Essay on the Next Global Stage

[pic] SEMINAR CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Essay on ?The Next Global Stage ? By Kenichi Ohmae 2005, Pearson Education, Inc, publishing as Wharton School Publishing, New Jersey. ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWAI July 2007 Introduction In his book, The Next Global Stage, Challenges and Opportunities in our Borderless World, the author Kenichi Ohmae, one of the world’s leading business and corporate strategists, makes the key point that Globalization is a fact, here to stay and unstoppable.In addition, we are moving to the next global stage, led by the world elite of â€Å"internet-ians†, a kind of global tribe, and our leaders in a borderless world. Ohmae does not question at any moment the sustainability of the global world growth model, nor the principles that rule globalization, nor the human rights of different countries, nor any other values. He accepts that profit and the prosperity and even wealth are part of the capitalist global world .Those countries, re gions more so in his terminology, corporations or individuals that do not have the flexibility to adapt to the new reality will be wiped out by the economic and social forces emerging and leading globalization. The author explains in detail, the key drivers of the globalization, such as the â€Å"no theory† of the economy dynamics, the leverage of the fundamental platforms for success and growth, the English language of Microsoft PC operating systems, or the prevalence of global brands.He points out the new face technology is giving the world and examples of governments which put economic prosperity at the forefront of their agendas, independent of the political system, i. e. China, other non democratic countries and countries with a political system based on individual freedom. Ohmae focuses on the technical capacities and skills that the leaders of the new global world must have in order to succeed in it.It is a very interesting book that offers a vision of economic growth where the main objective is to attract the money in the form of investment, local or foreign, to those areas that make the shortlist of most interesting places to invest and create wealth. Ohmae describes the skills needed to prosper in it and the characteristics of efficiency and competitiveness that attract investors. His viewpoint is that of the capital, without considering the freedom or human rights issues in human social and economic growth. In this sense the book is controversial.It does not question Globalization and explains with very good arguments the roadmap to success in it. The preeminence of the capital over any other production factor or human development is assumed. Ohmae is one of the most famous strategists, business persons, and academics in business and management theories and practices. He admits that traditional economic theories do not work anymore and that the case study approach, based on learning from the past and traditionally followed in western universi ties lacks relevance to the future and is obsolete to analyze and learn about the new realities.He is a believer in innovation and leadership as a means to improve the skills of future business leaders (and political ones, independently of their ideology, paradoxically enough). I am going to analyze, develop and comment on the main ideas contained in this important book, recommendable to all those dealing in the development of economic, business and management theories and practices. Whether one is a practitioner or an academic, I think that many of the ideas are very relevant to our global world. If you want to succeed in it, this book contains many recipes for success.The question that I will be trying to answer throughout this paper is whether you can skip the question of the model of economic growth in a sustainable way for the planet. And therefore for humanity . I will add my ideas to the analysis in the conclusions. I will start my analysis of the book by discussing the key i deas. Part 1: The Stage The world as a stage World wide music tours are a symbol of globalization . The author uses â€Å"Riverdance†, the Irish musical with its Celtic music and Irish dancing, as a metaphor for the global economy.It is originated and performed by participants of different nationalities and is enjoyed in many countries or ‘stages’. It is an encapsulated example of players in the global stage. The global economy is invisible, but its effects are evident throughout the world. We are players on the global stage and we all feel its effects, no matter where they take place. Ohmae says that China is the country that is benefiting the most from global economy, especially those regions like Dalian, that have an approach of being attractive with incentives to attract direct foreign Investment or DFI .China cannot be seen as a unity but as a group of regions with different approaches and levels of political and economic independence. In reality, those regi ons are competing with one another for investment and resources, not from China, but from the outside world. Ohmae explains the examples of two countries that have embraced globalization, such as Ireland and Finland. The first by attracting DFI and the second one by embracing the internationalization as the natural situation, plus the innovation and knowledge based economies that both countries promote.They have taken the whole world as their natural market, and they have not been economically nationalistic. What is the Global Economy? x Borderless Tariffs are disappearing, but borders still exit for people and goods for the sake of security and safety. But in terms of the key factors of business life, the world has become borderless. These business factors are designated as the four C’s : communications, capital, corporations and consumers. -Effective communications, with the development of internet in the mid-1990s onwards the world is getting truly borderless. The second C , capital, aided by the deregulation of financial markets, is also a beneficiary of a borderless world with the US dollar the monetary platform of the globalization so far. -The third C, corporations, have been successfully responding to the globalization by locating their functions in different countries, that is to say, for example, R&D in Switzerland, Engineering in India, Financing in London, etc. -And the last C, consumers, enabled by the internet to compare prices and products and making much more informed choices.And also the products are made in different countries, e. x. its fabric in one country, its assembling process in another and its design in a third one. . Invisible Transactions and settlements of money now take place mostly on and through computers. Plus the B2B trade exchanges, or as C2C auctions. Most ATMs around the world give money in the local currency with foreign credit cards. There is no way that governments can know what you have withdrawn and spent abroad or how much you have spent with a credit card to purchase goods and services across national borders. Cyber connected The global economy would not be possible without the cyber technology allowing large amounts of data to be transferred incredibly quickly. The internet is only the most public part of it. Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) is rapidly facilitating and making cheaper the communications. Everything and everybody with access to the internet can connect. . Measured in multiples â€Å"Money makes the world go round†. Money is the main and almost single value in the global economy.Shareholders demand to take advantage of business opportunities with expectations of profit. Ohmae states that the current globalization process is in its infancy and more changes, many of them permanent, will go on to benefit the world. Globalization is an opportunity to create more wealth and prosperity, as long as one has the recipes or skills necessary to succeed in it. His view contrast s starkly with the negative opinions of these same features expressed by other ecology-oriented authors and economists.In my opinion, we have to be positive and within the global stage and develop the skills that represent an evolution ofhumanity towards a better stage,provided that using those characteristics to create economic incentives are based on the maintenance and regeneration of the sustainability of the planet. In other words, I think that adding new â€Å"values in the market† economy can direct or redirect development towards those sustainability values, such as protection of human rights, freedom, democracy and protection of the environment.In my judgement, that is where some of the defenders of a collectivist approach to development are wrong. The human individual thrives in a free global stage that protects and promotes the right values with a regulatory framework based upon freedom and democracy, so the planet can increase its wealth and reach all the corners of it. Opening Night: Globalization started with the most important Earth-changing event . The opening night of capitalism spins around the information and telecoms revolution, with Bill Gates as the epitome of this new era.The fall of Soviet communism was due to the opening of Russia (The Soviet Union) thanks to Gorbachev and his reforms with the â€Å"glasnost† (transparency). This was another key change towards a borderless globalized world. The dollar as the world currency after the agreement of the G5 in New York, and the flexibilization of currency exchange rate. The Fiscal revolution to combat Budget deficit in the 80’s in the USA was another key factor for the fiscal revolution in public finance management.Both helped the globalization process at the beginning of the 90’s. The Microsoft eruption and accessible information technology and software have become a commonplace communication tool in today’s world and is the key technological factor for t he new global stage. The coming of China into the world economy, with their reforms accepting efficiency and prosperity and private property with the famous, †one country, two systems†, claimed by the Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping, and the continued by Zhu Ronji, was not short of a revolution.China now exhibits capitalism in its rawest form. And finally, the internet at the beginning of the 90’s and the development of the world wide web with its common hypertext language allow millions to communicate and has changed profoundly our way of living and working. These are facts and Ohmae is right when he says that they are here to stay and that the global stage is spreading more and more, not confined to an elite, but affecting an ever growing part of the world population.Turning our backs to them would not be rational, these situations give more freedom to people, companies and politicians all over the world and should not limit Freedom, which is the most impor tant human value, but enable societies to protect the weak and provide equal opportunities for people to make their own choices. Each of us knows better how to make decision for ourselves. Certainly better than governments. The idea is that Politicians set up frameworks, where fair values, not only profit rule, and allow the arket, with its limitations watched upon to bring prosperity and redistribute wealth with human criteria for the general benefit of all individuals. I do not believe in limitations on freedom, be it political, social or economic freedom. Countries with no democracy cannot claim that everything goes at the expense of prosperity. In other words, the Singapore model vs the Chinese model or the western model. For me prosperity does not justify political or human right limitations. The end of Economics The Global economy is not a theory, it is a reality.Not even economists understand how it works. The old masters theories and the well known parameters do not work any more. Economic theories are used to explain causalities, especially within a country . The problem is that national economies do not exist anymore. There is no model to explain the global economy as such, because we are dealing with many parameters and variables, and so many units of economy, so many new financial products, bonds, hedge funds, and so many derivatives and multiples, that make it almost impossible to establish a mathematical economic model.The theory of complexity is more suitable to approach this new 21st century