The Life Of Roger Williams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Life Of Roger Williams - Essay Example Roger Williams was an English protestant and theologian. He was a controversialist who used his formal education background to generate erudite arguments on religion. He is among the few unique persons from early history that made an enormous impact with their actions. He left England, his native land, during the Puritan migration to America. His motive was similar to that of other people that participated in the great exodus - to worship God according to the dictates of his mind and conscience. When he arrived at Massachusetts Bay, he felt disappointed to find that the people there practiced conformity. He had migrated to America in search of freedom but that was not what he found. Authorities at the Bay were quick to deal with non conformity. There were mechanisms to deal with discordant elements as quickly as possible. Williams did not accept the existent situation. He immediately started to promote his ideas of religious freedom across the bay area. Williams was among the earliest proponents of religious freedom. He also advocated for the separation of church and state. His religious and political principles offended the authorities of Massachusetts Bay. The authorities tried to arrest him for deportation back to England. He got away before the authorities could get to him. He exiled to the Narragansett where he founded the colony of Providence Plantation in 1636.2 His model advocated for a society where men act as their conscience tell them to in the name of their God. This colony provided refuge to religious minorities. There was no discrimination in the colony based on race or religion and freedom of worship was guaranteed. He also started the First Baptist Church of Providence which was the first Baptist church established in America. Even to this day, there are remarkably few people that may be willing to take the position that Roger Williams took many years back. His position required courage and perseverance in order to achieve the desired goals. His life involved continuous struggle for religious liberty. Roger William’s life Roger Williams was born in 1603 in London. His parents were James and Alice Williams. Roger Williams had a sister, Catherine, and two brothers Robert and Sydrach. Williams spent his early years as a youth at the St. Spulchre Church parish.3 In his teen years, Williams attracted the attention of Sir Edward Coke. Coke was a brilliant lawyer and an influential

Cognition domains Essay Example for Free

Cognition domains Essay Events that happen in an adolescent’s life can affect one of three domains; these three domains are known as ‘psychosocial’ ‘cognitive’ and ‘biophysical’. This essay will focus on the area of the cognition domain now this domain will be discussed in relation to an event that has affected my perception of the world around me, the way I feel in relation to blame and judgment and lastly the ability to learn how to be more reflective. My perception on life changed rapidly when I was informed of a tragic accident concerning the suicide of a family friend. This caused a rapid change in the way I thought about death, grief and sadness. â€Å"David Elkind proposed that formal operational thought also leads to adolescent egocentrism (difficulty differentiating one’s own thoughts and feelings)† (Sigelman, Rider, De George-Walker, Pg 173, 2013) This has impacted the way that I look at the world having gone through this experience I now see that people’s perception can change no matter what. I guess what’s trying to be said is that everyone’s perception is different and it is changing due to the experiences that we all encountering in our everyday lives. The judgment that came after the tragedy was phenomenal. Greg Newham will always be loved and greatly missed but never will he be forgotten. Was it my fault that he died? Greg Newham was a teacher. If I had visited him when the bell rang after school would he still be here today? I did not understand his wife’s decision to not let me go to the funeral. And because of this, because I never got to say my final goodbye it is hard to let go. Hard to move on. A book written by Temple University in the USA about seeking closure states â€Å"closure typically implies that something is finished, ended, closed. Finally you can move on† (2014). Without closure I feel that I am always judging myself. Always questioning my motives, wondering if I could have done more. The last aspect of cognitive development that was affected by this experience was learning. It is hard to live with the knowledge that someone’s death was your fault, even if rationally you know it wasn’t. Those left behind never usually learn the reasons as to why they harm themselves and those around them. Bronfenbrenner’s view of a developing person, with his or her  biological and psychological characteristics are embedded in a series of environmental systems which interact with each other and with the individual over time to influenced development. (Sigelman, Et.al, 2013), with all the developmental events that we all go through it is fair to say that the learning side of our cognitive development is always changing. This essay was written to explain the affects of our everyday lives and how it affects our cognitive domain. With what was said from Bronfenbrenner and David Elkind it is clear to say that the choices we make today do mostly change our lives in some way/s. I never completely understood the affects from my life could change the way I see and think about everything that I do today. References; Sigelman, Rider and De George-Walker, 2013, Life Span Human Development. Temple University, USA, 2014, http://www.temple.edu/tempress/chapters_1800/2136_ch1.pdf

The Age of Exploration Essay -- essays research papers

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time. From the earliest documented accounts, ancient civilizations have explored the world around them. Early adventures were motivated by religious beliefs, a desire for conquest, the need for trade, and an unsatisfying hunger for gold. The great Age of Exploration, beginning in the late 1400s, was an important era in the discovery and development of lands yet unknown to the Europeans. During this period, Europe sought new sea routes to Asia in pursuit of economic gain, increased glory, and opportunities to spread Christianity. Although these were motivations for explorers, the impact from the discoveries resulted in significant changes and achievements that created possibilities and opened a window to a new world for all of Europe. If were not for the superpowers of Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands, the world as we know it would not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leading the way in the exploration of the world was the nation of Spain with a man named Christopher Columbus. Originally intending to find an eastwardly trade route to Asia, Columbus accidently discovered the Americas instead. When word of this â€Å"New World† reached Europe, it virtually started race between the Nations there to claim there own piece of it. Spain continued their exploration there and rapidly claimed many resources and lands, but one thing was hindering them. The native Populations of the New World were getting in their way. They soon initiated a campaign of systematic anhilation of the Natives. Conquistadors soon flocked from Spain to rid the world of these savages. Soon, Hernan Cortez had conquered Mexico and the Aztecs, while Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru and the Incans. The Spanish armory was far greater then that of the Indians, but these explorers had another weapon far more superior. The weapon they had was known as disease, whi ch included the Small Pox and measles. Their prize for accomplishing their goal was the vast wealth of the societies and the large quantities of gold and silver that their lands held. They also aquired slaves to work in the plantations and settlements they were starting. In the end, Spain had control over lands in Northern, Central, and Southern America, as well as the Philippines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parallel to Spain, ... ...ged. The vague differences between the two were almost unnoticeable and were often overlooked. Their Caribbean strongholds did stay independent though, and the Dutch joined in the slave trade to promote the sugar cane trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Age of Exploration was not only an era of exploration, but also an era of vast change. The fierce competition present at this time brought about a new form of economy called the Mercantile System. The Mercantile System was an economic system based on strict governmental regulations of a nation’s economy. The goals of such a system were to increase unity, power, wealth, and self-sufficiency through the accumulation of bullion, the favorable balance of trade, the establishment of trade monopolies, the development of agriculture and manufacturing methods, and finally, the colonizing of other lands. Making all of these accomplishments possible, though, was the advancement of technology, religious philosophy, and individuality do to the enlightenment in the 15th and 16th centuries. The possibilities were endless, and with these aspirations in mind, the nations of Europe set sail to conquer the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Of Power and Piety: An Inquisition into The Roman Catholic Church Essa

Religion is thought to provide comfort to the innermost part of a human: the soul. However, what happens when religion seeks to overstep its rightful boundaries and attempts to control humans from the outside, rather than uplift them from within. Such is the fault of the largest religious organization on Earth: The Roman Catholic Church. Throughout history, the Catholic Church has been among the most infamous of faith-groups due to its apparent conquest for absolute dominance over the minds, bodies, and souls of humanity. The Roman Catholic Church has and continues to play a negative role in the world with respect to the fields of science, politics, and culture, undermining the quality of life for adherents and infidels alike. The Church has and continues to impede humanity’s quest for knowledge and prosperity through its repression of science. As well, it has been involved in among the most infamous events throughout history. Finally, the Church has made its blatant that it s eeks to turn back the hands of time worth respect to progressive social change through tis preaching of its archaic attitudes on contemporary social issues. The Roman Catholic Church has throughout history, impeded scientific discovery, which thereby impaired humanity’s progress towards better understanding of and prospering in the world. Being the most â€Å"catholic† of the world’s faiths, the church has wielded an uncanny grip over the hearts and minds of a large portion of the human race; this was its source of power. To ensure that this power would never be lost, the church had to appeal to all faculties of the human condition, including those of wondering and reason. To this end, the church only tolerated explanations of the workings of the universe that w... ...578d3124b4%40sessionmgr11&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu# db=p3h&AN=1639206 Robinson, B.A. "The role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Shoah (Nazi Holocaust)." religious tolerance.org. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/vat_hol12.htm "The Decline of the Church Authority.†. Albalagh Retrieved from http://www.albalagh.net/kids/history/church_decline.shtml Dickson White, Andrew. "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom." University of Michigan Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Retrieved from http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/White/ Hawkes, Charles, and Jennifer Watt. What Makes us Human. Images of society: introduction to anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Toronto. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001. Pg39.

