Teaching Literacy in the Primary School

All elements of literacy are inter-related. This essay will examine the reading process and how the teaching of speaking, listening, writing and reading all influence pupils’ development in many ways. One pupil’s language and literacy development will be explored in this context, with a particular emphasis on his reading progression. Literacy is the ability to use language to communicate one’s ideas expressively, through speaking and writing and receptively, through listening and reading. (Palmer, S 2003). The Department for Education (2012) explains that pupils’ acquisition of language allows them to access learning across the curriculum.Notably, reading aids pupil’s development culturally, emotionally, spiritually and socially. Since 1988 and the introduction of the National Curriculum, the government have overseen the teaching of English and literacy in schools. It was not until the publication of The Rose Review in 2006 however, that a standard strategy for teaching reading was devised. In his report, Rose reviewed the way early reading was taught and advised that all children should have a secure foundation of phonics knowledge so that they are able to link graphemes to phonemes and blend these into words.As a result, it became statutory for schools to use a daily, systematic, synthetic style of teaching phonics. To help schools instigate this new teaching style, the Communication, Language and Literacy Development Plan (CLLD) was introduced in 2006. Local authorities were given trained consultants, often teachers, who could model high quality phonics teaching and ensure the findings of the Rose Review were implemented effectively.Ofsted (2010) reported, that several schools, from a sample demonstrating ‘outstanding’ practice in their teaching of early literacy, used a scheme such as ‘Letters and Sounds’, published by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2007. These schemes initially teach phonemes alongside their written representation (graphemes), followed by the skill of blending and segmenting graphemes to write and decode individual words. It is widely recognised that the teaching of phonics enables children to decode words, but does not teach an understanding of vocabulary. The skill of decoding is not enough to enable children to read effectively.Rose (2006) also observed this in his review, â€Å"Different kinds of teaching are needed to develop word recognition skills from those that are needed to foster the comprehension of written and spoken language. † Wyse and Parker (2010), cited by the Institute of Education (2012), argue in favour of â€Å"contextualised teaching†, which begins by looking at whole texts that pupils can relate to, thus motivating them to read independently. They claim that although important, the teaching of phonics, in a way where it is exaggerated above all other elements, comes with serious risk and that children ’s language skills develop best through classroom talk.Until recently, the importance of Speaking and Listening was overlooked by many schools. Ofsted (2005) reported that the teaching of speaking and listening had been neglected and the range of contexts in which children are given the opportunity to converse with their peers was constrained. It is crucial to understand that as each strand of literacy is equally important, a child who struggles to communicate verbally will have difficulty in communicating or understanding concepts in written form. Douglas (2009) observes, â€Å"†¦Speaking and listening skills underpin all learning and are the start of all other literacy skills.†Rose (2006) observed, â€Å"Schools provide massive opportunities and unique advantages for developing speaking and listening skills. † Activities such as talking partners develop children’s vocabulary by getting them to share their ideas about set questions in short bursts, throughout the lesson. This technique can be integrated into the teaching of any concept across the curriculum, meaning the opportunities to acquire new language are infinite. Drama is part of the Speaking and Listening strand of the National Literacy Strategy.McMaster (1998) explains that it is an invaluable tool as it supports every aspect of literacy development. Drama can extend vocabulary; develop decoding and conversational skills; and improve understanding of syntax, as well as metacognitive knowledge. Drama also aids personal, social and emotional development (PSED). By engaging in situations as if they were real, children build the confidence to express themselves and develop creativity and empathy. These attributes are closely associated with reading development, as they facilitate comprehension and response (Wagner, B.  1988; Vygotsky, S. 1976 cited by McMaster, J. 1998)Poetry is also a useful tool to improve pupils’ personal, social and emotional development (PS ED). Children should be encouraged to believe that poetry is a normal human activity, a very intense one and an activity that people often resort to at crucial times in their lives†¦ which shows its central importance. (Longley, M. 2008 cited by McLeish, J. 2008) In Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1, learning nursery rhymes and other simple poems and songs assists the development of phonological awareness.The repeated rhythm and rhyme patterns develop an understanding of how words can be broken into syllables. The next stage is to understand that each syllable is made up of a structure of sounds, onsets (the initial phoneme) and rimes (the remaining sound in the syllable. ) Wilson (2005) believes this is a fundamental skill to develop if a child is to blend and segment efficiently. Sharing poetry and re-telling stories provide the basis for the â€Å"Talk for Writing† initiative, developed by The National Strategies (2010), in conjunction with Pie Corbe tt.The National Strategies explain â€Å"†¦good readers learn about the skills of writing from their reading and draw (consciously or unconsciously) upon its models in their own work†¦. † Reciting poetry and rhymes, and re-telling stories enable children to internalise language (referred to as imitation) so that it can later be reused in their own writing automatically. Once this skill is mastered, children can continue to change parts of the story (innovation) using aids such as story maps and shared writing. The final stage is invention, at this point pupils use the language and writing styles they acquired to create their own pieces of writing.In his early workshops, Corbett (2008) stated that these approaches to learning also work extremely well when teaching children to write in a non-fictional context. The use of speaking and listening is also an invaluable tool when teaching children with special educational needs (SEN). Corbett (2004) states â€Å"Many chil dren with special needs have succeeded using this multi-sensory, oral strategy to developing composition. † These children need as many opportunities as possible to internalise new vocabulary and writing styles that may be unfamiliar.The same is applicable to pupils who are learning English as an additional language (EAL). These children have the extra hurdle of comprehending vocabulary and writing styles that may differ greatly to that found in their first language. Cummins (1999) explains, â€Å"There are clear differences in acquisition and developmental patterns between conversational language and academic language, or BICS (basic interpersonal communicative skills) and CALP (cognitive academic language proficiency). † Children generally develop BICS within two years of immersion in the target language, providing they spend much of their time in  school interacting with native speakers.However, it typically takes children between five and seven years to develop CA LP and therefore be working at a linguistic level similar to their native speaking peers. It is therefore vital to provide a wide, varied range of opportunities for students to converse. The DFES (2004) explains, â€Å"Bilingualism is an asset, and the first language has a continuing and significant role in identity, learning and the acquisition of additional languages. † Children who are truly bilingual will often work at a higher academic level than those who speak one language.Child C is a six year old boy. He is a native English speaker, although he does have developmental problems with his speech and is currently seeing a speech therapist. He lives with both his parents and his two brothers, aged seven and two. The following information has been sourced from interviews with his teachers and mother, his speech and language reports and his records of attainment. Permission from C’s parents and school were sought in order to include him in this study, and for reasons of confidentiality his anonymity will be respected throughout. C was born nine days late with no issues at birth.C refused solid food until about 10 months of age, and his mother explained that he has always expressed a dislike for food that requires a lot of chewing. It was suggested to C’s parents that this may be a contributing factor to his speech difficulties. C started ‘babbling’ at about 22 months, experimenting with sounds and a few words. His mother was able to understand his attempts to communicate by around 3 years of age, although other members of his family and the practitioners at his nursery school struggled to understand him, this caused C to become greatly frustrated and stressed when trying to express his wants and needs.It was at this point that C was referred for speech therapy. He was also referred for hearing tests which did not uncover any auditory problems. C and his older brother have shared books with their parents before bedtime since C was 2 years old. His mother explained that neither of the boys demonstrated a strong interest for books and requests to be read to, apart from before bed, were infrequent. C’s lack of interest was also observed by his EYFS teacher, as a result C was initially only given one book a week to share at home, as more than this tended to overwhelm him and generate a refusal read at all.It was also noted in the early months of EYFS, C disliked contributing to group discussion or conversing extensively with his peers as a result of insecurity about his speech problems. He felt much more confident talking to adults on a one to one basis. C left EYFS with a reading level higher than the national average for his age group, although lower than that of most of his classmates. His ability to blend and segment graphemes was good, meaning he was able to read and write a range of simple words.His ability to form particular cluster sounds orally remains an issue, but his confidence to communi cate with his peers and contribute to group work has improved significantly. As a result, his range of vocabulary and comprehension has also improved. C has continued with his speech therapy in KS1 and he receives daily interventions with a teaching assistant to help with his sound formation. C’s current class teacher has observed that his reading has significantly improved recently; C will now read quite complex sentences with some expression, using a range of decoding techniques such as segmenting and looking at accompanying pictures.C recently read a short passage to the rest of his class, demonstrating his improved reading skills and confidence levels. In conclusion, speaking, listening, reading and writing are all of equal importance. The strategies, tools and initiatives explored in this essay help children develop their reading skills. Each strand can be built upon each other to develop a pupil’s literacy development as a whole. Being literate is essential if a child is to access all areas across the curriculum.

