Major Trends affecting IBM Australia

Organizations that embrace the needs of a changing environment are more open to the fact that they can react fast to their opportunities and threats. This is why it is normally said that a single external factor will most of the times affect all business aspects within its sector and line of operation.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Major Trends affecting IBM Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But should the management decide that they need to change by perceiving the needs of these external effects, they will outdo the competition and surely come out on top. IBM is a computer manufacturing company that has undergone some changes in its quest to be the leading computer company (IBM n. d). IBM has strived in all aspects to be a major household name but their efforts fall short in a number of ways. Major factors that influence IBM in Australia are environmental and technological. These are referred to as contingency factors. When structuring in Australia, IBM needed to design itself in a way that it would accommodate external and internal factors. This is clearly seen under IBM where the parent company exercised strong control by deploying decentralization in decision making and electing managers who are nationals from the parent’s headquarters. Normally most managers are nationals of the host country. IBM came up with a form of management commonly referred to as geocentric management. The IBM organizational structure is normally in a cosmopolitan with minimum concentration of decision making or employees not bound by geographical location or race. Business and society are closely related to each other (Jain, Trehan Trehan 2009). IBM Australia was affected by a number of external trends. Most of these comprised of pressure for globalization, environmental uncertainty, integration and differentiation, competitors, customers, regulatory agencies, human resource markets, cultur al influences and physical resources. It is almost impossible for an organization to explore the aspects of its environment fully. External environment of a business is the area of the business environment outside the business which affects the growth and the existence of the business (Corry, 2003). When considering the external environment, the most important aspects are:Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pressure for globalization: This is the pressure on the subsidiary companies to work together in a bid to integrate and connect economically, socially and politically across various geographical regions (Marcic Daft 2011). This was done in a bid to make the employees in these organizations and their countries become interdependent. Environmental uncertainty: This is another aspect that has affected IBM in that the company not in a position to predict the set of forces and conditions outside the organizational boundaries. These forces have played a great role in affecting the way IBM does its operations and has also shaped the organization’s behavior. The need for understanding the external environment is seen to be tied with uncertainty, which highlights that it should not only be understood for security but also to minimize the risk imposed by it (Fitzen 2009). The forces are also seen to change over time depending on the economic, social and political systems across countries, culture and geographical locations. Economics tends to emulate the concept defined as the production, distribution, and allocation of resources in a given geographical location. The organization is under the influence of the various regulatory guidelines that check various institutions. When operating in an economy which enjoys stability, an organization is able to thrive and withstand outside forces. If IBM engages in trade with countries that are not economically or politically stable, it will be engaging in a dangerous form of business in that it risks doing business without assurance of getting returns if at all there are any returns. Competitors: IBM was recognized as the world’s leading computer hardware manufacturer. They focused on hardware development and avoided the software development aspect. Due to this move, they were outshined by Microsoft’s entry into the software market and the coming in of other gadget manufacturing companies who had seen a raw market in the computer hardware. Some of these companies included Toshiba, HP, Apple Inc. and Mackintosh. IBM market share suffered a blow with the entry of new competitors, considering the fact that they had overlooked the software development aspect which by then was really booming and also helped catapult the Microsoft Corporation to being the world’s software giant developer.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Major Trends affecting IBM Austra lia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This type of segmentation (concentrating on one line of production) made their competitive advantage decline. Advanced technology: In a bid to remain in business, IBM had to make machines which were compatible to the Microsoft software since Microsoft had already become a household name and almost all machines in the world were using Microsoft products. This made the IBM Corporation conform to its competitor’s tune thus seeming like they had some form of informal deal. However, by manufacturing machines which were not subjected to one form of software, IBM increased their sales and their revenue started improving. IBM also took to developing machines that were both productive and attractive to the eyes (IBM n.d). This was also a key feature that customers were looking for when buying machines. Corporate companies were offered discounts on large orders and this was seen as a comeback strategy for the IBM Corporation. By offering free samples and after sales services, IBM was sure on its way to regaining the top position. Relationships between trends and strategic approach Factors affecting the external environment may call for intervention by the management team. A clear understanding of these factors is not only vital for security purposes but also for minimizing risks that could have been brought about by the assumptions of these factors. Formulation of strategies to curb the effects of the external environment’s aspect is laid down. At this point, the two are merged: the effects of external aspects and the strategic approaches. IBM was keen to highlight the needs of the changing environment, their implications and reacted more quickly to the opportunities and threats. This is the first of strategy formulation. A single force or condition of an external event affects all the firms within that sector in equal measure (Gorshkov, 2005).