Friday, November 29, 2019

Jane Austens Emma Essays - British Films, Emma Woodhouse, Emma

Jane Austen's Emma Jane Austen's Emma is a novel of courtship. Like all of Austen's novels, it centers around the marriage plot: who will marry whom? For what reasons will they marry? Love, practicality, or necessity? At the center of the story is the title character, Emma Woodhouse, a heiress who lives with her widowed father at their estate, Hartfield. At the beginning of the novel, she is a self-satisfied young woman who feels no particular need to marry, for she is in the rather unique condition of not needing a husband to supply her fortune. At the beginning of the novel, Emma's governess, Miss Taylor, has just married Mr. Weston, a wealthy man who owns Randalls, a nearby estate. The Westons, the Woodhouses, and Mr. Knightly (who owns the estate Donwell Abbey) are at the top of Highbury society. Mr. Weston had been married earlier. When his previous wife died, he sent their one child (Frank Churchill) to be raised by her brother and his wife, for the now-wealthy Mr. Weston could not at that time provide for the boy. Without Miss Taylor as a companion, Emma adopts the orphan Harriet Smith as a prot?g?. Harriet lives at a nearby boarding school where she was raised, and knows nothing of her parents. Emma advises the innocent Harriet in virtually all things, including the people with whom she should interact. She suggests that Harriet not spend time with the Martins, a local family of farmers whose son, Robert, is interested in Harriet. Instead, Emma plans to play matchmaker for Harriet and Mr. Elton, the vicar of the church in Highbury. Emma seems to have some success in her attempts to bring together Harriet Smith and Mr. Elton. The three spend a good deal of leisure time together and he seems receptive to all of Emma's suggestions. The friendship between Emma and Harriet does little good for either of them, however. Harriet indulges Emma's worst qualities, giving her opportunity to meddle and serving only to flatter her. Emma in turn fills Harriet Smith with grand pretensions that do not suit her low situation in society. When Robert Martin proposes to Harriet, she rejects him based on Emma's advice, thinking that he is too common. Mr. Knightly criticizes Emma's matchmaking, since he thinks that the dependable Robert Martin is Harriet's superior, for while he is respectable, she is from uncertain origins. Emma's sister, Isabella, and her husband, Mr. John Knightly, visit Highbury, and Emma uses their visit as an opportunity to reconcile with Mr. Knightly after their argument over Harriet. The Westons hold a party on Christmas Eve for the members of Highbury society. Harriet Smith, however, becomes ill and cannot attend. During the party, Mr. Elton focuses his attention solely on Emma. When they travel home by carriage from the party, Mr. Elton professes his adoration for Emma, and dismisses the idea that he would ever marry Harriet Smith, whom he feels is too common for him. Mr. Elton obviously intends to move up in society, and is interested in Emma primarily for her social status and wealth. Shortly after Emma rejects Mr. Elton, he leaves Highbury for a stay in Bath. Emma breaks the bad news to Harriet Smith. As of this time, Frank Churchill has not yet visited his father and his new wife at Randalls, which has caused some concern. Emma, without having met the young man, decides that he must certainly be a good suitor for her, since he is of appropriate age and breeding. Another character who occupies Emma's thoughts is Jane Fairfax, the granddaughter of Mrs. Bates, an impoverished widow whose husband was the former vicar, and the niece of Miss Bates, a chattering spinster who lives with her mother. Jane is equal to Emma in every respect (beauty, education, talents) except for status, and provokes some jealousy in Emma. Jane will soon visit her family in Highbury, for the wealthy family who brought her up after her parents had died has gone on vacation. There is some indication that Jane might be involved with Mr. Dixon, a married man, but this is only idle gossip. Mr. Elton returns from Bath with news that he is engaged

