Discuss the flexible price monetary model of exchange rate

Essays on Discuss the flexible price monetary model of exchange rate determination and its ability to explain foreign exchange movements. How realistic is the assumption that prices are fully flexible Does this model perform well when tested empirically Essay Finance and accounting Flexible price monetary model as d by Frenkel (1979) works with assumption that prices are all flexible. The supply curve is always vertical and a shift in demand has no effect on the output. Output level cannot be adjusted up or down because it is determined by side factors of supply. Effects on foreign exchange are determined using the monetary model (Riad 2008).the government suggests the use of monetary policy and fiscal to ensure stability of exchange rate and price. Monetary model assumes equilibrium. The flexible model of price monetary assumes that the capital is mobile that is foreign and domestic bonds are considered perfect substitutes. In this regard there are negligible transaction costs, markets are very competitive and all investors hold expectations of exchange rate with a lot of certainty (Friedman Woodford 2010). In the monetary model, all the prices including the wages are considered to be flexible. The economic agents are also rational. In this model capital is mobile, PPP will hold continuously and supply of money is normally exogenous. The attention is given to the money market because there is no independent role by bonds in exchange rate determination. An increase in the domestic income will automatically lead to increase in demand for money whereas an increase in domestic interest leads to depreciation of domestic currency. The monetary assumes a stable foreign and domestic demand functions for money and excellent capital mobility (Craigwell 2009). Flexible model assumes the parity of purchasing power will always hold. The exchange rate is therefore considered to be constant. This model assumes that an increase in the output of a given country will result in depreciation of the currency. This is because real income growth increases money demand in order to finance bigger value of all transactions. According to the flexible model, increase in domestic interest will cause a decrease in the demand for the domestic money hence causing depreciation of the currency. This means that if the increase rate is caused by tightness in monetary, it will lead to home currency appreciation or if caused by inflation the result will be depreciation of home currency. Naturally monetary model states that exchange rate is always determined by three variables which are relative interest rate, money supply and a relative national output (Zhang 2007). An example of exchange rates is using two different countries that produce the same kind of goods. Wealth constraint for all domestic residents: W=M+V where M stands for the money stock and B represents bonds. The bonds are assumed to be perfect substitutes. Equilibrium in money market suggests equilibrium also in bond markets. An exchange rate is a price or prices. An exchange rate between any two currencies, according to flexible model is the ratio of the currency’s value determined by money supply basis and demand positions for money of the two given countries. An increase in the rates that are prevailing in the market will lead to a rise in foreign exchange prices. In the flexible model prices are considered to be flexible because they normally adjust very fast in all money markets. In this model domestic money is only demanded by domestic people while foreign money by foreign residents only. The exchange rate will adjust so that the level of price equilibrates supply and demand for money hence the equilibrium of money market. Demand for the money will depend positively on the income and depend negatively on nominal interest rate level. According to the parity of purchasing power, exchanged rate is a s a result of dividing home country price level with the one from foreign country. That is P=eP* , where P represents level of domestic price and P* the level of foreign price whereas e is the exchange rate (Watch 2010). The equation of money demand is shown as Md=kPy and here k is usually constant and y represents level of real income. Flexible exchange rates always protect nations from the unexpected foreign economic changes. For example they may protect a country from high foreign inflation rates. In the flexible approach, increase in money leads to higher levels of price and hence domestic currency depreciation. When the money supply is less than the domestic output there will be a lot of demand for money balances which will result to domestic currency appreciation. When there is interest rate rise, there will be less demand for the money and therefore the domestic currency will depreciate. Any increase in the supply of money will raise the level of domestic price. Dornbusch (1976) feels that the assumption of flexible price that PPP continuously holds and that real rate of exchange doesn’t change is very unrealistic (SHARAN 2012). In real life, the exchange rate has changed in the short run at some point in time. However nominal exchange rate variability has been greater. Whenever there is an increase in real domestic income, the agents are likely to reduce their expenditure on services and goods so as to increase money balances (Zhang S 2005). Equilibrium will then be restored through the parity purchasing power and appreciation of domestic currency. A decline in real domestic income will cause the opposite process of equilibrium. The assumption that prices are flexible is somewhat not realistic. This is because when exchange rates are flexible they will influence a nation to determine monetary policies on their own (Marthinsen 2014). The presence of price flexibility cannot alter any standard prescriptions for money policy in an open economy. It implies that the optimal rate of exchange rule in a price flexibility environment acts to minimize degree of flexibility of price (DOR 2012). The reason is price flexibility is expensive. In addition flexible model assumes that foreign and domestic goods are great substitutes and hence no barriers international trading of goods. For this reason assumption of flexibility of prices for the goods is tantamount to the conclusion that PPP holds all the time (Butgereit 2013) The model has been put into empirical testing. However, the results received have greatly been disappointing. During high inflation periods the models works well because the supply of money changes tend to influence prices and exchange rates (Apte 2008). The parity of purchasing power is an important aspect in the model and as noted it doesn’t hold well empirically mostly in the short run. The model has poorly performed when tested empirically. Flexible model can also be tested in the short as well as long run. One of the tests for flexible model was done by Frenkel over the high inflation rate in Germany. In all monetary models coefficients are said to be insignificant or that there are wrong signs. An example of the poor performance is if there could have been omitted variables while testing. Boughton (1987) also states that the variables explain a small portion of the changes in exchange rate which means that the rate movements can be responses to disturbances that are unf oreseen. Rogoff and Meese used the empirical method of parameters of the exchange rate models. They used â€Å"random walk† model assuming the exchange rates are always driven by random shocks that are unpredictable, this is so that a guess about exchange rate tomorrow is only today’s rate of exchange. They found that the exchange rate would not outperform the random walk (Nakaruma 2013). An empirical test was used in Taiwan to show the validity of PPP on Taiwan and other industrial countries. The data used was bilateral exchange rates in Taiwan relative to US, France and other countries and the price index of consumers in each of these countries. There is difficulty in choosing which index to use for PPP calculations. Therefore this leads to poor performance of the model. The monetary model has performed very poorly on sample forecasts and also on estimation. In the flexible model the money supply coefficient is always positive and also equal to one on money neutrality. When t he sample period for empirical testing was extended from 1978 onwards, the regressions produced disappointing results. The results by Frankel (1984), Dornbusch (1980) and Taylor (1992) yielded wrongly and hence the regressions produced poor performance on the samples (Cao, Ying 2011). It is therefore easier to conclude that the flexible model does not perform well when it is tested empirically. Bibliography Apte. 2008. International Finance. California: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Butgereit, F. 2010. Exchange rate determination puzzle long run behavior and short run dynamics. Hamburg: Hamburg Diplomica-Verl. Cao Yong, O. W. 2011, June 25. PPP and the Monetary Model of Exchange-Rate ... - ç™ ¾Ã¥ º ¦Ã¦â€"‡å ºâ€œ. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from wenku.baidu.com/view/cc9ac6140b4e767f5acfcedf.htm Craigwell, R. ‎2009. Exchange Rate Determination in Jamaica - UWI St. Augustin. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://sta.uwi.edu/conferences/.../EXCHANGE_RATE_IN_JAMAICA.p... DOR, E. 2012. how do exchange rates move following an expansionary ... Retrieved March 4, 2015, from www.researchgate.net/...RATES...MONETARY.../0f3175302bfbbee3ea0... Friedman, B. M., Woodford, M. 2010. Handbook of Monetary Economics, Volume 3B. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Marthinsen, J. 2014. Managing in a Global Economy: Demystifying International Macroeconomics. Berlin: Cengage Learning. Nakamura, E. 2013, January 21. Price Rigidity: Microeconomic Evidence and ... Retrieved March 4, 2015, from www.columbia.edu/~en2198/papers/psurvey.pdf Riad, N. S. 2008. Exchange Rate Misalignment in Egypt. Chicago: ProQuest. SHARAN, V. 2012. INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. India: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. watch, E. 2010, November 23. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from www.economywatch.com/exchange-rate/monetary-approach.html Zhang, b. S. 2007. The Monetary Exchange Rate Model - Journal of Economic . Retrieved March 4, 2015, from www.e-jei.org/upload/N4M17605Q4075475.pdf Zhang, S. 2005. cointegration in a monetary model of exchange ... - ASBBS. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from www.asbbs.org/files/2005/PDF/Zhang.pdf

