Thursday, November 28, 2019

Performance Related Pay free essay sample

Performance-related pay (PRP) is a financial rewarding system that links pay awarded to the work output of employees (CIPD, 2013). It is connected directly to individual, group and organisational performance (Armstrong, 2005). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, performance pay scheme became prevalently used in both private and public sectors in UK organisations, where it is perceived to be a motivation tool. 2. Theories about PRP As Thorpe and Homan (2000), the role of incentive pay in employee motivation nearly sets up on psychological theories. Locke and Latham (2004) define motivation as internal factors that impel action and to external factors that can act as inducements to action. The theories of motivation provide a solid theoretical basis for the study of the use of financial rewards for stimulating employees to higher levels of performance for the achievements of organizational objectives (Schuler, 1998). Expectancy theory and equity theory offer the fundaments for performance-related pay. 2. 1 Expectancy theory Expectancy theory is relied on expectations that people bring with them to the work situation, and the context and the way in which these expectations are satisfied. We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Related Pay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In other words, there is greater scope to understand how employees may require to be treated differently and to interpret why employees do not necessarily respond in a mechanical way to changes in, for example, the level of pay (CIPD, 2013). Vroom’s expectancy theoryVIE assists to understand the motivation through three elements: †¢expectancy – Employees perceived that they possessed the necessary skills to do their jobs at least adequately; †¢instrumentality– Employees perceived that if they performed their jobs well, or at least adequately, they would be rewarded; †¢valence – Employees perceived the rewards offered for successful job performance to be attractive (Arnold and Randall et al, 2010). According to the expectancy theory, money is a significant motivator for most people, and in order to get or secure a higher base salary or some form f bonus payment, we will normally change our behaviour and attitude, directing or increasing effort in a specific direction. Tying pay to specific performance can ensure people are motivated to increase their efforts and performance and ensure performance outcomes are met (Mikovich and Newman, 2005). 2. 3 Equity theory Another psychologic al thinking that is relevant is equity. Equity theorists claim that people seek balance between their inputs and the reward outcomes. The predictions of equity theory are less often supported by research when people receive than their shares, as opposed to when they receive fewer (Mowday, 1991). In other words, employees are more likely to do something in response to feeling under-rewarded than over-rewarded. Equity theory focuses on perceptions of fairness in the workplace, including distributive justice—that is, whether people believe they have received (or will receive) fair rewards; procedural justice—reflects whether people believe that the procedures used in an organization to allocate rewards are fair; interactional justice—refers to whether people believe they are treated in an appropriate manner by others at work, especially authority figures (Arnold, 2010). When people in an organization feel they have been treated justly, they will be more willing to be ‘good citizen’ at work (Liden et al, 2003). While the motivation to perform ‘good citizen’ behaviours are enhanced by a sense of justice (Arnold, 2010). However, Adams argued that whether the input and reward are in balance is determined on the basis of feelings/perceptions compared with others in relation to social norms. 3. Models In relation to the relationship between pay and performance, pay can be related to individual, the working group or orgnisation performance (Brown and Heywood, 2002). 3. 1 Individual PRP An individual performance-related pay system is â€Å"usually involve payment which is integrated into base salary either in the form of a percentage increase or additional increments on a pay scale† (Kessler, 2005). Individual PRP relates reward on an assessment of the employee’s work performance. It assumes that the differences between individuals are measurable so that retention of high quality employees who wish to enjoy high performance reward is increased (Gerhart and Rynes, 2003). In addition, adopting pay incentives will stimulate employees’ better behaviours that will improve work performance and thus, improve organizational performance. Also, employees are motivated to create more efficient methods to boost productivity. However, individual PRP has negative impacts which may de-motivate employees. It assesses the individual’s performance through using qualitative judgments, therefore bias and unfairness coming from performance appraisal is unavoidable by appraisers’ subjectivity. Moreover, Harris’s research (2001) shows that over half of the management failed to understand the â€Å"value system† of PRP, which in turn made inaccurate judgments on performance. 3. 2 Team PRP Team-based performance-related pay schemes include variable pay which depends on the performance of a team. The aim is to consolidate the team through incentives, establishing a united, mutually supporting team with a high level of involvement (Acas). Meanwhile, team-based pay motivates less effective employees and serves as an incentive for the whole team to improve. There are also potential disadvantages of team-based PRP. In contrast to individual PRP, peer pressure is heavy and result in consistence instead of creativity. Subsequently, bullying or harassment will be resulted from individuals who are perceived to be under-contributing. On the other hand, an amount relies on the underlying magnitude of the free rider problem, whereby team members expect others to accomplish the extra workload to increase team PRP. The greater the concern about some employees’ free-riding, the less will pay be linked to team PRP for the total team input into the production process is reduced (Robert, 2007). 3. 3 Organisation PRP Organizational PRP associates with larger groups than teams, like manufactory and company. The universal PRP schemes for organization level relied on profit-sharing and gain-sharing, or alternatively on dividends of employee-owned shares and change in share value. Hence, employees are able to share such financial participation as profit or share ownership, and are more directly responsible for the project’s success. The firm PRP system is effective as the workforce is aware of their contribution. Besides, employees can participate in organizational control and show greater commitment to the organization. Drawbacks come along with organization PRP benefits. The motivation value of implementing such a scheme is relatively weak. On one side, the added-value systems like profit-sharing involves complicated information and rules and thus employees will feel confused with them. On the other side, the bonus payments are usually available with a delay of several months or years and sometimes combined with other indicators of firm-level performance such as sales, productivity, amount of cost saved and etc. 4. Evidence The tables are from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relation Survey (WERS) (McNabb and Whitfield, 2007). Table 1: Impact of performance related pay, employee and financial participation on individual earnings PRP acts as a motivational tool that attracts workers to perform higher competency and induce employees to pay greater effort. Table one supports this point, showing that workplaces that exert any type of PRP schemes pay higher than those that do not. Among them, individual PRP only makes the most contribution to earnings by comparison with the team and organizational PRP only. Nevertheless, the only single scheme impact is far behind that of combined application of two or more types. Earnings are highest in workplaces where firms adopt a combination of individual and workgroup-based or organizational PRP schemes, as can be seen from the column three. Table 2: Interaction effects Along with, the impact of PRP on pay is strongly controlled by the joint of financial participation. As can be seen from table two, earning is relatively high where PRP co-operate with employee share-ownership. PRP is not only backed up by employers, but also by governments to promote employee financial participation through a range of fiscal incentives. For instance, the UK’s new Share Incentive Plan requires employees to leave their shares in trust for a minimum of five years to avail of tax relief. . Conclusion In conclude, PRP is one of the main financial incentives to motivate employees on the basis of expectancy theory. If PRP is designed and implement efficiently and measured fairly, positive impacts will be appeared on employees’ performance. Earnings are paid higher when organization applies PRP and highest when uses a combination of individual and team or organisational PRP. In spite of this, there is no optimal approach to PRP, an d in practice each model has its own advantages and disadvantages. Individual PRP works best where employee decision-making processes centered on jobs, whereas group-based PRP works best where employees are involved in making decisions about their work-roles in their broader context (Delbridge and Whitfield, 2001). Different organizations should undertake different PRP to suit its own situation. And schemes need to be tailored with the management strategy and organisational culture, such as the organization that demands team work would not be appropriate to establish individual PRP system.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Mapp Vs. Ohio

