Economiccs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economiccs - Essay Example This means that if resources will be allocated to take care of the young children from disadvantaged environments, the benefits will not only be for the children but for the whole society as well. This can be analyzed through data about the education and the human skills as major factors to determine productivity. Education as a public good when made available to all children can decrease the inequity in the society as it reduces academic and societal difficulties in the future. And through education, skills could be acquired. These skills could help achieve productivity both in the workplace and in the society. Children who were able to go to school will learn and acquire skills that they can use for jobs in the future. In the long run, unemployment and problems brought by it like crimes can be reduced. This is because returns of such investments cannot be realized directly during the present time. The changing trends in the labor markets can also contribute to the inefficiencies th at are present in the economy. The emergence of new technologies has raised the demand for highly skilled workers who are qualified to use them (Heckman and Masterov, 7).

Weaknesses Of The Eurozone Economics Essay

Weaknesses Of The Eurozone Economics Essay Robert Mundell described the Bretton Woods System as Hamlet without the Prince due to the lack of a unified currency in the form of a monetary union expressed as Bancor or Unitas. Given the experience of EMU, does this analysis still hold theoretically and/or empirically? Discuss. Introduction of EMU In 1999, the European Central Bank (ECB) launched the single currency (euro) together with the foundation of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The EMU is based on the existence of the euro as a common currency. The ECB supervises the implementation of a common monetary policy. At the beginning of 2002, euro replaced the national currencies of 12 member countries for all transactions. Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom joined European Union (EU) but did not join the euro. In 2004, there were ten new member countries joined the EU, five of them joined the euro. The prior monetary unions are unsuccessful as they rested on the value of metals (i.e. gold or silver). The money printed should be determined by the silver of gold stored, therefore the Metallism monetary system is a stable system since silver and gold are scarce resources. The EMU rests on the euro or chartalism, as fiat money which is issued by a central national bank. The credit level of the issuing body is important to determine the value and stability of the fiat money. The stability of the country in terms of economic and political will in turn determine the credit level. However, when the treasury is unable to finance the deficit, fiat monies can become unstable due to the temptation of the inflationary tax or seigniorage. In order to achieve and sustain the stability, the EMU needs an economic union and a monetary union. Economic union is achieved by complying with the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The goal of SGP is to maintain fiscal stability through implementation of specific fiscal requirements among member states of EMU. The strength of the Eurozone rests completely on the credibility of the requirements set when the EMU was being implemented and the ECB was established. However, if member states are not respect or follow the set requirements, the credibility level of Eurozone will be affected and as a result negatively affect the euro. Mundells Theories The original idea of a common currency in Europe was derived from the theory of Robert Mundell on the areas of optimal currency. In his paper A plan for a European Currency in 1973, Mundell clarified the gains of European countries if they adopt a common currency. The works of Mundell have been classified into two categories by Ronald McKinnon (2004). Mundell I In 1961, Mundell published his paper entitled A Theory of Optimal Currency Areas which is rooted in Keynesian ideas. The theory of Optimum Currency Areas (OCAs) studies how countries with a monetary union and common currency adjust, if these countries are affected by asymmetric economic shocks. Mundell point out that adjustments are based on whether wages are rigid, labour mobility is limited, income transfers are difficult, and differences exist in the labour market and growth rates. Mundell claimed that when countries are in a monetary union and use a common currency, they cannot absorb asymmetric shocks properly unless, among other circumstances, labour mobility is unlimited. Mundell II In Mundells article Uncommon arguments for common currencies which published in 1973, an alternative theory is illustrated. Mundell emphasised the common currency assures an automatic and equal sharing of the risk of the fluctuation, a common currency has advantages in overcoming economic shocks. Mundell II argues that it is easier for member countries to stay inside a monetary union than outside it since the private insurance would assist against asymmetric shocks. More specifically, it will be easier for member countries to borrow in the capital markets of the monetary union when hitting by a negative shock, as a result it will be easier for member countries to smooth consumption. In addition, the exchange rate would be a source in arising asymmetric disturbances; especially capital mobility of financial market is very high. The criticism of Mundell II becomes more obvious in terms of political context. If financial markets in a monetary union provide insurance to reduce asymmetric shocks, the need to integrate national budgets for political means becomes weaker. Hence the motive to form a political union is even weaker. However, the Mundell II point out that if there is no budgetary union, it would be optimistic to say that private financial markets would provide insurance against asymmetric shocks. The financial markets will only provide insurance to those who possess high assets stock in the financial markets. Since wealth is not equally distributed, the private provision of insurance will overwhelmingly support the wealthy and keep the poor relatively uninsured. In addition, the Mundell II theory ignored the possibility that countries may involve in a position of a bad equilibrium. If there are not adequate instruments to lead the economy out of the bad equilibrium, countries would get caught in the bad equilibrium after a negative shock. It is a major problem for the future of EMU if there is no adequate instrument in a monetary union. This is reinforced by the fact that different member countries of EMU continue to work in different directions due to the absence of a political union. Weaknesses of the Eurozone In the last ten years, the euro has demonstrated that there are many efficiency gains by adopting a common currency (i.e. reduced transaction costs of exchanging currencies, eliminated exchange rate uncertainty, and increased transparency in prices), particularly if the currency becomes not only an international currency but also a global currency. However, maintaining various standards requires difficult adjustments and constant surveillance of every single member state in Eurozone. As the economic crisis has hit the world, certain Eurozone Member States Greece, Portugal and Spain are being seriously affected. The Greek tragedy is making the EU realize that highly indebted countries can put the EMU at risk and that measures must be taken without delay. Institutional Weakness Article 102.a of the Maastricht Treaty establishes that member states and the community should conduct their economic policies with a view to contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Community. In order to guide Article 102.a, Article 103 highlights that the correct implementation of economic policies is a matter of common, stating that Member States [are to] coordinate them within the Council, in accordance with the provisions of Article 102a. Article 103 also highlights that it is important to avoid excessive deficits of each government. There is an obvious institutional weakness in terms of monetary policies. The Maastricht Treaty had defined the objectives of the ECB which is price stability. ECB has defined an inflation rate below 2% as the objective of price stability. In addition, in terms of unemployment, the rest of society is not convinced and will not easily accept the attempt of the ECB to release itself from any responsibility for unemployment. However, t he delegation of the responsibility of unemployment to the governments of each member country creates a political problem. The purposes of SGP contain that member countries should avoid excessive debt and deficits and each member country should maintain fiscal stability. There are two important two Council Regulations in SGP (i.e. Regulations 1466/97 and 1467/97). These two regulations require member countries of the EU must comply with to help contribute to the overall climate of stability and financial prudence underpinning the success of the EMU. The Council Regulation 1466/97 set out the details of stability programs (i.e. submission and monitoring regulations) and convergence programs. The ultimate purpose of the multilateral surveillance by the Council is to prevent, at an early stage, the occurrence of excessive general government deficits and to promote the surveillance and coordination of economic policies. The purpose of regulation 1467/97 is to clarify the excessive deficit procedure to deter excessive government deficits (European Navigator 1997, 2). However, the SGP is not sustainable due to the lack of accountability of the EU commission. Hence, the national governments are bound to win when conflict arises. The problem will exist as long as national governments continue to possess the sovereignty over spending and taxation. Political integration De Grauwe (2006) acknowledged that the EMU is a remarkable accomplishment, but the absence of a political union is a major weakness in the Eurozone governance. Grauwes view is consistent with the findings of Nitsch on the political integration. He conclude that political integration is not rapidly followed by economic integration (Nitsch and Wolf 1). Grauwe point out in his article that national governments holding most economic policies decision creates asymmetric shocks. The asymmetric shocks truly affect the sustainability of the monetary union. For example, member countries of the Eurozone have different competitive positions due to the uncoordinated policies of each member country in relation to national wage. Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain were in constant financial and economic turmoil before the adoption of the euro. The turmoil situation disappeared due to the economic booming of the past years. These five countries have barely met the requirements of monetary and economic stability and are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the stability. For the past years, these countries are not only suffering from excessive deficits and debts, but also economic unbalances (i.e. excessive current account deficits). The current account positions are becoming worse due to, among other reasons, their extremely uncompetitive trade position. As a consequence, they are beginning to blame the euro. The problem that these countries are facing originates from the fact that monetary union amplifies fiscal imbalances. Opting for devaluation of a competitive currency is not an option and the only other alternative stems from forcing differentials of bond yield reduced. In 2005 there were almost no yield differentials between the German Bund and the yields of those countries with excessive current-account deficits. In 2009, however, yield spreads has increased government default risks measured by a sudden increase in the demand for credit default swaps. Hence, the current economic crisis has demonstrated that currency risk is replaced by default risk in a monetary union. There are two reasons for this situation: 1) the sovereign debt of each member country is issued under the control of each Ministry of Finance, 2) there is no European Ministry of Finance. The Germans has proposed the creation of a European Monetary Fund, the French league has proposed the creation of a European Debt Agency which required that the Lisbon Treaty were amended or that a new treaty were negotiated. Many people blamed this situation due to the lack of a common bond market which would help to put all members together. Some people reject the suggestion based on the fact that a common bond market would lower borrowing costs for weaker countries and increase costs for stronger countries such as Germany. In addition, the common bond market would obtain the budget rights from each governments which would not be able to make national budgets by themselves. Exit clause For years some countries have not respect or followed the requirements listed in the Maastricht Treaty and are now facing extremely difficult economic situations. It is obvious in the current crisis that there is no political homogeneity among member countries from a political point of view. As a result, each member country has implemented its own particular economic model and how to conduct its own economic model. In addition, Greece, Spain, and Portugal do not truly realise that their economic models are embedded in a globalised economy and these countries need to implement a set of painful structural reforms to keep them competitive. From the economic point of view, the countries in trouble have two major common reasons. The reasons are the lack of respect for the requirements and the lack of appropriate implementation of the structural reforms required under an economic recession. Currently there are debates on what should or should not be done with these countries. However, there are not room to manoeuvre this situation under the current legal framework. Expulsion of these countries from the Eurozone is not a good choice as it would definitely hurt the image of the EU and its member countries. Many scholars, economists propose that voluntary withdrawal from only the Eurozone while staying in the EU to would be the most beneficial option. The legal framework the Treaty of Lisbon, does not provide the necessary methods to deal with problems of withdrawal, expulsion from Eurozone nor any other similar problem that might arrive soon. First, the Treaty of Lisbon has the no-bailout clause to prevent a budgetary problem in one country spilling over the EU as a whole. The no-bailout clause prohibits member countries from rescuing other countries or from accepting the debts of other countries. However, the Article 122 of Lisbon Treaty states that any member country seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control can receive financial assistance from other members. The question is whether a member countrys current debt crisis could qualify as an exceptional occurrence and not a man-made issue. This clause was inserted to strengthen unity and commitment of Eurozone. But the reality is that some countries are possessing extremely high level debts and defici ts far exceeding the requirements. Therefore, there are not many methods for to assist these financial troubled countries under the current circumstances. The Articles 4(2), 118, and 123(4) explicitly indicates that the process for adoption of the Euro is irreversible. Participation of the EMU becomes a legal obligation due to the irrevocability of the agreement and the monetary union process. Thus, the exit option of leaving EMU while staying in the EU is impossible. The exit option is only allowed to exit the EU and EMU altogether. In addition, there is no clear mechanism by which members could expel a fellow country. The expulsion could only be possible if the treaty were amended and provided that all member countries respond favourably to this amendment. Conclusion The EU and the Eurozone are suffering not only a financial crisis, but also a totally lack of appropriate structural reforms. The proper functioning of the EMU depends on the compliance with requirement provided in monetary and fiscal policies. Some member countries need to adopt urgently a number of structural reforms to promote economic growth of its own country and to stable euro as part of the EMU. Most importantly, the EMU should take this crisis as an opportunity to create a restructuring mechanism to strengthen and reform the economic, political foundations of the euro project.

