % in 2008. As a result of the world financial crisis and its impact on access to credit, world trade and domestic consumption, the economy went into recession in 2009 and contracted by 2. 0%. In late 2009, eroding public finances, misreported statistics, and inadequate follow-through on reforms prompted major credit rating agencies to downgrade Greece’s international debt rating, which has led to increased financial instability and a debt crisis. Greek government has approved a three-year reform program that includes cutting government spending, reducing the size of public sector, tackling tax evasion, reforming the health care and pension systems, and improving competitiveness through structural reforms to the labour and product market under the intense pressure by the EU and international lenders. The Greek Government projects that its reform program will achieve a reduction of Greece’s deficit by 4% of GDP in 2010 and allow Greece to decrease the deficit to below 3% by 2012. Greece requested activation of a joint European Union-International Monetary Fund support mechanism designed to assist Greece in financing its public debt in April 2010.

Barriers to entry Essay

Monopoly, also known as a monopoly seller, selling alone, exclusive, generally refers only to one or more sellers in the market, through one or more stages, in the face of competitive consumer; and monopsony opposite. Monopoly on the market, can freely adjust the price and yield (not simultaneously adjust). Monopoly can be legally exclusive privilege to control sources of supply, or together or work together to achieve the behavior of enterprises. [1] China since ancient times called monopoly to â€Å"knock† [2]. Ancient Chinese salt, iron, tea cause long a monopoly of the government-run, because there it is profiteering, the country once the financial crisis, to subsidize the country with a lack of implementation of the ban inevitable knock system. Generally believed that the basic cause of monopoly is barriers to entry, that is, a monopolist can maintain sole seller of its position in the market, because the other companies can not enter the market and compete. There are three causes of monopoly: Natural monopolies (natural monopoly): cost of production make a single producer more efficient than a large number of producers. This is the most common form of monopoly. Resources monopoly: a business owned by a key resource (such as: wireless TV dubbing industry [citation needed]). Administrative monopoly: Government to give a firm the exclusive production of a product or service rights (public franchise). There are also self-monopolized by the government, known as the monopoly.

