Technology Gaps and Capacity Issues in African Insurance Companies

Questions: Critically analyse the key commercial issues involved in the management of projects. Critically appraise the business environment, finance, procurement integrity, contract management, disputes and legal frameworks within the project environment. Establish the Projects Supply Chain and evaluate the commercial integrity. Answers: Introduction The choice making supporting the limit improvement of any business endeavor is adequate access to the target market, fulfillment of existing corporate sector need or making of advancement in a current business area and the extent of the corporate sector in other to accomplish gainfulness and manageable improvement. The training given by NOSA try to elevate and enable African agribusiness through the procurement of an economical, suitable and significant horticultural preparing and instruction framework. The vision of NOSA is to make steady progress and effect; like this, structures must be set up to accomplish manageability, both ecologically and through ceaseless backing from enhanced agricultural expansion with an association of the nearby and state legislature of Kaduna State. Kaduna State is one of the real states in Nigeria situated in the North-West Geo-political zone of Nigeria with a construct as the mechanical focal point of Northern Nigeria, fabricating items like materials, hardware, steel, aluminum, petroleum articles and course. Ceramics is very prized from Kaduna, particularly from the Nok society. It has a substantial business sector, as of late reconstructed after an open flame in the mid-1990s. It is enriched with mineral assets, for example, clay, serpentine, asbestos, amethyst and gold. Furthermore, it has been honored with a rich area and an assortment of products. NOSA Agricultural Services Corporate Profile NOSA Agricultural Services (NOSA Agri) is another division of NOSA with its main spotlight on preparing, instruction, word related wellbeing and danger administration, evaluating and counseling for the cultivating and rural parts. NOSA Corporate Services The company was founded in 1951, which is located in Sandton, South Africa with a network of offices and training centers in Southern Africa (Nosaagri.com, 2016). It also has offices in China and South America; and operations in the United States, India, Turkey, and Indonesia. NOSA (Pty) Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of MICROmega Holdings Ltd. Facilities NOSA Agri focuses on training, education, consulting and support systems for the African farming and agricultural sectors. NOSA Agri supports sustainable development solutions and rural economic growth. It also offers industry solutions, including consulting, agricultural management, education system management, fire safety, first aid, mining management, and occupational hygiene services; and other software solutions for companies. Existing Clients/Suppliers of Resources Relationships NOSA offers it services to a broad range of clients in various fields such as mining, power construction, petrochemicals, healthcare, food and beverages, governmental organizations, property as well as technical solutions. The important clients that are supported by NOSA comprise of Anglo American, DE BEERS, Eskom, SDIC, PetroSA, MEDICLINIC, HEINEKEN, RAND WATER and for technical solutions GEARHOUSE GROUP. Staff Capability NOSA Agricultural Services has accredited training facilitators and assessors who are experts as highly skilled in planning, coordinating and directing training sessions to achieve optimum outcomes towards perfection. Training Package The courses offered by NOSA consists of three sections; Animal Husbandry, Crop Husbandry and Farm Management Planning. Animal Production and Crop Production are made up of basic core studies plus additional subjects and modules. Business Strategy NOSA Agri is guided by PEOPLE, ENVIRONMENT, PROFIT and SUSTAINABILITY principles and aims to achieve their vision with the help of following: Empowering people through appropriate agricultural training and ensuring modern and conservation agriculture techniques Being a catalyst for the African farmer to commercialize and generate profit from their farm business, sustaining their families and helping grow the rural economy On agricultural services in NOSA that will cultivate adequate knowledge, skills and competencies in candidates, satisfying customers/industry requirements and ensuring value for money while making a profit (Neal, Hou and Allinson, 2014). Figure 1: Business Model (Source: Created by Author) Relationship Strategy Many benefits are derived from developing customer relationships by both firms and clients. From the investigation, it was discovered that whereas organization can profit from relationship marketing strategies through customer retention, brand loyalists and market security (Barros and Wanke, 2015). Customers likewise, enjoy both psychological and social benefits such as familiarity, personal recognition and friendships that may also lead to discount benefits on purchases for customers who have maintained long-term relationships with the organization. Project Organization The team for this capacity development project shall include as illustrated in the figure-2 below. Their various roles and responsibilities are discussed further in section 3.1. Figure 2: NOSA Organization Hierarchical Chart (Source: Created by Author) Key Staff Roles and Responsibilities: Position Roles Responsibilities Project Sponsor Chairman Board of Directors Signatory to the organization's financial account and all legal documents and contracts of the company Project Manager Project Lead: The project managers leadership role is very vital to the project delivery and success Project Team Includes the Facilitators, Quality Control Officer, Health and Safety Supervisor, Logistics, Emergency Response Team and the Production Team Legal Advisor Liaison in conjunction with management on regulatory matters, contract terms in procurement and community affairs (Rhee et al. 2014) Shareholders Partners Highest-level decision-making unit of the company Health and Safety Advisor Develops and maintains Safety Policies and Safe Work Procedures, monitoring and training staff where necessary Procurement Manager Maintains corporate list of vendor, contractors and suppliers Table 1: Project Organization Project Stakeholders Project stakeholders are those who are interested in the project because they are either involved or affected by the project outcomes. Stakeholder Groups Description 1. Owner/Sponsors These people are the ones who pay for the project 2. Candidates These people or group can be denoted as who buys the product or services 3. End users These people reflect the individual who will uses the finished product or services from the project (Rose, 2012) 4. Executives in Project These are the Senior managers of the owner or sponsor organization 6. Other Contactors/Suppliers Are the people who provide goods/materials/work or services used by the project (Belda et al. 2012) 7. Public Stakeholders This comprises of the individuals concerned about the project or product environmental Table 2: Project Stakeholders Stakeholders Roles and Responsibilities Regarding roles and responsibilities, stakeholders could be classified into Internal, Interface and External Stakeholders (Sense, 2011). Harmonizing the classification of Table-1 above and other classifications by authors, stakeholders for the NOSA capacity development project has been identified and described according to their roles and responsibilities for this capability development project as illustrated in Table-2 below. Group A - Interface Stakeholders This person operates both internally and externally about the organization. Title Roles Project Board/ Steering Committee This may include selected NOSAs senior and top management staff, representatives of the client, partners, and shareholders. Responsibilities Has overall liability in the governance of the project management Oversees the project and raises awareness at senior level Approves strategies, project scope, implementation plan and milestones Title Roles Sponsor Present the views of the Board to the Project Manager, Stakeholders and represents the project upwards the Organization's Board as illustrated in the figure below. Responsibilities The Project Sponsor creates or destroys value in that they determine the life span of a project in the project life cycle i.e. whether the project can start, continue and outlast the project manager. The responsibilities of the project sponsor have been identified as: issuance /ownership of the project charter and business case (Bonnal, 2012), having authority to change control and provides leadership on culture and values. Group B - Internal Stakeholders These people can be denoted as operating within the boundaries of NOSA's organizational framework. They included all staff and involved with the development of the project. Title Roles Project Manager This is the assigned person responsible for developing a definition of the project in conjunction with the Project Sponsor. Responsibilities Lead the project team, coordinate partners and work groups involved in the project. Ensures effective project planning and control and manages project deliverables in line with the project plan Resolves conflicts that may arise at project level (Feng, Yang and Chang, 2014) Title Roles Project Team Functional managers and staff of NOSAs who are directly involved with the capacity development