economy, fundamentally different from the 20th century one. Part of the paradox that surrounds economic theory is that it is often divorced from the world in which it has been developed. The Author cites several classic economic theories from old masters such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, or Keynes that explain the reality around them. However, the global economy of today needs new thinking to tackle its realities.The technological revolution has transformed geopolitics, including turning obsolete the nation-states. Economic environments are constantly changing and are difficult to encapsulate. The liquidity of money, says the author, is another feature of the global economy. There is a constant flow, no absorption anywhere; absorption would cause inflation. Traditional economic theory cannotexplain this either. Technology and deregulation have liberated money from national economies. Money flows to areas of highest return, no matter where that is.Money has not patriotism. There is an over liquidity. Deflation’s antidote was inflation according to the theories of some famous economists (Paul Krugman) but the Japanese example contradicts the theory. Consumers know better than economists what is good for them and what to do with their money. Another aspect of monetary policy that the advent of the global economy has altered is the position of interest rates. More and more individuals save, for instance in a â€Å"portfolioâ€℠¢ of assets in the global world in the world stocks exchanges and the different currencies.The theory of complexity was developed because the traditional linear theories could explain less and less the complexity of the world, the relationships, the behaviors, the expectations of individuals, corporations and governments. There more and more thinkers, academics and business people who, like Kenichi Ohmae, see a parallel between the global economy and the world of complexity. Predictability, or more so the lack of it, is one. A small change in one variable can have a huge and inexplicable impact elsewhere. Traditional theories tended to think that equilibrium was the natural state of economic systems.Nobody is completely sure of how the very recently developed global economy works. The old economic paradigms that supported the classical theories have been broken, but despite that many countries, or governments find difficult changing habits, the old interventionism, or â€Å"touchin g a key† to obtain a result is still in place, but with sometimes opposite results to those expected. Those who do not understand the new economic paradigms are liable to become the victim of someone else who does. In the developed world the economic policy should focus on asset appreciation, which has much bigger impact than increasing the flow of income.China, the author says, in one of them. So, in summary, some the characteristics of the new economic paradigm of the global world according to the author, are: . For the first time in human history, prosperity and riches do not depend on existing wealth. In the global economy, there is no need for mineral resources or colonies, or any other â€Å"traditional† resources. A country or a region can attract foreign investment to create prosperity . The world has an excess of capital. There is plenty of money always looking for places to invest. A regions has to show worthy of consideration.Regions know that they are in a b uyer’s market and that they have to compete for investment. Investment means prosperity. . Size no longer matters. The need of an internal substantial market is not necessary anymore. International success is accessible to countries with small populations, i. e. Nokia in Finland, Ireland, etc. I agree fully with the book’s ideas about the end of the old economic theories. The complexity of the borderless world, where individuals, corporations and governments try to maximize their return on investment is the reality of today.The global economy still has to produce its theorist, with the permanent state of flux and metamorphosis as a defining characteristic. We see how the global economy emerges in front of us, but it is difficult to grasp. Those who understand it and use new thinking, succeed. Innovation and productivity for competitiveness are the real drivers. Part 2: Stage Directions. Playmakers For the author, the geographical and economic unit of the global economy is the region. Not so much the nation-state which, despite its political importance, cannot be viewed as an economic unit within the global economy.That is why political economy studied in classic economic theory is obsolete. The nation-state had its own currency and its natural territory and economic boundaries. With the global borderless economy, that notion is overcome. This idea is relatively new and revolutionary, and not ‘politically correct’ for some as it suggests governments should have a subsidiary role in the regulations of economic transactions. There is a group of economists and thinkers closer to the political â€Å"left† that oppose to this notion.In their opinion there should be more regulations to protect the nation-state citizens from the global economy, capitalists and multinationals. Indeed they argue there should be less international trade and more national barriers and clearly defined borders to protect the life style of the citizens withi n and that the market and the capital not only have profit as the only value, but others such as the environment and sustainable growth, influencing the market forces to adapt to a more â€Å"human† global, but local economies.This is a central confrontation in terms of vision of the global world and the political consequences. It will be a central debate for the sustainability of the world and its social, political and economic consequences. In his explanation of the rise of the regions, versus the nation-state, the author mentions several examples, like Singapore, Ireland, the Tokio region, Dalian and Guangzhou in China. Some of these regions are component parts of old nation-states; others spill over existing borders.Ohmae says that globalization is a liberalization of individuals, consumers, corporations and regions from the legacy of the nation-state in which they belong. Eventually the information available to each of them will give them the wisdom of choice, r. e. Part 1: The Stage Whether a consumer buys the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world is also their choice and not the decision of the government. Likewise corporations will shift eventually to the best host regions. Ultimately is a competitive world and one that will discipline all members of the global village, because wealth will migrate national borders. Platforms for ProgressThese are the developments that have promoted human progress; what the author calls the platforms for progress; that is to say means of allowing companies or individuals to communicate with each other to get things done more quickly and efficiently by enhancing communication and delivery, and creating the common standards accepted by the players. Technology platforms: These include operating systems, (Microsoft), personal and corporate computers, the HTML programming platform for writing web pages (Java), the internet, the World Wide Web and its applications like online transactions, shopping in the cybers pace, etc.The Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) and the versatility and affordability of telecommunications. Language: The English language is the linguistic platform of the global world. Many critics see it as symptomatic of US dominance and cultural imperialism. Attempts to impose other languages, like Russian in the old Soviet block of communist countries have failed totally. English language is spreading all over Asia where it is synonymous of business success. Being bilingual in your own mother tongue and English will become the norm, not a special skill.The US Dollar: The reason is historical and practical and dates from the end of WWII (mid 40’s). Many countries trade in the US dollar, e. x. North and South America, Australia, oil producing nations and Asian countries such as China and Japan. This puts the US in a privileged position, although, the recent trend in the importance of other currencies is balancing the situation versus the dollar and creating a group of gl obal currencies, such as the Euro, the Yen and the Chinese Renminbi. Other Platforms: These include ‘Branding’ in the global economy.The majority are American, but more brands from other regions of the world are becoming global. Global business culture; the global jargon of business is understood across borders. The ATM platform; this allows cash to be dispensed from locations far away from your locality. The credit card and smart cards platform. GPs platform, and other platforms are becoming available to a large number of users in a global world and those doing business need to understand this. Out and About Another issue shaping the global stage is the business process outsourcing (BPO).This means business optimization and refers to the relocation of sources and resources. Again it is the the Telecommunications revolution which drives BPO. An immediate benefit has been the reduction in costs. However, BPO is one of the most controversial aspects of global economy, see n by some as a capitalist exploitation of the poor, a new way of making money at the expense of poor countries, creating new global economy â€Å"slaves†. India (also Ireland) has benefited the most from BPO (again the English platform).The author defends this new form of globalization arguing that it facilitates the distribution and spread of wealth in a more effectively and efficiently than development aid. The money goes directly to individuals rather than potentially corrupt government agencies. The increased prosperity in India and Ireland is undeniable (other examples include China and the Philippines). Ohmae defends BPD as a source of wealth for poorer countries and criticizes those myths and half truths about the â€Å"sweat workshop† cliches, claiming these stem from western fear and insecurity about the loss of white collar jobs.The view from those countries is radically opposite. Cross-border BPO, is yet another example of the borderless world. Many clerical jobs have been replaced by computers and companies outsource more and more functions in search of cost reductions and competitiveness. It is natural that some of the better and cheaper operators should be found across national borders. Some politicians and intellectuals have a different point of view. In my opinion, BPO, like everything else in life has a right and wrong approach to it. If the conditions for fairness and other values other than just profit are introduced, the advantages outweigh the isadvantages. A global effort is needed by international political institutions to guarantee that exploitation by multinationals is not allowed. I believe in market forces over governmental control. In other words, if market rules penalize companies that do not comply with international norms of fair work then they will have the incentive to change. More so than a compliance with national regulations open, in some cases, to corruption, lack of transparency and consequently disregard for human rights. Breaking the chains The internet and the portal are becoming more and more important in the global stage.The search engine is the best â€Å"travel† guide and helpmate for internet users as they move through billions of pages in the cyber jungle. This is creating the emergence of â€Å"cyberites† or â€Å"netians†. This group of internet users has a tendency to follow behavior patters that Ohmae classifies in theorems. . Theorem 1; internet users for five years or more tend to think, act and behave similarly. They want to buy the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world. They are confident that they can live well under the liberated regime of a truly global environment. Theorem 2; (Age-10/10) is the number of years to become a real cyberite according to the non-scientific observation of the author. It takes longer to unlearn accumulated 20th century assumptions and myths depending on your exposure. The younger generations have less difficulty in learning the rules and games of the cyberworld. . Theorem 3; Cyberite as proactive consumers. People are passive when watching TV. They want to be