Lord Liverpool Government’s Reactionary Policies in the Years

In early 19th century Britain, law enforcement e. G. The police, was unheard of, this was a problem for Lord Liverpool government due to the fact that there was no physical means of controlling activity on a public level. When rebellions began to take place and started occurring more frequently Liverpool decided that something needed to be done. As a response, particularly to Spa fields, Liverpool Imposed the ‘Suspension of Habeas Corpus' in 1817.This suspension along with the Sedulous meetings act worked as a short-term deterrent to protesters and due to Its severity of enmeshment, meant that it was particularly effective at stopping any form of revolt. The physical protesting was bad enough for Lord Liverpool, however it was only small part of why he imposed reactionary measure; a large part of it was down to fear and paranoia. In 1789 Lord Liverpool had been in France and witnessed firsthand the storming of the Pastille.The fall of the Pastille signified the fall of order, p ower and structure of the hierarchy in France; this was exactly what Liverpool was most afraid of happening in England, and that people would turn against the overspent the country and each other. In 1819 60,000 people met at ‘Petrol' to listen to Henry Hunt talk about reforms, It was a peaceful protest that went wrong. Cavalry had been sent by magistrates who feared there would be a revolution due to the sheer amount of people, magistrates lost their nerve and sent In the cavalry causing major panic – 11 people were killed and over 400 Injured.As a response the Six Acts was introduced giving magistrates powers to invade people's privacy if they ever suspected any conspiracy or plot to create a mass gathering, it provided more representative actions to stop people in their tracks. Lord Liverpool paranoia meant that he was transfixed on keeping control on power, an idea that could be considered as the root of his reactionary policies. In response to the Coat Street consp iracy and the Derbyshire risings spies were used infiltrate radical groups.Spies enabled the government to stay one step ahead of the protesters. Staying In power was vital for Liverpool, he was very aristocratic and most of his reactionary policies benefited those of higher classes; as they provided the cost political support for Lord Liverpool. By using spies there was the allusion that the government were out to protect the monarchy and the aristocracy, further building support for Lord Liverpool.It also gave Liverpool means of keeping tabs on want was going on In ten puddle demeanor, tans links Dacca no law enforcement so spies were used instead. Tanat tanner was During the first half of this ministry the cabinet consisted of eighteenth century politicians who were unwilling or unable to see the need to alter a constitution which invited them, yet still wanted to have total control over the people of England; this was virtually impossible when the rate of expansion, industry and rebellion was so fast.It wasn't until the second half of this period, with the influence of younger men from different backgrounds and of differing outlooks, that major reform took place. Liverpool followed reactionary policies with the sole intention of them to be short- term fixes in society, made as a response to rebellions that were simply unheard of in Britain at this time. The main driving force behind these policies being made wasLiverpool paranoia of a revolution occurring fuelling his need to keep and maintain control over the people of Britain. Liverpool also had to contend with the fact that he had never planned to come across such anger and desire for change that he had to think quickly to put measures in place that would make a difference, whether they be harsh or not. They were simple a means of gaining control and power back over the people so some reformations could be made without the imminent threat of revolution, as was thought by Lord Liverpool.

Ignorance Is Happiness

Ignorance is happiness Think about communication now, how do people talk to each other? Think about entertainment, how do people have fun? Or how about knowledge, how do people share information? How do people find out about history? People today use cell phones, the Internet, and the television. But until about a century ago, no one had any of that. No one had Phones or flat screen TV’s. No one had Facebook or Twitter accounts. So how did people back then live and work? The answer is with writing, with books. People still read today, but what if people lost all interest in books?What if people turned on books? Would mass book burnings start? Would books be outlawed and become illegal? What would society be like then? This is exactly what Ray Bradbury’s novel is about. In this book, the author describes a society where books have been banned by the government, and because of that, ignorant is all that the people there are. In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, he utilizes the setting, conflict, and point of view to enhance this theme. In literature, the setting is the time and place a story takes place.Ray Bradbury used the futuristic setting to show what a world where television and sea shell radios are the most important things in a person’s life would be like. He’s created a society sometime after 1990, in a place called Elm City. It is a place where every one is equally ignorant, where the government tries to brainwash everyone to not question anything. Beatty quoted, â€Å"The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That’s why we’ve lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we’re almost snatching them from the cradle† (Bradbury 60).In order to make sure people grow up the way they want, the government has made sure children are taught from a very young age what they should believe in. Kids like Clarisse McClellan are thought of as outcasts because she questions everything around her. The citizens then do not like to think independently either. Faber said, â€Å"Off-hours, yes. But time to think†¦ rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn’t time to protest, ‘what nonsense! ’ (Bradbury 84). The quotes, â€Å"patience, Montag. Let the war turn off the ‘families. Our civilization is flinging itself to pieces. Stand back from the centrifuge† (Bradbury 87), and, â€Å" In again out again Finnegan† (Bradbury 94), shows that people who they should care about are not important. Husbands are off at war, and their wives do not care at all. The setting contributes a lot to the theme, without the futuristic setting, the impact would not have been as great. Characterization also plays a part in the story. Characterization is when the writer reveals the personality of or describes a character.This helps by letting the readers gain more understanding of the people of that time. Mrs. Phelps stated, â€Å" He (her husband) said, if I get killed off, you just go right ahead and don’t cry, but get married again, and don’t think of me† (Bradbury 95). This quote shows that relationships are not significant anymore; people do not take the time to keep healthy relationships and communicate. Mildred quoted, â€Å"It’s only two thousand dollars. And I think you should consider me sometimes. † (Bradbury 20).Even though Guy Montag said that in order to have the fourth wall put in, he’d have to pay a third of his yearly pay, Mildred does not seem to care. All she wants is her entertainment. Not all people then are like Mildred and Mrs. Phelps though, there are people like Clarisse McClellan. She said, â€Å"I rarely watch the ‘parlor walls’ or go to races or Fun Parks. So I’ve lots of time for crazy thoughts, I guess† (Bradbury 9). Clarisse does not spend her time driving around at insane speeds running over ped estrians. She likes to take walks, enjoy nature.She likes to taste the rain and smell the flowers. But because of this she was thought of as weird and crazy. There is definitely something wrong with a society like that if someone like Clarisse became an outcast. The last thing that Ray Bradbury in cooperated into his novel was the conflicts. Conflicts are struggles between two forces. There were both external and internal conflicts in the story. One conflict is and internal conflict when Montag burned the woman, and starts to see that everything he had been doing his whole life was wrong, and starts wondering what books have to say. There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing† (Bradbury 51). Another conflict is between him and Mildred. â€Å"Books are not people. You read and I look all around, but there isn’t anybody! † (Bradbury 73). T his shows how ignorant and shallow people like Mildred can be. She spends all day watching the television, completely immersed with her parlor ‘families’. The last conflict is between Montag and Beatty, or the society he lives in. Beatty said, â€Å" serenity, Montag.Peace, Montag. Take your fight outside. Better yet, into the incinerator†¦burn all burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean† (Bradbury 59-60). Beatty said that he too, was once curious about books, so he read them, laws or no laws. But he did not want to think about the meanings behind the words in books, and he turned against them. Beatty does not burn books because he is told to, but he actually believes in burning books. He believes that books cause confusion, contradictions, and disorder. But the one thing that he does not realize is that, that is what literature is for.There are many important messages that Fahrenheit 451 portrays. In order to help us understand them, Ray Bradburyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s novel, Fahrenheit 451 uses the setting, characterization, and conflict to help underline these themes. The setting that was created was a futuristic society. This helped the readers imagine what a world without books or knowledge would be like. The characterization of the people showed that everyone was happy without knowledge, and the people who were not were outcasts. Lastly the conflicts between the characters demonstrate the ignorance of the people.

Babysitting: Game and Kids

No matter how much a person loves kids or the money received from the job, babysitting for an entire night can take you to hell and back; if not done right. Babysitting is a tough job, and it takes a lot of effort and patience. Being prepared and doing the job right can save a lot of time and trouble. Some ways to maintain a person's sanity and do the job correct include; being prepared beforehand, having a schedule, and making sure you have time to relax after all the kids are in bed. Before arriving to the house, be sure to have appropriate â€Å"play† clothes on. Anytime a person baby-sits, they risk having their clothes stained with snacks, or even tugged and pulled on. Also, taking off your flip flops or wearing tennis shoes could help while you're chasing that cute little scoundrel around the house. Your handbag should contain snacks, coloring books, toys, and maybe even a schedule if one is not provided at the house. The snacks for you as the babysitter should be healthy and energizing, and the kids should consume food that's not too high in sugar. Just so they don't have an urge to play tag all night. Coloring books are a great activity to calm the kids down, which can be relieving. New toys are always exhilarating to kids at any age and could keep them entertained, which would help time go by faster. As you arrive at the front door, you should have a schedule planned out in your head if the guardians don't have one for you. Having activities planned and knowing when certain things should be done can save a lot of stress. The activities for the kids should be entertaining as well as safe. You don't want the kids getting boo boos. When babysitting at night, it usually means the kids need to be put to bed. That means they have to get their pajamas on, brush their tiny teeth, and maybe even bathe. At this point your exhausted and just want them to be perfect little angels, but in reality that doesn't always happen. The trick is for the you as the babysitter to keep them entertained while they do it. A kid could use a mouthwash that colors their teeth. You could even find a way to play a game or sing a song while they brush. When it comes to bathing, good luck. That depends on the child, but toys and bubbles are always helpful in the bathtub. After all the kids have fallen asleep, it is time for the babysitter to take a quick break. Sit down for a little, and relax. After a couple minutes, its time to clean up all the little messes that were made. Cleaning up is very important, especially if the you want to be asked to come back. As a babysitter you should always try to make sure that the kids and parents are satisfied. Once you know how to keep everything under control, babysitting will be enjoyable. Kids are full of life and entertaining. Babysitting is always fun when everything is under control. It has its pro's and con's, but as long as you like the kid your taking care of and have everything under control; it will be a breeze.

