Monday, September 30, 2019

US Current Account Deficit

According to Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Current Account Deficit of the United States is now at the highest point it has ever reached, nearing $800 billion. This situation is not financially sustainable because in accounting terms it demands that the US economy must import about $4 billion every working day to offset the deficit. The deficit is definitely a problem for the economy because it has to be addressed both economically and politically.The two factors, economics and politics go hand in hand and the relationship between the two factors is directly proportional meaning that when politics are generally tranquil, the economy grows and vice versa. To be able to address the deficit a combination of well orchestrated measures must be taken thus: – i) The first measure is rather obvious and it dictates a sizable reduction in the US budget expenditure.Money guzzlers like the protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have to be contained. ii) The second me asure is an expansion of demand for domestic US products in other economies particularly other major economies for faster results. Along with this expansion, the US has to reduce its dependence on imports particularly oil whose price fluctuations have a negative effect on the US economy. iii) The third measure is a technical gradual and substantial realignment of currency exchange rates.A cheaper dollar would stimulate exports which would in turn earn the US the much needed foreign exchange. One handicap with this measure is that other major economies like China and the Oil Producing States have to allow the dollar to fall further against their currencies an act which is not probable. This is because of the less than amiable relations between the US and the other economies. Simply put, these nations might not be very willing to bail the US out.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Types of Software Systems

Types of Software Systems Computers are the brain of new world that belong humanity. People save up time and obtain some functions with computers. In time, the future seen on computers and people pursue them. At first, they just consist of a lot of pieces electronic circuits to operate some function such as addition and subtraction. Electronic circuits in other words hardware systems are taken on meaning with software systems to solve more complicated function. Computer software systems are divided into three major categories: system software, programming oftware and application software. The initial section about software systems refers to system software. System software is substratum point on computer system which provide major actions. Other software systems base system software to command their functions. System software includes device drivers, operating systems and servers. Operating systems with other words collection of software resource common services for computer programs . They are the vital system on computer and provide database to application softwares.Device drivers which manage a particular kind of device, are computer program. Considering microphones that attached to computers, they need software to recognise themselves to operating systems. Servers is the system software that relate computers to each others. Internet is formed with server systems. Thus, information is accessible from person to person. The second part of software systems is about programming software. Programming software include tools that is used by software developers, such as create, ebug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications. Computer need compiler which is set of programs for transforming source code into another computer programming language. This transformation create an executable program. In addition, computer debug and test from controller system to avoid bugs. This system is called debugger. Also, interpreters execute instructions written in programming language. They are language and basis of casual programs. Matlab and BASIC are instances for interpreter.The final section of software systems is application softwares. Application softwares support the user to perform specific tasks. This category of software systems contains user-friendly programs such as media players, office suites, accounting software, graphics software. Application softwares synchronize with system and programming softwares. All in all, system softwares, programming softwares and application softwares are main sections of computer softwares. Computers become functional with these softwares that synchronize hardwares.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Jung's Neo Psychodynamic Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jung's Neo Psychodynamic Theory - Essay Example There are two main types of phobias, which are as follows: 1) specific phobia and 2) the social phobia (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). Commonly, specific phobia is a continuing and unfounded fear coupled with a strong sense of desire to steer clear of specific situations or objects (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). The extensive assortment of stimulus that may elicit the fear is usually lesser than in other types of phobia disorders, hence, specific phobias are also called simple phobias (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). Social phobia on the other hand is a â€Å"social anxiety disorder,† which if apparent in children is likewise termed â€Å"avoidant disorder† (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). People who experience social phobias are fearful of social activities like meetings, parties, making complaints, interacting with others, etc. Most individuals who suffer from this disorder believe that they are being scrutinized and assessed by others once they are out in public, that is why they shun to be within the midst of others, strangers and family members alike (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). In comparison to simple phobias, social phobia does not diminish as the individual grows older and disappears once puberty and early adulthood is reached. It has the reversed effect of the aforementioned phobia since social phobia continues or intensifies as the person grows older (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). Generally, phobias are offshoots of memories and imaginations; and are sometimes based on factual reasons. However, it is always best to be able to differentiate genuine fears from phobias as early as possible (Phobia Variations Defined and Explained, n.d.). The subject is a thirty-five year old female, married and currently working as a secretary in an urban city capital of Europe. Ms. Iris, the patient, is often uneasy in the company of others

Friday, September 27, 2019

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Essay

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Green - Essay Example This means that a perusal of most of Whistler’s work will reveal little else than an artist’s creative impulses gone wild. Tonalism can be seen as a result of these creative impulses of Whistler. Whistler’s 1866 Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (910 x 1080 x 100 mm painting, oil on canvas, London: Tate, N05065) is perhaps one of the earliest works that reflects the artist’s desire for tonalist attitudes. The painting is the first piece in a large number of similar works that followed at the hands of Whistler. This indicates that the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (Figure 1) cannot be evaluated in isolation from these other related works because they share similar traits and characteristics that eventually came to define tonalism. Another major thing to take note of is the relative unknown nature of Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso as not many treatises on art especially art from the tonalist genres have given it much focus1. However if the period immediately before this painting in Whistler’s life is looked at, it will become very clear that it defines a personal rebellion. In turn this personal rebellion from an already Maverick persona resulted in new nuances being painted into the heart of the world of art. The combination of various rebellious attitudes coupled with a distant past in the military gave birth to the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso and its sister works that were all created in Chile and represented similar militaristic scenarios processed through the lens of an artist’s eyes. The sister pieces of the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso include The Morning after the Revolution: Valparaiso, Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 3) and the sketch for Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 4). Whistler possessed an uncanny genius for art from an early age2 and this in turn affected his personal choices on life and career. Being a rebel from the start, Whistler was quick to abandon his career with the military at West Point but this in turn left some unfinished desires with Whistler3. As the rebellion in the Spanish colony of Chile took on the shape of a war, Whistler was attracted to revisit the military based part of his persona. Speculation remains to why Whistler went to Chile – some claim he was looking to satisfy his militarism based impulses from West Point4, others think that Whistler considered the rebellion of the Chileans as heroic5 while recent research suggests that he was selling arms to the Chileans. In any case, Whistler was an artist before he went to Chile and artists generally detest war because of its barbaric conduct. However Whistler still chose to go to Chile. Before this point in time Whistler had been rebelling from an ordinary life in order to achieve his life of artistic desire6. Yet his voyage to Chile reveals that now Whistler was rebelling from his art istic life in order to come to terms with a life where you have to work to make some money. This in turn indicates that Whistler was more or less at war with himself at this point in time and his accounts from the ship he travelled on show a Whistler who is disinterested in life and what happens around him. His personal infighting must have kept him well occupied on his journey from Spain to Chile. His first painting in this series of paintings, Crepuscule in Fle

