Sampling Techniques

Whenever I conduct a research, most of them combination of both quantitative & qualitative, I’ll make sure that the objective is clearly written out and discussed with the client. As much as we agree that sampling is very crucial to any form of research, the purpose should always be a priority, or else the sampling methods may go through a lot of movements with no direction at all. â€Å"Decisions about design, measurement, analysis and reporting all flow from the purpose of the research. † (Patton, 1990). For the first topic: Perceptions of job stress among correction officers, the probable purpose of the research is to contribute knowledge that will help people understand the nature of a problem so that there is some kind of a control on their environment. Job stress can be viewed as a human problem. In applied research, the source of questions is in the problems and concerns experienced by people. The purpose of applied research there is to generate potential solutions to the said human problem. Perhaps, from the qualitative inquiry, a need for stress management program among correction officers may become evident. No matter what the findings are, the researcher must first gather data on the gravity of the job-related stresses being experienced by the correction officers, if they are manageable or not. If the objective of the research is to gain a general understanding of what those perceptions are, therefore, a random sample of sufficient size would be appropriate to be truly representative of and permit generalization to the total population of correction officers. How this sampling will be identified? The researcher will first and foremost identify the number of correction officers from various geographical sites and from there draw a desirable sample size to achieve enough credibility. Get a sample size that represents each penitentiary or house of correction and the level of management they belong (junior officer, senior officer). The cluster is needed to concretize the findings and put some direction to where the research is going. The first topic will generally use quantitative sampling through questionnaire, measuring the common pattern and qualitative inquiry like Focus group discussions using open ended questions to get an in-depth understanding of the issue or problem. For the second topic: Juvenile gang activities, again, there is the question on the purpose of the study. Is the research conducted only to gather a baseline data for further research? There are so many gangs existing in various countries, cities, even on small towns. The geographical site is one consideration. Identify the meaning of a juvenile gang so as to create a unified understanding of the sample. The research is quite heterogeneous in nature, so we need to break the sample size. At this point, going underground to get the much needed data is too costly in terms of time and risk unless we break down the research into one single criterion. Also, all gangs are different from each other in principle, in all dealings, therefore getting a sample size from one type of juvenile gang is not representative of all, although generally their activities are similar from what we’ve heard and read in the news. But a concrete data to elevate the observation to a credible finding is the objective of the research. How is this done? Get a sample size, representative of each group. Since the difficulty there is the fieldwork, it is recommended that former gang members can serve as the sample. This is also a good venue to write a case study based from the interviews where information rich data are more likely to come out in the process. Stratified purposeful sampling, illustrates characteristics of particular subgroups of interest; facilitates comparisons. This means, the researcher is also open to opportunistic sampling, following new leads during the research process, taking advantage of the unexpected. Be flexible, since interesting details involving the youth, crimes and society, usually follow not just one particular sampling method. For the third topic: Sentencing patterns in an urban vs. rural court, the researcher can use Basic research, then the summative evaluation. This involves intensive data gathering and may not cover all urban and rural courts, thus there’s a need to identify the sample size based on the total number of courts in a certain area. A Maximum variation sampling is appropriate to purposely pick up a wide range of variation on dimensions of interest and identify important common patterns that cut across variations.

“Afterwards” by Thomas Hardy Essay

‘Afterwards,’ by Thomas Hardy, is a poem that questions the way that people will look upon the narrator after his death. It centre’s around the idea of ‘noticing things,’ showing the narrators precision and the ambivalence of his neighbours. Hardy gets this across by the techniques that he uses, and the detailed descriptions which show the full extent of what the narrator has noticed. The poem shows the complexity of nature, and describes the cycle of life. The first stanza begins by personifying the ‘Present,’ which is very appropriate as the poem is concerned by the aliveness of the surroundings that it is describing. The reference to the back gate suggests closure, and is a very precise way of describing the end of the narrator’s life. This sense of closure is also demonstrated in the structure of the poem, which is self-contained in its alternate rhyming quatrains. It has a rhyming pattern of abab, which means that the poem is soft and pleasing to hear, reflects the quietness of nature and goes along with the idea of the man being gentle and ‘tremulous’. It is also pleasing to the eye as each stanza loosely mirrors the previous one. However the number of syllables varies in each line, which means the poem is not constrained by its structure. This is fitting to the content of the poem as there are references to birds, and flying which has the connotations of freedom. An example of this is, ‘And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings.’ This animal imagery is totally un-restrictive, as well as painting a very bright and vibrant picture of the season that he is describing. The alliteration, combined with each line only having one syllable helps to achieve the bouncing, jolly effect. The line also shows enjambment from the first line that is a technique carried on throughout the poem, adding to the overall continuity. The month of May is also described as being ‘delicate-filmed as new spun silk.’ This simile gives a very precise description of the beauty of spring, comparing it to a shiny new fabric, and giving it an almost transparent quality. There are also the connotations of value and exquisiteness. The second stanza moves consecutively from daytime to dusk, using appropriate  language to describe the time. Hardy is precise in describing the moment the hawk lands as like ‘an eyelids soundless blink.’ This has the combined effect of conveying both the visual swiftness of movement, and also the quietness of the moment. He manages to create an eerie tone by using the word ‘shades,’ which gives the impression that there are many shadows and it is not very easy to see. The eerie tone is continued by the ‘wind-warped upland thorn,’ in which the plosive ‘R’ sound adds to the feeling of rustiness. It shows that the narrator does not only appreciate the bright beauty of the day time, but the more mystical quality of the evening, therefore noticing the full complexity of what nature has to offer. The idea of the day wearing on continues in the third stanza, where the first line foregrounds the rest of the stanza by stating; ‘If I pass during some ‘nocturnal blackness,’ which clearly sets the scene for night time. This is carried on by the description of the hedgehog and the moths, which only venture out at night, which creates a mood of peace and tranquility. The idea that the hedgehog travels furtively suggests a sense of purpose, that the hedgehog has a sly, secret mission to complete, which will go unnoticed in the rest of the world. This seems symbolic for the narrator, who seems to be discretely observing everything. T he secretiveness would help explain the distance that seems to be between him and the rest of the human beings around him. This distance is further achieved by the fact that there are never any names mentioned, or any suggestion of family or relationships. For example ‘one may say,’which is typically impersonal.Stanza four moves from describing the animals that the narrator identifies with, and is more focussed of the narrator and his idea of the people around him. It is different from the previous stanzas in that there is no movement within it, which is appropriate because Hardy is describing the time when the narrator has been ‘stilled at last.’ The focus switches from the visual nature the narrator is so utterly familiar with, to the ‘full starred heavens that winter sees.’ Therefore he is thinking about the unknown, and the life that awaits him after he dies. Again there is the use of personification for winter, as there was for spring, which is important as it signifies the end of the  seasonal cycle where things wither and die.Continuing this somewhat disconsolate tone, the beginning of the last stanza seems to give up on human nature. It asks, ‘and will any say when my bell of quittance is heard in the gloom.’ This brings you back to the closure suggested in the first stanza, where he describes the gate closing on his life. The image of the bell contrasts to the silence of the previous stanzas, especially the one immediately preceding it. It describes the sound dying, and then rising again as a ‘new bells boom.’ The alliteration again helps the line move quickly, suggesting the speed that people rush around. The onomatopoeic word ‘boom’ suggests the loud noise that people make, contrasting to the peace and tranquility of the nature and animals that he describes. The poem ends by asking if the people will say, ‘he hears it not now but used to notice such things?’ This sums up the whole poem, which is expressing how people will not ask these questions. The refrains bring in the new voice in each stanza, having the effect of uniting each one. The meaning of each of the final lines never really changes, achieving the realization that the narrator knows that he will never change the views of the people around him. Hardy is criticizing human nature for not stopping long enough to reflect on what is really meaningful in people’s lives. Therefore in conclusion the repetition of the first line, that ends the poem sums up the whole idea that nothing has actually been resolved. It emphasizes the complexity of nature and the amount of things that goes unnoticed every day and night. Hardy employs various techniques to make the poem come alive, which is crucial in showing his appreciation of what is going on around him. He uses extensive imagery, so that it is both visual, such as by describing the colours, and the explicit detail that is in every small thing that he describes. The silence is also transmitted effectively by word choice such as ‘soundless blink.’ It is also effective in identifying his affinity with animals, as opposed to human beings.

