Counting rationally to 15 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Counting rationally to 15 - Essay Example Blocks of wood can be labeled 1 - 15. Cups can then be placed on top of these blocks. The rule of the game would be, one cup on top of each block. To evaluate mastery on one to one correspondence, the teacher can post fifteen pictures on the board and indulge the students in yet another game. The teacher will then count the pictures on the board and the student that catches the teacher doing an erroneous counting gets an extra point. One such error by the teacher would be counting the same picture twice. Geary (1999) tells us that although children with MD understand one to one correspondence, they sometimes make mistakes on tasks that assess this concept. Children with mathematical disabilities(MD) almost always detect double counting when it is the last manipulative that is counted twice. When the first manipulative is double counted, the child has to wait until the counting is finished before he can decide whether the counting was erroneous or not. This suggests that children with MD have difficulty keeping information while counting. To solve this problem, have them use their fingers to count (Brown, Ferguson and Witzel, 2 007). This helps them associate counting with their fingers (one finger for '1', two fingers for '2' and they may use sticks as substitutes for numbers '11' through '15'). They can then keep track of the manipulatives as they count them. Stable order. The order of the word tags must be invariant across counted sets.

Evaluation of Training Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Training Essay The evaluation of training identifies the extent to which the program has succeeded in enhancing the knowledge or skill-set of the participants. Kilpatrick’s model of training evaluation identifies four levels of evaluation: trainee reaction, participant’s learning, behavioral change, and impact on business. The major tools of training evaluation include interviews, questionnaires and surveys, observations and secondary data, and pre and post assignments or tests. The emerging trend is empowered evaluation, or making participants responsible for the evaluation. Introduction: Objectives of Training Evaluation The broad objective of evaluating training is to measure the effectiveness of the program in relation to the enhancement of knowledge or skills and the application of such skills and knowledge at work by the participants. The secondary objective of evaluating training is to improve future editions of the program in terms of modules, facilities, and contextual factors. The evaluation of training also helps identify the factors that help and hinder effective training of individuals and provide a guide map for support the participant requires at work The successful evaluation of a training program depends on application of the correct objectives while designing the evaluation exercise and the correct feedback from the participants in relation to the inputs received from the trainer. Kilpatrick’s Model of Training Evaluation Donald L Kilpatrick of the University of Wisconsin proposed four levels of evaluation. The first level of Kilpatrick’s model is seeking trainee reaction, or the participant feelings regarding the training experience. The instruments used to capture such reaction include post-survey questionnaires or feedback forms and verbal reactions of the participants during the conclusion of the training program. Some of the common questions included in such surveys include whether the participants enjoyed the training, whether they considered the training relevant, whether they liked the venue, style, timings and the like, their opinion on the ease and comfort of the experience, and the like. The answers to such questions could be in either an open-ended format or a series of multiple-choice options. This level of evaluation is easy to obtain and analyze and takes place immediately after the training ends. It gives a broad and general indication regarding the success or failure of the training program. The second level of Kilpatrick’s evaluation model focuses on the participants learning, and measures the whether the desired skill and knowledge enhancements have taken place. The measures in this level indicate the extent of advancement or change in the intended direction or area. The common measurement instruments for this factor include pre and post training tests or assignments and interviews. The success of evaluation however depends on the establishment of a reliable and clear scoring measurement scale. The third level of Kilpatrick’s evaluation model focuses on measuring behavior change, or the extent of application of the acquired knowledge or the implementation of acquired skills on the job. The evaluation of this factor depends on any noticeable and measurable change in the activity and performance of the participants when they return to their job roles after the training, and on whether such changes are sustained or temporary. The evaluation also extends to measuring whether the participants could transfer their learning to others and whether they are aware of their change in behavior, knowledge, skill level. The common evaluation tools for such measures include ongoing observation and interview over time. The use of 360-degree feedback is a convenient tool to measure performance on a continuous basis. The measures required at this level are not easy to quantify and arbitrary snapshot assessments and subjective ratings often hamper successful evaluation at this level. The fourth level of evaluation in Kilpatrick’s model is measuring business results, or the effects of the training on the business or environment. The measures would typically be business or organizational key performance indices such as volumes, values, percentages, timescales, return on investment, staff turnover, quality ratings, achievement of standards and accreditations. Most of such measures would already be in place as part of the normal management reporting systems. Organizations traditionally focused on the first two levels of evaluation. In recent years, the third and fourth levels have also become common points of evaluation. The Process of Training Evaluations The process of conducting the training evaluation depends on the objective of evaluation, or the level of evaluation required. The instruments used to measure of participant’s reaction to the program and their acquisition of knowledge and skills need to be devised prior to the program and administered to the participants immediately after the program concludes. The evaluation of the behavioral change or the application of the acquired knowledge and skills to the job and measuring their impact on the business is complicated and a sustained effort. The various tools to evaluate such measures, such as interviews, questionnaires, 360-degree appraisals, feedback from supervisors, secondary data, observations and the like need to be structured and phased over a period of time, and the results compared with the previous data and the intended objectives of the training program. Conclusion The latest concept in training evaluation is empowered evaluation, wherein participants improve their programs themselves through self-evaluation and reflection. The responsibility for evaluation in this model rests with the participants and professional agency or entity conducting the training on a collective basis, and the process of evaluation necessitate cooperation, collaboration, and sharing of resources. References Goodstein, J. Goodstein, L. D. (1991). A Matrix for Evaluating Training in The 1991 Annual: Developing Human Resources (pg: 184). San Deigo: University Associates.

Writing the Academic Essay -- Expository Process Essays

Writing the Academic Essay For many high school students, the academic essay is an unforgiving monster that terrorizes their campus, a nightmarish beast that can rip the heart out of G.P.A.'s and dash all hopes for college admission. Yet, others tame this friend with ease, bending its cruel will to theirs as if it was nothing, as if they possessed a secret weapon. Well, guess what? They do! Successful essayists succeed because they are armed with the exact knowledge of what an essay is and how it is made; they know an essay is an organized group of paragraphs that strongly assert and vividly support a central idea. Further, they know the organization of an academic essay is as easy as one, two, three: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion are its three essential parts. For starters then, let us begin with the introduction. Its job is to move from the general to the specific, to introduce the essay's topic, clarify its central idea, and detail its thesis statement. Yet, before it can do that, it should attempt to "hook" the reader by catching his interest with some appropriate bait. The first way to hook a reader is by centering an original title above the introduction. Please note the word original in that last sentence. Lazy and generic titles like "English Essay" or "Crucible Essay" are not effective because they are neither informative nor interesting. After an original title, a good introduction begins with one or two interesting sentences that serve to focus the essay's general topic. With that done, the writer becomes more specific and introduces the essay's central idea. A central idea is simply a clear statement of the writer's opinion or position on the general topic. In my introduction to this ... ...oes not mean that it is as unstoppable as Godzilla. Indeed, the curse of the essay is quite manageable if one keeps in mind its underlying characteristics. The basic academic essay is five logically related paragraphs that argue and defend a central idea, and the way it is structured is simplicity itself. When the writer keeps in mind the three parts of an essay-the introduction, the body, and the conclusion-then much of the anxiety and confusion associated with essay writing can be vanquished. Like Frankenstein's creature, essays are put together from separate parts, but because they are composed of logically related ideas, they are an invention that can be tamed by organized thinking. Indeed, writers who plan carefully and follow their plan are pleased to find that their brainchild is no fear-inspiring monster, but rather a creation that reveals their true genius.