Deception Point Page 41 Free Essays

Making the raging river of air even more unnerving to Tolland was the slight downwind grade of the ice shelf. The ice was sloped ever so slightly toward the ocean, two miles away. Despite the sharp spikes on the Pitbull Rapido crampons attached to his boots, Tolland had the uneasy feeling that any misstep might leave him caught up in a gale and sliding down the endless icy slope. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 41 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Norah Mangor’s two-minute course in glacier safety now seemed dangerously inadequate. Piranha Ice ax, Norah had said, fastening a lightweight T-shaped tool to each of their belts as they suited up in the habisphere. Standard blade, banana blade, semitubular blade, hammer, and adze. All you need to remember is, if anyone slips or gets caught up in a gust, grab your ax with one hand on the head and one on the shaft, ram the banana blade into the ice, and fall on it, planting your crampons. With those words of assurance, Norah Mangor had affixed YAK belay harnesses to each of them. They all donned goggles, and headed out into the afternoon darkness. Now, the four figures made their way down the glacier in a straight line with ten yards of belay rope separating each of them. Norah was in the lead position, followed by Corky, then Rachel, and Tolland as anchor. As they moved farther away from the habisphere, Tolland felt a growing uneasiness. In his inflated suit, although warm, he felt like some kind of uncoordinated space traveler trekking across a distant planet. The moon had disappeared behind thick, billowing storm clouds, plunging the ice sheet into an impenetrable blackness. The katabatic wind seemed to be getting stronger by the minute, applying a constant pressure to Tolland’s back. As his eyes strained through his goggles to make out the expansive emptiness around them, he began to perceive a true danger in this place. Redundant NASA safety precautions or not, Tolland was surprised the administrator had been willing to risk four lives out here instead of two. Especially when the additional two lives were that of a senator’s daughter and a famous astrophysicist. Tolland was not surprised to feel a protective concern for Rachel and Corky. As someone who had captained a ship, he was used to feeling responsible for those around him. â€Å"Stay behind me,† Norah shouted, her voice swallowed by the wind. â€Å"Let the sled lead the way.† The aluminum sled on which Norah was transporting her testing gear resembled an oversized Flexible Flyer. The craft was prepacked with diagnostic gear and safety accessories she’d been using on the glacier over the past few days. All of her gear-including a battery pack, safety flares, and a powerful front-mounted spotlight-was bound under a secured, plastic tarp. Despite the heavy load, the sled glided effortlessly on long, straight runners. Even on the almost imperceptible incline, the sled moved downhill on its own accord, and Norah applied a gentle restraint, almost as if allowing the sled to lead the way. Sensing the distance growing between the group and the habisphere, Tolland looked over his shoulder. Only fifty yards away, the pale curvature of the dome had all but disappeared in the blustery blackness. â€Å"You at all worried about finding our way back?† Tolland yelled. â€Å"The habisphere is almost invisi-† His words were cut short by the loud hiss of a flare igniting in Norah’s hand. The sudden red-white glow illuminated the ice shelf in a ten-yard radius all around them. Norah used her heel to dig a small impression in the surface snow, piling up a protective ridge on the upwind side of the hole. Then she rammed the flare into the indentation. â€Å"High-tech bread crumbs,† Norah shouted. â€Å"Bread crumbs?† Rachel asked, shielding her eyes from the sudden light. â€Å"Hansel and Gretel,† Norah shouted. â€Å"These flares will last an hour-plenty of time to find our way back.† With that, Norah headed out again, leading them down the glacier-into the darkness once again. 47 Gabrielle Ashe stormed out of Marjorie Tench’s office and practically knocked over a secretary in doing so. Mortified, all Gabrielle could see were the photographs-images-arms and legs intertwined. Faces filled with ecstasy. Gabrielle had no idea how the photos had been taken, but she knew damn well they were real. They had been taken in Senator Sexton’s office and seemed to have been shot from above as if by hidden camera. God help me. One of the photos showed Gabrielle and Sexton having sex directly on top of the senator’s desk, their bodies sprawled across a scatter of official-looking documents. Marjorie Tench caught up with Gabrielle outside the Map Room. Tench was carrying the red envelope of photos. â€Å"I assume from your reaction that you believe these photos are authentic?† The President’s senior adviser actually looked like she was having a good time. â€Å"I’m hoping they persuade you that our other data is accurate as well. They came from the same source.† Gabrielle felt her entire body flushing as she marched down the hall. Where the hell is the exit? Tench’s gangly legs had no trouble keeping up. â€Å"Senator Sexton swore to the world that you two are platonic associates. His televised statement was actually quite convincing.† Tench motioned smugly over her shoulder. â€Å"In fact, I have a tape in my office if you’d like to refresh your memory?† Gabrielle needed no refresher. She remembered the press conference all too well. Sexton’s denial was as adamant as it was heartfelt. â€Å"It’s unfortunate,† Tench said, sounding not at all disappointed, â€Å"but Senator Sexton looked the American people in the eye and told a bald-faced lie. The public has a right to know. And they will know. I’ll see to it personally. The only question now is how the public finds out. We believe it’s best coming from you.† Gabrielle was stunned. â€Å"You really think I’m going to help lynch my own candidate?† Tench’s face hardened. â€Å"I am trying to take the high ground here, Gabrielle. I’m giving you a chance to save everyone a lot of embarrassment by holding your head high and telling the truth. All I need is a signed statement admitting your affair.† Gabrielle stopped short. â€Å"What!† â€Å"Of course. A signed statement gives us the leverage we need to deal with the senator quietly, sparing the country this ugly mess. My offer is simple: Sign a statement for me, and these photos never need to see the light of day.† â€Å"You want a statement?† â€Å"Technically, I would need an affidavit, but we have a notary here in the building who could-â€Å" â€Å"You’re crazy.† Gabrielle was walking again. Tench stayed at her side, sounding more angry now. â€Å"Senator Sexton is going down one way or another, Gabrielle, and I’m offering you a chance to get out of this without seeing your own naked ass in the morning paper! The President is a decent man and doesn’t want these photos publicized. If you just give me an affidavit and confess to the affair on your own terms, then all of us can retain a little dignity.† â€Å"I’m not for sale.† â€Å"Well, your candidate certainly is. He’s a dangerous man, and he’s breaking the law.† â€Å"He’s breaking the law? You’re the ones breaking into offices and taking illegal surveillance pictures! Ever heard of Watergate?† â€Å"We had nothing to do with gathering this dirt. These photos came from the same source as the SFF campaign-funding information. Someone’s been watching you two very closely.† Gabrielle tore past the security desk where she had gotten her security badge. She ripped off the badge and tossed it to the wide-eyed guard. Tench was still on her tail. â€Å"You’ll need to decide fast, Ms. Ashe,† Tench said as they neared the exit. â€Å"Either bring me an affidavit admitting you slept with the senator, or at eight o’clock tonight, the president will be forced to go public with everything-Sexton’s financial dealings, the photos of you, the works. And believe me, when the public sees that you stood idly by and let Sexton lie about your relationship, you’ll go down in flames right beside him.† How to cite Deception Point Page 41, Essay examples