Jasper Jones †to what extent is the novel quintessentially Australian Essay

To what extent is the novel quintessentially Australian? Jasper Jones is an Australian novel by Craig Silvey that explores issues prominent in the author’s 1960s context. Set in the fictional mining town of Corrigan, the novel is a bildungsroman following Charlie Bucktin as he is awakened to the harsh reality of human nature. The novel addresses the main themes of morality, justice and trust, but these universal human issues are coloured by an Australian setting, reflective of Silvey’s contemporary context. The issues of morality and ethics have always been fundamental to the human struggle, but Silvey explores these themes through uniquely Australian concerns, namely the plight of the outcasts, in the treatment of indigenous Australians and immigrants. The setting of the novel, a small town where people are ignorant and bigoted, is representative of the same issues in the wider Australian context. It is made clear to Jasper that â€Å"This town, they think I’m a bloody animal.† due to his half-Aboriginal heritage. The animal metaphor and emotive language highlights Corrigan’s non-tolerance towards racial differences, while the first person perspective depicts the damaging effect this has upon an outcast individual. This is reinforced by the treatment of other characters such as the An family – â€Å"Go back to Hanoi, rats.† The repetition of derogatory animal metaphor and the aggressive tone reveals the prevalent racism. Charlie himself is also bullied for using words that are â€Å"too clever†. Silvey’s portrayal of Corrigan is representative of the morality of his own society. In this racist and anti-intellectual Australian context, outcasts are isolated and beaten down. The theme of justice is closely linked to that of morality; in a town with corrupted values, can justice ever be impartial? Charlie’s moral conflict over whether or not to report Laura Wishart’s body explores the idea of moral relativity. He is aware that â€Å"All that matters is the fact of this girl’s death and the town’s imagination†. The collective town is characterised as an anthropomorphic entity with skewed values; forcing innocent boys to act as if guilty. â€Å"I feel I am caught in a rip, being dragged out further and deeper against my will.† The use of the simile  conveys the boys’ helplessness to enact justice in the face of the â€Å"town’s imagination†. The body itself is a symbol of the novel’s underlying moral dilemmas. In disposing of Laura’s body, Charlie explicitly says that â€Å"I’m committing a crime.† He knows that helping Jasper is the right thing to do, but the use of the word crime, and all it connotes, illustrates how morality can be contrary to traditional justice. The issues of morality and justice explored are unquestionably universal in nature, but the novel’s particular setting and situation renders it a striking commentary on quintessentially Australian concerns. The value of trust and loyalty is also one that is common to all human experience, and it is this that defines Charlie and Jasper’s relationship; which is forged at the beginning of the novel by the crisis of finding Laura’s body. â€Å"Trust me. You got to trust me. Like I trust you.† Jasper’s pleading tone and the repetition of the highly emotive word â€Å"trust†, begging Charlie to help him escape the injustice of being wrongfully persecuted, cements trust as a key value in the novel. With this trust, Charlie is able to look beyond Jasper’s race and form a bond with him, despite the town’s negative stereotyping. He states that â€Å"I am the ally of Jasper Jones†, and helps him despite his conflicted morals. The word â€Å"ally† suggests that despite not knowing Jasper very well, they share a mutual trust and dependence. The relationship between the boys is reminiscent of the loyalty and comradeship between soldiers, bonded by trial. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, these values were highly important to the Australian cultural identity in Silvey’s context. Through Charlie’s coming of age, Silvey’s Jasper Jones presents a compelling insight into the duality of morality and the human values of loyalty and justice. Though these are undeniably universal in nature, Silvey explores these issues through the lens of his own Australian context, to give a novel which is quintessentially Australian and yet fundamentally human.

Health Care Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Health Care Ethics - Assignment Example The surgical group from Manhattan identifies the value attached to time that is why they have posted doctors’ schedule on their website, and it refreshes after every ten minutes. Current lifestyle has forced middle-class people to be busy time after time. Therefore, with a website that shows the schedule for the appointment is a win of their market. This will make both the patients and doctors to be time conscious and enhance the reputation of the surgical group. Renaming trade-off: If the practices are renamed to include River Valley Associates then the brand of the hospital will grow beyond its territory. However, this is a long-term process since it will consume a considerable amount of time for the brand (practices) to become famous. Not renaming trade-off: There will be confusion among the clients (patients) if the practices are renamed and in severe circumstances client will consider certain services are not offered in that hospital and opt going to another hospital. Therefore, by not changing clients will not be confused, and perhaps market the new practices to other members of the community. New innovation in a market always faces a challenge of breaking through the market, but how the challenges are addressed is what that matters. In this case of health saving account plan, some of the factors to be considered include; culture, and level of income. Culture has to do with the employees’ attitude towards saving and since this health saving for coverage, it should be marketed intensively. To overcome the problem of saving culture, the hospital can diversify the level of services based on employee’s capability of saving. This too will have conquered the challenge arising due to the difference in the level of income. Analyzing the cost implication of these two groups, the level of return will be a key element to be considered.

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal Assignment - 1

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal - Assignment Example Additionally, he also made mention of emerging markets as reaching attractive levels because of short-term troubles that brought price levels to near- bargain levels. What his article basically said is that investment advisers made wrong guesses or bets as to which way the markets will go and those investors who believed in the advice are now sorry. However one looks at it, any investor should do his or her own homework and not accept as the gospel truth any so-called â€Å"sage advice† offered by some self-proclaimed financial market experts. It is worth noting that any investor who looks at the long-term prospects (whether stocks, bonds, or other investment vehicles) is bound to come out ahead if the investment horizon is long enough for dividends and price appreciation to take its effect (meaning, the time element kicks in like in the time value of money when invested). Anyway, most investors have a wrong or unrealistic time frame when they invest, so many are well advised to listen to reason (Jaffe para. 9) and look at the longer term instead. (Note: word count = 295) Jaffe, Chuck. â€Å"Always invest in what scares you: How to build a portfolio with a long-term outlook.† Wall Street Journal, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

Experiement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experiement - Essay Example When others seemingly terminated the conversation before its natural end, it was very difficult not to admit that I had been conducting an experiment – I was reluctant to allow others to think I had changed my conversational style permanently. It felt quite patronizing, because others seemed to feel as though I felt the need to simplify their sentences so they would understand parts of the conversation. I also felt as though it was unnecessary during some conversations, because the nature of the topic was so simple that paraphrasing would add confusion. I also felt that conversations became quite unnatural and forced on my side, because of the extra thought that was required to add the paraphrasing element into natural speech. Overall, after paraphrasing had become more natural, it was not difficult or particularly traumatizing to use. During the course of a conversation, the other participant would not notice initially, and then begin to act strangely and some even terminated the conversation before it seemed to reach its natural end. However, during shorter conversations, it seemed to comfort some, as though I was highlighting how well I understood them, and perhaps even made it seem as though I was empathizing well. No hostility was shown by others, although there was definitely a feeling of confusion when paraphrasing was used often (particularly during descriptive conversations. Paraphrasing conversations did not have any lasting effects on interpersonal relationships. When paraphrasing was used when talking to people that I do not have a close personal relationship, the previously mentioned empathy seemed to improve these relationships. When paraphrasing those who I talk to regularly, the obvious change in my conversational style may have had a negative effect at the time of the conversation, but once the experiment had stopped it was easy to resume

Women in UK Labour Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women in UK Labour Market - Essay Example This led to the idea of a cornflake packet family where the male was the breadwinner, the wife was the housewife, and the family consisted of two children - a boy and a girl. The mother had an expressive role, while the father had an instrumental role of going out to work. The inequality, and the extent to which the different aspects of this are interconnected, mean that is some use the concept of patriarchy to describe this set of social relations. Patriarchy is a social system through which men dominate, exploit and oppress women. However, in recent decades, changes in the economy and society have altered the situation - several of these changes will be outlined below. One of the most important areas to look at for the changes in women's lives is in terms of pay and employment relative to men. Women are less likely than men to be in paid employment, but the gap has closed steadily over recent decades. The proportion of those in employment who are women rose from 38.1% in 1971 to 49.6% in 1995. However, most of the increase in women's employment has been in part time work. The proportion of women working part time has increased steadily, from 34% in 1971 to 47% in 1995. Women workers are concentrated within a very narrow range of occupational groups, although there have been some significant changes in this recently. Over 40% of full time women workers are to be found in clerical employment. In contrast, men are spread through a much wider range of occupations. Women are confined both to lower grade jobs (vertical segregations) and to different jobs (horizontal segregation). The pattern of segregation however has changed significantly over recent years. At the top end of the hierarchy the number and proportion of women in the managerial and professional grades have substantially increased. However, in the most powerful positions in public life, women continue to be seriously under-represented. Discussion and Analysis In the contemporary society, there occurred many changes in the labour market. Businesses have moved away from mass production towards the flexible production of small batches of specialized products. In doing so, they employ a core of highly skilled workers who are capable of using their skills to produce a wide variety of products. Other work is carried out by part-time workers, or workers on short-term contracts, or is contracted out to other firms. These changes are reflected in the increased use of part-time female labour and the reduction in the employment of males in full-time permanent jobs. But while it is clearly important to take account of changes in the labour market and the economy as a whole in order to understand the changing patterns of gender inequality, it is necessary to be cautious about basing an analysis. Rosemary observes in her book "Women and Work in Modern Britain" that "Clearly, there has been a substantial restructuring of the gender division of labour over the last forty years. Its broad outlines may be

Crazy Eddie Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crazy Eddie - Case Study Example Internal auditors are responsible for fraud at Crazy Eddie as they are the ones committing and concealing fraud to both external auditors and the general public (Buchholz, 2011). . The computations above do not indicate any problem at Crazy Eddie. The gross margin ratio of 24%, though it might not be conclusive, shows that the company is operating a healthy business and might be able to service its operating expenses. The inventory turnover ratio too, indicates that the company turnover is high and hence healthy at 482%. 2. There were several barriers to independence at Crazy Eddie. Auditors at Crazy Eddie’s case were not able to detect fraud due high-level fraud cover up from suppliers’ side to its consumers. Fraud occurred on many fronts; liabilities and expenditures, asset valuations, fictitious revenue, disclosures and accounting period differences. Liabilities and expenses were concealed like unpaid bills wouldn’t be declared and paid in the next financial year of held for long periods. Accounting periods would not be cut off at regular intervals in order to add good sales occurring after what should have been a closed book, to inflate revenue falsely. On assets, some were overvalued or the company employed tricks like borrowing the merchandise that would not be paid for immediately. They also used to ship stock from one store to another as auditing was spread out in stores hence double-counting (Knapp, 2013). 3. If I were a partner to audit Crazy Eddie, I would accept to audit this company thoroughly as it was a family entity with all management positions reserved for family members. This was one sign of some weakness as family members can manipulate accounting procedures, and lack of proper conduct can be compromised. Very important too, was the fact that this company was characterized by hype about its success. The crazy hype should be a