Culture of American Indians Essay

In Against the Grain, environmental journalist Richard Manning (2004) argues that notions of class and property are a direct result of the emergence of agricultural civilizations beginning 10,000 years ago. This is because of the social necessities demanded by distribution and storage of surplus. Conversely, he points out the contrastingly egalitarian nature of the hunter-gatherer lifestyles and the deeper social ties which result from cooperative food acquisition. Consider for example, the Plains Indians of North America prior to the arrival of European settlers, who would utilize their knowledge of buffalo movement patterns to haze and herd them, towards a cliff. By diverting the stampede of a large number of animals to their sudden vertical death, they would obtain a caloric pay-off through minimal effort, but â€Å"required social organization and sharing, both of the labor and of the proceeds.† (Manning, 2004; South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit, 2008) Yet despite this element of uncertainty in hunting and gathering, Richard Steckel notes that towards the end of the 19th century, the Plains Indians were among the tallest people in the world and argues despite the numerous technological and agricultural advances they did not have, they were surprisingly well-nourished compared to whites, indicating that agriculture should not be taken for granted as the sign of social advancement it is purported be, Manning notes that, in the absence of storage means and preservation technologies, it was impossible for the Plains Indians to hoard bison meat. Therefore wealth accumulation was impossible. As such, â€Å"communal feasting became the payoff for social organization,† argues Manning Agriculture on the hand, created social stratification in the form of governance, hierarchy and other institutions necessary for the management of food surplus. Although there is certain room for question to be made about the true egalitarianism of the hunter gatherer cultures of the Plains Indians, they certainly lacked some of the rigidly defined political structures which characterized those belonging to the cultures of Europeans at the point of first contact. Comanche leadership was rather informal, usually identifiable by consensus rather than by any formal nomination to the position and the longevity of a war chiefs authority lasted only as long as they were at war. (Bial, 2000) The Blackfoot people maintained a flexible social structure, a band, which was in constant flux. As such, social relationships were not determined solely by kinship but by residence. In modern times, the case for the difference between hunter-gatherer Native Americans such as the Plains Indians of pre-modern times and the agricultural Native Americans can be observed in the difference between the Inuit peoples, who live a predominantly hunter-gatherer lifestyle out in the Arctic regions (Snow, 1996) and the peoples of the Cherokee and Lakota. The Inuit are noted for their strong sense of community and flexible division of labor among gender lines. The Cherokee and the Lakota, however, have now long been agricultural societies characterized by their class and gender divisions, as well as their contentious disposition towards identity and blood quantum laws. REFERENCES Bial, R. (2000) Lifeways: The Comanche. New York: Benchmark Books. Manning, R. (2004) Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press. â€Å"Buffalo and the Plains Indians.† (2008, April 4) South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit. Retrieved July 3, 2008 from: http://www.sdhistory.org/mus/ed/Buffalo%20Kit%20Activiteis/Teacher%20Resource.pdf Snow, D. R.. (1996) â€Å"The first Americans and the differentiation of hunter-gatherer cultures.† North America. Eds. Bruce G. Trigger and Wilcomb E. Washburn. Cambridge University Press, 1996.

College Admission Essay

IntroductionI am writing this admission essay with the hope that I can a secure a place as a student in Bates College. Knowing that Bates College has been ranked as one of the best liberal art colleges nationally prompts me to send my admission letter to your institution. Besides its national accolade, learning of Bates' unique timetable that allows students to take advantage of abroad programs and its expansive offering of courses, equipped with the latest facilities and resources drew me to enroll to this college to help me accomplish my academic goals.Life ExperienceGrowing up in a small community, I had an inherent sense of unity in connection with my neighborhood collective. I lived in a society where neither skin color nor religious choice mattered. This sentiment among the community members did not last forever, though. Some residents formed a small religious group which incited other members of the society against a certain religion. They claimed that a particular religion wa s more superior to the other and urged everyone in the town to convert to that religion – a failure to covert would result in being chased away and even killed. This installed fear in our small society but neither religion was willing to negotiate, for each believed theirs was the correct spiritual path. What seemed to be a mere conflict transformed into a outright war. My community members began killing each other, women were raped, and others   were forced to flee to other towns for protection. These incidents lead to trauma: the people in our community that fled have been living in the fear of another attack and the terrible memories are still fresh in their minds. This experience inspired me to major in psychology to help erase these painful memories from  their minds and also bring a way forward for my community. I feel that attending Bates College would help me accomplish my goals.What I Look Forward To If AcceptedBates College is known for excellence in teaching as well as in learning. It offers state-of-the-art facilities, resources and programs which will be of great assistance to my psychology program – and in turn, my community. Resources such the library, imaging and computing center, as well as archives and special collection will make my learning easier. I al so read that the college offers funding for research, which will be of aid to my endeavors in finding a solution my communities' dilemma, if I can receive such assistance. If I am given a chance to join the ranks of Bates College, I will make the best out of the opportunity. My research assures me that the college has a Diversity and Inclusion Office of Intercultural Education. I would engage myself with learning how this office operates so as to intermingle with people from different cultures, religions and places, enabling me to learn how to connect with people from various life-circumstances. This educational experience will directly reflect on my career aspirations involving my communities' maladies. Bates College also allows students to take advantage of abroad programs. This program would especially be of great help to me, as I believe traveling to different places will supply me with a more comprehensive understanding of my studies.ConclusionI see this opportunity to join a prestigious college like Bates not only as a pathway to personal success, but as an educational endeavor that will provide me with a tool-set that will be able to handle the trauma of reality: the catastrophes that have occurred in my community. I am sincerely dedicated to the cause of my  fellow townsmen, and believe their recovery is assured if given the chance. Though you may consider my case special in terms of personal history, I would argue that every student's education is not solely for themselves, but rather for the greater good.

Ethical Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical - Assignment Example This shows how valuable the managers are in ensuring that the needs of the stakeholders are met, and ensuring the success of the organization. The major conflict that can occur between the shareholder and the manager is agency conflict. When the manager is employed to take responsibility of leading the company, what is created between him and the shareholders is what is referred to as an agency relationship (Wijesekera, hubpages.com). The manager performs many duties, but delegates the authority of making decisions to the shareholder although he may also hold a small percentage of capital shares in the company. The shareholders are much separated from the management; they have little time to monitor the operation of the company, and cannot have an opportunity to fully assess whether the manager is acting in the best interest of the shareholders. Agency conflict occurs when there is conflict of interest between the manager and the shareholder. The shareholder may want to invest on a long term project, while the manager wants to make short term projects. He may be tempted to go on with this plan without necessarily informing the shareholder, because he has the capacity to run the company affairs. Wijesekera informs that the manager may be motivated to award himself and the staff better working terms and conditions (hubpages.com). The issue of managers holding back some information from the shareholders is unethical according to the business code of conduct. Company managers are always on a much better informed position on matters regarding the company than the shareholders, and while they have bigger opportunities to make the company progress with lots of profits and making successful ventures, they also have the chance of making the company fail; this is because they have much information than any other person in the firms (Gayle and Miller 2). A manager therefore stands a chance of deciding what to reveal and what not to. The opportunity granted makes the

Sales and Marketing in Marriott UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sales and Marketing in Marriott UK - Essay Example For this  study, a research survey will be conducted to enable the researcher to develop a deeper understanding of the sales and marketing in Marriott UK. Based on the result of the research study, the researcher will provide a recommendation on how the hotel manager in Marriott could increase its profitability. In general, a strategic questioning is highly correlated with the accuracy and validity of the survey results such that the data that has been collected through an interview process and other data gathering techniques must always be appropriate to the research question of the study. For this reason, it is necessary for the interviewer to properly prepare the type of questions to be asked of each participant. (Richards, 2003, Chapter 2; Richards, 2006) The only way to achieve good quality questionnaires is by thorough proper understanding and analysis of the main purpose of the study. Since this study is designed to determine an effective marketing strategy that could significantly increase sales of Marriott UK, the researcher designed the survey questionnaire in a way that it could enable the researcher to accurately determine the specific areas that need to be improved in order to increase the customer satisfaction of each tourist who is currently staying at Marriott UK. (See Appendix I – Survey Questionnaire on page 10) According to Keith Richard (2006), ‘understanding the research process is important when a researcher has chosen to adopt a qualitative research study in order to avoid heading in a wrong direction.’ Once the researcher has already written a list of possible survey questions, it is essential for the researcher to go through the questions again in order to detect any specific questions that need to be refined. Basically, there is absolutely no limitation as to how an interview should be conducted.

Case study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case study Analysis - Essay Example Leadership usually follows a number of theories and practices due to which, the leaders are different from one another. Application of a theory is related to the personality of a leader as he or she adopts a theory after analyzing according to his or her persona. Leaders are highly important persons in an organization and they have a strong impact on the organization and its employees. No one can reject the influence of the leaders, as they are the one who have to lead a certain group in order to help the organization in terms of making income or gaining success (McGovern et al, 2008). The employees working under the leaders are more dedicated to their leaders as compared to the organization because of the convincing style of leadership of the leaders. There are eight leadership theories that can be considered as the most credible and convincing in terms of the concept of leadership in various organizations (Wagner, 2005). Firstly, according to great man theories the qualities of lea dership in some persons are inherent means they born by having leadership skills. Secondly, trait theories are based on that some persons are leaders because they inherit the leadership characteristics. After then, contingency theories are based on that type of leaders, which have an ability to change their style of leading according to the environment (Wagner, 2005). After that, situational theories are based on leaders should have the ability to select best leading style in different situations. After that, behavioural theory is based on that men learn leadership qualities through experience and learning (Wagner, 2005). Afterward, participative theories are based on the leader’s participation and contribution from group members that encourage them to give their 100%. Subsequently management theories (transactional theory) are based on management, organization and group performance (Wagner, 2005). According to management theory, leaders appreciate their subordinates by givin g praise or promotion for their good work and give punishment for their bad work (Wagner, 2005). Afterward, relationship theories (transformational theories) are based on relationship between leaders and followers. These types of leaders motivate their followers by helping them in task, but also have a requirement from the followers to give the all potential in the task (Wagner, 2005). 2.0. Case Study Analysis 2.1. Leadership Paradigms, Leadership Location and Leadership Substitutes at SAP In SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in data processing), the major and main head of the organization is its Chief executive officers (CEOs). The leadership at SAP is much committed and influence people to be a part of the organization. The main vision of sap is to provide software solution and business problems. SAP is a global organization but the head office of SAP is located in Walldrof Germany. SAP is driven by its two major boards, an executive board and an extended management board. S AP has seven layers of management and it is more profitable to have seven layers of management, it also makes it hierarchical. As SAP is managed by its self management teams, there is always a substitute for each of the management. But in case of leadership 2.2. Followers and Retention at SAP All the employees in SAP are very much important for the organization and the company does not discharge the people because of the less knowledge about the new developments and techniques. On the contrary, company tries