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Any artist from United Arab Emirats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Any artist from United Arab Emirats - Essay Example Hussain El Jassmi’s music career began early in his childhood having had the chance to perform UAE television when he was just seven years old. His music style and voice, which was full of warmth compassion, and tenderness, even at such an age, drew attracted attention from everyone who has a chance to listen to him. The pure inborn talent that attracted one of the biggest production companies, the Rotana Cooperation, to sign him culminating in his first album in 2002 which consisted of singles like Al Kibr Lil, Azibtny, Bawadak, El Tarf, Kan Zial, Min Gabrkm, Qasd, Safr and Ya Elmhbin. Hussein Al Jassmi and the Rotana Cooperation has since 2013, terminated their contract after the production company and the singer had a disagreement over a number of singles that the singer sold to some radio stations without consent from the production company. Hussain El Jassmi’s love for music does not end with music production; he has also taken part in production of soundtracks for TV series in addition to performing in a number of festivals such as Dubai Festival, Salalah Festival in Oman, and Hala Febrayer Festival in Kuwait. Lovers of his music are attracted to his songs due to Hussain El Jassmi’s choice of words, music rhythm, and the general composition of his songs that introduced him as unique and new in the Middle East world of singing and art. When the popular TV series, X-factor came to the Arab world Hussain Al Jassmi was selected as one of the judges in the show. As one of the most popular musicians from the United Arab Emirates, Hussain Al Jassmi rose to fame in the local and regional music industry after the release of his first single Bawada'ak, which became an instant hit, played in radio and television. After the success of Bawada'ak, Hussain Al Jassmi went on to release a new single called Wallah Mayiswa, which further propelled him into the Middle East music charts as one of the most talented artists in addition to selling thousands of copies of the song. Hussain Al Jassmi’s rise in the Middle East music industry was capped with a best Arabic male singer award during the 2008 Murex d'Or award ceremony. After the first album, Husain Al Jassmi released another album in 2004 that included songs such as, Aaly Al Mostawa, Al Ray Wa Al Theeb, Al Shaky, Baasy, Bekaitek, and Betshabeh Aalayya. His 2006 album included songs like Akkidili, Al Habeeb, Al Khiyana, Balligh Habeebak, Saber, Wesk Hal, and Ya Khafeef Al Roh. These songs plus other singles has continued to be popular in the Middle East as seen from the millions of copies that the singer has sold. Since the release of his first album Qasid in 2002, Hussain Al Jassmi has taken part in other major events both in the Middle East and throughout the world. Al Jassmi has engaged in charity work especially as the IIMSAM`s Goodwill Ambassador for third world countries to tackle malnutrition in developing countries. In his work as the goodwill ambassador for IIMSA M, Al Jassmi joined a number of other high-profile individuals who have been recognized for their contributions toward the needy in the international community including US President Barrack Obama, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and Argentinean soccer legend Diego Maradona. On May 2012, took part in an advocacy campaign for the needy in the North African Region and GCC on behalf of IIMSAM. All the proceeds generated from his concerts

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Catch-22 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Catch-22 - Research Paper Example He was ready to comply with the U.S. Air Force standard of twenty-five combat missions and go home. However, Colonel Cathkart dreaming of fame at any cost, patriotically increases the number of required missions and it makes Yossarian’s desire to go home unreal. Actually, in some time Yossarian begins to fight worse and worse. Going up in the air he has a single goal – to return alive, and he totally does not care where they drop bombs – on the enemy’s object, or in the sea. But the commanders fight bravely, ready to carry out the most daring operations, as long as their subordinates risk their lives. They heroically disregard the dangers borne by others. It is not a problem to bomb the Italian mountain village, even without warning civilians. They are not afraid that there will be casualties, since it will create a perfect jam for enemy equipment. They are fiercely fighting each other for a place under the sun. Thus, General Peckem is plotting the defeat of the insidious enemy, which is the other American General Dreedle. For the sake of the general’s epaulettes Cathkart mercilessly exploits his pilots. Each of the many characters in this literary mural has its own war to win in, and for the victory they would spare neither effort nor life, someone else’s life. ... , gaining freedom), it serves not only to reveal the image of the protagonist of the novel Yossarian, but also the ideological and philosophical perspectives of Catch-22. Images and perspectives are revealed step by step: with each new episode of the central themes of the novel acquire new sensual fullness and variety of interpretations: The most significant aspect of the structure of Catch-22 is its chronology. Behind what appears to be merely random events lies a careful system of time-sequences involving two distinct and mutually contradictory chronologies (Gaukroger 71). This is largely due to the multi-faceted structure of the novel, â€Å"disparate elements of its structure as the seeming chaos of its surface text and its unrelenting comedy† (Woodson 153). Chaotic at first glance, the text of the first chapters of in the end of the novel acquires a clear structure; isolated episodes are arranged into a single event line. With immersion into the atmosphere of Catch-22 a c omic element is reduced to a bitter sarcasm and almost disappears in the final chapters. According to Joseph Heller: But certainly there is nothing funny about death; there is nothing funny about the death of a young man, and the fact I often in Catch-22 present the death of somebody in a flippant or disrespectful way was not only intended to have almost a contrapuntal effect—to avoid sentimentality—but also to make it perhaps more effective by dismissing the seriousness of death briefly as well (quoted in Meredith 50) Absurdity, which at the beginning of the novel is perceived more as a literary device, is gradually revealed as an existentialist category. The same event is described repeatedly, shown through the lens of views of different characters, the same facts are presented in different

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

IBM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

IBM - Essay Example rless cars and the use of big data systems to understand and predict human behavior and human and other physical and social systems (Hewett et al., 1996; National Science Foundation, 2014; Sankar, 2012). At IBM the work on human-computer interaction is extensive and goes back through time, evidenced by the presence of academic and scientific studies dating back to at least the late 1990s with works such as those relating to determining the intention of humans to speak to computers in systems that are able to detect human language, for instance. The cues in this latter example are detected by computers not only through voice but also through visuals, indicating an ability on the part of the computer to interact with humans on the level of sight and voice (Cuetos and Neti, n.d.; Neti et al., n.d.). Elsewhere IBM makes use of other terms to discuss and evolve technologies that amount to variations of the same set of technologies related to HCI, and a standout term that IBM has come to u se of late is the term and concept of cognitive computing (IBM, 2015). An example of cognitive computing breakthroughs and projects that IBM has come to pursue of late is evolving the natural language processing capabilities of its computing systems, making use of Watson for instance as a model and a repository of what IBM has developed in this area. In Watson for instance, the test of effective HCI was its joining and winning a Jeopardy Challenge in the early part of 2011, besting some very tough human competition. This is an instance of HCI in IBM breaking ground to the extent that computing systems are able to match and surpass the cognitive capabilities of the most successful human contestants (IBM, 2015b). More pragmatic applications of HCI at IBM include using HCI advances to further the interaction between humans and business systems to improve productivity for instance, and to extend the advances to the management of systems of business IT (IBM, 2015c; Muller and Druin,

