Parliamentary Vs. Presidential Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parliamentary Vs. Presidential - Essay Example The government can be dissolved at will by the parliament by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it is not able to function anymore. On the contrary, a presidential government is one in which the executive branch is not accountable to the legislative branch. Both branches can check the actions of the other branch. The President and the members of Congress are elected in separate elections. The President holds office for a fixed term and his authority is not subject to direct control of the legislature. However, the President cannot dissolve government and order a new election. Clearly, there is a difference in the voting system between a parliamentary government and a presidential government. The indefinite terms of office in a parliamentary system allows a party to hold office and thus are permanent in order to provide some stability to the system. However, it may be argued that this may lead to unfavorable type of ruling for a country. This is because the possibility of the head of government holding office for life contributes towards the making of an autocrat. Especially in nations with weak democratic traditions and with executive powers concentrated in the hands of the party in power, this type of system signals dictatorship. It also does not welcome new ideas or changes that could benefit the economy of a country in the long term. For instance, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, from 1959 to 1990 recently commented the decision by the current Prime Minister to open a casino in Singapore would never happen under his control. However, he welcomed the changes as fresh and different. A divided executive is one in which the relative powers vary between a Prime Minister and a President, representing two different parties and ideologies. This is important in a system where there are no dual lines of authority. A divided executive results in varied institutional forms to allow

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai Essay

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai kittens - Essay Example The site's creator describes and illustrates in detail the method for abusing these animals" (Humane Society, 2008). III. Relating to the Audience: As long as this hoax has been around and for the sake of preventing animal cruelty, it is important that each of you know about Bonsai kittens and the possibility that there may actually be people out there doing this to the poor animals. IV. Thesis: The Bonsai kitten Internet hoax caused a massive negative public reaction, and even though it was only a hoax, many individuals and animal rights groups took great offense to the Bonsai kitten website and its content and pictures. I. In 2000, what has become known as the Bonsai kitten website appeared, depicting some very disturbing images of kittens being stuffed into bottles, as well as being fed, breathing, and ridding themselves of waste through tubes. (Wikipedia, 2008) II. The kittens were supposedly stuffed into these bottles as a form of decoration and were not removed until their bones and bodies had become twisted into some sort of desired shape to make them appear less "mundane" than regular animals. Bonsai kitten website. (2008).

One nation under Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

One nation under Wal-Mart - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that as a retailer, Wal-Mart can be characterized as quite successful. As noted in the case study, currently, the stores of Wal-Mart are estimated to, at least, 4,750, a figure that it is quite high if taking into consideration the level of growth of other retailers globally. The rapid and impressive expansion of Wal-Mart has resulted in strong conflicts, in regard to the role of the firm in the society. For many people, Wal-Mart has helped towards the increase of equality in society; people of different financial status have the potential to visit one of the firm’s stores and buy products of various prices. In other words, Wal-Mart eliminates barriers related to buying, as a critical human experience; such barriers are common in societies of non-developed countries which are characterized by extreme gaps between rich and poor. This means that Wal-Mart helps towards the reduction of social inequality, a fact that promotes peace at al l levels of social and private life. At the same time, the stores of Wal-Mart are structures in such way so that they can offer to customers the chance to make their choice among products of different quality/ characteristics. In this way, customers are given the freedom to develop their decision-making skills. The above positive influence of Wal-Mart in regard to a person’s social and private life is highly appreciated by consumers; as noted in the case study ‘about 138 million shoppers visit the firm’s stores every week’.... capitalism and globalization are promoted. Such view could not be accepted for the following reasons: a) Wal-Mart cannot be blamed for the changes in the life of style, including the development of new modes of retailing, similar to that promoting by Wal-Mart. Large retailers exist in all developed countries, being part of daily social life; b) Capitalism and globalization, as concepts, are not related solely to retail; they rather reflect a radical change on traditional views of life and priorities. In fact, retail is just an aspect of capitalism and globalization; existing political systems worldwide are the key supporters of these concepts. According to the above, it would be not fair to claim that Wal-Mart has promoted capitalism and globalization. Still, the success of Wal-Mart proves that people worldwide tend to support capitalism and globalization, at the level that products of well known brands, that are popular worldwide, are highly preferred by consumers. As a result, work ers have become willing to spend on products that meet the standards of fashion, even if these products are going to cover the workers’ primary needs. In any case, these trends cannot be considered as based on Wal-Mart’s strategies. Rather, Wal-Mart has aligned its objectives with the principles of capitalism and globalization which are, in any case, indispensable part of modern life. 2. Can a retailer ever become too large and too powerful? In the context of modern market, a firm can increase its size and its power by following specific rules. For the retail industry a similar rule exists. Primarily, emphasis needs to be given to consumers’ preferences, as influenced by local ethics and culture. At the next level, it is necessary for the firm to identify brands that

