Sales Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Sales Management - Essay Example However, such a powerful sales campaign could only be launched successfully provided the members of team obtain respectable and considerable remunerations against the efforts they make while performing their professional obligations. In other words, if the members of sales team are offered a handsome salary package, along with incentives on the sales item they is expected to sell, there would be smile on their faces because of the financial satisfaction they gain in the wake of achieving their goals and targets. On the contrary, if the sales staff is offered low salary package, with no or least incentives on meeting with the targets, the sales staff would remain extremely worried, disturbed and dissatisfied, and hence will not be in a position to demonstrate his professional skills in an adequate manner. According to the motivation-hygiene theory of job satisfaction (1959), articulated by German-American psychologist Frederick Irving Herzberg, pertinently lays stress upon the fulfilm ent of the hygienic or financial needs of the staff in order to let them work under the state of great satisfactions. It not only help the company to make tremendous achievements, but also the sales staff will work more diligently for the progress of the organisation (Stello, 2009:5). On the contrary, lack of financial growth and denial of providing them with sufficient salary package, the sales personnel will undergo dissatisfaction, due to its being a negative motivation. Q1: It has pertinently be observed that sometimes the organisations earn great profits against the investments they have made; similarly, they also undergo losses or low profit margin, which force the management to introduce... According to the research findings sales department is rightly stated to be maintaining central place in every organisation of the world at large because of its imperative significance in the growth and development of the organisation. The researcher states that sales personnel that play front at the behalf of the company and they are actually the reflection of their workplace, where the society gets oriented with the company through their behavior, proficiencies and professional skills. Since every activity performed at corporate scale is made with the purpose of financial benefits and pecuniary gains in mind. Being one of the most dynamic parts of corporate organisations, sales staff also embarks upon the corporate venture for meeting their financial needs. Because of the crucial significance of the sales function, the sales manager occupies a key position in the management hierarchy of the sales organisation. This essay also looks into the exploring the ways for motivating the sales force, different methods are applied for increasing sales volume. Author claims, that one of the most important steps to be taken by the managers for motivating the sales force includes the fulfillment of their physiological needs, along with assuring them of the job security, social respect, and safeguarding the issues related to ego and self-actualizing. As a conclusion, the essay paper highlights, that the selling operation of a business firm does not exist in isolation and sales management has to work in a broader and newer environment.

The Effects Of The Rising Chinese Economy To The Job Opportunies Essay Example for Free