Monday, November 25, 2019

How Many Words in a Novel The ULTIMATE Guide To Novel Length

How Many Words in a Novel The ULTIMATE Guide To Novel Length How Long Should Your Novel Be? Our Editors Have the Answers With NaNoWriMo around the corner, many authors are gearing up to weave worlds, characters, and stories into novels with their words. But†¦ how many words does a novel make? And when it comes to creating art, just how important is it to stick to the rules - such as standard word counts?Well, if your goal is to publish and sell your novel, those rules are pretty darn important. As with many publishing standards, word count guidelines exist for a number of reasons - including marketing and sales - but also to help create stories that are free from plot or pacing issues that can exhaust readers. You wouldn’t be reading this article right now if a quick scroll down showed an apparent 10,000 words, would you?Why does word count matter?â€Å"Word count limits sometimes seem as though they are stifling artistic flow, but they are usually there for a reason,† says Freelance Editor Lisa Howard.If you’re hoping to land a book deal with a traditional publisher, you d on’t want to give an editor a reason to turn your book away. That’s why Freelance Editor Jessica Hatch urges you to follow their rules. â€Å"In the New York agencies I worked for, it was rare to see a 120,000-word manuscript avoid the slush pile. This is because we were groomed to understand that, even if a long manuscript is strong from start to finish, it would take considerable work to convince an editor to buy it at auction.† To bend or not to bend the rulesWe said it already, but it's worth repeating: authors should not underestimate the value of staying within standard word counts. Editors in traditional publishing houses believe that it’s easier to market books that meet genre expectations, and if you’re hunting for a book deal or for an agent, you want to eliminate any reason for them to push your manuscript to the side.This sentiment acknowledged, these days self-publishing has given authors the ability to play around with the rules. A good example of this is is John McCrae’s (aka Wildbow’s) novel, Worm, which was published as a web serial and is 1.75 million words long. And - in the vein of four-letter titles that start with â€Å"W† - there’s Hugh Howey’s Wool, which was originally self-published as a series of e-novellas.While sticking to standard word counts is definitely important from a sales or marketing standpoint, a greater pool of publishin g options means that writers do not need to view â€Å"the rules† as entirely rigid and unbendable - especially when going against the grain ultimately serves the story. As Kelly Lydick, advises, â€Å"Adhering to standard word counts can be important - but even more important than that is the telling of a good story. Even better - a great story.†What are your thoughts on publishing standards, such as word counts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Planning (based on Apple Inc.) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Planning (based on Apple Inc.) - Essay Example has been chosen as the organization and the new product is Apple’s I-TV. The report will highlight the proposed feature of the latest product and the entire process to develop and launch it in the market. The report will also highlight the marketing strategy and also the expected returns from the product. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 New Product development Process 5 SWOT 6 Marketing Objectives of the company 7 Segmentation and Targeting 8 Marketing Strategy 9 Implementation & Factors affecting it 12 Budget 13 Marketing Control 13 Ethical Issues of Marketing 14 References 15 Bibliography 17 Self Evaluation 18 Introduction The history of Apple Inc. dates back to the early 1976 when the company was established by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. The company is presently headquartered at California, USA (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). Apple together with its subsidiaries develops and markets desktop computers, laptops, portable music players, mobile comm unication devices and several other digital gadgets. Devices such as I-pad, I- Phone, Mac OS, I-pod are some of the invigorating products of Apple. The company has a worldwide presence and employs at around 370 exclusive Apple stores. Apart from the hardware section, the company also has a strong presence in the field of software. The software segment includes operating systems such as Mac OS and other utility and productivity applications like Quick time player, I-work and logic studio among others (Apple Store, n.d.). The company mainly distributes its product through whole sellers, retailers and Apple owned exclusive stores. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Google and Research in Motion Limited are the direct competitors of the company (NASDAQ, 2012). However companies such as Lenovo, Compaq, Toshiba and Hitachi are also considered as the circumlocutory competitors of the company. The aim of the report is to develop a new product and successfully launch it in the market with a sound market ing strategy. The product is also supposed to provide high return on investment in its initial stages. Now going by the prevailing situation of Apple, the company is mainly famous for its innovative products. Therefore the product which has been chosen for the course of action is I-TV, an innovative television. I-TV: A brief overview The proposed product I-TV is an extension of Apple’s innovative product range. The product will also mark Apple’s presence in the Television industry and can certainly pose a big challenge for the established players. The projected features of the product of the product are:- 3D display Widescreen Strong Audio and Video output Look of Apple The most important feature and the Unique Selling Proposition of the product is that it will be capable of broadcasting all the digital channels of the world. As a result users can enjoy thousands of channels. New Product development Process Nowadays organizations are faced with increased level of compe tition within the industry (Monczka, 2000, p.1). There are even competitions from the foreign players as well as local players apart from the established domestic players. Hence it becomes necessary for an organization to undertake new product development in order to hold its land in the industry and perform its operations effectively in the market place. The new product development process starts from idea generation and continues till commercialization of the product (Boone & Kurtz, 2011, p.395). The stages are briefly

