Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Their Lives Were Yearning Equality - 1433 Words

Ishan Sahoo Mrs. Saunders Orange 6 – American Literature 5 April 2015 Their Lives were Yearning Equality Love is one of the strongest emotions. It can create and destroy events in one’s life. It can also change an individual for the better or worse. Due to its power, its effects seem to be everlasting, and can help change an individual’s psychological and social elements. Zora Neal Hurston, in Their Eyes were Watching God, depicts the plight of a woman named Janie Crawford, who goes on an adventure of a lifetime as she combats patriarchal views to become a self-sufficient and independent woman through love. In the novel, Janie is forced to endure patriarchy by two men that she marries, Logan Killicks and Jody Starks; the latter, her second husband, and the former her first (Rider 1). Some believe that these circumstances create certain events, where Janie changes herself for the better. These opportunities to change show up prior to her meeting with Tea Cake, her true love. For example, they believe leaving Logan shows freedom. When she lives with Jody, she rebels against his autocratic treatment. She lives a life virtually without him after the fallout in the store, but she survives easily even without his care. These events in her life show how she slowly develops throughout the novel even when a lack of love is seen in her marriages. The people bel ieve that the first two men in her life subdue Janie, but she manages to develop through these circumstances. People thatShow MoreRelatedFBOs in Civil Society1697 Words   |  7 Pagesuse of ‘ para church agencies or Organisations’ which are the Faith Based Organisation in which they engage the government in economics, politics and social issues. The reason why the church makes use of these organisations is that they endeavor to live its prophetic call of being custodians of moral and just society. This therefore means that they are watchdogs and whistle blowers of social injustices like rascism, physical abuses, corrupt activities by the state, democratic issues and good governanceRead MoreCode Napoleon  and â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man† Comparison1068 Words   |  5 PagesCode. These principles would ultimately always benefit him. Code Napoleon proved to live up to the ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, by incorporating the great principles of 1789: freedom of religion, protection of private property, abolition of serfdom, and secularization of the state, but also failed to live up to many of the main ideas traced in the prior law code including equality before the law, careers open to talent, and freedom of opinion. Even though many ideasRead MoreMusic, Music And Music1293 Words   |  6 PagesMakeba. The exchange of such evocative and progressive music, for the live-the-rich-life lyrics of music of today, reflects – I believe - a significant shortfall in the ideals held by our modernized society. But I digress. Thus, over the course of history, there has been a common thread – inherent in all us – that has found a voice in the music of such influential composers; and that is †¦ the desire for change and a yearning for justice. Below are three politically challenging, and historicallyRead MoreAnalysis of Vindication of the Rights for Women by Mary Wollstonecraft 787 Words   |  4 Pagesalso mean having a strong yearning for something. Vindication of the Rights for Women by Mary Wollstonecraft was published in 1792, during the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft preached that intellect will always govern to persuade women not to endeavor to acquire knowledge but convince them that the soft phrases, acceptability of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are most preferred. By intellect, I mean the men because they were the ones that were allowed to get an educationRead MoreAnalysis Of Richard Wright s Black Boy 1116 Words   |  5 PagesEthan Davis Fabiano 14 October 2015 Race Relations Since 1945 The life one will lead is predetermined by the color of their skin, the god they believe in, and the place they were born. A message not unlike this reverberated through society and government in the United States not 70 years ago. Discrimination and prejudice ran rampant throughout all of American society in 1945. Richard Wright as a black author in 1945, a true anomaly for this time, eloquently brought forth this idea inRead MoreAnalysis Of The Declaration Of Independance, Ain t I A Woman, And Letters From Birmingham Jail1153 Words   |  5 Pagesvoice of the people. In the United States, the American Voice is the combined voices of the people who live in America and the mixing of thousands of different perspectives and ideas. The natural mixing of American culture leads to change whether for better or for worse, as time goes on, so does America and the American people. American literature commonly has strong themes of unity and equality. The clearest way to see the voice of a culture is through its literature, essays by american authors likeRead MoreEssay on Social Stratification and The Importance of Class1042 Words   |  5 Pagesvery dear, for example freedom, equality and opportunity. These are the values our nation is based upon, but are these standards actually held up in our modern society? I will argue that although our nation pr ides itself on its equality and freedom; in reality we do not hold up these values and are faced with inequality and imbalance. The modern American class system outlines many of the inequalities that plague our nation. In a country that prides itself on equality, there is a lot of evidence thatRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1427 Words   |  6 PagesFitzgerald’s novel are chasing a dream that is far from ideal. In the 1920’s setting that Fitzgerald illustrates, the concept of the American Dream, although still alive, is corrupted through the idealization of monetary possessions, improper morals, and a yearning for increased social standing. However, before one can analyze the distortion of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, it is important to first lay the groundwork from which this cultural reverie was first established. In its most basic formRead MoreJim Cullen s The American Dream965 Words   |  4 Pagesbeach home is the ultimate goal. So, what exactly is the American Dream? In the Conservative conference speech â€Å"We Will Be a City upon a Hill†, Ronald Reagan demanded that traditional values defined the American Dream while President Obama argued equality was quintessential. In both presidential speeches, they each discussed two vastly drastic interpretations of the American Dream however, their speeches both themed constructs seen in Jim Cullen’s book to support their arguments. Jim Cullen, authorRead MoreAmerica: Racist Tyrant Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesOriginal of Civil Society, Jean-Jacques Rousseau concludes that the social contract benefits those who are not strong to receive equality in law and civil rights. Jefferson fought for freedom and right for America. King also fought for better civil rights for his black people. They both fought for their people, King however fought peacefully with white people, who in return were cruel. This comparing Jeffersons and Kings fought for freedom, different skin color demonstrates racism causing unfairness

Monday, December 23, 2019

Personal Responsibility and the Gods’ Role in the Odyssey...

The gods play an important part in Odysseus’ journey home, bringing him closer and farther from his homeland. They constantly intervene in the lives of the many characters in The Odyssey. Though Odysseus is a hero, the gods control his life. It is as if he were the main character in a video game and the gods are fighting over who controls his life. Personal responsibility is overshadowed by the gods’ eagerness to grab the controller. Homer disregards personal responsibility by showing how the gods take care of everything for Odysseus. It was ultimately Athena who begged Zeus to let Odysseus go home by saying Father Zeus†¦..never let any sceptered king be kind and gentle now, not he ruled remembers Odysseus†¦show more content†¦She kept the controller away from Poseidon, protected Odysseus, and sped his journey home fully realizing that Poseidon wanted Odysseus to pay for the many injuries he committed against himself and his son, Polyphemus. Athena’s navigational skills and quick thinking made Odysseus’ victory feasible. She provided a disguise for Odysseus, came up with a battle plan, and kept his anger in check by letting the suitors continue their taunts against him. Athena â€Å"had no mind to let the brazen suitors hold back now from their heart-rending insults-she meant to make the anguish cut still deeper into the core of Laertes’ son Odysseus† (Homer page 419). Additionally, she helped Odysseus battle the suitors, â€Å"looming out of the rafters high above them, brandished her man-destroying shield of thunder, terrifying the suitors out of their minds, and down the hall they panicked† (Homer page 448). Saving Odysseus’ and his servants’ lives, Athena acted against the suitors and, undoubtedly, won the battle for him by scaring off the suitors who were not already dead. Though Athena takes the prize for interfering with Odysseus’ life the most out of the rest of the gods, Poseidon also fights and claims the controller, but he prevents Odysseus from reaching Ithaca instead of helping him (please refer to the quote from page 78). Because of Odysseus’ actions against Poseidon’sShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Fate In Greek Mythology1288 Words   |  6 PagesWhen we look at Greek Mythology we often run into the gods of that era. Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story. Fate has a place in the Greek world but is place is not the same as it is in other scenarios or worlds. It is important to understand the word before we discuss it. Fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate, by most standards fate isRead More The Women from The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Women from The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Until recently, the role of women in literature has seemed to reflect the way they were treated in society. Women were seen as secondary to men, and their sole purpose in life was to please a man’s every desire. This is not the case in three specific literary works. The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight use the actions of its women characters to greatly enhance important thematic elements. The womenRead MoreThe Epic Of The Iliad855 Words   |  4 Pages294-296) Epics of the Divinely Ordained The epic of The Iliad tells the tale of a war being fought between the Achaian’s and Trojans over the claim of the most beautiful woman in the world—Helen. During the War, each character begins to bare the responsibility of their own actions once they begin to create conflicts within different warrior dyads. For example, prior to the conflict—once the Trojans and Achaian’s agreed to battle over the â€Å"sake of Helen and all her possessions†¦[which of whom] who winsRead More Essay on Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible1544 Words   |  7 PagesRole of Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible Much is known of men in ancient civilizations, from the famous philosophers and mathematicians of Greece to the patriarchs and subsequent kings of the nation of Israel. It would seem, however, that history has forgotten the women of these times. What of the famous female thinkers of Ancient Greece, the distinguished stateswomen of Rome? What power did they hold? What was their position in societies of the distant past? A glimpse into the roles andRead MoreThe Odyssey Books 1-4: Notes Essay1547 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿The Odyssey Books 1-4: Notes due Friday 1/10 (3/5) and Monday 1/13 (2/4) An Uncertain Identity Prince Telemachus is the first human character whom the reader meets. He is the son of the long-missing Greek warrior Odysseus, King of Ithaca. Telemachus is too young, too untested, too unsure to have a firmly established sense of identity. Having grown up fatherless in a household full of insolent men who are besieging his mother and consuming his inheritance, he feels totally powerless. The goddessRead MoreAchilles Vs Odysseus Research Paper1216 Words   |  5 Pagesplayed an important role as a schemer and consultant during the Trojan War. He was most prominent in contributing to the Trojan horse that he created during the Trojan war; a massive wooden horse that was supposed to be a present to the Trojans by the retreat Greeks. He was recognized for his intelligence, sly, and his effectiveness as a speaker. Odysseus would be notorious as being the eponymous conqueror of the Odyssey. He thinks about others before himself; he takes responsibility for his men andRead MoreHospitality : An Important Part Of Homeric Society1820 Words   |  8 Pagesvirtues during Homeric times. Hospitality was an important cultural value for Greek society and was deeply rooted in the definition of who they believed themselves to be and also characterized their gods, legends and heroes. Hospitality is an important part of Homeric society and is clearly shown in the Odyssey. Closely related to Xenia, the Greek relationship between guest and host, hospitality provided a practical solution for safe travel into the territory of others. Hospitality shown toward strangersRead MoreOdyssey and Odysseus Outstanding Qualities2184 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿Odyssey Review/Essay Questions 1.What aspects of social and political life in Homeric times are reflected in the â€Å"Odyssey†? =The aspects in the social and political life in Homeric times that are reflected in the Odyssey are the leadership and hierarchy. These are depicted by kings, warriors and peasants who sometimes live un-heroic simple life.Other than that it shows the culture of the Greeks wherein if you will court a lady,you should bring gifts. 2.What is the purpose of the many allusionRead MoreGreek Epic Narrative : The Iliad, The Odyssey And The Argonautica3638 Words   |  15 PagesWomen in Greek Epic Narrative: In the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Argonautica By Laurence Crooks The Iliad, the Odyssey and the Arognautica would suffer without the depth of character created by their leading women. Each epic hosts a new and interesting woman who makes a place for herself in the complex narratives. Helen survives as a woman who knows her place, in history, the narrative, and the events leading up to the war and acknowledges all of these when other charactersRead MoreAncient Greeks and Leaders Today1114 Words   |  5 PagesAncient Greeks and Leaders Today WHAT LESSONS DO THE ANCIENT GREEKS TEACH US ABOUT THE ROLE OF PERSONAL CHARACTER IN A GOOD NATIONAL LEADER? Leaders of heroic stature In his Theogeny, Hesiod describes and compares the leadership of Chronos and Zeus where one is a Titan and the other is a god. Chronos leads the Titans with a strong hand and dictatorial rule while Zeus is more democratic in listening to the gods. In addition, Chronos eats his children representing how bad leaders will destroy their