Charles Dickens Coursework Essay Example For Students

Charles Dickens Coursework Essay Charles Dickens was a famous writer of suspense stories. He was born at Portsmouth on the 7th February 1812. Charles was the second of eight children of John Dickens. Dickens lived in Victorian times and the sort of things that he writes about in his stories are probably from his era and the everyday lives of Victorian people. For example in the Signalman there are trains, which were new in Victorian times and an easier way of transport. They are also a much faster way of travelling from one place to another. The Victorian era was also a time when convicts were deported to Australia on prison ships. Charles Dickens was not particularly rich as his dad was arrested for debts and he must have known what a hard life was because he writes about it in so much detail. I think when Charles Wrote Great Expectations he was trying to emphasise the misfortunate children that lived in his time. Dickens is famous for suspense his suspense writing techniques. Suspense is a state of uncertainty while awaiting news for example waiting for something to happen but you dont know what. One of the ways Dickens creates Suspense is by luring the reader into an unknown atmosphere. Here are some examples in the first chapter of Great Expectations: In the first chapter of Great Expectations a boy called Pip is in a churchyard visiting the graves of his mother, father and five younger brothers. Dickens creates suspense by luring us into an unknown atmosphere. He starts describing the area around Pip in detail. Dickens gives us the impression that Pip has either not been here in a long time or hasnt been here before because of the way the area around pip is described. It is like pip is figuring out what is around the Churchyard for himself and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the Church yard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it was the marshes and that the low leaden line beyond was the river. As the description goes on about Pip surroundings they become more scary and worse. the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea, the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip. After Dickens has described this area around Pip and lured us into an unknown atmosphere of what is going to happen next a voice from someone shouts out to him Hold your noise! Pip is obviously scared and when a terrible voice shouts this to him it startles him. The way that Dickens describes the voice makes us think how pip must have been scared, a little boy with a horrible voice shouting orders at him Hold your noise! cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from the graves at the side of the church porch. The first few sentences that the person who is shouting at pip are not very nice and we can imagine how tense and scared Pip must have been feeling, it cant be very nice when someone threatens to cut your throat. Keep still, you little devil, or Ill cut your throat! Dickens is creating Suspense as he is describing something that is happening but as he continues we gradually find out more. This is a good technique to make the reader continue reading, as they want to find out what is going to happen next. The description of the man is quite frightening and is everything and more that we could think it might be, or the sort of image that would represent a man bellowing these commands at poor Pip. A fearful man, all in course grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .postImageUrl , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:hover , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:visited , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:active { border:0!important; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:active , .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8 .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u15d17ad567631af789b87ed42a6c8ca8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Elevator History EssayA man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered when he seized me by the chin. This is a very descriptive piece of text and bring a very good visual image of what the person looks like and this is also an important factor in the way Dickens creates Suspense Visual images These are always important when building up Suspense as it makes the reader more able to visualise what is happening and/or going to happen. It makes us see what is being described and think of all the possibilities of what could happen next. Dickens describes Pip and The Convict in the Churchyard and the Convict is asking Pip what his name is and where he lives. The Convict is obviously hungry because when he tips Pip upside down and a piece of bread falls out Dickens describes the way in which pip saw him eating he ate the bread ravenously. You can tell the man was obviously hungry as he made remarks about eating pips cheeks. You young dog, said the man, licking his lips, what fat cheeks you ha got. And Darn me if I couldnt eat em, The convict isnt stupid and we can tell this because when Pip tells him that he lives with his sister Mrs Joe Gargery wife of Joe Gargery the Blacksmith he looks down at the iron on his leg and thinks how he can get rid of the iron. After Pip says this, his actions towards Pip become more threatening. Now lookee here, he said the question being whether you live. You know what a file is? Yes Sir And you know what wittles is Yes sir After he says this he becomes even more threatening so Pip will do what he wants You get me a file  and you get me wittles. You bring em both to me. or Ill have your heart and liver out The Convict is clever and we can tell this because he makes out to have someone else with him. A young man and he tells pip that the young man is worse than him so that Pip would be very frightened and do what the Convict wants him to do Now, I aint alone, as you may think I am. There is a young man hid with me, in comparison with which I am an angel. That young man hears the words I speak. That young man has a secret way percoolier to himself, of getting a boy, and at his heart and at his liver. It is in wain for a boy to attempt to hide himself from that young man. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes up over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open. After the convict says this we are wondering what he will say next as this piece of writing is very strange. It starts nicely but to scare pip it finishes terribly by the convict saying a young man will tear open a young boy.

Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Essay Example

Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker Paper Mississippi Burning is a thought provoking film, which explores racism and segregation between black and white people, in a small southern town, in the United States of America. The film is set it the late 1960s, during the Civil Rights Act, where the southern community of America were unwilling to change their lifestyle and include black citizens into the society. This lead to economical and social oppression, whereby poverty in the south increased and a rise in violence and crime, meant that it was a dangerous place to live, especially for black citizens. The film contains many symbols and underlying meanings which the average audience would not understand. The opening sequence of any film, clearly establishes the mood and setting of the film. It needs to be interesting and powerful in order to captivate the attention of the audience. In Mississippi Burning, the opening scene establishes the mood as being one of anger and hatred. There is an establishing shot of a dull and dilapidated washroom, with two sinks, one of better quality than the other. Symbolically, the vertical drain pipe acts like a division between the two sinks and the two races. A white man enters the shot and uses the sophisticated wash basin, whilst a young black boy washes his hands in the unclean sink. This immediately informs the audience about what the film is going to be about. Also some of the audience, who did not experience segregation, get an insight into what life was like during this period of time. Alan Parker uses lighting to great significance. The opening shot is dull and unlit, and significantly the light through the window, shines on the sink, which is used by the white citizens. This has an unconscious impact on the audience, and they realise that the white citizens are being favoured in this town. However what the director is also trying to portray, is the fact that the economic recession has had an impact on the whole society. The black people are only slightly poorer than the white people, because the two societies are using the same dilapidated washroom. This tells us that the whole community is not as socially or economically advanced as the northern areas of America. We will write a custom essay sample on Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The background music is also symbolic. The soundtrack suggests that the film is of a serious nature, because it creates an atmosphere of grief by the using a lament Blues song, originated by black African-Americans, who were enslaved by white people and used this type of music to express their feelings. This further cements the racism link. The images of the next establishing shot, a burning church combines excellently with the music to make the scene very depressing and dull. The church has a moral message. It suggests that these people are against Christian values and suggests that this is a place of hell. The burning cross is an oblique reference to the Ku Klux Klan, a group of white people who terrified black and Jewish people. As the church finally collapses the camera zooms in making the experience more intense. Alan Parker then uses several camera techniques, which allows the audience to take in the symbolic information. The camera pans up and the flames die down, and there is a black background with white text saying Directed by Alan Parker. I think that the director combined these images of the washroom and burning church; to make the audience tense before the action unfolds. An important aspect of the opening sequence is the fact that there has been no dialogue so far, which sustains tensions and the silence during the opening scenes creates a menacing atmosphere. The whole screen then becomes black and the next establishing shot is a car in the black night, with two-thirds of the screen still black, representing the menacing night. The background music has stopped and we can hear the real sounds of the cars. We then get a close-up shot of the unknown faces in the car; we cant distinguish who they are at the moment, although it seems ironic in a sense that there are two white people and one black person in the same car. In the next shot the camera angle expands to show that the road is in the middle of nowhere and that there is nobody to stop an attack from happening. The camera then switches into the car where the lighting is very dark but the characters seem quite relaxed. It seems too calm, and I think the director is leading the audience into a false sense of security, because the mood of this scene doesnt seem to fit with the outline of the film. Then a drum beat starts, which symbolises the Death March, and adds to the narrative tension. It prepares the audience for the death of someone, possibly the foreigners in the car. The camera then changes to a long shot and the audience spots another anonymous car, following the first car. This second car, an iconic truck of the southern white American citizens, has its lights turned off because they want to remain ominous. The audience feel unsympathetic and sinister towards the mysterious people in the truck, because the viewers are unaware of who they are and what they look like. The director then increases narrative tension, by increasing the sound volume, as the truck approaches the saloon car. This also increases the narrative pace of the film and the audience know that they are about to witness something dramatic. Then all of a sudden, the tension is cut and a police siren starts to wail, and a side shot of the two cars shows that the truck behind is a police car. As the two men get out of the police car, the unsure audience are eager to find out if these men are really policemen, but the director uses lighting very cleverly to hide the identity of the two men, which adds mystery and suspense to the atmosphere of the scene. The viewers know that everything in the shade is underhand. The short scenes and good use of cutting allows there to be an increase in narrative tension and pace of the film. The scene seems somewhat interrogational, where the policeman shines a light on the faces of the people in the car. As soon as the man who got out of the car talks, his personality becomes apparent. His appearance makes him seem psychotic and menacing and he uses impolite and informal speech. He has a southern accent and comments on the smell of the person in the car, calling him a nigger loving Jew boy. The audience immediately dislike this vulgar, racist and aggressive character. In complete contrast, the northern citizen is polite and the director wants to portray him as a young, idealistic, civilised man. He refers to the police officer as Sir, after he realises that he is an aggressive man. The audience feel sympathetic towards the driver as he is polite, but also because he has feminine features. The black man in the back knows whats happening, and tells his friend not to look at the face of the southern man, but its too late and he shoots the driver. The audience hears three shots and assume that all three men in the car are dead. Although there are no images the sounds of the racist killers laughing about the atrocities that they had just committed, brings a sad and hateful mood to the opening sequence. Again, there is a pause of a couple of seconds, with just a black background, allowing the audience to reflect on the events that have just happened. There were some very strong images on show in the previous scenes which are vital for the rest of the movie. It prepares the audience for the rest of the film, and it gives them knowledge of the historical, social and economical context of the film.

Characteristics of Left Brain Dominant Students

Characteristics of Left Brain Dominant Students While there are differences of opinion when it comes to brain hemisphere dominance, one thing seems clear: there are some students who are more comfortable with logic and reasoning than they are with creativity and intuition. These preferences are characteristic of people who are sometimes called left brain dominant. Are you very organized? Do you believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things?  Do you enjoy math homework more than English homework? If so, you may be left-brain dominant. Characteristics of Left Brain Dominant Students Work well with a daily task listLike to be the critic in classFeel naturally  good at math or scienceAre rational and logicalPerform research that is precise and well-documentedLike to set goalsCan interpret information wellKeep a tidy roomAnswer questions spontaneouslyFollow directions and read directionsArent touchy-feelyCan listen to a long lecture without losing interestDon’t let feelings get in their wayEnjoy action moviesRead sitting upChoose precise words Left Brain Dominant Students in Class Able to remember dates and processes in history classEnjoy going through a long calculation in math classLike the order of scienceHave a good understanding of grammar and sentence structure in English class Advice for Left Brain Dominant Students Study in a quiet room to avoid distractionYou understand math but may get impatient trying to explain it to someone who struggles. If so, don’t volunteer to be a tutor unless you know you have the patience for it.You like to take the lead in study groups, so go ahead and volunteerJoin a debate team or academic competitionTry to excel at the science fair; you can be a winnerUse your skills in math and science to your advantageChoose non-fiction readingYou prefer factual questions and assignments, as opposed to open-ended questionsYou can organize your notes well, so you shouldKeep your room organizedTry to refrain from arguing with the teacherWhen selecting assignments, choose to do analytical essaysWork alone when you have a choice; you get frustrated with others who â€Å"clown around†Avoid â€Å"free-thinking† teachers if they confuse youTake more risks; don’t be afraid to be creative With all of your factual knowledge, you might be a finalist on Jeopardy someday.

The 6 Elements That Are Liquid at Room Temperature

The 6 Elements That Are Liquid at Room Temperature There are two elements that are liquid at the temperature technically designated room temperature or 298 K (25 °C) and a total of six elements that can be liquids at actual room temperatures and pressures. Elements That Are  Liquid at 25 °C Room temperature is a loosely defined term that can mean anywhere from 20 °C to 29 °C. For science, its usually considered to be either 20 °C or 25 °C. At this temperature and ordinary pressure, only two elements are liquids: BromineMercury Bromine (symbol Br and atomic number 35) is a reddish-brown liquid,  with a melting point  of 265.9 K. Mercury (symbol Hg and atomic number 80) is a toxic shiny silvery metal, with a melting point of 234.32 K. Elements That Become Liquid 25 °C-40 °C When the temperature is slightly warmer, there are a few other elements found as liquids at normal pressure: FranciumCesiumGalliumRubidium These four elements all melt at temperatures slightly higher than room temperature. Francium (symbol Fr and atomic number 87), a radioactive and reactive metal, melts around 300 K. Francium is the most electropositive of all the elements. Although its melting point is known, there is so little of this element in existence that its unlikely youll ever see a picture of this element in the liquid form. Cesium (symbol Cs and atomic number 55), a soft metal that violently reacts with water, melts at 301.59 K. The low melting point and softness of francium and cesium are a consequence of the size of their atoms. In fact, cesium atoms are larger than those of any other element. Gallium (symbol Ga and atomic number 31), a grayish metal, melts at 303.3 K. Gallium can be melted by body temperature, as in a gloved hand. This element displays low toxicity, so its available online and may be used safely for science experiments. In addition to melting it in your hand, it can be substituted for mercury in the beating heart experiment and can be used to make spoons that vanish when used to stir hot liquids. Rubidium (symbol Rb and atomic number 37) is a soft, silvery-white reactive metal, with a melting point of 312.46 K. Rubidium spontaneously ignites to form rubidium oxide. Like cesium, rubidium reacts violently with water. Other Liquid Elements That state of matter of an element may be predicted based on its phase diagram. While temperature is an easily controlled factor, manipulating pressure is another way to cause a phase change. When pressure is controlled, other pure elements may be found at room temperature. An example is the halogen element chlorine.