project. Responsibilities Participates and provides expertise in development of the project plan in relations to topics Transforms the goals and objectives and material resources of the project into deliverables and project outcomes Provide functional expertise in an administrative process (White and Petry, 2011) Title Roles NOSA Support Staff NOSA staff who are not directly involved in the development of the project but provide services that contribute to the overall achievement of project management objectives. Group C - External Stakeholders Those who provide input but are not employees of the organization e.g. Consumers, Suppliers, Competitors, International Organizations, Political Parties/Leaders, International and Local Trade Unions. Title Roles Consumers/ Operators/ End users These people purchase products, training modules, management consultations, obtain benefits from the projects outcomes for example practicing, and apprentice candidates. Suppliers/ sub-Contractors Are those who design, manage or provide goods/materials/ work/ services as inputs to the achievement of project outcomes. Competitors These can be defined as the existing and potential business entities who share the same market with NOSA due to the provision of a similar set of products, training and services. International, Interest groups, Non-governmental Organizations Are people who are concerned about the project or product environmental, social and economic impacts e.g. the media and NGOs (Frank, Sadeh and Ashkenasi, 2011) Regulatory Authorities These are the Government functionaries who set policies, specifications, rules and laws guiding industrial practices to ensure the protection of the environment, the safety of lives and properties, for instance, Federal Environmental Protection Agencies. Local Communities Stakeholders who reside within the boundaries of the project location, therefore, are directly affected by the operations associated with the project. Law Enforcement Agencies Governmental bodies constituted by law to enforce government policies on industries operating within the state. Table 3: Stakeholders Roles and Responsibilities Stakeholders Analysis Grid Various researchers describe stakeholders analysis as a process of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information in other to determine whose interest should be taken into consideration when developing the project. Figure 3: Stakeholders' Power-Interest Grid (Source: Created by Author) Stakeholders Communication Plan In Table 2 below the strategy is shown which will be used to disseminate project information effectively to stakeholders of the NOSA capacity development project. Stakeholder Title Information Requirements Timing / Frequency Format of Communication Owner 1. Project Board Project progress report and budgetary needs Monthly Meetings, presentation report Sponsor 2. Project Sponsor Progress report, miles stones and accomplishment Weekly One-to-one Meetings Report Project manager 3. Senior Consultant or Suppliers Project Manager Allocation of resources, task requirements progress updates Daily Meetings Reports Project manager 4. Project Manager Progress status report Daily Meeting, emails, reports Team leaders 5. Project Team Supervision Daily Meeting, presentations Project manager 6. NOSA Support Staff Progress report, Project review Monthly Meeting, emails, memos, presentations Project manager 7. Consumers/ Operators/ End users Press News Release Quarterly News media Sponsor 8. Suppliers/ sub-Contractors Audit, Contract Evaluation review, Monthly Emails, meetings, presentation workshops Project manager 10. Regulatory Authority Incident investigation report, Compliance Audit Report quarterly or Annually Reports Sponsor 11. Local Communities Corporate Social Responsibility updates Quarterly Stakeholders Group Meetings, Workshops Sponsor Table 4: Stakeholders' Communication Plan Responsibility Assignment Matrix Having provided the Organizational chart and the Work Breakdown Structure of the NOSA capacity development project life cycle, the assignment of responsibilities to be illustrated as shown in Table 4 below. The intersecting boxes marked (x) signify the corresponding responsible members of the project organization. RESPONSIBLE PERSON ASSIGNMENTS Project Steering Committee Project Sponsor Legal Advisor Project Manager Procurement Manager Health Safety Manager Accountant Human Resource Manager Business Dev. Manager Quality Assurance Manager Training Coordinator Project Team Support Staff Concept Phase Client Initiates Idea X X Feasibility Study X X X X X X X X X Create Outline of Business Case X X X X X X Project Investment Appraisal X X X X X X X X X X Risk Assessment X X X X X X X Accept Project X X X X X X X X Project Definition Phase Define the Project X X X X X X Market Research X X X X X X X Develop Project Management Plan X X X X X X Initiate Partnership with KSG X X X X Meet with Stakeholders X X X X X X X X Sign Partnership Agreement with KSG X X X Approve Business Case Project Management Plan X X X Project Development Phase Obtain Licenses X X Procurement X X X X X Site Mapping X X X Lease Office Building X X X X X X Equip Office with Furniture, Computer Power Plant X X X X X Recruit Local staff X X X X Training Development X X X Advertise X X Commission Academy X X X X X X Benefit Realization Phase Operate PMCM Academy X X X X X X X Realize Benefit X X X Termination Phase Closure X X X Lessons Learned X X X X X Archive Project Documents X X Decommission Academy X X X X Table 5: Responsibility Matrix Project Life Cycle Almost every project is built around a project life cycle irrespective of the objective, size and complexity. The project life cycle outlines the inter-related phases of the project and provides a framework for governing the progress of activities involved (Yahaya, 2012). Figure 4: Project Life Cycle (Source: Created by Author) Description of the Project Life Cycle Concept Phase: In this stage, the idea for the new project is initiated and introduced to the steering committee for decision-making after which a project manager is appointed to carry out a feasibility study and present a proposal based on the client's need and organizations' corporate objectives (Indelicato, 2012). Project Definition: When the project is accepted and approved, stakeholders are to be engaged in defining the purpose and deliverables of the project and a proposal for the partnership will be initiated. Project Development: The project management plan being accepted by the various parties is at this moment authorized for development by sponsorship and financing of the costs. Benefits Realization Phase: In this phase, business is initiated with Academy fully commissioned with the commencing of training and skills development programs. Termination Phase: this is a management decision due to prevailing circumstances in the business. When consent has reached the process for termination will be called-up and lessons learned will be shared by key stakeholders before or after the Academy is decommissioned (Jun, Qiuzhen and Qingguo, 2011). Market Research Given the current unemployment in Nigeria, inadequate supply of skilled labor and the ever increasing rate of industrialization in Kaduna State and Nigeria at large there has been a growing need for the government invitation foreign investors for privatization. This is the primary motive for development of modern infrastructures, promote employability and knowledge transfer to citizens (Rezania and Ouedraogo, 2013). SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES NOSA is well reputed for its capability to impart the training courses facilitated to provide the real time experience of the services NOSA has several affiliations with Action Training Academy and MECS Africa and has received accreditation from SANAS NOSA facilitates measurement of standards of performance for sustainability The Kaduna state is a new market to operate, so there are lots of uncertainties The supplier vetting system can be considered as one of the loopholes of NOSA as it also has to be supported by the organization The initial total capital investment for the project may be high to NOSA for funding directly OPPORTUNITIES THREATS There is a probability that the existing renowned business leaders in the Nigerian market may be the client of NOSA Kaduna is a developing state with a growing market as more investors tend to migrate into it NOSA can also withstand by challenging the other investors NOSA can have prospects for providing expertise audit and consultancy services to the multinational firms operating in Nigeria The economic and Political instability in Nigeria possess as the threat to NOSA Competitors who may be intercepting the opportunity with cheaper offers to the public for the same services The risk of the Legislative Government Authority rejecting the proposal of partnership Table 6: SWOT ANALYSIS Project Finance This financial plan is aimed at providing NOSA with a strategic cash flow policy that will ensure higher profitability and operating cash flow to position the capacity development project as a tool for sustainable cash flow in the next five years. Cash-Flow Analysis and Working Capital Management Assumptions: Bank loan will be secured for 100,000.00 short-term overdraft and 450,000.00 long term, repayable in ten years whereas, NOSA and the Kaduna State government will fund the project with 280,000.00 each for the public-private partnership (PPP). A discount rate of 15% was assumed to factor financial issues on