entertained. By typing the names in a search engine cyberites are more likely to discover or buy something.The payment systems are a fundamental part for the development of internet. In fact, security is one of the issues that prevent people from buying and trading in the World Wide Web. Improvement of the security will increase the number of cyber transactions. More companies are introducing security and convenience to internet payment systems. The final part of the net revolution is logistics, or the physical distributions of goods. The new technologies have created many new business models, from the case of Dell, to Amazon, Zara and others.Parcel delivery companies have grasped the opportunity to become global logistics business partners with the outsourcing of that important function in the global world to many companies. Time and distance are barriers. This ‘barrierless’ global world is a psychological shift that shapes our understanding the global economy and its benefits. We consume items from any cornerofplanet,becausetheyareavailabletousasglobalconsumers. Part 3: The Script Reinventing Government Governments are losing their power in this global world. Some do better than others, and decentralization is happening within their countries.Nevertheless, strong central control is something of the past, Ohmae argues. Today’s intellectual battle is between the old and the new. Governments are wealth distributors, not wealth facilitators. They create wealth only through taxation. That is the way many people experience governmental intervention. The best taxation is the simple one explained in the book and also the fact that money raised from taxation should be invested in the places it is raised. As distributors of wealth, governments have gone the way of developing welfare states and welfare economies.They protect national industries, even if they are inefficient and weak globally, at the expense of the taxpayer. The distributive state is when distributed wealth is spread evenly and fairly throughout the country. Governments of the future must seek to facilitate rather than frustrate. The public service of any country must be prepared to work more on short term projects with identifiable goals as is the practice in the majority of European countries, rather than enter into a permanent employment regime. A pragmatic approach is necessary. A Vision for ChangeGovernments need to have a vision for the future, not only one developed by politicians, but by all social agents, which identifies national strategy and policies in an open and transparent way and reach all layers of society. It must not be just a mere collection or words and aspirations, but identify clear, practical and obtainable goals. Democracy should be used to reach majority consensus. Naturally coming with t his vision is not easy. First because of the political fractions in a country, then because we now live in a borderless world and can no longer put national interests first.And finally because we live in a cyberspace and are bound to the TIC (Telecommunications and Information technologies) . Mapping the future These are the fundamentals to develop a viable vision for a country: . It must empower individuals .It must invite capital from the rest of the world .It must maintain an even keel Government vision. These are things Governments can do: . Be ambassadors for new technology .Diminish the hindrances for capital flow .Eliminate obstacles for companies to attract the best people, skilled workers or managers .Minimize bureaucracy .Specialize the country around a competitive advantage A truly visionary government is dedicated to education. A highly educated work force is necessary to add intellectual value to the country or region. Workers in all areas should be educated in being ve rsatile and open-minded. Possession of disciplined thought processes and the ability to approach problem-solving are always the areas one can build upon and apply in many different areas. To this end, further education or skill acquisition should be made easy.The internet and broadband technology make attending and participating in learning from remote locations possible. A new Role for the Government Governments have been involved in providing education, but their role should change to being a member of a team and open up to the private sector involvement. Education and the school system represent one of the best ways in which governments can teach the citizens of the future about changing roles. But world reality is not very encouraging. Many governments, on the contrary, want to set up barriers to protect their national economies.There are examples of countries and/or regions with different characteristics, that are successful in the government involvement and the understanding o f the global economy. Some regions of China, Scandinavian countries, Ireland or Singapore are among them. In each there is tradition of interventionist government action, especially in the economic sphere. In different ways they have given more, by doing less, often providing only the initial impulse and vision and the right background conditions, but thereafter sitting on the sidelines. The Futures MarketGovernments must change, but the global stage, change is both necessary and inevitable at three fundamental levels: . Technological- Technological progress has the capacity to reshape countries . Personal- Individuals must become more proactive and more adaptable . Organizational- The emergent corporation will be homeless. It will be adaptive, focused on innovation and unencumbered by needless hierarchy or the psychological baggage of the past The technological Future Technological progress means that industrial death is increasingly a fact of business life.The rise and fall of com mercial enterprises is part of the landscape. Each technological wave usually has its victims, those who were unable to change in time. Time has been compressed. The history of the digital camera is just an example of this. Big companies like Kodak and Fuji are facing restructuring. Or the music and cinema industries with the emergence of the internet and the digital technologies. Something similar can be said about telephony, with the rise of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and its impact on Telecoms. The personal futureNo matter where they are, individuals will have to learn to adapt. A job career for life is a concept to be discarded. Another change will be the accepted norm that life always gets better and that workers, no matter their education level, can look forward to an incrementally improving lifestyle, leading to a post-retirement soft-landing, in which almost all their needs are provided for. People will have to learn to be lifestyle mangers. Flexibility will be cent ral to success. Success in the global economy will also depend on good leadership. This is true with regard to a region-state, or a company.Good leaders need vision but must remain pragmatists. Leaders must value information and innovation. One of the most important assets that a leader can possess is a flexible attitude to his/her role. He/She must be intuitive and able to change. The Corporate Future Uncertainty is another feature of the global economy. Paradoxically this provides opportunities for those brave and adept enough to adapt. The global economy is new. The rulebook remains unwritten. Nobody knows what will work. The best way forward is to try anyway and to learn from your mistakes, then try again.The author dismisses the case study method followed by universities, arguing business needs to be done in new ways. Notions from the past cannot be applied to the future. Companies need to commit to the global economy wholeheartedly, unless they want to be absorbed by others. C ompanies will be homeless. The traditional link to a nation-state will disappear, the relationships will be different, because their business will be widespread. The notion of headquarters is giving way to the reality that the market is open 24/365, the market never sleeps.The natural state of the homo economicus is movement. Innovation is another feature of global economy. And whatever innovation system a company may establish, the innovation of new, better, more efficient, cheaper, more convenient products and services will be permanent; Business systems, products and services, customer relationships and internal staff relationships, will become four key areas for innovations. Companies also need to learn to adapt their identities and shift their business models to adapt to market changes. More and more corporations will have to be like living creatures.The traditional military-like organization that companies have today, based on hierarchy will also have to be adapted. The old py ramid will not survive. The control focus organization will evolve to other forms of flexible, innovation-focused organizations. The next Stage The Region as the unit of the global economy will continue to rise. There are many examples, from Vancouver, to Sao Paulo, Estonia, Ho Chi Ming City or the Baltic Corner, that have been the chance to put together some of the right features to succeed in the global economy. The formula for success is not too complicated.What is complex is the need to unlearn the legacies of the nation-state and acquire new skills to work with global businesses. These regions now compete to attract investors to create wealth, and to this end are marketing themselves as brands to make potential target group investors aware oftheir competitive advantages. Conclusions Ohmae’s definition of the Globalization is described as one global stage where players act in an ever changing plot, brought about by the information technology and telecoms revolution which defies physical and political barriers.A network of powerful machines create, analyze and synthesize information in milliseconds. The information within them is easily and instantly available. The traditional nation-state is an obstacle in many instances to the functioning of this global network. All regions, not nations, of the world, fight and compete with each other to attract money and investment to create wealth in their territory. Traditional economic thinking is obsolete to explain such globalization. Knowledge and education are more important thantangible natural resources, locations or previous sources of wealth.Governments, businesses and individuals can only prosper through flexibility and pragmatism. The world is going through a globalization process , that is both inevitable as part of the natural human evolution and unstoppable ,because of the incentives that produces . The Global economy is a reality not a theory. Globalization is in reality unknown even for those who succeed in it. The features of the global economy are : borderless, invisible, cyber connected, and measured in multiples ,where profit or money is the single most important value.The complexity of the global economy is such that no existing theories can explain it There are many variables that change constantly and create unexpected effects, and the theories and mathematic model that explain complexity can’t be proved empirically. Ohmae does not defend the suppression of the state, but with what I consider good judgment, thinks governments should not try to do things for business, but should allow business to do things for itself.However, he does not emphasize the fact that governments should create the political framework that guarantee the human rights, freedom, and education for people to be able to be competitive in a fair world with a consensus on the big questions of life, including democracy, sustainable growth and basic moral and/or human values in the performance o f the companies. It would be as though the free Market can increase the value of those companies that comply with those â€Å"general framework conditions†, and not only profit determines the value and/or performance of corporations.This may sound like â€Å"wishful thinking†, but I believe the market can better guarantee the sustainability, efficiency, freedom and prosperity of humanity than government. The difficulty, of course, is how to reach that â€Å"general political framework†. World leaders need to search for it and, in my opinion, this will be the single most important issue for world sustainability and prosperity. It has to be the next big revolution. The Humane Political Revolution.

