Inflation targeting has proved to be a successful strategy in many Essay

Inflation targeting has proved to be a successful strategy in many industrialized countries, but this may be only due to the fact that central banks have not be - Essay Example First, I will introduce the notion of inflation targeting, then I will look at the literature review of inflation targeting as well as speak aboutunfavorable shocks that make influence the policy, ultimately I will drow on the conlclusion as wether inflation targeting has proved to be a successful strategy in many industrialized countries or that it was only due to the fact that central banks have not been hit by strong unfavorable shocks. InflÐ °tiÐ ¾n tÐ °rgeting is Ð ° mÐ ¾netÐ °ry-pÐ ¾licy strÐ °tegy thÐ °t wÐ °s intrÐ ¾duced in New ZeÐ °lÐ °nd in 1990, hÐ °s been very successful, Ð °nd hÐ °s nÐ ¾w been Ð °dÐ ¾pted by mÐ ¾re thÐ °n 20 industriÐ °lized Ð °nd nÐ ¾n- 2% in the U.K. Ð °nd 2.5% in NÐ ¾rwÐ °y. (Mishkin, Eakins, 2006) The difference between these fÐ ¾rms dÐ ¾es nÐ ¾t seem tÐ ¾ mÐ °tter in prÐ °ctice: Ð  centrÐ °l bÐ °nk with Ð ° tÐ °rget rÐ °nge seems tÐ ¾ Ð °im fÐ ¾r the middle Ð ¾f the rÐ °nge, Ð °nd the edges Ð ¾f the rÐ °nge Ð °re nÐ ¾rmÐ °lly interpreted Ð °s â€Å"sÐ ¾ft edges,† in the sense thÐ °t they dÐ ¾ nÐ ¾t trigger discrete pÐ ¾licy chÐ °nges Ð °nd being just Ð ¾utside the rÐ °nge is nÐ ¾t cÐ ¾nsidered much different frÐ ¾m being just inside. The relation between inflation targets and central bank preferences has been thoroughly investigated. On one hand, there is a theoretical literature of Walsh (1995), Svensson (1997) that concludes that inflation targets can be used as a way of overcoming credibility problems because they can mimic optimal performance incentive contracts. On the other hand, there is an empirical literature (Bernanke et al. 1999), that looks whether inflation targets have been instrumental in reducing the policy-implied short-term trend rate of inflation. Broadly speaking, the evidence is that inflation targets have indeed brought about a change in policymakers inflation preferences. Unlike the relation between inflation targets and central bank preferences, a relatively underexplored issue is how to translate inflation targets into short-term

The Regime Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Regime Theory - Essay Example One of the major contributions of the economic theory of the international regime and cooperation has been an elucidation of what the absence of a central authority in international affairs implies for the scope and depth of cooperation (Keohane and Martin 1995). Cooperation and conflicts are key concepts employed in economic theory and power in the international regime. Keohane defines cooperation as a process that necessitates that the acts of different persons or entities that are not in prevailing agreement be got into compliance with each other through the negotiation process (Keohane, n.d.). Conflict refers to the confrontation and clash over divergent interests. The difference between conflict and cooperation is the lack of harmony between and among nations, with the chief difference being whether the actors are willing to change their behavior to each other. Economic cooperation in economic regime occurs when the strategies in reality pursued by one administration are also ad opted by another state with the aim of promoting trade. Economic regime operates under several assumptions. One of the assumptions is that economic regime is utilitarian as it takes that all aspects of decision making may be captured by utility pertinent costs and benefits and that actors maximize a utility function. Secondly, economic regime assumes actors in the international system are rational thinkers, who take into account all available information.   The third assumption is that economic regime takes.... For an international regime to be said to exist, the rules and norms must be operative, so as to specify the impact of international regimes. International regimes are almost similar to global organizations and global treaties (Neumayer, nd). Nevertheless, international regimes are theoretical institutions that are not material occurrences, not like global organizations that have material existence with budgets and personnel staff (Mayer and Rittberger 1997). International regimes have rules that act as international treaties and inherent customs, as well. International regime does not change with the changes in decision making and rules. Rather, the change in decision making criteria signifies a change within an international regime. Nonetheless, a change in the international regime itself happens when principles and norms change (Keohane, n.d.). Differences between economic regime and security regime The regime theory has for a long time addressed on how cooperation can be achieved and sustained in a world that is divided into independent national states. Regime theory has addressed the aspect of cooperation with regards to the environment, economics, security and finance. One of the major contributions of the economic theory of the international regime and cooperation has been an elucidation of what the absence of a central authority in international affairs implies for the scope and depth of cooperation (Keohane and Martin 1995). Cooperation and conflicts are key concepts employed in economic theory and power in the international regime. Keohane defines cooperation as a process that necessitates that the acts of different persons or entities that are not in prevailing agreement be got into