Distinctively Visual Essay

Composers create distinctively visual images to draw aspects that they are presenting in their texts. This helps the reader to understand and visualise the characters responses to significant aspects of life. The Author Henry Lawson uses these distinctive images in his short stories ‘The Drovers Wife’ and ‘The Loaded Dog’ to help portray the harsh realities of living in the Australian bush. These realities create significant experiences for the individuals in his stories as they are faced with hardships, mateship and love. Similarly, John Misto’s play ’The Shoe-Horn Sonta’ and Ramon Tongs ‘African Beggar’ use distinctively visual language to let the responder engage with the characters and their world. ‘The Loaded Dog’ explores the significant experience of mateship through the characters; Dave Regan, Jim Bently, Andy Page and their young retriever Tommy who is described with great visual imagery as an ‘overgrown pup, a big, foolish, four-footed mate, who was always slobbering round them and lashing their legs with his heavy tail that swung round like a stock-whip’. The story starts off slow introducing the gold mines that the story takes place in, using elaborate instructions to explain the process of mining and cartridge construction through verbs including ‘sewed’, ‘bound’ and ‘pasted’ which gives the reader a distinctively visual image of how life was for the gold miners. The author uses Australian jargon and vernacular language such as ’Don’t foller us!’ and ’no mucking around’ throughout the story to give the reader a more visual image of how the men of the area communicate. The story’s pace exponentially increases along with it’s humour as the storyline develops and as each complication arises. Dialogue and punctuation, such as ‘dashes’, carry us along with the action painting a picture in the readers mind of the events taking place. Dave who is seen as the ‘ideas man’ decides to create a cartridge to blow the local fish out of the water to eat and while he is at away at working on the cartridge, Tommy grabs the cartridge in his play, setting it alight in the fire, which establishes the main issue in the story. Lawson uses a humorous tone throughout this scene to give the reader a more visual image of what is being played out ‘close behind him, was the retriever with the cartridge in his mouth – wedged into his broadest and silliest grin’. Another short story composed by Lawson similar to ’The Loaded Dog’ entitled ‘The Drovers Wife’ creates powerful images through the use of distinctively visual language that enables the reader to feel the hardships of the characters. Lawson begins the story with the distinctively visual image of the harsh landscape ‘The bush consists of stunted, rotting native apple trees. No undergrowth, Nothing to relieve the eye save the darker green of a few she oaks which are sighing above the narrow waterless creek’. This descriptive language allows the responder to visualise the harsh outback scenery. The drovers wife is seen as a protective mother and a hardened battler against the disasters of the Australian bush. The use of alliteration ‘no undergrowth, nothing to relieve the eye†¦ nineteen miles to the nearest civilisation’ accentuates how isolated the Wife is from society. Lawson uses powerful verbs when creating a distinctively visual image in the responders mind in ‘The Drover’s Wife’. When the drover’s wife goes to hit the snake, ‘snatches’ is used to create images of immediacy and courage within the responder’s mind, whilst ‘darts’ is used to create an image of threat, the woman has no hesitation in hitting the snake and she darts to protect her children. Similar to John Lawson’s stories, John Misto’s Australian play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonta’ uses an array of distinctively visual techniques to highlight the significant aspects of the story. Through dramatic film and editing techniques, and powerful dialogue, Misto explores the story of hundreds and thousands of women imprisoned by the Japanese in South-East Asia. The composer uses juxtaposition as the dialogue consists of both private and public conversations to create an image in the responders mind of the powerful links between the public and private voices between the two main characters, Sheila and Bridie. The opening scene shows Bridie re-enacting the kowtow, a tribute to the emperor of Japan ‘Bridie stands in a spotlight. She bows stiffly from the waist, and remains in this position.’ These stage directions allow the reader to visualise how Misto wants it to be performed, letting the reader share their experiences, and feel engaged with Bridie . Ramon Tong’s ‘African Beggar’ utilises distinctively visual language techniques to create and perceive a relationship with the persona and his  world and therefore understand the challenges he faces. The metaphor ‘a heap of verminous rags and matted hair’ is used to establish an image of a ‘thing’ rather than a human as ‘verminous’ is usually associated with flies and ‘matted hair’ creates images of an unhygienic lifestyles in the responders mind. The tone of the story suddenly changes in the third stanza and enables the reader to re-establish the relationship and perception that was previously created with the beggar. ‘lost in the trackless jungle of his pain’ is an example of symbolism used the show that the beggar feels pain in his whole body. This stanza creates an image of someone struggling for life and gives reason for the reader to feel sympathetic towards the beggar, this is highlighted in the line ‘lying all alone’. In conclusion, these texts all use powerful distinctively visual techniques to the let the reader understand and visualise the personas and their worlds, and the hardships that they face.

Article Nisarg Essay

SME stands for Small and Midsize enterprises. The definition defers from country to country. A business that maintains its revenue or employees below a certain standard is called an SME. The European definition for SMEs is â€Å"The businesses which have less than 250 employees and the annual revenue is less than 50 million euro (or annual balance sheet total less than 43 million euro) are called SMEs.† India has defined SMEs under Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006. It says for a small sized enterprise the investment in plant and machinery should be between 25 lakh and 5 crore and for a medium sized enterprise it should be minimum 5 crore and should not exceed 10 crore. This definition is applicable to the enterprises which are in manufacturing sector. For the enterprises which render services, if the investment is between 10 lakh to 2 crore they are called small sized and if the investment is between 2 crore to 5 crore they are called medium sized enterprises. The SME sector has been of prime importance for India as it involves less capital investment and is highly labour intensive. It boasts of being second highest in providing employment and contributes to our goal of inclusive growth and equal distribution of resources. SMEs prompts private ownership, instils entrepreneur skills in the youth and establishes powerful market supply chain. The report published by Ministry of Small and Midsize Enterprise says around 45% of the total output and 40% of the total export of the country comes from SMEs by employing 106.1 million people over 26 million units in 2013. It contributes around 22% to the nation’s GDP. Now instead of discussing the past the immense potential ahead prompts me to throw some more lights on future of SMEs and how India can fulfil its â€Å"Make in India† dream through it. Now in the world of cut throat competition it is  very important that we use all the technological resources we have. The next generation is to be driven by innovations and technology. The initial development in our SME sector was the result of the government policy of promotion and protection of small business units. But now after 1991 reforms and in the era of globalization the small business units are open to extensive competition from small and big giants all over the world. Therefore it has become essential that India shifts from technology transfer to technology innovation. The recent research work published by BCG says if Indian SMEs adopt latest IT tools they could generate additional revenue of $56 billion and can add 1.1 million jobs. One such tool is cloud computing which has changed the way IT solutions are being delivered. Cloud computing can provide cheaper solutions as it adopts pay per use policy. It reduces total operation cost and total cost of ownership by alleviating the risk for the cash strapped SMEs. The cloud facility enables secure storage and transfer of data. As the maintenance and software up gradation is taken care by the service provider it saves the company’s time and resources. To improve our supply chain further we can use computerized tracking and shipping devices along with electronic billing systems. There are plenty of supply chain related mobile apps like MCSA, Mobile TMS applications, Mobile Solutions by SAP and Oracle products. With barcode scanning, speech recognition features, high quality digital cameras and other auto run instruments provide high class warehouse functioning. Let me give an example to exhibit that. John Deere used SmartOps software platform and helped equipment supplier increase it’s on time shipments dealers from 63% to 92%, while reducing inventory by nearly $1 billion. Here one more thing to note is that we are in 21st century but our electric grid is a 20th century structure. It is highly inefficient and may breakdown any time. In 2003 we observed east-coast wide black out in India. The first step to resolve the issue can be the use of Smart Meters. It can relay a range of information about electricity usage, can give utility and customers alike a real time picture of how much power they are using at any point in time. The electricity can be used efficiently at time when the overall demand is low and the meter helps in doing that. By doing so we are smoothing the demand curves of power plants and utilizing the current power plants fully instead  of establishing the new ones. Apart from that the SMEs can use technology to market their products on social media. There are many cost effective tools available like websites, blogs, emails etc. One of the most popular and heavily used such tool is Facebook. It provides facility of flexible budgeting and provision to target a highly specific audience as shown below. Along with all the benefits that we extract from our SMEs we must ensure that we don’t harm our environment and use green technology as much as we can. The e-waste produced by the enterprises have to be managed properly. CloudBlue, based in New Jersey, helps tech companies process their e-waste on the site as well. So in nutshell technology is the answer to the question posed by the harmful effects produced by the technology. Hence I think India must keep including SMEs in its five year plans and should highly focus on the use of technology and innovation to develop this sector. We must use our executive wing to make time to time reforms. If taken as national goal I am confident our poor and middle class will surely come out of mediocrity and contribute to the development of the nation and we will be able to drive this third global cycle of development along with China. References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_and_medium-sized_enterprises http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/smallandmidsizeenterprises.asp msme.gov.in www.google.com www.facebook.com

Abolish Abortion essays

Abolish Abortion essays Abortion is a method for a pregnant woman to discard the growing fetus that lives inside of her. There are many arguments for and against abortion. Some people say that the mother should have a choice to abort her baby, and others say that it is wrong to kill a child. Abortion is wrong. When a baby is aborted, that child has no chance at life. Abortion kills a living breathing human that lives inside of the mother. Dr. Alan Moore from the University of Texas states that one out of every twenty pregnancies end in abortion. That is five lives out of one hundred that could have been saved if the mother had decided to let her child live. Abortion also harms the mother. Every woman that has an abortion is twenty-five percent less likely to become pregnant in the future. If then she decides that she does want to have a child, it will become harder for her to get pregnant. Abortion is also creating a problem in the hospitals. The dead fetuses are very difficult to dispose of. There are no graves being built for the fetuses and the hospital has to send them off to a lab to have tests run on them for genealogical purposes. This is a very costly and tedious process for the doctors and the lab technicians. The Pro-Choice supporters that are for abortion argue that it is a mothers right to decide whether the child should live or die. They are stating that if the mother does not want a child, she should just have it sucked out of her body and disposed of like last weeks garbage. They claim that a growing fetus is not an actual living person; therefore, that fetus should not have a chance at life. Most mothers choose to have their babies aborted because they dont have the funds to support a child. The government has provided systems such as welfare, which gives the mother money to support the child, and they have started adoption agencies, which find suitable parents for the child. There ...

Motor Training Essays - Educational Psychology, Learning Disability

Motor Training Essays - Educational Psychology, Learning Disability Motor Training Motor training to develop readiness, motivation and means of expression, as a basis for learning programs Motor activity is fast becoming a valuable aid in the teaching of academic subjects to elementary school children. The realization of the place motor activity has in the classroom does not imply that physical activity is a prerequisite to learning but rather a method through which a child can learn more easily and understand more fully. Training in physical coordination is not only helpful in providing a child with a mode for expressing what has been learned, but it has become a factor in instilling in the child a willingness and readiness to learn and has also introduced itself as a base for a learning program. One writer, Maritain (1966), has described the function of education as primarily a source of liberation. In the case of the child whose learning problems stem from a learning disability, this liberation would consist of allowing the child to move about, to explore, and to receive impressions, to respond and to express. This call for movement as a basis of learning is further substantiated by Getmans theory that the skill of motor control and coordination is a necessary prerequisite to every intellectual activity. Cratty (1970) further states that movement is learning; learning requires movement. Some theorists seem to attribute all intellectual achievement to motor development rather than viewing motor activity as an aid to learning. One theory implies that certain motor activities when properly applied would prepare children in the intellectual areas of spelling, reading, and similar intellectual tasks during the childs first year in school. Cratty 1970). This theory may hold true if the motor activities are somehow related to the intellectual processes involved. It is important to remember that normal children have other