MAPP vs. OHIO Dollree Mapp was convicted of having had in her possession, books, pictures, and photographs of pornographic material in violation of 2905.34 of Ohio’s Revised Code. The conviction was valid though, â€Å"based primarily upon the introduction in evidence of lewd and lascivious books and pictures unlawfully seized during an unlawful search of defendants home.† (caselaw) â€Å"On May 23, 1957, three police officers arrived at Miss Mapp’s residence in that city pursuant to information that a person was hiding out in the home, who was wanted for questioning in connection with a recent bombing, and that there was a large amount of policy paraphernalia being hidden in the home.† (caselaw) The officers arrived at the home and demanded entrance, but Miss Mapp refused to let them in without a search warrant. The officers then took surveillance of the house until four more officers arrived at the scene four hours later. The officers then entered threw at least one of the many doors to the house forcibly. Miss Mapp had been on her way to the door when they busted threw and she then asked to see the search warrant. One of the officers showed Miss Mapp a piece of paper that was claimed to be a warrant. Miss Mapp then grabbed the piece of paper and stuffed it down her shirt. One of the officers then grabbed her arm forcibly and retrieved the paper and placed Miss Mapp under arrest while the officers search through all of her belongings. â€Å"At trial no search warrant was produced by the prosecution, nor was the failure to produce one explained or accounted for.† (caselaw) The Ohio Supreme Court believed a â€Å"reasonable argument† could be made based on the methods of employment to obtain the evidence was justified and wasn’t unconstitutional, but the Courts explained. â€Å"The Fourth Amendment†¦put the courts of the United States and Federal officials, in the exercise of their power and authority, under limitations and res... Free Essays on Mapp Vs. Ohio Free Essays on Mapp Vs. Ohio MAPP vs. OHIO Dollree Mapp was convicted of having had in her possession, books, pictures, and photographs of pornographic material in violation of 2905.34 of Ohio’s Revised Code. The conviction was valid though, â€Å"based primarily upon the introduction in evidence of lewd and lascivious books and pictures unlawfully seized during an unlawful search of defendants home.† (caselaw) â€Å"On May 23, 1957, three police officers arrived at Miss Mapp’s residence in that city pursuant to information that a person was hiding out in the home, who was wanted for questioning in connection with a recent bombing, and that there was a large amount of policy paraphernalia being hidden in the home.† (caselaw) The officers arrived at the home and demanded entrance, but Miss Mapp refused to let them in without a search warrant. The officers then took surveillance of the house until four more officers arrived at the scene four hours later. The officers then entered threw at least one of the many doors to the house forcibly. Miss Mapp had been on her way to the door when they busted threw and she then asked to see the search warrant. One of the officers showed Miss Mapp a piece of paper that was claimed to be a warrant. Miss Mapp then grabbed the piece of paper and stuffed it down her shirt. One of the officers then grabbed her arm forcibly and retrieved the paper and placed Miss Mapp under arrest while the officers search through all of her belongings. â€Å"At trial no search warrant was produced by the prosecution, nor was the failure to produce one explained or accounted for.† (caselaw) The Ohio Supreme Court believed a â€Å"reasonable argument† could be made based on the methods of employment to obtain the evidence was justified and wasn’t unconstitutional, but the Courts explained. â€Å"The Fourth Amendment†¦put the courts of the United States and Federal officials, in the exercise of their power and authority, under limitations and res...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Corporate governance board in an organization operates via the Essay

Corporate governance board in an organization operates via the different members of board of directors - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to illustrate the working of corporate governance by means of the literature review. Corporate governance rules are settled by the directors who give rules and regulations for the firm to move it in a specific direction to achieve different goals. Corporate governance actually gives rules for internal control of the firm. This literature review shows different views on corporate governance of various scholars i.e. the point of generation of this idea and its history. The paper then elaborates on the principle of corporate governance and their responsibilities; two distinctive models are described for corporate governance, which are used all over the world. These models clearly defines that why the firms in the United Kingdom are not as powerful as in United States. The reason is provide latterly in the paper by showing different examples of United States industries that actually fails because their corporate governance was unable to work. Then what are corpor ate governance model used by the Asian companies are provided. The paper uses three different examples to show that either corporate governance work or not. ... The last section is the few lines defining the conclusion taken from over all paper. The paper uses the examples of real firms that show that either corporate governance work or not. These real examples show that how their corporate governance works so that we can conclude that either the concept of corporate governance work or not. Corporate governance concept does work but it all depends on the individual forming the board of director or corporate governance. Corporate governance ideology does work and that is the reason that why the top firms are still working. The best direction and decision making system is the only reason that works and all these are provided by corporate governance. The paper not only shows that the either corporate governance work or not rather it also provide that how corporate governance work. The examples of real firms that are taken to elaborate the aim of paper will clearly define that how their corporate governance working for the success of the firm. Fro instance, the example of Cadbury shoes that their corporate governance decided to separate the confectionery firms from the beverages firms and this decision really works and the firm actually gain profits. Different statistical data of the companies are provided by the paper that shows that impact of decision making and regulation provided by corporate governance. The approach to literature review is made by the use different scholarly piece of work. Different books are used to elaborate the topic and scholar's journals are sued to seek the issue discussed by this paper. Moreover, the paper uses the real firm's data showing the actual and real evidences that either the corporate work or not. This data is taken from different