The Caribbean Essay -- Caribbean Islands Culture Essays

The Caribbean The inhabited islands clustered in the Caribbean Sea are an interesting study in cultural and social identity. Colonized by european powers from the Fifteenth Century, the Caribbean islands have become mixtures of cultures from Europe, Africa, and India, as well as from the original inhabitants of the islands. As a result, describing and defining the Caribbean is a much more difficult task than it appears on the surface. The norms and ideas of identity and history that exist on one island are vastly different than those that exist on a near neighbor, despite similarities in geography and history. To better understand the differences and similarities between Caribbean islands and the people who inhabit them, a look at the works of three individuals can be of assistance. The first, Sidney Mintz, was a knowledgeable historian and well respected authority on the Caribbean. His article, titled, â€Å"The Caribbean as a Socio-cultural Area,† is based upon his efforts to create a rigid taxonomy of the Caribbean’s past and how that past affected the present. The second author, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, attempts to do the same thing as Mintz, albeit in a more modern and open-minded way, by breaking down the ideas of what makes the Caribbean the Caribbean. Benitez-Rojo uses the idea of â€Å"rhythms† to describe the connection and ideas of community that, to him, make up the idea of â€Å"the Caribbean.† The final author is not a historian or literary critic like the previous two, but she does offer perhaps the most revealing look at what life is like on a Carib bean island out of the three. Michelle Cliff is a writer from Jamaica and in her two works, Abeng and â€Å"If I Could Write This in Fire, I Would Write This in Fire,† she explores the de... ...lf.(Abeng p.158) On the other hand, the black residents of the island feel that any presence of â€Å"whiteness† is a negative aspect as well. Clare’s friend Zoe asks her mother why Clare wouldn’t let her try on her new bathing suit, and Zoe’s mother responds, â€Å"de buckra people, dem is fe dem alone,† meaning that white people (although Clare is only partly white) can only fraternize with other white people. This division based on color is the main issue of the book, and one that is extremely relevant in Jamaica even today. All of these pieces of writing try to define what makes the Caribbean, in all of its variations, the Caribbean. The mixing of different cultures and races over the past three four hundred years has created a geographical area that, despite looking similar from a general view, is actually extremely diverse and different when looked at from close-up. The Caribbean Essay -- Caribbean Islands Culture Essays The Caribbean The inhabited islands clustered in the Caribbean Sea are an interesting study in cultural and social identity. Colonized by european powers from the Fifteenth Century, the Caribbean islands have become mixtures of cultures from Europe, Africa, and India, as well as from the original inhabitants of the islands. As a result, describing and defining the Caribbean is a much more difficult task than it appears on the surface. The norms and ideas of identity and history that exist on one island are vastly different than those that exist on a near neighbor, despite similarities in geography and history. To better understand the differences and similarities between Caribbean islands and the people who inhabit them, a look at the works of three individuals can be of assistance. The first, Sidney Mintz, was a knowledgeable historian and well respected authority on the Caribbean. His article, titled, â€Å"The Caribbean as a Socio-cultural Area,† is based upon his efforts to create a rigid taxonomy of the Caribbean’s past and how that past affected the present. The second author, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, attempts to do the same thing as Mintz, albeit in a more modern and open-minded way, by breaking down the ideas of what makes the Caribbean the Caribbean. Benitez-Rojo uses the idea of â€Å"rhythms† to describe the connection and ideas of community that, to him, make up the idea of â€Å"the Caribbean.† The final author is not a historian or literary critic like the previous two, but she does offer perhaps the most revealing look at what life is like on a Carib bean island out of the three. Michelle Cliff is a writer from Jamaica and in her two works, Abeng and â€Å"If I Could Write This in Fire, I Would Write This in Fire,† she explores the de... ...lf.(Abeng p.158) On the other hand, the black residents of the island feel that any presence of â€Å"whiteness† is a negative aspect as well. Clare’s friend Zoe asks her mother why Clare wouldn’t let her try on her new bathing suit, and Zoe’s mother responds, â€Å"de buckra people, dem is fe dem alone,† meaning that white people (although Clare is only partly white) can only fraternize with other white people. This division based on color is the main issue of the book, and one that is extremely relevant in Jamaica even today. All of these pieces of writing try to define what makes the Caribbean, in all of its variations, the Caribbean. The mixing of different cultures and races over the past three four hundred years has created a geographical area that, despite looking similar from a general view, is actually extremely diverse and different when looked at from close-up.

Antidote for the Iron Law of Oligarchy Essay

In every diseases there will always a doctors to help us to cure it. In every illness it has always a medicine to manage the pain. But if we connect it to our society today, maybe it doesn’t have medicine or doctors that cure this kind of illnesses. This kind of attitude maybe we cannot erase to our society. This attitude maybe we can connect to the iron law of oligarchy. What is the iron law of oligarchy? â€Å"The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory, first developed by the German syndicalist sociologist Robert Michels. It states that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop into oligarchies. The reasons for this are the technical indispensability of leadership, the tendency of the leaders to organize themselves and to consolidate their interests; the gratitude of the led towards the leaders, and the general immobility and passivity of the masses.† – From Wikipedia In connection to the definition of iron law of oligarchy, our government is considered as the democratic government. Where in it have presidents that are given a rule in every department and bureaus. Where in this rule are all obey by all the department and bureaus. Another characteristic of our government as a democratic country is that it let people to choose their own leaders. But these actions are not enough to tell that we have our own freedom, but these actions give other people reasons to abuse their powers. Instead of serving us, they use their positions to do the things that they want. What are the reasons why they do those things? What are the things that we need to do so that their actions are change? Here the things that we need to do. If the iron law of oligarchy is the rule of few people or the elite people, we can reverse it so that we can make it the rule of many people. Where in all the rules are all consult to us before they implement it. Another thing is, when it giving us the right information. Sometimes our government is not giving the exact information that we need to know about what happen to our government. And lastly, no oligarchy without material and power perks and bureaucracy. Part of the changes is a constant flow of reliable information among the people. Bureaucracy’s weakness is related to its inability to keep secrets and control the information flows. It is weakened as it loses the power to the flow of the information among us.