The Effects Of The Rising Chinese Economy To The Job Opportunies Essay This topic first came to me while browsing the business section of a Border’s bookstore.   Admittedly, at the time, I was searching for ideas for the Research Seminar class.   I was looking for a subject area that met three requirements: it had to be a business-related topic, something that would interest me, and something I knew very little about so that I could learn about something new.  Ã‚   A couple of hours later, I was getting anxious, it was taking longer than expected and absolutely nothing drew my interest. Then a book title caught my attention, â€Å"CHINA  « INC. HOW THE RISE OF THE NEXT SUPERPOWER CHALLENGES AMERICA AND THE WORLD.†Ã‚   The book describes how China, â€Å"once hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology† has come to be the â€Å"supercharged center of global capitalism†.   It discusses the global impact of â€Å"300 million rural Chinese walking off their farms, heading to the cities in the greatest migration in human history†. It talks about China’s growing dominance as an industrial superpower and the profound shift in global economies and how it is already affecting all of us.   I was immediately shocked, curious and fascinated.   All of these are happening and I was completely oblivious to such important developments in China.   I immediately knew that this was the topic for my paper.   Happy with my evening’s work, I made my purchase and left the store. On the train ride home, I began reading the book, which proved to be equally interesting and unsettling.   Many of the predictions do not bode well for workers in the United States, including me!   But that is good, even more reason to focus on this subject matter.   Fishman is just one writer, the purpose of the paper is to research and report on the opinions and studies completed by a number of experts.   Already I was coming up with the paper title â€Å"The rise of the Chinese Economy, Threat or Opportunity for the United Sates† or something of that nature. In the following weeks, I spent many, many hours engrossed researching the growing Chinese economy and how it affects the world.  Ã‚   It seems that the growth of China influences the U.S. in every way.  Ã‚   Since the fall of the USSR, the world has had one superpower, the United States, now China fast and furiously is becoming the rising star and superpower of the East.   Along with becoming an economic power to be reckoned with, it has a growing military strength, something the U.S. fears.    Its economic success means its people have more and want more. China is now second to the U.S. in the demand for commodities such as oil, steel, concrete, water, etc and its demands are growing, again a threat to the United States as they are competing for the same resources.   A booming economy also increases the political standing of the country, so previously where the â€Å"slumbering giant† stayed out of global events that did not impact China, the Chinese government have more and more clout not only within Asia but also Europe and Latin America as well. When the time came to write the paper, I ran into problems.   I had too much information and did not know where to begin.   In many ways, I had over-researched the topic but not really focused on a particular aspect.   The information I had collected was enough for a book, not a chapter. This meant returning to the drawing board and revising the paper but using the information already available to me.   I decided to focus on a very current topic, the role that China has in rising job losses within the United States.   Thus the title for the Research Paper.   BACKGROUND   Since the World Wars, the United States of America has made its presence felt in the world scientifically, economically and politically.   The United States, along with Europe, has led the world in producing new technologies, which other countries adopt, buy and imitate.   The United States also wield economic and political power through its control of food and media.   It is the major supplier of corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton (USDA) and he who controls food controls the world, at least the third-world countries.   This is not to mention it being the foremost supplier of pesticides and fertilizers.   It sells its surplus at cheap price making buying countries dependent on it.   Subsequently, dependence equals power (Greene, 2000). China is the oldest civilization and has been leading in the arts and sciences but it was set back by civil wars, famines, military defeats, and occupations. After the great World Wars, it was imposed under strict governance and not until the leadership of Deng Xiaoping that it reviewed its economy (Huang, 1997).   Now, China is one of the major key players in the international markets and even sending fears to paranoids.   China was once a very Communist country and it may be pitching for world dominance through economy. The People’s Republic of China, an Asian country, has an underestimated population of 1.3 billion people as of 2003 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2003).   It has the largest in the world and the target of different industries, each hoping to get even a small percentage of its buying population. Since 1978, the Chinese economy have quadrupled its GDP and improved its agriculture and industrial sectors.   Its government though is a product between socialism and capitalism. America had been totally under the British rule until some colonies decided cry for independence in 1776.   It was just a colony and now it is undeniably the most powerful country in the world leading in almost everything.   Experiences such as the Civil War of 1861-65 and the Great Depression of the 1930s were the saddest part of its history (Allen, 1967).   Its economy enjoys steady growth, low unemployment and inflation rates and continuous advancement in technology. The United States of America has controlled various economies through their agriculture and military and is currently the lone superpower after the Cold War. The US has market-oriented economy where private entities make their own decisions with the full support of the federal type of government. According from the CIA World Factbook, the United States has the largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $42,000 while China has a GDP of just $7,198 per capita.   The former is known for its power, the latter for its population, but, as you know, the GDP is calculated using population.   The lower GDP does not automatically mean that China is poor, only it has a large number of inhabitants.   Imagine if both countries have the same population, which do you think between the two will have the greater GDP?   But GDP does not dictate the richness or poorness of a country.   Even with a small GDP China is actually the second largest economy in the world after the US.   The reality is China’s enormous population is its biggest asset. Furthermore, the United States with its most advanced economy is suffering a decline in its status.   Though it is enjoying solid increases in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment there are emerging problems such as inadequate investment in infrastructures, rapidly increasing medical costs, trade deficits, and stagnation of family income.   This is the opposite with what is happening to China.   China has become the largest trading partner of Asian countries, which are not exactly few. The United States is doing its best to maintain its hold as the most powerful country and the rise of the Chinese economy seem to pose a threat.   Feelings of dissatisfaction over the administration is being felt all over the United States worsened by the lost of jobs , which is attributed to the economy of China getting stronger? China is beginning to influence the world.   Noticeably, it is making a turn around which is not missed especially in the business community as it becomes an industrial powerhouse of the world (Kynge, 2006).  Ã‚   The writer said that China used to account for the third of the global economy and after falling due to different conflicts, it is reemerging as a force in the world. Different studies have been made to establish the facts behind China’s ascent to world economics and the further effects it can bring to global trade.   They intended to identify the factors behind its recovery and the foundation of its economic policies. Also, different studies intended to show the connection between the Chinese rising economy and the rising job losses in the United States.   They tried to prove if there were basis for the claims that there were really links. Results of the studies could be basis for further looking into the Sino-American trade relations and if the US and China will be continuing its agreements or if cooperation is still worth sharing. Results provided general overview about the rising discontent among Americans and what they feel towards China and its policies.   Likewise, they highlighted China’s attitude towards America and its accusations, current economic growth and its overall view to United States as a trading partner. LITERARY REVIEW   Numerous studies have been made regarding US economics and economics in general.   Numerous studies have been made that links one country’s policy with another’s but few have had focused on China as a strong force behind them, that was until the last quarter of the century when governments and different industries recognized that China have been making a comeback and its enormous population is actually being an asset than a liability and they could profit from it. Also, there were articles, reports and journals all devoting discussion towards the emerging economy and its effects to America and the whole world as a whole.   They contain facts and figures alluding their respective claims, some true; sadly, some are not so true. Deficit is produced when the expenditure is higher than the income.   In the case of the US and China it when the outgoing dollar is greater than the incoming Yuan.   In 2003, US-China Economic and Security Review Commission stated that there was a $124 billion US deficit and as of February 2006, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the international deficit reached a record of $726 billion for year 2005 $60.3 of which is from US-China trade relations.   That is with China edging to the automobile and oil industry.   Specifically, the value of Yuan, China’s currency was particularly blamed for the deteriorating US economy. The deficit is blamed for the job losses in the United States.   It was said that the deficit came from the trade deficit caused by the import-export relation of the US and the People’s Republic of China.   In an article of Robert E. Scott in AsiaTimes, he claimed that the deficit with China is the reason for the allegedly 1.5 million productions or service related jobs lost starting the last decade of the century.   What was alarming that those jobs were not just on the labor-intensive work but also in the once American-dominated industries like electronics and communications.   This situation worsened when China joined the World Trade Organization. Scott furthered that the most affected states in terms of numeric terms were California (199,922), Texas (99,420), New York (81,721), Pennsylvania (69,822), Illinois (69,668), North Carolina (62,698), Florida (60,026), Ohio (58,094), Michigan (50,991) and Georgia (46,848).   For the total state employment were Maine (14,951, or 2.47%), Arkansas (19,123, 1.67%), North Carolina (62,698, 1.65%), Rhode Island (7,548, 1.56%), New Hampshire (9,443, 1.53%), Indiana (43,533, 1.50%), Massachusetts (46,463, 1.46%), Wisconsin (39,668, 1.43%), Vermont (4,211, 1.41%) and California (199,922, 1.39%). There have been public outcries regarding the job losses. An example was given by then Republican candidate for the US Congress, Jay Helvey.   He stresses that one of the hardest hits was the State of North Carolina suffering from huge job losses blaming the China Currency Policy and pled that the US citizens must be â€Å"armed† so that they can â€Å"fight† the unexpected losses (Helvey, 2003).   China though has made changes over the years. Expectedly, most of the criticisms were directed towards the administration.   Though one out of four factory jobs had disappeared since 1979 giving a total of 2.5 million jobs lost, still, it took more than two decades to lose them compared same amount lost since Bush took office in January 2001 (Vieth, 2003).   The elections even were dictated by the stands of the candidates towards the Sino-American trade.   Voters were as thorough as they were regarding the Iraq issue. As overview, US exports increased fourfold from $5.8 billion in 1989 to $26.1 billion in 2003.   However, it started decreasing and it fell 2.3% to $66.5 billion this November 2006. Likewise, imports increased from $11.9 billion to $151.7 billion and unlike the export figures, it actually increased 1.3% to $155.85 billion during November.   Both resulted to a Sino-American trade deficit increase. What is interesting is that there is a very big similarity between the bulk of China’s export to the US and US’ exports to China: manufacturing goods.   If the US is exporting manufacturing goods, does it make sense to import the same kind of goods as well?   Under globalization it is.   The aim of the free world trade is competition among products based on their quality and value (Destler and Balint, 1999).   Ironic that the blueprint of the American economy is what is creating the reason Americans are claiming responsible for the job losses.   Naturally, consumers would go for cheaper goods.   In this case, they are obviously â€Å"Made from China.†Ã‚   Of course, this deal did not bode well for the US manufacturing industry as affirmed by the ballooning trade deficit. On the other hand, though there have been a slowdown for the previous year (2005), the services and goods sectors of the United States economy achieved strong marks. There have been increases in the services industry growing by 4.1% while the goods industry grew by 2.6%.   Findings for 2005 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis are as follows: information-communications-technology-producing industries experienced double-digit growth of 11.9 percent in 2005, down slightly from 12.9 percent growth in 2004, growth in accommodation and food services accelerated to 4.8 percent in 2005, exceeding its average annual growth of 3.9 percent over the period 1995-2000, and for the second consecutive year, professional, scientific, and technical services growth of 7% exceeded its average annual growth of 6.9 percent over the period 1995-2000    China’s key economic indicators as published by Chinese State Statistical Bureau showed that exports in 1999 from $194.7 billion jump to $249.1 billion in 2000, which was a 27% increase.   Likewise, imports in year 2000 posted an increase of 35% having a value of $214.7 billion from $158.7 billion in 1999.   Both the export and import for 2001 posted an almost 10% increase.   Also, notice that the manufacturing data posted an initial increase of almost 13%. Recent findings stated that: China has been the receiving end of the bulk of US exports ranging from $35 billion to $71 billion in the recent years, exports of electronics, computers, and communications equipments are faring better in sales than that of shoes, apparel and plastic products, China has become one of the worlds leading largest trading nations competing with the United States and Germany as its foreign trade value reached US$1 trillion in the first 11 months of 2004, and Shanghai has overtaken Rotterdam as the No 1 port in terms of cargo handling an average of 380 million metric tons of shipment So far, countries have recognized China as a major player in the market.   