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More IBM realized this and reacted to the factors of the external environment and in turn came to the forefront in raising the flag of competitive advantage high. One of the elements of operational excellence is being always ahead of your competitors. IBM in its bid to perform never neglected this factor. Consideration should not only be given to the external events that form the external environment but also to the strategic approaches that go a long way in securing firms from risks and further alteration of the tasks, roles, relationships and organizational structure. Without strategies and goals, it is difficult to make proper decisions that lead to problem solving. Without a problem or a course of action, it is impossible to formulate strategies; therefore, there is a relationship between the factors of the external environment and the strategic approaches that have to be implemented with an intention of gaining competitive advantage. In a bid to restore its declining market share, I BM decided that it was time to restructure the organization. The management went into an in-depth planning and strategizing process where they identified and selected appropriate goals and courses of action. This kind of strategy was vital in attaining organizational goals and ensuring competitive advantage. The IBM incorporated a SWOT analysis, a planning exercise, where they identified their strengths and weakness inside the organization and opportunities and threats in the environment. Top managers at the corporate level made decisions that were in regard to the overall organizational structure and promoted deserving employees to management level in a bid to bring in new innovative ideas while showing their support for the employees. A plan of action to take advantage of favorable opportunities was incorporated hence the long term divisional goals made allowed for disintegration of the sales and marketing department into smaller sub-divisions in order to increase productivity and make it easy to monitor. A functional strategy was put in place to help managers of individual functions add value to IBM’s goods and services. Low cost strategy formulation helped in driving IBM’s total cost of their products down to a level lower than that of its rivals in a bid to restore their market share which was declining. The company restructured the entire sales and marketing department. This change in organizational structure made the company move from its present state towards some desired future state, in a bid to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. An effective sales and marketing department helped in customer retention and acquisition. A good foundation of customer intimacy helps outperform other organizations because it produces desired goods or services more efficiently and effectively than its competitors. The sales and marketing department was a vital organ in IBM’s corporate restructuring. The marketing department was in charge of cre ating new selling ideas and sourcing for new businesses both locally and internationally. The marketing department also had the task of enforcing the company’s brand and image. The marketing department was charged with the duties of conducting studies as to what the customers were looking for when they were buying computers. They extensively created awareness of the existing products and services thus creating a good rapport and customer relationships binding them together. The sales team was solely responsible for driving the company’s sales revenue up in a bid to maximize on the profits. Restructuring the sales and marketing department reinforced synergy. This encouraged team work which in turn enhanced performance, increased responsiveness to customers, increased innovation, motivation and customer satisfaction (building blocks of competitive advantage). These factors pooled together helped IBM gain a competitive advantage against its competitors, taking it a notch higher as it produced goods and services more efficiently and effectively. This strategic approach was able to counter the external forces and conditions curbing the threats and challenges that would have caused IBM’s poor market performance. IBM formed a product creation department that was solely responsible for looking into what the competition had brought into the market and creating something much better and more advanced than their competitors. A creative employee workforce is the key to innovation. Product differentiation is a business level strategy that IBM used to distinguish its products from those of its competitors in one or more dimensions. The overall change in design and quality of products made IBM better placed in the market. They also offered after sales service as a way of acquiring and retaining their customers. IBM’s management focused on outcomes that led to higher motivation and job satisfaction of the staff. Motivation is a key aspect as worker attitude towards managers plays a great role in the level of workers’ performance. A motivated and satisfied workforce known to yield better performance as compared to a coerced and demotivated workforce. The company established task and authority relationships that allowed people to work to achieve organizational goals. The overall job design led to appropriate division of labor resulting to an efficient and effective workforce. The people process was intense also in that they reconsidered when hiring new graduates and had a set a standard of the entry points. Managers engaged in activities to develop a pool of candidates to fill up the open vacancies. Employees were recruited on basis of their qualifications and potential to perform in line with the company’s standards. This special selection of qualified employees is an important strategic approach which IBM’s management used to ensure a rich and effective workforce. Impact on recruitment, selection, trainin g and development Recruitment is the process that managers in their given position engage in to develop a pool of candidates with an intention of filling up open positions (Marcic Daft 2011). Recruitment is vital as it gives qualified people an opportunity to serve and showcase their talent and creative nature in a professional manner. During the time employees perform and deliver, they are doing so in a bid