America Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

America Exceptionalism - Essay Example Enthusiasts of the myth of American exceptionalism need a radical change on the conception of the nation and the world around, if any efforts against racism, human right violation, and other ills are to bear fruit. The United States of America has had different descriptions in the past two centuries by some of its prominent leaders, ranging from titles like the indispensable nation, free world leader, and the best last hope of earth, the empire of liberty, and the shining city on a hill. These descriptions constitute the concept of American exceptionalism. This is an ideology that America’s political system, history, and values are unique in the universe (Jacobs). Moreover, enthusiasts of the ideology argue that the US is entitled and destined to play a positive and distinct role in the universe. The concept is an international debate among specialists and experts from all lifestyles, from law to former US government officials. Among them is Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow from Margret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Bromund advocates for the American exceptionalism ideology, mainly basing his arguments on the history of the great nation. On the other end of the debate are individuals like Harold Hongju Koh, a laws specialist and former government official in both Reagan’s and Clinton’s administrations. Koh, argues that the American exceptionalism has two facets, the good, and the bad. This paper focuses on the arguments of Koh and Bromund to assert that the American exceptionalism has both the good side and the bad side. In the article American Exceptionalism and its Enemies, Bromund strongly argues that the US is an exceptional state. Bromund begins his statement by pointing out that America has the oldest and the most capitalistic liberal democracy. He further re-asserts that it was the first nation whose foundation was on the belief of inherent human rights, also the

Managing Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Organizational Change - Essay Example The move was an intentional one to ensure that the organization is able to resurrect itself from a loss of market share, loss of revenues and unwitting loss of employees that may take place in case the organization undergoes an organizational decline. Downsizing in my organization led to employee and personnel reduction only. However, resources are also brought down in some other organizations. The goal is to improve the efficiency of the organization. According to Freeman and Cameron (1993), downsizing affects the way work is accomplished. The overall workforce declines when downsizing takes place and hence less number of individuals is available to do the same amount of work. The same happened in my organization. As a result of downsizing the overall work load on one individual increased. This led to burnout, lower morals and inefficiencies. Thus the change within my organization was directly related to marshalling and channeling of resources. This has also been referred to and exp lained in the IBM change story of Table 1.1. The story depicts how it is important for resources to be channeled appropriately when an organization is undergoing an organizational change. (Alexander, 2003) Reference: Alexander. (2003, Feb). From the President. Retrieved Jan 12, 2009, from Leadership in Action: http://www.ccl.org Week 2: Forum 2 Over the course of last couple of decades internet has changed the paradigms of media. News is no longer restricted and limited to print media. Electronic media has emerged on the forefront and now it is being regularly referred to by many. Its integration on the media front is also coupled with the fact that technology has embedded itself in the society today. Today’s man is more dependent on the web then he was ever before. In a recent study conducted by a firm, it was claimed that over three quarters of American adults make use of the Internet while more than half of them connect to the net through wireless connections either throug h laptops or through their handsets. Over 60% of these broadband connections are consumed at home. This in itself is indicative of the fact of the extent internet and with that how e-media has integrated itself in today’s society. I believe that both news print and online media are important in their own right though in my life I won’t deny the fact that the latter holds more significance. This is because I am always on the go and hence it becomes easy for me to read the news on my handset then piquing it down through newspapers. I very seldom read news on newspapers. Most of the time I find myself logging in on websites like nytimes.com, washingtonpost, bbc.com and cnn.com In the given article, the demise of TDI is illustrative of the growing influence of e-media in our society today. Reference: R.E.Goodin. (1975). How to determine who should get what. Ethics , 310-21. Week 3: Forum 3 Post economic down turn and recession, leadership roles and leadership perception ac ross the board has changed significantly. There are innumerable issues and challenges that confront the leaders of today, each of which is engrossing and highly intimidating. Empowerment of work forces, cultural and ethnic diversity, demands of the labor unions are some but of

Rock in Rio Festival in Brazil

Rock in Rio Festival in Brazil This report will analyse the rock festival called Rock in Rio that has been happening for 32 years in different cities in Brazil, Europe and United States. In 1985, in a waterlogged ground in Rio de Janeiro, 1,4 million people watched for the first time what would be the biggest rock festival of the country until nowadays. During 10 days, 14 artists and 15 national attractions performed in a ritual of peace and love. But wasnt easy to realise that project. Roberto Medina, the creator of this idea, had a really hard time to find someone to invest on it. Medina said that he had been in New York with a project of a huge rock festival in Latin America looking for sponsors. He also told magazines and newspapers that he had stayed in USA 40 days without an answer. After 200 businessmen have denied his ideas, Frank Sinatras manager helped him to get a sponsorship. Furthermore, on the inaugural edition of that great festival, was buÄ ±lt an arena, baptized the Cidade do Rock, or City of Rock. To a generation of Brazilian youths who had come of age under the oppressive shadow of a military dictatorship, this meant more than even its monumental scale, success and historic collection of musical talent would suggest. For them, Rock in Rio was literally the sound of freedom, and you could make a strong case that its this sound that has continued to resonate down the years, legitimizing the original spirit of a franchise that has since spun off multiple sequels well beyond the borders of Brazil. (Rivadavia, 2013) The first festival was a success, one curiosity is when the Australian band AC/DC was inflexible about bringing their own bell that weighed 1,5 tons to be used in their famous song Hells Bells. Unfortunately they couldnt play it and they had to use a bell made of plaster. All because the stage could not stand the weight of the original one. The great fame of the event was due to the fact that, the major international music stars do not usually visit South America, so the local audience there had the first opportunity to see near the international rock idols. (Neto, 2013) Since it started 17 editions already happened. In Rio only 6, meanwhile in Lisbon they made it 7 times, in Madrid 3 and Las Vegas 1. The festival is considered The Best Festival in the World by the specialized website Festival Fling. In 2015, after the last edition in Rio, the city mayor announced that had sign a contract to ensure that the festival is going to happen again in 2017 and 2019. Eduardo Paes, the mayor also said joking that he would be waiting an invitation to the next event. We got the most difficult part. The Rock in Rio Festival provides all the public an unforgettable experience. On the stages we have metal, pop, rock, indie, everything. (Medina, 2017) According to the official Rock in Rio website we should expect for new surprises at the following event. It said that until this moment the confirmed attractions were Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, The Who, Marron 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, Lady Gaga, Ivete Sangalo, Fergie, 5 Seconds of Summer, Justin Timberlake, BLITZ, Alice Caymmi and Davi Moraes. The festival will last two weeks. One of the big attractions is the Rock City, which this year is gonna be at Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro. It means that it will be twice the size of the last one and it also has an easier access to any kind of transportation. Inspired by Africa, the new version of the Rock Street will have two artificial lakes surrounded by bars, toilets and shadow areas to relax and enjoy the breaks between shows. Finally, for those interested on buying tickets, the initial sale of Rock in Rio Card happened in 2016. The entry cost was R$435 (adult) or R$217,50 (student and senior). Tickets will be sold again in 6th April. The age rating is 16 years old or under 16 accompanied by the legal guardian. Kinds of Music on Rock in Rio The graph shows the proportion of all kinds of music that are played on Rock in Rio Festival. As a result we can see that rock is always almost 50% in the last four editions. Additionally the average of those four seems that erudit music is the less common. However, its pretty clear that the festival provides all kind of music for all public, which the graph shows eight different styles. About the brasilian music we can also observe that is a considerable percentage of shows, which attract more attention and promotes their identity. Bibiography Brito, P. (2012). Rock in Rio à © rock sim, senhor. Retrieved from http://data-musica.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/rock-in-rio-e-rock-sim-senhor.html Rivadia, E. (2014). The Sound of Freedom: The History of Rock in RioRetrieved from http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-in-rio/ Retrieved from https://prezi.com/_el9ratfmbbv/rock-in-rio-history/ Brito, P. (2012). Graph A musica no Rock in Rio Retrieved from http://data-musica.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/rock-in-rio-e-rock-sim-senhor.html

Bahrain Essay -- essays papers

Bahrain History of Bahrain Bahrain was once part of the ancient civilization of Dilmun and served as an important link in trade routes between Sumeria and the Indus Valley as much as 5000 years ago. Since the late 18th century Bahrain has been governed by the Al-Khalifa family, which created close ties to Britain by signing the General Treaty of Peace in 1820. A binding treaty of protection, known as the Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship, was concluded in 1861 and further revised in 1892 and 1951. This treaty was similar to those entered into by the British Government with the other Persian Gulp principalities. It specified that the ruler could not dispose of any of his territory except to the United Kingdom and could not enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the United Kingdom without British consent. The British promise to protect Bahrain from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of land attack. After World War II, Bahrain became the center for British administration of treaty obligations in the lower Persian Gulf. In 1968, when the British Government announced its decision (reaffirmed in March 1971) to end the treaty relationships with the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Bahrain joined the other eight states (Qatar and the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms, which are now called the United Arab Emirates) under British protection in an effort to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, however, the nine sheikhdoms still had not agreed on terms of union. Accordingly, Bahrain sought independence as a separate entity and became fully independent on August 15, 1971, as the State of Bahrain. Cultural and Societal To truly understand the society and culture of Bahrain it is necessary to know what it is based on. Society and culture in Bahrain is based on Islamic religious beliefs. These beliefs are not only the moral standards for the country, but they are also the legal standards for all commerce, criminal, civil, and political codes. From a western standpoint this can be very confusing and different to comprehend. To alleviate some confusion the following is a small summary of Islamic beliefs. The following is by no means a complete summary and many beliefs, laws, and other religious criteria has been left out for expediencies sake. Islam One of Islam’s literal meanings is the â€Å"True Religion†. An Islamic fo... ...Force. A male is eligible for the military at the age of 15-49. The availability of military manpower is 220,670. Bahrain spends $276.9 million on military forces annually, which is 4.5% of the GDP. Bibliography: ArabNet, 1-3. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.arab.net/bahrain/bn_financial.html Bahrain, 1. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.countries.com/countries/bahrain Bahrain: The Pearl of the Arabian Gulf. (Dilmun), 1-3. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://members.tripod.com/~thottungal/Bahrain.html CIA -- The World Factbook 1999:Bahrain, 1-8. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ba.html Country Reports on Economic Policy & Trade Practices, 1-7. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: gopher://gopher.umsl.edu/oo/library/govdocs/crpt/crpt0008 Lands and People, 1. Retrieved February 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://infoplease/lycos.com/ce5/CE004132.html Solman Al-khalifa, 1997, State of Bahrain: Central Statistical Organisation Directorate of Statistics, State of Bahrain (publisher).

