Team and Group Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team and Group Paper - Essay Example The word group refers to a collection or crowd of people who have something in common, for instance they know each other, they have a common interest or because of either gender, sex or other similarities. Furthermore, most groups are headed by a leader to whom everyone in the group is accountable to and the group’s goal is actually one furnished by the leader. On the other hand, a team is a collection of people who have specific roles in the team and who work together in order to achieve certain specific goals. The members of a team are accountable to each other and to the group (Parco, 2007). There are several differences between a team and a group. For instance, groups are easier to form than teams, because teams needed internal structures and the careful selection of members in order for goals to be achieved. Other differences include the fact that in teams everyone contributes in decision-making and problem-solving, while in a group the leader dictates everything, in a te am, there are shared responsibilities and decisions are made through a consensus, while in a group, the leader is in charge of everything and makes every decision, which have to be followed by the group members, in a team, every team member’s view point is considered, while in a group only the team leader’s view point is considered important.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT-2ND ASSIGNMENT Essay

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT-2ND ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Given the dynamic nature of work that needed to be done, the organization demands high level knowledge and information from the employees. According to the studies made the company has incorporated training and motivational programs for the employees so that they can meet the demand effectively. Conclusion: Thus from the study we can make out that when the company was in danger of losing its market share, the company started focusing on its human resources, which ultimately enabled the company to get back on the track. The company realized the importance of incorporating such policies in their strategic decision making process. Self Evaluation: The presentation provides the highlights of the major aspects that a transport company might consider while designing their Human Resource policy. These policies are uniquely different than the human resource policies which are generally being adapted in manufacturing concerns. Skills along with values constitute the main plan of the entire process of employee development. The service companies specially should consider employees to be the one of the most critical asset component and they should value them accordingly. It should be remembered that with the level of competition present within the industry, the company cannot afford a very liberal payment structure. As with the amount of scope available, any skilled and experienced employee can shift to any other given organization. This would cause a great harm to the parent company not only in qualitative aspects but also in the profit making process. The services provided by all the airlines are similar in nature, so the main part of difference comes in the way the service is being offered to the passengers. The employees who have adequate knowledge and experience can do just that. But with the lack of proper payment structure, frequent shifting of employees may make the continuous process of value creation difficult. It will also dilute the

Study of the book something to declare

Study of the book something to declare The purpose of analyzing the book of essays Something to Declare by Julia Alvarez is to establish the differences between Dominican and American culture. All along the book, she defines the two cultures within the 24 essays in which she relates her life in all aspects with fully-described details. Our criteria in selecting the topic of cultural contrast between the two countries, is in order to raise the differences and similarities of the cultures which have always had a good relationship in economic and business matters. We focused our interest on this issue because of the cultural shock and the process of acculturation experienced but the author when she was only a ten year-old girl, and as a result, that event has transformed her life into a creative and multidimensional writer. This interesting book is divided in two parts. The first part is regarding her customs; the family drama (when Julia and her family had to leave their native country), her arriving to the United States, her refusal to adopt another culture and language, her transitional identity, and how finally she became a bicultural woman and writer. The second part describes the passion that Julia feels towards Literature, especially, the writing aspect. She openly explained the deep desire she has ever had of writing, as well as the routine she has developed through the years to do what she loves the most. Julia also tells about the struggle she had to overcome during the beginning of her career as a writer. The selection of the Julia Alvarez as the center of our research is due to her great literary work throughout her career. Even though she has spent most of her life living in the United States, she has succeeded internationally writing about her Dominican roots and Dominican culture, which is very remarkable. Her wonderful work wrote on papers is more than enough reason to select her autobiography as the subject of our analysis. In the introductory part of this investigation, is the biography. It relates chronologically Julias life from a more abstract view; combining personal and literary aspects all at once. Following the bio are the literary activities, which focus the glance on the awards and the books she has published so far. The third part contains the historical background of the book. It describes the time and places when the story was developed, as well as the events that occurred at the time. Furthermore, it includes the presidents of the two countries as the author relates her experiences through the years. The characters and the summary are the next parts, which are an excerpt taken from the book to give an idea about the interesting content of the essays. On the other hand, the literary critics shows the point of view of important people, magazines and newspapers about Something to Declare. Finally, we analyzed the essays from a very particular perspective. We took Julias own words to show the contrast between the two cultures she belongs to. The examples displayed along the analysis demonstrate that the authors heart is divided in two nations: the Dominican Republic and the United States. 1.2 LITERARY ACTIVITIES. In 1997 Alvarez published I! All in reflections and criticism could itself Alvarezs literary success. In the Name of Salome (2000), this book has been widely acclaimed for her careful historical research. 