THE BP OIL SPILL IN MEXICAN GULF 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE BP OIL SPILL IN MEXICAN GULF 2010 - Essay Example A crisis refers to an undesirable and unfortunate position that a business finds itself in, and which poses a great threat to the organization (Benoit, 1995). The value of communication in any company is very important, and this importance cannot be understated. The major concept of this work is crisis management, and will employ a special focus on the BP oil company, and the oil spillage crisis of 2010. It shall take keen interest on how well, or otherwise, the crisis was handled by the company. Two theories are important in this work. First is the structural function systems theory which provides an in depth insight in crisis management. It implies that those companies that have a very effective information and communication model are more likely to succeed in crisis management (Lightstone and Driscoll, 2008). The second theory, the diffusion innovation theory, which is a widely applied theory, helps to structure the framework of this work, theoretically. It shows how businesses co mmunicate and disseminate information through specified networks, or after a period of time which results to consistency (Hooghiemstra, 2000). Accounting theories lay great value in communication, and sets up assumptions, methodology and frameworks, to ensure timely, reliable, efficient and consistent information (Islam and Deegan, 2010). The crisis that BP found itself in was a great test to the company’s reputation, which has taken many years to build. The case The case study chosen, in this context is about BP oil spill in the Mexican Gulf in 2010. BP Ltd has operation sin over eighty companies. Statistics reveal that in 2012, it was the fifth largest company in terms of market share, and has over 87, 000 employees globally (BP, 2010). According to this report, on the morning of 20th April 2010, there was a huge explosion at the Macondo Prospect. A drilling rig had exploded, which resulted to the death of eleven people and seventeen others being injured. This was the worst marine accident in the oil industry, which put the reputation of the company at stake. The BP Company addressed the issue through several press releases, interviews, updates via new media including Facebook and Twitter and also through their annual financial report. The use of these means can be attributed to several accounting theories including the stakeholders and legitimacy theory, the systems oriented theory and the positive accounting theory, which will be discussed in the methodology section. Data After the accident, the company CEO, Tony Hayward, was interviewed by several media houses. In the interview, he consoled the family of the bereaved and the injured. The company also issued press releases regarding the accident. The press releases thereafter were released after a period of time, and each of it gave updates about the accident. For instance, between the day of the accident and the beginning of the year 2011, the company had released about thirty or more press release s on the same issue (Landau, 2001). New media has also boosted communication. The company therefore took its chances and continued to communicate via Facebook and twitter, updating all recent developments and photos of the progressing work. The other disclosure vehicle chosen was the annual report of 2010. In this, the chairman, Carl Henric Sanberg addressed the issue. In the same report, there is a summary of the accident, and a detailed explanation of what has been done, and what continues to be done (BP, 2010). The vehicles chosen for corporate analysis in this particular crisis were effective, though not fully. Methodology The

Research paper on the 4th Amendment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On the 4th Amendment - Research Paper Example Around 1760s, there was a rise in the amount of litigation against law enforcing officers, who, making use of general warrants did raids, searching for materials linked to publications of John Wike, in the process attacking both the King himself as well as the government policies. One of the most popular of such cases concerned John Entick, who had his dwelling intruded by Nathan Carrington, a messenger of the king, alongside many others, following a warrant given out by George Montagu-Dunk, instructing them to strictly and diligently look for the author responsible for publishing many weekly seditious papers as well as seize printed pamphlets, charts as well as other materials. However it was determined by Charles Pratt that both the search as well as the seizure was illegal; since the warrant instructed seizing of all Entick’s papers, both the criminal and the non-criminal ones, in addition to the warrant lacking probable cause to validate the search. Entick, therefore by ho lding that the law holds that every individual’s property is extremely sacred, and no person can infringe upon his neighbor’s secured place without his permission, set up the English guide that the government is restricted in interfering with one’s private property(Clancy, 2008). However, back in colonial America, homes did not have similar sanctity like their counterparts in Britain, since legislation had been clearly drafted to permit enforcement of the colonial master’s revenue-gathering policy in regard to customs, till 1750s.The only kind of warrant identified in justice handbooks was the general warrant. This gave the then authorities extreme power in searching for anything, with very limited oversight at any given time. The state of Massachusetts in 1756 passed a legislation that banned general warrants, representing the very first legislation in American history to curtail the enforcement of seizure power.

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Marketing Research - Essay Example Research studies can be of two types. They are usually the basic type of research and secondly the applied type of research. The type of research depends on the focus of the study. Research studies tend to be conducted for the expanding the level of knowledge horizon for the individuals or for gaining new information related to any aspect (Thornhill et al 2007). Also research is conducted at times to derive solutions for certain management or marketing related problems (Thornhill et al 2007). Research studies are an in-depth process of studying any aspect. Research writing tends to explore many new dimensions of any subject and with the help of research possible conclusions and recommendations are deduced by thorough analysis of the research study. The first and foremost part of commencing any research study is to develop a good research proposal (Lindfelt and TÃ ¶rnroos 2006). A research proposal gives a good idea about the study and helps towards highlighting the aspects that will be included in the research and also discusses the research path taken by the researcher. Therefore it is very important to follow all the components of a good research proposal so that the outcome of the research study can take place in a systematic manner (Hanson and Grimmer 2007). Introduction is important for any piece of writing and therefore one to two paragraphs of the subject of research need to be discussed here so that the reader gets the overview of the subject title that is going to be researched upon further (Thornhill et al 2007). The introductory paragraph opens the path of the study for the researcher. The underlying principles and the foundation of the subject title needs to be discussed here. The interest of the researcher on the topic should be discussed here. The reason needs to be discussed related to the subject title such as any problems related to the subject of research is motivating the researcher to carry out the study in this subject scope

A research proving that the act of abortion is not immoral Essay Example for Free

A research proving that the act of abortion is not immoral Essay Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Since 1969, abortion has been legal in Canada. However, it was only allowed under special circumstances which included, high-risk pregnancies and pregnancy as a result of rape. Abortion without federal restrictions has been legal since 1988 in Canada. With the advanced technology of today, abortion can be done both surgically and non-surgically. Furthermore, many today may believe that abortion should be illegal as it is considered to be â€Å"inhumane†. Nevertheless, because of the time the abortion takes place, the situations that make abortion the only option and avoiding birth defects, one can come to the conclusion that abortion is not immoral. This fact can be proven throughout the research done by medical professionals and people who have had to get an abortion done. The universal definition of abortion states that abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by either a surgical or non-surgical method before the fetus is able to sustain independent life (up to 24 weeks). Abortion ranges in two different forms, surgical and non-surgical. There are 2 types of surgical procedures which are Vacuum Suction Curettage (VSC)  and Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA). Throughout the first twenty weeks of pregnancy, the fetus has now developed the entire skeletal figure, all major organs are functioning, and this would include the heart, stomach, liver, kidney, and brain. By twenty weeks, the fetus can now kick, grasp with his or her hands, hair is visible and vocal cords are working. Stated by Dr. Paul Ranali, a neurologist studying at the University of Toronto, there is evidence of the fetus feeling pain during the abortion procedure (Pollitt, 2011). Although it is unusual that one would have an abortion this late in the pregnancy, abortion can take place any time during the first trimester of pregnancy which is up to 24 weeks, the fetal brain is completely developed at the age of 20 weeks. The brain has the full complement of brain cells as an adult would have therefore made the fetus ready to receive pain signals from the body (Johnson, 2011). Overall, many still allow the abortion to take place after knowing this information. Because the abortion process takes place at such an early stage in the pregnancy, many do not seem to consider the fetus as a human, therefore, disregarding the slurs (murdering the fetus) that are typically said. The main cause for abortions would be the fact that they are unplanned pregnancies. As stated in the Annual Abortion Survey in the United States (AAS), â€Å"on average, women give at least  3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 3/4 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner† (Annual Abortion Survey- USA, 2013). Because of these reasons, it is unfair to bring an innocent child into the world where they would not receive the care that is needed. Also stated in the AAS, twenty-one percent of women included a physical problem with their health among reasons for having an abortion  and eleven percent admitted that they went along to get an abortion due to the fact that they were victims of rape. Those who do not wish to have a child because of financial situations can be understood by those who believe abortion is immoral because raising a child in today’s time is known to be expensive to those who make an average salary of $34,000. While considering having a child, one must be able to provide basic necessities such as diapers and formula. The costs of diapers can range from $10.00 $50.00. The costs of baby formula can range from $15.00 $50.00 (Evers, 2013).   If one cannot provide their child with the essential needs, they should not bring them into the world. If one cannot provide for their child, it can also cause a strain on the mother and father’s relationship due to overwhelming stress and pressure. Also, studies in the United States have shown, those who are not financially stable and continue with their pregnancy, are more likely to become unemployed, to be on public welfare, to be below the poverty line, and to later on in life, become victims of domestic violence (Evers, 2013). Because many do not want to be placed in a situation where they are in danger or not capable of raising a child, they choose to abort the potential child. A birth defect is defined as a health problem or physical change which is present in a baby at the time he or she is born. Birth defects can occur either from genetic factors or even environmental factors. The genetic causes could be inheritance, single gene defects, multifactorial inheritance, teratogens or a chromosome abnormality.   Luckily, only three out of every one-hundred babies are born with a birth defect (Williams, 2007). Many birth defects can be diagnosed before birth with specialized prenatal diagnosis test. Birth defects that are considered as chromosomal abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome can be diagnosed before birth by examining the amniotic fluid from the placenta. A commonly used test that screen for birth defects and mainly Downs Syndrome would be Alpha-fetoprotein. Alpha-fetoprotein measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein in the blood. This screening may be included as one part of a two, three, or four-part screening, often called a multiple marker screen. The other parts may include the following: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Estriol (Williams, 2007). Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is extracted from the placenta cells. High levels may indicate a fetus with Down Syndrome. Estriol is  a hormone produced by the placenta and by the fetal liver and adrenal glands. Low levels may indicate a fetus with Down Syndrome. Other birth defects that are a leading cause of infant mortality would be heart defects and missing organs and limbs. These birth defects are noticed through ultrasounds just before the pregnancy goes to twenty weeks. It was founded that roughly two percent of all pregnancies are complicated by a major birth defect. Of that two percent, ninety-three percent of the women decided to terminate the pregnancy before the child is born into a life of suffering (Williams, 2007). Thus concluding that women mainly resort in abortion in order to protect a child from being born with a disability that could lead them i n a life where it would be difficult for them to survive. In conclusion, one can say that abortion is not an immoral act due to the fact that at the time abortion takes place the fetus has not yet become a human, the situations that make abortion the only option which shields the unborn child from being born into a world where they cannot be taken care of and avoiding birth defects. This fact has been proven throughout this essay by the research done by medical professionals and people who have gone through this experience. Bibliography Abortion Laws Worldwide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/460/abortion-laws-worldwide Annual Abortion Survey-USA. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ Childrens Health. The  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nemours Foundation, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 Mar. 2015. http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/medical/genetics.html?tracking=P_RelatedArticle. Description of Types of Abortions, Abortion Procedures, How They Work, What to Expect. Description of Types of Abortions, Abortion Procedures, How They Work, What to Expect. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. http://www.birthmothers.org/extras/types-of-abortions.htm. Evers, J. (2013, February 1). Religious views on abortion. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.spuc.org.edu/youth/student_info_on_abortion/religion Guralnick, M. J. (2010). Early intervention approaches to enhance the peer-related social competence of young children with developmental delays: A historical perspective.  Infants and Young Children, 23, 73–83. Hirsch, L.(2010). Genetic Testing. KidsHealth the Webs Most Visited Site about Johnson, M. (2011, January 1). Abortion. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from http://www.cfsh.ca/your_sexual_health/abortion/ Pollitt, K. (2011). Pro: Reclaiming abortion rights (pp. 29-43). Religious views on abortion. (2012, January 1). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.spuc.org.uk/youth/student_info_on_abortion/religion Sanghavi, D. (2013, January 1). Texas’ Bill Would Ban Abortions at the Time Testing Reveals Fetal Defects. Retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/07/texas_ Williams, M. (2007). Abortion (pp. 34-59). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion

Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion Collectivization was one of Joseph Stalins policies in addressing the looming decline in food production in the Soviet Union. This policy, implemented from 1928 through 1940, involved the consolidation of farms from individual farmers into collective farms. Because of the collectivization policy, the Soviet Union experienced significant problems as the peasants opposed collectivization and as the government remained adamant in supporting the policy. Support from the Peasantry One of the main benefits of the collectivization policy was that the landless peasants would be able to experience significant improvements in their economic situations, especially when considering that the policy provided for increased involvement of the landless peasants in the farm activities. This was the major aspect of the policy that attracted the peasants to provide support for the establishment of collective farms. Another important consideration is that the collectivization policy was aimed at providing necessary information in order for decision-making at different government levels to be well-grounded. Such information was the main target of the government in controlling the collective farms, with the information being delivered or made accessible to decision-makers in the timeliest manner possible through the centralized structure of the collective farms. This means that the reach/ scope and effectiveness of the centralized collective farms could significantly contribute to the success of the governments efforts in increasing agricultural output. In this regard, it is arguable that one of the advantages of the collective policy was that it made decision-making more attuned to the current conditions of the Soviet Union. However, an important consideration is the structure of the Soviet Union this influenced how economic information on the collective farms could be disseminated among the de cision-makers at the different government levels. For instance, a centralized structure could readily allow for the dissemination of such information through just a singular effort. In the case of a decentralized structure (as was the case of the non-collective farms prior to the implementation of the policy), however, such information would have proven to be difficult to disseminate. This was important to consider, especially amidst the widely implemented combination of centralized and decentralized economic processes within the Soviet Union.[1] The structure of the centralized collective farms would have had to be well-adapted to this (generally) dual nature of the government for it to be utilized fully. From this perspective, if the structure of the centralized collective farms was indeed designed to support such nature, it would have allow decision-makers to be effective at making use of available information. In a decentralized government as in the case of the farms prior to the implementation of the collectivization policy, a properly configured structure would have allowed for the most appropriate way of allocating of resources. In addition, it would have helped decision-makers in assessing options and in implementing control over a variety of processes. The significance of the structure of the centralized collective farms was greater in the overall performance of the economy of the Soviet Union and its centralized operations. Since decentralization meant that many components produced different sets of information and were likely to make decisions based on such varying information sets, having centralized structure such as the structure of the centralized collective farms that comprehensively covered the government and the Soviet Union and its needs would have meant great improvements in making decision making among the different components well-organized and in harmony with each other. Having this done would have meant that the Soviet Union would be able to col1aborate its efforts, in spite of being decentralized. The challenge, however, was that the different components had different information outputs that did not necessarily conform to each other. The system would have had to make major adjustments to such information-processes before actually being able effectively implement the structure of the centralized collective farms. Under decentralization, there were a number of advantages that the peasants and government could use of when implementing the centralized structure of the collective farms. For instance, the costs of developing the centralized structure of the collective farms and implementing it were relatively lower than maintaining decentralized farms that could barely support the food needs of the Soviet Union. This was because of the â€Å"divided† nature of the system individual components of the system did not have to cover the entire Soviet Union, but only had to be connected to the system core Moscow.[2] In addition, the centralized structure of the collective farms in the economic environment of the Soviet Union at the time meant that the system could be customized in such a way that the specific needs of the individual components are addressed in the best possible way. Therefore, through the centralized structure of the collective farms in such a setting, the processes in the di fferent areas were maintained, thereby theoretically allowing for more efficient production. This, in turn, made the system considerably flexible as some areas could be made to function differently from the rest of the Soviet Union. The centralized structure of the collective farms allowed for more effective implementation of Soviet strategies. Theoretically, it also allowed the government to maintain or improve participation of peasants. Moreover, decision-makers in the different areas, even though having access to information regarding other areas, would still have maintained a sense of responsibility, considering that they were made to perform within their own areas in spite of having better access to the system information. Moreover, the centralized structure of the collective farms had the advantage of being theoretically more reliable. This was because of the use of different systems (or sub-systems) in the different areas. When a problem/ failure occurred in one sub-system, t he centralized structure of the collective farms would still remain functional in other sub-systems. The centralized structure of the collective farms also provided for responsiveness among the government offices. It is important to emphasize on the increased motivation/ satisfaction that, theoretically, peasants would have in such a setting peasants were theoretically encouraged to participate in processes and have a heightened sense of responsibility. Also, since the theoretically took into consideration the various needs of the different areas and not just those of the entire Soviet Union as a whole, theoretically, the decision-makers in the different areas would have been able to achieve improvements in their response times. Peasants Discontent and Its Parameters The main discontent of the peasants with the policy was that it took away land from peasants who already had land prior to the policy implementation, and it effectively decreased the income of the peasants in spite of the supposed improvements in the economic situations of the peasants. One of the parameters of the peasants discontent was their freedom to work on their own lands and on lands of their own choosing. The former farm system prior to collectivization is generally associated with democratic societies. This makes sense because the former farm system prior to collectivization required individual freedom and control of resources, properties and means of production. It is arguable that the framework of democracy was the most appropriate for the former farm system prior to collectivization at least at the village level. In contrast, communism and socialism imposed by the collectivization were not typically associated with democracy, especially when considering that communism an d socialism prohibits individual ownership and control of the economys means of production. As a result, the former farm system prior to collectivization could not exist in purely communist or purely socialist economic systems.[3] It is important to note that the former farm system prior to collectivization was characterized by three main aspects: (a) private ownership, (b) individual economic freedom, (c) competition among farming entities. In terms of private ownership, the entire village accepted and accommodated private ownership. This meant that, in such an economy, resources such as land, as well as the means of production and goods and services were privately owned at the village level by individual members of the society, by groups or entities like partnerships or families. In terms of individual economic freedom, the former farm system prior to collectivization allowed individual members of the villages to pursue their own interests to achieve certain economic goals. This meant that in such a situation, the individual peasants were allowed and accommodated to act for personal gains. Considering that individuals were free to go for whichever occupation they desired, the former farm system prior to coll ectivization was frequently referred to as an enterprise system within the socialist Soviet Union.[4] In terns of competition among farming entities, the former farm system prior to collectivization allowed and accommodated individuals and groups to compete against each other. This aspect of the former farm system prior to collectivization was actually an offshoot of individual economic freedom at the village level people competed against each other because of their desire to accomplish their personal economic interests in a system where resources and, thus, economic opportunities were limited. These three aspects were important factors that contributed to the discontent of the peasants and that distinguished the former farm system prior to collectivization from the collective farming villages upon implementation of the policy. In the new collective farm structure, there was no individual economic freedom, no private ownership and no economic competition among individuals or groups of individuals. In such an economy, there was no private ownership. The main positive effects of the former farm system prior to collectivization were as follows. It supported individual freedom. It also allowed for individual control of resources and properties at least at the village level. This prevented the government (or a few individuals) to control economic resources and properties. Overall, the former farm system prior to collectivization was a dominant factor in the Soviet Unions situation during the implementation of the collectivization policy. In contrast, the new structure of the collective farms entailed economic equality. Peasants were compelled to work, with their efforts ideally being pooled together to be distributed equally among the people. In terms of productivity, the people were theoretically encouraged to be more productive. Socialist and communist strategies (agenda) were similar in that they consider the people as the origin of power. However, they also differ in terms of how such power is utilized and maintained, and in terms of how the people have control of such power once it has already been given to the ruler(s). The new structure of the collective farms meant that the landed peasants would lose their properties, that the landless peasants would gain access to farmlands but lose their economic freedom, and that the farming villages would be subjected to the control of Moscow, mainly for the benefit of the densely populated cities of the Soviet Union. The new structure of the collective farms also meant that, with the aim of increasing overall economic efficiency, there was the very realistic risk of the government making reduced payments to the peasants in spite of the peasants increased agricultural output. Uprising Effectiveness, Expectations of Peasants and Overall Outcome The peasant uprising was effective in the sense that it effectively counteracted the collectivization policy. For instance, the Soviet Union as a whole experienced decreased agricultural output because the peasants refused to the work in the farms.[5] This is completely opposite the initial goal of the collectivization policy, which is to increase agricultural output to support the growing demand of the Soviet Union, especially in urban areas where populations were concentrated.[6] One of the main reasons for the effectiveness of the uprising was that the peasants expectations of maintained or increased income were not met by the collective farms. In fact, many of the peasants experienced decreased income because of the collectivization policy.[7] The result of such failures can be observed in the situation of the Soviet Union by the late 1930s. For instance, large-scale collectivization and the reaction of the peasants resulted in major changes in the effectiveness of Soviet Unions institutions especially at the level of the villages. Such collectivization policy did not necessarily have the power or strength to be successful at being effective, in spite of the fact that the policy was supported, theoretically, by the socialist economic system that framed the economic activities of the villages in general.