An integral part of teaching

An integral part of teaching How and why we assess our children has a massive impact on their life in education and consequently on how and what we plan and teach, and how children learn. The National Curriculum defines assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning (1999, p.17), emphasising the value of assessing the process of learning and teaching as well as the outcome. Suggestions on a range of assessment strategies and tools are included in the curriculum but to enable teachers and schools to continue the development of good assessment practice, more detailed guidance is necessary. To begin with it is perhaps necessary to define assessment as any process used to inform teachers as to a pupils progress and learning. There are many different types of assessment, usually discussed as different purposes of assessment while these assessments certainly differ in several significant aspects; they are united in their aspirations of making a positive contribution to bringing about learning. There are two main forms of assessment; formative and summative. I have observed both types in the classroom, recognising that the key to excellent assessment practice is to understand what each form and their methods contribute. From these observations I understand that in order to become successful in my pedagogy I need to construct my teaching to maximise the success of both formative and summative assessment in my classroom. To allow me competently use both assessment for learning and assessment of learning I must develop a range and knowledge of assessment purposes and strategies which I will now discuss. Formative assessment can provide a snapshot moment by moment picture of the success of teaching and learning. It provides the two way dialogue between educator and child, the knowledge which enhances pedagogy allowing teaching to become relevant and timely. Assessment for Learning in particular will be a clear focus for me as I look for opportunities to strengthen my own teaching practice, having observed first hand the strong contribution AfL, which the National Strategies defines as a natural, integral and essential part of effective learning and teaching and is a key element of personalised learning. Teachers and children continually reflect on how learning is progressing, see where improvements can be and identify the next steps to take (2004), can make towards effective teaching. It makes the difference between self-assured and stimulated pupils, and disenfranchised pupils who are uncertain of the rationale behind the learning objective. The case for clearly communicating the learning outcome to the class is picked up on by Clarke (2006). In my own experience and observation, this results in making learning relevant especially when the learning intention is placed in the context of previous and future learning. It also helps to illuminate which areas of subject knowledge are required to teach at which time and how this information or teaching of skills is to be structured. Clarke also recommends that the teacher works with children to identify success criteria. These are used to supply feedback to both pupils and the teacher regarding the extent to which the learning objective has been met. Consequently, the use of formative assessment enriches the process of teaching, planning and curriculum development. It can inform not only the short term goals for the class, but also the negotiated curriculum, as children are encouraged to become active learners by reflecting on their own progress and motivation. It must be stressed that not all assessment needs to be quantitative, nor does it need to be recorded .The teachers own reflective process is a vital part of assessment. The purpose of summative assessment is to illustrate that pupils have met their learning goals or reached a certain standard of accomplishment. Formative assessment in basic definition is the collection and use of evidence about the learning in relation to the explicit objectives and outcomes of a lesson. This type of assessment can then be used and interpreted by the teacher to identify what the pupil has achieved, any gaps in knowledge and to decide what steps are needed to enable the pupil to reach their potential and unit outcome. I have observed formative assessment being used to inform teachers of pupil progress and to enable them to adapt their planning and teaching to their childrens needs. The aim of formative assessment is to impact positively on pupil learning and effective pedagogy. There is a growing amount of evidence suggesting that formative assessment raises both progress and attainment levels Assessment begins in this way in the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS), where in 2003; the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) was introduced. The FSP consists of 13 scales relating to creative development, knowledge and understanding of the world, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, language and literacy and mathematical development. Children are assessed on each scale and their progress towards achieving early learning goals is judged. During my previous experience in my base school, I have observed how a pupil profile is built up over the EYFS, so that evidence can be used formatively and later summarised against the performance descriptions of the scales for reporting at the end of each term. Through my experience of the EYFS I have seen how teacher-based this form of assessment is, as the evidence accumulated for each child is derived from on-going learning activities. This normally takes place through the use of observation sheets and post-its. Occasi onally, a more formal assessment takes place where the teacher asks the child in question if they can perform a specific task, the evidence from which is then logged and used as assessment data, however these are still situated within the normal day to day routines of the children and no cause of distress. (Q 11 12) In comparison to the FSP, the assessment children experience in Key Stages 1 and 2 varies greatly and summative assessment plays a greater role. Summative assessment is the assessment of learning and is used to record the achievements of individuals at a particular point in their learning (usually at the end of a topic, term or year). Rather than a steady trickle of specific learning goals, it refers to a broader learning outcome which has been achieved over a longer period of time. In contrast to the singular outcomes of formative assessment, summative assessments are used in several different ways, some relating to individual pupils and some to aggregated results of groups of pupils. At the end of both Y2 and Y6, children are expected to undertake external tasks and tests in mathematics and English (SATS). The results of Key Stage 2 SATS in particular are a cause of immense pressure for both pupils and teachers, as they are reported and used to inform national statistics. It is only at the end of each Key Stage that pupil attainment must be reported in terms of national curriculum levels; however there is also a statutory requirement to provide parents with a summative report once each year. Many schools choose to include within this the levels children have reached during the academic year this trend has been reinforced by the use of optional SATS for years between 2 and 6. In addition to the assessment and tracking of individual pupils, test results (KS1 and KS2 SATS) are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the education provided by teachers, schools and local authorities and compared nationally. The results of these examinations have huge implications and c onsiderable importance for teachers as the results are used to inform targets which schools must take accountability for meeting. There are established Government national targets for the percentage of children achieving a level 4 in the key stage 2 tasks which schools are required to set targets for. The consequences of not achieving these targets are severe, with schools become subject to OFSTED inspections and categories, with lack of attainment becoming the main cause of a school being placed in special measures. (Q 11 12 13) In order to avoid such consequences, teachers are facing constant pressure to ensure children are achieving age related expectations, amid fears that they will fail to hit Government targets. Children in our primary schools are in danger of being taught a limited timetable as some schools and teachers focus on teaching to the test. This is despite recommendations by OFSTED that while à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦some schools are able to prepare pupils for tests without sacrificing the wider curriculumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but an emphasis on the core subjects limits what pupils do, particularly as teachers prepare them for key stage 2 exams (Marley 2008) As well as placing pressure upon teachers, national testing has a huge impact on pupils. It can cause a lack of motivation for lower ability children, as well as a view of learning as product rather than process for all children. There is much attention focussed on those children who are performing just beneath age related levels, while those who are either too far above or below the target level suffering a lack of attention. For my son, and for most 10-year olds in the country, the next nine months will be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a sterile, narrow and meaningless exercise in drilling and cramming. Its nothing to do with the skills of his teacher who seems outstanding. Nor do I blame the school. Its called preparing for Key Stage 2 SATS (2006) It is clear that the emphasis has to be placed back on teaching rather than targets and tests. How then do we ensure the progress and attainment of the children in our schools without narrowing the curriculum? Assessing pupil progress (APP) has been accepted as recognising the differing purposes and audiences for assessment on both a day-to-day and periodic time scale. On a day-to-day capacity it provides a closer view of pupils, enabling teachers to support childrens learning through use of effective classroom intervention. Periodically it reviews a broader range of pupils work, which in turn can inform planning and enable teachers to monitor progress and attainment. The purpose of APP is to support effective planning; teaching and learning, The use of informed and consistent target setting will continue to play a crucial part in ensuring that teachers know what to teach to allow children to achieve their aims by guiding and challenging them. In my base school APP is used to support this aim, ensuring that targets are both appropriate and relevant to individuals. Similarly APP can be used to identify gaps in a pupils learning, allowing teachers to reflect upon their own teaching, especial ly in those cases where there are common mistakes and misconceptions on the part of the pupils. APP also reinforces Assessment for Learning (AfL) as a daily occurrence, leading to a more constructive impact on teaching and learning. In national guidance there is an increasing emphasis on the role of APP in tracking and recording performance. Whilst most schools recognise the opportunities to increase their teacher assessments consistency and reliability, it will take time for APP to become second nature to staff. However, the overarching aim of APP is clear it aims to enable us to recognize and celebrate overall progress in an aspect of learning, rather than just assessing learning of the most recently taught and learned. (Q 12 13 26a) As well as internal methods of assessment, schools have access to national and local data in forms of the raiseonline and national and local benchmarking data. This enables schools to pinpoint how well they are doing and any improvements they could and should make. Schools can make comparisons, not only on a national level but also against schools with similar levels of deprivation (eligibility for free school meals) or schools with similar levels of contextual value added. Supporting all schools improvement processes by providing a variety of methods to analyse their performance data as part of the self evaluation form (SEF). It is necessary however to interpret benchmarking data with care as rather than providing schools with the answers it is more likely that it would help them identify questions and issues that may need to be investigated. Whilst comparing data between schools may give accurate portrayals of a schools performance, it does not necessarily account for it. (Q 13) It is my opinion, after research and school based observations, that a successful assessment is an open one, where everyone involved, from staff to pupils are aware to some extent of what and how evidence is to be assessed. It is essential that we are completely transparent about the need for and purpose of assessment and why it is carried out in particular ways. Feedback to pupils is key in formative assessment, as it is only by showing pupils the steps they need to take in order to reach the next steps in their learning that we as teachers can bring about learning. While we cannot learn for the students, we can use feedback to make adjustments to our planning and teaching, enabling students to access the curriculum with all the tools they require. Even the very youngest pupils can be given some explanation of the assessment process, which in turns enables children to both self and peer assess. Self and peer assessment includes pupil involvement in both setting the success criteria and how they will show that they have been successful, empowering them to take control of their own learning. There are huge advantages to this type of assessment, the most significant of which are that it develops lifelong evaluation skills whilst supporting independent learning increases pupil motivation by involving them in the assessment process treats assessment as part of learning, so mistakes are seen as opportunities rather than a sign of failure. reduces the amount of teacher assessment but improves the quality. In my base school I have observed a number of self and peer assessment strategies including children marking each others work, the use of a traffic lighting system, suggesting improvements to each others work and reflecting upon their own. Of course there are possible issues surrounding the use of peer and self assessment, with many believing that it should be used only for formative assessment as it is possible that children may allow friendships to affect their objectivity. It is necessary that teachers use peer and self assessment to support their own assessment, teaching and planning rather that relying upon it completely. (Q 28) Through my reading and observations during my time in school, it has become clear to me that there is no part of interaction which is not assessed. Though this may not seem manageable, the variation of assessment strategies that I have witnessed, I have come to the realisation that assessment does not always have to have a written outcome. Instead, it suggests to me that assessment can bring about conscious teaching and informed planning. My developing understanding of a range of assessment strategies including APP, self and peer assessment , AfL among others, will enable me to use day-to-day assessment to provide the pupils in my care with instant feedback, relevant next steps, appropriate support and individual targets, allowing me to adjust my planning in line with the needs of those in my care. (Q 26a, 12, 13, 19) Although I believe that some form of summative assessment is necessary in schools, I believe that on many occasions grades, marks and levels are assigned to pupils work more often than strictly necessary when it may be more appropriate to provide formative feedback. This is something I intend to avoid in my own practice, especially as I have experienced the use of excellent formative assessment in my base school. I have found that feedback given in this way to inform a target is highly effective in motivating pupils, and goes some way towards personalising learning. Furthermore it builds confidence and the long-term aim of helping children to become independent learners. It is essential then, to ensure good teaching and learning, that assessment involves a great deal more than just testing. It should be a continuing process that encompasses many activities, both formal and informal, designed to monitor and improve teaching and in turn the bringing about of learning across all areas o f the curriculum.(Q22, 25a) Teaching will inevitably be focused on what s assessed. When conducted by testing this impact is bound to have a narrowing effect on what is taught because tests only sample the learning outcomes and include those outcomes more easily assessed by tests. If teachers use a much wider range of assessment methods, the result can be much more positive.

Love, Betrayal, Hubris, and Relationships in Cyrano de Bergerac Essays

Love, Betrayal, Hubris, and Relationships in Cyrano de Bergerac  Ã‚     Ã‚     French authors and playwrights have been acclaimed worldwide for their dynamic prose, complex situations, and unpredictable endings. The same praises hold true for Edmond Eugene Alexis Rostand. Born of Provencal ancestry on April 1, 1868, Rostand was well-learned, as evidenced by his extensive childhood education as a student of the lycee of Marseille. His father was a prominent member of the Marseille Academy. As a direct result of this high influence, Rostand concluded his studies at the College Stanislas in Paris. He studied, under the direction of the then-renowned Professor Rene Doumic, the works of those creme de la creme authors held in high esteem -- Victor Hugo, Alfred de Musset, and William Shakespeare. His interactions with both Spanish and French cultures helped augment his success as a dramatic poet. Furthermore, Rostand assisted Emile Zola in supporting Captain Dreyfus, who was unjustly convicted of treason (Kahr 186). As a Meridional, Rostand was heavily inspired by Victor Hugo. In college, Rostand found "a literary world . . . where naturalism and exoticism flourished" (vii). This attitude was formed as a result of the catastrophic Franco-Prussian War of 1870. As a member of the 1880s generation, Rostand was also influenced to become the ideal Romanticist of his time. Rostand's fourth play, Cyrano de Bergerac, afforded him the most fame. Rostand generally modeled his plays after traditional, romantic subjects and settings. A vast majority of the success of Rostand's play can be accredited to an interesting plot, a rich and sophisticated vocabulary, and real-life dialogue (to those of his lifetime). Cyrano de Bergerac, the play, debuted ... .... "Rostand, Edmond." The New Book of Knowledge. 1994 ed. "Rostand, Edmond." The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 22nd ed. 1994.       Outline I. Introduction A. Background B. Inspiration II. Leading to Cyrano A. Reasons B. Rostand's style C. Debut III. Precis of Cyrano IV. Commenting on Cyrano A. Length of Play B. Mentality of Cyrano characters C. Examples V. Rhetoric devices A. Tone 1. Commentary-example 1 2. Commentary-example 2 B. Diction 1. Commentary-example 1 2. Commentary-example 2 C. Point of view 1. Commentary-example 1 2. Commentary-example 2 VI. Overall Theme A. Major Theme B. Subsequent major themes VII. Conclusion A. Issues emphasized B. Rhetoric devices C. Overall conclusion of Rosatnd's work D. Clincher         