A Study on Employee Attitude and Leadership Behaviour

ABSTRACT The Research titled namely â€Å"A Study on Employee attitude Leadership Style† is a research study conducted among various managers in different functional areas in Sify Software Limited Everonn Education Limited. In this research study, the researcher has made an attempt to identify the various styles followed by leaders due to different behavior among employees. The study mainly focus on the various attitudes of employee’s in different groups and its impact of the performance if individual, group or team organization. Further, the study also focuses on finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact of completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. This study is limited to the managers working at Sify Software Limited Everonn Education Limited. The Researcher has proposed to use descriptive type of research Analytical type of result. The Researcher has proposed to use descriptive type research, in order to collect the real facts from the respondent’s regarding the attitude of the employees. The Researcher has also proposed to use Analytical type of result to analyze the behavior of employees and its impact of deadline productivity. Once the data has been collected from the respondents (Managers), the Researcher has proposed to use various statistical tools like Percentage Analysis, Weighted Average Method, Chi-Square Method, One-Sample Run Test, etc. , and in order to analysis the various types of behaviors, the researcher has also planned to use cause and effect of diagram. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1INTRODUCTION Employee values, attitudes, and leadership behavior play a very important role in enhancing employee work motivation and performance. Employee work values, attitudes and leadership behavior can carefully be adjusted to produce a strong impact on employee work motivation. It would, therefore, be interesting to examine the precise nature of their roles in influencing the intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation of employees. Individuals vary in their value systems. For example, achievement is a concern for the advancement of one’s career while concern for others may reflect caring, compassionate. Supervisory behavior may vary considerably in the same job situation. Behaviors such as encouraging other employees or helping others work on difficult tasks. A supervisory behavior may adopt democratic orientation or punishment when interacting with employees and thus may affect the work behavior. Though research on leadership styles, work values, and attitudes is concerned with finding the conclusions as to what specific leader behavior, work values and attitudes would produce a strong impact on employee work motivation and performance, no clear-cut conclusions have yet been rendered. It is, therefore, necessary to examine these issues, on a relative basis, which characteristics may act as more effective motivators in employee motivation and work performance. With such an understanding, management would better be able to use available motivational tools for their maximum impact on employee work performance. Thus the objective of this study is to examine the importance of values, attitudes and leadership behaviors in employee work motivation and performance. To gain a deeper insight into the exact nature of such influence, the roles of employee values, attitudes and leadership behavior in influencing intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and performance are examined. Finally, the study explores the managerial implications of the findings and discusses the actions that might lead to improvements in employee motivation. VALUES, ATTITUDES AND EMPLOYEE WORK MOTIVATION The following description relates to values, attitudes, and employee motivation. VALUES Values are enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence (Rokeach, M 1973). Some basic values, which are expected to affect the attitude and work motivation of an employee, would logically include: Family: The extent to which the job offers family well-being to the employees Recreation: The extent to which the job offers recreational facilities to the employees A sense of accomplishment: The degree to which the person feels the job gives the person a sense of accomplishment after the job is done. Advancing at the company: The degree to which the person feels the job will create opportunities for advancement. Financial security: The extent to which the job offers financial security to person. Integrity: The extent to which the job provides information accurately and emphasizes impartiality and recognizes different points of view ATTITUDES Attitudes are not the same as values. Attitudes are evaluative statements –either favorable or unfavorable—concerning objects people, or events. It has been treated both as a general attitude and as satisfaction with five specific dimensions of job: pay, the work itself, promotion, opportunities, supervision and co-workers (Smith, Kendall, and Hulin, 1969; Balzer and Smith et al, 1990). The combined effects of these factors produce for the individual some measure of satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman, 1959). Definitions of these five dimensions of the job are given as under: Definitions of key Job Dimensions Job DimensionsDefinition Work SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee is satisfied with work, including opportunities for creativity and task variety, allowing an individual to increase his or her knowledge, changes in responsibility, amount of work, security, and job enrichment (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990; Smith et al, 1969) Pay SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee forms an attitude toward pay based on perceived difference between actual pay and the expected pay. Expected pay is based on the value of perceived inputs and outputs of the job and the pay of other employees holding similar jobs or possessing similar qualifications (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990) Supervision SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee is satisfied with his or supervision, as measured by consideration and employee-centered actions of the supervisor and the perceived competency of the supervisor by the subordinate (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990, Herzberg et al, 1957) Satisfaction with promotionsThe degree to which an employee is satisfied with the Company’s promotion policy, including frequency of promotions, and the desirability of promotions (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990, Herzberg et al 1957) Co-workers’ SatisfactionThe work-related interaction and the mutual liking or admiration of fellow employees (Bazler and Smith et al, 1990, Smith et al, 1969, Alderfer, 1969) Overall Job SatisfactionThe extent to which an individual’s desires, expectations and needs are fulfilled by employment (Szilagi, Sims, and Terrill, 1977) 1. 2INDUSTRY PROFILE As the study is applicable only for e-Learning industry let us have a brief introduction about the software industry below. The current e-learning boom in India has added to the existing woes. Standards apart, the industry hangs on the edge where processes and players are dubious. Much of this blame can be put on the Indian government’s inability to put together a regulatory body. Unregulated and unstructured, the e-learning industry in India is likely to wreck havoc for the global e-learning industry as small vendors pile up huge learning garbage for clients worldwide. E-learning in India has come of age. Two decades and the nation already cherish several global e-learning players on its soil. This can be attributed to some basic reasons like cheap human resources, a large pool of English-speaking workforce and ‘business discounts’ offered by the central and state governments. Although exact figures of the size of the industry is not available, a conservative estimate shows the offshore e-learning industry at about $150 million in 2004-05, up almost by 200 percent in the last two years. In spite such impressive figures, the e-learning industry in India remains mired with a plethora of issues. Some of these issues include lack of uniform e-learning standards and workplace practices, and the lack of adequate human resources to power the spiraling upward growth. These concerns apart, government apathy has also bolstered fly-by-night e-learning entrepreneurs who eye quick bucks and increasingly deliver ‘learning garbage’ to a global clientele. Smaller vendors in India have setup e-learning business houses with paltry investments of a few thousand dollars – in the hope of getting a sizeable pie of the global e-learning business. Most of these short-term vendors run their shows from North India – from places in and around the National Capital Region of Delhi. The modus operandi for these vendors is simple. They rent in a couple of rooms in an urban area and advertise for resources in job websites and newspapers. Writers, designers and technology professionals – mostly unskilled – are hired by the dozens. The average salary of the employees ranges anything between $100 to $400 and the working hours stretch well over 72 hours per week. Next, these companies setup small sales calling teams to call up international clients asking for work. The sales pitch is often exaggerated and boasts of a few â€Å"big names†. To show their experience, these vendors cull-out a few odd CBT’s from other companies or ‘steal’ courses through their contacts. The basic quality that behooves a standard e-learning company is absent in these companies. Proprietors remain ignorant of even the most basic information that is essential to run the show. A Java programmer, for example, is asked to hone his skills in C++ or any other program since he is responsible for all ‘programming’ needs. Almost anyone who walks in for the position of writers is employed as an ‘instructional designer’, primarily because they can be asked to work for lesser salaries on the pretext that they lack instructional designing experience. Vendors also rely on these writers to validate the learning content for authenticity even when content validation remains the domain of the expert, the Subject Matter Expert (SME). The writers and designers are instructed to download content from Internet websites and ‘rewrite’ them before using it. A basic ignorance of the Internet medium on the part of the owners means that the writers are often confused with the content because no single idea or information on the Internet appears consistent. E-learning processes are virtually absent in these companies. All that offers a direct benefit to the proprietor becomes part of the practiced processes. A Project Manager, for example, may be required to recruit people, review e-learning courses, undertake marketing activities, and do just anything that catches the fancy of the owner. In some companies, it was observed that programmers were asked to work as typists. The motto: no resource should sit idle. Employees who work for more than 9 hours a day are neither paid additional remuneration nor are given facilities like cabs and food for their late stay and long hours of work. As an e-learning professional once remarked, â€Å"employees in these fly-by-night ventures reminds