History 1920’s Essay

America went through many social changes with the American Revolution and industrial revolution. During the 1920’s, the face of America began to change more into an urban society. Many differences between the rural and urban sides of America emerged. Historians consider the tensions of the 1920s as a backlash against the rising urban America, which turns out true. Rural people believed that the city lacked morals. The urban city dwellers lashed back saying that rural residents did not understand the technology of modern times. In the 1920s, for the first time in American history, more people lived in cities rather than the countryside. People living in the more rural parts of America saw the urban lifestyle as a threat to traditionally shared value. The cities, a haven for political corruption and distraction, had much more alcohol and prostitution problems than their countryside counterparts did. With the rise of Hollywood and films, people found an escape from their routine life and went to see movies that portrayed what it really meant to live the American dream. However, the rural side of the country stuck to the old ways of agriculture life as the struggle between old and new still went on. With the rise in media also came an increase of cultural battles. The media brought about a revolution of morals since many urban Americas saw the changes in media and lifestyle as liberation from the old countryside Victorian past. Granted, the rural Americans did not see it this way. They felt that American had begun to change in sinful ways and that the ethicality of America had begun to decay. Many people in the countryside also resented the amount of immigrants coming into America. As a result, the Klu Klux Klan revived and revolted against the immigrants, Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and any modern or progressive movement. Located mostly in the rural parts of America, the Klu Klux Klan greatly showed their discontent with the modern American lifestyle. The South showed their animosity towards the foreigners and Blacks through discrimination and racism. However, none of this stopped the urban rise of America that the country would soon have to accept.

Financial Management Principles Essay Example

Financial Management Principles Essay Example Financial Management Principles Essay Financial Management Principles Essay Financial Management Principles The time value of money is concept showing a given amount of money is worth more in the present than what the same amount would at after a given duration. This is made possible by the interest earning capacity of money. If one were given the option whether to receive a hundred dollars right now or have to wait a couple of years to receive the same amount, the most reasonable option would of course be the first option. The reason being that one would do a lot with the money now than when one was given after a couple of years. Currently numerous investment options that would take would result in the hundred dollars earning interest to a larger amount by the time the few years are past. For the given situation, the time value of money would come about in consideration on whether the capital invested and the expected income after a given amount of time would be equal if the same amount were invested in another project. : The concept of time value of money would help us as division managers to make the most prudent decisions on which projects to fund and which ones to neglect. There are those projects that seem enticing but when the time factor is put into consideration, it reveals the interest capital accrues over a given time is far much less. Given the above situation, it would be prudent to calculate the exact amount of profit the project is projected to generate. The profit generated is then compared with the capital and the interest accrued on the capital calculated. This interest on capital is calculated in consideration with other factors like taxation, market changes et al. if the interest in capital accrued is reasonable enough in that it is the equal to or above if the capital were invested elsewhere, and the option is then taken as a feasible option. Businesses reach a time when they need to expand hence the requirement of additional capital. The sources of this additional capital are mainly two. These are either to borrow money from the lending sources or sell a piece of the business entity as a form of stock or equity. Regardless of the option the manager opts for, he is going to incur debt and will result into paying interest on the debt incurred. The weighted average cost of capital is a formula used to know which of the options above is best of the business entity. It involves calculating the average for the two sources is weighted in accordance with the amount that the business entity utilizes in funding for its activities (Keane, 1996). The weighted average cost of capital is based on the formula that the weighted cost of capital is the equivalent of the addition of the proportion for the debt financing. This summation is later multiplied by the charge incurred in equity capital. This is then multiplied with the proportion of equity financing. The result will enable me as the division manager to identify the most feasible option. The option giving the lowest cost of capital will mean it is the best to run the business in profitability. The weighted average is a good way of identifying the most feasible source of additional income that will not have the business entity to incur unnecessary expenses in paying up interest on loans. The marginal cost in capital is the cost the business entity will incur when there is an accumulation of one dollar of capital. The amount of marginal cost incurred by a business varies according to the capital source selected by the manager. The marginal cost of capital enables me as the division manager to determine the cheapest way of raising capital while maximizing profit. This constraints my choice to those options whose marginal cost on capital is at least equal to the cost incurred by the business in raising the capital. In this sense, it would be unwise to source capital at a cost of say eight percent and invest it in a project that will earn the company an interest of less than eight percent. The basic idea is money borrowed ought to be invested in such a way that it is able to repay itself and the interest accrued (Gallagher, Andrew, 2008). References Gallagher, C. Andrew, K. ( 2008). Financial Management; Principles and Practice. New York, NY: Freeload Press, Inc. Keane, C. ( 1996). Financial Management Principles: National Information Technology Training Package Series. San Antonio, TX: Tertiary Press.

The eNotes Blog Top Ten Summer Readings for2013

Top Ten Summer Readings for2013 Ahhhh, summer! Finally, some time for a bit of pleasure reading. Got a gift certificate youve been hanging on to? (Ha. Mine are gone minutes after they hit my hands.) Or maybe you are just overwhelmed with choices and dont want to waste precious free time on something that isnt so great. Well, we at want to help you get the most out of your summer reading Here are ten suggestions offered by my very well-read friends who occasionally hang up their tweed jackets and loosen their professorial buns (no, not hair).   Here you will find a combination of new and older works, both fiction and non-fiction, serious and comedic.   So pick a few and let us know what YOU think! 1.   Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue by Jane Maas Are you a fan of AMCs Mad Men and Peggy and Joan in particular? Curious about what life was really like on Madison Avenue in the 60s? Then you will enjoy Maass exploration of life in the ad game in the 1960s and beyond . 2.   Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend by Lynda Curnyn A good beach read by a first time novelist. A friend says it is the only romance novel Ive ever finished. Suddenly single when her aspiring screenwriter boyfriend takes off for a hot job in L.A., bridal magazine editor Emma Carter is forced to reassess her appearance, her job, and her prospects-and take action. A diverse cast of engaging, occasionally offbeat characters, the hilarious sayings attributed to them, and a fast-paced style facilitated by Emmas pithy sound-bite confessions add to the fun in a lively Manhattan-set story that, while not a true romance, leaves the heroine happily pursuing her dreams and involved in a satisfying romantic relationship. This work may appeal to those who enjoy Bridget Jones-type books and like their stories urban, trendy, and slightly ambiguous. Curnyn is a fiction editor and lives in New York. This is her first novel. Library Journal 3. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan As a Steinbeck scholar, this has been on my own list for a long time, and I was pleased to see that several friends highly recommend it as well. Egens gripping true story of living through the Dust Bowl is also a National Book Award winner. 4.   Wash by Margaret Wrinkle This novel was recommended by one of my closest friends so I will be popping this into my shopping cart soon. It sounds fascinating. The Atlanta Journal Constitution calls Wash Amazing . . . Never has a fictionalized window into the relationship between slave and master opened onto such believable territory . . . Wash unfolds like a dreamy, impressionistic landscape . 5.   Who I Am  by Pete Townshend Rock n roll bios seem to make the list every year and this summer is no exception. If youve ever fantasized about pummeling a guitar to bits on stagethis is the book for you. Rock out by the pool and learn the story of a man who. wanted The Who to be called The Hair. loved The Everly Brothers, but not that drawling dope Elvis. wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer and a graphic designer. became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor. smashed his first guitar onstage, in 1964, by accident. heard the voice of God on a vibrating bed in rural Illinois.. Whats not to love? 6.   Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Another recommendation from a good friend (I am going to be so broke by the time this list is done). Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julin Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secretsan epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love. 7.   Chanel Bonfire: A Memoir by Wendy Lawless Another friend suggests this, saying:    Chanel Bonfire is brilliant. Its a memoir by the witty, sharp daughter of a beautiful 1970s jet setter. The social climbing Mom has mental illness and alcoholism. Its actually quite funny, in a black humour sense. Highly recommend it. 8.   Devil in the White City: Murder, Madness, and Magic at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson This friend says, Devil in the White City is a fascinating intertwining of two contemporaneous true events: a serial murderer operating in Chicago and the lead-up to, running, and aftermath of the Chicago Worlds Fair. Its heavy on history and architecture, but I really liked it. 9.   Defending Jacob by William Landay What is it about legal thrillers and summer? Lots of people love them and a very literate friend suggests this one, so on the list it goes. Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis- a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control. 10.   Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener Every man I have ever known loves Michener.   Published in 2011, this volume is a collection of tales is set against the background of the South Pacific, the endless ocean, the coral specks called islands, the coconut palms, the reefs, the lagoons, the jungles, and the full moon rising against the volcanoes. Sounds like the perfect summer mental escape!