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Relevance of Loyalty in “Julius Caesar” Free Essays

The Relevance of Loyalty in Julius Caesar In the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar, loyalty is relevant to each person. In the eyes of Marc Antony, Marcus Brutus, and Cassius, the term â€Å"loyalty† means something entirely different to each man. In a sense, each of the three characters is only loyal to what he thinks is good and right but in some cases, his morals also fluctuate with his desires. We will write a custom essay sample on The Relevance of Loyalty in â€Å"Julius Caesar† or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marc Antony plays the specific role of a son-like figure to Caesar. He takes no part in the conspiracy which eventually leads to the demise of Caesar although when Caesar does die, Antony baits Marcus Brutus with flattery to ensure his relative favor with Caesar’s murderers. Nonetheless, Marc Antony is loyal to Caesar as well as the memory of Caesar. He uses his â€Å"favor† with Brutus and the conspirators to gain permission to speak at Caesar’s burial ceremony, subtly inciting rebellion in the citizens of Rome. As previously stated, Antony is loyal to Caesar in life as well as in death. Marcus Brutus’ loyalties, on the other hand, lie with Rome. As one of Caesar’s most trusted friends, Brutus respects and admires Caesar but when decisions concern the entire Roman Empire, Brutus weighs Rome more important than his friend. Because of this loyalty to Rome, Brutus is swayed by one of the conspirators and becomes a conspirator himself. He doesn’t side with Caesar’s enemies because of envy or jealousy but because he believes it is the right thing to do in Rome’s best interest. During the play, Brutus is in constant war with himself, wondering if what he did was the right thing. His loyalty to Rome and his friendship with Caesar battle with each other throughout the piece. Cassius, however, is consumed with a lust for power and Caesar is obviously in his way. It seems he plots to kill Caesar for his own personal gain. Cassius uses Brutus as a â€Å"puppet†, thinking Brutus will do whatever he requests. He is abruptly proven wrong when Brutus confronts Cassius of his crooked demands. Cassius is enraged but is placated soon after. He is loyal only to himself, using the excuse of preserving democracy to rationalize his actions. Marc Antony was loyal to Caesar, Marcus Brutus was loyal to Rome, and Cassius was loyal to himself. Three men fought for three different causes, two noble and one ignoble. Though Brutus and Cassius both wanted Caesar’s death, they wanted it for two very different reasons. In Julius Caesar, loyalty is consistent with men’s beliefs. Each man made his choices based on the foundation of his loyalties. How to cite The Relevance of Loyalty in â€Å"Julius Caesar†, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Cross-Cultural Determinants of Terrorism free essay sample

