Are Clinical Psychologists Simply Expensive Therapists?

Are Clinical Psychologists simply expensive therapists? Discuss. Clinical Psychology is a combination of science, knowledge and theories which together formulate a scientific approach which enables a clinical psychologist to ask questions about the human experience and life and how these experiences affect people in order to treat them (Plante, 2010). The services of clinical psychologists and therapists are required when individuals are suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship and marital issues and deeper mental health issues which alter and have a negative effect on psychological well-being (Hunsley & Lee, 2010).Mental health statistics show that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some course in a year with anxiety and depression being the most common in the UK so it is therefore no wonder that waiting lists for therapists and clinical psychologists are very long (Foundation, 2011). There are many debates as to whether clinical psychologi sts are simply expensive therapists because it has been argued that therapists and clinical psychologists offer very similar treatments, both of which are successful but with the only different being the price.This essay will investigate and aim to answer the question as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists. This essay will look at what clinical psychologists do and who they work with and also what therapists do. It will focus on key differences between the two and the reasons why clinical psychology is more expensive and whether this cost is justified. What do Clinical Psychologists do?Clinical psychologists as with many psychologists aim to reduce, prevent and alleviate psychological distress and dysfunction in order to promote psychological well-being and to improve people’s lives. Clinical psychologists can work with a number of people across the lifespan including those suffering from anxiety problems, depression learning disabilities and als o deeper routed mental illnesses. They can work with very young children suffering with emotional or physical trauma or the elderly coming to terms with a terminal illness.They diagnose these illnesses or disorders that people are suffering with and decide on the best course of treatment. They then work alongside a medical team of Doctors so that the Doctors can then prescribe the treatment and medication that a clinical psychologist recommends (BPS, 2011). Due to the vast amount of knowledge that Clinical Psychologists have from years and years of training, they are able to carry out research which can be very important to science and change the way we view and treat certain illnesses or disorders (Allpsychologyschools, 2011).What do therapists do? Therapists also aim to reduce psychological distress and increase wellbeing. The term therapist is a very broad term for trained people to offer treatment in order to help people feel better. As with clinical psychologists they help peop le to make decisions and problem solve by offering support, guidance and clarification (Allpsychologyschools, 2011). There are many different types of therapists and they tend to work with adults with those suffering with marital and relationships problems and life problems in general (recomparison, 2011).Examples of different therapies available are; behavioural therapies which look at thought processes and behaviours, Psychodynamic therapies which investigate the unconscious and link current behaviour to traumas and events during childhood and humanistic therapies which look at the person in the current situation and how they can develop (Counsellingdirectory, 2011). Similarities and differences between clinical psychologists and therapists.From the above examples of what clinical psychologists and therapists do it is clear to see that they are very similar. In fact many people believe the terms clinical psychologist and therapist are interchangeable and therefore this essay will now look at how they are different and answer the question of whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists (Tarren, 2010). One difference between clinical psychologists and therapists is the academic qualifications and training they have undergone.Clinical psychologists have a very advanced degree, usually having studied at undergraduate level, master’s level and then PhD or Doctorate level. This therefore means they have a very deep knowledge and understand of the human mind and ways to help treat people. The training they undergo enables them to function as scientist practitioners in the NHS focusing on evidence based practises unlike therapists which focus on theory based practices.Also, Therapists only have only a general degree or in some disciples no degree at all (Allpsychologyschools, 2011). It could therefore be said that clinical psychologists ought to be more expensive as they are more advanced than the typical therapist, they are able to contribu te their knowledge and understanding at a number of different levels within the healthcare system such as schools and organizations and they also contribute to a variety of roles within the healthcare system such as assessments, consultancy, intervention and treatment.However it has been suggested that clinical psychologist are vastly over priced to the point that people cannot afford to pay for their services and now many services within the NHS are looking for opportunities to create therapy posts which will employ people from other professions who have the correct post-graduate training therefore causing implications for clinical psychologist places within the NHS.The fact that many people cannot afford clinical psychologists and see them as too expensive in the current climate gives people a reason to seek therapy and help from elsewhere and therefore using therapists. Even when the economic climate returns to the way it was, people may still avoid using expensive clinical psych ologists because using therapists and alternate therapies would have been a norm for quite a while and clinical psychologists may no longer seem a necessity.To avoid this there needs to be an increase global emphasis on the importance of clinical psychologists and the unique skills and advantages that clinical psychologists supposedly have over other therapists to make them more expensive (Smith, 2006). Clinical psychologists are able to diagnose problems and why people feel certain ways, they are trained on how the mind works and therefore work very closely with doctors and psychiatrists in order to say what medications should be prescribed to help the person.They can then refer the individual for treatment or therapy with a different person (multidisciplinary). Therapists on the other hand don’t tell the individual what the problem is but rather they listen and help the individual themselves discover why they feel the way they do. They are not as advanced on how the mind wo rks but they are trained on the techniques involved in providing therapy. These are usually called ‘talking therapies’ and are promoted in the NHS (Talking Therapies, 2011). Due to the popularity of ‘talking therapies’ within the NHS, NICE believe that 10,000 ore therapists are needed, 5,000 of which should be clinical psychologists but their training should become more based on therapy, more specifically cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a treatment which looks at the thought processes and aims to change negative, irrational thinking into more positive, realistic though processes, therefore resulting in positive personality changes and outlook on life. CBT has been proven very successful with a success rate of over 50% for anxiety sufferers and just one course of CBT can lead to 12 months free of depression (Economics, 2006).Practitioners of CBT can claim they are therefore offering NICE approved treatments and charge a lot more fees because of t his whereas other general therapists and counsellors cannot despite the fact that there has been no sufficient evidence that CBT is more effective than other therapies even though some therapies are much more effective than others (Mollon, 2010). Clinical psychologists and therapy. Clinical psychologists seem to dislike being referred to as ‘therapists’ or those who provide therapy.Eysenck (1940) was the first clinical psychologist in Britain and he attacked one form of therapy – psychotherapy; â€Å"It is our belief that training in therapy is not, and should not be, an essential part of the clinical psychologist’s training, that clinical psychology demands competence in the fields of diagnosis and/or research, but that therapy is something essentially alien to clinical psychology, and that if it is considered desirable on practical grounds that psychologists perform therapy, a separate discipline of Psychotherapist should be built up to take its place a longside that of Clinical Psychologist. Despite Eysenck’s view of this form of therapy, Smith (1977) carried out a study of clinical psychology looking at psychotherapy and found that it is effective, â€Å"someone chosen at random from the experimental group after therapy had a two-to-one chance of being better off on the measure examined than someone chosen at random from the control group†. However the study also brought about results that slightly devalue clinical psychologists by finding that the therapy was effective regardless of the therapists academic and previous experience (PhD, no degree etc) and also the type of therapy did not affect the effectiveness either.Eysenck later developed behaviour therapy based on Pavlov’s Dog and from this cognitive behavioural therapy was formed to which clinical psychologists attacked. One clinical psychologist defined CBT as â€Å"virtually anything to anyone† therefore it is not individual specific and anyone can use it therefore devaluing clinical psychologists and also devalue the context of the patient’s experience. It has been stated that people need to be cared for and respected for and valued and not just pushed into compliant with models of ‘normality’ which are handed down by psychologists and cognitive behavioural therapists (Hussain, 2006).Why clinical psychologists are expensive. If a person goes to a therapist for help then they will talk a lot more and actually help themselves through self discovery rather than the therapist helping them directly. A clinical psychologist however, you pay for help that is specific to your needs, you gain an accurate diagnosis which can help you understand your problems and also you can be prescribed medications because clinical psychologists work in tandem with doctors and psychiatrists (Allpsychologyschools, 2011).Clinical psychologists are indeed very expensive and they are also paid a significant amount more than thera pists, sometimes up to ? 100,000 they are paid if they are for example a consultant clinical psychologist. This different in salary has caused a vast amount of rivalry amongst the profession especially with those who offer psychological therapies whom believe that the pay difference is unjustified especially since a lot of the treatment and service is very similar (NIMHE, 2007).Despite some people believing the two terms are interchangeable and therapists believing they offer a very similar service, it is not necessarily true. Indeed clinical psychologists aim to reduce psychological distress as with therapists, however clinical psychologists have been through a rigorous education system to gain a much deeper understanding and knowledge which gives them the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and also the ability to operate across a variety of therapeutic models so that a patient receives individual specific treatment tailored to them.Therapists however are trained in their specific therapy and will usually only offer this one therapy to patients. Turpin (2009) said that clinical psychologist service is dependent on a much high level of knowledge, skills and competences rather than the provision of good quality evidence based therapies and this is why they are more expensive because these skills and competences are part of the clinical psychology curriculum and training with other therapists will not come into contact with.Overall there is great controversy as to whether clinical psychologists are simply expensive therapists. Nick Serieys, a CBT therapist argued against the NICE decision to employ 10,000 new therapists, 50% of which should be clinical psychologists. He argues that there is no sufficient evidence that clinical psychologists are more effective than CBT therapists who are counsellors, occupational therapists and so on and the only different being is that they are very expensive in comparison (Hussain, 2006).In contrary, Jeremy Halstead, a lead consultant clinical Psychologist believes that clinical psychologists are rightly more expensive than other therapists, arguing that clinical psychologists offer a much better deal as therapists due to their ability to formulate problems from a variety of perspectives and theories therefore they are more flexible in their approach and can tailor more individual specific treatment (Hussain, 2006). I believe that clinical psychologists are simply just expensive therapists, but rightly so.Clinical Psychologists go through years of extensive training as previously mentioned and have a significantly greater depth of knowledge in order to work in multidisciplinary teams and to link their knowledge for diagnosis and treatment across many topics, whereas therapists are trained in how to provide an individual therapist and do now have a greater knowledge of the underlying reasons why a person may need therapy. Clinical psychologists however do have this knowledge and work with doctors in order to ensure they are prescribed the right medicines.Therefore although clinical psychologists and therapists may appear to do very similar work, clinical psychologists have a greater depth of knowledge in order to treat, diagnose and also the skills to carry out research and are very flexible compared to therapists who do have a vast amount of knowledge but in the area of just therapy. References Allpsychologyschools. (2011). Therapist vs. Psychologist. Retrieved 04 05, 2011, from All Psychology Schools: www. allpsychologyschools. com/psychology-careers/article/therapist-psychologis