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Change Organizational Model Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Change Organizational Model - Research Paper Example The core value of Mace Ford is that it deals with both new as well as used car sales. Through its performance, the company aims to provide its customers the cars that hold the most appropriate amalgamation of style, performance and safety for satisfying their exact needs and wants. Mace Fiord provides its customers the assurance of finding the exact vehicle for them that meets their necessities. 3.0 Organizational Development Problem in Mace Ford and Its Causes Considering the operations of Mace Ford over the past several years, it has been evaluated that the most crucial problem that it faced in its operational lifecycle is that of managing the changes in its new location on Highway 41 South, US. The dealership that they had with Ford has led to this change in location because after the deal, Mace Ford were supposed to have Ford trucks, the line of which is much bigger than the line of cars (Hayes, 2009). Quite a few causes have been identified for the prospect problem in the organi zational development of Mace Ford after its dealership with Ford. With the move of changing location, the organization faced the challenge of maintaining effective internal communication. The organizations’ people like that of the engineers, contractors and workers cited problems mentioning ineffective receiving of organizational information. The management at Mace Ford was not being able to ensure that up-to-date information was received by each employee. The management and operational controlling heads were not able to provide the appropriate means for accessing the systems of the company in the initial phases of its operations in the new location. The management of the company was much busy with maintaining the scheduled... Considering the operations of Mace Ford over the past several years, it has been evaluated that the most crucial problem that it faced in its operational lifecycle is that of managing the changes in its new location on Highway 41 South, US. The dealership that they had with Ford has led to this change in location because, after the deal, Mace Ford was supposed to have Ford trucks, the line of which is much bigger than the line of cars (Hayes, 2009). Quite a few cases have been identified for the prospect problem in the organizational development of Mace Ford after its dealership with Ford. With the move of changing location, the organization faced the challenge of maintaining effective internal communication. The organizations’ people like that of the engineers, contractors, and workers cited problems mentioning ineffective receiving of organizational information. The management at Mace Ford was not being able to ensure that up-to-date information was received by each employee . The management and operational controlling heads were not able to provide the appropriate means for accessing the systems of the company in the initial phases of its operations in the new location. The management of the company was much busy with maintaining the scheduled plan for the location change and adhering to the present orders of Ford and thus they could not organize their internal communication properly. The dealing with an individual employee is also an important task for the management.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sweatshop Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sweatshop Labor - Essay Example The company ethical guidelines affect the whole operations of the business. When the guidelines are clear to all subordinates, the employees are unlikely to make unethical decisions. However, in case the company leaves the ethical issues to be decided by the supervisors, they are likely to engage in unethical issues which might end up tarnishing the reputation of the company in the market (Esbenshade, 2004). Therefore, ethical perspective such as the minimum salaries and age of the employees ensures that decision made inside the company’s premises observe these guidelines. A company influences its ethical environment by setting the standards to be met by the employees. When the standards are beyond what the employees can achieve, the subordinates are likely to engage in unethical behavior in order to achieve them (Esbenshade, 2004). This explains why some employees in Bangladesh working for one of the Wal-Mart subsidiary opted to come with their children in the workplace in order for them to help their parents to reach the set

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Essence Of The Marketing Concept

The Essence Of The Marketing Concept Market segmentation can be defined as the process of breaking down the total market for a product or service into distinct sub-groups or segments where each segment may conceivably represent a separate target market to be reached with a distinctive marketing mix. Segmentation and the subsequent strategies of targeting and positioning start by recognizing that increasingly, within the total demand/market for a product, specific tastes, needs and demand may differ. It breaks down the total market for a product or service into individual clusters of customers, or segments. Here, customers who share similar demand preferences are grouped together within each segment. Effective segmentation is achieved when customers sharing similar patterns of demand are grouped together and where each group or segment differs in the pattern of demand from other segments in the market. In most markets, be they consumer or industrial, some kind of segmentation can be accomplished on this basis. 2 Targeted marketing efforts Most companies realise that they cannot effectively serve all the segments in a market, and must instead target their marketing efforts. For example, in developing a new car, the manufacturing firm will have to make a decision on many issues, such as should it be a two-, four-, or five-seater model, with a 1000, 2000 or 3000cc engine? Should it have leather, fabric or vinyl seats? The over-riding factor when deciding these issues is customer demand. Some customers (segments) may want a five-seater 2000cc model with leather upholstery, while others may prefer a four-seater with a 1000cc engine and fabric seats. A solution would be to compromise and produce a four-seater 1500cc model with leather seats and fabric trim. Clearly, such a model would go some way to meeting the requirements of both groups of buyers, but there is a danger that because the needs of neither market segment are precisely met, most potential customers would purchase from other suppliers who could cater for their specific requirements. Ironically, one of the biggest post-war car failures was the much heralded and much hyped American Ford Edsel car. This is a car that was produced following extensive marketing research, the results of which were aggregated, and the end product was a car that satisfied the true needs of very few buyers making it the most spectacular flop in modern motoring history. Target marketing is thus defined as the identification of the market segments that are identified as being the most likely purchasers of a companys products. Specifically, the advantages of target marketing are: Marketing opportunities and unfilled gaps in a market may be more accurately appraised and identified. Such gaps can be real (e.g. sweet, strong, harsh or mild) or they can be illusionary in terms of the way people want to view the product (e.g. happy, aloof, silly or moody). In the case of the former, product attributes can fulfil these criteria whereas for the latter these attributes might well have to be implanted in the minds of customers through an appropriate advertising message. Market and product appeals through manipulation of the marketing mix can be more delicately tuned to the needs of the potential customer. Marketing effort can be concentrated on the market segment(s) which offer the greatest potential for the company to achieve its goals be they goals to maximise profit potential or to secure the best long-term position for the product or any other appropriate goal. 3 Effective segmentation Theoretically, the base(s) used for segmentation should lead to segments that are: Measurable/identifiable Here, the base(s) used should preferably lead to ease of identification in terms of who is in each segment. It should also be capable of measurement in terms of the potential customers in each segment. Accessible Here, the base(s) used should ideally lead to the company being able to reach selected market targets with their individual marketing efforts. Meaningful The base(s) used must lead to segments which have different preferences or needs and show clear variations in market behaviour and response to individually designed marketing mixes. Substantial The base(s) used should lead to segments which are sufficiently large to be economically and practically worthwhile serving as discrete market targets with a distinctive marketing mix. The third criterion is particularly important for effective segmentation, as it is an essential prerequisite when attempting to identify and select market targets. In segmentation, targeting and positioning, a company must identify distinct subsets of customers in the total market for a product where any subset might eventually be selected as a market target, and for which a distinctive marketing mix will be developed. The following represents the sequential steps in conducting a segmentation, targeting and positioning exercise for any given product market. Select base(s) for segmentation and identify appropriate market segments. Evaluate and appraise the market segments resulting from the first step. Select an overall market targeting strategy. Select specific target segments. Develop a product positioning strategy for each target segment. 