1.3 LITERARY CRITICS Alvarez ´s new book embraces readers as if she were opening the door for unexpected guests. -The Orlando Sentinel. Spry, inviting writingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Alvarez has clearly made her second language her own. -Entertainment Weekly. A valuable collection of essaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦introduces writing as a craft full of awareness. And this awareness gives Alvarez a voice that promises to continue to declare itself. -Christian Science Monitor. Evocative, touching, often amusingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Alvarezs fluid style blends personal history with insight. Her book is a must-read for anyone who loves and struggles with writing, and it is a witness to the ability of the human soul to renew itself daily. -The Tampa Tribune. In this collection, Alvarez artfully reveals how and why she writes. -The Hartford Courant. JULIA ALVAREZ is the author of the critically acclaimed novels  ¡Yo!, In the Time of the Butterflies (a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist), and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Ms. Alvarez is also the author of collections of poetry, The Other Side/El OtroLado and Homecoming (all available in Plume editions). She lives with her husband in Vermont. Julia Alvarez is a writer on a different kind of edge. _The Nation. Vibrantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Something to Declare at the same time reveals and masks whats upsetting with an abundance of humor and a measure of self-denigration. Bloomsbury Review. Alvarez wields her legendary storytellers power to hold an audience spellbound while enlarging its vision through the deft use of empathy. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. To be read slowly and carefully, as a special gift from a writer whose skill and enthusiasm have enriched the country she now considers her home. Anniston Star (Alabama). Poignantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ironicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The writing transcends itself and becomes a new consciousness, a new place on the map. The Virginian-Pilot. (Alvarez) paints with vibrant, earthy clarityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Open and lively. Publishers Weekly. A wonderful literary and biographical gift for both aspiring writers, teachers of literature, and fans of Julia Alvarez _Bookwatch. Simply wonderful. The novel becomes more powerful with each passing chapter. -Los Angeles Times In the Time of the Butterflies potent and luminousà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ confirms Julia Alvarez as a Latin American storyteller whose voice we need to hear. _The Philadelphia Inquirer. An important book. Alvarez has given us a gift of rare generosity and courage. _The San Diego Union-Tribune. Wonderfulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ richà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ skillfully weaves fact and fiction, building to a gut-wrenching climax. Newsweek Doubly blessed with a poets vision and a realists eye, Alvarez gives us lessons about the courage and vitality of the female spirit, the webs and tangles that bind families, piety and activism, loyalty and fear, faith and love. _The Miami Herald  ¡Yo! About the writer and her lies, her truths, her passions the way she uses, needs, loves, and takes, all at the same timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ She carries us along on waves of laughter and an undercurrent of pain. _Elle A novel of amazing richness and magnanimity, a sophisticated work of art that is also warmly accessible to the ordinary reader. San Francisco Chronicle. From the internationally acclaimed author of the bestselling novels in the Time of the Butterflies, and. The twenty-four personal essays that make up Something to Declare are like snapshots rendered in prose, capturing the life and mind of an artist as she meditates on the dual themes of coming to America and becoming a writer. Part One, Customs. Is a loving tribute to family and an examination of the specific effects of exile fleeing dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, the shock of arriving in New York City, training a Spanish tongue to speak English, and watching the Miss America pageant for clues to translate ones looks into made-in-the-U.S.A. beauty. Part Two, Declarations, celebrates Alvarezs enduring passion for words and the writing life. From First Muse, a valentine to Scheherazade, who proved the great power of storytelling, to So Much Depends, a reflection on the influence of fellow bicultural writers William Carlos Williams and Maxine Hong Kingston, to Ten of My Writing Commandments, an inspiring list for any aspiring writer, these essays are filled with humor and insight _a generous gift to readers and writer everywhere. A pleasure to readà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Alvarez speaks directly to her readers in these essays offering insight into the inspiration and craft that informs her workà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a thoughtful self-analysis and a delightful primer on becoming a writer. _Denver Post. Julia Alvarez is a breathtaking writer. _St. Petersburg Times From the internationally acclaimed author of the bestselling novels in the Time of the Butterflies, and. The twenty-four personal essays that make up Something to Declare are like snapshots rendered in prose, capturing the life and mind of an artist as she meditates on the dual themes of coming to America and becoming a writer. 1.4 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND From 1930 to 1961 in the Dominican Republic lived an intense situation at all levels, especially literary level, since most of the poets, storytellers, artists, had to go into exile in order not to have the opinion Trujillista. Others stayed but did not develop their creative, and if they did it was in favor of President Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, no strange the spiritual manifestation that there was no space, and so exist in many Latin American countries. Dominican literature is marked by the influence of European literature in particular of French literature, but has its own identity and a force that politicians love to men Contemporary literature mostly originates in the Dominican diaspora in New York, the works focus on the difficulties of daily life in the Dominican Republic, among contemporary writers is Julia Alvarez. In the beginning of the eighteenth and nineteenth century American literature took most of it inspiration from Europe. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the American novelist extended to the social significance of his works of fiction to cover both the lives of wealthy people as those of marginalized groups. Political events between 1961 and 1965 served to youth so freely express whatever the Trujillo tyranny that had prevented them. Poetry was one of the main resources used by these young people to act out their political and social concerns; as well as, to combat corruption that broke into nearly every corner of the Dominican society. The Dominican Republic experienced a very difficult political situation between 1961 and 1978, during this period several historical events occurred that abruptly changed political and social thought and the course of literary and cultural activities in the country, among them are: The physical death of Trujillo, which in no way means the disappearance of the shadow of the tyrant, the rise of Juan Bosch to power in February 1963, and the unexpected military coup that ousted seven months later, the war in April 1965, which left the second disastrous U.S. military occupation in the Dominican Republic, the election of Joaquin Balaguer as president, who was intolerable to those who continued to fight for libertarian principles peaked by the makers of the revolution in April 1965. Some of the events occurred in United States in the 1960s, The popular