Overtime vs Hiring: A Case Study Essay

Abstract This report aims to address the debate over whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees when faced with shortages, or cover the shifts with overtime. The issue is examined from the viewpoint of Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, and takes into account factors and costs as found therein. This report includes a graphical comparison of the costs associated with each option, and analyses and discusses the greater expense of hiring. One of the most debated topics in management is whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees or pay overtime to increase production or coverage. Many factors go into this decision, including benefits, duration of the period of extra work needed, and even type of work involved. In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, this issue gets more attention than at most places of business. Minimal staffing levels, union regulations, and round-the-clock posts – among other factors – conspire to make this decision one that is faced often. When all factors are considered, is it better for the department to hire new officers when coverage is lacking, or to utilize overtime to staff positions as needed? Executive Summary In almost all instances, it is more cost-efficient to fill gaps in coverage with overtime rather than hiring new officers in this department. This report will examine the factors involved, analyze the financial implications, and discuss exceptions to the findings. Explicit and implicit costs to the department will be discussed, along with their relevance to the decision-making process. This report will also compare the costs of new hires and overtime to find an equilibrium point beyond which the decision should change, and introduce the concept of diminishing returns. Finally, it will summarize the process and discuss application. Definition In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, there is a minimum level of on-duty staffing required at all times. Department employees are licensed, uniformed personnel belonging to the Transit Workers’ Union, Local 241. Management is required to ensure sufficient coverage on a daily basis, while conforming to the guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement. Sick time, vacation time, requests for guard services or special details, and emergencies such as natural disasters can create shortages in coverage that need to be addressed. Failure to cover these openings is not an option, and so management is left with two choices: hire additional full-time personnel to cover the openings, or pay overtime – at the rate of one-and-one-half times normal salary. Spending large amounts on overtime raises concerns in multiple areas, such as yearly budget reviews and union negotiations. This report aims to examine the issue in depth, and decide which option is mor e fiscally appropriate in a given situation. Factors and Costs As previously mentioned, there are numerous factors that influence this decision. The following are the most critical points that must be considered: * Department employees are unionized. Due to contractual agreements, the department must maintain all currently occupied positions. Any vacated position must be filled, somewhere in the department; for example, if an officer resigns, the department must fill that vacancy, whether in the same position or laterally, or be found in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. * Note that this is regardless of shortages, and only applies to permanently vacated positions. If the department has three extra officers on a given tour, and one resigns, the department may not continue to operate with two extras; rather, it is necessary to hire a new third extra. If an officer goes out on extended disability, however, it is not contractually necessary to fill that opening. In these cases, the department can cover the shortages, if any, through other means. Hiring remains an option, but the mandate to retain positions applies to newly created positions as well. In effect, if a new officer is hired in this situation, and the disabled officer returns to duty, the department is now obligated to keep both positions filled permanently and has a new minimum level of staffing. * New hires are paid at a rate of 80% salary for the first two years, then 82.5% the third year, 85% the fourth year, then 100% from year five on. * Overtime is paid at one-and-one-half times salary for any work done beyond 40 hours in a week. If an employee works a shift during all 7 days of the pay period, work done on the 7th day is paid at twice salary. * Any mandatory overtime performed without at least one hour of advance notice is paid at double time. This is relevant because when electing to not cover openings with additional personnel, any emergency shortages could lead to mandatory overtime without notice. * Most posts on campus require continuous coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This means there are three distinct tours with their own unique dynamics for coverage. The 8Ãâ€"4 tour, for example, has the highest concentration of senior officers, meaning they accrue more vacation time than junior officers. The summer months are obviously prime time for vacation picks, and two officers are allowed out at a time during summer. This means that summer vacation time is booked solid on the 8Ãâ€"4, so the tour is perennially short two officers all summer. Also, as a medical research facility in addition to a university campus, there are more posts open during the 8Ãâ€"4 tour than any other. As a result, it makes a difference where the shortage occurs. * Shortages on the night tours are easier to absorb, because there are fewer posts, but there is also night differential to consider: any officer working between 4pm and 8am makes an extra stipend of $1.80 per hour for night differentia l. As a fixed bonus separate from salary, however, night differential has no impact on this decision, as shown later. * New employees must be trained for a minimum period of one month before being able to assume post unsupervised and unassisted. This not only reduces the utility of a new hire for the first month, but also reduces the utility of the officers assigned to train him or her. * The department provides, as a service, officers for hire on campus for special events. The department charges $50 hourly for this service per officer assigned. If there is extra coverage on the tour during which the guard service is requested, an officer may be reassigned from a non-mandatory post, at a significant savings to the department. By using already assigned personnel as opposed to paying overtime for another officer in addition to the scheduled non-mandatory officer, the department can significantly reduce the overtime budget. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that no overtime is covered in this way, to preserve an empirical comparison of salary costs. * Officers are paid hourly, and thus are a variable labor cost. If the amount of time worked during a pay period changes, the officer’s salary for that period will change accordingly. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that labor costs are fixed. All officers not assigned to overtime always work exactly 40 hours per week, and those assigned to overtime always work in increments of exactly 8 hours per additional shift. Docking pay for tardiness will be disregarded. * The department pays an amount equal to 37.7% of each officer’s salary for his or her benefits package. This payment remains in effect so long as the officer is on the University’s payroll, whether or not he or she actually works or is paid. Officers on vacation, sick leave, or disability still incur this cost. While the cost of benefits itself is highly relevant, and will be used extensively in analysis, the fact that disabled officers still incur this cost even when not being paid by the department is not relevant to this discussion. Measurement In trying to determine how best to fill coverage, the most obvious comparison is between costs of a new hire and overtime. As previously stated, overtime is equal to one-and-one-half times salary (S). Cost of overtime can therefore be represented by the equation COT=h(1.5S), where h represents hours worked. New hires, who incur a cost of 37.7% of their salary, have a cost of CNH=h(1.377S). New hires always have a starting salary of 80% of full pay, while officers working longer than two years have a gradually increasing pay scale. One eight hour shift of salary at the rookie wage scale is equal to $149.20. For a third-year officer, that rises to $153.84, then $158.56 for a fourth-year employee. Finally, upon completion of four years of employment, the wage scale tops out at $186.48. A new hire will always work 5 shifts a week, leading to CNH=5(1.377)(149.2), or CNH=1027.24. COT, on the other hand, varies based on how many shifts of overtime are required that week, and the seniority of the officer performing the overtime. Plotting those equations against each other leaves us with the first graph below, labeled Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority. As expected, officers receiving full pay cost significantly more to cover with overtime than any other officer, but even at that escalated rate, there would need to be shortages in excess of 3 positions per week to justify hiring a new officer. For all other levels of seniority, 4 shifts of overtime could be covered per week at a lower cost than one new hire. In order to simplify the situation, this report will henceforth take an average of the salary levels and assume that all officers working overtime earn that rate of pay. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority After applying this assumption, full pay is removed as an outlier, and it becomes always less expensive to fill four shifts of overtime than to hire one new officer. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Day Shift As seen in these graphs, the presence of night differential increases cost equally across the board, and therefore has no impact on this decision. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Night Shifts Analysis The graphs provide striking evidence that new hires are significantly more costly for small to reasonable shortages, seemingly four or fewer per week. However, due to the nature of the department, this is an underestimation. Since all three tours need to be covered, and officers must contractually be assigned to a stable tour, each tour must have its own graph. It is clear in every graph above that if there are five or more shifts of overtime per week, it is always less costly to hire a new officer; this is not completely accurate. During a given stretch, if there were expected to be 6 shifts of overtime that need to be filled each week, but the shifts are distributed evenly, with two shortages per tour per week, hiring one new officer will not account for five tours of overtime, but two. As presented by Bob Thomas (2006, p.13), â€Å"adding officers does not automatically reduce an equivalent number of overtime hours by the amount of the actual hours worked.† Thomas explains that while adding officers reduces overtime, it also raises costs disproportionately in an example of diminishing returns, an effect found mirrored in the previous graphs in this report. In essence, hiring additional officers beyond a certain point will produce reduced utility with each new hire. Hiring additional officers will add utility, but at a much higher cost per unit of utility, creating an inefficient Summary The measurements set forth in this report clearly show that only the most extreme of shortages justifies hiring an additional employee from a cost-effectiveness standpoint, but this is not the only factor to consider. Most important among these is the contractual obligation of the department to hire a new officer each time a position is vacated. Fatigue is a concern that is often raised regarding the use of overtime to fill gaps in coverage. Steve Earley’s report for the Riverside Fire Department (2001, p.14) cited studies finding a correlation between the number of hours worked and work-related injuries. The department has already taken steps to mitigate this, as employees are prohibited from working longer than 16 consecutive hours, and are strongly dissuaded from working 7-day weeks. Overtime is also distributed in a rotation, by seniority, so that no one officer has significantly more overtime opportunities than any other. In conclusion, the data is so compelling that whenever possible, shortages should be covered with overtime rather than hiring. Works Cited Earley, S. (2001). An Analysis of the Utilization of Overtime Versus Hiring Additional Personnel. Riverside, CA. Thomas, B. (2006). Corrections Overtime Planning Study. Olympia, WA.