Orchestrated objectives within well-organized terrorist groups suggest that principles of organizational psychology apply to terrorist organizations, under the cultural influence of each one (Borum, 2004). There is much cause for optimism in understanding terrorist organizations, for as Alder and Gunderson (2008) write, â€Å"Luckily, we have learned that global complexity is neither unpredictable nor random† (p. v). The call for research has never been more pressing. Introduction â€Å"Terrorism is an elusive subject, evading precise political, jurisprudential, and cultural definition† (Oliveri, 2008, p. 49). It depends upon the definition of ‘terrorism’. â€Å"With over 100 definitions, this is not an easy task; there is no common understanding of what constitutes ‘terrorism’; no clear and universally acknowledged definition actually exists† (Franks, 2007, p. 2). The definition Munger (2006) proposes that is used for this paper is, â€Å"Culture is defined as the set of ‘inherited’ beliefs, attitudes, and moral strictures that a people use to distinguish outsiders, to understand themselves and to communicate with each other† (p. 131). The distinguishing characteristic of ‘them’ and ‘us’ is perhaps the fundamental belief generated within cultures that makes terrorism towards others possible. Whether viewed in terms of extremist Muslim culture or right-wing American culture, cultural identity supports the conflict of ideologies. Ward (2008) says, â€Å"Terrorism has taken the academic world by storm† (p. 248). The Psychology of Terrorism only became a legitimate academic study in 1982; â€Å"terrorism is far from a new phenomenon, traceable to the French Revolution and the Nihilists of 19th Century Russia† (Franks, 2007, p. ). Undoubtedly, it goes much further into the annals of history than the 19th Century, â€Å"the concept of terrorism had no meaning in history until the modern era† (Bratkowski, 2005, p. 764). Prior to modernity, terrorism was so much a part of daily culture it was normal behavior, without a specific word for it. In fact, for most of Christendom, â €Å"humankind has always provided a justification for killing and instilling terror in fellow humans† (p. 764). It is only recently that most cultures have placed a label of immorality on selective murder to achieve political or cultural ends. Our species has a protracted history and prehistory of terrorism. One might wonder why terrorism has â€Å"taken the academic world by storm†. Insights from Psychology â€Å"Terrorist violence most often is deliberate (not impulsive), strategic, and instrumental; it is linked to and justified by ideological (e. g. , political, religious) objectives and usually involves a group or multiple actors/supporters (Borum, 2004, p. 17). Since terrorist objectives originate within multinational organizations, principles of organizational psychology apply to all terrorist organizations, under the cultural milieu of the organization in question. What is now certain is that terrorism is not a psychopathological aberration, as was originally thought in psychoanalytical circles (Crenshaw, 1992). Terrorist organizations are composed of clear-headed individuals, often with advanced university degrees. Merari (1991) collected empirical data on suicide bombers, and found that psychopathology is almost never a factor in a terrorist’s profile. In fact, â€Å"prevalence of mental illness among samples of incarcerated terrorists is as low as or lower than in the general population† (Borum, 2004, p. 34). This is a clear indicator that we are dealing with psychologies of organization, and not groups of crazed sociopaths. Survival of the organization, a tenet of organizational psychology, has clear implications for the terrorist mindset (Post, 1989), even though â€Å"research on the psychology of terrorism largely lacks substance and rigor. While cultural factors are important, much study remains. â€Å"Future research should be operationally-informed; maintain a behavior based focus; and derive interpretations from analyses of incident-related behaviors† (Borum, 2004, p. 3). The main problem with such a venture might be that terrorists are not giving interviews or taking surveys. Borum points out that â€Å"there is a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and organizations, each of which has a different psychology, motivation and decision making structure† (p. 5). This further underscores the need to be on guard against the ‘stereotypical terrorist organization’: there is none. In a terrorist organization, â€Å"two key narcissistic dynamics are a grandiose sense of self and ‘idealized parental imago’. If one can’t be perfect, at least one can be in a relationship with something perfect† (Borum, 2004, p. 9). Association with a world figure such as Bin Laden satisfies this need; this can lead us back to US culture: promulgation and amplifying worldwide terrorism, via the news media. Bin Laden often makes the evening news, and every time he does, his ‘world stature’ is elevated, especially in the min ds of his followers. It the name Bin Laden was unknown, how much less effective would al-Qaeda become? Media has some degree of culpability, if not complicity in promulgating terrorism worldwide by providing free publicity to organizations and their cause. According to Paul Marsden (CPM, 2001, p. 1), â€Å"the amount of media coverage devoted to these events, by television networks and newspapers, correlates positively with the rise in subsequent `copycat events. This is darkly consistent with the substantial body of evidence for suicide contagion the idea that suicides beget suicide. † If distraught teenagers copy Columbine style shootings, how much more are suicide attacks from terrorist cells encouraged by watching the evening news? Unintentionally but effectively eulogizing angry teens and terrorists alike hold moral implications for the major news media, which need addressing by society. Organizational Psychology provides some insight: if a culture perceives it is losing its ability to contribute its share to the world stage, conflict will result (Rahim, 1986; Katz Kahn, 1978). Considering that entire cultures may feel they are losing their ability to contribute because of intervention of external cultures upon their own culture is likely one requisite to the creation of worldwide terror organization formation. Cultural factors of extremist Muslim society While many in the West view extremist Muslim terrorism as irrational behavior by deranged individuals, â€Å"it is perfectly possible to understand terrorism as a rational decision problem, if we accept the premise that culture matters† (Munger, 2006, p. 132). â€Å"Islamic societies, not exclusively, but perhaps to a greater extent than most other nations, are committed to an idea of the perfectibility of humans in societies, through moral education and imposition and enforcement of moral law (Sharia) based on the Quran† (p. 142). This religious adherence adds a great deal of resistance to compromise from outside cultures, and bolsters the extremist elements within Islamic society. Much of the cultural foundation of extremist Muslim culture is their unique interpretation of the Quran: â€Å"The contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate. Accommodation, bargaining, and mutually acceptable compromise are not envisioned as possibilities within many terrorists’ mental framework† (Smelser Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). It appears that once a terrorist organization is established, the only ways to eliminate it is either when they accomplish their objectives, to destroy them, or to take away their reason to exist, which will allow Skinnerian extinction to follow over time. The ‘destroy’ method is problematic and costly: how does one destroy an ideology? Islamic terrorists are well-connected using technology; their geographic locality is literally everywhere and nowhere. Culturally-attuned uses of information technology† are a major source of cross-cultural influences in the creation and sustaining of terrorist organizations (Bailey Grimaila, 2006, p. 534). Terrorist organizations are expert in spreading and sustaining their ideology around the world. Once indoctrinated into a group, people will generally follow orders, no matter how extreme or violent, as long as the individual perceives that the order was issued from the appropriate authority (Milgram, 1965). Cultural influences caused normal students at Stanford to transform into ‘merciless prison guards’; once given the role and the authority, al-Qaeda recruits mold easily to orders from Bin Laden. Not only do they have a physical authority, which relieves their individual conscience from objecting, but also they further believe that Allah Himself sanctions Bin Laden and themselves in their efforts to establish Sharia law throughout the world (Bailey Grimaila, 2006). There is substantial agreement that the psychology of terrorism cannot be considered apart from political, historical, familial, group dynamic, organic, and even purely accidental, coincidental factors† (Borum, 2004, p. 22). Borum also states, â€Å"Significant differences [exist] both in, 1) the nature and level of aggression in different cultures, and 2) aggression can be environmentally manipulated; both findings that argue against a universal human instinct [of violence]† (p. 12). Diamond (200 4) argues that environmental influences are paramount in understanding why cultures are the way they are. The Fertile Crescent, once the cornerstone of agriculture, became radically altered once all the forests were clear-cut, leaving mostly a barren desert environment. It is interesting to note that the foundation cultures which harbored the seeds of al-Qaeda all come from this former environmental paradise. Therefore, while culture probably has the most influence on the creation of terrorist organizations in the short term today, environment certainly has a large degree of impact over the long term, and might have a large impact in the short term via militaristic or political manipulation. For many critics, global or ‘hyper’ terrorism has become an ultimate expression of acutely depressed geopolitical chaos† (Ward, 2008, p. 252). Geopolitical chaos produces environments ripe with opportunity for recruiters toward the cause of terrorism. Without addressing and rectifying the chaotic areas of the world, it is highly doubtful, that global terrorism will end. Cultures th at feel oppressed or depraved on the world stage may rise in rebellion against the oppressing culture(s), with or without religious dictate. Muslim culture is producing the lion’s share of high-visibility terrorists in the world today (Borum, 2004). One way to understand Muslim culture as it relates to the creation of terrorism is to look at Hofstede’s dimensions. Generally, Islamic countries have large inequalities of status, forming a small ruling group, and a large ruled group with limited power. Hofstede (2001) shows, those Arab cultures have large Power Distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68). When these two Dimensions are combined, it creates a situation where leaders have virtually ultimate power and authority. It is not unusual for new leadership to arise from armed insurrection – the ultimate power, rather than from diplomatic or democratic change† (Borum, 2004, p. 44). Virtually the only method available for the downtrodden in Arab society to express their need for change is by armed insurrection. This is a valuable insight into the cultural creation of Arab-based terr orism, possibly the most important one. Naturally, from the ‘terrorists’ point of view they are not terrorists at all but â€Å"freedom fighters†, fighting with their only available means to enact positive change. Does this mean efforts at establishing democracy in Muslim states are likely to fail? Cultural roots run deep, and are resistant to change by outside cultures (Weiten, 2004), so the question of democracy introduced and established by Westerners is a highly speculative venture. Finally, take the case of a female suicide bomber. It was originally assumed that the young woman who committed this act was â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and of questionable morality† (Brunner, 2007, p. 961). It is difficult for Westerners to imagine otherwise. Subsequent interviews revealed that she was educated, showed no signs of emotional disturbance, and was â€Å"as highly intelligent and more independent than other girls in her society, but still fully within the range of normal† (p. 961). The key point is that she was â€Å"fully within the range of normal†, according to the culture that she grew up within. By not understanding her culture, Western culture had labeled her â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and immoral†, overlooking key factors with which to fully understand why a mentally stable young woman would commit such an act, and more importantly, to be able to deal realistically with the rise of extremist terrorism through a lack of cultural understanding. Cultural factors of the United States There is a cultural precedence of powerful nations to label other nations as ‘evil’: a threat to ‘civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). In the U. S. , â€Å"this is a very old cultural theme, deeply ingrained into the political psyche† (p. 56). This cross-cultural mindset of powerful nations is one part in the creation of terrorists in weaker cultures, a type of self-fulfilling prophecy: the call to destroy the ‘barbarians that threaten democracy’ is an ancient one; Greece and Rome had similar ongoing open-ended campaigns against terrorists, as does the U. S. today (p. 55). The main trouble with an open-ended campaign is that it never ends†¦ another cultural perception that needs adjustment on the world stage in order to arrive at peace in the world. Looking at the cultural history of the US, the ‘savage’ has always been the object of distain and genocide, in order to ‘make way for civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). The genocide of indigenous peoples of the North American continent is well documented, even using biological terrorist tactics of germ warfare; giving ‘gifts’ of small-pox laden blankets to Indians without acquired immunity against devastating disease (Diamond, 1997). Oliverio (2008) writes, â€Å"It was also a matter of common sense that the Aryan race was superior. This taken-for-granted reality of Aryan superiority led to the extermination of millions of American Indians, millions of African slaves bound for America, and countless indigenous cultures throughout the world† (p. 21). Powerful cultures that label weaker cultures as savages are a powerful impetus to the creation of terrorism. It is a recent habit of the American Right to wage war against abstractions (Comaroff, 2007, p. 381). The line between metaphorical and real war, blurred