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

EVALUATION nad WEBSITE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

EVALUATION nad WEBSITE - Essay Example It is essential to define business objectives, usability goals and intended context of use well in advance. In this context business objectives of a site include answers to crucial questions such as such, what are the main purposes of the website, who are the websites target audience, success factors, evaluation criteria and budget. The websites contexts of use include information such as important user groups, frequency of visits, user's past experience and expertise, socio-cultural issues, user's needs and client side technical information. Once this Meta information is collected and analyzed a website design should proceed. Effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction are the three units in which usability can be measured. We know that many users visit the travel agency websites since travelers have increased and also the traveling rate has increased during the past few decades. Many people look to travel agents for traveling, booking tickets, searching for vacation plans, and many other such deals. The website should provide a proper user interface to the people so that they do not face any problem in operating the website if they want to. Many people prefer booking tickets online rather than to go to the travel agent and getting it booked. Therefore, many people will browse the websites of the travel agencies before confirming on one particular travel agency. Therefore, the user-interface of the website should be such that it would try to attract more customers. The better the interface, the more loyal the customers become and more the increase in the number of customers for that travel agency. The three basic components of web usability are: Effectiveness: It can be measured by determining if the website users can actually accomplish their requirements at hand. Requirements at this context can range from a simple task such as finding information to complex and sensitive activities such as purchasing a product. Efficiency: Efficiency looks at the resources expended in order to achieve the task. Although resources can be seen in multiple perspectives, the most critical resource is time. Satisfaction: The essential feature of impressing the customers involves the amount of satisfaction a particular website can provide to the users. The overall experience that involves the color contrast, dynamic features, availability of appropriate information, accuracy of search play crucial role in the satisfaction rate of users. All these features have to be addressed while designing a website and these issues were considered while building the travel agency website. The customer generally searches for flights to his or her desired destination. Therefore, the provision for searching for flights has to be present right on the first page of the website (i.e. the Home Page of the website). Once the data is fed and the search button clicked, the list of flights has to be shown to the customer and the customer can then select which flight he want his ticket to be booked in. Also, once he visits the website and he likes the website, he would like to become a member of the travel agency. Also, he would like to have a personal storage place where all his information related to his travel will be saved. Such personal place has to be provided which can be accessed through his login name and

Monday, November 18, 2019

Is There Any Right to Die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 150

Is There Any Right to Die - Essay Example This question leads to an endless chain of contradictions; however, under a closer examination, it becomes obvious for everyone that such kind of existence can be barely called â€Å"life†. Nowadays medicine possesses a lot of tools, such as morphine, which are able to "facilitate" sufferings of deathly ill patients. In the meantime, the drugs change patient’s mind and psyche, which eliminates any personality features. Hence, even though the drugs may cure and help the person to defeat the unbearable pain, still human personality is being destroyed by those medicals. According to a liberal measurement of human life value, the liberal policy of European and United States stated that the value of human life is secondary in comparison with a person’s will. This means that if a person can be considered as adequate, according to psychological evaluation of one, the person is responsible for one’s own decisions and actions, and therefore one’s decision must be respected by the rest of the society. Hence, such person is eligible to do whatever one wants with his or hers own life and body, unless it causes any harm to other people and is prohibited legally (Seale, 1994). If to take a look at the issue from the personal point of view, it becomes obvious that the life has a meaning when pleasures prevail over sufferings; moreover, positive emotions are considered to be more meaningful than the negative ones. So euthanasia seems to be the only solution in some cases; for instance, when human’s life cannot be maintained in other way and suffering cannot be relieved except by death. In short, if suffering is evil, how can we morally justify preservation of life, which has turned into a constant suffering?   