Ratio Analysis Memo

Ratio Analysis Memo July 9, 2012 Memo To: From: Date: July 9, 2012 RE: Kudler Fine Foods ratio analysis One of the things that we will be going over is some of the ratios for Kudler Fine Foods through Liquidity, Profitability, and solvency ratios. We will look into some of the finding that were found through these ratios and discuss them. One of the things that we found was where Kudler Fine Foods’ position is with these ratios. The first area that we look at is profitability. Profitability Ratios:When looking through the profits of the company through the balance sheets we will look at a couple of areas. The first area that we will look into is the asset turnover of the company. The beginning assets started in at $1,971,000. When you take that by the total assets of $2,675,250 you get the turnover margin which is 4. 04. Net Sales___ = Asset Turnover $10,796,200 = 4. 04 Total Assets $2,675,250 Next area we see is the profit margin. You see through the balance sheet that Kudler Fine foods over the board did pretty good when you look at it from a profit stand point.The way we calculated the profit margin was Net Income over sales and this was the information that we got: Net Income = Profit Margin$668,950__ = . 06 Net Sales $10,796,200 Looking into the return on assets it was interesting to see some of the findings when we calculated. Net Income____________ = Return on Assets $668,950 = . 28 (Beginning + Ending total assets)/2 ($1,971,000 +$2,675,250)/2 Return on Common stockholders’ equity: Net Income = Return on Common stockholders’ equity. $668,950 =. 0 Shareholders’ equity $746,290 Solvency Ratios: Solvency ratios measure the company’s ability to meet long-term obligations. This is a ratio that measures the company’s size after tax income. One of the things that you look at with solvency ratios is debt to total assets. Total liabilities = Debt to total assets $746,290 = . 27 Total Assets $2,675,250 The other area that is measured in Solvency ratios is Time interest earned: Earnings before interest & Taxes = Time Interest earned $10,796,200 = $1,376. 8 Interest Expense $7,845 Liquidity Ratios: A company is labeled by how easily it can meet its short term obligations. Something that I think is happening pretty well at Kudler. When you look at the different ratios of the Liquidity you see some good numbers. Let us dive into these ratios so you can see what I am talking about. Current Ratio: Current Assets = Current Ratio$1,971,000 = $16. 94 Current Liabilities $116,290 Receivables Turnover: Sales Revenue = Receivable Turnover $10,804,000 = $12. 60Average Acct Receivable $86,000 Inventory Turnover: Cost of goods sold = Inventory Turnover$8,974,831 = $10 Average Inventory($467,890 + $429,090)/2 Acid Test: Liquid Assets = Acid Test$1,971,000 = $16. 94 Current Liabilities$116,290 When you look at the overall ratios of Kudler Fine Foods you see that things are going in the right direction. Looking at th e profitability margins you see increases in a short amount. Anything with an increase is good news. I would say that Kudler Fine Foods is in good condition and is steadily improving.

Allah — the Almighty, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent

Allah — the Almighty, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent This earth whereupon we live and breathe, the sky wherein we look at the numerous stars of small and large sizes twinkling, the sun that blazes and gives us light and energy, the moon that emits soothing lights and allures us and above all numerous other beings that we see around us; the twittering of birds, the cattle grazing in the vast pastures, the air which is utmost essential for our survival, the mountains whereupon we go for recreation and touring purposes, the eruption of volcanoes, the gliding waves of rivers, the bulging , frothing and roaring water of the oceans, the pointed cliffs and high and low ridges of the mountains, the calm and quiet vales and dales, the vast unlimited dry sandy tracts of the deserts blooming wherein flowers in the thorny bushes; all these things to whom we can see with our eyes and that are beyond our sight tell us that there is a Almighty being who has created all these things and running all the matters of this universe and all other universes to whom we have not been able to get to by now despite so much advancement of the present day society, make us know that it is He the Almighty Allah who is administering all beings — material or immaterial — alluring or non-alluring —fanciful or otherwise — being or non-being — all the bounties essential to the human beings with much ease and comfort and whatever qualms and colours, hue and queue occurs in this world is of the Commandments of His supreme Being — who is One and Alone and none else is like Him and to whom all purities and praises belong to Him. The more we, as being human beings, think of him come to know that it is He — the Allah Alone and Almighty, who has made this earth and its beings and other universes that are off of our vision and sight. The coming of seasons and its turning into the summer into fall, fall into the spring, spring into winter and winter into rainy season — and all the bliss and bounties th at take place out of this change and whose benefit we get in the form of corns, fruits and cereals and what not and it is He who has accorded us the title of Ashraful Makhlooqaat, the superior being among all other beings of the universe. The whole universe that is in our sight and beyond is subservient and subordinate to His Command and Will who is the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious and the Most Powerful than all other beings. His blessing and bounties are in abundance. He has given us tongue to speak of, eyes to see to, ear to listen to, and legs to move and walk from one place to another place and above all the brain to ponder over, to utilize according to our own contemplation so that we could ponder over His Being who is One and none else is like Him and all other things and beings that He has created for our use and utilization. If anything among His bounties we get loss we cannot regain that if He doesn’t intend so but if He wills we can have; time and tide does not affect on it. It is the common perception, such as, a patient who cannot see, since the doctor has operated upon his eye successfully so he has gained his vision but it is not so rather it is Allah who gave the wisdom to a doctor that he became able to operate upon successfully and hence the patient regained his vision and not the doctor who operated upon but the Allah who willed so and therefore the cure took place. If Allah didn’t will so there was none on the earth to recover his eyesight. In the like manner, whatever changes and vicissitudes and ups and downs take place anywhere in this world all that happen owing to His Commandments and Wills and not due to any other being whatever powerful that might be. He is so merciful and gracious that he demands us nothing except that we, the human beings, obey his Commandments and Orders as he desires of us so that he could shower his blessings and benedictions that he has created for those who obey him without nay and oblige him with much sincerity and uprightness and who serve his other beings according to his commandments and guidance as he has laid down in the Holy Quran and as to which the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) has preached and practiced and has asked us the human beings to act upon. We, being true Muslim, must adhere to His All Commandments by the core of our hearts so that He may forgive us; bestow on us His numerous bounties in this world and the world hereafter.

Lustreware - Medieval Islamic Pottery Technique

Lustreware - Medieval Islamic Pottery Technique Lustreware (less commonly spelled lusterware) is a ceramic decorative technique invented by 9th century C.E. Abbasid potters of the Islamic Civilization, in what is today Iraq. The potters believed that making lustreware was true  alchemy  because the process involves using a lead-based glaze and silver and copper paint to create a golden shine on a pot that contains no gold. Chronology of Lustreware Abbasid 8th c -1000 Basra, IraqFatimid 1000-1170 Fustat, EgyptTell Minis 1170-1258 Raqqa, SyriaKashan 1170-present Kashan, IranSpanish (?)1170-present Malaga, SpainDamascus 1258-1401 Damascus, Syria Lustreware and the Tang Dynasty Lustreware grew out of an existing ceramic technology in Iraq, but its earliest form was clearly influenced by Tang dynasty potters from China, whose art was first seen by those of Islam through trade and diplomacy along the vast trade network called the Silk Road. As a result of ongoing battles for control of the Silk Road connecting China and the West, a group of Tang dynasty potters and other craftsmen were captured and held in Baghdad between 751 and 762 C.E. One of the captives was the Tang Dynasty Chinese craftsman Tou-Houan. Tou was among those artisans captured from their workshops near Samarkand by members of the Islamic Abbasid Dynasty after the Battle of Talas in 751 C.E. These men were brought to Baghdad where they stayed and worked for their Islamic captors for some years. When he returned to China, Tou wrote to the emperor that he and his colleagues taught the Abbasid craftsmen the important techniques of paper-making, textile manufacture, and gold-working. He didnt mention ceramics to the emperor, but scholars believe they also passed along how to make white glazes and the fine ceramic pottery called Samarra ware. They also likely passed along the secrets of silk-making, but thats another story entirely. What We Know of Lustreware The technique called lustreware developed over the centuries by a small group of potters who traveled within the Islamic state until the 12th century, when three separate groups began their own potteries. One member of the Abu Tahir family of potters was Abul Qasim bin Ali bin Muhammed bin Abu Tahir. In the 14th century, Abul Qasim was a court historian to the Mongol kings, where he wrote a number of treatises on various subjects. His best-known work is The Virtues of Jewels and the Delicacies of Perfume, which included a chapter on ceramics, and, most importantly, describes part of the recipe for lustreware. Abul Qasim wrote that the successful process involved painting copper and silver onto glazed vessels  and then refiring to produce the lustrous shine. The chemistry behind that alchemy was identified by a group of archaeologists and chemists, led by who reported Spains Universitat Polità ¨cnica de Catalunya researcher Trinitat Pradell, and discussed in detail in the Origins of Lustreware photo essay. The Science of Lusterware Alchemy Pradell and colleagues examined the chemical content of glazes and the resulting colored lusters of pots from the 9th through 12th centuries. Guiterrez et al. found that the golden metallic shine only occurs when there are dense nanoparticulated layers of glazes, several hundred nanometers thick, which enhance and broaden the reflectivity, shifting the color of the reflected light from blue to green-yellow (called a redshift). These shifts are only achieved with a high lead content, which potters deliberately increased over time from Abbasid (9th-10th centuries) to Fatimid (11th-12th centuries C.E.) luster productions. The addition of lead reduces the diffusivity of copper and silver in the glazes and helps the development of thinner luster layers with a high volume of nanoparticles. These studies show that although the Islamic potters may not have known about nanoparticles, they had tight control of their processes, refining their ancient alchemy by tweaking the recipe and production steps to achieve the best high reflecting golden shine. Sources Caiger-Smith A. 1985. Lustre Pottery: Technique, tradition, and innovation in Islam and the Western World. London: Faber and Faber. Caroscio M. 2010. Archaeological Data and Written Sources: Lustreware Production in Renaissance Italy, a Case Study. European Journal of Archaeology 13(2):217-244. Gutierrez PC, Pradell T, Molera J, Smith AD, Climent-Font A, and Tite MS. 2010. Color and Golden Shine of Silver Islamic Luster. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 93(8):2320-2328. Pradell, T. Temperature resolved reproduction of medieval luster. Applied Physics A, J. MoleraE. Pantos, et al., Volume 90, Issue 1, January 2008. Pradell T, Pavlov RS, Gutierrez PC, Climent-Font A, and Molera J. 2012. Composition, nanostructure, and optical properties of silver and silver-copper lusters. Journal of Applied Physics 112(5):054307-054310.