THIS IS NOT AN ESSAY Write a RESEARCH DESIGN for a study on a topic of

THIS IS NOT AN Write a RESEARCH DESIGN for a study on a topic of Why some of the civil war (conflicts) last for a very long time (on the example of Gaza Strip, Afghanistan and Iraq ) - Essay Example The resources will be distributed fairly and not directed to fighting their adversaries. The people in of Afghanistan have for nearly three decades experienced nothing but war and this has also led to the dilapidation of infrastructures in the place. The ending of this conflict between them and Pakistan will help in improving the economy as the resources will be assigned to other important sectors in the country rather than the world. The end of these conflicts will also reduce humanitarian crisis that faces the people in these regions and this will improve the health standards of people around (Conference paper 2005). According to the existing literature, if states are caught up in a trap of endless low-intensity warfare, it is due to poverty, ancient ethnic trends or greed from the neighbors for the precious resources in the country. In Never-ending Wars, Hironaka (2008) sets the record straight by pointing at the responsibility of the international community. Using statistical evidence, Ann looks at the causes of long durations of war by examining how the natural environment contributes to transform local grievances into long-term civil wars. There is continued unaccountability of the continuing civil wars and this helps to fuel the existing wars in the present country. Lack of organization in the said country, lack of resources, poor bureaucratic mechanism and the inability of the countries to enforce law and order are among the issues that are continuously eliciting more and more crisis as there are no mechanisms to help them control their borders. State weakness has also been seen to contrib ute to the long-term civil wars as they are often underdeveloped in terms of economic and political institutions. Their weakness dwarfs their ability to counter the attacks and hence makes them vulnerable to the states with superior military weapons. As Al-Jazeera (2007) puts it, the

The Formula One Motorsport Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Formula One Motorsport - Research Paper Example Formula one motorsport is one of the most exciting games. It is a sport that incorporates motocross racing. It is highly exhilarating, both to the participants and to the spectators. On the other hand, it has elicited mixed reactions in some parts of the world. It is nowadays not a new phenomenon to find people who get agitated due to the sport. The paper describes the formula one sport. It highlights its history together with the historical implications associated with it, economic issues, cultural perspectives, the sanctioning bodies as well as the science that drove to the technology being utilized in the sport. Formula one racing is a motorsport that is characterized by open-wheeled race cars. They are single-seat races, implying that there are no co-drivers in the sport. The sport began in 1906. It is at this time that France held its first ever Grand Prix, an event that was organized and implemented by the Automobile Club de France. Being the first time the race was organized, the event organizers did not anticipate much success. However, at the end of the sporting activity, an evaluation indicated that the sports success had superseded the set expectations. Harris (2007) posits that the first event attracted about thirty-two cars. The event took place in Le Mans with the cars covering sixty-five miles. The first Formula One race was won by Levassor using the Panhard ET Levassor car.

Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Plagiarism - Essay Example Most papers are said to lose credibility when they fail to cite the source of information (Roberts 9). No matter how good one has had the understanding of the concept he is putting down. The originality of the conclusion and the conceptualization issues, it all comes down useless if plagiarism is detected in his work. We should ensure appropriate citation for our work. We should ensure academic honesty in whatever we do. Plagiarism makes one not learn how to write his own thoughts in his own words. We also fail to acquire the individual needs and skills. So as to avoid this kind of dishonesty and/or misleading by misrepresenting the work of others as your own, we should paraphrase, and cite original work. When one copies exact words, we expect the use of quotation marks followed by citation of the source. Paraphrasing a sentence will also require one to cite the source. Paraphrasing entails representation of the writers meaning, information, and ideas in your own words (Watkins 19). We are also warned of using words that represent another as way of paraphrasing sentences. Everyone is supposed to use our own words and ideas. The practice that we put in this writing is essential to learning. Each time we choose a word, order our thoughts, and convey our ideas we are actually improving our writing. It is important to let the reader be aware of the source of information one is writing from so as to avoid the redundancy that is created by a number of sentences describing another’s ideas. We should be careful with what we are citing. It is also good to use an editor so as to realize common or technical mistakes that arise during our writings (Cvetkovic 13). The penalty of plagiarism has not been clearly quoted but it is clear that the act is dishonest and misleading (Lipson 21). Apart that it violates the code of academic conduct; this can lead to deduction of marks, suspension, or dismissal from institutions. When one presents another

How has the global political economy changed as a result of the global Assignment

How has the global political economy changed as a result of the global financial and economic crisis since 2007 - Assignment Example Today, most economists aver that the worst is behind us. However the pangs of the latest recession are still being felt. The immediate future is not rosy with growth forecasts being downgraded by most countries. That the distant future would bring back the joys of boom period is what every nation is pinning its hopes on. Along with this economic and financial crisis that has seen unemployment numbers soar, banks collapse, incomes shrink and demand wane, there has been turbulence in the world political scene as well. If the stock markets are shaky, so are the government set ups of many nations. Vukovic (2011) maintains that the reason for the crisis lies primarily in the political domain. He asserts that the strong influence of interest groups, lobbying power of financial corporations, leads to favoritism in macroeconomic policies and inefficient resource allocation. While the mighty, deemed to be infallible United States is facing a leadership crisis, there is political turmoil in Eu ropean countries. Walker (2011) suggests that this crisis of leadership is prevailing, along with United States, in Europe, Japan and Australia. Furthermore this leadership deficit extends to institutions like the IMF. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are also facing political crisis of sorts as this crisis has spared few. The present paper looks at the political scenario in certain select countries of the world to understand how the global financial and economic crisis since 2007 has impacted the global political scene. United States of America Duchin (2009) establishes that the banks' political ties played a considerable role in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) fund distribution. It was thus the political activism and not prudence that governed government spending when recession was at its peak and the beleaguered companies clamored for cash. There has been a political stand-off in the U.S between the Republicans and the democrats as the two parties failed to agree on key issues. So much so that the disagreement between them brought the US on the brink of a debt default and kept the world on tenterhooks fearing another meltdown. The latest arrangement between the two warring factions will enable the U.S government to borrow money till the end of 2012. The government, on its part will ensure a spending cut of almost $1 trillion spread over the next decade. Experts opine that the compromise formula may be short-lived and questions like â€Å"where to cut government spending?† could again flare up the political scene. Furthermore, is the political constrains that will decide whether Obama can go in for the third round of quantitative easing or not. India Today (2011) avers that Barack Obama, the U.S president, has numerous issues to confront, including the first ever credit rating downgrade of the US, as he goes for reelection. The president would be hoping that his $447 billion jobs bill translates into favorable, tangible number s by then. The status of the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world automatically links the currency exchange rates with political overtones. The movement of this currency leads to political repercussions in the rest of the world. Germany Greece has been the latest beneficiary of rescue loans granted after the consent of Euro zone leaders. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel., has come under fire from the Christian Democratic Union for her efforts to secure additional bailout funds for Greece. Opinion polls in the

On Religious liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Religious liberty - Essay Example The author argues that the demand for human freedom regards proper human spirit values. It also regards free exercise when it comes to society religion. Murray takes a careful note on these desires that met have put in their minds. He declares them to be in accord with justice and truth. To this point, the article seeks into the church doctrine and sacred traditionof which the current church keeps on bringing forth new aspects that are in accord and harmony with the old ones. There are two key points that the author has chosen to emphasize on. First, the author asserts that all human beings have the right of exercising free religion in their societies in accord with the dictates of their personal conscience. He claims that this is according to the right of nature. Essentially, this right belongs to the human being’s dignity as such. In the second point, the author asserts on the consequences that the judiciary has on this right. He asserts that obligations fall on other people in the society in order to acknowledge these personal rights, promote, and respect its free exercise. Generally, this is the center of all matters in this article. About the structure of the document, the author of the article presents two texts. The first text is Decree on Ecumenism (Chapter Five) â€Å"On Religious Freedom†. The second one is Bishop Emile De Smedt’s relation, of Bruges. This is the most important latter document, because it brings out a length decree rationale. The author therefore undertakes to state a briery the tenor and scope of the decree in relatio’slight. These two texts represent the entire issue and lengthy development concerning theological thought about the issue. The author uses theological concept and terms to support his opinion. For instance, he points out that the quest of man to God and his adhesion to God’s truth, must be free. He further asserts that, this is a divine law itself

Reflecting on whether it is in the best interests of the business Essay

Reflecting on whether it is in the best interests of the business community for there to be constraints on a government's disc - Essay Example Nevertheless, this report looks at the nature of fiscal and monetary policy and implementation may affect business specifically with regard to investment. In the end, the report postulate that there is little effect resulting from expansionary fiscal policy and that it has little effect on demand, output, and employment. Also, the report notes the important role business community should play in fiscal and monetary policy making since they constitute the largest group that get affected by these policies. Governmental Discretion over Fiscal and/or Monetary Policy Introduction Business activities are affected by different factors macro and microenvironment operation environment. While microenvironment sometimes may be within the control of the organization, macro-environment –on the other hand involves external factors that affect the business, which in turn may define the success or the failure of the organization. For example, macro-environment spans politics, economics, socia l matters, technology, legislation, and eco-environment (Elearn Limited and Pergamon Flexible Learning 2005). Political environment particularly legislative environment constitutes specific set of external business environment that business communities in any given country have been forced to adhere to. For example, monetary and fiscal policy process in any country has affected business in the positive way or negative way given the nature of the particular legislation law. Therefore, the focus of this paper will dwell on investigating and finding out whether it is in the best interests of the business community for there to be constraints on government discretion over fiscal and monetary policy. Exploring the concept of fiscal and monetary policy Both fiscal and monetary policies are seen to be interrelated and key tools to the development of many countries especially the developing one. For instance, fiscal policy constitute all measures that are adopted in order to increase the ge neral welfare through the public control of resources by means of public spending, resource mobilization and price fixation in public and semi-public enterprises (Elearn Limited and Pergamon Flexible Learning 2005). Today, fiscal policy has been embraced as a toll of development strategy when analyzed in broadest sense it can be seen that it provides a set of instruments to pursue both the best use of resources in terms of efficiency and equity and their maximum possible use in terms of employment, price stability and satisfactory rate of growth (Mukherjee 2007). Exhibiting characteristics of monetary policy, fiscal policy performs a very critical and beneficial role in the economy and analysis has shown this kind of policy performs two important roles in the economy with regard to raising financial resources for development (Mukherjee 2007). First, fiscal policy constitutes a set of mechanisms that ensure the country’s employment level is maintained at its full capacity and as such, the aggregate capacity to save does not go down (Mukherjee 2007). Secondly, it helps to raise the marginal propensity to save of the community above the average propensity to the maximum extent possible without discouraging work effort or violating the law of equity (Mukherjee 2007). Fiscal, together with monetary policy, are seen to be two