Short Response # 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short Response # 5 - Essay Example he Lisbon sisters changed in that, they saw the girls as they saw themselves - youths in the process of development with like beliefs, values and behaviors. (124) Secondly, the boys realized that their categorization of the Lisbon sisters was completely inaccurate. â€Å"Who had known they talk so much, held so many opinions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (124) The boys amended their thinking of them as scared, socially inept, lifeless creatures to confident, socially adept, beautiful and energetic girls. The boys with a note of wonderment announced, â€Å"†¦the girls they had been continuously living, developing in ways we couldn’t imagine, reading every book†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This new information not only increased the boys’ infatuation with the girls but also ignited a higher level of respect for the girls whom they had once only known in their imagination. (124) Further, the boys seemed to notice a difference in the behavior and personality of each girl. Whereas they once thought of them only as an identical unit, they now saw them as individuals. At the dance, the boys’ perspective of the sisters seemed to interchange between identical unit and individual girls. â€Å"The Lisbon girls looked identical again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (132) suggesting that at one point in the dance they had begun to see them as individuals but by the end of the date, they were â€Å"a pack† again, moving together with the sole purpose of finding the missing sister.(132) The boys saw them as inseparable. Bonnie’s reluctance to leave Lux alone even for second, confirmed this new information in their minds. Certainly this view of the girls as an entity was accurate for the girls all died and was buried as a unit. In addition, the Lisbon home appeared to be a place of isolation, rejection and sadness, a place of abnormalities. As the girls moved away from the house they were able to show abandonment of the misguided feelings of abnormality and begin to show their true selves, that is, their ability to enjoy life in spite of struggles.

International Business Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business Management - Case Study Example Wal-mart is also considered as one of the highest grossing Public Corporation all over the world. The model which Wal-mart uses are "low cost always" is been highly successful in USA's market where people value their hard-work and money. Although this model has been successful in most of the countries it operates in, this model didn't work-out in Japan. Japanese people were not ready to compromise presentation for low-cost and this corporation faced their first hurdle since its incorporation. This company is managed by Americans and they reflect typical American thinking of low-cost for everything. This resulted in their first failure in Japan, as already discussed (Fortune, August 2007). The huge disparity in cultures of various nations may tempt wal-mart to change its strategy from implement a global strategy to start using a multi-domestic strategy. Multi-domestic firms usually develop separate strategies for their different subsidiaries in different parts of the world. One such c ompany is Uni-Lever, which uses a multi-domestic strategy (Daft, 1997). Their advertising policies and products are usually varied from one country to another. Similarly, McDonald in the recent years has also used multidomestic strategies. It developed a new product McKofta for Middle-Eastern market just to suit their taste buds. Pizza Hut has also introduced Chicken Tikka Pizza for Pakistani and Indian markets.(Cluster Flock, 2009) Thus it can be established from the above discussion that those businesses which have used multi-domestic strategies are more successful than those who follow a one rigid policy for their businesses in all countries. Even companies like Dell are also going more towards customization and this shows how important being flexible is in current business situation and recessionary times. So, it is imperative for Wal-mart to change their strategy immediately and should try to make strategies on the basis of different culture of different countries. This will im prove the standing of Wal-mart not only in Japan, but also in other countries like Brazil, Mexico and United Kingdom.(Bruce Kogut , 1985) The domain of businesses now covers the entire planet due to recent advances in Globalization which was brought about by development of modern technology. Due to these advances it has become very easy for firms to control their operations in more than one country. As a result, more and more businesses now exist in more than one country. Wal-Mart is one of the largest chains of departmental stores in USA and fourteen other countries. It has been estimated that Wal-Mart's annual net income amounts to around $12 billion. Despite being a large company, Wal-Mart is just been in some South-American and European countries. It is either underestimating or not planning to exploit to the huge potentials of Asian Market. Asian Markets are known as the business hub for International businesses and all major businesses usually conduct their operations in Asia Countries, but Wal-Mart has been quite indifferent to the huge potential that Asian Economies offer. Wal-Mart exists in the tertiary sector (service sector) offering retail service to its clients. Since, Wal-Mart has large customer base, it usually purchases items in bulk and obtain large discounts and passes on these discounts to