Badminton vs. Tennis

Badminton vs. Tennis Sports are considered to be an extremely important part of our lives today, they are essential to our health, entertainment and relaxation. Even though some sports are alike in ways, many people still prefer to choose one over the other. This is because even though there are some similarities between them, they are still completely different when compared properly, like in the case of racquet-based sports. Two racket sports that are played worldwide are badminton and tennis.Both are co-ed sports and despite their similarities they are poles apart when it comes to the equipment used in them, their rules and their ground settings. Tennis and badminton are easily mistaken by amateurs, but the people who know and play these sports are well aware of their differences. The rackets used in badminton are long, thin, light weighted and have a greater tension in the string so that more power is applied to the light-weight shuttlecock, while in tennis the rackets are short, heavy, wide and have lower tension due to the heavy weight of the ball.In badminton a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie in North America has an open conical shape that consists of sixteen or so feathers overlapping each other, embedded into a rounded cork base. In tennis instead of a shuttlecock a ball is allowed, which is covered in a fibrous fluffy felt. Also a shuttlecock is much lighter in weight than a tennis ball. The basic rules of these two sports are also very distinct. In tennis, it is allowed if a ball hits the ground once before the player returns it back to his/her opponent, while in badminton if the shuttle comes in contact with the ground, then a point is lost.Furthermore, the scoring system of tennis is different from badminton’s scoring system. In tennis it only requires 4 points to win a set however, in professional badminton a minimum of 21 points are required to win a normal set. Another difference that separates these sports is the setting in which the y are played. Tennis is an outdoor sport so the weather does have an effect on it, but tennis players use their surroundings to their advantage, so a windy environment can be of use in tennis.On the other hand, in badminton even a little wind can cause a great deal of problem due to the light weight of the birdie, which is why badminton is professionally an indoor sport. Additionally tennis courts are larger (72 feet long and 27 feet wide) compared to badminton’s courts (20 feet wide and 44 feet long). This is because in tennis the ball travels for a longer distance at a faster velocity, so in order for a player to be able to hit the ball clearly, he/she has to stay far from his/her opponent. In contrast badminton courts are much smaller; this is due to the light weight of the birdie.In conclusion, both badminton and tennis are great sports that are played across the world, and even though they are both played with a racket, they are both challenging in their own way. Badmint on requires a lot of stamina and exceptionally fast reflexes, while tennis requires more strength and agility. Despite their similarities they are both different and unique in their own way. This is why both are loved and played by different people. If one was to make a survey for the world to choose a favorite between badminton and tennis, I wonder which one would be favored most.

“A Young Birch” by Robert Frost Poetry Analysis Essay

In the poem â€Å"A Young Birch†, Robert Frost establishes the futility of existence despite having beauty through the use of symbols, structure, and imagery. Although the birch tree is beautiful, its life is meaningless and its death is unavoidable. The speaker describes the birch tree’s life, but in the end, the struggles that the birch tree faced were pointless. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty through the use of symbols in the colour white. The colour white symbolizes beauty and purity. Frost compares the birch’s beauty to the sun’s ability to be bright. â€Å"Soon entirely white / To double day and cut in half the dark† (ll 4-5) The speaker comments on the birch’s ability, being beautiful, to make the days twice as bright, establishing the blinding beauty of the birch tree. The colour white symbolizes not only beauty, but death. Frost uses this symbolism to establish the inevitability of death. â€Å"†¦crack it’s outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) Frost uses the speaker’s comment on the growth of the birch tree to establish the beauty that was always within the tree, but also death, which is apart of every natural living being. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty, but also the inevitable death in his use of symbolism in the colour white. Frost establishes the futility of existence through the use of symbols. The speaker describes the growth of the birch tree through the comparison of its size to different man-made objects, the cane and the fishing pole. The cane and the fishing pole are symbols of the birch tree’s growth. â€Å"At first to be no bigger than a cane, / And then no bigger than a fishing pole,† (ll 14-15) The cane and the fishing pole also represent the birc h tree’s inevitable death. These man-made objects are made of wood, which are essentially dead trees. The speaker describes the ever-present force of death, even in the growing stages of life. Frost establishes a sense of futility in the birch tree’s growth. Frost establishes the lack of meaning in the birch tree’s life. The use of the word ornament represents the birch tree’s meaningless life, although being beautiful. This symbol establishes that the only purpose of the birch’s life is to be a beautiful object and nothing more. â€Å"To live its life out as an ornament† (ll 22) The speaker comments that the birch tree’s life is fruitless. Frost establishes the futility of existence in growing and living because of a purposeless existence through his use of symbols.  Frost establishes life and growth as futile through his use of structure. The poem, â€Å"A Young Birch†, is divided into two sections through the tense that is used, present tense and past tense, establishing that life is only a small part of existence and that death is the overpowering force. Frost uses sentence structure and length to represent the birch tree’s growth. Each sentence, with the exception of the transition sentence and concluding sentence, is slightly larger than the last. As the birch tree’s growth is described in the poem, the length of the sentences grows too. The sentence lengths reach a climax of 10 lines and it is cut short abruptly, representing the way death cuts life. Frost establishes death as dominant to life through his use of structure. Frost establishes the birch tree’s imminent death through his use of imagery. The speaker describes the sound of the birch tree breaking out of its outer cover, a stage in its maturity and growth. â€Å"The birch begins to crack its outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) The breaking out of the outer layer of the birch provides a vivid description of the birch tree’s struggles in life. Frost emphasizes the futility in the struggle of life, as death is unavoidable. Frost establishes the ever-present possibility of being killed in his vivid description of death. The speaker describes those that were killed around the birch and the ease in which the birch itself can die. â€Å"He spared it from the number of the slain.† (ll 13) The image of death emphasizes the loneliness of the birch tree, despite having beauty, and the inevitability of death in the birch tree as well. Frost establishes the vulnerability of living things and the benefit in accepting death through his use of imagery. Frost establishes the dominant nature of death to life and the lack of purpose and meaning in life. He establishes that even in growth, purity, and beauty, death is unavoidable and acceptance of death is beneficial. Frost establishes the imminent nature of death and the futility of existence in â€Å"A Young Birch† through his use of imagery, structure, and symbols.

Torus Fracture at Distal Radius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Torus Fracture at Distal Radius - Essay Example Some of the initial cares include splinting, pain control, and mechanisms aimed to reduce swelling (Morritt, 2014). The torus fractures that are evident at the distal radius are commonly present during childhood but rarely observed in adulthood (Colaris, 2014). Since the children's bones are still undergoing growth and tend to get relatively soft. Due to this reason, among the children, whose bones of their distal radius have high tendency to buckle, most of the fractures will affect the radius mostly at the distal. By this I mean that the bones around the children’s distal radius are soft since they are steal young and relatively weak, therefore they can easily undergo breakage.   At times, this particular type of fracture is compared to green stick fractures, or rather a buckle fracture since they get often witnessed in the skin and forearm radius, among many others (Schranz & Fagg, 1992). Fortunately, this type of fracture takes a shorter time to heal since they only requ ire casting and immobilization though it doesn’t demand necessitation for reduction. The victims of this fracture may put cast or splints for between three to four weeks and further taken to X-rays (Mancini, De Maio & Ippolito, 2005). The main purpose of the x-ray is to check whether the bone has healed to the level of expectation before the removal of any immobilizing devices. The treatment duration for The Fracture is usually shorter than that of a greenstick fracture, which demands a casting for six weeks and requires an earlier reduction.