Management Control & Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Control & Accounting - Essay Example The costing can be improved by taking a different approach such as activity-based costing. In activity based costing, activities regarding the factory overhead costs will be classified, and the costs will be broken down according to the level of activities. In this way, the cause and effect between the overhead items in the factory overhead schedule and the activities will be more established, resulting in a more accurate costing. 2. Athena Ltd is an engineering business doing work for its customers to their particular requirements and specifications. It determines the full cost of each job taking a job costing approach, accounting for overheads on a departmental basis. It bases its prices to customers on this full cost figure. The business has two departments: a machining department, where each job starts, and a fitting department, which completes all of the jobs. Machining department overheads are charged to jobs on a machine hour’s basis and those of the fitting department on a direct labour hour basis. The budgeted information for next year is as follows: a) Prepare a statement showing the budgeted overheads for next year, analysed between the two departments. This should be in the form of three columns: one for the total figure for each type of overhead and one column each for the two departments, where each type of overhead is analysed between the two departments. Each column should also show the total overhead for the year. Please use the template below. c) Athena Ltd has been asked by a customer to specify the price that it will charge for a particular job that will, if the job goes ahead, be undertaken early next year. The job is expected to use direct material costing Athena Ltd  £ 1200, to need 50 hours of machining time, 10 hours of Machine Department direct labour and 40 hours of Fitting Department direct labour. Athena Ltd charges a profit loading of 20% to the full cost of jobs to determine the selling

Regression Analysis Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Regression Analysis Questions - Assignment Example The explanatory variable is the scale upon which the dependent or the response variable changes, for instance time. The constant represent the unwavering value in the regression equation, for instance, fixed costs. An example of a multiple regression would be = mX + nZ, which is an equation to calculate profit for a company. The variable Y would be for profit margin, X for fixed costs and Z for variable costs. The values of m and n are the coefficients of X and Z respectively. The value of m would tell of the rate of change in slope attributable to X while n would show the rate of change of slope attributable to Z. By assuming that the impacts of the other two components, which make 20% of the total sales are negligible, the error value increases significantly. In addition, since items B and C form part of the error, and will change with varying values of A, the model with be heteroscedastic, hence more difficult to use for the underlying trend in the data. Consequently, a linear model would make a poor fit for the data. Therefore, this use of regression analysis would be

Internal Controls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internal Controls - Essay Example The accounting function should be given to an individual who does not have the custody of the collections (Meigs & Meigs, 1993). There is a possibility of the head usher and the record keeper working together to under-report the collections made, with a sharing of the pocketed amounts. They can work together to undermine the system. If the head usher were to count the collection in front of the other ushers, it could serve as a counter-verification of the collections. But here again there is a possibility of the head usher working together with the other ushers to pocket some money. In fact the Rector of the Church should be present when the ushers gather together, give their separate collections to the head usher and then the total money is put together and counted. The installation of a surveillance camera in the basement room in secret, and another on the way down at a strategic point should be accomplished without anyone’s knowledge except for the Rector of the Church. Ano ther loophole is available because the Church asks all check contributors to make their checks payable to Cash. This amounts to giving a chance to anyone who pockets a check to cash the money without being detected.

Why Do Students Shyout and Do Not Participate in Classroom Discussion Essay Example for Free