Methods of Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methods of Instruction - Essay Example Reasons why it is mostly used by instructors are as follows; the instructors don’t have enough time to plan, lecture method is flexible hence can be used in any content delivery and deemed simple. Demonstrations Method This is when the teacher or instructor is showing the students a process or a procedure e.g. scientific process, computing procedure or way of doing things like cooking. The students involved in this process hence they are less passive. Questioning Method This is where the instructor lectures but in the process questioning the students most of the time. Exercise 2 In this exercise, interactive method as an instruction method is used. This method facilitates interaction between the instructor and the learner .Gaining knowledge based on unity and teamwork. The communicative approach involves sharing of experiences, knowledge and personal values. The class is divided based on the stated above features. The course I am teaching is aesthetics. I would divide my class into discussion groups. In this case, the students’ interest is different. This will be depending on their number, the subject discussed and the students’ level of knowledge and abilities, and finally their interests among others. Each group is given a list of items to be discussed. Since it is an aesthetic class, the main topic is the influence of aesthetics studies to the teaching of other subjects namely mathematics, history, art, music, and influence on teaching literature. Each group of students is discussing, related to a specific subject of their interest. The only common cause, the students have is that they share certain common aesthetic course units from where clear relations identified. Each of these groups is by a chosen leader who is spearheading the discussion. With aesthetic education, subjects like art, theatre and music are more subjective in ms of their evaluations , they offer a separate view to the learning experience that rest of the courses do no t. This type of education is not being taught with aim of teaching learners to become theoretical aesthetics. It is part of tolerant arts learning made to widen perspectives. In teaching music the discussion should touch on the fact that aesthetic educators are familiar with deep musical values hence is very supportive in this subject teaching. Teaching history is the education on culture. Many historical activities traced to cultural mores and beliefs. Aesthetics is part of this culture. Understanding the cultural context of the society, to trace its development (Jeanne 27). Exercise (3) Using of Wikipedia Group Project The group project in Wikipedia very effective academic discussion topics which the students can access. Blogs are just online journals used to share ideas by different people on a given subject topic. The ideas and reflections open to public or private. Students are able to form an online discussion group where they reflectively write and share information on classr oom topics. The basic step is to select how the group is going to communicate .Decide on one particular time that all students are able to access the internet services. Then the article discussing about this will be my subject area of teaching importance of taking aesthetic studies. My introductory statement would read: Aesthetics is one of the courses taken in

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Essay

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Learning and Teaching - Essay Example This not only soothes him but wakes in him a wish to excel in his academic life. This is called inclusive practice. The students’ participation in the teaching process is also a form of outcome as is considered as important as the teaching and the learning process itself. The whole process is beneficial enough for the educator as well because knowledge is being shared by working with students and thus improved learning is made possible. The learners or those who are using the services bring out their own ideas and innovation and thus the teacher tends to be at a more informed teaching position. According to Ross (2006), â€Å"Inclusive Practice is good practice, and is also about human rights and anti discriminatory approach to mental health. Inclusive practice underpins  anti discriminatory  practice and is  the practical way  in which we put our equality   policies/agenda into action.† 4. Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice An ideal curriculum design fo r inclusive practice in schools with the aim of improving children’s health and social care should, according to linear tradition theory, help the students make predictions and decisions and efficiently solve the problems by bringing out examples from real life. For example, the curriculum should be flexible enough to accommodate paper and pencil discussion along with the use of the latest technology based tools. It should eliminate the gap (as proposed by the gap theory) between the teacher and the students. Moreover, an ideal curriculum should encourage the students to work in groups in an informal environment where teacher does not act as a boss or a dictator; rather, the students act their own instructors. They discuss the topic among themselves; ask each other questions; and, try to... This report approves that an inclusive practice curriculum design not only focuses on lesson plans and syllabus, it also arranges extracurricular activities for the children and â€Å"includes approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, the quality of relationships within school, and the values embodied in the way the school operates†. A good curriculum maintains an easy but intellectual assessment criterion to assess the capability level of children as to what they have learnt. It should be able to accommodate the latest technology based teaching and expertise so that the disabled children are also able to get individual learning offered by the ICT tools. It should provide opportunities to the students to better cooperate with the teachers and with peers. This essay makes a conclusion that designing a perfect curriculum that guarantees inclusive practice, especially in children residential schools and care houses, is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the concerned school authorities. It as â€Å"a continuous, cyclic process† which involves an extensive decision-making process so as to meet the learners’ needs efficiently. The curriculum should be able to adjust both the curricular and non-curricular activities so that the students tend to learn different aspects of life and try to apply this learning in different areas of their personal lives. This way, not only they will be able to meet the academic demands of their curriculum, but also they will be able to excel in their everyday lives. Thus, inclusive practice is vital to engage students in the teaching process to eventually enhance their learning process.

NIH Protecting Human Research Participants Course Coursework

NIH Protecting Human Research Participants Course - Coursework Example Under the principles of beneficence, the research should pursue good over harm in a fair and within a respectful framework. In my institution, we carry research in three areas including orthopedics, psychiatry and neuroscience. All these areas involve human participants, and thus issues of minimal protection come to play. Because of this recognition of protecting human participants, our institution has complied with some requirements. More importantly, NIH Office of Extramural Reserach, (2010) states that an Ethical Review Board (ERB) is tasked with reviewing research proposals to ensure they are within the ethics and moral framework (Fiske & Hauser, 2014). The institutional review board is made up of four members from diverse disciplines. This is quite relevant because the formation of ERBs should be based on a multiplicity of professional knowledge. Besides, this committee meet twice every week to execute their mandate. This again is another prove that they act in line with the provisions of IRBs as stipulated by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Furthermore, they are involved in reviewing ongoing research and those with changes during the stretch of research. They are powerful committee that can evoke an ongoing study if there are substantial grounds to believe that an ongoing study has violated these principles. From these functions and organization, our ERB meets the NIH minimal protection of human participants.

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees Essay

Facebook Effect on College Applicants and Employees - Essay Example As such, Face book has a wide range of uses and effects in the society. The uses entail social, entertainment, business, political, and academic applications. However, these effects are not universally accepted and hence there is always a debate on possible effects of Face book in the modern world. So, does Face book have any effect on college applicants and employees? Ideally, Face book has significant effects on college applicants and employees. This paper addresses the effect of Face book on college applicants and employees citing informed reasons with detailed evidence. Face book Effect on College Applicants Indeed, most Face book users are teens who are would be college students and the actual college students. They use face book to establish online friendships, establish groups of teens with common interests, or from the same college, socialize, share important information relating to their school life, and informing on various college opportunities and required qualifications. Hence, the effects of face book on college applicants are undeniable. Various colleges are now posting the required qualifications to join those colleges online and specifically on Face book. This is relevant in the fact that these colleges are also offering online lessons and hence it is only fair to post these qualifications online. Interested parties via face book subsequently leading to college applications relevantly share this information. Hence, college applicants derive college information from Face book prior to college applications. In addition, there are an increased number of admission officials using Face book to analyze college applicants.

Strategic Management - BBC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Strategic Management - BBC - Essay Example The corporation has indeed been trying hard to come up to the expectations by implementing changes from time to time. BBC provides a wide range of programs and services, including television, radio, webcasts, interactive applications with programmes serving, national, local, children’s, educational, language interests. SWOT Analysis Strengths ï‚ § BBC is on the broadcasting horizon since the days Radio was invented, i.e. it is the first corporation to make use of ‘Broadcasting’ technique. ï‚ § Even in today’s market driven dynamics, BBC has maintained a unique identity of serving the interests of public broadcasts over and above the interests of advertisers and stakeholders. ï‚ § It has a strong infrastructure with 10 TV channels, 10 radio channels and runs 33 radio language services around the world. ï‚ § The staff strength of around 27, 000. ï‚ § Since it was the first one having started the broadcasts, therefore the inherent advantage of being the first one off the block will remain always with BBC. ï‚ § It earns its operating finances from the licenses paid by the households. ï‚ § The corporation has the backing of the government. ï‚ § BBC Resources is one of the largest production facilities in the UK offering services which include studios, outside broadcasts, post production, design, costumes and wigs. ï‚ § BBC Training provides courses, tailored training and consultancy services to help individuals and companies working in broadcasting and related industries. ï‚ § BBC caters to a wide range of viewers across the globe with services like BBC America, BBC Canada, BBC Japan, BBC Food, BBC Kids (Canada), BBC Prime BBC World, Animal Planet, People+Arts, UKTV, UK.TV (Australia) The ability to do truthful introspection and admit its shortcomings. Weaknesses Functioning of the corporation is being criticized in the public domain for quite some time now. In the recent past, BBC has tried to incorporate too many changes with limited success. Many of the steps have invited sharp reactions from different quarters. Its share of viewership/ audiences is on a downslide for quite a while now. With the high percentage of repeat broadcasts it appears there is dearth of talent in the corporation. Though BBC is an autonomous broadcasting corporation, yet in the recent past it has been mired in controversies on account of its overtly pro-government stance particularly for handling the stories of Iraq war and West Bank stories. Differences between different departments within the corporation Its dependence on the License fee as the main source of financing the operations. Opportunities Onset of digital technology in the field of terrestrial as well as satellite broadcasting. In fact, BBC Radio pioneered the world's first national digital radio service in September 1995. Corporation sees the need for improving the role of governors, which will help the corporation in managing the affairs more impartially. New editorial policy makes the corporation to improve the quality of editorials and the news content. Large number of BBC fans all across the globe. The corporation can provide them with quality content and truthful analysis, to make way for increasing the number of listeners/ viewers. BBC's urge to come of the London centric mould by shifting some of its offices outside London. This will provide the corporation better and wider perspective. The web space provides a hunting ground for catering to almost all segments