beyond recognition, gives rise to such cultural terms as ‘the war against drugs’, ‘the war against poverty’, ‘the war against illegal immigration’ (Sherry, 1995), and has become the standard of cultural mind-set in America today. Again, the US has a â€Å"militarized world-view extended to declaring metaphorical wars on disease, crime, engaging in ‘trade wars’ with foreign competitors, and fighting ‘culture wars’ with one another† (p. 58). â€Å"Culture wars† is the main point in question: how can peace ever prevail if acts of war against culture prevail? Even the Olympic Games that followed 9/11 became a forum for the core Bush Doctrine (Falcous Silk, 2005). How does the reduction of civil liberties fare with the response to terrorism? Not allowing college professors to speak out against governmental policies associated with the war on terror (Crowson DeBacker, 2008, p. 296) is one form of right-wing authoritarianism that many Americans think needs implementation. A disturbing trend of loss of personal freedoms that some associate with fascism. Taken as a whole, US domestic and foreign policy regarding oil consumption, and support for oppressive regimes, is set aside in deference to critical scrutiny of individual behavior and the forms of ‘moral lassitude’ associated with a culture of dependency† (Hay Andrejevic, 2006, p. 344). So at least part of the U. S. cultural mindset is about securing its own economic interests at the expense of decency and fairness on the world stage. Many people think that the U. S. wo uld never have bothered with Iraq if they had no strategic oil supplies, especially in the Middle East and Europe. This belief can only inflame world tensions further. Understanding cross-cultural inter-dependencies A surprising interdependency, regards the Bush Administration itself. According to Kellner (2004), not only Jihadists are responsible for ‘spectacular acts of terror’, but also both Bush administrations. They deployed â€Å"Manichean discourses of good and evil which themselves fit into dominant media codes of popular culture; that both deploy fundamentalist and absolutist discourses† (p. 41). This is extremely similar to the â€Å"contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate† (Smelser Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). The Bush administration openly declares its refusal to communicate with terrorist organizations or states, which is absolutist. We know that incentives flourish within such organizations (Munger, 2006). Incentives usually take two forms: 1) recruit members that are prone to obey and please within a cultural setting (e. g. collectivist rather than individualist cultures), and 2) â€Å"Create a set of incentives that reward loyalty, by giving access to excludable near-public (â€Å"club†) goods† (p. 131). Mohammed Atta reportedly was â€Å"at a strip club spending a lot of money, shouting anti-American slogans, and left a copy of the Quran before he left† (USA TODAY, 2001, p. 1). This incident seems to have fallen under ‘club goods’ instead of operational funds, because it was the night before the hijackings, and such excessive cash was no longer needed. This says nothing of the influence U. S. culture had on Atta, a devout Muslim going to a strip club, one day before he â€Å"meets Allah†. There is no such thing as a ‘terrorist state’, in the absolute sense. Triandis, Bontempo, Villareal, Asai, and Lucca (1988) have shown that national cultures never equate to individual or subgroup cultures, so while a totalitarian governing body may indeed be a terrorist organization, the general populace can in no way be held accountable for the actions of a few. It is a stereotypical mistake to label an entire country as terrorist. It is important to realize that â€Å"both differences and similarities in behavior occur across and within cultures; psychological processes are characterized by both cultural variance and invariance† (Weiten, 2006, p24). Regrettably, â€Å"quite a few nations are culturally reasonably homogeneous† (Hofstede, 1998, p180), and this may mean that a few nations may be mostly extremist in their outlook. Discourses from the Bush administrations paralleled closely to speeches given by Hitler, Pope Urban II, and others: â€Å"an appeal to a legitimate power source external to the speaker; an appeal to the importance of the national culture under attack; the construction of an evil enemy; and an appeal for unification† (Graham, Keenan, Dowd, 2004, p. 213). Kellner (2004) feels that â€Å"the disparity between the vast amount of information freely available to all through multimedia sources, and the narrow vision presented on the major news media via television is a travesty†, and a major cultural factor responsible for the deployments of the Bush administrations’ controlled mass media (p. 61). While arguments that ‘freely available news sources from uncontrolled sources’ might suggest this no longer to be a cultural factor, culture by nature takes time to change, and most Americans probably place more credence in the evening news than the newer Internet sources (Kellner, 2003). Another example of how cross-cultural misunderstandings regularly occur between nations: â€Å"when one cultural message sender transmits information to another culture, chances of accurate transmission are reduced† (Alder Gunderson, 2008, p. 72), and when nations or organizations refuse to send information between cultures as both the Bush administration and the al-Qaeda organization currently do, virtually no chance of accurate transmission occurs. Stalemate results and wars go on, indefinitely; clear contributors to terrorism. Perhaps nowhere is the question of terrorism more complex than in the European Union: â€Å"European counterterrorism culture is a difficult concept due to the fact that the regional level of analysis encapsulates a range of different national cultures. Europe has always been a rich mixture of various cultures, and ‘terrorism’ is a culturally charged term† (Rees, 2007, p. 220), hence the difficulty in consensus. Conversely, in China, we could expect to find a unified definition of terrorism under the centralized government (Diamond, 1997). While China is suspect of â€Å"using the post-9/11 discourse of counterterrorism to cloak their own domestic priorities† (Rees, 2007, p. 224), most of their counterterrorism efforts are likely to gain support with the Chinese public as being in the accord of the countries best interest: China being a collectivistic nation. â€Å"Terrorists focus their recruitment where sentiments about perceived deprivation are deepest and most pervasive† (Borum, 2004). This helps us to understand why American involvement in Iraq actually helps create recruitment opportunities for al-Qaeda. Destroyed economies, infrastructure, and family support (via killed family members), create extreme deprivation, desperation to right cultural wrongs, and enrage cultural dictates for retribution (Borum, 2004). It even gives insight into where al-Qaeda might be concentrating recruitment efforts in America. For youth torn between two cultures in a foreign land, identity crisis may result from exposure to the foreign culture, and the chiasm between their parent’s cultures: â€Å"radicalism offers simple answers to the big questions they are grappling with† (Ongering, 2007, p. ). The human tendency to stereotype will easily adapt to simple answers rather than grapple with difficult questions (Weiten, 2004). Extrapolated, it may be easier to recruit a terrorist, than to prevent a person from taking up the cause in the first place. Does cultural pressure on a subgroup help to create violent extremists? Muslim communities in America, â€Å"Not only had their religion being p resented incorrectly, but its adherents were being equated with terrorists† (Baker, 2006, p. 302). Considering the degree that Muslim communities in the Western world are subject to intensified scrutiny, and even unwarranted acts of violence against them by US citizenry (Ward, 2008), a good assumption is that many young Muslims will adapt an extremist ideology in response to cultural threat (Sirin Fine, 2007), and some of those extremists will turn terrorist. It seems to be a never-ending spiral escalation of one cultural assault upon the other: the ‘Crusades’ continue†¦ It is a real ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ’ question. Which side began this milieu of cultural attack and counterattack? Perceptions run the gamut: â€Å"The terrorist presents a story of heroism and necessary sacrifice. The counter-terrorist presents a counter-narrative of defiance and vengeance, replacing the image of the martyr with that of inhumanity, even bestiality† (Ward, 2008, p. 254). We reminded again of weaker cultures as ‘savage’, and as we have come to see, cross-culturally, nothing could be further from the truth from both extreme perspectives. Another cultural misunderstanding that may have helped to escalate tensions is the perception that the Muslim community in America did not stand up in unison and denounce the acts of 9/11 as atrocious. This initial silent response interpreted by many Americans as tantamount to condoning such acts of terrorism (Munro, 2006). Paradoxically, this lack of public outcry may have been the result of Muslim culture itself, with the majority of Muslims feeling that it was obvious that they had nothing to do with the attacks, and therefore no reason to take a public stand (Munro, 2006). A form of ‘vigilante counter-terrorism’ develops in American culture, which gives rise to anti-Muslim sentiment and acts of violence (Johnson, 2003). One probable contributing factor is termed: â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). The perpetrator, â€Å"for all outward appearances, a young Muslim man, well adjusted to Western society, considered friendly; one day, without warning, he acted out an independent Jihad, which injured nine students† (Pipes, 2006). Such unforeseeable and unpredictable behavior influences non-Muslims to stereotype many Muslims as having the same potential toward â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome†. This of course creates an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust between cultures: how can you tell who the enemy is just by looking at them? Discussion There is no cultural ‘quick fix’ to this pervasive problem confronting the modern world. â€Å"The general policy approach has to be adaptive, opportunistic, and multisided. The conventional problem-solving logic so attractive in American culture—find a problem and then fix it—is of limited utility, and a longer term, more contextualized approach is necessary† (Smelser et al. , 2002, p. 4). For instance, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) as espoused by the Bush Doctrine includes toppling ‘rogue nations’ as part of the effort to thwart terrorism (Borum, 2004). Focusing on ‘nation rebuilding’ of states, that are otherwise subject to deterrent, rather than on organizations that transcend geographic localities and are not subject to deterrent, is a lack of proper cultural understanding of the issues, and will lead to further cultural misunderstandings. It makes sense that if powerful cultures do not make accusations against weaker cultures not understood, or interfere in the sovereign rights of weaker nations, that a large amount of terrorism will fail to manifest by lack of unwanted cultural impetus from foreign powers. One of the biggest troubles seems to be, that powerful countries can arouse their masses which are â€Å"easily pressed into service to rally the nation, quell dissent and effectively inoculate the public against any alternative perspective† (Ivie, 2005, p. 56), the main point being to limit any alternative cultural perspectives as being legitimate relative to one’s own ‘superior’ cultural perspective. This is error. â€Å"An increasingly militarized culture of fear† (p. 9), such as is dominant in the US today, and which has been developing over many decades, cannot reduce the threat of terrorism in the world. Indeed, Muslim culture dictates that retribution be demanded when a family member is taken. Each errant US bomb inevitably creates more ‘terrorists’ (Borum, 2004), cultural ‘deviants’ are created that never would have existed otherwise. Rumors and hundreds of websites have sprung up claiming that FEMA has erected hundr eds of internment camps on American soil is a disturbing part of the changing culture in America today. A Google search of ‘American internment camps’ will pull up hundreds of unsubstantiated claims of such camps, including specific locations; further highlighting the cultural atmosphere of increasing paranoia. Finally, what can help prevent Muslim youth in the U. S. from taking a violent path? According to Sirin and Fine (2007)â€Å"Research that the successful integration of both one’s own culture and the dominant culture, leads to more positive developmental outcomes†¦whereas marginalization, that is disengagement from both cultures, is associated with mental health problems for immigrant youth† (p. 52). Society certainly would do well to address issues of marginalization, in order to help prevent future â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). Conclusion While this paper has focused mainly on US and Muslim extremist involvement, state and non-state respectively, it is important to remember that many other states and organizations exist whic h perpetrate terror. Terror is a two way street, with few exceptions. Perhaps the ultimate defense against terrorism is to understand the cultural and cross-cultural causes of it, and with proper knowledge, address the issues at hand. We must avoid stereotypes at all costs, because â€Å"Nearly all terrorists are extremists, but most extremists are not terrorists† (Borum, 2004). â€Å"Long-term orientation versus short-term orientation† (Franke, Hofstede, Bond, 1991) may provide insights into which culture holds greater strength in the GWOT. U. S. culture demands immediate results, and has little tolerance for long term strategies, while extremist Islamic culture is bond by the vision of Mohammed, and is prepared to sacrifice for centuries if need be (Borum, 2004). Fortunately, unnecessary warring between cultures may diminish substantially as one of the biggest single benefits of cross-cultural understanding and application of organizational psychological research (Brislan, 1983). â€Å"It is argued that we now live in an age of ‘hyperterrorism,’ where the nature and scale of terrorism has reached a new level, and that the question of ‘How to deal with international terrorism is quickly becoming the defining issue of our age’† (Ward, 2008, p. 248). It is imperative that we make every effort to understand the cross-cultural determinants of terrorism, regardless of cost.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Accounting Essays Tax Evasion Popularity Essays