Why Do Students Shyout and Do Not Participate in Classroom Discussion Essay Why do students shy out and do not participate in classroom discussion? Chapter 1 1. 1 Abstract Research has shown that shy students participate less frequently in class, are less likely to volunteer contributions, and give shorter and less elaborate answers to questions. Differences between shy and less shy students extend to their performance on standardized tests of vocabulary. The findings of two studies undertaken are presented; in each study participants were rated for shy out students by their class teachers. The first study (of 10-year-olds) found that shy students test performance was influenced by the form of the test they performed less well when the test was administered individually relative to the same test being administered to the whole class in a group setting. A second study asked students (aged 5-9 years) to sort and describe a set of pictures. The shy student was briefer with shorter mean length of utterances and less linguistic diversity, and this difference was obtained even when the influence of vocabulary test scores was statistically controlled. The findings suggest that shy student responses are constrained by their concerns about evaluation and do not necessarily reflect underlying differences in competence. The paper discusses the implications of this research for the classroom. 1. 2 Introduction This study examines the hypothesis that shy, silent students that do not participate in classroom discussion of contraceptives in Pakistan underreport contraceptive usage. Data were obtained from the 1984-85 and 1994-95 Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys, the 1990-91 Demographic and Health Survey, and a Punjab 1993 survey. Shy or silent students were 11. 9% in 1990-91 and 11. 3% in 1994-95. The revised CPRs are 23. 7% and 29. 1%, respectively. In 1993, a follow-up survey among non-users in Punjab province showed that CPR increased from 13% in 1990-91 to 18% in 1993. Shy out students was the most widely used method, followed by the condom and female sterilization. The increase in CPR is attributed to more open reporting among shy or silent student. Revised CPRs that include shy or silent student were consistent with total fertility rates in all 3 nationally representative surveys. Typically shy or silent student were older by about 2. 3 years than current student, Shy or silent students had longer duration of greater illiteracy, and less contraceptive knowledge about methods and sources this is the cause they do not participate in classroom discussion. Research has distinguished shy out students from introversion, although they are typically related. Introverts simply prefer solitary to social activities but do not fear social encounters as do the shy, while extroverts prefer social to solitary activities. Although the majority of shy are introverted, shy extroverts are found in many behavioral settings. They are privately shy and publicly outgoing. They have the requisite social skills and can carry them out flawlessly in highly structured, scripted situations where everyone is playing prescribed roles and there is little room for spontaneity. However, their basic anxieties about being found personally unacceptable, if anyone discovered their real self, emerge in intimate encounters or other situations where control must be shared or is irrelevant, or wherever the situation is ambiguous in terms of social demands and expectations. 1. 3 Problem statement The study was carried out under the title â€Å"why do students shy out and do not participate in classroom discussion†. 1. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study were: 1. To identify the symptoms of shy out students. 2. To explore the causes of shy out students. 3. To find out the relationship of shyness with the self-esteem of students. 4. To examine the effects of shyness on the self-esteem of shy out students. 5. Helping students learn more from lectures 6. Getting students to participate more in class 7. Recognizing the importance of conflict and conflict resolution in student learning groups 8. Introducing and reinforcing active learning 9. Getting students to come to class having read the assignment 10. Getting and giving feedback on meaningful class participation 11. Letting the classroom environment foster student participation 1. 5 Significance of topic There was a tendency for shyness to correlate significantly with measures of academic attainment. Even though the coefficients are moderate and explain little variance in test scores they are still meaningful and suggest that shy out students does have an impact on academic success. There exists some evidence of links between shyness and intelligence test scores, attainment measures, teacher-rated intelligence and academic performance but this has scarcely been explored. Contemporary theories of learning emphasize the importance of social interaction for learning, including the contribution of students active participation in classroom discussion. This suggests the value of exploring the educational significance of shy out students and reticence characteristics that may cause teachers few problems or draw attention to a students behavior but that might influence their achievement and adjustment. Being part of a discussion is a skill to learn, just like taking good lecture notes or learning to write a good essay exam. You are not doing shy students a favor by letting them off the hook completely. Rather, emphasize to your class that in order to have productive discussions, everyone needs to make a contribution. This can be done in a variety of ways: good listening, asking good questions, challenging what someone has said appropriately and inviting. Chapter 2 Review of Literature Shyness as a â€Å"state of discomfort or inhabitation in interpersonal situations that interferes with pursuing one’s interpersonal or professional goals†. According to Cheek Melchoir shyness involves the tendency to feel worried, awkward or tense when in the presence of others due to the prospect of interpersonal evaluation. Zolton and Long said that shyness is a fear of, or shy out students from, other people or social situations, can have many different causes depending on the individual student and the specific circumstances. Shyness is something that all students experience at one time or another. In most cases it is a normal, temporary behavior. In students, some shy out students is normal, especially when they are around 5-6 of age, and then again at about two years of age. Shyness at these ages is considered a normal part of development. Shyness becomes a problem in a student when it interferes with relationships with other people, with social situations, school, and other important aspects of a student’s life. In the light of the results of many psychological surveys concluded that substantial number of students regards themselves as shy. Shyness becomes problematic when it leads to the patterns of behavior that includes reluctance to enter social situations discomfort and inhibition in the presence of others exaggerated self, unresponsiveness, an increasingly negative social concept, or a combination of these . Shy individuals are anxious and unsure of themselves in social situations and often try to avoid interacting with others . Minimum level of shyness does not create problems for students. Frequent exposure to a particular or different situation makes them confident. But if they avoid contact with people, students of their age or exposure to different situations than shyness can create different problems for them. 2. 1 What is shyness? Almost all students act shy at times, especially when encountering a new person or situation. Quite sensibly most students take time to figure out what to do (and not do!) when presented with a novel situation. With time, most students start to feel comfortable in a new situation or with a person theyve recently met and, therefore, act more outgoing, relaxed, and spontaneous. Some students, however, warm up much more slowly than others. Shy students may look tense or distracted in institution as they worry about becoming the center of attention or doing something embarrassing. Teachers never see the students at home smiling, laughing, and chatting away with family members. 2. 2 Quiet or Shy out Students Even in small groups some students are quiet or shy. When we use learning logs, these students often describe their anxiety about revealing their ideas. Stating that all students are expected to participate in a discussion is likely to heighten that anxiety. We have these suggestions concerning shy students. First, the course description should make it clear that discussion is expected, and this should be emphasized in the first meeting of the class. Second, help should be available for shy students, from either the instructor or a counseling center. We strongly prefer helping students learn to participate, rather than helping them avoid taking part. Third, be accepting of degrees of participation. Students who have the courage to confront their shyness need time to develop, and all of us have â€Å"bad hair† days, when things are going terribly, and we need to be quiet. 2. 3 Strategies to Overcome Shy out students The following strategies to help the students to overcome their shyness in classroom discussion. 1. Tell the students about times when you acted bashful. 2. Explain to the children how they will benefit from acting outgoing Prevent labeling of the students as shy. 4. Reward the students for outgoing behavior 6. Read books with the students about individuals who overcome shyness or fears 8. Eliminate teasing of the students or reduce the impact 9. Teach the student to identify and to verbally express their emotions 10. Relationship of Shyness with Self-Esteem students 2. 4 Causes of shy out students Some students seem naturally shy, while others may revert to being shy because they are scared, ashamed or simply conditioned by past experiences to do so. A lack of confidence can cause a child to become shy, especially if she has been given reason to doubt her abilities in the past. This may lead to a student not participating in the classroom or having difficulty connecting with other students. * Lost Discussion Skills Students who do not interact with others in the classroom miss opportunities to learn crucial interpersonal skills. Also, students miss opportunities to develop debating skills. Students must learn how to be a part of a group discussion, which is commonly used in college classrooms and corporate boardrooms. * Lost Assertiveness Shy students may be less willing to mention when they are struggling with class material, causing them to not receive the help they need. People often interpret timidity as a sign of being stuck up, which can put off many people who would otherwise give the student learning opportunities. * Low Self-Efficacy Shy students often develop low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, which reduces the chances that they will have the confidence to pursue challenges that give them learning opportunities. Shyness can also create an unfortunate cycle, as timid students do not develop effective communication skills. The lack of social skills leads to negative social experiences for the shy out students, which increases the anxiety she feels, leading to more shy behavior. * Lost Opportunities Shyness is often caused by an exposure to new activities. Since students do not have as many experiences as adults, they experience more new activities, which can emotionally overwhelm those who have not yet developed coping skills. When students do not have enough experiences, they miss many opportunities to learn. Students who are very shy may be distracted from classroom material because of fears of social interaction or being called on in class. * Students often get ignored Shy students often have difficulty with class grades, but that largely comes from lower levels of class participation and oral skills. Whether shyness is learned, cultural, or genetic, it can present problems for both students and instructors, most commonly in smaller classes in which participation is expected/encouraged. Most classrooms have one or more students who struggle with making themselves heard or participating in class discussions. These students are usually called shy because they may speak softly, prefer to work independently or refuse to speak up at all. Often these students flourish with written assignments or tests, but fail in areas that require participation with classmates or presentations in front of other students. For shy students, keep some considerations in mind. Chapter 3 * Methodology The research approach was quantitative. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect data for the research. For this research, the research adopted analytical way of research. In this way, quantitative way of analysis was adopted. The researcher developed a questionnaire for getting the data from language teachers, and on the basis of collected data analysis was made. For effective research the feedback given by the teachers was presented in the tables and graphs. On the basis of quantitative analysis and suggestions were finalized. Research Tools Opinion scale on the pattern of analytical way of research was developed. Population The students constituted population of study. Sampling Thirty students were selected as a sample using simple random technique. Method of research The study was descriptive in nature. The survey method was used to collect the data from the respondents. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed and was administered to the sample of the study. Collection of data The questionnaire was administered to the students. For each statement, teachers were to respond one option from the given four options. * Analysis of data The data collected was tabulated, analyzed and interpreted in the light of the objectives of the study. Simple percentage was used for analysis of data. Table no. 3. 1 Do group activities break the shy out of the student? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 14| 47%| SA| 13| 44%| N| 0| 0%| DA| 0| 0%| SDA| 3| 10%| When students were asked the statement 47% students said they were agree group activities break the shy out of the student, 44% said strong agree and 10% said strong disagree. Table no. 3. 2 Have shy out students discuss their weakness in classroom as a communicator? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 0| 0%| SA| 9| 30%| N| 3| 10%| DA| 12| 40%| SDA| 6| 20%| 30% said strong agree,10 %neutral ,40%said disagree and 20%said strong disagree . Table no. 3. 3 Confer with parents give opportunities for shy out student to increase your involvement in classroom discussion? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 12| 40%| SA| 7| 24%| N| 3| 10%| DA| 8| 27%| SDA| 0| 0%| 40% said agree, 24%said strong agree, 10%said neutral and 27%disagree. Table no. 3. 4 Do shy students show sign of social anxiety? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 9| 30%| SA| 8| 27%| N| 3| 10%| DA| 10| 34%| SDA| 0| 0%| 30% said agree, 27%said strong agree, 10%said neutral and 34%disagree. Table no. 3. 5 Do not force the shy out students to prefer in front of the classmates, but encourage him to do? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 12| 40%| SA| 8| 27%| N| 8| 27%| DA| 2| 7%| SDA| 0| 0%| 40% said agree, 27%said strong agree, 27%said neutral and 7%disagree. Table no. 3. 6 Do not make shy out students that feel rushed to answer quickly? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 4| 14%| SA| 20| 67%| N| 6| 20%| DA| 0| 0%| SDA| 0| 0%| 14% said agree, 67%said strong agree and 20%said neutral Table no. 3. 7 Students have courage to comfort their shyness need time to develop? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 9| 30%| SA| 9| 30%| N| 3| 10%| DA| 27| 8%| SDA| 1| 4%| 30% said agree, 30%said strong agree, 10%said neutral, 8%disagree and 4% strong disagree. Table no. 3. 8 The environment which a student raised can affect his or her shyness in classroom discussion? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 7| 24%| SA| 18| 60%| N| 0| 0%| DA| 17| 5%| SDA| 0| 0%| 24% said agree, 60%said strong agree and 5%disagree. Table no. 3. 