Is Politics A Science - 1058 Words

Is politics a science in the first place? Numerous scholars believe politics is too normative to be considered a â€Å"Science† and that the generalizations made in science cannot be implemented in politics, furthermore, some say it is more of an art than science. Aristotle described politics as the â€Å"Master Science† as it relates to all other disciplines such as economy and philosophy. Personally I had my doubts in the beginning of the course of how much science can be in politics and if it is truly a â€Å"science†. Looking into the definitions of politics and science, I came to the conclusion that politics is a â€Å"science†. Politics simply put by Harold Laswell is the study of â€Å"Who gets what, when, and how†. Science on the other hand is†¦show more content†¦Politics is about governance thus political analyst utilize basic scientific research such as the normative and behaviorist approach to gain knowledge. This systematic app roach or aspect of politics makes it scientific. Politics is not hard science per say but it is a discipline that can be analyzed using rational principles, measurements and observations. Gerring (2006) points out that when you study politics scientifically you seek out to uncover â€Å"what is†, rather than â€Å"what ought to be† in the political realm and Leftwich (2004) points out that politics explains power thereby it is both systematic and a science. Hypothesis are created and tested as in any other scientific field although it is mainly the analysis of statistical data. Political science is the systematic study of governments through the use of empirical and generally scientific techniques by analyzing the state and its organs. The complex nature of human behavior makes it difficult to provide accurate measurements and predictions as seen with the natural sciences and thus causes several doubts on how scientific the discipline is. However, if the term science a pplies to any area of systematically organized knowledge based on facts deduced by empirical methods (working hypothesis that can be tested using observation and experiment) and described by as much measurement as the material allows, then political science

Marketing Tools That Can Help Marketers Capture Their Target Market Term Paper

Essays on Marketing Tools That Can Help Marketers Capture Their Target Market Better Term Paper The paper "Marketing Tools That Can Help Marketers Capture Their Target Market Better" is a brilliant example of a term paper on marketing. The world has been using different media of communication to market their product. With the advent of technology; the growth in this sector has been a phenomenon. The human world has been using different forms of media like mobiles, iPods, internet, SMS, social media and other forms of media to advertise their product. The marketers, as a result, are looking towards identifying the different techniques and tools which will help to improve the marketing strategies.Purpose of the reportTo identify the different direct marketing tools which are gaining prominence in the marketing worldTo identify the advantages and disadvantages the different direct marketing tools have for marketers.To identify the different products that can be marketed through direct marketing toolsScope limitation of the reportThe report looks towards presenting the manner in w hich the new marketing tools like social media, mobile, SMS, iPods help marketers to market the product. To understand it various examples have been drawn along with the growth in the usage of these devices over the years.The report looks into the qualitative aspect of the new marketing tool but ignores the quantitative aspect as no survey is carried out to gather the information both from the marketers and the customers.Consumer Buying BehaviourConsumer buying behavior â€Å"is a process of deciding what to purchase after analyzing various factors† (Tyagi Arun, 2008). â€Å"It’s very difficult to find out what customers prefer as their behavior is irrational† (Abraham, 2009). The buying habit depends on a lot of factors. This makes it tough for the companies to decide which all factors they will consider while making a forecast. So, the job of marketers increases. Marketers need to be very alert and even the slightest of information needs to be communicated el se it will result in the piling of huge stocks. It is important that marketers put in their best effort and try to understand what customers want so that the product can be designed accordingly. This has made it possible for marketers to use new marketing tactics due to the development of technology.Using Social Media for marketingThe usage of social media has also â€Å"strengthened the marketing as marketers use blogs to demonstrate their products where customers are able to understand the product better†. (Kotler, 2002) This helps to create a chain of the customer. Higher customer satisfaction will ensure that more consumers purchase a similar product thereby increasing their bargaining power and will help them to ensure customer satisfaction increases. This will help marketers achieve the objective and ensure that the relationship improves.A study has also shown that enterprise needs to spend time to improve the quality of service provided by reducing stress and freeing u p time to come with product development so that it helps to improve the productivity and the financial figure (Lucas David, 2008).