[8] In fact, the results of the collectivization policy indicate that such policy was met with significant opposition, such that support for the collectivization policy was utterly uncommon throughout the Soviet Union in spite of the outright and well-known mandate of the government for the establishment of the collective farms. The opposition exhibited by the peasants in the villages can be considered akin to the Soviet Unions transition into a state where small democratic institutions are accommodated at the village level. Democratic movements have been making some progress at the time, but they are still weak against the large communist government.[9] In addition, perhaps more importantly, the actions of the Soviet Unions government actually resulted in attention being shifted towards the government and its policies and actions.[10] This led to increased criticism of the Soviet Union government and the policies it implemented. However, movements against the communist autocracy were very difficult, in spite of the large scale refusal of the peasants to work in the collective farms. Thus, this implies that the problems experienced by the Soviet Union during the collectivization of the farms were attributable to the Soviet Unions nature of government. Such problems were very complex and difficult to address by way of movements or activities similar/ related to the collectivization.[11] In this regard, the overall outcome of the peasant uprising was the decline of agricultural production of the Soviet Union and the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. It should be noted that the Russian communist government was the principal reason behind the difficulty in addressing problems of autocracy and problems in sustaining the collectivization policy. For instance, in spite of changes in power distribution within the Russian government, the communist central government remained strong and powerful in addressing challenges and oppositions.[12] The Russian communist government actually had not changed much in terms of influence and thus remained the major obstacle to any democratic move or any move that counters the Russian communist governments initiatives and decisions, even at the lowest levels of the villages. Because of this maintenance of power, the central government was able to impose restrictions on the population even when such restrictions were against the desires of the peasantry. For instance, by controlling the farms at the village level, the Russian central communist government believed that it would be more able to control localities and effectively implement reforms for growth, especially in the agriculture and food supply.[13] Because of its power and the lack of strength of opposition, the central government readily and extremely limited the population in spite of changes in the economic conditions throughout the country. Such strength and apparent lack of flexibility undermined the growing problems linked to the peasant uprising. As a result, the inflexibility of the Russian government contributed to the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. Nonetheless, in spite of the power and oppression that the government exerted on the people in the villages, it was actually suffering from unapparent problems in maintaining central control as well as discipline, especially among the communities involved in the collectivized farms.[14] This made Moscow prone to problems in maintaining the system of government throughout the country, which, in turn, made the government unable to properly, completely and effectively enforce the collectivization policy. This also points out that need for Moscow then to examine large-scale and comprehensive reforms and their effects on the economy. An important part of the situation of the Soviet Union during and immediately after the implementation of the collectivization policy was the transformation of the Russian communist government into a major facilitator of the reform.[15] This is important because the Russian government did not properly accommodate the expectations and needs of the peasantry. There was no effective means of establishing a system that checks and balances on all institutions involved in the collectivization policy, such that there were conflicts of interests among the different offices involved in the collectivization policy, as well as between the government and the peasantry in general. The Russian communist government was then already trying to transform itself into an entity that is more understandable and acceptable to the population through the collectivization policy, which undoubtedly attempted to consider the needs of the growing population as well as the needs of the landless peasants.[16] Another principal consideration for Soviet Unions reforms was its legal system at the time of the implementation of the collectivization policy. In the past, the actions that were made in this system were practically determined by the central government. Thus the system was able to deeply enroot itself into the Russian society. The negative things about this characteristic of the government was that, under communist totalitarian government, power was unlimited, party power was permanent, and the leaders power was indivisible.[17] In addition even if the Russian communist government took on a reversal of action, this would not mean any change in the totalitarian power structure. Such inflexibility, as mentioned earlier, contributed to the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. Because of its strong persistence even to the late 1930s and after the failure of the collectivization policy, this central autocracy had to be dealt with if the country was to sustain its economic pace through reforms in the legal system. The historical task that faced Soviet Union was to create a society under the rule of law, in spite of the increased economic lawlessness of the peasants who refused to work in the collective farms. The path to such a society was a legal one, not an illegal one.[18] However, courts were not independent.[19] There still needed to be some big struggles to be faced in order for the system to be changed in favor of economic and socio-political reform for the benefit of the population. This was important because the legal path was an effective method of struggle towards properly addressing the needs of the Soviet Union.[20] It should be noted though that, in spite of apparent stagnancy and decline resulting from the collectivization policy, the Russian legal system has already exhibited significant changes alongside the decline of the economy upon implementation of the collectivization policy.[21] All these emphasize the complexity that the Russian government actually faced in trying to mold the Soviet Union into a growth-conducive society. Regarding the nature of Soviet Unions system of corruption, it is important to note that corruption was built into the fabric of Russian society such that removing it would have resulted in problems at the basic levels of government and public service.[22] Thus, there was a compelling case that essentially establishes that, probably, to some extent, the Soviet Union would have had to continue addressing the need for growth-conduciveness without actually eliminating corruption and peasant opposition comprehensively at such a large-scale. Analysis and Conclusion Regarding the establishment of collective farms in Russian villages, the problems faced by the Russian government was on the autocracy and the delegation of â€Å"power† to the villages through to ensure proper implementation of collectivization.[23] Through collectivization, the village people are deprived of their power and are compelled to give up their properties for the benefit of populations that the government considered fit for allocation of the produce from such properties. By the end of the 1930s, the country already had large scale implementation of collectivization in villages throughout all its territory. However, in spite of the general interest that such an implementation has gained from critics and analysts around the world, the Russian government was actually having problems with the implementation. The principal issues to consider in the implementation of collectivization in the Soviet Union were as follows: (1) whether or not this collectivization policy would influence lawlessness and rebellion exhibited by villages; (2) whether or not the resulting structure of the collective village farms would function as agents for suppressing village resistance to state initiatives or, on the contrary, as supporters of such resistance; (3) whether or not it is possible to establish a peaceful and beneficial coexistence between the Russian Government and the collective farm structures in the villages; and (4) whether or not the people were actually inclined to accept and participate in the collective farms. In effect, there needs to be an examination of such issues, especially in terms of the objectives of the policys implementation and how it was that the resulting collective farm structures in the villages could be established realistically. The problems and results of the collectivization policy were discussed and analyzed, especially from the perspective of the state government as well as the perspective of the peasants. The bases used for such analysis are considerably robust and makes use of earlier literature on Russian sociology and politics. This paper addresses the issues involved in the implementation and failure of the collectivization policy, with Russian socio-politics as the foundation for the analysis. It is concluded that village opposition and freedom in economic activities was difficult to attain, given the state of government (or lack of it) in the villages at the time the collectivization policy was implemented. However, it was not impossible, especially when considering the economic boom that influenced even to a small extent the villages. Overall, the collectivization policy was a failure because it did not consider all of the needs and expectations of the peasants, and because the uprising of the peasants resulted in a decline in agricultural output, which was completely opposite to the agricultural and economic improvement goals of Stalins collectivization policy for the Soviet Union. Bibliography Allilueva, A. 1946. Vospominaniia. Moscow: Apin. Conquest, R. 1989. Stalin and the Kirov Murder. New York: Free Press. Deutscher, I. 1968. Stalin: A Political Biography. London: Sage. Fotieva, L.A. 1964. Lenin. Moscow: Apin. Hingley, R. 1974. Joseph Stalin: Man and Legend. London: Sage. Jonge, A. 1988. Stalin and the Shaping of the Soviet Union. New York: Free Press. Kaminskii, V., Vereshchagin, I. 1939. Detstvo I iunost vozhdia: dokument y, zapiski, rasskazy. Molodaia gvardiia, no. 12, 1939. Khrushchev, N.S. 1989. Stalin. Vospominaniia, 28, 9-15. Krivitsky, W. 1939. In Stalin s Secret Service. London: Sage. Lewin, M. 1968. Lenins Last Struggle. New York: Free Press. Medvedev, R. A. 1969. Let History Judge: The Origins and Consequences of Stalinism. New York: U. Binding. Nicolaevsky, B. 1965. Power and the Soviet Elite. New York: Ann Arbor. Orlov, A. 1953. The Secret History of Stalins Crimes. New York: Free Press. Rayfield, D. 1976. The Dream of Lhasa: The Life of Nikolay Przhevalsky. Athens: Ohio. Slusser, R. M. 1987. Stalin in October. London: Sage. Souvarine, B. 1939. Stalin: A Critical Survey of Bolshevism. New York: Read Books. Triymfi, I.V. 1956. Stalin: Politicheski Portret. Moscow: Apin. Tucker, R. 1974. Stalin as Revolutionary. New York: Free Press. Ulam, A. 1973. Stalin: The Man and His Era. New York: Viking Press. Volkogonov, D. 1973. Stalin. New York: Free press. [1] Kaminskii, V., Vereshchagin, I. 1939. Detstvo I iunost vozhdia: dokument y, zapiski, rasskazy. Molodaia gvardiia, no. 12, 1939. [2] Krivitsky, W. 1939. In Stalin s Secret Service. London: Sage. [3] Souvarine, B. 1939. Stalin: A Critical Survey of Bolshevism. New York: Read Books. [4] Allilueva, A. 1946. Vospominaniia. Moscow: Apin. [5] Orlov, A. 1953. The Secret History of Stalins Crimes. New York: Free Press. [6] Triymfi, I.V. 1956. Stalin: Politicheski Portret. Moscow: Apin. [7] Nicolaevsky, B. 1965. Power and the Soviet Elite. New York: Ann Arbor. [8] Deutscher, I. 1968. Stalin: A Political Biography. London: Sage. [9] Lewin, M. 1968. Lenins Last Struggle. New York: Free Press. [10] Medvedev, R. A. 1969. Let History Judge: The Origins and Consequences of Stalinism. New York: U. Binding. [11] Ulam, A. 1973. Stalin: The Man and His Era. New York: Viking Press. [12] Volkogonov, D. 1973. Stalin. New York: Free press. [13] Hingley, R. 1974. Joseph Stalin: Man and Legend. London: Sage. [14] Tucker, R. 1974. Stalin as Revolutionary. New York: Free Press. [15] Rayfield, D. 1976. The Dream of Lhasa: The Life of Nikolay Przhevalsky. Athens: Ohio. [16] Slusser, R. M. 1987. Stalin in October. London: Sage. [17] Ibid, 37. [18] Jonge, A. 1988. Stalin and the Shaping of the Soviet Union. New York: Free Press. [19] Ibid, 9. [20] Ibid, 36. [21] Conquest, R. 1989. Stalin and the Kirov Murder. New York: Free Press. [22] Ibid 98. [23] Khrushchev, N.S. 1989. Stalin. Vospominaniia, 28, 9-15.

