Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass Essay

Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, author, salesman, and reformer. Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in equality of all people whether they were black, women, native Americans or immigrants. He was fond of saying â€Å"I would unite with anybody to do right and nobody to do wrong. † Frederick was born a slave in Maryland. He was only with his mother for a couple of weeks, he was raised by his grandparents. His mother, Harriot Bailey, died when he was only seven years old. The identity of his father is obscure. It was said that his father was a white man, perhaps his owner. He later said he knew nothing about his father. At the age of six his grandmother took him to the plantation and left him there. At the age of eight he was sent to Baltimore to live with his owners brother Hugh Auld. It was shortly after he arrived that Mrs Auld started to teach him the alphabet and how to read. Her husband thought it was wrong saying that he would become dissatisfied with his life and have a desire for freedom. Hugh forbid his wife to continue so Douglass took it upon himself to learn. The white kids in the neighborhood helped him learn and in return Douglass would give away his food. At the age of twelve he purchased a book called The Columbian Orator. It helped him to gain a different look and understanding on the power of the written and spoken words. Frederick returned to the eastern shore at the age of fifteen he became a field hand. During this time he had an encounter with the â€Å"slave breaker† Edward Covey. Covey restored his sense of self-worth after the fights. At the age of eighteen he was sent back to live with the Auld family. In September 1838 he succeeded in escaping from slavery by impersonating a sailor. he then moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts where he and his newly married wife Anna Murray begin to raise a family. When he had a chance, he went to abolitionist meetings. In October 1841 after one of the meetings he became a lecturer. He became partners with William Lloyd Garrison. This work led him to public speaking and writing. He also participated in the very first woman’s right conventions. He also wrote three autobiographies starting with Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass followed by My Bondage and my Freedom in 1855 and ending with Life and Times of Frederick Douglass which he wrote after the civil war in 1892. When he returned to the United States he published his own newspaper â€Å"The North Star†. Douglass was recognized all over the world as an uncompromising abolitionist, indefatigable worker for equal opportunity and justice. Douglass fought for equality for his people. He was also recognized for a defender of women’s rights. Douglass became a trusted advisor of Lincoln, recorder of Deeds for Washington, D. C, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, and Minister-General to the Republic of Haiti. In 1872 Douglass was the first African American to receive a nomination for Vice President of the United States. During the campaign, he neither campaigned for the ticket nor even acknowledged that he had been nominated. In 1877 he was appointed to United States Marshal. He was appointed to the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia in 1877. After his wife died in 1882 he was in a state of depression until his associate Ida B Wells brought meaning back to life for him. Douglass remarried in 1884 to Helen Pitts, a white feminist from New York. The couple faced a storm of controversy as a result of their marriage since she was a white woman and nearly 20 years younger than him. Later in life Douglass was determined to find out his birthday. He adopted February 14th because of his mother, she used to always call him her little valentine. On February 20th 1895 Douglass attended a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington D. C. Shortly after the meeting he returned home, Douglass died of a stroke or a massive heart attack in his adopted home town of Washington D. C. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. Frederick Douglass was sought to exemplify three keys for success. Believe in yourself, Take advantage of every opportunity, and Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society. Douglass also stated that † Whatever is possible for me is possible for you†. By taking these key words and making them his own, Douglass created a life of honor, respect and success that he never would have dreamed of when he was a younger boy living on the plantation. Works Cited http://www. frederickdouglass. org/douglass_bio. html Douglass, Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Christian Age Office. 1895 Fight for Emancipation. Accessed April 19, 2007.

Diversity Training Essay

Diversity training is training intended to increase cultural awareness, knowledge and skills, and increase the inclusion of identity groups. This ultimately is designed to assist an organization promote a more diverse corporate culture, protect against civil rights issues, and promote better teamwork. This is accomplished through training in communications to all levels of an organization, reinforcement of policies and procedures to be more inclusive, design and implementation of strategies that limit the potential problems associated with lower diversity levels or diversity awareness. TYPES: Diversity Training Workshops * Diversity training workshops last about two to three hours, and courses last a minimum of four days. Workshops and courses teach conflict resolution skills, preparation for increases in racial and gender diversity, international work and safeguarding against harassment. Unfortunately, diversity training through workshops or courses produces only short-term positive effects. It seems that the â€Å"afterglow† of this type of training fades fast. Diversity Offices * Having a diversity office provides more training opportunities than a workshop or course does. Diversity offices can offer follow-up sessions in addition to the more extensive three-day to one-week diversity training sessions they conduct. Sojourner Training * Companies that compete in the international marketplace use sojourner training to help employees who will relocate to a foreign country. Once employees go through this type of diversity training prior to managing or working in foreign operations, their effectiveness increases. Sojourner training also provides counselling to help employees readjust to their return home. Ongoing Reinforcement * Rather than simply offering a short-term course or workshop, companies that make a real difference in diversity training are those that practice equality on an ongoing basis. In these companies, diversity is not just an add-on but also a major part of the corporate culture. In other words, to truly achieve diversity in the workplace, a company must practice what it preaches. Examples of ongoing reinforcement are hiring a diverse employee pool, recognition for diversity efforts, allowing minority groups to form support groups and celebrating cultures via special programs. How to Develop a Diversity Training Program Developing a diversity training program for your organization typically involves assessing your team’s needs, designing materials that reflect your training requirements, delivering workshops and reference materials and evaluating your efforts. Companies that implement diversity training programs to advocate workplace diversity tend to have higher employee retention rates, improved morale, reduced lawsuits and improved recruiting. Step 1 Initiate a diversity training program development project by identifying the project sponsors and stakeholders. Interview these people, conduct focus groups or conduct online surveys to gather input about the current environment in your organization and what behaviours need to change. Common topics include managing change, effective communication, cultural awareness, dealing with gender issues and conflict resolution. Step 2 Define objectives for your program. For example, you may want to minimize miscommunication and misinterpretation on the job. You may also want employees to recognize and value differences in age, experience, social customs, sense of time and demeanour. Achieving these types of objectives enables you to manage a culturally diverse and multi-generational workforce and resolve minor incidents before they become bigger problems. Step 3 Design your workshop. Prepare presentation materials to instruct participants about definitions and concepts associated with diversity. Intersperse long periods of instruction with interactive activities such as ice breakers, role-playing exercises and case studies. Ensure your content flows smoothly and covers all the relevant topics. Step 4 Deliver your workshop at team meetings, company events or separate training sessions. Decide how long your session should last, depending on the number of topics you want to cover, the number of participants and the participant’s familiarity with the content. Step 5 Create a quiz to test employees on their knowledge of diversity topics. Step 6 Evaluate your program’s effectiveness by creating an online survey to assess participant satisfaction. Talk with managers several months after your event to see if people have changed their behaviour and become more tolerant of people whose values may differ from their own. The Advantages of Diversity Training Fewer Lawsuits: One of main causes of concern in upper management is lawsuits filed by employees for discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful dismissal. Diversity training helps all employees in a company to know what the laws are and what the company policies are. With training, people learn what acceptable behaviour is when dealing with a subordinate, peer or someone you feel is different from you in a way such as race, religion, nationality or physical abilities. In many cases, a situation is interpreted differently by the people involved, leading to misunderstandings and charges of wrongdoing. Once the employees have clear guidelines on how they should behave towards one another in the workplace, there are few misunderstandings and, subsequently, fewer lawsuits. Diversity training reinforces the policies that are already in place to protect employees and the company. Increased Job Satisfaction: When diversity training is successful, individuals are happier with their jobs. The training helps them to understand what is expected of them and what they can expect from their peers and supervisors. During diversity training, people get to ask question and discuss their concerns. Along with this knowledge and the feeling of being heard, people have a better understanding of the workplace environment and their role in it. This job satisfaction leads to a higher retention rate. Content employees are less likely to quit and look for new jobs. Employees happy in their jobs are more motivated and are more productive. These improved attitudes help the company as a whole to run more efficiently. More Diverse Workplace: Diversity training points out how alike people are, even if on the surface, they seem different. This knowledge leads to hiring managers and human resources personnel being more open to hiring people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Having a more diverse workplace makes the work place a more interesting environment. The training also unifies people with diverse backgrounds around a common goal. With proper training, a diversified workplace has everyone working together as a team to help the company succeed and grow. Disadvantages of Diversity Training Hiring Manager Authority: In the name of increasing workplace diversity, employers may feel pressured to recruit applicants from diverse groups. Many hiring managers believe that employer edicts concerning increasing diversity require them to overlook more suitably qualified applicants in favor of applicants who bring diversity — not necessarily talent — to the organization. In these circumstances, hiring managers may begin to resent how increasing workplace diversity affects their ability to exercise independent judgment, as well as their authority in making hiring decisions. Workplace Relationships: Employees who realize the company’s goal is to increase diversity may feel they are less important if they don’t represent the typical diverse populations that focus on race, sex, national origin, age and disability. In a workplace where employees don’t belong to diverse populations, these employees may feel undervalued and unappreciated based purely on the fact that they don’t represent diversity. They also might believe that employees from diverse groups have more opportunities for advancement, thus disrupting the working relationships they once had with colleagues and co-workers. Myriad Accommodations: Although the premise of workplace diversity is mutual respect, making accommodations for numerous diverse groups’ demands can become burdensome on employers, making diversity management difficult. Employee requests and work constraints based on religion, national origin, gender and race can become overwhelming if your workplace has so much diversity that it takes a full-time human resources staff member just to keep track of accommodating the needs of diverse groups in the workplace. Examples of accommodating numerous diverse populations include translating materials into multiple languages and having interpreters on hand for meetings with employees, accommodating employee absences due to religious practices or disabilities, as well as adjusting business hours to coincide with preferred schedules for employees with different work styles and personal obligations. Diversity Training at Infosys A global company must reflect the diversity of the world it serves. Their employees represent the widest possible variety of nationalities, cultures, gender identities, employment histories, and levels of physical ability. They recruit employees from global talent pools and provide paths for professional growth to all members of society. Within such a diverse company, people bring to the workplace contrasting opinions and worldviews. As these people interact, they develop new ideas, methods and perspectives. Infosys recognizes and promotes this power of diversity to drive innovation. Infosys actively fosters inclusivity across business units and company offices. They encourage employees to focus on their commonalities and de-emphasize differences. Inclusivity ultimately makes for more informed and sensitive teams that can serve customers better. Infosys was the first Indian IT company to establish an office for diversity and inclusivity. Their workforce comprises people from 89 natio nalities working from 32 countries, with 34.7% women on board and a multi-generational representation. Talent diversity is the key to propel their business growth engines and sustain momentum. Employee resource groups They work towards increasing employee motivation, their ability to collaborate and innovate with internal as well as external stakeholders and to have a positive business impact on their business success through various diversity and inclusivity programs. Creating Common Ground Highlights and educates employees about the values and cultural ethos. The program employs innovative approaches and communication campaigns channelled through live events, their intranet, their corporate TV channel, mailers and posters. Family Matters Family Matters promotes work-life balance among young parents. It also offers family enrichment programs and workshops, networking opportunities to employees for support and information sharing. IGLU Infosys Gay Lesbian employees and You (IGLU) creates a safe and respectful work environment for employees from the LGBT community. Awareness programs and exclusive events are held to create awareness and foster inclusion. Ineffability Ineffability creates a sensitive and inclusive workplace for differently-abled employees. Regular accessibility audits are conducted to ensure that their infrastructure is accessible to differently-abled employees. The World Disability Day is celebrated on all their campuses and policies are enhanced/ changed keeping in mind the special needs of differently-abled employees. IWIN The Infosys Women’s Inclusivity Network (IWIN), works towards creating a gender-sensitive and inclusive work environment for women employees and develop them for managerial and leadership roles. IWIN partners with gender networks and forums across the globe to benchmark. Samaritans Network Volunteers trained in barefoot counselling listen, empathize, support and counsel fellow employees and help them cope with life’s challenges, mostly personal in nature. This initiative is a first-of-its-kind in India and is active on their seven campuses and had positive outcomes for over 638 employees.