Profile of Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford organisation Lab Report

Profile of Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford organisation - Lab Report Example The organisation culture of FMC has also been a heritage for the company, which would be evaluated in the report. Finally the framework of FMC for motivating the employees would be scrutinised so as to understand the human resource management initiatives of the company. FMC has always believed in one theme when it comes to human resource, i.e. ‘One Team, One Plan, and One Goal’ (Ford Motor Company, 2013). It has always tried to deliver solutions which will affect not only the business but the lives of people. It is the motto of the company to support and develop its human resources that design, develop, and sell the best vehicles in the world. Company Overview FMC is one of the most famous automobile manufacturers in the world. The company is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford. FMC was the most sold automobile brand across the world before World War II. The large scale car manufacturing concept was introduced by Ford Motors in 1914 (Ford Motors Company, 2011). Ford has been a stable company all throughout its journey, though the company was also a victim of the global financial crisis which engulfed many stable leading companies of America, but Ford managed to save itself from bankruptcy. It recorded an operating profit of $ 8.8 billion in 2011, or $ 1.51 per share earnings. This revenue figure states that there has been an increase of $463 million in 2011 from 2010. The net income amounted to $20,213 in 2011, which is much higher than the net income of 2010, $6,561 million. The company is also into financing of vehicles, insurance and leasing (Bloomberg, 2012). Profile of Henry Ford ‘Entrepreneurs are not born, rather they become through the experiences of their lives’, has been stated by Professor Albert Shapiro of Ohio State University (National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education, n. d.). This saying is appropriate for Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born on the 30th of July 1863. He is well-known around the world, of course for FMC, but apart from this, he is also known for developing the system of mass production with the help of assembly line. Henry Ford discovered the creed called Fordism, which preached mass production of inexpensive products by offering high wages to workers (Seligman, n. d.). He had intense commitment towards reducing the cost of production and offering automobiles to Americans, which they can easily afford to buy. It was the vision of no one other than Henry Ford, to offer unprecedented mobility to the people which changed the lives of millions around the world. He is not only remembered for the automobiles that his company produced, but also for improving the standard of living of people through his inventions such as Ford Model T, or Qadricycle, and the assembly line approach (Ford Motor Company, 2012). Henry Ford introduced better automobiles after Qadricycle, and in order to publicise them, he drove his own race cars. The first c ar that FMC sold was in 1903, and it was a Model A car which was sold to a dentist at a price of $850. However, Henry Ford became one of the richest men in the world, mainly because of Model T cars. Even during 1914, he paid $5 per day wage to his workers. Henry Ford had a view that if the

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique Essay

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique - Essay Example Richard Fox the manager of the survey believes that during the summer a majority of the insects were in their early developmental stages and the perfect temperature conditions assisted in their survival and finally gave rise to a large number of adults. The article also confirms that the perfect weather conditions were responsible for attracting immigrant butterflies such as painted lady, clouded yellow, silver Y moth and the rare long-tailed blue. Participants in the survey were asked to look for 21 common butterfly species and the final results saw 15 of these species growing in numbers. 12 out of these 15 species showed a growth of over 50% while only 4 species – the ringlet, marbled white, meadow brown and six-spot burnet moth, showed decrease in their numbers. Mr. Fox inferred that the species which showed decreases in their numbers were ones which have just a single generation every year. Therefore, the number of these species represented the direct offsprings of their p arents who had been counted in the last year. However, he confirms that even though the parental numbers in the last count was large, there must have been decline in breeding success giving rise to lower number of off-springs. The article concludes with the fact that the weather cannot help increase numbers forever and that the number of butterflies in the U.K is gradually declining and the sole way of redressing this problem is to conserve the habitats and inhibit destruction of their range. The author of the article is absolutely accurate in drawing conclusions that butterflies are temperature dependent. Survivorship of butterflies depend on this since if the temperature is not high enough butterflies make the butterflies â€Å"more susceptible to predation during roosting and basking periods when they are unable to attain the body temperature needed for vigorous flight† ( Kingsolver,1985,p13). Hence a decrease in adult population would automatically decrease the population size. Another important role of temperature is its role in fecundity. A study conducted by Karlsson and Wiklund showed that lifelong fecundity of butterflies in relation to temperature was bell shaped where for open landscape butterflies fecundity was optimal at around 30 degrees (Karlsson & Wiklund,2005,p99).Studies also suggest that butterfly fecundity is controlled by temperature at two stages- egg maturation and female ovipositing (Berger et al,2008,p523). Therefore it is obvious, that since butterflies are temperature dependent, high numbers of emigration as observed because of the prevalent heat wave in the region which attracted butterflies from less suitable weather regions. The article also suggests a solution to the declination in the number of butterflies in the U.K. i.e. prohibiting habitat destruction. It is true that destruction of natural habitat has been the primary reason for decline of the butterfly population. Species richness of butterflies has decreased rapidly in places where habitat destruction is highest (Forister et al, 2010, p2088). Climate change has also been a major cause of habitat destruction since the changes in climatic conditions alters the vegetation of the habitats and destruction of the biotopes that the butterflies are accustomed to thereby hastening butterfly

Admission essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Admission - Essay Example My desires and success in special education did not just stop with my university education. Immediately after graduation, I accepted an opportunity for tutorial classes at Taibah University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Department of Curriculum and Instruction as a tutorial fellow for one year. Since 1996, I have accumulated a remarkable wealth of knowledge in working with students with disabilities thus impacting positively on already learnt skills while at the same time giving me an opportunity to learn new ways of understanding the complexities that surround educational attainment of learners with special needs. The desire to improve the welfare of learners with special needs has also earned me both personal and professional development enabling me to articulate the theoretical aspects of special education into the reality and an extension enabling me to redesign neoclassical educational achievement of special education that seemed non existent within the classical arena. Over time, my remarkable performance has been accompanied by outstanding progress and improvement wich attracted distinguished promotions leading up being the Director of Hope Institute in Jeddah and CV. Within the period of direct contact with an array of ideas, perspectives and philophies of work, I have built a wealth of knowledge in special education leading up to accepting to join the first group of scholars to pursue the first stage Masters Degree at King Saud University with a full eye focus on Special Education, achieving excellent results. Based on this unique and rich experience, I ask myself, why not advance to a Doctorate level which will not only give me an opportunity to polish my hard earned skills but also empower me to contribute to the evolving world of Special Education scholarship through publications, seminars and taking up a lead in the dissemination of knowledge at the University to impel a generation conscious of the needs of

Social Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social Security - Essay Example Social Contract (representative governance) This describes a model that typically shows cases and questions the origin of the society and the capability of the authority in place of a State over an individual (â€Å"The Social Contract†). â€Å"Man was born free and he is everywhere in chains†. Jean Jacques Rousseau, was the greatest theorists in the areas of social contract and natural rights. According to the belief of Rousseau, freedom was the best method to be used so as to self-maintain an individual. He tried to understand the freedom a person has and why they would subject themselves to the rule of a government rather than their own (â€Å"The Social Contract†). When related to social security, Social contract can form a basis where individuals of a state have a legal right to have access to their pension plans and are subjected to have an equal share of their stipulated benefits. The State despite being the governing body should have the capability to give those dependent on the plan their due right. As related to what Jean Jacques Rousseau states, â€Å"Man was born free and he is everywhere in chains† ( â€Å"The Social Contract†). b) Classical Liberalism (natural rights) This can be described as a political belief where the aim is securing the freedom of the individual by limiting the power of the state. Classic Liberalism in an economic factor can be related to respecting private property and free markets. Classical Liberalism should not be confused with democracy or American liberalism since an individual can be a liberal and not a democrat and socialism is slightly related to socialism (â€Å"Glossary of historical terms: Classical Liberalism†, 2003) Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,