Monday, September 23, 2019

Movie Review Shawshank Redemption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Review Shawshank Redemption - Essay Example He accepts the punishment with dignity, not bothering about the social stigma associated, for he knows he is innocent. The Shawshank Prison reflects the drudgery and slowness of prison life, as is visible in most prison movie. The striking difference however, is the portrayal of Andy’s free and hopeful spirit, and how one free spirit can bring about a radical change in the environment. Andy has his shares of troubles in prison. The Shawshank prison reflects some of the rawest forms of human rights’ violation including â€Å"the Sisters† attempting to get Andy to perform oral sex for them. The movie is about a determined, hopeful human being with an unbending spirit breaking free from the shackles of misery. Andy, slowly but steadily, inches his way through the walls using a rock-hammer over a period of decades until he finally breaks free. Even during his stay in prison, Andy improves the quality of life of his inmates by helping establish a small prison library. His knowledge of Banking and Taxation help him to initially work with the corrupt warden, finally expose his misdeeds in public and leading him to commit suicide in the end. The movie perhaps trudges along a trifle slowly in the middle. That could well be a reflection of the leaden passage of time, the years of redemption one has to undergo before achieving salvation and experiencing freedom. The cinematography is near excellent. The damp blue, green, and grey walls, which at times seem like shades of black and white, reflect the characteristic dullness of prison life. The Shawshank Redemption is also a story of friendship between two souls – Andy and Red (Morgan Freeman). It is a story of how two individuals from contrasting backgrounds – one guilty of murder and the other innocent, come together to help each other. While Red, â€Å"the man who can get you anything in prison,† helps him get hold of a rock-hammer – the tool that helps him achieve his goal of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Personal Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Personal Development Plan Essay Personal Development Planning Made Easy! A guide to recording experience and learning from it What is Personal Development Planning? Studying at university is not just about learning a lot of things that are fascinating in themselves but — at least in the case of most Arts subjects — rather disconnected from ‘the real world’. At the same time as you develop your knowledge of your subject and the skills required to perform well in it, you’re actually developing a whole range of skills and intellectual abilities that can be transferred to other areas of life, including your future employment. Arts subjects don’t generally equip you for a specific job; they actually equip you to undertake almost any job that doesn’t required specialised scientific training. Moreover, university life is intended to present you with all kinds of chances to develop yourself as an individual with a range of interests and experiences, and not just as someone reading books, writing essays and taking exams. An Arts graduate should be versatile, imaginative, critical, flexible, incisive, confident and articulate, and so ready for any challenge or task — if only you can recognise these abilities in yourself. This is where Personal Development Planning (PDP) comes in. With an ever-increasing number of well-qualified graduates entering the labour market each year, it is crucial to your success after completing your studies that you know exactly what skills you have to offer — academic, work-related and personal — when you start applying for jobs, and that you can provide solid evidence of those skills. Your studies will have helped you develop crucial transferable skills and personal atributes, and so will many of your extra-curricular activities; you just have to be able to articulate these to prospective employers. PDP helps you to keep track of what you’ve learned, how you learned it, and what you might do with that learning later on; it can also help you to plan for the future and to identify what skills or attributes you may need to develop in order to achieve your goals. Getting involved with PDP should help you to: †¢Consider what you really want to do †¢Make the right academic, personal and professional decisions †¢Set personal goals and targets †¢Identify programmes and extra-curricular opportunities and training to help you develop your skills †¢Plan ahead to achieve your goals Evaluate your own progress †¢Record different kinds of achievement Personal Development Planning is one part of your university ‘progress file’. This is not an actual document but a combination of any personal development planning activities that you engage in and record, as well as the formal academic transcript of your marks that your university provides you wit h at the end of your studies. It offers a detailed, rounded account of everything that you have achieved at university. In recent years, universities have become more aware that their students need to be highly employable, and that means not just graduating with a good degree but being able to demonstrate a whole range of skills and abilities that will help you to gain and maintain the employment you want. Getting used to setting targets for yourself and evaluating your progress now will stand you in good stead for success in your future working life, and one of the key aims of an Arts education at Bristol is to help you realise that learning is a truly life-long activity, not something that stops when you leave university. We want, therefore, to encourage you to reflect regularly on your performance; we aim to provide useful guidance on how to go about this, for example through this guide, and to provide regular opportunities for reflection and discussion, above all through the personal tutor system. Ultimately, you have to take responsibility for your own personal development, but we’ll do our best to help and support this process. Do I need Personal Development Planning? Try this self-evaluation exercise. For each of the following statements, rate your responses: strongly agree = 0; agree = 1; sort of agree = 2; disagree = 3; strongly disagree = 4. 1. I am certain that I can keep myself motivated towards achieving my degree for the next few years 2. I am very clear what my goals are for the next five years 3. I am confident that I have planned sufficiently to enable me to achieve my goals 4. I am very clear how my degree fits into my life plans 5. I am clear which skills employers are looking for 6.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sex Trafficking in the United States Essay Example for Free