Froogle Inc. Strategy Essay

Mary, a small business owner in Vermont whose company specializes in the manufacture and sale of ski equipment to Vermont ski resorts, signs a contract with Froogle, Inc. an internet corporation with principal place of business in California, which allows Mary to advertise her business on Froogle’s internet search engine. All of Mary’s business dealings with Froogle are done either by telephone or via internet; she has never been to California. Two months into the business relationship Froogle states that Mary has violated their agreement which prompts Froogle to file a lawsuit against Mary in the California court system. Does the State of California County of Monterey in Salinas have personal jurisdiction over Mary? In order for a state (California) to have personal jurisdiction over a non resident defendant (Mary) the defendant must have established minimum contacts: (1) purposeful direction of activities towards the forum: Boschetto v. Hansing, 539 F.3d 1011 (9th Cir. 2008) – â€Å"minimum contacts†. Without greater interactivity between Mary’s advertisement for her Vermont based business dealings and the residents of California, personal jurisdiction would not be appropriate: Mink v AAAA Development L.L.C., 190 F.3d 333 (5th Cir. 199) In order to establish if a plaintiff’s state forum has personal jurisdiction over a non resident defendant they must prove that the nonresident defendant (whom has never traveled to California and does not target there business advertising at California residents) had sufficient amount of contact with the state. A passive website advertising that is not directed at the residents of California is not enough to establish personal jurisdiction. Therefore, the state of California would not have personal jurisdiction over Mary.

Would the quality of news gathering diminish if news papers no longer Essay

Would the quality of news gathering diminish if news papers no longer existed - Essay Example ly affected in a negative manner by the absence of printed newspaper distribution as professional journalistic practices have evolved along with technological advances and cultural trends. Modern technologies have provided a wider selection of news sources while simultaneously providing access to numerous resources through which to verify the veracity of the information provided. While news organizations established prior to the advent of the internet have subsequently contributed web-based versions for subscribers to the digital catalogue, other companies such as Yahoo.com have elected to create a place of their own in providing news from local, regional, national, and international sources. This glut of news sharing allows a minimum of pieces which could be regarded as yellow journalism to make it into the mainstream media as misinformation. Having numerous sources makes it more apparent when unfounded or opinion based stories are found to conflict with the reality of events. However, this spirit of collaboration and information sharing is not without its pitfalls. Numerous news agencies now employ wide spread re-publication of stories linked to national and international events throughout media, a practice which could limit the scope of available accurate and relevant reporting if left unchecked. Fortunately, circumstance dictates the limitations of duplicating information. Competition in the free market lessens the possibility of such all-consuming laziness in news gathering professions as profit remains the key to the success of an organization regardless of the medium in which the news is offered to the public. As a result, the timeliness and accuracy of the news w hich has been gathered form reputable sources constitutes the intellectual property which serves as the basis for their success and is paramount to other concerns. As familiarity and access to internet sources has spread and people have lost interest in buying printed newspapers, they have become

Assignment 4 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assignment 4 - Term Paper Example As per (Sanburn, 2011 ) â€Å"Microsoft, The information technology and software behemoth topped the institute’s list as the multinational corporation that keeps its employees the happiest†. As a human resource co – coordinator, I would look forward to a comprehensive compensation package which can attract skilled employees in the market. ( Thesis). Working in Microsoft as a human resource co – coordinator would come with a large responsibility and obligation. I would be in charge of formulating policies and plans in a partial way and this needs much knowledge about human resource managerial principles. A human resource department has the entire responsibility of managing and rewarding the employees. Some of the core responsibilities of human resource department are to recruit, train, compensate and evaluate the employees on a long term basis. Any company needs a good compensation plan as employees need to be motivated to get the best out of them. A compensation package has a key role to play in attracting the right worker to an organisation. Microsoft being a top most company in the world needs the best people in the job market. For this, the company needs to have a comprehensive and well planned compensation package. Creating a good compensation package means finding a balance. Employees in a new job look forward to the compensation package as they wanted to be rewarded well for their skill, knowledge and experience. Formulating a compensation package is not a simple as it needs to be competitive to attract best employees around. A compensation package should have adequate incentive to motive employees to perform at their best. The compensation package includes basic salary, commission, incentives, bonus , medical insurance and other facilities. As per (Enterpreneur,2014 ) â€Å"Employers of choice provide a comprehensive employee benefits package to attract and retain employees. In addition to a competitive

Markets, Profits and Prices Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Markets, Profits and Prices - Case Study Example If revenue is less than total variable costs, a firm should stop operating, even in the short run (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). The second rule applies the concept of marginal cost. The profit must rise if producing another unit of output adds more to revenues that to costs. Similarly, the profit must fall if producing another unit increases costs by more than it increases revenues. The analysis of fixed, variable and marginal costs combined with identification of the market in which Boeing operates and the concept of opportunity costs can assist in understanding how Boeing estimated the offer made to its workers in a commercial aircrafts division. In the context of production, fixed costs are costs that do not change with the level of output they produce. Whether the firm produces 1 million units of output or zero units of output, those costs must be paid (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). For Boeing, the plant, machinery and equipment should constitute the majority of its fixed costs in the commercial aircraft division. ... Other fixed cost components might include wages to executives, administrative and selling expenses, leases, etc. Overall, Boeing is expected to have a very high level of fixed costs. "On the other hand, any costs that do vary with output, like materials and labor, are referred to as variable costs" (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). The major variable costs for Boeing are materials used for aircraft production (i.e. steel), utilities and labor. It is stated in the article that there are more than 18,500 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers covered by the Boeing contracts. This number indicates that Boeing hires a large amount of workers. Therefore, labor costs might account for the majority of variable costs of Boeing in producing commercial aircrafts. The total cost of producing a given amount of output is simply the sum of costs associated with the hiring of all the inputs, both fixed and variable. The average cost for Boeing is the total cost divided by the number of aircrafts that Boeing produces. Even though average cost figure provides some useful information to the company, it does not seem to play a significant role in economics decision-making."The marginal cost of production is the increase in total costs resulting when output is increased by one unit" (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.79). Commercial aircrafts are very large products. So the marginal cost of production of Boeing should be very high in money terms, but commensurate with the prices Boeing charges for its aircrafts. Out of fixed and variable cost, only variable cost plays a role in decision-making. "Because the fixed costs do not vary with the level of output, they are irrelevant in

Evaluation and critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluation and critique - Essay Example ecomes handy in facilitating the interaction the different variety are thus harnessed through multitasking; proving a significant advantage over them. As a result, what one may view as a shortcoming of someone in just focusing on one vent at a time may present a chance for collaborating different activities via multitasking (Davidson 26). Coupled with the other tips of how to maintain keeping attention for long stretches of time, multitasking provides a rational way of perceiving different activities thereby increasing the probability of success. This is achieved through the enhancement if the ability to unravel problems and other mishaps and at the same time propose amicable strategies that could result into their solutions. Attention that is multitasked is able to split every task in to various parts to other dedicated parts of the brain (Davidson 33). This in turn improves the capability to process the multiple events taking place at the same duration of time, thus overcoming attention blindness. Multitasking is very important in ensuring that a lot of information is registered by the brain especially during instances where there is limited timed framed and not a single event can be allocated its individual time for taking place. This helps to contend with the modern trend of information overload and put up with t he grueling fact that the digital instruments designed in this modern age are formatted in such a way that they do not have a center node that disseminates one piece of information so that people can only listen and focus their attention to one particular information stream (Davidson 42). Employing multitasking and collaboration in studies can be efficient in helping students share their opinions more conveniently. Multitasking and collaboration not only help students in sharing information but also but are also the perfect remedy for attention blindness. Collaboration focused on difference has the implication that problems with high level of

