Monday, September 30, 2019

Site visit report

Visiting theatre is always exciting and interesting. It gives a lot of new information and new expressions. In order to be organized well enough any cultural site must be created as well-developed, complex structure with its each branch accomplishing its own functions.The Royal Court Theatre is one of the most famous theatres all over the world. The newest high quality performances take place in this theatre. These plays are always interesting and exciting and always refer to the eternal problems of humanity.This theatre is famous by its actual works using the works of writers not only from UK but from all over the world. â€Å"Nee York Times† referred this theatre as â€Å"the most important theatre in Europe†.   But it would be helpful not to forget that besides being the place of art it is also a public place. So, what Royal Court Theatre is and what its facilities are?First of all it is necessary to pay special attention to the Web-site of the Royal Court Theatre. It’s a great web-place which differs from thousands of other cultural places’ web-pages by its original design and convenient guide system.   Would like to distinguish such sub-page of this site as â€Å"Visiting†. Very useful and in-time information is given there. The complete theatre address is given. The potential visitor can get here the detailed information regarding how to get to the theatre. The authorities have taken into consideration all the particularities and details.For example, such announcement as (Royal Court Theatre web-site, 2006): â€Å"Please note that the station itself is not accessible for wheelchair users† (n. p.) – it testifies the high level of the theatre services. The detailed information about parking all around theatre’s territory is given. For example it is submitted that the theatre has no car park but the information about the nearest parking is given. It is said that â€Å"there is on street parking aft er 6.30pm.† Each can also get the most convenient route how to get to the theatre. All the bus and subway routes are presented by the web-site.The history of the theatre in its not too long but very interesting version is also present on the web-site. From this information one can understand easily the very concept of the theatre performances and then to choose a play for visiting (their announcement is given on the main page).The other interesting thing: â€Å"Bar† – a special sub-page in which the visitor can get known about the eating facilities of the theatre(Royal Court Theatre web-site, 2006): â€Å"The Royal Court's BAR AND FOOD facilities occupy the nineteenth century auditorium ‘pit', the original vaults under the pavement and a completely new spacious hall built underneath Sloane Square† (n. p.). The schedule of coffee intervals is given. In the very bottom of the page it is pointed out: â€Å"Service is not included†. So, a visitor gets full information till the visiting theatre- that’s a very strong point in favour of the theatre.Special page for students is also created on this web-site with full description of full students events and so on. At first glance, the design and structure if the web-site is very simple but each sub-page contains other pages with very detailed information on each of them. For example, students’ page has such sub-pages as â€Å"Student events†, â€Å"Join hype†, â€Å"Bar and food†.It can be said that the Royal Court Theatre is a bright example of a well developed cultural structure. In order to analyze its functions efficiently it will be helpful to do that step by step. First among those is the advertising of the place. Once we got out from the bus in London we already saw a rather big billboard with the Royal Court Theatre advertising. So, from the very beginning of our visit to London we already knew that such theatre can be visited by us in t his city. That’s a very big point in favor of this establishment.While traveling all over the city other advertisings of the theatre have been noted by us as well. And in Sloane Square the booklets with the theatre’s advertising were distributed. In those leaflets the short information about theatre’s history and actual exhibitions was submitted. All these additional means of advertising were arranged professionally. Besides, there always exists some other kind of advertising – it is so called verbal advertising –from the parts pf people who have already visited the theatre. In other cultural sites which we visited in London many people gave us good calls on the Royal Court Theatre.So, if to estimate the advertising activities of the theatre by the scale of 10, it can be estimated as 10 points and that’s completely justified.The second point to be estimated is the visitor management. This activities start to be estimated when a visitor is in the theatre already. The staff of the theatre is composed by professional people and that can be noted as soon as one gets inside.   Both external and internal design of the theatre can compete with the most beautiful theatres of the world. When getting inside a beautiful hall arranged in somewhat old fashion with high walls and spacious upper side involves visitors into the atmosphere of theatre mystic.Marvellous French windows enhance even more beauty to the theatre premise.   Special premises for coffee brakes, toilets are situated in such manner that they do not distract visitors’ attention from the principle theatre attributes.Regarding the interpretation of the performances it can said that the author’s presentation never can be correct for all visitors as each of them has his own opinion. Nevertheless, the performance of the two plays I was present on impressed me and I was agree with the author’s vision. What’s more, I even have changed my se eing of certain problems after seeing plays. This fact testifies the high professional level of the theatre plays.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Richard Branson Leadership Essay