Accounting Essays Tax Evasion Popularity Essays Accounting Essays Tax Evasion Popularity Essay Accounting Essays Tax Evasion Popularity Essay Tax equivocation is a national interest that is turning of all time more popular. Nick Montague defines revenue enhancement as the agencies by which a civilized society performs that sometimes-uncivil undertaking of taking money from one group in order to give it to another. This definition highlights an of import intent served by revenue enhancements. As it is already known, that revenue enhancements are a financial policy instrument used by the authorities to accomplish wide macroeconomic ends. By and large talking, revenue enhancements are a agencies used by the authorities to supply its occupants with comfortss and installations like infirmaries, safety and instruction. Therefore, any deficit in gross means that the people would nt be able to avail the benefits. From this position, as observant citizens, it is imperative for people and corporations to pay revenue enhancements. Despite, this common cognition, revenue enhancement equivocation is prevailing in the society, even worse, persons and corporations go through great length to invent tactics of hedging r evenue enhancements. The chief ground why persons and corporations engage in revenue enhancement equivocation activities is that it increases the degree of disposable income and net incomes severally. Tax equivocation is defined as the failure to run into revenue enhancement liabilities by illegal action, such as non declaring income. Acerate leaf to state revenue enhancement equivocation is a condemnable offense. Prior to get downing a treatment on revenue enhancement equivocation it would be indispensable to briefly high spot that in the UK, revenue enhancement disposal is divided between two sections of province, the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise. The Inland Revenue administers Income Tax, Corporation Tax ( on company net incomes ) , Capital Gains Tax, crude oil revenue enhancement ( associating to oil geographic expedition and extraction in the UK and environing Waterss ) and Stamp Duties ( e.g. on land minutess ) . The levying of VAT, revenue enhancement on gaming and imposts and excise responsibilities is the duty of the Customss and Excise Department. In add-on to these two gross sections, local governments levy the new Community Charge ( poll revenue enhancement ) and the Department of Social Security is responsible for national insurance parts. Often revenue enhancement equivocation is confused with revenue enhancement turning away. Harmonizing to Denis Healey, former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer:The difference between revenue enhancement turning away and revenue enhancement equivocation is the hickness of a prison wall. This paper will take to show an in depth analysis of why individuals/companies engage in revenue enhancement equivocation. It will besides analyze whether the self-assessment system encourages or discourages revenue enhancement equivocation. And, eventually the paper will reason by measuring the attempts made by the authorities to battle revenue enhancement equivocation. It must be highlighted that revenue enhancement is used for many other intents than raising gross. Some authors have argued that the intent of revenue enhancement can besides be seen as an instrument of economic and societal policy to act upon behavior. In other words, it can hence be the purpose of the revenue enhancement that it is avoided. For illustration, it has been argued that higher revenue enhancements on alcoholic drinks ( Cook and Moore, 1994, Irving and Sims, 1993 ) and baccy ( Viscusi, 1994 ) would cut down the ingestion of those merchandises and lead to betterments in the wellness of the population. In the UK, Inland Revenue has, traditionally, had a regardful attack towards income. With the debut of self-assessment system from 1996/7 there has been a motion off from that stance in recent old ages. Evasion of revenue enhancements Tax equivocation analysis typically assumes that equivocation involves single taxpayers reacting to some given policies. However, hedging revenue enhancements could necessitate the coaction of at least two taxpayers. Detection depends on the dearly-won turning away activities of both transacting spouses. An addition in countenances leads to a direct addition in the expected cost of a dealing in the illegal sector, but it may besides increase the inducement for the spouses to collaborate in avoiding sensing. The entire cost of transacting in the illegal sector can fall, and revenue enhancement equivocation may increase. Most states tend to follow a progressive revenue enhancement system, more the income more revenue enhancement would be levied. From this position it might look that it is unjust for the authorities to impose more revenue enhancements on individuals/companies for bring forthing more income for the economic system and themselves. However, it must be a celebrated that in add-on to hiking the economic system, it is authorities s duty to believe about economic development and public assistance of everyone. They have to equilibrate economic growing and economic development. This construct has been debated and the point of view of unfairness of the revenue enhancement system has led parties to hedge them, in other words, detecting ways and agencies of non paying the dues to the authorities. Research surveies conducted to happen out the extent of the UK black market economic system indicate that it has increased. The figure of unincorporated concern histories and company histories received yearly by the Inland Revenue have increased from 2m to 2.25 million and from under 600,000 to about 700,000 severally between 1984/85 and 1988/89 entirely ( Inland Revenue, 131st Annual Report, 1989 ) . Surveies conducted by Brown, Levin, Rosa and Ulph ( 1984 ) concluded that about 5 % of workers in Britain held two or more occupations and that the income revenue enhancement lost from 2nd occupation revenue enhancement equivocation likely amounted to around 1.1 % of income revenue enhancement grosss or 0.3 % of national income. Their study excluded equivocation by individuals who have merely one occupation ( which includes big Numberss of the ego employed ) , Capital Gains Tax and VAT equivocation, and equivocation of revenue enhancement by companies. In response to discouraging people from prosecuting in revenue enhancement equivocation, Inland Revenue introduced the self-assessment system, really merely, is a manner of working out and paying revenue enhancement. As required by the Inland Revenue ( IR ) , freelance people, company managers, curate of faith are required to make full up the self-assessment signifier at the terminal of every revenue enhancement twelvemonth. Supporting paperss are provided to do it easier for the people to make full up the signifier and submit it. With the betterment in engineering, IR offers concern services for employers, persons, contractors, companies and agents, option to make full up the signifiers online, which ensures automatic revenue enhancement computation, quicker refund, and online recognition which is safe and unafraid. Therefore, IR is taking any possibility of fuss and presenting the convenience factor to do people follow with the revenue enhancement demands. Many enterprises have been taken to battle revenue enhancement equivocation. In the UK, for case, efforts are being made to increase co-operation between the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise. This has involved joint policy audience and betterments in interchanging information. One peculiar enterprise has been to put up a joint unit to supply a individual beginning of information and advice for concerns confronting fiscal troubles and who wish to come in into voluntary agreements. A measure in this way has been that of the European Union Savings Directive. It aims to counter cross boundary line revenue enhancement equivocation by roll uping and interchanging information about foreign resident persons having nest eggs income outside their resident province. The Government believes that exchange of information between revenue enhancement governments is the best manner to guarantee that persons pay the right sum of revenue enhancement on cross-border income from nest eggs. The Government therefore supports the Directive, the ultimate purpose of which is effectual revenue enhancement by exchange of information. The above is a major measure towards diminishing equivocation of revenue enhancement. The above high spots the importance of transparence in histories and benefits of sharing information across the states. Introducing VAT was besides an effort towards revenue enhancement harmonization and doing it more hard for companies to hedge revenue enhancement. The recent dirts of Enron and Parmalat have highlighted the importance of holding transparence. VAT was introduced to battle cheating, smuggling and understate revenue enhancement equivocation. The same rule was behind harmonizing VAT in the EU one of the advantages was the limited possibility for fraud in the supply concatenation. However, it was found that VAT system was used to consistently victimize revenue enhancement disposals. Despite the attempts made to understate revenue enhancement equivocation, fraudsters have detected the built-in failings that exist in the controls exercised and have been working those failings for their ain fiscal addition. It was found that with the debut of the VAT and intrastate system, conformity costs had been reduced by about two-thirds. It is a known fact that revenue enhancements in any signifier, whether direct or indirect, is a beginning of gross for the authorities. Government tends to utilize revenue enhancement money either from persons or concerns to fund assorted state development undertakings and work towards supplying a better life status to its citizens. While this is an idealistic image about the motivation of the authorities, in world, people tend to hedge revenue enhancements for many grounds. It has been a topic of changeless argument to happen out the best step or footing for revenue enhancement and the latest revenue enhancement system for indirect revenue enhancement is the ingestion base. It has been argued that it would more suited to bear down revenue enhancements based on the ingestion made. VAT is the revenue enhancement system which follows the above mentioned revenue enhancement base. The intent was non merely to control revenue enhancement equivocation but besides be an efficient theoretica l account for revenue enhancement. The European theoretical account of the VAT system has been applauded and adopted by many states as it is a common belief that VAT system based on the European theoretical account provides least possible manner of hedging revenue enhancement because it has a system of invoicing which helps in set uping an audit trail. Writers like Cnossen have listed the assorted advantages associated with the following the VAT system. Amongst other things, to guarantee that revenue enhancement equivocation is minimised, the authorities needs to look into bettering revenue enhancement conformity. The undermentioned arrows were suggested to better revenue enhancement conformity: Training employees so that they have an apprehension of the full system of revenue enhancement disposal. There should be better promotion about how the revenue enhancement system works, the benefits derived from following with the revenue enhancement system and how the IRS trades with maltreatments of the system. Making the process automatic to extinguish any possibility of cut downing unscrupulous pattern. Simplification and equity is required because uninterrupted alterations and complexness in revenue enhancement jurisprudence have a negative consequence on conformity. Besides the jurisprudence should be applied systematically. Organizational construction should be arranged so that taxpayers issues or jobs can be resolved through a individual point of contact. There is besides a demand for specialization so that expertness of peculiar industries may be developed to better traffics with taxpayers and there should be better client service. Better and increased cooperation with province, local and foreign authoritiess is required to undertake the job. More aid should be provided for little concerns to assist them follow and increase their consciousness degrees. Coordination of conformity attempts would be required and inducements must be provided when people comply and punishments must be imposed when people evade revenue enhancements. A more organized attack to act upon statute law A sense of duty must be inculcated in the people towards revenue enhancements. It is easier to acquire something done when people take duty towards it. Inland Revenue faces jobs to undertake the job due to shortage in trained revenue enhancement inspectors, reflecting the section s more general trouble in enrolling and retaining staff. Research surveies conducted in this country have indicated that people tend to travel towards the private sector where wage and conditions are perceived to be better. The section believes that the state of affairs can merely better when there is more political committedness in Government to undertaking equivocation, supported by the allotment of the necessary resources to pay inspectors competitory wages. Decision In drumhead it can be said that though stairss have been take to understate revenue enhancement equivocation yet it exists and continues to be. Despite the attempts made towards controling it, there will ever be elements in the society who would come up with mechanisms to get the better of the system. The challenge therefore lies in maintaining up the attempts to understate revenue enhancement equivocation. As persons revenue enhancements must be paid accurately and as corporations ethical concern patterns would guarantee that illegal activities like revenue enhancement equivocation could be kept at bay. Therefore in decision it can be said that even though revenue enhancement equivocation appears to be a national interest that is turning of all time popular, steps are being devised to battle it. Bibliography Melville, A.Tax: Finance Act 2004, 10th Edition, ( 2004 ) , Financial Times, Prentice Hall, London El-Agraa, A.M. ,The European Union Economics and Policies,( 2001 ) , Sixth Edition, Prentice Hall. Gwartney, J.D. , Stroup, R.L. , and Sobel, Russell, S.Economicss Public and Private Choice,( 2000 ) , Ninth edition, Dryden Press JOURNALS AND ARTCILES Agha, A. and Haughton, J. ( 1996 ) ,Planing VAT Systems: Some Efficiency Considerations,The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 78 ( 2 ) pp 303-308 Joumard, I. ( 2001 ) ,Tax Systems in European Union Countries,OECD Working documents ECO/WKP ( 2001 ) 27 Nam, C.W. , Parsche, R. and Schaden, B. ( 2001 ) ,Measurement of Value Added Tax Evasion in Selected EU states on the footing of National Accounts Data,CESInfo Working Papers 431. Ohsawa, Yoshiaki ( 2003 ) ,A Spatial revenue enhancement harmonization theoretical account,European Economic Review 47, pp 443-459 Scabrosetti, S. ( 2002 ) ,Tax System and Reforms in Europe: France,Societa Italiana di economica pubblica, Working documents 186/2002 Shoup, C.S. ( 1957 ) ,Some separating features of the British, Gallic, and United States Public Finance System,American Economic Review, Vol. 47 ( 2 ) pp 187-197 Verwaal, E. and Cnossen, S ( 2002 ) ,Europe s new boundary line revenue enhancements, JCMS Vol. 40 ( 2 ) , pp 309-330 Entrepreneurship and Growth: Tax Issues,( 2002 ) Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry. OECD. Indirect Tax Treatment of Financial Services and Instruments, ( 1998 ) , Report of the OECD

