What do the French, Italian and British economies tell us about the Essay

What do the French, Italian and British economies tell us about the extent to which there has been a convergence in the character of business systems across Europe - Essay Example The markets in Western Europe have been strong, active and stable for quite a long time.The countries in Central and Eastern Europe have to catch up. The introduction of Euros as common currency has already begun the gravitation process towards strengthening of the whole European market.The convergence in business systems across Europe has been the natural consequence of the European Union and its predecessors. There has never been a time in history when business convergence in Europe was as steadfast and purposeful as in the present. The factors responsible for this phenomenon are manifold. Some factors like the establishment of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1959, followed by the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1961, and the current European Union (EU) are visible, and there are others such as the impact of globalization on Europe whose full impact have yet to be assessed holistically.Since the formation of the European Union, the European nations have diverted thei r resources and exports from the global market to the European market. Britain's example of trade shift from United States to the European Union is significant. Also, the effort to converge educational facilities in Europe is a welcome development. (European Convergence Reaches Higher Education).France, Italy and Britain are among the top and largest economies in the world. Over 50% of Britain's exports is now concentrated within EU. Also, in the cases of France and Italy, major business partners constitute the EU nations and USA. (Background Notes: France and Italy). In a broader context, the business systems the world over have converged significantly as a result of globalization and the effects of mergers and acquisitions. The markets in Western Europe have been strong, active and stable for quite a long time. However, the countries in Central and Eastern Europe have to catch up. The introduction of Euros as common currency has already begun the gravitation process towards strengthening of the whole European market. (Claire Smith). 3. Why Convergence The economies of Europe are laden with the twin responsibilities of addressing the needs of their own nation at home and also with their obligations to the EU. Agriculture, industry, economy, travel, methodologies, and every other aspect of the way things are done are traded within the EU as first preference. Moreover, innovation and advanced research are the key cornerstones. (President Chirac's wide-ranging interview). However, the industry has shifted focus on value more than competition in order to survive. Large corporations that were once avowed rivals merge or acquire the other. Behemoths like Corus were taken over by outside players like the Tatas of India. They read the clear message on the wall. Deliver or disappear! The market of the day is highly oriented towards value and innovations. The consumer has become extremely aware of the innovative nature of some industries like telecommunications and has high expectations. The telecom and information industries have done their bit by introducing new devices and schemes every now and then further whetting the consumer's

Heidelberg Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Heidelberg Project - Research Paper Example The Heidelberg Project has persisted despite this notion. Hope Among the Ruins 3 Hope Among the Ruins: The Heidelberg Project and Urban Renewal Detroit belongs to the phantom legacy of American cities whose best days have always seemed to lay ahead. From its earliest days, Detroit has been a â€Å"city of the future† that never quite got there, starting with the imposition of the grid system in the 18th century to the near-mania for urban renewal of the 20th century. In a sense, Detroit’s â€Å"renewal† has been just around the corner ever since the Depression era, from which David Sheridan claims the city has never fully recovered (Sheridan, 1999). Economic disparity and the blight that accompanies it are part and parcel of this lamentable phenomenon, symptoms of a seemingly unattainable future. In this reality, all that’s left to those who live in poor and forgotten neighborhoods is a form of aesthetic protest that makes itself felt by decorating the bli ghted landscape, by reminding those in power that giving over rundown buildings to artistic expression can, in a real sense, bring about â€Å"urban renewal.† A sardonic comment The persistence and popularity of Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project is a spectacular manifestation of what has been called an angry artistic expression of frustration over willful civic neglect. Guyton’s organic creation is what Robert Zecker has called a sardonic comment on â€Å"the poverty existing in the parts of postindustrial cities that have all but been abandoned by cash-starved civic governments† (Zecker, 2008). The art that was created from abandoned houses and refuse â€Å"were often harsh critiques of the abandonment many Detroiters felt, facing vacant 4 houses; weedy fields overgrown with discarded refrigerators and baby buggies; and a city administration incapable of offering city services†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ibid, 2008). But the Heidelberg Project is more than just conf rontation, it is a revolutionary gesture that says the future is not a thing that mayors, city councils and chambers of commerce bestow on a city. Guyton and those who have followed his example have reserved for themselves the power to effect change†¦even if change comes via the imposition of polka dots. Evidently, the city of Detroit, which dismembered the project on two occasions came to agree, if only in a tacit way. The city â€Å"gave up on its original goal of bulldozing the Heidelberg Project houses and finally started marketing (Guyton’s) artistic creations as tourist destinations† (Ibid, 2008). Art as urban renewal In a very real sense, the Heidelberg Project became art as urban renewal, though it didn’t start out that way. The notion of art and architecture sanctioned by the city was turned inside-out in Detroit. If it wasn’t bulldozed or razed and rebuilt as part of an ambitious political initiative, renewal couldn’t be considered l egitimate if it didn’t come out of an urban planner’s computer. This was the way Detroit had always planned for progress. But the throngs of locals and out-of-town tourists that experienced Guyton’s creations, and the newspaper and journal articles that chronicled the project, could hardly be ignored. And when the Detroit Institute of Art accepted some samples of the project as exhibits, there was no denying that traditional concepts of urban renewal and civic identity had been

The Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

The Industrial Revolution Essay Railroads should be considered one of the most revolutionary economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Railroads needed to carry as much product as possible to make a profit. This lead to the construction of â€Å"feeder lines† that connected smaller cities to the main â€Å"trunk lines† that serviced the big cities. The growth of the railroads also increased steel production, coal mining, and technological breakthroughs like the air brake and Pullman sleeping car (Hawksworth, 2001). Unionization was one of the major social developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Unions were the workers response to big corporations. Early labor leaders pushed for an eight hour work day, an end to child labor, equal pay, and safer working conditions. Unfortunately these labor unions were not very successful. Our text tells us that â€Å"Ultimately, it was the power of big business that prevented the workers from achieving their goals.† (Bowles, 2011). The government played both positive and negative roles in the social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. On the positive side it provided security from Native Americans as settlers moved west, it gave land grants to the railroads, it gave land to the settlers with the Homestead Act, and it aided higher education by establishing land grant colleges. On the negative side it did not impose any rules on big business regarding child labor, minimum wage, maximum hours, or working conditions. References Bowles, M. (2011). American history 1865–present: End of isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Hawksworth, R. (Producer). (2001). The American industrial revolution [Video]. United States: Media Rich LLC. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47596aid=18596Plt=FODloid=0w=640h=480ref=