The Earths Core - Its Structure and Possible Composition

The Earth's Core - Its Structure and Possible Composition A century ago, science barely knew that the Earth even had a core. Today we are tantalized by the core and its connections with the rest of the planet. Indeed, were at the start of a golden age of core studies. The Cores Gross Shape We knew by the 1890s, from the way Earth responds to the gravity of the Sun and Moon, that the planet has a dense core, probably iron. In 1906 Richard Dixon Oldham found that earthquake waves move through the Earths center much slower than they do through the mantle around it- because the center is liquid. In 1936 Inge Lehmann reported that something reflects seismic waves from within the core. It became clear that the core consists of a thick shell of liquid iron- the outer core- with a smaller, solid inner core at its center. Its solid because at that depth the high pressure overcomes the effect of high temperature. In 2002 Miaki Ishii and Adam Dziewonski of Harvard University published evidence of an innermost inner core some 600 kilometers across. In 2008 Xiadong Song and Xinlei Sun proposed a different inner inner core about 1200 km across. Not much can be made of these ideas until others confirm the work. Whatever we learn raises new questions. The liquid iron must be the source of Earths geomagnetic field-   the geodynamo- but how does it work? Why does the geodynamo flip, switching magnetic north and south, over geologic time? What happens at the top of the core, where molten metal meets the rocky mantle? Answers began to emerge during the 1990s. Studying the Core Our main tool for core research has been earthquake waves, especially those from large events like the 2004 Sumatra quake. The ringing normal modes, which make the planet pulsate with the sort of motions you see in a large soap bubble, are useful for examining large-scale deep structure. But a big problem is nonuniqueness- any given piece of seismic evidence can be interpreted more than one way. A wave that penetrates the core also traverses the crust at least once and the mantle at least twice, so a feature in a seismogram may originate in several possible places. Many different pieces of data must be cross-checked. The barrier of nonuniqueness faded somewhat as we began to simulate the deep Earth in computers with realistic numbers, and as we reproduced high temperatures and pressures in the laboratory with the diamond-anvil cell. These tools (and length-of-day studies) have let us peer through the layers of the Earth until at last we can contemplate the core. What the Core Is Made Of Considering that the whole Earth on average consists of the same mixture of stuff we see elsewhere in the solar system, the core has to be iron metal along with some nickel. But its less dense than pure iron, so about 10 percent of the core must be something lighter. Ideas about what that light ingredient is have been evolving. Sulfur and oxygen have been candidates for a long time, and even hydrogen has been considered. Lately, there has been a rise of interest in silicon, as high-pressure experiments and simulations suggest that it may dissolve in molten iron better than we thought. Maybe more than one of these is down there. It takes a lot of ingenious reasoning and uncertain assumptions to propose any particular recipe- but the subject is not beyond all conjecture. Seismologists continue to probe the inner core. The cores eastern hemisphere appears to differ from the western hemisphere in the way the iron crystals are aligned. The problem is hard to attack because seismic waves have to go pretty much straight from an earthquake, right through the Earths center, to a seismograph. Events and machines that happen to be lined up just right are rare. And the effects are subtle. Core Dynamics In 1996, Xiadong Song and Paul Richards confirmed a prediction that the inner core rotates slightly faster than the rest of the Earth. The magnetic forces of the geodynamo seem to be responsible. Over geologic time, the inner core grows as the whole Earth cools. At the top of the outer core, iron crystals freeze out and rain into the inner core. At the base of the outer core, the iron freezes under pressure taking much of the nickel with it. The remaining liquid iron is lighter and rises. These rising and falling motions, interacting with geomagnetic forces, stir the whole outer core at a speed of 20 kilometers a year or so. The planet Mercury also has a large iron core and a magnetic field, though much weaker than Earths. Recent research hints that Mercurys core is rich in sulfur and that a similar freezing process stirs it, with iron snow falling and sulfur-enriched liquid rising. Core studies surged in 1996 when computer models by Gary Glatzmaier and Paul Roberts first reproduced the behavior of the geodynamo, including spontaneous reversals. Hollywood gave Glatzmaier an unexpected audience when it used his animations in the action movie The Core. Recent high-pressure lab work by Raymond Jeanloz, Ho-Kwang (David) Mao and others has given us hints about the core-mantle boundary, where liquid iron interacts with silicate rock. The experiments show that core and mantle materials undergo strong chemical reactions. This is the region where many think mantle plumes originate, rising to form places like the Hawaiian Islands chain, Yellowstone, Iceland, and other surface features. The more we learn about the core, the closer it becomes. PS: The small, close-knit group of core specialists all belong to the SEDI (Study of the Earths Deep Interior) group and read its Deep Earth Dialog newsletter. And they use the Special Bureau for the Cores website  as a central repository for geophysical and bibliographic data.

Hotel operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Hotel operation management - Essay Example The analysis of this report focuses on analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which the seaside hotel faces in the industry. The financial analysis of the three years reveals that the hotel has increased its performance from the first year to the second year. However, from the second years to the third year, there was a reasonable decline in the overall revenue of the hotel. During the third year, the hotel offered discounts to the customer which was not reflected on the sales of the hotel. Further, the third year witnessed stiff competition as the facilities and services of the rival hotels and resorts were ranked higher than that of seaside hotel. This led to a decline in the revenue. The strengths of the company lie in the ability to compete favorably in the industry while encroaching into new markets. As such, Sea side endeavors to undertake several strategies in year 4 which will see the development of the conference facilities which are more updated due to increased demand. The hotel also wished to expand their operations by application of successful and sufficient advertising mechanisms for their different sectors such as conference facilities, bar and restaurant. The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis of Seaside hotel using the financial data of three consecutive years to analyze it performance and trends. The hotel is a 3 star hotel, for this reason it is characterized by a restaurant, bar, small health club, conference facilities and business services. There is also ample car parking and grounds that many a times have brought revenues from the weddings. Over the last three years the hotel has really performed quiet well. The hotel has been able to survive in a competition intensive market and managed to develop more and more into a major hotel in the region. This section will analyze the performance of the hotel for the last three years. It will be guided by the financial analysis of

The Chinese economy has maintained a momentum of rapid growth while Essay

The Chinese economy has maintained a momentum of rapid growth while many other economies in the world have slumped - Essay Example As a result, the barriers to economic growth under the conventional planned economy were removed and full production became the order of the day. As part of the economic reforms, the country adopted a step-by-step approach in pushing the reforms ahead. At the same time, it made sure that there as a balance between the economic reforms, growth and social stability. This enabled the country to correct the notion that China is a hard place to trade as is evidenced by the large capital investment by overseas investors. According to Sharma (2007), there has been a major capital injection into the country’s economy, which been a major boost in the development of the economy. The country has also recognized the importance of a flexible monetary exchange rate. It has put measures in place to ensure that there is free capital mobility (Prasad, 2004). Economic experts have argued that the high economic growth rate registered by China will only be sustained if the country continues imple menting the comprehensive economic reforms, and the open up policies. ... This has been enabled by the ongoing reforms in the banking sector. Financial transactions and mediations in China are transacted across the banking sector. The banking industry is heavily dominated by the state-owned banks who act as the main lender to companies in China. There is an absence of the corporate bond market which underscores the crucial role that banks play in the economy of China (Li, 1997). China has instituted a reduction in interest rates to encourage more borrowing especially by people in the private sector, particularly the small and medium enterprises. Therefore, stability of the banking industry in China is crucial for sustainability of economic growth in the country (Li, Liu and Yun, n.d.). Currently, the Chinese government has accelerated efforts to address three key issues; maintaining the economic growth, avoiding social contradictions and improving the ability to cope with financial crisis. Lams have been put in place to stimulate domestic demand with an ai m of reducing the over reliance on Gross Domestic Product growth in fixed investment and export promotion. China relies more on the export market which is detrimental in the midst of a global financial crisis like the one being experienced in the world (Wang, 2010). To address this issue of export-oriented economy, the Chinese government has made it a national strategy to strike a reasonable balance between the export oriented models and inward- looking economy. This is being implemented through expansion programs in the global market, while laying down policies to promote domestic consumptions. The Chinese government is on record for trying to uplift the purchasing power of its large

East Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

East Asia - Essay Example Based on such a perspective, this paper makes a comparison of the Neo- Confucianism in China and Korea by establishing discussions on the different perspectives and circumstances that both nations experienced during the different eras. Indeed, the main area of discussion for this paper involves the benefits of Neo-Confucianism to both China and Korea and the various ways through which Neo-Confucianism influenced the lives of citizens in the two nations. Ideally, in the study of the numerous dynasties that played roles in China, the Song dynasty made a significant impact, despite the fact that it was less known for its power and stability, during a period in which Tang had previously imposed great suffering among the people. The Song dynasty, therefore, developed mechanisms for ensuring that the oppressive nature of the Tang came to an end and that all the oppressive activities reversed. Indeed, during the period, the Chinese society showed significant improvements in the various aspects including economy and cities’ expansions, contrary to the occurrences during the Tang regime in which oppression was high, resulting in the fall of the economy with success of few individuals and great suffering for the majority. The Song dynasty indeed influenced a state of significant development in all the different sectors of the economy. Such a perspective has an accurate view that through Neo-Confucianism a rationalist and worldlier Con fucianisms form was established, which involved the rejection of the previous superstitious and mystical elements of Daoism and Buddhism, which had substantive influence on Confucianism, most especially during and after the Han Dynasty (De Bary 314). Neo-Confucianism that had its origins in the Tang Dynasty, ideally, sort to create the existence of a peaceful coexistence between an individual and the universe. As such, in the Korean perspective through its scholars, classics were