one of the rampant practice of human slavery in Africa and Arabian countries a few centuries back. Professional torture apart, these employees are also subjected to extremely inhuman conditions of work – congested workplace, outdated computers, stinking toilets, and the same paltry salary year after year. Employees in these companies too appear to have resigned to their fates – partly because their poor education that doesn’t stand them in good stead for jobs in big e-learning MNCs and also because most do not have a professional competence in English language. This phenomenon is rarely reported by any section of the Indian media, perhaps due to ignorance or for fear of antagonizing the international fraternity. The abysmal condition and the unplanned e-learning sector, however, have both a positive and a negative side to it. The positive side is that these e-learning ventures help to reinforce the fact that there is no alternate to quality, and quality comes from the big guys, not the fly-by-night operators. The flipside is that the employees in tiny Indian -learning ventures rarely get the exposure to standard work processes and world-class e-learning products thereby subjecting themselves to professional impairment. Unfortunate for the Indian e-learning industry, at a n era of globalization and information revolution, Indian laws too have failed to contain these IT hawks. While the existing labour laws do have provisions against inhuman practices in the private workplace, in practice they remain a mirage. Most of the employees neither have the financial resources to chase litigation nor are they willing to ‘waste’ their time. The Southern part of India presents a striking contrast to the North. Recent years have seen a rapid and strategic development of global e-learning companies in the South, in places like Bangalore and Chennai. Several global players have also setup their centers in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Not surprising, the South has become a favorite e-learning destinations for serious e-learning players because of the absence of the mayhem so rampant in the Northern part of the country. Although the same Indian laws apply to all states across India, security and infrastructure is usually better in the Southern states than in the North. Consequently, most of these global giants are reluctant to setup their operations in the North for obvious reasons: lax security, incompetent e-learning resources, and rampant corruption. However of all the paraphernalia, one primary reason that dissuades the big names in e-learning from setting bases in North India is the abysmally poor skill-sets of the workforce here. In an era of cut-throat competition, generalized skills fetch little or paltry returns. In the past companies like Tata Interactive Services, Brainvisa, Sify e-learning and Accenture have all failed to locate substantial trained workforce from the North for its setups in the South. Amidst all the rigmarole, smaller global clients seeking ‘cheap’ e-learning courses remain unconcerned about the operatives of these vile businessmen. The only thing that seemingly matters for them is ‘cheaper products’, even if it comes in poor quality or if the employees who developed them are subjected to inhuman practices. Its time that global clients shed their ignorance and act responsibly by seeking detailed credentials from smaller e-learning vendors in India on their HR processes, employee welfare schemes and workforce competence. Failing to do this will not result in the development of shabby e-learning courses. The state of e-learning in India, particularly the frenzy in North India, remains a serious concern for the industry. Either the law of the land has to haul-up the desperados or wait till the hawks eat up the industry for the worse. A regulatory authority is essential now, if the industry is to survive and prosper. Money-eyed hawks can’t be allowed to have a field day. If they hang around for long, the death of the industry in India is imminent. 1. 3 COMPANY HISTORY 1. 3. 1 SIFY SOFTWARE LIMITED Sify eLearning was formed in December 2000. With over 8 years of experience in the training domain and our speciality in Instructional Design and Interactive Multimedia Content Development, we have developed over 5000 hours of learning content comprising Web based training (WBT), Computer based training (CBT), and Instructor Led training (ILT) courses. We have close to 300 employees located in our offices in India, the US, UK, and the Middle East. In India, Sifys offices are located in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Sify eLearning, which ranks among the top three eLearning Services providers in India, is a part of Sify Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:SIFY), with a revenue of US$150 million in 2008. Sify Technologies (www. sifycorp. com) is a pioneer and leader in the Internet, networking, and e-Commerce services in India and serves more than 1500 corporate and 600,000 retail consumers. We are proud to be the preferred eLearning vendor to many Fortune 100 companies. 1. 3. 2EVERONN EDUCATION LIMITED Everonn is one of the leading educational companies in India. Everonn today is the largest VSAT education network in the World. Everonn is listed in both the NSE and BSE. With a firm belief that technology-enabled learning can truly nullify social and economic boundaries, Everonn’s achievements have helped millions of students achieve their dreams. From its pioneering VSAT-enabled virtual and interactive classrooms to its emphasis on offering only the highest-quality content to students, Everonn’s quest for excellence has enabled the company to repeatedly break new grounds in the Indian education industry. Everonn’s commitment to a better standard of education is the guiding principle behind all its activities, from making Pre-school toddlers school ready to enhancing the employability of college students and providing the best entrance exam guidance in the nation. 1. 4PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED The Research titled namely â€Å"A Study on Employee attitude Leadership Style† is a research study conducted among various managers in different functional areas in Sify Software Limited Everonn Education Limited. In this research study, the researcher has made an attempt to identify the various styles followed by leaders due to different behavior among employees. The study mainly focus on the various attitudes of employee’s in different groups and its impact of the performance if individual, group or team organization. Further, the study also focuses on finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact of completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. This study is limited to the managers working at Sify Software Limited Everonn Education Limited. 1. 5NEED FOR THE STUDY The need for the study is to bring out the various attitude of employee in different groups and its impact on the performance of individual, group or team organization. This research study is restricted to employees working in Sify Software limited Everonn Education Limited. Generally employees working in any software companies are from different background in the sense they are from different regions, different culture, language, belief, Qualification, religion, communities etc. , which generally varies from the employees working in other sectors. This difference in attitude of employees is a very big challenge for software companies since it leads to many conflicts among the employees that affect the conducive working environment of the organization. In this study the researcher mainly focuses on changes in attitude of employees and the level of impact on their performance. Further the researcher has made an attempt to analyze the change in leadership behavior due to changes in employee attitude. In addition, the study will also be helpful in finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact on completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. 1. 6OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 1. 6. 1PRIMARY OBJECTIVE 1. To study the changes in attitude of employees and the behavioral changes of leadership at Sify software limited Everonn Education Limited. 1. 6. 2SECONDARY OBJECTIVES 1. To identify and analyze the relationship between employee attitude and leadership behavior in Sify Software Limited Everonn Education Limited. 2. To analyze the level of impact of leadership behavior on the team and performance of team. 3. To find out various ways to improve the attitude of people towards organizational commitments. 4. To identify the relationship between the attitude of employees and their performance towards their job. 1. 7SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study may help to find out the style to be adapted by leadership that may help them to effectively control the attitude of employees and also it helps to influence the workers and to extract work from them. This study may show the various characteristics of employees and its impact on the performance. Generally employees working in any software companies are from different background in the sense they are from different regions, different culture, language, belief, Qualification, religion, communities etc. , which generally varies from the employees working in other sectors. This difference in attitude of employees is a very big challenge for software companies since it leads to many conflicts among the employees that affect the conducive working environment of the organization. In this study the researcher mainly focuses on changes in attitude of employees and the level of impact on their performance. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE SURVEY 2. 