Economy through US History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economy through US History - Essay Example In fact, in such economies the country’s economic activities depend entirely on the decisions made by the government. For market economies, the supply and demand curves determine the shape that markets will take. Analysts that advocate for market economies argue that market economies are the best for thriving of successful economies. Market economies also work on the assumption that the government does not contribute to well being of the common citizen. It is the responsibility of the citizens to fix prices for their goods, subsidize industries, as well as authorize quotas. Though majority of the countries are characterized by mixed economies, it is evident that citizens have always advocated for a chance to regulate their own economies. In as much, market economies are considered the best in the global world, debates keep raging on how much the government has to do in order to have well-organized economic operations. Over the years, Americans have been on toes in an attempt t o attain a balance between government regulation of the economy and the individuals to make their own economic decisions. This essay shall trace the events and measures that took shape in America to the point whereby individuals were able to make their own economic decisions. In the primordial years, American history was characterized by less involvement of the government in business sectors, especially the private sector. The transportation sector is one of the major economic sectors that did not enjoy less government intervention. This phase of the economy was referred to as the laissez faire phase. Kuttner (220) argues that laissez faire traces its roots to the 18th century, a move that strongly resisted intervention of the government in businesses. This phase worked on the assumption of ‘let it be’, with championing of proper wages and duties for workers. At this time, it was generally accepted that the government had no role to play in restrictions on trade. The go vernment’s role was to ensure that regulations and rules were maintained in the business environment. By 19th century, the notion of laissez faire began transforming. This phase was characterized by small entrepreneurs’ business owners seeking for government interventions in their businesses. As time progressed, majority of these business owners, labor unions and firms were in a dire need for government representation. This move came up as a result of rising rate of uncertainties by the business owners on the movements that were supposedly out for their aid. Kuttner (101) argues that it is at this point that this group of progressives needed support by the government, in terms of business regulation, for free and fair markets. By 1930, the advent of the New Deal was taking shape in America. This phase was characterized by government intervention in the market economies. It was due to public demand that the government had to take control of its business sector, lest a n ew form of rule take over the entire system. It was during this stage that the state was going through massive economic disruptions and destructions that led to the need for immediate action to alleviate the crisis. The state was experiencing what was to be termed as the Great Depression. Murray (76) argues that, at this time the economic state of America was totally dislocated

A Maternity Support Worker Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Maternity Support Worker - Assignment Example A Maternity support care and the work of maternity support workers basically entail antenatal care, intrapartum care and postpartum care for women and babies. Antenatal care is care present/ occurring before birth or during pregnancy. It is an important period for future parents to seek support and advice, explore their expectations as for future parents, their fears, concerns, and questions. However, this period is characterized by depression, commonly called antenatal depression/ prenatal depression. Couples are advised and helped about their depression in antenatal classes to prepare them for the possibility of antenatal and postnatal depression. Maternity support care and the work of maternity support workers basically entail antenatal care, intrapartum care and postpartum care for women and babies. Antenatal care is care present/ occurring before birth or during pregnancy. It is an important period for future parents to seek support and advice, explore their expectations as for future parents, their fears, concerns, and questions. However, this period is characterized by depression, commonly called antenatal depression/ prenatal depression. Couples are advised and helped about their depression in antenatal classes to prepare them for the possibility of antenatal and postnatal depression. During such sessions, expectant parents are informed that antenatal and postnatal depressions can happen to any mother or father, are no one’s fault, are taught about the early signs and informed of available help. The healthcare worker in the antenatal stage monitors the women and their relations closely to identify any signs of depression knowing of the fact that most women mask those feelings. This is done for instance by asking the right questions./ antenatal depression can be a precursor to postpartum depression if not tackled. Tackling these depressions help make childbirth and early parenting easy as any stress felt by mother can have negative effects on feta l development which can injure both mother and child. Factors leading to antenatal depression may be an unplanned pregnancy, history of abuse, difficulty becoming pregnant, economic issues, family constraints, relationship with the father, and jobs and responsibilities. Some of the signs and symptoms of antenatal depression are inability to concentrate, difficulty remembering, feeling emotionally numb, sleep problems not related to pregnancy, extreme/ unending fatigue, extreme irritability, a sense of fear about everything, lack of feeding interest or desire to overfeed, feelings of failure/ guilt, persistent sadness, loss of sexual desire, weight loss or gain unrelated to pregnancy, inability to get excited about the baby and form or feel a bond with the baby and thoughts of suicide/ death.