Deaf infants and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deaf infants and development - Essay Example (The Care of Infants and Young Children) Speech does not disappear, but voice gets a strange sounding, there is a intonation breach, stress breach, speech is quick, vocabulary is limited (lack of words that expresses abstract notions, only simple sentences are used) Everything mentioned above proves that hearing reduce negatively influences on the speech development. Besides we should take into consideration that we use different loudness while speaking: there are stressed and unstressed sounds in speech, voiceless consonants, etc. Among the different factors that impact the child’s speech we can outline: the degree of the hearing reduce – the worse a child hears, the worse he/she speaks; age of the speech breach – the earlier it happens the more difficult it is; conditions of the child’s growing – the results of bringing up are better if the child is treated in time; physical and psychological development. A negative impact has the limitation of the social contacts in infant’s age when a person should take the world through the sounds. The defected children require special treatment and control by the doctors and teachers. Though the sign systems have different meanings for socialization in different periods of childhood. Usually children use verbal, imaginary-moving and imaginary-graphical signs and socialize through the playing games. Role games, painting and drawing are very important for socializing children who have any kind of defects. All these kind of activity help to form imaginary thinking. (Dr. Eloise Murray) Bringing up the child with diminished hearing, parents should make a responsible choice – method of teaching. Besides the family climate is also very important for the social and cognitive development. The psychologists differentiate several types of relationship with a deaf child: understanding; â€Å"overcaring†; non-real treatment (parents treat their child as a healthy one); indifference(the most dangerous type of

How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty Thesis

How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty - Thesis Example The study would also include a section that would address the area of primary research methodology that would be used to analyze the research question. Finally the study would also contain a section that would summarize the findings of the study and finally suggest certain plausible recommendations that would help marketers of service based organizations to formulate effective strategies that helps in build long term relationships with the organizations thus fostering customer loyalty and ensuring sustainable competitive advantage for the organization in the long run in the competitive and turbulent business environment. Table of Contents How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty 1 Abstract 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 5 Statement of Problem and Importance of Study 6 Definition of Terms 8 Customer Loyalty 8 Brand 8 Brand Equity 8 Innovations 8 Service Mix 8 Research Questions 9 Summary 9 Chapter 2: Literature Review 10 Historical Background 10 Service Delivery and Customer Loyalty 11 Measuring Customer Satisfaction 14 Distinction between Products and Services 15 Elements of Customer Loyalty 17 Service Innovations and Customer Loyalty 18 Customer Loyalty and Competitive Advantage 20 Service Mix and Customer Loyalty 21 Customer Loyalty and Brand Image 22 Summary 24 Chapter 3: Primary Research Methodology 24 Sampling 25 Data Collection Techniques 25 Research Methodology 26 Summary 27 Chapter 4: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations 28 Discussions 28 Conclusions 29 Recommendations 30 References 32 Chapter 1: Introduction The present age of business and consumer markets is rightly termed as the age of consumers. Business organizations in the wake of increased completion within the market are trying out new means to lure customers. It has become essential for organizations to not only attract new customer alone but to also retain the existing customers. In this event customer relationship management and consequently customer loyalty have become largely an importa nt part of the strategy formulation of business organizations. This strategy of business organizations follows from the popular thought which states that it is easier and less expensive to retain an old customer rather than acquiring a new one. Promoting customer loyalty has therefore become one of the most important elements of strategy formulation for business organizations. Customer loyalty is largely measured as an outcome of the level of customer satisfaction which is defined as â€Å"the customer’s fulfillment response to a customer experience, or some part thereof† (Buttle, 2008, p.44). Business organizations are trying out newer strategies to induce customer loyalty which includes providing loyalty cards that can be used by the customer to redeem points based on their purchases. The points can be redeemed for cash discounts or other offers which helps induce repeat purchases by the customers. Customer loyalty has gained widespread importance in the recent years with the dynamics of markets changing from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. Promoting customer loyalty also helps an organization to get closer to its customers so as to better analyze the demands of the customers. The importance of customer loyalty can be gauged from the fact that in Europe

The Product Life Cycle in Relation to the Diverse Activities and Essay - 3

The Product Life Cycle in Relation to the Diverse Activities and Interests of Various Stakeholders - Essay Example The paper tells that the principal stakeholders include the shareholders, securities exchange, and players in it, employees, government, competitors, suppliers, creditors, agents, dealers, environment, and customers of a business among others. The Product Life Cycle refers to the theory, which management applies to facilitate businesses understand the product’s eventual life expectancy and being able to know the standing in a life of a product at a given time. Most products undergo four principal phases in the life namely: the introduction, growth, mature or decline phases. Identifying of the phase of the product cycle enables respective stakeholders to derive strategies intended to improve the performance of the respective products. It is, however, hard to identify the exact phase in which a product belongs in the product lifecycle as a rise or fall in market performance sends mixed results. It is also not clear if stakeholders can accurately predict when the product will go into the subsequent stage of its life cycle. It is also hard for a business to ascertain when the market for a given product will reach market saturation. The management may thus get to know this during saturation and after saturation. The product life cycle model assumes all products have a life limit, which might not be the case since during the saturation phase the product starts slowing down with little or no significant growth. It is significant to note that, businesses are required to work strategically to make profits, employ many people, pay taxes to the government pay dividends to shareholders, improve wealth, and be responsible to the community.

How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty Thesis

How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty - Thesis Example The study would also include a section that would address the area of primary research methodology that would be used to analyze the research question. Finally the study would also contain a section that would summarize the findings of the study and finally suggest certain plausible recommendations that would help marketers of service based organizations to formulate effective strategies that helps in build long term relationships with the organizations thus fostering customer loyalty and ensuring sustainable competitive advantage for the organization in the long run in the competitive and turbulent business environment. Table of Contents How Customer Service earns Customer Loyalty 1 Abstract 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 5 Statement of Problem and Importance of Study 6 Definition of Terms 8 Customer Loyalty 8 Brand 8 Brand Equity 8 Innovations 8 Service Mix 8 Research Questions 9 Summary 9 Chapter 2: Literature Review 10 Historical Background 10 Service Delivery and Customer Loyalty 11 Measuring Customer Satisfaction 14 Distinction between Products and Services 15 Elements of Customer Loyalty 17 Service Innovations and Customer Loyalty 18 Customer Loyalty and Competitive Advantage 20 Service Mix and Customer Loyalty 21 Customer Loyalty and Brand Image 22 Summary 24 Chapter 3: Primary Research Methodology 24 Sampling 25 Data Collection Techniques 25 Research Methodology 26 Summary 27 Chapter 4: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations 28 Discussions 28 Conclusions 29 Recommendations 30 References 32 Chapter 1: Introduction The present age of business and consumer markets is rightly termed as the age of consumers. Business organizations in the wake of increased completion within the market are trying out new means to lure customers. It has become essential for organizations to not only attract new customer alone but to also retain the existing customers. In this event customer relationship management and consequently customer loyalty have become largely an importa nt part of the strategy formulation of business organizations. This strategy of business organizations follows from the popular thought which states that it is easier and less expensive to retain an old customer rather than acquiring a new one. Promoting customer loyalty has therefore become one of the most important elements of strategy formulation for business organizations. Customer loyalty is largely measured as an outcome of the level of customer satisfaction which is defined as â€Å"the customer’s fulfillment response to a customer experience, or some part thereof† (Buttle, 2008, p.44). Business organizations are trying out newer strategies to induce customer loyalty which includes providing loyalty cards that can be used by the customer to redeem points based on their purchases. The points can be redeemed for cash discounts or other offers which helps induce repeat purchases by the customers. Customer loyalty has gained widespread importance in the recent years with the dynamics of markets changing from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. Promoting customer loyalty also helps an organization to get closer to its customers so as to better analyze the demands of the customers. The importance of customer loyalty can be gauged from the fact that in Europe

Article Critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Critique - Article Example In their article, the authors discussed the four major steps or routes in PSW treatment which are the primary (re-extrusion), secondary (mechanical), tertiary (chemical), and quaternary (energy recovery); each option is discussed in detail. The research problem was to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each treatment route and assess the viability of each route with regards to the municipal solid waste (MSW) problem. The authors noted how PSW is found in considerable amounts in the final stream of MSW due to a significant number of daily applications such as in coatings, wiring, packaging, films, covers, bags, and containers (Al-Salem, Lettieri, & Baeyens, 2009, p. 2626); the amount of PSW almost doubled from the period between 1990 to 2000, with each individual producing around 250 kgs. of MSW with a 3% annual growth rate. The increasing cost of finding suitable landfills together with increasingly strict regulatory guidelines and higher environmental awareness has compelled many researchers to focus on the issue of recycling as a viable alternative due to increased production, consumption, and waste generation rates of PSW in the last few decades. The researchers gathered data on both PSW and MSW to highlight the problem of these plastic wastes which are not biodegradable and so viable ways must be found to deal with it. The authors used a good number of credible primary and secondary data sources to support their own arguments concerning the routes now available for PSW treatment. In this regard, a continued development in the recycling and recovery technologies is necessary which requires the cooperation of the whole industry, the government, and the consumers because the solution requires investments in infrastructure and the establishment of viable markets for PSW. In this regard, the authors noted how tertiary