to better the organization they are working for. Selection is the process that managers use or follow to determine the relative qualifications of job seekers or applicants and their potential for performing well in a particular job. This has seen the coming in of new graduates who have new, creative and innovative ideas. This is generally transformed into new products which are readily accepted and available in the market. Innovation is vital in ensuring competitive advantage. IBM realized this and entered into a session of recruiting and selecting based on the graduatesâ€℠¢ qualifications and potential to perform well in the jobs that were assigned to them. This increase in the employee base meant an increase in productivity, which led to increased revenue for the company. IBM had to pay more in terms of salary and wages but it was a sacrifice that was worth making. The IBM’s management had talked about not wanting to downsize the workforce but come up with strategies on how they could restructure without firing. This was supported by the services industry because whether there were sales made or not the service department had jobs because they did not only service the IBM machines but all computer machines in general. Training is a process where organizational members are taught to perform current jobs. They are coached and helped to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be effective performers. Development compliments training as it involves building the knowledge and skills (acquired through training) of organizational members to en able them take on new responsibilities, challenges and threats. By training the new graduates, IBM was able to experience a revitalized system and they were on the track of competing on a level playing field. The new software and hardware engineers were very vital in determining the next phase of the organization. These were referred to as the â€Å"special ones† for they had new brilliant ideas which were very well embraced and received not only in the organization, but also in the market. Had IBM not specialized on one product, probably they would not have fallen in the kind of predicament they were in. Diversification was of great importance and the then CEO should have known that. The fact that they did not see the competition coming their way can be termed as sheer ignorance by the top management and complete lack of vision for the IBM organization. IBM management department engaged in the above activities to attract and retain employees, ensuring they performed at a hig h level thus contributing to the accomplishment of their goals postulated in its mission and vision statements. After a process of recruiting, selection, training and development, employees were evaluated on their job performance and contributions to the organization (performance appraisal). This process of evaluation helps to keep employees on their toes and ensure that they are ‘hands on’ at work (Daft 2008). In an effort to see positive development take place, change is inevitable. The external environment is highlighted as one of the key elements that influence the day-to-day running of a firm’s operation. It is therefore important to understand this kind of environment so as to minimize the risks, challenges and threats offered by uncertainty created by the external environment. Strategic approaches have to be put in place in cases where implications of this kind of environment occur (Kaswethappa 2010). Changes in the three factors that affect the structure of a country; economic-dependent issues, socially-influenced factors and a politically-determined environment have to be monitored as they play a key role in creating changes in the external environment. The management team was essential in coming up with new structural changes which involved people, process and also technology. This was in turn boosted by the rate at which technology was growing thus an increase in demand for computers. It is however almost impossible for IBM to have the controlling market share that they once enjoyed. This is due to the bad decisions made by the management that was there before the changes were implemented. Also a competitive pension package was one of the motivating things that were introduced in a bid to make the employees feel that they were appreciated. When it came to lying off staff, the old were settled their dues first for it was more difficult for them to get jobs elsewhere compared to the young vibrant generation that had opted to resign in a bid to join the competition and make quick bucks instead. IBM is still a company to reckon with and a force in the IT industry and even though they have suffered a minor setback, they still are as strong as ever. Many graduates dream of working there in a bid to sharpen their skills and learn more from a world class recognized corporation (IBM 2011). Every company’s policy is in many ways affected by its environment because the accomplishment of its objectives depends largely on the degree of interaction of the enterprise and its environment (Saleem, 2006). IBM Australia has therefore been affected by its environment in its operations in Australia as has been describe above. List of References Corry, C. (2003), Becoming emotionally intelligent. Stafford: Network Educational Press. Daft, R. L. (2008), New era of management, second edition. Mason, OH: Thomson Higher Education. Fitzen, L. (2009), Marketing environment: what factors â€Å"internal â€Å"to an organisation can have an influence on the way it perceives and responds to its external. Germany, GRIN Verlag: Norderstedt. Gorshkov, V. G. (2005) Biotic regulation of the environment. Russia: Petersbough Nuclear Institution. IBM. (2011), About IBM. IBM.COM. [Online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/au-en/about IBM. (n.d.), IMB products. IBM.COM. [Online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/au-en/about Jain, T. R. Trehan, M. and Trehan, R. (2009), Business environment, second edition. New Delhi: V.K Enterprises. Kaswethappa, G. K. (2010), Management concepts practice and cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Marcic, D. Daft, R. L. (2011), Understanding management. Cengage Learning. Saleem, S. (2006), Business environment. India: Doring Kindersley. This report on Major Trends affecting IBM Australia was written and submitted by user Travis Golden to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essays