9 Some students have problematically shy out in varying degree? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 3| 10%| SA| 3| 10%| N| 20| 67%| DA| 2| 7%| SDA| 2| 7%| 10% said agree, 10%said strong agree, 67%said neutral, 7%disagree and 7%strong disagree. Table no. 3. 10 Shy out student diversity affect learning? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 9| 30%| SA| 13| 44%| N| 2| 7%| DA| 6| 20%| SDA| 0| 0%| 30% said agree, 44%said strong agree, 7%said neutral and 20%disagree. Table no. 3. 11 Can we suggest strategies for shy out students which help students for classroom discussion? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 11| 37%| SA| 11| 37%| N| 6| 20%| DA| 2| 7%| SDA| 0| 0%| 37% said agree, 37%said strong agree, 20%said neutral and 7%disagree. Table no. 3. 12 Can we help shy out students to set social development goal for discussion? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 11| 37%| SA| 14| 47%| N| 2| 7%| DA| 3| 10%| SDA| 0| 0%| 37% said agree, 47%said strong agree, 7%said neutral and 10%disagree. Table no. 3. 13 Can teacher s allow the students to speak for break the shyness? Options| Frequency| Percentage| A| 8| 27%| SA| 10| 34%| N| 3| 10%| DA| 7| 24%| SDA| 2| 7%| 27% said agree, 34%said strong agree, 10%said neutral, 24%disagree and 7% strong disagree. Chapter 4 4. 1 Procedure of the Study The researcher herself visited for data collection and personally met the student’s . The researcher briefed the students about the purpose of the research and the teachers identified shy out students, a careful observation was made by the researcher also and only those students were selected who were seemed to be really shy and do not participate in classroom discussion. 4. 2 Findings The data collected through questionnaires was analyzed through the research. The results were interpreted in the forms of tables. * When students were opinion the statement 47% students said they were agree group activities break the shy out of the student, 44% opinion strong agree and 10% opinion strong disagree. * 30% the opinion they are strongly agree that have shy out students discuss their weakness in classroom as a communicator,10 %neutral ,40% disagree and 20% strong disagree . * 40% opinion they are agree that confer with parents give opportunities for shy out student to increase their involvement in classroom discussion , 24%opinion strong agree, 10%opinion neutral and 27%disagree. * 30% opinion they are agree do shy students show sign of social anxiety, 27%opinion strong agree, 10% opinion neutral and 34%disagree. * 40% opinion they are agreeing that do not force the shy out students to prefer in front of the classmates, but encourage him to do? 27% opinion strong agrees, 27% opinion neutral and 7%disagree. * 14% students opinion agree do not make shy out students that feel rushed to answer quickly, 67% opinion strong agree and 20% opinion neutral * 30% students opinion they are agree students have courage to comfort their shyness need time to develop, 30% opinion strong agree, 10%  opinion neutral, 8%disagree and 4% strong disagree. * 24% student’s opinions they are agreeing that the environment which students raised can affect his or her shyness in classroom discussion, 60% opinion strong agree and 5%disagree. * 10% students opinion they are agree some students have problematically shy out in varying degree, 10% opinion strong agree, 67% opinion neutral , 7%disagree and 7%strong disagree. * 30% students opinion they are agree shy out students diversity affect learning , 44% opinion strong agree, 7% opinion neutral and 20%disagree. * 37% student’s opinion agrees can we suggest strategies for shy out which help students for classroom discussion? 37% opinion strong agrees, 20% opinion neutral and 7%disagree. * 37% students said opinion can we help shy out students to set social development goal for discussion, 47% opinion strong agree, 7% neutral and 10%disagree. * 27% students opinion agree that can teachers allow the students to speak for break the shyness, 34% strong agree, 10% neutral, 24%disagree and 7% strong disagree. 4. 3 Explanation Almost all students act shy at times, especially when encountering a new person or situation. Shy sensibly most students take time to figure out what to do (and not do! ) when presented with a novel situation. With time, most students start to feel comfortable in a new situation or with a person theyve recently met and, therefore, act more outgoing, relaxed, and ontaneous. Some students, however, warm up much more slowly than others. Student who is shy may not respond when spoken to by a teacher or classmate even after weeks of academy. Or they may say little, speak very softly, and avoid eye contact. These students may hover near other students day after day but never join the others in play. Shy students may look tense or distracted in institution as they worry about becoming the center of attention or doing something embarrassing. Teachers never see the students at home smiling, laughing, and chatting away with family members. * What is shyness? Almost all students act shy at times, especially when encountering a new person or situation. Quite sensibly most students take time to figure out what to do (and not do!) when presented with a novel situation. With time, most students start to feel comfortable in a new situation or with a person theyve recently met and, therefore, act more outgoing, relaxed, and ontaneous. Some students, however, warm up much more slowly than others. Student who is shy may not respond when spoken to by a teacher or classmate even after weeks of academy. Or they may say little, speak very softly, and avoid eye contact. These students may hover near other students day after day but never join the others in play. Shy students may look tense or distracted in institution as they worry about becoming the center of attention or doing something embarrassing. Teachers never see the students at home smiling, laughing, and chatting away with family members. * What are the signs of shyness in a young student? Shy students tend to show at least 3 or 4 of the following behaviors in preschool or primary school. Shy students tend to: 1. Produce little or no voluntary speech 2. Follow directions but dont respond verbally to them 3. Turn away when spoken to 4. Watch but dont join other students in fun activities. 5. Speak softly * What are the effects of shyness on students in classroom discussion? The unfortunate effects of being shy include nervousness, decreased development of close relationships, interference with learning, and reduced opportunities to practice and improve social skills. As a shy student reaches, peers tend to start thinking of the child as not normal. This can in turn have negative effects on the childs self-esteem. On the other hand, shy student tend to act out less than other students do, perhaps because they dont want to call attention to themselves by doing something wrong. Although some students outgrow shyness as they get older, others remain painfully shy their entire life. * Relationship of Shy out students with Self -Esteem Shy students are seen less friendly than others, maybe a bit standoffish, even cold in some circumstances. shy students probably even see themselves in a more negative than positive light. Because of this worry, their thoughts and strengths are limited to a very small circle of students; they are in fact only limited by their own thoughts and emotions. They constantly think that others are slighting them, insulting them, or attacking them in some way. The shy students can actually handicap themselves with negative thoughts and wind up using their shyness as a crutch and an excuse for not pursuing more social occasions, it becomes to socialize, make friends, and establish relationships, both personal and professional. It becomes a self- defeating behavior. This kind of self-defeating behavior leads to more and more avoidance of any or all social encounters, until they become frozen in fear and completely unable to function in normal social circumstances. They quite literally lose hope in their own ability to function normally in these circumstances, so they quit trying. if the children (adult) feel that there is a discrepancy between the way they are behaving and the way they would like to react, their self esteem is likely to be low. To avoid negative feeling, children may lower their expectations of themselves and accept a lower level of performance or social interaction than they are capable of, or may try to avoid further feeling of failure by withdrawing from the situation in which they feel that there self esteem to be threatened. 4. 4 Conclusion Teachers may be able to help shy students considerably by using strategies that are relatively easy to implement and well matched to the teachers basic role as a helpful instructor to students. These strategies include providing self-concept support, encouragement, and opportunities to develop confidence and comfort in the classroom to shy and inhibited students, as well as closer monitoring, improved nonverbal communication, environmental engineering, and instructive suggestions or demands for improved concentration designed to maintain the attention of students prone to shy out students. Most teachers seem to develop an intuitive understanding of some of the needs of shy students, but many could meet these needs more effectively by systematically applying the principles and strategies highlighted here. 4. 5 Suggestion of shy out students Suggestion one Assuming that you share a common Language with this student, the first step has to be to speak to him in his own language in order to ascertain what the problem is and if he is always shy. In other words is he shy when using his native language or does this shyness only occurs when he is trying to speak? Secondly, it would be very useful to spend some time talking to him about various aspects connected to his one-to-one classes and in particular how he would like to be taught and what his aims are. You could emphasize the value of trying things out in English and learning from mistakes rather than being afraid of them. You could also clarify your role and make sure that he understands that you are there to help and to give him constructive feedback on his English. Suggestion two We provide opportunities for the shy out students to develop debating skills. Provide best activities to break the shyness of the students. Suggestion three Teachers provide group work to make involvement of the students. They help and support the shy out students in classroom discussion and do not asked to him gave answer quickly. Suggestion four You could also use homework as the basis for speaking. If he has prepared a homework exercise (a grammar exercise or similar), go through it in the next class with him reading out the answers. It’s important that he gets used to hearing himself speaking this strange foreign language and feels comfortable with it. Suggestion five Another factor could be the dynamic in the classroom. Sitting next to the student rather than standing or sitting opposite can create a feeling of co-operation and may help the student to overcome his shyness. Writing on sheets of paper on the table rather than the whiteboard could also help as could the use of visual aids on the desk such as maps, photographs, magazine pictures and so on. All of these can help to shift the focus away from the student. The important thing here is for you to experiment and find the style and approach that best suits your student. 4. 6 Recommendations * The students should talk to parents, friends, a mentor or anybody they trust most and should confide and express what they feel. * The students should avoid doing so many things at the same time. Because this could lead them to confusion and frustration if nothing gets accomplished. They must stick on one thing that they are good at. * Parents should teach their children how to behave in a social situation. * Parents should try to be good role models. They must let their children see those making social contacts, expressing themselves and interacting with others. * Parents should help their children to feel themselves important, capable and adequate. Such feelings will enhance their self-esteem. * Teachers should avoid calling their students shy. If labeling occurs in the classroom, teachers should intervene. * Teachers should encourage shy students to participate actively in classroom activities 4. 7 SUMMARY Shy students participate less frequently in class, are less likely to volunteer contributions, and give shorter and less elaborate answers to questions. Differences between shy and less shy students extend to their performance on standardized tests of vocabulary. What is shyness in students? Almost all students act shy at times, especially when encountering a new person or situation. Quite sensibly most students take time to figure out what to do (and not do! ) when presented with a novel situation. With time, most students start to feel comfortable in a new situation or with a person theyve recently met and, therefore, act more outgoing, relaxed, and ontaneous. Some students, however, warm up much more slowly than others. * Causes of shy out students Some children seem naturally shy, while others may revert to being shy because they are scared, ashamed or simply conditioned by past experiences to do so. A lack of confidence can cause a child to become shy, especially if she has been given reason to doubt her abilities in the past. 1. Lost Discussion Skills Students who do not interact with others in the classroom miss opportunities to learn crucial interpersonal skills. Students miss opportunities to develop debating skills. 2. Lost Assertiveness Shy students may be less willing to mention when they are struggling with class room discussion, causing them to not receive the help they need. 3. Lost Opportunities When students do not have enough experiences, they miss many opportunities to learn. Students who are very shy may be distracted from classroom material because of fears of social interaction or being called on in class. 4. Students often get ignored Shy students often have difficulty with class grades, but that largely comes from lower levels of class participation and oral skills. Whether shyness is learned, cultural, or genetic, it can present problems for both students and instructors, most commonly in smaller classes in which participation is expected/encouraged. 5. Low Self-Efficacy. Shy students often develop low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, which reduces the chances that they will have the confidence to pursue challenges that give them learning opportunities. Shyness can also create an unfortunate cycle, as timid students do not develop effective communication skills. * Strategies to Overcome Shyness of students Following strategies to help the students to overcome their shyness. 1. Tell the students about times when you acted bashful 2. Explain to the children how they will benefit from acting outgoing Prevent labeling of the children as shy. 3. Expose the children to unfamiliar settings and people 4. Prompt the children to interact with others 5. Reward the children for outgoing behavior * Signs of shy out students 1. Produce little or no voluntary speech 2. Follow directions but dont respond verbally to them 3. Turn away when spoken to 4. Watch but dont join other students in fun activities 5. Make little or no eye contact * Teachers do to help shy out students 1. Put children in pairs or other small groups and lead them into an activity that requires interaction. 2. Prompt interaction between students. 3. Give shy students plenty of time to respond to questions or to speak to the class. 4. Show empathy and understanding. 5. Show warmth. 6. Reward outgoing behavior. * Effects of student’s shyness on classroom discussion Effects of being shy include: 1. Nervousness in discussion. 2. Decreased development of close relationships. 3. Interference with learning. 4. Reduced opportunities to practice in classroom discussion. 5. Improve social skills. References Byrnes, A, D. (1984). Forgotten children in classrooms: Development and Characteristics. The elementary school journal, Vol. 84, No. 3 [Online] Available: http:

Is an oligopolistic market structure an example of market failure?

Is an oligopolistic market structure an example of market failure? Introduction One constructive approach of categorizing a market is by dividing it in terms of the number of firms on the supply side of the market and the buyers concentration on the demand side. Oligopoly represents one of the market structure where there are a very few firms on the supply side and a huge concentration of buyers on the demand side. As the buyers cannot affect the market conditions, they are going to adopt it as such and the supplier will be busy in anticipating the rival behavior. Oligopoly looms large in industries of steel, petroleum, automobiles etc. Many industries can operate geographically as oligopolies. For example banking in a small town operate as oligopoly since there will be one or two banks in the area and the residents will be forced to take his business to the local banks.( Friedman, 1983) Oligopoly a complex market structure Oligopoly is virtually a big business. Under this market structure, the rivalry takes on its worst form. Product innovations, aggressive advertising and innovative marketing tactics are frequently applied to outweigh each other. Oligopolistic market structures are the most difficult to analyze as they are highly interdependent and interwoven, where moves and countermoves are taken rapidly. For example a simple action by Ford may lead to a reaction by General Motors, which in turn cause a readjustment in Fords plan, thereby modifying GMs response and so on. So anything can happen anytime in oligopoly. There are few models that highlight oligopolistic behavior. They are: Cartels A case arises in monopoly when all the firms attempt to promote interdependence and they all mutually agree to set price and output. The firms through their mutual coordination try to create a giant monopoly. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), is an example of a cartel platform. Price leadership and Tacit Collusion It is an arrangement in which one or two firms make an arrangement for the pricing for the entire firm. Other firms are forced to follow the same price pattern although no such agreement exists in the industry. For example: In the infant formula industry, Abbot laboratories, Bristol Myers Squibb and American Home Products deliberately set their prices closer to each other to dominate the industry. The Kinked Demand Curve This model elaborates the stickiness in pricing in an oligopolistic structure. It has been hypothesized in this model that if for example, a firm X lowers its price in an oligopolistic market, the rival will be forced to lower its price to in order to avoid the loss of its market base. The demand curve dd is thus the relevant curve in case of a price reduction. dHowever, if the firm X goes for a price increase, then the case wont be the same. The rivals will not imitate this time, and would continue to enjoy the customer support as they would flee the firm X products. In this case the demand curve would be DD. The firm then tries to remain in a segment of the elastic demand curve between dd and DD. The true demand curve is represented by DAd, known as the kinked demand curve which silently points out the fact heads you lose, tails you lose (Baumol and Blinder, 2009) D A Price 8 (Competitors prices are fixed) 7 D d (Competitors respond to price changes) 0 Quantity per year 1,400 1,100 1,000 Game theory and the Oligopoly Game theory has been formulated to understand the behavior of the firms in an oligopolistic market structure that do not work on a collaborated output and pricing. The underlying assumption is that the large bossy firms are like players in a game of poker. They make the moves of lowering or increasing the price, to advertise or not to advertise, to discount and so on, based on their rivals move. Understanding the payoffs can put a firm in a better position to compete with its rival and be in a profit maximizing and rational position. For example the game between two coffee shops is illustrated as below: C:Documents and SettingsAnumDesktop4th assignmentUnderstanding Oligopoly Behavior a Game Theory overview Economics in Plain English_filesgame-theory-1.jpeg Source: Welker, J. (2009).Understanding oligopoly behavior-A game theory overview. Available from: http://welkerswikinomics.com/blog/2009/12/15/understanding-oligopoly-behavior-a-game-theory-overview// According to the above figure, both San Francisco coffee and Starbucks is following a dominant strategy. They are working up to maximize their outcome through advertising, ignoring what their competitor does. If S.F advertises, Starbucks earns profit ($12 vs. $10) through advertising. This means the pay offs are the same. Since both firms are enjoying profit through advertising they will do so, though the total profits are less in case when both are advertising, as compared to when they are not advertising. But such a condition would be a condition of instability, as to advertise is likely to be beneficial for both. So we say that advertise/advertise is Nash equilibrium, as at this stage none of the firm is going to change its strategy since it is bringing incentive to both (Jason Welker, 2009). Market failure due to Oligopoly Keeping in view the above theories that tries to explain oligopolistic behavior, the market failure due to oligopoly can be attributed to a various causes. Inefficiency, instability and indeterminacy brought about by oligopoly may result in a market crash. The firms supremacy is established as the capacity is established more and more, but little is produced in order to create artificial barrier to entry. The competitors compete on the basis of non pricing factors such as heavy advertising, which gives more hold up to the artificial barrier to entry. Prices are well above cost and price discrimination prevails. Some of the firms also engage in self-regulation to preserve their own profits and market share that further detoriate the situation (Grewal and Kumnick, 2006). Oligopolistic firms output and prices substantially differ from what is socially accepted from them. It is also believed that the misleading advertisement by the large firms also misleads the consumers and compels them to buy products that they do not want. They impose political and economic power and hover over the mind of the consumers working like an invisible hand. Market Form Number of firms in the market Frequency in Reality Entry Barriers Public Interest Results Long Run Profit Equilibrium Conditions Oligopoly Few Produces Large share of GDP Varies Varies Varies Varies Source: Economics: Principles and Policy By William J. Baumol, Alan S. Blinder MC=MR applies for a profit maximizing firm, under equilibrium. However, in oligopoly, MC is usually unequal than MR mainly because in oligopoly the firms are seeking to adopt strategies in accordance with the game theory, or they look for techniques such as increasing sales for profit maximization as their ultimate goal. Conclusion In a perfectively competitive market place the behavior of the firms automatically lead to a maximization of consumer benefits through an efficient allocation of resources. In oligopoly however, resource allocation is usually is not well set, more focused is paid on restricting output in an attempt to maneuver prices and profits. In an oligopoly everything is possible, can happen anytime anywhere, so the economists are still unable to clearly predict its behavior. Besides, its ability to lead the market down, some economists are of the belief that oligopoly has made a significant contribution towards the economic growth in the past two decades resulting in an increase in the average income of the rich countries.(Baumol and Blinder, 2009). Question two What are the implications for management of businesses in such structures? Introduction Oligopoly is a market characterized by few firms. Managers of a firm in such a structure know that their firm enjoys a market power. But the other players also have their share of power too. If the managers take the right course of action, properly assessing the behavior of their rivals in the industry, they are likely to make a profit. Strategic behavior Strategic behavior refers to the firms ability of proper consideration of their market power and awareness of their rivals move. Strategic behavior occurs in oligopolistic structures where there is less product differentiation and a competitive industry exists (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009) Implication for the managers The most important implication for the managers regarding oligopoly is the pricing practice on the basis of mutual interdependence. In case of monopoly, the absence of competition enables the managers to follow the MR=MC role to maximize its profit. Simply following the MR=MC isnt just enough. Example Consider, for example the case of proctor and gamble, where the manager hires a consultant for the thorough analysis of the cost, structure and demand. After a detailed analysis of the structure of the body soap products, the manager follows the MC=MR rule and set the retail price at $1.99.In a sudden move, the competitors Colgate-Palmolive , Lever brothers etc set the price of the comparable product 10 to 15 below to that of proctor and gamble. What the manager is likely to do? Either he can go for advertising and heavy promotion to compete against the lower prices of the competitors or can lower its prices down. Or he can simple do nothing if he is confident enough of the strong loyalty that his brand enjoys among consumers. The point is that, that pricing in oligopolistic structure cannot be done without taking into account your competitor. This is the essence of mutual interdependence (Young and McAuley,1994) The second implication for the managers is to understand that it can be extremely difficult to make money in a competitive market. Firms are required to be as much cost efficient as possible because they cannot control the prices. The managers are supposed to be vigilant enough to be able to spot opportunities and enter the market before the others could enter. They should be able to make their place before the demand gets high enough to support an above normal price. A situation could arise in oligopoly, where the managers in a firm become so successful in beating up the competition that the firm turns into a monopoly, or the one that can exercise monopolistic power. Such a case happened with IBM when In 1969, the firm dominated the computer market so much so, that the department of Justice had to issue an antitrust suit against it (Keat, Young and Benerjee, 2009) Global implication for managers The managers should keep in mind that the process of benchmarking in an oligopolistic structure strategy formulation should be done keeping in view both domestic as well as the global competitors. For example AT T communications not only took into account Northern telecom but also Siemens, Ericsson and NEC and Fujitsu. Many of the firms that refuse to take challenge from the foreign firms are likely to face consequences. Like many American firms got a serious blow from their Japanese competitors in the past 20 years. Companies like IBM and Caterpillar enjoys success because they established a strong hold in the Japanese market well before time. The oligopolistic structure also highlighted the importance of alliance for the managers. Alliances enable the firm to acquire technology from the rival firm. Whilst the acquisition of the technology can be a source of benefit for the firm, the firm giving up the technology can face causalities ( Yoffie,1993) Conclusion The managers of an oligopolistic market structure have to take into account several aspects in their decision making. The managers are plunged into complex pricing decision. They take into consideration the three Cs of Cost, customers and competition in their decision making. Price wars were common in an oligopolistic market, but they are becoming less frequent with the passage of time, mainly due to the realization of the managers. Managers have understood, through their bitter experiences, that the price wars are costly and do not bring any benefits. They chose to compete on the advertising and on product variations. So they have chosen not to compete on prices and have found for themselves a path of mutual advantage.