WARNING 8 Signs Your Job Interview is Scam

WARNING 8 Signs Your Job Interview is Scam Job interviews aren’t just a time for you to sit in the hot seat and be judged. They’re also an opportunity for you to vet the potential employer- to determine whether this company would be a good fit for you, and to make sure there aren’t any giant flapping red flags that should be telling you to run for the hills. If you’re ever in an iffy situation in an interview and can’t quite tell whether your gut reaction is the right one, here are a few warning signs that this job might not be the one for you.1. The vibe is†¦ not so great.Everyone looks miserable. It’s quiet, but it doesn’t look like that’s because everyone is concentrating so hard on their work. It just seems frosty and weird. If you’re a friendly collaborator by nature, this might not be the place for you. Things might be extra bad if you’re introduced to a few potential future coworkers and they don’t seem in any way enthused. If they canâ⠂¬â„¢t fake it to impress a potential new team member, they’re certainly not into the place.2. It’s all over way too soon.Interviews don’t have to be long and grueling, but they also shouldn’t be too short. If you feel like you’re being asked a handful of questions with very low stakes and you get offered the job in a hot second, take a step back and make sure this isn’t because they’re desperate- or incompetent. Are they overselling? What’s the catch Don’t just snap it up because you’re flattered or relieved to get an offer in the first place!3. You find out there’s a high turnover rate.Constant and consistent departure of employees might be another reason for a particularly hasty offer. If there’s a way to find out from current or former employees what the turnover rate seems to be and why it might be particularly high, that would be useful information. If that question seems to forward, simply ask ing some current employees how long they’ve been there might help. If everyone you’ve spoken to has only been with the company a short time, activate your spidey sense.4. Everything is done super secretively.You seem to be getting shuffled through the process on the DL. The interview doesn’t take place at their office location. You’ve not met the person holding the position you’re meant to replace. You don’t know why the position is open. You don’t get to meet anyone else on your team. Think about these things before accepting an offer, lest you show up for work on Monday morning and the entire team hates you for stealing their pal’s job seemingly overnight.5. You’re ghosted.You interviewed, you followed up, and the line went proverbially dead. Or, they’re making you wait an inordinately long time before letting you know when you might expect next steps or decisions to happen. Leaving a candidate hanging is disres pectful and unprofessional- both bad signs right out of the gate.6. They ask you for money.Run. Just run.7. Everyone uses robot-like corporate-speak all the time.Too many buzzwords or fancy jargon might be a big ruse to make the company or team sound successful and inspiring, when the reality could be anything but. If they seem like they’re trying really hard to impress you but there’s not much substance underneath, try to do a bit more sniffing around.8. There’s no indication of company growth.If the interviewer can’t give you a clear picture of career growth opportunities or provide you with a clear account of what your role would be- both immediately and in future- then watch out. Not having a clear sense of how you would develop your career there isn’t a particularly good sign at this stage- and it doesn’t bode very well for later stages either.

Employment-At-Will Doctrine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employment-At-Will Doctrine - Assignment Example The at-will employment doctrine is applied in all states in the US apart from Montana (National Conference of States and Legislatures, 2014). In its unmodified form, the doctrine of employment-at-will allows the employer to fire employees as he deems fit without suffering legal consequences. It is, therefore, possible to legally fire an employee. However, the doctrine is a default rule that can be altered by contract. For instance, a contract can provide for a fixed employment term or allow dismissal only for a cause. In the United States, companies usually negotiate employment agreements only with high-rank employees. Collective bargaining agreements usually protect represented workers against termination without cause. Causes include employee’s misconduct, poor performance or economic necessity. An employment contract may specify instances or employee actions that would result into termination for cause (National Conference of States and Legislatures, 2014). Thus, to mitigate the harsh consequences of employment-at-will, courts and statutes carved out exceptions to the doctrine of employment-at-will. Exceptions to the doctrine fall under Common Law and Statutes. Public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine protects employees against employment actions that contravene public interest. For instance in most states, an employer cannot fire an employee for declining to violate the law at employer’s request or for filing a workers compensation claim after sustaining an injury while on the job. Public policy is the most widely recognized exception in most states (Muhi, 2001). This is the second major exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. It is applied when an implied contract is created between the employer and the employee, irrespective of express or written instrument regarding the kind of the employment relationship existing. Although employment is usually not governed by contracts,

Fracking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Fracking - Essay Example In this professional paper discusses business ethics of fracking, in order to analyze and evaluate the conduct of drilling companies in their quest to harness cheap energy from the earths interior. And their impact on the environment and mankind. Business ethics applies to all forms of business conduct and is related to the conduct of individuals and the entire organization. They have both normative and descriptive dimensions. It should be noted that the field is primarily normative as a corporate practice and career specialization. Academicians’ determination to understand business behavior employ descriptive methods. Interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns reflects the range and quantity of business ethical issues. Governments use laws and regulations to control business behaviors in what the government perceives to be beneficial directions (Denver, 2013). Ethics specifically regulates details and areas of behavior that are beyond government control. The sprouting of extensive corporations with inadequate relationships and sensitivity to the communities they work from propagated the development of formal ethical regimes. Ethical norms reflect norms of historical periods; norms evolve as time passes resulting in accepted behaviors becoming objectionable. Firms started pointing out their ethical issues as early as 1980s by trying to distance themselves from business scandals like savings and loan crisis. Business ethics ideas caught the attention of media, academics, and business firms by the end of the cold war. Concisely, one of the aims of business ethics is to determine the fundamental purposes of the company, for instance, the company may have to sacrifice the profits to other concerns if a company’s purpose is to maximize shareholder returns. Ethical issues composed of duties and rights between the company and its stakeholders including suppliers, customers, employees and

Critically examine the international expansion strategy for an Essay

Critically examine the international expansion strategy for an organisation of your own choice during a specific period of its e - Essay Example The clothing and accessories offered often depict young male and female models with aesthetic facial and body features in order to gain marketing interest in their target market of 18-35 year old buyers. This exclusive mentality positions them differently from main competition, such as the Gap and H&M, allowing them to retain considerably high market share among the competitive environment both in its home country of the U.S. and its new expansion locations internationally. This essay describes the current strategic management functions and principles at A&F related to their current, ongoing expansion strategy. A&F statistics and sales At the end of 2010, Abercrombie & Fitch operated 1,069 stores. These included 316 A&F stores, 502 Hollister Co. stores, and 181 Abercrombie stores dedicated to children and adolescent youths (euroinvestor.co.uk, 2011). The company has adopted many different strategies in an effort to gain more customer interest and improve market share. However, it has never lost focus on its core competencies and core products, which are often provocative and always exclusive fashions that are heavily branded with the Abercrombie & Fitch name and/or logo in order to help customers identify with their name and reputation. In previous years, from 2007 to 2009, A&F experienced considerable losses in profitability that came from a variety of factors, including economic downturns in the international economies and changing buyer behaviours. However, through aggressive advertising and downsizing of underperforming stores, Abercrombie & Fitch has managed to regain its competitive edge and just recently experienced a 7.6 percent increase in sales for the last quarter of 2010 (Stothard, 2011). Again, this is due to a strategic focus on remaining dedicated to the core brand philosophy of exclusivity, a series of short-term pricing reductions and the closing of non-performing stores internationally (especially in the United States where the economy has bee n poor). Strategic focus and intention In order to fully understand the international expansion strategy of Abercrombie & Fitch, it is necessary to identify with the concept of strategic management and leadership. â€Å"Strategic management is based on the belief that an organisation should continually monitor internal and external events so that timely changes can be made as needed† (Aluko, Odugbesan, Gbadamosi & Osuagwu, 2004, p.44). There is a need to be adaptable to change and be trend-focused so that their product offerings and values can shift along with changing environmental, economic and consumer behaviour trends related to retail buying. Strategic management, then, is a â€Å"continuous process of administering operations with an emphasis on overall corporate purpose and future opportunities† (Stone, 2010, p.S215). Abercrombie & Fitch is a very strategic-focused business that is always operationally-adaptable in the face of these conditions, however it never loses focus of its core mission and core competencies related to marketing and branding which are their most priority revenue-building strategies. Abercrombie & Fitch is currently closing underperforming stores in the United States and abroad, based on same-store sales and economic conditions in their current operating environment. However, these closings offer the

G-8 Says World Economic Prospects Still Weak Essay

G-8 Says World Economic Prospects Still Weak - Essay Example ng to the improper banking regulations that existed in European countries along with the United States and Japan. As per the article, measures have been formulated in order to curb issues in relation to budget deficits and develop strong banking union through the implementation of efficient fiscal policy amid G8 nations for effective growth of world economy. These nations have worked collectively in order to strengthen the banking rules which would underpin the whole of the Euro zone. Additionally, the implementation of these changes in structure along with principles in relation to banking policies is perceived to enhance the economic conditions on a global context. The banking sector of European nations, the US and Japan are required to modify or reform their banking practices and systems with the objective of developing world economy and banking union (CNBC LLC, 2013). Factors to be Discussed The discussion will emphasize relevant studies that are parallel to the common economic e vents which include recession and inflation. One of the primary objectives of this research would be to analyze the moves that will be made for building a proper banking practice towards a strong banking union. The highlighting factors would be to analyze the underpinning issues that are seemed to trouble the overall banking system. Moreover, the various reforms and modifications in the banking principles and systems will be studied which are to be implemented by Japan and European nations. Along with all the other nations, the economic condition of the United States will be analyzed as well. 2.0 Discussion on the Economic Problem Issue The financial crisis situations had adversely impacted the banking operations and principles in an immense manner on global perspectives. Various reforms and policies have been implemented within banking sector with the aim of enhancing its operations and reviving the economic conditions. Cause of Problem The main factors related to the discussed iss ue in the article include the extensive economic growth of other countries and structural reforms that seemed to put the European countries under extreme pressure. The main areas of concern were identified to be the reformation of banks and its various policies in order to improve the financial policies of the European countries and G8 nations. The major cause of the problem was that the output was not delivered according to the requirements of the banking customers. Funds collected through banks were not allocated in an orderly manner which resulted in improper regulations of the banking functions or operations (International Monetary Fund. European Dept., 2013). Impact on Economy, Society or Even Political Stability The problems related to financial policies and reformation in banking sector seemed to have drastic effects on the economical, societal and political fronts which were a crucial problem for the Euro zone countries. The situations relating to the above factors were very drastic. The nations on the economic front got adversely affected because of the inappropriate banking regulations and various fiscal policies that were unable to ascertain the monetary standards of the nations. The main point of concern was the ineffective performance of the banking sector. The countries were planning to design various policies and regulations in relation to the