Aspects of individuals Essay Example for Free

Aspects of individuals Essay The study of the aspects of individuals who become Presidents is a rich field with many different perspectives. Scholars utilize many different factors in determining two basic ideas about the presidency. Those ideas are the characteristics needed to become the President and the characteristics needed to do a good job being president. One of the perspectives of presidential research is the psychological perspective. Using this perspective, scholars claim to be able to identify some characteristics of â€Å"successful† presidents. There are many difficulties attached to this concept. The first is that, from a psychological perspective, the sample pool is extremely small, another is the ambiguity attached to the notion of applying personality traits to person based on their entire lives, and the final difficulty is in evaluating the presidency in terms of success. In trying to determine what personality traits are most amenable to becoming president, scholars are limited by the simple fact that there have only been 44 presidents, and of those, only 43 were ever elected (President Ford was an appointee to Replace Nixon). Also, when examining personality traits of a pool of individuals, it is important to control for factors other than personality that may be contributing factors. This further limits scholars because all presidents to date have been male, all but one have been white, none have served or been elected below the age of 42, and nearly all of them came from privileged socioeconomic circumstances. As all of these demographic elements can have significant impact on personality, it is difficult to associate personality alone with any commonalities noted in this group. A second difficulty in assessing personality as a function of presidential success lies in the study of personality itself. In the field of psychology there are dozens of tests, measures, and categories that can be used to type an individual. One of the problems with these measures is that they rely, at least in part, on self-reporting. Thus, for any president who has never participated in such an evaluation (most of them), and attribution of traits or categories of personality would be speculation at best. Further complicating the issue is attempting to discern whether a President’s behavior either in or out of office is consistent enough across his life to be considered a personality trait. Scholars have only the reports of the Presidents themselves and their contemporaries to make that determination. Political scientists, therefore, cannot have much ground to associate personality traits with presidential success. The field of personality study is sufficiently ambiguous that, given the small sample of presidents, nearly any conclusion can be supported by some evidence. In addition, a scholar would run into the question of causation when determining the Presidents’ personality. If, for example, a President is deemed to be decisive based on their conduct in office, the question would remain as to whether that trait was a result of being President when many critical decisions had to be made, or whether the President was always decisive. Even if scholars could quantify personality traits on a consistent basis, presidential performance is even more difficult to quantify. A President may be judged a success or failure on any one of a number of categories. Even the Presidents’ career path offers differing notions of success. One segment of Presidential success is the ability to be elected or re-elected. A second is their performance while in office. A third might be their conduct and life after the presidency. Scholars have picked and chosen the criteria for a successful president, but those choices are largely self-fulfilling, and often, beyond the control of the Presidents. Presidential performance is predicated on the historical context more so than any other job. A President who was, for example, very conservative fiscally could gain the reputation as a â€Å"good† President when economic times are flush (as with Coolidge in the 1920s) and a President with the same ideals and personality could fail miserably if conditions were different during their presidency. i. e. Hoover) The Illustration of Coolidge and Hoover brings to light another problem with evaluating the performance of a President. Although he presided during an economic boom, Coolidge was in fact responsible for the policies that led to the financial crisis which began in Hoover’s Administration. In contrast, Hoover was given a window of barely four years to â€Å"fix† a depression that he neither caused nor was chosen to deal with. A further point is that the president who is credited for ending the crisis may have been nothing more than the fortunate beneficiary of a huge worldwide conflict that would have stimulated the economy regardless of who was in the White House. Unfortunately, one of the most popular ways of assessing presidential success is on the basis of popularity polls. This is unfortunate for a number of reasons. Most notably, those who respond to those polls are relying on incomplete information. The average citizen may be able to identify Abraham Lincoln, for example, as the President who preserved the union, but few could identify James K. Polk as one of the few Presidents in history to have kept all of his campaign promises (including the promise that he not seek a second term). Depending on the measure of performance applied, the â€Å"most popular† Presidents can actually be among the worst. For example, if foreign policy success were the measure, George Washington, an avowed isolationist, John F. Kennedy, whose actions embroiled us in Vietnam, and Bill Clinton, whose administration failed to capture Osama Bin Laden after a 1993 attack on the World Trade center might be ranked among the worst. In contrast, Richard Nixon (opened talks with China, achieved Detente with USSR) was probably among the best. Even in the abstract, it is difficult to identify personality traits that would make an effective president. The job changes on an almost daily basis, and the actions and behavior of the president must be flexible enough to deal with new situations and a near-constant air of crisis. Most historians and presidential scholars admit that it takes at least a generation or two after the presidency to even begin to evaluate its success, and doing so on the basis of personality traits is extremely problematic. Question 2 The Modern presidency is a result of over two hundred years of trial and error with respect to the use of power. Over the time of the nation’s history, the Presidential usage of power has varied from near-inertia, to near-dictatorial powers. In the modern era, the Presidency has become increasingly powerful. Using the tools of command of the Armed Forces, executive orders, and political influence, the Modern president is now a political creature totally different from that envisioned by the framers of the Constitution, and while not necessarily in keeping with democracy, the modern Presidency is much better equipped to deal with crises than a Presidency as viewed by the framers of the Constitution. The President exercises much authority in foreign policy through his command of the armed forces. The congressional check on this power by the president is twofold. First, congress issues forma declarations of war, and second, it provides the money needed for extended military actions. Modern trends have completely neutralized both of these checks. In the first case, the United States does not need to formally declare a state of war in order to send troops into combat. In Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, among other places, the US has entered combat without a formal declaration of war. The second check, the so-called â€Å"power of the purse† has been neutralized by modern politics. If congress refused to fund a military effort, they would be painted as being â€Å"against the troops† and would face political repercussions. Thus, politically and practically, the Modern president has nearly unilateral control over the military. This, while not the intention of the Framers, is not necessarily a bad thing. Modern technology causes events around the world to happen much more quickly than in years past, requiring, at times, quicker responses than one is likely to get from Congress. The ability of the President to react unilaterally to military crises is a necessary development in response to a changing technological and geopolitical circumstance. The modern President has made a habit of circumventing the proper law-making processes through the use of executive orders and agency regulations. Since the executive branch is meant to enforce the laws of Congress, it is left with the power to formulate a mode of enforcement that suits its own interpretation of the intent of the law. Again, this goes well beyond the intention of the framers of the Constitution, who feared exactly this sort of power invested in a single individual. Fortunately, modern government being as large and cumbersome as it is, not all policy decisions are made directly by the President. A vast majority of them are made by underlings following general guidelines of the administration. This practice has made it so domestic policy in particular does not reflect necessarily to will of Congress. Historically, the President has used executive orders to circumvent the constitution, going so far in recent years as to deny citizens certain protections provided in the Bill of Rights. This practice is neither new nor unique among Presidents. From the time of Abraham Lincoln, presidents have used the exigency of war as justification for ignoring the Constitution. At times, it seems that this mode of lawmaking is actually advantageous, given the partisan bickering that accompanies Congressional lawmaking, and, again, in times of crisis, when quick, rational action is needed, Congress is better off outside the loop. The modern President also uses his role as head of the Political party to exercise policy control. Particularly if his party controls the majority of Congress, he may make his law-making wishes known and receive a good deal of support in Congress for his initiatives. Using his veto authority, he can make sure that policies contrary to his parties’ views do not become law, unless met with overwhelming support from both sides. This practice is more in keeping with the intention of the framers. Congress can still overrule the President if there is sufficient sentiment that a given law is necessary, but, for the most part, the modern President sets lawmaking priorities for a friendly Congress. This is in keeping with the Ideal of democracy in only a limited way. The people choose the President through the means of the Electoral College, but have very limited input into policy once that decision is made. The framers set thins up intentionally in this manner because they feared direct democracy. They only went so far as to allow the people to choose their representatives in the hopes that they would pick able people who could exercise their own judgement in determining the best interests of the nation. The unilateral nature of the Presidency has had mixed results in modern history. It has allowed the nation to respond quickly in crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the First Iraqi War, but has also sent us into ill-advised military actions in Vietnam, Central America, Africa, and the Second Iraq War. The power of the presidency was utilized well to handle crises such as the attacks on the world trade center, but not as well in response to some natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. On the whole, it seems that it is better to have the ability to act quickly in the modern world, than not be able to do so. However; it is in the nature of reality that the first response to a problem is not always the best one, and some issues require deliberation and time to solve. If a president recognizes these facts, and acts accordingly in the appropriate situations, he or she can be a very effective leader while honoring the spirit of Constitutionality. Question 3 The Modern Presidency has become a centralized and politicized position, more so than in any other era. More than any time historically, citizens cast their vote for one of two parties, relying on their platforms to indicate how they will conduit the government. As a result, the Presidency has become the centralized embodiment of principles that appeal to the mainstream of political thought. This politicization was not what the framers intended, but the centralization has served the nation reasonably well in practice. In the modern era, scrutiny on presidential candidates is extremely close and getting closer and closer. Since the first televised debates in 1960, unprecedentedly large numbers of people have been privy to the record, reputation and history of presidential hopefuls. This forces the candidate to be careful to articulate viewpoints in a manner that will be least offensive to the most people. Part of this dynamic is the fact that those with more radical viewpoints, no matter which side of the political spectrum they lie, have a disproportionately loud voce in modern media to support or decry a given candidate. If a candidate is unfortunate enough to offend one of these groups, he or she is facing opposition from an extremely well-funded, vociferous group. Because of this, political hopefuls, particularly presidents have to be, or at least appear, to be politically moderate. This engenders an environment where the politically moderate become the primary pool from which candidates are selected. The result has been, in recent elections, that barring an extremely charismatic candidate, the choices are so near each other politically as to be nearly indistinguishable. The elections of 2000 and 2004 are examples of this phenomenon. The absence of a charismatic challenger made it impossible for the voters to distinguish between the candidates, resulting in one of the closest elections in history in 2000, and one of the poorest-attended elections in 2004. The Framers of the United States Constitution did not envision a two-party system when they designed the government. Nevertheless, one quickly developed, first in the debate for ratification of the Constitution, and later around the principles of federal power. Although the foundations of the various parties have varied historically, the two-party system has remained in place for most presidential elections. The modern era may be witnessing a major change in the party system. One of the parties suffered a severe defeat in the 2008 election cycle and appears to be reevaluating its platform. If the party chooses to embrace the more extreme portions of their platform, it could lead to the creation of a new centralized party, which would draw support from the more moderate elements of the two major parties. A large amount of institutional inertia has been set against this development, but there is nothing in the Constitution that forbids it, nor is such an event unprecedented in the history of American politics. These developments illustrate a move from the extremism that had dominated politics since the beginning of the Cold War. More and more individuals are becoming sensitive to the voice of reason, cooperation and compromise, which weakens the position of the radical groups, and limits their ability to influence policy or elections. While it is important and permissible for these radical opinions to be heard, it is equally important that be considered from an even-handed and rational perspective, which is what a centralized president offers. Centralization of the Presidency is more in keeping with the notions of Democratic government than politicization. The more people whose viewpoints are represented by the President, the more democratic the government. A centralized presidency philosophically meshes with the majority of citizens. This observation is circular in nature. Absent compelling events such as war, the a majority of voters will embrace a more moderate candidate, and thus, candidates will endeavor to be more moderate in order to court such votes. Politicization is a positive thing in the political process. It allows all viewpoints to be aired and discussed. Centralization of the presidency is also a positive thing because a moderate president will be more likely to make pragmatic choices, rather than ones based in dogmatic ideals with little relationship to reality. Additionally, a moderate president is more likely to act in interests that mirror those of the majority of citizens. Thus, a moderate, or centralized presidency is good for both the execution of government, and the promotion of democracy.