6. Develop an appropriate marketing mix for each chosen target segment in order to support the product positioning strategy. 4 Segmentation bases in consumer product markets Geographic segmentation consists of dividing a country into regions that normally represent an individual sales persons territory. In bigger companies, these larger regions are then broken down into areas with individual regional manager controlling salespeople in distinct areas. In international marketing, different countries may be deemed to constitute different market segments. Demographic segmentation consists of a wide variety of bases for subdividing markets, and each of these is now discussed: Age is a good segmentation variable for such items as clothes where the fashion-conscious young are more susceptible to regular changes in style and older segments are perhaps more concerned with such factors as quality and comfort. Sex is a strong segment in terms of goods that are specifically targeted towards males or females and again an obvious example is clothing. Here, fashion is a powerful element when purchasing, and a whole industry surrounds this criterion. Income as a segmentation base is more popular in certain countries like the USA than others who regard such matters very privately. Social class is possibly the single most used variable for research purposes. It is universally used. The National Readership Survey divides everybody into the following categories as shown in Figure 1: A Upper middle class (higher managerial, administrative or professional) which comprises about 3 per cent of the population B Middle class (intermediate managerial, administrative or professional) which comprises approximately 10 per cent of the population C1 Lower middle class (supervisory, clerical, junior administrative or professional) containing around 25 per cent of the population C2 Skilled working clsass (skilled manual workers) who comprise around 30 per cent of the population. D Working class (semi- and unskilled manual workers) or around 27 per cent of the population E Lowest levels of subsistence (state pensioners with no other income, widows, casual and lowest grade earners) who form the remaining 5 per cent, or thereabouts, of the population. Figure 1 Social class and grade structure Education is often related to social class, because, as a generalisation, the better educated tend to get the better jobs. It is generally acknowledged that a persons media habits are related to education. Accordingly, newspapers design to aim their news and newspaper content towards the upper or lower ends of the social spectrum, and encourage advertisers to target their advertising appropriately, depending upon whether an advertisers product has an up-market or down-market appeal. In fact they publicise their readership profile of the percentage of ABC1, etc groups that actually read their newspapers or magazines and this information is ascertained through independent auditors. This is done principally to alert advertising agencies who will place their clients advertising according to the social classes towards at whom their products are targeted. Nationality or ethnic background now constitutes a growing and distinctive segment for potential target marketing. Food products, clothing and hair care products are obvious examples of products that fit into this segmentation variable. Political is perhaps a less obvious segmentation base. An individuals political leanings might well influence the way he or she behaves in terms of purchases made. Such purchases are of course reflected in the types of newspaper and other media that is read, and this, in turn, contains advertising which is aimed at people who read such media, so political leanings might be more significant than it initially seems. Family size will have an effect on the amount or size of purchases, so this is certainly a meaningful segmentation variable. Family life cycle is a logical follow on to the above and this will tend to determine the purchase of many consumer durable products. This is based on the notion that consumers pass through a series of quite distinct phases in their lives, each phase giving rise to different purchasing patterns and needs. For example, an unmarried person living at home will probably have very different purchasing patterns from someone of the same age who has left home and is recently married. Wells and Gubar have put forward what is now an internationally recognised classification system in relation to life cycle and these stages are shown in Figure 2: Bachelor stage young single people not living with parents (which gave rise to the category of YUPPIES or young, upwardly-mobile persons) Newly marrieds no children (sometimes referred to as DINKIES meaning double income no kids) Full nest I with the youngest child being under six years of age (sometimes referred to as ORCHIDS meaning one recent child, heavily in debt) Full nest II is where the youngest child is six or over Full nest III is an older married couple with dependent children living at home Empty nest I with no children living at home, but the family head is in work (sometimes referred to as WOOPIES meaning well off older persons) Empty nest II where the family head is retired Solitary survivor in work Solitary survivor retired (unkindly referred to as COCOON meaning cheap old child-minder, operating on nothing) Figure 2 Family life cycle segmentation base SAGACITY is a refinement of the family life cycle grouping system. This is a system that believes that people have different behavioural patterns and aspirations as they proceed through life. Four main stages of life cycle are defined as: Dependent (mainly under 24 living at home) Pre-family (under 35s who have established their own household, but without children) Family (couples under 65 with one or more children in the household) Late (adults whose children have left home or who are over 35 and childless) Income groups are then defined as being in categories: better off and worse off Occupation groups are defined as white (collar) or the A, B and C1 social groups and blue (collar) or the C2, D and E social groups The system works as shown in Figure 3: Life cycle Dependent Pre-family Family Late Income Better off Worse off Better off Worse off Occupation White Blue White Blue White Blue White Blue White Blue White Blue Approx % 7 7 5 5 11.5 10.5 2.5 7.5 10 7.5 9 18 adults UK (NB Because of rounding, total figure does not add to 100%) Source: Research Services Limited Figure 3 Sagacity Life Cycle Groupings Type of neighbourhood and dwelling (ACORN) is a relatively new segmentation base. Its underlying philosophy the fact that the type of dwelling and area a person lives in is a good predictor of likely purchasing behaviour including the types of products and brands which might be purchased. This classification analyses homes, rather than individuals, as a basis for segmentation. It is termed the ACORN system (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods). The source of this is the 10-yearly population census that is undertaken during every year ending with one the next being due in 2001. The system was developed by Richard Webber for Consolidated Analysis Centres Incorporated (CACI). It breaks down the census of population into various categories of homes as shown in Figure 4. Acorn Type of dwelling Approx % UK population Group A Agricultural areas 3 B Modern family housing, higher incomes 18 C Older housing of intermediate status 17 D Poor quality older terraced housing 4 E Better-off council estates 13 F Less well-off council estates 9 G Poorest council estates 7 H Multi-racial areas 4 I High status non-family areas 4 J Affluent suburban housing 16 K Better-off retirement areas 4 U Unclassified 1 (Source CACI) Figure 4 ACORN Classification system These ACORN classifications are further sub-divided into yet smaller groupings. For instance, Group C which refers to Older housing of intermediate status, is broken down into: C8 Mixed owner-occupied and council estates C9 Small town centres and flats above shops C10 Villages with non-farm employment C11 Older private shousing skilled workers Mosaic system This system is an extension of the ACORN system except that this is based upon individual postal codes (or zip codes). Each postal code in the UK consists of up to seven letters and figures. An individual postal code represents approximately ten dwellings and each of these groups of dwellings is given an individual Mosaic categorisation, of which there are 58 categories. The idea of mosaic comes from the notion that if a different colour was ascribed to each category and superimposed on a map of the UK the resulting pattern would resemble a mosaic. The full Mosaic listing is not reproduced here, but by way of illustration some of these are described below: M1 High status retirement areas with many single pensioners 1.0% of population M15 Lower income older terraced housing 1.5% M25 Smart