Directors in Film Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Directors in Film Industry - Essay Example This paper will compare and contrasts the style and technique of two directors: Sergio Leone and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Sergio Leone and Alejandro Jodorowsky are considered as great directors as they were successful in their directors’ roles, which spanned over several decades. In particular, Sergio Leone managed to merge his own brand of epic myth-making and his movie-made dreams to create films that performed exceptionally well and earned the generic signature of their own. Although the films that he directed such as â€Å"the Good, the bad and the Ugly†, For a Few Dollars More, and A Fistful of Dollars† had initially been mocked as being nihilistically violent spaghetti Westerns, they stirred up the floundering genre which turned Leone into an internationally-acclaimed director (Frayling 47). Leone is not just considered a great director based on the films that he directed, but also based on the huge influence that he had in the film industry from the late 1960s until the time of his death in 1989. More importantly, Leone is credited for establishing a parallel filmmaking education thereby inspiring and nurturing many upcoming artists in the industry. His creativity made him to be adored in the film industry; in particular, the film titled â€Å"A Fistful of Dollars† (1964) was a sheer display of creativity. This film was centred on a gory conflict that involved a sly gunslinger and rival families and was a re-imagination of hallowed Western myths. The movie had pastoral settings accompanied by folk instruments, sound effects, and surf guitar. It is the subsequent films that he directed that sealed his status as one of the world’s premier directors. A more expansive sequel that he directed â€Å"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly† (1966) was popular in Europe and America despite criticism from some quotas that he was desecrating the Western. Besides, this film revived Hollywood’s interest regarding the ailing genre , thereby creating avenues for new cycle of Western critics (Frayling 105). Like Sergio Leone, Alejandro Jodorowsky was an equally great director and he made his mark in the visual arts and film industry. Most cult cinema enthusiasts venerate him and his contribution in the film industry is acknowledged wide and far. His films presented magical and strange visions that cannot be understood or categorized easily. It is important to note that his role in the film industry was informed by his life experiences and beliefs. Particularly, Jodorowsky was informed by his spiritual journey (Cobb 38). Therefore, it is not surprising to see his cinematic output being filled with a hybrid blend of religious provocation and mysticism, as well as violently surreal images. Not only did his films provide entertainment to the audience, but also inspired youth counterculture movement specifically in the late 1960s and some early years of 1970s. His greatness is depicted by the fact that unlike other directors who were celebrated as contributors in critical establishment, Jodorowsky gained his prominence by bringing esoteric and surreal sensibilities to the screen through his controversial films such as El Topo, and Fando y Lis. His greatness is also depicted in the multiple capabilities that he had: he wrote films, he starred in some of personal films, as well as scoring and directing the films. Additionally, he brought new ideas and