1REVIEW OF LITERATURE ?Attitudes are not the same as values. Attitudes are evaluative statements –either favorable or unfavorable concerning objects people, or events. Employee values, attitudes, and leadership behavior play a very important role in enhancing employee work motivation and performance. Employee work values, attitudes and leadership behavior can carefully be adjusted to produce a strong impact on employee work motivation. It would, therefore, be interesting to examine the precise nature of their roles in influencing the intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation of employees. ?Leadership Theory Leadership Styles: Leaders and followers each have different traits, values and levels of motivation. Theories that explain leadership effectiveness in terms of situational moderator variables are called contingency theories of leadership (Yukl 2006). Fiedler’s (1964) contingency model of leadership effectiveness is contingent upon the interaction of leadership style and situational favorableness (Liu et al. 2003). Thus, leader effectiveness is the product of many variables related to the followers, the task, and the organization (Tatum, et. al. , 2003). Transformational leadership theory emphasizes longer-term and vision-based motivational processes (Bass Avolio, 1997; Liu et al, 2003) and attempts to capture the emotional and symbolic aspects of leadership, helping researchers understand how leaders influence followers and motivate them to make self-sacrifices, putting the needs of the mission or organization above materialistic self-interests (Yukl, 2006). Researchers have found that most managers believe there is no single universal style of leadership applicable in all situations (Yun, Cox, and Sims, Jr. , 2006; Lord et al. , 2001). For example, a task-oriented leadership style may be most appropriate where a job involves psychologically immature or inexperienced workers; whereas, a relations-oriented leadership style may be most appropriate where workers are highly experienced and can be trusted to work autonomously (Tatum, et. al. , 2003). ?Group Types: Yukl (2006) defines several types of teams that can be found within an organization; two such teams include: Functional and Cross-Functional. Yukl (2006) provides the following about each team: â€Å"Functional teams are characterized by members of an organization with specialized jobs but are all part of the same basic function (e. g. maintenance, quality, etc. ). These teams operate for a long duration of time with membership that is relatively stable. Cross-Functional teams are characterized by members from a combination of functional subunits (e. g. quality, production, sales, and maintenance) working together on projects that require joint problem-solving skills. These teams operate until their task is completed. Membership may be stable over the life of the team or it may change as some functions increase/decrease in importance†. Leadership Credibility: Credibility is the foundation of leadership, and employees want their leaders to be honest, inspiring, competent, and forward looking (Kouzes and Posner, 2000). The credible leader must be seen as well informed and worthy of belief (Stoner, 1989). Credibility n urtures collaborative, cooperative relationships where employees assume responsibility for accomplishing work-related objectives voluntarily (Gabris Ihrke, 1996). For credibility to exist there must be trust between leader and follower (Kouzes Posner, 2000). Leadership credibility deals with perceived believability toward the leader-supervisor as someone an employee can trust in a supervisor-subordinate relationship (Gabris Ihrke, 1996). Organizational Justice: Organizational justice theory is intimately tied to leadership and decision processes (Tatum, et. al, 2003) and is based on the idea that a set of justice rules is used by individuals to evaluate fair treatment; and the extent to which those rules are satisfied or violated determines perceptions of justice or injustice (Mayer, et al. , 2007). Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the methods used to make organizational decisions (Tepper, et. al. , 2006; Bauer, et al, 2001). In procedural justice, employees are concerned about whether the decision process is fair and the process used to determine the outcome was just (Fernandes Awamleh, 2006). Perceptions of fair procedures enhance employee acceptance of organizational outcomes (Latham Pinder, 2005), lead to organizational commitment (Lind Tyler, 1988) and satisfaction at the individual level (De Cremer, 2007). Shared perceptions of justice at the group level are positively related to satisfaction and commitment to the organization (Mayer, et al. , 2007). Just outcomes signal to employees that they are valued by the organization (Tyler Lind, 1992). Individuals experience procedural injustice when they are denied voice and decision control (Tepper, et. al. , 2006). Interactional justice is defined as the interpersonal treatment people receive as procedures are enacted (Bies Moag, 1986; Colquitt, 2001). Interactional justice is concerned with how information is communicated and whether individuals affected by a decision are treated with respect and dignity (Fernandes Awamleh, 2006). ?Group Commitment: Commitment is believed to affect organizational performance (Fiorito, et al. , 2007) and outcomes such as job satisfaction (Williams Hazer, 1986). Commitment is strongly influenced by leadership (Kouzes Posner, 2000). When employees feel unfairly treated, they may respond affectively with low commitment (Latham Pinder, 2005). The effect of leadership style on group interaction depends on both the consistency of the leadership style and the attitude group members have toward the leadership style (Kahai, Sosik, Avolio, 1997). Describing the task in a way that links it to member values and ideals, explaining why a project or task is important, involving members in planning strategies for attaining the objectives, and empowering members to find creative solutions to problems (Yukl, 2006). If members see leadership as legitimate, they should remain more attached to the team and exert more effort to benefit it (Colquitt, Noe, Jackson, 2002). ?It is readily accepted that organizational change impacts employees in a variety of ways (French, Bell, Zawacki, 2000). Consequently, the impact of organizational change on employee attitudes has received considerable research attention (e. g. Gardner, Dunham, Cummings, Pierce, 1987; Griffin, 1997; Lines, 2004; Saari Judge, 2004; Schweiger DeNisi, 1991). Research indicates that employee attitudes are related to how individuals perceive or react to change (Mossholder, Settoon, Armenakis, Harris, 2000). This is important since positive perceptions of change can enhan ce the implementation of these organizational initiatives (Lines, 2004; Armenakis, Harris, Feild, 1999). In this study, employee attitudes are investigated when organizational change is caused by the introduction of new technology. As depicted in Figure 1, salient attitudes of interest include job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to turnover, and job stress. The most-used research definition of job satisfaction is by Locke (1976), who defined it as â€Å". . . a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences† (p. 1304). Implicit in Locke’s definition is the importance of both affect, or feeling, and cognition, or thinking. When we think, we have feelings about what we think. Conversely, when we have feelings, we think about what we feel. Cognition and affect are thus inextricably linked, in our psy-chology and even in our biology. Thus, when evaluating our jobs, as when we assess most anything important to us, both thinking and feeling are involved. Continuing this theoretical development, Judge and his colleagues (Judge Bono, 2001; Judge, Locke, Durham, Kluger, 1998) found that a key personality trait, core self-evaluation, correlates with (is statistically related to) employee job satisfaction. They also found that one of the primary causes of the relationship was through the perception of the job itself. Thus, it appears that the most important situational effect on job satisfaction—the job itself—is linked to what may be the most important personality trait to predict job satisfaction—core self-evaluation. Evidence also indicates that some other personality traits, such as extra-version and conscientiousness, can also influence job satisfaction (Judge, Heller, Mount, 2002) In the research literature, the two most extensively validated employee attitude survey measures are the Job Descriptive Index (JDI; Smith, Kendall, Hulin, 1969) and the Mi nnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ; Weiss, Dawis, England, Lofquist, 1967). The JDI assesses satisfaction with five different job areas: pay, promotion, coworkers, supervision, and the work itself. The JDI is reliable and has an impressive array of validation evidence. The MSQ has the advantage of versatility—long and short forms are available, as well as faceted and overall measures. Another measure used in job satisfaction research (e. g. , Judge, Erez, Bono, Thoresen, in press) is an updated and reliable five-item version of an earlier scale by Brayfield and Rothe (1951). All of these measures have led to greater scientific understanding of employee attitudes, and their greatest value may be for research purposes, yet these measures may be useful for practitioners as well. In practice, organizations often wish to obtain a more detailed assessment of employee attitudes and/or customize their surveys to assess issues unique to their firm. ?Job satisfaction is one of the most extensively researched work-related attitudes (Loscocco Roschelle, 1991). Saari and Judge (2004), however, observed that HR practitioners lack thorough knowledge of job satisfaction and related antecedents. Job satisfaction is operationally defined as an individuals assessment of the degree to which their work-related values have been achieved (Locke, 1969; Locke, 1976). Research suggests that organizational change has a discernable impact on job satisfaction (see, for example, Ferguson Cheyne, 1995) which is associated with organizational citizenship behaviors that are beneficial to organizational effectiveness (Organ, 1990). ?Organizational commitment is also a frequently studied job attitude (Lines, 2004; Loscocco Roschelle, 1991). Definitions and conceptualizations of the organizational commitment construct are numerous and diverse. Morrow (1983) observed at least 25 different conceptualizations of organizational commitment. Despite this diversity, OReilly and Chatman (1986), among others, suggest that psychological attachment to an organization is a theme underlying most conceptualizations of organizational commitment. Of particular interest in this study is the relationship between affective organizational commitment and reactions to the organizational changes since individuals with high levels of affective commitment tend to exert extraordinary effort on behalf of an organization (Porter, Steers, Mowday, Boulian, 1974). In addition, individuals with high levels of affective commitment are likely to remain with an organization because they want to remain with the organization (Porter et al. , 1974), not because they have no other alternatives or because of social pressure. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1PROPOSED METHODOLOGY 3. 1. 1FOR EMPLOYEES The Researcher has proposed to use Qualitative and Analytical type of research. The Researcher has proposed to use Qualitative type of research, to assess the behavior of various employees in different teams which has an impact on overall performance of the team. The Researcher has also proposed to use Analytical type of result to analyze the effect of behavior on their individual performance towards their relationship with peers etc. 3. 1. 2FOR MANAGERS To assess the changes in leadership behavior due to changes in employee attitude, the Researcher has used the same Qualitative and Analytical type of research design. 3. 2RESEARCH DESIGN The research design is the blue print for fulfilling objectives and answering questions of specific research problem. A research design is purely and simply the framework a plan for a study that guides the collection and analysis of the data. The research designs used in this project are listed below. 3. 2. 1 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH To describe the characteristics of certain groups e. g. users of a product with different age, sex etc. , to determine whether certain variables are associated e. g. , age and usage of a product. 3. 2. 2 ANALYTICAL RESEARCH To analyze the behavior of employees and its impact of deadline productivity. 3. 3DATA COLLECTION METHOD In this study the researcher has proposed to use both Primary and secondary data. 3. 3. 1PRIMARY DATA Primary data will be collected through a structured Questionnaire from the target respondents.