Modernist poetry Essay

Modernist poetry tends to break many of the structured rules of poems published previously. Walt Whitman’s â€Å"When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,† â€Å"buffalo bill† by e. e. cummings, and â€Å"Mirror† by Sylvia Plath are definitely very different poems in subject. However, what they share is a â€Å"modern† view of poetry. They all â€Å"break the mold† in subject and especially structure. In cummings â€Å"buffalo bill,† cummings â€Å"breaks the mold† both in structure and in syntax. His lack of punctuation and capitalization are unique to his own style. Cummings seems to compare himself to Bill Cody in that Buffalo Bill was really a facade. He rode â€Å"a watersmooth silver stallion,† which means that he didn’t really ride a stallion at all. He uses the word â€Å"defunct† in rather a mocking way, since it is not the way we would talk about someone who died. And yet, at the same time, there is worship in the poem. However, the poet himself has been tricked by the heroic farce of Bill Cody. This sense of mocking fraud is the chief way this poem is similar to the others. Although cumming’s way to get to this similarity is very different from the other poets. He relies on word choice like â€Å"defunct† and mocking statements such as â€Å"fair haired boy. † The tone of both these choices is very irreverent. In Plath’s â€Å"Mirror,† the reader feels as though Plath is writing personally or confessionally. Here is this woman looking in the mirror, seeing the girl slowly be replaced by an older woman and not enjoying this transformation at all. The tone is not irreverent at all, but the image of a â€Å"terrible fish† at the end is very jarring. Plath plays on the fairy tale of looking into a mirror and asking for the â€Å"truth. † But instead of getting the fairy-tale truth, she gets the real truth. If she wants to see how young she looks, she should ask the moonlight or candlelight that hides her flaws and wrinkles. Whereas cummings poem takes a mocking look at legendary Buffalo Bill, Plath’s poem takes a mocking look at a mirror as a truth teller. Plath â€Å"breaks the mold† in being a confessional poet and talking about a woman aging in a completely new way. The last poem entitled â€Å"When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer† in some ways mocks another kind of person/object with legendary status. He mocks the idea that education can tell us all that we need to know. Like the Transcendentalists before him, Whitman believed that we should use our own experiences to tell us what is true in the world. While his tone does not mock, it does certainly refute the idea that by following the â€Å"learned† people, we will know and understand all that we need to. Even though the â€Å"proofs, columns and figures† were before him, he chose to wander out by himself to find the answers. Whitman â€Å"breaks the mold† for his time period by favoring experiential learning over books and academic learning. The true beauty of the night sky is not in listening and understanding everything about it; it is in the beauty and wonder of the night sky. In trying to quantify nature, we kill its wonder. All three poets tell us something unique and refute some â€Å"old way† of looking at things. For cummings, it is a new look at legendary figure Buffalo Bill Cody, who really wasn’t what he was heralded as being. For Plath, it is the old fairy tale like â€Å"Mirror Mirror on the wall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Plath allows us to look at aging as what it truly is—gaining wrinkles and getting closer to death. For Whitman, it is allowing us to look at nature in a more mystical and beautiful way rather than trying to qualify and quantify it. All three poets shock us in some way.

What you can learn from Mark Cuban’s routine

What you can learn from Mark Cuban’s routine Mark Cuban is a pretty well-known guy. Maybe you know him from his social media feuds with certain presidents, or his courtside theatrics at Dallas Mavericks games, or his TV appearances as an investor on Shark Tank. The billionaire is a busy man- but also a successful one, so what can we learn from his daily routine? Start early.Just thinking about one is painful to many of the night owls out there, but Cuban credits his early work as one of the key elements of his success. Getting up and starting to work (like checking emails or messages) may seem like a drastic start, but surveys have shown that many people are sharpest when they first wake up.Come up with a mantra.Positive thinking can be very effective, so come up with some personal mantras that work with your goals. According to Cuban, â€Å"Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you† keeps him going. What motivates you? How can you turn that into a one-liner?Keep up the pace throughou t the day.Even when there’s downtime, Cuban keeps checking emails to stay informed. Some downtime is usually key to decompressing, but if you find yourself with periods that aren’t so busy during the work day, doing quick checks of email can help you stay focused.Don’t get stuck in meetings.Cuban feels like most meetings are a â€Å"waste of time.† For the rest of us, meetings are often a necessary evil if we want to get our work done, but you can apply Cuban’s philosophy to your own career by evaluating whether sit-down meetings are truly necessary, or if you can get the work done another way (like brief face-to-face chats, or a phone call/email).Make time for personal priorities.As a parent, Cuban finds himself with a dilemma familiar to many: having professional obligations pull one way, family obligations another. It’s a matter of scheduling the highest-priority family moments into the day. It is also a matter of balance: â€Å"I canâ⠂¬â„¢t make all their games, but I make most,† he says.Take time for self care.Cuban’s not only basketball team owner, but also an unofficial player, making time for basketball games and other workouts as part of the daily fitness routine. Whatever your fitness or self care routine is (yoga, meditation, gym time, walking the dog, etc.), make sure you carve out some time in your day for it. Pushing too hard at work and not having an outlet can lead to major work stress.Get enough sleep.Speaking of work stress, not getting enough sleep can be a major contributor. Cuban gets six to seven hours a night. The ideal can vary by person, but whatever your magic number is for peak productivity and performance during the day, make sure you’re getting that sleep as much as you can.We may not all be billionaire investors, but Mark Cuban’s daily routines show us that with a little extra focus, scheduling, and consistency, we can try living like one.