1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been Research Proposal

1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been detrimental or beneficial to Australian - Research Proposal Example The objective of the paper is to discuss the effect witnessed by Australia owing to its increasing immigration rate. Aimed to identify the virtues and the drawbacks of migration with strong affects on the economic stance of Australia, three methods are intended to be implemented in this discussion. The methods are discourse analysis, in depth interview and group discussion. Immigration refers to the act when a person from his/her birthplace i.e. home country attempts to settle in another country for the purpose of education or employment or any other similar reasons. With this regards, Rowthorn (2004) has stated that the study of immigration is a difficult process. However, through the article, the author was able to conclude that it is generally advantageous to welcome immigrants to the country so that the birth rate can be controlled along with encouraging equality in terms of wealth distribution. It is in this context that economic conditions of the host country can be witnessed as developing nature with the entrance of immigrants as they are charged with higher taxes than the locale population (Rowthorn, 2004). Considering the example of Gypsies as the migrating population connecting its roots to no particular nation having different languages and culture, Armillei (2011) had initiated to develop an understanding regarding the pros and the cons of migration. The authors revealed that Gypsies’ culture and different languages create a misunderstanding in the economic environment for the host country encouraging the distinct dimensions of culture as well as economic hierarchy. Even though, this raises the heritage of the socio-cultural significance of the country, it is quite likely that the social institutions of the economy will have to face major conflicts in developing innovative systems and controlling such vibrant dimensions

Project Management In the era of continuous development of trade and Essay

Project Management In the era of continuous development of trade and commerce - Essay Example Speaking it more clearly, project management embodies the pathways as regards the resources and technological availability, constraints for the implementation of the project, feasibility of the project, intended steps to be undertaken for the effective implementation of the project, evaluation of the project and the maintenance activities of the project for giving it into effect. All the actions and pathways are followed in accordance with the project planning. The functions and program manifesto of a given project may vary in accordance with the scope of a project. are closely linked to the theory of management. Over the decades, project management has become a predominant consideration, as without the successful implementation of the project management, not a single project can be deemed successful. Hence, for the development initiatives and ensuring the organizational efficiencies as well as the performance capabilities successful project management is the sine qua non. ... roject management has become very important for the organisations as there is a close relationship between the project management and the operation of the organizational processes. The continuous and effective operation of project management help the organizations in exploring their potential benefits as well as devising the ways and means for developing their organizational performances and ultimately achieving the optimum success for the organisation(s). Thus, the organisations putting emphasis on the project management issues, undertake comprehensive action plans. Because; without effective project management initiatives, all the development initiatives would be meaningless. Henceforth, on the face of practical situation, the issue of project management has its mounting position in the fields of trade and development and in matters associated with such dealings. Project Management In implementing a project, following points should be given due importance. The whole life cycle of a project involves some key considerations which arte interrelated to each other. The relevant aspects included in the project management or project implementation are the scope of the project, time, and money and most importantly the resources of a given project. It is necessary to mention that due to the failure of any of the four ingredients, a project is sure to collapse or lose the efficacy or merit of it. Therefore, these aspects of the project management should be given the utmost importance, as they are much significant on the way of project implementation. The project management plan is conducted for achieving a clear-cut understanding of the scope, objectives, work breakdown structure, criteria and other related issues in discharging the functions of the project.

1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been Research Proposal

1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been detrimental or beneficial to Australian - Research Proposal Example The objective of the paper is to discuss the effect witnessed by Australia owing to its increasing immigration rate. Aimed to identify the virtues and the drawbacks of migration with strong affects on the economic stance of Australia, three methods are intended to be implemented in this discussion. The methods are discourse analysis, in depth interview and group discussion. Immigration refers to the act when a person from his/her birthplace i.e. home country attempts to settle in another country for the purpose of education or employment or any other similar reasons. With this regards, Rowthorn (2004) has stated that the study of immigration is a difficult process. However, through the article, the author was able to conclude that it is generally advantageous to welcome immigrants to the country so that the birth rate can be controlled along with encouraging equality in terms of wealth distribution. It is in this context that economic conditions of the host country can be witnessed as developing nature with the entrance of immigrants as they are charged with higher taxes than the locale population (Rowthorn, 2004). Considering the example of Gypsies as the migrating population connecting its roots to no particular nation having different languages and culture, Armillei (2011) had initiated to develop an understanding regarding the pros and the cons of migration. The authors revealed that Gypsies’ culture and different languages create a misunderstanding in the economic environment for the host country encouraging the distinct dimensions of culture as well as economic hierarchy. Even though, this raises the heritage of the socio-cultural significance of the country, it is quite likely that the social institutions of the economy will have to face major conflicts in developing innovative systems and controlling such vibrant dimensions

Causation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Causation - Essay Example For instance, in Empire Jamaica (1955),2 the owners sent a vessel out to sea, and it crashed because the pilot fell asleep. The only negligence that the owners were guilty of were that the officers did not have their licenses. But this had nothing to do with the crash, so, even though there was a negligent act, it was not the cause of the damages. Similarly, in Christopher Andrews v. Barnett Waddingham LLP and RAJ Waddingham3 there was insufficient causation between the negligence of the financial advisors and the loss that was suffered by the claimant. Moreover, there is a general rule in English law that there are certain acts that would break the chain of causation. For instance, the acts of a third party are likely to break the chain of causation.4 This often when the defendant does not have control over the third party's actions, but, if the actions of the third party are foreseeable by the defendant in any way, the chain of causation is not broken.5 While these are torts cases, there are criminal cases as well, and these criminal cases define the boundaries and the contours of causation in the criminal courts. In criminal law, there must be an action (actus reus) combined with the state of mind (mens rea), and the actus reus plus the mens rea must have caused the actual crime.6 Moreover, there might be instances where there is a supervening or intervening cause that would break the chain of causation.7 There are exceptions to this, of course. For instance, there might be a case where somebody does great bodily damage to somebody else, but does not do enough damage to kill the person. But, the person might be a Jehovah's Witness and refuses a blood transfusion. If the transfusion was received, then that person would have lived. The defendant would still be guilty of manslaughter or murder, because of what is known as the ?hin skull rule- this means, generally, that you take the victim as you find him or her.8 At the same time, there are times when an omiss ion might give rise to criminal liability, such that a crime can be heightened if the person does nothing for somebody who was damaged by the criminal defendant.9 For instance, if somebody beats somebody up, and doesn't get medical attention for the person, and the person dies, then that person is guilty of murder or manslaughter.10 Likewise, there is also an issue regarding intervening causation.11 One of the leading cases for this is R v. Cheshire.12 In R v. Cheshire, the appellant attacked and shot a man in a fish and chip shop, and he underwent surgery. When he was in surgery there was a negligent act, in which the doctor could not diagnose the reason why the patient died. The doctor misdiagnosed the reason behind the patient's breathlessness and respiratory obstruction. However, it was found that the only way that the causation would be broken would be if the medical staff was reckless, not merely negligent. Therefore, the defendant in this case was found to be liable for the d eath, because he put the causation into motion with his battery in the first place.13 That said, there can also be a case where the negligence of a third party would break the chain of causation, such that the defendant who put the act into motion would not be negligent for the