The Internal Morality of Chinese Legalism Essay Example for Free

The Internal Morality of Chinese Legalism Essay Abstract It is widely held that there are no indigenous roots in China for the rule of law; it is an import from the West. The Chinese legal tradition, rather, is rule by law, as elaborated in ancient Legalist texts such as the Han Feizi. According to the conventional reading of these texts, law is amoral and an instrument in the hands of a central ruler who uses law to consolidate and maintain power. The ruler is the source of all law and stands above the law, so that law, in the final analysis, is whatever pleases the ruler. This essay argues, to the contrary, that the instrumentalism of the Han Feizi is more sophisticated and more principled than the conventional reading acknowledges. It suggests that, by examining the text of the Han Feizi through the lens provided by American legal theorist Lon Fuller, we can detect an explicit articulation of what Fuller called the internal morality of law. The principles of this morality are elaborated and their importance explained. In this way, the Han Feizi is retrieved as a significant reference point for thinking about legal reform in China today. I am indebted to Liang Zhiping and David B. Wong for comments on an earlier draft, and to William P. Alford, as ever, for his guidance in thinking about law and legal institutions in China. Introduction The rule of law is now commonly regarded as an obligatory step to establishing China’s rightful place in the global community. Yet it is widely believed that there are no indigenous roots for the rule of law ideal; it is an import from the West. The Chinese legal tradition, rather, is rule by law, as elaborated most fully in ancient Legalist texts such as the Han Feizi. The distinction between rule by law and rule of law has many dimensions. Of central importance is the relationship of law and morality. Although no canonical formula exists for the rule of law, a moral ideal lies at the core, however it is specified. In rule by law, in contrast, at least according to the conventional understanding, law is amoral and an instrument of power. A typical statement is offered by Burton Watson, the respected translator of Han Fei’s work in English: Legalism, Watson says, â€Å"professed to have no use for morality whatsoever† (and similarly for religion and ceremony). It focused on a single problem: strengthening and preserving the state.1 In this regard, Watson follows Arthur Waley, who said that members of the â€Å"school of law† (fajia) â€Å"held that law should replace morality.† Instead of the term â€Å"school of law,† which he regarded as too narrow, Waley referred to members of the fajia as â€Å"the Amoralitsts .†2 It is because of this alleged amoralism that Randall Peerenboom can write a 670page book on â€Å"China’s long march toward [the] rule of law† and barely mention Han Fei. Peerenboom expresses the conventional view: for Han Fei, law is one instrument in the ruler’s toolbox for sustaining strong centralized control. Since the ruler is the source of all law, and stands above the law, there are no limits or effective checks on the ruler’s arbitrary power. â€Å"In the final analysis, law was what pleased the ruler.†3 This view of Legalism is reinforced by a particular reading of Chinese legal history during the period of the Three Dynasties, China’s bronze age. Liang Zhiping, the eminent legal scholar, claims that the predilection for rule by law, in Han Fei and other Legalists, has its roots in the way law emerged initially in China, namely, as an instrument by which a single clan exercised control over rival clans. â€Å"[W]ithin a system tha t was inherently unstable †¦ [l]aw was seen as the will of the rulers and an instrument of suppression; its primary manifestation was in punishment.† Hence, the choice of rule by law was the product of an extended and unique cultural development. â€Å"[T]he legalists merely developed to its extreme the ancient legal model, ‘[y]ou who obey my orders shall be rewarded before my ancestors; and you who disobey my orders shall be put to death before the spirits of the land.’†4 These two conceptions of law and legal institutions—rule by law and the rule of law—are familiar in the West, although rule by law now has few, if any, advocates. But one needs to go back only to John Austin, the influential 19th century English legal theorist, for systematic elaboration of rule by law. Western theorists, indeed, might be tempted to look at Chinese Legalists through the lens of Austin, since his work enables us to see a systematic body of thought in the Han Feizi. However, this lens, I shall argue, brings some elements of the Han Feizi into sharp focus only at the cost of distorting others. Western theorists need a corrective lens, which is provided by Lon Fuller. In assessing Austin’s account, Fuller’s approach is most helpful because it offers an internal critique, showing that denial of a compelling connection between law and morality is inaccurate to the theory itself. Fuller’s account does not rest on a semantic analysis of â€Å"law† but on a pragmatic appreciation of legal order as a form of governance. Out of this appreciation, the practical connection—the interaction and mutual dependence of law and morality in the everyday work of lawmakers and other collaborative participants in the creation of legal order—emerges even in rule by law properly understood. Thus, Fuller shows how the moral core of the rule of law is present in the generic use of law in society. The moral core of the rule of law—the thin theory, as it is often called— encompasses two key ideas: (1) While law is an instrument of political power, law also constrains power. Hence, law and power are, to some degree, opposed. (2) While law channels political power, law also enables power to be rightly exercised. Hence, law is a source of legitimation for the exercise of power. How is political power constrained and yet also rightly exercised? The rule of law ideal is that these conditions are met if it is truly the law that governs legal subjects, not the wishes of specific individuals or groups. The ideal is a government of laws, not persons, so the moral core (in a word) is impersonal governance. My thesis is that Han Fei’s text, the Han Feizi, displays this moral core and thus connects law and morality. I shall argue, indeed, that the Han Feizi advocates a purer form of the rule of law than is offered by many Western theorists. Chinese Legalism did not be gin with the Han Feizi, but it is generally regarded as the most sophisticated exposition of the theory. I believe it is more nuanced than generations of commentators have acknowledged. It is important to emphasize that my interest is with the rule of law as a legislative, rather than judicial, ideal. This focus is appropriate for the Han Feizi, since it contains no explicit judicial theory (although it has definite implications, as we shall see, for the work of judges). That means that the vision of law in the Han Feizi is incomplete. On the other hand, most Western theorists neglect the legislative ideal, and many mistakenly believe that judicial independence (or the separation of powers) is sufficient for establishing the rule of law. I shall suggest that, at least for the legislative ideal, worthy indigenous Chinese sources for the rule of law exist. Contrary to Watson and Peerenboom, I argue that the Han Feizi intends to link law and morality. But I should say from the beginning that this essay is not an attempt to recapture Han Fei’s conscious motives or point of view. It is an attempt to retrieve a text for contemporary understanding and use. Admittedly, this effort runs the risk of literary misprision—willful, not to say creative, misreading. But recovering the rich history of Chinese legal thought seems to me worth that risk. It is often said, with good reason, that successive Chinese emperors followed the Legalist template set out by the Han Feizi. If it turns out that the Han Feizi carries a different message from the one it is usually taken to convey, the imperial history may have to be re-examined to determine when it followed the template and when it did not.5 [I] Rule by law: Han Fei and John Austin The conventional reading of the Han Feizi pictures law as an instrument in the hands of the ruler. This could mean different things. Instrumentalism is sometimes construed to mean that rulers use law only if and when it suits their purposes; it is employed (or not) at the ruler’s discretion to achieve the ruler’s own desires or ends. In this construction, law does not have any special pride of place, and certainly nothing beyond a fortuitous connection to moral value. On any particular occasion, if a ruler fails to realize his or her will by the use of law, an alternative instrument of governance could be deployed. Let’s call this ad hoc or strategic instrumentalism. This is not rule by law, as I understand it. Rule by law meets at least one and possibly two conditions missing from ad hoc instrumentalism. Most importantly, the commitment to rules—fixed standards of general applicability—is not ad hoc; they are the ruler’s chosen mechanism of governance. Thus, the commitment to rules is deliberate and firm, and the instrumentalism is consistent and principled. This commitment, we shall see, introduces a variety of self-imposed constraints on lawmaking and secures the connection between law and morality. Second, the rules promulgated are not necessarily intended to serve the lawmaker’s personal desires or ends. They may serve common ends, or they may permit (or enable) subjects to pursue ends of their own. In that event, we move from a minimal to a morally robust instrumentalism. If the rules facilitate the pursuit of ends other than those of the lawgiver, principled instrumentalism transitions into the rule of law. Although the Han Feizi is conventionally read as committed (at worst) to ad hoc instrumentalism or (at best) to a consistent but minimal instrumentalism, I shall argue in section III that many of the essays that make up the Han Feizi advocate a robust principled instrumentalism. For this reason, it will be helpful to examine first a systematic statement of the minimally instrumentalist view. John Austin is more clearly committed to minimal instrumentalism, because his aims were more academic—to elaborate a systematic theory—whereas Han Fei wished to provide practical advice to rulers. A consideration of Austin enables us to grasp what coherence the minimally instrumentalist view has. Like Han Fei, Austin aimed to be a realist about law, to examine actual facts in the world. That led him to trace the existence of law to the exercise of power. Accordingly, the proper understanding of law is genetic. In the strict sense, law is a command—a wish expressed by a determinate person or body possessing supreme power in an organized and independent society, backed by the credible threat of a sanction (i.e., pain) in the event of noncompliance. Why does the credible threat of a sanction make a law binding? Austin was a voluntarist about law as he was in theology. The duty to obey a command rests not on its conformity to an independent moral standard but simply on its emanating from a preponderant power. To have a duty to act is to be compelled to act. â€Å"[I]t is only by the chance of incurring evil, that I am bound or obliged.†7 Thus, whether divine or human, law makes its appearance within a relationship of domination—a superior (in power) issuing orders to an inferior (in power), where the former has the capacity to compel the latter to act by means of a threatened evil, i.e., pain. The duty is legal if it is issued by a political sovereign, moral if issued by God. Hobbes observed that the conditions for a social contract obtain if persons are of roughly equal ability, for then they acquire an equality of hope in having their respective claims satisfied. But in circumstances where a clear supremacy of power lies in one individual or body, no question as to the proper distribution of duties and rights arises. The distribution of duties and rights naturally parallels the distribution of power.8 That, obviously, is Austin’s view as well. The foundation of law is force or the threat of its use. To have a duty, therefore, in Austin’s quaint phrase, is to be obnoxious to the superior’s threat. Obnoxiousness is determined by one of two empirical facts: either the extent to which the inferior party is motivated by fear of the sanction, or the likelihood that the superior party will carry out its threat. While the pursuit of pleasure is as much an ultimate spring of human action as the avoidance of pain, the latter is more to be relied on than the former. The certainty and severity of threatened pain, in the event of noncompliance to the superior’s commands, are defining features of legal (as of moral) order. Since the definition of law stipulates nothing about the content of the superior’s wish, law may have any content whatever and still be binding. The separation of law and morality is secured: might makes right. Thus, law is imperative, preemptory, morally arbitrary, coercive, and an instrument of domination. It also, as we shall see more fully in a moment, aims above all at stability and order. By definition, Austin’s sovereign is not subject to a superior power and hence does not have any legal duties. (By the same token, the sovereign does not have any legal rights, either.) Austin formulates this point most sharply by observing that â€Å"every government is legally despotic.†9 This is a provocative way of saying that its power is legally unlimited; it stands above the law and can make, or unmake, any law whatever. It is not misleading to say the sovereign is self-legitimating, as long as we keep in mind that legitimation comes not from satisfying a standard of legitimacy but from the successful exercise of supreme power. Yet one of the virtues of Austin’s writing is that it is richer than the genetic definition of law would lead one to expect. (Failure in the legal literature to appreciate the richer analysis is the same kind of failure one finds regarding the Han Feizi.) Exploring some of this richness will help us develop a critique that illuminates the Han Feizi. Austin actually formulates three distinct definitions of law—in addition to the genetic there are formal and purposive definitions—each of which meshes imperfectly with the others. The formal definition appears when Austin stipulates that a command is a law only if it has the attribute of generality, that is, it must refer to a class of acts to be done or avoided, not a single action. Particular or occasional commands are not laws in the strict sense.11 This stipulation is sensible, since modern law typically consists of a body of standing rules, not extemporaneous orders. It shows that Austin thought of legal order as a system, or at least a set, of rules. But in relation to the genetic definition, it is completely unmotivated; nothing in the meaning of command requires it. At the same time, the implications are profound. The addition of generality represents a significant departure from personal command and toward impersonal governance. It commits the lawmaker to acting in certain ways in as yet unknown cases. And, by grouping actions into classes, it produces a degree of uniformity of treatment across persons. So, with generality, the picture of a compliant inferior following the wishes of a superior recedes to a significant degree. These implications—uniformity across persons and prior commitment in unknown cases—indicate that certain formal features of laws may have moral import, and I shall say more about them in a moment. With law understood as a self-conscious instrument of domination expressing the wishes of a (human) sovereign, it is only to be expected that Austin would stress the potential divorce between the content of promulgated laws and the requirements of morality. â€Å"The existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another.†12 But if law itself, simply as a body of general rules, has moral import regardless of its content, we have taken an important step toward a robust instrumentalist account of law. The richness of Austin’s analysis is even more evident in his purposive definition. In its most general and comprehensive sense, he says, a law is â€Å"a rule laid down for the guidance of an intelligent being by an intelligent being having power over him.†13 Asymmetry in power is central for Austin, as we have seen, but intelligent guidance introduces a different dimension. Austin followed Locke in thinking of law as a human contrivance, establishing relations between rational beings. But the idea of intelligent guidance has implications Austin was hesitant to pursue. He recognized, for example, that the concept of command precludes ex post facto rules, since an utterance cannot constitute a command if the action required cannot be performed. Yet to acknowledge this conceptual point would be tantamount to placing a limit on sovereign power; an ex post facto pronouncement would not be a law, even though it possessed all the other features of the genetic definition. 14 Further, such acknowledgement would be the first step on a slippery slope. It would allow one to say that other pronouncements of the sovereign are also not laws, for instance, ones that are not clear in meaning. How could an obscure or incoherent utterance provide intelligent guidance to human conduct? Or an utterance that was not made public? Or that kept changing? These implications are precisely the ones pursued by Fuller in developing what he called the internal morality of law. Before turning to Fuller, however, we should pause to ask why Austin recoiled from the implications of his purposive definition and instead adhered to the idea of law as an instrument in the hands of a supreme person or body exercising power over others. My hypothesis is that rule by law in its minimalist variant was important to Austin for two related reasons: the fear of disorder and the uncertainty of morality. Both of these were reflected in Austin’s ambivalence about the expansion of democracy in England in the early 19th century. He saw little possibility, at least in the foreseeable future, of achieving the educational and mental improvement of the general population that he regarded as a prerequisite of democratic government. As a result, according to John Stuart Mill’s account, Austin developed an â€Å"indifference, bordering on contempt, for the progress of popular [i.e., democratic] institutions.†15 In addition, Austin believed that common moral opinion was so fractured, so full of partiality and prejudice, that ordinary people cannot be trusted to act decently. What makes government by a powerful ruler necessary and expedient is the â€Å"uncertainty, scantiness, and imperfection† of the mora l beliefs people espouse. â€Å"Hence the necessity for a common governing (or common guiding) head to whom the community may in concert defer.†16 The resonance of these passages with much of the Han Feizi, or at least the conventional reading of it, should be apparent. Lack of confidence in the capacity of human beings to govern themselves makes it necessary to have a sovereign whose will provides common directives that are easily discernible and effective. If people are allowed to follow their natural propensities, they will engage in all manner of disorderly behavior. Social order requires stable external direction by means of the threat of force. Thus, the solution to the problem of social order—Hobbes’s problem—is managerial direction (to use Fuller’s term). Without top-down control, matters are likely to get badly out of hand. The exercise of control in Austin’s case, of course, is thought of as benign. The goods of order and unity are taken for granted. The power of the superior is canvassed, not in terms of personal wishes or even class interests, but its efficacy in producing the â€Å"steadiness, constancy, or uniformity† that every society needs. Thus, Austin—like Han Fei, as I shall argue—makes sense of law in practice as an instrument in the hands of a single individual or mandarin elite with the competence and requisite disinterestedness to attend to the public need. To that extent, Austin’s theory is a pure expression of rule by law.