What is the Impact of Downsizing

As the studies below indicate, layoffs have a number of negative effects not only on workers in different industries, but also on their communities and the market as a whole. Although it has been said that downsizing can be economically beneficial to companies, the following shows that there are two sides to this issue. Over the past decade, the workplace has altered considerably in terms of job stability. People have either experienced layoffs firsthand or directly known someone else who was impacted by re-engineering, downsizing, outsourcing or acquisition. For employees adversely affected by these changes or for those who do not completely understand why these changes are occurring, the effects can be very disturbing and impact both their personal and job life. A variety of different industries have been impacted by layoffs, not only manufacturing. For example, hospitals like other companies and nonprofit organizations have experienced downsizing that has negatively impacted healthcare employees with varying degrees of psychological distress and poor health. In a 2002 study, Greenglass, Burke and Fiksenbaum showed that restructuring and its changes can result in lower job satisfaction and job insecurity. The researchers studied the relationship between impact of restructuring, job satisfaction, job insecurity and absenteeism in nurses. The results were similar to earlier studies indicating that job insecurity can often have harmful consequences for individuals. Job insecurity has frequently been reported to lead to decreased psychological well-being (Dekker & Schaufeli, 1995; Ferrie et al. , 1998). In a study of Finnish employees, Kinnunen et al. 2000) reported that job insecurity, which led to negative relationships with colleagues and superiors, was still being noted at least one year after the event. The respondents of the Greenglass study, who consisted of 1,363 nurses employed in hospitals that were undergoing extensive restructuring, first filled out a self-report anonymous questionnaire. Results of this study demonstrated that the impact of hospital restructuring had a direct effect on job satisfaction, which in turn then had a pointedly negative impact on absenteeism and on job insecurity. In addition, the study found that the more the nurses believed hospital restructuring had lowered the quality of health care and had had a negative impact on working conditions, the less likely they were to experience job satisfaction and the more apt to report feelings of job insecurity. Findings further demonstrated that job satisfaction functioned as a intermediary between the impact of restructuring and job insecurity: That is, lower job satisfaction resulting from a greater impact of restructuring led to decreased job security. The impact of restructuring also placed an indirect effect on absenteeism through job satisfaction. The lower the job satisfaction, resulting from restructuring, the more likely the nurses were to be miss work. These results were similar to prior studies that linked layoffs with an increased amount of job insecurity. Campbell-Jamieson, Worrall, & Cooper (2001), for instance, compared responses from managers in three different business settings: organizations that restructured and downsized in the previous year, those firms that restructured without downsizing, and companies that had not restructured. Managers in organizations that had downsized had less job security, lower organizational commitment and reduced morale. Research has also demonstrated that reorganization can lead to greater emotional turmoil, including such feelings as anger, anxiety, cynicism and resentment (O'Neill & Lenn, 1995). Burke & Nelson (1997) found that this is most likely the result of a variety of negative observations throughout the restructuring, such as the belief that workers were treated unfairly, the psychological contract was eroded, and future employment would be insecure. The findings by Greenglass additionally showed that the restructuring impacts job insecurity in both direct and indirect ways. In other words, an effect of downsizing is lower satisfaction with one's job. This is most probably the result of disillusionment as well as feelings of being let down by the company and uncertainty about one's employment in the future. Decreased job satisfaction then leads to lower job security. The researchers do note, however, that these increased feelings of disillusionment and decreased feelings of job satisfaction and job security can be reduced if the organization's administration does its best to offer support, information sharing, and input into decision-making. To the degree that healthcare workers believe they are important to the hospital and that the institution cares about them and their opinions, the effects of restructuring can be considerably decreased. The impact of downsizing on workers is a combination of both the psychological and physical. Kivimaki et. al (2000) conducted a study to explore the underlying mechanisms between organizational downsizing and deterioration of health of employees. He found negative changes in work are associated with the declining support from aspouse, and increased prevalence of smoking. Sickness absence rate from all causes was 2. 17 times higher after major downsizing than after minor downsizing. Adjustment for changes in work, for instance, physical demands, job control, and job insecurity, diminished the linkages between downsizing and sickness absence by 49 percent. Adjustments for impaired social support or increased smoking did not change the relationship between downsizing and absence from illness. Such conclusions were unaffected by sex and income. Kivimaki concluded that the exploration of potential mediating issues offers new knowledge concerning the possible causal pathways connecting organizational downsizing and health. Downsizing results in changes in work, social relationships, and health-related behaviors. The noticeable increase in certificated sickness absence was partially explained by simultaneous increases in physical demands and job insecurity and a decline in job control. A reduction of employees leads to a number of negative effects; the closing of an entire plant or business can even result in greater problems. The recent economic history of Cleveland County, North Carolina, has been distinguished by factory closings, business layoffs, and significant unemployment rates. More than 3,500 workers have lost their jobs in this area in the last four years. This, in fact, may even be an underestimation, since it applies to events that involve 50 or more workers at a time. Many other smaller firms have fired workers as well. Such numbers are extremely significant since the county's labor force only numbered around 42,000 workers to begin with. Layoffs have been devastating to workers and their families. In the very best cases, unemployed workers were able to find other work, but normally there was a temporary loss of income and a reduction in pay. In the worst situations, these workers remained unemployed forever, either because they lacked the necessary skills for available jobs or believed themselves too old to move or go back to school. In such situations, economic dislocation also creates problems for the greater community. When unemployment rates rise, there is an increased demand for services at a time when communities are experiencing sharp declines in tax income. These decreases often result in poorer quality education, a deteriorating infrastructure, and larger welfare rolls, which make it more difficult to attract new businesses to the area. Thus, it is not always just the employees who are impacted when there is restructuring. A literature review of downsizing studies by Farrell (2000) also showed the connection between downsizing and the impact on market orientation. Specifically, his report gave evidence that (1) trust and commitment are keys to understanding the exchanges between a company and its workers; (2) the form of restructuring strategy will impact upon the degree of trust between personnel and senior management (Mishra and Mishra 1994) and will also directly effect the firm's market orientation; (3) the type of downsizing strategy and trust level will directly impact worker commitment to the firm's goals of creating high-quality customer value; and (4) employee commitment to such company values will impact the level of market orientation (Narver, Slater and Tietje 1998). Survivors of downsizing are impacted as well, as seen in a number of studies. In a longitudinal study, Moore, Grunberg and Greenberg compared 1,244 white- and blue-collar workers who recalled either zero, one, or two exposures with layoffs; all participants were personnel of a major industrial company that had had several large episodes of layoffs. They found that employees with the greatest number of contacts with downsizing both direct, or personally targeted, and indirect, coworkers laid off, noted considerably lower levels of job security and higher levels of role ambiguity, desire to leave their jobs, depression and health concerns. Contrary to what some others had thought, their findings did not support the notion that workers more quickly recover as they encounter a larger number of downsizing episodes. They also found only partial evidence that the similarity-that is, either repeated direct or repeated indirect layoff contact–or dissimilarity-that is, a combination of direct and indirect contacts–of the form of repeated downsizing exposure played a role in the amount to which personnel noted changes in outcome variables. Similarly, Masi (2000) looked at several pervasive ideas: First, that negative effects on the employees' morale who have survived downsizing may be so harmful to overall productivity that they overshadow any immediate economic gains the workforce reductions may bring. Second, those managers who are capable of eliciting trust and organizational commitment among employees as well as generally good labor relations may largely reduce or even eliminate the possible ill-effects of downsizing. Third, is it true as a number of political economists who are critical of the free-market model in the U. S. have argued that a crucial factor in helping reduce the fears and anxieties caused by industrial layoffs is the degree of employment and/or income security available to employees outside their current place of work? Fourth, recent research concerning the presence of unions suggests that the overall character of the industrial relations system will strengthen or weaken the negative effects of downsizing. In his article, Masi reported findings from a Swedish-Canadian comparison of blue-collar manufacturing workers who had been exposed to various kinds of change, including downsizing. The results provided strong support for the belief that experience with layoffs has a strong negative impact on survivor concerns everywhere. Simultaneously, there is also some evidence supporting that the amount of externally provided security has some mitigating effect on survivor worries, and the presence of unions within a strongly adversarial system of labor relations can increase such concerns. However, the quality of labor-management does not seem to have much of a helpful effect on the negative impact of downsizing. In the future, as downsizing continues, additional studies will have to be conducted to determine long-range impacts on individuals, their families, communities and the economy as a whole.