literary genres, such as Oriental literature and mystery novels have had a great development in the United States, for its part, particularly in recent years is considered the Spanish literature in the United States as an expression of the growing cultural phenomenon the Hispanic population and the Spanish language in this country. United State Economy and Politics (1960) After World War II, the GNP increased from 200.000 million in 1940, 300.000 million in 1950 to more than 500.000 million in 1960. More and more Americans joined the middle class. There were many sources of growth. The automotriz industry, it became exclusively a creator of tanks and bombers, and the new industry of aviation and electronics grew. In addition to this expansion, the workforce also changed. Unions won contracts for employees working long quickly focused its price. Six of the eleven presidential elections since World War II have resulted in a change of political party in the White House. Three times, the Democrats were replaced for Republicans (1952, 1968 and 1980) and three others, the Democrats moved to the Republicans (1960, 1976 and 1992). During each of these campaigns, the winning candidate had promised a foreign policy completely different from what was the sitting president of another party. However, once invested with his office, followed the lines of his predecessors relations with other countries. Bipartisanship in foreign policy is deeply rooted in American political culture. The created climate change; and his endorsement of advancing free trade in the Americas. 2.1 CHARACTERS Julia Alvarez she is a fighter woman, who defies the traditional customs in which she was brought up, all to achieve her goal of becoming a famous writer. Alvarez is a wonderful woman, very intellectual, with a vision of progress. She wisely, faces obstacles, and does not see it as such, but, as life experiences, which they did not prevent her achieving her dream of becoming an artist of Literature. Daddy: Julias father, though a little introverted, is a man who is proud of his family. This character is attached to what are the traditional customs of the time, in which only men were enjoyed certain privileges. He was a man who liked economize, and sometimes did not say things directly, he liked speaking in parables. Mommy:Alvarezs mother is a woman who the contrary of her father tries to adopt and introduce their daughters to what is American culture, which is very different from the Dominican one, the latter being where are their true origins. An example of this is when being at home even longer, Julia speaking mixing the two languages (English and Spanish), what we commonly call Spanglish, her mother repeated the idea, but only in English, as a clever way to correct her. Julia ´s grandfatherThe grandfather was a fine and elegant man, very good manners, whom Julia received wise counsel. He was a United Nations diplomat. Due to his trips to countries like Spain and others, assimilated morality, which were taught to her grandchildren. He had a good sense of humor, and like Julia, is passionate with music and poetry, but put aside her passion for art, giving priority to what was taking care of his family, as cited: Very familial, Said everyone of my grandfather, a family man. Bill: Julia Alvarezs husband, a doctor and farmer from Nebraska. Aunt Tità ­: She was a simple woman; showing little regard for their physical attributes, but loving reading. Sister Maria Generosa: English teacher. This intelligent woman had a particular form to teach, which she attracted attention of her students. Misià ¡: was a Haitian maid of Alvarez ´s home, whom liked much the voodoo sections. Don Josà © de Jesà ºs: Julias uncle. a man who was rowdy with women, he had sired twenty-five children, was widowed once, kept a couple of mistresses who raised the figure to thirty-plus children. Utcho: a cousin of de writer, whom she called uncle, because he was so much older than he was. Dilita: who was a hybrid. She looked just like the other Dominican girls, with a teased hairdo, wore makeup, outfits and was a rebel girl. Manuel Gustavo (Mangu): Julia à lvarez firstboyfriend. He was a honey-young man with wonderful dimples and pot belly. Father Doby: a church lawyer and a member of La Crosse diocese. Father James: member of the shrine. Donna: Mary Anns youngest daughter 2.2 SUMMARY a) Grandfathers Blessing: Grandfathers Blessing is the first story that begins this interesting book of essays, in which Julia Alvarez talks about her family life and the messages she received at that time in relation to her womans condition. Although the author speaks of her experiences about her family and entertaining conversations with her grandfather, the author makes a small approach to the situation that existed in the country at that time, the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The oppression was so great that people were persuaded and forced to leave their belongings, if so desired the chief, as she says: One evening the SIM, the military intelligence service, meat for my grandfather and put him in jail for two days. He was not torture, but persuaded to sell a part of historical land price for the minimum to the daughter of the dictator. Here J. Alvarez mentioned her aunt Titi, which was simple, showing little regard for her their physical attributes, but loving reading. She also mentions her widowed aunt, who has three very young children, although a bit mischievous, own of their age, each had an ideal about what they wanted to be in the future. Grandfathers Blessing is just the story that the author makes does about the great support she has always received with respect to their desire to be a writer by her grandfather, even where his career was still just a dream. b) Our Papers This essay takes place in the old house in Boca Chica, where stayed the whole family on vacation, but then, in 1960, and being at home in the capital, Alvarez say of the ability that took his father to take as a pretext studying heart surgery, in order to get a visa for his family (his wife and four daughters), and so escape the oppressive government of that time; as well as, the intelligence of her godmother to achieve persuading the chief, all to get their papers to travel outside the country. In addition, the author talks about the fear she felt to come to America and face a new culture, where the main change was the need to speak a language they did not dominated, English. Neither had she they liked to get away from her aunts and cousins. She tells that since being established in New York, she missed her life in her country of origin. J. Alvarez reflected whether in fact these papers meant freedom in a foreign country, or indeed, the privation of what they truly enjoyed, which made them happy in the Dominican Republic, as quoted: I wonder if those papers free us from September had everything we loved. c) My English J. Alvarez mentions Carol Morgan School as the first step to master English language, refers to the motivation that always received by her mother, who was the driving force for her and her sisters learn this important language, which the author talks how difficult it was for her master. She was so used to Spanish, so they went through the ridicule of their classmates. She makes mention of his uncle Gus, the youngest of the brothers of her mother, who was very intellectual. This essay refers to the shock that she was to arrive in New York, and how difficult it was, since she spoke Spanish and English, and