The Utilization of Organic Waste Materials for Biofuel Production Free Essays

The Utilization of Organic Waste Materials for Biofuel Production A Research Paper Presented to Professor Janet Clemente Mapua Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements in English for Academic Purposes 2 (ENG11) by Hazel Joy H. Arellano Al Joseph R. Jimeno February 2012 Abstract The increasing criticism of the first-generation biofuel has raised the potential of the so-called second-generation biofuel. We will write a custom essay sample on The Utilization of Organic Waste Materials for Biofuel Production or any similar topic only for you Order Now These include any organic industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural wastes. These residues and by-products is a potential feedstock in the production of this biofuel. This paper will attempt to determine the different potential impacts of the second generation biofuel on the society compare to the first generation biofuel and what would be the possible outcome if this was continuously used. An interview was conducted at the Department of Biomass, DOE, on the director of the said department, Andresito Ulgado. It contributed a lot on the progress of this research. As we go through this research, biofuel from organic waste materials has potential on economic, environment and social impact. This really provides benefits on the economy of a country and reduces dependency of foreign fuels. In terms of the environmental impact, these biofuels doesn’t hundred percent lessen the environmental problems but rather it could develop new environmental problems. The quality of the soil may be greatly affected and may lead to soil erosion and a lot of water can be wasted because crops plantation demands a lot of water. But this biofuel can lessen greenhouse gases and CO2. On social impact, these biofuel could provide and opened new jobs like biomass transportation, biomass collection and a lot, but jobs are limited. In other words, these biofuel has positive impact on the economy of a country and socially but not contribute hundred percent on the environment. To the future researchers, these topic is a great thing to research on, maybe they could research on how extensive these biofuels from organic waste materials is used in a specific country or in the world. † †¦ we generate a lot of waste and this is a potential feedstock for biofuel production†¦ But, I believe this is a potential one. † – A. Ulgado The production of biofuels has been rapidly increasing over the last decades but these biofuels has raised some important concerns. In particular, first generation biofuels from staple foods has been very controversial regarding its negative impact in the society, blamed to cause deforestation, displacement of food crops and increases the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For biofuels to be truly sustainable they need to be produce without affecting the food production. So, scientists are developing fuel out of anything, from organic waste and rotting garbage. These organic wastes are potential feedstock for second generation biofuels. Sustainable biofuel from organic waste materials will provide benefits compared to first-generation biofuels. These are expected to provide advantages and implications in the economy, environment and social life. The researchers came with this stand because of the continuous unprecedented high price of fossil fuels and the controversies that first-generation biofuels faced, which has a negative effect on the society. As Andresito Ulgado, director of the Department of Biomass, stated, we generate a lot of waste and from this, we can produce biofuels. But since these second-generation biofuels are not yet commercialized, there are possibilities that these are less effective compared to fossil fuels and have limited applications. These biofuels are seen as a commercial risk because these will require complex logistics system and good infrastructure. Financing these projects would be very costly for it will require ten times as much capital as a first generation plant of the same capacity. This research paper will focus on the benefits of biofuel from organic waste materials on economy, environment and social life. The researchers will find out why these biofuels are expected to resolve all the problems that the first generation biofuel have. The biofuel gives us sustainable alternatives and is renewable. In the next twenty-five years, it is believe that the world market, which is our primary source of imported fuel like fossil fuel will run out soon. That is why biofuels in the form of liquid fuels derive from plant materials are entering the market driven by factors such as oil price hikes and the need for increased energy security. However, many of this biofuel that are currently supplied has been criticized for the adverse impacts on the natural environment, food security, and land use-these are the first generation biofuels or the biofuel from staple foods. Most of our neighboring countries use biofuel from staple foods like corns and rice. But in the Philippines, the Biofuel Act of 2006, specifically says that corn, rice, and other staple foods cannot be used for biofuel production instead sugarcane and coconut oil is used because of the surplus production of oil and sugar here in the Philippines. Due to the increasing criticism of the sustainability of many first generation biofuel, scientists are trying to make better use of crop residues and by-products by converting into the next generation biofuel. These includes any solid, liquid, and gaseous fuel produced either directly from plants or indirectly from organic, industrial, commercial, domestic, or agricultural waste- or the so-called Second Generation Biofuel. The challenge is to support the biofuel development including the development of new cellulose technologies with the responsible policies and economic instruments to help ensure that biofuel commercialization is sustainable. These biofuels will not only help the earth reduce greenhouse gases, toxics, and pollution but it will also help our economic status. Utilizing the second generation biofuel will resolve the issue regarding on food production, provides energy security, reduce dependence on foreign source of oil and other fuels, and economic boost for agriculture and industry. Over the last decade, the production of the first generation biofuel has been questioned about its negative impact on food production because it consumes almost three-fourths of the agriculture sector, which is tending to use for food plantation. Due to the demand of land, food production has greatly affected resulting to food shortage and price hikes. But not as like as the first generation biofuel, the second generation has nothing to do with the deflation on food production because all it need is the residues from the crops harvested, basically the crops will be still useful especially on foods. When agriculture land is only tend for food production therefore there would be a large-scale production of crops and the more crops that is being produced, the more residues can be get from it in order to produce a large-scale production of biofuels, too. A large-scale production of a country will ensure and provide energy security within its territory which lessens worriness. Replacing petroleum because of its prices on the rise, with a renewable energy source will reduce from importing these oil products. Biofuel were seen as substitutes for gasoline and petroleum-based diesel, the idea that these can reduce dependency on fossil fuels has led the government to promote it. In the Philippines, two percent of biodiesel were added to diesel and ten percent of bioethanol in gasoline which only proves that the utilization of biofuel reduces the dependency of the country on fossil fuel. As Andresito Ulgado, director of the Department of Biomass, DOE mentioned that the government has been looking at increasing the blend of biodiesel to three to five percent and twenty percent of bioethanol. He emphasized that there are considerations need to be considered especially to those who use vehicles twenty years older. There are cases in which these vehicles cannot use high blend of biofuel. However, the government is looking forward at maximizing biofuels so that the country can minimize its dependency on imported fuels. And importing fuel on other countries has fluctuated dramatically in most emerging and developing countries over the past several years. Thus, if use in the domestic markets the second generation could contribute to reduced expenditures for imports. In this case we can save a lot of our foreign currency savings and if we exported some of our biofuel products to other countries especially for those countries which really uses biofuels, these could really boost our economy, which figuratively means that there are more jobs to be offered, from the farming industry to the transportation production. Biofuels before had faced controversies regarding its negative impact on the environment. A new study by economists at Oregon State University questions the cost-effectiveness of biofuels. Bill Jaeger, the lead author of the study, points out that the biofuels increase the greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels were initially seen as a solution to energy and environmental problems because the carbon dioxide that’s emitted when they’re burned is equivalent to what they had absorbed from the atmosphere when the crops were growing. Therefore, biofuels were assumed to add little or no carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. But the bigger