risk, inflation, currency fluctuations due to economic and political instability in Nigeria and uncertainties of the supply chain (Ljunggren, Huang and Johansson, 2014). Considerations: Bank loan in the South Africa is currently at 0.5% interest rates Depreciation was calculated considering the life expectancy for Vehicle to be 5-years and life expectancy for Plants and Equipment to be 10-years using the straight-line method The parameters and reporting format of the Financial Plan as shown in Table 8 were adapted from research. Budget The budget for this project is estimated at 950,000.00; distributed to each phase of the project as shown in Table 7 below. Phase Estimated Cost () 1. Concept 17,000.00 2. Project Definition 22,000.00 3. Project Development 470,000.00 4. Benefit Realization Cost (1st Year) 400,000.00 5. Termination 20,000.00 6. Contingency (Cash in hand) 21,000.00 Table 7: Budget FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FIRST FIVE YEARS Initial Investment Plan Capital Expenditure: Fixed Assets Acquisition of Leasing of new capital assets 1,200,000 Computers 120,000 Work table 90,000 Administration and Consultancy Fees 110,000 Office Training Equipment 25,300 Project Training materials 31,250 Labor Costs 15,320 Preliminary expenses 30,000.00 Raw materials 1,400,000 Machinery and Practical equipments 35,000.00 Furniture 15,200.00 Advertisement 31,000.00 Vehicles 20,000.00 Misc. expenses 12,000 3,135,070 Operational Expenditures: OPERATING COSTS Training and development of NOSA staff 225,000.00 Agricultural works 31,000.00 Support technician expense 150,000.00 Clerical support 220,000.00 Costs on software utilization 210,000.00 Maintenance and operation of facility 32,230.00 Legal expenditures 66,220.00 934,450.00 Cash flow before Taxation 6,235,456.30 Tax -25% Cash flow after tax 4,676,592.20 Discount rate 15% Discounted cash flow 7,170,774.75 NPV 7,170,774.80 PBP 2 years Initial cost of investment - 3.15 Table 8: Financial Plan Supply Chain Management Proposed Procurement Route Procurement is a system that adds value to project management when priority is given to the project definition phase by engaging supply chain experts in meaningful dialogue, choosing appropriate procurement routes and identifying and controlling optimism bias in forecasting of the project cost, schedule and scope (Mir and Pinnington, 2014). The choice of procurement route for this project would largely depend on the value of purchases required; thus, for low-value purchases (less than 1000) quotation and purchase orders. Purchasing Mechanisms Since the project is located in an unfamiliar terrain Kaduna State in Nigeria, the most appropriate purchasing mechanism for the procurement of high-value purchases will be through fixed price contract (Molosi, 2011). Contract Management Strategy NOSA has adopted the fixed price contract strategy since the capacity development project located in an unfamiliar terrain with many uncertainties within the political system, economy, security and cultural behaviors. Supply Chain Map A supply chain is the system of the considerable number of people, associations, assets, exercises and innovation included in the creation and offer of an item, from the conveyance of source materials from the supplier to the maker, through to its consequent movement to the end client. The network inventory fragment included with getting the completed item from the manufacturer to the buyer is known as the appropriation channel. Successful supply chains give organizations an upper hand in the commercial center and alleviate dangers connected with securing crude materials and conveying items or administrations. By actualizing store network administration frameworks, organizations are capable diminish waste, overhead expenses and transporting delays scientifically. The essential drawbacks of store network management, or SCM, incorporate intricacy and costs. In light of the various working parts and the innovation included, organizations face great odds for mistakes or oversights with SCM. The innovative framework included in SCM additionally balances a percentage of the apparent worth picked up by its application. Figure 5: Supply Chain Map (Source: Created by Author) The NOSA Capacity Development supply chain map shown in figure 5 is an illustration of the flow of goods and services from the manufacturer to the project (Neal, Hou and Allinson, 2014). Research reveals that there is a great possibility for events far away from a business location to have an impact on the enterprise due to the chain of activities linking the extended supply chain. Legal Legal Issues and Dispute Resolution Techniques Authors reveal that most major projects develop levels of conflicts, disputes, breach of contracts, liabilities and claims at different stages of the project life-cycle about the supply chain. PPP is essentially about applying the private division's aptitudes in specialized and money related danger administration in ways that speak to genuine quality for the general population area. In the framework ventures scene, PPPs are seen as money related models that empower people in the general area to make utilization of private account capital in a way that improves the potential outcomes of both the administration and the privately owned business. The whole PPP structure in Nigeria depends on the standards of accomplishing better esteem and moderate policies. As communicated in the National Policy Document, there are monetary, social and ecological destinations for the selection of PPP model as a system for framework advancement. NIPC gives administrations to concede of business section grants, licenses, approval and motivating forces in a one-stop shop environment. NIPC's One Stop Investment Center offer general data and information on the Nigerian economy to encourage educated venture choices. It encourages post-passage endorsements, licenses and are particular grants with government offices and public counseling administrations on beneficial speculation opportunities in Nigeria incorporating coordinating financial specialists' necessities with circumstances available in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN PROJECT PHASES Project Phases/ Possible Sources of Disputes Resolution Techniques 1. Project Concept: Client insisting on a vague description of the project, unrealistic scope, tight schedule and demand. A subject matter expert should be consulted to illustrate the project goal in a pictorial view, effective work breakdown and cost estimation. 2. Project Definition: Bureaucracy of the in policy and decision-making on the part of the sponsor, client or project manager (Ogunbameru, Mustapha and Idrisa, 2013) Conflicting interest of stakeholders on performance indicators, scope, cost, time and location of the project Perception differences could also cause disputes due to ambiguity in the contract, cultural and language barriers Creating a friendly working relationship and collaborating with stakeholders in project decisions and plotting an active communication media for managing various stakeholders Adequate risk and impact assessment should be carried out with consideration to expert judgment 3. Project Development Design variations or difficulty in the interpretation of the project design could result in dispute Non-conformance to the project commercial and technical specifications may be identified during or after development (Olivares, 2011) Accidental occurrence on site or offsite that involves NOSAs staff or equipment and a third party Negotiate early identification and incorporation of the project team during design and points of dispute on the contract. Expert judgment should be given priority in the definition of the project objectives and deliverables while negotiating terms of the contract. Safety training and awareness should be provided to all staff and visitors within the project premises. 4. Benefit Realization The project may fail to meet set objectives due to prevailing external circumstances or over-optimistic project selection criteria. The contractor should dialogue with the client and the sponsor to ensure the project aligns with the commercial and technical requirements. 