Relationship Between Motivation And Performance

Relationship Between Motivation And Performance 1) To review the literature in order to understand the relationship between staff motivation and performance (including low absenteeism, reduced staff turnover etc.),and how increased empowerment of staff can improve staff motivation(including the comparison with the relevant motivating factors). 2) To review the literature in order to identify what is considered to be good practice in terms of both empowerment and recognition and to compare this with the current practice at the Bombay Hospital THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAFF MOTIVATION AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE Shortages can be a symptom of demotivation, poor management and lack of organizational support (Zurn et al., 2005). Shortages are resulting in heavy workload, which is a precursor to job stress, and burnout, which have also been linked to low job motivation. Nurses job motivation is an elusive concept, which is defined within its extrinsic and intrinsic values (Cowin, 2002). Extrinsic values encompass the tangible aspects of the job including wages, benefits and bonuses, whereas intrinsic values include status, recognition, personal and professional development opportunities, and other similar factors (Cowin, 2002). Reasons for nurse demotivation have been well documented in the nursing literature. Such reasons include lack of involvement in decision-making, poor relationship with management, low salaries and poor benefits, lack of job security, poor recognition and lack of flexibility in scheduling (Albaugh,2003). Nurse demotivation has been also linked to emotional exhaustion and b urnout, Which can affect patient outcomes (Aiken et al., 1997). Furthermore Shields Ward (2001) and Tzeng (2002) has also stated that improper motivation is a primary predictor of nurses intent to leave (Shields Ward, 2001; Tzeng, 2002). A study conducted in the United States presented evidence showing that demotivated nurses were 65% more likely to have intent to leave compared to the motivated counterparts (Shields Ward, 2001). Other predictors of intent to leave vary from other motivation factors like low salaries and fringe benefits, inflexible work schedule (Coomber Barriball, 2007; Hayes et al, 2006), career advancement prospects (Tzeng, 2002, Rambur et al., 2003), in addition to poor management and job stress (Rambur et al., 2003). Nurses turnover is linked to situational factors (Larrabee et al., 2003) such as low levels of motivation (Tzeng, 2002). It is worth noting that improper motivation has also been found to be a better predictor of intent to leave as compared to the avail ability of other employment opportunities (Shields Ward, 2001; Purani Sahadev 2007). A study by El-Jardali et al. (2007) also found a negative correlation between motivation and intention to leave in Lebanese nurses. Their studys main objective was to examine the impact of motivation as a predictor variable on intention to leave used as dependent variable in the study. The finding of the study reveals that the main cause of the dissatisfaction and hence intention to leave was negatively associated with hospitals motivation schemes such as compensation and incentives (extrinsic rewards). Purani and Sahadev (2007) used motivation with multi-faceted construct as predictor variable and examine its impact on intention to leave among the nurses in India. Assuming one of the role as interaction and communication with clients and patient of both profession is common, their study also used experience as moderating variables to examine how working experience could affect motivation and inte ntion to leave relationship. Purani and Sahadev (2007) found that employees with long stay at workplace had higher level of motivation and would not incline to quit. Their finding also suggested that motivation and intention to leave relationship framework must also have other demographic variables consideration into the model of motivation and intention to leave. Pearson and Chong (1997) also examined the impact of job content and job information on motivation among Malaysian nurses in large public sector hospital. They found that job information is stronger predictor to nurses motivation and therefore argued that intrinsic factors such as job information and organization commitment also influence nurses motivation. However, they did recommend that motivation with information cues available to nurses are crucial to determine nurses motivation which may lead to intent to leave or higher job burnout, if not available. Tzeng (2002) examined the impact of working motivational factors a s well as job satisfaction factors as independent variables on nurses intention to leave in cross-sectional study in Taiwan. He found that low levels of motivation, emotional exhaustion and burnout and to the poor social image of the nursing profession influenced nurses intention to leave in Taiwans hospitals. This study therefore, suggested that motivation is a multi-faceted construct and should have both intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors to measure job satisfaction (Tzeng, 2002). HOW MOTIVATION AFFECTS EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE The extent to which employees are motivated in their work depends on how well those employees are able to provide output in their job. Motivation is expected to have a positive effect on quality performance. Employees who are characterized by a high level of motivation show a higher work and life satisfaction. Having a high level of motivation is therefore in itself valuable for employees and a decrease in motivation might affect employees negatively. The motivation leads to high level of initiative and creativity from the employee and where monitoring is difficult, motivation is therefore extremely important for ensuring high quality performance. In Armco Health Center, the quality of employee performance is measured by three individual measures of employee performance. The first measure of the individual performance items is a self-rating measure of employee performance through a program called SAP. The performance of the employee asks to indicate eight-points scale how well the em ployee is doing the job. The second measure of the performance of the Armco Health Center is the extent to which the nurses are willing to conduct tasks that are not part of their job description. The employees are asked to report on the SAP about their willingness to perform additional tasks that are not expected from them regularly and to think constructively about how the organization they work for could be proved. Last item that measure the performance of the nurses are the number of days they were absent. EMPOWERMENT AND STAFF MOTIVATION Nursing is increasingly broad in scope and encompasses an ever widening range of work behaviors and role responsibilities. However, they work within a climate of uncertainty and disempowerment along with high organizational demands placing them under considerable stress (1,2). This condition threatens both physical and emotional wellbeing of nurses and the profession itself and may results to low nurses commitment which in turn may contribute to disengagement or withdrawal of nurses from their organizations (3,4). Consequently, threatens organizational functioning and the quality care, since low nurses commitment leads to absenteeism or poor performance (5). However, the nurses low commitment is being a problem in many countries, Aiken et al(6) have cautioned that the health care workforce faces the serious risk of losing one in five registered nurse for reasons other than retirement. Supportively, several other studies revealed that the turnover rate for hospital registered nurse is among the highest rates found for professional and technical occupational groups (7,8). In addition, in 2002 the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) recorded that current annual registered nurse turnover rates range from 18% to 26% (9). Moreover, Victorian Governmental Department of Human Services Research suggests that at low levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, retention of nursing staff is difficult and this in turn increases absenteeism (10). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, like many other countries is also suffering from nursing low commitment which evidenced by registered nurses high turnover rate and resignation(11). However, some national studies and articles highlighted that governmental sectors in Riyadh city were suffering for many years from high turnover rate of nurses that reached to 70% in some hospitals and resulted in high nurses shortage (12,13) . Along with working condition, salary, nursing disempowerment and uncertainty being cited to explain why the nurses exhibit poor work performance or uncommitted to their organization. In a research conducted by Attree (17) that studies the relationship between nurses perception regarding their control and governance , revealed that registered nurse were dissatisfied with their governance, perceived lack of control over their everyday practice and commented on a popular perception that they had become disempowered , lacked influence and asserted that they have fairly little power. Its the managers and physicians who have the power, not nurses. Both managers and physicians decided, told and expected from the nurse to just get on with it, without discussion, or negotiation. As Salvage (18), nurses may see themselves as skilled practitioners, but the public still clings to its old image of the nurse as the doctors handmaiden. This indicates that nurses are not powerless due to lack in competence, motivation, and/or information, but because lack of awareness and enabling system and structure. Foser and Hoggett (19) termed this situation as a Do more with less culture where rhetoric is designed to empower the exhausted workers by emphasizing their commitment to organizational goals . However, disparity between the nurses desired and perceived autonomy and control over daily job activities interferes with nurses attempts to perform according to their expectations as professionals and may contribute to disengagement and withdrawal from the profession of nursing (17). Parallel to this is the national view of nursing in Saudi culture. Abu- Zinada (11,20) stated in many articles that the nurses were disempowered, and have a feeling of uncertainty. In contrast, she saw that the nurse has the right to make decisions that are separate of the physician ones. Moreover, Al-morshed (21) considered that the nurses were not assistants to the physician or that their role is limited to giving injection or helping a patient, since the nursing is a science before everything. Thus, creating conditions that foster a sense of empowerment in healthcare settings are critical to both employee wellbeing and organizational success(22) . For employee well-being, empowerment offers opportunities for learning, development, and playing a more active role in operational decisions through the personal development and involvement in decision making. As a result, employees can sense their feelings of self-worth, meaningfulness, job satisfaction and morale that result from their contributions and control or autonomy over their work. Additionally, empowerment is essential for enhancing nurses role, strengthening the professional image, and continuously improving the healthcare system. It allows the nurses to perform in a professional manner by being more autonomous, responsible and participative (23). For organizational success, many hospitals uses the concept of empowerment as a retention strategies to improve nurses commitment by fostering the desire not to leave the organization for selfish interests or marginal gains, and increase willingness to work by making personal sacrifice, performing beyond normal expectations , endure difficult times with an organization and increasing acceptance of organizations values and goals . As a consequence, nurses will be less burned-out and more engaged in their work and will contribute to organizational effectiveness (24). Although, the concept of empowerment is frequently used in health services and in nursing ,particularly in relation to the quality of care, since the mission of nursing is to provide safe and quality nursing care thereby enabling patients to achieve their maximum level of wellness(25). Also empowerment play a significant role in the management of job stress and job satisfaction as well as in nurse attraction and retention ( 26). Hence, creating healthy work conditions that empowered nurses and provide freedom to act according to their expectation as a professional, may be a fruitful strategy for nurse managers and administrators to retain nurses who currently work by promoting their commitment to the organization, especially in a critical care settings. Nowadays, many seek power but few possess it. Nurses are not exception (Marquis and Huston, 2000). In health care settings, an unequal power base exists among administrator, physicians, and nurses as a result of the competing goals of administration and the coexistence of multiple lines of authority (Sabiston and Laschinger, 1995). The rigidity of hierarchical rule-bound structures has been specifically blamed for nurses inability to sufficiently control the content of their practice (Laschinger and Havens, 1996). Kanter (1993) proposed that an individuals effectiveness on the job is influenced largely by organizational aspects of the work environment. This author identified power and access to opportunities to learn and grow, as structural determinants affecting the behavior of the individual. This power is derived from the ability to mobilize information, support, and resources necessary for getting the job done. Access to these empowering structures is influenced by the degree of formal and informal power an employee has in the organization (Kanter,1993). Formal power evolves from having a defined job that affords flexibility, visibility and centrality to organizational purpose and goals whereas informal power is determined by the extent of employees networks and alliances with sponsors, peers, and subordinates within the organization. Access to these empowering structures has a positive impact on employees, resulting in increase in their job satisfaction, level of organizational commitment and feelings of autonomy. Consequently, employees are more productive and effective in meeting organizational goals (Dutcher and Adams, 1994 ; Laschinger et. al., 1999). Nurses autonomy or control over work was seriously limited by unequal power relationships with medical staff, which enhanced physician power and restricted the nurses freedom, and consequently hindered their empowerment (McParland et al., 2000). To achieve excellence in nursing requires empowered staff nurses in order to be effective in their roles, and to be more autonomous (Marquis and Huston, 2000). Nurses who perceive them to be empowered are more likely to enhance client care through more effective work practice. Thus by providing the sources of job-related empowerment and autonomy, work methods and outcomes could be improved (Kanter, 1993; Sabiston and Laschinger, 1995). EMPOWERMENT IMPROVES MOTIVATION Empowerment. Thomas and Velthouse (1990) define empowerment as personal power that flows from professional growth, which is correlated with job satisfaction. Klakovich (1995) further states that the empowerment of nursing staff may be the critical variable in achieving positive organizational outcomes while maintaining the caring values of the nursing profession Klakovich (1996) defines three dimensions of empowerment as reciprocity, synergy, and ownership. Empowerment is a reciprocal leader-follower relationship that advances and aligns strategies, both organizational and individual (Klakovich, 1995). The Reciprocal Empowerment Scale tool reports in three subscales: reciprocity and synergy sub-scales represent the interactive leader/follower process; the ownership subscale represents the outcomes . Reciprocity involves a leadership behavior pattern of sharing