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Barriers to the HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening for BAME Women

Barriers to the HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening for BAME Women What are the Barriers of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening amongst Minority Women age 12-26? Abstract Background: Minority women systematically experience socio-economic disadvantages, which put them in the face of greater obstacles in attaining optimal health. Approximately 44 million women in the United States, nearly one third of all women in America, self-identify as women of a minority racial or ethnic group. Yet, minority women fare worse than non-Hispanic white women across a broad range of measures, with some of the largest disparities being that of HPV-related cervical cancer mortality. Objective: The objective is to emphasize the barriers of care in relation to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, as well as examine patterns in barriers like demographic, cultural, and health belief factors amongst minority women.Methods: The data collection review and process was based on article review factors that were associated with HPV vaccine acceptability, initiation, and series completion among adolescent and young adult women of different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups in the United States. Results: Selected characteristics of the included studies contended that an estimated 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually in the United States, and 4500,000 women worldwide develop cervical cancer each year. Higher rates of cervical cancer are found in US regions with large minority and impoverished populations. Conclusion: It is imperative for clinicians to progress minority women screening and early detection. Further intervention models need to reflect multifactorial determinants of screening utilization. Introduction Background While there have been strides in HPV and cervical cancer prevention efforts, many minority women across the board still experience significant barriers to care. For example, women from rural and poor communities tend to have health illiteracy in regard to their own self-care, which also includes their mistrust for the healthcare system. Additionally, many minority women simply lack financial access to care. Socio-economic disadvantages (i.e. race, class, gender, education, occupation, etc.) are the underlying issues. Though many health efforts are made by health professionals, and health ramifications like informative technologies and preventative care strategies have been achieved, there is a continual socio-economic and racial imbalance with both the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer, especially the strains directly influenced by HPV. Specific Aims Our specific aims are to first identify Health care barriers and challenges to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination within the population of minority women. We also want to uncover minority women, health care provider & health care system risk factors for cervical cancer screening & HPV vaccination, as well as, health care challenges and opportunities in improving cervical cancer screening rates amongst minority women. Lastly, we want to pinpoint the nurses’ roles in preventing cervical cancer in underserved racial and or ethnic populations. Methods Search Strategy In June 2017,we searched four electronic bibliographic databases (Google scholar, Medline, Pubmed and Cinahl) using the search terms ‘HPV’ ‘cervical cancer’ ‘pap smear’ ‘minority women’ ‘ethnic women’ and ‘health disparities’. All of the studies identified during the database search were assessed for relevance to the review based on the information provided in the title, abstract, and description of key words and terms. A full report was retrieved for all studies that met the inclusion criteria. Inclusion Criteria The data collection review and process was based on article review factors that were associated with HPV vaccine acceptability, initiation, and series completion among adolescent and young adult women of different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups in the United States. We reviewed relevant peer-reviewed and evidence-based qualitative literature in order to identify current vaccination trends, rates and factors associated with HPV and cervical cancer. Study findings a related to race (black, Latina, Asian), and socio-economic disadvantages were summarized. Eligibility Criteria Understanding current vaccination trends and the barriers to series initiation and completion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that 11 to 12 year old adolescents receive two doses of the HPV vaccine in order to protect against themselves against cancers that are caused by HPV. The HPV vaccine series can be given to girls beginning at age 9 years old, but many parents believe this age is too immature for a sexually transmitted disease vaccination. Additionally, it is recommended by the CDC that girls and women age 13 through 26 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series to be given the HPV vaccination immediately to provide HPV-cancer related protection. In understanding HPV vaccination parameters, it is essential that we too recognize gaps in knowledge and all the misconceptions surrounding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer. When the vaccine is given prior to HPV exposure, it is highly effective in preventing infection from two high-risk genotypes (HPV-16/HPV-18) of HPV, which causes approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers, and two low-risk (HPV-6/HPV-11) genotypes that are responsible for over 90 percent of all genital warts. As we assessed the appropriateness of our criteria interests, we focused on Black/African-American, Latina and non-white adolescent women age 12-26, minority teen women reported having sexual intercourse, adolescent women who have completed puberty, and low income and health care illiterate young women, who are too uninsured or have limited access. Quality Assessment The methodological quality is significant to our study. It was organized and detailed oriented. It presented evidence that there is a need for increasing HPV vaccination among young minority women. The failure to achieve equitable vaccination has exacerbated health disparities in HPV and cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Research suggests that low- income and minority women are disadvantaged due to the difference in cervical cancer screening, practices and beliefs, as well as healthcare access barriers and systemic risk factors. We used the ‘Research and Quality Scoring Method’ by Sackett and Haynes, the Jadad scale, and the items published by Cho and Bero to rate the quality of each study (Table 1). The range of total quality scores was from 0 to 9. Studies that ranged from 0 to 5 were considered low quality, whereas studies that ranged from 6-9 were considered high quality. Two raters independently coded variables using Microsoft Excel. Discrepancies were identified and resolved amongst our team members. Table 1. Study quality ratings Statistical Analysis Race/ethnicity and low socio-economic status are known predictors of late-stage diagnosis of cervical cancer and are important predictors of cancer mortality. In the United States, approximately 12,000 women develop cervical cancer and 44000 die of the disease each year, with higher incidence and mortality rates reported in low-income minority populations. HPV vaccination has been shown to reduce the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection among teen women and thus, has the potential to decrease the risks of cervical cancer among vaccinated young women. According to preceding surveillance and qualitative studies, it is indicated that a decline in the annual rate of high-grade cervical cancer, from 834 per 100,000 in 2008 to 688 per 100,000 in 2014, among women aged 21 to 24 years, which reflects the impact of HPV vaccination. However, declines were not significant in areas with high proportions of minority women (i.e blacks, Latinas) and/or people living in low-income areas. Results Included Studies The search yielded nearly 500 potential article titles for review, yet less than 70 were relevant to our interests. And of that 70, about 20 were dated within the last 10 years. Accordingly, less than 20 seemed more characteristic of our research interests and provided adequate information to our research question. Description of Studies Selected characteristics of the included studies contended that an estimated 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually in the United States, and 4500,000 women worldwide develop cervical cancer each year. In the United States, cervical cancer incidence is nearly twice as high in counties with poverty levels > 20% compared with those with poverty levels