Role of Multinationals on Productivity of Firms Essay

Role of Multinationals on Productivity of Firms - Essay Example A benchmark model to contrast income from local and multinational corporations is an insight to the contribution of multinational corporations on technology spillovers that benefit local firms. However, results from the case study's contribution of multinationals on growth of firms are quite confusing with both positive and negative contributions. Pertinent questions on the issue of technological advancements attributed to multinationals perturb the numerous stakeholders in this field. Uncertainties lie on whether the technology can be used effectively, competition and the market success of the new technology (Kafouros, 2008). There is evidence of recent appraisal for multinationals with hostilities based on factors such as globalization (Gorg and Greenway, 2004). The caveat of bipartite connection of multinationals and positive effects is always present. Some authors state that these are just effects from subsidiary factors such as inflation tax, currency stability and difficulties by most communities to embrace change (Reinert, Tajan & Glass, 2008). Technology transfer and multinationals Theoretically, the fact that competitive edge given by technological superiority not only improves a firm’s productivity, but also its general economic performance is widely accepted. Kafouros (2008) looks at technology transfer to encompass techniques involving the use of better machinery. This definition is quite constrictive and does not give better insight to the varied advantages of multinationals in technology transfer. A more knowledgeable and pedagogical approach interfaces this concept with innovative organizational, technological, managerial as well as more efficient production processes. More striking, is its recent contribution to globalization and an increase in demand for better produce by consumers. Technology in this context can be looked at in the essence of a form of embodiment. It can be looked at as general information, specific information, practic e and hardware. General information involves conceptual know how on a method of operation or system. For example; learning how to operate machinery. Specific information is just as the title explains; it involves details on the whole process of a technology. For instance, information on what a software is made of, how it operates, in what instances it is used and for what purpose. Procedures are codified instructions in the operations of a certain technology. Lastly, hardware involves information in physical form for example a piece of equipment originating from the source of technology. These technology transfers are usually obtained from spill over channels (Gorg & Greenway, 2004). Imitation, competition, exports and skills acquisition from multinationals are said to be ways of improving productivity. Imitation was successfully used in most Asian countries and Latin America in the manufacturing industry (Aitken & Harrison, 1999, 618). This is more of the transfer of knowledge and should not be confused with replication (Gorg & Greenway, 2004). As noted by Freeman and Shaw (2009), the complexity of a process in conjunction with duration of exposure, greatly determine imitation. Research done by Freeman and Shaw (2009) shows that the presence of multinationals in Japan was an insight to the country’s initial engagement in exportation. The sentiments are shared by other scholars such as Grog & Greenway (2004) who state

Gilbert and George Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gilbert and George - Research Paper Example In understanding and using pictures, I would like to argue that Gilbert and George explore various aspects of the society in explaining the structure and basic tenets of the society, the current living styles and the methods people should use to lead comfortable lives, away from the influence of societal judgments. One perfect part that Gilbert and George arts do well is explaining the various parts of human development in the society, as the classify and explains each part use. There is a clear explanation of how the parts work in the society and how art is an expression of the self. The basic point in understanding art is first to learn the structures and how the structures are interconnected to form a complex system of images, figures, sculptures and pictures that make up art. Gilbert and George understand the needs of art lovers and from the pictures’ content, it is definite that the artists carried out a study on identifying the specific needs of art lovers especially in collaboration of the integrated systems of the society and other life formation tactics. In my own view, the manner in which an artist approaches a piece of art or sculpture determines the rate of understanding and clarity from the viewers, which is definite to arouse a liking towards a specific piece of artwork. Gilbert and George exploit their talent in showing these aspects. One picture that Gilbert and George use is We. In the picture, Gilbert and George draw images of themselves standing asymmetrically .

Ethnography report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethnography report - Essay Example The first challenge that I had to face in order to complete my task was to find the appropriate location where I could conduct my research. It had to be the kind of place where I could get in touch with people from different ethnicities in a setting that they are used to, a place they frequented most. Attending Queens College has been greatly helpful in my quest, as it had all that I wanted. Here, I chose the International Community Students Club, recognized for the Students Exchange Programs it conducts. I wanted to study its purpose and the kind of support it provides for its members. Since I am an immigrant myself, I was comfortable with the idea of researching a club that dealt with international students, and it gave me an opportunity to get as close as I can to people with different cultures, in a setting that I desired. Before I go any further, I would like to share my personal perceptions about clubs. Clubs, societies and support groups are a great way for like-minded people to come together in order to pursue a common goal. The whole idea of doing something you like with many others who share the same feelings is very appealing. As Klein puts it, "What better way to stay connected, active and focused than to unwind with peers who enjoy fun and common interests?" The club I chose for my report is unique, in a way different to most other clubs. It is truly a â€Å"melting pot† of sorts, representing different countries, philosophies, customs, cultures and much more, where people simply bond with and support each another. They have a lot in common, starting from the fact that they are all strangers in a new country. It is my personal belief that exchange students and children of immigrants strive harder than the native students do, in order to achieve even more. They are more self-driven, determined to achieve goal(s) set and expected by their peers, and desire to make everyone in their native country proud. They wish to please everyone in their co mmunity, their parents and relatives. These students try to be exceptional in academics and have a commitment towards fulfilling the obligations they have towards others and themselves. Their financial backgrounds also play a pivotal role in shaping their behavior and objectives. The high cost of living and studying in foreign countries often molds the mind-set and lifestyle of students and their parents. For immigrant students, financial hardships can be laborious and stressful in all aspects of their lives, and they turn towards loans, scholarships and sponsors. â€Å"A number of students have merely toned down spending habits that had been fed by boom times back home† (Archibold). This has put these students in a precarious predicament. This, to a great extent, explains the urge that always lurks in their minds to achieve their goals. My earlier experience with another student’s club (the Caribbean Student Club) had been a very beneficial one. I bonded with others w ith whom it was easier for me to relate to. The notion that we are all in this together gave me a certain comfort. Each club has a purpose, and serves a special function for the welfare of its members at large. My endeavor is to find out if this is a reasonable statement and if the Queens College International Community Students Club is true to its value. Commentary # 1 The reason for the existence of a club is to provide a connection, making a network of people with similar motives. The purpose of this excerpt is to explain just that. Soon after a class discussion at noon, on Thursday, March 24 (12:25 pm to be precise), I headed over to the office of the

“Give me a stand point and I will move the earth” Archimedes Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Give me a stand point and I will move the earth† Archimedes Essay Feminists are of the opinion that women in this world have been neglected by history and men through out the ages and liberating them would be synonymous with giving them a stand point to move the world. Klues looks to the pioneers of female research in antiquity whose glimpsing women history through a record from which the female sex has been excised for millennial by patriarchal bias, must have been like constructing a house out of the space between the slats of a fence. Further Klues considers that assiduous and objective scholarship produced an unassailable picture of the role of women in classical Athens, a picture now almost universally accepted, in which domination of male over female is there seen as complete and crushing. Only one wave of classical scholarship, obviously by anthropology, looks to male-female relationship as a significant determinant in Athenian society, as in any other: an ingredient of total culture no less fundamental than its economy or its religion or its political structure. More authors have argued that women did not have a place in history. However, Hasel making reference to Pauline Schmitt –Pantel makes a note worthy reminder of Greek philosophers works such as Aristotle and Plato that made relation to different sexes. A similar reference is made about the Greek cosmologies meaning that women have always had such a place. Hasel has therefore put forth a vivid conclusion. â€Å"The image of the Topos then might not hold much because it is based on seclusion of women in antiquity which may not be the case. † The portraits of Lipia as discussed in Bartman had an effect in creating a stronger imperial Rome. Though there are undertones of their use in propaganda and other political machinations and maneuvers, Bartman note that they were sculpted in the spirit of compromise which he refers as ‘give and take’ between the sculptor and the sponsor. Scott say that there was a moment not all that ago, when feminists thought gender to be an invincible barrier against biology. The sex/ gender distinction would analytically separate the physical body from the social body; it would then no longer be conceivable that anatomy was destiny. Though women might be viewed as ‘non- actors’ thus acting in the realms of those who built and wielded political power to which they were subject to had a private life which of course influences public life. In the words of Scott, those absent from official account none the less partook in the making of history; those who are silent speak eloquently about meaning of power. This reawakening Scott notes has brought about congruence in thought between political historians and writers penning ‘her story’. It has also brought about to the way changes occurred in law, politics and symbolic presentations. A further implication Scott explains is that there are social explanations rather than biological and characterological to the different behavior of men and women and their unequal positions. The feminists are thus challenged in this argument for neglecting female agency by diminishing the historical importance of personal life encapsulated in its three elements- family, sexuality and sociability. Thus irrespective of what feminists think women have always had the stand point and have moved the world as much. Reference Bartman ‘Portraits Of Livia Joan W. Scott, (1988) Gender and the Politics of History (New York 1988) 15-50. Joan W. Scott, `Millenial Fantasies`. The Future of Gender in the 21st Century`, in: Claudia Honegger – Caroline Arni (eds. ), Gender. Die Tucken einer Kategorie (Zurich 2001) 19-37 Wagner Hasel (1989)Women’s life in oriental seclusion? On history and and use of Topos. Pauline Schmitt –Pantel (1992) â€Å"Greek thought on the position of women resolved†. Pg 79.