Effective Marketing To Mainland China †Marketing Research Paper

Effective Marketing To Mainland China – Marketing Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Effective Marketing To Mainland China Marketing Research Paper In order to effectively do business in other countries and societies, businesses must first do much research in determining the best approach to the partnership. Business is hard enough to concrete in a similar environment like the United States; but adding the pressures of different languages and morals can really put a strain on business relationships and be devastating to the bottom line. Even bigger differences like monetary values, geographical and economical laws can play havoc to a business trying to establish over seas partnerships unless all factors are accounted for. MemberSoft is the third largest producer of operating systems in the world, third only to Microsoft and UNIX. MemberSoft sold 12 million copies of Baileys06, our flagship operating system, and generated 4 million dollars in profit last year alone. The advantage to MemberSoft’s products ranges in value, depending upon what a particular client needs is. We focus on encryption and security in our packages. With much debate on the security breeches of both Windows and Linux, we took security to the extreme and use this as a huge bargaining tool to move consumers to our product. Another advantage to Baileys06 is its ease of expansion and customization. This chameleon approach to software design allows users to build upon and change many functions of their system and gives the consumer many controls they would not have in other OS environments. We feel that this functionality will really give us the advantage, especially in oversees markets. We at MemberSoft are in the preliminary stages of marketing Baileys06 to a new market; China. Baileys06 is our newest operating system ran solely on PC formatted computers. We have had much success in marketing and selling Baileys06 to the American public and due to saturation in the market, we feel that China would be a good place to continue. Due to the vast differences between our market here at home and China’s, we are going to start with an in depth analysis of global, regional and country trends in economy, politics and many other factors that can effect our success in the Eastern market. We will also discuss the needs and wants of the Chinese people and plan how Baileys06 can meet those particular issues. We picked China for our first venture for a few reasons. First, Microsoft, obviously our largest competitor, has a bad reputation in China. The companys reputation in the West as arrogant and aggressive, along with cultural and business blunders and difficulty adjusting to Chinas unique political environment, have caused friction for Microsoft in what is becoming one of the worlds most important markets, according to industry observers. (cnn.com) We are taking the down fall of Microsoft’s reputation in China as a catalyst to booming sales in the East. The challenge will be to not fall into the same traps that our bigger, older brother did. To guard against that, we will start our in depth analysis China’s unique economy and culture. China stretches some 5,000 kilometers across the East Asian landmass in an erratically changing configuration of broad plains, expansive deserts, and lofty mountain ranges, including vast areas of inhospitable terrain. The eastern half of the country, its seacoast fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands, foothills and mountains, desert, steppes, and subtropical areas. The western half of China is a region of sunken basins, rolling plateaus, and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland on earth. The vastness of the country and the barrenness of the western hinterland have important implications for defense strategy. In spite of many good harbors along the coastline, the nation has traditionally oriented itself not toward the sea but inland, developing as an imperial power whose center lay in the middle and lower reaches of the Huang He (Yellow River) on the northern plains. The Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish, inefficient, Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system. Whereas the system operates within a political framework of strict Communist control, the economic influence of non-state organizations and individual citizens has been steadily increasing. The authorities switched to a system of household and village responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprises in services and light manufacturing, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. China thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals. The government has struggled to sustain adequate jobs growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and keep afloat the large state-owned enterprises, many of which had been shielded from competition by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full wages and pensions. From 80 to 120 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. Popular resistance, changes in central policy, and loss of authority by rural cadres have weakened Chinas population control program, which is essential to maintaining long-term growth in living standards. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment, notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. Beijing says it will intensify efforts to stimulate growth through spending on infrastructure such as water supply and power grids and poverty relief and through rural tax reform. Accession to the World Trade Organization helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth rates but at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of strong political controls and growing market influences. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use. Foreign investment remains a strong element in Chinas remarkable economic growth. Growing shortages of electric power and raw materials will hold back the expansion of industrial output. Because of limited interaction among regions, the great variety of geographic zones in China, and the broad spectrum of technologies in use, areas differed widely in economic activities, organizational forms, and prosperity. Within any given city, enterprises ranged from tiny, collectively owned handicraft units, barely earning subsistence level incomes for their members, to modern state-owned factories, whose workers received steady wages plus free medical care, bonuses, and an assortment of other benefits. The agricultural sector was diverse, accommodating well-equipped, specialized households that supplied scarce products and services to local markets; wealthy suburban villages specializing in the production of vegetables, pork, poultry, and eggs to sell in free markets in the nearby cities; fishing villages on the seacoast; herding groups on the grasslands of Nei Monggol Autonomous Region (Inner Mongolia); and poor, struggling grain-producing villages in the arid mountains of Sha anxi and Gansu provinces. The economy had progressed in major ways since 1949, but after four decades experts in China and abroad agreed that it had a great distance yet to go. The first few years of the reform program were designated the period of readjustment, during which key imbalances in the economy were to be corrected and a foundation was to be laid for a well-planned modernization drive. The major goals of the readjustment process were to expand exports rapidly; overcome key deficiencies in transportation, communications, coal, iron, steel, building materials, and electric power; and redress the imbalance between light and heavy industry by increasing the growth rate of light industry and reducing investment in heavy industry. The government also actively encouraged the establishment of collectively owned and operated industrial and service enterprises as a means of soaking up some of the unemployment among young people and at the same time helping to increase supplies of light industrial products. Individual enterprisetrue capitalismalso was allowed, after having virtually disappeared during the Cultural Revolution, and independent cobblers, tailor s, tinkers, and vendors once again became common sights in the cities. Foreign-trade procedures were greatly eased, allowing individual enterprises and administrative departments outside the Ministry of Foreign Trade (which became the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade in 1984) to engage in direct negotiations with foreign firms. A wide range of cooperation, trading, and credit arrangements with foreign firms were legalized so that China could enter the mainstream of international trade. Although the reform program achieved impressive successes, it also gave rise to several serious problems. One problem was the challenge to party authority presented by the principles of free market activity and professional managerial autonomy. Another difficulty was a wave of crime, corruption, andin the minds of many older peoplemoral deterioration caused by the looser economic and political climate. The most fundamental tensions were those created by the widening income disparities between the people who were getting rich and those who were not and by the pervasive threat of inflation. These concerns played a role in the political struggle that culminated in party general secretary Hu Yaobangs forced resignation in 1987. Following Hus resignation, the leadership engaged in an intense debate over the future course of the reforms and how to balance the need for efficiency and market incentives with the need for government guidance and control. The commitment to further reform was af firmed, but its pace, and the emphasis to be placed on macroeconomic and microeconomic levers, remained objects of caution. The banking system was centralized early on under the Ministry of Finance, which exercised firm control over all financial services, credit, and the money supply. During the 1980s the banking system was expanded and diversified to meet the needs of the reform program, and the scale of banking activity rose sharply. New budgetary procedures required state enterprises to remit to the state only a tax on income and to seek investment funds in the form of bank loans. Between 1979 and 1985, the volume of deposits nearly tripled and the value of bank loans rose by 260 percent. By 1987 the banking system included the Peoples Bank of China, Agricultural Bank, Bank of China (which handled foreign exchange matters), China Investment Bank, China Industrial and Commercial Bank, Peoples Construction Bank, Communications Bank, Peoples Insurance Company of China, rural credit cooperatives, and urban credit cooperatives. The Peoples Bank of China was the central bank and the foundation of the banking system. Although the bank overlapped in function with the Ministry of Finance and lost many of its responsibilities during the Cultural Revolution, in the 1970s it was restored to its leading position. As the central bank, the Peoples Bank of China had sole responsibility for issuing currency and controlling the money supply. It also served as the government treasury, the main source of credit for economic units, the clearing center for financial transactions, the holder of enterprise deposits, the national savings bank, and a ubiquitous monitor of economic activities. China’s economic miracle over the past two decades has produced an environmental disaster with skyrocketing rates of air and water pollution, severe land degradation, and increasing resource scarcity. This environmental crisis is engendering a range of other social, political, and economic challenges within China. China’s environmental enforcement remains unequal to the challenge. There are significant opportunities for the United States to assist China’s environmental protection effort in ways that serve core U.S. political and economic priorities. China’s pollution and environmental degradation are also transforming the social, political, and economic landscape