power, support and information. Empowerment Research has shown correlations between nursing leadership job satisfaction and e mpowerment (Laschinger et al., 2003; Mrayyan, 2004). In recent years, the idea of empowerment has become popular in the nursing literature (Kluska et al., 2000; Laschinger Finegan, 2005). The review of the literature reveals empowerment being used in various contexts; such as, mental health, chronic care, and health promotion (Dahlgaard Dahlgaard, (2003), Paterson(2001) . In these contexts, the concept of empowerment incorporates positive and respectful relationships through constant dialog (Ellefsen Hamilton, (2000) Prybil( 2003). Morrison, Jones, and Fuller (1997) performed a non-experimental descriptive study that explored the effects of leadership style and empowerment on nursing job satisfaction. The participants included various nursing personnel, such as nurse managers, nursing assistants, nursing clinical leaders, licensed practical nurses and staff nurses. The researchers examined how staff nurses perceived empowerment The researchers results in their variance analysis i ndicated a statistically significant difference in empowerment among different job classifications within the organization Empowerment accounted for more variance with job satisfaction for licensed personnel than for unlicensed personnel, as well as, for differing by type of satisfaction. The researchers findings indicate the importance of empowerment to staff nurse job satisfaction. They also show the contribution of empowerment to job motivation and how they vary by personnel. This study gives reason for performing this research study that examined the relationship of nurse empowerment and motivation Furthermore, studies have shown that Indian nurses had a moderate empowerment level and their actual work empowerment perception was significantly lower than their expectation (Huang, Lin, Hsu, Chen, Huang, 2003). The findings also showed that nurses had the lowest score on participation in decision making. Researchers pointed out that the nursing leaders tended to use authority and might only consult several members opinions for decision making. The opportunity for nurses to participate in decision making is limited. As such, frontline nurses might think decision making is the managers responsibility, not theirs (Mok Au-Yeung, 2002). Participation can be seen as the highest level of empowerment. Nurses level of participation in decision making (PDM) can be used as an important indicator of empowerment. In western health care system, it has been found that the area where nurses prefer to be involved in decision-making is more related to the context of nursing practice, such as nursing unit operation (Blegen et al., 1993). Yet, in Indian nurses PDM is still not well studied. The extent to which nurses prefer to be or are actually involved in decision making is still not clear. Laschinger and Finegan (2005) surveyed 273 medical, surgical and critical care nurses concluding that structural empowerment had a direct effect on organizational trust and respect, job motivation and commitment. An important addition to the understanding of empowerment in nursing education was another finding that empowerment increased motivation level of the nurses (Falk-Raphael, Chinn, Anderson, Laschinger, Rubotzky, 2004) Work empowerment has been linked to many other important organizational outcomes, such as job motivation, organizational commitment, lower levels of job stress and empowering leader behaviors (Spence-Laschinger, Tuer-Hodes, 2003). Hollinger-Smith and Ortigara (2004) stated that nurses perceptions of work empowerment are related to commitment to and trust in the organization, autonomy, participation in organizational decision-making, and job motivation. Increased autonomy and work motivation have been directly linked to nurse retention and increased patient satisfaction (Hollinger-Smith Ortigara, 2004). Empowering work environments can also influence nurses ability to practice in a professional manner, ensuring excellent patient care and positive organizational outcomes. Organizational changes have a direct effect on the work environment and may contribute to higher rates of demotivation, burnout and absenteeism among staff (Kuokkanen, Savikko Doran, 2007). Factors of empowerment c an also provide a way to measure the effects of organizational changes (Kuokkanen et al., 2007). To achieve excellence in nursing requires empowered staff nurses in order to be effective in their roles, and to be more autonomous (Marquis and Huston, 2000). Nurses who perceive them to be empowered are more likely to enhance patient care through more effective work practice. Thus by providing the sources of job-related empowerment and autonomy, work methods and outcomes could be improved (Kanter, 1993; Sabistonand Laschinger, 1995). In Sochalskis (2002) survey of nurse empowerment , it was found that 1 out of 3 staff nurse participants (manager and staff level) were dissatisfied and hence demotivated in their job. Increasing job satisfaction, as it positively correlates with empowerment and organizational commitment, is a strategy to help retain employees (Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, Casier, 2000). As patient care becomes more technologically advanced and complex, (requiring greater experience on the part of nursing staff to perform the job correctly), workplace stability and a utonomy become invaluable in a hospital setting (Laschinger et al,2000.). Many researchers have concluded that building collaborative decision making teams will empower both nursing and managerial staff; which boosts morale and work performance (Cowin, 2002 Kluska et al., 2004). Ellefsen and Hamilton (2000) concluded that nurse empowerment encourages nurses in management positions to perform their duties efficiently and with confidence and competence. Research suggests when hospital leadership encourages subordinate empowerment; there is a direct link to increased subordinate job satisfaction and motivation (Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, Wilk, 2001). Evidence has shown that empowered nurses shift their self-perceived role from that of a subordinate to collaborator; which encourages consensus building, improves job ownership, improves trust and the followers motivation, sense of responsibility and organizational commitment( Wagner ,2006 Watson, 2002). Empowerment not only increase s job motivation, but inspirational and visionary transformational leadership encourages the highest level of staff efficiency and productivity (Keuter, Byrne, Voell, Larson, 2000; Moss Rowles, 1997). Masi (2000) concluded that empowerment provides opportunities for choice and promotes autonomy, which allows subordinates to demonstrate their competencies. The espoused benefits of empowerment The supposed benefits of empowerment can be broadly divided into two areas: benefits for the organization; and benefits for the individual. Much of the empirical research into empowerment has focused on organizational benefits assuming that these are the driving force behind attempts to engender empowered working (Cunningham et al., 1996). Certainly the motivation for managerial adoption of empowerment is typically driven to help managers manage and improve work organization and job performance, not to primarily create an environment that is beneficial for the employee (Psoinos and Smithson, 2002). Global competition and a changing business environment have prompted organizational change in response to increased pressures to improve efficiency and performance (Lawler et al., 1992). It has been argued that organizations with higher levels of empowerment have demonstrated improvements in various economic performance areas (Applebaum et al., 1999). The economic benefits of empowerment s pecifically may be difficult to assess as often it is introduced as part of a broader initiative such as BPR and TQM (Psoinos and Smithson, 2002). Despite the espoused organisational benefits Argyris (1998) argues that empowerment has still not delivered the promised benefits, remaining a myth rather than reality. While it could be argued that the primary motive for empowerment is initially driven by the need to improve the economic performance of the organisation, benefits to the individual employee have also been identified. Nykodym et al. (1994) found that employees who consider themselves empowered have reduced conflict and ambiguity in their role, as they are able to control (to a certain extent) their own environment. They suggested that this reduces emotional strain on the employee. Similarly, it has been suggested that empowered employees have a greater sense of job satisfaction, motivation and organisational loyalty (Koberg et al., 1999, Spreitzer et al., 1997). Empowerment cannot only impact attitudes but it can also impact on performance, specifically employee productivity (Koberg et al., 1999) and employee effectiveness (Spreitzer et al., 1997). Overall the literature points to many potential benefits to both organisations and employees like if the workplace empowerment is successful, then it produces a win-win situation (Lashley, 1999). However, despite the strong support for empowerment in theory, in practice empowerment may exist in rhetoric only and control is the reality for employees (Sewell and Wilkinson, 1992). Although it may be considered that employee empowerment will improve organizational performance but it is possible that empowered employees are not necessarily more motivated or have higher levels of job satisfaction (Collins, 1999). Thus the benefits of empowerment should not be assumed to automatically occur nor should the rhetoric of empowerment be confused with the reality. Measurement of the employee benefits is very difficult t o achieve. Unlike organisational benefits which can be measured using objective facts, individual benefits are much more complex. Certain objective measures, such as absence and turnover rates have been applied in this context (Psoinos and Smithson, 2002). However, it is often considered that softer measures of employees attitudes may provide informative insights omitted by other more tangible measures (Psoinos and Smithson, 2002). FACTORS IMPORTANT FOR MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES One of the most perplexing healthcare retention issues is keeping newly licensed nurses from leaving after just a year or two of employment in the clinical setting (Zucker, Goss, Williams, Bloodworth, Lynn, Denker, et al., 2006). Kovner, Brewer, and Djukic (2007) presented evidence that 13% of newly licensed 1490 RNs had changed principal jobs after one year, and 37% reported that they felt ready to change jobs. Nurses leave the profession mainly because of low pay and poor job satisfaction (DiMeglio, Padula, Piatek, 2005)Hence pay and motivation at workplace are very important factors of retaining the staff. Therefore, nurse leaders are faced with two challenges: to recruit sufficiently qualified nurses and to establish rewarding work cultures that promote retention. Recruiting a younger generation of nursing staff members and meeting retention demands of cross-generational nurses will be a challenge like no other previously seen in healthcare (Cordinez, 2002). Newly licensed nurse s recruitment and retention into the workplace are fundamental strategies for ensuring that healthcare systems have the continued capacity to deliver patient care (Berliner Ginzberg, 2002). Understanding why newly licensed registered nurses choose to remain in nursing is an essential component of recruitment and retention strategies. Despite a recent four year trend of increasing nursing school enrollment and graduation of qualified nurses (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2005), the latest data on the shortage of RNs in the United States is estimated to reach about 500,000 by 2025 (Buerhas, Staiger, Auerbach, 2000.This study shows that nursing shortage is going to increase and hence motivating factors like pay,proper work environment and empowerment are necessary for retaining the experienced nurse staff. Hecker (2005) predicts that more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by the year 2014. The problem is that many of the newly licensed nurses w ill not remain in nursing and will choose to leave the profession within four years of graduation from a nursing program (Sochalski, 2002). In a study by Bowles and Candela (2005), 30% of newly licensed RNs left their first nursing position within one year of employment, and 57% left their first nursing position within two years of employment.This study further provides evidence that adds to the case study done by Kovner, Brewer, and Djukic (2007) which also adds to data and evidence that nurses are leaving their profession due to lack of empowerment and motivation in hospitals. The nursing shortage and the high incidence of turnover among newly licensed nurses within the first year of employment need to be investigated. It is well documented that nurses are leaving the profession because they are dissatisfied with current working conditions and not because they are disenchanted with the ideal of nursing, which originally attracted them to the profession (Lynn Redman, 2005; Strachota, Normandin, OBrien, Clary, Krukow, 2003). There is limited research that addresses newly licensed registered nurses career choices post-graduation. The future of nursing rests in the ability to recruit and retain upcoming generations to the profession.Currently, however, there is limited knowledge concerning what influences the decisions of newly licensed registered nurses to remain in nursing. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify factors that influence newly licensed registered nurses decision to remain in nursing. The shortage of people entering professional nursing, nurses dissatisfaction, and high turnover of newly licensed registered nurses are issues of concern. The national shortage in the nursing workforce highlights the critical importance of encouraging nurses to remain in practice. Evidence suggests that a shortage of nurses is detrimental not only to quality of patient care, but also to staff morale, which in turn affects staff retention (Wilson, 2006). The socialization and assimilation of newly licensed nurses into the healthcare system is a pivotal event that influences the retention of nurses (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Sochalaski, Silber, 2002). Professional socialization and work readiness are contributing factors to the retention of newly licensed registered nurses. The transition from student to new nurse is a vital period in several ways. It is the quality of this transitional experience that is likely to influence new nurse retention (Clare van Loon, 2003; Duchsch er, 2001; Ewens, 2003). Professional socialization, a potential buffer to the effects of reality shock, includes the acquisition of knowledge, skills, identity, occupational traits, values, norms, and self-concept (Mamchur Myrick, 2003). The process of professional socialization, from career choice to transition to enculturation to the practice setting is influenced by others, especially other nurses (Beck, 2000; Hinds Harley, 2001). It is this initial professional socialization of nurses that will determine the success or failure of retaining new nurses in the healthcare workplace. The increasing complexity of health services and the acuity of patient care create an expectation by the healthcare organization that the new nurse will hit the ground running (Cowin Hengstberger-Sims, 2006, p. 61). Furthermore, Cowin and Hengstberger-Sims believe the workplace expects newly licensed nurses to quickly fulfill their potential as knowledgeable workers, but the health organization remune rates newly licensed nurses at the lowest possible pay scale. These researchers asserted that incongruencies such as high level of stress related to responsibility and high workloads paired with minimum pay compound the effects of reality shock of nurses new to the field. The healthcare workplace demands work readiness from its newest nurses and the partnership of responsibilit