Secrets of Sense and sensibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Secrets of Sense and sensibility - Essay Example It was essential then that the discourse of meaning in which these two characters appear though the passages within the novel be able to understand discreet measures in which women and women relationships were being censored by society. To show that Elinor and Marianne are able to use secrets as a measure of passing information and meaning to the other characters I have chosen two scenarios from the book to illustrate my point. The first scene that I would like to explore is when Marianne was having an intense relationship with Willoughby and an attachment so strong between the two of them that in the minds of the adults it was almost an assured attachment that would lead to marriage. However, in the eyes of pre-pubescent Margaret she could not understand that such daily contact between the two could excite into marriage. It was only when she witnessed that Willoughby had taken a lock of Marianne’s hair as a sign of fixed attachment did Margaret presume that the two will soon be engaged; Margaret related something to her the next day, which placed this matter in a still clearer light. Willoughby had spend the preceding evening with them, and Margaret, by being left some time in the parlour with only him and Marianne, had had opportunity for observations, which with a most important face, she communicated to her eldest sister, when they were next by themselves. The secret in question was the lock of hair obtained by Willoughby from Marianne that signifies their strong attachment from one another. However, we know this to be beside the case when Willoughby has a secret of his own to conceal that he may not marry Marianne. The eyes of a child, in this case, Margaret who’s pre-pubescent and slowly learning the art of conveying meaning without declaring it to the public world allows Marianne to be subtly disgraced without the knowledge of the public sphere thus securing

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics Essay

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics - Essay Example Shi’ite Islam was declared as the state religion and widespread reforms, covering nearly every department of the state, were introduced. This also resulted in the restructuring of the foreign policy of this company. The new leaders of the state had a whole new perspective for the world, especially their neighboring Middle Eastern states. This new foreign policy was to change the face of Middle Eastern Politics forever. To analyze this new order of politics, we must have a proper insight of the foreign relations between Iran and the other Middle Eastern countries. The first country that may come in mind is Iraq (Menashri‎, 2001, p.‎46). After the dismissal of the Shah of Iran, Shah Raza Pahlavi, who was always considered as a liberal Shah who had ‘strayed’ the people of Iran from the true path of Islam, there was a sudden change of the international views of Iran. This also inducted a huge change in the local policies between countries, such as Iraq and Iran. With the Iraq-Iran war between 1980 and 1988, there was a focus towards the Kurdish factor between the two states. This gave rise to a Kurdish conflict between the two states which was promoted by both of the states. Iraq promoted the movement known as the KDPI (Kurdish Democratic party of Iran) to function inside the Iranian territory at different spots which included Nowdesheh and Qasr-e-Shirin. KDPI was supplied with weapons and various military arms throughout the war and wanted to develop liberated zones inside the state of Iran (Bernard, 1995, p.‎428). Similarly, Iran also indulged in a Kurdish movement as a counter retaliation against Iraq. By 1983, they started funding Kurdish parties such as KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) to function inside the Iraqi Premises and cause various un-settlements within the state. This threatened Baghdad

Touching Spirit Bear Essay Example for Free

Touching Spirit Bear Essay In the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen he discuses the idea of morals. As the reader reads the novel it is filled with many important lessons from many perspectives. Understanding that all these lessons made Cole a better person. The most important lessons learnt from the book are life is what you make it, forgiveness, and that people can change. The lesson â€Å"life is what you make it† was a big part of the novel. But also this lesson was reflective. When Edwin asked Cole to go to the freezing pond, he gave him a stick and says that the right end of the stick represented happiness while the left end represented anger. Cole broke the anger side of the stick, until he recognized that everytime he broke off the angry side it appeared again. Edwin teaches Cole that anger could not be completely destroyed. â€Å"Yes, was a big deal. It was a party. It was a feast. It was a sharing and a celebration. All because that is what I made it. Yours was simply food because that is all you chose for it to be. All of life is a hot dog. Make of it what you will. I suggest you make your time here on the island a celebration. † (Pg. 166) The hotdog also represented that life is what you make it. Cole made his hotdog just a plain hotdog. While Garvey on the other hand made his hotdog with great care. Garvey’s hotdog was a celebration because that’s is what he intended it to be. Cole made his hotdog just a plain hotdog and it did just that. The sky also symbolizes this lesson. Cole had the decision to look at the clouds or the sun. If Cole had looked at the clouds he would think the weather would be cloudy. If Cole had looked at the sun it would seem as if it was sunny outside. If we were to look at life as a horrible and dreadful place that’s how life is going to be, because that is how we made it. If looking at life as a joyful, beautiful place that’s how life is going to be lived. It will be lived like a celebration! Celebrating every moment of life and living everyday to the fullest. Throughout the novel, Cole is challenged to forgive and to earn forgiveness. Cole had to be willing to forgive himself and those who had hurt him. A lot of forgiving had to be done before Cole could fully heal. First, he was to forgive himself. â€Å"You’ll dance that dance when you’re ready. † (Pg. 184) Garvey said to Cole associating to the dance of anger. For most of the novel Cole was full of so much anger, but by dancing the dance of anger, he let go of some of his emotions and forgiving those who had hurt him. After Cole’s infusion of rage of anger Cole was not as angry as before, he will always know that anger was inside of him but he had the choices to let go and forgive those who had hurt him. He was then ready to move on. Cole could not fully move on without Peter’s forgiveness. Next, Cole needed to help Peter. Cole was truly sorry for what he had done but needed to prove that to Peter and his family. He needed to show Peter that he trusted him, and he wanted to see if Peter could trust him. So before he started his healing, Cole asked to bring Peter to the island to give him a new start. He wanted Peter to get the second chance at life just like Cole had gotten a second chance in the circle justice. This lesson is very important to the book. It teaches that forgiveness is the start to moving on. It shows us that Cole got a second chance by forgiving and receiving forgiveness. Cole experiences extreme anger throughout the novel. He was even known and portrayed as a very angry person. As Cole gets to understand the idea of forgiveness and the beauty of life he changed to become a better and a peaceful person. There are no bad people in the world just people who make bad choices. Cole made several mistakes in his life but has learnt from them and is going through taking dips in the freezing pond, rolling the ancestor rock to get rid of his anger so he would not make the mistakes of anger taking over him again. The Cole first sent to the island was feeling consumed by anger, bitterness, and the feeling to unwillingness to change. While the Cole at the end on the novel is a normal boy that is trying control his anger problems and trying to earn forgiveness from others. After Cole had changed he seemed to think that the island could change anyone. Cole thinks to himself that he has really changed. â€Å"He felt like a new and a different person. † (Pg. 198) That’s why he wanted to bring Peter, the boy who had tried to commit suicide twice after Cole had beaten him up to the island to see if he can change on the island and have another chance at life, like Cole had received. At the end, both Peter and Cole changed spiritually and mentally. The lesson â€Å"People can change† is an important lesson from the book because even Cole the juvenile delinquent had changed into a normal teenage boy controlling his anger. The most important lesson that Cole learnt was that life is what we make it, to forgive and to earn forgiveness, and that anyone can change. Cole always had the options to live life happily but he never knew how to start. But as he learned from the lessons taught to him by many perspectives, he now knows how to start living life without the anger taking over him, he knows how to control his anger. Cole is now more knowledgeable looking at the right end of the stick, centering his life on the sun not the clouds, and making his life a celebration.