5. Termination Phase Contractors who have not been paid for services rendered might take legal actions against the shutdown of the project. The services of an arbitrator could be employed to negotiate between the contractor and the client on how the debt owed will be paid (Petit, 2012). Project Risks and Uncertainties Allowances In as much as it is essential to execute the known risk factors and costs that impact the project in the project plan, it is also worthy of note not to neglect uncertainties; rather plan ways to manage such from the inception of the project (Pearson, 2011). Figure 6: Typology of Uncertainty Factors (Source: Created by Author) 7.2.1. Risk Register: Risk Probability Impact Planned Action/Mitigation of Risks Training Facility environment is unsuitable for the candidates Low High Health and Safety will ensure fitness of the facility in context to environment Permission to embed modern, powerful simulation techniques in the service not granted Medium Medium Feedback indicates that there is requirement for new methods to retain the candidates Failure to maintain the Key Project Staff during the entire timeline of the project Low High Propose the project team to be all in post and give the prescribed time to project Lack of support from key stakeholders Low High Well establishment of stakeholder engagement Unable to work with intended user groups Medium Medium Established commitment to research community and recognition of value Conclusion Given NOSAs intent to extend into new frontiers of business by setting up a training campaign through a partnership with the Kaduna State local government initiatives, this report has reflected on the capabilities and strengths of the company through its corporate profile, its achievements, training packages, market relationship and business strategy for expansion. Additionally, a brief evaluation of the enterprise change has been laid out with illustrations on the stakeholders, their views, roles and responsibilities, interest and potential influence. They may have on the success of the project with a vague communication plan that borders on what level of information is conveyed to individual stakeholders and at what frequency. Furthermore, this report has revealed from the analysis the viability of the project having carried out market research, evaluating the project environment and NOSAs business capacity to take advantage strategically of the well of economic opportunity available within the chosen region. Through investigations into the financial requirements, the report has shown that with an estimated budget of 950,000.00 the project could yield Working Capital Ratios ranging from 1.89 to 4.25 over five years period. Finally, the potential legal issues in each project phase were identified and appropriate dispute resolution techniques were provided. Recommendations Having completed investigations into the achievability of NOSAs quest to expand its business potentials through capacity development, by having a public-private partnership with Nigeria local government initiatives for development of the manpower resources. Within its mass of unemployed youths, improving the project and financial management skills of industry practitioners and apprentices while making profit; it is therefore recommended that: Business organizations intending to explore new areas of profit making ventures, consult industry experts and project manager to carry out thorough research on the commercial integrity of their choice of the project in all elements that has been discussed in this report; thereby securing their value for money and maintaining a good market position among its competitors. 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Economic policies matters of the Crisis of 1970s

Introduction A capitalist economy system is comparable to a multifaceted machine that entails numerous capitalists firms and individuals, all making uncoordinated decisions in the economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic policies matters of the Crisis of 1970s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The many devices of this machine do not mechanically fit together. For example, when individuals resort to save a portion of their income, it does not imply that they will find people to borrow and invest it. The decisions made by individuals in the capitalist economy thus rely on the institutional framework in which they operate. If the institutional framework fail, the devises of the machine do not mesh, resulting in an economic crisis, as one witnessed in the 1970s (Reuss 1). Some economists in the U.S. have referred to this phenomenon as a social structure of accumulation, where capital accumulation is seen as a process where individuals and capitalist companies reinvest their profits to enlarge their operations in the economy. If these economic agents (individuals and firms) fail to reinvest, factories will close down, resulting to massive unemployment. This phenomenon is what we call economic crisis (Reuss 2). During the 1970 crisis, the United States’ economy experienced declining productivity, high energy prices, rising international competition and a high unemployment and inflation rates. Between 1973 and 1974, the price of fuel increased four-fold, resulting to high energy costs for both businesses and consumers. The annual rate of inflation rose to over 9.9% in 1974 while the annual unemployment rate was over 8.1% in 1975 (Reuss 12).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The economy appeared to be ensnared in stagflation, a phenomenon that is characterized by an amalgamatio n of low economic growth and soaring unemployment rates, coupled with high rates of inflation (Reuss 13). The economic downturn of the 1970s added to momentous changes in the institutional structures of the U.S. economic system. During the early stages of the crisis, the government implemented several expansionary fiscal policies to regulate economic activities. Labour unions were also active during this period. Later on, the economic crisis ushered in the neoliberal capitalism era that was characterized by weakened roles of the government and labour unions (Reuss 3). The Neoclassical (mainstream) economists often posit that if a capitalist economy is run on the precepts of static universal principles and that any infringement on the principles of the market- expansionary fiscal policies, labour union roles, industrial policies and government macroeconomic interventions- certainly implies disaster. However, the performance of the United States’ economy from 1940s to mid 1970s , a period called the ‘Golden Age’ contradicts this premise (Reuss 5). Historical data suggests that the U.S. economic performance was superior during the Golden Age when compared to other periods. Between early 1940 to mid 1970s, the annual economic growth was approximately 3.9%. The annual inflation rate was less than 1.9% for nearly half of the Golden age epoch and only exceeded the 5.9% mark while unemployment rate was about 5.8%. Moreover, the real pay per hour in many industrial companies was added to up to an average rate of 2.1% per annum.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economic policies matters of the Crisis of 1970s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The economic crisis of 1970s emphasized the need for fiscal policies to stabilize the economy, alleviate recessions and sustain full employment. For example, the U.S. government expenditure on consumption and investments was about 22% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1970s compared to previous periods (less than 20%). A number of key business sectors, such as communications, transportation, and banking and insurance were extremely regulated. Furthermore, the unionization rate rose to over 34.9% of the labour force and stabilized at 25.2% in the 1970s (Reuss 6). Rational Expectation Approach verses Modigliani’s Approach Franco Modigliani was one of the principal inventors of the neoclassical synthesis between the orthodox theory of value and the Keynesian’s principle of effective demand that dominated macroeconomic thoughts until the 1970s (Mongiovi 1). Many of his works reflected a distinctive sensitivity to the complexities of striking a balance between the roles of the state as an instrument of progressive reform and its capability for repression. The Modigliani approach for instance queried the conventional proposals concerning the impact of technological change on employment His approach rejected the a rgument that workers dislodged by technological changes in the economy would be re-employed immediately due to subsequent wage reduction and the growth of the investment goods sector (Mongiovi 3). Modigliani criticized the problems of capital deficiency that were overlooked in the standard discourses. He also censured the prospect of destructive recursive effects of the rationality theory of wage reductions on employment and aggregate demand (Mongiovi 4). As a remedial measure, his approach advocated for the theory of marginal productivity that would allow a partial substitution between labour and capital, resulting to the closest approximation to fiscal reality that is possible on the basis of rational expectation theory of a market economy (Mongiovi 4).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the contrary, the Rational Expectations Model proposes that economic agents employ the best possible economic theory to predict unemployment levels, price and wages. Market prices are expected to have all pertinent information needed to forecast and to make decisions. Each economic agent has his own forecast, which may differ from the actual prices. However, forecasted prices and wages will be spread around the actual prices and wages (Bortis 2). A significant facet of the Rational Expectations Model and the neoclassical model is that savings are invested. The market for new capital stocks creates equilibrium between savings and investment at full employment level via variation of the interest rate. The Walrasian model undeniably mirrors an absolutely self-governing economy, suggesting that there exists a strong inclination towards equilibrium. Employment and output are usually given at full employment levels such that a natural rate of unemployment- structural and voluntary-exis ts. Equilibrium is thus achieved through a market that functions efficiently. On the macroeconomic echelon, the demand curve depends on the real balance effect while the supply curve mirrors scarcity of resources. With a given amount of money, the macroeconomic demand rises when prices decline in the event of excess supply and vice versa. The Rational Expectation Approach is thus based on the assumption that a competitive market economy is constantly in equilibrium (Bortis 2). Neoclassical-Keynesian verses Rational Expectation Approach One of the major