Soldiers Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War and The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment :: Vietnam War Essays

Soldier's Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War and The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment After reading the Soldier's Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War and The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment, both information did not contradict each other. What both information actually do is that they compliment each other. When reading The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment, we are reading a historical analysis from a historian's point of view. But not all of the analysis can really give the readers a sense of what the war is really like. So by reading the Soldier's Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War, we are reading what the soldiers of the Vietnam War actually goes through and what the soldiers are thinking. For instance, from The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment, it describes: "The Army wanted proof of enemy casualties--high "kill ratios"--to present to Washington. Philip Caputo recalled: "If it's dead and its Vietnamese, it's Viet Cong, was the rule of thumb" in compiling casualty statistics." Similarly from The Vietnam War and the Tragedy o f Containment, it writes: "In March of 1968 an American unit was patrolling the village of My Lai in Central Vietnam. They had suffered recent losses, were frustrated by their inability to find the enemy and anxious for revenge. They rounded up unarmed women, children, and elderly civilians, raped the women, then opened fire. The killed over 300 Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children." By reading these passages, it makes readers feel disgusted about the war and how the leaders approached their frustrations of who their enemies were. But reading these passages does not give a personal detail of how the soldiers felt or were thinking as these tragedies were occuring. For instance, from the Soldier's Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War's "The Commo Man," it describes a very powerful narrative of how a Vietnamese civilian was shot by a U.S. soldier: "I knew what the Sarge was going to do, but I didn't say anything. I just watched, as if in a dream, unconnected from the world around me, paralyzed, impotent. I could have stopped it. The Bummer and I were close. All I had to do was say "Bummer, don't do it." Just four little words, and the spell would have been broken. Instead, I said nothing, and watched as Sarge put his rifle to his shoulder, took aim and fired.

Herman Melville :: essays research papers

Herman Melville In 1850 while writing The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne's publisher introduced him to another writer who was in the midst of a novel. This was Herman Melville, the book Moby Dick. Hawthorne and Melville became good friends at once, for despite their dissimilar backgrounds, they had a great deal in common. Melville was a New Yorker, born in 1819, one of eight children of a merchant of distinguished lineage. His father, however, lost all his money and died when the boy was 12. Herman left school at 15, worked briefly as a bank clerk, and in 1837 went to sea. For 18 months, in 1841 and 1842, he was crewman on the whaler Acushnet. Then he jumped ship in the South Seas. For a time he lived among a tribe of cannibals in the Marquesas. Later he made his way to Tahiti where he idled away nearly a year. After another year at sea he returned to America in the fall of 1844. Although he had never before attempted serious writing, in 1846 he published Typee an account of his life in the Marquesas. The book was a great success, for Melville had visited a part of the world almost unknown to Americans, and his descriptions of his bizarre experiences suited the taste of a romantic age. As he wrote Melville became conscious of deeper powers. In 1849 he began a systematic study of Shakespeare, pondering the bard's intuitive grasp of human nature. Like Hawthorne, Melville could not accept the prevailing optimism of his generation. Unlike his friend, he admired Emerson, seconding the Emersonian demand that Americans reject European ties and develop their own literature. "Believe me," he wrote, "men not very much inferior to Shakespeare are this day being born on the banks of the Ohio." Yet he considered Emerson's vague talk about striving and the inherent goodness of mankind complacent nonsense. Experience made Melville too aware of the evil in the world to be a transcendentalist. His novel Redburn based on his adventures on a Liverpool packet, was, as the critic F. O. Matthiessen put it, "a study in disillusion, of innocence confronted with the world, of ideals shattered by facts." Yet Melville was no cynic; he expressed deep sympathy for the Indians and for immigrants, crowded like animals into the holds of transatlantic vessels. He denounced the brutality of discipline in the United States Navy in White-Jacket. His essay The Tartarus of Maids, a moving if somewhat overdrawn description of young women working in a paper factory, protested the subordination of human beings to machines.