Ernest Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky :: Biography Biographies Essays

Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky Hemingway's World War I experiences were the source of much of the legend that later surrounded him. Brave and masculine, he was the writer who really got out there and experienced everything. Wounded in the trenches, decorated for his valour, he then threw himself into a wartime romance with the nurse who was responsible for bringing him back to health, his first love, who later jilted him for an older, aristocratic, man. This report will examine the background to these myths and assess their veracity. It was not long after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 that 17 year-old Hemingway, not yet finished high school, first expressed an interest in seeing some action. However his father, keen for him to follow his sister to college, settled for a compromise that saw his brother fix young Ernest up with a job in the Kansas City Star. That November, he told his family that he could not possibly wait more than another year before enlisting, saying "it will be hard enough to stay out until then". Biographer Kenneth S. Lynn argues that for the young Hemingway, the war was like a championship football game, a huge event not to be missed.1 Hemingway's letters of that winter contain references to him attempting to join the army but being refused because of a bad eye. Nobody has been able to find any evidence that such a claim is true. Lynn points to the likely falsity of the claim by mentioning the fact that Harry Truman, who was helpless without his glasses, got past the same army doctors in Kansas City that Hemingway would have had to deal with, and suggests that the prospect of squalor and danger in the trenches did not accord with Hemingway's vision of the great event of his time. At the same time, his reading of Hugh Walpole's The Dark Forest the previous year made him aware of another, heroic, and far less dangerous way of seeing the war - the Red Cross. Ernest and his friend Ted Brumback volunteered for the Red Cross in early January and in April they were assigned as second lieutenants in an ambulance unit in Italy. They were issued a regular US Army officer's uniform with full insignia, and Ernest made the most of the fact that real army privates and non-commissioned officers had to salute him, in one instance counting 367 salutes as he walked up and down Broadway. Ernest Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky :: Biography Biographies Essays Hemingway, World War I, and Agnes von Kurowsky Hemingway's World War I experiences were the source of much of the legend that later surrounded him. Brave and masculine, he was the writer who really got out there and experienced everything. Wounded in the trenches, decorated for his valour, he then threw himself into a wartime romance with the nurse who was responsible for bringing him back to health, his first love, who later jilted him for an older, aristocratic, man. This report will examine the background to these myths and assess their veracity. It was not long after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 that 17 year-old Hemingway, not yet finished high school, first expressed an interest in seeing some action. However his father, keen for him to follow his sister to college, settled for a compromise that saw his brother fix young Ernest up with a job in the Kansas City Star. That November, he told his family that he could not possibly wait more than another year before enlisting, saying "it will be hard enough to stay out until then". Biographer Kenneth S. Lynn argues that for the young Hemingway, the war was like a championship football game, a huge event not to be missed.1 Hemingway's letters of that winter contain references to him attempting to join the army but being refused because of a bad eye. Nobody has been able to find any evidence that such a claim is true. Lynn points to the likely falsity of the claim by mentioning the fact that Harry Truman, who was helpless without his glasses, got past the same army doctors in Kansas City that Hemingway would have had to deal with, and suggests that the prospect of squalor and danger in the trenches did not accord with Hemingway's vision of the great event of his time. At the same time, his reading of Hugh Walpole's The Dark Forest the previous year made him aware of another, heroic, and far less dangerous way of seeing the war - the Red Cross. Ernest and his friend Ted Brumback volunteered for the Red Cross in early January and in April they were assigned as second lieutenants in an ambulance unit in Italy. They were issued a regular US Army officer's uniform with full insignia, and Ernest made the most of the fact that real army privates and non-commissioned officers had to salute him, in one instance counting 367 salutes as he walked up and down Broadway.

Attitude, Legislation and Litigation towards Students with Disabilities Essay

Understanding of children and adults with learning disabilities has come full circle but has a long way to do to fully reach every individual. In the 4th century the great philosopher Aristotle wrote,† As to the exposure and rearing of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) While this seems brutal, for the times it was quite common. Even modern era societal groups like the Nazis in the 1940s had â€Å"cleansing programs,† were thousands of people with various disabilities were deemed useless and simply put to death like dogs and cats. Today we as a society try to better understand the trials of people with disabilites and help them to succeed in schools. Federal groups like Individuals with disabilities Education Act(IDEA) and the Americans with Disablilites Act(ADA) have pushed our thinking and laws to the future. Although there is a lot more that needs to be done we are moving in the right direction. A Sad Beginning As mentioned above there was not just a prejudice and fear but a man hunt for people who suffered any kind of discernible disability. In ancient Rome and Greece children with disabilities were viewed as signs of weakness and shame. These children were put to death or abandoned, considered a burden on society and humanity. There were ancient societies that did not believe in this process but they were not the majority. The 20th century saw an increase in help for students with disabilities but there was a contradiction in the approach to this help. There was blame placed on the parents for breeding a genetically inferior human and putting the financial burden on the government for their mistake. Fear of these deficiencies spreading lead to a restriction on who could marry and even the sterilization of persons with retardations. In an ease of the sterilization idea people were being put into â€Å"hospitals† to isolate them from the general public by placing them â€Å"with their own kind. † In the 1950s more than a million persons in the US had been committed to mental hospitals and institutions. (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) The First Groups to Fight In the movement of Civil Rights in the 1950s parents of children with disabilities began to push for rights also. In 1949 the United Cerebral Palsy Organization (UCP) and in 1950 the National Association for Retarded Children (NARC) groups were formed to help get accurate information to the public. These organizations wanted to get equal rights for medical treatment, social services and education for persons with disabilities. It was not until President Kennedy stepped in and became an advocate for these groups that the government began to take these groups serious. He had person investment in these rights with his sister Rosemary suffering from intellectual disabilities. Kennedy said in a speech in 1961,†This neglect must end†¦We must act†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The subheading above would be used if there are several sections (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) Legal Cases that Pushed reform I n1972 the Wyatt case in Alabama argued that the facilities people with mental retardation were being put into did nothing to prepare them for a place in society and called these places â€Å"Human Warehouses†. These were a series of lawsuits that followed with the moral encouragement of Brown vs. The Board of Education civil rights law. Halderman vs. Pennhurst State School and Hospital, Youngberg vs. Romeo and Homeward Bound vs. Hissom Memorial Center were all influential court cases that brought civil and moral rights of persons with disabilities to the public forum. It was the parental involvement that pushed the government to form groups as advocates for these groups. In 1971 the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizen (PARC) vs. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania put into light that these children were being denied the right to free and appropriate public education. It was these groups that allow the education for students with any disability to now get the help they need and deserve. Modern Advocacy Groups The main groups that come to mind when Disability advocates are mentioned within the educational system are Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). IDEA is officially known as Public Law 94-142 which lays out the standards and rules for students from ages 3-21 in public schools. This was originally known as Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act but in 1990 was changed to IDEA. There is restriction for what qualifies as a disability and these are in constant adjustment based on what happens in the education system. Without this ability to add or take away ideas it would become stagnant and useless. The ADA lays out what these disabilities are and what they legally and morally have a right to. Challenges facing Educators The main challenge facing educators is a combination for the push of standardized testing, common core standards and federal assistance being based on those scores. The inclusion of students with disabilities in no different than having a bully or an extreme introvert in your class and the amount of help that is given has risen drastically over the last 40 years. The focus in high school is to prepare students to go into the world and succeed as adults and this applies to students with disabilities also. The main fear I have is that in a push to â€Å"include† these students we are not helping them to succeed just following legal options. We have come full circle from the days of Aristotle and the Greeks but have a long way to go to get to a point where we are doing what is best for every student in our delusional system. There is and will probably always be prejudice in society to one group or another but as teachers we need to step forward and praise differences not separate them. Laws like IDEA and the ADA help parents, schools and teachers have a foundation to build on but it will take more that theory to implement the right actions. The success of these groups and laws are yet to be fully recognized but the potential is there.