Fadiamn book, The spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Essay

Fadiamn book, The spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Essay Example Their different approaches and beliefs to Lia Lee’s condition, the miscommunication between the parents and the doctors, partly because of the language barrier, and her parents’ refusal to administer the medication leads to worsening of the condition that leaves Lia Lee brain dead. Since the Hmong culture believed that illness was practically a matter of spirituality and sacrifices, they did not take their daughter to the hospital for diagnosis. It was only after several seizures that they decided to take her to the hospital. The American doctors diagnosed Lia with epilepsy and gave her medication to manage the condition. The parents reluctantly agree to administer the medication but over the next four years, the anticonvulsants do not take effect as the doctors keep changing her prescriptions. This causes Lia Lees parents to doubt the effectiveness of the medication and consequently refuse to administer the drugs to Lia. This decision makes the American doctors take ac tion against Lia’s parents and place Lia in foster care where she could be given the drugs and hopefully get better. However a few months after returning home, Lai has a massive seizure that leaves her brain dead. With death imminent, the doctors allow her to be taken home by her parents, who were still hopeful that they would be able to unite Lia’s soul with her body and hence were organizing a pig sacrifice that was part of the Hmong’s rituals for uniting souls to their bodies. There is an evident cultural dissonance in regards to the Hmong’s view of sicknesses as tied to their culture and the American medical culture. The Hmong tie sicknesses to spirituality and believe that sicknesses are a result of an individual’s soul leaving its body and keep wondering after being possessed by spirits. In order to unite the wondering spirit with its body, the spirit has to be appeased by offering pig

Closing the Output Gap in the United Kingdom Essay

Closing the Output Gap in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Of course, actual output is the recorded GDP of a given time that can be in nominal or real values. The nominal value refers to the prefers of the GDP synchronic to the prices or price reference of a given year while the real GDP can be valued in terms of a base or a reference prices of a reference year. Dornbush et al. (2008, p. 15) explained that the concept of an output gap provides a way of measuring the magnitude of the cyclical deviations of actual output from the potential output. The concept â€Å"potential output† is also interchangeable with the term â€Å"trend output† (Dornbusch et al. 2008, p. 15). From the economic perspective of Dornbusch et al., the output gap is negative during a recession and positive during an expansion (2008, p. 15). In a recession, resources are unemployed and actual output is below potential output. In contrast, during a positive gap or expansion, workers overtime and machineries are utilized more than the usual (Dornbusch 2008, p. 15). Positive gap or expansion is also known as an economic recovery (Dornbusch 2008, p. 15). For Mankiw (2006, p. 425), potential output or full employment output is more accurately the natural rate of output because â€Å"it shows what the economy produces when the unemployment is at its natural or normal rate†. At the same time, Mankiw pointed out that â€Å"the natural rate of output is the level of production toward which the economy gravitates in the long run† (2004, p. 425). According to classical viewpoint, the potential output or the natural rate of output depends on labour, capital, natural resources, and technological knowledge and, therefore, shifts in the potential output or natural rate of output depend on changes in the said variables (Mankiw 2004, p. 425). An output gap can promote price volatility.  

Pros and cons to open a small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pros and cons to open a small business - Essay Example This discussion illuminates the many advantages and disadvantages of opening a small business then briefly discusses the merits involved in the purchase of an existing business as opposed to starting one from the ground up. For a person that embodies the true entrepreneurial spirit, the chief goal and appeal of opening a small business is to create something novel, not simply in managing someone else’s conception. Because of this, beginning a business of one’s own construct is an appealing notion (Helfand, 2007). Operating one’s own business can be advantageous in many ways. First, and probably foremost is that a person can be their own boss. They are therefore able to make their own decisions and set their own hours. Nobody admonishes the owner for being late or taking an extra day’s vacation. No one tells the boss where to be and when to be there. The owner of a small business answers to no one besides the customer and even this is a choice. Unreasonable clients can be fired. The owner is not involved in petty organizational politics. No one is trying to undermine your authority or accomplishments so as to ‘climb the corporate ladder’ quicker. The owner of a s mall business is and always will be at the top. There is no ceiling on earnings potential to the owner of a small business. It is the best way to realize the ‘American dream.’ The more the business succeeds, the more profit is made and the owner decides how to distribute the earnings. Gone are the days of working for a pre-determined salary knowing that efforts made were probably making money for invisible investors who didn’t have a clue about the business nor appreciated the tremendous sacrifices that allowed it to profit. The owner of a small business has the ability to develop particular skills and knowledge needed for the growth of that business instead of having to focus on only the constrained

External Forces that have brought Cross boarder restructuring in the Essay

External Forces that have brought Cross boarder restructuring in the airline industry - Essay Example The cause of this crisis was the increase in the fuel prices as in the worse economic fiasco faced by many nations across the globe. This led to the falling down in demand of fuel in USA and Britain. Breaking out of Gulf War saw many airlines shutting their business down, among these were the Eastern Airlines -US, British airline Air Europe, Pan American and a few smaller airlines like Midway-US and TEA in Belgium. The end of Gulf War was not any better for any of these airlines. From the worlds top-20 airlines only British Airways, Cathay, SIA (Singapore Airlines) and Swissair made a net surplus in each of the three years 1991-1993. The worst hit was the North-American airlines; on the contrary many Asian airlines functioned beneficially. Many airlines needed huge capitals to survive in those years among them was Air France. The member states of the European Union received US $ 10.4 billion in state aid in the year 1995. This was government support offered following authorization by the European Commission. In 1997, Alitalia was given $ 1.7 billion of state aid. Several Airlines received government funds about $ 1.3 billion that were not classified as state support. Subsequently, in 1994 and the years to follow, with financial prudence a number of airlines returned to stipulate development and gain profits. Generally, this was the time when a boom occurred in the airline business. In addition, 1998 was the most lucrative year ever. (Doganis, 2001) By and large, joblessness in the New York state remains towering, at 7.4 percent, and current statistics illustrate that more or less 40 percent of those laid off subsequent to 9/11 are still jobless. Even though billions of dollars in centralized support have been billed to help the airlines affected by the rebellious assault, removed airline employees have by and large been unsuccessful to profit up