Jackson Revised Essay

Jackson Revised Essay Jackson Revised Essay Marisa Shoulla Andrew Jackson the seventh president of the United States was seen as the Common Man’s President to some and to others he was seen as King Andrew I. Many of Jackson’s actions lead to him receiving both nicknames. Some of Jackson’s actions that caused him to receive this nickname, include the use of spoils system which gave his friends and family government jobs. Also the situation with South Carolina and the Indian Removal Act where Jackson misused his powers and acted out irrationally. Then the incident with the National Bank, which Jackson’s actions during his presidency later caused the national bank to become bankrupt. Jackson was thought to be ill tempered while others believed he was merely being confident. Based on Jackson’s presidential actions he rightfully earned the nickname of King Andrew I, and that King Andrew I was the true side of Jackson. However the argument on how Jackson was seen as the Common Man’s president can be argued because he removed Native Americans off land that was suitable for our farming, which made the U.S more money. Some thought of Jackson as the Common Man’s President and there are many instances where his actions, can be seen as Jackson trying to make the best decisions for the common man. For example the incident with the national bank, Jackson refused the charter justifying it by saying he was protecting the people. It can be argued that Jackson’s intentions were always trying to do what was best for the people, he just did it in an unconditional way. Also when Jackson relocated the Native Americans, he opened more land up that Americans could now use to farm and make more money for the industry. Jackson himself was not like other presidents, he was not opulent, as well schooled and he was not from the east like the previous six presidents before him. Jackson had his own way of achieving what he wanted done, which was threatening and making irrational moves. His actions can be argued for being the Common Man’s President as well as King Andrew I. Andrew Jackson was able to become president because of the new requirements on voting. At that time fewer states had property qualifications to vote. This lead to the a major increase of voters and since Jackson was self brought up he appealed to the common man. Since Jackson was known as the Common Man’s President many of the new first time voters who were just common men voted for Jackson. Jackson was smart and used this to his advantage, once in office Jackson used the spoils system and to give jobs to his friends and family, without them having any qualifications. Jackson’s mentality behind this was if he treated his friends and family well, by giving them high ranked jobs that paid well, they would agree with the decisions he made, because they didn’t know any better. When Jackson had these people supporting him, he had the power to do anything he wanted, as a king would. Actions such as the situation with South Carolina, the Indian Removal Act and the incident with the National Bank happened because Jackson had his supporters in office backing up every decision he made. Before Andrew Jackson entered office, congress passed the Tariff of 1828, which put a heavy tax on imported goods, the tariff of 1828’s goal was to try and boost American manufacturing. The north benefitted from the tariff while the south thought of it as the Tariff of Abomination. After another tariff was passed, South Carolina threatened to secede from the union. When Jackson heard the news he issued a proclamation against South Carolina, threatening to send 50,000 troops to invade, this was called the Force Bill. No president should threaten one of its own states. Reaching the point where he sent our own military into South Carolina, to get revenge on them.. This reaction imitates the response a King would have, not a president. This was one of the many instances that the nickname King

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways The US airline industry trends have caused airline companies, including Jet Blue to struggle for survival. Retirement has caused a shortage of pilots and instructors. Flying schools experience less instructors and hours needed to train new pilots. In 2008, crude oil prices increased to a record $140 per barrel (Thompson, Strickland, federal employees were tasked to handle all airport security. Increased screening for baggage and passengers, size limits on fluids and x-ray inspections. With the additional security measures, came financial burdens to the airline industry. Jet Blue’s strategic intent When Jet Blue’s was founded, David Nelleman wanted air travel to compassionate and fun. The strategic intent was to offer customers a low discount airline carrier with the comforts of home. As the first airline to offer electronic ticketing, Jet Blue wanted to delay its flights instead of canceling them. Agents were allowed to work from home and customers enjoyed gourmet sna cks, coffees, in-seat televisions with satellite radio and movie channels. Jet Blue began to look into increasing the shareholder and customer values with the expansion of New York’s JFK Airport with 8 am and 9 am flights. This was hopeful to Jet Blue executives; they wanted to appeal to younger customers, affluent New Yorkers, and those traveling to New York City. Opening up this new terminal has saved $50 million in labor, fuel, and vouchers. Now, the company serves more than 53 destinations (Thompson et al., 2010). JetBlue’s financial objectives & success in achieving Although Jet Blue’s stock dropped by 50% in the five years, revenues grew 185% between 2003 and 2007, their operating expenses grew 222% during the same period. The loss in revenue was blamed on the cost of fuel (532% increase) and interest expense (658% increase). Jet Blue decided to take a conservative financial strategy in which they maintained high liquid ratios relative to the other major a irlines (Thompson et al., 2010). Jet Blue was millions behind the competitor but developed new equity capital and credit, which was needed to keep the company, and allow them to maintain strong liquidity. Assessment of competitive advantage Cost. JetBlue operates at a lower cost than its competitors. According to Thompson, Strickland & Gamble (2010), JetBlue’s total operating expenses were 12.17 per revenue passenger mile in 2008 versus $18.18 for American Airline, $18.18 for Continental, $20.95 for Delta, $13.85 for Southwest, $19.13 for United, and $21.45 for US Airways. Its planes, such as, the Airbus A320, tended to be newer than those of its competitors resulting in lower maintenance costs and no maintenance-related fines. The company increased flying time by minimizing turnaround time. Reservation agents worked at home resulting in cost savings as compared to a traditional call center. These measures paid off creating a major competitive advantages in the form of low op erating costs that other airlines did not achieve. Organizational culture. JetBlue’s organizational structure was created based on five steps. First, the company’s values were determined. Then, hiring managers selected employees who mirrored the company’s values. Next, the company ensured that the company exceeded employee expectations and to listen to customers. And, finally, the company created a plan to drive excellence. The values established by JetBlue were safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion. As an example, George Forman grills were set up at the JFK terminal to allow employees to have fun. By only hiring employees that mirrored those values, the company could encourage hiring managers to be creative during the hiring process and to weed out those that would not be a fit. By making these steps an active part of getting work done, JetBlue developed a strong organizational culture.

The American City Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The American City Business - Assignment Example Among the states, each has a unique legal system implemented except Louisiana that is based on English Common Law. The American population is approximately 307 million people. The population comprises of major ethnic groups coming all over the world (Chicago Business Journal 98). The foreign policy implemented in the United States in ways the country interacts with other foreign nations. Standard of interaction is set in organizations, corporations, and citizens as an individual. The United States has set goals regarding foreign policy. Such is stated in the Agenda on the Foreign policy of the US Department of State. The goals ascertain building a sustainable democracy. The prosperous life to benefit the people of America, as well as the international community. From the Foreign affairs House committee, export controls are some of the jurisdictions. Such mention the proper use of nuclear technology and measures are taken to safeguard business associated with America abroad. Agreement s on international commodity, education, and protection offered to American citizens abroad are stated on the policy. Moreover, the foreign policy faced lots of criticism both domestically and abroad as well praise in other regions. The said policy gets consent and advice of US Senate. The president has a role to negotiate treaties regarding foreign nations. Treaties are implemented upon ratification from two-thirds of the Senate. The president is the commander in chief of the United States Armed forces. He/she have authority over armed forces. However, the Congress only has the power to declare war. The foreign affairs docket is headed by United States Secretary as foreign minister. He /She has a role in conducting diplomacy. The president appoints both Secretary of the state as well as Ambassadors upon advice and consent from the Senate. Moreover, the Congress has the authority of regulating commerce with foreign countries (Chicago Business Journal 98).