Islamic Business Ethics

Ethics has always been a part of business. The article of Islamic Business Ethics & Finance: An Exploratory Study of Islamic Banks in Malaysia written by Muhammad Adli Musa studied about how Islamic finance which claims to offer global financial stability and high ethical standards should reflect Islamic values in all facets of behaviour to bring about collective morality and spirituality, which when integrated with the production of goods and services advance the Islamic way of life.This paper also attempts to investigate the consistencies or, if any, inconsistencies and explore the relationship between the Islamic business ethical norms and the practices of Islamic banks in Malaysia. In doing so it tries to address the current imbalance of emphasis and the lack of a comprehensive discussion on business ethics from a wider cultural and religious perspective with reference to Islam, particularly focussing on selected Islamic banks in Malaysia. The main research question of this study is how do the current practices in Malaysian IFIs mirror the Islamic ethical norms in business?The findings in this paper would potentially assist in the improvement of practices among IFIs to conform to the ethical norms established by Islam, which are in fact the core of their existence. For Muslims, Islam is considered as a way of life and not merely a religion. Hence, business ethics cannot be separated from ethics in other aspects of a Muslim’s daily life. It is claimed that in the climate of Islamic philosophy, it is ethics that dominate economics and not vice versa, and that Islamic economics is characterized as being ethical besides being Godly, humane and balanced.The concept of Taw? id has been identified as the core of Islamic ethics, along with trusteeship or stewardship, justice or equilibrium, free will or freedom, responsibility and generosity. On a more practical level, the manner for proper Islamic ethical conduct in business is based on leniency, which enco mpasses good manners, forgiveness, removal of hardship and compensation; service motive, where businesses provide needed services to the community; and consciousness of Allah, which requires Muslim businessmen to be mindful of Allah in their conduct of business.In the financial services sector, ethics has become increasingly important on the basis that the purpose of business activities in general and financial services in particular is the creation of value for the consumer. The financial services environment should not be an environment where there is a dichotomy between the personal ethical attitudes and the attitudes governing one’s business life. Moreover, it is suggested that an ethical environment will coincidentally pave the way to improved performance as in the case of the British Cooperative Bank’s ethical policy, and provides essential support for maximizing long-term owner value.The recent global financial crisis might have been averted if ethics played a l arger role in the financial services sector. Islamic finance has been recognized as a rapidly increasing integrated compartment of global finance with assets worldwide estimated to be worth $700 billion as a result of growth at a rate of more than 10% annually during the past decade. With respect to ethics, IFIs are considered to be ethical since the foundation of their business philosophy is grounded in the shariah, often referred to as ethics in action, which is concerned with promoting justice and welfare n society and seeking God’s blessing.The difference between Islamic and conventional financial systems is that the former has to preserve certain social objectives and is based on equity rather than debt. Malaysia’s Financial Sector Master-Plan explicitly mentions that it would like to symbolize Malaysia as a regional Islamic financial centre. A distinguishing feature of the Malaysian economy is that Islamic finance has been fully integrated into its existing finan cial system, which demonstrates the sector’s inventiveness and capacity for innovation.It is also worth highlighting that the Malaysian Islamic finance market is considered to be well developed with a huge future potential. The first IFI established in Malaysia was the Malayan Muslims Pilgrims Savings Corporation which began operations in 1963. Twenty years later in 1983, the first Islamic bank, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, started operations after continuous pressure on the Malaysian government to assist in establishing an Islamic bank.The seriousness of the Malaysian government in furthering the cause of Islamic finance can be seen in the Financial Sector Master-Plan’s vision to see Islamic banking evolve in parallel with conventional banking to achieve 20% of the banking market share, represented by a number of strong and highly capitalized Islamic banking institutions, offering financial products and services which are underpinned by a comprehensive and conducive sh ariah and regulatory framework.To sum up, from the study presented, it can be fairly assumed that the practices of the Islamic banks in Malaysia under study do conform to the Islamic ethical norm in business based on the perception of executives working in the banks concerned. Individual positive and negative statements are areas where the Islamic banks concerned must strive to improve. Particularly, the perception of the management among employees of the banks must improve as it is the management who determines the issue of business conduct and principles in a business organisation.Issues surrounding the treatment of employees such as equality and fair wages must also be addressed in line with business ethical norms established by Islam. A preliminary look into the qualitative data of the Ph. D. research of the author, which is not presented in this paper, suggests that the senior management, Shariah heads and Shariah Supervisory Board members of the Islamic banks under study are a ware of the importance of incorporating Islamic ethics in the operations of their respective banks.However, the climate in which the banks operate does not necessarily support such notions. Furthermore, Islamic banks might not feel compelled to abide by Islamic ethical norms in business if the consumers of their products and services do not strongly demand so. The emphasis on shariah compliancy of products and services has arguably resulted in the ethical dimension of Islamic finance to be somehow sidelined.Shariah compliancy is indeed the essence of Islamic finance but beyond that, Islamic banks should be at the forefront of ethical banking, whereby they take into consideration the impact of their activities on the society at large. Islamic banks must also strive to adopt the recommendations by the IFSB and AAOIFI in their published Guiding Principles and Conduct of Business for Institutions offering Islamic Financial Services and the Code of Ethics for the Employees of IFIs respec tively as best practices in the industry.Research needs to be conducted using various techniques to answer the research question at hand. Realising that, the author in his Ph. D. study has interviewed the senior management, Shariah heads and Shariah Supervisory Board members of the banks concerned to obtain their views on Islamic business ethics in relation to Islamic banking practices in Malaysia. The author also included in his Ph. D. research the ethical identities of the banks concerned based on their annual reports and other materials accessible to the public such as the banks’ websites and other publications.