Building an Ethical Organization Part 2 Essay Example for Free

Building an Ethical Organization Part 2 Essay Individual: Building an Ethical Organization Part 1 The name of my organization is Focus Mental Health and Developmental Agency Focus is an agency that provides help and compassion to people that are going through a mental health issue whether it is needing counseling, support, or medication treatment Focus is your path to peace of mind. Substance abuse is another issue that we address from helping to get assistance to go into inpatient treatment facility, or outpatient treatment, as well as Aftercare which is a support program for clients being fresh out of drug or alcohol treatment or stopping using on their own. Recovery program that can be provided through Focus for continued success at a productive life for clients. Recovery is a life altering event because the client will be drug or alcohol free for a certain amount of time but will constantly be on a mission to stay free from these addictions. We have case managers who do home visits as well as office visits to stay on top of our clients’ needs before they become a crisis. We promote medication therapy which assists clients in staying on a strict medication regiment for mental health and some substance abuse treatments as well when necessary. Groups for substance and alcohol abuse meet weekly, the meeting are separated in to one for teenagers and one for adults as well as one for narcotics and one for alcohol abuse. Focus also has a team that works in human services call the impact team which do such things as take the clients grocery shopping, or to appointments or out to functions in town and even to visit family members they a re up close and personal with the clients. The clientele for Focus will be children starting at age 10 and up through adulthood. The clients are high in number in male and female ratio, meaning we service high numbers of both genders. Clientele for Focus consist of primarily low income clients but is open to all residents of Richmond County. Children and adults that may be going through a turning point in their lives and need some assistance in adapting to the changes and probably have no other place  to turn are much of Focus clientele. Within our substance abuse programs many of our clients are repeaters they have had some type of counseling or treatment in the past, the clients are children as well as adults. Much of our clientele is involved in long term care phases with Focus they are in need of support in their lives, medications and usually involved in aftercare or recovery. Mental health issues brings many clients to Focus, they sometimes come straight from the hospital to the offices of Focus they are usually in great need of care. Our clientele is very diverse we have to be prepared for almost anything from getting someone to speak another language to clients to giving a child a hug. Focus is a non-profit organization, but we do bring in an income by charging for services, on a sliding fee scale, services maybe free for those who qualify, or clients can setup a payment plan, but the rates are according to income and ability to pay. Focus has to charge a small fee to cover their bills and overhead to stay in business and grow and continue to service the Richmond County area. Focus is not in business to get wealthy but to make a difference in the lives of our clients and the community. The issue of Focus is to support an issue of private or public interest that does not include a monetary value. Mission Statement: Focus gracefully and respectfully service adults and children that may be at a turning point in their life and are having mental health and/or substance abuse issues, as well as people in any phase of relapse. Focus particularly caters to low income people but all are welcome, we serve the county of Richmond. Our goal is to provide our clients with the knowledge, treatment and support so they can return to a life of independence, good health and wellbeing; and Focus encourages and support clients in their aftercare and recovery as needed. We do not discriminate against anyone needing service for any reason; we are made up of a diverse society at Focus. The mission statement supports the ethical system because Focus not only will treat the clients and bring them around to better health and not only that Focus will make sure that the clients learns the tools they need to stay healthy and recover, and continue on a path to independence again. The mission statement supports the ethical s ystem because it calls for diversity which is a big part of the clients that come to the agency and the staff. The  message the mission statement send to the community is that we are here for you, to help you, support you and see that your needs are met. Focus will be with you through your journey and for the long term until you are able to become more manageable in your life. That during your need for Focus services you can count on us and we will teach you how to take the best care of yourself with and without our assistance. Drohan William M, (June 2010) wrote a successful statement becomes a unifying force, a foundation on which to build, and a reference point for everything the association does. Its well worth the time to make sure it is written in such a way that it will serve as a guide and an inspiration for many years to come. Values statement: At Focus we value and treat everyone that comes through our doors with mutual respect and dignity. We will have acceptance of all people regardless if there is any kind of difference between us, we will always embrace diversity. Focus will respect each client’s privacy by protecting their medical records at all times, and allowing only staff directly involved with client care to view records. There will be no room for sexual harassment of clients or staff. Kernaghan, K. (2003) writes, A values statement expressing values that are shared at all organizational levels-combined with the dispersal of leadership roles throughout the organization-provides an especially strong foundation for integrating values into public service. These values will inspire action and influence behavior because it states that you will be treated with mutual respect, so clients will know to be on their best behavior and staff will know that also as well as being professional at all times. By accepting d iversity that lets all clients know that they are welcome, important and will be getting equal treatment. The clients will feel protected knowing their medical records are kept confidential and they will not be sexually harassed during their visit. They both call for treating the clients with mutual respect, regardless of any type of differences that maybe. Values and mission statements both state that they are for diversity so it includes people, make people want to come forward and get care. Knowledge and support for the clients is a part of the values statement as well as the mission statement. Long term care is part of each statement which would usually be necessary for Mental Health and Substance abuse treatment. The mission statement and the values  statement in different ways states that they want the best for the clients, want them to get the best service or treatment available at Focus, so they can be their best. Code of Ethics All employees will abide by these codes of ethics at all times (except when necessary not to), we will present good conduct ourselves at all times to be a credit to the organization and the community we serve. Yi-Hui, Haung, (2010) states, First, responding to the argument that ethics codes are not an effective indicator of professionalism, I believe that a code of ethics is part of the standards that must be fulfilled for an occupation to be a profession, especially for public relations. 1.All staff should attempt to meet the needs of their clients, including committing to and respecting client rights and maintaining confidentiality at all times, except in special cases. 2.Staff should be knowledgeable in a variety of areas and situations in order to be able to effectively perform their duties in human services. 3.All staff must work well with their peers and should show mutual respect for one another, and avoid negative criticism. 4.All staff must carry themselves in a professional manner at all times and must not let their personal lives interfere with being professional on the job. 5.All staff should work for the benefit of society and make sure that all clients equal rights are protected and have an opportunity for helpful services that meet their need. 6.Staff will not argue with clients or other staff if a situation should come up between either of the two it must be taken to the supervisor and dealt with directly if the situation cannot be handle in any other fashion 7.All staff must vow to speak up if they see or know of another employee that is violating the codes of ethics, the law, or a client these matters must be addressed with your immediate supervisor. 8.The use of drugs will not be tolerated, and the use of alcohol while on the clock will not be tolerated either, if you suspect another employee report it, it is for the safety and protection of the organization. 9.All employees should exercise their power to prevent mistakes or wrongdoing by ask ing questions at the right time. 10.All staff should respect the property of others, be honest and not take unfair advantage of other employees. The code of ethics inspires a tangible outcome from an employee because they will want to be the best example for the organization and their peers. The  code of ethics would cause the employee to check their work more carefully and make sure it is done correctly and by the law as well as dealing with the clients. The code also helps the employees feel protected, because it sets rules and guidelines for the employees and all must abide by them equally. The code of ethics is related to the mission and values of the organization because they are there to co-inside with each other for the direction of the organization, and the protection of the clients and staff. All three are necessary for the good of the organization, the focus and the goal to be effective. Our organization plans on having a relaxing, calm, approachable family oriented culture. The atmosphere will be calming, loud noise will be prevented as much as possible, and we tell our clients to invite a family member if possible to the appointments. Our staff will carry themselves in a professional, plight and clam manner in order to set an example for the clients, so they will not get excited. The culture will institutionalize the organizations values by having them mesh together. When the clients see how the environment of the organization is they will be more than willing to come to their appointments regularly and participate in their treatment and perhaps invite a family member. Even though this will be a change for the clients from an institution staff will do everything to help them adjust. Focus employees will treat everyone with dignity, respect, honest, and kindness this is the type of atmosphere we represent. Identifying my moral responsibility as a leader is of importance, because the workers will be watching and imitating the kind of behavior that I display, the leader sets the mood in the environment in the whole organization. I will be responsible for all action that I take part in, and be honest and truthful in all my actions. While trying to maintain the ethical standard I will be evaluating their performance in six month intervals and on their anniversary date. For the six month if no problems the employee will get a gift card to a store and for the anniversary day they get a raise. I will have a one on one meeting to talk about their performance evaluation and their strengths and weakness and how they can improve during their job. I will keep a record of all evaluation so I can assist workers in being the best employee they can be. I will lead by example. Part of my moral responsibility is to lead the worker to the best of my abilities. I wil l make sure that I set the same kind of ethical  standards that I would like for my workers to follow. Morals have to do with values and values relate to compassion, integrity, and dignity and these are things that I will display while I am in a leadership role. I will maintain Focus ethical standard while measuring the workers performance by treating all employees as individuals and as fair as possible. There will be an ethics committee which will consist of the me, my boss and one employee so the employees will have a voice. The ethics committee will review the evaluations to make sure all rule and guidelines have been followed and the committee will study different methods and organization policy to look for what is right and what is wrong. Other than me leading by example and the ethics committee the workers will follow suit and become loyal employees. The structures I would put in place for oversight is training for employees, evaluate new employees the first six months of em ployment. In conclusion the mission and value statements and the code of ethics form the core of Focus is something that clients and employees can value in the organization. They serve as a guiding tool for employees so they can give their clients the best service practically every time. Effective leadership is necessary for morale and production in the organization and that comes from a good leader. Performance evaluations will play an important role in the structure of the employee’s positions. Periodical performance evaluations are necessary in order to evaluate the performance of the employees and maintain an ethical standard. The Focus is a place where people with mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues can come for help and get their needs met and feel safe. References Drohan, W. M. (1999, January). Writing a mission statement. Association missions statement; writing, 51(1), 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/229219642? Kernaghan, K. (2003). Integrating values in to public services: The value statement as a centerpiece. Public Administration Review, 63(6), 711-719. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy..apollolibrary.com/docview/197169756? Huang, Y. (2010, June). Should a public relations code of efforts be enforced.. Journal of Business Ethics, 31(3), 259-270. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.exproxy.apollolibrary