developments in economic theory during the economic crisis in 1970s was the emergence of the rational expectations approach to macroeconomic analysis. This theory is based on two fundamental premises: expectations are formed rationally; and that total supply is inelastic to the anticipated changes in the aggregate price level. The second hypothesis, postulates that a shift in total demand will influence output only and that the ensuin g price levels diverges from the expected price. The implication of the rational expectations theory is that fiscal and monetary policies cannot methodically stimulate expectation errors by the producers (McCallum 418). Therefore, on the basis of the second hypothesis, authorities are unable to design monetary and fiscal policies that can systematically influence unemployment and output rates. As a matter of fact, authorities can neither sustain high output permanently nor decrease the magnitude of output fluctuations around capacity levels. Although a rare output inflation trade-off exists due to unanticipated shocks, authorities cannot utilize this trade-off in any constructive manner (McCallum 419). In spite of the logical rigour and elegance of the Rational Expectations Approach, the Neoclassical-Keynesian school has generally rejected its policy implications. One of the key reasons relates to the prevalent belief that the pace of price-level changes needed in the rational expec tations approach is much greater than one witnessed in real economies. A significant outline of this disapproval focuses on the market-clearing facet of the rational expectations approach. For example, in the Sargent Wallace model, prices are assumed to be absolutely flexible such that aggregate demand and supply are adjusted to maintain equilibrium in each period. However, according to Neoclassical-Keynesian theory, prices adjustment is too slow to create equilibrium between demand and supply in each period (McCallum 419). However, some critics (neoclassical-Keynesian school) argue that the assumptions of the rationality approach are highly credible. The critics of the rationality approach point to the assumption that endows the private economic agents with perfect information about the monetary authority’s policy decisions and the economic structures. However, this account is not necessary to give way to the conclusion that monetary policy cannot be used as a stabilizing in strument. It is reasonable to make an assumption that expectations are created so that there is no systematic connection between the economic agent’s (firms and individual households) expectations errors and the information required by the authorities to be used to control the money stock (McCallum 432). Neoclassical-Keynesians verses Monetarist According to Modigliani, there are no apparent differences between the Neoclassical-Keynesians and Monetarists on fundamental macroeconomic issues. The Neo-Keynesian paradigm is quite consistent with key revolutionary macroeconomics theories developed in the past decades. A number of the main tenets of neoclassical-Keynesian school include: first, inelasticity of prices is a major impediment the major function of monetary policy. It also brings about the short run non-neutrality of money. Given that some prices are partially elastic, inflationary pressure stimulates relative price changes that have impact on welfare; second, the abras ions that exist in relatively profound monetary economies are second in the order of merit (Williamson Wright 13). These frictions encompass precise descriptions of specialization that creates information asymmetry in the market, thus giving credence to media as a platform for exchanging information; third, there exist a short-run Philips curve swap between output and inflation (or unemployment). Monetary policy can stimulate a short run rise in the aggregate output by raising the rate of inflation; finally, the central bank is seen as the institution that can set up short term nominal interest rate with respect to macroeconomic conditions (Williamson Wright 13). Thus, the neoclassical-Keynesians support the current role of central banks with respect to instituting monetary policies to increase aggregate output. The clear similarity between the neoclassical-Keynesian school and monetarist is that they both support the role of central bank as an institution that can stimulate output through monetary policies. According to Modigliani, both schools are in concurrence that achieving a low inflation rate should be the main focus of any monetary policy. Moreover, monetary policy is seen as a process that determines the volume of money in circulation. The optimal monetary policy entails reducing the inconsistency in the growth of monetary aggregate. The two schools also agree that although sticky prices are important in producing short-run non-neutralities, they are irrelevant to monetary policy. Moreover, inflation and inflation uncertainty bring about welfare losses in the economy. Both schools give credence to the existence of a short-run Philips curve trade off although the monetarists argue that the central bank should not attempt to utilize it (Williamson Wright 14). The Differences between Rational expectation approach Monetarist One of the key facets of the neoclassical economics is that in order to find out the economic consequence of a theoretical change in government policy, such as tax cut, it is essential to consider the likelihood of individual households and businesses reacting to changes in government policy by making their own economic choices. Thus, according to the neoclassical economic theory, expectations of households and businesses are designed in the most perfect way according to the information accessible to them. This phenomenon is called rational expectations (Espinosa Russell 18). However, the rational expectations approach has attracted criticism from the monetarist school since it requires unrealistically high level of economic information and exceptional forecasting abilities by firms and households (Espinosa Russell 22). On the other hand, the basic tenets of monetarism emerged from a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in 1970. Significant precursors to this school included Samuelson (1956), who presented a model of money in general equilibrium, and Lucas (1972), whose writings ignited the rat ional expectations rebellion and with it, a shift towards integrating vital macroeconomic theories. The monetarist differ from the rational approach in a number of significant ways: first, since the rational approach ignores crucial elements of economic theory, their policy recommendations can be severely erroneous; the fiscal policy is vital for the effect of monetary policy; as opposed to the rational approach, monetary economics can utilize macroeconomic theory in other areas, such as public economics and finance (Williamson Wright 14). Friedman, who represented the old monetarist ideas, argued that although money was any object that could be employed as a medium of exchange, it was irrelevant with respect to the analysis of monetary policy (Williamson Wright 13). While old monetarist were critical of the role of the central bank on monetary policy, the rational expectations approach posited that the role of t central bank was necessary in order to institute a dynamic monetary po licy to counterbalance aggregate instability rather than leaving it to the private sector (Fisher 213). According to the rationality approach, the central bank’s ability to influence allocation of resources relies on its ability to influence real interest rates and therefore savings. Expansionary monetary policy reduces the real interest rate by increasing the anticipated inflation rate (Fisher 215). On the contrary, the old monetarist stressed that monetary policy was non-neutral in the short-run and its utilization by central bank would increase inflation rate. Thus, the monetary policy should focus only on long run inflation (Williamson Wright 14). Works Cited Bortis, Heinrich. Remarks on the use of Mathematics in economic Theory. The Example of the Appropriate Macroeconomic Foundations of Financial analysis. Switzerland: University of Fribourg, n.d. Espinosa, Marco, and Russell Steven. History and Theory of the NAIRU: A Critical Review. Atlanta: Federal Reserve Bank of At lanta, 1997. Fiher, Stanley. On Activist Monetary Policy with Rational Expectations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980. McCallum, Bennet. â€Å"Price Level Adjustments and the Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconomic Stabilization Policy.† Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking 10.4 (1978): 418-436. Mongiovi, Gary. â€Å"Franco Modigliani and the socialist State.† New York’s: John’s University Jamaica. n.d. Reuss, Alejandro. â€Å"That ‘70s Crisis†. What can the crisis of U.S. capitalism in the 1970s teach us about the current crisis and its possible outcomes? Dollar Sense. Web. November, 2009 http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2009/1109reuss.html Williamson, Stephen Wright, Randall. â€Å"New Monetarist Economy†, Key Developments in Monetary Economics Conference. The Federal Reserve Board. Web. https://www.federalreserve.gov/events/conferences/kdme2009/HTML/paper2/index.html This essay on Economic policies matters of the Crisis of 1970s was written and submitted by user Jaylah Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Irish English