Introduction I have chosen to write the profile of a Business leader who I admire on Richard Branson. Branson is a English business magnate, best known as the founder and chairman of Virgin Group of more than 400 companies. According to Wagner and Hollenback (2009), leadership is ‘the use of non-coercive and symbolic influence to direct and coordinate the activities of the members of an organised group toward the accomplishment of group objectives. According to Clark (2010), there are three main leadership styles. These are autocratic, democratic and laissez faire. In order to be an effective leader, managers should use all three leadership styles. A good leader should be able to judge which leadership style is most appropriate in a given situation. Research carried out by the University of Michigan and Ohio State University suggests that there are a number of behavioural and leadership theories. These theories outline different aspects of a leader’s behaviour or leadership style which may differentiate those who are effective leaders from those who are not. For example, the University of Michigan identified two general classes of supervisory behaviour. These are employee oriented and job production oriented behaviours. Research carried out by the Ohio State University is very similar to the above piece of research. They identify the two classes of supervisory behaviour styles as a considerate style i.e. employee oriented and an initiating structure style i.e. job production oriented. Similarly to the two above pieces of research, Fiedler identifies two different leadership styles. These are relationship motivated leaders i.e. employee oriented/considerate style and task motivated leaders i.e. job production oriented/initiating structure style. Another piece of research conducted by House identifies four different behavioural styles. They are as follows: directive leadership, supportive leadership, participative leadership and achievement oriented leadership. In order for a manager to be an effective leader they must also be able to perform their roles effectively. A modern leader has fourteen main roles. Richard Branson’s Profile Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on the 18th of July 1950 in Blackheath, London. In his youth, Branson was not an impressive student. He was dyslexic and near-sighted, but he could always make things happen. When  he was seventeen, attending school at Stowe, Richard and a classmate started a magazine, Student . When doing an interview with The Guardian he stated â€Å" it was aimed at giving young people a voice on key issues such as the Vietnam War†. He sold  £6,000 worth of advertising in its first edition, which was launched in 1966. The first run of 50,000 copies was disseminated for free, after Branson covered the costs with advertising. This was important business and sales experience for Branson and what he learnt during this time benefited him over time. While running the Student from a basement in London, Richard noticed that stores were not discounting records. Richard began to run ads in the Student offering records at discount prices. The orders flooded in and record sales soon became more profitable than subscription sales. Richard quickly set up an office above an old shoe store and Virgin was born (http://www.lemonadestories.com/virgin.html). The name â€Å"Virgin† was suggested by one of Branson’s early employees because they were all new at business. It was from this point that the Virgin brand grew. Earning enough money from his record store, Branson in 1972 launched the record label Virgin Records with Nik Powell and bought a country estate, in which he installed a recording studio. Mike Oldfield, whose debut album Tubular Bells (1973) was Virgin Records’ first release and a chart-topping best-seller. Virgin Records had other notable artists such as â€Å"The Sex Pistols† and â€Å"Culture Club†. n 1992, to keep his airline company afloat, Branson sold the Virgin label to EMI for  £500 million. Virgin Atlantic had its inaugural flight in 1984 on its then only route between London and New York. After adding a route from Gatwick to Miami in 1986, Virgin Atlantic celebrated its 1,000,00th passenger in 1987. In 2011 Virgin Atlantic carried 5.3 million passengers, making it the eighth largest UK airline in terms of passenger volume. Branson has added other airlines to his Virgin empire such as Virgin Express which operates in Brussles, Virgin Australia and Virgin America. Not being one to shy away from a challenge Branson has had many other ambitious business ventures such as Virgin Vodka, Virgin Cola, the gay night club Heaven, Virgin Cosmetics, Virgin Money, Virgin Cars, F1 team Virgin Racing and most famously Virgin Galactic which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to space tourists, suborbital launches for space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites. He himself frequently  states that all of these ventures are â€Å"calculated risks† which is hard to argue against seeing as Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom, according to the Forbes 2011 list of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of US$4.2 billion. Bransons ambitious and risky are not just limited to the business world as he has broke several world records and attempted many more, for example he completed the first balloon flight across the Atlantic in 1996. All these business and adventuring feats make Branson a truly admiral business leader role model. Branson’s Career and Leadership Style Branson’s career has been hugely successful from leaving school at 16 to go on to become the 4th richest U.K. resident is remarkable. Branson is clear in his book â€Å"Screw it, let’s do it† (2007) about how he has achieved this: â€Å"I have no secret. There are no rules to follow in business. I just work hard and, as I always have done, believe I can do it† With this being said he has combatted the tediousness of working hard by indulging himself in whatever he does, taking a genuine interest and having fun with it: â€Å"A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.† Bransons leadership style is undeniably democratic. Although a democratic leader will the final decision, he or she invites other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process. This is not only increase job satisfaction by involving employees or team meam members in what’s going on, but it also helps develop people’s skills. Employees and team members feel in control of their own destiny, such as the promotion they desire and so are motivated to work hard by more than just a financial reward. Branson professes this in an interview with Kets De Vries (1998) : â€Å": I’m absolutely certain that it’s a question of the kind of people you have, and the way you motivate them. I’m sure that’s what makes any company successful. If you can motivate your people, use their creative potential, you can get through bad times and you can enjoy the good times together. If you fail to motivate your people, your company is doomed†¦.If your employees are happy and smiling and enjoying their work, they will perform well. Consequently, the customers wiIl enjoy their experience with your com- pany. If your employees are sad and miserable and not  having a good time, the customers will be equally miserable.† In the same interview Branson says he often rewards employees: â€Å"We like to reward our key performers for their creative contribution†¦ I suppose that we have made maybe 15 or 20 multimillionaires through this structure.† Branson applies this personal approach when assessing new business like when Virgin Money took over Northern Bank: â€Å"When we launched Virgin Money, I met with staff members at branches up and down the country. The insight those visits gave me were priceless. If I ever needed convincing that investing in a bank was the right thing to do, well, the stories I heard that week confirmed it. To see so many employees enthusiastic and proud to be working for Virgin made me even more excited about the future of our bank. We very much wanted Virgin Money to be the start of something different, and it was great to see that everyone was onboard. I’ve found that if you ensure that your staff and customers are happy and that your product or service is of good quality, the finances often take care of themselves.† What I could learn from Sir Richard Branson Through my study of Branson I have took many snippets of advice which I hope to use during my career in business after I complete my studies. Branson is an avid ambassador for his democratic style of leadership: â€Å"Having a personality of caring about people is important. You can’t be a good leader unless you generally like people. That is how you bring out the best in them.’ This is definitely a characteristic I want to weave into my leadership fibre. This approach has served Virgin well over the years as in his book, Branson (2009), he mentions a positive outside perspective of working for Virgin which is echoed by the agreement of Virgin staff who enjoy working there. â€Å"Virgin people have told me that at the end of a tiring day, when they are off duty, having a drink in the pub, or a meal, they’re occasionally asked where they work. When they say, â€Å"With Virgin,† the enquirer usually replies, â€Å"Lucky you! That must be a great place to work!† Our staffs usually agrees.† In addition to this extracted advice he gives open advice to anyone who wants  to join him in being an entrepreneur. Forbes magazine (2012) pitched Sir Branson the question â€Å"What are your top three pieces of advice for young entrepreneurs?† to which he responded: â€Å"1. Create a strong culture of excellence – roll up your sleeves and work alongside your staff and take care of them. 2. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself if it helps your business. 3. Find ways to equally prioritize people, planet and profits – because it CAN be done.† These three points offer up key things to take on board if you are to succeed. Have high standards to give you an edge over competition and if needs be work on the ground level with your staff to set an example of how you expect things to be done. Take risks even if there is a chance it may make you look silly if it fails, it could help your business and you should lose your ego for the sake of your business. And finally your staff are your greatest resource, environmental and ethical procedures should be taken, Branson has become environmentally aware ever since a speech Al Gore gave him and he has even set up a green fuel business, and do all you can to ensure your business is running profitably. He insists these three things can be done together.Branson is a master marketer and communicator. Forbes (2012), When Richard Branson had the idea of launching Virgin Atlantic, he pitched it to his fellow directors who had no previous experience in the airline business. He delivered the idea simply, concisely, and effectively. Branson offers leaders and entrepreneurs this advice: â€Å"It is vitally important to present a clear, concise plan that investors can easily understand and repeat to their own people. In the first meeting avoid overly complicated, numbers-laden presentations.† Presentations are supposed to be about getting your point across effectively, you could have the most statistical, graphically stunning and hilariously funny presentation to have ever been seen but if the people you are pitching it to don’t come out of that meeting 100% sure what the point you were trying to make was and interested in your idea then you have failed in your objective.As well as learning from Branson’s successes and teachings, there is equally as much to learn from his failings. He expresses this himself: â€Å"You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.† Branson’s book â€Å"Business stripped bare† even has a whole chapter called â€Å"Damage Report†. One anecdote goes as follows: â€Å"I was nineteen years old and driving a shipment of records to Belgium when I stumbled on the fact that records  bought in Great Britain that were intended for export were not subject to purchase tax. So I bought the records I needed, pretended they were export, and then sold them to British customers. The whole ploy involved driving four Transit vans loaded with records to Dover, taking them to France, then returning on the next ferry with the records still on board. It not only was illegal, it was really pretty stupid. In May 1969, I was caught red handed by HM Custom and Excise†¦ But I learned a very important lesson: never do anything that means you can’t sleep at night.† This is a huge piece of advice and something we can learn from and hopefully avoid from encountering ourselves. It cost Richard  £60,000 and took almost 3 years for him to patch up such a loss. Illegal doings can almost certainly cost a business its existence and shouldn’t even be thought about. Conclusion Michael Walenius (2010) concludes in his analyses of Branson’s leadership that â€Å"Sir Richard has got a very high degree of consideration and participation in what he does, but at the same time he is very involved in the structure setting at the start of a new business. He is definitively a relationship-oriented leader who is good at aligning people and giving them emotional support and encouragement. He seems to fall into the segment of being a participative and consultative leader. His very strong charisma seems to make anyone listen and follow him.† I find it extremely difficult to disagree with this evaluation. Branson is an iconic leader who prioritises his employees and their well-being. He follows his belief that a happy employee will work harder, create a happier and better working environment, infect customers with their pleasantness, resulting with a happy and loyal customer who then by word of mouth praise the business leading to increased revenue. He is extremely insightful with his advice on presentations, assessing business opportunities and acknowledging and learning from your mistakes. With an estimated wealth of  £4.3 billion, 400+ companies under his name including the 7th biggest airline in the U.K., the first commercial space travel business and most importantly a well-respected name that’s held in high regard in the public eye Branson truly is the business leader who I most admire and most envy. References: Books: Wagner, J.A. and Hollenback, J.R. (2009) Organizational Behaviour: Securing Competitive Advantage, Michigan: Taylor and Francis Richard Branson (2009) Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur. London. Virgin Books.Branson, Richard (29 March 2007). Screw It, Let’s Do It. London. Virgin Books Websites: Clark, D. (2010) ‘Leadership Styles’ [online] (Cited 3 February 2012) Available from Kets De Vries (1998) Charisma in Action: (online) (cited 2 December 2012) Available from < http://molar.crb.ucp.pt/cursos/2%C2%BA%20Ciclo%20-%20Mestrados/Gest%C3%A3o/2007-09/DGRH/Papers/Charisma%20in%20action%20PPP.pdf> Richard Branson (2012) Richard Branson on How to Delegate Control of Your Finances (online) (cited on 2 December 2012) Available from < http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224879> Carmine Gallo (2011) Richard Branson: The One Skill Leaders Need to Learn (online) (cited 2 December) Available from < http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2011/06/29/richard-branson-the-one-skill-leaders-need-to-learn/> Michael Walenius (2010) The leadership style of Sir Richard Branson (online) (cited 2 December) Available from < http://michael.walenius.com/?p=141>