picture is more complex in part because biofuels are produced and transported using fossil fuels. Depending on the feedstock choice and the cultivation techniques, second-generation biofuels production utilizes wastes and residues. These include organic waste materials which are generated from agricultural facilities, forestry mills and in urban areas. In urban areas, organic wastes include portions of municipal solid waste, grass clippings and land clearing activities. Second-generation biofuels provide environmental impact depending on different aspects: land, water, climate change and biodiversity. Lands before were used for production of crops intended for biofuels causing negative impacts like affecting food production and rising food prices. Unlike first-generation biofuels, utilizing organic wastes and residues has a minimal direct impact on food production for it will no longer require lands. Furthermore, it will help lessens the problems of disposing. These will also reduce the problems in clearing fields. Clearing of fields, which requires burning will not be a problem anymore because the waste will become feedstock for the production of fuel. Therefore, these will cause significant reductions in air pollution. In some soil, removal of waste and residue can be sustainable and beneficial for some crops as it may help control pests and diseases, increase soil temperature in spring facilitating spring germination (Andrews, 2008). However, removing residues on soil could reduce the soil quality, promote erosion and lead to a loss of carbon, which, in turn, low production of crops. Future production of second-generation biofuels will also have an impact on water. The increasing demands for biofuel produced from organic waste will increase the pressure on clean water resources. Since there is a demand for biofuel, then there is also a demand for organic waste materials and most of the wastes are produced from crops. These will require large quantities of water to grow certain feedstock. The use of residues may have negative or positive impacts on biodiversity. As compared to the first-generation biofuels, the use of agricultural and forestry wastes are expected to have a lower impact on biodiversity. However, these will reduce the amount of decaying wood and could thus cause reductions in habitats and disturbance of wildlife due to increased forest access. There is also a possibility that native forests will be turned into plantation to increase the supply, which in turn, reduces plant biodiversity. In terms of reducing lifecycle carbon emissions, second-generation biofuels appear to have higher greenhouse gas mitigation compared to first-generation. These second-generation biofuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% relative to fossil fuels. However, these results have been calculated for theoretical biofuel production concepts that are only just at the pilot /demonstration stage and not yet operating on a commercial stage (OECD, 2008). Another impact of these second generation biofuels to the society is its potential to provide livelihood to mankind. Most commentators believe that the development of bioenergy industry in a region will provide jobs, and that bioenergy and biofuels enterprises can become important opportunities for improving rural economies in both developed and developing countries. Job creation and regional growth are considered as two of the main social driven for the implementation of biofuel project. For second generation biofuel, there are new job opportunities along the entire pathway from biomass production or collection, to biomass transport, biomass handling, conversion and finally product distribution. In Europe, predictions estimate that the increase in energy provided from biofuel production could result in the creation of over 515,000 new jobs by 2020 taking into account the direct, and indirect subsidy effects of employment, and the jobs displaced in conventional energy technologies. Selling forestry by-products or residues would be beneficial for the 12 million people that live in or near to the forests of Mexico. The added value to forestry products could also reduce the high deforestation rate in Mexico, since deforestation often results from the absence of economic alternatives. IEA, 2010) Though there are a lot of new jobs opened, some of these are limited. Like for example, the collection of agricultural and forestry residue could also be done by the same workers involved in the main agricultural and forestry products. Downstream processes like biomass transport and conversion may offer more jobs considering the increasing demand of biomass for biofuel production but thes e will require more qualified workers given the complexity of second-generation biofuel technology. Skilled engineers to manage plant operations and oversee complex production processes are relatively difficult to find since unskilled and cheap labour force is abundant in developing countries. Just like what Andresito Ulgado said, if we will be reviving our rural economy, there will be an effect not only to those who are working in the biofuel production facility but same as through to the people around us because there will be a triggering effect. An example is if there is a plant in a certain area then there would be also a demand for that certain product in that particular production facility. If there would be a biofuel plantation in a certain area then there is a demand for fuel in which more job opportunities can be offered. Biofuels have been receiving greater attention in the recent years from researchers, industrialists, environmentalists, and national governments across the world. But over the past decades linkages between biofuels from staple foods and agriculture market, same as through to the environment has been analysed. Therefore scientists are trying to produce the next generation biofuel out of organic waste to meet the high demand of the fuel consumers. This will be a great help since the world market, where we are import our fuel, will be run out soon. These biofuels from organic waste is not just an alternative source of energy but can also contribute to our economic status, environment and even provide livelihood for the people. Economic impacts include reducing dependency on fossil fuels, provide energy security, generate foreign savings, economic boost and resolve issues regarding the food production. They appear to have higher greenhouse gas mitigation compared to first-generation biofuels. Thus, these fuels can reduce the lifecycle carbon emission. However, in some aspects of the environment, these have negative impacts in which utilizing organic waste lessens the fertility of soil, consumes a large quantity of water and affects the biodiversity. For second generation biofuel, there are new jobs along the entire pathway from biomass production or collection, to biomass transport, biomass handling, conversion and finally product distribution. More jobs can be offered since there is a demand in the supply of residues and wastes. But there are some cases in which more skilled and qualified workers are needed to manage the biofuel plantation given the complexity of second-generation biofuel technologies. We generate a lot of organic waste and residues and these are available as feedstock for biofuel production. There are possibilities that these will enter the domestic market on the next twenty years. The reason why it was not yet commercialized is because of the expensive technology that will be used in converting these wastes into a more useful one. Another factor that are seen into this biofuel is it helps on our economic status especially on food production and in saving up more foreign currency because we will no longer importing fossil fuels from other countries and can boost our agriculture and industry. On environment that can reduce CO2 and can provide new livelihood to other people. In other words, these biofuel will result into a more progress, more eco-friendly and more stable world. Utilizing these will reduce issues on food production and greenhouse gases, providing benefits in the society. Therefore, sustainable biofuel from organic waste will provide and probably will provide the source of energy in the future. REFERENCES Biofuel for transport: global potential and implication for sustainable and agriculture London; Sterling VA: Earthscan, c2007 Biofuel John Tabak PH. d 2009 Biofuel Economics in a Setting of Multiple Objectives and Unintended Consequences William K. Jaeger and Thorsten M. Egelkraut Oregon State University (2011) Sustainable Production of Second-Generation Biofuels Anselm Eisentraut 2010 February Second-Generation Biofuels Miguel A. Carriquiry, Xiaodong Du, GovindaTimilsina The World Bank Development Research Group Environment and Energy Team August 2019 From 1st to 2nd-Generation Biofuel Technologies Ralph Sims, Michael Taylor Jack Saddler, WarenMabee c OECD/IEA, November 2008 Second Generation Biofuels – Greenergy Perspectives March 2011 http://www. iea. rg/papers/2010/second_generation_biofuels. pdf http://www. thebrokeronline. eu/Articles/Driving-on-organic-waste Biofuel in Perspective W. Soetaert and Erick J. Vandame 2008 Sustainable Production of Cellulosic Feedstock for biofuels in the USA Matthew T. Carr Jane R. Tettubars 2008 Biomass Digestive to methane in Agriculture: A Sucessful Pathway for the Production and Waste Treatment Worldwide P. Weiland W. Verstraete A. Van Haardel 2008 Biofuels Act Review Urged (journ al) www. iea. org/papers/2010/second gen. biofuel. pdf How to cite The Utilization of Organic Waste Materials for Biofuel Production, Essay examples