Definition and Examples of Irish English Definition Irish English is a variety of the English language that is used in Ireland. Also known as Hiberno-English or  Anglo-Irish. As illustrated below, Irish English is subject to regional variation, especially between the north and south. In Ireland, said  Terence Dolan, Hiberno-English means that you have two languages in a kind of unruly shotgun marriage together, fighting all the time (quoted by  Carolina P. Amador Moreno in How the Irish Speak English, Estudios Irlandeses, 2007). Examples and Observations Irish (or Hiberno-English) has distinctive varietal features of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, although patterns vary considerably between North and South and East and West. In grammar, for example, . . . I do be is a habitual present tense and the form after is used in Irish English to record a completed act or to express recency: thus, theyre after leaving has the meaning of they have just left.(R. Carter and J. McRae, The Routledge History of Literature in English, 2001)[A]lthough the knowledge of Irish among the majority is, in general, very poor, there is a curious habit of flavouring ones speech by adding a few words from Irish, what is sometimes called using the cà ºpla focal (Irish couple of words) . . ..Sugaring of ones language with Irish words must be distinguished from genuine loans from Irish. Some of these are long attested such as colleen Irish girl, leprechaun garden gnome, banshee fairy woman, all part of sentimental Irish folklore.(Raymond Hickey, Irish En glish: History and Present-Day Forms. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Northern Irish English I’m afraid rural dialects in the south carry a stigma of being unacceptable to educated people, whereas in the North I have heard doctors, dentists, teachers and lawyers lace their speech with either Ulster Scots or Northern Irish English. Examples of Northern Irish English: Seamus Heaney has written of glar, soft liquid mud, from the Irish glr; glit, meaning ooze or slime (glet is more common in Donegal); and daligone, meaning nightfall, dusk, from daylight gone. I have [heard] daylight-falling, day-fall, dellit fall, duskies and duskit, also from Derry. (Diarmaid Ó Muirithe, Keep Your Ears Open and Youll Have a Sonsy Holiday. The Irish Times, Aug. 26, 2009) Southern Irish English Some well know known characteristics of the grammar of southern Irish English include the following: 1) Stative verbs can be used with progressive aspect: Im seeing it very well; This is belong to me. 2) The adverb after can be used with a progressive where a perfective would be used in other varieties: Im after seeing him (Ive just seen him). This is a loan translation from Irish. 3) Clefting is common, and it is extended to use with copular verbs: It was very well that he looked; Is it stupid you are? Again, this shows a substrate effect from Irish. (Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007) New Dublin English The term Dublin English may refer to any one of the varieties of the  English language  used in Dublin, Ireland.   -  There can be little doubt that the spread of features of new  Dublin English  has accelerated considerably in the past few years. . . . Apparent time study of Dublin English shows that female speakers over 30 do not always, and those over 40 rarely, have the features which are so indicative of new Dublin English. In the recordings for  A Sound Atlas of Irish English  nearly all females under 25, whose self-image appeared to be one of urban modernity, showed the new  pronunciation. . . . [W]e are dealing here with a fairly unified, structural realignment of the entire  accent  of southern Irish English and not just one or two minor changes in pronunciation. (Raymond Hickey,  Dublin English: Evolution and Change. John Benjamins, 2005) -  The changes in  Dublin English  involve both  vowels  and  consonants. While the consonant changes seem to be individual changes, those in the area of vowels represent a coordinated shift which has affected several elements. . . . To all appearances this started about 20 years ago (mid 1980s) and has continued to move along a recognisable trajectory. In essence, the change involves a retraction of  diphthongs  with a low or back starting point and a raising of low back vowels. Specifically, it affects the diphthongs in the PRICE/PRIDE and CHOICE  lexical sets  and the monophthongs in the LOT and THOUGHT lexical sets. The vowel in the GOAT lexical set has also shifted, probably as a result of the other vowel movements. (Raymond Hickey,  Irish English: History and Present-Day Forms. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Also  See Characteristics of Irish-English GrammarDouble PluralDublin EnglishEnglish Around the World: Irish-English GrammarIt-CleftNotes on English as a Global LanguageRelativization

Extreme wealth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Extreme wealth - Essay Example Sadly Barbara clarifies that their wealth results from the usual trick of overcharging their buyers, clutching their employees and polluting the environment. The rich also seem to be taking over lucrative sectors such as the mining industry and the farming sector. This happens while the government seems to be lenient and partially dependent on some rich folks (Barbara 553). The rich also have a positive impact in the society. There is a probability that wealthy individuals might share their riches and assist those in need. The rich may sit idle, but money does not because it goes through banks or other networks and eventually draws back benefits for the society. Unless the wealth is stored in the form of land or gold which is not in use therefore making the asset an incentive or a security for the rich individual (Barbara 556). Ultimately, all Americans would love to realize the American dream of financial independence. Astonishingly, the dream is among the means of developing the ethical foundations of a nation. Rich Americans seem to undercut and undermine the core values that make up the dream by trying to use shortcuts (Barbara 559). The wealthy are trying to manipulate and oppress the poor for their own selfish needs. They are culpable and should be blamed for the economic inequality

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Case Study - Essay Example The changes to the completion were mainly from Amazon which entered the market for online auctions and the entry of other smaller players who cloned eBay’s business model. These in turn made eBay look towards more innovation and building brand loyalty among its consumers as well as providing remote customer support to its users. Q2) eBay took a series of steps to ensure that it responds to the competition by going after newer products and platforms. In its quest to remain the number one online auction site, eBay pioneered a set of changes in its business model. For instance, it adopted the paradigm of going global and acting local. What this meant was that eBay expanded into international markets and retained the local flavor in each of these markets by adopting practices that were commensurate with the market in which they operated. The business model that eBay implemented relied on trust, loyalty and building brands that saw its business grow in size. To respond to the competition, eBay also introduced a wide range of products as well as invested in computing infrastructure that was needed for its aggressive forays into newer ranges of products and services. There were changes to the trading platform as well that were introduced by eBay and which culminated in the metamorphosis of eBay into a world class online auction site. Q3) The opportunities for eBay are many and some of them include newer forms of auction formats that allow innovative pricing models for its products and greater participation of the customers in the online auction site. The other opportunities arise from the expansion of eBay into Asia and other regions that are bound to get volumes of customers who would be a source of loyal customer base for the company. The most significant opportunity for eBay would arise from targeting the youth and the teenagers who form a

Analysis of The Sykes-Picot Agreement