Sex Trafficking in the United States Essay A young girl from Tijuana was only 13 years when she was sold to a man from the United States. already having a child, she was sold under the agreement that he would help her support her child whom was diagnosed with leukemia. Little did she know, the cruel man took her baby away and used it against her. She was not aware that her baby was not getting the care that was promised, unfortunately, the child later died due to the lack of nutrition and medical care that he needed. Not only was she not able to see her child before of after he died, she is and will be imprisoned as a sex slave for as long as she lives.(â€Å"homebrewedchristianity†) Sex trafficking is an inhumane business with no benefits other than hurting and even killing victims. It is a modern day form of slavery in which commercial sex is induced by force, fraud, physical violence. Traffickers often transport victims from their homes to unfamiliar destinations leaving the victims vulnerable and alone. Victims are forced to go through physical violence and are mentally abused with the use of psychological threats to engage in commercial sex act. If we want to end sex trafficking, we must start with ourselves. I truly believe that we must put an end to this cruel and disgusting industry. To ultimately put and end to sex trafficking, we must address the issue and educate the dangers of sex trafficking, properly train law enforcement and to create crisis centers for trafficked victims to potentially exploit these traffickers of their cruel act. Although it is a global and complex problem, I believe that by acquiring knowledge of this situation will help bring a n end to this inhumane travesty. Like trafficking drugs and firearms, it is a very large and a highly driven criminal industry going on in the world today. Although there are different types of trafficking, they all share one common objective which is supply and demand. Human trafficking is fueled by fraudulent of empty promises that only leads to cheap labor and commercial sex. In a sex trafficking fact sheet, it states that there is an estimate of 1.2 million children are trafficked each year (UN.GIFT). This is a very scary estimate for it being just children, but what is more sad than that estimate is that in 2006, there were only 5,808 prosecutions and as little as 3,160 convictions throughout the world. With that being said, for every 800 people trafficked, only one person is convicted (Trafficking in Persons Report). By obtaining knowledge and sharing viable information about the dangers of sex trafficking will help bring awareness to our society and will help cease this awful industry. In most situations with law enforcement officers are not properly trained to deal with sex traffickers or victims. In order for us to control and potentially put an end to sex trafficking law enforcement personnel must be able to see the signs of trafficking and be trained to take on trafficking situations that may occur. In a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation case study, worked with the Vanderbilt Center for Community Studies conducted a large study with law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, state and federal prosecutors. The study shows that 79% of the people surveyed say that they are not adequately trained to handle sex trafficking cases. (â€Å"TBI Releases First Ever Study†). There is a need for training people who are in law enforcement, people who work in courts, and who work as social workers. When they are put in a position with trafficked victim, with proper training, workers are able to handle various types of sex trafficking situations and essentially seek out help for those victims. There is a physical and psychological cost that these trafficked victims must pay. Women who have been physically and psychologically abused will experience a feeling of shame and depression that will lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. These victims will normally stray away and hide from the public view because although they are victims of this cruel slavery, they are often treated as criminals by authorities rather as victims. Real criminals live in the shadows. there is an illicit network of traffickers, pimps, recruiters, brothel owners, and johns prey on vulnerable children because traffickers prefer children who look more youthful and with also a longer shelf life. These adolescents are frown upon by law enforcement and people because they only see what these children off as prostitutes, they are un aware that these children are being forced to sell themselves. A child would not volunteer to have sex with ten (or more) grown men penetrating their bodies every evening (†Å"Not For Sale Campaign†). The U.S. is one of the world’s largest â€Å"consumers† of the modern day slave trade. There is a need for programs and help centers to be made for trafficked victims when they are released from a prostitution ring. With programs made for trafficked victims, they are able to start new lives by attending these centers and programs to begin to physically and psychologically heal. Florida has become a pioneer in the battle against the issue of human trafficking, Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 99, The Safe Harbor Act helps provide services to help victims who have been sexually abused and exploited. The Safe Harbor Act allows children who are rescued from prostitution rings to get help through dependency systems instead of being placed in juvenile delinquency(â€Å"New Laws Help Fight Human Trafficking†). Targeted News Service also says that, â€Å"These children are under physical and psychological control of their trafficker. Existing foster homes and foster parents may not be appropriate for their needs. The Safe Harbor Act will allow our community-based care partners to provide these children with specific services that will help them cope with the trauma they have endured†(â€Å"New Laws Help Fight Human Trafficking†). Governor Scott also signed House Bill 7049, which gives prosecutors the ability to have a better chance of a fight at this crime by imposing tougher penalties. Being in a prostitution ring may be the only thing these adolescents know, their pimps or traffickers have put these children under physical and psychological pain. Not only are they vulnerable, these victims have been away for so long families are so hard to get in contact with. It is our job to help these victims and encourage other states to take action on this cruel act and pass laws such a s this one to give victims a safe place to turn to as well as help give them a promising future. Although each of the three proposals are logical and could possibly re-abolish slavery, two of the proposals might not be the way to go. Training law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and social workers, as well as opening help centers might not be the most cost effective. I truly believe that advocating and bringing awareness to the public to potentially cease sex trafficking. There are many web organizations such as www.notforsalecampaign.org, www.polarisproject.org , and homebrewedchristianity.com, help provide information about sex trafficking, true stories about trafficked victims, and global statistics. By having organizations such as these sites help provide information about the cruelty of sex trafficking and way to make an effort to help abolish the trafficking industry. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to put an end to sex trafficking. In order for us to cease this horrid industry, we must start from within. For these helpless victims be put through a horrible travesty is hell on earth for these innocent people. We sometimes do not think about what we way when we joke about rape, or make fun of â€Å"sluts† or â€Å"prostitutes† we contribute to an industry that hurt innocent people. That is why is it so important to be aware that there are millions of people who are in need to seek help and to be rescued. We must come together as a society to bring this cruel act into the forefront of the media to expose traffickers and pimps to bring justice for trafficked victims and to essentially put an end to sex trafficking. Works Cited Home Brewed Christianity. Hell On Earth: A Sex Trafficking Survivor’s Story. HBC, 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2012 New Laws Help Fight Human Trafficking and Rescue our Children Who have been Victims of Sexual Exploitation. Targeted News ServiceJun 12 2012. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 14 Oct. 2012 . Not For Sale: End Human Trafficking and Slavery. NFS, 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2012 TBI Releases First Ever Study on Human Sex Trafficking in the State. Targeted News ServiceMay 18 2011. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 14 Oct. 2012 . Un.Gift. Global initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. GITFHT, 2007. Web. 5 Dec, 2012