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essays Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Essay Topic: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Literature I think that Stevenson wants the reader to feel that Jekyll gets what he deserves for releasing Hyde. Although I think that this is his overall intention, he gives Jekylls own justification for it, which dampens the blame from him slightly. However, the justification, when looked at more deeply, conveys another message from Stevenson, that Jekyll knows what he is doing and therefore commits a crime in releasing Hyde. Stevenson shows his feelings about Hyde and about Jekylls guilt by lavishing Hyde with horrible descriptions. These fall into four main categories, the darkness, the evil, the animal, and peoples reaction to Hyde. Firstly, whenever Hyde appears, it is always night or twilight showing that there is something dark and mysterious about him. Hydes eyes have a blackness in them which terrifies people. There are several references to fire and hell, suggesting that Hyde is a daemon, that has been released from hell. He is actually called, the child of hell meaning he is pure evil. Also, the fires can be interpreted as trying to ward off evil spirits, such as Hyde. Hydes soul is described as foul, and his character callous and violent. He is described as having Satans signature upon him, as if he has been made by the devil and sent up from hell. Hyde is also frequently compared to an animal. When people talk to Hyde he is savage like a wild animal and has a habit of hissing like a serpent. He is often replaced with it, suggesting that Hyde is an animal. Several times Hyde is actually referred to as the creature and his fury being ape-like. There is something primitive about him, something troglodytic. In even greater amounts, perhaps, are the reactions that people have when they come face to face with Hyde, and even from a distance. Every single person that has met him feels loathing and fear, and in some cases, a desire to kill, most people feel a simple hatred of him, yet none of them know why. The extent of this feeling is described as hitherto unknown disgust- absolutely appalling revulsion to him. There is something about Hyde that is not visible, that makes people react like this, described as the radiance of a foul soul. Many people search for a deformity in Hyde that is making them feel this way but fail to find it. Hyde has this aura of repulsion around him that makes any decent person draw back from him. When he touches Lanyons arm. Lanyon feels an icy pang that goes up his spine. Obviously, this is the height of Hydes effect, that when you touch him you shiver with discomfort. Perhaps the most startling aspect of Hyde is that when Jekyll showed Lanyon that he is, in fact, Hyde, Lanyon is so sickened by the thought of it that he becomes ill and dies in a few weeks. This shows absolutely that Jekyll does a terrible thing in unleashing Hyde, and actually telling somebody caused them to die, and Lanyon is one of Jekylls closest friends. These images are put into the story frequently, and the effect of this is to make the reader feel that Jekyll has released a being so foul that he deserves whatever punishment he got. And still Stevenson piles it on. He goes into horrific detail about Hyde brutally murdering Sir Danvers Carew, this is clear evidence that he wishes us to feel that Jekyll is to blame for his own experiments. Stevensons description of the murder is really over the top, it starts off with Hyde having an ill-contained impatience. Sir Danvers Carew is merely inquiring his way to Hyde when he broke out with a great flame of anger. Sir Danvers Carew is surprised by Hydes reaction and took a step back. At that moment though, Hyde snapped, he broke all bounds and starts trampling on him. With his stick he is hailing down a storm of blows, and Sir Danvers Carews bones are audibly shattered. Hyde then runs away, leaving the body incredibly mangled in the middle of the road. Hyde makes no attempt to conceal it, and the horrific details of the murder can only mean the Stevenson wishes us to judge Jekyll as responsible for such a crime. Even there Stevenson does not stop putting on more and more emphasis on the utterly diabolical nature of Hyde. In Dr Jekylls full statement of the case, he states that Hyde gets delight from every blow and runs away, gloating over his crime. Jekyll uses the word I, which is another of Stevensons ways of showing that he wishes us to think that Jekyll is directly responsible. In Jekylls justification of his actions, he mentions that he enjoyed the freedom that Hyde gave him. He fulfilled his pleasures (which are unspecified), and soon the pleasures turned from undignified to monstrous. When Jekyll remembered what he had done whilst in Hydes body he is aghast at himself. He refers to Hyde as me therefore showing that he is responsible because he did it. Jekyll became careless, and thought that nobody would trace him under his impenetrable mantle. Jekyll also tries to cover up Hydes activities by giving to charities and balancing it out. These two statements suggest that Jekyll knew that he is responsible because he is thinking about the possibility of him being caught. Jekyll also felt pity for Hyde, suggesting that he is not at all innocent. Jekyll pays for his crimes heavily though, and this is one of the very few times in the story when Stevenson releases Jekyll from the blame. Jekyll is put to considerable expense to pay for Hydes actions. Not to mention the fact that he loses one of his closest friends by telling him and ends up committing suicide to pay for it. But I think that Stevenson wishes us to view even these with severity; firstly, Jekyll taunts Lanyon by bribing him with, power and knowledge, in such a way that Lanyon cannot have refused to know what Hydes secret is. On telling Lanyon, Lanyon dies. Jekyll wants to tell him about his experiments, he wanted to show off, and he insults Lanyon by referring to himself as his superior. Jekyll obviously enjoys being Hyde, because he suffers a horrible pain when he transforms into him, and would not bother to do it if he wanted to. Sometimes, Jekyll has to triple the dosage in order to transform, something that he wouldnt do unless he is willing to risk his life to transform. In conclusion, I think that judging from the amount of description that has been put into the Hyde, and the number of references to his joy at being evil, that it is fair to say that Stevenson wishes us to feel that Jekyll is to blame for his experiments and that he pays the price for it with his death.