Analysis of The Sykes-Picot Agreement Christopher Mike White The current actions of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq are a result of religious and political conditions which exist due to irresponsible foreign diplomacy and the imperialistic tendencies of both Great Britain and France over one hundred years in the past. In a viral video declaring the establishment of their Islamic Caliphate early in the summer of 2014, the Islamic militants of ISIS expressed their goal to reverse the territorial lines established by the Sykes-Picot agreement.1 By the end of 2014, the groups advances in Northern Iraq and at the Turkish-Syrian border had, in fact, destabilized the existing borders drawn in the Sykes-Picot agreement.2 The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a deal negotiated between the Entente Allies, minus America, in anticipation of the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War One. The agreement split the Middle East, which had been under Ottoman Rule for nearly four hundred years, between the three Western nations. Britain would maintain control over what is modern day Iraq, France the region of what is now Syria and Lebanon, and Russia initially partitioned a small section of land north of Iraq. The Russian zone was removed with the rise of the Bolsheviks in 1917 and subsequent collapse of the Russian Imperial State. The boundaries drawn in the Sykes-Picot agreement would be used post-war as the basis for the formation of the mandate system in the Middle East under the League of Nations, giving Great Britain and France their mandates to develop their respective regions.3 The Sykes-Picot agreement ultimately failed for several reasons. First, they used a negotiator who was centered on imperial interests and refused to listen to those who had experience with the people and history of the region. Second, they sought to use King Hussein as a political tool and negotiated in bad faith to make sure that things went in their favor. These mistakes showed a flawed understanding of the people and culture of the region, an error that haunts the American military today as they too refuse to learn the history of the area and use errors of past Empires to their advantage. The first problem the British encountered in the agreement was made before the deal even being signed. The British used a negotiator who was not objective enough to realize what would be necessary for a lasting peace and control, a negotiator who was focused on imperial interests and expansion. Mark Sykes was the representative of the British Empire in the negotiations. Sykes was an imperialist member of the Tory Party who, to his credit, possessed a broad personal experience in the region. Sykes was atypically tolerant of different religions but still suffered from the typical racial and cultural prejudices of the time. These biases would affect his decision-making process during negotiations.4 Sykes was convinced the Arabs were incapable of self-rule, not being as capable and civilized as the British, a common feeling in the Empire at the time. Due to these arrogant Imperialist ideals, Sykes sought to help them prosper through continuing advancement of the British Empire and its beneficial, benevolent influence in the Middle East. Sykes lack of understanding of the local population and his Britain-centric ideals of Empire made him a poor choice to negotiate the fate of the Middle East due to his lack of proper analysis or to use any of resources available to him. Sykes negotiations ignored the proposals made by a group of scholars known as the British Arabists who were very familiar with the issues of the region. These men and women were members of the British foreign service, a branch of British Government similar to the U.S. State Department, who worked almost exclusively in the Middle East. The unique experiences of this group led them to develop a deeper understanding of the local population than that of most close minded imperialist subjects. Their deeper understanding led them to develop ideologies about the local culture and people based on self-determination of the indigenous peoples vice outside rule and interference. The most famous and easily recognized of the Arabists were T.E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell. Lawrence and Bell both petitioned the British Empire to move forward with a policy supporting independence in the Middle East to avoid future conflict in the region due to the Governments complete lack of understanding of local c ultures. Despite their considerable knowledge and experience, both Lawrence and Bell were marginalized by the bureaucracy of British political intrigue. The borders drawn by the Sykes-Picot agreement were recognized during the San Remo Conference of 1922 through the League of Nations mandate system.5 Had the British government looked at, analyzed and understood any of the Arabists policies, the post-war borders drawn for the Middle East would have considered the myriad differences in culture and religion, differences that still complicate regional politics. By ignoring the Arabists, the Sykes-Picot Agreement altered the development of Middle Eastern society and politics in the twentieth century from its natural tribal based system into a Western, nation system with definite borders that did not consider religious and cultural differences. This modified system contributed to several unintended consequences. It motivates militant groups such as ISIS. Additionally, perhaps, more importantly, it grants them a level of legitimacy with the local population that makes them a larger threat. The militant groups have developed into an idea to be eliminated not just insurgents to be killed. The second issue in the agreement was the faithless negotiations they conducted with King Hussein. In early 1914 the British initiated discussions with the ruler of Mecca, Emir Hussein, the King of Hejaz, who claimed to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Because they were direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, Hussein, and his sons would be a powerful and symbolic tool to unite the various religious sects in a revolt.6 As Britain was drawn into the War with the Ottoman Empire, Husseins son Abdullah reached out to the British to garner support for an Arab revolt in Hejaz.7 Discussions in support of this revolt continued over the next two years with both sides specifying demands.8 These negotiations were primarily carried out through a series of letters between Hussein and Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt. Husseins desired an independent Arab state in the Middle East in return for his cooperation in defeating the Ottoman Empire, conversely, while the British badly needed the local Arab support they would not abandon their imperial ambitions in the region. by October 1915, with negotiations having stalled on this point, Hussein had become increasingly angered by Britains unwillingness to agree to his terms. To move past the negotiations stalemate, Hussein gave the British an ultimatum of thirty days in which to concede to Arab independence following the war in return for his suppo rt. If the British declined, Hussein informed them that he would sign an agreement with the Turks who were willing to consent to his demands in return for his allegiance to the Axis powers at this point of the war.9 Britain now had an important decision to make. They could grant Hussein his wishes, gaining crucial support in what had become a long and costly war, but in doing so give up any hope of acquiring any new post-war provinces in the Middle East. Alternatively, they could decline his offer turning potential allies into yet another enemy to contend with, making gains in the Middle East more costly and endangering vital territories already held such as the Suez Canal. Given these choices, and in the grand fashion of Brittania waving the rules as she sees fit, McMahon combined the choices into a less than optimal choice. McMahon informed Hussein of his consent to Husseins conditions in return for aid in defeating the Turks, consent which of course came with stipulations in favor of the British. The most significant demand by the British was that certain regions of Mesopotamia, those rich in oil, be placed under special administrative arrangements.10 McMahon also specified that such conditions could only be enforced with the approval of Britains ally, France. McMahon and his advisors knew of the French desire to acquire more territory in the Middle East and the potential trouble which would be caused by overtly opposing them following an Allied victory.11 By making these requirements including the stipulations on France, the British had virtually made Hussein a promise which they would not and could not keep. The French ambassadors discussed their determination to take hold of the entire region but the British having special administrative arrangements now had the upper hand. Now British diplomats wer e willing to negotiate in regards to Syria, however, they were absolutely unwilling and had no reason to relinquish any claim to the area that is now modern day Iraq. With this impasse, France and Britain set out to negotiate an agreement which would split the Middle East between them following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire instead of honoring any agreement they had with Hussein. By May 1916 British representative Mark Sykes finished his meetings with Georges-Picot of France, mainly in the pub over a few pints per Professor Kohnen, and had drawn a map which would ultimately determine the boundaries of the modern day Middle East.12 Looking at the map of the modern Middle East and the ongoing conflict involving ISIS in Syria and Iraq today you can see the geographical connections to the negotiations between McMahon and Hussein which centered around Husseins desire for an independent Arab state in the Middle East. At the height of its power the Islamic State had established territories under their control stretching over parts of Syria and Iraq up to the border of Turkey. The Areas that ISIS has reclaimed were the areas originally promised to Hussein for Arab independence by McMahon in his correspondence. This rapid rise and success of ISIS has come about due the direct results and the inadequacies of the Sykes-Picot Agreement and British Imperialism as well as the dispute between Sykes and the Arabists. ISIS seeks to create the promised independent Arab State envisioned by Hussein, though this time based on Islam, promised in the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence and Sykes-Picot agreement one hundred years prior. T he problem now is that they have a desire to expand beyond what was promised and turn it into a worldwide caliphate in revenge for the past.13 The Peshmerga, Kurdish fighters from Turkey and Iraq, are in opposition to ISIS and its policy of ethnic cleansing. The Peshmerga are fighting