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Business Measurement Model Strategy and Innovation

According to Moynihan & Pandley (2010), performance management is the process of aligning systems, employees and organizational resources to the organization’s strategic goals. It includes activities ensuring consistent achievement of targets in an efficient and effective manner.   Operations management, on the other hand, involves controlling the whole production process so as to control efficiency in the organization regarding the provision of goods and services, (Subramanian & Ramanathan, 2012). Performance management in the context of operations management, therefore, focuses on the performance of employees, departments, entire organization and process of creating goods and services within the firm. It is used to refer to tools, activities, processes and programs that are applied by the pany in the management of teams and departmental or individual performance. Cost leadership: A pany may have a target to reduce the costs of its product so as to make them more affordable to the customers, (Teece, 2010). This is cost leadership. It is a strategic objective that can be achieved through offering price cuts and customized products to enable low and middle-i e families to afford them. Differentiation objective: This is an objective that can be used by firms to make their goods and services unique, (Rathaermel, 2015). A pany may make exclusive brands which are different from those of its rivals. This may make the firm more petitive as pared to other enterprises as it will be able to develop a market niche Focus: A pany with this objective can concentrate on customer satisfaction through provision of high-quality products at high prices, or cost reduction by adopting cost leadership, (Teece, 2010). A firm which utilizes cost leadership may have an objective of focusing on low and middle-i e families, so as to gain a petitive edge. Operational excellence goal: A pany may develop an objective of automating the production process so as to improve efficiency in its activities. This may enable it to develop cost leadership, (Guest, 2011). When the organization can provide goods at affordable prices, then it may achieve customer loyalty for its products. Product leadership: This is an objective that enables a firm to provide superior products to the market. It can be a plished through automation of the production process and utilizing the services of experienced personnel, (Gurman, 2011). This objective can also be used to achieve product differentiation. Importance of performance management to ABC garments Ltd concerning; Regular feedback enhances efficient munication in the organization. Performance management assists in determining the weaknesses and strengths of the enterprise, (Guest, 2011). This could be monitored regarding the machines available and the type of workforce in the firm. It also allows for a forum to exchange expertise and views in the business, (Guest, 2011).   Primarily, it gives the management of ABC a better understanding of the firm- whether the machines should be serviced, whether to employ more skilled staff or to adopt a particular technology so as to improve the operating system. When the subordinates and the managers have an explicit knowledge of the particular operations they should carry out, any plexities in the workplace can quickly be eliminated. Performance management may, therefore, enable ABC to hold each employee accountable for their actions. This will empower and clarify the responsibilities of each worker in the operating system, (Kamruzzaman, 2011). Also, performance management plans involve clear, precise, understandable and practical improvement in productivity and operations. Through conducting this activity, the management of ABC Ltd can identify key areas of weaknesses so as to adjust in them. Some operations may be cash traps to the firm, (Pertusa-Ortega, Molina-Azorin &Claver-Cortes, 2010). Such transactions should be retrenched so as to reduce unprofitable expenditures. The pany is also able to evaluate the key capabilities and weaknesses through evaluating its employees’ performance and the available machines, (Ullah, 2015). Cost reduction can also be achieved through risk management. The manager can identify possible risks that the business is exposed to and adjust to them in time before incurring losses. Performance management will enable the management of ABC to identify the potential of every employee. This makes the management to stage the employee in appropriate positions that they can work inappropriately. It will encourage efficiency in the organization by reducing wastages in terms of time and resources, (Titacchi, Tonelli & Cagnazzo, 2010). Minimization of costs of operation will also be achieved, making the firm to be more profitable. As explained by Gurman (2011), conducting performance appraisal enables a pany to utilize the physical resources available in the environment optimally. These may include raw materials, technology, and gaps in the market.   Through conducting performance management, ABC Ltd can identify the training needs of its employees and train them appropriately so that they can obtain the relevant skills to use the recent technology in the market to promote its products. These may include social media marketing and e merce.   Through performance measurement, the management is in a position to identify the effectiveness of devices and determine maintenance and replacement times. The management of ABC is also able to monitor the skills of its employees so as to ensure that the machines are being handled efficiently. Performance management is also an essential basis for determining training needs in the enterprise, (Guest, 2011).Whenever the ABC detects mishandling of machines, then it may be able to train the employees on the proper ways of handling the tools so as to increase productivity. Gruman, J. A., & Saks, A. M. (2011). Performance Management and Employee Engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21(2), 123-136.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guest, D. E. (2011). Human Resource Management and Performance: Still Searching for Some Answers. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(1), 3-13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kamruzzaman, M. (2011). ABC Knit Dyeing & Finishing Mills Ltd (Falcon Group) (Doctoral Dissertation, Daffodil International University).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moynihan, D. P., & Pandey, S. K. (2010). The Big Question for Performance Management: Why Do Managers Use Performance Information? Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, 20(4), 849-866. Pertusa-Ortega, E. M., Molina-Azorà ­n, J. F., & Claver-Cortà ©s, E. (2010). petitive Strategy, Structure and Firm Performance: A parison of the Resource-Based View and the Contingency Approach. Management Decision, 48(8), 1282-1303.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rothaermel, F. T. (2015). Strategic Management. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subramanian, N., & Ramanathan, R. (2012). A Review of Applications of Analytic HierarchyProcess in Operations Management. International Journal of Production Economics, 138(2), 215-241. Taticchi, P., Tonelli, F., & Cagnazzo, L. (2010). Performance Measurement and Management: A Literature Review and a Research Agenda. Measuring Business Excellence, 14(1), 4-18. Teece, D. J. (2010). Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long Range Planning, 43(2), 172-194.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ullah, A. (2015).Garment Industry in Bangladesh: An Era of Globalization and Neo- Liberalization. Middle-East Journal of Business.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Letter - Assignment Example Should the misunderstanding between Felicia and Curt persist, E&Y is most likely to lose its highly esteemed clients because of the eminent and unprofessional attendance they experience. It is appreciable that Felicia has been a great mentor and serves diligently as the client team leader at E&Y for two and a half years. Being the Department Supervisor, your immediate attention is critical to addressing the situation. Your actions are also important to getting a viable resolution to the disagreement that would enable the two work efficiently and in coordination. Therefore, there is necessity that you schedule for another meeting in which you will resolve the contentious issue affecting E&Y. In addition, a meeting with Felicia and Curt would help solve their existing disagreements and subsequently prevent future challenges to attending to clients at E&Y. Moreover, peace would remain maintained within our department besides enhancement of the relationship between Tulsa office of Ernst & young and E &Y client Midcontent