Monday, November 25, 2019

English Proficiency in the Philippines Essays

English Proficiency in the Philippines Essays English Proficiency in the Philippines Essay English Proficiency in the Philippines Essay Introduction Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a world language, the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from England and their language was called Englisc from which the words England and English are derived. Approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language. English today is probably the third largest language by number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is probably the most commonly spoken language in the world, though possibly second to a combination of the Chinese languages (depending on whether or not distinctions in the latter are classified as languages or dialects). Countries such as the Philippines, Jamaica and Nigeria also have millions of native speakers of dialect continua ranging from an English-based creole to a more standard version of English. The Philippine-American connection has undergone considerable changes since then. Today, English the means the Americans used to teach us via the mass media, the arts, social, business and political interaction continues to be a strong thread that binds the two nations. The Spanish language, meanwhile, has been relegated to a college elective and to private gatherings of wealthy clans of Spanish descent. Why has English become so easy to learn and so easy to use in the Philippines? A major reason is that the Americans were once our colonizers and continue to influence our everyday lives in many ways. Another reason is that for most Filipinos, English is not seen as a foreign language. In a country of 60 million people who speak no less than 8 languages, English is a second language. In some areas, English is more popular than our official national language. For a select few, it is even a first language. It is not unusual to see Filipino children responding to and speaking English words long before they learn these in school According to Philippine statistics data released on March 18, 2005-six out of ten persons aged 5 years and over can speak English. Among household population 5 years old and over, 63. 71 percent of them can speak English. NCR (81. 75 percent) was the highest across regions followed by Ilocos Region (73. 75 percent), CAR (70. 99 percent), and Central Luzon (70. 12 percent). The lowest was ARMM (29. 44 percent). On the other hand, there was a relatively higher proportion among females (7. 39 percent) than males (5. 61 percent) with academic degree holder who can speak English. Body Usually, by the time the child enters elementary school, he or she has built a vocabulary of English that includes body parts, names of animals and objects, action verbs, simple adjectives (dirty, good, bad), polite expressions (please, thank you, Im sorry), nursery rhymes, and simple questions (Whats your name? How old are you? ) For most middle and upper class Filipino children, English begins at home with adults who use English or through snatches of English words and phrases heard over the radio and on TV. To the Filipino child or, at least, one who has grown up in a home where English is often heard and spoken, English is not an alien tongue. Filipino children may not understand the nuances of the English language, but its there and its theirs to manipulate. English is familiar and, better yet, user-friendly. Anybody can use it and once you get the hang of it, theres really nothing to it. The fact that the Philippine education system has been using English as a medium of instruction from elementary to university level for decades has also reinforced the notion that English is easy even a child can do it and available. It is a tool for learning and a medium of communication. More than this, English is the language of power and progress. In the Philippines, it is highly valued not only because it is functional and practical and washes over us constantly, but more importantly, because it is an affordable item, a skill that can be used to increase ones position, respectability and marketability. In most cases, the better ones ability to understand and use English, the better ones chances of career advancement. This is true for both extremes of the socio-economic ladder. English is as important to the Harvard-educated Filipino working in Manilas cosmopolitan business district as it is to the overseas contract worker working as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia. In fact, now, more than ever, English is important to the Filipino masses seeking employment abroad. The Filipinos skill and cheap labor are in demand, yes, but so is their command and comprehension of English which makes it easy for foreign employers to tell them what to do. English, after all, is a global language and, luckily some say unluckily Filipinos managed to unravel this code quite early and easily. In recent years, serious questions have been asked about the appropriateness of English as a medium of communication for a people searching for a clear-cut identity. Filipinos are not Americans, our nationalists cried. Why then do we continue to dream their dreams and speak their language? Much as our purists and nationalists wanted to erase all traces of American colonial influence, they knew that the language, rather than the dreams, was less difficult to delete. Or so, they thought. Like the US military bases in the Philippines, English had become a symbol of the subtle but strong dominance of America. It took a strong-willed Philippine Senate and the eruption of Mount Pinatubo to figuratively and literally bury the US bases in ashes. Obliterating English is another matter. Despite presidential orders to require government offices to communicate in our national language, and requiring all schools to use it as a medium of instruction, the campaign to Filipinize our information and communication highways and networks has not met with much enthusiasm or success. Although most Filipinos understand and are literate in the national anguage, it is not their mother tongue. Many of us have little use for it except when travelling to other areas in the country, watching local movies made in Manila, reading comics and tabloids published in Manila, watching local TV programs produced in Manila, and listening to the pronouncements of national officials, most of whom come from the capital region. Filipino, our national language, is 95% Tagalog, a dialect (or language, some scholars insist) spoke n by those who live in Manila and its outlying areas. The rest of the country speak their own dialects or languages and many see the use-Filipino campaign as nothing more than another form of domination by those who reside in the seat of economic and political power. Meanwhile, the education system, long used to English textbooks and instruction, had to scramble for Filipino books and qualified teachers who could speak Filipino. Unfortunately, the government failed to consider the difficulties and the huge amount of money needed in transforming centers of learning from English to Filipino. In a setting where education is one of the lowest budget priorities, where teachers are among the lowest paid professionals, and where the systematic translation of English to Filipino has never been given serious thought or considered important, the shift from English to Filipino ended in confusion and frustration. Perhaps, the best lesson we can learn from that experience is that language grows slowly. It cannot be transplanted and expected to blossom quickly by a mere presidential decree. The English language should be used correctly and proficiently. This does not only include pronouncing the words right but also using the grammar correctly either in speaking or writing. It is true that millions of us Filipinos use the English language, but the question is that are we all using it right? Here in Cagayan de Oro, it could not be denied that the level of education varies from every school. Thus, the degree of learning also differs. The phrase â€Å"nose bleed† has been a subject of ridicule in the city for those who are hesitant to respond in English when conversing. Call center companies have provided jobs for the local Kagayanons and this requires being well versed in the English language. Universities have also produced proficient graduates. But although these factors may seem relevant, it doesn’t conceal the fact that the level of English proficiency in the city is declining. And this is also true to other areas in the country. According to the Philippine Star the findings of a group, which was accredited to administer English proficiency tests that the skill of Filipinos on the language is deteriorating. Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo was commenting on the report from the IDP Education Pty. Ltd. Philippines that showed the average score of Filipinos who took the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) last year was a poor 6. 69 where 7. 0 is the passing score. A made on how English is taught in schools, explained the poor scores in the IELTS. The level in English proficiency was also â€Å"obviously affected by the standards of resources available, especially the textbooks. † Filipinos are exposed to less and less English as programs in the local language now dominate television. The apparent deteriorating quality of teachers teaching English, error-riddled English textbooks and the decreasing English content in public primetime television were seen as the cause of the declining level of English proficiency in the Philippines. The government should address these causes if the country seeks to retain its image as foremost supplier of workers skilled in speaking the English language. A continuous decline in Filipinos’ English proficiency could affect the growth of the call center industry which is providing employment to hundreds of thousands of workers and the chances of Filipinos getting work in other countries. As many countries are demanding higher English scores (in the IELTS), Filipinos may not be able to meet the English requirement and this will have human and economic consequences for the country,† Conclusion There is still hope that the Kagayanons’ proficiency in English will still improve and that if not all at least the majority will come to realize its importance in all fields especially as they advanced in their careers. While other Asian countries are riding the Third Wave, the Filipinos are paddling in opposite directions because many of them are afraid the wave will engulf them and drown their sense of nationhood. While others keep trying to find ways to increase their English proficiency in the light of international relations, global cooperation and rapid developments in computers and telecommunications, we have been engaged in finding a voice we can truly call our own. One day, we may find that voice and speak in unison, but until then, I believe that English can do it for us, too. That is, if we stop thinking of it as a colonial instrument that broke our spirit, but as the code that helped us break through other worlds. Language, they say, is the key to understanding others. What many Filipinos miss is that English can also be used as a key to understanding ourselves. English, after all, does not belong to America. If we accept it with grace and use it with wisdom, it can belong to the rest of the world. Bibliography Avila, Darcas M. et al. Effective Writing. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, 2009. Barrameda, Rosalina O. et al. (Eds) Freshman College Composition. Ateneo De Manila University, 1992. Pacasio, Emy M. et al. Basic English for College. Quezon City, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1999. Robles, Felicidad C. Developing English Proficiency in College, Book 2. Quezon City, Philippines: JMC Press, Inc. Vinuya, Remedios V. Santa C. Buri. College English Composition. Makati, Philippines: Grandwater Publications, 2001. The Philippine Star. May 2009