My Favourite Car

My Favourite Car My favourite car If I had to choose a car I liked the most, I would definitely pick Cadillac Escalade. SUVs are my favourite cars in general, but no SUV is more stylish than the Cadillac Escalade. Even though it has all of the roomy features that make SUVs a popular choice for families, its design, chrome trim and wheels and overall style make it attractive to the youth as well. The design elements of the Cadillac Escalade are all made with style in mind. The mirrors are angled and blend into the curves of the vehicle. The windshield angle flows into the roof line seamlessly. The tall headlights have standard High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting with an option to add the â€Å"IntelliBeam† system, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the headlight beams. The Cadillac Escalade comes standard with 18 inch wheels, but also has the option to add 22 inch chrome wheels to the vehicle. The interior of the vehicle continues the theme of comfort combined with a highly stylized design. The dashboard and consoles are made of high quality vinyl, with instrument panel displays located in perfect vision lines for the driver. Seams for the assembly of the dashboard are constructed tightly and barely visible. The true beauty of the Cadillac Escalade, however, comes in its power. It features a standard 6.2 litre V-8 engine that allows for quick acceleration. Traction control, four wheel drive and four wheel disc brakes allow for a comfortable and powerful driving experience. The Cadillac Escalade is well equipped to handle driving off road but versatile enough to be an effective city driving vehicle as well. The Cadillac Escalade is also versatile in its capacity. A third row seat allows the vehicle to transport up to seven passengers. The seat is also removable, maximizing the vehicles cargo space. The Cadillac Escalade has also earned a four star safety rating from the U.S. government. Safety features include anti-lock brakes, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera and a blind spot warning system. The Cadillac Escalade is superior to other SUVs because it combines all of the practicality of a traditional SUV with the style of a luxury car.

America Needs More Government Programs to Pull Children Out of Poverty

The face of poverty is changing in the United States. When someone mentions that a person is living in poverty, we are inclined to think of a bum living on the street, eating at shelters, and using whatever money they have for alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Usually we visualize this person as being a middle-aged male with drab clothing and a long beard. This description may have fit the average person living in poverty or on the street a few years ago, but it is no longer a correct generalization. Children are the face of poverty in 2015. These children have little chance to rise up out of the lifestyle they are born into. Many of these children are born to teenage girls. The economic states of these mothers and their lifestyles many times put these children in a place of poverty at birth with little hope. The children as well as their parents are in need of assistance in order to stop the growing problem of child homelessness and poverty. There ar e many different opinions and ideas on how to deal with this problem and help these unfortunate children and their families. Unfortunately many of these programs are unsuccessful and do little to help while others are successful in combating the problem and really helping the children in need. First, I will describe the programs that have been ineffective and we must avoid. The first of these would be ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away. The problem is not going to go away. In fact, the numbers of poverty-stricken children are increasing rapidly. If we do not do anything to help these children, we could miss out on great scientists, future doctors, and many other contributions to society that these children are capable of making. Also, we have to remember that these children di... ...times it seems unfair that we are paying to support other people. It is expensive to try and care for all the poverty-stricken children, but it is something that is well worth the effort. We have to take the time to find out what works and w hat does not. After all, it is the future-our children- that we are trying to save. Works Cited Wood, David. "Effect of Child and Family Poverty on Child Health in the United States." Effect of Child and Family Poverty on Child Health in the United States. N.p., 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Sources Consulted "11 Causes of Teen Homelessness." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. "11 Facts About Homeless Teens." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. Main, Thomas. "How to Think About Homelessness: Balancing Structural and Individual Causes." Springer Link. N.p., Jan. 1998. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

General Othello in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

     Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare gave us a most moving drama in Othello. In this play we witness the demise of a â€Å"paragon† of a wife and a â€Å"valiant Moor†, Othello. Let us consider the Moor in detail, with professional critical input, in this essay. From the text of the play a number of clues can be gleaned which round out the description of the general. In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen describes the general in Othello: Though scarcely the â€Å"barbarian† (1.3.353) he is called, the Moor is emphatically black, probably rough, even fearsome, in appearance, and a foreign mercenary from Mauritania in refined Venice. Though of royal blood, since the age of seven he had a restrictive, painful life, being sold into slavery and spending most of his life in â€Å"the tented field† (1.3.85). His â€Å"occupation† (3.3.357), to a degree found in no other Shakespearean hero, is war. He can therefore speak of the great world little â€Å"more than pertains to feats of broil and battle† (1.3.87). But that he loves the gentle Desdemona, he would to have given up a life of unsettled war and his â€Å"unhoused free condition / †¦ For the sea’s worth† (1.2.26-27). (58)    The first appearance of the protagonist is in Act 1 Scene2, where Iago is pathologically lying about Brabantio and himself and the ancient’s relations with the general and about everything in general. Othello responds very coolly and confidently to the pressing issue of Brabantio’s mob coming after him: â€Å"Let him do his spite. / My services which I have done the signiory / Shall out-tongue his complaints.† However, Cassio’s party approaches first, with a demand for the general’s â€Å"haste-post-haste appearance† before the Venetian council due to the Turkish attempt on Cyp... ... rises to the occasion and refutes the lies of her husband – at the price of her life. Her martyr-like example inspires Othello to sacrifice his life next to the corpse of Desdemona; for he â€Å"Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away / Richer than all his tribe [. . .] .† He dies a noble death, just as he has lived a noble life. Michael Cassio’s evaluation of his end is our evaluation: â€Å"This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; / For he was great of heart.†       WORKS CITED    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.   

Designing A Degree Essays -- Higher Education

A college major is one of the most crucial and influential decisions a person will make in his or her lifetime. This important choice has the power to determine what a person will do for the rest of their life. Students across the country are challenged by this task each and every year because they are not able to find a path of study that is compatible with their ideal career and favorable interests. Traditional majors are known for providing broad educations and producing well-rounded students that are ready and able to work in various jobs. However, today it is challenging to break into the work force. Students with more specific studies are finding greater success in their job search after college. For this reason, individualized studies programs have exploded across the country. Individualized studies are a create-your-own-major approach to education. These programs allow students to design and personalize their college education by combining courses from various areas of study. Individualized-studies students leave college with a unique major printed on their diploma. With the opportunity to create their own majors in college, students in individualized studies are receiving personalized educations and realizing their ideal jobs. Students base their college major choices on their interests. A study published in the College Student Journal, conducted to reveal information about students who are entering college, utilizes extensive research to identify the factors that influence students’ college major decisions. It is based upon the assumption that making â€Å"good† major choices is beneficial to the students. A â€Å"good† major is defined as one that helps students reach their post-education goals, as well as one that is compatibl... ... White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub., 2010. 108-128. Print. Larson, Simone. "Is creating your own major the best way to secure a job? ." COLLEGE. USA Today, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 May 2012. . Samuels, Dorry. "New York UNIVERSITY." Teen Ink Nov. 2004: 38. www.teenink.com. Web. 8 May 2012. SHELLENBARGER, SUE. "Can't Pick a College Major? Create One - WSJ.com." Business News & Financial News . The Wall Street Journal, 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 8 May 2012. Singletary, Michelle. "Not all college majors are created equal." Business. The Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 May 2012..

Common Sense Economics Paper Essay

With the recent developments in the economy there could have not been a better time to pick up this book and read it. I work for a financial institution which had received a good amount of TARP funds. This was followed by media on the company’s allocation of resources for what appears to be a recreational purchase equaling almost the amount of TARP funding. In turn to find out company â€Å"x† had decided that employees will not be receiving a compensation increase this year. After just the first couple of pages I already knew I wanted to dive in to the first part of the book discussing the â€Å"Ten Key Elements of Economics.† This immediately shifted my interest to the first two key elements that: â€Å"Incentives matter† and â€Å"There is no such thing as a free lunch.† There are many thoughts that came to mind while reading along. The incentive for employees was the annual compensation increase. The problem we are facing now is that the labor and productivity supplied are expected to be maintained, while people need to do more with less. As the book explains, it takes time to adjust. However one may argue that the incentive has changed. Now as the economy has shifted and the company has to make budget and staff cuts; the individual incentive has shifted to â€Å"maintaining employment.† Thus there is no longer an increasing financial incentive, with the exception of the existing financial compensation. We must remember that incentives matter, but also that at the same time they can shift based on the factors providing the incentive. The book examines the increase and decrease in gasoline prices. Consumers responded by changing their behavior, consequently shifting incentives. The cutbacks of company â€Å"x† leads right into the element that â€Å"There is no Such Thing as a Free Lunch.† The compensation for the service we provide now is allocated elsewhere. By deciding to stay employed with company â€Å"x† we have employment. Then again if we chose not to remain employed; it will cost us the potential income that could have been earned, so no free lunch. This also makes me consider key element number seven â€Å"People Earn Income by Helping Others.† Nonetheless what happens to the incentive of providing others with valuable goods and services now? With the lack of understanding the shift in incentive I feel the employees will only care about their personal desires. Their interest to improve can result in lower productivity standards, or the search for a new employer. Considering the company standpoint inefficient workers will find other more personally beneficial opportunities. Cited as one of the reasons for reduced product ivity of labor. The employees will provide less valuable service as the company profit will continue to decline. By changing the ways of how the company operates and the rate of compensation it forces employees to focus even more on their self-interest. Now when presented with work, they will find the most efficient way of service. This in turn goes along with economic progress; along with the correct amount of government intervention as discussed in the later part of the book. This can potentially create areas for new employment opportunities, and advancement of the nation as a whole. Any company can bring their numbers back into the black with the correct allocation of the resources and capital. But also with new innovative ways to provide services and goods. With the responsible people in the right positions and the people with a understanding of economic interactions self-interest will lead to a flourishing nation. In conclusion all the above tie into each other as well as the remainder of the book. Unfortunately self-interest with greed and lack of knowledge leads many of us to make imprudent decisions. I knew that incentives matter, but I also understand now that incentives can shift. With the shift in incentives and the self-interest we can grow prosperous. Yet we must understand the interaction and effects of economics as a whole for the small as well as the big picture. The book should be required reading for all that want the privilege of voting. I will be thinking not only of the one side of the economic hand but the other as well, and so should everyone else.

Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States

Australia, apart from being the United States' oldest friend as well as ally in the Asia-Pacific region also is America's second closest ally worldwide. In spite of the fact that this alliance has been in existence for over 50 years, it was until September in 2001 (few days before the 50th anniversary) that the treaty was for the first time since its signing invoked. Since then Australia has increasingly gotten involved with the United States and its activities. Not only did Australia join the American-led coalitions in fighting against Iraq and Afghanistan but also signed a free trade agreement with the United States, a development that both governments perceive to be most significant in the bilateral relationship since the ANZUS Treaty that binds Australia, the United States and New Zealand. ANZUS’s also separately binds the United States and Australia to cooperate and assist each other on matters of defence in the Pacific region. More developments have however been made on this treaty with current understanding implying that the cooperation relates to attacks in any area globally. These events, developments have however prompted a debate in Australia about what the nature of the United States' power and what its expectations from the alliance are. The costs and benefits of the close ties, military as well as economic with the United States are also being hotly debated in Australia. Critics of the formation of the free trade area perceive it to be a way of killing the country more than developing it . In spite of all these doubts and criticisms of the alliance, there are those who believe that this alliance places Australia in a privileged position with the world's greatest if not the only remaining superpower which has large and potentially enormous benefits that would enhance Australia's economic strength and its national security . The Australia-United States alliance is not just any ordinary alliance. There are not many alliances that last up to fifty ears and even exceed it. Very few alliances have ramifications that go beyond military and diplomatic affairs into economic, social, cultural and political affairs as this alliance . The Australia-America alliance has developed such that in its own right, it can be described as a political institution that is more like a monarchy or a political party. Those charged with the responsibility of managing such an institution constantly face the challenges of assessing and ascertaining the elements that need to be changed so that they adapt to meeting changing circumstances and those that must be maintained constant . In the case of this alliance, those responsible for its management must ensure that it retains support of the opinion of both the government and the public of the two countries. Since the signing of this agreement, the Americans, with the exception of the Nixon administration have been comfortable and secure with the alliance. The Australian politicians regardless of the criticisms and opposition to the alliance while in opposition have invariably kept the alliance when they got to the office. This is because they have witnessed the consistent benefits of the alliance which they perceive to outweigh the political costs and/or military risks of any of the subservience that the might of Washington is alleged to have. Australia's position in the Southeast Asia and South Pacific enables it to have a defense posture that is self reliant which enhances mutual security between the two countries in the alliance . The United States has guaranteed security to this posture and access to its intelligence, weapons, defense science and support with military logistics. This has also enhanced the status of Australia in global affairs and particularly in Asia. The Australian public opinion is the one that has raised questions over the durability of this alliance. Public opinion matters so much that in 1984, Paul Wolforwitz, the then US assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, reminded the Australian audience (both the public and the government) that the most significant task in management of an alliance was to constantly nurture public support . His remarks though diplomatically phrased were a message to the Australian government about the country's public opinion and its significance. The current debate on this alliance is therefore due to public opinion which determines the period the alliance might last. This paper therefore seeks to study the prevailing debate on the Australia/America alliance and critically analyse the arguments for and against the alliance. Arguments for Australia's Alliance with the United States One of the arguments used in support the Australian-United States alliance is the security guarantee that is promised by the United States. This promise guarantee includes the terms that were agreed upon in the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty) in 1951 in which the two countries committed themselves to acting together to deal with common dangers . This treaty also binds the united states to aiding Australia in the event it faces a major strategic threat and vice versa. Australia is confident that it is safe and can rely on the United States for help in the event it needs them. It can be argued this reasoning is based on the fact that the United States is the most powerful nation in the world. Having the support of a superpower increases the probability of Australia winning any security confrontation it might face. This is because the United States has all the necessary resources required to counter an attack in the event of one. Another reason as to why those who support the alliance count on the guaranteed security of the United States is because of the fact that Australia has been there for the United States when most needed. Australia responded to this agreement by evoking it in September 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the United States. Australia did so by supporting the United States attack against Afghanistan and sent its forces to fight alongside those of the US in an effort to contain terrorism. The fact that Australians sent their soldiers to bleed and even die alongside the Americans in pursuit for its security justifies their reasoning and reliance on the United States to step in when it is needed . Australia, sharing the same view that spread of weapons of mass destruction is threat to humanity and should be not be encouraged sent its army to fight in the United states led war against Iraq after it was suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction. Australia has been faithful to the agreement for over fifty years. It has fulfilled it part by participating in joint defence facilities and supporting a number of the United States' very critical and most sensitive strategic capabilities. These capabilities include systems that are related to collection of intelligence, early warning of ballistic missile, submarine and satellite-based communications . Australia has also responded to humanitarian needs by the United States like sending its forces to help during the Katrina and Tsunami disasters. Australia's actions have showed commitment to the alliance over the years by going to America’s aid when they were needed. In regard to this, Australia expects the United States to take any security threats to the country as seriously as Australia did when the United States' security was threatened. Recent development however seem to challenge this argument for support of the alliance. Over the years, Australia has not been involved in any wars individually but currently faces security threats from the rising China . China is perceived to be enhancing and growing its military power through modernization at a pace that is very fast. The nature of the scope and structure of this military development in China have been a cause of concern to its neighbours especially since China has done very little to explain the aims and agenda of its military plans . China has also not done much to build the confidence of its neighbours in its military developments. It is perceived that china is going to be Asia's strongest military power and the fact that it is not explaining the purposes of its military plans creates the idea that China is preparing for a future confrontation that is bigger than the conflict over Taiwan with its neighbours. Australia perceives china to be a potential future threat to its security and has responded by preparing its forces and arming itself to face the challenge in case it arises. The United States is however seems not to be committed to assisting Australia prepare for this potential war. It has either cancelled, delayed, postponed and shrinked the delivery of weapons and war technology such as the F-22 program, aircraft carrier fleet, new cruisers and procurement of new bombers to Australia. In other words, the United States is reluctant to give Australia the services it would need to counter china in the event of a threat . These events challenge the reasoning of the supporters of the alliance based on the fact that the United States will honour the agreement of the treaty as they imply that the United States might not be so ready to engage in a war that does not concern it. This is in spite of all that Australia has done in the past to assist it in its security threats. Another argument for support of the alliance is that Australia will have the privileged access to advanced science and technology especially in areas that concern defence . The United States is as developed and industrialised nation is known to be advanced in technology in all areas and more so in security and defense issues. Being an ally to such a nation implies that in the event the less fortunate country can enjoy the privilege of accessing these technologies which are not available to other countries that have no relationship with it. Less powerful nations have used the same strategy to benefit from the technology that superpowers have and it can be said that this is the reasoning this argument is