Recent Trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region and Essay

Recent Trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region and Their Impact on Economic Development - Essay Example Asia has been one of the world's economically promising continents. According to James Chan, during the Middle Ages, Asia was the most developed part of the world. (244) In Asia, you can find famous textiles, silverwares, spices, porcelains, silks. Today, however, the Asia Pacific region comprises developed, developing, and underdeveloped contact centre markets and as these markets progress, the demand for better customer service is expected to drive growth in this region. (Frost & Sullivan, 2005) Except for countries like USSR, Japan, Israel and other parts of Southwest Asia that is rich of oil, most Asian countries are now part of the developing world. Nowadays, most people living in Asian countries are so close to the survival limits. Developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region are facing three challenges, namely reducing poverty, addressing environmental degradation and promoting regional cooperation, said Tadao Chino, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the ope ning ceremony of ADB's annual meeting (here) Friday. (Xinhuanet, May 2002) Poverty and unemployment practically started when all Asian countries experienced urbanization. Through urbanization, residents of the countryside tend to flock into the cities to experience urban living where there are wonderful city lights, big buildings and amusement parks. This increased unemployment, congestion and various forms of social disorganization. The rapid urbanization of Asia presents some very significant challenges. The sheer scale of urban growth, the massive infrastructure needs, the plight of the urban poor, and pollution of the environment all present massive challenges. (Myoung-Ho Shin, September 2005) These events had contributed to the economic trends of the Asia-Pacific region as well as provide a great impact on Asia's Economic Development. AIMS to be able to identify the recent trends in Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region to discuss their impact on Economic Development to discuss the future development of the region ASIA-PACIFICS RECENT TRENDS IN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION The purpose of economic integration is to get the regions cooperation in terms of monetary, financial and fiscal areas, agriculture and industry, and other sectors. It is to prepare Asia's regions in globalization. According to Mario Lamberte, the roles and modalities of regional economic cooperation and integration in Asia focuses in three broad areas, namely, trade and investment, monetary and financial integration, and infrastructure and associated software. Regional integration, on the other hand, is de facto integration of economies within a geographic region. It may be market-driven integration, which means, there is no explicit agreement or coordinated action among countries within a region to integrate their economies; or policy-induced integration, that is, one that results from regional cooperation. (Lamberte, Page 4) Economic Integration in Asia Pacific is the sense of unity and cooperation of all the countries involved in the region. Cited from the New Asia Forum, some countries of the region have large excess capacity in