she saw it as a very difficult language. She says she began to feel love for English, thanks to Sister Maria Generosa. This teacher attracted the interest of whiter in that language with her entertaining way to teach, which was puting to writing in a relaxing form, putting her your imagination, writing the topic of their preference, and not insisting on what she was boring: Grammar Rules, The teacher used to explain that students end with a great understanding of the language d) My Second Opera Alvarez in this essay, refers to her life already living in New York, and taking even ten years. Here the reader realizes the little motivation she felt at the beginning to attend the opera, which was an event that bored her enough, contrary to the voodoo ceremonies she so enjoyed of her Caribbean country, which she met by her maid Haitian Misià ¡. Alvarez agreed with her grandmother to go instead of her to accompany her grandfather to go to see Aida, the show, because she did not like to participate in these events, which were part of the social life of a diplomat like her grandfather. In this story, Julia also explains how she missed her culture in the Dominican Republic, and how difficult it was to assimilate her new life in America, even sharing these classic events. Then, with Aida, she began to feel attracted to the opera, : I Became an opera fan and also a wily intrigued,, the latter referring to how smart she had become, as learned to use this activity to get everything she wanted, with respect to her grandmother. Here, the author lets see again how she was attached to their Dominican roots, and still felt little adaptation in their new country. e) I Want to Be Miss America This story takes place in Queens, New York. J. Alvarez refers the interest of her and her sisters to enter in all what concerns with the culture of their new country of adoption and Miss America was a contest that called them enough attention since so they could see in each one of the contestants on American look, which they wanted to look, but really seeing the competition, they observed that although there were girls with looks simple, something that made them begin to feel comfortable and not as strangers were also others in which her beauty was so perfect that made her think that this beauty was not as natural, but rather girls were made. She did not think women were only created to be good mothers and wives but also capable of being successful professional, useful to society, something that could be said it was opposed to their native culture. But despite this enthusiasm, this successful writer always knew she could not be Miss America, not only for their physical appearance, which was very different from those girls, but also because she had to feel it. On the other hand, while they wanted to be as native, her classmates wanted to look like them, so this made them feel accepted in that country. Although she continues feeling foreign, she consider the United States as her homeland. f) I Want To Be Miss America The essays deals mainly with the change of identity in which they were involved, both the writer and his sisters, trying to be different, because they were in a country different from them, which ought to fit.* We Would Have to translate our looks Into Ingles, iron and tweeze them out; straighten Them, Them into mold Made-in-the-USA beauty (This referring to their hair.) Also refers to the beauty, showing in the contests, that most of the time is just edible. Their voices rang with false cheer. You could hear, not far off, years of high-school cheerleading, pom-poms, bleachers full of moon-eyed boys, and moms on phones, signing them up for all manner of lessons and making appointments dentist. It talks about the help of his parents, which had provided the needed, making mention of a family, although they are in foreign land, stuck together, which helped them cope with less trauma. g) El Doctor The main theme of this essay is the need to save, no matter even if they had enough to spend. But my rich father lived in the dark. Saving string, going the long way. Her dad turned off the lights all the time, though she was reading and it was dark. She mentioned the lifestyle of her father and refers to a possible infidelity, besides the good behavior of the mother; family union is noticed even in the difficulties that might exist. h) La Gringuita On Losing a Native Language Here, the author refers to the cultural changes that were involved, especially. Also, she recounts the difficulties of not accepting a new culture, what would prevent the adaptation to the new home. It refers to the first loving relationship of the author, who was in the land of origin, on a visit they made. In addition, it talks about her husband, who is American, born in a Nebraska farm and is also a doctor, like her father. It refers to the first loving relationship of the author, who was in the land of origin, on a visit they made. In addition, it talks about her husband, who is American, born in a Nebraska farm and is also a doctor, like her father. i) Picky Eater This essay talks about the eating habits of the writer and her husband, calling herself a picky eater. It refers to the needs of maintaining a healthy diet to keep a good fit and also save time for using it on more important things, specifically to writing. Also, it refers to the difficulties that existed in her native country to eat food prepared in the streets, which could make them sick; due to low hygiene they were prepared. The author speaks of some bad experience at mothers home, related to one food that she did not like and she was forced to eat: engrudo. This essay reveals the change in the lifestyle of both countries, mainly related to food, due to the difference in culture. Even as partners they had different food habits, they learned to understand each other, and they shared the table as well as the food preparation, always helping each other. That activity gave them a complete well being at home. j) Briefly, a Gardener The author shows the importance of helping each other between her and her husband tasks, regardless of whether they are different. Ive tried to share his passion with him, just as he has tried to share mine. Many a weekend morning, Ive had before a new manuscript sat with strict instructions to be critical,. This produces a positive effect on couples, resulting to a lasting marriage and an organized family. k) Imagining Motherhood The author, like all women, displayed the anxiety of not having children, almost being a 40 year-old woman. She justified herself in the profession as a writer, so she had no time to be a mother. Also, it refers to the difficulty to find a good father to her baby. She felt depressed when she saw someone in her family with children, or when someone made reference to the subject. A woman who does not care have a child is considered foolish at best. At worst, as I heard one lecturer proclaim, she is committing genetic suicide. The essay refers to the idea of adoption, but then she withdraws it, remaining childless. l) A Genetic of justice Julia Alvarez narrates the suffering of her family when she was 10 years. She says that her family lived under a big pressure due to the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. She also tells about her mothers life and the way that she kept her children far away from the eye of the dictator because of his appetite for pretty and young girls. . When her mother married her father she knew all regarding the dictatorship, many