Friday, September 20, 2019

Recruitment And Selection Policies For Companies Management Essay

Recruitment And Selection Policies For Companies Management Essay In order to compete successfully in a global market, more companies are beginning to focus on the role of human resources, most importantly on recruitment and selection as a critical part of their core competence and a source of competitive advantage. A good recruitment is very essential for an effective human resource management. According to Sparrow and Hiltrop (1994), the effectiveness of many other human resource activities, such as selection and training, depends largely on the quality of new employees attracted through the recruitment process. Also, Sparrow (2006) pointed out that the challenges for HR business partners in handling recruitment for an international organisation vary in each country, but a common need is the question of how to ensure rigour and consistency across operations in very different cultures, business markets and labour markets. 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Hiring competent individuals has always been and will always be of paramount importance to business organisations, which is highly dependent on the recruitment and selection, which aims to attract and retain high-quality individuals in order to achieve continued success within the organisations. The importance of recruitment and selection should never be ignored. One of the earliest management writers, Taylor F.W (1911) complained about the typical way individuals were selected based on who you knew or who was first in the queue. Taylor introduced the idea that people should be selected for their skills and abilities, which should be tested before the selection decision. Due to the increase in internalisation, HR departments of multinational companies have put so much importance on the recruitment and selection of their staff, primarily because recruitment and selection is involved in making future predictions about future behaviour, so that decisions can be made about who will be most suitable for a particular job. 1.2 AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY I aim to analyse the recruitment and selection policies of Ernst Young (EY) and KPMG in their different subsidiaries which are Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and to build the concepts on human resource management literature, which will help me to analyse what these companies did well? What these companies did badly? How these companies can be improved? What lessons we can learn from these companies? Would the recruitment and selection methods change overtime for Ernst Young Nigeria and KPMG Sierra Leone in the likely future?. 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The importance of this study/paper is to explain and persuade my readers on the importance of an effective recruitment and selection policies from my analysis of Ernst Young Nigeria and KPMG Sierra Leone. 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY According to Lee (1989) research is a systematic quest for undiscovered knowledge. The result of the pursuit of this knowledge is known as research. I would be carrying out a case study on Ernst Young and KPMG in their foreign subsidiaries; which are Nigeria and Sierra Leone and to carry out an analysis on the recruitment and selection policies used. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW There are many previous studies and literature concerning recruitment and selection, this review will aim to expand on these and use the concepts of human resource management literature to offer a diverse understanding. Recruitment is defined as searching for and obtaining potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality so that the organisation can select the most appropriate people to fill its job needs. Selection is the process of gathering information for the purposes of evaluating and deciding who should be employed in particular jobs. With that said, every organisation has to recruit workers, select them, pay them, and also motivate them and in the long run eventually arrange for their retirement or departure. However, things are done differently in different countries; not only do they have different cultures (the foreign subsidiaries am analysing are Nigeria and Sierra Leone which are Wes-African countries), they also operate with different educated and skilled workforces, and in different economic situations, with different labour laws, government support or control and so on. Recruitment and selection vary across different countries, in HRM there are the concepts of international and comparative human resource management, and there is a distinction between Comparative HRM and International HRM which was made clear by Boxall (1995). Comparative human resource management explores the extent to which HRM differs between different countries or between different areas within a country or different regions of the world (Brewster and Larsen, 2000). Comparative human resource management is telling us that employment systems differ noticeably between countries and that managing human resources has to vary from country to country. 2.1 INTERNATIONAL HRM In international HRM, which is the basis of this paper, primarily because it seeks to understand the approaches used in the management of employees by multinational companies in their subsidiaries. For these international organisations, human resource management is a key to success. International HRM examines the way organisations manage their human resources across these different national contexts. According to Brewster and Lee (2006), international organisations have employees who work across national borders. In international HRM, there are staffing issues that internationalizing companies encounter that are either not present in a domestic environment, or are complicated by the international context in which these human resource activities take place and how subsidiaries respond. There are four (4) main approaches in which multinational companies deal with the management of employees in their foreign subsidiaries, these approaches were developed in the international business strategy literature which focused on human resource management and was carried out by Perlmutter (1969) and Heenan Perlmutter (1979) these approaches are; Ethnocentric, Polycentric, Regiocentric and Geocentric approaches. In the Ethnocentric Approach; in this approach the strategic decisions are made at headquarters, few foreign subsidiaries have any autonomy. Key positions at the foreign operations are held by headquarters management personnel, this type of approach is common at the early stages of internationalisation because of the need to maintain good communication, co-ordination, and control links with corporate headquarters, subsidiaries are usually managed by expatriates from the parent country (PCNs). A common disadvantage to this approach is that the workers of the host country nationals (HCNs) feel inferior or cheated to the workers of the parent country nationals (PCNs) when salaries, compensation packages, company bonuses are compared. In the Polycentric Approach; in this approach the multinational company treats each subsidiary as a distinct national entity with some decision-making autonomy. Subsidiaries are usually managed by local nationals (HCNs) who are rarely promoted to positions at headquarters. Likewise parent country nationals (PCNs) are rarely transferred to foreign subsidiary operation. In this approach, there is continuity to the management of foreign subsidiaries, which avoids the turnover of key managers that, by its very nature results from an ethnocentric approach. However, the major difficulty with this approach is that of bridging the gap between the host country national (HCN) subsidiary managers and parent country national (PCN) managers at corporate headquarters. This approach will be further analysed in chapter 3. In the Regiocentric Approach; this approach is a reflection of the geographic strategy and structure of the multinational. Personnel may move outside their countries but generally only within a particular geographic region (e.g. Europe or Asia Pacific). In this approach, regional managers may not be promoted to headquarters position but enjoy a degree of regional autonomy in decision-making. In the Geocentric Approach; the multinational companies takes a worldwide stance in respect of its operations, it recognises that each part makes a unique contribution with its overall competence. It is usually accompanied by a worldwide integrated business, and nationality is ignored in favour of ability. Here, parent country nationals (PCNs), host country nationals (HCNs) and third country nationals (TCNs) can be found in key positions anywhere of the multinational, including those at the senior management level at headquarters, subsidiaries and on the board of directors. A common disadvantage to this approach is that it can be expensive to implement because it leads to an increase in training of workers and also the issue of relocation costs. The above literature illustrates the four (4) different approaches used by multinationals in the management of their employees in foreign subsidiaries, some authors believe the polycentric approach to be very global, in that, subsidiary managers are responsible for their own strategy and co-ordination is needed across multiple dimensions. However, there are critics such as Mayrhofer and Brewster (1996) who argue that the vast majority of firms are ethnocentric. These four (4) approaches provide an understanding of international human resource management (IHRM) within an organisation. 