Company Analysis And Overview Of Westjet Management Essay

Company Analysis And Overview Of Westjet Management Essay The purpose of this report is to analyse the case study Westjet in 2009: The Fleet expansion decision. The specific objective was to provide a diagnosis of the companys challenges, propose a suitable change management programme. Research was done in the general area of change management and the models available. Recommendations are based on the comparative analysis of the same 1.0 Introduction This report was commissioned by Dr Lee Mathias to analyse the Wesjet case study and provide a diagnosis of the companys challenges and develop a suitable change model. Also, recommendations have been made to manage resistance and ensure that the change is sustained. 2.0 Westjet 2.1 Introduction Westjet, a Canadian airline, which was founded in 1996 by group of Calgary businessmen, operates as a low cost player in aviation industry. The airline has 36% domestic market share in Canada only second to Air Canada, which has 57%. Since its inception the Airline is operating with single fleet model using Boeing 737s with capacity of 119 to 166 passengers. Using single fleet has helped Westjet to significantly reduce its operating and maintenance cost. With the 2008-09 economic crisis, the airline was facing flight occupancy issue in its most of the domestic routes. Lower occupancy has forced Westjet to pull out of Sudburys and Sault Ste market (two of the destinations in Ontario market). With this prospective in mind the airline is looking to add smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes with approximately 100 seats to its fleet. Including this type of aircraft will abandon the airlines more than a decade long success strategy of operating with single fleet and implementing this new strategy will be a big challenge for management. 2.2 Change: The airline industry exists in a hypercompetitive environment where organisations are required to change constantly in order to survive and maintain their position in the market (Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm, 2008). Change in an organisation requires addressing the strategy (what is it that you want to change), skills (what skills, knowledge and abilities are required by the change recipients) and structures (short term and long term organisational tools essential to support the change) (Carter, 2008). Strategies are a means of striving to achieve an organisations mission and vision (Gill, 2003). Increasing the likelihood of success of Westjets strategy for a second fleet would involve answering questions such as What is the change they want to bring about? Is the change appropriate for the organisation? Can this change be implemented successfully? (Bruch, Gerber, Maier, 2005). 3.0 SWOT Analysis Prior to implementing the strategy, Westjet needs to assess the feasibility of the change with the help of an analysis tool such as SWOT. It helps determine whether the organisation will be able to sustain the change or not by analysing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 3.1 Strengths Strong financial standing: At the end of financial year 2008, the airline had a cash reserve of $820 million, which is 80% of its total debt. In addition to this, the airlines debt equity ratio is at 1.09, which is significantly low when compared to industry standards. Customer satisfaction: The airline has gained a significant customer satisfaction because of its ability to provide nonstop domestic flights, which helps its customer make a hassle free journey. For such domestic routes where the flights have occupancy level of 60-65% for 150 seater Boeing 737s aircrafts, smaller Bombardier or Embraer aircrafts can be included in this routes. This will help in improving the load to 90 to 95% and will reduce the cost without compromising on customer satisfaction. Better seat utilisation: The smaller aircrafts with 100 seats will have higher occupancy level as compared 737s Boeing aircrafts with 140 to 160 seats. 3.2 Weakness With inclusion of 2nd type of fleet the airline needs to train its existing work force, which can take care of maintenance of new fleets. The technology of the new fleet will be different compared to Boeing 737s, which may force Westjet to keep to two sets of staffs for maintenance. Moreover they will have to pay more airport charges because of inclusion of new aircrafts. These reasons coupled together will increase the cost for the airline and that will led to a significant impact on the profitability of it. Cost cutting and diversion of funds towards the new project may also result in unhappy staff. 3.3 Opportunity The main competitor of Westjet airlines, Air Canada (with 57% market share) is struggling to fight bankruptcy; it is difficult for Air Canada to achieve cost efficiency in such scenario. In such situation it will be comparatively easier for Westjet to tap international customers of Air Canada and adding new fleets will help them in do so. Westjet has recently made a tie up with European airlines like Air France. By the adopting 2nd fleet in Canadian domestic market, it can use Boeing 737s to fly for its international operations in Europe, which will help faster penetration in new market. If Westjet penetrates to European market then it will help WVI also to expand to Europe and generate revenue for Westjet group from its European business 3.4 Threats As stated in the case study there is only 3.6% increment of passengers year on year. At a time when existing fleets are operating with significant number of empty seats with low increment in number of passengers, in such scenario inclusion of 2nd fleet exposes Westjet to considerable risk. 4.0 Change Model for Westjet The airline industry is very dynamic is affected by global events such as 9/11, the SARS outbreak and the most recent swine flu outbreak all of which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of travellers. To survive in todays complex every changing world Westjet needs to change its familiar way of operating and become capable of adapting to changes efficiently and effectively. There are a number of theoretical models available to assist Westjets strategic decision to expand. While some of these models are more suited for transformational change others are more suited for transactional changes. Lewins model for example which describes change in 3 stages unfreezing, moving and refreezing (Lewin,1952) would be suitable for a stable environment and not a dynamic environment like Westjet. Given below is an analysis of some of the models available: (http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/14790_751313697_793488144.pdf) In case of Westjet the change is planned however it will affect the entire organisation. Looking at the above models, it would be suitable for Westjet to adopt a combination of theoretical models available: Ø Understanding change characteristics: Westjet needs to first understand the need for this change. This change will help the airline in its expansion; it will help increase the load factor and revenue for it. With this change, employees of the airline will be impacted as they need to know about the mechanism of new fleet. Under this change program airline would be looking to use smaller aircrafts for domestic non stop flights and where as Boeing 737s aircrafts would mostly be used for international flights. Inclusion of new fleet will require upgradation of its scheduling and reservation application. Ø Risk Assessment: Under the change management program Westjet needs to understand the possible risks which could arise due to it. As the number of fleets will go up the, scheduling of same for domestic travel in such a way that aircrafts are rested at airport for a short period, would be a challenge. Improper handling of this issue could lead to operational risk, where the charges to be paid to airport authority will go up. To handle this issue, Westjet needs to make sure that its scheduling application is efficient enough to take this challenge. In addition to this there are certain risks which may arise if the new fleet fails to get acceptance from Westjet passengers. In worst case if it happens, the Westjet should lease these aircrafts to Asian airlines, which operates with leased aircrafts. On similar line there could be some more risk associated with this strategy, which Westjet needs to analyze and find the mitigation of the same before implementing of new fleets into its o peration. Ø Funding: Westjet has a cash reserve of $820 million, which would be sufficient for the initial phase of this change. At later stage if the airline needs to buy some more aircraft, where it needs external funds then it would be going for long term debts. Taking loan term loan will not be a major financial concern for airline as debt to equity ratio is at 1.09:1 compared standard value of 2:1. Ø Communication Plan: Westjet should communicate this new strategy to its employees, shareholders and suppliers. Share holders will be communicated with the need and benefit of new strategy through mailers. Suppliers and channel partners should also be communicated through mailers. For employees the communication should be by top management in an interactive session, where top management would answer to all the apprehensions that employees have along with possible benefits of new strategy. Ø Training: Westjet will have to implement new training programs for its crew member and maintenance engineers, so that they can learn the mechanism of operation of new fleet. For new employees the training program will include training for Boeing 737s as well as smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. This will ensure that maintenance work for either fleet can be done by any maintenance staff. As a result efficiency will come with some additional training cost for the airline but it will help airline to continue to enjoy its process driven operation rather than having people driven operation. Ø Resource planning: At present the airline has 77 Boeing 737s aircrafts. With inclusion of Bombardier or Embraer airplanes, Westjet may need to hire additional staffs that have experience of working on Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. Ø Resistance management plan: The major resistance could come from employees of the airlines, due to their apprehension about success of new business model coupled with need for them to learn new technology. As the employees of Westjet have a significant share in operating profit of airlines, the top management should provide the estimated financial benefits of new strategy to employees along with assurance of complete training on new fleet. This will help in managing resistance from employees. The resistance from shareholders can be handled by highlighting the business needs and financial benefit of this change. Ø Change implementation: The airline would start operating with new fleet, once it completes process of communication of this change to its various stakeholders, training to employees, upgradation of softwares and addition of resources. Once the success of new fleet is proved, Westjet can add more Bombardier or Embraer airplanes into its operation. Ø Reinforcement planning: The airline will adopt the strategy of positive reinforcement on regular interval. This will be achieved through showing growth in revenue, with increased profit share amount for employees. 5.0 Sustaining Change Maintaining momentum and sustaining change is a crucial stage of the change process. If steps are not taken to sustain change the new state achieved may be short lived (Hayes, 2007) Once the 2nd fleet is introduced at Westjet, it is recommended take the following steps to sustain the change and allow support further growth: Ø Improve the learning curve for employees for maintenance of smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes through appropriate training. Ø Focus on greater profitability through leaner processes. The airline should look to adopt six sigma into its process, this will drive the innovation in its operation. Ø Introducing smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes for Carrabin Island and USA cities which are nearer to Canada and depending on the demand the airline can increase the number of fleets in this route. This will help in achieving higher occupancy for Westjet flights to Carrabin Island and USA Ø Empowerment of employees to act and take decision according to the situation Ø Continuous quality improvements in all processes and continuous focus on innovation Ø Westjet needs to continue with its flat organization structure and at the same time it should be flexible to facilitate resource requirements at the top management without any hassle Ø Westjet should try to achieve an organization wide belief that quality is everyones job through Vision-driven leadership Ø Inculcating values that include high moral standards, ethics, teamwork, involvement and risk taking Ø Measure the effectiveness of change through various change management tools Ø With inclusion of 2nd fleet, Westjet will have the opportunity for business expansion in international airline segment. To get optimum benefit out of its international operation, it should make partnership with other airlines, which will help it acquire those customers who do not fly to Westjet destinations. In addition to this it can make tie up with European airlines for promoting WVI. By taking these two strategic steps Westject can generate additional revenue for itself. Ø For future expansion through 2nd fleet Westjet needs to address language barriers which could arise due to its expansion into international market 6.0 Conclusion Westjet Airlines ultimate goal is to become top 5 most successful airlines of the world by 2016 and it is extremely difficult to achieve the same with single fleet model. The best airline in the world, US Airways is using more than 85 smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. Moreover Westjet business model is on the similar to that of southwest airlines and since southwest has already acquired such airplanes, it makes sense for Westjet to adopt this new fleet. Inclusion of new fleet will help Westjet to gain more market share along with higher profitability greater efficiency. It will also help Westjet to build its 1st pillar of its goal i.e. to generate 10% additional revenue growth in available seat miles through fleet expansion.