Agricultural Pollution In The United Kingdom Environmental Sciences Essay

Agricultural Pollution In The United Kingdom Environmental Sciences Essay The global human population doubled from less than 3000 million to 6000 million during the latter half of the twentieth century. The demand for food increased as the global population increased. This resulted in the intensification of agriculture to meet the higher food demand which placed an increasing demand on the natural environment. This has lead to the United Kingdom now having more than 76% of land being used for agricultural production. Since the 1930s the UK agriculture industry has undergone a major revelation. The productivity levels have considerably increases due the progress in crop and animal breeding, the accessibility of pesticides and fertilisers and the fast and advancing technology.  [1]   The move to more intensive farming methods has led to a marked increase in the amount of pollution incidents recorded (Pollution can be described as the unwanted environmental effects of human activity) .Figure 1 show that the pollution incident levels are constantly changing, this if reflected by the dynamic moves and the progress the agriculture industry make. Fig 1 taken from : G. Merrington , l . Winder, R. Parkinson, and M. Reedman , Agricultural Pollution: Problems and Practical Solutions, Taylor Francis, 2002. Agricultural processes can pollute in many ways, these include; deliberate pollution (the introduction of pesticides, fertilisers, genetically modified crops and sewage sludge into the environment). Agricultural processes and wastes (silage effluent and live stock waste) and the enhancement of natural processes from agulcultural activity (increased nitrous oxide emissions and soil erosion). Fertilisers can cause problems in agriculture. Fertilisers are used in agriculture to promote plant growth. Fertilizers are combinations of the nutrients that plants must have to grow, in a form they can use. Fertilisers are used because as plants grow, they absorb and deplete nutrients from the soil. Farmers harvest those same nutrients when they harvest crops meaning the nutrients that are need are lost and need to be reapplied in order to achieve a successful crop year after year if crops are to be grown and harvested continually.  [2]   If the applied fertilisers or raw sewage ends up reaching rivers and lakes, they increase the levels of nitrate and phosphate them. This causes Eutrophication and can end up in the mass death of organisms in the water. The steps of Eutrophication are as follows; the growth of algae and other plants is increased due to higher levels of nitrates and phosphates that have entered the water. These form algal blooms and mean there are a larger than usual amount of producers and they become overcrowded and being to die quicker than they are consumed. The dead producers provider food (energy) for the decomposers. This causes the amount of decomposers to increase quickly and they use up large amounts of the oxygen in the water. This increases its biological oxygen demand (BOD) and this change causes a lack of oxygen in the water and leads to the death of aerobic organisms. In cases with raw sewage, which is full of bacteria, the BOD is even greater.  [3]  Also if Ammonia (90% of ammonia e missions in the UK is from agriculture  [4]  ), pesticides, oil, degreasing agents, metals and other toxins from farm equipment ends up in rivers and lakes they can harm and kill aquatic life. They can also cause health problems when they get into drinking water. Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of water pollution in the UK (see figure 2) and in 2001 had the second largest water pollution incidents from a range of economic sectors. Fig 2 taken from : G. Merrington , l . Winder, R. Parkinson, and M. Reedman , Agricultural Pollution: Problems and Practical Solutions, Taylor Francis, 2002. Organic waste is another big polluter from agriculture. Although the number of pollution incidents due to organic wastes is declining in the UK, the Environment Agency spends approximately  £5 million pound per year on river pollution incidents caused by agriculture. This is because the production, storage and disposal of animal wastes (pigs, cows) and silage effluent present major risks to streams and rivers including the aquatic life. A result of the intensification of livestock production in the UK has caused a large increase in the amount water pollution incidents as a result organic wastes. 90% of all farm pollution incidents are a result of organic pollutants. Incidents are mainly in areas that have a high livestock production. In the UK the highest water pollution incident occur in the south west, midlands and west of the country. Gaseous emissions from UK agriculture are responsible for approximately 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrous oxide and methane are two of the biggest polluters from agriculture with over 50% of nitrous oxide resulting from agricultural activities and 37% of methane emissions in the UK from agriculture. The causes of Nitrous oxide to be released into the atmosphere in agriculture are during the application of nitrogen fertilisers. The effects of Nitrous oxide are global and include the eroding of the earths ozone layer (which can cause problems including an increase in the risk of skin cancer) and causes the greenhouse gas effect. The greenhouse gas effect is the heating of the surface of the earth due to the presence of an atmosphere containing gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation.  [5]   Nitrates from fertilisers can also soak into the ground and eventually end up in drinking water. This is dangerous and can cause health problems such as methemeglopbinemia or blue baby syndrome which causes death in infants.  [6]   The cause of Methane release in to the atmosphere in agriculture is mainly due to livestock, most commonly from ruminants due to enteric fermentation. Enteric fermentation is fermentation that takes place in the digestive systems of ruminant animals. Both nitrous oxide and methane both have a high global warming potential, methane can absorb 21 times more infrared radiation than carbon dioxide and is an important greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide emission from agriculture can come from a number of sources, whether it from fossil fuel combustion or land change. The use of fossil fuel production in agriculture is wide spread, whether its direct from farming machinery or from the transport of goods from the farms to other company or to the supermarkets. However, there is more carbon in the worlds soil than in the atmosphere and plant biomass put together. This means that land use change intended for greater production can increase the amount of carbon dioxide being released. The turnover of biomass and land change responsible for 5% of the total carbon dioxide emissions alone in the UK. The loss of soil carbon due as a result of degradation of land is also another contributor to carbon dioxide due to agriculture. Soil is an important carbon sink and acts as a transfer store for carbon. Agricultural practices that reduce soil carbon levels by methods that degrade organic matter reduce the capacity of the of the car bon sink. The release of carbon dioxide can have a global effect as carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas and is a big contributor to the greenhouse effect. The reduction in soil also causes a reduction in the infiltration rate, this increases soil run off and erosion which can lead to the deposition of sediment onto roads and into drains, this can also cause damage to the quality of water in lakes and rivers due to an excess inputs of chemicals and other substances. The increased run off and sedimentation can cause a greater risk of flooding further downstream.  [7]  The effect of carbon solubility in water also means exchanges of carbon can occur in the worlds oceans causing a wider spread effect. Changes in carbon between the atmosphere and land are dynamic and can be shown in the carbon cycle (figure 3). Figure 3 show the carbon cycle of a farm. Changing the inputs and outputs, or removing stores can drastically change the amount of carbon in the atmosphere or in the land. Figure 3 taken from http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/Images/Carbon-Cycle-2306.gif Pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides and fungersides) are another pollutant from agriculture that can cause problems for the environment. Pesticides use has become an integral part of modern farming in the UK, with most crops having at least one and usually many more applications, with Cereal crop being sprayed around six times on average in the UK. More expensive crops such as vegetables and fruit can be sprayed over 15 times. The crops are sprayed to kill organisms such as pests, diseases and weed as they are unwanted in agriculture production as they would lower yield size.  [8]  However pesticides can cause point source or diffuse pollution in a number of ways. Pesticides can cause direct contamination of ground and surface waters. They can contaminate soil and leach into ground and surface waters. Pesticides also disrupt food chain and food webs as they can affect non-target organisms, whether by direct contamination or by accumulating further down the food web. Th is is a high occurrence as less than 0.1% of pesticides reach there target organism.  [9]   The movement of pollutants between the land, water and atmosphere can be summarised in figure 4. Figure 4 shows the relationship between pollution coming from a farm and the cycle it takes between the land, water and atmosphere .The pollutants could come from a number of the sources and examples that have been mentioned. Figure 4 taken from http://www.ecifm.rdg.ac.uk/farm_waste.htm original by R. Cook 2000. The effects of the agriculture pollution may be accounted for in two ways by the assignment of monetary value. The cost may be financial, for example incurred in water treatment or economic for instance due to the loss of a landscape feature valued by people which can be classed as visual pollution. The cost of agricultural in the UK is high and in 1996 the total external cost of UK agriculture was  £2343 million (range for 1990-1996:  £1149-  £3907 million). This is the equivalent to  £208 per hectare of arable and permanent pasture. Significant costs occur from pollution due to agriculture, whether direct from point source pollution or from non point source pollution costs in the UK include; the contamination of drinking water with pesticides ( £120 million per year), from emission of gases ( £1113 million per year), soil erosion ( £106 million per year) and food poisoning ( £169 million per year), from damage to wildlife, habitats, hedgerows and dry stone walls (visual pollution) (125 million per year).  [10]   Pollution control and solutions should take into account the external cost or externalities caused by economic activity. For example a side effect or by product of agricultural practice which is unpriced within the farming economy may be incurring a cost for someone else by reducing their profits or welfare.  [11]   Solutions to agricultural pollution can include; Government action through changes in policy and law; this could mean that farmers are forced to cut down the pollution they are causing. Research and development, including training and information programs and economic instruments such as financial subsidies and taxes could help reduce pollution, as alternative methods of farming that pollute less may be offered to the farmers with money incentives, while heavy polluting techniques and methods may be taxed. Other methods can include the modification behaviour by farmers, including changes in the use of agrochemical inputs, and other farm management practices. Practical solutions too many pollutants can be achieved through good agricultural practice (GAP). GAP is a well established approach in Morden farming to reduce environmental pollution and is supported with national and international legislations. The UK has published guidelines on pesticide usage which along with GAP is intended to both minimise their impact on the environment and allow safer usage. Practical solutions regarding gaseous emissions in agriculture are controlled with the support of legislation such as the Kyoto Protocol, which the European Union is committed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The UK is looking to reduce the level of emissions in 1990 by 12.5% before 2012.  [12]  To achieve this reduction the UK will need to cut its carbon dioxide in most of the economic sectors including agriculture. Pollution management can be achieved in two ways. An attempt to cure the problem by acting against the pollutants themselves, for example water treatment, or by preventing the cause of the pollution by encouraging alternative agricultural practices that are less polluting such as organic farming. Organic farming would reduce the number of pollution incidents due to agrochemicals, for example pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides  [13]  . However many farmer may be apposed to a move in organic farming, as it may result with a decreases yield of crop and an increase in labour outputs. A move to organic products may also reduce the target market for the food buyers, as higher labour and growing costs general mean the final product is more expensive than intensively grow products. This could limit the number of buyers this could result in a significant reduction in profit. In conclusion pollution can arise from agriculture in a number of ways. The effects of the pollution can vary drastically, from affecting only a small localised area through point source pollution such as a single farm, or by having a wider effect, sometimes on a global scale, such as non point source pollution. The pollution from agriculture can also effect both the environment, including the animals and nearby residents, but also the economy. Reducing pollution in agriculture can be difficult and have knock-on effects on both the environment and the economy. Many farming techniques rely on high polluting intensive farming methods to simply meet the demand of the population. Methods like these can be degrading to the environment, but vital for the farming economy to survive and meet there demand. However this can cause huge amounts of money to be spent by other organisations to clean up the pollution that they are causing. On the other hand many farming techniques designs to reduce the amount of pollution being caused from agriculture rely heavily on government funding in the form of incentives, which may reduce the environmental impacts but cost the country money. As conflicts can occur between the management of pollution issues there are many policies and legislations designed to minimise the effects of agricultural pollution and many try and find a balance between economic activity and the environment, such as the press ure-state-response frame work.  [14]  The best way to manage the pollution incidents I believe is through the prevention rather than cure. I believe that encouragement and search of practical solutions to reduce agriculture pollution is the best way to combat the problem. I also feel that compromises will have to be made both financially and environmentally to achieve the best result.