The Manifestations Of Globalisation Politics Essay

The Manifestations Of Globalisation Politics Essay Mittelman (2000, p 15) states that The manifestations of globalisation include the spatial reorganization of production, the interpenetration of industries across borders, the spread of financial markets, the diffusion of identical consumer goods to distant countries, massive transfers of population-mainly within the South as well as from the South and the East to the West, and an emerging worldwide (though not universal) preference for democracy. This introduction will highlight and lightly touch on the key points and arguments being raised, all of which will be elaborated on further in the body of the essay. We will first look at the impact globalization has had on the world. Globalization is merely a result of the mobility of three of the four factors of production, these factors being labour, capital and enterprise. However the globalization of business has led to an emerging global culture as ideas and knowledge are transported throughout the world. This emerging culture, coupled with the need for laws and regulation has given birth to the ideology of Global Governance (Bertucci, Alberti). As the trade procedures grew and crossed borders, where practices and cultures differed, there came the need for an international norm. As with anything new in this world, there will be arguments both for and against, however it is undeniable that the topic of globalization is a controversial one. The hyperglobalist would argue that free trade creates opportunities for global prosperity, peace and development and that both parties benefit from the mobilisation of trade, (Moore, 2003, p 9). On the other side of the coin, however, the globalization sceptics argue that one party loses out (usually the developing nations) and the rise of Global Governance poses a threat to a countrys sovereignty as some economies become interdependent or even reliant on Foreign Direct Investment. (Martell, 2010) Further arguments involve exploitation of the labour market and human rights violations all in the name of competitive advantage. Brune (2005) states that globalization has led to a drastic increase in child labour, sweatshops and other unethical practices as developing nations race for economic development, and so called first-world status. Finally we will look at the most pressing issue on the horizon today the environment. Many believe that the rapid spread of business and economic development is destroying the natural environment, thus raising the argument of sustainable growth. All these issues affect not only the business world, but the state too, and have given rise to International Governance Institutions which in simple terms serve to regulate, mediate and facilitate trade. The pre-globalisation state: Traditional functions of the central government The general assumption is that the government is a representation of a nation and that it is their job to uphold the rights of their people. Sliglitz states simply that the role of the state 150 years ago was to build the national economy and promote nation-building. Before globalization, the law began and ended with the government; it was the state that decided what policies to introduce, what laws to impose and enforce, how trade would be handled and mostly the degree of democracy within the country. The state preciously functioned on self interest, having no forceful external pressures meant that governance was a localised aspect, left up to the cultures, traditions, beliefs and preferences of that particular society. According to Mefleh, the state served to provide public goods, such as defence, education while maintaining order and bringing about economic growth. Globalization however, has impacted the way the state functions and set international standards that have be to adhered to in order to keep up with the wave of economic growth through assistance from organizations such as the World Bank and IMF. The biggest factor that has forced governments to transition and change their way of governing has been the spread of democracy in information and communication and the demand for transparency by the global community. International Governance Organisations : A new hierarchy However, Global economic integration has resulted in numerous emerging trends, one of the most important being the democratisation of information and communications (Friedman). One of the fore-fathers in economics, Adam Smith believed that an economy that opened its trade up to the international world would open itself up to national economic growth, but as this has happened the fundamental aspects of economies have been affected worldwide, leading to changes the way business is done (Moore). Countries have seen change both economically and socially, but these changes are not always positive, and this is where governance comes in. International governance organisations are meant to be a symbol of democracy and they have emerged as the need arose. They are large in numbers, and varied in their aims so we will look at some of the more powerful, well-known ones that are relevant to this essay. The United Nations is an umbrella organisation founded in 1945 after the Second World War, with the aim of preventing future disputes and wars through providing a platform for communication and mediation. This organisation has since expanded and become a super power. The UN has 192 member countries, out of the 245 countries in the world, each of which have to comply with the rules and regulations set by the organisation, or they risk losing out on the perks that come with being a member. A good example of this is the situation where in 2001 the IMF discontinued providing financial aid to Zimbabwe, as a result of the deficit occurred [IMF]. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) serves to provide developing nations with the finances necessary to develop their economies. When the debt was not repaid, and the IMF felt the terms had been broken they made a declaration of non-cooperation with the Zimbabwean government, cutting off the country from financial aid. This move put pressure on the government to rectify the issues that led to this deficit, as without financial backing the developing nation would be unable to achieve its poverty-relief goals. One of the main arguments against globalization is that developing nations receive the short end of the stick as they cannot compete in the international market against developed nations who have the knowledge, technology and finance which give these nations the competitive advantage. As a result of this, the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has 153 member states, has taken the role of trade mediator. This organization promotes free trade and assists in the building of trade blocs, international standardisation and trade regulations. The WTO has several committees which deal with anything from assessing standards and enforcing international standards, to environmental concerns, to anti-dumping legislation and has over time questioned trade practices, criticised, ostracised and helped develop trade blocs which have ultimately assisted many countries in their economic rise. India for example having a large, well-trained population was not able to penetrate the services industry in external markets until the Global governance has emerged in a time when it is needed. Many can argue that it takes away the power of the nation- state but there are many organizations that have changed the lives of people worldwide. The ILO enforces the International Labour Law, aimed at promoting equality, social justice, freedom of speech and an end to poverty. As the presence of unions has waned the ILO has been at the fore-front fighting for the rights of the labour force worldwide. An example of just how global this organization is would be the project run by the ILO in Mogadishu, Somalia. This country has seen years of economic strife, political instability and yet this organization was able to provide programmes that provided employment intense projects while promoting the equality of both men and women in the workplace. In a country that does not have a functioning government we see the need for a global system, for international standards and the benefits of having such organizations. Post-globalisation: The emerging roles of the state. It is clear that the welfare state is diminishing as free-market practices are being adopted and democracy is spreading like wildfire. However, although globalization has brought about many positive things, there have also been negative ones. As mentioned earlier in the introduction, the environment has become a great concern as businesses grow and the environment is damaged. One of the most esteemed and powerful organizations that exist solely to preserve the natural environment, Green Peace, have shown that businesses are polluting the water, air, irreparably damaging the environment as they struggle to compete in their respective markets. Because of this, it has fallen on the state now to regulate carbon emissions and promote sustainable, environmental friendly growth. In the United States the Environmental Protection Agency in California has set laws regarding carbon emissions and in Germany cars have to adhere to the Euro4 standards. These examples of how governments are impleme nting laws and regulations to protect the environment are just a few of the numerous measures being taken as a result of the pressure from the International community, and organisations such as Green Peace. Although globalization has led to the mobility of talent and knowledge it has also resulted in a wave of migrant labour from developing countries, to more economically developed nations. This has caused governments to tighten their immigration laws and so we see the aspect of nation-building is still present. On this topic England are imposing strict measures on allowing foreigners access to the country, after a period where laws regarding this were relatively lax (BBC NEWS). These laws are aimed mainly to protect the labour market as local Britons are losing work to migrant labour willing to accept lower wages and sub-standard working conditions while benefitting from the state-funded welfare. Governments now have to consider the implications of globalization on the labour market and act appropriately as they are still responsible for their citizens, even more so in democratic environments. The state does not only have to answer to any external organization it may be a part of, but in modern day politics the state has to answer to their people too. The media has become a powerful tool, and with democracy so wide-spread the elected state has become a medium of representation for the people, and is no longer a separate entity. The state still functions to develop the economy and protect its labour market, but now it also has the additional role of creating strategic alliances aimed at strengthening trade bonds that will contribute positively towards the economy. It is up to the government now to decide just how far they are willing to integrate and to use the platforms set up by organizations such as the WTO to negotiate the terms of trade to increase their competitiveness in the international market. To look directly at the question of International Governance organisations undermining the state, we can see that the state no longer has the power that it once used to. Each country that is a member of these global governing bodies has to abide by international law, and face criticism and even legal proceedings by the International Court of Justice. However, generally speaking, the state has become more transparent and even though they are answerable to other governing bodies, the state still has influence. Unfortunately some countries have more power than others depending on their political ties, but ceteris paribus, the state still has a necessary role to play.