The Concept Of Balance Of Power Politics Essay

The Concept Of Balance Of Power Politics Essay When one state or alliance increases its power or apply it more aggressively, the balance of power theory is maintained. By forming a counter-balancing coalition, threatened states will increase their own power in response. The central concept in neorealist theory is Balance of power. Since Martin Wright said, the notion is notoriously full of chaos and confusion, it is difficult to provide exact definition to balance of power. The main difficulty prevails with the balance of power is that there are too many meanings associated with it. Nevertheless, the indispensable idea is very simple but when the principle is applied to the international relations, the concept of power means that with the help of shifting alliances and countervailing pressures, not a single power or mixture of powers will be allowed to become strong enough to threaten the security of the rest of the world according to Perkins and Palmer. In order to be more effective, identification and sensing of threats from th e neighboring countries and rebels is an essential need for applying the balance of power effectively. A balance of power can be formed by multiple states when alliances are fluid, for instance when they are formed easily or broken on the basis of practicality by not taking into consideration form of government, history, religion or values. Shifting its support to oppose whichever alliance or state is strongest, a single state occasionally plays the role of a balancer. In the 18th and 19th centuries, specifically in its relations with Germany, Russia and France, this role was played by Britain in Europe (Williams, Andrew 2004). By matching their increases in military capability, two states can balance against each other. Both the United States and the Soviet Union expanded their nuclear arsenals to balance against each other in the cold war. The complexity of measuring power is one weak point of the balance of power. From the size of its land mass, level of technology and population, the states power ultimately derives its power. Nevertheless, this potential power translates into mili tary capability in a flawed manner. There is a dependence on such elements of luck, geography, morale and leadership with the effective use of military force. Throughout history in various regions of the world, there are found some historical examples of power balancing. For instance, through a constantly shifting network of alliances, these Chinese states pursued power (China Superpower, 2010). (2) Evaluate how effective power balancing is, in practice, toward preserving peace. Without the Soviet threat, the United States, as the dominant world power, would face difficulties in its relations with such states as the European powers and china and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the worlds sole superpower (The Globalist: June 2, 2010). The ever changing nature of power, in the present-day international system further complicated the operation of the global balance of power. For the smaller states, the internet, Globalization, weapons of mass destruction and other developments of technology have made them acquire power in a significant manner. Even though, the balance of power is less applicable to conflicts involving other non state groups and terrorists, the balance of power may continue to operate among other states which are engaged in prolonged disputes in the future. In the present study of international relations for the past five hundred years, the balance of power played a prime role in achieving power and peace and for the past five hundred years, the balance of power has been a central concept and practice of international relations. Liberalism also plays an important part here and it carries a legacy of international imprudence (Hume, David. 1752). The purpose of the balance of power is to put in place to explain the situation where states will ally themselves to prevent the domination of one state upon others and peace will obviously be preserved by effective balancing of power and by matching their increase in military capability, two states can balance against each other. (Shubhya pandey, 16th March, 2009). Early intervention will often be more cheaper and effective than late intervention, if security is now better procured than defended. Before they have the time to gain momentum and focus, the threats to security should be addressed. References: 1. Williams, Andrew (2004). D-Day to Berlin. Hodder Stoughton. ISBNÂ  0340833971 2. . China Superpower (PDF). http://www.casaasia.es/pdf/9200595422AM1127202862621.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-27 3. The Globalist June 2, 2010 cite: An Insecure Foothold for the United States; Russia is certainly still a superpower comparable only to the United States 4. Hume, David. 1752/1963. Of the Balance of Power, Essays: Moral, Political, and Literary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 346-347. 5.Shubhya pandey (16th March, 2009) Balance of Power in International Relations, article Student Semester IV, Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur 7. List and describe some of the major multilateral attempts at arms control and disarmament. How effective have these attempts been in the past? How effective are they likely to be in the future? Do you believe that agreements of this kind will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists? Why or why not? Arms control and disarmament are not the same. The objective of arms control is to limit weapons in certain selective and agreed methods with regard to certain aspects like transparency, lethality, range and quantity while the latter aims at the destruction of certain types of weapons capable of wreaking mass destruction. The entire globe sought to eliminate all types of weapons of mass destruction which are chemical arms, biological and nuclear and the use of multiple types of conventional weapons apart from their production and sale are sought to be controlled by the world after their bitter experience post the two world wars (Conventional weapons, 2004, p.36). The term general and complete disarmament means the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction or WMD along with the balanced reduction of conventional armaments and balanced reduction of armed forces which is based on the principle of undiminished security of the parties along with a purpose of promoting or improving st ability at a lower military level after taking into account the requirement of all States to protect their security and achieve peace and stability (Speech, 2002). Besides being supported by an implementing institution, a regime is a multilateral arrangement governing either the elimination or control of certain weapons. On the prohibition of bacteriological weapons and poisonous gas to which Canada became a signatory on 6th May 1930, the inter-war period was also witness to the Geneva Protocol, 1925 (Canadian Reference Guide to the United Nations. Ottawa, 1994). Until April 1975, the protocol introduced by the United States was not endorsed by the Senate of United States. The General assembly of the United Nations called for the total elimination of atomic weapons and use the atomic energy for peaceful purposes and it was the foremost resolution passed by the General assembly of the United nations (World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1996). But all these attempts were not full effective as some countries of the world are still continuing to produce weapons of mass destruction under the pretext of security reasons and have not been fully cooperative in destroying weapons of mass destruction completely. Treaties were signed seeking to eliminate and prevent the production of weapons of mass destruction which include the treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear weapons and the Biological weapons convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. In order to promote their WMD non proliferation goals which include the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger committee, Wassenaar Arrangement (for dual-use goods and conventional arms), the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Hague Code of Conduct (for missiles) and the Australia Group (for chemical and biological weapons), some countries of the world have decided to establish various non-binding suppliers regimes. How effective are they likely to be in the future? In the future, these measures are not going to be effective unless universal application of multilateral disarmament treaties are promoted and its awareness is created for both the Government and its citizens, improving compliance with the commitments of treaty, improving transparency (Some countries fear that reporting of possessions of WMD might compromise on their diplomatic goals or security, strengthening verification by effectively implementing intrusive inspections, vigorous accounting methods and physical security and at the same time not compromising legitimate defence secrets. The development of a politically binding code of conduct was proposed by Netherlands in 2002 when it chaired the Missile Technology control Regime. For this purpose, several international meetings were organized by the European Union (The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,ICOC Background information, 2002). In spite of all these attempts, the lack of public understanding of the contribution of treaties to international security makes non-proliferation education and disarmament a compelling priority. There is a concentration of specialized knowledge only in a very few ministries or in some governments lack the knowledge altogether. Preoccupations with other pressing issues and conflicting priorities faced by many developing countries in areas like internal conflicts, environmental challenges, economic development, health needs and poverty have reduced the effectiveness of these treaties and control and still a long way is to go in order to implement the measures effectively. Do you believe that agreements of this kind will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists? Why or why not? I do believe that Agreements and treaties arms control and disarmament will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists only if cooperation prevails among the nations of the world and by maintaining good relations and key contributions are made by the parliaments which has the prime major responsibilities for enacting implementing legislation under the relevant disarmament and arms control treaties apart from the effective role played by the United Nations as they face multiple challenges with regard to the promotion of is armament . Unless collective efforts are put forth by all the nations of the world, any treaty or measures of arms control will not work and remain a challenge and problem forever to be faced by all the countries over the globe. References: 1. Conventional weapons are weapons that are not WMD; see UNIDIR 2004, p. 36. 2. The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICOC Background information, http://www.minbuza.nl, 2002. 3. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Canadian Reference Guide to the United Nations. Ottawa, 1994. 4. U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1996. Washington, 1997. 8. International relations theorists disagree about the propensity for states to balance versus bandwagon. On the one hand, some theorists claim that states form counter-alliances against the powerful to prevent any one state from achieving hegemony over everyone else. On the other hand, a second group of theorists claim that states tend to gravitate toward the powerful, joining the strongest rather than participating in a blocking coalition. Which claim do you believe is best supported by the historical evidence? Explain your answer. Striking an alliance with powerful nations to fulfill the concerns of security was followed by many countries since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO which is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4th April 1949((The official Emblem of NATO,2008). A system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence to an attack by any external party is constituted by the organization. Even though some theorists claim that states form counter alliances against the powerful to prevent any one state from achieving control over everyone else, the story has always been on the other side. The countries of the world normal strike alliances with the powerful countries for their own security reasons. For example, Israel always lean on the United States for its support instead of maintaining cordial relations with its neighbours. Even during the gulf war many European nations like the United Kingdom, France and Italy joined hands with the United states in waging war in the Persian gulf against Iraq which did not get any support even from its own neighboring countries. The second group of theorists who claim that states have a tendency to gravitate towards the powerful joining the stronger rather than participating in a blocking coalition and this claim is valid as a lot of historical data is available to support this kind of theory. For instance even during the post world war time, in 1954, South Korea formed an alliance with the United States of America and South Korea signed the ROK/U.S Mutual Security Agreement in which they agreed to defend each other in the event of aggression by outside nations (Manwoo Lee,1988,pp. 35-36). Even during the war waged in Afghanistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks on United States, Pakistan supported United States because of security concerns. The major reason why most of the nations of the world depend on the United States is that in recent years it has been the most formidable military power in recent years and its spending levels is the principle determinant of world military spending and recent increases are connected to the so-called war on Terror and the Afghanistan and the Iraq invasions. Japan struck an alliance with the United States of America because it feels that its presence in the western pacific is very much important to the regions peace and stability (Jusuf Wanandi, 1997). Rather than adopting leniency and initiating collective efforts to prevent the disaster of war in the gulf, numerous countries were on the side of the United States in its war against Iraq including Saudi Arabia. Many countries like the United Kingdom and France even went to the extent of spending huge sums of money for the military operations in the gulf. Many countries in the Southeast Asia feel that the transformation of Southeast Asia as a region of stability could not have been achieved in such a quick manner without the help of the United States (Straits Times,1997). Therefore the second claim of the theorists who stated that the states tend to gravitate toward the powerful, joining the strongest rather than participating in a blocking coalition were right in their perspective. Reference: 1. The official Emblem of NATO. NATO. http://www.nato.int/multi/natologo.htm. Retrieved 20 February 2008 2. Manwoo Lee, et.al. Alliance under Tension: the Evolution of South Korean-U.S. Relations (Boulder, Co.: West view Press, 1988), pp. 35-36. 3. Jusuf Wanandi, Time for Japan to rethink its regional and global role, Straits Times, 27 August 1997 4. Straits Times, 20 November 1997. 9. Assess the concepts of direct opposition and competition as described in the textbook. Do you believe that instances of either competition (which seems to approximate the situation leading up to both World Wars I and II) or direct opposition (which the textbook applies to the Cold War) are more preferable in terms of ensuring international stability? Are they equally useful (or useless) toward achieving this end? Do you believe that the future of world politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind (as suggested in the textbook) or by a renewed form of direct opposition (potentially between the United States and China)? Given your earlier arguments, what ramifications might this have for international stability? Support your arguments with evidence. Assess the concepts of direct opposition and competition as described in the textbook. Do you believe that instances of either competition (which seems to approximate the situation leading up to both World Wars I and II) or direct opposition (which the textbook applies to the Cold War) are more preferable in terms of ensuring international stability? The relationship that developed first and foremost between the United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet socialist Republic (USSR) was given the name cold war because the two was always at loggerheads with regard to the domination of international affairs (The origins of the Cold War, 2004). The term was used to describe their relationship from 1945 to 1980. They fought for their beliefs using client states who were fighting for their beliefs on their behalf because these two superpowers did not trust each other. Since times immemorial, the competitive rivalry among nations is largely attributed to the uneven distribution of resources across the world to a great extent. Nations have been working hard to control resources and not merely to develop their geographical extent of colonialism from the age of exploration to the two world wars and from the Middle East to the west. For the purpose of determining a nations strategic direction apart from helping the nation outperform its rival through gaining the competitive, geopolitics highlights about the spatial analysis in terms of social sciences, politics and geography. Due to healthy competition among the nations of the world, the importance of world resources have been highlighted by Mackinders Heartland Theory in the year 1904 (The Geographical Journal, 2004). Huge concentration is made on the co-existence of nations through their mutual economic interdependence by the modern geopolitics even though it does not necessarily talk about power shi fts. Healthy competitions therefore make the nations to realize their potential and awareness about their resources and this in one way can be utilized to maintain cordial relationship with other countries by helping the other countries by mutual exchange of resources. Are they equally useful (or useless) toward achieving this end? The outcomes or effects of competition of some kind will be favorable for international stability. This is supported by the fact that a favorable environment has been created for export diversification and competitiveness in sub-Saharan Africa and many African countries concentrated on getting the essentials economic management in the right way (Borner, S., Brunetti, A. and Weder, B., 1995). In order to reduce their debt and controlling inflation and putting in place sustainable fiscal policies, they worked together. All these happened due to the healthy competition which prevailed among these nations and fostered a good relationship between them (Sachs, J. and Warner, A., 1996). Do you believe that the future of world politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind (as suggested in the textbook) or by a renewed form of direct opposition (potentially between the United States and China)? I do therefore believe that the world of future politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind in comparison to a renewed form of direct opposition because in a direct opposition healthy competition can never take place. For instance when it comes to China and the United States of America, China always opposed the United States power politics, hegemonism and unipolar strategy and vice versa even though both of them have relatively mature ideas, tactics, policies and strategies on the global configuration of international order and power (Peter Grier and James N. Thurnman, 1999). On the other hand, if these two countries nurture a healthy competition and foster good relationship, it will be beneficial for them apart from the rest of the world. Majority of the other countries of the world also favour this. Given your earlier arguments, what ramifications might this have for international stability? Support your arguments with evidence. Right from the historical periods, economic inequalities have existed in a wide range of societies and the negative phenomenon arising out of economic inequality can be removed only with a healthy competition between the nations of the world. Healthy competition may also pave the way for the trade liberalization which will shift economic inequality from a global to a domestic scale where low skilled workers in poorer countries will see higher wages. Therefore international stability can be achieved globally by healthy competitions among the nations. International trade is promoted and significant benefits arise out of this. In concurrence with comparative advantage, it allows numerous countries to specialize. Considerable gains of efficiency may arise out of this. Severe competition takes place only out of trade which breaks down institutional impediments to change and promotes innovation. The advantages of the utilization of increased returns to scale is further provided by trade. A ll these facts were realized by many countries of the world after the post war era. Under the sponsorship of the GATT (General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade), numerous tariffs relating to international trade was introduced after several rounds of negotiations and it lead to successful trade liberalization in the developed nations (Jacob Kol and L.B.M. Mennes, 1990).