A Report on Nestle Organisation at the Corporate Level

A Report on Nestle Organisation at the Corporate Level This is an evaluation of Nestlà © in 2008 case study from DeWit and Meyer (2010) Strategy: Process, Content and Context 4th Edition. This report evaluates the strategic process of the company and how it strikes a balance between multiple products, structure and corporate goals. The cross-business synergies within the organization were identified, and the corporate mechanisms to leverage the synergies are discussed. It highlights the importance of cross-business synergy initiatives among the business-units within the Nestlà © corporate structure. Based on the integrated organisation and portfolio organization perspective, the future scenarios of Nestle corporate level strategies were outlined. The corporate growth direction of the company was identified in this process. A short Introduction of Nestlà © Organisation With the establishment of Nestlà © by Henri Nestlà © in the mid-1860s in Switzerland, the company has expanded from being a Swiss company to a global brand. Nestlà © is quite everywhere. It has become a household brand name in many countries and has established offices in more than 80 countries. The Nestlà © brand portfolio covers practically all foods and beverage categories: milk and dairy products, nutrition, ice cream, breakfast cereals, coffee and beverages, culinary products, chocolate and confectionery, petcare, bottled water. Many of these brands have category leadership, both globally and in local markets. The best-known global brands include Nescafà ©, Nestea, Maggi, Buitoni, Purina and of course Nestlà © itself. Other brands also sell in many countries for example, Milo, Nesquik, Nespresso, Kit Kat, Smarties, Polo, Friskies, Perrier and Vittel. The total number of brands including local brands reaches into several thousands.  [1]   Nestlà © had gone through several name changes from 1866-1929. Farine Lactee Henri Nestlà © merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. in 1905, and the companys name became Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. In 1929, Peter-Cailler-Kohler Chocolats Suisses S.A. merged with the company. The name was then changed to Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Holding Co. Ltd, on November 27, 1936. By late 1947, the company name had been changed to Nestlà © Alimentana S.A. through the acquisition of shares of Alimentana S.A. The current name which is Nestle S.A was adopted in 1977. Cross-Business Synergies within Nestle The primary logic behind implementing strategy in a multi business organisation like Nestleà © is to increase the business performance. A business strategy of an organisation is the way it chooses to go about succeeding in its industry. It is simply a process of looking at the range of options a firm can undertake to achieve its stated objectives with high priority to increase corporate performance. For many multi-business firms, cross-business growth is the major lever of growth in their saturated market (Knoll 2008, p. 1). Cross-business synergies is defined as the value that is created and captured, over time, by the sum of the business together relative to what it would be separately (Martin and Eisenhardt 2001, p. 3). The pursuit of synergy is at the heart of the rationale for the existence of a multibusiness corporation (Porter, 1985). The first identified cross-business synergies of Nestlà © is the strong organisation implementation. The strong business performance by Nestlà © in 2008 is as a result of strong organisational effectiveness which dates back in its history. This is very critical to getting organisation strategy right. As stated by Paul Bulke, CEO of Nestlà ©, the Nestlà © 2008 performance reflects its ability to achieve a high level of organic growth. This in a sense is that the systemic arrangements of the company different sections and brands enable its growth which was reflected in the company EBIT margin in 2008. The company operational efficiency was a result of it strong organisation implementation. The EBIT value is useful when comparing various sections (departments) in a multi business company like Nestlà ©. The company policy of rationalising underperforming product lines also serve as one of the major drivers of improved performance. Nestlà © strong organisation implementation has the refore ensured the optimisation of management rules and orderly operation of the company. Another cross-business synergy of Nestlà © is that it engaged in multi-business team decision process. The multi-business teams, certainly in collaboration with the corporate office, are the locus of value creation and identify potential synergy initiatives. It is a form of leveraging in terms of relational resources and strategic alignment. In relation to this, Nestlà © has a dedicated initiative teams overseeing each of the company four growth platforms. The company Popularly Positioned Product (PPP) strategy is one of these platforms with a specific business model which focuses on lower income consumers by offering them high-quality nutritious products at daily affordable prices. Nestlà © Corporate Goal Direction The importance of goals to any organisation cannot be underestimated. Every organisation small or large aims for success and in order for an organisation to become successful it needs clearly defined goals. Nestlà © not only have clearly defined goals, the operational plans of the company meets its strategic plan. The company corporate goal direction is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer and to ensure products of the highest quality. It is a holistic strategic thinking which the organisation as a system that integrates each part in relationship to the whole. The point is that this approach allows the managers of Nestlà © to employ an advance form of analytical reasoning that ensure creativity. DeWit and Meyer (1998) submits this as generative thinking perspective. In Nestlà ©, however, the creative and logical thinking perspectives are combined. Logical thinking emphasized the ability of managers to critically reflect on the assumptions they hold and to ma ke their tacit beliefs more explicit (Ibid). This in a way ensures creativity which is critical for innovations. The company is a market leader in many product lines such as coffee, milk, chocolate, food seasoning, bottle water and pet food. Its corporate slogan, good food, good life is understandably a slogan that pushes consumers to buy Nestlà © products as it signifies a better and healthier products for consumers. The growth of the company is also been driven by Nestlà © commitment to making better healthier products for its consumers around the world. Nestlà © corporate goal is founded on corporate innovation and knowledge management which involve collecting and utilizing information, innovation and knowledge resources for the realization of corporate objectives of the organisation. This is to achieve the corporate goal of being the world largest and best branded food and confectionaries producer. With the resources at the company disposal, the goal of Nestlà © is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed. Nestlà © Corporate Management Mechanisms The management responsibility is based on a system of specific individual responsibility for each post. This is reflected in the company corporate business principles, and with specific policies related to each principle. These principles are respected by all employees and their application is monitored and regularly audited. The company strengthen management of rules and regulations through standardization and simplification. There are different levels of management and the company step-by-step according to levels ensure that the management of different sections and brands of the company can be conducted separately. To optimize the management of rules and ensure orderly operation of the company, Nestlà © reach aggregation among the internal control through management system for risk control, management system for product development and innovation, corporate information mechanism (that allows the company to make full use of knowledge resource and improve managing efficiency) and ma nagement system for cost control. All of these make corporate performance better. Accordingly, knowledge based corporate management is the key corporate management mechanism adopted by Nestlà ©. It is basically driven by information system and includes learning process, corporate culture, trust and power relations (Epstein and Manzoni 2006, p. 176). The Nestlà © programme Global Business Excellence (GLOBE) which aims to harmonize and simplify business process architecture through and integrated information system is an example of information system in governing knowledge. The main goal of this programme is to ensure: a best practice that is creating common business processes, establishing best practices for activities such as purchasing, sales forecasting, production planning and customer service; data standardization which is to manage data as a corporate asset. The company has an established common coding system for various items such as raw material and packaging, finished goods, vendors and customer. In order to support best practices and standardization, Ne stlà © has a common information system. The programme also seeks to standardize internal and external databases and to implement a common business process architecture. This provides Nestlà © companies with common guidelines, structures and best practices to integrate operations across the whole organisation and to align organisational strategies with corporate goals (Ibid, p. 177). Nestlà © Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy is essentially what makes the whole company greater than the sum of its business units. The separation of strategic and tactical decision making as argue by Chandler (1962; 1991) is the most efficient corporate organisation as it allows the corporate centre to focus on the destiny of the corporation and allow business units to focus on within business unit operations. Mintzberg puts forward five formal definitions of strategy: plan; ploy; pattern; position; and perspective. Planning is concern with the development of mission or vision of what the company would aim to achieve. The organisation must have a vision of what they want the company to be at a point in future. The pattern has to do with how the strategy unfolds and becomes concrete. If strategy as plan refers to deliberate, intended strategy that may or may not be realised, then strategy as pattern suggests unplanned, emergent strategic patterns or consistencies that are realised despite, or in the ab sence, of intentions (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985 in Graez 2002, p. 456). An integrated organisation strategy is based on overall orientation towards growth and stability. In the case of Nestlà ©, the overall orientation is to be the worlds largest and best branded food manufacturer with the highest quality standard. A company may also focus portfolio corporate strategy, which is a strategy focus on the market that the firm competes in through product line and business units. In fact this is the basic underpinning strategy that drives Nestlà © orientation of producing the world healthiest product. The core principle of Nestlà © is helping consumers to have a balanced healthier diet. For firms to sell successfully to foreign customers requires culturally sensitive adaptations to product services, services, marketing and advertising (Rugman and Collinson 2009, p. 132). In the face of an unpredictable, highly volatile and competitive marketplace, a capacity for innovative, divergent strategic thinking at multiple organisational levels is seen as central to creating and sustaining competitive advantages (Liedtka 1998 in Graez 2002, p. 456). Nestlà © uses both planning scenario and strategic business models. Nestlà © Nutrition, an autonomous unit within Nestlà ©, is responsible for the claim-based business of infant and healthcare Nutrition. This is one of the strategic units of Nestlà © created in order to maintain the company competitiveness. This unit aims at delivering superior business performance by developing and offering consumable nutritious products. The unit in particular would strengthen Nestlà © leadership in this market hence a key element of the company corporate strategy.Michael Porter (1979) came up with four competitive strategies for business. The first strategy is to be the cost leader which means having the lower cost either across the industry or within the industry segment. An example of across the industry cost leader strategy of Nestlà © is its ability to make its entire product available and affordable to consumers regardless of countries. Income disparities exist among countries, so Nestlà © produce and repackage products in line with consumers capacities to purchase if different countries. The cost leader within the industry segment would be Nestlà © making its product to be the cheapest in the entire industry. The second strategy is differentiation, which means having your product better or making your service better and unique among the competition. A company can either differentiate its product/service in the industry or across the industry segment just like the cost leader. An example of having differentiation across the market place is the Nestlà © makes it products to be major healthy products to consume. In fact, Netslà © agreement with LOrà ©al in 2008 is a good example of the company continuous product diversification strategy. In Asia and Africa, Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets. Eisenhardt and Brown (1998) argue that while, traditionally, strategy was about building long-term defensible positions or sustainable competitive advantage, today strategy must focus on continuous adaptation and improvement and be constantly shifting and evolving in ways that surprise and confound the competition (Eisenhardt and Brown 1998, p. 787 in Graez, F. 2002). The Nestlà © Consumer Communication Principles contain mandatory rules on marketing communication to all consumers, including accurate representation and portrayal of foods in a way that does not encourage over-consumption. Conclusion Nestlà © will continue to remain a competitive global brand for time to come. The structure, organisation and strategy of the company reflect an organisation that is well focus to achieve its stated objectives and goals. As a food, nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlà © has targeted the essential primary motivation for consumer to purchase. More than ever before, consumers are concerned about the nutritional contents of products they consume. Through its global strategic approach, Nestlà © has transformed its organisation to a world recognised leader in nutrition, health and wellness. The company Popularly Positioned Product (PPP) strategy is best for Nestlà © as big portion of their core competence and resources are directed fast growing product and division. As a markets seeker, Nestlà © has the motivation to expand internationally and invest in foreign countries. The organisation knowledge of customers in different contexts has improved its profit margin relative to its competitors.