Analysis of an American Trial: The Salem Witch Trials :: American America History

Analysis of an American Trial: The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials all began on January 20, 1692, with nine-year-old Elizabeth "Betty" Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams, daughter and niece of the village reverend Samuel Parris, beginning to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells. Within a short period of time, several other Salem girls began to illustrate similar behavior; physicians resolved that the girls were under the control of Satan. Reverend Parris conducted prayer services and public fasting in hopes of relieving the evil forces that tormented them. In an effort to expose the "enchantress", one man baked a "witch cake" made with rye bran and the urine of the ill girls. This counter-magic was meant to reveal the identities of the "witched" to the ailing girls. Pressured to identify the cause of their misfortune, the girls named three women, including Tituba, Samuel Parris' slave, as witches. On February 29, warrants were dispatched for the arrests of Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Although Osborne and Good sustained guiltlessness, Tituba confessed to seeing Lucifer, who appeared to her "sometimes like a hog and sometimes like a great dog." What's more, Tituba certified that there was a collaboration of witches at work in Salem. On March 1, Magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathon Corwin investigated the three women in the courthouse in Salem Village. Tituba confessed to pursuing black magic. Over the next few weeks, other villagers came forward and testified that they too had been traumatized by or had seen strange phantoms of some of the village members. As the witch-hunting prolonged, charges were made toward many different people. Frequently unmasked were women whose behavior was somehow disturbing to the social order and formalities of the time. Some of the accused had records of unlawful pastimes, including witchery, but others were faithful churchgoers and people of high status in the society. From Mid-March to early April, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were accused of witchcraft. Soon after Corey, Nurse, and Proctor were examined before Magistrates Hathorne, Corwin, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, and Captain Samuel Sewall. During this analysis, John Proctor was also jailed. Then Abigail Hobbs, Bridget Bishop, Giles Corey and Mary Warren were taken into account. The only one to confess was Hobbs. On April 22, Nehemiah Abbot, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Edward and Sara Bishop, Mary Easty, Mary Black, Sarah Wildes, and Mary English were examined before Hathorne and Corwin.

Essay --

Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydropower in the world, has claimed to be a project that gives â€Å"hope† to the people in China. Located on the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world, the Three Gorges Dam is the symbol of China’s technology and economic progress. For years, the government has claimed that it could benefit people’s living quality by improving the navigation on Yangtze River, providing hydroelectric power, and improving flood control. But does it true? Do the people in China get any benefit from this project? This paper will discuss about the environmental impact, the social consequence, and the current status of Government’s plans toward the Three Gorges Dam. Flood control is the main reason for building the Three Gorges Dam. Since Han Dynasty (300BC), flood has been killed millions of lives, and destroyed millions of acres of farmland and homes every ten years. Billions of money has been spent on recovering the damage. The Three Gorges Dam is meant to be responsible for controlling the flood by changing the water height of the reservoir upstream from the dam according to season. It was planned to allow the water level to reach 185 meters above the sea level during the dry season, from November to April, and reduce to 135 meters during flooding months in order to attempt to contain flood waters. ("Biggest flood control,") Energy production is the second major reason for the construction of Three Gorges Dam. China’s demand of energy has been increasing rapidly that the Government have to find ways to fulfill the huge demand. The Three Gorges Dam becomes one of the solutions in meeting the needs. According to China Three Gorges Corporation, the dam contains twenty-six turbines, each generating 700MW, thus ... ...s very inefficient. Besides hydroelectricity, China has a lot of potential in other alternative energy, like wind energy and solar power. The investment of these alternative energy could be cheaper and faster compare with the large dam. According to the China Academy of Meteorological Sciences, the potential of wind energy is massive, with 235 GW of practical onshore wind power potential and 750GW offshore. For the solar power, China is already a global manufacturer of PV panels which makes it likely to have a large market for grid-tied solar in the future. ("Three gorges dam:," 2008). The Chinese government’s goal is to get 15% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. With the strong financial and political power of China government, China could become the world leader of energy revolution while protecting the environment and human rights at the same time.

The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions

Numerous things went into the development of the New England and Chesapeake regions. Though both of these societies came from the same background, England, these different groups of people yielded a different way to live. Basic needs and idealistic concepts were two reasons that differentiated New England from the Chesapeake region. Basic needs included anything from food to shelter to education. The new pioneers had enormously varying ideas that they wished to accomplish in the New World. Such ideas involved religious concepts and governmental leadership. Thirdly, why did people come to America? The variation as to why people decided to come to America, was one reason that New England and the Chesapeake region evolved into two distinct communities. The two groups had very different views as to what they wished to accomplish. Documents B and C show a random sample of the sort of people that came to America. Emigrants who arrived in New England were mostly families with several children and their servants. The original people of New England were searching for a quiet place to call home, where they could raise their family apart from religious bias. On the other hand those who were bound for Virginia, mostly single young men, were in search of fortune. In contrast, only a few of these gold seekers were accompanied by family members, and probably knew very few of the other lads joining them on their quest. The men of the Chesapeake region had one basic mindset, and they were intent on finding wealth. This greed led to their own misfortune. In the History of Virginia, even before the settlers departed from England, the idea of the rich versus the poor had developed. There were those who had money and other such things, and those who did not. Those who did not became bitter from the hard trip and jealous of those slight few who struck gold in the New World. As stated by Captain Smith, â€Å"golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses. † Many of these men referred to as â€Å"slaves† consumed with greed, forgot to take care of their basic needs, food and shelter, therefore many simply died. Both New England and the Chesapeake region realized they had to work together in order to survive and hopefully thrive in the future, but only New England established this at first. On Winthrop†s journey to America he stated in his own words, â€Å"we must be knit together in this work as one man. † He made a point in saying the only way to survive is to support each other. Well, one way to create a community is to find common ground for which the new settlers can relate, in this case they found it in their children. Most of the citizens of New England had children, that is supported by Document B. With a large amount of children, logically there was a need for education. Thus education brought upon the building of schools, which in turn, made the newly founded society work together. Winthrop†s idealization of the unity of society stated that all must rejoice, mourn, labor and suffer together. He created unity among the people. Virginia had no such luck in finding this common ground and unity. They were too busy searching for gold. The Puritans did not consume their time worrying about money as did the Virginians. Their main focus was on setting up a society where they were free from persecution. John Winthrop, a future governor of Massachusetts, wished to establish a religious community in the New World. The Puritan ambition had been to establish an ideal Christian community, a â€Å"city on a hill,† as Winthrop called it, with the eyes of England and the entire world on it. Pride alone, as to not fail, may had been the reason for success. Also government played a huge part in the success of the northern colonies. Almost immediately after arriving in New England, a government was set up. This government was led by the church. The Articles of Agreement set up certain orders that were to be followed. Such orders were to procure a minister that followed all the ways of Christ. Document D suggested that the town of Springfield, Massachusetts, be composed of forty families rich and poor. Unlike the Chesapeake region, Springfield allotted every inhabitant land on which a house could be built, but more importantly, land for planting. Their government has evolved into our democratic government of the present. Although New England and the Chesapeake region had differences, neither society perished. Virginia thrived on wealth and materialistic items, you either had it or you did not. While in the background New England raised their young, trying to teach strong values and pass on their ideas of a better way of living. These first attempts at colonization, laid the foundation of society today. The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions Numerous things went into the development of the New England and Chesapeake regions. Though both of these societies came from the same background, England, these different groups of people yielded a different way to live. Basic needs and idealistic concepts were two reasons that differentiated New England from the Chesapeake region. Basic needs included anything from food to shelter to education. The new pioneers had enormously varying ideas that they wished to accomplish in the New World. Such ideas involved religious concepts and governmental leadership. Thirdly, why did people come to America? The variation as to why people decided to come to America, was one reason that New England and the Chesapeake region evolved into two distinct communities. The two groups had very different views as to what they wished to accomplish. Documents B and C show a random sample of the sort of people that came to America. Emigrants who arrived in New England were mostly families with several children and their servants. The original people of New England were searching for a quiet place to call home, where they could raise their family apart from religious bias. On the other hand those who were bound for Virginia, mostly single young men, were in search of fortune. In contrast, only a few of these gold seekers were accompanied by family members, and probably knew very few of the other lads joining them on their quest. The men of the Chesapeake region had one basic mindset, and they were intent on finding wealth. This greed led to their own misfortune. In the History of Virginia, even before the settlers departed from England, the idea of the rich versus the poor had developed. There were those who had money and other such things, and those who did not. Those who did not became bitter from the hard trip and jealous of those slight few who struck gold in the New World. As stated by Captain Smith, â€Å"golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses. † Many of these men referred to as â€Å"slaves† consumed with greed, forgot to take care of their basic needs, food and shelter, therefore many simply died. Both New England and the Chesapeake region realized they had to work together in order to survive and hopefully thrive in the future, but only New England established this at first. On Winthrop†s journey to America he stated in his own words, â€Å"we must be knit together in this work as one man. † He made a point in saying the only way to survive is to support each other. Well, one way to create a community is to find common ground for which the new settlers can relate, in this case they found it in their children. Most of the citizens of New England had children, that is supported by Document B. With a large amount of children, logically there was a need for education. Thus education brought upon the building of schools, which in turn, made the newly founded society work together. Winthrop†s idealization of the unity of society stated that all must rejoice, mourn, labor and suffer together. He created unity among the people. Virginia had no such luck in finding this common ground and unity. They were too busy searching for gold. The Puritans did not consume their time worrying about money as did the Virginians. Their main focus was on setting up a society where they were free from persecution. John Winthrop, a future governor of Massachusetts, wished to establish a religious community in the New World. The Puritan ambition had been to establish an ideal Christian community, a â€Å"city on a hill,† as Winthrop called it, with the eyes of England and the entire world on it. Pride alone, as to not fail, may had been the reason for success. Also government played a huge part in the success of the northern colonies. Almost immediately after arriving in New England, a government was set up. This government was led by the church. The Articles of Agreement set up certain orders that were to be followed. Such orders were to procure a minister that followed all the ways of Christ. Document D suggested that the town of Springfield, Massachusetts, be composed of forty families rich and poor. Unlike the Chesapeake region, Springfield allotted every inhabitant land on which a house could be built, but more importantly, land for planting. Their government has evolved into our democratic government of the present. Although New England and the Chesapeake region had differences, neither society perished. Virginia thrived on wealth and materialistic items, you either had it or you did not. While in the background New England raised their young, trying to teach strong values and pass on their ideas of a better way of living. These first attempts at colonization, laid the foundation of society today.