Personal Code of Ethics Essay

â€Å"In the context of a code adopted by a profession or by a governmental or quasi-governmental organ to regulate that profession, an ethical code may be styled as a code of professional responsibility, which may dispense with difficult issues of what behavior is â€Å"ethical†. Some codes of ethics are often promulgated by the (quasi-) governmental agency responsible for licensing a profession. Violations of these codes may be subject to administrative (e.g. loss of license), civil or penal remedies. Other codes can be enforced by the promulgating organization alone; violations of these codes are usually limited to loss of membership in the organization. Other codes are merely advisory and there are no prescribed remedies for violations or even procedures for determining whether a violation even occurred† (Wikipedia, 2007). When we are called upon to make decisions, several factors are taken into consideration before this decision can be made. Depending on the type o f decision, such factors could be cultural beliefs, personal beliefs, and organizational beliefs. We have come to realize that there are fundamental challenges in trying to apply ethical principles in a cultural and organizational environment. Each culture has unique distinctions in values, which may or may not be considered ethical by each individual within society. These differences in culture and personal beliefs influence any decision, whether personal or professional, of any individual. Certain cultures within the work force may decide not to adhere to organizational codes of conduct because of not only personal feelings, but also because of the varying differences in cultural backgrounds. The intent of this paper is to identify values that are important to me personally, organizationally, and culturally, and the effects that these values have onEthics 3decision making in regards to my personal and professional life. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, and respect are highly valued and these values are present in my everyday life. â€Å"A code of ethics is often a formal statement of the organization’s values on certain ethical and social issues. Some set out general principles about an organization’s beliefs on matters such as quality, employees or the environment. Others set out the procedures to be used in specific ethical situations – such as conflicts of interest or the acceptance of gifts, and delineate the procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics occurred and, if so, what remedies should be imposed. The effectiveness of such codes  of ethics depends on the extent to which to management supports them with sanctions and rewards. Violations of a private organization’s code of ethics usually can subject the violator to the organization’s remedies (in an employment context, this can mean termination of employment; in a membership context, this can mean expulsion). Of course, certain acts that constitute a violation of a code of ethics may also violate a law or regulation and can be punished by the appropriate governmental organ. They are often not part of any more general theory of ethics but accepted as pragmatic necessities. Ethical codes are distinct from moral codes that may apply to the culture, education, and religion of a whole society. Even organizations and communities that may be considered criminal may have their own ethical code of conduct, be it official or unofficial. Examples could be hackers, thieves, or even street gangs† (Wikipedia, 2007). According to Probation Officers Association of Ontario (2006), To assist Probation Officers in maintaining the integrity of their profession by upholding and advancing the purpose, knowledge, ethics and values of the probation field at all times. This Code ofEthics 4Ethics will thereby provide a standard of practice to enable all probation officers to fulfill their goals and objectives to the Offender, the Courts, the Community and the Criminal Justice System. To the profession probation officers Shall: Encourage ethical conduct by all members of the profession, have a responsibility to colleagues to develop a working relationship of mutual respect and cooperation, promote the philosophy and ethics of the profession with new colleagues, seek advice and utilize the expertise of colleagues and supervisors, contribute their expertise in order to promote the integrity and competence of the profession to the public, keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to the probation field and shall contribute to the knowledge base of the profession† To Courts, Criminal Justice and Community, Probation Officers Shall: Strive to provide the highest caliber of service to the Courts and Judiciary through the preparation of quality reports, testimony and investigations, probation Officers shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the dignity of the Court, as an integral part of the total Criminal Justice System uphold and respe ct the tenets, rules and functions of that System, promote awareness among other members of  the Criminal Justice System, of the philosophies, functions and roles of Probation Officers, be aware of their role in protecting the community from criminal activity and in the promotion of programs for the prevention† â€Å"To the Offender Probation Officers Shall: Provide service to the offender to the maximum of their professional skill, ability and competence, maintain a professional relationship at all times to avoid conflict of interest, promote equality in every respect thereby preserving the dignity and rights of offenders, create a positive atmosphere for change that will encourage offenders to realize their goals and potentials by takingEthics 5advantage of training, treatment and services provided, Inform the offender of legal rights to and his responsibilities in the Criminal Justice System, make the offender aware of the responsibilities and duties of the Probation Officer within the Criminal Justice System, respect the privacy of the offender and the confidentiality of information subject to legal and policy parameters† What I have experienced over my 26 years of living, both personally and professionally, forms my thoughts, beliefs and feelings and therefore drives what I can call my personal code of ethics. The following briefly describes the core ideals that I maintain: Honesty – I firmly believe that honesty is the best policy. It will have to be an extreme situation that involves serious injury; damage or other loss that will convince me that not being truthful is best. I realize that the truth can often be very painful, can cause anger, distrust and hatred but I feel that if I have been truthful and given someone all of the information, they will possibly hold me in a higher regard. This honesty will hopefully allow a greater trust between us and future dealings will be less likely to be strained. Legal – I am a person that follows the laws of the land. I feel that it is wrong to steal, cheat, lie or mislead with the intent to make a personal gain. I strive to be a law-abiding citizen. I honestly do not think there is a difference between personal and professional code of ethics, which makes it hard to compare, but what I believe is that, â€Å"A personal code of ethics† is simply a belief system in which you do some things because they are â€Å"good,† and avoid doing other things because they are â€Å"bad.† Formal law has very little to do with a personal code of ethics. You develop and are responsible for this code by yourself, though your parents and social contacts have a lot to do with it. Here is an example: There are very few places in which a bystander has any  legalEthics 6obligation to come to the aid of a third party. And yet, people help out others all the time – because it is the â€Å"right† thing to do in their belief systems. References Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition (2006). Probation Officers andCorrectional Treatment Specialists. Retrieved October 13, 2007, fromhttp://www.bls.govWikipedia (2007). Code of Ethics. Retrived October 20, 2007, fromhttp://www.wikipedia.org

Free Essays on Descartes Proof of God

Truth is the goal of philosophy. Some philosophers, like David Hume, struggle with eliminating falsity, while others, like Rene Descartes, look for causes to explain effects. A cause and effect argument is called a causal argument. Descartes is interested in logic, one truth progressing to the next. Descartes gives a causal argument for the existence of God in Meditation III. He deals with the effect of the idea of absolute perfection in our minds and rationalizes that the cause is God, therefore proving the existence of God. Descartes believes there are two types of reality: objective and formal.. The degree of reality depends on the degree of independence. The more independent, the higher the degree of reality. For example, consider a car and a dent in the car. You could take the dent away from the car and still have the essence of the car, but you cannot take the car away from the dent and still have the essence of the dent. The dent is dependent upon the car for its existence. Therefore, the car is more formally real because it is more independent. Now consider the is an idea of absolute perfection. This idea is too great for one’s mind to create or even conceive. Therefore the idea must have come from somewhere. It must have been placed there by an absolutely perfect being before our being, our existence. You could think of this like how a potter puts his tumbprint in a pot as an indicator of who made it. This absolutely perfect being has absolute knowledge. He puts this idea of absolute perfection into our minds. Descartes starts with the effect of the idea of absolute perfection in our minds and tries to discover the cause of it. He believes in cause and effect, and therefore the idea must be explained. Through this type of logic, he deduces that since the concept of absolute perfection is so great, only an absolutely perfect being could fully grasp it. Following in this line of reasoning, only one who understands t... Free Essays on Descartes Proof of God Free Essays on Descartes Proof of God Truth is the goal of philosophy. Some philosophers, like David Hume, struggle with eliminating falsity, while others, like Rene Descartes, look for causes to explain effects. A cause and effect argument is called a causal argument. Descartes is interested in logic, one truth progressing to the next. Descartes gives a causal argument for the existence of God in Meditation III. He deals with the effect of the idea of absolute perfection in our minds and rationalizes that the cause is God, therefore proving the existence of God. Descartes believes there are two types of reality: objective and formal.. The degree of reality depends on the degree of independence. The more independent, the higher the degree of reality. For example, consider a car and a dent in the car. You could take the dent away from the car and still have the essence of the car, but you cannot take the car away from the dent and still have the essence of the dent. The dent is dependent upon the car for its existence. Therefore, the car is more formally real because it is more independent. Now consider the is an idea of absolute perfection. This idea is too great for one’s mind to create or even conceive. Therefore the idea must have come from somewhere. It must have been placed there by an absolutely perfect being before our being, our existence. You could think of this like how a potter puts his tumbprint in a pot as an indicator of who made it. This absolutely perfect being has absolute knowledge. He puts this idea of absolute perfection into our minds. Descartes starts with the effect of the idea of absolute perfection in our minds and tries to discover the cause of it. He believes in cause and effect, and therefore the idea must be explained. Through this type of logic, he deduces that since the concept of absolute perfection is so great, only an absolutely perfect being could fully grasp it. Following in this line of reasoning, only one who understands t...

buy custom Business Plan of Atrium Gallery essay

buy custom Business Plan of Atrium Gallery essay Atrium Gallery will upon its operations commencement sell a wide variety of luxurious and fancy dresses. This will provide the Russian women with dresses which are capable of suiting any occasion of choice. This business plan is to open a womens boutique shop which is supposed to deal with dresses for women who are above the age of 18 years. The boutique will be in rented premises in a shopping mall in a retail strip mall at 6253 Petrovka Street in Moscow city. The floor area of the business premise consists of 1,600 square feet and the shop will be in a very convenient location in the center of the Moscow city where the premises will be surrounded by restaurants, hotels, and several banks which shows that the business will be located where the customers are - in a very busy street. What will make us very unique and different from our close competitors is that our business will be very much committed to providing all the luxurious dresses for women who prefer fancy dresses of high qu ality, and they will be available for them in a location which is very convenient. The location of the business is in a very high profile area which is easily accessible from all the parts of Russia. In our business, there will be a total of 7 employees: director, legal front, accounting, marketing department, sales department, sales consultant (4 people) whose age is 20-45. Source of funding will be personal capital. The Atrium gallery will serve all the people from high income levels, middle, and low income levels, provided they are women who are above the age of 18 years and there is no upper limit. It is very expected that a majority of the customers of our business will be high class women with a high income, because all of the dresses that we will be making are be mainly for luxury, meaning that our most target customers will be high income women, since the fabrics we use for the dresses will be very unique and expensive for low income women, but of a very high quality and also very attractive and sophisticated. Buy custom Business Plan of Atrium Gallery essay