Student Life Essay Example for Free

Student Life Essay Having a healthy youth is not less than having an atomic bomb, but, to be well educated, would like to have a future full of hope.There is no doubt that the Albanian youth today is poured through her brain tide of time and with great sacrifice made its challenges. Jobs with which it deals today are of different natures, even degenerate. Her dynamic energy used and consumed rapidly in things, that is not worth even give each eye. Albanian university youth as the hope of the nation, that nation has forgotten to shave cultural and scientific creativity and create artistic value, which will be further push towards integration in civilized countries. It is isolated on attractions, burden-cafes are packed full of freshman student, while bookstores and libraries have become museums, rarely someone comes to visit. This youth needs new roads, modern tools for quality and seasoned academic work, support, incentives to cultivate arts, crafts, from whatever genre it is. These youth lack adequate representation in society, the lack of support structures, whether governmental or non-governmental. Lost confidence In ancient fortifications youth has been basis of triumph, therefore, wars have often occurred when soldiers won a majority of young and well educated, with Bonton clean and sober intellect and sound. People and youth leaders have entrusted to them, so that military commanders have made.Then why Albanian youth today has lost the confidence of the people and state leaders? Is the problem? Does crime surplus and deficit of morality among young people in disbelief and influenced the creation of a terrific opinion against them? These and many other questions are those that erode the reasonable soul of the young man, who when he sees how his friends drown in doubt, their doubts and wonders make it.According to some polls say that doubt in our daily lives has become everyday expressions and very serious spiritual illness simultaneously. Suspicion and distrust man drown quiet, how to believe in a young, which depends on several times a day and darkness of doubt ropes? Lack of collective lab or It is an undeniable fact that young Albanian university teasel is neglected when it comes to collective organization. Association, forums, and student unions is no less similar. Our youth lacks sense and experience to work and other major collective. Sometimes it happens that you see and hear how the student or the student does not Ð ·mon knowledge, science, art, etc. The collective work. Fare does not care for books, newspapers and magazines .Can not escape the challenges and problems in individual time when you have the problem of global character.Lack of collective labor Albanian university youth is the weakest and disturbing. Should a speed to realize a sustainable stability and create conditions for collective work, if we want to preserve our identity as young university and provide a sense of hope still. Where next?! To get out of laziness world in the art world, the world of activity, cultivation of knowledge and morality, our youth needs to stop is given by way of error. Should have watched the advantages of youth in civilized countries, are taught to seek their right to belong and to implement it.To return to the lost dignity Albanian university youth, veÐ ·anà «risht here in Tetovo, where the spaces of both Universities and schools have thousands of students, seriously need to get back to work and dress with ethical values, scientific and success permanent and dignified work.Youth to read for the success of the actions that will maintain, for the scientific and artistic activities. This would then view and the desired profile for the student who has taken the oath of parents, villagers and people to Ð ·ua country forward towards success and the civilized world.

Effectiveness of Soap and Shampoo in Hard Water

Effectiveness of Soap and Shampoo in Hard Water Literature Review According to Soap and Detergent Association of Canada [SDAP] (n.d.), soap is an effective cleansing agent, but its effectiveness reduced when used in hard water which has contaminations like calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. These mineral salts will react with soap to form insoluble salt known as scum or soap film. For detergent, it is effective to cleanse in hard water and soft water due to it has more surfactants (SPAD, n.d.). For shampoo, it is still work in hard water and soft water. It is less effectively as detergent, but its effectiveness is stronger than soap. The shampoo lessens the ability of shampoo to later in hard water. To increase the effectiveness of soap and shampoo in hard water , the lime softening ,Zeolite Base Exchange softening process, distillation reverse-osmosis softening, and electrolysis are introduced (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). For the lime softening, the addition of lime until pH 10 to 10.5 in order to change magnesium and calcium change into calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The addition of lime and carbon dioxide to produce water and calcium carbonate, which uses in next step. The lime reacts with calcium bicarbonate will form water and calcium carbonate that forms white precipitate out of the solution. Magnesium bicarbonate react with lime will form calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and water. The magnesium carbonate reacts with excess of lime to form calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide which can be precipitate out from water. The high concentration of calcium carbonate and lime which increase the pH of water will corrode the steel pipes. The recarbonation can lower the pH of water, but it can react with calcium carbonate and drawback to calcium bicarbonate. The addition of acids like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid can be reduced the pH of water. Zeolite Base Exchange softening process can be known as ion exchange softening. The raw water passes through a filter that contains resin granules to exchange the ions that cause hardness like magnesium and calcium to sodium. For this, it does not need flash mixer, flocculation basin and sedimentation basin for lime softening. The calcium, magnesium and other metals are replaced by sodium ions which cause problem for those who cannot consume too much salt. When the zeolite bed becomes saturated with calcium, magnesium and other metals, it can be regenerated by washing with brine solution which can cause disposal problem. For the reverse-osmosis softening, the water is pulled into a semi permeable membrane (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The calcium and magnesium and other metals cannot pass through it and capture at the side of semi permeable membrane (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The morphology of membrane has lower wall thickness and a larger size of pore resulted in the higher yields (Li, 2011). The process efficiency increases due to the increasing both feed flow rate and temperature increases the permeate flux simultaneously (Li, 2011). The higher flow rates also achieved heat losses by conduction, which decreases the thermal efficiency (Li, 2011). This efficiency also reduces when the salt concentration in the feed was achieved (Li, 2011). The influence of magnesium, calcium, stain and other metals on the process efficiency was considered (Li, 2011). Electrodialysis is the water passes between two plates with positive and negative electrical charge which the positive charge terminal attracts non-metal and negative terminal attracts metals. Introduction Soap, shampoo and detergent are important in life to cleanse our body and clothes by killed disease and dirts. Soap is made up of saturated fat from animals’ oil or vegetable salt. Detergent is included from synthetic ingredients. Shampoo is made up of soap or detergent’s compounds. The surfactants are important for cleaning compound and reduce the surface tension of water or solid to increase the wetting ability of water when it used in low concentration (Allan Campbell, n.d.).There are 4 types of surfactant which are anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic (Wolf et al., n.d.). The anionic hydrophilic are carboxylates, sulphates, sulphonates and phosphates which are negative charge that need alkaline or basic materials to neutralize them (Wolf et al., n.d.). The cationic surfactants are some form of amine product which is positive charge and need acid to neutralise it (Wolf et al., n.d.).The amphoterics surfactants have negative and positive charges which can reac t with acid and alkaline (Wolf et al., n.d.). Nonionics have no charged components, but it connected to water at ether oxygen of a polyethylene glycol link (Wolf et al., n.d.). The hydrophilic at end of surfactant is strongly attracted or dissolved in water because it forms hydrogen bond and electrostatic force with water (Wolf et al., n.d.). The force of attraction between hydrophobic and water is slight and dissolved in organic substances because it forms dispersion force which it do not have freely moving ions (Wolf et al., n.d.). In order to balance for the lost of entropy, the water molecules force the hydrophobic molecule to cluster together and occupy minimum of space (Bhairi, 2007). The repulsion and attraction between hydrophobic, hydrophilic and water caused hydrophilic moving toward the water and hydrophobic is squeezed away from water (Wolf et al., n.d.). This phenomenon is known as hydrophobic effect and hydrophobic tails are called hydrophobic interactions (Bhairi, 200 7).In this experiment, we will determine the effectiveness of shampoo, soap and detergent in different of medium. References Allan Campbell. (n.d.). Surfactants: Surface active agents. Retrieved from http://www.chemistry.co.nz/surfactants.htm Wolf, R., Davidovici, B., Israel, R., Parish, L.C., Philadelphia (n.d.). Soaps, detergents and shampoos. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=9cad=rjaved=0CHYQFjAIurl=http://www.iacdworld.org/101/soaps.pdfei=PYsJU9CGCOWQigevkIHoAwusg=AFQjCNGouNpt5nGf8eMaIYatn21bMwPRtAsig2=S4PJOSnIqxaeL9VoyTlnawbvm=bv.61725948,d.aGc Bhairi, S. (2007). Detergent: A guide to the properties and uses of detergents in biology and biochemistry. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=9cad=rjaved=0CHYQFjAIurl=http://www.iacdworld.org/101/soaps.pdfei=PYsJU9CGCOWQigevkIHoAwusg=AFQjCNGouNpt5nGf8eMaIYatn21bMwPRtAsig2=S4PJOSnIqxaeL9VoyTlnawbvm=bv.61725948,d.aGc Soap and Detergent Association of Canada [SPAD] (n.d.). Soap and detergent. Retrieved from http://www.healthycleaning101.org/english/SDAC_soaps.html Mountain Empire Community College (n.d.). Softening. Retrieved from http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV115/lesson9.htm Li, J. (2011). Computer-Aided Design,Modeling and Simulation of a New Solar Still Design. Modeling Simulation in Engineering, 2011(1-5). doi:10.1155/2011/903721