Working With Couples Considering Divorce Essay Example for Free

Working With Couples Considering Divorce Essay The video documentary entitled â€Å"Working with Couples Considering Divorce† is an enlightening presentation about the rigors of divorce which individuals go through. Dr. William J. Doherty demonstrates the techniques he implored in dealing with people who are in a dilemma of resorting to divorce as a solution to marriage problems (Doherty, n. d. ). A couple visited Dr. Doherty’s therapy clinic to seek for advice and therapy regarding their situation. They are thinking of dissolving their marriage which has run for twelve years, and which has given them two children. The husband has already moved out recently and is considering divorce with his wife, who considers it as well. By listening to each of them, Doherty is able to highlight a prognosis of their situation, see its overview and finally treat is as a unit. The couple is able to resolve their ambivalence in their commitment with Dr. Doherty’s six-month therapy in which both of them will try to work on their marriage for six months before making a decision regarding their marriage. The doctor’s manner of dealing with the issue is talking to both of them as a couple, to each individually, taking turns, and then back together. Dr. Doherty is able to demonstrate the importance of communication between couples in resolving the dilemmas they encountered about their marriage – whether to keep the marriage or to discard it. Several couples in the United States encounter the same ambivalence, which often leads to deciding towards divorce since divorce is a common thing and is usually being resorted to most often as an immediate recourse. Couples wouldn’t normally sit down and talk about their differences, and would give up after a few tries. Divorce is usually the easiest way out for several couples in the midst of an assailing matrimonial problem. This is the reason why only a few marriages in the United States survive, and couples are left with facing a new life, a new perspective, and a new dimension as a divorcee, usually battling depression and emotional turmoil as an outcome. This is not to mention the financial losses that go with the divorce process, especially on the payment of alimony on the part of the ex-husband. The video documentary entitled â€Å"Working with Couples Considering Divorce† is able to demonstrate to us that there is a sure-fire way to get out of the divorce parameters, and that couples, given a chance for a paradigm shift otherwise known as a change of view about their marriage structure, would not opt to look at this devastating occurrence. Oftentimes, as couples are carried away with the social bandwagon of divorce in which several married couples ride on so easily, they look at this direction to why not ride as well and view divorce as an immediate recourse for the ultimate solution to their problems. As American society is highly oriented towards individualism, the surge towards divorce is a very likely and favorably convenient option especially if one sees his/her marriage as burdensome or makes him carry several responsibilities. The easiest way is the way out, or so several couples thought. The strong attachment to commercialism is also one factor that may contribute to the rising statistics of divorce in the United States, apart from the strong stances towards individualism as the society’s goal. This leads us into an inference that since couples are inclined towards material fulfillment, several marriages are assailed by this objective and are often lost in the enhancement of their jobs and career, with the marriage and the family left in the sidelines. The fast-paced lifestyle of most American households also holds witness to its link with divorce occurrences, as people are used to resolving issues and problems in a speedy manner and divorce is one speedy remedy for a trembling and unstable marriage. However, the video documentary is able to put forward a conclusion that divorce is not always the way out, and that it is not easy at all. Hence, couples should not view it as the easiest remedy. There are emotional, psychological, and mental investments which couples have invested in their marriage, one of them are their children and the emotional attachment already established in years of being together. Thus, foregoing the marriage out of a more convenient living is not a likely solution for letting people who used to be part of one’s life and are closed to one’s heart slip away that easy. Dr. Doherty is aware of the potential rigors that each of the couple would go though had they considered divorce. It is clear that in the video review, the couple’s problems are not that unbridled or epidemic, nor was there any element of domestic violence for example, which is a very likely rational reason to end the marriage, for both the wife’s sake and that of the children’s. Rather, the issues involved in the couple who visited Dr. Doherty for marriage counseling and therapy only include drifting away of the husband and the wife, making them feel as if they were not couples anymore or were not functioning as such. Hence, ending the marriage through divorce is one solution they both consider. As communication is important in couples in order to find the right solution to their problems, it is evident that the couples had lack of it or seemed to have gone inutile in properly dealing with it regarding their differences. As such, their visit to Dr. Doherty is both a timely and advisable one, since they are able to redirect themselves towards it again. It takes a marriage therapy for both of them to be enlightened about their marriage situation, see it as a whole unit in a positive perspective, and seek only positive remedies that are both beneficial and appropriate for it. The couples are able to undertake this successfully in their consultation therapy with Dr. Doherty. With the therapy, they are able to view the internal causes of their marriage, which slowly but surely drifts apart, see it as a personal obligation and commitment to repair, undertake a fresh way to deal with the dilemma, and finally decide to start anew, not by opting for divorce but through renewing each other’s commitment in the marriage. It is necessary that the couples be guided accordingly on viewing their situation, not merely offering them a concrete solution, but leading them towards seeing their problems individually and as a couple, creating and re-creating a solution for these problems, considering the entire scenario in the decision making, and renewing and redirecting earlier stances into more stable and ground-founded ones. This is how Dr. Doherty is able to lead the couple in dealing with their ambivalence about divorce. Certainly, a marriage therapist like Dr. Doherty always aims for the preservation of marriage, and he is able to do this successfully in the couple through their own analysis of their situation and by being redirected into a different perspective on their marriage. It is clear that Dr. Doherty used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in his dealing with the couple’s problems, which is geared towards modifying cognitions, assumptions, beliefs, and behaviors (Stuart, et al. , 2004). Dr. Doherty is able to outline potential unrealistic and unhelpful beliefs and assumptions which the couple considers, along with trying out new ways of behaving and reacting. This is illustrated in the view that â€Å"the marriage is doomed,† that â€Å"it won’t work out no matter how much we try,† that â€Å"we cannot settle our differences and we have to file a divorce and move on with our new lives. † These perspectives are the perspectives that the couple in the video documentary had upon visiting Dr. Doherty’s clinic, which was then refocused after a thorough therapy of six months. With the six-month therapy, the couple is able to see the importance of their marriage and the significance of nourishing the time of being together through a renewed perspective. Through this, the manner of behaving and reacting on their marriage is changed into a more favorable and beneficial one. The ambivalence for divorce is solved this way though Dr. Doherty’s help. References: Doherty, W. (n. d. ) Working with couples considering divorce. DVD. ISBN: 1-59147-440-X Stuart, R. B. , Broderick, C. , and Gurman, A. S. (2004) Helping couples change: A social learning approach to marital therapy. The Guilford Press.

Falls Of Miltons Eve And Doctor Faustus Religion Essay

Falls Of Miltons Eve And Doctor Faustus Religion Essay In this essay I am going to be comparing the falls of Eve in John Miltons Paradise Lost, first published in 1667 and Doctor Faustus in Christopher Marlowes The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, first published in 1604 The notion of the Fall of man originates in the Bible where it is recorded in the book of Genesis. It has been interpreted both literally, as a description of historical events and symbolically as a spiritual truth. The Fall refers to the transition of the first created humans, Adam and Eve from their original state of perfection, to a state of guilt and disobedience to God. The notion of Adam and Eves perfection comes from Genesis 1:31 where we are told that God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. This notion was also reinforced by St. Augustine, who believed that Mans nature indeed, was created at first faultless and without any sin. In Genesis 2:16-17, God forbids Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil: And the Lord  God commanded the man, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.' This is essentially the beginning of the series of events that lead to the Fall, because it is shortly after this that Eve is deceived by the serpent into eating from that tree, and shares it with Adam. We are told that the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made (Gen 3:1) and later, in the book of Revelations, we are led to believe that the serpent was in fact Satan in disguise: The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan. (Rev 12:9) Adam and Eve are consequently banished from the Garden of Eden by God and as punishment for their sin, sent to live on Earth. They are also banned from eating from the Tree of Life again, which is how Christians believe death entered the world. This is known as the Fall of Man. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve forms the basis for Miltons Paradise Lost, and he too seems to adopt the Augustinian view that Adam and Eve are two perfect and fully developed humans. This is shown when: Adam soon repealed The doubts that in his heart arose: and now Led on, yet sinless Unlike the Biblical Adam and Eve however, Milton gives us the impression that Eve is inferior to Adam since Adam was created to mirror Gods divine authority and Eve was created merely to satisfy Adams desire for a companion. Throughout the poem we realise that Eve never experiences God directly; Adam experiences God and Eve experiences Adam, who appears to act as an intermediary between her and God: For contemplation hee and valour formd,   For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace,   Hee for God only, shee for God in him. It is this sense of divine hierarchy that seems to make Eve more susceptible to Satans temptation, because during the series of events which contribute towards the eventual Fall, Satan plays on Eves desire for autonomy and a connection to the universe outside of Adams shadow. The sequence of event leading to Eves fall begins when she is asleep one night and Satan attempts to plant his tempting thoughts in her mind. Satans effect is reflected in her dream when an angel tempts her to eat from the Tree of Knowledge: Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods   Thy self a Goddess, not to Earth confind. This plays on Eves desire to achieve a direct relationship with God. The second significant factor is her determination to spend time alone on the fateful day; she wakes up in an independent mood and insists that her and Adam attend to the garden separately, despite Adams attempts at dissuading her. It is at this point, when she is pleased with herself for achieving some autonomy that she comes across the serpent. In order to be successful in leading Eve astray, the serpent attempts to eliminate her fear of disobeying God. He begins by making her doubt the existence of death and evil: Those rigid threats of Death; ye shall not Die:   How should ye? by the Fruit? it gives you Life   To Knowledge? By the Threatner, look on mee,   Mee who have touchd and tasted, yet both live,   And life more perfet have attaind then Fate   Meant mee, by ventring higher then my Lot. The serpent then continues to try and make her doubt God himself by suggesting that God has only forbidden her to eat from the Tree of Knowledge so as to keep her ignorant, rather than becoming powerful and knowledgeable: Of good, how just? of evil, if what is evil   Be real, why not known, since easier shunnd?   God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just;   Not just, not God; not feard then, nor obeid:   Your feare it self of Death removes the feare.   Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe,   Why but to keep ye low and ignorant,   His worshippers; he knows that in the day   Ye Eate thereof, your Eyes that seem so cleere,   Yet are but dim, shall perfetly be then   Opnd and cleerd, and ye shall be as Gods,   Knowing both Good and Evil as they know. Here Satan is playing on Eves perception of the divine hierarchy and her feelings of inferiority to both Adam and God, by offering her an opportunity to do what she believes will lead to a direct relationship with God. It is at this point that we begin to see Eves final error as intellectual rather than moral. In the moment before she eats from the tree, she pauses and thinks. She still allows her reason to guide her, but Satans deception of her mind misinforms her will. Her reasoning is quite sound, however it is based on the belief that the serpent is telling the truth. This, one of the main premises in her decision, is in fact false. After eating from the tree of knowledge, her nature and attitude towards her relationship towards Adam have been changed by sin. Having imagined an existence outside of Adams perception during her conversation with the serpent, she now finds herself consumed with a selfish desire to share her fate with Adam, because she can no longer conceive of separation from him.