Some of them were   Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand declaring China as having a full market economy status.   This means that the Chinese government has been enjoying   advantages when dealing in the foreign market (Gelken, 2006). Undeniably, whatever some people claims, trade relations between the United States and China has brought something good for both countries.   The trade has given a growth of more than $70 billion since it started in 1978 (US Department of Commerce).   The United States is Chinas single largest export market while China is, as mentioned, is likewise.   The large population of China is also an attraction for US investors as China sales can keep a business very competitive.   On the other hand, China gets the latest technology the US has. For every rise of China in the world market, incidentally there is a corresponding fall for the United States.   Allegedly, the rate of dollar versus yuan is causing tremendous blows to the US economy.   The yuan has been pegged at 7.92 against the dollar since the mid-1990s, and Beijing has begun to allow a modest fluctuation in the last year or so (The Wall Street journal). At the turn of this century, both the Democrats and the Republicans favored the new trade agreements with the world, believing that such agreements would create global markets, creating jobs and raising incomes in the Untied States. (Scott, pg 7)  Ã‚   In 2000, the Clinton administration actively supported China in becoming a member of the World Trade Organization. Likewise, the Bush administration endorsed new international trade agreements.   In 2002, the Senate approved the fast-track trade negotiating authority (Trade Promotion Authority) which Bush described to be a â€Å"watershed moment.†Ã‚   It emphasized foreign trade agreements, creating jobs resulting to higher incomes for American workers (Bush, 2002). Scott, in a research paper for the EPI, investigated Sino-American trade between 1989 and 2003 and its impact on jobs and industries in the U.S.  Ã‚   His research paper showed that international trade agreements have indeed resulted in a growth in exports, but the U.S. trade deficit rose at an alarming rate.   Between 2001 and 2003, exports to China increased by $8 billion, up 44% and during the same two-year time period, U.S. imports increased by $50 billion, or 49%†, the resulting trade deficit increased by 50%.   He concluded that the growing U.S. trade deficit with China between 1989 and 2003 has displaced production supporting 1.5 million U.S. job opportunities (Scott, 1, 7). In the mass of reports and studies, the most affected were the American people, especially the blue-collar workers.   Trade Unions were angry and in March 2004, The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed the Section 301 Petition Against China.   The Petition was filed on behalf of the 13 million members of the AFL-CIO, including 6 million manufacturing workers. The AFL-CIO demanded for stiff tariffs on Chinese imports and it claimed that the Chinese government through violation of workers’ rights and failure to enforce its labor laws give China an unfair competitive advantage.   It stated that the exploitation of the Chinese workers costs hundreds of thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs and puts a heavy weight on U.S. wages.   The petition contended that the difference between the prices of American-made and Chinese-made goods was the result of low wages and the lack of workers’ rights in China.   It should be noted that the Petition was not approved Looking back at the events leading to the China prosper, and if all of the findings were true, it is funny that the US itself had a hand on its decline. It was President George W. Bush who requested to fast-track China’s membership to WTO believing that it would create more jobs for the American people.   During his term, former President Bill Clinton saying China being a member of WTO would be a win-win situation also endorsed it. The most famous analogy for this was that if the United States exports 1,000 products, say, computers, to China, many American workers would be employed in the production.   Interchanging, if the US imports 1,000 computers from China then a similar number of Americans who otherwise could have been employed domestically will have to find other work. In short, increase in exports support the domestic employment while increase in imports displaces domestic production. A study reported by the Nixon Center reported that membership of China to WTO would have encouraged reforms and stability in Asia not to mention it would strengthen the ties of China and United States.   Then Deputy Treasury Secretary Eizenstat outlined the many economic benefits of the bilateral trade deal with China.   He said that the deal is, †¦the most one-sided trade agreement in our favor that has ever been signed with any foreign government. â€Å"To thrive as a WTO member, China will need to become more market based, more respective of personal and commercial goods, and more open to the free flow of information and ideas.   Eizenstat further stressed that the old deal with China regarding trade relations was not enough for the US to access key market concessions.   Besides, the WTO membership would have improved the relationship of Taiwan and China, which were both had tensions way back then (May and Sgro, 2000). Chinas entry into the WTO was supposed to provide openings for a sufficiently rapid growth in US exports to reduce the trade deficit with China. While the export growth rate has increased since 2001 (from a very small base), the value of those exports has been swamped by a rapidly rising tide of imports. The WTO is a free-trade and investment agreement that has provided investors with a unique set of guarantees designed to stimulate foreign direct investment and the movement of factories around the world, especially from the US to low-wage locations such as China and Mexico (Groombridge, 2001). Nicholas Lardy in his economic commentary, â€Å"The Economic Rise of China: Threat or Opportunity,† took a different approach.   It addressed the view that China’s economic rise is a serious threat to jobs in the United States.   He pointed out that, to date, China is responsible only for a very small percentage of manufacturing job losses in the U.S. because many of the manufacturing industries had previously relocated to other Asian countries, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.  Ã‚   With the availability of an abundant, even cheaper labor pool, China only displaced Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea to become the major producer and supplier of footwear, toys, games and sporting goods.    A similar transformation occurred with the production of information technology related items, such as computers, laptops, monitors, PC servers, and so on.   A large portion of the $300 billion information technology industry is produced in Asia.   Again, within Asia there has been a migration of production, from Taiwan to China.   By 2000, China had surpassed Taiwan to become the world’s third-largest producer of information technology after Japan and the U.S.   In 2002, China had displaced Japan to rank number two (Lardy, 2003). Also, in reaction to criticisms regarding China trade Daniel Griswold, writer for the Free Trade Bulletin, disagreed.   He argued that there the role of international investment flows had been ignored.   He claimed that the billions of dollars that Americans spend on imports (over and above exports) quickly returns to the country in the form of investments made in U.S. assets such as stocks, bank deposits, commercial and Treasury bonds or as direct investment in factories and real estate. He further claimed that jobs are created as the incoming flow of foreign investments is used to purchase new machinery, fund research and development, and keep interest rates low. (Griswold, 2) In addition, Griswold believed that the central assumption of the EPI model – â€Å"that rising imports directly displace domestic output – collides with the empirical reality.   He said that imports and domestic output rise together in response to demand.  Ã‚   He cited figures from the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Ibid. He showed that between 1994 and 2000 when trade deficit was a burden to U.S. economy employment actually rose by a net 12 % and the unemployment rate fell from 6.1% to 4.0 %.   During the same time, the U.S. manufacturing output rose by 40 % though the volume of imported manufactured goods doubled.   Griswold stresses that trade and prosperity go hand-in-hand and efforts to cut imports of manufactured goods will seriously undermine the ability of the U.S. economy to expand output and create jobs (Griswold, 2). In the issue of revaluing yuan, to affected American people especially the blue-collar workers.   Some would say that China is just moving towards progress and some are thankful that it is embracing capitalism, but should part of the American people suffer?   Alarmed and bothered by the voting majority, the Bush administration has joined the clamor for the Asian country to consider changes to its trade policies including revaluing Yuan (The Boston Globe). In February last year, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Caroline Republican sponsored a bill that will force China to abide by international trade agreements and stop the alleged manipulation of the value of Yuan. Senate hearings revealed that yuan is undervalued against the dollar and maintained at â€Å"narrow band† weakening the dollar.   The â€Å"artificial low value† of Chinese currency subsidizes their exports and serves as unwritten tariff to foreign products.   Expectedly, the Chinese government denied the manipulation accusations and stated that sanctions are not the answers to trade problems (AFX News Limited) But this is not a manipulation of its exchange rate so much as it is a contracting out of its monetary system to the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. That strategy has allowed China to remove the uncertainty of exchange-rate fluctuations from investment decisions and allowed China to grow rapidly while controlling inflation     The Chinese have thus avoided the bane of most developing nations of inept monetary controls leading to price fluctuations and periods of hyperinflation. China was one of the few Asian nations that did not face crippling currency devaluation during the monetary crisis of the late 1990s. Nor is it clear that a yuan revaluation of even 10% to 30% would have any meaningful impact on the U.S. trade deficit. China imports some $100 billion a year of raw materials. A stronger yuan would lower the price of those inputs, and thus of production costs, which could largely offset the impact of the stronger currency on export prices (McKinsey Quarterly). Surprisingly China revalued its currency.   For years, China has been gracefully ignoring urges to revalue their money as such an action would raise the price of their products in the international trade markets.   Also, China learned from history when Hong Kong dollars changed its rate and consequently sank.   Furthermore, revaluing yuan could have had cut foreign investments, country growth rate, increase bad loans and unemployment and generally destabilize not just their economy but that of their neighboring ASEAN countries as well (Hanke, 2005). Now, why did China changed its stance?   With the international pressure and possible tax sanctions from the United States, Chinese leadership braved to revalue as it realized that they would soon profit from such changes (McClenahen, 2005).   As they printed more of their money to buy dollars, they knew that they could avoid possible inflation if they would raise their currency.  Ã‚   In addition, they shifted or shared the growth of exports to domestic economy as they know the dangers of relying to foreign money. The main reason there was a clamor for the revaluation of yuan was for the dollar to regain its dominance.   Unfortunately, even with the changes made to the Chinese currency, it will have a very little effect to the dollar as there are no direct link between the yuan exchange rate and the US trade deficits as only 10% of US imports come from China.   Worse, the revaluation would actually reduce the trade value of dollar by 2%.   Revaluation of will never be enough as there should also be an increase in purchases of dollars (Dorn, 2006). An article, published in Business Week, said that the fate of U.S. workers depends mainly on domestic conditions not the trade relations.   The article referred to a Brookings Institution study, which maintained that trade accounts for only about 12% of the manufacturing job losses since 2000.   According from the article, the rising trade deficit is due to high U.S. savings rate and not to the imports from China.   Ã‚   Tyson, the author of the article added that the U.S. current deficit hit the ceiling because of a sharp drop in personal savings and out-of-control federal spending.   To back this up, Tyson further referred to a study by economist Ronald I. McKinnon of Stanford University.   He cited that if the current account were balanced in 2003 there would have been additional 4.7 million U.S. manufacturing jobs.   Tyson concluded that the lost jobs were due to America’s â€Å"macroeconomic choices† and not from China’s so-called â€Å"unfair trade and currency policies† (Tyson, 2005). In addition, a McKinsey Quarterly report published in Forbes.com titled â€Å"Don’t Blame Trade for US Job Losses† claimed that trade and rising imports of goods and services did not really destroy the vast majority of the jobs lost in the United States.   It was said that there was only about 314,000 jobs lost as a result of trade and that falling exports not rising imports were responsible.   The figure was a very small percentage of the millions of positions that are annually lost and created in the United States.   It pointed out that job losses were due to weak domestic demand, rapid productivity growth and the dollar’s strength, which all dampened the U.S. exports.   The document provided a number of different reasons why jobs were in fact lost. One was the rapid growth of productivity.   If the output per employee is rising, product output must also increase to maintain the employment.   After year 2000, the US domestic demand grew less than the productivity so companies needed fewer workers to fill their domestic orders thus the laying-off and closure of many companies.   Similarly, export figures fell sharply in 2001 and had continued to decline ever since.   The report also suggested that the US is perhaps competing in the â€Å"wrong† markets.   Exports to Brazil, Canada and Europe were â€Å"soft† yet trade with China and Mexico was positive.   The report claimed that the appreciation of the dollar accounts for the weakness of US exports and hence for the number of manufacturing jobs lost. A large group believes that the loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. is a natural process wherein it is shifting from an industrial age into a service era.   