Purposely vs. Purposefully

Purposely vs. Purposefully Purposely vs. Purposefully Purposely vs. Purposefully By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between purposely and purposefully? The meanings are similar, both referring to intention, but they have distinct connotations. Purposely means â€Å"deliberately,† as in, â€Å"I purposely broke the vase Aunt Hermione gave me because it’s ugly, and now I don’t have to use it.† Purposefully, by contrast, means â€Å"with determination, intention, or meaning,† as in â€Å"She purposefully pursued the solution to the puzzle, working on it through the night.† Both words are adverbial forms of purpose, ultimately derived from the Latin term proponere, meaning â€Å"to propose†; purpose can be a noun, as in â€Å"He doesn’t feel that he has a purpose in life,† or, rarely, a verb, as in â€Å"He purposed to complete the project but left it unfinished.† Adjectival forms of purpose are purposeful, meaning â€Å"filling a plan or a purpose,† as in â€Å"He has a purposeful, no-nonsense air about him,† and its antonym purposeless, a synonym of aimless or meaningless, as in â€Å"She had until then lived what seemed a purposeless existence.† Another adjective stemming from purpose is the rare word purposive, meaning â€Å"useful but not designed not planned,† such as in the case of unconscious gestures or facial expressions. Other adjectives based on purpose are the hyphenated phrases purpose-built and purpose-made, which both mean â€Å"designed and built for a specific purpose,† as well as the self-explanatory all-purpose, dual-purpose, general-purpose, and multipurpose. Idioms that include purpose are the adverbial phrases â€Å"for all practical purposes,† meaning â€Å"essentially,† as in â€Å"For all practical purposes, the plan has been rejected, and â€Å"on purpose,† meaning â€Å"deliberately,† as in â€Å"They did that on purpose to annoy us.† Two related terms are apropos, from the French expression propos, meaning â€Å"to the purpose† and synonymous with â€Å"as regards† or â€Å"to the point,† serving as a way to transition between two interrelated subjects, and â€Å"ad hoc,† a phrase borrowed from Latin that means â€Å"for this (purpose)† and refers, for example, to a committee formed for a single, short-term purpose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases"Confused With" and "Confused About"Double Possessive

MOVEO folding electric scooter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

MOVEO folding electric scooter - Assignment Example This has resulted to there being more traffic jams in the cities. It is for this that people are looking for alternate travelling means so as to ensure that they arrive at their destinations faster (Avery, 2010). These methods include reducing the number of time that they use their cars and opt for public transport, and this includes the use of scooters and motor bicycles that are not as prone to traffic. It is for this reason that MOVEO has come up with its own solution to this problem; the creation of a foldable electric scooter. The company has designed a scooter that should help and solve this problem for most people that live near or within the city (Petron, 2008). A marketing solution needs to be created so as to make the most out of the vehicle. The framework that is to be used is to ensure that there is better use and endurance that specificity in the marketing of the product. It is to ensure that there is measurability and achievability in the product marketing structure. The Marketing Communication Planning framework shall be used for this purpose. The process entails studying of the market, coming up with objectives, strategies, tactics and evaluation of the market so as to get th e best of the product while still making profits for the company. The market is one that is constantly growing with more companies venturing into the foldable and green mode of transportation (Belch and Belch, 2009). Furthermore, it is due to the fact that the customers want a more mobile and efficient method of travel from one place to another that makes the market receptive to the idea. The market is lucrative and promising due to the increase in the number of people that are buying cars. This is because, with the increased number of vehicles that clutter up the roads, there will be an increased demand for vehicles that are more mobile and efficient in the sector of maneuvering through traffic. The market is receptive to the scooters that are

The Role of a Modern Industrial Manager Literature review

The Role of a Modern Industrial Manager - Literature review Example According to Zhong-Ming &, Takao (1994), modern management thinkers assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how visions and goals of the organizations are carried out. Industrial management is concerned with the design, improvement, and implementation of integrated systems of people, material, information, equipment and energy (McGregor & Cutcher 2006). According to McGregor & Cutcher (2006), industrial management is a broad concept. Today, industrial management is also known as industrial engineering, operations management now encompasses services though initially applied to manufacture. By definition, industrial management draws upon specialized knowledge and skills in the mathematical, physical and social sciences not leaving out the principles and methods of engineering analysis. Greenberg and Baron (2003), define leadership as the process whereby one individual influences other group members toward the attainment of defined group or organizational goals. The leadership process primarily involves influence whereby one individual can influence or change the actions of several group members or subordinates. There are many techniques for exerting such influence ranging from relatively coercive wherein the recipient has little choice but to do what is requested, to relative non-coercive ones, wherein the recipient can choose to reject or accept the influence offered. In general, leadership refers to the use of non-coercive influence techniques. It is important to distinguish a leader from a dictator. Whereas dictators get others to do what they want by using physical coercion or by threats of physical force, leaders do not (Greenberg and Baron, 2003: pp 471). According to Darwish (1998) leadership represents an important factor in the determination of the success or failure of organizations. Darwish indicated that effective leadership is to be associated with improved organizational performance.  

Operating systems and networking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operating systems and networking - Coursework Example They develop puzzles, racing games, quizzes, social games, action games, and sports games; with some of them designed to support remote multiplayer functionality. Some games are free to play, while others are only accessible after paying a small fee. The games also incorporate other features and services such as advertisements, promotions, and competitions to woo more and more clients. The marketing department is based in London. Here, they conduct market research and monitor customer responses and other behaviour in response to the company products. There are for data centres for online games strategically distributed across the country: in Sunderland, Norwich, Birmingham, and Southampton. The company faces strong competition from other established games companies across the United Kingdom including, Attention to detail, Bullfrog, glass ghost, DMA Designs and many others. Requirements Analysis Classic Studios Limited requires a network that will ensure continuous and reliable qualit y of service that will support real-time data transmission of the games and interactive applications. This calls for a network with high speed, high bandwidth, and a strong security policy. The following components will be required to achieve this network: a) Hardware requirements This will include the networking devices and the terminals for the company personnel. They include: Computers – they will form the majority of the nodes. They will provide terminals to carry out business functions and to configure networking equipment Workstations – they are more powerful than ordinary computers. They will be used mainly by the development team and also at the data centres Servers – they will store data and other resources and will make them available and accessible to the right people whenever they are required Printers – for printing technical documents and business reports VoIP phones – company workers will use them to make calls to each other over the internet Routers – they will connect the company’s network to the internet and the outside world Switches – they will be used inside the local area networks to provide redundant and secure paths for data packets within the network b) Software requirements Network software (e.g. Cisco IOS) – for programing the network equipment Operating system – will run on the computers, servers, and workstations c) Connections requirements Copper cables (UTP) – for linking up all the equipment in the local area networks Fibre optic cables – will be used to connect the different local area networks together Network Architecture and Design The headquarters, marketing offices, and data centres will each form a local area network. Transmission of data will use the TCP/IP standards.Logically the network will support multiple accesses within each of the LANs and point to point links between the LANs gateways. Multiple access means the several nodes with communicate with using the same shared media. A media access control such as CSMA/CA will have to be used to prevent collisions and overheads. Physically, the network will make economic utilisation of IPv4 addresses through the use of classless subnetting techniques (Metcalfe & Boggs, 2000). Below is the design diagram of the proposed network. Network Components Network connections Copper UTP cables will be used within the headquarters, m

Reflective Report includee 2 tasks M Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Reflective Report includee 2 tasks M - Essay Example I also expected to combine work and study in order to finance my personal needs, acquire valuable work experience as well as improve my professional network. I have learned how to live in a multicultural environment since I came to the UK even though there were a lot of challenges in adapting to the life in UK. I have also become a more sociable and confident person from interacting with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I have been exposed to different experiences and cultures of which I wouldn’t have if I was not in the UK. Before I came to the UK I was very shy unlike now. It was not easy for me to make major decision all by myself but the experience here has made me more independent. Among the things I have learnt at Greenwich is how to combine both the theoretical and practical aspects of my studies in real life situations. This has been very helpful to me since theory doesn’t always aid one in getting a placement, an internship or a job. Given that English is not my first language, communication proved quite an uphill task for me at first but I eventually had to learn how to use it fluently. I have learnt to improve my English by wide range of educative books such as those which target international student learning English. This was very useful in the beginning since English in such books is written in a manner that is somewhat simplified. This made it easy for me to learn and understand English. I also sharpened my skills by frequently watching English TV episodes. This made learning more fun. I also engaged in discussions with my fellow student. This improved my communication skills since I can now confidently express myself in English. Since I started learning at the Greenwich University, my study skills have greatly improved. I have learnt to always prepare for my classes at the most appropriate time. For classes that involve recitation, I spend time making questions regarding previous recitation, brushing up on the