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The akan clan system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The akan clan system - Essay Example Additionally, the Ashanti Empire owed its prominence to its location because it was located with the regions richest goldfields. Today the tradition kingdom remains and significant national traditional and political force. This is because it is inseparably tangled to the functions and structures of the matrilineal ancestry system that forms the foundation of the Akan social order. The Akan’s make the biggest ethnic group in the two countries where they make up a population of about 20 million people. This essay will analyses the Akan clan examining their lineage, cultures and ritual functions and oral traditions, as well as, the political economy of the clan. The Akan Clan has a multitier segmentary structure that comprises of matrilineal clans. There are main matrilineages and minor ancestry parts where the clans are made up of eight clans that are not localized including the members throughout the kingdom. The Akan abusua include Agona, Aduana, Asakyrir, Asinie, Asona, Ekuona, Bretuo and Oyoko. Most individuals belong to the Asona abusua who make the largest group while the smallest is the Asakyiri (Shumway, 2011. P. 17). The origin of the clans has been attributed to the mythical female ancestors, but there have been no attempts made to trace back the descent lines to the founders of the clan. Abusua means a group of people that were derived from one great-grand mum on their maternal side. Where a clan is a confederation of four or five diverse groups of abusua that traces their ancestry via the same mutual ancestress. The Akan’s believe that a human being is made up of a soul (okra), blood (mogya), spirit (sunsum) and family (abusua). The kinship from the mother determines, which family group a person belongs to because the according to the Akan’s a kid is what his or her mother is. This means that a person can be an Asante because of the fact that their mother is an Asante. In the Akan clan, matrimony between members of an in-group is

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

How Can Political Factors Affect Finance In Kuwait Research Paper

How Can Political Factors Affect Finance In Kuwait - Research Paper Example The wave of democracy in this country is based on the decision to control oil companies. This is because over 35 percent of the world’s energy consumption is based oil fuels. It is believed that the pivotal factor affecting democratization in Kuwait is the production of oil. This is because the entire economy of Kuwait revolves around oil and other hydrocarbons investments. In addition, the government provides security and employment of people because of acceptance in the recent political order. However, it is also clear that royal Al-Sabah family has ruled the country with an iron fist without detaching themselves from the society and its people due to their vast wealth. The factors of democratization engage in recreation, an essential responsibility in the society of Kuwait. This means that the stronger these institutional factors are entrenched into Kuwaiti’s society the more democracy is achieved. Due to these democratic elements, Kuwait is the chosen country of res earch on how political factors affect finance in Kuwait. The investigative factors in Kuwait go beyond state model. This is because oil factor in this country together with other extreme generous welfares gives the basic reasons why the current state of Kuwait is not developed into a democracy nation. In this research paper, I will investigate how the political system in Kuwait has affected its finance and economy. Democratization in Kuwait Over the years, Kuwait has achieved a transition from non-democratic to a democratic system. However, in order to achieve full democratization in this country, some degree of liberation must occur in the economy. In addition, political liberation must be achieved in order to have economic growth and development. This means the expansion of public space through recognizing and protecting civil and political liberties. In Kuwait, the line between democratization and liberalization is always vague to an extent of confusion (Thuroczy 2010). Although Kuwait has stable political system with citizens voting for their preferred candidate in free and fair elections, the country faces some limitations on how oil is managed. This is because the government collects no key taxes from other resources and thus relies on income achieved from oil and other foreign investments. The effect of oil in this country is therefore, considered the main cause of lack of economic and political reforms. Additionally, other aspects are overlooked and play a great role in the development of politics in Kuwait (Thuroczy 2010). According to UN’s development index, Kuwait is a highly developed country compared to other countries along the Persian Gulf. Although there is no doubt that oil in this country has increased education and income levels of people in this country, there are massive troubles in the welfare of the state (Thuroczy 2010). In addition, there is no maximum guarantee in the employment of the youths in this country. This indicates tha t oil in this country is the biggest hindrance to the progress of democracy and economic growth. Political Analysis It is worth noting that common stock refers to the stake that a person or a registered company owns in a given organization. Such stake gives such a person or organization the power to make important decisions such as voting in the organization. The difference between common stock and preferred stock is that every stakeholder in case of bankruptcy has to be paid first before the common stock holder receives anything. Politics play a critical role in the success of any given organization. This can be attributed to the fact that all actions of an organization have to adhere to the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Homework # 01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework # 01 - Essay Example red to particular situations and specific markets, nowadays economic models are customized to illustrate outstanding features of reality describing special problem under discussion.Even though many economists claimed that major economic problems were solved, unemployment by money wages was hard to solve. The economists were unable to identify the cause of economic growth. Growth theory led to a new modeling to help address the question. It was able to deal with goods, capital; that varied continuously in quality. In addition, the theory helped in discovering asymmetric information. Growth in education was able to explain growth residual hence accounting for increases in both labour force and capital. However, the asymmetric information needed further exploration before it is documented. With the help of the automobile market, Akerlof was able to discover that information asymmetry played a key role in business cycles. It is a major issue in those markets that quality of goods is hard to see without casual inspection. With the help of mathematics, he proved that asymmetric information could lead to the collapse of used cars market at the expense of new

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Distinguish Between Personnel Management And Human Resource Management Commerce Essay