inner city plats, company lets, very few children 1.5% M33 Council estates, often Scottish flats, with worst overcrowding 1.3% M46 Post 1981 housing in areas of highest income and status 0.2% M50 Newly built private estates, factory workers, young families 3.3% M57 Hamlets and scattered farms 0.7% Taken together, the demographic bases described constitute the most popular bases for segmentation in consumer product markets, since they are often associated with differences in consumer demand. As such, they are meaningful to advertisers. For instance, occupation and social class are linked because of the way that occupation is used to define social class. It is, therefore, relatively easy to reach the different social classes through their different media and shopping habits, although boundaries between the purchasing power of different classes become blurred when, for example, skilled manual workers are able to earn higher incomes than their counterparts in lower or intermediate management. Direct or behavioural segmentation appeals to marketing people as it takes customer purchasing behaviour as the starting point for segmentation. Such bases include: Usage status when a distinction might be made between say light, medium and heavy users. Brand loyalty status where customers can be divided into a number of groups according to their loyalty, or their propensity to repurchase the brand again. Status categories are: Hard core loyals who purchase the same brand every time Soft core loyals who have divided loyalties between two or more brands and purchase any of these on a random basis Shifting loyals who are sometimes called brand switchers in that they buy one brand, and stay with it for a certain period, and then purchase another brand and stay with it for a certain period. They may then return to the original brand Switchers who show no particular preference or loyalty to one particular brand, so their purchasing pattern cannot be clearly determined. Benefits sought is a segmentation base that determines the principal expectation(s) that a purchaser is seeking from the product. For instance, in the case of an automobile oil, purchasers might be looking for cheapness, a well known brand, its viscosity or its engine protection reputation. Occasions for purchase also falls under this category. An example here relates to the purchase of holidays. Lifestyle or psychographic segmentation is based on the idea that individuals have characteristic patterns of living that may be reflected in the products and brands which they purchase. The advertising agency, Young Rubican, has come up with a classification system called Four Cs where C stands for consumers. These categories are: Mainstreamers or the largest group who do not want to stand out from the crowd. They are the biggest segment (over 40 per cent of the population) and tend to purchase branded products over supermarket brands. Reformers are people who tend to be creative and caring, many doing charitable work. They are largely responsible for the purchase of supermarket brands. Aspirers are usually younger people who are ambitious and keen to get on at all costs. Their purchases tend to reflect the latest models and designs. Succeeders are those who have made it and do not see the need for status symbols that aspirers seek. They like to be in control of what they are doing and this includes their purchases where they generally have very clear and firm ideas of what they see as a good product and what they see as being a less useful product. 5 Segmentation bases in industrial product markets Segmenting an industrial product market introduces a number of additional bases, uses similar bases and also precludes some of the ones more frequently used for consumer product markets. Such bases are: Type of application/end use e.g. adhesives for home, office and industrial use Geographical e.g. North, South, East and West regions or by country Benefits sought Closely related to the above, but in terms of what the product actually does for the buying company e.g. detergents for general cleaning or detergents that are actually used in the production process Type of customer e.g. banks or insurance companies or people who purchase for public authorities Product/technology e.g. fibres for the carpet industry or the clothing industry Customer size e.g. larger customers might receive different treatment to smaller customers and this is called key account selling whereby the sales manager deals directly with major accounts Usage rate e.g. light users or heavy users; regular or sporadic users Loyalty of customer e.g. regular purchasers of the companys products and sporadic purchasers. The treatment accorded to loyal customers might differ to that given to occasional customers Purchasing procedures e.g. centralized versus decentralized purchasing (which can affect the buyer/seller relationship); the extent to which purchasing is carried out by tightly defined, or more flexible, specifications which allows the seller more latitude in terms of making suggestions, the extent to which purchasing is by tender (i.e. by some kind of closed bidding system) or by open negotiation Situational factors considers the tactical role of the purchasing circumstances. In some purchasing situations it requires a more detailed knowledge of the customer whereas in others the buyer/seller relationship is kept strictly to commercial matters Personal characteristics relate to the people who make purchasing decisions As with consumer markets, industrial market segmentation may be on an indirect (associative) or a direct (behavioural) basis. A variety of bases may be also be used in conjunction with each other in order to obtain successively smaller sub-segments of the market. The essential criteria given earlier for bases of consumer market segmentation being identifiable, accessible, substantial and, most important, meaningful are equally applicable to bases for industrial market segmentation. A nested approach has been suggested on the basis of a hierarchy from the broad to the specific (See Figure 5). DEMOGRAPHICS OPERATING VARIABLES PURCHASING APPROACH SITUATIONAL PERSONAL CHARAC- TERISTICS Figure 5 A nested approach to segmentation in industrial markets At the centre we have people who actually make buying decisions and their personalities must be considered. Then come situational factors that look at the tactical role of the purchasing situation. This demands customer knowledge. Purchasing approaches examines customer purchasing practices (e.g. who actually makes buying decisions, or the decision making unit). Operating variables allow a more exact pinpointing of potential and existing customers within the final category that is demographic variables, or the broad description of the segments related to customer needs and patterns of usage. 6 Effective segmentation Once market segments have been identified, the marketers task is to assess these various market segments. This appraisal should be in relation to sales and profit potential, or in the case of a non-profit organization, their ability to add to organisational aims. This means that each segment should be viewed in terms of its overall size, projected rate of growth, actual and potential competition, nature of competitive strategies and customer needs. Companies that decide to follow a concentrated or a differentiated targeting strategy must decide which of the segments in the market they wish to serve. Such a decision to select specific target markets must be based on some of the factors outlined earlier, including resources, competition, segment potential and company objectives. There are four characteristics that make a market segment particularly attractive: It has sufficient current profit and sales potential to meet the organisations aims and objectives Competition in the segment is not too intense There is good potential for future growth The segment has some previously unidentified requirements that the company has recognised and is now in a position to serve especially well 7 Product positioning A company has to develop a positioning strategy for each segment it chooses to serve. This relates to the task of ensuring that a particular companys products occupy a planned for place in chosen target markets, pertinent to opposing competition in the marketplace. The notion of product/brand positioning is applicable to both industrial and consumer markets, and the key aspects of this approach are based upon the following suppositions. All products and brands have both objective attributes (e.g. sweet/sour; dark/light; fast/slow) and subjective attributes (e.g. modern/unfashionable; happy/sad; youthful/elderly). Potential purchasers might think about one or more of these attributes when deliberating which product and/or brand to purchase. That potential customers have their own thoughts about how the various competing products or brands rate for each of these particular attributes. In other