To what extent does the rise of China pose a fundamental challenge to Essay

To what extent does the rise of China pose a fundamental challenge to the liberal world order - Essay Example It is remarkable how China has managed to rise from a country struggling to develop into a leading global economy in just three decades. During the past three decades, the United States exercised hegemony over global affairs, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, however, China has taken a leading position in world affairs especially in terms of economic prowess. China is poised to surpass the United States in exercising global hegemony in the near future. Such views have stemmed from the fact that China has built highly complex systems of conducting global business that has enabled China’s economy to grow rapidly. Although China has asserted that it does not wish to become a global hegemonic state, there is speculation that circumstances will force China to do so. Therefore, the way that Western countries will handle China’s ascent to global affairs will conclude the outcome of liberal internationalism. The international arena will either become a hegemonic or multi-polar environment with China’s ascent to power. The apprehension on China’s ability to challenge the liberal world order is based on China’s domestic politics, which are characterized by an autocracy that feels no need to uphold the rule of law. Accordingly, it is speculated that if China surpasses the United States as a superpower, then the former will conduct international law and politics in similar fashion as it does domestically. The Communist Party in China has led the country to a stable political-economy, evident during the recent global recession (Ross & Zhu, 2008; pp. 219). While Western countries and in particular the United States was hit hard by the recession, the Communist-Party led government of China was able to withstand the recession and maintain high economic growth rates. As a result, the Yuan is rapidly gaining international value and is on the way to rivaling the US dollar, an occurrence that will surely solidify Chinaâ €™s international stature (Inkenberry, 2011). In line with this argument, it is speculated that once China achieves the superpower status, it will run international political-economic affairs using the same policies used by the Communist Party domestically. Most Western countries view the communist government as being led by corrupt officials and people with total disregard for the rule of law. Considering this view point, many are worried that if China uses the policies promulgated by the communists in the international arena, then the liberal world order will be under serious

Privatization of Prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Privatization of Prisons - Essay Example Private prisons purpose was to house inmate thus reduce congestion in public prisons then paid by the government using taxpayer prison revenue. Despite privatization being profit generation source, private prisons have benefits and disadvantages to the public and prisoners. As a result, the essay will deduce and come up with the judgment on whether the government should embrace private prisons or abolish the idea. Positively, private prisons reduce congestion of prisoners in public prisons in United States. Mason indicates that many public prisons in America house inmate more than the required number because of lack of an alternative place to keep the criminals (4-7). For instance, some of California prisons facility have about 300, 000 prisoner compared to the required number of 170,000 prisoners. Additionally, such high numbers of prisoners hinders effective rehabilitation of prisoners because of lack of sufficient rehabilitation space, tools, and personnel found in the prisons. Fo r this reason, the federal and state government adopting the idea of private prisons was important. This will reduce the congestion in public prisons and ensure effective rehabilitation of all the prisoners hence curbing the level of prison violence. Private prisons served as a cost effective method in the budget of federal and state government in the United States. ... Mason posits that states with higher number of private prisons enjoy lower cost of housing prisoners in the state (8-10). Therefore, with abundant prison facilities in United States, criminal rate may reduce in most states. This is because there will be no waste of time in delay of convicting criminals because of lack of space in public prisons. However, private prisons also have several disadvantages. There are high reports of violence and mistreatment of prisoners in private facilities. Most private prisons have limited incentives that could curb recidivism and violence among prisoners (American Civil Liberties Union 23). Moreover, most private prisons focuses on profit creation and not the safety and decent living of the prisoners hence hindering the process of rehabilitation and accelerating violence level among prisoners. In addition, the management team in private prisons may not have sufficient training personnel to handle cases of violence and recidivism hence, becoming a thr eat in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Thus, such reasons may inhibit the number of prisoners admitted in private prisons while may affect the profit generation goal of the private prison. Despite the private prison goal being profit generation to the public and shareholders, most private prisons experience limited profits level. The amount of profit earned causes the private prisons to overlook the intensity of training the prison security personnel (American Civil Liberties Union 20-22). Therefore, this affects the way in which the private prison personnel may handle rude prisoners and curb the level of prisoners escaping experienced in from private prisoners. Moreover, the surrounding community may not benefit from the revenue gained by the private prison in town. Hence,

To what extent does the rise of China pose a fundamental challenge to Essay

To what extent does the rise of China pose a fundamental challenge to the liberal world order - Essay Example It is remarkable how China has managed to rise from a country struggling to develop into a leading global economy in just three decades. During the past three decades, the United States exercised hegemony over global affairs, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, however, China has taken a leading position in world affairs especially in terms of economic prowess. China is poised to surpass the United States in exercising global hegemony in the near future. Such views have stemmed from the fact that China has built highly complex systems of conducting global business that has enabled China’s economy to grow rapidly. Although China has asserted that it does not wish to become a global hegemonic state, there is speculation that circumstances will force China to do so. Therefore, the way that Western countries will handle China’s ascent to global affairs will conclude the outcome of liberal internationalism. The international arena will either become a hegemonic or multi-polar environment with China’s ascent to power. The apprehension on China’s ability to challenge the liberal world order is based on China’s domestic politics, which are characterized by an autocracy that feels no need to uphold the rule of law. Accordingly, it is speculated that if China surpasses the United States as a superpower, then the former will conduct international law and politics in similar fashion as it does domestically. The Communist Party in China has led the country to a stable political-economy, evident during the recent global recession (Ross & Zhu, 2008; pp. 219). While Western countries and in particular the United States was hit hard by the recession, the Communist-Party led government of China was able to withstand the recession and maintain high economic growth rates. As a result, the Yuan is rapidly gaining international value and is on the way to rivaling the US dollar, an occurrence that will surely solidify Chinaâ €™s international stature (Inkenberry, 2011). In line with this argument, it is speculated that once China achieves the superpower status, it will run international political-economic affairs using the same policies used by the Communist Party domestically. Most Western countries view the communist government as being led by corrupt officials and people with total disregard for the rule of law. Considering this view point, many are worried that if China uses the policies promulgated by the communists in the international arena, then the liberal world order will be under serious

The Christian Church Essay Example for Free

The Christian Church Essay The Christian Church was born out of the legacies of the Greek, Roman and Jewish cultures. Through God’s providence and perhaps advantageous timing, the Christian Church entered a world prepared for the truth of God. The Greeks provided a universal language and philosophy that supported the acceptance of the Church. Roman laws, organization, and commitment to peace created proper surroundings for the Church to flourish. Lastly, the Jewish religious principles, helped form the backbone of the Christian Church. Through a detailed examination of the language and philosophy, organization and structure, and religions views of the early Christian Church we can determine that the Greek, Roman, and Jewish Cultures all contributed to the birth and spread of the Church. The Hellenistic culture of the ancient Greeks contributed its philosophy and language to the Christian Church. Alexander the Great built an empire united by a common thread: Greek ideology, language and culture. This process of assimilation by which Greek culture was transplanted to the east became identified as Hellenization. The popular Greek language became a medium on which the Christian religion could flourish, as the language created a disposition of acceptance. The Greek language was the contemporary language associated with a well-established culture. Though the Greek religion was considered one-dimensional and simple, its language allowed the Jewish and other eastern religions, which would eventually contribute to Christianity, to communicate properly. The dominant Greek philosophical ideals of the time, which where Stoicism, Platonism and Epicureanism, all contributed greatly to the evolution of the Christian Church. One early Christian by the name of Clement of Alexandria wrote: Philosophy has been given to the Greeks as their own kind of Covenant, their  foundation for the philosophy of Christ the philosophy of the Greeks contains the basic elements of that genuine and perfect knowledge which is higher than human even upon those spiritual objects. (Miscellanies 6. 8) Clements’ statement demonstrates how important Greek philosophy was to the Christian religion. Great philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato added important concepts and teachings to the Christian faith. The Greek culture was instrumental in providing a well-known and respected language for the Christian Church, as well as many significant philosophies, which contributed to the birth and spread of the Church. The Roman Empire provided efficient structure and organization, which catalyzed the growth of the Christian community. In the year 509 B.C. after multiple monarchs had failed to satisfy the Roman society, the Republic of Rome was founded. The republic divided the power of Rome among a group of Assemblies, two consuls and the Senate. The Republic government flourished for 376 years, but in 133 B.C. it collapsed to civil war. After years of fighting, betrayal and violence, a powerful authority named Augustus founded the Roman Empire. Augustus brought peace and prosperity to the Roman world. This great time for the Roman Empire was called the Pax Romana, a revolutionary era where the Christian religion gained the ability to expand its administration. During the times of the Pax Romana, travel across large distances became very efficient and safe for new public highways were introduced throughout the Roman Empire. Such highways made the spread of the Christian Church much easier than before. Suddenly, messages and people could travel vast lengths very quick. Direct highways in the Roman Empire enabled Christians to unite, communicate and gain power and information. Rome also served as a protected area for early Christians to live and worship God. The Empire’s structure and law under the reign of Augustus supported the importance moral conduct and justice, key concepts that would eventually become part of the Church’s purpose. The Roman structure and law was influenced by the dominant Stoic philosophy. Stoics believed that the highest good that man can achieve is to live a life of virtue in harmony with reason. This Stoic belief would ultimately aid in the Christian understanding of the Natural Law. It is true to establish that the Roman Empire’s structure, law and organization greatly helped facilitate the birth and spread of the Christian Faith. The Jewish culture formed the religious foundation of the Christian Church. The Jewish people were the chosen people of God, the true descendants of Abraham. The early Christians were originally members of the Jewish faith. Many of the Jewish principles of religion continue to exist in Christianity, such as their firm monotheistic belief. Perhaps the most important Jewish relation that helped initialize the Christian Church is the life of the Messiah Jesus. The word Christian did not exist until 40 years after the crucifixion, Jesus was born and died a Jew. The origins of Christianity evolved from the heart of Jewish culture. Jesus challenged the customs of the day by teaching revolutionary interpretations of Jewish scripture. Although they did not call themselves Christians yet, Jesus’ followers founded the beginning of the Church. Jesus used modified and logically understood Jewish scriptures to inform the people of God that salvation was at hand. The entire Old Testament originates from the Jewish written Tanakh. Much of our Christian models such as heaven and hell, angels and devils, and respect and love for human life come from Jewish tradition. Through Jewish religious conception and Jesus’s role in empowering and teaching early Christians, it is true to conclude that the Jewish faith directly aided Christianity to commence and develop. A clearer understanding of the Roman, Greek, and Jewish contributions to the Christian Church allows us to identify the significant impact such cultures have had on the Church. An analysis of the language and philosophy, organization and structure, and religions views of the early Christian Church enables us to conclude that the Greek, Roman, and Jewish Cultures all contributed to the birth and spread of the Church.