Investment Strategy Budgeting and Cash Flow

Question: Describe about the Investment Strategy for Budgeting and Cash Flow . Answer: Introduction Jake Sampson has made all the arrangements for money to ark out his living. He is currently working as a media manager for an accounting firm. He is performing the job of editing the blogs on the investment strategies. He has made the financial goal of buying a home worth $50,000 in the coming 12 months. He is also planning to drop this idea and made investment in the stock market. He consider himself as a person who can take high risk and thus based on the same he consider the option of investment in the stock market is preferable for him. He is currently planning to use his cash flow statement and balance sheet to figure out whether he can plan out his working to accomplish its goals. The spending that has been made by Jake is limited and is within the mark and this let him save his money for meeting out his future goals. He hasnt made any substantial investment in the assets apart from normal utilities. He although has brought a 2012 Ford Focus ST, three years ago. Budgeting and Cash Flow Jake has planned to purchase a house in the west for $50,000. Looking at the financial position and the cash flow statement of Jake, it looks a bit difficult for him to make all the necessary arrangements to buy the property worth $50,000 in the coming 12 months. Looking at the financial position of Jake he looks sound being he holds wealth worth $112,800. But most of the assets that have been held by him are in the form of long term assets. He requires $50,000 worth of cash for the purpose of buying the property. From looking at the balance sheet of Jake he holds $12,000 in his saving bank account that provides interest at the rate of 1.75% per annum. The amount in the saving account is not sufficient enough to meet out the cost that Jake is expected to incur on purchase of the property at west. Further looking at the cash flow statement of Jake, he is earning a salary of $6500 after tax. From the salary so earned he is saving $1,000 every month. Being, Jake is expected to purchase the property in next 12 month thus, he is expected to save $12,000 in the next 12 months. Thus if he continues to save the similar amount i.e. $1,000 every month, the balance in the saving account will increase to $24,000which is not sufficient to meet out the requirement for the purchase of property. Thus, considering the current financial position of Jake, he is currently not in track for buying out the property. Further, in order to make necessary arrangement for purchase of property, Jake is required to make necessary updation in the monthly budget. He is required to curtain his entertainment and holiday expenses. Further he can reduce the clothing expenses to 50% to what he is spending currently. Particular Amount Amount balance in the saving bank account $ 12,000 Month amount saved in the bank ($1,000*12) $ 12,000 Saving in the entertainment expenses ($400*12) $ 4,800 Saving in the holidays expenses ($150*12) $ 1,800 Saving in the clothing expenses ($200*12) $ 2,400 $ 33,000 Currently the balance is even after making the above adjustment is not enough to make arrangement for the property. From the salary that has been earned by Jake a major portion is spent on house rental amount and in making the car payment installment which in total makes up 40% of the total salary which is too high. In order to purchase the property, Jake is expected to save $3100 every month but considering the fixed expenses for Jake, it wont be possible for Jake to purchase the same. Jake in this case can take a loan for the purchase of the property. He can keep the installment near to $1600 which is the current rental payment by him. This will not put any additional burden on him and he could fulfill his dream. Looking at the finance option available for Jake, he has made considerable investment in the Car super and Rest Super fund which would provide him enough funds at times of retirement. However he holds just $12,000 in his saving bank account which is not sufficient to meet out the purchase requirement for the property he is willing to purchase in the west. In this scenario he has two options, one is either to curtain his expenses which looks a bit difficult as looking at the salary which he is getting he is spending 40% of his salary in fixed expenses and he is saving $1,000 per month. Further the balance he is spending on his daily needs and other utilities. Thus in that case, the best option available with him is to take loan for the balance amount and pay the same in installment. As once he would be able to buy the house, he wont be paying any rental expenses and this amount he could utilize for paying out the installments. Research and investment recommendation In this case, Jake has made a financial goal of buying a home worth $50,000 in the coming 12 months. He is also planning to drop this idea and made investment in the stock market. He consider himself as a person who can take high risk and thus based on the same he consider the option of investment in the stock market is preferable for him. Looking at the current scenario and with the better leverage with the shares, it is preferable to make investment in shares rather than in buying a property. However, if we ignore the leverage part then, there are few advantages attached which is makes investment in property as a better option rather than in shares. For investors who are less risk prone prefer the prior option better than the latter in all means. The investment in property is a tangible investment. On could see it, feel it and touch it. On the other hand, the investment that has been made in stocks are not tangible, one can only own it but cannot see it and touch it. In case of inv estment in property, the person is in total control of the property as he owns it completely. On the other hand, in case of investment in shares, the investor stays at the mercy of the management. You are been holding the stocks and fall under the minority section and puts total faith in the management of the company. The management of these companies commits fraud and enters into certain acquisitions and does not care for the investment that has been made in by the investors. Its only the investor who can take care of their funds in a better way than anybody else. The volatility aspects in the investment property are on a lower scale as compared to the investment made in the stock market. Any change that has been taken place in the economy impacts the share market on a large scale as compared to real estate. The investment that we make in the property is considered to be more isolated and protected than as compared to the shares. The investment in property is also considered to be a hedging strategy against the inflation that has been taking place in the market. In the long run, it has been proved multiple times that increase in the real estate prices tends to go along with the inflation rates. For example: If their increase in the inflation rates then the owner of the property to be in line with the increasing inflation rates can increase the rent on the property. On the other hand, the investments in shares do not follow the inflation that we cater in the first option. Every investor who is planning to make and investment or has made some or the other investment is likely to calculate the profit that he has earned on the investment. In case of investment property, the above calculation is relatively easy as compared to investment n shares. For determining the profit on the shares one needs to rely on the data that has been provided by the company via multiple reports. Further there are few tax benefits as well which are attached to the investment property w hich is not there in case of investment that we make in shares. From the perspective of tax, in case a person makes investment in a property, the cash flow will be tax free. Further he can claim deduction for the property taxes, depreciation on the asset, and mortgage interest from the income. References Holly B, 2015, Are shares now a better bet than buy-to-let? How Osborne's latest attack on landlords has made property FAR less lucrative, Retrieved from Thisismoney.co.uk, https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-3341827/Are-shares-better-bet-buy-let-Osborne-s-latest-attack-landlords-property-FAR-lucrative.html, viewed on 8th Oct 2016 Wallet N, 2015, Real Estate vs. Stocks: What Trump Can Teach Us About Investing, Retrieved from Nasdaq.com, https://www.nasdaq.com/article/real-estate-vs-stocks-what-trump-can-teach-us-about-investing-cm528163 , Viewed on 8th Oct 2016 Kennon J, 2016, A Comparison of Real Estate Investments vs. Stocks, Retrieved from thebalance.com, https://www.thebalance.com/real-estate-vs-stocks-which-is-the-better-investment-357992, viewed on 8th Oct 2016 Valencia R, 2016, Real Estate VS Stocks Which is a Better Investment?, Retrieved from hppler.com, https://www.hoppler.com.ph/blog/real-estate-investment-tips/real-estate-vs-stocks-which-is-a-better-investment, viewed on 8th Oct 2016