Causes of Asthma

Causes of Asthma Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. It can be both short term and long term. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, andcoughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning. Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7million of these people are children. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the airways swollen and very sensitive, the airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substance. When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways might make more mucus than usual. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow the airways. This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are inflamed (national institute of health). Understanding and Explaining Asthma The aetiology of asthma has been explained in terms of heredity, incitement, and induction. Incitement is the immediate broncho-constriction noted among asthmatics and others to nonspecific stimuli. Induction is the enhancement of the response to inciters that can follow exposure to certain stimuli, mostly inflammatory agents such as allergens, infections and other irritants, including industrial contaminants such as`4he plicatic acid from Western Red Cedar wood. There is a good reason to believe in a hereditary component to asthma, different components of the condition having possibly independent genetic origins. The best documented genetic component is the familial allergy to ragweed6, and Sibbald et al.7 have argued for independent hereditary components that influence atopy and bronchial responsiveness. However, migrant studies strongly suggest the major determinant to be environmental and not genetic. Both Tokeluans4 and Xhosas3 clearly have the genetic potential for developing a sthma, but this is expressed only on migrating to an economically more developed area (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 80 June 1987 367). Isolated examples, such as the increase in asthmatics attending emergency rooms following the eruption of the Mount Helens volcano8, may be explained in terms of incitement, but there are major objections to using this mechanism as a general explanation for differences in the prevalence of asthma. The wide variety of substances capable of inducing broncho constriction in asthmatic subjects can be divided into endogenous mediators such as histamine, prostaglandins or leukotrienes, and exogenous agents such as sulphur dioxide, volcanic ash or cold dry air. For the epidemiologist attempting to explain the prevalence of asthma, the endogenous mediators are unhelpful. The discovery of a mediator whose presence distinguishes asthmatic from non asthmatic populations would be useful, but in turn would raise the question of why one population had more of the mediator than the other population. For the reason discussed above, a genetically controlled explanation can be discounted, which leaves an environmental factor to increase the amount of mediator in the asthmatic population. This is essentially the same as the initial question of what environmental factor might account for differences in the prevalence of asthma. Exogenous inciters, being environmental in origin, theoretically offer a better hope of advancing the issue further, but, in the event, are no more helpful. Differences in the prevalence of asthma are not accounted for simply by differences in the incidence of clinical symptoms provoked by environmental triggers. They also reflect differences in the under-lying prevalence of bronchial hyper-responsiveness. In van Niekerks study3, it was the response to the exercise challenge that differed between urban and rural areas. This cannot be explained simply in terms of the prevalence of inciters in the environment. Induction provides a more promising general theory with which to explain differences in prevalence. There is plenty of evidence that induction does occur, particularly in an industrial context and this has been used extensively as a general model for the aetiology of asthma. It does not, however, explain the distribution of asthma in developing countries. Agents that have been sh own to induce asthma are abundant in the Third World ( Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 80 June 1987 367). Fatality of Asthma Acute respiratory infections are probably the single most important cause of death among children. It is thus appealing to consider the hypothesis that fatal and near fatal attacks of asthma may have common causes, and that studying non-fatal asthma attacks (as well as being of value in itself) may provide useful information on the factors associated with fatal asthma attacks. Campbell investigated the levels of agreement between information obtained directly from cases of near fatal asthma attacks with those obtained independently from close acquaintances, almost all of whom were family members living in the same household. They found very high levels of agreement for recognized markers of chronic asthma severity (such as a hospital admission in the last 12 months or an intensive care unit admission), utilization of medical services, the use of prescribed agonists (although there was less agreement for other asthma medications such as oral xanthines), and psychiatric features. These findings are generally encouraging in that they indicate that information relating to these risk factors and clinical characteristics obtained from close acquaintances has reasonable reliability in studies of near fatal asthma attacks and therefore such information may also be reliable for persons dying from asthma. In contrast, information on features of the long term asthma history such as sleep disturbance and the frequency of, or trends in, symptoms in previous years was not reliable. The reliability of the reported circumstances associated with a near fatal episode was not examined. Thus, while it would seem appropriate to continue to examine deaths from asthma using clinical information that has been recorded before the fatal attack, the findings of Campbell suggests that interviews with acquaintances may provide additional useful data. Richards have compared the demographic characteristics of patients suffering fatal asthma attacks throughout New Zealand during 1980-6 with t hose experiencing severe life threatening asthma attacks in the Auckland region during 1981-7. The information avail-able for the study was limited, but the findings once again confirm the importance of a previous life threatening attack of asthma as a marker of subsequent risk of death from asthma. About one quarter of the subjects who died in Auckland during the period of the study had a previous admission to an intensive care unit with asthma. This suggests that asthmatic subjects who experience a life threatening attack are a group in whom intensive medical treatment and follow up should be arranged. These considerations indicate that, although there are some practical advantages in studying near fatal asthma attacks, there may well be greater problems of interpretation of the findings than in studies of fatal asthma. Nevertheless, when interpreted cautiously, studies of near fatal attacks may provide a useful complement to studies of fatal attacks in monitoring the time trends in severe asthma, and in identifying the causes of those changes which occur (Thorax 1993;48:1093-1094).

Lego Dacta :: essays research papers

The â€Å"Input-Output† principle means basically that all input devices get the information in and the output devices show the result. Inputs Temp1 (Temperature Sensor) = It measures the temperature. Touch2 (T or F Sensor – something pressed) = It works when you touch it. Light5 (Changes in Light) = It lights up. Angle6 (Angle changes) = It measures the angle of the devices. Outputs MotorA (Motor runs) = It’s a moving device i.e. a motor. LampB (Light go on) = It’s a light up device i.e. a lamp. These are the different control terms used in Lego Dacta: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Talkto = It talks to output devices. For example - talkto â€Å"motora †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On/off = It switches on output devices. For example - talkto â€Å"motora, on, wait 100, off. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alloff = It switches off all output devices. For example - talkto â€Å"motora, on, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, waituntil [touch2], off, wait 30, on, rd, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, wait 30, alloff. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wait = It holds devices running for a certain amount of time. For example – talkto â€Å"motora, on, wait 100, off. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waituntil = It makes devices wait until the procedure in the brackets becomes true. For example – talkto â€Å"motora, on, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, wait 30, waituntil [touch2], off, end. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RD = It reverses motora. For example – talkto â€Å"motora, on, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, waituntil [touch2], off, wait 30, on, rd, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, wait 30, alloff. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setpower = It changes the speed of motora. For example – talkto â€Å"motora, on, setpower 3, wait 30, setpower 5, wait 30, setpower 7, wait 30, off. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To/end = It starts/finishes a procedure. For example – to forward1, talkto â€Å"motora, on, wait 100, off, end. Lego kits can be used in different businesses and organisations like offices, car parks, arcades and banks.