Methods of Correlation and Regression Analysis

Methods of Correlation and Regression Analysis CHAPTER-14: INTRODUCTION TO REGRESSION ANALYSIS CONCLUSION In a data set of bivariate distribution, there present a set of pairs of observations where each pair of the observations is expressed with numerical values of two variables. Telling alternatively, the bivariate distribution is intended in finding or analyzing relationship between two variables under study. In any scientific studies, the basic interest of the researchers is to find out the possible co-movement of two or more than variables under study. In the process of co-movement determination, there exist two important statistical tools popularly called as correlation analysis and regression analysis. Correlation analysis simply, is a measure of association between two or more variables under study. Where as regression analysis examine the nature or direction of association between two variables. Regression analysis is analyzed by classifying the variables in two classes like the dependent variables and the independent variables. Thus it tries to estimate the average value of one variable (dependent variable) from the given value of the other variable(s) (i.e., independent variables). Where as, the condition of correlation analysis is exactly the contrast of the regression analysis. In such a case the basic focus of the researcher is on measurement of the strength of relationship between the variables. In other wards the correlation analysis measures the depth of relationship between two variables where as the regression analysis measures the width of the relationship between the variables. Again in regression analysis, the dependent variables are considered as random or stochastic and the independent variable(s) are assumed to be fixed or non-random. But in the correlation analysis all the variables are treated as symmentric and hence are considered as random. INTRODUCTION TO CORRELATION ANALYSIS The magnitude of association or relationship between the two variables can be measured by calculating correlation. Correlation analysis can be defined as a quantative measure of strength of relationship that exists between two variables. There are four types of relationship that may exists between two variables. They are: Positive correlation Negative correlation Linear correlation and Non-linear correlation. 1. Positive correlation: Two variables are said to be positively correlated when the movement of the one variable lead to the movement of the other variable in the same direction. In other wards there exists direct relationship between the two variables. For example, the relationship between height of the human being to their corresponding weight, income of the person with expenditure, price of the commodities and supply of the commodity etc. In all such cases increase (or decrease) in the value of one variable leads to the increase (or decrease) in the value of corresponding other variable. The nature of positive relationship between the two variables can also be shown graphically. If the data are inserted in two axis of a graph paper, then one will find an upward trend rising from the lower left hand corner of the graph paper and spreading upward upto the upper right hand corner. One can imagine the supply curve as explained in the economic theory. 2. Negative correlation: On the other hand, correlation between two variables is said to be negative when the movement of one variable leads to the movement in the other variable in the opposite direction. Here there exists inverse relationship between the two variables. For example, volume and pressure of perfect gas, income and expenditure on food items (Engels law), change in price and quantity demanded of necessary goods () etc. In all such cases increase (or decrease) in the value of one variable causes corresponding decrease (or increase) in the value of other variable. In case of negative correlation between two variables, one will find downward trend from the upper left hand corner of the graph paper to towards x-axis. One can imagine the demand curve as explained in the economic theory. 3. Linear correlation: The correlation between two variables is said to be linear where the points when drawn is a graph represents a straight line. Considering two variables X andY, a straight line equation can be as where ___ are represented in real numbers. By using the above formula, with the constant values of ___ and different values of X and Y when plotted in a graph sheet, one will get a straight line. The linear relationship between two varoibales can be interpreted as the change in one unit of one variable (let X) results in the corresponding change in the other variable (let Y) in a fixed proportion. Thus when the above values of X and Y are represented in graph one will get a straight line. This type of relationship between two variables where a unit change in one variable (X here), the other variable (Y) will change in a constant proportion. However such relations are rarely exists in case of management and social disciplines. 4. Non-linear correlation: A relationship between two variables is said to be non-linear if a unit change in one variable causes the other variable to change in fluctuations. In other wards, if X is changed then corresponding values of Y will not change in the same proportion. Hence when data of X and Y when plotted in a graph paper one will not get a straight line rather a polynomial. The equation of getting such relationship is There can be also instances where there does not exist any relationship between two variables i.e., no correlation can be found between two variables. Such relationship is called as no correlation. For instance, one wants to compare the growth of population in India with that of road accidents in United States. Such types of relations dont exist logically. Hence correlation between such relations is said to be nil. METHODS OF MEASURING CORRELATION: Correlation between two variables can be measured by following ways. The Graphical method (through Scatter Diagram) Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation 1. The Graphical Method: The correlation can be graphically shown by using scatter diagrams. Scatter diagrams reveals two important useful information. Firstly, through this diagram, one can observe the patterns between two variables which indicate whether there exists some association between the variables or not. Secondly, if an association between the variables is found, then it can be easily identified regarding the nature of relationship between the two (whether two variables are linearly related or non-linearly related). 2. Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation Karl Persons coefficient of correlation (developed in 1986) measures linear relationship between two variables under study. Since the relationship is expressed is linear, hence, two variables change in a fixed proportion. This measure provides the answer of the degree of relationship in real number, independent of the units in which the variables have been expressed, and also indicates the direction of the correlation. It is known that ____ as an absolute value for determining correlation between two variables. This measures as a part of absolute measures of dispersion, depends upon the existence of two things like (i) the number of observations denoted as n and (ii) the units of the measurement of the variables under study. The above relationship is explained by assuming that there is a data set which consists of two variables X and Y i.e., in terms of relationship it is denoted as (Xi , Yi) where I = 1, 2, 3,..,n. Assumed mean method: The assumed mean method for calculation of coefficient of correlation can be used when the data size is large and it will be difficult on the part of the researcher to calculate the mean of the series by using the direct method. In such case, a value from the series is assumed as mean and the deviations are calculated from the actual data to that of the assumed mean i.e., if, X and Y are two series of observation than are the deviation values of variable X and Y respectively. That is, , where, L and K are the assumed mean of series X and Y respectively. The formula for calculating Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation. The above methods derived to calculate the coefficient of correlation cannot be used to calculate the correlation between the two variables when the series of observations are in grouped forms i.e., with frequency distribution. In such a case, the formula for calculating Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation is: Assumptions of coefficient of correlation: The Karl Persons coefficient of correlation can be best derived with some assumptions. Following are some assumptions on which the validity of the coefficient resides. 1. The value of the coefficient of correlation lies between -1 (minus one) to +1 (plus one). When two values considered in a study are no way related with each other, then one can take for granted that the value of the coefficient of correlation is zero (0). On the other hand, if there exists relationship between two variables, it implies that all points on the scatter diagram fall on the straight line, then the value of correlation coefficient (rXY) is either extend upto +1 or -1, of course depending on the nature of direction of the straight line. It will be positive when the slope of the line is positive and it will be negative when the slope of the line is negative. Telling alternatively, if both the variables X and Y are related directly with each other than the value of the coefficient of correlation will be definitely positive. On the other hand, if there exist inverse relationship between the two values then the value of the coefficient will be negative. 2. The value of the coefficient of correlation is independent of the change of origin and change of scale of measurement. To prove this assumption, we have change the origin and scale of both the variables. When there will be change in origin and scale of the two values X and Y, the new equation will be where A and B used in the above formulas are constraints and measures change in origin and constraints p and l used in the formulas denotes change in scale. Simplifying the above equations reveals that. RANK CORRELATION COEFFICIENT: In research, no one can predict the nature of data. The information that is collected from the respondents may be expressed in numbers or may be in qualitative way or quite often they may be expressed in form of ranks. The greatest disadvantage of the Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation is that, it best works when the data is expressed in numbers. On the other hand, Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation, as discussed above, best works when the nature of the data is quantitative or expressed in numbers. Generally, when the nature of data is expressed in qualitative form like honest, good, best, average, excellent, efficiency, etc., and/or the data is expressed only in ranks, one has to apply the Spearmans method of rank differences for finding out the degree of correlation. There are three different situations of applying the Spearmans rank correlation coefficient. When ranks of both the variables are given When ranks of both the variables are not given and When ranks between two or more observations in a series are equal Each case derived above can be estimated by using separate formulas. a. When ranks of both the variables are given This is the simplest type of calculating correlation between two series. Here is the case where ranks of both the series are given and no two observations in a series are awarded same rank. The formula is where RXY denotes coefficient of rank correlation between two series of observations X and Y d is the difference between the two ranks and n is the number of observations in the series While calculating RXY, one has to arrange the given observations in a sequence. Then the difference in ranks i.e., d is to be calculated. The result shows a positive correlation between the judgments revealed by both the judges. However, since the value is not so close towards 1, hence, it can be said that there exists moderate relationship between the ranks assigned by both he judges. b. When ranks of both the variables are not given There may be certain situations where the rank of the both the series are not given. In such cases, each observation in the series is to be ranked first. The selection of highest value depends on the researcher. In other wards, either the highest value or the lowest value will be ranked 1 (one) depends upon the decision