lost their lives in unsuccessful attempts to return the country to democracy in that time. Her father was very lucky when he was young; he escaped to Canada where he live for a while, running away to save his life. A few months later, he came back to the country and after a time, her mother wondered why he had returned, if they knew that things were very bad in this country, but, the pressure of his friends in the north led him to come back to the land where Trujillo claimed to be the release of the regime. Her parents behaved as best they could because they had four daughters and could not take any risk with them. As a result, since he was a young doctor, when he saw that things got tough, he asked permission to go to make a specialty to another country. . Yet she thanked her parents for having installed in her through their suffering, a desire for freedom and justice. m) Family Matters She writes that since she became a public writer, her family tried to figure out where she got that talent, they determined that she probably acquired the genes from her father and uncles. One of her uncles was a poet, but she says her genes as a writer, in fact, come directly from her father. But when they migrated to the United States, her father had to get started again to practice medicine, her father abandoned the ambition of wanting to write books because he still

Critical Response: Jack London :: Biography Biographies Essays

Critical Response: Jack London Jack London, a well known American author, has written a fair share of truly classic works.   The Call of the Wild and White Fang are staples of middle and high school reading requirements.   His other novels, such as The People of the Abyss and Sea Wolf are not as well known, but are still regarded as brilliant pieces of literature by many scholars.   Lesser known are his many volumes of short stories; "To Build a Fire" being the most popular.   I cannot say that I have read even a small percentage of London's works, but from what I have read, I noticed some recurring similarities.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the semester in class, we have learned how authors utilize various elements of writing to make their point more prominent.   For Jack London's earlier works, his Yukon setting and rugged, adventurous characters appear quite frequently.   Such is the case with the three stories I chose to study; "Love of Life," "The League of the Old Men," and "To Build a Fire."   Along with this, I believe that the theme of survival appears in these three, as well as many other stories from London.   I took it upon myself to try and find out why London used survival as his main theme.   To demonstrate this recurring theme, I will give a brief synopsis of the three stories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "To Build a Fire" is a story about a man who is traveling alone in the frozen Yukon.   He knows that it is not safe to be traveling when it is so cold, but stubbornly keeps moving.   He falls through a crack in the ice, wetting his feet.   In order to stay alive, he must build a fire, warm his feet and move on.   Despite several attempts, the man fails and dies.  Ã‚   Of the fourteen pages within "To Build a Fire," eight of those are devoted to the events of the man trying to make a fire; the other six mainly focus on the setting.   The man's determination to build the fire is evident-a simple annoyance at the beginning leads to a frantic demise at the end.   The plot was as simple as one man's attempt to survive against nature.

Should Democratic Promotion Be a Top Priority of the United States

Promoting democracy has been a key part of the United States foreign policy prescription for more than forty years. After the defeat of the fascist regimes during the second world war and the fall of the Soviet Union after the cold war, the United States government latched on to the idea of democratization because it became widely accepted that this is how our national security is best protected. This new ideology is very different when compared to what Secretary of State John Quincy Adams stated in 1821: â€Å"Where the standard of freedom and independence has been unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions, and her prayers be.But she does not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. † The United States has not always forcefully campaigned change, but led by example in order to try to inspire the world (Hook 2008, 383-7). While this type of approach to int ernational relations may not fit our current time period, it is beginning to look as if our current policy approach is fading into history as well. Here is the issue at hand: should promoting democracy abroad be a top United States priority?Argumentatively, no, it should not. Democratic nations are said to be less prone to making war, more economically stable, and more peaceful internally. This premise comes from what is known as the â€Å"democracy-peace theory. † Unfortunately, this theory is not completely sound. Democracies are just as likely to participate in warfare, especially if they are a newly democratized state. Studies show that within the first ten years of being established, new democracies are likely to engage in conflict with other democratic states as well as with authoritarian states (Bin. 2007).America began its road towards democracy while fighting for its freedom in the Revolutionary War. A short distance down the time line, the northern and southern part s of the country were divided in a civil war, proving that even America had a rough start in the beginning. Transitioning over to democracy is not easy; actually, it is quite dangerous. The expectations of citizens living in a country undergoing the transformation may not be met as quickly as they would like, thus creating doubt in the new government’s ability to create positive changes. The end result is a rebellion against democracy (Bennett 2010, 43-60).Once the democracy has failed, leaving behind a country with no direction in sight, there is room for other institutions to seize control by preying on the sentiment of the citizens. Nazi Germany after the Weimar Republic and militaristic Japan after the Taisho democracy are a few examples that led to devastating outcomes (Bin. 2007). In these instances, democracy was tried, failed, and then another political institution took over, causing chaos, and causing the rest of the world to spend large amounts of money rebuilding a nd mending a broken country. Keep in mind that the United States has already built up a 12. trillion dollar deficit, which has increased $3. 87 billion dollars daily since September 28, 2007. To put that into perspective, if that number is divided by the entire population of the United States, that leaves about $40,000 dollars that every United States citizen shares in debt (U. S. National Debt Clock). I do not think that the United States has money to spare on risky foreign policies. Democracy is typically believed to enhance relationships between nations and make cooperation with them easier. We need to take into consideration that even though we preach that beneficial outcomes are more likely to arise, what if they do not?Suppose that we do everything correctly in establishing the necessary components for a democracy to be successful: create honest leaders, promote better education, establish a better economy, establish the rule of law, and instill the concepts that our Bill of R ights have established for our own country, it is possible that we could still end up with a country that is unfriendly to the United States and the rest of the world. For example, the democracy in Palestine that the United States accepted for many years elected a terrorist group by the name of Hamas in 2006 to be their leader.This group has an intense hatred for Israel, one of our closest allies. Now we have the pleasure of dealing with a democratically elected terroristic leadership that will be nearly impossible to work with. Democracy obviously did not consider our national interest in this case (Rosenbaum. 