for an autonomous Kurdish state in competition with the Arab state desire of ISIS. At least these two opposing forces in the Middle East and its current conflict are motivated by ethnic and religious differences exacerbated Sykes-Picot and the arbitrary lines it drew in the sand without considering culture and religion. Because of the imperial ambitions of Sykes and the desire of France to control Syria and the disregard of input by the Arabists and the individual Arab groups affected by the agreement, the borders of the Middle East were artificially created by Sykes and Picot. These artificially created countries have populations who fundamentally oppose each other ethnically and religiously. Had the Arabists and affected Arab ethnic groups been involved in creating the new Middle East map instead of just the Governments of France and Britain focusing on imperial aspirations, many of todays problems could have been avoided. If the British Government had acted in good faith in the negotiations with King Hussein, they would have been regarded more as allies than enemies whose word could not be trusted. The locals of the Middle East have a strict code of ethics and honesty is important. With the British being the visible representative of the West to the local population, McMahon has managed to show t he entirety of the West as untrustworthy to a populace with a very long memory. The United States has now inherited this problem and has a chance to use the history of the region and the agreements made here to help come to a more peaceful and lasting conclusion. Unfortunately, we are not using history and its lessons, instead reverting to mirror imaging the enemy and trying to win a war based on what we consider to be rationality without considering that the enemy gets a vote on the progression of hostilities. The training that we do to learn the culture of the area is a decent start, but it is only an overview and does not help in that it is out of context with the beliefs of the people. We are the same in the eyes of the locals as those who have oppressed and invaded their territories for hundreds of years with the only difference being a slightly different accent. If we are to be effective, we need to incorporate more history into the cultural training of the region so that our troops and Government leaders can begin to understand the root causes of the prob lems seen and then start to find solutions while avoiding further antagonization of the local people. Perhaps it would be a good choice to ensure a space for a historian on the major command staff so that these lessons wont have to be relearned. NOTES 1 The End of Sykes-Picot, (ISIS. 2014. Syria: Youtube, February 26th, 2015). 2 Sykes-Picot Agreement | 1916 | Britannica.com, accessed January 5, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Sykes-Picot-Agreement. 3 Sykes-Picot Agreement | 1916 | Britannica.com, accessed January 5, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Sykes-Picot-Agreement. 4 The Balfour Declaration Key Players and Events by Mary Grey | The Balfour Project, accessed January 9, 2017, http://www.balfourproject.org/the-balfour-declaration-key-players-and-events-by-mary-grey/. 5 The Origins of the Sykes-Picot Agreement | History | Smithsonian, accessed January 5, 2017, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sykes-picot-agreement-180957217/. 6 Lawrence of Arabia. King Hussein | PBS, accessed January 6, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/lawrenceofarabia/players/hussein.html. 7 Lost Islamic History | The Arab Revolt of World War One, accessed January 12, 2017, http://lostislamichistory.com/the-arab-revolt-of-world-war-one/. 8 Husayn-McMahon Correspondence | British-Palestinian History | Britannica.com, accessed January 15, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Husayn-McMahon-correspondence. 9 Husayn-McMahon Correspondence | British-Palestinian History | Britannica.com, accessed January 15, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Husayn-McMahon-correspondence. 10 Contradictory Promises, by Peter A Shambrook | The Balfour Project, accessed January 14, 2017, http://www.balfourproject.org/contradictory-promises/. 11 Contradictory Promises, by Peter A Shambrook | The Balfour Project, accessed January 14, 2017, http://www.balfourproject.org/contradictory-promises/. 12 Sykes-Picot Agreement | 1916 | Britannica.com, accessed February 7, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Sykes-Picot-Agreement. 5 Sykes-Picot Agreement | 1916 | Britannica.com, accessed January 4, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Sykes-Picot-Agreement. 13 The Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Making of the Modern Middle East, accessed February 4, 2017, http://theconversation.com/the-sykes-picot-agreement-and-the-making-of-the-modern-middle-east-58780.

Critical Appreciation of Poetry Essay

William Wordsworth had a variety of concerns which he expressed in â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge. † He was a metaphysical poet and the theme he writes about in this poem is nature and its relationship to man. He has used a variety of poetic methods which have all helped to shape and enhance the poem such as rhyming couplets, simile, and personification. The main concerns he highlights in this poem are the destructive nature of man, the relationship of man and nature, and the negative impact of industrialization on nature. Wordsworth made use of similes as one of his poetic methods. In line four of the poem he writes: â€Å"This city doth like a garment wear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here he compares the city to a garment as according to him figuratively the city wears the beauty of the morning. He uses this poetic method to highlight the extent to which the city exudes beauty in the early hours of the morning while all is silent and the industrial excesses of the day have not yet begun. Wordsworth in presenting the beauty and tranquility of the morning could be highlighting the negativity that pervades when morning leaves because of man’s intervention. This is all too likely as the area that Wordsworth probes in this poem is the relationship of man and nature and he clearly highlights the negative aspects of this relationship. Wordsworth also utilizes rhyming couplets, in particular end rhymes. This is demonstrated in the following lines of the poem : â€Å"This city now doth like a garment The Beauty of the morning;silent, bare† and also in : â€Å"Ships, towers,domes, theatres and temples lie open unto the fields, and to the sky;† This has quite an interesting effect as rhythm is described as a poem’s â€Å"sound system† and through the poet’s crafty manipulation of the rhymes he is able to give the poem a particular rhythm which enhances its style, value and meaning and draws attention to what it projects. It is portrayed almost like a song and helps to create visual images like a painting and Wordsworth can be likened to a painter in this way. This is Wordsworth’s literary skill at work and this contributes to the reader’s understanding of his status in literature as one of the better if not the best metaphysical poets known to man. Wordsworth also employs the use of personification. He says: â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will : Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;† The reader cannot help noticing the way in which this poet personifies the river and houses describing them as if they are alive and well and capable of exhibiting human capabilities , that of gliding gracefully and of sleeping as if tired. All of this combined with the poet’s extensive use of nature imagery help to bring the subject Wordsworth writes about to life as well increasing its significance. One of Wordsworth’s main concerns in Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† is the destructive nature of man. Wordsworth presents a vision of nature in the early hours of the morning when man has not yet begun to intervene. He presents its beauty and transcendent nature but he does not stop there. He opens with a line praising the beauty of nature: â€Å"Earth has not anything to show more fair:† but closes on a sad note: â€Å" And all that mighty is lying still! † His comment is that man’s nature is destructive and due to the effect of man on nature stillness and dullness has been the result. Smoke , dust and noise have become the grim characteristics of nature due to industrialization, and the only time a â€Å"smokeless air,† a beautiful atmosphere can be enjoyed is in the tranquility of the morning before industrialization continues. The negative impact of industrialization on nature is one of the poet’s concerns in the poem. In man’s lustful aggrandizing efforts to make progress through industrialization negative effects have been wrought on nature. There is the problem of noise and various types of pollution and this has been caused by industrialization. The picturesque beauty of nature Wordsworth describes can only be enjoyed in the morning. For the rest of the day smoke and noise predominates. This could be Wordsworth’s comment on the selfish and cruel nature of man in that through industrialization man chokes and suffocates nature in an attempt to suit his own ends. In Conclusion, the writer has a variety of concerns and poetic methods such as man’s destructive nature, simile and personification. All these concerns and poetic methods enhance the poem’s structure and meaning giving it its significance in the world of metaphysical poetry.