Effective Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effective Project Management - Essay Example Effective projects are based on time management which ensures that certain activities are undertaken and can be altered to reduce the overload on critical resources. This approach is called resource leveling and, whilst it enables resources to be used more effectively, it may result in the project taking longer to complete if it is necessary to reschedule activities that are on the critical path. Ford and General Motors follow this approach in production and operational management in order to ensure high level of productivity. Resource leveling directs to schedule flows through batch working and demand dependent oriented systems in order to maximize the output. This approach emphasizes the desirability of ensuring a steady flow through the system like balanced flow, rather than seeking to keep all resources busy. Samsung follows time -boxed scheduling method (Spinner, 1998). The advantage of this approach is that its production activities are rescheduled to take account of float with in non-critical activities, the overall completion date would not be affected. Thus, Samsung's executives admit that this technique is salubrious because it requires project workers to understand thoroughly the steps that needed to be taken to implement their projects. Shiseido, the forth world leader in cosmetics industry, uses critical chain scheduling in order to produce their deliverables faster than ever. The advantage of the approaches mentioned above is that they allow the companies to meet customer expectations and ensure on time delivery. While users insist that a deliverable be produced in an impossibly short time frame, they are reluctant to drop any desired features in order to make the time frame realistic (Bateman and Snell 2004). Money Many companies with excellent products have gone out of business simply because they ran out of cash and financial resources. Cash shortages can result if accounts receivable are not collected promptly, if a key customer disappears, if money is tied up in equipment, or if financial reserves are limited. Similarly, a company will not stay in business long unless it achieves profits. There are countless ways for companies to fail to achieve their profit objectives. For instance, Shiseido, running in-house projects, does not estimate the cost of its internal staff working on the project, but does estimate the cost of contractors and suppliers. The problem is that the company does not have systems in place to allow it to accurately track and record the time people spend on individual projects. Samsung calculates the actual cost per unit of time. This approach allows company to ensure normal modes of working and availability. Ford calculates the efficiency levels for each resource. It pay s a special attention to capital and revenue expenditure budgets (Fleetham, 1989).. Plans reduced to specific figures show where money is going or where physical input and output have taken place. General Motors widely uses MRP II which generates a forecast of demand and a manufacturing plan is developed to meet those demands. This plan drives the issue of works orders (www.gm.com). Effective projects need effective management of financial resources to make plans effective, within the budget limits. The budgets are also used as checks on the actual results of a business (Burkun 2005).

Industry Assignment #2 Volkswagen AG Group Essay

Industry Assignment #2 Volkswagen AG Group - Essay Example Volkswagen with it's headquarter in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest car producer in Europe. It operates 44 manufacturing facilities in 12 countries in Europe and in a further six countries in America, Asia and Africa. While the Company operates in two divisions, Automotive and Financial Services, our research is focused on its car manufacturing division. Volkswagen AG ('Company') is engaged in the manufacture and sale of automobiles worldwide. The Company's brands cut across different vehicle classes, from the top luxury class occupied by the Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini models, down to the bottom class where Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen are positioned. But the Volkswagen and Audi brands in particular cut right across the vertical class range. Each brand has maintained its own individual character and operates independently in the market. Its diverse range of brands gives the Company a critical competitive advantage. While it is difficult to track consumer habits in a rapidly evolving automobile market, price competitiveness will certainly remain a critical success factor. The mass-market consumers are likely to make product selections based on the price competitiveness, fuel efficiency and liberal credit availability. Valued-added features, more lucrative sales incentives to dealers, extended warranty coverage will emerge as some of the means to retain and increase market share in this extremely price sensitive market segment. Strategies of Volkswagen For many decades, Volkswagen was a classical single product mass manufacturer of Beetle brand; thus achieving a high level of inflexible and dedicated automation. In the late nineties, while the Company continued to focus on scale economies it changed its strategy from being a single product manufacture to a modern volume manufacturer offering a range of vehicles for different section of the market. A multi-brand strategy gives a clear market positioning. Volkswagen keeps adjusting its structure and strategies to cope up with the dynamics of car manufacturing industry. As per the Porter's 5 force model, the profit potential of an industry depends on the combined strength of the following five basic competitive forces: 1. Rivalry among existing firms 2. Threat to new entrants 3. Pressure from substitute products 4. Bargaining power of buyers 5. Bargaining powers of sellers According to Michael Porter, any company in any industry can achieve a competitive advantage through cost leadership, product differentiation and market segmentation. Volkswagen is a good example of proving Porter's theory. The Company has followed the strategy of product differentiation and market segmentation to achieve the competitive advantage. The following section highlights the strategies followed by Volkswagen to achieve its competitive advantage in the dynamic car manufacturing industry. Multi-Brand Strategy Volkswagen's brands cut across different vehicle classes, from the top luxury class occupied by the Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini models, down to the bottom class where Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen are positioned. However, each brand has maintained its own individual character and operates independently in the market. This multi-brand strategy enables the Company to generate economies of scale and to fill up price gaps and quality gaps

The Group Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Group Project - Essay Example polycentric strategy and the geocentric strategy (Tiwari 2013); the ethnocentric strategy entails applying the parent company’s HR practices in the host countries while the polycentric strategy involves recruiting local staff and adopting the host nation’s HR practices (Reiche 2006). Contrariwise, the geocentric strategy entails simply paying attention on the skills of the employees and adopting the best HR practices that serve the MNCs purposes, regardless of their nationality. Given that all these HR selection and recruitment strategies have their unique pros and cons, MNCs often make a choice, on which one to use based on numerous considerations (Banai & Sama 2000); these include the nature of businesses they engage in, their organizational strategy, and leadership structure, in addition to their previous experiences. The company that applies the polycentric strategy in the selection and promotion of its international human resources usually goes by the assumption that every country is unique from all the others and its foreign subsidiaries must adapt practices that are locally appropriate to every market through the direction and supervision of local managers. The Atlanta-based soft drink giant Coca Cola has managed to build both a global organization and a multi-local enterprise whose internationalization strategy entails adapting to local needs, laws and cultures through polycentric policies. The company has a global presence in more than 200 countrie s and in all its global subsidiaries, the company strives to employ as many local nationals as possible because it considers the HCNs to be more suitable to the home markets (Anfuso 1994). Traditionally, the polycentric approach to the selection and promotion of employees in the management of international subsidiaries entails low costs of recruitment and training (Tiwari 2013). Similarly, the polycentric approach is mired with lesser adjustment and communication challenges, primarily because all the

About the Investment Options Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

About the Investment Options - Research Paper Example Mutual Fund is a professionally managed pool of assets. Assets are collected from many investors. It is then invested in equities, bonds, money market instruments and other investment options. Mutual funds are open-ended or closed-ended investment options. The option to pull back the investment amount anytime is available with the investors. The number of units to be allotted for any individuals depends upon the amount of investment and the prevailing NAV of the company in the market. Suppose,  £500 is invested and the present NAV of the company is  £5. The number of allotted units to the investor will be (500/5  £) 100. The investor has to pay a nominal fee for their investments. Mutual funds are professionally managed, so the chances of losing money are also minimal than investing directly in shares. The diversified nature of mutual funds also keeps the risk level within the nominal range. Due to diversification, less return from one company or sector gets easily nullified by the higher return by other company/sector. Gold is possibly the most invested metals around the world. It is also the universally accepted medium of exchange. In accounting prospect, the depreciation value of gold is almost zero. Gold is also believed to be worked as an inflation hedge. In most of the times, gold has a negative correlation with the performance of the share market. This is why people prefer gold as their investment option when the equity market is underperforming. Fixed term bonds are the means of getting a fixed interest amount after a specific period of time. Fixed term bonds have the maturities ranging from 6 months to 5 years. It may vary depending upon the need of the corporate and also upon the market condition. These bonds are issued by corporate bodies. There lays a default risk embedded with this kind of bonds.  Ã‚  

World War I and the Economic Impact on the United States Essay

World War I and the Economic Impact on the United States - Essay Example Even though the United States was actively involved in the war for only 19 months, the economic effects of World War I started as the war broke out in Europe and extended way into the 1920s and 1930s long after the war had ended in 1918. The economic impact of World War I on the economy of United States is twofold: Economic impact during the war and impact after the war. The economic impact during the war and immediately after the war, which was short term, was a positive one which helped the American economy to recover from recession. The economic impact after the war, which was long term, was a negative one which forced the American economy into depression (The Great Depression). During The War Prior to the war, United States was in a recession. The economic situation changed dramatically during the war as United States saw the economy boom during this period. The demand for war goods increased rapidly across Europe and the United States benefited greatly from this increase in dema nd as Europeans started purchasing war goods from the United States1. The Manufacturing industry benefitted heavily from the rise in demand from Europe. All kinds of goods were now exported to Europe from America bringing in huge profits. American industries expanded rapidly during the period. Unemployment declined greatly during the war as 3 million people were recruited by the military and half a million jobs were created in the government2. This created employment opportunities for women and immigrants of African origin who were not a major part of the workforce prior to the war. Manufacturing and other industry related jobs were created and were now filled by the previously unemployed. Unemployment rate fell from 7.9% to 1.4% during the war3. Another major impact of World War I on United States was the graduation from a net debtor to net creditor. Prior to the war United States was a debtor country but by the time war had ended it had become a net creditor. In 1914 foreign inves tment is the United States was way greater than the amount invested abroad by the United States. But the equation had changed dramatically during the war and by the end of it United States had emerged as a creditor country. New York had replaced London as the world capital market and Federal Reserve had emerged as the world’s most important financial institution downplaying the bank of England4. This change made great impact on the American economy and contributed to development of America as a global economic superpower in the second half of the 20th century. Post World War Post world war production in industries slowed down and the demand for labor also reduced drastically. Adding to the already poor unemployment condition was the return of soldiers from the war. There weren’t enough jobs for all. Due to decrease in demand the prices of many farm products fell by nearly 50% and this lead to many farmers going bankrupt. Demand for many industry products had reduced an d this meant the overall production went down. Apart from decline in jobs, this also reduced the cash flow into the country. The European demand for American products after the war was not the same as it was during the war. Industry that thrived during the war was the industries that produced weapons and other war goods. All of a sudden there was no demand for the war industry goods. One of the other negative effects of World War I on United States was inflation. The cost of living by the end of the war rose to 100% above the level before the war5. The seeds of the Great Depression were planted by the rising unemployment and bleak economic situation after World War I. Impact on the Ideas about Economics Apart from