2007). Another good example of how democracy does not always serve America’s best interest is the democratically elected president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. It is questioned whether or not Venezuela is a democracy but the fact is, the Venezuelan people continue to elect Chavez as their leader. This makes them a democracy (Jordan 2007).Even though this country is a dem ocracy, relationships with them are not satisfactory due to Chavez’s defiance in spawning relationships with American enemies such as Cuba, Iran, and Libya (About. com). Regardless of the democratic state of these two countries, they have bred unfavorable situations for the United States, proving that democracy is not always the cure for the disease. If democracy is not guaranteed to produce countries that we can cooperate with and if we are unable to accept when a democracy is not in our favor, then why continue to pour valuable resources into promoting this policy?This question is worth consideration in a world that is beginning to view international relations with the United States as a joke. The United States has developed a hypocritical image in promoting democracy. In 2004, Secretary of State Colin Powell invited the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, an organization that the United States worked through to advocate democracy in previous communist stat es, to witness the presidential election.Members of the organization were stunned when witnessing minorities being asked to provide two forms of identification when only one was needed and African Americans being intimidated by Republican lawyers at the polls. Representatives from Belarus, one of the least democratic countries in Europe, took this opportunity to justify their own corruption by pointing out the United States lack of democracy and respect for human rights (Parry. 2005). If we desire to see change in the rest of the world, then we must lead by example and take our own advice domestically.In 2009, 1. 75 billion dollars of the foreign affairs budget was specifically for promoting democracy, which included funds for voter and civic education abroad. While this was a positive for those countries, a portion of that money should have been used to fund programs such as these in our own education system. According to a report done in 2000 by the American Council of Trustees an d Alumni, students at fifty-five of the top colleges in the United States managed to earn their degree without ever taking a course in American history.Our elementary educational system is also significantly frail in teaching world history, geography, and languages other than English (Johnson. 2003). The National Assessment of Educational Progress for civics most recently discovered that in grades four, eight, and twelve, only about 21% of students had proficient civic knowledge. Funding was increased to the Center for Civic Education, but in 2005, President Bush proposed a request that all funding for the CCE be reduced in light of the funds going to the war in Iraq and other programs overseas (Quirk. 2008).We are prepared to fund programs such as the CCE in other countries but are reluctant to do it for our own future leaders of democracy. The United States also funds programs abroad encouraging citizens to participate in their government democratically by voting. Unfortunately, w hen compared to other countries that we actively campaign this message to, the United States ranks twenty out of twenty-one in voter turnout (Quirk. 2008). We are obviously paying too much money and attention to the rest of the world in regards to education and democratic participation because as everyone else continues to rise, we slowly decline.If we forget about our own citizens while focusing on others, what will happen to our own democracy? In conclusion, instead of making democracy promotion a top priority of our foreign policy, the United States should put democracy as an issue that needs attention domestically. If there are internal problems within our own country that are visible by foreign nations, the United States will never make progress in promoting democratic â€Å"American-style† values.Once the United States has tended to its own weak areas domestically and attempted to improve them, only then will our image as a world leader begin to take positive form again , and only then will it become easier for us to promote our values. We cannot lead by example if we are setting a bad example and we cannot clean up the world if we have not washed our own hands. Annotated Bibliography About. com: US Foreign Policy. The Relationship of the United States with Venezuela. http://usforeignpolicy. about. com/od/countryprof4/p/usvenezuela. htm.This website provided straight forward information about the relationship status of the United States and Venezuela. It provided brief information on why and how this relationship was created and what sort of path that the Venezuelan president is taking. I believe that the purpose of this website is for basic questions of research but not for in depth research. It did provide other links that were relevant to the topic, but I think that a website such as Wikipedia. com would be more reliable and have more detailed information. I was able to find this website through Google with the search terms being United States r elationship with Venezuela.Bennett, Andrew, George Shambaugh. 2010. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in American Foreign Policy. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. This book contains issues that are typically controversial in American Foreign Policy. The authors provide an introduction to each issue, both sides of the argument, and closing remarks on the argument. This book was the starting point of my paper because it is where my topic originated. The introduction to the issue actually contained more useful information for me to get started with rather than the actual argument itself.This edition of this book was published in 2010, which makes it a very reliable source. The authors specifically include a note to students explaining that these arguments are not one-sided and that the purpose of this book is to better educate people on these views and to encourage involvement. This book was a required reading for the course that this paper is intended for. Bin, Yu. 2007. Making Democracy Saf e for the World. Foreign Policy In Focus, (November 8), http://www. fpif. org/articles/making_democracy_safe_for_the_world (accessed February 15, 2010). This article was right on target with why democracy is not perfect.It explains how the â€Å"democracy-peace theory† failed to consider the other side of the spectrum when preaching that democratic states are less likely to participate in warfare. The author makes sure to point out that democracy is not negatively correlated with warfare, but that nations transforming to democracy are vulnerable. I think it is good that the article gave examples of democratic tries that failed, resulting in the taking over by an authoritarian regime because it helped to prove a new democracy’s vulnerability and that we should learn from the mistakes of history.This article was done 3 years ago, which is still recent, and right in the middle of the changing tides in President Bush’s foreign policy popularity. This article was on a website called Foreign Policy In Focus, and I found this website through a required reading for my American Foreign Policy class. I used the key word â€Å"democracy† to find this article. Hook, Steven W. 2008. U. S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power. 