Internship Report L T free essay sample

While doing the internship we got to enhance our knowledge as well as learned unction and activities of HER department. What LT is and basically what the Power department of LT is into is brought into lime light in this report. Table of Content This report is in accordance with the internship carried after Pith Semester as to gain experience about corporate life and about the work done in an organization. Lengthener was carried in Larsen Doubt Ltd under the branch of LT Power. The focus of the internship was on Human Resource Department of Power.The report contains various functions like Learning and Development, Recruitment, Performance Appraisal, Statutory Compliances, Employee Engagement, Employee Benefits, Compensation and Manpower Planning/ Budgeting and also includes the Employee Life Cycle . Certain practical work like Document Management and a glimpse of HER audit was given by the organization to experience and Theoretical knowledge about the HER practices taken in the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Internship Report L T or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Larsen Doubt Limited Larsen Doubt is a technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and service company with global operations. Strong customer-orientation, an innovative spirit and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled LT to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for over seven decades. LT has set several global benchmarks of scale, speed and complexity in the projects it executes and the wide range of products it manufactures. With offerings that impact infrastructure development, hydrocarbon, power, aerospace and defense, the company is seen in the role of Nation-Builder.Internationally, LT has a wide presence with a manufacturing footprint that straddles eight countries, offices around the globe and collaborations with multiple global majors. HISTORY The company was found in 1938 by two Danish engineers- Henning Holly- Larsen and Sorer Kristin Doubt from a fledgling partnership firm in Iambi, it has grown into a publicly held company, With the distinction of having a significant part of its equity held by its own employees Mr.. Holly Larsen and Mr. .S. K. Doubt Were Chemical and Civil Engineers respectively, who where working with a Danish company for there cement plant business. They visited India to explore cement business opportunities here. But during the world war, they found opportunity to start their own repair shop for military equipment, daily equipment, etc. The company soon started manufacturing daily equipment and started Engineering Construction Company nil 944. In the early 1 asss, L became public limited company.VISION L shall be a professionally-managed Indian Multinational, Committed to total customer satisfaction And enhancing shareholder value. L-ites shall be an innovative, Entrepreneurial and empowered team Constant .NET creating value And attaining global benchmarks. L shall foster a culture of caring, Trust and continuous learning While meeting expectations Of Employees, stakeholders and society. Chapter I: POWER L is uniquely positioned as the only private sector company in India with al-encompassing capabilities in the power sector.It delivers complete EPIC solutions for coal-based supercritical and gas-based thermal power plants. The capability spectrum extends across every facet -? engineering, manufacturing project management, construction and commissioning. In- house capabilities account for 85% of the total power generation value chain. Customized offerings include: *Complete EPIC *BAT Island *Boiler Island *Turbine Island * Complete Balance of Plant. It has Global alliances with the industry leaders like Sergeant Lund, MI, MELEE, Hoyden, Clyde Bergmann and CM ensure the benefits of state-of-the-art technology.L Power believes in growth in consonances with the aspirations of society and the nation. Its commitment to environment is exemplified through its distinctive super- critical technology, widely acknowledged as being more environment friendly than conventional modes of generating power. L Power has one of the worlds largest integrated manufacturing facilities for power at Hazier (Gujarat). A waterfront location offers logistical advantages for shipment and transport. The CEO and MD of LT is Mr.. K. Pentagrams and Executive Chairman is Mr.. A. M. Nazi.POWER L Power shall be Indians most preferred provider f equipment services and turnkey solutions for fossils fuel-based power plants and a leading contributor to the nations power generation capacity. MISSION L Power shall provide Products based on efficient and environment-friendly technology, consistently surpassing customers expectations of quality on-time delivery. L Power shall follow fair, transparent and ethical practices in its interactions with all stake holders and achieve performance excellence by innovation and continuous improvement in people, product and services.L Power shall foster a cuter of care, trust, challenges and empowerment among its employees Organizational Structure Employee Grade Structure: Chapter II: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The Human Resource Team at L Power is segregated into 3 main parts, they are: Talent Acquisition People Management Process Learning and Development Talent Acquisition: Talent Acquisition can be termed as the first phase or segregation of HER Department. This basically does the work of Recruiting and Selecting. This phase is carried on through a complete planned procedure. The procedure is as follows; 1 . Sourcing: Sourcing is basically selecting the source through which the recruitment is actually to be carried out from. The source can be external or internal. External is wherein biblically notice is given or outsourcing. Internal sourcing is wherein the employees themselves suggest people for the organization through the scheme of Mantrap. Or when transfer or promotion is given. L Power the Internal sources like Re-employment of ex- employees, internal advertisement, Transfer, and Promotion were as external sources are Campus interviews, consultancy firm, Portals, Agency and walk-in- interviews are used. 2. Screening: The given applications are screened and the unnecessary or irrelevant applications are rejected. The most relevant axis for screening are experience, skills, education, behavior etc. 3. Interviews: After screening, the applicants who are selected are called for an interview wherein the skills and qualification is assessed.Here the candidates are either selected, rejected or kept in hold by the company. 4. Offer disclosure: If selected, an offer disclosure is given to the candidate, at this stage, where he is disclosed with the package and grade, and he can negotiate and accept or reject the job offer. If kept on hold, the company may call him in future. 5. Joining Formality: In this stage the employees joining formalities like preference check, examination, signing of bond and such procedures are done. 6.Appointment Letter: Here the employee is given Appointment letter and it is the first contractual document of an employee with the company. People Management Process: This process is where the company maintains and manages the employees. Employees are the biggest asset of an organization. In todays competitive world, an organization which aspires for sustainable growth must realize that they need to adopt right people strategies to ensure that employees feel motivated and valued in the organization. Researches have proven that an engaged and motivated employee contributes to the overall productivity of an organization.Hence, employee engagement is the differentiating factor and provides competitive edge to the organization. People Management Process is the backbone of an HER function and immensely contributes to employee engagement by ensuring that the basics are in place and by deploying systems to build a culture of high performance. Our key focus in last three years was to bring more transparency in HER policies, enhance our service standards by responding promptly and effectively to employee quests and creating a Pe rformance Management System which is fair and objective. The MS is operated through CRISP Portal. PM team has partnered with business by taking up following roles a) Staffing Attendance, Leave Management, Salary Administration etc. B) Managing employee life cycle in the organization -Joining, Confirmation, Promotion, Transfer Separation c) Retention of Talent -? Attrition Analysis, Benefits Claims, Performance Appraisals Feedback Employees are our customers and one of the key roles performed by PM team is to receive and resolve employee queries in an effective and timely manner.A proper query resolution mechanism reduces the stress an employee otherwise goes through, helps us building good relationships with employees strengthens employees bond with the organization. Following are the key functions performed by People Management Process: a) Attendance and Leave Management b) Compensation Benefit Administrations c) Transfers, Postings and Deputations of the employees d) Long service awards e) Rewards and Promotions f) Door Access car ds, SEE cards and ID card issuance g) Confirmation, Resignation and Separations h) Site HER and Administration i) Employee service Portals Learning and Development:The Learning and Development team keeps training programs, arranges seminars and such programs for the development of their employees. Following are the kinds Of training provided by Learning and Development tear: a) Technical b) Functional c) Behavioral/ Managerial Technical training is business specific train innings, given for working with boilers, pipes, turbines etc. Through institutions like IMP (Institute of Project Management). Functional training is training program which is not dependent with the main domain of operations.Egg. Training for excel, Tally, Training related to SAP portals etc. Managerial Training is a long term training aerogram, where soft skills required at every level of organization, while joining/probation period or during promotions, are developed. Chapter Ill: HER PRACTICES in POWER The Main strength Of the companys HER practices lies in rigorous and continuous training in general management, technical disciplines and business policy and this made LT as one of the top companies with most innovative human resource management practice. . Employee Service Portals: Employees generally route their queries and grievances regarding any of the above stated functions through following modes: a) Through e-mails b) Through Telephone / In Person ) Through Employee Service Portals Since the use of the Portals, Organization has constantly evolved in terms of its systems, policies and its ability to integrate employees joining from various organizations. It was felt that many of the queries and grievances arise due to lack of awareness among employees can be reduced if some of this information is made available to employees at their desk. Hence, certain proactive steps are taken to make the information assistance available to employees in a manner convenient to them.Following steps have been taken to address the root cause of queries and grievances: a) Clearly defined role ND responsibility structure for the team members to ensure timely resolution of queries b) A well-structured joining process to make new joins feel welcome c) Effective admit castration of Attendance Leave Rogue laryngitis d) Transparency in Compensation benefit related policies e) Focused HER Intervention for Project Sites Many of the employee queries emanate due to lack of adequate information on HER Policies and procedures at the time of joining.Hence, conscious efforts are made to understand the expectation of a new joins with regard to his basic comfort, j oining process, clarity on the policies related to benefits, lams etc. There are various Employee portals used in HER Department which are as follows: a) SC (Share Service Center): This portal is mainly for employees Salary and Benefits. B) CRISP: This portal is maintained for Time and Attendance of the employees. ) E-Campus: Its for the Travel Tickets, Guest House, Holiday Home, Employee Directory and other such benefits. D) TEEMS: Its mainly for Travel Expenses Settlement. Most of the HER Activities and Function carried through SAP System (System, Applications and Products in Data Processing). There are three environments in SAP which are: 1. Development, 2. Quality Assurance and . Production. It can be customized according to business requirement. L power is currently using SAP-RE which is a client server and has Multi-user System. In HER. Allowing SAP Modules have been used for business information management solutions: Personal Administration (PA) Organizational Management (MM) Time and Attendance (TA) Performance Management System(MS) Employee Document Management System(DEEMS) Salary Reward Management Training and Development Employee Service Portal is a useful tool to achieve the following: a) Transparency in HER Policies and Processes b) Reduction in the processing time for Employee Benefits ) Smooth and effective handling of queries and grievances d) Capturing employee feedback, ideas etc.Employee Portals broadly encompasses: Employee Service Request a) Service Request: Employees can raise queries/requests b) HER Benefits: Employee can apply for HER benefits through system c) My Requests: Employees can check status of their requests under four categories: Service Requests Employee Benefit Requests New L Requests Wish t o Join New L Assistance: To assist new L if any initial support is awaited Mantrap: Links to the employee referral scheme Mantrap Information Section ) Employee Hand Book: PDF copy of Employee Hand Book available for employee reference b) Holiday list: Holiday list of all locations are available c) Celebration Photographs: Photographs of celebrations d) L Anthem, L Values, Vision Mission: PDF copies of each is available e) Executive Health Checkup: List Contact details of hospitals tied up with L f) My Planner: Employee can maintain his own calendar of important meetings, activities, appointments etc. Employee Bonding a) Birthday Wishes: Birthday wishes can be send to colleagues via email b) Appreciate: Appreciation messages for colleagues can be put here c) Society:Car Pool, Accommodation sharing Buy Sell, Discount Offers Employee Voice a) Your Ideas b) Opinion Poll c) Survey Corner d) Feedback e) To recognize employee voice through suggestions, opinion polls and surveys Other F eatures a) Training Calendar b) Training Team details c) Training repository d) Induction Presentations e) Fun @ Work: Fun Quotient- Four teams for employees to join based on interests f) Weekend Splash: Interactive sessions with experts for building work life balance on topics like health, hobbies etc. Some of the Key Features of Employee Portals: News Updates: This feature is used by HER to make important announcement or communicate any update in policies, procedures, simple facts about application procedures of Leaves, Employee Benefits etc. New L Assistance: Often when employees newly join the organization, they are not aware of whos who and at times feel lost. The New LT-ites Assistance is a feature were which enables a new joins to easily access the policies and seek assistance by a simple click Of button.A form is available to employees which they can fill and submit to raise any type of query. Quick Processing of Employee Benefits: Employees can now get information about arioso HER policies on portal, easily access the forms and apply for these benefits. On receipt of the approval from concerned authority, the form flows back to the employee confirming the status for his/her request. This feature has made the application process extremely simple faster. HER policy Repository: This tab has been created to centrally maintain all policy documents related to HER. It includes four types of documents Restricted, Confidential, General Standard Formats.