Consumer Good and Evil :: essays research papers

Consumer Good and Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the difference between good and evil? What is good? What is evil? These are questions we humans ask ourselves at least once in our short lives. Is good right? Is Evil wrong? We waste out lives pondering these meaningful questions. I believe the definition of good and evil can be defined by the economic services offered to the public. For example the difference between Charitable Crusaders* and Stuff Mart*, Mom and Pap’s cafà ©* and McDoogles*, Joe’s barbershop and Bidel Basson Hair salons*, I believe good and evil, right and wrong, are evident through these stores and businesses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charitable Crusaders is an independents organization similar to a thrift store. This organization cares for the people they serve. In the month of December they raise a lot of money so they can afford to sell their items cheaper. Charitable Crusaders cares, unlike Stuff-Mart, who is stingy and only care for the profit. They care nothing for the people they serve or the people that they employ. Stuff-Mart is the definition of evil because of its greedy and uncaring ways. Because of Stuff-Mart’s practices, people have to spend more money and life is just overall harder. Charitable Crusaders is good and right because they love the people that they serve. They strive to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, unlike fairytales, the evil wins over good. Stuff-Mart is shopped at more because the quality is better and more survives are available, at a fe e. Charitable Crusaders, being a nonprofit organization, cannot compete with Stuff-Mart and lives off do nations. In this case, evil triumphs over the good in the form of profits and overall consumerism. I believe that, sometimes, this is how life works out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDoogles is the spawn of all evil in the restaurant world. It was crated to be a prostitute: fast, cheep, and easy! But in the process of being so has stopped caring about the people it was serving. Their food is high in fat, unhealthy and has contributed greatly to the obesity that is becoming rampant in America. Because of its cheap prices it is more readily available than other restraints. If McDoogles is the spawn of all evil then Mom and Pap’s cafà © is all that is good and right in the world. These small restaurants are privately owned and well-taken care off. In this respect, the people who own them care more about the people that they serve.

The weight of the nation

The movie we watched is called â€Å"The weight of the nation†. I learned that:Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese. >65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011.Obesity is preventable.Most of the food commercials make you want to eat.My reaction to this movie is that people started eating more food over the 30 years so they should start taking food seriously.  What makes people obese is  an increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and an increase in physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanizati on.Not only the food matters but your physical activities that you do every day. Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices, making the healthier choice of foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice (accessible, available and affordable), and therefore preventing obesity. At the individual level, people can:limit energy intake from total fats and sugars;increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; >engage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes per week for adults).

Disability Form

Good day! I am writing this letter to shed light on a recent incident that I have unfortunately been tied up in. as you may well know, I have been working for Borgota for five years. Over this time, I have been efficient and effective in the discharge of my functions and responsibilities. As fortune would have it, I have found myself in disability for the first time. As such, I was not fully aware nor was I apprised of the necessity of filing certain disability claims in order for me to receive my disability check.This led to the failure of the Department of Labor to process my disability checks for the past six weeks. I have never been one to shirk on my responsibilities and neither am I one to blame my misfortunes on other people. Yet, in this instance, I feel that my predicament warrants my action on this matter. Given my disabled status, I have had several difficulties adjusting to normal life and to normal routines.Understandably, it was difficult for me to adjust as I had to de al with this situation on my own. I am not asking for pity or sympathy but rather the understanding for somebody who is in my situation. Times are difficult and this disability of mine does not make things easier, as such, I am imploring your aid so that I can try to move on from this circumstance and soon pick myself up so that I can once again be a productive member of society.

Gideon Katey Fayorsey’s Manifesto

Manifesto Madam electoral commissioner, Honourable executive manageress and supervisor of studies, Teaching and unteaching staffs of this noble institution, Enthusiastic student, co-aspirant, Invited guest, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen I greet you all. My name is Gideon Katey Fayorsey vying for the office of the school prefect and I deem it an honour to stand before you this morning to read my manifesto.As we all know here comes another election season or era which is characterised by the handing over of spiritual and physical batons from the old Elijah’s to the new Elisha’s First and foremost I would like to tell you reasons why you should vote for me, there so many reasons but I would like talk about three of them for the sake of time, to begin with I would like to tackle discipline As we all know discipline comes first in the life of an academician. We also know canning is not the only way to discipline a child but counselling which is a also very good way of d isciplining a child.Which I have started doing through spreading of the gospel. Comfortably seated Ladies and gentle imagine you disrespected a teacher when the teacher comes to the class teach will you be able to concentrate? No you cannot concentrate because at the first place you cannot look at the face of the teacher this cause many students to dislike and fail a particular subject. I Gideon Katey Fayorsey about to be elected will ensure that discipline is held in the highest level Secondly I would like talk to you about the reading of your books.Nowadays literacy week is part of our academic activities but still students find it very hard to read their books which isn’t good because the is a saying that â€Å"A man who does not read gets constipation of thoughts and diarrhea of words† I will make sure all students read at least two story books a week. And the last but not the least is My ultimate priority of the â€Å" Ancora Impara† which simply means that the attitude of learning shall I hold indisputably to ensure that my time shall see a considerably rise in academic performance with the blare of a trumpet so that we can all say something has happened out of the blues.Finally I will like to cast your vote for it is what is going to catapult me into unleashing my daring ambition. Vote for Gideon Katey Fayorsey this your decision to have a change of lifetime for it is said that â€Å"The journey of a thousand mile begins with a step† and that step is to be taken by you by voting for me. Vote Gideon Katey Fayorsey the potential potentate who has the power, ability, capability and capacity to head you towards the attainment of your aspiration. Vote and vote wisely for your vote is your greatest power and secrete. God bless you all! God Bless Great St Paul’s !! God bless Lutheran!!! Thank you all.

How does this form fit with the characteristics of the Romantic period Essay

How does this form fit with the characteristics of the Romantic period (refer to Chapter 22 in the text) - Essay Example Long composite orchestral work, is one progress that leads to the development of a poetic inspiration, creates the doldrums, or even suggests a panorama. This case is quite similar with the romantic composers now as it was in the olden days (Hoffer 173). In romanticism, there are two aspects that are evident in romantic art. One of it is the expression of feelings. Most of the writers who participated in multi-movement words wanted just to express their feelings. The characteristics accountable for romance in music according to chapter 22 of this document are quite similar to the ones used in the present world composing. The characteristic of writing and message sent via this poetic song is quite similar to the olden day’s invention. The usage of romantic sceneries in most of the composing art of this song is what used to happen in the olden days (Hoffer 174). In one way or the other difference between the arts of composing is quite different in comparison what chapter 22 of the document provided states (Hoffer

Producing the financial statements Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Producing the financial statements - Coursework Example Producing the financial statements Building an engine factory needs substantial cash outlay in terms of capital. Capital items don’t go to the income statement unless in terms of financial cost like interest so the statement may be un affected but the financial position will be affected as money moves from the bank/cash for construction and to be eventually capitalized. Loans are relatively easy to acquire if there is collateral available but is a rather expensive mode of financing due to the ever increasing interest rates. Using retained earnings to finance is cheap and efficient but the disadvantage is that it will starve the company of liquidity needed to finance daily operations. If VW ceased operations in China, this will result in a 31 percent fall in sales which was attributed to the Chinese market in the last financial results. There will be a further loss of 9.6 bn Euros that is attributed to joint ventures. G.M’s net income of 595 million dollars that is derived from the Chinese market will also be lost. The recall caused a charge of 3.1 billion dollars on the income of G.M. The production expenses would certainly go down and hence increased productivity. The market being exited will experience direct and indirect job losses while the opposite will be the case for the market being entered. Shareholders are always concerned with the return on their investment and if this action results in a gain on their share value, the shareholders will be more than glad but if the share value does not appreciate then they will not be amused.

Scholarly database search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarly database search - Essay Example Furthermore, JSTOR (short for â€Å"journal storage†) in a non- profit service especially dedicated to offer a trusted digital archive with scholarly content to researchers, students, and professionals. The inclusion of articles in its database collections are developed through the participation of many publishers and other organizations. There is also a free access to most of the articles, which makes it advantageous to student users. The incidence rate of device- associated infection (VAP and CAUTI) is recorded lower in nine Colombian hospitals than other hospital ICUs in Latin American countries, based on the records of the National Nosocomial Surveillance System (NNIS). However, this rate is still comparably higher than that in the US ICUs. Thus, this finding necessitates policy improvements on infection control in Colombia (Moreno et al., 2006). In one recent active DAI surveillance study in two ICUs in Cuba (Rosenthal et al., 2010), rates of VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI, were carefully analyzed against CDC- National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) rates. Related information on microorganism profile, bacterial resistance, extended length of stay, and extra mortality were also considered. Results showed that VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI rates are lower than INICC rates. Compared to NHSN rates, VAP rate scored higher, while CLAB rates lower, and CAUTI rates similar. Lastly, there was a significant direct correlation between VAP increase and the LOS and mortality rate. Moreno,  C. à ., Rosenthal, V.  D.,   Olarte,  N.,   Gomez,  W. V.  , Sussmann,  O., Agudelo, J.  G., †¦ Henrà ­quez,  D. (2006). Device†associated infection rate and mortality in Intensive Care Units of 9 Colombian hospitals: Findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 27 (4), 349-356. doi:

Why did I closed down my business Personal Statement

Why did I closed down my business - Personal Statement Example Therefore, lack of focus led to closure of the business. Second reason behind the closing down of the business is lack of trust on the individual skills which are required to run the business to greater heights. Successful entrepreneurs are goal oriented and have internal interest towards the tasks that they undertake (Nieuwenhuizen 2009, p. 9). Business has a varying results and it’s the mandate of the manager to know how to deal with the situations when they arise. Fear of failure is the reason behind the closure of the business as there was a mentality of personal failure in the future. When managing a business that a person does not own a manager is shielded from losses as they go to the stockholders rather than the management (Nieuwenhuizen, 2009, p. 17). Business needs planning and forecasting for it to prosper. An individual entrepreneur who poorly plans for his/her business is likely to be attracted to other opportunities that make him lose focus towards the main goal of achieving success in running the business (Nieuwenhuizen, 2009, p. 9). This was the case as there was poor planning for the future which made you to lose focus when an enticing opportunity