2nd ed. Washington DC: CQ Press. This book’s purpose is to provide information on American foreign policy from the past to the present.Hook divides the book into chapters that are focused on the different components of foreign policy and in one chapter, there is a section that is dedicated to democracy promotion as a part of the foreign policy prescription. This section was helpful in comparing past approaches to this issue to current approaches to this issue in detail. I would use this book again as a reference if necessary when doing another paper in regards to foreign policy. I was able to use this book as a source because it was part of the required reading that was listed for my American Foreign Policy cou rse. Johnson, Loch K. , Kiki Caruson. 2003.The Seven Sins of American Foreign Policy. PS Online, (January), http://www. aspanet. org. This article was assigned as a reading assignment in my American Foreign Policy course. The authors go into detail when explaining the seven wrongs that America commits in regards to foreign policy. They name ignorance, lack of empathy, isolationism, unilateralism, precipitate military action, presidential imperialism, and arrogance as the seven sins of United States foreign policy approach. The article provides examples of how each sin has been committed in order to show what needs to be changed and improved in foreign policy.The information on ignorance was particularly useful to me when explaining how education has declined in importance in the United States. Due to the detailed examples that are provided by the author, this article seems to be a reliable source. Jordan, James. 2007. Venezuela: Democracy or dictatorship. Green Left Weekly, (Novembe r 29), http://www. greenleft. org. au/2007/734/38002 (accessed February 18, 2010). This article, which was in question and answer form, was done by James Jordan, who is the emergency response coordinator for the US-based Venezuela Solidarity Network.He provides answers to questions in regards to Venezuela’s form of government and to what direct path that Hugo Chavez is taking their nation. I used this article to determine that Venezuela was technically a democracy in light of their continuous elections in favor of Chavez. The article comes from an online newspaper called Green Left Weekly, which is radical newspaper in Australia concerned with global issues such as the environment, human rights, and global peace. I found this article through Ask. com by asking if Venezuela was a democracy or not. Parry, Nat. 2005. U. S. Elections Undermine America in Eastern Europe.Foreign Policy In Focus, (September 30), http://www. fpif. org/articles/us_elections_undermine_america_in_easter n_europe (accessed February 10, 2010). This article shows the United States’ somewhat hypocritical image to the rest of the world in regards to democracy promotion. The author gives the 2004 presidential election as the example and describes what representatives of other nations witnessed as they observed the election. The author emphasizes that if America wants to be taken seriously when exporting American-style values, then America needs to practice these values.It is also emphasized that the 2004 election had a great deal of influence on the world’s perception of the United States. This article did a good job in helping me to produce my final points of my paper. It was written in 2005 but given how close in time that it was written to the 2004 election, I believe that this article is reliable and is useful in pointing out work that needs to be done domestically as well as foreign. Quirk, Patrick W. 2008. Democracy Promotion Doublespeak. Foreign Policy In Focus, (Apr il 4), http://www. fpif. org/reports/democracy_promotion_doublespeak (accessed February 10, 2010).This article points out hypocritical practices of the United States especially in regards to education and democratic participation. It discusses how the United States funds many programs to improve these areas in other countries but is reluctant to fund programs in these areas for its own citizens, demonstrating that our own democracy could use some attention as well. The article provides statistics in voter turnout between the United States and other nations and also gives an example of how President Bush failed to recognize that the United States had areas to work on domestically.The author makes many good arguments in this article that most people probably do not think to consider. I also found this article on Foreign Policy In Focus. That website looks to be a great source of information on current and past events. Rosenbaum, Jason. 2007. Is Democracy Really In America’s Int erests? (August 7), http://www. theseminal. com/2007/08/02/is-democracy-the-worlds-savior/ (accessed February 9, 2010). This article discusses how democracy promotion could lead to adverse effects in regards to the interests of the United States.The author points out that even if the United States did a superb job of promoting democracy, it could still produce governments that did not favor the United States. He emphasizes that before the United States continues with its current foreign policy approach to democracy, we need to consider whether it is worth the resources if the outcomes are not more likely to be in our favor almost 100% of the time. I found this article through Google. com by searching for the cons of democracy promotion. U. S. National Debt Clock. http://www. brillig. om/debt_clock/ (accessed February 18, 2010). On this website I was able to find the exact amount of the United States national deficit. The amount was even divided by the number of people living in the United States to show just how much each person has weighing on their shoulders due to irresponsible spending by the federal government. The site goes on to say that the national debt increases everyday by more than 3 billion dollars. This website is not a government website so its reliability is hard to judge, but by looking at the detail, the information seems valid.

Foreign Currency Management Pdf