Working on My Scholarship Essay :: Scholarship Essays

Working on My Scholarship Essay That fateful night I stayed up too late working on a scholarship essay. Worked up into a frenzy with all this paperwork, I faded in and out of the work I was doing. I stopped for a few minutes to rest my eyes and upon opening them I gazed into a face crowned by a laurel-leaf and wore philosophers robes. "What doest thou?" he asked in a thick Italian voice. I could not believe it. Who was this man who entered my room unannounced and demanded from me what I do? "What doest thou?" he asked again, more forcefully. "I...I'm writing a paper for a scholarship, sir." I added 'sir' unintentionally. "What needest thou with this scholarship application?" "I have two brothers who are going to college, one of whom will be returning to UTD next year to continue his education, and the other will be attending medical school." "Aye, but what need hast thou for 'scholarship'?" He rolled the words in a soft Florentine accent. "My brother who will be attending medical school will be living on campus and the expense of room and board along with tuition and the tuition of my other brother attending UTD puts a great strain on our family. I really need this scholarship." "'Tis true, I believe it. But for what purpose needest thou this scholarship?" "Well," I said a bit unnerved at this intruding interrogator, "I hope to receive a masters degree in Commercial Art and I hope to join an advertising or design company." "Aye, but what other duties hast thou outside of education?" "To begin with, every two weeks I feed the homeless with my church. We pack lunches for them and, rain or shine, we hand out the food and water.

S.W.O.T. Analysis of Boeing Corp. Essay -- SWOT Analysis

The objective of this paper is to analyze and discuss some of the Boeing Company's business decisions using their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, also known as an S.W.O.T. analysis which is defined as, "a planning tool used to analyze an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. (Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, page 216)". This is a very powerful tool usable by any business that is just starting out, going through a change in direction, or in the process of a major merger. The SWOT analysis consists of a few simple steps which can provide valuable insight for direction and decision making. This paper will use The Boeing Company as an example of SWOT analysis application. The Boeing Company originally started out as the Pacific Aero Products Co., which was founded on July 15, 1916. The name was changed about a year later to The Boeing Airplane Company. The Boeing Company stayed relatively small until World War I when they were selected by Navy officials to produce an order for 50 model C's planes for the war efforts. The company continued to prosper and by the late 1950s, Boeing President William Allen knew that the company had the scientists, the experience and the facilities to lead the company into uncharted territories. He was right, Boeing has emerged as the leading aerospace company in the world today. The SWOT process will start by examining the internal strengths of the Boeing Company of today. One of the most dominant strengths possessed by Boeing is its ability to follow the changes in a market that is continually changing. The type of products produced by The Boeing Company demands the use of state of the art technology while maintaining all the proper safe guards for sa... ...It is important to continually perform SWOT analysis and to stay nimble. Overall the Boeing Company has stayed strong in the aircraft field and with record profits for the past two years it looks like they are achieving their goals. Boeing has had to change their business direction over the past 100 years in order to stay a top of the aircraft industry. To maintain a good successful business they must have used a system similar to this SWOT analysis to see where Boeing needed to be to capitalize the market. Before Boeing decided that outsourcing was the way to go, a group of Boeing peers got around a table and weighed out the pros and cons. In their business analysis they saw a way to change one of their weaknesses, in-house work overload, into a potential strength. Major business decisions like this are much easier to commit too, with the use of a SWOT analysis.

Kerala’s Development Experience: a Search for a Micro Response to a Macro Process