of China by incurring costs to Chinese economic productivity, engendering waves of internal migration, contributing to wide scale public health problems, and leading to social unrest. In terms of air quality, China’s overwhelming reliance on coal for almost three-quarters of its energy needs has made its air quality among the worst in the world. Almost two-thirds of Chinese cities tested failed to achieve standards set by the World Health Organization for acceptable levels of total suspended particulates, which are the primary culprit in respiratory and pulmonary diseases. Acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions from coal burning, affects over one-fourth of China’s land, including one-third of China’s agricultural land, damaging crops and fisheries throughout affected provinces. China’s dramatic growth in automobile use pos es the greatest future threat to China’s air quality. China has millions of cars, trucks, and buses; they suggest that China will have 110 million cars; critically, national standards for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide are well below those in the United States. Foreseeing the challenge, the Chinese government is putting into place fuel efficiency standards that exceed those of the United States, and working to experiment with higher standards. In China, health care delivery follows a three-tiered structure set up in the 1950s for rural and urban areas. In 1990, China set baseline criteria for primary health care in rural areas which is largely funded by a reestablished rural cooperative medical care financing system. Financing reform efforts in urban areas are using a model through which contributions are collected from salaries and from local governments and other public organizations. The overall incidence of infectious diseases is more than 500/100,000 people, but associated mortality has declined. Diseases covered by the expanded Programs of Immunology have been controlled, but China is at high risk for viral hepatitis (epidemics of hepatitis A infections occurred in 1988), and incidence of tuberculosis has increased. In addition, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading rapidly with an estimated 50,000-100,000 infected. Parasitic diseases are also widespread, and causes of death seen in developed countries (hypertension, stroke, coronary health disease, cancer, and diabetes) are increasing. With 510 million people living in iodine-deficient areas, iodine deficiency diseases have disabled an estimated 8 million people. China has promised to eradicate iodine-deficiency by the year 2000. The disabling Kaschin-Beck disease is also endemic in China. Occupational diseases threaten nearly 20 million Chinese people, and the prevalence of smoking and alcohol abuse is increasing, especially among young people. By the year 2000, 10% of the population will be older than 60, and 30% of this group will have health problems requiring care. The health care system is, thus, undergoing rapid change to meet its new challenges. China’s gradual transition to a market economy, which has been proceeding for two decad es, has put China among the World’s fastest growing economies. While economic growth has increased Incomes and improved health indicators, as well as reduced overall poverty levels, growth has not been totally benign. Unregulated economic development has also contributed to the devastation of China’s forests. China’s forest resources rank among the lowest in the world. This deforestation has contributed to biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and much of the horrific flooding that China experiences on an annual basis. As China has become a major source of furniture and other wood products in the international market, this too has driven an increasingly profitable but environmentally problematic illegal logging trade. China also supports strong anti-terrorism measures due to concerns about its own vulnerability to terrorism in its vast northwestern territories. As China faces a rising tide of terrorism and separatist movements within its own borders, the government has adopted specific approaches in dealing with the issue. The first has to do with prevention. This involves domestic legislation and sweeping crackdowns on terrorist activities by law enforcement agencies. Another approach is to isolate and demonize separatist groups. The government has depicted them as evil forces and defended its sometimes heavy-handed approach to separatist activities as necessary to protect the social and economic stability of minority regions. Beijing has combined these repressive tactics with efforts to co-opt leaders of minority groups. Internationally, China has sought closer cooperation with the governments of the Central Asian republics. Anti-terrorism has become a major focus of the Shanghai Cooperation Org anization that includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The six member states have already announced the establishment of an anti-terrorism center. In the past, China revealed as little as possible about the sensitive issue of separatist violence in the huge and remote western region of Xingjian. Apart from anything else, it was highly embarrassed by the claims of local Muslim Uighurs that they were being oppressed and overwhelmed by outsiders in their own land. Beijing was initially very shy about the whole problem, said MJ Gohel, a terrorism specialist at the Asia Pacific Foundation, an independent intelligence think tank based in London. China has waged a continuing battle against signs of rebellion against its rule, though human rights groups say many of those it has arrested may have done little more than practice their religion or defend their culture. Since the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, China has not only intensified its crackdown in Xingjian, but it has also felt bold enough to seek outside help. It now describes its once secret and sensitive private problem as an integral part of the war on global terrorism. Chinas emergence as a global economic and trade power has created economic opportunities for Chinas trading partners, but has presented several challenges as well. On the one hand, Chinas economic growth has made it an increasingly important trading partner for many nations. On the other hand, Chinas trade barriers, failure to adopt most multilateral rules on international trade, and the relative absence of the rule of law for business activities have often proved to be major barriers for doing business in China and have been the cause of growing tensions with various trading partners, especially the United States. Currently, China is the largest economic power that is not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the international body that sets rules for most international trade. China has sought WTO membership, but has consistently argued that it should be given fairly lenient terms for joining the WTO. The United States and certain other WTO members contend that China is a large economic and trading power and, hence, must make major reforms to its trade regime before joining the WTO. Chinese officials contend that China is a developing country and should be allowed to enter the WTO under conditions which would allow it to adopt reforms over time. They contend that U.S. demands for trade liberalization are too severe because they would cause widespread bankruptcies of many state-owned firms, leading to widespread layoffs and social unrest. The growth of Chinas economy and the pace of reforms have been of great concern to Congress. Some Members view the sluggish growth in U.S. exports (and the rising U.S-China trade imbalance) in recent years as an indicator that Chinese markets are relatively closed to most U.S. goods and services; they argue that the United States should support Chinas membership in the WTO only if it agrees to significantly open up its markets to U.S. goods and services. Congressional support or lack thereof, for Chinas WTO membership will likely determine whether it will eventually vote to extend permanent most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment to China. Despite any differences in politics and economy, we feel the global market has never been more inviting then it is right now. With vast improvements in transportation and shipping; coupled with the advance of communication tools such as the internet and global cell phones the time is right for global business. We can also save money and easily and cheaply set up cd-rom coping establishments in China to take advantage of cheap labor and decreased shipping charges. Money can break down walls and change the way countries work from the inside. China, in the past so anti foreigner, much like Russia was during the cold war, is learning from history and have started opening up it’s boarder. As stated above, China has almost paranoia of other cultures. We will capitalize on this scare by highlighting the security of our product. The Chinese people demand top notch security and that is what we plan on marketing to them. The Chinese people also have specific ways of doing everything. The ability of our OS to be molded and customized will be yet another selling point to our friends in the East. The Chinese can in effect make their own version of our OS that suits all their needs. To further ensure of our success in the East, we will strongly partner with the Chinese government and will include them in business decisions and any potentially important planning and organizing. The life cycle theory applied to Chinas booming market says that foreign firms can now set their strategies for the growth stage. As investors in the China market we plan to succeed and focused primarily on start-up approaches, cultural issues, Chinese management styles, and the time needed to achieve success. Chinas market has undergone many changes since the late Deng Xiao-ping initiated his open door policy nearly 20 years ago. They have been particularly evident in the past few years as the average, payback time for foreign firms is now 4.6 years, down from 7.4. The government has tightened bank lending in an effort to slow a growth rate that is too steep. State enterprises are now undergoing financial pressures, a phenomenon unheard of until recently. Workers are beginning to accept responsibility as individuals, much as they would in a true free-market society. As the economy develops, the market follows suit. The principal changes can be summarized in terms of the structural c hanges in Chinas market, the countrys improved managerial knowledge, its new generation of managers, and its progression in the market life cycle. We noticed as foreign companies proliferated, competition between them and Chinese firms became fierce; in sectors where foreign firms compete, Chinas market is no longer dominated either by foreign or Chinese firms. However, sales of foreign consumer goods are confined to Chinas more affluent populationthose who can afford to pay the premium prices. Management has been one of the most serious problems in China because of the generation, now aged 40 to 50 that grew up during the Cultural Revolution. They are seen as having an iron rice bowl mentality and, without adequate training in their earlier years, have no respect for authority. They have occupied the most important positions in Chinas state-owned enterprises because of the power they achieved during the revolution. Foreign firms are reluctant to hire or deal with them. But they are gradually being replaced by a younger generation of energetic, hard-working, trainable Chinese who, despite the political training they had to unde rgo, were given more opportunities to study in school. They take pride in working for foreign firms and in adapting to new challenges. They will make doing business in China much easier. When foreign investors first evaluated the potential of the Chinese market, they were concerned about the availability of indigenous laborers and first-line supervisors. Though both are still important, the need for