words, the positioning of the brand along the parameters of these attributes (eg entertaining on the one hand to mundane at the other extreme) takes place in the mind of the customer. Once this is done, it is possible to establish important attributes in choosing between different brands or products, together with the customers perception of the position of competitors products in relation to these characteristics, and then establish the most advantageous position for the company within this particular segment of the market. The final step in the appraisal of segmentation, targeting and positioning is developing appropriate marketing mixes. This involves the design of marketing programmes that will support the chosen positional strategy in the selected target markets. The company must therefore determine the 4 Ps of its marketing mix, i.e. what price, product, distribution (place) and promotional strategies will be necessary to achieve the desired position in the market. There are four acknowledged strategic options for target marketing: Undifferentiated marketing where there is one single marketing mix for every potential customer in the market. Differentiated marketing where there are many marketing mixes for different segments of the market. Concentrated marketing which has a single marketing mix for a segment of the total market. Custom marketing which attempts to satisfy each individual customers requirements with a separate marketing mix. 8 Summary We can now appreciate how marketing begins to work. Having defined the purpose of segmentation we have looked at the obvious and the less obvious bases for segmentation in both consumer and industrial markets. We have also ascertained that used well, the techniques and concepts described in this chapter can contribute significantly to overall company marketing success. Market segmentation, targeting and positioning decisions are thus more strategic than they are tactical. Segmentation variables should be examined in detail, especially new segments. These should then be authenticated in terms of viability and potential profit. Targeting investigates specific segments in terms of how they should be approached. Positioning relates to how the product is perceived in the minds of consumers and a suitable marketing mix should then be designed.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Religion and the Igbo People :: Essays Papers

Religion and the Igbo People The Igbo are a profoundly religious people who believe in a benevolent creator, usually known as Chukwu, who created the visible universe (uwa). Opposing this force for good is agbara, meaning spirit or supernatural being. In some situations people are referred to as agbara in describing an almost impossible feat performed by them. In a common phrase the igbo people will say Bekee wu agbara. This means the white man is spirit. This is usually in amazement at the scientific inventions of the white man. Apart from the natural level of the universe, they also believe that it exists on another level, that of the spiritual forces, the alusi. The alusi are minor deities, and are forces for blessing or destruction, depending on circumstances. They punish social offences and those who unwittingly infringe their privileges. The role of the diviner is to interpret the wishes of the alusi, and the role of the priest is to placate them with sacrifices. Either a priest is chosen through hereditary lineage or he is chosen by a particular god for his service, usually after passing through a number of mystical experiences. Each person also has a personalised providence, which comes from Chukwu, and returns to him at the time of death, a chi. This chi may be good or bad. There is a strong Igbo belief that the spirits of one's ancestors keep a constant watch over you. The living show appreciation for the dead and pray to them for future well being. It is against tribal law to speak badly of a spirit. Those ancestors who lived well, died in socially approved ways, and were given correct burial rites, live in one of the worlds of the dead, which mirror the worlds of the living. They are periodically reincarnated among the living and are given the name ndichie – the returners. Those who died bad deaths and lack correct burial rites cannot return to the world of the living, or enter that of the dead. They wander homeless, expressing their grief by causing harm among the living. The funeral ceremonies and burials of the Igbo people are extremely complex, the most elaborate of all being the funeral of a chief. However, there are several kinds of deaths that are considered shameful, and in these circumstances no burial is provided at all. Women who die in labour, children who die before they have no teeth, those who commit suicide and those who die in the sacred month – for these people their funeral ceremony consists of being thrown into a bush.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Library System Essay

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study. First and foremost, my utmost gratitude to Mr. Raquel V.desello the Brgy.Chairman of Street whose sincerity and encouragement I will never forget. Mr. Dominic Sales has been my inspiration as I hurdle all the obstacles in the completion this research work. My sincere thanks also goes Mrs. De Leon for offering me the summer internship opportunities in their groups and leading me working on diverse exciting projects. I thank my fellow comp.labmates in Trent Information First and other Group: Mr. Renz Paolo Cruz, Rochelle Dones for allow me to barrow her flash drive, and, for the stimulating discussions, for the rush hour we were working together before few minutes before defense, and for all the fun we have had in the last two years. Also I thank my friends in face book that gave me at least their effort to gave few sentence in my documentation Last but not the least, I would like to thank my family: my parents Mrs. Chanda Desello and Mr. Quemadge Desello, for giving birth to me at the first place and supporting me spiritually throughout my life. Same as my partner in case study Lienard Magno ABSTRACT This report describes our group’s implementation of a library Management system. We used the Entity-Relationship model to design a database that will store and organize the library’s data. We have Created the database using vb6.0 and populated it with some sample Data. The system can keep track of library cards, customers, Librarians, library locations, books, videos, and the relationships Between them. Using vb6.0 and adodb, we have Created an Internet-based graphical user interface that allows Customers and librarians to access the system remotely A simple library management system that provides following facilities login, register, add category, add / remove book, search / issue book, return book. Language used is C# and vb is been used in code. One Admin user is already there once db is installed with user name admin and password admin. Admin user has extra functionalities like add category, add/remove books. These functionalities cannot be done by simple user that registers. Password encryption – decryption has been used in project. It’s very simple project where in all the event of all forms has been handled in that acts as business and data access layer. All vB interactions are in this file only. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Now a day, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of electronic gadgets. Now, with the advent of such modernization in education, one way to globalize the process of research is to realize that technology is advancing at an incredibility fast place. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in education is also vast. In School, reading materials are stored in libraries. Library is a place in which books and related materials are kept for use but not for sale. It is also organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution or a private individual. In addition, it is a place in which we get information in any format and from many sources. The librarian has to keep the room neat so that it is conducive for learning. The librarian is also the person who is liable for monitoring all the books that are borrowed and returned by the borrowers. The proponents will propose the Library Books borrowing and Returning System for Taytay Elementary School located at Taytay, Rizal, he Head Librarian, Ms. De Leon stated that they are currently using the Dewey Decimal Library System. They are still utilizing a manual system. The library users and the librarian still use card catalogues in searching for reading materials and use index card for the records of borrowed and returned books. The proponent’s study was what is which encounter to the Library by the user, Librarian and how the Owner or the Administrator of the said school will provide a good service to their clients to have a good feedback. The study will focus on transaction which done inside the Library like borrowing, returning of books by students, faculties and staffs. In this area, the usage of computerized library system is needed because it is easier and obviously it saves paper compare to the manual library based. Other countries such as South America and Middle East. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS library system in doing transactions with their clienteles. Specifically this study pourpost to answer the following questions: 1. How can the system helps the librarian? 2. What are the inputs needed in the system in order for the students/staff/visitors to be able to login/logout when entering and borrowing books? 3. What are the information and data needed to put up a computerized library system of (tes) Taytay Elementary School. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS SCOPE The system is create for the library except for easy way for librarian to make her work easy this is also for their customer to barrow books easy and to return also for data for clearly using it.. Delimitation The other way,this study is limits for the proposed enhancement computerized library system of Taytay Elementary School. System proposed to only one authorized person.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Similarities between China, Germany, and the Soviet Union essays