?Kerala’s development experience: a search for a micro response to a macro process abstract The concept of development, in the sense of achieving ‘human good’ has always been there since the advent of human society, only with varying understanding, emphasis, and implications. It is seen as a process, requiring constant response and continuous solutions and also as a result of human action, only through which, reorientation of any development process becomes possible (Varma, 1989:34). The past decades have seen a series of development paradigms, involving progressive modifications, towards achieving the ‘human good’, but the results have been highly disappointing and distressing, with naked manifestation and a stark reality of the extreme riches and the extreme poverty existing side by side. In fact, most of the development approaches in the post-colonial era have contributed not only to the creation and perpetuation of such a divide but also in widening it endlessly. India’s macro development experience is an apt illustration of such a scenario. Kerala’s development experience has to be understood only in the context of the development experience of the country as a whole. Kerala’s development experience: search for a micro response to a macro process The concept of development, in the sense of achieving ‘human good’ has always been there since the advent of human society, only with varying understanding, emphasis, and implications. It is seen as a process, requiring constant response and continuous solutions and also as a result of human action, only through which, reorientation of any development process becomes possible (Varma, 1989:34). The past decades have seen a series of development paradigms, involving progressive modifications, towards achieving the ‘human good’, but the results have been highly disappointing and distressing, with naked manifestation and a stark reality of the extreme riches and the extreme poverty existing side by side. In fact, most of the development approaches in the post-colonial era have contributed not only to the creation and perpetuation of such a divide but also in widening it endlessly. India’s macro development experience is an apt illustration of such a scenario. Kerala’s development experience has to be understood only in the context of the development experience of the country as a whole. india’s development impact In the post-colonial Independent India, which envisaged an advanced, prosperous, democratic, egalitarian and just society as implied in its constitutional proclamation of a ‘socialist pattern of development’, eradication of poverty became one of the prime targets of most of the early development initiatives. However, even after five decades of India’s independence, in spite of intensive development efforts, the result has not been much different. True, India has got an impeccable record of achievements to its credit. India has achieved a literacy rate of above fifty percent from a just 16 percent at the time of Independence. From a state of dependency for food, it has not only achieved a self-sufficiency but also has developed an export capacity in food production. The economic reforms in recent years and the process of globalisation have accelerated India’s economic capability in every direction including Industrial growth. With its large technological and professional man-power, with regard to nuclear, space and computer capabilities, India is fast emerging as a global power. Though these are commendable achievements, the overall picture is nowhere near the targets and far from satisfaction. In spite of India being one of the highest food producing countries in the world, one out of every two children in India is said to be malnourished. In the land of many rivers, safe drinking water seems to be still a pipe-dream for many. The health record is even more frightening as India is still the highest in the world, in the number of TB patients, malarial deaths, blind people, HIV positive cases, occupational casualties, Hepatitis ‘B’ patients and infant mortality rates. The constitutional injunction to provide free compulsory education to all children upto the age of 14 by 1960 is far from realisation. In fact, with the tripling of our population since Independence, the illiteracy rate being well above 40 percent, the number of illiterates has almost exceeded the total population of India at the time of Independence. Moreover, even among the literates, for many, education means just identifying letters and in most of the villages, many ‘literate’ do not even seem to manage that. There is a vast child labour force of 44 million. Above 70 million children are outside schools. There is a housing shortage of over 30 million and the registered job seekers are inching towards 40 million. Those who are ‘below poverty line’ being anywhere between 25 and 40 percent, more than 300 million in absolute figures, India has the largest concentration of poor people in the world (Outlook, 19 Oct. 998). The human development indices are deplorably low, placing India at the 126th position, far below many countries in East, Southeast and West Asia and Africa that became Independence much later than India did. The continuing population explosion only indicates that the educational, health and social status of women is far from satisfaction. High fertility and mortality rates, illiteracy, and school dropouts especially of the girl child have also contributed to this state of affairs. Likewise, the situation concerning preventive, public and primary health, drinking water, sewage, and sanitation and housing is far from satisfactory. Unemployment continues to be a nagging problem obscuring a clear solution. Growing urbanisation is also contributing to innumerable problems for want of clear perspective and planning. Environmental degradation, deforestation, and land appropriation continue to pose serious threats to the healthy development scenario and harshly affect the weaker sections, the most. India’s development impact only prove that the development initiatives of the past decades, meant for the uplift of the deprived sections have miserably failed, with the result of increasing poverty, inequality and ecological imbalance. Whatever efforts that have been adopted in bringing about a desirable development paradigm, a relatively contended human existence with fulfilment of basic human needs and protection of basic human rights have also proved to be still a far-flung reality. All these have only underlined the lopsided orientation and misplaced priorities of the past development paradigms and also the necessity for rethinking development. Today, development as ‘human good’ has come to imply equality and a dignified human existence for every individual, irrespective of caste, religion, race, or culture. Haq (1996:16) identifies equity, sustainability, productivity, and empowerment as four essential components in the human development paradigm. It involves searching for the roots, giving due recognition to every people’s dignity and existence, and evolving a genuine and collective participation of the people at the micro level development planning and implementation without neglecting the the macro-level development process. Such a development perspective necessitates a thorough revamping of the past development orientations and initiation of a fresh thrust from bottom upwards in every sense, by decentralising the development planning and democratic institutions. It would be a process of real democratisation and a return to nature, to the people, and to the grassroots. In short, there should be a right identification of what is the core and what is the periphery (Gregory, 2000:7). Kerala’s development experience It is in this context that Kerala’s development experience assumes significance. Kerala has been a pioneering state in many revolutionary social transformations and successful development initiatives, whether it be in implementing the land reforms or in achieving the development parameters of the WHO, or in the total literacy campaign that brought the credit of becoming the first totally literate state in the country. In the quality of life indicators, Kerala’s achievement is comparable only to the highly developed nations but within a limited economic development that is far below that of the nation’s average. Thus, in terms of 1993 figures, in spite of having a low per capita GNP of just about $180, far below than even the all India average of $300, Kerala could achieve and maintain an adult literacy rate of 91 per cent as against 51 per cent for all India; life expectancy of 73 years for males and 79 years for females as against 55 and 54 years respectively for all India; infant mortality rate at 13 as against 24 for all India; nd the birth rate at 17 as against 25 for all India; all comparable to the advanced nations. Such a high material quality of life indicators coinciding with low per capita income, both distributed across nearly the entire population of Kerala, with a set of wealth and resources redistribution programmes and high levels of political participation and activis m among the ordinary people, have earned for the state a unique place in the development thinking. This has also led to the emergence of a ‘Kerala Model’ of development that has been widely appreciated and recommended by the economists and other social scientists to be worthy of emulation by the developing world, before questions arose and criticisms unleashed over the sustainable nature of the model. ‘The Crisis of the Kerala model’ had become more apparent with the Model’s failures and shortcomings that were threatening its sustainability. Some of these included the following: The slow growth of Kerala’s SDP Increasing stagnancy of agricultural production and the dependency on and the vulnerability to outside sources for the major food items including rice Down-sliding of the traditional industries such as coir, cashew and handloom mainly due to the price escalation for raw materials and cut-throat competitions Sluggish and even negative industrial growth Alarming situation of unemployment Series of fiscal crisis threatening to undermine many of the Kerala Model redistribution programmes More than 15 per cent of the state’s population being the ‘outliers’ of the Model Acute environmental crisis, involving serious repercussions, especially in the context of stagnant economy, high population density and intense land-use. All the above failures and shortcomings of the Kerala model had become vastly identified and highly intensified in the context of globalisation, a macro process that has swept the whole world, including the developed and the developing nations alike, in the nineties and continue to change the developing face of the world economy and life People’s Palnning: Kerala’s Answer to a failed model and the process of Glabalisation The idea of development from bottom upwards with a decentralised system of planning is not something totally new. In Gandhiji’s vision of Poorna Swaraj, every village has to become a republic in which every individual enjoys total freedom. In his social paradigm, every individual should become the core, whereby the society is constructed as a vast oceanic circle, progressing from the individual to the family, from the family to the village, from the village to the state and from the state to the nation and so on. This is possible only when the villages are reinvented to become a republic of its own, recreating the sense of village solidarity, and making every member of the village a partner in the development mission. Only such an approach, which enables every human being to realise that they are only a part of nature, would be meaningful and sustainable. Though the slogan of ‘Gram Raj’ and the desirability of a decentralised system of planning has been as old as the freedom movement, the country had to wait till 1993, when the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were enacted, for a determined effort towards a genuine process f decentralisation. In line with these amendments, The Kerala Panchayat Act had been passed and came into effect since 23 April 1994. Nevertheless, the provision of a constitutional and legislative framework alone need not ensure its adaptation unless there is a political will and commitment on the part of the state governments, to such a system of administration and planning as it requires a total restructuring of the system. The democratisation of the planning process involved certain necessary conditions such as the devolution of powers, responsibilities and resources as well as the complementary measures on the part of the government, but not sufficient to ensure its success unless accompanied by an intensive people’s campaign in order to motivate and empower the local self governments to take up the new challenges. Being conscious of such conditions, the state of Kerala, in August 1996, started the new experiment of People’s Planning through People’s Campaign not only to ensure an ‘informed participation’ of the people, going beyond their nominal participation (Isaac and Harilal, 1999:492-5) but also to help them make ‘informed choices’ (Franke and Chasin, 1999: 139). In a world of globalisation and economic liberalisation, there emerges a political and economic structure that only favours models based on private accumulation and growing inequality over Kerala’s emphasis on public services and egalitarian ideals. Only in such a context, emerges Kerala’s answer to the search for a New Model in the form of a micro planning called People’s Planning through People’s Campaign, based on decentralisation and high levels of local participation, both as a response to the failure of the old model and as a challenge to the hostile world of international capitalism, vowing to bring a meaningful environmental preservation and empower the grassroots (Franke and Chasin, 1999:118-133). Today, Kerala is leading the nation through ‘People’s Planning†, which essentially dwells on the devolution of power to the grass roots, thereby initiating another social revolution of the sorts, in the development paradigm. It is believed that a success in this unique experiment would definitely make development to be truly sustainable and meaningful to the people and would redefine the entire life and polity. According to Mencher, the Indian villages are still populated with most weaker sections who hardly gain anything from most of the development programmes (1978: 10). The people’s planning being different in its orientation and approach, is naturally expected to reach out to the least of the grass-roots at the micro-level governance and empower them to plan out the basic livelihood systems by themselves and gain the capacity to ensure its sustainability and climb up the ladder of dignified social existence together with other fellow citizens. conclusion: Towareds a Sustainable Model of Developmet As the world is under the sweep of globalisation, no nation or state can keep away from its grip or sway. Living in an age of information that has created an image of a global village, the individual, regional and national identities are at stake, crying for independence and freedom. The very survival itself is at stake, which can be overcome only if there are proper ways and means to identify one’s strengths, potentials and indigenous resources and utilise the same for asserting one’s identity at different levels as well as for their respective survival and also contribute to the benefit of the mankind beyond their respective boundaries. It is here that the micro-level people’s planning could combat the negative forces in the macro process of globalisation. In this context, people’s planning of Kerala’s development experience provides an alternative model of a sorts in development. The success of the emerging model, however, depends on the extent of its independent approach, free from all sorts of political overtones and identities, a genuine sense of belongingness and solidarity and collective search for strengths and a common commitment for the greater cause of a genuine development. References Franke R. W. nd B. H. Chasin. 1999. ‘Is the Kerala Model Sustainable’. In M. A. Oommen. (Ed. ). Rethinking Development: Kerala’s Development Experience. Vol. 2. New Delhi: Institute of Social Sciences & Concept. Gregory S. 2000. Rural Social Change, Social Equity, and Sustainable Development. In Mukhopadyay, S D and S Choudhury. (Ed. ). Social Transformation and Rural Sector. Visva-Bh arathi: Department of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Statistics Haq, Mahbub ul. 1996. Reflections on Human Development. Delhi: Oxford University Press. Isaac, T. M. Thomas. and K. N. Harilal. 1999. ‘Democratisation of the Planning Process – Experience of People’s Campaign in Kerala’. In M. A. Oommen. (Ed. ). Rethinking Development: Kerala’s Development Experience. Vol. 2. New Delhi: Institute of Social Sciences & Concept. Mencher, J. P. Agriculture and Social Structure in Tamil Nadu: Past Origin, Present Transformation and Future Prospects. New Delhi: Allied. Varma, S. P. 1989. ‘Models of Development: Search for Alternatives’. In Iqbal Narain. (Ed. ). Development, Politics and Social Theory. New Delhi: Sterling. ****************************************