based on. However, it would be worth to remember that the United States and any other nation for that matter can not easily give away its technology to a foreign country no matter how close the ties are. Each country always strives to be better equipped technologically than others so as to remain powerful and competitive. The United States is also known to be resistant in arming other nations as it delights in claiming that it advocates for peace. This is also clear in the way the Obama administration is reluctant in letting Australia acquire the weapons and technology it needs to arm itself against the potential threats that China poses to its security. In regard to this it can be said that the argument for support of the alliance that is based on the reasoning that Australia will benefit by having access to the United States' advanced technology is vague as this access is not guaranteed. The other argument for the alliance is that Australia will have exceptional and unlimited access to the high-level American policy makers who will give them advice on political, military and diplomatic affairs . It is common knowledge that the United States has some of the best strategies in these areas and has been able to develop due to the implementation of these strategies. The United States is argued to be the most democratic country in the world hence most politically stable. The United States also has one of the best diplomatic strategies that have enabled it to have good relations with its neighbours and other countries world wide which is good for the social and economic development of the nation as it enhances trade, tourism and other exchange programs. Being an ally to the United States will therefore enable Australia to borrow some of the policies and strategies hence apply them in the mentioned areas enhancing its stability and development. Moreover, the geographical positioning of Australia requires it to have these strategies especially the military and diplomatic ones in order to survive . It however is of worth to note that not all of the United States policies and strategies are desirable. Some of its military policies particularly ones on war against terrorism and its operations in Iraq have raised several questions amongst humanitarians causing it to be accused of violating human rights and being discriminative. Not all US policies are good and care needs to be taken when deciding on which ones to borrow. Australians who support the alliance also argue that it will enable Australia to benefit from results of the American intelligence agencies . On addition to the American intelligence agencies using modern advanced technology in their operations, their agents also are some of the best trained in the world. This implies that the country can easily dictate threats to its security or that of its allies and warn them. Australian figures that due to its geographical position that is close to Asia and the fact that it has constantly supported the United States in its war against terror makes it vulnerable to attacks . Having a powerful friend with advanced intelligence agency would enable it to detect threats and mitigate them or prepare adequately to ace them. Australians who use this reasoning to support the alliance expect the United States to warn them of impending threats and dangers. Intelligence agencies are however more committed to the security of their country and might not concentrate on that one of their allies. This creates opportunity for information to on the allies to slip them. This is to say that being an ally to a nation that has advanced intelligence agencies does not provide full protection. This intelligence can however be borrowed and be used to solve some security challenges and treats by Australia. The other argument for the Australian-American alliance is that it will economically benefit Australia as it will have access to the American Market under the free trade area . Formation of free trade area is one of the strategies that most countries have implemented to enhance their economic development. This is because of the benefits that it has. It creates a large market for goods and services and removes all trade barriers such as revenues and taxes promoting business. Free trade area will enable Australia to get access to American produced goods and services at lower prices. Australia will be able to sell its produce to the larger America n market without incurring the cost of taxes and revenues . This promotes international trade which contributes greatly to economic development. Free trade area however has its weaknesses especially when it is between a weak and a powerful nation that is industrialised. This is because it easily ‘kills' the local industry as cost of production might be cheaper in the more industrialised countries causing their products to be cheaper hence denying the local products a chance in the market as they can not compete in terms of price . Arguments against Australia's Alliance with the United States One of the strongest arguments against the alliance is that the United States take Australia's commitment for granted . Australians who are opposed to the alliance based on this reasoning are justified to do so. This is because as explained earlier, Australia has been very faithful and committed to the ANZUS treaty. Australia has stood by the United States and responded when needed in facing threats to security such as terrorist and production of weapons of mass production hence supported the United States in its war against Afghanistan and Iraq respectively . Australia has supported and fought alongside the United States in other wars before this one as well such as Vietnam and the Second World War. Over the years, Australia has not faced any major threats to its national security hence has not been in need of military and defense help from the united states. Recent military developments in china however pose a great threat to Australia's security which the united states refuses to acknowledge and is even reluctant in letting Australia acquire the technology and weapons it needs that will enable it to counter attacks from china in the event they occur. It can be argued that the reluctance of the US to assist Australia prepare itself for potential future attacks to its security justifies the opposition to alliance and the claim that the US has been taking Australia's assistance for granted . However, the reason the United States is reluctant to avail these weapons and technology to Australia could be that being a nation that advocates for peace and democracy, it does not want to contradict itself by arming one nation against another. The other argument against this alliance is that it renders Australia completely dependent on the United States . This can be argued to be true based on the study of the way Australia has over the years supported the United States always expecting something in return because it is a more powerful nation. Continual support of this alliance implies continual dependency on the United States which is not right as each country should strive to be independent . However, it can also be argued that each country needs the support of others in order to develop and getting this support from a superpower is the best thing that can happen to a less powerful nation because of the because of the advantages that come with it. Other individuals opposed to the alliance argue that the creation of a free trade area is ‘killing' the country (Australia) . We could argue that this argument is completely justified. Free trade area implies that the goods and services produced within the member states can be traded freely without any trade barriers or restrictions. Free trade areas can however have a negative impact on local industries and cause some of them to completely shut down. This happens when the cost of production is lower in one of the countries in the block due to availability of raw materials in that country or low cost of energy. The goods produced in such a country usually are priced low when they come to the free market. Countries that produce the same goods but at a higher cost, are hence forced to stop producing as they can not afford to sell them at low prices without making massive loses. The fact that they can not beat the cheaply produced goods in the market forces these industries to shut down hence ‘killing’ the country. Free trade areas however have several advantages; they have the potential of producing large per capita such as the one produced by NATO, increasing employment opportunities, promoting trade between the member countries hence enhancing economic development. Conclusion It is predicted for the foreseeable future that Australia will remain one of the committed allies of the United States. Both Canberra and Washington have the same views on fighting the war against terrorism, dealing with and curbing the spread and production of weapons of mass destruction that threatens the security of the humanity, supporting and upholding democracy and preventing the re-emergence of failed states. The challenges faced by Australia in its own neighbourhood however have the first priority when dealing with these issues. As the United States is comfortable with the alliance, maintaining support for it hence overly depends on how successful the strategies taken by Washington will be in convincing the Australian government and public that the United States policies are necessary as well as legitimate. The Australian public will also have to be convinced that the United States does not take its contribution to mutual security for granted. Obstacles to good relations in this alliance could arise in the event the United States makes demands that are politically difficult on Australia in combating of terror, or if the US sought from Australia military support that forced risks that are unacceptable to Australia or one that drew the country into a major conflict with China over Taiwan. Differing views on security challenges that emanate from a rising China is perceived to be the alliance's greatest potential threat.