Critique vs. Criticism

Critique vs. Criticism Critique vs. Criticism Critique vs. Criticism By Maeve Maddox Although dictionaries list critique and criticism as synonyms, the words are not exact equivalents. Perhaps because its two letters shorter, headline writers often use critique when criticism would be the more appropriate choice. Take the following example: News Anchor Fiercely and Succinctly Claps [sic] Back at a Viewers Critique of Her Appearance Here is the so-called critique: All the female reporters and anchors wear little to no jewelry but B Ciara wears the biggest and worst jewelry I have ever seen, please have her play by all same rules as every one else. The viewers petty comment is not a critique. It is a criticism. The word critique connotes a detailed analysis that describes and weighs the characteristics of something before drawing conclusions based on evidence and inference. The type of critique Im most familiar with analyzes and evaluates a piece of writing. Other kinds of critiques are written by political analysts, scientific theorists, and philosophers. A critique considers positive aspects of a subject as well as negative ones. A critiques conclusion may be negative, but the critic will have demonstrated a line of reasoning that led to it. The meanings of critique and criticism overlap, but criticism is already used in a general sense to refer to an expression of mere disapproval or faultfinding. It seems desirable to reserve the word critique to refer to a detailed and thoughtful analysis. Here are some alternative choices for criticism in the sense of censure: condemnation denunciation disapproval disparagement opprobrium attack stricture recrimination Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Hang, Hung, Hanged90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and Essay

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and the associated massive population growth and social problems which developed - Essay Example These steps include passage of various reforms such as the Poor Laws and laws related housing and sanitary and policing. In this writing we will focus upon the various changes that took place due to the urbanization within Britain during the era of 19th century, we will even pay emphasis to the issues that Britain experienced due to urbanization and how government tried to relax these issues through changes is legislature. The 19th century industrial revolt has altered Britain completely. Previously in 1801, only 20% of the inhabitants resided in cities but by 1851 about 50% and by 1881 about 2/3 of inhabitants have departed themselves to cities (Thackeray 107). In 1801 most of the people work as farmers and used handmade products but by late 19th century industrial units were widespread and most of the products were manufactured by electrical machines (Thackeray 107). During the initial period of the 19th century, Britain experienced ample amount of prejudiced and mutual chaos. Certain individuals of Clapham Sect had much interference in the political affairs (Stobaugh 2012). They were against slavery and cruel sports. Stobaugh states â€Å"on May 11, 1812, John Bellingham murdered the Tory leader Spencer Perceval† (Stobaugh 2012). Uptil then he was the single British Leader yet to be offended. In the year 1820 a plan was made to gun down entire cabinet. Gatrell states â€Å"the leader of Cato Street Plot was Arthur Thistlewood† (Gatrell 299). In this plan the leader’s associates were caught on 23 February 1820 (Gatrell 299). Later the leader was murdered with his 4 attendants later. In the meantime in the year 1811-1816 cloth factory employees in the Midlands and North of England destroyed all newly invented machines in fear of joblessness (Kingfisher 327). In March 1817, various cloth factory employees from Manchester walked to London. They were named as blanketeers as all of them