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Opinion about William Bennet's 1998 Quote on Education Essay

Opinion about William Bennet's 1998 Quote on Education - Essay Example This phenomenon is still, however; conceptually unclear to many people and few understand how it impacts the schools on which the legalization operates (Neal & Kirp, 1985; 2000). There are various aspects of the modern schooling which have been concealed. These include the deterioration such a legalization system imposes in the morality of students and teachers versus that of the parents. The parents have no say when it comes to choosing their children’s teachers. There is not much information given on teachers because of the protection of such information by law. Interestingly, the State knows so little about it. In this confusion, the teachers who are disposed have no idea of each other’s information (State University, 2011). Duplication of knowledge has been proposed as the best way to go for developing countries. Yet, we have restrictions on copyright materials. It is common knowledge that not every student will invent new ideas. Setting up legal restrictions on who can use the education materials and how, poses a great challenge for those who might not afford the cost. As can be seen, the Copyright Act gives a number of exceptional situations to the above law. Protecting the author’s work is good, but this has an effect on limiting the number of people who can access them. This brings about discrimination since not all students will have the money to afford purchase of such materials (Neal & Kirp, 1985; 2000). The legalization of education system in the 1950s brought about the entry of minorities into the public schools that practiced segregation. However; this exposed them to greater problems of chaos and constant violence, which in most cases went unpunished leading to the white flight to private institutions of learning (State University, 2011). Legalizations of education institutions are mostly aimed at making the schools a conducive place for all to acquire education. However; given the restrictions imposed on the teachers and the administration, the schools lose focus on their main missions and objectives. The legalization leads to the known de-emphasis on the teaching process and learning, which are meant to be the basic tenets of institutional establishments in the first place. With the growth of the state into a more litigious status, the schools have become even more bureaucratic in the process. It is truly appalling since learning institutions are supposed to be flexible and nurtures of change, efficiency and effectiveness. Yet many agree that schools, especially institutions of higher learning are the most bureaucratic establishments in the current society. It is like copying the government system and perfecting the art of bureaucracy (State University, 2011). Given the legalization processes, the school administrators turn institutions into fiefdoms as places of exercising their unchecked authority. Principals have had to meet out serious and unfair punishments to teachers who are in record for havin g questioned their status quo. The restrictions given to education institutions could still be looked at as one way of the government’s evasion of responsibility for what goes on in these schools. Instead of being fully involved in the process, the state takes an oversight role and leaves the backlog of problems to the school authorities who end up misusing such powers. Laws alone without a thorough implementation and

Clocks in the Vasculature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clocks in the Vasculature - Essay Example An example is mammalian sleep rhythm or hunger, and its is now well known that there is a light-controlled master clock in the brain that controls these activities. Now the research is exploring the molecular mechanisms of these clocks in the peripheral tissues, which have been postulated to work through nutrient availability, although the exact mechanism is not known. heart which is essentially vascular tissue. This activity physiologically is autonomous, originating in the neurocardiac muscles of the heart and in health, occurs 72 times per minute in a regular fashion. In most and usual cases, human beings cannot control the frequency of these beats on their own. However, several neurophysiological conditions can cause change in this pattern and there is established roles of emotion, feelings, strenuous activities, stress in destabilizing this clock either to a higher or a lower rate, and there are physiological systems that tends to bring back these abnormal rates to normal through neural and humoral mechanisms. Small molecules interact with molecular hormone receptors module circadian rhythm. Catecholamines, vasoactive hormones, such as vasopressin and angiotensin interact with positive circadian regulators both centrally and at the peripheral vascular tissues to express circadian variations in heart rates, blood pressure, and vascular resistance (Harris, 2009). Genetic Mechanism Curtis et al. (2004) indicated the molecular mechanism of this clock. This occurs through pacemaker rhythms generated and sustained through positive and negative feedback loops. These in turn are mediated through transcriptional regulation at the genetic level (Curtis et al. 2004). Molecular Mechanism The drivers of this biological and molecular rhythmicity are transcriptional activation of of Per and Cry genes. These occur through transcriptional activation of feedback loop by heterodimeric bHLH-PAS proteins. It has been shown that these trascriptional coactivators and histone acetyltransferase initiate the key events in molecular rhythmicity. These, p300/CBP, PCAF, and ACTR, react with bHLH-PAS proteins, CLOCK and NPSA2, to lead to positive gene expression (Ko and Takahashi, 2006). Link to Vasculature The negative feedback loop is mediated by Cry2 mediated repression of NPAS2:BMAL1 through overexpression of p300. This leads to a circadian and time-dependent association with NPAS2 in the vasculature, which is timed in such a manner that it will precede the peak expression of the target genes (Westgate et al., 2008). Therefore, at the molecular level this is essentially a histone H3 acetylation. It has been correlated with the cyclical expression of the mRNAs