Effects of Enhanced CO2 on Tropical Forest Growth

Effects of Enhanced CO2 on Tropical Forest Growth James P. Smith Effects of enhanced atmospheric CO2 concentrations on tropical forest growth: experimental studies and interactions with nutrients, light, water and temperature Abstract (150 words) Introduction (300 words) Approximately 90% of earth’s 652Gt terrestrial biomass carbon is locked up in forests. Tropical and subtropical forests store 340Gt carbon; or ~52%; but only make up 13% of total forested area (table 1). Achard et al (2002) estimated 1Gt/yr carbon losses, through activities such as deforestation and clearance for agriculture (Geist et al, 2002). All terrestrial plants have become exposed to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, as part of global change. This has changed from 180ppm 18ka (Petit et al, 1999) to 390ppm today, by degassing from oceans and fossil C burning (Crowley et al, 2001). Increased CO2 could stimulate photosynthesis, raising plant productivity. This can have a role in storing more carbon and mitigate the atmospheric rise in CO2 concentrations (Beedlow et al, 2004). Table 1: Areal extent, carbon storage and net primary productivity of earth’s major biomes (from Roy et al, 2001). Figure 1 demonstrates CO2 enters plants at the source (leaf); where it becomes photoassimilated to produce carbon sugars; which are transported around the plant to carbon sinks; for different processes such as structural growth, metabolism and export. Sugars can also be stored as reserves in the form of NSCs (non-structural carbohydrates). CO2 is lost through respiration, herbivory and litter production and decomposition (Korner, 2003a). Figure 1: CO2 pools and fluxes in plants, as well as source-sink interactions (modified from Korner, 2003a). The aim of the review is to evaluate research on the effects of enhanced CO2 on tropical forest growth. This will be achieved by looking at experimental studies, as well as the effects of enhanced CO2 on the limiting factors of nutrients, light, water supply and temperature. I will be reviewing literature from 1999-2013. Experimental studies There have been few experimental studies of the effects of enhanced CO2 on plant growth in tropical forests in relatively natural conditions (ambient climate, natural soil and inter and intra-species competition). Two studies using a canopy crane in a tropical dry forest in Panama was used to assess the effects of enhanced CO2 on canopy tree leaves. Over a 40 week period Lovelock et al (1999) measured responses of leaf and branchlets of a single tree species. Photosynthesis rates increased 30% with enhanced CO2. However, no increases in biomass occurred (reproductive organs and foliage). Branchlet TNC (total non-structural carbohydrates) increased 20%, inferring localized carbon saturation. Wurth et al (1998a) found stronger TNC increases (41-61%), upon exposing canopy leaves of four tree species to enhanced CO2, in situ. Wurth et al (1998b) planted seedlings of five local species (tree, shrubs and grass) in the understorey of a closed Panamanian forest. These were grown over a 15 mo nth period, in which 50% were in ambient CO2 and 50% in elevated. All species showed significant seedling growth under elevated CO2, but decreased as understorey light levels increased, and inter-species variation was apparent. Again TNC levels increased under enhanced CO2. One experiment has studied communities of tropical trees, which have been outplanted in natural soil and subjected to elevated CO2. Lovelock et al (1998) grew groups of ten tree species at ambient and elevated CO2 in open-top chambers at the forest margin in Panama. Over six months, there was no enhancement in biomass accumulation. There were also reductions in leaf area index, increased photosynthesis rates and increased nitrogen: carbon ratios. Response was species-specific, but late-successional species were less sensitive than pioneer and midsuccessional species. Table 2: Comparison of mean TNC concentrations (% dry weight) across four studies under ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations. From table 2, it is clear that all four studies mentioned showed increased mean TNC concentrations when exposed to elevated CO2. Despite the increases, this does not necessarily mean TNCs from carbon sources are being transported to carbon sinks, into plant biomass for growth. They include carbohydrates, sugar alcohols, organic acids and lipids, and represents carbon reserves or stores, for future use on demand (Korner, 2003a). So, photosynthesis rates may increase under elevated CO2, producing more TNCs, but may not be used in plant growth, unless needed. Figure 2: Variation in mean concentration of TNC with height in two wet and dry seasons (from Wurth et al, 1998a). Wurth et al (1998a) also compared TNC concentrations, exposed to elevated CO2, with height from canopy height to roots, between wet and dry seasons (figure 2). They found TNC to increase in all plant compartments during the dry season. The TNC again not incorporated into structural growth, because growth was directly limited by dry conditions, and not photosynthesis. More TNC was being stored in reserves. In the wet season, TNC pools reduced, coinciding with resumed tree growth and new leaf production. They inferred TNC concentrations were controlled by moisture availability, in agreement with another study in the area (Newell et al, 2002). On the other hand, Korner and Wurth (1996) found TNC to increase significantly in both dry and wet seasons. This infers plants have a store of carbon, and can mobilize it when needed for growth. To further the understanding of increasing CO2 on tropical forest growth, more and longer-term experiments are needed. Arnone (1996) and Korner (1998) criticize these experiments, as they cannot be scaled up to actual forest size; use only small plants; have a higher than normal nutrient supply; absence of competition; and key processes; such as herbivory and effects of pathogens. CO2-nutrient interactions Nitrogen is commonly seen as the main limiting nutrient of tree CO2 responses (Finzi et al, 2006). However, although this is theoretically an unlimited resource (atmospheric), provided N fixation balances N losses through processes such as N20 losses or leaching (Korner, 2009). Litter mineralization is the predominate source of N in forests. All other nutrients are in limited supply in a given area, with older, more weathered (humid tropics) soils making these nutrients much more limiting to plant growth (Bergametti et al, 1998). Enhanced CO2 can accelerate the rate of symbiotic N fixation, as demonstrated by Tissue et al (1997). Seeds of fast-growing woody legumes from a seasonal tropical forest in Costa Rica were inoculated with N2 fixing Rhizobium bacteria and grown in greenhouses for ~70 days, exposed to ambient (35Pa) and elevated (70Pa) CO2 levels. Seedlings were watered adequately with N-free water solution. Under elevated CO2, photosynthesis rates increased by 49%, compared to those exposed to ambient CO2. As a result growth in elevated CO2 increased 36%. Figure 3 illustrates this, with total plant biomass growing 84% under elevated CO2. Greater rates of photosynthesis mean greater quantities of carbon are transported to the nodules. More carbon supplied to nodules means specific nitrogenase activity (SNA); that is N-fixing enzyme activity; is increased; more energy is available to power the fixation process. Thus a greater proportion of nitrogen is fixed by the legumes and incorporated into the plant for biomass accumulation and growth. Figure 4 shows this clearly, with increases in N content across all parts of the plant. Figures 3 4: Dry weight biomass (gDW) of whole plant, as well as different areas of the plant (left). N content (mg) of whole plant, and different sections of plant (right). (From Tissue et al, 1997). Although there is a high abundance of nitrogen, and fixing increases under CO2 levels, Pons et al (2007) inferred N-fixation is also strongly limited by phosphorus availability, and is absorbed by trees much more efficiently than N (Medina and Cuevas, 1994; Herbert and Fownes, 1995). Pons et al (2007) measured N and P concentration changes in leaves of leguminous plants, in different soil types, in a tropical forest in Guyana. From table 3, general increases in N and P led to positive accumulations of N in leaves. They inferred increases in phosphorus were the main cause for increasing N-fixation, with increasing N concentrations having negligible effect. Contrary to Tissue et al (1997)’s findings, Houlton et al (2008) found N fixation to be less prominent in tropical forests. Pons et al (2007) approximated 6% of total N uptake by trees in Guyana was by N-fixation, and only ~50% legumes used the symbiotic pathway. Nardoto et al (2008) found near negligible N-fixation levels in legumes in Amazonia. Thus, nitrogen is unlikely to majorly constrain C-fixation in tropical forests, but phosphorus is more likely to (Martinelli et al, 1999). Table 3: Phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in five different soil types, and their affect on N-fixation rates by N contents in leaves (Modified from Pons et al, 2007). Studies in tropical forests in Panama provided clear evidence that trees grown in close proximity to their natural habitat, under elevated CO2, within original soils and under local climatic conditions, exhibited accelerated growth rates when soils were enriched with mineral nutrients (Winter and Lovelock, 1999; Winter et al, 2001; table 4). In the absence of fertilizer there was no significant change in growth rate under elevated CO2 (Lovelock et al, 1998; Winter et al, 2000). No major changes in growth rates were found again were found by Korner and Arnone (1992) and Arnone and Korner (1995). Table 4: The effect of fertilizer/absence of fertilizer application on biomass accumulation for tropical plants under elevated CO2. Clearly the effects of elevated CO2 on have caused mixed responses from different studies. In some studies, greater photosynthesis rates led to increased carbon supply to allow accelerated N-fixation for biomass growth. Other studies highlighted the greater importance of phosphorus in regulating N-fixation and biomass accumulation. Plants grown in the absence of nutrients consistently showed minimal to no change in growth rates, opposed to increasing biomass with those that were enriched with mineral nutrients. CO2-light interactions It is known that shaded plant growth rates are limited by light and CO2. Illuminating plants will lead to accelerated growth, by forest canopy thinning or removal. As enhanced CO2 increases light use efficiency and decreases the light compensation point within the leaf, stimulation by enhanced CO2 in shaded areas can be seen to be similar to canopy thinning or illumination (Long and Drake, 1991). The effect of elevated CO2 on tropical plants grown in deep shade can be significant and can possibly exceed effects grown under horticultural conditions under full light (Korner, 2009). Wurth (1998a) exposed seedlings on the forest floor to ~700ppm CO2 under extremely low light levels (~11ÃŽ ¼mol photons m-2s-1). Tree seedlings grew 25-44% and shrub seedlings grew 59-76%. Lovelock et al (1996) observed similar results of mycorrhizal growth of tree seedlings, although P supply may have had an influence. Thus elevated CO2 promotes expansion into shaded areas. As expressed, as most tree seedlings wait to exploit an opening in the canopy, lianas employ a different strategy. Lianas are situated in deep shade and aim to occupy maximal space, but with minimal structural investment (Korner, 2009). Elevated CO2 increases the probability of lianas reaching the upper canopy. Granados and Korner (2002) studied biomass and growth rates for three liana species; simulated in a tropical understorey environment with seed and soil from Yucatan; under high and low light levels; and under ambient and elevated CO2 levels. From figures 5-7 it is apparent that liana biomass increases at higher light levels for all three species. However, liana growth rate is much larger at lower light levels (up to +249%), opposed to higher light levels (up to +52%). These higher growth rates are at moderately elevated CO2 levels of ~420ppm. At ~700ppm, growth rates reduced or even reversed. Thus, individuals within the understorey with low light levels (under moderately elevated CO2 levels) have the potential to grow upwards towards the canopy at a faster rate than those in higher light levels. Figure 8: Comparison of biomass change and growth rates; under ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations; between temperate and tropical liana species (from Korner, 2009) This consistent trend in increased growth rates under low light levels has also been confirmed for temperate liana species (figure 8). Hattenschweiler and Korner (2003) found growth rates between 64-80% under low light opposed to 23-40% under high light. These results could support reasoning for the enhanced vigour and reproduction of lianas observed in recent decades in Panama (Wright et al, 2004) and Amazonia (Phillips et al, 2002). Elevated CO2 may cause lianas to behave more aggressively, thereby inducing faster forest turnover, and reducing tree carbon storage in the long-run (Korner, 2004). Other factors have also been attributed to explain current liana growth, such as reduced rainfall (Swaine and Grace, 2007). Epiphytes are another important organism that influence tropical forest tree dynamics, and grow in tree crowns. Epiphytes derive from succulents, and may utilize CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) photosynthetic pathways, although some can use C3 pathways also (Korner, 2009). Contrary to lianas, evidence suggests epiphytes don’t benefit from elevated CO2 (Monterio et al, 2009). They tested the effect of doubling CO2 concentration; as well as increasing light and nutrient levels; on growth of six epiphyte species from the Neotropics. Figure 9: Relative growth rate (mgg-1d-1) of six epiphyte species under increasing CO2, light and nutrient levels for six different species. C3 pathways (V=Vriesea; C=Catopsis; O=Oncidium). CAM pathways (T=Tillandsia; B=Bulbophyllum; A=Aechmea). From Monteiro et al (2009). From figure 9; across the six species; elevated CO2 increased relative growth rates by only 6%. Although C3 species grew 60% faster than CAM, the two groups showed no significant difference in their CO2 responses. High light increased average growth rates by 21%; high nutrients by 10%. The findings contrast with those noted by Granados and Korner (2002) and Wurth et al (1998a), who found significant positive responses of lianas to elevated CO2 and deep shade, opposed to high light intensities. Thus, epiphytes will pose a lower risk to forest turnover and carbon stock losses. CO2-water interactions CO2-water interactions have two sides: the CO2-driven stomatal response; and the interactions with weather; such as drought. Under elevated CO2 conditions, plants will always absorb more CO2 per unit of water lost; regardless of stomata respond. However, experimental evidence confirms stomata may not be as sensitive to CO2 as previously thought (Korner and Wurth, 1996; Lovelock et al, 1999). The increase in atmospheric CO2 over the last century has highlighted the dynamic relationships between CO2 gain and water loss. The evidence for this is within tree rings, in the form of stable carbon isotope signals. Hietz et al (2005) observed these changes in Amazonian trees, where a change in ∂3C over the past two centuries infers increased intrinsic water use efficiency. Traditionally, when water acts as a limiting factor, scientists have drawn upon an array of responses; such as stomatal closure; reduced photosynthesis and growth. However, it has been understood for decades that photosynthesis is less sensitive to reduced water potential than biomass growth. Most of the evidence is derived from non-woody plants (Korner, 2003a). Less water uptake reduces turgidity, which reduces tissue formation, eventually limiting CO2 uptake. Wurth et al (2005) completed an extensive inventory for 17 tropical tree species in both the dry and wet seasons in Panama. They found NSC pools to be largest when growth was lowest and smallest when growth reaches a maximum. This is counterintuitive to what is normally expected! It had been suggested that high NSC levels found in trees under growth limitations by environmental factors, such as drought, does not reflect source saturation by C, but a precaution strategy by which NSCs are stored in a reserve (Lewis et al, 2004a).