Ethics of selling body parts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics of selling body parts - Research Paper Example There are many avenues both legal and illegal that human body products can be sold through. According to () the amount of money one receives for trading in human body parts is in proportional to the risk involved. This source of income can be tapped again and again. The global trade in organs opens a large market worldwide with both legal and ethical issues. Being a living laboratory compared to no other laboratory known it can produce products such as Kidneys, blood, ovum, sperms, hair, also prostitution is said to be trade in human body parts and others such as surrogacy. These body parts are are sold through illegal and legal avenues. The human baby is made from a biological combination of sperm and ovum, thus there is no product made from scratch by factories. Good percentage of people who want children are unable to get hence they are helped by science but the important ingredients have to be used. Infertility science has improved so much such that it has developed into a multib illion ventures for entrepreneurs in this business. Buying of biological fathers has been made easier with the availability of sperm banks. A client chose a biological father depending on personality, education, ethnicity among many other factors; this is because when woman buys a sperm she is buying that mans medical history and genes. Screening is thorough in the legal markets for sperms. Ovum donation also referred to as egg donation, involves risks of infection and injuries to the donor, though it is a fifteen minute operation. But even with the modern invitro fertilization methods, many implanted embryos fail to hatch in the recipient’s womb. This technology enables women who are barren to get children.egg donors earn monthly for every months work, they can earn between $3000-$8000 dollars a month, but this is not a task for the squeamish. Man’s obsession with beauty has opened a large market for hair business. There are options for auctioning ones hair. Hair trad e is a multimillion dollar business and probably hair is the easiest body part to harvest and even to sell, depending on the texture of the hair. Prostitution is the oldest trade in human body parts that is practiced the world over but this is a service product. Other human body parts traded in are, the kidneys and the heart, which are done through kidney and heart transplant respectively, it involves a lot of risks to both the donor and the recipient hence it is very expensive for the recipient. for the heart the donor cannot remain alive hence it has not gained popularity because it is 100% risky and very expensive for one to afford .it is not like kidney transplant where the risk is not much since only one kidney is removed. Others like surrogacy involves provision of raw materials for human life, the only body parts sold here the hormones responsible for baby formation, maintenance and renting of the womb. The surrogate mother undergoes a grueling experience for nine

states and power in africa Essay -- essays research papers

We must understand the differences in the African and European political experience in order to understand the difficulties faced by African leaders. In Herbst’s book States and Power in Africa, First I will give an overview of the differences between the African and European advances toward becoming a nation state. Next the reasons why these differences are important to understanding the difficulties faced by African leaders will be discussed. Finally I will give an overview of possible alternatives to the current system of states in Africa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In States and Power in Africa Herbst shows us several differences between   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to look at why Herbst’s analysis of Africa’s and Europe’s political differences gives us many reasons that go toward the explaining African leader’s political difficulties. One of Herbst’s overall arguments is that the colonization of Africa by Europe is not solely responsible for their self destructive systems of government. He would like others studying comparative politics to understand that many of the pre-colonial social and political norms as well as post-colonial observance of the forced state system have also contributed to Africa’s current problems. Herbst’s shows us that it is important to look beyond the predetermined political geography as set forth at the Berlin Conference as the sole reason for African leader’s difficulty in broadcasting power. To counter this argument Her...