Technology adoption of e-government from the perspective of citizens Article

Technology adoption of e-government from the perspective of citizens - Article Example Various governments across the globe have initiated e-government programs with a view to offer speedier and convenient ways for their citizens to access information regarding government services. However, in order for e-governance to work successfully and effectively, as planned, it entails a comprehensive study of factors which may influence its use. Trust – is one such factor which plays a key role in e-commerce, and more specifically e-government, adoption since trust between the government and the citizens is inevitable for this technology to function effectively (Bhattacherjee 2002; Carter and Belanger 2005; McKnight et al. 2002; Pavlou 2003; Warkentin et al. 2002). Hence, if the level of trust displayed by citizens on the government is high, it will lead to high level of involvement in e-government as well. However, trust in e-government or any sort of web-institution for that matter, is greatly influenced by ‘disposition to trust’ since individuals who trust others will generally trust institutions involving people (McKnight et al., 2004). When viewed, from the e-government perspective, the disposition to trust has invariably resulted in an increased level of trust in e-government by the citizens (McKnight et al., 2004) In order to effectively apply any given technology and ensure its widespread acceptance, its antecedents must be taken into consideration. With respect to technology; privacy concerns assumes relatively higher significance and hence needs to be probed thoroughly to ensure wider acceptance. The level of privacy afforded by the media used, across all age groups is directly related to its usage since privacy risks rank highly on the users concerns list (Jacko, 2009). Parents are highly concerned about the privacy protection tools provided to ensure the safety of information accessed by their children. Various studies conducted so far, have reaffirmed the role of privacy in influencing the technology usage. This is

China as an economic power in the world Research Paper

China as an economic power in the world - Research Paper Example For this to happen, the Chinese government needs to implement policies that fasten China’s transition to an economy that is a free market. In addition, it should address issues to do with growing income disparities, enhance innovation and production, as well as boost the protection of the environment. The country’s gross domestic product has grown at an annual rate of about 10%. China has risen rapidly as a major economic power within a span of about three decades. The rapid economic growth has led to an increase in commercial ties with the United States. As compared to the U.S, China is less developed but analysts predict that China will become the largest in the next five years. Many U.S companies have operations in China and the main reason is to have the ability to sell their products in the flourishing Chinese market and to take advantage of cheap labor for the exporting goods. These operations have made some U.S firms more competitive internationally and have managed to supply the U.S consumers with a range of goods at a low cost. However, the rise of China as a major economic power has brought challenges among the U.S policy makers. There have been claims that China uses practices that amount to unfair trade to flood the U.S market with goods that are of low cost. In addition, the growing use of industrial policies to protect the indigenous Chinese industries and the widespread failure to take action against the infringement of the U.S intellectual property rights pose as a threat to the U.S intensive industries (Jacques, 2009). Others contend that the country has a growing demand for energy and raw materials and its surfacing to be the country that emits the most greenhouse gases. China faces a number of challenges as much as the Chinese government supports the maintenance of social stability as one of the ways of growing the economy. The challenges may dampen the growth of the county’s future by distorting economic

DB2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

DB2 - Essay Example The Last Judgment is stuffed with nude figures and actions depicting violence. It was criticized as offensive because it contains bodies which were naked and placed behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Michaelangelo used The Last Judgment painting to communicate about counter-reformation. He used his techniques of painting such as the broader and monochromatic figures to make a change and create a new standard. Artists in Medieval times create painting with figures dressed presenting their social ranks. Michaelangelo on the other hand presented figures without clothes to show equality. I think Michaelangelo’s work wanted to express his opposition on how the people value social classes during their times. I believe he wanted to promote equality among the people. He wanted to convey that people should not be judge according to their classes and according on how they dress. In his painting, he stripped the figures bare of rank. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of th e most legendary and well known portraits of all times. The model of the painting is Lisa, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The painting wanted to convey mystery and enchantment with her ambiguous smile. The figure depicts a very simple portrait.

Ford or Apple Code of Ethics- Business ethic paper Term

Ford or Apple Code of Ethics- Business ethic - Term Paper Example Chief Executive Ethical Statement As Chief Executive of Apple Inc., I believe that in order for the organization to survive and succeed, it must have a sound set of beliefs on which to base all its policies and actions. In addition, faithfulness to those beliefs is what will ensure corporate success, because it will influence our consumers as to our commitment to being socially responsible. Ferrell et al 2001), states that the globalization process brings individuals of different nations, who bring their cultures, their laws, their values, and different sets of moral and ethical standards to business situations, and to this Apple Inc is totally cognizant, and will utilize such diverse resources to constantly update its ethical code of conduct, to more meaningfully reflect high degrees of relevance to what obtains in the market (Ferrell, F. 2001). Finally, if the organization is going to meet the challenges of changing world market conditions, it must be prepared to reinvent itself co nstantly around those established beliefs (Hitt, W.D 1990) Apple Inc. Statement of Ethical Principle Apple shall commit itself to invest in the communication means for educating the company employees, business associates and shareholders, to enable them achieve their full potentials in terms of ethical behaviors. To this end it will endeavor to: - Step up its audit and training at all locations around the world. - Make every effort to train all new employees during the first three months of their employment and periodically afterwards (www.dept.ttu.edu/financialandforms/codeofconduct-1-p4f.). - Introduce new guidelines for ethical standards on dormitories, juvenile protection, medical non discriminations, pregnancy non-discrimination, and avoidance of involuntary labors, wages, equitable distribution benefits and the scheduling of working hours especially in Asia and Africa. - Evaluate its Management Commitment Index on a quarterly basis. - Monitor the ethics of the recruitment proc ess on quarterly basis across all organizational lines. - Rate its Suppliers Responsibility Conformance Index. And take action where appropriate. - Promote the highest levels of free expression of ideas and opinions across all organizational lines. -Protect the dignity and privacy of its employees, and ensure confidentiality in all records kept, as well as in their personal lifestyles. Apple Inc. - Outline of Code of Ethics: The Code of Ethics shall be developed along the following outline, A. Introduction B The purpose of the code of ethics C. The Chief Executive ethical prospective D. Apple Statement of Ethical Principles E. Corporate Responsibilities F. Relationship with Shareholders G. Implementation Policies H. Quality Assurance Audits I. Reporting Procedures J. Communication Policies (www.bcorporation.net) K. Educational Strategy Implementation Policies The Code of Ethics for Apple Inc. will be implemented using a 12 step program (www.bcorporation.net). At the outset the progr am will be subjected to endorsements, integration, circulation, employee feedback, affirmations, contract affiliations, mandatory regular reviews, training, enforcement procedures, translations, networking, and annual reporting. (www.bcorporation.net). Apple Inc. embraces John Stuart Mill’