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis - Essay Example For Americans of the past, the initial stages of designating an industrial economy on a global level occurred to have established a revolutionary social order that only raised confusion especially among the working class, making them suspiciously ponder and react upon the possible outcomes of social development for the nation (Foner). It entailed a notion that such approach to spontaneous progress determines allocation of power and social security. In this regard, reformists of the period were led to conceive that potential peril exists with the significant concern that as a response to it, people of the lower class may act in tumultuous aggression in exercising their democratic right over to suppress individual economic growth thinking that liberty of acquisition of rights to property (Foner), particularly with those who could afford, would only emphasize inequality among social divisions and thus create on appropriating amount of common interests. Progression of economic developmen t enabled Americans to adapt to the concept and application of ‘Social Darwinism’ in their everyday living since the competition to acquire relative or higher advantage in upgrading social and economic status in American society had apparently become essential. With the transition from late 1600 to early 21st century, however, opponents to globalization have emerged and such movement is comprised of heterogeneous motives which hardly form a unifying principle or an irregular coalition proposes highly emotional arguments. These non-adherents have been critical toward the means of globalization that are currently utilized to deal with the aspects of consumerism, immigration, and nutrition (Gast). Such methods employed are criticized for having much association to both economic and environmental crises as food scarcity, mass immigration with the third world nations, as well as global warming, respectively (Gast). At present, the state of