Hank Williams Jr. :: essays research papers

Hank Williams Jr. Hank Williams, Jr. was meant to be a superstar from the day he was born. His father, the legendary Hank Williams, and mother, Audrey Sheppard, both played an intricate part in his early stardom. Hank had to overcome many obstacles in his life including escaping from his father's shadow and a near death experience in 1975. Hank's many triumphs, and his ability to overcome setbacks, have propelled him to a legendary status. Born May 26, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Randall Hank Williams, Jr. was destined to become a star. Tragically, his father died on New Years day, 1953, at the young age on twenty nine ("Official Home Page," Biography). However, his mother, a country singer in her own right, helped Hank Jr. start one of the earliest, and most successful, childhood careers in country music history. Hank appeared on stage for the first time at the young age of eight. Hank appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of eleven, singing his father's songs in his father's style. At the age of fourteen Hank recorded his first album, a hit rendition of his father's "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues." At an age when most young boys are playing Little League baseball or football, Hank was learning the piano from Jerry Lee Lewis, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and performing before crowds of up to twenty thousand. In 1969, Hank teamed up with Johnny Cash to perform in the largest country concert to date. In 1970, Hank signed the biggest recording contract in the history of MGM Records. As proud as he was of being the son of Hank Williams, Hank got tired of being in his father's shadow. In high school, known as "Rockin' Randall," Hank played contemporary rock, however, that had to be kept secret from all his traditional country fans. He also liked to listen to rhythm and blues, however, these types of music were looked down on by many in Nashville. Later in his career, Hank even released a couple of rock singles under the name Bo Cephus on Verve Records, a subdivision of MGM. The split between what he wanted to do and what he was expected to do , along with his long-term alcohol and drug abuse, developed into a downward spiral of his career that led to a 1974 suicide attempt. In early 1975, Hank recorded "Hank Williams, Jr. and Friends," his first true step to escaping his father's shadow and the past. Although the album was a success, MGM wanted him to return to the style that would keep his longtime

Black Holes: The Power Source for Future Space Travel? :: Space Exploration Essays

Everyone knows that the spaceships in Star Trek that travel faster than the speed of light are mere science fiction. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, if an object reached the speed of light, its mass would be immediately transformed into energy. Currently our spaceships can not even reach mars in less than five years. Now, with modern theories of black holes, trips to other solar systems may be possible at nearly the speed of light. Black holes were only proven to exist within the last twenty-five years and were only really considered to exist for the last seventy-five years. Yet these recently discovered objects could be the energy revolution of the future, much like nuclear power was in the sixties. Black holes generate tremendous amounts of energy in several different ways, and so can be harnessed in several ways to generate usable power. In order to understand how energy can be created from black holes, one must first have an understanding of black holes themselves. Black holes are formed by matter being crushed within a certain radius (call the Shwarzchild radius or event horizon). This radius can be calculated by the equation r = 2GM / c2, were G is Newton's gravitational constant, c is the speed of light, and M is the mass of the black hole. This shows that the density within the event horizon, which is equal to 3M / 4?r2 for a spherical object, will actually decrease as the mass increases. The gravitational field around a black hole will act same as an object of identical mass, so "if the sun were to suddenly †¦ [become] a black hole †¦ would the earth go plummeting into it? No, it would continue on its orbit †¦ things just get interesting close to the black hole" (Jebornak, 1998). There are three types of black holes that scientist currently believe are capable of becoming future power sources: Schwarzschild black holes, Newmann black holes, and primordial black holes. Schwarzschild black holes are the simplest black holes because they do not rotate and have no charge. The Newmann black hole, on the other hand, rotates and has a charge, but like the Schwarzschild black hole can have varying masses from a couple times our sun's mass to several billion times the mass of our sun. Primordial black holes were first theorized about "In the year 1973 [by] Stephen W.

Enron Versus Bombay Politicians Essay

On August 3,1995, the Maharashtra state government of India, dominated by the nationalist right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), abruptly canceled Enron’s $2.9 billion power project in Dabhol, located south of Bombay, the industrial heartland of India. This came as a huge blow to Rebecca P. Mark, the chairman and chief executive of Enron’s international power unit, who spearheaded the Houston-based energy giant’s international investment drive. Upon the news release, Enron’s share price fell immediately by about 10 percent to $33.5. Mark sprang to action to resuscitate the deal with the Maharashtra state, promising concessions. This effort, however, was met with scorn from BJP politicians. Enron’s Dabhol debacle cast a serious doubt on the company’s aggressive global expansion strategy, involving some $10 billion in projects in power plants and pipelines spanning across Asia, South America, and Middle East Enron became involved in the projec t in 1992 when the new reformist government of the Congress Party (1), led by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, was keen on attracting foreign investment in infrastructure. After meeting with the Indian government officials visiting Houston in May, Enron dispatched executives to Indian to hammer out a â€Å"memorandum of understanding â€Å"in just 10 days to build a massive 2,015-megawatt Dabhol power complex. New Delhi placed the project on a fast track and awarded it to Enron without competitive bidding. Subsequently, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) agreed to buy 90 percent of the power Dabhol produces. Tow other U. S. companies, General Electric GE) and Bechtel Group, agreed to join Enron as parents for the Dabhol project. In the process of structuring the deal, Enron made a profound political miscalculation: It did not seriously take into consideration a rising backlash against foreign investments by an opposition coalition led by the BJP. During the state election campaign in early 1995, the BJP called for a reevaluation of the Enron project. Jay Dubashi, the BJP’s economic advisor ,said that the BJP would review all foreig n investments already in India, and â€Å"If it turns out that we have to ask them to go ,then we’ll ask them to go.† Instead of waiting for the election results, Enron rushed to close the  deal and began construction, apparently believing that a new government would find it difficult to unwind the deal when construction was already under way. Enron was not very concerned with local political sentiments. Enron fought to keep the contract details confidential, but a successful lawsuit by a Bombay consumer group forced the company to reveal the details: Enron would receive 7.4 cents per kilowatt-hour from MSER and Enron’s rate of return would be 23 percent, far higher than 16 percent over the capital cost that the Indian government guaranteed to others. Critics cited the disclosure as proof that Enron had exaggerated project costs to begin with and that the deal might have involved corruption. The BJP won the 1995 election in Maharashtra state and fulfilled its promise. Manohar Joshi, the newly elected chief minister of Maharashtra, who campaigned on a pledge to â€Å"drive Enron into the se a,† promptly canceled the project, citing inflated project costs and too high electricity rates. This pledge played well with Indian voters with visceral distrust of foreign companies since the British colonial era. (It helps to recall that India was first colonized by a foreign company, the British East India Company.) By the time the project was canceled, Enron already had invested some $300 million. Officials of the Congress Party who championed the Dabhol in the first place did not come to rescue of the project. The BJP criticized the Congress Party, rightly or wrongly, for being too corrupt to reform the economy and too cozy with business interests. In an effort to pressure Maharashtra to reverse its decision, Enron â€Å"pushed like hell â€Å" the U.S. Energy Department to make a statement in June 1995 to the effect that canceling the Enron deal could adversely affect other power projects. The Statement only compounded the situation. The BJP politicians immediately criticized the statement as an attempt by Washington to build India. After months of nasty exchanges and lawsuits, Enron and Maharashtra negotiators agreed to revive the Dabhol project. The new deal requires that Enron cut the project’s cost from $2.9 billion to $2.5 billion , lower the proposed electricity rates , and mak e a state-owned utility a new percent partner of the project. A satisfied Joshi, the chief minister, stated:† Maharashtra has gained tremendously by this decision.† Enron needed to make a major concession to demonstrate that its global power projects are still on track. The new deal led Enron to withdraw a lawsuit seeking $500 billion in damages from Maharashtra for the  cancellation of the Dabhol project Please write a two-page essay to discuss the following points. 1. Discuss the chief mistake that Enron made in Indian 2. Discuss what Enron might have done differently to avoid its predicament in India. You can look through the mini case and also search the related materials online in order to prepare the essay, but be sure to specify the information sources in the end of essay.