2.2 COMPARATIVE HRM There are also two (2) approaches to research and thinking in the field of HRM; due to the issue regarding whether HR practices can be transferred, these approaches are; the Universalist and the Contextual or in the terms of this chapter, the comparative (Brewster, 1999). These two (2) approaches are also reflected in the debate between the two (2) schools of thought that contest the notion of convergence. Some researchers argue that even when there are differences, they are reducing as the notion of globalisation becomes more established and societies are moving towards each other in the way they do things, also including the way they manage their human resources. Other researchers argue that there is little evidence of such a moving together and that, in fact, societies remain steadfastly different and even unique. The Universalist approach is very dominant in the USA but is widely used elsewhere. The main aim of the Universalist approach is to improve organisational performance and to achieve organisational goals in HRM, and in particular strategic human resource management (SHRM). The major problem with this approach, is that it operates only at the level of organisation, ignoring policy at the national or international level and because is dominant in the USA it therefore, pertains more to the USA and in reality, it fails to provide insights to different countries in their practice of HRM. In contrast, the Contextual approach or comparative searches for an overall understanding of what is contextually unique and why. It is more focused on understanding what is different between and within HRM in various contexts and what led to those differences. Most researchers working in this paradigm believe that it is the explanation that matters, any link to firm performance is secondary. Contextualist researchers study the importance of such factors as culture, ownership structures, labour market and so on which are the aspects of the subject rather than external influences upon it. At this point, is important to know that neither approach is right nor wrong, both approaches, and the others that exist in other parts of the world, have a contribution to make. However, in practice there are often debates between the different approaches used to understand the nature of human resource management. 2.3 DUNNING ECLECTIC THEORY From the concept of international HRM literature, we understand the four (4) approaches in which multinational companies manage their employees in foreign subsidiaries, however, to understand why these multinational companies decided to set up in foreign subsidiaries, can be better understood with the Dunnings Eclectic theory (Dunning, 1992) which usually involves an arising need to establish a corporate culture in their subsidiaries and also most importantly, to transfer knowledge from the parent country national (PCNs) to the host country national (HCNs) and third country national (TCNs) which involves the need for expatriates (number of people who are sent by multinational companies on foreign assignments on a short or long period of time). The Dunnings Eclectic theory explains the roles of expatriates, which are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To secure transfer of technology positions, as companies send the expatriates abroad in order to transfer their technology to the foreign subsidiary i.e. in countries where qualified people are not available, companies send the parent country nationals (PCNs) to fill out the positions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To secure the headquarter control, where the multinational companies can exercise this control by using the parent country nationals (PCNs) in their foreign subsidiaries. In such situations firms try to incorporate the headquarters culture into the foreign operations, which in some cases may create cultural problems. Especially when multinationals tend to demand administrative and financial control in their foreign operations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It leads to an opportunity for international experience or management development, several firms find international experience highly important before promoting their employees. Foreign transfers are here important in order to learn foreign cultures and environments. In such situations qualified host country nationals (HCNs) are available but managers are still transferred to foreign subsidiaries to acquire knowledge and skills. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To help in organizational development, this could be called the Geocentric approach. This role is performed only by the best people at the best places without nationality barriers. Transfers can take place from headquarters to subsidiaries, from subsidiaries to headquarters, or from subsidiaries to subsidiaries. Nationality of employees does not matter in this situation, as the objective of this staffing strategy is to get to know about different cultures, create international networks, decentralization, and interaction between managers of different nationalities. In general, this strategy is mostly followed by larger global companies. However, multinational companies are increasingly adopting a strong global mindset and reducing the number of expatriates that are usually sent on foreign operations, which is usually costly for the multinational companies. Interestingly, multinational companies are beginning to recruit and select more of the local talents in their foreign subsidiaries and also ensuring that the top management in their foreign subsidiaries understand the headquarters desires and corporate vision and making sure it conforms in line with the headquarters. CHAPTER 3 ANALYTICAL THEORY In order to ensure successful business management, leading companies and organizations are implementing new policies, standards, procedures, ensuring space for new organisational cultures, business models, new projects and products. Yet, managing human resources is more challenging than we may even expect or even imagine and also, most importantly recruiting and selecting the right quantity and quality of staff into an organisation. The following analysis shall focus on the recruitment and selection of Ernst Young and KPMG in their foreign subsidiaries which are Nigeria and Sierra Leone. 3.1 ERNST YOUNG IN FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY- NIGERIA Ernst Young (EY) Quality In Everything We do is ranked as one of the largest professional services in the world and one of the big four (4) auditors. Ernst Young which was founded in 1989 due to a global merger between Ernst Whinney and Arthur Young, however, its individual components can be traced back to 1849. Its global headquarters is located in London, United Kingdom in the region of Europe, furthermore, Ernst Young is a global industry which offers these professional services; audit, tax, financial advisory and consultancy to their clients. Ernst Young (EY) Nigeria was set up in the year 1991, and has been in Nigeria for twenty-one (21) years. Ernst Young is one of the largest firms of chartered accountants and business advisers in Nigeria. Their clients include many multinational companies from all sectors of business. The firm also serves an impressive array of middle market and privately held companies, this structure allows Ernst Young Nigeria to be very responsive to both established businesses and emerging and developing businesses. Ernst Young Nigeria provides four (4) principal services to their clients; Advisory, Audit, Tax and Transaction services. As at time of writing this paper, Ernst Young Nigeria has a staff of 260 people including sixteen (16) partners, these partners are both Nigerians and Expatriates, the firm is administered by the Partners who occupy key positions in the firm and are responsible for making decisions on the strategic direction of the firm. The objective of the recruitment and selection policies of Ernst Young Nigeria is: To recruit and select people according to merit (quality of being particularly good or worthy) so as to ensure efficiency and effectiveness and also that the right people (in terms of qualification and experience) occupy the right positions at Ernst Young Nigeria. This objective has helped Ernst Young Nigeria recruit and select the best type of applicants into their organisation. The reasons for recruiting at Ernst Young Nigeria is either to fill a vacancy i.e. replace a member of staff who has resigned or to bring in a new member of staff to ease the workload in the team. There are various factors which usually affect the design and implementation of recruitment and selection policies of any organisation. As expected the problems encountered during the design and implementation of the recruitment and selection policies of Ernst Young Nigeria is not for public knowledge. However, I am very certain Ernst Young Nigeria faced some challenges in the design and implementation of their recruitment and selection policies at the initial stage such as total lack of knowledge of the labour market and also an important issue of corruption which seems to be crippling the Nigerian economy. 3.2 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICIES OF ERNST YOUNG IN NIGERIA This is carried out differently depending on the category of staff required, which are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Professionals These categories of staff are recruited either into the Audit, Advisory or Tax Departments. The three (3) different departments have different skill requirements. Application letters and CVs are lodged by applicants and are reviewed based on the different qualifications required by each department. The minimum qualification for this category is a first degree in any field, also, professional qualifications such as ACCA, CIMA or a Masters degree is usually an added advantage. After the recruitment process is carried out, the selection is carried out which is in form of an interview, an interview is conducted by either a Business Unit leader or Manager and the HR Head of Ernst Young Nigeria, to find out more about the individual and their experience, the chosen applicants are assessed during the interview to know if they have excellent communications skills. Depending on the position being interviewed for, applicants may be asked to answer a written test. If the candidate is found sui table, a second interview is arranged with the prospective Partner during which a discussion on the salary and terms of conditions of service for the position are also discussed. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Trainees Prospective Trainee Accountants send their applications and CVs throughout the year to the company. These application letters are reviewed by members of the Human Resource department and applicants are short-listed if they meet Ernst Young (Nigeria) requirements which are as follows: i. Applicants must be aged a maximum of 25 if they are yet to start the professional examinations. ii. Applicants should preferably be graduates with good degrees; non-graduates are considered if they have started the professional exams already with good results. Applications are short-listed based on the above-mentioned criteria. Short-listed applicants are invited for a two (2) hour psychometric test. Those applicants who pass the test, are then selected and invited for an interview, this interview is conducted by a minimum of two (2) people including the HR Head and an Audit Manager. Applicants are expected to portray a commitment to the professional course they are pursuing with the intention of qualifying within the shortest possible time. This interview assesses the candidates communication skills, intelligence, and confidence. The interviewers must also be convinced that the candidate has the personality to fit into the Ernst Young Nigerias structure. Thereafter, a training program is run for Trainee Accountants by three (3) Audit professionals to get them familiarized with Ernst Young Audit methodology. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interns As part of Ernst Young Nigerias co-operate responsibilities, they offer internships/placement for graduates from recognized universities and polytechnics within Nigeria. This program should be over within three (3) months. To be eligible for the Internship Program, candidates must be in their third (3) year and possess a good predicated grade in their undergraduate degree with plans to pursue a career in audit, tax or advisory services. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Administrators à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Secretaries For the administrative staff and secretaries at Ernst Young Nigeria, an informal method of recruitment is usually used through the form of personal recommendation, often referred to as word of mouth. Those applicants who are suitable are then interviewed by the HR head, which is a very common form of selection. Thereafter, an appointment letter is sent to the suitable candidate detailing the terms and conditions of service and the salary attached to the position. The employee is required to return a signed copy of this agreement on commencement of work. 3.3 RESULTS FROM ANALYSIS From the overall framework, structure and organisation of Ernst Young Nigeria, I would say the management and staffing of employees in this subsidiary is using the Geocentric approach due to the fact that key positions at the subsidiary (EY Nigeria) are occupied by nationals of the host country (HCNs) and nationals of the Parent country (PCNs) who are all highly competent employees. The Regiocentric approach is also used by Ernst Young Nigeria reasons being that some staff are transferred within the same geographic region; some of the staff at Ernst Young Nigeria are from other African countries specifically from Ghana, South Africa all within the same geographic region. Ernst Young Nigeria commonly uses the internet method of recruitment; this method ensures a large pool of applicants, from which the best applicants are selected from. However, I disagree with this method of recruitment for a country like Nigeria, because Nigeria does not yet have a truly web coverage, therefore, people dont usually have access to the internet to apply for these jobs, and sometimes come across these jobs after the closing dates. For the recruitment of the Trainee Accountants into Ernst Young Nigeria, one of the criteria is that applicants should be a maximum of 25years; I frown upon this criterion because it is indirect age discrimination and should not be practiced, this cannot be present in Ernst Youngs headquarters due to the government legislation which frowns against any form of age discrimination. 3.4 KPMG IN FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY- SIERRA LEONE KPMG (cutting through complexity) is ranked as one of the largest professional services in the world and one of the big four (4) auditors. KPMG is a merger of Peat Marwick International and Klynveld Main Goerdeler this merger was established in 1987, in consonance with a decision of the international council to have all affiliate firms adapt the name to underscore the advisory functions of this world-wide firm. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen; Netherland in the region of Europe, KPMG is a global industry which offers these professional services; audit, tax and advisory. Its advisory services are further divided into three service groups- Management Consulting, Risk Consulting, and Transaction Restructuring. KPMG Sierra Leone was established in the 1930s by Edward Casselton Elliot but was not known as KPMG. It was called Peat Marwick Casselton Elliot and CO and has been in Sierra Leone for about 80 years. KPMG is the largest firm of chartered accountants and business advisers in Sierra Leone. Their clients include many multinational companies from all sectors of business. The firm also serves an impressive array of middle market and privately held companies, this structure allows KPMG Sierra Leone to be very responsive to both established businesses and emerging and developing businesses. KPMG Sierra Leone provides three (3) principal services to their clients; Audit, Taxation and Advisory services. As at time of writing this paper, KPMG Sierra Leone has a staff of 120 people including three (3) partners namely; Vidal T.O. Decker (Senior Managing Partner), Claudius Williams-Tucker (Tax Peoples partner) and Derrick Kawaley (Audit partner) all nationals of Sierra Leone, the firm is admin istered by the Partners who occupy key positions in the firm and are responsible for making decisions on the strategic direction of the firm. The objective of the recruitment and selection policies of KPMG Sierra Leone is: To recruit and select people according to set competencies, competencies are defined as a combination of behaviours, knowledge, skills and personality attributes. This objective has helped KPMG Sierra Leone recruit and select the best type of applicants into their organisation. The reason for recruiting at KPMG Sierra Leone is either to fill a vacancy i.e. replace a member of staff who has resigned or to bring in a new member of staff to ease the workload in the team. There are various factors which usually affect the design and implementation of recruitment and selection policies of any organisation. As expected the problems encountered during the design and implementation of the recruitment and selection policies of KPMG Sierra Leone is not for public knowledge. However, I am very certain KPMG Sierra Leone faced some challenges in the design and implementation of their recruitment and selection policies at the initial stage such as total lack of knowledge of the labour market. 3.5 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICIES OF KPMG IN SIERRA LEONE This is carried out differently depending on the category of staff required, which are: Professionals These categories of staff are recruited either into the Audit, Advisory or Tax Departments. The three (3) different departments have different skill requirements. Application letters and CVs are lodged by applicants and are reviewed based on the different qualifications required by each department. The minimum qualification for this category is a first degree in any field, also, professional qualifications such as ACCA, CIMA or a Masters degree is usually an added advantage. After the recruitment process is carried out, the selection is carried out which is in form of an interview, an interview is conducted by either a Business Unit leader or Manager and the HR Head of KPMG Sierra Leone, to find out more about the individual and their experience, roles in KPMG have required competencies based on personal and technical skills. These are assessed during the interview together with communications skills. Depending on the position being interviewed for, applicants may be asked to answer a written test. If the candidate is found suitable, a second interview is arranged with the prospective Partner during which a discussion on the salary and terms of conditions of service for the position are also discussed. Trainees Prospective Trainee Accountants send their applications and CVs throughout the year to the firm. These application letters are reviewed by members of the Human Resource department and applicants are short-listed if they meet KPMG Sierra Leone requirements which are as follows: Applicants must be aged a maximum of 27 if they are yet to start the professional examinations. Applicants should preferably be graduates with good degrees; non-graduates are considered if they have started the professional exams already with good results. Applications are short-listed based on the above-mentioned criteria. Short-listed applicants are invited for a three (3) hour psychometric test. Those applicants who pass the test, are then selected and invited for an interview, this interview is conducted by a minimum of two (2) people including the HR Head and an Audit Manager. Applicants are expected to portray a commitment to the professional course they are pursuing with the intention of qualifying within the shortest possible time. This interview assesses the candidates communication skills, intelligence, and confidence. The interviewers must also be convinced that the candidate has the personality to fit into the KPMG Sierra Leone structure. Thereafter, a training program is run for Trainee Accountants by three (3) Audit professionals to get them familiarized with KPMG Audit methodology. Interns As part of KPMG Sierra Leones co-operate responsibilities, they offer internships/placement for graduates from recognized universities and polytechnics. This program should be over within three (3) months. To be eligible for the Internship Program, candidates must be in their third (3) year and possess a good predicated grade in their undergraduate degree with plans to pursue a career in audit, tax or advisory services. Administrators Secretaries For the administrative staff and secretaries at KPMG Sierra Leone, an informal method of recruitment is usually used through the form of personal recommendation, often referred to as word of mouth. Those applicants who are suitable are then interviewed by the HR head and the partner, which is a very common form of selection. Thereafter, an appointment letter is sent to the suitable candidate detailing the terms and conditions of service and the salary attached to the position. The employee is required to return a signed copy of this agreement on commencement of work. 3.6 RESULTS FROM ANALYSIS From the overall framework, structure and organisation of KPMG Sierra Leone I would say the management and staffing of employees in this subsidiary is using the Polycentric approach, due to the fact that top management staff consists of host country nationals (HCNs) who are nationals of Sierra Leone and who are recruited and selected to manage the subsidiary, as at time of writing this paper, there are no expatriates working at KPMG Sierra Leone, the company is administered by the partners (nationals of Sierra Leone) who are responsible for strategic decisions of KPMG Sierra Leone, which implies that the top management at KPMG Sierra Leone i.e. partners understands the desires and corporate vision of KPMG headquarters. The Regiocentric approach is also used by KPMG Sierra Leone, because some staff are transferred within the same geographic region, som