Consumers as Individuals Essay Example for Free

Consumers as Individuals Essay The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. Attributes of self-concept can be described along such dimensions as their content (for example, facial attractiveness vs. mental aptitude), positivity or negativity (i. e. elf-esteem), intensity, stability over time and accuracy (that is, the degree to which one’s self-assessment corresponds to reality). Self-esteem Self-esteem refers to the positivity of a person’s self-concept. People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection. People with high self-esteem expect to be successful,, will take more risks and are more willing to be the centre of attention. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others. Marketing communications can influence a consumer’s level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison, where the person tries to evaluate their self by comparing it to the people in these artificial images. Real and ideal selves Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares their actual standing on some attribute to some ideal. The ideal self is a person’s conception of how they would like to be, while the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have or lack. And we often engage in a process of impression management where we work hard to ‘manage’ what others think of us by strategically choosing clothing and other cues that will put us in a good light. The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer’s culture, such as heroes or people depicted in advertising who serve as models of achievement or apprearance. Products may be purchased because they are believed to be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. Some products are chosen because they are reaching the standard set by the ideal self. Multiple selves We have as many selves as we do different social roles. Depending on the situation, we act differently, use different products and services, and we even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. A person may require a different set of products to play a desired role. The self can be thought of as having different components, or role identities, and only some of these are active at any given time. Symbolic interactionism If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop and how do we decide which self to ‘activate’ at any point in time? The sociological tradition of symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self. This perspective maintains that people exist in a symbolic environment, and the meaning attached to any situation or object is determined by the interpretation of these symbols. Like other social objects, the meanings of consumers themselves are defined b social consensus. The consumer interprets their own identity, and this assessment is continually evolving as they encounter new situations and people. The looking-glass self When you choose an article of clothing, the mirror superimposes it on your reflection so that you can see how it would look on you. This process of imagining the reactions of others towards us is known as ‘taking the role of the other’, or the looking-glass self. According to this view, our desire to define ourselves operates as a sort of psychological sonar, we take readings of our own identify by ‘bouncing’ signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us. Self-conciousness There are times when people seem to be painfully aware of themselves. If you have ever walked into a class in the middle of a lecture and noticed that all eyes were on you, you can understand this feeling of self-conciousness. Some people seem in general to be more sensitive to the image they communicate to others. A heightened concern about he nature of one’s public ‘image’ also results in more concern about the social appropriateness of products and consumption activities. Several measures have been devised to measure this tendency. Consumers who score high on a scale of public self-conciousness, for example, are also more interested in clothing and are heavier users of cosmetic. A similar measure is self-monitoring. High self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their product choices are influenced by their estimates of how these items will be perceived by others. High self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. Products that shape the self: you are what you consume Recall that the reflected self helps to shape self-concept, which implies hat people see themselves as they imagine others see them. People use an individual’s consumption behaviours to help them make judgements about that person’s social identity. A consumer exhibits attachment to an object to the extent that it is used by that person to maintain their self-concept. Objects can act as a sort of security blanket by reinforcing our identities, especially in unfamiliar situations. Symbolic self-completion theory predicts that people who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it. Self/product congruence Because many consumption activities are related to self-definition, it is not surprising to learn that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. Self-image congruence models predict that products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self. These models assume a process of cognitive matching between these attributes and the consumer’s self-image. Research tends to support the idea of congruence between product usage and self-image. Congruity has also been found between consumers and their most preferred brands of beer, soap, toothpaste and cigarettes relative to their least preferred brands, as well as between consumers’ self-images and their favourite shops. Some specific attributes that have been found to be useful in describing some of the matches between consumers and products include rugged/delicate, excitable/calm,†¦. The extended self. Many of the props and settings consumers use to define their social roles in a sense become a part of their selves. Those external objects that we consider a part of us comprise the extended self. Many material objects, ranging from personal possessions and pets to national monuments or landmarks, help to form a consumer’s identity. Four levels of the extended self were described. These range from very personal objects to places and things that allow people to feel like they are rooted in their larger social environments. †¢ Individual level. Consumers include many of their personal possessions in self-definition. These products can include jewellery, cars, clothing and so on. The saying ‘You are what you wear’ reflects the belief that one’s things are a part of what one is. †¢ Family level. This part of the extended self includes a consumer’s residence and its furnishings. The house can be thought of as a symbolic body for the family and often is a central aspect of identity. †¢ Community level. It is common for consumers to describe themselves in terms of the neighbourhood or town from which they come. †¢ Group level. Our attachments to certain social groups can be considered a part of self. A consumer may feel that landmarks, monuments or sports teams are a part of the extended self. Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. To the extent that our culture is everything that we learn, then virtually all aspects of the consumption process must be affected by culture. Gender differences in socialization A society’s assumptions about the proper roles of men and women are communicated in terms of the ideal behaviours that are stressed for each sex (in advertising, among other places). Gender goals and expectations In many societies, males are controlled by agentic goals, which stress self-assertion and mastery. Females, on the other hand, are taught to value communal goals such as affiliation and the fostering of harmonious relations. Every society creates a set of expectations regarding the behaviours appropriate for men and women, and finds ways to communicate these priorities. Gender vs. sexual identity Sex role identity is a state of mind as well as body. A person’s biological gender does not totally determine whether they will exhibit sex-typed traits, or characteristics that are stereotypically associated with one sex or the other. A consumer’s subjective feelings about their sexuality are crucial as well.