About the Investment Options Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

About the Investment Options - Research Paper Example Mutual Fund is a professionally managed pool of assets. Assets are collected from many investors. It is then invested in equities, bonds, money market instruments and other investment options. Mutual funds are open-ended or closed-ended investment options. The option to pull back the investment amount anytime is available with the investors. The number of units to be allotted for any individuals depends upon the amount of investment and the prevailing NAV of the company in the market. Suppose,  £500 is invested and the present NAV of the company is  £5. The number of allotted units to the investor will be (500/5  £) 100. The investor has to pay a nominal fee for their investments. Mutual funds are professionally managed, so the chances of losing money are also minimal than investing directly in shares. The diversified nature of mutual funds also keeps the risk level within the nominal range. Due to diversification, less return from one company or sector gets easily nullified by the higher return by other company/sector. Gold is possibly the most invested metals around the world. It is also the universally accepted medium of exchange. In accounting prospect, the depreciation value of gold is almost zero. Gold is also believed to be worked as an inflation hedge. In most of the times, gold has a negative correlation with the performance of the share market. This is why people prefer gold as their investment option when the equity market is underperforming. Fixed term bonds are the means of getting a fixed interest amount after a specific period of time. Fixed term bonds have the maturities ranging from 6 months to 5 years. It may vary depending upon the need of the corporate and also upon the market condition. These bonds are issued by corporate bodies. There lays a default risk embedded with this kind of bonds.  Ã‚  