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Business environment - Essay Example In its mission, the bank endeavours to build strong markets in various parts of the world. In addition, HSBC aspires to build a strong customer relation that is keen in upholding excellent service delivery, sales and solutions. It is worth noting that the bank desires to achieve morally based long tern proceeds for all stakeholders. To achieve these objectives, the bank is keen in developing strong team players that will work to produce excellent results. A rewarding and challenging business environment is vital for any business to grow and as such the bank continues to develop a decent working environment for its workers. HSBC aspires to specialize in various banking groups by upholding a commitment to interior philosophies and banking values. HSBC bank is one of the leading banking institutions in Turkey in customer service. This lead is attributed to an excellent working environment for its employees and other stake holders. The working environment is conducive and friendly promoting excellence in customer service. In addition, the bank has over years created strong team players keen at creating service packages that will attract wider markets. The bank has invested greatly in technological innovations that have seen customer service taking place online. Indeed the bank has achieved its objectives despite few challenges that are common to other financial institutions. HSBC’s core responsibility is to provide financial services to its customers. It is for this purpose that the bank has continued to build a strong customer service that is keen at keeping the promise of high level service delivery and financial solutions amid the dynamic corporate environment. In its corporate social responsibility, the bank invests in the education of needy students at all levels of study. The bank also invests in other sectors of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health care - Essay Example A concept entailing a well designed marketing offers guidance to the development of comprehensive marketing initiatives, which assists in attracting individualized markets. The target market of health care organizations comprises of group of customers through their services and goods. This creates the need for a good strategy, and the target market is evaluated the well thought-out in order to develop a plan for targeting surrounding community. Therefore, health care organizations position themselves in a way that separates themselves from the competitors. In this case, heath care organizations offer the similar services and products, thus by providing unique services the organization leads attraction of new customer’s base and development of a substantial relationship between customers and organization. Moreover, the organization target market is considered unique through the services and products that they offer in order to attract new customers. Competitive health care indu stry requires a periodic examination of products and services in order to ensure that the products and services offered to the patients are of high quality. ... The hospitals have also been conducting periodic surveys in order to identify target segment within a certain area. The hospitals provide unique services in order to part themselves from the competitors. On the other hand, there is a need to understand the fundamental dimensions of differentiation and position in order to explore the marketing strategies of Cleveland Clinic and CVS Minute Clinic. According to Spencera, Joinerb and Salmonc (2009), differentiation relates to the process of adding a set of substantial differences that are valued by customers in a way that can distinguish the organization products and services from competitors’ offerings. Therefore, the health care institution differentiate their market through offering an along five dimensions, which include; products, services, channels, image and personnel. However, services dimensions in health care field are significant through the relations between the employees and patients. In this case, a positive experie nce concerning the employees and patients can create the difference of one hospital from the competitors. The hospital applies a well-planned marketing and branding tactic in order to establish a course of action for the maturity of effective marketing campaign. Moreover, they have marketing and branding strategies, which are key components of consideration through the development of their marketing plan. Cleveland Clinic and CVS Minute Clinic have an approach that offers incentives for the process of expansion through marketing initiatives, which attract distinguished market. Therefore, they are able to offer services that are desired by a certain group of consumers in the target market. The target customer refers to people who have a high likelihood

Monday, September 23, 2019

Role war plays in art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role war plays in art - Research Paper Example However, one the main thematic concerns that are delivered through the artwork either past or present has not changed with the main themes being glory, heroism, drama, suffering and sadness. These emotions emanate from the audience as they look at the different pieces of art and the artist should ensure that they draw on these main themes when working on art on war. War therefore plays a very important part in art as it helps the artists showcase the different emotions and themes for a particular war or time through their works of art for the present and future generations which is the main purpose of artwork. This paper examines different works of art and analyses the main theme depicted by the works, the overall effect for the audience, the visual elements that the artwork presents, and the historical significance of the art. One of the most famous portraits is that done by Jacques-Louis David in 1802 of Napoleon that depicts Napoleon as a war hero and a savior of his people. The photos main theme is to show the heroic nature of Napoleon and also his manly aspect which the artist compounds together to form one major hero in the portrait (Keegan 89). In the portrait Napoleon is on a White Horse that is sitting on its hind legs and is directing other members of his battalion to charge. There is a mountain and Napoleon is sitting on the bottom side also preparing to charge upwards to what can be assumed to be enemy battalions that are charging downwards. His large red cloak swirls as it is being blown by the wind and he is holding on to the horse that is already sitting on its hind legs with one arm. This shows him as heroic since he is the one who is prepared to lead the charge and is in front of all the other soldiers as he looks behind to issue instructions. The fact that he also wears a crown to symboli ze that he was the leader then also shows how heroic and courageous Bonaparte was. There is

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Prejudice to Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

Prejudice to Kill a Mockingbird Essay Prejudice denotes a prejudgment and negative opinion formed without adequate knowledge or justification. Individuals who are prejudicial are often biased and act unfavourably to other groups, particularly those of differing race and socio-economic status. Ideas and themes about prejudice are strongly evoked through Harper Lee’s 1960 novel â€Å"To Kill a Mocking-bird† and the poem â€Å"The Child† by Valerie Church. â€Å"To Kill a Mocking-bird† explores the prejudices associated with the coloured and underprivileged community group in a small town of the central Alabama which contrasts to the simplistic nature of a mentally-disabled boy in â€Å"The Child†. Through the juxtaposition of ideas conveyed in both texts, audiences are confronted with a greater understanding of the differing aspects of prejudice. Racism is and continues to be one of the most common types of prejudice experienced and exercised within the international community. Traditionally, the importance of race and skin tones was believed to signify the wealth or superiority of an individual or group. Written in the 1960’s America, Lee’s novel concentrates on the negative impact and effect of the orthodox prejudices held against the coloured community. Derogative connotation to the minority black community as â€Å"niggers†, portray the constant racial prejudice experienced by them within the small town of. Although the protagonist family are of Anglo descent, they fall victims to racial prejudice in their attempt to defend a black person in the court of law. The importance of skin tone is expressed through imagery, where Atticus explains the need to symbolically â€Å"climb† into someone’s â€Å"skin† to consider the light of their circumstances. Further, the repetition of â€Å"nigger lover† connotes the negative attitude Atticus and the Finch family experiences in response to helping Tom Robinson, one of the mockingbirds in the text. Lee’s employment of the mockingbird as a motif symbolises the harmless and caring nature of the black community who â€Å"never annoy you† but are heavily prejudiced against simply because of the colour of their skin. As the salient theme within the text, â€Å"To Kill a Mocking-bird† highlights the dire impact of radical prejudice and the disparity between members of difference races within 1960’s America. Another aspect of prejudice which is presented within the â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, is the importance of socio-economic class which connotes an individual’s standing within a community. Within the text, the town of Maycomb is divided into three distinct socio-economic classes from the well respected white working class, the â€Å"white trash† to the African American community. The classes are about the same as each other as they have the same type of people in each, the good and the bad. Scout soon realises, â€Å"there’s just one kind of folks. Folks†. Even the children in Maycomb are aware of the socio-economic class between the groups of people in the town. It is most noticed on the first day Scout went to school; Walter did not bring his lunch and Miss Caroline tried to lend him a quarter. As the Cunninghams did not borrow what they could not lend back, Walter refused and Miss Caroline became frustrated until Scout responded with â€Å"he’s a Cunningham† which reveals even adolescents in the community actively categorise individuals into stereotypes. Lee has used the freedom of the black community to portray a small town’s reaction to their freedom. Those from the black community fortunate enough to have an education were well respected as they had good jobs compared to the rest of the black community. There is a fourth social class briefly mentioned as there only a couple of them. Children of Dolphus Raymond, they are half black and half white. They do not fit in either the black nor white community as they have blood of the other race. As Jem says ‘Around here, once you have a drop of Negro blood that makes you all black’, refers to the townsfolk’s thoughts and beliefs on people with a black heritage. Physical and emotional separation is a prominent theme conveyed in both â€Å"The Child† and â€Å"To Kill a Mocking-bird†. Church’s â€Å"The Child† opens with the persona’s use of third person to recount their sight of a small boy with â€Å"an incomplete brain†. The use of the metaphoric connotation to the boy offers audiences the view that child is mentally- disadvantaged and is subject to prejudice of the general public with their â€Å"cruel eyes†. This representation emphasises the importance of physical appearance especially in a society which often judge and assess an individual by their exterior. As Church conveys that the boy experiences â€Å"mocking voice of the other boys†, this emphasises the importance of physical appearance to become accepted in the community even though traditionally, adolescents are presumed to be innocent and free of prejudice. Although physically, the young boy has a â€Å"simple exterior†, Church highlights that the boy is subject to prejudice due to his physical appearance which reveals his disabled nature. Further, this poem also highlights circumstances in which individuals deal with prejudices as the young boy reverts to smiling â€Å"simply at the onlookers†. Whilst â€Å"totally happy in his world†, Church use of imagery emphasises the positive responses to prejudice even though he is still physically separated from civilisation as he is standing â€Å"on the opposite kerb† being mocked by the other boys. The repetition of the young boy’s physical separation from the others assists in emphasising the physical aspect of prejudice. Valerie Church’s â€Å"The Child†, is an emotive poem which strongly addresses the physical nature of prejudice and the simplistic views by a young boy to combat issues of prejudice. Prejudice is both a physical and emotive concept which is prevalent within society. Harper Lee’s â€Å"To Kill a Mocking-bird† and Valerie Church’s â€Å"The Child† are texts which offer insight to the effect of prejudices based on both race and physical appearance. Both texts address the dire consequences of prejudicial acts and comments which continue to separate those in a society. Thus, the study of both texts has allowed audiences to gain a deeper and more extensive insight in the various aspects of prejudice. Word Count: 1,000Ã'Ž