Cmo Retirar la Peticin de Green Card a Familiar

Cmo Retirar la Peticin de Green Card a Familiar Los ciudadanos y los residentes permanentes pueden retirar la peticià ³n de una tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida por green card, que presentaron para un familiar. En este artà ­culo se explica quià ©nes pueden retirar dicha peticià ³n, cà ³mo se hace y las condiciones especiales que aplican a la green card por matrimonio y porquà © es importante cancelarla a tiempo en algunos casos y no seguir con la tramitacià ³n hasta el final. Quià ©n Puede Retirar la Peticià ³n de Permiso de Residencia para Familiar Puede solicitar la cancelacià ³n de la peticià ³n de permiso de residencia la persona que inicià ³ el proceso de pedir aun  familiar mediante la presentacià ³n del documento que se conoce I-130. Segà ºn las leyes migratorias de Estados Unidos sà ³lo pueden patrocinar una green card por parentesco: Los ciudadanos americanos, para: Esposos/as. Esto aplica tanto a los enlaces entre un hombre y una mujer como a los matrimonios entre personas del mismo sexo.Hijos/as. Establecià ©ndose tres categorà ­as segà ºn la edad y/o el estado civil de a persona pedida.Hermanos y padres, cuando el solicitante tenga al menos 21 aà ±os de edad. Los residentes permanentes legales para: El marido o la mujer.Hijos solteros, si bien hay dos categorà ­as dependiendo de la edad. Cà ³mo se Solicita la Cancelacià ³n de la Peticià ³n para la Tarjeta de Residencia Escribir una carta en inglà ©s al USCIS en la que se indique: El nombre del solicitante de los papeles para un familiar y su direccià ³n en Estados Unidos.El nombre completo de la persona beneficiada para la que se solicitaron los papeles, indicando tambià ©n su fecha y paà ­s de nacimiento.La fecha en la que la peticià ³n fue admitida a trmite por el USCIS (filed). Eso est en la carta en la que se recibe confirmacià ³n del recibo del papeleo.Una breve descripcià ³n de la razà ³n por la que se cancela la solicitud. La direccià ³n a la que hay que enviar la carta es la de la oficina de inmigracià ³n a la que se envià ³ la peticià ³n de los papeles para el familiar. Hasta Cundo se Puede Cancelar la Peticià ³n Como regla general, si el beneficiario de la peticià ³n est en Estados Unidos, se puede retirar la peticià ³n en cualquier momento antes de que se apruebe  el ajuste de estatus. Si el familiar que va a recibir el permiso de residencia est en otro paà ­s, se puede pedir la retirada hasta justo antes de que el beneficiario entre por primera vez en Estados Unidos como residente. Es decir, incluso despuà ©s de la entrevista en el consulado pero antes de que el oficial migratorio en una frontera de los Estados Unidos estampe el pasaporte del beneficiado, que se convierte asà ­ en residente permanente. En estos casos en los que el familiar est en otro paà ­s y el proceso de peticià ³n est avanzado y ya en và ­as de pasar a trmites consulares puede ser recomendable enviar al Centro Nacional de Visas, NVC por sus siglas en inglà ©s, o al  consulado americano competente una copia de la carta enviada al USCIS en la que se abandona la peticià ³n de permiso de residencia. El Caso Excepcional de los Matrimonios con Ciudadanos Americanos La forma ms rpida de conseguir la green card es por matrimonio con un ciudadano americano. Pero estas tarjetas de residencia pueden tener  una particularidad: son temporales por dos aà ±os antes de convertirse en permanentes cuando la residencia se recibe antes de cumplirse dos aà ±os de casados. En estos casos el ciudadano americano puede cancelar la peticià ³n del cà ³nyuge extranjero no sà ³lo hasta el momento en el que à ©ste gana la green card del modo seà ±alado anteriormente. Sino que tambià ©n puede impedir que el esposo inmigrante pueda cambiar su estatus de titular de green card temporal a permanente. Es suficiente si a  los dos aà ±os se niega a firmar conjuntamente la peticià ³n de remocià ³n o levantamiento de la condicionalidad. En estos casos el cà ³nyuge extranjero pierde la tarjeta de residencia y es muy posible que deba abandonar Estados Unidos. Los à ºnicos casos en los que se permite que el ciudadano americano no firme la remocià ³n de la condicionalidad y el marido o la mujer extranjero se conviertan en residentes permanentes son: Fallecimiento del solicitante ciudadano americano.Divorcio, en el que la parte extrajera pueda demostrar que su matrimonio fue de buena fe.Malos tratos sufridos por el cà ³nyuge extranjero en base al programa VAWA.Situacià ³n extrema, como violencia en el paà ­s de origen del cà ³nyuge extranjero o enfermedad del mismo. Una vez que el Familiar Extranjero se Convierte en Residente Permanente,  ¿Puede el Patrocinador Pedir una Cancelacià ³n de la Tarjeta de Residencia? En principio no, a menos que se pueda probar documentalmente o con otra clase de evidencia que ha habido fraude o situacià ³n similar. Es relativamente comà ºn en los casos de peticiones por matrimonio que cuando las cosas van mal haya acusaciones y reproches mutuos y que el patrocinador se pregunte si puede quitarle la green card al esposo o a la mujer con la que ahora se lleva mal. Pero hay que entender que el desamor y las peleas conyugales no son prueba de que el cà ³nyuge extranjero se hubiera casado sà ³lo por los papeles, con engaà ±o y calculadamente. Antes de hacer una acusacià ³n de que un matrimonio ha sido falso hay que ser honestos consigo mismo y pensar si uno tiene realmente pruebas o simplemente se est dolido o se tienen celos. A Tener en Cuenta por Sus Consecuencias Graves Si una persona cancela la peticià ³n de un familiar, si despuà ©s se arrepiente y desea volver a instaurarla debe darse cuenta de que debe empezar el proceso desde el comienzo, rellenar de nuevo todos los papeles y pagar los aranceles correspondientes. Adems, hay que tener en cuenta que si no son buenas las relaciones familiares entre la persona que pide los papeles y la beneficiada por la green card puede haber problemas de carcter econà ³mico que hay que tener en cuenta. Y es que a lo largo de la tramitacià ³n de un familiar uno de los papeles que se firma es lo que se conoce como affidavit of support o declaracià ³n de mantenimiento. Los deberes que se tienen al firmar este contrato duran 10 aà ±os, en la mayorà ­a de los casos. Y no importa que solicitante y beneficiado no se hablan o, en el caso de matrimonio, que se haya producido un divorcio. Por todo ello se recomienda tomar este test de respuestas mà ºltiples que sirve para aclarar importantes dudas sobre la green card. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

View point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

View point - Essay Example It is often seen that individual difference could lead to two people having totally opposing views to a similar topic. One such incidence is seen in the field of magazines. Some magazines analyse and present topics to their readers only showing or highlighting the external view points, in such a magazine the entire package is one which is a bird eye view of all its internal articles as well. On the other hand there can be another magazine which may address the exact same topics however provides its readers with a more holistic and in depth view of all addressed topics. One such example of the above stated phenomenon is Maxim and Cosmopolitan. Maxim is a total Male magazine. It is considered to be an essential part of what the Man of today would require and answers all Male questions doing so in a witty and yet extremely relevant manner which is appealing to the Male society. It provides information about the latest and greatest tools and gadgets to hit the market. It provides men's fashion tips, sex advice and music and movie reviews.