indigenous middle managers and technical personnel, especially in accounting and finance, is now more critical, as foreign investors strive to develop the market they have chosen to enter, enlarge their operations, and establish regional headquarters. No longer burdened with opening the market, they can now look into the details of running operations in the Western way. And as foreign operations mature in China, the potential of the market looks more promising and deserving of further investment. Without question, foreign firms must depend heavily on expatriate managers and staff for their China-based operations because they are importing into China their foreign technology, their foreign management styles, and their foreign economic and financial philosophy. But choosing an expatriate who is unprepared for what lies ahead can be disastrous both to the person chosen and to the firm. Expatriates represent the largest single group of failures in China. They must accommodate the internal pressures from the company for profit as well as the external pressures caused by Chinas complex and competitive environment. As one interviewee put it, Every day is a battle. Succeeding in China takes lots of hard work. Moreover, many Chinese, rightly or wrongly, have a negative attitude toward foreign managers. Expatriates often must make bold decisions while remaining patient, persevering, self-confident, and sensitive to cultural differences. The culture to which they are likely accustomed is often based on individualism and confrontation, as seen through Chinese eyes. Such a culture is at odds with the structured hierarchy of a Confucian-based society, in which those on the lower rungs of the ladder defer unquestionably to those on the higher. It differs in its primary ethic because, despite occasional lip service to the contrary, it is primarily result-oriented rather than harmony-oriented. In the Confucian manner, results are achieved by indirectionan art fraught with ritual both in business and in private, and which takes years to learn. Expatriates are thrust into an elusive world of seeming contradictions where connections (guan xi), which they do not yet have, take precedence over merit. The so-called Overseas Chinese are often excellent expatriate choices because they are able to combine Western training with local understanding and sensitivity. Another valuable group consists of Western-trained Chinese. Although many do not wish to return to China, some are willing to do so. The interviewees stressed the well-known observation that, as a foreign operation matures, it relies less on expatriates because such reliance is less viable and economical. Training young Chinese managers as an alternative to using expatriates is an option. Young, bright, career-minded, eager-to-learn Chinese managers now represent an important alternative to expatriates, who enter the Chinese market with cultural and work-related idiosyncrasies in a foreign and highly competitive environment. Although the cost of training local managers is high, it is often cheaper in the long run. It is also a growing trend as local sourcing replaces offshore sourcing. But in a Confucian-oriented society, the firm must play a paternal role and provide caring guidance and motivation. Young, potential Chinese managers are somewhat like those who matured in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. They are dedicated and eager to improve their standard of living, but are fond of job-hopping to better their careers. They also raise cultural issues, as one of the interviewees mentioned, particularly when foreign concepts, such as management. Both interviewees were acutely aware that this issue has acquired high visibility in recent times and is a serious problem when doing business in China. Aside from the unauthorized and unpaid-for reproduction and sale of intellectual property, especially compact discs and computer software, by some Chinese firms (over which the U.S. has recently threatened sanctions,), there is the voluntary transfer of technology by foreign companies when Chinese firms make it a condition of doing business. The problem is exacerbated by the preference of foreign companies for the sharing aspects of joint ventures, rather than the go-it-alone risks of branches and subsidiaries in an environment such as Chinas. There is also the feeling that not sharing technology is a losing game, because the Chinese, like anyone else, can acquire much of it indirectly without the assent of its owner, or by reverse engineering, even though that process is time-consuming and expensive. Of course, what is at stake is the recovery of research and development costs or an appropriate reward for the time, effort, and originality the creators of the technology have expended. Understandably, they wish to be rewarded monetarily if their creations are exploited on the market. But neither interviewee shared the belief that technological know-how should be withheld from a firms Chinese partners. Sharing it has too many benefits for both parties, including increased market share, increased confidence among the Chinese partners in their Western counterparts, and the incentive of both parties to develop new technology to succeed what has been disclosed. Of course, as the interviewees observed, the Chinese are not unique in wanting to feel that they are being dealt with openly and fairly, with their interests duly considered. As part of our research in doing business in China we interviewed various business personnel. The type of technology the Chinese covet most is high-tech. They are also interested in other types of technology, particularly at the early value-added stage. Moreover, because of economies of scale, in some cases the Chinese are unable or uninterested in using their acquired technology anyway because the market is not big enough to justify large-scale production. In other instances, foreign technology is actually protected by the Chinese government, such as that pertaining to national defense. Enhancing the visibility of Western product quality. In many areas, a viable market for foreign products already exists in China. The problem is how to open it when consumers are satisfied with only rudimentary levels of quality and are unwilling to spend more money for higher caliber products. In the opinion of the interviewees, the key to increasing Chinas demand for higher quality goods lies in education, patience, and persistence. As the country evolves, more people will rise above the level of bare existence, and the desire for better quality will be a by-product of that process. Sales and distribution, making consumer products available in China is a major problem, one that is both managerial and infrastructural. The absence of a free market in the past resulted in scarcities. State-controlled retail outlets, manufacturers, and suppliers were often sold out before demand was satisfied. Moreover, centralized government control, rather than actual need, determined, for example, how many trains would run per day and their points of origin and destination. The construction and location of highways were similarly controlled. Without an infrastructure that is supportive of business; foreign firms have tried to be adaptive by using other means such as delivery vans. Unfortunately, solutions of that kind are not very efficient. Moreover, in the past, foreign firms have actually had to export many of their Chinese manufactured goods, either because the government required it as a condition of the joint venture or because their particular consumer markets lay elsewhere. Hence, because there was no great need for sophisticated sales and distribution systems, they were not developed. Although the competitive features of the open door policy have improved matters somewhat, there is still a need for greatly improved sales and distribution networks. Looking to Chinas growing consumer market and the greater freedom foreign firms can be expected to have in penetrating it, our interviewees felt that foreign firms should recognize this need early and initiate strategies to satisfy it China is converting to local sourcing. Our interviewees emphasized the high cost of offshore sourcing on the one hand, and the need for quality on the other. The solution, as they saw it, was for foreign firms to bring their overseas suppliers to China and develop them into local suppliers, thereby minimizing the cost of transportation and production for downstream products. They felt that a joint venture was the best vehicle to use. Actually, the move toward local sourcing has already begun and is another indication that Chinas market is moving from the introductory stage to the growth stage. China is trying to capture regional markets by moving industrial manufacturing sites to the interior as soon as possible. Chinas coastal regions have been the primary sites for the location of industrial product manufacturing facilities. But market penetration by foreign firms is now moving into a second stage, motivated by the plentiful supply of cheaper labor in the interior regions and the support given by the central government to projects that improve the economies there. By nature, of course, the manufacture of industrial products is regional, and the first firm there usually secures the market. Competition for these regions is now in full swing. In response to Chinas hunger for advanced overseas technologies, many multinationals have re-deployed their global strategy and have made China one of their priority locations for R D centers. Multinationals such as Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, Nokia and Toyota have all established RD centers in China. With the expansion of the China market, many multinationals have kept increasing investment in their China RD centers. Statistics show that the investment of companies like General Motors, Philips, Motorola and Siemens to their Chinese RD’s has all exceeded 10 million U.S. dollars. These foreign RD’s also employ a large proportion of Chinese talent. The ministry said high-school graduates and students, who have returned from overseas, have been the main targets for recruitment. The RD’s also have close ties with Chinese universities and scientific research institutions. As part of our companys ongoing effort to embrace the growing pool of technical talents in China to enhance local RD capabilities and to deliver time-to-market, customized platforms and solutions for markets across Asia Pacific and the world. We recognize the citys growing importance as a regional business and technology center and Chinas leading role in the development and adoption of advanced computing and communication technologies. We believe that China has one of the worlds most compelling combinations of RD talents and market potential. As a leading technology market with a growing number of highly trained researchers and technologists, China is creating the kind of dynamic environment that is an impetus to great RD. We are committed to working with the local industry to help bring Chinese innovation into the world. China is evolving from a manufacturing-based economy to a broader, diverse economy and includes innovation through world-class education, and research and development efforts. Asia-Pacific RD Ltd. is a full-scale facility with advanced product development to deliver innovative products designed for China and the world. We plan to recruit and attract top local and global talents and will continue the collaborative efforts with universities and government to support RD programs and cultivate future technology talents in China. With continued strong growth expected across the region, Intel is planning for Asia-Pacific RD Ltd. to employ more than 1,000 employees by the end of 2006. The staff will include software and hardware engineers along with employees who deliver and support products, and manage business functions such as marketing, planning, management and business support services. As an international Chinese human rights non-governmental organization (NGO), HRIC