Friday, September 20, 2019

Democratic deficit in IMF

Democratic deficit in IMF Democratic deficit in IMF Introduction International Monetary Fund(IMF) is one of the two organisations formed after the Bretton woods conference in 1944. the other one is the World Bank. It has to be noted in the earliest that though this article deals with IMF and how the democratic deficit in it affects the poorest of the countries in the world, the IMF works in tandem with the world bank and other international financial institutions. The founding principle of IMF is rooted deep in the Great Depression of 1930s. During the depression the industrialised countries of the world plummeted themselves by engaging in raising trade barriers, devalued their currencies for competing in the export market and even restricted their citizens from holding any foreign exchange all of these measures resulted in further loss of trade and employment making millions jobless and poor. One of the major reasons for establishing an institution like IMF was to oversee exchange rate stability and international payments ensuring smooth functioning of the complex international monetary system. IMF along with World Bank(WB)was formed in 1945 in the wake of the pressing need for the post war reconstruction and assuring monetary stability in the world economy especially European economy. Though it officially came into existence in December 27, when 29 countries ratified its charter or Articles of Agreement in 1945, it started its operations onl y on March 1, 1947. During the cold war years the membership in IMF was limited due to the pressure of Soviet Union on newly independent countries. End of the fixed standard As pointed earlier the IMF oversaw the fixed exchange rate system where every currency is pegged at US dollars which can be converted in to Gold. The increasing spending on the war in Vietnam adding to the increasing expenditure on Great Society Programs initiated by US President Lyndon Johnson worsened the already overvalued US dollar. This system was started to be abandoned slowly between 1968 and 1973. The major point came when US President Nixon announced the de-linking of US dollar from gold. But the transition to free floating exchange rate system, where every member of IMF was free to peg its currency against any currency or group of currencies, was smoothly done. The period also posited another challenge in the form of unprecedented rise of oil prices, culminating in what is called Oil shocks. It responded to the situation by setting up two oil facilities to help oil importers deal with current account deficit and inflation( Nayyar: 2006). The IMFs engagement with the poor countries starts from the mid 70s when it stated funding these countries through its Trust Fund. The IMF with the end of the cold war and influenced by The jettisoning of the Keynesian demand management policies after their initial success and success of the liberalisation policies initiated by the Richard Nixon in US and Margaret Thatcher in UK along with the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc bolstered a new era symbolically represented by IMF and World Bank called Neo-Liberalism where both IMF and WB was used to force the erstwhile socialist and mixed economic countries to open their markets to foreign investors and liberalise their financial system, the effects of which were highly destabilizing. While the East Asian economies initially showed high growth rates the same programs resulted in devastations across Sub Saharan Africa. The vehemently critiqued Structural Adjustment Facility which was later changed into Enhanced Structural Ad justment Facility was initiated in March 1986. The Financial Functions of IMF Any understanding of the functioning of IMF should also differentiate between IMF and World Bank. The IMF, unlike Bank is not primarily a lending institution like World Bank. The WB also is a complex organisation. It is actually two organisation International Bank for Reconstruction and Development(IBRD) and International Development Association(IDA).WB is an investment bank. The World Bank functions by issuing bonds the repayment of which is guaranteed by its member countries. That is WB lends money to development works through market borrowing. The IDA, on the other hand is a concessional loan associate which is mainly financed by donor nations. The IMF in contrast intermediate between investors and recipients. It demands membership fee from its members which is accrued in to a general pool. Each member contributes to this pool according to its economic size and strength, providing each member a respective quota which also translate into their voting share in a skewed manner. Its o perations are to a major part are financed through this common pool. What does IMF exactly do? The IMFs role is highlighted when any member nation falls into a balance of payment debacle. a country must have both its exports and imports at almost equal levels. After the floating exchange rate system was adopted, every nation is left free to peg its currency against any or any group of currencies. But it also develops a problem over a period of time. The value of the currency tend to get overvalued. Thus a currency might be pegged at four units to one dollar. After a period of time due to trade fluctuations, the currencys actual value might have reached six units to one dollar. What effects does this over valuation have? At this time the currencys higher value helps in reducing import expenditure whereas at the same time the currencys higher value makes it costlier and reduces export revenue. Thus economy receives less income but spends more. This plummets the economy into a balance of payment crisis. This is where IMF enters into the scene. The IMF be ing the only international organisation with the support of the dominant economies and with expertise advises and directs nations to escape from such balance of payment crisis. IMF provides short term and medium term loans to tide over the debacle for the time being. But IMF also has influence over the decision making in World Bank and other financial institutions. The loans are not without fetters however. The loans are accompanied by a series of conditions generally termed as conditionalities . Thus the major functions of the IMF can be broadly classified as follows: 1) to promote exchange rate stability to maintain international trade stability 2) by providing short term and medium term financial assistance to members facing shortage of foreign currency. 3) It also plays an advisory role on macro-economic policy issues so that the economic policies of member countries do not adversely affect the balance of payment situation. 4) it also assist member nations in expanding their markets where they can exchange currencies without restriction. ( Sharma, 2002: 90). Democratic deficit What is meant by democracy in the case of international organizations like IMF? It is well known that the IMF was originally not conceived to be an organisation to help the third world countries or less developed erstwhile colonies. Its chief aim, along with World Bank was to ensure reconstruction of the capitalist economies in the war ravaged European nations. The agenda of lending and interfering in developing countries was initiated in the course of the cold war attempting to lure newly independent countries away from the socialist bloc dominated by Soviet Union. No surprise that still the organisation of the chief decision making bodies inside the Bretton woods institution reflect the political equations existing at the time of the second world war completely tuned to the interest of the Developed countries. When IMF and Bank was formed, except for United States, members were expected to be both contributors and borrowers. The decisions in the Executive board is reached through voting, if not reached by consensus. Each country holds a share of vote with regard to their contribution to the world economy. The united states the with the largest voting power holds 17.09 % of shares. Almost 63% of shares is held by just 12 member countries including US out of 186 members of the IMF. The same condition prevails in the world bank also. The 24-country African group in contrast carries only 1.42% of total voting share power making their influence practically nil in the agenda setting and decision making processes and policies. This problem arises because, there are only 8 member countries enjoying their own seat on the board. The remaining 16 are divided between the remaining 179 countries. This skewed system renders other member countries to group together to augment their collective bargaining or voting share represented by an Executive Director. This reflects in the policies of the IMF and its results. Howe ver, the democratic deficit is not the