One supporter of this idea is Robert Reich, former Labor secretary.   In a Wall Street Journal article, â€Å"Nice Work if you can get It,† he offered that employment in the manufacturing industry had been dropping all over the world for years and not just in the U.S.   He cited studies by Alliance Capital Management revealing that between 1995 and 2002, 22 million factory jobs had been lost worldwide. â€Å"The U.S. wasn’t even the biggest loser. Japan and China both had higher losses, Japan 16% and China 15%, compared to 11% for the U.S.,† added Reich. According to him, technological advances, computerization and automation have increased productivity thus reducing the need for manual labor.   Reich claimed that the U.S. is transitioning from an industrial to a service economy imitating the shift from agriculture to industry at the turn of the twentieth century.   He believed that this is natural and that once the U.S. economy gets back on the track old jobs will be replaced by new ones.  Ã‚   Those new jobs will fall under two categories: symbolic-analytic work and personal-services work.   Examples of those belonging to the first type are lawyers, bankers, doctors, and management consultants.   For the second sector, they will be restaurant workers, retail workers, and security guards (Reich, 1, 2). Carlos Gutierrez, Commerce Secretary, in a New York Times article, agreed with Reich.   He contended that the United Sates and China are in different states of development and he said that they do not compete head-on.   China’s economic foundation lies the manufacture of commodity-type products, whereas U.S.’ are in higher-value manufacturing, differentiation of products, higher technology and new services (Lague, 2). Christopher Meyer, the former director f the Center for Business Innovation, stated that the loss of manufacturing jobs is just another chapter of technological progress in America.   According to Meyer, a country moves forward by replacing low-level jobs with more sophisticated ones.   Thats how economic growth happens—the new jobs have to have higher value-added, higher productivity.   It is as when automation replaced blue-collar jobs—we look at most of the jobs it displaced as brutish and short: mining coal, or having your internal organs cooked by the infrared radiation from a ladle of steel. These adjustments will allow more people to do what they want to do, not what they have to do (Budman, 2). However, Shenkar argued with this position.   He pointed out that the evolution of the United States from agricultural to industrial economy was due largely to the improvements in machinery and fertilizers. It never altered the country’s production capacity. He added that those displaced in the old agriculture sector shifted to factory jobs the reason why U.S. employment figures were not significantly affected and he wondered if the incoming service sector could do the same.   Would people be able to shift jobs easily and have the same opportunities?   Would the expected transition maintain if not improve the country’s economic figures?   Luxembourg, Hong Kong and Hawaii are service economies, but they are small, somewhat protected havens.   Shenkar was not sure if the United States will survive as a service economy, however he admits that this is â€Å"terra incognita† (Shenkar, 164). In addition to emphasizing the colossal size of the Chinese workplace, as described above, Fishman and Shenkar also talked about the growing number of third level graduates, especially in science and engineering.   A recent article published in the New York Times expounded it.   The article discussed a new study recently done by the National Academies, the nation’s leading advisory groups on science and technology.   The study surveyed over 200 multinational companies on their research decisions.   The results showed that 38% of those 200 companies planned to change the worldwide distribution of their research and development work over the next few years. The report cited senior executives from leading multinational companies such as Dow Chemical, IBM and Hewlett-Packard and the common sentiment could be summed up with the statement, â€Å"we go with the flow, to find the best minds we can anywhere in the world,† a quote from Nicholas M. Donofrio, Executive Vice President for technology and innovation at IBM.   The article strengthened Fishman’s predictions when it reported that American executives are concerned about the â€Å"incipient erosion of scientific prowess in this country, pointing out the lagging math and science proficiency †¦ and the reluctance of some college graduates to pursue careers in science and engineering† (Lohr). One time, The Economist published an article displaying the current Chinese â€Å"obsession† with English.   â€Å"Up to a fifth of the population is learning the language,† Gordon Brown, the British finance minister shared.   He observed that in two decades China’s English speakers would outnumber native English speakers in the rest of the world (Economist Article, 2006). Fish, author of â€Å"China, Inc.† referred to the Chinese population as the â€Å"super sized workforce.†Ã‚   When discussing the Chinese population he included â€Å"China’s uncounted multitude† stating that the Chinese population is closer to 1.5 billion rather than the official census count of 1.3 billion.   He pointed out that the â€Å"uncounted multitude† was approximately 200 million, a country in itself and would be the fifth largest in the world. Fish also pointed out that for twenty-five cents an hour, the Chinese workers are not the cheapest in the world but rather they belong in a â€Å"world’s workshop† because China is a stable part of the globe and it offers a vast workforce of â€Å"reliable, docile, and capable workers who have been groomed by the government-enforced discipline†.   Since the government has relaxed its policy on the movement of the Chinese people, hundreds of millions of Chinese peasants have been leaving the countryside moving to urban economic centers in search of better paying jobs providing industries with a bottomless pool of low-skilled workers for many years to come (Fish, 7). However, more recent newspaper articles are claiming that China is already experiencing labor shortages.   Once such article printed in the New York Times in April, reported that labor shortages are pushing up wages making Chinese-made products less of a bargain.   It reported that international manufactures are already talking about moving their factories to lower-cost countries like Vietnam.   The article quoted Hong Liang, an economist for Goldman Sachs saying, â€Å"†¦We’re seeing an end to the golden period of extremely low-cost labor in China.†Ã‚  Ã‚   The article offered a couple of explanations for the labor shortages. It said that one was the changing government policies.   In an effort to improve rural communities in China, the government scrapped the agricultural tax and it encouraged investments in local economies especially in the poorer, inland provinces.   The resulting economies created jobs providing alternative options instead of migrating to far places for job opportunities.   Another reason was said to be the China’s one-child policy.   Many of this generation are now emerging into the workforce with post secondary education. Opportunities exist are laid out for them which were not provided for their parents. Chen Guanghan, a professor at Zhongshan University in Hong Kong explained that the new generation is different.   He said, â€Å"they are reluctant to take factory jobs that are harsh and pay very little.†Ã‚   Barboza offered a third reason for the labor shortages.   He stated that workers are more concerned about factory conditions, knows a good deal from a bad one transfer from one job to another (Barboza, 2006). Interestingly, with all the heated arguments regarding China’s rising economy, Daniel Griswold, writer for CATO Institute advised the government and economic people to forget the deficits and go for growth.   Trade deficits are actually reflections of the flow of capital across international borders so trade policies in reality do little to affect a nation’s trade deficit. The US Department of Commerce made a study briefly outlining the nature of the deficit.   The study claimed that 90% of imports from China do not actually replace the American manufacturing goods.   Instead, they serve as substitutes for imports, which should have been provided by other countries.   It also supported other studies stressing that China is not really the culprit as the US also trade with other countries.   It just so happened that previous export processing plants and businesses were transferred from other Southeast countries to mainland China. On the other hand, China is unfair to US in the sense that it does not give the same access to its market.   It imposes high tariffs to US goods so in the end Chinese products are brought at lower prices while US merchandise are sold at higher prices.   Normally, cost-conscious consumer will buy cheap items.   An American will prefer the cheaper MP3 made in China than the domestic produce contrary to the Chinese choosing between the cheap domestic-manufactured gadgets over the US imported one, which due to the high taxes are not that budget-friendly. But some thinkers believe that deficits are not disastrous for a country.   Instead, they are said to be sign of good times.   One example cited was the tripling of US trade deficit in the early 90’s where industrial production actually increased by 24%.   In addition, deficits do not cause job losses.   They are evidence of rising employment.   These are according to the Trade Deficit Review Commission. In reality, there are really no great harmful effects of the rising Chinese economy to the US trade values, even if there are, those effects are normal and it just so happened that they are dealing with China.   The same thing happened during the initial boom of the off-shoring business.   Also, there had been similar instances like that of during the 1980’s and early 90’s when the US government pressured Japan for the same reason (The Economist). The original proponent of the Anti-China campaign was started by the textile industry.   The truth is that American consumers benefited greatly from the influx of China cloth   Ã‚  It actually hurts the American consumers.   Protecting the textile industry have high cost   shouldered by the low-income earners who are the largest proportion of clothing buyers (Dan Ikenson, 2003).   Also, it is wise to note that the domestic recession of 2001 and not the Chinese ascent is the main culprit for the losses (Tyson, 2005).  Ã‚   As the United States experienced huge growth in the early year, reaching peak normally causes the expected decline.   Whatever goes up will eventually go down.   The problem began when America failed to maintain its lead. Also, as the United States suffered job losses China suffered as well.   A 2003 study of Alliance Capital Management proved that data to show that as employment in the US dropped by 11% from 1995 through 2002, employment in China dropped even further by 15% or a net job loss of 15 million.   It was a large figure compared to the 1.5 million alleged job losses.   It seems that Americans are just worrying too much.   As Daniel Ikenson put it, â€Å"..all there is are surplus in politics and deficit in leadership.†    REFERENCES    BALINT, I. M. D. a. P. J. (1999). The New Politics of American Trade: Trade, Labor, and the Environment, Policy Analyses in International Economics 58. BARBOZA, D. (2006, April 3, 2006). Sharp Labor Shortage in China, May Lead to World Trade Shift. The New York Times BETTS, J. A. a. J. L. (1967). History: USA. New York: American Book Co. BUDMAN, M. (2004). Looking Ahead of Our Place in the Next Economy, Across the Board. Paper presented at the Conference Name|. Retrieved Access Date|. from URL|. BUSH, G. W. (2002). Paper presented at the President’s Economic Forum, Waco, Texas. China Losing More Manufacturing Jobs Than U.S.): The Conference Board. China Statistical Yearbook 2003.). Chinese Strength, U.S. Weakness. The New York Times. CLINTON, B. ( 2000). Expanding Trade, Projecting Values: Why Ill fight to make Chinas Trade Status Permanent.  Ã‚   January 1, 2000 The New Democrat,. The Decline of the U.S. Dollar. Finance and Conversion. Dont Blame Trade For U.S. Job Losses.   (2005).): McKinsey Quarterly. DORN, J. A. (2006). Better Way to Handle Asian Currencies: CATO Institute. English beginning to be spoken here; The language business in China. (2006). The Economist. FISHMAN, A. (2003). Inflation and Efficiency in a Search Economy. International Economic Review, 44(1), 205-222. GREENE, R. (2000). 48 Laws of Power: Penguin. GRISWOLD, D. (2003). The U.S. Trade Deficit and Jobs: The Real Story. HELVEY, J. Mr. President, Arm Us And We Will Fight   Huang, R. (1997). China: A Macro History, Revised Edition New York: M.E. Sharpe. IKENSON, D. (2003). Threadbare Excuses: The textile Industry’s Campaign to Preserve Import Restraints (No. 25): CATO Institute. Journal, W. S. (2006). Angry Bear. KOTKIN, S. (November 5, 2006). Off the Shelf Living in China’s World New york times KYNGE, J. (2006). China Shakes The World. Boston   Houghton Mifflin. LAGUE, D. (2006, 4/1/06). China Output Not a Threat, Official Says. The New York Times LARDY, N. (2003). The Economic Rise of China: Threat or Opportunity: Federal Bank of Cleveland. LOHR, S. (2006). Outsourcing is Climbing Skills Ladder. Retrieved 6/1/2006. from http://web.lexis-nexis.comezprody2.lib.depaul.edu/universe/printdoc MARQUAND, R. (2005). As China changes, so does its image of US. The Christian Science Monitor. McCLENAHEN, J. S. (2005). Substantial Revaluation Of Yuan Inevitable. IndustryWeek MEKAY, E. A win-win textile deal especially for the US, Asia Times. Petition Against China, Executive Summary, 2004. (2004). Retrieved. from http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/manufacturing/iuc/ExecSummary301.cfm POOLE, W. (July 31, 2006). Chinese Growth: A Source of U.S. Export Opportunities. Paper presented at the The Council of State Governments’ Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) Louisville, KY. REICH, R. (2003, 12/26/2003). Nice Work if You Can Get It. The Wall Street Journal ROACH, S. (2006). collision course. Melbourne ROBERTSON, B. (13 March 2006). Chinese predict bright future News Global. SCOTT, R. (2005). U.S.-China Trade, 1989-2003; Impact on jobs and industries nationally and state-by-state. : Economic Policy Institute. SGRO, G. M. a. M. (2000). The Strategic Implications of Chinas WTO Entry and PNTR. Paper presented at the Conference Name|. Retrieved Access Date|. from URL|. SHENKAR, O. (2005). The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy, the Balance of Power, and Your Job   Special Report, Watch out, India – Outsourcing to China. (2006). The Economist. Three good reasons for U.S. to say yes to Chinas entry into WTO. (1999, September 11, 1999). The Boston Globe   TRUMBULL, M. (2006). China reaching $1 trillion in global clout: Its foreign reserves are a cushion but signal its imbalanced economy. The Christian Science Monitor. TYSON, L. D. A. (2005). Stop Scapegoating China – Before it’s Too Late. Business Week(Issue 3931 ), p26. United States. (2006). The CIA World Factbook. VIETH, W., (Saturday 25 October 2003). As Factory Job Losses Rise, So Do Risks to Bush. The Los Angeles Times.