Ital cooking - necessity or religious fervor? :: essays papers

Ital cooking - necessity or religious fervor? The party started at around 9 PM but my girlfriend and I decided to get there a few hours early to help set up. We made our way into the Bronx with my friend Leroy, a co-worker who had invited us, and reached the house at around four. We helped them string up a tarp and set up the sound system. It was a small fenced-in backyard but we stacked up the speakers and woofers seven feet high. They had apparently gotten permits earlier for the music, which was good, since I couldn’t hear myself think when the DJ was at work on his system. We had been working for a while and the yard was looking good, the woman of the house asked us if we were hungry. This was a pointless question with me since I am always hungry and we quickly followed her into the kitchen. Once inside the house, the faint smells of cooking food became much stronger while she led us into the kitchen. The kitchen was about average, just like any other person’s except there was a huge pot of soup/stew on the stove. We approached it and were offered paper cups full of delicious, hearty fish soup. This was only the beginning, as I was to discover later, the party quickly progressed and grew. Earlier in the day, there were only a few people at the house and I felt quite welcomed and comfortable. As the night went on and people continued showing up my girlfriend and I slowly became the minority. By the time the party was in full swing, the whole yard was packed and we had flowed into the neighbor’s yard to barbecue. We were two of the four white people at the party but Leroy and the hosts still made us feel comfortable. It was an eye opening experience to be the minority especially after growing up in predominantly white towns. When the guests started showing up in force Leroy, along with a few other guys, got to the business of barbecuing. The music was pumping, the red stripe was flowing and the party was going but the fire wasn’t burning. They set up a fifty-gallon-drum-barbecue in the neighbor’s yard since theirs was quickly filling and fired up the charcoal. Once the fire was good and hot, they pulled out several bags of seasoned Jerk chicken.