Investment Behaviour of Women Essay Example for Free

Investment Behaviour of Women Essay Abstract Through an analysis of recent reforms in three policy areas in Chile—pensions, childcare services, and maternity/parental leave—the paper seeks to explore how equity-oriented reforms deal with the triple legacy of maternalism, male-breadwinner bias, and market reform. Recent studies of â€Å"new† social policies in Latin America have underlined the persistent strength of maternalist assumptions. Feminist research on new cash transfer programs, in particular, has tended to see more continuity than change in the gendered underpinnings of social policy. This paper suggests that once we broaden our ï ¬ eld of vision to include other social programs and reforms, the ways in which contemporary social policy (re)deï ¬ nes women’s productive and reproductive roles, social rights, and obligations are more complex and contradictory. Indeed, while some policies take unpaid care by women for granted, others point to an increasing awareness of inequalities   Staab that shape women’s and men’s differential access to market income and public social beneï ¬ ts. Over the last decade, there has been a veritable explosion of scholarship on Latin American social policy. In part this reï ¬â€šects the fact that—after decades of neglect—Latin American states have rediscovered social policy and scaled up their efforts to address the social fallout of liberalization. Indeed, while â€Å"Washington Consensus† reforms were mainly driven by the desire to cut costs and reduce the scope of the state, the late 1990s and 2000s have seen more coordinated state interventions to reduce poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. While not returning to post-war social protection schemes, countries in the region are experimenting with policies that break with the neoliberal notion of minimal safety nets (Barrientos et al. 2008; Molyneux 2008; Cortes 2009).  ´ What does this â€Å"return of the state† mean for women’s social rights and welfare? It has been argued that in contrast to the gender blindness of neoliberal reforms, â€Å"new† social policies have been gender conscious (Bedford 2007). However, relatively little systematic research has been carried out on the gender dynamics of this new social agenda (Macdonald and Ruckert 2009). The existing literature seems to suggest that there is far more continuity than change in the gendered underpinnings of â€Å"new† social protection programs. Feminist research on conditional cash transfers (CCTs)—a key innovation associated with Post-Washington Consensus social policy in the region—has tended to stress the persistence of maternalism (e.g., Molyneux 2007; Bradshaw 2008; Tabbush 2009), a set of ideas and practices with a long and ambiguous history in the region. Yet there is more to Post-Washington Consensus social policy than CCTs. Several Latin American countries are experimenting with other care-related policies alongside cash transfer schemes— including the introduction of full-day schooling, the expansion of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, maternity/ parental leave reforms, and in recent pension reforms, the introduction of child-rearing credits. While some of these programs take the unpaid care by women for granted , others point to an increasing awareness of gender inequalities that shape women’s and men’s differential access to labor market income and public social beneï ¬ ts. That these initiatives have received little scholarly attention leaves the impression that Latin American social policy is stuck on a maternalist track, when national and regional trends are likely to be more varied and complex. Against this broader backdrop, the main aim of the paper  is to provide a better understanding of the complex and contradictory  ways in which women’s productive and reproductive roles, social rights, and obligations are constructed and (re)deï ¬ ned in the context of recent equity-oriented reforms. I argue for a two-tiered approach. First, I propose to move beyond single policy analysis towards a more systemic view that takes into account and compares developments across sectors. Second, I aim to assess these reforms according to the ways in which they have dealt with three key legacies: marketization, maternalism, and male-breadwinner bias. I apply this approach to the recent reforms in Chilean social policy, a particularly intriguing case. First, Chile is often cited as the Latin American country where neoliberal principles have been most comprehensively applied. Its 1980s social sector reforms–particularly in pensions and health–have long been promoted by international ï ¬ nancial institutions as a model for other countries to emulate (Taylor 2003; Orenstein 2005). Recent innovations in Chile’s social policy regime thus merit close attention. Second, Chile combines market liberalism with strong social conservatism, particularly with regards to gender roles. We would expect these two legacies to create mounting tensions and contradictions –for example over whether mothers should be at home (maternalism) or in the market (liberalism)–that social and employment policies have to navigate. I have chosen to focus on the recent reforms in pension, ECEC, and parental leave policies, issues which have been high up the public agenda in Chile and elsewhere. This is reï ¬â€šective of both broader global discourses spearheaded by international organizations such as the World Bank and the OECD, as well as a regional trend to revising social protection frameworks with an emphasis on increasing the coverage of hitherto excluded groups.1 The selection thus consciously combines two more traditional policy areas associated with social protection/consumption (pensions and maternity leave), with an emerging area geared towards social investment (ECEC). While the former were directly undermined by structural adjustment and deliberately restructured following the advice of international ï ¬ nancial institutions (Orenstein 2005; Brooks 2009), the latter have acquired prominence over the past decades as a means of reducing poverty by facilitating women’s labor force participation and as a cost-efï ¬ cient tool to promote human capital development by investing in early childhood development. These ideas form part of an emerging global paradigm (Jenson and Saint-Martin 2003; Jenson 2010; Mahon 2010) and seem to have ï ¬ ltered down to the national level with several Latin American countries experimenting with childcare-related reforms.2 The combinat ion of protection and promotion implicit in this selection is also highly relevant from a gender perspective. While childcare services and parental leaves can facilitate women’s engagement in paid employment, pension systems can be designed in ways that translate labor market inequalities into unequal entitlements in old age. They thus represent two sides of the same problem, namely the extent to which the gender division of labor affects women’s and men’s differential access to income and social security. The remainder of the paper is structured as follows. The next section brieï ¬â€šy illustrates the rationale for choosing marketization, maternalism, and male-breadwinner bias as key dimensions for assessing continuity and change. It takes a historical and  regional perspective to show how they became embedded in Latin American systems of social provision. The second half of the paper then provides a detailed analysis of recent reforms in Chilean pension, childcare, and maternity leave policies. The ï ¬ nal section draws out some comparative conclusions about the extent to which the recent reforms have dealt with the key legacies of marketization, maternalism, and male-breadwinner bias. Maternalism, Male-Breadwinner Bias, and Market Reform  Trajectories of welfare state formation and change in Latin America are in many ways different from those of advanced economies in Europe or North America that have formed the basis for theory building. The most important difference is probably the dynamism and radicalism with which development strategies have been recast over the last century (Sheahan 2002, 4). Thus, many countries moved from state-led import-substituting industrialization (ISI) in the post-war period to the rather radical application of neoliberal prescriptions following the recessions and debt crises of the late 1970s and early 1980s. These transitions left distinct legacies in systems of social provision. From the often incomplete formation of welfare institutions in the post-war era, governments in the region turned to retrenchment, deregulation, and privatization. Redistributive and universalist aspirations—however exclusionary or stratifying these had been in practice (Filgueira and Filgueira 2002)—were buried with the shift to market-led development and the region moved closer towards liberal-informal welfare regimes (Barrientos 2004). As the state was scaled back, reforms empowered business interests which became directly involved in education, health, and pension systems.3 Gender roles and norms as well as pervasive gender inequalities across states, markets, and households mediate women’s and men’s exposure to social risks as well as their speciï ¬ c need for social protection and services. Women face particular challenges due to  motherhood and other caring responsibilities that societies largely assign to them (Lewis 1992; O’Connor 1993; Orloff 1993). Yet, these risks and responsibilities have rarely been taken into account in the design of social policies. Thus, Bismarck-style social insurance systems, such as those founded across Latin American countries in the post-war period, had an inherent male-breadwinner bias.4 Women, in turn, tended to access social beneï ¬ ts as wives of a male breadwinner or as mothers whose maternal functions had to be safeguarded and protected (Gimenez 2005). Motherhood became the  ´ very basis on which women staked their claims to citizenship rights and states deployed their efforts to mobilize female constituencies. At the heart of this â€Å"civic maternalism† was the belief that women– and in particular their biological and social function as mothers– had to be recognized, valued, and protected (Molyneux 2000).5 This was, in Nancy Folbre’s words, the â€Å"patriarchal trunk† onto which market reform was grafted, but which â€Å"continues to inï ¬â€šuence the shape of the tree† (Interviewed by Razavi 2011). A large body of literature has documented how struc tural adjustment increased the overall burden on women. Thus, where privatization and trade liberalization triggered a rise in male unemployment, women were pushed into (largely informal) paid employment to make up for lost wages. Meanwhile, retrenchment and commercialization of social services shifted more responsibilities for social provision to the domestic sphere, where the prevailing gender division of labor meant that women spent more time on unpaid reproductive work (BenerÄ ±a and Feldman 1992; Sparr 1994; and Elson 1995). In  ´ social protection systems, the move from risk sharing to individualization exacerbated already existing gender inequalities. By tightening the relationship between contributory patterns and pension beneï ¬ ts, market reforms effectively deepened male-breadwinner bias (Dion 2008). In health, private insurance companies were given plenty of rope for deï ¬ ning premiums based on gender-speciï ¬ c â€Å"risks†, such as pregnancy (Gideon 2006). As a result, the costs of biological and social repr oduction were further individualized and passed on to women. Paradoxically, maternalism remained a strong theme in the neoliberal era, at least at the level of public discourse (Molyneux 2000). In short, market reforms layered new gender inequalities onto the already existing legacies of maternalism and male-breadwinner bias. As a result, conservative elements exist alongside (neo)liberal elements in the contemporary welfare architecture of many Latin American countries. How are these legacies challenged or compounded by the current wave of policy innovations and reform? If the state is indeed assuming greater responsibility for social  provision, does this trend provide a more favorable context for redressing gender inequalities? More particularly, does it reï ¬â€šect a greater recognition and redistribution of the responsibilities for and costs of care and social reproduction? The existing literature suggests that there is far more continuity than change in gendered assumptions even as new social programs are being rolled out: Recent studies have argued, for example, that new social programs have paid scant, if any, attention to the underlying structures of gender inequality in labor markets and households (Razavi 2007); that economic and social policies continue to place the burden of social reproduction on families (read: women); that the particular design of social programs tends to reinforce traditional gender roles without providing long-term strategies for women’s economic security through job training or childcare provision (Molyneux 2007; Tabbush 2009); and that new social policies increase social control and surveillance of mothers’ child-rearing behavior and performance (Luccisano and Wall 2009). Feminist research on CCTs, in particular, has tended to stress the persistence of maternalist orientations (e.g., Molyneux 2007; Bradshaw 2008; Tabbush 2009). This literature has been central for understanding the gendered nature of â€Å"new† social policies in the region and much remains to be learned about the actual diversity of  ´ these programs (MartÄ ±nez Franzoni and Voorend 2009) and their impact on women from different ethnic groups (Hernandez 2011;  ´ Rivera 2011). Analytically, however, the focus on a single scheme is insufï ¬ cient to assess the processes through which women’s productive and reproductive roles, social rights, and obligations are currently being (re)deï ¬ ned. Several Latin American countries are experimenting with other social policies alongside the much-cited CCTs, including the introduction of full-day schooling, the expansion of ECEC services, maternity/parental leave reforms, and the introduction of child-rearing credits in recent pension reforms. In each of these areas, equity-oriented reformers struggle with the legacies of maternalism and male-breadwinner bias, on the one hand, and the (ideological and de-facto) importance of markets, on the other hand. I argue that these struggles shape reform processes and outcomes in ways that are more complex and contradictory than the existing literature on CCTs suggests. The following analysis of Chilean social policy sets out to unravel some of these complexities by looking at the recent reforms in pensions, childcare, and leave regulations. Implicit in this approach is an understanding of the state as a concept that helps to contextualize present political conï ¬â€šicts and policy processes (Hay and Lister 2006). In other words, previously enacted policies, institutional choices, and strategic interactions constitute a â€Å"strategically selective terrain† (Jessop 1990, 203) that structures present political conï ¬â€šict, rendering it more conducive to some  demands than others. While not determining their behavior, the ensemble of institutions and policy frameworks that comprise the state offer opportunities to and impose constraints on, the political agency of those wishing to effect policy change. The three legacies outlined above form part of the institutional landscape of the state. As such, they are shown to play a signiï ¬ cant role in current attempts of reform and policy innovation. While these legacies constitute the main focus of this paper, they are by no means the only factor that shape change and continuity in Chilean social policy. In fact, sector-speciï ¬ c actors, partisan politics, and particular political contingencies come into play to differing degrees. Furthermore, the continuity and deepening of an economic model based on trade openness, macroeconomic stability, monetary, and ï ¬ scal discipline and ï ¬â€šexible employment, forms the backdrop against which more expansive social policies have emerged as a response to persistent inequality. However, the full meaning of recent reforms cannot be understood without taking into account the gender-speciï ¬ c legacies in each sector.  (En)gendering Change and Continuity: Recent reforms in Chile Chile is a particularly intriguing case for analyzing continuity and change in social policy. On the one hand, it is often portrayed as the country where neoliberal principles have most profoundly transformed economic, social, and political institutions (Kurtz 1999; Filgueira and Filgueira 2002). While radical market reforms were carried out under the aegis of a military dictatorship (1973–1989), many of the model’s features were maintained with the return to democracy. Consequently, the country’s policy framework is often represented as particularly resistant to equity-oriented change. On the other hand, Chile combines market liberalism with social conservatism—two features that conventional welfare regime analysis tends to locate in different clusters (the conservative and the liberal variant, respectively). Female labor force participation is among the lowest in the region (ECLAC 2008), the country’s welfare regime has been described as inherently â€Å"gender biased† (Pribble 2006, 86), and conservative social norms  regarding women’s role in the family loom large (Contreras and Plaza 2010).6 Despite this rather unfavorable context, recent reforms suggest that these frameworks are not carved in stone. Since the early 2000 s efforts to expand social protection, to improve access to and quality  of social services and to strengthen social rights have featured prominently on the country’s social agenda, leading some to argue that Chile may be approaching a â€Å"point of inï ¬â€šection† (Illanes and Riesco 2007, 406). The following sections shed light on the complex and contradictory ways in which the triple legacy of maternalism, male-breadwinner bias, and market reform is addressed by recent reforms in pensions (adopted in 2008), childcare services (signiï ¬ cantly expanded since 2006), and maternity leave (reformed in 2011). Before delving more deeply into the developments in each sector, it is necessary to brieï ¬â€šy describe the broader economic and political context since the country’s return to democracy in 1990. Context of Recent Reforms and Policy Innovations The return to democracy did not entail a drastic transformation of the institutional foundations of economic and social policy inherited from the military regime (Moulian 2002; Taylor 2003; Borzutzky 2010). In fact, in macroeconomic terms the center-left party coalition Concertacion that governed the country from 1990  ´ to 2010 validated and deepened the neoliberal model based on trade openness, macroeconomic stability, monetary and ï ¬ scal discipline and ï ¬â€šexible employment. To offset some of its worst effects, social spending increased steadily which, together with economic growth and employment creation, dramatically reduced absolute poverty from 38.6 percent in 1990 to 13.7 percent in 2006 (ECLAC 2008), although it did relatively little to improve income distribution or lessen social inequalities and fragmentation in education, health, and social protection (Solimano 2009). Explanations for this continuity are manifold, including the formidable constraints placed on  the autonomy of the ï ¬ rst Concertacion governments by authoritarian enclaves in the political  ´ system that granted right-wing political opposition important veto powers; the resistance of business interests whose power increased as a result of market reforms; the weakness of other civil society actors, particularly labor; a political culture eager to avoid the kind of political confrontation that preceded the military coup; and the adoption of market-oriented ideas by key decision makers within the centerleft coalition itself (e.g. Kurtz 2003; Castiglioni 2005; Borzutzky and Weeks 2010; Ewig and Kay 2011). The result of this complex and contradictory process has been described as a Chilean â€Å"Third Way† characterized by an â€Å"unwavering commitment to trade liberalization and privatization despite considerable public opposition† and a â€Å"predisposition to a policy process that discourages participation by civil society and rank-and-ï ¬ le party members, while affording business access to the  highest reaches of government† (Sandbrook et al. 2007, 164–65). This set-up makes some policy areas more amenable to equity-enhancing reforms and innovations than others. As the economic model rests upon a ï ¬â€šexible and restrictive labor regime (Frank 2004), social policy is largely conï ¬ ned to enhancing workers’ ability to compete on the market and to mitigating some of the worst risks that unregulated and precarious employment entails. This goes a long way to explain why the two socialist-led governments of Ricardo Lagos (2000–2006) and Michelle Bachelet (2006–2010) spearheaded health reform, pension reform and childcare service expansion in order to enhance equity, while shying away from reforms related to the country’s labor market where many of the fundamental social inequalities originate. While the  Bachelet administration’s employment policy and labor relations have been described as disappointing, (Lopez 2009;  ´ Sehnbruch 2009), it did turn social protection into a key priority. The concept ual pillars of her strategy included a life-course approach to social protection and the attempt to introduce a rights-based perspective (Hardy 2011). The latter materialized in a gradual lifting of budgetary restrictions on social assistance7 and the progressive relaxation of eligibility requirements for accessing a range of beneï ¬ ts. The life-course approach, in turn, is captured in repeatedly stated commitments to create equal opportunities and protect citizens â€Å"from the cradle to old age†. Tellingly, its translation into policy focused on the two extremes of the life course, namely the reform of the pension system and Chile Crece Contigo, an integrated early childhood protection system that included the massive expansion of childcare services. The working-age population remained caught in the middle with persistently low employment quality, including a high level of job instability and the limited reach of employment-based rights and beneï ¬ ts, a scenario that disproportionately affects women workers (Sehnbruch 2009). 8 Thus, the attempt to square greater equity and social inclusion with an open economy inï ¬â€šuenced the scope and locus of policy change during the Bachelet administration. While acquiring greater visibility, social protection remained subordinate to macroeconomic goals, including those related to employment, understood as not interfering with job creation through greater regulation and rights for workers. In this context, it is particularly surprising that a highly controversial employment-related reform was introduced under the new right-wing government of Sebastian Pinera (2010) which, in ËÅ"  ´ 2011, expanded (women) workers’ rights through a reform of maternity leave regulations.