A Study on Customer Satisfaction in Banking Industry in Sri Lanka

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION World class companies have taken more market share by providing notably better customer service. Executives know that to stand out in a crowded field of competitors, customer service is a very critical component in achieving and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. When pressures move the organization to meet only performance goals and measurements such as overhead absorption, shipping dollar targets, labour efficiency, purchase price variance and the like, however, customer service often takes a back seat to these other concerns. The result can be a plunge in customer satisfaction and ultimately, if allowed to continue, erosion in market shares. Because of globalization, internationalization, technical innovations, law deregulations, and market saturation, the current situation of the banking industry is changing. The intensity of competition increases due to new products and services as well as the entrance of competitors from other industries, such as the so-called non- and near-banks. Even more, the continuously growing educational standard as well as better opportunities to gather information induce enormous changes in customer behavior. Thus, competition for customers becomes more difficult and, considering the growing intensity of competition, the major banks’ need for sustained competitive advantage increases Organisations often think the way to measure customer satisfaction is to examine the number of customer complaints. The problems with this method is that it is reactive, it only responds (if at all) after the event and it does not really measure satisfaction only dissatisfaction. Monitoring complaint levels does not really tell if the customers are any more or less satisfied with the product or service. For example, consider how many times you have been dissatisfied with a product or service – say once a month. Now how many times have you written to complain – possibly once or twice or maybe never. Managers and Directors often say â€Å"if our customers are unhappy, they soon tell us†. Well do they? If on a personal level you rarely write to complain, what happens as a company level – is it different? Here is an example of an organisations basing its customer satisfaction strategy on levels of customer complaints and getting badly misled. In a Warehousing organisation, customers were unable to obtain product (spares, consumables, etc. from the newly relocated, reorganised and centralised warehouse. Deliveries were often late or wrong if they arrived at all. The customer complained verbally but being unable to obtain their spare or consumable, spent their time looking for an alternate supplier rather than wasting their time complaining. The customer could not afford the time to complain, they were too busy avoiding their processes from stopping by sourcing the required items from another supplier. The Warehouse turnover plummeted. â€Å"If our customers are unhappy we'll soon know about it† said management. Well, they didn’t at least not until it was too late and they had lost 90% of their customers. Yes 90%. There is obviously a strong link between customer satisfaction and customer retention. Customer's perception of Service and Quality of product will determine the success of the product or service in the market. With better understanding of customers' perceptions, companies can determine the actions required to meet the customers' needs. They can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in comparison to their competitors, chart out path future progress and improvement. Customer satisfaction measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the company. In any type of business, whether companies are selling toy airplanes or offering massages, customer satisfaction plays a key role in the success of the business. Much like employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction is important to consider when running a business Companies that care about their success always care about customer satisfaction. The customer is the end user and if they aren't happy with the product or service then they might not return to purchase the product or service again. This usually results in the business losing money, due to poor customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction emerged from consumer studies that sought to quantify the basic assumption implicate in the marketing concept that satisfied customers are more likely to have a positive attitude towards the product and re buy it. The value of satisfaction is often underestimated. Loyal customers and employees affect an organization’s success, which can be difficult to quantify. Loyal customers grow business by increasing market share. Over a lifetime, a loyal customer purchases more, purchases at a premium (they are less sensitive to price), costs less to sell to, and refers the company business to others. Employees, especially those on the front line, directly impact customer satisfaction. An essential part of assessing satisfaction includes identifying dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied customers and employees often hold the information what the company need to succeed. Understanding when and why dissatisfaction occurs helps the organization to implement changes to gain and retain future customers and employees. Measuring customer satisfaction is an important element of providing better, more effective and efficient services. When clients are not satisfied with a service as provided, the service is neither effective nor efficient. This is especially important in relation to the provision of public services. Under conditions of perfect competition, where clients are able to choose between alternative service providers and have adequate information, client satisfaction is a key determinant of the level of demand and therefore, the operation and functioning of suppliers. However when a single agency, either government or private sector, is the sole provider of services, the level of client satisfaction is often overlooked when assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of services. Customer satisfaction is the extent to which the desires and the requirements of the clients are met. A service is considered satisfactory if it fulfils the needs and expectations of the customers. There are many factors taken into consideration by the customers in appraising the services provided, including: promptness, reliability, technical expertise, expectations, quality and price. . 1 RESEARCH PROBLEM ANALYSIS The staffs in the front office fail to deliver goods in the proper way to the customers due their inefficiencies where by the customer gets frustrated by the service rendered of the front office staffs and goes to the extent of closing their accounts and look for another bank who could better service for the customers. Due to this problem customers maintain sev eral bank accounts in many banks to consume better services. This problem was faced by the researcher and some informal discussions were done by the researcher with some other banking customers. They also experienced some similar problems with their banks’ services. This gave an idea to researcher to do a research in customer satisfaction level in the banking industry in Srilanka. 1. 2 IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ENSURING FUTURE REVENUES A renewed focus on customer service and satisfaction leads to improved customer loyalty and increased revenue. For example, reducing customer churn by 1 percent can translate into the same percentage increase in revenue. Particularly in industries characterized by low switching costs and products that are dif? ult to differentiate, customer service offers a way of providing distinct value to the customer. The company gives excellent services customer satisfaction other brands become less important and switching costs decline, the importance of customer service has increased and, in some industries, become the major differentiator. Companies that align themselves to better serve their customers enjoy lower customer churn, lowe r costs, and higher pro? ts, since satis? ed, loyal customers purchase additional products and services. At the same time, customers expect better service. They expect their requirements to be fulfilled promptly and their issues resolved quickly and to their satisfaction. Long periods spent on hold, multiple transfers, and interactions with inexperienced or poorly trained customer service representatives can damage the relationship. Accordingly, every customer interaction has the potential to either strengthen the relationship or drive the customer to a competitor. 1. 3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY: FOCUSING ON THE LONG TERM Achieving high customer satisfaction levels, low churn rates, and effective cross-selling requires a strategy that balances the seemingly con? cting factors that affect organisation performance. Such a strategy can increase overall business performance by balancing ef? ciency-based measures with effectiveness measures that emphasize customer service and cross-selling. Whether an organisation is focused primarily on servicing customers or generating additional sales revenue, maximizing the value of customer inte ractions depends on a company’s ability to clearly understand the factors impacting performance and make decisions that leverage or resolve hose factors. Through this level of insight, organisation can achieve and maintain high satisfaction levels and higher revenues while keeping their costs as low as possible. 1. 4 NEED OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RESEARCH Spending on customer satisfaction research by American industry has grown tremendously – in recent years, and a number of trends suggest that the need for this type of research will continue to rise in the years ahead, particularly among firms that sell to other organizations. The following reasons induce organizations to conduct research on customer satisfaction. Companies are buying more, but from fewer suppliers Business and government markets are growing, but getting tougher to sell to. Organizations bought more than $8. 3 trillion worth of goods and services in 1993, according to Penton Research Services' estimates. Spending has increased every year since 1982, even during the 1990-91 recessions. Companies forced to downsize in recent years are now buying many of the goods and services they used to produce internally. Goods-producing industries outsource the most, although government – which is privatizing a number of operations – and many service firms expect to do more outsourcing in the years ahead. Total business and government purchases are expected to double over the next decade, reaching $17. 5 trillion by the year 2005. However, it's also becoming more difficult for suppliers to get – and keep – customers. A Penton Research Services study found that 40 percent of large business and government units are buying from fewer suppliers than they were five years ago, even though the amount purchased is up. And nine out of ten purchasing executives at Fortune 1000 companies surveyed by the Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (91 percent) expect to use fewer sources of supply in the year 2000. Business and government buyers want to establish partnerships with their suppliers. Properly-conducted customer satisfaction research can help a company build stronger relationships with both current clients and key prospects. Customer power is increasing The balance of power in business transactions is shifting to the customer. According to a study conducted by Arthur Andersen in conjunction with the Distribution Research and Education Foundation, the buyer's ability to dictate such terms and conditions as billing and pricing is expected to increase during the '90s, while the power of suppliers/ manufacturers and wholesaler-distributors decreases. As buyers gain power, they'll have increased leverage to set standards for product quality and specifications, delivery time, and service. More than half of the executives surveyed by the Gallup Organization (53 percent) report that demands from their company's customers are rising or changing a great deal. Research allows a supplier to truly hear the voice of the customer and tailor its product/service mix to changing buyer needs. Suppliers need to satisfy multiple buying influences Companies selling to industry, have to please a number of different individuals within customer organizations, each with their own needs and agendas. According to a Penton Research Services survey, the number of people involved in a buying decision ranges from about three, for services and items used in day-to- day operations, to almost five, for such high-ticket purchases as construction work and machinery. A Forsyth Group analysis of buying decisions at one large firm, Harnischfeger, showed that the number of individuals involved in the purchase of a single type of product could exceed 50. In addition, it's not going to get any easier for suppliers. A Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies survey found that 87 percent of the purchasing executives at Fortune 1000 companies expect teams of people from different departments and functions to be making buying decisions in the year 2000. A well-designed customer satisfaction measurement program that targets key buying influences can help keep current customers sold and identify ways to win over non-customers. Quality is still job one Customers want a good price, but refuse to sacrifice quality or service to get it. A Penton Research Services survey of business and government decision-makers found that quality is the single most important factor in choosing a supplier. Price received the second largest number of mentions, followed by reputation, delivery time, and technical assistance. In fact, nine out of 10 business buyers believe that paying a higher price for quality is more cost-effective in the long run, and according to a study conducted by Kane, Parsons & Associates, most executives (86 percent) prefer to do business with suppliers that have made a formal commitment to quality improvement and customer satisfaction. The buyer, not the seller, determines what attributes of a product or service constitute quality, and research can provide an objective measure of what customers think, correctly or incorrectly, about a company and its competition. The rate of change is fast and getting faster American industry is in a continual state of flux. There are more than 8,200 new business incorporations, failures, acquisitions, address changes, and name changes on the average business day. The buying influences that suppliers need to keep satisfied are also constantly changing. A Penton Research Services analysis of changes among managers, engineers, and purchasing agents found that more than 20 percent leave their company, change job titles, or transfer to another location over the course of a year. This means that more than half of the buying influences will probably change in some way within three years. Most of the executives surveyed by the Gallup Organization believe that the current rate of change at their company is rapid or extremely rapid, and 61 percent of them think that the pace of change will accelerate in the future. Companies selling to industry have to continually monitor the marketplace to be able to respond quickly to changes in buying procedures, factors influencing the purchase, and the people making the buying decision. Customer satisfaction research will be needed more than ever by firms that want to survive – and thrive – in the challenging years ahead. 1. 5 CORE BANKING FUNCTIONS Banking has always been a changing industry. Lord Denning, once observed; â€Å"Like many other beings, a banker is easier to recognise than to define†. (D G Hanson, Page 1). D G Hanson in his popular book on Service Banking writes, â€Å"We are tempted to say that banking is what one cares to make it†. Whatever way one defines a bank, a banker or the business of anking, it appears that, despite a large spectrum of financial services that banks have embarked on to offer, certain fundamental economic functions of Banking remain yet to be fully substituted. To understand this proposition it may be necessary to look at Banking from both a traditional functional view, i. e. a functional analysis and from a logical business and economic view, i. e. an economic analysis. A Functional Analysis A func tional analysis of banking business will look at the apparent activities that a bank performs. The activities are numerous and more keep adding to the list. The Banking Act No 30 of 1988 defines the business of banking as â€Å"â€Å"banking business† means the business of receiving funds from the public through the acceptance of money, deposits payable upon demand by cheque, draft, order or otherwise, and the use of such funds either in whole or in part for advances, investments or any other operation either authorized by law or by customary banking practices;† This definition mainly deals with the aspect of banking where the function invariably looks at the maintenance of demand deposits commonly known as current accounts. Current Accounts are maintained only by Licensed Commercial Banks. Does this mean that only Commercial Banks carry on the business of Banking? Probably not so. There are other institutions and instruments that perform most of the economic functions of Banking. It is important, therefore, for us to analyse the economic functions more than the activities of Banking. The concentration of this article will therefore be on Economic Functions. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the activities that banks do carryout with a view to analysing the Economic Functions. The Banking Amendment Act No: 33 of 1995 by its section 31 that introduces section 76A to the Act, to provide for Specialised Banking, restricts the carrying on of the business of accepting deposits of money and investing and lending such money to be only by a company which has an equity capital in an amount not less than Rs 50 Million and under the authority of a licence issued by the Monetary Board.