Young Goodman Brown Essay -- essays research papers

The main theme of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, â€Å" Young Goodman Brown,† is the struggle between Goodman Brown’s faith, power to resist his own evil impulses and his own doubts within him. It is a story of Young Goodman Brown’s personal conflict over his inner desires and its greater meaning conflict between good and evil in the world. The characteristics of Young Goodman Brown are similar to the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne had his own doubts about his own Puritan life and beliefs. There are numerous examples in this story whereby Hawthorne clearly demonstrates to the reader Goodman Brown’s personal internal conflict between good and evil. Hawthorne’s knowledge of the historical background of Puritanism combined with the personal experience of his early life and the history of his own family merge into the actions that Young Goodman Brown takes. â€Å"Good men† in Hawthorne’s day were those who came from a â€Å"proper† family. The influence of Puritan religion, culture and education had a major role in how someone perceived themselves and their community around them. Goodman Brown claims that he is from a family of good men that have â€Å"never been into the forest on such an errand† to meet the devil; Hawthorne utilizes this information in order to show the reader how Goodman Brown’s ancestries played a vital role on how Goodman Brown thought of himself (as of good character). This view is quickly challenged by the devil himself when he states that all of his ancestors were with him as they tortured women in Salem or burned Indian villages to the ground, and afterwards the d evil and his ancestors would go for a friendly walk. Goodman response to this allegation was; â€Å"We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.† Goodman disbelieves that his ancestors could do such wickedness. Hawthorne calls into question the chaste foundation of Young Goodman Brown's heritage, as well as the societal viewpoint of what is respectable, simply by pointing to a few facts. Given the existence and the importance of religion in the era of the early nineteenth century, Goodman Brown may be expressing a desire to break loose from a rigid puritan lifestyle. The puritan life style required their followers to doubt themselves and their community so much that a reality in which one could achieve Grace did not exist. It taught that one could not... ...lls for his Faith, he gets no answer. Brown only sees the pink ribbon fall, and his awareness of the conflict between good and evil is complete. He gives himself over to a new perspective. The pink button represents the pure innocents that has disappeared. This tears Goodman apart and creates so much doubt within him that it alters his perception about all the good people that are around him. We can never be sure if good or evil won the fight waged within Young Goodman Brown, but Hawthorne makes it abundantly clear that Brown was scared for his life due to his experience. This journey that Young Goodman Brown encounters could of been a dream or even a true event that is manifested by his own internal desires. Unable to accept that society is a mixture of both good and evil, Goodman Brown chooses his own damnation. In the forest Brown saw a mixture of religious and wicked people, and it was strange to see that "the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints." Brown ultimately decides to accept that everyone is evil, and he loses his chance at redemption when he makes the decision to completely isolate himself from society and even from his own wife.

Australia :: History

Australia  ¡Ã‚ §The Portuguese were the first to discover the East Coast of Australia ¡Ã‚ ¨ In Australian history books, it has been thought for hundreds of years that Captain Cook from England was the first to discover the east coast of Australia on 28th April 1770. However latest evidence shows that this historic event is inaccurate. A number of relics and remains have been found which indicate the Portuguese arrival at Australia in the early to mid 1500 ¡Ã‚ ¦s, 200 years before Cook. These clues include the Mahogany Ship, a Portuguese caravel that was shipwrecked six miles west of Warrnambool; a stone house at Bittangabee Bay; the Dieppe map, a secret map drawn by the Portuguese; a cannon and five keys found in Geelong. The shipwreck of Mahogany Ship remains Warrnambool ¡Ã‚ ¦s first shipping disaster. The Mahogany Ship is believed to be a Portuguese caravel lost in 1522 in Warrnambool under the command of Cristovao de Mendonca. Prince Henry, the ruler of Portugal at that time, had sent Mendonca and his crew to Australia in order to discover unfound land on the other side of the world that he had located on the French Map, the Dieppe Map that the Portuguese had stolen and copied. Many people believed that the world was a flat saucer but Prince Henry believed that the world was a sphere. Prince Henry wanted to find out if there was in fact such land over the other side of the world as Australia, if it was inhabited and if there was any treasure or valuable things there. This journey had to be kept a secret because the Portuguese were breaking an agreement that they had made with the Spanish. The agreement stated that the Spanish and Portuguese had half of the world each to explore but they could not explore past their boundaries. Mendonca and his crew set out from Portugal in the 1500 ¡Ã‚ ¦s to find out about this new territory. Unfortunately the Mahogany ship was shipwrecked at Warrnambool in Victoria, Australia. Twenty-seven people reported that they saw the Mahogany Ship sink however no one ever found the remains of the caravel. It has been believed that a great storm last century had buried the ship in sand, under sand dunes, but also the last timbers might have been burnt by whalers and locals who were in need of firewood. In July 1999, Mr. Des Williams discovered some wood buried three metres underneath the sand dunes between Warrnambool and Port Fairy.

Legalizing Marjuana Essay

The legalization of marijuana in the United States has been a major issue for several years. There are many opinions on this topic, some people don’t give marijuana a thought. Many people including most government consider marijuana a â€Å"bad drug†. Marijuana actually has many good uses. Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes, to reduce America’s prison population and to boost the economy. The use of marijuana as a medicine is rapidly becoming popular in the treatment of various types of illnesses. Sixty-five percent of Americans were for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes (Update: Medical Marijuana). Every year there are different trials being done that prove marijuana has good medicinal use. Medical marijuana can be used in providing pain relief for people with different cancers and HIV/AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). It has been used to provide relief for nerve pain in patients with AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). Marijuana is also eff ective in treating nausea in cancer patients that go through chemotherapy. Some States have already legalized medicinal marijuana, while others are more reserved. Georgia just legalized the use of marijuana oils to be used for medicinal purposes. Additionally, people being arrested for marijuana is causing over population in the prison systems. Some people that support the legalization of marijuana think that law enforcement fighting the war against drugs should focus their attention towards other violent crimes or hard-core street drugs. Marijuana is the most widely used and prosecuted drug in the United States (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Ninety percent of the people arrested in 2007 were arrested for simple possession alone (Decriminalizing Marijuana). People that are being arrested for marijuana are being sent to jail/prison with violent criminals. Law enforcement could use a different way of dealing with people that are being arrested for marijuana like righting a ticket, inste ad of spending taxpayer’s dollars on sending them to prison. The over population in our prison system is a heavy burden on taxpayers. Furthermore, legalizing marijuana would be a major boost for the struggling economy. More people are in agreement with legalizing marijuana when the issue focuses on using it as a taxable substance (Decriminalizing Marijuana). There is such a demand for marijuana already that legalizing it could only boost the economy instead of hurting it. Unemployment has been a major issue in America today. Legalizing marijuana would generate jobs for thousands of people in various different fields of work. In addition, the tax revenue would benefit students of all ages by providing grants and scholarships for education. It has been estimated that legalizing marijuana would generate $10-$14 billion dollars in savings and tax revenue annually (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Instead of the government spending money on restricting the use of marijuana, they could make money off legalizing it. The government could tax marijuana just as they tax tobacco and alcohol. In conclusion, the times are changing, more states are agreeing to legalize marijuana, both for medicinal purposes and recreational use. Mar ijuana should not be treated any different from the way people treat alcohol and tobacco. Legalizing marijuana would benefit Americans for medicinal use, it would also decrease over crowding in our prison populations and help our struggling economy. It is time for our government leaders to become more open minded when it comes to the topic of marijuana. Works Cited Update: Medical Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. . Decriminalizing Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. .

Cash Flow Statement vs. Fund Flow Statement Essay

There are some basic differences between the two statements as mentioned below: Meaning: Cash flow statement is a statement which reflects sources and uses of cash whereas fund flow statement is a statement that reflects changes in the working capital or fund. Scope: The scope of cash flow is limited and it is based on the narrow concept of fund. i.e. cash alone whereas funds flow statement is a broader term and it is a wider concept of fund. Component: Under cash flow statement, cash is an important factor and it is the part of working capital whereas funds flow statement is the working capital which includes cash, stock, debtors, bills and receivables, temporary investments etc. Object: Cash flow statement is prepared to disclose only changes in cash position whereas funds flow statement is prepared to depict the changes in working capital between two balance sheet dates. Conversion or adjustments of data: Adjustments for prepaid and outstanding expenses and incomes are made in preparation of cash flow statement in order to convert the data from accrual basis to cash basis whereas while preparing funds flow statement, there is no need for such conversion as this statement gives recognition to the accrual basis. Number of statements: Under cash flow statement, only one statement is prepared whereas in the case of funds flow statement, two statements are prepared and they are: 1) schedule of working capital changes and 2) statement of sources and uses of fund. Opening and closing balance of cash: In the case of cash flow statement, the opening cash balance and closing cash balance are shown whereas in the case of funds flow statement, there is no place for showing the opening and closing balance of cash and funds flow statement. Uses: The use of cash flow statement is in financial analysis and cash planning whereas in mid-term and long-term planning, funds flow statement is useful. Cash flow statement may be worked as an indicator of improved working capital whereas in the case of funds flow statement it is not necessary that an improved funds position will be an indicator for sound cash position. Impact of changes on cash; Increase in current liability or decrease in current assets brings increase in cash and vice versa whereas in the cash of funds flow statement, working capital increase in current liabilities or decrease in current assets brings decrease in working capital and vice versa. References: http://classof1.com/homework-help/accounting-homework-help/