The Folly of Rewarding a While Hoping for B

The Folly Of rewarding A, While Hoping for B Case Study Overview: In this case analysis we shall be examining the unintended contradictory results that reward systems bring about and recommendations in solving the issues highlighted Problem Statement: Many Problems in Organizations are created because of Faulty Incentives and Flawed reward systems that are setup to accomplish one thing but actually does the opposite. â€Å"While Mangers complain about lack of motivation in their workers, they might as well consider the possibility that the reward systems they’ve installed are paying off for the opposite†.Directly linked to these Faulty Incentive and Flawed Systems are key issues with 1) Employee Motivation, 2) Reward Systems, 3) Expectation/Misaligned Perception and 4) Biasness in Decision making that are deeply rooted as a causative agent in the Flawed system Hypothesis 1)Misaligned Perception/Expectation: Process Perspective: A look at Equity theory and Expectancy The ory in understanding the expected outcome perceived by employee as related to behavioral attitude towards rewards systems )Employee Motivation which is dependent on the effectiveness of its reward system: As pointed out by MASLOW HIERACHY OF NEEDS and HERZBERG’S TWO-FACTOR theory of Motivation highlight the effect of rewards both tangible and intangible on behavior 3) Weak or Poor decision Making: As shown by biasness of the community in electing Public service official, even in the face of the right option for endorsement/election 4) Poor performance and attitudes In Most Companies is caused by its reward systems, not the workforce.Analysis: As Pointed out by Expectancy theory that People make choices about behavior based on their expectation of what is likely to happen in terms of effort leading to performance and performance leading to desired reward. On the other hand Equity Theory Points out that those Perceptions about reward systems matter. From Equity Theory, if the R atio of someone’s outcome/input is equal to someone else’s ratio, equity exists.But if not, inequity exists and the theory suggests that People are motivated to reduce their Contribution in some way According to Equity theory, outcomes from a Job include pay, recognition, promotions, social relationships and intrinsic rewards. To get these rewards, the individual makes inputs to the job such as time, effort, experience e. t. c and compares it to someone else’s ratio of contribution. Thus the Individual behavior is affected by his or her Perception than the actual reality.In Sports, An underpaid Basketballer will be discouraged in developing teamwork skill. in order to make up for any inadequacies, Expecting that Scoring will Increase his or her earnings at the detriment of the team success. Similarly, if this player perceives that future rewards might be compromised; such player will reduce his or her commitment in response to his feeling of inequity towards the Team success. Thus it is discovered that people take into account Equity and expectation about future rewards in their choice of behavior.Taking a look further points out that Many rewards systems discourage desired behaviors’ while rewarding the very action that causes problems. Managers obviously design reward systems to motivate people to behave in certain ways, yet reward systems do not always produce the expected results. For example: In World War II troops were committed for the duration unless killed or invalided. They had a strong motivation to hasten the end of the war. Allied troops in the Vietnam War had a tour of a year or less. Their self interest was not tied to the end of the war.While their governments wanted them to focus on winning the war, their rewards were linked to looking after themselves. Not to their opponents. They were there for the duration. Evidence of a Reward System which encourages Contrary behavior can also be traced to the Health Industry . Looking at a health System where Patients bear little or no cost, we shouldn’t be surprised when doctors over test and over treat illness, and nothing is done to curtail this action, because the Patients have no incentive to resist the doctors’ actions.For doctors there may be some direct financial gain from over servicing. More important though is the possible costs and professional damage from malpractice suits. Over servicing diminishes the chance of facing such suits, or losing them if they occur. 3) Evidence of how a poor decision making Process has stereotyped and created a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation is seen in Politics. This is a state of being BIAS Most of us want honest politicians who tell us clearly what they will do in office, then stick to that once elected.The actual reality is that politicians don’t behave that way, yet they get elected by our vote and we sustain this reward system. Also, we expect ou r public service to do the best it can with the community resources available to it. Yet there is usually great mismanagement in the public sector, Yet nobody act to resolve this issue or call the minister to order because it will harm the government’s standing and may cost it votes. This portrays a consequence of a community supported reward system unavoidably biased against good public sector management. )Financial incentives are designed to provide direct motivation – do this and you will get that while at the same time can spell doom. For Example giving a Psychiatrist a higher payment for condemning someone to be incapacitated at the expense of an individual being competent, the psychiatrist can be motivated by the higher pay. This Financial reward can therefore serve as a tangible form of motivation 4) Since some people expect that a certain level of effort will lead to certain levels and types of performance.In turn, people develop expectations that a given level and type of performance will be rewarded or punished Recommendations: Since Organization design are changing in response to a changing world, it is thus imperative to look at an alternative way of reward system, one that benefits all and eliminate the problem introduced by the traditional, conventional approach to reward system. While I Write that there is no one cap fits all solution, also interesting is how the recommendations from each case study analysis somehow tend to be applicable to other case study analysis treated earlier in the classAn effectively planned and administered reward system can improve motivation and performance. 1) Starting from the Issues Introduced by the Expectancy perspective and equity Perspective. An Effective manager can help his or her Organization to understand both equity issues and expectancies. This might involve framing the situation for someone, so that his or her perceptions more closely mirror the Managers perception of reality. Managers cons tantly need to clarify performance and be able to measure the attractiveness of rewards to employees. ) Effective Reward Systems should focus on positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the most effective tool for encouraging desired behavior because it stimulates people to take actions because they want to because they get something of value (internally or externally) for doing it. An effectively designed and managed reward program can drive an organization's change process by positively reinforcing desired behaviors. The question to ask at this point is how to build an Effective reward system.By taking the five steps listed below, an effective reward system could be achieved Timely. The recognition/rewards should be provided frequently enough to make performers feel valued for their efforts. Achievable. The employee's or group's goals should be within the reach of the performers Meaningful. The achievements rewarded should provide an important return on investment to both the performer and the organization. Specific. A line of sight should be maintained between rewards and actions.Reliable. The program should operate according to its principles and purpose. 3) Performance Management. Organizations should concentrate on the process of managing performance and get away from thinking of the annual performance appraisal process as performance management. The process of performance management reflects how the work gets done and creates the environment in which people feel valued for their achievements. The performance management process includes four critical components:I) A Focus on what is important to change or be improved. II) A Measures to determine whether and how much progress is being achieved. III) Feedback so that performers will know whether and how much progress is being achieved. IV) Reinforcement so that everyone celebrates achievements as they are being unfolded. 4) Clear Communication. Managers should clarify what they mean by performance so that there won’t be misalignment and such that employees would understand how they can support what the manager is trying to accomplish. CONCLUSION:Since reward system cannot be eliminated from the organization system and people tend to do what they perceive will be rewarded, the solution presented here require a shift in every facet of reward system practice. Also worthy to note is that since reward system will keep evolving, some systems being implemented such as broad banding i. e increment in the pay steps within a specific Job title without a promotion and cafeteria-Style Benefits i. e. Ability to allow employees to select from a menu of benefits. Will need to be designed in such ways that makes them Nimble and Flexible.