Free sample - We at McDonalds. translation missing

We at McDonalds. We at McDonaldsIf you are trying to create a mob, you can just shout out and you will have a gathering in no minutes. But that is NOT a group in essence. A group is formed of likeminded individuals who are gathered on a same purpose and work on a systematic synchronization. But to form a group needs a comprehensive method or a system. In the year 1965, Bruce Tuckman gifted us with the model of group development in the typical Dr. Suess style. According to original system proposed by Tuckman, there were four stages to the group development process, as follows: a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forming – This is the stage where the group is just forming. Group members are getting introduced and coming to know each other. The shy members are not being favorable and the extravert members are asserting their leadership over the group. At this stage, the group is yet not a group and it still works on the psychology on an individual basis. b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Storming – But the initial struggle to decide the hierarchy of dominance does not end in the previous stage. It continues on to the second stage known as ‘storming’. In this stage, a natural fight among who the leader will be and who the follower will be is decided, through extensive back and forth social momentum. c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Norming – Now, let us say the social hierarchy is being set and we have a certain leader for us. This is the perfect time to set the norms, the objectives and policies of the group. This decides the basic structure and ideology of the group. At this stage, it is not about individual power but about establishing the group identity. This is highly susceptible to revert back to the Storming stage and that’s why communication is subtle and implicit most of the time. d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performing – Everything is determined at this moment and the group is supposed to head towards action now. With the stable internal structure and preset ideology and purpose, the group is all ready to take the plunge now. Even in McDonalds, we follow these same stages of group development. To start with the introduction, we are a group comprising of six members in our team. We work at the front end, which is catering food to the customers. Sometimes, if we have been contacted on a delivery at a certain place and time, and it is urgent, we take on that job as well. So, our job profile includes the food catering service mainly. In our group, the team members are supposed to be active during the work hours and that is why, we have chosen some young people for the group. The oldest member is twenty-nine years old and the youngest member is around nineteen years old. We are an efficient group of front-end workers and peering closely at the interaction sort of our group, it can be proclaimed that we are at the ‘performing’ stage of group development at this moment. The longest time was taken during the ‘norming’ stage. It was the time when group ideology, or identity, is being decided and instilling the vision and focus of the McDonalds can be somewhat hard to infuse into minds of the young people.   They had to understand that McDonalds is not just a burger company servicing people. It is important to understand that McDonalds is a people’s company first of all, and there goes more into the functioning of the company other than just producing burgers. This is basically instilled into every employee working for McDonalds - from the restaurant manager to the door attendant. And this is even more important for the food-catering end to understand and believe in. So, it can be easily said that our group has moved into the ‘performing’ stage and now the most crucial factor is to keep up the motivation and performance going.

Applications of the Human-AI Collaboration in Manufacturing

Applications of the Human-AI Collaboration in Manufacturing The world witnessed an unprecedented spectacle in the beginning of 2018. The Google Assistant had booked an appointment at a salon on the user’s behalf. This showcased the immense potential and scope of the technology we are looking at. Artificial Intelligence has always been portrayed as a technology which can be nurtured to make redundant human activities faster and more effective. However, the flip side of the coin suggests that there is a growing apprehension among the masses that it may eat up into their jobs and probably even be harmful in the long run. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? As per the book, â€Å"Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach†, by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig, Artificial Intelligence(AI) refers to computer systems that think and act like humans, and think and act rationally. The concept was first introduced, in 1960, into the manufacturing industry by General Motors to ensure workplace safety through the development of Unimate Robot. Scope for collaboration of AI with Humans Manufacturing is a capital intensive business and this had led to companies searching for cheap labor. In the wake of increasing wages and high demand for products as a result of high disposable income, it is imperative that AI is introduced into the system to facilitate increased productivity and thereby address the present requirement. Artificial Intelligence works pretty well on its own and is known to increase productivity when applied in industries. But, research data proves that the use of AI as a replacement to redundant human activities can only help i n achieving a short-term productivity rise. Its ability to adapt continuously to varying tasks is something to be pondered upon. A collaborative environment where, both humans and AI combine, can prove to be more productive and lead to better results as opposed to individual involvement. Creativity is a domain where humans take lead and outperform machines, and machines have the ability to process large amount of data. Hence, it is essential that a combined effort be employed. In order to harness this potential, there must be a system where machines are taught adequately and the industrial process must be designed to integrate this partnership into it. Applications of the Human-AI Collaboration in Manufacturing General Electric has developed a new technology, called, Predix, which involves Human-AI collaboration. This technology can be employed in the predictive maintenance of equipment. Digital models of the equipment may be developed and continuous data is retrieved during its operation. This data is analyzed to predict mechanical issues that may arise out of continuous operation. Consequently, the downtime of the equipment, due to breakdown, may be reduced which translates to increased productivity. Mercedes had developed a robot to assist its employees in the production line. There was an increase in demand of customized S-Class sedans and Mercedes was not able to keep up with it, using normal robots. Hence, they developed a robot with a human touch, called Cobots so as to assist the human workforce in manual labor and simultaneously incorporate the customization required. The worker controls the operations but the task is performed by the robot. Role of Humans in the collaboration Humans play a pivotal role in training AI-enabled systems on how to go about its work. Machine-learning algorithms must be trained in a way to bring about the desired result in a desired manner. Moreover, machines must also be trained to interact with humans so as to maintain a sustainable balance while working to increasing the productivity. AI assistants are now being trained to incorporate human characteristics so that a better workplace is ensured. Another task that humans would perform is to explain the process by which the machine arrived at its action. The complex processing in the back-end needs to be explained in simple terms to people who work with the machines. Humans are also bound to explain the cause behind a fatality or accident caused by AI assisted machines. Humans must also ensure that the AI assisted machines are functioning normally and safely. Abnormal breakdowns can occur and this may lead to huge losses. Human intervention in such scenarios helps to take prompt decisions and ensures sustainable and smooth running of the process. Engineers also ensure that machines identify human presence and don’t cause harm to them. Road Map for India India is the sixth largest economy and is one of the fastest growing. Application of AI is essential for the future. The government has supported many new innovations in this field and new startups are coming up. In the latest Budget 2018, Niti Aayog has proposed a National Program on Artificial Intelligence for national development with a positive outlook on manufacturing sector. This would help in utilizing the emerging scientific talent in India and come up with new innovations. Productivity and downtime is the major issue in Indian manufacturing sector and AI collaboration is the right step forward. New startups and foreign investments have started coming up and the future is certainly looking bright. The stage is set for AI to take over manufacturing industry and transform the way it functions. It requires a subtle balance of both human and machine participation to effectively achieve the objective of streamlined and effective manufacturing. Humans should indeed be receptive of this technology rather than being apprehensive, because the advent of this technology will open the door for a large number of opportunities. It is upon us to grab this opportunity by acquiring the required skills and blending into the digital world. This was the same when smartphones and other devices were developed and this should be the way ahead. There might be an imminent danger to humans, in a scenario where machines turn out to be more intelligent than humans. But, this idea seems to be a little far-fetched considering the present situation.

Management Strategy and Decision Making case study - 2

Management Strategy and Decision Making - Case Study Example For instance, one of the main rules of the game is the identification of the standards in the industry that have a direct impact on the winners and losers. Thus, based on the tactics, each organization can apply those actions that best support their corporate and business strategies. Finally, the model of scope is used by the companies to determine the geographical extent in regard to the number of the competitors and customers. Navita’s business strategy include expansion of the existing operations through improvement of marketing techniques, targeted strategic acquisitions, and evolution of its business delivery. Navitas has recorded a strong record of consistent growth evidenced by increased number of students since the year 1995 to 2008 who are the players in this case by extending its customer base to Canada, UK, Zambia, and Kenya, among other regions and countries. For instance, its customers (number of students) increased from approximately 1200 in 2007 to 1500 in 2008. Further, its quality of services has substantially increased due to additional value created by its products and services like enhancement of performance through involvement of the players in different programs that has led to customer satisfaction. In addition, the company has expanded its businesses (scope) to different countries through the tactic of continued diversification and evolution of its business activities aimed at increasing thee customer base and profits (Guruz, 2008). Kaplan’s corporate strategy is based on continued innovation, expansion of its existing services, and customer satisfaction. In Australia, the company’s business strategy includes the acquisition of the local companies in the domestic market and expansion of its services. In terms of players, the company corporate strategy of expansion is in response to its competitors and