Candombl Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Candombl Religion - Research Paper Example The religion is founded on the soul of Nature, but also displays elements of African mythology and culture. The popularity of Candomblà © is due to the combination of many religions into one, making it agreeable to a variety of potential followers and one of the most sough-out religions in Africa and Europe. When a religion is considered to be syncretistic, it means that it is a combination of two or more religions or cultures, pulling beliefs, stories, and, oftentimes, deities from other religions. Candomblà © is a combination of three main African religions, Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu. Muslim traditions have also been incorporated, though these were more common during the slave trade in Brazil. The only Muslim tradition that is still observed in Candomblà © is believing, and thus practicing, the use of Friday as the only day worthy of worshipping deities, praying, and meditating. Many local Native American deities were also used in rituals, though this practice did not last long due to the Catholic Church looking down upon such practices, thus not allowing their slaves to implement them into their practices. Catholicism is yet another religion whose beliefs and practices have been adopted by the Candomblà © religion. This was due to the fact that â€Å"many Christian slave owners and Church leaders felt it was important to convert the enslaved Africans. This was in order to fulfill their religious obligations [...] (â€Å"History of Candomble).† A connection was found between the worshipping of saints in Catholicism and the worshipping of ancestor deities in Candomble, so the Candomble practitioners secretly combined their deities with the saints of Catholicism. Deities and Beliefs Candomble is a polytheistic religion, recognizing and worshipping more than one god. They believe in an all-powerful God, Oludumare, and the lesser deities that serve him. These lesser deities are known as orixas, voduns, and inkices. Orixas are ancestors that, upon death, become viewed and treated as gods. They each represent a specific force in nature and a certain food, animal, or color. Voduns and inkices are spirit gods, similar to orixas; the three lesser deities share the duty of acting as a connection between the spiritual world and the human world, passing along messages or searching for cures to illnesses. The greatest difference between orixas and voduns and inkices is that it is believed that every human being has their own orixa, whose duty it is to control the destiny of that person, as well as to protect them (Voeks 57). It is also a belief of Candomble practitioners that a person’s personality and defining characteristics are dependent on that person’s orixa. Candomble maintains a belief similar to that of karma, which is more common in Buddhism and Hinduism. Karma is the belief that a person’s actions in the present will influence or have an effect on their lives in the future or in another life. Candomble holds t hat there are no concepts of good and evil. Each person has the task of fulfilling their destiny in whatever way they need to, regardless of what that destiny is. However, if a person succumbs to evil to fulfill their destiny, their actions will come back to them, essentially returning their evil. This belief prevents people from doing anything that they want, allowing them to understand that their are consequences to their actions. The Candomble have a variety of moral codes that they most follow, though these tend to change from generation to generation. It is the job of the Baba Egum to regulate and update the moral responsibilities of their people. The Baba Egum are in charge of making sure that the essential moral codes

Open Topic under Composite Materials Term Paper

Open Topic under Composite Materials - Term Paper Example As described in Wikipedia, there are two main kinds of wind turbines one is Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine and second is Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (1). However, Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) are the most widely used design for commercial purposes. Earlier standard parts and components were used for manufacturing of turbines; however, with advancement in technology, specialized materials and parts started to be designed for turbines introducing alternate solutions for manufacturing (Eker, Akdogan, and Vardar 2917). UTILIZATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN WIND TURBINES Two or more materials are arranged with each other with a specific medium in between them to form a composite material. The fiber material is usually harder and stronger than the binding medium (matrix) being used. This not only rearranges structural and physical properties like rigidity, toughness and corrosion but also unlocks new dimensions to electrical, thermal and environmental properties of materials forming a composite. The aim of modern research is to reduce the cost, improve performance and impact resistance of the composite materials for their better application in a wide range of fields. These discussed significant features of composite materials have made these future materials for wind turbines (Eker, Akdogan, and Vardar 2917). In general, metallic, organic and inorganic materials called matrix, fibers, particulates, stamps and layers having limited geometry constitute composite materials. The binding medium, matrix, creates a phase impact by producing distribution of other material structures in its own structure. This brings changes to overall physical, mechanical and chemical properties of the composite materials. These materials fibers, matrix and reinforcements are chemically inert and dissolved among each other. It is pertinent to note that in metallic composites even a small amount of dissolution may affect the overall properties of the material (Eker, Akdogan, and Vardar 2 918). Purpose of using composite material in turbine blades is to exploit one or more of the physical, mechanical and other properties of materials forming the composite. To achieve this, numbers of methods are used but the principle is same as to improve weak properties of the materials in composite to achieve a good performance turbine blade. WIND ENERGY A convertor is the main component that is required to convert the kinetic energy of motor due to blade rotation into electrical or heart energy, thus producing a power given by following equation P = Av3 where ? = Aerodynamic efficiency constant ? = Density of air A = Area of tubrine-plane v = Wind velocity The two or more blades are installed on central part (disc) of turbine called rotor to form a wind turbine which is rotated by action of wind on turbine blades (Brondsted, Lilholt, and Lystrup 506). Wind turbines usually consist of two to three large blades made of wood, plexiglass or a composite material. The basic design pri nciple encompassing the wind turbines is that of an aero engine turbine or air plane wing where lift is used to make use of energy. Complete turbine assembly consisting of two or more blades is installed in vertical plane on horizontal axis into wind. In a similar fashion, wind energy is captured using same basic design principle. Stall and pitch regulations are used to control the speed and power of