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay on Social Order in The Tempest -- Tempest essays

The Social Order in The Tempest  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's time, the social order was as powerful and rigid as law. Shakespeare provides an example of this social structure in his play, The Tempest. In the course of his play, the reader sees superior men dominating lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Not all upper class are completely corrupt, however. We see a semi-virtuous hero in the character of Prospero. Prospero has every reason to feel superior and exercise his social power, yet he doesn't always treat others disrespectfully. Although he does have some sense of charity, Prospero is still a good example of the social condition of the time.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One way in which The Tempest reflects Shakespeare's society is through the relationship between characters, especially between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban is the former king of the island, and Prospero and his daughter Miranda teach him how to be "civilized." Immediately thereafter, Prospero and Miranda enslave Caliban and he is forced to be their servant. Caliban explains "Thou strok'st me and make much of me... ...otte Porter and Helen A. Clarke (eds.) Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. 1903. Knight, G. Wilson. "Shakespearian Superman" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Murray, J. Middleton. "Shakespeare's Dream" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968 Palmer, D.J. Shakespeare's Later Comedies: An Anthology of Modern Criticism. Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1971. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. 1611. Ed. Stephen Orgel. New York: Oxford UP, 1994. Tillyard, E.M. "The Tragic Pattern" The Tempest D.J. Palmer (ed.) Macmillan & Co. 1968

Monday, November 11, 2019

Creating Positive School Experiences for Teens with Disabilities

All men are created equally. Having disabilities does not constitute having different rights. But this is not usually the case. In the article entitled, Creating Positive School Experiences for Teens with Disabilities, the experiences in school of students with disabilities is tackled and what positive actions could and should be done in order to provide these teens the rightful treatment they deserve. The theme of the article is to emphasize the importance of equality and unity despite the differences in capabilities. It is an article that should be highly considered by students with disabilities, teachers and school counselors involved in programs for the well-being of all students, and other students who have direct encounter with fellow schoolmates that have disabilities. Students with disabilities often face discrimination and challenges because of the biasness people have towards them. As a result, they could easily internalize negative attitudes, affecting their behavior towards other people. The article educates people, especially teachers and counselors, to help by creating programs that would encourage people to help in providing a positive environment for students with disabilities to participate in. The article does not state that special treatments are what students with disabilities need. What is more important is that they are given equal chances and the right amount of respect they deserve. Bullying and other forms of negative biasness should be eradicated from the school system in order for the disabled students to grow well in a fair and just community. The article agrees with the Scripture as it highlights giving equal opportunities and respect for all people, no matter what background they may have. The ministry should also help encourage school administrators to intervene and promote positive school experiences for the disabled. Programs that emphasize on respect, equality, and understanding should dominate the school rules.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Election 1984 essays