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Bible as a Historical Document :: Research Religion Mark Religious Papers

The Bible as a Historical Document MARK'S THEOLOGY REFLECTED IN WRITING Mark and the other evangelists used basically five ways to change, edit or enhance Jesus' sayings to reflect their own views of Christianity. According to the Five Gospels Book, plagiarism and changing of writing was not a crime, but actually very common Mark's time. Besides, Mark never knew Jesus first-hand, he somehow had to make a 'story' from basically Hearsay! Mark groups different parables and sayings of Jesus by topic; making a false impression that these things happened in order. This may have little effect on changing the meaning of the lesson, however it illustrates the fact that Mark was trying to author a "readable" story for people, rather than a book of facts. The best example would be in Mark 10:17-31 (Jesus Counsel to the Rich) & (Parable of The Camel and the Eye of a Needle). It is doubtful that these things happened at the same time; however, they are GREY in The Five Gospels anyway ... and probably didn't happen as Mark describes. This brings us to Mark's writing style. Mark seems to "tack-on" sentences to Jesus' teachings to make them more "Christian." This really changes the meaning more than any other tactic! Who knows what Mark may have edited-out to accomplish what he wanted to impress upon his readers? In this, he tries to interpret the meaning of Jesus' actions ... and does this in a misleading way. For example: Mark 2:19, Jesus regarding Fasting. Jesus makes a strong statement against importance to fasting, but Mark (in 2:20) tags on: "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in those days." This blatantly shows that Mark held higher regard for the Old Traditions of Fasting rather than Jesus' new teachings! This is also an example of "Christianizing Jesus" according to traditions that have already earned respect from Jews in their tradition. (Wow, this is starting to sound like a fight between Today's Political Parties, isn't it? [Jesus = Liberal Politics / Judaism = Conservative Politics]). Finally, Mark likes to "soften the blow" of Jesus' Hard sayings. He does this for probably the same reason Paul preached that Circumcision was not required for Christians.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Mountain Against the Sea Essay -- History, Zionist, British

In Mountain against the Sea (2009), Salim Tamari investigates dichotomies that exist within the historical memory of Palestinian â€Å"modernity† prior to and during Zionist and British influences and how this has contributed to the separation from the social changes that were taking place in Ottoman Palestine at the turn of the twentieth century. Typical historical methodologies have used the Nakba as the defining moment of change within Palestinian societies. Tamari, on the other hand, moves beyond this essential methodology and explains how modernity and complex social changes were occurring in Ottoman Palestine even before 1917. By taking advantage of geographical terminologies, he explains this through the cultural divides that were arising through the connector cities, such as Jaffa, between the inland (mountain/traditional) cultures and the cosmopolitan coastal (sea/contemporary) cultures. Tamari utilizes and builds upon theories of small town urban sprawl and demonstr ates how social control (authoritarianism) differed between Ottoman Palestine and current small towns within the West Bank. Building upon these internal changes taking place all over Palestine before, and to some extent after the Nakba, Tamari proceeds with the second half of the book by narrowing the focus on particular urban intelligentsia, and social and political reformers. Much of the discussion here is devoted to those participating within Jerusalem society and the author challenges conventional ideas of the city being devoid of modernity prior to British entanglements. Building upon his urban foci of â€Å"hybridity,† Tamari explains the cultural hybridity that took place within Ottoman Palestine. Many of his arguments challenge typical ideas about early Pale... ...im Arab Communist like Najati Sidqi; the resulting conclusion is always the same – the traditionalist perspective of a pastoralist Palestine is unfounded. By investigating early cosmopolitan social shifts, popularized ceremonies, the rise of urban intelligentsia, the destruction of coastal cosmopolitan centers and the resultant small town social authoritarianism, the rise of the â€Å"nostalgic narrative† referencing a lost traditionalist society, and the subsequent generations to synthesize imagined societies with reality, Tamari has successfully challenged the Palestinian rhetoric of who Palestinians were before, during, and after the Nakba. Tamari has utilized â€Å"new† sources of information leaning heavily on memoirs, unpublished diaries/journals, and commemorative events resulting in an amalgamation of new perspectives on the social changes within Palestinian society. Mountain Against the Sea Essay -- History, Zionist, British In Mountain against the Sea (2009), Salim Tamari investigates dichotomies that exist within the historical memory of Palestinian â€Å"modernity† prior to and during Zionist and British influences and how this has contributed to the separation from the social changes that were taking place in Ottoman Palestine at the turn of the twentieth century. Typical historical methodologies have used the Nakba as the defining moment of change within Palestinian societies. Tamari, on the other hand, moves beyond this essential methodology and explains how modernity and complex social changes were occurring in Ottoman Palestine even before 1917. By taking advantage of geographical terminologies, he explains this through the cultural divides that were arising through the connector cities, such as Jaffa, between the inland (mountain/traditional) cultures and the cosmopolitan coastal (sea/contemporary) cultures. Tamari utilizes and builds upon theories of small town urban sprawl and demonstr ates how social control (authoritarianism) differed between Ottoman Palestine and current small towns within the West Bank. Building upon these internal changes taking place all over Palestine before, and to some extent after the Nakba, Tamari proceeds with the second half of the book by narrowing the focus on particular urban intelligentsia, and social and political reformers. Much of the discussion here is devoted to those participating within Jerusalem society and the author challenges conventional ideas of the city being devoid of modernity prior to British entanglements. Building upon his urban foci of â€Å"hybridity,† Tamari explains the cultural hybridity that took place within Ottoman Palestine. Many of his arguments challenge typical ideas about early Pale... ...im Arab Communist like Najati Sidqi; the resulting conclusion is always the same – the traditionalist perspective of a pastoralist Palestine is unfounded. By investigating early cosmopolitan social shifts, popularized ceremonies, the rise of urban intelligentsia, the destruction of coastal cosmopolitan centers and the resultant small town social authoritarianism, the rise of the â€Å"nostalgic narrative† referencing a lost traditionalist society, and the subsequent generations to synthesize imagined societies with reality, Tamari has successfully challenged the Palestinian rhetoric of who Palestinians were before, during, and after the Nakba. Tamari has utilized â€Å"new† sources of information leaning heavily on memoirs, unpublished diaries/journals, and commemorative events resulting in an amalgamation of new perspectives on the social changes within Palestinian society.