The Demon in the Free

The Demon in the Freezer Essay I. The Other Side of the Moon 1. Peter Jahrling wanted to work with the smallpox virus because he wanted to be in efforts to create a national stockpile. He could not believe that the vaccine was not enough for a bioterror attack on the United States. He wanted to find a cure for the disease. 2. In April, the Institute of Medicine issued a report saying that if the world wanted to have a new vaccine or an antiviral drug for smallpox then the virus would need to be kept for scientific experiments. President Bill Clinton had personally favored the destruction, but after reading the report changed his mind. The White House now endorsed keeping the stocks. A month later the WHO voted to keep smallpox alive for another three years until June 30th, 2002. II. A Woman With A Peaceful Mind 1.During an experiment, Lisa was holding a pair of blunt children’s scissors with her rubber space suit gloves. She was trying to open a bottle by prying on a tab with the scissors. Suddenly they slipped and the tip of the scissors jammed into the middle finger of her right glove. She felt a stab of pain near her fingernail. III. Nuclear Pox 1.The experiment that the Australians presented was they were trying to use a virus to try to cut down populations of mice. They had been infecting mice with an engineered mousepox virus that was supposed to make the mice sterile. But the engineered mousepox had wiped out the mice. Jahrling and Moyer uneasy about this line of research because the Australians had engineered a pox virus that could overwhelm the vaccine and they had done it by putting a single gene from the mouse into the virus. One mouse gene into the pox. They realized that the virus had taken down immunized animals and bioterrorists could use this. IV. Chaos in Level 4 1.Lisa and her team were inoculating monkeys with different strains of smallpox. They were putting it into the bloodsteams of the monkeys and they used higher doses. Jahrling felt that if a billion particles of the smallpox didn’t give a monkey a disease of some sort, then nature would be telling us that variola was not going to go into any species except man. 2.Lisa worked in a corridor of the sub-subbasement. She was in a Level 4 area because that was where the smallpox and the monkeys were quarantined. 3.The monkey-model team consisted of Peter Jahrling, John Huggins, Lisa Hensley, and an Army veterinary pathologist named Mark Martinez. There was also an animal caretaker named James Stockman and two veterinary technicians named Joshua and Rafael and a biologist named Louise Pitt. 4.First the monkeys were exposed to Harper, then Dumbell 7124 (India strain). 5.First, the Harper smallpox was blown into the air around Monkey C099’s head. Then he got it inserted into a vein in his thigh and he received one billion infective particles of Harper smallpox. 6.Before they had used a lower dose and they had given the virus to the monkeys through the air. This time, they also put it into the bloodstreams of the monkeys. V. Demon Eyes 1.Eight monkeys were given the Harper or India strains. There were seven of them that died (six from hemorrhagic smallpox and one from classical pustular smallpox). Harper was the only survivor. 2.The scientists bonded with monkey C099 because that monkey had been sacrificed as a result of their experiments and unlike the other monkeys, he didn’t die naturally (they put him to sleep). 3.The necropsy room was used to perform a post-mortem exam in privacy so no other animal of the same species can observe. 4. 5.The one monkey that survived was put to death because protocol of the experiment required the euthanasia of all animals in order to gather more data on the effects of smallpox. I would’ve done the same thing because if the virus had spread through the monkey’s body, it would have suffered unnecessarily, seeing how the other monkeys died from being infected just as he was being to. They put the monkey out of his misery. VI. Demon Eyes 1.An anthrax cell is similar to a virus because when it comes into contact with lymph or blood, it cracks open and germinates and turns into a rod-shaped cell. It is different because unlike a virus it is alive. It uses its own machinery to makes copies of itself. 2.Tom Geisbert believed the anthrax spores were man made because he observed that something was clinging to the spores. When he turned up the beam the goop began to spread out of the spores. The spores had something in them like an additive. 3.The anthrax may have infected and killed the postal workers because it was continuously handled by many workers. The envelopes were squeezed through the mail sorting machines which made the anthrax pores start to leak through the letters of the pores. 4.The Daschle letter had gone through the Hamilton facility en route to Brentwood. 5.The Daschle anthrax may have come from Iraq but the samples they’d seen from Iraq were completely different. The Iraqi had been mixed with bentonite and these spores didn’t have clay in them. 6.Ken Alibek defected to the United States from Russia. He revealed to the US Government that a panoramic vista of Biopreparat, as well as an advanced bioweapons program in Russia that was broken into secret compartments. 7.Ken Alibek suggests that biological weapons are more beneficial than nuclear weapons because while nuclear weapons destroy everything, biological weapons are more beneficial because they destroy vital activity (people). 8.The concept of vital activity was demonstrated when he the jar containing a surrogate of a weaponized brain virus called VEE, which traveled easily in the air. Depending on the altitude of the dispersal of the contents, the particles could travel close to fifty miles (this could be used with anthrax mixed with smallpox). 9.Geisbert discovered two extra elements in the anthrax spores: silicon and oxygen. 10.The EPA spent an estimated thirty million dollars decontaminating the Brentwood mail facility. 11.There were five homicides in the Amerithrax case. 12.The difference between a K and Q collected sample of evidence is that a Q sample comes from an unknown source and can be matched to known samples. K samples are reference samples that are fully identified. 13.The Amerithrax (Ames) strain came from a dead cow in Texas in 1981 and it ended up in the labs at USAMRIID. The fact that the Maerithrax strain wasn’t military pointed to a home-grown American terrorist instead of a foreign source. This helped to turn the focus of the investigation to wihin the United States. 14.The FBI still believed that al-Qaeda had something to do with the Ames strain because Mohammed Atta (who was the operational leader of the hijackers), made inquiries at airports in Florida about renting crop-dusting airplanes (he probably wanted to spray something from the air). 15.The investigation of Dr. Steven Hatfill was completely justified, although how the FBI handled it through the media was wrong. Hatfill clearly had a reputation and experience in the scientific community when it came to the knowledge to carry out such an attack. He had a storage facility in Florida and had access to a cabin in a remote party of Maryland. He even had a secret-level security and he was close with Ken Alibek and Bill Patrick (two men with anthrax making experience). Hatfill even commissioned Patrick to write a study on the effects of anthrax mailed in letters. Patrick worked out a scenerio in which a letter containing two grams of dry anthrax spores was opened inside an office building. The FBI had every reason to believe that he was a person of interest, however the leaks to the media were unnecessary, because Hatfill’s career was basically because of being investigated. I strongly feel like there was no need for the media to be present everytime his house or cabin or office was raided and samples were taken out. The FBI wanted to show the public that they were doing their job effectively, but at the same time they didn’t have to use Hatfill as their scapegoat because his life and career were ruined as a result. 16. A bioreactor (also called an STLV) was developed at NASA. You can grow human tissues in it and then infect them. Using a device like this can test new drugs against smallpox and other exotic diseases that could not be tested ethically in people. 17.Dr. Alfred Sommer was enraged about the smallpox research that Peter Jahrling conducted with monkeys because he believes that smallpox could have been eradicated completely if the stocks had been all destroyed. He believes that the biggest danger of Jahrling’s research was it would look suspicious to other countries and would encourage them to do their own experimentation. 18.D.A. Henderson believed Jahrling’s work could not lead to the development of new drugs or vaccines against smallpox because what was really needed was an inhaled dose of smallpox in a monkey to test a vaccine, since people inhale the virus. VII. Superpox 1.A recombinant virus is a virus that has been engineered in the laboratory. 2.Interleukin-4 is produced by the immune system because it fights off an infection by stimulating the production of antibodies. 3.Cellular immunity is provided by numerous kinds of white blood cells. 4.If the gene for IL-4 is added to a poxvirus, it will cause the virus to make IL-4. It starts signaling the immune system of the host, which becomes confused and starts making more antibodies. 5.The genetically engineered mousepox is compared to AIDS because it seems to create a king of instant AIDS-like immune suppression in a mouse right at the moment when the mouse needs this type of immunity the most to fight off an exploding pox infection. 6.There are two ways to vaccinate a mouse against mousepox. One way is to infect it with natural mousepox. The other way is to vaccinate the mouse with the smallpox vaccine. 7.The Australian scientists found that mice immunized with natural mousepox become completely immune to IL-4 mousepox, however it was different because the IL-4 mousepox crashed through the smallpox vaccine, killing the mice they had previously vaccinated. 8.Scientists should definitely be allowed to create a supervirus, as long as they are doing so for scientific reasons. If there was a complete ban on scientific experimentation that may lead to the creation of superviruses, then at the same time there wouldn’t be vaccines created. Before the Eradication began, there were two million people dying every year. Those doctors who ended the virus as a natural disease ended up saving fifty to sixty million human lives. Those who end up getting the short end of the stick (if there is no creation of superviruses and vaccines) are the people living in third world nations, where medical vaccinations are not readily available. On the flip side, if scientists are given free reign to create superviruses whenever they want, then that will ultimately lead to biological warfare with countries threatening each other. This can lead to intimidation and blackmailing of smaller nations, who may not be able to compete and keep up. There need to be strict guidelines governing viruses (like smallpox) that countries create and expand on. Last month, Australia was in the news because scientists there had genetically modified the virus that causes smallpox. They managed to create a new strain that had caused the death of all the animals involved in the study. What makes this different from what I read in the book is that the new virus was done with mice that had been previously immunized. This is a scary possibility because there are countries out there that are still looking to improve on the smallpox virus.