IOOS: Integrated Ocean Observing System Essay -- Marine Technology Ess

IOOS: Integrated Ocean Observing System Oceans cover over 70% of our planet, yet very little is known about their biological content, physical systems, and how, both together and individually, they affect our planet. Understanding the affect the ocean has on weather, climate changes, and the ecosystems of the planet are of ever-increasing interest to the human population. Studies, experiments, and more are currently being conducted by various means, sources, and organizations. Due to the this vast amount of monitoring, a need has arisen to collect and combine this data into one common database that more than a few individuals and organizations have access to. In order to meet this need the Integrated Ocean Observing System, or IOOS, is currently being developed in the United States. The need for a common database has arisen from the large number of ever increasing oceanographic studies that are being conducted. Many new experiments are being conducted on how the ocean affects our environment. This includes global warming and the study of whether or not â€Å"long-term changes in the oceans (are) naturally occurring, or†¦the result of human activities.†1 Without the knowledge of possible fluctuation of the ocean’s temperature and salinity (to name only two factors) over time, it is impossible to say if we are facing a serious rise in the earth’s temperature or if this is simply a cycle the earth undergoes every few million years. Scientists are studying â€Å"how shelf water is transferred at the continental shelf break to the inner basin† in hopes that this will provide them with the answers on arctic warming trends.2 Other scientists are studying how oceans store and transport â€Å"vast amounts of heat and fres h... ... 10 National Ocean Research Leadership Council, Ocean.US, Implementation of the Initial U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System: Part I Structure and Governance (Arlington, Virginia: 2003), . 11 Kite-Powell, Hauke L., Charles S. Colgan, and Rodney Weiher, â€Å"Economics of an Integrated Ocean Observing System,† Marine Technology Society Journal 37 (2003), 12 Jan. 2004, . 12 West, Richard D., â€Å"IOOS: Discovery and Education,† Marine Technology Society Journal 37 (2003), 12 Jan. 2004, . 13 Watkins, James D., â€Å"Why the U.S. needs an Integrated Ocean Observing System,† Marine Technology Society Journal 37 (2003), 12 Jan. 2004, .

Did September 11 Kill Democracy? :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Did September 11 Kill Democracy? Â   The September 11 terrorist attack on America has provoked a strong response. Americans are at war. On television, from the mouths of politicians, in newspapers, this response is portrayed as unequivocal. As with Pearl Harbor, war has been declared on America. We have no choice but to respond with unpresidented military force. Other considerations might give us a pause, if they were not being quietly swept under the rug by those eagerly pressing for war. Isn't war and violence precisely what terrorists are after? Rather than pitting ourselves against the Arab-Muslim world and lumping every Muslim in with the terrorists, shouldn't we draw closer to those elements in the Arab world that reject terrorism? Most importantly, shouldn't we attempt to fully understand why America was targeted? Do Americans truly appreciate the role of the United States in the Middle East? Are our politicians and news media attempting to increase our understanding of events in the Middle East before we plunge headlong into war? None of these questions are being addressed. Â   This is why the past few days have been so terrifying. A catastrophe can happen to any nation, but a democracy requires thoughtful debate and exposure to the necessary information before a democratic decision can be made. To quote Representative Lee of California, "We've got to bring these perpetrators to justice. But I'm saying that I have not yet seen the evidence. And until then, in Congress, we must show restraint." Representative Lee was the only Representative who voted against authorizing military force on Friday. This fact alone is shocking and should be worrisome. Where is the democratic debate when, a scant 4 days after the events, all of Congress decides for the nation that there is no alternative to military action? Â   Without full knowledge of who was involved in the events, and careful consideration of all possible alternatives, what are they basing their decision on? Â   The messages from network television has been similarly alarming in its uniformity. Already on Tuesday, newscasters were not presenting democratic alternatives, but speculating about military targets. Is that the best that we can do as a nation, reach for our guns, striking out in anger rather than justice? If CNN starts an article with "The questions are only when and where," isn't CNN is deliberately encouraging its audience not to ask other questions?

Newton Electronics Limited

After three years of development, the company has finally been able to complete research on and development of the new hearing aid and the product, having successfully passed through all statutory and voluntary tests and procedures, is now ready for commercial production. In this regard, the company has three viable options in front of it. These are: 1. Commence commercial production on its own accord. 2. Outsourcing manufacturing and marketing to a third party under a license arrangement. 3. Selling Patent rights to a third party.This reports aims to undertake a holistic financial analysis of these three options and, from a financial management perspective, conclude which option is in the best interests of the company’s shareholders. Results The results of the NPV analysis reveal the following results: Analysis, Additional Considerations & Verdict: The NPV analysis (see appendix) clearly reveals that Option 2 (allowing a third party to manufacture the product and market it un der a license arrangement) is financially the best option as it allows for a greater inflow of cash.This is also in line with the company’s core competencies. The company has been generally geared at research and development and may lack the entrepreneurial skill and expertise when it comes to manufacture and market the product. Moreover, another plus point is that the company would not have to pump in any capital immediately if it chose option 2. Thus, as rational investors, the company would prefer less risk per unit of return. When comparing option 2 with option 1, the company finds itself taking less risks and hence generating more returns.The decision between option 2 and option 3 is a tricky one, although seemingly straightforward. With option 3, the company effectively shifts the whole element of operating risk on the third party, against a guaranteed payment in two equal installments. BPP states that â€Å"this reduces the return but also the risk, as financial manag ement theory contends the return and risk relationship† (2007, pp. 95-98). From a financial risk management point of view, the only risk that the company is then exposed to is the default risk of the third party failing to make a timely payment of the second installment.Here is where the interesting aspect comes in. Although default risk also exists with Option 2, that is, the third party would fail to make timely royalty payments, Rasheed states that â€Å"a licensing arrangement and an outright sale of the patent rights would differ legally as to what recourse the company would have in the case of default. † (2009, pp. -54). From the surface of it, if the third party defaults under a license arrangement to pass on royalty payments, the company could always cancel the license or initiate penalizations on the third party by way of the licensing agreement.Thus, the company can compel the third party, on its own accord, to resume payments or to offer something else in ret urn, maybe an equity stake at attractive levels. However, a default on a sale would be a long drawn out legal battle that would increase the time frame of the proceeds being received altogether, incurring legal costs and making NPV fall. Thus, for the high return and low risk profile and the legal recourse that it offers, option 2 is the best option that the company should undertake.

Free Essays on Symbolism And Plot

â€Å"Symbolism and Plot† Symbolism and plot are different from each other by definition; however, have a relationship towards each other when writing a story. If you understand the symbolism in a story, then you will absolutely understand the plot or the plan of events in a story. Symbolism is utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the plot of each story. Symbolism is used greatly in the short stories â€Å"Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck, and â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson; therefore, symbolism has a tendency to influence the plot in both short stories. The short stories both share the use of symbols, but the symbols are used to express different thoughts in ones mind while reading them. Many examples of symbolism are given to influence the plot in John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums.† He uses the flowers to symbolize the main character’s thoughts and ideas. For example, Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums. Since her husband is always working the cattle in their farm, she never has enough attention or any kind of affection. The result of this dispassionate marriage leads Steinbeck to describe his main character as, â€Å"Her face lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with†(Parker, Shroyer 88). This neglect from her husband causes her to turn her chrysanthemum s, of which she is very proud. Her husband’s remark, â€Å"I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big† (89), shows how little interest he has for her chrysanthemums. Elisa does not feel appreciated by her husband and so she takes care of her chrysanthemums, whi... Free Essays on Symbolism And Plot Free Essays on Symbolism And Plot â€Å"Symbolism and Plot† Symbolism and plot are different from each other by definition; however, have a relationship towards each other when writing a story. If you understand the symbolism in a story, then you will absolutely understand the plot or the plan of events in a story. Symbolism is utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the plot of each story. Symbolism is used greatly in the short stories â€Å"Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck, and â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson; therefore, symbolism has a tendency to influence the plot in both short stories. The short stories both share the use of symbols, but the symbols are used to express different thoughts in ones mind while reading them. Many examples of symbolism are given to influence the plot in John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums.† He uses the flowers to symbolize the main character’s thoughts and ideas. For example, Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums. Since her husband is always working the cattle in their farm, she never has enough attention or any kind of affection. The result of this dispassionate marriage leads Steinbeck to describe his main character as, â€Å"Her face lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with†(Parker, Shroyer 88). This neglect from her husband causes her to turn her chrysanthemum s, of which she is very proud. Her husband’s remark, â€Å"I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big† (89), shows how little interest he has for her chrysanthemums. Elisa does not feel appreciated by her husband and so she takes care of her chrysanthemums, whi...