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical and mental birth defects that can result when a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does her baby. Alcohol passes through the placenta right into the developing baby. The baby may suffer lifelong damage as a result. FAS is characterized by brain damage, facial deformities, and growth deficits. Heart, liver, and kidney defects also are common, as well as vision and hearing problems. Individuals with FAS have difficulties with learning, attention, memory, and problem solving. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis. FASD covers other terms such as: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) the only diagnosis given by doctors. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) reserved for individuals with functional or cognitive impairments linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including decreased head size at birth, structural brain abnormalities, and a pattern of behavioral and mental abnormalities Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) describes the physical defects linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including heart, skeletal, kidney, ear, and eye malformations Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) a term that has been popularly used to describe alcohol-exposed individuals whose condition does not meet the full criteria for an FAS diagnosis What are the Statistics and Facts about FAS and FASD? FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects. FASD affects 1 in 100 live births or as many as 40,000 infants each year. An individual with fetal alcohol syndrome can incur a lifetime health cost of over $800,000. In 2003, fetal alcohol syndrome cost the United States $5. 4 billiondirect costs were $3. 9 billion, while indirect costs added another $1. 5 billion. Children do not outgrow FASD. The physical and behavioral problems can last for a lifetime. FAS and FASD are found in all racial and socio-economic groups. FAS and FASD are not genetic disorders. Women with FAS or affected by FASD have healthy babies if they do not drink alcohol during their pregnancy. Can I drink alcohol when I am pregnant? No. Do not drink alcohol when you are pregnant. When you drink alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does your baby. Alcohol is a substance known to be harmful to human development. When it reaches the blood supply of the baby, it can cause permanent defects to the major organs and central nervous system. Is there any kind of alcohol that is safe to drink during pregnancy? No. Drinking any kind of alcohol can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks can include beer, wine, liquor, wine coolers, or mixed drinks. What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? If you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. Anytime a pregnant woman stops drinking, she decreases the risk of harm to the baby. If you are trying to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. What if I drank during my last pregnancy and my baby was fine? Every pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. You could have one child that is born healthy and another child that is born with problems. What if a friend, partner, spouse or family member is drinking while pregnant? Many women are unaware of the consequences of drinking during pregnancy. Some women believe wine or beer is not alcohol. In many cases, she may be suffering from alcoholism. She may need to know what effects alcohol can have on the baby. She also may need help getting into treatment. In such cases, you should contact a treatment professional at a local addiction center for advice on how to help. http://www. nofas. org/faqs. aspx? id=5 Copyright 2001-2004 National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome An individuals place, and success, in society is almost entirely determined by neurological functioning. A neurologically injured child is unable to meet the expectations of parents, family, peers, school, career and can endure a lifetime of failures. The largest cause of neurological damage in children is prenatal exposure to alcohol. These children grow up to become adults. Often the neurological damage goes undiagnosed, but not unpunished. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND), Static Encephalopathy (alcohol exposed) (SE) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) are all names for a spectrum of disorders caused when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. There are strategies that can work to help the child with an FASD compensate for some difficulties. Early and intensive intervention and tutoring can do wonders, but the need for a supportive structure is permanent. Studies on addiction in Ontario have shown about a 10 12% alcohol addiction rate among adults, with another 20% drinking to a level that places them at high risk. Legally intoxicated is defined as a Blood Alcohol Level of . 08%. A 100 lb (45 kg) female consuming 5 standard drinks (A drink equals a 12 oz. regular beer, 1 oz. shot of 100 proof liquor, 1. 5 oz. shot of 80 proof liquor, or 4 oz. glass of regular table wine) will reach a BAL of . 25% three times the legal limit. BAL reduces . 01% per hour. The Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01 found that: 6. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 19. 8% of girls age 12 to 19 26. 0% ages 20 to 24 19. 9% ages 20 to 34 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 12 or more times per year. An additional: 32. 2% ages 15 to 34 13. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 1 to 11 times per year. Copyright  © 2005 Journals and Procedural Research Branch Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Most girls are 2 to 3 months pregnant before they find out. Given the prime childbearing age range, the odds are very high that about 20% of babies have been exposed to multiple binges in high levels of alcohol in the first trimester, before the girl even knew she was pregnant. It is Party Hearty Time. The vast majority of these girls are NOT alcoholics. About 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. If you are drinking, stay out of the backseat as well as the drivers seat! Maternal prenatal alcohol consumption even at low levels is adversely related to child behavior. The effect was observed at average exposure levels as low as 1 drink per week. The Canadian Centre for Childrens Research at McMaster University Hospitals (Hamilton Ontario) states that 20% of Canadian children have serious mental health issues. Typical of school boards in Canada, a major southwestern Ontario School Board (urban / rural mix) with 28,000 Elementary and Secondary School students, has 6,000 students receiving services from the Special Education Department. Of the 6,000, only 250 are classified as Gifted with the balance having significant disabilities (20. 6%). While not all the individuals with disabilities are identified as the disabilities having been caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, the vast majority of the disabilities are of types known to be caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is so grossly under-reported that the FAS statistics are almost meaningless. There are very few doctors who have received any training in diagnosing FASD and most prefer to use non-judgmental diagnoses such as ADD, ADHD, LD, MR, RAD, ODD, Bi-Polar, Tourettes, etc.. These diagnoses dont imply the mother has done something that could have affected her baby during pregnancy. However, they can also lead to inappropriate treatment and a lifetime of pain. Failure to identify the real source can lead to more children being born with the same issues to the same mothers and the cycle continuing into the next generation FASD children having FASD babies. Alcohol, hormones, a twitch in the kilt, poor impulse control and inability to predict consequences are a deadly combination. Accidents cause people. FASD is not a threshold condition. It is a continuum ranging from mild intellectual and behavioural issues to the extreme that often leads to profound disabilities or premature death. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Alcohol as a Teratogen on the Baby ? http://www. acbr. com/fas/. Problem: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care. Some babies with alcohol-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight, and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Researchers do not all agree on the precise distinctions between FAS and FAE cases. Cause of the Problem: Alcohol in a pregnant womans bloodstream circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. There, the alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Possible FAS Symptoms: Growth deficiencies: small body size and weight, slower than normal development and failure to catch up. The fact sheets below were developed by many different authors. In some cases, the fact sheets were placed on the web by a different organization than the one that wrote the document. However, all of the fact sheets are in the public domain to encourage wide distribution. You are free to copy and use these fact sheets. The following list of abbreviations was used to indicate the source of the document in the links provided on this page. Many of the sites listed contain additional information beyond the fact sheets that are listed on this page. We encourage you to explore each site. http://www. well. com/user/woa/fsfas. htm RSmith:02-15-94 MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse 1706 East Elm; P. O. Box 687 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 The following Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy: FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Symptoms include small head/body, facial characteristics, brain damage FAE: Fetal Alcohol Effects Symptoms usually not visible, such as behavior disorders, attention deficits ARBD: Alcohol Related Birth Defects. Anomalies such as heart defects, sight/hearing problems, joint anomalies, etc. ARND: Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Disorders such as attention deficits, behavior disorders, obsessive/compulsive disorder, etc. FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders All of the disorders named above are contained in the spectrum. Full FAS comprises only about 10% of the spectrum. The other 90% may have fewer physical symptoms but are at greater risk for developing serious secondary conditions later. (Streissguth, 1997) FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in western civilization. But Most persons with FAS have an IQ in the normal range. (Streissguth, 1997). The incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in America is 1. 9 cases per 1,000 births (1/500). Incidence of babies with disabilities resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure: 1/100! FAS/FAE is a major health issue in western civilization today. More American babies are born with FAS than with Down Syndrome, MD, and HIV combined. Alcohol causes more neurological damage to the developing baby than any other substance. Lecture Summary Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive but rather to give a broad overview of current knowledge in the area, and of ongoing human and animal research in the area. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome and both changes in brain structure and behavior have been reported in these children. Importantly, current data indicate that individuals exposed to heavy doses of alcohol in utero, but without the facial characteristics of FAS, can also suffer from similar brain and behavioral changes. Animal models have proven to be an excellent research tool in this field, as there appears to be good concordance between the animal and human data. The animal models provide a means to examine mechanisms of alcohol damage, to control for factors not possible in most human studies, and to help answer important clinical questions. Fetal alcohol effects are preventable, and every child born with a defect related to prenatal alcohol exposure indicates a failure of the health care system. Lecturer Dr. Ed Riley http://rsoa. org/lectures/07/index. html Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background What each of these papers described was a common set of features that could occur in the offspring of mothers who drank heavily during their pregnancies. This constellation of features was named the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1973 by Jones and colleagues. In order to be diagnosed as having FAS, the individual MUST meet all three criteria. There is a specific pattern of facial anomalies, which will be shown shortly. There is pre and or postnatal growth deficiency. Usually the children are born small (7drinks/week 5 or more drinks per occasion). The data on the left side of the slide come from Louise Floyd of the CDC. The first four studies were sponsored by the CDC and the other two estimates on the left side come from the IOM report (Stratton, 1996). AI/AN stands for American Indian/Alaska Native. The numbers on the right side are from a recent study by Sampson et al. , (1997). They demonstrated rates of FAS of at least 2. 8/1000 live births in Seattle, 4. 6/1000 in Cleveland, and between 1. 3 and 4. 8/1000 in Roubaix, France. Interestingly, in this study they estimate the prevalence in Seattle for FAS and ARND at 9. 1/1000 births. This would mean that nearly 1 in every 100 children is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The last number from South Africa is from recent work done by Phil May and colleagues. References Egeland G, Perham-Hester KA, Gessner BD, Ingle D, Berner JE,Middaugh JP. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Alaska, 1977 through 1992: An administrative prevalence derived from multiple data sources. American Journal of Public Health. 1998. 88(5): 781-786. Aberdeen IHS Area (1995) MMWR. vol 44(#):253-261. BDMP (1995): MMWR Vol. 44(13):249-253. Atlanta, Ga. (1997) MMWR Vol. 46(47): 1118-1120. Sampson, P. D. , Streissguth, A. P. , Bookstein, F. L. , Little, R. E. , Clarren, S. K. , Dehaene, P. , Hanson, J. W. , Graham, J. M. , Jr. (1997). Incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Teratology, 56(5), 317-326. Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Institute of Medicine: 1996 Clinic-based (page 89), American Indian/Alaskan Native (page 88) May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J. (1999). An epidemiological analysis of data from children with fetal alcohol syndrome and controls in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 110A. May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J (1999). An update on the maternal risk factors associated with the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 91A Background It must be stressed that the facial characteristics basically define FAS. Without these facial features, one cannot be diagnosed with FAS. In particular, the discriminating features are short palpebral fissures (the length of the eye opening), a flat midface, an indistinct or flat philtrum (the ridge under the nose), and a thin upper vermilion (lip). While each of these can occur in a variety of disorders, the combination of these features appears to be consistent with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Children with FAS can also have other facial features, such as epicanthal folds (tiny folds of tissues along the eye opening), a low nasal bridge, an underdeveloped jaw and minor ear anomalies. These individuals can also have a variety of associated features. Heart defects, skeletal anomalies, altered palmar creases (those creases on your hands), and urogenital anomalies are among the anomalies found more frequently in FAS. Reference Streissguth, A. P. (1994). A long-term perspective of FAS , Alcohol Health Research World (Vol. 18, pp. 74-81). image Facies in fetal alcohol syndrome Background The brain on the left was obtained from a 5-day-old child with FAS while the brain on the right is a control. The effects are obvious. The brain on the left suffers from microencephaly (small brain) and migration anomalies (neural and glia cells did not migrate to their proper location in the brain, but instead many of them simply migrated to the top of the cortex). Although it cannot be seen here, there is also agenesis of the corpus callosum and the ventricles are dilated. The corpus callosum is the major fiber tract connecting the two hemispheres of the brain (more on this later). Major findings of other autopsies of children with FAS have found microcephaly, hydrocephaly, cerebral dysgenesis, neuroglial heterotopias, corpus callosum anomalies, ventricle anomalies, and cerebellar anomalies. It must be pointed out, however, that these autopsies have typically been conducted only on the most severe cases, since these children often have enough problems that they do not survive. The interested reader on the pathological changes that occur in FAS is referred to the following articles. References Clarren, S. K. (1986). Neuropathology in fetal alcohol syndrome. In J. R. West (Ed. ), Alcohol and Brain Development (pp. 158-166). New York: Oxford University Press. Roebuck, T. M. , Mattson, S. N. , and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neuroanatomical findings in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2),339-344. Image brain damage resulting from prenatal alcohol Background The image on the left is a normal midsaggital MRI scan of the human brain with the cerebrum and cerebellum pointed out. The data on the right show the reduction in size of the these two areas in children with FAS and PEA. PEA stands for Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, and includes children with known histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, but who lack the features necessary for a diagnosis of FAS. As can be seen, the extent of reduction in the volume of both the cerebrum and cerebellum is significant. While the PEA group shows a reduction in volume, with these sample sizes, this is not a significant difference. Other brain imaging studies indicate disproportionate size reductions in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and corpus callosum. The data are presented as percent of normal matched controls. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Archibald, S. L. , Fennema-Notestine, C. , Gamst, A. , Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , and Jernigan, T. L. (submitted, 2000). Brain dysmorphology in individuals with severe prenatal alcohol exposure. image change in brain size Background One anomaly that has been seen in FAS is agenesis of the corpus callosum. While not common, it occurs in FAS cases (~6%) more frequently than in the general population (0. 1%) or in the developmentally disabled population (2-3%). In fact it has been suggested that FAS may be the most common cause of agenesis of the corpus callosum. In the top left picture, is a control brain. The other images are from children with FAS. In the top middle the corpus callosum is present, but it is very thin at the posterior section of the brain. In the upper right the corpus callosum is essentially missing. The bottom two pictures are from a 9 year old girl with FAS. She has agenesis of the corpus callosum and the large dark area in the back of her brain above the cerebellum is a condition known as coprocephaly. It is essentially empty space. Most children with FAS do have a corpus callosum, although it may be reduced in size. The reduction in size occurs primarily in the front and rear portions (genu and splenium). One interesting item is that this same pattern of reduction in the genu and splenium has been found in ADHD children. The behavioral problems seen in FAS frequently are similar to those seen in ADHD. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. (1995). Prenatal exposure to alcohol: What the images reveal. Alcohol Health Research World, 19(4), 273-277. Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , Sowell, E. R. , Jernigan, T. L. , Sobel, D. F. , Jones, K. L. (1995). Abnormalities of the corpus callosum in children prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(5), 1198-1202. Background There have been over a dozen retrospective studies of children with FAS (total N = 269). Overall, these studies, such as the Seattle studies or studies out of Germany, reported an overall mean IQ of 72. 26 (range of means = 47. 4-98. 2). The data presented here were collected in San Diego, CA as part of a project at the Center for Behavioral Teratology. The mean IQ performances of children with FAS were compared to alcohol-exposed children with few if any features of FAS. All children in this study were exposed prenatally to high amounts of alcohol, however only the FAS group displayed the craniofacial anomalies and growth deficits associated with the diagnosis. The other group was designated as having prenatal exposure to alcohol (PEA) and had documented exposure to high levels of alcohol but were not dysmorphic, microcephalic, or growth-retarded. In comparison to normal controls, both groups of alcohol-exposed children displayed significant deficits in overall IQ measures as well as deficits on most of the subtest scores. While the PEA subjects usually obtained marginally higher IQ scores than those with FAS, few significant differences were found between the two alcohol-exposed groups. These results indicate that high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure are related to an increased risk for deficits in intellectual functioning and that these deficits can occur in children without all of the physical features required for a diagnosis of FAS. Our PEA subjects may be somewhat similar to individuals identified by other groups as having FAE, however individuals with PEA display few if any of the facial features of FAS, and are not growth retarded or microcephalic. References Streissguth AP, Aase JM, Clarren SK, Randels SP, LaDue RA, Smith DF (1991). Fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents and adults. Journal of the American Medical Association 265:1961-1967. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , and Jones, K. L. (1997). Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome leads to IQ deficits. Journal of Pediatrics, 131 (5), 718-721. Mattson, S. N. and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neurobehavioral deficits in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2), 279-294. image general intellectual performance Background. This was a study of a broad range of neuropsychological tests, such as: The Wide Range Achievement Test- which assesses academic skills, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Boston Naming test-both assessment of basic language functioning, the California Verbal Learning Test-a list learning and memory test, the Visual-Motor Integration Test which measures basic visual-perceptual skills, the Grooved Pegboard test-a test of fine-motor speed and coordination, and the Childrens Category Test-a measure of nonverbal learning. Along the x-axis are the tests included in the battery; for comparison purposes, all scores were converted to standard scores with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15. Children with FAS or PEA showed deficits in comparison to controls and they were very similar to each other. There does seem to be some indication that the nonverbal measures (on the right of the slide) are not as impaired as the verbal and academic measures, which are on the left and center of the slide. The take home message is that children with FAS and those exposed to high amounts of alcohol, but without the characteristics required for a diagnosis of FAS, are similarly impaired. The FAS children tend to be a bit worse than the PEA children, but the pattern of behavioral deificits is fairly similar over a wide range of tests. References Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , Jones, K. L. (1998). Neuropsychological comparison of alcohol-exposed children with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Neuropsychology, 12(1), 146-153. image neuropsychological performanceBackground In addition to the abilities already discussed, a few studies have documented other specific neuropsychological deficits in individuals with FAS. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure, with and without FAS, have demonstrated various deficits on measures of executive functioning. These measures have revealed problems in areas such as planning (tower task-shown above), cognitive flexibility (trails test), inhibition (stroop test), and concept formation and reasoning (word context tests). Generally, performance on these measures is characterized by increased errors and more difficulty adhering to rules. Therefore, children are less successful overall. For example, on the tower measure shown above (Tower of California-similar to Tower of London), children with FAS and PEA passed fewer items overall and made more rule violations than controls. The only two rules were to never place a larger piece on top of a smaller one and to move only one piece at a time. As can be seen the alcohol exposed children had many more rule violations. In addition, deficits have been found on the WCST (Wisconsin Card Sort Test), a nonverbal measure of problem solving. The WCST test requires both problem solving and cognitive flexibility and has been proposed to be sensitive to frontal system dysfunction. This test is a gold standard in the measure of executive functioning in neuropsychology. Children with prenatal exposure to alcohol made more errors and had more difficulty with the conceptual nature of the task than controls. New data indicate that they have trouble identifying and defining concepts. Finally, tests of planning ability are also thought to be sensitive to frontal systems dysfunction although few such studies have been done in individuals with FAS. On the Progressive Planning Test which is similar to the Tower of London test children with FAS/FAE had difficulty with planning ahead and tended to perseverate on incorrect strategies. So far the results could be summarized as: 1) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with a wide range of neurobehavioral deficits including visuospatial functioning, verbal and nonverbal learning, and executive functioning 2) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure causes microcephaly and disproportionate reductions in the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and cerebellum 3) Children with and without physical features of the fetal alcohol syndrome display qualitatively similar deficits References Carmichael O. H. , Feldman JJ, Streissguth AP, Gonzalez RD: Neuropsychological deficits and life adjustment in adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 16:380, 1992 Kodituwakku PW, Handmaker NS, Cutler SK, Weathersby EK, Handmaker SD: Specific impairments in self-regulation in children exposed to alcohol prenatally. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 19:1558-1564, 1995 Mattson, S. N. , Goodman, A. M. , Caine, C. , Delis, D. C. , Riley, E. P. (1999). Executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(11), 1808-1815. Background Secondary disabilities are those disabilities that the individual is not born with, and hopefully with appropriate intervention could be ameliorated. This slide illustrates the extent of these secondary disabilities as a function of age. These are individuals with FAS and FAE. As can be seen over 90% of these individuals have mental health problems and about 50% of those over the age of 12 have disrupted school experiences, trouble with the law, which is frequently severe enough to require confinement. They also engage in relatively high rates of inappropriate sexual behavior and a significant number have alcohol and drug abuse problems. Interestingly, the factors that are protective against these secondary disabilities are: Being raised in a stable, nurturant home, diagnosis before the age of 6, no sexual or physical abuse, not changing households every few years, not living in a poor quality home, and receiving Developmental Disabilities services. References Streissguth, A. P. , Barr, H. M. , Kogan, J. , Bookstein, F. L. (1996). Final Report: Understanding the occurrence of secondary disabilities in clients with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Publication Services. Image secondary disabilities Background. Much of what we know about FAS and the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure is the result of work on animal models. After FAS was identified it became important to demonstrate that the effects were indeed the result of alcohol exposure and not due to factors such as other drugs, maternal conditions, or nutritional variables. The development of appropriate animal models was very important in this regard. Models were developed for assessing physical features of FAS as well as the behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical profiles of prenatal alcohol exposure. The ideal test animal would absorb, metabolize and eliminate alcohol similar to human, transport alcohol and metabolites across.