has been actively engaged in individual case advocacy, education, and research for almost seventeen years. Over the past three years, HRIC has also accumulated experience in successfully challenging Chinas state-of-the-art censorship and surveillance system through our E-Activism pilot project. We welcome this opportunity to share our insights and recommendations. NGOs, governments, and the business community share stated norms and values of transparency, openness, and fairness. In some ways, human rights NGOs and IT companies are in the same business, the information business, the business of generating, promoting, and disseminating information-because we share the belief that knowledge is power. The Chinese propaganda, social and police apparatus understands this very well. The presence of US-based IT companies operating in China presents new and complex human rights, business, and corporate social responsibility challenges, including those recently demonstrated by various companies complicity in undermining freedom of expression, access to uncensored information, and the privacy rights of Chinese citizens. Today, even the Chinese government is citing the practices of these major companies as justification for their own censorship and information control. In accordance with the Public Pledge of Self-Regulation and Professional Ethics for Chinas Internet Industry, companies agree to remove any information considered harmful, or which may disrupt social stability from Websites that they host. These sites include blogs, such as that of Beyond not being complicit in contributing to and legitimating Chinese government censorship, the business community and the industry has the same opportunity to exercise leadership in promoting greater openness, and human r ights protections in China through their business practices, their lobbying, and support for legislative reforms. Chinese domestic law must also conform to international law, specifically to Chinas international obligations, including its human rights obligations. In fact Chinese domestic law includes provisions for protections of freedom of expression, press, privacy, and right to criticize the government. The PRC Constitution even includes a much publicized human rights amendment. Article 33 of the PRC Constitution states that the state respects and promotes human rights, while Article 35 guarantees citizens freedom of speech, the press, association and assembly. When assessing compliance with Chinese Law, corporate counsel should undertake a more nuance and comprehensive legal analysis that identifies specific laws, provisions, tensions or conflicts between different laws, and how to address these conflicts or tensions. We feel that the issue is not whether US companies do business in China, but how they operate and what are the relevant guidelines. No one sector has the silver bullet, but the first step is to acknowledge the trade-offs honestly rather than offer self-serving justifications. Engagement and presence in the market alone will not inevitably lead to any particular result except for market access for the companies. Corporate engagement and presence in China will contribute to greater reform and openness only if it is responsible and coherent. Vague, abstract, inaccurate reference to Chinese law and compliance with domestic law is an indefensible justification for undermining human rights. The obligations of companies need to be viewed in light of a coherent framework of the legal and ethical obligations of IT companies that includes the laws of the home country, the host foreign country, and the larger framework of international human rights responsibilities of transnational companies. The partnership efforts of business and government throughout the long process of negotiations around Chinas World Trade Organization accession are a useful example and precedent of what can be done. IT Industry groups should adopt industry wide standards for doing business in countries with repressive regimes. However, unlike the general aspiration Code of Ethics promulgated by individual companies, industry wide standards are only effective if they are specific, include effective monitoring and reporting provisions, and are operational throughout the company. HRIC has also outlined a beginning framework best practices for IT companies doing business in China. There has been a lot of information on the table as to why we picked China. I would like to summarize briefly why we made China our next marketing ground for Baileys 06. First, the versatility of our package in terms of being stream lined to many different needs and even computers. As stated above, depending on what region or even town you might be in, will be seen a large fluctuation in economic, technological and social differences. Baileys 06 is a perfect match for the differences each town sees; this is where Linux and Windows fall down. The security aspect of Bailey 06 is yet another good reason why the Chinese people will be interested in our package. The Chinese people have many concerns with our competitor’s backdoors and virus potential; there is no fear of hacking or viruses with our product. Cheap labor costs and a large body of skilled and unskilled workers is another reason why China is ripe for the marketing of Baileys 06. By actually producing our OS in China, it will strengthen the relationship we have with the Chinese government and can we say, hit them from the inside. We will use their own people to market, train and sell the software, which will greatly strengthen our bond with the consumer. It is this type of out-of-the-box thinking and marketing that will set us up for victory in our new market. On a much wider scale, the Chinese government is quickly opening its arms to outside merchandise. The Chinese people are widely curious about Western products and have the money and resources to purchase them. China is a growing country in terms of economy, technology and socially; making it a prime target for not just MemberSoft, but many western companies like Wal-Mart, Motorola, Microsoft, and many more. The key is to get in quick, capitalize on Microsoft’s bad reputation and become the Operating System of choice for China. That is the most important reason why to hit China first. Now, the reasons for going to China are many, but there are not without its challenges as well. Shipping and transporting the software packages will continue to be a challenge in China. Governmental interjection, although becoming less strict, is still a thorn in the side of anyone wanting to do business in China. I love the expression â€Å"we are standing on the shoulders of giants†. Our research tells us that another challenge for us is to how other western businesses are doing in the East. 70% of current western businesses are either just breaking even or barely making a profit in China. (Bannerjea) Yet another challenge can be with Chinese Operating Systems already in place. Why should I switch from my OS I know and trust, to Baileys06 that I do not know? This will be one of the biggest challenges we will face. China’s different views on intellectual property are another challenge we will face. We are currently working on an on line version of our OS that will only be available on the internet from a â€Å"dummy† terminal. Many companies have worked on this technology and many believe it is the way of the future for all software sales worldwide. This will be a copy proof way of administering our software with no fear of copyright infringement and unauthorized usage of Baileys06. In terms of SWOTT, we just discussed our strengths and weaknesses. For the opportunities; we need to capitalize on the cheap work force in China. Once we indoctrinate a large work force in China, we can use these individuals in two ways. First, as stated above, they can be used to infiltrate the Chinese themselves. Secondly, we can utilize these same individuals to work on other projects and global ventures. They can document what worked and what did not, can write manuals as to organization and goals and manage new groups of teams from other markets and countries. Threats will always come from competitors. In the ever fluid market of computer software, the next big and better product is right around the corner. The Chinese government will continue to be a threat to any western businesses. With strict policy and the constant intrusions and paranoia, it will be a challenging relationship to say the least. The last â€Å"T†, the trends we hope will over compensate in threats. The trend in China is growing economy and technology, backed with an interest in Western goods and services. More and more consumers and businesses are turning to computers for time management and organization. As more computers are phased in, there will be a larger need for Baileys06. The possibility of success of this venture is extremely feasible. With little start up fee, respectively, we should see a large margin of profits and a whole new world of consumer opportunity. As stated in above paragraphs, China is ripe for the picking in terms of prospering from our software package. The time is also right economically and politically as well for our software revolution. Global trends have also dictated that the time is right as well. Global trends correspond to the increase in globalization. Even in China, who lately have been opening its doors to the west and western products and ideas. Technological trends in terms of security and functionality are also right. As stated above, the Chinese put much importance in both security and customizing options; both of which are the cornerstone of Baileys06. Let us discuss now the exit strategy just in case we are unsuccessful in our venture in the east. The first thing we need to discuss is what we have invested in China once we are up and running. We will be leasing our building and warehouse space, so no loss there. We will have at best 10 Mediatechnics Fusion 652 cd copiers which will cost approximately $2,400 a piece. (mediatechnics) These 10 units will be responsible for duplicating all of the software disks needed for all of China. This will be the bulk of products actually owned in China. Other supplies such as blank cds and packaging will be purchased over seas and on a as needed basis. Unloading these Fusion 652 cd copiers will be quite easy on the open market. We can expect at least $1,200 a piece for each of these used machines. When Cortez got to the new world, he burned his ships so his men would work twice as fast; as you can see, unlike Cortez’s men, we would have an extremely easy time packing up, selli ng our cd-machines and heading back home. In the government-oriented governance pattern, as the representative of principal shareholders, the government plays its role more in external governance. Such a role is not reflected via the market mechanism, but finds expression in the authority to appoint operators and managers, the authority to examine and approve major decisions made by MemberSoft, and the authority to exercise external supervision and constraint over the operational activities of operators and managers (for example, appoint the chief financial supervisor, and carry out regular and irregular auditing, etc.). A survey conducted in 2000 by the Chinese Entrepreneurs Survey System shows that since China initiated the reform and opening-up drive in 1979, government appointment has always been the principal form for choosing and promoting operators of state-owned enterprises, accounting for about 76 to 80 percent. This is true of the state-owned enterprises that have carried out reform in introducing the corporate sys tem. A survey of the 30 enterprises trying out the corporate system conducted by the State Economic Restructuring Office indicates that the general managers appointed with the board of directors playing a vital role account for 30 percent, and those appointed with the government or the competent departments playing a leading role, 70 percent (Zou Dong-tao, 1998). A recent survey conducted by the