The Dangers Of Bombs Essays - Improvised Explosive Devices

The Dangers Of Bombs Essays - Improvised Explosive Devices The Dangers Of Bombs Today more and more kids believe that bombs are fun to experiment with, but do not realize the dangers associated with even the simplest bombs. Although curiosity can be a great characteristic to have, curiosity when it comes to bombs should simply not be tolerated because all bombs produce an uncontrolled reaction leading to destruction that could harm to, or even kill someone. Even bombs in a controlled experiment by experts can be quite dangerous. Take into account the fact that many died during experiments with the atom bomb. Although the experts said it would be fine to watch and be in a close vicinity to the blast, they didnt know about the radiation caused by the reaction. This caused numerous deaths. Although most kids wont be experimenting with atom bombs, many dangers are associated with smaller types of bombs such as pipe bombs. Pipe bombs are especially lethal because they produce lots of shrapnel. Shrapnel is debris given off by the explosion (metal pieces of the pipe, or maybe even nails, glass, or bolts) that can cause lots of harm due to its velocity. Many kids believe that they are experts, and that nothing will ever happen to them, but it defiantly can. Many incidents have occured of kids being hurt or killed by their own bomb. One case is that of a kid building a pipe bomb in my area. He stuffed a lot of gunpowder into a pipe with nails and he started to screw the cap of the metal pipe on. The grinding of the metal caused sparks and ignited the bomb, and he lost his hand and will not ever be able to have children. All this happened because of a simple bad decision that he will have to remember for the rest of his life. Terroristic acts have plagued the entire world for centuries. These primitive acts of violence have an everlasting effect on communities thoughout the world. What may seem as icolated acts of hatred among cirtain groups can effect many generations down the line. To this day if one were to bring up Oklahoma City one of the first things that comes to mind is the horrifying terror felt by the people thoughout the Federal building on that mild April day in 1995; not to mention the family members greif and the shock that was felt througout the nation. This isn't the only major bombing in my lifetime. One remembered vividly by the nation is the bombing of the World Trade Center. The devestation in this incidident was caused by a simple fetilizer bomb. Taking this time to do this essay has helped me realize how dangerous bombs really can be. Meeting with the Delaware Fire Marshall changed the way I make my decisions. Looking back on my descision with the dry ice bomb, I found that I should have thought of the concequences before I acted. This whole experience has helped me realize that bombs are very destructive. All in all I hope that I dont have to go though this experience again in my life time.

Benefits of Cloud Computing The WritePass Journal

Benefits of Cloud Computing What is the cloud computing? Benefits of Cloud Computing What is the cloud computing?BenefitsBibliographyRelated What is the cloud computing? Cloud computing is using information technology services outside of your business to support either your entire information technology requirement and needs or just part of it. These services like web hosting are given to users and businesses for a price that it agreed between both parties. This can consist of using cloud storage for data, cloud application hosting and many more, cloud computing allows for a greater pool of resources, hardware and software without the need of the company investing in its infrastructure. Miller (2008) states that ‘the definition of cloud computing is the â€Å"cloud† itself. For our purposes, the cloud is a large group of interconnected computers. These can be personal computers or network servers; they can be public or private.’ Benefits Cloud computing has many benefits such as low cost computers can be used by the user/users to run cloud web-based software and the software itself requires little computer resources. The main bulk of the processing power, disk space and other computer resources that modern software requires are available in the cloud therefore not needed by the user. The cloud also offers the users the ability to have exact specifications of hardware/software to suit the user’s requirements which saves the users money. Better performance on the user’s desktop computers will also be an added benefit as the cloud computer systems will be running the main bulk of the hardware intensive software and the desktop will be free to deal with applications that do not require   lots of computer resources. Lower IT infrastructure costs internally will be another added benefit as the cloud will be dealing with the main bulk of the resources needed meaning fewer servers and computing power internally. Lower software costs will benefit the company, instead of having the software installed on every machine which mean paying for a licence for each machine. The software can be installed on the cloud and every staff member that needs the   software can access the cloud and use it from any of the machine once authorised, this also adds the extra benefit of security by only allowing certain user names and password to have access to the certain parts of the cloud and the software itself. Update efficiency will be easier in the cloud as once you update the software in the cloud every machines that then accesses the cloud will have access to the newest version of the software instead of updating each machines software which saves time and staff labour Few maintenance issues will arise both hardware and software as the hardware and software will be based externally, let’s take hardware for instance with a lower amount of servers internally and   the main bulk of the servers externally doing the processing the maintenance costs will be dramatically decreased and with the software staff will not need to be on hard maintain the software if anything goes wrong as the cloud will have their own staff checking the software is working at its most efficient. Increased computing power Bibliography MILLER, M. Cloud Computing – Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online. United States of America. Que Publishing. 2008.

Challenges Faced by the UK Construction Industry Today Essay

Challenges Faced by the UK Construction Industry Today - Essay Example From the report it is clear that buildings in UK have been accounting for a substantial amount of energy compared to the total electricity consumption, and the entire emission of the carbon dioxide from various building. This has developed challenge replacing or renovating buildings in order to reduce the environmental impacts in a way that neutralizes the carbon emissions, thereby achieving respectable financial returns on investment. There are efforts for reducing consumption of fossil fuels in buildings in order to achieve the objective of neutrality, and this will be achieved through seeking new approaches in designing and renovating buildings.This discussion highlights that  the other challenge relates to the pressure exerted on the construction industry by inflation, whereby pressure has been building over the emerging markets and other mature economies. There is a substantial domestic demand experienced in the construction industry, which is calling for expansionary monetary policy, and increase in cost of commodities. This results to an inflation risk prevailing in the year, though the central bank has commenced to increase the rates in order to prevent asset bubbles. Therefore, a likelihood of remaining as a target in UK because of pressure exerted on the commodities used is in the construction industry while an increase in tax has resulted to an increase in the wages due to expectation of further increase in inflation. (Langdon, 2011, 3). Nevertheless, there are policies that have been undertaken in the Back of England concerning the quantitative reduction of interest rates during the year leading to implications for inflation, which targets integrity (Jones, 2011, 1). In this case, the risk associated with inflation has been depicted three key factors such as potentiality in the rise of food inflation, persistent rise in prices of asset and a substantial increase in the global commodity prices. Shrinking workforce The construction industry in UK has faced a loss in the vital knowledge associated to the inability to replace specific skills, which have made a significant contribution to eh industry. On the other hand, the utility industry has achieved an age of utility workers since numerous of the workers who are experience are about to retire (Hughes, 2011, 1). Moreover, there is an aging workforce as a significant concern in the construction industry, and this is contributing substantially to the shrinkage of the workforce. There are expectations of an increase of average annual rate in construction industry leading to subsequent raise in rate of employment opportunities. However, the deteriorated workforce contributes to a problem related to utilities of the construction industry, whereby the utilities that are projected can lose stability (Lynagh, 2010, 1).

Post Event Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Post Event Evaluation - Essay Example Businesses increasingly are supporting events to promote their services and products to the market and for charity activities. Different authors have defined events and theoretical constitutions of events. This enables us to classify the types of occasions are can be termed as events. According to Bowdin et al (2012), Governments now support and promote events as part of their strategies for economic development nation building and destination marketing. Other authors hold that events are more of social or staged activities. This means that events are composed of activities although mere activities ac not be categorised as events (Getz et al, 2007). This is because activities involve liveliness, energy and involvement but with events, there is a theme which accompanies those activities. The UK and various countries and cultures within it, have a rich tradition of rituals and ceremonies extending over thousands of years. These traditions, influenced by changes within society, have greatly influenced many events as they are celebrated today. Some of the events initiated in the UK in the traditional period still function religiously up to now. Example, King John initiated an event known as ‘The Lord Mayors Show’ in 1251 and which has continued to be pra cticed today. Currently, the lord mayor’s show is the largest parade of its kind in the world. LMS (2013) explains how the Lord Mayors Show has floated, rolled, trotted, marched and occasionally fought its way through 798 years of London history, surviving the Black Death and the blitz to arrive in the 21st century as one of the world’s best-loved pageants. While the ‘The Lord Mayors Show’ is categorized as a cultural celebration and a parade, it can be categorized as an event as it has been listed under the Getz et al (2007) ‘Typology of Events’. Getz et al (2007) provides further description towards these events as a joyful occasion and a day to observe