Economic Overview Of The Maldives Economics Essay

Economic Overview Of The Maldives Economics Essay There are many factors in the macro analysis environment that will effect the decision of the managers of any organization. The macro change includes such as tax change, new laws, trade barriers, demographic changes and government policy changes. To identify and analyze distinguish between these factors executives be able to categorize the factors that impact such as: Political factors- which refer to government policy such as degree of intervention in the economy and what goods and service does a government wants to provide. Economic factors- which includes interest rates, taxation changes economic growth, inflation and exchange rate. Economic change can have major impact to the country. For example: A strong currency may make importing goods more difficult as it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency Inflation may incite higher wage demands from employees and raise cost Social factors- change in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and ease of use and motivation of individuals to work. Technological factors- new technologies create new products and new process. Example: when organization advances in technological, the staffs skills and knowledge have to improve quality and guide to innovation. These developments can benefit government as well as the organization. Environmental factors- include the weather and climate change. Change in temperatures can impact on many industries including tourism, fishing and import and export of goods to and from country. Legal factors- these are related to the legal environment in which organization function. Introduction of new system and procedures such as staff development policy that affect organization action and change will have some costs to the government and the organization. This chapter is based on government economic policies, fiscal policy and moreover it talks about the Maldives Customs Service (MCS) role and relation to government policies and mission, goals and objectives of the MCS and the SWOT analysis of the organization. Furthermore this chapter mentions the key issues which related to the policy implementation. Government economic policies The Maldives has exclusive economic rights over some 859,000 km ² of surrounding the islands, which contains vast fishery resources. The islands are an attractive tourist destination due to their sandy white beaches and clear lagoons. Land mass is limited to 300 km ² and dispersed over an 850 km ² North-South fairly narrow stretch. This peculiarity of land mass and its distribution is a server constraint to the development of local markets, increasing transport costs with implication for the competitiveness of the economy. Direct Foreign Investment The government has adopted a reasonable foreign climate the result, the result has been not enough in the sense of that most foreign direct investment (FDI) is tied to the tourism sector. In regard of this only very little FDI is seen in other sectors. For example the domestic market opportunities, given the restrictions of a population of 300,000 approximately. Therefore FDI has been drive in the direction of sectors reaching international market. Tourism is one of the best examples in the country. The investment establishment consent to free currency exchange rate and repatriation of profits and capital assets. The financial sector 30% profit tax is collected and there is no corporate tax. At present the government there is improper practice of integration of investment promotion and regulation as both roles are hand over to the Foreign Investment Services Bureau (FISB) of the Ministry of Economic and Development and Trade (MEDT). Therefore the existing legal frame work of Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) is inadequate to provide self motivated investment environment to the investors. Other than tourism investments all other sectors all the responsibility takes FISB and tourism investments Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MTC). Hence it is vital to revise and modernize current DFI guide line policy to more conducive to large scale investment. The financial sector of Maldives is still in its immaturity. There are five international bank operators in the capital city Male but all this banks are branch offices of their parent organization and take on only financing of commerce. At the present time there is no investment bank in Maldives, but a private firm, the Maldives Finance Leasing Company (MFLC) that provides capital financing for only small and medium scale operators. At present the Bank of the Maldives has locate more than 12 branches in different islands in the country. Export promotion In the existing regime Maldivian exporters invite in accessing world markets comparative to competitors in other countries. The rules of origin governing preference, when defined as a value-added obligation for the most part difficult to satisfy country like Maldives facing extremely far above the ground priced imported inputs and with limited relative advantages on labour cost. As mainly Maldives depend on imports for consumption, the lack of import substituting industries and industrial capability for export outcomes in existing account deficit of the country. The deficit for 2008 made known at US$651.3 million and 2005 it was US$273.0 million, which means compare to deficit in 2005 it has increased 139 percent. The present account deficit averaged in the order of 40 percent of GDP between 2004 and 2008. In 2008 more than 98 percent of Maldives commodity export well thought-out of fish and its related products amounting US$125.9 million, when compare to 2005 it has increased 29 percent The total export of Maldives rise in 2008 by MRF 384 million to MRF 617 million a growth of 16.8% over the year 2007. The past years average growth rate is 18.8% and marine products are the main exports with 98 percent. On the other hand due to tsunami disaster there was a minor downturn in the exports in year 2005. But starting from in the year 2006 there is rise and fall trend until 2008, with an approximate of 16.8% increased. In the existing situation of Maldives it is vital to have regional integration initiatives that value to the country through the help of key issues that affect trade, including the cost of transport and customs clearance issues. Regional institutions provide a vital support in the development of a system of standardization in Maldives, with the cooperation along with official recognition bodies on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and agreement on the application of sanitary and phyto sanitary measures (SPS) agreement issues. Social protection At present Maldivian social protection is very much favoritism in the direction of government employees who constitute around a quarter of the working population of the country. The government has priorities to achieve universal primary education and develop a national health care system. The health expenditure has accounted for 10-12 percent of GDP over the last ten years. The government is aware of the social protection issues and is keen to develop an effective social protection system consistent with the level of income and implementation capacity. The government intention for restructuring civil service is not only to grow macroeconomic stability but also is vital to sustaining the countries impressive progress in human development. Poverty rates, as measured by the headcount ratio, have fallen steeply, from 40 percent in 1997 to 16 percent in 2005. To maintain this trend in poverty reduction, improvements in existing social protection programmes and development of new programmes will go together with the fiscal hardship measures Cultural heritage The Maldives is prosperous in heritage sites, although in the earlier period of few decades the significance of safeguard Maldivian cultural heritage has been completely understood by Maldivians. On the other hand research and documentation of Maldivian cultural heritage and history is still developing in the country. At present the country also lacks the legal framework to regulate problems coupled with heritage management in the country. The heritage Act is vital for a better protection of the Maldivian cultural heritage. A book providing a tentative list of heritage sites in the Maldives has been recently published. There is an ever-increasing propensity to promote heritage values surrounded by Maldivians as a value of a heritage site forms the central core of its management. Thinking globally, Maldives is gearing to step into the world heritage arena and almost immediately will have a tentative list submitted to the world heritage committee. Trade Facilitation In the Maldives today, there has been a change from the Profitable protection function of customs to an extended protection of community. That is, trade facilitation effects more than just customs facilitation; it includes all the contributing factors of the international supply chain. As a result, stakeholders usually comprise those government and business entities that are entailing in the administration or guide of international trade. In other words, in the style of early 20th centuries role of customs as the gatekeepers has now been becoming different by the new and more demanding role that is based on three decisive concepts: trade facilitation, border protection, and revenue collection. The MCS is keeping up a conscious of international issues and their ability of strong effects on the nation, and it must be well-informed about national constrain power of a law to trade and transport treating and conventions. In many ways, customs organizations are connected with their counterparts in other countries that they do with agencies in their own government. They often look to customs administrations internationally and in neighboring countries for assistance and for ideas on how to improve operations trade facilitation, border protection, and revenue collection. Revenue Collection The Maldives experience move backward and forward in economic activity that are wider than those of the region overall. When economic times are good, economy outperforms the average of the region and when economic times are bad, economy legs behind. Although countries revenue collection are not only the means of comparing economic activity, that provide snapshot of the health of economy in a particular atoll or island. Generally stronger economies with greater economic activity produce increase in the rate of the growth of revenue collection at the country level. An examination of the subsequent time series of revenue change make known that, in terms of revenue collection of the country go one better than the region overall in times of economic growth and retained strength revenue collection of the country began to experience downturns between 2007 and 2009. Hence the government aims to reduce the reliance on import revenue as an income source for the government expenditure and in recent times projected to a great extent and large tax reform proposal. In this regard, in June 2009 government proposed modifications to the export-import law to eradicate import duties on food items and lower it for other commodities. This plan is an element of much wider amendments government resolve brings to the export-import law in the next two to three years. This proposal is part of a much wider amendments government will bring to the export-import law in the next two-three years, where government intends to bring down all applied rates to a level which have a positive impact on the economic development needs of the country and in accordance with international obligations including World Trade Organization (WTO). Border Protection Tariffs are the major instrument of border protection in the Maldives. With the exception of in the case of cigarette, on which has precise duty of MRF.0.30 per stick and all the other duties are ad valorem tariff levied on CIF (cost, insurance and freight) import value. In the current structure of applied ad valorem tariff have ten bands such as duty free, 5 percent, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 50, 100, and 200 percent. The three main staple foods such as flour, rice and sugar and all other imports intended for commercial re-export come in the country free of duty. Maldives has increased its maximum tariff on all goods (excluding alcohol and tobacco) from 112 to 142 percent. In 2006 this maximum tariff was applied to plastic packaging materials. The trade policy space, as measured by wedge between bound and applied tariffs has decreased slightly since 2000, now standing at a relatively low 16.8 percent, compared with 54.8 percent on average for its regional neighbors and 29.5 percent for lower-middle-income countries. Regarding the extent of its trade liberalization in services, the Maldives ranked 142nd out of 148 countries according to the GATS Commitment Index. The discussion on the upcoming direction of tariff restructuring is much in line with expected view. It simply call attention to the need for enlargement the internal tax base to diminish the government weighty dependence on border taxes which would facilitate further tariff reduction, without examining revenue effects of tariff reduction. Enlarging the internal tax base to diminish the governments weighty dependence on border taxes would, obviously facilitate further tariff reduction. Fiscal policy The Maldives has neither a corporate tax not either a broad based sales tax arrangement in the country. The bank profits are subject to profit tax of 25 percent. In the highest degree recent year largely tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 20.5 percent. Revenues are collected from customs duties. Conversely, the worsening fiscal signs are worrying as huge budgeted deficit stems not only from renovation, however more over from long standing structural issues such as growth of the civil service, large pay rises and subsidized social services. Therefore, if not the government attend to these subjects earlier than its debt get to unsustainable levels, far above the ground economic growth cannot be sustain. Broadening the tax base The government is planning to increase revenue by broadening the tax base. Government revenue is expected to increase 33 percent of GDP in 2010, 37 percent of GDP in 2011 and 36 percent of GDP in 2012. Currently the government revenue generation bases are mainly import duties, tourism tax, dividends from state-owned enterprise and resort lease rentals. The government has argument of implementation of the business profit tax and goods and service tax is look forward to bring in early 2011. The government expects to increase the revenue with reference to the impact of new taxes; it would be 15 percent of GDP. Rationalization of import duties In the Maldives government revenue connotations are a main alarm over and over again voiced as an argument further rationalized of import duties. It is argued that import duties are a vital source of government revenue and the speed with which customs duties are reduced needs to be resolved in harmony with the speed and effective of domestic tax reforms at thoroughly examined the condition of the revenue structure to compensate lost revenue. If not the look forward to economic gains from reform could well be erased by adverse budgetary arising from revenue shortfall. Over view of the Maldives Customs Service (MCS) The MCS plays vital role in protecting and enhancing Maldives economic prosperity, security and unique way of life. The border management has an effect on economic performance and the well-being of community and MCS is committed to ensuring that Maldives entry points actively supports government priorities. In order to achieve MCS vision of achieving excellence in contributing to the social and economic well-being of the nation by providing professional, quality assured customs service. MCS has to be ready for the future and to be able to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected situations and conditions, and have to ensure the effective ongoing stipulation of service. In order to support the social and economic well-being of Maldives, MCS continue to work in coordination with other agencies, and maintain relationship with customs administration, international organization and industry stake holder. It is important to continue deepen understanding of MCS partners priorities and to ensure that how MCS objectives and those of partners in the public and private sector can best aligned. Mission and Vision TO ENSURE that persons, goods and conveyances enter and exit the Republic of Maldives in accordance with national laws, and that such function is carried out while protecting the state revenue and the rights of the members of the society and in a manner that safeguards the integrity, esteem, dignity and honour of our Maldivian Nation. ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE in contributing to the social and economic well-being of the nation by providing professional, quality assured Customs service towards the protection of the society and revenue collection, through optimal Information Technology mobilization Goals and objectives To achieve the national goals MCS has to provide staff with relevant academic competency and skills training so as to create conducive work environment for generating inspiration and motivation amongst them; by inculcating and promoting required ethical standards in order for them to become professional Customs officers. To facilitate and provide trade-related customs services in a customer-friendly environment, in accordance with the laws and regulation of Maldives To protect State revenue through extensive participation in implementation of export/ import policies, strengthening customs control mechanism, and post clearance audit procedures. To be a world-class customs service that complies with all pertinent international conventions, articles thorough cooperation and coordination between Customs of other countries, customs- related international organizations and other international NGOs Objective Protect and collect revenue on dutiable goods. Detect and deter narcotics. Detect and deter smuggling of goods, pornography, and banned articles. Protect and facilitate legitimate trade and industry to uphold Republic of Maldives trading integrity. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threat Maldives customs service (MCS) is longest serving organization in the Maldives. Therefore customs has good reputation of among all other organization and the customs has brought a valid changes Government gives full support to the MCS to maintain its service. Example if customs submit a project for increase revenue the government approves easily Provide professional training for the officers for their daily work environment which has huge advantages to perform best of their knowledge and experience Lack of Act the most weakness of the organization as there are many improvements which need to bring with the help of act Action and words are not align which causes a huge weakness of the organization as the supervisory level action which makes different ways in same situation MCS gets many opportunities from the government to improve trade facilitation and control illegal activities which enter the country MCS is the WCO member and many other international authorities such RILO and WTO and other countries provide international training and equipments Political Influences is one of the difficult things MSC faced today, as the political influence is taking part in some decision making and many political posts in top level Traders do not keep their business records, so it hides the way for their negotiations, transactions and other records that need for their business background Key issues related policy implementation Corruption and low integrity Corrupted environment Unethical behaviour Revenue leakage Compliance not measure Ineffective decentralization Decentralized areas staff not empowered Partially decentralized without uniformity Lack of border control Incompetent staffs and stakeholders Policies for rotation Competency level of staffs Lack of technical skills Poor communication with the stake holders Absence of Carrier path No succession plan Human resource plan De-motivation Knowledgeable staff turnover Performance appraisal not based on objectives Inappropriate recruitment and selection Chapter summery The Maldives still face a range of development limitations distinctive to small island nation. These take in a small export market, narrow resource base, and shortage of skilled work force, difficult transportation, high unit cost of social, health and economic infrastructure condition and high propensity to external and natural disasters. To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the revenue collection and trade facilitation it is vital to implement modern techniques to minimize the illegal offences which are carried out through in the Customs control area and prevent the importation and exportation of restricted and prohibited goods and conveyances into and from the country, while providing an excellent service. In addition there are special require developing the quality of the limited human resources. It is apparent that legislation, systems and procedures need to be enforced and implemented by experienced, professional and dedicated people. The commitment, loyalty and integrity of staff are particularly important to an organization in tackling challenges, making changes and introducing reforms. Human resources require to be developed on a continuous and long-term basis with an analysis to promoting and enhancing staffs qualification, professional ability, management techniques, morale and integrity. In this respect, well planned programmes with an eye on the future for staff training, career development and integrity promotion are essential to the well being of any administration and to serve and protect countries economy