Election 1984 essays Let's take a look back at the presidential election of 1984. The primary candidates in this election were Ronald Reagan for Republican, and Walter Mondale for Democratic. This election campaign revolved mostly around the issues of deficit and tariff barriers. The Republicans enthusiastically nominated Reagan and Bush in 1984, confident that Reagan's personal popularity would bring him once again to victory.For economical issues, Reagan's policies defeated inflation, cut taxes, increased the Gross National Product and increased employment in 1984. Republicans were sure that Reagan's style and personality would again come through and be as strong in Presidency as ever. For the Democratic side, Walter Mondale, former Vice President under Jimmy Carter, gained 26 seats in the House, 8 candidates entered the primaries. Walter decided to run with a New York Congresswoman to spice up his campaign, however not even she was much of an attraction for him. Still, Mondale kept going hammering away to stay in the race. He began tearing into some of Reagan's issues: Reagan's tax cuts, which only benefited the rich, the obvious effects of Reagan's age. The President was 73 and had trouble staying awake during cabinet meetings, prayer in schools, and abortions. Still Reagan didn't have the country doubting him. This election was a close battle, but with an 18 point margin, Reagan once again took the lead. Results were: Reagan received 525 electoral votes and 54,158,802(58.4%) popular votes and Mondale received 13 electoral votes and 37,443,559(41.6%) popular votes ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Why did Estonia move from a planned economy to a market economy Essays