Similarities between China, Germany, and the Soviet Union essays The events that occurred in China under Deng Xiaoping s rule are similar to the events that occurred in Nazi Germany under Hitlers rule and the Soviet Union under Stalins rule to a great extent. Successful dictatorships use many techniques to win their countrys support. Propaganda, indoctrination, controlled participation, direction of popular discontent, and force and terror are all commonly used in this form of government; and all are techniques the leaders of those three countries used time and again. All of the media, such as radio and newspapers, was altered to portray the governments as being successful and honorable. No information that could possibly uncover the governments truths was allowed to be exposed. Furthermore, the leaders of the countries began to include their beliefs and ideas into the nations schools and youth programs alike. Children were exposed to the communist and fascist ideas at young ages to ensure continued government support. Also, these regimes used th e technique of controlled participation. People who are allowed to participate in and contribute to something are more likely to support it. In China they introduced the spy-on-your-neighbour campaign, and local authorities had no problem recruiting thousands of neighbourhood informants and auxiliary police to enforce the crusade. One problem the governments did face was that of those who did not believe or did not support their rulers ideas. The solution: direction of popular discontent and the use of force and terror. If civilians still refused to believe the ideologies of their leaders, the governments would try to put the blame on others. In Nazi Germany, Hitler blamed the Jews, Slavs, political opponents, union leaders, ministers of religion, pacifists, and homosexuals for Germanys economic problems at the time. After the Tiananmen Square incident, the Chinese leader placed the blame on the th...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Theories of Ideology in Sociology

Theories of Ideology in Sociology Ideology is the lens through which a person views the world. Within the field of sociology, ideology is broadly understood to refer to the sum total of a persons values, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations. Ideology exists within society, within groups, and between people. It shapes our thoughts, actions, and interactions, along with what happens in society at large. Ideology is a fundamental concept in sociology. Sociologists study it because it plays such a powerful role in shaping how society is organized and how it functions. Ideology is directly related to the social structure, economic system of production, and political structure. It both emerges out of these things and shapes them. Ideology vs. Particular Ideologies Often, when people use the word ideology they are referring to a particular ideology rather than the concept itself. For example, many people, especially in the media, refer to extremist views or actions as being inspired by a particular ideology (for example, radical Islamic ideology or white power ideology) or as ideological. Within sociology, much attention is paid to what is known as  the dominant ideology, or the particular ideology that is most common and  strongest in a given society. However, the concept of ideology itself is actually general in nature and not tied to one particular way of thinking. In this sense, sociologists define ideology as a persons worldview and recognize that there are various and competing ideologies operating in a society at any given time, some more dominant than others. Ultimately, ideology determines how we make sense of things. It provides an ordered view of the world, our place in it, and our relationship to others. As such, it is deeply important to the human experience, and typically something that  people cling to and defend, whether or not they are conscious of doing so. And, as ideology emerges out of the  social structure  and  social order, it is generally expressive of the social interests that are supported by both. Terry Eagleton, a British literary theorist, and intellectual explained it this way in his 1991 book  Ideology: An Introduction: Ideology is a system of concepts and views which serves to make sense of the world while obscuring the  social interests  that are expressed therein, and by its completeness and relative internal consistency tends to form a  closed  system and maintain itself in the face of contradictory or inconsistent experience. Marxs Theory of Ideology German philosopher Karl Marx  is considered the first to provide a theoretical framing of ideology within the context of sociology. Michael Nicholson  / Contributor  / Getty Images According to Marx, ideology emerges out of a societys mode of production. In his case and in that of the modern United States,  the economic mode of production is capitalism. Marxs approach to ideology was set forth in his theory of  base and superstructure. According to Marx, the superstructure of society, the realm of ideology, grows out of the base, the realm of production, to reflect the interests of the ruling class and justify the status quo that keeps them in power. Marx, then, focused his theory on the concept of a dominant ideology. However, he viewed the relationship between base and superstructure as dialectical in nature, meaning that each affects the other equally and that a change in one necessitates a change in the other. This belief formed the basis for Marxs theory of revolution. He believed that once workers  developed a class consciousness  and became aware of their exploited position relative to the powerful class of factory owners and financiers- in other words, when they experienced a fundamental shift in ideology- that they would then act on that ideology by organizing and demanding a change in the social, economic, and political structures of society. Gramscis Additions to Marxs Theory of Ideology The working-class revolution that Marx predicted never happened. Nearly 200 years after the publication of The Communist Manifesto, capitalism maintains a strong grip on global society and  the inequalities it fosters continue to grow. Fototeca Storica Nazionale.  / Contributor  / Getty Images   Following on the heels of Marx, the Italian activist, journalist, and intellectual  Antonio Gramsci  offered a more developed theory of ideology to help explain why the revolution did not occur. Gramsci, offering his theory of  cultural hegemony, reasoned that dominant ideology had a stronger hold on consciousness and society than Marx had imagined. Gramscis theory focused on the  central role played by the  social institution of education  in spreading the dominant ideology and maintaining the power of the ruling class. Educational institutions, Gramsci argued, teach ideas, beliefs, values, and even identities that reflect the interests of the ruling class, and produce compliant and obedient members of society that serve the interests of that class. This type of rule is what Gramsci called cultural hegemony. The Frankfurt School and Louis Althusser on Ideology Some years later, the  critical theorists  of  the Frankfurt School turned their attention to the role that art,  popular culture, and mass media play in disseminating ideology. They argued that just as education plays a role in this process, so do the social institutions of media and popular culture. Their theories of ideology focused on the representational work that art, popular culture, and mass media do in telling stories about society, its members, and our way of life. This