Foreign Currency Management Exchange Rate This is the rate at which the currency of one country would change hands with currency of another country. E. g. $1 = SLR 130 Types of Exchange Rate 1. Floating Rate This rate depends on a levels of the international trade of a country and it does not interfere with the government of that country. 2. Fixed Rate This is the rate that the government of the country would set its own currency rate and it is not depending on the market rate. 3. Dirty Float This is the rate that mixed between floating rate and fixed rate system.This is where the government would allow exchange rate to float between a particular two limits. If it goes outside either of the limit, then the government would take further action. Forex Dealings 1. Bid Price The price at which the currency is bought by the dealer. 2. Offer Price The price at which the currency is sold by the dealer. When regarding the forex dealings, Offer Price > Bid Price Example 01: David is a UK busi nessman. He needs $ 400,000 to buy US equipment. Identify the amount of ? equired to buy the Dollars? ($/? 1. 75 – 1. 77) Answer: The amount of ? required = $ 400,000 $/? 1. 75 = ? 228571. 43 Example 02: James is a US businessman. He has just received a payment of ? 150,000 from his main customer in UK. Identify the amount of $ received by James when ? 150,000 are given? (? /$ 0. 61 – 0. 63) Answer: The amount of $ received = ? 150,000 ? /$ 0. 63 = $ 238095. 24 Spot Rate and Forward Rate Spot Rate This is the rate which is applicable for the immediate delivery of currency as at now.Forward Rate This is a rate that set for the future transaction for a fixed amount of currency. The transaction would take place on the future date at this agreed rate by disregarding the market rate. Discounts & Premiums Discounts If the forward rate which is quoted cheaper, then it is set to be quoted at a discount. E. g. $/? current spot is 1. 8500-1. 8800 and the one month forward rate a t 0. 0008-0. 0012 at a discount. When quoted at a discount, Answer: 1. 8500-1. 8800 their should be more Dollars + 0. 0008-0. 0012 being received at a given Pound. = 1. 508-1. 8812 So the discount factor have to be added to the spot rate. Premiums If the forward rate which is quoted more expensively, then it is set to be quoted at a premium. E. g. $/? current spot is 1. 9000-1. 9300 and the one month forward rate at 0. 0010-0. 0007 at a premium. When quoted at a premium, Answer: their should be less Dollars being 1. 9000-1. 9300 received at a given Pound because – 0. 0010-0. 0007 of the expensiveness of Dollars. So = 1. 8990-1. 9293 the premium factor have to be deducted from the spot rate. Foreign Exchange Rate Risks . Transaction Risk This is the risk that adverse exchange rate movement occurring in the cause of normal international trading transaction. This arises when the prices of imports or exports are fixed in foreign currency terms and there is a movement in the excha nge rate between the date when the price is agreed and when the cash is paid or received. 2. Translation Risk This is the risk that the organization will made exchange losses when the accounting results of its foreign branches or subsidiaries translated into the local currency. . Economic Risk This is the risk that suppose to a effect of exchange rate movements on the international competitiveness of the company. 4. Direct & Indirect Currency Quotes Direct Quote: This means the exchange rate is mentioned in terms of the amount of domestic currency which needs to be given in returns for one unit of foreign currency. E. g. SLR 130 for $1 Indirect Quote: This means the amount of foreign currency units that needs to be given to obtain one unit of domestic currency. E. g. $ 1/130 for SLR 1 Example 01ABC Ltd is a US company, buying goods from Sri Lanka which cost SLR 200,000. These goods are resold in the US for $2000 at the time of the import purchased. The current spot rate is $1 = SLR 126-130. Calculate the expected profit of the resale in terms of US Dollars using both direct & indirect quote methods. Answer: 1. ) Under Direct Quote Method $/SLR = 1/126 – 1/130 = 0. 00794 – 0. 00769 Sales = $2000 (-)Purchase Cost=SLR200,000*$/SLR0. 00794 =($1588) Expected Profit = $412 2. ) Under Indirect Quote Method Sales (-)Purchase Cost=SLR200,000/SLR126/$ Expected Profit = $2000 =($1587) = $413Managing the Exchange Rate Risk 1. Invoicing in domestic currency Since the exporter does not have to do any currency transaction in this method, the risk of currency conversion is transferred to the importer or vice versa. 2. Money Market Hedging Because of the close relationship between forward exchange rate and the interest rate in two currencies, it is possible to calculate a forward rate by using the spot exchange rate and money market lending or borrowing which is called as a money market hedge. Feature article about  Production Management3.Entering into Forward Exchange Rate Contracts A person can enter into an agreement with a bank to purchase the foreign currency on the fixed date at a fixed rate. 4. Matching receipts & payments Under this method a company can set off its payments against its receipts in that particular currency. 5. Options These are similar to forward trade agreements, but the consumer can choose between the bank’s rate and the market rate. Example 01 A Sri Lankan company has to settle $800,000 after three months time. The current spot rate is $1 = SLR 126-130.The foreign currency depositing interest rate is 12%per annum and the borrowing rate in Sri Lanka is 8% per annum. The agreed exchange rate with the bank is $1 = SLR128. The company has identified to overcome the exchange rate under Money Market Hedging & Forward Exchange Rate Contract methods. Identify the cheapest method to overcome the exchange rate risk. Answer: 1. ) Using Money Market Hedging Method FV = PV* (1+r)n PV = $800,000* (1+ 0. 03)-1 PV = $776,699 r = 0. 12*3/12 r = 0. 03 n=1 Purchase Cost(SLR) = $776,699*SLR130/$1 = SLR 100,970,870 Interest Cost(SLR) = SLR 100,970,870*0. 8*3/12 = SLR 2,019,417 Total Cost(SLR) = SLR(100,970,870+2,019,417) = SLR 102,990,287 2. ) Using Forward Exchange Rate Contract Method Total Cost (SLR) = $ 800,000*SLR128/$1 = $102,400,000 The best method is forward Exchange Rate Contract Method, because it gives the lowest total cost when compare to Money Market Hedging Method. Reasons for Short Term Changes of Exchange Rate 1. Investment Flows If a country does more investment to outside countries, then there would be a higher demand for foreign currency. Therefore the domestic will depreciated or vice versa. 2.Trade Flows In a given time if a country has more imports and less exports, the domestic currency will depreciated, because of the higher demand for the foreign currency or vice versa. 3. Economic Prospectus If a country has g ood economic policies and is showing shines of economic growth, it could receive more investment and therefore the domestic currency would appreciated. Reasons for Long Term Changes of Exchange Rate 1. Purchasing Power Parity Theory This theory describes how the differences in inflation rate among two countries would lead to changes in the exchange rates.Future Rate(A/B)=Spot Rate(A/B) * (1+ Inflation Rate of A) (1 +Inflation Rate of B) 2. Interest Rate Parity Theory This theory links the future currency rates with differences in interest rate among two countries. Future Rate(A/B)=Spot Rate(A/B) * (1+ Interest Rate of A) (1 +Interest Rate of B) 3. Monetarist Theory This theory identifies the relationship between exchange rate and the government money supply to an economy of one country. E. g. When the government released more money to their economy, individual would have more money.So they would purchased more, the demand will increased & through that result in higher prices & high inflation. This would lead to a high level of depreciation to the currency. 4. Keynesian Approach This theory says that an exchange rate may not change in a balance and sometimes currency may continuously appreciate or depreciate without reverse. E. g. There is a high taste & demand for imported product in one country while their exports are losing its export position in other countries. Therefore, without any appreciation of currency will continuously depreciate over a long time period in that country.