Sales and Distribution

GMSI 409| Sales and Distribution | World Wide Equipment | Kunjalik Balwani 3/4/2013 | Introduction – World Wide Equipment is UK based multinational in the heating air conditioning and ventilation industry, it has been rated as one of the most innovative companies in the particular sector, and the company majorly deals in B2B, like hospitals shopping malls, hotels. As mentioned above World Wide Equipment is a multinational company so it has one of its branches situated in China and the firm has had an enormous growth in the span of 20 years going from an ordinary US$6 million to a staggering US$ 70 million.World Wide Equipment relished a premium brand image in China and had priced its chillers on a higher note , not only were they selling higher than the local manufactures and the joint venture companies ,but 10% higher than their international counterpart. The unique selling point of the products are they are the most energy efficient products amongst all its major competitors both locally and internationally and to its advantage company had a much larger customer base as compared and the reason being that they were early entrant.World Wide Equipment China was part of the Asia –Pacific area office located in Hong Kong and within China they had three sales offices in mainland china namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Frank Wang the regional sales manager of the Beijing office had received a fax of the half yearly sales performance for the three offices and it was seen that Beijing office ranked third in the list and it was a reason to worry as the Beijing office had always been rated as one of the most consistent out of the three.The Decision Dilemma – Frank Wang the regional sales manager has a task in front of him, and those are the decisions that he has to come up with in order to put his sales team right on track. Wang has a few immediate and long term issues that have to be addressed. The immediate issue that he has to address is th e low sales performance of his employees, the drop in the sales performance was due to loosing large tenders on trot and it was just not about losing, it was about coming very close to the deal and losing it out at the last moment, this was somehow tampering the morale of the whole sales team.Generally there are two options for any team which loose the close calls, either they are motivated to do better or their morale go down like in the case of sales team in World Wide Equipment. If the reports are to be believed, the major cause of failure has been courtesy Li Weimin. Li Weimen was suggested by Frank Wang’s boss Frank Yu and was recommended because of his experience in the textile industry since textile was the genre that the company wanted to venture into.However the inclusion of Weimen was less on his merits and more because of recommendation, Weimen had more of contacts rather than skills and his inclusion was not much of help as it was witnessed later on, that the incl usion had taken a toll on the overall performance of the sales team, though it would be unfair to blame him all alone, because one individual does not create a sales team, but one individual is enough to spoil a going on deal, which was the case with World Wide Equipment.Weimen was one of the, major reasons for the failure of two of the most important deals. One of the major decisions that Wang has to make here is that what he does with Weimen, who was a recommendation from his boss, what Wang needs to decide here whether he would want Weimen to shift to Guangzhou where actually all recourses can be put to work because of his influence in that region, where as he had no influence in Beijing what so ever.Since Wang had never got the need of firing any of his sales persons, so he would want to shift Weimen out of the Beijing office, as it had been bothering the rest of the staff as well. So his first major decision is to get Weimen not fired but shift him to the office where he would have been of some use, because losing him could cost the firm potential resources and business in other part of mainland China because the bonus system of the company depended on the overall performance, so that would mean if the influential side of Weimen worked that would also benefit the employees of Beijing.After solving out the problem above the next issue that has to be addressed is the long term issue, that is of how to get into the Textile industry market and according to Yu, World Wide Equipment does not really have any hold or influence in the market situation, the reason why Textile industry was being target was because it was the new industry that was coming up and that too with a good potential, whereas on the contrary the electronic industry did not have any room for growth. So the task here is to develop a strategy a long term strategy which would actually help them capture the market as soon as possible.Another Decision that Wang needs to address that too an immediat e is related to the Textile industry, whether to train his sales team in the textile industry or hire someone who had knowledge about the industry. Core Competencies for Textile Industry – The textile industry was considered to be the next big thing in the Chinese market and was a potential market. Wang had estimated that out of the 2000 odd textile firms at least one third were looking out for an up gradation and in order to achieve that certain skills are very important to possess.It is important for the sales team to build up their Core Competencies which would eventually help them achieve their targets in the new growing textile industry. Since it was noticed that the textile companies were not looking out for expensive chillers, they rather focused on creating better products, so chillers from joint venture companies were preferred over the imported ones, even though knowing the fact that World Wide Equipment chillers were more efficient, people hesitated on paying a 30% premium one time price.So in order to overcome this situation the sales force team has to develop some skills in order to tackle these circumstances. Knowledge In Textile Industry – the employees need to develop and grasp knowledge about the textile industry, since the industry is growing and the company is targeting a major chunk of it, so a good idea is very important because eventually it is the knowledge about the industry which would help them crack the deals.Presentation – A good presentation is backed by the fact that first impression is the last impression, so the employees should develop the skill of putting up a good presentation in front of the client. As mentioned in the case study Weimen wore a suit and with that sport shoes, so this kind of impression spoils the firm’s image resulting into losing potential clients.So very important it is to make a good Presentation Negotiation Skills – all the employees were technically very good and did ha ve the knowledge of what they had to with their product and they were the best in their jobs, but one thing that they lacked as the sales people was on their negotiation front, they rarely know how to negotiate a price or even try to put a price according to the orders, so it was important to learn how to negotiate with the client, because a good negotiator can always get a good business to the firm.Decision Making – Another important skill that the employees need to render to is that of decision making, it is very important for any employee to learn how to be decisive about the deal, as we know the quicker the decision the quicker it is for the deal to go through and as there is more delay in the decisions, there are higher chances of the client to move away. So it is important to know the decision making process.Quoting Tenders – As we know that in the textile industry there was an important element of quoting tenders , so to develop the skills of quoting tenders , t he better the quoting then the competitors the better are the chances of getting the deal through. The above are few of the skills or the Core Competencies that the sales force team has to develop in order to capture the textile industry.The sales team of World Wide Equipment is not one of the easiest to join, the recruitment procedure of the company has been a very rigorous one and it s task to get into the job, the sales team of the company has to cover a lot of ground and do a lot of various things in order to continue the selling.Overall the sales force has been an effective and an efficient one for the company, before entering the textile industry the employees have been efficient with their work, getting continues sales effectively putting them in a consistent second position, but however they were not the most effective sales team as compared to the three offices as, Shanghai as been in top all the years , though one added advantage that it had was of being the first office i n Mainland China, but if we notice the sales , year on year Beijing has tried to come close to Shanghai , that means that year on year the performance of the sales team in Beijing has been very consistent, but something more needs to be added in order to beat the leading sales team in Shanghai. So if we overall look at the performance of the sales team, we an say that they are not the most effective out of the three, but they are on their way on becoming the most effective team, a few alterations in their approach or a little amount of prior learning about their future ventures could account for a considerable change in their future performances. Frank Wang was a regional sales manager; joined World Wide Equipment in the year 1995, Wang had been a very impressive sales person and has been a very fast growing employee for the company, after 18 months he was promoted to the senior sales manager and in further 16 months he was promoted to the post of regional sales manager making which made him the first Chinese national to hold a managerial position. Wang was accountable for 1) Creating the region’s sales forecast and budget fulfilling that budget 2) Sales engineer recruiting ,training and organizational development 3) Sales performance evaluation and coaching ) Daily sales /sales leads management and job assignment 5) Contract negotiation and management of contract execution Looking at the responsibilities of Wang, it can be said that he did have a lot of task and had to cater to all the different departments in the organization in order to keep the firm fit and fine. Commenting if Wang has been a good sales manager , what we can see in the case study is that he has both pros and cons in his approach to run the Beijing sales team. Wang had created a very effective sales team under him, educating his sales team how to go about their business, It was under his supervision that sales team of Beijing started inching closer to the shanghai sales team. He had helped create two of the promising employees under him Liu Hongyuan and Jiang Li. Wang had another impressive characteristic of being the person who saves the company’s money and he was successful in installing this behaviour in his other employees.When all the other offices would spend money lavishly and bill it on to the company where as Beijing office was a complete contrast of the situation, they would look out for the minimum way possible this feature was instilled by Wang into his employees. Wang what it seemed was a very honest person when it came to recruiting, he would recruit the best out of the lot, his eye for the talent has always been an accurate one. Wang somehow felt that owed his success to Yu that is what made him go against his policy of not recruiting people on the basis of recommendation, but he had to take Weimen in the firm. This somehow showed that he could not stick to his hiring policy and even after repeated failure from Weimen; he could not report his senior to take him off the Beijing office, so yes Wang did have some cons.Overall Wang was a valuable asset to the firm and he was some or the other way a good regional sales manager and he did create some good business for the firm, one bad half yearly result does not prove that he was bad manager, he had the rest of the other years of sales to prove that he has been a success in the Beijing office and had cultivated a great sales team a good environment for them and has made them perform consistently. If put under such circumstances what I would have done is that, taken a few measures in order to shake things a little bit and take it uphill from the recent downfall it has gone through, I would have to make some stern decisions in order to put things back to action. Weimen Situation – Instating Weimen had caused somewhat of a headache to the World Wide Equipment Beijing branch and some or the decision had to be made.If the onus was on me I would go for Weimen’s ba ckground check and with the contacts and influence that his uncle was a very resourceful individual in the city of Guangzhou, so loosing Weimen would mean that losing good business in the city that has always been number three in the list and would be over all bad for the business, so what I would do is shift Weimen to Guangzhou, a city where he would have some influence in the market causing and could bring in a lot of business to the firm and eventually making an overall profit, though still a little bit of training would be required too and a little bit counselling on how to go about the whole situation, but losing him would actually mean that losing somewhat of a potential chance of losing out a chance of enhancing the business in laggard place in like Guangzhou. Textile Industry Entry – The next issue would be of entering the upcoming textile industry and entering the industry in a convincing manner, so what I would do is train the staff in the textile industry or even r ecruits a few people who would have expertise. The chunk of the textile industry is quite big to let go off.Look Into Sales – As the sales have been dipping down, I was a regional sales manager I would actually get into the sales myself and handle the big clients myself and by the senior sales managers who are the cream of the company, because it is the 80 – 20 in every business, which means that 80% of the business comes from the 20% of your clients. Boosting Morale of the Employees – If the onus would be on me I would try and increase the morale of the sales team, because that is a very integral element, without a good morale or state of mind it would not be possible to conduct sales in the best possible manner. In a company it’s always the sales team which brings in the money and it is important to have them maintain a healthy morale.