Challenges And Prospects For The Asean Economic Community Economics Essay

Challenges And Prospects For The Asean Economic Community Economics Essay Free trade is a significant stimulus to regional production, linkages and competitiveness.   ASEAN has made significant progress in that regard since the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) from 1993.   The AFTA initiative has been particularly successful in reducing tariffs in the trade in goods. Currently, some 99.8 per cent of the products in the Inclusion Lists of ASEAN-6 (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) have been brought down to the tariff range of 0-5 per cent, with about 65 per cent of those products having zero import tariffs.   Meanwhile, 91 per cent of the products traded by the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam) under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff package have been moved into their respective Inclusion Lists.   About 77 percent of those products are already within the 0-5 per cent tariff band. However, regional free trade alone is not sufficient to release the full energies and the inherent potential of ASEAN.   All of us now have to take a further step forward.   Deeper economic integration is necessary for ASEAN to cope effectively with the unprecedented opportunities as well as the unprecedented challenges, on both scale and depth, unleashed by globalisation. China and India have altered the global economic landscape through huge market openings and greater competition, too.   Meanwhile, interlinked supply networks have proliferated all over the world, among many other innovative and more efficient ways in value creation and industrial organization.   Last but not least, there are the freer and often instant movements of new ideas, people and resources across national boundaries. The ASEAN Economic Community.   In the midst of two giant economies, ASEAN Leaders made a historic resolution in December 1997 to leverage the regions potential by building an economic community (ASEAN Vision 2020).   Henceforth, ASEAN is to be transformed into a stable, prosperous, and highly competitive region with equitable economic development, and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities.   Notably, that resolution took place in the midst of a severe financial and economic crisis in ASEAN.   This underscored once again ASEANs common perception of the critical importance of greater regional cohesion and complementation in coping with good as well as bad times.   Subsequently at the Bali Summit in November 2003, ASEAN Leaders declared that the AEC would be the end-goal of regional economic integration (Bali Concord II).   This Community shall weld together 10 separate entities as a single market and production base by 2020.   The ASEAN Economic Ministers have recently recommended that the target year be sped up to 2015. Put it simply, there will be a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital in the AEC.   This is to be complemented by freer movements of skilled human resources including regional business persons, professionals, and cultural and artistic talents.   The consequent gains from deeper and broader integration are substantial in ASEAN.   They are estimated by McKinsey and Co to cut as much as one-fifth of production costs of consumer goods in the region.   As such, the AEC building process will empower ASEAN to remain a dynamic and competitive player in the regional and global supply chains.   But the same process is also predicated on wide-ranging adjustments and reforms to be carried out by Governments and the business sector, among other stakeholders in the region.   The commitments so far made include, to name just a few, the ASEAN Free Trade Area of 1992; the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services of 1995; the ASEAN Agreement on Customs and the ASEAN Customs Vision 2020 of 1997; the Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition Agreements, both of 1998; the Initiative for ASEAN Integration of 2000; the ASEAN Framework Agreement for the Integration of Priority Sectors of 2004; and the ASEAN Policy on Standards and Conformance of 2005. ASEAN has three key strengths in the economic arena.   We have abundant natural resources in our region.   We have large supplies of professionals and talented people.   And, we have the capability to adopt, adapt and advance technology.   By leveraging on these strengths the AEC is likely to be realised sooner than later. ASEAN Charter.   A key development complementing the AEC work is the process to establish the ASEAN Charter.   A Charter is certainly not a panacea. But at a minimum, it is going to facilitate the transformation of ASEAN into a rules-based regional organization with a legal personality.   Provisions in the Charter to establish robust mechanisms for monitoring implementation and ensuring compliance would contribute greatly to ASEANs effectiveness. Through the Charter, ASEAN will be able to enshrine the values and principles that shaped by our history and experiences in the last 39 years.   It will virtually become our new and official birth certificate in the sense that we are re-born as the ASEAN Community. Such a Charter would also serve to make ASEAN a more responsive, dynamic and integrated regional organisation. In short, the Charter will define ASEANs future. The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has been working on its recommendation for the drafting of the Charter.   In a few days, the EPGs report will be considered by the ASEAN Leaders during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines, from 11-12 December 2006.   In that report, the EPG will recommend what should go into an ASEAN Charter. And at the upcoming Summit, a High-Level Task Force is expected to be mandated by the ASEAN Leaders to start drafting an ASEAN Charter, taking into account recommendations of the EPG, among other things. This achievement would not only become a benchmark for the region to further enhance its cohesiveness and coherence, but also would venture forth a new cooperative spirit for the community building in the region.  Ã‚   To be sure, there is a lot more work to do, especially in converging the different levels of ambition.   Yet, I am optimistic ASEAN is on the threshold of a quantum leap in collective development and growth. ASEAN-EU economic interaction. Against that backdrop of dynamic changes and developments within ASEAN, the EU has remained, among other roles, an important partner in trade and investment and a major source of technical assistance to ASEAN. The EUs valued roles will continue to be very helpful to AEC building efforts in the coming decade. As a market, for example, the EU-15 economies took in some US$ 78 billion worth of ASEAN exports in 2005, a steady growth of 5 per cent a year since 2000.   The EU was the third largest trading partner, with an average share of 12 per cent of ASEAN trade in the last two years (or just about one percentage point behind Japan and the U.S.A. during 2004-2005).   Germany, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France are the most important EU traders with ASEAN. Likewise, the EU-15s foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN has been significant, with the largest share of 57 per cent of the FDI hosted by our region in 2000 (totalling US$ 23.5 billion).   However, this share fell to 19 per cent of the FDI flows to ASEAN (US$ 38.1 billion) in 2005.   Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam and Thailand were the main destinations of FDI from the EU. http://www.aseansec.org/19001.htm 30 MAC 2011