Effect of Education on the Development of China Essay

Education has had powerful effects on the development in many aspects during the past centuries. This trend, has begun to manifest that education is playing a significant role in economics, societies and environment around the world. Education can promote economic growth and global movement. It can influence the population in fertility and mortality, stimulate the development of the poor segments and promote peace and stability of the society. As for environment, the development of education can solve environmental problems by raising individual awareness, but could also lead to a threat to the environment. A large amount of researches have shown that the increase of the number of girls benefited from education has led to a country’s per capita economic growth (Smith, 1999). Also, according to Brown (2008), a loss of education will lead to a wider gap between the rich and the poor that may increase instability sources in societies. This essay will analyze how education has influenced countries’ development in economics, societies and environment more specifically. In addition, some suggestions will also be conducted to encourage more progress in the development of countries. As seen in a large amount of researches, education has a prominent positive effect on promoting economic growth. For instance, according to Goujon (2008), tertiary education for younger people can lead to more powerful effects than that on old people. However, an inverse case happens in secondary education. That means government should focus on completing the universal primary education and decide which kind of education can strictly prove country’s economic growth. Although the effects of the productivity are not always positive, education, especially for women, is going to be a vital part in achieving a sustainable development (Goujon, 2008). UNESCO (2006) states that education can have positive effects on agricultural productivity, the status of women and controlling the population. In developing countries, the economic development always depends on the agriculture. Similarity, the productivity of agriculture always depends on the farmers’ education level. In conclusion, education could lead to great improvement in workforce which promotes a country’s economic. Not only in China but in other countries, the development of education plays a significant role in countries’ economic movement. That means a great change of relationship between economy and education is promoted around the world due to the trends of global economic development. According to Goh and Gopinathan (2008), in Singapore, the transformation of education system is a strong fundamental to improve its competitiveness in South Asia. Children can choose different kinds of schools to obtain education in Singapore, such as English-speaking schools and Chinese-speaking schools. Students have the opportunity to study in different cultures and learn different skills. As a result, Singapore has a great increase in economy because of a large number of skilled and high-educated workforces. Similarly, in China, the government has used major tertiary transformation in education (Li, Whalley, Zhan, Zhao, 2008). This change leads to a huge impact on economy and also the education structure all over the world. The Chinese government is aiming at upgrading the quality of skilled labour and pulling up the productive ability. In fact, after China’s higher education transformation, other countries begin to look for an appropriate structure for their local education. This exactly illustrates that a closer relationship between economy and education is promoted by the governments worldwide. However, not all the countries are willing to invest in reforming the local education. Different attitudes towards education have resulted in countries’ economics development becoming depolarized. Some countries do not take notice of their education systems, most of which are developing countries. Their governments have not recognized the significance of education and the effects that education could have on their economic development. For example, Mauritius is a small island which is much smaller than Tanzania. However, the GDP in Mauritius was $ 12,800 while in Tanzania was $ 700 in 2006 (Bloom, Canning, Chan, 2006). The main reason why this great gap exists is that the attitudes to higher education are very different. While Mauritius was focusing on the quality and quantity of higher education, Tanzania was still facing the low student-to-staff ratios because of its needless high costs in higher education. In fact, this was a vicious circle in Tanzania. Bloom (2006) shows that although the government has invested a  lot of money to build universities, such as UDSM, the social economic problems were aggravated. Due to the economic problems, government had to reduce the investment to universities. In that case, fixing the relationship between education and economy is so difficult for Tanzania government. In contrast, Mauritius government has already built an optimum circle and the country’s economy is rapidly growing. Education has also had significant impacts on the development of many countries in population in several ways. On the one hand, it could reduce fertility, that is to say, as levels of female education rise, fertility will fall. Brown (2008) states that for reaching substantial reductions in fertility, the single best lever may be the expansion of women’s secondary education. Education and careers have become important factors for women marrying later and having fewer children because education provides females with more employment prospects and opportunities. A good illustration of this is that many girls have been drawn and benefited by the school lunch program in the US since 1946. On the other hand, it can promote children’s health and reduce mortality due to mothers’ better education. It has been reported by UNICEF (2008) that there is an essential connection between under-5 mortality rates and mothers’ education attainment. For example, the stimulation of education has brought about considerable variation in Islamic World that Organization of the Islamic Conference countries account for 11 of the 16 highest rates of under-five mortality in the world. Also, attending schools helps children fight back with various diseases, for instance, AIDS. Schools inform and educate students before they are infected with the disease about the lifestyles that accelerate its propagation. All of this explains that education actually affects the development of a country by reducing the mortality of its population. Table 1: Average annual reduction rates in OIC countries on The popularity of basic education is playing a vital part in fostering popularity of the approach to the hardest to-reach segments of society. Universal primary education is available to more children in poor families nowadays via several ways. Firstly, through the efforts of implementing educational plans, some progress has been made, especially to the poorest  segments of society. For example, Education for All plan, has aimed to promote education by providing financial support