Financing SME Essay

The definition of Small & Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) varies from country to country. The classification can be based on the firm’s assets, number of employees, or annual turnover along with the loan amount. Central Bank of Sri Lanka defines SMEs as enterprises with less than Rs. 600 million turnover per annum and with a maximum exposure of Rs. 200 million mainly to be classified as a SME for Basel II Capital adequacy calculation and utilization of funds accumulated in the Investment Fund Account in Banks. Whatever the definition, and regardless of the size of the economy, the growth of SMEs throughout the region is crucial to growth of respective economies. Because, SMEs play a critical and important role in providing job opportunities, enhancing the quality of human resources, maximizing the use of local resources, saving foreign exchange, nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship, fostering creativity and opening up new business opportunities etc. Most corporate organizations in Sri Lanka or elsewhere are the establishments started as SMEs in its early stages. Classic examples from our own country may be Nawaloka Group, Access International, Softlogic Group of companies. In most literature, it is mentioned that access to financing has been recognized as a major impediment for many SMEs and its growth, whereas corporate business entities have the advantage over the SMEs in doing so primarily as a result of their formalization. However, according to Juliet Mckee and Kimball Dietrich (2003), most common problems for SMEs are the lack of access to market information and technology, the low quality of human resources and the lack of access to capital. Despite efforts by financial institutions and public-sector bodies to close funding gaps, SMEs continue to experience difficulty in obtaining risk capital. These funding gaps relate to firm size, risk, knowledge, and flexibility. The development literature focus a good deal of attention on issues faced by SMEs in accessing finance. Traditionally, the focus is on obstacles created by financial institutions, mainly by commercial banks or on imperfections in the broader institutional environment. However, SMEs also make decisions about financing and display attitudes that have an important bearing on financing decisions. Therefore, constraints may also appear on the â€Å"demand side† of the financing market. Objective of this article is to discuss the key challenges and issues for bankers pertaining to SME lending, of which, part of them are inherent in SMEs and for others bankers are responsible. 1. Issues of SMEs 1. 1 Lack of financial literacy or weak financial literacy In the literature, lack of financial literacy is designated as informational asymmetries where SMEs typically posses privileged information on their business that cannot be easily accessed or cannot be accessed at all by lenders or outsiders. Reasons for this may vary and also have different perspectives. SMEs are mainly driven by entrepreneurs who have nurtured in their own ways to prospective SMEs. As a result of hard ways of development, they either had no time to devote further education or do not believe in learning. This is evident from the credit applications that are submitted to banks for financing. This eventually leads to low levels of financial literacy among entrepreneurs. Financial literacy is the ability to understand how money works in the world: how someone manages to earn or make it, how that person manages it, how he/she invests it (turn it into more) and how that person donates it to help others. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resource. Though many SME owners are sound in developing business models and working out the profitability of products and services, understanding about the macro picture of the SME’s overall financial standing in terms of profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flows is week. As a result, they sometimes opt to resort to outsiders or merely depend on themselves in preparation of financial information which may or may not reflect the actual picture of the SMEs. Because of this impediment, banks have no choice, but to depend on collateral for SME financing. At the backdrop cash flow lending is encouraged, financial institutions are struggling to project the SMEs’ sustainable bankability. This is recognized as the main obstacle for banks and financial institutions in financing SMEs. One of the options to counter this impediment is the concept of â€Å"Para accountant†. A Para accountant is an external consultant who uses finance, economics, risk management and technology skills to help organizations prepare and report financial and tax statements according to accounting principles and regulatory requirements. A Para accountant also may review a firm’s internal controls, processes and procedures to ensure that such controls are adequate. A Para accountant may work on a client’s site or remotely. They are not necessarily qualified accountants, however, might be an option. Bankers’ prime objective in this endeavor is to develop reliable sources of information so that they could project the sustainable cash flows of the business. With this objective banks could train their credit appraisal officers as Para Accountants, who will interacts with prospective SMEs and develop a set of financial information while strengthening the banking relationship over a period of time. 1. 2 Entrepreneurs’ knowledge about building a prospective banking relationship A banking relationship is about much more than just selecting a bank to handle a company’s bank accounts. If the relationship is managed well, it can help a company to thrive. SMEs that use more than one bank will need to manage multiple banking relationships. A company will first have a business account (or several) at a retail bank (or banks) for all day-to-day financial transactions. Whether it is retail, SME or corporate, the banks should have a team of business banking advisers on hand, to advise and guide a company. It’s important to ensure continuity— banks usually offer a contact with a designated person and in turn expect to deal with the same person or persons from the company. A good banking relationship depends not only on personal rapport, but also by having a solid understanding of the company and its financial needs. Over time, a banking adviser should build up a good understanding of the company’s preferred ways of doing business and incorporate that into how their banking requirements are handled. There are many advantages having a sound banking relationship for SMEs. The bank is more likely to offer loans and other lines of credit, potentially at preferential rates of interest, if the bank advisers feel there is a good relationship with the company. The bank’s advice can be tailored for the company’s needs and personal style, rather than given generically. In times of crisis, a company having its bank’s support will be crucial. Even if a company is a text-book case of insolvency, strong personal rapport with a company representative means that the bank is more likely to offer leeway if it knows that directors are doing their utmost to keep the company going. Failure to develop a strong relationship, however, means that the SME is likely to miss out on good advice and, crucially, support in times of difficulty. However, unfortunately, many SMEs are not on the right track to understand the importance of having a good banking relationship. Given that no sound financial information are available, at least, SMEs should try to maintain a healthy customer relationship with the financial institution to entice financial needs, especially in difficult periods. It is both Bankers’ and SMEs’ responsibility of developing a prospective banking relationship over a period of time without compromising risk capital. More than the credit facilities, credit plus would be reasonably appropriate to start such a relationship and then move into advanced levels of relationships along with credit facilities. 1. 3 Financial discipline of entrepreneurs As Henry Ford correctly cited, â€Å"Wealth does not come accidently. You have to plan for it. † One’s discipline explains the right behavior and ability to take decisions without emotions. Hence, financial discipline is all about right financial decisions. In order to be financially discipline one should understand concepts of accounting and financial management in SME business. Accounting in general is all about record keeping and developing summary financial reports. Most commonly available financial reports or information are the profit and loss account, balance sheet and the cash flow statement. Unless SMEs keep records of their daily activities, it is difficult to develop financial statements with regard to their businesses. With no financial statements, SMEs will always struggle in making financial decisions. More often, there is no clear distinction between the business finance and the finances of the proprietor. Therefore, it is critical that the lender examines carefully borrower’s all commitments, i. e. , those related directly to the business and those associated with the proprietor’s private life and assets. Lack of Business Planning is a result of weak financial indiscipline in SMEs where investment decisions, working capital decisions, even pricing decisions are based on the entrepreneurs’ values than on facts. The lack of proper financial discipline results in incorrect business decisions, which hampers the sustainability of the SMEs. MacRobert (2002), in his SME manual explains why SME borrowers are different to commercial and corporate borrowers. One of the common reasons is unskilled/ untrained principals. Many SME principals in the Asia-Pacific region are self-starters, often with limited formal education, and minimal training in business management skills. That is not to say that they are incompetent, but that they often lack the capacity to research information on ways to strengthen their businesses, and, indeed, to be aware that such resources even exists. Role of the bankers in this regard is to educate the importance of financial discipline through strong banking relationships. Bankers are one of the key sources, to get SMEs to believe in financial discipline. Bank officers should take the initiatives in this endeavor to educate the SME owners. Role of the Government is also a key imperative in developing required conducive environment through institutional and policy frameworks. Some universities in Sri Lanka have already started dedicated departments to teach courses related entrepreneurship. (Example: University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Colombo) and It is important to note that Business studies is part of the GCE A/L curriculum. Recent budget proposals in 2011, 2012 and 2013 has given enough support to encourage SMEs and SME financing and one of the very useful proposals was to direct government banks to set up dedicated SME Branches not only to facilitate SMEs with easy access to finance, but also to educate SME owners and to guide and direct them to right places and people. However, strengthening the institutional framework to develop business development support services is also an imperative. 2. Issues with Banks SMEs are not only critical to the economy, but also to the banks’ profitability. Most diversified banks maintain a substantial percentage of exposure to the SMEs as a strategic investment given the diversity within the SME portfolio itself. It is always profitable, but need to properly evaluate and closely monitor the delinquencies to avoid any credit risks. It is a perception as well as a fact sometimes, that SMEs are always highly risky as explained by many banks. It may be due to several factors including, non availability of financial information, no tax returns, no collateral, one man show, highly sensitive to economic conditions, no proper organizational structure, and many more. These are reasons given to avoid or very conservative underwriting of SME credit proposals. As a result of these reasons, credit policies of financial institutions are based on stringent credit guidelines. 2. Institutional framework with hindering process issues In the case of many developing countries, the above mentioned obstacles to SME financing are exacerbated by institutional and process factors. Most developing countries are still highly concentrated and have uncompetitive banking sectors. This reinforces the tendency to adopt conservative lending policies. Credit policies which mainly cover the credit risk and market risk, endorse a processes which covers many elements to secure exposure, while satisfying the regulator’s requirements. This eventually results in a value driven Credit culture in financial institutions. According to MacDonald and Timothy (2006), management’s credit policy determines how much risk the bank will take and in what form. A bank’s credit culture refers to the fundamental principles that drive lending activity and how management analyzes risk. There can be large differences in their lending philosophy. The three potentially different credit cultures are: values driven, current profit driven, and market share driven. The institutional framework is reflected through the credit policy in this part of the world, the tendency is to inculcate a value driven credit culture, which has the following attributes: Focus is on credit quality with strong risk management systems and controls Primary emphasis is on bank’s soundness and stability and a consistent market presence Underwriting is conservative and significant loan concentrations are not allowed. Typical outcome is lower current profits from loans with fewer loan losses It is evident with lower non- performing ratios prevailing in banks justifies that credit risk is covered with loan risk mitigation factors and discourage granting venture capital to SMEs. Eventually, SMEs need to resort to acceptable securities which hinders them from easy access to finance from financial institutions. 2. 2 Collateral syndrome (Risk avert) Strong value driven credit cultures in financial institutions always tighten the belts in covering credit risk. Unless the financial institutions develop competencies in cash flow based lending, credit officers have no choice but to cover themselves with collateral in risky SME lending. Competencies itself will not drive the business unless the risky lending is rewarded with challenging business targets. Security based lending propositions are gradually becoming unhealthy for economies as it discourages strategically important investment decisions. Government of Sri Lanka recently enacted legislations to ease the pressure on SMEs through amendment of Parate execution where normal civil procedure of debt recovery should be applied for loans below Rs. five million with security of property mortgages. 2. 3 Weak competency in building cash flow based lending propositions Strong value based credit policies encourage security oriented lending and creates knowledge gaps in credit officers. Security oriented lending does not require strict cash flow projections and credit evaluations. Developing cash flow projections is an art and requires overall knowledge about the industry, technology, external factors (external climate) and specific firms (internal climate) along with econometrics modeling to analyze the cash flows. When it comes to large projects, knowledge in project appraisals and risk analysis will help the credit officers to get exposed to project financing. At the backdrop of investor confidence and developing businesses in emerging economies, venturing into risky business propositions is in the agenda of the banking and financial intuitions. Financing SMEs are risky but at the same time profitable, so indeed banks need to develop how best they could mitigate the risk of these ventures. One of the options is to gradually develop a culture of SME financing with confidence through development of competencies in their credit officers. Competency development not only addresses econometric techniques of analyzing and evaluating the credit proposals, but also industry knowledge and exposure, experiences of sick industries and business units, world politics and world economics, knowledge in emerging markets and technologies, behaviors and issues of labor, understanding the entrepreneurship etc. Conclusion Many of the literature examine the issues of financing SMEs world over. However, there are key issues not only from the SMEs point of view, but also from the financial institutions and, government’s point of views. No one can expect the SMEs to nurture in best practices all by themselves. In this regard, the role of financial intuitions is greater, when it comes to inculcate and nurture SMEs in the right directions. The issues for SME financing discussed above are the keys, but there are many others which needs further discussions.