Distinguish Between Personnel Management And Human Resource Management Commerce Essay Personnel Management is an independent function of an organization whereas HRM is considered to be an intrinsic part of an organizations workings. HRM has a much broader scope as it involves personnel and management tasks while developing teams of workers for the benefit of the organization by working to their maximum level of efficiency (Ulrich, 2005).   Personnel management have a tendency or have idea to motivate employees using external factors such as rewards and praises. By this way employee satisfaction is use as improve performances. And HRM believes how to implement and effective uses of the strategy make better performance and thus results in employee satisfaction. (Truss Gratton, 2004). PM is as describe a reaction based style of management, it is providing feedback to concerns and response when demanded. But HRM is more practical and provides ongoing strategy to improve the organisations workforce (Ulrich, 2005). 1.2 Assess the function of the human resource management in contributing to organisational purposes HRMs main function is to recruit, select, train and develop staff. It means finding the right people, training and developing them, so they can achieve their potential and creating systems which is leading to success of the organisation through high levels of morale and motivation (Mockler, 2002).  Ã‚   So Yo Dud need a HRM manager to make all department up-to-date means they use different types of training such as ongoing, training framework, care skills, health safety, legal and multi- skill. Jack will understand that motivated employees are essential for the continued growth of the Yo Dud magazine. HRM personals provide its staff with an ongoing and continuous training and development programme with appropriate and timely reward and recognition. The various levels of the company are well supported with work groups, strategies to meet new challenges and a chance to move higher up the order. Appraisal is a very important part of Human Resource Management (Fombrun et al, 1994). And it can helps Jack to get the desired result and get success. 1.3 Evaluate the role and responsibilities of line managers in human resource management The roles and responsibilities of Human Resource managers at any organization are demanding and vital. In Yo dud have strategically integrated HR into their overall plans. Managers have been to utilise aspects of HR in their decision making.  Ã‚  HRM managers have to balance organisational needs with the individuals expectations. Some employees will develop their career with one employer, while others require transferable skills. The manager requires employees with the right skills to ensure and sustain competitive advantage. They put increased emphasis on staff training and try to incorporate the learning into the organization. There is constant reviewing of the intervention and adjustments are made where necessary. It is also up to the HRM managers to see that the employers are motivated. 1.4 Analyse the impact of the legal and regulatory framework on human resource management Legal and regulatory requirements of HRM require protecting employees from unfair discrimination at the workplace. Define the 40 hour work week, the pay rate for working overtime and the minimum wage. It also requires protecting employee investments in their pensions. So Yo Dud need to go through a good beneficial scheme which is provides long-term benefits to their employees. Require that firms provide the same pay for men and women who are doing the same work. Labour relations describe the process by which unions can be formed and indicate what the parties can and cannot do. Provide clean and safe environment at the work place. Prevent unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours other inappropriate verbal and physical conduct or hostile conditions. So these terms will be strict to maintain and aware legal restrictions. Task 2.1 Analyse the reasons for human resource planning in organisations The main goal of human resource planning is to ensure that a company always has candidates lined up to fill a new available post or position so that time and productivity are not lost. Long delay times in between one departure and new hire could be more weigh on the company. Forecasting is an important factor of the process that can tell how long the process to hire new employee, and make speedy the process. In case of when the large number of employee needed and job market is stiff for workers with requiring skills, then HR department will have to secure these workers. And it will be more difficult when the rivals are also seeking people with these skills, and secure the new talents to step up recruiting efforts and increase compensation packages to attract talent (Grant, 2005). If a company did not engage in human resource planning, it would not know how difficult it would be to hire the necessary workers until too late. Potential employees would be lost to rivals, and the  business  would be unable to build the team it needs.. This helps the HR department to stay in pace with the needs of staff and employees for Tesco. 2.2 Outline the stages involved in planning human resource requirements Stage 1: Establish a Competency Architecture and Competency Dictionary that will support Strategic Human Resource Planning. For each group to be profiled, define the roles and career streams to help identify current and future human resources needs. Determine how competencies will be integrated with the existing HR Planning process and systems (e.g., Human Resource Information Management systems; other computer-based tools, for example forecasting models) (Grant, 2005). Stage 2: Build or revamp HR Planning tools, templates and processes to incorporate elements as determined in Stage 1.Train managers and / or facilitate corporate HR Planning process. Continuously monitor and improve processes, tools and systems to support HR Planning (Grant, 2005). 2.3 Compare the recruitment and selection process in two organisations Need to seek the process, Jack For the development of their magazine, Tesco: As the market leader in the UK, Tesco mainly uses the means of in-store advertising, local agency and recommendations from existing employees to recruit. Meanwhile, Tesco chooses the new staff through online video conferences which favour the rapidest efficiency as well. In addition, unlike other common businesses, the interviews at Tesco will be conducted by the line manager in order to build up the loyalty with the recruit and help to make decisions. Sky B2B: The core elements of Sky B2B recruitment and selection process are similar to that of Tesco. They pay important attention to the reasonable treatment of its staff. The most focus is to deal with its candidates with its equality and diversity policy at all times. That policy is framed to recruit and select people without discrimination as well as aim to choose employees with the diverse personality and ability. But the aspect that is different is they tend to select and recruit employees based on their skills and technical ability due to the nature of their business. 2.4 Evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection techniques in two organisations Workforce planning is important for any organisation if they have to meet their future demands for staff. It is a way to train their existing staff to get responsive new staff to fill the vacancies (Armstrong, 1992). So if the Yo Dud goes through this technique then they will get talented employees which can improve the performance of the company and get the desired outcome and they can grow new job talents or job opportunities, including management, graduate, school leaver and apprentice posts. They need to have people with the right skills and behaviours to support its growth and development and have clear organizational structures, detailed job descriptions and person specifications. It has provides a user-friendly way, that is indicating how can applying for jobs and reliable approach to recruitment and selection. It can fulfil and manage the demanding need of staff. Task 3.1 Assess the link between motivational theory and reward Motivation is a concept used to describe the factors within an individual which produce, maintain and channel behaviour towards a targeting goal.  Motivation is a complex concept. Remuneration is also complex.  According to People thinking, that money is a motivator. Money does have an effect, but motivation is not just money and involves lots of things. It wills Positive effects coming through good financial and non-financial rewards (Grant, 2005). It is very important to motivate employees fro the growth of the organisation. Managers can create a positive environment and employees feel comfortable and motivate towards the organisational goal and some of their own goals. These goals could be appreciation of hard work,  a sense of achievement,  responsibility and empowerment,  opportunity for advancement, and a sense of challenge and enjoyment. There sis many non financial rewards also helpful to make an employee motivate. Rewards come through many ways like health benefits, flexibility in working time, staff discount, shares of the company etc. Financial compensation is an important factor to motivate employees and non financial rewards also make long term effects on the mind of the employee. So it is your (organisational) responsibility to ensure they using all the available resources to motivate them (Ulrich,2005). 3.2 Evaluate the process of job evaluation and other factors determining pay Definition: Job evaluation is the generic term applied to a variety of ways in which the relative worth or value of different jobs may be established. It helps to determine internal relativities by relating different rates of pay to different elements in the job (Truss Gratton, 2004). Lets start with the one of the UKs leading retailers example every year Tesco invites staff to and arrange a satisfaction within their employees to find about their job aspects it is called viewpoint. It aims to identify how much more valuable one job is in relation to another and so lay the foundations for a fair and orderly pay structure. One of the most widely known examples of schemes which have been developed by individual management consultancy companies is the Hay scheme. In its original form this relies on three factors know-how, problem solving, and accountability (Ulrich, 2005).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Know-how is the sum of every kind of knowledge; skill and experience required for standard acceptable job performance. Problem solving is the self-starting thinking required by the job for analysing, evaluating, creating, reasoning, arriving and drawing conclusions. Accountability is the answerability for action and for the consequences of that action. It is measured effect of the job on end results (Fombrum et al, 2004).   While job evaluation is concerned with the value which companies put on jobs pay can also be focused on the individual and group i.e. pay is linked to assessment of individual or team performance, skills, competence or contribution. It could be skill based or performance based. Tesco uses a performance related method to reward its employees by bonuses and promotion (Grant, 2005). 3.3 Assess the effectiveness of reward systems in different contexts The reward system is good method to keep the employees motivated. Reward will be given thorough annual, weekly, or monthly bases or hourly rate of pay for a capable worker to perform a job (Armstrong, 1992). Reward power will be involve on two factors; First, indirect pay which is coming through giving a lifestyle break, free or reduced health benefits, discount gym membership, staff discount and company share options. Secondly, non-financial rewards which are the intrinsic rewards related to peoples needs and expectations such as those provided by any organisation which include career development and opportunities for personal development by providing a career break. Achievement, recognition and responsibility are some of the other intrinsic rewards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main aim of the rewards system is to Attract enough recruits with the right qualities and qualifications to satisfy organisational requirements. Retain employees with the core skills and competencies needed by the organisation. Motivate employees with a view to improving their on-the-job performance and commitment to the organisation. (Grant, 2005) The HRM is a department which puts a lot of stress on their reward system in order to apply its effectiveness. The idea that it might be possible to match a payment system and a set of circumstances in such a way as to achieve stated objectives deserves consideration. 3.4 Examine the methods organisations use to monitor employee performance In an effective organization, assignments and projects are monitored continually. Monitoring is a time after time measuring and providing ongoing feedback to employees and work groups on their progress toward achieving goals (Ulrich, 2005). Regulatory requirements for monitoring system is that which comparing employees performance according to the required standards. The process is provides the opportunity to review the performance how well employee meet the programmed standards and to make changes to unrealistic or problematic standards. So monitoring process is a way to avoid and rectify the unacceptable performances and provide the assistance. With this process an organisation can get better support to its staff on all level and thats why they are able to monitor and also assist when needed (Mockler, 2002). Task 4.1 Identify the reasons for cessation of employment with an organisation Resignation An employee can resign, or terminate his own employment, for a number of reasons. like employee is not satisfied with the job or unhappy, and could get better offer for the same job and some time some personal reason also effects their decision to leave the job. If the employee resigns, then employer need to find the cause behind and arrange interview to verify the cause, and employer should ask for the resignation in writing and retain that documentation (Fombrun et al, 1994). Layoff If there is a lack of work, if the company is in financial trouble, and May the specific job is not necessary or not needed then the company can layoff employee. So this process will be under the legal regulation. For example it is under the notification of the employee, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, employers must give employees advance notice of closings and layoff. It is make employee and their family to adjust and make new arrangement for them or seeking unemployment benefits (Fombrun et al, 1994). Merger/Buyout A merger is another possible cause to affect the employees. Even though the employer doesnt want to do so, in some cases employers offer a severance package to employees terminated under these circumstances (Boxall, 1992). For Cause It happens when employee behaviour effects the companys reputation and other workers. For instance, if employee making some falsifier their time card or physically attacks a co worker, and this will be the cause of their termination, then employer should systematically document the employees behaviour when terminating Them (Boxall, 1992). Poor Performance Poor performance is other biggest cause of employee termination when employee doesnt fulfil their job commitment and fail to comply with the position. Before terminates that employee, employer will given the time to rectify the deficiency performance and given a time frame to keep correct it. And the documentation also needed before termination of the employee (Fombrun et al, 1994). 4.2 Describe the employment exit procedures used by two organisations Employment exit procedure used at a software company Every day in companies, people begin and terminate their employment. This continual movement of people can, and often does, result in a major security exposure, specifically in cases of employee separation. It is not uncommon to hear stories of retribution by terminated employees who feel they have been treated unfairly. This may be in the form of computer hacking, sabotage, illegal entry onto company property, and other forms of wrongdoing. The damage caused can be severe and can seriously affect the company and its employees. An  employee exit procedure  should be formally prepared, documented, and published to provide consistency for managers in dealing with terminated employees, i.e., items to be collected from an employee leaving the company, and computer / system access to be expediently inactivated. Briefly, as an example, the manager of an employee leaving the company should do the following: Collect keys, parking passes, ID cards, access cards, company credit cards, and travel call cards. Collect any off-site equipment, such as computers, cell phones, and pagers.   Arrange to have network IDs disabled, and delete or inactivate any other system access. Deactivate voice mail, and remove or re-assign phones. Employment exit procedure commonly used in Banks Resignation letter in written form Process on resignation letter Employee exit interview Acceptance of resignation Exit check list Clean out the office desk, files, etc, and return all supplies to production, take all personal belongings. Return all company credit cards Hand in all copies of reports and manuals Delete software from personal laptops or home computers 4.3 Consider the impact of the legal and regulatory framework on employment cessation arrangements Upon receiving notice to layoff and redesign job descriptions of employees, specific areas were reviewed in order to make a decision that would provide the best outcome for the company.  Ã‚  These areas include job performance, productivity, special achievements, job responsibility, educational qualifications, absenteeism and status (Truss Gratton, 2004). Length of service should play a role to make decision for reduction in company (non union) but it should be taken into thought along with skill level. An employee can not save their job only because of the several year services with the organisation. So an employee needs to be reviewing their performance (Fombrun et al, 1994). An existing employee is assets of the organisation because of their best services and know how to performing and cop with requirement and he/she is a strong candidate because new employee needs to further training to meet the required standard. So one very important thing is that new hire may have lots of experience and education than employee then who have been with the organization, this is complex, which will need to be taken into consideration. Some of the employees that have been with the organization for a long time may be looking to retire or would be interested in a severance package (Ulrich, 2005). Longest service generally is the basis of determining severance payment for every one but it is considering the most senior employee. One weeks salary per year of service is the most common term, based severance benefit for exempt and non-exempt employees, while two weeks is the median for officers and other executives (Truss Gratton, 2004).