Health Systems Administration SLPs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Health Systems Administration SLPs - Essay Example g White Americans, prejudicial attitudes toward minorities remain more common than not, as over half to three quarters believe that relative to whites, minorities – particularly Africa Americans are less intelligent, more prone to violence, and prefer to live off welfare (Bobo, 2001, as quoted by Smedley, 2003). This discrimination often translates to how health care professionals relate to their patients, with whites often giving preferential treatment to fellow whites and being less solicitous of Blacks and other ethnic minorities. Socioeconomic factors are factors that pertain to the economic status of the patient and economic factors that affect availability and accessibility of health services. This factor is sometimes seen in the thousands of patients without health insurance and those who cannot afford to pay for their medical bills. Socioeconomic factors eventually affect the delivery of health care services as seen in hospitals unable to afford the hiring of more medi cal personnel or unable to purchase medical equipment. The last factor affecting the delivery of health care is personnel shortage. At present, the United States is experiencing nursing and other medical personnel shortage. For nurses alone, National Surveys revealed that in the year 2006, 2.6 million full-time practicing RNs were needed nationally. Personnel shortage affects health care delivery in the sense that fewer personnel available to care for patients inadvertently increases work load for available medical personnel. Possible work overload affects the quality of health services. It also affects the number of patients that the hospital can accommodate. Hospitals cannot be compelled to admit more patients if they know they cannot care for them. As a manager, I would deal with racial/ethnic factors in the workplace by setting a good example. As manager, at times, I am asked to deal with hiring manpower or personnel. In these instances, I will consciously monitor

When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo - Commentary Essay

When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo - Commentary - Essay Example He represents the competitive, fast paced and ambitious generation of young people in the modern world. Eiichi wants to get to the top. The drive to succeed is so important in his life that he is disgusted by the fact that his father takes things lightly. He considers his father a failure and does not want to end like him. For him his father is like a no good mediocre â€Å"fish in the pond†. It is through the character of Eiich that Edno successfully introduces the theme of change in his novel. Eiichi believes that the people should go for the best and get to the top positions. Ozu is happy the way he is. Eiichi appears as a contrast to his father. Ozu belongs to the time when relationships were given importance. It is evident from his relationships with Flatfish and Aiko. With Eiichi, it is different. He forgets about Tahara until he meets him again. Tahara appears a contrast to Eiichi. He is more concerned about his patients as he saysâ€Å" Im not interested in anything but his illness". But for Eiichi what is important is not the health of the patient but the knowledge that he derives from each different. He has no respect for his patients. He tries the new drug on Aiko that has a negative effect on her. He is disgusted to see the element of honor in Tahara who is eventually kicked out of the dispensary for not obeying the orders. Eiichi is more ambitious and admires Dr. Li. He respects him more than his own father. He believes that Dr Li has something that makes him different from others and has made him a leader rather than his own father to whom he refers to as a â€Å"pusho ver†. This symbolizes the attitude of the modern generation towards their parents. Eiichi along with Dr. Uchida, Kurihara and Dr. Li represent the materialistic people of the modern world. Tahara is kicked out of the group because his morality has no place in the modern world. The lack of ethical and moral values of the modern