cause of the problems associated with the IMF. Rather, the very democratic structure of both the IMF and Bank are themselves symptoms of a much structural problem, the present world order based on the capitalist model of production and its prevailing ideology ‘neo-liberalism. Unequal representation Constituencies The groupings of the member countries have created what has come to be called ‘Constituency system.. all the members other than eight of them who have their own seats group together to form constituencies to elect a Director for their constituency to represent them. These constituencies are not static groupings. The size of the constituencies i.e. the memberships both qualitatively and quantitatively change depending on various factors, especially economic factors. This happens because every country except for some are on the lookout to increase their leverage vis-a vis other constituencies and within their constituency to apportion a bigger share out of the collective bargaining. But, in some cases, member countries also shift constituencies due to ideological considerations. For example, Indonesia joined the constituency headed by Italy in 1950s and later moved to a constituency of Islamic countries of North Africa and Malaysia. Later, Indonesia formed a constituency on geogr aphical basis, consisting of Korea, Philippines and Vietnam. One of the major reasons why members change constituencies has been to hold a more influential or senior position within the constituency. For example, earlier, Spain was within the constituency headed by Italy along with Poland and Greece. Later in 1978, Spain joined a central American constituency including Mexico and Venezuela assuming the post of Executive Director (Wood, 2006:483). The representation as shown above is based on the economic might of the members. The 24 member African constituency headed by Equatorial Guinea and the 19 member African constituency headed by Nigeria ahold only 1.42% and 3.01% respectively. But paradoxically these are the countries which are directly and severely affected by the policies of the IMF and World Bank. It has to be reminded that it is the masses , peasants, working classes of these countries who toil hard to repay their countrys debits. But they have almost no say on whatever the decisions that impinge and affect on their lives. It is a process of taxation without representation. But the IMF and Bank were not planned to be as undemocratic as they are now in their origin. The Bretton Woods Institutions also provide 250 basic votes to every member of the organisation. This was actually introduced to ensure a minimum sense of equal representation and fair play among members. The basic vote system atleast ensured a minimum of equal stake along with the share on the basis of contribution. The quota votes are added to basic votes to form the total vote. But the basic votes which formed 14% of the total votes in 1955 has now come down to around 3 percent in both IMF and World Bank. Selection of the head The selection of the head of the IMf is the most glaring evidence of unequal representation and hegemony of the dominant western industrialized nations. The IMFs executive board is responsible for selecting the Managing Director. Any Executive Director may submit a nomination for the position. If more than one gets nominated, the executive board reaches a decision by consensus. But by precedence, usually only a European becomes the Managing director of IMF. And in the case of World Bank only an American becomes the head. Accountability The executive board do not adequately hold staff and management to account. There are no official mechanisms for holding elected Directors, members after being elected. The Dutch executive Director however, has introduced a template to ground evaluation of his staff which is slowly gathering favour and being implemented by other Directors. But still there are no rules and regulations except for a vague and broad mention in sec 14 d of the By-Laws. It states â€Å" It shall be the duty of an executive Director and his alternate to devote all the time and attention to the business of the Fund that its interests require and between them, to be continually available at the principle offices of the Fund.† According to IMF Articles of Agreement the Managing Director â€Å"The Managing Director shall be chief of the operating staff of the Fund and shall conduct, under the direction of the Executive Board, the ordinary business of the Fund. Subject to the general control of the Executive Board, he shall be responsible for the organization, appointment, and dismissal of the staff of the Fund† (article xii, 4,b). Regarding the accountability of the Directors, a code of conduct was established only in 2000 applicable to Executive Directors, their alternates and senior Advisors. It has established some standards of ethical conduct regarding conflict of interests arising from the functioning as Executive Director and also supposed to treat confidential information. It also mandates disclosure of regular financial reports. For the purpose of confirming to confidentiality and other ethical issues, an Ethics committee of five Executive Directors was formed. But far most, the committee ca n only warn the relevant Executive Director communicate it to the respective Governor. It has to be kept in mind that ultimately the internal accountability comes down to moral persuasions. Accountability of Executive Directors, in relation to the countries they represent, however, work in different terms. The countries with their own representatives can hold their directors directly accountable. He can be dismissed and replaced at will. But a representative Director who was elected cannot be dismissed or replaced by any of the members until his term ends. A member can be induced to resign but no Articles provide the members the right to require resignation from him. The problem with this set up is obvious. There is no mandated obligation for him to follow the orders or directions of the member countries. The director can even vote against the interests of the very member, he/she represent. Reading this with the sec 14 d of the article provides a much more clear picture. Where the Director is not mandatorily obligated to follow the directions of the countries represented by him, he is obligated to work in tandem with other members. This creates enormous opportunities f or developed nations to simply buy-out the representatives of developing and under-developed countries. This problem emanates from the fact also that constituencies are not mandatorily legitimate units of representation. Regarding the accountability of the staffs and management towards executive board, three reasons are cited. First, it is difficult for members of the Executive Board to prepare papers and positions on all countries. Many Executive Directors remain in the job only for a short time. In the cases of constituencies, as there are rotations of the seat of Director, the time for the Director is too short to acquire real idea of the organizational set up. Second, the tendency to present a picture of unified view in Board discussions, the staff and management fail to play a proactive role by seriously debating over their disagreement. Third, the most important problem is that many discussion are taken by Executive Boards before the board meetings. This is especially the sign of influence of the dominant countries in the decision making processes of the IMF. Issues like loans to countries that are against the US approval or interest will not at all be presented before the board. IMF also lacks accountability to its member nations. IMF by its, functioning is accountable only to the Finance ministers and central bank Governors. But the role of IMf has expanded to such areas that the accountability needs to be widened. The IMFs prescriptions are now not only restricted to only matters concerning finance ministries and central bank governors. Expanding activities: IMF was not instituted by its founders to carry out the range of activities it is currently carrying out. The IMF was instituted on the basis of the Keynesian demand management. It was understood that there should be an international organisation to overlook the monetary activities of the countries to keep the exchange rates relatively stable and insulated from shocks. But the area of interest expanded with decreasing clout of the Soviet bloc. More nations switched over to capitalist model and IMF and world Bank were rested with the duty to open the various . These functions got impetus with the neo-liberal policies initiated by Reagan and Thatcher in the United States and Britain. A major transformation came with the demise of the Soviet bloc after which the marketisation of these economies become the main objective