to countries which have meaningful plans for universal primary education. This plan was developed by the World Bank which is an important source of financial and other kinds of assistance to developing countries around the world. Owing to this plan, the figure of children’s accomplishment of primary school has risen from 78% in 2000 to 83% by 2005. Furthermore, according to Brown (2008), some third world countries have established Girls Advisory Committees, such as Ethiopia, which largely encourages the registration rates rising in the rural areas. These groups sent representatives to persuade parents in impoverishment to keep their children in school and some countries like Bangladesh and Brazil, provide scholarships or stipends to the parents and help the poor obtain a basic education. Therefore, universal education is stimulating the development of the poor segments by both applying educational plans and founding relevant committees. Also, education can promote peace and stability in a country. As the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen who encourages education popularity focuses, â€Å"Illiteracy and innumeracy are a greater threat to humanity than terrorism.† That means a loss of education widens the gap between the rich and the poor and then leads to the integrated world staying in an unstable position eventually. Evidence has shown that education contributes to narrowing the gap that helps build a more stable and harmonious society. An example of this is that with fast increasing number of enrolments since 1999 in China, the gap in access between urban and rural areas is gradually diminishing (Li, Whalley. Zhan and Zhao, 2008). The admission rates of universities in rural China have increased a lot and graduates in poor families have the opportunities to attain hopeful prospects. Plan (2008) has reported that education benefits people’s employment and makes more resources available to them. This avoids hunger, illness and other unequal factors increasing the danger of the destruction of world’s structure. Education no doubt reduces the social burden and promotes stability in the development of countries. Education definitely can help solve environmental problems, and this can be  demonstrated in the aspect of improving individual awareness of the environmental affairs. For instance, through being educated, people will know that their surroundings can be dangerous for living if there aren’t enough steps to be done for a better environment and then they will have a sense of responsibility for the health of their common hometown in their own. According to Dobson (2003), education for sustainable development make great effects on the quality, structure and health of environment by teaching and encouraging pupils to take active parts in democratic and other decision-making processes that can be seen as the commitment of the citizens. So by raising individual sense of responsibility, it proves the effects of education on the environment. In addition, education passes on scientific ways to deal with the environmental problems, which can help produce most environmental efficiency of individuals. The macro environmental achievement needs every citizen’s efforts, so emphasizing environmental education, especially the education for sustainable development, can be a key factor for a better prospect of the environment. However, education sometimes can make a threat to environment. Sustainable development, which is defined as â€Å"the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987), logically, can be promoted by education. From what has been said above, education can cause a lower fertility and a slower population growth and the resistance to the overpopulation can facilitate the progress of sustainability. Therefore, most people believe that education can certainly become an essential tool for sustainable development. Actually, the truth is dramatically the opposite that greater threat to sustainability will be done with the higher education people obtain. It could be caused by the reason: â€Å"Unfortunately, the most educated nations leave the deepest ecological footprints, meaning they have the highest per-capita rates of consumption. This consumption drives resource extraction and manufacturing around the world.† ( McKeown, 2006: pp12) When people receive more education, they may just have the capability to change the nature and not develop the earth appropriately. The United States, known as its high level of education, is also known as the biggest threat to the environment, which is a typical case  that demonstrates the relationship between education and sustainability. This can be a very controversial point and create challenges to make sure that there is no growing demand for goods and resources while raising the level of the education. In conclusion, to analyze how education could affect the development of countries, this essay obtains the key ideas in mainly three aspects. Education can promote the economic growth and movement globally. Then it can help control the population, stimulate the development of the poor segments and promote peace and stability of the society. As for environment, developing education can help solve environmental problems by raising individual awareness, but may also cause a threat to the environment somehow. Furthermore, the essay advocates raising the level of education among the poor segment of the society, because a loss of which may be origin of threats to the stability of societies. It’s also expected for the developing countries to find a suitable structure of the education system instead of the radical one that just for the needs ahead. Another prediction is that countries could increase the public needs for more sustainable production and consumption patterns through a higher-level education. Although we can see that some progress has been made, there’s still a long way to go. Governments should pay more attention both on basic education and tertiary education in order to provide us a necessary study environment. The government ought to develop more powerful policies to ensure more enrolment so that the quality of a country’s development can be improved. Overall, education has had great effects on the development of countries and will continue influence the economics, societies and environment in a long term. Therefore maturer educational steps ought to be taken in order to conduct much more progress. (Words: 2095) Reference Bloom, D. Canning, D. Chan, K. (2006) Higher Education and Economic Development in Africa. Washington D.C. Harvard University. Brown, L. (2008) Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Earth Policy Institute. Dobson,A.P.(2003) ‘Citizenship, Education and the Environment’. In Citizenship and the Environment. Oxford University Press:2003+p.174-207 Goh, C.H., Gopinathan, S. (2008) ‘The Development of Education in Singapore since 1965’. In Lee, Sing Kong Goh, Choor Boon Fredrikson, and Birger (ed) Toward a Better Future: Education and Training for Economic Development in Singapore since 1965. The World Bank: 2008. p. 12-38 Li, Y. Whalley, J. Zhan, S, and Zhao, X. 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