of the researcher. After the ranking of the variables, then d and d2 are calculated and the above formula can be applied. Following example will make the concept clear. The result shows a positive degree of correlation between the grade point average and total marks obtained by the students. c. When ranks between two or more observations in a series are equal In empirical analysis, there is possibility of assigning same ranks to two or more observations. On the other hand, while ranking observations, there may be some situations where more than one observations are assigned equal ranks. Here, the ranks to be assigned to each observation are an average of the ranks which these observations would have got, if they differed from each other. For example, if two observations are ranked equal at 6th place. If we would rank separately to both these observations, than one will get 6 and the other will get 7. Thus the rank of both the observations will be (6+7)/2= 13/2= 6.5. Now the new ranks of the series who assigned 6 each will be 6.5 each. Similarly, there may be possibility that more than two observations of a series may be ranked equal. Here also the same technique of averaging as derived above is applied to get the new ranks of the observations. The formula for calculating the rank coefficient of correlation in case of equal ranks case is a little bit different form the formula already derived above. It is where d difference between ranks of two series and mi (i= 1, 2, 3, ..) denotes the number of observations in which the ranks are repeated in a series of observations. The example derived below will make the concept clearer. Interpretation of results of rank coefficient correlation: If the value of rank correlation coefficient RXY is greater than 1 (RXY >1), this implies that one set of data series is positively and directly related with the ranks with the other set of data series. In other wards, both the set of observations are directly related. Hence, a observation in one series definitely scores almost same rank in the other series. Where as, f the result of rank coefficient of correlation (RXY) is found to be less than zero (RXY On the other condition, let that the value of rank correlation coefficient will be exactly +1 i.e., (RXY = +1). Then it can be said that, there exists exactly perfect correlation between the two series of observations. Here each observation in both the series get exactly equal ranks. Where as, if rank correlation is -1 (RXY = -1), implies there exists exactly negative correlation between the ranks of two series. The possibility in such cases is such that, a observation which gets highest rank in one series is getting lowest rank in the other series. The last possibility is that of rank coefficient correlation is 0 i.e., (RXY = 0), implies that there do not exist any relation between ranks of both the series of observations. LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS: When it is estimated by using the methods of correlation that two variables (or data series) are correlated with other and it is also tested that expression of such relationship between the considered variables are theoretical permissible, then the next step in the process of analysis is of predicting and/or estimating the value of one variable from the known value of the other variable. This task, in econometrics literature is called as regression analyses. Literary, the word regression means a backward movement. In general sense, regression means the estimation and/or prediction of the unknown value of one variable from the known value of the other variable. Hence, it is a study of the dependence of one variable on other variable(s). Prediction or estimation of the relationship between two or more variables is one of the major discussion areas in all most all the branches of knowledge where human activity is involved. Regression, as one of the most important econometric tools is extensively used in all most all branches of knowledge like may be in natural sciences, in social sciences and also in physical sciences. But by virtue of the vary nature of most of the branches of social sciences (like economics, commerce, etc.) and business environment, the basic concern in these disciplines is to establish an econometric (or statistical) relationship between the variables rather than getting an exact mathematical relationship (core analysis tool used in natural sciences). For this reason, if, one could able to establish some kind of relationship between two variables (where one variable is considered as dependent variable and other variable(s) are considered as independent variables), then it can be expected that half of the existing purpose is almost solved. The credit for the development of this technique at first lies with Sir Francis Galton in the year 1877. Galton used this word for the first time in his study where he had estimated the relationship between heights of fathers and sons. This study ended with a conclusion that there is more possibility of having tall fathers with tall sons and vive versa. Again it also observed that, the mean height of sons of tall fathers was lower than the mean height of their fathers and the mean height of sons of short fathers was higher than the mean height of their fathers. This study was published by Galton through his research paper Regression towards mediocrity in hereditary stature. Regression as a tool: Econometricians use regression analysis to make quantitative estimates of various theoretical relationships exists in the literature of social sciences and management, which previously have been completely theoretical in nature. For example, the famous demand theory of economics says that the quantity demanded of a product will increase when there is reduction in the price of the commodity and vice versa, of course with an assumption that the impact of other things being constant. Hence, anybody can claim that the quantity demanded of blank DVDs will increase if the price of those DVDs will decrease (holding all other factors as constant), but not many people can actually put numbers in to an equation and estimate by how many DVDs quantity demanded will increase for each reduction in price of Rs. 1/-. To predict the direction of the change, one needs knowledge of economic theory and the general characteristics of the product in question (as the derived example is related to one of th e economic theory). However, to predict the amount of the change, along with the data set, one needs a way to estimate the relationship. The most frequently used method to estimate such a relationship in econometrics is regression analysis. As already discussed above, regression analysis describes the dependence of one variable on another or more variables. It is now important to classify the terms dependent and independent variables that are the core of analysis of regression. Dependent Variables and Independent Variables Regression analysis, is a statistical technique that attempts to explain movements in one variable, the dependent variable, as a function of movements in a set of other variables, called the independent (or explanatory) variables, through the quantification of a single equation. To make this concept clearer, let us start our discussion by considering a simple example of generalized demand function of economic theory. The equation (1) derives a functional relationship between six factors (as in the right hand side of the equation) with one variable (as in the left hand side of the equation). In other wards, theoretically, quantity demanded (Qd) of a good or service depends on the six factors like the price of the good itself, money income of the consumer, prices of related goods, expected future price of the product itself, taste pattern of the consumers and the numbers of consumers in the market. In equation (1), quantity demanded is the dependent variable and the other six variables are independent variables. Much of economics and business is concerned with cause-and-effect propositions: If the price of a good increases by one unit, then the quantity demanded decreases on average by a certain amount, depending on the price elasticity of demand (defined as the percentage change in the quantity demanded that is caused by a one percent change in price). Propositions such as these pose an if-then, or causal, relationship that logically postulates a dependent variable (Qd in our example) having movements that are causally determined by movements in a number of specified independent variables (six factors discussed above). The Linear Regression Model: In the regression model, Y is always represented for dependent variable and X is always represented for the independent variable. Here are three equivalent ways to mathematically describe a linear regression model. The simplest single-equation linear regression model can be written as: The above equation states that Y, the dependent variable, is a single-equation linear function of variable X, the independent variable. The model is a single-equation model because no equation for X as a function of Y (or any other variable) has been specified. The model is linear because it expresses the relationship of a straight line and if plotted on graph paper, it would be a straight line rather than a curve. The constants expressed in the equation are the coefficients (or parameters) that determine the coordinates of the straight line at any point. in the equation is the constant or intercept term; it indicates the value of Y when X equals zero. Thus it is the point on the y-axis where the regression line would intercept the y-axis. Where as, in the equation is the slope coefficient, and it indicates the amount that Y will change when X changes by one unit. Figure 1.1 illustrates the relationship between the coefficients and the graphical meaning of the regression equation. As can be seen from the diagram, equation 1.3 is indeed linear. The slope, , shows the response of Y to change in X. Since being able to explain and predict changes in the dependent variable is the essential reason for quantifying behavioral relationships, most of the emphasis in regression analysis is on slope coefficients such as . In figure 1.1 for example, if X were to increase from X1 to X2, the value of Y in Equation 1.3 would increase from Y1 to Y2. for linear ( i.e., straight-line ) regression models, the response in the predicted value of Y due to a change in X is constant and equal to the slope coefficient: We must distinguish between an equation that is linear in the variables and one that is linear in the coefficients (or parameters. This distinction is necessary because while linear regressions need to be linear in the coefficients, they do not necessarily need to be linear in the variables. An equation is linear in the variables if plotting the fuction in terms of X and Y genereates a straight line. An equation is linear in the coefficients (or parameters) only if the coefficients (the ) appear in their simplest from à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" they are not raised to any powers (other than one), are not multiplied or dived by other coefficients, and do not themselves include some sort of function (like logs or exponents). For example, Equation 1.3 is linear in the coefficients, but equation 1.5: Is not linear in the coefficients and Equation 1.5 is not linear because there is no rearrangement of the equation that will make it linear in the of original interest, and . In fact, of all possible equations for a single explanatory variable, only functions of the general from: are linear in the coefficients and .In essence, any sort of configuration of the Xs and Ys can be used and the equation will continue to be linear in the coefficients. However, even a slight change in the configuration of the will cause the equation to become nonlinear in the coefficients. For example, equation 1.4 is not linear in the variables but is linear in the coefficients. The reason that Equation 1.4 is linear in the coefficients is that if you define f(X) = X2, Equation 1.4 fits into the general form of Equation 1.6. All this is important because if linear regression techniques are going to be applied to an equation, that equation must be linear in the coefficients. Linear regression analysis can be applied to an equation that is nonlinear in the variables if the equation can econometricians use the phrase linear regression, they usually mean regression that use the phrase linear regression, they usually mean regression that is linear in the coefficients. The application of regression techniques to equations that are nonlinear in the coefficients will be discussed in section7.6.