work can either support the dominant ideology and the status quo, or it can challenge it, as in the case of  culture jamming. Jacques Pavlovsky  / Contributor  / Getty Images Around the same time, the French philosopher Louis Althusser developed his concept of the ideological state apparatus, or the ISA. According to Althusser, the dominant ideology of any given society is maintained and reproduced through several ISAs, notably the media, religion, and education. Althusser argued that each ISA does the work of promoting illusions about the way society works and why things are the way they are. Examples of Ideology In the modern United States, the dominant ideology is one that, in keeping with Marxs theory, supports capitalism and the society organized around it. The central tenet of this ideology is that U.S. society is one in which all people are free and equal, and thus, can do and achieve anything they want in life. A key supporting tenet is the idea that work is morally valuable, no matter the job. Together, these beliefs form an ideology supportive of capitalism by helping us make sense of why some people achieve so much in terms of success and wealth  while others achieve so little. Within the logic of this ideology, those who work hard are guaranteed to see success. Marx would argue that these ideas, values, and assumptions work to justify a reality in which a very small class of people holds most of the authority within corporations, firms, and financial institutions. These beliefs also justify a reality in which the vast majority of people are simply workers within the system. While these ideas may reflect the dominant ideology in modern America, there are in fact other ideologies that challenge them and the status quo they represent. The radical labor movement, for example, offers an alternative ideology- one that instead assumes that the capitalist system is fundamentally unequal and that those who have amassed the greatest wealth are not necessarily deserving of it. This competing ideology asserts that the power structure is controlled by the ruling class and is designed to impoverish the majority for the benefit of a privileged minority. Labor radicals throughout history have fought for new laws and public policies that would redistribute wealth and promote equality and justice.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Principles of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Principles of Economics - Essay Example The economic success of a country derives its roots from the works of individuals. As a result, when individual are well conversant with the principle of economics, overall success is achievable. This paper seek to give an in-depth analysis of how the realization that economic principles underlie the choices we make at a personal, business and societal level has sparked today’s growing interest in economics. Economic Principles Before a commodity reaches the hands of a consumer, it usually undergoes various stages of development. Some of these stages include production and distribution. The entire process is referred to as economics and its contribution to development cannot be neglected. The economics principles usually give an overview of how the economy works. In the achievement of success, a proper understanding of the basics methods and concepts used by economist is necessary. Some of the principles of economics include: (A). Scarcity It is evident that the human needs ar e more than the resources available. As a result, not all the human needs can be satisfied at the same time. In economics, there are two categories of goods namely, free goods and economic goods. Free goods are available free of charge in nature while economic goods are limited in their supply (Mankiv, 2011). As people have been enlightened about scarcity, they are able to make sound decisions on the available resources thus increasing their efficiency. This is favorable for economic development. (B). Rationality In life, not everything comes as expected. As a result, proper reasoning is very necessary in ensuring that one gets a proper understanding situation. Making a rational decision is necessary, as it is optimal in achieving a goal. It usually takes into account all the merits and demerits before coming into a conclusion but taking into account the possible alternatives (Smith, 2008). By the people making sound decision, they are able to make proper economic activities and thu s this has sparkled today’s growing interest in economics. (c). Preferences When a person is offered various items, he is likely to choose one out of the many. The decision to choose one is specifically dependent on an individual. This is mainly derived from the person’s attitude towards the subject. In essence, preference is not static but dynamic over time. This is mainly determined by the person’s knowledge on the item. Because people are equipped with different preferences, they allow them to explore the utilities of all the available options (Loewenstein, 2007). Since by making preferences one increases the net utility, it directly and indirectly influences economic development. (D). Restrictions If a person was to be asked on the items he would desire in life to achieve his set goals and objectives, it is evident that there are always restriction that would hinder him from achieving them. Some of restriction are clearly indicated in the budgets and input c ost. For example, if the input cost is very high beyond the capability of a person, then he is bound not to undertake the transaction. Under such conditions, maximization is challenged. Therefore having clearly understanding how to maximize when restriction are there is necessary in ensuring that economic development is achieved. (E). Opportunity Cost This derives its roots from scarcity. Due to scarcity, the resources available to a person

Friday, November 1, 2019

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan - Essay Example (Jeffery 1995) Till 1989, the Soviet Union had been fighting against these Mujahideen but could not win. They had to pull out from rugged terrain of Afghanistan. This resulted in the disintegration of Soviet Union in to several independent Republics. The left over triumphant Mujahideen divided between themselves under Persian speaking northern alliance and Pushto speaking Taliban (Rizwan 2005). Since the later group was dominant in numbers and support from the other surrounding Islamic countries captured almost allover Afghanistan in 1994. They continued in gaining grounds and strengthening their power on the basis of fundamentalist version of Islam (William Maley; 1998) and disregarded the allowance of Human Rights to all the other nations of the World. After 09/11, 2001 when the trade center in New York came under attack and caused destruction of thousands of lives in USA. The allegation went directly to Taliban and Usama Bin Laden allegedly hiding in Afghanistan. Now the Taliban had to go. USA along with NATO forces attacked Afghanistan and dislodged Taliban Government. Contrary to Soviet occupation Taliban could not resist the US pressure arms and ammunition for a longer time. Since 2002 the conventional US coalition forces installed Hamid Karazai's Government with a view to build national consensus of political process and start the reconstruction work on war footings. The American strategy changed from destruction of enemy by force and aimed at large scale reconstruction efforts to ally the local population for elimination of Taliban as a potential danger for peace and security in the region. Taliban had in fact proved to be the political arm of Al-Qaida covertly operative in USA. The reconstruction efforts under Hamid Karazai Government have proved to be a success at a larger scale. On the political front, American and NATO forces have been able to secure larger portion of local populace at least in Urban and Sub-Urban Areas. The local commanders have been lured into the political and reconstruction process. They have been instrumental in containing Talibization of the areas under the control. They have been actively participating in Jirgaaz (Political Congregation of Elders). The International community has been able to pledge significant funding for Afghan Economy. At London Conference of International Donors in 2006 US$ 10.5 Billion have bee n pledged for the five-year plan of security governance rule of law and human rights. At this point of time Afghan Government has been portraying a much bigger and better picture of economy and good chances of foreign direct investment. Since 2001 around 15 billion US$ have been spent on the reconstruction efforts of Afghanistan. There are numerous UN agencies and International NGOs like Action Aid UK, Oxfam UK, ICRC UK who have been pro-actively working for the betterment of Afghan Nationals. All these efforts have effectively demoralized and contained the spread of Taliban in Afghanistan. This was not the case while Soviet's had