Why did Estonia move from a planned economy to a market economy Essays Why did Estonia move from a planned economy to a market economy Essay Why did Estonia move from a planned economy to a market economy Essay When Estonia first gained independence after the First World War, it enjoyed great economic success and development during the twenty-year inter-war period. However, the economic gains were negated by fifty years of Soviet occupation following World War II, leading to economic stagnation. The central government of the Soviet Union had destroyed the Soviet Republics economy as a whole, as the decision of what to produce, how much to produce and for whom to produce was placed solely on the government. Thus inefficient monopolistic state-owned industries employing the entire population regardless of skill level churned out poor quality goods that nobody wanted, while the rationing of basic foodstuffs was part of daily life. With the loss of the profit motive and no hierarchy system where the better were rewarded, both people and companies had little motivation to be efficient or innovative. The Estonian economy was in reality just the sum of the enterprises physically located on one territory. Due to the closed Soviet Unions huge shortage economy and immense quantities of natural resources, the Estonian economy could seemingly ignore world competition. As raw materials were bought at heavily subsidized prices from Russia (which led to the unaccountably low prices of energy and raw materials etc. ) the majority of enterprises created were material, energy and transport intensive, producing mainly low quality goods. But when the Soviet Union began to collapse in 1991, Estonia declared independence and started shifting towards a market economy. It sought an end to the incessant shortages, poor quality goods and inefficient state-owned industries suffering from diseconomies of scale which had plagued it as a planned economy and the diversity and dynamism of a market economy, which would hopefully bring much needed foreign investment, a well-oiled private business sector and stable economic growth to raise living standards. The Estonian economy faced deep structural problems immediately following independence. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian ruble continued to function as a currency in the former Soviet empire. Russia had the sole authority to print ruble notes and so in some sense controlled monetary policy throughout the currency area. Estonia remained part of the ruble zone the remnants of the Soviet monetary system even after independence in 1991. But political and economic instability in the CIS, coupled with the complete lack of monetary discipline within the ruble zone, offered little international credibility for the nations using the ruble. With the removal of subsidies on a multitude of goods, prices rose to real levels. In 1992 inflation exceeded 1,000 percent. Without the Soviet Union juggernaught providing cheap raw materials and a market for exports, the Estonian economy was left completely exposed. Inefficient state companies were forced to close, aggravating unemployment and dragging down GDP: the cumulative decline of the GDP during the period 1990-1994 was 36%. Foreign investment was desperately needed; enterprise was almost non-existent and capital had to be imported. What are the benefits of its transition? (5) Today, Estonia has a booming economy that is rapidly reaching western standards. Its economic success is based on a liberal economic policy, a currency board system with a stable currency pegged to the Deutschmark/Euro and a balanced budget (The Estonian government solved the problem of rocketing inflation by introducing a new currency, the Kroon, in 1992. It was pegged to the stable Deutsch mark and helped to calm prices, allowing the economy to start anew). Thanks to an extremely favorable business climate, excellent communication links, a low-cost base, plus a highly skilled and productive workforce, Estonia has become an attractive location for inward direct investment and an active and rapidly growing exporter: in 1998, Estonian exports were four times the level they were five years before. Exports increased faster than imports in 1998, cementing the export sector as a key factor contributing to the countrys economic growth. In 1995, Estonian signed an association agreement with the EU and was among the first six associated countries invited to accession negotiations in December 1997. In 1995, Estonia formally submitted its application to the WTO and negotiations for membership are now entering the final stages. Estonia has succeeded in reorienting its foreign trade away from the former Soviet Union and the shrinking eastern market to western markets. Today, the EU is Estonias biggest trading partner, accounting for over 60% of Estonias exports in 1998. Russia continues to be an important export partner, although total exports to the Russian Federation declined from 19% in 1997 to 13. 4% in 1998. The Russian financial crisis had an effect on industries whose main target for export was Russia (namely the food industry). The GDP declined in 1999 by 0. 7%, but started growing again in 2000. Due to important changes in the direction of foreign trade and the economic relationship in general from east to west during the 1990s, the effect of financial crises in Russia had a more moderate influence on the Estonian economy than would have occurred if Estonia had been more closely linked to the Russian market. The structure of the Estonian GDP has become rather close to that of the GDP of developed countries. These structural changes are a result of the deep economic decline experienced during the difficult years of transition and foreign trade shock (a rapid change of terms of trade, and a deep decline of trade with Russia). These shocks enabled Estonia to develop an export-orientated and well-oiled free market economy, which in turn brought economic growth and an increase of general wages well ahead of inflation. Estonia is now investing heavily in the technology sector, and 40% of its citizens now use the internet. With living standards rising steadily, more and more economists are beginning to call the difficult transition Estonia has endured the Estonian Economic Miracle.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Executive Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Executive Decision Making - Essay Example   It would be necessary before constructing a contract to determine whether the supplier will want such advances and then weigh this against operational costs of the business model. Furthermore, if the agreement between the supplier and the distributor is not going to be long-lived, contracts may ask for some variety of reimbursement related to the tooling costs to meet the distributor’s demand. This could be non-beneficial for a smaller organization that might be struggling to achieve profit. Any and all expenses must be considered before seeking foreign sourcing opportunities. If the supplier is chosen will be a partner for a multi-year relationship, then issues of potential pricing must be weighed before making this decision. Costs of manufacturing are influenced by changing labor wage rates and fluctuating prices of raw materials in the global supply chain. It can be difficult to establish an appropriate pricing agreement under a long duration contract as it is not easy to predict what costs will be incurred in the future. The vendor could, in the future, demand a higher price (which can be rejected by the distributor) which could terminate the contract. This would have disadvantages as it takes time for supplier partners to understand the needs of their client and alter manufacturing to fit distributor needs. Hence, in a price dispute, it could lead to further costs in identifying an alternative supplier. Additionally, product liability is a major concern for companies seeking overseas sourcing. There is a substantial risk that consumers purchasing products made in a foreign nation could have personal injuries as a result of using the foreign-made product or property damage if the product happens to be.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Pharmacy Technician Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pharmacy Technician Experience - Essay Example This experience proved that the field of Pharmacy is multifaceted that a mere experience would not suffice to satisfy the professional demand of pharmacy. I have decided to pursue a doctorate degree in Pharmacy to competently respond to the demands of the profession both in the practical as well as scientific aspect of the job. For the short term, I am interested to further my knowledge in the practical aspect of pharmacy by engaging in the retail and hospital environments with the long term objective of becoming a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry. Obtaining my Doctor of Pharmacy will not only provide me with the competence in the field of research but will also provide the rare privilege of being a trusted member in my profession as well as community. This knowledge, experience and trust however must be earned especially in the demanding field of pharmacy particularly if one is to pursue a doctorate