Tourism Sectors: Effects On The Dominican Republic

Tourism Sectors: Effects On The Dominican Republic I am trying to answer the following question of the extent to which tourism has had a positive effect on the development of Dominican Republics economy, environment, and cultural change. I decided to research tourism in the Dominican Republic because I traveled there last year in March with my graduating class. I stayed in Punta Cana at a beautiful all-inclusive resort. I had a wonderful time there and experienced the magnificent beaches as well as amazing hospitality. In this paper I will argue that tourism does not benefit the majority of people and in fact third world tourism can be measured up to colonialism. The tourism industry in the Dominican Republic has had a positive effect on economic development however in effect the environment and cultural changes are suffering. I will argue this by first looking at tourism as a developmental strategy and the increase of foreign tourism, which presents clear economic benefits. Secondly, I will demonstrate the environmental issues and threats to the ecosystem that have started to arise because of the great number of tourists. Thirdly, I will look at the cultural changes that have evolved such as the increase of prostitution and sex tourism. Background Information The Dominican Republic (DR), due to its spectacular beaches and landscape has developed along different parts of its territory that are mainly devoted to tourism. The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for ensuring the endorsement of tourism in the Dominican Republic and the agreement with the provisions of the Organic Law of Tourism.  [1]   According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, there have been dramatic increases in foreign tourism. In 2010 alone there have been 4,135,480 tourists that arrived by air. 3,189,306 of which have been foreigners, most of which were from North America. Tourism revenue increased rapidly in the 1990s, more than doubling from 1992 to 1997, when it reached $2.1 billion. The Dominican Republic was one of six Caribbean countries that in 1992 earned more from tourism as a share of their exports than from any other sector.  [2]  Tourism in the Dominican Republic, as in other developing countries has an interplay of inequality with visitors from rich countries dropping in on the poor. The Caribbean is more tourism centered than any other part of the world. In some smaller islands, tourism threatens to become a new monocrop economy leaving countries dependent on tourists. Definition of Terms Tourism has been described as the new colonialism. As said by author Srisang,Tourism, especially Third World tourism, as it is practiced today, does not benefit the majority of people. Instead it exploits them, pollutes the environment, destroys the ecosystem, bastardizes the culture, and robs people of their traditional valuesIn other words, tourism epitomizes the present unjust world economic order where the few who control wealth and power dictate the terms. As such, tourism is little different from colonialism  [3]  The DR is seen as a prototype for enclave tourism, which means that they maximize economic benefits and limit social and environment impacts by concentrating investments and visitors to a small geographical area.  [4]  These all-inclusive resorts provide everything so there is no need to leave the resort complex. Connections to the Course This topic connects to the course in many ways. Firstly, the Dominican Republic has been getting help from the IMF and World Bank for years now. The World Bank created a commitment to tourism as a development strategy for developing economies. Secondly, we can look at Wallersteins world system theory, which is arranged according to influence: core (most dominant), to semi-periphery, to periphery (least dominant). The DR is a semi-periphery because it is industrialized third world nation but it lacks the power and economic dominance of the core nations. Thirdly, Andre Gunder Frank argued that rich colonial (metropolitan) powers acquired wealth through exploiting weaker (satellite) countries such as the DR. Finally, enclave tourism at the national level is frequently seen by the native population as a form of neo-colonialism.  [5]  Enclave guests are basically segregated from the local culture and from the local informal sector, which includes vendors, drug dealers and prostitutes. This inevitability creates a wall between the guests and the locals and the bigger issue is that it prevents economic benefits from these resorts to actually going back into the community.  [6]  A case study was done in Luperon, Dominican Republic, a small community with no prior experience with the tourism industry. The study found that the natural flaw of enclave tourism as a form of development in this area was that the management of the enclave resort wanted to reduce economic exchanges between tourists and local businesses in order to increase resort revenues.  [7]  There is an issue with the distribution of profits from these resorts because the local communities are not seeing any improvements. Tourism as a Developmental Strategy Although there are numerous tribulations with tourism in the DR, there have also been a lot of positive effects. In 2010, the Dominican economy showed a strong recovery by growing 7.5% during the first half of the year.  [8]  This is partly because of their trade exports such as cocoa, coffee, and tobacco but mostly because of tourism profits, which reached nearly US$3.2 billion in 2004.  [9]  Over the last four decades, the World Bank has had a strong commitment to tourism as a development strategy for many developing economies. In return, the Dominican economy has had a very dynamic growth largely dependent on tourism. Hotels drive most tourism and the all-inclusive appeal of everything being free along with attractions and activities as well as nightly entertainment. This increases the targeted audience to couples, families, teenagers and elders because there is something for everyone to do. The DR also has natural assets such as the climate, that is always warm and it rar ely rains which entices tourists. Also, the Dominicans tourism tax policy is important because it has one of the lowest taxes in the Caribbean, which allows them to get extra revenue from tourists.  [10]  We can see that the economy has increased and grown in many ways, however one cannot just focus on the economy. We must look at the environment and social impacts and analyze how they have been affected by tourism. Environmental Impacts The environment and sustainability can often be under looked when judging the success of tourism because the economic benefits are usually the first to be looked at. Despite the economic success the DR has had, it faces a series of problems related to its rapid growth. For example, insufficient supplies of clean water and electricity, combined with slow construction caused by shortages of materials that has forced some vacationers to leave early because of unsuitable living conditions. The Dominican Republic has environmental issues in the areas of deforestation, water supply, and soil erosion and as the eroding soil goes into the sea, it in effect damages the nations coral reefs. Negative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitors is greater than the environments ability to cope with this use, also known as carrying capacity. The UN sources report that as of 1993, the nation was losing 20,000 hectares per year of its forestlands largely because of business interests.  [11]  The destruction of trees was forbidden in 1967 to try and fix the harsh effects of the forest destruction. However, many farmers continue to cut trees secretly to make more land available for development. Water pollution is also an issue and it results from the effects of mining along with industrial and agricultural sources.  [12]   In addition there are endangered species in DR, some include the tundra falcon and three species of sea turtles. As a result of the rapid urbanization, the environment started to be greatly affected. Water resource management issues associated with tourism include, dumping of untreated wastewater and solid waste along the coast, overexploitation of groundwater, destruction of forest cover, and over fishing of coral reef and marine species. Sustainable development is what the country needs, which is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Social and Cultural Impacts There have also been impacts of tourism on the rural livelihoods of the Dominican locals. The impact has generally been good, with an increase of household income along with increased job satisfaction. The rapid and rigorous development of tourism also results in different and usually less favorable consequences than small-scale development. Cultural clashes may arise through economic inequality or job level frictions. The clear relative wealth of the tourists often leads to unfair exploitation on the hosts side. One might add to these concerns the danger that tourism may lead to the commercialization of human relations.  [13]  Tourism often fails in promoting mutual understanding among different nations and stereotypes prevail. The tourist-host relationship is often restricted by space and time constraints. Tourists often fail to respect local customs and moral values, either out of ignorance or carelessness. Also, the profitable sexual exploitation of children and young women h as matched up to the growth of tourism in many parts of the world. While tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation, it provides easy access. Tourism also brings consumerism to many parts of the world, which before had no access to luxury services. The allure of this easy money has caused many young people, to trade their bodies in exchange for numerous different bits and pieces. Responsible Tourism We hear this term of being a responsible tourists quite a bit. What is meant by it is that we as tourists should respect the people who are working at the resort, be culturally aware and having a low-impact. The street vendors in the market are normally the last to see the financial rewards of the all-inclusive, mass in the DR so paying the tourists price is not so much a bad thing. We as tourists have the privileged attitude of being able to give something back directly to the people because we are in constant contact with them. In addition, it hardly needs saying that tourists should pick up litter, refrain from uprooting plants and coral, and use energy resources such as water and electricity efficiently, which are scarce in the DR. Conclusion After looking a great deal of articles and websites, I would have to say that tourism in the Dominican Republic has done more harm than good. In my opinion, the detrimental environmental and social impacts of third world tourism are more of a concern than economic benefits. There will always be a demand for tourism in the Dominican however if the supply of beautiful and clean beaches, water and local hospitality is not available then tourists will change their vacation plans. The implications of my findings are that, tourism and tourists impinge on the local environment and traditional customs of Dominican workers. This is important to realize because from knowing and understanding this we can move forward by changing our ways. Acting as a tourists should by not putting a strain on the environment and being more culturally tolerant. Just because we are on vacation does not mean our values should fly out the window. There are always implications to our behavior and it is time that we become responsible tourists. Britton, S.G. (1982) The political economy of tourism in the Third World Annals of Tourism Research 9: 331-38. Debbage, K.G. (1990) Oligopoly and the resort cycle in the Bahamas Annals of Tourism Research 17: 513-27. Dominican Republic Environment, Encyclopedia of the Nations [Online] [Accessed Febuary 15th 2011] Available: Freitag, T.G. 1994. Enclave tourism development: for whom the benefits roll? Annals of Tourism Research 21: 538-54 Kiskeye Alternativa. 1999. Tourism Development in the Dominican Republic: Growth, Costs, Benefits and Choices New Jersey, USA: Rutgers University. (http://kiskeya-alternative.org/publica/afuller/rd-tourism.html) [Meritas Lawyers]. 2010. Doing Business in Latin America and the Caribbean. Minneapolis, US: Meritas Meyer-Arendt, KJ., Sambrook, R.A. and Ker-math, B.M. (1992) Seaside resorts in the Dominican Republic: a typology Journal of Geography 91: 219-25 Srisang, K. 1991. Third World Tourism- The New Colonialism In Focus (Tourism Convern) 4:2-6

Ecosystems and Environmental Discourse :: Essays Papers

Ecosystems and Environmental Discourse What is an ecosystem? At first glance, this seems to be a straightforward question, one to be answered by environmental scientists. However, the concept of an ecosystem, or more specifically, the action that posits the existence of an ecosystem, raises a series of questions that challenge some basic assumptions about the environment. For instance, is an ecosystem a concrete object in the same way that a stone or a tree is? Or instead, is an ecosystem a set of interactions between such objects? While ecosystems do indeed exist, it is not without dramatic changes in our epistemology that we can speak of such objects without contradiction. Most importantly, we must acknowledge that the existence of ecosystems is contingent on human society. Environmental scientists certainly play an important role in describing ecosystems and in prescribing correct management of these systems, but we miss an important aspect of humanity’s role in the environment if we see ecosystems as discrete objects that exist independent of human society. Then what is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a concept constructed by human society that aids us in perceiving an amazingly complex structure of interactions. This construction is rooted fundamentally in our language and the discourse that surrounds environmental issues. As such, the concept of discourse and the practice of discourse analysis are vital to understanding what an ecosystem might be. While there are advantages to seeing ecosystem as concrete objects, it is my intention in this section to describe an alternative view of ecosystems that is rooted in postpositivistic, postmodern analysis of reality. Hopefully, such analysis will also be useful in analyzing other concepts pertinent to environmental issues. To approach this alternative view, I will outline the concept of discourse as formulated by Michel Foucault, summarize the views and extension of post-Foucauldian discourse analytic theorists, and finally, apply these concepts to the question of ecosystems. Throughout, I will address the epistemological changes implicit in discourse analysis. A discourse is an institutionalized way of speaking that determines not only what we say and how we say it, but also what we do not say. Originating in the field of linguistics, the term discourse initially referred to whole units of speech (conversations) and the speech community in which these units were communicated. William Labov (1972) and other sociolinguists have used discourse analysis primarily as a descriptive tool, leaving epistemological and postmodern considerations aside.