Chinese Entrepreneurs Survey System also demonstrates that as far as state-owned and collective-owned enterprises are concerned, the departments that can supervise and restrict the behavior of enterprises operators most effectively are the higher-level government departments and the financial and auditing departments. Corresponding to direct external regulation over MemberSoft exercised by the government, mergers, acquisitions, takeover and other components of the market mechanism play a much less supervisory and restrictive role in the government-oriented governance pattern. Study with substantial evidence has demonstrated that the state-owned listed enterprises with absolute controlling shares held by the state show less market behaviors including mergers and acquisitions. Even when control authority is transferred, the transfer is primarily via the contractual transfer and allocation of state-owned stocks, not the purchasing form on the secondary market. According to research conducted by Sun Yong-xiang and Huang Zu-hui (1999) on the equity structures of the listed companies in 1991 thru 1998, the more centralized the equity, the less the number of mergers and acquisitions effected. A Chinese official from the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) was quoted saying in 2004, China would likely turn out 48 million computers, a rise of 29 percent over last year. The figure is expected to reach 90 million in 2008. â€Å"If the official is right, then China is going to be worlds largest IT market in 5 years. Our target will be 10% of the computer base for the first year, 15% for the second year and 20% for the third year. Based on the above forecast and our sale goals we calculate our sales for the next three years to be as follow: 2006 2007 2008 Annual sales forecast for Baileys06 as a percent of existing computers 10% 15% 20% Computer units sale 60 million 75 million 93 million Target unit sales 6 million 11 million 18 million Our Capital Budgeting Analysis indicates a great return on investment for the next 3 years. This fact should assist us in securing financial backing from local investors. Although it is feasible for us to secure all our investment needs from our local investors, we are planning on offering Chinese investors the opportunity to invest up to 20% of the total investment value. This move is aimed at improving our business outlook in china. Have Chinese investment in our operation will strengthen the national trust in our brand and thus improve the rate of adoption for our products. Also, with piracy being a major issue in china, having local interest in our company and our product will help us fight the piracy battle more effectively. Giving the growing Chinese economy and the improving trade relations between the US and china we do not anticipate drastic changes in the currency. We are going to contract major banking institutions to manage our hedging and international exchange operation. We will also retain global financial consultants to advice us on such critical operations. Output Screen (This screen is locked intentionally because it contains the formulas for the Input Screen.) variables Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 1. Demand 6,000,000 11,000,000 18,000,000 2. Price per unit YUN 500 YUN 515 YUN 530 3. Total revenue =(1)x(2) YUN 20,000,000 YUN 5,665,000,000 YUN 9,540,000,000 4. Variable cost per unit (VC) YUN 25 YUN 25 YUN 25 5. Total VC = (1) x (4) YUN 1,000,000 YUN 275,000,000 YUN 450,000,000 6. Annual lease expense YUN 2,000,000 YUN 2,000,000 YUN 2,000,000 7. Other fixed annual expenses YUN 2,800,000 YUN 2,800,000 YUN 2,800,000 8. Noncash expense (depreciation) YUN 5,000,000 YUN 5,000,000 YUN 5,000,000 9. Total expenses=5+6+7+8 YUN 10,800,000 YUN 284,800,000 YUN 459,800,000 10. EBT of subsidiary= (3)-(9) YUN 9,200,000 YUN 5,380,200,000 YUN 9,080,200,000 11. Host government tax 30% YUN 2,760,000 YUN 1,614,060,000 YUN 2,724,060,000 12. EAT of subsidiary= (10)-(11) YUN 6,440,000 YUN 3,766,140,000 YUN 6,356,140,000 13. Net cash flow to subsidiary YUN 11,440,000 YUN 3,771,140,000 YUN 6,361,140,000 14. S$ remitted by subsidiary 100% YUN 11,440,000 YUN 3,771,140,000 YUN 6,361,140,000 15. Tax withholding on remitted funds 10% YUN 1,144,000 YUN 377,114,000 YUN 636,114,000 16. S$ remitted after withholding YUN 10,296,000 YUN 3,394,026,000 YUN 5,725,026,000 17. Salvage value YUN 0 YUN 0 YUN 52,000,000 18. Exchange rate $0.12 $0.54 $0.56 19. Cash flow to parent ($25,000,000) $1,235,520 $1,832,774,040 $3,235,134,560 20. PV of parent cash flow 20% $1,029,600 $1,272,759,750 $1,872,184,352 21. Initial investment by parent ($25,000,000) $0 $0 $0 22. Cumulative NPV: (Existing rate #1, Most-Likely) ($23,970,400) $1,248,789,350 $3,120,973,702 22a. Cumulative NPV: (Est. rate#2, Best-Case) ($23,284,000) $448,108,500 $1,116,745,769 22b. Cumulative NPV: (Est. rate#3, Worst-Case) ($22,426,000) $684,662,750 $1,678,590,875 References http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/02/23/microsoft.china.idg/ http://sedac.ciesin.org/china/ Branine, M. (1996), Observations on training and management development in the Peoples Republic of China Personnel Review, Vol.25, No.1, 1996, pp.25-39 Roy F. Grow, Reconsidering The China Market: Guidelines For Success, Euro-Asia Business Review, 6, 4 (1987), pp. 9-14. Research Papers on Effective Marketing To Mainland China - Marketing Research PaperDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfTwilight of the UAW

buy custom Why We Commit Crime essay

buy custom Why We Commit Crime essay Why do people commit crime? According to Thomas (2011), this is a question that is often not asked even by many policy makers. He noted that in contrary, crime and terror has been increasing posing a lot of insecurity challenges all over the world. According to Thomas (2011), various governments are currently spending the better part of their budget on measures aimed at combating crime. New laws are enacted every year in various nations against the actions of crimes while at the same time new laws are passed in an attempt to combat crimes and criminals. Thomas (2011) emphasizes that it must be noted that people are never criminals at birth. He asserts that there could certainly be various circumstances and needs that help in the making of a criminal (Thomas, 2011). There are numerous causes of crime that have been identified ranging from poverty to those factors that are intrinsic within the individuals. Theoretically criminologists, sociologists and psychologist have come up with various theories in an attempt to explain why people commit crime (Thomas, 2011). These theories have attributed this trend to different factors depending of the discipline. In utilizing the relevant theories and integrating them with relevant causal factors, this study will try to answer the question Why do we commit crime? Community and Crime According to Thomas (2011), the role of community is determining criminal activities can be explained both theoretically and critically. However, any of the two concentrates its efforts in examining the opportunities a given community avails in an attempt to enable its members achieve their goals in life (Thomas, 2011). Important to the analysis is also the amount of pressure put by the community on the need for the realization of such dreams. Thomas (2011) notes that the rates of crime is normally higher in the communities which tend to present there members with unequal opportunities. According to him, such a system will automatically deny some individuals a chance to achieve their goals through legitimate means. These groups of individuals are normally forced to pursue their goals through illegal methods to meet the demands placed on them by the same community. Thomas (2011) concludes that as much as the society will still present different opportunity to its members, criminal beh aviors will never be eliminated. According to Thomas (2011), another way in which the community may breed violence is associated with the way in which it controls the handling of such technologies as handguns. Easy access to such lethal technologies in a community may make its members easily resort to violence as a means of solving problems. Thomas (2011) reports a study which showed that in U.S. alone, 333,000 among the 400,000 violent crimes in 1998 were committed using firearms. According this study, firearms related deaths rose to be the eighth in the United States. Thomas (2011) reported another case study in which the issue of unequal opportunities was much evidenced. The study was carried out on inmates in the U.S prisons in 1990s. The researched revealed that the majority of the prisoners had very low education levels. This was also reflected in the kind of crimes that they had committed. The crimes included: robbery, burglary, and automobile theft, drug trafficking, and shoplifting (Thomas, 2011). Asked why they had involved themselves in such criminal activities, most of the prisoners indicated that their low level of education could not allow them to secure well rewarding employment positions. Thomas (2011) emphasizes that lack of employment and provision of any employment below living wage does not help deter criminal activity. According to him, it only put people in a situation where they have to make a decision to either continue in their low income levels or join criminal activities. Theoretical Explanations There are a number of theories that linked crime to the action of the larger communities. According to the rational theorists, before one involves himself in any criminal act, he or she must reason rationally. Grant noted that every individual has their interest which they seek to accomplish through legitimate means (Grant, 2006). This position is supported by the strain theorists who explain that in any given community people have similar goals and aspirations. However, the community does not present its members with similar opportunities. According to Grant (2006), whenever the community fails to present these opportunities to its members, it is a usual phenomenon to find members resorting to criminal ways of achieving their goals. In such cases the need to satisfy ones interest supersedes the potential risks from committing crime (Grant, 2006). On the other hand the social organization theory explains that every behavioral choices made by the individuals are explained by ones immediate physical and social environments (Grant, 2006). According to these theorists, a society with loose social structures will most likely experience high rate of crime. Discussing this theory Grant (2006) sites factors relating to poor planning such as failing to demolish vacant and vandalized buildings and mixing of both commercial and residential houses as the factors that may fuel criminality in a place. The same thought is shared by the routine activities theorists who propose that the probability for one to commit crime is also directly related to the available opportunities to commit crime within a given community. According to Grant (2006), crime rates will always be high in communities with unorganized and unsupervised activities. Third is the social learning theory. This theory takes into account the way people associate with one another in its explanation of crime (Grant, 2006). That both the vigor and the skills of committing crime are developed form the individuals that one associate with. Forth is the social control theory which attributes the probability of crime commitment to the measure of control that is placed upon the individuals by the larger society. The theorists hold that societies whose social institutions have loose structures and lack well defined laws will experience high rate of crime (Grant, 2006). Another societal cause of crme is related to actions like stereotyping and labeling of individuals as criminals (Grant, 2006). This is mostly done or perpetrated by the community leaders whose positions in the society allows them to decide which acts can be considered as a crime. Studies by psychologists have indicated that