of the Bretton Woods institutions. With these they have almost became the primary instruments of globalisation of world economy. The BWIs have come to be the only large lenders and monetary policy institutions. More and more countries are forced to approach these organizations in the absence of an alternative. In a sample of 25 countries, there were only between six and ten measures of performance criteria for loans on conditionality whereas it increased to 25 measures at the end of 1990s.But the accountability and transparency of the IMF has not increased with these new functions. The role of US and other developing countries The role of US especially the Treasury in the functioning of the Bretton Woods institution has been a matter of concern and critique for the democratization of the global financial institutions. Also the US along with other developed countries called G7 form a formidable group controlling almost 47.13% of the total voting power. These countries act as a de facto management of IMF. Also unlike the developing countries they have well equipped staffs . They co-ordinate between each other. This is ensured by their shared interests, being the major creditors. The ministers, central bank governors convene a meeting on issues and agendas before the annual and spring meetings and issue press communiquà © together. The Executive Directors also co-ordinate with each other on common positions. The IMF has acted more as an arm of the western especially US financial interests. The liberalization policy was forced on Kenya by the US Treasury through the IMF. The experience of Kenya when it implem ented financial liberalization was devastating. The result was fourteen bank failures in 1993 and 1994. Also the US holds the only veto power in the IMF with its 17% voting share. Also in 2000 the US congress was unilaterally able to propose and pass a resolution and later implement a measure of change and reform in IMF without consulting any other member. The US through its executive Board members, staffs and location of the organization and as the BWIs court US favour for their operation exercise a hegemonic influence over both IMF and Bank ( Stiglitz, 2002). Needed Reforms Most of the problems regarding IMF arise because of the dissonance created between IMFs supposed functions and the current functions it is carrying out. The IMF, to use Nobel laureate and earlier chief economist in World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz ‘the IMF never likes to discuss the uncertainties associated with the policies that it recommends, but rather, likes to project an image of being infallible†(Stiglitz, 2002: 230). The IMF, time and again has been only admitting mistakes as in the handling East Asia crisis. The IMF have also been slow in learning from its mistakes. But the mistakes are not simply mistakes by indifferent individuals. They are also evidence to the level of influence of free market ideology professed by the international financial community and the US Treasury. The reforms must also focus on the operational costs being forced on to the developing countries, the principle borrowers. The operational costs of IMF is financed by the subscriptions every member country makes and also from the interests to the loans debtor countries pay back. By this logic, it is the developing countries which are financing most of the IMF expenses. From the breakdown of the expenses of the IMF, it has been founded that the contribution of the developed countries who are the creditors have come down to 29% in 2000 from 71% in 1980. this means that three fourths of the administrative expenses of the IMF is financed by the same countries are dependent on the loans provided by the IMF. Also the fund allocated for the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes(ROSCs) and the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). Nearly 89 countries and 95 countries have participated in these schemes, respectively. But the majority of the countries who have had the assessme nts are developed countries. Developing countries and Sub Saharan African countries were hardly assessed about their financial and monetary status. Thus a good amount of money is spent on countries that are in good health rather than on those who need help and re-structuring (Woods, 2006:498). The IMF should restrict itself to the mandated functions it was allocated to it when it was formed i.e to only monitoring and advising on the exchange rate stability. The lending business should be handed over entirely to the world bank. Also the basic votes to the member countries should be brought back to the level at earlier years of IMF and should be slowly increased to enable a far more democratic practice than what is practiced now. Developing countries like India, China, Brazil, South Africa should be provided more voting share as their global contribution has also increased in recent years. Especially the case for increase of voting share of China is a long standing issue came to spotlight during the recent financial crisis when China has bargained for an increase in its voting share. More seats of Executive Directors should be formed to accommodate varied under-represented countries(Ambrose, 2007). Also agencies f horizontal accountability have to be built like independent evaluation unit. Like the supreme court acts as horizontal agency working as a component of constitutionalism one of the benchmarks of democracy in modern era, offices endowed with overseeing accountability and transparency have to be established. Conclusion The IMF and World bank, especially IMF have veered away from their mandated area of functioning. The need for an international monetary agency always remains as long as capitalist economy prevails. The veto power hld by US also need to be balanced at least by providing other larger economies including developing economies with more role in decision making process. A more rational approach towards representation of poor nations has to be made. The liberalization of the asian economic powers has created rifts even within borrowers regarding the kind of schemes of lending. While developing countries like China, India, Indonesia etc. are provided with schemes with less scrutiny, Sub-Saharan countries receive credit after a long process of office work. The democratization of IMF based on the economic strength of present era will obviously provide great boost in bargaining power of developing countries vis-à  -vis developed countries. But it is not sure whether the process will surely ben efit even the poorest in these developing countries, let alone other poor countries of Latin America and Africa. The constituency system should be replaced by atleast minimum one per one country added with the vote in relation to their contribution to the world economy. Accountability within the organization can be developed only when the term of the Directors are ensured unlike in the case of constituency where rotation system operates. References Nayyar, Deepak (ed.). 2006. Governing Globalization: Issues and Instituions. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Stiglitz, Joseph. 2002. Globalization And Its Discontents. New York: Allen Lane. Ambrose, Soren. 2009. Multilateral Money. Counterpunch. Available online at: http://www.counterpunch.org/ambrose09022009.html Ambrose, Soren. 2007. Confidence Crisis at the IMF. Counterpunch Available online at: http://www.counterpunch.org/ambrose04172007.html Ambrose, Soren. 2007. IMF Reforms: Mere Tinkering or Change We Can Live With? Foreign Policy in Focus. Available online at: http://www.fpif.org/articles/imf_reforms_mere_tinkering_or_change_we_can_live_with Elson, Diane. 1994. People, Development and International Financial Institutions: An Interpretation of the Bretton Woods System. Review of African Political Economy, 21, 62 : 511-524 . Available online at : http://www.jstor.org/stable/4006259 Glenn, John. 2008. Global Governance and the Democratic Deficit: stifling the voice of the South. Third World Quarterly, 29, 2: 217 — 238. Available online at : http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436590701806798 Sharma, Shalendra D. 2002. Reforming the IMF: Can it serve as an â€Å"international lender of last resort?†. Global Economic Review, 31, 2: 89 — 104 Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12265080208422895 Woods, Ngaire. 2001. Making the IMF and the World Bank More Accountable. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-),77, 1: 83-100. Available online at : http://www.jstor.org/stable/2626555 Woods, Ngaire and Lombardi, Domenico. 2006. Uneven patterns of governance: how developing countries are represented in the IMF. Review of International Political Economy, 13, 3: 480 — 515. Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09692290600769351