Marketing Plan for a Fair Trade Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Plan for a Fair Trade Company - Essay Example This essay stresses that business firms in the modern world face cut throat competition among themselves. It is almost impossible for a firm to achieve success in business in the modern world without an effective marketing plan. A business firm can only enjoy a broad customer base if it sets innovative and planned marketing strategies. A fair trading company is a company that involves in 100% just business transactions. This essay will enumerate an efficient marketing plan for a hypothetical fair trading firm in the confectionary industry. This paper makes a conclusion that since chocolates are mainly liked by children, while beginning its business Chocolies must adopt the program of free sampling in different schools in U.K. The enrolment rate for primary and secondary education in U.K. is very high. Thus, the program of free sampling would be expensive for Chocolies at the initial stage, but would surely help it to introduce its chocolates among almost 90% of children in U.K., who are potential buyers of chocolates (KPMG, 2012). The fair trading business firm may also sponsor many junior sports events. Sports events are not only watched by many viewers but also covered by social media. Sponsoring on such events would help the company enjoy a broad customer base for its chocolates. This report will concentrate on introducing a marketing plan for a hypothetical Fait Trading Company in the market of United Kingdom (U.K.). Situation Analysis The essay will consider the SWOT and PESTLE analysis for Chocolies (fair trading company). SWOT Strengths The biggest strength of the company is the growing consumers demand in U.K. confectionary industry. Right from its inception, the company would experience a broad customer base already parked in the U.K. confectionary industry. The chocolate confectionary business was worth approximately â‚ ¬ 5.41 billion in 2011, rising by almost 2.7% since 2007 (Sweet Retailing, 2012). Moreover, fair trading principles would surely benefit the brand popularity and prestige of the company. Weaknesses The fair trading company would have to accumulate lot of finances to succeed in its business and compete with the other potential rivals in the industry. The confectionary industry has other famous Fair Trading chocolate firms like the Devine Chocolate operating successfully in the U.K. market. Due to the rise in Diet conscious consumers, the aggregate demand for chocolates has fallen in market in the recent years. Moreover, the company would follow fair trading principles, as it would provide social welfare benefits and introduce fair trade prices for its chocolates; these policies would increase the cost of its chocolates. Cocoa beans are required to make chocolates; its total cultivable land availability is low. Disturbances in weather can often create problem for the company, as bargaining power of the suppliers would increase with such problems. The consumers may also feel that the company following fair trading prin

Classroom management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Classroom management plan - Essay Example With the help of an effective class room management, teachers can plan the activities in a class room and achieve the objectives of teaching and learning. An analysis of researches undertaken in various parts of the world reveals â€Å"that effective classroom management increases student engagement, decreases disruptive behaviors, and makes good use of instructional time† (Kaliska, 2002). A recent survey study also reveals the same result that classroom management as the most important factor influencing student learning (Jones & Jones, 2004). Class room management has many interpretations by eminent authors and researchers. However, the definition put forward by Colville-Hall seems to be a comprehensive one. He defines class room management as â€Å"a broad set of teaching behaviors through which the teacher shapes and maintains learning conditions that facilitate effective and efficient instruction resulting in a learning community. Effective classroom management is an ong oing, maintenance-oriented process. It involves motivating students to learn, providing appropriate instruction and feedback, and managing student work. Efforts of the effective classroom teacher are proactive, responsive, and supportive† (Colville-Hall, 2000). The purpose of this report/plan is to explore and determine the most effective classroom management plan that best fits the need of the hour. The plan covers the comprehensive activities and procedures that one must schedule and implement to achieve the teaching and learning objectives as desired. The plan is prepared in line with my class room experience and interaction with my class mates. Classroom management means and includes all the efforts by teachers along with the students in a class to achieve their teaching and learning objectives. â€Å"It includes the preparation of plans and materials, structuring of activities into time blocks, direct teaching of skills and subject matter,

How DSLR cinematography is affecting the aesthetics of motion picture Research Proposal - 1

How DSLR cinematography is affecting the aesthetics of motion picture for cinema - Research Proposal Example This is in line with the research as I will be studying the effect of one of the technologies (DSLR) in cinema aesthetics. In the research, I will review the aesthetics contained in Reverie by Vincent Laforet, which was shot using DSLR cameras. This is one of the movies that utilized DSLRs for film making instead of the conventional photography. To test this, I will shoot a short movie made of a collection of four scenes using three different media: film stock, digital camera (RAW), and DSLR (compressed). Each camera will produce four scenes under similar lighting and in the same environment. This will enable me compare the scenes and analyze the differences in their aesthetics. The comparison will involve the similarities and differences and their significance in aesthetic quality. I will also look at the limitations encountered and the ways of overcoming these limitations during production and post-production. The conclusion of the research will be a short film that will combine sequences filmed using different media. The production of this film will utilize pro-consumer software, which will be essent ial for proving that independent filmmakers can utilize DSLRs when making movies. This will also prove that DSLR is a professional film making tool and can help filmmakers become professionals. The major part of the film will be shot using DSLR and will be combined with scenes from a film stock camera. This will be necessary for showing that the DSLR has improved the quality of movies. Davis, E. Interview. Indiewire (2011) [Viewed 29 January, 2013]. Available from:

Classroom management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Classroom management plan - Essay Example With the help of an effective class room management, teachers can plan the activities in a class room and achieve the objectives of teaching and learning. An analysis of researches undertaken in various parts of the world reveals â€Å"that effective classroom management increases student engagement, decreases disruptive behaviors, and makes good use of instructional time† (Kaliska, 2002). A recent survey study also reveals the same result that classroom management as the most important factor influencing student learning (Jones & Jones, 2004). Class room management has many interpretations by eminent authors and researchers. However, the definition put forward by Colville-Hall seems to be a comprehensive one. He defines class room management as â€Å"a broad set of teaching behaviors through which the teacher shapes and maintains learning conditions that facilitate effective and efficient instruction resulting in a learning community. Effective classroom management is an ong oing, maintenance-oriented process. It involves motivating students to learn, providing appropriate instruction and feedback, and managing student work. Efforts of the effective classroom teacher are proactive, responsive, and supportive† (Colville-Hall, 2000). The purpose of this report/plan is to explore and determine the most effective classroom management plan that best fits the need of the hour. The plan covers the comprehensive activities and procedures that one must schedule and implement to achieve the teaching and learning objectives as desired. The plan is prepared in line with my class room experience and interaction with my class mates. Classroom management means and includes all the efforts by teachers along with the students in a class to achieve their teaching and learning objectives. â€Å"It includes the preparation of plans and materials, structuring of activities into time blocks, direct teaching of skills and subject matter,

Higher Education Task Force Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Higher Education Task Force Report - Essay Example The essay needs to dwell mainly on the role of CBI Higher Education Task Force in reporting on the topic of ‘Stronger together: Government policy on this crucial issue is another aspect, which can determine the guidelines to be formulated. The proposed essay structure needs to present an analysis of the view points of different industry heads on the possibilities of investing funds by them and the government to speed up the process of economic growth. The role of media needs to be pinpointed to know the impact of the campaign on higher education policy. Contribution of media in initiating a national debate through various broadcasting channels would add value to the content of the essay. The government, universities and the businesses are the direct stakeholders while students will reap the benefits indirectly by getting grants on tuition fees and right employment opportunities. Sam Laidlaw is not only the chairman of the CBI HE taskforce but also the chief executive of Centrica. Hopefully, his views should present a clear picture of all aspects including not just employment but the niche area to pay more attention, namely subjects like science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) where the demand of the businesse s on hunting talent has not been fulfilled and is going to rise further in future. Arguments given for creating and developing stronger relations between the universities, government and businesses in turbulent times need to be discussed in the proposed essay to substantiate the steps and recommendations made in the report.

Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent Essay Example for Free

Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent Essay Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent and divided. How far do you agree? Napoleon was one of the most successful military leaders Europe has ever seen; his leadership of the French army saw him control much of continental Europe. Napoleons enemies did give him a great advantage during his success through their incompetence and divisions. However the weaknesses of Napoleons opposition was not the only reason why he was so successful. One must also look at other reasons to why Napoleon had so much success. Napoleons enemies had old-fashioned, slow and immobile tactics when fighting Napoleon, this made it easier for Napoleon to defeat them, as his army was quick and mobile. This inability to produced new tactics was exposed at the Battle of Ulm in 1805. The Prussians were fighting Napoleon, they were slow and immobile, and as a result lost 45,000 men, Napoleon was able to easily expose their immobility. Napoleons enemies showed were divided and not united together as they failed to join together and forge a successful alliance against Napoleon. The Second Coalition of 1799 is an example of their incompetence to join together against Napoleon. It was between Britain, Russia, Austria and the Ottoman Empire. However it was made up of a series of separate alliances, which meant there was no single aim. Soon there was political fallout between Russia and Britain over Malta, which meant the coalition was effectively disbanded. The fallout allowed Napoleon to interfere and get Russia on side, and then bully Austria into the Peace of Luneville. Although it can be seen that Napoleon was successful in divide and rule as he was able to split the allies and forge a separate alliance, this failed coalition also shows the incompetence of Napoleons enemies to united against him. Napoleons enemies also saw him as infallible and this meant they would enter a battle against him with fear and often gave him too much respect. Evidently Napoleons enemies incompetence and divisions did play a part in his success, they had poor tactics and could not unite against him. However in order to analyse how far his enemies incompetence and divisions led to Napoleons success, one must also look at other factors which led to Napoleons success. Napoleons himself and his leadership of the French army is a key reason for his success. When Napoleon took command of the French army, he reorganised it and took lead of the whole army himself. The army was divided into corps of 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers, which increased the armies mobility. Napoleon controlled the whole army and decided every move on the battlefield. This along with the mobility of the army, allowed him to make fast decisions and his army were able to respond quickly. To increase speed and mobility Napoleon also introduced living off the land which meant his soldiers carried a limited supply of food and clothes and were encouraged to loot as they marched. This meant his men could travel from 12 to 15 miles a day. In another effort to increase mobility Napoleon also used horse artillery. Napoleon had great qualities as a military general; he would formulate a general plan of action before any battle and calculate all the possibilities. He did this at Austerlitz in 1805 to great effect. He engaged the Russians, but kept a large reserve, which allowed him to roll to victory. Napoleon was also a quick thinker and was able to improvise by using his mobile army to take advantage of enemy mistakes. This can be seen at the Battle of Ulm in 1805, where he improvised by making a quick decision to send marshal Murat in pursuit of the Austrians, which reduced their numbers from 70,000 to 27,000. Napoleon possessed great charisma. Wellington said of him his presence in the battlefield is worth an extra 40,000 men. He would fight alongside his men, which inspired his men and gained him respect. He did this at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, when times got hard for his soldiers. He also used emotional, theatrical language in his Daily Bulletins, to inspire and arouse the passions of his troops. This ability to inspire his troops meant he got the best out of his men at all times, increasing his chances of victory. Napoleon also understood the importance of paying his men in coin money as appose to paper money, as it did not depreciate in value. He also allowed them to loot as they conquered new lands. This boosted morale as his soldiers were payed well and it also meant they respected him. Napoleon would also play to his strengths, and as he had a weak navy, he never fought naval battles. Another skill of Napoleon was his ability to incorporate other peoples tactics into his own army with great effect. For instance he took military thinker Guiberts tactic of mixed order (a combination of lines and columns of men), and incorporated it into the army. It had a great impact as it increased mobility and meant they were less vulnerable and predictable. Although it was not his idea, Napoleon did incorporate into his army to great effect. Evidently Napoleons military skills and leadership of the French army was another reason for him been so successful. He possessed great skills such controlling the whole army, planning ahead and improving to take advantage of enemy mistakes. He was also brilliant at getting the best out of his troops through his charisma and incorporating other peoples tactics to great effect. Another reason that must be analysed in order to establish why Napoleon was so successful is the strength of the French army he inherited when he came to power. Due to conscription introduced in 1793 before Napoleon was in power, the French army was by far the largest in Europe. By 1805 it consisted of around 600,000 men. This was an obvious a great advantage to Napoleon, it enabled him to change the nature of warfare to levee on masse. The size of the army allowed him to surround enemies as he did at the twin battle of Jena-Auerstadt where by surrounding the Prussians, made them face on the wrong way when battle began, as a result they lost 45,000 men. Napoleon was also able to take huge losses himself, as on average he took on 73,000 new conscripts. Napoleon also inherited the experienced soldiers that had fought in the Grande Armee during the French revolution; these men were of great value. So evidently Napoleon was assisted in his success, as he inherited a huge army, which gave him the edge against the smaller, weaker armies of his enemies. So although Napoleon was assisted by the incompetent and divided nature of his enemies, other factors also had a great contribution in his success, particularly his military skills and leadership. Without possessing great skills he would have not been as successful. It was his skills, which allowed him to take advantage of the weakness of his enemies, and the army he inherited and as a result have so much military success.

Ecosystem Services In Human Systems Environmental Sciences Essay

Ecosystem Services In Human Systems Environmental Sciences Essay Ecosystem services in human-environment systems: What is the problem? Ecosystems deliver goods and services of enormous value to the human society (Pearce and Moran, 1994; Costanza et al., 1997; Daily, 1997). However, intensive land and water use, extraction of natural resources, and chemical emissions into the environment lead to a worldwide degradation of biodiversity and of the supporting services, provisioning services, regulating services and cultural services which ecosystems provide (Hooper et al., 2005; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005b). On a global scale the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005b) found that 60% of global ecosystem services (ES) surveyed are currently being degraded or used unsustainably. Future scenarios are promising no relieve. Only the projected doubling of food consumption for the next 50 years (Tilman et al., 2002), in combination with the growing demand for biofuels and other biophysical products will challenge decision-makers dealing with ecosy stem management worldwide. They need to optimize ecosystems with respect to multiple needs. Climate change has even intensified the dynamics of this human-environment interaction (McCarthy et al., 2001). Ecosystem services are defined as functions of ecosystems with value for human well-being. Thus the concept of ecosystem services, establishes a relationship between ecosystem service suppliers (the producers) and demanders for ecosystem services (the beneficiaries). Those supply-demand interaction can be distinguished on three levels: i) upstream downstream relations, ii) north south relations and iii) poor rich relations. i) Because of topographical complexity and altitudinal gradients mountain ecosystems are particularly sensitive to global change compared to the lowland (Becker et al., 2007; Bugmann et al., 2007). Socio-economic vulnerability to loss of ecosystem services tends also to be higher because of generally more difficult socio-economic conditions in mountains. But also the lowlands are influenced by undesired changes in mountain areas, because of their importance for biodiversity and for providing ecosystem services. Downstream actors benefit from the supply of upstream ecosystems with respect to clean water, flood control, reduced sedimentation, scenic beauty and many more positive mountainous ecosystem services. ii) Similarly, pressure on ecosystem services is high in the south because of continuous land use change, land degradation and impacts of climate change. Until now, such damages to ecosystems services are not sufficiently taken into account in the environmental decisions along the global value chains linking consumer, retailer, processor, and producer in the north and the south. Fair trade is a first step into this direction, but global trade basically masks the constraints of regional ecosystems. To increase the ecological transparency and foster sustainable ecosystem management, the involved public and private actors need to develop, improve and use instruments for ecological assessment and management of global value chains damaging regional ecosystem services. Lately ideas have been developed for international payments for ecosystem services and international biodiversity off-sets (see for a review in German or French language Koellner and Engel, 2008b; Koellner and Engel, 2008a). iii)In both cases mentioned before the relationship between upstream-downstream and north-south are potentially equivalent to a poor-rich relationship. Especially in developing countries with weak environmental legislation and enforcement, the activities of the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, but also oil, gas and mining) lead to deforestation, cause severe damages to biodiversity and finally limit the capacity of ecosystems to deliver bundles of services at the landscape scale to the local people. This is especially objectionable, if biotic resources are produced unsustainably in poor countries in the south and exported to rich countries in the north with strict environmental regulation, but only for the own territory. I am not saying that global trade per se is bad for the environment, but innovative solutions are needed if the poor are affected, because they cannot buffer losses of ecosystem services with purchased human-made services. To replace missing legislation pro-poor payments for ecosystem services were discussed in the past (Landell-Mills and Porras, 2002; Duraiappah, 2006; Ravnborg et al., 2007; Bulte et al., 2008; Proctor et al., 2008; Tallis et al., 2008). To successfully manage such supply-demand relations for ecosystem services under pressure of global change requires a collaboration of science and practice. New strategies for local, regional and global management of ecosystems are necessary, which are based on ecosystem services quantification; design of finance, policy and governance systems; and the implementation of those in various biophysical and social contexts (Daily and Matson, 2008). Within this general framework the three main objectives of my habilitation thesis on Ecosystem Services in Human-Environment Systems are Part A) to model land use and its impact on biodiversity and ecosystems and their services Part B) to analyze the decision-making that drives supply and demand for ecosystem services, and Part C) to explore the ecosystem impact of the financial sector national and international payments for ecosystem services (PES) and their linkages to the financial sector. In this introduction I reflect first the recent discussion about the definition of ecosystem services. Then I develop a general framework to organize research on ecosystem services. Finally, for each of the three objectives I provide a short review of existing research and describe my contribution to fill the gap. What are ecosystem services? Much confusion about their definition. Daily (1997) and the contributing authors from natural and social sciences introduced the term and concept of ecosystem services in order to stress the dependency of human-well being on nature. This milestone work defines ecosystem services on page 3 as follows: Ecosystem services are the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up sustain and fulfill human life. They maintain biodiversity and the production of ecosystem goods, such as seafood, forage, timber, biomass fuels, natural fiber, and many pharmaceuticals, industrial products, and their precursors. (Daily, 1997, page 3). In this definition ecosystem goods and biodiversity are an output of natural functions in sensu de Groot (1992). Interestingly, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment MA (2005b) skips the distinction between tangible ecosystem goods. It defines ecosystem services broadly as the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. It does distinguish supportive services (like nutrient cycling and soil formation), provisioning services (like food, fresh water and fibers), regulating services (like erosion control or water purification), and cultural services (like provision of opportunities for recreation and spiritual or historical purposes). That means what is a good under the definition of Daily is in the MA defined as an ecosystem services. Exactly around this issue, there is currently a scientific debate ongoing (see Boyd, 2007; Boyd and Banzhaf, 2007; Wallace, 2007; Costanza, 2008; Fisher and Turner, 2008; Wallace, 2008).