the individuals who are labeled criminals in most cases turn out to be thus. This holds true because once a person is labeled a criminal, he is always denied his legitimate opportunities of achieving goals by the same community which demands prosperity from him (Grant, 2006). Media and Violence Several studies have linked both the video game violence, the television based movies and the print media to the increasing rate of crime. Surrette (2011) notes that even the simple childrens cartoonist and fantasies have been linked to the increasing aggression in children. According to Surrette (2011), such simple plays done repeatedly may breed violence in children. Studies have also found out a close link between video games and the todays increasing rates of bullying in the learning institutions. According to Surrette (2011), video game violence makes it easy for children to learn violence. He noted that the confirmation of the same by the FBI in its 2000 report when it listed violent video games among the activities that are closely linked to the shootings experienced in the learning institutions. Surrette (2011) noted the strong link between media game violence and increased aggression among todays younger generation. It has been a common phenomenon to find cases where violent video game players confess to have literally resorted to violence based methods as the means of achieving their dreams. Surrette (2011) also notes that it is always a hard task for the players of video game violence to forgive others whenever a dispute occurs especially when they were on the right. In addition, he noted that those who developed aggression from playing this game may totally loose their sense of apathy. According to Surrette (2011), it is also common among the video game players to want to display their strength leading to increased desire to involve themselves in violent related activities. The affected always find themselves reacting in a violent manner even without considering the risks involved. Study by Professor Eron of the University of Michigan also concluded that there is high probability of the boys who watched television crime to try committing the same crimes during their latter stages of life (Surrette, 2011). The study on the effect of crime images in the media by the Professor Brandon Centerwall of the University of Washington also revealed the same findings. It covered the first eight years after a wide scale introduction of TV in California. The study found out that there was an unusual increase in the rate of the reported murder cases in North America during this time. The same was confirmed during his second study in South Africa. According to Surrette (2011), these findings are still applicable as the images in the media still has the potential of making one to resort to being a life long criminal. Medias strong influence to criminology is also explained by the way it dramatizes crime. In most cases, the criminals in video game violence always end up receiving the glory. This acts of media points towards normalizing crime. Another aspect of the media which makes it risky is the king of publicity that it gives to the criminals. Studies have shown that the impression it creates has lured many young people into committing crime (Surrette, 2011). Similarly, the improvement in the field of communication has also ease the coordination of criminal activities. An example is the internet which has greatly enabled the criminals to find and share the information among themselves and also to influence new peers into their activities. Surrette (2011) noted that over the years, the rate of cyber crime has been on the increase especially among the middle and high school students. Some of the highly committed cyber related crimes today include digital piracy, pornography and online bullying (Surrette, 2011). Peer Pressure and Crime According to various studies presented by Smith and his colleagues (2009), there is a link between the kind of friends one has and the probability that he or she will be involved in criminal activities. They noted that effect of Peer pressure is largely felt among the children and the adolescents. According to their findings, most often, children and youths burn with desire to experiment what their fellow age mates are doing. This has led to an increasing number of youths beginning to take alcoholics and drugs. Through their interaction with other criminals, the newly deviant individuals also graduate into involving themselves in more complex activities (Smith et al, 2009). Smith (2009) comments that it is ironical that the often preferred treatment to deviant/criminal behaviors in majority of states is to put them together in some facility. According to Smith, criminality is common among certain adolescent groups and placing them together would worsen the situation. Smith (2009) further notes that there is also a link between exposure to criminal peers and increase in ones involvement in diverse delinquent behaviors. He explored a number of evidences to show that deviant peer influence is largely responsible for both the initiation and worsening of delinquency. According to Smith (2009), another issue that presents peers with an opportunity to advance in criminal activities is their segregation from the normal population. He faulted the initial researches done to determine the best developmental measures on deviant behavior. The researchers had recommended segregating these individuals. However, according to Smith and his colleagues (2009), the contributions of such measures are always offset by the influence the criminal peers have on one another. Their study also found out that putting deviant peers together greatly increases their likelihood of delinquency. Smith (2009) found out that the influence of peers was also rampant among the children. Another way in which the coommunity punishes criminal activities especially in the educational settings is suspension and expulsion. According to Smith and Colleagues (2009), these measures too have been proved to be more detrimental to the very children who are purported to be helped. When these suspended students are sent back from the learning institutions into the community, they meet and influence one another even to worse states than they were before. According to Smith and his colleagues (2009), the best option would be to leave the students in school settings. This would enable them to be exposed to and perhaps learn from their conforming schoolmates. They concluded that because of the considerable evidence, it should never be recommended for the society to continue with its policies of detaining juvenile offenders. This would expose the offenders to deviant peers while minimizing their interaction with the adult role models and their reformed peers. Cultural Values and Crime Both norms and values aspects of cultures relate directly to the rate of crime that is witness. According to Abril (2011), these two aspects of culture affect what a given culture perceives as a crime and the seriousness with which it is taken. He reports various findings to show that the rate of crime is relatively low in cultures which practice collectivism compared to those which practice individualism. Abril (2011) noted that every culture perceives crime differently. Certain communities have their own tribal laws and respond collectively to criminal activities. Such arrangements enable the members of a given culture to internalize and practice the community laws. The cultures which stress on community involvement normally experience lesser crime cases compared to the culture in which individuality is stressed (Abril, 2011). Within the larger culture, there are also the subcultures which may have totally different norms and values from those of the mainstream culture. According to Abril (2011), any attempt to explain the criminal activities in such sub-cultures must seek to analyze the discrepancy that exists between the norms and values of the mainstream culture and those of the specific sub culture. According to Walter Millers theory of Focal Concerns, criminal behaviors of a given small subculture, say gangs, can be described in terms of values and norms of the subculture (Abril, 2011). Walter Miller studied the gang subculture. According to him this group stresses on physical prowess, smartness in conning others, ability to take risk, fate and autonomy. He explained that any member of such sub-cultures must seek to direct their behavior towards living up to these values (Abril, 2011). To such a group being involved in crime is an indication of their autonomy and an opportunity for excitement. Abril (2011) concluded that the greater the discrepancies between the dominant cultures values and the subcultures values the more will be the opportunity of norm violating behavior. Theoretical Explanation Equally, there are theories which seek to explain criminality on the basis of the values and norms practiced by the cultures to which people belong. According to the theory of differential association, even the way in which a given culture defines what a crime is has the potential of making its members to engage in criminal activities (Grant, 2006). Grant explains that such definitions are leant by members from their social groups. Some individuals have therefore committed criminal acts based on the fact that their larger groups were not categorizing such acts as crimes. Grant (2006) reports that crime rate is normally high among social groups with loose definitions of what is considered as a crime (Grant, 2006). Sports (Athletics) and Crime According to the published reports by Valen, there is always one incident of crime involving an athlete in every two days (Valen, 2009). Domestic violence is the most common crime among the athletes. Benedict carried out a study focusing on the rates of sexual assaults reported from thirty major Division I Universities within the U.S. His report showed that one in every three sexual assault cases reported was committed by an athlete. Through the three year study, it was revealed that even though athlete students only constituted 3.3% of the entire college population, they were responsible for 19% of all the sexual assaults committed during this duration. At the same time their involvement in domestic violence related crimes remained high at 35% (Valen, 2009). Another study carried out in Georgetown yielded the same results. According to the study, the number student athletes were only 11 percent of the total population of the undergraduates within the town (Valen, 2009). Astonishingly, their rate of involvement in and being charged with violent assaults was more than twice that of the overall student population. Valen (2009) explains that even though many of the athletes are charged with crime, their charges were being freed every time. The study revealed that the conviction rate of athletes was as low as 38%. This can not be compared to that of the general population which still remains at around 80%. To Valen, these are some of the reasons for high involvement of athletes in crime. Some experts have also attributed the high rate of crime commission by the athletes to their aggressiveness. According to Valen (2009), the athletes also seem live in their own world with the huge salaries and free scholarships that they receive. Most of them see themselves as special and are determined to achieve their goals by whatever means. This has made most of the athletes to believe that the rules and laws which guide the conduct of the rest of the population are not applicable to them. Conclusion In conclusion, the factors such as media, does not directly cause crime by themselves. In order for the governments to successfully address the issue of criminality, thorough research on the operations of the society is required. Any of such research carried out in future should lead to changes in certain policies as well as seeking to involve the community at all levels. Buy custom Why We Commit Crime essay

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